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Interview With Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ); President Trump Hosts Tonight's Kennedy Center Honors; Supreme Court To Hear Case On Limits Of Executive Power; Hegseth Stands By U.S. Military Actions Against Drug Boats; Rep. Taylor Greene On What Republicans Say Privately About Trump, Pretrial Hearing For Luigi Mangione Resumes Tomorrow; Somali Community On Edge As ICE Turns To Minnesota. Aired 7- 8p ET

Aired December 07, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:45]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

And time is running out for Congress to act on health care. With less than four weeks left until those Obamacare subsidies expire, meaning much higher premiums for a lot of Americans out there, this year a record 24 million people did get coverage through the ACA marketplace. That's according to independent research group KFF. Many people will have to pay more than double for their coverage as these rates rise because the subsidies disappear.

The Senate is expected to hold a vote on Thursday on a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies for three years. The vote was part of a deal between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and a handful of Democrats to reopen the government last month. However, it has been widely panned by Republicans and is expected to fail.

Now over in the House, a bipartisan group of 35 lawmakers unveiled a framework this week to extend but also overhaul the subsidies. This as we have about two weeks left of working time before they all go home for the holidays.

We are joined now by Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey, one of the lawmakers leading that bipartisan effort in the House. He also serves on the House Intelligence and Financial Services Committee.

Congressman, thanks so much for being here with us tonight. We have --

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): Thanks for having me, Jess.

DEAN: Yes, it's good to see you. So I'm trying to set the stage for people because we have eight days left on the calendar for the House to be in session. The House speaker, who obviously is a Republican, has said he's going to release something, although we don't have any details this week. You all have your bipartisan proposal. Where do you see this going? GOTTHEIMER: For me, what matters the most is at the end of the day in

24 days because that's what we have left on the calendar before people's health care insurance premiums go way up. I mean, as you pointed out, Jess, I mean, seriously increase. In Jersey where I'm from, you're talking about 175 percent increase for a family of four. That's $20,000 a year more for their health insurance premiums, which means millions of people will drop their health insurance altogether because they just won't be able to afford it.

That's unacceptable. So I just want to make sure we fix the problem. Right? And if it's whatever it gets introduced this week by the speaker and he has a solution, well, of course we'll consider it. We put together a bipartisan plan and a framework, which I think is all about common sense. It says, let's extend these tax credits so that no one faces higher health insurance premiums than they would if this -- if it expired.

These extra tax credits get, you know, help them for the next year. And then the second year continue to help them. And we're open to reforms. So if people have ideas, you know, there's ideas out there, we're totally open to making it better and getting rid of any fraud that people are concerned about. Obviously, we also want to get PBM reform done, but it's all for me about making life more affordable for people and ensuring that families and children have health insurance.

DEAN: And have your Republican colleagues, have any conversations with their leadership about this since they, you know, House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership group, they do run the House? So have you all had those conversations with him?

GOTTHEIMER: Yes, this is why, of course, it's important to do this in a bipartisan way because you're going to need Democrats and of course Republicans to get this done. I know they've spoken to their leadership. Jen Kiggans, who leading this effort with, I know has spoken to them. You know, I won't speak for them. And obviously I wasn't in that meeting. But I'll tell you this, it's clear that the Republicans know that they've got to do something here, or the country will find out that they didn't do anything.

And this is very clear for the president as well, you know, and I'm willing and I know our whole group is willing to sit down with the president any time if he wants to talk about actually solving this problem. You know, the key is to not play games with this, to not play partisan politics with this, but to actually find a solution. And that's going to take both sides actually talking to one another like we're doing.

DEAN: And the Senate is planning votes this week as well. Have you had -- have you all had any conversations on that side of the building? Because it's, you know, anything you pass there has to go over there and vice versa.

GOTTHEIMER: Of course. So we've been working with them for a couple of months. Many of us talking to them. We had a meeting this past week with several Democrats and Republican senators, and trying to find a way forward, right? [19:05:01]

This is something we're going to have to do together, right? The Senate is going to vote first this week and then, of course, we need to get it out of the House. So we're trying to work together in a good bicameral way to find solutions with a lot of people who are reasonable, who just want to find a way to help people with these insurance premiums that are surging massively, and to stop it because, you know, people just won't be able to afford it.

