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One World with Zain Asher
CNN International: Soon: Trump To Hold Cabinet Meeting, Musk To Attend; U.S.-Russia Talks Over War In Ukraine Underway In Saudi Arabia; Trump Admin. Files New Accusations Against Mahmoud Khalil. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 24, 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. Happening now, critical talks between the U.S. and Russia are underway, aimed at a ceasefire in Russia's
war on Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: One World starts right now.
The U.S. Special Envoy praises Putin and repeats Kremlin talking points. So, how might his remarks affect the ongoing talks?
ASHER: And the U.S. is leveling new accusations against pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in its bid to deport him.
GOLODRYGA: And it's March. So, it must be March Madness. We'll have all the action from the basketball court.
All right. Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching One World. Any minute now, Donald Trump will hold the third Cabinet meeting of his second term.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. There is no official word on what Trump and his top deputies will be discussing, but we believe Elon Musk will be attending the
meeting, and it appears to be about Musk's efforts to slash the size of the federal workforce. Now, Trump held his last Cabinet meeting on March 6th,
and said afterwards that he would hold follow-ups every couple of weeks.
ASHER: Yeah. As we wait the start of that Cabinet meeting, let's bring in Lynn Sweet. She is the Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Lynn, thank you so much. (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) what this Cabinet meeting is going to entail, necessarily, but we do know that it is a follow-up,
technically, to the meeting that we saw on March 6th. Obviously, Elon Musk was there, and there had been quite a bit of backlash leading up to that
Cabinet meeting about Elon Musk and DOGE and the efforts to slash the size of the federal government, and Donald Trump actually placed some limits on
Elon Musk's authority during that meeting and afterwards. Just walk us through what we can expect this time.
LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: This is just a guess based on the analysis of what's happened. And by the way, thank you
for having me so I could try to explain this. We should expect the grievance fueled, far-ranging conversation from Trump and Musk with the
Cabinet members mainly sitting there minding themselves to not get in trouble and not challenge Trump or Musk, as they do most of the speaking.
Now, what has happened since that last Cabinet meeting is there has been more push against our judicial system of the United States. I would say to
our listeners out there, we have three branches of government, and they're supposed to be co-equal, and Trump is testing the limits to try and
consolidate his power from all three branches. So, in one way or the other, it wouldn't be surprising if the lawsuits that have been filed against the
administration are brought up.
But also, keep in mind that the -- Trump and his allies and the Attorney General have been going to extraordinary lengths to try and intimidate
judges by threatening them with impeachment, unheard of in our history. You don't impeach judges in the United States just because you do not like
their judicial rulings. And he is also trying to -- not trying to, he is threatening law firms with all kinds of things he can't do that could
basically destroy a law firm. We already had one big firm capitulate and just agreed to give $40 million in services and pro bono for things Trump
wants.
So, I would think that in one way or the other, this would come up. The other thing is, there is this matter of secondary tariffs against
Venezuela, which is new, and it is an interesting way to try to start Venezuela into submission, because now it's not just a tariff against
Venezuela. It's for any country that may buy fuel from that nation.
GOLODRYGA: And Lynn, since the last Oval Office meeting -- or since the last Cabinet meeting that we saw, March 6th, we have seen tensions really
start to come to the fore between some of these Cabinet members and Elon Musk. Specifically, there had been extensive reporting about disagreements
between Secretary of State Rubio and Elon Musk and the Transportation Secretary as well.
[11:05:00]
There had been reporting just a few days ago that Elon Musk was set to have a top secret Pentagon briefing on war aims and plans with China in the
future, and it appears, following that reporting, that that meeting was then curtailed to just a one-hour debrief with Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk.
But that, coupled with what we're seeing in town halls across the country, not just with Democratic congressmen, but also with Republicans, a lot of
voters, very frustrated. What they're seeing is an outsized role Elon Musk is having right now, just a few months into this administration.
At what point do you think he becomes an albatross to Donald Trump into the policies he is trying to pursue?
SWEET: Like Icarus, the mythical character whose wings melted when he flew too close to the Sun, Elon Musk is immortal. He is Icarus, and OK, Trump's
backers are there for Trump. They treat him like a deity. Musk is a mere mortal. He doesn't understand perhaps how thin his eye is, and there may
come a point where he has more ability to stay than others who fell out of favor, because he is pumping millions and millions, hundreds of millions of
dollars, into propping up Trump's political needs. So, he may get a little more role.
