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Quest Means Business

U.S. President and U.K. Prime Minister Take Questions at the White House; Trump Praises U.K. Prime Minister Starmer as Tough Negotiator; CNN Visits Titanium Mine Ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting; Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead at Home; Remembering Legendary Actor Gene Hackman; Tate Brothers Arrive in U.S. from Romania. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired February 27, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- hard, I will tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there, but he tried.

I think there is a very good chance that in the case of these two great, friendly countries, I think we could very well end up with a real trade

deal where the tariffs wouldn't be necessary. We will see. But he has -- he earned whatever they -- whatever they pay him, he earned today.

He was working hard at lunch, and I am very receptive to it. I think we -- in all fairness, in all seriousness, I think we have a very good chance at

arriving at a very good deal.

JD and Scott and Howard, all the people are working on it, and I think we have a good chance at arriving at a deal that could be terrific, really

terrific for both countries. Okay? Thank you.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: On the second part of the question, I think my views on Putin are pretty well rehearsed and pretty well known. My

concern is that if there is a deal and I hope there is a deal, that it must be a lasting deal, that it is not a temporary measure.

And that is why I think it is really important that Putin knows that this deal, a historic deal, which I very much hope comes about, is there -- it

is there and it is a lasting deal and that we are able to deal with any inclination he has to go again or go further.

TRUMP: I think we will have two deals. I think we will have a deal on ending the war, and I think we are going to end up with a great trade deal

with you, and it is an honor to be with you.

And I want to thank everybody very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: And you've just been listening, of course to President Donald trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer there, addressing

reporters after their day of meetings in Washington taking questions at the White House.

Thanks so much for joining me today. I am Erica Hill, in for Richard Quest. You're watching QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.

Let's dig in a little bit deeper to what we heard from these leaders. So many questions about what their meeting will ultimately mean for a deal to

end the war in Ukraine.

Alex Marquardt joining me from Washington, Clare Sebastian is in London.

Good to have both of you with us. You know, as we look at this, I would say we've got a little bit more out of the two of them earlier today and some

of the actions that they took in the Oval Office, of course, before some of their meetings.

But there were some very pointed questions for both leaders there and notably, Alex, questions about trust when it comes to Donald Trump, his

trust of Vladimir Putin saying he does trust him to not go back on a deal. Questions about him calling President Zelenskyy a dictator.

He tried to brush that off earlier today saying, oh, did I say that? There were more pointed questions? What is your takeaway from the comments that

we heard from Donald Trump today versus what we heard after his meetings Monday with Emmanuel Macron?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I lost count of the number of times the word "deal" was mentioned. I mean, it is

clearly through that framing that that President Trump is seeing this and clearly through that framing that allies like France and today, Great

Britain and tomorrow, certainly with the deal being signed with the Ukrainians that the allies are pushing this.

They are making it clear to or trying to make it clear to President Trump that there are advantages to striking these deals. But I think the takeaway

here from listening to those two men speak about the war in Ukraine, is that we didn't come to any kind of concrete agreement between the U.S. and

the U.K.

Certainly, Prime Minister Starmer was coming to Washington trying to move the ball forward from where it had been with President Macron on Monday to

try to get the U.S. to a place where they would supplement or reinforce what Starmer has been calling this backstop for Ukraine.

And I thought it was interesting that both men appeared to say, well, first we need to get to a deal and then we can talk essentially about the

security guarantees and that's kind of a chicken and egg question, because at the end of the day, Russia is unlikely or perhaps going to be unwilling

to agree to a ceasefire, agree to any kind of peace agreement if the question of NATO troops, European troops and perhaps American troops in

Ukraine is unanswered.

I did not hear any kind of firm commitment from the American President that the U.S. would be part of those security guarantees and I thought Starmer

was doing, as much as he could to stay away from that terminology "security guarantees." He talked about a lasting deal, a historic deal.

Obviously, the historic side appeals to President Trump. Lasting deal, if you're reading between the lines, that's one that has guarantees and

Starmer was trying today as best he could to extract those guarantees from the United States. I certainly need to be calling my sources about what was

happening behind-the-scenes, but we did not hear that commitment from Donald Trump. That is certainly something that President Zelenskyy is going

to be picking up tomorrow, when he is at the White House, to try to keep moving that ball forward -- Erica.

[16:05:01]

HILL: And in terms of that meeting tomorrow, Clare, how does this set it up, right? We are looking at this multi-pronged approach ahead of the

meeting with President Zelenskyy tomorrow. Based on what we heard, do you think this has had much of an impact ahead of that? Is it helping to, in

some ways make that meeting any easier for President Zelenskyy? President Trump admitting things had gotten a little testy between the two of them.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think there was, Erica, there was good news for Ukraine in the sense that President Trump at least

mentioned that there was some effort to try and win back territory from Russia. That is obviously one of the negotiating points that we thought

that, to an extent, the U.S. had given up when we heard the Defense Secretary in NATO a couple of weeks ago say that Ukraine shouldn't expect

to win back all the territory it lost before 2014, so perhaps that's back on the table.

