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Connect the World

Trump in Abu Dhabi on Final Leg of Middle East Tour; Qatari PM Says he Doesn't Expect Progress Soon; NATO Foreign Ministers, Rubio Meet in Turkey to Discuss Conflict; Trump: U.S. is Close to Reaching Nuclear Deal with Iran; U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Birthright Citizenship. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired May 15, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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


[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, hello. I'm Becky Anderson, coming to you live just a short distance away from the Sheikh

Zayed Mosque, where the U.S. President is strolling around in the sunshine with the UAE President. We are in Abu Dhabi, where President Trump has been

fetid on his arrival and will continue to be fetid upon in true Emirati fashion.

We're in the final stretch of what has been a whirlwind tour of the Gulf by the U.S. President. And we will follow his movements here in the UAE over

the next 36 hours or so. Look at the stock markets for you, we're about 30 minutes from the open the futures markets lower.

Perhaps a sense that despite the all of the commitments that the U.S. President has nailed on this Gulf trip. Investors taking on a bit of a

breather, it seems, today. For the third time in as many days, the U.S. President receiving a royal welcome in a Gulf nation. Well, this visit to

the UAE coming after the two countries reached a $1.4 trillion commitment for investment partnership and cooperation in the U.S. economy.

But this is no blank check story here, just as in these other Gulf nations. This trip to the region is about how the U.S. and the Gulf nations,

including this one of the UAE, can build their relationships for mutual benefit and the U.S. President has arrived to what is a very forward

leaning, future looking nation.

A lot to discuss here. I'm joined by Omran Sharaf. You and I have known each other for some time in a myriad of guises. Just explain what your

current role is, sir?

OMRAN SHARAF, UAE ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER FOR ADVANCED SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Currently, I'm assistant foreign minister focused on emerging

critical technology at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first time we met, I was working in the space program, if you remember, and it was right

after the UAE reached Mars on the 9th of February 2021.

ANDERSON: I wanted to just to explain your background, because it provides some context as to what you have done as a young Emirati, and what the --

and how those syncs with the vision of this small, young, very feisty nation? What are the expectations for you out of this trip?

SHARAF: It's a very important and historical trip, if you look at my background and how it started, even with the Emirates Mars mission, our

main partner, our main knowledge transfer partner was United States. We couldn't have done it if we didn't work together hand in hand.

Both teams from both nations working on very advanced, critical and quite sophisticated technologies that had to put systems in place that emphasized

safeguards, responsible behavior, transparency measures that made us work comfortably together. And together on the 9th of 2021 we reached Mars.

[09:05:00]

And today we look at the UAE and the U.S. how far it's reached in its relationships when it comes to technology that goes beyond just space and

areas related to AI and other important and critical technologies.

ANDERSON: And perhaps more than any other Gulf nation, investment plays a central role in what is the deepening of the relationship with the United

States and indeed, what the UAE can secure off the back of that investment. Back in 2018 here the leadership launched a vision for the UAE to become a

global leader in AI and advanced technology by 2031.

Can you just talk us through how a $1.4 trillion commitment in the U.S. over the next 10 years, a trillion dollars already invested in AI, advanced

tech and energy in the U.S. fits into the national interests of the UAE.

SHARAF: So, the UAE is one of the largest foreign investors in the U.S. economy. And I think the announcement that was made very recently of having

$1.4 trillion further invested in the U.S. economy, which is also mainly focused on technology, mainly AI, that tells you a lot about how the UAE

looks at its foreign relations and also at its commitments to its partners.

At the same time that the future of its economy and how technology is playing a vital role in shaping that future that's not just going to affect

us as a nation, but also our partnering nations.

ANDERSON: And it's interesting, because that very much aligns with the sort of America First policy that the U.S. President has. And the sort of sweet

spot for that is the effort to get the U.S. economy in a leadership role against, for example, China. I mean, there's an AI race going on out there.

That's one lens through which you can look at the energy and effort that the U.S. President is putting into getting these investments into the U.S.

