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One World with Zain Asher
Today: Trump Meeting with Zelenskyy at White House to Discuss the War; Netanyahu: Israel to "Act Accordingly" on Hostage Remains Issue; Sources: U.S. Strikes Boat in Caribbean, Leaving Survivors; Second "No King" Protests Against Trump Planned for Saturday; Appeals Court Blocks Trump's Deployment of National Guard in Illinois; Keanu Reeves Considered Calling Himself "Chuck Spandia". Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 17, 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, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right in two hours U.S. President will meet his Ukrainian Counterpart.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: One World starts right now. Tomahawk missiles are high on the agenda when Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy meet at
the White House.
ASHER: Plus, Trump's Former National Security Advisor John Bolton is appearing before a federal judge in Maryland right now, just one day after
being indicted on 18 counts.
GOLODRYGA: And the No Kings Protest Movement will be holding a second day of rallies nationwide this weekend against President Trump's policies.
Hello everyone. Happy Friday. I'm Bianna Golodryga. We're coming to you live from New York.
ASHER: Yes, I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ukraine's President is heading to the White House for a sit down with Donald Trump that could
change the trajectory of the war in his country.
GOLODRYGA: Now Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to ask President Trump for American made Tomahawk Missiles. These are long-range missiles that can
strike more precisely and deeper into Russia.
ASHER: Yeah, ahead of today's meeting, President Trump spoke for more than two hours by phone with Russian President Putin on Thursday. Trump called
the talks very productive and said he would meet with Putin in Budapest within the next couple of weeks. Our Nick Paton Walsh has been covering the
war in Ukraine. Joins us live now from London.
So just in terms of first of all, Nick, this call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. What more do we know in terms of what came out of it
specifically? And of course, this meeting in Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House, no doubt Tomahawk Missiles are going to be a key priority for
the Ukrainian President.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, it'd be here on the surface that this Trump Putin call has possibly
pulled the rug under the hope perhaps of President Zelenskyy that is meeting in the White House might see that escalatory noises we're getting
out of this Trump White House actually come to some kind of fruition, some kind of real military assistance heading to Ukraine.
It isn't clear exactly when Trump and Putin will meet in Budapest. They have to have their top officials meet, likely there first to begin to look
at the details it could be in the next two to three weeks, potentially, but yet again, it buys Vladimir Putin more time. Why?
Well, he has yet to see the progress on the battlefield. Frankly, that I'm sure his top brass promised him in the beginning of this summer offensive
that's been deeply costly to Russia's armed forces and taken it quite a bit of land, but not the key towns that Putin's had in his side.
So, if this meeting happens in Budapest, it will, frankly, be a bit of a distant prospect, possibly in November before it even comes through
complications too, certainly for Vladimir Putin, who's subject to an ICC arrest warrant of how he would get to Hungary, not a subject to that
particular court system, but he had to fly through the airspace of others that are potentially in order to get there.
So, some complexities on that side, but President Zelenskyy, I think, going to a White House here, somewhat in a transformed environment, to how this
all began back in February and March, when there were moves by the United States and Russia to meet in Saudi Arabia and try and heal their bilateral
relationship.
Zelenskyy is going to the White House after meeting energy officials, meeting key defense manufacturers, Raytheon, who helped -- who build the
patriot missiles and their interceptors, suggesting joint production with them. Much savvier in terms of presenting the business case for working
with Ukraine here too. And indeed, potentially as well, savvier when it comes to handling President Donald Trump.
Remember that awful blowout back in February in the Oval Office. Those scenes somewhat distant. Trump too, perhaps more educated in terms of what
he can expect from Vladimir Putin. He's been open about his disappointment and how hard peace has been to achieve here, and how he's felt Putin might
be stringing him along?
Curious, though, I'm sure many will be to work out exactly what it was in this phone call that led Trump to feel that a meeting in Budapest would
indeed potentially yield anything? But also, important to see if the notion of Tomahawks being supplied still an idea, not a specific plan is still
something that Trump holds out during his meeting with Zelenskyy.
Their access to the media possibly less than one might expect from these two men. We'll have to see how that pans out in the hours ahead. But these
Tomahawks, too, it's important to remember, aren't necessarily a significant game changer. Psychologically they are the United States giving
probably its best advanced missiles that it reserves, really, for its closest allies to Ukraine.
But their range is similar to those which Ukraine's long-range drones have indeed managed to find. It would be significantly, I think, worrying for
the Kremlin to see the U.S. give this kind of military assistance and essentially opens the door to all the things less than a Tomahawk that the
U.S. might choose to allow European allies, in this case, to buy for Ukraine.
