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One World with Zain Asher

Trump Holds First Cabinet Meeting Of 2026; U.S. Border Czar Vows To "Regain Law And Order" In Minneapolis; Brendan Banfield Takes The Stand In Double-Murder Trial; Manufacturers using A.I. To make Weapons More Accurate, Lethal; Red Carpet Premiere Of "Melania Trump" Set For Tonight; Minneapolis Police Chief Critical Of Federal Agents' Tactics; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 29, 2026 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:10:33]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You've been listening to Donald Trump's first cabinet meeting of the year in which he talked about a variety of

issues, including Venezuela, including bringing down prescription drugs prices, also the economy in the U.S.

He did call on Steve Witkoff who talked about Russian Ukraine and how hopeful he is that there could be some kind of ceasefire deal at some point

in the future.

President Trump did mention that because it is so cold in Ukraine right now, and because the Russians have been attacking Ukraine energy

infrastructure that put Trump had personally told Vladimir Putin not to fire on Kyiv and various other cities surrounding Kyiv for about a week

because the temperatures are extremely cold right now this weekend. It's expected to be six degrees Fahrenheit in Kyiv, minus 12 degrees centigrade.

The president did also call on Steve Witkoff to talk about what's happening with Israel and Gaza and the second phase of the ceasefire deal now that

the last hostage body had been returned. Ran Gvili, who was returned this week.

I want to bring in Sabrina Singh who has been listening to this. We also have a senior political analyst Ron Brownstein.

Sabrina let me bring you -- you in first on this because one of the key issues as it pertains to international news, the president touched on,

aside from Venezuela is, of course, what happens next as it pertains to the ceasefire between Israel and -- and Hamas.

Just walk us through what stood out to you. Because obviously, we are technically in the second phase, and the second phase does include the

disarmament of Hamas. Steve Witkoff appeared quite confident that that could happen, but a lot of people are very skeptical, especially just in

terms of how the process would -- process would work, how on earth that is going to be monitored. Your take on that.

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I think there's still so many outstanding questions that remain. I -- I think, yes, you did see

Steve Witkoff being very bullish that Hamas was going to disarm, but it's all the mechanisms of how that actually happens, how are their weapons

going to be taken away from them.

And, of course, as we know Hamas is pushing to have members of their organization be integrated as part of the government. Now, that is a line

that I think the U.S. and Israel are drawing, but we know that their -- that that pressure is coming.

And so I -- I kind of walked away from this cabinet meeting with more questions than I think we have answers for. I don't think we know how Hamas

is going to disarm. I don't think we know how the Board of Peace is going to potentially govern Gaza and what that governance structure is going to

look like within the Gaza Strip.

And I think most importantly, and I think the outstanding question here is that there is still so much work to be done on the ground right now. I

mean, it is a humanitarian crisis. There are not enough aid trucks getting in. The hospitals do not have what they need to treat other patients.

So, while they're -- it's good that there's progress being made and we have reached this, you know, so-called phase two, there's still a lot of

questions that we don't know the answers to.

ASHER: And one of the other things that he touched on, especially early on in the cabinet meeting was Venezuela.

And so one of the things President Trump mentioned is this idea that the oil workers or rather the oil companies, I should say, were excited to go

into Venezuela. I mean, obviously, there are so many pitfalls and so many things that a lot of the oil executives are concerned about as it pertains

to bringing the energy infrastructure in Venezuela back online and making that work for the long-term.

[12:15:59]

Sabrina, your take on -- on what the president said in terms of Venezuela.

SINGH: Yes. You know, I think from that, what we saw with the oil executives that met with Donald Trump. I mean going into Venezuela and

extracting that oil, it is going to be a long and arduous process.

And I think the -- the question that oil executives have been pushing for is that, how are we going to do that with the security situation on the

ground? How do we actually secure those oil fields?

And, you know, this administration has said, well, it's sort of on you to do that. And I think all oil companies are looking around and saying, well,

we don't have that type of infrastructure built in. That's actually something that the U.S. military would be helpful with.

So, I think while there is this focus on wanting to extract oil from Venezuela, and we do have companies that are able to do that, it's the --

it's weighing that cost-benefit analysis. Is it actually worth the risk of going in?

