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Isa Soares Tonight
Rubio Ends His Trip To Europe By Strengthening Ties With Right-Wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; Savannah Guthrie Makes An Emotional Appeal To Her Mother's Kidnappers; Actor Robert Duvall Dies At Age 95; DOJ Lists Hundreds Of Prominent People In Epstein Files; Latest DOJ Release Intensifies Pressure On U.K. Royals; Obama Appears To Confirm Existence Of Aliens In Podcast; U.S: Venezuela-Linked Tanker Apprehended In Indian Ocean; "Wuthering Heights" Earns $38M Worldwide In Opening Weekend. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired February 16, 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: A very warm welcome to the show everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, a relation on the rocks. America's top
diplomat ends his trip to Europe by strengthening ties with right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
We'll unpack what that all means for Brussels and beyond. Then two weeks on, and still no sign of Nancy Guthrie, as her daughter, Savannah makes a
new as well as emotional appeal to the kidnappers. Plus, Robert Duvall; the Oscar-winning actor best known for his roles in the "Godfather" and
"Apocalypse Now" has died at the age of 95.
We'll have more both on his life and his legacy a bit later this hour. But first, tonight, America's top diplomat is on his way back to Washington
after a visit to Europe, which has done very little to quell fears about what's next for the Trans-Atlantic alliance.
Marco Rubio ended his trip in Budapest, meeting hard-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he praised for leading a golden age of relations
between Hungary and the U.S. through his close relationship to President Donald Trump.
Speaking after that sit-down, Rubio again laid out the U.S. President's message to Europe, that from now on, it's every man for himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: Under President Trump, it is our expectation that every nation on earth is going to act in their
national interest. That's what nations are supposed to do. If the Prime Minister of Hungary does not act in the national interest of Hungary, he
won't be Prime Minister for long.
But who is going to act in the national interest of Hungary if their Prime Minister doesn't do it? If your government is not acting in your national
interest, then who will? By the way, we feel the same way about America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, in his address at the Munich Security Conference you're looking at there, that was over this weekend, Rubio told leaders that the
fates of Europe and the U.S. would always be intertwined. He made clear, though, that under President Trump, U.S. support is conditional on your
owning its security and embracing Mr. Trump's transactional diplomacy.
Let's get more on all these threats. Jennifer Hansler is following developments for us from Washington. And Jen, I was listening to Carl
Bildt, who is the former Prime Minister of Sweden say on our air, and I know he also tweeted that Secretary Rubio didn't have time to seek Kaja
Kallas.
Kaja Kallas is the EU's top foreign policy chief, and instead, he said instead he rushed off to Budapest to embrace Viktor Orban. Why was this
visit to Budapest so important to the White House?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, it's really telling and really remarkable that Rubio did, in fact, prioritize this visit to
Budapest as part of his swing through Europe. We have seen the Trump administration and President Trump himself give this huge bear hug to Orban
ahead of those consequential elections in April.
And we heard Rubio today double down on how much they feel that this relationship with the Orban government specifically is consequential to the
U.S. ties to both Hungary and eastern Europe. I want to read you something he said in his press conference earlier today.
He said, quote, "I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success,
because this relationship we have here in central Europe, through you is so essential and vital for our national interest in the years to come.
Isa, he went on to go as far as float the idea that the U.S. could extend some sort of financial support if Hungary were in trouble, to keep it
afloat. And of course, they're doing these business deals there, which is a key part of the Trump administration's priorities in Europe in these Trans-
Atlantic relationships.
The two signed yet another deal today. Rubio talked about the investment from U.S. companies in Hungary. So, they are really embracing Orban, who is
this far-right leader in their priorities in central Europe. Of course, the timing is notable ahead of those elections, and Rubio did not sit down with
any sort of opposition leaders while he was there.
SOARES: Yes, elections I think, are April the 12th in Hungary. I wonder then, just taking a step back and focusing on the wider Europe, whether you
think, Jen, it was clear what the Trump administration wants to see from its European allies.
Obviously, putting aside the contribution to NATO, which is what we hear all the time. Besides that, what does this administration wants to see from
Europe?
[14:05:00]
HANSLER: Well, I think it was really interesting, Isa, in his remarks in Munich, Rubio, of course, delivered them in a nicer package than we heard
from J.D. Vance last year in terms of his messaging to the Europeans. But still, that social issues was at the core of what he was saying.