It is a little unclear, but of course the comments around as Alex was pointing out that, you know, he trusts Trump, he trusts Putin, rather. He

thinks that they will keep their word.

He was asked in the press conference just now, do you support Article V? And he said, I support it, but I don't think we need it. And there was

another telling moment in the sort of bilateral meeting that the press got to see the early part of earlier, where President Trump was asked, you

know, if British troops were in Ukraine and they got attacked, would you defend them?

And again, he sort of allowed doubt to creep in and he said, look, the British troops don't really need us and then he sort of clarified, of

course, you know, if they do, we will go and support them.

But I think that's sort of a metaphor for the problems that the Europeans face as a whole, right, that the U.S. has allowed doubt to creep in about

their commitment to this. That obviously makes the task of eventually providing a credible security guarantee even more difficult, because the

security guarantee, a deterrent essentially directed at Russia, is only as credible as Russia believes it is.

So this underscores the uphill battle, and I think we are really no closer to getting a concrete commitment, as Alex said from the U.S. on the

security guarantees. President Trump has been moving at lightning speed to get these talks off the ground, is now saying, hang on a second, we need to

get a deal first.

HILL: Well, to your point about lightning speed, Alex, twice, just in the last few minutes here, Donald Trump said the deal itself will be -- and I

am quoting him "will be fairly soon or it won't be at all."

That stood out to me, to the fact that he also made a point to say that twice, adding a little pressure here.

MARQUARDT: Yes, and I think that's rather ominous, certainly, if you're President Zelenskyy on your way to the United States. It does certainly

highlight the impatience that I think we have seen from President Trump and others.

I mean, he is often praised by his top aides for moving as quickly as he does. They see his impatience as a benefit that others read that and want

to move with the same pace. But I do think when you look at the other parties involved, whether it is Russia, whether it is Ukraine, whether it

is the Europeans, they are not moving fast.

I mean, I think the Russians certainly have an argument to be made that they think they can wait out Ukraine and if a deal collapses, that it

actually could work in their benefit if they don't believe that Trump is going to ratchet up sanctions, for example, or give more weapons to

Ukraine.

I mean, certainly there have been the accusations of concessions already made to the Russians. The Ukrainians, they don't want to rush through a

deal because they think that they will end up with the short end of the stick, and certainly there is progress to be made in the U.S.'s eyes on the

European front, that the Europeans need to ramp up their own defense spending, their own defense production.

So Trump is certainly the most impatient here. We had heard weeks ago talk of him getting together with Vladimir Putin having a summit that was

rumored to be this week. Obviously, that's not happening.

One win for President Zelenskyy is that he is getting the first meeting of those two men. He is getting his meeting before President Putin. But there

is certainly a sense that the President wants to get this done, and there is concern from the Ukrainian and the European side that if this is rushed,

that it is going to be Ukraine that loses out in the end -- Erica.

HILL: Yes, and an important comment to that point that we just heard from Starmer, noting you can't reward the aggressor or the invader. We will see

whether that message was heard by President Trump.

Alex Marquardt, Clare Sebastian, thank you both.

Also with me this hour, Edward Luce, who is the U.S. national editor at "The Financial Times" and joins me now.

Good to have you with us.

When we look at how things are playing out, I was also struck by Keir Starmer today and the way he clearly knows exactly who he is dealing with

in trying to really flatter Donald Trump, continue to talk about, as Alex was pointing out, the historic nature of things, bringing him the letter

from King Charles and having him open it in that moment on camera.

But really in some ways sort of laying it on a little thick, how effective do you think this is ultimately?

EDWARD LUCE, U.S. NATIONAL EDITOR, "THE FINANCIAL TIMES": Well, sort of in the long term, probably not effective at all. In the short term, though,

you know, Trump is susceptible to flattery and the foreign leaders study his psychology. You know, this is clearly one of the traits that Trump has

very sort of brazenly manifests.

[16:10:10]

He likes praise. He likes people to self-abase a little bit. And there was a little bit of that in the Starmer-Trump optics and that flourish of the

handwritten invitation from King Charles to Trump was a sort of cherry on the cake, if you like.

If this then proves not to be enduring, the effects of flattery, what I call bringing fruits to the volcano, then we will get the real test. And

the test is, you know, when Starmer says we cannot reward the aggressor, will Britain stick to its guns and indeed deepen cooperation with other

European nations that have had epiphanies about America under Trump in the last couple of weeks.

HILL: Do you think deepening those relationships is a question at this point or is it a necessity?

