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Millions of Fed Workers in Limbo as Deadline Nears for Musk Ultimatum; Ukraine Marks Three Years Since Russian Invasion; Fears Grow That Trump Admin Federal Purge Could Expose CIA Secrets. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired February 24, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Five things or else. Elon Musk's demands a list of five accomplishments from all federal employees, but this morning workers being told by other officials do not obey.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And in just hours, French President Emmanuel Macron will be at the White House to meet with President Trump. Can the two leaders get on the same page when it comes to Russia and Ukraine as today marks three years since Russia's invasion?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Pope Francis in critical condition after showing signs of kidney failure/ We have an update on his health.

I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central

BERMAN: And developing this morning to five or not to five. Millions of federal employees are facing a dilemma as they wake up on whether to respond to an ultimatum from billionaire Elon Musk to list five things they accomplished in the last week by midnight tonight or risk getting fired. Do it or else. That is what they are hearing.

But they're also hearing orders from the Pentagon, the FBI, the State Department, DHS, and the Department of Energy to ignore Musk, do not respond to his demand with one thing, let alone five, not yet, at least. So, what are they supposed to do? Listen to their bosses or the unelected man who appears to have free reign within the administration? And what does this chaos and contradiction tell us about how decisions are being made?

Let's get right to CNN's Alayna Treene at the White House. Are officials there clearing up what federal workers are supposed to do?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I do actually just want to quickly, because we just heard from Elon Musk again this morning, John responding to some of the controversy we've been hearing as soon as this email went out. I want to read for you some of what he wrote. He said, quote, those who do not take this email seriously will soon be furthering their career elsewhere. Another post to X said, those who ignored President Trump's executive order to return to work have now received over a month's warning starting this week. Those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave. So, he is making it very clear where he stands on this.

But one thing that's been interesting about this as well as there's also been questions over whether Musk actually has the authority to make these types of decisions, the personnel hiring and firing. We've heard White House officials try to argue, no, he just makes recommendations. He's a special government employee. But then we've heard the president say he's at the helm of DOGE. So, that's kind of playing on in the background here.

But part of the reason I bring that up is because we've now heard from five different departments who are pushing back and telling their employees not to respond to that email, all five of whom, I should say, these different departments and agency heads who Donald Trump hand selected. That includes the Department of Justice, the FBI, the State Department, the Pentagon. So, you know, it goes on from there.

So, one thing, though, who is included in this is Kash Patel, who was of course hand selected by Donald Trump. He was just sworn in as the director of the FBI on Friday. I want to read for you what he told his employees. He said, quote, the FBI, through the office of the director, is in charge of all of our review processes and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses for now, please pause any responses.

So, we are hearing from people, again, someone like Patel, who is really seen as a fierce Trump defender. He is a leader in the MAGA movement, I mean, not some, you know, career employee who is saying, don't follow through on this.

Now, we're also hearing some skepticism and criticism, really, from Republicans on Capitol Hill, people, of course, in Donald Trump's own party. I want you to take a listen to what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives.

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): You do not disrespect those who have worked hard, who have done good and honorable public service.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, John, what they were saying kind of lines up with what I am hearing from some people in the Trump administration as well, which is that they support this idea to try and find the bloat within the federal government, to find waste, fraud, and abuse.

[07:05:05]

They agree that there needs to be changes and cuts should be made. It's the way in which that it is happening, which is raising concerns and questions, for example, the swift nature of this, the chainsaw approach without having these broader reviews in place. However, those who are closest to the president, I will say, in the White House, in Donald Trump's inner orbit, they are celebrating this, and they also argue that the criticism that they are hearing, including from Republicans, is just further reason for why they should be doing this. John?

BERMAN: Meanwhile, if you're a federal worker, you're just left with confusion as about what you're supposed to do by midnight tonight.

Alayna Treene, thank you very much for that. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also, today, President Trump is going to be meeting with G7 leaders virtually amid big new questions about security, the security of Europe and the survival of Ukraine as today marks three years since Russia's invasion. President Trump is also set to host French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House today, a meeting Macron has said he will try to use to convince Donald Trump that the U.S. and European interests align despite what Donald Trump continues to say.

