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Biden Blames Congress For Fall Of Ukrainian City Of Avdiivka; Global Outrage Grows Over Death Of Putin Critic Alexey Navalny; New Details Emerge On Potential Russian Nuclear Space Weapon; Tennessee Sheriff's Office Releases Video Of Shooting That Killed Deputy; Biden Visits Site Of East Palestine, Ohio Trail Derailment; Texas Governor Announces Plans To Build 80-Acre Base In Eagle Pass; Trump Addresses Supporters In Michigan Following Latest Civil Fraud Trial. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 17, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:24]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Washington, D.C. And we begin with some breaking news.

We're learning that President Biden just spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House says Biden reinforced his administration's commitment to supporting Ukraine and blame the U.S. Congress for a significant loss on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Let's get straight to Priscilla Alvarez here in Washington.

Priscilla, what are we learning about that call?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a call, Fred, that comes at a critical time for Ukraine and also for this funding fight that has been playing out here in Washington. And President Biden taking a moment to nod to a withdrawal, a critical one that occurred hours ago in Ukraine, and also taking a moment to tie it to congressional inaction, saying this, according to the White House readout.

Quote, "This morning, Ukraine's military was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka after Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction resulting in Russia's first notable gains in months. President Biden emphasized the need for Congress to urgently pass the national security supplemental funding bill to resupply Ukrainian forces."

Now, U.S. officials have recently expressed concern about exactly this, that without additional funds and additional assistance to Ukraine that they would be forced to withdraw from key areas resulting in Russia gaining territory. And that is the fear that they have held. It's one that President Biden has tried to convey since introducing this national security supplemental request last October, that includes $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine.

Now, it has been stalled because of infighting in Congress. We saw how some progress this week with the Senate passing a foreign aid package that includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. But it now goes to the House and House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he has no plans to put this up for a vote on the House floor, not to mention that the House is also out for two weeks. And so this funding in the interim remains stalled and Ukraine is losing ground at least in this particular instance, to Russia.

And so this comes at a time where Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to reassure Ukraine and allies that the U.S. stands with Ukraine. President Biden doing the same in the phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and all of this just going to show the fresh urgency from the White House to make sure that pressure is on Congress to get these funds to Ukraine.

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

Russia's war on Ukraine and the death of Putin critic Alexey Navalny are being discussed at a security conference in Munich, Germany. A growing number of countries, including the U.S., are blaming Vladimir Putin for Navalny's death.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more from Munich.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Fredricka, sharp focus here on the death of Navalny. Circumstances emerging now, his mother having gone to the prison colony in the Arctic Circle known as Polar Wolf, receiving a telegram there confirming his death, being told the body had been moved to a nearby town called Salekhard, had gone to the morgue, then told the body wasn't there, too.

So Navalny's team clear that the circumstances around his death, the investigation around it, opaque to say the very best here. And while there isn't direct evidence saying that the Kremlin killed Navalny purposefully, certainly the most generous interpretation is they failed miserably to keep a man in frail health alive in an Arctic Circle prison area.

And so today we're beginning to hear yet more strident reaction, particularly from Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, saying how this is another extraordinary example of Putin's brutality. And really Navalny's death has served as a backdrop here, a stark reminder of the threat Russia poses to its internal dissidents, but also to the European countries who've gathered here to discuss their security.

Initially, I think comments from former President Donald Trump that he might reevaluate his -- well, U.S.'s role in the future in NATO, that pushed aside because clearly of Russia's actions near the Arctic Circle, so many statements we've been hearing a clear reminder of how European countries see that as a threat. And too also Navalny's death providing useful context, potentially tragic as it was for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He took the stage today to say this as another reminder frankly of how Putin cannot be dealt with. He can't be negotiated with. And also he had to reveal that the Ukrainian forces have pulled out of a key town in Eastern Ukraine, Avdiivka. [15:05:07]

A stark reflection really that the holdup in aid from the United States, $60 billion worth, really stuck because of Republican dysfunction in Congress but it's having a real impact on Ukrainian front lines. Zelenskyy said, look, we've lost one soldier in that fight. The Russians have lost seven. And what that might tend potentially to better Ukrainian tactics or how they've tried to use this Avdiivka fight to where the Russians down, it also shows that Moscow almost has inexhaustible human resource, is willing to throw at this war, however callus that indeed is.

