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U.S. Officials: Trump Weighing Potential Military Intervention; U.S. Officials Divided Over Fatal ICE Shooting Of Renee Good; A Look At China's Interest In Greenland Amid Trump Warning; "One Battle After Another", "Adolescence" Win Big. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired January 12, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: 12:00 a.m. Monday here in New York. I'm Polo Sandoval. And here's what's coming your way here on CNN Newsroom. As the death toll climbs in Iran amid anti-government protests, President Trump weighs a potential military response. Coming up, we'll explore what the President's next step could be.

In the U.S., protests ramping up across the country after a deadly shooting of an ICE agent -- by an ICE agent as the Trump administration doubles down on their response to the killing.

And the stars were out on the red carpet for the 2026 Golden Globes. We'll take you live to L.A., breaking down the biggest winners and maybe some of the upsets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York, this is CNN Newsroom with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Tehran is intensifying its violent crackdown as Iran enters a third straight week of anti-government protests. A U.S.-based human rights group says that more than 500 protesters have been killed in the past 15 days of unrest. This video here posted by a pro-reform activist outlet, that shows crowds of people at a funeral for a protester who was killed.

And there's another video that was released on Sunday that shows the dead in black body bags lined up outside of a forensic center in Tehran. Their family members gathered around them as they searched for their loved ones. And more than 10,000 people have been reported arrested since these protests broke out.

And Iran's government has cut off Internet access since Thursday. A watchdog group says that connectivity to the outside world is at just one percent of ordinary levels. But still, protesters, they are undeterred getting their message throughout the country and to the rest of the world.

We get to hear some of those voices coming together over the weekend in Iran. Protesters still gathering in the capital despite the ongoing threats of violence from security forces. U.S. President Donald Trump says that Iranian leaders have called him to, as he put it, negotiate. And this comes after he threatened to, "get involved if the regime kills protesters."

He hasn't, however, elaborated on what exactly that could entail. But Trump reiterated that warning on Sunday, saying that his administration is looking at military options.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders or just they rule through violence. But we're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it. And we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: As President Trump aboard Air Force One as he returns to Washington, CNN's Julia Benbrook begins our coverage.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has not made a final decision yet, but we do know that he is weighing options when it comes to potential intervention in Iran. In recent days, he has been briefed on different plans as the violence there continues.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested related to this. Now, as Trump looks to follow through on his vow to help the people there, there are some concerns from within the administration that military strikes could backfire and actually undermine the protesters. According to U.S. officials who spoke with CNN, a number of these proposals have centered on Tehran's security services, which are being used to tamp down the protest, also being considered cyber operations that target Iran's military or other regime targets.

And then there's potential of helping bolster Internet access through technology. Right now, the people there are experiencing an information blackout that has been going on for days. Now, in a social media post, a post on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump made it clear that he could be willing to do something, but provided very little details.

He said Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before, adding that the USA stands ready to help. Now, we saw similar posts from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the weekend, but again, lacking a lot of details on what would take place. Trump has said that the United States could get involved.

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He was pressed on when that could happen. He did rule out that there would be boots on the ground. He has said that is not a possibility. Now, we do expect, as Trump is back in Washington this week, that there will be more formal briefings taking place, including one on Tuesday with senior national security officials to discuss how to proceed.

Traveling with the president in Florida, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

SANDOVAL: Joining us now is Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Trita is also the author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy." Trita, thank you so much for joining us.

TRITA PARSI, AUTHOR, "LOSING AN ENEMY": My pleasure. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: So, I'm curious if we could dive right into some of the latest news here, that according to President Trump, that leaders in Iran called the administration over the weekend, as the President put it, wishing to negotiate. Curious from your standpoint and your view, what do you see as possible diplomatic routes before we get to the ongoing protests?

PARSI: Well, there's definitely been diplomatic routes that unfortunately have not been fully pursued. I think the Iranians have made a huge mistake up until this point, at least, for not having talked directly to Trump. Of course, it's understandable that they would be very distrustful of Trump, mindful of him walking out of the earlier agreement, as well as green-lighting an Israeli attack on Iran in the midst of the previous negotiations that Trump himself initiated.

