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Isa Soares Tonight

Growing Concern Over Trump, DOGE Power Grab; Venezuelan Migrants Held In Guantanamo Bay Arrive Home; Amazon MGM Takes Creative Control Of James Bond Franchise. Aired 2:00-3p ET

Aired February 21, 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, President Trump

admits Russia attacked Ukraine, but doubles down on his attacks against President Zelenskyy, saying he has no cards to negotiate with.

Israel says Hamas has failed to return the body of young mother Shiri Bibas with the government now calling for revenge. Her family says releasing the

remaining hostages should be the priority. Plus, Germany heads to the polls this weekend at a crucial moment for European security. We'll go live to

Berlin to break down what's at stake.

Well, the U.S. President is taking jabs at one of his country's most strategic partners in Europe as it fights for freedom after nearly three

years of war. Donald Trump is urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia, the nation that invaded his country

or risk losing it all.

In an interview on "Fox News" radio, Mr. Trump slammed Mr. Zelenskyy, saying, quote, "he has no cards", and that it's not important for him to be

at meetings. But days after falsely claiming that Ukraine started its own war, the U.S. President appears to be backtracking while still blaming Kyiv

and the former Biden administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's bad for Russia and it's bad for Ukraine and it's bad for us on a humanitarian basis. I've had very

good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine, they don't have any cards, but they play it tough. But we're not -- we're not

going to let this continue. This war is terrible. It would have never happened if I were President. But it did happen, so I got stuck with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, the comments come as the U.S. is resisting a reference to the term Russian aggression in a planned G7 statement next week. The White

House is also pushing for Ukraine to hand over vast minerals as part of a broader negotiation to end the war. Well, I want to bring in our chief

international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, she joins us live from Kyiv.

Good to have you there for us, Nick. So, listening to Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg spoke in glowing terms about Zelenskyy,

which seems quite at odds with his boss, Donald Trump, who called him a dictator, right?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, look, it's a very different end to a trip that's been entirely overshadowed

by the spat between President Trump and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine here. And I think it's a bid potentially in the easiest terms for Kellogg

to try and reset the relationship between himself and Kyiv in the two-track process the Trump officials have spoken of.

Essentially, his job is to talk to the Ukrainians, hear what they want to say and then report back to Trump what their conditions or desires for

peace indeed are. But I think ultimately, too, that it comes down to a bid by Kellogg to retain some sort of sense of audience here in Kyiv after a

particularly difficult three days.

It has been a horrific backdrop, frankly, for the first meeting between Trump officials. Kellogg being the Ukraine and Russia presidential envoy,

with the ongoing horrific exchange of insults, frankly, between Trump and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy on his part, saying that Trump lived in disinformation

space, but saying that he respected Trump and the American people, relatively measured comments, frankly responding to Trump, suggesting that

Ukraine had started the war and that Zelenskyy only enjoyed a 4 percent popularity rating.

Two things that existentially, Zelenskyy had to really respond to reasonably fast, but of course, Zelenskyy's comments then led to further

falsehoods from the U.S. President about Zelenskyy being a dictator and about aid going missing in Ukraine. So, it's been a very bad week for that

relationship, frankly, in freefall.

And Zelenskyy had met Kellogg yesterday, there had been expectations they might speak to the press afterwards, that didn't occur. We've heard very

little out of Kellogg at all, apart from that one tweet. We hear from one Ukrainian official, that much of the discussions between Ukrainian and U.S.

officials today have been about this rare earth minerals deal, which seems to be a central plank to everything the Trump administration really wants

in terms of Ukraine going forward.

[14:05:00]

That the Ukrainians are asking for the original deal to now include security elements that they all had gone through various drafts of this

deal, but there's a sense of great urgency around that. It does feel a bit like, given all the things we're hearing from Trump's cabinet, that if they

don't sign this deal, then the U.S. aid or relationship entirely with Ukraine is either stalled or potentially on the rocks entirely.

So, exceptionally fraught week for this relationship, and one that has done absolutely nothing to assist Ukraine on the frontlines or bring the peace

that Trump says he wants any closer.