So minds here are very much focused on the threat of Putin for loss of Navalny, and how Ukraine is already deeply suffering on the front lines because of a slowdown or a stoppage to some degree in Western aid -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

We're also getting exclusive new details about Russia's nuclear plans for space. Sources familiar with the U.S. intelligence say the Kremlin is attempting to develop a weapon capable of knocking out a large network of critical satellites orbiting the earth.

CNN's Katie Bo Lillis is here now with more of her exclusive reporting.

Katie Bo, what have you learned about this mystery weapon?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, so what we've learned about this, this mystery Russian nuclear anti-satellite weapon that has caused such alarm in Washington for the last few days is that it is what military space experts refer to generally as a nuclear EMP. This is a nuclear weapon that would be parked in earth's orbit that if detonated would send out a massive energy wave that would potentially cripple other satellites that are surrounding it.

So think of this less like a nuclear missile or a nuclear warhead that's being fired at a specific target and more like a directed energy weapon that's going to blanket a bunch of targets, sort of spreading outward from the weapon itself.

Now, really important to emphasize here, Fred, that U.S. officials have said that this is not something that Russia has already developed. It's not in orbit. This is just something that Russia wants to do. The word that we keep hearing from U.S. officials is that it is aspirational, but if Russia were to successfully develop and field a nuclear EMP, what would that look like?

It wouldn't endanger people directly on the earth's surface. But what it could do is have massive damaging impacts on the communications networks that people use to go about their everyday lives, to do everything from sending a text message to paying their bills online, to call an Uber, to shop in on Instagram.

It could also experts say have a big impact. It could take out these sort of large constellations of commercial satellites like SpaceX satellites that have been used so successfully by Ukraine in their fight against Russia to both communicate on the battlefield and to direct their fires.

What we don't know at this point, Fred, is what impact this weapon could have on GPS satellites and on America's nuclear command and control satellites. Those satellites operate at a higher orbit. And in theory are designed to be battle hardened at nuclear, I should say -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK, I got you. And then how close is Russia to trying to develop this weapon?

LILLIS: Yes, it's a really good question. The concept of a nuclear EMP has been around really since the Cold War. And this is something that U.S. officials, this general threat is something that U.S. officials say that they have been tracking for months, if not years. We know from our own sources that the Pentagon has been watching for the past few months a stream of intelligence reporting about Russian efforts to advance their nuclear-powered anti-satellite technology, which is a related technology, but sort of less alarming.

President Biden said yesterday that what was so concerning to the intelligence community was that they realized that Russia had the capability to launch this kind of weapon, which of course is not the same thing as saying that they actually have a working nuclear EMP. And in fact, the Russians have had a number of high-profile setbacks in their nuclear development program. Even just a few years ago a number of Russian scientists were killed in the wake of a failed test launch of a nuclear-powered cruise missile.

So for some of the sources that I spoke to, Fred, they're a little skeptical that Russia is actually going to be able to make this work in the long run, but it is certainly something that intelligence officials are watching very, very closely, and now debating how do we respond.

WHITFIELD: All right. Katie Bo Lillis, thank you so much.

All right. For more on all of this now, let's bring in former CIA officer Bob Baer. He is also the author of "The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower."

Bob, great to see you. So you just heard Katie Bo, her report on Russia's development of a nuclear space weapon. So how vulnerable our satellites to a weapons such as that?

[15:10:00]

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OFFICER: They've been vulnerable for a long time. When I was in the CIA, of course decades ago, the Russians were working at interfering with our satellite communications. We were warned several times they could cut them off at any time. How much they've advanced? I don't know, but I think the Russians are capable of taking out or satellites, EMPs, laser pulses, and the rest of it. Technology is very advanced. They're very good at it. But what worries me is what is Putin's

intentions? You know, he keeps on looking like these, bringing us back into the Cold War. And with a confrontation, a military confrontation with the United States. And you look at the way Ukraine is going as of yesterday. And the rest of the threats to Eastern Europe and the Baltics. What are his intentions with all this? You know, he's breaking treaties as well. It looks like he's trying to gin up the Cold War again.