LUCE: Well, I think if you listen to the German incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, it is a necessity and he is in fact asked for Britain and

France to extend their nuclear umbrella over Germany, something I would never have expected to hear from a German leader.

Britain, though, is, you know, it always sees itself as having a special relationship with the United States, and in terms of things like

intelligence cooperation, it does have a special relationship. But that means Britain is easier to, I think, a little bit easier to seduce away

from the European consensus than other countries.

If, as Trump hinted, that he plans to exempt the U.K. from the 25 percent tariffs he is threatening to impose on the European Union, that will make

Starmer's task all the more difficult. It will be a dilemma for him.

HILL: To that point, what is the leverage that the U.K. would have?

LUCE: On trade, well, I mean, depending on whose measure you take. I mean, the British measure, Britain has a surplus, a modest surplus of about $80

billion with the United States under the American measure as a modest deficit. So it is roughly in balance.

But I think the sort of future of U.K.-U.S. trade negotiations was provided, I think with France's presence there and Vance who will speaks

for the big tech companies here, and they don't want -- they want Britain to break away from the European sort of digital regulation consensus. They

want free reign, the A.I. giants, the Magnificent seven, the big tech companies. And that would be controversial politically in Britain.

HILL: Edward Luce, good to have your insight. Thank you.

LUCE: Thank you.

HILL: Well, Prime Minister Starmer's visit to Washington, of course, comes just one day before that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's

meeting with Donald Trump. The U.S. President remains confident Zelenskyy will sign that rare earth minerals deal.

The Ukrainian leader has been more guarded, describing the -- more guarded, rather, describing the text as a framework.

Nick Paton Walsh actually visited one of the titanium mining sites in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: You join me at a titanium mine in Zhytomyr, to the west of Kyiv in Ukraine. Critical

earth mineral, some call it a rare earth mineral and behind me is the huge volume of water used to blast into the ore, and you can see just them

dropping off what they've scraped from one of the huge basins here.

Look, this mine has its problems. Russian attacks on the electricity infrastructure here that keeps it running means sometimes they get three

hours functionality a day, and the electricity is very expensive.

All these elements really go into explaining how urgently Ukraine wants some kind of investment, but also to the complexity of how much money you

might expect to get back from your immediate investment. They're not running on a profit here at all.

And you also get a sense, I think, as well, of exactly the scale of what Ukraine might potentially be able to offer here. Titanium used in so many

daily products that we have.

Now, the deal in question, which is most likely to be signed before or during the Friday visit to the White House by Ukraine's President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy, is not that specific. It is a framework.

It talks about creating a reconstruction and investment fund for Ukraine, and it talks about relevant resources. It doesn't specify what they are it.

So, put some things as there won't be some things, but it says we'll define what is going to be included in a later fund agreement they'll start

negotiating as soon as this first one is actually signed.

Complicated, yes, but I think that's a deliberate design to weave the two of the almost reconcilable positions we're really seeing here, President

Trump on one side, saying, I want debt repaid and I want it repaid using these natural resources; Zelenskyy saying, I don't recognize any of that

money from the Biden administration as debt, it was grants and I want to see this turning into something about investing in Ukraine as well.

[16:15:07]

So, that complexity, really, I think, fudged around by this document that seems to get everyone over that obstacle. But, that doesn't stop the major

focus of Friday, which is getting President Trump and President Zelenskyy in the same room together, healing that horrific 10 days ago rift that

began between them and enabling maybe the U.S.-Ukraine relationship to get back on an even appeal, but that's a big ask in itself, as indeed is

turning something like this, massive as it is, into a profit that gets near the billions of dollars, a half trillion dollars that President Trump

initially said he wanted back from Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL Nick Paton Walsh reporting there in Ukraine.

Donald Trump, meantime, says that tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on Tuesday. He is also threatening to double the

existing tariffs on China. More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Donald Trump says his 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on Tuesday. The U.S. President is also

threatening to double his existing tariffs on China, bumping it up to 20 percent.

Trump says he is leveraging the measures because drugs are pouring into the country from America's neighbors, as in terms of tariffs on Canada and

Mexico.

Anna Stewart is in London. So we know, Anna, that Donald Trump, of course, likes to use tariffs as a bargaining chip. The concern among many U.S.

consumers, though, is the direct impact that it will have on the prices they pay.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. And how long will that impact take? You know, will it take weeks? What it could do for, you know, some sort of

retailer who imports things and doesn't have a huge inventory. It could take months for others. And already, of course the U.S., you are seeing a

hit to consumer confidence. You saw home sales were down.

And you can also potentially see a chilling effect when it comes to investment decisions made by, you know businesses. Do they want to expand?

Are they preparing for increased costs for themselves. So there are already impacts just from this sort of threat of tariffs, Erica.

