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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Homan To Hold News Conference In Minneapolis Today; Possible Shutdown Over DHS Funding; Iran Responds To Trump's Threats. Aired 5- 5:30a ET

Aired January 29, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:23]

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 Thursday, January 29th, 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: Many unknowns here as the federal law enforcement continues operations here in Minneapolis.

MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS: It's not about safety, nor is it, I believe, about immigration. This is about political retribution.

REPORTER: Democrats in Congress are taking a bold stand on federal immigration enforcement.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: A government shutdown is not in anybody's interest.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Iran's leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe Mr. Trump can start a war, but he doesn't have control over the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

SOLOMON: We begin this morning with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The White House says that border czar Tom Homan will hold a news conference in Minneapolis today. The city's mayor, Jacob Frey, says that he and Homan had a productive conversation, but that there was no promise made to end the surge of federal officers there.

Now, "Reuters" is reporting that new internal guidance from ICE is directing officers to avoid engaging with, quote, agitators and to focus instead on targeting undocumented immigrants with a criminal history. This marks a stark change in the agency's tactics after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

And all of this comes as new video shows federal officers clashing with Pretti more than a week before he was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents. Pretti is seen shouting at officers and kicking their vehicles tail lights. The agents then stop, get out and tackle Pretti to the ground.

Mayor Frey had this to say at CNNs town hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREY: Are we actually making the argument that Alex Pretti should be killed for something that happened, like 11 days prior to the shooting itself? No, I think we should be talking about the circumstances that actually led to the killing and what took place. And those circumstances -- I mean, you can believe your own two eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Minnesota's attorney general was asked by an audience member how the state would be able to investigate potential criminal activity if it doesn't have the names of the agents who actually shot Alex Pretti. Here's his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm confident that we will get those names, but the fact that I don't know them yet is an absurdity and is example of how little cooperation that we're getting. I mean, if you believe that you committed -- you used deadly force in a lawful manner, why would you be afraid to disclose their name? You're claiming that you did the right thing. Step up, admit it, and let us all deal with it. It feels like a cover up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: More now from CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz in Minneapolis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Minneapolis right now is a city that very much is just trying to heal. And you could see that behind me with people who continue to show up at the site where Alex Pretti was killed. And all day long, people have been coming and laying flowers and paying their respects and just trying to heal. But there's still many unknowns here, as the federal law enforcement continues, operations here in Minneapolis. The attorney general, Pam Bondi, tweeting that a number of alleged protesters who allegedly assaulted federal officers were arrested. And she also claims in her tweet that they impeded arrests.

And it's a time that people are trying to see some de-escalation. And there are some that are worried that this continued presence is going to escalate. Things that are happening here. On Thursday, we expect to hear from the border czar, who is now

running the immigration operation here, Tom Homan, for the first time, and hopefully there. We will get some details on the next steps here. But everyone here certainly hoping that this de-escalation can continue.

Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar says that the man who sprayed liquid from a syringe at her during a town hall in Minneapolis will be taken into federal custody in the coming hours. The congresswoman was not hurt in the incident. Police tell CNN that the FBI is now leading the investigation into the attack.

Meantime, Omar is dismissing claims by President Trump that she staged the attack, telling CNN that his administration has lied about both ICE killings in Minneapolis.

[05:05:03]

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): This is a president who presides over an administration that when they assassinated Renee Good told us that she was a domestic terrorist that was trying to kill the federal agents. When they assassinated Alex Pretti, they told us that he was a domestic terrorist who brandished a weapon.

None of those things are true, and they are known to be liars. They have constantly told us not to believe in our eyes. Fortunately, both of those assassinations were caught on camera, and so was what happened to me last night. Caught on camera.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And the man accused of attacking Ilhan Omar is facing a third degree assault charge.

More details now from CNN's Josh Campbell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: So, we're learning more about what was believed to be in that syringe when that man was seen there on video spraying something at U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar on Tuesday. A law enforcement source tells me that police believe that that was apple cider vinegar. And we're learning more about the man who was taken into custody after that. He's been identified as 55- year-old Anthony Kazmierczak. He's a resident of Minneapolis. He was booked on third degree assault. CNN is attempting to determine whether he has attorney representation.

Were learning more about his background, including his social media presence. He had posted certain political items. For example, he had shared a political cartoon criticizing Omar's stance on security spending. He had some past traffic offenses, including two DUIs.

Interestingly, our colleague Chris Boyd here at CNN spoke to a neighbor who said that just before the town hall, the suspect here had asked the neighbor if he would watch his dog because he said he might get arrested. So that could indicate maybe he was planning to cause some type of disruption.

