Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
FBI Searches Home And Office Of Former Trump Adviser John Bolton; U.N.-backed Group Declares Famine In Parts Of Gaza; Lyle Menendez Faces California Parole Board; British Government Agrees To Pay Compensation For Blaze; Donald Trump's Unprecedented Week; Canada To Remove Many Retaliatory Tariffs On U.S. Goods; Report: Secret Missile Base Could Pose Nuclear Threat; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 22, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:28]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. You're watching the second hour of "One World."
As the Trump administration steps up threats and investigations into the president's perceived rivals and critics, another high-profile name maybe
in the crosshairs. The FBI is conducting searches of John Bolton's home and office.
Bolton served as national security adviser during Donald Trump's first term. And sources tell CNN the raids are connected to whether he revealed
classified information in a book he wrote about his experience or elsewhere. It's an allegation that has been investigated in the past, but
never resulted in any charges against Bolton.
Just a short time ago, the president made these comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not a fan of John Bolton. He's a -- a real -- sort of a lowlife. I -- when I hired him, he served a
good purpose. He's not a smart guy, but he could be a very unpatriotic. I'm -- we're going to find out. I know nothing about it. I just saw it this
morning they did a raid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Since leaving the Trump administration in 2019, Bolton has become one of Trump's fiercest critics, especially on foreign policy. He appeared
on this show just about a week ago and we asked him about the president's social media attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: This isn't the first time he's attacked you on social media, but what do you make of this specific post?
JOHN BOLTON, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Well, I'm glad I'm still on his mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: For the latest, let's bring in CNN's senior White House reporter Betsy Klein.
So, Betsy, one of the things that Donald Trump said just about an hour or so ago when he spoke to media was this idea that he knew nothing about this
-- this raid of -- of John Bolton's home. Walk us through that.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. The president taking questions from reporters a short while ago here in Washington this
morning reacting on camera for the first time to news that John Bolton, his former national security advisor's home and now his office, have both been
searched by FBI personnel.
The president claims that he was not aware beforehand that this would be happening. He says he found out on television just like the rest of us. He
said that he would be briefed later today by Attorney General Pamela Bondi and would expect to learn some additional details.
While at the same time he said, well, maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should let this play out through the Justice Department. So, we'll wait and see
whether that proceeds as planned.
But the president continued to lambast Bolton, who really has been a thorn in his side since leaving the Trump administration calling him a, quote,
lowlife, saying he was very bad at what he does. But he did appear to suggest that it was helpful to have Bolton on his team when he met with
world leaders who were concerned about Bolton's more hawkish policies.
But Bolton served for 18 months as Trump's national security advisor during his first term. He was fired in a tweet back in 2019. And in June of 2020,
he published a book detailing his time at the highest levels of the Trump administration. He was a very close advisor to President Trump on a number
of issues and had a lot of background insight into the decisions that were being made in the Trump White House during the time that he was in office.
And that 2020 book, a really scathing memoir called "The Room Where It Happened." He detailed things such as an allegation that Trump requested
Chinese help to win the 2020 election. He said that Trump argued that Venezuela was part of the United States. He said the president offered to
intervene in the criminal justice system on behalf of other world leaders.
And more broadly, he said that President Trump's policies were, quote, a danger for the republic. But even since then, he has emerged as a key
critic of the president's foreign policy, including just weeks ago -- a few days ago, really the president's decision to hold that high-stake summit
with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, President Trump criticizing -- criticism from Bolton, saying that he was fired loser.
And Bolton, after that summit, told our own colleague Anderson Cooper that President Trump did not lose, but Putin clearly won. He also said he
thought that the president looked very tired when he was in Alaska. Certainly something that would catch the president's ire and attention.
But in a 2024 updated forward for that book in question, Bolton said that Trump is unfit to be president. He said if the first four years were bad, a
second four would be worse.
[12:05:08]
So again, so many questions for the White House right now referring those inquiries to the Justice Department, but we'll be watching to see whether
the president has any more to say, expecting to see him in a short while.
ASHER: Betsy Klein live for us at the White House. Thank you so much. For a bit more perspective on all of this, let's bring in CNN political
commentator Adam Kinzinger.
Like John Bolton, Adam is a Republican who has been a strong critic of President Donald Trump.
So, we heard our Betsy Klein on the ground there outside the White House, essentially listing some of the things that John Bolton said about the U.S.
president in his memoir.