A lot resting on this meeting today, particularly to, I think, the tone of how those two men address the possibility of diplomacy going forward.
Zelenskyy is saying clearly that it's the pressure of the idea of Tomahawks that have led Putin to suggest this meeting. We really will have to see,
though, in the weeks ahead, if the front lines change to some degree that Putin feels he's got what he's put all this involvement into in the summer
offensive so far, he hasn't.
[11:05:00]
ASHER: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, live for us. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Let's dive deeper into the road ahead for Ukraine with General Wesley Clark, Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. General Clark good to
see you. So, I have to say, and I've noted a couple of times this week, that I was a bit worried for Ukraine, in the sense that news of a phone
call between President Putin and President Trump is quite common before or after these meetings between President Zelensky and President Trump.
And that President Trump's tone typically after a phone call with President Putin changes, and that seems to have happened again this week with
President Trump earlier suggesting that the U.S. may be open to supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk Missiles.
Now, given that phone call, the president seems to be walking that back a bit, saying that the U.S. needs these missiles as well, and that supply
could be a concern. The Ukrainians and President Zelenskyy's entourage have been here for a few days leading up to today's meeting.
Before we get to your thoughts on whether or not there has been any setback, given this latest call with Putin, just can you talk to us about a
potential game changer that these Tomahawks could be? Because, as you heard from Nick, they may not make that much of a difference on the battlefield
psychologically, they could be of significance. But what are your views?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: I agree with Nick on this Bianna. I think that honestly, that the Tomahawk Missiles,
they're a nice capability. They certainly have worked for the United States in the past. They're really good at the start of an offensive operation.
They come in, they take out enemy air defenses and enemy radars and things like this without exposing manned aircraft. That's the way we use them,
really from the beginning. But in terms of this conflict, what they would do is they would go deep with U.S. guidance and support, and that's
guidance of the missiles to avoid aircraft anti-aircraft locations.
They could strike key targets. But, you know, a one-ton warhead sounds really impressive. It is, but there are a lot of targets, and they're not a
lot of missiles available, and in order to really have an impact, you have to continue to destroy these targets. That's what we did in World War II,
with the B-17 campaigns over Germany, striking and restriking and restriking and restriking so the targets couldn't be repaired.
It was a much different war, much different technology and much different geography. But here putting a couple of Tomahawk Missiles in, is a
political statement. It will have some moderate effect, but it's not a game changer in terms of the outcome of the conflict.
ASHER: And just switching to this meeting that's been suggested just in terms of Vladimir Putin meeting with Donald Trump again in Budapest. Nick
also raised another interesting point this idea is, you know, as to why Donald Trump would think it would be different this time? Why on earth do
you think that meeting with Vladimir Putin again would yield different or better results than they have in the past?
CLARK: I think it's what some people call performance art. That is to say, you get these meetings. You bring attention to the issue. Maybe you take
Vladimir Putin's temperature. It was -- he was pretty hot in the last meeting in Alaska; President Trump didn't seem to get much out of that.
Maybe President Putin will be willing to be more conciliatory in this meeting in Hungary, or maybe it's part of Putin's stall campaign. We know
that President Putin uses diplomacy attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure and the ground forces interchangeably.
So, he uses the diplomacy to stall, to buy time for the ground offensive and to buy time to demoralize the people and leadership of Ukraine with his
attacks on civilian infrastructure there. So, this is more of this campaign, really. I think it's unlikely to produce any breakthrough.
This is not the Middle East. In the Middle East and Gaza, both sides had there were at the end of the road. So, something had to change. In this
case, Putin is not at the end of the road, and neither is Ukraine. Ukraine is not prepared to permanently concede territories, especially territories
it still controls, where tens of hundreds of thousands of people are still living.
So, nothing's going to change out of this, it doesn't seem. And it also seems likely that President Zelenskyy is probably not going to get his
Tomahawks, and if he, if there's an agreement, it'll take many, many weeks for those Tomahawks to come into the theater.
[11:10:00]
So, I think this is more of performance art. It's keeping the pressure on, keeping -- staying in the headlines and maybe putting pressure on the
Europeans to do more for Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: Does news of this impending meeting in Budapest take away any sort of opportunity that Ukraine thought that they were walking into this
White House with the momentum that perhaps had been on their side following President Trump himself being disappointed out of the Alaska meeting with
President Putin?