But, he is -- if he becomes a distraction, he doesn't have the power he has, and he does not yet understand that government is not a business. It's
a different thing. And you don't organize government the way you do a business where you have customers and you could call the shots and you
could put your cars on sale if you want.
The most potent issue out there right now is the fear that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may be cut. Medicaid, again, if people out there
don't know, is not just for low income people in the United States. It pays the nursing home bills for people who run out of money, who might have been
middle class. It could be me, if I live long enough, God willing, and I'm run out of my savings, if Medicaid still exists, the nursing home would
keep me there, because I have that safety net, and any American right now does not equal in every state what the benefit is.
These are the fundamental issues I think that will get people shaken as well when friends and neighbors have gotten fired from federal jobs, even
in red state areas and in districts that are rock Republican.
ASHER: Lynn, I have to say thank you so much for that. But also that reference to Greek mythology at the beginning with Icarus and the warnings
about unchecked ambition. It was very interesting and very apt as well. Icarus drowned after ignoring his father's warnings about flying too close
to the Sun.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Modern day Icarus happens to be the richest man in the world. But, we will bring you any news that comes out of this Cabinet
meeting once it begins.
Lynn Sweet, always great to have you on.
ASHER: Thank you. Lynn.
SWEET: Thanks for having me.
ASHER: Of course. All right. U.S. and Russian officials are holding another round of talks in Saudi Arabia right now aimed at reaching a potential
limited ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. The resumption of the Black Sea grain deal is expected to be high on the agenda, along with the pause in attacks on energy and
civilian infrastructure. But, even as the Kremlin downplays expectations for a quick solution, the American delegation is expressing some optimism.
On Sunday, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace.
ASHER: Now, those comments coming after Russia launched a wave of overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing at least six people. Witkoff also appears to
sympathize with Moscow's territorial ambitions in Ukraine as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: There is a view within the country of Russia that these are Russian territories, that there
are referendums within these territories that justify these actions. I simply have said that I just don't see that he wants to take all of Europe.
This is a much different situation than it was in World War II. In World War II, there was no NATO. So, I just -- you have countries that are armed
there. To me, it just -- I take him at his word in this sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Meantime, Ukraine's defense minister says another meeting with the Americans is planned after what he called productive talks on Sunday.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Alex Marquardt joins us now live in Washington. We know that U.S. officials met with Ukrainian counterparts yesterday. Today, it is
with Russian. First, Alex, if you can just tell us who exactly is participating in these meetings from the U.S. side.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: So, from the U.S. side, it is right below the level of Cabinet officials, below the
principal's level, as we call it.
[11:10:00]
These are senior officials. Michael Anton is the Head of Policy Planning at the State Department. Andrew Peek is the Head of Europe for the National
Security Council at the White House. So, they are two of the U.S. senior officials who are leading the American delegation, which I understand is
quite large. They're also members of Ukrainian envoy Keith Kellogg's team also there on the ground. They are, of course, engaging with the Ukrainian
and Russian sides separately. At some point, the U.S. hopes to bring the two sides together at the same table. But, for now, these are indirect
proximity talks, where they essentially have one team in one room and another team in another room and the U.S. goes in between.
After the Russia talks today, we understand, according to the Ukrainians, there will be another round with the Ukrainians, and the goal here, Zain
and Bianna, is to broaden out the ceasefire. Both sides have so far agreed to an energy infrastructure ceasefire. They need to nail down the specifics
on that. They want to expand that to the Black Sea, and then eventually all along the frontline, so that once the guns fall silent, the two sides, the
U.S. hopes, will begin talking about a final peace settlement, which, of course, could be extremely complicated to get to. The biggest sticking
point, arguably, is going to be the topic of territorial concessions. What does Russia keep? What does Ukraine get back?
And in another interview that Steve Witkoff gave that aired over the weekend, he indicated that five provinces, including Crimea, should be held
on to by the Russians. That is going to -- that is definitely going to worry the Ukrainians. He mentioned again those referenda that were held
during the war, mind you. Here is a little bit of what Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WITKOFF: Well, first of all, I think the largest issue in that conflict are these so-called four regions, Donbas --
TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, THE TUCKER CARLSON SHOW: Yes.
