Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Sends Troops To Middle East In Wake Of Airstrike That Killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani; Thousands March In Streets Of Iran To Mourn Death Of Iranian General; Iran Promises Revenge On U.S. For Assassination Of General Soleimani; Iranian-Americans Reaction To Death Of Qasem Soleimani; Russia's Relationship With Iran May Affect U.S.-Iran Conflict; White House Continues To Withhold Internal E-mails Ordered Released By Courts Related To Impeachment Inquiry; Australia Continues Fighting Massive Wildfires. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 04, 2020 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- four planes have been hired for water bombing. And here in this area around Moruya on the south coast we have seen endless operations of aerial bombardment happening on the fires affecting the communities, the properties, and the homes. As I say, most people heeded those warnings to evacuate, to get out. However, there were people who decided to stay and protect their properties. They are in for a long night.

Anna Coren, CNN, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I want to welcome our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

We're following breaking news on the growing tensions with Iran. CNN has learned that the Trump administration is privately warning members of Congress that Iran is expected to retaliate against the U.S. within weeks. An official with direct knowledge of the situation tells us that U.S. military defenses are ready.

This follows mounting pressures after a U.S. strike in Baghdad killed one of Iran's top generals, Qasem Soleimani. Today thousands marched in the streets of Iran to mourn the Iranian commander and the nine others killed in Friday's attack in Baghdad. Iraq's prime minister has now declared three days of mourning. Meanwhile, Iran is vowing a harsh revenge for the U.S. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations tells CNN's Erin Burnett that killing Soleimani was an act of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJID TAKHT RAVANCHI, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: They started a military war by assassinating -- by an act of terror against one of our top generals. So what else can we expect Iran to do? We cannot just remain silent. We have to act, and we will act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Despite the fallout, President Trump says his order came to prevent a war and to save American lives from an imminent attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was plotting attacks against Americans, but now we've ensured that his atrocities have been stopped for good. They are stopped for good.

I don't know if you know what was happening, but he was planning a very major attack, and we got him.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Meanwhile the U.S. is stepping up its military presence in the region. Around 2,800 additional U.S. troops now en route to Kuwait.

We have a team of reporters around the world covering all the details. Let's begin with CNN's Fred Pleitgent. He was live for us in Tehran. Fred, what are Iranians saying about all this?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iranians, at least Iran's leadership, Fredricka, saying that the U.S. made a big mistake in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. It was quite interesting because Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, he visited the family of Qasem Soleimani today, and there told Qasem Soleimani's daughter that the U.S. doesn't even realize how big a mistake it actually made.

And then Qasem Soleimani's daughter asked Hassan Rouhani, who is going to take revenge for the killing of my father? Rouhani then said everyone will take revenge. Don't worry.

So the Iranians obviously saying there will be some form of retaliation. That's key, because the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, he came out not so long ago earlier today, and he said that there would be what he called strategic retaliation against the U.S. And he said that he believed that would spell the end of American's presence in this region. He said that strategic retaliation would be in a wide area, and also would be conducted over a large period of time.

So the Iranians for a long time have been saying, and we know that they have proxy forces in the entire great Middle Eastern region that loyal to Iranian. And of course, the Iranians have also been saying they believe, Fredricka, that time is on their side. In fact, today a senior military official said the Iranians don't need to be rushed into anything, but certainly there will be a response by Tehran.

Also happening today, and this is quite interesting, Iranian's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, trolling Mike Pompeo, the U.S. secretary of state. And this also in relation to some of what you've been talking about, those processions of mourning that have been taking place for Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. I want to read you what he said really quick.

He said "24 hours ago, an arrogant clown masquerading as a diplomat claimed people were dancing in the cities of Iraq. Today hundreds of thousands of our proud Iraqi brothers and sisters offered him their response across their soil. End of U.S. malign presence in West Asia has begun." Obviously speaking very similarly to that Revolutionary Guard commander who also says that they believe that this could be the end of the U.S.'s presence in that region.

The Iranians also saying that contrary to some of the claims of the Trump administration that this has weakened Iranian's Revolutionary Guard Qud's force, that they say they are going to be able to operate exactly the way that they had been able to before, Fredricka.

