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CNN International: Trump Lashes Out; Senate Currently Votes On Spending Bill; Rubio "Cautiously Optimistic" On Ukraine Peace Talks; Zelenskyy Urges U.S. To Pressure Russia Into Ending War; Spending Bill Passed On Capitol Hill; U.S. Immigration Arrests Second Student Activist; Formula 1 Season Begins. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 14, 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 HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto on Washington.

And just ahead this hour, Donald Trump uses a Justice Department speech to lash out at his political foes, the media and the judges who presided over his criminal trials. The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, says he is cautiously optimistic about Ukraine ceasefire talks. We're going to speak to the former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. And the Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend in Australia with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton set to make his first start with racing legends Ferrari.

Our breaking news, President Donald Trump smashing political norms at the Justice Department. His speech billed as a vision for law and order was in the very same building where prosecutions pursued investigations and cases against him until just a few months ago.

The president used that opportunity to attack political foes and the judges in his federal prosecutions. Those cases have since been dismissed since the Justice Department is now under his control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over and they are never going to come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: It is worth noting that since Inauguration Day, the Justice Department has paused all investigations into corporate foreign bribery, curtailed enforcement of a foreign agent restriction or registration law, and de-emphasized the criminal prosecution of Russian oligarchs. This, as senior administration officials consider closing the department's public integrity section. It investigates and prosecutes alleged misconduct by government officials.

And last month, the president signed an executive order pausing the enforcement of a law that makes it illegal for U.S. companies to bribe foreign governments to gain business deals. That's right, to bribe them. In his speech, the president laid out his aims for what he called justice, law and order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're bringing honor and integrity and accountability back to the highest levels of the FBI, DOJ and throughout our government. We're bringing our country back faster than anyone ever thought possible. We're working so hard at doing it, and we want fairness in the courts. The courts are a big factor. The elections, which were totally rigged, are a big factor. We have to have honest elections, we have to have borders, and we have to have courts and law that's fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: In fact, he's tearing down a whole host of checks and balances. Notice that Trump there repeated his lie about the 2020 election being rigged, which were repeatedly debunked, his charges rejected by courts. Democrats are reacting to Trump's alarming speech. Here's Congressman Jamie Raskin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): No other president in American history has stood at the Department of Justice to proclaim an agenda of criminal prosecution and retaliation against his political foes. This thoroughly partisan and delusional diatribe was a staggering violation of the traditional boundary between independent criminal law enforcement and presidential political power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein joins me. Ron, I have to say, it's not just the words, of course, it's the many steps here to dismantle a whole host of norms and checks and balances. The Office of Public Integrity, right, the laws banning bribing foreign officials here. I hear a lot of words from Democrats like Jamie Raskin there. I don't see any action that's really having results. I mean, some of the challenges in court have been holding back some of the biggest moves.

Do you see, though, any credible Democratic Party opposition to President Trump's moves, particularly after what we saw today?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first, I think it's important to understand, as you have been suggesting there, the magnitude of what we are watching. You know, a society isn't like a highway where you're driving down the road and you see a sign, you're now leaving one state and entering another. You don't get a sign, you are leaving constitutional democracy as we have known it and you are entering into something less than that.

[18:05:00]

But when you take a look at all of the pieces that are coming together, beyond what you mentioned, barring law firms from working in the federal government and revoking their security clearances because you don't like their clients detaining a green card holder basically because you don't like his -- you know, what he has said, pardoning the January 6th rioters.

I mean, today in this speech, suggesting that he wanted the Justice Department to prosecute media organizations based on their coverage, and obviously, using your regulatory power over them, in many cases, to strong arm them toward settlements, you know, the whole picture is of the society moving toward one set of rules and laws that we have known for a very long time into something that is much more cloudy and shadowed.

And, you know, the one response that Democrats don't control either chamber of Congress. And I have said -- I said, throughout the four years of the first Trump administration, one party alone cannot defend democracy. The Republicans in the majority are not willing to push back on this, really, the only option Democrats have is the courts.

