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One World with Zain Asher
Trump: U.S. is Bigger, Better, Stronger Than Ever Before; Trump Briefly Mentions Ukraine During Record-Long Speech; "Release the Files": Epstein Survivors Attend Trump Speech; Cubans Feel the Pressure of U.S. Oil Blockade; Anthropic Ditches Core Safety Promise Amid Tensions with Pentagon; "Heated Rivalry" Canadian Cottage Soon Available on Airbnb. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 25, 2026 - 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. Coming to you, live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching "One World".
Combative, animated, wide ranging, and certainly record setting as well.
President Donald Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech ever in U.S. history, on Tuesday, delivering a full throat of defense of his first
year back in office, while claiming the golden age of America is now upon us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a
transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turn-around for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages, and we will never go back to
where we were just a very short time ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: For the better part of nearly two hours, the president focused on mainly domestic priorities, particularly the economy and immigration. But
the largely ignored financial pain for America -- for many Americans, especially those on a low income, and what they're feeling as well. He
largely ignored that, and he repeatedly insisted that rising costs are no longer a problem.
And just days after the Supreme Court struck down his global tariffs, Trump made a prediction, saying that he believes that tariff revenues could
actually one day replace U.S. income tax. The president also lashed out at Democrats and their focus on affordability.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The same people in this chamber who voted for those disasters suddenly used the word affordability, knowing full well that they caused
and created the increased prices that all of our citizens had to endure. You caused that problem. I knew their statements were dirty, rotten lie.
Their policies created the high prices. Our policies are rapidly ending them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Meantime, there were some noticeable omissions from Trump's speech, including any mention of the Epstein files or the two U.S. citizens who
were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. The Democrats summed up their response to Trump's speech with these nine words, we did
not hear the truth from our president.
Shortly after Trump's address, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered her party's rebuttal. She pushed back on the U.S. President's
claims, while sharply criticizing his immigration crackdown and accusing federal agents of sewing fears.
Spanberger also blasted Trump for not making life more affordable for Americans and accusing him of enriching himself his family and his friends.
She called the scale of corruption in his administration unprecedented.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): Here is the truth, over the last year, through DOGE mass firings and the appointment of deeply unserious people to
our nation's most serious positions, our president has endangered the long and storied history of the United States of America being a force for good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from the White House. So just in terms of, you know, the overall sort of messaging and the themes in this
speech. I mean, yes, it was a lot of focus on the economy, on immigration too.
But you think about the extraordinary amount of self-congratulation in this speech, meaning that is what it was really about, and also the theatrics
involved. You had the U.S. Men's Hockey Team coming out. You had him giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the goalkeeper in that.
You also had a Venezuela political prisoner being reunited with his niece on live television, and also the army pilot that was involved in the
transfer of Maduro to New York also being given the Congressional Medal of Honor. There was a lot of theatrics involved in this particular State of
the Union Address. And, by the way, the longest one in history, too.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And I think when you deliver an hour, 48-minute speech. You can give a bunch of different
speeches all at once, which is what the president did. I think, recognizing that he needed to use this address to essentially wiggle out of what has
become quite a treacherous political moment for him.
You know, historically unpopular, all of these issues that used to be an advantage for him, whether it's economy or immigration have turned into a
vulnerability. And so, I think heading into this speech, the president recognized that he had a number of different tasks that he needed to
accomplish.
[11:05:00]
And so, he did, I think, give a variety of different speeches to a variety of different audiences. You know, he did talk about the economy a lot. He
touted the accomplishments of the last year. He didn't use the speech to lay out, you know, this big raft of new policy proposals, which I think in
a previous era you might have expected from a president who controls both Chambers of Congress.
He also didn't really give, you know, the I feel your pain speech that I think a lot of Republicans would have wanted to hear from the president
with the acknowledgement that a lot of Americans don't feel that the economy is doing as well as the president is saying.
You know, the other speech he gave was the spectacle speech, all of these sort of made for television, moments, awarding these medals of honor,
basking in the gold medal hockey team. You know, I think the president sort of trying to associate himself with images and people who sort of
underscore American victory and American heroism.
