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Interview with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA): New Details on What Trump Will Say in State of the Union Speech; Interview with Gov. Matt Meyer (D-DE): Delaware Digging Out After Bomb Cyclone; Violence Flares After Mexican Military Kills Cartel Boss El Mencho; Zelenskyy Pleads to Trump: Stay on Our Side. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 24, 2026 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, President Trump's State of the Union address is just hours away. He's promising it will be a long one. With me now is CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten.

A long speech to Congress by President Trump isn't that unusual, is it? I mean, but now he's telling us it's going to be long, so it could be really long.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Oh, it could be the greatest, longest speech in American history. You know, I'm going to paraphrase my cousin Vinny when I heard that Trump was going to give a long speech. What a freaking surprise that was, because why don't -- I mean, just take a look.

I mean, hello, President addresses to Congress the term average, the average for presidents since 1964, 54 minutes. Donald Trump, over the course of his two presidencies, look at this, 80 minutes. He goes on average more than 26 minutes -- more than 25 minutes, longer than the average president.

So when he says, oh, it's going to be a long one, well, that fits with history, fair signer.

SIDNER: I thought you were going to do the Marisa Tomei thing. My biological clock is ticking. Anyway, is there any sign that Trump's speeches are actually, though, getting shorter?

Obviously, he says it's not going to be long, but shorter over time, or no?

ENTEN: No, there's no sign that it's getting shorter. He's telegraphing exactly what's been happening in the past, because why don't we just take a look here? Hello, President addresses to Congress the average speech, 55 minutes.

Look at this one. The last one was more than an hour and a half, blew past the previous record belonging to William Jefferson Clinton. Look at this, 99 minutes.

He went 99 minutes last year, which wasn't technically a State of the Union address, by the way, but it was still an address to a joint session of Congress. So we'll see if he's able to break the record for any address to a joint session of Congress that he himself set a year ago. Donald Trump likes to break records, and when it comes to making us listen to him for a longer period of time, he does a very good job of breaking those records.

SIDNER: He's going longer while people have shorter attention spans. So who is going to be watching this exactly? Because we know some Democrats are not even going to show up for this in person.

Who typically watches State of the Union speeches?

ENTEN: Yes, for Democrats, sometimes less is more when it comes to President Trump. But for Republicans, sometimes more is more. And those are the people who actually tune in to watch these speeches.

It's the partisan crowd. He's not actually going after independence. He's talking to his face, and we can see that from last year, right?

OK, Share in 2025, who identified as GOP. Look at this. Watch Trump's speech to Congress.

48 percent of those were Republicans, compared to just 32 percent of Americans overall. So what you're dealing with is an audience -- you're speaking to the home crowd, and the home crowd loves to hear Donald Trump talk, and that is probably what he'll be doing tonight, is talking to that home crowd and go on for a very, very long period of time.

It's Trump hour when it comes to State of the Union. If Donald Trump likes to do one thing, it's he likes to hear himself talk, and as someone who likes to hear himself talk, I can empathize with the man.

SIDNER: Harry, we're going to leave it there. Not another word from you. Thank you, sir -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us right now is Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren from California for more on this. Let's talk about what you expect tonight, Congresswoman.

You're going to hear from the president. The White House has said his focus is going to be on the economy and much more, but on the economy. What do you think the main alternative argument is that you would like to hear from Democrats afterward?

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA), HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE: Well, I don't know what the president is going to say, but I do know what my constituents are facing. They paid nearly $2,000 in illegal tariff costs for a couple, a 60-year-old couple in my district. Their premium increases on the ACA are over $30,000.

That's the increases because of the failure to extend the tax credits. I mean, regular people across the country are taking it in the chin. The billionaire class is doing fine, and I hope the president will address that.

I mean, we've lost 108,000 manufacturing jobs since he became president. So what's he going to tell us for the future?

[08:35:00]

BOLDUAN: I also want to ask you, as I've covered you for so many years, you have a long history in working and leading the House Ethics Committee, including serving as the committee's chair. Right now, the House is facing a situation with Congressman Tony Gonzalez, who is facing allegations that he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

He denies the affair with the staffer. There are questions of should he resign from his position. The House Speaker has said he was waiting for an investigation to play out and for the process to carry forward.

What do you think should happen?

LOFGREN: Well, obviously, the investigation does need to proceed, but for the representative, I just read the news article, and apparently there's texts that the former husband of the staffer has brought forward. It's very tawdry, and you know, this conduct was not -- it's not defensible, it's not legal, and the poor staffer took her own life as a consequence. So he really should take responsibility, and if he takes responsibility, he would leave the House.

BOLDUAN: Again, he denies that the affair occurred. Let us see. But there's a lot of conversation and pressure building around that.