And really, you know, what our constitutional democracy looks like at the end of four years of Trump, as I've said, really depends on those six Republican appointed justices on the Supreme Court, in the end, how far will they let him go in uprooting norms and rules and traditions we've lived with for a very long time.

SCIUTTO: But you know what, Ron, and again, I know these aren't entirely connected, Democrats did have an opportunity today to shut down the government, right? And listen, you don't do that lightly. But they voted along with them. And the Senate minority leader let it happen, right? I mean, there are tools, right? There are tools to stop.

And I get the argument from the other side, which is that they might've even had more freedom to defund various agencies of government if the government were to shut down. But, listen, I mean, was that an opportunity?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Look, Jim, I think about that, two things are true. One is that shutting down the federal government has never worked as a tool to force the other side to do what you want. It didn't work for Newt Gingrich against Bill Clinton in '95, '96. Ted Cruz in 2013 wasn't able to get Barack Obama to undercut Obamacare. It doesn't work. As, you know, in the long run, in terms of, you know, forcing the other side to do something they don't want to do.

On the other hand, the failure to even -- as you're suggesting, even put up, you know, kind of a moment of resistance, I think, really misread where Democratic constituencies are right now. I mean, if you look at the Trump administration and what they are doing, obviously, they are threatening priorities that Democratic constituencies and really constituencies beyond the Democratic Party hold dear on an incredibly broad array of subjects at home and abroad. Really, almost everything under the sun, and Democrats in Congress look pretty ineffectual at this point.

As I said, I think the only meaningful resistance Trump is facing from Democrats is from the state attorneys general who are banding together to sue him, something he wants the Supreme Court to try to stop, by the way, as part of my earlier list.

But yes. So, I mean, I understand Schumer's argument that in the end, this is not likely going to work because it really never has before, but the risk of dispiriting your own voters who see this steamroller moving on so many fronts and Democrats in Washington being the least effective group at the moment in raising any resistance within the party, I think there's a real cost and the choice that Leader Schumer made.

SCIUTTO: Yes, listen, voters very rarely reward fecklessness, right? Ron Brownstein, thanks so much for joining.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: Well, to the point of what we were just discussing there, the Senate is currently voting on a spending bill. If it passes, as it is expected to do because Republicans are getting enough Democratic votes, it will avert a looming government shutdown. It only needs a simple majority. Republicans control the chamber. We will have more on this particular vote and the votes that follow. This is a Senate procedure, sometimes confusing. But we'll discuss the politics around it in just a few moments.

President Trump says he's got pretty good news on a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, though he did not provide any details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We've had some very good calls today with Russia and with Ukraine. They've agreed for a ceasefire, if we can get it with Russia. And it's not easy. It's a tough one. But I think we're doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging the U.S. to pressure Russia into ending its war, saying on social media, quote, "Strong steps are needed. Strong pressure must be applied to the only one who wants to continue this war. This is what peace through strength means."

[18:10:00]

You'll remember the pressure the U.S. put on Ukraine, including withdrawing intelligence sharing and military support. The Ukrainian leader says the U.S. could monitor potential ceasefire violations between Kyiv and Moscow should the sides reach a peace deal. This as the United States has backed a G7 foreign minister statement, which supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and right to exist.

Earlier today I spoke with the former Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, who welcomed the news that the U.S. backed that G7 Foreign minister's statement, pledging overwhelming unwavering -- rather, support for Ukraine's territorial integrity. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PETRO POROSHENKO, FORMER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: First of all, we are grateful to United States and to all G7 members. Second, the unity, including transatlantic unity and including G7 unity, is a key factor for victory and the key factor for having sustainable security situation on Europe and in the world.

We fight for existence. And the messages we received today from G7 meeting is very encouraging to our armed forces, to Ukrainian people and to Ukrainian authorities, Ukrainian parliament, when I'm a leader of the opposition.

SCIUTTO: I want to ask now about the progress of potential peace talks. As you know, President Zelenskyy accepted ceasefire terms as presented by President Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin is saying he needs some conditions met first. Do you now expect the U.S. to put similar pressure on Russia that it put on Ukraine in recent weeks, including the removal of intelligence sharing for a portion of time? Do you see that kind of pressure happening?

