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Alleged migrant abuse in Libya; Middle East in focus at World Economic Forum; Trump brings America First message to Economic Forum; Pictures of the powerful. Aired at 10-11a ET
Aired January 25, 2018 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:00:27] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am going to Davos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The eagle has landed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you didn't invite anybody skeptical.
TRUMP: Unfortunately I am very rich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are working very hard to neighbor to the south recognized us how good NAFTA is.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: America is open for business.
TRUMP: Americanism not globalism will be our credo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. economy strength has lighted more global trade.
TRUMP: The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: Before we get started hold up! Let us rewind just for the moment. Get the viewers back to the start of
that clip. It is only taking getting here to Davos for the American president Donald Trump to shock this gathering and check this out. A short
time ago the very second that he walked into the building of one point waving to describe it as a muted audience and nobody clapped. Before he
shouted, cameras clicked cancelling the silence of what was an awkward atmosphere. His arrival a super nova here, beside there had been a tsunami
of gossip against him. A lot of people in Davos don't like him very much. And the White House response? Right back at you. Trump treasury secretary
almost like Davos ushering quote, we don't need to worry about this crowd, but really this is Mr. Trump crowd billionaires and president, two in one
and while people here worrying about ordinary people being left behind remember Mr. Trump cracked it failing to office in populist triumph
typically to say, walking with the kings but keeping the common touch. And Trump is not just a businessman he is a now the one running America Inc.
And the markets are lapping it up. How will this go over? That at is anyone with bet. We are here to find out, I am Becky Anderson, it is your
world let's connect it.
Well it is day three, Davos is halfway done but far from it really the party just getting started now with meeting and speeches galore all going,
this is really the Olympic of money and power and posing and there is no one more prime, more nimble of a financial athlete than CNN Money editor at
large Richard Quest. We have just seen Donald Trump with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some extraordinary lines from that in a
moment. It takes a lot to take the wind out of this lap, gathered here in Davos but breathless they were as Donald Trump entered the hall earlier on.
RICHARD QUEST, EDITOR AT LARGE: It is his event and simple as that. He is taking it over. It is Donald Trump and now he is actually here and he is
using meeting. Theresa May is going to have CEO's later there is only one subject of discussion, now he is here, it is Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: One of our producers heard, one the delegates with a white badge and of the important lot her of them important lot saying quite simply this
is the moment.
QUEST: It is because he has to know explain what America first means. How it translates into reality and what he is going to do vis-a-vis the rest of
the world when it comes to economics. This is his time to actually say this what we are going to do.
ANDERSON: When you listen to his U.S. delegation, those travelling with here, their message is, folks there is new sheriff in town and he means
business.
QUEST: And that is exactly it. That is in a nutshell. We want fair trade it has been unfair so far is what they say and we want to railroad
everybody, it has been unfair so far is what they say. And we want to redress that balance. Now the question is when people like Merkel and
Macron, well it was still our old agenda, what does he do with it. That is where it is all fuzzy and potentially messy.
[10:05:03] ANDERSON: The first two people that he met when got here were the British Prime Minister Theresa May who is looking for a very special
partnership going forward and post Brexit and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, what do we hear?
QUEST: On the British Prime Minister he talk about trade, remember he got a few very nasty spot for that over questions terrorism and videos and his
tweeting, but here he says the relationship is strong. Theresa May said the relationship is strong and it is once again they need each other, it is
significant just as she was the first to visit the White House they have chosen a safe, secure first here in Davos. That was now on the course of
the proposed Brexit trade.
ANDERSON: Apparently Jerusalem is now off the table.
QUEST: Not only it is off the table you don't set up but also he once again reiterated he who pays the piper calls the tune. In other words we
give all this hundreds of millions of dollars to the Egyptians to everybody else, what do we get back for it. He has taken an approach to the Middle
East diplomacy.
ANDERSON: Watch this space, the phrase I truly mean it. Just like me call because hey, just one hour of television, he is laughing about all day
speaking to the media about or world including to Saudi Arabia's finances be sure to find tune that is coming up after this show. Mr. Trump every
word he is sure to be scrutinized here in Davos, but what he said before you he left home is also making headlines as well. The president stops by
off-camera meeting between his Chief of Staff and reporters, he talked about a number of things including the Russia investigation he said he
would love to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller under oath, but added a caveat Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to talk to Mueller?