WITKOFF: -- Crimea, the names --
CARLSON: Luhansk. Yeah.
WITKOFF: -- Luhansk, and there is two others. They're Russian speaking.
CARLSON: Yep.
WITKOFF: There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: So, Zain and Bianna, putting aside the fact that he wasn't able to name the provinces, he also talks about the fact that they all speak
Russian. Well, Russian, as you know, is quite common all across Ukraine. That is a Kremlin talking point that those should fall under Russia because
they speak Russian. Then he talks about the referenda that were held. Those were held in 2022 during the war at gunpoint. You can imagine there were a
lot of people who felt like they had to participate and had to vote a certain way, and a lot of people who felt like they weren't going to
participate at all. Those were widely disregarded as sham referenda by the former U.S. administration, by, of course, Ukraine and many in Europe.
And then beyond that, you have Witkoff's very sympathetic words towards President Putin, saying that he is not a bad guy, that he is a great
leader, that he believes that Putin wants peace, that he believes that Putin doesn't want anything more than the territory that they have taken so
far. Mind you that the territories that we're talking about, those four territories in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russia doesn't actually occupy
all of them right now. So, what he is suggesting is that Russia actually take more land than what they have.
So, certainly, real cause for concern there for the Ukrainians, for the Europeans. There are going to be a lot of details that need to be worked
out in these talks to get to that ceasefire before they can even talk about this final settlement, which the U.S. says is within reach, but, of course,
Russia now downplaying that. Zain, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. So many unsettling moments in that Tucker Carlson interview in particular, Alex, and the fact that, as you noted, these were
deemed sham referendum elections. Yes, many people in Ukraine, not just in that Donbas region, speak Russian. That doesn't mean that they are part of
Russia. And another questionable point he continues to make is, once again, offering carrot after carrot after carrot publicly to the Russians without
really any concessions being made.
We appreciate your reporting, as always. Alex, thank you.
ASHER: Thank you so much, Alex.
All right. Let's bring in Jill Dougherty, who is a CNN contributor and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. She is also a former CNN Moscow
Bureau Chief, and joins us live now from Washington. So, Jill, just in terms of jumping off of what Bianna and Alexander Marquardt were talking, I
mean, this idea that you have the U.S. Special Envoy essentially repeating and parroting Putin's talking points is going to be really worrying for the
Ukrainians.
But also, and this is a key question, I want to ask you about the effectiveness of this particular style of diplomacy where you have the
Americans shuttling back and forth between the Ukrainians, speaking to the Ukrainians on Sunday, and then the Russians on Monday, and then hoping to
go back to the Ukrainians, a, what is the effectiveness of that strategy, and what does it tell you about how much daylight there is still between
both sides, Jill?
[11:15:00]
JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, & FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, if you look at the way they're doing this, with
the parties together but not at the same table, and they kind of shuttle back, that's been done many times before.
But, I think what's different here is what Alex was talking about, which is, you have Steve Witkoff, who is the Special rep for Russia, saying very
nice things about President Putin, and notably saying, I trust him. And that is, when you get into the negotiations, I think probably previous
negotiators would not have gone that far. You can say he says things that we find interesting, but to say you're on board with what he is saying and
you trust him, is really a major, major question. Obviously, it would make Ukraine worried. But, you have to look at the Europeans as well. They are
very worried that this will not stop in Ukraine. And so, I think that's problematic.
Now, will this work? Unfortunately, you had, just maybe a week or so ago, the initial sign on for some type of very limited ceasefire, and then look
what happened. Russia has carried out major attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the Ukrainians have hit an oil transshipment center and
one other location. So, the fighting hasn't stopped. That hasn't worked. So, we're really at the beginning, and I have to quote, the Russians were
saying that. The spokesperson for Putin is saying, Dmitry Peskov, is saying that you're just at the beginning. And I would have to concur, this is just
the beginning.
GOLODRYGA: And Russian state media seems to be eating up everything that we heard from Steve Witkoff. Again, it's rather puzzling, if you're having a
neutral arbiter there saying that they believe Vladimir Putin, the aggressor here of this war, and then go on to lavish praise on the fact
that he was so kind to express his concern following the assassination attempt of Donald Trump, candidate Trump at the time.
