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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Hillary Clinton Testifies She "Never Met Jeffrey Epstein"; WBD Deems Paramount Offer "Superior," Netflix Drops Bid; Source: Trump Briefed On Potential Military Options In Iran. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired February 27, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:24]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. It's Friday, February 27th, 5:00 a.m. here in Atlanta.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: Republicans grilling the Clintons about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton, scheduled to be deposed in the coming hours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is somebody that did have a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

MICHAELSON: Paramount Skydance is now in pole position to acquire WBD.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Netflix is walking away wounded from this battle, but Netflix shareholders seem thrilled.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The spirited primary Tuesday emerged as a study in contrasts and a stark choice for Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not left. We're not right. We just want to be reasonable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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WHITFIELD: All right. In about six hours, Bill Clinton is scheduled to be questioned about his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former U.S. president and his wife, Hillary Clinton, may be the most high profile witnesses yet to face the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Epstein, the former secretary of state was deposed on Thursday behind closed doors. Both Clintons demanded a public hearing but the Republican led panel chose to interview them in private.

Hillary Clinton repeatedly said that she never met Epstein and had no prior knowledge of his crimes and she appeared exasperated with the proceedings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I thought it was very repetitive. I thought that they asked literally the same questions over and over again which didn't seem to me to be very productive. I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices so it's on the record numerous times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Other Democrats accused the committee of carrying out a clown show. They say more Republicans and conservatives named in the Epstein files, including President Trump, deserve a turn on the hot seat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): We also want to hear from other folks, whether its Howard Lutnick, who of course we know lied about his relationship with Epstein in many interviews, or whether it's from Donald Trump. Donald Trump has appeared in the Epstein files almost more than any other single person. And if they're going to set a new precedent of now talking to former presidents or current presidents, it is time for Donald Trump to come before our committee under oath and testify.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's MJ Lee has a closer look at Hillary Clinton's testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came out of an almost seven hour deposition behind closed doors with members of the House Oversight Committee here in Chappaqua, New York. And she essentially said what she has been saying for a while, that she told these lawmakers that she didn't know Jeffrey Epstein, didn't have any information to share about his criminal activities.

But of course, the story tomorrow, as it concerns her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is going to be very different because he is somebody that did have a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his name and his photos are all throughout the Epstein files that have been released by the Justice Department.

And one question that I asked the former secretary of state when she came out to speak to reporters afterwards, was whether she is 100 percent confident that Bill Clinton didn't know anything about Epstein's crimes. This is what she said.

CLINTON: I am and I think the chronology of the connection that he had with Epstein -- Epstein's up ended years, several years before anything about Epstein's criminal activities came to light. And that he was charged and sadly given a sweetheart deal, which, as I said in my statement had that not happened perhaps his predatory behavior could have been stopped earlier.

But I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with him before his criminal plea in '08, were like most people, they did not know what he was doing. And I think this -- that is exactly what my husband will testify to tomorrow.

[05:05:04]

LEE: Hillary Clinton also said that she found the questions during Thursday's deposition quite repetitive. She also said there were some unusual moments confirming CNN's earlier reporting that at times, Republican lawmakers were asking her about UFOs and also the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. We also reported that one Republican lawmaker Nancy Mace, had asked Hillary Clinton how she felt about young women massaging Bill Clinton, the former president. And I'm told that she responded by saying she's not here to speculate about things she's not aware of, and that she's also not here to talk about her feelings.

MJ Lee, CNN, Chappaqua, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. So, what can we expect from Bill Clinton's upcoming deposition?

CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked senior legal analyst Elie Honig about how it might be handled.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: The last time any president or former president testified in Congress was Gerald Ford in 1983. But that was just a ceremonial thing. And before that, in 1974, after he pardoned Nixon. But that also was voluntary.

Now Representative Garcia is correct, this does set a precedent. But of course, precedent in the House only goes as far as whoever holds the majority. But I think Republicans would be wise to remember that midterms are not far away. The House could definitely flip now.

There's an important distinction here, though. Representative Garcia said they might want to hear from Donald Trump. The Republicans on the committee have said sitting presidents do have more protections, more privileges than former presidents. And that's correct.

So, if it comes to this, if the Democrats flip the house subpoena, Donald Trump, look for that to go to the courts, and that will be hotly litigated up potentially to the Supreme Court.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOSTT: What's one question you would ask Bill Clinton if you were in that room tomorrow?

HONIG: Oh, boy look, he I would the first thing I would do would be to slide those photographs in front of him. You showed them earlier him in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell and a woman whose identity has been redacted.

And I would grill him on every ounce of information about those photographs. The one you see right there. I think that's going to be really difficult for him.