And then, of course, there was the political brawling, which I think comes most naturally to the president. And there were all of these moments when
he was essentially trying to bait Democrats in the Chamber to sort of sit down and not acknowledge things that, at least in his view, are just common
sense.
And you saw him sort of repeatedly calling on these sort of harrowing, terrifying stories of people, whether it's you know, people who were
trafficked or the parents of children who were murdered, or, you know, someone who he claims, a young girl who he claims was being transitioned,
sort of goading Democrats into not standing for them.
And so that, I think, was the moment that the president was essentially a banking on to, you know, carry him through the next year.
ASHER: All right, Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much. Let's take a closer look at the speech with Tia Mitchell. She's the Washington
Bureau Chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Tia, thank you so much for being with us. I want to start with a simple question. Who do you think
was the intended audience of this speech to you?
TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Well, I think in a lot of ways, Trump was talking to people who are already
aligned with him, who already agree to him. I think he would say he was talking to all American people.
But when you look at the content of his speech, the tone of his speech, and, quite frankly, the issues he chose to focus on, he was really speaking
to his face. I think part of him wants to address the fact that, you know, polling was showing that even some Republicans were starting to sour on his
agenda.
I think he wanted to start with his people and try to build him back up. So, to me, that's who he was speaking to, and quite frankly, that's who the
speech was most likely to resonate, resonate with.
ASHER: Right. So, he was preaching to the choir, speaking to people who already love and support him. But you do have the midterms coming up in a
few months here, and so wouldn't a smarter strategy have been to also try to appeal to swing voters and to independents?
MITCHELL: So, I think that, you know, President Trump has always had an unorthodox approach, and I think he has always approached politics, not
necessarily about building a wide coalition, but building an energetic base. And quite frankly, that served him well in 2016 perhaps he did not
fully understand the lessons that his 2024 win taught us about.
You know, for that wind, for Trump, was more about expanding his base, speaking to the middle, speaking to the issues that are top of mind to
voters. But I think he's kind of gone back to focusing on his base. For Trump it doesn't matter he doesn't have to win an election later this year.
Now, I do think that there are plenty of Republicans who wish he was focused on the -- not just the broader issues of affordability, because he
did address them in his speech, but how he did it? I think there are plenty of Republicans who wish he was more forward thinking, forward looking, that
he had more tangible examples and plans that he had shared last night.
And perhaps had wished that, you know, some of the picking fights with Democrats that we know his base eats up, but may not always read as well to
a more general audience. But that's always been a difference in approach, even when it comes to fellow Republicans and what they wish Donald Trump
would do at various times.
ASHER: Yeah. I mean, listen, yes, you're right. He does have a much more unorthodox approach. But, you know, you learned a lot from what he chose
yes to focus on, but also what he chose to omit.
[11:10:00]
I mean, obviously, understandably, it shouldn't come as any surprise. There was no mention of anything to do with Epstein, even though the Democrats
actually brought several Epstein survivors to the speech. On top of that, as you point out, he didn't really touch on the affordability crisis, other
than to talk about the fact that, you know, any issue when it came to the economy that was slightly negative was obviously, in his words, Joe Biden's
fault.
And when it came to immigration, you know, the elephant in the room is, of course, the fact that two Americans were killed in January, and that has
cast a massive shadow over the Trump Administration. The fact that he chose not to talk about the things that these sorts of pain points for a lot of
Americans.
I mean, people aren't stupid. So, was that a smart strategy not to address any of those issues at all, to sort of sweep them under the rug and pretend
as though they didn't exist?
MITCHELL: So, here's what I think. I think he thinks he talked about him, but he talked about him again to your point. He talked about affordability
in the economy, but in -- but to say anything that you think is bad, it's all the Democrats fault, and so not taking responsibility to say, the buck
stops with me. I'm the leader.
I've been president for a year, and I can, you know, it's not up to anyone else but me, to address your concerns. Instead, he continued to blame
Democrats and his predecessors. On immigration enforcement, instead of him addressing the concerns that many voters have that it's become too heavy
handed. It's targeting people who don't have criminal records.
