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Isa Soares Tonight
Starmer and Xi Meet in Bid to Reset Strained Relationship; Georgia Officials' Message to Trump; FBI Seizes Ballots in Search of Atlanta-Area Elections Office; Local Officials Warn FBI Search May Be Part of Plan to Interfere in Future Elections. Mayor of Minneapolis Speaks During Washington Visit; Border Czar Tom Homan Ordered Federal Authorities to Work on Eventual Drawdown Plan for Immigration Agents in Minnesota; EU Labels Iran's Revolutionary Guards "Terrorist" Group.Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired January 29, 2026 - 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: Hello and a very warm welcome, I'm Isa Soares. First, I want to take you to the mayor of Minneapolis who is
speaking right now. Let's have a listen to Mayor Frey.
MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: And border patrol. People have been indiscriminately pulled off the street. Discrimination takes place
only on the basis of, are you Somalian? Are you Latino? Or are you southeast Asian? And then American citizens have been yanked away from
their homes after that solely because they look like they are from Mexico or Ecuador or Somalia.
That's not how we operate in America. In America, we have these foundational principles of law. We abide by our constitution. The rule of
law is not just something that you say, but it is something that we practice each and every day, and as mayors, we know that.
As mayors, we operate in the reality business. It is a reality that we've got to keep people safe on a daily basis. And by the way, we do that
partnering with a number of different jurisdictions, working with our federal government. In Minneapolis, we've worked extensively with the ATF
and the FBI and the DEA, the U.S. Attorney's office to successfully drive down crime.
And despite what you may hear on different media channels, crime is down in virtually every category, and virtually every neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Minneapolis is a safe city. It is less safe when chaos reigns supreme. It is less safe when families do not feel comfortable going to school or
buying food at the grocery store, because they're worried that their very family might get ripped apart.
It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street, just looking for somebody who might be concerned. And I got to tell
you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation. And so, we've been very clear.
The operation metro surge needs to end this kind of conduct, and siege needs to stop, not just in Minneapolis. It needs to stop nationwide.
(APPLAUSE)
What's become clear to me is, this is obviously not about safety. This is not even about immigration. This is about silencing a narrative or a
political position that differs from that of a federal administration. We've seen this kind of conduct in other countries. We cannot see it right
here in America.
This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Never once have I made this partisan. This is a foundational principle of making sure that the
endurance of our republic can continue on. It may seem like I'm talking too much on the macro level, or maybe this is a concerning thing to say, but
I've got to tell you, we're seeing it in our streets right now.
And it is up for -- it is up to each and every one of us to partner together, to work together to protect those ideals that we hold firm. The
power of the federal government is awesome. The military force that they have, they got tanks. They got bazookas.
They can lay siege on American cities with thousands of agents and even troops far outnumbering that of local police department. In Minneapolis,
we've heard them say that they will end this siege when we hand over voter rolls. We've seen them attack and invade, not just with this occupation,
but also with the Department of Justice being used as a weapon.
[14:05:00]
They're investigating me and several other local elected officials, not because we've done something wrong, but because we have exhibited one of
the core responsibilities that both I and you have as mayors. And that is the core and foundational responsibility to speak on behalf of your
constituents.
(APPLAUSE)
FREY: I'm going to continue to speak on behalf of my constituents. We won't be intimidated in Minneapolis, and if there's any place to take
inspiration from, don't take it from me. Take it from the 435,000 Minneapolis residents that call our great city, home, and the many more
that come and go.
Take it from the tens of thousands of people that have stood up and peacefully protested to say, we love our neighbor, we care about our
collective family, and we're going to do everything possible to keep them safe. Take inspiration from the people that are dropping their neighbors
off to the grocery store or standing guard outside a daycare to make sure that their families don't get ripped apart.
Take it from the countless people that are exhibiting this foundational love of both city and importantly, country. This is an opportunity to be a
patriot, to stand up for the kinds of real liberties and freedoms that we all hold dear. As a nation of immigrants, it should not matter where you
are from.
We rise based on our own merit, we fall based our own flaws. Whole communities are not held accountable for the actions of a few. In America,
we've got that kind of due process. We've got to stand by that due process where you actually have rights.
Those rights are exhibited in the form of a court system, and the battlefield that we need to be operating on is that court system right now.
Look, in cities, we have laws that we abide by. We have work that we need to do. And the reality is you can't exercise the extraordinary power that
the federal government has to force nationwide outcomes on localized issues, leaving our own citizens as collateral damage in a hostile
negotiation.
