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CNN International: Putin's Reservations on 30-Day Ceasefire; Zelenskyy Calls for More Sanctions on Russia; Trump Threatens 200 percent Tariffs on E.U. Alcohol; Judge Orders Federal Workers Rehired; Trump's Deportation Push; Trump to Invoke Wartime Authority for Deportations; 10-Year-Old Held by Immigration Authorities. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 13, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington.

And just ahead this hour, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy calls for more sanctions on Russia as he accuses Vladimir Putin of delaying the ceasefire. Donald Trump threatens 200 percent tariffs on alcohol imported from the E.U. And the lawyer for a 10-year-old U. S. citizen recovering from brain cancer says she's being held by immigration authorities along with her parents who are undocumented.

We begin with Russia expressing reservations about a ceasefire proposal in its ongoing war with Ukraine, put forward by the U.S. and backed by Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin is raising questions about the agreement. As President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, engages in talks to bring about a 30-day ceasefire.

The Russian leader said it is not clear how the situation would develop in the Kursk region of Russia and elsewhere if a ceasefire is implemented, and suggested that he will have future direct talks with the U.S. president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Ukrainian side should certainly get a ceasefire for 30 days, and we are for that, but I have reservations. Maybe I will call President Trump, and certainly, you know, perhaps we can come to an agreement on a peaceful end.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He did say that today, it was a very promising statement, because other people are saying different things, and you don't know if they have anything to really -- if they have any meaning or, I don't know, I think some of them were making statements. I don't think they have anything to do with it.

No, he put out a very promising statement, but it wasn't complete. And yes, I'd love to meet with him or talk to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCIUTTO: The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accused Russia of delaying the ceasefire, calling it, quote, "a predictable, manipulative response" by dragging out the negotiations rather than even rejecting the plan outright.

Back in Washington, President Trump was joined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The president praised him for making allies step up. For his part, the former Dutch prime minister highlighted a rapid shift in European defense spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: What happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of $800 billion defense spending, the Germans now, and potentially up to half a trillion extra in defense spending, and then, of course, you have Keir Starmer here, the British prime minister, and others, all committing to much higher defense spending.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Senior Military Analyst James Stavridis joins me now. He is the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Good to have you back, sir.

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST AND FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: Great to be with you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: I wonder -- first I want to ask you, before we get to the ceasefire negotiations, about the NATO alliance. Because you have the NATO secretary general there praising NATO allies for contributing more to their defense. But when you hear the public comments of NATO leaders in Europe, they say that's in part because they don't trust the U.S. anymore to take part in the alliance, to live up to its Article 5 commitment in the alliance.

What do you see from Europe here? Do you see Europe stepping up to U.S. demands or saying, we need to be able to go it alone without the U.S.?

STAVRIDIS: I think it's going to be door number two, Jim. Increasingly, the Europeans are having an aha moment. And it's -- part of it is certainly the pressure from the Trump administration. But let's face it, it's the Vladimir Putin, its Russian tanks rolling west. Europeans remember the Red Army raping its way across Poland and Germany. They remember Prague. They remember Budapest, where Russian tanks rolled in and crushed revolutions. This is within living memory of Europeans.

So, I think they feel they can't depend on the U.S. They're going to step up. You're going to see them throw enormous amounts of money at their defense. And I applaud them doing so.

SCIUTTO: Yes. It may be a necessity. Let's talk now about these negotiations. So, Putin says, well, it's great and correct, this ceasefire proposal, but I have some reservations. Do you -- having followed Putin for some time yourself, do you believe he is seriously considering agreeing to a ceasefire?

[18:05:00]

STAVRIDIS: I think having tracked Vladimir Putin for close to 20 years, including when I was supreme allied commander of NATO, I think he's doing classic Putin, which is kind of, to put an American expression on it, rope a dope. He is going to take a couple of punches. He's going to bounce back. He's going to press forward. By the way, you got to love that Russian military look where they look up in the air when the great leader goes by. It's so strange. I've been watching that for 20 years as well.

Putin, if you put it on a scale, Jim, between, net, no and da, yes, he's kind of right in the middle where you'd expect that he's looking for further concessions from the Ukrainians. And I'll tell you the three things he wants. He wants a guarantee that Ukraine will never, ever join NATO. Number 2, he wants the world to recognize Russian sovereignty in Crimea and the four provinces of Donbass, the land bridge. And number three, he is going to press for elections in Ukraine because he desperately wants to get rid of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who's been a real thorn in his side.

