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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Threatens To Deploy Troops Over Anti-ICE Protests; Machado Gives Trump Nobel Peace Prize Medal During Meeting; U.S. Seizes Another Oil Tanker In Caribbean; Source: U.S. Moving Carrier Strike Group Amid High Tensions With Iran. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired January 16, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:22]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Rahel Solomon. It is Friday, January 16th, 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Protesters in a standoff with federal law enforcement the whole night. Here we go. Now they're deploying tear gas.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They are simply trying to enforce the law.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado gave president Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This comes as President Trump has begun working with the former vice president of Venezuela, now acting president, Delcy Rodriguez.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: Tensions are sky high in Iran. A U.S. carrier strike group is headed to that region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any act of aggression will be met with a decisive, proportionate and lawful response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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SOLOMON: We begin this hour in Minneapolis, where President Trump is threatening to deploy troops after more than a week of confrontations between protesters and federal immigration authorities. A number of demonstrators have been arrested in recent days as tensions escalate over the ongoing immigration crackdown and recent shootings by federal immigration agents, including one that left a woman dead.

Protesters gathered outside a federal building Thursday night. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz and his team were reporting from the scene when

law enforcement deployed tear gas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Into this building. And we have watched and federal law enforcement has done nothing, and here we go. We're starting to throw the -- those, hold on. Let me just come back here. As you can see --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: President Trump says that he's considering invoking the Insurrection Act, the centuries old law that would allow him to deploy U.S. troops in the state.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of encouraging violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They are simply trying to enforce the law, and the Democrat party has demeaned these individuals. They've even referred to them as Nazis and as the gestapo. And that is absolutely leading to the violence we're seeing in the streets. Another ICE individual, a vehicle that was vandalized last night by these left-wing agitators. People don't do this without encouragement from people in power who make them feel like it's okay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Here's more now from Shimon's report in Minneapolis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROLUPECZ, CNN SR. CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Here outside the Whipple federal building we've watched protesters sort of in a standoff with federal law enforcement the whole night. What's been happening here is that many of the protesters, they've been sitting here, they've been sitting down on the ground here.

This is the driveway, this is the area where many of the federal law enforcement vehicles, this is where they would drive through, come in, and leave. And so protesters have been trying to block some of that.

And then several times we watched as federal law enforcement in tactical gear, they would come out from behind there, push the crowd back, push the protesters back to clear the way. In some cases, we saw a protester throw a frozen water bottle at one of the cars, and then we saw federal law enforcement come out from behind targeting an individual and then detaining that individual.

We also watch that some protesters were shaking a fence on the other side, and then we saw one of the law enforcement officials using pepper spray to get the person back. We watched as pepper balls were deployed. For the most part, the night has been peaceful. There have been

pockets of tension, certainly a standoff here. But for the most part federal law enforcement, they've been allowing them to stay in the street. But when it comes to preventing cars from coming in or leaving, that's when we would see it, certainly the tension, that's when we would see it rise.

Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: And the Minneapolis City Council president says that some of the tactics used by federal agents, such as smashing car windows, covering their faces and using physical force, violate people's constitutional rights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIOTT PAYNE, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Many of our residents are out there legally observing the operations of our federal government to ensure that our constitutional rights are not violated. And what I'm seeing firsthand is our constitutional rights being violated. I ran for city council because I believed our local government needed to be better, and that we needed to be trusted by our community. We are seeing that lack of trust and that lack of integrity coming directly from our federal government right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And people in Minnesota have had relatively mild weather this week, but winter weather returns this weekend across the twin cities.

[05:05:00]

They'll get some light snow, but the biggest change will be frigid arctic winds, which will gust at 30 to 40 miles an hour. Temperatures on Saturday night and Sunday morning will fall well below zero, with wind chills as low as minus 20 degrees.