Other European leaders are in Kyiv right now. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy spoke at length yesterday, even signaling he's ready to resign if it brings peace to his country or brings NATO membership.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Kiev following all of this. And I have to say, Nick, Zelenskyy's answer to your question about his relationship with President Trump was one of the more revealing.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it's increasingly key, I think, to Ukraine's survival, whether Zelenskyy can indeed mend that relationship with President Donald Trump. His point was that it's about the nations having a strong alliance. But noticeably here today, as we enter into the fourth year of the war, we have 13 world leaders in Kyiv, many joining virtually as well. We've taken a day's long train journey just to be here and show solidarity, but we lack senior U.S. officials. You'd think who would be at the forefront of a show of solidarity like this. Instead, we have, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting over a virtual link that they are willing the United Kingdom to contribute boots on the ground to a peacekeeping force if the U.S. provides a backstop, if indeed the conditions are in place.

So much talk happening here about the urgent need to shore up European security, not just Ukraine's, because of doubts over where the Trump administration stands in all of this. But it is ultimately, as I say, the rare earth minerals deal, which a Ukrainian senior officials suggested may be edging towards some kind of resolution that's at the forefront and also to the relationship between Donald Trump and Zelenskyy.

Here's what Zelenskyy had to say when I asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Do you think you can mend your relationship with President Trump? And secondly, have the American side spelt out to you what happens if you don't come to an agreement over this rare earth minerals deal in terms of what it means for US aid?

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: As I said, we want successful agreement, and if we will understand each other with partners, I hope that it will be. We will sign this, the first agreement.

My relationship with President Trump, it's never was in such best way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Nervous laughter there really though. But that's I think a recognition of the horrific week where their relationship was frankly in freefall for a while. Maybe that was part of a negotiation process, but Zelenskyy, when he spoke about the rare earth minerals deal in that press conference, sounded very far away from terms being agreed. And it does, I think, increasingly raise fears if there will be that much continued U.S. assistance if that deal is not somehow completed. That's hanging over the fourth anniversary here, an utterly shocking development, frankly, that European security is now also in question.

BOLDUAN: Nick, so glad you're there. Thank you so much, NPW. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. More fallout over mass firings, why CIA insiders think the layoffs could put some of the nation's most classified secrets at risk.

Plus, how attorneys for Sean Combs are now trying to get the case against him thrown out completely.

And A-Rod sinks a half court shot to one student $10,000.

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SIDNER: New this morning, growing shock and worry at the CIA that some of the United States most classified secrets might be at risk of being compromised. Insiders say the mass layoffs and buyouts by the Trump administration could create disgruntled former employees who might be more willing to share what they know with foreign entities.

CNN's Katie Bo Lillis has been looking into this now, very concerning. You're reporting that there has already been a potential breach that may have exposed employees who were working undercover. What can you tell us?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: So, Sara, earlier this month, the CIA sent this really extraordinary email to the White House. They were trying to be responsive to the demands in one of President Trump's executive orders about cutting the size of the federal government, and they sent over a list of names of probationary employees who'd been with the CIA for two years or less, just by their first name and their last initial.

[07:15:05] But they sent it over an unclassified email server. The idea was to identify potential employees who might be able to be cut. But, in fact, what current and former CIA officials who we spoke to in the course of reporting this story said, what they actually did was potentially expose that information to the hackers of foreign intelligence services.

And the concern here is that this doesn't just possibly make it impossible for an individual officer who was supposed to go into an undercover job in, say, Beijing to no longer go because their identity may have been exposed, but it also risks exposing the role itself. Lots of CIA jobs are publicly noticed as State Department jobs in embassies all around the world. And if a foreign government is able to learn that a particular State Department job is actually a CIA job, then it potentially risks all of the people who have been known to meet with past occupants of that role. So, they might have exposed assets that the CIA works with, potentially even endangering them.

So, what we know now from our reporting is that the CIA is conducting a formal damage assessment of the potential harm caused to counter the potential counterintelligence risk caused by this one email sent from the CIA to the White House.

This really underscores kind of the depth of concern that I think you are hearing from current and former officials inside the agency that the kind of move fast and break things approach that President Trump has taken to trying to slim down the federal government may carry some pretty unique counterintelligence risks at an agency like the CIA that is used to dealing with almost exclusively classified information and some of the government's most sensitive secrets. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Katie Bo Lillis, thank you so much. Over to you, Kate, speaking of breaking things. Yikes.

BOLDUAN: At all times, at all times. A quick look at markets this morning, and so far, take a look. Futures are pointing north, the Dow and S&P and Nasdaq all in the green. This is after all three major indices finished last week lower. Investors are looking ahead to some key earnings reports this week, including tech giant NVidia. This will be NVidia's first earnings report since a Chinese A.I. model, DeepSeek, sent shockwaves rippling across the globe for matching the performance of ChatGPT, but saying they did it for the fraction of the cost. Let us see. John?