KINKADE: All right, Nick Paton Walsh for us live for us in Kyiv, we appreciate you being there for us. Thanks so much. Well, nothing will stop

me. Those words from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he vows to make Hamas pay the full price for failing to return the body of an

Israeli hostage as promised, casting new uncertainty over the fate of a fragile ceasefire.

Shiri Bibas was supposed to be returned yesterday along with the remains of her two young sons and elderly -- and an elderly Israeli hostage. But

Israel says it received the remains of an unknown Palestinian woman instead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys' mother, Shiri, and sent the body

of a Gazan woman instead in brazen violation of the agreement. All of Israel is united in grief. And as the Prime Minister of Israel, I vow that

I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me.

Nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Hamas says it will investigate Israel's claims about Shiri Bibas, and insisting that it remains committed to its ceasefire

obligations. Hamas has long said she and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike back in 2023, but Israel accuses Hamas of murdering the little

boys in cold blood. Our Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (on camera): Hamas is describing this as a mix-up. In essence, they're saying this is on their

part, an honest mistake. You've heard from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying very clearly that he doesn't believe that. He believes

that Hamas is not acting in the good interests of Israel at this point, and is vowing for this revenge, if you will, to make sure that Hamas pays for

this.

So, where is her body? Hamas is implying that this mix-up would mean it is somewhere still in Gaza. Do they know precisely where it is? But I think

this is only just one of the tensions that has emerged out of all of this. It's not just what Hamas would describe as the mix-up over her body,

Israelis would describe as something else.

But what a challenge on Hamas' narrative that the family, the boys died in an Israeli airstrike very clearly now, in quite extreme terms. The IDF is

describing this, their deaths as cold-blooded murder.

DANIEL HAGARI, SPOKESPERSON, IDF: Contrary to Hamas' lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by

terrorists in cold blood. The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards they committed horrific

acts to cover up this atrocities.

ROBERTSON: So, you have this extreme variance now between the two narratives, Hamas says and the Israeli government. And into all of that,

the Bibas family, the aunt of Kfir and Ariel has in essence gone against what the Prime Minister is saying rather than calling for revenge, is

calling for release of the other hostages to be the priority now. This is what she said.

OFRI BIBAS, AUNT OF ARIEL & KFIR BIBAS (through translator): For Ariel and Kfir's sake, and for Yarden's sake, we are not seeking revenge right now.

We are asking for Shiri. Their cruelty only emphasizes the urgent need to bring Shiri back to us, save the lives of the living hostages and return

all the fallen for burial.

President Trump, I'm asking you, please assist Israel and our family in completing this important mission.

ROBERTSON: But in essence, the real question is where is Shiri Bibas' body? And at the moment, as far as we know, Hamas doesn't have DNA testing

equipment. It has had a huge number, they would say over 48,000 people killed.

[14:10:00]

The challenge to find Shiri Bibas' body may be huge, but Hamas has yet to give more details about how they're going to reset what they are describing

as a mix up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Nic Robertson there. Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu also made a rare visit to the occupied West Bank today, ordering the army

to step up a major military operation after three empty buses exploded near Tel Aviv in a suspected terror attack. Mr. Netanyahu visited Tulkarem

Refugee Camp, where bulldozers have been destroying homes by the hundreds.

He says the IDF is going after terrorists across the West Bank. The U.N. says at least 40,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes. Dozens

more have been killed in the operation. The Palestinian Health Ministry says the IDF shot and killed a 13-year-old girl in Jenin today.

Well, Arab nations are scrambling to come up with a plan for Gaza's future after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed expelling all Palestinians and

turning their homeland into a lucrative real estate project. Leaders from Egypt, Jordan and gulf Arab states met in Riyadh today for informal talks.

Earlier this week, Egypt's President urged the world to support a plan for rebuilding Gaza that does not involve displacing Palestinians, saying they

will not accept being forced off their land. Well, joining us now to talk about the shifts we are seeing in global foreign policy, I want to welcome

our political and national security analyst, David Sanger. Good to have you with us, David.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be with you.