TRUMP: I'm looking forward actually.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to?
TRUMP: Just so you understand, there is no collusion or whatsoever. There is no obstruction whatsoever and I'm looking forward to it. I don't know,
they are talking about 2-3 weeks, but I would love to do it. I have to say, subject to my lawyers and all of that, but I would love to do it. I
would do it under oath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I am joined by Congressman Don Beyer a Democratic U.S. house member from the states of Virginia, let me stop before we get to that was
just happening in the last 45 minutes or say whether they like and laden Donald Trump certainly made an entrance here declaring to the globally that
he is and I quote him directly here to spread peace and prosperity.
DONALD BEYER, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRATS: It will be fascinating to see the speech tomorrow I think this could be the most important speech to his
presidency so far. The entire world try to reconcile the America first agenda which has been Donald Trump first agenda with the globalist and
internationalist, pro-trade idea of dollars.
ANDERSON: Listen, only two American president has ever set foot in Davos and people might be (inaudible), but I am talking about the world economic
forum, let us just hear from both of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We cannot continue to allow China to rape our country and that's what they're doing.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: It is basically a protectionist country and then America will never get any real action.
TRUMP: The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
CLINTON: Don't leave the little guys.
TRUMP: I started off in Brooklyn my father gave me a small owner.
CLINTON: I was born on a town with 6000 people in the state of income just about half the national average.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Congressman they had a very different styles of course but they also sources reading from the same game book American supremacy is a
central theme of American governance and this crowd, to what intense and purposes you could argue a Trump's natural allies.
BEYER: They could be life but they're not for several different reasons described I would be very impressed over the years that the business
leaders here and even though so-called billionaires and certainly governmental leaders have always come to try to do was make the world
better. Their number one priority of world economic forum is reducing poverty number two is zero hunger and number five is climate change this
are nowhere in the stated Trump agenda.
ANDERSON: Could I be bold as to say those are the stated agenda ICDs violence going on in the Congress whole where we are allowed to wander
around me lots of people talking about some of the good things that we should be doing, those by holds all full of people cutting deals.
[10:10:11] BEYER: Well it is a time when people come together. You talked about Trump is a great negotiator, as very disturbed by his notion in
taking Jerusalem off the table, one thing he promise was that he was somehow with Jared Kushner bring peace to Israel and Palestine, he just
move farther away. ANDERSON: Absolutely left during a speech about the moving of the embassy,
I was there in Jerusalem at the time. He was specific to say everything sit on the table for negotiation.
BEYER: And just moving the embassy was an incredibly negative provocative thing.
ANDERSON: He did speak today.
BEYER: Well he did but as we have seen there are a number of times in the last week of the debate about immigration, he may talk to John Keller Steve
Miller a few minutes and change his mind again.
ANDERSON: That is a remarkable stuff, just very briefly the Russia investigation you heard what he says yesterday before he left Washington
where is he in all of this?
BEYER: Well I think you had to (inaudible) contact to Washington Post to add it up, the number of times he misspoke on the record in the last year
is over 1000 times. It is going to be dangerous for him to go under oath before Mr. Mueller, but I am glad he is going to do and we certainly want
Mr. Mueller to get to the bottom of it.
ANDERSON: Good luck here.
BEYER: Thank you very much. We will.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much indeed still to come on the show tonight, a new arrive on the mounting top that is Davos Switzerland American president
is in town. What is his message to the world economic forum, we will find out more on that, up next and --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are pockets of (inaudible), I don't understand why is not be eliminated in Syria?
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ANDERSON: The threat with ISIS regional polarization and what he thinks of Donald Trump ahead. My Interview with the Prime Minister of Iraq.
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ANDERSON: Up the mountain surrounded by snow, it is the place to be and we all here for you this is the special edition of "Connect the world" I am
Becky Anderson live from the world economic forum in Davos in Switzerland, a very warm welcome back as you just joining as you are more than welcome.