By their own words, what we've seen this administration put -- push for is this whole concept, that might, makes right. That might makes right.
Stephen Miller has pushed for this concept, calling it the iron law of the world. That might, makes right.
Stephen Miller is wrong. Time and again --
(APPLAUSE)
FREY: Time and again, America has rejected the law of the jungle. Time and again, America has rejected this notion that might, makes right. That
notion and that belief that we are of something greater than simply force, has allowed our country to rise in international influence and allowed
great cities to be laboratories of democracy.
We must reject the notion that might, makes right.
SOARES: You have been listening there to the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey. You can see he is not in Minneapolis. He is in Washington D.C.,
attending a mayors conference. Let me give you a sense of what we heard from the mayor, started off by saying the rule of law is something that we
practice, not something we just say.
He actually -- he went on to say that people's constitutional rights are being trampled given what we have seen, of course, in Minneapolis for the
last few years -- over the last few weeks, with those two tragic deaths, of course, that we have seen over the last two weeks.
We have -- he said Minneapolis is a safe city. He went on to call what is happening in Minneapolis and the numerous ICE agents, more than 3,000 ICE
agents on the ground saying, calling in an occupation, saying this conduct and siege, he said, needs to stop, and it makes the city less safe.
And then he went on to say, this is -- that this is not about safety on immigration. It's about silencing a narrative. He was very clear in saying
that they will not be intimidated in Minneapolis. Pointing the finger as well at the U.S. Justice Department, saying that they're using this as a
weapon.
So, interesting that he did not address, of course, the White House border czar Tom Homan, who you heard earlier today saying that he's working with
authorities to work on a drawdown plan for law enforcement in Minneapolis.
[14:10:00]
But clearly, making very clear his views on what we have seen in Minneapolis, and the two fatal shootings that we have seen of Alex Pretti,
and then Renee Good by federal immigration agents. Let me get the reaction from our Stephen Collinson.
Stephen, we're going to continue listening to what the mayor has to say, just your initial thoughts from what we heard from him.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: First of all, it's really striking to hear an American mayor talk about an occupation of an American
city by the federal government. Even after what we've seen over the last few weeks, that's quite a striking thing.
This is clearly a rallying call at a moment when the opponents of Trump's operation in Minneapolis believe that they're in the ascendancy. He's not
just speaking to the people of his own city and the wider America. He's also talking to Democratic senators who are trying to get concessions that
would roll back aspects of that ICE operation.
As they debate whether to vote for a government funding bill, without which the government will close down late on Friday. So, very interesting. You
know, it's a powerful image in American politics. The smaller guy standing up to the power of centralized authority.
It's kind of a mythical American political tableau, in some ways, I was reminded as well a little bit of Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at
Davos.
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: This is a month where we've seen great power plays by President Trump and his administration, but we've also started to see the
organization of a narrative of fighting back. And I think Carney and Jacob Frey are both part of that momentum that we're starting to see emerge.
SOARES: Yes, he was saying this is not a partisan issue. This is not Democratic or Republican issue, which I thought was very interesting. For
our viewers who perhaps haven't heard what Tom Homan has said, the border czar in terms of the plan. Let me just play some of the sound of what he
has said earlier on today. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HOMAN, U.S. BORDER CZAR: I didn't come here looking for photo ops or headlines, I come here looking for solutions. What we've been working on is
making this operation safer, more efficient by the book. And President Trump and I, along with others in the administration have recognized that
certain improvements could and should be made. You have the right to protest. I'm just asking you to keep it peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, just talk us through this drawdown plan. Clearly, as you heard, he said, you know, that ICE needs to improve. But then he also
insisted that Trump's kind of immigration policy are still the same. I think he said, let me quote him here, "we are not surrendering the
President's" missions -- "mission on deportation". How much of a shift does this represent in the Trump immigration strategy, you think, Stephen?
COLLINSON: I think what it does is, it is a shift of the optics, that talking about drawing down from Minnesota, perhaps they've started to
conclude that this massive surge of federal agents into Minneapolis was counterproductive. And obviously, it was considering the two killings we
saw and the scenes that have really rebounded against the administration politically.
But the question to look out for in the coming days is whether it is just a change of optics, or is Trump changing the policy itself? Homan appeared to
indicate there that it wasn't what the fault line here is underneath everything, is that the federal government is trying to use its power to go
into states and cities run by the Democratic Party, where local officials do not cooperate with the immigration, deportation operation.
