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Today: Trump Hosts Zelenskyy after Putin Summit; Trump May Ease U.S. Federal Rules on Marijuana. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired August 18, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:05]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy about to meet again. It got ugly in February. But this time the Ukrainian leader is bringing cover. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You're gambling with World War III.

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CORNISH: What would it take for today's White House meeting to actually end in a peace deal?

And calling for backup. Three Republican governors sending their own National Guard troops into Washington, D.C.

Fighting fire with fire. California's governor unveiling a new congressional map designed to add five more seats in the House for Democrats.

Israel on edge. Protesters clashing with police, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages. Hurricane Erin intensifying again. The danger millions of Americans are about to face on the East Coast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I've heard great things having to do with medical.

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CORNISH: Reclassifying weed. Is the Trump administration about to light up the cannabis industry?

It is 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here is a live look at our nation's capital at the White House. That meeting set for today.

Good morning, everybody. It's Monday, August 18, and I want to thank you for joining us. I'm Audie Cornish, and this is CNN THIS MORNING. And here's where we start.

In just a few hours, President Trump is hosting a summit where the fate of Ukraine once again hangs in the balance. The Ukrainian president and several European leaders all rushing to D.C. after Friday's meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.

Now, it seems Trump is pressuring Ukraine to end the war, something Secretary of State Marco Rubio denies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This is such a stupid media narrative, that they're coming here tomorrow because the -- Trump is going to bully Zelenskyy into a bad deal. We've been working with these people for weeks, for weeks on this stuff. They're coming here tomorrow, because they chose to come here tomorrow. We invited them to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Trump posted late last night, saying in part, "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight" and then outlined two parts of a potential deal. First, giving up Crimea and denying NATO membership to Ukraine. Those are two of Putin's biggest demands.

The pressure comes as Russia continues bombing Ukraine. Just this morning, another more than ten people, including two children, were killed when Russian airstrikes hit an apartment and a house in Kharkiv.

Joining me now in the group chat, Noel King, co-host and editorial director of "Today, Explained"; and Toluse Olorunnipa, staff writer at "The Atlantic"; and Sabrina Rodriguez, national politics reporter at "The Washington Post."

Toluse, welcome to the chat. You're new to the chat.

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": It's great to be here.

CORNISH: OK. Well, you're coming in hot on a -- on the first day, where you have this meeting with Europe.

I want to turn to "Today, Explained." Help me understand the picture we're going to see. We had Putin getting the red carpet --

NOEL KING, CO-HOST AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "TODAY, EXPLAINED": Right.

CORNISH: -- in Alaska --

KING: Right.

CORNISH: -- one-on-one. Big handshakes. And now, you have Ukraine's leader coming in, but with support.

KING: With support from, what, half a dozen European leaders? And so, the big question is why are they here?

And what we're hearing --

CORNISH: Well, Rubio says they were invited.

KING: Rubio says they were invited. And Rubio also says they're not here to protect Zelenskyy.

So, the narrative kind of is, the last time Zelenskyy was here, Trump and Vice President Vance got him in the Oval Office and, like, really went to town on him. Like, made him look bad. Why aren't you wearing a suit?

And so, there's a question: are all these European leaders coming to protect Zelenskyy, to keep that from happening again? Maybe. Maybe that's part of it.

I would say there also is really a lot at stake for Europe here. I mean, Europe does not want to be cut out of a negotiation about what happens in Ukraine, because, you know, they're Europe.

CORNISH: Yes.

KING: They want to play. They want to play in the -- in this deal.

CORNISH: J.D. Vance and others have said specifically, this is your neck of the woods. You need to deal with this more. You're nodding. Have you heard this, as well?

OLORUNNIPA: Yes, we've clearly heard that President Trump and J.D. Vance do not want to send more security guarantees and security support to Ukraine in terms of weaponry.

They want to be able to say that we're going to be able to have a partnership with Europe in terms of providing a security guarantee for the long term.

There is a question about how confident Ukraine can be in any security guarantees, given how much Trump has walked away from previous promises and previous agreements that the U.S. has supported in the past. And so, that is going to be a big part of these discussions.

[06:05:07]

That's a big part of the reason why all of these European leaders are here, because they're going to need to provide some security support to showcase that anything that President Trump agrees to will last beyond his presidency --

CORNISH: Yes.

OLORUNNIPA: -- will last beyond the winds changing.

CORNISH: Let me -- I'm glad you brought that up, because Steve Witkoff was asked about this on Sunday. And I do think this is going to become one of the most important phrases out of this week. Security guarantees. What does that mean? Here's what he had to say.

