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New Zealand, Australia Back Removing Andrew From Royal Line of Succession; Mexico Says Situation Returning to Normal; Team USA Men's Hockey Team Arrives Ahead of Trump Speech; Celebrity Doctor Peter Attia Exits CBS News Amid Epstein Backlash; New Rocket Issue Throws NASA's Historic Moon Journey Into Uncertainty; Actor Robert Carradine Dies at 71; Ukraine Marks Four Years of War. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired February 24, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:33:31]

ERICA HILL, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": It is one of the most important roles for the State of the Union and yet, the official in this spot won't be anywhere near the Capitol tonight.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": That is the designated Survivor, it's not key for Sutherland. Well, sometimes it is, but not tonight.

HILL: Sometimes it is, yeah.

KEILAR: Tonight, it is a member of the president's cabinet who is kept away from the speech just in case a disaster strikes and we have CNN's Betsy Klein with us now on this.

All right, it's an important role. Who gets to do it?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: We don't know and that is by design, for the next couple of hours. And I don't want to get dark here, but the entire point of a designated survivor is to prepare for the doomsday scenario, the worst-case thing that could happen. The designated survivor taken to an undisclosed location to provide continuity of government in case there is a catastrophic attack on the Capitol during the president's speech.

Now, it is responsible to be prepared, but the hope and expectation is that the designated survivor is never needed. So who can be the designated survivor? Anyone in the line of presidential succession, who is eligible to be president. They have to be over 35-years-old as well as a natural-born U.S. citizen, so that's everyone in Trump's cabinet right now. Back during the Biden administration, Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Granholm were not eligible because they were born in Cuba and Canada.

Where they are taken? It's a secure undisclosed location. We don't know and -- we don't know where it is and that is a matter of national security to keep it that way. Serves as a command center of sorts, it's somewhere where they can watch the speech and then be taken home, presumably.

[13:35:00]

The history of this came about during the Cold War and it wasn't publicly disclosed actually until the 1980s during the Reagan administration. Now, generally when we talk about who it is, it is selected by the president and his team. It's someone whose cabinet membership doesn't really have strong ties to the themes of the president's speech. But if we're in the prediction market here, most recently about seven times, it's been the Interior Secretary or the Agriculture Secretary, seven times both, as well as Commerce and VA at five times a piece.

So if you are betting, last year, it was Doug Collins. This year, I would put money on Burgum, Rollins or Secretary Lutnick.

KEILAR: OK.

HILL: Are you actually putting money on this thing? OK. I know you're not. I'm kidding.

(LAUGH)

KEILAR: Wait, but when you say it wasn't disclosed until the '80s, people just didn't notice someone was missing?

KLEIN: Someone was just conspicuously missing. But it was -- I mean, it was all televised and so --

KEILAR: Yeah.

KLEIN: -- Certainly people would watch, but it wasn't -- you know, we didn't specifically --

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: They didn't know why.

KLEIN: No one was asking, there was no one to answer.

KEILAR: Seriously?

HILL: Well now, we have Betsy Klein asking and we're going to get that answer in a couple hours.

KLEIN: In a couple hours.

(LAUGH)

HILL: All right. I'm ready for your text coming through. Thanks, Betsy.

Today, pressure is mounting on the British government to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession. Now, over the past 24 hours, both the Australian and the New Zealand governments have said they would support the former prince's removal. Keep in mind, for this to happen, all countries outside of the U.K., where King Charles is also Head of State, would need to back it.

KEILAR: Andrew was arrested last week after further revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. This is the photo that was taken as he left the police station there. Police have previously said they were assessing whether he shared confidential information with the convicted sex offender during his decade as a British Trade Envoy.

CNN International Anchor and Royal Correspondent, Max Foster is with us on this. Max, the British government now says it supports releasing files on Andrew's appointment as Trade Envoy. What are you learning?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: So, absolutely, consuming parliament and Westminster, this whole story and we're not even talking about Peter Mandelson who someone else who's been facing the similar sort of allegations, but in terms of Andrew, going into the succession debate, you have to pass a law in 14 -- 15 different parliaments. So that's one part of the story.

The other part of the story is this police investigation into Andrew's role as Envoy, whether he abused that position. He hasn't been charged around that and parliament doesn't want to get involved in the police investigation. But what they are doing is going to the government and saying, we want to see all the files that relates to the fact that he was appointed to that position all of those years ago.

So in order to do that, they had to have a parliamentary debate. This is how complex this is all getting. There's a rule in parliament that they're not allowed to debate the monarchy. That's the king, the heir to the throne, but also other members of the royal family. They're not allowed to talk about their conduct because the royal family, in theory, can't answer back. They're also a branch of parliament as well.

