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Military Flies First Group Of Migrants From U.S. To Guantanamo Bay; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) On Trump's Gaza "Takeover"; HHS Nominee RFK Jr. Clinches Key Vote, All GOP Members On Board. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 05, 2025 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:31:25]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning the Trump administration has deported the first group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The military flight landed yesterday carrying what Homeland Security -- a Homeland Security official said were 10 migrants with criminal records. Immigration advocates, though, quickly jumped to condemn the move and questioned its legality.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez following this step and it's a big one as it is the first flight that's landing in Guantanamo Bay. Priscilla, does the administration -- this has to do with space, they say. What does this mean?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is maxed out. They have had limited resources for some time now and they just don't have enough detention space.

But this is still an extraordinary move to send migrants on U.S. soil to Guantanamo Bay and here is why. There is a base in Guantanamo Bay called The Migrant Operation Center. Now, that has been used in the past -- actually, for years for those who are interdicted at sea. So people who haven't reached U.S. soil yet who are interdicted, sent to that center, and then repatriated to their origin country.

But this move is taking people in the United States to Guantanamo. And this is something that I'm told Homeland Security attorneys, as well as Pentagon attorneys were reviewing and assessing the legality of what it, again, an unprecedented move.

Now, as this is happening, we are told that planning is well underway in that migrant operation center area. They are building out tent facilities to hold 30,000 people. Of course, that is what President Donald Trump announced and directed last week, and that is the work that is currently underway to host and house more people.

Now, there are questions, of course, as to what services, if any, they will have. For example, will they have access to legal service providers? And how long will they be held there? The Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem saying they won't be held there indefinitely. But that also depends on when origin countries will take back their repatriated nationals. That can happen with some countries quite quickly; with others, not as much.

Now, President Trump did talk about this briefly in the Oval Office yesterday. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot of space to accommodate a lot of people. And yeah, so we're going to use it.

REPORTER: Can you talk a little bit about --

TRUMP: We have it. It's already up. It's -- we have it for nothing. But we can do less expensive and even more secure. We've had other countries come to us saying we would love to do that. We would love to take your criminals, and we'll maintain that and we'll -- you know, it will be their jail. And I'm only talking for the most severe cases.

I'd love to get them out along with the illegal migrants. The migrants are rough, but we have some bad ones, too. I'd like to get them out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, the last part of his answer there appeared to be a nod to an agreement that was struck with El Salvador. El Salvador had offered to take migrants with criminal records who may not be from El Salvador to house them in their jails there.

They also floated the possibility of U.S. citizens. Of course, that is a massive concern for legal experts because you can't deport U.S. citizens, but that seems to be what the president was nodding to there. Also saying that other countries have offered to take other nationals. But he did not elaborate on who exactly that is.

Certainly, however, Kate, this is part of the grand strategy from the Trump administration to try to find space in other places.

BOLDUAN: Priscilla, thank you for your reporting as always -- John.

[07:35:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. New this morning the U.S. Postal Service says it has suspended incoming packages from China and Hong Kong, threatening the business models of several online giants that rely on them to ship to their U.S. customers.

CNN's Matt Egan is with us now. So the Post Office just, like, saying no to stuff from China and Hong Kong?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, that's right, John. And this is obviously a really big deal, and it shows the implications here of this rapidly moving U.S.-China trade war.

So last night the U.S. Postal Service said that effective immediately they are going to stop accepting parcels from both China and from Hong Kong. They said that letters are fine but not packages. And they did not explain why they're doing this. CNN has reached and they haven't provided any further information.

But look, this came just hours after President Trump's executive order on China. Now, while most of the attention was focused on the tariffs and whether or not Canada and Mexico were going to get caught up in this trade war -- spoiler alert: not yet, right -- what didn't get as much attention was the fact that Trump was also closing this longstanding loophole, right? It's called the "de minimis exemption." It's been around since the 1930s. And essentially, it lets cheaper goods come into the United States free of tariffs, free of fees, and taxes. Now, this threshold was at $200 back in 2016 but then it got increased significantly to $800.

And what's happened is this has allowed cheaper goods to flood into the United States largely from China, right? There's federal data that shows that as of 2021, we had $45 billion of de minimis imports just from China alone. I think that chart really shows that 1) most of this coming from China and from Hong Kong, and it is growing rapidly.

