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The Source with Kaitlan Collins

Trump Not Blinking On Tariffs After Supreme Court Ruling; Patel Defends Celebrating With Men's Hockey Team In Milan; Ex-U.K. Ambassador To U.S. Arrested Amid Epstein Probe. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired February 23, 2026 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dozens of small towns across the Northeast are wrestling with 2 wet feet. And Boston will cancel school for the second day, as they dig out of the blizzard of 2026.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Our thanks to Bill Weir for that. It has been something, let me tell you.

Reminder. Tomorrow night, President Trump's first State of the Union address of his second term. CNN's special coverage starts at 08:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm back tomorrow at 07:00 a.m.

The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight, on everything from tariffs, to a potential war with Iran, President Trump seems to say he's the one who decides alone, not Congress.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is here live.

I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.

Blizzard-like conditions may have more than 35 million Americans snow- bound or struggling to dig themselves out this evening. But one person who is plowing straight ahead is the President of the United States.

Fresh off being handed a major defeat from the Supreme Court, on the eve of his State of the Union address, Donald Trump is making one thing very clear. Even when it comes to powers, the Constitution explicitly gives to Congress, he says that he has no plans to consult with the legislative branch that he'll address tomorrow night in prime time.

For example, he posted today, As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. Sticking to that claim from Friday that he made hours after the Supreme Court struck down his tariffs. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Well why wouldn't you just work with Congress to come up with a plan--

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't have to.

REPORTER: --to push tariffs through?

TRUMP: I have the right to do tariffs, and I've always had the right to do tariffs, and it's all been approved by Congress, so there's no reason to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The President backed that up with another threat, posting that, Any country that wants to play games, as he put it, With the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have Ripped Off the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff.

That comes as, over the weekend, we saw the President say that his 10 percent global tariff that he put in place, after the Supreme Court struck down the measures on Friday, would now go up to 15 percent. That sent markets tumbling, as investors, business owners, consumers have been trying to make sense of it all.

That uncertainty is now threatening to upend much of the work that the President's administration has spent the last year focused on, when it comes to trade. For example, we saw the European Union delaying votes on a trade deal that the administration spent the summer negotiating, perhaps sensing that the President now has a weaker hand to play on this front.

And the President's position toward Congress isn't just on tariffs. It also extends to the possibility of what he has described, in the President's words, War and Iran.

CNN and others have been reporting that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a familiar face, General Dan Caine, and other military leaders have privately been raising concerns about the scale, the complexity, the potential for American casualties that could result if there is a major, extended military operation against Iran.

The President has been weighing his options here. And laying out all scenarios, for a Commander-in-Chief, is not unusual. But that did prompt the President to post this, saying, Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. He said, I am the one that makes the decision.

Now, of course, the Constitution is clear. Both the powers to tax and the decision to declare war rest in that building, the United States Capitol, with the United States Congress.

But this particular Congress, controlled by Republicans in both chambers, has ceded its power to the President on multiple occasions. They'll be listening in, of course, tomorrow night, as we all are, as the President makes that speech, also making the case for his accomplishment -- his accomplishments and his goals so far, going forward in his agenda.

That comes, despite a new CNN poll that shows only 32 percent of Americans believe the President has the right priorities.

He's been offering a preview of that one thing we do know about tomorrow night, is the State of our Union will be long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have a country that's now doing well. We have the greatest economy we've ever had. We have the most activity we've ever had. I'm making a speech tomorrow night, and you'll be hearing me say that. I mean, it's going to be a long speech, because we have so much to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: My lead source tonight is Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

And thank you, Senator, for being back here.

[21:05:00]

Because, what has transpired over the weekend is the President threatening these countries, saying that if they're looking at this Supreme Court ruling that came down Friday, and they're not going to abide by the tariff deals that they've agreed to, in principle, at least. What do you make of that reaction? Do you still think he's acknowledging the power of the Supreme Court, as we talked about on Friday night?

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Well, he's blustering. He's trying to bully, he's trying to scare other countries in to not backing down on the deals they made in -- that they made over a fear of where the President was going on tariffs.

But notice, at the end of the day, he went with a tariff that he thinks he has a different statute that gives him guidance. So, lots of talk. But right now, he is sticking with something, at least, that has an arguable statutory basis for what he is doing, which is kind of an acknowledgement, No, he really doesn't have the power all by himself.

