Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Zelenskyy Meets with European Leaders in Summit; President Zelenskyy Ready to Sign Rare Earth Deal With U.S.; President Trump to Address Congress This Week; Israel Blocks All Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza; At least 37 Dead in a Bus Crash in Bolivia; Pope Francis Off Ventilation and Stable; "Anora" Triumphs at Oscars, Best Picture, Director, Actress; Wildfires Scorch The Carolinas Prompting Evacuations; U.S. Health Secretary Makes Conflicting Vaccine Remarks; Trump To Address Joint Session Of Congress Tuesday; Democrats Debate How To Effectively Counter Trump Speech; Cuomo Holds First Event Since Launching NYC Mayoral Bid; Strong Storm Systems Expected In Southern U.S. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 03, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church, just ahead.

European leaders unite promising to take the lead to end Ukraine's war, but make clear they will need the support of the U.S.

Donald Trump will make a joint address to Congress this week, but new poll numbers show Americans are concerned about his priorities.

And Hollywood's biggest night, we'll bring you the winners of the Oscars and the touching tributes to LA firefighters.

Good to have you with us. Well, first this hour, a major show of support in Europe for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as leaders move to take control of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. At a key summit in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said European leaders were working to craft a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be presented to the U.S. Starmer says Europe must do the heavy lifting, but that U.S. backing is needed.

And French President Emmanuel Macron told newspaper "Le Figaro" that France and the U.K. have proposed a month-long limited ceasefire in Ukraine, all this coming just days after Zelenskyy's explosive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The Ukrainian president said his country is ready to sign a rare minerals deal with the U.S., a deal Zelenskyy had been expected to sign on Friday.

Despite the tensions, the Ukrainian leader called the U.S. a strategic partner and had this to say about the relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): I think our relations with the U.S. will continue because this is more than relations during a certain moment. We must be open. Ukraine is not the biggest country in the world, but everyone could see how it fights for its independence and freedom. I represent the interests of a country that heavily depends on support from partners. So, of course, if I am invited for a constructive dialogue, for solving real problems, for serious questions and real resolute actions and answers, I will be there out of respect for America, the American people, the president and the two parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: During all of this, there's been no let up to Russia's attacks on Ukraine. On Sunday, the mayor of Kharkiv said a drone targeted an apartment building, which sparked a fire and injured eight people.

There was also a royal show of support for the Ukrainian president during his meeting with King Charles. CNN's Nic Robertson has more from London.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: So President Zelenskyy getting an important meeting with King Charles, one of the king's country residences, about 100 miles north of London's Sandringham. They spend an hour together. And it's important symbolically because it embodies, if you will, the support that the U.K. is giving to the Ukrainian president. But remembering as well just a few days ago when the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was in the Oval Office with President Trump, he handed President Trump a letter, an unprecedented invitation to President Trump of a second state visit to the U.K.

So, here Zelenskyy getting the royal treatment as well, embodying that support from the British government, the British people and the monarchy. Before he was there, he was at that gathering of European leaders as well as Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister being hosted by the British prime minister. The British prime minister saying that this was an effort to make sure that Ukraine has the military and economic needs that it needs to fight the war today.

He spoke about an additional $2 billion of funding going to Ukraine, Ukraine spending that on air defense missiles, 5,000 of them to be purchased in the U.K. All of that very, very important. But some of the key details that we began to learn was that this was something of an historic moment. That's the way Keir Starmer saw it, that this was a crossroads in history where he was trying to build a coalition of the willing European nations forward leaning, able to step up and be part of the security guarantees. This is how he framed it.

[02:05:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can't mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Together with others, Europe must do the heavy listing. But to support peace in our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And that very important point there, the need to have U.S. support here. And he spoke about it in this way as well, that France, the U.K. and Ukraine would work on this plan with the European nations and then bring it to the White House. So in a way, they feel like shielding President Zelenskyy to some degree from sort of getting in a one-on-one situation in the White House with President Trump again, that turned so fractious just a few days ago.

