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Erin Burnett Outfront

Trump Avoids Talking Immigration As Crackdown Backfires; New Investigation On Pretti's Killing; DNI Spotted At Raid. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 29, 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:

Trump in rare form -- silent, silent on his signature issue, letting his border czar on the ground take the lead.

Plus, a new CNN investigation this hour focusing on the two officers in the moments before Alex Pretti was killed. Wait until you see here what this shows.

And Trump's director of national intelligence spotted as the FBI raided a Fulton County, Georgia, elections office. Why?

Well, she's reportedly now chasing down unfounded election fraud theories from 2020.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

(MUSIC)

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

OUTFRONT tonight, no questions. Trump silent on his top issue as polls show his crackdown in Minnesota taking a toll.

Today, the president holding his first cabinet meeting of the meeting of the year. And this cabinet meeting is unlike any of the others because they all have had a lot in common. The border and immigration issue is barely mentioned, so that -- that was different to start with. And then there was the really big difference. One thing that happened today usually never happens at these sorts of meetings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Mr. President, why not take questions? Why not take questions, Mr. President?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: He didn't take questions. I got to say this president loves to take questions. You got to give him credit for that. He likes to. But today nothing.

And not just at that meeting just a short time ago, he again refused to take questions after an event in the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Please.

COLLINS: Mr. President, can you respond to the new Fox poll that says people think ICE is a tactics are too aggressive?

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Trump is someone who for years has used these types of events to take control of the narrative. And often to say, yeah, people who think this looks bad, I'm going to own it and show you that you've got a completely backwards. And what you think makes me look bad makes me look good.

Not this time. And he didn't even try to shift the nations attention to a different story. He didn't do it. In fact, normally at a cabinet meeting, we'd also hear something else. We would hear from every single person in the room. There would be the special go around, you know, the one where they thank Trump for his leadership.

But again, we did not hear this and we did not hear it from the woman tapped to carry out Trump's immigration orders -- Kristi Noem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Thank you for giving me a very interesting job.

You are a great American.

You -- even you kept the hurricanes away. So, we appreciate that.

So thank you for letting us get up every day and have a purpose.

Well, sir, thank you for your leadership.

Mr. President, first of all, thank you for the opportunity to work for you.

You made this country safe. You opened up the economy. You enforced the law. You saved this country billions of dollars.

So, with your leadership, Mr. President, I couldn't be more honored to serve.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BURNETT: Yeah. So those were all the other times that Kristi Noem has been in the room, and she's had those kinds of things to say. Well, today she didn't say a word. Not a word. None of those profligate praises. She was snubbed by the president, who purposely chose not to call on her. And several other cabinet members to speak. Also absent today was Trump's top aide, Stephen Miller. And while Miller does not always attend the cabinet meetings, his absence was felt in the context again of the moment that he just took the rare step of actually acknowledging a mistake when it comes to the administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, a crackdown that has led to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.

And today, the man who is now in charge of Minnesota, claiming he is drawing things down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: My main focus now is draw down. Yes, I said it. Draw down the number of people here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Okay, that takes some courage to just go out and eat crow and say, I'm just going to do it, okay? And he's the one doing it. He doesn't have any problem doing it. Homan stepping up to the plate there. That was welcome news to the people of Minnesota, but do they believe it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS, MN: We've had good and productive meetings with both, with both President Trump as well as the border czar Homan. And what I will say is I will believe it when I see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Now, while Homan is talking about a drawdown and again, you heard Mayor Frey, he'll believe it when he sees it. So, let's see what happens. But the words are very, very different now. The escalatory rhetoric, though, belongs to the man who replaced Gregory Bovino, who -- this is pretty incredible. He's speaking out again, breaking his silence after he got kicked out, releasing a video which he can't post on his own social media accounts because the administration took away his access. Okay, so he found a way to post it.

And Bovino is standing in front of Mount Rushmore in the video.

[19:05:02]

In the video, he claims the four men carved into the mountain are the original turn and burn, which is saying that Bovino is used to describe his agents' rapid, aggressive tactics and men. Bovino went on to say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG BOVINO, BORDER PATROL COMMANDER: I'm very proud of what you, the mean green machine, are doing in Minneapolis right now, just like you've done it across the United States over these past tough nine months. And I want you to know that you're the modern day equivalent of turn and burn. Makes me very proud. I also want you to know that I've got your back now and always.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Shimon Prokupecz is on the ground in Minneapolis.

