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Isa Soares Tonight
Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education; U.S. House Censures Al Green; Trump Issues "Last Warning" to Hamas; David Holmes Shares His Inspiring Story. European Commission Chief Warns Europe Faces a Clear and Present Danger; Zelenskyy Thanks the EU for Staying with Ukraine; Trump Pauses Tariffs on Some Canadian-Mexican Imports for One Month. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired March 06, 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]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Europe faces a clear and present danger.
That warning from the European Commission chief as leaders gather for an emergency summit in Brussels. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanks the EU for staying
with Ukraine.
We'll be joined by Ukrainian MP Kira Rudyk to discuss the global regrouping amid America's geopolitical shift. And then, the U.S. President pauses
tariffs on most Mexican imports for now, as world leaders reel from the whiplash leadership coming out of the White House.
But first, we begin this hour with what the EU Commission chief is calling a watershed moment as European leaders begin a dramatic shift really,
bolstering their military might in the wake of U.S'. decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine. Now, European leaders have been holding an
emergency summit in Brussels trying to chart a new course really to re-arm now that the President Donald Trump's position on the war in Ukraine has
become ever so clearer.
The EU, not just reaffirming their support for Ukraine today, but drilling down on just how much members are willing to spend on defense in order to
replace the billions of dollars, of course, of U.S. aid in limbo. After last week's White House meeting that led to seismic shifts across the
Atlantic, European leaders seem to be sending a message they must chart a new course moving forward immediately.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: This is a watershed moment for Europe, and Ukraine is part of our European family. It's also a
watershed moment for Ukraine. Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself as we
have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Ursula von der Leyen there. Well, a short time ago, a source tells CNN that U.S. and Ukrainian officials will meet next week in Saudi Arabia
in an effort to get peace talks back on track. Our Nic Robertson is in Brussels and joins us now with the very latest. And Nic, look, European
leaders -- and we've been hearing this for the past week or so, have been framing this moment as a crossroads, a watershed moment, a dangerous new
era as we heard from Starmer. Clearly, the position that -- of the U.S. has focused their minds rather rapidly. What are we likely to hear on these
commitments?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, what's come from the White House has not only shaken the ground under the feet of the
Ukrainians, it's already been shaken by a full-on invasion and war. But it's really shaken the confidence and the ground under the Europeans as
well.
What they're talking about here is a massive generational shift in their defense-spending, and what they're talking about is how to find the money
to make that happen. They've got clear ideas. But since President Zelenskyy arrived here and the conversations he got in immediately, this is such a
dynamic environment, it may not look it quite, but Europe really is moving at speed here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: Thank you.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Barely inside the doors of the EU in Brussels, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddles with top officials. Diplomacy across
Europe accelerating as the U.S. tightens ties with Moscow. This is what Europe working at speed looks like.
(on camera): Unlike the high speed decision-making inside the White House, leaders here have to meet again and again and again, meaning there are no
quick fixes to fill all the security gaps. They fear the U.S. is leaving them.
(voice-over): This meeting about raising money to pay for a massive defense spending hike with as much as 800 billion euros at stake.
VON DER LEYEN: Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself.
ROBERTSON: It's not just Ukraine feeling let down by U.S. President Donald Trump, it's Europe too. After years of fearing how a second Trump
presidency would impact allies, reality has hit and it's ugly.
[14:05:00]
ROBERTA METSOLA, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: It is about damn time. This is something that we have been asking for a long time, that the
European Union, that Europe is capable of standing up on its own two feet.
ROBERTSON: Zelenskyy reeling from the apparently capricious cutting of U.S. Intelligence and wider U.S. military abandonment at the table, his
nation's future hanging on how fast European funds are authorized and how quickly the money is turned into weapons.
ZELENSKYY: We are very thankful that we are not alone. And these are not just words, we feel it.
ROBERTSON: Not alone, but Europe not even close yet to having the money or deciding how to spend it. Europe's leaders still hoping for Trump's
security partnership in Ukraine.
OLAF SCHOLZ, CHANCELLOR, GERMANY (through translator): We must make sure with a calm and wise approach, that U.S. support is guaranteed for the
coming months and years, because Ukraine is also dependent on their support for its defense.