WHITFIELD: Right, because we hear from Katie Bo's reporting there that this kind of effort would interrupt communication, your wi-fi signal for, you know, folks at home or even government, wi-fi signal, your communications via cell or otherwise. What would be happening with the cloak of that interruption and while that's the big question mark, you know, how would the U.S. combat this effort? What's in place or what has to be developed in order for the U.S. to protect itself from something like this?

BAER: Well, it's also the fiber optics that go into the ocean that go into the Atlantic or even East Asia. The Russians could take those out as we saw with Nord Stream. But this would be an active war. And it depends at parallel communications we could set up. The military does, but civilian communications, worst-case scenario, he could take them out for a very long time.

WHITFIELD: OK. On Friday, President Biden emphasized that, you know, there's no nuclear threat to Americans or anyone else in the world with what Russia is doing with this potential weapon. But how concerned are you about the potential, you know, implications of this weapon?

BAER: Well, the fact that Putin has pulled out of so many treaties, the fact that he has reorganized the Soviet Union so many ways and intelligence, the military, the fact that he's been able to sustain this offensive on Ukraine, and you hear Europeans complete warning us all the time that he's going to -- Putin is going to be going after the Baltics next and is going to move into a confrontation with Europe. There are so many signs of that. And the fact that he clearly killed Navalny is he has no limits.

WHITFIELD: So as it pertains to Navalny, what are your concerns about whether his family will ever receive his body? What's your thought as to what is happening right now? Well, family members were told it's at one location, it turns out it wasn't at the morgue. What would Russia be doing with his body or what are they obviously trying to conceal his cause of death? But what do you expect is happening right now?

BAER: I speculate that he was killed with a poison and the last thing the Russians want is to give the body of the family to do an independent forensics investigation on how he died because it would prove that he was assassinated. Putin, when he kills people, likes to leave ambiguity. He uses proxies, he uses poison, rare poisons and the rest of it, and he has a long history of killing former intelligence officers and oligarchs, and this is just another one. Anybody that stands in his way, he'll kill. And there's a case in

Florida where the FBI believes that he tried to kill a defector living in Miami. So there are no borders for Putin. And he'll kill his own citizens. And I do believe, and this is proof, there's indictments, that he will kill people on our soil.

WHITFIELD: Is it your feeling that the family will never retrieve anything the likes of Navalny's body?

BAER: I don't think we'll ever see it. I think he'll put out the lie, say he died of natural causes, which they've started to do that, and so if they give the body over, it'd be the way that the family can't can take control of it so that they can avoid a proper autopsy.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Bob Baer, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much.

All right. Ahead on CNN, a special encore of the Oscar-winning CNN Film that follows Alexey Navalny's life as an outspoken opposition leader and assassination target. "NAVALNY" airs tonight at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

[15:15:03]

And still ahead, one Virginia volunteer firefighter is dead and several more hurt after an explosion levels a house outside nation's capital. Plus police in Tennessee releasing bodycam and dashcam video that shows two deputies being shot during a traffic stop. One of those deputies died, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An investigation is underway after a catastrophic explosion at a home in Sterling, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. The blast happened last night as emergency crews are responding to gas leaking from a 500-gallon underground propane tank on the side of the home. One firefighter, 45-year-old Trevor Brown, was killed and 13 other people were injured, including 11 first responders.

[15:20:03]

During a press conference earlier today, Loudon County fire officials say they assume the explosion was propane related, but no official cause has yet been determined.

And new today, police in Tennessee have now released body and dashcam video from a deadly traffic stop that led to a five-day manhunt. The driver, Kenneth DeHart, was charged this week with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a weapon. DeHard had evaded capture for five days after fleeing the shooting scene where authorities say he fatally shot Deputy Greg McCowan and injured Deputy Shelby Eggers.

I'd like to bring in now CNN correspondent Dianne Gallagher, who has been following the story for us. So, Dianne, I do want to warn viewers that some parts of the story are

very hard to watch on this newly released video. So what are you learning?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. There are two things that we should warn people about this video. Number one, it is extremely difficult to watch and to also hear at certain points of it. And also that it was released and edited by the Blount County Sheriff's Office.