You are the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Tech Committee. There's a lot of AI headlines I could ask you about, including one that I'm tracking is that Anthropic has now said that three Chinese AI companies set up, they say, more than 24,000 fraudulent accounts with its Claude AI model to try to help their systems catch up, prompting Claude more than 16 million times, according to them, to siphon information. Kind of reinforces, as I'm looking at this, this view and question of where is federal law and how far behind is it when it comes to any kind of regulation or guardrails for AI?

How far behind do you think it is, in your view?

LOFGREN: Well, we're pretty far behind because we're not doing anything. In the last Congress, we had a bipartisan task force that came up with a set of recommendations. That was the first step.

In this Congress, the Speaker has refused to put that task force back together. It, you know, it was collaborative. It wasn't partisan.

I think it's because the President wants to have no regulations. That is a mistake. I think that we can do something that will protect humans and protect the national interest without harming innovation.

And that's the task before us, but we're not going to achieve that if we do nothing. And that's what's happening now. Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader, the Democratic leader, has asked a bunch of us Democrats to try and get together and put together our own proposals, but that's not the way to do it. It's the bipartisan effort that is missing. I mean, I'm glad that Hakeem took that step. That's all he can do in the minority, but we're just not legislating at all.

I mean, we've dropped the ball.

BOLDUAN: On that point, the Defense Secretary, Axios is reporting, is meeting with the Anthropic CEO today over what is going to be off- limits or allowed in terms of how the military uses Anthropic's AI model. Do you think the Pentagon should have essentially unfettered access to use Claude as it wants, even in developing autonomous weapons and conducting mass surveillance?

LOFGREN: No, I don't. Actually, Anthropic is trying to do the right thing, so far as I can tell, and put their own guardrails in, even in the absence of legislation. You know, there's tremendous opportunities with AI.

We've already seen it in medicine, detecting cancers early and the like, but there are also things to be concerned about. They are, for example, trying to prevent the use for mass surveillance. I believe that Americans' privacy should be protected.

That's an area where, once again, we've dropped the ball here in Congress. We don't have strong privacy legislation, although California does, and that sort of set the standard. So I think, as best I can tell, the Pentagon is trying to talk Anthropic out of doing the responsible thing.

BOLDUAN: A lot needs -- a lot more reporting, and a lot more transparency needs to be happening around this one, for sure. Congresswoman, thank you for coming on. Appreciate it -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, folks in the Northeast digging out from this historic bomb cyclone, just as a new winter storm is approaching. Parts of New York State, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, they all saw more than 30 inches of snowfall.

There were more than three feet in some parts of Rhode Island. That's a very small state. It's hard to put three feet of snow there.

[08:40:00]

About 400,000 people are still without power. In Delaware, 27,000 people are still without power. They have more than a foot of snow, which is rare there.

With us now is the governor of Delaware, Matthew Meyer. Governor, thanks so much for being with us. This morning, you're still in a state of emergency, I believe. Give us a sense of what's going on outside.

GOV. MATT MEYER (D-DE): Good morning. It's great to be here. First of all, to the people of my state today, I think people across our state are extremely thankful. This is the state of neighbors. There were countless neighbors out helping out, looking out for each other. There were first responders working through the night and utility crews and transportation workers who, frankly, never stopped.

So we're extremely thankful. There were no major incidents. Nearly all residents adhered to driving restrictions, which left the roads clear so that we could go and do our job.

So this is a historic storm, winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour. As you said, only a foot and a half of snow, which is historic here. You go a few hours north of here and they got double that.

But we're very fortunate. We're now turning from immediate response to recovery, making sure those 27,000 individuals without power can get it quickly. And that's mainly why we still have the state of emergency in effect, making sure that we continue to get the power lines turned back on.

BERMAN: Look, a foot and a half of snow in Delaware is a lot. Believe me, I wasn't trying to underplay that even a little bit. That's a lot of snow for your state, just not used to these kind of storms.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing today?

MEYER: Well, today, a lot of it's making sure kids can get back to school, making sure all schools can open, making sure we provided emergency housing to anyone outside, as we do, as my administration has done during any dramatic weather event. And then there are questions once the shelter closes, how do we make sure we're responsible about taking care of our most vulnerable? And as I said, just making sure in many places where the power is out, individuals or their rural areas where people are relying on water wells, those water wells depend on electricity.

So it's not just being able to charge your cell phone. It's about being able to get water and the basics of life. So we're in a rush with our National Guard to make sure power gets turned on.

BERMAN: I'm not sure you've had a chance to pay attention to anything outside the borders of your own state, anything besides the snow that's been falling and you're trying to get off the streets. But the president is delivering a State of the Union address tonight to members of Congress and the American people. And a new CNN poll found that just 32 percent of Americans think he has the right priorities.

