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No Agreement in U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks; Deadline for Anthropic; Cornyn Slams Texas AG in Ad; Bill Clinton Faces Epstein Questions; DOJ Faces Tariff Refunds. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired February 27, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Lulu and Rick, thank you, guys. You both have such great experience. It really helps us understand.
Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to be talking legal showdown. Bill Clinton to answer questions today about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Plus, no deal reached between the U.S. and Iran as another round of nuclear talks come to a close.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CORNISH: Good morning, everyone. I'm Audie Cornish. Thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.
[06:35:00]
It is 34 minutes past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.
Today, former President Bill Clinton will sit for a closed-door deposition as part of the Epstein investigation. This will be the first time a former president testifies in a congressional probe. On Thursday, former First Lady Hillary Clinton told lawmakers that she never met Epstein. She also said her husband's relationship with Epstein ended several years before any criminal activity came to light.
And the U.S. military uses a laser to shoot down what they thought was a threatening drone. Turns out it belonged to the U.S. It was a Customs and Border Protection drone. The FAA had to shut down airspace around Fort Hancock as a result.
In the meantime, the Pentagon's deadline for Anthropic to lift its A.I. safeguards is just hours away. But as of yesterday, the company's CEO rejected the Defense Department's latest offer. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to blacklist the company if it doesn't allow them to use their A.I. model for, quote, "all lawful purposes."
And President Trump was reportedly briefed yesterday on his potential military options for Iran. He's already assembled the largest buildup of air and naval power in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Yesterday's nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal. A source familiar with the talks tells CNN there were signs of progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAQCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): During these several long and very intensive hours, we have made good progress and very seriously entered into the elements of a possible agreement, both in the nuclear field and in the area of sanctions. On some issues, we have now become very close to an understanding. On certain other issues, we still have differences of opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: CNN global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh joins the chat.
I want to talk about one of those areas of difference that is being spoken about. Here's Marco Rubio, secretary of state, talking yesterday about some of the things that are important to the administration
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's also important to remember that Iran refuses, refuses to talk about the ballistic missiles, to us or to anyone. And that's a big problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Can you talk about this in the context of the talks about its nuclear program?
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes, this is -- this is a different facet. It's not part of the nuclear program, but it's part of the negotiations that the administration wants to talk about when it comes to Iran's power. You have the nuclear enrichment program which, of course, the U.S. wants to limit. That was something that we saw in the JCPOA under the Obama administration.
But the ballistic missile program is something that Iran has always drawn the line at. And that is something -- that's why Israel is so concerned about, because these are the types of missiles that can reach Israel and reach U.S. bases in the region. And when I was in the Biden administration, these were the types of attacks that we did see launches from and their proxy groups using some of these ballistic missile capabilities.
So, it's -- there's a reason why this administration wants to negotiate on this. But Iran really has drawn a red line at that. And those were not part of the negotiations back when the first nuclear deal came into place and even now.
CORNISH: Yes. I mean it was one of the criticisms of the first nuclear deal --
SINGH: Right. CORNISH: That beyond the things it was able to accomplish, sort of verification systems --
SINGH: Right.
CORNISH: It didn't address this other source of power. Is that among the things that make this different, or, in the end, will the Trump administration get something that looks an awful like what the Obama administration got?
SINGH: You know, it's hard to say right now because Iran, in 2015, is in a very different place than Iran today. You know, Iran --
CORNISH: And so is the U.S. in terms of buildup in the region.
SINGH: Yes. Iran is significantly weakened in terms of its nuclear -- in terms of its capabilities. And that 12-day war that we saw Israel and the U.S. go into back last year in June did weaken Iran. And also what makes this different is, economically, Iran is -- and domestically very weakened.
And so, you know, you asked the question of, is this different right now? I mean, in the talks yesterday, the ballistic missile program is not something that Iran has agreed to discuss. It's only on the nuclear enrichment program. So, that could come up if there are strikes, which, to me, it seems strikes seem imminent. As you let in, this is the most firepower we've built up in the region since 2003.
CORNISH: Imminent weeks? Imminent months?
SINGH: I think imminent days. There's already calls from the State Department to evacuate from -- nonessential personnel from the embassy in Israel. You are moving an aircraft carrier that has already been out for seven months into the region stationed off the -- in the eastern Mediterranean. There is a reason why all of these different aircraft are moving. And it is not just -- I mean it could be a pressure campaign.
CORNISH: Yes.
