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Trump Announces 25 Percent Tariffs On Steel, Aluminum; China's Tit- For-Tat Tariffs On U.S. Products Begin Today; Trump Freezes Aid To South Africa Over Controversial Law. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 10, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:31]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai.
Now U.S. President Trump is expected to announce he is putting 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. We will break down what that means
for both the U.S. consumer as well as America's trading partners.
Paris is playing host to an A.I. summer today, and the French president's been speaking exclusively to CNN. We've got Emmanuel Macron stake on us
tariffs and how to move forward with artificial intelligence.
And a big win for the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl. But they weren't the only stars on the show. We'll have more on New Orleans' big
night.
New tariffs are on the table in the United States, President Donald Trump, announcing on Sunday he will be rolling out 25 percent tariffs on all
imports of steel and aluminum. The United States' closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, will be affected the most, and there are two of the biggest
exporters of steel to the US.
Last week, the president hit pause on other tariffs against the two countries. Mr. Trump also says he will put in place reciprocal tariffs to
match dollar for dollar what other countries have imposed on U.S. goods.
CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House for us, and reminding our viewers isn't the first time we've seen tariffs on aluminum as well as steel. He
did this during his first presidency. It was much smaller, and he gave exceptions to Mexico as well as Canada and other countries. Tell us why
we're seeing this blanket approach on this sector.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I think, President Trump clearly wants to make good on some of the promises he made as a
candidate, specifically, when it comes to tariffs, which is exactly what you're seeing him do today, both in these metal tariffs that he says will
be announced later this afternoon.
But also, this promise of retaliatory tariffs on other countries, essentially saying an eye for an eye, putting American tariffs on goods
that are being tariffed by other countries as well.
I think the real question here for President Trump, but also for these countries who are seeing themselves targeted by these tariffs, is whether
this is meant to start a negotiation, whether this is President Trump's attempt to bring these countries to the negotiating table for them to lower
their own tariffs, to try and reduce American trade deficits with other countries, or whether he feels like this is for a legitimate national
security purpose, which you will remember, was his rationale behind those tariffs on Canada and Mexico that he eventually walked back from just a
couple of weeks ago.
Those were intended to help stem flow of migrants and fentanyl across the border after those countries put in place some efforts to try and curb
those flows, President Trump walked back those tariffs for 30 days.
The question now is whether countries will be able to do something similar, whether they will be able to come to President Trump with certain
initiatives and certain measures that would lead him to ease back on some of these tariffs. And so, that's all these questions that are circulating
now.
Of course, the steel industry, in particular, is such a potent political issue in the United States, both because sort of the symbolic nature of
U.S. steel, the place it played in the American industrial revolution, and sort of beyond that into the last century, but also because of where it's
located, in Pennsylvania, which is a critical American electoral battle ground.
Certainly, the president campaigned there very heavily in last year's election, and now feels obligated, in some ways, to do something to show
him, trying to bolster the American steel industry, which it remains true, has been decimated by lower steel prices over the last several years, do,
in part, because of Chinese over capacity -- Chinese export of steel to a variety of countries around the world.
Now, China does not, in fact, import a great amount of steel to the United States, so that country will not necessarily be impacted directly by these
tariffs that he will announce today. I think the real hope is that the countries who do import a large number of Chinese steel, places like Canada
and Mexico, who then, export their own more expensive steel to the United States, that eventually all of that will sort of be rewrited (PH) to help
strengthen the American steel industry going forward.
GIOKOS: All right. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.
[10:05:01]
Well, last week, Mr. Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods imported to the United States, on top of all existing tariffs already in
place on the country, China was quick to retaliate.
Kristie Lu Stout has a look at the back and forth between the world's two largest economies.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China's response to Trump's tariffs could be the opening salvo of a new tit for tat trade war, and they go into
effect today.
These are broad measures that appear to vary in terms of potential impact, and here is the breakdown.
They include a 15 percent tax on certain U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas, 10 percent tax for crude oil, farm equipment, trucks, and big engine
cars.
These tariffs take effect today and join other countermeasures from China, including controls on metal exports and an anti-monopoly investigation into
Google. Look, China is striking back. After U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, all in the bid to hold China
accountable for the fentanyl trade.
The U.S. says that China is a source for fentanyl precursor chemicals. China has called fentanyl America's problem and has filed a complaint with
the World Trade Organization.
So, what impact will China's tariffs have? Analysts say that the tariffs are modest, especially compared to us measures, and that they are designed
to send a message.
But new analysis from the Brookings Institution, says that China's retaliatory tariffs will hurt American communities that voted for Trump.
