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Three US Troops Killed, More Than 30 Injured In Drone Attack In Jordan; White House Dispatched CIA Chief For Crucial Hostage Talks In Europe; Biden, Trump Look Ahead To General Election In November. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 28, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:43]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Right now, the US is working to identify who carried out a drone attack on a small us outpost in Jordan near the border with Syria and Iraq that killed three US troops and injured more than 30 others. US officials say the drone landed near the living quarters at the base.

The attack marks the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the war erupted in Gaza. It also marks a significant escalation of an already precarious situation in the region. President Biden reacting to the attack vowing the US will hold those responsible accountable.

We've got full coverage of this developing story. Natasha Bertrand is in Washington, Kevin Liptak is at the White House and Ben Wedeman in Beirut, Lebanon.

Natasha, you first. What are we learning about the attack?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Fredricka, we're told that three US Army soldiers were killed in this drone attack targeting this military base, this very small outpost in northeast Jordan, right on the border with Syria. And it happened early this morning, local time there.

And we're also told that as many as 30 US servicemembers who were also at that base were injured in this attack. And that number is expected to rise as more service members seek treatment for symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injury. But three of those servicemembers were so critically injured that they actually had to be medically evacuated out of the country.

And so the Secretary of Defense just issued a statement about this, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and he promised that the US is going to respond at a time and place of our choosing. He said that Iran backed militias are responsible for these continued attacks on US forces, and he said, "The President and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests."

Now, just to put this into context, the US and coalition forces have been attacked dozens and dozens of times over the last several months in Iraq and Syria by these Iran-backed groups, but never before have these attacks resulted in the actual deaths of US servicemembers. They have resulted in some injuries, mostly light injuries, the most severe of which have been traumatic brain injury.

So this is a really serious escalation at an already very precarious and tense moment in the region. And of course, now all eyes are on the Biden administration to see how they are going to respond to it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Natasha, thanks so much.

Kevin Liptak at the White House. President Biden, how is he reacting to this?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, President Biden is calling this attack despicable and wholly unjust. In a statement, the president saying that America's heart is heavy. He says that the US is still gathering facts on this particular attack, but he does confirm that it was carried out, by what he calls radical, Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.

And Fredricka, I'll tell you, US officials say they are still working to identify which particular militant group was behind this attack. President Biden, in his statement goes on to say: "The three American servicemembers we lost were patriots in the highest sense and their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten by our nation. Together, we will keep this sacred obligation we bear to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism."

[15:05:07]

And very importantly, President Biden says, "... and have no doubt we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing." And President Biden does have a choice to make here, quite a consequential choice. He will be under pressure to take a more forceful response than he has so far to the dozens of attacks on US servicemen in Iraq and Syria because this incident did result in fatalities.

But at the same time, there is an imperative not to cause this conflict to widen further to create a broadening regional conflict. We are told that President Biden was briefed this morning, he is in South Carolina, he was briefed by a larger group this afternoon, and you can imagine some of these questions would have arisen in this conversation about how to respond and how to respond forcefully to this latest attack -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Okay, thanks so much, Kevin.

Let's go to Ben Wedeman now in Beirut. There you are, Ben.

Okay. Now, is there news now on who might be claiming responsibility for this?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've heard from a source with the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, that's an umbrella group of a variety of Iranian-linked militias in Iraq, which says that the attack was carried out at 3:55 AM by a drone attack on the Rukban Base, that's the base on the Syrian border in northeastern Jordan near the border with Syria.

The party carrying out the attack was Kata'ib Hezbollah. Now, that is a group in Iraq that has been recently targeted by the Americans just southwest of Baghdad and near the border with Syria. It says the drone was launched from the outskirts of the Al-Murassant Base in the west of Ar-Rutbah district, so that's sort of near the Syrian border in Iraq.

So yes, that's the first claimant's responsibility we are seeing, and as I said, this is a group that recently has been targeted by the United States.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder, Ben. You mentioned this Hezbollah group that is in Iraq. What would be the connection with Hezbollah in Iran?

