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U.S. DOJ Investigating Minnesota Governor, Minneapolis Mayor; Iran Anti-Regime Protests; U.S. Lawmakers Work to Ease Tensions over Greenland; NASA Prepares for Historic Artemis II Moon Rocket Rollout. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired January 17, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
The Department of Justice has Minnesota's top leadership in its crosshairs as protesters braved subzero temperatures to confront ICE. We'll bring you the latest from Minneapolis.
Crackdowns in Iran, as protesters call for regime change. We'll look at what one man who fled the violence witnessed.
And a U.S. delegation is meeting with European leaders as several countries send troops to Greenland. We'll go live to Nuuk to get a sense of the mood on the ground.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We begin in Minnesota, where the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the state's governor and the mayor of Minneapolis over possible obstruction of law enforcement.
Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have been vocal critics of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and the conduct of federal immigration agents. They're condemning the probe, which they say is an intimidation tactic.
They're the latest in a long line of perceived opponents of president Trump, who have either been charged or threatened with charges. Deputy U.S. attorney general Todd Blanche blamed Minnesota's leaders for unrest in the state. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: When the governor or the mayor threatened our officers, when the mayor suggests that he's encouraging citizens to call 9-1-1, when they see ICE officers that is very close to a federal crime.
You cannot do that if you impede the work we're doing. You better -- you better be worried, because we're coming after you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: President Trump says he doesn't see a reason to invoke the Insurrection Act, quote, "right now" but he says he would use the law if he felt it were necessary to send troops to quell the protests. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has more now on the investigation from Minneapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Word of this investigation is certainly going to raise a lot of concerns here in Minneapolis. It's already a very tense time. People are afraid to leave their homes. People are worried about their neighbors. They just want what's happening here to stop.
And now this investigation is only going to raise more concerns. It's not entirely clear what the Department of Justice is investigating. The governor has certainly been very critical of federal authorities here, as has the mayor and so what exactly, what kind of obstruction they could be looking at is not entirely clear.
Remember, Minneapolis is, by law, not allowed to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration issues or arrests. You know, there has been a lot of concern here from the federal authorities that they're not getting enough backup or support when there are tense moments between ICE officers and people who live here in Minneapolis.
That has certainly been a concern that was raised by the president and other ICE officials and federal authorities.
But you know, the thing with this now is, for the people who live here, they're just trying to get to a point where things calm down and they can try, try to live their lives, which they are really finding it very hard to do right now -- Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, a U.S. district judge has ordered federal agents not to take certain actions during their operations in Minnesota. They're not allowed to arrest, retaliate or use pepper spray or other non-lethal munitions on peaceful protesters or stop people in their cars without cause.
Among other things, the order applies only in the state and stays in effect until the federal operation ends or when conditions change, making it no longer necessary. Anti-ICE protesters kept up their demonstrations outside a federal building in Minneapolis on Friday, despite below freezing weather moving in for the weekend.
Earlier, I spoke with Cleo Krejci, state government reporter at the Minnesota post and she's been out on the streets of Minneapolis covering the protests and described what many in the community are feeling right now. Here she is.
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CLEO KREJCI, STATE GOVERNMENT REPORTER, MINNPOST: People in Minneapolis right now are feeling a lot of emotions. From what I've seen, they're definitely scared. They are angry. And I think they're very unified as well.
[05:05:00]
We see people working together in response to federal agents, whether that's to show up at the site of a federal immigration action as it's happening or to organize a food pantry for people who might be sheltering at home from ICE. So yes, there's a lot going on and people are just waiting to see what happens next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Well, the conditions for people on the streets in Minnesota won't get much better over the weekend. A surge of frigid arctic air is settling over the U.S. hitting the country with temperatures well below average for this time of year.
High temps across the Great Plains and Midwest will be 20 to 30 degrees below average today and wind chill is making it feel even colder. Parts of the Midwest can feel like temperatures dipping into the negatives, with wind gusts of up to 60 miles an hour.
And it's not letting up anytime soon. Another cold blast is right on its tail, bringing another temperature plunge early in the week.
U.S. president Donald Trump says it was he and he alone who decided to put the brakes on a military action in Iran.
A source told CNN that White House officials believed he was leaning toward a military option earlier this week but he later backed away, partly because Iran said it had called off planned executions of protesters. On Friday, he was asked if there was another reason why he changed his mind. Here he is.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did Arab and Israeli officials convince you to not strike Iran?
TRUMP: Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: A U.S. activist group says almost 2,900 protesters have been killed in a government crackdown. More than 22,000 have been arrested. For more, Ben Wedeman joins us from northeastern Iraq, 18 miles or 30 kilometers from the Iranian border.