According to the report, it says this: "Similar to the 2018 tariffs, the industrial heartland is again bearing a disproportionate impact from
Chinese retaliation. Some of the most intensely affected counties are energy and manufacturing communities in North Dakota, Indiana, Ohio,
Kentucky, Alabama, and West Virginia".
Now, the study says between 400,000 to 700,000 American jobs could be affected by China's retaliatory tariffs.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
GIOKOS: Israel has sent a delegation to Qatar to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire. A source tells CNN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is
expected to hold a Cabinet meeting tomorrow about the second phase of the deal with Hamas. But Israel says the mid-level team in Qatar will start
with technical details, saving the thornier issues for later.
Three Israeli hostages handed over Saturday under phase one of the deal returned looking emaciated and frail.
Israel condemned their condition as shocking, and relatives are expressing dismay at the way their loved ones were treated in captivity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LEVY, BROTHER OF RELEASED ISRAELI HOSTAGE OR LEVY: Yesterday, after a year and four months, I saw my brother again. I hugged him, but he wasn't
the same old who left home on October 7th. He came back in poor physical condition. Anyone who saw the pictures and videos couldn't ignore it.
For 16 months, he was hungry, barefoot, and in constant fear that every day can be his last.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Meanwhile, as more Palestinians were released from Israel detention, video emerged showing some of them appearing weak and thin. One
man apparently unable to walk as he arrived in the West Bank, facing criticism, Israel's prison service told CNN, its guards provide "all basic
rights".
CNN Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Tel Aviv.
I just wanted to start off with the prime minister's office saying that the shocking images of the three hostages released on Saturday, "will not go
unaddressed." What could that mean with talks on the second phase of the ceasefire set to get underway?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we do know that the Israeli prime minister is set to hold security consultations this evening over those next
stage negotiations, and obviously a lot of that discussion will center on, or at least be impacted by the images that we saw over the weekend.
And the question now is, what kind of impact is it going to have? Will it encourage the Israeli prime minister to move forward with trying to reach,
in earnest, a phase two of this cease fire deal? Will it push for some kind of, you know, bigger bargain that will see hostages released sooner, or
will it prompt the prime minister to ignore those calls and instead rush to return to the fight, arguing that Hamas has not yet been destroyed?
There is no question that over the weekend, the entire country of Israel, was really quite shocked to see the images of those three hostages
emerging, looking quite emaciated and certainly, having lost a lot of weight from the time when they were taken hostage.
And since then, we have heard calls, not only from the families of those hostages who were released, but also from those who know they still have
loved ones in Gaza for, you know, the Israeli prime minister to really, in earnest, try and get all of the remaining hostages back.
[10:10:09]
And there is no question that it is going to be a central part of the public debate going forward, with the expectation also being that there
will be additional hostages to be released during this six week cease fire, who will also be looking in quite poor condition as we see more hostages
come out this coming Saturday and the Saturday after that.
So, without a doubt, significant impact, just hard to tell at this point to what extent it is actually going to impact the prime minister's thinking
himself, and whether or not it will actually give a kick in the direction of extending the cease fire.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. Jeremy, we also had reporting that Israeli police raided two Palestinian bookstores in East Jerusalem on Sunday, arresting
two people. What would we know about this incident, and what do we know about the books that were confiscated?
DIAMOND: Well, this is really quite stunning and shocking, in particular, to the international community living in Jerusalem, the diplomatic
community in Jerusalem. These two bookstores are two branches of the educational book shop, and they have been around for decades now in East
Jerusalem, serving not only Palestinians, but also the international community who lives there and who wants to be informed and support a
Palestinian bookstore.
And indeed, they are so well known in the community that multiple diplomats from European countries and from Brazil attended their hearing today as a
show of support. The Israeli police yesterday raided these two bookshops and claimed that detectives, "encountered" numerous books containing
insightful material with nationalist Palestinian themes.
The only example that the Israeli police actually gave was a children's coloring book titled, "From the River to the Sea", which some in Israel
view as a call for the destruction of Israel.
But Palestinians view as support for a homeland for themselves between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
You know, there is no question that this bookstore is well known in Jerusalem, is well known among the international community, and so, to see
this action being carried out is certainly raising concerns that have been raised before this already about the extent to which the Israeli police is
using this "incitement charge" very, very broadly post October 7th, locking up individuals simply for expressing their opinion, or in this case,
holding a bookstore that has books that are sharing a certain opinion, raising serious questions and concerns about the kind of authoritarian bent
that Israel has been taking in recent years.
