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Trump Defends Pardoning Jan. 6 Rioters; Israel Launch "Operation Iron Wall"; U.S. Justice Department Moves To Dismiss Pending Jan. 6 Cases; Trump Indicates He's Open To New Sanctions on Russia; Russia And China Emphasize Alliance In Virtual Summit; Future U.S. Aid For Ukraine In Doubt Amid New Trump Term; Trump Says He Is Not Confident Gaza Ceasefire Will Hold; New Wildfire Breaks Out In California; Historic Amount Of Snowfall In Florida, Louisiana And Texas; Death Toll In L.A. County Wildfires Now At 28 People; Aquarium Cheers Up Lonely Sunfish With Cardboard Visitors. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 22, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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


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[02:00:33]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead. Donald Trump defends his blanket pardons of January 6 rioters, even violent ones he once suggested, would not go free.

Targeted immigration operations are underway across the U.S. Schools and churches are no longer safe.

And Israel announces a large-scale military operation in the West Bank.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. Donald Trump is wasting no time in flexing the enormous powers of the U.S. presidency, already pushing the limits to see just how far he can go. We've already seen an avalanche of executive orders and actions in controlling the levers of justice in America. Now the President is defending his pardons and commutations for those who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Mr. Trump claims the defendants have viciously served years in prison under horrible conditions. Some of those already released were serving more than a decade in prison for trying to prevent the transfer of power to Joe Biden after his 2020 election win. Others were convicted of assaulting police officers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would agree that it's never acceptable to assault a police officer. DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Sure. These people have already served a long period of time. These were people that actually love our country, so we thought a pardon would be appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers were free following their pardons yesterday. Is there now a place for them in the political conversation?

TRUMP: Well, we have to say they've been given a pardon. I thought their sentences were ridiculous and excessive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: We hope they come out tonight frankly.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In one fell swoop, President Trump ended all of the 1600 cases stemming from January 6.

TRUMP: So this is January 6. These are the hostages for a pardon. Full pardon.

RIED (voice-over): Among those pardoned many of the most violent offenders, including Patrick McCaughey who assaulted Metro Police Officer Daniel Hodges with a police shield in the tunnel of the Capitol. Robert Palmer threw a fire extinguisher at a police officer and attacked police with a wooden plank and pole. Kyle Fitzsimons, accused of committing five assaults against law enforcement over an approximately five-minute span.

Peter Schwartz, who threw a folding chair at law enforcement and repeatedly used pepper spray on police. Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys, who is convicted on the most serious charge, seditious conspiracy, for his role in directing the violence that day from afar. He was 1-1/2 years into his 22-year sentence. Tario praising Trump for the pardon in an interview with right wing host Alex Jones.

ENRIQUE TARRIO, AMERICAN CONVICTED SEDITIONIST AND FAR-RIGHT ACTIVIST: I had no doubt he was going to release us. He gave me my life back. 22 years is not a short sentence. That's the rest of my life.

RIED (voice-over): Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 defendants. Those cases are being reviewed and they still could get pardons, including Stewart Rhodes. Leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, who prosecutors said called for a bloody revolution to keep Trump in power. He had his 18-year sentence commuted and was seen here getting out of prison Monday evening.

At least 180 of those pardoned Monday by Trump were charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Back in 2021 Trump denounced the protesters.

TRUMP: Those who engaged in the attacks last week will be brought to justice.

RIED (voice-over): But on the campaign trail, he vowed to pardon them.

TRUMP: I will sign their pardons on day one.

RIED (voice-over): Though, he and others suggested the pardons would be limited to nonviolent offenders. His action went farther than many, including his GOP allies were expecting.

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I just can't agree. It was surprising to me that it was a blanket pardon.

RIED (voice-over): But perhaps the strongest rebuke came from former officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked during the riot.

