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Supreme Court Pauses Lower Court Ruling Blocking Texas Maps; Official: U.S. And Ukrainian Officials To Meet As Deadline Looms To Accept Trump Plan To End War; Trump Says The Ukraine Peace Plan Not Final Offer; Trump Heaps Praise On Mamdani After Oval Office Meeting; L.A. Officials Lift Shelter-In-Place Order After A Major Cargo Ship Fire; Grocery Prices Rise As Thanksgiving Shopping Season Arrives. Grocery Prices Rise as Thanksgiving Shopping Season Arrives; Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene Announcing Her Resignation; Rep. Swalwell Announces Campaign for California Governor. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired November 22, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:49]

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Omar Jimenez sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.

In a case that could change the course of the midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to review a challenge to the redrawing of congressional maps in Texas. Last night, Justice Samuel Alito temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that would keep Texas from using the new maps. They were redrawn at the request of President Trump specifically to help Republicans keep control of Congress next year.

The lower court said the new maps are unconstitutionally based on race. And with Texas primary set to begin in just a few months, state officials are arguing it's too close to the election for federal courts to get involved.

I want to bring in Julia Benbrook, who's got more here. So, Julia, what role is Justice Alito playing here and what can we expect going forward?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar. Late last night, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito paused a lower court's order that blocked the new congressional maps in Texas. So that pause came just days after a federal court had ruled that the new map is likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Now, the outcome of all of this could have a big impact here in Washington. The design of those maps was that Republicans might be able to flip some of those Democratic held seats. And with the GOP holding a razor thin majority in the House of Representatives right now, the outcome of all of this could determine who controls that chamber next term. That, of course, then has a big impact on what President Donald Trump is able to accomplish during his last two years in office.

Now, in the filing, Texas did ask the Supreme Court to block the lower court's order by December 1st. They're pushing them to act quickly, asking for the court to expedite this process. I did want to highlight part of what is in that filing. It focused in specifically on the timing of all of this, which you alluded to.

They said, quote, "The chaos caused by such an injunction is obvious. Campaigning had already begun. Candidates had already gathered signatures and filed applications to appear on the ballot under the 2025 map. And early voting for the March 3rd, 2026 primary was only 91 days away."

Alito has asked the groups that challenged the Texas maps to respond to this emergency appeal by Monday evening. So he is suggesting that he wants to move quickly on this. The case will likely be referred soon to the full court. And Alito's administrative order will remain in place until the nine justices have been able to review this.

Now, the legal back and forth on efforts led by Republicans and Democrats to enact these rare mid-decade congressional maps will continue in the coming weeks. In fact, recently, the Justice Department sued officials in California over maps there that give Democrats an edge. And we do expect a court to hear arguments on that case next month. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Yes. And one of the key differences there is folks in California voted for that redistricting was put on the ballot as opposed to in Texas. But legal developments all the same.

Julia Benbrook, appreciate the reporting as always.

Now we've got breaking news. We're following top officials from the United States and Ukraine are headed to Geneva for critical talks on a U.S.-backed plan to end the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will be part of tomorrow's meeting. Russian officials, though, not expected to be there.

President Trump is giving Ukraine until Thursday to accept this peace proposal. And the plan would require Ukraine to surrender territory, restrict the size of its military, and it forces the country to give up its goal of joining NATO.

I want to bring in CNN Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak who joins us now. So, Kevin, we heard from the President a little bit earlier today about this proposal. What did he say and what is the context of those comments?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I think it's clear in listening to President Trump today that Ukraine and its President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are now under an extraordinary amount of pressure to agree to a deal to end this war. Perhaps the most pressure since President Trump came into office back in January.

[13:05:00]

And it's generating an enormous amount of concern among Europeans, even among some Republicans here in Washington. Because that 28-point plan that the President has unveiled does appear at this point pretty heavily weighted to the Russian point of view. It would require major land concessions on the Ukrainians' part. It would require them to limit the size of their military and to give up some of its long-range capabilities that has been provided over the course of this war.