GIOKOS: All right. Jeremy Diamond, great to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, under the current phase of the Israel-Hamas cease fire deal, a total of 33 hostages are to be released from Gaza. And so far, 16 have been
freed. That includes five Thai workers who are finally back home after more than a year in captivity. Our John Vause brings us the story of their
reunion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): The embrace says everything words cannot about returning home. One of the five Thai hostages
recently released after more than 15 months in Hamas captivity, classed by his grandfather in Thailand, in the homecoming, family members say, is long
overdue.
WIWWAEO SRIAOUN, MOTHER OF RELEASED THAI HOSTAGE (through translator): This is something we've been waiting for, for a long, long time. It's a miracle.
Something many thought would never happen. It feels like my son has died and been born again.
VAUSE (voice over): v Thailand to earn money? He worked as a laborer in Israel, but was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7th attacks in
2023.
He's one of the last Thai hostages to be set free, and his mother says he's sharing some details now of his time in captivity.
SRIAOUN (through translator): He said the place where he was held was sometimes a house, but he was frequently moved from one place to another,
including underground caves.
VAUSE (voice over): Watchara and four other Thai workers held hostage arrived home in Thailand, Sunday. The scenes of joy and tears at the
airport.
It's been more than a year since any Thai nationals have been set free by Hamas. Thailand's foreign ministry says one Thai national is still being
held captive in Gaza.
But after months of uncertainty, families say the reality of the five being back in Thailand is an answer to some long-standing prayers.
In the hometown of another hostage, his family celebrated his return with a Thai tradition of tying strings around his wrist.
JANDA PRACHANAN, STEPFATHER OF RELEASED THAI HOSTAGE (through translator): I could not find the words to describe how happy I am that my son is safe
and finally home.
VAUSE (voice over): A band of blessings and a sign of bonds that still hold even after the worst of circumstances.
John Vause, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, U.S. President Donald Trump is doubling down on his plans for a U.S. takeover of Gaza.
[10:15:08]
We'll look at reaction from here, in the Middle East, as leading regional officials visit Washington this week.
And in South Africa, USAID is being withheld over claims of discrimination against white farmers. Why President Trump says it's a human rights
violation? That's coming up just ahead.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is freezing aid to South Africa over controversial land law that he says discriminates against white farmers.
Mr. Trump says South Africa's land reform law allows the government to seize farmland from ethnic minorities like white farmers without
compensation, a policy he says violates human rights.
South African officials say his move lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize the country's long history of colonialism and apartheid.
Joining me now is political analyst Justice Malala. Justice, great to have you with us. An important time to be having this conversation. Right. So,
let's get through this.
President Trump, saying, and I quote, "terrible things are happening in South Africa," and he's referring to this expropriation of land without
compensation, which essentially is eminent domain, which means that government can take over abandoned land, unused land, and so forth.
Something that many countries have as law, but he's turned this into a racial issue. Tell us, from your perspective in South Africa -- well,
you're in New York now, but from a South African perspective, what it means?
JUSTICE MALALA, POLITICAL ANALYST: What it means is that President Trump has been influenced by the many people around him, by fringe groups in
South Africa who have been peddling this misinformation, disinformation about the real situation in South Africa.
I just want to start, Eleni, by pointing out President Trump said, South Africans are confiscating land now, if you go to South Africa and ask what
land has been confiscated, there isn't a single farm or piece of land that has been confiscated without compensation in the past 31 years of South
African democracy.
He says that certain classes of people are being treated very badly. You know, President Trump tweeted, posted that on his social media platform on
the day that 700 people were dying in the DRC in Goma -- bodies were lying in the streets.
In South Africa, there isn't a single white South African -- black South African, who is in detention, who is not able to speak, as I speak, as many
of us speak, very openly about these -- about whatever situation we want to talk about. And he says terrible things -- terrible things.
And these things, he doesn't quantify, he doesn't say these are the cases.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes. So --
[10:20:04]
MALALA: So, I just want to say first of -- when you -- come, that the key thing is this, what are the parameters of truth that he is talking about?
There are not any.
GIOKOS: Yes.
MALALA: So, it's a very (INAUDIBLE).
GIOKOS: Yes, and that's the point. What are the -- what are -- what are the facts and what are the numbers right now? And I get what you're saying on
the expropriation of land without compensation, which is a very new law, but you also say something interesting. You said the people in around him
that are feeding him misinformation, and I'm assuming you're referring to Elon Musk, a South African himself, a beneficiary, in many ways, of
apartheid South Africa and so forth.