On the substance itself, even though that is benign, security experts say that you can still inflict fear just that way.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It may be and we're speculating here, that he just wanted to scare her. He wanted to terrorize her for whatever reason, to force her to be more restrained in her own comments.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: He's going to face serious charges. And the fact that the spray may have been harmless doesn't amount to it not being a threat. Someone who comes in with a fake bomb is still charged with serious criminal charges.

CAMPBELL: Now, to that end, the U.S. capitol police says that they are pursuing possible federal criminal charges here. They say this incident will be met with, quote, swift justice. Interestingly, that incident on Tuesday came the same day the Capitol police released new data indicating that there has been a 58 percent spike in the number of threat assessments that they've opened on members of Congress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Josh Campbell, thank you.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan oil are now funding key services like policing and sanitation in the country. The top U.S. diplomat testified on Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio says that there has been progress in working with the interim government in Caracas, but that the transition to democracy requires a phased approach, which will take time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm not here to claim to you. This is going to be easy or simple. I am saying that in three and a half, almost four weeks, we are much further along on this project than we thought we would be, given the complexities of it going into it, and I recognize that it won't be easy. I mean, look, at the end of day, we are dealing with people over there that have spent most of their lives living in a gangster paradise.

So, it's not going to be like from one day to the next, were going to have this thing turn around overnight. But I think we're making good and decent progress. It is the best plan, and we are certainly better off today in Venezuela than we were four weeks ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Rubio also talked about Iran as President Trump is now threatening military action if there is no nuclear deal. And in response to Tehran's brutal crackdown on protesters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: That regime is probably weaker than it has ever been. And the core problem they face, unlike the protests you saw in the past on some other topics, is that they don't have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economies can collapse. The protests may have ebbed, but they will spark up again in the future because this regime, unless they are willing to change and or leave, have no way of addressing the legitimate and consistent complaints of the people of Iran who deserve better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: CNN's senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen has reaction from Tehran. And we should note that CNN operates in Iran only with government permission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Iran's leadership, saying that the United States has amassed a gigantic force here in this region ready for military strikes against Iran -- Iran's leadership remains defiant. I was able to speak with the speaker of Iranian parliament, who tells me any attack on Iran would lead to a protracted war.

MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF, SPEAKER OF IRAN'S PARLIAMENT: Maybe Mr. Trump can start a war, but he doesn't have control over the end.

PLEITGEN: Now, President Trump's threats against Iran come in the wake of those massive protests that unfolded here in Tehran and other major cities, and even towns and villages across the country in the early part of January.

[05:10:09]

The Iranian leadership acknowledges that thousands of people, most of them civilians, were killed in those protests. The U.S., opposition groups and many of America's allies hold Iran's security forces responsible for those killings, while the Iranians claim the protests were infiltrated by what they call outside groups.

In any case, the speaker of Iran's parliament told me, Iran is still willing to negotiate with the United States, but not under duress.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Still to come for us, a critical vote in Washington today as the U.S. creeps closer to a potential government shutdown. We'll tell you what lawmakers aren't seeing eye to eye on.

Plus, Donald Trump's baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him surfaces again as the FBI searches an election office in Georgia. The angry reaction straight ahead.

And after years of tensions, a tentative tilt toward China. We'll have details on the British prime minister's visit to Beijing and his talks with the Chinese president, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:38]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

In the coming hours, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a package of bills to keep the federal government funded past Friday. But Democrats are pushing for Republicans to remove from the package provisions to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE.

CNN's Sherrell Hubbard has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrats in Congress are taking a bold stand on federal immigration enforcement. They're withholding votes for a broader government spending package if DHS funding isn't stripped from it. This comes after the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota by federal officers over the weekend.

REP. DAN GOLDMAN (D-NY): We are going to stand up for the American citizens who are being mistreated and killed. They want to shut this government down because they refuse to rein in their lawless, militarized Department of Homeland Security. That's their choice.

HUBBARD (voice-over): Minority Leader Chuck Schumer laid out his party's list of demands Wednesday. Proposed reforms include an end to roving patrols, tightening perimeters around warrants, enforcing a code of conduct comparable to force policies for state and local law enforcement, and requiring ICE agents to remove their masks and wear body cameras.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): In the wake of ICE's abuses and the administration's recklessness, the Senate must not pass the DHS budget as currently written.

HUBBARD (voice-over): The White House does not support separating DHS funding from the broader package. SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: I think the administration

is willing to sit down with them and have a discussion, perhaps a negotiation, about how do we move forward. But the one thing I do know, and that is that a government shutdown is not in anybody's interest.