And, Shimon, Bovino, obviously, I could see your reaction to that. So he's long gone out at Mount Rushmore doing that. And there you are on the ground where Homan is promising to draw down. What are you learning? I mean, what's the impact of that? Do people believe it? Is it happening?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: I mean, they're skeptical. Erin, is it happening? Yes. There is some indication, based on the chats that I've been following of the observers, right? People like Renee Good, people like Alex Pretti, these observers. You go in these chat rooms and you see that there's not as much activity.

There's still some -- people here are very paranoid, understandably, they're still living with a lot of fear because they don't believe what the government is telling them. It's a complete turnaround. You know, I was in that press conference with Homan today, and it was a complete turnaround.

They spent -- they had a week of where Bovino became truly the face -- became the face of this operation here and where he defended every tactic and told us how proud he was. And he defended the officers that were all part of it. And today, Homan comes in and says, you know what? Maybe everything wasn't perfect. And so, we're going to de- escalate.

And that's what the people here want. And they're hoping that continues. It's been a very cold week here. Next week, it's supposed to start to warm up a little bit. Tomorrow, there's going to be some protest activity.

Look, people right now here, Erin, you could just feel it. They're in mourning. They want to get back to living their lives.

Restaurant doors are closed. People don't go to supermarkets. Kids are not going to school. They're hoping -- they are hopeful that this will end and we'll see what happens. You know, they are optimistic, let's say for now, Erin.

BURNETT: I guess it's not a feeling, though, that they've had a lot of recently. So, it is a place to start.

PROKUPECZ: That's right.

BURNETT: We'll see what actually happens. You know what drawdown means.

All right. Shimon Prokupecz on the ground in Minneapolis, thank you very much. And everyone is here with me.

So, S.E., you know, I guess let's just start with Secretary Noem. All right. So, I mean, this is an incredibly rare moment. Let's just be honest, in this administration, every single time anything has gone wrong, it has been double down, triple down, up the ante.

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah.

BURNETT: The fact that Homan is eating crow for the administration that they had to put him there. Bovino is whatever.

CUPP: Yep.

BURNETT: And then Noem doesn't get called on. Miller's not at the meeting. And all these things taken together could mean something. And but what do you think about the fact that Trump doesn't even take questions?

CUPP: Yeah, it's interesting, because Trump -- when Trump is against the ropes and in the middle of a really bad news cycle he can't get out of, he has a tell. He does this two-step combo of hold a cabinet meeting where everyone's going to praise him and do a social media blitz. He did that last night.

You showed footage from a December 2nd cabinet meeting the same day. He did a 180-post social media blitz. It soothes his soul.

BURNETT: A hundred eighty?

CUPP: A hundred eighty posts.

BURNETT: Wow.

CUPP: It was the most he'd ever done, on December 2nd. Because it soothes his soul. It he thinks, distracts, get -- rejiggers the news cycle. And I think that's what the social media blitz last night and this cabinet meeting was about.

But the not going to Kristi Noem not taking questions, putting tom Homan in, getting rid of Bovino. The question is, is this a PR move or is it a tactical change? You can't just -- I think they think maybe we can just do the P.R. move. So, we have the appearance of changing course, but were still going to do what we want to do. That's not going to fly.

We have to see if there's actual action behind what tom Homan is saying. Is he going to coordinate with Dem lawmakers and law enforcement? We've got to see.

BURNETT: Right. And Tom Homan obviously is someone with a long and respected career, right, Max? So that's important that he's there as opposed to some of the other characters that have been involved.

Why? What do you think, though, about Trump's behavior? I mean, for him alone, and I'm not saying this to be funny or trite, but for him to not go around the room and get the praise, he does that publicly. I know people who have been in private, small group meetings with him. He demands it in every one of those two. This is different. MAX ROSE (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: It's different because

Trump realizes that the country is waking up to the craziness that is his administration, and specifically their immigration policies. Trump put such extreme people in charge here from Stephen Miller to the head of, you know, the Border Patrol, who we just saw the video from that tom Homan looks like a progressive liberal right now.

