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CNN Transcripts for February 20, 2025

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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
• U.S. Resisting Reference to "Russian Aggression" in G7 Ukraine War Anniversary Statement; Interview with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); CNN Poll: American Worried by Trump's Push to Expand Power; Israel: Remains Initially Thought To Be That Of Shiri Bibas, Mother Of Ariel And Kfir, Is Not Hers; In The Middle Of A Measles Outbreak; Elon Musk's Private Security Detail Gets Deputized By U.S. Marshals Service. Aired 8-9p ET


Amanpour
• Interview with Former Russian Diplomat Boris Bondarev; Interview with Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI); Interview with "Plundered" Author and USC Gould School of Law Professor Bernadette Atuahene. Aired 3-4p ET


The Lead with Jake Tapper
• Trump Admin Defends Agenda As CNN Poll Shows Rising Pessimism; White House: Trump "Very Frustrated" With Zelenskyy Right Now; Senate Confirms Kash Patel To Lead FBI In 51-49 Vote; Trump Economist: DOGE Checks To Americans Wouldn't Drive Inflation; Hamas Releases Remains Of Four Israeli Hostages. Aired 4-5p ET
• Federal Judge Clears Way For More Mass Firing; Some Once- Hawkish Republicans Soften Stance On Ukraine; Sen. Markwayne Mullin, (R-OK), Is Interviewed About Ukraine, Kash Patel; Senate Confirms Kash Patel To Lead FBI In 51-49 Vote; 11-Year-Old Texas Girl Dies By Suicide After Classmate Said ICE Would Deport Her Parents, Family Says; WH Hosts Black History Month Reception Amid Crackdown On DEI; West Texas Measles Outbreak Hits 58 Cases. Aired 5-6p ET


CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip
• Trump and MAGA Allies Celebrating Firings Despite Chaos, Loss; Sources Say, 50,000-Plus Pentagon Workers at Risk of Firing; Trump Marks Black History Month Amid His War on Diversity. President Trump Says He Should Not Be Blamed For New Warning Signs About the Economy; V.P. Vance Talks About Masculinity In An Interview. Aired 10-11p ET


CNN News Central
• U.S Envoy Meets With Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Talks on Ending War; Hamas Hands Over Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages; Elon Musk's $44 Billion Investment in X May Soon Pay Off. Aired 7-7:30a ET
• Trump, Zelenskyy Trade Insults In Escalating War Of Words; Defense Secretary Orders Military To Prepare For Major Budget Cuts; No Ruling Yet On DOJ Push To Drop Corruption Charges Against Adams. Aired 7:30-8a ET
• President Trump's Approval Ratings at 47 Percent in Recent Poll; Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Interviewed on Current Weak Position of Democrats in House of Representatives and Senate; Former Vice President Mike Pence Criticizes President Trump's Claim that Ukraine Started War with Russia; IRS Expected to Fire About 6,000 Workers Today; Eleven-year-old Dies by Suicide After Alleged Bullying Over Migrant Status. Aired 8-8:30a ET
• Trump's Biggest Lies; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is Interviewed on Patel Nomination; Measles Outbreak in West Texas; Casey Jordan is Interviewed about the Zizian Group. Aired 8:30-9a ET
• U.S. Envoy Meets with Zelenskyy; Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) is Interviewed about Trump and Zelenskyy Trading Insults; Hamas hands Over Four Bodies; Dr. Michael Mina is Interviewed about the Texas Measles Outbreak. Aired 9-9:30a ET
• Trump's Numbers Take a Turn; Winter Storm Brings Record Cold. Aired 9:30-10a ET
• Trump Administration Targeting Generals and Admirals?; IRS Layoffs Expected; Senate Set to Approve Kash Patel; Ukraine-U.S. Relationship Falling Apart?. Aired 1-1:30p ET
• Military Families Rocked By Trump's Cuts To Federal Government; White House Briefing On Ukraine War Negotiations & DOGE's Power. Aired 1:30-2p ET
• Senate Confirmation Vote on Kash Patel's Nomination to Lead FBI; Walmart Warns of Disappointing 2025 Sales And Profits; USDA Trying to Rehire Staff Working on Bird Flu After Firing Them. Aired 2- 2:30p ET
• USDA Trying To Rehire Staff Working On Bird Flu After Firing Them; Senate Votes To Confirm Kash Patel As FBI Director; Waltz: Trump "Frustrated" By Ukraine's Zelenskyy Not Accepting Deal; Child Dies By Suicide After Alleged Bullying, Deportation Threats; HHS Narrows Definitions Of Words Like "Sex," "Males" & "Females". Aired 2:30-3p ET
• Soon: Trump Holds Event Marking Black History Month; Sources: Defense Secy. Could Soon Fire Top Generals, Admirals; Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Discusses About Hegseth's Firing of Generals; Sen. Blumenthal Urges Trump Admin. to Reverse Terminations at FAA; Zelensky Calls Meeting with U.S. Envoy Kellogg "Productive". Aired 3-3:30p ET
• Trump Approval Dips, Still Above Any Point in His First Term; Hamas Hands Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages to Red Cross; Trump Holds Event Marking Black History Month. Aired 3:30-4p ET