So when you combine these two things, right -- determination of this loophole, plus this announcement from the U.S. Postal Service, it really does pose a significant threat to some of those e-commerce giants that have exploded in popularity when you think about Shein and Temu. Because obviously, if you take away that loophole there's just not enough manpower to physically check all of these parcels and know whether or not they're under that threshold and whether or not you have to apply tariffs.

So --

BERMAN: So a great man just asked what happens to the socks I ordered from Temu?

EGAN: Yeah. Well, I guess it depends on when you ordered them.

But look, I mean, this is -- this is a big deal when you think about it because there's two reasons why these platforms have just gotten so popular, right? One, they're fast. Two, they are cheap.

But this trade war really undermines both of those things because at a minimum, it's going to take time to check these packages, but there's not enough people to do that. Plus, you're going to have to apply tariffs. So this is really significant.

And John, I do think it just kind of shows how the trade war has expanded, right? I mean, first, we're talking about tariffs. Then we're taking away loopholes. Yesterday Google and the owner of Calvin Klein were caught up in investigations. So this is really moving very quickly, and you could see how this kind of a thing could escalate.

BERMAN: And how people can feel it very, very quickly.

EGAN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: Matt Egan, thank you --

EGAN: Thank, John.

BERMAN: -- very much for that -- Sara.

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

Millions of federal employees who don't accept President Trump's resignation offer could be fired as soon as tomorrow. Administration officials tell CNN the layoffs are expected to begin soon after Thursday's deadline. Workers have until midnight to accept the terms, which Elon Musk says means they would be paid through September 30.

So far, at least 20,000 staffers have accepted the offer to resign, according to an administration official. That's, though, just one percent of the roughly two million federal employees whose jobs are on the line. The White House has a target between five and 10 percent, or about 100,000 to 200,000 employees.

Several unions representing federal employees are seeking a temporary restraining order for a Massachusetts district court to pause the looming deadline.

This morning we're getting a real time look at how this is playing out across dozens of departments now. USAID ordered all staff around the world to be placed on administrative leave as of 11:59 p.m. this Friday and ordered to return to the U.S. A statement posted on the agency's website ends with "thank you for your service." John.

BERMAN: All right. New this morning swift rejection from around the world to President Trump's proposal that the U.S. take ownership of Gaza and that two million Palestinians should be removed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I envision a world with people living there -- the world's people. I think you'll make that into an international unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don't want to be cute, I don't want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so -- this could be so magnificent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:40:00]

BERMAN: All right, with us now is Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland. Senator, thanks so much.

It's been a few hours. This has had a chance to settle in. So my question to you is what now -- what is the impact now of this proposal from the president?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD) (via Webex by Cisco): Well, John, this is an insane proposal. And there's been a huge backlash already because the President of the United States was saying he would use U.S. military force if necessary to forcibly remove two million Palestinians from Gaza -- that's ethnic cleansing by another name -- so that it could be redeveloped.

You've seen very quickly that our partners in the Arab world have said this is a nonstarter. It's really a gift to our adversaries, like Iran, because this is just pouring gasoline on an already burning fire.

BERMAN: There's a quote in Axios this morning that comes from a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, and I think it's meant as praise.

It says, "He's moving the goalpost of crazy," a longtime adviser told Axios. "This time around, he's not intimidated by headlines or pundits: He's gonna throw out there whatever he feels like throwing out there."

The idea being that maybe he's just shifting the parameters of discussions.

What do you think of that?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, what he's saying is dangerous because it will put U.S. interests in the Middle East at risk. It could put U.S. Embassy personnel at risk. Because while he can try and dress it up in nice language -- he wants to provide a great life for Palestinians -- the idea that you're going to take two million people and send them out of Gaza obviously doesn't accomplish that goal.

So this is why you're seeing such an immediate and fast reaction from, for example, the Saudis -- Saudi Arabia -- who are very clear that they are still very focused on the long-term resolution of the Israeli Palestinian conflict requiring that we have security, peace, and self- determination for both peoples. And as they've said, that requires the establishment of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution.

BERMAN: So this is a question that I think you've faced now for two weeks and, I guess, two days now -- almost every day. What are you going to do about this? What can you do about this?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, with respect to this proposal, if the president really tried to use U.S. forces -- the men and women of the U.S. military to take action to own Gaza, then that would clearly trip the war powers requirement to send out folks into conflict for that purpose.

So with respect to that proposal that would, I hope, generate an outcry. In fact, I have seen some of my Republican colleagues in the Senate say we don't think it's a great idea to send U.S. Armed Forces to Gaza for this purpose.

