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Erin Burnett Outfront

Trump Deploys Border Czar To Take Over Minnesota Operations, Sidelines Bovino; Minnesota GOP Candidate Drops Out; Top Chinese General Purged. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 26, 2026 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:25]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:

The breaking news, Trump backing down. President Trump's top Border Patrol official is leaving Minneapolis two days after another American citizen was killed by an ICE officer. As we have new video tonight at OUTFRONT of the shooting, two eyewitnesses who have not spoken out have their videos and are here with new details.

Plus, the Republican who just dropped out of the Minnesota governor's race because of what's happening in Minneapolis in our guest. Why he says Republican retribution on his state made him want to leave the race and his party.

And a top general purged. The second most powerful man in the country gone. And "The Wall Street Journal" reports the general was accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the United States.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

(MUSC)

BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.

And OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, Trump retreating. President Trump now appearing to backtrack on his aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Two days after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti.

Alex, of course, a nurse who cared for veterans. Moments ago, President Trump posted, "I just had a very good telephone conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis. Lots of progress is being made. Tom Homan will be meeting with him tomorrow in order to continue the discussion. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Never mind the triteness at the end. Keep in mind this is the mayor, Jacob Frey, that Trump has called a radical left lightweight and useless. And Trump said its totally lost control. The total change of tone now, in part because of the reality on the ground, Trump was unable to face down. Trump, now touting a meeting between Mayor Frey and Homan, his border czar, and Homan is now taking the lead in Minnesota.

Trump's controversial top Border Patrol official, Gregory Bovino, is expected to leave Minneapolis within the next 24 hours, and he's taking some of his 2,000 masked and armed border agents with him.

CNN is learning administration officials are frustrated with Bovino, who you may remember, went before cameras when Alex Pretti was shot just within four hours of that shooting. In fact, he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY BOVINO, BORDER PATROL COMMANDER-AT-LARGE: This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: It was clear that that was not true. According to the video, which contradicts what Bovino claimed, and Bovino claims caused massive problems for this administration. Pretti, of course, is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, according to Minnesota police. And he wasn't threatening them with it at the time. He was carrying a cell phone, according to the video. And Bovino is not the only one who is standing with Trump as quickly deteriorating because of his handling of this thus far.

The White House distancing itself today from Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary's claims that Pretti committed an act of domestic terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Secretary Noem said Alex Pretti committed an act of domestic terrorism. Stephen Miller labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist. Does the president agree with them?

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Look, as I've said, I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And that comes as Republicans are now openly questioning the administrations aggressive tactics and demanding answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS HOST & FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN: We certainly should not be labeling him as being a domestic terrorist who was going to execute cops. There is no evidence to support that.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): What I think the administration could do better is, is the tone with which they're describing this, that immediately when an incident like this happens, they come out guns blazing. That we took out a violent terrorist. Hooray.

GOV. KEVIN STITT (R), OKLAHOMA: And so, what's the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-U.S. citizen? I don't think that's what Americans want.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: I mean, it's pretty stunning when you hear that, right? It's loud and clear. And we've now got new video, as I said, coming in to OUTFRONT of the incident in Minneapolis that shows the moments leading up to the shooting. And I'm going to speak to the two witnesses who filmed this encounter with these videos.

But first, let's go to Sara Sidner. She is OUTFRONT live in Minneapolis.

And, Sara, you were there when Alex Pretti was killed. You were there when Minneapolis erupted afterwards. And now, obviously, Bovino leaving -- real repercussions from him are very significant. But what are protesters telling you?

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are significant from a 35,000-foot view. But on the ground, it's too little, too late.

[19:05:01]

They have already killed two American citizens and shot another person in less than a month. And people here are like, look, we have asked again and again for ICE to leave this community, not just the protesters, not just the resident, not just some of the business owners here, but the governor and the mayor.

And so, for those who are here, those who are mourning Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked at the veterans hospital, for them, it is almost a slap in the face. They want ICE and federal agents out of here. All of them. Not some of them, not a few of them. All of them.

Now, I just want to give you a set, the scene here, because this band is coming forward and you can you can hear them as they come. This is the same group of people who showed up for the 50-some-thousand odd march. That was an economic blackout. People took to the streets over the weekend, and you're hearing the sounds of that same band coming up here, almost like a second line that you would see in Louisiana as part of this mourning process.