SINGH: But when you are pulling defensive missile capabilities, even from the Indo-Pacific in to protect our bases, it's all the moves that they did back in June.
CORNISH: OK, I got to ask you one more thing.
SINGH: Yes. Yes.
CORNISH: Anthropic's CEO telling the Pentagon, look, we have hard red lines about what we will let you use our A.I. software to do.
[06:40:05]
The reason why I want to ask you about this is because from the Defense Department position, they're like, you can't tell us how to protect Americans. These -- Hegseth is threatening to yank their contract or even call them a supply chain risk. But here's the thing. When Anthropic says publicly what their concerns are, one is surveillance of Americans --
SINGH: Yes.
CORNISH: And two is using the technology to do -- to make decisions, life or death decisions --
SINGH: Right.
CORNISH: That does not have a human in the loop. It's not a complicated, contractual, you know what I mean?
SINGH: Right. Right.
SINGH: Yes.
CORNISH: So, you've been in the Pentagon.
SINGH: Yes.
CORNISH: What is -- what are the complications here maybe that we're not understanding?
SINGH: Anthropic is the only A.I. system that is used on classified systems right now in the Pentagon.
CORNISH: Yes, though others are training up. Yes.
SINGH: Others are training up. But as of right now. And what I find interesting about this fight that Pete Hegseth is launching, we are potentially hours, days away from strikes in Iran and you want to pick the fight with the -- with the company that actually is, you know, right now keeping -- like helping with targeting and things like that? So, I find the timing very interesting. I don't think it's very smart of Pete Hegseth to be doing this.
But also, I mean, invoking the Defense Production Act to compel Anthropic to basically take off its safeguards, that's not how the Defense Production Act actually works. So, I don't know who's advising --
CORNISH: Yes. It was used in the past for like Covid to like divert certain --
SINGH: To create supplies, yes.
CORNISH: Yes.
SINGH: This is not a supply. This is a technology. And so, when the Pentagon is saying we want to lift the guardrails, and Anthropic I think rightfully is saying, well, wait a minute, what does that mean? And what do you mean you're not going to keep a human in the loop, potentially?
CORNISH: Yes. SINGH: I think that is a conversation we need to have. And I do think Anthropic is -- it's surprising but they are pushing back.
CORNISH: They're having it and they're having it publicly.
SINGH: Yes.
CORNISH: Thank you for weighing in.
Stick around. I want to talk about something that is fun for this panel given the hat next to me.
President Trump heads to Texas today with two focuses on the docket, continuing to boost his claims about the economy post State of the Union and they're in the middle of a bitter Senate Republican primary. Early voting actually ends today. A new attack ad from Senator John Cornyn just dropped, and that's aimed at the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his rival.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crooked Ken Paxton cheated on his wife. She's divorcing him on biblical grounds. So now Paxton's wrecking another home, sleeping around with a married mother of seven. Think of the Paxton dirty deeds we don't know about, yet. The wife cheater and fraud, or the Texas workhorse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Are y'all OK? Are y'all OK in Texas?
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": This is -- you know this just doesn't end. We knew that this was going to get bitter. I mean let's be --
CHUCK ROCHA , FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO BERNIE SANDERS' 2016 AND 2020 CAMPAIGNS: This is going to be so good. No, please, go, Rob. This is awesome.
CORNISH: A Democratic consultant -- yes, it's big. A Democratic consultant couldn't have drawn up a more intense ad.
BLUEY: Well, Chuck already told me this is the most expensive Senate primary ever, right, combined between Republicans and Democrats in the state of Texas.
ROCHA: In the history of Texas.
CORNISH: Hold on, I have to read this claim, which they didn't do. CNN has not independently verified the claims made by Senator Cornyn's video.
ROCHA: About the biblical part or maybe the other?
CORNISH: I just -- leave the Bible out of it today.
ROCHA: I'm just curious. OK. My bad.
CORNISH: OK. The Texas attorney general, of course, is hitting back. He said in a statement, he called Senator Cornyn, quote, "a desperate shell of a man clinging to power." Paxton also says, quote, "my campaign is not about attacking someone else's family. It's about protecting America."
ROCHA: Let me -- let me give a little background for folks who don't understand Texas primaries. I've worked in Texas for 36 years. And you have to get 50 percent of the vote in the primary that's coming up in just four days. Early vote in Texas ends tomorrow. For all of you folks in Texas, get out to vote. And, by the way, on both sides they're voting like crazy in Texas.
CORNISH: They are.
