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Trump: Mass Deportations Will Begin "Very Quickly" After Monday; Trump Moves Inauguration Indoors Amid Extreme Cold Forecast; Gaza Ceasefire Set to Take Effect In Hours. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired January 18, 2025 - 21:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:00:34]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Thanks so much for joining me tonight. I'm Erica Hill. Welcome to a special edition of CNN Newsroom.

Right now, President-elect Donald Trump kicking off his inauguration weekend at his Virginia Golf Club with a reception, and a little bit later tonight, fireworks.

Plus, in less than three hours, TikTok will go dark here in the United States, leaving millions of small businesses and content creators without an online home.

We're also counting down to the scheduled start of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now demanding a hostage list from Hamas before Israel moves forward with the agreement. We are live in Tel Aviv.

We begin this hour with President-elect Trump's return to Washington ahead of his inauguration.

CNN's Alayna Treene is following all the developments for us. So, tonight, sort of an unofficial kickoff, I guess we could say. A celebration at Trump's golf club just outside of Washington. Who's there? What's going on?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, well, Donald Trump earlier today, or this evening, I should say, left Palm Beach for the last time before Inauguration Day. He did -- he is now at his golf club, as you mentioned, in Sterling in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. And there really is where he's having -- tonight there will be a fireworks reception. But also first, and we saw some photos of this, there will be a Cabinet reception as well, as well as a vice- presidential dinner.

We've seen some photos and other things coming in tonight of the entire Cabinet standing together, you know, getting ready for this big weekend. And there's also been some videos that I've seen circulating of both Donald Trump and the incoming first lady, Melania Trump, being serenaded by an Elvis impersonator at Donald Trump's club. But that's just tonight. Tomorrow, as well, there's going to be a ton of events before, of course, the big day on Monday. We know tomorrow morning Donald Trump is going to be at Arlington Cemetery, where he'll also be participating in a wreath-laying ceremony. And then later in the day he has a rally.

And then, of course, Monday is really the big day that everyone is watching for, when both he and J.D. Vance, the incoming vice president, are sworn into office in the Capitol.

HILL: And in terms of that first day after the swearing-in, I know that there is a plan -- most presidents do this -- Donald Trump's plan specifically for a slate of executive orders, including on immigration. What do we know about what's coming?

TREENE: That's right. Donald Trump has several -- a series, I'm told dozens, really -- of executive orders that he is planning on issuing, some right after being sworn in immediately, but also some that he's expected to issue later in the day, Monday, once he is back at the White House.

Now, a big part of these executive orders is going to be focused on immigration. And really what he's been talking about for his entire time on the campaign trail was just this idea of these major sweeps about rounding up illegal immigrants in this country and really trying to begin the deportation process that he has promised so many of his supporters, especially in -- you know, we're going to see some of these ice sweeps, I'm told, in major metropolitan areas, places like Washington -- or, excuse me, like Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C.

But some of the other orders, as well, is we know that he's been in talks to try to have -- and implement a national emergency proclamation. That is something that he could do to try and free up resources on the southern border from the Pentagon, but also try to change some of the asylum laws, try to make some of the restrictions there stronger.

Now, we did, as well, hear earlier today from Jason Miller kind of laying out some of those focused immigration executive orders. I want you to take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON MILLER, SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: When you go back to the campaign trail, what President Trump would talk about is that local law enforcement really knows where the criminal illegals are. And so, partnering up with local law enforcement to make sure we go and target the folks who are the really bad actors -- we're talking the transnational gang members, we're talking the people that we know that are criminal illegals that are here in this country that, quite frankly, are a danger to society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So there you hear, Erica, Jason Miller talking about the idea of trying to find and round up criminals, illegal immigrants who are criminals in this country. That has long been the plan to start with criminals for part of that deportation process that Donald Trump has promised. But again, there's going to be a number of different issues that these executive orders are expected to address, including energy, including trade, I'm told. But immigration is likely to be one of the biggest priorities that we're going to see he try to take on -- on day one.