ROBERTSON: Inside the EU, leaders meet two pro-Russian leaders, Hungary's Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico, even so, the expectation high, the
pair won't derail Europe's re-armament.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: So, that's the expectation. The talks, however, are still going on into the evening. There's no indication that we're getting from sources
at the talks that they're about to break down or really run off the rails, but they are expected now to have dinner this evening. And in EU terms,
that means it could be a really late night of haggling. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and often is. I remember those days, Nic, for sure, very late. But look, let's talk about this. It's about money. This is all about
money. You and I spoke about this today -- yesterday, and the call for this increased defense spending, very much a departure from decades. I think
it's fair to say, of decline in military spending in Europe, where defense often came, Nic, last in many budgetary considerations.
So, what is the message from European leaders? Because I was looking at some of the numbers within the bloc. Many of the countries in the bloc are
already pretty overburdened, Nic, when it comes to debt. Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, all have debt levels over 100 percent of
GDP. So, how then will these leaders thread this needle domestically? We heard Macron talking about a threat to security yesterday. Is this enough
to shift mindsets here?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think they can see all these leaders depending on whether they're the Scandinavians and Nordics, if you will, the Baltic
states that are really get and understand the need for a high defense spend and have it, which there's more of a sense of and the immediacy of the
danger living with the legacy of the Soviet Union, understanding what Vladimir Putin really means when he wants to invade and take control of
Ukraine and re-imagine a greater Russia along the lines of the Soviet Union and the countries that lived under the Soviet Union, and what we used to
think of as eastern Europe.
They get it and their defense spends -- look at -- look at Poland, defense spend at 3.7 percent GDP, one of the higher ones, Latvia, Lithuania going
up to 5 percent of GDP defense spend. The southern European nations not so much. And this is an area of sort of internal tension. And then you bring
in, as you say, how these countries are burdened economically at the moment.
And so, part of what the EU will do is ease some fiscal restraints, that mean -- that make spending on defense easier and less EU repercussions, if
you will. But it's a real world, and this is a tough place. And you know, I was talking to a diplomat here last night, and he said look, we have to be
clear about the expectations.
And I think this is what you got from Olaf Scholz, and this is what you'll hear from Ursula von der Leyen. They believe that United States still needs
to be absolutely engaged and a player in Europe's defense and security, and Ukraine's as well. They cannot make up these gaps and shortfalls at the
moment.
But the sell that's coming from the leaders, from Keir Starmer in London, from Emmanuel Macron in France, and we got a sense of it from Ursula von
der Leyen today, and happening in other capitals throughout Europe is the explanation by politicians to the public that this is necessary. It's not
going to be easy and things will have to fall by the wayside.
[14:10:00]
And the real winner out of all of this, and you have to say this disturbance, this immediate Russian disturbance to Europe's security might
have been coming several decades, might have been better addressed after the fall of the iron curtain and the end of communism, the end of the
Soviet Union might have been better done then, but it wasn't.
It's a reality today. But it's not easy to shift into when the United States changes the dynamic so rapidly. And I think that alone is going to
cause a lot of Europeans to say, you know, we get what you're saying as leaders, we don't like it, we don't want it, but this is the cold reality.
It's a very uncomfortable situation.
Europe has had 80 years of peace, stability and economic growth since World War II. This is a moment that calls the future progression on that track
into question. And this is where the leaders are at, and this is --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: What they're talking about, and it's not easy --
SOARES: The political whiplash from the United States has been staggering. So, it must be quite hard for European leaders to try and thread the
needle, and try and understand where they stand here. Nic, as soon as there are any more developments, of course, I know you'll bring them to us from
Brussels here, but I imagine it might be a late one there. Thank you very much.
Well, Trump administration allies have had contact with some of the Ukrainian President's top political opponents. That is according to a
report from "Politico". Joining me to discuss this and much more, of course, is Kira Rudyk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament. We really
appreciate you being here on the show, Kira.
Let me start with this "Politico" report that we're hearing that, you know, suggests that senior Trump allies, I'm not sure if you've seen it, have
been holding talks with Ukrainian opposition -- I've got the leader Yulia Tymoshenko. But can I just clarify? Has anyone reached out? Have you had
any conversations with any members of the Trump administration?
KIRA RUDYK, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Isa, thank you so much for having me here. I'm not aware of any of these reach-outs, and there has not
been communications from the side. However, I have been here in London for the last four days --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: Working on a couple of international projects for our country.
