Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Victim Of Deepfake Nude Images Creates Course To Help Others; U.S. Figure Skating Announces Team For 2026 Winter Olympics; Trump Weighs Military Action In Iran Amid Deadly Protests; Iran's Foreign Minister Reached Out To Witkoff This Weekend; Federal Prosecutors Open Criminal Probe Of Fed Chair, Jerome Powell; Trial Of Former Uvalde Police Officer, Adrian Gonzales Resumes; 1,000 More Immigration Officers Headed To Minneapolis; Tension Between Federal And Local Officials Flare Amid Protests. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired January 12, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: And I think this just speaks to the way that we've seen A.I. tools make it so much easier to create and share these kinds of images, in the case of Grok, directly on social media.

Now, xAI has limited Grok's image generation abilities to only paying users, but I do think that it's likely that we'll see additional action from other countries. The U.K. also investigating Grok after this backlash, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Yeah, a lot of backlash. Clare Duffy, thank you so much, a really important report.

And a new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Tension in Tehran. Iran says it's ready to negotiate with the United States but also that it's prepared for war all while President Trump says he's weighing strong options as protests against the regime grow even more deadly. And happening now, emotional testimony in the trial of a former Uvalde school resource officer, school district police officer, who was the first to get to Robb Elementary, an Uvalde teacher who survived the massacre is on the stand. With the latest from court.

And U.S. figure skating announcing its team for the Olympics, no shortage of dramatic backstories when it comes to this squad. We'll introduce you When we follow these upcoming stories and many more, all coming your way right here on "CNN News Central."

As President Trump threatens military action against Iran, thousands of demonstrators including top Iranian officials have now been seen at pro-regime rallies. The crowds today gathering in support of the same government accused of killing hundreds of protesters in recent days. A U.S. based human rights group says that more than 500 anti-regime demonstrators are now dead, more than 10,000 others have been arrested. Now, CNN cannot independently verify these numbers as a near total internet blackout is gripping that nation. President Trump over the weekend, intensified his call for the crackdown to stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Iran called to negotiate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yesterday?

TRUMP: Yesterday, the leaders of Iran called, they want to negotiate. I think they're tired of being beat up by the United States A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what's happening before the meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Kevin Liptak leads us off at the White House. Kevin, you were just able to ask White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt about this. What did she share with you?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, and she did provide some more details about this communication that the president was referring to between Iran and the White House. She said it came from an Iranian official to Steve Witkoff, who is the president's sort of Swiss army knife, Foreign Envoy. And it was interesting the way she described the tone of that message, essentially suggesting that it was far more conciliatory than what we've been hearing from regime figures in public. Listen to a little bit of what she said there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Diplomacy is always the first option for the president. He's told all of you last night that what you're hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite differently from the messages the administration is receiving privately and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages. However, with that said, the president has shown he's unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary and nobody knows that better than Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So you really hear her there emphasizing the potential for a diplomatic opening. Now, what exactly that looks like, not precisely clear. And we didn't get any more clarity on whether Witkoff had been able to arrange this meeting that President Trump referenced last night. You know, this channel that exists between the Foreign Minister and Steve Witkoff, they actually created it last year as they tried to work through some of these nuclear negotiations. Of course, those fell apart when the president chose to strike those Iranian nuclear sites.

But it is evident and just in talking to officials this morning, they are confident that potentially there is a glimmer of optimism that this diplomacy could proceed, even as the president makes very explicit that military options remain on the table, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Kevin, walk us through those military options. What is President Trump actually considering?

LIPTAK: Yeah, and they kind of range from firing a missile into Iran, which I think would clearly be the most extreme option, to options that are sort of less severe things like a cyber attack that I could potentially a stymie some of the regime's activities. You also hear discussion of potential sanctions. Of course, Iran already has a heap of U.S. sanctions on it, so it's not clear What precisely the effect of that would be.

The other option that the president has been working on is trying to bolster internet connectivity in Iran. Remember, this is something that President Biden did back in 2022, the last time protests flared in Iran. And in fact, we just heard from Karoline Levitt that the president had spoken to Elon Musk about potentially getting more of those Starlink apparatuses into Iran to potentially get around this blackout of information on the protesters.

[14:05:00]

So, you hear them laying out a whole range of options and you heard Karoline Leavitt say that the airstrikes certainly remain a part of the options, but they were not the only one. Of course, the fear is that this could create reprisals in Iran. You've already heard regime officials say that they could target potential U.S. facilities in the region. So there are risks of potentially any option that the president might take.

SANCHEZ: Kevin Liptak, live for us at the White House. Thank you so much. Brianna?

KEILAR: Just moments ago, all three living former Federal Reserve Chairs released a joint statement supporting current Chair, Jerome Powell, amid a new criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. Prosecutors are focused on Powell's June testimony before Congress about the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation of its Washington, D.C. headquarters. Powell is pushing back hard on this though, against allegations.

