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The Situation Room

Will Trump Intervene in Iran?; Interview With Minneapolis, Minnesota, City Councilmember LaTrisha Vetaw; Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act in Minnesota. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired January 15, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news: New clashes erupt in Minneapolis overnight after another shooting involving a federal agent. And now President Trump is issuing a dire new threat.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And shifting tone. The president is tamping down his talk on Iran, backing off from what sounded like imminent action just a day ago. But the threat of military action is clearly still on the table.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And we begin with the breaking news. President Trump is threatening to invoke what's called the Insurrection Act and escalating confrontations between federal agents and protesters in Minnesota.

BROWN: This as the city reels in the aftermath of a fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week. And, overnight, the Department of Homeland Security said federal agents were conducting a -- quote -- "targeted traffic stop" when a Venezuelan national was shot in the leg after he began to resist arrest and -- quote -- "violently assault."

Now, that was the DHS claims of what happened and a federal agent -- on that federal agent. We are still waiting for further details from state or local law enforcement.

BLITZER: Here's what the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, said just a few minutes ago about the situation in Minnesota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I describe it as violent and the violation of the law in many places. I discussed with the president this morning several things that we are dealing with under the department in different operations. We did discuss the Insurrection Act. He certainly has the

constitutional authority to utilize that. My hope is that this leadership team in Minnesota will start the work with us to get criminals off the streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And the secretary also said that there are no plans to pull out of Minnesota.

BLITZER: Let's go live right now to see the senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak.

Kevin, there, you're on the scene for us. Tell us more about what the Trump administration is saying and what invoking the Insurrection Act would actually do.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes.

And you heard Kristi Noem there say that this was a point of discussion with the president here at the White House earlier today. Now, she didn't say that she herself was necessarily recommending it, but she reiterated that this was a constitutional authority that the president could utilize.

This is an 1807 law. It would allow the president to deploy the military on domestic soil to quell a rebellion or an insurrection. And what the Supreme Court has said is that the president has very wide leeway in determining whether an insurrection or a rebellion is under way.

And I will just read for you what the president wrote this morning. "If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE, who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the Insurrection Act, which many presidents have done before me."

Now, the president is correct. This has been used before. The last time was several decades ago in Los Angeles around the Rodney King protests. You have to go back much further to find a president who invoked the act over the objections of a state governor. You would have to go back to the '60s and the civil rights era to do that.

And it has been pretty clear that in Minnesota and the leaders there, the governor, Tim Walz, have made explicit that they want ICE and the federal government out of that city. So this would set up a potential clash with the government there.

Now, the president has threatened to use the Insurrection Act in the past. You can go all the way back to his first term, when the president was considering using it in the protests after the killing of George Floyd. Just this term, the president has suggested he might use it when protests flared up in Portland and Los Angeles and other cities where ICE has been operating.

But he has never actually gone through with it. And I do think that speaks to some of the hesitancy behind the scenes, certainly, legally, questions about what this would mean, whether it would be challenged in court, but also politically.

The president's advisers are not necessarily all bought into the idea that this would benefit the president in the end, and so certainly a calculation that they're all making as the president ramps up his threats.

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BROWN: All right, Kevin Liptak live for us from the White House, thank you so much.

BLITZER: All right, let's take a closer look at what's going on in Minneapolis right now. It's clearly a city on edge amid all the erupting chaos after a second shooting involving a federal agent last night.

Protesters and law enforcement clashed near the scene of that shooting, with officers unleashing multiple tear gas canisters, pepper balls, and what sounded like flashbang explosives.

BROWN: So here's how it all started. The Department of Homeland Security says an officer was -- quote -- "violently assaulted" before shooting the suspect in the leg. Both are being treated for non-life- threatening injuries. Even vehicles swallowed by the crowd took the brunt of protesters' anger.

CNN's Whitney Wild was right there in the middle of it all when it spilled over. Here is her live report from overnight describing the hectic scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: It was at this general area where earlier we saw multiple tear gas canisters thrown at protesters. At one point, the smoke became so thick that we actually got separated as a team.

And there were tear gas canisters detonating all around us. One hit me, hit my foot, hit my side. One went off right beneath photographer Jonathan Schaer's face. And he was coated in that tear gas liquid here.

And so now I want to come to the end of the street here, Elex, because I want to see what this scene looks like now, because it was quite chaotic earlier.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: Oh.

