Return to Transcripts main page
The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Two Officers Fired Their Guns in Fatal Encounter with Pretti; Border Czar Homan Arrives in Minneapolis; Takaichi: Alliance Would Collapse if Tokyo Ignored Taiwan; Japanese PM Lays Out New Defense Spending Goals; India and E.U. Announces Historical Trade Deal; Trump Backs DHS Secy. Noem. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired January 27, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto here once again in
Tokyo. And welcome to a special edition of "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour we'll discuss the Japanese prime minister's latest comments on Taiwan. She says relations with the U.S. could collapse if
Japan ignores a conflict over the island. The CEO of Nissan will join us to talk about its turnaround on tariffs and EVs and panda diplomacy as well.
What's next for Japan's relations with China after sending back two giant pandas?
We do begin though with a CNN exclusive. Two officers fired their guns during Saturday's fatal encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, that is
according to an initial report to Congress from the Department of Homeland Security. U.S. President Donald Trump is standing by his Homeland Security
Secretary Kristi Noem. He told reporters she's doing a good job. Trump also told Fox News that his administration will attempt to de-escalate the
situation in Minnesota.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have Tom Homan there now. We put him in there. He's great and they met with the governor, the mayor, everybody else
and we'll -- we're going to de-escalate a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: We do have newly obtained video showing the moments leading up to Saturday's deadly shooting. An officer approaches Pretti, as you can see
there, pushes him away from the street. Pretti appears to be recording the scene with his phone. Later you can see a number of Border Patrol agents
getting him on the ground. It does not seem to support the claims by some administration officials that Pretti posed a threat to those federal
agents.
Kristen Holmes is at the White House. And, Kristen, the president is promising some de-escalation but he's standing by his Homeland Security
Secretary, who of course has been leading the way on these operations. How does he square that circle?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. She has been leading the way but it doesn't seem as though she will be anymore. We know
that she was here with her top aide Corey Lewandowski at the White House meeting with President Trump for roughly two hours yesterday. She requested
that meeting after President Trump had said that Tom Homan, the border czar, was going to be taking over.
In Minneapolis, something to keep in mind here is that Kristi Noem and Tom Homan have been known to have some friction in their relationship. They
have very different ideas of what the immigration crackdown should look like.
And one of the things to keep in mind here is that Homan himself is no moderate when it comes to immigration. But given what we've seen in terms
of the rhetoric from President Trump's administration, he has ended up seeming more middle of the road. So, President Trump sent him there to do
exactly what he's doing, meeting with Governor Walz, meeting with Mayor Frey, trying to turn the temperature down. And Republicans I've spoken to
are thrilled that Homan is on the ground.
Now, when it comes to Secretary Noem, President Trump, I'm told, is not considering taking her off her post in any way, that he assured her or has
assured her, maybe not directly but indirectly, that she's not losing her job. Her job is not at risk in any way. But there are a growing number of
voices, Republicans included, that are privately calling for her dismissal.
One thing to keep in mind, though, Jim, what we've been told since the beginning of this term for President Trump is that he didn't like the way
that he and his administration handled these kind of firings, public firings, the first time around, that they were influenced by media reports
or by these impeachment inquiries. And he said he wouldn't be doing that the second time around, so it's more likely that he would just double down.
And it could be said that that is that's part of what's happening here as well.
SCIUTTO: It does appear to be that way, given that there have been so many lawmakers calling for her to be fired. Kristen Holmes at the White House,
thanks so much.
There is a group of protesters known as ICE observers who routinely engage with federal agents conducting immigration enforcement and raids in
Minneapolis. They monitor ICE's movements in real time and share information with others to then swarm those enforcement sites. Shimon
Prokupecz is in Minneapolis with the details on this group.
[18:05:00]
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sound of ICE observer whistles descending on an Indian restaurant in
Minneapolis, after a group tracked two off-duty federal immigration agents eating dinner inside. The observers are part of a neighborhood grassroots
network some figures in the Trump administration have labeled domestic terrorists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, guys, I'm on Franklin Ave., just patrolling back and forth towards Lindale.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Local citizens tracking and documenting ICE operations in real time. CNN saw how a local group operates from the
inside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're on Franklin Avenue. And the request is for us to sort of keep an eye on this strip.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): This woman is fearful and didn't want to be named or show her face on camera. She drives through her neighborhood scanning
for signs of ICE activity. Staying in constant contact with other volunteer observers, mostly through the encrypted chat platform Signal, ready to
alert others if agents appear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think people do this work because it works. Finding an ICE car and observing what it's doing will deter ICE from activity. I've
seen more people jump in over the past two weeks than I ever have.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Through local meetings and group chats, thousands of observers coordinate across the Twin Cities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not ICE.