[14:05:03]

Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much. We'll check back with you.

We're also getting word that at least one rocket has hit Baghdad's Green Zone this afternoon. That's the area in Baghdad which houses several international embassies, including that of the U.S. CNN's Arwa Damon is live for us in Baghdad. So what more are you learning about that?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the rocket hit in an area in the Green Zone that's known as the Parade Grounds, not causing any casualties, at least that's what the information is at this stage. There also was another rocket that hit an upscale Baghdad neighborhood that houses some foreign companies as well as top government officials. That also not causing any casualties, at least not as far as we are aware.

But then also, four rockets landing at the southern gate of the Balad Air Base. This is a sprawling complex that has both U.S. and Iraqi personnel at it. But it's worth noting, Fredricka, that this is not entirely uncommon. These kinds of rocket attacks do happen. But given the backdrop of everything else that is going on, they do perhaps take on a bit more significance.

And speaking of that backdrop, we were at the mourning procession earlier today taking place in Baghdad and spoke to a number of people down there who were also talking about revenge, who were also talking about the need to kick the U.S. military out of Iraq. These mourners were incensed at the United States, because not only did America carry out this targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani, many of the people down there do view him as being a great military leader.

The Americans also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who is the leader of Kataeb Hezbollah, remember that's the group that the U.S. targeted in those airstrikes on Sunday. But he is also the second in command of the popular mobilization forces. This is a Shia paramilitary group that is ostensibly under the control of the Iraqi security forces. So from the perspective of the Iraqi government, and there were senior

government leaders at the funeral procession in Baghdad from the prime minister on down, but they view this as being only a complete disregard for Iraq's sovereignty, but also an act against Iraq itself.

We then went on to go to Tahrir Square. This is significant because for months in Tahrir Square Iraqis there have been demonstrating against their own government and also demonstrating against outside influence, against Iranian influence. Speaking to them down there today, they are not only continuing to call for Iran to leave Iraq, there's no love for Iran amongst the population down there, but there is equally right now just as much animosity towards the United States. They want to see both Iran and the U.S. out of Iraq, and for Iraqis, finally, to be left to govern their own country without constantly being used as this proxy battlefield.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon, thanks so much, from Baghdad.

All right, the White House is bracing for expected retaliation from Iran. The Trump administration is privately warning members of Congress an attack from Iran could happen within weeks. The White House is secretly taking steps domestically and internationally to prepare for possible retaliation. In fact, 2,800 shoulders are en route to the Middle East ahead of any potential attacks. Their presence in the region coming after Iran promised harsh retaliation for killing Soleimani. CNN's Dianne Gallagher is in Washington for us. So Dianne, what do we know about how the White House is preparing?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, look, that 2,800, those troops there, that will bring the total number with just the past week deployed to the Middle East of U.S. servicemembers to closer to 3,500 in the area, positioning them for a quicker response if, in fact, there is some form of retaliation.

The question that remains is when that would be. And that appears to be what the discussions are right now in defense and Nat Sec circles that they're talking about, not if but when Iran will strike back. You've said that the president, the administration privately told members of conference they expect it within weeks. Other officials say that they believe it could come anywhere within the next few days to where this could maybe be some form of long-term play out from Iran here.

Now, they are seeing some movement, according to sources who have seen intelligence, seeing these rocket-mounted vehicles or Grad trucks that have moved closer to some of the U.S. interests in the area. That doesn't necessarily mean anything. There is movement like this quite a bit in the region. Also, there are indications of ramped up readiness, of the short and medium rage range ballistic missiles that Iran has.

[14:10:04]

Again, that does not necessarily mean there is any sort of imminent threat. It just means they're watching, they're noticing any sort of movement at this point.

Now, a U.S. official familiar with the information said that they don't expect the United States to conduct any sort of additional strikes against any Iranian-based groups in Iraq or the region unless the U.S. were to come under attack or there was compelling evidence that Iran was ready to fire. And Fred, if they do have that evidence or believe they have that evidence, it would be up to the president of the United States, of course, to make that decision.

