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Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh for Next Fed Chair; Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon Taken into Custody; Iran Ready to Participate in Nuclear Negotiations with U.S.; Venezuela Approves Law to Open up Oil Industry; Trump Threatens Tariffs on Countries Supplying Oil to Cuba; U.S. Government Shutdown Draws Near, No Deal Yet on Spending; "Melania" Documentary About First Lady Released Today. Aired 10a-11a ET
Aired January 30, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:25]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos.
We're covering some major moving stories at this hour. First up, U.S. President Donald Trump announcing his choice to head the U.S. Federal
Reserve. On a post on his social media Web site, he named Kevin Warsh as his choice for Fed chair, saying, and I quote, "I have known Kevin for a
long period of time and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the greatest Fed chairman, may be the best. On top of everything else, he is
central casting and he will never let you down."
The other top story this hour, former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been taken into custody. He was with a group of protesting immigrant enforcement
operations as they interrupted a church service in Minnesota earlier this month. More on this in just a moment.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, at this hour and across the United States, these are live pictures, protesters are gathering to denounce the Trump
administration's deadly immigration crackdown. A national shutdown or general strike is also underway.
All right. A lot to get through today. I want to bring in Matt Egan for more on our top story. And of course, big news, President Trump announcing
his pick to chair the Federal Reserve. It's Kevin Warsh.
I want you to give me a little bit of an understanding of who he is, what he stands for, and I know many people are, in the meantime, questioning
whether he's going to take his normal hawkish approach to the Federal Reserve or perhaps change stance and become a lot more dovish.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Eleni. Look, I think in a lot of ways Kevin Warsh is kind of a traditional pick for a traditional
Republican. But that's kind of surprising, right, because President Trump is anything but a traditional Republican president. But you think about
Warsh's background. He's a fellow at the conservative leaning Hoover Institution over at Stanford. He worked under George W. Bush and the Bush
White House.
He's no stranger to the Fed, right? He was the youngest ever Fed governor back in the mid-2000s. He also has some personal ties to the president
because his father-in-law is Ronald Lauder, the Republican megadonor. But here's the thing. One thing that the president has been so consistent on is
that he wants lower interest rates. Not a little bit lower, not moderately lower. He wants dramatically lower interest rates. The lowest interest
rates on the planet.
The problem is that, although Warsh has been talking recently about lower interest rates, traditionally he's not a low interest rate guy. Right? He's
arguably the most hawkish of all of the candidates for this top job. And some of the economists that I'm talking to are expressing some surprise on
that front, right?
Anna Wong over at Bloomberg said that, "If Trump wants someone easy on inflation, he got the wrong guy in Kevin Warsh." RSM's Joe Brusuelas told
me, "Warsh's first instinct is hawkish, and he rarely saw a potential rate hike he didn't like." And Renaissance Macro Research says that Warsh's
dovishness today stems from convenience, and the president risks getting duped.
Now, back in April of 2009, just a few months after the implosion of Lehman Brothers and as financial markets were in chaos, Warsh, he sounded more
concerned about inflation than anything else. Meeting minutes from the Fed at the time show that Warsh said he was concerned about inflation being too
hot, even though really at the time inflation was dangerously low and unemployment was dangerously high.
Now, recently, Warsh has been talking about how because the U.S. economy is more productive then maybe the Fed can have lower interest rates. And he's
also talked a lot about shrinking the balance sheet to allow for those lower interest rate cuts. But if you shrink the balance sheet really
aggressively, that's not dovish, that's hawkish. That can raise long term interest rates on things like mortgages.
So, Eleni, I think the big question here is, which Kevin Warsh will show up? Is this going to be the 2009 Warsh which sounded more worried about
inflation? Or is this going to be the more dovish one?
GIOKOS: Time will tell. It's going to be tested, that's for sure. You know, Warsh has to be confirmed by the Senate. A key Republican senator in the
meantime, Thom Tillis, has reiterated that his position is that he's going to oppose any confirmation of any nominee until the DOJ's inquiry into
Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved. And also important to note that he believes that Warsh is, you know, a qualified nominee, a deep
understanding of monetary policy. So what are the next steps here?
EGAN: Well, Eleni, you know, in a vacuum, I think Kevin Warsh seems to be pretty confirmable, right?
[10:05:05]
He's got the Fed experience. He has the market experience. He's not thought of as a radical. But obviously we're not in a vacuum. Right? We're in very
unusual times. And you heard from Tillis talk about how he wants the DOJ investigation dropped first. Elizabeth Warren, the Democrat, top Democrat
on the Senate Banking Committee, she said something similar, right? She said that any Republican purporting to care about Fed independence should
demand that these what she called witch hunts into both Jerome Powell and Fed governor Lisa Cook, she says that those witch hunts should be dropped
before Kevin Warsh gets confirmed.