PROKUPECZ: You were just looking to see if that car was ICE.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): They log suspected ICE vehicle information into a shared database, then post locations in real time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are telltale signs, tinted windows, SUV, two drivers, usually male, wearing sort of like military gear.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): When agents are spotted, observers swarm, whistling, chanting and recording.
PROKUPECZ: I watched that network mobilize here. The observers came to this location after they learned that two off-duty ICE officers were inside
having dinner. They tracked them based on the vehicle they were driving. That car was parked over here. Someone saw the license plate. They put it
in a database that they have been collecting of ICE vehicles here. And then all of a sudden, several more of the observers started showing up. And at
some point, they confronted the ICE officers who were inside.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): On Sunday, Vice President J.D. Vance tweeted about an incident matching this description, claiming the ICE officers were
docks, the restaurant was mobbed and the agents were locked inside. He blamed the ICE observers and local police for creating chaos and linked it
to Alex Pretti's death.
PROKUPECZ: The protesters were outside here. Some of them went inside and confronted the off-duty ICE officers. They were not violent. And the ICE
officers, realizing who they were, called for backup. The backup arrived and was able to take them outside. And what the protesters were doing is
much of what we've been seeing, blowing whistles and yelling at them and telling them to get out of their city.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): ICE observer citizen video documenting federal enforcement activity has become vital as the encounters with ICE have
escalated, often contradicting the Trump administration's public account of events.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many observers have been stopped simply for observing government activity or documenting what they're doing with their cell
phones or yelling at them on the street. And that's all constitutionally protected activity. And if the government feels like the fact that people
are witnessing what they're doing and spreading the word about it and protesting it is interference with it, it just shows how wrong that
government activity is.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): After two of their own were killed in altercations with federal officers, the dangers of this work are clear.
PROKUPECZ: Even with that, with all the dangers associated with it, that doesn't faze you or stop you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a call for people who are in positions of privilege to go out and exercise their rights to witness what's going on
and try and do something about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Shimon Prokupecz for that story. Back here in Tokyo, the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, says that her country's
alliance with the U.S. would collapse if Tokyo were to ignore a conflict over Taiwan. She says, quote, "If something serious happens there, we would
have to go to rescue the Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan."
Japan's constitution, we should know, prohibits direct military action but allows for collective self-defense. It seems like she is distancing herself
from remarks she made in November suggesting a possible military response over Taiwan. This seems to be focusing on rescuing citizens there. It
significantly worsened relations, those earlier comments, with China, leading to retaliatory measures on trade from Beijing. She did stop short
of retracting that statement.
With me now to discuss is a former Japanese ambassador to the U.S., Shinsuke Sugiyama. He served during President Trump's first term.
Ambassador, good to have you here.
[18:10:00]
SHINSUKE SUGIYAMA, FORMER JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Good morning, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, help me understand the prime minister's comments here. She's saying if China were to attack Taiwan, Japan would have to rescue Japanese
citizens, perhaps come to the aid of U.S. forces, but she's not talking about coming to Taiwan's military defense?
SUGIYAMA: No, I mean, that's the point. You know, what she said was two things. If Mainland Chinese is to attack Taiwan, and then plus, if that
would endanger the Japanese security, then Japan should stand very much positive to respond to that use of force. That's all.
SCIUTTO: OK.
SUGIYAMA: So, she didn't say that we are ready to invade or something. None whatsoever.
SCIUTTO: So, what is the extent of that support? That's the question, right? Because her earlier comments were that a Chinese attack on Taiwan,
that Japan would see that potentially as existential for Japan, right?
SUGIYAMA: Yes.
SCIUTTO: And that had China and others wondering if she meant that Japan would intervene militarily.
SUGIYAMA: Yes. You see, it is fact of life, two things. One, that Taiwan issue is probably one of the core interests viewed from Beijing, on
Mainland Chinese, which has been there since the beginning, in 1949, something when the PRC, People's Republic of China was established.
