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Historic Blizzard About To Shut Down The Northeast With Up To Two Feet Of Snow; Armed Man Killed After Entering Perimeter Of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Home; Puerto Vallarta Under Siege After Mexican Military Kills Cartel Boss. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 22, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:28]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome, everyone. I am Omar Jimenez, in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We are following breaking news this hour and it is on major winter storm hitting parts of the Northeast. Portions of Delaware are reporting conditions are now deteriorating with heavy snow starting to fall, which will likely stretch into New Jersey in the next few hours. Some areas in the Northeast are expected to see up to two feet of snow as strong winds and falling trees could knock out power for millions.

Now, officials in multiple states have announced road travel bans and restrictions for tonight. Airlines are cancelling nearly 8,000 flights for today and tomorrow. We have a team covering the storm monitoring the developments. CNN meteorologist, Chris Warren is monitoring conditions from the CNN Weather Center.

But I want to go first to Gloria Pazmino in New York City.

Gloria, obviously I can see the snow starting to fall as it has been over at least the last hour or so. How is the city preparing here?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, you know there is not a whole lot that brings New York City to a grinding halt, but there is a possibility that this storm will do exactly that.

This is expected to be a historic snowstorm. At least 1.5 feet of snow are estimated to fall between now and into tomorrow morning. So the city is really taking aggressive precautions to try and get as many people off the street.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani just a short while ago, announcing a travel ban, which is going to start at 9:00 this evening. And so that means that city streets, the bridges, the highways will be closed to all traffic.

There will be some exemptions for essential workers, some public transportation, but the Mayor really making the point that it is important for people to stay off the roads not just for safety reasons, but of course, in the next several hours, the city will be deploying thousands of sanitation workers who will be in charge of salting the streets, cleaning the streets, and just trying to get ahead of what is expected to be a really significant snowfall.

Now, we are here in Central Park. Conditions have been kind of up and down. The wind is starting to pick up. The snow is certainly falling. We are not seeing any serious accumulation just yet. It is a mix of snow and rain right now, but we do expect that to change in the next several hours.

New Yorkers, they are often undeterred. People are out here jogging. They are walking through the park. They are taking pictures, enjoying conditions for now. But important to remember that this is all going to change significantly in the next several hours. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am so ready to be done. It is not even funny. You know, with our first snowstorm that happened a few weeks ago, my flight to Mexico got completely cancelled, so I've had enough. You know, now that they're labeling this as, like, a true blizzard. I don't even know what to expect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am just headed to the gym. I am not thinking about the cold too much.

PAZMINO: Okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love the snow, too. So beautiful to be outside today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Also very happy today, Omar, our one million New Yorkers and that is of course, New York City Public Schools students who got the news earlier today that class will be officially suspended on Monday. Public schools will be closed and there will be no remote learning like there was last time.

So, this is actually the first time since 2019 that city kids will get a traditional snow day. I think that many of them are excited about that, and I think it will be quite a scene here in Central Park tomorrow for the sledding scene, which is a very big deal here -- Omar.

[15:05:14]

JIMENEZ: Schools try to sneak in that remote learning on a snow day, so that distinction really important this time around.

Gloria Pazmino, we are going to continue to monitor and see how those conditions develop on the ground.

I want to get to Chris Warren, though who is tracking this storm overall, and as it is coming into the region, what are conditions looking like and what are we expecting to see? CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is going to get nasty, Omar during the overnight hours. A lot of this likely going to be happening while people are at home and sleeping. So, you may go to sleep with the power on, but wake up without power.

Blizzard warnings in effect from Virginia. They are on the Delmarva all the way up to Maine, parts of 11 states here in the Northeast, almost 40 million people under blizzard warnings and it is getting going right now on the snow side. The wind is yet to come, but the snow certainly starting to take over where there was rain.

Green is rain and blue and purple is snow. So, we are seeing that changeover happen with more snow falling here around D.C., Maryland and Delaware, up into Southern New Jersey and eventually here in New England, where once this snow starts, it is going to be going for hour after hour into tomorrow -- even tomorrow evening.

