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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Says Ukraine Is More Difficult To Deal With Than Russia; Russia Launches Major Aerial Assault On Ukraine Days After U.S. Paused Military Aid; U.S.-Ukrainian Talks Expected In Saudi Arabia Next Week; Trump Threatens New Tariffs On Canadian Dairy Products, Lumber; Three (Extra)Ordinary Women Tells Story Of Resilience; King Charles Teams Up With Apple Music For New Broadcast. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired March 07, 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, Donald Trump praises Vladimir Putin,
saying it may be easier to deal with Russia than Ukraine. We have the very latest. Meanwhile, Moscow is ramping up strikes against Ukraine as Russian
troops move forward in the Kursk region.
We have the details from Kyiv. Plus, ahead of International Women's Day, we'll hear the story of three extraordinary women whose courage sent them
climbing to new heights. But first, it appears this hour, U.S. President Donald Trump can't make up his mind about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He's just threatened new sanctions on Russia over its latest attacks on Ukraine. This, of course, after weeks of appearing to cozy up to the
Kremlin. But then after that sanctions threat, President Trump is again praising ties with his Russian counterpart. Just take a listen to some of
what we heard from the White House just in the last what? Hour and a half or so.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe him, I believe him. I think we're doing very well with Russia. But right now, they're
bombing the hell out of Ukraine. And Ukraine, I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don't have the cards.
They don't have the cards.
As you know, we're meeting in Saudi Arabia on sometime next week, early, and we're talking. But I find that in terms of getting a final settlement,
it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising because they have all the cards. I mean, and they're bombing the hell out of them right now.
I actually think he's doing what anybody else would do.
I think he's -- I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and I think he's hitting them harder than he's been hitting him. And I think probably
anybody in that position would be doing that right now. He wants to get it ended. And I think Ukraine wants to get it ended. But I don't see, it's
crazy. They're taking tremendous punishment.
I don't quite get it. I watched over the last week or so what's going on in Europe? This thing could end up in World War III if we don't get it
settled. This could really end up in a World War III. Despite the Russia hoax, I've always had a good relationship with Putin than you know -- he
wants to end the war. He wants to end it.
And I think he's going to be more generous than he has to be. And that's pretty good. That means a lot of good things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, overnight in context, here, it's very important. Russia launched a major aerial assault on several regions right across Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia used nearly 70 cruise missiles and 200 drones to target the country's energy system. And in
response to the onslaught, Mr. Zelenskyy is pleading for partial one month ceasefire.
And this comes just days after the U.S. dealt a major blow to Kyiv, cutting off, of course, military aid and scaling back Intelligence sharing. Right
now, Ukraine is losing its hold over parts of Russia's Kursk region to Russian as well as North Korean troops. Analysts say Washington's wavering
support could be connected to Kyiv's weakening grip there.
After last week's Oval Office clash, how can we forget that, President Trump and Zelenskyy -- officials from both countries are now working, as
you heard there, from President Trump, to try and re-establish their diplomatic footing. Senior U.S. and Ukrainian delegations are expected to
hold talks in Saudi Arabia, and that is expected to take place next week.
Let's go to our Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv in just a moment. But first, I want to go to Jeff Zeleny at the White House, where we heard in the last
hour or so from President Trump. So, Jeff, just really help us make sense of what we've heard, because earlier today, he threatened sanctions and
tariffs on Russia, the first since he's been at the White House.
And then two hours or so later, he said, the Russians are bombing the hell out of Ukraine, Russia has all the cards. It's all very confusing from this
side.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is. And it's confusing here often on this and other fronts. I mean, this
has been a week where the White House is really confronting with the realities of the world and trying to grapple with things, even as the
President is sometimes making his own decisions and what not.
[14:05:00]
But on this matter in particular, it's clear that the White House and the President are trying to drive both sides to a negotiating table. But the
sanctions that the White House announced earlier against Russia was, you know, certainly standing in stark contrast to the very friendly language
he's had toward Vladimir Putin.
But then, without missing a beat, the President returned much of that. But I am told that the method here is to, again, get Ukraine back in line and
back moving toward the negotiating table a week after Zelenskyy left, actually about a week exactly right now ago, things were off. But now the
negotiations are back on track.
But just a few moments ago, President Zelenskyy effectively responded to the U.S. President there. He sent out a message, and he said the topic is
clear peace as soon as possible, security as reliably as possible. And he said that he is working with the Trump administration and will go to Saudi
Arabia next week in hopes of reaching that deal that they had planned to sign here last Friday.