So Ben, there are opposition calls for protests tonight through Sunday. So what are you hearing on the protests?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we understand, Kim, is that, given the brutality of the government crackdown, that people are largely hesitant to go back into the streets at the moment, even though there are reports and we've seen video of scattered demonstrations around the country.
And on the other hand, keep in mind that it's not altogether clear just quite how popular Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah of Iran, who was deposed in 1979, it's not quite clear how popular he is, certainly in the West.
And, for instance, the Israelis have put a lot of effort into boosting him as a possible successor, in a transitional sense, to the Islamic regime. But it's not at all clear how much of a following he really has inside the country.
Now we had the opportunity to speak with one individual who, just three days ago, was able to get out of Iran. He didn't go through the borders, which remain open. However, he was smuggled over some of the mountains, not unlike the ones behind me, high, snowy, bitterly cold.
He left because he is wanted by the regime, possibly to be sentenced for seven years for contacts with, according to the government there, a hostile state. This is what he told us.
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WEDEMAN (voice-over): The snow-covered mountains separating Northeastern Iraq from Iran are cold and forbidding but just days ago, it was over these peaks that one desperate Iranian activist fled. We met 34-year-old Farzad.
Hello, Farzad, how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, Mr. Ben.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Not his real name.
In the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, requesting we disguise his identity for fear of retaliation. He told us what he saw in Karaj, a city northwest of Tehran.
In one small street, he recalls, the security forces killed at least six protesters, as well as a young woman who was shot and killed as she chanted from her balcony.
According to an eyewitness account reported by Amnesty International, one hospital in Karaj received more than 80 bodies. The protestor says Farzad are fighting back. People set fire to masks to protest the symbols of the Islamic Republic he says. They broke down the walls of the Governor's office and set it on fire.
A member of the Kurdish minority, Farzad says he was imprisoned four times in the last nine years for participating in protests. This time, he says, it's different. Society will not commit suicide by
accepting the poverty and disastrous life the regime has imposed on it, he tells me.
[05:10:06]
The people are way beyond that. He, too, heard of U.S. president Trump's vow that help is on the way for the protesters in Iran but is skeptical.
At the last moment, Trump raised the hopes of the people, says Farzad, but behind the scenes, he could be making a deal with the regime, claiming the Islamic Republic told me executions have been suspended and all is good but all is not good.
While the internet blackout continues, some video is leaking out showing demonstrators still in the streets. Bullets from the regime, Farzad told us, cannot stop that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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BRUNHUBER: A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is currently in Denmark, meeting with leaders and working to ease tensions over president Donald Trump's desire to annex Greenland. Those lawmakers are holding a news conference right now. Let's go listen in.
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SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): -- bicameral congressional delegation. We appreciate the opportunity to give you a quick update on our trip so far.
I'm honored to be joined by a group of senators that includes Senators Durbin, Shaheen, Murkowski and Tillis and members of the House.
That includes Congressman Meeks, Congressman Hoyer -- excuse me -- Senator Welch; I neglected Senator Welch -- Congressman Meeks, Congressman Hoyer, Congresswoman Jacobs, Congresswoman Dean and Congresswoman McBride.
We represent a very wide range of states and backgrounds. We serve on most of the major committees of Congress. And I am so grateful for their attention and engagement.
Over the last few days, we've had the opportunity to meet with and hear from a very wide range of Danish and Greenlandic representatives.
We had a terrific and constructive meeting with the prime minister and the Greenlandic prime minister, with the defense minister and foreign minister, the deputy prime minister. With Danish industry, a purposeful lunch; that was a good opportunity to hear from Danish industry.
At the think tank, DIIS, I think the Danish Institute for International Studies, and a really robust conversation with parliament. At every one of these meetings or conversations, there were representatives from throughout the kingdom of Denmark.
The conversations we've had have reinforced a few simple points. One is that, for 225 years, the United States has been blessed to have a good and loyal and trusted ally and partner in the Kingdom of Denmark.
Later today, we will go to Kastellet and lay a wreath to express our deep gratitude for the Danes who served alongside Americans in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, and who lost their lives in defense of our common commitment to peace and to freedom.
As an original NATO ally, Denmark has been a tremendous partner for us in security. And that relationship is rooted in deeply shared values, values of democracy, of self-determination and of respect for territorial integrity.
The conversation with Danish industry reinforced that Danish businesses invest heavily in the United States, the 16th largest source of foreign direct investment. There's roughly 200,000 Americans who enjoy great jobs because of Danish exports and investment in the United States.
