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Trump Says, The U.S. Needs Greenland for the Purpose of National Security; Critical Court Hearing as Anti-ICE Protests in Minneapolis Intensify; South Carolina Measles Outbreak Doubles in Size Over Past Week. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired January 14, 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]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A critical decision point for President Trump this morning. He has threatened action against Iran if they execute protestors. A high-profile demonstrator could be hanged today.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new CNN reporting about the wave of federal prosecutors in Minnesota now resigning as the fight over ICE -- the ICE agent surge there heads before a federal judge today.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And one man is really lucky to be alive after taking a nap and waking up to a car crashing into his home. And not only that, it landed on top of him.

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

BERMAN: All right. Happening now, new threats from President Trump against the regime in Iran as protests there boil over. Today, the U.S. State Department says one Iranian protestor, 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, may be executed. A family member says Soltani was not allowed a lawyer in a rush trial and he has not allowed a retrial. At least 2,400 protesters have been killed more than 18,000 people arrested. That's according to the U.S.-based human rights activist news agency.

Now, President Trump has issued this new warning to Iran against executing protesters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We will take very strong action if they do such a thing. And when they start killing thousands of people and now you're telling me about hanging, we'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. But we're not going to start there. Where we're starting is President Trump just issued a new statement on Greenland this morning.

Alayna Treene is at the White House. Alayna, what can you tell her? ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And it's very strong words, I should say, when it comes to Greenland, and the timing of this is quite notable, John, because the foreign ministers of Denmark, which, of course, Greenland is in autonomous territory, a part of Denmark, by the Kingdom of Denmark, but also the foreign minister of Greenland, they are coming to the White House today to meet with the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance.

And so this message that the president sent with this post just that he wrote just moments ago is very notable for that meeting today. He wrote that the United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security. It is vital for the golden dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. He went on to say, if we don't Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen.

He then went on to make the case that NATO becomes far more formidable and defective with Greenland in the hands of the United States. Anything less than that is unacceptable.

So, very strong words from the president here and very much making clear where his mind is when it comes to Greenland.

Now, I do want to get into a little bit as well about this meeting today, because, initially, it was supposed to be Rubio who was meeting with the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark. The vice president actually requested that he join this meeting and now it's going to be hosted at the White House with them.

And part of that is because, I remind you, J.D. Vance went to Greenland last year, if you remember, and he issued a very aggressive language and used very stark rhetoric when talking while he was in Greenland, essentially saying that the people of Greenland want the United States to annex the territory, something that, of course we've heard from people on the ground in Greenland saying that that's not the case, but also trying to make the national security case against us.

And to break this down, the big picture here is the reason this is so important and why the president is so fixated on it is because they believe that the Chinese aggression and Russia aggression in the Arctic region is a huge national security concern. And so, the president believes that it would be far better defended if the United States was able to essentially control the territory.

Now, again, we've heard from the people of Denmark saying that they very much -- that Greenland is not for sale that doing this completely undermine NATO. There are a lot of different complications and things to, you know, geopolitical aspects to all of what is happening. So, today's going to be a very important meeting.

I will note as well though that we've also heard from Rubio repeatedly, and he's told this to lawmakers as well, that they would prefer to buy Greenland than to invade it.

[07:05:05] The president, however, has not taken the military option off the table. John?

BERMAN: All right. Alayna Treene at the White House watching this, among many other matters, thank you, Alayna. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also happening today, the battle of the massive ICE operation in Minneapolis is headed to court as clashes between federal agents and protesters intensify.

The sound of flash bangs are used, as you can see, on protesters, the tension escalating nearly a week after the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent. There's also this video that we want to show you captured -- this moment captured on video showing it to you here, a woman dragged from her car, just blocks from where Renee Good was shot. She could be heard yelling as she's being pulled away, that she's disabled as she was on her way to the doctor.

This all playing out as new tension in turmoil is also happening in Minnesota in a different way. A wave of federal prosecutors, at least a half dozen, in Minnesota, have now resigned due to the Trump administration's efforts to investigate Renee Good and her now widow and not investigate the ICE officer who shot her.

So, how are Americans feeling about all of this? Here's the latest look. A new Quinnipiac poll says 57 percent of voters disapprove of the way ice is enforcing immigration law. A lot going on there today. Sara?

SIDNER: So much. Thank you so much, Kate.

The backlash from the deadly ICE shootings is growing this morning. Now, one of the most influential podcasters in the United States who backed President Trump's campaign, Joe Rogan, is saying this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE ROGAN, HOST, THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE: We've got to take those people that got in and send them back to where they came from or do something, because if we don't, they're going to keep doing it if they get in office again in 2028.