The other lens that we should look at is what the UAE's sort of national interests are in. What is a -- it's a big bet this. I mean, the UAE has

taken a big bet.

It is looking to diversify its economy away from its reliance on hydrocarbons, and it is betting that its future will be dominated by these

future facing technologies, correct?

SHARAF: Exactly, but at the same time for us, you know, with the way we look at our relationship with the U.S. It's a relationship that's been

there for very long time. So, for me, the $1.4 trillion investment is a reflection of that relationship that we had for very long time.

So, it's not kind of the main reason for us to establish close cooperation with U.S. entities, but it's a result of decades of work that happened

between both nations and building this relationship. And it's a reflection of how deep it has reached. Honestly, it's a transformative kind of step by

the UAE and by the U.S.

It's for us. We always look at these opportunities as a win-win situation for both sides. So, this, such investments will not just create

opportunities for the UAE and the UAE, whether it's economic, whether it's social, whether it's impact on the region, but also for the U.S. economy,

the jobs that will be created in the U.S. and also in the UAE, the kind of talent that it will attract to the UAE and also to the U.S.

So, our approach is, honestly, it's always a win-win situation. And I think working closely with the U.S. on new emerging technologies such as AI and

other areas, whether it's quantum or genomes or even beyond that is a reflection of the way that both nations have the vision for their future

that is very technology centered, that's very progressive and about again, working together towards the benefit of humanity.

To me, Becky, there is an aspect that we have to keep in mind. You know, when it comes to dealing with political emerging technologies such as AI,

there's that system of governance, and it's very critical that also we work together very closely, not just at a political level, but also a technical

level, in which we converge the different views.

And given the very polarized geopolitical landscape today, I think it's very crucial that we have such relationships in which countries work

together very closely. Investments happen both ways, to be able to actually converge those views and make sure that we come up with systems that govern

these new technologies that if falls in the wrong hands, could be misused. But then the benefits of it outweighs those risks --

ANDERSON: We're talking about sovereign national interest here, aren't we?

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SHARAF: Yes, and also, I think, yeah for good, for benefiting humanity. There's a lot of good that we can get out of it, that we won't be able to

achieve that goal if we don't work together. And such corporations that are deeper than just pure investment, we're talking about a political level

commitment and cooperation.

We're talking about investment level cooperation, but also people to people relationship that this kind of cooperation brings to the table.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. This is only the second sitting U.S. President to visit this young nation. It was -- it was George W. Bush, of

course, back in the mid-2000s so, for you, I just want to wind this interview up by saying how as a young Emirati does this feel today, seeing

the U.S. President?

SHARAF: It's an important step. It's a statement for both nations about how we perceive each other and how important we consider each other are, for

the future of both nations. The UAE has worked closely many times in the past, with the U.S. on again, in very advanced and cutting-edge sectors,

whether it's space, talking about deep space missions.

We're talking about sending our astronauts to space, or in our nuclear program, which we have the 123, agreement, which is considered like a gold

standard that other nations are even Following, and we did that with the other partners in the U.S. And we're talking about technology that requires

very close cooperation and commitments from both nations.

And we see that again happening in AI, but also, if you look at us, even from a security and defense technology point of view, the UAE is one of the

nations that has that kind of commitment with the U.S. when it comes to the defense technology, security agreement side between us.

So, we've demonstrated over and over how we are able to work together in such -- how does its disruptive technologies or advanced technologies,

todays, the time has come for us to take it to the next level, because it's much more sophisticated than before. Before it was very easy to govern such

technologies.

Today, we're talking about state actors and opposite actors having access to such technologies. So how can we do it differently? And working together

closely will help us achieve that goal.

ANDERSON: Always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for joining us and the best of luck with what you do.

SHARAF: Thank you very much.

ANDERSON: We're expecting more investments in the UAE and more talk of deals on this trip. We're going to take a very short break at this point.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:15:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Today is the 77th Anniversary of Al Nakba, or catastrophe in English. It's the day which marks the mass

dispossession of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. For many in the occupied territories, it feels as if history may be repeating

itself.