Tom Homan, the guy that said he wants to do raids in every city to arrest every undocumented immigrant, irrespective of their criminal background, even just for being there peacefully in their own home. That Tom Homan now looks liberal compared to Trump's policy.

CUPP: He doesn't look liberal, but at least he looks competent.

ROSE: At the very least, he's being celebrated because the rest of the crazies are not in charge.

BURNETT: Yeah, he is being so, yeah.

ROSE: But what people are waking up to is that Donald Trump built a paramilitary force to wage a forever war in American cities. He doesn't have to use the national guard any longer. He doesn't have to use the active duty because he has this unprecedented paramilitary force that bends to his will and bends to Stephen Miller's will. We have never seen something like that in this country. And the American people are rightfully revolting against it.

BURNETT: So, Laura Jedeed, you're there, and you've been writing about ICE. Obviously. So many incredible articles, including,, you know, the fact that you almost got hired by ICE, right? I mean, when you were talking about their hiring practices.

So, you're on the ground in Minneapolis tonight. When we are talking here about Tom Homan and he's there talking about that drawdown. You know, how do people see it? Is he seen as the liberal, the adult in the room?

LAURA JEDEED, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: People are concerned about ICE conducting raids. As long as ICE is conducting raids, they're going to resist. And when ICE stops conducting raids, they'll go back to everyday life, which everyone I've spoken to would really, really like to do. And I got to say, I mean, I watched Tom Homan speech and while his tone was different and I don't want to downplay the fact that he actually admitted a mistake and that Bovino being replaced is the first time Trump's done that in his second term, his rhetoric wasn't actually that different than Bovino.

He did. He admitted something had been wrong, but he wouldn't say what despite a lot of questioning about it, he spent more time talking about prosecuting people who are constitutionally resisting ICE's efforts in this city than he did about prosecuting the people who murdered Alex, Pretti or Renee Good. And he for me, the most telling thing was when he referred to Minneapolis as a theater. He talked about how ICE agents were rotating in and out of theater.

That is the word you use for a war zone. That is not -- this is an American city. This is Minneapolis, Minnesota, to use that word, I think really betrays the way they're looking at it. And they can use a reasonable tone of voice all they want and talk in a slow and somber tone and admit to generic mistakes and not specify what they are, but the actual words haven't changed that much. And I think people on the ground are going to believe it when they see it. They hear the words and the tone I don't think is hitting well.

BURNETT: That's the big question, S.E., because when Tom Homan talked about the drawdown, to Laura's point, let me just play what he said about the mistakes, okay? Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOMAN: President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made. That's exactly what I'm doing here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Right. So, he -- as Laura is saying, he didn't then go through to detail. Know any of those things.

CUPP: And she's right. He didn't sound all that different. Look, Trump is being pulled in two directions. On the one hand, he has Republican lawmakers in an election year begging him to change course. He's got right wing media saying, this is a PR nightmare. You might want to reconsider this action.

But his base still very much wants the action. They'll sit through a pr bait and switch the window dressing, but they still want these operations to continue. And Trump is very aware of that.

So, he's got, you know, folks like Stephen Miller pushing him to the far right. I think Susie Wiles in the White House is trying to nudge him toward a better strategy. I think Tom Homan is kind of in the middle of all of this, trying to bridge all the divides and gaps. He can't go farther and give detail and say, more than what, you know, Trump is willing to say, but he does want to appear to be taking the temperature down.

BURNETT: Well, also, I mean, the bar has moved, Max, let's just be honest of what people will accept, right? It has I mean, this is happening in cities around the country, right? Minnesota is just I mean, its happening in other cities, in many other states, even as we speak. Right? And people have in a sense, I don't know, but societally accepted some of this.

ROSE: Well, I don't know if that's true, because ICE has completely lost the trust of the American people.

[19:15:01]

Right now, the American people don't look at ICE as law enforcement, like we look at our police officers who are there to keep communities safe. They're looking at ICE -- and I believe this is justified as an unprecedented paramilitary force that does not serve a public safety purpose.

And so long as that is the case, irrespective of wherever ICE goes, it will not be civil, it will not be embraced by communities. It certainly won't be embraced by local elected leaders, and it will continue to be to the detriment of this president.