COLLINS: One question that you've raised that you believe they do have the power is to issue refunds for all the tariffs that were brought in.

WARREN: You bet.

COLLINS: Given what was struck down.

I want you to listen to what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said about this prospect, back in September, and I think he puts an important emphasis on the courts here. And also, what he said yesterday about the potential for refunds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN WELKER, MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS," NBC NEWS: Are you prepared to offer rebates?

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: So, we would have to give a refund on about half the tariffs which would be terrible for the Treasury.

WELKER: And you're prepared to give those--

BESSENT: But--

WELKER: --refunds?

BESSENT: Well, I mean, there's no Be prepared. If the court says it, we'd have to do it.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: What about the countless small business owners in America, many of whom have spoken with CNN, who say they're bearing the cost and have been bearing the cost of tariffs?

BESSENT: Again, I'm not going to get out ahead of the court.

BASH: Yes.

BESSENT: Let's just focus on the news on Friday. And then I'll come back after the lower court rules.

BASH: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: To be fair, in September, he mentioned the court -- the Supreme Court didn't put out any guidance one way or another. But now that we're seeing places like FedEx file lawsuits over this, what do you -- do you believe that's consistency that you're seeing there?

WARREN: Well, remember, the court didn't say anything about refunds because court didn't need to. What the Court said is the money was seized illegally.

Now, everywhere in American law, when you take money that doesn't belong to you, whether you do it by grabbing somebody's purse or cheating them in some other way. The first rule is you got to give the money back. And that's exactly what Scott Bessent said in the first instance. If the court says it's not legal for these tariffs to go through, and that's what they said, then he's got to turn around and give the money back.

I just -- this one is not even, to me, even open or arguable. How would the United States government keep money that the Supreme Court has said it did not legally collect from American businesses, that it did not legally take away from the American families, that ultimately paid this? COLLINS: Well, I mean, I know Senate Democrats are trying to force this to happen. They're basically fronting a measure, it's legislation that would force the tariff refunds. If you don't get Republican support, though, it's going to be dead on arrival. Has a single Republican said that they will support this so far?

WARREN: So look, this is -- obviously, we'll try to get as many Republicans as we can. And it's fine for us to be pushing this in Congress, and I applaud Senator Wyden who is leading the effort on this. But at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the Treasury to take money that the United States government has illegally seized from the American people, and return it to them.

And remember, the estimate here is that we're talking about roughly $1,700 per family, that the Trump administration drove up their costs, forced them to pay on these tariffs. And Trump's response, instead of saying, he's going to give the money back, is to say, Oh, try to find another way to collect more money from those families to make them pay more. And that's the president who promised, on day one, that he would lower costs for American families. Right there, in that one policy, has driven up costs for American families by about $1,700 per family.

COLLINS: There is one thing you and the President agree on, which is capping credit card interest rates at 10 percent. Y'all have talked about this before. This is something that you've advocated for. He called for Congress to pass something on this, when he was in Davos, back in January. So far, no major banks or card issuers have done so.

If he does bring this up tomorrow night, in the State of the Union, will you applaud that?

WARREN: Well, more talk and no action? Look, the whole point here is to get something done.

[21:10:00]

So, I gave a speech, more than six weeks ago. And in that speech, I called Donald Trump out for saying he would put a 10 percent cap on credit card rates. Remember, he promised to do that more than a year ago. And I said, If he would do that, I would be happy to work with him on that. I called him out. I called him out on his economic policies that have been driving up costs for American families.

And in the car, on the way home from that speech, he called me, and he said, Yes, let's do something to lower the interest rate. Let's put a 10 percent cap on interest rate credit cards.

I said, Great. I've got a plan. Let's go.

I called his Chief of Staff repeatedly. I've sent my team over with language on how to do that. And here we are, more than six weeks later, and there is no plan, no movement to move forward. So, I'm just a little tired of all talk and no action.

American families, with credit card debt, could save about $900 per family, if they had a 10 percent cap on interest rates. That would be a big boost for those families. It would be, altogether, about a $100 billion for American families, altogether.