SCIUTTO: Right.
SUGIYAMA: Two, that would mean that -- and two, none of the former prime ministers or high-ranking officials of the Japanese government had said
that, as an example, that we should stand ready to rescue these. Although, every one of these prime ministers, the former prime ministers, including
everybody, has been saying that Taiwan is very important. But they had never said that in that specificity.
SCIUTTO: I see.
SUGIYAMA: So, that would create some reaction on the part of the Chinese - - Mainland Chinese.
SCIUTTO: Were her most recent comments, do you believe, an attempt to reduce the tension with Beijing over this issue?
SUGIYAMA: Well, I do believe that none of the Japanese, including the prime minister and every leader, has any intention to increase the
tensions, any increase to some sort of souring relations with the Mainland Chinese.
But at the same time, as I told you, Jim, that Prime Minister Takaichi didn't say anything wrong, didn't say anything illogical. So, if she's
requested to alter her statement or alter or say something and she made a mistake or something, I don't think that that's right.
SCIUTTO: OK. Tell me about your view of the U.S. relationship with Japan, because as you listen to European leaders, they are openly questioning the
strength of the U.S. security alliance with NATO. And there's some concern in Europe that the U.S. would not, under President Trump, come to their
defense. Is there any doubt in your view or in Japan that the U.S. would come to Japan's defense?
SUGIYAMA: Well, in general, yes. I should respond to your question, yes. But in more specific in relation to U.S.-Japan, no. I'll explain to you.
SCIUTTO: OK.
SUGIYAMA: Yes, in the sense that since POTUS is saying something against the importance of alliance mechanism in relation to NATO countries, that
would lead us to think that would POTUS be ready to go for alliance mechanism or something? So, it is in that context that I should respond to
you, yes.
But no in the sense that, of course, NATO and Japan and Korea and Australia and these alliance mechanisms are the same in terms of the collective
defense system. But each one of them has a different perspective and history, geopolitical situation or something. So, when it comes to U.S.-
Japan, I don't see any negative impact upon U.S.-Japan security alliance.
SCIUTTO: OK. How about in terms of trade? Because a frequent experience of America's trading partners is that they make a trade deal with the U.S.
SUGIYAMA: Right.
SCIUTTO: They think everything is OK.
SUGIYAMA: Yes.
SCIUTTO: And then a few weeks or a few months later, President Trump announces new tariffs. We see this on South Korea and we saw this in
relation to Europe. Is there any concern here in Japan that the trade deal -- the U.S. and Japan came to might change at some point?
SUGIYAMA: Well, the -- since the beginning of this POTUS regime or POTUS government, President Trump has been saying repeatedly that he's a tariff
man. So, this is nothing new for him. But when it comes to Trump, too, I think he seems to be increasing his tension in relation to imposing real
tariffs against Japanese, too. So, we are certainly concerned.
[18:15:00]
But I think we made a deal, including some of the huge number of investment schemes and --
SCIUTTO: Yes. Many hundreds of billions of dollars.
SUGIYAMA: Yes. So, 55 some billions of dollars or something. But -- so, I do hope that the agreement and the deal done is going to just produce some
tangible good outcome.
SCIUTTO: Well, we'll continue to watch them closely, as I'm sure you will as well. Ambassador Sugiyama, we appreciate you joining the program.
SUGIYAMA: My honor. Thank you, Jim. Thank you.
SCIUTTO: And bice to see you here in Tokyo. Well, still ahead, we're going to take a closer look at Japan's national security strategy with head of
satellite company SKY Perfect JSAT. This firm is part of a new private satellite group helping to boost Japan's defense readiness.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief," coming to you live once again from Tokyo. In today's Business Breakout, a mixed day for U.S. stocks. The S&P
500 rose to new records despite weak new U.S. economic data. Consumer confidence plunged by almost 10 points this month to its lowest level in
more than a decade.
Also, today, another record day for gold. The precious metal up almost 2 percent, approaching $5,200 an ounce. And the dollar continued to weaken
against most major currencies. It fell more than 1 percent against the Japanese yen.
Japan's prime minister wants to raise her country's defense spending to 2 percent of GDP. That is double its current rate. Sanae Takaichi is looking
to boost Japan's military rhetoric readiness amid rising security challenges across the Asia-Pacific region.