[21:05:11]

HILL: Alayna Treene, appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

Well, the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies are now working, of course, to adapt the security plans this after Donald Trump's inauguration has now been moved indoors.

Officials have been working on this, of course, for months. CNN's Holmes Lybrand has more from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN REPORTER: While Trump has scrapped plans for an outdoor inauguration and parade, members of the public will be able to catch a glimpse of his motorcade as it travels to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. Agencies, including the Secret Service, have 24 hours to put the final touches on a new security plan that previously took months to game out. Over 30 miles of fencing, more than has ever been used for such an event, was originally being set up and was meant to filter crowds through security checkpoints in anticipation for Trump's now-scrapped parade to the White House.

Secret Service agents accompanying the president had been practicing security maneuvers on that route as part of plans that now appear moot. People will be able to watch Trump's motorcade as it transports the new president to the White House from the Capitol One Arena, where Trump is expected to appear for his supporters following the inauguration.

The inauguration will take place in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, which can hold approximately 700 people and will be attended by members of Congress, spouses and VIPs. Holding the inauguration and parade indoors could alleviate some security concerns, since it's often easier to control certain risk factors in an indoor setting compared to outside.

Trump's inauguration on Monday was expected to be attended by hundreds of thousands of ticketed guests and involve roughly 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel. It's unclear if those new plans will change those numbers. Holmes Lybrand, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Also joining me tonight, CNN Senior Political Analyst Mark Preston, CNN Political Commentators Scott Jennings and Ashley Allison, and Presidential Historian Doug Brinkley.

Nice to see all of you on this Saturday night. So as we look at where things stand as we move into the festivities, this is not the first time, of course, Doug, that inauguration has been forced inside because of the cold.

More broadly, how does this impact the event itself, if at all? Is there something that's lost when we go from this massive outdoor event to something a little bit more intimate inside?

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, I think the decision was correct, at least with the weather forecast of this Arctic blast, if the temperature is down to, you know, 10 degrees. But, you know, there was a blizzard in William Howard Taft couldn't have an inaugural.

Andrew Jackson didn't -- couldn't have a second inaugural. Ronald Reagan, most famously in recent times, couldn't. So it's going to be indoors, I think, in a perfect fantasy world. Donald Trump was hoping there would be bluebirds and sun shining and there would be the larger crowd than Obama there. But, alas, it's respectable, the doing it in the rotunda. And it's really going to be determinative on what he says in that inaugural speech. His first one was about American carnage. It kind of divided the country. Will this be a speech to his base, or is this going to be one to try to unite the country writ large?

HILL: It'll be interesting to see. You know, Mark, as we look at this in this pivot that was made, I know there's always contingency planning that happens with events of this size, of this stature. It does feel like a little bit of a logistical nightmare, though. We talked about the, you know, hundreds of thousands of people who were expected, many of them ticketed to be part of what was happening outside.

Now, there's a venue where a small percentage of them can be, just 20,000 people can fit in there. How does this impact even just the sense, the mood around Washington? You have all these people coming into town for an event that now it's harder for them to be a part of.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's certainly harder for them to be a part of in the sense that for those few hours they won't be able to be out in the cold to see it in person. But expect all across the city that you're going to see hotel ballrooms will be rolling in, big TV. Honestly, I think that, yeah, I do believe, obviously, President Trump, President-elect Trump is going to be, you know, pretty disappointed in the fact that he wasn't able to go through with this full parade.

The fact of the matter, it was the right decision. I don't think it will dampen necessarily the enthusiasm that folks have that are going to be here this weekend. I mean, there is a level of confidence that I haven't seen in the Republican Party in quite some time, certainly in the past few months ever since Donald Trump won election.

HILL: As we look at it, you speak of all the parties. Scott, I see you are -- I think you're taking a break from one to join us. So thank you. I don't think you wore that tux just for a Saturday, but if you did, thanks for that, too. When we look at where things stand, just 36 hours from now, give or

take, Donald Trump is set to begin that second term. What do you think is going to be the biggest change this time around in terms of how he approaches the office?

