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Prince Harry Settles Legal Claims Against Tabloid Publisher; Musk Bashes $500 Billion AI Project Announced by Trump; Trump Attacks Birthright Citizenship; Trump Targets Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Protections. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired January 23, 2025 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we heard from Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra earlier today. And she said, you know, in no uncertain terms that today was not a foregone conclusion.
And we heard from Thailand's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, earlier today. And she said, you know, in no uncertain terms that today was not a foregone conclusion.
She said earlier, quote, more than two decades, two decades of fighting to pass the marriage equality law and two decades of confronting prejudice and societal values have finally brought us to this day.
So for the past couple hours, we have been seeing whole myriad of couples showing us their marriage certificates quite proudly and been telling us, Christina, why this story matters. Now, from this point on, they can adopt like straight couples could. They can make decisions in the hospital for their loved ones, should their lives come to a chapter like that. They can inherit property like everybody else can.
And to that end, we heard from newlywed Nathnicha Klinthaworn, and she opened the aperture just a little bit more.
Listen to what she told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHNICHA KLINTHAWORN, LGBT SPOUSE (through translator): The most important thing is that love is beautiful, regardless of gender, no matter what gender someone identifies as, love is beautiful. Everyone wants to experience good love. So I hope people can stop limiting love to just men and women. People of all genders deserve to have beautiful love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: So when we're looking at the map, this is also why this story matters. We have Thailand and just two other places in Asia where same-sex marriage is legal. We're talking about Taiwan and Nepal. And when we think of the region writ large, it seems as though, Christina, this club, this group is going to remain at three places, because when you think about the politics of South Korea, politics of Japan, China, Indonesia, the list goes on, there are strong foundational strains of conservatism that reign large and rule these places. So it seems as though this group is going to stay at three. And to that end, wrapping up here, it seems as though Thailand is going to capitalize on this moment.
We've been hearing throughout the day officials from Thailand saying that on the economic front, they are going to market Thailand as a friendlier place for LGBTQ visitors, residents, and absolutely future residents who could possibly find a friendlier, more accepting place for them to call home in this corner of the world -- Christina.
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Mike, clearly more progress to be made in the region there in Southeast Asia. But for now, it is just a joy to see these images and the smiles of these couples who have waited so long for this moment. I appreciate you bringing this to us, Mike, thank you.
VALERIO: Thanks, Christina.
MACFARLANE: Well, Britain's Prince Harry is calling for police to launch a fresh investigation into Rupert Murdoch's newspaper group. This comes after the prince reached a settlement of his case against the tabloid publisher over allegations of phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of private information. Murdoch's group agreed to pay substantial damages and has apologized to Prince Harry.
CNS Max Foster has more from London.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After months of preparations, Prince Harry's lawyer ended the case against Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloids. That was before the trial had even started. Settling for a figure legal sources say runs into eight figures.
DAVID SHERBORNE, PRINCE HARRY'S BARRISTER: News U.K. have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices.
FOSTER (voice-over): The civil case alleged The Sun and the now- shuttered News of the World newspapers had illegally obtained private information about the Prince and used it to sell newspapers. In court, NGN's lawyers apologized to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion into his private life between 1996 and 2011 for unlawful activities carried out by his private investigators and for phone hacking.
Perhaps most notably, it apologized for its, quote, extensive coverage and serious intrusion into the private life of his mother, Princess Diana. The tabloid obsession with the princess was well known, with almost every step documented by photographers. She died in 1997 in a car crash whilst being chased by paparazzi in Paris.
But it wasn't just the royals who were alleged targets of the tabloids. Ordinary civilians say they were subject to claimed invasions of privacy, sometimes using the same very questionable tactics. And in a criminal trial starting in 2013, one editor of the Murdoch-owned News of the World was found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones. He was sentenced to 18 months.
The real question now is what comes next.
EMMA JONES: This is here now for the police to investigate, you know, we've got a corporate culture of unlawful behavior, we've got an admission of that, and the same people still working at that organization.
[04:35:00]
For what reason would they not have to now investigate those practices and say, you know, this has happened, the evidence is almost laid bare, and they've gone to huge lengths to avoid being scrutinized in the court.
FOSTER (voice-over): Prince Harry may have settled, but the legal battles may not be over for the tabloid press, with the Prince calling for a new police investigation, pressure is mounting. A spokesperson for The Sun said no staff at the newspaper were found culpable, and police have previously found no criminal case.
