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Former Trump Adviser John Bolton Criminally Indicted; U.S. Military Strike On A Cartel Boat Leaves Survivors For The First Time; Trump Talks With Putin Ahead Of Hosting Zelenskyy At The White House; U.S. Sends Disaster Response Team To Jerusalem To Help Expected Surge Of Deliveries To Gaza; Candidates Face Off in New York City Mayoral Debate; Tensions Rise amid Clashes with Federal Agents in Chicago; Trump Says He Authorized CIA to Operate Inside Venezuela; Russian- Linked Ships Spotted Near Drone Activity in Europe; Madagascar's President Ousted in Military Coup. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired October 17, 2025 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:33]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching from around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Great to have you with us. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, once a Trump ally, now charged for mishandling classified information. We'll have the latest on John Bolton's indictment.

Plus, Ukraine's president is in Washington just as another meeting between President Trump and President Putin is set.

And New York City's mayoral candidates face off. We'll have the best moments from the fiery debate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton is facing criminal charges over his handling of classified information. He's now the third high profile Trump critic to be indicted in less than a month. President Trump said he didn't know about the indictment when reporters asked for reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He's a bad guy. Yes, he's a bad guy. Too bad. But the way it goes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Bolton issued a statement slamming the president saying, quote, these charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct. He continues, dissent and disagreement are foundational to America's constitutional system and vitally important to our freedom. I look forward to fight to defend my lawsuit and my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has more from Washington.

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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Longtime government official John Bolton. He's the latest person indicted by the Justice Department in the administration of Donald Trump. Bolton was a national security adviser in the first Trump presidency. And what he's accused of here is large collection of documents that he should not have been sharing.

Prosecutors say that there are 18 different times where he had shared classified information or kept it in an unsecured way, largely in emails which he had been writing up to himself as diary entries or notes of his time in the Trump White House in 2018 and 2019 as national security adviser. Not only was he keeping those in an AOL account, he was also sharing them with two family members.

And prosecutors say that email account was hacked by a foreign government, Iran, which then would have put the information that John Bolton had after his service in the Trump administration even more at risk.

Now, John Bolton does say that he would like to fight this, and he believes that this is weaponization of the Justice Department by Donald Trump against his enemies. And his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, the defense lawyer, says the underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago. These charges stem from portions of Ambassador Bolton's personal diaries over his 45-year career, records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family and known to the FBI as far back as 2021.

At this point in time, the federal grand jury has returned the indictment after that lengthy years long investigation, and the court now will take a look at it. John Bolton is expected in court on Friday. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Joining me now is attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin. Great to have you with us, Areva.

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Hi, Lynda.

KINKADE: So Bolton is now the third Trump critic to be indicted in recent weeks. From a legal perspective, how Strong is the DOJ's case against John Bolton and how unusual is it for someone like Bolton with a national security background to be charged in this way?

MARTIN: Well, it's very unusual. And when you think, Lynda, about how serious the charges are and how they may compare with the recent indictment of Tish James, the New York attorney general, and even James Comey, the former FBI director, both of those individuals were indicted on two counts, the counts against Bolton, 18 counts related to the handling of classified material. So if you just compare the number of counts involving Bolton versus

James and Comey, it clearly appears that the Justice Department believes that it has a strong and credible case against Mr. Bolton.

[01:05:05]

We saw that his home was raided in late August, and according to reports that there were documents removed from his home, sensitive, highly classified documents that should not have been retained by Bolton. But it's interesting when you look at this case. Donald Trump, we know in '23, 2023, was also indicted for the mishandling of classified documents. That case was ultimate dismissed.

And although the Justice Department did file an appeal when Trump was reelected, the Justice Department dropped its appeal of the dismissal of that case. So Bolton finds himself indicted on charges very similar to those that Donald Trump himself was indicted on.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. In this case, Bolton has put out a statement. He claims his book was cleared by career officials. He also says the FBI was notified when his email was hacked in 2021. And he not that there were no charges during Trump's first term despite full awareness.

He says this indictment is about intimidating Trump critics. Legally, does that absolve him of criminal liability if classified content was later mishandled?

MARTIN: Definitely doesn't absolve him. But it does raise the question about whether this is a political prosecution, whether this is retribution. We know Donald Trump made it very clear when he was running for a second term that he had a list of individuals who he thought had wronged him and individuals that he was going after.