The local officials, and you saw Frey complaining about it there --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Are against these sweeps of agents going through the streets, picking up people, anyone who looks -- who might look like they might be an
undocumented immigrant, and taking them and arresting them if it proves that they are.
That is what these states don't want to happen. So, the fundamental clash here hasn't been resolved. I think it -- the politics will decide how
openly Trump wants to pursue it in the months ahead.
SOARES: Let's focus on the -- on the politics and the optics, because you write for cnn.com, and I'm just going to read it out. What happens now in
Minnesota depends on whether the President Donald Trump concludes he simply has an optics problem, or whether he's ready to change unpopular
deportation policies that are central to his political identity."
This is what you wrote for -- on your cnn.com piece. With that in mind, they just helped framed the latest polling I was looking at, and this is
from "Fox News". This is a poll that says Stephen, 59 percent majority say that ICE is being too aggressive in its efforts to deport illegal
immigrants.
[14:15:00]
And by the way, this was conducted on Friday. Alex Pretti, I believe was killed on Sunday. Just your thoughts.
COLLINSON: Yes, well, first of all, that number of independents is disastrous for Republicans going into the midterm elections in November if
that stays the same. If you look at that poll as well, the opposition to the way this is being conducted among Trump-leading voters is up about 10
points.
And among white, non-college educated voters is up even more. Those people who tend to vote for the President. So, we're seeing, I think, for the
first time, a real erosion on a matter of domestic policy for Trump. So that is certainly going to concentrate his mind.
What you could see is that ICE doesn't do these surges anymore, but sends all its agents out across the country, and tries to do exactly the same
thing but with less publicity. The problem with that, from Trump's point of view is, part of this, as Frey was saying, it is about imposing federal
presidential power and Trump's strongman authority.
If lots of people are being deported but no one knows about it, the other part of Trump's base, who is enthusiastically supporting this, doesn't get
to see about it and Trump doesn't get that political boost. So, it's a balancing act. I think the politics of immigration here, which once used to
be a plus for the President and helped him win the 2024 election, have reversed -- it's not clear how he turns that around.
SOARES: We shall see. Stephen, appreciate it, thank you very much --
COLLINSON: Thanks --
SOARES: Indeed, for stay with us for the breaking news as we heard to -- from Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis. Well, the European Union
shifting policy on Iran after its deadly crackdown on protesters, saying repression cannot go unanswered.
Today, the EU designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization, putting them in a category really similar to ISIS as well as
al Qaeda. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the move as long overdue, saying the label fits a regime that, quote, "crushes
its own people's protests in blood."
Iran is accusing Europe of fanning the flames of regional tensions, warning it's increasing the risk of full scale war. Iran is already facing
pressure, as you know, from U.S. President Donald Trump, who says a massive armada is heading for the country as he considers military action.
Today, the EU foreign policy chief was asked whether Europe would support a U.S. strike given its new decision on Iran. Have a listen to the answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAJA KALLAS, FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, EUROPEAN UNION: This decision means that if we list them as a terrorist organization, then many member states
have criminalized any activity or interaction with the terrorist organization. So, that puts more pressure on this. When it comes to
attacks, then I think the region does not need a new war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And I'll be speaking to the Estonian Foreign Minister in just a moment on this. But a cabinet meeting in Washington today, Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth said his department is prepared to carry out whatever President Trump decides on Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES: Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal, that
they should not pursue nuclear capabilities. So, we will be prepared to deliver whatever this President expects of the War Department.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, what is the view on the ground in Tehran? Frederik Pleitgen is reporting from inside Tehran this week, operating only with the permission
of the government. He visited the site where the protests began, eventually spreading nationwide.
Frederik spoke with some Iranians about their grievances and the government's crackdown on protesters that has killed thousands of people
and arrested many thousand others. And to protect identities, we blurred faces in Frederik's report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We're in the area around Tehran's Grand Bazaar. This is where the protests
started several weeks ago that then, of course, spread throughout the entire country, then ultimately leading to that crackdown where even the
government acknowledges that thousands of people were killed.
We spoke to some folks around here, and at least, some of them said the despair continues, and they said they have very little trust that the
government will be able to resolve the issues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): In general, the situation is volatile in a way that the prices are crazy high. And, for instance, just
yesterday, there was a 20 percent to 30 percent hike in prices.