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STEVE WITKOFF, SPECIAL U.S. ENVOY: We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game changing. We didn't think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article V protection from the United States.

And legislative enshrinement within the Russian federation not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is -- is, you know, codified. Legislative enshrinement in the Russian federation not to go after any other European countries and violate their -- their sovereignty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. I don't want to translate too much, but it's saying Ukraine is not going to be in NATO. They're not going to get that guarantee, but they're going to get some other -- other guarantee that's somehow just as good?

SABRINA RODRIGUEZ, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes. But one of the things here is that we're hearing this from Steve Witkoff, but we actually heard Secretary of State Marco Rubio kind of caution, Wait, we didn't agree to anything. We made progress, but we didn't agree.

So, there is a little bit of a miscommunication, and we're hearing, you know, what he's saying.

CORNISH: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: And we're hearing what Rubio is saying. But it's clear that, obviously, we do not have a deal.

I think what's interesting, though, going into this high-stakes meeting today, as well, though, is sort of where the American public is at on this.

Earlier this year, when Trump came into office, you saw dwindling support for Ukraine. You saw, you know, lowering percentages of Republicans, in particular, wanting to see aid sent to Ukraine, wanting to see the United States involved in this.

And as we've seen Trump ramp up, a little bit, his criticism on Putin, you're seeing sort of that restoration of people saying, wait, no, we do want to see Ukraine succeed here. Wait, we don't want to give too many concessions to Putin.

So, I think the White House is also under pressure to say, wait, we actually have to try and really get this deal done.

CORNISH: Yes. Which makes it unclear about what would be success for this administration.

KING: Yes, exactly. Exactly.

CORNISH: We know what it would be for Ukraine. KING: Right.

CORNISH: We know it would be for Putin. But other than getting a Nobel Peace Prize, I'm not clear what the goal is.

KING: Right. I mean, look, President Trump has openly said, I want an end to the killing. That is the right thing to say here.

But the way in which he's going to go about it, the way in which Russia is going to go about it, Russia doesn't seem to agree that an end to the killing is the top priority. What Russia -- wants to become a, you know -- a Russia of the -- you know, the distant past.

And so, I don't know. This is a really, really tough negotiation.

CORNISH: Yes. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of the summit today. We're going to talk more about this. You guys stay with me.

Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, thousands in Israel frustrated with the war in Gaza. I'm going to speak with the Democratic congressman from Maryland who actually just met with Netanyahu in Israel.

Plus, lawyers of detainees at Alligator Alcatraz call it a black hole where people disappear. Well, today they head to court, demanding access to their clients.

And on strike. Why Air Canada flight attendants are defying an order to return to work.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In order to qualify for a rebooking, your flight needs to be canceled. But it's very clear that your flight is unlikely to be canceled until the 11th hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:13:05]

CORNISH: It's almost 15 minutes past the hour, and here is your morning roundup.

Three Republican governors plan to send National Guard troops to D.C.: West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio. They're sending hundreds of troops.

Over the weekend, the White House said National Guardsmen in D.C. may now soon be carrying weapons.

Nearly 500 Air Canada flights canceled this morning as flight attendants for the airliner remain on strike, defying the government's order to get back to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Air Canada has really refused to bargain with us. And they refused to bargain with us, because they knew this government would come in on their white horse and try and save the day. Well, these workers here said, no, that's not on. We're going to stay on strike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The airline hopes to restart operations tonight. So far, more than 100,000 travelers have been stranded due to the strike.

The union for the flight attendants are fighting for better wages.

And health officials in Wyoming trying to get in touch with hundreds of people across dozens of states and countries who may have been exposed to rabies at Grand Teton National Park. Officials say it's from bat-infested cabins at the park.

Health officials believe up to 500 people may have stayed in those cabins this summer.

And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, it's the scandal that just won't go away. Today, Congress kicks off depositions for key figures in the Epstein case.

Plus, could marijuana laws go up in a puff of smoke?

Good morning to Norfolk, Virginia. Got, actually, some dangerous beach conditions up and down the East Coast this morning, because Hurricane Erin is growing in strength. That happened overnight.

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CORNISH: We've been hearing Trump talk about law and order in American cities. So, you probably wouldn't associate him with marijuana reform.

But recently, CNN reported that Trump told donors he'd consider loosening federal drug classifications.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Some people like it. Some people hate it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana, because if it does bad for the children, it does bad for people that are older than children.

But we're looking at reclassification, and we'll make a determination over the next, I would say, over the next few weeks. And that determination, hopefully, will be the right one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Here's the state of play. More than 40 states, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia allow the use of medical marijuana. That might be at odds with the Trump administration's DEA chief, Terry Cole's approach.