And Jill, I don't know if it's naivete. How else to describe that Steve Witkoff went on to repeat something that was very reminiscent of what we
heard from President George W. Bush and his exchanges decades ago with Vladimir Putin, when Vladimir Putin really spoke to his own faith by
referencing a cross that Vladimir Putin said that was saved somehow miraculously during a fire in his house. That is a way that he connected
with George W. Bush. And here we saw Steve Witkoff say something similar, that there was a painting commissioned, isn't that amazing, and by Vladimir
Putin to just show what a kind man he is to Donald Trump. What do you read into this?
DOUGHERTY: Well, there is no question that President Putin is trying to score points with President Trump, and one would be that portrait. That
would be very effective, because Donald Trump has a number of portraits that have been made of him. They hang in numerous places where he works and
lives. So, that would score points.
And then the other thing that you mentioned, the religious side of it, that statement that Witkoff quoting Putin, talking about the fact that he had
prayed after the assassination attempt on President Trump, he had prayed for him, not only as the American President, but as his friend. And it's
exactly, I thought, of exactly George W. Bush back in a quarter century ago, and Putin sang, he had this cross from his mother, and it was in the
house when his house burned, etc. This is classic.
And listen, it may be true, who knows. But, the point is, it's brought for a purpose by Vladimir Putin, which is to make the other person think that
you agree with them, you're on your side -- their side, to make them like you, etc. This, I would say, is manipulation and all is fair in love and
war, but manipulation of the American President through his negotiator, who, I think it has to be noted, does not have deep experience in Russia or
any part of that world, really. He is a person from New York who deals with real estate, and he is, I'm sure, a very smart guy. But, the issue is there
is a lot of history here, and not, as Alex said, not even being able to name those regions is really it's a faux pas and significant, I think.
ASHER: Yeah. All of this certainly has to be really worrying for the Ukrainians, just in terms of --
[11:20:00]
GOLODRYGA: And the Europeans.
ASHER: -- and the Europeans, as Jill pointed out, especially as these talks in Saudi Arabia continue.
Jill Dougherty live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Jill.
Well, the U.S. government has leveled new accusations against Mahmoud Khalil. He is the Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate who
was detained by the Trump administration earlier this month in an effort to deport him. Now, in the latest court filing, the Justice Department says
Khalil committed immigration fraud by not disclosing details about his background in his visa application.
ASHER: Khalil is a permanent legal resident who helped lead protests at the school last year. Meantime, Columbia students are returning to school after
spring break with new policies in place, thanks to a White House threat to yank $400 million in federal funding.
Gloria Pazmino joins us live now with the White House -- at the White House. So, just in terms of what the Trump administration is saying that
Khalil was dishonest in terms of his application for a green card, what evidence has the Trump administration actually provided here about this,
and what are Khalil's lawyers saying?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, Bianna, this is actually the first time that we are hearing detailed allegations from the government.
They filed these papers in court last night, alleging that during his green card application process, Khalil failed to disclose information that people
who apply for green cards are required to disclose, including his membership at a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees, also known as
UNRWA, and also his past employment at the Syria office in the British Embassy in Beirut. They're saying that the lack of that information and
that Khalil specifically withheld it is immigration fraud because he obtained an immigration benefit in that process, meaning his green card.
So, this is the first time the government is outlining specific violations. This is part of what the government wrote in their brief. They said, quote,
"Regardless of his allegations concerning political speech, Khalil withheld membership in certain organizations. It is black-letter law that
misrepresentations in this context are not protected speech. Thus, Khalil's First Amendment allegations are a red herring, and there is an independent
basis to justify removal sufficient to foreclose Khalil's constitutional claim here."
So, what the lawyers for the Department of Justice are alleging here is that even though Khalil is making a First Amendment and due process
argument while he sues the federal government and tries to apply for bail, they're saying we now have two reasons to deport him, and they are pointing
to this withholding of information. Now, remember, so far, the government had only said that Khalil posed a national security threat, and they had
referenced this obscure section of the U.S. law, which gives the Secretary of State the power to determine that a person should be deported if they
pose a threat to national security.
So, this is a significant new piece of information from the government. But, Khalil's attorneys, who I spoke to last night, are saying that these
are just pretextual excuses. They're saying that the allegations are weak and that the only reason the government is submitting these new allegations
is because they recognize that the First Amendment and due process violations in this case, which is playing out in federal court, are very
serious.