And, Erin, this is the growing, the ever growing memorial that you are seeing here. You're seeing candles, you're seeing messages. But something that was really struck a chord is if you zoom in, jerry, you will see stethoscopes hanging from nurses, from fellow members of the medical community trying to remind people of the humanity of Alex Pretti, not the moments of his death, not -- certainly not what the administration has been saying about him calling him all manner of things and people here feel like they have just slandered a dead man's name. They want to remember the beautiful things that Alex Pretti did for his community, and that is what they certainly intend to do -- Erin.

BURNETT: Sara Sidner, thank you very much, at that memorial in Minneapolis.

And as this new video is coming in to OUTFRONT, Kyung Lah is here analyzing every detail of the images of the shooting now, so crucial for this whole country, what led up to it, and then what happened immediately afterwards. She's put all of this together. I want to warn you, of course, that what you will see is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In new witness video, we are getting our earliest look at the moments before Alex Pretti is shot and killed. We can now piece together six minutes before the shooting. This new video and multiple others analyzed by CNN do not capture any violent actions by protesters or Pretti. And Pretti's handgun legally owned and carried, was removed by a federal officer just before Pretti was killed.

As officers cluster on the sidewalk outside a donut store. Pretti is across the street with two officers. Seconds later, one of those officers pushes Pretti. Pretti family and friends say he was a V.A. nurse and someone deeply connected to the community. He joined the citizen effort to protest in the wake of Renee Good's death.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claims Pretti's motivation was this.

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.

LAH (voice-over): The multiple videos, interviews and witness statements so far do not support that claim. Pretti has a cell phone lifted, appearing to be recording.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're legal observers.

LAH (voice-over): A witness says about 15 observers were on the street watching the officers after that first exchange with the officer. Seconds later, someone standing near Pretti is on the ground. Agents appear to restrain that person. Then several officers run across the street.

For a couple more minutes. Pretti, seen in a separate video, continues moving traffic and helps this witness find a parking spot. But then, another confrontation. An officer shoves a woman wearing an orange backpack to the ground. Pretti steps in between the woman and the officer and is sprayed in the face. This is the account from a top Border Patrol official.

BOVINO: He brought a semiautomatic weapon to a riot, assaulted federal officers, and at some point, they saw that weapon.

LAH (voice-over): Video analyzed so far does not support that there was a riot or that Pretti assaulted federal officers as the officers pulled Pretti to the ground. He has one hand in the air and the other holding his cell phone. Pretti did have a legal permit to carry and had a handgun in his waistband.

When we freeze the video, you can see the gun visible on his back. This agent, wearing a gray jacket, removes his gun. A moment later, the first gunshot this officer, wearing a black beanie and a green shirt, has his gun aimed at Pretti. Pretti is kneeling, looking down. There are a total of ten gunshots.

A second officer wearing a brown hat also has his gun drawn, but it's unclear if he fired.

A full minute after Pretti was shot, agents search Pretti in confusion, trying to locate the gun.

(VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (on camera): A witness of the shooting says in a court affidavit that they didn't see Pretti touch any of the agents, and they don't know why they shot him. A licensed pediatrician who ran to administer medical aid to Pretti also says in another court affidavit that the officers appeared to be counting bullet wounds instead of checking for a pulse and administering CPR. That doctor, Erin, says that Pretti had three bullet holes in his back, one to his upper left chest, and possibly another gunshot wound to his neck -- Erin.

BURNETT: Four, possibly five. All right. Thank you very much, Kyung Lah, going through all of that video.

So now, as promised, I want to go to two witnesses who each recorded crucial video at the scene of the shooting -- Dustin Nelson and Jessie Schlosser-Craddock.

And I appreciate both of you. Dustin, we just saw some of your video there at the end of Kyung Lah's reporting, and I'll show again the moment of the shooting, which you also filmed. It is very disturbing, but there's something important in here that I want you to be able to respond to.

So let me play this.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BURNETT: So, Dustin, as you heard those shots, I can't imagine the shock that you may have gone into in that instant. What do you remember about that moment?