BURNETT: So then then I guess that raises the question, and I think everyone should care about this, of who's going to work for ICE. First of all, there's plenty of great people who work for ICE, and there's people who have come to ICE who maybe are not the kinds of people that you would want in ICE.

But we would all like our Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to be something people are proud of and proud to be part of, as opposed to something else. Laura, which, you know, brings me to your experience, right? You applied to work there. You wrote about this for "Slate". You and I talked about it here on the show.

You say, ICE offered you a job, even though they could have just Googled you and seen all of your work and known exactly who you were. You know that you were very critical of ICE and President Trump. I know today you testified about this, Laura, in front of the Minnesota Senate. What did you say?

JEDEED: Well, I mean, I told the story and I also went into DHS response, a really lack of response. The only thing they've said about this story was to call it a lazy lie on Twitter. They have not responded to screenshots and videos of exactly what I describe in the story.

And to me, this really cements that there's a problem here, because this shouldn't be a partisan issue. Even if you care very much about the safety of ICE officers, if that is your primary concern, you should be concerned that there might be people who are slipping through the cracks on background checks, and the fact that they're not even curious enough to look into it.

I think that speaks to a deeper dysfunction than any leadership or any -- this isn't something that I think can be fixed with training. It's the attitude that's wrong. Somebody earlier said, this is a paramilitary force and this that. That seems to be what this is. This doesn't seem to be for the American people or for the safety of anyone. They seem very indifferent to that.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much. I appreciate your time tonight.

And we do have this new investigation I mentioned at the top of the program. And this is really important. It's into the actions of the two officers involved in Alex Pretti killing. So, what exactly were they doing before and during the incident? You're going to see this. We're going to break this down.

And then Trump's director of national intelligence facing growing questions after appearing at that FBI raid on a Georgia elections facility. It wasn't part of the Greenland conversation. So, what is she doing in Georgia?

And the wife of Bruce Willis opening up and sharing new details tonight about her husband's heartbreaking battle with dementia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA WILLIS, WIFE OF BRUCE WILLIS: He's doing really well with a very unkind disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:22:19]

BURNETT: Breaking news, just moments ago, President Trump finally took a question for the first time today. Here he is digging in on immigration.

(BEGIN VDIEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Pulling back immigration enforcement agents out of Minnesota.

TRUMP: Keep our country safe. We'll do whatever we can to keep our country safe.

REPORTER: Are you pulling back?

TRUMP: No, no, not at all.

REPORTER: Sir, Mr. President, what are your --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: He was there, as you could see, at the movie premiere for the documentary. The -- well, authorized documentary of Melania. It comes as we have a new CNN analysis focusing on the two officers who are now placed on administrative leave after the killing of Alex Pretti. And this is really important new stuff you're going to see here.

This report looks specifically at their movements before and during the shooting.

Gianna Toboni is OUTFRONT, and I will warn you that the video that we are about to show and you'll see these new parts of is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GIANNA TOBONI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This CNN analysis focuses on the two officers that raised their guns, seen here. One wearing a green shirt and black hat and the other in a tan beanie, and sheds light on how their actions escalated the situation before it became deadly.

At 8:56 a.m., we see this officer in the green shirt for the first time in this video. Later, you'll see he's wearing a bulletproof vest labeled "U.S. Border Patrol", along with a patch of the state flag of Texas.

Here he is on Nicollet Avenue. You can see him shaking his spray as the sound of whistles blare in the background. We see Alex Pretti for the first time here in a video filmed from a car driving by.

Pretti and three other people are across the street. They're standing next to a federal officer. Seconds later, an officer pushes Pretti to the sidewalk. Pretti is filming while stepping backwards.

A moment later, this person falls to the ground as an officer begins to restrain him. The officer in the green shirt rushes over to assist him. Together, they dragged this person off the street as protesters yell at the agents.

That first officer in the green shirt would next be seen sitting inside his car here.

We now want to turn your attention to the second officer wearing a tan beanie. According to a report from Customs and Border Protections investigative body. Officers ordered these female civilians and later Pretti, to move out of the roadway, and they did not. At that time, Pretti can be seen directing traffic past the officers and protesters. The officer in the tan beanie shoves the two women in the middle of the street, prompting Pretti to yell out.

[19:25:03]

ALEX PRETTI, ICU NURSE: Hey, do not push them into the traffic!