So there's still some other things to play out here. And that's not to mention that lawmakers are going to comb over Kevin Warsh's prior comments,
such as the ones that I was referencing from back in 2009. They're going to want to look at his ties to Wall Street. Again, his father-in-law is a GOP
megadonor, so there's some connections there with Trump as well. So there's still a lot more to play out.
And even with Jerome Powell during the president's first term, you know, it did take months before he was confirmed as well. So we're going to have to
wait and see how this plays out and whether or not the president's desire to get his guy, his new guy, in at the Fed is going to cause any changes
when it comes to the Justice Department investigation into Jerome Powell.
GIOKOS: Brilliant point. And I ended there. Matt Egan, great to have you on the story. Thank you.
EGAN: Thanks, Eleni.
GIOKOS: So in the meantime, I want to return to the arrest of our former CNN colleague, Don Lemon. He was taken into federal custody Thursday night
in connection with a protest at a church earlier this month. Lemon has said he was there as a journalist and not as a protester. It is unclear what the
charges are and what he could face.
Our chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, joined me in the last hour to talk about the possible motivation for his arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: It's a disturbing escalation against reporting in the U.S. We know of two examples today of independent
journalists taken into custody at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi in relation to what happened at that church called Cities Church in
Minneapolis, in St. Paul about two weeks ago. This -- Don Lemon is one of those journalists. The other is by the name of Georgia Fort. She's a
popular live-streamer and reporter in Minnesota.
Both of these individuals were at the church when protesters entered and held a protest disrupting the house of worship, disrupting the congregation
in the middle of a worship service. This really pits the First Amendment and the different dimensions of the First Amendment against one another.
The First Amendment in the U.S. protects the right to report. It also protects the right to peacefully assemble and worship.
And what the Trump administration is going to argue is that Don Lemon and this other independent journalist were interrupting, were impeding the
right to worship. The actual charges, though, are still under seal. They have not yet been released. And so we don't know exactly how Lemon has been
charged. We know there was a previous attempt to charge him in Minnesota last week, and a judge rejected that attempt.
That was an early indication that there would be a robust defense of Lemon's First Amendment rights to be there as a reporter. Now, Lemon's
attorney, Abe Lowell, who he hired once the Trump administration started making noise about possibly arresting him, Abe Lowell said in a statement
that, "Lemon was taken into custody last night in L.A., where he was covering the Grammy Awards. Don has been a journalist for 30 years and his
constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done."
So his attorney, Abe Lowell, calling this an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment. Many press freedom groups saying the same, saying this is
very alarming. And we're going to hear, I think, from the Justice Department about this in the coming hours. There is a press conference
scheduled from the Justice Department. The topic has not been released, but there are some indications it might be about today's arrests.
It is important to note, the DOJ, the Trump administration has been under tremendous pressure from the right to take these actions, to punish the
protesters, who entered that church, to punish the journalists who were there filming the activity. You can look all across social media,
especially X, a right-wing social networking site, you can see that MAGA media energy calling for the arrest of someone like Don Lemon, who has been
a thorn in Trump's side for many years, including the years that he was an anchor here at CNN.
So you have a tug of war of sorts. You have on the right people saying, arrest him, punish him for doing this. And then you have many others saying
he was just doing his job. And I would actually urge everybody go watch the YouTube video that Lemon produced. He was livestreaming from the church
that Sunday morning, and his coverage was really valuable. As a viewer of it, I learned a lot.
I was able to hear from the protesters, yes, but I was also able to hear from the worshipers. I had a much better understanding of what happened in
the church that day thanks to Don Lemon's reporting. I hope that is front and center as we talk about what he's been charged with. As we find out
later today, what he's been charged with and how he'll defend himself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right. Brian Stelter there for us.
So to unpack all of these fast-moving stories, I want to bring in Corey Brettschneider, a political science professor at Brown University and also
the co-host of "The Oath and the Office" podcast.
Great to have you with us, Corey. I want us to watch some of Don Lemon's reports at the church. Take a look.
[10:10:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, JOURNALIST: This is an operation that is secret, that they invited folks out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is operation pull up more of a clandestine operation. We show up somewhere. They don't expect us to come there, and
then we disrupt business as usual.
LEMON: So right now, it's kind of mayhem. We're not part of the activists, but we're here just reporting on them. Did they explain to you why they're
here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did not.
LEMON: They said that there is someone here at Easterwood who is a member of ICE, and he's a pastor of the church?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our church had gathered for worship, which we do every Sunday. We asked them to leave, and they obviously have not left.
LEMON: So this is what the First Amendment is about, about the freedom to protest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So we don't know all of the details of Don's arrest, but it is remarkable to consider in the context of the unrest in Minneapolis
and across the country as well over this immigration crackdown. What are your thoughts after you see this video where Don is categorically stating
that we're not part of the protest, we're here to report?