KINKADE: So, let's start, big picture if we can. How would you describe Donald Trump's first month back in office that has seen him turn on allies,

upend U.S. foreign policy, and blatantly lie? Is there a strategy here, or is that wishful thinking?

SANGER: Well, there may be a strategy here. And I think that his supporters would say that the strategy is America first, that the United

States is no longer going to rely on international institutions, on conventions of decisions being made by the United Nations, by the Security

Council, by international law, and is instead going to use its raw power to deal with the other two major super powers, Russia and China.

It's with Russia that we've seen the most startling turnabout, and that's really been in the past week, as we have seen President Trump basically

flip the script and go from the western description of Russia as the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, having illegally seized their land,

which is precisely what happened three years ago this coming Monday.

And instead, just describe a deal to be made as if this was, you know, two equal real estate competitors who are just arguing over who gets what. And

so, we have basically as a country, the United States has basically taken out the moral side of this war and simply said, we'll just step in to draw

lines. And that would be a huge change.

KINKADE: And of course, David, after Donald Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator and claimed that Ukraine were responsible for the war, we're now

seeing this debate amongst G7 nations over the terms Russian aggression. U.S. officials don't want that term being used. How difficult is it for

countries to negotiate when they can't even agree on facts?

SANGER: Well, that's the thing, that the G7 had always been in agreement on the facts here, that Russia was responsible for this invasion, that

Russia was illegally on Ukrainian territory, that Russia needed to withdraw, and that security agreements, arrangements needed to be made to

assure that Russia could never do something like this again.

That is now shattered. And with the shattering of it comes more than just the question of Ukraine, comes the question of is the United States to be

trusted as a full member of NATO? That if Putin went further, if in a few years from now, he took a small NATO nation or attempted to invade one,

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, would the United States come to aid -- come to its aid along with the other NATO nations?

[14:15:00]

And that trust is what is gone this week. And now that, that trust is broken, you suddenly see a debate inside Europe about whether or not they

need an army of Europe, which basically means NATO without the United States, that they could rely upon. The problem is, Europe wasted a lot of

time and this is ready for that.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. It's interesting, though, even former Russian leaders are shocked by Trump's concessions, right? Why would Trump pivot to

Putin upending generations of U.S. policy?

SANGER: It's a great question. One element of it is the Trump dislike -- some might even say something bordering to hatred of Zelenskyy, which goes

back to the first term, Zelenskyy's unwillingness to help him try to identify Joe Biden and Biden's family as involved in illegal activities in

Ukraine, something for which there was little to no evidence.

And of course, that's what the first impeachment of President Trump was all about. So, these two were off to a bad start. And then when Zelenskyy would

not sign immediately the minerals deal that Scott Bessent; the Treasury Secretary took with him to Kyiv a little more than a week ago, that enraged

the President.

And suddenly, they went from defending Ukraine because it was the right thing to do under international law to saying you have to provide these

minerals to pay us back for the funds that have already been laid out. It may be that they'll get a mineral deal at the end of the day, but it's not

at all clear that the President's got any requirements on Russia as part of this forthcoming peace deal, if there is a peace deal.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly doesn't make sense for Ukraine to sign that deal as it stands, given any sort of revenue from their minerals would be going

to aid already given. David Sanger, good to have you with us from Berlin. Thanks so much.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, doctors give an update on the pope's health after a hospital-stay that started a week ago. Plus, millions of

voters in Germany head to the polls this weekend. We're going to discuss what's at stake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Doctors caring for Pope Francis say his health is improving, but he's not out of danger. Speaking from the

Gemelli Hospital in Rome in the last few hours, medical staff say the pontiff will remain in hospital through next week. They say his treatment

needs time to work, and they added that the 88-year-old is breathing on his own.

He's eating well and most importantly, he has retained his sense of humor. Well, Germans will choose a new parliament and government this Sunday in

what is considered by many as a high stakes election. According to the polls, the center right CDU is on track to be the largest party.