But nevertheless, there needs to be some sort of a solution to the tensions between the two countries, and that can only be resolved diplomatically. So the fact that the Iranians are reaching out, they did so prior to these protests as well, is in and of itself not necessarily new. The question is, what is the framework of any potential negotiations? What are the Iranians willing to offer? And what is the Trump administration willing to put forward?

And now, of course, it's happening in the midst of a very, very brutal crackdown in Iran, in which we're likely seeing several hundreds, perhaps thousands of people having getting -- gotten killed, as well as protests that at least have an element that also have been very violent, with people from the police or from the authorities and then up to 200 that may have been killed as well. So this is very different from previous protests that were overwhelmingly peaceful. This one is also, by and large, peaceful, but it has an element of violence in it that is very different.

SANDOVAL: Trita, expand on that last point. You mentioned that something's different this time around. We've seen previous movements, but how do you see this latest round of demonstrations really shaking the foundation of the regime?

PARSI: Oh, it certainly is quite a shock to the regime in many different ways, but we have also seen that, you know, they closed down the internet. We don't have full insight into what happened. But eyewitness accounts are starting to come out. Videos are starting to come out. The Iranian state T.V. itself had packages in which they actually visited the morgues, and you could clearly see that a very large number of people had gotten killed.

This was not the case in previous protests. In previous protests that also shook the regime and was a threat to its existence in various ways, we didn't see this level of violence from either side at this early stage. In fact, in 2009, for instance, they were overwhelmingly peaceful. It's not towards two, three months into it that you started to see some degrees of violence, but it was different elements that were then out on the streets, very different from the people who were out in the beginning.

Also, what we're seeing now seems to have been a shift. The people who started these protests during daytime were shopkeepers and traders who were furious, understandably, about the collapse of the currency and the failure of the government to do anything about that. It does not appear that those are the people that are out protesting now, in which the protests are almost overwhelmingly taking place at night.

SANDOVAL: As we close out here, just help us look into the future, especially as people are observing this ongoing fight for freedom among the Iranian people. Is it fair to look at this as a best-case scenario, we could perhaps see a step towards democracy, or worst-case scenario, you could see still traces of the regime, perhaps further instability, or worse, maybe even a civil war?

PARSI: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to predict, but I would say this, that while there is a tremendous amount of hope, because there is a need for change, it's absolutely necessary. I don't think the status quo in any way, shape or form, was sustainable. And people really do want to see a change. Now, whether that means, you know, what some of the protesters on the outside are calling for, et cetera, is a different story, but some sort of a change is needed.

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But we're also seeing things that makes me very worried, and many people I've spoken to who, on the one hand, are hopeful, they're also very fearful, because there are huge risks in the current situation. And the worst-case scenario, as you mentioned, of course, would be a civil war, similar to what you saw happening in Syria. I don't think we're there, but I think it would also be very dangerous to dismiss the risk of such a development.

SANDOVAL: Despite that internet blackout, the world is absolutely watching. Trita Parsi, thank you so much for your time and your perspective.

PARSI: Thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Iran's parliament speaker is warning that his country will retaliate against any U.S. military action. The hardline official says that Tehran will be treating any U.S. military and commercial bases as targets, that's if Washington were to intervene militarily during the unrest in Iran. Here's more of the President's reaction aboard Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, if they do that, we'll consider things targets that they wouldn't believe. If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before, and they won't even believe it. I have options that are so strong. So, I mean, if they did that, it'll be met with a very, very powerful force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: You heard it there. The President continues reiterating his threat to re-engage with Iran. Let's talk about that now. Out of Washington is retired U.S. Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton. Colonel, it's great to see you again.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Great to see you too, Polo.

SANDOVAL: So you heard the president just now. Meanwhile, Iran says that American military bases would be legitimate targets if the U.S. launches strikes. Colonel, what is your assessment of Iran's actual ability to deliver on that threat that was issued this weekend?