COREY BRETTSCHNEIDER, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, BROWN UNIVERSITY: Yes. Well, I think that's the most important thing to notice. And your reporting
does a fantastic job of pointing it out. He's there doing what a journalist does, which is providing information to the public so that we can make our
minds up about what to think about what's happening in Minneapolis or what's happening in public policy more generally.
It doesn't matter if he's working for CNN or as he is now for himself. He still is a journalist and providing that function. And this isn't any
function. It's one protected in the First Amendment, both by the freedom of speech, but also the freedom of press. And it doesn't really matter what
the charges are that are brought against him. If the motivation here is to shut him down, you can't use criminal law as a subterfuge to eliminate the
First Amendment. And that's what his lawyers are saying and I think ultimately, that's why he'll prevail here.
GIOKOS: Yes, we don't know what the charges are just yet. We're waiting to hear more news on that. What would you suspect the charges would be that
would stick, that would make sense from a legal standpoint, given the video footage that we've just shown you?
BRETTSCHNEIDER: Well, I think what they're going to try to do is use a 19th century statute. This is what they've used in other similar cases,
including at this church. That was aimed to protect civil rights and to protect, in particular, religious freedom. And they'll charge him under
this 19th century statute that was used, for instance, to go after the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups with the idea that he was trying to disrupt
the free exercise of religion.
But that really is an irony. What he's doing is exercising his constitutional rights as a journalist, not trying to shut down anybody's
freedom's or anybody's freedom of religion. And so the irony here is pretending that the administration is protecting civil liberties at the
same time that they're shutting them down. And you asked if the charges will stick. No, I don't think they will. I think that, you know, it's not
enough to bring somebody into court.
He's certainly not going to take a plea bargain. At least I would hope not. And I think ultimately that's why he'll prevail, because what he was doing
was not trying to shut down anyone's civil rights or their religious freedom. He was trying to give the public, and you're helping now to
amplify what he was doing, information about what's happening. And that's exactly what's protected under the First Amendment, right to free speech,
right to press.
GIOKOS: So --
BRETTSCHNEIDER: And that's why he'll prevail.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, and also important to note that another independent journalist was also arrested after this protest at the church.
I want to turn your attention to the live pictures of protests in Minneapolis right now. This is a nationwide protest demonstrating some
clear anger in the country and in fact, FOX poll this week finding nearly 60 percent of all voters think ICE has been too aggressive. And the Trump
administration appears to be sensitive to that and adjusting its approach.
How much do you think this represents a turning point, an inflection point in the United States?
BRETTSCHNEIDER: Well, you know, I think the violation of constitutional rights when it's abstract, it doesn't galvanize people, but when it results
in the killing of two people, supposedly in self-defense on ICE's behalf, but really, anybody who's watched these videos knows that's not what
happened, things become very concrete. And there is a turning point happening in the country. Protests rather than going away or amping up.
And the incompetence of what's going on in Minnesota by ICE and by the Border Patrol is just becoming so clear to people. The training, which is
included in some instances just online training, not in person, is so apparently abysmal.
[10:15:07]
And, you know, that's why I think Kristi Noem is clearly on the chopping block. The president doesn't want to go through an impeachment hearing. And
I think that she doesn't have long to last. And that's a sign that things are changing.
GIOKOS: I think the Trump administration obviously watching the same images that we are watching as well, you've got these arrests of journalists. You
also -- we've also recently seen videos of how ICE agents have been quite irritated with people filming them. And of course, we're talking about sort
of the fine line of getting involved or, you know, in some way disrupting an ICE operation versus the right to film.
I mean, all of these things now in the narrative, in the conversation that we're seeing as we're seeing these demonstrations taking hold in various
parts of the country.
BRETTSCHNEIDER: That's right. I mean, you know, I should say, too, on the one hand, they're going to try to save face by getting rid of Kristi Noem.
I think, too, Stephen Miller has been, as though he's a loyal aide to the president, he's been in the news so much that I wonder how long his future
is secure. But on the other hand, let's not forget that the administration is doing this deliberately.
The attack on protesters was a miscalculation, but it was an intentional one by Kristi Noem. And she's saying increasingly at the hands of -- at the
order of the president and Stephen Miller. And then the shutdown of the church protests, including the arrest and prosecution of Don Lemon, it
shows that rather than the attack on our democracy being over, it's continuing at the same time that, as you say, they're seeing these images,
seeing how badly they play, and they're trying to do a kind of PR damage control.
So, you know, the president, I think, has got a crossroads. Is he going to continue with this shutdown of civil liberties, in which case I think he's
going to face increasing protests, or is he going to back off and go the course of respecting the law?