And Donald Trump, he makes empty promises and does not deliver. I've had just about enough of that, and I think the American people have too.

COLLINS: Have you heard from the President, or anyone in the admin, on this, in the last six weeks?

WARREN: No.

COLLINS: Are you going to the State of the Union tomorrow night, by the way?

WARREN: Yes. I'm going to sit there.

COLLINS: Will you be attending?

WARREN: I'm going to witness this. I think it's important to do. And I will be there. And I will be there, as he tries to put a spin on this economy, a happy face on an economy where he promised, for an entire year, when he was running for president, he would lower costs on day one.

And here we sit, on day 400. Cost of groceries is up. Cost of utilities is up. Cost to build a home is up. And the cost of health care is just being pushed through the roof. And what has Donald Trump done? He's put in tariffs that have cost families even more.

Look, he can spin it however he wants, but the Trump economy works great for billionaires, and is not working for American families. And American families know that.

COLLINS: Well, I know you had a town hall, last night. And obviously, there's been so much criticism from Democrats of this White House on the economy, on the promises the President made would happen a year in, that have not all materialized.

Your own party's favorability, though, is not very strong on this. Prices were up when President Biden was in office. So, how do you convince voters that if President Trump is not fulfilling his promises, that Democrats will be able to help them with what they can afford?

WARREN: Part of what we do is we get out there with the very specific parts that we are willing to change. Right now, we know that the cost of child care is through the roof, and that families with small children literally make decisions not to work, because they can't make enough money to be able to afford child care. And at the same time, child care workers are not paid enough to be able to stay in the profession, and have huge turnover.

Here is a place, where Democrats are advancing a child care bill that would make a huge difference for millions of families across this country. Republicans are opposed to it. And you know why they're opposed to it? Because we would raise the taxes on billionaires to help pay for it. So for me, this is all about who you think government should work for. Donald Trump has made it really clear, he makes government work better and better for a handful of billionaires and a lot of cheaters. The Democrats are in this fight to make this country work better for the American people, and we're actually willing to tax the billionaires to get that done.

COLLINS: You sit on the Armed Services Committee. And I mentioned Iran. We've heard from sources about General Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs Chairman, other military leaders, raising some concerns, privately, about just how big the United States could go in Iran, what that could look like, U.S. casualties if there's this big operation.

Do you support any kind of military action in Iran at this point?

WARREN: Not at this point. Donald Trump may be trying to drag the United States into another endless war. That is not what the American people want, and it is not in the interests of the United States of America.

It is Congress that has the power to declare war, not the president to go start a war on his own. This is one more time that we've got these spineless Republicans, in the House and the Senate, who won't stand up to Donald Trump. But they were elected by the American people to represent them, the American people. We have got to push back and tell Trump, he does not have the power to start a war with Iran.

COLLINS: I mean, he's saying he doesn't need to go to Congress for that, or for tariffs.

WARREN: Well, Donald Trump doesn't think he has to go to Congress for anything, although, you know--

COLLINS: So, what's that going to look like, when he's addressing Congress tomorrow night?

[21:15:00]

WARREN: Well, not only that. You really want to say, Why not? Because, the Republicans have the majority in the House and the Senate. They have -- mostly, their number one action has been just to bow down to Donald Trump.

So, why is it that Donald Trump is afraid to come to Congress, to ask his own Republican Party, to sign off on his tariffs, to ask his own Republican Party to sign off on his efforts to start a war? And the reason is because Donald Trump is already unpopular. Unpopular on the economy. Unpopular on all of these issues. And they know that if they go along with that, Donald Trump and the Republicans become even more unpopular.

But you know, that is what the Constitution requires here. Donald Trump cannot do tariffs on his own, cannot start a war on his own. And the Republicans need to join the Democrats in Congress in standing up. We also need to hold Donald Trump accountable for this economy. Again, working great for billionaires, but not for hardworking families. COLLINS: Yes. We'll see what his message on that is tomorrow night.

Senator Warren, I know you'll be in the chamber. Thank you for joining us here tonight.

WARREN: Thank you.

COLLINS: And up next. We do have breaking news in the search for Nancy Guthrie. We are now learning, that picture you saw, if you noticed a difference where he approached her door, days before the night of her disappearance (ph). That's why. No backpack, compared to the pictures with a backpack. More from our experts ahead.

