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Trump Attends National Prayer Service; Cecillia Wang is Interviewed about Immigration; Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is Interviewed about TikTok; U.S.-Taliban Prisoner Exchange. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired January 21, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And the popular weight loss drug may be new wonder drugs. Why do we say that? What other things could these drugs have an effect on? Guess what, dementia and potentially cancer. We'll talk about that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, President Trump is expected to sign even more executive orders. But first, he starts the day with a tradition. The national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.

[08:35:02]

And that is where we find our Alayna Treene this morning.

This is tradition. The day after every inauguration, we have seen this. But what do we - what are you expecting to see this morning?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This service is expected to kick off, Kate, around 11:00 a.m. Like you said, this is tradition for the day after the inauguration.

President Donald Trump, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance and their families are expected to attend, I'm told, as well as the inaugural committee. The presidential inaugural committee is also invited. Several members of Congress and different incoming administration officials.

Now, one thing that's actually interesting about the dynamic between this church. It is an episcopal church. And Donald Trump's administration is that they actually have several opposing views. We know that the episcopal church is actually very open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees. They've made several statements about supporting them. Of course, we saw Donald Trump, in some of his first executive orders yesterday, really try to crack down on immigration, talking about upcoming immigration raids and deportations, as well as declaring a national emergency on the border.

Another area, Kate, where they differ is the episcopal church has actually been very open and welcoming as well to the LGBTQ community. Another executive order we saw Donald Trump saying yesterday was about declaring that there are only two genders in the United States government, male and female. So, just an interesting dynamic behind the scenes.

But look, the church has said that, again, this is tradition. This is a prayer for the nation today. It has nothing to do with politics. That they welcome everybody.

This is closed to the public. I know in the past sometimes they have opened it to the public. They are not doing that today. And we are expecting, when I talk to some people that we'll probably start seeing some cars and people filtering right before the service around, you know, 10:30 and keeping an eye out for some of the big names who will be showing up with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance today.

BOLDUAN: Yes, given how interesting the big names were around him during the inaugural ceremony, it will be interesting to see who also then is there for this national prayer service as well.

TREENE: Right. Exactly.

BOLDUAN: Donald Trump's new press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, she just did her first interview on this - on day one-ish, if you will. What did we learn from her?

TREENE: That's right. She gave her first interview with Fox News on the North Lawn this morning from the White House. Look, she said that actually she will not be giving her first press briefing today. That's been one question I know that me and other members of the White House press corps have been asking, when are briefings going to start, how regular are they going to be? Still unclear, but she did say we will be hearing publicly from Donald Trump again today. Of course, Kate, we know that he has many more executive orders that he is planning to sign, other executive actions that he is planning to take.

She mentioned that there will be some sort of infrastructure announcement to come. Of course, you know, all of us who have covered Trump for many years, including his first administration, will remember the infrastructure week that never really came during his first term. But he - she said that there will be some sort of infrastructure announcement later today, and we will hear directly from Donald Trump once again.

Obviously, yesterday, we heard a lot from him while he was signing orders. He spoke at length with the press, doing a lot of back and forth Q&A with reporters. So, potentially, we could see the same thing play out this afternoon.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: We will see right along with you, Alayna. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

And as we're talking about more executive actions are coming, the centerpiece of Donald Trump's executive actions that we saw yesterday were really what -- when it has to do with the coming and now immigration crackdown coming from the Trump administration. And within that, also most controversial, likely is his move to end birthright citizenship. Let's talk about that because legal challenges have come.

Joining me right now is Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director for the ACLU, which just filed what's believed to be the first lawsuit against the president's immigration moves since taking office. Thank you very much for being here.

I saw late last night the ACLU filed suit in New Hampshire fighting this move to end birthright citizenship. The lawsuit filed on behalf of an undocumented couple expecting a baby very soon. Why did you all want to move on this policy with this lawsuit first?

CECILLIA WANG, NATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: Well, good morning, Kate. Um, we moved with this lawsuit first because this is one of President Trump's first salvos not only against American communities, including immigrant members of our communities, but also he's fundamentally striking at one of the promises of the American Constitution after the Civil War through the 14th Amendment, one of the reconstruction amendments. The framers of the Constitution made it clear that regardless of your parents nationality, your parents status, everyone born on American soil is a U.S. Citizen.

President Trump's executive order that purports to undo the 14th Amendment of the United States as well as a U.S. Supreme Court President Wong Kim Ark that goes back to 1898 really strike at the heart of what it means to be an American.

[08:40:15]

And that's why we started out with a lawsuit within two hours of that executive order challenging it.

BOLDUAN: And that -- that was noteworthy. So as we know, as these legal challenges we have seen in the past, they take time and time is not something that a family who is in their third trimester has when they have their baby coming very soon. And that's what I understand is the circumstance of this couple in New Hampshire.

What do you think this means to them when they are very much as they're waiting their decision on their asylum claim and request? What does this mean for them?

WANG: And you have to assume other families that -- that are in similar circumstance right now while they wait for this to go through the courts?