You famously broke ties with the president after the 2020 lies about the election being stolen and, of course, the January 6th insurrection. You
decided that at some point you -- you had to draw the line somewhere.
And then the president obviously launched a sustained personal attack against you calling you crying Adam Kinzinger, calling you a total loser, a
lightweight saying that you betrayed your party. He had planned to endorse primary challenges against you, but obviously you decided not to seek
reelection.
Just explain to our audience. I see you smiling there. What is a person risk, Adam, when they are a Republican or they have previously sided with
the president and then they decide to go up against him?
ADAM KINZINGER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, if they continue to side with the president, they risk their soul. I mean, like literally everybody
that's like still tied to him knows that this is wrong and evil and they can't speak out. So, that's the one thing I don't want to risk.
What you do risk though is, you know, look, obviously, the party has become a cult. I mean, it really has. It's become this -- this thing that's not
centered around principle anymore. It's centered around a personality and that's really the definition of a cult.
And so you can't turn against him. If you turn against him, you think about any other cult, what's the penalty? The penalty is you get kicked out, you
get excommunicated, you get basically shut down.
And you know, as humans, we're tribal creatures, right? We need to feel safety and security. There's evolutionary reasons for that. I think people
fear more than they even fear death being kicked out of a tribe. And so that's what you risk. You risk that isolation.
And when you're somebody that's not just, you know, votes Republican, but if you're somebody that has served an office and that becomes your
identity, which it shouldn't be, but it does, and that becomes your entire social circle, losing access to that tribe actually has a real cost. And
it's a real social and a real -- in some cases, physical cost.
ASHER: I mean, it's interesting because some people who put formally worked for the president or Republicans have chosen to go against him when they
considered it sort of safe to do so after his loss, for example, against Joe Biden. That was a sort of safe period to say, you know, I don't really
like him anyway.
But it's a different thing altogether to go against him and to fall out with him publicly when you are either still working for him or when he is
actually in office.
What we're seeing today in terms of John Bolton's home being raided. And obviously we don't necessarily know that it's 100 percent politically
motivated. But that is what a lot of people do believe.
This is, of course, a warning shot, right, to other people who might be considering going up against the president as well.
KINZINGER: Well, let's say -- let's take the white out or the Justice Department's argument that it's not politically motivated, which is untrue.
But let's take that for a second. Then what they're saying is that the mishandling of classified information supposedly is, you know, worthy of
FBI attention. Well, what did Donald Trump get indicted for? Mishandling classified information.
So by definition, they're saying if what -- if this is not politically motivated, then Donald Trump's indictment was not politically motivated.
So the key -- the -- the -- the facts are we know this is politically motivated. And so here's what's going to happen. The FBI can raid anybody
they want. It's not hard to get a court order to be allowed to do that.
The question is, can you get an indictment? Also, somewhat easy in a federal grand jury. A conviction is still hard if you're not guilty in this
country. We still have a rule of law.
And so what you're going to see, I predict, is John Bolton, of course, not be found guilty for any of this. But that's not the point. The point is
this chilling message. You know, people like me aren't afraid of that. I don't care. Some people probably does chill and that's frightening because
it has echoes of what happens in any authoritarian country.
ASHER: Absolutely. And I -- I do want to hone in on Kash Patel because one of the things that a lot of people feared before he headed up the FBI was
this idea that he would use the FBI for political retribution.
You have a situation where Donald Trump has come out and said that he knew nothing about this. And obviously a lot of people are skeptical about that.
But this idea that Kash Patel in his position and obviously he tweeted about -- about this, about what was going on with -- with John Bolton.
But this idea that in his position that it has now become normalized for him to potentially use the FBI to go after Donald Trump's enemies. What do
you -- what do you make of that, Adam?
KINZINGER: Well, it's chilling. First off with his tweet, he intentionally echoed what people were saying when Donald Trump was indicted, which is
nobody's above the law. So, what does that say? It's obviously related to that.
[12:10:04]
And he's made it clear. I mean, Pam Bondi even said, my job as Attorney General is to be the president's lawyer, which has never been the case for
the Justice Department, is to be the -- the lawyer for the people.
So, I think it's -- it's obviously chilling in what it does to the reputation of the FBI. And I think for any of my kind of Republican or
conservative friends, they need to understand that, look, Trump's going to be in power for the next three years.