And, of course, this administration is continuing to apply pressure to these oil company execs. But, you know, whether Americans actually see

those benefits anytime soon, I don't think we're going to see any of that anytime soon. And that's certainly not going to make the cost of oil go --

and gas prices go down now, which is what Americans want to see today.

ASHER: All right. Sabrina Singh, live for us there. Thank you so much.

Ron, let me turn to you, because one of the things I think a lot of us were hoping to hear from the president about is about, obviously, what's

happening in Minneapolis.

We're listening to Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, speaking now. We're hoping to hear from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. We know

that she is around the table.

A lot of Republicans have been calling for her to step down, given her initial response to the shooting death of Alex Pretti. We heard from Tom

Homan this morning giving that press conference in Minneapolis.

But just because you changed leadership, be it Greg Bovino being forced out of his position, be it Tom Homan being parachuted in to deal with the

situation on the ground in Minneapolis, be it, you know, what may happen to Kristi Noem. My understanding is that she is protected now.

But what actually happens on the ground? What changes just because you reshuffle leadership?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I don't think you would have replaced Greg Bovino with Tom Homan if you intended to make no

changes. You know, there'd be no reason to do that.

But the indications on the ground is that not that much has changed. You know, the administration maybe has taken a half step back, but that's about

it.

You know, these meetings are striking. I mean, they have that kind of gear leader quality where each kind of minion, you know, one by one, gets up and

talks about how Trump's policies have solved the problem in their area of the world or domestic policy, kind of one by one. And this is -- this is

being solved, that is being solved.

And, you know, the risk in all of that is pretty obvious, right? I mean, Americans do not feel as if their economic problems have been solved in the

first year of the Trump presidency.

I mean, the way -- the way that not only failing to address Minneapolis in the early, but I was struck by the way they, again, talked about

affordability and the economy as something that was in the rearview mirror.

We have basically solved the problem is his argument. And, you know, polling is unequivocal from every public and private pollster that

Americans feel as though their cost of living challenges remain as significant as when he took office.

I mean, so the obvious risk is -- is just appearing not only ineffectual, but -- but out of touch as well.

ASHER: I just been told by my producer because we're not actually able to listen as we're talking to you. But Donald Trump just announced that he

will be announcing a new Fed chair.

And, obviously, this is Jerome Powell's last year. He's set to step down this year. The Fed has been under so much pressure by the U.S. president in

terms of not cutting interest rates fast enough.

What is that risk here if Donald Trump ends up announcing? I mean, obviously, there is a board, right? It's not just down to Jerome Powell.

BROWNSTEIN: Right.

ASHER: It's not just down to the Fed chair. But what is that risk here in terms of the central bank's independence in this country, Ron?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's a -- it's a subset of the larger question, right? I mean, you know, Trump operating under an extreme version of what

conservatives call the Unitary Executive Theory has looked to assert really unprecedented levels of presidential control over the executive branch,

shattering traditions that go back to the 1930s, actually the 19 teens on independent agencies asserting the right to fire commissioners at places

like the federal communications or Federal Trade Commission without -- without cause.

Supreme Court seems inclined to allow him to do a lot of that. They appear to be drawing the line on the Federal Reserve board and -- and -- and

limiting his ability to kind of, you know, break through the historic barriers.

But the, you know, the historic power of the president to make appointments when vacancies come due and when -- when terms end is there. And he is

looking to assert more control of the Federal Reserve board.

[12:20:05]

But look, you know, it's not necessarily an unmitigated good for him if he gets this. Because again, the principal thing that got him elected was

Americans concerned that prices were too high and their cost of living was out of control.

And if he un -- if he unduly pressures the Fed to cut interest rates in a way that endangers further inflation, yes, he will probably get more

economic growth. But it's not clear that that in the long run will benefit him in terms of how Americans are perceiving their position in this

economy.

ASHER: Yes. And what it means for inflation.

All right. Ron Brownstein, live for us there. Thank you so much.

We'll be right back after this short break with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: So far, President Donald Trump has not mentioned the immigration crackdown and weeks of protests in the cabinet meeting.

White House border czar Tom Homan held a news conference earlier in Minneapolis and said that ICE and CBP are working on a plan to draw down

operations. He also said they were going to go back to what he called targeted enforcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: ICE and CBP officers are performing their duties in -- in a challenging environment under tremendous

circumstances. But they're trying to do it with professionalism.

