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Isa Soares Tonight
Ukraine And The U.S. Attempt To Pick Up The Pieces After A War Of Words Between Zelenskyy And Trump; Spain's Former Football Boss Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault Over An Unwanted Kiss; Israel Mourns As Hamas Releases Bodies Of 4 Israeli Hostages; U.S. Senate Confirms Patel To Lead FBI; Trump's First Month Back In Office; DOGE Expected To Fire IRS Employees; Court Denies Trump Bid To End Birthright Citizenship; Pope's Condition "Slightly Improving"; Lost Pharaoh's Tomb Found In Egypt. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired February 20, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Ukraine and the
U.S. attempt to pick up the pieces after a war of words between their Presidents. We'll speak to a Ukrainian MP to find out how the country is
reacting to the newly strained ties.
Plus, Spain's former football boss found guilty of sexual assault over an unwanted kiss that stained one of the happiest days of soccer star Jenni
Hermoso's life. Plus, Americans are increasingly worried about President Trump's push to expand his powers. We'll be joined by a California
congressman to discuss.
Well, there was no official readout and no remarks before the cameras, but we are now getting Zelenskyy's take on a key meeting today in Kyiv that
could have big implications for the future of a free Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with Donald Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg
after Mr. Trump called the Ukrainian President a dictator, urging him to make a deal fast or he could lose his country.
Mr. Zelenskyy posted on social media that the meeting was productive, saying strong U.S.-Ukrainian relations would benefit the entire world.
Well, governments across Europe have watched with alarm as Mr. Trump upended U.S.-Ukrainian relations this week, attacking Ukraine's elected
President instead of the aggressor who started the war, Vladimir Putin.
The Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to grant the U.S. access to the country's rare minerals and natural resources in exchange for military
aid. And just moments ago, we heard this from the U.S. National Security adviser.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There needs to be a deep appreciation for what the American people, what the American taxpayer, what
President Trump did in his first term and what we've done since. So, some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump
were unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Republicans in Congress have been hesitant to criticize Mr. Trump since his re-election. But for some, his dictator remarks crossed the
line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I would certainly never refer to President Zelenskyy as a dictator. It is quite clear who started the war. It was
absolutely Russia at Putin's directive.
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I didn't hear that. I'll let other people use their words. It's not a word I would have used.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you call Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a dictator as President Trump has?
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Well, I -- like I said, the President speaks for himself.
REP. DON BACON (R-NE): Well, the President needs a do-over day and start again. He took a bad turn. I think what he said is wrong. And I -- and it's
a shame. I think many Republicans -- I'm not saying all, but many Republicans know what the President said today was wrong. I would ask that
our President stand on the side of freedom, the side of democracy, the side of the victim, not the invader, and stick up for what's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, even though the White House is pushing for a quick ceasefire, its own Intelligence community believes Vladimir Putin is not
seriously preparing to engage in peace talks. That's according to three sources familiar with U.S. and western Intelligence. They say there is no
evidence that Putin's ambitions have changed, despite Trump's insistence that Russia wants to stop the war.
Though, sources warn Putin remains fixated on absorbing Ukraine into Russia, or ensuring that Ukraine is a small, weak state dependent on
Moscow. One source says a ceasefire would only allow Putin to rest and re- arm. Well, I want to bring in our Nick Paton Walsh, who joins us live from Kyiv, and our Kevin Liptak at the White House.
Good to have you both with us. I want to start with you first, Nick. So, there was no joint press conference today between President Zelenskyy and
Trump's envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Do we know why?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: No, we don't know why. And look, it may be simply the sensitivity of the matter. Journalists had
gathered at the thought that might have been what you would conventionally expect after a meeting of this magnitude, and we were told there won't be
no press availability, and that had been a request of the American side. That is possibly a reflection of how, frankly, horrific, the last 48 hours
have been for U.S.-Ukrainian relations.
[14:05:00]
When Kellogg arrived 48 hours ago, Wednesday morning on a train, he was talking relaxedly, about being here to listen, about security guarantees.