It's led to the deaths of U.S. citizens. Instead, he chose to, you know, focus on people who have died at the hands of illegal immigrants, for
example, or, you know, paint it as an issue that he has fixed. You know, ending saying, you know, I've limited all immigration at the southern
border. These are the types of things he focuses on.
So, it's about a redirection in ways that perhaps some people, again, I think his base will celebrate that and say, look at all he's accomplished.
But again, it's very backward looking, not forward looking. So, the question is, will voters who are going to the polls in a few months, how
are they going to react to a president that really doesn't take much ownership, let alone outline what he has done and will do to address their
top concerns?
ASHER: All right, Tia Michelle -- Mitchell, excuse me, live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right, one standout moment from
Tuesday's address is when President Trump claimed that he ended eight wars, while his administration has played an important role in certainly
resolving some global conflicts.
This claim is obviously an exaggeration. Trump's list of supposed wars that he settled includes Egypt and Ethiopia. That that situation is actually a
long running diplomatic dispute. The president also mentioned the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, which is actually
ongoing despite a peace agreement brokered by the U.S. last year prior to his 2024 election victory.
Trump stated on the campaign trail that he could solve the war with Ukraine in about 24 hours. Now, over one year back in office, U.S. diplomatic
efforts have still not stopped the fighting. Here is what the president said last night at his State of the Union Address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And we're working very hard to end the ninth war, the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, where 25,000 soldiers are dying each
and every month. Think of that, 25,000 soldiers are dying a month a war which would have never happened if I were president. It would have never
happened. As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's discuss all of this with CNN's Clare Sebastian joining us live now from London. Yes, you know, you do have to remember back on the
campaign trail where he claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine just like that, almost immediately, as soon as he got back in office.
Obviously, that hasn't happened. Despite Trump's very sort of unorthodox diplomatic approach, he has this habit when it comes to negotiations of
making all sides nervous, that has not worked for him with this particular war at all. In terms of reaction from Zelenskyy based on what the president
said yesterday, we haven't gotten anything yet.
We do know that there are talks between Zelenskyy and the U.S. scheduled for this week. You know, we hear of these talks happening every so often,
is this one going to be different, Clare? I mean, how much can we still sort of continue to hold out hope when nothing, even the president's
unorthodox approach to this war, has worked so far?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look Zain, I think, despite all the obstacles in their way and the setbacks we've seen over the past few
years, and the stalling of this diplomatic process and the defaulting of the Trump Administration's position back into supporting Russia, Ukraine is
still holding out hope.
[11:15:00]
They do still feel like the U.S. is best placed to force Russia into some kind of compromise, though, of course, we haven't seen any sign of that
happening yet. And so that is why I think you're seeing Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials stay pretty tight lipped about not only the State of
the Union, but, for example, the fact that the U.S. abstained from a UN resolution on Tuesday calling for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Because despite all that, the U.S. does remain engaged in this diplomatic process. We are going to see talks on Thursday in Geneva. These will be
bilateral talks between Ukraine and the U.S. negotiating team, Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
And they have some key priorities for those talks, including the prosperity plan, as it's called, the sort of post war aid package to rebuild Ukraine,
including for preparations for the next round of trilateral talks with Russia, which president says, he says he thinks will be in early March, and
also preparations for another prisoner swap.
This is all you know elements that really matter to Ukraine, and so there's no interest in Ukraine in trying to upset that process by commenting on
this speech. So, look, that is where we are right now, day one of the fifth year of this war. And I think they are still putting their hopes in this
diplomatic process, even as we've seen that process yield very little in terms of results over the past year, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Clare Sebastian, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, despite a record long speech, President Trump only briefly
touched on foreign affairs. He says that the reason behind the recent U.S. military build-up in the Middle East is to ensure that Iran does not obtain
a nuclear weapon. I want you to listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of
terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can't let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: His remarks come ahead of the next round of indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran slated to resume in Geneva on Thursday. Let's get
international reaction to Trump's address. CNN's Mike Valerio is standing by in Beijing. But first to Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iran has accused President Trump of repeating big lies in his State of the Union speech when it comes to their
nuclear and missile program and the number of anti-regime protesters killed by security forces last month, even comparing it to Nazi propaganda.