Today, the President was asked whether this was his final offer, and he said no. Listen to more of what the President said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, we'd like to get the peace. It should have been -- it should happened a long time ago. The Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened. If I were President, it never would have happened. We're trying to get it ended. One way or the other, we have to get it ended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So I asked the President what would happen if Zelenskyy did not agree to this plan by that Thursday deadline, whether that would mean the end of U.S. military assistance, the end of U.S. intelligence sharing. And the President said that Zelenskyy would just, quote, "continue to fight his little heart out." And so I think implicit in that is that the President is offering this deadline with the condition that if the Ukrainians don't agree to end this war and agree to some of these terms, that American assistance could be shut off.

Now, European leaders have been gathering today, and they have voiced some concerns about the provisions in this plan, particularly, in their words, the provisions that propose limits on Ukraine's Armed Forces. You've also heard today from some of the President's allies, including Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, who said that some parts of this plan were problematic.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican in the Senate, said that, quote, "Putin has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool," suggesting that this plan was heavily weighted on the part of the Kremlin. I think also unclear as part of these points is what security guarantees Ukraine could expect from the U.S. going forward.

So all of this adding up to quite a pressure cooker scenario for Zelenskyy over the next several days as he has to make a decision about whether to agree to President Trump's terms or essentially go out on his own. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Yes. A lot of dynamics to keep an eye on.

Kevin Liptak, appreciate the reporting.

I want to get you all to really what some saw as an unexpected vow to work together. I'm talking about two New Yorkers on opposite sides of the political spectrum. President Trump meeting with New York Mayor- elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday. This is after months of lobbying insults.

But then in a surprising turn, the two adversaries actually seem like they were hitting it off in their first face-to-face meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We've just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting. It was a great meeting. I enjoyed the meeting. We had a great meeting.

I think you're going to have hopefully a really great mayor. I think this mayor can do some things that are going to be really great. I think he has a chance to really do something great for New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: CNN's Gloria Pazmino joins us now. I mean, we've heard the President describe meetings he's had with many leaders as great. I think many were surprised to see that his meeting with Zohran Mamdani would be described as great. How are New Yorkers responding to what seemed like a friendly meeting?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, we've also seen those meetings kind of go off the rails when cameras are allowed to come in. We've seen him meeting with heads of state, you know, President from other nations. And we have seen how it can become contentious. That is not what we saw inside the Oval Office yesterday.

And speaking to New Yorkers here today, you know, they tell me that they recognize that that relationship matters. And already just in the last hour or so, we're seeing some additional Trump reaction. He was asked right there at the White House just in the last hour or so if he was considering sending the National Guard to New York City. And he said only if New York City needs it.

And again, he talked about the meeting that he had with the Mayor- elect yesterday and described it as a good meeting. And that's just one example of why this is actually so important. There are real issues on the table. We've seen how Trump has responded and deployed military forces to other cities.

There is a real concern here in New York about whether or not there will be immigration enforcement that will be scaled up when Zohran Mamdani takes office. So that's why this relationship is so important.

I've spoken to some New Yorkers who watched the interaction yesterday, and they told me that for now they're staying cautiously optimistic. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm hoping that Mamdani does what he has to do to do what's right for the city.

PAZMINO: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a lot of theater.

[13:10:03]

SHELLY PAYSON, NYC RESIDENT: I think that Trump continues to be the most transactional President we've ever had. And if people are smart, then they find a way to give him something which may be meaningless, but it's important to him. And then he loves you and rolls out the red carpet and is like, oh, I love New York City.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Another thing that we heard from that meeting yesterday, Omar, was President Trump saying that he would be fine living here in New York City if Zohran Mamdani was the mayor. That is, of course, against a Republican talking point that we have been hearing a lot in the last few months, people suggesting that New Yorkers would leave the city under a Mamdani administration, the President directly undercutting that argument.

But we'll see what happens. You know, we're talking about President Trump, and we know that these relationships can really just change on a dime. The dynamics can change depending on where the political winds are blowing. But certainly, this relationship is going to be an important one, and one that a lot of people will be closely watching as Zohran Mamdani prepares to take office on January 1st. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Without a doubt.

Gloria Pazmino, appreciate the reporting.

Meanwhile, coming up, a massive fire engulfs a cargo ship. We're going to have a live report on the impact of the port of Los Angeles.

Plus, millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. Could that mean some Thanksgiving family traditions will have to be skipped this year? We'll take a look at the affordability issue ahead of the holidays.