In listening to conversations we've had with the -- both think tank and that Senator Shaheen had with students at a university here, we got a broader range of views of the people of Denmark.
And in our purposeful and concrete conversations with parliamentary leaders, members of the cabinet and the prime minister, both Danish and Greenlandic, we had a chance to discuss the current moment and how we move forward in a constructive way.
A few simple observations: there are no pressing security threats to Greenland. But we share real concern about Arctic security going forward.
As the climate changes, as the sea ice retreats, as shipping routes change, there are legitimate reasons for us to explore ways to invest better in Arctic security broadly, both in the American Arctic and in our NATO partners and allies.
Second is that we seek to find a way forward through this moment that reinforces the 225-year old partnership and alliance between the people of the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States.
And we return to Washington after this trip with a renewed passion for finding ways that we can engage, that are respectful and constructive.
It was made very clear to us, as it has been repeatedly over the years, that if the United States seeks to invest in partnership respectfully with the people of Greenland and accessing possibly newly available critical minerals or rare earths, that that would be welcome.
And that in partnership with the kingdom of Denmark, if we wish to increase our investments in Arctic security, that would be welcome. [05:15:02]
But the challenge here is for that to be done in a way that is deeply respectful of Danish sovereignty and of our NATO alliance.
So with that, I think we're happy to take questions. And we appreciate everyone who's been a part of this.
I'm going to call on Trina (ph) first, if I might, just to make sure that Greenlandic press gets a question asked and answered.
QUESTION: Thank you --
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: So please encourage members of this delegation if you've got an answer that you think we have to give that I've missed, please jump in.
QUESTION: Thank you so much, Senator Coons.
I would like to ask what can Greenland and the Greenlanders do to help this process moving forward?
What can you say to them that they can, you know, they can help with?
COONS: First, I just hope that you will reinforce that this is a respectful and constructive delegation, that came more to listen than to talk. And speaking for myself and I suspect it's true across all of us except Senator Murkowski, I learned a great deal about Greenland that I did not previously know.
More than anything, that it is a remote and difficult place to live. And that the population of Greenland has managed to carve out of an exceptionally difficult environment, a culture and a -- and an approach to living that is worthy of deep respect.
And that our assets there are relatively limited and that our partnership with the Greenlandic peoples is critical to our having a better informed understanding of what the real circumstances are in Greenland and what the possibilities are for respectful partnership.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): If I may just add to that, there have been, I think, significant efforts between not only the native people in Alaska but many Alaska business interests that have formed partnerships and relationships with the people of Greenland, focused on areas of common interest.
We understand what it means when small communities are visited by a large cruise ship, where the population of the tourists on the cruise ship is three times more than the population of your community and how you still maintain the identity of a community when you have those visitors come in.
So we have -- we've been sharing some best practices. Our fishermen have been talking to Greenlandic fishermen about how we deal with changes in ocean and the environment. We've been talking about different governance structures.
I would encourage the Greenlandic people, keep those avenues of dialogue and partnership open. Oftentimes, when our capitals are in conflict, when the words are perhaps hard to translate at that level, it is at the subregional level that we are able to have that level of civility, of optimism and forward movement that is positive.
So I would offer that to the people of Greenland.
The second thing that I would suggest is, just as Senator Coons has shared, there is so much that this delegation has learned about not only Greenland, the island, the territory but about the Greenlandic people.
And yesterday, when we met with the parliamentarians, one of the things that was so moving was when a young parliamentarian shared the concept of ownership as an indigenous person of Greenland understands it.
It is not the same concept that most people in Western society may relate to. So understanding the culture, the people -- and only the Greenlandic people can do that. Only they can really share their stories, their lifestyle and what it means to be part of a very harsh environment in challenging conditions.
But that's who you are. And so to suggest that you might want to go move to an easier place doesn't make sense. So share those stories with not only the United States but share them with the world because the eyes of the world are on Greenland and Greenlanders. Let's not forget the people.
COONS: Thank you, Lisa.
My first trip to the Arctic was with Senator Murkowski. And you can see why -- and there was a very earnest request from the Greenlandic parliamentarians for dialogue and for continued dialogue.
[05:20:00]
Which I very much hope Senator Murkowski and others among us will continue to facilitate.
Elizabeth, did you have a question?
QUESTION: Yes, (INAUDIBLE) from "The New York Times."
As you know, Donald Trump has said that he wants to own or take over Greenland because, quote, "that's what I feel is psychologically needed for success."
I mean, right now, you're part of a delegation that is engaging in traditional diplomacy, reassuring an ally. You are, you know, doing what is traditionally been done for years and years in a crisis like this.