CLARK: No doubt about it, Bianna. This is really something that is not good for Ukraine to go into Hungary and especially for Zelenskyy to come in
right after the call with Putin. It puts him in the subordinate position, but he's worked to cultivate this relationship with President Trump.
And there's no doubt that President Trump definitely wants to bring the conflict to an end. Question is, does Putin and of course, Putin doesn't
until he gets his objectives? So, he's -- it is a battle of personalities right now, as well as a real war. Putin plays off President Trump's desire
for the headlines, for the Nobel Peace Prize for achievement, to use to gain time for his military to work on the ground.
And he puts pressure through the diplomacy on President Zelenskyy and on his standing with President Trump. So, it's a three-cornered diplomacy game
on top of a war.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, both President Putin and President Zelenskyy trying to take the ceasefire that President Trump was able to achieve in Gaza and use
it their favor. President Putin, as you noted, telling President Trump that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Zelenskyy telling the world in a statement that if President Trump was able to get Hamas to stop this war and turn over the hostages,
then perhaps he could do the same with President Putin. We shall see what happens out of today's meeting at the White House. General Wesley Clark,
thank you so much for joining us.
CLARK: Thank you, Bianna. Thank you, Zain. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the struggle is not over with Hamas. Those are the words from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He warns that Hamas there
will be a price to pay if it doesn't return the remains of all of the deceased hostages in Gaza. Hamas has so far only released 9 of the 28
deceased hostages.
ASHER: This as President Trump sends his own stark warning to the group, saying that if they keep killing people in Gaza, he will have to, quote,
have no choice but to go in and kill them. The U.S. President later clarified, U.S. troops would not be involved in that particular escalation.
The dispute over hostages remains has stalled aid into Gaza, but Israel's foreign minister says the rougher crossing will now open on Sunday. This as
the U.S. State Department says it deployed a disaster assistance response team to help surge aid into the region. Our Jeremy Diamond is following all
the latest development from Tel Aviv for us.
So, despite the fact that Israel is obviously outraged by this idea that Hamas still needs to return, at least as we understand it, 19 of the
deceased hostages there remains, no matter what kind of pressure Israel puts on Hamas at this point in time Jeremy, whether it's words or whether
it's aid?
The fact is, it's going to be very difficult for Hamas. It's still going to be difficult for Hamas to locate those remains, given the level of
destruction in Gaza. So, what happens next?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's exactly right. And that's why we have seen that there are Egyptian and Turkish teams that
are set to assist in the locating and recovery of some of these bodies in the rubble of Israeli airstrikes inside of the Gaza Strip.
And that's also why we have heard from senior U.S. advisors, who have said that they understand that it is a challenging situation on the ground in
Gaza, that they're not necessarily faulting Hamas for only having handed over 9 of the 28 remains of deceased hostages in Gaza thus far.
And -- but of course, also reiterating that they are committed to seeing Hamas return all of those remains at the end of the day. You know, the
Israeli government has a different understanding of the situation and a different perspective, particularly in light of kind of the domestic
politics here and the calls from the families of those deceased hostages, for this to remain at the forefront, for all kinds of pressure to be
brought to bear on Hamas to ensure that they do hold up their end of the bargain.
But you know, one of the interesting realities here is that there does seem to be a bit of a difference between some of the public rhetoric from the
Israeli government and even some of what Israeli officials have told the United Nations about the ways in which they would be using aid as a
bargaining chip to get Hamas to stick to its commitments here.
[11:15:00]
And the reality on the ground. And the reality on the ground seems to be that Israel is allowing the required quantities of aid into Gaza under this
ceasefire agreement. We have seen aid flowing into Gaza in substantial numbers, including via that Rafah crossing, although not directly into
Gaza, but rather kind of making a right turn and going towards the Karem Shalom Crossing for that to become the kind of official crossing point of
aid from Israel into Gaza, rather than directly from Egypt into Gaza.
But as you mentioned, that Rafah Crossing is set to soon open for Palestinian civilians with proper authorization to be able to go back and
forth between Gaza and Egypt. So, things do seem to be moving along.
But as we have heard of rhetoric from President Trump as well, there is always this kind of reminder in the air for both parties that the president
is monitoring the situation and is going to hold both parties to account in terms of maintaining what is certainly a tenuous ceasefire, but one that is
continuing to remain in place and which both parties seem to be abiding by, at least to the satisfaction of U.S. officials at this point.
ASHER: All right, Jeremy Diamond, live for us. Thank you. All right still to come, John Bolton is in court right now, accused of mishandling
classified information. Ahead why this indictment may be different from those involving other high profile Trump critics?