POROSHENKO: I fully support the idea that Ukraine would be ready for the immediate ceasefire. Why? I am ready to support that without additional precondition. Because I am absolutely confident that Putin do not want a peace. Putin do not want just four region of Ukraine where he has a fighting against Ukrainian sovereignty and integrity. Putin need to grab all our country and all our nation, and I have no doubt that Putin will play again and not accept and not launch ceasefire.

And I am very much grateful to United States, to the United States president, Donald Trump. I have an experience to work with him for window of opportunity. And with this situation, I am definitely keep fingers crossed that this attempt should be positive despite of my skepticism, but we should keep into account five red lines.

We have no compromise on the Ukrainian sovereignty and national identity. No compromise on the Ukrainian territorial integrity. No compromise on the Ukrainian ability of Ukrainian armed forces to protect the nation. Non-compromise on sanction until full implementation of the peace through strength and non-compromise on NATO and E.U. integration. And we need just peace and not just a peace.

SCIUTTO: I wonder if you expect that Ukraine will have to give up some territory, or at least not claim back that territory immediately. The U.S. national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said yesterday that Ukraine would likely have to give up Donbass. Is that acceptable for you in any peace agreement?

POROSHENKO: Short answer, no. I said no compromise on the territorial integrity. And I can recognize that not all the Ukrainian territory can be released from the Russian occupation by military force, but we never stopped fighting, including their diplomatic methods for make all Ukrainian territory free.

This is very dangerous precedent when after World War II, by force in the center of Europe, they can change the border. Putin, I know him. I fight with him for five years of my presidency and Putin you never stop. And it's better and cheaper to stop him in Ukraine, than try to do that in the Baltic States or in Poland.

[18:15:00]

And I think that the -- I want to remind you that during my presidency, in the year 2018, I signed together with Trump so-called Pompeo Declaration, when it was presented by state secretary, and it's called Crimea Declaration. And with that situation, we have a firm guarantee that never ever United States can recognize Russian status on the occupied Crimea. And I absolutely confident that this Crimea Declaration is still in force.

SCIUTTO: In the wake of the Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump two weeks ago, a difficult Oval Office meeting, there were some Republicans who were suggesting that there should be new elections in Ukraine to replace Zelenskyy, and some reports that Trump administration officials have met with members of the opposition there. Would you accept that as a demand from the U.S. or the Trump administration in any peace deal that Ukraine hold new elections?

POROSHENKO: Look, first of all, I think that the meeting in the Oval Cabinet at the end of February definitely was not a victory of Ukraine and definitely was not a victory of United States. Unfortunately, only one person who win from this, that was President Putin.

I definitely think that in any democratic nation, election is a key element for democracy, together with the freedom, together with the human rights, together with the rule of law and different other things. We never can accept the election during the war and during the martial law action, because this election cannot be free and cannot be fair.

And if Trump action would be successful enough to launch a ceasefire, to finish the martial law immediately after that, it should happen the election, free democratic and during the peacetime. And that can help to reload the government and definitely make Ukraine stronger. But not during the war. We should first make a ceasefire, stop the war, and stop the martial law.

SCIUTTO: Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, thanks so much. We appreciate your time.

POROSHENKO: It's a pleasure. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Former Ukrainian President there. Joining us now is Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Seth, good to have you back.

SETH JONES, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND PRESIDEN, DEFENSE AND SECURITY DEPARTMENT AT CSIS: Thanks, Jim, good to be on.

SCIUTTO: I don't want to ask you or put you in a difficult position of trying to interpret President Donald Trump's words, but he said -- he expressed some optimism earlier today about the progress of ceasefire talks. And just moments ago, as he was leaving Washington, he said the following, and I want to get your thoughts on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, we'll see what happens with regard to all of it. But I'm getting from the standpoint about a ceasefire and ultimately a deal, some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia. Do we have any sense of what the president could be referring to?