And then more than likely Democrats are going to win. And the one thing you don't want to do is to start breaking these rules or these norms because
it's going to come back on you. And that's not a cycle we want to be in in this country.
And so, look, Kash Patel knows he's got three years left in this job, not 10, like most FBI directors. And all he cares about is retribution. He's
made that very clear.
ASHER: All right. Adam Kinzinger, always good to see you. Thank you so much for being with us.
KINZINGER: You bet. Yes.
ASHER: All right. For the first time, famine has been officially confirmed in parts of Gaza, including Gaza City. And what the U.N. chief is calling a
failure of humanity itself.
That troubling report released by the IPC, a United Nations-backed group that monitors food security. It warns that famine is expected to spread to
other parts of the enclave without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
And CNN's Paula Hancock tells us the findings come as no surprise to the people of Gaza. We should warn you that a report does contain images that a
lot of you might find disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Confirmation of what residents of Gaza already knew, this is famine.
TOM FLETCHER, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: It is a famine. The Gaza famine. It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed.
Yet, food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, says famine is confirmed in parts of Gaza, including Gaza City, the
site of a major new Israeli offensive.
The report says, quote, malnutrition threatens the lives of 132,000 children under five through June 2026. The Israeli agency tasked with
distributing aid into Gaza rejects the report as, quote, false and biased, accusing it of relying on data from Hamas.
This family in Gaza City currently lives on the outskirts of a tent city. Confirmation of famine will come as no surprise to them.
Ali Salameh Majid (ph) is injured and cannot move easily. He fears the expected evacuation orders from Israel.
"Where am I supposed to go?" He says, "I don't even have a tent. I'm in the street. My son has to beg for a piece of bread to feed his siblings."
"There's nothing to eat," his daughter says. "When we go to the charity kitchen, they tell us the food is only for camp presidents. My sisters cry
from hunger."
Salameh Majid (ph) says her husband cannot walk without the help of her eldest daughter. They do not want to be forced to move yet again.
She says, "It is impossible for things to get worse than this."
The Israeli military is intensifying strikes on Gaza City ahead of its plan takeover. This strike on a school filled with displaced Friday. The head of
the emergency services in northern Gaza says at least a dozen were killed, many of them children.
We have asked the IDF for comment. Israel's Prime Minister says Gaza City is one of the last strongholds of Hamas and occupying the city is the
fastest way to end this war.
But this is one of the areas hundreds of thousands from Gaza City will be forced to move to. An Israeli airstrike hits a displacement camp in Central
Gaza just 30 minutes after the military issued an evacuation order.
As emergency crews rush in, people are still packing up, trying to escape. Mohammed Al-Kahlout (ph) pulls a bag of flour from the debris of where his
tent once stood.
"I have to start all over again," he says. "In more than two months, the same will happen. You live somewhere, you think you are safe and you get
struck again."
A rare protest in Gaza City called for Israel to abandon its plan takeover. This man called on the U.S. president to intervene.
"We say to Donald Trump," he says, "if you care about the Nobel Peace Prize, you must stop all the wars, starting with the war on Gaza, which has
claimed thousands of our lives."
SAMI ABU SALEM, JOURNALIST: We are as ordinary people, we are facing civil wars, war of rockets, war of bombs, war of hunger, war of thirst, and war
of displacement.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): A desperate appeal to the world to wake up and break their silence.
[12:15:01]
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. At this hour, there are no plans for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Russia's foreign minister tells NBC News that's because
no agenda has been set.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes Russia is insisting on conditions like these because they don't want a ceasefire or even lasting
peace. All of this, despite efforts by Donald Trump to jumpstart the peace process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I had a long conversation with President Trump and we reached a common understanding of
how the diplomatic direction could proceed. We have no agreements with the Russians. We agreed with President Trump. He is the only person who can
stop Putin today, in my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: In the meantime, the onslaught continues. Ukrainian officials say four people have lost their lives in Russian attacks in just the past 24
hours. They add nine drones hit locations across the country. They came just hours before a visit to Kyiv by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
He and Zelenskyy discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe. Zelenskyy wants a deal similar to NATO's Article V, which says an attack on
one, is an attack on all.
All right. Still to come here on "One World." The Menendez Brothers' brutal 1989 murders of their parents once again in the spotlight. Lyle is facing
the parole -- the parole board today, but will he be able to convict them - - convince them, rather, he should be let out of prison?