PLEITGEN: Are you confident that the government can solve the economic issues?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Definitely not. We're certainly sure the government cannot solve it. This is something that I can say for
sure, maybe it is dangerous. I feel this is the end of everything.
PLEITGEN: How deep is the trauma after the crackdown on the protests?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): In this situation, no one is able to do anything because you either have to go to the streets and be
killed by weapons, or stay at home and die of hunger.
PLEITGEN: When the protests first started here at the Bazaar in late December, it was especially the carpet sellers and jewelers who first
walked out. Now, we did speak to some people here who claimed that the situation is now under control.
[14:20:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Of course, the Islamic Republic can solve the problem, actually it's done so, 99 percent of it is resolved.
PLEITGEN: All this comes as President Trump continues to weigh his military options here in this region. Iran's leadership has said that any
attack on Iran will be met with very strong resistance. They've also said they're willing to negotiate, however, not under duress. Fred Pleitgen,
CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Fred in Tehran. And one, just before our show tonight, I spoke with Estonia's Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, about the
increasing pressure on Iran and what could lie ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGUS TSAHKNA, FOREIGN MINISTER, ESTONIA: Definitely, the regime is in a very hard situation, and also we are following carefully what President
Trump will decide, and lots of marks that there may be as well. One attack again, I don't know whether it is actually changing the regime or not, but
more pressure all together must bring this regime, at least, for negotiations.
SOARES: But do you think it's weaker?
TSAHKNA: But I'm very --
SOARES: Do you think it's weaker Foreign Minister? Does the EU believe the regime is weaker?
TSAHKNA: It is weaker, yes, there's really -- the regime is definitely weaker. And also, there is a real hope for Iranian people to change this --
SOARES: Yes --
TSAHKNA: Regime. But it's still strong enough, and it's hard to actually to get the real information out from Iran what's really happening.
SOARES: Indeed, and we have seen that with our own reporting, really hard to get verified sources on the ground. You talked about President Trump,
and President Trump is certainly applying the pressure just in the last 24 hours, he said, he told Iran there was a threat, threatening Iran.
Saying that a massive armada was his -- the words he used, is heading toward Iran. Do you believe -- do you think, Foreign Minister, that this
gunboat diplomacy can be effective? I mean, this is not Maduro, this is not Venezuela. The IRGC have a significant force, but do you think it can be
effective?
TSAHKNA: More pressure can be more effective. At least, you bring this diplomacy working. I mean, negotiations. And finally, working agreement as
well, mainly about the nuclear weapon program and many other things. But as well, you know, this regime sometimes as well, they can collapse because
there is no, you know, flexibility.
But of course, we prefer a diplomatic solution instead of the military. But of course, President Trump, you know, he has been -- surprised us already
before during the last year. So, if the capabilities are there and Iran is not answering his call, it may happen that U.S. is using the military
power.
SOARES: Yes, and Iran did say that it stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interest, but if pushed, it will defend itself and
respond like never before. I suppose the viewers would want to know -- around the world, would want to know, Foreign Minister, if the diplomatic
route doesn't work out, what role, if any, would you replay -- Europe play, I should say, if the U.S. were to attack.
I mean, because initially this was about the protests and now it's about the nuclear program. So, what role, if any, would you play in this?
TSAHKNA: Of course, Europe is interested about playing the role, to put the pressure on regime and negotiate and being part of the solution as
Europe has been before as well. But Europe never will be able and not planning as well using the military force.
So, if there will be a change. So, Europe's existential interested -- what is going to happen in this region, because we are talking about the country
where 90 million people, it's not only about regime, it's about economy. It's about you know, the -- how the society is actually going to act and
what will be the reactions regionally. So, there are -- lots of mess can happen.
SOARES: And the economy is certainly on its knees. I wonder, though, and viewers who follow the show would have known that you and I, we often talk
about Ukraine, we often talk about NATO. That's normally what we -- both of us do talk about when we do meet.
I do wonder, though, you know, with the pressure piling on Iran, with U.S. going after Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, I wonder whether you think Foreign
Minister, that this same pressure, this same level of pressure, consistent pressure ought to be applied to President Putin.
Who quite honestly seems to be dragging his feet when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine. Meeting after meeting and nothing coming out of it. Do
you think the U.S. and the EU should be applying the same level of pressure on President Putin, and maybe more effective?