And the government called her a domestic terrorist, but charges against her were just dismissed at the request of the government. My exclusive interview with the woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent in Chicago.

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[13:16:35]

JIMENEZ: New details we want to get you updated on. The cargo ship that caught fire at the Port of Los Angeles has been moved. A spokesperson with L.A. Fire said firefighting boats are trying to cool down the vessel, which was rocked by an explosion after a fire broke out on the lower deck. You can see some of those firefighting efforts here.

Late last night, more than 180 firefighters battled that electrical fire on board the cargo ship docked at America's busiest port. A shelter-in-place order is now lifted for residents in south L.A.

But I want to get right to CNN's Julia Vargas Jones. Julia, what else are you learning about this?

VARGAS JONES: Well, most importantly, Omar, is that that fire now has been substantially contained. That is a key piece of information here that we got from the L.A. port just in the past hour. Now, those fire crews and ship crew members are still working on the suppression efforts.

As you mentioned, this was an electrical fire that started on the lower part of the ship at around 6:30 p.m. last night. But then about an hour and a half later, there was a large explosion on that ship as well. And those 23 crew members were then evacuated, but not before assisting the firefighters get access to those hard-to-get areas where that fire was breaking. That is also where some of those hazardous materials were being kept.

That is why that warning went into place from the L.A. Fire Department last night. They said basically to all residents of the area to go inside immediately to bring their kids and pets inside, close windows and doors. The concern, of course, is for the particulate that could have been in the air.

They don't really know what was inside that ship that could be potentially toxic to humans and to pets as well. That was lifted earlier this morning as that ship was moved out of the main area of the Port of Los Angeles into a part where firefighters and Coast Guard and other agencies could aid in getting that fire under control. That ship had flags from Panama and it was coming from Tokyo.

And now that movement allowed for other ships to come into the port for operations to resume as normal now. But as I said, those firefighting operations are expected to continue throughout the day. We'll keep you updated, Omar.

JIMENEZ: All right, Julia Vargas Jones, appreciate the reporting.

Straight ahead, how some major retailers are trying to help families have a complete Thanksgiving dinner. We're going to tell you about some of the bargain baskets you can buy this week. Stay with us.

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[13:23:33]

JIMENEZ: With Thanksgiving just a few days away now, millions of Americans are out shopping for their holiday dinner this week and this coming weekend. If you're the one preparing the food, you've already noticed that things are costing more.

From August to September, groceries went up 0.3 percent, even higher, as you see there on the screen. But if you compare it to last year, grocery items on average are almost 3 percent higher. To offset that, some of the country's biggest retailers are offering grocery bundles that feed bigger gatherings. Here to help us break it all down is Phil Lempert, he's the founder of Grocery Guru and also author of "The Lempert Report" newsletter. You know, we see these overall numbers of grocery prices going up. But are there some areas that are actually seeing bigger increases than others? What are you seeing?

PHIL LEMPERT, EDITOR, "LEMPERT REPORT NEWSLETTER": Absolutely, Omar. You know, no question about the price of beef is the highest that it's ever been. That's because we've got a shortage of cattle. We see the price of eggs still high, that's because of bird flu.

But the good news is, as you point out, for this year's Thanksgiving, you can get some great deals. Now, you've got to really shop around and you've got to look at the details.

JIMENEZ: You know, some of the big grocery retailers, they're offering those family food baskets this year, Walmart, Kroger, Lidl, Aldi, among others. I mean, each of those baskets offers different things, but are they generally a good deal if you need to watch your costs?

[13:25:00]

LEMPERT: Absolutely. Keep in mind, with Walmart, you can feed 10 people for $40. And also, you always want to look at, you know, what the brand of the turkey is. In the case of Walmart and Aldi, Walmart is a Butterball turkey. Aldi is a Jennie-O turkey. Walmart bundle has 20 products in it. Aldi's bundle has 27 products in it.

And, you know, if you have a smaller family, you might want to head to Target. Target feeds four people for $20. They've got a much more limited selection that's out there. But, you know, you've got to shop around and you've got to do it now. Because with all these bundles, the turkeys are frozen.

