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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump to address the World Economic Forum in Davos; Investors Brace for Volatility Amid U.S.-Europe Tensions; One Dead and 37 Injured in Spain After Passenger Train Derails; Mexico Transfer Inmates to U.S. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired January 21, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: More now on our top story this hour, President Trump is headed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His trip was delayed when Air Force One turned back to the U.S. shortly after takeoff because of what the White House called a minor electrical issue with the plane. He is now traveling on a backup plane. Trump's departure coincided with the first anniversary of his return to office, and he took the moment to once again cast doubt on NATO amid the growing tensions over Greenland. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more from the White House.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump making a rare appearance in the briefing room to mark one year into his second term. Most of his talking, which was nearly two hours, was an airing of grievances. He spent time focusing on his own team, saying that he had bad public relations. He talked about what he had been doing for the economy. He talked about the fact that he didn't think anyone in his team was promoting all that his administration had done.

And as somebody who was in the room, it seemed as though he had nothing prepared. That he had a booklet that was called, same booklet the White House gave the press, 365 Achievements in 365 Days. And he summed through it, reading some of them, elaborating on some of them, and at times rambling on two completely separate topics.

But one thing that did come up, and this of course comes as President Trump's rhetoric has continued to escalate with our European allies, was the concept of NATO. Whether or not he supported NATO. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I did more for NATO than any other person, alive or dead. Nobody's done for NATO. And I think for the most part, they'll tell you that. I think you could ask the secretary general about that. But he said it. I've done more for NATO than anybody. And I see all this stuff. But NATO has to treat us fairly too. The big fear I have with NATO is we spend tremendous amounts of money with NATO. And I know we'll come to their rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they'll come to ours. You know, I'm just asking. Just saying, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, he has used this kind of rhetoric before, but of course, given the context of Greenland, of the current situation, of what we have seen over the last several days, it has taken on new meaning. Now, President Trump is headed to Davos, where he is expected to meet at least some of these world leaders to talk about Greenland. That's one of the things that he said. But it's unclear whether or not there's going to be any kind of resolution.

While President Trump himself seemed to indicate that whatever conclusion they came to on Greenland would be something that NATO would be OK with or even happy with, when you talk to both sides, the Trump administration as well as our European allies, it doesn't seem as though there is any common ground currently.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, The White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: OK. Let's take a look at U.S. futures right now at 4:32 Eastern. And futures are green after what was a really ugly day yesterday, the worst day since October for the Dow, for the S&P. Investors were rattled on Tuesday into selling off U.S. stocks and bonds, the so-called sell America trade and the dollar, due to President Trump's clash with European leaders over Greenland and tariff threats. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has all the details.

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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Wall Street just had its worst day since October, the Dow falling 870 points, the S&P closing down 143 points, falling more than 2 percent. And you had the Nasdaq tumbling 560 points after Trump very much renewed his desire to acquire Greenland and also did not back off ratcheting up his trade war on key European trading partners. Even a one-and-a-half-hour press conference on Tuesday did very little to quell investors' fears.

CNN's Fear and Greed Index on Monday was in the greed position, but by Tuesday it had moved to neutral. And that is leaving investors looking for safe havens for their money. And that's why you see gold and silver prices hitting records. Listen to this. In the last 12 months, gold futures are up 70 percent, silver futures up 204 percent. The value of silver prices has tripled in the last 12 months alone.

Now, over the weekend, President Trump announced that he would impose a 10 percent tariff on eight key European trading partners if they blocked him from acquiring Greenland. And then he would ratchet up that 10 percent starting on February 1st all the way up to 25 percent by July if they continued to block President Trump's desire to take over Greenland. U.S. markets, though, overall have performed remarkably well during President Trump's second term this first year, really because investors put the trade war in their rearview mirror and earnings from various companies, including A.I. tech stocks, performed incredibly well.

[04:35:00]

But certainly, Tuesday was very much a callback to some of the volatility that we saw in April of 2025 when President Trump announced the first round of tariffs on a multitude of countries, Liberation Day, as he called it. And then the last time we saw such volatility on Wall Street was October of 2025 when President Trump said that he was thinking about increasing tariffs on China.