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, yes. And we're going to see de-escalation. Another big story, of course, we're following today is President Trump's nomination of
the new Federal Reserve chairman, Kevin Warsh. I think a lot of people are sort of tallying up what kind of new Fed chair he will be. And of course,
that's on the back of so much rhetoric from President Trump himself about wanting to see more interest rate cuts and wanting to see, you know,
changes in the Federal Reserve. What's your take?
BRETTSCHNEIDER: Well, you know, the president is involved here in a constitutional battle. He's claiming that he wants control over what the
Fed chair does. And he doesn't like that Jerome Powell has defied him in refusing to bring down interest rates, which the president thinks will
spike the economy and also make housing more affordable. And the way the law is set up now is the Fed chair doesn't actually work for the president.
The Fed chair is insulated from firing.
Unless they're doing a bad job, they can't be fired for political or even policy reasons. So the president is trying to make an end run around this.
He's tried to Trump up charges against Jerome Powell, for instance, by claiming that he was corrupt in some construction that was done at the
Federal Reserve. He thinks he has. And I think this is partly because the potential nominee is the son-in-law of a friend of his, a close colleague,
an ally here that he's going to put into the Federal Reserve, who's going to just bring down rates.
And we don't know the private conversations. Maybe that's been signaled, but everything about this nominee suggests the opposite, that he's a Fed
hawk and that he wants to see actually interest rates stabilize, maybe even increase is what he's done in the past. That's what I mean by hawk.
GIOKOS: Yes.
BRETTSCHNEIDER: And you know, that he has not been willing to bring interest rates down, that he's more concerned about inflation and keeping
them high. What that sets up is, given the protection that I just mentioned, he might defy the president. He might find himself with another
Jerome Powell in terms of independence or even more so, a person who's opposing his policy goals.
So let's watch this. This president isn't always the most savvy when it comes to how American politics works, or what our constitution demands.
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, you know, it's going to be an interesting one. I mean, Federal Reserve, 113 years old and, of course, set in its ways. Let's see
if he can change things. Who knows?
All right, Corey Brettschneider, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.
BRETTSCHNEIDER: My --
GIOKOS: All right. We've got some breaking news that's just come in to CNN. A judge in New York has just ruled Luigi Mangione will not face the death
penalty for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. That decision is a loss for federal prosecutors, who were
adamant about pursuing the death penalty in this case. But the judge is allowing prosecutors to present evidence recovered from Mangione's backpack
at the time of his arrest.
Of course, we'll have more for you on this story throughout CNN today. So Luigi Mangione is not going to face the death penalty. That's just in to
CNN.
[10:20:01]
All right. And still to come, Iran is ready to negotiate with the U.S. over its nuclear program, but says it won't hesitate to head back if it's
attacked. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Iran's foreign minister says Tehran is ready to participate in nuclear negotiations with the United States. Abbas Araghchi's remarks come
amid renewed threats from President Donald Trump. Speaking in Istanbul, Iran's top diplomat appeared doubtful that the U.S. would negotiate in good
faith, but said Tehran is ready to press forward with talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Past experiences have shown the lack of honesty and goodwill of the United
States in the negotiations. Nevertheless, Iran is ready to participate in any diplomatic process that is meaningful, logical and fair, and in which
our legitimate and lawful interests and concerns are taken into account. The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to reenter the nuclear negotiations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. I want to bring more deeper into this, and I want to bring in Dina Esfandiary, the Middle East lead at Bloomberg Economics.
Dina, great to have you with us. We just heard that, you know, sound bite from the foreign minister. But Trump also signaling that he's planning to
talk to Iran and setting his conditions. Last night, he specifically said this. Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I told him two things. Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters. They're
killing them by the thousands. You know, I stopped 837 hangings two weeks ago. But they're going to have to do something.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Nobody' has seen anything like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So, Dina, how are you reading the tea leaves here? And how serious is this prospect of diplomacy?
DINA ESFANDIARY, MIDDLE EAST LEAD, BLOOMBERG ECONOMICS: I think it's a little bit of a last ditch attempt at avoiding airstrikes, but I don't
think that either side is really taking the other side seriously, or at least is willing to meet the other side where the red lines are being
drawn.
I think President Trump's asks are going to be far beyond what Iran is willing to compromise on. And there isn't really much that Iran can give
that President Trump would actually accept.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, a lot of people in this region are wondering what the next step is whether we can see de-escalation given you've seen this
military buildup in the region. I personally have been fielding a lot of calls about, you know, what is U.S. President Donald Trump is going to do.
Let me ask you straight up, I mean, what is the calculation here? Is the prognosis that he's going to strike Iran?
ESFANDIARY: I think it's really difficult to imagine a scenario in which we don't end up in a situation where there is some form of airstrikes on Iran.
I think the military buildup in the region has somewhat boxed President Trump in.