68 percent say no. Why do you think that is, Governor?

MEYER: Look, I was with the president on Friday with about 21 of my fellow governors. And what was in the speech where he was handed a piece of paper and told about the Supreme Court tariff rulings. I think that's what made the news.

What didn't make the news is how partisan his message is to a bipartisan group of governors. This is a time where we need to stand up and say, hey, we as human beings are being battered by a couple feet of snow. Let's all bind together.

No one was asking in my state the last 48 hours who was a Democrat, who was a Republican. I think we need to find a way to move forward as Americans. If we can conquer a snowstorm as quickly as we could, get kids back to school.

We had over 100,000 customers who lost their power. As you mentioned, now it's down at about 27,000 and that number is decreasing quickly. So I think, I hope I hear from the president, someone who wants to lead a country of Democrats and Republicans, a country of people who've been here for generations and people who just came to our country last year, people who are gay and straight and transgender.

I want to hear a president who really wants to lead all of us.

BERMAN: Governor Matt Meyer of Delaware, dealing with the snow as you no doubt will for some time. Thanks so much for being with us -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: American tourists still stranded in Mexico after the violent cartel retaliation when a notorious drug lord was killed. So what the State Department is doing now to try and help get Americans out and into safety.

And cows on the lam and snarling traffic. What's going on here?

[08:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: We are learning stunning new details this morning about how Mexican security forces hunted down Mexico's most wanted cartel leader known as El Mencho. It boils down to his lover. For years they have been pursuing El Mencho and getting key information from a man that his lover confided in.

El Mencho was eventually shot and killed after a shootout with his men. The violent response with fires and car bombs has left shaken residents and tourists sheltering in place for the last couple days.

Joining me now is photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie, who has lived in Mexico and has long taken images of the drug trade as a photojournalist. He is also the author of "Drug Wars, Supply and Demand." Your book is really good. It's obviously illustrated with the photos that you have taken, which are extremely disturbing.

But I want to start with what's happening in Jalisco. You are familiar with this area. What is the danger of someone like El Mencho being taken out, being killed, and now there's a power vacuum?

JONATHAN ALPEYRIE, PHOTOJOURNALIST: Well, it's true. It's a fundamental question. When it comes to taking out a leader of a major drug cartel, what you will see is an automatic response.

[08:50:00]

Number one, which is what we saw the past couple of days, which is the top leaders of the Next Generation cartel is basically telling the Mexican federal government, but also the U.S. federal government, that it means business and no one's going to stop them to run their illicit drug and weapons smuggling businesses, and therefore it's sending its troops out on the street.

I think it's estimated that this Mexican cartel specifically has at least 30,000 soldiers. So it's basically a small army, very well armed, pretty well trained, highly motivated, and they basically have clashed with the Mexican army, and I believe dozens of casualties were taken on both sides.

SIDNER: Wow, when you say something like 30,000 people are a part of the sort of apparatus that is protecting this cartel and keeping it going, it doesn't sound like it's going anywhere anytime soon, but there is going to be a change, and who's leading it? I do want to read a little from your book, because you've been all over, not just in Mexico, but all over the country and the world, including the United States, following the drug trade and how it works with the supply and demand, and I wanted to read.

You talked about going into Mexico. You said, "The police had just arrived. People were still screaming in shock. A body lay on the ground on its back with blood still leaking from the stomach," and you end with saying, "certainly the police would not miss this person who was a member of the cartel. Any cartel member death is a good death, but that was just day one as you came into the country on this particular strip."

So how often are there these scenes of death and fear in a place like Jalisco or other places where the cartels -- I think you were just across the border -- are operating?

ALPEYRIE: So, people have to understand that you have a multitude of cartels and what we call criminal elements or gangs. So the most powerful ones, which is probably the most old-school one, which is the Sinaloa cartel. The new kid on the block is obviously the Next Generation based in Jalisco, while El Mencho was the leader.

And then you have the cartel in Tamaulipas, you have in the Gulf. So you have numerous ones in Chiapas as well. Each one of them are clashing, not all the time, but they're basically separating their territory of control throughout the country.

And sometimes they do clash and sometimes they contest with each other. People also have to understand that some states in Mexico are more or less controlled by a cartel. When you look at a state like Michoacan or Guerrero, they're highly controlled by cartels and therefore very dangerous areas.

That's where they produce the avocados, that's where they do a lot of amphetamines, some fentanyl and so on. So you do have areas that are more or less dangerous. Jalisco is a dangerous place, Guadalajara as well, because this is the base of the Next Generation.

And Puerto Vallarta is also an issue because you have a lot of tourism and a lot of tourists do drugs, therefore you have a lot of money that can be made, so therefore the cartels are very present in these areas.