DUSTIN NELSON, CAPTURED VIDEO OF PRETTI SHOOTING: Yeah. It's hard to say. I mean, I at that moment, you know, I had started to pull my car out because it shortly before that, it seemed that things were potentially de-escalating. You know, I saw the gun come out -- you know, and I honestly, in that as that happened, I couldn't believe that what I was seeing. I -- I was trying to come up with explanations in my head of other things that could have just happened because why? Yeah. I can't believe that. You know, I'm just trying to go get a coffee and I -- here -- see what I saw.

BURNETT: Jessie, I know you've lived in that area for over 10 years. You were on your way to work. So, then you see Alex, Pretti and agents outside the donut shop. So you see them start to interact or maybe escalate into a confrontation showing some of the video that you filmed at the scene. And you did have a very clear view of some of their interaction right

prior to the shooting, as they're -- they're talking to each other, getting closer. What stood out to you?

JESSIE SCHLOSSER-CRADDOCK, CAPTURED VIDEO OF PRETTI AND AGENTS MOMENTS BEFORE SHOOTING: I mean, the thing that stood out to me was that he was calm. There was no way that he was the one escalating this. He was doing exactly what I have done, what so many of us that live in Minneapolis have done, we were recording the ICE agents because they need cameras on them to keep them accountable for their actions, because God knows what -- what happens if they aren't being filmed. Yeah, so just them coming at him -- yeah, go ahead.

BURNETT: So, they were coming at him and his and his being so calm. I mean, that that is just an incredible part of this, right? When you think about how it ended, the way it ended, and just how shocking that that is for anyone watching. But I can only imagine what it was like for you. And you're there at your neighborhood to see something like this.

Dustin, in your video, there is another moment and people have been talking about this in your video, so I want to just pull this up. This is the agent we've highlighted it here, clapping after the shooting. All right. So people are saying, oh, he's clapping celebrating. He's clapping. Sort of this is over or nobody knows how to interpret this moment.

But you were actually there. So the video is hard to interpret, but you have context around it. How do you interpret that clapping?

NELSON: You know, I can't say exactly what, they intended there. As I was sitting there, kind of in shock, and in that moment, I remember seeing that and thinking it was kind of a, hey, let's wrap it up and get out of here. Kind of like clap.

But, you know, I didn't know. And they were moving away, and I was watching what was happening, my impulse was to move toward it, see what was happening.

[19:15:06]

BURNETT: Right, right. And as you say, it absolutely could have been, let's wrap it up, which also is incongruous in the, in the, in the context of what happened. But also, I mean, absolutely, you know, could be the case. You were there.

So, Jessie, there was another moment in your video that we have slowed down and in this case, we've highlighted Alex Pretti because the DHS secretary says -- Kristi Noem says that Pretti was brandishing a weapon. She used the word brandishing.

So that's why I'm highlighting this moment, because in his hand here, we see a cell phone, right? And he almost is backing up, making sure as anyone can imagine, if you're trying to film, right, making sure that the filming stays in place, if someone's getting in close to you, right, you're backing up to make sure that it keeps recording. Okay? All we see there in his hand is a cell phone. So, when she says that

he was brandishing a weapon, do you have any idea from what you saw, what she's talking about?

SCHLOSSER-CRADDOCK: I think she's lying. I think it's a blatant lie from Kristi Noem, the DHS and this administration. He didn't have a weapon. I never saw a weapon once when I was on the scene. He -- he wasn't coming at anybody. He was filming. It was a cell phone in his hand. It was clearly a cell phone in his hand. There's no one that would look at that and think it is anything else.

BURNETT: So, Dustin, you're a reporter. Okay, Bring Me the News is where you work. Obviously, though, as you say, you were going to get a cup of coffee. You were not working when you happened to come on the scene. Right? This is -- this is where you live, right? So you're living your life.

But as a reporter, something like this happens. So, of course, you whip out your phone and you start to roll. In fact, you actually get out of your car. You identify yourself to the agents as a reporter. I want to play part of that moment because you did record it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLPI)

NELSON: Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm media. Come on, she said -- she's a medic.

ICE AGENT: I need you to back up.

NELSON: I'm media. Why do I have to --

ICE AGENT: Back up, back up!

NELSON: Why do I have to back up?