Now, President Trump has said that he believes Iran does want to make a deal, but he has not heard the secret words, we will never have a nuclear
weapon. Now, in fact, Tehran has said that on a number of occasions. We heard the foreign minister say it just hours before this speech, although
many do doubt what truth there is in that statement.
Now, President Trump has said, though, that he does still prefer a diplomatic option to the issue at this point. The next 48 hours are key, as
the U.S. and Iran will meet once again in Geneva on Thursday.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What was certainly stunning, especially watching here in Beijing that there was no extensive section in the State
of the Union that talked about China policy. So, the question is, why?
And it could be because U.S. President Donald Trump finds himself perhaps weakened going into a trip to Beijing on March 31st through April 2nd. That
has to, of course, center on the trade truce. The U.S. Supreme Court somewhat clipping his wings when it comes to limiting that emergency tariff
power that he had been wielding over the past year, especially negotiating with China.
China's main trump cards when it comes to rare earth minerals and its huge export network, they remain untouched. So, this could be perhaps the U.S.
President not wanting to rock the boat ahead of this key trip to China.
ASHER: All right, many thanks to CNN's Paula Hancocks and Mike Valerio for those two reports. All right, still to come, a speech that clocked in at
one hour and 47 minutes more on the U.S. President's State of the Union Address and the issues he did not talk about next.
Plus, a jump, a huge increase in the reward for any information in the Nancy Guthrie case has yielded an increase in tips as well. The question
is, of course, will any of them actually help find the missing 84-year-old? We'll have details on that ahead as well.
[11:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And enact serious penalties for public officials who blocked the removal of criminal aliens, in many cases, drug lords, murders all over our
country. They're blocking the removal of --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: That was Democratic Congresswoman you see there Ilhan Omar, who yelled when the president blasted Democrats on the issue of immigration and
homeland security funding. You can hear her say, you have killed Americans, in reference to the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal
immigration officers.
Many Democrats actually boycotted the speech or engaged in silent protests, as advised by top Democrats, but there were some tense moments. Texas
Congressman Al Green was escorted out of the Chamber early Tuesday night, holding up a sign that said black people are not apes. It references racist
video of the Obamas that President Trump shared on social media and then delete it.
The U.S. President did not mention the Epstein files at all during his record long speech, many Democrats, including Former House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, wore pins that said, we stand with survivors release the files. Several Democrats also invited survivors of Epstein's abuse to the speech
as their guests.
Earlier Tuesday, before the State of the Union Address, a group of Democrats and Epstein survivors held a news conference to draw attention to
the Trump Administration's handling of the case. One Epstein survivor tells CNN that though many have resigned after emails reveal that their links to
Jeffrey Epstein victims are not ready to move on until justice is served.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you view these resignations as a step forward or sweep the thing under the rug?
DANIELLE BENSKY, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I think they are definitely step forward. I think we have so many tears of co-conspirators in this case. And
I think that the treatment or the -- just the form of justice is not going to look the same for all of these different people, right? And so, I think
when you're seeing these resignations, it is a little bit validating for survivors, but we just have to keep pushing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill and joins us live now. So, in that sort of nearly two-hour speech, obviously, the president, as you would
expect, made zero mention of the Epstein files. But you did have over a dozen, over a dozen Democrats who invited Epstein survivors as their guests
to really make a point of the issue.
And it's clear that even though the president is continually trying to sort of sweep this issue under the rug, it is not going to go away Lauren?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. And you already have some Democrats and Republicans who are arguing that there are
files that should have been in the collection that they reviewed at the Justice Department that they believe are missing.
And that was just the latest turn yesterday, right before this speech began for the State of the Union, it's not surprising that the president didn't
bring this up.
[11:25:00]
Obviously, this has been something that has dogged his presidency for the last six months. It has been something that he has tried repeatedly to move
on from. It has been something that Congress, even some of those in his own party, have not let him move on from.