And then we've had this extraordinary crumbling of the relationship between Zelenskyy and Trump. And I think what we heard just now from U.S. National
Security adviser Mike Waltz, and we heard too from Zelenskyy in his take on the meeting, saying it had been productive.
Talking about Ukraine's desire to sign an investment agreement with the United States is about trying to salvage something from this, but be in no
doubt, I think Trump's take on Zelenskyy has been exceptionally sour and laden with mistruths over the past 24 hours, and that may point to a very
rocky road ahead.
But again and again, and repeated by National Security adviser Mike Waltz is the idea that Ukraine has to sign this rare-earth and resource deal with
the United States. We've learned that's essentially to forgive past debt, not to enable future aid from the U.S., and indeed, Mike Waltz referred to
one single aluminum foundry in the press conference, he just gave it.
He said that where it properly refurbished, where the U.S. able to invest in it, it could supply all the aluminum the United States needs in one
year. Essentially, Waltz painting this more as a U.S. investment in relationship to -- into Ukraine's natural resources industry. But I think
there are many Ukrainians and Zelenskyy himself, I think initially when he saw this document who considered it very transactional, Zelenskyy said he
wasn't ready for signature at all.
Indeed, we understand it listed 12 pages of specific assets, the Americans wanted a 50 percent share in. So, a lot fast-changing in terms of
deterioration and the nature of the U.S.-Ukrainian relationship. And you have to remember, it is something too actually, that Waltz echoed during
his press conference.
The hundreds who die daily on the frontlines while this sort of international statesmanship of bickering continues. Waltz referred to
thousands, but I mean, this is a war with a horrific toll on the Ukrainian side, and I think what we've seen is a real sense of Donald Trump taking a
narrative that's more familiar to Kremlin talking points, radically undermining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the past two days,
if that ultimately is all aimed to get him to sign a commercial deal with the United States, that is one thing.
But I think he's caused significant damage to the relationship between Ukraine and its main financial and military backer.
KINKADE: OK, and of course, to Kevin, Trump, of course, has been accused of detonating the relationship with Ukraine. His envoy is now in Ukraine right
now. Is he cleaning up any of this mess, repairing relations?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I don't think he necessarily is. Of course, they didn't come out, they didn't have any open acrimony,
which I guess is a baseline place for them to start. But I think, you know, when you listen to Mike Wallace as he's speaking from here at the White
House, it's clear that the frustrations that President Trump feels towards Zelenskyy have not waned at all.
I also think there's a real question of how much weight Keith Kellogg holds in all of this. He, of course, was originally assigned to be Trump's envoy
to resolve this conflict. But you'll notice that he was not in Saudi Arabia to meet with the Russians when it came down to those talks that were
earlier this week.
And there has been some question of whether he has been sidelined in all of this. Mike Waltz, when he was talking to us just now, specifically said
that President Trump was frustrated because Zelenskyy hadn't shown enough appreciation for American support, essentially saying that his tone was
partly responsible for this.
You know, great rift growing between them. I will note that even the last administration, the Biden administration, which was so supportive of
Ukraine throughout this conflict, also voiced concerns sometimes about how Zelenskyy was speaking, sometimes was frustrated, including President Biden
himself that Zelenskyy hadn't conveyed enough appreciation for American support.
But what they didn't do was allow that to break out into the open and allow it to cause, you know, American assistance to wane. And so, I think there
is a significant difference there. I think when you're listening to Waltz, he's talking about this deal that Zelenskyy apparently walked away from. He
says that he needs to come back to the table.
And he did voice some confidence that he would eventually agree to it. I think the question, and as Nick was pointing out, what wasn't in this deal
was anything really for the Ukrainians to hang their hat on. There was no security guarantee going forward. This was all meant to be payment for past
American assistance to Ukraine, which I think is part of why Zelenskyy was so resistant to it.
But when you talk to President Trump's advisors, they do suggest that all of this bombast is all trying to sort of create pressure, both on Zelenskyy
to come to this deal, but also essentially to spook the European countries into providing their own security guarantees going forward.
