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One World with Zain Asher
Hamas Postpones Next Hostage Release From Gaza; Trump: Palestinians Would Have No Right To Return; Trump Says He Will Announce Reciprocal Tariffs This Week; Russia War In Ukraine Approaches Third Anniversary; Political And Business Leaders In Paris To Discuss AI's Future; Executive Order Leaves USAID's Future Hanging In The Balance; CBS Poll Finds Americans Divided Over Trump's First Weeks; Philadelphia Eagles Dominate Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired February 10, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:37]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Breaking news this hour. Hamas has just announced it will postpone the next hostage release.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: ONE WORLD starts right now. Hamas says Israel isn't keeping up its end of the deal, so no hostages will be freed next
Saturday. We'll have live reaction from Tel Aviv just ahead.
ASHER: Also, Donald Trump's cascade of executive orders, what the U.S. president has in the works next.
GOLODRYGA: And later, the birds fly high. The Philadelphia Eagles take home the Super Bowl trophy.
Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are, of course, watching ONE WORLD.
We begin with breaking news on the fragile Gaza ceasefire. Hamas says it's postponing the next release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. It is accusing Israel of violating the terms of the truce by targeting Palestinians in Gaza with shelling and gunfire, not allowing
some relief supplies into Gaza, as it is obliged to under the agreement. CNN has reached out to the Israeli government for a response.
And from Tel Aviv.
And as we await for that, let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond who joins us now live from Tel Aviv.
And, Jeremy, I can tell you the Hostage Family Forum is already responding now to this news, saying in response to Hamas's announcement, we have
urgently requested assistance from the mediating countries to help restore and implement the existing deal effectively.
You know, this comes just days after we saw the emaciated look on those three hostages that were released on Saturday, sparking a lot of concern
about how these hostages are treated and their current conditions.
Talk to us about the impact to this move by Hamas has had in the last hour or so.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianna. This couldn't come at a more sensitive time in Israel and for the families of the
hostages. As you mentioned over the weekend when we saw those three emaciated hostages emerging from Gaza, that has really sparked an increased
sense of urgency in Israel about the need to get all of the other hostages back home and the fact that there is truly a clock that is very much
ticking on their survival as we expect that other hostages still being held in Gaza are in similar physical condition to the ones who were freed on
Saturday.
And amid all of that, Hamas is dropping what can only be described as a bomb here, really, saying that they are going to be delaying the release of
the three hostages set to be released this coming Saturday over what they are calling ceasefire violations being committed by Israel.
In particular, it appears that Hamas is quite upset about and leaning on the fact that Israel has not allowed the entry of certain relief supplies,
in particular, it seems that that is about the entry of shelters, including mobile or prefabricated homes that were set to be brought into the Gaza
Strip.
We have reached out to the Israeli government for comment on that allegation. But it is important to note that both Israel and Hamas have
accused each other over the past few weeks of violations of the ceasefire. You'll recall, of course, those unruly scenes over the release of 29-year-
old hostage Arbel Yehud resulted in the formal protest from the Israeli government and Israel then delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel had also delayed the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza over the fact that Arbel Yehud had not been released in a previous round of
releases.
So, you know, we have seen delicate moments in this ceasefire before, but there's no question that this is introducing considerably more uncertainty.
And it is already drawing a reaction, including from the Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, who now says that he has directed the Israeli
military to, quote, prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza. And he says that Hamas's postponement of the release of
these hostages is a, quote, complete violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the former national security minister, a far right but influential member of the Israeli parliament, he is saying that Israel
should immediately return to all-out war against Hamas. And the hostage form, as you mentioned, with the different reaction saying that they are
urging the mediators involved in this, Qatar and Egypt, to immediately help, quote, restore and implement the existing deal, effectively raising
serious concerns about the remaining 76 hostages still being held in Gaza. Bianna, Zain.
[12:05:08]
GOLODRYGA: Yes. A very sickening game of chicken here with literally lives in the balance. Just thinking about what these families of hostages that
remain in Gaza are going through right now.
Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv, thank you so much.
Well, U.S. President Donald Trump says Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza under his redevelopment plan. Now, stunning
comments came in a new Fox interview where President Trump added that the Palestinians will have much better housing in what he called a permanent
place for them. The president's plan would have the U.S. take ownership of Gaza and rebuild it.