[10:15:00] Fighting in northern Syria escalates relations between two NATO allies it deteriorates with wise crossing communication the crumbling the
U.S. and Turkey aren't on the same page the White House says Donald Trump told the Turkish president to deescalate the military in Syria. Mr. Trump
didn't express that consent at all, it has been less than a week since the Turkey move into northern Syria targeting ISIS and the group names I YPG.
That group, a U.S. ally has been armed and trained by America with an exclusive for CNN Arwa Damon and her team are reporting from northern Syria
the only international network team to do so.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: This is one of the outermost perimeters of territory that is controlled by the turkey back
Syrian FSA unit and just down this road is one of the disputed contested area and if you will he well a small fly that will help and at the top of
that you have a YPG fighting position they had the state have the advantage from this particular location given that they do have the higher ground we
have been hearing throughout the course of our time hear the sound of artillery mortars have been told that turkey has also been fighting tanks
in support of the troops is backing as they advance from a different location now of course you are mentioning their the fourth for their
advancing against the Kurdish YPG and that the force that is supported by the U.S. especially supported more so in other parts of the country when it
came to the fight against ISIS and driving through the train to get your keeping in mind that both sides are trading artilleries back and forth you
had this open territory where you do have a lot of makeshift refugee camps for Syrians that fled conflicts and other parts of the country there is
concern over their well-being their potential safety and you also have of course concerned being voiced about the situation for civilians inside
Afrin itself and that is at this stage one of the main target of this operation. Olive branch that had been called by Turkey and by the Syrian
rebels that they are supporting and of course it does even further complicate the relationship between Ankara and Washington because no matter
what is said between the president reality on the ground in Turkey is adamant that needs to clear these areas of the YPG is that they need to do
so for its own national security there have been throughout the course of this operation rockets and artillery being fired from we are told YPG
control territory into Turkey but at the same time Turkey said that there been hundreds of cases where there had been artillery fired from these
particular areas and what they want to do is really push the Kurdish force back and up to the point where it will be able to launch any sort of
strikes that could then end up landing inside Turkey not to mention that Turkey also is attempting to create something of a safe zone or a buffer
zone to allow for the eventual return of at least a portion of the 2.5 million Syrian refugees that are currently inside Turkey this is very tough
going it is a very delicate situation on the ground and of course on the political level as well.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: My colleague Holiday exclusive reporting from northern Syria -- instability and Syria is allowing Isis to live on that is the view of
Iraq's prime is a (inaudible), he declared victory over ISIS. In his own country back in December.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAIDER AL-ABADI, PRIME MINISTER, IRAQ (TRANSLATOR): We announced our country in the world that the (inaudible) had reach to the last stronghold
and had purified these areas and raise Iraqi flag in western Anbar last Iraqi land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It is what happening in neighboring Syria today that soaring him I sat down with Mr. Al-Abadi earlier, here is our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL-ABADI: There are pockets I don't understand why is not be eliminated in Syria. I don't know what calls he is waiting for, I don't know what the
Russians are waiting for, there are pockets of Dash inside Syria they have safe haven still there. Our intelligence tells us because we have very
good intelligence that training would be suicide bombers, a very high skill training, they want to send them to many countries, to many cities and they
wouldn't want to have a campaign of terror attacks.
[10:20:00] ANDERSON: Who are they supported by that to your mind?
AL-ABADI: It is not to your trust they had been just left over in large areas within the areas controlled by the Kurdish group and the areas
controlled by the Syrian government group.
ANDERSON: Who helped you win the war against ISIS was it American bombs or Iranian militia?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): I have to admit that the air support of the International Coalition led by the U.S. and of course the support given
foster the regional policy including the Iranians and other regional power has enabled us to make this victory clean and fast.
ANDERSON: Iranian influence on the ground remains as we know and it concerns people.
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): If you talk about influence is any conceit in going from them.
ANDERSON: Your government thinks only $100 billion to rebuild after the war against ISIS you run according to transparency international the 10th
most corrupts country in the world. Where are going to get that cash, and if so how can you be sure that it isn't routinely stolen.