And keep in mind, it takes three to four days to, you know, defrost a turkey in your refrigerator. And that's the way you want to do it. You know, a lot of people put it in bathtubs and so on. You know, don't do it that way, but go out and get your turkey now.

JIMENEZ: We'll do the turkey cooking segment next time. You know, what are grocers telling you at this point about their costs? Because, I mean, look, profit margins are already pretty thin. But how much of the higher food prices are they actually able to absorb, especially if, you know, you're offering discounts around the holidays or bundles or things of that nature?

LEMPERT: They can't really absorb much. The average grocer works on about 1.5 percent net profit. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, but when you've got a couple thousand stores, it adds up. But what we're seeing with the bundles for the most part is they're using a lot of their own store brands. So they might have a butterball turkey, but, you know, all the other products are their own brands, which are typically less expensive.

So it's a great way for these retailers to get us to try their store brands, because if we like it, we're going to continue to buy those. And also, don't forget that where we shop for Thanksgiving, typically we shop for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Christmas and New Year's and Super Bowl. So this is the chance for these supermarkets to get us in the door and then have a loyal customer for three or four months.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, we've been talking about these bundles, but for folks that are just going to the store like usual, I know we -- you mentioned the prices of beef are the highest that they've been. But are there items that actually have held their value and have not actually increased to the amount that we've seen beef, for example, or even eggs in some cases?

LEMPERT: Absolutely. You know, if you look at a lot of the produce items now, they have really, you know, stabilized. But let's not forget, since the pandemic, grocery prices are up close to 25 percent.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

LEMPERT: So it's fine, you know, for the government to say, oh, this year it's only 2 percent or 3 percent. But, you know, people are really hurting, which is why shopping around for these bundles, whether it's at Costco or Lidl or any of these retailers, is really a great deal. And it's on their websites.

So before you head to a store, check out the websites to see what the products are, what the prices are. And also, here's a hint. The cheapest prices that I've found on Turkey this year, Amazon, 49 cents a pound. Most retailers are between 79 cents and probably 89 cents a pound, but Amazon has the best deal.

JIMENEZ: All right. Phil Lempert, appreciate the time. Thanks for being here.

LEMPERT: Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.

JIMENEZ: All right, same to you.

CNN recently asked 10 parents what they're spending at the grocery store right now. And you can see that on CNN.com by using the QR code that we'll have on the screen here. But one of the people we spoke to for that was Tori Lightcap, who's in Colorado. She's a mother of two.

Thank you for being with us now. And I just want to ask you, I mean --

TORI LIGHTCAP, MOTHER OF TWO: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: Of course. How has grocery shopping changed for you in this past year or so?

LIGHTCAP: It has changed significantly. So for my family specifically, our children started homeschooling in January. So we went from being able to rely on the school breakfast and lunch to having all of our meals at home. And where I live, they give free breakfast and lunch for kids. So it's changed significantly.

But, in general, everything has gone up significantly. Our budget used to be about $600 a month. Even when I did that story a couple of months ago with you guys, my budget had upped to $1,000. And in the few months since then, we've had to up it to about $1,300 a month --

JIMENEZ: Wow.

LIGHTCAP: -- for our family of four.

JIMENEZ: You know, and even then, I was just going to say, and like not to get too bleak here, but when it comes to the economy, the quote that you gave us was, I just feel like no matter what, we're defeated. What do you mean by that?

LIGHTCAP: It just means like we can -- I can shop sales, I can use cashback options, I can use points, I can use everything. But it is still so insanely priced. Like no matter what I do, I feel like everything is going up.

JIMENEZ: Yes, yes. You know, I don't know if you heard any of our interview with that expert earlier, you know, people sort of look at the year-to-year inflation rates, but sort of kind of where things are now from before the pandemic to this point, it's an entirely different threshold. And you were saying you do a lot of your shopping online. In what way does that help you as opposed to being in the store in person?

LIGHTCAP: So, the biggest way I think it helps me is like impulse buying, because, you know, you walk in the store, the first thing you see is you see all those extra sweets, and you're like, oh, look at this, or look at this, I never would have bought it if I didn't see it type of thing. So, I think it saves us a lot of money that way. Because I know if we go in, we're adding a bunch of things that weren't on our list, things we didn't really need.

