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Trump Floats 'Friendly Takeover of Cuba'; Congress Questions Bill Clinton Over Jeffrey Epstein Connections. Aired 1-1:30p ET
Aired February 27, 2026 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: You can watch my full report and interview with Jack Schlossberg this Sunday on "STATE OF THE UNION" at 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon Eastern right here on CNN.
Thank you so much for joining INSIDE POLITICS today.
"CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Hello.
Let's go straight to the White House, where President Trump just took questions on the South Lawn before departing for Texas. This was moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I'm not.
I'm not happy with the fact that they're not willing to give us what we have to have. So I'm not thrilled with that. We will see what happens. We're talking later. We will have some additional talks today.
But, no, I'm not happy with the way they're going.
QUESTION: Are you concerned at all about President Bill Clinton being deposed and that that sets precedent for you and your family?
TRUMP: I don't like seeing him deposed. But, you know, they certainly went after me a lot more than that. I don't like seeing him -- look, I like him. And I don't like seeing him deposed.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... Howard Lutnick. What's your reaction to that?
TRUMP: Well, Howard would go in and do whatever he has to say. So, he's a very innocent guy. He's doing a good job. (CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) What's your message to the Iraqi leadership?
TRUMP: Well, I want to get along very well with the Iraqi leadership. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Governor Pritzker posted on social media that your plan is to steal the 2026 midterm elections. In fact, he says the plan is already under way. How do you respond to Governor Pritzker?
TRUMP: Well, he's got to focus on crime in his state. The crime in his state is doing very badly.
If we went and took care of it, what we would do just like Washington, D.C., we have no crime. Memphis, we took -- it's down 82 percent. Louisiana. You take a look at Louisiana. What he should really do is focus on crime in his state, because there's too much of it.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Have you made a final decision on Iran? Have you made a final decision on Iran? Have you made a final decision on Iran?
TRUMP: No, I haven't. No, I haven't.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Well, we haven't made a final decision. We're not exactly happy with the way they're negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons. And we're not thrilled with the way they're negotiating.
So we will see how it all works out.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
TRUMP: The Cuban government is talking with us. And they're in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they're talking with us.
And maybe we will have a friendly takeover of Cuba.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: After many, many years. We have had a lot of years of dealing with Cuba. I have been hearing about Cuba since I'm a little boy. But they're in big trouble. And we could very well -- something could -- I think very positive for
the people that were expelled or worse from Cuba that live here. We have people living here that want to go back to Cuba. And they're very happy with what's going on.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: The last news of the Epstein files? (OFF-MIKE) What about that?
TRUMP: I don't know anything about the Epstein files. I have been fully exonerated.
Yes, please.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: President Trump, with the options that you have been briefed on for Iran, is there a risk that strikes could turn into a long, drawn-out conflict in the Middle East?
TRUMP: I guess you could say there's always a risk.
When there's war, there's a risk in anything, both good and bad. We have had tremendous luck with myself, Soleimani, al-Baghdadi. Everything's worked out. And then we do the Midnight Hammer and so many others. Everything's worked out. And we want to keep it that way. But we're going to see.
Look, it would be wonderful if they'd negotiate really in good conscience, good faith and conscience. But they are not getting there.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: So far, Peter, they're not getting there.
QUESTION: And has your team told you that, if you use the military now, that there will be regime change right away?
TRUMP: No, nobody's told me that.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: You don't know. I mean, nobody knows that. There might be and there might not be.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: It would be nice if we could do it without, but sometimes you have to do it with. We -- when you looked at what -- look, we have the greatest military anywhere in the world. There's nothing close. I'd love not to use it. But, sometimes, you have to.
[13:05:06]
(CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Well, Cuba is doing very badly. They're failing. Cuba right now is, to put it mildly, a failing nation.
And I have been hearing about Cuba -- I said before, since I'm a little boy, I have been hearing about Cuba, and everybody wanted a change. And I could see that happening. Marco Rubio is dealing on it, and at a very high level.
And they have no money, they have no oil, they have no food. And it's really right now a nation in deep trouble. And they want our help.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: (OFF-MIKE) I would like to see the war end. And I would to see it end fast, 25,000 people died last month. It's crazy. And to have that war is just absolutely -- it's a shame.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Sir, are you considering a national emergency? Are you considering a national emergency around the midterm election?
TRUMP: Who told you that?
QUESTION: There's been reporting that there's an executive order, proposed executive order about this. Are you looking at that? Are you considering that?
TRUMP: No.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: This is just moments ago at the White House, President Trump speaking to reporters before departing for Texas.
Obviously, the cameraperson is trying to get a better vantage point of the president, but he's answered a series of questions, perhaps most notably on the breaking news that we're tracking this afternoon, former President Bill Clinton being deposed by members of the House Oversight Committee.
President Trump there saying that he likes former President Clinton, that he doesn't like seeing him deposed, but he says: "They went after me worse than that."
He was also asked about the potential for his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, to testify and answer questions in a deposition before the committee. He said that Lutnick would go in and do whatever he's asked. "He's an innocent guy."