But you know the fact that he didn't mention it as sort of a touting of his greatest hits over the last year of his administration, I think that that
was to be expected. Still, there are some Democrats who are arguing that it was a disservice to the survivors. Here's one of them, Representative
Pramila Jayapal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): He must answer for why the Department of Justice has still refused to release 3 million remaining files? And why
they continue the massive cover up of a depraved Epstein class?
He must answer to the people across the country and the world who see the powerful predators in government, academia, finance and law have all been
part of abusing and raping young girls and joking about it with zero accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOX: And of course, the president touched on a number of other issues during his State of the Union speech. You know, he talked and touted a lot
about his economic record. He talked about future plans for health care as well as retirement accounts. But one thing that was really interesting to
me is that he also repeatedly called out Democrats, some of them by name, during his speech.
So obviously this was not a unifying speech. This was a speech in which both sides left the chamber having very different views about whether the
president had delivered on the job in that State of the Union speech.
ASHER: All right, Lauren Fox, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, I want to update you now on the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. CNN has
learned the FBI received 750 credible tips on Tuesday alone, after Savannah Guthrie announced the family will pay $1 million for information leading to
her mother's recovery.
Savannah in her heart wrenching new video, please once again for her mother's return, but also acknowledge that her mother may already be gone.
Ed Lavandera has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The anguish, the pain.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: I'm coming on to say it is day 24 since our mom was taken.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Cut through Savannah Guthrie's voice in a video message announcing a million-dollar reward for information leading to the
recovery of their 84-year-old mother.
GUTHRIE: We are blowing on the embers of hope. We also know that she may be lost, she may already be gone. She may have already gone home to the Lord
that she loves. If this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): A source close to the Guthrie family says Savannah and her siblings first raised the idea of a substantial reward on the first
day of the search for Nancy, but investigators cautioned against it because of concerns the calls would overwhelm the tip lines.
GUTHRIE: You can be anonymous if you want. Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows we are begging you to
please come forward now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you describe it for me, please.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Pima County and FBI tip lines have received tens of thousands of calls since Nancy Guthrie disappeared, but that's
changed with the investigation now in its fourth week.
LAVANDERA: And how is the influx of calls now?
JOANNE AMSTEAD, 911 DISPATCH SUPERVISOR, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: It's starting to taper down a little bit. Unfortunately, we haven't had a
lot of you know, new breaks with this as of late. So, as people are watching the news, maybe there's not as much new things for them to call in
and report about.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): It was these haunting videos and images of the suspect standing at Nancy Guthrie's front door that's generated the largest
number of tips in the last two weeks. But one of those photos stood out because in it the suspect was not seen wearing the backpack and holstered
gun around his waist.
A source tells CNN that image was captured on a day before Nancy Guthrie was abducted. The Pima County Sheriff says there is no date or time stamp
associated with these images. Any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative.
But for weeks, investigators have been asking Guthrie's neighbors for video, dating all the way back to January 1st, suggesting investigators are
looking to confirm if the suspect had previously staked out Guthrie's home to plan the abduction. Outside Nancy's home the vigil of yellow flowers
keeps growing with a message to the suspect to do the right thing and end this nightmare for the Guthrie family.
[11:30:00]
GUTHRIE: So many people have been praying of every faith, and no faith at all, praying for her return, and we feel those prayers.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Guthrie's wait continues.
GUTHRIE: Please keep praying without ceasing. We still believe. We still believe in a miracle. We still believe that she can come home. Hope against
hope.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): An FBI official tells CNN that in the hour since Savannah Guthrie posted that announcement of a $1 million reward, that it
has generated 750 credible leads that have been passed on from the FBI call center to investigators here in Arizona.
And as this official point out, they just need one of those to be the credible tip and lead that brings them to where Nancy Guthrie might be. Ed
Lavandera CNN, Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: The U.S. Secretary of State is in the Caribbean this hour, reaffirming the U.S. commitment the region's growth. We'll look at what
that means coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some headlines we are watching today. President Donald Trump has broken his
own record for the longest State of the Union Address in American history. During his speech Tuesday night, the President focused heavily on domestic
issues such as the economy and immigration.