And this has turned into a racial issue. So, let me ask you this. Has this created racial tension in South Africa now, since we are starting to see
this rhetoric from the United States?
MALALA: Well, I think there is a fringe group of people who say, Yeah, you know that South Africa is racist and so forth and so forth. But let's look
at the fact that you pointed to, Eleni.
South Africa at the moment, white South African 7.8 percent of the population. They own 72 percent of the land. Black South Africans, 81
percent of the population, control only about four percent. This is official, 2017, land audit, the last audit of the land that was done.
Now, no one in South Africa has said, oh, this is absolutely outrageous, we must change it by taking land away without compensation. The government is
saying, let us pay. If we cannot pay, these are the circumstances.
And when we talk about eminent domain that you mentioned in the United States and other jurisdictions, this is the key thing. If we cannot find
the owners of the land and so forth, then we will -- we will expropriate without compensation. This is what South African government is saying.
If we find the people and this, this -- let me put it this way. South Africa is a country of laws. The United States is a country of laws. In a
country of laws where the rule of law, not law and order. And so, the rule of law pertains and holds.
Then, you say, this is the system by which we will make decisions. The expropriation law that President Ramaphosa has signed, it says, these are
the circumstances under which we will pay, these are the circumstances under which we will not pay, nil compensation, and that is, we don't pay
anything.
If we do not have (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: So, that is -- to your point --
So, to your point, South Africa is very strong institutions, and I think a lot of people don't realize that. And I'm so glad you mentioned the
numbers, because the numbers speak for themselves in terms of ownership right now.
The U.S. is taking away aid. Does South Africa have leverage? Because Gwede Mantashe, the mineral resource minister, says, you know, we could target
critical minerals, because huge exporters of gold to the U.S. and platinum, and even, by the way, motor vehicles to the United States.
Do we have leverage? Does South Africa have leverage?
MALALA: South Africa does have leverage? It could it -- it could say, I mean, if you say, what do we have here, say, manganese. South Africa is
home to 70 percent of the world's manganese. That's a critical mineral that you cannot substitute. If you don't get it from South Africa, there are
only 30 percent of the rest of the world that has it.
Now, platinum. You use it in cars and so forth, in hard coding fuel cells. South Africa could say, yes, we will stop doing this and so forth. I don't
think that helps anyone. That doesn't help South Africa, because are we going to sit on the planted -- and the manganese? No.
We want the United States. South Africa needs the United States to be buying. So, you could say all of these things. I think the best way out of
this is for cool heads, for the rule of law to take its course, for leaders and diplomats --
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes. So, Justice, we running out of time.
Very quickly, because, I want to refer to this. Because President Trump, in his executive order said that the U.S. shall promote resettlement of
Africana refugees escaping government sponsored race-based discrimination.
And I've been watching South African Twitter, and you know, a lot of people are saying, well, this isn't viable. Very quickly. Tell me, what are you
hearing?
MALALA: It's not viable at all. It's a -- you know, it's a lot of noise. It's a lot of noise. But, you know, you look at South Africa and say, what
is the structure of South Africa? South Africa's unemployment is 32 percent.
GIOKOS: Yes.
MALALA: Employment among white South Africans, and not to mention, Africanas, in particular, is below 10 percent. It's white South Africans
and Africana South Africans have a very good life. If you want to leave, of course, you can leave and go and make your way in Australia, in the U.S.,
everywhere, like many of us have done and continue to do.
However, if Africana South Africans leave. that the idea of a cultural unit when someone is living in Arizona and another is living in California and
another is in New York.
[10:25:09]
I don't know how you keep that up as oh, you know, this is -- this is the Africana community in the United States --
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
MALALA: It's a non-starter.
GIOKOS: All right. Justice Malala, good to have you on. Thank you for your insights.
And still to come, Emmanuel Macron says he wants France at the heart of the discussion over A.I.
He's invited business and government leaders from all around the world to Paris. Details on the high stakes summit underway today, just ahead.
Plus, the French president prepared to go toe to toe with his American counterparts when it comes to tariffs. More on his reaction to Donald
Trump's tariff threats in an exclusive sit-down interview with our Richard Quest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos, here are your headlines.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Cabinet members on Tuesday, to discuss phase two of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The first phase expires less than three weeks from now.
Meanwhile, the prime minister's office is expressing outrage at the frail condition of the latest three Israeli hostages to be released under the
deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports today.
It doesn't end there. Mr. Trump told reporters this week, he'd also roll out further reciprocal, hitting countries that put levies on U.S. goods,
saying, if they charge us, we will charge them.