Now, we see at the very beginning of it, Deputy Shelby Eggers observing through her dash cam the vehicle that was driven by Kenneth DeHart crossing the center lane several times. She stops him on suspicion of driving under the influence. And at the beginning of the video, she's just talking to DeHart about this, says that she suspects this. He denies it. She says she smells marijuana. He tells her he didn't realize he was in the other lane.

He was just trying to fix his hair and wasn't paying attention. He denies smoking marijuana throughout the entire video. She tells him to get out, he refuses. When her backup, Deputy Greg McCowan arrives, he tries to get DeHart to leave the vehicle as well. DeHart continues to refuse. That is when McCowan deploys his taser three separate times.

Now, I want you to see this part we're going to show you right now. This is the final taser deployment followed by the shots fired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're about to get tased.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please. Stop. Let me get out --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop. Stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just going to tase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Now the video pauses when the shots are fired but McGowan's bodycam does show him just falling to the ground there. And on the dashcam, you can see Eggers limping away after she has been shot. The vehicle with DeHart takes off and, that is when DeHart appears to continue firing back at the officers. Eggers tries to fire at the fleeing vehicle. Eggers began screaming for McCowan to respond to her.

She flags down some other drivers who get out to help her. She asked them to go and check on Deputy McCowan. One of them comes back and says they don't think that he is breathing. They help get her assistance. Other officers do arrive there on scene to help her as well. Now, you mentioned there was a five-day manhunt for DeHart. He was then eventually arrested and does face first-degree attempted murder, first-degree murder, and those weapons charges.

Fred, Deputy McCowan was laid to rest on Valentine's Day.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right. Dianne Gallagher, thank you so much.

All right. Even one year later, life for residents in East Palestine, Ohio, is far from normal. Some are still without homes. How they're responding to President Biden's visit.

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[15:27:47]

WHITFIELD: Quoting now, "An act of greed." That's what President Biden called the Norfolk Southern train derailment that sent toxins into the soil, water, and air of East Palestine, Ohio. Biden blasting the rail company during a visit to the site a year after that toxic accident.

CNN's Jason Carroll tells us more about Biden's visit yesterday and how people there are feeling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Biden burst order to thank first responders who battled the blaze during the Norfolk Southern train derailment and to make a promise. His administration would not abandon the people of East Palestine. Many here angry it took the president a year to visit, saying it's too little too late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

CARROLL: His motorcade met with jeers as it traveled through towns, some shouting obscenities. Later, the president reaffirmed his promise to see this through no matter how long it takes.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not going home no matter what until this job is done. And it's not done yet. We have an obligation.

CARROLL: Biden will have to convince residents such as Cathy Reese.

CATHY REESE, NEGLEY, OHIO RESIDENT: I don't know what took him so long to get here. Maybe he's afraid to come, too. I don't know. I wouldn't want to be here if I didn't have to be.

CARROLL: Reese saw the contamination up close. Last February, we found dead fish in a creek that runs through her property. Reese says she no longer sees fish dying. In fact, she says she doesn't see many fish at all.

What would your message to the president be?

REESE: Give us more information, do more testing. CARROLL (voice-over): The president made a stop at this candle shop in

town during his visit where he sipped tap water and met with the shop's owners. They told us earlier if they ever had a chance to meet the president, part of their message, do more to get the Rail Safety Act passed.

MELISSA SMITH, BUSINESS OWNER IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO: We see our own senators working together and we can't seem to get once it gets to Washington, D.C. to get everybody on the same page.

CARROLL: Biden reiterated his support for the act while in East Palestine. The bipartisan legislation created in the wake of the derailment calls for tougher regulations on the industry, but it has been stalled in Congress.

[15:30:02]

REP. CHRIS DELUZIO (D-PA): We need action, Mr. Speaker.

CARROLL: Frustrating lawmakers such as Congressman Chris Deluzio, whose district in Pennsylvania borders East Palestine. He's a co- sponsor of the House version of the bill and says it's all being held up because of rail industry lobbyists trying to keep things just as they are.

DELUZIO: Look, these guys peddle the same I think bad ideology that we can be trusted to regulate ourselves. They can't.

