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U.S. Border Wall Discussions Going Nowhere; Pence: Once Again, The Democratic Leaders Are Unwilling To Even Negotiate; Pompeo's Middle East Tour See U.S. Allies At A Time Of Controversy; Chinese Artist's Take On His Homeland. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired January 10, 2019 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK SCHUMER, U.S. SENATOR, NEW YORK, DEMOCRAT: And he just got up and said, "Then we have nothing to discuss." We saw a temper tantrum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, "NEWS STREAM" (voice over): U.S. border wall discussions going nowhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Once again, the Democratic leaders are unwilling to even negotiate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (voice over): As people living near the border speak out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLO SANDOVAL, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Mayor Jim Darling says McAllen has become the epicenter of the border debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (voice over): Pompeo's Middle East tour see U.S. allies at a time of controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATUIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR, CNN: Do they believe Khashoggi's remains were taken somewhere else?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (voice over): And a Chinese artist's take on his homeland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AI WEIWEI, CHINESE ARTIST: The idea is to maintain some kind of control. Then this is not going to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (on camera): I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream." The U.S. President will soon head to the State of Texas to
once again make the case for his controversial border wall. But the "New York Times" reports during an off-the-record meeting, Donald Trump admitted
that the visit quote, "won't change a damn thing."
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Federal workers will miss their first paycheck on Friday, as the government shutdown nears the longest closures
in American history, and there appears to be no end in site.
Mr. Trump walked out of Wednesday's talks with Democratic leaders after just 15 minutes. Afterward, he tweeted that the meeting with Chuck Schumer
and Nancy Pelosi was, quote, "a total waste of time."
CNN's Joe Johns is live for us at the White House, and Joe, President Trump called it a total waste of time. Senate Minority Leader Schumer, he had
some choice words as well. Has the political impasse gotten worse?
JOE JOHNS, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I think we can say that the political theater has gotten worse, for sure. And that is because both
sides are completely dug in. We have this image of the President in the Situation Room asking the Speaker of the House if she will agree to his
terms. She says no. The President says bye-bye, gets up and storms out of the White House Situation Room.
Democrats later described that as a temper tantrum by the President. Listen to the Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHUMER: He asked Speaker Pelosi, "Will you agree to my wall?" She said "no." And he just got up and said, "Then we have nothing to discuss," and
he just walked out. Again, we saw a temper tantrum.
He said, "If I open up the government, you won't do what I want." That's cruel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS (on camera): The political theater is expected to continue today as the President flies out to the Southern border to participate in a series
of events related to his concerns about border security and getting a border barrier down there -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: And Joe, Donald Trump has floated the option of declaring a national emergency at the border. What would that achieve? And can he do
that?
JOHNS: He can do that. The President of the United States has broad powers to declare emergencies because the laws here in this country are
written that way. Now, if he were to declare an emergency in this situation, it would almost certainly be subject to challenge in the United
States Federal courts, but at the end of the day, it could also be seen as a political win for the President, regardless of whether he got what he
wants.
The working theory right now is that money would be taken from the Department of Defense to make at least a down payment on building the
President's border barrier, and at that time, at least the possibility of the government opening.
So a potential off ramp and we, here at the White House are told that the White House counsel's office as well as the President are looking closely
at that option because all of other options seem to be failing the government right now.
LU STOUT: Joe Johns live from the White House. Joe, thank you. And for more on the shutdown that just keeps on dragging on, we're joined now by
CNN political analyst Josh Rogan in Washington. Josh, good to see you.
JOSH ROGAN, POLITICAL ANALYST, CNN: likewise.
LU STOUT: Judging from this fiery rhetoric we're hearing from both sides, is there any appetite here to reach an agreement?
ROGAN: For right now, it seems that both sides feel that there isn't enough pressure on them to force them into a compromise. And both sides
feel that they are getting what they need politically from this argument. You know, what is interesting is that the President staked a position where
he really hasn't left himself room to compromise.