Critics say it was heavy on theatrics, but of course, light on specifics, including how to fix America's affordability crisis. President Trump also
gave Congress and the world insight into his foreign policy moves. He says the reason behind the recent U.S. military build-up in the Middle East is
to ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
A new round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran is expected to take place in Geneva on Thursday. An American traveler in Mexico no longer have
to shelter in place. U.S. State Department says the situation there has apparently calm down after the killing of drug lord El Mencho by Mexicans
forces on Sunday. His death led to widespread retaliatory violence.
[11:35:00]
At this hour, U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is meeting with Caribbean Leaders. The State Department says the goal is to reaffirm U.S.
commitment to stability and cooperation in the Western Hemisphere. He arrived earlier in Saint Kitts and Nevis for a meeting of CARICOM, a group
of 21 countries in the Caribbean.
One Caribbean country the U.S. does not have good relations with is Cuba. The U.S. is pursuing its so-called Donroe Doctrine that includes a blockade
of oil to the island, causing problems for oil producing countries who do business with both the U.S. and Cuba.
And it's left Cuba with a massive energy crisis, which in turn is causing everything from long blackouts to transportation and transit disruptions to
long lines at gas stations as well. The quickly sinking relationship with the U.S. is causing some young Cubans to rethink their future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANUEL JORGE, HAVANA RESIDENT: The idea would be to emigrate to a place where I can be better off. I really like my country. I love Cuba, but the
future prospects aren't good. Nobody wants to live in hardship. We all want a sense of well-being different opportunities, a sense of fulfillment, the
ability to indulge ourselves even in simpler things, and to eat well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Brian Winter has followed Latin American politics for the last 25 years, and is the Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly. He joins us live
now from New York. Brian, thank you so much for being with us.
So, you think about the brewing and continued economic fallout in Cuba, which was also having an economic or rather already having an economy in
crisis that was struggling before the oil blockade, let alone after. And a lot of people watching this are saying that it's going to not just leave
just lead to deeper economic crisis, but also humanitarian crisis as well.
If you're a country or an island in the Caribbean right now, you know that any kind of economic or humanitarian fallout from Cuba is likely going to
affect you. Just walk us through what the CARICOM Leaders are hoping to achieve with this meeting with Marco Rubio now?
BRIAN WINTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AMERICAS QUARTERLY: Well, I think a lot of your viewers may be asking themselves, why Secretary of State Marco Rubio
would be taking time to attend a summit in St. Kitts at a time when the United States is also circling around Iran and there are other hot spots in
the world.
And the answer is precisely because, I think Cuba, and to some extent China. Cuba because the Trump Administration seems to have its sight set on
some kind of transition there, whether it's a formal regime change or an arrangement similar to the one in Venezuela, where the existing government
agrees to conduct some kind of economic and political opening, or perhaps something more dramatic.
And then China, you know, the U.S. government right now very focused on Chinese influence throughout the Western Hemisphere, throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean. And so, I think there will clearly be conversations between Secretary Rubio and his peers from all over the
Caribbean about both of those issues.
ASHER: And before we get back to Cuba, just to sort of hone in on China. I mean, China has financed infrastructure and development projects across the
Caribbean, across Latin America, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. I mean, they've done the same thing where I'm from, in Africa as well. How
will the U.S., more specifically, try to counteract that financial influence from China?
WINTER: Well, China has become the biggest trading partner for many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, but in most of them, the
United States remains the biggest investor. And what we hear from the Trump Administration is, you know, the knowledge that these countries will
continue to trade with China.
After all, the United States also does that. But the red line that the Trump Administration is trying to draw is Chinese investment in strategic
assets such as ports that the Trump Administration believes could be damaging to the national security of the United States.
And that's you know, what has led them to protest, for example, the new Chinese built port in Peru named Chancay, as well as try to draw lines with
some other recent projects, including a marine internet cable that was -- is projected to be built linking Chile and China.
So, you know, I think this is a case where Secretary Rubio is going to try to put down what some of the -- what they see as some of these barriers, as
some of these thresholds that they're asking partner nations in the Caribbean not to cross. It, of course, will then be up to the sovereign
governments of these nations to decide whether they want to obey that guidance from Washington or make other decisions.
