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One World with Zain Asher
CNN International: Israel Launches Ground Offensive, Retakes Key Area In Gaza; Israelis Clash With Police At Anti-Government Protests; Kremlin: Talks With The U.S. Could Come Next Week. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 20, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, HOST, "ONE WORLD": All right. The tit for tat between Israel and Hamas has begun again. One World starts right now. Rockets are being
fired towards Israel, as the military launched its first ground offensive since the collapse of the ceasefire. We are live you in Israel with the
very latest. Plus, the beginning of the end for the U.S. Department of Education. What that means for school, children, parents and teachers. I'll
discuss with my guest this hour. And one of the most powerful organizations in global sports could have a new leader this hour.
All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. My colleague, Bianna Golodryga, is off today. You are watching One World.
For the third night in a row, Israel pounded Gaza with deadly airstrikes, even as its military launched a fresh ground offensive. And for the first
time since the collapse of the ceasefire, Hamas is also firing rockets into Israel. We begin with Israel's renewed offensive into Gaza. I want to warn
you that some of the images you will see here are indeed very disturbing.
Gaza's health officials say that 85 people were killed overnight. This is in addition to the 70 who were killed on Wednesday, and more than 400
killed on Tuesday, when Israel launched a new wave of strikes. Civilians are once again paying the price after a brief lull in this war, as
overwhelmed hospitals try to cope with the influx of wounded and dead. Hamas calls the latest Israeli offensive a new and dangerous breach of this
truce. Israel is blaming the new fighting on Hamas for refusing to accept revised ceasefire terms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (Interpreted): Residents of Gaza, this is the last warning. The airstrike against Hamas terrorists was only
the first step. What is coming will be more difficult, and you will pay the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Nic Roberson joins us live now from Sderot, Israel. So, Nic, just in terms of renewed ground offensive in the northern part of Gaza,
what more do we know? What is the very latest on the ground?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The IDF say they have launched a limited ground operation. They're describing it as limited. But,
we do know that part of it is in the distance behind me, along the Mediterranean coast. That's where some of that ground operation is going
on.
But, while we've been here overlooking Gaza, the town behind me, Beit Hanoun, we've seen that hit by what appeared to be an Israeli airstrike. We
could hear the fighter jet. We can see the huge plume of smoke rising up from that. And when you zoom in with the camera here and take a look at the
terrain there, Beit Hanoun is already incredibly damaged from the previous 15 months of fighting. It is an area that was hit in the overnight strikes
by the IDF last night here, Khan Younis in the center, Rafah in the south as well, according to health officials inside of Gaza.
The IDF yesterday dropped warning leaflets, telling people in this northern area behind me to evacuate the ground. The defense minister is saying that
what could come now in terms of air and ground operation could be worse than the people -- the Gazans have seen before, and in fact, he implied
that if they didn't get rid of Hamas themselves, then there could be complete ruin and destruction inside of Gaza.
So, the threat at the moment does seem to be very big. And for the first time today, Hamas, since the ceasefire broke down, and they would say,
because Israel never engaged in the phase two talks, as they were expected and as had been previously agreed, phase one to phase two talks, Hamas
today launched rocket strikes, not just small rockets, by the way, some of their larger ones that could reach as far as Tel Aviv. That's what they
said they were targeting. One of those rockets was intercepted by the IDF. The IDF saying the other two fell into open spaces. It's not clear yet
where Hamas will take their military operation.
[11:05:00]
Will they try and step up a barrage of strikes? But, certainly, what we saw over the waning months of the 15 months of fighting was that Hamas' arsenal
of rockets was incredibly depleted. They fired only, very, very rarely. And now people in the north of Gaza really being prepared by the Israelis, by
the IDF, to expect a ground operation.
ASHER: And Nic, talk to us about reaction among ordinary members of the Israeli public, because we've seen these significant demonstrations in both
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. But, people in Israel, a lot of people, I should say, really feel that Netanyahu's decisions about this war is much more the
result of his calculations over his political future as it is -- instead of what is best for the country and what is best for freeing the remaining
hostages. Just talk us through that.
ROBERTSON: Yeah. It's really interesting, because since the war started again, there has been an upsurge in the number of protests, even into the
heavy storms in Jerusalem late last night. People were out on the streets protesting. The police brought out water cannon. At least one protester in
the streets near where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lived was injured as a water cannon drove through that area.