He has framed this as a national security emergency, and if you think about that, well, then he can't very well tomorrow come up and say, "Oh, well,
it's not a national security emergency anymore." Likewise, Nancy Pelosi has said that building a wall is immoral.
[08:05:06]
ROGAN: So I don't envision any scenario where she can then come back and say, "Oh, well, you know, we're going to do something that I previously
said is immoral."
So the compromise just simply isn't evident. Now, what John Johns has brought up which is interesting, which is that, if the President does
declare a national emergency, although there will be a freak out in Washington, that could actually start a legal process that would enable
them to restart the government in the meantime.
So while the national emergency is in one sense a constitutional crisis, it's also a way to get the government back open at the same time.
LU STOUT: So that's one off ramp. Is another off ramp the wall for DACA deal? You know, we have some Republican senators trying to put together
deals to end the shutdown and secure money for the wall by offering Democrats help for DACA recipients among other things. Would that work?
ROGAN: I think up until yesterday, there was at least some hope on each side that there could be some sort of grand bargain, some sort of
negotiated solution. And I think that's what a lot of people were working on, although, the hopes for that were slim all along. Now, the hopes for
that are basically zero because when you have such an embarrassing sort of humiliating instance where the two Democratic leaders are summoned to the
White House and then just basically told to get out, I mean, that doesn't set the environment for any future negotiations whatsoever.
So, you know, not to mention the fact that they already struck that deal that you just mentioned and the President reneged on it. So there is no
trust. There is no negotiations, there's just -- in terms of the two sides dealing with each other, it's just chaos now. So I wouldn't look in that
direction if I were you.
LU STOUT: In the midst of all of this chaos, the President is going to the border. Donald Trump is heading to Texas today to visit the border with
Mexico. I mean, I'm just trying to imagine the optics, the political theater of this. What impact is that going to have on the wall -- on
rallying support for funding for it?
ROGAN: Yes, I don't think it will have much impact on the policy at all. Now, it's just a matter of framing the politics. I mean, if we're going to
have a situation for the next years where the President is running for re- election, where tons of Democratic lawmakers and pundits and officials are running for President. Well, okay, now is just really about spinning, and
you know, the President's visit as he acknowledged is not going to change any minds. It's just going to now start this political season where the
wall debate becomes really about 2020 and less about solving the problem.
LU STOUT: And if it is about 2020, let's talk about the base. Trump has made his argument for the wall in that prime time address during the week.
It was debunked by the media, by fact checkers. It was rejected by the Democrats, but is there a significant amount of Americans who say, "You
know what? We want the wall no matter what."
ROGAN: Right, well, at least a significant amount of Americans that voted for Donald Trump. Donald Trump is working under the theory that 2016
politics will win the day in 2020. And Democrats are working under the theory that 2018 midterm politics, which heavily favored them will be
operative in 2020. Only one of them can be right, okay, and neither of them can afford to make any other calculation.
So that is where we are, and so the President is committed to this. He is going to keep with this message until November 2020. He has no other
choice. Democrats have no other choice. That is why there is no compromise. That is why there is no negotiated solution in the offing and
that's why this actual wall debate is destined to continue in one form or another for the next 24 months.
LU STOUT: Wow. Negotiations at a standstill. This debate is just going to go on and on. Josh, really appreciate your insight. Thank you so much
take care.
ROGAN: You, too.
LU STOUT: Now, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to give a major speech in Cairo soon that is expected to reassure nervous allies
about America's commitment to the region. Speaking at a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart earlier, Pompeo said a full U.S. troop
withdrawal from Syria will happen, but also said Washington remains committed to the fight against ISIS.
Pompeo's Middle East tour will also include a stopover in Saudi Arabia. A visit that will be clouded by the murder of "Washington Post" journalist,
Jamal Khashoggi, 100 days ago at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson is in London with more on that, but first, let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman who joins us live from
Cairo. And Ben, big speech today. What should we expect to hear from Secretary Pompeo?
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, he has got a variety of points he's going to touch on, but I think it's going to start
with a very full throated repudiation of the speech by President Obama in 2009, ten years ago at the University of Cairo when he has, in a sense,
extended an olive branch to the Muslim world after eight years of the administration of George W. Bush.