HUBBARD (voice-over): I'm Sherrell Hubbard, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: The former lieutenant governor of Georgia is slamming an FBI search of an election office in Atlanta. Geoff Duncan calls it, quote, "another disgusting attempt by Donald Trump and his administration to try and rewrite history."

The Fulton County commissioner says that the FBI had a warrant for all of the ballots cast in the county during the 2020 election, and that agents collected 700 boxes of ballots. Since winning a second term, President Trump has repeatedly warned that anyone connected with what he calls the widespread voter fraud of 2020 would face consequences.

New York police have opened a hate crime investigation after someone rammed a car into a Jewish Center here in the city. A law enforcement official tells CNN that the driver repeatedly smashed the car into the Chabad World Headquarters Wednesday night. The suspect was quickly arrested and no one was injured. But according to the official, the driver claimed to police that the incident was not an attack.

The mayor of New York later said that any threat to a Jewish institution must be taken seriously. Officials are now stepping up security at places of worship across the city.

Venezuela's acting president gets a show of support from the military. Still ahead, the harsh critique from the country's opposition leader, who says she can't wait to get back to Venezuela.

Plus, emergency workers face horrific scenes after Russia's strike on a passenger train in Ukraine. We'll have details of a dramatic rescue operation as Russian drones set train cars on fire.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:11]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Negotiators from the U.S., Denmark and Greenland met face to face yesterday, a week after President Trump backed away from his threat to potentially seize Greenland by force. Danish officials say that they discussed Arctic security while respecting Denmark's red lines. Last week, Trump said that he reached the framework of a deal on Greenland with NATO secretary general. Those details are still unclear.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado says that she wants to return to her home country as soon as possible. She met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, telling him that no one has faith in Venezuela's acting president. That, however, is not stopping Delcy Rodriguez from consolidating power.

CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This Wednesday in Caracas, the acting president of Venezuela. Delcy Rodriguez received a pledge of allegiance from members of the armed forces as she continues to cement her power following the ousting and capture of Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces at the beginning of January.

And in receiving that pledge of allegiance, she did have some words for the country's opposition.

DELCY RODRIGUEZ, ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT: We have opened a space for political dialogue so that all those who truly love Venezuela can come, but those who intend to perpetuate the harm and aggression against the people of Venezuela should stay in Washington because they will not be allowed in here.

POZZEBON: In just a few hours before in Washington, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was conducting a hearing at the Senate to explain the long term strategy of the United States when it comes to Venezuela. Secretary of state, who is also the national security adviser at the White House, said that the U.S. are planning a three- phase plan.

[05:25:04]

Now, talking about stabilizing the country first, and then a phase of recovery, and ultimately a transition to democracy.

Rubio said that he is not personally satisfied with those Rodriguez picking up the reins from Maduro's government and cruising Venezuela ahead. But at the same time, the country cannot sustain a transition to democracy as it is now, and the U.S. are working with Rodriguez in trying to stabilize the country and recover it economically before allowing the country's opposition to return to Venezuela. And perhaps challenge Rodriguez's rule.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now to some dramatic scenes in Ukraine after Russia's deadly strike on a passenger train. Video recorded on Tuesday shows a railcar burning with flames streaming out of the windows. Emergency workers face sheer horror as they saw the remains of victims amid the wreckage. Officials say that DNA tests are needed to identify them. Other videos show passengers, including small children, being hustled away from the flames.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At least five people were killed as a result of a Russian strike on a train near the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The train, we understand it, was used to carry families visiting soldiers on the front line, an attack that President Zelensky described as an act of terror, given its focus on civilians. At least five people there in desperate searches to try and rescue as many people from the wreckage of the train as possible. In the aftermath of that strike.

It comes even as Russian strikes have continued these last few days against Ukrainian infrastructure targets. There are now millions of Ukrainians living without electricity or heating in the freezing temperatures and across the country as a result of the strikes and desperate attempts being made, nonetheless, to try and restore some of that electricity desperately to those parts of the country that are without it. This, as the trilateral talks between Ukrainians, Russians and Americans that began last weekend are to pick up again on Sunday in Aabu Dhabi.

We understand that the sticking points remain. The Russian insistence on getting their entirety of Thomas. There are also questions, of course, now that the security guarantees for Ukraine have been agreed upon between the United States and Europe, and that would involve western troops, namely British and French troops being on the ground in a postwar Ukraine.

Moscow's recent comments that it would consider them legitimate targets. These are a couple of the sticking points that remain very little concrete. Progress appears to have been made last week, and on those still, there is hope. According to one American official, that at least all of the parties are now speaking together and that that could lead to some progress.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Still ahead, three straight cuts to interest rates, but President Trump wants more. Why? The federal reserve says that's not going to happen. Not yet at least. We'll be right back.

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