People are venting anger at the Prime Minister that he is not prioritizing, they say, the hostages, that is prioritizing, as you say, his political
career, and certainly the political support that he is getting now because of this move helps other political agendas. He hasn't today, there is a
possibility that he would try to remove the Intelligence Chief from Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, and that's also incredibly divisive. The strikes on
Wednesday into Thursday inside of Gaza, behind us here, actually injured some UN workers as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): International UN workers rushed to a Gaza hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to get you all out of here. Alright? You're going to hospital to get treatment. Don't -- let me get you of Gaza.
Alright? Keep the faith. Stay strong if you're right. OK?
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Five injured and one killed during a strike on their residence, the UN says, as Israel ramps up its war against Hamas in
Gaza again. According to a weapons expert consulted by CNN, fragments recovered from the UN building are consistent with an Israeli tank round,
although Israel denies firing in the area Wednesday.
JORGE MOREIRA DA SILVA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. OFFICE FOR PROJECT SERVICES: the synopsis premises was hit at approximately 11:30 a.m. this
morning. Today's incident follows strikes yesterday, but also two days ago.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Almost as if the war didn't pause, Gazans forced to flee their homes again, scenes reminiscent of 2023 and 2024, as Israeli
aircraft dropped flyers in northern Gaza, warning residents to evacuate immediately. A massive military operation has started. This as Israel
ratchets up its new offensive, launching limited targeted ground activities.
KATZ (Interpreted): Residents of Gaza, this is the last warning. The airstrike against Hamas terrorists was only the first step. What is coming
will be more difficult, and you will pay the price.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli protesters on the move too, motivated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to war, marching in their
thousands toward Israel's Knesset, frustrations running high. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, now in opposition, feeling the crowd's high-
octane anger. He had come to lend support, instead himself incensed by the crowd's criticisms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Gantz was the white hope. We voted for him. We voted for Lapid. They are our candidates in the parliament, and they are just
polite, but now they have to show that they are with us, and then they have to show that they protest with us, and they have to show that they resist
what Netanyahu is doing to this country.
[11:10:00]
ROBERTSON (on camera): Polling by an independent Israeli research company shows a steady but growing consensus for an end to the war in Gaza. More
than seven out of 10 Israelis want a complete withdrawal, and more than half say that Netanyahu should resign immediately.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Inside the Knesset, however, Netanyahu seemed stronger than ever. His far-right ally, National Security Minister Itamar
Ben-Gvir, rejoined the government, ending his boycott over the ceasefire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: So, those protests are back on again today, back on Thursday. The change that's happening here, if you will, is perhaps no change at all
that the ceasefire has broken down. Israel's back-end military operations, which 15 months of, didn't destroy and move Hamas out of Gaza, as they said
they wanted. And the protests are back on and stronger, and still, it appears, for their part, against an immovable force, the Prime Minister,
who, despite so many people wanting him to leave office, is still there, and if you will, stronger than ever, able politically now to perhaps get
his budget through with a less challenge, with a lesser challenge. Why? Because he now has his former whole hard-right coalition government behind
him again. It's almost as if so little has changed, and here it's round two again.
ASHER: All right. Nic Robertson, do keep an eye on those protests for us. Thank you so much.
All right. Russia and Ukraine are stepping up aerial attacks, accusing the other of sparking fires and damaging infrastructure. It comes amid the
uncertainty of a partial U.S.-brokered ceasefire that is still being worked out. It's also happening a day after Ukraine's President spoke with U.S.
President Donald Trump. During their call, the White House says that Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to a partial ceasefire on energy targets. A
short time ago, he indicated he wants to expand beyond that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): We're working with the United States and with the other partners that peace in the sky and a
cessation of strikes on energy on our people. A ceasefire in the sea may be considered, safe navigation. We must also approach a ceasefire everywhere
in the territory of our state. These are important steps on the part of all sides, and everybody has seen that Ukraine unconditionally agrees to this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Zelenskyy's comments came during a visit to Norway, which pledged support for Ukraine. The European Union's leaders are also talking about
Ukraine and how to fund its defense as well, and the Kremlin says that talks with the U.S. will be held Monday in Saudi Arabia.