ICE AGENT: Back up, sir, back up. We're going to do a scene right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And now you're saying a media and he's saying back up, back up. We see him obviously walking towards you and pushing you back. What was that -- was that moment like?

NELSON: It was pretty intense. You know, even when I was allowed to leave the scene, I didn't know Mr. Pretti was alive. I, you know. Yeah, it was intense to see someone there, to see officers around them and have someone, you know, shortly before that, I asked if they'd called 911. They kind of nodded. And, didn't ask for any assistance there. They didn't care that I was saying, there's a medic here. Yeah.

And then to in that moment, after having seen that, to have someone, you know, with their weapon drawn, march toward me and start pushing me. Yeah, it's intense because you don't expect this to happen. And so, then you don't know. I mean, I feel like you can't expect anything. Theres you just don't know what's going to happen, because I didn't think that's going to happen. So I assume this person's not going to do anything, but you don't

know.

BURNETT: You don't know. It's incredibly unsettling. And I appreciate both of you very much, Jesse, Dustin, for coming on and talking about this. Thank you.

SCHLOSSER-CRADDOCK: Thank you.

NELSON: Pleasure.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MADEL, MN GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I cannot support the national Republican stated retribution on the citizens of our state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: That's a top Republican candidate in the race for Minnesota governor. He's ending his bid tonight after the death of Alex Pretti says he can no longer identify as a Republican.

Plus, I'll talk to a doctor who mentored Pretti. They worked together for six years, and there's something she wants you to know about her friend.

And the discombobulator. Trump claims it's a secret new weapon used in the operation to capture Maduro. But the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says he's never heard of it. Senator Warner is my guest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:23:59]

BURNETT: Breaking news, dropping out. A top Republican candidate for governor of Minnesota. Dropping out of the race, saying, quote, at the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them I believe I did what was right.

Chris Madel ending his campaign and also citing the, quote, "retribution" of national Republicans against Minnesota, issuing this statement after the killing of Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADEL: I cannot support the national Republican stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Chris Madel is OUTFRONT now, and his first national television interview since dropping out of the race.

And Chris, I appreciate your time. And I know speaking out is not something that anyone does lightly right now. And you're choosing to do so.

You posted that 11-minute video. I hope people will watch in full where you explained ending your campaign. I just played a little part of it there, but when you talk about Republican retribution on Minnesota, what do you mean by that?

[19:25:00]

MADEL: The president posted something on Truth Social saying that it was a time of reckoning and retribution on the citizens of my state, and I've seen that happen, and I cannot be a part of it, and I can't be a part of -- part of a party that's a part of that.

BURNETT: I mean, obviously, this is, as I say, to say the very least, not done lightly. And it also, I mean, there's just your personal success right now. You made the decision even as your candidacy struck a chord, you were finishing in the top three out of about a dozen candidates in straw polls among GOP voters, right? So you were rising to the top of the GOP party.

Why did you feel then that this was a moral imperative?

MADEL: Well, because I've talked to numerous people in my state that are getting pulled over because of the color of their skin detained, the color of their skin. They've got the federal government saying that they can raid a house on the basis of a Border Patrol agent, as opposed to going to a neutral magistrate judge or Article Three judge. This is just unconstitutional.

It's -- more importantly than that, it's just wrong. And to try to dress that up and say that this is some sort of, you know, law enforcement maneuver, it's just not. I support the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, the idea of getting rid of the worst of the worst. And they did some of that, but it has gone so far beyond that goal that it just got to a point where I just literally cannot support that. I can't look my daughters in the eye and say, yeah, I'm doing the right thing by continuing this campaign, by being a member of this effort.

BURNETT: You were -- you were, I believe, aware of even law enforcement who were pulled over by state law enforcement, city law enforcement pulled over because they were Hispanic or Asian?

MADEL: Yes. I've spoken to several law enforcement officers that said that they were pulled over on pretextual stops by ICE because they said that they were speeding when they said that they weren't, and they when I asked them point blank, do you believe that you were pulled over because of the color of your skin? They said, yes.

And again, remember, ICE does not have the authority to pull you over for speeding. You know, they have a very limited charter to investigate Title 18 federal crimes. They can't even do that. But these people, these officers felt that they had to stop because, you know, their emergency lights were on and they didn't want to get into a dangerous situation. So they did that.