MICHAEL FANONE, FORMER WASHINGTON, D.C. POLICE OFFICER: Six individuals who assaulted me as I did my job on January 6 as did hundreds of other law enforcement officers will now walk free.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:05:02]

REID: Now in addition to those who received a commutation or a pardon, there's a third group people who had cases that are still pending. President Trump has ordered that those cases are to be dismissed, but a judge has to sign off on each dismissal. So, this could take a little while, as some judges will likely, they're going to want to go on the record and weigh in on this historic decision.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: President Donald Trump is rolling out a slate of new policies targeting birthright citizenship, mass deportations and diversity and inclusion efforts. And a prominent Christian leader is imploring the U.S. president to "have mercy on immigrants and LGBTQ Americans." The Episcopal Bishop of Washington delivered a pointed message to Mr. Trump during the national prayer service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BISHOP MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE, WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. We're scared now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Bishop's message comes as the Trump administration gives federal immigration officers more authority for arrest undocumented immigrants. They are also putting in place new policies that would fast track the deportation process. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has details.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Donald Trump's deportation plans are starting to take shape after a spate of key policies that were released on Tuesday. They included, for example, a new directive that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest people or take enforcement actions in or near what are called sensitive areas. That is, for example, churches, schools, hospitals.

That is a departure from long-standing policy that kept agents from working in those areas, immigrant advocates, of course, have said and warned that doing so could stoke fear within immigrant communities and have ripple effects. But in addition to that, on Tuesday, the Trump administration also releasing a regulation that expands a fast-track deportation procedure, essentially casting a wider net of undocumented immigrants who would be eligible for that procedure that would cannot prove that they have been living in the United States continuously for two years.

Taken together, all of these policies start to provide a clear picture as to how the Trump administration plans to embark on its deportation pledge. In addition to that, the White House borders are Tom Homan telling our Dana Bash that targeted operations are already happening, and also noting that if other undocumented immigrants are encountered over the course of those operations, and they too, could be taken into detention.

So, all of this starting to ramp up with these policies, and as these operations are underway as again, the Trump administration tries to make do on the President's campaign promise. Back to you.

CHURCH: Krish O'Mara Vignarajah is the president and CEO of Global Refuge. She also previously served in the Obama White House as policy director for First Lady Michelle Obama. Appreciate you joining us.

KRISH O'MARA VIGNARAJAH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GLOBAL REFUGE: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So shortly after being sworn in as the 47th U.S. President, Donald Trump signed sweeping executive orders, including one that attempts to redefine birthright citizenship. In response, civil rights groups and nearly 20 states are now suing to stop President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. So, how strong is that case? And can a U.S. president legally override a constitutional amendment through executive action? And of course, in this instance, the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause?

VIGNARAJAH: I do believe that the 14th Amendment is crystal clear and the executive order for it to be able to go into effect, you would have to find some way to argue that what the 14th Amendment says is not actually what it means. And so, I think this is where, you know, what we saw in the executive order is a massive paradigm shift because it isn't just the constitutional text. It is also that there is a -- over 100-year legal precedent that the Supreme Court, you know, address the question of whether the child of Chinese immigrants who are not citizens themselves could have birthright citizenship. And so, I think the fact is that the changing interpretation here requires one of two things, either constitutional amendment, which is an extremely high bar, requiring two-thirds of Congress and ratification by fourth -- three-fourth of states.

[02:10:10]

Or it requires a ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn existing precedent. And I think that's where the concern is that the executive order could potentially kick off a legal battle.

CHURCH: So how likely is it that this issue could come before the Supreme Court, and if that happens, what would be the likely outcome do you think?

VIGNARAJAH: Well, I think there is a real possibility that these cases could make their way up to the Supreme Court. Part of that is because you actually have two lawsuits being filed by different sets of attorneys generals. And so, as they wait, make their way up, you could see them consolidated and taken to the court. You know, obviously the makeup of this court has impacted some of the overturning of constitutional precedents.

But I think, you know, on the face of this, in light of the constitutional text, you know it being quite explicit in terms of saying that all persons born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction of our citizens, in light of the fact that you actually see some of the debates when the 14th Amendment was argued, you know, considering different scenarios, it was not just the children of slaves that was considered.

That it is going to be very difficult to justify creating a permanent subclass of children who this is the only country they know. They pledge allegiance to the flag every day in school. They will, ultimately, some of them fight for this country. They will create companies in this country. The idea that this is not home, that they are not citizens. I think it will be difficult to argue that legally and normatively, it would be incredibly problematic.