TOBONI (voice-over): Watching the shoving across the street, the officer in the green shirt is now standing outside of his car. Meanwhile, the officer in the tan beanie turns his attention to Pretti, pushing him out of the way before shoving one of the women to the ground.

Pretti steps between them and the officer. Pepper sprays him in the face as Pretti tries to help the woman to her feet. Multiple officers grab him and pull him to the ground.

At this point, the officer, wearing the green shirt and black hat approaches. You can see him reach for his spray here and then attempt to use it on the people pushed against the car. It appears to malfunction.

As we slow this footage down. You can see that he then turns toward Pretti, who is being held down by other agents. According to CBP, they were attempting to take Pretti into custody and that he resisted. Based on these videos, Pretti can be seen on the ground with more than five officers around him. At this exact moment.

On the other side of the scrum, the officer in the tan beanie starts beating Pretti in the head with a metal spray canister. Another officer in a gray coat removes Pretti's handgun from his waistband directly in front of the officer in the green shirt here, though, it's unclear if he sees it. He pushes the officer in the gray coat to the side, drawing his gun and pointing it at Pretti, who is down on his knees, bent forward. One second later, we hear the first gunshot.

The officer in the green shirts gun now becomes visible again. We see him fire the second, third and fourth shots. We can see the officer in the tan beanie raise his gun in a fifth shot is heard while the other officers gun is pointed to the ground.

There's a one second pause where Pretti is lying on the ground, face up. He appears to be completely incapacitated.

Then the officer in the green shirt points his gun again shots. Six. Seven, eight, nine, and ten are all fired while Pretti is lying face up on the street. This officer fired at least four of those five shots. You can see the recoil in bullet casings, eject. The other officers have all backed away by this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: Obviously very powerful, important and very hard to watch reporting.

CNN reached out to the DHS for comment, and a spokesperson told us in part, many of our agents have backgrounds in the military or local law enforcement and border patrol agents receive extensive federal law enforcement training at federal enforcement, law enforcement training centers, just as ICE officers do.

Well, next, the director of national intelligence reportedly spending months, months chasing Trump's conspiracy theories, which are utterly untrue about the 2020 election, even showing up at an FBI raid at a Fulton County election facility.

The congresswoman, whose district includes Fulton County, is next.

Plus, is China sending Trump a message tonight? Now rolling out the red carpet for yet another of America's top ally. Maybe our top, top ally now in Beijing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:33:11]

BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump just defending National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard's controversial visit to a Fulton County election office yesterday. That's where local officials say the FBI seized 700 boxes of 2020 election material.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She's working very hard on trying to keep the election safe, and she's done a very good job and --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Trump's comments just now, coming just hours after "The Wall Street Journal" reported that Gabbard has spent months, months of her time leading the administration's efforts to reexamine the 2020 election to look for potential crimes, an effort that includes Gabbard studying information about voting machines and pursuing unfounded theories pushed by Trump spending months doing that. Although reportedly not anywhere near the Maduro take down.

This apparently is what was happening. Gabbard is reportedly briefed Trump, his chief of staff Susie Wiles and senior DOJ officials regularly about this work. And as I made clear by my reference to Maduro, this is a far cry from what the DNI post is about. DNI was created after 9/11 to improve the government's coordination of intelligence, national security and threats, which is why the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, is one of many lawmakers speaking out tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): We all know the Trump administrations strategy as though as much on the wall and see what sticks. Tulsi Gabbard has nothing to do with election security. This complete Trump loyalist somehow popping up on an FBI raid. What the heck was she doing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Well, you know, obviously, Mark Warner is a Democrat. I will note that Georgia's Republican governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state at the time all detailed repeatedly that there was no doubt Trump lost in 2020. In fact, lieutenant governor then, Geoff Duncan, now gubernatorial candidate, has said, what we've seen in Fulton County is an attack on democracy.

[19:35:07]

OUTFRONT now, Democratic Congresswoman Nikema Williams, whose district includes Fulton County.

So, Congresswoman, you hear, Senator Warner, obviously, you've heard what Geoff Duncan said. We all know what Brad Raffensperger said. What your governor has said about this. It -- fraud in Georgia was a bunch of bunk. But yet here we are, still in the midst of it.

Can you think of any good reason for Tulsi gabbard, the DNI, to be part of this?

REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): I mean, Erin, they are still searching for yet another way for us to tell them that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Not only presidential election, but he lost Georgia. And in Fulton County, which is a Democratic county. I don't know what they're looking for.

What I'm looking at is the FBI coming in, raiding this county that Donald Trump knows that he lost. He called in to find you remember those 11,780 votes? I guess he's still looking for them in this warehouse here in my home county.

But, Erin, everything has shown him that he lost the election. But what I'm concerned about is, what are they going to do with this data? Where did they take these 700 pallets of elections data that they removed yesterday in this FBI raid? What judge issued the warrant? Why was that warrant issued? And now what happens?

And so, I have sent a letter yesterday in my oversight duties as a member of Congress, as a voter here in Fulton County, requesting answers. And I'm waiting to get those details because the 2020 elections are right around the corner and it concerns me. It should concern everyone in this country what they're doing right here in Fulton County, Georgia.

BURNETT: I mean, do you even know, Congresswoman, what's in the 700 boxes? Do you know if they knew what was in them? I mean, how specific this raid was or the target or what they were looking for? What do you know?

WILLIAMS: So that's the concern, Erin. They -- we don't know if they coordinated with any local elected election officials. We don't know what the rationale for this was.

What we do know is the secretary of state was told to turn over elections documents, and he refused. And our Republican secretary of state refused. And now we see this happening right here on the ground in Fulton County.

So, until I get answers, we're speculating. But what we do know is this is unprecedented. We've never seen like, this is a governmental entity. The Fulton County Board of Elections is the governmental entity. And we have the FBI coming in with a supposed criminal warrant to raid our elections office.

We need answers, and I'm demanding them as a member of Congress who votes right here in this county.

BURNETT: So, "The Wall Street Journal" says this is actually just the tip of the iceberg for Gabbard. You know, specifically, they say that she spent months looking into the 2020 election for Trump and that she's been giving these ongoing briefings, as I referred to, to him, his chief of staff and other senior DOJ officials.

I mean, how concerned are you about this? I mean, months looking into the 2020 election? I mean, this reporting implies that this is broader than Fulton County, Georgia.

WILLIAMS: Well, I agree that this is probably much bigger than Fulton County, which is why it should not just be me raising the alarm right here in Atlanta. We need to be hearing from even our Republican elected officials here in Georgia and Republicans across the country, because what are they going to do with this elections data? We know what happened in the wake of the 2020 election, when we had an insurrection on our capitol. I was there on day three as a member of Congress, my third day in congress when this happened all over these same election results, which have been adjudicated over and over again.

So, what is the next step? What is Tulsi Gabbard and Donald Trump up to next? What are Republicans enabling them to do by not speaking up in this moment? Our democracy is at stake.

BURNETT: So it's been five years since Trump lost that election, right? He still says he won, but he lost, right? Recently, he's been talking about how he says he won in Minnesota three times. Obviously, he lost there three times.

What do you think is the intent of yesterday's search and Gabbard's investigation and the amount of time she's spending on it? Because, as I say, it has been very stark and very important to note that she has not been present, according to the reporting, in some of the most significant international security issues, the United States has recently been going through. Okay. But we are finding out that she has been spending an extraordinary amount of time on this.

WILLIAMS: And there's a lot going on in the world right now, Erin, that she could be focused on in her official capacity. But yet here she is relitigating the 2020 election. I think this is about intimidation. It's about these election officials who are showing up every day to do their job, intimidating them. It's about intimidating voters, and it's about setting up a case so that they can screw with the 2020 elections.

[19:40:00]

So, everyone should be paying close attention to what they're doing right here, because I don't know what they're up to and all of this time. But I know that if you look at their track record, it is nothing on the side of democracy and on the side of the people. So, we're going to continue to raise the alarm. We're going to continue to investigate and push back until we find out what exactly is going on and what they're doing with these documents.

BURNETT: Congresswoman Williams, I appreciate your time, and thank you so much.

And there are some new questions tonight about what's going on at the very highest levels of the Chinese government. Inside the military, the top general suddenly purged, accused of leaking that nuclear information to the United States. We've got new details on exactly what's going on there.

Plus, the wife of Bruce Willis opening up to our Elex Michaelson about her husband and his devastating battle with dementia

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is it about Bruce Willis that makes him so lovable?