That makes its leader, Friedrich Merz frontrunner for chancellor. Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party is trailing in a fight for second place

with the far-right AFD. As Europe's biggest economy, Germany is typically seen as a pillar of stability. But GDP fell for a second year in a row in

2024. The sluggish economy and the war in Ukraine, and of course, concerns over migration are issues dominating the election campaign.

With some accusing Elon Musk of giving the far-right party a boost. Our Sebastian Shukla joins me now from Berlin. Good to see you, Seb. So, the

far-right party is expected to see a surge on Sunday. Just explain why? What are the major issues?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Lynda, the AFD is expected to perform extremely well in this election. It could even come as high as second,

which would mark a major landmark for their political life, becoming the first far-right party in this country to achieve such a result since the

Nazi party did back in the '30s.

But this election has also been plagued by issues to do with immigration. There have been three such attacks in as many months, including one that

happened last week. But also, this election has seen usually German politics, is relatively sedate, dare I call it, quintessentially German,

but has seen some major celebrity endorsements.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHUKLA (voice-over): One of the final stops for Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats, as he zeroes in on the German chancellorship. The

predicted winner of Sunday's election will follow the historic trend of German politics, coming from one of the major parties.

FRIEDRICH MERZ, LEADER, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS UNION (through translator): We are witnessing an almost tectonic shift in the world's political and

economic centers of power.

SHUKLA: But the projected success of the far-right alternative for Germany, the AFD, coming in second behind Merz is new, as have been their

super power endorsement. Elon Musk, the world's richest man appeared as a floating head to address the AFD in January with some grandiose words.

ELON MUSK, FOUNDER & CEO, TESLA & SPACEX: This election is so important. It's extremely important. I do not say it lightly when I think the future

of civilization could hang on this election.

SHUKLA: And last week, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance rebuked Germany in its own backyard at the Munich Security Conference.

JAMES DAVID VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What no democracy, American, German or European will survive is telling millions of voters

that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief are invalid.

SHUKLA: Hours later, he met with AFD co-leader Alice Weidel, Olaf Scholz, the chancellor had previously criticized Musk and also had some choice

words for Vance.

OLAF SCHOLZ, CHANCELLOR, GERMANY (through translator): We will not accept it if outsiders intervene in our democracy, in our elections and in the

democratic formation of opinion in favor of this party. That is just not done, certainly not amongst friends and allies.

SHUKLA: A faltering economy and security concerns have been among the campaign's major issues. Three deadly attacks in as many months, all

carried out by migrants have poured fuel on the migration debate. The AFD seized on the issue, and as a result, have forced the larger parties to

make it a top priority.

But an unwritten political agreement called the firewall, where parties work together to pass legislation without the AFD means they will likely be

frozen out of coalition talks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SHUKLA: And Lynda, Friedrich Merz has categorically ruled out working with the AFD. So, the question will become who and how does he form this

government that he will probably be the head of? And the questions will start to also swirl around Europe and people will be watching very

intensely what happens here in Germany over the next few days, Lynda.

[14:25:00]

KINKADE: Yes, absolutely, and already we've seen some early voters, some of those postal voters lured out with free beer and sausages. Just talk to

us about the overall implications for Europe.

SHUKLA: Yes, this is a big election for Germany, and I don't say that lightly. There are various European issues as well as national issues, the

economy is faltering here as I've said, before that issue about migration is something that Germans really do want to tackle head on. But you only

have to look at the bigger picture around Europe and the rhetoric that is coming from the White House too, Lynda, to think that Germany cannot afford

here to have a weak government or a weak leader and coalition that it has previously had, particularly the one that was under Olaf Scholz.

It needs to re-find its big boy boots and be able to stand up to what is going to be a very turbulent time for Europe as we've seen around these

negotiations with Ukraine and also the impending tariffs that Donald Trump said he is going to slap on the European Union. Germany will need to be

upfront, front and center in any negotiations, both on the European level and national level with the White House and Donald Trump. Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Sebastian Shukla, good to have you on the story. No doubt we will speak as the results come in. Thanks so much. Well, joining

me now is Professor Nina Kolleck, she is a political scientist with the University of Potsdam and joins us now live. Good to have you with us.