[14:10:00]
And in a way, it is working. You see these emergency summits that the French President Emmanuel Macron has convened in Paris over the last two
days. You have heard European countries say that they would be willing to send their own troops to act as peacekeepers in Ukraine. Of course, right
now, there is no peace to keep.
That part of all of this is still to be determined, and it's not explicitly clear how insulting Zelenskyy, calling him a dictator and alienating the
allies in Europe will eventually lead to a peace agreement. Part of this will be discussed next week when President Trump hosts Macron here at the
White House as well as the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Those I think will be very important meetings. They were sort of rushed on the schedule amid all of this back and forth. And so, those will be
important things to watch going forward.
KINKADE: Yes, they certainly will. We will continue these discussions. Kevin Liptak outside the White House and Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv. Good to
have you there for us, thank you. We are staying on this story. I want to go now to a Ukrainian parliament member who says Donald Trump is
emboldening Vladimir Putin.
Oleksiy Goncharenko fears the conflict could spiral into World War III if it doesn't end with real peace and not just a hasty ceasefire. Good to have
you with us.
OLEKSIY GONCHARENKO, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Hi.
KINKADE: So, World War III is what you fear. What in your view would lead to that?
GONCHARENKO: I think that if Putin will be emboldened, he will feel that he reached his goals, he will just continue, and not just him, but other
dictators, other tyrants in the world, they are closely watching what's happening. And they will also start some circular(ph) and big conflict. So,
that's why it's so important for us and not just for us, just not to give Putin this feeling and this victory.
KINKADE: News outlets around the world have condemned Trump's attacks on President Zelenskyy. Disgusting betrayal was just one of the headlines
criticizing Trump for turning on Zelenskyy, and also parroting Russian propaganda. A former Russian leader also laughed, saying he couldn't
believe it. Can you believe it?
GONCHARENKO: You know, first I need to -- we are in a deep crisis with the United States now, and I don't want to deepen this crisis because it's not
something -- it's not just rhetoric. We're dying here every day. And if we will lose United States as our main military ally, thousands, tens of
thousands, hundreds of thousands Ukrainians will die. I don't want this.
So, I don't want to, you know, in any way to attack President Trump. I just don't want it. I just want us to come back to our understanding that we are
allies, that we need to work together, that we have a lot of in common, that we share the common values that we, Ukraine are protecting these
values in the United States is helping us.
So, that's what I want. And it's not about President Zelenskyy. You know, President Zelenskyy is just a person. We are speaking about the country,
about tens of millions of people. President Zelenskyy will not be President one day, and we will have another President, but the country will remain.
So, that's something which I want to ask you American friends and allies and President Trump and his administration to remember that it's not about
Zelenskyy at all. It's about Ukrainians. And they deserve the right to be heard and to be respected.
KINKADE: In recent weeks, the U.S. envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has called for tougher sanctions on Russia, going after Russian
oil and stepping up support for Ukraine. That seems to be in stark contrast to what we've heard from Donald Trump in recent days. What can you tell us
about how the meetings with Keith Kellogg have gone today in Kyiv?
GONCHARENKO: I was not in the meetings myself for today. I hope to meet General Kellogg, I have a lot of respect to -- General Kellogg, he is a
great mind. He is a great American, and I hope to speak with him and to explain why Ukraine matters. And I hope that he can message this to
President Trump, what he had seen, what -- why Ukraine is so important that Ukraine is not just about, you know, just about some values and what I told
you.
But Ukraine is the 1 million of battle hardened people, are the strongest army of the free world. You've just -- speak about infantry, that Ukraine
is one of essential players on the world food market. So, Ukraine does matter. And General Kellogg can see it by his own eyes.
[14:15:00]
And I hope that he will message this and he will deliver this message to President Trump.
KINKADE: Trump wants Ukraine's rare minerals and has proposed taking 50 percent of Ukraine's rare earth minerals revenue as payment for past aid,
with no guarantee for future security. We heard from the National Security adviser Michael Waltz today saying Zelenskyy needs to sign this deal. Have
you seen this deal and what's been the reaction there?