So, the speaker today had to give special dispensation for this debate to go ahead, which was extraordinary in itself. This is centuries-old traditions really burning up here, just shows the repercussions the Epstein Files are having here. And then take a listen to this, so you're going to hear from a government minister and they really did not hold back on Andrew.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS BRYANT, MINISTER OF TRADE, U.K. LABOUR PARTY: Colleagues and many civil servants have told me their own stories of their interactions with Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor and they all betray the same pattern, a man on a constant self-aggrandizing and self-enriching hustle, a rude, arrogant and entitled man, who could not distinguish between the public interest which he said he served and his own private interest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Andrew, of course, denies any wrongdoing in relation to all of this and he hasn't responded to any of our requests for comment.

HILL: Wow, I get you're right, did not hold back in those comments. Max, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Still to come here, Americans in parts of Mexico still being told to shelter in place. We'll speak with one tourist in Puerto Vallarta about what it's like in that city today and just how long they may be there.

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[13:44:07]

HILL: Awesome pictures to share with you from Joint Base Andrews just moments ago, members of the Team USA men's hockey team arriving ahead of tonight's State of the Union address. The men's team, of course, won gold on Sunday at the Olympics in Italy. The president invited them to his speech tonight. Team members are seeing a lot of members of the military there on base, showing off their medals we're told as well.

The gold medal-winning women's hockey team was invited. They declined the invitation citing scheduling conflicts.

Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum says her country is gradually returning to normal following widespread violence that erupted after the killing of cartel boss, El Mencho, the country's most wanted drug lord. A number of American tourists though remain stranded, flights to and from resort towns, Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, disrupted, of course, after organized crime groups wreaked havoc on Sunday, lighting fires, causing explosions, setting up hundreds of roadblocks.

[13:45:00]

One of the Americans vacationing there, Quincy Ellis, who is joining us from Puerto Vallarta. Quincy, it's good to have you with us. So, I was sort of struck by the way all of this unfolded for you. Can you walk us through when and how you learned what was happening, what you saw and what you heard there over the weekend?

QUINCY ELLIS, VACATIONING IN PUERTO VALLARTA: On Sunday morning, I overheard some explosions happening outside my window, and my Airbnb host actually sent me a message saying, please don't leave, there is a security issue. And when I opened the blinds to my window, there was smoke all over the city. I was like actually up on the hill just behind me and pretty much stayed in place for the entire day. That's how I found out everything was going on.

HILL: So as you're there in place, how much other information, beyond your Airbnb host, were you getting whether it was from the State Department or even local officials?

ELLIS: I spent most of the time, the day on my phone, just continuing to Google things and we were getting information from both local news sources. And once things started rolling from the U.S. Embassy as well, just trying to keep us informed and keep us safe where we were.

HILL: So Mexico's president has said now that things are gradually returning to normal in Puerto Vallarta. Is that what you're seeing and what you're experiencing? Do you feel safe?

ELLIS: Oh, for sure, like we've -- just now, the street cleanup is happening right behind me. Fire stops on Sunday. We haven't really seen anything that has been incredibly alarming. We are all very vigilant and keeping track of our friends and trying not to go out on the streets as much. But for the most part, seem -- the locals have been very helpful, businesses have opened up today. People are out and about. Just being vigilant, but still trying to return to normal.

HILL: You mentioned locals have been very helpful. If you had the opportunity to talk to them at all about how this is impacting them and just how safe they feel?

ELLIS: The energy here has been -- I haven't had a basic conversation with them, but the energy here is kind of going back to daily life. Just yesterday, I think the thing that helped me feel comfortable was that a landscaper came to my Airbnb to do work. And so, they've all kind of felt very -- the energy has been very much going back to the way things are just for now, even though we're all still very vigilant.

HILL: Yeah.

ELLIS: So that's been very comforting for me as a tourist.

HILL: Yeah, I'm sure. As I understand it, you were always booked to go home this coming Friday. Anything at this point that seems to be standing in the way of that return flight?

ELLIS: Not currently. I had some friends who had to -- were scheduled to leave either today or yesterday and they've had to rebook everything. So immediate flights right after Sunday have been a little bit of a problem. But so far, I'm supposed to leave on Friday and right now, it seems like I'll be leaving on Friday.

HILL: All right, which is good. Does this -- would this in any way impact your decision on whether to return to Puerto Vallarta?

ELLIS: Currently, no, not with the way things are happening right now. I think if things were to change in the next 48 hours, I might have a different point of view. But right now, everyone has just been very sweet and worked really hard to make us feel like we're safe. So, unless something else drastic happens, I think I'll be returning in a year or two.

HILL: All right. Quincy, appreciate you taking the time. Safe travels home.

ELLIS: Of course. Thanks for having me.