NINA KOLLECK, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF POTSDAM: Thank you for your invitation. Hello.

KINKADE: So, both Elon Musk and the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, have weighed in on the German election. Is it clear what impact they might have

on the polls?

KOLLECK: I mean, the impact is not yet clear from a scientific point of view, but from a political point of view, we see that they have a large

impact and that their involvement in politics and their engagement in German politics is highly discussed. And that also in Germany, there is a

polarization about what Elon Musk, Donald Trump and -- yes, what they -- what they say about German politics and how they try to influence German

politics.

Musk has supported AFD, the right-wing movement on social media, and his platform X allows more far-right content, making it a tool for spreading

radical ideas. But what is more, he is actively supported Alice Weidel and tells the Germans to vote for Alice Weidel who is the right-wing party.

KINKADE: And I want to ask more about that far-right party, the AFD, because it's barely a decade old, yet, support for that party has doubled

since the last election. About 20 percent of the country supports it. Why?

KOLLECK: There are many reasons. AFD is doing very well especially in eastern Germany and especially among young men. In a study, we found that

AFD is so much supported because many Germans worry about migration politics, and also they think that the problems Germany is facing can be

traced back to migration politics.

Before we had a very open migration politics, also under Chancellor Angela Merkel from the CDU, from the Christian Democrats, and she supported a very

open migration policy, and now many criticize her politics, and see that -- think that this was a fault. Also because of many worries after the

pandemic, the prices are rising, housing becomes very expensive, especially for young people.

It's very hard to find a flat, housing, and also to afford all the costs. So -- and also the economic crisis worries many Germans. And all those

worries due to the assumption that yes, that many people want to have a new party in the government. Also, there is a dissatisfaction with the former

government because they haven't done a good job.

This is also the reason why we already have the elections. The elections were previously planned for Autumn 2025, but because of the high distrust

of the society and the government, they announced new elections now already.

KINKADE: And Nina, this trend we are seeing, this shift to the right, we're seeing this repeatedly, right? All across Europe, especially amongst

young voters who traditionally would have swayed more to the left, right?

KOLLECK: Yes, yes. You can see it in Germany that young voters suddenly are very much convinced by the ring movement and there are several reasons. One

of them are the economic struggles. Young people worry about their jobs, about money and social mobility, about the future. And some believe also

that too many resources go to migrants. Also there is our inflation and economic crisis which make it hard to find housing and afford daily life.

And -- but also there's one major point which is social media influence. AFD is very active on TikTok and Telegram. And in Germany, most of the

young people inform themselves on TikTok about political information. They do not read the press or watch television or listen to the radio if they're

interested. They look into TikTok and are convinced by the videos of the AFD.

And also, many young voters feel ignored by mainstream parties because the mainstream parties don't address the worries of the young people. So, they

feel a high desire for change and yes, and more stronger immigration control and national security.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: All right, Nina Kolleck, we'll --

(CROSSTALK)

If you -- if you want ask, there's kind of an anti-establishment that AFP presents itself as against the political elite and on the side of the

people which attracts frustrated young voters. And they're very successful on TikTok. The other parties try to be successful too on TikTok but yes,

they do not appear to be authentic on TikTok --

KINKADE: Yes.

KOLLECK: -- so far. Only the left wing becomes also very strong at the moment.

KINKADE: We will see how this plays out come Sunday. Good to have you with us, Nina Kolleck, thanks so much.

KOLLECK: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: And we will have a two-hour special on the German election this Sunday. That is at 12:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. in London, 6:00 p.m. in

Berlin.

And we have some news just into us from Berlin. Police in Germany investigating a violent incident at the memorial to the murdered Jews of

Europe in Central Berlin. Police say a man was seriously injured Friday evening by an unknown person and taken to hospital. Rescue workers at the

scene are attending to witnesses. We will update you on this story as we learn more.