SCIUTTO: The trouble is, several of those things you mentioned, certainly NATO membership and the possibility of new elections, are also things the U.S. president or some of his allies have talked about quite publicly and that they've even repeated some of the Kremlin talking points on the root causes of the crisis here, blaming, in effect, Ukraine and Europe, as opposed to Russia.

Does that mean that Trump and the U.S. cannot be reliable mediators in this negotiation? Do you see President Trump has perhaps trending towards Putin's view of this war, and therefore, delivering an agreement that leans in that direction?

STAVRIDIS: I think at this point, what I see the administration doing is accepting the de facto positions of the combatants right now. And that, I think, frankly, is a military reality. The idea that Ukraine can ultimately throw Russia out of Crimea and the Donbass is very, very difficult, maybe not mission impossible, it's mission really, really hard.

So, I think what the Trump team is doing is accept what we got, go for a Korean war like ending, push for peacekeepers of some kind to create a no fire zone between the combatants. And in order to get Putin to agree to that, team Trump is going to have to put some real pressure on Russia, both sottovoce (ph) kind of off camera, but also, very publicly and it remains to be seen whether a team Trump is willing to do that or not. Everyone is watching.

SCIUTTO: Yes, they were certainly willing to put an enormous amount of pressure on Ukraine and its president as we witnessed. James Stavridis, always good to have you.

STAVRIDIS: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Well, President Trump took direct aim today at the European Union, threatening hefty new tariffs on wine and spirit imports and blasting E.U. officials for their regulation of U.S. tech companies. The day began with President Trump vowing a 200 percent tariff on all alcohol imports from the E.U. All this after the E.U. announced retaliatory tariffs on American spirits, boats, motorbikes, and other goods.

Trump argues that more expensive European liquor will actually boost demand for U.S. products, but the U.S. liquor industry itself worries their business will suffer as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS SWONGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL OF THE U.S.: We do believe there is an opportunity with President Trump and his leadership, working with the E.U., to get this resolved. What's really important is there is no light between the U.S. distilled spirits industry and the E.U. Distilled spirits industry. We're intertwined. We have distinctive products.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: President Trump's new tariff threats hit stocks again sizable losses across the board. Tech fell 2 percent S&P has now fallen 10 percent from its most recent highs. That's the textbook definition of a market correction. President Trump took further shots at the E.U. on Thursday, criticizing its trade practices and antitrust policies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We sell no cars to Europe, I mean, virtually no cars, and they sell millions of cars to us. They don't take our agriculture. We take their agriculture. It's like a one-way street with them. The European Union is very, very nasty. They sue our companies. Apple was forced to pay $16 billion. They're suing Facebook. They're suing all of these companies. And they're taking billions of dollars out of American companies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: All right. So, let's ask the E.U. The E.U. Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath is in Washington this week to discuss not only those tariffs but also the tech regulations. Thanks so much for joining.

[18:10:00]

MICHAEL MCGRATH, E.U. COMMISSIONER, DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, RULE OF LAW AND CONSUMER PROTECTION: Good to be here, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, you heard the U.S. president there saying, in effect, Europe gives us nothing. They don't buy anything from America. Respond to that.

MCGRATH: Well, look it's a fantastic two-way trade and investment relationship at the moment. In fact, annual two-way trade across the Atlantic is about 1.6 trillion euro. And it is mutually beneficial. European companies actually employ about three and a half million Americans here in America.

I think the international rules-based system of trade has served both the U.S. and Europe very well. And if there are issues that the administration here in D.C. wishes to discuss with us to negotiate, then let's enter dialogue. And that is very much our preference in the European Union. But as you have seen in our statements in the last couple of days, where unjustified tariffs are being imposed, we will respond in a firm, but a proportionate way.

But this is not where we want to be. Tariffs are ultimately a tax on consumers here in the United States and in Europe, and they will hurt businesses, and they will cost jobs.

SCIUTTO: The president has said that there -- of the American people and tariffs that they're going to be so much richer than they are right now and plays down the costs to Americans. Is there any way that tariffs do not impose costs on both players, the U.S. and the E.U.?

MCGRATH: Well, ultimately, tariffs are a tax and they have to be paid by somebody, and they're paid by the end consumer. And consumers are pretty hard pressed enough at the moment as it is. And so, they will end up picking up the tab if we get into this tit for tat tariff war. That's not where we should be. We are allies. We are partners. The U.S. and Europe are each other's most important trade and investment partner globally. Together we account for about 30 percent of global trade.