One company ready to help is the satellite firm SKY Perfect JSAT. The firm has joined forces with other private groups to create the satellite
constellation project. It will provide state-of-the-art satellite imagery to the Japanese government. And beyond defense, the firm's satellites help
people to connect to the internet on jets and on ships. They also provide services to the renewables industry by measuring solar output. In the
future, it is hoping to develop laser-powered satellites to help remove space debris.
Joining me now, Eiichi Yonekura. He is the CEO of SKY Perfect JSAT Holdings. It's so good to have you here.
EIICHI YONEKURA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SKY PERFECT JSAT HOLDINGS INC.: Good morning.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Now, you have a long history, your company, in satellite technology, but in recent years, you have been increasing cooperation, not
just with the Japanese defense industry, but also the U.S. defense industry. Can you tell us the focus of that cooperation?
YONEKURA: OK. We are the very first commercial company who launched the first commercial satellite in 1989. And after that, we launched more than
30 satellites. Almost technology comes from the United States. And also, recently, we are using the launching service provided by SpaceX a lot.
And as far as our relationship with the defense ministry is concerned, we have a very long history as the satellite operator to provide
communication, the services for the JMOD. But recently, since, you know, the -- there is a geopolitical issue there, so a good example is that last
December, we just got the contract of the missile monitoring constellation consisting of the 50 satellites.
And the purpose is very simple. Of course, using the commercial satellite, we can provide the imagery service. But if that is the case, the JMOD
cannot have such an imagery service on time -- in a period of time. Therefore, they need their own such constellation. So, that, you know,
timely, we can provide such a kind of imagery data, not only for national security purpose, maybe, I think, disaster, the management service.
SCIUTTO: One thing we see in the States for some time is that private companies have an increased role in the defense industry, right? It used to
be that, of course, NASA would launch all the satellites, the U.S. government, the U.S. military. But of course, now, more and more, they rely
on companies, particularly SpaceX. Do you see a similar phenomenon here in Japan?
YONEKURA: I think so. I think so. The key word is dual use. I mean, you know, once we can develop our service, not only for commercial, but
obviously, we can utilize for such service for the government.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
YONEKURA: Because, you know, as I mentioned, we are the very first commercial satellite operator. Such a satellite can use for the
broadcasting, for the commercial.
SCIUTTO: Sure.
YONEKURA: But by having such a kind technology, we providing -- we can provide such an imagery service through the Earth Observation Satellite
Constellation.
SCIUTTO: So, much of anytime you mentioned defense, right, or even civil technology, the talk is competition with China, and not just in terms of
advancement, but also quantity, right? You often hear, whatever the technology that China can just do more, right, in terms of volume. Where
does that competition stand between Japan and China?
YONEKURA: Well, of course, obviously, the Chinese, you know, space technology is a kind of threatening factor, because technology backed up by
the old Soviet Union technology. So, lots of people worry about the threatening factor by China, especially in space. However, I think, you
know, through the partnership between Japan and Europe and the United States, we can, how to say, compete against such technology of China for
the space side.
SCIUTTO: Now, when we speak about Elon Musk in space, of course, with Starlink, the present and perhaps the future is small, compact satellites.
It's cheaper, you can get more and you get greater scope in terms of transmission and coverage. Is that your view as well? And is that your
company's focus?
YONEKURA: Yes, that's right. But we are not a technology company. We are a service company. We'd like to use the proven competitive technology.
Therefore, as I mentioned, we are using the launching service provided by SpaceX a lot. Because obviously, you know, the SpaceX launching technology
at this moment is dominant.
However, maybe sooner or later, like Amazon's Blue Origin and also H3 of MHI, maybe catch up. So, if that is the case, we can have more option to
pick up.
SCIUTTO: Of course.
YONEKURA: Yes.
SCIUTTO: And then more options means, I imagine, the chance for cheaper costs as well.
YONEKURA: Correct.
SCIUTTO: Eiichi Yonekura, we appreciate your joining.
YONEKURA: Thank you very much.
SCIUTTO: Thanks so much.
YONEKURA: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, checking some of today's other business headlines, shares of major U.S. healthcare firms plunged on disappointing news from the Trump
administration. It is now proposing only a modest increase in payments to private Medicare plans. The industry was looking for a rise of some 4 or 5
percent. It's going to be a fraction of that. Shares of Humana took the biggest hit, down more than 20 percent, one-fifth.
