Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Justice Department Fires Officials Who Investigated Trump; Chinese Startup DeepSeek Stuns World with AI Model; Palestinians Return to Northern Gaza; Raids of Migrant Communities Spark Fear Across the U.S. Raids on Migrant Communities Spark Fear Across the U.S.; Musk Speaks at Far-Right AFD Party Rally in Germany. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired January 28, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:09]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Purging the Justice Department in Donald Trump's new America.

Hello, I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was investigated more than any human being in history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Or so he claims. And now those government prosecutors have been fired for doing their job.

A.I. upended made in China for a fraction of the cost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has emerged as a real player in the A.I. arms race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Could U.S. export controls intended to hobble China's development of A.I. have actually done precisely the opposite?

And hundreds of thousands of Palestinians walking home to ruin. 15 months after many fled in fear. A Gaza ceasefire has allowed families from the north to return, but return to what?

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: A new era at the U.S. Justice Department has begun with more than a dozen lawyers who worked on two separate prosecutions of Donald Trump fired by the acting attorney general. In their termination notice, it was stated that they could not be trusted to implement the president's agenda.

This purge was not unexpected. Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to fire special prosecutor Jack Smith, but the abrupt dismissal of so many career prosecutors and others has drawn criticism.

Also Monday, prosecutors who tried but failed to bring charges against some of the January 6th rioters are themselves under investigation after the interim U.S. attorney in Washington launched what he called a special project for Donald Trump, who is speaking to Republican lawmakers on Monday. It now seems all his recent legal troubles are now a source of humor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I was investigated more than any human being in history. Scarface was not investigated as much as your president was investigated, and it turned out to be a positive thing for me. Can you believe it? It turned out to be -- we got a lot of votes. I think we got a lot of votes because they saw it was weaponization. It was a fight against a political opponent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: More now from CNN's Paula Reid reporting on that memo, which was issued at the Justice Department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Trump has repeatedly vowed retribution against those who investigated him and these firings are one of the first moves he is making. In a letter, the acting attorney general told these employees, "You played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump. The proper functioning of government critically depends on the trust superior officials place in their subordinates. Given your significant role in prosecuting the president, I do not believe that the leadership of the department can trust you to assist in implementing the president's agenda faithfully."

Now, we're told this move impacts more than a dozen employees. But of course, Jack Smith, his top prosecutors, they had already left before Trump returned to office. This is mostly focused on career officials who are supposed to be protected from political retaliation. And that wasn't the only news Monday out of the Justice Department. They also took the first concrete steps to investigate prosecutors who worked on the January 6th cases.

Now, the interim U.S. attorney, Ed Martin, has launched an investigation into prosecutors who charged January 6th rioters with obstruction of justice. This is a charge that was used in a few hundred cases. But the Supreme Court ruled last year that it was improper to use that charge, saying obstruction of justice can only be used in the context of interfering with a congressional investigation, not for actions related to January 6th.

So now the Trump Justice Department is seeking all documents, e-mails and notes related to those decisions to charge folks with obstruction of justice. Now, one senior administration official calls this, quote, "a fact-finding mission," saying the prior office screwed up by filing hundreds of cases that ended up getting thrown out by the Supreme Court and it is worth getting to the bottom of poor decision-making. But there are also concerns that this is all part of an effort to undermine the legitimacy of the entire January 6th prosecution.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: To Los Angeles now, and Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Law School and host of "The Passing Judgment" podcast.

It's good to see you. It's been a while. Like old days.

JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: Good to be here.

VAUSE: OK, here's President Trump speaking to Republican lawmakers on Monday about his plans for the Department of Justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I also signed an order to end the weaponization of our government against the American people and investigate all abuses of power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, just to be clear, that involves the immediate termination of more than a dozen lawyers who were part of the DOJ criminal investigations and prosecutions of Donald Trump. So how significant could these firings and many more which are yet to come, possibly, have on the justice system, the political process and essentially how government functions?

LEVINSON: Well, it could be significant. So, John, as you know very well, the Department of Justice has always enjoyed some independence from the president. The idea being that the Department of Justice should investigate and file complaints against people not based on what the president wants, but based on what the facts and the law indicate. And it certainly appears that President Trump wants, let's say, much more control over the Department of Justice.