Let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen, joining us live now from Moscow with a look at those proposed talks. So, just walk us through what sort of key
issues are going to be resolved around that table, especially as it pertains to the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, because that is a key
element of this as well, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It certainly is a key element, and whether or not any of these proposals are
going to be resolved, or any of the issues are going to be resolved, is really up in the air. The Russians already seeming to sort of tamper down
on that a little bit. A senior Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, saying that the Russians had already named their negotiators. One of them is one of the
senior members of the Federation Council, which is, of course, sort of Russia's version of the Senate. And another is an advisor to the head of
the Federal Security Service, the FSB.
At the same time, the Russians are already calling these talks that are going to happen in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The Russians say consultations
rather than negotiations. So, it really seems as though both sides, the U.S. and Russia, more looking to outline their position, and whether or not
any sort of progress is going to be made is very much up in the air. But, the Russians also saying, Zain, and that's a key point, that a lot of it is
going to be around safety and security in the Black Sea region. Now, of course, there is sort of several layers to all that. On the one hand, for
the Ukrainians, it's extremely important because, of course, they want to export a lot of their grain via the Black Sea, the best way for them to do
that, and it's certainly something that's been extremely difficult over the past years, as the conflict in Ukraine has been going on.
But, at the same time also, for the Russians, it's become very difficult for them to operate in the Black Sea as well. Their Black Sea Fleet, at the
beginning of the so-called special military operation, as the Russians call it, they used their Black Sea Fleet to launch missiles towards Ukrainian
territory, but the Ukrainians have since then very much started striking back with unmanned sea drones, making it nearly impossible for the Russians
to use their fleet in the Black Sea. So, certainly, some sort of agreement about toning things down in the Black Sea would be very important, but not
just for the Ukrainians, but for the Russians as well.
[11:15:00]
Whether or not any sort of progress beyond that towards a wider ceasefire can be made, is really very much up in the air. We saw some of the video,
and we're seeing actually some on our screen right now, of some of those strikes that took place last night on Ukrainian territory. However, the
Russians are also saying that the Ukrainians used a large number of drones to try and strike an important Russian airfield in the south of the
country, the Engels airfield, which is home to large parts of Russia's strategic bomber fleet. So, it seems as though, despite the fact both sides
are saying strikes on infrastructure are supposed to stop, energy infrastructure are supposed to stop, there still certainly are a lot of
drones being launched by both sides at this point in time, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Fred Pleitgen live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. In just a few hours, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order to begin dismantling the nation's Education
Department. We'll have details in a live report for you from the White House. Plus, how eliminating the agency will actually impact communities at
the local level. I'll talk with a former advisor to the department. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to sign a long anticipated executive order today to begin dismantling the Department of Education. The
move would actually fulfill one of his signature campaign promises, and while entirely shuttering the Department of Education would actually
require an act of Congress, administration officials say the President will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to
facilitate the closure of the department and return educational authority to the states. Here is what he said last month about the role he wants
McMahon to play.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I told Linda, Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job. I want her to put
herself out of a job. I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Alayna Treene joins us live now at the White House. So, Alayna, he can't effectively, completely closed down the department without an act of
Congress, but he can make it really, really difficult for the employees there to do their jobs. That is the ones who remain in their jobs after the
others have been laid off. Walk us through that.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, and there could be even more cuts, I'm told, Zain. Look, and you're exactly right. To
completely dismantle, the Department of Education would require an act of Congress, something that, of course, the White House and Trump
administration officials acknowledge, but they do think that they could effectively render it essentially useless by slashing federal funding for
these different programs, and again, lessening the amount of staff.
[11:20:00]
That is typical, especially after we already saw them have about 50 percent of cuts to the Department of Education staff already.
But, look, this is something the President has long vowed to do. It's something he also wanted to try and do during his first term, but was
unsuccessful. He tried to actually merge the Department of Education with the Department of Labor during his first administration, but as we
mentioned, that would have required an act of Congress as well, and they did not sign off on that.
Now, Zain, that's been interesting from that clip you played, is the President has long said that he was only nominating Linda McMahon,
wrestling -- a former wrestling executive, to the Education Department, to lead the Education Department in order to put herself out of a job. That's
really been her main and one of her only goals thus far since taking office. This is how she put it to Fox News earlier this month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Is this the first step on the road to a total shutdown?
LINDA MCMAHON, U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY: Yes, actually it is, because that was the President's mandate. This directive to me, clearly, is to shut down
the Department of Education, which we know we'll have to work with Congress to get that accomplished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Zain, as you could hear her there, she said, you have to work with Congress to get that accomplished. As of now, the executive that we know
that the President is going to sign this afternoon is focused, of course, on the own authority that he has as President. I'm also told that's going
to be really a made-for-TV event. You're going to see Republican governors, state -- different education officials from different states, as well as
some school children from across the country.