And then I can also see the point of view of the people that say, yes, but you don't want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up, many of which turn out to actually be U.S. citizens that just don't have their papers on them. Are we really going to be the Gestapo? Where's your papers? Is that what we've come to?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: And now there is this huge development. At least six federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned amid pressure from the Trump administration over how to conduct the investigation.

Joining me now, CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig. I'm glad you're here.

The Justice Department's second in command, Todd Blanche, said that the DOJ does not need to investigate the officer for civil rights violations. Does that mean that the case against him is essentially over?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: That's exactly what it means, Sara. And I ask you rhetorically, how on earth can the number two prosecutor at the United States Justice Department, on the basis of essentially zero investigation six days after this fatal shooting happened, declare, as he has now done, case over?

To be clear, when Todd Blanche says there will be no investigation for civil rights violations, that would be the only potential criminal charge. There's a federal criminal law for criminal violation of a person's civil rights. We see it a lot in cases involving use of force by police officers, state, local, and federal.

So, when Todd Blanche says there's no civil rights investigation, that means there's no criminal investigation. And to draw that conclusion right now, first of all, I think at a minimum, this is a close call that needs a full investigation, but it also is contrary to everything you are taught as a prosecutor. You investigate first, you decide second. And here, they're just flipping it on its head. The decision has been rendered.

SIDNER: This is what everyone in Minneapolis feared. This is what the state and the local governments, they are feared as well, never mind the people and the family of Renee Good. So, we to understand that the investigation into the officer is over, and yet there is an investigation into the wife of the ICE shooting victim, Renee Good, about how she became involved in these protests and what the protest groups are all about. How can the DOJ justify investigating a dead woman's wife killed by their officer and not the officer himself?

HONIG: How indeed? To be clear, they may continue to investigate this incident. But when Blanche says no civil rights violation, they're giving you the bottom line already. So, this investigation may carry on.

The focus on the decedent, the woman who was killed and her wife, is completely irrelevant, let's start with this irrelevant to whether the ice agent used, justifiable, lethal force or not, which is the most important question. That's number one. But beyond the irrelevancy of it, the fact that you are opening a criminal investigation really based on the fact that this person was killed. And so now let's investigate their spouse's connections, activities, associations, it's a little unclear what exactly it is, that is not how you do your job as a prosecutor.

Look, you can make cases from all different sources. I've made cases from informants, from victims, from things we've read in the paper, from financial documents, you have spinoffs, case spins into another, but never based on this is a person who was killed, now let's investigate them and their family all.

[07:10:08]

SIDNER: Elie Honig, there's a lot of politics at play, it seems, in this. We will see what happens with all of this, but we have some pretty clear indications what the DOJ thinks about what happened in Minneapolis. Thank you so much. I do appreciate it. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Cases of measles in South Carolina are just surging. The number of confirmed illnesses doubled in just the last week mostly among children. What health officials are saying now this morning.

And new details are coming in coming in from about the double murder trial of a Virginia man accused of killing his wife and another man in an elaborate plot with the family's au pair, what she has now revealed in court.

And there are also new images coming in overnight. A crane collapses onto a passenger train. Dozens are killed. I believe it was almost 20 killed and dozens injured. What we're learning.

We'll be right back

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[07:15:00]

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, a measles outbreak in South Carolina has doubled in the past week, 430 cases, almost entirely among unvaccinated children. More than 400 other people are now in quarantine.

CNN's Meg Tirrell is with us now. And, Meg, you know, I'm old enough to remember when measles was declared eliminated here.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, me too. Actually it was the year 2000. So I am older than 26, shockingly. But this outbreak in South Carolina, it was growing steadily since October of last year. But, really, in the New Year, we have seen it just explode. I mean, 99 cases reported on Friday in this state. You can see how quickly it's been growing there just since the beginning of the year.

Now, 124 cases reported yesterday, so we're up to 434 in this outbreak. As you noted, 409 people currently in quarantine. That means they've been exposed and likely don't have protection either from vaccination or having before had the infection.

This is centered around Spartanburg County in the northern part of the state. But we are now hearing other states including North Carolina reporting cases possibly related to this outbreak. We're hearing about exposures down in Columbia, which is one of the more populous cities in this state, and so a lot of concerns about what's happening here. And this, of course, comes after we saw just a record year for measles last year.

So this is continuing that 2025 trajectory. The most cases we've seen more than 2,000 since, as you noted, measles was declared eliminated in this country 26 years ago. And there are concerns now, especially after that huge West Texas outbreak that we saw in the spring of last year, that we could lose that elimination status because that's really determined by one year of ongoing transmission of measles. And that's an open question right now.