SOARES: The -- according to this report on "Politico", the talks have been centered on whether Ukraine could hold quickly presidential elections,
which --
RUDYK: I can -- I can answer --
SOARES: Tell me --
RUDYK: I can answer quickly. No, we cannot.
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: And I think we have a unity on that, between all the political party leaders, because it will be absolutely impossible, and it is
impossible right now. And we issued a joint statement on that, and I don't know why anyone would be bringing it again and again.
SOARES: And the reason, yes, and the reason I bring it because only what - - on Friday, when we saw that showdown in the White House, Senator Lindsey Graham came out, if you remember very clearly -- and you are already
lifting your eyebrows, and he said, you know, that either he needs -- either he needs to leave or something needs to change, talking about
Zelenskyy, and this is very much the sort of language very much out of the Kremlin playbook here.
RUDYK: It is. So, we have heard these statements from Russia that there should be somebody else than Zelenskyy. Now, we have heard it from the
United States. And I can say one thing, it is not up to Russians --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: Or American citizens to define when Ukraine people are electing our President.
SOARES: I think you've made that very clear. Let's talk -- let's look ahead. I think it's so important, we've heard in the last hour or so, that
American and Ukrainian officials are planning to meet next week in Saudi Arabia. That follows that bust-up in the -- in the Oval Office. We know
that President Zelenskyy has apologized. He's made it very clear that he wants peace. Do you see the mineral deal coming back on track at this
point?
RUDYK: So, first, Isa, I think we need to clarify once again, there is no other nation that wants peace more than we do, because it's us being killed
every single day, right? So, we supported President in his intention to sign the mineral deal if that brings peace closer. However, I have
questions --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: About -- like what facts is President Trump operating on? Because we have not seen any fact to support the statement that Putin wants peace.
We haven't seen it on the ground. So, the situation on the battlefield didn't change, the attacks at night on Kyiv and other cities, including
Kryvyi Rih --
SOARES: Yes, of course --
RUDYK: Yesterday, they're still happening. So, there was nothing that Russia would do like to support this idea that Russia wants peace, and they
do not. It will be very easy if you see if Ukraine stops fighting, then there will be no Ukraine. If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war.
SOARES: And that is the point that President Zelenskyy was trying to make --
RUDYK: Yes, exactly --
SOARES: In the White House --
RUDYK: Exactly --
SOARES: In front of Vice President J.D. Vance, because the reality is that we haven't heard any concessions from Russia. We haven't heard anything
they said they don't want -- you know, boots on the ground.
[14:15:00]
They said they don't want Ukraine in NATO. Why is the U.S., you think -- or let me put it this way, is the U.S. favoring Russia and President Putin
over Ukraine than President Zelenskyy here? And if so, why?
RUDYK: It is unclear for Ukrainian people why is it Ukraine that has to make any concessions and why is the United States President putting
pressure on Ukraine and not on Russia to get to any kind of a peace deal? And adding to your points, Isa, there is one more thing. Why to ask Ukraine
for a minerals deal rather than taking Russian assets?
If you want for some reason to compensate for the support or for some future deals, Russian money are there, like it's 200 billion euros in
European Union. I think there is a way to get them, and it will be faster, better and more just and more fair way of getting compensation for American
people, right?
SOARES: So, if we're looking then, Kira, at this minerals deal, the point that, you know, President Zelenskyy has always been making, European
leaders have been making, Starmer, Prime Minister Starmer, President Macron, it needs to come with a backstop. European leaders, even Foreign
Ministers on my show saying it needs to come with a backstop.
If it doesn't come with a backstop, will President Zelenskyy still sign on this? Because President Trump's point, I think it was about last week --
earlier last week, was like, well, if we have American forces exploring -- not just forces, personnel exploring the minerals, then that shows we have
an interest. Do you buy that? Is that enough?
RUDYK: It's not enough, Isa, and the fact to support that is that in 2022 when Russia started a full-scale invasion, there were U.S. companies on the
ground. There were U.S. representatives. We have U.S. Embassy that was evacuating from Kyiv. So, like having Americans on the ground or American
interest was not stopping Russia from attacking us, and it won't stop again. I am sorry this is one --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: Of many illusions that I think U.S. President is operating on, and we just cannot afford that. This is why President Zelenskyy was so
passionate, because we have gone through that.