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): We are running things from the top establish very high committee which is headed by myself as Prime Minister to direct
investment most of this, we don't want donations to come, it is almost impossible to get on the billion dollars in donations. We are looking for
investment on that is not investment is much safer than before and Iraq is a subject to investment.
ANDERSON: Can many potential investors and I include the Saudi Arabia's of this world in specifically Saudi Arabia of this world, they will be asking
the following question how much of a role does Tehran have when it comes to decision-making in Baghdad?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): Zero. I would say zero. I have to be frank. I have to admit in every court including you there are people are supporting
Iran, there are people supporting Saudi Arabia, people are supporting the U.S. but Iraq (inaudible) confessed on by this we have decided that we
should take our own decision to decide what is best for Iraq. I think we have done a long way to do this.
ANDERSON: Do you support Riyadh's intention that Iran is a dark force in the region?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): No I don't. I think every force in the region has a dark and the white side to it.
ANDERSON: Including Riyadh?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): Well including Iraq, but we have to strengthen the white side for every countries on what is our strategy is this, if the
region continues by dis-polarization and by having friends everywhere. On by having friends at the police would be producing Cox for the Cox
terrorists to this criminal activities of this criminal organization. We don't want a repeat of this, we have to work together to make sure their
last no such cracks in the region and the positive side of each other. I am very optimistic we can do that.
ANDERSON: Is Donald Trump as U.S. president good for Iraq?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): It is very hard for me to judge U.S. presidents, I have my own observations always but I figured at the president looks as the
interests of the U.S. as he sees it. I think of the moment during this time there was our interest have met. That was very good. I like that.
ANDERSON: So when he talks about an America first you think will say what?
AL-ABADI (TRANSLATOR): Well when he was talking about American first, it means American security, dismiss Iraqi security, because terrorist threats
that make references Iraq and that's why we proceed to support this in this periods to fight terrorism.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: Well those are views of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidder Al- Abadi. Iranian Foreign Minister (inaudible) said it was his country that helps the people of Iraq and Syria defeat ISIS weighing on twitter, he
wrote no amount of alternative facts by Trump and echo chamber vision of light, spin by carousel, credit grabbing by the U.S for the defeat of ISIS
will change the fact. Middle East said that politics was a big talking point here in Davos just a short while ago. President Trump made what I
can any describes some explosive remarks of his own about the status of Jerusalem, have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:25:03] TRUMP: We will be moving our embassy as you know to Jerusalem and we also know that is way ahead of schedule by years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wow, ok well I promise you explosive words were going to have to pretty much paraphrase that what he said I'm in my international diplomatic
editor Nic Robertson, he joins me now just 20 minutes ago we saw meeting between Mr. Trump and the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lots to
unpack, but let start with this he said Jerusalem and I quote off the table.
NIC ROBERTSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed and he was asked the question was the president did recognizing Jerusalem is the
capital of Israel set back the peace process, he said I didn't send it back, it was the hardest issue I took it off the table he said I took it
off the table. I have done a lot for them meaning the Palestinians I hope some minds prevail, but I think it is looking over some of the moments just
before he made those comments. And this has hurt Vice President Mike Pence's visits the Middle East just in the last few days is that the
Palestinians have disrespected us last week, we put money on the table that money is not going anywhere unless they sit down and make peace.
They have to respect the process they have to respect us, we have given them a lot not just money respect has to be shown to us all this is not
going anywhere. I have a proposal for peace is a very good proposal this money on the table these words you said in sundry words how this will be
received by the Palestinians by others in the region we could only guess at the moment. I don't think the comments will be slow in coming.
ANDERSON: Incredibly as he entered the Congress hall, ten or 15 minutes before we had those remarks and that he made while he was sick next to the
Israeli prime minister and to what was it a breathless audience almost of this delegates here, you threw a questioner in which is what?
ROBERTSON: You know I said, Mr. President, welcome to Davos what is your message for everyone here?
ANDERSON: To which he said.
ROBERTSON: Peace and prosperity and then he pause and said it again peace and prosperity.