Well, still to come tonight, as the White House works to dismantle much of the government abruptly firing or laying off thousands of federal workers,

how do Americans feel about the second Trump term? We'll examine next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:29]

KINKADE: Good to have you with us. I'm Linda Kinkade. Well, it may be the most iconic image of the first few weeks of the Trump presidency, the

world's richest man Elon Musk revving what he called the bureaucracy chainsaw for an adoring crowd at a conservative conference. But there do

seem to be concerns that a growing number of Americans do not like the direction Trump and Musk are taking. 54 percent in a new polls say they are

afraid or pessimistic about what the rest of the second term will be like.

While, Democrats are expressing their expected outrage about mass firings and budget cuts, some Republicans are also feeling the pinch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RICH MCCORMICK (R-GA): When you talk about presidential power, I remember having the same discussion with Republicans when Biden was

elected. The funny thing is -- the funny is --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, you can hear those boos and cat calls. People in this red state town hall during a Republican Congressman for backing the Trump

agenda.

And this Ohio Republican Congressman speaking out about that agenda and said Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes

away, not the President, not Elon Musk. Congress decides.

Well, Phil Mattingly is following the story, as well as Annie Grayer. I want to start with you Phil. So, good to see you. We also have been hearing

about these so-called DOGE checks. $5,000 checks that could be arriving in the mail for every taxpayer thanks to the mass layoffs and the money that

these efficiency cuts have apparently saved.

How much money are we talking and how much money have they saved the federal government?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF US.. DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: It's actually a great question. And it's not because I don't know the answer it's because

based on their accounting at least from DOGE officials or the DOGE X account where they post what they say are their savings, they don't seem to

necessarily always know the answer. And to be clear, it is difficult to come through and in one fell swoop cancel a number of contracts be able to

immediately claim those as savings or money that could potentially be sent back out to the American public.

But the reality is right now is there are very, very big and grand claims that have been made about the money that has been saved through cutting

contracts, through cutting personnel, and those don't necessarily square with what we know or can actually confirm in terms of the ledger. What we

do know is there have been billions of dollars in contracts that have been ended or canceled entirely.

We do know there are sweeping personnel cuts that are hitting agency by agency by agency continuing today. They have over the course of several

weeks and they're expected continue in the weeks ahead. That will certainly be a significant amount of money saved that was initially going to be paid

out by the federal government. How they get from this point today, Lynda, to the point where they're apparently sending out $5,000 checks -- look,

I'm going to be honest, I've covered economics for a long time I've covered policy for a long time, I've talked to a lot of economic officials

including some in the administration, no one can explain how they get from that point A to point B at this moment. I think mostly they just really

like the idea of the message that perhaps it conveys to the public.

KINKADE: And of course, you've been reporting on the inner workings of DOGE and particularly the power grab, how Musk and his allies now have control

of these nerve center agencies. What have you found out? You know, what's fascinating watching the lead in there, there are natural tensions that are

only going to build. And Annie and her team on Capital Hill been doing a great job covering this in the weeks ahead because people will start to

notice very quickly the impact that government actually has on their lives that they maybe didn't recognize before.

[14:40:05]

What's so striking about what we've seen over the first month is how quickly, methodically, and almost entirely under the radar Musk's team and

associates. And by that I mean folks that aren't necessarily working for DOGE. Musk apparently is not technically working for DOGE. But we're placed

at some of these critical agencies that you and I would never talk about on cable news or just talk about in general conversation, the Office of

Personnel and Management, the General Services Administration, the Treasury Payments Systems, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

These are the nerve centers of the federal government. These are the government's personnel department, technology acquisition, real estate

portfolio, and $5 trillion in payments on an annual basis. And within the first few days, this operation both political appointees and Musk's direct

colleagues, I guess you could say from the DOGE service were able to essentially take it -- take control of it.

And from that point, they've built out into the agencies as we've seen over the course of the last couple weeks. But in doing that right off the bat,

it underscored, it had been very carefully planned, very strategic. And while perhaps these private sector officials that have come in don't

necessarily know how Washington works, they certainly, Lynda, know what makes Washington works and right now they have control of it.