[21:10:12]

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, he knows where all the bathrooms and doors are, I mean, this time around. He knows how the government works and the way they've operated the transition, has been with such confidence in who they've appointed to the top jobs. I think appointing the strong chief of staff right out of the gate set the tone that, you know, we're not really sort of wondering here what to do. We know what we want to do. We know what people we need to put in what places to get those things done.

This thing they're going to do with these executive orders on Monday, it's going to be shock and awe, whether it's on immigration or any other topic. And then you've got Republicans riding alongside in Congress who are preparing to pass, hopefully, his agenda in one fell swoop over the next few months.

So to me, there's just -- Mark, I agree with the word, Mark. There's a level of confidence in the Republican Party right now which flows from the level of unity in the Republican Party. When he got elected the first time, there was a lot of uncertainty about what was he going to do. I mean, I don't think several of his people, maybe even him, expected they were going to win. This time, they know what they want to do. They know how to do it. I think you're going to see real quick action this time.

HILL: Is there any incentive for him to move beyond his base in terms of support?

JENNINGS: Of course. I mean, look, he got elected on a couple of issues. One, immigration. Two, the economy. You're going to see a lot of immigration action on day one, and you're going to see economic action on day one, but also in this reconciliation package. But these are bipartisan issues.

If you look at the New York Times poll that came out today, there is vast, vast bipartisan support for the fact that there is a border crisis, A, and, B, the solutions that Donald Trump has laid out, including mass deportations of violent criminals and people who already have existing adjudicated deportation orders. These are not base issues. These are unifying bipartisan issues on. If he moves on them quickly, he'll enjoy widespread political support.

HILL: Ashley, what do you see in terms of the role of Democrats in this second term? Given the realities of the control that we see in Washington, not just the White House, of course, but the Senate and Congress, tight margins, but Democrats have them. How do Democrats make that work?

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first, I think it's important that almost every president on day one has come up and issued executive orders. That's the right of the office. And Trump will be no different. Joe Biden did the same. Obama did the same. But the difference in the House and the Congress is Mike Johnson has such a slim majority. And the reality is, is those folks are up in two years. And so what Democrats should do is look for those moderate Republicans that don't want to go to the extreme right of the MAGA Republican Party and see if there's ways that they can work so that we don't -- Trump won, but this mandate the Republicans talk about is not as confident as they should be.

And then in the Senate, there still is the filibuster. Now, Republicans said for years while Joe Biden was in office they wouldn't get rid of the filibuster. So how are they going to meet that 60-vote threshold to get through some of the policies of Donald Trump? What I would recommend to Democrats is be the leader in this most. Govern with common sense. Don't be obstructionist just for the sake of being obstructionist. But don't just see because you lost in 2024.

HILL: It will be interesting as we wait to see how this all plays out in terms of what we're expecting on day one. Alayna laid out some of that for us.

Mark, look, there's so much focus as well right now on this TikTok ban, which is set to go into effect at midnight, so less than three hours from now. What is your sense of where that falls, Mark, on the list of priorities for Donald Trump on day one? Because he has an opportunity there.

PRESTON: I would say if it's not his number one priority, then he's getting really bad counsel. I mean, it is the biggest story for folks, you know, under the age of 30. I mean, 170 million people here in the United States are using TikTok. There are grave concerns about its use, mind you.

What I do think Donald Trump is going to wrestle with, you know, he has talked about giving it a 90-day reprieve to see if it can be sold and to deal with some of the issues that it's owned and its connections to the Communist Party. But the real question is, is how do we as parents say that it's OK for us to allow our children to have TikTok when federal government and state governments are taking TikTok off of their devices because they don't trust it? It's a weird juxtaposition to be put into.

HILL: Yeah, yeah, it certainly is. Doug, as we look at all of this, what are you watching for specifically in the early hours, early days of this second Trump administration?