LEIGHTON: Well, it is somewhat limited, Polo. And when you look at what the Iranians are usually going to do in a case like this, they would definitely be using their missile arsenal. And there is, you know, basic intelligence that says that they have reconstituted a large part of that since the June attacks against the nuclear facilities and, of course, the Israeli attacks against some of their missile emplacements.

So, they would probably try to lob some of those missiles against bases like the one that we have in Qatar or the ones that we have in Kuwait or even the United Arab Emirates. That's one possibility. The other thing they could do is they could basically go asymmetric. In other words, what they would do is use the types of sleeper cells that they've been known to create in places like Iraq or Syria.

And those sleeper cells would then conduct basically terrorist operations against those bases or against personnel. So, those are two possibilities. And then, of course, as we see here, the drones, the shotgun drones, those drones could very well be used in fairly large numbers to try to overwhelm air defenses. And that would also be a significant risk to U.S. forces in the region.

SANDOVAL: So, those are options on the Iranian side. Let's shift to the other side. When it comes to the U.S., we understand the President has been briefed on possible options against Iran. In your view, Colonel, what targets could the U.S. be interested in striking?

LEIGHTON: Well, normally what you would do in a case like this is you would go after the command and control targets that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has, for example, or the Iranian military. You would also go in and try to destroy the Air Force, their air capability. Even though it's limited, you would still want to do that. And then another aspect that you could potentially hit would be the Iranian naval capability, because what you want to do is you want to keep the Persian Gulf open to shipping for the other countries along the Persian Gulf coastline.

And if you pursue that particular type of target, then it would lessen the possibility of the Iranians swarming U.S. naval vessels. That's one of the techniques that they use to try to stop U.S. naval forces from moving in that area of the world. So, those are the kinds of things that we could do, and it would require certain types of armaments, some of which are in the Persian Gulf or around the Persian Gulf, but some of which are not at present, such as aircraft carriers.

SANDOVAL: And I'm glad you touched on the assets right now that are potentially within striking distance of Iran. You know, we've seen strikes in the past. Obviously, last year, the Trump administration was looking to debilitate their nuclear capabilities. What I find just so interesting here, Colonel, is that the White House is essentially hoping to turn to, you know, the U.S.'s military might to try to get its message across to the regime.

[00:15:00]

In this case, Trump insists that it's about guaranteeing the freedoms for the Iranian people. How effective could that potentially be if we reach that point?

LEIGHTON: Yes, if we reach that point, it would be somewhat difficult to actually have the U.S. military engaged directly in a way that would help protect the protesters or other freedom fighters, politicians that are engaged on that particular side of the political debate in Iran.

So it would, you know, barring boots on the ground, and the President has said that he does not want to put boots on the ground, it becomes really difficult to kind of maneuver your way into a situation where you make it difficult for the Iranian police forces, the Revolutionary Guards, and other paramilitary and other organizations like that to actually, you know, be stopped in what they're doing to quell the protests. So it's a very difficult thing. A lot of things, though, could be done from a soft power standpoint that would be more effective in that way, as opposed to direct military force.

And it seems as if the administration is not looking in that direction, or at least not as much. And that's something that I think is something they should consider at this point.

SANDOVAL: Colonel, finally, you may have heard from my last guest, Trita Parsi, as he really just compared the current movement and why it stands apart from what we've seen in Iran in the past. From your view, though, when it comes to the current state of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, how much of their leadership was taken out last year? Is it in a position to be able to retaliate and strike the U.S.?

LEIGHTON: Probably not. And this is a very interesting point, because both between the U.S. efforts and the Israeli efforts to decapitate specifically the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the Israelis were pretty successful in doing that, Polo. And one of the things that is part of that equation is that the people that replaced the commanders, generally speaking, do not have the same level of experience that those who were killed did have.

So they're -- you know, some of them are quite capable, but they don't have that same level of expertise or that same willingness to pursue those target sets that their predecessors did. And that could weaken any type of response from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

SANDOVAL: Yes, the situation is very different now. Colonel Cedric Leighton, as always, really appreciate your insight. Thanks so much for staying up late for us.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Polo. Anytime.