Of course, Wednesday is a new day on Wall Street. Things could change. But Tuesday, Tuesday's trading session, was the first time that investors got an opportunity to react to all of this news that happened over the weekend. Monday was closed. Wall Street was closed because of Martin Luther King holiday. But investors clearly signaling that they are nervous yet again about what all of this means for the geopolitics of the world, but also what it means for this trade war. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Vanessa, thank you. President Trump may rethink his plans for Venezuela on Tuesday. Trump said that he would like to get Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado involved in her country's leadership. But he didn't say what role she could play. Trump's shift in position comes as Machado met with a group of U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Several House Republicans praised her, saying that she has what it takes to lead Venezuela.

Machado also planned to meet with members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the U.S. and hopes that they will eventually return to Venezuela.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Because our objective, and I want to insist on this, is we want the Venezuelan people that were forced to leave to come back home. And that's going to happen once we have democracy in Venezuela. Millions will come back home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: The U.S. has seized another Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. Southern Command announced Tuesday's seizure of the sanctioned tanker on social media with this video. The U.S. has now apprehended seven ships in President Trump's ongoing campaign to control Venezuela's oil production. Military officials say that the seizure demonstrates their resolve to make sure any oil leaving Venezuela is done properly and lawfully.

Now, to Spain, where they are dealing with a second deadly train accident in just a matter of days. At least one person, the train operator, was killed, and 37 others were hurt Tuesday after a commuter passenger train derailed near Barcelona. Authorities say that the derailment happened after a retaining wall fell onto the tracks following heavy rain. This incident coming two days after two high- speed trains collided in southern Spain, killing at least 41 people there.

And some families there are waiting for word on their loved ones who are still missing after that crash on Sunday. CNN's Pau Mosquera reports from Cordoba.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSIRIS SEVILLA, VICTOR TERAN'S WIFE (through translator): Miracles do exist. I haven't lost faith that he's still breathing and fighting, waiting for rescuers to come for him.

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her voice sounds exhausted after hours of waiting, but she also keeps some hope. Since arriving in Cordoba this Monday, Osiris has had no news of her husband, Victor Teran, who was traveling aboard the state-operated train that derailed this Sunday on its way to Huelva.

JAMILEI SEVILLA, VICTOR TERAN'S SISTER-IN-LAW (through translator): He has a seven-year-old son from a previous relationship before my sister, and they did a DNA test to him yesterday afternoon. We are waiting for details.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): But information has been scarce, not only for them, but also for the other people who still have no details about their missing relatives.

JAVIER PACIOS, AGUSTIN FADON'S BROTHER-IN-LAW (through translator): This state of uncertainty is killing us. It's not normal for everything to be going so slowly.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): Javier's language is understandable. He has not had any news of Agustin Fadon, who was part of the crew on the same train, for two days. DNA samples have been taken to help identify those who perished.

MOSQUERA: This civic center located southwest of Cordoba is a location that the authorities have set up to offer information to all the relatives of those that are still missing.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): But this is also the place where they can get some psychological support.

MARIA EUGENIA, RED CROSS REGIONAL HEAD (through translator): Often, not providing information makes them more nervous, more worried, and it's complicated. These are very difficult hours, both for our own teams of psychologists and for the families who are waiting. They are very exhausted.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): The uncertainty of these families is such that, from time to time, a heartbreaking sob breaks the silence of the wait. Reflecting the pain of a tragedy that keeps its wound open. Given the circumstances, one of the few comforts these people receive are the hugs of other family members, a temporary refuge where they can alleviate the suffering of a tragedy that has impacted an entire country.

Paulo Mosquera, CNN, Cordoba, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:40:00]

SOLOMON: Still ahead, Mexico is sending inmates to face trial in the U.S. as the Trump administration ramps up pressure to end drug trafficking. We'll have those details straight ahead.

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[04:45:00]

SOLOMON: We turn now to Japan, where the man who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has learned his fate. Tetsuya Yamagami had already admitted to the killing, and earlier Wednesday, the court sentenced him to life in prison. Back in 2022, he fatally shot Abe with a homemade gun at a campaign event and was immediately arrested. The killing brought scrutiny to the link between Abe's party and a church that Yamagami blamed for bankrupting his family. He says that he targeted Abe because he believed the former leader was associated with the church.