WHITFIELD: Dianne Gallagher in Washington, thanks so much.

All right, coming up, threat of retaliation and more troops headed to the Middle East after this week's deadly air strike. Why now? And does the Trump administration have a strategy moving forward?

Plus, two parties, two very different points of view. Democrats and Republicans spar over the impeachment trial in the Senate. The main sticking point straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Mourners poured into the streets of Baghdad for the funeral procession today of the Iranian military commander killed in Friday's drone strikes. Iran's regime has already named a replacement for the top general, Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in that attack, and the country is threatening the U.S. with what it is describing as forceful revenge. And now CNN is learning that the Trump administration is privately warning members of Congress that the retaliation could come within weeks.

With me now, Julian Zelizer, a historian and professor at Princeton University, Samantha Vinograd is a former senior adviser to the national security adviser in the Obama administration, and Francesca Chambers is the White House correspondent for McClatchy D.C. Good to see you all.

Julian, you first. Is the White House trying to smooth things out with Democrats in Congress with these warnings about possible retaliation after not consulting with them or informing them before the strike?

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: There's some smoothing out that might be going on in terms of circumventing congressional Democrats during this process, but I think it's also stimulating a fair. It's a kind of warning about what might come, and it's happening at a very frost domestic political moment. And I think it's sending a signal from the president about the dangers he says that the nation faces, and why congressional Democrats, if even if he didn't consult with them, need to support what he has done and what he's going to do in the next few weeks.

[14:15:01]

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Fred, can I just add on?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

VINOGRAD: Because I think it's important to depoliticize this a little bit. I am no fan of the president's Iran strategy. But we are dealing somewhat with apples and oranges. We don't yet know what the underlying basis for this attack was. I have some skepticism about it, but I hope to see something declassified.

The administration's case for not notifying Congress ahead of a high value target drone attack, a strike, is very different than notifying Congress about ongoing threat streams to United States personnel around the world. A high value target, a targeted drone strike against a high value target, has been kept close hold in the past. For example, under the Obama administration, Congress was not notified ahead of the UBL raid. And so I think we have to be careful not to mix these two things up.

With respect to the notification that happened after the fact, Congress obviously, statutorily requires access to the underlying intelligence. But at this juncture, it's important that the administration keeps Congress apprised of both the threat streams as well as any additional intelligence activities or military resources that may be needed.

WHITFIELD: But not necessarily on a strike like this of Soleimani?

VINOGRAD: It's not always the case. In an ideal world, yes, the Gang of Eight would have known. But this is, again, we can't forget the fact that Congress wasn't notified ahead of UBL. And the real question is what the legal basis was for this strike that impacts the congressional notification process, and what the underlying intelligence was.

WHITFIELD: And perhaps that helps underscore why members of Congress and in the Senate are seeing this very differently. Here's an example. Just take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): It is an assassination. This is a top official of a foreign government. This isn't the head of a nonstate terrorist group. No matter how bad a guy he is, how evil he was, he was a commanding general of a sovereign foreign nation, and we executed him. So I don't think you can call it anything other than an assassination. It's not the first time America has been involved in assassinating a foreign official, but it's probably the most high- profile foreign official that the United States military has ever executed.

REP. WILL HURD, (R-TX): And the fact that people want to act like the Iranian government is the victim in this case is to me outrageous. And yes, this is going to potentially get worse before it gets better. But what is the alternative? Sit and do nothing? Let our embassy get attacked once more? Let our troops be attacked even further? To allow the Iranian government to continue to oppress their own people? They killed 1,500 people who were unarmed peacefully protesting in their own country. This is not a government that is a rational government, that can sit down at a negotiating table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So then Francesca, in your view, this contrast in your view, signposts what ahead? Where are the priorities in how representatives are seeing this strike differently and the potential fallout from it differently?

FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, MCCLATCHY D.C.: Well, members of Congress have made it absolutely clear that there will be a robust debate about this heading into the next week when the Trump administration has said that they will brief members of Congress in a classified setting. They have not yet given the evidence publicly, though National Security Advisor to the White House Robert O'Brien saying yesterday that he could not do that at this time. Members of Congress expecting, though, to get that behind closed doors in a classified setting.