CHURCH: And meantime, President Trump says ICE agents can now arrest people at churches and schools and his borders czar Tom Homan says targeted enforcement operations by these agents are actually now underway. What does all this signal to you as many U.S. states are bracing now for mass deportation raids and arrests.

VIGNARAJAH: So, Global Refuge is the largest faith-based national nonprofit working in the immigration space. We are hearing from so many of the churches, other faith-based organizations that we work with, who are incredibly troubled by the infringement on their freedom of religion in terms of church being a safe space in church -- in terms of the separation of church and state, you know, Global Refuge has a Lutheran legacy, and so often we cite Matthew 25 in terms of welcoming the stranger over the holidays.

Obviously, we talk so much about how Jesus Christ was a refugee. And so, the idea that churches, schools, hospitals have become hunting grounds in terms of immigration enforcement is not just troubling for immigrants. Frankly, you know, as the mother of two little girls, one is one, one is seven. The idea that there could be ICE officers going into their schools. It has far range of consequences, not just for our clients, but for our local communities.

CHURCH: And President Trump also declared a national emergency at the U.S. southern border. What does that essentially allow him to do legally when it comes to all immigration matters?

VIGNARAJAH: It has sweeping impact, which is confounding when you think about the fact that, you know, in the last few weeks, we've had about 1000 encounters at the border in terms of migrants trying to cross. This is below what the number was four years ago. And so, the idea that this is a "national emergency" is problematic because what it allows for is sweeping powers.

It has enabled the president to find the funding for the border wall. It would allow for you know, in addition to another executive order, the use of military force, it would also allow for, you know, the complete shutdown of the southern border as well as the shutdown of the CBP One app. There are 30,000 people who were told in the last year or two that that was the way that you applied.

That was the way that you had an orderly process to make your case, you know, before in an interview. And so, I think that the abrupt changes are incredibly disruptive. And what they play into are the human smuggling operations, because this is going to allow for feeding frenzy of cartels where, if there is no other way to legally cross a southern border, those who are extremely desperate may be driven into their hands.

[02:15:01]

CHURCH: Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

VIGNARAJAH: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Just ahead. Details of Israel's new large scale military operation in the West Bank, coming on the heels of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Plus, Donald Trump threatens new tariffs on America's top trading partners, and now businesses in China and Mexico are weighing their next moves. Back in a moment.

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CHURCH: Israel has launched a new military operation in the West Bank days after the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect. The Israeli military killed at least 10 Palestinians, including a child in the city of Jenin on Tuesday. Operation Iron Wall, as it's being called, is the latest escalation of Israeli violence in the area. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it's intended to, "eradicate terrorism there." Our Paula Hancock joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, what more are you learning about Israel's new military operation in the West Bank and what impact might this have on the ceasefire deal in Gaza?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, we can see that Israel has shifted its military attention to the occupied West Bank and not for the first time. We saw back in August and September of last year that parts of northern West Bank were targeted by the Israeli military. This time there, they're focusing on the city of Jenin. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, it is a large-scale military operation, they say, to eradicate terrorism in Jenin.

Hamas itself has reacted. They have called on the people of the West Bank to mobilize and escalate this clash. Now we have seen from videos from local journalists, from those on the ground that there's a large number of Israeli military in that area. We see bulldozers that have dug up the roads, as we've seen in previous operations as well. And according to Palestinian state media, WAFA, there have also been airstrikes and the military is surrounding the refugee camp in the city.

Now, as of Tuesday, late, the death toll we have is at least 10 were killed in including a teenage boy. It's not clear at this point, though, whether all of those were involved in clashes against troops, it's potentially some of those were bystanders. Now we know that the death toll in the West Bank itself has been rising. More than 850 have been killed since the October 7th attacks, 173 of those children by the Israeli military and also by Israeli settlers.

And one political development to this as well. We've heard from the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich. He's the far-right nationalist within the Israeli Prime Minister's coalition.

[02:20:09]

He has said that security in the West Bank is now one of the war goals. It has been added to Israel's war goals, which potentially could suggest that there will be more of these operations that we have been seeing. We have reached out to the Prime Minister's Office, though, to get clarification on that point. We've also heard from the U.N. Human Rights Office in Ramallah, they have said that they are alarmed at this increase in violence.