BERMAN: Why are these numbers going up so quickly?

TIRRELL: Yes. So, we talked to the state Health Department about that. We wondered after seeing the 99 cases, was this just an artifact of reporting some delayed cases? And they said, no, it's due to likely holiday gatherings, kids being out of school, also low vaccination rates certainly in pockets of the state. You can see here 378 of these 434 cases were unvaccinated, the majority of these cases in school- aged children, some in children under the age of five.

And you're seeing this in schools. You're seeing this in churches. Some of the vaccination rates in these places are just incredibly low, like 17 percent for one of the schools that we saw get affected by this. And the relate of religious non-medical exemptions for vaccinations for school kids, particularly high in Spartanburg County as well.

BERMAN: You said to me measles one of the most contagious diseases, you know, in the history of mankind.

Meg Tirrell, great to see you this morning, thanks so much. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, John.

Ahead, an emotional outbursts in the trial of the former Uvalde officer accused of not doing enough to stop that massacre in the school. The sister of one of the victims screams out at the suspect.

And the Steelers are looking for a new head coach after getting steamrolled by the Texans. Why Mike Tomlin is stepping down after 19 seasons, you could probably guess.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: So, the Steelers are looking for a new head coach this morning. I know it's been a long time since you have heard anyone say that. That is because Mike Tomlin is stepping down after leading the team for 19 seasons.

CNN's Andy Sholes has more on this. What's happening here? I love him.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Kate. Well, so one of the rarest jobs in sports that you mentioned is now open. So, the Steelers, they've only had three coaches since 1969, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. Think about this. There have been six popes in that time span, which is kind of crazy to think about.

But after losing his seventh straight playoff game, Tomlin making the decision to step down as the Steelers' head coach yesterday after 19 seasons, saying it was an honor to lead the team. He remains under contract, so any other team that would want to hire Tomlin would actually have to trade for him. Tomlin leaves Pittsburgh having never had a losing season in his 19 years. That's something that will likely never be replicated. The Steelers now make nine head coach openings in the NFL.

All right, in the NHL, meanwhile, the Lightnings still have not lost in 2026. They beat the Penguins two to one in a shootout for their 11th straight win, which matches their longest win streak and franchise history. Tampa Bay is also now a top of the Eastern Conference. They're going to go for 12 in a row Friday in St. Louis.

In college hoops last night, we had a thriller in Minnesota. The Golden Gophers down three in the closing seconds. Cade Tyson makes the three to tie the game with five seconds left. The Badgers then inbound it. John Blackwell gets it, goes for the win and it is good. And he just runs from his teammates doing a full lap all around the court. Fun times for Wisconsin as they win 78-75.

Not as fun times for the Bucks, meanwhile, back in Milwaukee. So, the Bucks fans booed the team off the floor at halftime as they were trailing the Timberwolves by 31. In the third quarter, Giannis comes out. He scores the team's first bucket of the quarter and gets fouled. Then Giannis boos, the Milwaukee crowd, giving them two thumbs down.

Now, the bucks would end up losing this game by 33 points, but here's what Giannis had to say about the booing after the game.

[07:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS FORWARD: When I get boo, I boo back. I've been doing all season because I haven't been with me on the road. Whenever I get boo, I go back.

I play basketball for my teammates. I play basketball for myself and my family. When people don't believe in me, I don't tend to be with them. I tend to be against them.

I've never been a part of something like that before and I don't think it's fair. I don't, but everybody has the opinion to do what they want to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: So, Kate, when you get booed, just boo back. That's what Giannis says to do.

But, I mean, the NBA trade deadline, it's February 5th. Giannis has not demanded a trade out of Milwaukee, but things just don't seem right there at the moment.

BOLDUAN: Yes, vibes seem to be slightly off. I mean, is that one of the lessons we're teaching our kids? When booed, boo back? I mean, maybe may, maybe not, maybe not. Is that what you teach the boys, J.B.? BERMAN: That's what social media is for.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: Exactly. That's why you go on Twitter --

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

BERMAN: -- to boo back.

BOLDUAN: To boo back.

BERMAN: Look, I got to say, Giannis, the trade coming up, you know, Andy's right, I mean, if I'm a Milwaukee fan, I'm not feeling good about people sticking around there.

BOLDUAN: That's not a good thing.

BERMAN: All right. A man wakes up with a car on top of him. Why cars keep landing in his house?

What. And actor Kiefer Sutherland arrested after he allegedly beat up a driver. New information on the investigation this morning.

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