When you look at the fact that he did remove the security detail for Bolton, that he's been very vocal about his, you know, negative feelings towards Bolton, particularly after the release of that tell all book that Bolton wrote. It definitely raises some questions about whether this is just a political prosecution versus one where there is credible evidence that has been found, either through that raid that was conducted on Bolton's home or through the ongoing investigation.

KINKADE: And of course, he's been charged under a DOJ now led by Trump allies. Donald Trump did respond to this indictment calling Bolton a bad person, but admitted that he hadn't read the case. Does that help or hurt the narrative of impartial justice here?

MARTIN: Well, we know Donald Trump likes to engage in plausible deniability. He doesn't like to admit that he knows what's going on with the Justice Department. He makes these cryptic, sometimes statements about people that he clearly doesn't like, people who've been critical of him, people who he believed should be indicted.

And we've seen in several instances, whether it's Tish, James or Comey and now Bolton, those individuals somehow end up indicted. And then Donald Trump likes to claim that he had nothing to do with it, he didn't know about it, that it was an independent decision by the Justice Department.

But the comments that he made regarding Bolton and the timing of this prosecution raises serious questions and doubts, I would say, about whether the President is, in fact, pulling the strings. And if he was not the person pushing forward this prosecution, it sure looks like his fingers are all over it.

KINKADE: So, Areva, what should we expect? John Bolton's court appearance later today, and if he is convicted, what kind of sentence could he face?

MARTIN: Well, I would expect that he's going to plead not guilty. We know that charges under the Espionage Act require there to be a showing by the prosecution of willful and intentional act on the part of a defendant like John Bolton, to retain or to transmit classified documents. It can't just be negligent.

So we should expect John Bolton to fight these charges, you know, with all of his might to bring to bear all the resources that he has to push back on these charges. But these are very, very serious charges, 18 counts, each of them carrying considerable prison time if convicted.

I mean, over 100 years, theoretically, if there was a conviction on all of the 18 charges. So no doubt that he's going to have to mount a very serious defense to these charges. No indication that this Justice Department is going to back down or that there's even a possibility of a plea bargain or a plea deal. It looks like Bolton is on Trump's list for retribution, and this is the beginning of what was promised.

KINKADE: We will be tuning into this case closely. Areva Martin, as always, great to get your perspective. Thanks so much.

MARTIN: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, sources tell CNN that the U.S. military has carried out another strike on a boat in the Caribbean. There are believed to be crew members who survived, but their status is unclear. At least six separate strikes have been conducted on boats in the Caribbean, but this is the first time there are reportedly survivors.

[01:10:01]

The White House has said the strikes are part of an effort to combat drug trafficking. President Trump is said to host his Ukrainian counterpart at the White House in the day ahead. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made no secret that he wants U.S. made Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of hitting targets deep inside Russian territory.

Ukraine's foreign minister says Tomahawk threats forced the Russian president, Vladimir Putin to call Mr. Trump on Thursday. The two spoke for about two and a half hours, agreeing to meet in Budapest, Hungary to discuss Ukraine. President Trump says that will happen within two weeks or so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: You know, look, it's only a field. That's all I've done in my whole life. I've made deals. I know about deals. I do it well. I don't think any president's ever ended a war, frankly, one war. I did eight of them, Maria, right? I think Alaska actually set a stage and that wasn't very long ago, but it set a stage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: More now from CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for two and a half hours, according to officials familiar with that call. And we now know that they were going to set up another meeting in Budapest, Hungary.

This is what President Trump said after his phone call with the Russian president. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine to an end. President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow in the Oval Office where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin and much more. I believe great progress was made in today's telephone conversation.

So of course, as we know, this conversation came the day before President Trump was set to meet with the Ukrainian president. And we know one of the things that they were going to be discussing was potentially the United States giving Ukraine long range Tomahawk missiles so they could fire into Russia. It's something President Trump has publicly mused about and really threatened to do, particularly as this war has drug out.

And I asked President Trump specifically if Putin during this call asked him not to give Zelenskyy these Tomahawk missiles. He wouldn't answer the question directly, just said, wouldn't you ask that? So still, obviously it seems as though Ukraine is not getting those missiles tomorrow, but we will be, of course, waiting to see what exactly they do talk about.

One other thing to note here is that this is a very different outcome from this phone call than what we thought were going to get, particularly because of what we saw in Alaska. After Alaska, this meeting, we saw President Trump say that the next steps were to have a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. That never happened.