So, it is absolutely mutually beneficial. So, we should be engaging. We should be working together where there are issues and challenges, let's discuss them around the table and come to a settlement and a solution. And that's what we want to do, but we will respond, as we have done, where the necessity is there to protect European consumers and to protect European businesses.

SCIUTTO: Do you find any movement or any potential for movement during your visit here to Washington? Do you have private conversations that say, hey, actually, we can talk here? Because the president, in his public comments, says, I'm not backing off tariffs.

MCGRATH: Yes, the president has been being very clear. And of course, there is ongoing contact at official level. And hopefully, there will be further engagement at a political level shortly because I don't think this is where anybody wants to be. This is a zero-sum game. It's going to end up costing us on both sides of the Atlantic and I think it is avoidable. It does require trust and goodwill on both sides.

But from a European perspective, what we have offered is a single market of 450 million people. And access to that market has been phenomenally successful for U.S. companies across a whole range of different sectors. And actually, when you look at both goods and services in the round, it's quite a balanced trading relationship overall.

So, that's our perspective. We need to engage and discuss address any challenges and issues that are there. But if we keep hitting each other, it is others are going to benefit other than the U.S. and Europe.

SCIUTTO: You mentioned trust there. When I speak to Canadian officials, and some of this is public, as in interviews I've done and public comments from the outgoing prime minister, they fear that Trump is attempting to collapse their economy to get what he wants. Things like, I mean, the 51st state talk, which is ridiculous, but even changing the border.

I wonder, do you fear Trump would go that far with Europe, say, if you don't give me what I want, our economy's bigger than yours, we will make you pay?

MCGRATH: Well, look, ultimately, if we all go down this road, it's going to hurt, and it's going to hurt real hard, and it's going to hurt the most vulnerable, and it will hurt businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, and it will cost jobs, and that's not, I think, where anyone wants to be.

So, you know, we are ready to engage and negotiate and find a way forward. The Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, has met with Secretary Lutnick a number of weeks ago and stands ready for further engagement. But it has to be on the basis of both parties wanting to come to a settlement and an agreement. The alternative is that we hurt each other. And that's not where allies and strategic partners should be.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I want to ask about the tech issue, because Trump and tech leaders in this country are taking particular aim at European restrictions on tech monopolies, monopolistic behavior, privacy standards, but also the regulation of certain speech, particularly incendiary speech online. Is the E.U. willing to relent on any of these issues?

[18:15:00]

MCGRATH: So, our Digital Services Act is our digital rule book, and it applies to companies irrespective of their origin. So, Chinese companies, European companies and indeed, American companies as well. And actually, protection of freedom of expression is an inbuilt safeguard in the Digital Services Act.

It's not about content moderation with the exception of taking down illegal content, which I think most people would agree with. But it is about the very large platforms being transparent about their content moderation systems. If they take down a comment that you post, Jim, because they don't like it, then they need to be clear with you as to why it was taken down and answer that question.

So, our system and our rule book applies evenly and consistently across the board, and it is about ensuring there's a safe environment online, and it does provide a framework within which U.S. companies have been phenomenally successful within the European Union.

SCIUTTO: It sounds like you're saying -- MCGRATH: Earning very large profits, and their services are used by

hundreds of millions of Europeans every day.

SCIUTTO: It sounds like you're saying you're not going to relent on those?

MCGRATH: The Digital Services Act, we believe, strikes the appropriate balance. It does provide for that safe environment online, but it absolutely protects freedom of expression. So, it is the law of Europe, and in the same way that the U.S. administration would expect European companies to respect the laws here in the United States, we expect the same, and we are applying it in an even handed and a fair and consistent manner to all businesses, irrespective of where they come from.

SCIUTTO: Mike McGrath, we appreciate you taking the time. Wish you the best of luck on your trip.

MCGRATH: Thank you, Jim .

SCIUTTO: Well, top Canadian officials, including the country's finance minister and Ontario's Premier Doug Ford, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington today amid the ongoing trade war between those two countries and neighbors. The meeting, which concluded less than an hour ago, comes after Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on more than $20 billion worth of U.S. goods earlier this week. There's a lot of that going around.