A lawyer says that TikTok settled a social media addiction lawsuit on Monday, one day before that case went to trial. The case was filed by a
mother and daughter against four social media firms, including TikTok. It claims the young woman suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts after
using the app.
[18:25:00]
SNAP settled with the plaintiffs just last week. The trial is still expected to go ahead with the remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube.
India and the European Union have struck a major free trade deal. It is the largest trade agreement reached by either country and it's Europe's second
big trade announcement just this month. The E.U. signed the Mercosur agreement with four South American nations on January 17th. Anna Cooban has
more from London.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Jim, it is perhaps unsurprising to see the European Union and India, which are two massive
trading blocks, decide to deepen their economic ties at a time when the United States is behaving, I think it's fair to say, very unpredictably.
This free trade deal between India and the E.U. has been almost two decades in the making. In the agreement, which still needs to go through various
legal steps before coming into force, both sides agree to cut tariffs on each other's goods. India has said it will, over time, cut levies on
European cars from 110 percent to 10 percent and on European wines from 150 percent to 20 percent, so some pretty big cuts there. The E.U., for its
part, will cut tariffs on many goods from India, which is expected to benefit labor-intensive industries such as textiles, tea, and spices.
Now, the economies were already close, and over the last decade, they've gotten closer. Trade in goods between them has almost doubled. But Chute's
agreement goes a whole lot further. According to the E.U. Commission, E.U. exports to India are expected to double by 2032 as a result of low or no
tariffs. In a statement, the E.U. said the agreement highlights the two economies' joint commitment to economic openness and rules-based trade, an
apparent reference to the turbulence that's regularly unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who only last week threatened to slap additional
tariffs on six E.U. countries because they opposed his threats to annex Greenland.
India has also been in Trump's crosshairs. Last summer, Trump hiked tariffs on India up to a whopping 50 percent as punishment for India continuing to
buy Russian oil while the war in Ukraine drags on. So, being more independent, or at least less dependent on the U.S, is key for India and
the E.U. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Lots of countries looking to diversify beyond the U.S. Still to come on The Brief, Donald Trump says that Kristi Noem is not going
anywhere despite growing calls for the Homeland Security Secretary to step down over her response to the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti. We're going
to have all of that and more just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto in Tokyo, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan is now in charge of the federal immigration operation ongoing in Minnesota's Twin Cities. He met with the
state governor, Democratic Tim Walz, today. The governor's office says the two agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue. Homan replaces top Border
Patrol official Greg Bovino following the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.
We're learning more about a shooting involved the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona now. A law enforcement source says a suspect is in critical
condition after exchanging gunfire with agents and firing at a federal helicopter. The source says agents were attempting to stop a truck, but the
suspect would not pull over and eventually got out and ran.
People around the world paused today on Holocaust Remembrance Day to mark one of the darkest chapters in human history and commemorate the many
millions of victims. Survivors visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland to mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation from the Nazis. More
than 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust along with countless other victims.
With Tom Homan now taking charge in Minnesota and Bovino sidelined, attention is turning to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem was
quick to accuse Alex Pretti of being a terrorist after the ICU nurse who worked with military veterans was killed by federal agents. Sources say
that even White House officials were frustrated this weekend by her quick response to Pretti's death.
But President Trump praising Noem. He told reporters today she will not be stepping down after meeting with her at the White House for some two hours.
Not good enough for Democrats. A growing list of lawmakers say they will look to impeach her if she is not fired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Kristi Noem is a despicable, corrupt, pathological liar and House Democrats have called
for her to be fired immediately. And in the event that she is not terminated, we are prepared to initiate impeachment proceedings against
her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining us now from Mississippi, U.S. House Democrat, Bennie Thompson. He is the ranking member on the committee on Homeland Security.
Congressman, thanks so much for taking the time.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS), RANKING MEMBER, U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, President Trump says he's standing by Kristi Noem. What's your reaction?
THOMPSON: Well, I'm not surprised. He appointed her. A lot of us have been critical of her work. I even asked her in a hearing in November that she
should be fired. Obviously, she wasn't. And Democrats at this point are at wit's end in terms of trying to get the Homeland Security Agency under
control. So, we're really left with not many options beyond impeachment. And as you know, we are moving in that direction right now.