Right now, the newest Nobel Peace Prize medal is sitting in the White House. Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Machado, gave it to President Trump during a meeting there on Thursday. Trump has long coveted the prize, but the Nobel Committee says that the prize itself isn't transferable, meaning it remains Machado's. Apparently, in return, Trump gave Machado a swag bag and a general statement of his support for a, quote, new genuine electoral process.

CNN's Kristen Holmes has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado left her Nobel Peace Prize here at the White House for President Trump after their meeting, an indication that the President is going to keep that prize. Now, that's, of course, despite the fact that the committee for the Nobel Peace Prize has said that, sure, you can give your medal to anyone, but the actual winner of the prize is not something that is transferable.

But the big question, of course, is, will she, Machado, get what she wants in return, which is the support of President Trump? If Venezuela is going to ultimately hold elections and be the democracy that the United States has said it wants to see in Venezuela, Machado would like to have that endorsement.

And just a reminder that President Trump declined to endorse her after the capture of Maduro. And, in fact, went further than that, saying he didn't believe that she had the respect or the support of the Venezuelan people to be able to lead. And it's not clear whether or not that has changed since this exchange of the Nobel Peace Prize.

I will remind you again that President Trump was asked specifically if his opinion of her would change should she hand over this prize. He said he'd have to talk to her about it, but that nobody deserved the Nobel Peace Prize more than him.

But on top of that, we also heard from Karoline Leavitt today essentially saying that his assessment of Machado had been based on intelligence, on information that his administration received and had received, and that that hasn't really changed.

But she did say that he was looking forward to sitting down to lunch with her. One of the things we heard from President Trump just in the last couple of days was his support for this Maduro-adjacent leader who is now in charge of Venezuela, the former Vice President, now acting President, Delcy Rodriguez. President Trump just this week calling her a terrific person, saying that they were working really well together.

We do know the administration did focus on her to be the leader of Venezuela because they wanted stability in the region. But it is still unclear when, if ever, there are going to be elections in Venezuela and that shift to democracy. Even Leavitt today said in the briefing that there was no timeline for that.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Meanwhile, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, delivered a, quote, message to her nation address where she called for a diplomatic battle with the U.S. She criticized the U.S. for its attack on her country, and she called for Venezuelan unity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELA'S ACTING PRESIDENT (through translator): We know they are a lethal nuclear power. We have seen their record in the history of humanity. We know, and we are not afraid to face them diplomatically through political dialog as appropriate, and resolve once and for all this historical contradiction. Brothers and sisters, deputies, regardless of political affiliation, it doesn't matter. We have to go together as Venezuelans to defend sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and also defend our dignity and our honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: The U.S. military has seized yet another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. According to U.S. Southern Command, the vessel called The Veronica was boarded by troops and captured on Thursday. The American military justified its actions, saying that only oil that is, quote, coordinated properly and lawfully will be allowed to leave Venezuela. This is the sixth sanctioned vessel that the U.S. has commandeered recently.

Now to a developing story out of South Korea, where a court has sentenced disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison, the charges stem from that botched attempt to impose martial law back in December 2024. The Seoul Central District Court says that it found Yoon guilty of obstructing authorities from trying to arrest him, among other charges. He could also face the death penalty in a separate trial, where he is accused of masterminding an insurrection. Lawyer says that he will appeal the ruling.

President Trump is taking his rhetoric against Iran a step further after threatening military action over its crackdown on protesters. Right now, a U.S. carrier strike group is headed to the region. That's according to a source familiar with the matter. And that's usually done when political friction is escalating. The White House says that Trump is keeping all options on the table, despite Iran reportedly halting hundreds of scheduled executions in recent days. The country, now in its second week of a near-total internet blackout, according to a watchdog group, and activists say that the death toll from the crackdown, already estimated at over 2,400, could actually be much higher.

Let's get to Salma Abdelaziz. Keeping an eye on all of this for us. She joins us live this morning from London.