If they don't, they'll be dealt with. Like any other federal agency, we have standards of conduct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: I want to bring in Jason DeRusha. He's a journalist and radio host in Minneapolis who anchors the show "Drivetime with DeRusha."

So just in terms of Tom Homan's comments and how they're being interpreted, this idea that there are standards of conduct. And if federal agents don't

abide by those standards, that they will be dealt with.

Also, this idea that the operations there are going to be centered around targeted enforcement and that they do plan some kind of draw down.

How are Homan's comments being received by protesters, by community activists, groups on the ground in Minneapolis?

JASON DERUSHA, JOURNALIST AND RADIO HOST: Zain, no one's going to throw Tom Homan a parade for vocalizing the literal bare minimum of what you would

expect from the federal government in a law enforcement operation.

But there is a bit of a sigh of relief and hopefulness. And it is exceedingly rare for the Trump administration to admit that something

didn't go perfectly.

[12:25:04]

So I do think there's something validating about Tom Homan saying today that there wasn't a perfect operation, that he was brought in there to fix

the things that have gone wrong. So I do think there's some hope there.

ASHER: But what about the level of distrust, the level of animosity on the street? I mean, it's one thing to have a man from the administration in a

suit deliver a news conference in front of reporters, but on the ground in Minneapolis where people are protesting. They don't want ICE or CBP in

their city.

They don't believe that they should be conducting some of these operations. There is so much distrust. How is that going to change?

DERUSHA: It's all about actions, right? I mean, I do think the fact that we both been listening live to President Trump and his cabinet hearing --

cabinet meeting today, and the fact that he didn't say anything I think is a positive development.

Let -- let the border czar's words sit and then let's see what happens. The drawdown he has said is in progress. We'll see.

I will tell you that while much of the activists have been focused on the city of Minneapolis, and much of the world has been focused on Minneapolis

here in this Twin Cities area, ICE agents have been all in the surrounding communities. So it's -- we'll believe it when we see it, right?

Last night, there were a ton of ICE agents out in a suburb where I live, Maple Grove. And so let's see it. If there's a drawdown, let's see it. If

there is going to be a change.

I think the -- the real hopeful thing was a fact that, you know, if there's going to be a return to the original plan, targeted enforcement of the

supposed worst or the worst, that would be a massive change to what we've been seeing in our streets and our neighborhoods every day.

ASHER: As you know, initially, we were told by the administration that Alex Pretti was brandishing a gun. And then, of course, we all watched the video

and we watched multiple videos from several different angles that showed something very, very different. And we watched him be killed or essentially

fired upon at least 10 times. And we watched him literally die on video.

And so just in terms of what would normally happen when there was a situation involving federal agents and a level of perceived injustice,

there would be accountability.

The fact that we still do not know the name of the agent who actually fired those shots very different already from what we saw with Renee Good when,

almost immediately, we all found out that it was Jonathan Ross who fired the shot that killed Renee Good.

DERUSHA: Right.

ASHER: This time, we have no idea.

How is that being perceived on the streets of -- of Minneapolis? And just the fact that I imagine that there is some concern that there's not going

to be any accountability perhaps.

DERUSHA: There is zero trust between people on the streets in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the federal government right now. So this just

adds to that.

You know, some transparency would go a long way. Tell us who these agents are. At first, besides all of the lies that you just talked about, you

know, they told us that these agents were still on the job. And now yesterday we're told, no, they were suspended. Well, what is it?

It is, I think, the number one thing that, you know, certainly there are some Trump supporters who want chaos perhaps or want this sort of response.

And there are others who just don't believe there should be any enforcement of the immigration laws. I think most people believe in enforcing

immigration laws, but most people believe in a professional law enforcement.

We had a federal judge here in Minneapolis say that ICE has violated more than 100 federal court orders, more than some government agencies have

enforced in their entire existence have been ignored over the last couple of weeks. So professionalism, transparency and action. I think that's what

people want.

ASHER: All right. Jason Derusha in Minneapolis for us. Thank you so much. Appreciate your perspective.

DERUSHA: Thanks.

ASHER: We'll be right back with more after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:32]

ASHER: All right. Heavy rainfall has triggered massive flooding in southern Spain's farming region, forcing the evacuation of at least 50 people.