WEDEMAN: But -- well, you mean, in Lebanon. They are two separate groups carrying a similar name. Here, it is Hezbollah in Iraq. It's Kata'ib or the divisions and brigades of Hezbollah. But both of them, of course, are linked with Iran. And really, this is part of what's known in this part of the world as the Axis of Resistance.

This is a variety of groups and countries affiliated with Iran, including Hezbollah here in Lebanon, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen, and these militias in Syria and Iraq.

So it's all part of this network. They don't necessarily take direct orders on a daily basis from the Iranians, but they have received training from, for instance, Hezbollah in Lebanon has provided training to the various militias in Iraq.

But by and large, they have financial and military support coming from Iran itself -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and that's why I ask because, you know, the tentacles are spread wide throughout the region. And when you have a US senator who talks about retaliatory strikes that would involve Iran, that's why I asked about the Hezbollah connections with Iran.

You also made the distinction there in Lebanon, but then also now the claim of responsibility from a Hezbollah group in Iraq. It is very complicated.

All right, Ben Wedeman, thank you so much. Natasha Bertrand as well.

And Kevin, stick around because this escalation in the Middle East is happening as there are new efforts to bring home the more than 100 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas after four months of war. The White House has dispatched the CIA director to Europe for delicate talks with key Middle East officials. So Kevin, what are you hearing about those discussions?

LIPTAK: Yes, American officials are hopeful that this could lead to an eventual deal that would include the release of all of the remaining hostages in Gaza, as well as a prolonged pause in the fighting. And when you do see this flurry of diplomacy, it does give you the sense that we are arriving at an important juncture in these talks.

Bill Burns, the CIA director has acted as President Biden's point person on this issue. He is in Paris, in discussions with his intelligence counterparts from Israel and Egypt, as well as the Qatari prime minister.

[15:10:07]

We did hear from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office just in the last hour or so who described these talks as constructive, but they said that there are still significant gaps, which the sides will have to continue to discuss at meetings this week.

And we are getting a sense of some of the contours of the deal that is being discussed. It would occur in phases released of these hostages, a first phase would be civilians. The second phase would be IDF soldiers who remain in captivity, and the third would be the bodies of those hostages who died while they were in captivity, and this would be accompanied by a prolonged pause in the fighting.

But at the same time, there are still some significant hurdles that remain to all of this most significantly, what would happen once that process ends. Hamas has been adamant that it will only agree to a release of hostages that includes a permanent ceasefire; Israel has remained adamant that it will oppose a permanent ceasefire. It says it still needs to go after Hamas. But you do see all of these sides coming together for these very critical talks.

Now, just last week, the president's point person for the Middle East, Brett McGurk was in the region talking to all of the sides to try and come up with a plan that could result in the release of hostages.

President Biden also spoke on Friday with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as well as the Emir of Qatar, and so you see all of these elements kind of coming together.

At the same time, American officials have been very quick to set expectations. We did hear from John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman on Friday who said that there were no imminent developments in the offing. So certainly, these sides will continue to talk about this, try and come up with some kind of agreement, but certainly does appear as if we are reaching quite a significant moment in this -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, could a border deal be reached over the next few days? One of the key negotiators in the bipartisan talks seems to think so. And mayors across America sounding the alarm, desperate for solutions as they struggle to manage an influx of migrants from border states. New York's mayor saying his city is out of room. Details straight ahead.

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[15:16:42]

WHITFIELD: All right, this weekend brought a preview of the possible 2024 presidential matchup with President Biden and former President Trump trading attacks on the campaign trail. While Trump held a rally in Las Vegas, Biden traveled to South Carolina ahead of that state's upcoming primary.

There, the president previewed his general election message drawing a sharp contrast with Trump on the economy, the pandemic and respect for veterans.

CNN White House reporter, Priscilla Alvarez is joining us now from South Carolina.