GONCHARENKO: That's very good question. We haven't seen the deal what was in the paper. It was not public. And you know, if -- I mean, it's a great
idea to have a lot of rare earth minerals just to have them. But it's not so easy. Ukrainians are not lazy people. So, these minerals are not laying
on the ground.
So, we need American investments and American technologies to produce these minerals. And we are ready to share the benefit from it. But I think it's
not right to say in three years or two years, this is the bill. Now, you need to pay for the support you received before. And it was said just I
want to remind you that it was not Ukraine who choose what to receive.
It was the United States of America who decided what to send to Ukraine. So, I mean, in this case, I don't think it's a good idea to try to put it
as a bill, but I think it's a great idea to say that let Ukrainians and Americans work together, invest together and produce rare earth.
That's -- I think is a great deal. And last point, the rarest thing on the earth is a human courage. And the most important which Ukraine has and
which Ukraine can export is the courage of Ukrainian people. And I just want everybody to remember this. We can be a very strong ally of the United
States for decades to come.
But for the moment now, we need support of the United States. We can't lose United States as our main military ally. That would be a catastrophe for
us. But it will also be bad for United States.
KINKADE: Yes, and of course, the courage of Ukrainians is admired around the world. Oleksiy Goncharenko, we appreciate your time today. Thank you --
GONCHARENKO: Thank you.
KINKADE: Thank you. We don't have time to go over all of President Trump's false statements on Ukraine, but CNN's fact-checking team has put together
a good resource online. You can head to cnn.com to learn the truth about Mr. Trump's claims from what he calls missing money sent to Ukraine to
President Zelenskyy's support among his people.
Well, it was a somber day in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square as Israelis gather to mark a painful homecoming. Hamas handed over the bodies of four deceased
hostages who were kidnapped on October 7th. The two youngest hostages, the baby Bibas brothers and their mother Shiri among them, and the family of
one of the oldest hostages, Oded Lifshitz has confirmed his remains were also returned.
The Israeli President Isaac Herzog says it's a difficult day for his country, but they are committed to bringing home the 69 hostages still in
captivity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISAAC HERZOG, PRESIDENT, ISRAEL: It's a very emotional day, but at the end, you know, we are -- we are leaders and we have to lead our nation to a
better life and a better future. First and foremost, we want to bring all our hostages back home. There are 69 of them as -- and it is assumed that,
the majority of which are still alive.
And we have a -- we are speaking -- I'm speaking to their families throughout these days. We have to get to the second stage of the deal and
complete it and bring them back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, CNN's Nic Robertson has this report from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In a convoy freighted with the pain of a nation, the bodies Hamas says are the
youngest October 7th hostage victims and their mother on their final journey home. And in the fourth Red Cross vehicle, what Hamas says are the
remains of one of the oldest October 7th victims, Oded Lifshitz.
The early morning handover beginning against the backdrop of Hamas propaganda turning dignified with a short service as the four caskets
handed over to the IDF. A moment of closure beginning for the families and a nation hostage to the fate of the Bibas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
[14:20:00]
ROBERTSON: Shiri Bibas' fear clutching nine-month-old Kfir and four-year- old Ariel etched in Israel's collective memory. The young family from Nir Oz became icons for hope over despair. Israelis riding an emotional
rollercoaster over their fate. Worryingly, Shiri, Kfir and Ariel not released with 105 other hostages freed during the first pause in fighting,
November 2023.
Shiri's husband Yarden's fate was also unknown. He too disappeared October 7th, believed taken to Gaza. The first news of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel coming
late 2023 when Hamas claimed they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, releasing a propaganda video exploiting emotional sensitivities of Yarden,
blaming the Israeli government for their deaths.
The IDF called it psychological terror. Months later, this security camera video captured by the IDF appearing to show Shiri soon after her abduction,
but until this day, the IDF unable to confirm the fate of the family, cautioning against Hamas statements. When Yarden was finally freed by Hamas
three weeks ago, everyone in Israel understood the heartbreaking news awaiting him, his father and sister consoling him against the near
certainty of his loss.