Interestingly, of course, President Trump just said in that press conference, "I find it is not about inflation, it is about fairness and

inflation for us hasn't existed." He doesn't think it will be because he thinks inflation -- well not inflation, sorry, tariffs will help bring car

manufacturing back to the U.S. He said. pharmaceuticals, chips and so on.

HILL: So he said he wants all of that -- he wants to bring it back. I understand that's also one of his goals. The reality is the timeline,

right? As you pointed out, there is the question of how quickly will these price increases kick in for consumers, but also how quickly some of that

manufacturing, for example, can be shifted.

It is a pretty complex way that things are done, even just if we look at cars, right, the way cars that are sold in the U.S., some of them go back

and forth in terms of parts across these borders.

[16:20:22]

STEWART: And that is a really good point. I was actually looking at the example of Stellantis, which of course is a huge European car maker, but

has lots of plants in the U.S.

Almost all of the cars it sells to the U.S. are actually made in the United States. The problem is, so many of the parts that it uses when it makes

them in the U.S. are from Canada and Mexico, so it would be hit even though it has invested in factories in the United States, it would still probably

be hit by tariffs on the other countries.

Now, with all the tariffs that we've mentioned, other than, of course, China, so many are still threats and they've been threatened for many, many

months now. There is a further threat for Europe, of course, which we don't have a timeline for.

The President said it could be very, very soon.

For the U.K. as of the last hour, it looks like the U.K. might actually get a trade deal out of this instead of tariffs. So a bit of a victory for the

U.K., but it is interesting, Erica. It is both using tariffs as a revenue raising tool, but also as we always know as a negotiating tactic.

The President has got something out of Canada and Mexico already in terms of improving the border; when it comes to fentanyl, perhaps not enough

given it looks like those tariffs will be implemented next week.

But you know, maybe let's wait and see if they actually are.

HILL: It is definitely a wait and see moment, but it is interesting, too if anything is announced by either country. Important to remember some of what

was announced before were efforts that had already been announced previously.

Anna, always appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, in terms of the U.S. economy, there are signs of a slowdown here. Last week's jobless claims in the U.S. saw the highest increase in over

four months and likely spiked, perhaps due to some of the extreme weather in many parts of the country.

It is important to note, too, the numbers don't yet reflect the government layoffs coming from the Trump administration. GDP meantime, has grown as

expected, increasing 2.3 percent year-over-year last quarter that is down from 3.1 percent over the summer.

Julia Pollak is the chief economist at Ziprecruiter, and she joins me now.

Julia, good to have you with us. When we look at this latest Jobs Report, as I noted, it is important to take into account, this does not reflect

these DOGE-related layoffs and cuts for federal workers.

So to that end, what are you bracing for?

JULIA POLLAK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ZIPRECRUITER: Yes. So this number, the jobless claims number was higher than expected this morning and that

doesn't even reflect the layoffs that have taken place in the federal government yet, or the spending cuts that have had a ripple effect through

government contractors and other businesses.

What is going on here, I think, is that we've seen a slowdown in investment. The decline in investment in today's GDP report was actually

revised lower. So it is not just negative 2.2 percent, but negative 3.3 percent, and we know that that happens when there is uncertainty in the

air.

It acts as a drag on investment and spending and hiring as businesses wait for more clarity.

NEWTON: And in terms of that, acting as a drag, that uncertainty acting as a drag, what are you seeing at Ziprecruiter, for example, when it comes to

both hiring and job seekers?

POLLAK: So hiring has slowed over the past two years and is about at the 2013 to 2014 rate now. It is much faster than normal and much faster than

it was before the pandemic in one sector only, and that is healthcare.

It is also unusually fast in local governments, that's for police officers and school teachers. But outside of those two sectors, it is very slow

indeed. Tech has been losing jobs for two years now.

HILL: What are you going to be watching then in the months ahead? Because we are not only watching these numbers, right, as they come in, we are

going to be watching these weekly jobless claims. It is almost as if I was having this conversation with a producer earlier.

We watched the jobless numbers so closely during COVID, right, as they were going down. But then also as they began to come back up. How important are

those numbers going to be now as a barometer?

POLLAK: They will be very important. I mean, many of the federal workers who have been laid off will be on severance, and they will be on payrolls

for several more months, and they will likely find new jobs before their official termination dates.

So hopefully we won't see a big bump in the unemployment rate at all, but it waits to be seen. Watching the unemployment rate will be very important

to see how it is affecting the rest of the economy and how tight the labor market is overall.

HILL: There is also, when we look at things from a local perspective, we are so focused on a lot of federal workers. The reality is most of those

federal jobs are, of course, not located in Washington, D.C.

The mayor of Kansas City was actually on this program earlier this week talking about the 30,000 federal workers in that city and concerns about

their jobs. If even a quarter of those jobs are cut, the ripple effect on the local economy could be massive.