And an important message as well coming at this summit from Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president saying that in just a couple of days on the 6th of March this week, European leaders would gather and lay out a comprehensive plan on how to re-arm Europe. That is something President Trump has been looking for Europeans to do to step up their defense spending. So the Europeans appearing to come together on a plan for that as well. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

CHURCH: David Sanger is a CNN political and national security analyst and author of "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion and America's Struggle to Defend the West." He joins me now from Los Angeles. Appreciate you being with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So Europe is stepping up in the wake of that explosive exchange between the U.S. president and his Ukrainian counterpart on Friday. But European leaders are keeping the U.S. involved with France and the U.K. proposing a month-long truce and a peace plan that will be presented to the U.S. Where do you see all of this going from here?

SANGER: Well, it's a nice try and it's worth pursuing. It's based on the thought that if the president and President Zelenskyy can't get along, somebody has to step in and begin to come up with concrete solutions. It's got three major problems, as I would sort of just take it as a first run.

First, you cannot make this whole thing work if you can't get the United States, the largest supplier, single supplier of arms and cash, on the same page with the Ukrainians, because sooner or later the Ukrainians are going to have to agree to this deal, too. They're going to have to be the counterparty.

The second problem with it is it's very possible that Vladimir Putin doesn't want to go deal with the Europeans here, that he takes the same view that President Trump does, which is this is a superpower issue to be resolved between superpowers.

And the third problem, potential problem with this, I think, is that Putin, like President Trump, wants a much larger deal than just Ukraine, that Ukraine is the proximate reason that they are talking. But ultimately what they want is an agreement that might lead to full normalization of relations, the beginning of a solution to the expiration in less than a year now of New START, the last remaining nuclear treaty between the two countries, some kind of U.S. investment in Russia itself. And, of course, the Europeans can't do that.

CHURCH: And President Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to sign the minerals deal with the U.S. He thinks relations with the United States will continue. Can that relationship be repaired, do you think?

SANGER: Little too early to tell. Hard to imagine how you do it with the current cast of characters, only because President Trump and President Zelenskyy have such a history together. Their conflict goes back to Mr. Trump's first term in office. It was the conversations with Zelenskyy where he tried to -- where Mr. Trump tried to get him to launch investigations into Joe Biden and so forth that led to the first impeachment of President Trump. That's not forgotten. So they have all that personal history there.

I think for Mr. Zelenskyy, it was absolutely critical to show his own people that he wasn't going to get bullied into an agreement that didn't provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

[02:10:06]

And those security guarantees may ultimately be provided by the Europeans, as President Trump argues. Big question about whether or not they have the capability to go provide the troops to do that.

CHURCH: And of course, while all of this plays out, Ukraine is still under attack and Russia's President Putin has, of course, been emboldened by Trump's treatment of Zelenskyy and his clear preference for mending a relationship with Russia, as you point out. How much harder will all this make peace negotiations for European leaders?

SANGER: Well, it is interesting that President Putin's approach to this is keep the pressure on, perhaps to force the Ukrainians to make bigger concessions. President Trump was told, or at least his aides were told, by the outgoing Biden administration that he should do the same, that he should go back to Congress, make it clear he's willing to go fund more arms for Ukraine, keep the pressure on the Russians so that they're forced to the table.

He has chosen instead an alternative route. He thinks he's going to get further by not naming Russia as an aggressor, by ruling out from the start that Ukraine would join NATO. In other words, by making a series of concessions, including this stand down of offensive cyber operations against Russia that President Trump's defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has ordered. So these are all efforts to try to lure Russia into the negotiations. So they're pursuing different strategies to get to the table.