Along the convoy route Thursday, flag-waving Israelis paid their respects, Hostage Square, somber, not celebratory as with previous releases. White
vans carrying the four on the last leg of their journey to a forensic institute for final identification. The country, the Bibas and the Lifshitz
fears closer to realization. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, a Spanish court case that has gone global. Luis Rubiales has been found guilty. We're going to bring you the details
on that case. Plus, one month into office, the Trump administration has upended the lives of thousands of federal workers. We'll have the details
ahead on the firings that could take place at the Internal Revenue Service.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Spain's high court has found former soccer boss Luis Rubiales guilty of sexually assaulting Jenni
Hermoso, a member of the women's national team without her consent. The Spanish football player was celebrating her historic World Cup win in 2023
when Rubiales kissed her without consent.
The ruling bans the 47-year-old from being within 200 meters of Hermoso and from communicating with her for at least one year. He was also ordered to
pay more than $3,000 to her in compensation. As well as gaining global attention, the case has started conversations in Spain around sexism in
sports and the wider Spanish society.
Well, to dig into the story more, I want to welcome Argentinean football journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo. Good to have you with us.
MARCELA MORA Y ARAUJO, ARGENTINIAN FOOTBALL JOURNALIST: Thank you, thank you, it's good to be on.
KINKADE: So, Rubiales, if we will recall, grabbed Hermoso by the head, kissed her on the lips. He says he regretted the kiss, says it wasn't right
in his position as the National Federation President, but doesn't believe it should amount to sexual assault. A court disagrees. In the court of
public opinion, how is this playing out?
ARAUJO: So, I think it's very difficult, I mean, he now says institutionally, a mistake, he shouldn't have done it and so on. But in the
immediate aftermath, because this is -- this is an incident that we all saw live and that provoked an immediate reaction worldwide, not just in Spain.
And his initial immediate response was to double-down and say, I will not resign. I will not apologize.
And by all accounts, there was a concerted institutional effort to put pressure on Jenni Hermoso and say it's not such a big deal. And they were
trying to sort of show videos of her laughing with her teammates on the bus, you know, looking at the video and sort of play it down. And I think
it's been so drawn out and protected.
And her evidence in court, her defense, if you like, of her own actions, was so astoundingly articulate that the ruling has found very importantly,
I think, especially for cases such as this beyond this particular one, that she was very credible, her evidence was credible. And so, he now has to pay
a daily fine, and then any day that he doesn't pay, I think it's 20 euros a day for a year, he will have some other sort of penalty imposed on him.
But I think in terms of the actual punishment, it's quite -- it's quite minor. I think it's the kind of fine you might get as a -- as a football
fan in a stadium for breaching some kind of code of behavior or you know, a player would get more for showing the wrong logo on a shirt or something.
So, I think there's still a way to go in terms of the defense of women who are sexually abused, like sexual abuse is quite a big charge --
KINKADE: Yes --
ARAUJO: With a small. I think the judge took into consideration that there was no violence and so on. But I do think it's a very interesting case
because it has really shifted the focus away from the athlete and her accomplishments, and taken us back to a conversation about gender and women
and women who are abused at a time when we really should have been relishing the sporting prowess of Jenni Hermoso and her -- and her
teammates.
KINKADE: Yes --
ARAUJO: And I fear this increasingly the case in women's sports.
KINKADE: I mean, he, as you say, he was ordered to pay damages to Hermoso and also a 12 -- almost $12,000 fine and obviously stay away from her. But
the prosecutors were seeking a much tougher punishment, right? They wanted jail time.
ARAUJO: They wanted jail time. And they also wanted the charge of coercion to be taken into account, because there was the incident itself, the kiss,
where it's very difficult for anyone to argue that she wasn't under pressure. It would have been incredibly difficult to sort of physically do
anything at that time.