POLLAK: Right. So there is no single U.S. labor market. There are millions of what we call OC-LOCS, occupation location specific markets.

[16:25:10]

And federal workers are disproportionately concentrated in a couple of locations. They make up six percent of the workforce almost in the DMV

area, in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia area and they are also concentrated by role type in administration, project management, and I.T.

So, in those areas, we do expect that there will be an oversupply of talent and that workers will struggle to find new jobs. They may need to pivot,

switch out and move to a different city. It will be pretty tough.

HILL: Yes. There is also the issue of consumer confidence. We know consumer confidence is falling. There is a lot of uncertainty in that realm as well.

People don't know what is going to happen for example with these tariffs potentially on Tuesday. How concerned are you about the impact on GDP in

the months to come?

POLLAK: Well, what is very interesting about the sentiment surveys is that over the past few years, Americans have started to look at the economy more

than ever before, through red or blue tinted glasses.

And so if you break it down by sort of political party, you actually see a huge increase in confidence among Trump supporters and a decline among

people with the opposing view.

It is unclear what will happen in the aggregate. There are many employers who are very worried about the policy -- the nature and timing of various

policies that could come down the pike.

There are others that are euphoric and expect looser regulation and fewer investigations, and a lower cost of doing business. So it is a very mixed

bag.

HILL: Yes, it certainly is. We will be watching all of it.

Julie, really appreciate you joining us this afternoon. Thank you.

POLLAK: Thank you.

HILL: Santa Fe authorities are investigating what led to the deaths of Oscar-winning actor, Gene Hackman and his wife at their home in New Mexico.

We have details on that investigation and newly released audio of the 911 call. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Hello, I'm Erica Hill. There is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment, including new details about the death of actor, Gene Hackman. The

911 call made after he and his wife were found unresponsive.

And self-styled misogynist influencers, the Tate brothers say they're misunderstood after arriving in Florida from Romania.

Before that, though, the headlines this hour.

[16:30:23]

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer doubling down on the importance of European involvement in security in

Ukraine. The two met on Tuesday at the White House ahead of a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington on Friday, when he is

expected to sign a deal involving natural minerals.

An Israeli hospital says at least nine people were injured in a suspected car ramming attack in the central part of the country. Police say the

suspect, a 53-year-old Palestinian man, was killed. Hospital officials telling CNN a 16-year-old girl and a 76-year-old man both suffered head

injuries.

The criminally accused Tate brothers are in Florida now after being allowed to leave Romania. The controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother

Tristan, of course, were arrested in Romania in 2022. They face allegations of rape, human trafficking, money laundering and organizing a crime

operation. The brothers have denied all charges. Romania lifted the travel ban on condition that the men return for further court appearances.

And one of the final directives for ousted USAID workers, you have 15 minutes and make sure you bring your own box. Those instructions given to

terminated employees and those who've been placed on leave. They were given times when they were allowed to come in and clear out their desks and grab

their belongings from the Washington headquarters. Many staff members were met by rounds of applause from supporters outside.

Investigators are working to determine what may have caused the death of Oscar winning actor Gene Hackman, who has died at the age of 95. Hackman

was found dead in his home in New Mexico. The body of his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, also found. Police had said they don't suspect foul play,

but have not yet ruled it out. A search warrant revealing the couple are understood to have died some time before their bodies were actually

discovered.

CNN has also obtained an emotional 911 call made to authorities when their bodies were found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 911, what is your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, my name is -- I'm the caretaker for Santa Fe Summit up here about at Ten Thousand Waves. I think we just found two --

one deceased person inside the house. There's no address. I'm going to wait for you at the gate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are they moving at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, they're not moving. Just send somebody up here really quick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. My units are on their way, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: And Elizabeth Wagmeister joins me now.

We've been getting a little bit throughout the day. Where do things stand at this hour, Elizabeth, in terms of this investigation?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Erica, there really are more questions than answers at this point, but that 911 call that we

just listened to does start to paint a clearer picture of the timeline of what happened. So Gene Hackman and his wife, their bodies were found

yesterday at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And as we heard in that 911 call, an individual who identified himself as a caretaker at the

property was the one who did make that call, saying that they discovered what looked like lifeless bodies.

Now, our team here at CNN has also obtained the search warrant, and that search warrant did say that it was maintenance workers at the home who did

identify or first found the bodies. So that tracks with this 911 call. But some more details coming out in this search warrant. There was no clear

sign of any carbon monoxide or gas leak. So that has obviously been one of the theories of speculation today given the bizarre circumstances of how

these bodies were found.

But authorities are saying that given those bizarre circumstances, that this requires a thorough investigation. So, as you said, Erica, there has

been no cause of death. They have said that they do not suspect foul play. But the details that we are learning from this search warrant are very

disturbing. Gene Hackman and his wife were found in different rooms of their home. His wife was found on the ground of a bathroom, where they also

found a bottle of prescription pills.