He was stressing this idea of these fundamental values that both the United States and Europe need to get back to. In his words, he said they're all
part of one civilization, a western civilization. He stressed this idea of Christian faith. He said, you know, that they were focusing on combating
mass migration.
So, Rubio, State Department has really been the tip of the spear on a lot of these social issues. He has sort of taken up the mantle of fighting what
they claim are violations of free speech among the U.S.' traditional European allies, France and the U.K. in particular.
So, he was really driving that message home in his remarks in Munich. It seems like he wants them to also take up this very conservative-leaning
idea of these, quote, unquote, "fundamental values", Isa.
SOARES: To things there I know the European leaders have defended quite vociferously. Thank you very much, appreciate it, Jen. Let's stick with
this. I want to get more on this. Kurt Volker is a former U.S. ambassador to NATO. He joins me now from southern Germany.
Ambassador, great to have you back on the show. Let me just pick up with -- Jen was saying, she said a nicer package that we heard there from Secretary
Rubio. And it does seem that Europe and the U.K. very much still mulling his words from the -- from Munich Security Conference.
I want to give you and our viewers a sense of some of the editorial descriptions. I've heard a dagger in velvet, lipstick on a pig from
Germany's "Die Welt", poisoned love letter, and from "Le Monde", a truce in appearance only. I mean, your take from what you heard. Are they right?
KURT VOLKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, it's always easy to see the negative if you want to. But what I think has happened here, and I was
just listening to the reporting about his visit to Hungary as well. You have President Trump -- now, let's be clear, there's not really a Trump
administration.
President Trump is directing everything himself. He has this view of a civilizational challenge articulated also by J.D. Vance, and sees him,
himself, Donald Trump, fixing that civilizational challenge in the United States, and urging Europe to deal with that as well.
So, Marco Rubio can hardly go to Munich and give a different speech. He can't go there and make something else up or say something contrary to what
President Trump's views are. But what he did deliberately was take that, package it and say, this is all in the context of the U.S. and Europe being
part of one civilization.
We are facing common challenges, and we need to face them together. So, that was a very deliberate effort by Marco Rubio not to put lipstick on a
pig, but to reframe this as a way of the need for Trans-Atlantic unity, and the need for Trans-Atlantic efforts to solve problems together.
That was very welcome in Munich, I have to say, by the people in the room. So, yes, you're finding a lot of this critique, as you indicated from media
and others there, but there is also a little bit of understanding that he's trying to help.
SOARES: Yes, so more of a reset in Trans-Atlantic relations rather than rhetorical bridge building here.
VOLKER: Yes -- no, reset is a little strong, I would guess it's not bad, he's not changing policy --
SOARES: Yes --
VOLKER: But he's reframing it as something that we need to do together.
SOARES: After his speech in Munich, and while I just talking to Jen Hansler about this, we saw Secretary Rubio, ambassador, go to Bratislava and to
Budapest. Orban is facing an election on April the 12th, and as you well know, viewers well know, he has been accused of democratic backsliding.
How should Europe interpret these visits in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine? Because I'm not sure if you heard my question earlier to Jen
Hansler -- Carl Bildt; the former Prime Minister of Sweden, actually went on X and he said on our air that he didn't have time to see the Kaja
Kallas; the EU's foreign policy chief, instead rushed off to Budapest to embrace Viktor Orban. In the context of Ukraine, how should European
leaders interpret that?
VOLKER: Well, in a couple of ways. First off, we all know that President Trump is very reluctant to take on Vladimir Putin, to criticize Putin, to
put pressure on Putin in order to end the war in Ukraine. Instead, he's trying to squeeze Ukraine to see whether that's a faster path.
It won't be, and ultimately, this war will never end unless Putin is pressed to want a ceasefire to end the war because it's Putin's war. Now,
that being said, Hungary and Viktor Orban have been both Russia's and China's entry point into the European Union to the rest of Europe.
[14:10:00]
And that's a problem for all of Europe, and it's even a problem for U.S. policy. Like look at China and our views versus Orban's views. But we have
in the U.S. a MAGA movement that sees a kindred spirit in Viktor Orban. Someone who is bucking the establishment.
Someone who is campaigning against -- in his case, Brussels, bureaucracy and the EU. In our case, it's Washington bureaucracy and the deep state. He
is embracing traditional family values, religion, against, you know, wholesale immigration.
So, they see in Orban a kindred spirit, what they overlook is some of Orban's other policies and problems. He's actually well behind in the polls
in this election because of perceptions of corruption, the warm relationship with Russia is not something that is natural for the Hungarian
people who had their revolution crushed by Russia in 1956.