CARROLL: The industry is spending millions to influence Congress, according to Open Secrets, a non-profit that tracks lobbying efforts. The rail industry spent more than $24 million last year on lobbying. Norfolk Southern spent more than $2.3 million in 2023 up from the year before when the company spent $1.8 million.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: There are a lot of people from East Palestine who are frustrated by this. And so am I.

CARROLL: The Rail Safety Act would be new inspection and new safety requirements for railroads. Norfolk Southern pointed to reductions in its accident rates. Also saying in a statement to CNN, "Our industry can make rail even safer, but it will take railroads, car owners, and manufacturers and our customers. From day one, we've shared these views directly with our elected officials. We see a real opportunity for us to advance policies that will prevent accidents and improve collaboration with first responders."

While the battle continues in Washington, back in East Palestine, the EPA says its tests continue to show the air, soil, and water are safe. Work continues on local creeks. They can keep working. Cathy Reese says she'll wait to see if the president keeps his word and keep drinking her bottled water.

REESE: I won't drink anything but.

CARROLL: For how long?

REESE: I don't know. I wish I know.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, East Palestine, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Joining us right now, East Palestine resident and member of the environmental group Moms Clean Air Force, Misti Allison.

Misti, what's it been like for you in the past year?

MISTI ALLISON, MEMBER, MOMS CLEAN AIR FORCE: Hello. Thanks for having me on the show. It has been such a whirlwind year and I will say from the very beginning, it's been a very anxiety-ridden situation. And while a lot of progress has been made, there are still so much work to do. And as you saw from Jason, the anxiety is still very real in East Palestine and in the surrounding area.

WHITFIELD: Are you still only drinking bottled water just like the woman that Jason just talked to? Oh, Misti, can you hear me?

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: OK.

ALLISON: And so --

WHITFIELD: Yes. Go ahead.

ALLISON: And they are in the process of installing like carbon filter as well. However, people in the (INAUDIBLE) on private wells that don't (INAUDIBLE) water testing as frequently as the city water. And so I definitely understand the fear and anxiety from those residents.

WHITFIELD: You were actually able to talk with President Biden yesterday. What was that meeting like? What did he say? How does this, you know, add hope for you?

ALLISON: It does add hope for me. I honestly am very pleased that President Biden did come to East Palestine and fulfill that commitment to come to our area. I think it's so important to put a face on this train derailment and connect to a disaster so he can realize firsthand that this has been such a disaster and has really impacted families like mine.

I was quite pleased with his remarks in wanting to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and also mentioning that the government will fill in the gaps when Norfolk Southern doesn't do everything that the area needs. So I think that's a good step.

One other thing, too. I was pleased that he did announce those health care research grants from the National Institutes of Health. That is a great first start. But there are still so much more work that needs to be done. So I hope this is just the beginning of continued conversations with his administration.

WHITFIELD: Do you believe it's safe to continue living there in East Palestine? Do you see yourself staying there?

ALLISON: My family loves East Palestine. My husband is a fourth- generation native, and we move to East Palestine to raise our children in small town America. So many different community sadly have went through similar disasters and they have been able to recover and thrive. So I am optimistic that East Palestine can do that, too. We are very strong and resilient people, but we need all the help that we can get in order to make sure that that is able to happen.

[15:35:06]

So, yes, my family does want to stay in East Palestine, but we are closely monitoring the situation and we are very committed to being part of the solution to what's going on here.

WHITFIELD: You testified in a Senate hearing back in March of last year. Has anything changed since you gave that testimony?

ALLISON: So sadly what I've learned in the past year is everything takes longer than you think it should. I am quite disappointed that the railway safety act has not come to a vote and it has not been passed. As was mentioned, we have bipartisan support from our Ohio Senators Brown and Vance, and that is quite remarkable.

I don't know how anybody could argue that there needs to be more commonsense safety legislation in place for railway safety and for the transportation of all of these dangerous chemicals. So I really help that everybody is able to come together and find a way to get this passed instead of continuing find excuses and stalling.

WHITFIELD: The EPA says it removed more than 174,000 tons of contaminated soil. And official say they're confident there is no risk to residents through the water or soil or air contamination. Do you buy that?