In an unprecedented video statement, Powell said this probe is part of the Trump administration's pressure campaign over interest rates This is just the latest legal investigation into one of Trump's perceived enemies. Since taking office, the DOJ has opened multiple probes against critics of the president. I'm joined now by Chuck Todd, the Host of "The Chuck ToddCast." Great to have you on this, Chuck, because as Republican Senator, Lisa Murkowski points out, cost overruns in Washington certainly are not unusual. She says so, you know, if DOJ believes an investigation into Powell is warranted because of them, then Congress needs to investigate DOJ. What's Trump really trying to accomplish here?

CHUCK TODD, HOST OF "THE CHUCK TODDCAST": And don't forget the new ballroom which apparently has gone from $200 million to $400 million, right, like cost overruns -- KEILAR: Good point.

TODD: -- in real estate are happening in Donald Trump's own backyard there. Look, it's obvious what this is about and at the same time, I think what's different here compared to him going after Comey, him going after Letitia James and -- or Jack Smith is that Powell doesn't have the baggage. Right? Comey had his own political baggage that he acquired left and right. Letitia James, it was controversial decision what she decided to do with state charges and there was -- what you know -- they're -- Powell is somebody that is not engaged in sort of partisan politics, right, hasn't been involved in it.

He is an appointee of Donald Trump, which many people seem to forget, right? He was the replacement for Janet Yellen, Donald Trump's first appointee to the Federal Reserve, and I think he has real credibility. And so, what was powerful about Powell was him deciding to respond on camera. So he made it where you're not reading a statement, Brianna, you go to the clip of Powell responding. And I think that this is one of those where he has a standing and you're already seeing it, right?

You've at least two Republic -- three Republican Senators on the record, including one who is a Powell critic, Kevin Kramer, who has sort of denounced this investigation. You have Thom Tillis who said he won't confirm any Fed appointee until this is done with. Sounds like Lisa Murkowski is in the same place. And I think that's a number that could grow. And here's the irony to this. Donald Trump's intent is to replace Jay Powell as Fed Chair. His term as Fed chair expires in May and yet, he may create a situation where Powell stays on longer.

How does this happen? Republicans refuse to confirm any Fed nominee until this ruse ends and you already see a growing number of Senate Republicans willing to do this. Look, this is where there's always been a question, where are the guardrails on Donald Trump? The financial markets are one of the strongest guardrails we have left, arguably more so than even -- than Congress. Congress should be a guardrail, but they have chosen in most cases not to be.

But I do think Congress would -- you'll see more Republicans grow more defensive of this position with the Fed, especially if the markets start to react in a negative fashion. I'm surprised at how much the markets haven't gone down based on what happened today And that may be a relief to some people at the White House.

KEILAR: There's so much conversation after this because it is an extraordinary moment. What -- you know, what happens if the president interferes with the independence of the Fed with the next person that he does appoint, whenever that is, because now this may have thrown that into doubt. But the question really, Chuck, isn't it, how much is that independence already damaged? What do you think?

TODD: I think it's already damaged. The next Fed Chair is not going to be seen as credible, right, that Donald Trump appoints as far as far as being independent.

[14:10:00] That doesn't mean that Kevin Hassett doesn't have the qualifications, or the two Kevins, right, Kevin Warsh, Kevin Hassett. I know there's a third candidate that he's interviewing later this week as well. It doesn't mean they don't have the credentials to do it, but the question is what did they agree to do in order to get the appointment? and I think it makes the confirmation hearings very well (ph) -- and look, I -- this is an election year and while we expect party line votes more often than ever these days, and it is -- I think there are more Republican Senators willing to buck Donald Trump than he realizes.

We've already seen it when it came to the Venezuela vote. You saw the five Republicans show up on there and a guy like Todd Young in Indiana. He's also somebody. It wouldn't surprise me if he if he also was a little leery at what's happening here with Fed independence.

So, look, if we are no longer the safe harbor for the financial markets around the world, that could -- that's like knocking down a foundational pillar of a house. The entire thing could collapse. Our interest rates could skyrocket. The ability to borrow money, I mean if our financial markets are not considered to be independent, but partisan and at the whim of the president, well, we're going to have a hard time borrowing money to pay the debt which we have to do every hour of every day.

KEILAR: Yeah, it's such a good point. Chuck, always great to have you. Chuck Todd, thank you so much.

TODD: You got it. All right.

KEILAR: Still to come, more immigration officers are mobilizing in Minneapolis as protests grow. How will authorities respond to mounting tensions in the city? And also, week two of the trial of a former Uvalde school police officer, a wounded teacher who saw some of his students die at Robb Elementary School will be taking the stand. And then later, is Greenland's pot of gold real? Experts say the biggest hurdle to unlocking the island's natural resources isn't Denmark, but the Arctic itself. We'll have that and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:16:50]

SANCHEZ: We're expecting some heart-wrenching testimony this afternoon in the trial of Adrian Gonzales, the former Uvalde police officer charged in connection with his response to the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary when 19 kids and two teachers were killed in their classrooms back in May of 2022. The sole surviving teacher from inside one of those classrooms is expected to take the stand and it could happen just minutes from now when the court returns from lunch break.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has led CNN's coverage of this story throughout. Shimon, what stands out to you so far in the testimony?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Arnulfo Reyes, this teacher is going to be probably the only witness that the prosecution gets to call who can describe what those moments were like when the gunman entered the classroom. And the heart of this case is in the endangerment of the children that were inside that classroom. And so, he's going to be able to talk about what he saw, what he felt, what he smelled. How the gunman taunted him.