CHURCH: David Sanger, many thanks for joining us and sharing your analysis and perspective on this matter. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

CHURCH: Well, U.S. President Donald Trump will face lawmakers on Tuesday addressing a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second presidential term. It's an opportunity for Mr. Trump to reassure voters about his leadership. Since he took office, we have seen the president's indiscriminate firings of federal workers, threats of massive tariffs on U.S. allies, and his catastrophic White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A CNN poll taken before that meeting shows that a majority of Americans are unhappy with how President Trump is doing his job. Fifty-two percent disapprove of his performance, only 48 percent approve. CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak explains what President Trump supporters hope his address will accomplish.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The speech President Trump is planning to deliver on Tuesday to a joint session of Congress is typically one of the biggest audiences for any president in any given year. The dynamics, of course, with Trump are somewhat different. He has completely domineered the nation's attention since taking office 41 days ago, but certainly this will still be a moment for him to deliver kind of a cogent explanation of everything he has been doing since taking office.

This slash and burn attitude towards the federal government, gutting certain agencies, laying off tens of thousands of federal workers. What you hear from Republicans is this hope that the president will be able to explain what he's been doing to an audience that has been growing somewhat skeptical.

And certainly. in a new CNN poll, you do see for President Trump the negatives now outweighing the positives. On the question of how Americans approve of the president, 48 percent say that they approve compared to 52 percent who say they disapprove, which is about the same as a CNN poll in mid-February. And I'll note that this was taken before that fracas in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy on Friday, but still represents an underwater approval rating for a president only about a month and a few weeks into his term.

The second metric that we polled when asked whether Trump had the right priorities, 40 percent said yes, he did, 52 percent said no, he didn't. And what's interesting there is that the doubts about the president's priorities extended to a small but notable share of those who still expressed support for the president on other measures.

So 12 percent who said that they approved of the president overall said that his priorities haven't been in the right place.

[02:14:55]

And so this speech will be an opportunity for the president to kind of demonstrate exactly how the actions he's taken in office can affect every day Americans, and in his view, improve the lives of people who are living across the country.

The other audience that he'll want to be speaking to in the speech are the lawmakers who are sitting in the room as they prepare to pass the president's agenda, whether it's cutting federal spending, whether it's rewriting the tax code, who want to lay out some specific priorities for them as they plan to move forward.

Now, President Trump's advisors say this speech is meant to try and connect directly with Americans, but of course, how the president's speeches are previewed versus how they actually materialize are sometimes two very different things. And it has been interesting to go back and watch the president's addresses from his first time in office.

His speech in 2017 was relatively by the book. It struck some bipartisan themes and it was relatively well-received. Four years later was a completely different story, much more combative. The president had just been impeached. And when he finished his speech, the then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of it in full view of the cameras. But certainly the political landscape has now shifted dramatically.

The Republicans in that room are almost entirely on the president's side. They control both houses of Congress, and you can expect a valedictory tone from the president. But if he hopes for his approval ratings to change from this speech, he will not necessarily be bolstered by his experience from four years ago. All four years, his speech didn't necessarily have a major effect on his approval rating, at least according to our CNN polling. Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, and I asked him what he expected to hear from Donald Trump's address to Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: I'm expecting to hear a long list of the great achievements, the historic achievements, the greatest achievements in American and possibly world history that he has already done in just these approximately six weeks in office. And the Republicans will set a new record for cheering and applause. What's going to be interesting is to see what the Democrats do.

I've already heard that some of them are thinking about walking out. Others are thinking about boycotting the session. And still others are considering whether they could boo and get away with it without actually creating sympathy for Trump. So there may be more drama there than there normally is. How it will play out depends on how the Democrats execute this.

CHURCH: And that is part of this too, isn't it? Because a lot of voters feel the Democrats are not pushing back enough on Trump and what he's doing. But they're trying to assess their strategy on this, aren't they?

SABATO: Yes, they're trying to figure out what to do. Nancy Pelosi, I think, doesn't want them to do much of anything except sit on their hands. And that may be the most effective way to approach it. But the Democratic activists, the rank and file Democrats have just about had it with the Democratic leadership. They are furious that people aren't fighting Trump more strongly and sternly than they are.

So that's what's going to show on Tuesday night. Who's won that argument, at least temporarily?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More "CNN Newsroom" when we come back, including swift condemnation for Israel as it keeps humanitarian aid out of Gaza. The latest in the Middle East, that is next.