And the relationship with China is something that really freaks out a lot of Hungarians. So, there's a lot that the MAGA movement doesn't get about
Hungary as it is today. I think, Rubio, just like in Munich, he is being faithful to President Trump, being faithful to this MAGA relationship on
the cultural issues.
But at the same time, he's going to Hungary and saying, we want you to start dealing with American companies on nuclear power. We want to start
weaning you off of Russian nuclear power. We want you to buy American natural gas shipped to you through a port in Croatia, get off of Russian
natural gas.
So, he is actually trying to change some of the facts on the ground that have made it easy for Hungary to align with Russia and against Ukraine. I
think that may change in the coming years. So, Rubio is trying to do both. Be faithful to the President's agenda, but also shape some of the realities
on the ground that are more in line with our own interests.
SOARES: I mean, on this side of the pond, I think many people will say, well, he's certainly ruffling some feathers, given that we have seen time
and time again, Orban really stopping any sort of funding, prohibiting some of the funding, blocking, I should say, funding to Ukraine. Which has been
--
VOLKER: Yes --
SOARES: A huge bone of contention here. Ambassador, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us this evening, joining us there from
Elmau(ph) in Germany. Good to see you. Thank you.
VOLKER: Thank you.
SOARES: Well, "NBC News" anchor Savannah Guthrie is making new plea for her mother's release as the search for Nancy Guthrie enters its third week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: To whoever has her or knows where she is, that it's never too late. And you're not lost or alone. And
it is never too late to do the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Goodness. Authorities believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home on February the 1st, they've been combing the
Arizona desert looking for clues, and now say they're analyzing DNA on a glove found near her home.
Investigators say that glove appears to match the glove worn by the suspect in footage, you can see there in Guthrie's doorbell camera. The case has
drawn wide scale attention. U.S. President Donald Trump is pleading, pledging the most severe penalty for the person responsible for her
disappearance.
Let's get more on this. Josh Campbell has been on the story for day one. Josh, good to see you. Let's start then on the latest in the investigation
and in particular that glove that is being tested. What more are you hearing from authorities?
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a significant development yesterday. We learned that there had been these search parties out in and
around the Tucson, Arizona area looking for any items that the suspect may have discarded after the suspected abduction.
Now, authorities found various different gloves out in these fields, but they say that one glove in particular appears to visually match the one
that was seen on that chilling doorbell camera footage. And they say that it has DNA on it as well.
So, they are now subjecting that to a laboratory test to determine if they can actually try to make some type of possible identification. Here in the
U.S., the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have these databases that have information on known criminals.
And so, that could be the quickest match here if they subject this DNA to those databases for comparison, and they determine that yes, this is
someone we already know to be a criminal, that could help with the identification.
But of course, there's this other field called genetic familial DNA. It's these public services that are available to anyone, essentially, to send in
a DNA sample that can map your -- you know, genealogy and your lineage. Authorities would also be subjecting this to that as well, because even if
this suspect never actually, you know, took part in one of those programs, a family member may have.
[14:15:00]
And because of how close familial DNA is, that could prove useful. And then the final point I'll note is that, this could be the biggest clue yet on
the direction of travel by the suspect after this alleged abduction. So, the very location where that glove was found could also be very useful to
investigators.
SOARES: And as we were saying there, Josh, and this is something my team and I have discussed at length obviously, after seeing Savannah Guthrie's
really emotional plea to the criminals, whoever has her mother, saying it's never too late to do the right thing.
You know, this will now -- it's now entering its third week. What are you hearing from authorities, from your law enforcement contacts as to why this
has been such a hard case to break? Is this something different about this case?
CAMPBELL: Well, I think the primary reason here is the location itself. This was a very remote area. This isn't an area where you have a lot of
surveillance cameras or, you know, a lot of people have these home doorbell cameras now that capture what's coming and going around a street.
A lot of these homes are actually offset from the street --
SOARES: Yes --
CAMPBELL: So, just simply not a lot of clues that investigators have to work with here. I also hear from law enforcement sources who say that there
is a sense of frustration because, you know, here in the U.S. and indeed around the world, the entertainment industry, you know, Hollywood and
motion pictures tend to condition people to think that these cases are solved so --
SOARES: Yes --
CAMPBELL: Quickly, when in reality --
SOARES: Certainly --
CAMPBELL: It's not the case, right? You can't do it in one hour, you know, with commercials, sometimes they take time. And you know, one thing I'll
note, Isa, that we saw is, you know, there have been at least two major law enforcement operations so far involving these SWAT teams that did not yield
actual suspects, but those happen all the time in these cases.