TSAHKNA: Yes, I agree with you that the attention you know, is not on Ukraine. But actually what Putin is doing is close to call a genocide
because it's really cold in Ukraine and Russia is bombing the energy infrastructure and as well, civilians. I live in Estonia.
We had minus 15 Celsius, and I can't imagine how people can survive. So, that's why we need to put more pressure on Russia.
[14:25:00]
So, we discussed as well today the 20th sanction that (INAUDIBLE) will be very strong. I do hope that it will be adopted in February. But also, I
introduced the proposal about active combatants, Russian combatants. We have close to 1 million of them in Russia. They are ex-criminals. They are
rapists. They are committing all these atrocities what we witnessed.
But my question was whether Europe is ready for peace if it's coming. And we are not ready because hundreds and hundreds of thousands of these ex-
combatants will come to Europe. So, we propose as well that we need to establish this common policy on EU level to put together the blacklist of
the Schengen, and then they will be banned.
We started already with that, as in Estonia, but we now are planning as well on EU level policy, and really, we need to protect Europe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And just after I spoke with the Estonian Foreign Minister, President Trump announced that he'd personally reached out to President
Vladimir Putin to request the Russian leader not fire on major cities in Ukraine, and that includes Kyiv.
Mr. Trump cited plummeting temperatures in the region, as you heard from the Foreign Minister, also referencing that. The President did not specify
when he spoke to his Russian counterpart during remarks at his cabinet meeting, but his claims come after a Russian drone strike on a civilian
train in the Kharkiv region killed at least five people. We brought you that story on Tuesday.
And still to come tonight, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in China, how strained alliances with the U.S. may be a boost for Beijing. That's
coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, Britain's Prime Minister is in China looking to reset strained ties and open up new doors. Keir Starmer is accompanied by dozens
of British business executives as he pitches a renewed relationship with Beijing against a backdrop of rising global trade tensions. Our Mike
Valerio has more from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): So, we're waiting on the deliverables. But we do know that this is a remarkable reset visit because
after years of suspicion really permeating the relationship between the U.K. and China, we now have the British Prime Minister here in town in
Beijing, saying that he wants a relationship between the U.K. and China, delivering security and prosperity for the British people.
Quite a reversal from what we've heard from some members of the British government in recent years. So, to that end, let's listen to Prime Minister
Keir Starmer in his own words, we'll talk about it on the other side. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: China is a vital player on the global stage. And it's vital that we build a more sophisticated
relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: OK. So, quite a statement there in eight and a half seconds. Chinese leader Xi Jinping very much echoing the sentiment, saying in quote
-- in part a couple minutes ago, quote, "China is willing to develop a long-term stable and comprehensive strategic partnership with Britain,
which will benefit the people of both countries as well as the world."
So, this recent visit is so remarkable in part because of the primary ally, the largest and most important ally of the United Kingdom, and that would
be the United States. And we see more and more often allies of the United States, leaders of those allies from Emmanuel Macron of France, Mark Carney
of Canada, coming back to this town, Beijing, reevaluating their ties with China. So, we have not only with the British prime minister traveling with
members of his government, but also bringing with him big business names.
We're talking about representatives from Jaguar Land Rover, GSK, HSBC, big business brands from the U.K. And this is happening as so many companies
around the world, myriad companies, are trying to diversify their trade portfolios, perhaps reduce their reliance on trade with the United States.
So, it will be interesting to see what are the deliverables, what are the tangible results of this trip, especially considering where the U.K. and
China have been.
I think one of the low points was certainly in 2020, when the British government said that Huawei needed to be removed from Great Britain's 5G
network, a deadline of next year still existing to remove all installed elements of Huawei technology from Britain's 5G network because of
allegations and security concerns that have been leveled by the British government.
But on the flip side, we have Keir Starmer just about a week ago, green lighting the so-called mega embassy project across the street from the
Tower of London in the shadow of London's financial district, the heart, financial heart of Great Britain.
So, we have both of these things happening, a new path that seems to have emerged. The British prime minister saying that he's not going to choose
between relations, good relations with China and the United States. And the next leader that perhaps will follow in this parade of Western allies
coming to Beijing, we're watching for February for German Chancellor Merz, perhaps to make his way to Beijing also.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Well, and still to come tonight, after an FBI search of election offices in the U.S. State of Georgia, a blunt
warning from county officials to President Trump. We'll bring you that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Election officials in the U.S. State of Georgia are telling President Donald Trump to get out of Fulton County.