SANDOVAL: All right, have a good week.

Well, in Los Angeles, no serious injuries after the driver of a moving truck drove through a large crowd of people who were rallying in support of protesters in Iran. This happened on Sunday in the city's Westwood neighborhood. Now, warning, some may find some of the following video disturbing.

Now, again, according to authorities, no serious injuries after this incident here. The writing on the side of the truck, it reads, no Shah, no regime. USA, don't repeat 1953. No mullah. Law enforcement has confirmed the driver has been detained. Currently in custody, CNN has reached out to the LAPD to try to find out more information about any potential charges after that weekend incident.

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With a deadly ICE shooting of Renee Good, sparking widespread protests throughout the United States the last several days. Still ahead, the latest on the dueling narratives that are coming from the Trump administration and Minnesota state and local officials.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Jerome Powell. And this over the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation project of its Washington, D.C. headquarters. A Justice Department spokesperson would not comment specifically on the investigation.

However, they did tell CNN that the Attorney General wants to, "prioritize investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars." Powell testified before Congress in June, saying that the renovation involved various agencies and that the costs had changed over time. He says that this investigation is just another pressure tactic by the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President. This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether, instead, monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Back to anti-ICE protesters. They are continuing to demand that federal immigration officers be removed from their communities. There was yet another wave of demonstrations across the U.S. on Sunday in response to the killing of Minneapolis, of a woman there named Renee Good. Take a look at this video of protesters flooding the streets here in New York City, voicing their concern about threats, what they describe as threats to public safety.

And the fatal shooting is also prompting demonstrations abroad, like this one in Berlin, where a crowd gathered outside the U.S. Embassy for a vigil to remember Renee Good. Despite the backlash, the Department of Homeland Security announcing hundreds more Customs and Border Protection officers would be sent to Minneapolis. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that the move is to ensure the safety of ICE and Border Patrol agents operating in the city.

In an interview on CNN Sunday, Noem defended her domestic terrorism comments that were made just hours after Renee Good was killed when the investigation was just getting started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I had just been in Minneapolis and had been with those officers, had seen what they were facing on the streets every day, and had talked to their supervisors as soon as the incident happened and had gotten the facts and seen videos before I ever went to talk at that press conference. If you look at what the definition of domestic terrorism is, it completely fits the situation on the ground.

This individual, as you saw in the video that we released just 48 hours after this incident, showed that this officer was hit by her vehicle, she weaponized it, and he defended his life and those colleagues around him and the public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: CNN's Nick Watt has more on the fallout following the death of Renee Good.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Everybody is watching the same videos of the death of Renee Good and drawing starkly different conclusions. In fact, the chasm between what the federal government says happened and what a lot of local and state politicians say happened, that chasm is just getting deeper. Kristi Noem doubling down, saying Renee Good was a domestic terrorist.

[00:25:09]

The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, saying that perhaps Kristi Noem doesn't actually really believe what she's saying. He says he's watched the video and draws a completely different conclusion. He wants, he says, a "neutral and unbiased investigation." He said, I shouldn't be doing it, neither should Kristi Noem. We need an outside body to really determine what happened here. Take a listen to what else he had to say on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA MAYOR: Because here's the thing, she's calling Minneapolis like this dystopian hellhole. You know, how many shootings we've had so far this year? Two. And one of them was ICE. I said this was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying, because that was a federal agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying. It's exactly what happened. I mean, am I biased in this? Of course. And I'm biased because I got two eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Now, Sara Jacobs, a Democrat representative, serves on the armed, the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee. She said that Kristi Noem is, "blatantly lying and should either resign or be impeached." Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): If the administration is so sure of their account of events, then they should welcome an independent investigation because the evidence would show that. But I think they're telling on themselves by not allowing it because they know that what they're saying is completely wrong and made up and preposterous, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Now, all of this while a group called ICE Out for Good planned over a thousand demonstrations across the United States over the weekend. We saw demonstrations, protests in North Dakota, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, also overseas outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany.