ANDERSON: Here is the man, the U.S. president who says - have a message to the people here gathered I want to spread peace and prosperity. And 15 to
20 minutes later, he has chosen a moment in time here sitting next to Israeli prime minister effectively and I really, really explosive
narrative.
ROBERTSON: The explosive narrative upends that. In his mind does what we are hearing here is the very shorthanded President Trump understanding how
negotiations go. They go from a position of strength, he thinks is negotiating this particular sofa table he thinks it can be done by money,
as we know that passions on this issue very thought that the Palestinians have to step back from the peace negotiations, because they feel that very
announcement that he made was in sundry this will go further.
ANDERSON: So there is a narrative that says this is a man is a self- declared arch negotiator, he has a hand, he hasn't shown that hand yet the Middle East, the Arab World, the Muslim World is waiting to be shown his
hand, this is the point that nobody had seen this hand yet so I guess the next question is when do we see it, because the Middle East and the wider
region will not wait forever.
ROBERTSON: What is said here seems to me -- at this stage we need to analyze and closely and ask more questions but it seems to me as if what
you are saying is a good part of the other side of the deal the half the deal here is money. Money doesn't satisfy all concerns. At the moment
yes, are just waiting for the details on it.
ANDERSON: It does help.
ROBERTSON: It helps and it's been a necessary part of the process to allow the Palestinian Authority to exist to operate to pay his teachers to pay
its engineers to pay the minimum.
ANDERSON: For any peace he normally do support, for example of the Jordanians, of the Egyptians, we are looking at all the parties also need
up in hands.
ROBERTSON: King Abdulla is here, Oman Vice President Mike Pence meeting with him last week. The king is very clear with his words they are not
happy with the decision when ask the President Trump made already the dis makes the process more difficult.
President Trump is stumbling down on that. He even says it is no good boycotting us that's not respect.
ANDERSON: He is here to see and how is America first and policy as it were, you producer in fact Dominique, told me that she was in the room as
he came in to the Congress hall to the sort of citation, sort of odd atmosphere.
She heard one of the sort of, you know, senior elite here in Davos say simply this, this is the moment. That was Trump's arrival, this is the
moment. The next 24 hours is going to be fascinating, are it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But if he turns to be tone deaf as he appears and perhaps to be to the Palestinians' concerns, to the concerns of
the other leaders here who have already made it very clear where they stand, we might be in for fiery 24 hours.
ANDERSON: Which Donald Trump has pitched up, we are clearly yet to see. Thank you. Lots more ahead, viewers. Officials has made arrests after
shocking videos that show alleged torture of migrants in Libya. This follows our reporting in CNN on slave auctions there. We will have the
details on that, up next.
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NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big strong boys for farm work, he says. Four hundred. Seven hundred. Seven hundred? Eight hundred. The numbers
roll in. These men are sold for 1200 Libyan pounds, $400 a piece.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, it never becomes less shocking, does it? That was CNN's exclusive reporting, video of a slave auction in Libya.
[10:35:01] Now slavery isn't the only horror that refugees and migrants passing through Libya at risk. Authorities say they have arrested four
Libyans after video emerged of the apparent kidnap and torture of Sudanese migrants.
The families of these men contacted CNN following our reporting on the slave auctions again. CNN's Nima Elbagir with the details, and I have to
warn you, these images in this report are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELBAGIR: You can hear the slap of the whip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
ELBAGIR: The whimpering as the men was forced to raise their heads to the camera and beg. One man screaming to the torture by the whip down the
house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
ELBAGIR: The families of the men shown here tell CNN that they were sent these videos as ransom demands. And they disseminated this, tagging CNN to
raise awareness of what was happening.
But that's not all, there was another video of a man being tortured, oil and fire dripping on his back. And that's really all we can show you. The
rest is too horrifying and it's hard to imagine that these are actually the lucky ones.
The pictures we're showing you here, these are pictures discriminated by the Libyan special forces, after they say they carried out an arrest of the
traffickers suspected of sending and filming those horrifying videos.
There are hundreds of thousands of African migrants held hostage by traffickers as they attempt to cross the Libya to pursue their dreams of
Europe.