He's going make the point, and he's made the point you already in Cairo today that 99 percent of the territory that was controlled by ISIS has been
retaken with by the United States and its allies.
[08:10:10]
WEDEMAN: That the fight against terror will continue together with its -- between the U.S. and its allies and the region that the U.S. will remain
steadfast in that fight despite President Trump's announcement that U.S. forces will be withdrawn from Syria.
And he rejected the claim that there is confusion when it comes to the U.S. position on American troops in Syria. This is something of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a story made up by the media. That's fine. You all write what you like. The President has been
very clear and Ambassador Bolton and I have been very clear about this, too. The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real. ISIS continues.
We fight them in many regions around the country.
Our commitment to continuing to prevent ISIS's growth is real. It's important. We will continue at that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: And another point that he's going to be stressing is that the United States is determined to push back Iranian influence in the region.
That really is a theme that he's been pushing throughout this trip and we are going to hear more of it when he goes to the Gulf where, unlike Egypt,
that seems to be their main concern.
And finally, he stressed that the United States will strengthen old alliances like the alliance with Egypt that goes back to the 1970s. And he
made it clear that as far as the old concerns of the Obama administration and others about human rights, well, that's not so important any more to
the United States -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Ben Wedeman, reporting live for us from Cairo, thank you very much, indeed, Ben. Now, let's go to Nic Robertson who is reporting from
London. And Nic, Jamal Khashoggi, today marks a grim milestone, 100 days since he was brutally murdered. Is Mike Pompeo likely to bring up that
Khashoggi case with this speech?
ROBERTSON: Yes, I think we can all remember when Secretary of State Pompeo was President Trump's point person traveling to Saudi Arabia in the midst
of all of this in the days and weeks right after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered to try to get answers from the Saudis on this. And Pompeo was
very, very -- and I stress very specific that he expected the Saudis to hold all those responsible to account on what we're hearing from U.S.
officials at the moment.
It is that the United States doesn't feel that the trial of 11 people, that the Saudis began last week, seven people accused of Jamal Khashoggi's
murder meets the levels that they would expect it to meet.
New video that was released last week seems to raise more questions than it answers. This is new video released in Turkey pertinent to Jamal
Khashoggi's death seems to raise more questions than it answers.
Secretary of State Pompeo, I think is unlikely to publicly to say whether or not it is going to raise the issue of Jamal Khashoggi, or more broadly
human rights in Saudi Arabia. It has been a big issue for him, but as I say, this new video raises questions and one of those questions is really
how hard is everyone trying to get to the bottom of Jamal Khashoggi's murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): It is 100 days since these fateful steps led Jamal Khashoggi to his brutal death inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, yet
his body is still missing. Saudi Arabia admits its operatives killed him, but refuse to help find his remains blaming unnamed local collaborators for
disposing of his body.
But what is now clear, Khashoggi's murder culminated in his dismemberment. Turkish officials have searched forests, remote farms, city car parks,
garbage dumps, the Consulate where he was killed and the nearby Consul General's residence, but were refused thorough access to the well on the
property.
The most recent clue in the search, this video made public last week by pro-government Turkish newspaper "Sabah" appears to show heavy bags carried
into the building. On the afternoon of October 2nd, less than two hours after Khashoggi entered the consulate, several vehicles left, arriving
minutes later at the Consul General's residence.
That's where the latest video comes into play. Five heavy wheeled cases are rushed inside the Consul General's house quickly followed by a man
carrying two awkward large plastic bin bags.
[08:15:10]
ROBERTSON (voice over): According to the "Sabah" journalist, their Turkish sources believe Khashoggi's dismembered body was inside those cases and
bags, something CNN cannot independently confirm.
ROBERTSON: It begs this question earlier in their investigation, Turkish officials wanted access to the well, saying that finding Khashoggi's body
was their greatest priority, but more recently, they've been less vocal.