And there's basically two ways to exert that. One is to get rid of people who you don't like, and the other is to pack people who you do like and essentially ask them, let's do X, let's do Y. I mean, we can remember, for instance, under the Biden administration that a special counsel was appointed to look into President Biden and Vice President Pence and President Trump because they wanted that additional layer of independence from the Department of Justice itself.

So what would this mean? I mean, frankly, I think it would be a very significant change in how the Department of Justice functions. VAUSE: Here's part of the statement from the acting head of Justice

explaining why these workers were actually fired. In light of their actions, the acting attorney general does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the president's agenda. This action is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government.

OK, so, but what are the grounds for dismissal here? Where is the evidence of wrongdoing which has, you know, risen to the -- you know, to termination? You know, it doesn't seem that the case has been made that anything actually wrong has happened here with these workers.

LEVINSON: Well, I mean, it's interesting because what they pointed out is -- what they said is don't trust these people, right? So the attorney general doesn't trust that these people can do their job. But then what they said is their job is to execute the president's agenda. Now, in terms of the grounds, I guess I just want to emphasize one thing. There are certain people in the Department of Justice who are, for instance, political appointees, and they can be fired essentially at will.

And then there are some members of the Department of Justice that enjoy something called civil service protection. And then it's harder to fire that group. And that's where you would, John, want that sort of evidence of wrongdoing. And that's where there may be, and it's early days, obviously, but there may be things like wrongful termination suits where people say, I have civil service protection, you can't get rid of me.

VAUSE: Well, President Trump has also removed 17 inspectors general or thereabouts from various government agencies. Mark Greenblatt, he was the inspector general for the Department of the Interior. He told CNN neither Democrats nor Republicans seem to be unhappy with his work or any of the other IGs. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GREENBLATT, FORMER U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: Folks on the hill, I, you know, from both parties have for years relied on work from the inspector general community. And we add great value, billions and billions of dollars return to the Treasury based on our work. And we go about preventing waste, fraud and abuse in a highly effective way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Which begs the question, why? Also, at the same time, the new administration has demoted, not fired, the U.S. Justice Department senior career ethics official. Is he -- is Donald Trump reshaping government now in his image well and truly?

LEVINSON: Yes. The Department of Justice and government in general. I mean, if we zoom out for a minute, this is the second Trump term, right? In the sense that they have had a long time to figure out not just what the Trump administration wants to do, but how to do it. And I think what we've seen here, I mean, think back, John, to day one. I think day one of the first Trump administration, there was one executive order. Day one of the second Trump administration, dozens of executive orders.

So, yes, it's important to talk about the inspector generals. And in terms of the legality here, there's a statue back to the late 1970s that said, you have to give them 30 days' notice. It looks like that notice has not been given. So that will be an issue that could potentially be litigated. But in terms of the broader picture here, yes, I think what we see is a president who in every way, think about the executive orders, think about the filings, has a different view of executive power and a much more robust view of executive power than I think what we're used to.

VAUSE: It certainly is very different from the first term, what we saw when he came in and moved slowly compared to now. So obviously they do. He's a man with a plan.

Jessica, good to see you. Thanks for being with us.

LEVINSON: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, the White House will pause all federal grants and loan disbursements starting Tuesday. The order applies to all agencies which provide federal financial assistance. And the freeze could impact trillions of dollars. The Office of Management and Budget says it's to allow officials to review the best uses for federal spending, and whether they align with President Trump's priorities.

[00:10:06]

The head of that office goes on to specifically mention some of the activities that could be affected, which include foreign aid, diversity, equity and inclusion programs, what they call a, quote, "woke gender ideology." OK.

Now the Chinese company DeepSeek has shocked the tech world after showcasing recent advancements in artificial intelligence. R1, it's replicating the similar features of ChatGPT style interface but operating at a fraction of the cost. With China's restricted access to new chip technology, the high performance model is also able to run on underpowered hardware.

U.S. tech stocks dropped sharply in response on Monday. Chip maker Nvidia lost nearly $600 billion in market value, the biggest single day loss for one company in stock market history. Tech mogul Mark Anderson calls R1 the Sputnik moment and the race for A.I. superiority. President Trump claims the innovation should be a wake-up call for Silicon Valley.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following all the developments, she is live for us with Hong Kong.