JONES: No, not based on what the Russians have said publicly, and not based on what I'm hearing privately right now. Unless one is willing to concede to most of the Russian demands, Russian control over the territory, including what Ukraine controls right now in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and several of the other oblasts. So, I guess it depends on what one means as upbeat and whose demands one's talking to -- talking about.

But from what I've heard nothing that would be acceptable to either the Ukrainians or the Europeans, and frankly, should be acceptable to the Americans right now.

SCIUTTO: Is there any evidence that Trump is putting equal pressure or even close to equal pressure on Russia as we saw him put on Ukraine to the point of, as you know, the U.S. withdrew for a time, suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing to force Zelenskyy to the table?

JONES: Jim, we have heard President Trump and some other officials within the cabinet threaten costly actions or somewhat costly actions like sanctions, but the amount of pressure that the administration has put on the Ukrainians and the comments that Ukrainians don't hold any cards indicates that the vast majority of the pressure is on Ukraine.

[18:20:00]

I find that a little bit difficult to fully understand because the Russians are also under tremendous pressure. They've had nearly 800,000 casualties on the battlefield. Their economy is not in great shape. Their army has been ripped apart. Even the North Koreans that have been deployed, the casualty numbers have been anywhere between 30 and 50 percent of North Koreans in the Kursk region. So, I don't know why there's so much general view that the Russians hold all the cards. But I would say right now, at least in the public pressure, most of it is focused not on the Russians right now it's been on the Ukrainians.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this. If Trump presents a deal to the Ukrainians that they perceive and that Europe perceives as too much in Russia's favor, can Ukraine say no? And would Europe back Ukraine in saying no? JONES: I think the answer to that depends in part on what is Europe willing to provide in terms of weapons and forces on the ground. I think if there is no deal, I do find it unlikely that European countries, like France, Poland, Germany, would put -- the U.K. would put forces of any meaningful number on the ground in a potentially hot environment, they'll give weapons, but probably not able to backfill everything that would come from the U.S. weapons drying up.

So, I think that does put the Ukrainians in a tough spot. And if the U.S. backs off, I think the Ukrainians are going to have to agree to something probably very suboptimal.

SCIUTTO: Wow. Yes. Goodness. And that would be at enormous cost. Seth Jones, thanks so much.

JONES: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, yet more shutdown drama on Capitol Hill. Senators work to keep the government up and running past midnight. And, well, we just got this news, the bill has passed. The government will stay open. But Democrats, they remain very much and publicly divided.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

SCIUTTO: Breaking news from Washington. After all that, the Senate has just passed a spending bill to keep the U.S. government up and running past midnight. That is after the Senate minority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer and nine Democrats voted to advance the measure earlier, angering many Democrats who argued it was better to shut the government down. They say the bill gives Trump greater freedom to further cut spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It will hurt everyday Americans, in our opinion, as Donald Trump and House Republicans have been doing for the last several weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: House Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Senator Schumer's support for the bill a, quote, "betrayal." Julie Roginsky joins me now. She's a Democratic strategist, the co-founder of Lift Our Voices, a group fighting to end toxic workplace environments. Good to have you, Julie. Thanks so much.

JULIE ROGINSKY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND CO-FOUNDER, "LIFT OUR VOICES": Thanks so much for having me, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, I know there's been a lot of public debate about this. In your view, should Democrats have blocked this bill?

ROGINSKY: This is the biggest betrayal and the most shameful act of Chuck Schumer's career. I say that as a New York voter. I say that as a lifelong Democrat. I say that as a lifelong supporter of Chuck Schumer. It is time for the Senate minority leader to step aside. If he will not fight, if he will fold, it is time for others to pick up the mantle. This is not what you do when our constitutional republic as -- is at stake.

And unfortunately, for the life of me, I don't understand what he was doing here, but I will leave it to him to explain. His explanations carry absolutely no water so far. But what he has done is effectively give Elon Musk and Donald Trump carte blanche to go and do whatever they want and harm people, harm our country, harm our democracy, and now, with the imprimatur of the Democratic Party helping them do it.