BRINKLEY: Well, first off, you know, people don't understand the history of executive orders. There has never been a day one. Only Joe Biden did nine. Barack Obama did none on day one. Bill Clinton, none. George W. Bush, zero. Ronald Reagan, zero. It's become a new thing now that Biden started with the nine, that now Trump's going to take it to 100, because it doesn't give a grace period for the country after inaugural to have a new president.

[21:15:14] For one day, it's going to reign executive orders. Trump said he's going to do it. When Biden came in day one, six of Trump's. And it's this sort of -- and, you know, it's not in the Constitution, executive orders. I mean, Washington did one for Neutrality Act. Lincoln did the Emancipation Proclamation, which some call executive order number one.

But it started reigning them under FDR. But this idea it has to be done the first day is really campaign rhetoric from both Biden and Trump that I find unfortunate.

HILL: Well, we will -- we will be seeing it play out in just a matter of days. Mark, Scott, Ashley, Doug, good to have all of you with us. Thank you.

Also want to bring you up to speed on TikTok as we're talking about TikTok. Just moments ago, TikTok issuing a warning to its American users, all 170 million or so of them. We'll have more on that for you.

Plus, a new warning from the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to go into effect in just a matter of hours. My colleague Jim Sciutto is live in Tel Aviv. Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: 469 days since these Israeli hostages were taken on October 7th. 469 days of almost relentless bombing for the people of Gaza. Finally, tomorrow, a little bit of relief, including a handful of Israeli hostages released. We're going to bring you the latest details. Later, I'm going to be speaking to a father of one of those hostages.

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[21:20:18]

HILL: In just about four hours, the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is set to go into effect. The breakthrough agreement, though, is fragile. Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that deal would not go forward until Hamas provided a list of Israeli hostages who would be freed.

CNN's Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto is live in Tel Aviv at this hour. So where do things stand just a little over, as I noted, four hours before this is set to go into effect?

SCIUTTO: Well, the feeling is that it will go into effect. And I think big picture, Erica, I can describe a feeling of the beginning of the end, perhaps, of just a bloody, bloody period in this ongoing conflict. 469 days that these Israeli hostages have been held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, 469 days with only the briefest of interruptions of Israeli military action inside Gaza, including just relentless bombing and many thousands, tens of thousands, in fact, Palestinian casualties on the ground there.

So there is hope, I think, folks holding their breath here, that this first stage begins without any further hitches tomorrow. And we should be clear that the first stage is a baby step, really. The plan is for three Israeli hostages of close to 100 that are still held by Hamas to be released tomorrow.

And in return, some 90 Palestinians will be released from Israeli prisons with the expectation over the course of the phases of this deal that many hundreds of them will be released. It's going to be small. It's going to be parsed out over the course of several weeks.

And at each stage of this deal, of course, there's the chance for upset, for someone to break the agreement or be accused of breaking the agreement. But right now, with just about four hours to go, there is finally some hope here.

HILL: And hope much needed. I know you've also learned that the families of the American hostages spoke with senior members of the Biden administration. They have an irregular contact, as we understand it. And also with President-elect Trump's incoming national security team today. What more do we know about those conversations?

SCIUTTO: So I spoke to one of the fathers of one of the hostages still held by Hamas, who is not included as far as this father knows that he will be in this first phase of the agreement. Far more likely it comes later. The understanding is that they went to incoming Trump administration officials to encourage the Trump administration to make sure that every phase of this deal is implemented so that every one of those hostages does come home and comes home soon.

And they got some assurances that the Trump administration will seek that. And listen, you know, assuming things go according to plan later this morning and throughout the day, on Sunday, they have a track record, this incoming Trump administration, granted with the help and sort of hand in hand with the outgoing Obama administration in terms of getting this deal across the finish line. But let's be frank, the same deal was on the table for many months.

The Biden administration was not able to get it done until now. And with quite a forceful push, it seems, from the incoming Trump administration. So the families are saying, in effect, to those Trump administration officials, keep it up. Don't relent. Don't let something get in the way here, whether that be from Hamas or -- or from the Israeli Prime Minister. Keep in mind, he has his own rebellion, if you want to call it that, from his right wing, with members of his own government saying they're going to resign in protest over this deal.

