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Sources: Trump Administration Planning Major Immigration Crackdown In Chicago; Zelenskyy Aides To Meet With Trump Officials After Russian Strikes; FEMA Reforms Unraveling Two Decades After Katrina. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 29, 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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[07:30:45]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: New details for you this morning about the Trump administration's major immigration enforcement operation in Chicago. Multiple sources telling CNN it could happen as soon as next week.

CNN's Betsy Klein joining us this morning from the White House. And so the other part of this, right, is that this would really mark a serious escalation in what we're seeing as this brewing feud between the administration and Chicago.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER AND WRITER: That's right, Erica -- a major escalation as the Trump administration is planning the next phase of their immigration crackdown, this time targeting Chicago with a major immigration enforcement operation planned and expected to start in the coming days. There are already plans to surge federal agents to the area as well as to send armored vehicles.

And this operation is expected to kick off by next Friday, September 5. Officials, of course, cautioning that plans are still in flux and this could change. But this is expected to be larger in scale than an initial immigration enforcement operation in Chicago just days after President Trump came to office.

This is going to really ramp up and be modeled off of similar operations that we saw earlier this summer in Los Angeles. And to that end we are expecting officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as Customs and Border Protection and other agencies to be there.

And in a sign of how this could be similar to the Los Angeles efforts they are also expecting to send in the National Guard as what officials describe as a potential peacekeeping effort. There's also going to be a naval base nearby as a staging area.

But I want you to listen to how Trump border czar Tom Homan described this when he was asked about operations more broadly in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: You could see a ramp up of our operations in Chicago, absolutely. The planning is still being discussed, so maybe by the end of today. But, yeah, it's being discussed.

REPORTER: How many ICE agents are you anticipating on the ground there with National Guard troops. I assume you (INAUDIBLE) naval base as a hub?

HOMAN: Uh, I know but I'm not going to say. We're not going to tell you how many resources we're going to send to the city. We don't want the bad guy to know what we're sending. We're -- it will be a large contingent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, this also comes as the Trump administration is taking aim at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. He is a Democrat. JB Pritzker, for his part, says that the Trump administration is "searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections."

And I also want to make an important distinction, according to officials, that this is going to be separate from the president's recent comments about a crime crackdown that is expected in Chicago. This operation targeting immigration, Erica.

HILL: Yeah, an important distinction -- you're right.

Betsy, appreciate the reporting as always. Thank you -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, with us now the former governor of New Hampshire, Republican Chris Sununu.

You see what's going on in cities around the country.

CHRIS SUNUNU, (R) FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: Sure.

BERMAN: In Washington, which I think you just were in Washington --

SUNUNU: Yeah, just yesterday.

BERMAN: -- but also the president says he wants to do what he's doing there in different ways in different cities.

What do you think of it?

SUNUNU: Look, I think he's trying to make a point that we shouldn't settle. Communities shouldn't settle for the murder rates, for the crime, for the violence, for the lack of beautification -- all the different pieces that you want in your community. And so he's saying there are resources that can be brought to bear. There are ways we can make a bigger difference, so to say.

Will this be into perpetuity? No. I think he's going to go in and they're going to make an effort not just around ICE but around -- you know, we saw some of the National Guard shoveling mulch and things yesterday. A little unconventional, to be sure. But again, saying let's go the extra mile for our communities.

And again, I -- from a political standpoint it's a tough position for Democrats to be in saying we don't want this. We don't need -- believe me, Chicago, you need help, right? LA, you need help -- New York. I mean, in some of these cities the murder and the crime rate is out of control.

And remember, we're just coming on the back end a few years ago where it was the defund the police anti-police movement. And he's saying no, no -- we need to bring this country back to a -- to a better place not only on the federal level, only with federal assistance, but kind of inspire those on the ground in these cities to do better for themselves.

BERMAN: You know, it's interesting you say it does put Democrats in a tough spot, and Democrats will admit this. I mean, they'll say that.

SUNUNU: Right.

BERMAN: On TV they'll say it.

SUNUNU: Sure.

BERMAN: What kind of a spot does it put Republicans -- traditionally small government --

[07:35:00]

SUNUNU: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- Republicans who don't necessarily want federal intrusion when President Trump says of the National Guard, I can do anything I want?

SUNUNU: Yeah, and you're talking to one, right? I'm from the "Live Free or Die" state. Don't love it -- definitely don't love federal intrusion. And the question is well, where is the line? How far does it go? When is too much?