Nearly 70 people were killed by Israeli air strikes overnight in Gaza, virtually all of the enclaves, 2 million people have been displaced, and an

Israeli blockade is forcing them now to the brink of famine. In the West Bank, tens of thousands have been displaced by military operations.

A number of them taking to the streets today. Of course, you'll see them there waving Palestinian flags calling for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.

A ceasefire, though, in Gaza does not appear to be anywhere in sight, despite some optimism earlier this week following the release, of course,

by Hamas of an Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander.

Well, since then, Israel has actually ramped up its bombardment of the enclave. Qatar's Prime Minister telling our Becky Anderson, those actions

are making any chance for progress in these talks, difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER: Well, the progress that we have achieved by releasing Edan Alexander, the Israeli-

American citizen, the day before yesterday, from our perspective, we were seeing it as a breakthrough that will help, bring back the talks on track

and bring us a ceasefire and opening up a humanitarian corridor for the humanitarian assistance to come to the people of Gaza.

Unfortunately, Israel reaction to this was a mass bombing the next day, while sending the delegation and statements coming out of the Israeli

government that this delegation is coming to negotiate a hostage deal without ending the war, which is basically sending the signal that we are

not interested in negotiations.

This was a bad signal, and we have highlighted this concern to the Israelis, and we told them that we need to engage in a meaningful

negotiation that making sure that returns all the hostages safely and ending the war in Gaza and making sure that the humanitarian suffering is

lifted from Gaza.

Right now, our teams are engaging with both parties. We hope to see some progress. I'm not sure if this progress will be something seen very soon

with this continuing behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN's Jeremy Diamond joining us now, live from Tel Aviv, so the teams are engaging, is what we just heard there. Where do things stand, though,

in this moment, is there any movement?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the moment, there are no concrete signs of progress towards reaching a new ceasefire agreement

between Israel and Hamas, although it is clear that the United States is making a significant effort to try and reach a deal in the coming days. The

Israeli Prime Minister was on the phone just yesterday with Steve Witkoff, President Trump's Special Envoy while Witkoff was in Doha meeting with the

Israeli negotiating team.

And so, it's clear that this is all happening at a very high level, but the Israeli Prime Minister is showing no signs of backing off his threat to

intensify Israel's military operations as early as next week with a massive ground operation, which would involve seizing and occupying large swaths of

Gaza's territory and pushing Gaza civilian population towards the southern part of the strip.

And in fact, already, what we are seeing is that the Israeli military is certainly intensifying its air strikes in the Gaza Strip, with Gaza Civil

Defense, the rescue organization in the strip now reporting that more than 100 people have been killed today alone in a series of strikes that focused

on the Southern Gaza City of Khan Yunis as well as the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

[09:20:00]

As we see all too frequently, the bodies of several children were found among the casualties in these latest attacks. And of course, we are also

seeing that the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip are continuing to deteriorate. Today, we heard from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which

is this new organization that's been stood up by the United States based on a new U.S.-Israeli plan to get aid into parts of the Gaza Strip, but in a

way that Israeli officials say would prevent Hamas from getting the aid.

Important to note that Hamas has denied these charges. Humanitarian aid organizations say the overwhelming majority of aid reaches the civilians in

need, but nonetheless, this new foundation, which is being set up, says that they will be up and running by the end of the month.

But interestingly, they have also called on the Israeli government to allow aid to flow into Gaza through existing mechanisms, meaning freely through

the United Nations, through those crossing points which Israel has kept shuttered now for 11 weeks straight. We have not yet heard from the Israeli

Government about whether they intend to honor that request from the Gaza humanitarian foundation to let aid in now as a temporary stop gap measure.

But what is clear is that extraordinary levels of Gaza's population right now are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, with 1 in 5 people in Gaza

now facing starvation. And so, it's clear that they don't have weeks to wait for this new mechanism to get stood up, to go through its initial

trial period and actually be able to feed the entire population of Gaza. It's very clear that aid and support is needed now, Erica.