Political and tech leaders from more than 100 different countries are gathered in Paris for the next two days for what's been dubbed an A.I.
action summit.
French President Emmanuel Macron, says Europe is lagging behind when it comes to artificial intelligence, and has criticized what he calls some
crazy regulations across the E.U. that he says need to be simplified.
Mr. Macron stresses competitiveness is key, and not just when it comes to A.I. In an exclusive interview with CNN, our Richard Quest, asked the
French president how concerned he and other European allies are about President Donald Trump's tariff threats.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: I already did so, and I will did it again. And I think we should be ready to, obviously, be in the room and
react. But, I think, more than that, the European Union has to be ready to deliver what we want and what we need for ourselves.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Can I suggest to you that the European Union is not fit for purpose when it comes to dealing with.
Something like President Trump, who is threatening tariffs, and basically saying my way or the highway.
[10:30:07]
MACRON: I think it could be the opposite when you have direct contact and you are clear. I think the European Union should not be the one to wait for
the initiative of the authors and just react. What we have to do is to act for ourselves and to tell our people, this is our project. This is what we
want. This is why, for me, the top priority of Europe is competitiveness agenda is defense and security agenda is A.I. ambition, and let's go fast
for ourselves. If, in the meanwhile, we have tariff issue, we will discuss them, and we will fix it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And Richard Quest joins us now live from Dubai. Richard, good to see you. I have to say that I'm seeing Macron and the conviction in his
voice, as well as other European leaders getting ready for this direct confrontation with their ally, their friend when it comes to tariffs and
other issues as well, while Europe is falling behind. So, tell me what else did you learn from this conversation, apart from the fact that Europe is
coming in with different energy?
QUEST: The tariffs issue is one that's on its own, in a sense that Europe will retaliate, tit for tat as necessary, and that is quite clear. It's
always been the case, in a sense that they will respond, but the --
GIOKOS: All right. We've lost Richard. Do we have the soundbite ready of the A.I. investment? We could -- all right, we're going to move on. Then
experts say people worldwide lost more than a trillion dollars to scammers last year. Among them a French woman who fell prey to a Brad Pitt deep
fake, which ultimately cost her $850,000. The man who helped track down the culprits behind that scheme used to be a scammer himself.
But now uses his skills to help catch those who carry out those costly hoaxes. Our Saskya Vandoorne sat down with him. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I shared everything with you.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): This A.I. generated fake Brad Pitt swindled a 53-year-old French woman named Anne of
$850,000 in a scam that would become a viral sensation. Meet the man who says he found the scammers behind the elaborate hoax.
MARWAN OUARAB, FOUNDER, FINDMYSCAMMER: I learned all my skills in the dark side.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Marwan Ouarab is a now reformed scammer who not only helps victims get their money back but helps track down the bad guys.
To catch our scammers, he e-mailed them a booby-trapped link.
OUARAB (text): By clicking on it, he revealed to us his exact GPS coordinates.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Marwan says it was not one but three people behind the fake account.
OUARAB (text): This is the house.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Prosecutors have since opened an investigation and are using the information Marwan collected to bring Anne's scammers to
justice. But tracking down online criminals comes at a cost.
VANDOORNE: Have you ever received threats?
OUARAB (text): Yes, we've already received threats. I've already moved house, so it's part of daily life.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Marwan started his company FindMyScammer, four years after he was convicted of fraud and handed a suspended prison
sentence. Since then, he says he has been inundated with cries for help. On a normal day, he receives up to 150 requests.
According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, over $1 trillion was lost to scams globally in 2024. And yet, 70 percent of victims didn't report the
crime.
OUARAB (text): It's the girl who was in contact with me, the so-called Zara.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Zara is a fake persona who stole both Luca's heart and $70,000. He's another scam victim who has been helped by Marwan and
wishes to remain anonymous.
"LUCA", SCAM VICTIM (text): I don't want to do an interview with the face uncovered because I saw what Anne went through in the case of the fake Brad
Pitt, the cyber bullying she suffered, and I don't want to go through that too.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Scammers rely on this shame, so victims don't come forward.
Anne tried to take her own life after being ridiculed online.
"LUCA" (text): The whole world makes you feel like you are stupid. I don't want that. Marwan conducted his investigation so we were able to find out
that this girl, in the end, she was not in London as she said she was. She was in Dubai, and after that, he was able to get in touch with the
authorities in Dubai.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): He says she was then arrested.
After Marwan helps track down his clients' scammers, he also helps them go over their banks obligations to reclaim their stolen funds.
"LUCA" (text): I was able to recover some money.