ASHER: We don't expect to see the U.S. president today, but it does not mean that it's not a busy day in Washington. First, we should get the
details of Donald Trump's new 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum import soon.
GOLODRYGA: And they'll likely make relations with China even worse, but America's allies like Canada and Mexico will also be affected. Trump says
he's trying to level the playing field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them. That's all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When is it going into effect, sir?
TRUMP: Almost immediately. If they are charging us 130 percent and we're charging them nothing, it's not going to stay that way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Next, the Trump administration is teeing up for a showdown with the judiciary. Some of his executive orders have been put on hold by the
courts. Here's how Vice President J.D. Vance reacted in a tweet. He said, judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power. Of
course, that's basically what the courts do, upholding checks and balances.
GOLODRYGA: Well, President Trump is also suggesting that he could meet with Ukrainian's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as soon as this week, and says
he's been in contact with Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And I expect that many more conversations. We have to get that war ended. It's going to end. And we have to get it ended. And we have to get
it ended soon.
It should have never happened. It would have never happened if I was president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: We'll have more on the talks between the three leaders in a few moments.
First, let's go to Alayna Treene, joining us live now from the White House. Let's talk about these comments that Donald Trump made in a Fox News
interview, this idea that Palestinians, once they leave Gaza, based on his previous comments last week, that they would not have the right to return.
When you combine that with this idea that the U.S., according to Donald Trump, is planning to take over Gaza and rebuild it, and then this idea
that the Palestinians who would leave Gaza and sort of be sent to other countries in the region would then not have the right to return.
Obviously, a lot of rights groups are saying this essentially amounts to ethnic cleansing. Take us through that, Alayna.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, we're really hearing the president expand even further on some of those comments that he made last
week when the Israeli prime minister was in Washington, D.C.
And to use Donald Trump's language directly, the president said in this interview with Fox News that the U.S. would, quote, own Gaza. And again,
kind of saying that he believes that the displacement of people from Gaza would be permanent. He has suggested that perhaps they wouldn't be able to
return to the Gaza Strip under this plan really, or this hypothetical potential plan to try and take ownership over the Gaza Strip and turn it
into what the president has described as the Riviera of the Middle East.
But this is where the first time we're hearing him say he does not believe they would have the right to return. I just want to review some of what he
told Bret Baier in this. He said that, no, they wouldn't be able to return. He said because they will have much better housing, much better, in other
words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them.
He went on to say that even if they wanted to return, it would be several years before the area would be in a place that it was properly rebuilt.
So again, we're hearing the president talk about this. You're right. We have heard a lot of criticism, particularly from Democrats on Capitol Hill
and others, arguing that this is ethnic cleansing.
When I talk to the White House and different White House officials about this, they say, look, the president is very serious about this. He believes
that, you know, that the Middle East, and particularly Gaza, has been in a circle, in a pattern that they've consistently tried to do things to help
the area and try to settle the conflict in the Middle East and that nothing has worked. And so the president is thinking outside of the box.
Of course, we have not seen any real details of what this could look like, how they would do it, et cetera. But this is something, again, that the
president is very serious about. And I think it's very clear and that he continues to make these public comments, arguing that the United States to
try to take over the Gaza Strip.
So, of course, we have to see what this could look like, but it's very clear that this is something that is not, you know, just hypothetical to
the president himself.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. He seems to be doubling down on it. And we should note, it's coming just days before ours, really, before he meets with the King of
Jordan and then later this week with the president of Egypt.
[12:10:05]
Let me switch gears, Alayna, while we have you, and go back to the tariffs that are expected to be announced and implemented as soon as this week,
today even. We saw similar tariffs announced by President Trump in his last term. They were then rescinded or renegotiated by the Biden administration.
What if anything different can we expect this time?
TREENE: That's right. We are expecting today the president to announce 25 percent tariffs on both steel and aluminum. You mentioned that the
president did something similar during his first term that's why he did a 25 percent tariff on steel as well and just 10 percent on aluminum.
However, the difference then, and it's unclear how this would look like this time around. But the difference back during Donald Trump's first term
was that there were some exemptions and exceptions to those rules.
We know that Canada, for example, was one of the companies that they gave an exemption to. If the president were to move forward, as he is expected
to today, with these 25 percent tariffs on steel coming into the United States, as well as aluminum, I do want to note that would very much hit our
neighbors, the United States neighbors, I should say, very hard.