E. WILLIS: He's like the everyday guy.

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[19:45:38] BURNETT: Tonight, growing questions tonight about the stability of the world's largest military after China's top general, longtime ally and personal friend of Xi Jinping was suddenly purged. It was a stunning move. And just to keep in mind, he is the second most powerful man in the country after Xi.

And it comes as "The Wall Street Journal" had that explosive reporting. They said that the general was accused of leaking information about China's nuclear weapons program to the United States, which is the sort of thing that you think would happen in some sort of a blockbuster movie or a thriller. So, it is incredible to see such a thing reported on the pages of "The Wall Street Journal".

Ian Bremmer is OUTFRONT now, renowned foreign affairs expert, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media as well.

I mean, Ian, I can only imagine when you read that too. You know, you sort of blink and you say, wait a second, did I really just see this? What do you think is actually going on right now inside China's military? Because this is a time and a moment where with all of the chaos around the world and the chaos in the United States, it is a stunning moment for something like this to happen at the very top of the Chinese leadership.

IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, EURASIA GROUP: Well, he flew too close to the sun. President Xi is leader for life. He's ended term limits. He's consolidated incredible amount of power. You may remember that anticorruption was one of the first things that Xi Jinping did. And he started in the military.

The only person that's remaining in the central military commission right now is the anti-corruption czar that Xi appointed. But General Zhang was -- had, you know, had come up the ranks with Xi Jinping was generally seen to be someone who was not just loyal, but that she had a lot of time and respect for. And suddenly, he's out.

And no China watcher, serious China watcher that I know believes that this is about corruption or believes that its about nuclear secrets. They think it's a power play. And I think that is a pretty credible, pretty credible charge.

BURNETT: So, in a sense, is it -- do you think it's something like, you know, they're saying leaking nuclear secrets, sort of the ultimate slander that you could give to your top general?

BREMMER: Yeah. And it is worth remembering that even though us-China relations now have stabilized and Trump talked about a G-2 after meeting with Xi Jinping in Busan, and he's going to be traveling to Beijing, that if you watch Chinese media, when you're there, the United States has absolutely seen as the adversary, as the global enemy that that, you know, tries to undermine the Americans and the rest.

So, if you know, the Chinese state media is coming out and saying this guy had to go because he was giving nuclear secrets to the Americans. And by the way, China's nuclear program is nowhere close to where Americas nuclear program was. If it was, you know, you know, energy secrets of the Chinese, the Americans, or robotic secrets that might be more credible. But this is this is the sort of thing that you say when you want everyone in China to understand that this guy did the worst thing you can imagine.

BURNETT: A.I. secrets, right?

All right. So, as I said, sort of out of a out of a thriller, but, you know, when you talk about the top adversary and the way that it's portrayed in Chinese media, social media, you know, it is pretty stunning what has happened. Okay. That you have had all these visits to Beijing, to Xi Jinping from America's top allies who had not been there in years, right. Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, is there, as I speak, meeting with Xi.

He is the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years. And two weeks ago, Mark Carney from Canada went the first Canadian head of state to do so in eight years, easing tariffs as a result of that trip. And it is pretty stunning when you think about it.

You know, Mark Carney had said all these things about China being more reliable partner. And Trump basically said, were going to -- I'm going to -- I'm going to get you for that. And Carney said, no, I meant what I said.

I mean, the showdown here is pretty incredible.

BREMMER: Yeah. Modi was there recently for his trip a few months ago that he's had in years. The German chancellor is also going, and President Trump deserves credit for this, right? I mean, I know that he frequently says in the media that he's ended eight wars and he has helped to bring a lot of those wars to an end.

[19:50:07]

But he hasn't claimed credit for all of these countries improving their relations with China. He hasn't claimed credit for the E.U.- Mercosur trade deal or the E.U.-India trade deal, and he deserves credit for it. I mean, all of those things are happening because American allies increasingly see the United States and President Trump as unreliable, as more adversarial themselves.

And, you know, eventually if you treat your allies like adversaries, they will start acting that way. And the U.S. is much more powerful, of course. So they're going to be careful what they say, but what they do implies that they never want to be so vulnerable to American unilateralism against them again in the future. That is the common thread here.

BURNETT: Yeah, sobering. Ian, thank you. I always appreciate spending time.