And once they identified themselves as law enforcement officers, then they went away. But it's wrong. I mean, one of these officers was driving his little sister to school. And I mean, you can't put your little sister in a situation like that and try to get combative and tell them what they're doing is the wrong thing.

BURNETT: No, and it's humiliating.

MADEL: It is.

BURNETT: One argument that the administration is making about Alex Pretti specifically, is about his gun. Now, obviously, we know he was a lawful gun owner. We know he had a concealed carry permit.

And we know others, whether it's Kyle Rittenhouse and other protest situations. Right. Had guns, people who have permits have guns, can have their guns.

But we have heard from some in this administration that Pretti shouldn't have had a gun and been near law enforcement and sort of the sentiment clearly being, if that's what you do, you might get what you get.

And the FBI director, Kash Patel, actually went further, saying it's against the law to bring a loaded firearm to a protest. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have that right to break the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: I mean, the NRA actually pushed back on that. As you know, Chris, cautioning people against demonizing law-abiding citizens. Right? Saying that the sentiment is dangerous and wrong, referring to an assistant attorney general who is making a similar argument. What do you say to the FBI director

MADEL: I say the same thing that I did to a number of the Democrats that have kind of created a monumental mess in Minnesota, that they don't understand the law. And I mean, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, the NRA is pushing back on these people. They have a constitutional right in order to bear arms, especially when they have a permit. Just going outside with a gun does not mean that you can get shot by federal law enforcement officers. I mean, it's that basic.

But the very fact that we have the National Rifle Association and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus pushing back against your government. I mean, is, you know, it makes me kind of want to kind of tap the microphone and say, is this on? Is anybody listening here? I mean, this is serious. And this is just gotten to a point where its

just so incredibly out of hand that we honestly, in Minnesota, it's been such a national embarrassment here for years right now. And we are literally have children fighting children, children leading Minnesota and our cities and children in D.C. reacting to the children out here.

BURNETT: So, you know, when you talked about at the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them I believe I did what was right.

[19:30:00]

You know, I'm a parent. So many people watching are.

But tell me about why it was so important for your daughters to see you do this, Chris.

MADEL: When I look at my daughters, I want them -- like every other parent, I want -- I want them to have a better life than I did. But I also want them to know that I am leading by example. And when I want them to know that it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is, it doesn't matter where you came from. We need to treat everybody with a measure of humanity, and that's what it really means to be an American. That's what we are. We are a nation of immigrants.

And when we're treating United States citizens for their hiding in their homes right now in Minnesota, they're afraid to go outside. We have United States citizens because of their color, of their skin, are carrying papers, their passport with them, pictures of their passport because they're afraid of being picked up by the federal government. That is antithetical to everything our country is about. Literally everything.

And I want my daughters to know that. I stood up and said, no. It's far more important to me that I said no to this. Then I become the Republican gubernatorial candidate, you know, and see my name in lights with respect to that.

There are some things that are far more important than just running for office. And I needed them to know that.

BURNETT: Chris, thank you very much. I appreciate your time tonight.

MADEL: It's my pleasure. Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, we have breaking news. We are just learning that the Department of Homeland Security has just suspended Gregory Bovino access to his social media accounts. Obviously, a very significant development as the Trump administration is moving Bovino out of Minnesota.

Plus, Venezuela's acting president with a tough message for Trump tonight, one that could put Venezuela on a collision course with the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:35:58]

BURNETT: Breaking news, CNN just learning the Department of Homeland Security has suspended Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino access to his social media accounts, effective immediately. A significant reprimand, it appears. Sources telling CNN that Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis tomorrow. Another blow to Bovino.

Priscilla Alvarez is breaking this news and joins us now on the phone.

Priscilla, you know, this comes after Bovino has been front and center in Minneapolis. He's also the one who said Alex Pretti was planning some sort of a mass depraved shooting against federal officers, which video contradicts? What are you learning here?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yeah, Erin, the reason that this is notable is because Bovino often used his social media accounts during the course of these operations. He used it to thank supporters of his. He also used it to spar with local officials.

And so, the reason that this is, again, so significant is because this was the medium that we often heard so much from Bovino from including, if you recall, his Hollywood style videos that him and his team would post as they got to different cities. And now we're learning that his access to those accounts has been suspended.