And right now, with everything so expensive, when you're talking about energy bills or food or child care, you name it, people are hurting and we've got to help them. And this is the last thing they need is a lump of coal in their stocking for Christmas.

DEAN: Yes. And you sound, you sound, dare I say, a little hopeful that this can be fixed. How realistic do you think any optimism is about that right now?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, I'm optimistic in general. Listen, and I think we've gotten a lot done by being -- I've got a lot done over the years by being positive and keep, you keep working until you get there. I'm optimistic because you look at the numbers and there was a poll out from the Kaiser Foundation this week that showed that 70 percent of Republicans want this fixed, and 80 percent of independents and more than 90 percent of Democrats.

So this is a huge issue that Democrats and Republicans know it has to be fixed. And I just don't understand looking at the other side, you know, given that we've laid this out here, a solution, why they wouldn't want to sit at the table and fix this. This is not something that will go away. This is like a ticking, right, there's a ticking clock. And in just 24 days, these premiums go up. People have already received in the mail notices of how much their premiums are going up.

So they're making very tough decisions for their families right now. And so I think this is just one of these things that has to get solved. And I think my friends on the other side see how bad this is for them not doing something. They see how much people are hurting right now. And it's clear in all the polling and everything else that they've got to do something about it. So I'm hoping that together we can fix this one. And again, not pointing fingers, I just want to fix it.

DEAN: Yes. I want to ask you really quickly on one last issue, because we just got this new data and I wanted to get your thoughts on this. From a research group associated with the U.S. Berkeley Law School has found that nearly 75,000 people with no criminal records have been detained by ICE during the president's second term. This is a part of a larger trend that we've reported on previously.

Obviously, you guys are in the minority, but Congress should have oversight of what the executive arm is doing. What do you think can be done about this? Are you concerned that 75,000 people with no criminal records have been detained by ICE? GOTTHEIMER: What's shocking, to your point, that's not the first study

that's come out about this. What's shocking to me is how often they're thumping their chest that they're, that they're getting criminals. And the truth is that's not at all what they're doing. They're disrupting families and taking people away who are actually in our communities, working really hard, and giving back and trying to help our economy.

That and just, right, so like, that doesn't make any sense to me that that's they're going after the wrong people and then showing off about it. And then information like this comes out. And this is not the first piece of information that's come out about this. And it's the furthest from the truth. Right? And listen, I think people want us as a Congress and as a country to focus on making their lives more affordable right now and stop, like with what these other things where, you know, they just -- the president, you know, keeps talking about everything but affordability.

I think he made fun of the fact that Democrats were talking about affordability. I think he called it a hoax. Well, the people that I talked to everywhere I go are not calling it a hoax when they're dealing with electric bills up 40 percent. They can't afford their child care, they can't afford food. They don't want no -- they don't want show votes. They want us to actually sit down and make their lives more affordable, starting with their health care.

They do not want to spend 175 percent more next year on their health care. And they want to be able to provide for their families. I think that's our job, and I'm going to keep working all week or the next week until whenever with my colleagues across the aisle until we make it happen. And we got a big group. That's 35 people who are really committed, and we're going to get more and we're going to keep working it.

DEAN: All right. We will see how you do.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, thanks so much.

GOTTHEIMER: Thanks, Jess.

DEAN: The Kennedy Center Honors underway tonight. This year's event will look a little different. And that's because President Donald Trump is hosting instead of just observing from the presidential box. This marks the president's latest effort to try and reshape the nation's cultural institutions.

CNN correspondent Julia Benbrook is joining us now.

Julia, we did see the president walking the red carpet just a little bit ago. He did speak to reporters. What did he say?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Kennedy Center Honors is a longtime tradition, one that spans decades. But as you pointed out, there are a lot of changes taking place. Not only is Donald Trump the sitting president of the United States, he is also chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center. And he's also going to be hosting this event tonight. While walking the red carpet, he said -- he was asked how he prepared

for the event.

[19:10:02]

He said, maybe I didn't prepare. You want to be a little bit loose. He didn't think that he needed to prepare much for this, but there have been a lot of changes as this has been an intense focus point for him and he's been very involved in this specific awards. In fact, when he announced the honorees back in August, he said that he was 98 percent involved in selecting them.