Canada and Mexico, both some of the largest suppliers to the United States of steel. Canada, by and large, the primary importer or exporter, I should
say, into the United States of primary aluminum.
And so all of that really kind of already impacting the very careful and delicate negotiations we know are going on behind the scenes after the
president had press paused on 25 percent tariffs on both countries.
Now, as to just quickly get to the part about reciprocal tariffs, as you had the president -- you heard the president say, when you played that clip
earlier, I'm told that is expected later this week.
It's honestly just essentially the president saying an eye for an eye. If you're going to put tariffs on the United States, he is going to hit back
with equal tariffs. The question again, though, with all of this, is the devil's -- the devil is in the details, excuse me, and really how they end
up implementing this and putting this into action. That's really where we're going to see some of the biggest impact and the questions that I
think will arise from some of those announcements this week. Bianna, Zain.
GOLODRYGA: It's hard to believe that it was exactly a week ago where we were having conversations about tariffs that were expected to be announced
against Canada and Mexico that were then put on pause, but we saw a significant market reaction ahead of that.
TREENE: Right.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm wondering if we'll see that later today after the president makes his announcement this time.
Alayna Treene, thank you.
Well, as President Trump's executive actions are being challenged in the courts, the vice president has taken to social media to push back against
the judiciary.
We're joined by constitutional law professor Richard Pildes from New York University for more on this. Richard, thank you so much for being the
expert here to talk about something that is drawing a lot of concern among Americans and legal experts right now. And that's the question of whether
or not we're on a collision course and headed toward a constitutional crisis.
Let me start by the tariffs themselves. We know that Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to impose taxes,
duties, and tariffs, as well as to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
However, over time, Congress has delegated some of that authority to the executive branch through various trade laws. One of those trade laws
happens to be the Trade Act of 1974. I'm just wondering, are there any legal grounds to bring a case against what the president is doing now for
the second time and that he's in office?
Could he be going too far in taking advantage of some of these laws without the input of Congress here?
RICHARD PILDES, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: It's very hard to frame legal challenges to the president's exercise of the
power that Congress has delegated to him over tariff policy. As you mentioned, Congress has delegated to the president over the years, you
know, very broad authorities in the tariff area, and presidents have exercised that authority over the years.
It's true, I can imagine certain kinds of claims that might be brought. For example, the Supreme Court has become tougher about not allowing those to
whom Congress has delegated powers to use those powers well beyond the scope of what Congress has delegated.
But the Supreme Court has never applied that constraint to actions of the president. And this is an area in which presidents now historically have
exercised power. Congress could step back in and pass legislation to stop the president, but, of course, he would veto it and they would have to then
have enough votes to override it.
So the short answer to your question is, I wouldn't be surprised to see litigation, but the odds of it being successful are pretty low.
ASHER: And, Richard, just in terms of J.D. Vance's comments, essentially, he's suggesting the federal courts, in his view, are not allowed to limit
the White House's legitimate power. And, obviously, J.D. Vance has a legal background himself.
[12:15:09]
As to you, I just want to get your take on those comments and what you think that means in terms of the White House's perspective about the rule
of law in this country.
PILDES: Yes. So, you know, there's one sense in which the vice president's comments are literally true, but in a kind of a tautological way. So the
courts decide whether the president's acting constitutionally and lawfully. And if he is, the courts won't intervene in the exercise of legitimate
presidential powers. So, in some sense, that's just definitional.
The real issue is which institutions have the authority to decide under the Constitution, whether the president is exercising legitimate power. And
under the Constitution, you know, that's the role of the courts and presidents or their subordinates, you know, have to comply at the end of
the day with court orders. That's the sort of fundamental principle of the -- of the rule of law.
And so to the extent the vice president is suggesting that the executive branch would defy an order of the courts, that would be really flouting the
rule of law and that would provoke a genuine constitutional crisis.
So it depends on exactly what the vice president means by those statements or what he implies, what he suggests. But in the most sort of literal
sense, it's correct that the courts won't intervene in the legitimate exercise of the president's power. It's just that the courts have the
ultimate say on what the boundaries of that legitimate power are.
GOLODRYGA: Until a president decides to ignore a court ruling, and that leads us where, Richard? Would we see U.S. marshals then making their way
to the White House and the U.S. marshals answer to the DOJ, which answers to the executive branch? So where would that leave us?
PILDES: So the first thing to understand is the courts almost never issue orders directly to the president. That's because the president acts through
his subordinate officials. They're the ones who actually do the sort of the work on the ground where the law is being applied.