They are those still now, as we speak held under horrible conditions of deprivation and torture. And ongoing CNN investigation has traced many of
these money trails crisscrossing across the globe.
We spoke to the families of victims in Sudan who were giving bank account, who were given agents to hand the money over to. We were shown receipts
for money transfers. This is a global criminal network.
And it is still active as we speak. The Sudanese foreign ministry says that it has summoned the Libyan charge aid affair in Sudan to register its
process and its warning internationals not to cross illegally to Libya. Not to attempt the illegal migration routes to Europe.
But is it enough? That remains to be seen. All we know is that thankfully, miraculously, then men that you see here up to now, face. Nima
Elbagir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, complex global situations like the migrant crisis are exactly what the world's rich and powerful are also discussing here at
Davos. Let's bring in Ishaan Tharoor.
He is a foreign affairs writer at the Washington Post and joining me here at the World Economic Forum. And I want to show our viewers if you will, a
quite from your analysis piece in the Washington Post that wrote.
And I quote, if nationalist politicians such as President Trump have championed a music forgotten man downtrodden disaffected working stiff
desperate to reclaim his country from those who have changed the form is consciously trying to offer a counterpoints. Offering a counterpoint in
words perhaps but what is being offered in practical terms here.
ISHAAN THAROOR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS WRITER, WASHINGTON POST: In practical terms, you have a form where some of the most powerful and influential
people are all meeting and all in some sense tried to stay from same sanction, rhetoric is important.
And here you had a forum where the discussion of refugees, the discussion of expanding inequality in the world are a chief among, you know, the
topics that are being sort of thought out here and you have world leaders, activists, electoral, celebrities, et cetera, all sounding these notes in
this conclave of global elites. There is a profound recognition of those who are not here.
ANDERSON: And there was a good fate there...
THAROOR: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: I mean coming for 19 years on and off, and there is good fate here. Sometimes people will say some -- it sounds like the same sort of
defensive globalization at first diffuse in the end that we hear every single time that we are here.
THAROOR: That's true but at the same time, what are you seeing this year, quite consciously on the part of many politicians is a gradual reclamation
of the language of populism that Trump uses, you know, just as Trump says America First, doesn't mean that other countries don't also have their own
parties and agendas.
I was just in a session with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was talking about, yes, we care about the Canadian workers.
[10:40:02] We're going to do everything for our citizens, our people first, that necessarily mean protectionism, that doesn't necessarily mean shutting
borders. That means developing tactics of progressive trade, focusing on policies that benefit the most.
And so -- so there is a very conscious discussion here of how to create a new politics that is both greater in terms of who it affects and uplifts as
well as not constrained by narrow nationalism or protectionism.
ANDERSON: We are yet to find out which Trump has turned up at this meeting, sort of slightly difficult to gauge the U.S. president but we
won't get a speech just before this time tomorrow, of course. What do you expect to hear from him?
THAROOR: I think, mostly of who you talk to expect much of the same, this is going to be...
ANDERSON: If he stays on script?
THAROOR: If he stays on script. He is a president who has a lot of familiar set of talking points now on his economic proposals, his vision of
America First though that the health of the stock market, the success economy under...
ANDERSON: Which is being applauded here by many, many CEOs.
THAROOR: Right.
ANDERSON: Yes.
THAROOR: And so I think this is not a competition speech for him. He has come here to be celebrated by the globally league that he is a part of.
And he will probably stick about this.
ANDERSON: You know, it wasn't supposed to be confrontational environment but let's wait and see. Well, it's a pleasure to have you on. Love your
work, by the way. I read it everyday. You keep me on, it's in the UAE. Thank you very much indeed.
THAROOR: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Live from Davos where it's globalization versus isolation. It seems as President Trump's America First actually just America alone.
Well, we'll discuss that after this.
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ANDERSON: You are watching Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson, live from Davos for you with the news and views from what is this gathering of
the global elite all week.
The U.S. president has arrived at the world economic forum off last hour saying he is excited to be in Davos, and the U.S. is doing very well.