CNN Newsroom
• Israel Prepares to Receive Hostage Bodies; Trump Escalates Zelenskyy Taunts; Mother of Hostage Pleads for His Release; FAA Insists Safety Jobs Remain Amid Trump Admin Firings; Rise of a Far- Right Party as Germany Votes This Weekend. Rise of a Far-Right Party as Germany Votes This Weekend; Hamas to Return Bodies of 4 Israeli Hostages; Source: Trump's Public Health Order to Target Migrants; Digging into DOGE's 'Wall of Receipts' for Government Savings; Vatican: Pope's Tests Show 'Slight Improvement'. Aired 12-1a ET
• Israeli Army Recieves In Gaza Bodies Of Four Hostages Killed In Hamas Captivity; Defense Secretary Orders Military To Prepare For Major Budget Cuts; President Trump Reduces the Federal Bureaucracy; Bullying Claims About Family's Immigration Status Emerge After 11- Year-Old's Death Ruled Suicide; Hamas Set to Release Bodies of Bibas Children and Mother; Vatican: Pope's Tests Show "Slight Improvement"; 7 Men Charged in Burglaries of Pro Athletes' Home. Aired 1-2a ET
• Hamas Expected To Hand Over Bodies Of Four Hostages; War Of Words Between Donald Trump And Volodymyr Zelenskyy Rattle Ukraine; Prospect Of Peace Agreement Amid Russia's Demands; Hamas Transferring Bodies Of Four Hostages To Red Cross. Hamas transferring bodies of four hostages to Red Cross. Aired 2-3a ET
• Hamas Releases Four Bodies of Deceased Hostages; Pope Francis in Stable Condition After Pneumonia Diagnosis; Scholz, Merz Faced Off in a Final Debate Ahead of the Elections in Germany; Archaeologists Found a Tomb of a Pharaoh in Egypt. Aired 3-4a ET
• Israeli Military Now has Custody of Four Hostage Bodies; Trump Ramps Up Attacks on Ukraine's Zelenskyy, Boosting Putin; Trump's Public Health Order to Target Migrants. Aired 4-4:30a ET
• Israeli Military Now Has Custody of Four Hostage Bodies; Rise of Far-Right Party as Germany Votes this Weekend; DOGE Claims Billions in Saving but Receipts Raise Questions; Vatican: Pope Tests Show Slight Improvement. Aired 4:30-5a ET
• CNN International: Bodies of Four Hostages Returned to Israel; Zelenskyy to Meet with Trump's Russia-Ukraine Envoy Kellogg; Hegseth Seeks Budget Cuts, Tells Pentagon to Slash Waste; Trump Aligns with Russian Narrative, Calls Zelenskyy "Dictator"; CNN Fact Check on Donald Trump's First Month in Office; Elon Musk's $44B Investment in X May Soon Pay Off. Aired 8-9a ET
• CNN International: Sources: Putin is Not Seriously Prepared To Engage In Peace Talks; No Joint News Conference With Zelenskyy, Trump's Envoy; Trump Escalates His Criticism Of Zelenskyy. Aired 11a- 12p ET
• U.S. Envoy Meets With Zelenskyy After Trump Calls Him a Dictator; Soon, V.P. J.D. Vance Speaks at Annual Conservative Conference; Senate Committee Advances Linda McMahon's Path Education Secretary. Aired 10-10:30a ET
• Hegseth Orders Deep Pentagon Budget Cut Proposals; IRS Expected to Fire 6,000 Workers; Prosecutor in D.C. Threatens to Investigate Anyone Who Threatens Trump. Aired 10:30-11a ET
• Pete Hegseth Set to Fire Admirals and Generals?; Interview With Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA); Senate Set to Vote on Kash Patel; Interview With Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV); U.S.-Ukraine Relationship Falling Apart?. Aired 11-11:30a ET
• Texas Measles Outbreak Grows; Dow Dives; Senate Set to Vote on Kash Patel; Child's Suicide in Texas Under Investigation. Aired 11:30a-12p ET
• CNN International: Did Not Air 3-4p ET
• CNN International: Zelenskyy Meets with U.S. Special Envoy; Trump's Approval Rating at 47 Percent; Kash Patel Confirmed as FBI Director; Elon Musk Meets with President Milei; Pope Francis Remains in Hospital; Body Retrieved Not Shiri Bibas. Aired 6-7p ET


CNN This Morning
• Trump Escalates Feud With Zelenskyy After Talks With Kremlin; Trump Approval Rating At 47 Percent, Voters Unhappy With High Prices; Vatican: Pope's Tests Show "Slight Improvement". Aired 5-5:30a ET
• Hamas Releases Bodies Of Four Hostages To Red Cross; Zelenskyy Says Trump "Lives In A Disinformation Space; Americans Divided Over Trump's Immigration Actions. Aired 5:30-6a ET
• Trump Calls Zelenskyy a Dictator; Inflation Hurting Trump's Approval Numbers; Bodies of Four Hostages Cross into Israel from Gaza. Aired 6-6:30a ET
• Zelenskyy and Trump Envoy Speak; Hegseth Orders Cuts; Angela Stent is Interviewed about Ukraine; White House Shares Trump Image. Aired 6:30-7a ET