And I was told by White House officials at the time that Trump wanted to kind of disengage. They thought it was important for these two leaders to meet together before he stepped in again. However, the time has dragged out, and many people believe this was somewhat of a stalling mechanism on behalf of Putin.

So now we are in a new place in which the two men are going to be meeting again. I asked why he believed that this would yield a different result, a second meeting. He said that Alaska kind of served as the first round, and then they thought they could get somewhere this second round.

But it still maintains that there has been no real action against Russia from this White House. That includes, whether it be sanctions or specific sanctions or this idea of giving specific weapons to Ukraine, like Tomahawk missiles, that has not happened with Russia.

And every time we have heard President Trump say over and over again that he is frustrated with Putin, he has always stopped short of actually taking those actions against Putin. We'll see what comes out of the meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House tomorrow. Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Michael Bociurkiw, he was a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. And he recently published an article, "The Return of Budapest: History's Dark Echo in Trump's Peace Push." He joins us live from Odesa, Ukraine. Great to have you with us.

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, OSCE: Good to be with you, Lynda.

KINKADE: So I want to start with the headline, Trump saying that he was willing to meet with Putin face to face in Budapest. Why Budapest? Could this be a deliberate provocation by Putin inviting a discussion on his war to be debated in a city where Russia once pressured Ukraine to give up its nuclear deterrent in exchange for security guarantees? Essentially empty promises.

BOCIURKIW: Yes, absolutely. I mean, who could have even dreamt this up to hold a summit with a wanted war criminal? A wanted war criminal on NATO, E.U. territory, number one. And the question also raised, will other E.U. countries grant overfly rights for Mr. Putin's presidential plane to come to Budapest? He'll have to cross at least two or three E.U. NATO countries to get there.

[01:15:00]

And secondly, this is really poking into the eye of the Ukrainians. It was apparently Mr. Putin's idea to have it in Hungary. And exactly this is where, in the 1990s, Ukraine signed over its then nuclear arsenal to the Russians in return for security guarantees from the United States and other superpowers. Guarantees that never happened.

So it's going to be -- it has come as a very, very bad reminder, a kind of spooky reminder to Ukrainians of what they gave up so many years ago. I really believe this was a deliberate provocation.

KINKADE: Yes, it certainly seems that way. Of course, Michael, the last Trump Putin summit in Alaska was criticized as political theater. Do you expect Budapest to be any different?

BOCIURKIW: Well, I went one step further in my world briefing on Substack. I called it a circus, and that's exactly what it was, Lynda. It was scripted from beginning to the very end by the Kremlin. Everything seemed to have gone Mr. Putin's way. It was a win for him and not for Mr. Trump. And Mr. Trump is now saying, oh, the stage has been laid.

You know, I'm really beginning to think that Mr. Putin has some kind of strange hold over Mr. Trump. And even in the past few hours, according to New York Times reporting, Mr. Trump has once again expressed trepidation about giving those Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine after speaking to Mr. Putin. So it goes to show you the trajectory of things to come.

KINKADE: Yes, I was going to ask you about that, because you did note that Moscow warning that supplying Tomahawks would damage the peace process. It seems like that warning might be a preemptive signal that Russia is setting red lines before this meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy even takes place. Right?

BOCIURKIW: Yes. This was a real checkmate by Mr. Putin. He's famous for that. And I think Mr. Putin has been spooked by the provision of those Tomahawk missiles, because even without them, Ukraine has managed to really inflict pain on the Russian economy, hitting something like 16 of their 21 refineries, decapitating basically 36 percent of their refining capacity. That has had a chain reaction. Long lineups at gas stations in Russia, including ones close to Russia. So he's very spooked by that.

But I think at the same time, being the master of the game, Mr. Putin wants to show that he's legitimate, that he can come to the E.U. territory, negotiate some kind of deal. Mr. Trump, at the same time, matching egos. He wants to cement his relationship as, you know, dealmaker in chief.

And then again, a reminder to Mr. Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians that decisions are going to be made in faraway rooms without their participation. It's quite the sad setup of developments for Kyiv. Indeed.

KINKADE: Yes. So, Michael, just quickly, what are your expectations for the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting?

BOCIURKIW: Well, hopefully Zelenskyy will get through and tell him, tell Mr. Trump how important these Tomahawks are because they do have a lot of power, a lot of range. And he's also going to be like Mr. Carney of Canada or Keir Starmer of the U.K. buttering up Mr. Trump, telling him how great he is, but at the same time offering a bit of inducement. For example, access to Ukraine's pipelines, access to Ukraine's technology.