SCIUTTO: Is there a significant enough push among Democrats, and I understand that this could develop over time, to force Schumer out of the leadership position?

ROGINSKY: I don't think there is, and there was until today, but I think there's a serious miscalculation from Leader Schumer and certainly from the other senators who voted with him today on the Democratic side about what is going on among rank-and-file democrats.

As I said, I have been a political consultant my whole life. I am an establishment Democrat. I'm certainly not a barn burner. And I am ready to burn it all down as a result of what happened today. For me to say that means something, and I am not alone in that. I'm not alone.

SCIUTTO: Who is carrying the flag for this or who has the ability too, right? Because a lot of democratic frustration both at the rank-and- file level but even among some of the leadership is that there is no voice that's emerged that's articulated the message in a convincing way or they could rally the troops in effect. Do you think there are the candidates there and who would they be?

ROGINSKY: You know, it's up to us now. I think this is the realization that a lot of Democrats across the country, not just Democrats, but also a lot of independent voters and even some Republicans who are having a little bit of fires remorse about Trump now understand that there is nobody in leadership who has emerged to carry that flag for us and in fact, this has to be a people led movement from the grassroots on up.

All of these people who are showing up to Republican town halls, complaining about what they're seeing, keep it up. But more importantly, also show up to Democratic town halls and remind the Democratic elected officials why we sent them there. We did not send them there to be complicit. We sent them there to obstruct Donald Trump's agenda.

They are in the minority. It is not up to them to deliver Donald Trump's agenda to the American people. And it's up to them to do everything possible to prevent that agenda from passing. And today, that was not at all what happened. They could have prevented it, they did not. SCIUTTO: I wonder if you feel that Democrats or too many Democrats are following the James Carville advice, as it's now known, of to just kind of sit back and let it all happen, in effect. And I know that when he wrote that piece a little more than a week ago, there were some who bought it and some who said, dumb idea. Where do you stand? In other words, the logic -- if there is logic, is to say, Republicans will do so much damage, they'll get punished in the next round of elections?

ROGINSKY: I have tremendous respect for James Carville. He's just dead wrong here. And the reason for that is we have been playing dead. We've been playing dead since November. And what has that gotten us? There are polls out there showing that Democrats are completely at the nadir of our public approval ratings. I mean, there are Democrats out there who don't support the Democratic Party because we've been playing dead so hard. And that number is increasing.

So, short of playing dead, the better thing to do is to go out there and fight. And to go out there and raise holy hell. And what we have right now is our mouths. We don't have much more. We have the filibuster, which apparently the Republicans have figured out the Democrats will just not use, even though we have that as a tool.

[18:30:00]

But we also have our mouths and we have the ability to go out there and speak plainly in plain English to the American people about what is at stake and what is happening. And yet, our Democratic leaders are cowering and afraid they're going to be out messaged by Donald Trump. Well, of course they're going to be out messaged by Donald Trump. He's the only one messaging out there. The rest of them are sitting there in some sort of fetal position, afraid to say anything.

And, you know, I had this complaint right after the election about the fact that Democrats just don't know how to communicate, but my God, we're at the point in our lives right now where our country is falling apart, both here domestically and also our international standing is falling apart.

We are talking about potentially invading our neighbor to the north. I mean, this has just gotten to a point where Democrats need to go out there and explain in plain English to the American people what is going on and happening to our country. And instead, what we see is this complicit help to the Republicans because, God forbid, we shut down state -- shut down federal government, maybe somebody will blame us for it.

No, no, they're going to blame the Republicans because they're in charge. They're in charge. And we have to show the American people that everything that is happening now is because the Republicans are in charge of every single branch of government, including our courts. And, unfortunately, that's not at all what happened today.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, we'll see what the consequences and repercussions are. Julie Roginsky, Democratic strategist, thanks so much for joining. ROGINSKY: Thanks so much, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, U.S. immigration officials have now detained two student activists. We'll show new video of Mahmoud Khalil's arrest. I'm going to speak with his lawyer as well. Our conversation is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

SCIUTTO: U.S. Immigration agents have now arrested another pro- Palestinian activist involved in last year's protests at Columbia University, similar to Mahmoud Khalil, who has been detained now for almost a week. Leqaa Kordia's visa ended in 2022, though we should note, Khalil is a legal resident green card holder in fact. A third Columbia student has self-deported to Canada.