The difference here is that so much of this is under this global spotlight, and so every action of investigators is being scrutinized. But sadly, these
cases do take time. They can turn on a dime if that one clue comes that leads them in the direction of the suspect.
SOARES: Reality check for all of us. Josh --
CAMPBELL: Yes --
SOARES: As always, thank you very much indeed. And breaking news to bring you this hour. A Hollywood icon has died. Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall
has passed away at the age of 95.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a terrific story, and we have newspaper people on the payroll, don't we, Tom? And they might like a story like that.
ROBERT DUVALL, LATE ACTOR: They might. They just might.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Known for playing the tough guy roles, of course, Duvall's work spans across six decades. Some of his legendary films include the
"Godfather", and how can we forget, "Apocalypse Now". One of my favorites, "To Kill a Mockingbird".
A statement sent on behalf of his wife Luciana, says that he died peacefully at his home in Virginia on Sunday. We'll have more on Duvall's
legacy after this very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, both Iran and the United States are flexing their military might just ahead of critical new talks meant to avert the threat of war.
Iran's Foreign Minister says he is in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal over his country's nuclear program.
Abbas Araghchi met with the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog before tomorrow's big sit-down. President Donald Trump is sending his son-in-law
Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to the indirect talks in Geneva. The U.S. says it's hopeful a deal can be reached, even as it builds
up military assets across the region.
And adding to the tensions, Iran today began its own military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital, of course, shipping lane. Well, the European
Union is urging Israel to rescind a dramatic new move that will extend further control over the occupied West Bank, saying annexation is illegal
under international law.
For the first time since 1967, Israel has approved a process to officially register some Palestinian land as state property. Our Jeremy Diamond has
more for you from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Israeli government has approved the creation of a new mechanism to register large
swaths of land in the West Bank to the Israeli state. Essentially, this is a decision that will make it easier for the Israeli government to take
ownership of land in the West Bank, potentially strip Palestinians of their land in some of those very same areas.
And also make it easier for the expansion of Israeli settlements in those areas of the West Bank to take place. This is a decision that impacts area
C of the West Bank where the Israeli government currently has security and civilian control based off of those Oslo Accords.
But it's still an area that's home to up to 300,000 estimated Palestinians living in that area. And this decision is expected to make it a lot harder
for Palestinians to be able to prove that their property in the West Bank is actually their own, based on this new Israeli land registry mechanism.
This decision is being decried by the Palestinian presidency as the, quote, "de facto annexation of Palestinian territory". And Peace Now, an anti-
occupation group which tracks Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank is calling this a massive land grab by the Israeli government.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, for its part, has tried to downplay the controversy of this latest decision, saying that this is an administrative
measure which they say would quote, "bring order to land registration". But really, you just have to listen to those Israeli ministers involved in this
decision to understand just what the goal actually is here.
And you listen, for example, to the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who is very much behind this decision. He's a far-right minister in this
Israeli government, and he says that this is an effort to continue the, quote, "settlement and governance revolution in the West Bank", an area
that he refers to by its biblical terminology of Judea and Samaria.
Yariv Levin; the Justice Minister says that Israel is, quote, "committed to strengthening its hold over all parts of our land", and in that he is
obviously including this part of the West Bank. And so, ultimately, this is -- really falls in line with a series of moves by this far-right Israeli
government, the most right-wing Israeli government in its history, to allow for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
And in the words of many ministers in this government, to prevent the creation of a future Palestinian state in the West Bank. Jeremy Diamond,
CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come, tonight, the U.S. Justice Department names, quote, "politically-exposed persons" in the Epstein files, but it doesn't
specify how they are connected to the late sex offender. Why some lawmakers say the DOJ is muddying the waters. That is next.
And the truth is out there, not that Barack Obama knows anything about it. The former U.S. President clarifies remarks about the existence of aliens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Renewed scrutiny is swirling around the British monarchy as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie grapple with the
fallout from their parents' ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The sisters are named hundreds of times in the latest tranche of the Epstein files, along with
their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
The former prince is currently under investigation as you know by British police. Across the Atlantic, there's bipartisan frustration in Congress
after the U.S. Justice Department released a list of, quote, "politically- exposed persons". The six-page letter obtained by CNN includes the names of many prominent people in the files regardless by the way of context, and
doesn't specify how they are connected to the late sex offender.