So, I think for all of these sort of fits and starts and admittedly mixed messages here, the White House is still siding with the -- Russia on this,
and urging and pushing, some might say shoving Ukraine into negotiating. Isa --
SOARES: On a man who's kept on top that this diplomatic whiplash is our Nick Paton Walsh for us in Kyiv this hour. And Nick, I'm not sure whether
you heard what the President said, but one of the points he made was that it may be easier to deal with Russia than Ukraine. I don't know if the
Russians -- the Ukrainians want to settle. If they don't, we are out of there.
And all of these comments, as we heard from Jeff coming ahead of their meeting next week, and as Ukraine suffered a pretty major aerial assault,
Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, important to point out to people that we have over the past week seen at times
hundreds of Shahed drones fired by Russia at Ukraine. Last night with 67 ballistic cruise missiles fired at Ukraine, 30 of them downed by air
defenses. That was abnormal, certainly, and possibly a test by Moscow of the key weakness Ukraine now has because of this pause on military aid from
the United States.
And that's Patriot Air Defense. Unclear what role they had in this, we do know that Ukraine said a French mirage 2,000 jet was involved in taking
some of those down, piloted by a Ukrainian, I should say, donated by Paris. But we're into a complex moment here because, yes, President Trump is quite
clear that he considers it easier to deal with Russia than Ukraine.
And at the same time, he floated the idea of strongly considering sanctions against Russia, not really specific as to what they could do that hasn't
already been done by the Biden administration, that would indeed be painful or effective tariffs, almost certainly wouldn't. So, we're all eyes focused
really on Tuesday, Zelenskyy again reiterating the idea that they have concrete steps in his nightly address.
We know that it's about a partial ceasefire, air, sea and energy infrastructure targets being off the table for some time. That's been
floated by the Europeans as well. That also appears to be something perhaps, that the Russians reject. They using language you've heard by the
Europeans suggest that would allow Ukraine to refit and regroup.
The Europeans said that about Russia during the period of ceasefire. So, all eyes are really focused on Tuesday and exactly what the Americans are
going to ask the Ukrainians to commit to. We know that the rare earth's mineral deal appears to be something both sides want signed, as Zelenskyy
has committed to peace publicly multiple times, as Trump has asked him to.
And indeed, he said that the meeting in the Oval Office, which many Ukrainians think was basically a drubbing of their war-time commander. He
said that, that indeed was regrettable. So, all is set for rapprochement. But at the same time, when you hear Trump saying he's strongly considering
sanctions against Russia -- and I should point out, we have not seen a single aggressive move in the past two weeks against --
SOARES: Yes --
WALSH: Moscow by the Trump administration. He is at the same time pausing military aid and Intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, which is causing, as it
builds, an increasingly existential threat for Ukraine, particularly when you see air assaults like last night, Isa.
SOARES: Nick Paton Walsh and Jeff Zeleny there for us. Thank you very much indeed. Let's get more on this story. I'm joined now by Colin Clarke, who
is the Director of Policy and Research at the Soufan Group and an expert on international security, a well-known face here on the show. Colin, good to
see you.
Let me just pick up with really what we heard there from Nick Paton Walsh, and let me start -- before we talk about what we heard from President Trump
in the last hour, let me pick up what we heard on the question of sanctions, because from what I saw from Russia, sanctions, tariffs, the
response from Russia doesn't seem like they're shaking at the knees at all.
A representative for the government for the Kremlin said today, quote, "in terms of new sanctions, we have faced so many sanctions already. They have
not stopped from realizing our goals." So, the question is, why then even broach this subject now from President Trump?
[14:10:00]
COLIN CLARKE, DIRECTOR, POLICY & RESEARCH, SOUFAN GROUP: Yes, it's a good point. You know, we -- you use the term, I think diplomatic whiplash, which
is accurate. I would call what we're seeing now foreign policy malpractice. It's really, you know, not even a half of a day can go by with the
President switching, you know, his talking points.
So, I think it's really a disservice to our allies to go back and forth, and I think the Russians are laughing at this because they likely know it's
a bunch of hot air. You know, talk is one thing, actions are another. And we've seen President Trump take actions against the Ukrainians, withholding
Intelligence, really trying to pressure them to come to the table.
You know, in some cases against their own wishes, and really kind of the rhetoric has been very pro-Moscow. So, it's no surprise that the Kremlin is
really kind of laughing this off.
SOARES: Yes, also, they're already heavily-sanctioned. I think it's important to point that out. They're already heavily-sanctioned. So, I
don't know exactly what sanctions we'll be talking about here, but also tariffs. I was looking at the data on tariffs. Total goods trade with
Russia, with the United States, this is U.S. data in 2024, $3.5 billion.
I mean, just a comparison Canada, $762 billion, Europe $975 billion. So, I don't see what really if he thinks this is a strategy when it comes to
negotiations. But let's focus on what he said in the last hour, President Trump, because we did get, Colin, some insight into Trump's relationship
with Trump. He said Russia has all the cards.