SCIUTTO: Of course, though, without a majority, how do you proceed to impeachment? Do you believe that any Republicans would join you?
THOMPSON: Well, obviously we would hope so, Jim. But I think Democrats can't just sit back and do nothing. What we are hearing from our
constituents, what we're hearing from people who say, well, you know, I really supported the president, but on this issue, he's wrong. I don't like
what I see ICE is doing. I don't like what they're doing to American citizens, and we are a better country than that.
So, Democrats are taking the leadership on this issue in the absence of the president doing something. We'll put it before Congress, and obviously if
we lose, we will not stop fighting and pushing back on what's right in the country.
[18:35:00]
SCIUTTO: Of course, you now have the funding bill at stake here. Do you believe that Democrats have the votes in both the Senate and the House to
force through measures to restrict DHS going forward in exchange for passing a funding bill?
THOMPSON: Well, we hope the Senate will do what's right. I understand Leader Schumer has taken a forward position to take the DHS authorization
out of consideration for it to be held separately, and that there are negotiations underway to do a number of things, to rein in the Department
of Homeland Security's overreach as it relates to ICE's performance and its lack of performance with American citizens.
Jim, what people have seen with their own eyes is just horrific. We are hearing from people all over the country saying, I just don't like what I
see is reminiscent of a dictator being in charge, and we are a democracy. And so, win, lose, or draw, Democrats are in this struggle for
accountability on ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem is in charge of it. So, the buck stops at Kristi Noem's desk.
SCIUTTO: Are Democrats willing to shut the government down to force changes to that DHS spending bill?
THOMPSON: Well, I think everything's on the table. I don't want to be as direct because it'll start obviously over on the Senate side. But from what
I'm picking up from people all over the country, the two murders that we've had in Minneapolis, the overreach by ICE on American citizens.
We have four times more ICE agents in Minneapolis than we have local law enforcement. That is absolutely terrible. Historically, federal resources
always have been used to augment state and local resources, but you can't come in and just do what you want to do and disregard state and locals.
I'm happy that the president is finally speaking with the governor and the mayor of Minneapolis. That's how it should have been in the beginning. And
so, if this means that ICE pulls out, if this means a lot of things, then we need to fix ICE so they can't go back to another city and do the same
thing.
And so, the challenge for this administration, if they want to do right, all they have to do is work with Democrats and we're prepared to do it.
SCIUTTO: As you know, Greg Bovino has been removed from leadership in Minneapolis, Tom Homan going in. In your view, is that a meaningful change
in those immigration operations?
THOMPSON: Look, that's just musical chairs at the top leadership of ICE. You don't make change by just moving someone out and bringing the same type
mouthpiece in another suit. So, what we want is substantive change. We want someone who will work with local law enforcement, local elected officials,
if there's a problem and collectively work to resolve them.
What people all around the world have seen with their own eyes, citizens being harassed, being pepper sprayed, all those kinds of things just for
being in the area. And so, when I see thousands of people standing in sub- zero weather, protesting what they are involved with, it means that people are tired. And we are calling members of Congress, they're calling
everybody they know, say we have to do better. So, Democrats are prepared to work with Republicans, but we got to work on substantive change and it
can't be business as usual.
SCIUTTO: Well, Congressman Bennie Thompson, thanks so much for taking the time to join "The Brief."
THOMPSON: Thank you for having me.
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: And coming up on "The Brief," live once again from Tokyo, Nissan turning over a new leaf, literally. The redesigned leaf, along with a crop
of new models, are a big part of the Japanese giant's turnaround plan. I'm going to speak to the CEO coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Nissan is embarking on a massive turnaround plan to cut costs and restore profitability. At the same time, the carmaker is navigating U.S.
tariffs and a weak yen while updating its range of models. This year, Nissan is launching an all-new Nissan LEAF. It's also refreshed its global
lineup to include the Rogue, Hybrid and Micra EV. At the wheel, CEO Ivan Espinosa, appointed last year. He joins me now. Good to have you on.
IVAN ESPINOSA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NISSAN: Hi. Hi, Jim. Thank you for the time.
SCIUTTO: So, tell me about the key to your turnaround plan. What's going to be the secret?