All of those protesters remembering Renee Good, a vigil Sunday in Minneapolis, another vigil on the scene of Renee Good's death, a vigil for her. So this is not over in terms of the demonstrations, the protests, but also these dueling narratives over what actually happened here. Was Renee Good a domestic terrorist, as Kristi Noem would have you believe, or was this ICE agent reckless as the mayor of Minneapolis and many people across this country would say that Renee Good was innocent and she was murdered? Back to you.

SANDOVAL: All right, thanks to Nick Watt as we give you this live view of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Senate expected to vote this week on a full measure to limit President Trump's war powers in Venezuela. And this comes after five Republicans voted with the Democrats last week to advance a resolution, and that was a notable rebuke to the President's actions.

Let's talk about this and much, much more. Joining us now with the latest on U.S. politics is Ron Brownstein. He's a CNN senior political analyst and also Bloomberg opinion columnist. It's great to see you, Ron. RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Polo. Good to be with you.

SANDOVAL: So let's start with the news that broke on Sunday and the DOJ's decision to initiate an investigation against Jerome Powell. What do you make of the administration opening this case? I mean, he's on his way out. I mean, in a few months, his term ends. I mean, why, as the DOJ spokesperson puts it, why are they prioritizing this?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think it's because they're trying to send a message to all officials in government and to institutions out of government that they are abundantly willing to weaponize the justice system against anyone who they perceive as being in their way. I mean, you know, obviously they have pursued prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James. I mean, they're starting again on Letitia James. You know, as you say, I mean, he is leaving -- he will no longer be chairman, at least in a few months.

And, you know, this may not be seen as necessary in that sense at this point, but I think it is necessary because they are continuing to try to send this message. And I do wonder, you know, we've talked about this before for the business community, for other institutions in society that is that have largely been silent here.

This is a real moment of like, do they want to live in a country where any time you cross the executive branch, you may be subject to criminal investigation? I wonder if, you know, because the Fed, you might see more pushback from more voices than we have seen on some of these other cases like Comey and James.

SANDOVAL: And just to remind viewers, again, this is a very preliminary step still, grand jury proceedings need to happen before we see exactly how this plays out. Ron, let's see how many topics we can squeeze into the next few minutes here. And let's shift gears and talk about that horrible shooting from last week in Minneapolis. We know that following that incident that some Democrats have been threatening to potentially stall the January 30th spending bill, possibly setting the stage for another spending showdown. And I think we're still recovering from our shutdown hangover, I think, from last year. How much pressure do you think are some of those Democrats under, especially perhaps that pressure coming from within that party?

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BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, I think there's going to be a lot of pressure, although immigration as an issue burned Democrats so badly in 2024. I think it's going to be hard to have a unified position of really drawing a line in the sand over this. I think the thing that people have to understand, both in the U.S. and around the world, when Nick Watt said in that last piece, this is not over, I would go further. I would say this is really just the beginning.

You know, the best estimates are that in this first year, if you think about all of the turmoil, economic, social, political, that has accompanied this mass deportation effort. In this first year, they have arrested somewhere around 360,000 or 370,000 undocumented immigrants. The best estimate is that there are 14 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. And the administration clearly envisions significantly expanding this effort. I mean, they're in the process of hiring 10,000 more ICE officers.

And so if you try to just project forward from where we are today and how much turmoil, tension, and division this has introduced into American life over the next year, it is extraordinary to think of where this may go in the coming months, because this really is the prologue, only the beginning of what they have in mind.

SANDOVAL: Ron, let's shift to foreign policy. Those five Republicans that I mentioned a little while ago, the cross-party lines on the War Powers vote, obviously they were slammed by the President because they did so. Could they just pretty much be listening to constituents who may oppose further military action in Venezuela?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, look, I mean, you know, part of the MAGA movement was a rejection of kind of the neocon vision under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, that the U.S. should be playing a very aggressive role in trying to change regimes around the world and basically impose our will on the world.

