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White House Suggests Trump Could Use Military Force to Acquire Greenland; House, Senate to be Briefed on Trump Administration's Plans for Venezuela; Nick Reiner to be Arraigned on Murder Charges in Parent's Deaths. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired January 07, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, the White House escalating its threat against Greenland, saying they are not taking the threat of using military force off the table. Where does this head now?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The president claims that Venezuela is giving the U.S. 30 to 50 million barrels of oil. The question is that was, is that what Venezuela thinks this morning?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And tense moments on the tarmac, what happens when a plane's tires blow out as it lands at the world's busiest airport.

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

BOLDUAN: The new CNN reporting today, is President Trump trying to put the green in Greenland? His administration is now ramping up its push to still trying to acquire the Arctic island, which the president maintains is vital to U.S. National security. Sources say Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that they're considering buying the island, though, again, not for sale, downplaying the threat of potential U.S. military action to acquire it.

But the White House is not taking military force off the table, saying in part this, the president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and, of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in- chief's disposal.

Among the host of very serious issues here now, Greenland is a territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally. On Capitol Hill, this notion has sparked bipartisan backlash.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live at the White House for us this morning. What more are you learning about the options as the White House is saying it that they are considering now?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, I think that statement from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, set off alarm bells along many people on Capitol Hill, and, of course, allies across the world, but particularly the United States NATO allies, who have been very wary of this.

I know that Senator Mark Warner, for example, earlier, said that when he had heard the president talking about wanting Greenland, he thought that he was joking. But it is clear with the rhetoric they are using particularly, of course, in the days after the capture of Maduro on Saturday, the strikes in Venezuela's capital, that this is very much a serious thing. And I think that statement saying that they are reserving the right to use the military to try and obtain Greenland is what is most concerning to people.

Now, I do want to add as well what -- just reemphasize what you said about Marco Rubio, what he told the journal, which is essentially telling lawmakers on Capitol Hill that their goal is to buy Greenland, not invade it. Of course, we have heard repeatedly from the leader of Denmark that Greenland is not for sale.

But I want you to listen to some of what we've heard from Republicans and Democrats alike, including the House speaker, Mike Johnson, on this very issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Would you be comfortable military action in Greenland?

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Look, no, I don't think that's appropriate.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Ultimately, the people of Greenland would've to vote and potentially Denmark. I'm not sure who would've to vote, but you won't get there by insulting them.

REP. RED LIEU (D-CA): Sure, it'll be good for you as national security, but it would also be illegal. Denmark owns Greenland. And we can't just invade a NATO country. That is insane. And the president has no justification for doing so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Kate, to give you some sense of what I'm hearing in my conversations with people in that building behind me, part of the reason Greenland is such a big desire for the president, I'd remind you he talked a lot about this actually during his first term as well, it's because of the Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region, and the president argues the U.S. could protect that territory better than Denmark can.

But, of course, one of the big concerns is what those lawmakers are highlighting, this idea that it is part of NATO and that this would completely undermine the NATO alliance, throwing the U.S. and its allies in this longstanding agreement into disarray. And so that is really one of the huge concerns and potential, you know, fallouts of something like this, a move of this magnitude.

I'll also just point you, Kate, to what we had heard from some of the leaders of other NATO countries, places like France, Denmark, the Netherlands, all of them putting out a joint statement yesterday, making very clear that this is a territory that NATO wants to defend, that European allies who are part of NATO want to defend, and that is part of their sovereign territory, and that this would be a huge undermining of the agreement.

[07:05:19]

So, keep that in mind throughout all this coverage.

BOLDUAN: Alayna Treene at the White House for us, thank you so much. John?

BERMAN: All right. This morning, the full House and Senate is set to receive a classified briefing on the latest White House plans for Venezuela. President Trump claims the interim government there will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, all to be sold at market price. The timing of that delivery is still unknown and Venezuela has not commented or confirmed.

With us now, Political Reporter at Axios Stef Kight. Stef, great to see you this morning. What are the expectations for this briefing today, particularly among Democrats? What do they want to hear?

STEF KIGHT, POLITICAL REPORTER, AXIOS: I mean, we know there's going to be a lot of questions. There was already a briefing on Monday with Congressional leaders and the leaders of the intelligence committees, and that one was supposed to go just an hour, dragged on for over two hours just because of the volume of questions, just that smaller group of lawmakers had for Rubio and Hegseth, and Bondi and other top administration officials. So, we can expect this to drag on. We know many senators and House members are going to want questions answered and questions from both parties.