HILL: Yeah, needed now and needed yesterday, quite frankly, as that clock is ticking. I was struck by the comments from the prime minister when he

spoke with Becky there, just saying that the signals were that there is maybe not enough interest. We have heard and you have reported on for so

long, the reaction within Israel to the decisions of the Israeli government when it comes to the actions in Gaza.

How has that changed, if at all, since the release of Edan Alexander earlier this week and that renewed push?

DIAMOND: Well, I can tell you, having spoken with the families of some of the 58 hostages still remaining in Gaza that they had -- they became

hopeful in the wake of the release of Edan Alexander, that the United States was really trying to push for not just a new ceasefire and hostage

release deal, but perhaps even a kind of all-encompassing deal to secure the release of all of the hostages alive and dead, still remaining in Gaza.

They got a lot of -- kind of special attention from Steve Witkoff, as well as from President Trump's Hostage Envoy, Adam Boehler, who were in Tel

Aviv, met with the family, spoke with them for a couple of hours. But since then, of course, like everyone else, they have been watching as seemingly

no real progress, no discernible progress, at least, has been made.

And it is important to note that poll after poll in Israel over the course of the last month or so has shown that a majority, a clear majority, of the

Israeli public wants to see a deal to free all of the hostages and an end to the war. They don't want to see what the Israeli Prime Minister and his

right-wing government are promising, which is an expansion of the military operations in Gaza in a very dramatic way that we expect to happen as early

as next week.

HILL: Jeremy, appreciate it as always. Thank you. The big question at this hour, will they or won't they, and that involves these potential talks

between Russia and Ukraine peace talks, which were scheduled for today in Turkey. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is in Turkey meeting with his Turkish

counterpart on the tarmac in Ankara earlier and calling Russia's delegation, in his words, phony, after the Kremlin revealed the Russian

President would not be taking part.

Trump, President Trump also choosing not to attend. He told reporters earlier Thursday nothing is going to happen in terms of a resolution to the

conflict until he meets with Vladimir Putin. Mr. Zelenskyy sat down with Turkey's President, Erdogan a short time ago and said he decide whether to

fly to Istanbul for talks following that meeting.

CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward is live in Istanbul at this hour. So, as we wait, and as we watch, perhaps not a lot of

surprise, Clarissa, that in fact, Vladimir Putin did not show up. The question, though, of course, is, how does this impact the talks? Are there

any signs that they could, in fact, happen at this point today?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are certainly signs, Erica, that they could happen. We know, according to the

Turkish Foreign Ministry that a Russian, quote, technical delegation is here in town, and in fact, earlier, we saw a large gaggle of Russian

journalists, presumably waiting for that delegation to arrive.

[09:25:00]

We don't yet know, though, whether a Ukrainian delegation will take part in the talks. We should find out any minute now, because President Zelenskyy,

as you mentioned, is in the capital Ankara. He met with the Turkish President Erdogan, and he is expected to speak to the press in the sort of

minutes or potentially hour ahead, to give some sort of guidance as to what Ukraine's actions will be.

He has had some pretty disparaging comments, as you mentioned, calling the Russian delegation, quote, phony, which is an indication that he is

disappointed, but perhaps not surprised, that President Putin did not turn up, and also that Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, did not turn

up.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister is here as well. So, there's still a big question mark hanging over what happens next, and we expect to find out

fairly soon whether the talks will go ahead. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson did say that the talks certainly had been postponed to the

second half of the day, but again, everybody waiting and watching to see how this drama unfolds, Erica.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Clarissa, appreciate it. Thank you. Still ahead here this hour, U.S. President Donald Trump expressing hope for a nuclear

deal between the U.S. and Iran amid these high-level negotiations. We have more of the reaction, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching a special edition of "Connect the World". Global oil prices fell more than 3

percent earlier on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is very close to reaching a nuclear deal with Iran.

Well, the president's remarks in Doha considered one of his strongest statements to date on a deal that could result in looser sanctions on

Tehran. I spoke earlier with Qatar's Prime Minister about the influence his country wields in these high-level negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL-THANI: We had a very good and very productive discussion between his highness, then -- and the president about the negotiations on the Iran

nuclear program.