And Mitch McConnell yesterday urging them to wait until they get that information to make a decision on whether or not they would support this action. But not just that, whether they would support future military action in Iraq or in Iran based on this.

WHITFIELD: So Julian, when you look at the president's demeanor, whether it be from his statement yesterday to at his political rally last night, he sees this as commanding and showing strength by taking out this threat in Soleimani. But at the same time, talk to us about the real contrast that he's demonstrating when he campaigned on wanting to end wars and his statement was, this was not to start a war but to end one. But then you listen to people in the region who were saying, there is more to come, and this may have provoked a type of war.

ZELIZER: Sure. He positioned himself in 2016 as much as being against George W. Bush and his preemptive war as he did with Hillary Clinton. And he made many statements where he promised not to get the nation into unnecessary wars. And right now many of his critics are saying that's exactly what he has done without clearly taking away the threat that existed from Iran by removing, killing this official. So there's a contradiction between what he said in the campaign and what he's doing now.

[14:20:04]

And I would add, we can't talk about President Trump as if he remade himself in the last few days. All the same questions about how he governs, how he uses foreign policy, his willingness to say things that are not true, are all very much at the heart of why people don't believe some of what he has to say, or have serious questions about the credibility of the rationales that are being put forth right now.

WHITFIELD: And Samantha what questions do you want answered as it pertains to what led up to this strike, what helps justify this strike against Soleimani?

VINOGRAD: They're really intelligence questions. Secretary of State Pompeo told our colleague John Berman that this strike was implemented based on an intelligence-based assessment. I'm wondering what that intelligence assessment included and whether people like Gina Haspel and the DNI briefed the president not only in the operational details of this strike, but also how the Iranian regime would respond, how other key players in the area would respond, and whether this would in fact deter further Iranian aggression.

And finally, the final part of that briefing should have been what impact this would have on diplomacy. I believe the answer to that is it will shut the door to diplomacy at this juncture, but the intelligence community should have provided insight on that, particularly because the State Department said that the door to diplomacy is open. All we have seen to date is the president and administration take defensive actions and deterrent actions after this strike. But we have not seen any realistic indication that they've thought through an actual strategy with respect to an offramp, which would be diplomacy.

WHITFIELD: And Francesca, real quick, you're oftentimes at the White House asking those questions. Do you believe when asking that question if there will ever be an answer that comes from this administration?

CHAMBERS: The White House hasn't answered that question so far. And to your point about being often at the White House, what's difficult about this particular situation is the president is not at the White House. He was ensconced in his private resort in Florida when this took place where reporters aren't allowed.

If you went to the White House yesterday, you'd find a press office that was locked and was dark. So it's not as if you can waltz in there and ask those sorts of questions. And they did have a call for reporters where they took several of those questions, but again, not getting very many answers from the White House on this.

WHITFIELD: Right. I was about to ask you the question of being in the press room, but then I had to reflect, but you know what, there's no one answering those questions, so I can't ask you that question that way. So thanks for rolling with me on that. Julian Zelizer, Francesca Chambers, Sam Vinograd, good to see you all. Thank you so much.

VINOGRAD: Thank you.

ZELIZER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: A roadblock, a new one, in the Ukraine investigation, the White House refusing to turn over emails despite a court order. I'll talk with one of "The New York Times" reporters who broke that story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:26:24]

WHITFIELD: All right, according to "The New York Times," the Trump administration is now refusing a court order to release 20 emails in which White House officials discussed freezing U.S. military aid to Ukraine. We're told the 40 pages of messages were sent by an aide to President Trump's acting chief of staff and an official at the Office of Management and Budget. However, the OMB won't turn over any of the emails, not even redacted versions.

Joining me right now for more on this reporting, Eric Lipton, he is an investigative reporter for "The New York Times." Eric, good to see you. So what may be in these emails that the White House does not want released?

ERIC LIPTON, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": First of all, this is something that's been reflective of an approach that the White House has taken since this whole investigation began, which is to limit access to administration officials and to limit access to documents. And so it creates a lot of suspicion in the public and among members of Congress, that what's in these emails or what these people might say is going to be extremely incriminating.