So I think when it comes to the safety and security -- when it comes to using National Guards for safety and security that's almost, I would say, par for the course, right? We've employed our National Guard in a variety of different missions. When it goes beyond that that's when it gets to be a much tougher issue.

The securing of the border, ICE, mixing that with the Guard, the crime element that comes with it, that all kind of makes sense. It's all within that purview. It's OK, how far are we going to take this? When I saw the National Guard shoveling mulch yesterday, I thought well, that's a nice gesture but that's not really what the National Guard is designed to do. So hopefully, it inspires folks on the ground in those cities to take a little more action and just not accept the status quo.

BERMAN: I want to ask you about Iowa, which I know is a dangerous thing for someone from New Hampshire. Like, immediately --

SUNUNU: More dangerous for Iowa than New Hampshire. We're good. We're good.

BERMAN: Yeah. But it isn't about first in the nation anything; it's about a special election that was just held there.

SUNUNU: Yeah.

BERMAN: A State Senate seat where a Democrat in this State Senate race won by about 10 points --

SUNUNU: Um-hum.

BERMAN: -- in a Senate district that the Republican -- well, that Donald Trump had won --

SUNUNU: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- by 10 points and that Republicans have been winning by 20 points or even bigger.

Now, special elections -- they're called that because they are special.

SUNUNU: Sure.

BERMAN: They're different.

But what do you see going on here because there have been a few others, too?

SUNUNU: I think it's a great wakeup call to the Republican Party. We talk a lot about how bad the poll numbers are for Democrats and how it's all Mamdani and socialists and all this stuff, and all the fighting within the Democratic Party. Take nothing for granted.

Twenty-twenty-six, on an electoral basis, whether it's in for your school board or whether it's for Congress or the U.S. Senate, you have to have good candidates that drive a good message that's about their community and that makes sense to the people voting. You can't take anything for granted.

BERMAN: The president just said that he's not going to call the huge bill that was just passed the "big, beautiful bill" anymore because it doesn't explain it as well.

What does that tell you about the signature legislation and how might that -- that might be landing if the president is already saying he's going to rename it?

SUNUNU: Well, I think he should have renamed it six months ago. I hated the name from the -- from the first place because when you say big, right, that says big spending, right? We don't want anything big in government as Republicans. So I like that he's finally come around to changing the name of it. Look, for me and Washington, D.C., there's so much more to do. It's not just about the "big, beautiful bill" and the tax cuts and that.

Where's the immigration bill? I think the president has an amazing opportunity to draw up an immigration bill -- the first one in 30 years -- for this country to see. And that would be not just a political win but a real win for the country.

There's a lot of pieces of legislation that have to go forward even beyond the "big, beautiful bill" and there's a lot of work for Congress to get to. So I think they're coming back. I think Speaker Johnson might even be in town here on CNN soon talking about what is up for this fall, and I hope it's a big agenda. That's the only thing people want to see is a big agenda.

BERMAN: Oh, well you ask -- OK, help me out here because I'm talking to him --

SUNUNU: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- in 30 minutes.

SUNUNU: Sure.

BERMAN: What would you ask the speaker? What a Chris Sununu question for Speaker Johnson, and make it a tough one?

SUNUNU: Yeah. The toughest question in -- the toughest thing he has to do is manage what's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania with that very thin Republican margin and at the same time raise money and try to make sure that Republicans can get re-elected. But my message to him would be focus at the task at hand.

And the biggest question in Washington, which no one wants to answer, is what are we doing when Medicare and Social Security go bankrupt and we hit $45 trillion in debt and we're paying over $1 trillion in interest? We have a massive fiscal car crash coming about eight years from now. What are we doing to manage that?

BERMAN: Well, you know, they just made it worse, right? So it shouldn't be (INAUDIBLE) but the bill they just passed adds to the national debt.

SUNUNU: Adds a lot -- adds a lot of new spending, which I do not love at all.

BERMAN: So what's your question to --

SUNUNU: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- Mike Johnson on the new spending he just added?

SUNUNU: Uh, is there a chance to now not go back and so much cut that spending, but where are we going to find those savings? Have a growth model, right? You don't have to cut $2 trillion. You can have a growth model that gets built in there as -- Remember, 49 states have a balanced budget, guys. Forty-nine states

have it, and we manage to it. I think the federal government needs to do the same. I think most Americans would agree the federal government needs to do the same.

BERMAN: All right, Governor, stick around. We can do the interview together --

SUNUNU: You bet.

BERMAN: -- when Speaker Johnson shows up.