ESPINOSA: We're 10 months into the plan. We call the plan re-Nissan. The first part of the plan was related to cost-cutting, restructuring and
resizing the company. We are doing very well on track. In the first half of our financial year, we achieved already over 80 billion yen, which is
roughly $500 million in terms of fixed costs optimization.
We are in good shape to reach over a billion dollars by the end of our fiscal year. Now, we're entering the second step, which has to do with
product rollout technology and bringing exciting products to many customers worldwide.
SCIUTTO: Of course, the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle is part of that. Is it your view that electric vehicles are a part of the future or the future?
ESPINOSA: I think it will be the future. The question is at which moment it will come.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
ESPINOSA: And what we do in Nissan is follow the customers very closely. The great thing about Nissan is we have flexibility in the technology that
we have. We have electric vehicles. We have, of course, very good, reliable ICE technology. And we have e-POWER, which is our signature hybrid
technology, which is motor-driven. So, you get the same experience as if you were driving an EV. But you have a small combustion engine inside,
which is generating the power to drive the wheels.
It's a very good bridge in between the conventional ICE technology and the future, which is EV.
[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: Can you compete with China? Of course, the word about China is not only the cost, right, and -- but also just the technology, the
recharging speeds, which presents a real challenge in Europe already for European carmakers. Is it possible to compete with that?
ESPINOSA: Well, you have to. And the good thing also is that we've been in China for over 20 years. We have a joint venture with a partner in China.
We have a very good relationship with China. We have learned tons of this JV and we are exporting. We're planning to export some cars from China. But
we will also be exporting the know-how that we're getting from China into our global operations to become more resilient, more competitive, utilizing
the speed, the cost and the technology that we can find in China today.
SCIUTTO: How about navigating the tariff landscape? Because under President Trump, tariffs are not going anywhere, right? I mean, there are
deals that have been reached with a number of countries which reduce those tariffs, but the tariffs don't go away. And there's also always the
possibility that the tariffs go up again if there's another dispute. We've seen this with Europe. We've seen it with South Korea. How do you manage
your business in that environment?
ESPINOSA: Well, the great thing about Nissan is we have a global footprint that we are utilizing, and it gives us this flexibility to cope with the
geopolitics that are happening in the world today. We have two big manufacturing sites in the U.S., one in Smyrna, Tennessee, the other in
Canton, Mississippi. We produce over six vehicle lines there. So, what we're doing is focusing our marketing and sales strategy on vehicles
produced in the U.S.
Just to give you some reference, in January, around 45 percent of our mix was made in the U.S. In December -- last December, it went up to 65
percent. So, we're really optimizing and utilizing the assets that we have in the United States, and it's working so far.
We need to keep working hard on our cost base and -- you know, because, as you said, you never know what will come next week. So, we need to keep the
resilience and keep improving our overall operations.
SCIUTTO: As you know, the Trump administration does not have such a favorable view of electric cars. They've taken away the government tax
subsidies, incentives, et cetera. What does that mean for the U.S. market? Does that mean that it cools EV demand? Does it kill it? Does it recover in
the next administration? Where do you see that going?
ESPINOSA: I think the key is just to stay close to the customer. And as I was mentioning earlier, the beauty of Nissan is we have a good, wide
availability of technology, ranging from ICE technology. We have e-POWER. We have EV. And we can pivot depending on where the customers are going. We
can pivot and bring products that are exciting and following what customers are expecting.
SCIUTTO: Are you confident about Nissan's future?
ESPINOSA: Well, the plan is going according to what we expected. We need to keep working very hard. We're entering the second step of the plan,
which has to do with product and technology, which is something that our company is great at. And we will continue developing and delivering
exciting cars for our customers.
SCIUTTO: Well, Ivan Espinosa, we appreciate you joining the show and appreciate you hearing more about your business plan.
ESPINOSA: Great. Thank you. Thank you for the time, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, coming up after the break, an export no one here wanted to see. Crowds bid farewell to Japan's last two pandas as they return to
China. And relations between the two nations sink to their lowest level in years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: People just love pandas here in Tokyo. So, when news got out that its two beloved pandas were returning to China, the Tokyo Zoo had to run a
lottery for tickets as visitors clamored to say goodbye. It comes as relations between Tokyo and Beijing have hit a new low. Japan is now left
without pandas for the first time in decades, now that Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are gone. Hanako Montgomery has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in half a century, Japan will be panda-less as its last two
cubs, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, are leaving for China.