Not just by the Israeli military, they say, but also by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Thanks to Paula Hancock joining us live from Abu Dhabi with that report. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening more tariffs as soon as next week, this time on China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're talking about a tariff of 10 percent on China-based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How soon on those tariffs?

TRUMP: Probably February 1st is the date we're looking at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Those comments coming just a day after Trump threatened 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada. During his campaign, he promised tariffs as high as 60 percent on all goods imported from China. If Trump follows through, it means he will be imposing tariffs on America's three largest trading partners.

Wall Street, though, cheering the fact that these tariffs will be delayed until next month. The Dow rose more than 500 points Tuesday, closing above 44,000.

One of Donald Trump's first executive actions on Monday calls for a review of the trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The USMCA, a deal he signed in his first term, but his directive did not specifically call for an increase in tariffs. Now, businesses in other countries are responding to the economic uncertainty as CNN's David Culver reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is where we assemble everything. We're getting a firsthand look at what some are calling an Industrial China Town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything we make reproduced here is going to end up in a major frenching store in the U.S.

CULVER (on camera): We're in Mexico. This is an hour outside Monterrey, Mexico, about 160 miles from the U.S. southern border.

CULVER (voice-over): This region, Mexico's so called Industrial Capital, ideal for companies like China's Kuka Home furnishing looking to reach U.S. customers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We as American consumers, want everything immediately. So OK, let's open up shop in Mexico.

CULVER (voice-over): While Kuka Home says their move was motivated by shorter supply chains, a surge of other Chinese companies flooded Mexico to dodge hefty tariffs President Trump levied during his first term.

CESAR SANTOS, PRESIDENT, HOFUSAN INDUSTRIAL PARK: Well, actually, that helped us, because when they put tariffs there in China, then those companies came to us.

CULVER (on camera): And are they still here?

SANTOS: Yes, of course. They're growing.

CULVER (on camera): Question is going to be, what happens if tariffs are applied to Mexico? That's something President Trump has suggested he might do.

CULVER (voice-over): Threatening to hit the U.S.'s southern neighbor and largest trading partner with a 25 percent tariff on exports to the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the 25 percent tariff on Mexico puts me out of business, simply put it, puts me out of business.

CULVER (voice-over): And that, in turn, would leave many here out of work.

CULVER (on camera): If you look around me, you can see at this factory in particular, the vast majority of people who work here are from Mexico.

For now, he's comfortable staying here in Mexico because he has a job. He has opportunity. You don't have that. He said, you have to look for other ways to sustain your family. And he goes for some that means migrating to places like the U.S.

CULVER (voice-over): The uncertainty of the Trump tariff threat has Cuca home pausing expansion plans here, and leaves other Chinese companies questioning their next move.

CULVER (on camera): This is your Spanish language books.

ZHANG JIANQIU, ENGINEER: Yes.

CULVER (voice-over): Chinese to Spanish.

Zhang Jianqiu is in Mexico scouting future opportunities for his Chinese employer.

CULVER (on camera): With a 25 percent tariff. Is it feasible?

JIANQIU: I think most chain companies, they're waiting, they're watching, and then they'll be making fun decision.

CULVER (voice-over): Some Chinese companies, though, are full steam ahead with expanding their footprint to be within reach of their U.S. customers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is called the Hofusan Industrial Park.

CULVER (voice-over): Inside Hofusan. Basically, 100 percent of the companies are Chinese companies here.

Some 40 companies making home appliances, auto parts, light bulbs, medical supplies, you name it. All destined for the U.S.

[02:25:02]

Hear are the lines between what's Mexican and what's Chinese, quickly become blurred.

CULVER (on camera): You have street signs. You can see the Chinese flag there.

SANTOS: The Chinese flag, yes. These are restaurant. It's a very nice Chinese restaurant.

CULVER (on camera): Chinese restaurant.

SANTOS: Chinese restaurant. Yes.

CULVER (on camera): As I look at the name, your name is mixed into this.

SANTOS: Yes. It's (INAUDIBLE) and Santos.

CULVER (on camera): These two shareholders.

CULVER (voice-over): Hofusan is expanding rapidly, with plans to eventually cover some 2000 acres. But that's not been enough for the demand.