ALLISON: I think that this is still an ever-evolving situation in East Palestine, and for instance, the creeks are still contaminated and that is something that, that work to continue to clean up the creeks is going to be going on for some time. So while a lot has been done, that is true. We need to continue to clean up the area and I am still strongly advocating and pleading for more long-term health care monitoring.

The research grants that were announced yesterday is a great first start, but we desperately need long-term health care monitoring in the area from a primary care perspective. The providers in the area are not equipped and don't have a framework in place to be able to know exactly the testing that we need and the treatment that we would potentially need for toxic chemical exposures.

And that is something that we desperately need more help with and guidance with in order to make sure that families like mine are taken care of in a proactive way instead of a reactive way.

WHITFIELD: All right, Misti Allison, all the best to you, your family, and your entire community. ALLISON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. The fight between the Biden administration in the state of Texas over the southern border is growing. We'll tell you what the state of Texas wants to do now to stop migrants from entering the U.S. illegally.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:42:14]

WHITFIELD: Texas Governor Greg Abbott says he plans to build an 80- acre base to house up to 1800 Texas National Guard members on the U.S.-Mexico border. He says the base will be built in Eagle Pass, the border city at the center of the contentious feud between Texas and the Biden administration.

CNN's Camila Bernal joining me now with more on this.

Camila, what are you learning?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, this really is just the latest in this feud that you mentioned between the state of Texas and the Biden administration over federal immigration policy and how things should be handled at the border.

Now the base will house up to 1800 Texas National Guard members, but it could expand to 2300 if there is a surge in migrants. Now the governor is calling it a military base to amass a large army in a very strategic area. But it's also an 80-acre base that appears to be in direct defiance of the federal border control.

Now, according to Abbott, the base will help them consolidate and it will give them flexibility and speed because of its proximity to the border. But he also highlighted the ability it will give them to expand that razor wire in the area, something that's already been a huge point of contention between the two sides. Here is what the governor said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS: Our goal is to make sure that we expand the effectiveness of that razor wire to more areas along this border. Having the soldiers located right here right by the river, they're going to have the ability to more quickly be able to construct that razor wire barrier. And this will reduce the travel time and costs of current living conditions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now, last year, Texas officials sued the Biden administration for cutting that razor wire at the border. But last month, the Supreme Court ruled that Border Patrol agents could remove that razor wire while the state's legal challenge plays out. And it's not just the razor wire and the Border Patrol's access to the border that's playing now in court, the legality of that Texas decision to implement a series of buoys on its border and the river with Mexico, that's still in question, too.

An appeals court is set to reconsider an earlier court's ruling declaring that barrier illegal. And don't forget, Abbott continues to send migrants from the border to Democratic-controlled cities across the U.S. which has been at the center of this showdown between the state of Texas and the federal government.

Now the administration has said plenty of times that this is a federal issue, but Abbott, of course, showing with this latest announcement of this new base that he's just not backing down -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Camila Bernal. Thanks so much.

BERNAL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. From the trial to the trail. In just a few hours, Donald Trump will address voters at his first rally since being ordered to pay nearly $355 million in his civil fraud case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:32]

WHITFIELD: All right. A few hours from now, former President Trump will hold a get-out-the-vote rally in Michigan. This will be the first time he'll directly address his supporters since a New York judge ordered him to pay nearly $355 million in a devastating fraud ruling.

CNN's Steve Contorno joining us now.

Steve, Michigan is a critical battleground state. What are we expecting to hear from Trump today on what was a devastating ruling for him?

[15:50:03]

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we're just 10 days away from the Michigan Republican primary, so extensively this visit is to rally his supporters here ahead of that primary and of course, as you mentioned, Michigan is going to be a critical battleground states this fall as well this is the first of many trips he is expected to make here this year. But of course, these legal challenges and troubles are looming over the campaign trail as well and certainly over his events today.

And that we certainly got a taste this week of this dynamic of Trump. The defendant and Trump the candidate sort of clashing against each other. You have Thursday and Friday we had these monster rulings in these legal challenges that Trump is facing. And then today he is out in the campaign trail. And this dynamic is something that his opponent Nikki Haley has been drawing attention to as she campaigns in South Carolina. Listen to what she had to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's going to be in court in March and April. He's going to be in a different court in April and May. He himself has said he's going to be spending more time in a courtroom than he is on the election trail.