Yes, the one thing about stuff that's made in China, yes, it can often be cheaper, but is it as good? Take it away.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. That is the key question here, John. And you know how to ask those questions when dealing with Chinese products and Chinese companies. So DeepSeek is a young Chinese A.I. startup. It has stunned the world. It has shocked U.S. markets. But analysts are starting to question claims by this company.

It all started last week when DeepSeek revealed a new generative A.I. platform called R1. It's much like ChatGPT, but it operates at a fraction of the price. And according to DeepSeek, again, this is a claim by the company, it says that it cost only $5.6 million for the computing power to power its base.

Now, that is at a fraction of the cost that we've seen come out from Western tech giants like Meta, like OpenAI, like Google, that have spent hundreds of millions or billions of dollars on their A.I. technology platforms. And that's why we saw the market rout on Wall Street on Monday with the tech heavy Nasdaq losing 3 percent, shares of Nvidia losing almost 17 percent because that announcement, that claim from DeepSeek shattered the aura of invincibility in the U.S. tech sector.

But, again, analysts are questioning this. They are throwing cold water on that claim. And I want to show you some analysis that we got from Isaac Stone Fish. Let's bring it up for you. Isaac is the CEO and founder of Strategy Risks. And he tells CNN this, quote, "How much did it actually cost DeepSeek to train its model? We won't know that until someone has properly audited its claims and the research paper it released.

Now, meanwhile, we're learning more about the company itself as well as its founder. His name is Liang Wenfeng. He recently spoke at a symposium that was hosted by the Chinese Premier Li Qiang. This was reported widely in Chinese state-run media. And that meeting you're seeing a photograph there of the DeepSeek founder at the symposium, it underscores the close relationship DeepSeek has with the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party.

According to state-run media, DeepSeek is a company that's based in Zhejiang. This is on the east coast of China, not far from Shanghai. This is a company that, according to state media, is a small lab. It has less than 10 people. And Liang, the founder of DeepSeek, has gone on the record speaking to Chinese media about the technology industry and about why Chinese tech needs to move from imitation to originality.

In fact, these are words from the founder. He said this, quote, "We often say there's a one or two-year gap between China and the U.S., but the real gap is between originality and imitation. If this doesn't change, China will always be a follower," unquote. Liang adds that China cannot be in a follower position forever.

Back to you, John.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Good to see you. It's been a while. Kristie Lu Stout there live for us in Hong Kong.

LU STOUT: Good to see you, my friend. VAUSE: Take care.

Well, a moment months in the making. Displaced Palestinians now making a long awaited return to northern Gaza. As you expect emotions have been running high.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:18:27]

VAUSE: As days of intense fighting continues in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials there are accusing neighboring Rwanda of sending troops to support M-23 rebel fighters. Thousands have been forced to flee the city in a region rich with minerals critical to much of the world's technology. It remains unclear which side controls the city right now. Rwanda denies supporting the rebel fighters.

After a 48-hour long delay, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians were finally allowed to return to northern Gaza on Monday.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond spoke with some of those making this bittersweet journey home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The masses of people trekking up Gaza's coastal road are not being forced to flee. They are returning home.

The Palestinian people are going back to their homes, this man shouts, announcing his joy to anyone who will listen. It's a great happiness. We feel like we can fly.

After being displaced for months on end, tens of thousands of Palestinians are finally returning to northern Gaza shielded by the guarantees of a six-week ceasefire. This river of humanity flows for miles and miles. Underscoring the magnitude of the last 15 months of war.

For many, like Iyad al-Masri, their journey began in southern Gaza, taking down their tents they hope forever.

I'm taking these four bags and going back to my house, Iyad says. I don't know if it is still standing or not, but I'm going back to Beit Hanoun.

[00:20:05]

People quickly crowd around the few busses heading north. Babies and belongings hoisted with urgency. Others carry what they can, taking their chances on foot. Trudging through this uneven coastal road, young and old alike are determined to push past fatigue and return home. For the first of many that moment came shortly after 7:00 a.m.

crossing an abandoned Israeli checkpoint where masked Hamas militants now stand watch.