Plus, dozens are dead after two buses collided head on in Bolivia. We'll have the latest on what investigators believe happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:00]

CHURCH: Outrage in the Middle East as Israel stops the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas break down. CNN's Larry Madowo has more.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Egypt criticizing Israel for blocking humanitarian aids to Gaza is especially significant because Egypt alongside Qatar mediated this ceasefire, the first phase of which expired Saturday.

Now Israel says it is doing this to try and force Hamas to this U.S. backed extension of this first phase of the ceasefire. But Egypt says these risks catastrophic consequences, especially given the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and coming during this holy month of Ramadan. This is what the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

It's unequivocally rejects the politicization of humanitarian aid and its exploitation as a tool of blackmail, a tactic that would only deepen the suffering of more than two million Palestinians who are already enduring immense hardship due to a campaign of devastation and forced displacement. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to this proposal by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Under this framework, on the first day, Hamas would release half of the hostages still in Gaza. And over the next seven weeks or so, ending on April 20th, at the end of the Jewish holiday of Passover, the remaining hostages would be released. In exchange for that, they would continue to release Palestinian prisoners and surge aid into Gaza. But he had a warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translation): There will be no free lunches. If Hamas thinks that the ceasefire can continue or that it can benefit from the terms of phase A without us receiving hostages, it is deeply mistaken. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: During the 42 days of the first phase of the ceasefire, dozens of Israeli hostages were released, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as well, and aid got into Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross that facilitated the transfers said it saved countless lives in Gaza and warns that any unravelling of this agreement risks plunging people back into despair, people like these residents of Gaza.

[02:24:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translation): I hope the truce lasts and that these wars finally end. Our children are terrified of the bombings. We want peace for ourselves and our kids. Enough destruction. We don't even have a place to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: Hamas has rejected that U.S.-backed proposal to extend this first phase of the ceasefire. Hamas has also called the Israeli decision to block aid to Gaza cheap blackmail and a war crime. What Hamas wants is for Israel to move on to phase two of the ceasefire negotiations. That would involve the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and talk of a permanent ceasefire, an end to the war. Israel does not want to do that and says there is no automatic transition between phases. That appears to be the stumbling block here to these negotiations.

In the meantime, the people of Gaza, two million plus people living in essentially an area that's become ruins, will continue to suffer. Larry Madowo, CNN, Paris.

CHURCH: At least 38 people are dead and more than 35 injured after two buses collided in southwestern Bolivia. It happened early Saturday when one of the buses swerved into oncoming traffic. All of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. The crash is under investigation, but authorities believe speeding was a factor. Bolivia's president said he was appalled by the accident.

Pope Francis is in stable condition with no fever and no longer requiring mechanical ventilation to breathe, according to the Vatican. But sources say there's still a risk of crisis for the 88-year-old pontiff. His condition continues to be watched closely after he suffered what was called a sudden respiratory episode on Friday, but he was comfortable enough on Sunday to receive a visit from two senior Vatican officials.

He has reportedly described his frailty as a blessing and, quote, "an opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people."

Hollywood celebrated its biggest night with fabulous fashion and plenty of joyful tears. Who won big at the Oscars? That's when we come back.

Plus, we'll bring you the first images of the Blue Ghost lunar lander after it successfully touched down on the moon's surface. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:57]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, it was Hollywood's biggest night with glitz and glamour on full display for the Oscars. "Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande got the night started with a stunning performance of defying gravity from their blockbuster film. But in the end, it was the low budget independent movie "Anora", which took on Hollywood giants and won big.

Mikey Madison claimed the award for best actress for the title role in the film. She could hardly believe what had happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKEY MADISON, WINNER, BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me. So to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible. This is a dream come true. I'm probably going to wake up tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH:" "Anora" also claimed the biggest prize for best picture and best director, going to Sean Baker.

Adrien Brody won best actor in a leading role for his work in "The Brutalist", in which he played a struggling immigrant architect in post-World War II America.