So let's take a closer look at exactly who is on that list. You have country music star George Strait. You have actor and Broadway alum Michael Crawford. You have the members of the rock band Kiss, as well as singer Gloria Gaynor and actor Sylvester Stallone.

So he, back in February, made some changes to the Kennedy Center, specifically dismissing a slew of Democratic appointees to the Board of Trustees and then appointing some aides and allies, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as well as Second Lady Usha Vance. He was subsequently named chairman.

DEAN: And Julia, the president was also asked about the latest Ukraine talks that happened this weekend. What did he say about that?

BENBROOK: Yes, he started as he walked the red carpet. There were shouted questions, will you talk foreign policy? Will you talk about the war in Ukraine? And he said, let's keep things focused on this event. But as he continued on, he did get a question. And of course, this follows those days of talks between representatives from the United States, as well as Ukraine, talking about a potential peace plan to end the war with Russia.

Now, Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine took place several years ago now, and we have seen the ongoing destruction that is taking place. But Trump was pressed, what happens next after those talks. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So we've been speaking to President Putin and we've been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy. And I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn't yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn't. Russia is fine with it. Russia's, you know, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country when you think of it. But Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I'm not sure that Zelenskyy is fine with it. His people love it, but he hasn't read it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, this 28-point plan at the center of this conversation does meet some of Russia's main demands. Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to bring this war to an end. It has been an intense area of focus for him. In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that he had had both a long and constructive call with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has of course been very involved in this as well.

DEAN: All right, Julia Benbrook, with the latest reporting from the White House for us tonight. Thank you so much for that.

Still ahead, the high stakes case in front of the Supreme Court this week and how it might unleash more presidential power.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:47]

DEAN: The Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow in a case testing the limits of executive power and decide whether President Trump can fire the heads of independent agencies. The case is being brought by former Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, who was initially appointed by Trump in 2018 and nominated for a second term by President Biden. But in March, Trump fired her from the post, saying her continued service on the FTC is inconsistent with the administration's policies.

We're joined now by Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and author of "The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton Versus Jefferson Ignited the Last Battle Over the Power in America."

Jeffrey, great to have you. Thank you for your time tonight. Let's start first with this FTC case. The consequences of this go far beyond just one person. Help us understand the context and the potential impact.

JEFFREY ROSEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER: They really do. The consequences are that the court could call into question the constitutionality of independent agencies, not only the Federal Trade Commission, but the Federal Communication Commission and even the Federal Reserve, although it signaled that the Federal Reserve might be different.

Basically, ever since the early 20th century, Congress has set up certain agencies that the president is not allowed to control directly. You can't just fire the director because he doesn't like them. There has to be some good cause. And as far ago as 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously said that was consistent with the Constitution. As long as these agencies exercise quasi-judicial or quasi-legislative functions, then they can be insulated from presidential control.

But the Trump administration is arguing that that's unconstitutional because executive power is unitary. In other words, the president has to have total power to fire anyone he appoints. And if the Supreme Court accepts a version of that argument, as it seems likely to do, then it will call into question the constitutionality of agencies that have been accepted for a long time.

DEAN: Right. And you can see how quickly that those impacts would -- could be widespread. How has the Supreme Court shaped the powers of the executive branch in the past, and how have we seen that change during this administration?

ROSEN: Well, it really goes back to Hamilton and Jefferson.

[19:20:02]

Alexander Hamilton took a very broad view of executive power. Jefferson thought it should be more constrained. And the Supreme Court has tended to strike a middle view more like James Madison. And it's upheld efforts to insulate some offices from presidential control. But starting in the 1980s, under President Reagan, the court has become much more deferential to sweeping exercises of executive power.

And, of course, that's the center of all the clashes of the Trump administration involving immigration and the tariffs and birthright citizenship and independent agencies. So this case, in some ways, is the culmination of a test of that unitary executive theory, asking whether the court will essentially say there are no limits on the president's ability to control every officer in the executive branch. And again, the fact that it seems likely to succeed is just a huge deal for the expansion of executive power.