But given that Donald Trump seems to have a psychological need for Greenland, which he says, how can you -- how can you counter, counter that with traditional methods, especially when, so far publicly, there have been minimal Republicans opposing this?
COONS: Well, Elizabeth, thank you for the question. I can't speak to president Trump's psychological needs. That's really not my goal here.
Your question, though, is repeating something he has said. I'll say this, one of the things that's been made clear to us is that the people of Denmark are very anxious, are quite concerned.
And the people of Greenland even more so and that this current tone and tempo of statements about acquisition is not constructive.
I think I speak for every senator and House member here and that we deeply value NATO and that this 80-year-old alliance, this partnership, has been absolutely critical to the United States security and prosperity and success.
I was at the NATO summit, as was Senator Shaheen, Senator Tillis and others. This was a remarkably successful NATO summit last year at The Hague. NATO has dramatically stepped forward. Greenland -- excuse me -- Denmark, the Kingdom of Denmark, is now spending 3.2 percent of its GDP on security.
NATO in some ways should be celebrated and embraced as being stronger than ever. Greenland is a part of Denmark. Denmark is our NATO ally.
That should be the end of this discussion in my view because, I think to do or say anything that puts at risk our trustworthiness as an ally, is fundamentally, strategically dangerous for the United States.
So in recent conversations, with ambassadors from other countries, from the Indo-Pacific, from throughout the world, if we do or say things as a nation -- and I'm speaking as a senator -- if I do or say something that causes a close and trusted NATO ally there is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark.
If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?
In terms of my psychological needs, knowing that the United States is a respected and trusted ally and partner around the world, is a core part of what, speaking for myself, I'm trying to accomplish.
And, you know, I'll let others in the delegation disagree if you do.
But I think a lot of our security as a nation has rested on our being trustworthy. We're the Article I branch. We're going to have -- we are having active conversations amongst ourselves about what is the wisest course of action.
If nothing else, I think de-escalating the level, tone and frequency of rhetoric around this and injecting some reality about what are the actual circumstances of the security threats -- there are no current -- (VIDEO GAP)
COONS: -- Arctic security, together with NATO.
And how can we best navigate access to newly emergent resources around the world together?
Those are conversations that we intend to continue when we get back to Washington. So --
MURKOWSKI: But I will speak as the sole Republican that's standing here at this moment, because you have suggested that this is a partisan issue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF MIKE COMMENTS).
MURKOWSKI: Support, support for our friends and allies, whether they be the Kingdom of Denmark or others, should not be a partisan issue.
And I think it's going to be important for us as members, not as Democrats or as Republicans but for us as members of Congress who have been here at this moment in time to return to Washington to speak to all of our colleagues and those in the administration about what we have heard, what we have shared.
So that there is, again, greater understanding.
[05:25:00]
We cannot -- we cannot allow this to become a partisan matter. We just simply cannot. And I think the way that we keep it from being partisan is by full education, dismissing some of the assumptions that some may have, and then acting together.
So you're not seeing a lot of Republicans here today.
And I'm not going to give you the details of other members' schedules. But Senator, quite honestly, you put this trip together pretty quickly.
COONS: Quickly.
(LAUGHTER)
MURKOWSKI: This is a period where the House members all have to go back to work this next week. And so we doubled the size of the codel literally overnight.
And I don't think that the absence of Republicans is because they don't care about this issue or they have already decided what side of the fence that they may be. So I would not -- I would not take that as an indicator of support or lack of support. But we do have our work to do when it comes to education.
COONS: Thank you.
Steny, you wanted to make a brief comment.
REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD.): I want to remind everybody, Senator McConnell, who is not here, put out a very strong statement.
Speaker Johnson and leader Thune have both implied that this is not an issue they believe is going forward in terms of the president's observation. I think that's important. They're not here but they are the leaders, the former leader of the Republican Party. And the two present leaders have made that clear.
COONS: And Congressman Hoyer is the co-chair of the Danish caucus in the House and his co-chair very seriously explored coming with us, as did several others. As Senator Murkowski put it, this was put together on very short order.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) how much support do you have among Republicans in the House and Senate?
COONS: This is not a nose-counting exercise.
QUESTION: OK.
COONS: This is a trip to come back with ground truth, based on a respectful and constructive visit with Danish leaders.
Please, if we could, Andrew.
QUESTION: Senator, first of all, thank you for being here. Thank you for doing the press conference.
Senator Murkowski was just talking a lot about sharing the experiences of Greenlanders and issues she's worked on a lot in the past. And you all have learned a lot more about on this -- on this trip here.