It is important to note that no one named besides Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been charged in connection with
Epstein's crimes. Several lawmakers argue the Justice Department is intentionally muddying the waters on who was a predator versus someone
mentioned in an e-mail.
Let's get more on all these threads. I want to bring in Kara Scannell who is in New York, Max Foster is in London. Kara, stay with us, I want to go
to Max here in the studio with me. Max, let's start then on these mentions of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. What exactly the -- this latest
tranche materials, what does it show?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're in there hundreds of times, which is already quite telling. But if I give you some examples,
there was a series of e-mails indicating that Ferguson, Eugenie and Beatrice all visited Epstein in Miami in 2009, and this was notably five
days after Epstein was released.
Which you might assume they would be aware of, because it was quite well publicized. "Do you need a ride", Epstein asks, "before they launch?" "No,
thank you", says the former Duchess, adding, "it will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie." Then there's a follow-up e-mail, Ferguson tells Epstein,
"can't wait to see you".
Separate thread between Epstein and his personal assistant, which was days earlier, appears to indicate that he paid $14,000 towards the trio's
flight. You know, being named in the documents doesn't necessarily mean --
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: They're guilty of anything. And we don't know how much the princesses knew, but they were adults by then, and there's another
interchange where the duchess says that Beatrice actually advised her on how to handle a British journalist who she had given a statement to about
Epstein.
[14:30:17]
So, there was an awareness there, but the files just undermine the narrative. The main part of the narrative being that Ferguson's
spokesperson said recently that she'd cut off all ties with Epstein as soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations, which clearly wasn't
true.
SOARES: And the princesses, just to clarify for our viewers, they haven't spoken out --
FOSTER: No.
SOARES: -- since the Epstein files have come out, right?
FOSTER: Well, the challenge there is they don't have representatives. Ferguson does. We've reached out to him. Also, we do have a contact for the
former Prince Andrew, but they haven't got back to us. The princesses work for companies, so we've reached out to all the companies and charities,
effectively. But we've also asked the parents to speak to this as well, but they haven't spoken about any of this since the latest drop.
SOARES: Stay with us. Let me go to Kara and just focus on the United States. The Justice Department was saying, Kara, being accused of kind of
muddying the waters after releases politically exposed persons. First of all, what does it show? And why are lawmakers on both sides of the aisle up
in arms about this?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, this letter was sent over the weekend by the Justice Department to the lawmakers. It's required by DOJ to
send this to them under that Epstein Transparency Act. And they include the names of more than 300 people that are connected to this in some way. The
rub here and the criticism is that the law required the disclosure of anyone who was a current or former government official, as well as anyone
who would be a politically exposed person. The definition of that could be debated.
But the blowback from some of the lawmakers here is that there's no context. Some of these people may be celebrities who were just included in
a news article that were in the Epstein files, and others were individuals who had pretty consistent email exchanges with Epstein.
Ro Khanna, one of the Democrats who had co-authored the bill, he's the one that said the DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters of who was
a predator and who was mentioned in an email. But there's also criticism from Republicans. Lawmaker Nancy Mace was critical, saying that there are
some names missing from this list that should be included on it. And she's also critical, again, about the Justice Department's means.
They said in this letter that they were completed their public production of the documents, more than three and a half million. And they said that
they were not releasing some of them because they were covered by attorney- client privilege or DOJ's work product privilege. And the lawmaker saying that those privileges are not ones that are allowed for under the law. And
so, there's still tension over the redaction process here. And now that we're seeing this extend to the release of the names and how that is being
handled by the Justice Department.
SOARES: Strong words from Mace there. Let me go back to the U.K., because Max, Vince Cable, who was a former business secretary, he's adding his
voice, right, in terms of investigation, calling for further investigation into Andrew Mountbatten.
FOSTER: Yes.
SOARES: What is he --
FOSTER: There's already one police investigation into his role as an envoy and leaking, arguably, market-sensitive information to Epstein. Now, Vince
Cable is calling for corruption investigation into some other sensitive government documents that were, as well, apparently forwarded to Epstein by
Andrew when he was Prince Andrew, but also this trade envoy, which is a government position where you do get privileged access to market, you know,
internal reports and appears from the Epstein files he was just forwarding them. He has always denied any wrongdoing, but there are now potentially
two criminal investigations into Andrew.