Also, there's been a high-profile arrest in the United Kingdom. The former Ambassador to the United States, who was just fired, has now been detained for suspicion of misconduct in public office, all after the release of the Epstein documents.

And also, the FBI Director Kash Patel is now defending this video as he was partying with the U.S. men's hockey team as they were celebrating their big win.

[21:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We do have breaking news tonight in the desperate search that is underway for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.

By now, we've all seen the surveillance footage of that masked, armed individual who was caught on Nancy Guthrie's home front door camera. But tonight, we are learning from sources that the suspect was also at her doorstep on another night before she disappeared.

This image, right here, of the suspect, with no reflective backpack. And then there's the one with the backpack, as we've now seen, that were widely circulated. They were actually taken on two different days. That's obviously a huge development here, because it raises questions for investigators about why this suspect approached her home on two separate occasions.

I want to bring in our CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller.

Also, the former FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe is here.

And John Miller, when you look at this, in terms of what it tells us potentially about this person, how much they had been planning this, what kind of -- you know, whether they are savvy, maybe savvier than we had initially believed. What's the significant -- significance of this, do you believe, in this investigation?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, I think it tells it tells us something we always kind of knew and suspected, which was unless that individual who carried out that abduction was so incredibly familiar with the home that he could breeze in and out, that they probably needed to do pre-operational surveillance, to do a reconnaissance, to figure out what barriers or impediments were in the way.

You'll recall that there was a reference in one of the ransom notes to a flood light that was destroyed. It was motion-sensitive, so it came on in response to movement. That might be one of the things you would look for in a reconnaissance.

What we didn't know was that these two sets of pictures, the one of him standing there without the backpack, and the rest as he approaches the camera, which by now he's aware of because he's been there before, were taken on different days. That's the part that's new. Even though we always assumed, it was likely that he and/or anyone else who worked with him would have been there before.

COLLINS: Well, and Andrew McCabe, part of why we maybe weren't able to confirm that is because they didn't (ph) really had press conferences where reporters could ask questions.

Because, I mean, this was something that was published by the FBI Director Kash Patel. He's the one who put out the images of the suspect's. But when you look at the wording of his post, he says that these were images from the morning of her disappearance. They include backpack. And no backpack when you look at that. I mean, what do you make of that?

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Well, I mean, he was obviously wrong. Whether he was just sloppy or intentionally wrong, is a question we can't answer tonight.

Honestly, the idea that the no-backpack photograph was taken on the same night as the backpack photograph never made any sense to any of the investigators that I know that have been focused on this pretty closely. There's just -- it's just almost impossible to imagine a scenario, in which you would come to the house, prepared to enter it, to execute this kidnapping, and then, for some reason, take those things off, or vice versa.

But in any case, let's focus on the communications problem here. We clearly have an issue with this investigative team not conducting any sort of regular updates on the case. And at this point that -- when the case has gone on for so long, they are, in my view, missing opportunities to draw further attention to this case.

[21:25:00]

And the clarification on this image today is exactly one of those opportunities. They could have used this in a joint press conference, as an opportunity to get people to re-look at these photographs, maybe to exhort them to go back and look at their surveillance cameras one more time for something they may have missed. It's a way to inject more energy, and focus, and attention, into the investigation, and that is something that this investigation needs desperately right now.

It's a little bit curious that they haven't gotten up in front of the cameras and in front of the press for quite some time now, especially in light of how long this is taking.

COLLINS: Well, John, what do your sources say about that? Do they agree? Or is there any talk even of holding a press conference?

MILLER: Well, I mean, what I have heard in the feedback I've gotten from the questions I've asked is that, they have run out several significant leads that turned into dead ends. And now, they are looking at the leads, and all the work that they've done, to try and figure out, where is the -- where are the next things to focus on?

That happens in a case like this. Andy McCabe and I have been there before, where you basically throw everything back out on the table and say, All right, let's find some new directions here.

As for whether they should have, on the day they released the pictures, said they were from two different dates. There's two theories on that.

One is, sure, for clarity.

The other is the fact that they had established that the -- that the suspect had been there, on multiple occasions, or at least one additional occasion, might not be something that they wanted him or his accomplices, if there are any, to know, just because it offers different investigative opportunities for the FBI and for the Sheriff.