WILD: And what you're seeing is fireworks apparently here. That looks like civilian fireworks. I don't see any law enforcement here now, but earlier it was actually hard to tell what was a firecracker, what was (AUDIO GAP) what was a tear gas canister, because it was so dark, so smoky. And all you'd see were, as you just saw, bursts of what looked like a

firework actually in the air. And then we would later find out that it was tear gas. The area had been completely coated in tear gas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And, this morning, "The Minnesota Star Tribune" has this blaring headline -- quote -- "Our community is in crisis" -- end quote.

Local and state officials are pleading for calm. The state's governor is saying, be peaceful, but don't walk away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): Tonight, I want to share another way you can help. Witness. Help us establish a record of exactly what's happening in our communities. You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct these activities. So carry your phone with you at all times.

And if you see these ICE agents in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right, I want to bring in Minneapolis City Councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw. She represents Ward 4 in Northern Minneapolis and is a Democrat.

Thank you so much for joining us. What is the mood like in your city today?

LATRISHA VETAW (D), MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, CITY COUNCILMEMBER: Thank you for having me.

I think what I woke up to this morning was people feeling scared. It was scary last night. It was loud. Folks went out originally thinking that they were going to help, and then it just turned into complete chaos in North Minneapolis.

BLITZER: And, as you know, President Trump is now threatening to invoke what's called the Insurrection Act. Is that what your city needs right now?

VETAW: I'm just speechless from hearing about this, but I really hope that the president does not do that. That's not what our city needs right now. Our city needs a plan for how government can work together to make sure that ICE can do their business and the citizens of Minnesota and Minneapolis are safe.

BLITZER: The Department of Homeland Security says the person,a Venezuelan national, who was shot ambushed a federal officer and two other people jumped in on the assault. They say the officer fired the shots in self-defense.

That's what the Department of Homeland Security says. Do you have any other details?

VETAW: I do not.

I was on the scene last night, Wolf, and there were so many stories being told at the scene. I was glad to be there to talk to folks there and clear up some of that, but I don't have a final anything about what happened.

BROWN: When you were at the scene, tell us more. Bring us there. What were they saying to you? What was it like there?

VETAW: People -- so, originally, when I got there, I think there were a lot of people there to de-escalate, because there were grandmothers out there. I was out there, other elected officials, violence prevention groups. People were out there to de-escalate.

And then it just -- the flashbangs and snowballs, things were being thrown. And that's what made it chaotic. It was really hard to be out there. It was foggy. A lot of people were choking. Folks needed water. It just really got out of control quickly.

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BROWN: And when you say that they were trying to de-escalate, what specifically were they trying to do to de-escalate?

VETAW: I think it was really about telling the details that we knew, that what we had heard about a person had been shot in the leg and has safely been transported to the hospital.

I had heard that and then had started hearing other things, that there was like MPD-involved shootings. So I wanted to make sure as a councilmember that I went out there to let folks know that this wasn't about MPD, that MPD was on the scene to actually help and keep the residents of Minneapolis safe.

There were just so many things being said on social media about what was happening. I think we all went there with the hopes of making sure that people knew the real story or to find out the real story and to make sure people were filming the ICE activity, but safely.

We know people want to be out there, but we want to make sure people are safe.

BROWN: OK.

BLITZER: Minneapolis City Councilmember LaTrisha Vetaw, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck.

BROWN: Thank you.

VETAW: Thank you for having me.

BROWN: And still ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM: anxious hours for Iran. The country is bracing for possible U.S. military action, as anti-regime protests continue to erupt in the country. CNN's Ben Wedeman is near the Iraq-Iran border, and he will join us

live next.

BLITZER: And later: President Trump also plans to make billions, billions for the United States by selling seized oil from Venezuela. But how will he protect it?

New CNN reporting just ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BROWN: Happening now: Some Iranians say that they are bracing for a possible U.S. attack, despite President Trump softening his tone on the protests there. A U.S.-based human rights group says more than 2,400 protesters have been killed following weeks of protests in Iran.

And we should note that CNN cannot independently verify that number. And while President Trump says the killings have stopped, he is not ruling out potential military action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it's stopped and it's stopping, and there's no plan for executions or an execution or executions. So I've been told that a good authority. We will find out about it. I'm sure, if it happens, we will all be very upset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right, let's go live now to CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman. He is right near the border of Iraq and Iran.