ROCHA: Hurray! We'll get to that point in a second.
But there's a runoff if you don't get the 50 percent. That's what this ad is about, is they're trying to say there is a third candidate, and a congressman, a black congressman, a black congressman who is a veteran from Houston running. So, it is all crazy. They have, these two folks, the incumbent and the attorney general, have run $10 million against the black Republican veteran from Texas from Houston. On top of all of this --
CORNISH: And he's still got them on the run.
ROCHA: Absolutely.
CORNISH: So then we heard from I think it was John Thune. Let me see if I can find this. He was asked about what's going on.
I don't have it here. Can we play it? Is this sound?
Oh, OK. John Thune -- oh, there we are, was saying, "honestly, if you look at the polling in a general election setting, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that the seat flips depending on who the Democrats nominate."
I was shocked to hear people describe the potential for a flip.
NOEL KING, CO-HOST AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "TODAY, EXPLAINED" PODCAST: But haven't we always said that about Texas? Doesn't that -- isn't that --
CORNISH: Well, but that's what I'm saying that. Yes, but now --
(CROSS TALK)
CORNISH: Now it's different. Take off your cynical journalist hat and actually look at the fact that these dudes are scared.
KING: Right. I know. Yes. Yes. Yes, they are scared.
[06:45:01] You've got Talarico and Crockett, right? Texans, I here, like them, are interested --
CORNISH: Yes, although Crockett's doing very well in early voting.
KING: Yes. Yes. Yes.
ROCHA: There are more people that have voted in the Texas primary in the early vote than ever before. And right now there's never been where the Democrats have outvoted Republicans in a state that Republicans have controlled for 30 years, since 2002. CNN reported that yesterday.
CORNISH: Yes.
ROCHA: But it's more than that. A quarter of the people that have voted early so far in this historic turnout have no Democratic primary history vote. Something is happening.
CORNISH: Talarico agrees with you. He was asked about what's going on in the race by our own Jeff Zeleny.
Let me play that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: You weren't born the last time that Texas elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: That's right.
ZELENY: Why is this year different, do you believe?
TALARICO: Well, there is a growing backlash in this state to the extremism and the corruption in our government. I can't tell you how many people come up to me at the end of these events and whisper, I'm not a Democrat, like it's some kind of secret.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLUEY: Yes. Well, OK, so, Audie, a few things. I mean zooming out from Texas, let's face it, the Democrats have -- are going to put Republicans to the test, not just there, but in Ohio and Alaska and maybe some other states. I mean it is not a favorable year for Republicans historically, right? The president's --
CORNISH: Yes. Which gets us back to the redistricting fight.
SINGH: But I actually think it's not favorable because something -- something is happening in Texas, but Texas is the one that kicked off the redistricting fight. And to have, you know, a mid-decade redraw of the map to basically give Donald Trump five seats, then you saw other states like California saying, absolutely not, we're not going to do that.
And then, frankly, you saw the Trump administration put more pressure on the scale for other Republican governors to redraw the maps. And I think voters are recognizing, you know, we don't like it when politicians put their finger on the scale, and Texas kicked that off.
CORNISH: Well, it's intriguing because I do think of Texas as being a lock for Republicans in all things.
SINGH: Yes.
CORNISH: Republicans, as the president said, are winning -- tired of winning. And yet somehow, in this place where everyone should feel safe, it is a food fight.
ROCHA: Let me jump in where Sabrina left off. In this primary so far, this ain't polls, these are folks that are actually voting.
CORNISH: Yes.
ROCHA: That's why this is so important. Twelve percent of the folks that have voted in the Democratic primary have a history of voting in the Republican primary.
CORNISH: Yes.
ROCHA: We can tell that when they go vote. We have their voter files. So, this ain't no more pontification, take that this morning for your big word from Chuck, about this is about real folks voting. This ain't about polls or feelings or vibes. These are real folks.
CORNISH: That's true. Yes, exactly. And that is what matters.
ROCHA: Pontification. Right there (INAUDIBLE).
BLUEY: And we'll be talking for two more months about it, as Chuck said.
CORNISH: Yes, exactly.
Sabrina, thank you for joining our rodeo here, our political rodeo. Appreciate it.
SINGH: Thank you, guys. It's fun to be in the group chat.
ROCHA: Thank you.
CORNISH: If you missed any part of that conversation, if you missed Chuck, we're a podcast. Just scan the QR code now to find it. I've been told with my left hand. CNN THIS MORNING is available anywhere you get your podcasts.