Priscilla, so what more can you tell us about what the president said?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Fredricka, this was a key state for President Biden. It is one that he has credited for turning the tide in 2020. But this time around, he faces an uphill battle amid waning enthusiasm among Black voters and dipping poll numbers among this key constituency.

And so his message across multiple stops, including at the church behind me this morning is that he needs this state and this diverse electorate for him to clinch another win in November.

And to do that, he drew connections in a speech last night about what his administration has done for the communities of color, be it investing in HBCUs, driving down insulin costs, as well as student loan debt relief, and how that has improved and benefited the lives of Black voters.

But notably, Fred, he also mentioned an issue that up until this point on the trail had not come up, and that's border security.

President Biden throwing his support behind an emerging border deal saying that if given the authority, he would shut down the border and do it quickly. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If that bill were the law today, I'd shut down the border right now and fix it quickly. A bipartisan bill would be good for America and help fix our broken immigration system.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ALVAREZ: Now, that was one of many examples of the president, basically fending off former President Donald Trump on immigration policy, as well as a host of other issues and calling him a loser over multiple times in that speech.

But he also, Fred, was interrupted by Palestinian protesters who were calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and that was just another reality for the president as he hits the trail and there are divisions in his coalition about support for Israel, but at the end of the day, the resounding message here in South Carolina was that the president needs this state. It's not a competitive primary coming up next week, but it will test his standing with Black voters -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thanks so much.

All right, the migrant crisis on the border continues to spill over into Democratically-led cities including New York.

Recent arrivals, many of whom were bussed there by Texas are facing harsh winter weather. Also complicating the crisis is a shortage of beds, forcing some migrants to live in tents outside an already crowded temporary shelter setup.

Mayor Eric Adams said earlier this month the city is out of room after receiving thousands of asylum seekers.

I'd like to bring in now, CNN correspondent, Gloria Pazmino.

Gloria, what's happening there?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, as you can see, it can be pretty difficult conditions here on Randalls Island, especially when the weather is bad and people have to be exposed to the elements.

[15:20:01]

We spent some time here speaking with migrants including some who have arrived here in recent weeks and are still waiting for shelter placement. They tell me their turn is in the thousands.

Now, we also spoke with some migrants who have been given a bed to sleep in, but they know eventually they'll be kicked out, and that's just one of the challenges these migrants are facing here in the city as the administration continues to plead for federal intervention, saying they are simply out of room.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAZMINO (voice over): A warm meal after a day of cooking over an open flame on a shopping cart turned stove outside Randalls Island migrant tent city.

Robinson Bata says he shares this pot of rice with a fellow migrants on the island, home to one of New York City's sprawling tent facilities built with capacity to house 3,000 men and women. Robinson, 31 years old is from Colombia, just one of the more than 170,000 migrants who have arrived here in New York City since the spring of last year. More than 68,000 of them are still in the care of the city and space is running out.

For now, Robinson counts himself among the lucky ones.

(ROBINSON BATA speaking in foreign language.)

PAZMINO (voice over): He says, he is at a shelter in the Bronx that's safe, a hotel where there are cameras and security, but it's different here on Randalls Island. The massive facility has security, but no metal detectors.

Two weeks ago, a 24-year-old man was stabbed in the neck during a fight that resulted in 18 arrests according to police, and earlier this month, a man was stabbed and killed after a fight broke out inside the tent cafeteria.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK CITY: Still an investigation, but it is horrific, you know to have someone come here to pursue the American Dream and see it turn into a nightmare to lose a life.

PAZMINO (voice over): CNN has learned there are dozens of security cameras around the island and the city is in the process of installing more. In the meantime, the administration is also exploring a plan to install metal detectors.

While Mayor Adams continues to plead for federal intervention, his administration has put strict limits on shelter stays.

ADAMS: Our humane policy, that is we are telling single adults, 30 days; children and family, 60 days.