Thank you for your time --

BERMAN: You bet.

BERMAN: -- this morning. Have a great holiday weekend.

SUNUNU: You, too.

BERMAN: Erica.

HILL: Today in New York top Ukrainian officials are set to meet with top Trump officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff. This as the White House says President Trump is not happy and also not surprised by Russia's massive missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's capital.

The death toll from Russia's second-biggest air assault on Kyiv since the start of the war -- it continues to rise. At least 23 people killed in Thursday's early morning attack, including four children. Kyiv is observing a day of mourning today as European officials say Putin is sabotaging peace.

Joining me now to discuss CNN political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh. Sabrina, it's good to have you here.

Russia -- when we look at this Russia is also clearly looking to send a message, right, and that message is not just to Ukraine, but it is a message to the United States, and it is a message to Europe when it comes to the targets of these strikes.

Do you believe that the Trump administration is getting that message?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, that's exactly right. I think -- I think the way you laid it out is that Russia is sending a message to the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine that they are not serious about peace and that they are going to continue this war. And, in fact, the complex attack that you saw on Thursday morning just showed how serious they are about continuing.

[07:40:12]

Whether that message is getting through to the administration, I don't know that that is accurate. You know, Donald Trump has continued to defend Vladimir Putin. After the Alaska summit, you know, Trump walked away. There were no severe consequences put on Putin. There was no ceasefire deal put in place.

And so I think it's important that while Russia continues to send this message, I don't know that this administration is actually understanding that Putin is not going to come to the table for a peace agreement.

HILL: Well, to that point, too, there are questions about whether that summit actually backfired, in addition to questions about -- you mentioned severe consequences. We have heard from the president repeatedly over the last couple of weeks they are going to be, in his words, "severe consequences." Words are one thing, actions are another.

Is it your sense that if he were to follow through, if there were severe consequences, that would have an impact?

SINGH: Well absolutely, severe consequences in terms of sanctions could really cripple Russia, and they already have a weak economy. I mean, now is the time, especially after that Alaska summit when we saw Putin really walk away without severe consequences put on him -- now is the time to squeeze Russia financially and economically.

But I think most importantly what came out of that Alaska summit is that this administration was really played by a master manipulator and that is Vladimir Putin. I mean, he is continuing to run down the clock. He had that meeting to show and to heap praise on Donald Trump.

But at the end of the day, as you just said, actions speak louder than words. And we just saw four children killed, over 20 people killed in Kyiv. Russia is not serious about ending this war and they're going to continue to fight on as long as they can.

HILL: You know, we -- when we -- when we think about the summit you say talking about how Putin played this masterfully. Part of what leads into any summit with a world leader are multiple briefings, right? So the president would be briefed.

And I bring this up because we're learning more about these firings at the CIA, including DNI Tulsi Gabbard apparently outing a CIA operative who was a specialist, right, when it comes to Russia. Had helped brief Trump's team in the leadup to the meeting.

And in some of the reporting I've been reading there is now a real fear of providing information to the administration by some officials who are still in these roles that may not be the information they want to hear.

I mean, just remind us again how important it is to have that intelligence and to understand the person on the other side of the table, even if it's not something you want to hear.

SINGH: It's critical to have experts at the table, and those that disagree with you but also present the facts. And I think the firing and the purging of career officials, some of whom have studied and been in the room or at least been part of meetings with Russian officials but really have studied Vladimir Putin -- those are the people that you want at the table briefing you to understand the capability of this leader but also understand the mindset.

And when you purge these people and just have sort of yes men around you this is what happens. We are where we are today at a failed Alaska summit, no ceasefire in place, no peace deal on the horizon, and no sanctions put into place.

And frankly, I think there are some within the administration that view this as a real estate deal. Let's talk about swaps of territory.

This is a war, and this is a war where a -- one country invaded its neighbor. There have to be severe consequences put on this country, especially done by the United States who leads the free world and should really set the example for the international community.

HILL: Really quickly -- we're almost out of time but do you see --

SINGH: Yeah.

HILL: -- the position changing for the president and for this administration in terms of adding real pressure to Russia? Because without Russia wanting to end this war it's tough to see how it does end.

SINGH: And I think it's really tough to say because we've seen the president continue to say for weeks now that there would be severe consequences and yet that has not happened. So why I'd like to believe that this administration will change their tune, it's about actions.

And there is a Senate -- you know, a bipartisan bill that's ready to be passed and signed into law that would place immediate sanctions on Russia. I hope this administration takes that up immediately.