So as an initial matter, the courts might, you know, enjoin a cabinet officer or lower level officials not to take certain actions, then the
question would be, what happens if President Trump tells those officials not to comply with the court order? What do those officials do? The courts
can then deploy, you know, sort of further tools they have at their disposal. They can issue fines. They can issue fines against the agency
involved. They can issue fines, in theory, against the individual involved.
The courts, at the end of the day, also have the power to issue criminal contempt sanctions against officials. I mean, this would only occur at the
end of a number of stages of the sort of back and forth process.
The U.S. marshals are actually obligated by statute to enforce court orders. Now, again, you know, we can continue to speculate about how the
ante might get up -- get up. You know, what happens if the president orders those marshals not to comply with their statutory obligations.
But, you know, the fundamental fact is that we would be in a situation that would be --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
PILDES: -- a real constitutional crisis. There would be tremendous uncertainty. This dynamic would go on, I think, back and forth between the
courts of the executive branch over a number --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
PILDES: -- of different iterations And -- but it would be a very destabilizing kind of circumstance.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. To say the least.
PILDES: And I would think markets, for example, are very unhappy about this. Because, you know, fundamentally, what the U.S. is known for --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
PILDES: -- is the rule of law, ability of its system.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And we should note that just judges struck down at least four executive orders under President Biden as well. So just take that into
consideration that these weren't the types of conversations we had after that.
Richard Pildes, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
ASHER: All right. Let's get back to those comments Donald Trump made on the war in Ukraine. He says he's working on getting Russia to the negotiation
table for talks which could finally end the war.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Russia seems skeptical. A government spokesman refused to even confirm that Trump and Vladimir Putin had spoken and said relations
between the U.S. and Russia are on the brink of collapse.
As for the Ukrainian side of things, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a security guarantee from the U.S. and NATO must be part of any peace deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:20:01]
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It's very important for us and for Trump. He needs to do more than just end the war.
He needs to make sure that Putin has no chance to come back with a war against us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: As the war approaches its third anniversary, the soldiers and people of Ukraine seem skeptical that a peace deal can be reached. CNN's Nick
Paton Walsh is near the frontlines and has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): The sound they long for here of peace, of normal.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
INESA, SLOVYANSK RESIDENT: I just want it to stop. Stop the bombing. There's no future now. We don't see it. Who does? Do you see it?
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): Ten years ago, the war began here in an eastern town like this, Slovyansk. We were there to see ceasefires fall apart or used by
Russian separatists to just take more ground, a memory and distrust that endures.
WALSH: Really, do they move further into the town or just stay in these positions?
That Russian field unrest now a decade later, transformed into an ugly conflict that's now entering into its fourth year.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): Hundreds of dead or injured daily. But this drone war can feel here like high stakes gaming.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems they're on the trench.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got it, Lucky Strike. Let's strike it one more time. Fly, check and strike the dugouts. One wounded (BLEEP) is crawling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was the strike successful?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We struck the enemy. There are bushes. He will try one more time.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): For those below, a petrifying scramble in the frozen mud, the tiny buzz of death above.
WALSH: This very remote world of chat groups and drone cameras, so removed from the absolute horror of what's going down on the ground there, both
sides torn apart, entrenched warfare not been seen for century in some places.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The enemy is beyond the river.
WALSH: Vladimir is a week or so shy of his decade anniversary fighting Russia, joining in 2015 when Moscow seized the nearby town of Debal'tseve
literally during a ceasefire.
You better really mean it if you talk peace here.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The conflict was frozen and it only led to a full-scale war. I think if there is a ceasefire now it will only get worse for us.
Because the enemy will restore itself, form new military units again, regroup and attack again.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): So many Ukrainians suggesting now that if NATO wants the war to stop, it should put its troops between them and the Russians as
peacekeepers.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would guarantee real security in Ukraine. Because Russia, no matter how they say, they are not afraid of anyone. They are
afraid of America and NATO as a whole.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): One certainty as we head out to see the front is this same drone set up and carnage is being mimicked by the Russians not far
away. Dusk can bring a brief break in Russian drones in the skies, but this red dot means there's one above us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sky is dirty. We have to wait.
We have to go.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): So much changes fast in this war, but the shelling seems like it could go on forever.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire.