Max Foster, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Turning now to Israel, where one of the survivors of the October 7th Hamas attack has been chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland this year. 24-year-old Yuval Raphael was voted the winner of Rising Star competition in Israel on Wednesday. Fellow Israelis say her victory symbolizes a sort of resilience.
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NOAM NADLER, TEACHER: I believe this is an opportunity for her to represent Israel and show the resilience of the survivors of the massacre at the Nova festival.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Raphael performed the 1970s hit Dancing Queen by ABBA during the competition. The band became famous after winning the Eurovision contest, of course, in 1974.
Elon Musk is talking trash about a massive new U.S. investment in AI infrastructure, right after it was announced by his friend, President Donald Trump.
Musk claimed on social media that the backers of the $500 billion project, quote, don't actually have the money. What's going on here? CNN's Brian Todd reports from Washington.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president had two of the biggest moguls of the tech world in the room with him when he announced a new White House investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and the creation of a company called Stargate.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have an emergency. We have to get this stuff built. This technology and artificial intelligence, all made in the USA.
TODD (voice-over): By Donald Trump's side were OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and the CEO of SoftBank, all there to promote an investment of $500 billion in Stargate.
Not in the room, Trump's so-called first buddy, another tech giant, Elon Musk, who proceeded to undermine the announcement, posting on X, quote, They don't actually have the money. SoftBank has well under 10 billion secured. I have that on good authority.
TODD: How do you think Donald Trump might react to Elon Musk doing that?
JASMINE WRIGHT, POLITICS REPORTER, NOTUS: Well, what we do know is that Donald Trump doesn't really like to be second guessed, particularly not in public and particularly not by people who he finds or he calls his friends that should be loyal to him.
TODD (voice-over): So far, President Trump has not responded specifically to Musk's post. But Trump's press secretary said this to FOX.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: So the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs' words for it. These investments are coming to our great country.
TODD (voice-over): Hours after Musk denounced the White House AI plan, Sam Altman took aim at Musk. First posting a line on how much he respects Musk but then saying of Musk's claim that they don't have the money for it wrong.
As you surely know, I realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies. But in your new role, I hope you'll mostly put America first.
The latest observers say in a nasty feud between Musk and Altman.
HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: First of all they are in active litigation. Musk has sued Sam Altman and OpenAI for becoming a for- profit company, and Elon Musk has said publicly, I don't trust Sam Altman. Sam Altman, for his part, has called Elon Musk a bully. TODD (voice-over): This throwdown also signifies how Musk is seemingly throwing his weight around in just the first couple of days of the Trump administration, confidently striding around the White House amid speculation over whether he'll occupy a West Wing office near Trump's and on how much power Trump will bestow on Musk as head of the new budget slashing Department of Government Efficiency.
WRIGHT: I think that there are people around Donald Trump who potentially could be weary of Elon Musk, but that doesn't necessarily apply to Donald Trump itself and we know within a Trump administration, Donald Trump is in the driver's seat.
TODD: Analysts point out that President Trump had already given Elon Musk some leeway over another divisive issue, the use of H-1B visas for specialized foreign tech workers. Musk was in favor of the visas. Trump's MAGA supporters, like Steve Bannon, hated them. Trump sided with Musk. But how much more rope Donald Trump is willing to give Elon Musk at this point is something many people in this town are closely watching.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[04:40:00]
MACFARLANE: Now Donald Trump is trying to revoke a pivotal constitutional right, but it won't happen without a fight. Coming up, how U.S. states and civil rights groups are trying to stop Trump from ending birthright citizenship.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Donald Trump has promised major changes to the U.S. immigration system. One of his targets, birthright citizenship.
It is a right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, ratified in the 14th Amendment, which clearly reads, quote, All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.
President Trump wants to end birthright citizenship by executive order, but it's not clear that he can. Changing the U.S. Constitution requires two-thirds of both the House and the Senate and then three- fourths of the country's state legislatures would need to ratify any change.
And it's important to note that a past Supreme Court has said the 14th Amendment applies to undocumented persons, and in 1982 it held that undocumented immigrants are -- and their children are entitled to 14th Amendment protections. 22 states have already filed lawsuits asking the courts to reaffirm birthright citizenship and block Trump's executive order. Here's California's Attorney General.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: If you are born in this country on American soil, regardless of the citizenship or the status of your parents, you're an American citizen. That has been the law of this nation based on our founding document, the U.S. Constitution, for decades, reaffirmed in the U.S. Supreme Court by a case that came out of San Francisco.