HILL: Sabrina, good to have you as always. Thank you -- John.

BERMAN: All right, we do have new CNN reporting this morning that President Trump has revoked the Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, according to a letter sent by the president, the order will go into effect on September 1.

It comes after then-President Biden -- when he was president, President Biden signed a previously undisclosed directive just before leaving office which extended the Secret Service detail for Vice President Harris for an additional year.

[07:45:00]

Let's get right to CNN's Isaac Dovere breaking this story. What have you learned, Isaac?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Hi, John.

Well, right. As you point out, vice presidents are entitled by law to receive protection for six months after leaving office. That would have taken Harris to July 21. But in this previously undisclosed directive, Joe Biden, shortly before leaving office, signed an extension of her protection that was as there was a threat assessment continuing to be around her.

And what happened yesterday is President Trump personally signed a letter revoking that. He wrote in the letter, "You are hereby authorized to discontinue any security-related procedures previously authorized by executive memorandum, beyond those required by law for the following individual, effective September 1, 2025: former Vice President Kamala D. Harris."

So that is it. She will lose her protection now. And, of course, that comes right as she's about to go out on a book tour. It's the most public-facing stuff that she's done since leaving office. That book tour is for her book about the campaign. It's out later this month.

And what comes with Secret Service protection is not just the people who are around here but all sorts of things of monitoring email threats, guarding her home in Los Angeles -- all of these things that are now going to very quickly disappear as of this weekend, September 1.

And the comment from the former vice president's senior adviser Kirsten Allen to me was just "The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety."

No comment from the White House explaining this decision and why it came now.

BERMAN: No -- no information about whether they had done a new assessment and if they thought there was no more threat. Just the statement from the president?

DOVERE: Just the letter from the president that was sent.

BERMAN: All right.

Isaac Dovere, again, breaking this story for us on this Friday morning. We'll let you get back to reporting. Thank you very much for that.

DOVERE: Thank you.

BERMAN: Unearthed -- a time capsule left by Princess Diana. What does it reveal about her and the heady days of the early 1990s?

And parliamentary point of order with a punch or maybe five. What led to this melee on the floor of a legislature and who won.

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[07:51:40]

BERMAN: Today marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. I think you're looking at live pictures of New Orleans right now. It was the disaster that exposed the catastrophic failures in America's emergency response system and led to a sweeping overhaul of FEMA. But now, two decades later, some of the very safeguards put in place after Katrina are being dismantled.

With us now retired Lt. Gen. Russel. L. Honore. He led -- he led the military operations in the days after Katrina, and he was on the ground when federal aid really failed, and he's been sounding the alarm ever since. General, always great to see you.

Some 20 years later you've been talking about this and helping people understand things for 20 years. What are they hearing and what aren't they hearing?

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, U.S. ARMY (RET.) (via Webex by Cisco): Well, the need to be prepared, John. You know, Katrina -- as much as she's been talked about and as one of the most catastrophic events in American history that played itself out on TV. We've had bigger evacuations before. In the flood of 1927, 700,000 people were in tents for months when the Mississippi River broke.

And we went forward, forming FEMA in the '70s and have a federal response and be prepared to assist in floods like this. And we saw what unfolded on TV. The -- it was a normal storm until the levees broke. And when the levees broke it changed into a major disaster with some 70,000 people in New Orleans. Eighty percent of the city did evacuate but that part that didn't evacuate we saw unfold on TV as much of it was right here on CNN live.

And that was unbelievable to a lot of people this could happen in a major American city. It did, and it could happen again if we don't continue to prepare, John.

BERMAN: It can happen again -- the message that you have been sending.

Some 30 officials -- employees at FEMA were just put on administrative leave after they signed a letter expressing concerns about changes at the agency that they say compromise its preparedness.

When you look at what's happening with FEMA today what do you think? How concerned are you?

HONORE: Well, there was talk of deconstructing FEMA in the last six months and that went from talking to DOGE cuts, which took one-third of the employees out of FEMA.

The Department of Homeland Security has taken FEMA money to build Alcatraz -- the Alcatraz detention center in Florida. That's concerning.

And recently, the Department of Homeland Security have told FEMA employees they look to have them volunteer to go do detention work, and if they refuse, they'll be fired.

So we are degrading FEMA at a rate that is concerning. I do think the July 4th flooding in Texas woke the White House up that they need to maintain FEMA for the time being to address this hurricane season. Because there were some missteps there at the Department of Homeland Security where they did not preposition search and rescue teams that would normally happen because the Secretary of Homeland Security is now personally micromanaging every contract in FEMA over $100,000.