Ford, who suspended a hefty 25 percent surcharge on Canadian electricity exports to the U.S. on Tuesday in exchange for today's talks calls them extremely positive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, ONTARIO PREMIER: We feel that the temperature is being lowered. That we feel the temperature is being lowered. And we've also agreed that we're going to have another meeting next week. And I think it's going to be very productive as well. We want the best outcome for both countries were part. We're like a family, and sometimes there's tension between families, but that was an extremely productive meeting, and I just want to thank, you know, the secretary for the opportunity to go in there and stay this long and communicate. We shared a tremendous amount of views back and forth, and I'm feeling very positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Perhaps that's progress. Ford says that as of now, though, no tariffs have been stopped. Coming up, a major blow to Elon Musk's DOGE. A judge has ordered thousands of fired federal workers back on the job. We're going to have that and more with Republican Congressman Darin LaHood right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00] SCIUTTO: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately rehire thousands of U.S. government workers. We've just learned the Trump administration will appeal that ruling. The order covers probationary workers at six departments, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and the Treasury. The judge calls the firing process a sham, saying he might extend the order to cover other agencies affected.

The firings were carried out by DOGE, that is the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by that man there, Elon Musk. It is facing criticism for a series of mistakes it has made, such as confusing millions with billions in a contract for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Taking credit for cancelling two Coast Guard contracts that actually ended back under President George W. Bush. And claiming $1.9 billion in savings from an IRS contract which was already cancelled actually under President Biden.

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee wanted to hear from Musk on Wednesday. Republicans blocked him from testifying, which then prompted this outburst from Congressman John Larson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LARSON (D-CT): Where's Elon Musk? I'm sure he's a genius and is a very credible person because of the wealth he's accumulated. But that does not put him above the law or the responsibility to come before this committee in this Congress.

If he's so great, if these plans and all the fraud and abuse that he found are so eminent, why isn't he here explaining it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Republican Congressman Darin LaHood is a member of that committee as well. Thanks so much for taking the time.

REP. DARIN LAHOOD (R-IL): Good to be with you Jim.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you first, just briefly on that moment there before the committee, why not have Elon Musk testified to face questions? I mean, there are a lot of questions. Republican and Democratic voters seem to have questions about the way these cuts are being made

LAHOOD: Well, I think we may hear from Elon Musk at some point before our committee, but obviously, they're still doing the work of the DOGE Committee. I think it's a good suggestion, Jim, and I think maybe we'll see that happen at some point.

But remember, they're doing their audits. They're doing their due diligence. They're looking at how do we reform government, get rid of waste, fraud and abuse, and make government more efficient, more effective. At some point, I think we'll have an opportunity to do that.

SCIUTTO: OK. Let me ask you about how they're doing this right. Because Judge Alsop, who issued this ruling, said the firing process was basically a sham. This dealt specifically with probationary workers. And as you know, probationary status affects all sorts of workers, including new hires, right, at a place like the CIA, but also even employees who are making transitions to new roles. Why does it make sense to, in effect, use the chainsaw, right, and fire all of them rather than going through and making some sort of assessment as to who isn't needed and who is?

LAHOOD: Well, first of all, Jim, this will be appealed. This is one judge's interpretation of that. So, let's see what happens to the appellate process on that. But there's been a number of exemptions from this probationary period -- from these probationary employees. For instance, the FBI has not gotten rid of their probationary FBI agents. That's a decision that was made by Kash Patel with the discretion.

And so, I think there's been, in many ways, a scalpel approach when it pertains to intelligence folks, national security folks, people involved with law enforcement in looking at that from a strategic standpoint. But, Jim, the bottom line is this would be a much different conversation if we were $36 trillion in surplus and we were figuring out where to spend money. We're $36 trillion in debt.

And so, creating a commission to come in with a different set of eyes, to look at how we reform government and cut back on spending, again, that's part of what the Ways and Means hearing was yesterday. It's part of what we have an obligation responsibility to do as elected officials.

[18:25:00]

SCIUTTO: But you know that that figure, while true, these cuts are barely touching that figure. And to really get at it, Republicans and Democrats would need to have some hard conversations about a whole host of programs. You know that entitlements are a big piece of the budget, but also about tax revenue, frankly. And as you know, Republicans are not willing to discuss any additional tax revenue. I mean, can you really, realistically, when you look at the math, touch that giant number without some horse trading?

LAHOOD: Well, of course, this has to be done in a bipartisan way. I agree with that on reversing the curse that we've been affected with. Just think about this fiscal year, we're going to spend $7 trillion, we're going to bring in 5 trillion. We can't -- it's unsustainable.

So, everything you mentioned, Jim should be on the table. We should be having this conversation in a bipartisan way. I think there are -- there is a core of the Ways and Means Committee that wants to figure out how we get our country back on a path to fiscal solvency. But having a DOGE commission that looks at one aspect of that, that -- I view that as a positive thing. It is political malpractice to think that we can't look at where we find spending cuts, where we cut back on government, where we make things more efficient, more effective, more accountable.