[11:40:00]
ASHER: And just in terms of Cuba, more specifically, separate from this CARICOM meeting with Secretary Rubio. It's not necessarily clear what the
U.S. actually wants from Cuba at this point in time, or the sort of strategic reasons as to why the specific blockade is happening? What are
Cuba's options at this point as it sort of sees itself barreling towards a major economic crisis?
WINTER: Well, you're right. It's not clear, and you never know, with President Trump. And I personally was among the many people who were
surprised to wake up on the morning of January 3rd and learn that the United States had sent forces into Caracas to capture Nicolas Maduro.
I did not think at the end of the day that President Trump would put U.S. troops lives on the line for the Venezuelan cause, but he did. And I think
that that specter is hovering over Cuba and a number of other places right now, including Iran.
You know, as far as options for the Cuban regime itself, it's clear that, you know, many of us have become accustomed over the years to hearing that
Cuba is in crisis, an economic crisis, but people who are there on the island say that things have never been as bad as they are right now, not
even during the so called special period that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
You described at the beginning of this conversation the daily blackouts, the lack of fuel for vehicles, but also for producing electricity. It's a
really dire situation. And we'll see whether the Cuban government is willing to negotiate some kind of opening, whether it be a change in
economic policies, or perhaps a longer-term path to democracy, or at least a more representative government.
And then, based on the pace and content of those negotiations, how patient the Trump Administration will be? Will they try to force the issue with
some kind of military action beyond the blockade of oil shipments that they've already put in place?
We don't know the answers to these questions. All we know is that Cuba does seem to be at the center of the radar for the Trump Administration right
now in the Western Hemisphere, and that's why Secretary Rubio is there.
ASHER: And it puts countries like Mexico in a very, very difficult position. Because it has to sort of walk this fine line between not
necessarily upsetting the U.S. in terms of supplying any kind of oil or any kind of sort of economic assistance on that front, but also trying to help
Cuba when it comes to humanitarian assistance. So, what kind of a tricky situation, and what kind of tight rope is Claudia Sheinbaum sort of walking
here?
WINTER: Well, President Sheinbaum seems to have essentially already made her decision by ceasing Mexican oil shipments to Cuba. They are still
sending humanitarian aid, as are and some other governments around Latin America have talked about doing that, including the government of Brazil.
But they -- you know they think that they can do that without essentially getting on the wrong side of Donald Trump. And that's the calculus that
many leaders around the region right now are making, particularly Mexico. I mean, no one -- no other country, is as vulnerable to U.S. pressure as
Mexico is, because it sends more than 80 percent of its exports north to the United States.
But even governments around the region that are less dependent right now are hesitant to get on the wrong side of President Trump, not necessarily
because they fear military action, but some kind of economic reprisal. Some of them are now growing more allied with the Trump Administration.
Countries like Chile, where we will see the incoming government next month be much more allied with the United States. And you have others like the
Brazilian government that are biding their time, hoping that perhaps after the midterm elections later this year in the United States, that President
Trump will be less powerful, and therefore they may be able to stand up for more of what they see as their own national interest.
ASHER: Brian Winter, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, the battle for how the U.S. military uses artificial intelligence
faces a new deadline this week. The Pentagon issues an ultimatum to AI Firm Anthropic. How the company is responding next?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: All right, AI Firm, Anthropic is loosening its core safety principles as competition heats up, instead of self-imposed guardrails,
Anthropic is adopting a non-binding safety framework that it says can and will change.
It's not clear whether the specific change is related to its meeting on Tuesday with the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who threatened to
effectively blacklist the company if it didn't roll back its AI safeguards. More on this, let's bring in CNN's AI Correspondent Hadas Gold.
Hadas just walk us through what this change is that Anthropic is making, especially with its AI model code, and why it matters?
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Anthropic has always been known as the safety-first company. It's one of the only AI companies out there, I
think, that has a philosopher, a resident philosopher, who is trying to inject morality. They say that they want Claude its system to have a soul.
But now Anthropic says it's softening one of its key safety principles. Previously, Anthropic said that it would pause development on its AI models
if it realized it could have dangerous abilities, like creating, helping to create end to end bio weapons, until their team could get the safety
measures in place first.