This after an FBI operation on Wednesday where agencies' 2020 election ballots. We brought to this story yesterday, breaking news at the time. The
president continues to falsely claim voter fraud in Georgia led to his loss in the presidential race, if you remember, to Joe Biden. One local official
had this message for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBB PITTS, CHAIRMAN, FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: I want to be crystal clear. Fulton County has been targeted for years because I stood up
to Donald Trump's big lie and refused to bend to pressure. In 2020, I told him and others, including then-Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, then-
Congressman Matt Gaetz, and the president himself, to stay the hell out of Fulton County. I meant it then, and I mean it today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Mr. Trump was indicted in Fulton County on allegations he was part of a conspiracy to overturn the real election results. The case
was dismissed. County election officials say Wednesday's FBI operation could be part of a broader election interference plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MO IVORY, FULTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER: This is not just about Fulton County. Fulton County is right now the target, the only county right now
fighting over an election that already happened, but it is coming to a place near you. This is the beginning of the chaos of 2026 that is about to
ensue. So, if we are starting this early in January, you can only imagine what is going to happen in October.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. Kara Scannell joins me now. And, Kara, I was listening to Fulton County's chairman. We just played a little clip
there. But he said today that this is about intimidation and distraction, not facts. So, just talk us through what more we are learning -- you are
learning that was taken in this search and seizure of documents.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, we have obtained a copy of the search warrant that the FBI used in order to execute this raid. And what
that search warrant, which was signed by a magistrate judge in the U.S., allowed the FBI to seize a number of items that they were seeking. That
includes voter ballots, the tabulation tapes, and voter rolls. So, that's all information that they were looking for.
And we did learn from the Fulton County officials that the FBI left with 700 boxes of documents. This is all part of this investigation that's
looking into alleged voter fraud and whether documents were properly preserved and retained there in that, by the county.
Now, you'll remember, you know, Trump's Justice Department had said that there was no voter fraud in the 2020 election. And in Georgia, there was a
statewide audit involving a manual hand recount of the ballots that found that there was no fraud. But, you know, as the Fulton County officials have
said, you know, they believe that this is just an escalation of what the Trump DOJ is trying to do across the country and how it could potentially
set up what we may see in the midterm elections later this year.
You know, Trump has been posting on Truth Social about this raid, about his continued belief that the election was stolen from him, but there has been
nothing out there to support that. Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And we've seen plenty of conspiracy theories being posted still by the president to date. A question for you, do we know at this
stage, and I'm sure you've been prodding on this, why the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was in Georgia, was on site when this
was taking place?
SCANNELL: So, very unusual for the director of national security to be involved in state elections, in federal elections. I mean, what one source
had told us was that, you know, she is taking a big role in the elections. You know, her role as DNI, as the head of DNI, is to look for foreign
interference. That is something that has been a conspiracy theory that had been knocked down repeatedly, but that is what we're told why she was
there.
No official statements about what role she is playing in this or what her bigger picture might be as they're looking across several states.
[14:40:00]
In addition to this criminal raid, which was certainly an escalation, DOJ has a number of efforts across multiple states to try to obtain voter rolls
and other records related to the election. Isa.
SOARES: Fulton County Chairman being very clear, saying we will not give one inch to those who seek to control our elections. I know we'll stay
across. Kara, thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTINA O'NEILL, CO-AUTHOR, "ALL THE COOL GIRLS GET FIRED": Crap, when you're fired. And that was a universal emotion that every single woman we
interviewed commiserated with.
LAURA BROWN, CO-AUTHOR, "ALL THE COOL GIRLS GET FIRED": So, you instantly have a community. Not just a feeling, it's a community. But you don't --
and you don't get to know that community if you don't say this happened to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: -- the co-authors of "All the Cool Girls Get Fired" join our book club, hear how they were laid off from their high-flying jobs, and then
bounce back. You do not want to miss this interview. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Joining us on the Book Club today, not one, but two authors for "All the Cool Girls Get Fired." We've got Laura Brown and Kristina O'Neill.
Ladies, great to have you on the show.
LAURA BROWN, CO-AUTHOR, "ALL THE COOL GIRLS GET FIRED": Thank you.
KRISTINA O'NEILL, CO-AUTHOR, "ALL THE COOL GIRLS GET FIRED": Lovely to be here. Thank you.
SOARES: This is such a great read, by the way. Myself and another producer of mine, we were both reading it together, and we had a long chat this
morning on my way here on the train to kind of swap notes. It became very deep at one point.