[10:35:03]
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Marwan says if someone you haven't met in real life asks you for money, even if you've been talking to them for months or
years, then that's a big red flag.
OUARAB (text): I've been a crook myself before. I very much regret it. I think that this is also the path of redemption that I have chosen.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right. We were focusing on the A.I. summit in Paris, led by Emmanuel Macron. Richard Quest is back with us. Richard, you were telling
me about your conversation and just some of the gaps that Europe is seeing right now.
QUEST: Well, it's really to do with this idea of where does Europe stand between the United States and China when it comes to A.I. Europe does not
have many competitors. In fact, almost none. Mistral at France is the only one. So, I asked Emmanuel Macron this A.I. Summit, what was it all about?
Bearing in mind, Europe clearly has problems.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MACRON: Europe is lagging behind, but in the current situation, France is number one in Europe. So, for me, the objective of the summit is to give an
impetus and to have this wake-up call with new decision and acceleration of investment in order to bridge it. Having said that, our view is very clear.
We want the best of the world. So, we want our own research, our own startups, to go up and scale up, but we want to team up as well with
American, Indian, Gulfian Chinese players. Alibaba and Google will be here at the summit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: And the idea is to try and find some common ground to get inward investment. For example, tonight, I'm in the UAE. You like yourself, and we
already know they are putting billions and billions of dollars into the United States. They would like to also -- sorry, into France as well as the
United States. Because one thing France has more than anybody else, lots of cheap, easy energy from nuclear power.
GIOKOS: But Europe doesn't have very cheap, easy energy as yet, right? So that's the issue, because it is going to be energy intensive. And when I
saw this big data center that's going to be built, they've got to contend with investment into that. And then importantly, in getting into the A.I.
race, we're talking big money here, Richard.
QUEST: Well (INAUDIBLE) says it doesn't necessarily need to be that big. And Mistral of France has proved that you don't need vast sums. But you're
right. You do need lots of good, clean, relatively cheap energy, and for that, France is probably the best European candidate because of its
reliance on nuclear power. I think Europe has had a wakeup call to be honest, Europe has realized how far they are falling behind.
The test for both Macron, for whoever takes over in Germany, for Ursula von der Leyen is whether they can get over, you know, there's this great
phrase, Eleni, you may be familiar with it. The United States innovates. The Chinese duplicates. The Europeans regulate, and they have to get over
this idea of a regulation round every corner and to try and get that innovative spirit back again.
GIOKOS: I mean, I tell you, you know what, they've been so good at regulating the industry that they just haven't focused on innovation as you
say, Richard. You're always brilliant. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thank you, my friend. Appreciate it.
All right. And next on CONNECT THE WORLD, the U.S. President calls Gaza a big real estate site, right for U.S.-led redevelopment. I'll talk to a
Middle East analyst about the diplomatic tightrope that America's Arab allies are walking now that Donald Trump wants them to help foot the
reconstruction bill.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:41:05]
GIOKOS: Donald Trump is doubling down on his desire to get Gaza under U.S. control and redevelop the enclave on Air Force One Sunday. The U.S.
President again, outlined his vision for Gaza's post war future, calling it a big real estate site that could be rebuilt by the U.S. with help from
Gaza's Middle East neighbors. And he says that could include Jordan and Egypt, who he specifically mentioned in comments last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If we can build something for them and one of the countries, and it could be Jordan, and it could be
Egypt, it could be other countries.
I hope that we could do something where they wouldn't want to go back. Who would want to go back?
The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative. I think the entire world, representatives from all over the
world, will be there and they'll -- and they'll live there. Palestinians also, Palestinians will live there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, we'll see what Jordan's King Abdullah has to say when he meets with President Trump tomorrow at the White House. And in just a few
minutes, Egypt's Foreign Minister will sit down with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington ahead of meetings with members of Congress
later today. Alex Marquardt is following developments for us. A lot happening, Alex. And a lot of rhetoric out of the White House.
President Trump has an idea of what Gaza is going to look like, the involvement of Jordan and Egypt. What do you think is going to come out of
these meetings? What are we expecting?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's certainly going to be a lot more pressure on President this week. I mean,
his idea was welcomed by the Israeli Prime Minister when it was announced last week. He's obviously going to face a lot more resistance this week
when he and members of his administration meet with top officials from Egypt and Jordan certainly going to be getting a lot of pushback.
In fact, that could work to their advantage because oftentimes President Trump is said to listen more closely to the last person in the room, rather
than his initial impression. But certainly, as you say, Eleni, Trump doubling, tripling, quadrupling down on this idea, not just that the Gaza
will be developed, but saying that the U.S. will buy it and then develop it. And other countries in the Middle East may have an opportunity to
develop different parcels of it.