And Zoe Saldana won best supporting actress for "Emilia Perez". She shared a real life immigrant story when accepting the award.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE SALDANA, WINNER, BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard working hands. And I'm the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Another special moment during the ceremony, local firefighters were brought on stage and got a standing ovation for their heroic work battling the L.A. wildfires earlier this year.

Well, now to Cape Canaveral in Florida, where SpaceX has launched its latest Starlink mission. On Sunday, the Falcon 9 rocket delivered 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, including 13 with direct to cell capabilities. After the launch, a series of controlled engine burns guided the booster to an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

And these breathtaking images of the moon are courtesy of the Blue Ghost lunar lander. The uncrewed spacecraft successfully -- successfully soft landed on the moons surface in the early hours of Sunday morning. Firefly aerospace, the Texas based developer behind Blue Ghost, is now the second private company to score a moon landing. The lunar lander is part of a privately owned fleet, helping NASA in its aim to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.

Just ahead, smoke billows in the sky above the Carolinas. Firefighters in the region are battling dozens of blazes in less than ideal conditions. We'll have the latest after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:37:08]

CHURCH: More than 175 wildfires are burning across the Carolinas. Near Myrtle Beach, the Carolina forest fire has grown to 647 hectares, or 1,600 acres. South Carolinas forestry commission says it's 30 percent contained. Some residents who evacuated were allowed to return to their homes. Dry and windy conditions have been fanning the flames, but firefighters should get a break by Tuesday as forecasts call for more humidity and lighter winds.

Well, the fires in the Carolinas are threatening a region that's still reeling from hurricane Helene last fall, as CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency in his state on Sunday. In making the announcement, McMaster said the purpose is to further support wildfire response efforts across the state and ensure our first responders continue to have the resources they need. A statewide outdoor burn ban remains in effect due to the dangerous wildfire conditions. This is what it looked like from the air Saturday night, when a passenger and a commercial airline took this video while flying over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The areas affected by these dangerous conditions are eastern South Carolina and western North Carolina, the same region that was devastated in the fall by Hurricane Helene. The fire threat has continued for the entire region, the National Weather Service says high risk areas are located in and around cities including Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina.

Two wildfires were confirmed in Buncombe County, North Carolina, on Saturday. A local resident told CNN affiliate WLOS she rushed to help a friend evacuate her mother.

BECKY OLIVER, TRYON, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: I mean, it's bad enough from Helene, but now we've got this. And I mean the forest, it's just -- it's going to be really bad. JACKIE BURKE, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: It made the sky such an odd

color. I was going for a walk, and it turned this odd yellow color, yellow and red in the woods where I was walking.

ROMO: Several factors are combining to increase the danger of wildfire in both Carolinas. There's dry vegetation due to lack of recent rainfall. There's also dry air being added to the mix. And if you combine these two factors with strong winds, you create the perfect conditions for wildfire to occur.

The good news is that winds in the region are expected to significantly weaken, and the temperatures will plummet to freezing point in the next several hours. More humid air is expected to return to the region by Tuesday.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDOETAPE)

CHURCH: The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human services has a history of anti-vaccine comments. Well, now he is weighing in on the massive measles outbreak in Texas. There are at least 146 confirmed cases since last January.

[02:40:04]

Most are among children and people who are unvaccinated. State officials say 20 patients have been hospitalized so far, and one person has died.

On Sunday, Fox News published an opinion piece from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He wrote: Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons. But he also wrote that the decision to vaccinate is a personal one.

In the past, Kennedy said no vaccine is safe and effective, attempting to tie them to a rise in autism while also recommending alternative medicines. However, studies show the MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective, with no links to neurological disorders.

The figure skating world is paying tribute to those lost in January's tragic plane crash in Washington. Sunday's Legacy on Ice event featured some of skating's biggest names, but perhaps the most emotional moment. Maks Naumov, who lost both of his parents, collapsed to his knees after he skated to one of their favorite songs.

Sixty-seven people were killed in the mid-air collision over the Potomac River that included 11 young skaters, their coaches and family members who were flying back from the U.S. figure skating championships in Kansas.

And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church.