Do they believe Khashoggi's remains were taken somewhere else or have they decided to dial back criticism of Saudi Arabia?
ROBERTSON (voice over): Last week, Saudi authorities put on trial 11 people they accuse in Khashoggi's murder, calling for the death penalty for
five of them. But they insist they need more evidence from Turkey and have rejected Turkish demand that the suspects are extradited.
U.S. officials say the trial has not reached the threshold of credibility and accountability they expect. But President Trump has insisted he
doesn't want to punish Saudi Arabia.
In life, Jamal Khashoggi was much more than an internationally respected journalist. He was a beloved father and doting grandfather. But a hundred
days after his death, he has become a pawn in a complex power game.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): So your question about will Secretary of State Pompeo push the Saudis on the issue of Jamal Khashoggi is hugely pertinent
in this question right now because surely, this will be a test of how much the United States is committed to seeing justice done and also to help his
family try to find the whereabouts of his body.
So, again, going back to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Saudi Arabia in the midst of the all of this, right after Khashoggi's killing, he
was very animated, he was very strong, he was very specific in his language. And I think we may not know what goes on behind closed doors,
but we will be able to make a judgment on how he handles questions about this that he will no doubt receive when he's in Saudi Arabia. Will he be
as tough as he was back then?
LU STOUT: Nic Robertson reporting live from London, we thank you for sharing your thoughts ahead of Secretary Mike Pompeo's speech, and again,
when that speech takes place in Cairo, we'll bring it to you live right here on CNN.
The 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled to Thailand has been given refugee status by the United Nations. That's according to Australian health
officials. They are now conducting health, security and other background checks ahead of her possible resettlement there. The teenager had flown
from Kuwait to Thailand to escape her family. She says that she is afraid they will kill her for renouncing Islam.
She barricaded herself in a Bangkok hotel room to escape deportation and used social media to draw attention to her case. It was enough to pressure
Thailand to allow her to access the U.N. Refugee Agency. You're watching "News Stream" and still ahead, the moment of truth on Brexit for the
British Prime Minister is rapidly approaching. We've got a live report from London, next. Plus, when could we see those images again that the
U.S. and North Korean leaders meeting again face-to-face? South Korean President drops a big possible hint.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:00]
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, welcome back. This is "News Stream" and another day, another major political challenge for the British
Prime Minister Theresa May. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is demanding a general election if Parliament rejects her deal with the E.U. next week.
As things stand, MPs are unlikely to back Mrs. May's agreement. CNN's Bianca Nobilo is outside Parliament. And Bianca, wow, it is, indeed crunch
time for Theresa May, what can she do? Is there an option that would somehow give her the majority support of MPs?
BIANCA NOBILO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: It is crunch time. There is 79 days left until Brexit, and no, Kristie, the only option that we know for sure
commands the majority of MPs in the House of Commons is the avoidance of a no-deal, and we saw that expressed in a vote on Monday night.
Other than that, it's easy for all these 650 MPs to say what they're against, but very few can coalesce around what they are for. And there's
certainly no majority. So this is why the Prime Minister continues to argue that the only way to avoid a no-deal is to vote for her deal, but she
has fresh woes this morning with the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn pushing for a general election.
Now, the Labour Party have expressed that their plan is to call for a general election and then if they can't get that, then to push for a second
referendum. But it is widely understood that that's not something that Jeremy Corbyn really wants to happen.
So he continues to push for the election option, but to some observers, it seems fairly transparent and an attempt at a power grab, which of course,
is the leader of the opposition's job, but this is a time of fundamental national crisis and I think the Prime Minister is trying to win Labour MPs
on site at the moment to try to get them to back her deal if she can.
LU STOUT: And during this crucial time, the Japanese Prime Minister is in town. Shinzo Abe is there to meet with Theresa May. Is Prime Minister Abe
there to provide support for her deal or to issue a warning?
NOBILO: Shinzo Abe is supportive of the Prime Minister's deal. In fact, I was looking at some of the Japanese papers this morning, and translated
granted, but they were all making the point that Theresa May is trying to fight for this deal and that the Japanese administration certainly supports
the U.K. in trying to get a deal through, they are very fearful of no-deal as most businesses and investors are.