BREMMER: Always good to see you.

BURNETT: And next, Bruce Willis's wife sharing an important message at -- this was heartbreaking but profound about Bruce Willis and his battle with dementia, next.

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[19:55:19]

BURNETT: Tonight, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are at the premiere for her movie "Melania". On the red carpet moments ago, President Trump was facing questions about the $75 million that Amazon spent to acquire and market her film.

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REPORTER: Many Americans, think that this is maybe Jeff Bezos trying to get in good with you. And they would call it an act of corporate corruption. "The New York Times".

TRUMP: That was a fake news.

I think it's a very important movie. I think it's really going to be very important. It shows life in the White House. It's a big deal, actually

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BURNETT: The film opens in theaters tomorrow, and the expectations are that it will earn up to $5 million. Now, does that sound like a lot or a little to you? Well, lets compare it to how much money Amazon spent. $75 million.

For Melania Trump's part, it's unprecedented for a sitting first lady to profit from her position. Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, among others, released their memoirs after leaving office.

On the guest list tonight, the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino. Remember, he's the one who gave the first ever FIFA peace prize to Trump recently. Dr. Phil, former New York Mayor Eric Adams, whose corruption case was dropped under the Trump administration. Reality star Todd Chrisley. Others, including the Amazon CEO and the Apple CEO, went to a special premiere at the White House over the weekend.

Also tonight, Bruce Willis's wife is sharing heartbreaking new details on the legendary actor's battle with dementia. Emma Heming Willis revealing her husband could not recognize his own disease, which is just profoundly painful to think about, that he's unaware of his own diagnosis. She is also sharing what it is like to be a caregiver.

Elex Michaelson is OUTFRONT.

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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And so, do you think they got some of their art gene from dad?

EMMA HEMING WILLIS, WIFE OF BRUCE WILLIS: Oh, definitely. Yes. Can't you see? MICHAELSON (voice-over): Emma Heming Willis is showing us art pieces her daughters created, inspired by their dad, Bruce Willis, one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, with unforgettable roles from "Die Hard" to "Pulp Fiction" to "The Sixth Sense".

MICHAELSON: What is it about Bruce Willis that makes him so lovable?

WILLIS: He's like the everyday guy.

Through his movies, you see this guy that I think so many people relate to, and he's funny and he's likable and he's extremely handsome.

I mean, he is really quite iconic and I love him very much.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): In February 2023, the Willis family announced that Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, known as FTD. A disease that's made it difficult for him to communicate.

WILLIS: He's doing really well with a very unkind disease.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under 60. FTD can affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, potentially impacting personality, behavior, speech, and language.

WILLIS: There is no cure. There is no treatment, which is why awareness is so important.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): To raise awareness, Emma recently welcomed a big crowd --

WILLIS: I'm so glad you're here.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): --to Christie's in Beverly Hills for a limited run art show featuring pieces by those impacted by FTD.

MICHAELSON: Doctors say some folks with FTD lose some of their inhibitions, which actually makes them more comfortable painting art.

WILLIS: By looking at the art, you see that people with FTD need our respect.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Emma wrote a book about her caregiving experience called "The Unexpected Journey". She's met with leaders across the country, partnering with the foundation, AFTD to raise awareness and support caregivers.

WILLIS: I think that this has been really the best medicine has been, you know, for me to be able to connect with the community.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Bruce's daughter with Demi Moore, Tallulah Willis, contributed pieces to the show with a message to her dad, "Don't worry, I can still feel you", and a drawing of his brain with the words "I wish it was coming back".

Emma, Demi and their girls going through this journey together.

WILLIS: We've always been a very close knit family and we all, you know, unite for him.

MICHAELSON: What has this journey taught you about love?

WILLIS: Love can change. Like if you have a child and you think that you couldn't love your child anymore, and then you have a second child and your heart just opens up more, I think that that is what it feels like when you're a caregiver. You know, your love shifts, it expands and is different but very meaningful. And I feel very, very blessed.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Elex Michaelson, CNN, Beverly Hills, California.

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BURNETT: Just incredible to hear and to think about what she's saying there. You don't want to miss Elex's show, "THE STORY IS" weeknights at midnight Eastern, 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

And thank you so much for joining us.

"AC360" begins now.