[09:30:00]

We strongly believe that this can be only solved diplomatically, and we believe that escalation is not in the interest of any party. We are trying

our best to support that effort. Our colleagues in Oman are doing an outstanding job in mediating a conflict between them and any kind of

support that we are able to provide when we are reaching out to the parties, we are doing our utmost the discussion basically between his

highness and the president is just highlighting the risks of not having a deal.

And what would be the best way to mitigate those through finding a compromise between the U.S. and the on that can bring us to idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's bring in Mohammad Ali Shabani. He's the Editor of Amwaj.media, a news and analysis site with a focus on Iran as well as Iraq

and the Arabian Peninsula. It's good to have you. We've seen four rounds now of indirect talks between Iran and the U.S.

The two sides have been cautious, but somewhat positive in their categorization of these talks. There are sticking points, however you Amwaj

have been reporting over a possible solution to one of these hurdles, a regional nuclear consortium between Iran, the UAE and Saudi both nations

who have expressed an interest in a nuclear program.

What are you hearing from the Iranians about their openness to this and from the American side?

MOHAMMAD ALI SHABANI, EDITOR OF AMWAJ.MEDIA: So, Becky, the idea of jointly overseen enrichment facility on Iranian soil. There's something that, based

on our sources, has been brought up in the initial round of negotiation with the United States. It seems as if the UAE has been welcoming of it.

It was discussed during the Iranian Foreign Minister's visit to Abu Dhabi recently, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, who's also the lead nuclear

negotiator, also brought it up in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have been a bit more cautious about the notion of overseeing a facility on Iranian soil.

I think that party has to do with their own concerns, that they may be concerned that agreeing to such an arrangement may dilute the pressure that

they're trying to put on Trump, on providing enrichment technology to them. So, it's quite a complicated scenario right now, but overall, the notion of

having something joined on Iranian soil.

The idea behind it is to have closer oversight, to have buy in from regional states which were previously opposed Iran, U.S. -- that so that,

in itself, is quite huge. And I think it's an idea on the table. It's being discussed. Can it be implemented? I think right now, the Saudi side may be

the one that has most reservations.

ANDERSON: You're right to point out that the Gulf nations have been more involved and certainly more positive about these current tours, and they

were during the Obama era, and the JCPOA, of course, was signed. Iran, also on good terms with most of these Gulf nations at the moment. Does this in

your view increase the chances of a deal?

SHABANI: Absolutely. I think previously, again, we had less buy-in from regional states when Trump, in 2018 left unilaterally the JCPOA, the

previous nuclear deal, he was cheered by a country like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and right now they're talking about supporting diplomacy.

Really want talking about having a potentially joint facility on Iranian soil. So, it's been a huge shift. And I think Iran has very closely been

looking at what happened in Saudi Arabia during Trump's trip, the way in which he announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, despite reported

opposition from his own national security team, despite opposition from Israel.

That's going to be a huge thing for Iran to look at in terms of what can Trump be potentially willing to do, be ready to do, what kind of deal can

he push through at home in Congress, we know that in Congress, just earlier today, strong opposition was expressed against any deal that has enrichment

on Iranians work.

So, they want a Libya style deal, which Iran has said is a non-starter that they will never sign on to, and which is preferred by Israel. So, there's

so many different dynamics to keep an eye on right now, but overall, it's a really positive thing that the Gulf states are involved in this process.

ANDERSON: And I think that's the sort of received wisdom around this region as well. But while Iran and the U.S. are engaged in these talks, of course,

these indirect talks, the U.S. has sent mixed messages, imposing new sanctions.

[09:35:00]

Donald Trump talked about secondary sanctions as well yesterday, and calling for maximum pressure and briefly talk of changing the Persian Gulf

to the Arabian Gulf, a little like he did on the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, not an insignificant affront to the Iranians. He simultaneously

has said positive things as well. Of course, as you rightly point out, most recently in Doha. Let's have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this. There are

two steps. There's a very, very nice step, and there's a violent step, the violence like people haven't seen before, and I don't -- I hope we're not

going to have to do this.