Next on CNN THIS MORNING, if you call yourself an influencer, and let's say you're in love, you better get a prenup. We're going to lawyer up with Elliot Williams, next.
And.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): The number of times that she said, I don't know, you'll have to ask my husband, was, you know, more than a dozen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Today, lawmakers will get their chance to ask former President Bill Clinton directly about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:52:28]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He says he didn't have any knowledge of his crimes and that other than use of his plane, he didn't have a close relationship. But we're going to ask him those hard questions too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Even House Democrats on the Oversight Committee vowing to ask hard questions about Jeffrey Epstein when Bill Clinton is deposed today. The former president appears several times in the Epstein files. He has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.
Hillary Clinton was questioned Thursday and thinks the committee should be looking elsewhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: If they are going to fulfill their responsibilities to literally investigate the investigations, which is what they originally said was the scope of their work, I think they could have spent the day more productively.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining the group chat, Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor.
We're not going to dwell too much on Clinton, because if there's one thing she can do is explain things about her husband. And so, he's actually going to speak.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.
CORNISH: But our own CNN Stephen Collinson brought up something that I wanted to put to you.
WILLIAMS: OK.
CORNISH: He said that this could end up backfiring on the current president. He said, "the principle that will be underscored on Friday, that a former president can be compelled to give testimony on a matter that has no obvious separation of powers issue."
WILLIAMS: Right.
CORNISH: And that that "might complicate Trump's own future."
WILLIAMS: Right. No obvious separation of powers issue. And also no, quote/unquote, legitimate legislative purpose. They are -- they're calling them there to embarrass them, right? Whether that's -- you know, Congress is allowed to do that. That's their right. They have very broad authority to investigate things. But they can't prosecute anybody. They can't look for evidence of crimes. And if they existed, I'm pretty confident the Justice Department would have prosecuted Bill Clinton already.
CORNISH: But I think everyone, for people who aren't following closely, you might think, oh, remember, the Supreme Court gave him immunity in all things.
WILLIAMS: Right.
CORNISH: But you're saying like, that's not how it works for this issue and in this context.
WILLIAMS: It's -- yes, turnabout is fair play and it is very risky to start hauling former presidents up. Certainly they can't -- I don't think they can call Donald Trump up, a sitting president, to testify. But this is largely a political matter, far more than a legal one, at least with respect to Bill Clinton.
CORNISH: And also, Bill Clinton is the man for, what was it, like -- what depends on the definition of "is" is.
WILLIAMS: Is is, yes.
CORNISH: Like, it's going to be very interesting to watch, to hear what comes out of this.
WILLIAMS: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Right.
CORNISH: I want to turn to something else today. It's a big day for the companies who were suing over tariff refunds.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: The Justice Department is going to respond today to corporations. So, Costco was one of them.
WILLIAMS: Right.
CORNISH: FedEx was one of them. Goodyear.
[06:55:01]
So now we get to lawyer up. A --
WILLIAMS: Look at that.
CORNISH: Yes, look at that. All right, so some of us have our own hand out, like, where's my
refund?
WILLIAMS: Good luck.
CORNISH: But tell me what you're seeing and how these companies are responding.
WILLIAMS: Yes. Right. So, in typical Supreme Court fashion, the Supreme Court didn't lay out a plan or a process for our -- for how people or entities would get their tariff money back, right?
CORNISH: Yes, but they -- they addressed the question.
WILLIAMS: They addressed the question. And Justice Kavanaugh sort of talks about it a little bit too.
But now a flood of lawsuits has started being filed in federal court, but particularly in the Court of International Trade, to get back this money.
Now, there's an open question as to whether, does this come from simply asking for it back, making a petition to the government in some way, or actually suing in this federal court called the Court of International Trade. Now, that process will play out over the next months, but no one really knows.
CORNISH: Yes, although some people are already counting their cash. FedEx saying, "our intent is straightforward. If refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges."
WILLIAMS: Yes. I would also note that some individuals who would have bought major goods overseas might have some claim to get this money back.
But, you know, you're talking about billions of dollars and potentially, I think right now, it's about 1,800 suits filed. It's a lot of money and a lot of entities here.
CORNISH: OK. I want to bring up something else, just because I'm personally involved in the drama.
WILLIAMS: I love it.
CORNISH: So, let's say you get married, but you're two influencers.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: What does your prenup look like? Like, who gets the kids?