They're bombing the hell out of Ukraine. How is that, in your opinion, showing any sort of strong hand in negotiations? If you're Putin and you're
hearing this, does that make you want to buckle?
CLARKE: Absolutely not. He also said -- I think he, and he was referring to Putin, is doing what anyone else would do.
SOARES: Yes.
CLARKE: I'm not sure who the anyone else is there, considering that Russia invaded Ukraine and continues this onslaught, including against targeting
civilians and civilian infrastructure. So, to say something like that, to hear it coming out of the White House is appalling. And I'm -- not only as
an analyst, just as an American citizen, you know, to kind of bend the knee like that toward Putin, it's just a continuation of what we've seen, the
type of behavior and rhetoric coming from the White House, unfortunately really over the past couple of months.
And when we talk about cards and leverage and who's got the strong hand, I've never seen a negotiation where one side cedes to the other everything
they wanted before the negotiations even begin.
SOARES: Yes, it's so true. Look, it's been a whirlwind week in diplomacy and foreign policy. As you say, foreign policy malpractice. But just focus
on the diplomacy on this side of the pond, because we have seen a flurry of diplomatic meetings of diplomacy from European leaders here, many of whom,
Colin, as you've seen, have been employing very stark language.
They've been talking about crossroads, a watershed moment, a dangerous new era. And then we heard this today from Poland. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TUSK, PRIME MINISTER, POLAND (through translator): We will try to have a model ready by the end of the year so that every male in Poland is
trained in the event of war, so that this reverse is truly comparable and adequate to potential threats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: It seems that Europe, Collins, suddenly waking up to the threat, which is what we heard from President Macron earlier this week.
CLARKE: Yes, I'm cautiously optimistic because we have quote-unquote, "old Europe". We have the French and the Germans saying the right things, moving
in the right direction. And then we have, quote-unquote, "new Europe", Poland, the Baltic states, which are well aware of the threat posed by
Russia. We need them to come together to present a united front.
I've been critical in the past saying that this probably should have happened 15 or 20 years ago, but better late than never. And I think the
Europeans see this for what it is, existential to the future of the European continent.
SOARES: Yes, and it seems that the President Trump's position certainly focus their minds, that's for sure in terms of the languages that I have
been hearing in this side. Now that I've got you here, let me ask you about what we have been seeing in Syria, where the transitional government says
dozens, Colin, have been killed in fighting between security forces and pro-Assad elements
It's the country's worst violence, of course, since the transitional government took power in December and forced the former President to flee,
clashes broke out on Thursday around Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast, and support for Bashar al-Assad in those regions is
strong as we understand among his fellow Alawites.
The transitional government has ramped up security there. But the violence, it really is a sobering reminder of the challenges that still lie ahead for
Syria.
[14:15:00]
Really wanted to bring our viewers up to date on that. Colin, what is your take on this -- on this violence that we have seen just in the last few
days or so.
CLARKE: So, I was just --
(CLEARS THROAT)
CLARKE: Excuse me, having this conversation earlier in the day with some colleagues who are very concerned about what kind of opportunities this
could present to the Islamic state. So, you've got HTS fighting former regime elements, large numbers of HTS security folks killed between 20 and
50 just yesterday alone, calling in reserves from Idlib, and ISIS is nothing if not opportunistic.
They're watching this closely. They're looking for their opportunity to kind of ramp up recruiting, and to cause further chaos to wreak havoc
throughout the country. There's just so many open-ended questions in Syria. You've got the Kurds in the northeast, you have the Israelis attacking
targets in the south, and then you have this going on between HTS and former Assad regime elements.
So, really just a hornet's nest of violent non-state actors and state actors at play. And it's just further destabilizing the country at a time
when it needs stability more than anything.
SOARES: Yes, and clearly, the transitional government unable to, you know, secure -- shore up security here at this point.
CLARKE: Yes, and not a surprise, right? If you --
SOARES: Yes --
CLARKE: Look at -- this was a group that was in charge of Idlib and it's now responsible for, you know, maintaining a monopoly on the use of force
over the entire sovereign territory of Syria. It's a tall task.
SOARES: And while I have you here, before you -- let you go, I want to return back to Ukraine if I can. We've got this meeting next week on
Tuesday on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. How do you see this playing out? The U.S. clearly wants this minerals deal. Ukraine seems to want a minerals
deal but with a backstop, U.S. doesn't seem to think that is needed so far. Europe wants to be included. Put these pieces of the puzzle together for
us.
CLARKE: I think what Ukraine needs and what the United States need more than anything is predictability and stability. Because just like the
markets, our allies don't respond well to this volatility, to this diplomatic whiplash, to this back and forth. And part of that is the nature
of the way foreign policy is conducted in Trump's second term.
