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Trump Faces European Allies at the World Economic Forum; Italy's Last Emperor of Fashion Valentino Garavani Dies. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired January 20, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, Just ahead.

President Trump doubles down on his plans to annex Greenland, telling reporters we have to have it.

This comes as he admits to Britain's Prime Minister that he may have been given bad information about NATO troop deployments to the world's largest island.

And he prepares to face many of the NATO allies, he's threatened with new tariffs over Greenland at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

And we begin this hour with the U.S. Treasury Secretary holding a news conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Despite growing concern from allies, Scott Bessent downplayed the U.S. tariffs against European countries who support Greenland's sovereignty. He claimed European economic retaliation is a false narrative and that nations should take a deep breath and let things play out.

This comes as President Trump is doubling down on his ambitions to control Greenland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Look, we have to have it. They have to have this done. They can't protect it.

Denmark, they're wonderful people. And I know the leaders are very good people, but they don't even go there.

And, you know, because a boat went there 500 years ago and then left, that doesn't give you title to property. So we'll be talking about it with the various people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The U.S. President will also be heading to Davos, and in the days ahead, he'll be coming face to face with many of the European leaders he's targeting with that new round of U.S. tariffs.

Meanwhile, during a phone call with the British Prime Minister over the weekend, a U.K. official says President Trump conceded that he may have been given bad information about European troop deployments in Greenland. This comes as several NATO allies have conducted joint exercises around the island.

As E.U. officials weigh potential off-ramps from the mounting tensions, many continue to stress the need for dialogue. And the Danish Foreign Minister made it clear why Europe has united behind this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Because it's about sending that signal to the American president. You can't cross this line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining us now live from Paris is CNN senior international correspondent Melissa Bell. Good to see you, Melissa. So what more are you learning about NATO troops in Greenland? And, of course, President Trump conceding he got bad information ahead of that troop deployment.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was Rosemary as part of that conversation with the British Prime Minister on Sunday. And what Keir Starmer has done, we heard it in his press conference on Monday morning, is really try and defuse, de-escalate this growing row.

These were the troops that were sent by eight European countries last week in a symbolic show of support and solidarity with Denmark, but also in a strong message to the American president. What it suggests is that that may have further encouraged him down this route of showing how much he intends to take Greenland and with his strong words.

But I think what counts here is beyond what you're hearing from Keir Starmer, what you're hearing from other European leaders. Officially, the Commission's official line is that it is also going to seek de- escalation. It is looking for talks, it is looking for negotiation and de-escalation as well.

Behind the scenes, though, there does appear to have been a break, a rupture with the way Europeans have attempted to deal with President Trump before. In the past, rather, you'll remember the row last year over tariffs. In the end, that deal had been struck.

This week, MEPs are expected -- it's expected to be in front of the European Parliament, and rather than voting for it, it is expected that they won't. What the Europeans are preparing beyond the possibility of negotiation with the American administration, and they'll be meeting all of their 27 leaders on Thursday in Brussels, is looking at retaliatory measures.

Because there is a sense here in Europe that if they don't stand up for this, they're going down a very slippery slope with an increasingly belligerent and aggressive American administration. That is what's happening behind the scenes.

[03:05:02]

One of the options they're looking at, should this trade deal fall, not be ratified by the European Parliament, would be to kick in February the retaliatory measures that have been prepared last summer, 93 billion euros of them, that would also then hit the trading relationship in the American economy. And beyond that, they're looking at further measures that might further block the United States, including its big tech, from European markets.

So, very tough action being prepared in Europe, even as so many of these leaders prepare to meet face-to-face with President Trump. You heard, you mentioned there, rather, Rosemary, that he will be holding talks with a number of them on this issue. You can imagine they'll be pretty frosty, but we've just heard in the last few moments Scott Besant there saying that the Europeans would be ill-advised to go down this route of retaliatory measures.