KINKADE: Wow. Yes, it's interesting you saying that. It sounds it's quite strategic even though from an outside perspective it looks a little bit

haphazard. Phil Mattingly, good to have you with us. Thank you so much.

For more, I want to bring in Annie Grayer who joins us on this topic. Certainly, Annie, there's been a great deal of criticism about the way this

has been handled especially considering the number of federal workers laid off only to be rehired, you know, a few days later. Talk to us about the

potential backlash we're seeing especially in red states and how lawmakers are reacting.

Well, lawmakers on the House side are back in their districts this week and many of them are getting an earful. It's the first time they've been able

to hear from their constituents face to face about their real thoughts about DOGE. And we are getting reports out of out of Georgia, out of Oregon

out of Virginia across the country of lawmakers who are sitting down with their constituents in these town halls and getting really tough questions.

I mean Congressman McCormick on your screen there even got booed at times during his town hall. So, the question really is going to be when lawmakers

return to Capitol Hill this week is what they're going to do with that feedback. We've seen and I've been recovering -- I've been covering this

whole month how Republicans are trying to navigate DOGE and walk this -- walk this tight rope between wanting to show support for the President and

Elon Musk's DOGE effort while also acknowledging their constituents. Because while the nerve centers of the Federal Government are in D.C., 80

percent of its workforce actually lives across the country. So, these firings and cuts to the federal government don't just impact workers in

D.C. Republicans are hearing from their constituents back home who are also being affected.

So, the real question and what I'm going to continue to be covering is, is there a red line where Republicans stand up and push back on this because

overwhelmingly even though they're receiving all this pushback, they have publicly been very supportive of the DOGE effort.

KINKADE: Yes, we'll see if that changes especially when we start to get closer to the Midterms. Annie Grayer, good to have you with us. Thanks so

much.

Well the 26-year-old man accused of killing the CEO of United Healthcare just arrived in court about 20 minutes ago. Luigi Mangione is charged with

the first-degree murder of Brian Thompson who was killed walking on a sidewalk in Manhattan on December 4th of last year. That's one of the 11

charges the state has brought against Mangione in New York.

Prosecutors say he killed Thompson in an act of terrorism. If found guilty, it could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

We continue to keep an eye on anything that happening in court.

We've also got some news just in. A man convicted just a short while ago of attempted murder for stabbing Authur Salman Rushdie in 2022. A jury also

found Hadi Matar guilty of assault for wounding a man who was on stage with Rushdie at that time. Matar ran onto the stage when he was about to speak

in the state of New York. He stabbed Rushdi more than a dozen times and the attack left the award-winning novelist blind in one eye.

Well, still to come tonight, Venezuelan migrants are heading home but their journey back is causing controversy. We'll tell you why after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:20]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. More than 170 Venezuelan migrants have arrived back home after being deported from the U.S. after being held

in Guantanamo Bay. Now, this is the latest move in President Trump's immigration crackdown. But questions are arising of whether or not these

migrants should have been sent to Guantanamo in the first place.

The naval base is notorious for holding prisoners of the U.S. war on terror. But Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the migrants are not

criminals, whilst newly filed court declarations say that some were considered a high threat.

For more on this story, I want to bring in CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzibon. Good to see you, Stefano. So, Donald Trump has claimed so many of

the migrants being deported are criminals. Is that the case here?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, yes. We're already seen as it often happens, Lynda, in the relationship when it comes to the relationship

between Washington and Caracas, we're already seeing I was saying a war of words between the two governments. The White House is telling us that all

of these 177 migrants that were deported from Guantanamo to Caracas just on Thursday were members of the Tren de Aragua which is this infamous

international cartel. Which by the way, Lynda, just on Thursday the Tren de Aragua was formally declared a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.

State Department.

But instead, in Venezuela, these people have been welcomed back with jubilation. We've seen images of the defense -- of the Justice and Interior

Minister Diosdado Cabello personally welcoming them back at the international airport in Carakas late on Thursday. And just today, Cabello

told a local radio station that he believed that only 38 out of 177 migrants had some form of criminal records in their past.