How do you win an election that way? You can't win an election if you're spending more time in court than you are on the campaign trail. You just can't do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Trump responded to Nikki Haley at Truth Social today, taking a shot at her, saying Nikki Haley is getting absolutely clobbered by crooked Joe in the polls. Of course, many polls actually show Nikki Haley performing well against Joe Biden, especially in critical swing states. But Trump has also been at Truth Social all day talking about these legal challenges, responding to what happened yesterday saying it was a, quote, "witch hunt," resharing clips of his son and others defending him today.

Today he also spent some time in Philadelphia. He's at Sneaker Con where he is unveiling a new line of shoes. The Biden campaign, Fred, poking fun at that a little bit, saying, quote, "The closest he'll get to any Air Force Ones ever again for the rest of his life."

WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right, Steve Contorno, thank you so much.

All right. Lies, corruption, bribery, prostitution, sometimes the goal of upholding ideals like truth and justice in American politics goes awry. And the stranger than fiction situations that result can leave the voting public's heads spinning. In the new CNN Original Series, "UNITED STATES OF SCANDAL," CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper dives into some of the most sensational political controversies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: We're here to get your side of the story.

Where are the weapons of mass destruction?

How do you view your time as governor?

ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: I had 2,896 days in prison to ask myself 1,000 questions, including that.

TAPPER: For 30 or so years, I have shined a bright light on the inner workings of American political power.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It never occurred to him that extorting a hospital might harm people.

JIM MCGREEVEY, FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: I engaged in a consensual affair with another man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was shocking.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: How did you end up with a sex tape of John Edwards and Rielle Hunter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say get on the phone and find some pet. Wait, what?

TAPPER: You can't write this stuff.

Looking back, I can't help but feel that we were also quick to embrace the headline that we may have forgotten to dig a little deeper.

This guy who's a crusader against human sex trafficking is actually a customer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did someone at the White House blow the cover of a CIA operative?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is horrifying.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: She's still in danger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The South Carolina governor is missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His staff said he was hiking the Appalachian trail.

MARK SANFORD, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: The bottom line is this. I've been unfaithful to my wife.

TAPPER: Why do we keep ending up here? I never truly understand it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've always been on the reporting side of things. Welcome to the hell we all have to live in.

ANNOUNCER: United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got to get a therapist after having an interview with Jake Tapper.

ANNOUNCER: Back-to-back premieres tomorrow at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:58:33]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

Two teenagers remained detained on gun-related charges and resisting arrest following the mass shooting in Kansas City. Gunfire broke out at a Super Bowl parade last Wednesday, killing 43-year-old Lisa Lopez- Galvan and injuring 22 others. Law enforcement officials tell CNN they believe the shooting was not a response to the Super Bowl celebration, but the result of a personal dispute. Missouri court officials expect additional charges to follow in the ongoing investigation.

In the meantime, Patrick and Brittney Mahomes visited two sisters, ages 8 and 10 who were shot on Wednesday, and they are currently recovering. Several donors, including Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, the Chiefs, and the NFL have made sizeable contributions to support the victims and fight against violence.

And this historic moment, as East Carolina University's Parker Byrd became the first NCAA Division 1 athlete to play with a prosthetic leg. The sophomore infielder and pitcher lost part of his leg in a boating accident two years ago. Byrd underwent 22 surgeries in 45 days, and missed the entire 2023 season. But he says he is thankful for the people who helped him along way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER BYRD, FIRST NCAA DIVISION 1 ATHLETE TO PLAY WITH PROSTHETIC LEG: Those guys are really everything to me. They're my brothers. They've been there the whole the way and made some of the guy thrown the boat with me. So I mean, it's just phenomenal just to see that support they have for me. And I can't really truly thank them enough for sticking along the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: He's phenomenal. Byrd's head coach said it was one of his proudest moments ever as a coach. The East Carolina Pirates beat the Rider University Broncs 16-2. Congratulations.

All right, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "SMERCONISH" starts right now.