RAMIRO GONZALEZ, DEVELOPER: This area is just next to Monterey. It's called Fores.

CULVER (voice-over): Developer Ramiro Gonzalez is now building another so called industrial Chinatown.

CULVER (on camera): You've got your name in Spanish and then Chinese.

GONZALEZ: Yes. I'm really happy because the Chinese people call me Talon. Talon means big dragon. Basically, this is a multi-tenant building.

CULVER (voice-over): But if Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico make the U.S. market too expensive, some Chinese companies are confident that they've still got other options.

SANTOS: We can sell to Europe, we can sell to Latin America, even Mexico. Mexico is a big market too.

CULVER (voice-over): Yet despite the potential loss Trump's tariffs might cause him, Cesar Santos believes widening cartel violence is a bigger threat to business here in Mexico. So much so that he's given up prime real estate to have a police presence nearby.

(CROSSTALK)

SANTOS: We donate that area adjacent to the property.

CULVER (voice-over): It's a big part of why he actually supports the man behind the tariffs.

SNTOS: He's Trump.

CULVER (voice-over): President Trump.

SANTOS: Actually, I like him for all the rich -- the issues we have on terms of all the criminal gangs and everything like that, the drugs. So, we need the help of people like him to stop that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CULVER: And it was that last point there that we actually made note of while we were traveling through that region. And that is despite the potential negative impact on the economy down there in Monterrey, Mexico, many of the folks we came across are actually supporters of President Trump. The engineer from China. He says he looks up to President Trump as a businessman.

And then you heard Cesar Santos there say that he actually is looking to President Trump for national security. Mexico's national security hoping to eradicate the cartel violence that has penetrated much of that country. Cesar Santos was even here in Washington to attend the inauguration this week.

David Culver, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: President Trump is already stirring the pot when it comes to foreign leaders, and his relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin could soon be put to the test. We'll explain.

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[02:30:33]

CHURCH: Welcome back. The U.S. president has issued new remarks that raise questions about his relationship with Russia's President. Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin is ruining Russia by continuing his war on Ukraine, adding that he'd consider new sanctions if Moscow doesn't try to make a deal. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Just hours after President Donald Trump's inauguration, Kremlin-controlled TV already poking fun at the new U.S. leader and Trump's pledge to end the war in Ukraine on day one.

In the U.S., they call the expression 'Stop the war in 24 hours' a bright example of Trump's hyperbole, the host says. But Trump himself says he intends to keep his promise and that his meeting with Putin is soon ahead.

The tone on state TV very different than before the inauguration, like in December, when Trump had criticized the Biden Administration's decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles to fire into Russia. More absolutely sensational news, the anchor said then, Donald Trump condemned the use of ATACMS for attacks on the territory of Russia.

Shortly after taking office, President Trump who claims to have good relations with Putin, appeared surprisingly critical of the Russian leader.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Zelenskyy wants to make a deal. I don't know if Putin does, he might not. I don't know. He should make a deal. I think he's destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But Putin unfazed, showing whom he considers to be his most important ally and friend, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, even after Xi took the rare step of calling Trump shortly before the inauguration. Xi and Putin now making clear in a virtual summit, China and Russia will stand together no matter what Trump does.

These connections are self-sufficient and independent of domestic political factors and the current global situation, Putin said. This year, I am ready together with you to elevate Chinese-Russian relations to a new level, Xi added, to counter external uncertainties by preserving stability and resilience of Chinese-Russian relations.

As Ukraine continues to lose ground in many sectors of the vast frontline, Ukraine's president speaking at the Davos Economic Forum appeared concerned about whether Kyiv's allies can achieve what Ukraine would consider a just peace.

If there are weak guarantees, uncertainty, only words, then you will only get words from Russia and he will come back with war again.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: David Sanger is a CNN Political and National Security Analyst. He's also the author of " New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West." Good to have you with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be back with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So on his first day in office, President Donald Trump told the assembled media in the Oval Office that President Vladimir Putin is destroying Russia by continuing his war in Ukraine and added that he's open to applying more sanctions on Moscow. He also indicated he will talk to Putin very soon. What does all this signal to you and how far might Trump go to find a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine?