Now, in the meantime, we are hearing from Khalil's wife for the first time. She sat down for an interview with CBS News over the weekend and responded
to the Trump administration's allegations against her husband. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOOR ABDALLA, MAHMOUD KHALIL'S MOTHER: These are accusations that the Trump administration keeps pushing on him.
ERIN MORIARTY, CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: But, what do you say to those?
ABDALLA: I think it's ridiculous. It's disgusting that that's what they're resorting to, that that's the tactic that they're using to make him look
like this person that he is not. Literally, it's so simple. He just does not want his people to be murdered and killed. He doesn't want to see
little kids' limbs being blown off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: Now, she is a U.S. citizen. Khalil is married to her. Not only is he a permanent legal resident, but he is also married to a U.S. citizen.
All of this, we are expecting to be part of the arguments that his lawyers will be making this week. They are expecting to file another motion in
response to the government's latest accusations tomorrow. In the meantime, they are continuing to push their motion so that Khalil can be released on
bail, or at the very least transferred back to New York, so that he can be closer to his wife, who is due to give birth soon. Bianna, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Gloria Pazmino live for us. Thank you.
[11:25:00]
GOLODRYGA: And still ahead on One World, Israel is looking at possible scenarios to ramp up the pressure on Hamas in Gaza, a look at what could be
planned next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Turning to the Middle East, CNN has learned that Israel is considering a massive new ground offensive in Gaza. Sources say it would
involve sending tens of thousands of troops into combat. Now, it comes amid renewed Israeli attacks in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry says more
than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel's war with Hamas began.
ASHER: Just hours ago, doctors at a hospital in southern Gaza say an Israeli airstrike hit it, leaving parts of it in flames. Israel says it
killed a key Hamas figure who is in the hospital. The Israeli military resumed air and ground operations in Gaza last week after a ceasefire
lasting two months. As IDF operations continue there, doctors say they're struggling to treat patients because of a lack of supplies.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more, and we want to warn you, the images you're about to see our graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four-year-old Janine (ph) drifts in and out of consciousness. An Israeli airstrike hit
her home last week while she was sleeping, killing her mother and 25 other family members. Bleeding from her brain, she desperately needs surgery, but
her doctor says she won't survive that surgery in this Gaza hospital. They don't have the specialized equipment that's needed.
For over three weeks, Israel hasn't allowed anything into Gaza, no food, no fuel and no medical supplies, a blockade that is pushing hospitals here to
the brink once again, endangering their ability to treat patients like Janine.
DR. MOHAMMED MOSTAFA, AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER MEDIC IN GAZA: So, this is the drugs that we have in the department.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Dr. Mohammed Mostafa, an Australian Doctor volunteering at Al Ahli Hospital, says they are quickly running out of
basic pain medications and anesthetics, and this is now the main hospital in northern Gaza. He says diagnostic equipment is also in short supply. The
ER has no ventilators, one working ECG machine, and only one heart monitor can measure blood pressure.
MOSTAFA: When we have these drone attacks and these missile strikes, we could have up to about 100 patients in here, and only one area that can do
blood pressure.
DIAMOND (voice-over): And so, when crisis hits, you can feel this already strained hospital buckling under the weight of it all.
[11:30:00]
On the night Israel breaks the ceasefire with a massive aerial attack, every inch of this hospital is packed with casualties. In one corner, a
relative pumps oxygen to keep his loved one alive. In another, a child screams out in pain.
MOSTAFA: It didn't stop. For about four or five hours, we were getting bodies continually coming in.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Dr. Mostafa is two weeks into his second volunteer tour in Gaza, where the lack of resources is forcing him to make impossible
choices.
MOSTAFA: I remember I was putting in a chest drain into a man who had quite a collapsed lung, and I felt someone grab my ankle, and it was because
there were so many bodies. There was a woman underneath the bed that had half a leg missing, who was holding onto my ankle, and she was asking me to
help her. And I'm already halfway through the procedure with him that will save his life, and I've not even assessed I don't know if he has got other
injuries as well. So, I continued putting the chest drain in him, and she bled out on the floor, holding my ankle. And that's been very difficult for
me to process.