SCIUTTO: I want to ask you on the issue of tariffs, because Trump has said that there will be some short-term pain from tariffs. When you talk to economists, however, when you talk to the investment banks in this country or look at the reaction of the stock market, they are not looking at short-term pain here, they're looking at long-term pain here.

I wonder, are your constituents comfortable with this trade war that the U.S. now finds itself in, with some of its closest trading partners?

LAHOOD: Well, I have a heavy agriculture district, heavy manufacturing district. And so, yes, to me, tariffs are taxes. They're taxes on my farmers, my constituents, folks that are in my district, but no one should be surprised that the president is implementing tariffs

For the entire campaign, Jim, he talked about tariffs. He talked about the implementation of tariffs and he was going to do that. Now, for me, tariffs can be used in a strategic and tactical way to go after countries that don't play by the same rules and standards that every other industrialized country in the world does. China, for instance, they steal our intellectual property. They cheat. They take advantage of the world trade organization. All of those things that need to change.

And so, the president is using tariffs in a strategic way to change bad behavior and also as a leverage mechanism. But again, this is something he ran on. He talked about doing. He's implementing that now. I think we can give him some discretion and leeway on how he does that and see the results.

SCIUTTO: The thing is, he's not -- I mean, you talk about a scalpel with, you know, these are -- you know, this is definitely the chainsaw when it comes to tariffs. And as you know, he's going after some of America's closest friends in the world, right? And when you listen, speaking to Canadian officials, their foreign minister, the prime minister, they fear that his intent is to straight up collapse their economy if he doesn't get what he wants. Even, you discussed from the Oval Office today, changing the border with Canada.

So, from your perspective, is this the kind of discretion you think the president should be exercising on these issues, to go after America's closest friends?

LAHOOD: Well, I think one thing we've learned about President Donald Trump, I take what he says seriously, but sometimes not literally. And so, when you look at, you know, the leverage mechanisms he's using here, I take him at his word on wanting to stop the illegal flow of fentanyl that's flowing across our southern border, the -- fixing the unmitigated disaster at our southern border with illegal immigration. So, can tariffs be used in a strategic and tactical way to get those results? Of course, they can.

But you've also seen that there's been some exemptions put in place for the auto industry and other affected industries. So, it's not a -- you know, a hard and fast approach he's taken. I think he's taken a nuanced approach on that, working with Secretary Bessent, Secretary Lutnick on how we best implement these.

But again, I go back to what I said before, Jim. I have concerns about the collateral damage of tariffs. But again, we got to give the president some discretion and leeway with getting elected with the mandate that he did.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Darin LaHood, we appreciate you taking the time to join us today.

LAHOOD: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, right after the break, President Trump turns to laws from the 17th century to implement his mass deportation effort. We're going to explain what's known as the Alien Enemies Act in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are more international headlines we're watching today. The U.S. is proposing a month-long extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages held by Hamas. That's according to a source familiar with the talks. The plan also calls for Israel to lift its blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two astronauts left for the last nine months on the International Space Station, will have to wait a little longer before they can return to Earth. The NASA SpaceX Crew 10 flight, which was supposed to blast off from Florida on Wednesday, has been delayed because of hydraulics issues. It's now scheduled to launch on Friday.

Anger in Australia after an American tourist who calls herself a social media influencer was filmed picking up and taking a wild baby wombat away from its mother. Not a good idea. This video, shared widely on social media, has now been deleted. Wombats are protected under Australian law, and officials are investigating whether she breached the conditions of her visa.

This is just in to CNN. A rowdy crowd at a town hall for Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards in Asheville, North Carolina, have a listen. A man in the audience yelling that he was a veteran and the congressman didn't care about him. Security let him out. Republican leadership has asked members of Congress to stop holding town halls after several events have been competed with criticism like that, especially over the DOGE cuts we were discussing earlier.

[18:35:00]

Noisy scenes inside Trump Tower in New York City just a few hours ago, and more than 120 supporters of the pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil staged a sit in denouncing his arrest and his ongoing deportation proceedings. Police made 98 arrests. The free speech demonstration was organized by the human rights group Jewish Voice for Peace.

Within days, the Trump administration is expected to invoke a law dating back to the 18th century in order to speed up its mass deportation effort, that according to multiple sources. It's the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which gives the president tremendous authority to remove undocumented immigrants. Legal experts, however, argue that will lead to big battles in court.