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: We have already been in this ceasefire with Russia --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: Since 2014. And we can tell you for a fact that there was not a day when they would be honoring that deal. So, what are the security guarantees
right now? We have heard everything. What Ukraine should concede, what Ukraine should compromise on. But we haven't heard an answer to this simple
question. How do you make sure that Putin will keep his part of the bargain? There was no answer from anyone.
SOARES: So, look, get me back to my -- to my previous question then, Kira, is then if -- will then President Zelenskyy, if there's no backstop, would
President Zelenskyy sign on that? I mean, I know no Ukrainians have been in Ukraine, and no Ukrainians don't trust President Putin. That is clear
evident. But do they trust --
RUDYK: Yes --
SOARES: President Trump?
RUDYK: So, the good question is, what is in this minerals deal? Because the previous version that we have seen was a rather memorandum.
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: It was like intentions. And I think it is pretty safe to sign it then.
SOARES: So, what does it need to say then? Well, would it be enough --
RUDYK: Yes --
SOARES: To say -- to say yes, I'll sign it.
RUDYK: Well then, it should have -- should have the security guarantees --
SOARES: Yes, but if it doesn't have, I'm just -- I'm just suggesting now - -
RUDYK: So, in the -- in the way that it was presented before, it's OK to sign it this way because it will still require going into the parliament.
So, President Zelenskyy cannot, according to our constitution, work with the minerals, it's only the parliament that can ratify that. And then in
the parliament we can ratify it if we see that there are security guarantees, then we should go through this long legislative process for it
actually to work --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: If this is the price for President Trump going to American citizens and saying this is the win, and that will bring Ukraine closer to getting
military aid, we should do that. We should sign it. We should go ahead. Then we will deal with it. But the question is, again, does President Trump
have a plan? We haven't seen it and we don't know if it will work.
And the price for it. Isa, the price for it --
SOARES: Yes --
RUDYK: Will be lives of Ukrainian people, and I'm -- it is such a painful -- to understand that, to realize that and know that you are representing
your people and you cannot get them the security and defense that they need.
SOARES: I can't imagine the frustration, the pain, and hence that's why we saw the reaction we saw from President Zelenskyy after three years. That
was very evident. Kira, I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you --
RUDYK: Thank you, thank you --
SOARES: Very much --
RUDYK: For having me.
SOARES: Thank you. Now, a last warning to Hamas, U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding the militant group release all hostages in Gaza
immediately. In a social media post from Wednesday, Mr. Trump warns that if the hostages are not released, it's over, he says for Hamas. Then he said
he's sending Israel everything it needs to, quote, "finish the job". Mr. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff spoke on the President's message
earlier today. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: Well, I would say that the President basically was saying -- I don't want to put words in his
mouth, but I think it's fairly clear he was saying, I've had enough. Like there's a lot of mistreatment, there's a lot of conversation among these
hostages about the deprivation that they went through, about murders that they saw.
[14:20:00]
And I think that the President listened to it, absorbed it, and said this - - it's unacceptable. I'm not going to tolerate this type of behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And President Trump's statement came just hours after the White House confirmed in an unprecedented move, the U.S. is negotiating directly
with Hamas, which has been deemed a terrorist organization as you know by Washington. And still to come on the show tonight, a significant roll-back
of the Trump administration's economic plan has left markets, well, pretty rattled.
Plus, my conversation with David Holmes, a former stunt double and author of "The Boy Who Lived", he tells me of an accident on the Harry Potter set
that changed his life forever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HOLMES, FORMER ACTOR & STUNT PERFORMER: Things went wrong, and unfortunately, I went into a wall of crash mats -- incredible velocity at a
certain angle and my chest folded into my nose, my spinal cord separated at the C6, C7 vertebrae.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, Donald Trump has blinked once again when it comes to tariffs. The U.S. President now says there will be nearly one month delay
on all products from Mexico that are covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. The deal, remember, he negotiated during his first term.
Mexico's President thanked her American counterparts -- his American counterpart for what she called a respectful discussion. Earlier, the U.S.
Commerce Secretary said President Trump will also likely announce a similar delay on all Canadian tariffs at this moment, that hasn't happened yet.
But Canada's Prime Minister says all of his country's retaliatory measures will remain in place unless the U.S. completely rolls back its tariffs.