The arrests have set off a wave of protests, escalating tensions between the White House and the university and others. The U.S. Justice Department says it is considering whether to bring terrorism charges against those who participated in last year's demonstrations. These were antiwar protests.

Khalil's defense team has filed a new petition challenging his detention. They've also released a video showing the moment he was arrested. His wife, we should note, is a U.S. citizen who is also eight months pregnant. She took this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? You're going to be under arrest. So, turn around. Turn around. Turn around.

EMILINE LOCK, MAHMOUD KHALIL'S WIFE: OK. Let's not -- OK. OK. He's not resisting. He's giving me his phone. OK? He's not -- I understand, he's not resisting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your arms behind you.

MAHMOUD KHALIL: There's no need for this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry about it. We have you. You're going to have come with us.

KHALIL: Yes, I'm going with you. Don't worry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one's getting worked up.

LOCK: You guys really don't need to be doing all of that.

KHALIL: My love, it's fine, it's. Baby, it's fine.

LOCK: Can we get a name, please of -- can we get your name? I understand the lawyer is asking for your name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go back, please. Go over there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't give our names.

LOCK: The lawyer is asking for your name. She's saying that -- he's saying they don't give their names. Can you please specify what agency is taking him, please? Excuse me. They're -- nobody -- they're not talking to me. I don't know. Excuse me. The lawyer would like to speak to somebody.

Oh, my God. They're literally running away from me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: They wouldn't give their names or cite their agencies, and as you could see there in the video, at least one of them was in plain clothes. Brad Parker is one of the lawyers representing Khalil. He's also associate director of policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Thanks so much for taking the time, Brad.

BRAD PARKER, MAHMOUD KHALIL'S ATTORNEY: Of course.

SCIUTTO: Can you do that in this country? I mean, as I'm watching that as an American, and I've spent a lot of time myself in authoritarian countries where people come in and arrest people without identifying themselves. Does that follow -- just simply the arrest, does that follow the rule of law?

PARKER: Undoubtedly no. You know, this is straight out of an authoritarian playbook. The Trump administration has made their intent clear. They are out to arrest, detain, and deport students that have been active and constitutionally protected political protest, standing up for Palestinian rights and demanding an end to U.S. complicity, and in this case of Mahmoud, complicity of the university that he was a student, their complicity in Israeli atrocity crimes.

So, I think the video is really shocking. I think people should be terrified about what's happening to Mahmoud and, you know, his status as a lawful permanent resident is one thing. I think it's really the specific grounds for deportation that the government's alleging here. There's no unlawful conduct. It's really the sole determination from the secretary of state, Rubio, that his presence and activities in the country present -- or potentially present serious adverse consequences for the United States. The basis for this is purely constitutionally protected First amendment activities.

SCIUTTO: OK. The president has compared your client to a terrorist sympathizer. And as you know, they appear to be using an authority given to the president to remove people who threaten U.S. foreign policy interest. What is your response to those legal arguments?

PARKER: So, they're using -- the foreign policy bar in U.S. immigration law, you know, is this really vague, overbroad statute that has historically been used not against student protesters. It's intended for, you know, subversive activities, spies, high-profile individuals, foreign policy figures that would have an adverse impact.

[18:40:00]

We're seeing it being used specifically, and the administration themselves are saying it, you know, in the notice to appear form that the government has provided to Mahmoud. It only cites this specific provision. There's no other unlawful conduct -- there's no unlawful conduct at all. It really is purely based on speech.

So, you're seeing an overbroad interpretation of an existing law to retaliate against student protesters that essentially have different opinions than this administration.

SCIUTTO: And as we've seen another arrest today, it does appear that this is going to be one of many, or at least the administration is going to attempt to pursue this. Where does Khalil's case stand now? And do you believe you can successfully challenge this in court?