SOARES: Yes --
CLARKE: It's really not going through a policy process. So, I think stability, predictability, right? Two things that Trump isn't known for,
but now is a critical time as Ukraine prepares to sign this deal and potentially enter the next phase of this conflict for any chance of a
ceasefire to hold.
SOARES: Yes, with such a mercurial President, it's quite hard to keep a pace. As always, thank you very much, Colin, good to see you.
CLARKE: Thank you, Isa.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, a dangerous discovery in Paris as an unexploded World War II bomb is found on the tracks near one of France's
busiest train stations, triggering a major rail disruption. We have the very latest for you. Then exactly what we're talking about, tariffs on,
tariffs off, President Trump's trade war is rattling markets and putting many businesses on edge. What are the latest U.S. job numbers saying about
the economy? We'll break it all down for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, train services at Paris' Gare du Nord are starting to resume after the shocking discovery and now disposal of an unexploded World War II
bomb. The device was found early on Friday on the tracks leading into France's busiest railway station. Our Melissa Bell has this report from
Gare du Nord.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A day of travel misery for anyone hoping to get in and out of Paris' Gare du Nord this
Friday, after authorities found in the early hours of this morning a huge World War II bomb, 500 kilos of it, 200 of those sheer explosives. Now,
it's not unusual that these kinds of unexploded ordnance from World War II should be found.
After all, this is a part of the world, northern France, that was so bitterly fought over in World War II. What's unusual is that this huge bomb
should have been found in the middle of railway tracks, and some of those closest to Paris, just a couple of miles out of Paris, on some of the
busiest tracks, the ones that lead to London.
This bomb had lain for 80 years undisturbed. It was a works that allowed it to be found. And of course, once it was found, a huge demining operation
that has caused chaos and misery for thousands. National, regional, international train services disrupted, huge parts of the motorway also
closed off as they dealt with this huge bomb.
But essentially, what's most surprising is that for 80 years, this thing had lain undisturbed in such a hugely populated part of Paris and beneath
some of its busiest tracks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Melissa Bell there with that fantastic story. Now, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to be released from jail. This after Seoul -
- a Seoul court dismissed his arrest warrant. Mr. Yoon has been marred, as you know, in various legal battles since he declared martial law back in
December.
Lawmakers voted to impeach him and he was detained in January on criminal charges of leading an insurrection. The criminal charges are separate from
the impeachment. In the coming weeks, the country's top court will rule on whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. A man
convicted of double murder in South Carolina is set to be executed by a firing squad tonight.
He chose the method over two other approved ones. That's lethal injection and electric chair. It has not been used in the U.S. in almost 15 years,
and never in the state. Sixty seven-year-old Brad Sigmon was sentenced for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint and killing her parents in 2001.
His lawyers are hoping for a stay of his execution, appealing both to the Supreme Court and to the state's governor.
And still to come tonight, a case of whiplash. President Trump steps back on tariffs once again, but then makes new threats. Is his chaotic trade war
having an impact on job growth in the U.S.? We pose that question to Vanessa Yurkevich next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. From the back and forth on tariffs to the slashing of government jobs to the roller-coaster ride on Wall Street, it
has been a rather dizzying start to the second Trump administration for the U.S. economy. Today, we saw a mixed bag of sorts in the latest monthly jobs
report. The Labor Department says 151,000 jobs were added in February.
That's up from January, but a bit less than the numbers economists had initially forecasted. The unemployment rate did edge up slightly to 4.1
percent, many of the mass firings that we've been telling you here on the show, spearheaded, of course, by Elon Musk inside the U.S. government,
happened after the report was compiled, meaning any potential impact won't actually be seen or felt until next month.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump once again agreed to delay some tariffs on Canada and Mexico after speaking with the leaders of the two U.S. neighbors. But
then, less than 24 hours later, he threatened new tariffs on Canada that take place as early as today. And that includes a 250 percent tax on dairy.
Let's get more perspective now from our Kevin Liptak at the White House and CNN's Business as well as Politics correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich in New
York. And Kevin, let me go to you. I feel like every time I speak to you -- in fact, to you both this week, it has been a lot of roller-coaster, flip-
flopping, right? It's that -- it's that language where we have been speaking to about all week, because now we have potentially, Kevin, new
tariffs again on Canada. Where did this 250 percent tax on dairy come from?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I have no idea. And in fact, it has gone completely unmentioned in the literal hours of press conferences
and interviews that we've heard from the President and his top advisors. No one has mentioned a 250 percent tariff on dairy products. And so, you do
kind of see the President veering in one direction yesterday.