But one more quick thing, Lynda, let's not forget Ukraine is also developing its own missile technology. There's one called the Flamingo that is very powerful, has a lot of range. So with or without the United States, it's still going to try and pound away at Russia.

KINKADE: Michael Bociurkiw in Odesa, Ukraine. Always great to get your analysis. Thanks so much. BOCIURKIW: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: Hamas gets a warning from Israel about the remains of the deceased hostages that are still in Gaza. Coming up, Israel's prime minister drops a hint about what he may do if the remains are not handed over.

Plus, the U.S. judge says scolds the Trump administration over the actions of federal agents in Chicago. You're watching CNN Newsroom. We'll be right back.

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[01:23:31]

KINKADE: Welcome back. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warning Hamas that there will be a price to pay if it doesn't return the remains of the deceased hostages in Gaza. On Thursday, he marked the anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel under the Hebrew calendar. Sources say that in a separate meeting with top security officials, he said he knows how many remains Hamas currently holds, and he said Israel will, quote, act accordingly if they're not returned.

Hamas is yet to return 19 people's remains. The militant group says it can't access them, partly because of the enormous damage in Gaza and that it needs special equipment to retrieve them.

Well, Mr. Netanyahu is coming under pressure to use humanitarian aid as leverage to get those remains back. An ultra-orthodox lawmaker called in here on Thursday to stop the peace deal with Hamas, including the flow of aid, until all the deceased hostages are returned.

Despite that, Israel's foreign minister says the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will likely reopen on Sunday. The U.S. is deploying a special disaster response team to help with the expected surge of aid. When it comes to aid deliveries, Israel says it's now living up to its side of the bargain. Jeremy Diamond reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.S. and Israeli officials now tell me that Israel is allowing the quantities of aid into Gaza that are required under this cease fire agreement, despite this dispute over the number of remains of deceased hostages that Hamas is releasing.

[01:25:04]

We had been told on Wednesday that Israel was only allowing half the number of aid trucks required into Gaza, just 300 of the 600 required as a retaliation for Hamas releasing too few bodies of these deceased hostages.

But it turns out that Israel on Wednesday actually allowed some 700 trucks of aid into Gaza, according to internal numbers from COGAT obtained by CNN. COGAT is this Israeli authority that coordinates the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

And so what we're seeing is that there's a difference between some of the public rhetoric that is coming out about this ceasefire agreement and the disputes that are happening and the reality that is actually happening on the ground. That doesn't mean that this cease fire agreement doesn't remain fragile and quite tenuous.

There's no question that there are some real disagreements here over the number of bodies that Hamas has released from the Gaza Strip. In fact, Israeli officials submitted information to the United States about the remains of other deceased hostages that they believe Hamas knows about, despite the fact that Hamas has said that they have released all of the remains of deceased hostages that they know about or that they can access.

It seems that it's clear that one of the issues here is Hamas's ability to actually access those remains of deceased hostages in Gaza. And that's why senior U.S. advisers have told us that they actually believe that Hamas is complying with this cease fire agreement right now and that conditions on the ground are making it harder for them to release additional bodies.

There are Turkish and Egyptian teams that are going to be working in Gaza to try and retrieve some of those additional bodies which appear to be under the rubble of buildings struck by the Israeli military over the course of this war.

And this is not just an issue for the remains of those deceased hostages. It's also an issue about the bodies of Palestinian civilians, thousands of which are estimated to also be under the rubble in Gaza. And it underscores the very, very long road ahead for Gaza's recovery and for us to really get a sense of the true death toll of this two year long war.

Now as it relates to those aid quantities, even as Israel is stepping up the amount of aid getting into Gaza, there's no question that the needs are enormous. Everything from food to shelter to medicine. And it will take weeks, very likely, for the situation in Gaza to stabilize and many hundreds, thousands even of a trucks to enter before that happens. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Gaza's Health Ministry says the remains of some Palestinians returned by Israel are showing clear signs of abuse. 30 sets of remains were delivered to Gaza by the Red Cross on Thursday. Under the ceasefire deal, Israel has agreed to transport -- transfer 360 of what it calls deceased terrorists to Gaza. It's unclear if those remains a part of that group. CNN can't independently confirm the health ministry's claims, but it does say the remains show signs of beatings, blindfolding and handcuffing.