But we don't necessarily know that. These could simply be just standard communications between someone that works for the president and someone that works on the Budget Office. But at a minimum, what we do know is that these two people were involved in the freeze on the Ukraine military aid, and that they were two critical people. One was the messenger from the chief of staff, his name is Rob Blair, and he was the person that was communicating with the Office of Management and Budget and asked them to impose the freeze. And the second guy, whose name is Michael Duffy, was the guy whose job it was to actually implement the freeze, to stop the couple hundred million dollars from going to Ukraine to help them build their defenses against Russian- backed militias.

WHITFIELD: Right, and Duffy happens to be one of the individuals that House Democrats had put on a list of people they want to see testify, if indeed there is ever a Senate trial. So talk to us about the significance of these two players, of Duffy and Blair. And while we may not know the exact content of the emails that they were the players, the authors, and perhaps even recipients of these emails is important.

LIPTON: One of the biggest questions that remains unanswered so far is what kind of a nexus was there between the freeze on the military aid to Ukraine and then the efforts that were going on with Giuliani and others in Ukraine to try to convince the president there to open an investigation into Joe Biden's son.

And so of course we want to see whether or not there's anything in those emails that links the hold on the military assistance with what was going on with Giuliani. So obviously if there was some kind of connection in those emails, that would be pretty explosive.

But for the most part, what we have learned in our own investigation in the Office of Management and Budget is that they were largely focused on the mechanics of actually stopping this aid, which they had been instructed to do from the White House, and there's just a lot of steps that have to be taken to actually prevent that money from going out the door. WHITFIELD: And is it your view that these emails, if released, or the

information shared, could potentially change any minds in the Senate as it pertains to witnesses called during a trial?

LIPTON: I have not had access to these emails. I don't know what they're going to say. My understanding so far in the interviews we've done and the documents that we've seen, and we have seen some documents that have come out of the Office of Management and Budget and also the Department of Defense, is that they were mostly focused on the logistics and they were not involved in a scheme to pressure, political pressure Ukraine.

[14:30:03]

So I don't think -- my guess is that this will not radically change people's views on this matter, and that to some extent that the Trump White House may be making the situation worse by refusing to release them because it creates a belief that there's something something that they're hiding.

WHITFIELD: All right, Eric Lipton, we'll leave it there for now. A fascinating story.

LIPTON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Great reporting.

Countries around the world are reacting to the deadly airstrike on Iran's top military leader, and Russia is among those condemning it. We're live in Moscow with how the attack could impact the Iran nuclear deal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Many world leaders are expressing concern about the rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Just now Germany raised its own threat level in light of the U.S. strike killing a top Iranian general. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken to representatives from at least 12 countries since the strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. That includes Pompeo's counterpart in Russia, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Moscow. So Matthew, Lavrov also spoke with Iran's foreign minister. What's being said?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister having conversation with Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart earlier today.

Russia is probably the best friend that Iran has in international community. It uses its powers at the Security Council routinely to protect Iran from condemnation at the U.N. Security Council. It's got economic ties. It supplies Iran with weapons. It fights shoulder to shoulder with Iran and Iranian backed forces on the ground in Syria to protect their joint ally Bashar al-Assad.

And Qasem Soleimani is somebody who is well no one in Russia. He's visited the country at least two times, to my knowledge, to discuss Iranian foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, to discuss coordination on the ground, to discuss weapons sales. He was a very influential figure, of course. He was basically the Iranian point person the Russians dealt with in Syria.

And so it's no surprise whatsoever that the Russians would be sharply critical of his targeted killing by U.S. forces. There's been a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, saying that Washington's move is fraught with grave consequences. The Russian Defense Ministry has called it shortsighted, will have serious negative consequences. And so this is all about what could come next. The Russians, to be clear, aren't bothered about whether there's a strike back by the Iranians against some kind of American interests.