Now, I think that there are two things to analyze here. One, that the Venezuelan government is not known around the world for their transparency

or for sticking to the truth or sticking to the facts, so we should take Cabello's words with a little bit of caution. But on the other side, is

that it's very hard to prove that a person is a member of such a big sprawling international network like the Tren de Aragua.

And despite the fact that the White House is telling us that they are indeed gangsters, well, we haven't seen any proof. It's almost a rhetorical

war between the two governments what I think it's important to note is however is that less than three weeks since the envoy from Donald Trump,

Richard Grenell, visited Caracas and met with Nicolas Maduro on January 30, less than two -- than three weeks later, we have already seen two

deportation flights from the United States down to Caracas.

And we do have the feeling that the two governments are trying to come up with some sort of deal which is a clear breakthrough from both the Biden

Administration but also the first Trump Administration which has orchestrated that campaign between 2019 and 2020 to oust Maduro from power

and restore democracy in Venezuela. So, things are clearly changing and changing very fast, Lynda.

[14:50:22]

KINKADE: And Stefano, just quickly Trump did promise mass deportations. How do the numbers being deported compare to what we've seen in previous

administrations.

POZZEBON: That's a very interesting question because we have not seen a surge in deportation across the region of Latin America. Here where I am

for example in Colombia, we're handling it normally between three and five days -- three and five flights per week of deportations, and these numbers

have been the same over the last month under Donald Trump. So, we haven't seen a surge across the region.

The difference is Venezuela. Venezuela is the interesting case study where we had not seen deportation flights for many, many months under Biden, and

now under Trump we're seeing these practice to be beginning again and resuming. So, I think Venezuela is a case on its own. And it's remarkable

to notice the political alignment or at least the conversations happening between Maduro and Trump and their emissaries while the rest of the region,

yes, is still trying to come up with how to respond to Trump's threats of mass deportation, but we haven't clearly seen a surge in deportation

numbers from this side of the border, south of the border at least, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota, good to have you there for us. Thanks so much.

Well, still to come tonight, why more than half a million turtles have packed their bags and headed to the beach? That sounds like a great idea.

We'll have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. The James Bond franchise is entering a new era. In a landmark deal announced Thursday, Amazon MGM Studios is taking over

creative control of the famed and very lucrative fictional spy movie franchise. Fans are already speculating over who will play Bond next.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A huge shock in Hollywood as a new business deal can determine the future of James Bond. For the past 60

years, one family has controlled everything related to James Bond, and that is the Broccoli family, The Producers behind the James Bond franchise, who

have infamously been resistant to give up any creative control as it pertains to the James Bond films.

[14:55:09]

But now, the Broccoli family entering into a shocking deal with Amazon that hands over creative control to Jeff Bezos' company. Now, Jeff Bezos has

already gotten into the action taking to X with this post, "Who do you pick as the next Bond." Clearly, Bezos has already drumming up some excitement

for the future of this iconic franchise which has had 25 films and has made $7.8 billion over the past seven decades.

Now, the casting question of course is top of mind. Some fan favorites that have been floating around everyone from Idris Elba to Henry Cavill to Aaron

Taylor-Johnson who had been rumored last year to have actually been offered the part. But the fact of the matter is there's no next James Bond movie

that is currently in the works. There's no script, there's no writer, and there's certainly no star. So, it remains to be seen when we will see that

next James Bond movie, but it also remains to be seen what the future expansion of James Bond will be now that Amazon has creative control.

Is James Bond going to get the Marvel treatment? Are they going to expand the world of this IP so that it's not just theatrical films but that there

are television series and spin-offs? Now, of course anytime you dig into the IP and expand a franchise, you run the risk of alienating lifelong fans

who love James Bond. So, it has to be done right. But this is big news in the world of James Bond, and definitely a lot more to come.

Back to you.

KINKADE: Who doesn't love a James Bond? I'm Lynda Kinkade. That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us much more news ahead.

END