Now, we've seen Bill Clinton under intense questioning before in history. We've seen him testify under oath in front of a grand jury back in 1998, in the Ken Starr investigation, Bill Clinton is savvy, sometimes too savvy. He infamously uttered the phrase "depends on what the meaning of is is".

But those photographs are going to be really difficult for him and I certainly look for the Republicans and maybe the Democrats on the committee to demand answers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. The Epstein files have claimed another casualty. The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, who interviewed President Trump just last month. Borge Brende announced that he is stepping down following an independent investigation into his ties to Epstein. Emails indicate the former Norwegian foreign minister dined with Epstein several times, years after his crimes were exposed.

Brende also visited the disgraced financier at his home in New York just weeks before his arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges. Brende said he regrets not conducting a more thorough investigation into Epstein's past all right.

And this major news for this network, CNN and our parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount Skydance is now in pole position to acquire WBD after rival suitor Netflix refused to match Paramount's latest offer. Paramount is willing to pay $31 a share for all of WBD's assets, whereas Netflix wanted only the Warner Bros. movie studios and HBO.

Details from CNNs chief media analyst Brian Stelter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STELTER: Hey there. Yeah, Paramount now looks like the future owner of CNN and the rest of Warner Bros. Discovery. After a sudden ending to a monthslong corporate tug of war. Netflix on Thursday walked away, rather than matching Paramount's $31 per share offer for all of WBD, Netflix said in a statement, quote, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid. Analysts say that Netflix is walking away wounded from this battle

because the company spent all winter promoting the deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO, and is now walking away. But Netflix shareholders seem thrilled they had put a damper on the company's stock in recent months, seeming to be opposing in some ways this Warner Bros. deal and now in afterhours trading, Netflix's shares popped more than 10 percent, a sign of relief that the deal was not moving forward.

WBD CEO David Zaslav wished Netflix well, and then he extended a friendly hand toward Paramount, the company that got this bidding war started last summer by making an unsolicited bid for WBD. Zaslav said, quote, once our board votes to adopt the Paramount merger agreement, it will create tremendous value for our shareholders. He's referencing the fact that WBD stock price nearly tripled during this months-long bidding war.

Now, it will be curious to see if President Trump has anything to say about it. He previously said that he would be involved in his administrations review of the Netflix deal and he made comments indicating that he preferred Paramount's hostile takeover bid instead.

Last December, Trump said it was, quote, imperative that CNN be sold to new owner, and now he seems to be achieving that goal with this Paramount outcome. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was at the DOJ, the Justice Department and at the White House on Thursday for meetings, though he did not meet with the president. And it's unclear if those conversations swayed Netflix's decision to walk away.

Some Democratic lawmakers are suggesting that that's the case. They're saying it looks like Trump tipped the scales in Paramount's favor.

For Paramount CEO David Ellison, this is a long sought after victory. If he gets this deal through, and it does still require regulatory approval, the relatively small Paramount will become much bigger, owning the Warner Bros. movie studio, the HBO streaming service, CNN, and many other assets. He'll be able to bulk up and use those assets to compete with the likes of Netflix.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, U.S. lawmakers say the military used a controversial anti-drone laser system to shoot down an unmanned Customs and Border Protection aircraft over Texas. It's unclear when it happened and why but as a result of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration had to temporarily restrict flights above Fort Hancock Thursday evening. The town is about 50 miles south of the border town of El Paso.

This shootdown comes about two weeks after the FAA had to abruptly shut down the airspace above El Paso, after border officials used a military laser system to disrupt drones near the city.

All right. Still ahead, Iran hails progress with the U.S. as both countries work to reach a nuclear deal, as the U.S. president is presented with potential military options, a live report from the region next.

And the war in Ukraine drags on as negotiators push for peace in Geneva. What we're learning about proposed talks between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.

Plus, a fragile ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan, appears to be on the verge of collapse what's behind the fighting between rival Taliban factions? When we come back.

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[05:16:41]

WHITFIELD: A source tells CNN that U.S. President Donald Trump has been briefed on potential military operations in Iran over its nuclear program. The commander of U.S. central command met with the president on Thursday. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs was also in attendance. The U.S. and Iran are set to continue nuclear talks in Vienna next week. They wrapped up discussions in Geneva on Thursday with signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. More U.S. military forces are en route to the region.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance told "The Washington Post" on Thursday. I'm quoting now, "There is no chance," end quote, the U.S. will become involved in a years-long war in the Middle East.

Let's bring in now, CNN's Paula Hancocks, following the developments from Abu Dhabi.

Good morning to you.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Well, we are hearing more from the Iranian and Omani mediation side than we are from the U.S. side at this point. But what we're hearing has been positive from the Iranians, certainly saying that these were the among the most serious and longest rounds of negotiations that they have had with the United States, also saying that they have identified the main elements of a potential agreement. But there are differences that still remain.