Vanessa Yurkevich is tracking these erratic changes for us from New York. But first, I want to go to Stephen Collinson in Washington. And Stephen,
just add some more meat here to the burn because I don't know, I feel like I'm getting whiplash every day on these tariffs. Only a few days ago, I
remember in this presser, the President said there was no room left to negotiate. Why are we here now?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Because nothing is ever certain in the world of Donald Trump. The ostensible reason for these
tariffs being delayed is that the President had a good conversation with Claudia Sheinbaum; the President of Mexico, and it was all very respectful.
[14:25:00]
I think that shows -- one issue that it shows is that the President sees diplomacy and international security as purely a personal affair rather
than necessarily pursuing national interests. But I think what really happened is that, the White House saw plunging stock markets, they got a
lot of panic from Republicans on Capitol Hill about the potential ramifications of these tariffs.
And this is a U.S. economy that cannot really bear many shocks. There's strong signs of softening consumer demand and slowing growth. And it became
clear that this was going to be a disaster. What's happened, however, is that as you say, there's whiplash, once again, the President has blinked
and he's created yet again a massive feeling of uncertainty inside the United States and around the world about policy that seems to follow his
moods and his obsessions, rather than any clear, rational plan.
SOARES: And we know he loves the word tariffs. One of his favorite words. The other thing we know he likes if we're looking at the markets there, he
likes keeping an eye on the markets. Just looking at the Dow is down what? One and three-tenths of a percent, the Nasdaq is down almost 3 percent, S&P
down just over 2 percent.
And so, Vanessa, you know, looking at all of this and these decisions, the whiplash that Steve was just speaking there about, what does this do? This
whiplash, this uncertainty due to the people on the ground, farmers, retail, auto dealers.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's paralyzing for them. And there is actually a trade uncertainty index that captures exactly what
people on the ground are feeling. It's at its highest level ever recorded since 1960. There is a chart, you can see it right there, look on the right
hand side of your screen, it is just off the charts nearly.
People just feeling so uncertain about what is happening, what the next move will be. And for farmers, for example, they are in what's called their
planning season here in the United States. This is when they plan ahead. How much fertilizer to buy? What's that going to cost? How much seed to
plant? How much are other countries like China going to buy from us?
We know that they have hit us with reciprocal tariffs. So, they're trying to figure all of this out. There's a quote that I wanted to show you from
Zippy Duvall; he is the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and this is what he said about what farmers are facing right now. He said
"for the third straight year, farmers are losing money on almost every major crop planted, adding even more costs and reducing markets for
American agricultural goods could create an economic burden some farmers may not be able to bear.
That is essentially saying that farmers could go out of business because of all of this trade uncertainty, and as Stephen mentioned on the retail side
of things, consumers are not feeling confident about the economy right now. We saw a slowdown in -- a decline in consumer confidence. Retail sales
dropped in the month of January and consumers that -- that means that consumers are starting to pull back on spending.
And you hear from major retailers here in the United States like Target, Best Buy, that because of tariffs, they would have to raise prices. And
then you hear from a company like Walmart saying, we're actually expecting consumer growth to slow this year. And so, that obviously creates a lot of
uncertainty for retail, for --
SOARES: Yes --
YURKEVICH: Businesses. What do they do? Do they continue to hire? I just spoke to one business owner in Texas, he owns a restaurant, and he said,
Isa, that he is shrinking the size of his menu because he simply doesn't know --
SOARES: Oh, God --
YURKEVICH: What goods are going to cost and if people are going to come in anymore to pay what's going to be higher prices because of these tariffs,
Isa.
SOARES: So much uncertainty. And just picking up on what Vanessa said, Stephen, I mean the -- you know, this President came into power making
America great again, that is economy, that is stability. How then does the President thread this needle? How has he been threading this needle to U.S.
consumers? Because some of the arguments I've been hearing, even from Republicans is that this -- the tariffs back on, off on, is a negotiating
tactic. Do you buy that?
COLLINSON: Well, if it's leverage, what is it -- leverage for? There --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Doesn't seem to be any real clarity on what the President wants. For example, he keeps demanding that Canada crackdown on the passage
south across the border of fentanyl and undocumented migrants. There are almost no undocumented migrants compared to the amount that come across the
southern border that come from Canada.
The amounts of fentanyl are absolutely minuscule, so, you have to consider then the fact that perhaps President Trump just wants to hurt Canada. It's
interesting that there is -- it's interesting that there is a liberal party election in Canada this weekend, that will produce a new Canadian Prime
Minister in short order. If that Prime Minister comes in and opens talks with the United States, is Trump then going to step back?