Today, he's veering in a completely different direction, and it is throwing people off balance, even the President's own allies acknowledge that this
is all very confusing. I would hate to be the person at these port who is trying to determine what tariff rate to apply on all these products that's
coming in to the United States.
I will say on this issue of dairy products, this is something that he talked about with Justin Trudeau earlier this week, and that was the point
in that conversation that got very heated. The two men raising their voices and yelling expletives at each other, according to people that I've talked
to. So, this isn't an issue that necessarily came out of nowhere. This dairy issue.
But the idea of putting this tariff in place, I think it's just another example of how the President is kind of relishing in throwing everyone for
a loop. He wants to put these tariffs in place.
He wants to put these tariffs in place. He wants to threaten these tariffs essentially so that leaders pick up the phone, try and talk to him, try and
talk him out of it. He thinks he has some leverage in these various negotiations that he's holding with people around the world. But certainly,
it's causing -- it's throwing the stock market for a loop. It's putting investors in a tough place.
[14:30:22]
And I think it's one of the reasons why there are some of these warning signs blinking with the economy that have caused a lot of consternation
among the President's allies. That's one of the reasons why I think they were so happy to see the jobs report today. It showed a healthy labor
market that would in theory be able to absorb some of these shocks that we're seeing go through the economy due to some of the moves that the
president has been making.
What you've also seen is the White House and President Trump in some ways trying to calibrate. And I think that was best illustrated by this meeting
that he convened yesterday with the cabinet and with Elon Musk informing Musk that he wanted him to be a little more careful in how they're laying
people off. He said he wanted him to use a scalpel instead of a hatchet so essentially the government wasn't deprived of its best workers.
I think that is an indication that some of this whiplash is having an effect on the president, that it is coming back to him in the form of
cabinet members complaining, in the form of Republicans on Capitol Hill agitating for a more steady hand at the tiller. And so, you do see some of
the effect that it's having on the president. But certainly, he is a man of his own mind and it's very evident that he's going back and forth and sort
of watching with glee as people scramble to keep up.
SOARES: Very well put. And stay with us. Let me go to Vanessa. And Vanessa, you know, we clearly have seen the impact that's had on stocks. Give us a
sense about -- on the uncertainty aside of here. You've been speaking to business own owners. How do they make sense? How do you even prepare for
something like this?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can't. And you cannot prepare. And you use the word flip-flop. That is
exactly the language that they've said to me. They feel like all of this flip-flopping is exhausting. They've called it a logistical nightmare. I
spoke to one Canadian flower company that said on Tuesday they imposed a 25 percent tariff tax to send flowers to the U.S. On Thursday they had to undo
it, and then they had to refund on their customers in -- at the same time paying credit card fees. They had to explain to their customers what was
going on when they themselves were just trying to keep up with what was going on.
I also spoke to a restaurant owner in Texas who is using this month because the tariffs are now off on Mexico. There's a one-month reprieve. He's using
this month to buy in bulk from Mexico. Just import a ton of things to beat the tariffs before they potentially go into effect again on April 2nd.
Things like margarita glasses, the lava rocks for guacamole, tortilla presses. He's really trying to get ahead of this.
I spoke to a manufacturer who said that even the threat of tariffs is raising prices in other countries that he gets his parts from. And in the
same sentence that Donald Trump talked about putting a 250 percent tariff on dairy, he also talked about lumber. I spoke to the owner of a lumber
company here in the U.S. He said that this is just lose-lose all around. If you put a tariff on Canadian lumber, they're going to put one on U.S.
lumber, and then it's going to be more expensive for everybody to do business. Not to mention that the U.S. actually gets a lot of soft lumber
from Canada, and that's used to build homes. So that makes building U.S. homes more expensive and ultimately that trickles down to home prices.
So, as I'm speaking to these business owners, they are just trying to get a sense of where this is going. I don't think anyone has that sense. But one
business owner told me they need at least two weeks heads up on making plans. This is a minute-by-minute, hour by hour situation. It's very
difficult, Isa, for these business owners.
SOARES: Very difficult. Imagine very stressful and exhausting too, Vanessa. Let me go back to Kevin because, Kevin, in about what, half an hour or so,
we're expecting to hear more from the president regarding a crypto summit - - first ever I think crypto summit for the White House. What is this about?
LIPTAK: Well, I think this is the president's attempt to kind of put the U.S. stamp on this new industry. And we've been hearing from some of his
advisers David Sacks who is leading this crypto effort at the White House that what he is essentially trying to do is make the United States a leader
in this industry. I'm not exactly sure how closely the president himself is tracking any of this, but I think this is something that many of his
advisers are watching very closely.