This is the -- you know, ecstatic moment of victory in a World Cup. Everybody's like, you know, delirious with joy, and yet, the video is quite
clear that he does hold her and she -- and she physically couldn't -- but added to that, the prosecution wanted coercion because after the event, she
was subjected to enormous pressure to drop the case, to not mention it, to say it was OK, to say they were friends, to say she agreed and consented.
[14:30:11]
And this was drawn out in the media and in various leaks and in various interviews. So, it's kind of impossible to say that did not happen because
that is the story we will be in reporting.
At the same time the judge found that coercion was just one step too far and Rubiales and his associates were not found guilty of that charge, which
is why the sentence was a smaller rather than jail time.
KINKADE: Yes. Well, we will see how the appeals play out, but we'll have to leave it there for now. Marcela Mora y Araujo, good to have you with us.
Thanks so much.
ARAUJO: Thank you.
KINKADE: We've got some breaking news just in to us from Washington. The U.S. Senate has just confirmed Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist, to be the new
FBI director. The vote was mostly along party lines, with all Democrats voting against Patel. He is one of Donald Trump's most controversial picks
in the long run up to the vote. Democrats fought his nomination every step of the way. They could have Patel and his past comments praising the
rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol. Also, his public support on QAnon conspiracies and his past pledge to fire current and former Justice
Department and FBI officials who he says are part of the, quote, "deep state."
Well, still to come tonight, controversial cabinet picks, firings, and a strange relationship with Ukraine. We'll have the highlights from Donald
Trump's first month in office.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. Well, as we continue to track President Donald Trump's first 100 days back in
office, it has already been a tumultuous first month for the new administration. A new CNN poll shows that Americans disapprove of Mr. Trump
by a narrow 52 to 47 percent margin.
Most feel the president is not doing enough to address the high prices of everyday goods. 52 percent say he has gone too far in using his
presidential power. President Trump's approval numbers are still higher than any he got during his first term in office.
It comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighs the possibility of firing more than half dozen generals and flag officers, according to two
sources. And it could be part of a larger effort to purge the Department of Senior Leaders deemed either too political or too close to former Secretary
Lloyd Austin.
Well, a source tells CNN the Internal Revenue Service is expected to fire about 6,000 workers right in the middle of tax season.
Well, CNN Politics Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta, has the highlights from President Trump's first month. She joins us now from Washington. 30
days of Trump 2.0, Jennifer, has it only been a month?
JENNIFER AGIESTA, CNN POLITICS POLLING DIRECTOR: It has. It has been a month. And so far, the American people are reacting to Trump's first days
in office with a generally negative outlook. Overall, 52 percent disprove of the way he's handled the presidency. Thus far, 47 percent dis --
approve, excuse me. That is higher than at any point in his first term in office when his max approval rating was 45 percent.
But it's worth noting that does still lag well behind where any other newly installed president landed at this point in their term. Everybody from Joe
Biden all the way back through Ronald Reagan and even earlier had approval ratings in majority territory at this point in their term.
KINKADE: All right. We'll leave it there for now. Plenty of numbers to talk through. Jennifer Agiesta, thanks so much.
AGIESTA: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, I want to recap our breaking news. The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist, as the new FBI director. Patel is
one of President Donald Trump's most controversial picks. The vote was mostly along party lines, but two Republicans, Susan Collins and Lisa
Murkowski, voted no.
U.S. House Democrat John Garamendi joins us now from Fairfield, California. Congressman, good to have you with us.
REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): It's my pleasure to be with you. Looking forward to the conversation.
KINKADE: So, another cabinet pick of Trump has been approved. What's your reaction?
GARAMENDI: This is a real bad one. You look back on his history, his work history, also what he has said, his positions, and we have a very dangerous
person running the FBI. Not good at all.
KINKADE: And can I get your reaction also to Trump and his comments about Zelenskyy calling him a dictator, claiming that Ukraine started the war?