Mr. Trump is the first American president to attend the conference in nearly two decades. And he brought his America First agenda along with
him. Many of them are wondering how this populist president will be greeted as such globalist gathering.
Well, CNN Money's emerging markets editor. John Defterios joins us now. His first pitch globalization versus protectionism which ought not to go
down particularly well with those up the top here, but he -- you know, quite frankly, we got a lot of the global leaders, CEOs here, who might
want to do business in the U.S. going forward and say, he is doing a pretty good job at the moment.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think there are two distinct camps to your point though. The policymakers themselves and the business
leaders cover the policy leaders themselves and I think, I don't want to go over board here as though that the battle lines have been drawn.
[10:45:02] At least the policy lines have been drawn. We had many members of the G20, this architecture had developed and developing countries,
Germany, France, Canada India, Argentina, it's almost -- I don't want to take a big leap here.
They almost saying from the same hint sheet, we need to protect the global architect -- of the groundwork architecture and the World War II, and post-
World War II institutions like the United Nations through World Trade Organization, we don't want to put barriers up.
Then on my energy panel last night, we have Rick Perry, the U.S. Energy Secretary, he came in with a different interpretation of America First.
And I am wondering if this is going to be the moderate tone by the administrator or Donald Trump will go to the right or not. Let's take a
listen what he said about America First.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: I think one of the things people are interested in is when the administration talks about America First. What
does that mean? And then I'll suggest to you -- I can tell you one word, it's competition that the United States wants to be competitive, that when
your country is looking for a place to our purchase LNG, that you think about America First.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is what policy maker said and believes, what other businessmen, the global CEOs here.
DEFTERIOS: It is interesting what he said at the end though. He said the LNG -- the U.S. wants to be the number one LNG exporter in four years. I
think it to your point here, it depends which lens you have on.
You have been saying this on air and I think it's very accurate. U.S. companies are very happy. They are being fairly subdued about it but they
love the tax cuts, they like the deregulation and they are really hoping for that trillion dollar infrastructure plan.
If your Europe and had, Patrick (Inaudible) on that another panel today, he's a total. He went in and started investing into United States.
He got concerned when President Trump was talking about breaking the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, he wants to invest in Iran at the same
time. But if I am Asian, I am pretty concerned because Donald Trump broke out of the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership and then, Justin Trudeau tried to
revamp today.
Remember least year, it was President Xi of China talking about protecting globalization. This time for China, it was interesting from the private
sector, it was Jack Ma. Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK MA, CEO, ALIBABA: I think globalization cannot be stopped. Nobody can stop globalization. Nobody can stop trade. And I believe if trade
stops, war starts. Trade is the way to solve -- to dissolve the war, not cause the wars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: So it is interesting that you have the Chinese both when it comes to trade, because the benefits China is the number exporter of the
world. But also on renewable energy today, China has filled the void with Donald Trump pulling back from the Paris agreement. They are quite happy
to take the lead on that front.
ANDERSON: Fascinating times.
DEFTERIOS: Thanks.
ANDERSON: John, it was a pleasure.
DEFTERIOS: Thanks.
ANDERSON: John Defterios, in the house for you live from Davos, this is Connect the World. Coming up, portraying the powerful. I speak to a man
who has made a career of it. Stay with us.
[10:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, you are watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. If you are just joining us, you are more than welcome. We
are with you today from Switzerland, the winter wonderland, the playground of the rich and powerful, that being Davos. Welcome back.
So where are we going to next? Well, I am hoping that we have a young man with me now, who is -- well we have got some images. We are talking about
power here. We are talking about Donald Trump who literally just arrived here in Davos. It's quite the welcome, a quiet (Inaudible) it seems in the
room. You are a man who met the U.S. president.
PLATON, PHOTOGRAPHER AND HUMANITARIAN ACTIVIST: I've met...
ANDERSON: You have taken his photograph.
PLATON: I've worked with all the living presidents in America, as well as -- someone told me recently, more world leaders than anyone in history in a
very, very intimate way. You know, as oppressed who got up close in person.
ANDERSON: Well let's take a look at some of the images.
PLATON: OK.