Let's hear what the foreign minister said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: During these several long and very intensive hours, we have made good progress and very seriously entered into the elements of a possible agreement, both in the nuclear field and in the area of sanctions. On some issues, we have now become very close to an understanding. On certain other issues, we still have differences of opinion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So what we are expecting now is we've heard from the Iranian side that there will be this these technical meetings in Vienna which is the headquarters of the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, so that they can work through some of the technicalities of how whatever they have agreed to could be put in place.

We know that the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, was also part of these negotiations on Thursday in Geneva. Now, we did hear from the Omani foreign minister as well. He has the role of mediating between the two sides, and he called it, quote, significant progress.

He will also be going to Washington. We understand hell be meeting with the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.

This is a move that is unusual. It's not what we usually see after the third round of negotiations, but I think it speaks to the urgency of this situation when you consider just how much U.S. military arsenal is sitting on Iran's doorstep at this point in fact, we heard from a Chinese company, MizarVision which said that it has satellite images showing that 11 F-22 Raptor jets have recently landed in Israel as well. So, the buildup is continuing -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi, thank you so much.

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says the next round of peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. is expected to take place next month in Abu Dhabi.

[05:20:004]

And it comes after Kyiv's delegation met with top U.S. officials Thursday in Geneva to discuss a prosperity package for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Russian state media reports that the U.S. also held talks with Moscow's special envoy in Geneva.

And we're following a developing story in South Asia, where forces from Afghanistan and Pakistan are trading cross-border attacks. Video from Afghan forces released Thursday shows military vehicles on the move there, with the sound of heavy gunfire in the background. A fragile ceasefire has been in place between the neighboring countries since October until last weekend.

And more now from CNN senior international correspondent Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have engaged in a fresh round of deadly cross-border fighting. On Thursday night, the Afghan government announced it was carrying out a series of cross-border raids along the Durand line, that's the name for the 1,600-mile, some 2,600-kilometer- long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And then on Friday, Pakistan appears to have carried out airstrikes deep into Afghan territory in Kandahar in Paktia province and in the Afghan capital of Kabul, as well. Both sides claim to have killed scores of each other's soldiers, and there are unconfirmed reports of civilians being wounded as well.

There's been supposedly a ceasefire in place since October, but we've had seen a number of these incidents taking place across borders and the fighting is all the more striking because for decades, critics accused the Pakistani government of actually supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan when it was battling the now defeated U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan. And I actually asked Pakistan's defense minister about this in an interview back in November.

Here's what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: But are some of the Taliban officials that have been fighting with Pakistan, some of the same people who used to live and take shelter here?

KHAWAJA MUHAMMAD ASIF, PAKISTANI DEFENSE MINISTER: Yes, yes. That's correct, you know. They still have properties over here.

WATSON: Is that the definition of blowback?

ASIF: Yes, I think so. I think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Islamabad has been accusing the Afghan Taliban of supporting Pakistani Taliban insurgents who have been waging an increasingly deadly conflict inside Pakistan against the Pakistani security forces and that same Pakistani defense minister, in a social media post said now it is open war between you and us.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. And now this breaking news, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem says it will allow non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Israel over safety risks. And this comes as concerns are growing that the U.S. may take military action against Iran. The embassy says those who wanted to leave should do so while flights are available.

We'll bring you developments on this as soon as it becomes available.

All right. A teenage girl found dismembered in an abandoned car. Now, a rising musician is the target of the investigation into her murder. Details coming up.

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[05:28:22]

WHITFIELD: NBC's "Today Show" co-host Savannah Guthrie is expected to return to the show at some point, as the search for her missing mother continues. Sources tell CNN, Guthrie's return would be on her timeline, however long it takes. The FBI says hundreds of credible calls have come in since Guthrie posted an emotional video on social media offering $1 million reward for information about her mom, Nancy. The 84-year-old vanished from her Tucson home four weeks ago, and the

singer known as David has been named as the target in a murder investigation involving a teenage girl. That's according to court documents filed in Los Angeles.

Our Kyung Lah has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: You may not have heard of him but your teenager probably has. His name is David spelled 'D4vd", but to prosecutors, he's named as a target in court documents and the murder investigation of a 14-year-old girl.

Court documents say David Burke, as he's legally known, may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses and that includes one count of murder.

There's been a lot of mystery in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez for months. There's a grand jury investigation, and the LAPD has been extremely quiet about this case. Celeste body was found last September in a black Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard. The car was registered to a David Burke, the singer D4vd.

Now, we're now learning from these court documents some grisly details. LAPD detectives were called to open up the car because of a strong smell. Inside detectives, found two cadaver bags, one with the girl's decomposed head and torso.