And then it also helps me -- I can compare prices from different stores. So, where I live, we have Safeway and Albertsons, we generally have the same sales for the two stores, because they're the same corporation. And then we have a King Soopers as well. So, I kind of compare the prices online between the two for that week. So, if I know something is cheaper at one, that's where I'll get it from versus the other.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, I guess one of the tougher criticisms whenever you're looking at sort of higher prices is typically healthier foods are priced higher and it sort of forces you to buy otherwise. Is that a dynamic you have felt like you've encountered in buying food?

LIGHTCAP: Yes.

JIMENEZ: Yes. So, tell me about that.

LIGHTCAP: Absolutely. So, today, actually, before I did this, I was looking at our local -- again, Albertsons is where I look online. And for ground beef, the 8020, I think it was priced at $7.49. And then to get the 93.7 or 97.3, I think it's 93.7 is when we usually get, it was a little over $3 more expensive. So, to get something a little healthier, I'm paying $3 more per pound. And you just see that happen a lot. I also have some dietary restrictions due to food allergies. So, like dairy free options are significantly higher, just the leaner options, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, very expensive compared to buying, you know, a processed bag of chips, maybe.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Yes.

LIGHTCAP: It's a lot more expensive that way.

JIMENEZ: Well, Tori, I appreciate you sort of staying with us over the course of the story and the ongoing story. And I know, you know, you spoke to us a few months ago. You're speaking to us now. Keep us posted on how your budget evolves and kind of what you're seeing and especially as you're doing more homeschooling. Thanks for being here.

LIGHTCAP: Yes, thanks.

JIMENEZ: Of course. All right. And to read more about how parents across the country are navigating high grocery prices, you can scan that QR code on your screen.

Still ahead, leaving Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I'll be resigning from office with my last day being January 5, 2026.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing her resignation, the reason she's stepping down and how President Trump is responding, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:00]

JIMENEZ: From top MAGA ally to now heading for the exit. Marjorie Taylor Greene has stunned Washington after announcing she's leaving Congress. In a post on social media last night, the former Trump ally announced her resignation, citing the president's recent attacks on her after she pressed for the release of the Epstein files.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): And I do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president that we all fought for. It's all so absurd and completely unserious. I refuse to be a battered wife, hoping it all goes away and gets better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: To talk more about this with NOTUS congressional reporter Riley Rogerson. Riley, thanks for being here. We just heard Congresswoman Greene -- Taylor Greene say she wants to spare her district from a bruising primary next year after Trump dropped his endorsement of her. What are you hearing from your sources about her resignation?

RILEY ROGERSON, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, NOTUS: Well, this landed like a huge surprise on Capitol Hill, but maybe it shouldn't have. Congresswoman Greene has increasingly spoken up against Republican leadership and the Trump administration. You mentioned Epstein, but it's not the only issue she's been very vocal about. She's talked about wanting to find some fix for expiring Affordable Care Act tax subsidies. She was very frustrated about Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to keep the House out of session during the government shutdown. She's been frustrated about the Trump administration's continued involvement in foreign wars. So, this is not maybe totally surprising that she's looking for the exit now.

JIMENEZ: You know, earlier, a little over an hour ago at this point, President Trump spoke to reporters about Marjorie Taylor Greene. Take a quick listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I just disagreed with her philosophy. I said, go your own way. And once I left her, she resigned because she would never have survived a primary. But I think she's a nice person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I mean, if I played that for you a year and change ago, you would be like, what is he talking about? And I guess the question is, do you think Greene's resignation speaks to a larger crack that's emerging in the MAGA movement?

[13:40:00]

ROGERSON: I think what it speaks to is honestly a broader trend that's been going on for the past 10 years of Trump critics who emerge in Congress, the House of Representatives, Republicans, to speak out against the administration, feeling, you know, toxic energy towards them, fearing that there's going to be a well-funded primary challenger against them, and looking for the exits. And what that's led to is actually a Congress that's more supportive of the president because there's so much fear of speaking out and breaking with him.

So, I'm not sure that it speaks to a larger fracture within the party, but really does speak to this larger trend of if you speak out, it's going to be very, very hard for you in Congress.