Now, I also think it's worth noting here that Homeland Security Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin did put out a statement on next, where she said that she, Gregory Bovino, has not been relieved of his duties as the White House press secretary stated from the White House podium, he is a key part of the president's team and a great American. So I'm paraphrasing some of that here.

But what the department is trying to make clear this evening is that he still maintains his role as a chief patrol agent at the U.S. Border Patrol. But of course, it is a blow to him and to the agency that he was with to now be sidelined in Minneapolis, where again, he was a key player in the crackdown on cities and had been for over the course of the last year -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Priscilla, thank you very much. And obviously, a very significant development. They can mince words and dance around words all they want, but obviously this is important.

Also tonight, remembering Alex Pretti. Now joining me is Dr. Aasma Shaukat who mentored and worked with Alex at the Minneapolis V.A.

And, Dr. Shaukat, as I said, I'm very glad to see you. Although I'm sorry for these circumstances that we're talking under.

You worked with Alex for six years, right? So, you knew him well and you would have worked in, you know, incredibly difficult and exhausting situations where you really know a person and you really see a person for who they are. So, when you are on Saturday morning going about your life, getting ready for a storm, and you see this happen in Minneapolis, and then you see it's Alex Pretti, what in the world did you think?

DR. AASMA SHAUKAT, PHYSICIAN WHO MENTORED AND HIRED ALEX PRETTI AT MINNEAPOLIS VA: It was complete disbelief and utter shock. I couldn't believe that this was our Alex the Alex we knew and the way I found out is through a group text which Alex is on. And it's our research group that always used to text on the same group. And we just -- we're all completely in shock and very, very devastated.

BURNETT: I can only imagine if he's in that group and you see his number on there and maybe hoping, oh, he'll respond.

SHAUKAT: Absolutely.

BURNETT: He'll respond. And of course, we understand his phone. It appears Priscilla had been reporting is in federal custody. We don't know what we know. We don't even know what's on it. We know now your text messages are there.

You said he had talked to you a lot about what he considered his civic duty and automatically going to think that -- that people like you and like he who are dedicating yourselves and working at a place like a veterans hospital, right? I mean, it -- people who walk the walk. Does it surprise you at all that he was protesting ICE, that he was out also doing that?

SHAUKAT: Yeah. Knowing what I know of Alex, it does not surprise me at all that he was part of a peaceful process. He was all about being a good citizen, standing up for your neighbors, your community, and, you know, standing up for what he believed was unjust or unfair.

[19:40:05]

And so, the fact that he was at a peaceful protest does not at all surprise me. That would be very much Alex.

BURNETT: And, you know, it's interesting "The Washington Post", they had a friend of his who had said that he had been going to some of these to try to help people if anybody was injured, right? That he was using his medical skills. The families of one of the patients at the V.A. shared a video, and they showed Pretti honoring that veterans service, and I wanted to play a part of that for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX PRETTI, ICU NURSE: Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it. May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served, so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom.

So in this moment we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of our freedom. In this solemn hour, we render our honor and our gratitude.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: I find that so valuable because were actually seeing him in his environment and seeing him talk, right, when all we've seen is him film and die thousands of times on our screen. To be crass but blunt about it. What was he like with patients?

SHAUKAT: He was exactly like you saw in the video. He was very calm and, always you know, he was on the quieter side, but always very articulate. And he had a lot of empathy and compassion that shone through. So, you know, when he first started working as a research assistant and there was a lot of explaining the study, recruiting patients. You could tell he really connected with the -- with patients, particularly veterans that he thought were a vulnerable group. And he truly believed he was helping them. And not everybody can do that as easily as Alex.

BURNETT: No, and what you're saying fits, though, also with people who didn't know him at all. Right. We're just filming. They were just talking about how calm he seemed in that moment, which, which fits with what you're saying is someone who knew him so well. I'm sorry for your loss -- your shocking and sudden loss.

SHAUKAT: Thank you so much.

BURNETT: And next, Trump touting a secret new U.S. weapon that he calls the discombobulator. Does it actually exist?

Plus, China's Xi Jinping purging his most senior general. It is a stunning development, reportedly accusing a man who is also his longtime friend of leaking nuclear secrets to the United States. The stunning details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:45:35]

BURNETT: Tonight, more Republicans demanding answers from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Senator John Curtis of Utah just writing, "I disagree with Secretary Noem's premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence."