For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is up next. And for those of you here in the United States, I'll be back after a short break.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:38]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in North America. I'm Rosemary Church.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump will make his first address to Congress since his November reelection, speaking to a joint session of Congress. The president is expected to celebrate his recent shakeup of the American government and lay out some of his plans for the year ahead.

For Democrats, the speech offers a chance to do something they haven't done much of during Trump's second term, fight back.

Arlette Saenz has more from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Democrats will face a fresh test this week as they're looking to counter President Trump's joint address to Congress. Democratic leaders are hoping to present a united front, as they're trying to argue that Trump's actions in his first six weeks in office and the plans that Republicans want to pursue in the coming months will not help, but instead will hurt the American people.

One way they're trying to highlight that is by bringing guests to the State of the Union, who are individuals who have been negatively impacted by Trump's early moves. That could include fired federal workers and other individuals who might be involved with programs that were subjected to those funding freezes in these early weeks.

Now, Democrats have also chosen Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan to deliver the official rebuttal to Trumps remarks. It's an interesting choice because Slotkin is a freshman senator who was one of only two freshman senators to actually win in a battleground state that Trump won back in November. She is often talked about the need for Democrats to talk about kitchen table issues in order to win back voters in the upcoming elections.

Now, while that is a big focus of the Democratic response, there are some who are considering not attending this speech at all. One of those is Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who has really been a leading voice in the pushback against Trump.

Here is why he has decided not to attend that speech on Tuesday night.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I think that State of the Union speech is going to be a farce. I think it's going to be a MAGA pep rally, not a serious talk to the nation.

We're going to stop that billionaire takeover, that destruction of our democracy, only by fighting them every single day. A lot of Democrats think maybe you should, you know, fight every third day. You should reserve your power and jump out of the bushes at the right moment. I just think that we have to be on the offensive 24/7.

SAENZ: Now, for the Democrats, who are in the house chamber on Tuesday night, they will also have to decide whether to try to respond or react to Trump in real time on the spot. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who famously ripped up the speech that Trump delivered during his last State of the Union as president. She is urging Democratic lawmakers to exercise some caution, saying in an interview that they should essentially just let Trump stew in his own juice. It all comes as Democrats really have struggled to stop Trumps actions in the first six weeks of his presidency, and they also have yet to settle on a cohesive message and strategy for how to push back on those actions.

But the varying tactics of Democrats will be on display during the speech, as Democrats are still trying to find their way out of the political wilderness.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has slashed tens of thousands of jobs from the U.S. government since Trump took office. More cuts are expected in the coming days and weeks. And now some Republican lawmakers are starting to feel the heat getting blasted by angry constituents back home. But the leader of the House Republicans is defending Musk's moves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: He's shown me many of the examples of the outrageous abuses. And I'm telling you, Dana, when the American people understand what has been happening with our taxpayer dollars, that Congress has been unable to discern, even with our best oversight efforts. Elon has been able to crack the code. He's inside the belly of the beast of the bureaucracy, and the algorithms are crawling through the data constantly.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: And you are confident that things like 800 employees at NOAA, and the agency that is responsible for making sure that hurricanes are, or at least are not as devastating because people know about it ahead of time. And states like yours of Louisiana, you're confident that those cuts will not end up hurting the American people, they don't go beyond the waste, fraud, and abuse that is understandable that you want to eliminate?

[02:50:11]

JOHNSON: Yes. What you're going to see is a very -- a very careful attention paid to ensuring that the essential programs of the federal government, the things that make sense to American taxpayers and it follow common sense, will be sustained and supported and funded.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is hitting the ground running. He held his first campaign event on Sunday, one day after announcing his bid to become New York City's mayor.

Our Gloria Pazmino is in New York with the latest from Cuomo's camp.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, former Governor Andrew Cuomo has officially set the stage for what is the start of his political comeback as he launches his race for New York City mayor.

Now, he held a campaign rally at union headquarters. For the carpenters union here in New York City, where there was a big crowd to welcome him into the race. He was welcomed on to the stage by his three daughters, and then he launched into his stump speech focused on public safety, transportation and quality of life issues here in New York City.