JIMENEZ: And you know, she said she's going to step down in January. We already know there's a very narrow Republican majority in the House. I mean, what does that do to those dynamics? And is there any concern about what her resignation could do to the Republican majority heading into midterms here?

ROGERSON: Right. This could present real challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson. Right now, he's operating with a razor thin majority. For the most part, he's been able to keep his conference generally aligned, and that's how they've been able to pass huge legislation. But the timing of Congresswoman Greene's resignation in early January is tough because the next funding deadline for Congress to avert a partial government shutdown is at the end of the month. So, every vote for Republicans is going to count then, and they've just lost hers.

So, it will be interesting. It will definitely make it harder for Republicans to pass key legislation, at least until they replace her in a special election.

JIMENEZ: Yes, and especially as Democrats have hinted that that health subsidies fight that was at the core of this previous government shutdown might be resurrected as an issue heading into January. Riley Rodgerson, appreciate the reporting. Thanks for being here.

ROGERSON: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: Of course. All right, the already crowded race for California governor is heating up with yet another contender today, Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell. Now, earlier, Swalwell spoke to CNN about his time in Congress, revealing private conversations he's had with some of his Republican colleagues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): We have had conversations, you know, privately with Republicans who have said privately they don't like what the Trump administration is doing. They don't like the way Speaker Johnson is leading. But come to our side, we can make you a chair and you'll put us in the majority. No, but I'll tell you --

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: People are thinking about that?

SWALWELL: They think about it. But the number one reason they won't do it, and they tell us this, is personal security. They said, the second I do that, my life changes. The death threats come at me. And, you know, that, like, your spouse and your kids are saying, don't do that. I mean, that's the environment we're in right now.

You know, for crying out loud, the president of the United States is essentially calling for people to be hanged. He did that on social media just this week. So -- by the way, I would just say to anyone, get a different job. Like, if you can't be in the arena and understand, like, what the stakes are right now, maybe this isn't the job for you. And maybe that's the case with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

MICHAELSON: That's what she's doing.

SWALWELL: But the stakes are too high right now to just, you know, think about your own security when others are suffering because of this guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And you can catch more interviews like that on "The Story Is with Elex Michaelson," airing at 12:00 a.m. Eastern and 9:00 p.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.

Up next, a CNN exclusive. A Border Patrol agent shot her five times as she was accused of ramming her car into a law enforcement vehicle. Now, the charges against her have been thrown out. I'll tell you what she told me about the case against her falling apart.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

JIMENEZ: A major development in Chicago. A federal judge has granted the prosecution's request to dismiss charges against Marimar Martinez, a woman caught up in President Trump's immigration crackdown in Chicago.

Now, Martinez is an American citizen, but she was charged with assaulting federal officers last month, accused of ramming an agent's vehicle before he shot her. I spoke to Martinez in an exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIMAR MARTINEZ, SHOT 5 TIMES BY BORDER PATROL: Can I show them?

JIMENEZ: Yes.

MARTINEZ: OK. So, I was shot in my arm right here, and then it went through my tricep and then I grazed the side of my chest.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Reminders of what could have been Marimar Martinez's last day. October 4th, the Department of Homeland Security claimed she rammed a Border Patrol agent's vehicle in Chicago with her car before that agent got out and shot her multiple times. She says she was on her way to donate clothes until she saw what appeared to be federal agents already becoming a familiar sight in Chicago's neighborhoods.

MARTINEZ: So, I started beeping my horn as a Mexican-American first generation USA citizen. I felt it was my responsibility to let my neighborhood know that ICE agents were near.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): They turned out to be Border Patrol.

MARTINEZ: So, I just got next to them and I was like, like, get out of here. And I was just like honking.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): That's when she says they sideswiped her, contradicting Border Patrol's narrative.

MARTINEZ: They immediately stopped. I got to go somewhere safe. I went to my furthest left, make sure that I wasn't going to hit them. As I was passing them, they started shooting at me through the side.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The agent got out of his vehicle and shot Martinez five times.

JIMENEZ: It feels like it's still top of mind for you, right?

MARTINEZ: It's painful. Like, just to like talk about it, it's like, think about it, like just me remembering like what happened that day. It's like traumatic, honestly.