The amount of snow, now it really depends on how this system develops. Some areas will get more than others, but overall, the European forecast model is showing widespread eight to 12 inches in pockets of a foot to a foot-and-a-half. Another forecast model is showing even more than that, pockets of two feet with temperatures right around the freezing mark, that's heavy, wet snow that will be falling, accumulating on trees and power lines, likely leading to those power outages this low, not kicking out of here, Omar, until tomorrow evening with still that northeast to northerly winds making for some tough times there in Eastern New England.

JIMENEZ: All right, Chris Warren, a lot to monitor moving forward. Appreciate the forecast there.

We are also following breaking news from President Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago where a man has been killed after entering the secure perimeter of the property early this morning.

Secret Service says a man in his early 20s entered through a gate at Trump's Palm Beach home shortly before 2:00 A.M. Authorities say they encountered the man with a gas can and shotgun and ordered him to drop both the weapon and the can. That's when they say he raised his gun to a shooting position, and officers opened fire, ultimately killing him.

I want to bring in CNN's Julia Benbrook. She is at The White House, where the President has been spending the weekend.

So, the President wasn't there in Mar-a-Lago, but how is the administration responding to this?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Omar. Really important to emphasize that while President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, they were here at The White House during this incident. They do often travel to their Mar-a-Lago Estate there in Florida.

In fact, the President has been there almost every weekend in recent weeks and there was a press conference earlier today about this. During that, the Palm Beach County Sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, he gave an update standing with representatives from the FBI and the Secret Service, and here is what they know at this point.

They say that this man arrived around 1:30 A.M. overnight and that he had gone into the perimeter around Mar-a-Lago. That is when a Deputy and two Secret Service agents went to investigate. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF RIC BRADSHAW, PALM BEACH COUNTY: They confronted a White male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the Deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.

He is deceased at the scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, authorities have released an image of the shotgun and the gas. I believe we have that to show you now, but they have also said that this man, he was in his early 20s and that he had traveled in from North Carolina. He had recently been said to be missing by a family member.

And the FBI is the lead agency on this. We did hear from FBI Director Kash Patel earlier today. He said this on social media. He said: "The FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning's incident at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter. We will continue working closely with Secret Service, as well as our state and federal partners, and will provide updates as we are able."

[15:10:06]

They are asking people in the area, this is a very nice neighborhood surrounding that estate. They are asking people that if they have any footage, any doorbell video showing anything suspicious that could be related to this, that they contact authorities.

JIMENEZ: All right, Julia Benbrook at The White House, appreciate the reporting.

I also mentioned, we are following other breaking news this time out of Mexico.

Widespread fires being set near popular tourist destinations following the killing of the leader of an infamous drug cartel. We will have the latest on this dangerous situation straight ahead.

Also coming up --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: I'm desperate. I'm sick. My nerves can't take it anymore.

My anxiety is killing me. I can't sleep, but I can't stop coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I will bring you my report on how business owners and residents across Minneapolis are paying a price for Trump's immigration crackdown.

Plus, a heart stopping finish and a golden goal for Team USA, the men's hockey team stunning Canada in overtime shattering a decades' long drought. We will bring it all to you coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:45]

JIMENEZ: We are also following major breaking news out of Mexico near the popular tourist city of Puerto Vallarta. Authorities are reporting fires and the blocking of various roads with vehicles set on fire by alleged members affiliated with cartels, gangs and organized crime.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico just issued a shelter-in-place to all U.S. citizens in areas where security operations are now taking place. All of this as Mexican officials said, the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Drug Cartel was killed today during a military operation.

The cartel boss, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who goes by the nickname El Mencho was widely regarded as one of the country's most violent criminal figures. The U.S. Justice even put out a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

I want to bring in CNN's Valeria Leon who joins us now from Mexico City. So Valeria, what more are you learning about the unfolding situation in Mexico right now?

VALERIA LEON, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this hour, journalist are already reporting blockades in at least five Mexican states, an early sign of this shock wave that followed the reported death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho.

And she said, it could mark a major turning point in Mexico's fight against organized crime.

Let me tell you something, El Mencho is a longtime leader of Cartel Jalisco New Generation, one of the most powerful and aggressive criminal groups in the country and security officials warn this kind of response fits a familiar pattern.