HILL: And I do want to ask you about that, that right wing. But before I do, just in terms of these discussions that were had with those, the families of some of the American hostages, with these administration officials, did they give you a sense of what more they've learned about when some of their loved ones may be freed?

SCIUTTO: Yeah, it's not clear at each stage. It's still not clear at this point exactly the names of the three who are expected to be released today. The understanding is that they will be women and non- military women. That is not members of the IDF when they were taken. But in terms of exactly who the names will be at each of these phases, parsed out, a handful of hostages released every week over the course of this -- of this initial phase of the deal. It's not clear yet. And that, listen, it just adds to the pain of the families, right? Because they know that this is good news, that an agreement has been reached, but they don't know exactly when their own loved ones will be coming home.

[21:25:11]

And then, of course, hanging over that, Erica, is the fear we know. And Israeli officials have acknowledged that some of those remaining close to 100 hostages are no longer alive. And -- and it's not 100% certain, right? Or at least Israeli officials aren't saying who those who are already dead are. And that, of course, adds, I mean, you and I and folks watching here can only imagine the pain of just not knowing if you will be receiving a living loved one when they return or someone who's already passed away.

HILL: Yeah. There are also -- and you touched on this, but, you know, a major point of contention, especially for far-right members in Israel, is this sense of wanting to go back to war. Where does that stand and how concerning is it in terms of what could be derailed with this agreement?

SCIUTTO: Yeah. Well, the -- the -- the right flank is saying, in effect, that Netanyahu has not achieved his stated goals from the war in Gaza of destroying Hamas. He certainly dealt debilitating blows to Hamas, but Hamas remains there.

And Yahya Sinwar, the architect of October 7th, though he was killed, his brother has now taken a leadership position. So, you know, by the way, there was always a question as to whether that was possible in Gaza, completely eliminating Hamas. But you have that open question and then you have the political pressure here.

Netanyahu wants his government to survive. He will lose members of his government. Does he place his own political future over carrying out the latter stages of this deal? And that, by the way, is something that he's been accused of by many Israelis, including by hostage families, that he's placed his own political interests above the interests of those hostages and the hostage families here.

So, again, listen, there is hope and anticipation about what's to take place later today. But it's always clouded, colored by the fear that another road roadblock can get in the way, right? And that's what folks will be watching for. But I suppose the focus for now is on those glimmers of hope that we hope to see come to be in the coming hours.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Jim, appreciate it. Thank you.

We are keeping a close watch, of course, on these developments involving TikTok. Some 70 -- 170 million Americans have the app and many of them wondering right now whether it'll keep on ticking after midnight, because, of course, the app is set to go dark at 12:01. That after the Supreme Court upheld the ban that Congress approved last year. Users right now, if you open your app, you're going to get an urgent warning message. When you do, TikTok creators have also been posting their goodbyes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Linda told me that TikTok might be banned soon. I might not be able to see all 11 million of you ever again. You are my friends and I don't want to lose you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I have a much bigger community here on TikTok than I do anywhere else. And I'm just like grieving and I just like hate goodbyes in the first place. So this has just been like a sucky day. I've just been on my phone kind of like enjoying the last few hours maybe that I have on this app.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sad about TikTok leaving. I'm going to miss being your TikTok grandma. I had so much fun here and I love you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Of course, it's important to note that even if the plug is pulled later tonight, it could actually be plugged right back in on Monday. Donald Trump suggesting today he probably would choose to delay that ban when he takes office. CNN's Gloria Pazmino joining us now with more.

So first, let's start with what could happen tonight, which feels like it's going to happen. What does happen at 12:01? What would happen if I opened my app at that point?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, we are -- I've been hearing from so many friends like the videos that we just show there, people who are saving videos, downloading videos, making sure that they have the travel tips and the cooking recipes and the workout videos that they like to watch. And now if you log into the TikTok app, you are going to be seeing the warning that you're seeing on screen right now, which essentially tells you that there is going to be a shutdown coming in the next few hours. We're less than three hours away.