This has been part of his sort of appeal to a younger base of voters in the United States, male voters, people who are invested in this particular
industry. Many of them had complaints that the president wasn't focusing enough on it. Particularly, the crypto market has been unsteady since the
president took office. And I think this is his attempt to sort of put himself in front of that to try and show that this is an industry that he
is focused on.
But I think that there are a lot of questions about how exactly all of this is regulated. The president has been talking about creating a c a crypto
reserve in the United States, but that has generated more -- almost more questions uh than answers. And so, it'll be interesting to see how he
discusses it later today here at the White House.
[14:35:46]
SOARES: Kevin and Vanessa, thank you very much. Happy Friday. I'm not sure about you but it has been an exhausting week. Thank you. That -- I think
the rise of those eyebrows pretty much s sums it all up. Thank you, Kevin and Vanessa. I appreciate it.
And still to come tonight, the remarkable story of three women on a mission to climb Africa's highest mountain and to inspire the next generation. That
is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, each year, March 8th is recognized around the world as International Women's Day. Saturday's event serves as a reminder of the
long-standing fight for women's rights as a recognition of course as well for the achievements of women and girls -- women from across the world
including trailblazers and change makers like Malala Yousafzai.
Yousafzai has returned to her hometown in Pakistan for the first time since she was shot in the head by the Taliban while riding a bus home from school
in 2012. The Nobel Peace Prize winner shared this photo of herself on social media saying, "As a child I spent every holiday in Shangla, Pakistan
playing by the river and sharing meals with my extended family. This place is very dear to my heart and I hope to return again and again. Absolutely
be beautiful to see."
And in the face of adversity, moments of strength really often shine through. A new featured documentary film highlights just that. Three
(Extra)Ordinary Women follows the story of Terry, Pearlette, and Tammy you see there three women of color brought together through friendship and a
goal to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Each woman has injured childhood trauma, systemic racism, and poverty from which has stemmed a fierce resilience to transform tragedy into triumph.
The film hopes to inspire women as well as girls to define life on their own terms. And here's a clip from the trailer.
[14:40:14]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You going to get there, Pearlette.
PEARLETTE RAMOS, PRODUCER AND CODIRECTOR, (EXTRA)ORDINARY WOMEN: Yes, ma'am. I was just thinking about -- you asked me about the ancestors who
walked for freedom. They didn't quit and neither were we.
But being fully present in my breath, to the beauty allows for me to connect to myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Absolutely beautiful. I'm pleased to be joined by the film's producer and codirector Pearlette Ramos. Pearlette is one of the women who
climbs Kilimanjaro. I'm also joined by Cionin Lorenzo who is a codirector and co-producer.
Pearlette and Cionin, really great to have you to the show. Welcome! I'm really inspired and moved by what you've accomplished. And this was, as I
was discussing with my team, a deeply moving and inspiring documentary. And I was hooked really from one of the earlier confessions. I think it was
from Tammy who said -- I'm going to read it out. "I battle with the fact that I'm not enough, that I'm lacking. That's my personal Kilimanjaro."
And in many ways, all three of the ladies have had huge mountains to climb. How did these lived experiences first of all bring you all together. And
Pearlette, take this on for you.
RAMOS: How did the live experiences of Terry, Tammy, and I bring us together?
SOARES: Yes.
RAMOS: Oh. So, I met Tammy when I was 15 years old. We've known each other for the last 40 years and Terry and I met while we worked together about 20
years ago. So, I've had a relationship with each one of them separately. And the hike of Kilimanjaro brought the three of us together.
SOARES: Cionin, who then decided that climbing Kilimanjaro or the journey to Kilimanjaro would allow the women to open up really because it is -- I
wonder what it is about the physical journey that allows for more introspective journey here.
RAMOS: Well, you're hitting at something that's really important, Isa, and that is we each travel separately, Terry, Tammy, and I. And this journey
was actually a celebration of life because we travel together organically, I'll say. We've used the experience of hiking and being together to grow
like many women do when you get together and you really share deep insights and reflections with one another.
And so, I wanted to hike Kilimanjaro. I invited Terry and Tammy along. They said yes. And then the vision came to create this film to really document
not just the journey up Kilimanjaro but our own personal struggles. There was a theme that emerged because we had all each experienced some form of
childhood trauma that we had processed. But we wanted to use our stories to help in inspire and encourage and support others in the same journey.
SOARES: When you think of --
CIONIN LORENZO, CODIRECTOR, (EXTRA)ORDINARY WOMEN: And I think it was -- oh, I'm sorry.
SOARES: Go ahead, Cionin. Go ahead. Go ahead. Pick -- go on.