DEAN: And you mentioned birthright citizenship, the Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case challenging President Trump's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. And this is part of the president's larger immigration agenda. That's going to come later next year. How do you see that issue particularly playing out?

ROSEN: That's one issue where most observers think the court is most likely to check the president to say, you can't do that, to say that his executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship violates the Constitution's guarantee of birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.

And ever since the late 19th century, there's been a sweeping consensus on the Supreme Court that that means what it says, and that if you're born here, you're a citizen. The Trump administration has tried to challenge that. The court hasn't weighed in yet. But if the court, as expected, says the president can't end birthright citizenship, that will exercise its first meaningful check on executive power.

And, of course, the other big case that the court might check the president on is the tariffs, which it heard recently. And that's another case where a strict constructionist court of conservatives might say that the federal law, the statute that he's purporting to exercise those tariffs under, can't be stretched to do what he's trying to do. So if this term the court says no to him on birthright citizenship and no on the tariffs, the fact that it's striking down independent agencies would mean he wouldn't win across the board. But it really is important to stress this independent agency's case is

a huge deal. It will affect the whole structure of the federal government for decades to come, including the president's power to fire lower level officials and to end civil service protections that have been on the books for almost 100 years. That's actually another part of the independent agencies case. If the president unlawfully fires someone, does he have to reinstate them, or can he just pay them off? Can he pay money?

If the court says you can just pay them off, that means in practice the president could fire any civil servant he wants and just use federal money to pay them off. And that would mean the end of civil service protections that have been on the books since the 19th century.

DEAN: Yes. It would be quite a change.

All right. Jeffrey Rosen, thank you so much. We really do appreciate it.

ROSEN: Thank you very much.

DEAN: Still ahead, growing calls for the Defense Department to publicly release the video of the so-called double tap strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. Why lawmakers appear to be divided on calling it a war crime. We're going to talk to former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger. He joins us. That's next

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:27:58]

DEAN: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending the administration's strategy going after alleged drug boats. Lawmakers on both sides narrowing in on the specific follow-up strike that the U.S. carried out in September. The attack killed surviving crew members, raising questions about America's actions and prompting calls to release the full video of the strike.

Here's Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): I think it's really important that this video be made public. It's not lost on anyone, of course, that the interpretation of the video, which, you know, six or seven of us had an opportunity to see last week, broke down precisely on party lines. And so this is an instance in which I think the American public needs to judge for itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN senior political commentator and former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger joins us now. He's also a former member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard. Congressman, good to see you. Thanks for being here. We heard from

Hegseth yesterday. He would not, you know, say that he would definitely be releasing this full video when he was pressed at the forum out at the Reagan Library.

I would assume you are for the release of this full video. But tell me what you think and why you think they won't release it.

ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, look, I think in this case, I don't think DOD has to release every video they ever have. But in this case, as, you know, Mr. Himes was saying, he said, look, you're seeing this breakdown on party lines. Whenever that happens, which is unfortunately too much now, the American people have to make their own decision on it. And it's not like this is a small thing. This isn't some, you know, little political thing that people are getting worked up over, that's not a big deal.

This actually goes to the heart and soul more importantly of America and how we fight wars. And this, by the way, has not even been declared a war. It's not even been briefed to Congress. And so the American people absolutely have a right to know. This, the decisions we make in a warfare, it's not even about the two people, you know, killed in the follow-up strike, even though that's important, it's about what it means, what America is, what America stands for, how we are perceived by the world. And that's what's really important in all this.

[19:30:09]

DEAN: Yes. Yes, and as we've heard from you know, the testimony on the Hill, we heard again from Pete Hegseth himself yesterday. Have you been satisfied by the answers? Do you think that they have been giving good enough explanations around this?

KINZINGER: No, because it keeps changing. I mean, initially it started off as they were calling for backup support, which first off, doesn't even make sense, because if you have people basically hanging on to a burning boat, the last thing they do is calling for backup to pick up drugs, they're just trying to survive. But also, if you're the Department of Defense or any law enforcement agency, if a backup boat was coming, you'd actually want to wait and see who that boat is. That's like standard work.