There were pills on the counter. And their dog, who also was found deceased, was found in a closet in that same bathroom. So again, this

investigation continues to be ongoing -- Erica.

HILL: And to your point, really raising more questions than offering answers at this moment.

[16:35:03]

There are also, of course, separately, as we wait to learn the details of what actually happened there, all of these tributes, of course, pouring in

for Gene Hackman, who is remembered as just a giant, frankly, in Hollywood and so many people just expressing their sympathies and their sadness over

his passing.

WAGMEISTER: Absolutely. And I think the circumstances of his death are really shocking. And that is what is sending these shockwaves throughout

Hollywood and his fans around the world. But as you said, it shouldn't take away from his illustrious career and incredible life. He turned 95 years

old last month, so let's take a moment to look at that career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Gene Hackman was the blue-collar common man on screen. It was no act.

GENE HACKMAN, ACTOR: You know, I did a lot of things. I sold shoes, I drove truck, I drove a cab. I jerked sodas.

WAGMEISTER: He grew up loving movies starring Jimmy Cagney and Edward G. Robinson.

HACKMAN: My mother and I were at a film once, and she said, I want to see you do that someday. And that was all it was needed.

WAGMEISTER: At the Pasadena Playhouse, the aspiring actor met another young actor, Dustin Hoffman. The two were voted least likely to succeed.

HACKMAN: Take a good look, pop. I'm Buck Barrow.

WAGMEISTER: That all changed when he was cast in "Bonnie and Clyde." Hackman was nominated for an Oscar, the first of numerous antihero roles

from the 1960s on. The acclaim covered up a potential career disaster. He was fired from "The Graduate" starring his pal Hoffman after just two weeks

as Mr. Robinson.

HACKMAN: I thought it was like the beginning of the end for me.

WAGMEISTER: Hackman pressed on. A ski coach in "Downhill Racer," an astronaut in "Marooned," and a second Best Supporting Actor nomination for

"I Never Sang for My Father." There were tensions on set with father Melvyn Douglas, who had wanted another co-star. In real life, Hackman's own father

left the family when he was 13.

HACKMAN: When you decide to do a role, you choose both the good and the bad that's happened to you, and you try to make that come alive.

Popeye's here. Hands on your heads. Get off the bar and get on the wall.

WAGMEISTER: As fierce New York City police detective Popeye Doyle, a defiant Hackman burst through the screen in "The French Connection." He

didn't like playing a bigot, beating up people.

HACKMAN: I wanted to be fired from the film the first couple of days because I was very uncomfortable.

WAGMEISTER: Also testing his nerves, driving in one of the most famous car chases in movie history.

HACKMAN: We would go right down the street without any crowd control. And it was really scary.

WAGMEISTER: The role he wanted out of won him an Oscar for Best Actor in 1972. The award ignited a monumental film biography, from "The Poseidon

Adventure."

HACKMAN: You need to stand aside and close that door to keep the air from coming in, or you can try to stop me.

WAGMEISTER: To "The Conversation."

HACKMAN: One surefire rule that I have learned in this business is that I don't know anything about human nature. I don't know anything about

curiosity.

WAGMEISTER: It wasn't always deadly serious. In "Young Frankenstein."

HACKMAN: What is your name? I didn't get that.

WAGMEISTER: And there was "Superman."

HACKMAN: Oh, yes, of course you've been there. I do forget you get around, don't you?

WAGMEISTER: Now a huge star, Hackman said he always liked the idea of Hollywood, but not the hoopla.

HACKMAN: Personality-wise, I don't fit in.

WAGMEISTER: Hackman said his favorite film was the offbeat "Scarecrow" with Al Pacino, which was not a commercial hit.

HACKMAN: I don't care what the scoreboard says. At the end of the game, in my book, we're going to be winners.

WAGMEISTER: He was the basketball coach in "Hoosiers," one of the best sports films ever made. Hackman was nominated for an Oscar again for

"Mississippi Burning."

HACKMAN: Did you smile when the bulldozer ran over the black kid's body? Did you?

WAGMEISTER: He won Best Supporting Actor for "Unforgiven."

HACKMAN: When he fires that, take out your pistols and shoot him down like the mangy scoundrel he is.

It kind of puts a bookend to my career for me. I'm sure I'll do other films, but I can kind of relax, as long as Dustin doesn't get another one.

Our country?

DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ACTOR: Yes.

HACKMAN: I didn't figure you for a patriot, Mr. Rohr.

WAGMEISTER: Hackman finally did get to work with his lifelong friend in "Runaway Jury."