[10:25:02]
It's also given him many more options. It's expanded the range of targets that he can actually attack. And it's allowed him to expand the timeline in
which he attacks Iran. So it gives him many more options. And I just don't think that the diplomatic path right now is one that either side is really
willing to explore. So I do think we're going to end up in a situation where airstrikes is going to happen.
GIOKOS: All right. So, I mean, this is, you know, fascinating sort of turn of events in terms of what we're seeing. But interestingly, and this is
important that countries within this region have tried to dissuade President Trump from strikes and actually have been quite vocal about that
on a public platform. So what does this mean regionally in terms of U.S. diplomacy? And frankly, these are U.S. allies that have come out and said,
you cannot use our airspace for any kind of strike.
ESFANDIARY: Absolutely. I mean, for countries in the region, the prospect of war is a terrifying one, not least of all because I think this time
around it will be a little bit different to the 12-day war that we saw in June. Iran really sees this moment as an existential one, and it's very
possible that it sees U.S. airstrikes as something it has to respond to, not in the same de-escalatory manner that it did in June, where it was a
very symbolic attack, where they gave the Americans a heads up before targeting their airbase in Qatar.
This time around, it's very possible that the Iranians lash out because they feel that they have to set a deterrent, that they have to dissuade the
U.S. from continuing airstrikes. So it's very likely that the situation is going to escalate in a way that's beyond anyone's control. And that's why
you see countries in the region really pushing for diplomacy right now.
GIOKOS: So earlier, Dina, you said it's not a matter of if, but it's rather when. What is the timeline on this potential strike then?
ESFANDIARY: I think that's the million-dollar question right now. It appears likely that we'll see something this weekend. But if we don't see
something this weekend, then there's a lesser chance that it will happen in the days that follow. I think if it doesn't happen imminently, then I think
there's a chance that Trump and the Iranians may try something diplomatically. But the greater chance is that we'll see something in the
next few days.
GIOKOS: All right. Dina, thank you so much. Good to have you on the show.
And still to come, as Donald Trump threatens tariffs to further choke off Cuba's oil supply, we'll go live to Havana, where anxiety levels are rising
as fuel begins to run low.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:20]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos. Here are your headlines.
U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to be the Fed's next chair. Warsh served on the Fed board for
five years starting in 2006. He's believed to be in favor of cutting interest rates. If confirmed, he would replace Jerome Powell, who the
president has frequently criticized for not pushing to lower rates further.
That nomination comes as President Trump tries to work a deal in the U.S. Senate to avoid a government shutdown. Democratic leaders are demanding
changes to ICE tactics before approving a short-term spending bill.
Iran's military is warning it will respond instantly to any attack from the United States. The country's foreign minister a short time ago also says
Tehran is ready to participate in fair and just nuclear talks with the United States. President Trump has been threatening military action for
weeks after security forces in Iran killed thousands of anti-government protesters.
Venezuela is making it easier for foreign companies to invest in its oil industry, approving a new law to open up the sector outside of the state
control. The change came as the U.S. announced a major policy shift, easing sanctions to allow American companies to buy, sell and store Venezuela's
oil. All that as Donald Trump dials up his rhetoric against Cuba, threatening new tariffs on countries that supply oil to the country.
Right. We have our Patrick Oppmann, who's standing by in Havana. We also have Stefano Pozzebon, who's following developments for us from Bogota.
Great to have you both with us.
Stefano, I want to start off with you. Simultaneous major policy shifts on oil from both the United States as well as Venezuela. I want you to sort of
give me an understanding here of how the acting president Delcy Rodriguez, is responding and importantly, whether, you know, it sort of teams up with
what she said earlier this week where she said she's had enough of Washington's orders.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the understanding here, Eleni, is that Delcy Rodriguez, the current acting president in Venezuela, who, let's
remember, she used to serve under Nicolas Maduro as his deputy president. So she was clearly aligned with Maduro's old geopolitical stances of a
rhetorical but also almost frontal war against Washington. Well, Delcy Rodriguez this week and last week is operating a ruthless U-turn on those
stances. Yesterday, the Venezuelan parliament passing this law that, according to analysts, reads almost like an e-mail answering the demands of
oil executives in Washington and Houston demanding clearer legal frameworks for their investment if they were to come to Venezuela, the country with
the largest oil reserves in the world, to try to surface and recover the Venezuelan oil industry.
On top of that, we know that Washington has named a new ambassador to Caracas. Her name is Laura Dogu. She is coming to the region this week, and
we hear that she is already in touch with Venezuelan authorities. We had also the announcement yesterday from Donald Trump that he wishes to see
U.S. airlines to be allowed back into Venezuelan skies as quickly as possible, with a source in Caracas telling me that he would not be
surprised if we could see some movement in that direction as early as next week.