Notably, though, Lutnick had contacts with Jeffrey Epstein as recently as 2018, the year before he died. And, on a personal level, President Trump was asked about occasions in which he appeared in the Epstein files, and he said: "I don't know anything about them."
KEILAR: Yes.
And let's just check in. Can we hear any more here? No. They're still trying to get a vantage point. So we will try to dip back in as we can hear more, but, obviously, it is quite a busy news day, and it is quite an attempt here by the White House press corps to get some questions answered.
But on Iran -- actually, let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
TRUMP: Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well, very, very well. And you have a great prime minister. You have a great general there. You have a great leader, that I think two of the people that I really respect a lot.
[13:10:06]
And I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
TRUMP: We're going to see what happens with Iraq. We're going to see what happens.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: It will all work out well.
And I like Iraq, and I like the people of Iraq a lot. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: All right, you're listening to the president there as he's walking away to go to Marine One to head on to Texas.
But he says he's not happy with how Iran is negotiating. They haven't made a final decision, but that Iran -- reiterating what he said in the past, they cannot have a nuclear weapon. And it was interesting. He also talked about Cuba, saying the Cuban government is talking with the U.S. He said they're in a big deal of trouble.
But it was twice where he said maybe we will have a friendly takeover of Cuba.
SANCHEZ: That would be unprecedented, to say the least, given the nature of historic talks between the United States and the island nation. We're going to keep track of what else President Trump said there.
Obviously, some of it was hard to hear, but there are other vantage points, and we will bring them to you as we get them.
Stay with CNN. We have a lot of news to get to, because, as we said a moment ago, former President Bill Clinton's Epstein deposition is under way. House Oversight has been questioning him for over an hour. We have details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:15:53]
KEILAR: We do have breaking news on former President Bill Clinton's Epstein deposition.
Right now, the House Oversight Committee has been questioning him for more than an hour. And we're learning the former president began his testimony telling lawmakers -- quote -- "I know what I saw and, more importantly, what I didn't see. I know what I did and, more importantly, what I didn't do. I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong."
According to a CNN analysis, Bill Clinton flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane at least 16 times. And he's also pictured with multiple women in the Epstein files. During Secretary Hillary Clinton's deposition yesterday, she says she told lawmakers that her husband's relationship with Epstein ended several years before anything about Epstein's criminal activities came to light.
And we could soon see and hear what she told the panel for ourselves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): We're going to get the video out as quickly as it -- we can get it uploaded and the sound and everything from yesterday. So this is, for all practical purposes, a public deposition.
Everyone's going to see what was asked yesterday and I think that will answer a lot of questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Meanwhile, Democrats are saying that a precedent has been set for questioning presidents, former presidents and others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): We are now asking and demanding that President Trump officially come in and testify. He appears in the Epstein files next to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell almost more than anybody else.
REP. SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM (D-VA): Let's be real. We're talking to the wrong president today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Let's be clear. Neither of the Clintons nor President Trump is accused by law enforcement of criminal wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein.
CNN's M.J. Lee is live for us in Chappaqua, New York, where this deposition is happening, as the one with the former secretary of state happened yesterday.
M.J., what more has Bill Clinton said?
M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: We have entered, Brianna, hour three of Bill Clinton's deposition here in Chappaqua.
And a Republican lawmaker did just come out moments ago. And she said that he has been cooperating and that he has been answering all of the lawmakers' questions so far. But an interesting preview that we got from the former president in his opening statement was that he was often going to answer questions with the words: "I don't recall."
This is what he said. "You will often hear me say that I don't recall. That might be unsatisfying, but I'm going to say -- but I'm not going to say something that I'm not sure of. This was all a long time ago and I'm bound by oath not to speculate or to guess. I will not falsely state that I'm looking forward to your questions, but I'm ready to answer them to the best of my abilities."
And a source just told our colleague Annie Grayer too that, in the process of the deposition, so far, he has answered some questions, at least so far with "I don't recall."
So, Brianna and Boris, if yesterday Democrats were sort of complaining that the entire deposition of Hillary Clinton had been a waste of time, essentially, because she didn't have any information about Jeffrey Epstein, she claimed that she had never even met Jeffrey Epstein, I think, today, we are going to find out whether there will be any more useful information that lawmakers are able to get out of the former president about Jeffrey Epstein and his actions.
Because he is saying right now that, because these events happened so long ago, he can't recall some of the details and he doesn't want to end up speculating about things that he might not have a clear memory of.
But there is absolutely no denying that the former president did have a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, traveled with him, as has been established in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department, including in some photos where he is pictured with co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and women whose faces have been redacted.
So we will let if we get any other readouts from members coming out of the deposition room, but, again, the stakes are a lot higher and certainly a lot more questions that these lawmakers are trying to press the former president on about his own relationship with Epstein and anything that he might be able to shed light on. KEILAR: All right, M.J. Lee, thank you so much. We know that there
will continue to be updates throughout the day, and we will check in with you -- Boris.