It's still unclear how and when the Palestinians died, and many of them are yet to be identified. The ministry has posted the photos of those remains on a website, hoping that family members may help identify them.

Still to come, the candidates for New York City may face off in their first debate. We'll have some of the highlights, next.

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[01:33:43]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Sparks flew as the three candidates vying for New York City mayor faced off in a fiery first debate. Front runner Zohran Mamdani was pushed by Republican candidate Curtis Siwa and Independent Andrew Cuomo to provide specifics about his plans for the city if elected. The two older rivals tried to paint Mamdani as inexperienced and unprepared.

The Democratic nominee says -- he didn't say how exactly he would achieve his signature policies, including free buses and freezing the cost of rent-controlled apartments.

There was also heated debate over Israel and Hamas, with Cuomo pushing Mamdani on that issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CUOMO (I), NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Why wouldn't he condemn Hamas? Why wouldn't he condemn Hasan Piker? Why did it take us here tonight for the first time for him to say it? He still won't denounce globalized intifada, which means kill all Jews.

There are a lot of New Yorkers who support me, and there are a lot of Jewish New Yorkers who support me because they think you're anti- Semitic. So it's not about Trump or Republican. It's about you.

[01:34:51]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think he's anti-Semitic, Mr. Cuomo?

CUOMO: I don't make those judgments about people.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: I have denounced Hamas again and again. And it will never be enough for Andrew Cuomo, because what he is willing to say, even though not on this stage, is to call me the first Muslim on the precipice of leading this city, a terrorist sympathizer. It's to send mailers that artificially lengthen my beard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: But Mamdani wasn't the only one taking the heat. Cuomo faced questions about his past as governor and his ultimate resignation.

The candidates were also asked how they would deal with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAMDANI: The difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in D.C.

CUOMO: Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter. He's been in government 27 minutes. He passed three bills. That's all he's done. He has no experience with Washington, no experience in New York City. He would be Trump's delight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: And a loss for the Trump administration. An appeals court has denied the government's effort to deploy the National Guard troops in Illinois. However, the troops will be allowed to remain in the state under federal control.

And in another case, a judge is calling the Trump administration back to court for possibly not following another order to avoid violent encounters with protesters.

CNN Shimon Prokupecz reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 19-year-old Warren King, tackled by a border patrol agent outside of a Chicago drugstore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't know what's going on, so get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

PROKUPECZ: King was detained after a border patrol vehicle crashed into a red SUV. Then a chase for the occupants. King was not involved in the crash and was later released.

WARREN KING, DETAINED BY BORDER PATROL: I'm telling them I'm a U.S. Citizen. I'm here. I'm legal. I'm born here. So they didn't -- they didn't try to hear none of that, though.

PROKUPECZ: The Department of Homeland Security said the driver of that SUV was in the country illegally, and that the crowd in the area became hostile. That's when tear gas was dispersed.

The incident Tuesday in Chicago is just one of many recent ICE encounters caught on tape.

A pastor repeatedly shot in the head by pepper balls during a peaceful demonstration outside an Illinois ICE facility.

A 79-year-old U.S. citizen body slammed during an immigration raid at his Los Angeles business.

Brockman, a Chicago TV station employee, another U.S. citizen, taken to the ground by officers. Her pants coming off in the altercation.

A woman shoved by an ICE officer at an immigration courthouse in New York.

Masked federal agents broke windows of a vehicle and opened fire at a family in San Bernardino. The agents called it self-defense. The family said they fled in fear.

The governor of Illinois says federal officers are acting aggressively.

GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): ICE is causing this mayhem. They're the ones who are tossing tear gas when people are peacefully protesting. ICE is the one who's going into neighborhoods where they frankly, are causing fear.

PROKUPECZ: Concerns over these latest incidents were brought up in a federal courtroom in Chicago today. A judge ordered federal officers in Illinois to turn on their body-worn cameras.

And just last week, the judge banned officers from using violent tactics against protesters unless justified. It's the same judge saying today, quote, "I'm getting images and seeing images on the news, in the paper, reading reports where at least from what I'm seeing, I'm having serious concerns that my orders are being followed.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was asked this week if agents have gone too far, and if there should be federal oversight.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I've not seen them cross the line yet, and we have committees that are jurisdiction who have that responsibility, but it's not risen to that level.