They would stop the development, try to get the safety measures in place and then continue on. Now they are dropping that that policy has gone on. I
want to read from their new policy. They say they're dropping it because if one AI developer paused development to implement safety measures, while
others move forward training and deploying AI systems without strong mitigations that can result in a world that is less safe.
The developers with the weakest protections would set the pace. Anthropic had said originally that it hoped its safety principles would encourage
other AI companies to introduce similar policies. But that didn't happen.
And just as a reminder, there are no laws really on the books that are managing AI development. There's not even sort of an industry standard, an
industry group that is managing this development. It's sort of like the AI companies are writing and grading their own homework right now Zain.
ASHER: Which is scary. But is there any indication that this particular change the Anthropic is making is actually connected to the ongoing fight
that the Anthropic CEO is having with Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon?
GOLD: Yeah, a lot of theories flying out there Zain. Oh, maybe they're softening this, you know, trying to give the Pentagon something. Not clear
yet, whether there is any connection between these two things. It does seem as though the issue with the Pentagon is something that Anthropic is really
digging its heels on.
I'm told by a source familiar Anthropic is not going to budge on its two red lines about that issue with the Pentagon. The issue with the Pentagon
is that the Pentagon wants Anthropic to drop its guard rail so they could use their clawed system for all lawful uses.
But Anthropic is worried about two things, AI being able to control autonomous weapons, and also AI being used in the mass surveillance of U.S.
citizens. And the Pentagon is giving Anthropic until 05:01 p.m. on Friday to get on board with what they want. And if not, they not only could lose
their $200 million Pentagon contract.
[11:50:00]
But they could also be essentially put on a government black list. They would be named a supply chain risk. This is something that's normally
reserved for companies that are connected to foreign adversaries like Russia and China.
I don't know that it's ever been put on an American company. So, this will be completely unprecedented. But as far as we see, at least when it comes
to those safety principles, Anthropic does not seem to have any plans to budge on those. We'll have to see if maybe this other safety movement that
they made on this policy will somehow satisfy the Pentagon or not.
ASHER: All right, Hadas Gold live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, he's a man on a mission to see the world one petal at
a time, where his journey has led him just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: People dream of traveling all over the world, but probably not on a bike. One world traveler has been biking for five years on a mission to
cross every single continent. CNN caught up with Ian Anderson in Tokyo as he's facing unexpected challenges along his journey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IAN ANDERSON, WORLD TRAVELER: I bike from Portugal across Europe all the way to Asia. I bike to Japan baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Ian Anderson just traversed six continents on his bike. It took five years to do it. His latest leg was through 20
countries from Portugal to Japan. Anderson documented his journey along the way.
ANDERSON: Stars are unbelievable this morning. I'm curious about the world, people in the world, different cultures, exploring. I was curious about
places like Iran, Russia, what the people were like there, and so I biked to them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): He said he was most surprised by Afghanistan.
ANDERSON: I was just so caught off guard surprised by their generosity. I felt like every day they were inviting me into their home, offering me
food, tea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): While he faced his biggest challenge in Iran, getting stuck in the country after Israel launched a series of deadly
strikes in June last year.
ANDERSON: More bombs are falling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Unsurprisingly, he says, it's now time for a break, but not for long. He says, next up and the last continent to cross
is Antarctica. He plans to do it later this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Finally, this hour, fans of the HBO Series "Heated Rivalry" will soon be able to stay at the very setting Shane and Ilya had their secret
retreat.
[11:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was going to ask you, Hollander, will you come to my cottage this summer? Don't go to Russia. Come to my house. We'll have so
much fun and so private. No one will know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wonder you know, we can't do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could have a week or even two, be completely alone together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The cozy cottage featured in the season finale is coming to Airbnb next month, located North of Toronto. This is gorgeous. The three-bedroom
lake front property will temporarily cost about 248 Canadian Dollars and 10 cents per night.
That's a lot cheaper than I would have expected. A nod to Shane and Ilya's hockey jersey numbers and this note, HBO Max and CNN are both part of
Warner Brothers Discovery. All right, stay with CNN. I'll have much more one world after this short break. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