WILLIAMS: And this is a fascinating, growing body of law right now, even if it's one influencer. Because of the fact that what happens in divorces people apportion assets and funds and real estate, how do you define what assets are in an online world? How do you define the value of someone's Instagram handle that has millions of followers? CORNISH: So, the followers, the feeds --
WILLIAMS: The followers, the feeds, the individual, the intellectual property, the --
CORNISH: The IP. Does it turn into an IP law thing.
WILLIAMS: Even what you can put online about your marriage following a divorce. This is increasingly being put into prenuptial agreements as people are starting to commodify their brand and their identity online. So --
CORNISH: Yes. Let me check. Did y'all -- do you have social media clauses in your --
ROCHA: No.
CORNISH: You just got married.
ROCHA: Yes.
CORNISH: No.
ROCHA: Yes. But we didn't put a social media clause in. She just says I'm on it too much.
CORNISH: Yes, OK. Got it.
OK, you guys, I want to talk about your group chats today, because here we are at the end of the week. A lot has happened.
Noel, can I start with you?
KING: Mayor Mamdani and President Trump met again.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: It was romantic again. They got along.
CORNISH: Why are you saying romantic?
KING: Loose -- loose definition.
ROCHA: Bromantic.
CORNISH: Oh, bromantic. Well played.
KING: Yes, yes, bromantic, bromantic.
Mamdani asked Trump to release a Columbia University student who had been detained by ICE. President Trump agreed and did so. So, we just keep going (ph).
CORNISH: Yes. But he also brought Trump what he asked for.
KING: Yes. CORNISH: Something Trump could say yes to, building things in New York.
KING: Yes. And Queens.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: Yes, yes, yes.
CORNISH: OK.
KING: They like each other.
WILLIAMS: Yes. Because gen z has to put a name on everything, Chinamaxxing (ph) is the new thing. Literally, Chinamaxxing --
CORNISH: You are like the fifth person to bring up this story with me.
WILLIAMS: It's so bonkers.
CORNISH: OK.
WILLIAMS: It's the idea of emulating things that -- wellness trends that come out of China.
CORNISH: Yes.
WILLIAMS: Drinking hot water, wearing slippers around the house, acupuncture, boiling apples. And it's a thing. And gen z is really into it right now.
CORNISH: OK. Chinamaxxing.
ROCHA: Everybody knows the Texas elections, if we talk about it enough, is coming up in -- on Tuesday. And everybody knows I'm working for James Talarico. And in my group chat with all of this amazing staff from Talarico lifting each other up, I want to give them a hat tip this morning. I've never seen a harder working group of kids who have come together to actually do something that's going to be very special in Texas. Hat tip to the Talarico team.
CORNISH: OK.
BLUEY: Well, I'll turn to sports. Last night was the first night that the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils returned from the Olympics.
CORNISH: Yay! Yes.
BLUEY: Sixteen players and staff from both of those teams were in Milan for the games. And what a great sign of American patriotism. The Penguins fans, against a division rival, gave Jack Hughes, the Olympic hero, a standing ovation. It was terrific.
CORNISH: Let me tell you, patriotism. Flavor Flav sending the women to Vegas. Shout out to Flavor Flav, the clocks, everything. I'm here for it.
KING: God bless him.
CORNISH: I know. I know.
Well, you guys, thank you so much for talking with us today. I think one of the things that makes this show special is being able to, like, talk about a range of things and to do it in a civilized way.
ROCHA: That hockey thing is a big -- because y'all don't understand at home, unless you know hockey, that those two teams actually hate each other a lot.
BLUEY: Yes, exactly
CORNISH: Yes, exactly.
ROCHA: We just kind of brushed by that. And for those folks --
CORNISH: That's what we do. We celebrate the moments where we come together, I think.
ROCHA: Absolutely. I think -- and that's something big in sports that we could do in America. We're talking about the Texas primaries or this or what's happening in the Republican primary. Like, there's a lot of things, as Americans, that can bring us together, like a hockey game.
WILLIAMS: I would note, one of those teams, the New Jersey Devils, and as somebody from New Jersey, we actually hate everybody. And so the opportunity to --
CORNISH: Correct.
WILLIAMS: You know, the opportunity to sort of bring folks together, it's a rare and interesting thing.
CORNISH: Yes.
[07:00:03]
OK, as usual, sports people really giving me a lot to think about.
Thank you, guys, for being here. Thank you for being here, because there's a lot of places where you could spend your time, and I'm glad you are spending it with us.
I'm Audie Cornish, and stick around because the headlines are next.