Significant statement. And it comes in the context of more than 100 House Democrats calling for Noem's actual impeachment.

Senator Mark Warner is OUTFRONT now. He is the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Senator, so much to ask you about. Of course, but here we are talking about this crisis in the United States. You heard Senator Curtis, your colleague there, Republican. Now, though, many Democrats are calling for Secretary Noem's actual impeachment. Those 100 house Democrats I just referred to.

Are you one of them? Do you agree?

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Listen, I think Kristi Noem should have never gotten the job in the first place. And if the president had any sense of responsibility, he would fire her. We'll see what comes over from the house. But remember, we've got an American city, a great American city that has been basically occupied by 3,500 ICE agents, obviously not well trained, way more than the local police department in Minneapolis.

And the idea that my Republican friends, who maybe have finally found their voice, who used to be for local government and the 10th Amendment, are now seeing this federal takeover and not raising their voices or not being concerned about the fact that the state and local government is not able to, at least so far, do an investigation of these shootings, it's -- you didn't think this stuff would happen in our country.

BURNETT: I mean, you know, we've heard Republicans now coming out and calling for investigations into Alex Pretti shooting. And as you point out, we didn't hear that in many times. But even with Renee Nicole Good, right? We didn't hear that right? That many of them were moved to back Trump in this case, it has been different in terms of the number thus far.

I'm curious, Senator, as you talk to your Republican colleagues, do you think more will follow? Is this an important inflection point or not?

WARNER: Erin, I pray so, but I've been disappointed so many times. You know, I've been accused of being too bipartisan. And this last year has been heartbreaking to me where I see on national security issues and time after time, people not find their voices.

You can see with your own eyes if you watch this video what happened to Mr. Pretti. You know? And the fact that he had a phone, not a gun, that he was surrounded.

You know, it's -- and the idea that the administration is -- you point it out and Senator Curtis made mention of this. They were calling him a terrorist before they knew who he was. This was an ICU nurse in the V.A. hospitals. Everything I've heard about him was he's a pretty remarkable man exercising his First Amendment rights, and now he's dead.

BURNETT: I also want to ask you, as you talk about the context of so much going on here, what is happening in Venezuela. You know, the acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, spoke out not long ago, just -- just now saying enough of foreign powers. And in that context, President Trump just told "The New York Post" that a secret new U.S. weapon was used in that operation that captured Maduro to shut down Venezuelan equipment.

He said the discombobulator, I'm not allowed to talk about it. They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked.

Now, a senior U.S. official tells us, Senator, that Trump may be conflating several capabilities into a single weapon that doesn't actually exist. So I'm just curious what he described here, obviously, is quite significant. I mean, do you know of a weapon that either is or is casually referred to as the discombobulator?

WARNER: I have never heard that term before, although I have to acknowledge that this administration, unlike even the first Trump administration, has not shared with even the Gang of Eight the level of intelligence they should.

But, Erin, if you look back, it's been a pretty wild first three and a half weeks of January. We've now got 20 percent of our navy off the coast of Venezuela, blockading that country to keep them from dispersing oil. That's meant that when the Iranian people were rising up, we didn't have forces in the Middle East when we should have been calling upon our European allies to put more pressure on the Iranian regime, Trump was threatening to break up NATO with his threats over Greenland.

[19:50:15]

In between all this time, people may have forgotten we've had a federal indictment brought against the chairman of the Federal Reserve undermining the intelligence, undermining the independence of our monetary system. And at the same time, we've had this horrific federal takeover in these killings in Minnesota. You know what is happening? The people who are most reveling in this first few weeks of 2026 are Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

And I just -- I hope and pray that my Republican friends in addition to John Curtis, will say no more. Is our national security, our basic value system, not worth fighting for and protecting? Is there not anything that is more important than standing behind sycophants to a president that is leading us terribly in the wrong direction?

BURNETT: So, after the operation in Venezuela, the White House press secretary referred to what happened as basically a Venezuelan security guard is who they pointed to of this person. And they quoted the person saying it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly, I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn't even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was.