It says that their services are going to be temporarily unavailable. And they also say that they're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible. And we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.

So experts have told us that what is expected right at midnight, remember that is the deadline for this ban to go into effect, is likely that the app will not necessarily go dark, so to speak. It's not going to disappear off of your phone. But it will not be available on app stores like the Apple Store or the Google App Store.

[21:30:14]

So if you don't already have it downloaded on your phone, it is likely that you will not be able to download it starting at midnight. Over time, the app is likely to degrade because these app store services are not going to be able to provide updates that the apps need in order to continue functioning.

So over time, the app is going to get glitchy and eventually stop working. But it doesn't look like much time might pass between when the app shuts down at midnight and when it might be plugged back in, as you said at the beginning, because Trump has said that he is considering doing some sort of delay.

I want you to first take a listen to the CEO of TikTok who posted a message, of course, on TikTok talking about the impending ban. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHOU ZI CHEW, TIKTOK CEO: We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, Erica, the irony of this whole thing here is that it was Trump in the first place who actually floated the TikTok ban he has since flip-flopped saying that he is considering a 90-day period where the app might be put back into working order, saying that a 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it is appropriate. You know, it's appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation. And he said, if I decide to do that, it'll probably, I'll probably announce it on Monday. This is during a phone interview that he had with NBC's Meet the Press.

So it may not be very long. The politics of all of this, Erica, of course, are a major part of this. As we head into inauguration on Monday, we know that not just the CEO of TikTok, but several other tech CEOs are expected to be right up at the dais with Trump as he is inaugurated.

So the politics of it all, the amount of influence, the amount of money that they have donated so far is certainly all playing a role here. But at the end of the day, this was a law that was passed in Congress, bipartisan effort, out of concern that the fact that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company created a national security threat.

Erica.

HILL: Yeah, and we will see how it plays out. Gloria, really appreciate it, thank you.

Still to come, as Donald Trump begins his second term on Monday, we're going to take a look back at how presidents have changed their approach the second time around, in the White House. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [21:36:41]

HILL: Monday's inauguration marks a historic return to the White House for President-elect Donald Trump.

Back with me now to discuss Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley and also CNN Political Analyst Julian Zelizer, who's the author of the new book, "In Defense of Partisanship."

Nice to have you both here.

So, Julian, we talk so much about the importance of a peaceful transfer of power. Of course, that was put on full display after the last inauguration on January 6th. It's not just about, though, that moment for the United States. It sends an important message globally. Can you just put that in context for us?

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, absolutely. The fact that we've had peaceful transfers of power most of the time sends a signal about the stability of the democratic system. Even when you have a shift, a dramatic shift from one party to the other, even when one regime is replacing another and another set of ideas is emerging, the system is stable.

So for adversaries, I think it creates a certain amount of a check. And for allies, there's confidence that the system will keep on working and that the policy making will continue. That's why January 6th and everything that surrounded 2020 was fundamentally unsettling, I think, to many people all over the world, not just here.

HILL: And as we look at how this day will unfold, there's always a lot of focus on the inaugural address. Of course, Donald Trump's first inaugural address, seen as somewhat dark, there's, of course, that reference to American carnage, one of the more memorable lines there. What are you expecting the second time around?

BRINKLEY: Well, we only have one president, Grover Cleveland, that had two terms that weren't consecutive. And President Cleveland's a Princeton person, like Julian. But you know, I think Trump's going to have to try to unify the country at the rotunda in some way, because his first inaugural didn't pass mustard. It was, in my mind, just bitter and divisive.

If he can give one that seems with a little bit more unity driven, and then he might do the showman act when he hits the arena, meaning dancing, giving the raw meat, because Donald Trump likes a big audience. That's what he prefers, this sort of, you know, hundreds of people in front of him in that kind of form. Like the rotunda isn't his best venue. He'd probably be best off to do it straight ahead and get that done with. The words are what lives. And people look at who wrote it and what lives on forever.

