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Trump Threatens EU Tariffs Over Canada Partnership Proposal; EU Proposes Canada Become its First "Associate Member"; Sources: Russian Satellites Helped Iran Target U.S. Troops; Macklemore Vows to Donate $1M to Palestinian Causes; Ed Sheeran Faces Backlash Over Macklemore Removal. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired September 17, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN HOST, CNN NEWSROOM: All right, welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the leaders of Jordan and Lebanon for talks today in Paris. In fact, just a short time ago, Macron welcomed King Abdullah of Jordan, the King, along with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will be holding talks with the Paris President, the French President, I should say, ahead of an international summit.

It's expected to focus on mobilizing support for the Lebanese armed forces. And as tensions with Washington escalate, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking to strengthen ties with Europe. He said to address European lawmakers today after the EU invited Canada to become its first ever associate member. President Trump is not welcoming the move. In fact, he had this sharp warning for Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Canada has been a terrible trade partner. And no, I don't see that. And if they do that, if I think it's an all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things. So, if they do that, if Europe does that with a bad intention, if it's a good intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: It's still not clear what being an associate member would actually entail. The EU Ambassador to Canada told the Canadian press that the partnership would be unlike anything that currently exists, but didn't give any specifics. Here's how the European Commission President explained it in her State of the Union address just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We will integrate defense industrial bases. We will make the Arctic a flagship joint project. We will work on energy critical minerals and batteries on AI, quantum, cyber, and economic security. This is not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: All right. So, let's talk about this announcement. Joining me is Mujtaba Rahman. He's joining me live from London. He's the Managing Director for Europe Practice with the Eurasia Group. Mujtaba it's great to see you. Thank you for joining us.

MUJTABA RAHMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EUROPE PRACTICE, EURASIA GROUP: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: So just let's look at the unknowns of Canada's EU associate membership proposal that we heard just yesterday. Important to point out that this is a partnership that doesn't quite exist yet; hence, this would be the first. What questions do you have about this proposal that was just announced?

RAHMAN: I would completely stay clear of the associate membership label. I think it's a complete red herring. It has no basis in the treaty. It has no legal basis. It has no institutional form. I think what Von Der Leyen is actually looking to do with Canada is upgrade the Co-operation Economic and Trade Agreement CETA.

[04:35:00]

Officials in the European Commission in the Brussels bubble have described the ambition between Europe and Canada to me as CETA Plus, maybe CETA Plus Plus. So, that's where I would start from. I think Europe is confronting a challenge from China in terms of its dumping onto the single market.

It's confronting an imperialist Russia with the war in Ukraine. It is confronting concerns over America's withdrawal from the world and Trump's unwillingness to ultimately provide for European security, that's the context that is motivating the European Commission to seek out strategic partnerships with a whole range of countries, and Canada may be the first among equals.

But I wouldn't describe that as associate membership. It's an ambition to do more in the areas that Von Der Leyen described in in her pitch to MEPs yesterday.

SANDOVAL: So, so that really answers the question of just how likely is it that we will actually see this associate member status? But then the question that I was asking myself when we were watching this announcement live yesterday too was, is this even necessary? I mean, remind our viewers of these long-standing trade relationships that already exist between Canada and EU nations.

RAHMAN: I think Von Der Leyen is of the view that someone has to make the bigger argument, right? Given the triangle from hell; I described that Europe is confronting one of the leaders in Europe needs to make the bigger argument about how Europe finds its way in the world? And I think what she was trying to do yesterday was signal an intention to broaden Europe's geopolitical coalition, within which Canada has a very important role to play. If you look at the state of leaders across the European Union at the moment, they are weak. They are struggling.

There are major domestic challenges with insurgent populists, very challenging public finances, leaders with very weak mandates. You know, Chancellor Merz just had a very difficult regional election in Saxony and Anhalt. There are upcoming regional elections that will also be really challenging for his party.

Emmanuel Macron, leading a minority government, has a presidential election next April and May. Far right leader Marine Le Pen is in pole position to win the presidency next year, and so on and so forth. And so, I think Von Der Leyen feels she is best positioned, given what's happening across the EU, to make the stronger argument about Europe's geopolitical ambition.

And wants to use her role and mandate to make that pitch and that argument to a broader set of countries. What I would say is there are other countries in the European Community that she is also seeking to bring in closer to Europe, Ukraine being the obvious example. There's also ideas to increase collaboration with the UK.

And they are also becoming unstuck because of internal domestic politics within the EU. It won't be any different with Canada if Ukraine and the UK are proving hard to draw closer in Canada for its own reasons will also prove a challenge when it hits domestic politics in the major countries.

SANDOVAL: It is absolutely fascinating as we continue to watch and see, of course, what this means in the long term. Of course, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been actively searching for new markets for Canadian products. So, we'll see if this is a route that that they'll take eventually. Nonetheless, Mujtaba Rahman, thank you so much for all your valuable analysis and for your time. Have a good day.

RAHMAN: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: In a CNN, an investigation has found that Iran likely had help from Moscow to target U.S. forces in the Middle East. It came in the form of Russian satellites, which assisted Tehran in guiding its missiles towards U.S. bases. As Tamara Qiblawi reports, the end result was the destruction of some high-value military assets.

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TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): This is the launch of Cosmos 2573, one of Russia's elite spy satellites currently collecting intelligence across the globe. Now, CNN has learned that these satellites have likely given Iran a considerable advantage in its fight against the U.S. capturing not just what U.S. military sites look like, but also exposing their inner workings.