GOLODRYGA: Plus, we're learning the U.S. military has conducted a sixth strike on what the Trump Administration calls a drug smuggling vote in the
Caribbean. It comes as tensions between the two nations continue to soar.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the third high profile perceived enemy of Donald Trump to be criminally charged is appearing before a federal judge in Maryland right
now.
ASHER: Yeah, Former National Security Advisor John Bolton turned himself into authorities earlier he was indicted Thursday on 18 counts of
mishandling classified information, something he slammed as a presidential abuse of power. Bolton is accused of sharing top secret materials with
family members over unsecured personal email accounts during his time in the White House.
GOLODRYGA: As you'll recall, Trump himself was indicted on 40 counts of mishandling classified documents and then refusing to return them, but the
case was dropped after he won the 2024 election. Katelyn Polantz joins us now outside of the federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
[11:20:00]
And we are just hearing that John Bolton has pleaded not guilty. Katelyn, we don't have cameras in the courtroom, but these are serious charges, 18
in total, if found guilty on all he could be spending the rest of his life behind bars. Tell us more about what led up to today.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is an indictment that comes after years of investigation by the Justice
Department, by national security prosecutors, by prosecutors who have long been at work in the District of Maryland. So not people put in place just
because Donald Trump has wanted him there.
They are prosecutors that have worked on this for some time, but John Bolton, he is in this courthouse right now, and that hearing is still
ongoing. He's already entered his pleading on these 18 charges of sharing or keeping in an unsecured way classified information, 18 different pieces
of information that prosecutors have sketched out.
Things like intelligence about former foreign leaders, foreign missile strikes, information about the United States, that would be intelligence
that is very covert, kept very secretive. Prosecutors say that Bolton not just had that he was sharing it with his family members on an unsecured
email account or accounts different messaging platforms and also had printouts that were found in his house.
Right now, though, in this court proceeding, this is the first time that Bolton is appearing before a judge, and it will be the kickoff toward a
trial with that not guilty plea beating -- being entered today by John Bolton, things will then start happening that the court will oversee.
Prosecutors will start handing evidence over to John Bolton's defense team. They will start preparing different attacks or arguments to present to the
judge to try and cut the case back or get it dismissed. They will also come up with a strategy for Bolton going forward, all heading towards a possible
jury trial at the end. But we will -- we will still wait to see if there's other information that comes out of this hearing today, as it is not over
yet.
GOLODRYGA: All right, moving quickly there Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much for bringing us all the latest. Appreciate it.
ASHER: We'll have much more on this developing story in the next hour with Former State and Federal Prosecutor David Weinstein. That's in the next
hour of "One World".
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, concerns are growing, both in Venezuela and the United States about military strikes ordered by the White House on alleged drug
smuggling boats in the Caribbean. Two U.S. officials tell CNN that on Thursday, a six boat was targeted, but this time, there were survivors.
ASHER: Yeah, 27 people have been killed in similar attacks in recent weeks, but the Trump Administration has not provided administration has not
provided any evidence the boats were carrying drugs. Here's what the White House is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think President Trump believes that Nicolas Maduro is an illegitimate president leading an
illegitimate regime that has been trafficking drugs to the United States of America for far too long, and we're not going to tolerate it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The president, meantime, has confirmed that the CIA is conducting covert operations inside Venezuela and that he's threatening land attacks.
GOLODRYGA: All of this comes as the admiral responsible for the U.S. forces in the Caribbean has announced his sudden departure after just a year in
the job. Our Natasha Bertrand is joining us now with the latest.
And Natasha, so much to discuss here. First, that sixth strike. What are we hearing from the White House and the Pentagon about this? And the apparent
notion that it may have been a botched attack, given that there are survivors?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Bianna, the short answer about what we're hearing from the administration is nothing
about this strike, and that is significant because, of course, the previous five strikes that the U.S. has carried out on boats in the Caribbean, they
have publicized widely.
They have bragged about they have posted videos of the one yesterday apparently was botched. It left survivors, and that could be one reason why
the administration has not wanted to publicly acknowledge it. One of the questions, of course, is, who picked up these survivors? That is something
that we don't know at this point.
We don't know how many survivors there were? But previous operations did kill everyone on board, making it very difficult for the public to verify
who these people actually were. So, the question now with the survivors, is there going to be more information that then comes out assuming that they
are in, you know, fair health and are able to speak about this?