BERMAN: Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham have both voiced some skepticism, and we're waiting for reaction from more.

You are the -- you were born overseas, the child of diplomats, a little before USAID was founded, but I know you saw USAID at work over the last several decades. And you've got strong feelings about this move from Elon Musk and the president to basically shut it down.

VAN HOLLEN: I do because AID is a very important instrument of U.S. national and security policy. So when the president is talking about shutting down AID this is another case, John, where our adversaries are cheering. China's cheering. Russia's cheering. In fact, one of Putin's cronies tweeted out right away, you know, "Good work, Elon." Because they would like to see the United States retreat.

These development programs are a tiny part of our budget but if you ask anybody in the United States military, they will say that those investments are force multiplier.

And so this is another case where the president is serving the interests of our adversaries, and they're doing it in an illegal manner.

So you asked also what we could do. In this case there are lawsuits that were filed and successfully filed with temporary restraining orders when it came to the president's effort to withhold funding from our communities. You're also going to see lawsuits going forward on these other issues. Courts are putting up a big red light to a lot of President Trump's proposals.

[07:45:00]

The key now will be whether or not he actually supports and respects the court order. If he doesn't, we're in a whole different world of problems.

BERMAN: By Friday, it seems like all these people will be not showing up to work anymore.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, thank you for your time this morning. I appreciate it -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, John.

How a senator who spent years pushing for vaccines ended up voting in support of vaccine cynic RFK Jr.'s nomination to be the next Health and Human Services secretary. That story is ahead.

Also, a raid in New York City's Diamond District linked to a string of burglaries targeting high-end homes, including those of NFL players. We will explain next.

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[07:50:30]

BOLDUAN: This morning new radar data from Reagan National Airport is providing some critical information about the altitude of the Army helicopter when it collided with the American Eagle passenger jet. And the recovery operation is also making progress. The bodies of all 67 victims in that tragic midair disaster have now been removed from the Potomac River. And crews continue to work to clear the mangled wreckage from that crash. CNN's Pete Muntean more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Here is the big, new headline from the National Transportation Safety Board. They were able to get new radar data that shows the radar scopes in the control tower here displayed the Black Hawk helicopter's altitude at 300 feet. That is interesting because the altitude restriction on the helicopter corridor here is about 200 feet. Not a smoking gun; just another key piece of data as this investigation is still in its infancy.

The other big pieces of data are coming from the big parts in the Potomac River. Today, the salvage operation was able to recover not only major parts of the fuselage but also most of the wings. And the NTSB says they now have most of the cockpit of American Airlines flight 5342. That will all go to a hangar here at Reagan National Airport where they will lay out those parts to continue this investigation.

One update we were anticipating but did not get was about the Black Hawk black box recorder. It's a combined function. It's a data recorder and a voice recorder. The NTSB says it still needs more time to go through that before they pull out some bullet points about what that data shows.

The big thing investigators are underscoring right now -- this investigation still is very early and it is way too soon to draw any major conclusions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: All right. On our radar for you this morning the far-right Proud Boys, some of whom took part in the January 6 insurrection, no longer own their trademarked name. A D.C. judge ruled that it be handed over to the Black church that members of the group vandalized four years ago.

The ruling means the organization must now get consent from the church to use the mark or sell any merchandise that has the mark on it. It also means that any money the group makes through the trademark must be paid to the church to help satisfy a multimillion dollar default judgment owed to that church.

All right, you know you've noticed this. Egg prices are going up and it might be driving some folks to some extreme measures. Some thieves in Pennsylvania managed to steal about 100,000 eggs from the back of a distribution trailer. That's about $40,000 worth at today's prices.

Of course, the egg industry facing challenges after an Avian flu outbreak has killed millions of hens, driving up those prices.

And two people were taken into custody Tuesday after the FBI raided a pawn shop in connection to that investigation into a number of high- profile break-ins, including the homes of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Two men were charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, the men allegedly received stolen luxury items taken by South American gangs that operate across the United States -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: As of this morning 11 of President Donald Trump's cabinet nominees have been confirmed. And today, Attorney General Pam Bondi -- it is her first day on the job -- confirmed by the Senate last night.

And the nominations of two of the president's most controversial cabinet picks are now a big step closer to confirmation as well. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- they are now headed for final floor votes after their nominations were voted out of committee yesterday.