Is this something just because he doesn't like Justin Trudeau and he doesn't want to hand him a win in the final days? Who knows? There's no
logic. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of plan. And this is the second term Trump. All the establishment figures that were around him in
the first term who could tell him, Mr. President, that's not a good idea. They're all gone. It's directly coming from Trump.
SOARES: Yes, as Trudeau said, make sense of that. Stephen Collinson and Vanessa Yurkevich, appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight, the future of education in America hangs in the balance as President Trump prepares to sign a key executive order. The U.S.
president is issuing a major ultimatum to Hamas. Details ahead on the consequences Donald Trump says will happen if they do not release all the
hostages in Gaza. We'll bring you both of those stories after this very, very quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. President Donald Trump is gearing up to sign an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. It
could happen as early as this week. White House officials have reportedly prepared a draft order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take
all necessary steps to end the department while operating to quote, "to maximum extent permitted by law."
Congressional approval is needed to completely shut it down, and this comes amid six weeks of nonstop department slashing since the U.S. president took
office, claiming, of course, the jobs of tens of thousands of federal workers, and that includes some of the agency right behind me, cut the
agency's just USAID, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the National Park Service.
[14:35:00]
Let's get more on all of this. Our senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins me now from Washington. And so, Kevin, just give us a sense of what
are we likely to see and how -- the elimination of this Department of Education, how that would work in praxis.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and this is something that Trump has been talking about for a long time, and it's not just Trump,
a number of Republicans have been trying to eliminate the Department of Education, really, for decades. And in this order, the president will
direct Linda McMahon, who was just confirmed this week, to begin the process of dismantling this agency to the extent that it is permitted by
law. That's what the order says. And I think that's an acknowledgement that entirely shutting down a whole department will require Congress. In fact,
it will require 60 votes in the Senate if they're able to break a filibuster. They do not have those votes at the moment. They only are only
53 Republicans in the Senate.
And so, I think, instead, what this order does and what the administration will proceed with doing is trying to dismantle this agency essentially
piece by piece, by moving some of its essential functions to other parts of the government, whether it's enforcing civil rights laws to prevent
discrimination in schools, whether it's providing grants to certain schools in high poverty areas.
One of the biggest items that the Education Department does is student loans. They have a $1.6 trillion student loan program through Pell grants.
They provide the form that American students fill out to try and receive federal aid. So, in their vision of this, that would move into a different
agency.
What the draft order says is that the experiment of controlling American education through federal programs and dollars and the unaccountable
bureaucrats, those programs and dollars support has failed our children, our teachers, and our families. It does seem that McMahon is fully on board
with this, she said in the message to her agency workforce this week that this would amount to a momentous final mission for them as they work to
wind down this agency.
Already thousands of Department of Education workers have been laid off. Many more have been put on notice. They could face layoffs, too. This is
all part of this dramatic effort to reshape the government. This really is just the next step.
SOARES: It is indeed. And now, that I've got you here, I am seeing just in the last, what, 15 minutes or so, Kevin, and this is your own reporting, so
you will have all the details for us, that President Trump says he will convene biweekly cabinet sessions with Musk. Why? Tell us that.
LIPTAK: Yes, and this is fascinating. It's almost the first little glimpse of blowback from President Trump to Musk, from the cabinet to Musk. And
this seems to be an indication that as these cabinet officials come into their jobs and learn more about the agencies and departments that they're a
top of, they are finding areas that Musk is cutting that aren't necessarily to the advantage of their own agencies.
And Trump, in this message, says that they want to use a scalpel rather than a hatchet. Certainly, what we've seen so far is a hatchet. They have
sent out notices to lay off thousands of probationary workers. They have kind of cut people, asked them to come back. Some of them don't even have
e-mails to be able to get the message to come back. This seems to be an indication that Trump wants things to be more coordinated.
You know, just a couple weeks ago we saw some pushback from cabinet members on Musk's directive that every federal employee tick off what they did last
week or risk termination. This seems to be a more formal step for them to take back some control over their own workforces.
You know, Trump in this message says that was a very positive meeting, that things seem to be going on the right track, and that everyone seems to be
on the same page, that they must reform the federal government, which is true, a lot of these cabinet officials have taken this as their own sort of
point of pride, but it is the how they go about it that I think was causing so much issues.