Priscilla Alvarez joins me now. So, explain how much power the president would have under this law.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Extraordinary. Extraordinary power when targeting certain undocumented immigrants. And even though it's a little-known 18th century law, it might sound familiar to viewers because President Donald Trump had mentioned it repeatedly on the campaign trail.

Now, I've been talking to sources about this. It was one of his first actions, actually, in office to direct his administration to start to work this up, to invoke this. Now, there is a lot of work that goes into it, and that has been happening behind the scenes over the last several weeks. In fact, it has been a moving target in terms of when they were going to release it, and we're still awaiting. I'm told it could happen as soon as tomorrow because the implementation of it and the legality is so complicated.

Now, the primary target here is Tren de Aragua. That is that Venezuelan criminal gang that we have heard multiple times cited by Trump officials. But it is concerning to immigrant advocates and legal experts for a couple of reasons. With advocates, how are you confirming that someone is part of this gang? Isn't it possible that other Venezuelans could be swept up in this and be part of this speedy deportation that they maybe shouldn't have been subjected to?

SCIUTTO: And they're out of the country before they have a chance to appeal in effect.

ALVAREZ: Correct. And then with legal experts, how are you justifying that there is a war right now? This is a law. That has only been invoked three times. Both -- two of those, World War I, World War II. And so, what is the justification for the wartime authority in this moment?

Now, we'll wait to see what they say in writing. We know that TDA is now a for designated a foreign terrorist organization. So, how exactly they gin up that explanation is going to be something to watch for. But striking all the same.

SCIUTTO: It'll certainly be challenged in court. Is this the kind of thing that will go to the Supreme Court for a final decision?

ALVAREZ: It very well could. What we have seen, and what I have talked to sources about over the course of the last several weeks, is they are pushing the boundaries of law. Not only on immigration, on a lot of other issues, but this was something they have been thinking about for the last four years. Those in Trump's orbit. We've seen this with birthright citizenship. We're seeing it with this authority, including with the arrest of the prominent Palestinian activist, by also using a little-known measure to go after him and to detain him. So, they are basically looking at all of the tools in their toolbox, and that includes measures that haven't been used in centuries and trying to see whether they can apply it now.

SCIUTTO: And in effect, flood the zone, right? I mean, there are a lot of ongoing cases on many of these moves across the board. Priscilla Alvarez, thanks so much.

Well, my next guest is part of the legal team representing a family deeply affected by Trump's border policies. Like many families across the U.S., they have mixed status. Some members of the family have U.S. citizenship, others do not. That's made an already stressful situation even more complicated.

Their daughter, a U.S. citizen is recovering and receiving treatment for a brain tumor. Lawyers say her parents were stopped last month while trying to get her her regular medical care. They have now been deported, the whole family, forcing them to leave for Mexico. We should note, their legal team refers to the family using a pseudonym, Hernandez, citing safety concerns.

Joining me now is Daniel Hatoum. He's a senior supervising attorney for the Texas civil rights project. Thanks so much for joining. We appreciate having you.

DANIEL HATOUM, SENIOR SUPERVISING ATTORNEY, TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT: I appreciate you all having me. Thank you so much.

SCIUTTO: So, explain the legal status of the family, because several of the children are U.S. citizens and therefore, have legal status. What is the parents' status?

HATOUM: Well, the status of the parents right now is something that we're advocating for that they can return to the United States. And that they can be part of the community that they've contributed to.

SCIUTTO: OK. Are they documented or undocumented?

HATOUM: They're currently undocumented. That is the reason why CBP forced the decision where they decided to threaten the family.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HATOUM: Where the citizen children, but with the parents were told that they would be separated from their parents if they didn't go to Mexico.

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: And what they're essentially offering to the family, it seems, right, is I suppose your kids could stay, right, because they have legal status, but you got to go, which is not exactly, I imagine, a decision a family makes, particularly when they have young children and one who's going through -- actually two of the children going through serious health issues?

HATOUM: Yes, it was impossibly cruel decision that the family had in front of them. And in fact, I think it was put even more harshly than that, that for the children to continue to see their parents and even not to be sent away, they would need to go with their parents to Mexico when their home is here in the United States.

SCIUTTO: I mean, yes, that choice, have their children remain in government custody and never see them again or have the children be removed alongside them. I mean, it's a Sophie's choice, one can only imagine. So, tell us where there's case stands right now.