It's really the Japanese and the Dutch that have been the Prime Minister's key allies in this when she's been speaking about future partnerships and
business deals. They are backing her and they are trying to increase her chances of getting that deal through. Whether or not they will be
successful or if it will be enough to move enough wavering MPs to support the Prime Minister remains to be seen, but it looks unlikely.
One thing is for sure, amid all this messiness this week, Kristie, and that is that Parliament has wrestled some power back from the Prime Minister.
They've done that through amendments and that means they're going to have more of a say as this Brexit process continues in a short time frame that
we have left.
LU STOUT: Bianca Nobilo reporting live for us. Bianca, thank you. Now, China's Ambassador to Canada is accusing his host government of, quote,
"western egotism and white supremacy." As Canada calls for the immediate release of its citizens detained in China, a Lu Shaye argues that Canada's
handling of the arrest of Huawei executive, Meng Wanhzou employs a double standard.
Now, in an op-ed for an Ottawa based publication called "The Hill Times," he writes this, quote, "It is understand that these Canadians are concerned
about their own citizens, but have they shown any concern or sympathy for Meng after she was illegally detained and deprived of freedom?" Meng was
arrested by Canada at the request of the United States over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. And since Meng's arrest, 13 Canadian
citizens have reportedly been detained in China.
South Korea's President says a second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will happen soon, but Moon Jae-in did not offer any specifics when
he spoke at his annual press conference.
The South Korean President also said, a visit to Seoul by the North Korean leader will be among the turning points that will solidify peace on the
Korean peninsula.
[08:25:02]
LU STOUT: President Moon spoke after his North Korean counterpart wrapped up his trip to China where he met with President Xi Jinping.
DPRK diplomacy, the South China Sea and the trade war. These are issues that have major ripple effects here in Asia and across the world. And here
to bring us up to speed, we have got CNN's Will Ripley standing by. Will, good to see you.
WILL RIPLEY, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Hi, Kristie.
LU STOUT: First, let's talk about the prospects of a second meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. What impact could that have on the
ultimate goal here -- denuclearization?
RIPLEY: Well, obviously, it's very important that Kim and Trump talk because the denuclearization talks with North Korea and the U.S. have
stalled since that summit on June 12th back in Singapore, and it was really interesting to see Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un standing side by side smiling
this week, because once again, it shows that China is making sure that the U.S. and the world is aware, they are the ones who are probably the biggest
influencer of the North Korean government itself.
And you know, they want Trump to see images like this and to know that the U.S. doesn't have most the leverage here, it really is China.
LU STOUT: The South China Sea. We're seeing tensions flare up there again, what's the latest?
RIPLEY: Yes, I mean, you're talking about these freedom of navigation operations that the U.S. Navy has been doing for years, disputing China's
territorial claim over 1.3 million square miles of ocean, and China has been warning the U.S. saying back off, but now they're changing their
approach. They have actually deployed these anti-ship missiles. They were called the Guam killer when they were first unveiled at China's military
parade.
These are missiles that can travel more than 3,000 miles easily putting Guam, the key U.S. territory within striking range, and this is clearly a
warning, analysts say from Beijing to the United States that if these patrols continue, China has the ability to potentially defend itself using
increasingly sophisticated weaponry.
LU STOUT: And despite this warning, U.S.-China trade war, we're actually getting positive signals from that front?
RIPLEY: Positive signals at least that they have talked for three days in Beijing and maybe have come to some sort of limited consensus about what
steps needs to be taken. But obviously, there is still huge disagreements, not just over the issues of trade, China has said they're willing to buy
more American products and whatnot, but what about intellectual property? What about forced technology sharing?
Those are the kind of issues that still need to be worked out and it's still really an open question whether they are going to be able to do it in
time because we're in the middle of this 90-day essentially pause, a ceasefire, if you will, before those potentially massive and devastating
tariffs kick in.