Salma, good morning. What more do we know about that U.S. military moving that carrier strike group to Iran or closer to Iran?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, this is, of course, a continued part of President Trump considering his options, which seem to have shifted from getting involved militarily in what's going on to Iran to a wait and see approach, which is what the white house is taking now.

And it all stems, of course, from this crackdown on the ground. Nearly three weeks of demonstrations now. And you may be asking, well, what's happening on the ground? It's very difficult to answer that question because of that communication blackout that you just mentioned. Phone lines, phone services, internet cut, nearly every single Iranian, making it extremely difficult for them to get out their story.

But what we do understand is that crackdown has been effective in slowing down dissent in Iran. That's how brutal it has been. Thousands of people arrested more than 2,000 killed, according to a U.S. based rights group. Many, many innocent protesters waiting potentially executions in Iran.

But of course, Iran's government is not taking responsibility for any of this, it says, or it describes these demonstrations as terrorist activity. It dismisses it as foreign intervention.

I want you to take a listen to how the foreign minister of Iran described this movement on Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: For 10 days, it was peaceful, legal demonstrations and protest for economic shortcomings. But after that, 10 days, for three days, we had completely different story. A terrorist operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: But it's not just that brutal repression that seems to have slowed dissent or quietened dissent in the country. It is also mediation efforts that are happening outside of Iran. The United States has been involved with four other Arab nations that have been speaking to Tehran. They say they have been able to again ease that crackdown on protesters. President Trump seems satisfied with that answer and with what's happening on the ground, saying that he believes that the killing is slowing down and that the executions that were scheduled for demonstrators will, at least for now, not take place.

But those underlying causes from the economic issues to the social unrest to the political demands, all of those underlying issues that sparked these demonstrations remain in place. So, is this just a pause? Will it pick up again? It's difficult to tell again without any eyes with that communication blackout.

SOLOMON: Yeah, okay. Salma Abdelaziz reporting for us there in London. Salma, thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: And still ahead, the lights are out in many parts of Ukraine and so is the heat. We'll have a live report on the unrelenting Russian strikes. Plus, the Homeland Security Secretary says that people should be prepared to validate their identity with federal immigration agents. More from the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis after this break.

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[05:17:37]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Recent Russian drone strike hit a monument in the western city of Lviv. Take a look. The statue honored a Ukrainian nationalist who had fought Soviet forces. The mayor of Lviv said that shock waves from the blast struck a worker who had been clearing snow in a nearby playground. Meanwhile, parts of the country shivering through temperatures well below freezing. Russia keeps attacking energy facilities and has knocked out electricity and heat to hundreds of thousands of households in the Kyiv region.

Let's get now to CNN's Melissa Bell following all of this for us from Paris.

Melissa, lay out the situation for many Ukrainians right now on the ground, as we just said, the temperatures there plummeting. But coupled with the power situation following those Russian strikes, just a really difficult situation

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it is an all too familiar pattern as we approach this four-year mark of this war. Rahel, since the start of the invasion, that when the winter comes around, it is critical infrastructure that is hit by Russia, leaving people in the cold. And it is, of course, part of a systematic attempt to grind down the civilians of Ukraine. Very cynical as well.

Again, this winter that's what's happened. We saw that wave of strikes on Kyiv at the end of last week, which, coupled with the snow, cold snap, has left those hundreds of thousands in the Kyiv region now several days in to not having anything to heat their homes with and with everything shutting down as a result of the electricity failure, with fresh measures taken really, for the first time in this war, just to shut down electricity in parts of the city as a result of those strikes.

You mentioned also the strike in Lviv. There have been strikes overnight again on critical infrastructure in Zhitomir region, which is in the west of Ukraine. And this, of course, as the civilian casualties, two civilians killed over the course of the last 24 hours continue.

On the diplomatic front, there had been this great flurry of activity. You'll remember how last week around Paris, Europeans and the United States had agreed on this joint force that would see British and French soldiers on the ground in Ukraine, and some post peace settlement. The very next day, we heard from Russia's foreign ministry that any Western troops have found themselves in Ukraine would be considered by Moscow legitimate targets.