Connect the World
• Hamas Returns Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages; Donald Trump Ramps Up Attacks on Ukraine's Zelenskyy; Luis Rubiales Found Guilty of Sexual Assault; Nvidia Recoups Losses after DeepSeek Shakeup; Real Madrid Knock Out Man City Behind Mbappe Hat Trick. Aired 9-10a ET
• Oded Lifshitz's Family Confirms Identity of His Remains; Hamas Returns Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages; No Joint Presser with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump's Ukraine Envoy after Meeting; Pope's Tests Show "Slight Improvement" in Pneumonia; JD Vance Speaks at Annual Conservative Conference; Germans Head to the Polls This Weekend; Defense Secretary Orders Pentagon to Slash Budget by 8 Percent Yearly. Aired 10-11a ET


Erin Burnett Outfront
• Trump Admin Resists "Russian Aggression" Phrase In G7 Document; Elon Musk's Chainsaw; "Inflation Is Back"; Surgeon: Insurance Is Taking The "Humanity" Out Of Health Care. Aired 7-8p ET


Inside Politics
• Trump Approval At 47 Percent, Higher Than Any Point In First Term; Americans Weigh In On Trump's First Month In Office; 62 Percent Say Trump Not Doing Enough To Bring Down Prices; Source: DOGE Firings Amount To "Indiscriminate Madness"; McConnell Announces He Won't Run For Reelection; Senate On Track To Confirm Patel As FBI Director This Afternoon; One Month In: Much Of Project 2025 Agenda May Be Still To Come. Aired 12-12:30p ET
• One Month In: Much Of Project 2025 Agenda May Be Still To Come; Sources: Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown On Potential Purge List; Defense Secretary Ordering Massive Military Budget Cuts; Bodies Of Four Deceased Israeli Hostages Returned To Israel; Israeli Foreign Minister: Negotiations Over Phase 2 Of Gaza Ceasefire Deal Set To Begin This Week. Aired 12:30-1p ET


Isa Soares Tonight
• Ukraine And The U.S. Attempt To Pick Up The Pieces After A War Of Words Between Zelenskyy And Trump; Spain's Former Football Boss Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault Over An Unwanted Kiss; Israel Mourns As Hamas Releases Bodies Of 4 Israeli Hostages; U.S. Senate Confirms Patel To Lead FBI; Trump's First Month Back In Office; DOGE Expected To Fire IRS Employees; Court Denies Trump Bid To End Birthright Citizenship; Pope's Condition "Slightly Improving"; Lost Pharaoh's Tomb Found In Egypt. Aired 2-3p ET


Laura Coates Live
• Elon Musk Touts Government Firings by Wielding Chainsaw; Kash Patel Critics Warn of Purge as He Takes Over FBI; Ex-NFL Punter Arrested After Anti-MAGA Protest; Joe Rogan Dethroned as Fans Sound Off; Musk Eyes Major Change to "X" Platform; U.S.-Canada Tensions Spill Onto the Ice for Final Grudge Match. Aired 11p-12a ET


One World with Zain Asher
• Zelenskyy Meets With Trump's Russia-Ukraine Envoy; Sources: Putin Is Not Seriously Prepared To Engage In Peace Talks; Hamas Returns Of Four Israeli Hostages; A Mixed Bag In Trump's One Month Approval Numbers; Seven Men Charged In Burglaries Of Pro Athletes' Home; USA Versus Canada Thursday Night In 4-Nations Championship. Aired 12-1p ET


Quest Means Business
• Wall Street Tumbles in Inflation Fears, Walmart Forecast; White House Say Donald Trump is Frustrated with Zelenskyy; Hassett: DOGE Dividend Checks will not be Inflationary; Israel Halts All Trains and Buses After Explosions in Bat Yam; Hamas Returns Remains of Four Israeli Hostages; GoFundMe Raises Over $250 Million for L.A. Wildfire Victims; Amazon MGM Takes Creative Control of James Bond Franchise. Aired 4-5p ET


The Situation Room
• Zelenskyy Says, Talk With Top Trump Envoy Gives Hope; Sources Say, Hegseth Could Fire Top Generals and Admirals Soon; Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) Says She Won't Move to Oust Mayor Eric Adams (D-New York City, NY). Sen. Mitch McConnell Announces He Won't Seek Re-Election; U.S. Senate Confirms Kash Patel For FBI Director; Hawaiian Volcano Spews Lava 400 Feet Into The Air. Aired 6-7p ET


The Source with Kaitlan Collins
• Elon Musk Wields Chainsaw At CPAC To Tout DOGE Cuts; Report: U.S.-Ukraine Restarting Talks After Tense Week; McConnell Announces He Won't Seek Reelection Next Year. Aired 9-10p ET