LU STOUT: Well, we have significant movements on multiple fronts here. Will, thank you.
RIPLEY: Thanks.
LU STOUT: You're watching "News Stream" and coming up, Donald Trump heads to the Mexican border. We take a look at the Texas city and just how much
support there is for building a wall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
LU STOUT: I am Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines. The Democratic Republic of
Congo is bracing for protests after the Electoral Commission announced the winner from last month's election. Defying many expectations, opposition
leader, Felix Tshisekedi has been declared President-elect. The runner-up, Martin Fayulu says he and his party categorically reject the results.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is about to be sworn in for a second term, but several Latin American countries say they will not recognize his
government insisting that his re-election was illegitimate. President Maduro has threatened to take diplomatic measures against his foreign
critics in response.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to give a major speech in Cairo soon that is expected to reassure nervous allies about America's commitment
to the region. Earlier today, Pompeo said a full U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria will happen, but also said that Washington remains committed to
the fight against ISIS.
And U.S. President Donald Trump will head to Texas later today to visit the border with Mexico. He is trying to rally support for funding his proposed
border wall. Talks between the President and leading Democrats have broken down as the partial government shutdown enters its 20th day. Eight hundred
thousand government workers will not be receiving paychecks on Friday.
Polo Sandoval joins us now live from McAllen, Texas at the border and Polo, President Trump, he has described the situation there as a quote, "security
crisis," but what's the reality on the ground?
SANDOVAL: Very different opinions here, Kristie, but I can tell you that the region that the President will be visiting here later today is
certainly not the friendly territory that he's used to visiting when he's making his pitches to the public, and that is because after we spent some
time here speaking to people, we found out many that a majority, not all, but many of the people here just do not see eye to eye with the President
and his immigration policies and mainly that border barrier that is to be built about 11 kilometers south of here.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SANDOVAL, CORRESPONDENT, CNN (voice-over): In the south Texas city of McAllen, most people we talked to disagree with the president about his
proposed border barrier.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, the mayor feels like most do in this Democratic stronghold, that the wall is not the answer to the country's immigration
problem. He also says the real crisis is not happening here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM DARLING, MAYOR, MCALLEN, TEXAS: The crisis over -- is really over for them when they hit the border and they can seek asylum. The crisis for
them in their home country and the journey across Mexico is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL (voice over): Since 2014, Mayor Jim Darling's McAllen has become the epicenter of the border debate. It's where the tens of thousands of
undocumented families apprehended in the region by Border Patrol are released with future immigration court dates.
After their release, illegal asylum seekers make their way into Sister Norma Pimentel's humanitarian respite center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SISTER NORMA PIMENTEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY: The crisis is a crisis that we create when we don't
facilitate a safe passage for families who are innocent children, moms, infants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, sister.
PIMENTEL: Hi, there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL (voice over): As an opponent to Trump's border barrier, she is among the majority in this predominantly Democratic region of a red state.
But upriver from McAllen, Ruperto Escobar supports not only building Trump's wall, but letting it cut through his 600-acre ranch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERTO ESCOBAR, SUPPORTS BUILDING OF BORDER WALL: In my opinion, nothing has changed other than him -- and I'm talking about the President -- not
being able to find a way to get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL (voice over): For Escobar, a Trump supporter, it's about securing the rugged south Texas ranchland that's been in his family since 1767. He
says he's seen the influx of people and drugs crossing the border illegally firsthand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ESCOBAR: One night, two men -- two armed men stood right in front of that gate right there -- the last gate we passed by, and they stopped my men
from coming to shut down the pump. They told him we're going to shut the pump down -- leave it. We need this place. This place is ours tonight.
What were they going to do with it if they were armed like that? They were passing -- they were going to smuggle drugs or humans. I have no idea. I
didn't come to check. It's not my part. It's my government's duty to secure my border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL (voice over): Escobar believes the wall is a solution, but that opinion isn't a popular one. The mayor of McAllen says given the vast
majority of people coming across the border or who are legally seeking asylum, there is no simple solution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARLING: We all agree national security is important, border security is important. We live on the border and we think it is important. But living
on the border, you realize there's different ways of accomplishing that.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SANDOVAL (on camera): This will undoubtedly be a very significant visit to the border. I can tell you the last time that a U.S. President traveled to
this part of that southwest border was back in 2006 when then President George W. Bush ...