Israel agreed to open the road to northern Gaza only after resolving a two-day dispute with Hamas over the fate of an Israeli hostage, Arbel Yehoud. Hamas now set to release her alongside the captive Israeli soldier Agam Berger and a third hostage on Thursday.

Back in Gaza this is what most are returning to, bombed-out buildings and heaps of rubble now line the streets. Even amid the destruction, there is joy as family members, separated by war, reunite.

Thank God, Muataz (PH) says as he kisses his mother and embraces his daughter. He hasn't seen them in 10 months.

Amid the reunions, there are also tears as people set foot on the land they call home once again.

I'm crying right now out of happiness, this man says. I don't want anything except to enter my homeland.

The enormity of the destruction in Gaza, prompting President Trump to call for moving Palestinians out of Gaza.

TRUMP: I'd like Egypt to take people and unlike Jordan to take people. I could -- I mean, you're talking about probably a million and a half people. And we just clean out that whole thing.

DIAMOND: Among those who camped out for days near the checkpoint in northern Gaza, waiting for it to open, Trump's idea is quickly rejected.

We say to Trump, no, and a million and one nos. We will stay here. We will stay in Gaza, he says. Even if it is a pile of rubble.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: According to Israeli officials, eight hostages yet to be released by Hamas in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire deal are dead. The Israeli government was notified of their status after receiving a list from the militant group. Hamas has not revealed the cause of death. Israel says the rest of the 33 hostages are expected to be freed are still alive. Families of all hostages are said to be released dead and alive were contacted by Israeli authorities on Sunday. That's according to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.

When we come back, the Trump administration promising the strongest crackdown on undocumented immigrants in U.S. history. But critics say so far they're focusing more on fear and propaganda.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:27:18] VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Nearly 1200 people across the U.S. were arrested Monday as part of Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. These raids are also being orchestrated for TV and social media, with border agents told to show up camera ready, wearing full tactical gear.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Trump administration is celebrating images of immigration officers fanning out across the country, arresting undocumented migrants. The president's supporters call it a new day in controlling the U.S. southern border.

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): I think what I've seen in the first week has been very positive as far as deporting people that deserve to be deported. These convicted criminal aliens need to go home.

LAVANDERA: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency or ICE says in the last five days it has arrested an average of 710 people a day who will face deportation. In Colorado, the Drug Enforcement Administration says nearly 50 people suspected of being undocumented gang members were taken into custody Sunday. ICE officials say they carried out enhanced targeted operations in Chicago searching for criminal immigrants.

In Georgia, cameras recorded ICE agents arresting a Honduran man in his 50s at his home. The man's family says he is a construction worker with no criminal record other than a ticket for driving without a license.

While the Trump administration is touting its deportation efforts, critics say not much has really changed in Trump's first week from the Biden era. In fiscal year 2023, the Biden administration deported about 390 people a day, according to ICE data. That jumped to 743 a day in 2024.

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR (D-TX): What the Trump administration is doing right now is performative. A form of propaganda so that he can tell his base, look, I'm doing exactly what I told you I was going to do.

LAVANDERA: The Trump administration is also boosting the military presence along the southern border. More than 1500 troops have been brought in and will be deployed along various points on the border.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is also bringing in 400 additional National Guard soldiers to work alongside Border Patrol agents.

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: They're down there to create a secure border and lock that border down. And DOD has helped administrations before, but not at this level. So it's a force multiplier and it's sending a strong signal to the world our borders are closed.

LAVANDERA: Tom Homan is the Trump administration's border czar and he's vowing more arrests to come, which is triggering a sense of fear among immigrant communities across the country, especially among farm workers.

TERESA ROMERO, PRESIDENT, UNITED FARM WORKERS: Right now, farm workers are not even opening their doors to anybody who knock on their doors because they are afraid that it's going to be somebody who's going to take him, who's going to separate him from the family.

So, this is the worst that I personally have seen in many years.

LAVANDERA: There have been some operational changes here on the ground along the U.S. Southern border. Military aircraft are now being used to carry out deportations, repatriating undocumented immigrants back to their home countries, as well as more cooperation, interagency cooperation in terms of being able to arrest undocumented immigrants around the country.

So, we have seen those changes. But the question is, just how long will this be sustainable?