BROWN: It gets deep fast.
SOARES: It gets fast, right? But this is, in many ways, I know it's part memoir from both of you, who both got fired from your jobs, but also manual
self-help, and it has so many voices of such talented women across industries. I wonder, though, why you felt two women who had very well-
established careers, very well-known, why you felt that this book was needed. What triggered this?
O'NEILL: This book was the book that we wished existed when we were fired, and I was fired about 14 months after Laura, and I found myself Googling
things that I thought I should have known.
SOARES: Yes, such what? Like what?
O'NEILL: Like, do I need a lawyer? I mean, really simple stuff that, you know, I didn't understand. You know, in the U.S., obviously, the healthcare
system is very complicated. Really simple things about, was my money going to go the distance for me?
[14:45:00]
You know, just kind of understanding all of the unknowables that you're overwhelmed by in the moment, and on top of that, you're obviously very
vulnerable and super emotional, and I just kept thinking, there's got to be one resource that just outlines all this stuff.
BROWN: You're expected to function, you know, immediately after having so much power and routine taken away from you.
SOARES: Yes.
BROWN: And we, by all intents and purposes, successful ladies, TM, you know, and I was a year -- as we were saying, a year ahead of Kristina. Oh,
what do I do with this? What do I do with this? And Kristina, when she was fired, called me up because I was a year or so ahead, and I bet you should
do this. You should do this.
And then, you know, this book all came about because of an Instagram post, which I -- this is exactly how we work, where I was like, this was work,
this was just silly. But, you know, we posted this Instagram saying, all the cool girls get fired with a cute picture of ourselves, and saying, this
happened to us. We were greeted by this deluge of responses from women saying, oh, actually, me too, or how brave, or how this, or how that.
And the next morning, so, Kristina -- we'd seen this reaction roll in all night, like this kind of psychological door opening. And the next morning,
Kristina called me and said, this is a book. So, she was in the really needy -- the needy moment. Here's a book I need.
SOARES: Once an editor always an editor.
BROWN: And I'm like, oh, this is for the Instagram. And -- yes.
SOARES: Women have been -- being fired -- have been fired for millennia, right?
BROWN: A proud history.
SOARES: Yes, exactly. And now, obviously, our industry, as you all know, is shifting quite a bit. The rise of A.I. We're seeing economic instability
around the world. I wonder whether you found, from messages on Instagram, from that photo, or from the ladies you have interviewed here, who have
written here, whether you felt there's a commonality between you all about this experience of being fired.
O'NEILL: Yes. I mean, I think the universal feeling is the same, right? It doesn't really matter your, you know, status or your stature or your
financial situation. You feel like crap when you're fired. And that was a universal emotion that every single woman we interviewed, you know,
commiserated with.
BROWN: So, you instantly have a community. Not just a feeling, it's a community. But you don't get to know that community if you don't say this
happened to me.
SOARES: Yes.
BROWN: You know, and that's where this groundswell of women in the comments, the groundswell of women who've been in touch since the book came
out. There is strength in community, in all communities, but in the honesty of saying this happened and then having another woman saying this happened,
how can I help? How can I meet you? How can I push you along? That gives you so much more fire to push yourself.
SOARES: The word that you use there, honesty. How many women shy away from that still today? And why do you think --
O'NEILL: It was not easy finding the 15 women that we ended up including in the book. And there were plenty who said no. So, I think that's telling.
What we've been so overwhelmed by in the, you know, one month that the book has been out is just how many people have come up to us who said, you know,
this happened to me once. I never told anyone.
SOARES: To show the kind of more vulnerable side of you.
O'NEILL: Yes.
BROWN: And you don't want to -- you know, there's all of this, and you know, we wanted this as well because we had no doubt about telling people
we got fired. Also, we're very good at what we do. And those two things can coexist, skill and being fired. And this happens 99 percent of the time now
in the job market. It's a mess out there. It's a plague of layoffs, right?
And so, if you are not honest, if you obfuscate and spin and deny that this is happening, you are slowing yourself down. And you're giving yourself a
burden, another burden, on top of the one that was just laid on you by losing your job.
SOARES: Yes.
BROWN: So, it's absolutely futile. And of course, you know, the shame comes with women's history because breaking news, we didn't construct the
workplace, men did. It took us longer to get there because we were behind.