HATOUM: Well, right now, we're advocating that the family have the opportunity to return to the United States to continue to contribute to its community and also to be able to come back to the United States so that their daughter can receive the care that she needs.

Right now, we have a petition on our website, texascivilrights.org, all one word, that folks can go to sign so that we can advocate for this. The reality is, is that right now, we're in a position where we need to ask the government for the ability for this family to be able to remain in their community. And so, getting support from the, sort of, United States community doing that can be pivotal for this family.

SCIUTTO: As you know, family separation was an enormously controversial policy during the first Trump administration. Are we seeing this administration basically reinstitute family separation? I mean, even under circumstances like this one where, well, one of the -- at least one of the child's life is in danger.

HATOUM: Yes, I mean, I think one of the things about this case that's interesting is one of the children wasn't there that day. And so, remains in the United States. And that's a U.S. citizen child. And so, that child was separated from their parents for a year right now.

You know, one of the things that we're seeing based on the statements of folks like Homan, is that this idea that, well, if children don't want to be separated, they just have to go back together is a wink and a nod that's essentially very similar to the policy of zero tolerance, but trying to claim that they aren't doing the exact same thing that they pulled four years ago.

The reality is it's impossibly cruel for parents, it's impossibly cruel for children, as exemplified by this story.

SCIUTTO: In effect, they're presenting them, these parents, with an impossible choice?

HATOUM: Absolutely. And a cruel choice at that. One, the choice alone, like this caused severe psychological stress to these parents that they will feel for the rest of their lives.

SCIUTTO: Well, Daniel Hatoum, please send our thoughts to the families that go through this. We appreciate you joining the show today. HATOUM: Well, I really appreciate you having us on, and I really appreciate all the support that folks have shown for the family since this story broke, and the support of CNN as well. So, thank you so much in letting me talk about their story.

SCIUTTO: A CBP spokesperson has given CNN a statement on this saying, quote, "The facts as reported are inaccurate. When someone is given expedited removal orders and chooses to disregard them, they will face the consequences as outlined by the expedited removal process for individuals with removal orders. Due to HIPAA laws, we cannot comment on the specifics of this case."

Coming up, Tate brothers meet MAGA. Deep dive into the misogynist influencers and their ties to the Trump administration after the break.

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SCIUTTO: For years, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have gained notoriety as online influencers. The two men promote sexist content, proudly calling themselves misogynists. Their success was cut short after being charged in Romania with human trafficking and organized crime. But last month, their travel ban was lifted and they returned to the U.S. Now, they seem to be cultivating ties to the Trump administration. Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A friendly bro hug.

DANA WHITE, CEO AND PRESIDENT, UFC: Welcome to the stage, boys.

TODD (voice-over): At a recent UFC Power Slap event in Las Vegas. The man on the left, Dana White, CEO and President of the wildly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC. The men on the right, in the beige and yellow sport coats who white is greeting, Andrew and Tristan Tate, self-proclaimed misogynists who've developed a large online following and who are charged criminally in Romania with crimes against young women, including human trafficking. They have denied those allegations.

Dana White is a prominent ally of President Trump's introducing Trump at last summer's Republican National Convention.

DANA WHITE, CEO AND PRESIDENT, UFC: I know I'm going to choose real American leadership and a real American badass.

TODD (voice-over): White is not the only prominent figure from Trump's MAGA universe to embrace the Tate brothers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to meet you, sir.

TODD (voice-over): They've appeared on recent podcasts hosted by two Trump supporters and another podcast hosted by an ally of Dana White's.

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There is an effort to embrace folks like the Tate brothers in an attempt to bring them into the fold, but again, with seemingly no care about the values that Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party are now representing.

DONALD TRUMP JR., DONALD TRUMP'S SON: It's Don Jr. How you doing, buddy?

ANDREW TATE, ONLINE INFLUENCER, SELF-PROCLAIMED MISOGYNIST: How you doing, friend?

TODD (voice-over): Last summer, Donald Trump Jr., in a discussion on X with Andrew Tate, expressed sympathy with Tate.

TRUMP JR.: You've got people attacking you, as far as I'm concerned, for the same nonsense that they're attacking me. They just want to silence you.

TODD (voice-over): Why have some in the MAGAverse embraced two brothers accused of violence against young women and girls?

REECE PECK, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND: I think they recognize that the media power that Tate represents. He is one of the leaders, the thought leaders of the manosphere. And Trump really owes a lot of his political ascendancy to this alternative online video space.