As you know, president Trump has talked to top Democrats over the last week. For example, he reached out to Senator Warren. He reached out to Senator Schumer, who met with him at the White House.
Seems like president Trump is more interested or in the mood, at least, to talk with Democrats these days.
Do you see an opening potentially, when you go back to Washington, to maybe reach out to the White House, maybe reach out to the president and share these experiences with him, given everything you learned and just the importance of what you're talking about and maintaining the structure of the (INAUDIBLE)?
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to talk. We haven't spoken since the inauguration.
Secretary Rubio is someone who I served with for 15 years, as did a number of my colleagues. And I think we might also reach out to Secretary Rubio since those of us who were on the Foreign Relations Committee, that's more directly our point of contact. But frankly, constructive and conversation with the Trump
administration, in my view, is welcome because there's a lot of facts on the ground here that are worth exploring and better understanding.
Please.
QUESTION: Thank you.
COONS: And if you tell me your name and your outlet, please.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) from the national Danish outlet, TV2.
COONS: Thank you, TV2.
QUESTION: I'm going to stay on the subject a little bit with my -- what my American colleagues also said. One thing is that you have a renewed passion and that you're going to go back with new knowledge and you're going to share it.
But is there going to be a bipartisan resolution in Congress?
What is going to be concrete out of this trip?
Because I think a lot of people in the Kingdom of Denmark all over is very interested -- are very interested in knowing what is going to be the output of this trip.
And in the same matter, can -- Senator Murkowski, can you confirm that Danish officials told lawmakers this week they worried an overly partisan vote could undercut, could jeopardize their position?
COONS: I worry that going to a specific legislative vehicle right now, today, is premature. And that, frankly, to the point just made by Andrew, having conversations between our two branches, between those who are here and at many other briefings.
[05:30:00]
The Danish foreign minister was in -- we met with him in the Capitol 48 hours ago, I think. There's been a great deal of very positive diplomacy between Danish representatives and Americans.
And over the last couple of days, figuring out exactly what the right vehicle is, I think we should focus more on what is successful at de- escalating rhetoric and restoring a sense of trust between allies, rather than saying, I've got a resolution. Oh, I've got a bill.
No, I'm interested in moving this piece of legislation. What matters here in this moment is the outcome. And I don't think there's any disagreement about a desired outcome of a restored sense of trust and mutual respect between allies. But I'll let Senator Murkowski speak to your question --
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: -- of course. QUESTION: It doesn't seem like that's the -- that's the same opinion
or the same outcome that the president and his press secretary, for example, have from the meetings that has been between --
COONS: In my view, the most positive path forward would be a month from now, if I were to come back with a delegation, there'd be almost no one here because it had stopped being a matter of alarm and understandable concern. So whatever accomplishes that objective, in my view, is the path we ought to take -- Senator.
MURKOWSKI: We recognize that there have been multiple, multiple approaches to what resolutions could be adopted, what legislation could be worked on.
Senator Shaheen has drafted a bill that I'm a cosponsor on that, that reinforces, again, the role of NATO and the fact that Congress has a role here.
I have teamed up with Senator Gallego with regards to a joint resolution, a sense of the Senate in terms of the shared partnership.
We did a resolution -- Peter, that was you and I -- earlier last year, just reinforcing, again, the U.S.-Danish relationship. I think those are constructive good signals of, hey, we like you. We respect the relationship and we want to build on that. We want to underscore that.
Now, taking something to a vote is different than introducing something, right?
Taking something to a vote is different than perhaps a hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee, where we get more information out on the table more publicly, those types of things.
Again, advance a positive, constructive dialogue, I think are good. One of the concerns and one of the fears, if you will -- and it goes back to the comment that I made earlier about not wanting to make an issue partisan.
Sometimes when you actually look at the vote count, it's like, whoa, whoa; the Republicans have come completely gone this way and the Democrats have gone this way. And so therefore it must be a partisan divide.
I don't think, again, we want to -- we want to encourage any message that makes it appear that support for the Kingdom of Denmark, as our trusted and friend and ally for decades and decades, should be a partisan issue.
REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY): Can I say one thing?
I just want to also say, on the House side, you know, I've talked to several Republicans. They knew that I was coming here. And they wanted, they tried to address on the House side, they adjust their schedule so that they could come.
There is a desire to make sure that, whatever we do on various bills that are being looked at, that it's done in a bipartisan way. So the dialogue and conversation that we're having, because of the importance of the relationship with our NATO allies and Denmark and Greenland, that's, you know, not seen publicly all the time.
But the conversation is happening. It is a very real conversation because of the significance and the importance, I think, on both the House and the Senate side. And we're working collectively in that way.