DIAMOND (on camera): Where do you think things will be in two weeks? Will your hospital, will the healthcare system be able to survive?
MOSTAFA: Unfortunately, I think if there isn't a resolution in the next few days with regards to food, water, electricity and medicine and the ramp up
of medical personnel, a lot of people are going to die.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Gaza's healthcare system crumbling once again, just as the situation had begun to improve after six weeks of ceasefire that saw
a surge of humanitarian aid.
MAHMOUD SHALABI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS, MEDICAL AID FOR PALESTINIANS: We were able to bring in many medications and many medical disposables
during the six weeks. It is true. It has improved. The situation has drastically worsened, unfortunately, in the last two weeks, due to the fact
that the cuisines are closed. We are talking about fuel for the movement of ambulances. It doesn't exist, and people are operating on whatever scarce
resources are left from the six weeks of the ceasefire.
DIAMOND (voice-over): As hospitals begin limiting ambulance transfers due to a lack of fuel, casualties now arriving at hospitals on horse-drawn
carts. Patients needing specialized care are left in limbo, facing sky-high risks of infection and an uncertain future, as Israel ramps up its attacks.
Yesterday's survivors risk becoming tomorrow's dead.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. CNN has reached out to COGAT, the Israeli agency which coordinates humanitarian efforts in Gaza about Israel's blockade of medical
supplies and medicine.
GOLODRYGA: The agencies referred CNN's questions to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, which has not responded to CNN's questions.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on One World, the question of whether Donald Trump can deport migrants back to that prison in El Salvador goes
before an appeals court. It is a major moment in the Trump administration's clashes with federal judges.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to One World. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some international headlines we are watching today.
ASHER: The U.S. and Russian officials are holding talks in Saudi Arabia right now aimed at securing a potential 30-day ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
It comes one day after an American team met with Ukrainian officials in what the country's defense minister described as productive talks.
GOLODRYGA: The sexual assault trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu resumed today in Paris after months of delay due to the actor's poor
health. The 76-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set in 2021. Depardieu had denied any wrongdoing.
ASHER: Greenland's Prime Minister is slamming a planned trip to the Arctic island by American officials, including Second Lady Usha Vance and National
Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The White House calls the trip a cultural visit, cultural visit, excuse me, as Mrs. Vance will attend the national
dogsled race. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. should annex Greenland.
GOLODRYGA: A plane carrying nearly 200 Venezuelans, deported from the U.S., landed in Venezuela on Monday. It was the first flight to take place after
the two countries reached an agreement to resume repatriations. Now, that followed an angry reaction, Venezuela to the U.S., deporting people it
alleged were Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador.
Well, in a couple of hours, a three-judge appeals panel is set to hear arguments about whether those deportations are legal.
Crime and Justice Correspondent Katelyn Polantz is outside the courthouse in Washington, D.C. What is the Justice Department going to be arguing
today, Katelyn?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yeah. They're arguing the power of the presidency, and they're going to argue to this
appeals court that the courts should be saying, out of it, when the President makes a decision around immigration to remove these particular
group of Venezuelan nationals and send them to a Salvadoran prison, put them on a plane, get them out of the country under what the President deems
national security decision-making.
Now, that is the very opposite of what the courts have decided so far. So far, there has been a lower court judge saying the law that the President
used to remove these Venezuelan migrants from the United States to get them on that plane, that that was not constitutional, and that they wanted to
pause the ability of the United States to remove people like that. The lawyers for these men, five of them, arguing in court against the Justice
Department today, they're going to be arguing that this whole way that it was done, it violated these men's ability to have due process to be heard
by a court, to have a stop on the train as they get to the flights out of the country, to go before a judge and have it be heard, whether they are
deemed aliens under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 that Trump was using in this.
So, it's a big picture, big important case today, because it really does test the power of the presidency and the ability of courts to make sure
people's rights are maintained. That's what the judges are going to be looking at.
But, Bianna and Zain, there has been a lot going on in this court. We've been hearing a lot about the facts of those flights, taking those men out
of the country a few Saturdays ago.
[11:40:00]
The drama over the judge himself and whether the Trump administration was violating his orders intentionally, that's being set aside for the
afternoon for this hearing. That's something that is continuing to be discussed in court. We will hear about it again, but it's not the meat of
the legal arguments today. Back to you.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, the attacks against this particular judge have been relentless from the President and his associates and Cabinet members on
down.