PROKUPECZ: Shimon Prokupecz, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Wall Street is hoping to finish the week strong amid persistent U.S.-China trade tensions. All three indices fell Thursday amid concerns about the credit market turmoil and regional banks exposure to bad loans.

The Dow and S&P were down around two-thirds of a percent. The Nasdaq lost half a percent. While (ph) U.S. futures are looking to open Friday's market down in the red as well.

The U.S. government shutdown is entering its 17th day and is likely to extend into next week, as senators are leaving Washington with no further plans to vote on Friday or over the weekend.

The House of Representatives remains out of session and according to a source familiar with the matter, Senate Republican leaders may shift their strategy and force a vote next week on a bill to pay federal workers affected by the shutdown.

Well, tensions keep escalating between the U.S. and Venezuela after President Trump authorized the CIA to operate within the South American country.

[01:39:52]

KINKADE: The Trump administration says drug trafficking is part of the reason the agency was given that authorization. But it's unclear whether operatives would have authority to remove President Nicolas Maduro.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The white heat here distant from the president of peace image Trump seeks. The latest of five lethal strikes on tiny boats the White House has claimed a run by Venezuelan drug traffickers, building a narrative up to this strident presidential finding for CIA clandestine operations on land in Venezuela.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the CIA have authority to take out Maduro?

TRUMP: Oh, I don't want to answer a question like that. That's a ridiculous question for me to be given.

Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?

WALSH: The gloves off with President Nicolas Maduro a focus of the ire of Trump's first term defiant and now, 12 years in power.

"No to regime change," he said. Which reminds us so much of the endless failed wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on. No, to CIA orchestrated coup d'etat.

Trump tried softer pressure in 2019 when Juan Guaido led opposition protests that culminated in a failed insurrection and greater repression.

After 2024's election, also widely condemned as fraudulent, Maduro launched a tougher crackdown. Dozens were killed and more than 2,000 opposition supporters arrested in his second term.

Trump is now using force, doubling the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro, who they accuse of running a drug trafficking empire to $50 million.

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.

WALSH: The call for change, backed by Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize that Trump had his eyes on but who went into hiding. After the 2024 vote, she says the opposition won. MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Maduro has turned

our country into a real threat to the national security of the United States and the hemisphere.

And we're going to turn Venezuela from that criminal hub into an energy hub that brings prosperity and security to our people, first and foremost, but also to the rest of the people of the west.

WALSH: Maduro has denied claims he's linked to drugs and said he'll call a state of emergency if needed. His officials have said Trump wants regime change to seize Venezuela's oil and recall the CIA's sordid history of meddling in Cuba and Nicaragua, and how badly that went.

Yet Trump appears convinced something this time will be different.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Russia's president recently mocked claims that his country deployed drones over key European sites.

Coming up, results of a CNN investigation into the time and location of those drone flights and the location of Russian ships.

[01:42:59]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: CNN exclusive investigation examines mysterious drone flights over several NATO countries, including over key military sites.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is mocking accusations that his country is behind the incursions.

But CNN's extensive examination of shipping routes shows Russia's role is still possible.

Katie Polglase reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: From Norway to Romania, lately drones have been spotted over key civilian and military sites in Europe. Many suspect Russia is behind it.

BORIS PISTORIUS, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The suspicion is obvious. This is part of Vladimir Putin's strategy.

POLGLASE: But suspecting Russia is a lot easier than proving it. CNN has now looked into these drone incidents, examining shipping routes, flight data and speaking to Western intelligence sources, and found that while in some cases hard evidence was left on the ground, found here in Poland, in other cases like Denmark, it left only mystery and confusion. POLGLASE: For these murkier cases, intelligence sources do keep mentioning one theory, that Russia's shadow fleet, this secretive grouping of boats sailing around Europe, evading Western sanctions, could be involved, although there is no proof.

Let's look at the incident over Copenhagen Airport, Denmark on September 22nd. Police said they were investigating the presence of ships in the area from which the drones may have launched or landed.

Indeed, two Russian-linked ships under Western sanctions were in the area at the time and have been caught up in the mystery.

This one, 60 miles away from the airport, sanctioned by the U.S., has a highly-erratic route leading up to the incident and then afterwards sails on to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Then this ship sails all around the coast of Denmark, passing several other airports and military installations where drones were sighted. A French defense source said that this route could be viewed as suspicious, but it's difficult to draw definitive conclusions at this stage.