GARAMENDI: Well, you take a look at the comments that the president has made and also the comments that the secretary of state and vice president
have made about Ukraine and you go, oh, my, this is a sea change. The president is basically parody the Russia propaganda. To say that Ukraine
started this war is just wrong. This war actually started with -- in 2014 when Russia took over Crimea and the Eastern Donbas area. So, it's been an
ongoing issue.
The big invasion occurred just short of three years ago, and certainly Ukraine didn't start that. Perhaps what the Russians think is that Ukraine
should have just allowed for the entire country to be annexed. But that didn't happen. And Ukraine said, no, we're an independent country. And
then, Russia did the big invasion three years -- just short of three years ago.
So, the president absolutely is wrong about this. And he's wrong about many other things. Clearly, his statements are what the Russians have been
putting forth in their propaganda. And you got to go, wait a minute, Mr. President, who are you listening to? Are you listening to your own
advisers? Are you listening to your intelligence sources or are you listening to Putin? Apparently, he's listening to Putin, with whom he's
spent, what, a little over an hour in a discussion.
[14:40:00]
KINKADE: And, Congressman, Trump has been in office 30 days, and in that time, we've seen him try to start various trade wars with allies and
neighbors. We've seen him obviously the layoff of thousands of federal workers. He terminated the U.S. membership in the World Health
Organization. He pulled the U.S. Out of the Paris Climate Accord. He started these mass deportations. And of course, his partnership with
unelected billionaire Elon Musk is growing. So, to is Musk's bottom line. What strikes you from the first 30 days?
GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, it is total chaos, and it is extraordinary destructive. Destructive in many ways. Certainly, the programs ranging from
USAID, which is the America's soft power, where we help refugees and starving people around the world and also working on economic development
activities, that is the soft power of the United States and extraordinarily important. And then you go on from there.
Also, extremely troublesome is the president allowing Elon Musk, the world's richest man, to have access to virtually all of the information
that the U.S. government has, whether it is Social Security issues, the writing of, what, $3 or $4 trillion of checks at the Treasury Department,
that information is actually extremely valuable. The Chinese would love to have it.
Well, Musk has it. Hopefully it's well protected. We don't know. We really don't know exactly what he intends to do with it. But that is also
competitive information that could be of extreme importance to him as he competes with other companies around the world or wants to engage with some
company -- some country such as South Africa.
So, there's a very real question about the role of Elon Musk in this entire operation, and what he is doing is just taking a wrecking ball, a
sledgehammer to U.S. government programs. In doing so, he is creating not only chaos, but seriously diminishing the ability of the U.S. government to
perform.
For example, he went after the Energy Department and fired the people that were responsible for the nuclear safety programs of reactors, as well as
for weapons. You go, what is that all about? And now, he's going after the Internal Revenue Service and firing people just ahead of tax season. It's
crazy.
KINKADE: And of course, some of those he fired they've had to rehire not realizing what their jobs were. But I want to go to some of the polls we've
got. CNN polling after 30 days in office shows that 52 percent of Americans are worried about his push to expand power. But polls show that people
aren't happy with Democrats either. 73 percent say congressional Democrats are not doing enough. What more could you do?
GARAMENDI: Well, do what I'm doing right now, talk about what the effect of the Trump and Musk operation is on international security, on Ukraine, as
well as on government operations. Beyond that, we are organizing and working with people that have been laid off, fired, telling the story so
that the general public knows.
For example, I represent California and we are looking at a very serious fire season that will begin in about two to three months. The early hiring
of those men and women that would perform the fire services has stopped. And we may very well, and quite probably, not have the personnel in place
when the fire season begins here in California, and we've certainly seen the effect of the fires in Southern California as well as here in Northern
California. That's just one example.
We know also that these firings are disrupting the operations of critical government programs. It's not necessary. The reformation and -- of
government is not new, it dates back to Teddy Roosevelt. And virtually, every president since that time has attempted to reform, improve, and seek
greater efficiency.
I was involved in this with the Clinton administration, with Al Gore's reinventing government. 250,000 people left U.S. government employment, and
we actually increased the efficiency and effectiveness. It took us two years to do that. We had to understand what each and every program was and
then look for ways of making it more effective, more efficient. And we did it.