What is happening here is that Delcy Rodriguez is threading a very fine line, Eleni, between what she says, especially to her supporters and to the
supporters of her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, telling them with the usual rhetoric that she is standing up against the empire or against Washington,
and what she actually does, which seems to be acting upon the demands that Donald Trump but especially Marco Rubio has sent her in the last few weeks.
There was a deposition in Congress from Rubio just on Wednesday when he praised Delcy Rodriguez as a great cooperator, saying that she's answering
all of their demands one after the other. And that, of course, is rattling many people, at least in this region across South America, who are used to
see Caracas as a bastion of anti-American sentiment in the region. But also, I can imagine that several allies or old allies of Venezuela,
traditional allies of Venezuela, would also be rattled by this new cooperation between Caracas and Washington.
I'm talking here, of course, of China, Iran, Russia. But more than anyone, Cuba as Patrick probably has more to say about that -- Eleni.
[10:35:07]
GIOKOS: Yes. All right, Stefano, thank you so much.
And, Patrick, you know, super important oil and supply of oil into Cuba is an important lifeline for the country. You know, slashed with what happened
in Venezuela. Trump now threatening these tariffs of any country, that is going to be exporting to Cuba. So give me an understanding of what it's
like now, given that they cover, oil cover and reserves in the country are starting to deplete.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, as Stefano was saying it is the United States that decides, apparently, where Venezuela sends its oil
at this moment. And Cuba, more than any other country in the world, depended on Venezuelan oil. And now you have this new tariff threat, really
one of the most serious threats to come from the Trump administration towards Cuba, raising tensions as high as I can ever remember. Perhaps
they've not been this high since the Cuban missile crisis. But essentially Venezuela and now Mexico have been stopped from sending oil to this island.
And analysts say whether it's days or weeks, Cuba is in danger of running out of oil.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN (voice-over): In the U.S. attack on Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro, over 100 people were killed, among them 32 Cuban soldiers,
including Maduro's closest bodyguards operating there in secret.
Now Cuba's closest ally and more importantly its biggest oil supplier appears to be under de facto American control. And this is sending a chill
through Cuban society about what may be next.
TRUMP: Cuba is really a nation that's very close to failure.
OPPMANN (voice-over): It is a prediction many U.S. presidents have made. But the revolution founded by Fidel Castro has endured.
I've been a foreign correspondent in Cuba for 14 years, a country that suddenly feels very different to me. And I want to find out what the
operation in Caracas means for the future of nine million Cubans who live in this island nation.
The Cuban government received the remains of their fallen soldiers from Venezuela with a hero's welcome after decades of denying their presence
there. Thousands of people lined the streets that day and waited hours to pay their respects.
This direct confrontation between the U.S. and Cuban soldiers, that's not something we've seen for decades. And it's left many people here wondering,
you know, the loss of their ally in Venezuela, how is that going to impact them?
(Voice-over): Outside in the line, I meet Iliana Medrano.
What would happen if there was an invasion of Cuba by U.S. troops?
ILIANA MEDRANO, CUBA RESIDENT (through text translation): We would confront whatever comes. We don't know what will happen, but we are willing to die.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Cubans are no strangers to economic hardship. Since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, they have weathered America's embargo and
their own government's disastrous economic missteps. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Venezuela emerged as Havana's lifeline. Here's how the agreement
worked. Cuba sent thousands of doctors, teachers, sports trainers, as well as military and intelligence officials to Venezuela in return for oil.
Now with Maduro in jail and out of the picture, it's not clear if Venezuela can or will continue the oil shipments that the Trump administration has
vowed to block.
(Voice-over): To make matters worse, Havana's second largest oil supplier, Mexico, has also reportedly suspended oil shipments. Already we are
witnessing the impacts. It can take weeks to get a spot in a gas line using an online system. Gerardo tells me he's waited 29 days.
GERARDO, GAS STATION CUSTOMER (through text translation): Things are going to get tough. I'm glad I was selected today, because I don't know if I will
be next time.
OPPMANN (voice-over): As night falls, many here will be left in the dark. And so longer and longer apagones, blackouts, are becoming the new normal.
In many parts of the island, the power is off more hours a day than it is on. Some people tell us they are fed up, but they're too scared to speak to
us on camera. Others, like Angel, who sells his coconut sweets on the street, say they are resigned to a worsening power situation.
ANGEL, COCONUT SWEETS VENDOR (through text translation): We Cubans adapt to everything, to any circumstances. But one adapts. What else can we do?
OPPMANN (voice-over): The Trump administration vows the pressure will continue on Cuba. For now, the Cuban government is defiant, calling for one
of the largest demonstrations outside the U.S. embassy in Havana in years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): Cuba does not have to make any political concessions.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Even some of the younger people in the crowd, like Ivan, say they feel the mood in the country has changed.