[14:35:00]

What they're concerned about is this could spiral into something much more dangerous and lead to a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran that could see regime change in Tehran. The Russians don't want to see that. They've seen it in Iraq, they've seen it in Libya, they intervened in Syria to prevent that from happening. They definitely don't want to see it in their key ally, Iran.

WHITFIELD: And then is Russia looking at what potential advantages there may be from any kind of instability in the region?

CHANCE: Well, I think there probably is. It's still in the process, as we all are, of I think assessing the real impact of this killing of Soleimani, whether it will create a long-term vacuum in terms of Iranian influence in the region. I said that the Russians have been fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Iranians in Syria, but they've also been of -- there's a rivalry between them as well. And so the departure of Soleimani, it gives the Russians the opportunity to tighten its grip on countries like Syria. They become even more the focus of the dependency like Syria when you take Iran out of the picture.

But at the same time, Soleimani was just one man empowered by a sovereign nation. He had a deputy. His deputy has now been appointed to succeed him. And so any hiatus is Iran's influence is probably going to be short term.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance, thank you so much in Moscow.

U.S. authorities are preparing for conventional and unconventional attacks following General Soleimani's death. Iran is promising harsh revenge against the U.S., and experts say that retaliation could come in the form of cyberattacks. CNN's Brian Fung joins me now.

So Brian, good to see you. So how real is this Iranian cyberthreat to the U.S.?

BRIAN FUNG, CNN TECH REPORTER: Experts say that the risk of an Iranian cyberattack is real and could cause substantial disruption to life in the United States. Iran has dramatically increased its capabilities in cyberspace in recent years. It's moved from being essentially a third-rate cyber power to essentially now at least a second-tier threat, meaning that the country could be doing substantial damage or a serious threat moving forward. Historically Iran has targeted offensives in the Middle East. But moving forward, the country could be looking at further targets in the western -- in the United States, particularly after the strike on Soleimani.

WHITFIELD: So Brian, is the U.S. particularly vulnerable?

FUNG: Well, that's a great question. There are a couple of examples of Iran actually going after U.S. targets in the past. The country has gone after U.S. banks, taking down websites, doing millions of dollars in damage. It's also gone after the websites of American casinos, stealing credit card information and Social Security numbers. So the United States is currently warning businesses and industry across the country, be on the lookout for suspicious activity coming from Iran. In particular there could be attacks on critical infrastructure like the power grid or financial networks and communications networks, and things like that.

WHITFIELD: I guess the U.S. also feels it has to brace for any potential disinformation campaign that could be launched by Iran, because that, too, could be potentially damaging.

FUNG: Absolutely. And social media companies like Facebook and Twitter have already in previous years noted that they've taken down fake accounts believed to be linked to the Iranian government. And those accounts have essentially been pushing pro-Iranian propaganda and messages, trying to persuade users of these services to support the regime and to take stances against Iran's enemies.

WHITFIELD: Brian Fung, thank you so much.

Southern California, home to hundreds of thousands of Iranian- Americans. It's the second largest Iranian population in the world. CNN's Nick Watt is in Los Angeles with their reaction to the death of Qasem Soleimani.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, citizenship, fill out this form.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At a citizenship seminar for Iranian immigrants here in L.A., no one would talk to us on camera, no one wanted their face shown.

PEYMAN MALAZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARS EQUALITY CENTER: Lots of Iranians still have families over there. Their relatives live over there. The chances of their security to be in danger is high.

WATT: Many emigres we spoke to said they watched on TV the brutal repression of antigovernment protests that swept back in November. Human rights organizations say at least 400 were killed. Here in L.A., Qasem Soleimani is not mourned.

What's your first reaction?

TODD KHODADAI, IRANIAN-AMERICAN: Happy.

WATT: We're in Westwood, aka "Tehrangeles."

[14:40:00]

There is some jubilation among the older generations who fled here after Iran's Islamic revolution of 1979. Again, they declined to speak on camera. Even in death, even thousands of miles away, Soleimani's shadow still haunts. A man born and raised here preferred we not use his last name.

EEMAN IRANIAN-AMERICAN: It was definitely a huge shock just because of the magnitude of who Qasem Soleimani is.