SOARES: I wonder whether it's an age, whether we feel that -- is it to do with age? Do we feel a certain way? Because Katie Couric was saying, I
think she said, I was someone who attached my value to my job. And I think -- I mean, that resonates with me.
BROWN: Of course.
SOARES: Right?
BROWN: Yes.
SOARES: And I wonder whether it's because we've worked really hard to get where we got to, right?
BROWN: Yes.
O'NEILL: Yes.
SOARES: Did you feel that was also something that there was a commonality in that?
O'NEILL: I don't necessarily think that's an age thing. I think attaching your value to your work is almost like training. I think we are kind of
raised as women to sort of, you know, show up, be grateful, work hard, be the first one in, the last one out, just keep climbing, keep climbing. And
especially in the era that we grew up in, in fashion media, you know, there was --
BROWN: Show up for free.
O'NEILL: Yes. There was not a lot of encouragement of having a life outside of work. Like we were trained that our jobs were our identity and
everything.
SOARES: I suppose the question I was asking, Kristina, about age is that I don't think I knew my value kind of 10 years ago. I think I was just -- I
was part, like you probably read, the lean in. We're part of the lean in generation. You know, lean in, have a seat at the table. Whereas now we're
like, let's redesign the table before we actually --
BROWN: Yes. Let's redesign what work is.
SOARES: Right.
BROWN: We --
SOARES: Do you feel that shift?
O'NEILL: We're big believers and the corner office isn't the end game.
SOARES: Right.
O'NEILL: That's not the end of the board game anymore.
[14:50:00]
BROWN: The workplace isn't linear. That is not where ambition lies. Ambition isn't this. Ambition is this.
SOARES: Yes.
BROWN: Ambition is having a full life in whichever way you want to build it. What has been so fascinating about work in the nonlinear space,
especially in media, the individual can be the economy. The individual can be the media. We've seen the Substack podcast, YouTube, all the fracturing
in media that so many people were scared of. Some of the more progressive and smart people have embraced that.
SOARES: Yes.
BROWN: So, it is there for you that you can be this currency and you can build it yourself. And that wasn't available even five-ish -- you know,
especially Substack and everything, five years ago. And so, it can be a bit -- if you're clinging to this sort of legacy idea of what your job is, but
this is where, again, another one of the small silver linings about being fired is being shocked out of that life, being shocked out of that sandpit
and realizing that actually there was a beach there the entire time. You hadn't let yourself see.
SOARES: Kristina, Laura, thank you very much ladies. I'm going to ask you to sign the book, if I can find the pen.
BROWN: Where is the pen?
SOARES: Oh, here it is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: A huge thanks to Laura and Kristina for that fascinating interview. And coming soon, right here on our Book Club, Chinese writer
Jung Chang joins me with "Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China." It's a magnificent follow-up, if you've read, to her bestseller, "Wild
Swans," first published in 1991. I remember reading that. She tells me why she wanted to write a continuation of that story focused on the three
generations of women in her family in 20th-century China. Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUNG CHANG, AUTHOR, "FLY, WILD SWANS": I think the most important thing is that my mother made me a writer, which actually had been where my heart and
where my gifts lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Don't want to miss that interview coming soon on our Book Club. And still to come tonight, high society hijinks, the first episodes of the
new season of "Bridgerton," of course, was a book, are out on Netflix. We'll tell you what critics think faster than you can say, Lady
Whistledown. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And a searing new song from the boss of rock and roll, Bruce Springsteen, has a powerful new track protesting the immigration crackdown
in Minnesota. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: As you heard, Springsteen takes aim at President Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, and Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem. He says
the song is in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both killed by federal agents. Springsteen is no stranger to politically charged
anthems, from his critique of the Vietnam War in Born in the USA to the Oscar-winning Streets of Philadelphia, which is a similar name to his new
song.
Well, to other entertainment news now, and, dearest gentle readers, we shall be heading to the ball. How could we not, when new "Bridgerton" is
finally upon us?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot dance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lady who cannot dance?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're quite the teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are perhaps the most intriguing person I've ever met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Netflix has released the first part of the show's fourth season, a Cinderella-style romance between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie, the maid
of high-ranking family. While the show is likely to bring in big streaming numbers, some critics say it lacks some of the charm of previous seasons,
but no spoilers here. The second part of season four is released on February 26. Do not binge it all in one go, of course.
That does it for tonight. Do stay out here. Coming up next, "What We Know" with our very own dashing Max Foster, who could himself be a Bridgerton.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