PAZMINO (voice over): Back at the food stalls, migrants make do with what they have: A steaming pot of coffee and pastries to fry, sold by migrants at $2.00 a pop, it will help keep some of them warm overnight.

This makeshift camp provides shelter to dozens of migrants who are waiting for placement inside the big tent and city shelters. The crude setup is just one reminder of the struggle migrants here in New York continue to face as winter drags on.

Still, Robinson is hopeful.

(ROBINSON BATA speaking in foreign language.)

PAZMINO (on camera): The reason for the hat as he says, well, this is the American flag and the American flag is what's helping me out right now. So I wear it with pride because he is telling me, he is hopeful that in the next few months, his situation will improve significantly and he'll be able to get settled and provide for his family back home.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PAZMINO: Now Fred, New York City is one of the few municipalities around the country that guarantee the right to shelter. They're in the middle of a legal fight to make some changes to those rules, something that advocates have criticized. The Legal Aid Society, as well as the Coalition for the Homeless have said those changes are just forcing people on to the street.

In the meantime, it's not just in New York City, other cities around the country are facing the same issue and adopting similar policies like Denver, which announced today they too will be imposing limits at their shelter facilities -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gloria Pazmino, thanks so much for bringing us that point of view.

All right, still to come, the Georgia Senate giving a special committee the greenlight to investigate Fulton County DA, Fani Willis. Could she be disqualified from the election subversion case?

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[15:28:32]

WHITFIELD: A Georgia prosecutor who has charged former President Donald Trump with election interference continues to come under growing scrutiny and new calls for her to step down from the case.

A third co-defendant in the 2020 Georgia election subversion case against Trump and his allies has filed a motion to disqualify Fulton County DA, Fan Willis. Pro-Trump lawyer, Robert Cheeley, who was indicted last year cites allegations that Willis and special prosecutor, Nathan Wade are romantically involved.

Trump's legal team and co-defendant, Mike Roman also filed a separate motion to get the prosecutors and the case dismissed. With me now to discuss this is Anthony Michael Kreis. He has a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University. So good to see you, Professor.

So based on what you know about these allegations, should Fani Willis be disqualified from the case?

ANTHONY MICHAEL KREIS, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY: Well, so far, the evidence is pretty thin to require disqualification. So the key that we want to ask about your disqualification case is, whether the prosecutor has a pecuniary interest or some monetary gain in the conviction of a defendant.

And so, there is no evidence of that really here. There's certainly a political problem. There's a question about ethics. There is a question about misappropriation of taxpayer funds, but that's not quite a disqualifying issue, so we'll see how that goes.

WHITFIELD: Because in general, we're saying now or maybe I'm hearing your right here, in general, having an affair is not grounds for dismissal and again it's alleged affair. We haven't even heard from either Nathan Wade or even Fani Willis to corroborate whether indeed there was an affair.

[15:30:10]

KREIS: Right. If there was some evidence or even an allegation, which there isn't that there was some kind of corrupt bargain, at the get-go to have this some kind of kickback or something like that, we have a real problem. But that's not really what we have. What we have is, you know, an interoffice romance that's alleged. It is again --

WHITFIELD: It may be unethical, you say.

KREIS: Maybe unethical, it may be slightly problematic. It is certainly politically problematic, right? It's an optics problem. It does raise some legitimacy issues for the entire case, but it's not really a prosecutorial disqualification issue.

WHITFIELD: Does the drip, drip, drip or the silence coming from Fani Willis or even Nathan Wade impair or damage the credibility of the case that they are handling? I mean, this is a sizable case, the election subversion case, but in any way, does their silence kind of undermine moving forward on that case?

KREIS: Well, I think it's certainly not a model for crisis communications work, right? The drip, drip, drip and the lack of a response, I think, has been problematic. You know, they want to respond in legal filings and that's the position they've taken and there are filings that are due in the next couple of weeks. So, we'll have to wait and see what comes out in those. But in terms of the politics, right, the law is one thing, but the politics of this, it's very messy, and it's very problematic to kind of let the news cycle do, you know, kind of run wild and speculate.