Narco-blockades, burning vehicles, shut down highways and armed intimidation are often used to show strength and create fear. These blockades are random. They are meant to prove that cartel can still terrorize entire regions which are about five Mexican states. Not only the Jalisco state, but we've seen this before. The last major example was in Sinaloa after the capture of Ovidio Guzman, the son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, cartel gunmen slaughtered the troops, set vehicles on fire and forced massive security response.

Analysts say the Jalisco New Generation are reacting the same way and will not be surprised what comes next. Violence could spike in the short term, so Omar, either as the cartels tries to reset its control or as internal factions fight over who is next in line, longer term Jalisco cartel could fragment into smaller groups, making them harder to track and potentially more volatile at the local level or it could prove resilient and continue to operate through networks that no longer depend on one man -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: And Valeria Leon, really appreciate the reporting as we continue to monitor some of the images out of there. We will bring you more as that story develops.

Meanwhile, new protests erupting in Iran for a second day. State media reported that university students demonstrated against the regime on Saturday. Some of the protesters called for the son of the former Shah to take power.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to amass its forces in the region despite nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. White House envoy, Steve Witkoff says President Trump is wondering why Iran hasn't given in to the U.S. demands?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: He is curious as to why they haven't -- I don't want to use the word capitulated -- but why they haven't capitulated. Why under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, we profess that we don't want to be -- we don't want a weapon so here is what were prepared to do, and yet, it is hard to sort of get them to that place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: New talks are set to take place Thursday in Geneva, and speaking this morning, Iran's Foreign Minister says he hasn't given up on a diplomatic solution.

[15:20:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: And I believe that when we meet probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal. This is my understanding. I see it quite possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: With this now is Nicole Grajewski. She is a fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She is also the author of a book on Russia and Iran as you can see here. Now, I just want to start with where Steve Witkoff actually, you heard him in that soundbite asking that question, why hasn't Iran just capitulated to the U.S. demands at this point? Can you just give us a sense for why that might be the case? And some of the factors that might be being considered on the Iranian front here?

NICOLE GRAJEWSKI, FELLOW, NUCLEAR POLICY PROGRAM AT THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Yes, well, I mean when it comes to the kind of demands that the U.S. is making towards Iran, it has vacillated over the past few weeks. Sometimes its included ballistic missiles and proxies, but now more recently, and this has kind of been the trend for a while, is the issue of enrichment.

A lot of the enrichment facilities were destroyed in Iran, but the U.S. is pushing for zero enrichment, which Iran views as an infringement on its sovereignty and its rights when it comes to civilian nuclear energy.

JIMENEZ: You know, there are new talks between the U.S. and Iran set for Thursday. Iran has been slow, I guess, at this point to make a new offer. Do you see that as a sign of internal dissent about what to compromise on? Do you see it as Iran trying to buy time? How do you assess sort of the timeline of what we are seeing diplomatically right now?

GRAJEWSKI: I mean, it seems to be the common trend with Iran and Iranian diplomacy is to offer concessions very lightly and not actually follow through with them to keep on engaging with the United States on talks without any kind of real, tangible progress.

It doesn't seem like the Iranians are as serious as the Foreign Minister would like to claim. A lot of the times when Iranians are at the negotiations with the U.S., there is really an impasse even over the format or the location of the talks. The Iranians haven't really come up with their idea so far of what they would present to the U.S. The Trump administration gave them, I believe, two weeks and thus far its only really been kind of vague proposals, potentially, about the state of enrichment with the program.

JIMENEZ: You know, the U.S. and Israel say they are going to accept nothing short of an end to Iranian enrichment in the nuclear program, and you mentioned the Foreign Minister. Here is a little bit of what he said to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARAGHCHI: Well, first of all, enrichment is our right. We are a member of NPT and we have every right to enjoy a peaceful nuclear energy, including enrichment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: So hearing that, I mean obviously that was something on CBS, on American television. Clearly, a bottom line that sort of is being presented there, but could the enrichment program be the thing that tanks any possible deal with Iran? GRAJEWSKI: I mean what is really ironic, actually about the enrichment issue is that Iran hasn't been enriching since the 12-Day War. They put forward and actually in discussions with the United States, this idea of a regional consortium where Iran could potentially have a civilian nuclear program in conjunction with other regional states and dividing parts of the fuel process but that hasn't really come to fruition and that would take quite a while.