Emergency teams helped rescue these dogs that were trapped in the rising waters, as well as stranded motorists too. Officials say the flooding has

inundated both crops and homes in the area.

Testimony, rather, resumes in a courtroom in Virginia today in the twisted murder trial of Brendan Banfield.

Prosecutors accused the former IRS agent of concocting an elaborate scheme to kill his wife, Christine. Another man named Joseph Ryan back in February

2023.

They alleged Banfield lured Ryan to his home by having the family au pair pose as his wife on a fetish website seeking a consensual violent sexual

encounter.

They say that Banfield was having an affair with the au pair and devised the plan to actually get rid of Christine, his wife, then blame it on Ryan.

Banfield acknowledged the affair but denied the scheme on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever create any sort of a plan with Julianna?

BRENDAN BANFIELD, DEFENDANT: No, there was no plan. At this point, our relationship is maybe six to eight weeks old. I think that it is an absurd

line of questioning for something that is not serious, that we're -- that a plan was made to get rid of my wife. That is absolutely crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Joining us live now with more details on this is CNN's Jean Casarez.

Banfield, back on the stand today, and this is the first time we've actually heard from him. Just walking us through what he has been saying.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's been giving a very, very detailed story. And just -- just for your viewers, this is taking place in

Fairfax County, Virginia. It is right next to Washington, D.C. and Brandon Banfield, the defendant that you're looking at right there, was an IRS

criminal investigator.

So he would go to D.C. every day and work on his cases. His wife was a pediatric intensive care nurse. His wife was, from all accounts, just a

really beautiful person.

And he testified that when they hired the au pair, they did so because their hours were just not conducive to child caring, because they had --

she would work overnight at the hospital. They hired an au pair directly from Brazil.

[12:35:06]

And he said everything was fine. But then in the August of 2022, the au pair started to approach him romantically. That's the au pair right there.

She testified against him in this trial. And he said that he did not refuse her moves and they began an affair.

And he said he'd had multiple affairs during his marriage. His wife knew about a couple of them, but they decided to stay married. He also said his

wife had affairs in the marriage.

And so it comes to that point when they get to the -- that morning, he realizes someone is in the house and he doesn't know of. This is his story.

He goes into the house, goes up to the bedroom, and there in the bedroom is his wife on the floor with a man and he's got a knife and he is stabbing

his wife.

And this would be the hired escort. Why would he murder her? We don't know. But he testified that -- that he was shocked and stunned and he shot Joseph

Ryan, the escort, out of self-defense because his wife was being harmed.

ASHER: All right. Jean Casarez, live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. It is an unprecedented move for a sitting first lady. A new documentary brings you behind the scenes of Melania Trump's life. We have a

preview for you coming up.

And a bit of trivia before the break. What is the most widely streamed show in the United States? A hint, the program has taken that title for two

years running. Can you guess what it is? Stick around to see if you got it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Let's check and see how the U.S. markets are doing. The Dow is pretty much flat. S&P 500 is down half of one percent. And the

NASDAQ is down one and a quarter percent. This is your business breakout.

Brent crude oil prices are up for a third straight day. It comes amid increasing concerns that the U.S. may carry out a military attack on Iran

that could potentially disrupt the supply of oil from the region. Iran is the fourth largest oil producing member of OPEC.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says, his country's relationship with China is in a, quote, good, strong place and that progress was made on

tariffs and visa free travel. His comments follow an 18-minute summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier today. Starmer is the first British

Prime Minister to visit China in about eight years.

[12:40:18]

Outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has this advice for his successor, quote, don't get pulled into elected politics. But Powell also

stressed in a Q&A with reporters, Fed officials need to be held accountable by Congress as well. Powell's term ends in May. And President Trump just

announced moments ago at his cabinet meeting that he will announce a successor to Chairman Jerome Powell next week.

All right. These days, artificial intelligence is everywhere. It can help you by serving as a personal assistant or by organizing an airline flight

schedule.

And now, weapons manufacturers are working to put A.I. to use, using it to make their guns and drones more accurate and deadly than ever seemed

possible before.

Our Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(GUNSHOTS)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): At an Israeli gun range, a demo of how A.I. is changing up battlefields.

SEMION, HEAD OF EUROPE, ISRAEL WEAPON INDUSTRIES: It will analyze my movements, analyze when I'm stable enough on the target, and it will

release the bullet when it calculates the maximum probability for me to hit the target.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): This tech called Arbel and others like it already in use by Israeli troops in Gaza.