They should just wait and see it play out. That is not, for now, the mood here in Europe, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Indeed. Melissa Bell, joining us live from Paris for that report. Many thanks.

I'd like to bring in Steven Erlanger now live from Oxford, England, to dive deeper into all of this. He is the "New York Times'" chief diplomatic correspondent based in Europe. I appreciate you joining us.

STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT - EUROPE, "NEW YORK TIMES": Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, President Trump is digging in on efforts to annex Greenland with his tariff threats on key NATO allies as NATO troops deploy in Greenland and linking all this to his Nobel Peace Prize snub, saying that loss has freed him from thinking purely of peace. So, what's been the reaction across Europe to all of this? And what are the expectations when President Trump very soon comes face-to-face with E.U. leaders in Davos?

ERLANGER: Well, people are staggered, I have to say, and frazzled and worried because there are some people who just feel that on this issue, Donald Trump's going over the edge. There are Republicans who feel that way, too. And part of the debate in Europe, as your correspondent just said, is how to de-escalate, really.

They want to do it face-to-face with Trump. That's the advantage of Davos. President Macron of France wrote him a note, which got revealed overnight, by Trump suggesting a meeting in Paris of the G7 to discuss it.

But Macron said in his message to Trump, you know, we've done great things on Iran and Syria. I don't understand what you're doing in Greenland. And I think that's a very good summary of the entire European position.

They think Trump's obsession with the Nobel Prize, he's confusing Norway with the Nobel Committee, and somehow using it as an excuse to beat up on Denmark, which is one of America's great allies.

So, yes, I mean, the Europeans have to prepare a retaliatory just-in- case. They're hoping, actually, the Supreme Court will quite soon rule that Trump's misuse of emergency powers means he can't issue tariffs on his own without congressional approval, which is what the Constitution requires. And they are hoping that Republicans in the White House also and top people in the Pentagon will help them cool things down.

CHURCH: Right, and on your point of why, President Trump insists he needs Greenland for U.S. national security, but under a 1951 treaty with Denmark, the U.S. can do whatever it's necessary, right, for defense, including basing troops there. So all Trump needs to do is beef up the U.S. troop presence on the territory, knowing that Article 5 would be invoked under the NATO alliance to jointly fight back any potential effort by China or Russia to take over Greenland. So if it isn't about national security, what does Europe think it is all about?

ERLANGER: Well, that's the right question. First, what they want to do is they want to prove that it's all about national security. I mean, they're offering, in the context of NATO, which America is the prime ally, to do more to protect Greenland.

They know that more can be done, and they would like to bring the U.S. into doing it and, you know, see if that satisfies Trump. But if it's not about that, if it's about ego, if it's about a real estate guy who wants to make America bigger so he goes down into history using security as an excuse, then it's a harder problem.

And then there's the question of whether Trump will take it anyway, will take it militarily. I mean, people scoff at this, but I think one has to take it seriously as a possibility.

[03:10:01]

It's, you know, Trump has been, you know, the joke is not really a joke. You take him literally and seriously, you should. I mean, but other things come into his head, and he likes to troll people.

He gave Keir Starmer an enormous lashing overnight on social media about his deal on the Chagas Islands, which Trump had approved a year ago. So it's very hard now. Trump just feels to Europeans to be a little bit on the edge and much more impulsive, particularly after Iran and Venezuela. And I think right now people feel there's no point escalating, which

could produce even more fury from Trump, who hates to be objected to, but just to get into a room, talk it through, see what can be done with the retaliatory tariffs in their pocket, just in case.

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

ERLANGER: Thank you.

CHURCH: Donald Trump's desire to take over Greenland and his tariff threats will no doubt loom large in Davos, where business and global leaders are gathered for the World Economic Forum. Organizers are expecting more than 3000 delegates from more than 130 countries, including the United States. President Trump is set to deliver a speech there on Wednesday.

And CNN's Anna Cooban is following developments for us from London. She joins us now live. Good morning to you, Anna.