So, this is kind of incompatible about with the realities at the moment. Iran's nuclear program is pretty much destroyed with a few exceptions of their highly enriched uranium, which remains underground and in canisters and also potentially some sites that haven't been under supervision.

But overall, the Iranians are being a little bit more impractical than they've actually been in previous as well.

JIMENEZ: You know, and one of the things that was being debated around the previous set of United States strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities was what is actually the capacity to of any country to completely decimate Iran's nuclear program to the point where a country like the United States or Israel might feel comfortable.

Do those countries, the U.S. and Israel, actually have the capacity to destroy Iran's nuclear program completely?

GRAJEWSKI: Well, I mean, in terms of kinetic strikes, they could destroy parts of Iran's nuclear program, but the issues right now which deal with highly enriched uranium that's deeply underground and remains intact, that cant actually be destroyed by kinetic military strikes that's still in place, and so there is a limit on military issues there.

Military action also can't really locate some of these remaining components to Iran's centrifuges that haven't been under oversight and we also don't even know the state of some of the Iranian facilities, so to some extent, military strikes, as we saw in June 2025, can make an impact on a state of a country's nuclear program, but it can't completely eradicate the remnants of it and also the scientific and institutional knowledge that remains.

[15:25:14]

So, it is the kind of build-up we are seeing today is not, I guess, commensurate with actually the goals that they have in terms of nonproliferation.

JIMENEZ: Nicole Grajewski, thank you for taking the time. Really appreciate the insight.

All right still ahead, Broadway shows canceled in a travel ban about to go into effect. New York City preparing for the worst as a potentially historic bomb cyclone threatens to bury the state in blizzard conditions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) JIMENEZ: It has been a month since the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal patients. Dozens if not hundreds turned out yesterday in Minneapolis marking the anniversary with a march to honor the life of the 37-year-old ICU nurse who was killed while protesting ICE operations in the city.

[15:30:08]

Now, the Trump administration has announced it is winding down the elevated presence of federal immigration enforcement agents, the progress of which we are still continuing to monitor.

But even with that, there is another potential crisis growing and many of these immigrant led communities, and it is an economic one. I've seen this in a few cities now, the fear that lingers after these operations that doesn't just affect those who might be in the country illegally. Here is what I saw in Minneapolis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ (on camera): You look out here -- I mean, look, there are plenty of tables here, but I don't see --

DANIEL HERNANDEZ, OWNER, COLONIAL MARKET: Plenty of tables, 99 percent closed --

JIMENEZ: -- anybody here.

HERNANDEZ: -- you know.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): It's typically full at this immigrant-led market in South Minneapolis, residents say. Danny Hernandez comes here often. He owns a set of grocery stores in the area and worries about what comes after ICE agents begin to leave Minnesota.

HERNANDEZ: After the storm there is the cleanup. There is the aftermath. How many people actually are going to be able to reopen their businesses? The next biggest need in Minnesota is going to be eviction.

JIMENEZ (voiceover): We walked this market just before the Trump administration announced it was ending its surge of federal agents, but the fear from it was already deep-rooted.

(GLADYS RAMOS BENITES, SHOP OWNER, PERMANENT RESIDENT speaking in foreign language)

TRANSLATION: We only want to work.

JIMENEZ (voice over): Gladys Ramos Benites flagged us down as we walked through. She owns two newly struggling shops in the market and tells us she has legal status but that for the first time in her decades working in the U.S. she's now behind on her house payments.

(GLADYS RAMOS BENITES speaking in foreign language). TRANSLATION: Go after the scammers. Go after the thieves, but not us. We pay taxes. We support the United States. I'm desperate. I'm sick. My nerves can't take it anymore. My anxiety is killing me. I can't sleep. But I can't stop coming.

JIMENEZ (voice over): It hasn't just been business either.

CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: It's just been a dramatic increase in calls for service around ICE activity that's happening in the city.

JIMENEZ: In terms of task forces tracing weapons that are used in crimes -- I mean, you work with federal partners --

O'HARA: Yes.

JIMENEZ: -- every day.

O'HARA: Every single day.

JIMENEZ: Has this changed those relationships in any way?

O'HARA: It hasn't changed the individual relationships but many of the prosecutors have left. Some of the agents are now gone. So a lot of people's time is being diverted from the serious cases that had the most impact to immigration issues.