[13:50:00]

JIMENEZ (voice-over): She was charged with forcibly assaulting and resisting or impeding a border agent and labeled a domestic terrorist by the Department of Homeland Security. And then over a month later, in what became a critical court hearing, the agent who shot her, Charles Exum, testified the collision was more of a hit, not rammed. Then --

JIMENEZ: These text messages came out where he appeared to be bragging about shooting you. "Read it. Five shots. Seven holes. Put that in your book, boys." You were sitting right there.

MARTINEZ: What type of agent brags about it? This is what the administration has out in the street.

CHRISTOPHER PARENTE, MARIMAR MARTINEZ ATTORNEY: For 15 years, I was a federal prosecutor. I worked every day with FBI, DEA, DHS. I have never come across an agent like that. And it's something that's embarrassing to me as a former federal prosecutor.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Thursday night, there was suddenly a major shift. The case was dropped and at the request of the prosecution. Despite the case being dismissed, DHS stuck to their original accusations.

JIMENEZ: On October 4th, Border Patrol law enforcement officers were ambushed by domestic terrorists that rammed federal agents with their vehicles. The woman, Marimar Martinez, driving one of the vehicles, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and has a history of doxing federal agents. We will not allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement. This was after you were cleared of these charges.

MARTINEZ: Where are they getting all this fake information from? I was just shocked, honestly.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): While a gun was found in her car, it was never brought out. It was still inside a holster with the snap closed. She also has her concealed carry license, her attorney says.

PARENTE: They're still putting out these false statements that are disputed by their own people, right? Agent Exum testified that there was no ramming. I mean, he's the driver. He was there.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): For Martinez, she's just happy this chapter is over with. But she can't avoid its reminders.

JIMENEZ: When you look at those, I mean, scars on your body, what do you think about?

MARTINEZ: I'm a survivor. JIMENEZ (voice-over): And it's not just the physical scars she lives with.

MARTINEZ: I don't want to remember that day. You're lying there at night, and you're just thinking about it, like, what's going to happen? Like, it's really emotional to me. So, it's, like, it's hard for me to talk about it, but I'm trying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ (on camera): Moving forward, Martinez, who's a Montessori schoolteacher, says she's just looking forward to getting back to her children but knows life won't be quite the same after this.

Now, on this case, for some perspective, the FBI director tweeted about this, showing video that had nothing to do with this case. That tweet with the wrong video is still up, by the way, and the FBI wouldn't comment when we asked them why. This case was also cited in the Trump administration's appeal to the Supreme Court as part of why they believed the National Guard was needed in Chicago.

And finally, Martinez's attorney, Chris Parente, who you just heard from, actually credited the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney, Andrew Boutros, with what Parente said took incredible guts to not go forward with this case, despite likely being under enormous pressure to do so. And for what it's worth, Boutros' office told me they're constantly evaluating new facts and information in cases like this, a dynamic that clearly applied here.

All right. Coming up, President Trump delivering a deadline for his Ukraine peace plan. We'll tell you what he told our Kevin Liptak, what will happen if Zelenskyy refuses to accept. Stay with us.

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JIMENEZ: Are Catholic exorcisms on the rise in the United States? You heard me correctly. CNN's David Culver went to Arizona, home to one of the fastest-growing Catholic dioceses in the country, and discovered that across Christian faiths, exorcisms, or what some call deliverances, are more than what you see in the movies. Notably, they are often a last resort for people at their most vulnerable. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got a tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Oh, that's my favorite one. Who is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had reached desperation in my life countless

times before. I have tried in the past to take my life. Like, I just was broken, and there was a spirit who had such a strong hold on me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The spirit was a demon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, come out of Abby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, leave her all the way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, demons come into trauma. They come into the trauma in your life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go. Go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was beaten up as a child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll have to fight all our lives because Satan's always going to come against us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're infected by the demons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Be sure to tune in for an all-new episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, "The Exorcists." One whole hour, one whole story. It airs Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on CNN and The Next Day, and the CNN app. New Hour of Newsroom starts right now.

All right. Everyone, if you've been with me, welcome back. If you're just getting here, welcome in. I'm Omar Jimenez, sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We're going to start this hour with new comments from President Trump as he responds to really the stunning resignation announcement of one of his biggest --

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