[07:55:12]

And those of us in -- that follows this business and have been doing it for the last 20 years-plus know this is concerning and the state -- nation could be at risk under the current attitude in Homeland Security. And we hope the president will bring FEMA back under the White House and take it out of Homeland Security because it's being abused in Homeland Security.

BERMAN: Of course, the president's plans seem to be to send the power from FEMA more directly back out to the states.

General Russel Honore, the country is so grateful for the work that you did some 20 years ago and for the discussions that you've been leading ever since. Thank you so much for your time this morning -- Erica.

HILL: New this morning George Santos is "mad as hell." The disgraced former Republican congressman who is currently serving seven years for fraud and identity theft, writing in an op-ed about the conditions at the New Jersey prison where he's serving that sentence -- saying, "Let me by crystal clear. Prison is not supposed to be fun. It's punishment. It's meant to be difficult. But there's a line -- a moral line between punishment and outright neglect of human dignity."

A meeting in Mexico's Senate taking a violent turn. Two high-ranking senators were in a heated debate about the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Mexico. And then that debate turned into a shoving match. All of it happened on a live broadcast. One of the people who was pushed later appeared at a press conference wearing a neck brace and bandages around his arm.

Bat signal received in Florida where police say a man in Batman pajamas helped them to capture a burglary suspect. The guy in those swanky pajamas says he got the alert from his home security camera, went outside and saw the suspect rummaging through his truck and heading for his neighbor's garage. And that's when the superhero instincts kicked in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE MYVETT, HELPED POLICE CAPTURE BURGLARY SUSPECT: I was sleeping, and my wife was coming out of the bathroom and she noticed an alert on the phone. I grabbed ahold of their shirt and their right wrist, and I told him -- I said, "Listen, don't try to get away."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Police say the suspect had actually broken into multiple vehicles, stealing sunglasses, cash, and more than $500 worth of gift cards. And they are crediting the gentlemen who is heretofore known as "Batman Pajamas Guy" giving him credit for helping to put him behind bars.

A time capsule sealed by Princess Diana more than 30 years ago has just been opened. It was dug out of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. It's the hospital where Diana would regularly visit children.

Inside that time capsule, a pocket-size TV, some tree seeds, and a Kyle Minogue CD. There was also a solar-powered calculator, a collection of British coins, and a snowflake hologram. Two children who won the national competition selected those items back in 1991. The time capsule was actually dug up to make room for a new wing at the hospital.

And if you know John Berman at all you know that this is the kind of story that is his absolutely favorite. Money available. All you have to do is buy a ticket. Nine hundred fifty million dollars is still up for grabs, JB. The next Powerball jackpot drawing -- it's tomorrow night. Plenty of time for you to plan. This is now one of the largest prizes the game has ever seen.

And sure, if you're like John you're thinking I'm never going to win. Are you saying just because the odds are one in 292 million that you're not going to give it a shot, John? Two bucks.

BERMAN: You're not going to win. That's the important thing you need to know. But if you want to give me $1.00 instead of the $2.00 for a ticket, I'm willing to cut that deal with you.

Just one other point. The Batman pajamas guy -- he didn't just wear the Batman pajamas; he rocked them, right?

HILL: One hundred percent, yes. I love that. I mean, he did legitimately -- look, we love joking about this story because it has a great headline, but he was so helpful in that moment. And he did rock the pjs -- you're right.

BERMAN: And the pajamas were helpful.

HILL: And if I give you a dollar you're winning.

BERMAN: Yes, exactly.

HILL: Just -- I just want to -- yeah. Just want to sum that up.

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, as of midnight, the packages you order online could get more expensive. For years, the U.S. has waived tariffs on package shipments valued at less than $800, but that exemption expired overnight. It's gone, and President Trump says it's permanent.

Anna Cooban has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: De minimis -- it's a term you may be hearing a lot today. It's Latin for something lacking in significance or importance. Some people may not quite agree with that. You see, President Donald Trump has scrapped the so-called de minimis exemption -- a rule that has allowed products worth $800 or less to enter the United States from all around the world without crucially paying an important tax.

That exemption has allowed low-cost goods like clothes, makeup, home decor -- really, anything that you can think of to flow into the U.S. relatively easily and helped fuel a booming global ecommerce industry like these brands here.

And as you can see here, over the last decade this number has grown significantly and that is partly why Trump is ending this de minimis exemption is to help discourage Americans from buying overseas and incentivize home manufacturing.