WALSH: Massive guns hiding from tiny $500 machines here. Extraordinary change.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): Little geopolitics here, just practical skepticism and hard numbers.
WALSH: Do you think there could be a ceasefire here that could last?
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What percentage for the implementation of a ceasefire? About 30 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of the situation on the front, it doesn't look like there will be a truce. It's very hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's about 40 percent. The he other side is winning taking territory. And we, by and large, have nothing to say.
WALSH (VOICE-OVER): Just down the road, the Russians are coming, yet again. But the prize here is only victory itself. The rest is ruins.
WALSH: Here it is, the sort of Soviet prize in Lyman of the railway hub here. A place that the Russians took, that they were kicked out of by the
Ukrainians, and are now closing in on again. Just a symbol of the relentlessness of this war.
[12:25:02]
Larysa has never left, never will.
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
LARYSA, LYMAN RESIDENT: Here, I ran barefoot. There, I swam the river. I'm 72 years old now. I don't want to leave. My three brothers are buried
there. All my aunts, uncles, dad, mom. I can't leave. I can't.
We've been hit 19 times today, 19 times this morning. My husband is counting and I'm taking sleeping pills. Nobody's going to solve this. Only
Putin will if he says, that's enough, I've already killed so many people.
WALSH: Peace only through Putin.
WALSH (voice-over): Far back, Ukraine is making the bare minimum preparations for a worst-case scenario. They have always needed the world's
help to stave off disaster. Just now hope it doesn't come disguised as peace.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Lyman, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. French President Emmanuel Macron says his country is ready to participate in the artificial intelligence race. The two-day AI
Action Summit in Paris kicked off today.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. World leaders and tech executives gather in the French capital to discuss how to safely embrace AI. Mr. Macron says Europe is
lagging in the AI race and needs to bridge the gap with the U.S. and China.
ASHER: Yes. CNN's Melissa Bell is at the Grand Palais where the summit is underway. I mean, Melissa, just talk to us about the main themes of today
because you had a lot of tech executives today gathering to discuss regulation, innovation, the cooperation between countries and companies.
Just take us through what the major themes were.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There is so much on the agenda of this summit, simply because it's extremely
rare, of course, Zain, Bianna, to get this many top executives from leading AI companies, world leaders in one place, and able to think about not so
much the dangers of AI, which were covered in a summit in London not so long ago.
This one is much more looking at its opportunities. Now, the noise here has just gone a lot louder because they're closing today's events, but really
looking toward what was going to begin tomorrow continues, of course, tomorrow.
Emmanuel Macron has been published a video, in fact, showing some of the deep fakes out there that involve him as a sort of way to say, look, there
are many fears about AI, but it's time that we embrace it properly, not simply to look at the harm that can be done the ill-use to which it could
be put, but also some of its opportunities.
[12:30:11]
For instance, understanding how it works, being able to debunk those defects, and some fantastic images there on that video that's been widely
shared now. But he's also much more seriously just wrapped up his comments here, where he was speaking about one of the big aims of his summit, which
is to put France and Europe on the map of AI. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Relativize that. But it's also about human creativity. It means that AI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: So what he announced -- he's announced 109 million euros. Now these are private funds coming from companies that are not just French but
foreign that will be used to create, for instance, France's first park dedicated to the kind of machines that are necessary to have AI function,
and digital park, and data park, the first of its kind in Europe.
But he's also just now been speaking to what we can expect tomorrow, which will be a lot more discussion with some of those world leaders about the
question of global governance. How do, in this very competitive field, where collaboration is essential and the dangers are real, companies work
together to ensure that AI can be this -- can be a place for innovation, which it needs to be of course by definition, but also one that is
regulated and in the interest of the ordinary people who've been using it. Those are some of the questions that have been at the heart of this summer
-- summit tomorrow.
We'll hear from Vice President J.D. Vance about the American approach, no doubt very different to the regulatory one that's been adopted by Europe so
far. Zain and Bianna.
ASHER: And, actually, Melissa, while you were speaking there, we were actually playing that montage of Emmanuel Macron with the deepfake videos
that he shared online. Obviously, it's been watched millions of times. And obviously, he laughed at it. He said it was hilarious. He said, nicely
done.
But, of course, it does raise a lot of serious issues, especially because he talked about the fact that deepfakes can be a source of harassment for
some people. And normalizing it makes it much harder to spot fake news.
Melissa Bell, we were just playing it again.