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Now, what's happening now is simply destroying and moving with total ignorance as to what the effect of the firings will be. And the effect is
now being seen.
KINKADE: Congressman John Garamendi, we appreciate your time today. Thanks so much for joining us.
GARAMENDI: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, the U.S. Appeals Court is pushing back on the Trump administration's plans to end birthright citizenship for migrant children.
A constitutional amendment in place since 1868 has guaranteed citizenship for most people born on U.S. soil, regardless of the immigration status of
the child's parents.
But President Trump wants to end this guarantee for children born to undocumented immigrants or those in the U.S. on temporary visas. The issue
will move forward in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with arguments slated for June. Whatever the court decides could set up a showdown in the
Supreme Court.
Well, still to come tonight, from Buenos Aires to Rome, prayers are pouring in for the pope's health. We'll bring you the latest on his condition.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I want to go to Rome now where pope -- the pope remains in hospital. He was diagnosed with pneumonia in both of his lungs
last week. Sources tell CNN the pontiff is surrounded by his closest collaborators. As the Vatican says, he continues to carry out work
activities. Catholics have been gathering outside the hospital, laying flowers and praying for his recovery.
Well, joining me now is the Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb. So, Christopher, good to have you with us. We are hearing some positive news
that the pope was able to get out of bed, in a chair, to eat breakfast. He's been signing documents. What more can you tell us about his condition?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, the Vatican saying this evening that the pope's condition is slightly improving. Now,
it's the second day running that they've used the word improving, and that is obviously an encouraging sign. It's now seven days since the pope has
been in the Gemelli Hospital in Rome behind me, being treated for pneumonia in both of his lungs, a very concerning situation given that Francis is 88
years old and has a history of respiratory infections.
[14:50:00]
But the Vatican saying that he continues to be without a fever, that his blood flow parameters are stable, that he's been doing some work. The
Vatican announced that the pope had appointed a bishop in France today. So, encouraging signs. But nevertheless, it is unclear how long the pope is
going to remain in hospital, what the timetable might be for his recovery, clearly there's a long road ahead. However, these encouraging signs that
are coming from these Vatican statements will surely give a lot of Catholics and people in the Vatican encouragement that the pope is going in
the right direction, but still very early days. Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, early days. But hopefully, he keeps progressing that way. Christopher Lamb, thanks for that update.
Well, still to come tonight, it has taken centuries, but archaeologists have finally discovered one Egyptian pharaoh's lost tomb. We'll have the
incredible details when we return.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Time Magazine has revealed their women of the year list for 2025. And one of their top picks is France's
Gisele Pelicot, who they say galvanized a movement for survivors of sexual violence, including herself, after her husband and other men were convicted
and sentenced to prison for their role in her horrific rapes against her.
Time writer's Lucy Feldman say, to select the list each year, they ask themselves the same question, what are the most significant issues facing
all women and girls right now? Nicole Kidman, Raquel Willis and Olivia Munn can be seen with 10 other women right now on time.com.
Well, one of the oldest and most famous depictions of conflict is France's 11th century Bayeux tapestry. But if you were planning to go and see it,
you'll want to hurry. The tapestry, which is more than 70 meters long, that's about 224 feet, will remain on display until the end of August.
That's when the museum will close for renovations and conservation projects until October of 2027. The historic Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the
conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, leading the Franco Norman army. It's been on display for decades in northwest France, and the
reopening will mark the millennium of his birth.
[14:55:00]
Well, archaeologists say the lost tomb of an ancient Egyptian king has finally been found south of Cairo. A joint British Egyptian team thinks it
has discovered the crypt Pharoah Thutmose II. Little is known about Thutmose. Scholars debate the length of his reign, and he's often
overshadowed by his wife and half-sister Queen Hatshepsut.
This is the first discovery of a pharaoh's tomb in more than 100 years. Researchers are calling it remarkable. They already had the king's mummy.
It was discovered in the 19th century.
Well, that does it for this edition. Thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. "Amanpour" is next.
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