About who these people actually are, and whether they do, in fact, have ties to drug trafficking organizations? As the administration has said, you
know, every single one of the boats it has gone after previously does have, but has not provided evidence to that extent.
The other point here is that a really significant move is the dismissal, apparently, of the SOUTHCOM Commander right in the middle of this huge
operation. And we're told that the SOUTHCOM Commander had actually been raising concerns for several weeks prior to stepping down about these
operations in the Caribbean and the expansion of the U.S. military operations there.
[11:25:00]
And Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, he had been clashing with him in recent weeks as well because he thought that Admiral Halsey was not moving
quickly enough on these anti-narcotic operations. So, all of that came to a head, and we saw that very unusual announcement yesterday that Halsey will
be stepping down just one year into his tenure. Really difficult to overstate how unusual that is.
ASHER: All right. Natasha Bertrand, live for us there. Thank you. All right still to come here on "One World", Kenya mourns the loss of a former prime
minister, leading opposition figure and democracy activists. Coming up, we'll go live to Nairobi and take a look at the life and sudden passing of
Raila Odinga.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: I am Bianna Golodryga. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today.
ASHER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due at the White House soon. He's expected to push President Trump for American made Tomahawk
Missiles, which can strike deep into the heart of Russia. For his part, Donald Trump says he'll meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin
Hungary in the next couple of weeks.
GOLODRYGA: Hamas has called on mediators to push for the next steps under the ceasefire deal in Gaza, including completing Israel's withdrawal. But
Israel says Hamas is not abiding by the terms of the agreement, which calls for the return of 28 deceased hostages. So far, Hamas has only returned
nine bodies.
ASHER: President Donald Trump's Former National Security Advisor John Bolton entered a not guilty plea before a federal judge in Maryland a short
time ago.
[11:30:00]
He was indicted on Thursday, charged with 18 counts of retaining and transmitting classified information. Bolton is the third high profile Trump
critic to be indicted in less than a month.
GOLODRYGA: The 48-hour ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan ends today, a deal put in place Wednesday after days of deadly clashes between
the two neighbors. Pakistan has also been on edge since the Taliban and India signaled closer ties with New Delhi, planning to reopen its Embassy
in Kabul. India is Pakistan's primary regional rival.
ASHER: Kenyans are mourning the death of their Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who passed away in India this week at the age of 80. Tens of
thousands are attending the state funeral service at a Nairobi Stadium as the country declared today a public holiday. The veteran opposition leader
was well known and respected in his fight for democracy.
GOLODRYGA: Odinga was once a political prisoner, running unsuccessfully for president five times. He will be buried Sunday in Bondo, his rural home.
ASHER: CNN's Larry Madowo joins us live now from Nairobi. So, Larry, this is a man who was both controversial, certainly divisive, and also revered
at the same time. And a lot of people in Kenya who look up to him, they call him Baba, as we noted earlier the week, a lot of people who love him,
a lot of people showed up for his funeral.
But he ran for president five times. He lost five times and cited fraud each time, and he was certainly a thorn in the side of those who did end up
winning in Kenya's presidential elections. Just walk us through how Raila Odinga will be remembered, Larry?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The reason why you've seen this outpouring of emotion Zain, Bianna is that there is nobody who runs for president five
times and loses five times, and yet the men that beat him need him to govern. They had to come back and do coalitions and deals with him to
include his members of his party in the government, because he had such a power over his supporters that they were ungovernable without his word.
I watched him work crowds, and he'd bring them to a trance like status. He was a Maverick and a charismatic speaker, the likes of which this country
has not seen in some time. And you saw this orderly, dignified state funeral that was given to him, the kinds that are only allocated and left
for heads of state.
He was never head of state. He's not even been in public office in 12 years, and yet he still had this following and this support in Kenya and
across the world. He was one of the most recognizable African Leaders. And his daughter, Winnie Odinga, who was with him until the end in India, said
this about how he went out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINNIE ODINGA, DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRIMINISTER OF KENYA: We're strong. We're with dignity and with pride and you must be proud of that. You all must
also walk with your heads held high and walk strong and proud that he left as a gentleman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Nobody was loved and feared in Kenyan politics like Raila Odinga. And he's been a fixture for most of the last 30, 40, years. He was
imprisoned several times in the fight for Multi-Party Democracy. He saw that happen in 91 and helped bring in a progressive new constitution in
2010.
I've covered him for most of the past 18 years, and he was sharp all the way to the end, and still always had a kind word for me and for my family,
despite the public persona and this larger-than-life character he had was also kind and considerate, and that's the reason why so many people were
weeping and wailing on the streets.