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES MWANGI, LOCAL ACTIVIST: It was a furnace. For seven days, over 10,000 people were choked by smoke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The latest on the multi-million dollar payout for thousands of Kenyan victims after 2021 blaze that burned through their land.
And later, what prompted Kim Jong Un to display this rare moment of public emotion? We'll tell you about it later on this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. After more than three decades in prison, Lyle Menendez is facing the California parole board and a hearing that is now underway.
He was convicted alongside his brother, Erik Menendez, of murdering their parents back in 1989. The brothers had claimed the killings were in self-
defense, alleging years of abuse by their father.
On Thursday, Erik was denied parole. CNN spoke to the only reporter allowed into the 10-hour hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:20:59]
JAMES QUEALLY, REPORTER: It was an emotional hearing. This is a 10-hour hearing, which is very unorthodox for a parole board hearing. Eighteen of
Eric's relative supporters, a priest, a mentor, all spoke on his behalf.
But ultimately, the board decided a number of rules violations that he committed in prison, namely having cell phones. There was a situation in
which he helped a prison gang with tax fraud scheme. He was involved in at least two instances of violence.
They decided those behaviors were ultimately a sign that he was still a danger to the public. You know, not that it would -- they pretty much
weighed those almost more than the actual facts of the initial crime as a reason not to release him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Jean Casarez is tracking developments for us from New York. She joins us live now.
So, obviously, we know that Lyle Menendez has his parole board hearing today. How likely is it? How possible is it that there could be a different
outcome for Lyle compared to Erik, especially if you're talking about behavior during that time in prison?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think anything is possible. They started out yesterday when they were delivering their decision focusing on the
murders. And so that will go into Lyle's also and is talking about that -- that to Erik.
You could have gone to the police. You were of age. You could have gone to this loving family that you have. You could have just left and you didn't
do it.
And then also the double murder of killing the mother that it was devoid of any human compassion at all because she was a victim to the parole
commissioner said in that home of domestic abuse.
And so that fits Lyle too. And they took that into consideration. And then when they segued into the -- the issues within the jail, the prison, as you
just heard right there, yes, there were some serious things.
Now Lyle, just last year, he had cell phone possession in a cell he shared with multiple people. That is the same thing that the parole commissioner
really focused on with Erik because he said, what you were doing is you were having other inmates hide your phone and you were getting all of these
phones from the outside that could not be traced.
And then you would attend seminars and lead seminars of the prisoners saying, you know, how you get back into society, how you be a good person,
how you not commit any more crimes, but you're having them do this. And so this was just last year. So he has the most recent one, Lyle, in that area.
So that's not going to be positive.
But then also in a little bit before that, he was using a state phone in an incorrect way. And we know that Lyle was in possession of a lighter at one
point. He also received contraband, tennis shoes from the outside.
And, you know, the parole commissioner said yesterday, to the person on the outside, they may not think violations like this are any big deal. But to
us, they're illegal. And this shows you are not safe to go to the outside because you are not following the rules that are prescribed.
ASHER: Well, we'll see what happens. I think a lot of people were surprised about Erik Menendez yesterday and being denied. We'll see what happens
today with Lyle.
Jean Casarez in New York. Thank you so much.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
ASHER: Appreciate it.
The British government has agreed to pay compensation after its troops sparks a huge forest fire -- fire while training in Kenya. Locals say it's
not enough to deal with the aftermath of an ecological disaster that continues to affect them to this day.
CNN's Larry Madowo spoke to some of the families who waged a legal battle against the British Army.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A forest fire raging through the hills of central Kenya in 2021 burning over 10,000 acres of protected
land and smoldering the local community with toxic smoke.
The British army posted this video at the time of the troops tackling the blaze.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The local community behind us is safe and we're also quite aware that there's wildlife that we need to protect.
MADOWO (voice-over): Those words now jarring as neither the community nor the wildlife were ultimately kept safe.
The British government has agreed to pay out nearly $4 million to thousands of locals whose lives were changed forever by the fire, according to a
settlement agreement obtained by CNN.
The blaze in the Lolldaiga Hills started during a training exercise of the British military inside a privately owned wildlife conservancy.
Speaking to me before the settlement was agreed, activist James Mwangi says the fire wrecked the environment and harmed people far outside the area.
MWANGI: This area in 2021 March, it was a furnace. For seven days over 10,000 people were choked by smoke. That toxic smoke nearly everyone in
this community has chest problems. Everyone.
