Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Winter Storm Impacting Midwest to Northeast; Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) is Interviewed about Trump's Comments on Gaza; Dan Senor is Interviewed about Taking Over the Gaza Strip. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired February 05, 2025 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Because we do, no matter what, appreciate you.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thank you. Y es, I only get to wear this sweater twice a year. Today and then for Cloud Appreciation Day, obviously. So, got to take advantage of it.

HUNT: I think that's the last time we had it on the show. Yes.

CHINCHAR: Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Yes.

So, let's take a look at the forecast. Thank you so much.

But, yes, we are going to expect even more rain pushing into California as we go through the rest of the day today. And then another system moves in as we finish out the rest of the week.

So, you've got some light showers right now across portions of southern and central California. That should slowly get a little bit of a break before the next system begins to move in. And that really pushes into northern and central California as we head into early Thursday. And then again, even another round once we go into Friday.

On the other half of the country, the main concern here is going to be winter weather. You're looking at the potential for some snow, but really ice is going to be the biggest concern. You even got some ice storm warnings in effect in addition to all of the winter weather advisories.

On the south side, where it's warm, it's just going to be rain. But you are looking at a lot of that ice to stretch from Chicago, Cleveland, over to Washington, D.C., into portions of Pennsylvania and New York as well. And then farther north, the really concern is just going to be snow for areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and much of Michigan as this system really starts to slide over as we go through the day Thursday. But most of it should be wrapped up by the time the morning commute begins on Friday.

Here's a look at a lot of those ice totals. Again, you can see this light pink color. You're looking at about a 10th of an inch, maybe up to even a quarter of an inch in some spots. So, please be careful, especially tomorrow out on those roads because it could be very, very slick.

HUNT: All right, good warning, Allison Chinchar. Thank you very much. And again, Happy National Weather Persons Day.

CHINCHAR: Thank you.

HUNT: I hope you get a chance to celebrate. Thank you very much.

All right, after the break here on CNN THIS MORNING, the price of eggs soaring at one of America's most loved diners. Why Waffle House is adding a surcharge to the popular breakfast staple.

Plus, an historic moment in American foreign policy. President Trump pitches a plan for the U.S. to own Gaza. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins us next with her thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: He wants to be transparent with the Palestinian people. Gaza, today, is uninhabitable and will probably be uninhabitable for at least the next 10 to 15 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:36:44]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (October 26, 2024): The Muslim and Arab voters in Michigan and across the country want a stop to the endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East. That's all they want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump outwardly courted Michigan's key Arab American voting bloc with promises of peace in the Middle East. His appeal seemed to have worked. Trump won the Arab American stronghold of Dearborn, Michigan, and the entire state with the help of Arab supporters who had thoughts like this at the ballot - at the ballot box.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERT ABBAS, MICHIGAN TRUMP VOTER: I feel like he's given us hope. I feel like, you know, all his talking points throughout his campaign about peace and prosperity for everyone and the ability to resolve conflicts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, credited Trump yesterday for pushing forward the long awaited ceasefire deal. Trump, however, now proposing a plan for Gaza that went unmentioned during his Michigan rallies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.

This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan.

Congresswoman, good morning.

Many of these people are your constituents. This is a group of people that you spent so much time talking to in the election. And now Donald Trump is proposing that the U.S. take over the Gaza Strip. Is this something that's real that he is proposing? And what has the reaction been from your communities?

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): I'm going to divide that into two parts. I think Donald - look, President Trump is trying to create chaos everywhere. Put it all up in the air. Some of its going to settle. Some of it's going to be real. Some of it's not going to be real.

Obviously, the prime minister of Israel was very happy, and he pleased the conservative members of his party in Israel. But the communities are not happy. There are 2 million people that live in Gaza. You've heard Republican senators react pretty strongly about it. I've had some pretty good lines. And the countries surrounding the area Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia are not happy about the idea either.

I think, you know, I've - I've talked to so many people for the last ten days about so many things, but I talked to many people that come from that area. I don't represent Dearborn anymore, but did live there for 30 years.

HUNT: Right. Yes.

DINGELL: But have many other members that are part of it.

You know, they are a piece of them is, why is everybody coming and asking us this question? Would you ask white woman that same question about what he's doing to them?

[06:40:03]

So, they're feeling a little picked on. Some are feeling betrayed. They're worried that the Muslim ban could be coming back. I just think people are trying to make sense of what it all means now. I think it's a very difficult, challenging proposal that he has. And I don't know that there's a lot of global support or Republican support within his own caucus, let alone people like us.