While Democrats are, of course, much more concerned with the administration's efforts of Venezuela, Republicans also want to hear what the plan is moving forward especially. There are some Republicans who have backed war powers resolutions in the past who do have concerns about the administration's tactic here, and want to ensure that Congress is notified ahead of any similar actions moving forward. So, expect that to be a topic of conversation.

I think the real question will be what next. Republicans are pretty comfortable at this point with the actions the administration has taken so far. They're comfortable with them capturing Maduro and bringing him to the states to face charges. But there are questions about what it means when Trump says the U.S. will be running Venezuela. And I think that'll be a big point of discussion during today's meetings.

BERMAN: Yes. Talk to me more -- you brought up the War Powers Act and there will be a vote tomorrow in the Senate on that. In the past, there have been two -- the last time it happened, two Republicans voted with Democrats there, Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski. They would need two more to join them to pass the Senate. What signs, what are you hearing about whether there might be two more getable Republicans for Democrats? KIGHT: You know, I think there are a lot of people watching other senator, like Senator Susan Collins, who has proven to be someone willing to buck Trump on these kinds of issues. I think that will be a big outcome we're looking at coming out of this briefing, do some of these Republicans who maybe aren't super comfortable with, you know, everything that's been going on in Venezuela, who maybe have more questions and concerns about administration's approach here, whether they come out of this briefing, feeling like they've had their questions answered, or whether they feel like they need to move forward and join with a handful of Republicans, as you pointed out, Murkowski and Rand Paul, in supporting the war powers resolution that has been -- that is planning to be presented by Senator Tim Kaine that will be a vote -- get a vote tomorrow.

These efforts in the past have failed. This is not the first time that there's been a war powers vote targeting Venezuela. So, Republicans at this point are confident that they'll be able to vote that down, that that won't go anywhere. But, again, you only need a simple majority. Democrats only need to pick off two other Republicans. And I think there will be pressure on some of the Republicans who have proven to be more willing to join forces with Democrats.

I think the thing to watch then is after the Venezuela vote, do we see war powers resolutions brought forward to also curtail potential additional military actions in other countries, whether it's Cuba or Colombia or Greenland, which, of course, are all ideas that the Trump administration officials and Trump himself have been floating.

BERMAN: Yes. This may be the first of several votes like this over the coming weeks.

Stef Kight, great to have you on this morning, love your work. I appreciate it. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John.

Breaking overnight, emergency crews swarm a plane after eight of its tires blew upon landing at the world's busiest airport. The LATAM flight was coming from Lima, Peru, to Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. A passenger shot the video of the blown-out tires after getting off the aircraft. You can see at least one of the tires shredded there while the plane sits on the wheel. The man who shot the video says the landing was so hard, the entire plane shook and a bathroom door came off its hinges.

Fortunately, there are no injuries reported and passengers were able to walk off the plane and onto buses waiting for them at the tarmac there.

All right, ahead, Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, is back in court today, accused of stabbing his parents to death in their home.

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What we can learn today about his defense strategy. And a major development in the first criminal trial over the response to the Uvalde school shooting, the judge canceling court today. What happened that could put the entire case at risk of a mistrial?

And you got to see this, a very clever canine breaks out of his kennel and escapes an animal shelter by somehow figuring out how to unlock a front door. That story and more ahead.

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SIDNER: Happening today, the sun of beloved Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, who's accused of stabbing them to death at their Hollywood mansion a month ago, will be arraigned in court in Los Angeles. Nick Reiner faces two counts of first degree murder.

The 32-year-old was reportedly taken off suicide watch this week. At his first court appearance last month, he wore a suicide prevention outfit. He has been held in solitary confinement at a Los Angeles jail since his arrest in December.

CNN's Marybel Gonzalez is joining me now from outside the courthouse. What can we expect today?

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sara, good morning. Well, today, many are hoping to hear a plea in this case on behalf of Nick Reiner. The last time he was here, he did not enter one, and a judge ordered him held without a bail pending to today's arraignment.

Now, during that time, it was when we first heard him speak publicly following his arrest. He said, yes, your honor, acknowledging that he was waiving his right to a speedy arraignment.

Now, many aspects of this case, Sara, are still uncertain as investigators are keeping those details closed in their active investigation. But what we do know is that the Reiners were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, California home inside of their master bedroom. And it was actually their daughter who found them. She lives across the street from the Reiners. She went to check up on them, discovered them, and then called a 911.