Now, it seems to be this meeting for them all to sort of discuss how this will work going forward, but I think it's very notable because it seems
that as if this is the first point of evidence that we have of Trump trying to rein Musk in at least somewhat.
SOARES: Yes, at least somewhat. We shall see if that actually happens. Kevin Liptak for us there with that important reporting from the White
House. Thank you, Kevin.
And we're going to stay in the United States because U.S. House Republicans, along with 10 Democrats, voted Thursday to censure Texas
Democrat Al Green for protesting President Trump's address to Congress, if you remember, earlier this week. And this is video of Green interrupting
the speech on Tuesday. Before then, he was escorted out. Today, as House Speaker Mike Johnson calls for the formal condemnation. Green led a group
of Democrats in singing we shall overcome in a dramatic moment on the House floor. Have a listen.
[14:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The house would come to order --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And as you saw there, Johnson eventually put the House into recess. And still to come on the show tonight, the latest episode of our
Book Club with "Harry Potter" stunt double David Holmes. A story of remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Today, many countries around the globe, children as well as adults alike, mark World Book Day, a time when literacy
rates are decreasing and children spend more time, of course, staring at screens. Books remain incredibly important for imagination, for language,
as well as for attention span.
And here on the show, we are very fond, as you all know, of our books and the world in which they immerse us. And in light of this, we asked you all
to send us your costumes for this year, and we have been showered, as you can see, with love. And it seems many of you love your bears.
Here you go. This is three-year-old Casper, and this is Yusef, both as Paddington bear. You also seem to like your classics. You recommend -- you
can see some of the classics here from the three little pigs, of course, to Red Riding Hood to Mr. Fox. And it shows how much work parents have been
putting in creating kind of these all-nighters.
I actually -- these are some of the works that we've had in. This is actually from the Guinness Book of Records as a cyclist. A lot of work and
dedication has gone into this. And just for context here, I actually had to borrow a box from my producer to make my son's Mr. Bean briefcase. So,
thank you to Kate for that.
There were several witches that we got, Winnie and Wilbur here. These girls look fantastic, absolutely phenomenal. And of course, we also saw Barjack
(ph), Paul the Cat, who apparently loves his martial arts. I haven't read the book, but I really want to get that book for my kids.
There were plenty of superheroes, princesses, even pirates. And if you find reading a bit too straining, well, you can always find Wally. This is my
son, Nico. We are, of course, grateful for all your input, bringing us a bit of magic in such dark times.
[14:45:00]
And speaking of magic, well, we couldn't forget "Harry Potter." There's always "Harry Potter." Thanks to that photo for being sent in. That is Tom.
And so, for the next episode of our book club, speaking of "Harry Potter," I speak with David Holmes, a former stunt double in the "Harry Potter"
franchise, an author of "The Boy Who Lived."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Welcome to our book club. Today, as you can see, we have taken the Book Club on the road, and we are in Essex in the east of England, and
we're here to interview David Holmes here, the author of "The Boy Who Lives." David, welcome to the show.
DAVID HOLMES, AUTHOR, "THE BOY WHO LIVED": Thank you very much for having me.
SOARES: Normally, on the show, for those of us, for those of, you know, who know the show, we -- I start by asking the authors to give us kind of a
synopsis of what the book is about. This -- in this instance, you know, this is not fiction. This is your life. This is a memoir. So, I wonder if
we can, you know, start really at the crux of this. And that is an incident, an accident, that completely transformed your life.
You were a stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe. Just tell us, first of all, about that day. Start over -- or that day in particular.
HOLMES: Well, it started off like any other day working on the Potter franchise. Excited to go to work. I mean, 5:00 in the morning. But yes, I
basically -- we was doing stunt rehearsals, and throughout the Potter franchise, there were spells and spell reactions. And as the films go on,
we, as the stunt department and, you know, as the narrative goes, the spells and the severity of the reactions were to build up.
We were rehearsing Harry and Nagini's showdown in Godric's Hollow.
SOARES: That is with the serpent, right?
HOLMES: Yes, you got it, yes. And the day before I'd done the same stunt test, which was pulled by a weight bag into a wall full of crash mats. And
then, it was mentioned that we should shorten the travel distance and increase the severity of the takeoff from the floor. A series of terrible
events, you know, and things went wrong, and unfortunately, I went into a wall of crash mats at an incredible velocity at a certain angle, and my
chest folded into my nose, my spinal cord separated at the C6, C7 vertebrae, and I landed and like instantly paralyzed on the bed of crash
mats on the floor, and my life was changed forever.