WHITFIELD: So, the filings, Fani Willis has to, you know, offer a written kind of response in a matter of days now, but it's really the evidentiary hearing that is scheduled for mid-February, that could be the most revealing, right?

What do, I guess, are we calling them the co-defendants in this? I guess, they are the ones who have offered the motion, not necessarily the plaintiffs as in like a lawsuit, but what do they have to present in this evidentiary hearing to, I guess, to justify the accusations they're making against Fani Willis and Nathan Wade.

KREIS: I think they'd have to really show that there is some gain to be had in their conviction. And again, that's never really been alleged here. It's just -- again, it's just a bad political dynamic. It's an interoffice relationship. You know, again, it's a bad look, but how it prejudices these co-defendants, I mean, they really haven't made that case yet.

WHITFIELD: How about prejudicing the potential jurors?

KREIS: That certainly could be a problem. I mean, I think what we have to understand here, too, is that there are -- you know, there is the optics of -- you know, the optics that the DA has, but this has been really successful in terms of the defendants, right? Because we're talking about --

WHITFIELD: Distraction.

KREIS: Right. We're talking about Fani Willis. We're talking about ethics, we're talking about the legitimacy of the investigation and the process, and we're not talking about the substance and the merits of the case.

WHITFIELD: Is it enough to throw -- mess up the entire case?

KREIS: It's really unlikely. Unless there is a disqualification, in which case, who knows what the DA's office --

WHITFIELD: Who would make that determination? Judge McAfee?

KREIS: So there is a prosecutor's counsel -- yes, he would make the disqualification decision, but then, there is a prosecutor's counsel who would reassign the case and that could derail it. If it's an office that doesn't want to do it or doesn't have the bandwidth or the resources to take it on.

WHITFIELD: Do you have an opinion about the state Republicans who have developed a commission to investigate. How might that either undermine the prosecution of these subversion cases? Or does it assist in the co-defendants' allegations against Fani Will and Nathan Wade.

KREIS: I think it really depends on how quickly they get things going in the State Senate, because things are moving quite fast in terms of the legal filings and evidentiary hearing on February 15th.

So I don't know how much it's going to affect things, but it certainly could be a problem, at least, a hassle for the DA if nothing else.

WHITFIELD: Right. All right, Georgia State University professor, Anthony Michael Kreis, thank you so much.

KREIS: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.

All right, more on the deadly attack on US soldiers in Jordan. Three US troops killed and more than 30 injured. Officials are working to identify who is behind it. Our Ben Wedeman reveal information that he has. We'll have more on that after this.

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[15:38:25]

WHITFIELD: All right, more now on our breaking story.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he is outraged and deeply saddened after three US soldiers were killed and more than 30 injured from a drone strike in Jordan by Iran-backed militants. US officials say the attack struck the living quarters at a small US outpost near the Syrian border, and it comes after weeks of trying to keep the Israel- Hamas conflict from spilling into the region.

I want to bring in now CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger for more on this.

David, great to see you. So Biden says those responsible will be held accountable. In your view, how does that play out? What might that mean?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: It's hard to tell, Fredricka, because this is exactly the situation that the administration feared it could find itself in at some point. You know, for the past couple of months, it has been quite successful at intercepting drones and missiles that were Iranian produced and given to these proxy groups or sold to them. And, you know, it was only a matter of time before a tragedy like this would unfold.

So now the question facing the administration is this: Do they simply retaliate against the proxy groups as they had been doing so far in Iraq, in Syria, depending on where this was launched from? Or do they conclude that they need to go take the high risk of going after production facilities in Iran itself or you know, the source of all of this and that would be a high risk because both Iran and the United States have been going out of their way to try to avoid having a direct confrontation.

[15:40:14]

And I'm sure President Biden wants to continue that, but he is also going to be under considerable pressure, I think.