So really looking at it through the real estate frame, which you might expect from someone who made his fortune as a real estate developer. We
also heard Prime Minister Netanyahu praising this idea as one of the most innovative new ideas that he's heard in a very long time. He also floated
the possibility of allowing Palestinians to move to Saudi Arabia, which was also roundly rejected, not just by the Saudis, but by other allied Arab
countries as well.
And so, we have heard forceful pushback, full throated rejection by the Egyptians, by the Jordanians and others of this notion that the
Palestinians would simply leave Gaza and go to those countries. What we keep hearing from President Trump is he doesn't understand why the
Palestinians in Gaza would want to stay there, given the utter destruction. I think anybody who has met a Palestinian understands the strong connection
that they feel to Palestinian land.
And we've also heard directly from Palestinians in Gaza that they don't want to go anywhere, that that is their home and that they don't want to
leave. So, there are going to be some very tough conversations this week. We have heard the United Nations and others talking about how the forcible
displacement of Palestinians is illegal. And then hanging over all this, Eleni, is the question of the ongoing ceasefire.
We are currently in phase one. It has been going relatively smoothly. We have seen Israeli hostages released as late as this weekend with more to
come. Palestinian prisoners also being released. But there are major questions about the next phase of this ceasefire, which could include, if
it goes according to plan, the withdrawal from Gaza of the IDF and an end to that war.
[10:45:03]
And that is such a critical question. Obviously, Egypt has been playing a crucial role in the mediation of these talks. These talks that must
continue. So, we -- there's a lot to keep an eye on this week but President Trump continuing to push this idea of a U.S. takeover of Gaza. Eleni?
GIOKOS: Yes. A lot happening, Alex. And thank you so much for breaking some of that down for us. Alex Marquardt.
H.A. Hellyer is a geopolitics analyst and Middle East expert with a focus on the Arab world. He's a senior fellow at the Royal United Services
Institute in London, and joins me now today from Geneva. Great to have you with us again. You know, you and I had a conversation just before the big
announcement from President Trump about his plans for Gaza, and we've said he's doubling down and now he's saying he is looking at it through a real
estate lens.
I firstly want to tackle what the most recent news. So, this is, he wants Jordan and Egypt to be involved in the rebuilding of Gaza and the U.S. to
have a hold on Gaza. What's your response to that?
H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: Well, Eleni, thank you very much for having me on the program. Always a
pleasure to be here. I think we have to be very clear here that it's not simply Egypt and Jordan and even the entirety of the Arab world that finds
the proposal unacceptable. I think you've seen numerous countries around the world, including many of America's own allies express their complete
opposition and rejection of the idea that Palestinians could simply leave Gaza and be moved somewhere else, and not simply on a temporary basis, but
permanently.
I think that actually, if there was a concrete guarantee that Palestinians could temporarily leave in order for the rebuilding to take place and then
return and have that guaranteed, then they would do so. But of course, history tells us that when Palestinians leave their homes anywhere in
Palestine, they're never allowed back. That in fact, actually, even during this particular phase of the ceasefire outline, they are not permitted to
return.
That it's a one-way ticket out of Gaza through Rafa, that they are not allowed to return. The Israelis have made that abundantly clear. So, the
idea that this would be anything but a permanent displacement which is literally the textbook definition of ethnic cleansing, is, of course, what
everybody quite reasonably expects.
GIOKOS: So -- and this is important because President Trump has set out his plans from Gaza. He said the people of the world will be able to live in
Gaza, including Palestinians, but he fell short of guaranteeing the returns of Palestinians. You've got King Abdullah meeting President Trump tomorrow.
You have the Egyptian Foreign Minister meeting Rubio today. How much leverage does Jordan and Egypt have in this conversation?
HELLYER: So, I think, ironically, they have tremendous leverage in the sense that they will simply say no, and there is really, I don't think much
that the American administration can actually give either Jordan or Egypt in order to get them to say yes, because the ramifications of being
complicit in this plan of assisting in ethnic cleansing would really be so far against Jordanian national interest, Egyptian national interest.
That I don't really see what could be offered to them in order to get them to agree, even if they wanted to, and I don't believe that they do. So, the
leverage that they have is simply say no. And I think that they will say no, and then they will keep on saying no, because there's really no option
for them otherwise.