HACKMAN: I've loved every minute of my career. There's been, you know, tough times, of course, but I like the process so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER: So you saw Gene Hackman there with Clint Eastwood when he won the Oscar for "Unforgiven," and we have obtained a statement from Clint

Eastwood. Here's what he has to say to honor his friend. He said, quote, "There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive, never a false

note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much."

And Erica, you know, the Oscars are just three days away and I have just heard from a source that he is going to be honored at the ceremony this

Sunday.

[16:40:07]

The details are not locked yet. They may edit the "In Memoriam" segment to get him in there, or there could be something else done on stage to

recognize his contributions over five decades to cinema.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Quite a legacy, that is for sure.

Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

The Tate brothers are now back in the United States despite still being under investigation in Romania for alleged rape, human trafficking and

money laundering. So why did authorities allow them to travel? That's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Just over five years ago, one of Australia's most catastrophic bushfire seasons on record had a devastating impact on the country's

diverse wildlife, in particular koalas. Today, on "Call to Earth," we head to the east coast of Australia, where a handful of projects are providing

new hope in rebuilding the koala population.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The lush bushland along Australia's eastern coastline is some of the most important koala habitat

in the country. But in New South Wales, some environmentalists fear that the combination of deforestation and climate change could see this iconic

species disappear in the state by 2050.

CLARE HOLDEM, KOALA KEEPER, KOALA CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA: They are an arboreal species. They can't survive a life on the ground so trees are

vital to a koala's existence not only for food, but for shelter and for breeding, as well.

KINKADE: Listed as endangered by the Australian government, a new breeding center north of Sydney, run by the Koala Conservation Australia, aims to

help the population rebound.

HOLDEM: The purpose is to collect genetically diverse and healthy koalas from the wild to form a founder population. We will then breed joeys or

juvenile koalas, and then those juvenile koalas will be released back to the wild to bolster existing populations that have low numbers.

[16:45:10]

KINKADE: During Australia's so-called black summer wildfires of 2019 and 2020, it's believed that more than 60,000 koalas perished or were harmed in

that one bushfire season alone.

HOLDEM: They were a really horrific time. The smoke was incredibly thick. It was very hard to breathe, and so it was really stressful on the humans.

But every single one of our volunteers still came to work each day to help look after the koalas.

KINKADE: About a 90-minute drive north of the breeding center in Coffs Harbor, another plan to boost koala numbers is in the works. The New South

Wales government has committed to creating a national park.

JACK NESBITT, TRAINER AND HANDLER, CANINES FOR WILDLIFE: This area in particular is really valuable, and it's one of the last places on the east

coast of Australia that still has habitat connection for koalas from the beach, basically on the coast all the way up to 900 meters plus in the

mountains.

KINKADE: While the currently undergoing assessment, the plan proposes adding up to 176,000 hectares of publicly owned forests to existing

protected areas and form the new 315,000 hectare Great Koala National Park.

NESBITT: Without trees, we don't have koalas and these forests need to be connected.

KINKADE: To help protect it, Jack Nesbitt and his Canines for Wildlife team are mapping the trees used by different koalas.

NESBITT: It tells us the corridors not as humans what we assume koalas are using to navigate and to travel, but what they're actually using.

KINKADE: Wild koalas are nearly impossible to spot in the canopy, so Jack relies on help from Max, a 7-year-old English springer spaniel who's an

expert in sniffing out a telltale sign of a koala's presence.

NESBITT: Max is incredible for a lot of reasons. He's capable of detecting a number of species, but what we're here doing today is detecting koala

scats.

KINKADE: Max hurries through the bushland, and when he finds what he's been looking for, it's a tennis ball for a tree. For Jack and his team, the

prize is a trove of genetic information, all bound up in what a koala leaves behind.

NESBITT: We're able to identify individual koalas from their poos so they're -- as the process moves through and we have the genetic

fingerprint, we can identify individual koalas and where we've sampled them multiple times.

KINKADE: The movements of individuals are then plotted on a map, proving the wide range of habitat needed to sustain the koala, and the imperative

to earn the necessary protections to save it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the hashtag "CalltoEarth."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:44]

HILL: Andrew Tate and his brother arriving in Florida today after leaving Romania earlier this morning. The self-styled misogynistic social media

influencers, of course, were arrested in Romania some three years ago for alleged rape, human trafficking and money laundering. Prosecutors there,

though, decided to allow them to travel while they are under investigation. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Andrew Tate racked up billions of views on TikTok with his posts about male dominance, female submission and wealth. He is also, it's important to

note, a vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Nada Bashir joining me now from London.

There are a whole lot of questions surrounding this, Nada. Donald Trump was asked once and brushed it off, saying he didn't know who they were.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. We know, of course, that both brothers, as you mentioned, have been vocal supporters of U.S.