But, I also just want to highlight some of the impact that this is having, Zain. We know that many unions and other critics of what the President is
doing are arguing that the people who are going to be most impacted by this are underprivileged children. I want to read you a statement from Becky
Pringle. She is the President of the National Education Association. This is what she said. She said, quote, "If successful, Trump's continued
actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach
for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protection."
So, Pringle is not the only one who has tried to call this out. We've also heard from the President of the NAACP, as well as other unions and critics
on Capitol Hill, for example. But, the President is planning to barrel forward with this later today, and again, like I mentioned, it's really
going to be a big event, because he wants a lot of people to see that he is doing this and fulfilling what he had long said he would do on the campaign
trail.
ASHER: Alayna Treene live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Let's take a deeper dive to see how this will impact students, teachers, and parents, something that Alayna just touched on briefly there.
Joining me live now is Sarah Sattelmeyer, a former Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education. She is currently a Project Director for New
America, focusing on opportunity and mobility in higher education. Sarah, thank you so much for being with us. I think that one of the most important
things to underscore here is really the impact on school children at the local level. Alayna was just highlighting in her report is this idea that
underprivileged children are going to be impacted, and that includes children with disabilities, children in need of civil rights protections.
Class size is also a big factor in all of this. Walk us through that.
SARAH SATTELMEYER, FORMER ADVISOR, U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION, & PROJECT DIRECTOR, NEW AMERICA: Yeah. So, first of all, thank you for having me. The
Department of Education is actually the smallest federal agency by quite a lot, and its programs and resources are those that touch every community,
though. And so, we talked about the K-12 space. K-12 education is already largely concentrated at the state level. So, the department's job is to
provide about 10 percent of funding in the K-12 space, and that funding is really concentrated, as you mentioned, on the most vulnerable children,
those living in low income communities in rural areas, and about seven million students with disabilities.
Over the last few weeks, the administration has slashed staff that work to provide these services. And so, money may take longer to get into the hands
of states and districts that really need them to serve students.
ASHER: Talk to us about why this particular department has become that much more controversial politically. I mean, you think about going back to the
1980s. Republicans have long talked about potentially closing this department. Donald Trump, as Alayna Treene, our reporter, was mentioning
there, tried to do it in his first term, where he talked about perhaps merging the Department of Education with the Department of Labor.
[11:25:00]
Obviously, it's been at the center of culture wars in this country when it comes to DEI. Just talk to our international audience who may not
understand why this department is quite controversial.
SATTELMEYER: Right. And so, I think an important point to sort of step back and point out is that the elimination of the department and its services
are actually deeply unpopular with the American public. Only one in four Americans favor eliminating the department which oversees all of the
programs that you were talking about, which have become polarized in many ways, but Americans are on the same page about the value and the
effectiveness of the services the department provides. The Trump administration has said that the goals for the significant firings and
elimination of the department are really focused on increasing efficiency, accountability, and ensuring resources go to states' students and families.
But, as I mentioned, on the K-12 side, education is already locally concentrated, and these actions that they've been talking about are
actually going to do the opposite. So, programs are going to be less efficient. As I mentioned, the department does a lot with very few staff.
It oversees the $1.6 Trillion, that's trillion with a T, federal student loan portfolio that affects more than 40 million borrowers. How do you do
this with fewer staff? Right? Accountability for taxpayer dollars will decrease, and students, parents and educators are ultimately going to have
a harder time accessing the resources promised to them by Congress, and that's something that all Americans care about.
ASHER: All right. Sarah Sattelmeyer live for us there. Thank you so much for joining us on this really important issue. We appreciate it.
All right. Some breaking news to go to. The voting is over, and now the International Olympic Committee is ready to announce its new leader.
Let's go live now to Greece where the voting is taking place. In fact, our Amanda Davies is joining us live now. So, Amanda, we have a new leader of
the IOC. This is the most powerful job in sports, and I'm hearing it is a woman this time. Take us through it.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Zain, this is history being made. Kirsty Coventry is only the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee.
For the first time, as you rightly say, the most powerful job in world sport will be held by a woman, for the first time the most powerful job in
sports will be held by an African and --
ASHER: I have to interrupt, because we're actually going to go live there to listen in, and I'll ask you a question on the back of it. OK?