And Trump, you know, although he probably did not oppose the Iraq War at the time, the way he said, certainly became a critic of that kind of vision of foreign policy. And here he is, you know, with the Donroe doctrine and the threats against multiple countries around the world, both enemies, traditional adversaries like Iran and even allies like Denmark over Greenland.

And so I think there's like a there's a slice of Republican thinking. I've always felt, Polo, that Republicans in Congress are more comfortable opposing Trump from the right than the center. And I suppose you could look at opposing further action in Venezuela from either direction, but you could certainly make a case that you are the ones being true to the kind of the MAGA vision of less of this kind of intervention around the world. So it might be like a more comfortable place to be in terms of opposing.

SANDOVAL: Yes. Yes, without a doubt. Really appreciate you helping us dive deep into so many topics right now. And that's just a couple that we were able to get to. But Ron, we do have to leave it there. You know, a quick reminder for viewers, though, that your latest piece of analysis is absolutely fascinating, especially when it comes to the inner workings of the DNC. So encourage our viewers to go online and check that out. Ron Brownstein, always appreciate you.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

[00:33:29]

SANDOVAL: Still ahead, of course, ahead here on CNN Newsroom, Donald Trump's push to acquire Greenland. The U.S. President says that he must act before Russia or China may potentially do so. The reaction from Beijing and live report on the way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANDOVAL: And welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and these are some of the top stories we're following at this hour. Iran's hardline regime is intensifying its violent crackdown on anti- government protesters. The country is entering a third straight week now of demonstrations against the regime. A U.S.-based watchdog group says that more than 500 protesters have been killed in just the last two weeks.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the $2.5 billion renovation project of the Federal Reserve Headquarters. A department would not comment on the probe itself, but it did say that the attorney general will be investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars. But Fed chair Jerome Powell says that this is merely retribution for not setting interest rates to the President's liking.

And President Trump is ramping up pressure on Cuba, telling the country via Truth Social to make a deal, "before it's too late." And he also issued a warning that it won't receive any more money from Venezuela's oil industry. Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel pushing back, posting on X that the island is sovereign and rejecting claims that it traded security services for Venezuelan oil.

We're also hearing new comments from President Trump as he doubles down on his push to acquire Greenland. Aboard Air Force One on Sunday, he again insisted that if the U.S. does not act, Russia or China could do so in the future. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Look, if we don't take Greenland, Russia or China will. And I'm not letting that happen. If we don't take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland. And I am not going to let that happen. Yes, sure. I'd look to make a deal with them. It's easier. But one way or the other, we're going to have Greenland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Let's go live now to CNN's Mike Valerio following developments and joining us now from Beijing. Mike, what is so important also is to look to Asia with what its response has been as it closely monitors the situation when it comes to the territory. I mean, how much attention has China actually given to Greenland in the past few years?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, I'll tell you, since really the early 2000s, China has shown significant interest in Greenland. We're not talking about a minimal part of the world for China here. We're talking about myriad companies in this country showing huge interest in developing Greenland's rare earth mineral industry. That's really what's key here to the United States, tapping in to that wealth, that treasure trove of rare earth minerals.

And we've seen so many companies in China try, and I emphasize try, we'll talk about that in a minute, to develop that industry as well. This is happening, Polo, as China is referring to itself as a near Arctic power for doing that for more than a decade, trying to develop these Arctic Ocean sea lanes for ships that leave from our corner of the world and getting to port destinations in Northern Europe shorter than they otherwise would if they had to go, you know, the southern route around Singapore, through the Indian Ocean, up through the Suez Canal, hugely beneficial to ports. We're talking about Rotterdam, Hamburg in Germany, a much shorter route going through the Arctic Ocean to China.

[00:40:29]

So when we're talking about ships, I will tell you, Polo, China has pushed back incredibly hard on the President of the United States' assertions that there are Chinese ships surrounding Greenland, ditto for Russian ships from the White House's point of view. China, when you go to these Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefings, the ministry just right up the street from our bureau here, they will say in so many words, Polo, that that assertion is a fabrication. They'll answer the question about two sentences and move on.