SANGER: Well, what the first thing it tells you is that he is intensely attuned to the fact that the world thinks he will do anything for Putin, that he will roll over to Putin, and he wants to show that he's tougher than that. The second is, this was the first time that we had seen Trump make an assessment that Russia had made an error in going into Ukraine.

You may remember that on the first days after the invasion, President Trump said to domestic newscasters here that he thought that Putin had done a very smart thing and he was incredibly criticized for this.

[02:35:00]

So now, he wants to turn around and say, see, Putin made a mistake, and I'm sure he thinks that this will help drive Putin to the table.

CHURCH: And, and will it, do you think? I mean, what does a new second Trump Administration mean for Ukraine in terms of overall military aid and strategy going forward for the war-torn nation?

SANGER: Well, first of all, I think there's very little chance that Ukraine is going to get significant new aid from the United States. And that would've been the case had Kamala Harris been elected as well. You saw how difficult it was to get through the last aid package through Congress and I don't think it would've gotten any easier, no matter how this turned out.

Within the Trump Administration, there is a sharp division of opinion. Marco Rubio, who was just confirmed as Secretary of State, was among those who sponsored resolutions in order to give more aid to Ukraine earlier in the war and has been pressing to make sure that Russia was feeling the heat of a Ukraine that was receiving American arms.

But you have others like J.D. Vance, the Vice President, whose view was the United States should not be paying for this. And even in his inaugural speech, you heard President Trump say, we have worried more about the sovereignty of the borders of others around the world than about the sovereignty or the borders of the United States.

That was clearly a message that he thinks the immigration issue is more important than the question of whether or not Russia has taken part of Ukraine. But he does want to enter a negotiation and he knows he needs some leverage in order to do that, and that leverage is the American aid.

CHURCH: And David, turning to the Middle East now, and President Trump has taken credit for the recent ceasefire and hostage release deal made between Israel and Hamas. But he's now indicating he doesn't expect that ceasefire to hold. What does that signal to you, given the President now has the task of overseeing phase two of this agreement?

SANGER: Well, he did show a remarkable amount of disinterest in it when he was asked about it. I can't believe that he wants the ceasefire now in effect to fall apart on his watch because it will simply open him up to the Biden Administration saying, we handed you a working ceasefire and you didn't pursue it.

Now, we did hear from Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East. He spoke at the rally last night, right after the inauguration, introduced the families of a good number of the hostages. He clearly wants to get those hostages out and the second phase of the deal done.

The question is how much pressure President Trump is willing to place on Netanyahu, and we simply don't know the answer to that yet.

CHURCH: David Sanger, always good to talk with you. Many thanks.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

CHURCH: The Santa Ana winds are picking up again, bringing new fire danger to Southern California. When we come back, details on the latest wildfires east of Los Angeles which broke out just hours ago.

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[02:40:44]

CHURCH: An historic amount of snow is burying parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast after the region was struck on Tuesday by a once-in-a-generation winter storm. Images show parts of New Orleans painted white as southern Louisiana braced for the first-ever blizzard warning anywhere along the Gulf Coast.

The governors of Florida, Louisiana, here in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi have declared states of emergency, urging people to stay off the icy and hazardous roads. At least nine people are believed to have died due to the dangerous conditions gripping the region.

Well, crews are battling a new wildfire in Southern California. The Clay Fire broke out Tuesday evening in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds that have picked back up this week. So far, it has burned about 15 hectares and is 40 percent contained. It's near residential suburbs and the local airport, but there are no mandatory evacuation orders right now.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the fires in Los Angeles County earlier this month has risen to 28. President Trump says he'll visit the region on Friday to survey the damage.

Aquarium workers in Japan found a creative way to cheer up a lonely sunfish who was refusing to eat. Staff say the fish began showing signs of distress and lost its appetite after the facility closed for renovations in December. At first, they were puzzled, but one staff member suggested taping up fake visitors using photos of human faces and old uniforms, and it worked.

They say within a day, the Sunfish started eating more. The aquarium said it plans to keep the cutouts up for the time being. It's scheduled to reopen to the public in July. Sunfish can grow to weigh more than 1,900 kilograms and over three meters long, although this one is a little smaller.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then I will be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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