[08:35:07]
SANDOVAL (on camera): ... went up to the Rio Grande which is that body of water that divides both U.S. and Mexico. We expect that to happen today.
The President arriving here in a few hours. He will meet with law enforcement officials and then go up to the Rio Grande to see for himself
the topography, the landscape that constructions crews are going to be faced with in the coming months when they are supposed to begin the
construction of his border wall -- Kristie Lu.
LU STOUT: Polo Sandoval there. Great reporting. Really appreciate that interview with the mayor of McAllen as well. Thank you very much and take
care.
Now, President Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is sending chills across the world. Now, I spoke with a renowned Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei
on why he is hesitating to relocate back to the U.S. and I also asked for his thoughts on the so-called re-education camps for Uyghurs in Xinjiang
where he spent his childhood in exile.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WEIWEI: Well, it would be a hard decision, even I spent about 12 years in the United States before but with currently the situation, it's very hard
for anybody, especially I am a foreigner, to stay in United States. So I'm still very hesitating to even to make the decision.
LU STOUT: Really? Because of the border debate, because of the rhetoric from Donald Trump, you may not move to New York?
WEIWEI: Yes, because all those policies of The United states have towards immigration and also the border is ridiculous gesture. It you would not
solve any problem and given all of those reasons to build this wall and a border, it doesn't really -- it's not true. It is obviously -- it's just
an excuse for some kind of political reason.
LU STOUT: Now, you have a lot of empathy for migrants and for refugees because you were a refugee yourself. Your family was exiled to a remote
part of China in the late 1950s. You were the internally displaced inside China. What was the most vivid memory of that time for you?
WEIWEI: Well, I grew up in Xinjiang, where is the place now they have this re-education camp for hundreds of thousands of wayward people, and this is
a horrifying situation that happened in the 21st Century. You put people in this kind of location unwillingly and you force them to study some kind
of ideology which really had been put on them by the Communist Party.
It's not much different today from decades ago when I was growing up there. So the same idea to reeducate people, to brainwash them, and then to force
them into this kind of labor camps, so the idea is to maintain some kind of control.
So this is not going to work and it's been proved it's not going to work.
LU STOUT: If the situation continues in Xinjiang, you know, if there is no international pressure to change what is happening, what's at stake? What
can happen to the Uyghurs?
WEIWEI: Well, this is general practice of China. Since 1949, they're not only doing this to minority people, like wayward people or Tibetans, they
also do their hunt people. My family is not wayward, but we have been sent in to Xinjiang and my father has been doing hard labor and we spent about
20 years there. So this is just one of the tactics to maintain this kind of -- so-called stability of this kind of state.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was the Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei speaking to me earlier and be sure to check out part two of my interview with him on
Friday. He shares one of his recent works of art. It was inspired by a visit to a Rohingya refugee camp. That right here on "News Stream" at our
normal time 9:00 p.m. in Hong Kong only on CNN.
Now, still ahead right here on "News Stream" scientists have discovered repeating radio bursts from deep space. Could the universe be trying to
send a message? We've got the story after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:40:00]
LU STOUT: Welcome back, broadcasting live from Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream." Now, it is this big cosmic puzzle that scientists are now
trying to solve. Far outside our Milky Way Galaxy, about 1.5 billion light years away from earth, these short bursts of radio waves are being
recorded.
First in 2015, the second one in the summer of 2018. These millisecond long radio flashes are not rare in space, but this is only the second one
that has been found to repeat and both came from the same location.
The mystery about why the burst happened and where they come from, that goes on. But scientists from the new Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping
Experiment, otherwise known as CHIME, they believe that there could be more of these repeating radio flashes out there. As for the meaning, we don't
know.
And that is it for "News Stream." I am Kristi Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.
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