KIRSTY COVENTRY, IOC PRESIDENT-ELECT: -- this organization with so much pride, with the values at the core, and I will make all of you very, very
proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision that you've taken today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and now we've got some work
together, and I would like to really thank the candidates, all the -- all of my candidates. This race was an incredible race, and it made us better,
made us a stronger movement. I know from all of the conversations that I've had with every single one of you how much stronger our movement is going to
be when we now come back together and deliver on some of those ideas that we all shared. Thank you very much for this moment, and thank you very much
for this honor. Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Amanda, let me bring you back in, because what we just saw there was effectively Kirsty Coventry thanking everyone for this honor.
I mean, talk to us a bit more about her, because she is a former Olympic swimmer. She is currently the Minister of Sports in Zimbabwe. You mentioned
that at 41-years-old. I mean, not only is she extremely young, but she would be the first woman to hold this job, and also the first African,
being that she is from Zimbabwe. Give us a little bit more about her background.
DAVIES: Yeah, absolutely. And you saw there the very warm embrace from the outgoing President, the person she will replace, Thomas Bach. Kirsty
Coventry is somebody who, throughout this campaign, has been touted as Bach's chosen preferred candidate. He is somebody who throughout his tenure
has very keenly wanted to promote gender equity within the Olympic organization. At times that has counted against Kirst Coventry in this
campaign trail.
[11:30:00]
She, only months ago, gave birth to her second child. That was counting against her because people were feeling that she perhaps didn't get the
early momentum of this campaign compared to some of the other older, more established candidates, the likes of Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Spanish
candidate, the son of the former President, who many people felt was the favorite for this. The other person who people were kind of talking about,
the top three, Lord Sebastian Coe was the other, the head of World Athletics, again, an older figure who has been far more visible within
these sporting ranks, particularly in recent times.
But, the feeling is that Kirsty, because of her experience as a swimmer, she is very keen to put athletes first. She is very keen to put women
first. And of course, swimming, one of those sports where the gender eligibility rules and regulations has very much come to the fore over
recent years because of the appearance of Lia Thomas in the college swimming scene in the United States. She has been very forthright about
needing to draw a hard line, and that has been very, very important to the members.
She was very excited, she said to me, when I sat down with her just a few weeks ago, about the idea of kind of going toe to toe with President Trump.
President Trump, of course, will be the President in the United States at the next Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We talked about some of the
rhetoric he has used about women. And he -- she was saying, I'm prepared to sit down and have the tough conversations with him. She was looking forward
to the prospect of that. She has the experience of dealing with politicians, as you rightly mentioned, because of her experience as being
the Sports Minister in Zimbabwe.
That was another one of those points that, yes, it was a positive seen by some, but others perhaps were saying maybe it's a negative, that she has
been part of a government and a system that there has been some wrongdoing proven. Has she said enough? Has she spoken out enough in that?
But, the important thing, from where we sit now, she got the majority of these 100 odd votes from the members of the International Olympic
Committee, a really diverse bunch, from the likes of Princess Anne, Prince Albert of Monaco to, for example, sporting leaders, business leaders, other
former athletes. So, a really exciting time for sport, as she rightly said, a massive challenge ahead.
ASHER: And just in terms of some of the --
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COVENTRY: -- to be a woman, and I'm so proud to be leading and leading away so that it makes it easier for other women in sports administration. It's
great that we saw 50:50 gender equality on the field of play. It's a little harder for us to try and make sure that that's happening everywhere else.
But, I don't want that to be the only reason that people vote for me.
DAVIES: But, a lot is being made about the fact that you want to be President of the IOC. As a mum --
COVENTRY: Yeah.
DAVIES: -- we've seen Jacinda do it in New Zealand, what's your response to that?
COVENTRY: It's not just Jacinda. We've seen many women across even the corporate world step into these leadership roles as mums. I come from a
culture where it's normal for both parents to work, but I'm very well supported. I'm very lucky. I also have probably maybe an extra burden of I
can't mess this up. I want to make sure that this movement is still relevant and still driving positive change for my children, and I'm going
to have that as a reminder daily.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIES: That was when I sat down with Kirsty in Lausanne at the venue, what will be her new office just a few weeks ago, as the campaigning was really
ramping up. But, we are just waiting now. She will hold her first official press conference as the newly elected President of the IOC, alongside the
outgoing leader, Thomas Bach. We're waiting for that. It says coming up, but we haven't got a timing for it just yet, Zain.