Our defense analysts here at CNN echo that point and say that China's military is not surrounding Greenland, but rather China's naval assets are in the South China Sea, in our corner of the world. So the ministry here in Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sharply criticizing America for what it sees as universal, or I should say unilateral, overseas intervention. China trying to really position itself, Polo, as the defender of international rules-based order.

America would come back to that assertion and say, well, what about Taiwan? China sees Taiwan as a domestic issue, not an overseas international projection of power. When we're talking about the presence that both countries, China and America, have, let's look at America for a second. Pituffik Space Base bills itself as near the top of the world. That's pretty accurate. It's 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Vice President Vance, when he was there last spring, I believe, in May, said that the Danes, Denmark, is not doing enough to protect Pituffik Space Base. Denmark certainly rejects that. And where this leaves us, when we were talking about, at the top of the segment, how China wants to get into this rare earth mineral industry in Greenland. There have been so many companies that have tried, but really those end treaties, those bids for the projects, have fizzled time and time again, been rebuffed by the government in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, or been rebuffed by Copenhagen in Denmark.

So really, you know, there's a Norwegian analyst who told my colleague Samuel McCarthy, who's written about this for cnn.com. He said that China's left, "almost no footprint in Greenland, almost no footprint in Greenland, outside of a limited presence in the fishing industry." So that's where things stand. But expect China to be more vocal as this becomes more of an issue in the coming days and weeks, Polo.

SANDOVAL: And Mike, I'm glad you mentioned Taiwan. You mentioned what China is saying about Taiwan and how, as it argues, this is not necessarily relevant right now. But what about people in Taiwan? I mean, they have to be closely watching what does or does not happen when it comes to Greenland and the next possible foreign intervention on behalf of President Trump.

VALERIO: Yes, and I think that, you know, the attempt for, as we choose our, you know, as we think about this situation carefully here, the attempt, Polo, to take Taiwan by force if necessary, which is something that China doesn't want. It doesn't want a war, doesn't want to use force only as a last resort. That would be a hugely complicated military operation.

It's been described by our CNN military analysts as perhaps the most complex amphibious operation the world would ever see if, God forbid, it comes to pass. Greenland has only a smattering of people. You see the population of Taipei in the millions.

So certainly everybody who lives in Taiwan has a close attention on projections of power outside of their shores. They do at the same time go about their daily lives, but it is something that we are closely watching here in Beijing, Taipei and around the region, Polo.

SANDOVAL: It is such a good point and why there's such an important difference between both situations. Mike Valero, always a pleasure having you on. Appreciate your time and your reporting.

VALERIO: Yes.

[00:44:35]

SANDOVAL: Still to come here on CNN Newsroom, Hollywood Awards season, it is upon us, and the 83rd Golden Globes kicking off in style. We're going to break down some of the big winners in film and television. Stay with us.

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SANDOVAL: What was the first major Hollywood award show of the year? It just wrapped up a little while ago in Los Angeles. The 83rd Golden Globe Awards celebrated achievements in both film and television and one film and one series really rising above the rest to score the most trophies of the night. Paul Thomas Anderson's dark action comedy "One Battle After Another," that took home four awards, winning for best motion picture, musical or comedy, best performance by a supporting actress in a motion picture, and best director and best screenplay.

The film was produced in part by Warner Brothers, part of CNN's parent company. On the T.V. side, it was Netflix's limited series "Adolescence" that swept its categories, taking home four Globes for best limited or anthology series, best performance by elite actor in a limited series, as well as performances by supporting actor and actress on T.V. And the first ever Golden Globe for best, get this, podcast, that was presented as well, going to "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" for the Actress's Celebrity Interview Show.