I don't want to do the second step. Some people do. Many people do. I don't want to do that step. So, we'll see what happens, but we're in very serious

negotiations with Iran for long term peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: He went on to say that there is an offer on the table that will not last forever. The time to choose is now, he said, whilst at the same

time offering this stark warning, so far, negotiators seem to have sort of tuned out the noise. Do you expect this messaging, though, to in any way

impact the progress of what are these delicate conversations?

SHABANI: So, I think Trump is pursuing what he perceives as coercive diplomacy. So, it's about not having maximum pressure to derail diplomacy,

but to aid it. Now you can argue that it's actually undermining engagement, that when you apply pressure, it's actually not very conducive to a

positive environment in the negotiating but so far, what we have heard from the actual negotiator is that there has been advancement.

There has been progress. There is discussion on details. And we know that because there are actual technical experts joining these talks, talking

about the aspect, technical aspects of limiting, the model, nuclear program, about sanctions lifting, and things of that nature.

I think looking ahead, we need to perhaps look at what kind of details Trump is giving away during this tour. I'll give you one example. He's

right now talking about the Qataris, for instance, having a larger role in facilitating something. And that's quite big to me, because so far, the

country that's been mediating has been Oman.

So why would he mention a potential Qatari role? For two reasons. Number one, Iran has billions of dollars of assets, frozen in Qatari bank accounts

because of U.S. sanctions. So, any initial step of any nuclear deal, including a potential interim deal, would probably involve the release of

that money.

ANDERSON: Right.

SHABANI: Secondly, if there ought to be financial incentives for Iran, then Qataris would be involved, because they have the funds for it, whereas the

Omanis probably do not. So, I think there are some details being given away. But are we close or on the verge of a deal? It's hard to tell.

ANDERSON: Right. Good to have you. Thank you. We'll be back with more news after this.

[09:40:00]

HILL: A landmark case, and before the U.S. Supreme Court, in the next hour, the nine justices are set to hear oral arguments on President Trump's

executive order, which aims to end birthright citizenship. That order signed by Mr. Trump on his first day in office, bars federal agencies from

issuing passports and other documents to children born to non-U.S. citizens.

At issue today is whether three lower courts overstepped their authority by issuing nationwide injunctions that blocked the order. This is the first

major Trump policy of his second term to end up in front of the country's highest court. CNN's Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent, Paula Reid, is live

outside the Supreme Court in Washington. And all eyes on this because it could have incredibly broad implications, Paula.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erica, this could have an enormous impact on President Trump's ability to swiftly and

effectively implement his agenda. The big question here is whether a single judge anywhere in the country should have the power to block a policy for

the entire country while it is being litigated.

Now we know President Trump, he has allowed his policy making through executive orders issued over 200 of them, a record, and then he has also

faced a record 39 so called nationwide injunction. So individual judges who block his policy when they are challenged for the entire country.

And here his lawyers are going to argue that a single judge should not have that power, and until these issues, these questions, reach the supreme

court, judges should not be able to override the will of the executive and the legislative branches. Now this is something that all modern presidents

have faced.

The past five justice departments have pushed back on the idea of nationwide injunctions, but this question comes to the supreme court today

through a challenge to President Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship, that is one of the first things that he signed when he came

into office.

A lot of questions about whether that is constitutional, that policy was blocked, and the folks who brought this challenge through the courts. They

argue that if you don't have a nationwide block, if you have different policies, different districts on something like this, it will create chaos

for the people who are impacted.

You will have some people whose parents are not U.S. citizens, but who are born here being able to get a birth certificate in some districts and not

others. So, they say uniformity is one of their strongest arguments to convince the justices here that judges maybe should have this power. So,

this is definitely one to watch today, Erica.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Paula, appreciate it. Thank you. That's going to do it for this hour of "Connect the World". Stay tuned. "World Sport" is up

next. And Becky Anderson will be back right here at the top of the hour with more on Donald Trump's trip to Abu Dhabi. Stay with us.

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