HUNT: So, one of the things that you have, of course, always are doing in the - in the course of your job is meeting with your own constituents. And you've brought back so much fascinating information over the course of the last two election cycles about how Donald Trump was impacting people, his chances for winning a state like Michigan.

You were home recently talking to groups of people in your district. It has been difficult to get your head around the avalanche of news coming out of these first couple of weeks. What of what Trump is doing is actually breaking through with voters?

DINGELL: Well, I think the first thing that absolutely broke through with voters was when he froze funds out of the Office of Management and Budget. And last week we saw Head Start programs being impacted. Meals on Wheels sending notes across the country, your programs are frozen. Daycare programs, senior care programs. Programs are the heart and souls of communities that matter turn into total panic.

I met with researchers who have drug trials for cancer who were fired. One person was a scientist was fired because her trial description was to be reflective of the population, including minority populations. Minority populations got her fired because that was the - yesterday someone who works at the - I don't even want to say which one it is, a veteran's hospital, not sure if he's going to be fired. He came with a group of veterans. They're like, you cannot let this person be fired. I - I mean, people really don't know what it means and are scared about what their future is.

HUNT: You also apparently, you met, if you don't mind my - my mentioning that you met with FBI agents in your area.

DINGELL: I have. I have.

HUNT: What are they saying to you right now?

DINGELL: They're, quite frankly, stunned. These are professional men and women whose job it is to keep us safe on so many fronts. And I - you know, we need to support our law enforcement. This is our security and -

HUNT: Were these agents like liberals, Democrats, technically?

DINGELL: I don't think they're anything. I think most of these FBI agents are - are - are apolitical. They do their job. They do what their job is supposed to do. And, by the way, the FBI agents that I met with were not anybody who worked on February 6th.

HUNT: January 6th.

DINGEL: I mean - I'm sorry, February - it's February. January 6th. Which we do know, they're very upset for their colleagues who have been targeted, the lists that are being accumulated. They're seeing the politicization of the FBI. That's not what they signed up for. Half of them are like, we're scared. We - we just - should we leave? And the other half is, we got to fight for this agency and for this country.

HUNT: There are a lot of people that I've been speaking to who oppose Donald Trump, who feel like Democrats in Washington are missing in action. Are they?

DINGELL: Well, I'll tell you, I have become - I've said to all my colleagues, people want to see Democrats have backbones. I did tell you the word I was using, and balls. I think we got to be smart. I think Donald Trump is causing chaos and getting people's heads to spin in so many ways, you don't know what to focus on. And if you do everything, nothing gets accomplished. We have to talk about the ones that are making the most impact.

When he froze the budget last Tuesday, he - I don't think he knew what he - what was happening. I don't think he knew the number of programs and the number of everyday Americans that were being cut. He - he isn't doing anything just for the record about lowering grocery prices. I go to - those who know me know I go to the grocery store every Sunday morning for many reasons. It's a mini town hall and I also grocery shop. Eggs at my grocery store, Kroger - sorry, Kroger - were $7.50 on Sunday.

HUNT: For a dozen eggs.

DINGELL: For a dozen eggs. I didn't buy eggs on Sunday. I mean, we got to do something. What is he doing directly to help lower those grocery prices and not just cause chaos?

HUNT: Yes, and just for some, from context, back in 2019, of course, pre-pandemic, I mean, eggs less than - you know, around $2 a dozen, right? That's where we are.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, always grateful to have you on the show. Thanks so much for being here.

DINGELL: Thanks, Kasie.

HUNT: All right, coming up next here on CNN This Morning, in his quest to shrink government spending, President Trump's latest target, the Department of Education. What closing it would mean for students.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:49:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: A better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you're in today. A better life is about a better life - a better opportunity, better financial conditions, better aspirations for you and your family. That doesn't occur because you get to pitch a tent in the Gaza Strip, and you're surrounded by 30,000 munitions that - that could go off at any moment. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: That was President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, supporting his boss' shocking proposal for the Gaza Strip. The president suggesting the U.S. would take over the territory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, given what you've said about Gaza, did the U.S. send troops to help secure the security vacuum?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As far as Gaza is concerned, we'll do what is necessary. If it's necessary, we'll do that. We're going to take over that piece and we're going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:50:02]

HUNT: Trump's pitch, turn the land into the riviera of the Middle East. That would require, though, displacing nearly 2 million Palestinians. A Hamas official, remember they govern Gaza, calling it, quote, "a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region."