WANG: Well, Kate, we represent three community-based organizations that have members in New Hampshire and throughout the United States who will be affected very deeply by President Trump's executive order. If it's not stopped in court, he really, as I said, is striking at the heart of American communities, both with his attack on birthright citizenship as well as many of his other announced immigration enforcement activities. We're going to court to give these families these expectant parents as well as the broader American community relief from what Trump is trying to do. Again, we plan to go to court. We hope to get relief so that children who were born in the United States once his executive court order goes into effect 30 days from yesterday will be able to get their passports, will be able to enjoy all of the privileges of U.S. Citizenship, which they're entitled to under the 14th Amendment and have been entitled to for over 125 years.

BOLDUAN: Cecillia --

WANG: We want to send the message out -- sure, go ahead.

BOLDUAN: Apologies. I have seen you and others with the ACLU say that you have been -- you all have been preparing for months to take the -- to take the Trump administration to court over what he has projected long projected would be some of his immigration moves. How many other lawsuits should people be expecting here?

WANG: Well, Kate, we are working hard on bringing other lawsuits. We took two actions yesterday. In addition to filing this new lawsuit in the federal district court in New Hampshire, we also filed a notice in an ongoing case. We have challenged the U.S. government's closing down of the asylum process at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Trump administration in one of its first actions yesterday shut down the last remaining way for people to seek asylum at the border. And that's this -- this phone app CBP One that the Biden administration had been relying on in order to justify its other policies that curtail the ability of people to seek asylum at the border.

So we immediately went into court even before filing the birthright citizenship case to ask the court to now consider this new information that the last remaining channel for people to seek asylum through this very limited process of getting appointments through the phone app has now been closed down by the Trump administration.

Communities around the country should rest assured when Trump is coming after your individual rights, your individual liberties and again with the birthright citizenship order really attacking a fundamental American promise of citizenship of equality of freedom of opportunity. We are coming to court in order to stand up for your rights.

BOLDUAN: This is going to be a very busy space for you and your colleagues at the ACLU. And I'm interested to hear what the next lawsuits will be.

Cecillia Wang with the ACLU. Thank you very much for your time this morning.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Kate.

President Trump's sweeping executive actions also include delaying enforcement on the TikTok ban for 75 days. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey has been part of a bipartisan push to save the social media app, or at least delay it closing down. The senator is joining us now. I will start there just quickly with TikTok. In case people forgot,

Donald Trump was the first person - or one of the first people to try to push forward a ban in his first administration. You, along with other Democrats, have come forward to say you really believe this should be delayed, that the ban should not go into effect. And now Trump's idea is that the app should be owned by both Chinese subsidiary and the United States. Do you agree with him?

SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA): Well, obviously, there's 170 million Americans who use TikTok.

[08:45:01]

Seven million American businesses use TikTok. Right now out in Los Angeles there are families, there are small businesses using TikTok in order to create new communities and to keep their businesses going. So, it's important to keep TikTok online.

Now, what Trump just did was, through executive order, extend the time by 75 days. I would have preferred that he use the existing statute, which allowed for a 90-day extension, or that he actually pressed Republicans to pass my legislation that would give an additional 270 days to find a way to resolve the national security issues, while at the same time allowing for TikTok to continue to be online. He did not do that, but we -

SIDNER: So, Senator, you still believe - Senator, you still believe that there are serious national security issues with TikTok?

MARKEY: Oh, there are national security issues that have to be worked out. So, what is now going to be in place is more time, which is good. We'll have the time to think through these issues. But the idea that's being floated that somehow or other the United States government will own half of TikTok, well, that's just a nonstarter. That's not a serious proposal. He's saying that he's going to be talking to the Chinese about the United States owning half of TikTok. That's just not going to go anywhere. So, the president's going to have to become more serious about finding a resolution to these issues. We want to keep TikTok up, but we have to resolve the national security issues at the same time.

SIDNER: All right, let's go to some of his other executive actions.

You were on Capitol Hill during the January 6th attack. Trump just signed pardons and commutations for all of those who took part in the attack, including those who were the most violent. How are you going to work with the man who pardoned the people that sent you and others into a state of panic and fear on the Capitol that day?

MARKEY: Yes, right here in the Capitol complex there was an attack by the people who Donald Trump pardoned yesterday. It is absolutely irresponsible. We had hundreds of police who were harmed, physically and mentally, by their necessity of fighting off all of those people who got pardoned last night. So that I heard the president say they could come over to the inaugural ball. This is an absolute desecration of the presidential pardon powers. It

sends a signal that it is OK for Proud Boys, OK for Oath Takers and others to once again begin their thoughts about violent insurrection against the United States of America.

And for those of us who were here in the Capitol complex on that day, on January 6th, and every day seeing these police officers, knowing that their families as well have been just adversely impacted in a permanent way, it was an absolute disgrace what the president did last night. And - and in no way does that reflect what should be the highest aspiration of our country to say that democracy is our highest principle and it must be protected. Instead, he's given a green light to these insurrectionists to once again be out there and celebrating and thinking about ways in which they can undermine all of those principles which are sacred in our country.