I want to break down everything that we witnessed on Sunday night with Sandro Manetti. He's the editor-in-chief at the Hollywood International Film Magazine. It is wonderful to see you again, my friend. SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM MAGAZINE: Wonderful to see you. And I'm sorry to call this race early, but the Oscar race is over. We already have a clear front runner. It was one trophy after another for the Paul Thomas Anderson movie. Oscar voting starts in nine hours. And what an advantage in the race this movie has, with all these Golden Globes behind it.

SANDOVAL: What about any upsets, though?

MONETTI: Well, I think "Sinners" was expected to do much better than it did. It had six nominations, only won two, and not two of the more glamorous, bigger awards either. And "Hamnet" picked up a couple as well. But, you know, in previous award seasons, there's usually been one big front runner, and one battle after another has it. So yes, it's crushing the competition.

[00:50:00]

SANDOVAL: Yes, drama class appears to have paid off for young Owen Cooper, at 16 years old, receiving his award on the television side of things for his performance in "Adolescence." Absolutely incredible. I'm wondering, and that came out about a year ago, winning break big on Sunday. What do you think that it is to be said about how that show kept such an important conversation going?

MONETTI: Well, first of all, we'll see Owen Cooper on the big screen next month because he stars in "Wuthering Heights" alongside Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. So he's going from T.V. star to movie star. So yes, he's got a really big future.

What it says is that there is still room for great storytelling because "Adolescence" wasn't just an award winner, it was a ratings grabber. And so it was a real word of mouth hit. One way you had to say, have you seen it? Have you seen it? And it's interesting what happened in the press room tonight because we always thought that "Adolescence" was a one-off. But Stephen Graham, its star and co- creator, said, well, maybe in three or four years, we'll see another series.

I think they'll be throwing so much money at him, it'll be three or four months. Let's bring it back. This is a brand that they've started. And, you know, we could have a "Adolescence" television universe to spin off from this.

SANDOVAL: What about a performance from Nikki Glaser? She was the second year host in -- of the show. You know, we've talked about a lot of news just in the last hour here. It is a very difficult time around the world. What did you make of the tone that she was able to strike? She even, you know, joked at the beginning that the Golden Globes are the most important thing happening in the world, and then, of course, left that joke off.

MONETTI: I think she got the tone exactly right. It's really tough to host award shows. I know. I've done them myself. And they can be a very sort of unforgiving audience because it can't be too much of a love-in. It can't be too much of an insult. And I think she got the balance right. But she's very well-practiced because she'd been rehearsing her monologue at the Improv Comedy Club in Los Angeles for several nights leading up to this. So these jokes were sort of battle- tested, if you like, already.

And so, yes, that became the hot ticket here in Los Angeles to see if you could see her monologue early and get a ticket in to see it. So, yes, she was one of the big winners of the evening.

SANDOVAL: Sandro Monetti, thank you so much for walking us through some of these winners. Again, as we said a little while ago, the award season is just getting started, so I have a feeling that you and I will be talking quite a bit the next few months.

MONETTI: One award show after another.

SANDOVAL: We'll check them off the list. Sandro, have a great week. Thanks again.

Still ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the road to the Super Bowl will have some action from the NFL's wild card Sunday, including the Philadelphia Eagles defending their crown against the San Francisco 49ers.

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[00:56:17]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. It's quite the headline. The defending Super Bowl champions, they are out of the NFL playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers beating the Philadelphia Eagles in a dramatic wildcard matchup on Sunday. This trick play from Jauan Jennings to Christian McCaffrey giving the Niners the lead in an action-packed fourth quarter that saw three lead changes. The Niners topping the Eagles 23 to 19.

And how about this one as another close one over the AFC. The Buffalo Bills rallying to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills star quarterback Josh Allen running in for a score with just over a minute to go in the game putting the Bills on top 27 to 24.

And the New England Patriots dominating the L.A. Chargers to advance the next round. Both sides struggling to generate much of an offense with this pass from Drake May to Hunter Henry. The only touchdown of the game that puts the Patriots on the winning side 16 to 3.

With that last run, thank you so much for joining us the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll be right back with you in just a few moments with much more CNN Newsroom after the break.

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