LORENZO: I just wanted to add that I think the experience of being in nature really brought out a lot in them as Pearlette was saying, but also I
think Pearlette had the intention to -- for the trip to be a place -- a safe space for everyone to connect and speak and share. And before they
left, I had also sent questions along. Like, I think on this day maybe talk about this, talk about that. And that really helped in weaving the story
together between their childhoods and their climb in the moment.
SOARES: And Cionin, on that point, just as we look ahead for many women, as we look ahead to tomorrow's International Women's Day, why do you think
this story will resonate? What is it -- what is it about the message that you are trying to give away, whether you experience grief or trauma or
upheaval, and I think you -- I can't remember what you called it here -- oppressed and suppressed I think you said the beautiful part at the end.
What is it about that message that you want to try and convey to women who may be watching this, or men, quite frankly.
LORENZO: Pearlette:
RAMOS: Oh, she asked you, but I'm happy to answer that.
LORENZO: Oh, I'm sorry.
RAMOS: So, I think challenge -- having challenges in life and really experiencing trauma is sadly a very common experience. I think 70 percent -
- at least 70 percent of adults have experienced globally at least one traumatic experience. We don't often give voice to it certainly when you're
were children, and each one of us was a child when we experience trauma. So, part of this journey was really to let little girls and women know
they're not alone, that they actually can craft the narrative around their story.
Terry, Tammy, and I each felt a bit of shame about what happened to us when we were younger, and we found our voice and claimed our power and became
leaders in our -- in our own right. And the desire is really for women globally to do the same.
LORENZO: Yes. Our intention is really for this to be an inspiration, that if you believe in yourself, if you take care of each other in community,
that there's a potential for everyone to be extraordinary as they are.
[14:45:19]
SOARES: And I was incredibly moved Pearlette, and you were clearly very moved too when you very emotional at that point when you're talking about
your daughters. And you said that your daughter said you're emotionally -- I think you said emotionally unavailable. Have you -- have your daughter
seen the documentary? And if so, how did they see you opening up? Has it helped strengthen that bond and made sense for them of what you've
experienced of your lived experience?
RAMOS: Yes, they have seen the film. And like many children who challenge their parents, my daughters challenge me, to really be more of available to
share more of who I am with them. And a part of what happens when someone experiences trauma is there's the disconnection from themselves. And I
wasn't really aware that that had happened because I went on to achieve my goals and dreams. I didn't really reflect back.
But as I did and the and the relationship with my daughters, them challenging me to give me -- to give them more of who I am as a person made
me both reflect on the experiences that I had but also challenged me to become more self-aware and to meet them where they needed which was a
deeper level of intimacy. And that relationship is ongoing.
SOARES: And Cionin, we're looking at some of the clips from the trailer from the documentary and I was struck just by the really beauty -- the
beauty of nature and the kind of the juxtaposition between that trauma, the grief that the three women have experienced and also, you know, the fact
that bearing their souls against this most beautiful of backdrops. Speak to that.
LORENZO: Yes, it was very important to us from the beginning that nature, that the topography of Kilimanjaro be a part of the film. Our two
cinematographers did a really beautiful job in capturing a certain amount of the scenery every single day. And when we have screenings, people walk
out feeling like they were there or feeling like they want to climb. But also, I think it's important because it really shows what a challenge this
is. And yes, I lost my thought. I'm sorry.
RAMOS: Yes. So, I'd like to add to that just a bit because so often when you see people climbing mountains, you don't necessarily see women and you
don't see women of color.
LORENZO: That's it, yes.
RAMOS: And so, it was intentional for -- on a number of different fronts. The first was A, to just change the narrative and to show that actually we
do hike. We love nature. There are healing properties being nature that we can benefit from and that's one of the intentions of the film is to help
people connect to themselves and to nature and to one another.
And I know for my journey in particular, being in the great outdoors has helped me to heal. And there's tons of research that speaks to that nature
is a healing agent for many of us.
SOARES: And Pearlette, I mean, at the end of the movie, at the documentary, it says this hike was for her -- talking about her, as women of course. And
I think the hike was for all of us. I was incredibly move. I said to my -- I said to my -- to my producer, I want to hike Kilimanjaro --exactly the
point you're trying to make just there, Cionin.
Just before we go, can I ask Pearlette? What was it like to reach that top, be there? What was that moment like?
RAMOS: So, there's something I say in the film that I really say in my life which was there was a journey to the journey. And so, you know, often times
we're constantly striving towards something. And a part of what felt surreal in reaching the top was that wasn't that I got there but that I
supported Terry and Tammy, and we supported one another in getting there.
And I think that's one of the takeaways that we each have a personal Kilimanjaro, but we have a collective one, and that is for us to support
one another in addressing gender inequality. And if we do that, if we claim our power, our voice, our strengths and use them in service of one another,
that we can collectively address the systems of impression that disproportionately impact girls and women around the world.