ASHER: We're all eagerly waiting to hear from her. Just in terms of some of the key issues that she is going to have to address in her term, obviously,
you touched on gender equality, gender politics, gender identity, also dealing with President Trump. I mean, you mentioned that when you sat down
and spoke to her that was something that she was very keen to do. But also, when you think about what's happening in the world geopolitically, one of
the key issues for the next President is also going to be about if and when to reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes. Talk to us about that.
DAVIES: Yeah. I mean, Russia has been the topic that has really punctuated the entirety of Thomas Bach's candidature for the last 13 years.
[11:35:00]
Hasn't it? Firstly, with that doping scandal surrounding the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, and then, latterly, since the invasion of Ukraine and
Russia's annexation of areas and sporting organizations, and that is where the ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes has very much been withheld --
or held in place, from a sporting perspective.
We have the next Olympic Games, the Winter Games in Milano Cortina, less than 12 months away, and there has been a feeling in recent months from
different international sporting federations and bodies that there needs to be a time when the Russian and Belarusian athletes are able to come back
into the fold, whether maintaining that neutral status, or with the Russian and Belarusian flags flying once again. That we see it on CNN every day.
The discussions are taking place between President Trump, Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, and that will very much have a bearing on this sporting
context as well.
And Thomas Bach said to me, the important thing for my successor is that, yes, they need to put the athletes first, but they also need to be able to
navigate the geopolitical landscape. They need to have an understanding of the finances as well. There is such a diplomatic role to this. Those days,
we used to say, all sports and politics don't mix. That is very, very much not the case at the moment. And with every day, you are going to be seeing
a changing landscape with these decisions, particularly around the Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Thomas Bach doesn't officially hand over the baton until June the 23rd. So, that is when this will officially be in the lap of Kirsty Coventry. But, we
know how these sporting political decisions are made. There is a lot of discussions and diplomacy that takes place behind the scenes, and you can
guarantee that those discussions will have already been taking place and will have had a part and a bearing on how this election has played out.
ASHER: All right. Amanda Davies live for us there. Thank you so much. I'm sure we'll be checking back in as soon as she has that press conference
coming up shortly. Thank you, Amanda.
Let's bring in Christine Brennan, who is a CNN Sports Analyst, and Sports Columnist at USA Today. She joins us live now. So, this is history. I mean,
a fact, aside from the fact that -- obviously she was a clear frontrunner. A lot of people were talking about her. It was said that Thomas Bach, as
Amanda Davies was talking about there, really supported her, not openly, of course, because he can't do that, but he did support this idea of more
diversity at the IOC. You've got the fact that she is a woman. You've got the fact that she is the first African to head the IOC. And I think what's
really key is that even though she is not necessarily a household name, she is probably one of the most successful African Olympic athletes out there.
Take us through that.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST, & SPORTS COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: Absolutely, Zain. This is stunning news. Let's just say what it is. The
oldest of the old boys sports networks, the International Olympic Committee. They think they're royalty. Some are royalty, the five star
hotels, the suites, the limos. This is the boys club of all boys clubs. They just picked a woman to be the President of the International Olympic
Committee. I am stunned. I've covered the IOC and the Olympics since 1980 - - well, 1984 in LA. I never thought I would see this day, truly.
And to have it be an athlete of great note, gold, silver, bronze medalist, I covered her at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing,
I think it's two gold, four silver and one bronze, I think is what she won as a swimmer. She may well be the greatest athlete. I haven't gone back in
the history of all the IOC presidents, but she has got to be up there as one or two, if not the greatest in terms of most decorated, in other words,
an athlete's athlete. And they have picked the -- that person who is also only 41. Seb Coe, who is terrific, ran a great Olympics in London,
wonderful person, another great gold medalist from track and field. He is a good, what, 20, 25 years older than Kirsty Coventry, and Juan Antonio
Samaranch Jr., also about 20 years older.
So, one could have easily made the case, Zain, that the IOC would have said, hey, we'll pick one of the guys, again, both obviously very, very
talented and deserving, the great resumes of Seb Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., of course, the big name from the -- from his dad being the
President for a long time and being revered.
[11:40:00]
They could have done that and said to Coventry, hey, in eight years, we'll come to you. They didn't do that, and that is the magnitude of the moment.