SIDNER: Senator Markey, I want to lastly ask you about something that Donald Trump really ran on and the polling showed that people wanted him to do something about is immigration. The economy, of course, another big promise. But illegal immigration was also second to that.

Trump has now gone further than just cracking down on illegal immigration. He signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship. Do you think this is a harbinger or a testing of the waters to try and end all immigration to the United States as a whole?

MARKEY: Well, first of all, birthright citizenship is in the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. And a president cannot overturn a constitutional provision by an executive order. That is absolutely absurd, OK? Birthright citizenship is going to stay in place. That's just - that's just fodder that he's throwing to his MAGA base, which is absolutely something that is not going to happen.

Yes, if the president wants to move forward and talk about violent criminals being removed from our country, of course we're going to support that.

[08:50:04]

But the fear that people have is that we're going to have legal immigrants swept up in these dragnets. We're going to see mothers separated from their children as part of this dragnet. That's what people are afraid of in our country.

And, by the way, all of this just a distraction from the fact that there were the three wealthiest people in America, Bezos and Zuckerberg and Musk, all sitting up there with the same income amongst those three as the bottom 165 million Americans have. And we didn't hear a word about the price of eggs. We didn't hear a word about the price of bacon yesterday. They want to loot the Medicaid, they want to loot the Affordable Care Act, health care protections for ordinary families in order to pay for more tax breaks for those three people sitting right over his shoulder.

So, that's - that's really what this whole agenda is about. It's a contract with a country club. And instead, these distractions are out there in order to take the American peoples' eye off of the ball, which is, once again, tax breaks for billionaires and cuts for programs for ordinary families, and doing nothing about the price of eggs or bacon.

SIDNER: All right, Senator Ed Markey, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Appreciate your time.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: And coming up, there's much more to be done on that and questions around it. The billionaires in the president's corner. What people are now expecting to come from the relationship that was on full display yesterday between Donald Trump and tech CEOs.

Plus, why a new study says that those two wildly popular drugs that have all - been all about weight loss may have health benefits far beyond that.

We'll be right back.

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[08:56:14]

BOLDUAN: New this morning, the focus of the final moments of Biden's presidency have been about the pardons that he issued to members of his family. But also in those final moments, a prisoner exchange years in the making. Two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who have been held in Afghanistan, have been freed in exchange for a Taliban member serving a life sentence in the United States.

Let's get more on this from Alex Marquardt. He's got the details for us.

Alex, how did this swap come together? What are you learning about - about it?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the Biden administration had been working very hard on this, trying to get this done. It was supposed to unfold in the final hours of the Biden administration at the 11th hour. But there was actually a delay, not just because of bad weather in both Washington and Kabul, but also because I'm told that the Taliban actually wanted to delay this so that it happened during the early hours of the Trump administration. And the Trump administration could actually get some credit for this.

Now, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty are on their way home right now. They were traded, as you said, for a member of the Taliban who had been in U.S. custody for almost two decades, Khan Mohammed. We don't know too much about McKenty. We were not tracking him. And the fact that he was being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But Ryan Corbett is a case we know well. He and his family have been living in Afghanistan for more than a decade before the Taliban took over the country back in 2021. Corbett then went back to Afghanistan after they had been evacuated the following year, and that's when he was detained by the Taliban. His family has been fighting for him to be released, for the Biden administration to get him released for quite some time.

There are two other names, Kate, that have often been discussed as part of possible trades, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi. They have, unfortunately, not been released today, but they were part of the different combinations of trades that the Biden administration was trying. And I spoke to a senior Biden administration official yesterday who said that at every turn the Taliban essentially rejected every single outreach.

Now, Qatar was very central to this exchange as well. They hosted negotiations and discussions between U.S. officials and the Taliban for the past two years to get this done. I'm also told that they facilitated this deal, helping with the logistics, the planes and other machinations for this to unfold today. Corbett and McKenty expected back in the United States midday today. I'm told the Trump administration was briefed by the outgoing Biden administration that they were on board. But I was also told by a senior Trump official that they would not have done this deal, but - that the Biden administration did. But, at the same time, we are always happy to have two Americans home.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right. Alex, thank you.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, new this morning and on our radar, the death toll has climbed to at least 66 in an enormous fire at a ski resort in Turkey. According to Turkey's interior minister, the fire broke out early this morning at that resort. More than 230 guests were staying there. Many were on their winter school break. Some people had to jump from windows to escape the flames, using bedsheets tied together to try and get closer to the ground. The cause of that fire, under investigation this morning.

And also new this morning, hurricane-force gusts hitting southern California once again. Now, firefighters in San Diego are responding to several fast-moving vegetation fires that are threatening structures nearby. New video appearing to show the moment one of those wildfires started. And some of the deadly fires in Los Angeles County are still burning, weeks after they scorched homes and killed two dozen people.

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Now, they just might be miracle drugs.