Katelyn Polantz, thank you.
ASHER: All right. Let's bring in David Weinstein. He is a former State and Federal Prosecutor in Florida. David, thank you so much for being with us.
So, I just want to start by having you explain to our audience what the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 actually is, and what its original intention was
for, because it was all about the ability to detain noncitizens during times of war. This is what -- this is the argument, and this is the act
that the Trump administration is trying to use this time around. Take us through that.
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, & FMR. ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: So, you hit the nail right on the
head there. This was an act that was created during a time of war where there was active combat going on, and it was giving the executive branch
the power to detain enemy combatants, which were -- who were fighting against the United States at the time and who were trying to overthrow and
overtake with force our country here. And so, that's the meat and potatoes of the law at the time. It was used during the World War II against
Japanese individuals, and they were detained. But, that's the meat and potatoes. Again, it's focusing on an active time of war and enemy
combatants present within the United States who the executive has given the power to expel or throw out of the country.
GOLODRYGA: So, this is now going before the D.C. Court of Appeals, which involve three judges that are sort of a lottery drawn. What do we know
about these three judges that are going to be presiding today?
WEINSTEIN: Well, what we know is that they didn't ask for this case to be assigned to them, and they will make a preliminary ruling. It will take at
least two of them to decide what direction this is going to take. I think what we will see is their focus on how this act is being used, whether or
not it requires the due process that's been asked for by the plaintiffs in this case, whether they ought to pause what's going on at the lower court,
which was stopping the removal, or whether they should let that proceed, let the case work its way through the lower court and then find its way up
to the Court of Appeals when the case has been fully argued and briefed.
I think you're going to see a lot of sharp questions from the three-judge panel to both sides, specifically addressing whether or not there should be
any due process required here, and then to the Department of Justice, whether or not this is an active combatant, and whether or not there is
this ongoing war, and is that what the act required.
ASHER: What do you make, just to sort of jump off from that point, what do you make of the Justice Department's overall arguments here? I mean,
Katelyn Polantz, our reporter on the ground, was essentially saying that this is all about the power of the presidency. This is all about the
Justice Department saying that the courts should stay out of it because this is a national security issue at the end of the day. What do you make
of those arguments by the Justice Department?
WEINSTEIN: I mean, those are the best arguments that they can and should be making, because, remember, we have three branches in the department here,
the legislature who creates the law, the executive who enforces it, and then the judiciary who rules upon all of this. And so, the argument that
the executive is making is that the judges shouldn't be entitled to second guess a decision made by the executive that's based on national security.
And so, that's what the focus of their argument is going to be.
Now, whether or not these judges agree that what is being alleged here that these people are members of a gang, and that that gang is engaged in
terroristic acts against our country, and then the executive has the right to expel them, that's really what the threshold question is going to be.
ASHER: All right. Former federal prosecutor David Weinstein live for us there. Thank you so much,
GOLODRYGA: South Korea was under martial law for just six hours, but the fallout continues for its two top leaders. After the break, what a court
decided about one of them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. South Korea's tough court has reinstated its suspended Prime Minister.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Han Duck-soo was caught up in the fallout from the country's President declaring martial law on December 3rd. Now, while the
President rescinded that proclamation a few hours later, the damage was done.
CNN's Mike Valerio has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And this all comes back to martial law declared here in South Korea on December 3rd of last year. But, what's new
today is we learn that South Korea's Prime Minister survived his impeachment trial over martial law. What we still don't know is whether or
not South Korea's now suspended President is going to survive his impeachment trial over martial law.
So, we should note that South Korea's elected sitting President is suspended because he is still going through his impeachment trial about
martial law. Taking you back to that day, December 3rd, martial law is declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol for six hours, and we saw Yoon sending
troops to the heart of South Korea's democracy, the National Assembly, and Yoon saying, from his point of view, that he did that because there was a
quote, "national emergency". I stress from his point of view. He was saying that his agenda was getting blocked left and right by opposition lawmakers.
So, he has said since that day, this was his way of sending a message to those opposition lawmakers.