I cannot begin to overstate how big a deal this is in terms of opening up the IOC and the acknowledgement, I believe, that the IOC feels strongly
that they've got to get with into the 21st or 20th century before too much more of it goes by. In other words, this is a major statement that they
understand. They've got to get into the real world now.
ASHER: Yeah. Thank you for talking about just how historical this is. I could tell that you were beaming as soon as I came to you. I could see that
smile on your face, Christine. But, just in terms of how steep the learning curve is, not just for Kirsty Coventry, but she is only 41, as you talked
about. She is extremely young. Also, on top of that, she does have some political background, because prior to this job, she is and I guess was the
Sports Minister in Zimbabwe. So, there is some political history.
But, when you think about all of the priorities, everything that's going to be on her plate, the agenda, I mean, there is so much going on in this
world when you talk -- when I was speaking to Amanda Davies, just the list of priorities in terms of whether or not to integrate Russian athletes,
better Russian athletes, if at all, also dealing with President Trump and some of the controversial statements he has made, this idea of gender
inclusion, gender politics, gender identity, there is -- it's -- I mean, there is a lot for her to deal with. Talk to us about the learning curve
here for anybody who is coming into this job.
BRENNAN: Without a doubt. She is young, but she is incredibly experienced. She has been doing this basically since she left the swimming pool. And
again, she is an athlete, and she is an athlete of great note. Jacques Rogge was an athlete. Thomas Bach was an athlete, an Olympic athlete, and -
- but this is now we are talking about the athlete to athlete here. So, there is number one, and you can't lose sight. The Olympics should be about
the athlete. And if that's what the message is here today, that is great news.
You're absolutely right. The international storylines and headlines, there is a lot, and of course, after the Milano Cortina Olympics, the Winter
Olympics, which are less than a year away, then everyone focuses on LA in 2028 and the very different, changing landscape of the United States under
President Donald Trump, some of the cruelty and the very strong statements that would be against some of the Olympic principles. And now, he is going
to have to deal with Coventry. He is going to have to deal with a woman, which is an interesting concept for a man who seems to want to have
obviously a lot of guys around him, Donald Trump I'm talking about, and those issues very important.
But, Coventry is no novice here. She is -- she has been playing in the highest level of Olympic sport and international decision making now for a
long time, for a good 10, 15 years. So, it's true, Sebastian Coe was doing this longer. And again, I think, the world of Sebastian Coe. And again,
Samaranch, for sure, major players in that world. But, why not try something different, a newer, younger, fresher face, and also from Africa,
as you said. Obviously, she is white, but coming from Africa is such an important statement to the world to open up those areas that have been
ignored and have not, obviously, hosted an Olympics. And so, that that's a very, very big deal as well.
So, I think she'll do just fine. If she doesn't, I'll be writing columns about her, either way, positive or negative. She will certainly get a lot
of both, Zain. But, I do think, truly, this is an important step, and it's a statement from the IOC to, frankly to President Trump. This is who is
going to be running the IOC when you host those Los Angeles games. And again, it's not Trump's decision who is competing at the Olympics. It is
the IOC and the international sports federations. We may see a lot of butting heads. We may see it go to the courts. But, it is the International
Olympic Committee, not Donald Trump, who makes the decision about who is competing in the Olympic Games.
ASHER: All right. Christine Brennan live for us. Thank you so much.
We'll be right back --
BRENNAN: Thank you.
ASHER: -- with more news after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Despite warnings from party leaders, some Republican members of Congress continue to stage town halls back home with voters, engaging
directly with their constituents, as expected, of course, of members of Congress. Town hall meetings help them push their agenda and tout their
accomplishments. But lately, many, as I'm sure you've heard, turned really ugly, really ugly. Republican Harriet Hageman of Wyoming heard loud boos
and chants of "Tax the rich" on Wednesday, as she faced a crowd that was angry about Elon Musk's efforts to shrink the federal government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HARRIET HAGEMAN (R-WY): Here is the only thing that DOGE has stopped, which is -- it's been so bizarre to me how obsessed you're with the federal
government. But, here is the thing.
(CROWD BOOING)
HAGEMAN: Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Things also got heated at a Democratic town hall on Wednesday. Police shut down Illinois Congressman Sean Casten's event after repeated
interruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters. One man even tried to get on stage to confront him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SEAN CASTEN (D-IL): What I'm telling you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you're saying is I am --
CASTEN: -- sir --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- going to give my way when my people are being slaughtered --
CASTEN: -- if you -- if you would like --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- and I want you to stop funding that.