GOLODRYGA: How do you say you always have the best live shots, Melissa? Honestly.
ASHER: We have to leave it there, Melissa. Thank you so much.
BELL: It's smoking and mirrors. Thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. Still to come, a critical lifeline for millions worldwide. Critics say the Trump administration's temporary freeze of USAID
funding could have catastrophic consequences. The U.S. president explained it this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out. USAID, run by radical lunatics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:33]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
As the future of USAID, the world's largest aid donor, hangs in the balance, the executive order, freezing billions of dollars in humanitarian
assistance globally, is already having a direct impact.
ASHER: Yes. USAID plays a crucial role in fighting starvation and deadly diseases among the world's most vulnerable people. And it's now on the
frontlines of the Trump administration's efforts to slash federal spending.
The White House says it's issued waivers for all programs involved in life- saving humanitarian assistance, but multiple USAID employees and contractors tell CNN that their funding has been halted.
Time now for The Exchange and our conversation with Dr. Charles E. Owubah, chief executive officer of the nonprofit organization, Action Against
Hunger. Charles, thank you so much for being with us.
As I understand it, some of Action Against Hunger's funding does come from private donors, but a good proportion does come from the U.S. government.
And given the turmoil that USAID, you're now looking at a shortfall of about $120 million. That's pretty much 30 percent of your revenues.
Just explain to us what the turmoil and the lack of certainty at USAID has meant for your life-saving operations in places like Haiti and Ethiopia,
which this program has actually covered extensively, the crisis there. Walk us through that.
CHARLES OWUBAH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ACTION AGAINST HUNGER: Well, thank you for the opportunity to share how things are going in the field and how
many of our vulnerable people are actually feeling.
You're right. I think about 120 million of our programs, I mean, we've lost that funding. And then here, we're talking about 50 programs that have been
affected. But I think what we're also seeing on the ground is that for most of those places where we work in, we are the only individuals or
organizations that go there to be able to help the people.
So, for us not to have that certainty that the funding will come through, we are seeing struggles all over the field. And that's the issue that we're
seeing today.
In most cases, we have mothers who cannot have access to the food that they need. We have extremely malnourished children who cannot have the treatment
that they need. And the fear is that if the uncertainty continues, then many of these people will actually die.
GOLODRYGA: Wow, I mean, you really put it in stark terms there.
I'm wondering, we're just two weeks into this executive order. A federal judge has put a freeze on it. But have there already been real-life
implications and reverberations from the work you've seen and do?
OWUBAH: Yes, there have been. And so in places like Haiti, Haiti is just, you know, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere where
funding has actually been stopped. And there, the work that we do is about saving lives of those poor Haitians.
And so what we've done in the past, and we hope we can continue to do, but we are not able to do so today because of the cut in funding. Apart from
feeding them, we also support them in having resilient, you know, across so that hunger does not even take place in the first place.
So now that we are not able to be able to do that kind of work in Haiti, we have significant challenges on the ground. And so without that support,
life is really, really difficult for many of these people that we work with.
[12:40:05]
ASHER: You know Charles, we were listening to a press conference with Marco Rubio last week and he was saying -- he was obviously asked many questions
about USAID. And one of the answers he gave was that if any charity or any organization is performing lifesaving work abroad, that they could apply
for waivers that would allow lifesaving assistance to continue.
I mean, a lot of people have said, who run charities like yourself, that they've tried to apply for these waivers, and it hasn't amounted to much.
Just walk us through what attempts you have made to try to get these waivers and what has been the result of those attempts.
OWUBAH: We have made those attempts and we have received, you know, some of the waivers, so that is true.
However, the funding has not followed through, and that's where the issue is. If you put it into perspective, there are two parts to this issue.
There's the uncertainty that we are facing within the first 90 days, and then what is going to happen after the 90 days. Uncertainty.
And for a lot of the work that we do, we need that certainty to make sure we can plan ahead and be able to help people.
So, yes, they have waivers, right, but we have challenges getting the funding. Additionally, while we have the waivers, there are certain parts
of those programs that we just cannot do. To be able to do a life-saving program, there are other parts of the work that we need to be able to do to
make sure that it is effective.
So, yes, saving life -- saving, you know -- having those life-saving programs are good, but other things must be done to ensure that those
things take place.