Martial law, of course, stuns the nation and the world. The National Assembly votes to impeach President Yoon and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
over it. But, what is new today is that South Korea's highest court has said there is not enough evidence to suggest that the Prime Minister was
involved in planning the martial law declaration. The President's impeachment is not upheld, and thus he is back in power. But, the larger
question, what is going to happen to South Korea's now suspended President? We don't know the answer to that. There were no real clues, no substantial
clues in today's ruling letting us know what could possibly happen. But, we do know that South Korea's highest court has until June to figure out if
the President stays or is kicked out of office.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Still to come on One World, we will check in on America's college basketball tournament, Sweet 16, as a field of 68 is now down to
that Sweet 16.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: March Madness has been more like March Mildness this week.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The NCAA college basketball tournament has seen more than 50 teams eliminated, and the 16 that are still alive are all big names, not
any Cinderella upstarts. Other than a dramatic buzzer beater in Maryland's win over Colorado State, there were few games that went down to the final
shot this weekend. The field will strength even more, starting with Thursday's games, and we will have our final four at the end of the
weekend.
CNN World Sport's Coy Wire is here with the latest. So, if I'm reading this correct, Coy, this is the first time the Sweet 16 consists entirely of
teams from the major conferences.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Walk us through who is involved here.
WIRE: That's exactly right, Bianna. This tournament is known for buzzer beaters, right? But, we just hadn't seen nearly as many close games yet in
this year's tournament. Maybe the name, image and likeness deals that these powerhouse school athletes are raking in could be a factor. Every team in
the Sweet 16 is from one of the four power conferences. That means no mid majors, no lesser-known schools that made it this year.
But, Sunday, we finally got our buzzer beater. You showed a bit of it. A 12 seed Colorado State looked like they were going to upset four seed
Maryland, bust even more brackets. They were down two with less than 10 seconds to go, but Jalen Lake splashed. Look at that, huge three to give
Colorado State a one-point lead, but with three seconds to go, Maryland gets it to Derik Queen, and it's a big man buzzer beater, the 6' 10" big
boy from Baltimore banking it off the board, and here comes that madness, that emotion that we love to see this time of year, Derik Queen, just a
freshman, is sending the Terps to the Sweet 16 with a 72-71 win. Here is Queen after the huge moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where does that confidence come from?
DERIK QUEEN, MARYLAND TERRAPINS CENTER: I mean -- so, I think I'm from Baltimore, that's why. And then I kind of had it going. Man, my teammates
had going -- like I said, like they trusted me to take that last shot.
KEVIN WILLARD, MARYLAND HEAD COACH: I asked everybody. I said, who wants the ball? And he said, give me the MF ball. And I said, you're getting it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your first game winner ever, or --
QUEEN: Yeah.
WILLARD: I wouldn't have given it to him if I know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Got to love it. The two-time defending champions of this tournament, UConn, were taking on number one seed Florida. UConn tied it with two
minutes to go, and the Huskies had him against the ropes, but the Gators rallied. Walter Clayton Jr. had five three pointers, including this one.
77-75 is the final. Florida into the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years. The SEC has seven teams headed to the Sweet 16, most by any
conference ever.
On the women's side, defending champ Dawn Staley, South Carolina, down at halftime to eight seed Indiana.
[11:55:00]
The Hoosiers' Sydney Parrish said before this game that the Gamecocks just didn't have the same players this year, and that is bulletin board
material. All three of South Carolina's losses this year came when they were trailing at halftime, but not this time. They rallied. One of their
stars, Bree Hall, said that she fell asleep reading that article about those comments. South Carolina advances to their 11th straight Sweet 16
after a 64-53 win. But, how about that kid from Maryland hitting that shot? I want to know, is that kind of like you guys from time to time on who gets
to do the show open? Do you say -- who wants it? Who wants it today? Give me. Give it to me.
GOLODRYGA: No.
WIRE: Never.
GOLODRYGA: Not just give it to me, Coy. Give me the MF ball.
WIRE: MF. Yeah.
GOLODRYGA: That takes a lot of confidence --
WIRE: For a freshman.
GOLODRYGA: -- for a freshman.
ASHER: I'm from Baltimore. I'm from Baltimore. That is the line of the century.
WIRE: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Give me the MF script.
Coy Wire, good to see you. Thank you so much.
WIRE: You too. Have an awesome one.
ASHER: We'll have much more One World after this short break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