It was then detained by French authorities on maritime offenses, suspected of being part of Russia's Shadow Fleet.

[01:49:51]

POLGLASE: They found no evidence of drone operations, a French defense source said, but added, "Even if the vessel had been used as a launch platform, it's plausible nothing would be detectable."

CNN was unable to reach the management company of either ship for comment for this.

Western authorities are clearly closely monitoring Russia's fleet. Air traffic data shows American and British military aircraft circling close to Kaliningrad, a key Russian military hub and port, in the days after Denmark's drone sightings. But so far, authorities are staying tight-lipped about their findings.

The Kremlin has said the allegation that they launched drones over Denmark is unfounded. Russian President Vladimir Putin even joking about the claims in an interview in the weeks after.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Vladimir Vladimirovich, why are you sending so many drones to Denmark?

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I won't anymore. I won't anymore. Not to France, not to Denmark, not to Copenhagen. Where else are they flying to?

POLGLASE: We spoke to a former member of Danish intelligence, who said authorities have good reason to scrutinize these ships.

Do you think the Danish authorities would be looking into these ships? JACOB KAARSBO, FORMER CHIEF ANALYST, DANISH DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE: Well, I suspect they are investigating and tracking and see what they can dig out, because all these ships have displayed some suspect maneuvers and tendencies.

So, I think it would be -- it would be odd if they didn't try to pursue and investigate these ships and see.

POLGLASE: Russia has been increasingly suspected of launching drones over Europe since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many flew over places of strategic significance.

In September and October 2022, drones flew over Norwegian energy installations here. In August and December 2024, drones were sighted over German military sites.

It's still unclear who sent the drones. But what is clear is that Europe urgently needs better equipment to track them, with Denmark now installing this drone radar equipment at Copenhagen Airport.

Katie Polglase, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, still ahead, Madagascar's president was ousted in a coup this week. Just ahead, we'll look at the Gen Z population protests that have sparked the uprising.

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KINKADE: Local media say at least four people were killed as a public viewing for the former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga descended into chaos on Thursday. Mourners accompanied Odinga's body from the airport at a stadium where he would lie in state.

There was a crowd crush at the gates of the stadium. People tried to breach the presidential pavilion and police fired tear gas.

Odinga died on Wednesday in India. The longtime opposition politician was known for his fight for democracy in Kenya. He became prime minister there in 2008.

Well, Madagascar's new president is set to be sworn in in the coming hours. The military leader is taking control after a coup earlier this week.

[01:54:47]

KINKADE: The president he's replacing refused to step down despite huge protests, mostly led by the nation's Gen Z. That's no surprise, given Madagascar's population of some 30 million people has an average age under 20 years old.

CNN's Larry Madowo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cheers and celebrations in the capital of Madagascar after weeks of protests against the government.

The military announcing it had taken charge of the island following the impeachment of embattled President Andry Rajoelina after he fled the country. His current whereabouts are unknown.

COL. MICHAEL RANDRIANIRINA, MADAGASCAR MILITARY LEADER: We made the decision because as I have explained several times. Nothing is working in Madagascar. There is no president, no president of the senate, no government. Nothing is working. So we have to take responsibility. That's it.

MADOWO: The protests, which have largely been led by Gen Z, first erupted weeks ago over water and power shortages and quickly evolved into an uprising of a broader issue in the government, like corruption and lack of basic services.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In 12 years, no one has ever listened to us, which is why we are now insisting on the president's departure and not on dialog.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to wait any longer. We don't want propaganda and all that. We want him to resign.

MADOWO: The anger and frustration that boiled over in Madagascar mirrors other recent Gen Z protests around the world. In countries like Peru, Morocco, Nepal and Kenya.

The demonstrators in Madagascar have also adopted the symbols of other youth-led movements, with many sporting t-shirts and flags bearing a cartoon skull and straw hat from the Japanese manga series "One Piece", an emblem of Gen Z resistance.

But even as they celebrate their apparent victory, Madagascar's young protesters say the fight is far from over.

STYVE RAZAFINDRAINIBE, STUDENT PROTESTER: It is only the struggle on the ground that is over, not the struggle at the negotiating table. And that is where the change of system, the desire to change the system takes on its meaning.

MADOWO: From Madagascar to Indonesia, Gen Zs are redefining political action and forcing all the leaders to pay attention or get removed.

Larry Madowo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: And that does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Stay with us. My friend and colleague Kim Brunhuber is up next with much more news.

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