COLLINS: Yes, it does answer those questions, like, to McCabe's point, about why was there a backpack in one picture, and not in the others.

John Miller. Andrew McCabe. We'll see what we learn from this. Thank you both for joining us on this breaking news tonight.

And speaking of the FBI Director Kash Patel. Tonight, he is offering a defense, not of that post there from the Guthrie investigation, but this image from the gold medal celebration where he was caught partying with the U.S. Olympic hockey team in the locker room. Why this has raised criticisms? Ahead.

[21:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The FBI Director Kash Patel tonight is defending his locker room celebration with the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team after they won gold in Milan. While the Bureau that he runs has been facing multiple fast-moving crises and investigations back home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(VIDEO - FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL CELEBRATING WITH THE U.S. MEN'S HOCKEY TEAM IN MILAN)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: That viral video with the beer in his hand has prompted swift criticism from Democrats, including Senator Adam Schiff, who said the FBI Director is wasting taxpayer money and passing this off as official business. Congressman Jason Crow said, Your taxpayer dollars funding the FBI Director's Italian vacation.

His spokesperson pushed back, saying that he had other official events related to the security of the Olympics in Milan, and shared photos of the Director at a Joint Operations Center. Patel himself says that he was invited to the locker room to celebrate with the U.S. hockey team.

On Sunday, that comes as the Bureau he runs was known to be working on several urgent issues, from a deadly break-in at Mar-a-Lago while the President was not there, he was in Washington. But also, a wave of gang violence in Mexico, where American tourists have now been stranded. Also, to the ongoing search that we just mentioned for Nancy Guthrie.

Joining me now to discuss, my political sources, including:

Paul Begala, the Democratic strategist.

And Shermichael Singleton, a Republican strategist.

And Shermichael. Big hockey fan. Big win for the United States hockey team.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes.

COLLINS: I know a lot of people were excited when that happened on Sunday.

But do you think it's a good look for the FBI Director to be celebrating with them in the locker room, like what we saw in that video?

SINGLETON: I don't think it's that big of a deal. Look, optics are one thing. Considering the litany of things that you outlined at the top of this segment. Do you really want that out there? No, if I was advising him. Would I want this to be a conversation on the nightly news? Absolutely not.

But I think if you're Democrats, and you're looking to criticize the Director, I think there are a litany of other things, if you're on that side, where you could potentially form some pretty robust arguments about. This, I don't think is one of them. I think this is going to land pretty flat for most people. By tomorrow, we'll be on to the next topic.

COLLINS: Yes. I mean, I was texting with our Josh Campbell earlier, about this, Paul. And he was saying that inside the Bureau even, this has kind of raised some concerns. I'll read you what he said to me. That, we're learning from sources that the video quickly spread throughout the FBI. A lot of people questioning his judgment, as you hear what he's saying in there in those videos.

The other question that's been raised here is using FBI jets for personal travel. He's done this before, as we know, going to a Caps game in April in Washington, one to a wrestling event with his girlfriend in November.

And it raised this question of what Patel himself said about Chris Wray, the former FBI Director, back in 2023.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Chris Wray doesn't need a government-funded G5 jet to go to vacation. Maybe we ground that plane. $15,000 every time it takes off.

We're not the guys running around on private jets. And somebody, maybe in Congress, should ask for how many flights on a private jet Director Comey took, or my predecessor, Director Wray took, and how many personal trips they took.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[21:35:00]

COLLINS: What do you think of that, Paul?

PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, in 252 days, the Democrats are going to take the House, maybe the Senate. Mr. Patel -- Director Patel, will certainly be asked about this. It certainly looks like he's squandering taxpayer money, exactly what he's accusing his predecessors of.

And I hope -- first off, let me just say how great it was that the USA men and women hockey teams, both beat terrific teams from Canada. It makes us all proud. We're all happy.

COLLINS: Yes.

BEGALA: But I hope we forget it, but we won't, if in fact, something happens, God forbid, but there are real threats. You mentioned some of them.

The one you didn't even mention, what I'm most worried about, we're saber-rattling with Iran right now. Iran is probably the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world. They are our enemy. And I don't know this, but I used to work in the government, I can tell you, my guess is the threat level is really rising from Iran through terrorism, as well as through their conventional means.