JIMENEZ (voice over): Some of the federal immigration enforcement efforts have arrested or detained people with violent criminal records. But many haven't, like this refugee family here legally as they move forward with their process. They now largely stay indoors. Their son was detained for days. He suspects it was because he recently got a speeding ticket. They didn't want their faces or names used in this interview.

(OMAR JIMENEZ speaking foreign language).

TRANSLATION: You still can't' sleep?

MOTHER: No.

TRANSLATION: Why?

MOTHER: I have nightmares.

TEXT: What are you thinking of?

(MOTHER speaking in foreign language).

TRANSLATION: Because all of this is really affecting my family, truly. Sorry.

JIMENEZ: No, no. It's okay. It's okay.

JIMENEZ (voice over): In the middle of the interview a neighbor was at the door asking about one of our team members' black SUV parked outside.

(PHOTOGRAPHER speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: No, no, we're only doing a report.

JIMENEZ (voice over): Our photographer reassures them we're just doing an interview.

(PHOTOGRAPHER speaking in foreign language).

TRANSLATION: Don't worry, everything is okay.

(MOTHER speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: We're all scared.

(PHOTOGRAPHER speaking in foreign language)

(MOTHER speaking in foreign language).

TRANSLATION: Relax neighbor. Nothing is going to happen.

JIMENEZ (voice over): Neighbors vigilant. Business owners navigating a new reality.

(GLADYS RAMOS BENITES Speaking foreign language).

TRANSLATION: All vacant. This wasn't like this.

JIMENEZ (voice over): This day she says she took a babysitting job later just for extra cash and that this shop may not survive.

(GLADYS RAMOS BENITES speaking in foreign language).

TRANSLATION: I'm almost 70 years old. My plan was different. But now, with one kick, they knocked it all down and this may possibly come to an end.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Now the city of Minneapolis preliminarily estimates the federal surge cost the city more than $200 million in January alone and that it would take at least that funding for community groups and businesses and more to be made whole. Now, the Trump administration has defended its surge in the city. DHS has claimed it arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants from the beginning of the operation through early February.

But this is also an operation that included two dead Americans, another person shot by an ICE agent whom ICE is now investigating for potentially lying about the incident, and now this trail of fear in its wake for some residents, that won't change overnight.

I want to talk more about this with Courtney Ries. She is a Senior Vice President of Branding and Strategy for Meet Minneapolis. Her organization is in charge of promoting the city as a place for people to visit. Courtney, thanks so much for being here.

You know, you work with restaurants, hotels, other groups in the Minneapolis area. Can you just put in perspective for us how much of an economic impact this operation has had?

[15:35:10]

COURTNEY RIES, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BRANDING AND STRATEGY, MEET MINNEAPOLIS: So you heard the report of the city that it was more than $200 million, but what that actually breaks down to is thousands of livelihoods. In the hospitality industry alone, they employ more than 30,000 people in the tourism and hospitality space. And many, many of those workers have had their hours cut because their attendees or their visitors weren't showing up, or just the local community, and many others had that hard decision to say, do I stay home?

So everyone has tried to navigate the best they can to modify their hours, to modify their menus, and to try to take that step forward. But it is incredibly challenging for our entire community for the past two months.

JIMENEZ: You know, some look at this dynamic and say, oh well, those with legal status shouldn't have anything to worry about here if in theory, the administration is going after those in the country illegally. But I've seen firsthand that it is not just those without legal status that that have to worry, but can you just give us a sense of -- I mean, how widespread is this and why are we seeing sort of the economic effects that we are beyond those in theory that that the administration says they are targeting?

RIES: When you think about cities, not just Minneapolis, but many cities across the country, they are incredibly diverse. And even if you have papers or you're going through the process as you just talked about and discussed in your package, there are so many people who are here on asylum papers or things of that nature where it seems like the ground is shifting under their feet.

When you look at these businesses, their workforce is incredibly diverse, with a variety of people coming from a variety of countries and that feeling, no matter what your background, is that you have to carry your passport or that you might be detained and it might be 24 hours before you're released, even if you are a legal resident or you have legal status, it is incredibly unsettling and it makes a lot of day-to-day life harder.