I'm just curious, Senator, does this fit with anything? You know, the United States has. If so, are you okay if they used it in this context? If not, what do you make of this description, and the fact that President Trump is talking about it publicly?

WARNER: Well, first of all, I'm not going to discuss, you know, what may be classified information, but the description of the effects the Venezuelans mentioned there or this name of discombobulator, I've never heard, heard. And if I haven't heard, that is a misuse of our classified system as part of the Gang of Eight.

We are supposed to be the most trusted. This group has never leaked. I point out the fact that my, Marco Rubio was a member of that team, and he knows it never leaked.

So, I don't know what is being described. But I sure as hell want to find out.

BURNETT: Well, Senator Warner, we hope that you do, classified or not. And thank you very much, sir. I appreciate your time tonight.

WARNER: Thank you, Erin.

BURNETT: And next, China's military in crisis. With everything going on in the U.S., a stunning development after Xi Jinping purges his top general reportedly accusing him of leaking nuclear secrets. New details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:56:19]

BURNETT: Breaking news an extraordinary development in China. Xi Jinping purging China's top military general. "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that the top general is suspected of leaking nuclear secrets to the United States, which is a jaw dropping accusation to think about it. I mean, this is the top general. This is Xi's longtime personal friend. This is China. It's incomprehensible as the second most powerful position in the whole military.

Will Ripley is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the stunning fall of China's most powerful general. Zhang Youxia, battle-tested survivor and longtime lieutenant to President Xi Jinping, seen by many as untouchable until this -- a 32-second shock announcement from Chinas defense ministry.

Zhang is suspected of leaking information to the U.S., allegedly revealing secrets of China's nuclear weapons program. "The Wall Street Journal's" Lingling Wei reports, citing a high level Chinese military briefing.

LINGLING WEI, WSJ CHIEF CHINA CORRESPONDENT: Our reporting only shows that such a briefing happened and the leaking state secrets was one of the allegations that was disclosed during the briefing.

RIPLEY: Why would a Chinese general leak such sensitive information to the United States, if indeed that happened?

WEI: There are all kinds of speculations. There has been a track record of the party, you know, drumming up charges against people they wanted to take down.

RIPLEY (voice-over): General Zhang, second in command of the People's Liberation Army, behind only Xi himself, purged and accused of corruption, along with the PLA's top operational commander, Liu Zhenli.

Zhang and his boss share an elite upbringing, two sons of communist revolutionaries, making this purge earth shattering. Chinese state media accuses Zhang and Liu of undermining Xi's ultimate

authority over the military. China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, likely seeking an unprecedented fourth term next year, turning on lifelong allies and hand-picked proteges.

JONATHAN CZIN, FORMER CIA OFFICER: This really demonstrates nobody in that system is safe, truly.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Former CIA officer Jonathan Czin spent years analyzing China's military.

CZIN: Getting rid of somebody he's known for so long and talking about him violating the chairman responsibility system does make me wonder, is he starting to veer more into kind of a paranoid dictator mode?

RIPLEY (voice-over): The lack of clear answers is fueling intense online speculation. Inside China, government censors only allow comments supporting the investigation. Outside China, unverified rumors of a shootout between security teams loyal to Zhang and Xi. There's no evidence those claims are real.

Zhang now joins a long list, more than 20 senior military leaders removed since 2022.

CZIN: Xi has somehow concluded that the rot is so deep in the PLA and the mismanagement is so gross at the top that he needs to clean house with an entire generation of leaders.

RIPLEY: What happens to people when they're purged?

CZIN: They come out, they look gray, they look gaunt, they look haggard. It's pretty rough.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Imprisonment is common, execution still legally possible. In Xi Jinping's China, power offers no protection from the chairman's purge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: And right now, CNN's live signal is being blocked in China. This is a live picture from Beijing, where we've gone to bars and tone. Here in Taipei. Some people think the shocking news makes a Chinese attack on Taiwan less likely in the near term. But there's a worrying prospect of a new generation of younger, more aggressive generals taking over the military leadership, which could actually help Xi improve the PLA's combat readiness, Erin.

President Trump is planning to visit Beijing in April for these high- stakes negotiations with Xi. The topic of Taiwan is expected to come up.

BURNETT: Yeah. All right. Will Ripley, thank you very much.

Thanks to all of you.

Anderson starts now.