And this is the challenge for the monarchy, because the story just keeps coming back. And this will, these are very complex investigations. They'll
take months, if not years, to conclude. And the whole time, questions being asked what the monarchy knew and whether or not there are wider
associations with Epstein. We don't see any evidence of that, but just, they can't do their job, as long as this is the topic people are talking
about.
SOARES: Very briefly, what have we heard from the monarchy? We've heard --
FOSTER: The monarchy, so they consistently say, we don't represent Andrew anymore and can't speak for him, which is a bit of a challenging argument,
because at the time, he was very much part of the working monarchy, so they would have been responsible for him at that time.
SOARES: Tensions on both sides of the pond. Thanks very much, Max Foster. Kara Scannell. Thank you, Kara.
Now, a former U.S. president is having to clarify comments about aliens. Barack Obama stunned listeners when he appeared to confirm the existence of
extraterrestrial life during the quickfire round of a podcast interview. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are aliens real?
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in, what is it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Area 51.
[14:35:00]
OBAMA: Area 51. There's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy, and they hid it from the president of the United
States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the first question you wanted answered when you became president?
OBAMA: Where are the aliens?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The former U.S. president has since said he's seen no evidence that aliens have made contact with Earth, and that while he was trying to stick
to the spirit of the lining round question, what he meant to say was that the universe is so vast, life outside Earth cannot be ruled out.
And still to come tonight, the quad god speaks out after his crushing loss at the Olympics. Coming up, what Ilia Malinin says about this online
critic. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the final of the Pairs figure skating competition is happening right now at the Winter Olympics in Milan. Germany's Minerva
Fabienne Heiss and Nikita Volodin have a huge five-point lead heading into the free skate. And to understand how big that lead is and how close the
rest of the field is, their lead over second place is as big as the difference between second and eighth place in the field. Just so we have
some context.
The pair finale comes as the skating world is still buzzing about the shocking performance of the man who was expected to win gold but crashed to
eighth place. Of course, we're talking about Malinin here.
Let's get more from our sports analyst, Christine Brennan, who joins us. Christine, great to see you live there from Milan. Let's talk then pairs
figure skating. They will be crowned today. Any sense from what you have seen so far, who will be at that podium?
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST AND SPORTS COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: Well, the Germans are looking good, as you said, with that big, big lead.
The short program yesterday, lots of mistakes, uncharacteristic mistakes by some of the greats, including the Japanese pair world champions. So, you
know, as we've seen, I know we'll talk about Ilia Malinin, that ice is slippery and the pressure is extraordinary.
So, there's no guarantee, especially in something like Pairs. It's so beautiful. But of course, the throws, the lifts, it's a very different
discipline than men's, women's or ice dance. In ice dance, they don't jump. So, that's why we're seeing such volatility, at least so far. We'll see how
it plays out later tonight.
SOARES: Yes. And we don't want to give too much away, of course. I know it's supposed to give off any time because I know that's my director
saying, don't tell me anything. I want to watch it later on repeat. It's a favorite for many, many people.
[14:40:00]
But I do want to stay, Christine, with figure skating. And we were talking about Ilia Malinin and, in particular, the latest post we have seen from
Ilia Malinin because, of course, he didn't make the podium, something that really nobody expected. He was, as we saw, the favorite. And he put this
post out on social media. He spoke -- he was speaking about the invisible battles on the inside and vile online hatred. You can see that. I'm just
picking some bits.
These are moments, Christine, that we often don't cover, but vitally important that we speak to the pressure on these athletes to stay on top,
to keep being on top.
BRENNAN: That's correct, Isa. And I'll tell you what. It is -- this is a big moment for the Olympic world, big moment for Ilia as well. And it
reminded me a lot of Simone Biles, you'll recall, from Tokyo, you know, based in 2021, the summer of 2021, where she had the twisties and she
withdrew from the team competition and faced terrible, terrible online vitriol and people questioning why wouldn't she keep trying, all of those
issues that we know happens with social media. These young athletes have to deal with that. Their predecessors, 30, 40 years ago, never had to deal
with social media.
Obviously, it's also their vehicle to stay in touch with their fans and their sponsors want them on social media. That's why they're looking at it
so much. But Ilia Malinin has talked about that now and about just how difficult that is. And his statement, which I think everyone should go and
give a look to on his Instagram account, hopefully is reassuring to those who are hurting that someone of Ilia Malinin's stature can be so honest and
talk about these issues. And I think it's, as I said, very important for the Olympic world that this conversation is going to take place.