Ben, walk us through what you're seeing and hearing in the region this morning.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're hearing is that indeed it seems that these weeks of demonstrations have -- the demonstrations have calmed down.

But given that there's a complete Internet blackout, telecommunications are very difficult, and Iran is not letting any International journalists into the country, exactly what's going on, we don't know.

For instance, we do we have -- for instance, Reuters was able to go out into the streets of Tehran and speak to people. And what they're saying is That things are getting back to normal. Here's what one person said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Mr. Trump speaks a lot and he seeks to make the Iranian people kneel. This is a mistake. We will stand up to him with all our ability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Although keep in mind, of course, that people on the streets of Tehran can't necessarily say exactly how they feel.

And what we're seeing and hearing is, for instance, that we have been in touch with somebody who came out of Iran very recently, came from a relatively small town near the border. And he told us that, in that small town alone, families took 19 bodies of their loved ones from the morgue in the local hospital.

Clearly, the reasons for these protests are still there. The Iranian economy has essentially collapsed. Keep in mind that, in 2025, the national currency, the rial, lost more than 80 percent of its value.

As a result of the effects of -- the mounting effects of sanctions that have been in place against Iran for decades, as a result of mismanagement, the investment in, for instance, nuclear power or nuclear research and the financing of proxies across the region, the Iranian economy is in shambles.

And even though perhaps the security services have been able to suppress the protests, the fundamental reasons for them have not changed. And I think it's really just a question of time before the whole house of cards of this regime that has been in place for 47 years comes tumbling down -- Pamela.

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BROWN: Wow. All right, we will be tracking it all very closely.

Ben Wedeman, thank you so much.

BLITZER: Stay safe over there, Ben. Thank you from me as well.

Up next: Venezuela has the world's biggest oil supply, and now President Trump says he wants it all for the United States. CNN has exclusive new reporting about how the White House plans to protect the valuable resource.

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BLITZER: All right, there's breaking news: The United States has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean.

The U.S. military's Southern Command posted video on social media, this coming just weeks after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and claimed control over Venezuela's oil reserves.

BROWN: Sources also tell CNN that the Trump administration is looking to use private military contractors to protect the oil and energy assets in Venezuela, instead of deploying U.S. troops.

CNN's Kylie Atwood right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

So I want to ask you about this breaking news and what we know about this vessel that has now been seized by the U.S.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This is the sixth tanker that the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Marines have seized in recent weeks, the fourth one that the U.S. has seized going in -- presumably going into Venezuela to get oil since the U.S. ousted Maduro just in recent weeks.

It's clear that the Trump administration is really doubling down, saying that any of these tankers that are going in to get illicit Venezuelan oil, they're not going to be allowed to do so. They're going to continue falling through on these seizures of these tankers, as the Trump administration is making moves to take control of Venezuela's oil industry.

BROWN: Yes, and what does this say to you about the control that the U.S. has over the country of Venezuela? And, also, what more do we know about the president's relationship with the current leader, the number two, and also Machado? Because he was asked about that yesterday.

ATWOOD: Yes.

So, at this moment, the administration is making the case that they are in control of Venezuela because they are in control of the oil that is in the country right now. We learned just this morning actually that the first sale of Venezuelan oil took place by the United States valued at $500 million.

So we will watch and see for more of these sales to take place, but one central question is, who's going to benefit from those sales? We have heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We have heard the secretary of energy saying that the Venezuelan people benefit.

But Trump has said that this industry has stolen oil -- that Venezuela has stolen oil from the United States. So he's very clearly saying that America is going to benefit. The other thing that we're learning, Pam and Wolf, over the course of the last few days, that the administration is really looking to private security contractors to potentially go in and stabilize the country, so that effectively U.S. troops don't have to.

And this is something that's still in the works. The administration hasn't counted out obviously sending troops onto the ground, but this is an interesting area because it could obviously be economically in the interest of these private security companies and also in the interest of the U.S. not wanting to send in troops, but to stabilize the country to get this oil out.

BLITZER: Five hundred million dollars, that's a lot of money.

ATWOOD: Yes.

BROWN: It sure is. All right, Kylie Atwood, thanks so much.

BLITZER: And just ahead, the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, says ICE officers in Minneapolis and other cities are -- quote -- "doing everything correctly" -- end quote.

Up next, we will ask someone who once held the job, the former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. He's standing by live. We will ask him if he agrees.

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