So what's been the reaction in Davos and across Europe to the U.S. president's tariff threats linked to Greenland? And what's the U.S., I mean, we've been talking about the U.S. Treasury Secretary, he's trying to downplay this and doesn't want any reaction from Europe. But how realistic is that at this juncture?

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, Rosemary, the reaction has been very roundly negative. And we actually are expecting to hear from French President Emmanuel Macron today.

There's certainly no love lost between him and Trump. Macron has rejected Trump's offer of joining this so-called Board of Peace to help reconstruct Gaza. In response, Trump has threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on French wine and champagne.

And that, of course, comes just days after that other tariff threat against eight European countries, including the U.K., over Greenland.

Markets are not enjoying this, they are down. U.S. futures are down, they're going to open today after a holiday yesterday. And European markets are down too.

But you're right, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been speaking today. And he's really trying to, in his own words, sort of maintain some semblance of stability. Some of the worry is that these tentative trade deals agreed with the U.K., the U.S. and Europe are now in doubt.

This is what he had to say earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: What President Trump is threatening on Greenland is very different than the other trade deals. So I would urge all countries to stick with their trade deals.

We have agreed on them, and it does provide great certainty. So he's urging some sort of stability there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOBAN: But on the table, Rosemary, the threat really is that the E.U. will deploy around 93 billion euros worth of retaliatory tariffs, and that will put Europe and the U.S. in a trade war. And then also this so-called trade bazooka, which is an instrument that the E.U. has never used before, let alone against an ally like the United States. And that includes barring potentially the U.S. access to foreign direct investment, public contracts.

This gives you a sense of the level of how unprecedented the situation we are now in is that the E.U. is even considering using this against the United States.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Anna Cooban joining us live with that report from London. I appreciate it.

Ukraine's President has declared an energy emergency after the latest Russian bombardment left more than 5600 multi-storey buildings in Kyiv without heat. A CNN team heard explosions in the city earlier. The mayor says at least one person is injured.

Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv's energy infrastructure earlier this month, leaving hundreds of thousands of households, businesses and schools without power amid below freezing temperatures.

Well still to come, the Trump administration is not actively investigating the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good in Minnesota. What they're looking at instead when we return.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

We turn now to the protests in Minnesota. Sources tell CNN that the FBI had briefly opened a civil rights probe into the federal agent who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis this month.

But that investigation has shifted away from the agent, Jonathan Ross. It now focuses on Good herself and her widow. Some inside the Justice Department see that switch as politically motivated, and at least six federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned because of it.

Good's killing has sparked public outrage and kicked off days of protests against federal agents conducting immigration raids in Minnesota.

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The Justice Department is also investigating anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota on Sunday. The demonstrators say one of the church leaders is an ICE official. Trump administration officials accused the protesters of violating the civil rights of Christians, but Minnesota's attorney general says the protest was a First Amendment activity.

CNN's Julia Vargas-Jones brings us the details.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the video of that protest disrupting service in the church, you can hear quite clearly those protesters chanting "ICE Out" and justice for Renee Good, the 37-year- old mother of three who was shot by ICE earlier this month.

And we spoke to one of the organizers of that protest to understand what was the impetus for going there and why they decided to disrupt that church service.

NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG, ATTORNEY AND FOUNDER, RACIAL JUSTICE NETWORK: And so to think about someone claiming to be a pastor, I watched part of a sermon that he gave on Saturday that was online, you know, to see his demeanor, you know, looking calm, looking like he cared. But then on the flip side, being an overseer for these agents that, again, are brutalizing people in our community.

I mean, cutting women out of seatbelts in their cars, dragging them out of cars, breaking their car windows, attacking children on school grounds, spraying them with pepper spray. I don't understand how you can reconcile the two.

VARGAS JONES: She's talking about David Easterwood, an acting field office and director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in St. Paul, who's believed to also be a pastor in that church.