President Donald Trump. And there is mounting criticism and backlash against the decision taken by Romanian prosecutors to allow them to travel

and leave Romania onwards to the United States, but also mounting speculation as to why this decision was taken now. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: No, Florida is not a place where you're welcome with those that type of conduct.

BASHIR (voice-over): Landing in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, self- proclaimed misogynist internet celebrity and vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, both now

permitted to travel out of Romania after prosecutors lifted a year's long travel ban.

ANDREW TATE, ONLINE INFLUENCER: Listen, listen, listen. We live in a democratic society where it's innocent until proven guilty. And I think my

brother and I are largely misunderstood. I think it's extremely important that we stop allowing media spin, wrap up smears, lies, or carefully

constructed narratives.

BASHIR: Police arrested the Tate brothers in December 2022 and later charged them with offenses including rape and human trafficking,

allegations they deny.

TATE: They're trying to tell you X. The truth is Y.

BASHIR: In recent years, Andrew Tate shot to internet fame, racking up billions of views on TikTok with videos centered on his views on male

dominance, female submission and wealth, prompting concern from critics about the influence of the Tate brothers on teenage boys.

TATE: I don't think the world has ever been equal. I'm saying that the modern society we live in has been built by men.

BASHIR: Most social media platforms suspended his accounts. In 2017 Twitter banned Tate for saying that women should bear responsibility for being

sexually assaulted. His account was later reinstated after Elon Musk took over X.

TATE: We're innocent until proven guilty in any of this.

BASHIR: Legal proceedings in Romania are still ongoing, leading many to question why Romanian prosecutors have now chosen to lift the travel ban

and what connections there may be to the Trump administration.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The golden age of America begins right now.

TATE: I am so excited for the next four years.

BASHIR: Tate has long been a vocal supporter of the U.S. president, sharing this video on social media just last week. Earlier this month, the

"Financial Times" reported, citing sources that the Trump administration had put pressure on Romanian authorities to lift the travel restriction,

first through a phone call, then through a meeting between Trump's special envoy Richard Grenell and Romania's foreign minister at the Munich Security

Conference.

Romania's foreign minister has acknowledged that discussions took place, though the Foreign Ministry claims there was no such pressure from the

Trump administration. A lawyer representing some of the alleged victims of Andrew Tate has said there is clear evidence to support the allegations

against him, calling the decision disgusting and accusing the U.S. government of, quote, "lobbying for their release."

Meanwhile, four British women who alleged they were raped and coercively controlled by Tate said Thursday they felt, quote, "retraumatized."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR (on-camera): And while of course the travel ban has been lifted on both of the Tate brothers, but we have heard from Romanian authorities is

that they are still under all other legal obligations, namely to appear in court as these legal proceedings are ongoing.

[16:55:01]

We are, of course, expecting, according to the Tate brothers' attorney, to see them appearing in court once again in late March.

HILL: Nada, appreciate it. Thank you.

Just ahead here, we have the final numbers for you from Wall Street after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Wall Street is sinking after Donald Trump reinforced his plans to place tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico next week. The Dow falling

nearly 200 points. The S&P, which wavered throughout the session, ultimately dropped more than 1.5 percent, while the Nasdaq closed down more

than 2.5 percent.

Last week's jobless claims in the U.S. saw the highest increase in over four months. They have likely spiked, in part due to extreme weather in

many parts of the country. It's important to note those numbers do not yet reflect the government layoffs by the Trump administration and those job

cuts. The GDP, meantime, growing as expected, increasing 2.3 percent year over year last quarter. That's down from 3.1 percent over the summer.

When we take a closer look at the Nasdaq, it was dragged down by Nvidia. The chip maker lost 8.5 percent as you see there today. That's despite

topping estimates with its earnings on Wednesday. Investors, though, casting doubt on the bellwether ever since the Chinese startup DeepSeek

claimed to have built a more efficient A.I. model.

Well, that's going to do it for QUEST MEANS BUSINESS on this Thursday in New York. I'm Erica Hill in for Richard. Stay tuned. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE

TAPPER" starts right now.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Phil Mattingly in for Jake Tapper.

This hour investigating the death of a Hollywood legend. Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife found dead in their home. Tonight police say the

circumstances are, quote, "suspicious enough" in nature to require thorough search and investigation.

Plus, she graduated from high school with honors, but she can't read or write. Now, a Connecticut teenager is suing her school district, alleging

her family's concerns were brushed aside and staff didn't do enough to help her learn.

And leading this hour President Trump holding court this afternoon at the White House with the leader of one of the United States' closest allies,

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, traveling to Washington for a meeting largely focused on the future of the conflict in Ukraine and negotiations

in the war started by Russia's Vladimir Putin.

And that's where we begin with CNN's Jeff Zeleny at the White House.

Jeff, we just saw President Trump meeting with the British prime minister, also just hours away now from President Trump's meeting --

END