[10:40:06]
When you saw bombs falling on Caracas, how did that make you personally feel?
IVAN ERNESTO BARRETO LOPEZ, CUBA RESIDENT: In the 21st century, seeing these kind of actions violating totally the international law, acting
unilaterally, that's something very worrying.
OPPMANN (voice-over): For those of us who cover the normalization of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba under the Obama administration,
there's a sense of whiplash.
I've even heard from a U.S. embassy source that diplomats there have been advised to, quote, "have their bags packed," as the Trump administration
explores new ways to stabilize the communist-run government.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN (on-camera): And while there are no plans at this point to have any kind of evacuations from the U.S. embassy, we are told clearly tensions are
very, very high. It feels very much like a throwback to the Cold War. The Cuban government is firing back, saying this latest attempt to strangle
their supply of oil will not work, that they are willing to go through tough times again no matter what that, of course, will mean for their
people. They've said they're open to a dialogue, but very clearly the Trump administration is talking about something much more than that. Essentially
holding the oil supply, their economy hostage if they don't agree to some pretty major concessions. Unclear if the Cuban government is willing to
even consider that.
GIOKOS: Patrick Oppmann, great reporting. Thank you so much for that.
Well, Canada's prime minister is making a plea to the Trump administration, which might sound a bit familiar. I want you to take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I expect the U.S. administration to respect Canadian sovereignty. I'm always clear in my conversation with
President Trump to that effect and then move on to what we can do together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, Mark Carney there urging the Trump administration to respect his country's sovereignty, but this time, it's not because of President
Trump's musings that Canada would be better off as part of the United States. He was reacting to reports that U.S. officials had met with
Canadian separatists, who are asking the White House for financial support.
"The Financial Times" reported that State Department officials had met three times since last April with the group that's pushing for the province
of Alberta to break away from Canada. A White House official downplayed the contacts, telling CNN there had been a meeting with a number of civil
society groups and no comments had been made.
Democratic lawmakers are using what they leverage -- what leverage they have to demand a course of action on immigration. Could a U.S. government
shutdown still be on the table? We'll head to Capitol Hill. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:05]
GIOKOS: We are just hours away from another possible U.S. government shutdown, as lawmakers have yet to agree on a spending bill. Democratic
leaders on Capitol Hill are demanding changes to tactics used by federal immigration agents before they will approve a short-term bill.
I want to get right to Capitol Hill, and we've got CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox with all the details.
Lauren, good to see you. Does it look like the U.S. Congress will be able to avert a shutdown?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they have agreed to at this point is essentially separating out the Department of Homeland
Security funding bill from five other major funding bills that support about 70 percent of the government's funding. Now, that is a huge
concession from the White House to Democrats because they want to relitigate the DHS spending bill because they want to see some significant
reforms in that legislation.
Now, one of the key sticking points right now is that Republican leaders are not able to expedite this process because Senator Lindsey Graham is
voicing some objections to fast-tracking the spending bill. Does that all get resolved in the next couple of hours before this midnight spending
deadline? That's certainly possible, but that is still what the holdup is at this moment. Now, even if the Senate is able to move forward with this
legislation before the midnight deadline, they are changing the bill.
And that means that the House of Representatives is going to have to come back and also pass this new reformed legislation. Now, the House is not
slated to come back until Monday. Does that get you into a partial government shutdown, perhaps into the weekend? That certainly is on the
table. OMB has some jurisdiction over whether or not they put the government into a shutdown, however, and if they feel like the House and
the Senate are working in good faith, perhaps that is a way to stave that off.
So right now it's really uncertain what's going to happen. Lawmakers are really close. But closing that final gap, as we know and as we've seen in
the past, can sometimes push you into a government shutdown, even if that was not your intention.
GIOKOS: All right, Lauren Fox, thanks so much.
And still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD, the sitting first lady's new documentary film opens in theaters. So how much did it cost to make it and
market as well? Details on that story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Melania Trump's new film is released in theaters today, documenting the first lady's life in the days leading up to the president's return to
the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations.
TRUMP: Did you watch it?
M. TRUMP: I did not, yes, I will see it on the news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, the reported hefty payouts from Amazon-MGM Studios of about $40 million to Melania's production company and another $35 million to
market it is raising eyebrows. Typical documentaries cost just a few million dollars to make.
Here to talk more about this is Darlene Superville. She is the White House reporter for the Associated Press and often covers first ladies, as well as
the first families. Really good to have you with us.
OK. So Melania Trump has generally kept a very low profile until now, leaving the internet to speculate about her and her life. Some see her as a
MAGA loyalist and others as part of a secret resistance against her husband. Now, this week, she's been all over the news, ringing the New York
Stock Exchange Bell, and then on Wednesday, appearing on FOX News as well three times.