(GUNSHOTS)

A.I. enhanced weapons on you, but putting them in frontline soldiers, regular guns is cutting-edge.

SEMION: I think we're at the, let's say, the beginning of this revolution of putting A.I. on the soldiers.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The manufacturers are counting on fears of cheap, increasingly lethal battlefield drones boosting sales.

SEMION: Europe has an ecosystem that's feel very threatened by this kind of threat. We see very growing interest in this kind of solution.

ROBERTSON: The lessons of the world's cutting-edge battlefields like Ukraine, if you don't have A.I. tech in your weapon, then you just increase

your chances of getting killed. Manufacturers are racing to keep up, governments hungry to protect their troops.

BOB TOLLAST, RESEARCH FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: Guys are just being, you know, they're being chased into bunkers. They can't get

away. And -- and I think this is what's driving such a massive level of experimentation.

And in Ukraine alone, I've actually heard there were 63 companies just in the drone interceptor market.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): These recent videos from Ukraine show how sophisticated front line drones have become. Smart operators increasingly

helped by A.I. able to hit targets impossible a few years ago.

And it's not just Ukraine's frontline losses ringing alarm bells around Europe's capitals, airports from Denmark to the Netherlands, Germany,

France, the U.K., are also getting buzzed by fast-moving, hard-to-target drones.

The Dutch recently tried unsuccessfully to shoot them down.

As the threat multiplies, so innovation is accelerating both attack and defense, enhanced by A.I. near instantaneous software updates edging

closer.

TOLLAST: It's that iteration loop that's really changed how we're looking at warfare. That's really one of the big lessons from Ukraine, actually.

We're in an age what some people call software-defined warfare.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even so, experts like Tollast caution against the notion an infantry soldier's A.I. tech being a defining battlefield game

changer just yet.

Back on the Israeli gun range, they're convinced A.I. augmented infantry is the way forward.

SEMION: It really dramatically increases your marksmanship, your lethality, your ability to engage, but this is the best tool to any light arm scenario

you can see at the battle.

ROBERTSON: Is there any way of going back from this now?

SEMION: No.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): What is clear, guns as we knew them, are changing, becoming more deadly.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. In the coming hours, Melania Trump will walk the red carpet for the premiere of a documentary that bears her first name and a

building that bears her last name. The Melania documentary captures 20 days in the life of the first lady.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:45:03]

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF UNITED STATES: Everyone wants to know. So here it is.

Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations.

D. TRUMP: Did you watch it?

M. TRUMP: I did not. Yes, I will see it on the news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: She was reportedly deeply involved in the production and promotion of the film. That promotion. That promotion included ringing the New York

Stock Exchange opening bell.

The whole project is something unprecedented for a sitting first lady. Betsy Klein gives us a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Zain, as First Lady Melania Trump prepares to walk the red carpet at the premiere of her

documentary this evening, she is proving that a peak behind the curtain of her private life is not just a part of the historical record, it can also

be a multi-million dollar commodity.

The Melania documentary is going to capture the 20 days around Trump's return to the White House. And we are seeing her set aside what has been a

very carefully curated privacy to now become a paid executive producer of her own narrative.

We do expect a who's who of President Trump's cabinet along with a list of minor celebrities and conservative figures on the red carpet tonight.

That's going to include the Chrisley family of reality T.V. fame, along with rapper Waka Flocka Flame, the former New York mayor Eric Adams, as

well as the financial criminal Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, among many, many others.

But Trump here is proving that the business of being first lady can be quite lucrative. She signed a roughly $40 million deal with Amazon, MGM

Studios.

And in addition to that, they also have a $35 million marketing budget for this film. And that is all setting up a major test for whether what we've

seen as very significant public curiosity about Melania Trump and her life will translate into getting her fans and even foes into seats at movie

theaters across the country for this theatrical release starting tomorrow.

Now, we've seen First Lady Melania Trump keep a very low profile this term largely splitting her time between Florida and New York. And she has really

scaled up her public appearances and television appearances in the ramp up to this documentary as she sought to promote it.

And from the time Donald Trump entered the political arena, his wife has really been somewhat of a Rorschach test for American political observers.