And, Erica, you just said American carnage. I mean, that's what people remember. What will be remembered on Monday is yet to be seen. But with the Gaza hostage crisis going on, at least we can be proud that the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration have collaborated on hopefully bringing those hostages to -- back to their homes.

HILL: Julian, what are you expecting from that speech? Do you have any expectations of the speech?

ZELIZER: I mean, whenever I'm thinking about what President-elect Trump will do next, I usually think more of the same. I mean, he's remarkably consistent. He has trouble really pivoting. And at some level, I think he believes in the divisive kind of politics that he practices, both strategically and ideologically.

So there might be a few words of unity. And I think Doug's absolutely right in what would be beneficial politically. But my guess is a lot of it will revolve around themes from the campaign, frankly, that, you know, are his signature at this point.

[21:40:11]

HILL: Doug, when we look at where President Biden stands, he leaves office with remarkably low approval ratings. I believe it's 36%. And frustrated about how his 50-year career in politics is ending, according to our reporting here at CNN. How do you think history will ultimately define these last four years for him?

BRINKLEY: Well, look, 50 years in Washington, there's going to be a lot to unpack. His administration has so many high points. And hopefully the Trump administration will continue supporting the Ukraine.

You had NATO expansion and you had working hard with our allies in the Pacific. One could go on and on in foreign policy. But there's a feeling, you know, he's leaving office with like a very low approval rating. There's no denying it. It's like 36, 38%. That's tough. You know, people were comparing his farewell address to Dwight Eisenhower because of the phrase of an industrial military complex or oligarchical complex. But the truth is, Ike left in 1960 and had like a 60% approval rating. He could have won a third term when he was giving his farewell address.

Biden was operating at a real deficit, much more reminiscent of Jimmy Carter, who comes to mind now with the hostage deal release, which should be happening soon, let's hope.

HILL: Yeah, it's tough not to draw those two comparisons. You're right. Douglas Brinkley, Julian Zelizer, always good to talk with you both. Thank you.

ZELIZER: My pleasure.

HILL: Just ahead here, she is a first lady who has very much made that role her own. So what could this second term look like for Melania Trump? We have some news on that.

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[21:45:32] HILL: There you see the president-elect and the incoming First Lady, Donald and Melania Trump. They are there at one of -- oh, and here we go, fireworks kicking off here. This is at Donald Trump's golf club in Sterling, Virginia. A reception tonight there, the President-elect and the incoming first lady and their family making their way to Washington earlier today from Florida. You see them there as the reception and the fireworks kick off.

Of course, speaking of the First Lady, this is her second run as well. It'll be her second time in the White House. A lot has changed, of course. She no longer is the mother of a 10-year-old son, of course, Barron Trump, now an 18-year-old college freshman.

And there have been questions about what her role will be a second time around. How much time does she plan to spend at the White House? Sources tell CNN most of it. She said she will be at the White House, but will also be spending some time at her homes in New York and Florida, depending on where she's needed.

Joining me now is Kate Andersen Brower. She's the author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies."

Kate, it's always good to talk to you. What do you see as signs that could point us toward what a second, or Melania as first lady 2.0, what do you think that will look like?

KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, AUTHOR, "FIRST WOMEN": You know, I think that we will see about the same amount from her this time around. I think she's figured out how much she needs to do. I don't see signs that she's going to be greatly expanding her work. I think she's going to have an even smaller circle of advisors around her.

We saw her say in an interview that, you know, she only wants people without their own agenda, which I think was a pretty obvious reference to the Stephanie, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and Stephanie Grisham who came out. They had been close, very close with the First Lady. And then, of course, Stephanie Grisham spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

So I think that Melania is going to hold this circle even tighter. I think she feels under siege in some ways. I think that it was not the most pleasant experience for her being in Washington. So I don't expect to see a lot of her, actually.

HILL: She noted in a recent interview with "Fox" that she's -- I'm paraphrasing here, that she felt maybe she was sort of misunderstood the first time around. People didn't really get her, didn't know a lot about her. But she's feeling a little bit different going in this second time around, saying that she thinks maybe people understand her more now. She said she didn't have much support the first time around. Do you think that level of public support is different for the second term?