No court in this country has never interpreted the birthright citizenship clause to mean what the president seeks it to mean and what he's trying to do.
So, unfortunately, on day one he's violating the Constitution. He made a promise to end birthright citizenship, and we made a promise to take him to court when he breaks the law, including the U.S. Constitution. What he's doing is un-American, and we're going to stop him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Joining me now from New York is attorney and CNN opinion writer Raul Reyes. Raul, really appreciate you being up with us this early hour. Thanks for joining us.
There's a lot of detail here, Raul, and people are obviously trying to understand what this means for them. But just to begin with, I mean, given everything we've just outlined there, it's unclear how Donald Trump is going to achieve this. And now, obviously, he's being challenged by 22 states legally.
Just as a starting point, how far do you think this executive order is going to go?
RAUL REYES, CNN OPINION WRITER: I would not doubt that the challenges over this executive order will ultimately reach our Supreme Court. We have different lawsuits around the country. There are some being launched by immigrant rights groups, the ACLU, and they're going to wind their way through the American court system.
[04:45:00]
Although, just with a caveat, this issue has not been a controversy in more than 100 years. It is a very well-set law, as you mentioned earlier.
So it's going to be a very steep legal challenge for the Trump administration to try and circumvent the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court precedent. It was interesting to me that the executive order did not hint at or offer any legal basis for what the order is attempting to do.
And in this country, we know the president does have great discretion over immigration policy, but he cannot unilaterally rewrite immigration law, let alone change our Constitution.
MACFARLANE: So what we're doing here is really guessing at what the Trump administration are going to do here. And there is some suggestion that the executive order could attempt to offer a more narrow interpretation of the 14th Amendment and what that means, right? And I mean specifically related to some wording in the 14th Amendment that says that undocumented people and their children are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Do you think there's going to be an attempt here by the Trump administration to reinterpret this amendment?
REYES: I think that's pretty much the only legal avenue that they could pursue, this one clause where they can debate whether or not undocumented people are subject to American laws.
But as I have explained to people in the past, if you live in the United States and you can get a speeding ticket, then you're subject to our laws. And if you think about it, if we accept the Trump administration's viewpoint that undocumented people are not subject to U.S. laws, therefore, by that same logic, the U.S. government has no right to deport them because they're not subject to our laws.
So you could talk in circles around this, but what's troubling to me is that these debates, like we've seen in the past, the debates over DACA, debates over Obamacare, they inject a lot of uncertainty and fear into our system. So people are wondering about their parents' status, wondering about the future, say, of their newborns or whether their children will be able to be citizens. That's not a good place for us to be.
I also very much feel that this is part of a broader strategic plan by the Trump administration to potentially redefine who is an American or who gets to be an American. Because for many, many years, for decades, challenging birthright citizenship would have been considered a radical and extreme proposition. Now it's the center of national debate.
He has brought this idea into the mainstream, and 51 percent of Americans, according to Gallup, are against ending birthright citizenship, but that's a very slim majority. So this is where we are right now.
MACFARLANE: And to your point, I think many argue that sowing fear and uncertainty could be really what this is about. But as you were mentioning earlier, Raul, that you think this is going to go all the way to the Supreme Court, how do you think they are going to interpret this? Because they've been described, a lot of those justices, as being originalists, you know, by the book, by the text. So where do you think they will land on this?
REYES: I would say it's likely that they will not strike down -- that they will not strike down birthright citizenship. However, this court has shown a willingness to strike down decades of precedent, as we saw with their decision on abortion. So it's not something I would wager on.
But I just think that going forward, these debates, they're going to drag on. There's a meeting on it today in one of the Maryland cases, and I think we may see the needle shift in the public in terms of what they support. And also, I have to mention, this doesn't just affect undocumented
people. This would affect potentially people here who are visa holders. For example, many of the workers in Silicon Valley work for long contracts here in the U.S. They have children, and now we are on the verge of potentially creating a type of underclass of stateless kids who in any other time in our history would be full Americans.
MACFARLANE: Yes, that's a very important point. People here on a temporary basis, even people with student visas. So we will wait to see how this plays out.
But, Raul, we really appreciate your analysis on this, and I'm sure we'll have you back as this continues to move forward. Thank you.
REYES: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: The Trump administration is also taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion programs and protections for federal workers, and it's urging employees to report any efforts to conceal DEI initiatives by changing job descriptions or using coded language. CNN's Rene Marsh reports.
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TRUMP: Our country is going to be based on merit again.