PARKER: So, he's currently detained at an immigration detention facility in Louisiana. Shortly after the habeas petition was filed and initiated by our legal team in New York federal court, federal agents removed him from the area and transferred him over a thousand miles to Louisiana.

So, what we're doing now is fighting to bring him home. Mahmoud should be free. We're following through and challenging the government's basis for the detention, which we think will be successful and trying to get him released as soon as possible.

He has immigration proceedings that are set to start later in the month and we're hoping that we can get him released in the coming days and weeks ahead. This is an unjust detention and unlawful detention. He should not be deprived of his liberty and the government has not presented a lawful basis for his detention up to this point.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, can I just ask how Mahmoud and how his wife are doing right now?

PARKER: I think you can hear his wife's voice in the video. I mean, that is a traumatic and distressing experience that they had. Despite that, and despite being over a thousand miles from home, being concerned about missing the birth of his child, first child, you know, he's -- reportedly legal team has said that he's been helping other detainees with paperwork and trying to make the most of his time there.

But it is really distressing given the fact that they should be welcoming their first child in the coming weeks, and instead, he's over a thousand miles from home, disconnected from his legal counsel. His wife can't even visit him, given that she can't fly to Louisiana. So, it's pretty difficult.

SCIUTTO: Yes, it's enormously physically and psychologically stressful was for a woman who's pregnant as well. Attorney Brad Parker, thanks so much for joining.

PARKER: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:00]

SCIUTTO: Call it pop up diplomacy. Russian stores are opening across China selling dolls, chocolate, and of course, vodka. They're fueled by China's growing business and national security ties with Russia. Some are authorized by the Russian government, others are operating off the books. That means no special approval and sometimes not even Russian products. Now, Chinese officials are cracking down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's something puzzling happening across China. Pop up stores like this one selling products made in Russia.

So, there's clearly a Russian influence here. If you look at the serial, all the lettering is Cyrillic, the Russian alphabet. We also found alcohol with Russian branding and these chocolates, also made in Russia.

STEWART (voice-over): That's not all we saw. Russian honey, Russian dolls, and Russian gifts filled the shelves as Chinese and Russian flags hang side by side from the ceiling. At another nearby store, open for just three months, similar products are also on sale. The clerk showed me one of the best sellers.

MS. HE, SHOP CLERK (through translator): This is Russian chocolate. The chocolate is very purse.

STEWART (voice-over): Russian products developing a fan base in China. Only a small number of these stores are authorized by the Russian government to promote authentic products. Most of the stores, though, have opened independently.

Right now, more than 6,000 Chinese companies make up this trend. This includes opening stores and selling products online.

STEWART: Here's what's interesting. This is deer meat. These are pickles. This is sausage. Despite what looks like Russian branding, these are items made in China.

STEWART (voice-over): While popular, there's been an outcry on social media after some merchandise was found to be made in China and elsewhere.

STEWART: These aren't from China or Russia. These are Malaysian gummies.

STEWART (voice-over): Local regulators have conducted inspections, ordering some stores to clarify labeling, and shutting down others. But this phenomenon isn't just about commerce.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly called Russia true friend, standing by President Vladimir Putin after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Isolated by much of the West, Russia has seen its trade with China double since 2018 as bilateral ties deepen, but business like politics is fickle, and what happens in the world could impact the future of these stores.

Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Coming up, F1 roaring back this Sunday. Can Ferrari's latest star, Lewis Hamilton, you may have heard of him, break the drought? We'll take you to Melbourne, coming up.

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SCIUTTO: Formula 1 racing returns this Sunday with the season starting in Australia for the first time since 2019. This season features 24 races. Seven-time world drivers champion Lewis Hamilton has moved now from Mercedes to Ferrari. He will challenge defending champion Max Verstappen, who's seeking his fifth title in a row.

Luke Smith is senior writer covering Formula 1 for The Athletic. So, tell us how his move to Ferrari will impact the competition this season.