WATT: For those who long for regime-change back home, there is now more hope.

KHODADAI: I'm sure this is the first step for freedom, probably. They're just looking for hope.

WATT: But despite the U.S. president's words.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We did not take action to start a war.

WATT: Now a real fear of war.

MALAZ: So many Iranians have memory from war, and the memory from the war is still alive.

WATT: In the 1980s, Iran and Iraq fought a brutal, protracted conflict that killed more than half a million.

EEMAN: I think a lot of us know what Iran is capable of, and we don't want Iran to have a chance to show the world what that is.

WATT: Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Conversation on Iran continues tomorrow. On "State of the Union" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Elizabeth Warren, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, all appearing on Jake Tapper, "State of the Union" tomorrow, Sunday, 9:00 eastern right here on CNN.

A battle over witnesses in the impeachment trial, Senators McConnell and Schumer make their cases as a new chapter begins in Washington. The latest on the dispute and the new challenge Democrats are facing from the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Negotiations over President Trump's impeachment trial are starting to heat up after new evidence shows Trump's direct role in pressuring Ukraine for political favors. Democrats are now demanding to hear from new witnesses as lawmakers in the Senate continue to fight over whether there will be any witnesses called.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:45:04]

CHUCK SCHUMER, (D) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: These developments are a devastating blow to leader McConnell's push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses we've requested.

MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: President Trump should get the same treatment that ever single senator thought was fair for President Clinton. Just like 20 years ago, we should address mid trial questions such as witnesses after briefs, opening arguments, senator questions, and other relevant motions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining me now, Lis Wiehl, former federal prosecutor. Lis, good to see you. Happy New Year.

LIS WIEHL, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Happy New Year.

WHITFIELD: Senator McConnell claims he wants Trump's impeachment trial to look just like Clinton's. And in Clinton's there were something like 40 witnesses. Do you see that McConnell will allow for witnesses to testify so that it will be a similar proceeding?

WIEHL: Well, McConnell is not going to come off of his position right now. But allowing these depositions to go forward may change things. We've already seen these emails in the last couple of days, that will -- that is already changing these, those documents coming forward.

WHITFIELD: How do you see that it's already changing things?

WIEHL: I do, because those documents -- let's back up just a minute. They came from -- between the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice trying to explain to the Department of Defense why the Ukraine freeze was on. The Department of Defense saying, wait a second, what's going on here? You can't -- this is illegal. Congress is going to become unhinged. That's what the Department of Defense is saying. And the Department of Justice, trying to legalize -- make legal what they clearly found to be illegal, per President Trump.

That came moments after the July conversation, the infamous July conversation. That those conversations are now in the hands of the Democrats, fodder for the Democrat managers, the prosecutors at trial, is great evidence for the Democrats. That will come forward whether McConnell likes it or not. So that's evidence right there.

Also what's happening, Fred, is that the courts are now finally moving. Last Friday, just yesterday, a court -- appellate court in Don McGahn's case -- remember him, he's the former White House counsel, he is subpoenaed to testify in front of Congress. WHITFIELD: Refusing to do so.

WIEHL: Right. And the court finally said, and I'll quote from what they said, has there ever been an instance of such broad scale defiance of Congress? All right, the Department of Justice lawyer standing right there said, there has been no precedent. All right, so now I think the courts are finally going to move.

What does that mean for that in that case? It means that Don McGahn will testify in front of Congress. What does that mean? It means that other people will be probably moved to testify. Will those subpoenas actually move them? Yes, it does mean --

WHITFIELD: Unless, right, the White House decides to take it to an even higher court, because it's the White House that's saying, or precluding any of those witnesses from stepping forward?

WIEHL: Yes, but what does that then do for the managers at trial at the Senate level --

WHITFIELD: Potentially run out the clock.

WIEHL: Well, but what does it do at the Senate level for them to say, for the obstruction of Congress? It says voila, there is more of our evidence for obstruction of Congress.

WHITFIELD: So then what kind of position, or pressure, I should say, pressure is this putting on Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is the one who will say openly, this is how this trial will be crafted. This is what will not be included, or included. And when you have that symphony going on there, what kind of pressure does this apply to him?