Trump's Middle East special envoy now doubling down on the idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: It's a dangerous place to live today. And the president is saying, let's make it better for these people. Let's give them more hope. And if there are different places for them to live, let them - let them - let them make that choice. And I think he's right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Joining me now is Dan Senor. He's the host of the "Call Me Back" podcast, former foreign policy advisor to the Romney campaign. And of course, for anyone who doesn't know, clearly very involved, often speaking to many of the principals who are involved in all of these negotiations.

Dan, thank you so much for being on the show.

DAN SENOR, HOST, "CALL ME BACK" PODCAST: Hey, Kasie, good to be with you.

HUNT: Dan, can you just help me understand what we saw at the White House last night? The president putting this out there and whether or not this is something that he's actually really going to try to do.

SENOR: Look, I think that Israel has tried, both in southern Lebanon, in Gaza and in the West Bank over the last number of decades to experiment with different approaches, with getting out of these territories and letting local authorities effectively govern them, right? So, in the 1990s, Israel gradually withdrew from the West Bank. Obviously, it still has a security presence there, but it handed over governance to most of the West Bank to what has become the Palestinian Authority.

In May of 2000, Israel unilaterally withdrew from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, gradually, as we know, as we've seen tragically in recent years, took over. And in 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, hoping that the Palestinian Authority would be able to govern there.

In each of those three places, Kasie, Israel has effectively had to go back in, right? Israeli soldiers are dying in all of those areas Israel has withdrawn from. We've seen what happened - what's happened in Lebanon in recent years. We've seen what's happened in the West Bank. Even - at this moment there are Israeli operations in parts of the northern West Bank. And, obviously, we saw October 7th in Gaza and what has followed.

We are on a path right now in Gaza to just rinse and repeat to the same old scenario, which is to say, left to everyone's own devices, left on the trajectory that - that things are now on, Hamas is, as Israel has, during this ceasefire, has been pulling back, Hamas is going to try and reassert control. The international community is going to help rebuild Gaza with Hamas there. So, tell me exactly how that looks any different from what Israel and the Palestinian people got between 2005, when Israel withdrew, and October 7th of 2023. We're on a similar trajectory.

There are two options, let that happen or have Israel reoccupy Gaza. Now, nobody wants Israel to reoccupy Gaza, including the majority of Israelis. So, I think what President Trump is doing is throwing out other ideas. Do I think every detail of what he laid out last night is going to be what we actually see? Who knows? What he is saying is, guys, we - he said - I think he said to this effect, the exact words, we keep trying to do the same thing over and over and we keep failing. So, let's try something different. And part of that is putting pressure on these Arab countries.

Egypt's government, the Sisi government, operates like it's doing Israel and the U.S. a favor simply by just maintaining the terms of the Israel-Egypt Camp David treaty, the 1979, 1980 treaty, and that it's Israel's problem to deal with security in Gaza. Jordan has really not done much. The Sunni gulf states, while they've talked about the Gaza - the need for Gaza to be rebuilt, they have no real plan that doesn't involve Hamas still being in power.

So, I think the president is saying, guys, we got to come up with alternatives because we're not going to just keep doing the same thing over and over.

HUNT: So, is this just a tactic to scare those players, to basically say, OK, you don't do anything about it, then I'm coming in with my American boots and I'm going to do something about it because I do - I - sorry, answer that, yes.

SENOR: No, go ahead. HUNT: No, I - please.

SENOR: OK. No, I - so the answer is, I don't know. I think, at a minimum, if the president is putting everyone in the region on notice that we're not just going to keep doing the same thing over and over and hope for a different outcome, those days are over. So, I think part of it is just putting pressure on everyone, and I think it's already working, first of all.

Second of all, do I think the president - I mean I've heard people around him, you know, Jared Kushner, over in the last number of years, and he said he - I'm not just - you know, Jared Kushner has said - has said these things publicly -

HUNT: Yes.

SENOR: Particularly when he was working on the Abraham Accords and other projects, that the Gaza - it is a shame, it's tragic, that this territory, sitting there on the Mediterranean - I've been to Gaza.

[06:55:02]

I - I was struck by it when I was there. I spent time in the Jabalya refugee camp. And you sit there thinking, how has this place been left to rot by the local, quote/unquote, authorities, when it could have been developed into, you know, something much more hopeful for the - for the Palestinian people?