An analogy I will give you, you know, typical, you know, airplane. If you take the wings of the airplane off, it cannot fly. So, yes, the body is
there all right. What do we do? Do we push it? No, it's very difficult. Until the wings are there, it is very difficult to be able to execute many
of these life-saving programs that we work on.
ASHER: Well, Charles, I've known you for a while. I've obviously done some work with Action Against Hunger. You know, I am so proud of the lifesaving
work that your organization has done across the world.
And despite the difficult situation with USAID, thank you on behalf of the millions of lives, especially in Africa, where you have done really
remarkable work. And I hope that despite the disruption, your work is able to continue.
Charles Owubah, thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you. Please keep us posted as well.
OWUBAH: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, still to come for us, the early polls are in. What do Americans think of the first few weeks of Donald Trump's second term in the
White House? We'll bring you the answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Just a few weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump is working to unite Americans behind his Make America Great Again movement.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Poll by CBS News finds President Trump's approval rating just above break-even at 53 percent. He gets relatively strong marks for
his immigration crackdown, but many Americans are frustrated that he has not done more to bring down retail prices.
[12:45:07]
We are talking polls, then you know who we have to bring in.
GOLODRYGA: He is back.
ASHER: Harry Enten. So, Harry, what's interesting here -- I like those poses. What's interesting here is that obviously Americans are not happy
because this idea of bringing down inflation seems to have been put on the back burner, but they are happy that he's keeping his promises. That is why
people are saying that they approve of this whole sort of move fast and break things approach that we've seen in the past month or so.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Let me ask you two a question. You guys remember a show back in the --
ASHER: Here we go.
ENTEN: -- 1990s called "A Different World?"
ASHER: Blossom?
GOLODRYGA: Of course.
ASHER: Yes. Not Blossom this time then.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. I love "A Different World."
ENTEN: Great show. And let me tell you what we're dealing with Donald Trump compared to his first term is a different world in the American folks mind.
So let's take a look here. Trump's net approval rating.
You know, you mentioned, obviously, the CBS News poll, but I'm a big fan of taking the aggregate of polls. Take a look on February 10th. Look, in 2017,
he was underwater at minus five points. Look at where he is today at plus four points.
It's not just a CBS News poll, It's Gallup, it's Ipsos, it's Pew. All of them have his net approval rating higher than those respect to pollsters
had back in 2017.
Now, of course, I pointed out that, of course, he's on the positive side of the ledger versus the negative side back in 2017. And it's so interesting
that he's on the positive side of the ledger because that was something that was really rare during his first term.
OK. Trump having a positive net approval rating in his entire first term, that were just 11 days, just 11 days. Compare it so far to his second term,
get this, he's already up to 21 days, nearly doubling the number of days in which he was on the positive side of the ledger.
So clearly, the American people like what they're seeing more, like what they're seeing from Donald Trump much more so now than they did during his
first term.
Now the question of course is why? You were talking about that CBS News poll where there were some things that were positive, other things that
were negative. But I think the most important thing that a politician can do is keep his or her word.
So this poll question gets added. All right. Trump's doing what he promised. Back in April of 2017, get this, just 46 percent of Americans
said that Trump was doing what he -- what he promised to do.
Look at where that number was in that CBS News poll, 70 percent, 70 percent. It's no wonder that Trump is doing better than he did eight years
ago because the bottom line is this, he is actually doing what he claimed to be doing on most of the issues. Yes, on the economy, maybe he's not
there yet, but when it comes to let's say the immigration crackdown, which of course I would argue is one in two with the economy, he is fulfilling
those promises.
As long as he sticks to what his campaign promises were, I think he's going to continue to do better than he did back during his first term.
Of course, my dear friends, it is a different world when it comes to American opinion. But to Donald Trump --
ASHER: Oh, I like how you did that. I like how you did that.
ENTEN: I got back to it. I got back to it.
ASHER: I was like where's he going with this? OK.
ENTEN: No. I got back to it. I got back to it.
But I think the question is, is it really a different world when it comes to Donald Trump? Can he actually stay on the ball? I guess only time will
tell.
GOLODRYGA: Somewhere Sinbad is watching the show and very thankful to you, Harry Enten, for bringing back that show, bringing back the memories. Big
fan.
ENTEN: I'm a nostalgia machine. Some people even say that I sound like I'm out of a different era.
Harry Enten --
ASHER: Thank you, Harry.
GOLODRYGA: Always good to see you. Thank you.