So, what does all this mean for the recreational marijuana business that's exploding at the state level?

For more on that, I'm joined now by Emily Dufton, author of "Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall of Marijuana in America."

Emily, thank you for coming in, I appreciate it.

EMILY DUFTON, AUTHOR: Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.

CORNISH: OK. So, talk to me here. I want to know about the mixed signals, because I noticed on social media, people in the district being told by federal officers, Look, you can't be smoking outside, which is the law.

[06:20:12]

But it doesn't speak to an administration that's interested in loosening things.

DUFTON: No. There's a real divide happening right now. So, certainly, in Washington, D.C., you actually see that, I think, most very clearly.

On a federal level, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance. That means it's fully federally illegal. It's considered a drug that has the most potential for harm and the least potential for medical utility.

But of course, it's also legal in the -- in the District of Columbia, which creates a real sort of divide between how we're supposed to actually deal with this substance.

CORNISH: At the same time, we have seen such growth across states as states have legalized or de -- deprioritized their sort of enforcement of certain laws.

So, tell me what progress could be made if the Trump administration changed its status at the federal level.

DUFTON: Sure. So ,24 states and Washington, D.C., have fully --- fully legalized for recreational, adult recreational --

CORNISH: Yes. The map we showed was medical. That movement was really growing. But you're saying recreational use, we're at 24 states?

DUFTON: Twenty-four states, almost half the country and Washington, D.C., have full recreational availability for adult use.

But that is in the face of marijuana still being a Schedule I substance. So, there's some real issues here.

What the Trump administration is suggesting they do is move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, which is considered a less harmful drug, one that has more medical utility, and one that has a lot more potential for banking and for business opportunities.

And that's what I think most of the industry players are hoping to achieve with this rescheduling.

CORNISH: Yes, we were hearing from ScottsMiracle-Gro CEO. His name is Jim Hagedorn. And he was talking about who could make a difference in this moment. And he is looking to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM HAGEDORN, CEO, SCOTTSMIRACLE-GRO: I think there's one person who could change it, and he's told me and others that he will. And that's the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He seemed very open to this reclassification?

HAGEDORN: Multiple times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Can you talk about Trump himself, because he has spoken openly about, like, his disdain, right, for alcoholism? And he -- and yet he's not judgmental, right, when people have talked to him about their past addictions.

So, what are we looking at? Compared to past presidents, is he inclined to make this shift?

DUFTON: He seems to be. He certainly talked about it before. He was very supportive of Florida's legalization movement in 2024, which didn't pass. But he very publicly came out in support of it.

He's spoken about this before, but he's certainly not the first president to support shifts. President Biden and President Obama both talked about making this move, as well.

But a president cannot do this by him or herself. This is not something that can be achieved through a single executive order.

CORNISH: Yes.

DUFTON: Rescheduling or descheduling is actually in the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services and the DEA. And neither of those offices seem particularly inclined to make this move, particularly when we have a crackdown on open-air drug use not only in Washington, D.C., but across the country, as the administration is also trying to crack down on crime.

CORNISH: And the party itself? I mean, some of the biggest lobbyists in the marijuana industry have come from the Republican Party.

DUFTON: It's a surprise. What used to be a very political divide over the use of this drug -- it used to be much more aligned with the Democrats and the liberals -- now has a widespread base of support on the right and the left.

So, there is growing momentum on the ground level, but it's not necessarily being recreated in Washington.

CORNISH: OK, we'll see if we're at a tipping point. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

DUFTON: Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: OK. You can catch Emily's book. It's -- it's called "Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America."

Next on CNN THIS MORNING, Ukraine's president wakes up in Washington. He's just hours away from another Oval Office visit. And a Democrat from the House Foreign Affairs Committee is here to discuss that with us.

Plus, why sandwiches have become a sign of the resistance in D.C.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:29:16]

CORNISH: Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. Thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING. It's now half past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.

In a matter of hours, Ukraine's president meets with President Trump at the White House. Seven European leaders are going to join him, including Britain's prime minister, France's president, and Germany's chancellor.

Hurricane Erin is a Category 4 storm again, growing stronger as it batters the Caribbean. The storm could double or even triple in size as it moves North.

While the storm is not expected to make landfall in the U.S., it could cause dangerous conditions along the East Coast. People in parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks, already under mandatory evacuations.

Closed-door depositions into the Epstein files begin today for the House Oversight Committee. Over the next two months, the Republican- led panel is expected to bring in nearly a dozen high-profile officials.