QUESTION: But just to elaborate on that, the president is also known to be a hard negotiator when he wants his way in different bills and different vote counts and so on.
COONS: We'll let that play out in the weeks ahead.
(LAUGHTER)
QUESTION: But my question is, even though that you have these conversations, which is nice to hear, is there -- could be a concern also that that the president might have a better suggestion?
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: It's hard to predict exactly what our president will do and sometimes he does have better suggestions. I have a number of hands. I'm going to keep moving.
Anders, if I could.
QUESTION: Hello, my name is Anders. I am from (INAUDIBLE), a daily newspaper.
From your perspective, is there anything Denmark and Greenland can do to reduce the tensions currently having?
COONS: First, thank you. It's very helpful for Americans to understand the actual facts and the actual circumstances.
[05:35:02]
Very few Americans have been to the north slope of Alaska and really understand what that environment is like. And bluntly, most Americans don't understand the dynamics within the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Denmark, what makes up the Kingdom of Denmark.
And just understanding that, part of our role is to go back, you know, we are laying a wreath after this -- part of our job is to go back and to make sure that more Americans understand just how valuable this partnership is.
But if I could quote Soren Kierkegaard -- and forgive me -- "Faith sees best in the dark."
This is a moment where our very positive relationships have dimmed a bit. And I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people and our fundamental goodness in our respect for Denmark and for NATO and for all we've done together.
The Americans who were deployed and served in Iraq and Afghanistan know better than anyone that Danes served alongside them in some of the hardest missions and in some of the most difficult places and did it honorably and well.
And so you've already done the hard work. We simply need to remind our nation of that so that our ongoing conversations, domestically within the United States and members of Congress and between the branches of our government, are better informed by the facts. Thank you.
Please.
QUESTION: Yesterday, president Trump suggested that tariffs would be the solution to the United States taking possession of Greenland.
Is that realistic?
And if he were to take steps in that direction, do you think the Congress would find a way to stand in the way of using tariffs as a cudgel in these negotiations?
COONS: One of the lovely things, as you well know, is that our government has three branches. And I suspect the Supreme Court will be speaking to that point soon.
Look, I think that the Constitution gives to Congress more of the power that is currently being exercised in tariffs and in a way that is perhaps novel in modern history.
And I think since this is an issue directly before the court, we'll see what the Supreme Court has to say as to whether the use of tariffs as a tool against close and trusted allies, to try and achieve a strategic objective, is really the wisest and most available.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We're listening there to a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers who are in Denmark, visiting leaders and officials there. We're seeing Senator Chris Coons, addressing basically the big issue driving the visit, which is president Trump's desire to control Greenland.
He said there are no pressing security threats to Greenland and said talk of acquisition isn't helpful. And he emphasized the opportunity for partnership and the importance of NATO, saying basically anything threatening NATO alliances is a danger to the United States.
We also heard from Republican Lisa Murkowski as the lone Republican there, saying this isn't a partisan issue.
I want to go to our correspondent, Nic Robertson, who is in Greenland, who's been listening in to all of this.
Nic, there was an interesting question about the use of traditional diplomacy in the face of Donald Trump's ambitions for Greenland.
I mean, from what you heard, what stood out to you? NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. I think this notion
of what they're trying to do, not bring a vote on this, not, as Murkowski said, to make this a partisan issue, but as Senator Coons said, to -- they'd come to Greenland to -- not to talk but to listen and to bring back understanding.
But the aim of that understanding -- and they said that they had learned things about the culture of Greenland, something Senator Murkowski did understand because of the Inuit population in Alaska and, of course, the Inuit in Alaska, a part of the Inuit who are here in Greenland and as an Inuit community.
Absolutely, they have cross-border interests meetings. There's a transpolar council that involves Inuit. So Murkowski had perhaps a better grasp of some of the cultural issues.
But I think the sense here was that, they come to Denmark, they talk with Greenlandic lawmakers, as they did yesterday, that they take back a reality that Senator Coons said was lost in the rhetoric.
And presumably here he means president Trump's rhetoric because that's what he was contradicting by saying that there wasn't a security threat around Greenland right now.
So the idea seems to be to, as they said, listen and then take that information back and then open that up as a as a discussion, as a debate in Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as I think Senator Murkowski said. You get those issues out, that greater understanding, in those types of formats.
[05:40:06]
But I think there was one other thing that really struck me there and this comes after a conversation that I had yesterday with Soren Andersen. He's the Danish military commander of Denmark's Joint Arctic Command, which is the command, the military command over this whole area and his troops and his air force.