HILL: I want to get you caught up with some of the other headlines we are also following this hour, including new fallout from the Epstein Files. This time, it's celebrity doctor, Peter Attia, who is now resigning from his contributor position at CBS News. A network spokesman said that Attia quote, "Stepped back to ensure his involvement didn't become a distraction." In those Epstein Files, Attia and Jeffrey Epstein exchanged lewd personal messages.

Earlier this month, Attia said he wasn't involved in any criminal activity, had never been on the financier's plane, at his island, or at any sex parties He has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

KEILAR: Also, efforts to launch NASA's historic moon mission have stalled once again. The agency has detected a new problem with the Artemis II rocket, pushing the possibility of a March launch date off the table. NASA was hoping to launch the rocket next Friday and send four astronauts on a 10-day slingshot trip around the moon and it would mark the first time humans have traveled to deep space since the Apollo program ended back in 1972. NASA is now targeting no earlier than April to launch the mission.

And friends, family and fans are mourning the death of actor Robert Carradine. Relatives say he succumbed to a nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder. Carradine was known for his roles as the plucky fraternity leader, Lewis, in "Revenge of the Nerds" and as the lovable dad of "Lizzie McGuire." His co-star on that hit show, Hillary Duff paid tribute today saying, "There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I'll be forever grateful for that. I'm deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering.

[13:50:00]

My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him." Robert Carradine was 71-years-old.

Today marks four years since the first Russian tanks crossed into Ukraine, setting off a war that has stolen countless lives and childhoods as it reshapes the country and Europe as a whole. We have a live report from Kyiv next.

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[13:55:22]

KEILAR: Exactly four years ago today, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, igniting a war that some experts believe has killed or injured hundreds of thousands on each side. One recent estimate put Russian casualties at well over one million, with more than 600,000 on the Ukrainian side.

HILL: Today, a moment of silence observed in Kyiv, many telling CNN these four years of war has understandably left them with deep emotional scars. In a few hours, the U.N. Security Council is set to hold a special meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy today addressed the European Parliament and also had a message for Moscow.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Russians must learn that Europe is a union of independent nations and millions of people who do not tolerate humiliation and will not accept violence.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENSKYY: Thank you. Please continue to defend the European way of life, please support Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Zelenskyy also sat down with CNN's Clarissa Ward, who joins us now from Kyiv. Clarissa, I know that you have spoken with a number of Ukrainians as well, and you mentioned morale among Ukrainians is the lowest that you've seen since you began covering this war. I mean, just talk to us about what you've noticed, what you've heard from people, specifically today, but really that change over the last four years.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, today has certainly been a very somber day. And I can say, I was here with my team when Russian bombs began falling and when Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine four years ago, and we've been coming regularly since. And I haven't ever seen it so bleak and so grim as it is right now. You really have the sense here that people have reached a breaking point, particularly after this winter, which has been so bitterly cold, the coldest in recent memory.

You've had this relentless Russian bombardment of energy infrastructure, people going through constant power outages, heating outages. We talked to a young single mother who has to carry her three-year-old daughter up and down ten flights of stairs on most days because there's no electricity in her building. And just a sense that there's no end in sight.

And we talked about this with President Zelenskyy, and he very much feels that emotional toll and he feels a sense of responsibility to end this war. But he believes that the only nation that really has the power to pressure Putin to make hard compromises, and he accepts that Ukraine will have to make them as well, is the United States. And so, we talked a little bit about the relationship between him and President Trump.

He said that they had good meetings in December, that the technical teams, negotiators on both sides continue to talk to each other on a regular basis. And he had another personal plea for the president. Take a listen.

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WARD: 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. It's true. I think that United States is so big that they can't be somewhere away. I think that they have to stay with the country, democratic country, which is fighting against, you know, one person because this person is a war. Putin is a war. It's all about himself.

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WARD: And I will say that you do sense here as well, a little bit of bitterness from many Ukrainians towards the United States. You know, when you look back to the beginning of the war, there was such a strong sense of partnership and alliance. And a lot of people here feel that for reasons they don't fully understand, that Americans have kind of turned their back on Ukraine and forgotten what this war means.

Because for people here, they see this not just as fighting a war for Ukraine, but as fighting a war in service of an ideal, and that ideal being liberal democracy and freedom. So, you definitely see a lot of disappointment and some bitterness here now. Brianna and Erica?

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Of course, I was also really struck by your incredible piece about the resilience and this idea of resilience, as you were speaking to a number of Ukrainians, and the fact that they're really tired of it. Could you just talk to us a little bit more about what they've shared with you?

WARD: This is what I really notice, is that what started out as being Ukraine's greatest virtue, this extraordinary superhuman resilience, a lot of them now feel has become a burden --