MADOWO (voice-over): "This is now our life," this woman told me, showing her inhaler. Hannah Wanjiku starts crying when she tells me about the sick
grandchildren she is struggling to raise.
[12:25:06]
"My grandchildren are all unwell," Hannah told me. Even I can no longer read and I've developed chest problems. She says, "We live a difficult
life."
Hannah, like so many members of the community, says she wants to use any compensation money she receives to leave the area and get away from the
British forces.
(GUNSHOTS)
Kenya earns about $400,000 annually for allowing the British army to train here.
KELVIN KUBAI, LAWYER FOR VICTIMS: We actually went to court.
MADOWO (voice-over): This 27-year-old lawyer grew up in the area and filed a class action lawsuit against the British army after the fire.
KUBAI: Military training and conservation are incompatible. There is need to separate both of them.
My client expected much more money from this payment, but this payment is nowhere close to give them the financial assistance to enable their move
from this training.
MADOWO (voice-over): The British government has agreed to compensate more than 7,000 people whose lives were impacted by the smoke and flames, but
they have refused to admit liability and have blocked locals from pursuing any further claims relating to the fire.
Many people here have been campaigning for years for justice. Some will receive just $170, their lawyer says. The British government said Thursday
it was, quote, "pleased" that a global settlement has been agreed, saying that the Lolldaiga fire was extremely regrettable.
MADOWO: Many here tell us the behavior of troops from the former colonial power is becoming too much to tolerate.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Laikipia, Kenya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Still to come here, more on our breaking news. An outspoken critic of the U.S. president is now under investigation. Ahead,
where the FBI is conducting a search of John Bolton's home and office.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:29]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Zain Asher.
U.S. President Donald Trump says, he'll be briefed later today about an investigation into one of his most vocal critics. The FBI has been
searching John Bolton's home and office. Bolton served as national security adviser during Trump's first term and has been especially critical about
his foreign policy.
Sources tell CNN the raids are connected to whether he revealed classified information in a book he wrote about his experience or even outside of
that.
A short time ago, the president told reporters that he knows nothing about the FBI search at all.
CNN's Evan Perez is outside John Bolton's home.
So, Evan, what have you been seeing this morning?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have agents here, Zain, now in their fifth hour of this search at John Bolton's home is
in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington.
I'll give you just a little bit of a scene here with agents. You see those cars, those are all FBI agents. This is being handled by the FBI Baltimore
field office.
And what we've seen over the last few hours, they've brought in boxes, document boxes, and have been repositioning their -- their cars just in the
last hour to -- apparently, to get into a place where they can remove some items.
We saw them back up one of the SUVs to the garage of the -- of the -- of the home. Bolton was not home when the agents arrived just around seven
o'clock in the morning here, local time. We did see what appeared to be his wife talking to some of the agents, looking at some of the paperwork.
What typically happens in these cases is the FBI agents leave behind or come with the court authorization, which explains the law that they are
investigating whether what -- what law was broken or the alleged has been broken as part of this search. And so that's usually what happens in these
cases.
Now, just back in Washington where Bolton has an office, FBI agents have also been seen at that location. We're told that that is also a part of
this investigation of a separate search. And this all has to do, according to the sources we've talked to, with a National Security investigation and
whether Bolton has mishandled national security information. It typically has to do with classified documents.
And you'll remember back in 2020, the FBI looked into whether Bolton mishandled classified documents for a book that he published back then,
which was a memoir of his time in office.
Now, look again at the -- at the scene here, agents have been preparing for, we think, to try to wrap up the search. Again, this has been going on
for about five hours. Zain.
ASHER: All right. Evan Perez live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Let's take a step back for a moment and get caught up on all the things that have come down during what has been a really busy week. It's
certainly an unprecedented week for President Trump and the White House.
Just a week ago today, Trump gave a red carpet welcome to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the two met in Alaska, where they spent some
six hours on the ground. Trump says they made, quote, great progress, but no deal to end Russia's war on Ukraine.
Also this week, the president vowed an exclusive order to end mail-in voting, which he falsely claimed is a scam. He says that President Putin
agrees with him.
Meantime, President Trump also says that his plans to expand his law enforcement crackdown in Washington, D.C., to other cities, his
announcement, came during a visit to National Guard troops and police in the Capitol Thursday night.
All of this as Trump escalates his campaign to purge museums, particularly the Smithsonian of materials that conflict with his own political
directives.