It is -- it is navy and he's the one that will be shepherding and shaping the NATO training mission that we're seeing troops coming in here for.
And the point that Senator Coons had made was, that, today they'll be visiting the cemetery to respect the fallen dead of Denmark in the United States, if you will, led wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq and Afghanistan. Denmark lost 48 troops per capita. That's about as many as the United States.
And that kind of symbolizes a bond that has existed over those 225 years of strong alliance between United States and Denmark. So the visit to that cemetery today, to lay a wreath, really, for them, will encapsulate how much the United States has valued that partnership, valued the lives laid down by Denmark, by Danish troops.
And I got a real sense of that, speaking to the Joint Arctic Commander here yesterday, because this was clearly this commitment from Denmark, a sense that is not being reflected back from the United States, was something that he deeply felt.
And he'd served in Iraq and he'd commanded U.S. forces in Iraq. Here's part of my conversation with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: As a NATO commander, are you personally surprised that a NATO partner could be threatening another NATO partner?
MAJ. GEN. SOREN ANDERSEN, COMMANDER, DANISH JOINT ARCTIC COMMAND: I will not go into politics but I work perfectly together with the U.S. military. We have done that for decades in Bosnia, in Afghanistan,
in Iraq and we do it also today.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even so, this professional soldier, clearly troubled by the turn geopolitics is taking.
ROBERTSON: As a Dane who suffered a lot of losses in Afghanistan, 52 soldiers killed, that's as many per capita as the United States, is it
disappointing to you that we're in this position?
ANDERSEN: Frankly, it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: But that's not, he told me, going to stop his work on this mission, which he believes is very important training, he said, is absolutely important to project what these senators, what the congressional delegation wants to project back in Washington.
That president Trump's concerns can be addressed by another way, through the conversations of understanding but through NATO's military presence, a long-term military presence, a tripwire presence around Greenland going forward.
BRUNHUBER: All right, really appreciate that. Nic Robertson in Nuuk, thank you so much.
I want to go now to Kuno Fencker, who's a member of the Greenlandic parliament. And he also joins us from the capital city of Nuuk.
Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So we just heard from a bipartisan group of American lawmakers in Copenhagen. We heard more words of support from them, as well as earlier emphasizing this idea of partnership.
I mean, does any of this actually reassure you or change the situation on the ground?
KUNO FENCKER, MEMBER, GREENLANDIC PARLIAMENT: No. It's no in a short answer. But it's very, very good that the representatives are coming to Copenhagen and do the soft diplomacy and also explains it's not all the American people that thinks the way the administration does in the White House. So it's very important to say that a lot of good American people are
not supporting this. A lot of -- we shouldn't stigmatize American people in regards to this situation that we have.
But the most important part from my end is that we Greenlandic politicians need also to go to the United States and talk to the, let's say, peers that we don't agree with.
Because otherwise we can't explain what the situation is, what kind of diplomacy we can make, what kind of commitments we can make in regards to the security concerns and other interests that the United States have. So I think the diplomacy has to start now in a more constructive way.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. That idea of education and dialogue was certainly something that we were hearing consistently from Senators Coons and Murkowski there.
Senator Coons pleaded that people in Greenland and Denmark shouldn't abandon faith in the U.S. So I'll ask you directly.
I mean, is there any loss of faith right now?
FENCKER: I think at the moment, yes. But we should also think way ahead, like 10 years ahead.
[05:45:03]
And also that's why we have to be proactive in regards to the security concerns, because the ice is melting, the shipping routes are opening. A lot of vessels and shipping vessels will start to traverse the icy waters here in Greenland.
So we have to be proactive and we have to maybe amend the agreements which Denmark made in 1951, without the consent of Greenland. But we amended it and limited the United States a little bit in 2004.
And I think that's also why sovereignty is so important for our party, because, if we don't have sovereignty of our country, if we don't have a direct say in -- into our country, someone else will always take decisions for us.
BRUNHUBER: You've mentioned security concerns a couple of times now. We heard Senator Coons saying there is no pressing security threat to Greenland. I mean, you've been critical of Denmark for years for not taking Arctic security seriously.
So when president Trump makes that same argument, I mean, is he onto something, even if you don't necessarily like his methods here?
FENCKER: Yes. I have a master's in law. So I made a synopsis in regards to the law of the sea convention so that we should protect our waters here in Greenland. So it's technical stuff.
So but we need to be proactive because these waters are opening. And yes, it's an exaggeration to say that there are thousands of vessels and submarines here.
But what's in the middle?