TODD (voice-over): The Tates are in the U.S. because the Romanian government recently lifted restrictions on their travel. There have been reports that the Trump administration pressed Romanian authorities to do that. But the White House and Romanian officials say the U.S. government had no direct role in bringing them to the U.S. The Tates continue to maintain their innocence.

TATE: We live in a democratic society where it's innocent until proven guilty, and I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood.

TODD (voice-over): Some conservative media supporters of Trump, like the X account Misfit Patriot, have criticized Dana White for his embrace of the Tates. Trump himself was recently asked about the brothers coming to the U.S.

TRUMP: I just know nothing about it. We'll check it out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Brian Todd for that story. Coming up, a potentially season ending injury for Tiger Woods, how the legendary golf pros recovering and what might come next.

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SCIUTTO: Golfing superstar Tiger Woods once again sidelined with a serious injury after rupturing his Achilles tendon. Woods has suffered a number of injuries in recent years, including his back and his legs. The golfer had surgery this week to repair the rupture. His doctor says in a statement that the procedure went well. Woods is expected to make a full recovery. I've torn my Achilles, it's no fun. Don Riddell has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): This was the last time we saw Tiger Woods in action, and after he revealed that he'd ruptured his Achilles tendon, it might now be the last time we see him play this year.

If 2025 is already in the books for Tiger Woods, this is what he has to show for it. The five-time Masters champion launched TGL, the Tomorrow Golf League, a fast paced three on three team event, infusing one of the world's most traditional sports with the latest cutting edge technology. Tigers Jupiter Links team struggled in the first season of the league, falling short of the playoffs, but at least he thoroughly enjoyed it.

TIGER WOODS, 15-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: We didn't really have a lot of, like, great shots or anything that was any good, but, God, we had some funny moments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you enjoy being Tiger's teammate?

MAX HOMA, SIX CAREER PGA TOUR WINS: Yes, it's awesome. He's been so cool to me and so many others. I don't think I would have believed that I'd be playing indoor golf with Tiger Woods on my team. So, yes, it's been a dream come true. Like I said, I mean, we did not play worth a damn this whole season, but we definitely had the most fun. And to get to do that alongside, you know, the GOAT is pretty awesome.

RIDDELL (voice-over): A famously isolated player when he was dominating his way to 15 majors and 82 titles on the PGA Tour, Tiger has more recently been reveling in the camaraderie of the game, and at times his smile during TGL was just as captivating as his game has been.

But with another injury, his future is in jeopardy again. This latest setback comes just as he was furthering his legacy in other ways. With TGL, he partnered with Rory McIlroy to launch the new league, leading some observers to compare the two men to the former titans of the game, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

RORY MCILROY, FOUR-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: I think he's closer to Jack than I am to Arnold, that's pretty high compliment. Look, I -- you know, I had heard Tiger was interested in the idea and I just think, you know, when Tiger gets involved in anything to do with golf, it usually works out OK.

RIDDELL (voice-over): It remains to be seen how much Tiger will continue playing the game of golf in any shape or form. But as a father of two high school aged athletes, there is more to cheer than just his own success. He's often seen by Charlie's side on the golf course, and earlier this month he was able to celebrate Sam's soccer team winning the state championship.

RIDDELL: Can you compare the emotion of celebrating your own success versus celebrating theirs?

WOODS: That's not even close. I love watching them succeed. Talking with them and helping them develop into the people that they are. And there's no greater joy than fatherhood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Don Riddell for that story. Tiger Woods is not the only legend sidelined. After almost 30 years, Donatella Versace is stepping down as the head of her family's fashion house. It comes during a tough time for the luxury market, including Versace. Late -- last fiscal year, the company reported sales. down more than 6 percent that could put Versace on the auction block. Prada is reportedly interested in buying the brand to the tune of more than $1.5 billion dollars.

[18:55:00]

And if you love high-end fashion, you might want to leave it at home. It's the Hindu Festival of Holi, the day a celebration of spring love and of course, color. Have a look at that. People throw powders at each other, dance and light by bonfires, even throw water balloons and shoot squirt guns. The festival has grown beyond its Hindu roots, celebrated across the Indian subcontinent and around the world.

Well, sky gazers are in for a treat tonight during a total lunar eclipse, the full moon will appear to turn crimson red. The blood moon, as it's known, will be visible across the Americas, Western Africa, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. If you do stay up, be warned, you might be a little sleepy tomorrow. The peak here in Washington, D.C. is expected around 3:00 a.m. Not sure I'll wake the kids up for that.

Thanks so much for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. Please do stay with CNN.

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