So, I think the president is actually, as he often does, is imagining a pretty ambitious vision for what Gaza could be. So, at a minimum, you get everyone thinking and you're putting pressure on everyone in the region to start thinking differently. More likely, he's thinking, this could be something that could be a tremendous asset to the region and to the United States. But in order to do any of it, it's going to take years and years of work. And the reality is, there's two and a half plus million Palestinians living there. If you really want to rebuild this place and you really want to turn it around, it's going to require a ton of work and a long time and it's - it's not going to be doable while all these - while this entire population is there.

I'll add one other thing, Kasie, which I think is important.

HUNT: Yes.

SENOR: I do think this helps Prime Minister Netanyahu hold his government together as these negotiations proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire. One question many in Netanyahu's government have been asking is, OK, we've sort of made peace with the first phase, but don't tell us, you know, we're - we're moving to the second phase of a ceasefire because the second phase of a ceasefire is just going to land us with Israel out of Gaza and Hamas replacing it. And that's unacceptable.

And again, the president is not just putting pressure on Arab countries in the region. I also think he is creating a structure where the hard right in Israel,, and Netanyahu's own coalition government, can continue to participate with the Israeli leadership in the implementation of the ceasefire, which could result, please God, in bringing home more of these hostages.

So, I - I know it feels a little bit like science fiction, what we all watched last night, and I understand your reaction, but I think there's - this has the potential to shake things up on a number of fronts that is - that is potentially quite positive.

HUNT: Yes, it's to me that - I mean we've heard some - from some Aab diplomats at CNN who have suggested, well, this could upend ceasefire negotiations. But what you're saying is actually the opposite, which is interesting.

I mean, Dan, I think that the one thing I do also keep coming back to that I'm interested to know your perspective on is this idea of American troops in Gaza. I mean you noted, you know, that Israel doesn't want to occupy Gaza long term. Israelis are not supportive of that. But President Trump ran on getting Americans out of the Middle East. And, in fact, there's reports this morning and other news organizations that they're making a plan to pull American boots out of Syria, where they're - they've been fighting ISIS. I mean -

SENOR: And there's only - only 2,000 of them, right?

HUNT: Yes. Is it realistic that there would be American troops on the ground in Gaza, from a political perspective here in the U.S.?

SENOR: I have long believed that the best position for the U.S.-Israel relationship, the bilateral relationship, the best position for Israel and the best relationship for the United States is, let Israel fight its wars, let Israel protect itself, let Israeli men and women in uniform do the fighting. The U.S. - it's in the U.S.'s interest to get Israel the tools it needs for Israel to fight its wars. But American military personnel should not be deployed in any capacity. And that relates to what happens in Gaza. It relates to what happens with Iran. Everything I just said, that formula applies to Israel's almost every front in the seven front war that Israel is in.

So, it's - that part is, let's just say, quite hazy to me in terms of deploying U.S. troops. I'm, again, the president wasn't very specific last night. I - it - based on what I heard, it doesn't sound like something that would be very viable for all the reasons you're saying and others. I'm not sure Israel would want U.S. troops on its - on its border, and - and Israel have - it gets really complicated for Israel having to complicate - coordinate with - with U.S. forces every time Israel wants to take action.

HUNT: Yes.

SENOR: So, it - we're a long way from here to there. I think the important point from last night is, the president put the region on notice. We're not just going to keep doing the same thing over and over. So, if you guys don't like my plan, you better start getting creative, President Sisi in Egypt, King Abdullah in Jordan, the Sunni gulf leaders, because we're - we're just not - we're just not going to rebuild Gaza with Hamas back in charge and - and - and try to hope and pray and cross our fingers that we're not going to get the same thing we got between 2005 and October 7, 2023.

HUNT: All right, Dan Senor, fascinating conversation. Thank you very much for joining us. Come back any time.

SENOR: Thanks, Kasie.

HUNT: See you soon.

SENOR: Great.

HUNT: All right, we got 30 seconds left.

Preston, big picture reaction there.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Illuminating conversation, you know.

[07:00:01]

And maybe - look, maybe it comes down to Saudi Arabia comes in and they're the ones who put all the money in, and they're the ones who develop the land. For us to go over - it's very imperialistic for the United States to go over and try to take over.

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think that President Trump feels like, in his first term, he did a lot of good things in the Middle East. I'm going to move the American embassy to Jerusalem. Weve got the Abraham Accords. I think he feels like he's got credibility in the region to do things that are extremely outside the box, which I think is why you saw what happened yesterday.

HUNT: Yes. All right, thank you all for being with us this morning. Really appreciate it. It's a very, very busy news day. It's going to be another one coming at you. Thank you at home for joining us as well.