[13:20:03]
SANCHEZ: Now that former President Bill Clinton is testifying in the House Oversight Committee's oversight Epstein probe, Democrats are arguing that a new precedent has been set.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. YASSAMIN ANSARI (D-AZ): If the Republicans want to be serious about this investigation and getting to the truth and accountability for perpetrators, then we have to look to the most powerful person in the United States and the world, which is President Donald Trump.
Just this week, incredibly damning reporting came out to say that there were credible allegations from a woman who said that she was abused by Donald Trump when she was a minor. The FBI investigated this and interviewed this individual multiple times. You do not do that if it is not serious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Let's get some perspective with former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori.
Ankush, great to see you as always.
Do you agree with some of these Democrats that this sets a new precedent and we could potentially see President Trump, first lady Melania be deposed, let's say, if Democrats were to win the midterms in November and take over the committee next year?
ANKUSH KHARDORI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Excuse me.
As a practical matter, that seems highly unlikely. I would expect Trump and any of his associates to stonewall and to refuse to comply with such a subpoena, run out the clock on it. I understand the argument, sort of as a matter of principle that they are making, but I think, as a practical matter, it's kind of hard to believe.
Trump is not usually moved by other people's precedents and the like. So I doubt it.
SANCHEZ: What about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick? We mentioned a short time ago he appears in the Epstein files. He's had some correspondence with Epstein going back to 2018.
And when President Trump was asked if he might be deposed or if he might testify before Congress, he essentially said that he thinks he would. He'd be up for it.
KHARDORI: Well, we shall see. I mean, I think the questions around Lutnick's candor, I would say,
his truthfulness with the public and with Congress about his relationship with Epstein is in serious question.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
When it comes to the testimony today from former President Clinton, we heard yesterday from Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia claiming that Secretary Clinton didn't take the Fifth one time during her deposition. Do you expect Bill Clinton might do the same?
KHARDORI: I expect he would not take the Fifth. That would be my assumption.
It sounds like they have been advised by their lawyers to deal with this in a way that doesn't involve them appearing to be hiding from some sort of inconvenient facts. And, just to be honest, right, we have not seen any evidence indicating that President Bill Clinton, much less Hillary Clinton, had any awareness, much less involvement, with Jeffrey Epstein's criminal conduct.
And I think it's worth keeping in mind two distinct concepts just as we confront these sorts of situations. The law, meaning disclosure of the files, was passed on the premise that it would reveal people who were involved in Epstein's criminal conduct. Now, that has not really happened. We have yet to identify any people there in that universe.
So the law has not really achieved that objective. What we are seeing separately is a whole host of social sanctions and questions around people affiliating with Epstein, particularly after his conviction in 2008. And those are legitimate questions. They're up for any one of us to decide however we choose.
But they're not really questions that implicate them in any criminal misconduct.
SANCHEZ: At least when it comes to crimes related to sexual abuse, because, when it comes to financial crime, you have these investigations in the U.K. that are being pursued.
Do you think that it'd be a strong move for these investigators to follow the money in a similar way and see if there was any potential for -- you seem skeptical?
KHARDORI: No, no, I don't think -- skeptical of the notion no, right? In principle, yes, this is the sort of thing you would want to do if you're conducting a federal...
SANCHEZ: Follow the money, so to speak, right?
KHARDORI: Yes, but the thing is that this did kind of happen already during -- when the Justice Department investigated this. And so now we have Congress sort of coming in on the premise that there were things that the Justice Department missed or failed to do.
So far, they have not really identified things that the Justice Department should have done. I don't think this is a good use of anyone's time...
SANCHEZ: Wow.
KHARDORI: ... deposing Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
SANCHEZ: When it comes to oversight Chair James Comer, he has expressed an openness to public hearings following these depositions.
He makes the argument that these depositions are going to be taped. As you just heard him a moment ago, it's going to be released to the public. So he sort of sees that as a public testimony. Nevertheless, when asked yesterday, Secretary Clinton said she would not be doing this again. Could they be compelled to testify publicly?
KHARDORI: Yes, I think they could be compelled to testify publicly. We actually saw that, remember, with Jack Smith, right? He did a closed-door deposition.
SANCHEZ: Right.
KHARDORI: And the video even came out. And then he still came and testified live. So that's definitely conceivable. I don't think it's a useful expenditure of the country's time.
[13:25:01]
And James Comer, I don't think he has much credibility in this space. Remember, the reason this investigation began was sort of to run interference on behalf of the White House last year. And Comer is a hyperpartisan Republican in this space.
He's already declared that Trump has been exonerated by the release of the files, and yet he's really focused on Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. And, I'm sorry, it makes no sense.
SANCHEZ: Ankush Khardori, appreciate the expertise. Thanks for joining us.
KHARDORI: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Still plenty more to come this afternoon.
A Defense Department deadline, the Pentagon issuing an ultimatum to the world's largest A.I. company: Give us your unrestricted use of your technology, or risk being blacklisted -- the details next.
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