Now, the former governor also spent a lot of time ticking through all of the accomplishments of his administration, of his time in the governor's mansion. That's a ten year record that opponents are ready to pounce on. In fact, many of the other candidates that are running in this primary race for mayor have already been pointing to that record and saying that many of the crises that Cuomo is talking about now were put in place because of policies that he installed while he was in office as governor of the state of New York.

Andrew Cuomo's speech was specifically focused on public safety, at one point saying that he wants to make sure there are more officers patrolling city streets and on the city's subways.

Take a listen.

ANDREW CUOMO, NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: We need more police in our subways, more police in our high crime areas, more police to stop the number of recidivists because nothing works if people don't feel safe and public safety is still job one.

PAZMINO: Now, just like his opponents are ready to scrutinize that record, there are also opponents who say that he should not be in the race, that this is not an opportunity for the former governor to redo his legacy, and that they are not ready to forgive him or move on from the scandals of the past, specifically the sexual harassment scandals that led him out of office.

I spoke to Ana Maria Archila. She is the co-director of the New York Working Families Party. They held a protest event outside of Union headquarters on Sunday, responding to Cuomo's campaign announcement. Take a listen.

ANA MARIA ARCHILA, CO-DIRECTOR, NEW YORK WORKING FAMILIES PARTY: We remember Andrew Cuomo's records and we refuse to accept his rewriting of history. We refuse to accept this collective amnesia of the political class. And we are here to say hell no to Andrew Cuomo. A lot of crisis that we are facing is a crisis that he helped create.

And in his video yesterday, he talked about this crisis as if he had had no hand in it. He maybe wants to rewrite history. I'm sure he needs it for himself, for his own soul. But we are not stupid. We remember.

PAZMINO: It'll be ultimately up to New York City voters who will get to make a decision this upcoming June in the Democratic primary. The general election will be held in November, so we expect to see a lot more. Cuomo on the campaign trail over the next several months.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: This year's Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans are getting a big boost in surveillance. Project NOLA, a nonprofit, community based network, is using its web of security cameras, about 10,000 in all, to help law enforcement monitor the festivities on Bourbon Street and beyond. The group, which also helped authorities after the deadly New Year's Eve attack in the city, has cameras positioned on private property that can be outfitted with facial recognition and license plate reading software.

But critics warn it could lead to privacy violations and that people of color may be disproportionately targeted.

Fifty million Americans are at risk of severe weather through Tuesday. Two strong systems are expected to move through the southern U.S., bringing large hail, damaging winds and possible tornadoes.

Meteorologist Tyler Mauldin has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TYLER MAULDIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There is a considerable threat for severe weather today and tomorrow across the southeast. Level two out of five threat today increasing to a level three out of five threat on Tuesday.

[02:55:05]

There is the possibility that as this evolves, that threat level could increase. Today, we're looking at the potential for damaging winds, large hail. But then tomorrow this -- that's the peak of the activity. You see this line come together and that's going to bring with it the potential for long lived strong tornadic activity here. And then as the system pushes east on Tuesday, we're looking at the potential for overnight activity for Alabama and Georgia. That is a considerable threat and a dangerous threat to anytime you have severe weather moving through during the overnight hours, so make sure you stay weather aware.

The highest threat for tornadic activity is likely here across Louisiana and portions of Mississippi, but you can't rule it out as the system moves eastbound into Alabama and Georgia. Speaking of tornadoes, we are -- we are entering into tornado season.

It peaks in May, so we'll have plenty more discussions like the ones we're having right now as we go through the coming months.

Now, with this weather system, it's not just the tornadoes and damaging winds. We're also watching for a flash flood threat here, too, across a big chunk of the country. In addition, the dry fuels some strong winds, maybe some lightning associated with this -- this storm system is leading to the highest threat level in southeastern New Mexico for fires, a level three out of three here. So make sure you stay weather aware across the entire country over the next 48 hours.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Good advice there.

And thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)