SIDNER: I think what you say is really important because there is a supply and demand issue. It isn't just that they're supplying it, right? I mean, without the demand, this would not be the big issue that it is, but there is a demand for it, whether it be in-country or particularly in the United States.

Jonathan, thank you so much for sharing what you know about the area and just the situation that people find them in there right now. It isn't all that unusual, except for the fact that the head honcho of a cartel has been taken out by special forces. I do appreciate you coming on -- John.

BERMAN: We've got new video this morning of a driver in Florida rescued from a pond. Officers and a bystander jumped in the water to help pull him out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab it, grab it, grab it, grab it. Yes, it is, absolutely. Yes, yes. You, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Port Orange police say the man may have fallen asleep before driving off the road.

Coast Guard helicopter rescued a hiker who'd been missing for five days. The 26-year-old was stranded in the Illinois River Valley. Officials say after a multi-day search, the hiker was found.

They airlifted him out. He had injuries to his hands and his feet.

And then on the New York State Thruway, cows on the lam. Three cows escaped a trailer on the side of I-90. State police there, they staged something of a slow-speed chase to corral all of them. Apparently, one was particularly problematic.

That one was named Kate. They did get the cow, and they were able to remove everyone safely -- Kate.

[08:55:00]

Sorry, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Oh, JB. I needed laughter today. Here we go. Can we transition? We'll deal with this later. OK, let's go to this.

Today marks four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And just this morning, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy addressed the European Parliament, thanking them for their unwavering support throughout these years. And in an interview with CNN's Clarissa Ward, Zelenskyy turned his focus to Ukraine's most critical ally in their fight and what will be the linchpin to any eventual peace deal, the United States and President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: If they really want to stop Putin, America is so strong. I think, not enough. But maybe I'm mistaken, you know.

Maybe I don't know a lot of things. Maybe I don't know some details and et cetera. That's why I don't have questions.

I think we need President Trump more on our side. I think we need President Trump more pressure on Putin.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What would you like to hear from President Trump tomorrow at his State of the Union address?

ZELENSKYY: I want him to stay on our side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Joining us now is Bridget Brink. She was U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2022 to 2025. She's now running as a Democrat for Congress in Michigan's -- for Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Thanks for being here.

President Zelenskyy also told Clarissa just this morning that he not only needs security guarantees as part of any eventual deal, he needs one specific question answered around that. And here, and I'll quote him, he said, "I want a very specific answer. What partners will be ready to do if Putin will come again?"

When it comes to the Trump administration, do you know what that answer would be from the United States?

BRIDGET BRINK, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Hi, thanks so much for having me on. I just say at the fourth anniversary of this war, of Putin's war, one thing is really clear is that President Trump has failed to end this war on day one, as he promised. And he's failed because he's failed to put pressure on Putin.

I lived for three years under Russia's missiles and drones, and I saw one thing, that Putin has no interest in peace and that the only thing he respects is strength. So we have to show strength in the face of aggression, not complicity, not weakness. And that's exactly what we aren't seeing right now.

And we need to show it because appeasing a dictator never resulted in peace. It didn't work in 1938, and it's not going to work today.

BOLDUAN: You resigned your post as ambassador to Ukraine over the president's approach there. You've talked about that. What are you listening, then, for tonight in his speech that could give you hope that peace negotiations will end in a good place for Ukraine and for the United States?

BRINK: Well, I would just say that as we approach the State of the Union tonight, not only is President Trump abandoning our friends and our allies abroad, which is a grave danger to the United States and to our national security interests, he is also implementing policies that hurt working families here at home. And I'll point to just three things. You know, his weaponization of the Justice Department to go against perceived enemies, his destabilizing of the economy, his use of military forces against American citizens, even killing American citizens at home.

This is just not who we are, and this is exactly why I had to resign, speak out, and come home and run for Congress, because the people of my district in mid-Michigan are hurting because of these policies. And overall, they're weakening America, and it's not in our national security interest. It's not in the interest of the people of the United States.

BOLDUAN: On the issue of the race that you're running, in the 7th Congressional District, I was thinking about it this morning and reminded that earlier this month, President Trump had suggested that -- and also doubled down when asked about it -- that he thought Republicans should take over and nationalize voting in certain cities and states. He specifically called out Michigan, specifically called out Detroit. But I do wonder, with that hanging over, are you going to trust the election results in your district?

BRINK: Well, I think this is a really good question to ask, because I do see threats to our voting process. I have a lot of confidence in Michigan's leaders, in our Secretary of State, and to the clerks. We do elections at the local level in Michigan.

But I have to say that it is very disturbing to have the leader of our country talking about nationalizing elections. I'm running to hold this administration accountable.

[09:00:00]