BROWER: I'm really curious. I'm sure -- I'm sure you are, too, Erica, to see this Amazon documentary that she's filming, which has never been done before. A first lady really showing the transition and what it's like behind the scenes.

We saw with her memoir, I actually was surprised it was more substantive than I thought it would be. She did talk about being pro- choice, which was really jaw-dropping to me. Someone who's followed her because, of course, her husband, you know, appointed Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe versus Wade.

So it seemed that she was at odds with her husband on very fundamental issues. And we've seen that with other first ladies. We've seen that with Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, who were also pro-choice. But they did not speak about that because you never come out publicly against your husband when he's president. It's just -- it's not the thing that first ladies do. So I thought that was really interesting, actually.

HILL: And interesting, too, that she was, you know, doubling down really in many ways in that recent interview, saying, look, I'm my own person. I don't agree with everything my husband does. I think most people would probably say that about their partners. And I'm going to have my own opinions. I'm going to do things my own way. It'd be interesting to see, to your point, how vocal she is about that in a second term, if there are differences of opinion.

She also said she's going to continue "Be Best," which some folks may remember, of course, from the first Trump turn, which was focused on youth mental health issues, social media as well. How much do you think we'll see of that effort?

BROWER: You know, I mean, the first four years, she was rarely in the East Wing. She used her office to hold gifts. And, you know, she prides herself on having a very small staff. She says that, you know, she doesn't want to waste taxpayers' dollars.

[21:50:05]

But, I mean, these staffers for the First Lady do not get paid that much. It's -- I don't think that's really the issue. I think it's an indication of how little she's going to do when it comes to "Be Best." And if she does expand it, I certainly think what she was doing on opioid abuse, for instance, was very important.

But when she was talking about social media and cyberbullying, it was such a tough argument for her to make when her husband, of course, is one of the most famous, you know, bullies on social media, some would say. So I just think she's got a tough line to walk here if she does disagree with him.

But I think you're right. It's almost -- it makes her relatable to an extent if she can talk about differences with her husband.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Kate Andersen Brower, always appreciate it. Thank you.

BROWER: Thank you.

HILL: And there's some more live pictures of that fireworks show at Trump's golf club in Virginia. Stay with us. You're watching CNN Newsroom. We'll be right back.

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[21:55:28]

HILL: When Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Monday, it will, of course, be inside the Capitol Rotunda, not outdoors, thanks to that bitterly cold forecast. And some wind to make it even better. It's set to be the coldest inauguration in 40 years.

With a closer look, here's CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The inauguration is set for Monday in Washington, D.C., and it is expected to be bitter cold. The high temperature only likely making it up to 25 degrees. You factor in that northwest wind, it is going to feel like it is only in the single digits. This would make it the coldest inauguration since Ronald Reagan's second inauguration back in 1985, when the temperature was only in the single digits.

Now, all of this cold air is coming in behind the cold front that's expected to bring rain and snow along the east coast as we go into the day on Sunday. And that cold air is really going to drop.

Look at Minneapolis. These are low temperatures, not the wind chill. The temperatures themselves, minus 17 in Minneapolis, Tuesday morning, it's going to get down to 11 degrees Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C. The high temperatures, not much better. Even some southern cities like Atlanta, for example, is barely going to make it above the freezing mark as we head into the early portion of this week.

Now, the rain and snow component to that front, mostly rain on the south side, where those temperatures will be mild at least on Sunday. Farther north, that cold air is in place. You're going to see snow for portions of the mid-Atlantic as well as the northeast.

And yes, that does include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and even Philadelphia. The snow itself will be out entirely by the time we get to late Monday morning. But that cold air sweeps in behind it, which means any of the snow that likely falls is going to be there for quite some time.

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HILL: And our thanks to Allison Chinchar for that.

Just ahead, our special coverage of Inauguration Weekend events after a quick break.

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