SOARES: We'll leave it on that really important note. Pearlette, Cionin, I really love the documentary. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I
really appreciate it. Thank you, ladies.
LORENZO: Thank you so much.
RAMOS: Thank you for having us, Isa.
SOARES: Thank you.
And still to come tonight, move over MTV. King Charles is sharing his musical playlist. Max Foster has all the tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES III, KING OF UNITED KINGDOM: Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:52:40]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. If you're looking for some new music for your playlist, King Charles, well, has a few suggestions. The King has
teamed up with Apple Music to share his curated picks through a new broadcast show. It crosses a variety of genres featuring songs from Bon
Marle, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones just to name a few.
Joining us now is our Royal Correspondent, Max Foster.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: I just think about the names you just brought together there. Not quite what you'd expect to the King's playlist.
SOARES: They're quite -- no, not -- I thought more chauffeur (ph).
FOSTER: Yes.
SOARES: You know, than this, especially Kylie Minogue and I mean, Grace Jones and Bob Marley. But why -- first of all, why is he doing this?
Explain the thinking behind this.
FOSTER: So, it's to mark Commonwealth Day, and normally you'd have a big service at Westminster Abbey, and he's going to do that as well, but he
wanted to do something a bit different, so he talked about that. I'm not sure whether he went to Apple or Apple went to him, but the idea was to
basically share his playlist. And it's focused on all the international artists which I think is quite a smart way of reaching out to younger
people across the Commonwealth with pieces of music -- you know making them realize that actually they share the same music tastes.
I'm not sure how much he listens to these pieces of music.
SOARES: That was what I was going to say.
FOSTER: It worked with these artists.
SOARES: I was going to say do we really believe he listens to Kylie Minogue or others?
FOSTER: Well, let's see the video. Roll the video, Isa.
SOARES: Roll the video. Do we have video of him and Kylie Minogue?
FOSTER: Well, I was told --
SOARES: We don't -- we don't have the rights apparently.
FOSTER: Oh. Well, it's -- actually, it's an engagement and she's singing.
SOARES: But he's seen a number --
FOSTER: I was told by our friend Vasco, the producer, who was working with me on the piece, he was dancing to this music, and -- but it was just a
slight tap, tap, tap with the feet.
SOARES: Which in Royal terms means he's dancing.
FOSTER: Quite kingly, yes.
SOARES: It's very kingly. But he had -- I'd read that he had actually met her on numerous occasions.
FOSTER: Yes.
SOARES: For Royal performances as I think.
FOSTER: Yes. And a lot of the his organizations, you know, lean on talent to promote them. So, he's -- you know, I think he's using a lot of those
artists. But he has -- I mean, a lot of people might not know this, but he's created a playlist before --
SOARES: Have he?
FOSTER: And that was for Harry and Meghan's wedding. So, he put all the music together for that.
SOARES: But Bob Marley wasn't on that.
FOSTER: It wasn't. But he had the gospel singers, certainly, and then he had the Choristers. And it showed how he was -- he's across all different
types of music. When I was in Scotland with him talking to some bagpipers, as you do, and he support -- he's the patron of the Scottish bagpiping
school for example. So, they said to me bagpiping, you know, would die in Scotland if he didn't support it.
And there's lots of different types -- he likes supporting rarer music which might die. This is the opposite end of that trying to show some sense
that he's -- you know, he's in touch with what people are listening to.
[14:55:16]
SOARES: Yes. I was going to ask. Is this about showing a modern king, trying to bring the younger audience in? How -- or do you think -- I don't
know -- why do you think he's doing this?
FOSTER: He talked about it bringing joy.
SOARES: Yes.
FOSTER: And I think that's quite a timely message considering everything that's going on in the world and how he escapes with music and a lot of
other people do too. So, he's giving -- you know, that's really -- he's talking about music and what it does for him, and he's using pieces of
music from Commonwealth artists that the Commonwealth would know about. So, he's reaching out to the Commonwealth.
And it's interesting because there are people talking about, you know, the death of the Commonwealth as well. But for him it's very much alive. And he
sees it as this great alternative organization in the world that you could potentially -- you know, politicians could use more as well.
SOARES: Yes. And we -- did you know whether he -- he's always been passionate about music very briefly?
FOSTER: Yes. He's always -- yes, he definitely supports loads of musical charities and schools.
SOARES: Fantastic. We love to see him bopping to Bob Marley, would we?
FOSTER: Yes.
SOARES: Max Foster, I appreciate it.
That does it for us. Do stay right here.
FOSTER: Dance on studio.
SOARES: "NEWSROOM" with Max Foster" --
FOSTER: She won't do it.
SOARES: -- is next. I sure not.
END