GIOKOS: And President Trump has, you know, promised to retaliate on that front, because he has said, you know, he gives Egypt and Jordan a lot of
it. There's something else that needs to be addressed. Hamas has not been eradicated, and we know that when we see the images specifically of some of
the hostage releases that we're seeing. That is an issue and part from displacing Palestinians, where they will probably not be allowed to return,
because we don't have confirmation on guarantees on that front. Essentially Jordan and Egypt, also looking at it from a security perspective, one would
assume.
HELLYER: Yes. No, I think that they are. Because obviously, if Palestinians leave Gaza, then-- again, we're talking theoretically here because I don't
think that this is possible, but then it means Hamas also leaves gas. Where are they going to go? Are they going to go to Egypt? Egypt isn't going to
be happy to put it mildly about the idea of a new front, perhaps being launched from Egyptian territory.
Same thing for Jordan. So, I think that this is a serious issue, which is why, again, I -- there's nothing that Trump can give the Egyptians or the
Jordanians that would simply remove all of these national security considerations, their overall national interest, stability, responding to
public opinion within their countries.
[10:50:11]
It's just so far -- it's not -- it's not out of the box. You know, I really challenge people to recognize that this isn't "out of the box thinking."
It's about removing the box altogether, and forgetting the fact that Gaza is an occupied territory, that the occupying power is the state of Israel,
that there is no way for simply to say, well, we're just going to hand over the territory to a third party. No, the territory occupied Palestinian
territory and it should be provided back to the Palestinians as part of Palestinian state.
GIOKOS: All right. H.A. Hellyer, great to have you on. We run out of time. Thank you so much for your insights.
And still to come on CNN. The Philadelphia Eagles and their fans are enjoying their newly minted Super Bowl victory. A look at the big moments
from a star-studded night in New Orleans just ahead. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: All right. Welcome back. We're focusing on the Super Bowl. And of course, a lot of people tuned in to see what stars they could spot. Here's
Samuel L. Jackson sporting a star-spangled suit as he introduced the halftime show headliner, and that was rapper Kendrick Lamar enjoying the
spotlight just a week after winning five Grammys. And tennis legend Serena Williams dancing along to Lamar's award-winning song, not like U.S. which
trolls Canadian rapper Drake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. CNN entertainment reporter Lisa Respers France joins us now from Atlanta. And for Kendrick Lamar, it was a hard-hitting this,
right? Against Drake and now it's like this become this blockbuster anthem for the Super Bowl. Tell me why the song was picked.
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Well, the song was picked because, number one, it was the song of 2024. It was, of course, a part of
a now famous beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. And people had been eagerly anticipating seeing how Kendrick Lamar was going to deal with it.
Was he going to perform it, and if he did, how he would perform it, given the fact that the song is a part of a lawsuit?
Now, while Kendrick Lamar is not named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit, Drake has gone after his own record label to say that the song is
defamatory, because in it, Kendrick Lamar has lines which, you know, say that Drake is a pedophile and he's into young girls, and so people wanted
to see how Kendrick was going to perform it. And not only did he perform it, but he also massively trolled Drake by bringing out Drake's former
girlfriend according to our understanding.
For years, people have said that Serena Williams dated Drake off and on, beginning in 2011 prior to her marriage. And Drake himself has said that he
wrote more than one song about her. So, by bringing Serena Williams out to Crip Walk, it was absolutely a shot at Drake. And so, people were thrilled.
They could not believe it. She was a surprise guest, and she popped up out on them, as they like to say. So --
[10:55:01]
GIOKOS: You know, we keep talking about geopolitics and tensions between world leaders, but there's sports politics, there's music politics, and
it's all come together. Look, very exciting. night. I've seen some of the images, all sorts of dignitaries showing up. You had President Trump, the
first sitting President to attend and, of course, taking swing at one of his favorite targets.
FRANCE: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, what's interesting is that people felt like Kendrick Lamar specifically was sending a message, not only to
President Trump, but also to America with some of the little easter eggs that he was dropping, such as having his backup dancers dressed in the
color of the flag and having them be separated. There was never a point where they came cohesively together as the flag in the way that you would
expect.
And so, people felt like that was Kendrick Lamar way of saying, you know, we are divided as a country, which, you know, no one can argue with that,
unfortunately. And also, he had the dancers going counterclockwise, which people felt was very symbolic of him saying that we as a nation are going
back. So, you know, there was a lot there to just let layers that Kendrick Lamar gave us, which now we understand why he won a Pulitzer Prize, the
only rapper ever to do it, because he's deep.
GIOKOS: All right. Lisa Respers France, great to have you with us. Much appreciated. Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in
Dubai. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