Trump claiming they're too focused on highlighting the negative aspects of American history, like for example, how bad slavery was in his words.
Time now for "The Exchange." Joining us live now is Larry Sabato, director of the center of politics at the University of Virginia and co-author of
the "Campaign of Chaos: Trump, Biden and Harris, and the 2024 American Election." Larry, thank you so much for being with us.
What I think is really interesting is that all the things that I just laid out there, whether it's this move to sort of push to end mail-in voting,
whether it's, you know, talking about the Smithsonian Museum trying to rein them in because they're focused, quote-unquote, on how bad slavery was,
whether it's, you know, targeting John Bolton's home, for example, they all seem very different, but you can tie them all together under the theme of
this president making several pushes to become that much more authoritarian in his approach. Just give us your take on that.
[12:35:10]
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, that's absolutely correct, Zain. It seems every day Trump and his key
deputies travel further down the authoritarian highway and they want to control information. They want to have universities and law firms and the
news media bend the knee to Donald Trump to do what he wants them to do and to say what he wants them to say.
All of this is not completely unprecedented in American history, but to this degree involving so many institutions, so many avenues of national
influence, all at once, this is unprecedented.
ASHER: I think what's interesting also is how the Democrats try to fight back. I mean, in the case of John Bolton, I mean, obviously, he didn't have
many friends on -- on either side of the aisle, not -- especially not Democrats.
But just in terms of other areas. When you -- when we talked earlier this week about redistricting, for example, that's been a theme, especially
given what's happening in Texas, in the political media. California, you know, tried to sort of fight back. You've got Gavin Newsom being very vocal
about that.
But when it comes to mail-in ballots, for example, how are Democrats supposed to really rise up and fight this president on that?
SABATO: They're probably going to have to depend on the courts because it is absolutely unconstitutional for the president to issue an executive
order, making the states do A, B, C, D in organizing their elections. It is very clear in the Constitution that this is the state's responsibility.
Congress has authorized to issue certain standards in legislation that can apply to the 50 states. The president has no role in it whatsoever, rather
than maybe to sign a bill, if anything ever passes Congress.
So, again, this is unprecedented. He -- he doesn't care. Trump doesn't care what the law is or what the Constitution says. He's going to do what he
wants to do. And he hopes that he can draw this out as he does in so many other areas, like lawsuits, and eventually win, if only by tiring out the
opposition.
ASHER: One of the things about what's happening with John Bolton's home and the raid is that obviously we heard President Trump speaking earlier, and
he said a few things that surprised people.
The first -- the first thing was this idea that he knew nothing about it. I think a lot of people are very skeptical about that. People are viewing
this through the lens of political retribution, but he also referred to himself as the nation's chief law enforcement officer, which is a title
that's typically reserved for the attorney general, Pam Bondi.
And then he also said that he expects the Justice Department to brief him on what's happening with John Bolton later today. Again, a lot of people
raising their eyebrows on that, which really just tells you the lens through which Donald Trump is viewing this particular case.
SABATO: Oh, absolutely. Well -- well, he loves titles, and he loves prizes. So, you know, it's not the Nobel Prize. It's knowing what's happening to
all of his enemies.
Look, this isn't called the administration of revenge and retribution for nothing. I would add petty as well. He's the opposite of what Nixon learned
during Watergate and -- and told in his last speech.
But, you know, what it -- what it really comes down to is the election next year. Either the voters turn one piece of American government over to
Trump's opposition being the House of Representatives, or Trump will have unfettered access to more and more power and will move down that
authoritarian highway almost every day of his second term. Who knows where we'll be by 2028?
ASHER: All right. Larry Sabato, co-author of "Campaign of Chaos: Trump, Biden, Harris in the 2024 American Election." Thank you so much. Have a
good weekend.
SABATO: Thank you, Zain.
ASHER: The U.S. Democrats scored a win in California on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: That's Governor Gavin Newsom signing a trio of redistricting bills that could give Democrats five more seats in the U.S. House of
Representatives. He brought the legislation forward in a bid to fight back against Texas Republicans who have redrawn the congressional maps to net
their own five seats in the House.
The Texas Senate could pass legislation today. Newsom had appointed had pointed -- had a pointed message, rather, about what Republicans and U.S.
President Donald Trump are trying to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): He's trying to rig the election. He's trying to set up the conditions where he can claim that the elections were not one
fair and square. Open your eyes to what is going on in the United States of America in 2025. That's what this is about.