LUKE SMITH, SENIOR WRITER, THE ATHLETIC: Well, yes, it's a huge move, probably the biggest driving move in Formula 1 history. And I think for Lewis Hamilton, he's had a difficult couple of years with Mercedes, the team he enjoyed so much success with, but the past couple of years, their car just hasn't quite been up to scratch.

But I think what he wants is that rekindling the hope that he could win an eighth World Championship that would see him surpass Michael Schumacher and take the outright record for titles. And I think the impression from Lewis Hamilton is that he's -- he is confident that in the next couple of years, Ferrari does have everything it needs to win a title and to give him what he dreams of.

So, it's a very exciting move. A huge twist on the competition, but he's going to have I think a lot of challenges as much as he might want to win that title this year.

SCIUTTO: Is this going to be a test of that old question, is it the driver or is it the car? Right? Because, you know, that's been a long running debate, you might have heard.

SMITH: Yes, I think it is. I think that with the last -- how the last couple of years played out at Mercedes, I think that Lewis Hamilton kept explaining that the car just wasn't giving him the confidence he needed. And I think that now with Ferrari, he does have that back by the sounds of things. Like his enthusiasm is just off the charts. Like he's loving life as a Ferrari driver.

But I think a lot of it will come down to what kind of car they can produce. And his new teammate, Charlotte Clarke, he's a very, very young, very, very quick driver. I think comparing the two of them, I think it's going to be really interesting to kind of explain over the past couple of years what was the big drawback? Was it the Mercedes car or was it that Lewis Hamilton was maybe not quite as quick as he once was?

But he's in a good groove. He's very, very happy right now. So, he's definitely going to be a contender this year, I think.

SCIUTTO: So, is Max Verstappen at all nervous after five in a row?

SMITH: I think he knows it's going to be a big fight this year. I think that the -- a couple of his titles were -- he won at a cancer. There was one season. He won 19 out of the 22 races. But last year was a bit more of a struggle for Red Bull and I think that they're trying to work out whether or not they've fixed some of the issues they had with their car.

The early signs from testing, it looks like Red Bull -- they're quick, but maybe not as quick as McLaren, which does appear to have the advantage. So, yes, Max Verstappen, he's very pragmatic about these things. He said, look, I'll just do the best I can with the car that I'm given. But I think that he knows that the -- this is probably going to be his toughest title defense yet in Formula 1, I would say.

SCIUTTO: Luke Smith, I know you'll be watching this weekend. Sounds like it's going to be fun.

SMITH: Thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: Well, speaking of Formula 1, Warner Bros. Pictures, of course the sister company of CNN, has just released a new trailer of the highly anticipated movie, "F1."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When was the last time you won a race?

BRAD PITT, ACTOR, "F1": Sunday, Daytona.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I'm sorry. I meant Formula 1.

PITT: Oh, I'm sorry. Then, same as you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Looks pretty good. The film stars, as you saw there, Brad Pitt, as a former driver who returns to Formula 1. It's directed by Joseph Kaczynski, who also did not a bad film, "Top Gun: Maverick." "F1" is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters in June.

And just about 10 minutes from now, SpaceX will attempt once again to send a crew to the International Space Station. A planned launch was called off on Wednesday because of an issue with the launch pad's ground system. If all goes well, those astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who've been stuck up there for so long, will finally get the chance to return to Earth.

They've been on the ISS for nine months, even though their mission was initially only meant to last several days. It was extended multiple times after the Boeing Starliner that was supposed to bring them home was deemed unsafe to return.

[18:55:00]

And finally, tonight, good news for fans of the show "Ted Lasso," which we thought was all done. Apple TV Plus has announced that the Emmy-winning comedy is coming back for a fourth season. It's been almost two years since the finale of season three. The show was all about an American football coach who was thrown into coaching an English soccer team. We're told Jason Sudeikis will be back as Ted Lasso. Brandon Hunt and Brett Goldstein will also return as executive producer and writer. No word yet on release date.

Thanks so much to all of you for your company. I hope you have a very nice weekend. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. Please do stay with CNN.

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