SOARES: A hundred percent. And I hope he's getting the attention, the care, of course, that he needs from those around him so important. Can I ask you
also about Mikaela Shiffrin? A lot of pressure on Mikaela. How do you think she will fare here?
BRENNAN: You know, Isa, she's been honest, too. Talk about honesty, about the trauma after being injured a couple of years ago. You know, she was the
youngster, the teenager in 2014 winning that gold. And you think, OK, she's got this incredible career ahead of her. And it is. It's a magnificent
career, winning so much, the greatest skier ever, just winning the World Cups. But the Olympics have been tough for her. And she did not win a medal
in Beijing four years ago. And so, far, she has not won a medal here. The Women's Slalom, one of her best events, is yet to come.
But again, her honesty, her class, her grace in defeat. We saw it four years ago where she did every interview. Same with Ilia Malinin Friday
night. Incredible patience and respect for everyone asking a question. That, to me, is a takeaway from the Olympic Games, that these are great
champions, but they're even better people. And that's Shifrin, pressure is on. But we'll see how she does. And she was 11th the other day.
So, you know, she's on the mountain and she's giving it her all. But I think because she's such a big name, we obviously keep such an eye on her.
And the expectations, of course, are great.
SOARES: Indeed. A class act, without a doubt. Christine, good to see you. Thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight, lust and longing as
well as literature. Bit of alliteration there for you. How Hollywood is making money off a 180-year-old story. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, the U.S. military says it has apprehended another oil tanker- linked to Venezuela in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon claims the ship was trying to defy President Trump's blockade on Venezuelan oil being brought
out of the country. The seizure comes days after President Trump praised Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, saying their relationship is
now at a 10. Stefano Pozzebon has more for you from Caracas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): The threats, the pressure, the daring night raid, it all led to this. United States is getting what it
wants from Venezuela but it wants more of it. And this visit by Energy Secretary Chris Wright is conveying that message.
POZZEBON: Now, all of the oil that is stored in this massive tank already goes directly to the United States. It goes to Houston. But that is just a
tiny fraction of what this country could produce.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Wright and acting president Delcy Rodriguez touring this facility, a partnership between U.S. major Chevron and Venezuela's
PDVSA. It pumps out 40,000 barrels a day and it could produce seven and a half times more. But obstacles remain.
CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: Oh, it's just to get the political and economic arrangements as smooth as possible between our countries.
POZZEBON (voice-over): The arrangements the U.S. wants don't seem to align with those of student protesters in Caracas. Oil is secondary here. They
want the Trump administration to finish what he started and to see hundreds of political prisoners being released.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They can't release one, two, three. They must all be freed immediately.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Six weeks since the U.S. forces stormed Caracas, capturing and taking President Nicolas Maduro, things have changed in
Venezuela. Relations with the U.S. are on the mend and the new hydrocarbon law was passed to attract investment. Prices are dropping and the country's
national assembly is discussing an amnesty bill for political prisoners.
At Miraflores, where Maduro used to live, another sign of change. The Stars and Stripes now hoisted on the doorstep.
WRIGHT: We want to set the Venezuelan people and the economy free.
POZZEBON (voice-over): But as time goes by, many wonder if the U.S. is actually interested in change or just wanted a more cooperative leader in
Caracas.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: We'll leave Venezuela and turn to Brazil now. Who doesn't love samba? The streets of Brazil, and in particular Rio de Janeiro, are coming
alive with samba rhythms, funk, and colorful costumes, which can only mean one thing, and it's February, of course, Carnival is now in full swing. Rio
de Janeiro welcomed carnival season with 56 official street parties, or blocos, celebrated across the city on Sunday.
And up in the north, in Para, revelers celebrated in a slightly different way, switching sequins and mesh tops for mangrove mud to raise
environmental awareness as they led a unique procession through the streets of Curuca.
Well, everything old is new again, it seems, in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kiss me and let us both be damned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: The classic English literature novel, "Wuthering Heights," has become the latest hit movie worldwide. It earned $83 million at the box
office over the weekend. Doing slightly better in overseas markets than it did in the United States. The film stars, as you can see there, Margot
Robbie and Jacob Elordi, as was marketed as a story of longing as well as lust.
Joining us now is entertainment journalist Sandro Monetti. He is the editor-in-chief of Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine. Sandro,
great to have you on the show. So, let's talk about this because prior to the release, and I can speak for the reviews I have seen here in the U.K.,
they were pretty big. So, I saw one review from the Times, it got two stars, Sandro, two stars. So, and now we're hearing of what, 83 million
dollars according to Deadline. Just explain the paradox here.
SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER MAGAZINE AND ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: No surprise to me because I went to a preview
screening of this. I was one of only four men in the audience and I saw how incredibly captivating the effect it had on the female audience, which I
would argue is underserved by Hollywood.
If we analyze these numbers, 75 percent of the audience that turned out first weekend for "Wuthering Heights" were female. So, yes, you mentioned
sort of love and longing, it sort of ticked all the boxes. That's what the female audience has starved for. It can't all be action blockbusters and
cars. Let's have a bit of 18th century romance.
You know, critics, it doesn't matter what they say. This was an outing. The release on Galentine's Day was perfect, probably the first film since
"Barbie" that you see sort of large groups of women turning out at movie theaters. It's a win for Hollywood, it's a win for literature, and it's
another win for Margot Robbie.
SOARES: Look, there are various reasons why the book has been divisive. I can tell you what some of my team members were saying. Some of them were
going to see them, all women I can tell you. But you know, veered off massively from the book. One person said to me, my team member said that
acting was poor. And one of the most heated criticisms we had was on casting choices and these accusations of whitewashing.
Now, Bronte's "Wuthering Heights," as we know in the U.K., has been adapted numerous times, and more often than not, Heathcliff is played by a white
actor. But in 2011, I understand, it was played by James Howson, right? From what I understand, and from what I remember, my team reminded me that
in the novel, he's actually described as ethnically ambiguous and dark.
Just explain to us, is this film taking a step back? Why do you think there's been so much criticism over this?
MONETTI: So, lots to unpack there. First, on the point about the differentiation from the novel. Yes, there are so many hit movies adapted
from established books. And, you know, the movie is always different from the book. But certainly, the Bronte estate is not complaining. The Bronte
Museum in Howarth, attendance is up there. Sales of the original book are huge again. So, if you can't remember it from literature class, you can go
back and read that.
On the wider selection of the casting, yes, this is very much in the zeitgeist at Hollywood at the moment. And so, yes, the actors and the
producers have probably addressed that better than I can. But I understand that criticism for sure.
SOARES: Yes. And before I let you go, Sandro, can I just -- and I do want to stay in Hollywood. We brought the breaking news at the top of the show.
Robert Duvall, of course, has passed away at the age of 95. A career that spanned six decades. Just highlights how you think he'll be remembered as
legacy here.
MONETTI: So, Robert Duvall has died, but he will actually live forever in the hearts, minds, and affections of movie fans because he is one of the
immortals. With "The Godfather" 1 and 2, with "Apocalypse Now," with a string of other movies as well, his films will be continued to be enjoyed
long after all of us are gone. That's because he was no less than one of the greatest actors of all time and having met him, one of the nicest
actors of all time as well.
SOARES: And you -- we want to play a little clip, of course, from "Apocalypse Now," from Robert Duvall. Let's play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DUVALL, ACTOR: Can you smell that? Can you smell that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
DUVALL: I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Nothing else in the world smells like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And I didn't know this, Sandro, but he actually didn't win an Oscar for that. He won an Oscar for an entirely different movie.
MONETTI: Yes, he won for "Tender Mercies," as an alcoholic country singer, but in "Apocalypse Now," he got one of the great movie lines of all time, I
love the smell of napalm in the morning. One reason he was maybe so convincing as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in that movie was that he was the
product of a military family himself.
[14:55:00]
So, he really knew that world, didn't flinch as all those helicopters flew overhead. What a great scene, one of many great scenes from the career of
Robert Duvall.
SOARES: And, Sandro, you say you've met him and you know his career well. What was the standout movie that really encapsulated who he was?
MONETTI: Yes. Well, he didn't want to talk about them. When we met, he wanted to talk about European soccer and he wanted to talk about
Argentinian tango dancing. It's like when I met Paul McCartney and he didn't want to talk about the Beatles. So, therefore, you know, yes, when
he was on any other subject, he loved it. He was very modest about his talent and never really wanted to talk about his acting or his films.
I could have talked to him forever about "The Godfather" and all those other roles. He didn't want to do it. He lets the work speak for itself.
SOARES: And that modesty, the humble aspect, really comes across in his movies. Thank you very much, Sandro, for taking the time to speak to us as
we remember Robert Duvall, who died at the age of 85. I think -- 90, pardon, just over 95. Thank you very much.
That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