[04:50:00]
RENE MARSH, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All employees of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI offices at federal agencies have been put on administrative leave. The Trump administration also cutting DEI initiatives, training offices and taking down social media and websites focused on DEI. And the changes are coming quickly.
This was the Treasury website on its commitment to DEI before Trump was sworn in. Here it is now the same at the Labor Department. The administration also set an end of the month deadline for a plan to execute a reduction in force for these employees. In layman's terms, a plan for firings.
MARSH: How many federal workers are we talking about here that could be impacted by this?
REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): We have no idea. And one of the things that we hope to learn this week is exactly how many employees are working in DEI.
MARSH (voice-over): Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer is an ally on Trump's mission to eliminate DEI. He says he'll work to pass laws in Congress that make Trump's executive orders permanent.
COMER: It amounts to hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars in added payroll. MARSH (voice-over): The impact will go beyond government cutting equity related grants and contracts and ending DEI requirements for government contractors, all coming within the next 60 days.
EVERETT KELLEY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: People are taken to tears because they don't know what to expect. You know, it's a smoke stream to really just fire a whole bunch of civil service.
MARSH (voice-over): Trump's order could also impact government initiatives at agencies like Health and Human Services that use DEI funds to increase the diversity of patients in cancer clinical trials, vaccine equity in rural communities, and research that promotes maternal health equity.
COMER: We are going to abolish these DEI agencies and we feel it's a duplicative service, repetitive service. It's already illegal to discriminate.
MARSH: If the protections aren't there, doesn't it make it easier to violate a law?
COMER: I think the protections are there.
MARSH (voice-over): Right now agencies are not required to track DEI expenditures, so it's unclear how much the government has spent overall. CNN analyzed the proposed budgets of 20 federal agencies. HHS, for example, requested 113 million in its budget for training for diversity in the health workforce. And the Department of Defense asked for 50 million to fund DEI related activities. That amount accounts for just .006 percent of the department's total budget requests, according to a spokesperson.
The Biden administration expanded DEI protections to a broader group of Americans, including women, rural communities, military spouses and caregivers.
KATY YOUKER, LAWYERS' COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW: What diversity, equity and inclusion programs do is open opportunities to qualified, deserving people who worked hard. It's not about dictating hiring decisions or filling quotas.
MARSH: Federal workers at multiple agencies received department wide memos Wednesday urging them to report efforts to conceal work on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within government agencies, warning that the failure to report this information will result in, quote, adverse consequences.
Now, CNN first reported last week that federal employees were quietly editing job descriptions to protect roles over fears about scrutiny and cuts by the Trump administration. And because the anti-DEI effort currently underway also targets government grants and policies, the impact will be felt in communities far beyond Washington, D.C.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Still ahead, the latest from the Australian Open, where two friends now stand across the net from each other, facing off in the women's semifinals.
[04:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: We're back with Oreo, who are releasing a new flavor, but it didn't come with the confection all by itself. The cookie company had some help from rock star Post Malone. The new flavor has a swirled filling that mixes salted caramel and shortbread-flavored cream. That's sandwiched between one chocolate and one golden cookie. Those are engraved with designs inspired by the artist, including vinyl records and a guitar pick. They go on sale in the U.S. on February 3rd. Very cool.
Now the women's semifinal matches are under way right now at the Australian Open. World number one Sabalenka is seeking her third consecutive title in Melbourne. The Belarusian star took the first set and is up a break in the second against her good friend Paula Badosa. The 11th seed rising Spanish star is playing in her first major semifinal.
Meanwhile, the other match will be starting soon. That's 19th seed American Madison Keyes, who's making her third appearance in the semifinals and looking to break through to the final for the first time. She'll need to take down world number two Iga Swiatek, who has been dominant on the court this season. A big, tall order, that one.
And staying in Australia, once in a decade event is happening right now at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. The blooming of a corpse flower. It's named after the putrid stench it gives off. Some say it smells like death. It attracts pollinators like beetles and flies when it blooms, as well as huge crowds of people, since each bloom only lasts 24 to 48 hours.
And there is a new outdoor art exhibit lighting up London. 12 new works from international artists are on display in the Financial District for the annual Winter Lights Festival. Organizers say the exhibit explores otherworldly qualities of art and light. Those who brave the cold can see displays including an illuminated bird in flight and glowing life-size figures. The festival runs through February 1st.
That is what I will be doing with my children this weekend here in London. Thank you for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Stay with us, CNN "THIS MORNING" is up after the break.
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