And the biggest question now going forward is if Nick Reiner's mental health will factor in to his case now. Previously, the L.A. District Attorney's Office said that they anticipate that it will. Nick Reiner had been very vocal about his stance with homelessness and a drug addiction.

Now, I should mention he is being represented by Attorney Alan Jackson, has represented several high-profile people, including Harvey Weinstein.

Now, Jackson is asking the public to allow Nick Reiner to have this judicial process and to respect the privacy of the family during this time. Now, as you mentioned, Nick Reiner is facing double murder charges and the L.A. district attorney has not said whether they will pursue the death penalty, but it is important to note that here in California, executions have been essentially halted since 2006, and the death penalty has also -- there's been a moratorium on the death penalty since 2019.

So, we will definitely be on standby to hear what happens next in this case. But as of right now, that is where things stand. Sara?

SIDNER: Yes. It's really difficult looking at these pictures of the Reiners all together knowing what happened, what transpired. We will see what happens in court as well today.

Marybel Gonzalez, thank you, live for us from Los Angeles. Kate?

BOLDUAN: An NFL shakeup. The Ravens head coach is out after 18 seasons. What is next for Baltimore?

And imagine planning the perfect proposal only to have the ring slip through the great and fall hundreds, more than a hundred feet, into the snow below. Details next.

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BOLDUAN: After 18 seasons, John Harbaugh is out as the head coach in Baltimore.

CNN's Andy Scholes has much more on this. What and why, Andy?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, you know, they had a disappointing end of that season, missing that field goal to not make the playoffs. But, Kate, I'll tell you what? You know, John Harbaugh not going to be out of work for long if he wants another job. You know he's got the 12th most wins by a head coach in the NFL history. He won the Super Bowl back in 2012.

Harbaugh had been the Ravens coach since 2008. In a statement he said, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here someday, but that day has come today. It comes with disappointment, certainly, but more with gratitude and appreciation.

Now, Ravens missed the playoffs for the first time in four years. Harbaugh, he immediately becomes a top candidate for any of these jobs. There are now seven openings across the league now, adding the Ravens to the list. According to the prediction market, Kalshi, Harbaugh is the overwhelming favorite to be the New York Giants' next head coach.

All right, in the NBA, meanwhile, LeBron James may be 41 years old now, but you couldn't tell with what he's still able to do out there on the court. Third quarter against the pelicans, LeBron here gets the steal, then he takes it the other way for the windmill slam. LeBron had 30 in this one. Luka meanwhile also put up 33 of them coming on this fade away three falling out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. Lakers would beat Pelicans now in 111-103.

Now, as impressive as both of those highlights work, look at what Victor Wembanyama did last night. A bunch of balls got stuck in the net. So, he went Daniel LaRusso and he tries to crane kick them out. Imagine being able to just casually kick your foot up nine feet into the air? That's just unreal. Wemby, he scored 30 points in just 21 minutes, but the Spurs did lose to the Grizzlies 106-105.

And, finally, the gloves came off between the Blue Jackets and Sharks last night, Ryan Reaves and Matthew Olivier going at it. These two are considered two of the best fighters in the league. And this was like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed. Olivier eventually getting the K.O. Kate Reaves joked afterwards that he got caught and eventually it was going to happen to him at 38 years old.

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But he said he is going to get Olivier back next time.

Reaves ended up playing, you know, the rest of the game, though, Kate. I mean, those hockey players as tough as they come.

BOLDUAN: I mean, sorry, speechless, because I am like super, super scared to when those men meet up again. Like that is going to be something. Scared and also obviously we'll watch because welcome to hockey.

Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

Speaking of hockey friends, we have a famous fictional hockey player joining us later in the show, do we not John Berman?

BERMAN: Well, I was going to say that hockey fight was just like heated rivalry except fully clothed.

BOLDUAN: Yes, right.

BERMAN: Right?

BOLDUAN: I mean --

BERMAN: And we have one of the stars of heated rivalry here in the studio later.

BOLDUAN: We do, joining us later in the show. That's called a tease.

BERMAN: Yes, exactly, appropriate in this case.

All right, remember the terrifying incident where a door plug flew off a plane mid-flight? This morning, the pilot is suing Boeing two years later.

And this morning, a CNN exclusive, after a year of political violence, how fears over personal safety are shaping who decides to run for office.

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