To some, she was a MAGA queen. And to others, she could have been leading the resistance.

But with the release of this documentary this week, the First Lady is proving that she is her husband's wife.

I want you to listen to this clip from an interview with Fox Business moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We could see that the country is divided and it's very hard no matter what he says. They don't

like to listen.

And, you know, what's going on in our country now, I feel that it's a lot of pushback. And I hope it stops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Melania Trump defending her husband as a unifier in that interview and really underscoring their complete political alignment as a couple

there. That is a theme we are expecting to see in this documentary again releasing in theaters on Friday, Zain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Betsey Klein reporting there.

All right. For the parents out there, you may be familiar with the popular Australian children's cartoon, Bluey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bluey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: My kids love this show. You may also, as a parent, even found yourself watching it alongside your kids. And, of course, you would not be

the only one.

For the second year in a row, Bluey is actually the most streamed show in the United States. Americans watched a total of over 45 billion minutes of

this cartoon last year. So my kids are in good company.

We'll be right back with more after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:35]

ASHER: As the White House border czar searches for solutions in Minneapolis, many mourners turned out Wednesday night in the freezing cold

for a vigil to honor the memory of Alex Pretti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Pretti and Renee Good were both U.S. citizens who were fatally shot recently by federal agents over the Trump administration's -- Trump

administration's immigration crackdown.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'hara has sharply criticized the agents' tactics in his city.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz went in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: It's been alarming to me that we've had shooting and then another shooting and another shooting, and nothing's

changed.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR AND CRIME JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chief Brian O'Hara has been working to rebuild the Minneapolis Police

Department in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

O'HARA: I was afraid that that was it, it's over. Like, we were going to wind up having looting and destruction again, just like in 2020. And we

might just slide into that cycle again, that cops are burned out, they want to leave, crime increases at the same time, and people completely lose

faith in law enforcement.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Now, he says the surge of federal immigration operations in his city threatens to undo the progress that's been made.

PROKUPECZ: It's got to be hard to see, especially as a longtime law enforcement leader.

O'HARA: Working the other night with an officer around midnight, we saw a car, taking red light. So we -- we pulled him over. And it was a young

family with a child in the backseat. And they had come out late at night to pick up food because they were afraid they're going to get stopped.

And the woman looked like she hadn't eaten in days, the mother. I mean, I don't know how you can't be impacted on a -- on a human level by some of

the things that are happening.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The escalation of ICE tactics against the public here, culminating with the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, have been

widely criticized. It's the kind of policing Chief O'Hara was brought into Minneapolis to stamp out.

O'HARA: I don't think it's too much to ask the federal government to conduct law enforcement in a way that respects the constitution, in a way

that, you know, lives up to the standards that people expect law enforcement in this country to have today, to be professional, to use

tactically sound methods.

Take a look at the videos you see, it looks like policing from 30 years ago at best.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Chief O'Hara brought us to Colonial Market, the epicenter of some of the most violent protests back in 2020. We met the

owner, Danny Hernandez.

O'HARA: So this whole strip here burned in 2020.

PROKUPECZ: So this is all new, like in the last couple years.

O'HARA: This whole --

PROKUPECZ: And now it's all empty.

DANNY HERNANDEZ, OWNER, COLONIAL MARKET: Now it's all empty. We have 12 small businesses.

As you can see, all of them are closed. There's only one standing besides the grocery store. Everybody else told me that they're -- they're --

they're no -- they're no longer going to be able to -- to keep going, to get back to our feet. That's going to be a challenge. So the impact, you

know, that it has, I don't -- the scars are going to be there.

[12:55:03]

O'HARA: There's still ongoing public safety issues in these communities that we have to try and deal with. And if everybody's just scared and

nobody tells us anything, you're going to create a situation where there's entire groups of people that are going to be the perfect victims, because

it can easily be targeted for crime and they're not going to report things because they're scared.

HERNANDEZ: MPD really work hard to -- to gain the trust. Now, we're not trusting federal government. Now, I don't know -- you know, like, anytime

people hear Feds, they're going to just clinch, you know.

PROKUPECZ: What happens now? Like, what's -- what do you think? Yes, well - -

O'HARA: I don't know.

PROKUPECZ: Like what is like, hopefully, things deescalate.

O'HARA: Deescalate. That's what we need. We need peace.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.

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