Ed Lavandera, CNN, El Paso, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And President Trump says a threat of tariffs has quickly ended a dispute with Colombia over military flights returning deportees. According to Trump, threats of tariffs, travel bans, and other sweeping punishments to get his way are elevating America's status.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're respected again. Isn't that nice? You know, after years of laughing at us like we're stupid people.

And as you saw yesterday, we've made it clear to every country that they will be taking back our people, that we're sending out the criminals, that the illegal aliens coming from their countries. We're taking them back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Despite the Trump administration's promise of a massive crackdown on immigration, both Mexico and Guatemala say they have not seen a significant increase in deportees, at least not yet.

Staff at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been ordered to stop communicating with the World Health Organization.

According to a memo sent Sunday, staff were told to halt all engagement with the organization and, quote, "await further guidance."

The memo says the directive was made in line with President Trump's executive order withdrawing from the U.S. from the WHO last week.

That's making a significant blow to global health efforts. The U.S. is one of the largest countries to fund the organization, tasked with coordinating international responses to health emergencies.

Elon Musk says Germany should move beyond the guilt of the past. More from his surprise appearance at a far-right rally. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:43]

VAUSE: Eighty years since Nazi death camp Auschwitz was liberated by Allied troops, and on Monday, survivors and families gathered to remember the atrocities committed on a scale not seen before or since.

Between 1940 and 1945, as many as 1.1 million Jews were murdered on an industrial scale. Survivors shared their stories and warned of the dangers of antisemitism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOVA FRIEDMAN, AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR: We are also here to proclaim and to pledge that we will never, never, ever allow history to repeat itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The chairman of the World Holocaust Remembrance Center is accusing Elon Musk of insulting victims of Nazis after Musk said Germany needed to move beyond the guilt of the past. He made that comment at the election campaign launch for Germany's far-right AFD Party.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELON MUSK, FOUNDER, TESLA: Can you hear me OK?

ALICE WEIDEL, AFD CANDIDATE: Yes, we can hear you.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Elon Musk, larger than life, the virtual guest of honor at the far-right Alternative for Germany's election campaign kickoff event.

Some AFD members have been accused of using Nazi rhetoric. Musk calling for more German nationalism.

MUSK: I think there's like, frankly, too much of a -- of a focus on -- on past guilt. And we need to move beyond that.

It's OK to be proud to be German and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that -- that -- that dilutes everything.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Music to the ears of AFD supporters.

MUSK: You know, go, go, go. Fight, fight, fight.

WEIDEL: Fight, fight.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Musk, speaking even before the party's main candidate, Alice Weidel, who makes no secret, on immigration, the AFD sees eye-to-eye with the Trump administration.

Weidel telling me just how important Musk's support is.

WEIDEL: I'm incredibly happy that he could made [SIC] it. And I wish him and Donald Trump, J.D. Vance all the best and good blessings.

PLEITGEN: What would you do if you became the chancellor?

WEIDEL: Well --

PLEITGEN: Immediately?

WEIDEL: -- closing our borders, controlling them, and then sending out all the illegals and also these people who do crimes. They have to leave our country.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Germany has taken in millions of refugees in recent years, mostly from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

But after a string of high-profile crimes, like a recent stabbing by an Afghan asylum seeker, killing a 2-year-old boy and a man trying to stop the rampage, many Germans have soured to the migrant influx.

Musk inserting himself into German politics, calling German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "incompetent fool" and saying only the AFD can save Germany.

PLEITGEN: While Germanys established parties have said they will not cooperate with the AFD, the party is currently riding a high in the polls and could soon be one of the strongest political forces in Germany.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elon Musk, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). No one wants your Cybertruck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elon Musk, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). No one wants your Cybertruck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elon Musk, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). No one wants your Cybertruck.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Outside the venue, Musk, also a lightning rod for those protesting against the AFD.

"I understand what happened in 1933," this man says, "where many people didn't want to see it. And I don't want my children to ask me, 'Dad, where were you when the Nazis started again?'"

[00:40:09] The AFD rejects accusations of being right-wing extremists. And the party leaders say, like it or not, the AFD is on the rise, with Elon Musk fueling their ascent.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Halle an der Saale, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM, but first WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. See you soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:21]

(WORLD SPORT)

[00:57:31]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)