Mexico's government has just sent dozens of inmates to the U.S. to stand trial. Mexican officials say that they are high-impact criminals with alleged ties to some of the country's most powerful drug cartels. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes Mexico's leaders to do more to stop drug trafficking. CNN's Valeria Leon has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The first anniversary of President Trump's second term, Mexico announced the transfer of 37 inmates to the United States. This is the third operation of its kind in just one year, something unprecedented in the relationship between the two countries. In total, Mexico has now sent 92 high-risk criminals across the border.

This latest transfer began at El Altiplano, one of Mexico's highest security prisons. Seven military aircraft flew the inmates into U.S. territory, sending them to six cities, San Diego, San Antonio, Washington, D.C., Houston, New York, and Pennsylvania. According to a post on X by Mexico's Secretary of Public Security, Omar Garcia- Harfuch, these 37 inmates were operators within major criminal organizations and were considered a real threat to national security.

The government emphasized that the operation respected Mexico's sovereignty and was carried out under the agreement that that penalty would not be considered. The request for their transfer came from the U.S. Department of Justice, but this wasn't the first time. Back in August, Mexico sent another 26 inmates to the U.S., a group that included figures like Juan Carlos Felix, the son-in-law of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael El Mayo Zambada, and Servando Gomez La Tuta, a well-known leader of Los Caballeros Templarios.

That August operation had been preceded by the first transfer, carried out early in February, when Mexico handed over Rafael Caro Quintero, one of the most wanted fugitives in the United States, since 1985, after the kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Kiki Camarena.

And here's the key point. None of these three historic transfers were formal extraditions. Mexico insists they're not extraditions at all, but rather transfers carried out under a cooperation framework between both countries.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Still to come for us, the Beckham family feud spills out online. What David and Victoria Beckham's oldest son is saying about his relationship with his celebrity parents. We'll be right back.

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[04:50:00]

SOLOMON: The Indiana Hoosiers plan to celebrate their national football championship this Saturday in Bloomington. Then the team returned to Indianapolis on Tuesday after completing their perfect 16- 0 season with a victory over the Miami Hurricanes. This is the school's first football championship. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza widely expected to be the number one pick in the NFL draft in April.

The Major League Baseball now Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones, two of the greatest outfielders of their generation, have been elected to the baseball's Hall of Fame. Both received more than the necessary 75 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America. They will be inducted in Cooperstown, New York, in July, along with former second baseman Jeff Kent, who was voted in last month. Beltran and Jones were named All-Stars several times during their career and both won the Gold Glove Award multiple times. In 1996, Jones, at 19 years and five months old, became the youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series game.

The oldest son of soccer star David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham says that he doesn't want to reconcile with his parents. The feud unfolding on social media for all to see. CNN's Lisa Respers France has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: Brooklyn Peltz Beckham has confirmed something on social media that's been speculated about for years, and that is that he and his family are feuding. In a six-page social media statement, he talked about the fact that he and his family are not getting along. And at the crux of the matter appears to be his marriage to his wife, actress and model Nicola Peltz Beckham, whom he claims his family has never liked.

Now, according to Brooklyn, he says that his parents have controlled his life, his entire life. And he believes that they're trying to also control the narrative about his marriage. He's accused his mother, Victoria Beckham, of dancing inappropriately with him at his wedding, and also says that his parents are very performative about what they show on social media as they're trying to pretend like all is well. But according to a statement, all is not well. And the young man also says that he has no desire to reconcile with his family.

Lisa Respers France, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:55:00]

SOLOMON: Now, CNN has attempted to contact David and Victoria Beckham for a response, but haven't heard back yet.

Prince William and Princess Kate hitting the ice. The royal couple joining Great Britain's curling teams for a training session at the National Curling Academy in Scotland. They learned from the pros before taking to the ice themselves. The visit comes as teams gear up for the Winter Olympics in Italy next month and the Paralympic Games in March.

Britain's Royal Mail is releasing a new stamp collection honoring the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Concorde. It was the first turbojet powered supersonic airliner to fly passengers across the Atlantic at two times the speed of sound. Royal Mail says that the collection pays tribute to the aircraft's innovation, elegance and engineering excellence.

All right. That's going to do it for this hour of Early Start. Thanks for being with us here. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. I'll be back with more news after this break.

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