That will continue when he goes to his political base of Kisumu in the West of the country tomorrow and to that final burial on Sunday from his
ancestral home, where his dad, also the first vice president of Kenya came from that will be an emotional moment.
GOLODRYGA: Odinga's father. Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
ASHER: All right, still to come here on "One World", the U.S. braces for another weekend of mass protests against Donald Trump and his use of
presidential power. What the president is saying about it when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
GOLODRYGA: All right, weekend, millions of Americans are expected to take part in thousands of No Kings Protests across the country in opposition to
President Trump.
ASHER: If that sounds familiar, it's because this is the second No Kings Demonstration. The first one in June, had a massive showing in big cities
and small towns.
GOLODRYGA: I mean, just take a look at that all over the map there in the U.S. this weekend, Organizers say more than 5 million Americans showed up
the first time Donald Trump insists he is No King, and some Republican Leaders are calling the protests anti-American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN): We call it the hate America rally, because you'll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): It's all the pro-Hamas wing and the -- you know, the ANTIFA people, they're all coming out.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): I'd be interested if Chuck Schumer is actually going to show up at this "No Kings, Anti-Trump, crazy left-wing rally
that's going to happen in DC.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): There's considerable evidence that George Soros and his network is behind funding these rallies.
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: The farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party, which is a big title and
No Kings equal no paychecks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Joining us live now is one of the organizers of the No Kings Protests. He is Robert Weisman, Co-President of the Consumer Advocacy Group
Public Citizen. Robert, thank you so much for being with us. So, these protests are taking place, and you've got millions of Americans expected to
take part amid the ongoing ICE arrests and also this idea of President Trump sending National Guard troops to Democratic led cities.
My question to you is, what difference, what tangible difference do you hope that these protests can actually make in terms of how the Trump
Administration conducts its business here?
ROBERT WEISSMAN, CO-PRESIDENT, PUBLIC CITIZEN: Hey, well, it's great to be with you. These are going to be the largest protests in American history,
and they're going to show the broad and widespread rejection of the authoritarian agenda of Donald Trump.
They're going to be in big cities, small towns, rural areas, suburbs, every single state, every single congressional district. It's everywhere. And the
first thing is to be clear that when Donald Trump's claims a total mandate to impose an authoritarian agenda, these demonstrations illustrate he does
not have that mandate.
The next thing is, the authoritarian playbook is making people be scared, make them feel isolated, make them feel alone. When we come together in
these large numbers, millions and millions of people feel solidarity and empowered and ready to take on the authoritarian agenda.
And the last thing is it makes politicians stronger and a better world. Our politicians will be leading the opposition to Trump, but they need to be
pushed, and we've seen these demonstrations throughout this past year doing exactly that. So, the Democratic opposition is now stronger because people
are demanding it, and this is how we do that.
ASHER: How do you quantify that the Democratic opposition is stronger? Because this is an impressive turnout. No doubt. We saw millions of
Americans taking to the street earlier this summer as well. But judging by the poll numbers, that's not reflected in the statement that you just made
in terms of where Democrats stand in this country.
[11:40:00]
And I guess, in response to the accusations against these protests that they're ANTIFA led the Governor of Texas is sending out the National Guard
and warning about potential unrest in Austin. The House speaker is saying, this is un-American, that there are Hamas supporters. I mean, how do you
respond to both arguments? It's not reflected in the polls. And how Republicans are characterizing this?
WEISSMAN: Well, a few different things. So, this is not about supporting the Democratic Party. This is a nonpartisan protest movement. We're a
nonpartisan organization, but the minority party needs to stand stronger against Donald Trump, and this is helping them do that.
We're seeing that as they're standing up and refusing to capitulate to an agenda that would cut off healthcare for millions of Americans, a budget
proposal that would cut off healthcare for millions of Americans and refusing to accept an administration that says it has the authority to
ignore what Congress says it must spend that's coming, because people are demanding it.
As for this other part, this business about the protests are led by ANTIFA. There is no such thing as ANTIFA. It's an idea. It's not an organization.
And the claims from these political leaders that this protest is anti- American are shameful. Protest is evidence of American freedom.
Protest is evidence of American strength. Every important move forward in American history has come in response to popular protest. So. the claims,
the specific factual claims, are just fabricated. But even more important than that, is they are trashing the proudest of American traditions.
It goes back to the founding of the country based on protest and rejection of authoritarianism. They should be embracing this most fundamental of
American values, whether or not they agree with our specific claims.