BERMAN: Was Sara just saying you break stuff?

BOLDUAN: I think that's what I was reading, and I'm still processing, so give me a sec.

BERMAN: Wow. It's early.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I know. What happened?

BERMAN: Quote, the Trump administration is turning federal law enforcement over to unqualified, unprincipled, partisan henchmen. And that quote's from a Republican this morning, after President Trump announced right wing podcaster Dan Bongino as the FBI's deputy director.

And this morning, we're getting new information about the condition of Pope Francis in critical condition, as the Vatican says he's now showing signs of kidney failure.

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[07:20:00]

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, surveillance video linked to an international crime ring that allegedly targeted the homes of pro athletes. Men in hazmat suits break into the home of Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis. The suspects then walk out with a safe that authorities say, along with other items, were valued at more than $1.4 million. The FBI says a selfie taken after the burglary led them to the suspect. Seven Chilean men, they each face up to ten years in prison if convicted. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry made history last night in the blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks.

CNN Sports Anchor Coy Wire is joining us right now. Oh, good, there he is behind me. Hello, buddy, that was so cool. What? He is so incredible.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, magical. Look out for these Warriors too, Sara. They're heating up a third straight win. They recently added Jimmy Buckets, Jimmy Butler, who made the most of his home debut 18 points last night, but it was all about Steph Curry money.

Look at the handle, Sara and look at him breaking through the defense for the floater. He dropped 30 points in just three quarters. And this three pointer right here and the night, night celebration on Mavs' P.J. Washington was significant. Washington mocked Curry's signature selly earlier in the season. Don't do that. Curry gets spicy. 126-102 over Dallas. Curry now passing Dwayne Wade for 33rd on the all time field goals made list.

Let's go to women's college hoops. We had a double overtime stunner. Number 13 N.C. State taking down the number one team in the nation, Notre Dame. Look at Aziaha James behind the back, whoop, see you. N.C. State snapping the Irish's 19-game win streak. Zoe Brooks had a career high 33 points as the Wolfpack win 104-95. They are the first team this century to score 100 points against an A.P. number one team in women's hoops.

In the NHL, chasing history. Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin now just 13 goals away from Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal record set in 1999. Look at the hats flying in on the ice. Ovi fist bumping his son after scoring three goals in a 7-3 win over the Oilers. The 39- year-old inching ever closer to the record, he has 25 games to do it.

Now, the stars were out for the NHL's and Los Angeles Kings special Skate for L.A. Strong Charity event supporting wildfire relief efforts. [07:25:03]

Steve Carell, Justin Bieber on the ice at crypto.com. And look at Bieber throwing down gloves with Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick, clearly a playful tussle, not an actual hockey brawl. You had Coaches Will Ferrell, Coach Vince Vaughn, Danny DeVito, and Snoop Dogg. Listen to this.

It was damn good, Sara. Tickets were distributed to first responders and those who have been displaced by the fires. Justin Bieber said afterwards, you know, when we all come together, good things can happen. And that's what the sports world has done. They've raised millions of dollars. NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLS, and WSL, they're all coming together to help those who've been affected.

SIDNER: It is a good thing. I just have a question for you this morning, as Kate runs in 6,000 inch heels to get to her place. I needed to ask you about what your nickname is, because I love the Buckets nickname. And I was trying to come up with one for you. I was like, would it be like Coy catches everything? But I was like, no linebacker. No, that doesn't work. So, you got any you can tell us about? Because it sounds like you have some, but you just too embarrassed to say,

BOLDUAN: I've got a nickname.

WIRE: In my -- oh, okay. I want to hear that. My --

BOLDUAN: I mean, obviously, it's Mr. Clean, obviously.

WIRE: Mr. Clean, but I keep it cleaner. First of all, my nickname used to be the ninja prankster because I would love pranking my teammates in the NFL. But then I came here and there's like H.R. and stuff. So, I'm afraid I'm going to get in trouble. So, I had to dial it back a lot.

SIDNER: No, dial it back up, baby. Dial back up. We're ready for you, Coy.

BOLDUAN: That's why you're in the same space here because we've deemed this studio an H.R.-free zone.

SIDNER: Thank you, Coy. Take it away, Kate.

BOLDUAN: I think he snarfed on that one.

All right, here we go. An American Airlines flight diverted to Rome, escorted by fighter jets because of security concerns. We have an update on that.

And Jane Fonda defending being woke while celebrating her lifetime achievements at the SAG Awards.

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