So, I want my FBI Director finding out how the hell somebody jumped the fence in Mar-a-Lago with a gun. Thank God, Secret Service stopped him. I want -- I really want to know why they're still sitting on millions of more documents in the Epstein files over at the FBI or the Justice Department. Why haven't those been released? What's he doing to protect us from this rise in violence in Mexico? You saw it -- he has a real job.

The hockey team had a real job. They did it. I'd say, Kash Patel not doing his, and he will be held to account for this. That's our money, not his. And believe me, when the Democrats take the Congress, he's going to have to answer for how he's spending our money. COLLINS: Yes. And obviously, there have been questions about that. He's been defending it.

Shermichael and Paul, I want to get both you to weigh in on something else. It's something that Governor Gavin Newsom of California said on Sunday night, that I've seen a lot of people talking about online. He was speaking in front of a crowd in Atlanta, and the -- talking to the City's mayor, when he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): I'm not trying to impress you. I'm just trying to impress upon you. I am like you. I am no better than you, you know? I am a 960 SAT guy.

(LAUGHTER)

(CHEERING)

NEWSOM: And, you know, and I'm not trying to offend anyone, trying to act all there if you got 940.

(LAUGHTER)

NEWSOM: But literally a 960 SAT guy. I cannot -- you've never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech. Maybe the wrong business to be in.

(LAUGHTER)

NEWSOM: You know, my dyslexia, I haven't overcome dyslexia. I'm living with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A lot of clips that have been posted were where he stopped saying he can't read. Obviously, you can hear there, he's talking about dyslexia, something I've personally heard him talk about before. I'm not going to ask either of your -- of you, your SAT scores.

But Shermichael, do you think that that is fair, the criticism that that comment is getting?

SINGLETON: Look, I think the overall point he was trying to make, I think it resonates with people. I mean, look, I'm a partisan. I certainly don't agree with the Governor on a litany of things. But I think context matters.

And I think the Governor, like any decent politician, fundamentally understands that recognition is a driving political force. By that, I mean he knew the audience that he was talking to. He understood that he needed to try to connect with working-class people. This is a guy who started on second base.

It's one thing to say, I had a disability, but because of the affluence of my parents, I was able to go to a litany of great doctors. He didn't really talk about that. And I think that's really important. This isn't Bill Clinton, Paul's former boss, who really did understand what working-class people went through, someone who came from absolutely nothing.

And so, I think as Newsom continues to go out there and speak to the American people, Republicans and Democrats alike, I think it's really important, while he tries to understand what everyday people are living with and going through, that he also does not limit or not -- acknowledge, rather, the fact that he did grow up rather wealthy, and that the hurdles that he had to go through were a lot easier for him compared to the average person. As long as he does that, then I think he'll be OK.

BEGALA: Let me--

COLLINS: Paul, what did you think of that?

BEGALA: I've heard Gavin say this before, and it's very inspirational. I know and love people who have dealt with and overcome and dealing with, as he says, dyslexia.

But let me defend Sean Hannity. Sean Hannity said that that was racist. It could be that Sean meant that as a compliment, because Sean loves Donald Trump, who just posted the most racist thing a White House has ever done. That's what Tim Scott, the Republican senator from South Carolina, said. That horrible video, where he insulted the Obamas, depicted them as apes.

[21:40:00]

So, when people are throwing around the epithet, Racist, many of us believe it applies to Mr. Trump. It certainly doesn't apply to Governor Newsom. Good Lord, he has told that story many times. It's a really important story to know that people who are differently abled can still reach the pinnacles of success, and I think it's an admirable thing.

But yes, let's cut Sean a little slack there, because I think he's got a soft spot for a particular racist in the White House right now.

SINGLETON: Yes, but Paul, I think -- I think the framing and context matters, in terms of how you're talking about an issue.

And look, I agree with you. There are millions of families across this country who have to deal with that, and they're trying to assure their children that, No matter what the challenges are, you too can do exceptional things.

But most of those people don't have parents who are judges. Most of those people don't have best friends who are billionaires, who can invest in their first businesses, like the Governor of California. And I think you should not minimize those things, when talking about some of those challenges.