Shame on them. But people are not going to be deterred. We're going to see again millions of millions of Americans turning out not because they're
being puppet, mastered by somebody externally, but because of this grassroots momentum opposing the authoritarian agenda of Donald Trump.
ASHER: And just in terms of practical measures that ordinary people can take. I mean, obviously legal battles are still playing out in court, as it
pertains to, you know, the National Guard troops being sent to Democratic led cities. When you think about that, and you think about these ICE raids
taking place across the country, what can beyond just protest, what can ordinary Americans do to counteract this authoritarian agenda in the ways
that I've listed out?
WEISSMAN: Well, there are a lot of things. It ranges the gamut from contacting their members of Congress and telling them to stand up to
providing solidarity on the ground to immigrants who are being targeted by these nefarious and illegal ICE kidnappings, and people are doing that
across the country.
Means providing support to people who are being cut off from health care by a Republican agenda that has decided that we're going to throw close to 20
million people off of health insurance. It means helping people in your neighborhood who are dealing with increasing prices due to various Trump
policies, and it means most of all, not cowing and staying at home alone and afraid, but joining together with other people.
We still have it's fragile, but it's still a Democratic country, and we strengthen the democracy, we protect the democracy, we advance the
democracy by exercising vigorously our Democratic rights, and we do that together in the streets, but in churches, in schools and so on, but
collectively, and that's what we're seeing people doing across this country in numbers really never seen before.
ASHER: All right, Robert Weisman, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, you're looking at protests outside an ICE detention facility in
Chicago, in the Chicago suburb of Broadview.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, these protests against ICE have happened every Friday over the past month. We've seen several people being detained over the last
several hours. Let's go live now to CNN's Whitney Wild in Broadview Illinois, things seem to be lit well in the video we just showed a little
testier than some of the images we have seen before. Hopefully, I would hope, given what we see behind you, things have quieted down. What did you
see earlier this morning?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: We saw a few people who were arrested. Mostly what's happening here Bianna is when people go over
these jersey barriers. Here you can see these, there's these concrete barriers. When people go over that law enforcement tells people they have
to get back on the other side, and after some back and forth, if they don't do that, then they get arrested.
[11:45:00]
We saw nine people earlier who were arrested. We saw two more later in the day. So, in total, by our count, nearly a dozen people have been arrested
here outside the Broadview ICE facility. This is about 30 minutes West of Chicago. This is where we've seen, you know so many flare ups between
protesters and federal law enforcement.
This is where we first saw federal law enforcement using those chemical agents against peaceful protesters as well as members of the press. That
prompted a lawsuit. A judge put a temporary restraining order on federal agents. It was meant to curtail their use of chemical agents, curtail their
use of physical force against peaceful protesters and members of the press.
On Tuesday, though, there was another flare up in the City of Chicago on the south side, after people in that neighborhood became aware of a chase
and a crash involving Border Patrol Agents, there was a significant flare up between, again, the public and those federal agents. The public was
throwing objects at federal agents; that's according to DHS as well as the Chicago Police Department.
Those federal agents used chemical munitions on that crowd. Chicago police officers were also exposed after the judge who had issued that first
separate restraining order saw that Bianna, she brought everybody back into court and refined her order and reminded federal agents what her order
said?
Said that she wants to see the ICE field director back in her court on Monday, and then additionally, she wants to ensure that officers and agents
who are involved in this operation midway blitz are wearing body cameras and that they are recording.
Today is a significant day Bianna, because this is the first day in several weeks that the protests have happened here, when this the fence has been
taken down. So, if you look here, this is the ice facility before, where that white, that White Busses, there were fences, you know, all around this
area.
So, I guess I should say, basically, where that, that concrete barrier is. That's where the fence had been to try to keep protesters out of that area
the city, broad view, sued to get it taken down. A judge agreed it was taken down earlier this week. So today is a real test of how local law
enforcement is going to respond to the protesters here, and protesters are going to abide by these rules, to be in these concrete barriers where we
are.
Let me just kind of walk you do, like a quick walk and talk here and just show you what we're looking at. You know, a couple of dozen protesters,
mostly Bianna it's people chanting, sometimes they're heckling law enforcement. A lot of times they're singing. You know, it's a, -- it's a
very peaceful at it is, at times noisy, but again, it is a peaceful and for the most part, pretty calm protest Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Whitney Wild thank you so much reporting to us live from the suburbs of Chicago, there. And still to come for us, the death
toll rises from Mexico's disastrous floods. Just ahead, we'll go there Live for the latest on the recovery efforts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GOLODRYGA: The death toll continues to rise from last week's flooding in Mexico, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum, 77 people have lost their
lives with dozens of others still missing.