ANDERSON: This first one, I hope -- well, we're having some technical difficulties here. But if we're not, let's see if we can bring up that
image now. I have a feeling that we are struggling a little bit here. I'll tell you what, I'm going to come back to it. You can me -- there we
go. Well that's not the U.S. president.
PLATON: No.
ANDERSON: I think we are struggling to some -- I am going to take a very short break, viewers. And we will come back to you, after this. Oh, OK.
We have -- I've got everything back. We think we're in good shape. Again, (Inaudible).
PLATON: All right. Well, this is a picture of Senator Barack Obama, taken 24 minutes after he first announced he's running for president. So he
marks a very complicated beginning of the journey to power.
And I remember saying to him you know, Senator, my mom thinks you are fantastic. And I said, she follows you a lot and she hopes you make it to
the White House, so he lean forward and he said, tell your mama I said, hi.
Now, that's a bit of an insight into who he is. But the interesting thing was that I noticed in his desk in Chicago, he was reading a self-help book
at the time.
And it was cool, be quiet, be heard, how to raise delicate issues with an opponent and still find common ground. So these tiny little of human
moments help me understand who this person really is.
ANDERSON: Well, I can tell you we have an image of the U.S. president now, so won't you tell us what happened here.
PLATON: Well, I photographed Donald Trump before his election campaign really kicked in and the first thing that happened is that he comes into
the room and he sits down. He is very charismatic. He holds the rum.
And he loves it, so I said to him look straight into the camera, Donald, as I got close and he said, no. This is my best side. What does that tell us
about Donald Trump? It tells me that despite his battles with the media, I think he loves the media.
I think he feels that the meteor is almost like an instrument to play. And so I had never had a politicians say, this my best side. Most of them are
terrified that I might catch their worst side.
And then I said to him, Donald, can I be human with you for a minute? I said I followed your career and there is madness around you. There is this
provocative tension on the storm.
But what does that do to your psyche? How do you weather the storm in a human way? He becomes very calm, looks straight at the camera and he says,
I am strong.
I had those words ringing in my head through the whole election campaign and all my friends in the media immediately who are much cleverer than me,
who kept talking about his impending doom any minute that is all going to implode.
I kept thinking to myself, I think he is going to win because there is only one person who can navigate storm and that's the creator of the storm.
Maybe it's the media that can cope with the storm.
ANDERSON: The poetry of this young man. Let's move on. What have you got next? We will bring up the next photograph because I know, we've been
looking at some pictures of power here, also, some pictures of empathy. This is James Bond, 007, isn't it?
PLATON: It's 007. He is actually a good James Bond. I mean, the -- you know, I have Gaddafi, OK, well, this was an insane moment. This was at the
general assembly and I actually took this picture while President Obama was making his first address to the U.N. as president.
[10:55:00] And in the green room was the entire White House administration. There was -- Hillary was there, Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, the Secret Service,
the sniffer dogs, Obama's medic team was there and even a guy, I think had closing a briefcase nuclear code.
So it was -- it was a big moment and after years of W. Bush, this was the moment where Obama was changing the game at the U.N. So suddenly, a few
feet away, the door opens and a crowd swell comes in.
And it's the Libyan delegation and this created a protocol nightmare because you're not supposed to have two opposing governments coming face-
to-face in a small space.
So to everyone horror, Gaddafi, comes right up to me, he marches in slow- motion defiance. He's surrounded by about 15 female bodyguards dressed head to foot in military clothing. It was like I'm seeing from Star Wars.
ANDERSON: Amazing. We are moving through these pictures, sorry. Well, we have to take a break. We have been moving through these images while, you
have been speaking. I mean, more wonderful -- wonderful stuff. It's been a joy having you on.
PLATON: It's a great pleasure.
ANDERSON: Thank you for sharing these images. And we are with you and in Davos. It's the end of the program. It's just a start of the real
fireworks here, that will light up the world's political skies from Davos to Washington, Jerusalem to Beijing, CNN is everywhere for all key
reactions. Donald Trump makes himself known. I am Becky Anderson, that was Connect the World. Thank you for watching.
END