So you have these and its been cyclical, really these last few months, these bits of progress and all this enthusiasm around the possibility that peace or talks or the possibility of some sort of dialogue might be close only to be dashed very quickly, either by the remarks that come from Moscow or by the remarks that come from the White House.

[05:20:09]

We've heard from President Trump this week, speaking in an interview of the fact that he believed in line with Moscow, that it was Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, holding up peace talks. So, it's very difficult to see what progress can actually be made. And every time there is this moment of enthusiasm, the hopes are very quickly dashed.

Still, over the next few days from the 19th in Davos, we know that President Trump will be attending. We understand that the president of Ukraine may be attending. So that could well be the two men's next meeting -- Rahel.

SOLOMON: Okay. We'll watch to see. Melissa Bell for us there in Paris -- Melissa, thank you.

Still ahead, the tactics of federal agents are in the spotlight as the Trump administration presses its immigration crackdown. Just how far immigration agents can go when confronting crowds. That's the question, coming up next.

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[05:25:23]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

President Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy U.S. troops over protests in Minneapolis. CNN was on the scene Thursday night as law enforcement used what appeared to be tear gas, pepper spray and smoke on anti-ICE protesters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says that residents should be prepared to prove their U.S. citizenship for ICE agents. A number of demonstrators have been arrested in recent days as tensions continue to escalate over the ongoing immigration crackdown and recent shootings by federal immigration agents, including the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good last week.

And some of the videos out of Minneapolis and other cities have legal and constitutional experts asking just how far can ICE agents go when confronting crowds?

CNN's Josh Campbell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amid growing controversy over the tactics being used by immigration agents, a stamp of approval coming from the top.

KRISTI NOEM, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: They're doing everything correctly. Every single action that our ICE officers take is according to the law and following protocols that we have used for years.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): On Wednesday, in Minneapolis, an agent shot and injured a man that Homeland Security officials say was assaulting law enforcement. Protests erupting in the street over the use of force.

CAMPBELL: Many have asked when federal agents can use force. They're arresting a suspect. You can only use the amount of force necessary to get that person to comply. If the person poses a threat, that can escalate.

But when we're talking about demonstrators, federal agents can only lay a hand on someone if they're actively interfering with that immigration operation. CAMPBELL (voice-over): Many activists are also sounding the alarm over immigration agents demanding random people prove their citizenship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a citizen. I'm a citizen, man.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Like this woman filming agents who stopped her in Minneapolis.

ICE AGENT: OK. Do you have some I.D. then, please? If not, we're going to put you in the vehicle and I.D. you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a U.S. citizen.

ICE AGENT: All right. Can I see an I.D., please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a U.S. citizen.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): CNN reached out to Homeland Security for comment on the incident.

ICE AGENT: We're doing an immigration check. We're doing a citizen check.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is -- this is -- this is --

ICE AGENT: And we're asking you where you were born.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The DHS secretary defending the questioning of bystanders in certain situations.

NOEM: If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and having them validate their identity. That's what we've always done, asking people who they are so that we know who's in those surroundings.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): According to legal experts, questioning can't be indiscriminate.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's illegal and it's unconstitutional to require people to show their citizenship papers without some other basis to make a stop.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Meanwhile, Minnesota is on alert as Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act, a move that local officials say would only inflame the situation further.

LATRISHA VETAW, MEMBER, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL: You know, I'm just speechless from hearing about this, but I really hope that the president does not do that. Our city needs a plan for how government can work together to make sure that ICE can do their business and the citizens of Minnesota and Minneapolis are safe.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead for us, a top British restaurant with two Michelin stars has been slammed with a new rating that it probably won't be advertising. The scathing inspection results coming up next. Plus, Elon Musk's A.I. company is facing a new lawsuit over sexually explicit deepfake images filed by the mother of one of his children.

We'll be right back.

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