WIEHL: It puts a lot of pressure on him, and it puts pressure -- remember, there only needs to be four Republican senators to say, this doesn't look fair. And for it to look fair, for it to look reasonable and impartial, which is what their oath is, to be impartial jurors in this, we should call witnesses. That's all the Democrats are asking. Just call the witnesses. Let the president's men speak. Let the president, as Chuck Schumer said, let them tell their story.

WHITFIELD: Yes, except one of the things Mitch McConnell said yesterday, he says this Senate trial is nothing like an ordinary trial.

WIEHL: It's not an ordinary trial. It is a political trial. That is true. But it must be, and this is critical for the senators and what their oath is to us, the American people, who are the ultimate jurors, right?

[14:50:02]

WHITFIELD: Yes.

WIEHL: To be fair and impartial, that is their oath. And to be fair and impartial, what Chuck Schumer is saying, we must hear from the witnesses. We must hear from their mouths their side of the story. The only way to do that is to hear from them.

WHITFIELD: Lis Wiehl, thank you so much. Buckle up, right, everybody. It's going to be one heck of a year.

WIEHL: It's going to be a ride.

WHITFIELD: Every day is already. Thank you so much, Lis Wiehl, appreciate it.

WIEHL: You got it.

WHITFIELD: All right, 30 days until the Iowa caucuses. And this week we received new fundraising numbers from the candidates. Find out who is winning, who is losing in the money race. That straight ahead.

And before Beyonce, before Lady Gaga, Linda Ronstadt was the first female pop icon. CNN Films " Linda Ronstadt, The Sound of My Voice" airs tonight at 9:00 right hereon CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, with just 30 days now until the Iowa caucuses, 2020 Democrats are zeroing in on the Hawkeye state. Former Vice President Joe Biden is on a second extended bus tour through the state right now, working to regain his momentum after falling behind Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders in recent Iowa polls.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joining me now not from Vinton, Iowa. So Arlette, what's going on there?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, Fred, as you can see behind me, Joe Biden is here in Vinton, Iowa, holding an event. This is day three of his five-day bus tour through the state.

[14:55:04]

And the last reliable poll here in the state had Pete Buttigieg leading these candidates. But that was back in November, and a lot of dynamics have changed on the ground here. Yes, Joe Biden is the frontrunner in national polls. He's been spending a lot of substantial time here in the state, picking up some high profile endorsements from the former governor, Tom Vilsack, as well as Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer who is here at this event with him now. And Biden talked about the importance of Iowa to voters. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A lot of other states are a little jealous. What's so special about Iowa? Why do they get to make the decision on the front end? Or why does New Hampshire have the first primary and you have the first caucus? And I tell them the same thing, I really mean it. You all take it really seriously. You're the folks who in fact know the importance of what you're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SAENZ: Biden went on to say the Iowa voters know they need to select a nominee who can also help win in House and Senate races as well as someone who can get things done. That one other thing that we've been learning this is those fundraising numbers that shows that these top tier candidates are going to have the money to take this into the long haul. Bernie Sanders leading that pack with about nearly $35 million last quarter. Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, all in the $20 million range, they are going to have the resources to continue what could be a very long primary fight. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Arlette Saenz, thank you so much.

All right, let's go to these very significant, dangerous, frightening wildfires in Australia. In eastern Australia, a haunting sky and thick smoke. It has been another incredibly hot and windy day since the start of the bushfire season. Fire officials in Victoria say three fires combined overnight, forming a fire the size of Manhattan. Meanwhile, the prime minister announced the deployment of the country's largest Navy ship to help evacuees along the coast.

Up next, high emotions and high tension, mourners in Iraq pay tribute to Iran's top commander, killed in an American airstrike. Threats of retaliation growing. Our live team coverage from the Middle East continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You are live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Alex Marquardt in for Ana Cabrera. Thanks so much for joining me.

We're going to start with some breaking developments right now from the Pentagon and the White House about the killing of top Iranian General this week Qasem Soleimani who was targeted and taken out by a U.S. air strike on Thursday. The big question, what happens now?