ASHER: Mexican Navy says it's been operating several flights a day to disaster hit regions delivering aid and clearing debris. Our Valeria Leon
joins us live now from Mexico City, 70 people dead, dozens missing. Just walk us through what is the greatest need right now Valeria, especially
when you consider the fact that a lot of these areas that were hardest hit are isolated, especially in Mountain, mountainous regions. So, what is the
greatest need right now?
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain the damage is massive in the state of Veracruz, the hardest hit, at least 30 people have died at rescue
teams from the Army and Navy are trying to reach 90 isolated communities got up by landslides and flooded roads.
And affected residents say they never got an emergency alert, no warning at all, and didn't have enough time to get out and find safety before the
flooding hit. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said these were a typical rain, something that couldn't have been predicted but promised her
government won't spare any resources to help the victims and reveal these devastated areas.
Her administration now approved more than $1 billion for recovery efforts, and we visited the Mexican State of Hidalgo, one of the hardest hits by
these intense rains, and one with the highest number of missing people in this affected region. There, we found that the solidarity was being was
remarkable.
Neighbors helping victims throughout the rubble. We spoke with one of the affected residents, who described a desperate effort to save two children
trapped inside a house. We just saw this two wooden-crosses that the neighbors put in this house that was completely destroyed, but neighbors,
unfortunately weren't able to rescue them. Let's take a listen of what she shared with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA LUISA RUIZ, HIDALGO RESIDENT: Another neighbor from down the street was going door to door asking for help, and thank God a lot of people
responded, but sadly, there was not more that could be done. Searching through the rubble was heartbreaking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEON: Officials attribute the disaster to two tropical systems colliding with warm and cold fronts following record breaking rains and leaving
saturated rivers and unstable hillsides. Residents are now cleaning out their homes, and the military is working around the cloak, reopening roads,
delivering aid and rescuing people stranded in remote regions, but authorities warn it would take weeks to restore full access to some of
these hard-hit areas Zain.
ASHER: All right, Valeria Leon, thank you so much for bringing that story to us. Mother Nature's force is on full display in Hawaii. Its Kilauea
Volcano is erupting again, sending lava flowing from its crater.
GOLODRYGA: Now the volcano located on Hawaii's Big Island, has been erupting periodically since December of last year. It is considered one of
the world's most active volcanoes.
ASHER: Drawings by the French Impressionist Pierre Auguste Renoir will be spotlighted this weekend for the first time in more than a century. The
traveling exhibition called Renoir Drawings goes on display today at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. The exhibit features more than 100
delicate but less known works.
GOLODRYGA: Drawings in pencil, pen, ink and watercolor, as opposed to his legendary paintings. Renoir was one of the leaders of the Impressionist
school founded in 1874 this will be the first major Renoir exhibit to open since 1921. The display in New York closes in February, then it moves to
Paris in March, giving him a run for his money, is our own Zain Asher, I have seen some of your artwork, my friends and you are quiet, quite
talented.
ASHER: I love drawing, so I draw on the side, and I love art.
GOLODRYGA: Renoir,
ASHER: It is --
GOLODRYGA: Finally, this hour, actors take on many names. Keanu Reeves, for instance, as Neo in the Matrix movies. He also portrayed the Hitman John
Wick, and, of course, Ted in the movie Bill and Ted Excellent Adventure. He's one of your favorite actors, too, right?
ASHER: This is now becoming --
GOLODRYGA: Exactly tell us more.
ASHER: I've always had a crush on him.
[11:55:00]
From the speed days, OK? And if his manager had his way, the movie star could have used the stage name Chuck Spadina. Reeves told The New Heights
Podcast that he actually considered the idea Spadina being the street where he grew up.
Reeves, is that we've called the manager's request to change his name and welcome to Hollywood moment, and said he thought, I'm not doing this. Of
course not. Keanu, Reeves Waker, that's the best name.
GOLOGRYGA: Spadina now --
ASHER: I think Spadina like she means cool breeze over the mountain. I'm actually a real fan. So, who breathes over the mountain?
GOLODRYGA: You don't think you know it means all right?
ASHER: Because he is a -- right oh yes.
GOLODRYGA: We'll learn more about Zain in the next hour we promise. Stay with "One World". We'll be right back after the break.
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