SHOKE IKEDA, PANDA FAN (through translator): I'm really sad. We always said, there's a panda here, so we'll get to see it sometime. And then this
happened. I wish I'd come more often.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): News of the twins' departure has drawn fans from across the country, some waiting hours for a final glimpse. Though they
were born in Tokyo in 2021, the cubs were always meant to return this year to their motherland, which loans the bears as goodwill ambassadors and to
strengthen trade ties. But as tensions between Japan and China deepen, prospects for another panda loan seem increasingly far-fetched.
YUKIE KUYAMA, PANDA FAN (through translator): It feels like such a cute, innocent animal is being used as a trump card or weapon.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Relations between the two countries are at their lowest point in years, after Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said
in Parliament that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. China, which claims Taiwan as its own, considers the
issue a red line and has responded with a flurry of economic pressure tactics, like cutting flights, warning citizens against traveling to Japan,
and suspending seafood imports.
Now, the panda's departure, though pre-planned, feels like yet another blow.
HITOSHI SHIMIZU, GENERAL CURATOR AT UENO ZOO (through translator): Honestly, at the operational level, we don't know if we'll get more pandas,
but we hope to continue working with China on conservation and breeding research in the future.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Japan first welcomed pandas in 1972 to mark the normalization of ties with China. What followed was decades of panda fever,
with the zoo's surrounding neighborhood transformed by tourism and panda- themed merchandise. Tens of millions of dollars are generated each year from the panda economy, according to one economist's estimates. But with no
new bear loan in sight, Japan's 50- year chapter of panda diplomacy comes to a close.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: And Hanako joins me now. Listen, I live in D.C. and the panda is extremely popular in D.C. And when they leave, folks don't like it. This
was planned for them to leave, but the issue now is that they may not send new pandas back.
MONTGOMERY (on camera): Exactly. I think that is the fear of the part of the Japanese government, and especially panda fans here in Japan. Because
even though, as you said, the pandas were supposed to go back to China before Takaichi made those comments in parliament, there is still that fear
that China might not accept another panda loan.
And, you know, just regarding Takaichi's comments that she made in parliament, she is currently going around the country delivering different
campaign speeches because we have elections coming up very soon. And you could see that she noticeably toned down the rhetoric in regards to China.
She said that Japan and the United States need to cooperate in the event of a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan. But the comments were slightly
different from the ones she made in November.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: And again, it just paints a larger picture here of Japan-China relations at their lowest point in years, and there really doesn't seem to
be an off-ramp at the moment where ties can be mended again.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Now, tell me about the importance of pandas as a symbol of those ties. At the end of the day, I mean, they have far bigger issues
between the two nations. But from the Japanese public's perspective, how important is that gesture of having Chinese pandas here?
MONTGOMERY: Yes. I mean, pandas have been in Japan for 50 years, right? Since 1972, when ties between Japan and China were normalized. And pandas
are a significant symbol in Japan because of the history of World War II, because of what Japan did in China. So, pandas were seen as a symbol of
goodwill, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, and a symbol really of improved ties.
[18:55:00]
So, for the pandas to return now at this moment, when ties are so bad and have soured really between these two neighbors, is seen as a huge blow to
the Japanese public. Also, you know, as I mentioned in the package, the panda economy generates millions and millions of dollars in Japan. So,
there's not only a personal tie, a personal connection to those bears, but also a very real economic one.
SCIUTTO: It's business.
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Now, do you think just from a political standpoint, that Takaichi was deliberately trying to cool tensions with China, with her comments
today?
MONTGOMERY: Yes. I mean, definitely, right? We don't know why she said those comments back in November. We don't know if that was a slip of the
tongue, if that was deliberate. But since that, we've really seen China launch a wave of economic pressure tactics, right? Warn its citizens not to
travel to Japan. It's also banned certain seafood imports, also controlled rare earths exports. And that's super important for Japan, right? It relies
so much on China.
And of course, those comments in the long-term might not be very beneficial for Japan, economically, politically speaking as well. So, you are seeing
the Japanese politicians really try to tone that down and mend those ties.
SCIUTTO: Well, we're seeing quite similar in the States in many respects as well. Hanako Montgomery, good to have you on. Nice to be here in Tokyo
with you.
And thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Jim Sciutto in Tokyo. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