And so, that changed then into, you know, the Admiral briefing they didn't even have any ability to call one of them said, I forget who it was. A congressman or senator said they were trying to scoop up all these drugs and throw them back and flip the boat over, like, were they in a canoe or something? If they're flipping a boat over, the problem is the story keeps changing. If they'd have just come out and said it right away and said, look, we made a decision with the best information we had for the follow up strike. I think this would be -- we'd be kind of moving on from it still a little upset, but the story keeps changing.

So something's going on, and I think America needs to see it. DEAN: On a on a separate issue, I want to ask you, we are hearing from

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of your former colleagues, who has now is leaving Congress. She says her Republican colleagues are terrified to step out of line with President Trump. She is in a new "60 Minutes" interview. I want to play the clip because I just want to hear what you think about what she's saying. This is what she told "60 Minutes".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLEY STAHL, "60 MINUTES": Behind the scenes, do they talk differently?

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Yes.

STAHL: How?

GREENE: Oh, it would shock people.

STAHL: Well, let's shock people.

GREENE: Okay, I watched many of my colleagues go from making fun of him, making fun of how he talks, making fun of me constantly for supporting him to when he won the primary in 2024. They all started. Excuse my language, Lesley, kissing his ass and decided to put on a MAGA hat for the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: So, look, you have been a Republican in Congress. Was this your experience as well? The idea of what's happening behind the scenes and what's happening in front of the cameras, and what Republicans have to balance between coming out against President Trump, but also knowing that maybe they don't agree with him or that it's not good for their district.

KINZINGER: Yes, I mean, look, honestly, these members of Congress and I'm not saying this as a cheap shot. I've just lived it. They're not doing their job. Your job, according to the Constitution, is to represent the best interest of the 700,000 people for a member of the House they do. But there was a congressman in the South part of Houston. He just announced he wasn't running again. His name slips my mind, but he at one point at the beginning of this term, said, my job is to do exactly what Donald Trump tells us. If he says jump, we say how high. That's the mentality.

So Congress has basically, look, the Constitution, the founders of this country knew that a guy like Donald Trump would come along. They knew it. What they never expected was a Congress that would willingly give up its power like it has.

So, what Marjorie Taylor Greene saying is right behind-the-scenes they're scared to death. If they trust you, they'll tell you like, this is awful, but they absolutely will not come out against him even when they're not running again, Jessica. They don't come out against him because they don't want to hurt their ability to make money with the contacts they have after their time in Congress.

That's why people that aren't running again stay quiet as well.

DEAN: Wow! All right, Congressman Adam Kinzinger, thanks for your perspective, we appreciate it.

KINZINGER: You bet. Yes.

DEAN: Still ahead, the man accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare back in court this week. There is a battle over what evidence should be allowed. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:38:50]

DEAN: The man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December is due back in court tomorrow. A critical pretrial evidence hearing for Luigi Mangione began last week in New York.

At the center of this multi-day pretrial hearing are efforts of Mangione's attorneys to suppress evidence in the murder trial against him. Let's bring in CNN's Leigh Waldman, who joins us now from New York. Leigh, what are we expecting tomorrow?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, were expecting the prosecutors here to continue calling their witnesses, trying to prove that their case, that all this evidence should be admitted into court when it does actually go to trial. There's been a few bombshell moments already throughout the course of these hearings, including the first time were hearing audio from the 911 call from McDonald's in Pennsylvania, someone calling in saying, hey, we think the New York city shooter is here identifying the defendant, Luigi Mangione.

We have seen body camera video showing that arrest and just this weekend they're releasing some of the photos of evidence that they were able to collect. Once those officers did question Mangione in Pennsylvania, from the evidence, we can see a necklace that appears to have a USB drive on it. You can see it on your screen there, a medical mask, which was referenced in that 911 call, and a handwritten "to-do list" that has several items checked off.

It's dated December eighth and ninth and we remind everyone, Mangione was arrested last December on December ninth and the future to do list items. He has things like picking up a survival kit and an Intel check in.

Now, we know law enforcement, when they arrested him at the McDonalds, they searched a backpack and found a gun, which they say is key evidence linking him to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

[19:40:34]

What the defense is actually arguing here is that they searched his backpack without a warrant, and that they questioned Mangione without reading him his Miranda warnings. The prosecutors obviously don't agree with what the defense is saying here. They said that they are following laws.