[12:40:03]
We're responding what occurred in Texas. We're neutralizing what occurred and we're giving the American people a fair chance.
Because when all things are equal, we're all playing by the same set of rules. There's no question that the Republican Party will be the minority
party in the House of Representatives next year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: New democratic seats are not a done deal. California citizens still need to vote on whether to allow lawmakers to withdraw the maps.
All right. Breaking news into CNN. Canada says it will remove many retaliatory tariffs on American goods. That's according to Prime Minister
Mark Carney. It's seen as a goodwill gesture to jumpstart stalled trade talks. This comes a day after Carney spoke to Donald Trump.
Paula Newton joins us live now with details.
So, we know that Carney is actually going to be keeping in place 25 percent tariffs on American steel and aluminum. But the fact that he's getting rid
of these retaliatory tariffs in general, is this Carney capitulating to the U.S. president?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 1One hundred percent, Zain. You know, reading the -- the -- reading the writing on the wall as it were and
perhaps a bit too late.
I do want to point out to viewers that, look, it was only Canada and China that actually retaliated against the United States.
And Prime Minister Carney has been saying for several weeks now, then when -- and looking at the let's say European deal or the Japanese deal that the
White House has already negotiated, that they need to really approach this differently.
The president is not letting go of his determination to make sure that tariffs re-shore a lot of manufacturing to the United States and also raise
money. And for that reason, Mark Carney is saying he chooses to now concentrate on sectoral tariffs, right? The very high tariffs on
automobile, steel and aluminum, but also to really concentrate on that all- important free trade deal between Mexico, Canada and the United States, which is set to be negotiated next year -- renegotiated next year, Zain.
No one wants that touch. The Prime Minister made the claim in saying that look, the vast majority, well over 90 percent of the goods going from
Canada to the United States go in with either no tariff or a very low tariff and Canada being a much smaller economy here, one-tenth the size of
the United States really needs to hang on to that kind of a trade deal.
So as you said, Zain, a gesture of goodwill, but also a huge dose of reality for the Canadian economy.
And, Zain, look, for all the damage that Canada wants to do or retaliate to the United States, Canadians themselves have pretty much taken this into
their own hands. They are not buying American products when they can avoid it. They are not traveling to the United States. They are choosing to
vacation elsewhere. And that has already done more damage to the American economy than any of these retaliatory tariffs could have.
ASHER: Well, that's such a good point. Paula Newton live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
All right. Coming up next, succession North Korean style. Find out who Kim Jong Un could be priming as the country's next leader.
Also ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VERRITY WANDEL, CONFUSED LAUNDERER: I just thought, he is just the kindest man.
That is a beautiful thing for somebody to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The sweet story of a postman who delivered an act of kindness in addition to the mail. Why he's been called a laundry hero, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:53]
ASHER: All right. You're watching the cadets at the Cossack Military School in Russia take part in a route march as part of a field training course.
But this is no ordinary exercise. Their instructors are veterans of the war in Ukraine. And some of them are holding real weapons.
It's all part of a wider trend in Russia to teach children skills that will set them up for eventual military service. Authorities say that it's a
native patriotism and resilience, but critics say it could be considered indoctrination.
All right. Now, to a rare public display of emotion from North Korea's leaders. You're looking at Kim Jong Un paying tribute to North Korean
soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
North Korean state media showed him pinning badges on the photo frames of deceased soldiers. Kim said that his heart aches for the fallen members of
the, quote, heroic army. He also embraced commanders of a unit that had been deployed to the western Kursk region.
The U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence suggest that there are around 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia.
This comes as a new report reveals North Korea has a secret missile base near its border with China that could pose a nuclear threat to much of East
Asia. And the U.S. Research suggests the base may contain advanced long- range ballistic missiles.
Will Ripley has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Buried deep in the mountains of North Korea, hidden in a secret location near the
Chinese border, an arsenal of nuclear capable long-range missiles potentially capable of striking any American city.
This new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, analyzing these satellite images, also obtained by CNN. The
report says construction began two decades ago.
Today, the Shin Pun Dong base sprawls larger than JFK Airport, tucked into a mountain valley. Many of its entrances and facilities camouflaged under
trees.
Experts say during a crisis, launchers could roll out fire and disappear, an elusive nuclear threat, extremely difficult to effectively counter, even
with advanced warning, experts say.