But Minneapolis has continued to move through that in many different ways. There are hundreds of events that still continue on. Community is coming together, we are supporting our neighbors and as Operation Metro Surge ebbs and wanes, we are now looking for others to come and help support our community, support those businesses because we know it will take some time for our economy and for our entire hospitality and tourism space to recover from a bit of a shock.

JIMENEZ: You know, you put out a survey in mid-January going out to over 500 of your partner restaurants, hotels, arts organizations and more. Over a hundred responded, as I understand, and of those, 90 percent of businesses said they've been impacted by the federal activity. Were you surprised to hear that?

And in what ways have you seen this affect most prominently?

RIES: So the biggest strain has actually been on that mental load of how do I have to operate or navigate or work through my business in a different way? So of that 90 percent, 80 percent had directly experienced cancellations of bookings or just that general change in their business model.

But even more were experiencing that sense of uncertainty or that sense of fear. And again, because while the operations may have been more targeted in certain areas, the concern was widespread because you never knew for two months what was going to happen or how it was going to change day-to-day.

JIMENEZ: Courtney Ries, I appreciate the perspective on a dynamic, again, I've seen play out in multiple cities at this point, and it sounds like it is something that you will be dealing with, at least for the near future, potentially beyond. But thanks for taking the time today.

RIES: Thank you for having me, and we welcome people to come see us in Minneapolis.

JIMENEZ: All right, and meanwhile, here on the East Coast, we are going to give you a live look at Seaside Heights, New Jersey where snow is already falling as a massive bomb cyclone barrels in transit, shut down, warnings growing more urgent. Could this be the worst storm in 30 years? New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill will join me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:32]

JIMENEZ: On Tuesday, President Trump will deliver the annual State of the Union address before really a dissatisfied American public. A new Washington Post/ABC News/IPSOS poll shows his approval rating stands at 39 percent, disapproval 60 percent, 47 percent say they strongly disapprove of President Trump's job performance, and the last time trumps disapproval touched 60 percent was shortly after the January 6th 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

I want to bring in senior political analyst for us here at CNN, Ron Brownstein. He is also a Bloomberg opinion columnist as well. Ron, good to see you. The President, just over a year into his second term and just reaching a new low in polling. How should we be looking at this here? How significant is this new poll?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, look, these are really low numbers. I mean, these are the kind of numbers that usually foreshadow a very, very bad midterm for the party in power. Now Republicans have fewer vulnerable seats in both the House and the Senate than in 2018 as I've written, but if the President can't recover from this low point, a lot of people are going to wake up with bad surprises in November. One other point jumps out at me from this poll, 64 percent disapprove of the way he is handling tariffs. The Supreme Court gave him what many Republicans hoped he would take, an off ramp from a tariff policy that is very unpopular with the public. Instead, he has doubled down, and almost no Republicans in Congress are showing any willingness to push back against that. It is kind of cementing their identification with a policy that roughly two-thirds of Americans disapprove of at the moment.

[15:45:10]

JIMENEZ: And, you know on those tariffs, you wrote a cnn.com piece on essentially, this growing gender gap on the on the Supreme Court just about how it could potentially have major implications for the upcoming midterms. Just tell me a little bit about what you were thinking there and how you sort of see the significance of this decision beyond this past week?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, you bet. I mean Celinda Lake, who has been a top tier Democratic pollster since the 1980s, has a deceptively simple rule formula for the party's success. Democrats win when they win women by more than Republicans win men. That's basically the dynamic. Democrats passed that test in 2018 and 2020, they flunked it in 2022 and 2024.

Polling right now gives them a very good chance of coming out on the right side of that again. Consistently in polls now, Trump's disapproval among women, including todays "Washington Post" poll is running somewhere between 63 and 65 percent.

To give you an idea of how big a hole, how big a deficit that is, in 2018, in the exit poll, 59 percent of women said they disapproved of Trump's job performance and that powered Democrats to a 19-point advantage among women. That was the biggest advantage among either gender that either party has recorded in any midterm election in the 21st Century, and his approval rating now is running several points worse than it was then.

You know, in some ways, the greatest risk for Republicans in 2026, you know, we've talked a lot about Trump's decline with groups that moved toward him in 2024, young men, non-college, non-Whites, Latinos, but the biggest risk is hiding in plain sight, which is towering discontent among women voters about both what he has and has not done in the second term.