ENTEN: Nice to see you. See you later.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Still ahead on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No three-peat, no dynasty. In Philly, South Philly, baby. That's where it is, here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Only seven more months before football season, Zain's countdown.
ASHER: I know.
GOLODRYGA: And the Philadelphia Eagles trounce to the Kansas City Chief at the Super Bowl. We'll have all of the action from New Orleans just after a
quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:36]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALL: E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: You are looking at a very happy group of people. Philadelphia Eagles football fans there. Their team Sunday soared to victory, spoiling Kansas
City's ambitions for a historic three-peat at the Super Bowl.
GOLODRYGA: And CNN's Coy Wire joins us now from New Orleans.
OK. Coy, I know that you were rooting for Philadelphia, but let's be honest, did you think that they would win that way last night? I mean, I
don't know. By the second half, the fourth quarter, maybe Kansas City finally showed up. You know, it was not a game I expected to see.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I did not see them winning in that way. And I don't think anyone could see the dismantling, the carnage that we saw
of the two-time defending champs. The dynasty has been disrupted in dominant fashion. The Eagles getting their revenge after that heartbreaking
loss to these Chiefs in the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
The stars, the celebrities were out here in New Orleans to see this game. And so was the President, Donald Trump, the first sitting president, ever
to attend the Super Bowl.
And, of course, you know, we had Taylor Swift was going to be in the building, cheering on her boyfriend, her beau, Travis Kelce, but their
Super Bowl era's tour did not end up the way they would have wanted.
They ran into a buzz saw in the form of the Eagles defense. Mahomes was sacked six times, running for his life all night long. Forced two
interceptions.
My favorite one was the rookie. First year in the league, Cooper DeJean. It's hs birthday. And there he is picking off the Patrick Mahomes and
taking it to the house for a touchdown, in the Super Bowl.
Another interception came from Zack Baun. Another great story. He played four seasons for the Saints here in New Orleans, in that stadium. Last year
as a Saint, he was a backup. He said he cry after he went home because he thought maybe he didn't have it anymore. And there he was making a huge
play for the Eagles.
Here's Jalen Hurts, one of his many highlights. You know, he just totally dominated in this game. He threw for two touchdowns. He ran for a
touchdown, set a Super Bowl record for a quarterback running the ball.
Fly Eagles fly. A 40 to 22 win. And it was Saquon Barkley's birthday, too. What a way to celebrate for these guys.
Here's your Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts, after the big win. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK: It's been a journey of ups and downs and highs and lows. And I've always stayed true to it in the end.
And having this vision of just being the best that I can be. And that evolving over time into this desire and this flame inside to win.
COOPER DEJEAN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CORNERBACK: It's crazy, our world champs, best birthday ever. Best birthday ever. I think everybody in my
family would agree too. I'm just happy they're going to be able to be a part of it.
HURTS: Defense played their (BLEEP) off. They played how they played all year. You know, and I truly believe offense wins games, but defense wins
championships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: That defense absolutely won this championship for Philly.
But the parade is set for Friday. And if I'm not mistaken, Valentine's Day. So in the city of brotherly love, there's going to be all sorts of love
happening for the new Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles.
And that's a reminder for all you folks out there, get your flowers, get a little present treat for your loved ones. Valentine's Day is coming up. All
fun times here in New Orleans. It was an awesome stage for the biggest sporting stage in all of American sports.
[12:55:07]
GOLODRYGA: What a story for Jalen Hurts. I am so happy for him. I told you Houston native as well. How could you not root for him? Both he and the
defense there, really deserving the MVP after that game last night.
Coy Wire, I hope you had a lot of fun this weekend. Thank you so much.
WIRE: You're welcome.
ASHER: All right. For the non-football fans --
GOLODRYGA: You are wearing green. I thought you were wearing green for Philly.
ASHER: Definitely not. There was plenty of buzz during the halftime show.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. I was watching. Actor Samuel L. Jackson, also known as Uncle Sam, last night introduced headliner Kendrick Lamar, after winning
five Grammys last week, the rapper performed his well-known Drake diss track, "Not Like Us."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Bianna, continue lyrics, my dear. A minor.
GOLODRYGA: I don't want to embarrass you. It's more than I already have.
ASHER: And, yes, that quick shot on the camera lens was actually tennis star, Serena Williams.
GOLODRYGA: She stole the show there with those moves. Wow.
Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher, I appreciate you watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