COLLINS: Paul Begala. Shermichael Singleton. We'll leave it there. If either of you want to let me know what your SAT scores were, privately, you can message me.

Up next here for us. There was another high-profile arrest in the wake of the Epstein files. This one you have to see. It's the former British ambassador to the United States, an incredibly important position. Why he was just taken into police custody today.

[21:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The fallout from the release of the Epstein files has continued, as there is the arrest of yet another ex-official in the United Kingdom tonight.

Peter Mandelson was the recently-ousted British ambassador to the United States. He was arrested today on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He stands accused -- he's been accused of passing market-sensitive information, I should say, to Jeffrey Epstein, as he was serving as the U.K.'s Business Secretary.

And his arrest obviously is notable, given it comes just days after we saw King Charles' brother, Andrew, become the first senior member of the British royal family to be arrested since 1647. Yes, 1647.

Now, Peter Mandelson himself has not commented yet on the allegations against him. He's previously apologized for his associations with Jeffrey Epstein. But we do know tonight that British authorities say he has been released on bail.

Back on this side of the pond, a new CNN review of the files that have been released, regarding Epstein, show that he had a far more intimate relationship with the wellness influencer, Deepak Chopra, than previously known.

Chopra, who has been married for decades, I should note, emailed Epstein in 2017 to come to Israel. Writing, If you want to use a fake name. Bring your girls. In a later message, he added, Your girls would love it as would you.

Then, in a 2016 exchange with Epstein, the wellness influencer texted about a woman whose name is redacted from what we can see, but he said he felt connected to her at a level of awareness.

Jeffrey Epstein wrote back, I liked watching you zero in on your prey. Made me smile.

Deepak Chopra responded, said, I'm not a predator Just a lover.

He has not yet responded to CNN's request for comment on these exchanges. He has previously distanced himself from Jeffrey Epstein though, and said he was never involved in, Nor did I participate in, any criminal or exploitative conduct. He says, Any contact I had with Epstein was limited and unrelated to abusive activity.

Joining me tonight is the Democratic congressman, Ro Khanna of California, the co-author of the law that forced of release of these files.

And first off, Congressman, can I get your reaction to the arrest of Peter Mandelson, someone who had this incredibly significant position in Washington, was in the Oval Office, meeting with President Trump and other high-ranking U.S. officials just over the last year.

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, the irony, Kaitlan is, while it was two American congresspeople, Congressman Massie and me, who forced the release of the Epstein files, it's other countries that are actually taking it seriously in investigating and prosecuting.

I'm glad Britain has arrested Lord Mandelson. I'm glad that they are -- have arrested and are prosecuting the former Prince Andrew. I'm glad this action is also being taken in Norway, where they're going to be investigating the former Prime Minister. France is announcing investigations.

And the question in the United States is, why aren't we doing anything? Why aren't we having investigations and prosecutions here?

COLLINS: Well, some people might look at that and say, Well, if there's evidence that would warrant one, there would be prosecutions. I mean, that's what, basically, we've heard from the Justice Department so far. You don't think that's believable?

KHANNA: Here's why it has so little credibility. In Les Wexner's deposition, the person in Ohio, a billionaire with alleged huge ties to Epstein, he says, I have not been asked or investigated by the FBI or by the Department of Justice.

It's one thing that you're saying, OK, these people should not be tried or prosecuted. It's another thing not even to investigate them. And my view is anyone who had significant alleged ties to Epstein, or who has email correspondence about going to his island or engaged with underage girls, should at least be investigated by the FBI and Department of Justice.

COLLINS: Congress is conducting its investigation. That's why y'all talked to Les Wexner.

I mean, is Deepak Chopra someone that you think Congress should be talking to, given the emails about girls, and Jeffrey Epstein's girls that we can see there?

[21:50:00]

KHANNA: Yes, and it saddens me, because I know Deepak Chopra personally. He was a figure, as an Indian American, that I admired. But I have said, as is Thomas Massie, that it's not about our personal relationships, and it's not about politics.

If there are people like Deepak Chopra, who have emails, that are talking about young girls, are talking about their correspondence with Epstein? They need to come under oath. They need to testify. They need to have -- answer questions from the DOJ or FBI. What did they know? What did they see? Did they know of other people as part of this network? We need transparency. There can't be a group of people above the law.