JIMENEZ: And sorry, I think I said growing gender gap on the Supreme Court, I meant growing gender gap on the issue that the Supreme Court ruled on, though I guess if you look at the split, there was a gender gap in this particular case, but it is all good. That's a separate conversation.

Ron, we've got the State of the Union coming up here and amid these poll numbers, can you just set the stage for what is at stake for the President and can poll numbers actually change on a State of the Union Address?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, they don't change as much as they used to because we are so dug in, also because the viewership of it has changed fundamentally. I mean, now it is largely watched by the people who agree with the President. It had a broader audience. I think, look, I think the question always with Trump is, does he have any interest in speaking to voters outside of his base?

I mean, you know, he basically governs as the President of half of America focusing his agenda on red America, and in many ways, as I've said, treating blue states and cities more as adversaries to be subdued than as potential supporters to be courted. So, is there anything in this speech that goes beyond speaking to his base? Because I think what the polling is telling him very clearly is that everyone beyond that core group of supporters, voters who move toward him, ambivalently perhaps in 2024 because they thought he would be better on the economy than Biden, he is driving them away, both because they don't think he is solving the biggest problem they elected him to solve, which is inflation and their cost of living, but also because he is going beyond what they are willing to accept on a lot of other fronts, particularly the severity of the ICE enforcement tactics.

So is there any recalibration? You know, history would say no but, you know, you never run out of another chance, so we will see what he does.

JIMENEZ: All right, Ron Brownstein, really appreciate it. Thanks for being here.

And CNN will have in-depth coverage and analysis of President Trump's State of the Union Address. That is Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. right here on CNN, or you can watch on the CNN app.

Coming up, Team USA on top again, a dramatic overtime win over Canada brings home gold for men's hockey, the first since the 1980 miracle on ice. We will unpack the game that just changed the medal race, next.

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[15:53:29]

JIMENEZ: The 2026 Winter Olympic Games have come to an exciting and record breaking, and at least if you're an American -- the first gold medal for U.S. men's hockey since 1980.

Joining us from Milan with the day's highlights is none other than CNN Sports anchor, Coy Wire.

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COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: For the very last event at these Winter Olympics we've got an overtime classic in the men's hockey gold medal game. Just like the women's final, the USA versus Canada and just like that women's game, it is the USA coming out in overtime. The Americans withstood a barrage of shots from their neighbors to the north, 42 shots on goal. But Connor Hellebuyck saved 41 of them, setting a new Olympic record for a gold medal game involving NHL players.

And in overtime it was Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils star hammering home the game winning goal, laying it all on the line blood on his face, teeth missing, an American legend is born. First Olympic men's hockey gold for Team USA in 46 years. I caught up with some of the fans who were over the moon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was unreal. I mean nothing I've ever seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go America!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my goodness, gracious me. That was incredible. That's all I can say.

WIRE: Who was the star of the game for the U.S.?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got to say, the winner, Jack Hughes. It's got to be Jack Hughes. No one else. USA! Whoa!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First time since 1980! Gold medal USA, all the way! Whoa!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:55:02]

WIRE: China's Eileen Gu saved her best for last, winning her first gold medal on the last day of the games defending her free ski halfpipe Olympic title. The 22-year-old had already claimed silver in the free ski big air and slopestyle events here. She has the most decorated free skier in Olympic history, with a whopping six medals overall.

On the final day of Olympic action, Germany closed the book on sliding sports the same way they started it, utterly dominant fashion. Johannes Lochner and crew taking the gold. Lochner also took gold in the two-men. Germany won silver as well, led by Francesco Friedrich's team.

Nineteen of Germany's 26 medals at these games came from the sliding sports.

So with that, and with the closing ceremony also on Sunday in Verona, that's a wrap from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: And Coy Wire crushed it throughout. Good to see you.

All right, we are continuing to follow breaking news here in the United States, a massive bomb cyclone just starting to slam the Northeast. You can see the snow coming down, the visibility already poor, but bearing four entire states with heavy snow, damaging winds and near whiteout conditions that we are looking out for all of that right now. This one could bring everything to a halt.

We are following the track of the storm. We will bring you the details coming up.

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