With RFK Jr., the big question mark had been Republican senator and physician Bill Cassidy. He ended up voting for RFK as the next HHS secretary in committee, explaining his vote afterward on the Senate floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Now, Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccinations. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedently close, collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed. These commitments and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again is the basis of my support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:55:10]

BOLDUAN: Joining me right now is Dr. Paul Offit. He's the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Offit, thanks for coming back in.

You have been very clear about how dangerous you and so many other doctors and public health experts think RFK would be heading up America's public health agencies. As this now moves to a full Senate vote, likely next week, you call this a sad day for public health. Why?

DR. PAUL OFFIT, DIRECTOR, VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA, MEMBER, FDA VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (via Webex by Cisco): Well, I think it's said to me that Sen. Cassidy believes that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be anybody other than what he's been for the last 20 years.

I mean, RFK Jr. has said he thinks no vaccine is a benefit. He thinks vaccines cause autism. When he sees a parent carrying a child on a hiking trail or running path, he goes up to them and says, "Don't vaccinate your child."

Now he is reassured that RFK Jr. is going to be somebody completely different than who he's been for the last 20 years. This is an anti- vaccine advocate and science denialist who now is about to head the largest public health agency in the United States. I think it was a sad day for children in this country as he appears to move forward into that position.

BOLDUAN: Senator Cassidy cares deeply about and understands the value of vaccines and vaccinations. That was a huge part of the committee hearing and his questioning of RFK with Cassidy saying he will support him because of commitments that he's received from RFK and things like saying "He's committed to an unprecedently close collaborative working relationship between him and RFK assures him."

Is that reassuring to you at all? Should it be reassuring to anyone?

OFFIT: No, it's not. RFK Jr. misrepresents things all the time and he lies. I mean, he says, for example, during that hearing when he is confronted with statements that he's made or confronted with things that he's written, he'll say, "Well, I never said that. I never wrote that" when, in fact, he did, and the evidence is there that he did. So he's willing to say whatever he needs to say to try and get this position.

And I just am surprised that Sen. Cassidy, who told a great story about how he took care of a patient -- an adult patient who had hepatitis B virus-associated cancer -- liver cancer. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he doesn't think the hepatitis B vaccine works. And so he confronted him with that.

And so the stories he told were emotional and real and heartfelt, and he chose to believe that RFK Jr. is not going to be the exact same person he's been for the last 20 years. And I just think it's a mistake.

BOLDUAN: To anyone who would ask, Dr. Offit, do you have an axe to grind? What is it? What do you have against RFK?

You have talked to me about how you have been encountering and correcting the misinformation -- countering the misinformation from RFK for more than two decades now. Explain to people.

OFFIT: No. My axe to grind is that I see myself as an advocate for children. I was in a polio ward at age five and I remember that disease. I remember iron lungs. I remember children in traction screaming in pain when they would get these hot pack treatments. It was a Dickens' novellike experience. There was one visiting hour a week. It was awful.

And so I saw children as vulnerable and helpless and the longer I -- I guess the statement is the scars of your childhood invariably become the passions of your adulthood. So the passion of my adulthood is standing up for children.

And I see RFK Jr. as someone who does exactly the opposite. I think he will put children in harm's way unnecessarily by doing everything he can to destroy the vaccine programs in this country. BOLDUAN: I have heard people ask how much damage can one person really do? He would be the head of HHS. He would be the head of 13 different very important agencies, but each of those will have its own leader who then answers to RFK.

How much damage, how much influence could a Secretary RFK Jr. have?

OFFIT: Well, he would be the person who would be distributing money from the Vaccine for Children's program, which purchases 55 percent roughly of all vaccines in this country. He would have influence over the Vaccine Injury Compensation program. And here is a man who routinely sues pharmaceutical companies and who has that money that he's gotten from those lawsuits being his primary source of income.

He could rig the system. He could pull vaccines out of the Vaccine Injury Compensation program and leave them open to the slings and arrows of civil litigation. He could change compensable injury of this to make it more easy for his personal injury lawyer friends to also cash in.

I don't trust him for a second, and all his actions over the past 20 years should make every senator who sat on that committee also not trust him. This is going to be hard to watch.

I mean, some of his ideas about, sort of, processed food, and eating better, and trying to decrease the incidence of obesity and the consequences of obesity, like type 2 diabetes -- great idea. There are a lot of people in this country that can do that. But with his man you're getting the additional baggage of the fact that he is a virulent anti-vaccine activist who means it. He means it. And you're going to see -- you're going to see how much he means that soon.

BOLDUAN: Dr. Paul Offit, thank you so much for coming in.