And Kaitlan, it's personal for Congressman Massie and me. I mean, we get just today, two survivors who reached out, saying, Why is nothing happening? They look and see other countries doing things and they're saying, Why is nothing happening in the United States of America?

COLLINS: One person that we've seen, other officials in California calling on him to step down, is Casey Wasserman. He's running the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Committee. He has suggestive emails with Ghislaine Maxwell that were in the files. He's talked about them being embarrassing, but said he only had limited interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Do you believe that he should resign? Are you in that group of officials who have called on him to resign? Or where do you stand on this?

KHANNA: I have not. I'm not having followed all of the details, and I'll leave that to the Olympics committee.

But what I have said is that if people have emails about going to Epstein's island, or if they have emails about young girls, that they should be under oath, investigated, and that they should answer questions.

My understanding, from what I've seen from the public reporting, is his email was before Epstein was convicted, and it was to Maxwell. And so, it may not meet that threshold. But regardless of a person's politics, the question should be, did they have correspondence with Epstein after he was convicted? Did they go to the island? And in which case, they should be investigated.

COLLINS: Yes. I know Wasserman has donated to your campaigns over the last couple of years. I just -- that's why we wanted to get your position on that.

You mentioned the Epstein survivors. One of them -- many of them, are coming to the State of the Union tomorrow night. They're going to be in the room with President Trump, as he's addressing Congress. Haley Robson, you have invited. When it comes to that, is there any expectation, in your view, or the survivors' view, that the President will acknowledge them tomorrow night?

KHANNA: I hope so. Haley Robson is a voter for Donald Trump. She wants nothing more than for Donald Trump to release the rest of the files. She wants nothing more than for there to be justice.

And I hope that the President will have the humanity to acknowledge the survivors, and to direct his Attorney General, and his FBI Director, to investigate and prosecute. But, I'm not holding my breath. But that's what I would like to see, because ultimately, this is about getting justice for the survivors.

COLLINS: Congressman Ro Khanna, thank you for joining us here tonight.

KHANNA: Thank you. Appreciate it. COLLINS: Up next on THE SOURCE. Lindsey Vonn has just shared how severely she was hurt during that horrific crash. It's kind of stunning to hear it just in her own words. That's next.

[21:55:00]

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COLLINS: Tonight, Lindsey Vonn is revealing that she nearly had to have her leg amputated, after that nasty fall that she took while going downhill during the Olympics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSEY VONN, AMERICAN ALPINE SKI RACER: And Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what's called a fasciotomy, where he cut open, like, both sides of my leg, kind of fileted it open, so to speak, let it breathe, and he saved me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And Vonn says that she has faced a major complication as doctors tried to reconstruct her left leg after suffering multiple fractures. She was hospitalized two weeks ago, after she was crashing during the downhill run that she had attempted just days after suffering a torn ACL. The injury was so severe that she air-lifted off the mountain and has since undergone at least four surgeries since then.

The 41-year-old is now out of the hospital, but says it is going to be a long recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VONN: It's going to be a long road. I'm in a wheelchair right now. I'm very much immobile. I'll be in a wheelchair for a while because I also broke my right ankle.

Life is life, and we have to take the punches as they come. So, I'm going to do the best I can with this one. It really knocks me down. But I'm like Rocky. I'll just keep getting back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Of course, everybody is wishing her a fast and full and speedy recovery. We'll keep you updated as she makes that recovery journey.

I do want to say, before we go tonight, a reminder. President Trump is going to be delivering his State of the Union address, tomorrow night. He has said, Expect it to be long.

And remember, last year, as he addressed Congress in a Joint Session, the President went one hour and 40 minutes, which broke modern presidential records. I believe he beat Bill Clinton's record for how long a President has addressed Congress. [22:00:00]

You can watch that tomorrow night, here on CNN. Of course, Senator Elizabeth Warren, others, as they noted, will be in the audience. Some Democrats are boycotting it. Our special coverage will begin at 08:00 p.m. Eastern, and I'll be covering it all, with my latest reporting, with my amazing CNN colleagues, before and after the speech.

Thanks so much for joining us here tonight.

"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.