CASTEN: -- if you would like to run for office, run for office, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You are the most soulless piece of crap I've ever seen.
CASTEN: That's your opinion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soulless. Soulless.
CASTEN: Sir, get off the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're soulless.
CASTEN: -- sir -- sir, get off -- sir, get off the stage right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: That was a heated moment. CNN's Arlette Saenz is tracking these town halls. It's interesting because Republican leadership have told some of
their members, maybe it's best to avoid some of these town halls. Democrats, even Sean Casten, who we just saw there, despite feeling the
heat as well, a lot of Democrats are saying, no, it is your job. It is your job to face your constituents. That is why you're elected. Talk us through
whether we might see fewer town halls going forward because of some of the drama and the chaos we're seeing, Arlette.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's the big question right now, Zain, and town halls have really been a staple of American political life
for many years now, especially in the first year of a new administration. And earlier today, Democratic Congressman Sean Casten said that he thinks
people need to continue to hold town halls because they are important for civil discourse and a way for people to voice their disagreement. Now, he
did acknowledge that maybe they need to work a bit more closely with law enforcement to ensure that these town halls are safe in the event that
there are major disagreements that emerge.
But, as you mentioned, the leader of the House Republican Campaign Committee had advised Republican lawmakers to hold virtual events instead
of in-person events. Now, there have been very few Republicans who have bucked that advice. That includes Congresswoman Harriet Hageman of Wyoming,
who you saw earlier in that clip, was responding to many jeers and boos as people were protesting, some of the comments that she was making about DOGE
cuts to federal government.
[11:50:00]
She has actually held town halls two days in a row, and is expected to hold another one today. There is a lot of frustration heading towards
Republicans weigh about the way that Trump has handled the dismantling of many elements of the federal government. But, it's not just Republicans who
are feeling the heat. Democrats are also seeing many frustrated voters show up at their town halls. Democrats had hoped to use this recess period as a
chance to really reinforce some of the criticism that they have about Trump's cuts and also future cuts that could be made, like to programs
Medicaid, but there is a lot of constituents showing up to Democratic town halls, asking them to fight a bit harder, to push back on Trump's actions
harder.
And Senator Elissa Slotkin, a moderate in Michigan, this is how she answered when someone in the crowd had asked her when she was going to
fight back a bit more using more colorful language in the way that perhaps AOC or Jasmine Crockett, two Democratic Congresswomen up on Capitol Hill
have. This is how she responded to that moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): I can't just chain myself to the White House and become an activist full time, because you and others here are going to
call me for things that you need. All of those things require me to be more than just an AOC. I can't do what she does, because we live in a purple
state, and I'm a pragmatist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: So, that highlights a bit of the debate that's been going on within the Democratic Party, a debate that's not likely to end anytime soon. There
are more town halls expected today and tomorrow, as more Americans are trying to make their voices heard in some form or fashion.
ASHER: All right. We'll continue to watch it closely. Arlette Saenz live for us. Thank you so much.
All right. You will definitely want to stay with us for our next story. We're going to take a look at the happiest country on Earth. Is it where
you live? Because it's definitely not where I live. That story after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The grass just -- it doesn't work, and we have a gorgeous stone and everything else. I think it's going to be beautiful. I think it's going to
be more beautiful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: President Donald Trump plans to pave over the grass in the White House Rose Garden.
[11:55:00]
He believes, during press conferences or other function, the grass becomes a problem when it's wet. America's most famous garden is over 100 years old
and has been the background of some of the century's most historic events, like the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan. Trump's
plans are to turn the center section into a patio-style seating area, much like the one at Mar-a-Lago.
All right. We have some breaking world news. Finland has just been named the happiest place on Earth. Great news for the Finnish. But, Americans may
be a little bit disappointed. The U.S. fell to 24, number 24, the U.S., where I live, is number 24 when it comes to the happiest countries. That is
its lowest ranking ever. Joining Finland in the top five are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands. A great reason to visit the Nordic
region if you haven't already. By the way, this is the eighth year in a row that Finland has won the top spot. The all-time high for the U.S. is
actually number 11, and that was back in 2012.
All right. Stay with us. I will have much more One World after the break. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