Now, CNN did reach out to DHS to confirm the identity of this officer, and DHS basically declined to confirm or deny. They said in a statement to CNN from Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, quote, "DHS will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers."

This after the Attorney General Pam Bondi had posted on X the night before on Sunday night that she had just spoken to the pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted in attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.

Now, I want to bring you to outside the Whipple Federal Building. This is where we are right now. It is now the fifth day of protests.

After on Friday, a federal judge issued an order for those federal agents to stop using chemical agents such as pepper spray and tear gas onto the protesters that had been for a couple of days straight clashing with police, with federal police, I should say. That has since calmed down. We're also seeing a very heavy presence of the sheriff's department here.

But today we're hearing from the federal government that that decision is now being challenged. This after the DHS Secretary Christine Oh saying that that decision would have changed nothing in the conduct of these agents.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Minneapolis.

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CHURCH: Still to come, President Trump's return to office has already left its mark in Mexico amid the White House's immigration crackdown and talks of possible boots on the ground to tackle cartels. What could the next three years mean for America's southern neighbor? We'll take a look.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

President Trump claims he received bad information about European troops in Greenland. The concession came in a phone call with the British Prime Minister over the weekend, according to a U.K. official. The source added that the U.S. was briefed in advance by Danish diplomats and that deployments were pre-coordinated within existing E.U. and U.S. military structures.

We are getting more details about President Donald Trump's board of peace for rebuilding Gaza. The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to join and is now reviewing it while looking for more details from the U.S. An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been invited.

Spain's Prime Minister is promising to get to the truth behind the cause of a deadly train crash. He's also declared three days of mourning. At least 40 people were killed and dozens more injured after two high-speed trains collided Sunday night.

In Pakistan, at least 21 people are dead and dozens are missing after a fire tore through a massive shopping plaza in Karachi. The fire broke out late Saturday evening and spread rapidly through the mall, which houses at least 1200 shops; it took firefighters more than 24 hours to extinguish the blaze. This is Karachi's biggest fire since an industrial site went up in flames in 2012, killing more than 260 people.

Severe flooding is causing chaos in Mozambique. Thousands of people have fled the waters engulfing their homes and some are stranded on rooftops. The Red Cross and Red Crescent say more than 600,000 people are directly affected, volunteers have been using small fishing boats to navigate through rising waters.

[03:30:08] Neighboring South Africa has deployed an air force helicopter to help with the aerial search and rescue. So far, no word on the death toll or injuries.

Tuesday marks one year since President Trump began his second term. A recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS shows a majority of Americans, 58 percent consider his first year in office a failure, 42 percent call it a success.

Latin America, immigration and the war on drugs have been central to Donald Trump's first year back in the White House. Just hours after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, President Trump suggested he could expand his military campaign to Mexican drug cartels. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has managed to keep cool under Trump's heated threats.

CNN's Valeria Leon reports from Mexico City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Margely Tinoco arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, she was chasing the American dream. But shortly after Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States, that dream vanished.

A native Colombian, Margely, describes the moment she received a message notifying her that the U.S. immigration processing app, known as CBP-1, had shut down. Soon after, her appointment completely disappeared.

Like thousands of others, Margely was stranded at the border, the human cost of Trump's first decisions after returning to the White House. Stopping the entry of migrants was one of the campaign promises Trump fulfilled.

During his first year in office, and according to the Migration Policy Institute, the U.S. government deported over half a million people. As Mexico became the focus of U.S. immigration policy, the White House doubled down on security issues and ramped up public warnings against drug cartels.

TRUMP: The cartels are running Mexico.

LEON (voice-over): Both President Trump and President Sheinbaum have spoken by phone at least 15 times over the past year. After the most recent call on January 12th, Sheinbaum downplayed Trump's threats of U.S. military intervention in Mexico.

She described the conversation as friendly. Her calm and careful tone reflects the strategy she has used with Trump. Caution, not confrontation.