On Monday, we expect that the prosecution is going to call the officers who actually searched that backpack. So, there's going to be a lot more scrutiny on what was actually inside of it. And they're hoping to sway the judge in this case to admit all of this evidence into this trial when it kicks off. If not, then some of the key pieces of evidence like what they're referencing as a manifesto, the gun. More USB drives would have to be excluded. This is the battle for the state case here.

The federal case, they're going to have the same battle. He'll be in court for that on January 9th -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Leigh Waldman catching us up there. Thank you so much for that. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:46:04]

DEAN: The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, is dealing with another stabbing on its light rail system. This coming after an attack that killed a Ukrainian refugee this past August. Police say the suspect in the stabbing is identified as 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano, who records show is in the U.S. illegally. He's now facing several charges, including attempted first degree murder.

This latest victim is hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Let's bring in CNN's Rafael Romo. What is the latest here, Rafael.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jessica. Well, the stabbing happened on Friday, and that's two days after the city of Charlotte launched a new safety initiative called "Operation Safe Season" to "significantly increased police presence and enforcement in areas plagued by violence" on the same day, a new police chief was sworn in. In a statement, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department told CNN that officers responded to a stabbing near the light rail station on 25th Street and North Brevard Street around 4:50 P.M.

According to the arrest warrant, the suspect, identified as 33-year- old Oscar Solarzano, allegedly attacked the victim with a large fixed blade knife, appeared intoxicated, challenged the victim to a fight and cursed and shouted at others while slurring. Police said, the victim was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The Department of Homeland Security said that Solarzano is an undocumented immigrant from Honduras.

According to the arrest warrant, he now faces multiple charges for the attack, including attempted first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, causing serious injury, and carrying a concealed weapon. The top Department of Homeland Security officials said in a statement that the suspect was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge in 2018 and then deported by the Trump administration. She added that the suspect was removed again after entering the U.S. illegally in 2021, and then reentered the country a third time at an unknown date and location.

Reacting to the attack, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said that there are several aspects of public safety that are outside of the city's jurisdiction, including immigration policy and enforcement, but we will continue to focus on public safety, she said, and ensuring a safe and vibrant community.

White House Border Czar, Tom Homan criticized the mayor's statement this morning in an interview with Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS HOMAN, U.S. BORDER CZAR: Put your actions where your words are. Put your officers out there, we're not asking them to be immigration officers. We're asking them to help us locate and remove illegal aliens who are public safety threats in our city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Jessica, the stabbing happened on Charlotte's LYNX Blue Line, the same route where Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death in late August, an attack cited by the Trump administration and conservative politicians as an example of the violent crime they say plagues many Democrat-led cities. Charlotte was also recently the focus of immigration enforcement operations by the DHS.

President Trump wrote about the most recent attack yesterday on Truth Social, saying that Democrats are destroying. He said Charlotte, piece by piece -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE singing "We shall all overcome ...")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Minneapolis officials and community leaders holding prayers as the Trump administration ramps up its immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The President has specifically targeted Somali migrants calling them "garbage." Minneapolis City leaders are slamming it as simply racist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. PAUL GRAHAM, ST ANSGAR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH: No human being is garbage, Mr. President, and shame on you for saying so.

ADAM STOCK SPILKER, MOUNT ZION TEMPLE, RABBI: We know that when a few people commit crimes, it does not implicate an entire community.

PEOPLE: That's right.

SPILKER: And to say so is racist, xenophobic, and just wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: But even as city leaders step up and vow to protect their community, Somalis in Minneapolis remain on edge.

CNN's Whitney Wild shows us how it's already affecting families and businesses.

[19:50:10]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMED AHMED, SOMALI BORN U.S. CITIZEN: This is a Somali Mall. This is the heart of the community in terms of enterprises.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Carmel Somali Mall in Minneapolis, halls lined with cafes and shops are normally bustling. Today, they are quiet.

WILD (on camera): And with the news of ICE coming into Minneapolis, has that shifted? Has the energy changed in here? Are there fewer people?

AHMED: Yes, there is a certain amount of fear.

WILD (voice over): Mohamed Ahmed is a Somali-born U.S. Citizen. Now, President Trump is harshly condemning Ahmed's community, citing a three-year sprawling $300 million fraud case in which dozens of Somalis were charged.