And while Kim Jong Un is busy building an arsenal, the North Korean leader is also building something else, his succession plan. This is the first
time the world saw the young girl believed to be Kim Ju Ae. Her father, introducing her beside a weapon meant to strike fear in his enemies.
Within a year, North Korea's top brass were kneeling before her, the kind of deference reserved for the Supreme Leader himself.
Now, at middle school age, she's no longer the shy child, appearing in tailored suits styled like a head of state, seated ahead of her own mother
and even her powerful aunt, Kim Yo Jong.
It's a striking reversal. For years, Kim's younger sister was seen as his likely heir.
Now, it's his daughter taking her place at the table and perhaps someday holding the keys to a growing nuclear arsenal, a hidden power that defines
North Korea's future.
RIPLEY: And that's the bigger picture. North Korea watchers know that this missile base has been around for a long time. This isn't just about
firepower, it's about the future.
Kim Jong Un is not just testing rockets, he's testing loyalty. And the world is watching as his young daughter, once a shy child, now takes her
place beside him, perhaps being groomed to one day inherit control of the world's most secretive nuclear arsenal, aimed squarely at the U.S.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Flames where wildfire in Portugal suddenly changed direction on Thursday and engulfed this vehicle, the firefighter inside. Authorities say
the firefighter suffered severe burns but survived.
More than 1,600 firefighters are battling several wildfires in central and northern Portugal. The fires have killed at least three people this past
week. Officials in Europe estimate that about 274,000 hectares or 677,000 acres of vegetation have burned. This is southern Europe's worst fire
season in 20 years.
[12:50:05]
We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Let's take a look and see where the Dow is at. You can see it's been firmly in the green pretty much all morning. Up about 900
points. U.S. markets are up sharply on the news, from the Federal Reserve Chair, who gave hints that he could be in favor of a rate cut in September
at their next meeting on September 17th.
Jerome Powell was speaking at the annual Jackson Hole Symposium, where he talked about inflation still being a threat in this country.
Also, additional risks for the labor market as well. We saw that jobs report that we got just a few weeks ago being pretty low. Seventy-three
thousand jobs added in August. And then on top of that, several downward revisions for the prime months as well.
So him saying that essentially he is in support of a rate cut. Two, obviously Donald Trump has clashed with Jerome Powell many times because of
the president pressuring him to cut interest rates. But the Fed Chair saying that if he does cut interest rates, it will not be because of
pressure from the U.S. president.
An Australian postman is being called a hero for an act of kindness that can only be fully appreciated by those who dry their clean laundry in the
sun.
Kaitlyn Smith from Australia's 9 Network explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLYN SMITH, NINE NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): Going above and beyond the call of duty, this Logan Mailman spotted swapping parcels for pegs,
rescuing Verrity Wandel's washing in the middle of a downpour.
[12:55:05]
WANDEL: And then I drove in and there was no washing on the line and I went, did I hang it out? I did hang it out. Am I going mad?
SMITH (voice-over): A look back at her security cameras, quickly solved the sheet mystery.
WANDEL: But he kind of rolled it and then laid it onto the -- the bench there. The way a male would fold bed sheets here, definitely.
SMITH (voice-over): But who could complain about a service like this?
WANDEL: I just thought, he is just the kindest man.
That is a beautiful thing for somebody to do.
SMITH: Verity posted the vision to social media in hopes of finding the Good Samaritan. The response was overwhelming and with the help of
Australia Post, she's been reunited with the hero and (INAUDIBLE).
SMITH (voice-over): He is Gurpreet Singh, a posty of four years who isn't quite sure just what all the fuss is about.
GURPREET SINGH, POSTMAN AND LAUNDRY HERO: Yes. First of all, like, it's not that big thing I reckon. First reaction was that I've done something wrong.
SMITH (voice-over): The humble male man reuniting with his happy customer today.
WANDEL: You are famous.
SINGH: Thanks. (INAUDIBLE)
WANDEL: Thank you. (INAUDIBLE) Thank you. Thank you.
SMITH (voice-over): The video of Gurpreet's good deed now going viral. It's been watched more than a million times.
WANDEL: I would say this man deserves a raise. People need to know that there are good humans in this world.
SMITH (voice-over): And Gurpreet Singh, you sure are one of them.
Kaitlyn Smith, Nine News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: I absolutely love that story. What a good human.
All right. That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back with your
latest headlines at the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