For Reyes, he's a remarkable guy. I spent a lot of time with him. I interviewed him. I talked to him often. 11 of his students in the room that he was in, he was in Room 111. The shooting took place in two rooms, 111 and 112. In Room 111, none of the children survived, 11 of his students were killed. And so, he's going to talk about what it was like when the gunman walked in, how the gunman started firing. And here's some of what he told me back when I interviewed him in July of '22.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNULFO REYES, ROBB ELEMENTARY SHOOTING SURVIVOR: You always think something bad is happening, that the cops get there so fast. They rush in and they help you, and I was just waiting for that. I was waiting for anybody, anybody to come save us.

PROKUPECZ: You're laying there for over an hour, right? And no one is coming to help. What do you think of that?

REYES: That they forgot us. I mean, they probably thought that we were all dead or something, but if they would have gotten before --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PROKUPECZ (on camera): You know, it's always so heart-wrenching --

(CROSSTALK)

PROKUPECZ: -- seeing that. That interview just brings back so many of the memories. I mean, this was just two months after the incident and just days after he was released from the hospital. He agreed to talk to us. But he's a remarkable man who's going to tell the story about how he survived, what he saw, and how the gunman behaved. He tells a story once of -- he told me a story about how the gunman taunted him and some of the words that he used towards the kids and stuff. So all of that is going to be part of his testimony this afternoon.

He should take the stand within the hour. This is the second week of the trial.

[14:20:00]

We still expect the prosecution is going to have several more days before they wrap up their side of the case and then the defense will have a chance to present their case, Boris.

SANCHEZ: It's heart-wrenching just to listen to that. I can't imagine what jurors are about to hear. Shimon Prokupecz, thank you so much. Stay with "CNN News Central." We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:00]

KEILAR: Anti-ICE protests are escalating in Minneapolis in response the last week's deadly ICE shooting of a U.S. citizen. And law enforcement sources tell CNN about a thousand more immigration officers are headed to the state. CNN Law Enforcement Correspondent, Whitney Wild is covering these new developments for us. Whitney, sources say this deployment will include targeted door knocks. What more can you tell us about the ramp-up?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, sources are telling CNN's Priscilla Alvarez that this is going to include people who are targeted because they either have administrative warrants, which carry less weight than a judicial warrant, or have orders of final removal. As you had mentioned, this is a significant ramp-up. We're seeing a thousand more agents sent to the Minneapolis area and that was on top of what was already the biggest immigration enforcement action to date. Already before this deployment that began Friday, there were 2,000 agents on the ground throughout the Twin Cities.

And so now, we know this is a 50 percent increase. It is simply a massive effort underway there. Secretary Kristi Noem described why she thought that it was necessary to add all of these additional resources to Minnesota, telling CNN's Jake Tapper that this is to ensure that agents can carry out their duties effectively, that they can carry them out safely. There is concern among federal law enforcement, federal immigration officers that they are not getting the support that they need from locals.

They have asked for cooperation. As we know, Minnesota is not a state where those local law enforcement is always able to cooperate with immigration in the way that immigration would like. And so now, they are sending all of these additional agents there to try to carry out this mission. This comes as the city and state are still reeling from this shooting where an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. There were massive protests throughout the city.

There on your screen right now, we're seeing some of this additional action that is playing out throughout the city. I believe we have more protest video. There have been protests throughout Minneapolis since that shooting happened. There were protests all across the country. It's this type of action that you're seeing that is really inflaming the public there. We're seeing many instances of people in the Minneapolis area interacting with law enforcement, standing in front of their vehicles, for example, and we have no sign that this is going to slow down.

Right now, what you're seeing is more interaction between federal law enforcement and protesters. This appears to be outside of the Whipple Building, which is the federal building in St. Paul. This is a -- this is something that we've seen for several days where we're seeing these, again, these flare-ups at the Whipple Building, for example, between federal law enforcement and protesters there. You have more video of law enforcement appearing to use a chemical agent on protesters in Minneapolis.

This has not slowed down at all and it is happening throughout the country, Brianna We're seeing these massive protests really coast-to- coast, people very angry about what they saw from DHS' perspective on the shooting. Although I will say, over the weekend, Secretary Noem telling Jake Tapper again that she stood by that ICE officer's actions, Bri.

KEILAR: Whitney Wild, live for us from Chicago. Thank you so much.

Still to come, President Trump weighing military action, he says, as Iran intensifies its crackdown on protesters. Tehran says it's prepared for war, but willing to negotiate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)