WHITFIELD: Right, I mean, that is a very difficult juncture there because from our Ben Wedeman reporting, this proxy group, Hezbollah of Iraq, a more technical name that I'm not going to try to pronounce. But the connection and the link to Hezbollah, you know, I guess the nucleus of operations in Iran.

So, last hour, I spoke with a General Wesley Clark who said that a retaliatory strike has to happen, but he says in a very specific way, and it would send a message to Iran and a message he said to the region without further escalating into an all-out war. Is that possible, in your view?

SANGER: It is possible, but it's always high risk. Because whenever you do a retaliatory strike, you want to do it in a way that basically creates deterrence so that there isn't a temptation to then escalate to the next step. But it's not clear that the group that's on the receiving end of that response is going to view it the same way you do and that's the risk here.

So, you know, I don't think it's a hard decision to go after one of the proxy groups. It's a really hard decision about whether or not to go after Iran, for exactly that reason. And, you know, it's not clear that Iran necessarily ordered this.

What has become clear is that Iran has funded these groups has provided them with weapons, sometimes it's given them intelligence along the way. I don't know if they did in this case, but the groups are not completely under Iranian control and that's as big a risk for Iran as it is for the United States, because it means they're handing weapons to groups that may do things with them that sweep Iran into the conflict.

WHITFIELD: So given that, then what kinds of conversations are happening internally in the White House, in the Pentagon, and how many of those conversations are also involving other parties in the region so that there is almost like a consortium that has been built in which to determine the right kind of response that should follow?

SANGER: Well, on the one hand, the president is going to have to act with American weaponry because these were Americans who were killed. But it wouldn't be like Joe Biden to do this without the full on support of as many allies as he could get to sign on. And, you know, the British will be an easy one for that. The Israelis, though I don't think he's going to want Israel to be part of the response. He doesn't want to escalate it that way.

The big question is, will the Jordanians themselves, since this happened on Jordanian territory? Would other Arab states step in and help? And that's a really tough issue, because he doesn't want to turn this into a Shia-Sunni conflict as well between the Iranians and the Arab states are proposing.

WHITFIELD: And then time is of issue, the timing of a response. How long, you know, the US gives itself to contemplate all of these things or how quickly it needs to react. All of those things come into play as well.

SANGER: Oh, they do. The political pressure on the president. It is an election year, he might want to think about military responses being driven by electoral politics, certainly, the pressure is there. You already saw a statement from former President Trump that had one brief paragraph expressing sympathy and then several paragraphs, saying this was a sign of Joe Biden's weakness, that this wouldn't have happened while he was president.

You know, in fact, a lot of things in the way of terrorist attacks did happen while he was president, but this will get wrapped into the political discussion as everything this year does.

WHITFIELD: All right, David Sanger, thank you so much for being with me. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

WHITFIELD: And all this happening as President Biden there in South Carolina. You see Representative Clyburn alongside him. He did comment about these three US troops who have been killed and others injured there.

[15:45:08]

Let's go to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez who is traveling with the president in South Carolina; Natasha Bertrand is also with us. But first to you, Priscilla, what did the president say?

ALVAREZ: Well, President Joe Biden stopping at a lunch in South Carolina, where he provided some brief remarks about the attack last night calling it "a tough night." Also saying that the we lost three brave souls. He went on to hold a moment of silence, and then said that we will respond. This is an extension of his statement earlier today, where he also suggested that the US will retaliate and hold those accountable as the US continues to gather more facts.

Now, President Biden was briefed this morning by his National Security team. There was a follow up briefing this afternoon with a larger group of his national security team that played out virtually just before this lunch.

Now, President Biden is expected to head to Washington later this afternoon. But clearly, this is top of mind, as he makes multiple stops here in South Carolina and of course, Fred, all of this deeply concerning for the administration, which wants to avoid a widening conflict in the Middle East.

But as the tensions have been escalating in the region, and how the US chooses to respond is the big question going into the next few days, clearly a concerning development for President Biden, who again, remarked on this only moments ago, calling it a tough night and saying that we lost those three brave souls.