Which, for political analyst Alejandra Kulen, has been effective, pointing out that this helps Sheinbaum avoid being drawn into battles over domestic U.S. politics.

TRUMP: I don't even think about USMCA.

LEON (voice-over): Despite this, Mexico, the U.S.'s largest trading partner, has been hit hard by Trump tariffs. The U.S.-Mexico relationship is a fragile one, shaped more than unilateral decisions and less by formal agreements.

TRUMP: We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Of America.

LEON (voice-over): At this critical moment, the health of Mexico's economy hinges almost entirely on the renegotiation of the USMCA in July.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: He dressed queens and first ladies, actresses and supermodels, remembering the legendary fashion designer Valentino. Next, on "CNN Newsroom."

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CHURCH: Welcome back. To the business headlines now.

The World Economic Forum is now underway in Davos. Business and global leaders are gathering for the event, which comes amid tensions over President Trump's tariff threats and push to acquire Greenland. The U.S. President is set to deliver a speech in Davos on Wednesday.

The British government is exploring a possible social media ban aimed at better protecting children online. Ministers say they will visit Australia to learn more about its ban on social media for those under 16, which took effect last month. They're also considering stronger age verification checks and tougher rules on students using phones in schools.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its newest electric vehicle, the GLB. The luxury car brand has plans to make both traditional and hybrid models of the new car. Its Hungary plant is set to play a large role in the vehicle's rollout. It's now the second largest Mercedes plant in the world.

Well sad news from the world of high fashion. One legendary Italian designer, Valentino Garavani, has died at the age of 93.

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He founded his own line in 1959 and became famous for his signature red dresses. Valentino went on to dress Hollywood's elite actresses, including Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jane Fonda. And his popularity endured throughout his career, more recently outfitting the likes of Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lopez.

More now from CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Born in 1932 in the northern Italian city of Voghera, Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was known by his first name only. The designer got his start in Paris hot couture, arriving in Rome in 1959 to start his own line with his business and romantic partner Giancarlo Giamatti.

A rich scarlet shade became his signature Valentino red, a color that came to define his style. He met Elizabeth Taylor while she was shooting Cleopatra in Rome and went on to dress some of the world's most glamorous stars, from Audrey Hepburn and Joan Collins to Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore one of his couture gowns when she married Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

VALENTINO GARAVANI, ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER (through translator): I imagined a very young woman, an easy woman, very feminine, glamorous and at the same time romantic. She wears clothes that she can mix together all the time. It's a solar woman who loves life and who is full of glamour and femininity.

LATZA NADEAU (voice-over): In New York in the 1970s he was part of an enviable circle of celebrities from Andy Warhol to "Vogue" editor Diana Fearland. His designs were known for their opulence, meticulous detail and luxurious fabrics and his iconic V logo.

In the 1990s his designs were favorites of supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.

CLAUDIA SCHIFFER, SUPERMODEL: I think he just loves women, he loves to dress them, he loves to see them look beautiful and glamorous but always just really extremely elegant. Valentino is an elegant person himself, so it makes sense.

LATZA NADEAU (voice-over): His designs were also an awards show staple. Julia Roberts wore vintage Valentino in 2001 and Cate Blanchett wore sunshine yellow Valentino in 2005, both winning top acting awards those years. More recently Anne Hathaway walked the red carpet in a Valentino gown accompanied by the designer himself.

Valentino sold the company in 1998 but stayed on as designer until his final show in 2008. The designer had reportedly planned to make a reappearance in Rome in March of 2026 for the launch of the new line. His legacy, synonymous with style, will live on.

GARAVANI: Now fashion goes to beautiful things and I am very happy because in my career I try to make women look beautiful and I am very happy that now couture and fashion goes back to beauty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Valentino Garavani was 93. And I want to thank you so much for your company, I am Rosemary

Church. The news continues at the top of the hour with Rahel Solomon. "World Sport" is coming up next.

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