So are we learning more about Melania through this documentary?
[10:50:11]
DARLENE SUPERVILLE, AP WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think that the first lady hopes that the public, who still sees her as somewhat of a mystery, will
learn more about her once they go into movie theaters and watch her documentary, which is being released today.
GIOKOS: OK. So in terms of, you know, the speculation and sort of the criticism that has come through is Amazon has spent $75 million on making
and promoting this movie. Is it going to be worth it for Amazon, do you believe? I mean, if you tally up the numbers and how's the turnout been for
the film's premiere?
SUPERVILLE: Well, it's not really for me to say whether, you know, Amazon will get a good return on their investment. Obviously, Amazon believed it
was worthwhile for that company to spend this kind of money on a documentary film about the first lady. And I think that it's one of those
situations where we have to wait and see. The movie is coming out today in theaters in the United States and around the world, and we'll have to see
what their reception is, how many people are flocking to theaters to go see it and what the reports from the box offices are in a day or two, whenever
they report on movie openings.
GIOKOS: Yes. Yes, the data is going to be super important. But there is a lot of talk about this, right? I mean, it's splashed all over the news and
it seems it's a big talker. The first lady -- so have you seen it, by the way? Did you get to do prescreening on this?
SUPERVILLE: No. Journalists were not allowed to prescreen the film. The only thing that we were able to see was about a minute long trailer that
was released a couple of weeks ago. I am actually going to the theater this afternoon to see it for the first time.
GIOKOS: OK. All right. Fantastic. OK. So it'll be interesting to get your perspective after you see it. But the first lady is also personally walking
away with about $28 million. How unusual is it for a first lady to be personally benefiting this much from her position? I mean, I think people
are asking the question quite extensively now, looking at the numbers that are floating around.
SUPERVILLE: Yes, it is rather unusual for a first lady to do something like this. I mean, generally presidents and first ladies avoid pursuing outside
business ventures when they are in the White House to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, or even just having questions about their ethics
being raised.
One of her advisers told reporters who were at the Kennedy Center last night where the movie was screened for a VIP audience that she was a
private citizen when Amazon announced that this deal had been reached, that it was going to pay, you know, whatever, $40 million for the documentary,
and that she is someone who is not elected and she's not paid as first lady. So he is trying to say that she is in a different category from other
people.
There are also some in the first lady community, if you will, who think that it is time in many instances to kind of modernize the role of first
lady. As you may know, the previous first lady, Jill Biden, was the first to keep her job when she was in the White House. She continued to teach.
And first ladies are asked to give up a lot of their lives and their careers to become first lady. So it's an interesting question.
GIOKOS: Yes, it is absolutely very interesting. I mean, one of the things that of course happens is you see first lady as well as a former president,
you know, after they leave office, generally go and do a lot of talks and they get paid for that. I mean, books are very usual as well, but that's
after they leave office. Do you think that sets a different precedent in terms of what we're seeing now?
SUPERVILLE: Oh, absolutely. Every first lady who is in the role kind of pushes the boundaries a little bit. They have great leeway to perform as
first lady. How they see fit to define the role in their terms and what we're seeing I think with First Lady Melania Trump is just another pushing
the boundaries of first lady just a little bit with this documentary film. They're supposed to be, she told us last night, there is a documentary
series, that will be coming with lots of material that did not make it into the documentary that's being released today. So the next first lady will be
at liberty to push those boundaries even more.
GIOKOS: All right, Darlene, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.
SUPERVILLE: Thank you.
GIOKOS: All right. And it looks like the time has come to bid adieu to your AirPods. Bella Hadid, Steph Curry, Caleb Williams and Lily-Rose Depp have
long embraced the renaissance of wired earphones.
[10:55:03]
Among other A-listers and NBA stars the wired buds have even made an appearance on the cover story of "New York" magazine, featuring a host of
celebrity duos. It's also part of a wider nostalgia that hints to a wider longing for a more offline life.
But aside from the in style status -- I'm sorry I have to actually do this. I have my headphones. I just want to prove that I've always been in fashion
on this. So it's in fashion. It's cool. It's also driven by practicality. So unlike Bluetooth cousins, wired headphones can't be hacked and are
considered safer for private conversations.
However, Apple sales tell a different story, at least for now. In 2025, wireless headphones accounted for 66 percent of sales, while wired
earphones accounted for 34 percent.
Are you team cordless or team cord? Let me know this at my Instagram account at EleniGiokosCNN. Take a look. I mean, maybe that, you know,
people aren't buying these as often is because they last longer. Maybe that's why. We need to delve further into the numbers.
But anyway, thank you so much for joining us. Have a fantastic weekend from me, Eleni Giokos, and the CONNECT THE WORLD team. We'll see you on Monday
and stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