WHITFIELD: All right, and Priscilla, while we are looking at the video, the problem is the audio. It is terrible, meaning the quality of the audio, and that's why you're not hearing the president, but when and if we're able to kind of clean up that signal or be able to understand what the president is saying, of course, we'll bring it to our audiences.

Meantime, Natasha Bertrand, what are the considerations that the US is entertaining on how it responds. The president said they want to respond responsibly. Now, a group has claimed responsibility, what are the options?

BERTRAND: Well, the administration is walking a very, very fine line here between, of course needing to respond and avoiding and all-out war with Iran and perhaps another major regional power, something that they did not want to see happen when of course, they sent troops over to the region in response to the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th, but that many US officials believe could be inevitable, given the number of strikes and attacks that we've seen from these Iran-backed militias on US and coalition bases over the last several months, over 150 of them just since October.

And so the question now is, is the US going to go after this very specific militant group that appears to have claimed responsibility for this attack? If the reports are accurate, that this group Kata'ib Hezbollah has, in fact, claimed responsibility, then that would put them back into the crosshairs of the United States, which just last week, struck this group and their militants in Iraq because of previous rocket and drone attacks that they had carried out against US bases in the region. And so the question is, are they only going to go after the Iran- backed proxy groups, or are they going to attack on Iran itself as many Republican lawmakers have begun calling for? That is the really tough question they'll have to answer -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Natasha Bertrand and Priscilla Alvarez, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. We'll have much more in a moment. Stay with us.

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[15:52:56]

WHITFIELD: We are just hours away from the NFC Championship game between the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers and the history-making Detroit Lions. Tonight's high-stakes game is a massive deal for Michigan football fans. Sixteen years ago, hey, they lost every game of the season, and now the Detroit Lions are on the brink of the Super Bowl for what would be a franchise first and Motor City is firing on all cylinders.

CNN's Sports anchor, Coy Wire joining me live from Detroit where I know it is electric there for a storybook season. What's going on?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. Hi, Fredricka. The Lions and 49ers represent this clash of football and culture. It's like Ford F-150 versus a Tesla, old school mash mouth football against flashy new school scheme, an old industry and economy versus modernity and new money.

In the 50s, Detroit Motor City was one of America's richest cities with GM, Ford, Chrysler popping out cars like a PEZ dispenser. The football team dominated, too, winning three NFL championships in '52, '53, and 1957. And then it was crickets.

The city's industries, economy, and football team marinated in mediocrity for decades, but before this season, Fredricka, the Lions only won one playoff game since the 50s in 1992, and as you mentioned, became the first team in the NFL to go winless in a season back in 2008.

They are one of just four teams to have never reached a Super Bowl, but now, they are rolling, just one win away, led by former Lions player, tough as nails coach, Dan Campbell, who vowed his team will kick you in the teeth, bite your kneecaps, until they find a way to get up just like the city did. The team representing Motor City is full throttle. Here's one of their stars, David Montgomery on Motor City magic.

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DAVID MONTGOMERY, DETROIT LIONS RUNNING BACK: It is second to none. I've never been a part of or seen anything like it, you know, just to wait at this place, this city, you can feel how authentic it is. You can feel, you know, the love and the want from the entire city, so just being a part of it is special. (END VIDEO CLIP)

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WIRE: Now the 49ers, they represent that new school, Silicon Valley's team. They play within in the birthplace of Apple, Google, Facebook, steeped in innovation, money, and success on the field.

They played in seven Super Bowls, Fredricka, won five. One more, they'll tie the record. So yes, this is, one team is pretty, one is gritty. But it's about to get ugly. The winner will be headed into the Super Bowl.

WHITFIELD: I love it. I love an underdog story. I mean, Detroit Lions, they're on top but I'm still going to call them the underdogs, right? So I've got to root for -- I've got to root for them in that first game.

Coy Wire, thank you so much in Detroit.

We'll be right back.

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