SOARES: There's a part in here, and you describe it very -- you know, incredibly well, but there's nothing like reading your words written down
here, and I wonder whether you can read that for us.
HOLMES: In the background, Greg counted me down. Three, two, one, action. The weight dropped into the line, causing the wires and pulleys to spin
wildly. The line tightened. I felt its lurch and force. But something was wrong. I was moving too fast. I tried to yell, but there was no time. My
body was yanked back, and within a split second, I collided violently with crash mats.
Despite trying to correct my angle of rotation during the flight, because of the forces involved, I had been thrown across the room like a dart, neck
first, my arms above my head. Upon impact, my chest folded into my nose. There was a loud crack. It sounded like a tree branch snapping. It was my
effing spine. Then, everything went black.
SOARES: How much do you remember of the moments just after that?
HOLMES: The majority of it, because my first focus was to regain breath. And so, I was very winded. So, that was my first priority, was to regain
breath back and to then do some evaluation in my body. Now, I'd broken enough bones to know what it feels like, and I knew from there down
everything was on fire.
So, the nerve endings were, you know, all off. And then Greg leant in and asked me to squeeze his fingers, and because the level of -- where my
spinal cord was affected, I'd lost finger function, so I couldn't actually squeeze his hand. I could move two arms, but I've lost one. So, I instantly
realized that I'd broken my neck.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: The foreword here is Daniel Radcliffe. I know he's a friend, a good friend. You've been on holiday together. You're huge.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) this week.
SOARES: There you go. But a really strong bond that both of you had during the filming. How supportive has he been?
HOLMES: We were always close. I mean, we'd spent holidays together on the Potter franchise. So, I had my accident, and all of a sudden, you know, not
only was I his stunt double, but I was his PE teacher and physical trainer, and we used to hang out all the time, and that was taken away.
So, he was not only super supportive at the beginning, but as a young man, he went and saw me in a hospital with all sorts of wires hanging out of me
and like -- and he just -- he didn't break. He just stayed strong for me and I stayed strong for him.
SOARES: For those of us of course who love "Harry Potter," who know the story, the motto of it is light over dark, very much across all of the
books. And that's your story. That's what you write about, post your accident. I just want to read one chunk from your book where you write
this.
For long periods of my life, I was more like Peter Pan, the boy who didn't grow up, than "Harry Potter," the boy who lived. And I operated without
accountability. But just as Harry was forced to mature and face some uncomfortable truths, so have I. The more I looked at my naked portrait and
all its vulnerabilities, the more I realized the undeniable truth.
HOLMES: Well, save the last line because those who get to read the book will --
SOARES: I won't give the rest away.
HOLMES: Appreciate it. But yes, it was -- for me, I've gone through an unbelievable journey and I've made mistakes along that way, and I own up to
those mistakes in the book. But now, being able to own up to those mistakes, and to put it in writing, it feels like a part of a cleansing
process.
SOARES: I'm not going to say any other thing than ask you to sign our book.
HOLMES: Yes.
SOARES: Right.
HOLMES: Pen in the mouth.
SOARES: There you go.
HOLMES: There you go. And now --
SOARES: Do you want me to hold it?
HOLMES: Yes, it should be alright. It's not going to be the best of signatures, but there is a D, and there is a H. It's as good as I can do.
SOARES: It is perfect. David Holmes, thank you very much.
HOLMES: No worries, I remind everyone, reading is a gift, and writing is a gift. It's something we all learn as a young age.
SOARES: We take for granted.
HOLMES: Never take it for granted, because oh, do I miss it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Now, a bizarre diamond heist in Florida is giving new meaning to the idea of breakfast at Tiffany's. Surveillance video shows the moment a
man grabbed more than $700,000 worth of jewelry from a Tiffany's. After walking off camera, police say the suspect swallowed the earrings during
his arrest. And what proof do they have that he ate the jewels you ask? Well, they have this x-ray. It shows a white mass, as you can see, they're
shining brightly, ever so brightly in this torso.
The Orlando Police Department said the stolen and items will need to be collected after they, quote, "pass through the system." I think you get the
language on that.
That does it for us for tonight. Thanks very much for your company. Do though stay right here because my colleague Max Foster is up next with CNN
Newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