So our fishermen, our people in the sea take pictures of Russian submarines and so forth. So it's not because it's zero. So we have to be aware of the situation and the geopolitical situation and act realistically but not exaggerating things.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Just curious. I mean, your party, you know, has long pushed for independence from Denmark.
Do you think all of this, you know, attention from president Trump, everything that's going on now, has moved that conversation forward or has it set it back, do you think?
FENCKER: It hasn't set it back for me personally. I think also when I went to the U.S. one year ago, I went back to my former party and told them, now we have to do something. We have to take the sovereignty because the negotiations will start with Denmark.
And people misunderstand that we want to have a compact of free association with the U.S. initially. But our law says we have to negotiate with Denmark. Hence it means Greenland takes sovereignty back from Denmark and actually decolonize us.
And then we can make a good agreement with Denmark and see how we can cooperate in a international law matter. And also the decolonization process will be done in a proper way instead of the situation we have right now, where we have good divisions between Denmark and Greenland.
And we have to finally put our minds together and our people together so that we cooperate with each other, because that's the only way we can be stronger together.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll leave it there. Really appreciate getting your insights on all of this. Kuno Fencker, thank you so much.
FENCKER: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll be right back here on CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.
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[05:50:00]
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories.
President Trump says it was no one's decision but his to put off a military action in Iran. He spoke as the death toll from a government crackdown on protesters reached almost 2,900 people. A U.S. activist group says over 22,000 others have been arrested during anti-regime protests.
A group of U.S. lawmakers is in Denmark, working to soothe tensions over the president's desire to annex Greenland. The bipartisan delegation said they came to listen more than to talk.
President Trump's push to seize the island has caused concern and outrage among European nations.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Minnesota's governor and the Minneapolis mayor over possible obstruction of law enforcement. Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey are condemning the probe, which they say is an intimidation tactic.
Both men have been vocal critics of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and the conduct of federal immigration agents in the state.
BRUNHUBER: A new CNN poll suggests a majority of Americans believe president Trump is focused on the wrong priorities; 58 percent of voters say the first year of his second term is a failure.
The president is underwater across nearly every major policy issue and that includes the economy, which voters picked as their main concern; 55 percent of those polled say that president Trump's policies have hurt the U.S. economy. Just 32 percent say they've made an improvement.
Newly released video gives us a glimpse into the daring escape of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as she made her way to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She'd been in hiding for months from the Maduro regime. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYAN STERN, FOUNDER, GREY BULL: Maria, hi.
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Hi.
STERN: Do you have a suitcase or a bag or what do you have?
MACHADO: I have a bag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And Machado is seen confirming her identity to the rescue leader, whose organization specializes in getting civilians out of trouble spots worldwide. The mission made its way through dangerous and choppy waves, with Machado saying how wet and cold she felt.
The boat reached an island off the Venezuelan coast, where a plane was waiting.
The Federal Aviation Administration is warning U.S. airlines and pilots about potential safety risks over a broad stretch of airspace around Central and South America. New flight advisories cite military activity off the Pacific coast and warn of possible interference with onboard satellite navigation systems.
The FAA spokesperson told CNN the advisories were not issued at the request of the military and will remain in place until at least March 17th.
It's been decades since NASA's last mission to the moon but, on Friday, the space agency said all systems are go for the Artemis II mission next month.
[05:55:00]
It's a vital mission to get NASA closer to its goal of a lunar surface mission by 2028.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACOB BLEACHER, CHIEF EXPLORATION SCIENTIST, NASA: This is a very historic moment, an exciting moment. We're rolling out the integrated SLS and Orion for a flight that will carry four of our friends, our NASA family members, around the moon and bring them safely back to Earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: NASA will begin moving the Orion spacecraft to the launch pad on Saturday morning. The test flight will send four astronauts into space, propel them around the moon and bring them back again. And the mission is expected to last 10 days.
And you can join Elex Michaelson on Monday night for the West Coast or Tuesday morning if you're on the East Coast. And Bill Nye, the Science Guy, will be on. The story is to talk about the Artemis II moon mission, as well as other space and SA stories.
Well, scientists believe Leonardo da Vinci's DNA may be hiding in his artwork. Da Vinci's DNA is hard to locate because he had no children and there is uncertainty about his burial site and remains. So researchers have been sampling his paintings, drawings and letters.
And they say they've uncovered a matching sequence of a male's Y chromosomes on da Vinci's "Holy Child" drawing and on a letter. Now they don't know if it's the artist and inventor's DNA but the scientists say if the same sequence is consistently found across his items, it could be the key to assembling the genome of a genius.
All right, that wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. And remember, for our viewers here in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. And for the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES."