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't want them in our country. We're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.

WILD (voice over): Those words are especially hurtful. Ahmed voted for President Trump in 2024.

AHMED: I've been a Republican for over 25 years. I'm not going to stop being a Republican and now we are being called garbage.

WILD (on camera): How did it make you feel when you heard the President say that?

AHMED: I've got five children. My children are no garbage.

WILD (voice over): The Minneapolis mayor says there are more than 80,000 Somalis in the Twin Cities area. Throughout Minnesota 87 percent of foreign born Somalis are naturalized U.S. citizens, and nearly 58 percent of the community were born in the U.S. like this woman who asked us not to share her name.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've got my passport right here. I'm not going to lie to you. I have a right on me. I don't even carry an I.D. with me. So, to carry a passport now for my own safety is, I think, not, right. WILD (voice over): The Department of Homeland Security says they are

conducting a very targeted operation. Throughout Minneapolis, social media videos captured stepped up immigration enforcement in recent days.

CNN reporter, Rob Kuznia captured the moment armed federal agents questioned a man outside a Somali Mall, then quickly left.

As we walk through this mall, the people here are suspicious, asking why we are taping or hiding their faces, then one woman speaks candidly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every human being, some people bad. Some people good.

AHMED: We understand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, not all, the Somali people, it's big name.

WILD (on camera): What would you say to the President if he were standing here right now?

AHMED: Mr. President, we campaigned for you. We have hope in you. We see hope in you. Please differentiate between good, bad and evil.

WILD (voice over): Whitney Wild, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right, Whitney, thank you for that.

Five things you need to know before you start your week, that is next.

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DEAN: Here's a look at the five stories we'll be tracking this week. The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on extending Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. The subsidies have enabled many lower income Americans to get coverage with no or very low monthly premiums. That vote is part of a deal that several Democrats made to reopen the government. It's unclear if Republicans will also offer a health care proposal.

This year's final meeting of the Federal Reserve is on Tuesday and Wednesday. A Fed panel will debate whether to cut interest rates to help the job market or hold them steady to fight inflation. President Trump has been aggressively campaigning for cuts, but economists warn that that could drive inflation higher. On Friday, the stock market closed just below record highs.

Tomorrow, day-six of the Brian Walshe murder trial begins. The court will hear more from witnesses and get more forensic evidence as prosecutors work to prove that he killed his wife, Ana. Walshe pleaded guilty to disposing his wife's body, but says he did not kill her. You can check out our special coverage on cnn.com tomorrow as well.

On Wednesday, the Nobel Peace Prize will officially be awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado in Oslo. Machado had been in hiding this year and has not been seen in public since January. She won the award in October for her fight to achieve a Democratic transition in the South American Nation.

Also this week, Australia's ban on social media for children under 16 goes into effect. Sites like SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more will have to prove they're doing more to block users under the age of 16 or they could face millions of dollars in fines.

This weekend, "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper goes to Nairobi, Kenya, with a rare look inside some of Africa's harshest prisons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": Just outside the cell, hundreds more men sit in rows. Five times a day, they gather for head count.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred and ten.

COOPER: The guards tally their numbers.

By now, the men are used to this routine. They know what to expect from prison life on a daily basis. What many here and in prisons throughout Kenya don't know is how long they'll be locked up. Some can't afford to pay a relatively small bail. Others aren't sure of the charges against them. They don't have access to an attorney and don't know their rights.

COOPER (on camera): There are inmates here who have been convicted of crimes, and many others who are still waiting to see a judge. Inmates who wear the striped uniform. That means they've had their case heard. They've been convicted by a court, but they're doing a head count now of inmates who have not been convicted of anything. There are several hundred people here. There's more in this cell as well and very few of these hundreds of people have access to an attorney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: An all new episode of "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper that is headed your way next, only here on CNN. And then tomorrow on the CNN App. Thank you so much for joining me tonight. I'm Jessica Dean.

If you're here in the U.S., you can now stream CNN wherever, whenever you want on the CNN App. Just go to CNN.com/watch to check that out. We're going to see you back here next weekend. Have a great night everyone.

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