Our sources, including 2 U.S. officials, tell us they have evidence that those satellites are feeding some of that intelligence back to Iran, aiding at least some precision strikes. The apparent synergy between Russian satellites and Iran's rockets is laid bare here, Prince Sultan Air Base.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then we begin with the breaking news, Iran striking a U.S. base. Iranian state media releasing this image, which shows a strike at the Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

[04:40:00]

QIBLAWI (voice-over): A major Iranian attack on March 27th. The U.S. has had a strategic presence here for decades.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to our sources Russian satellites played a vital role in these strikes, which wreaked havoc on the base and injured 12 U.S. personnel. Now we do not have access to Russia's satellite images, but we looked at the orbital data, tracking satellites and assessing their visibility over sites of interest with help from space technology experts Project Aurora and Cahan Space, who provided us with the images you see.

QIBLAWI (voice-over): Here's the Cosmos 2573 again. Just two days before the attack, it flies over the base along with 13 other Russian spy satellites. Our analysis shows that these spacecrafts moved in both a perfect sequence and had a perfect view to collect rich multisensory data.

Each of these satellites contributes a different part of the intelligence picture. Cosmos 2573 captures deep and detailed military- grade satellite imagery. These eight are signal satellites. They can intercept radio and radar emissions, allowing them to locate air defenses that can shoot down the incoming missiles.

These two are infrared satellites. They pick up heat signatures, the kind that comes from rocket launchers. And finally, three synthetic aperture radar satellites known as SAR. They're able to see through clouds and darkness and flag physical changes, showing, for example, where a movable high-value asset might be repositioned.

Like this plane, the Airborne Warning and Control System AWACS for short, America's eyes in the skies in the Middle East. Crucially, the AWACS was not parked in its pre-war location. On March 27th, Iran destroyed it, an aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars and very, very difficult to replace.

The scale of the damage to the base and the accuracy of the strikes would have been nearly impossible without Russian geospatial intelligence, according to our sources.

QIBLAWI: And this isn't an isolated incident. Now there is some debate among U.S. officials over just how consequential Russian support has been, but our sources broadly suspect that Russian satellites gave Iran targeting information several more times over the course of the war, including at a CIA facility in the Saudi Capital. NAWAF OBAID, SENIOR FELLOW, KING'S COLLEGE: We wouldn't be in this situation today. The war wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for these unique capabilities that the Russians gave to the Iranians.

QIBLAWI (voice-over): According to experts like Dr. Nawaf Obaid, one of the reasons Russia has been helping Iran, Moscow calls this fake news, is because the U.S. is working with Ukraine in a similar way through intelligence sharing to support strikes similar to these.

OBAID: You have to see it in this way; this is Russian payback with interest. It's monumental in terms of the consequences of what this has done. Not just to the U.S. standing in the region, but to the security architecture of the region going forward.

QIBLAWI (voice-over): Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: That's all ahead here on "CNN Newsroom". An international man hunt and growing protests in Mexico, while the latest on the killing of a young Spanish exchange student.

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[04:45:00]

SANDOVAL: There's now an arrest warrant for a suspect accused of killing a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student in Central Mexico. Her murder was has already sparked some anger in the region with some of these students here staging protests at the same time that Mexico is celebrating its Independence Day. Here is CNN's Valeria Leon, with more.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Mexican university students are marching through the streets of Cuernavaca Morelos, demanding justice for the killing of 21-year-old Spanish student Claudia Tacoronte. Authorities are investigating her death as a possible femicide.

The Spanish student had arrived in Mexico just one month earlier as part of an exchange program. The protesters' demand is clear. They are chanting, not one more woman. Not one more woman murdered. Their calls for justice reflect a broader reality in Mexico, violence against women.

Morelos has one of the highest femicide rates in the country. Official figures show that between January and July, it recorded the second highest rate in Mexico, behind only Sinaloa, and well above the national average. The grief over Tacoronte's killing can be felt in both Mexico and Spain. Authorities say they are working to find out what happened.

FERNANDO BLUMENKRON ESCOBAR, MORELOS ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are investigating this case under the femicide protocol. This was the violent death of a woman. Spanish authorities agree with that approach.

LEON: The governments of Mexico and Spain say they are working together, and Mexican officials insist they are committed to solve this case. But in a country with high levels of violence against women, this case has once again put the spotlight on gender violence.

LEON (voice-over): And as people take to the streets of Morelos to demand justice for Tacoronte's killing, many are asking whether that justice will ever come. Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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SANDOVAL: We'll be right back.

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[04:50:00]

SANDOVAL: Rapper Macklemore says that he will be donating the $1 million he earned from Ed Sheeran's tour to Palestinian causes. He was removed from the tour after making pro-Palestinian comments on stage. Well, now Sheeran and stadium owner Robert Kraft have each pledged their own donations. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest on this backlash.

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NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ed Sheeran, mild-mannered, middle-of-the-road musician to the masses, is embroiled in a very modern maelstrom. His tour now teetering over two words, free Palestine. Support acts have pulled out.

He's reportedly haemorrhaging social media followers and now taking a kicking online. All that money and fame, and still no balls, Eunice Benjamin, model. It's wrong to be silent during a genocide, Ms. Rachel, YouTuber. I say this as a ginger. I hope you get a really bad sunburn, Hannah Einbinder, Actor. Sheeran plays Philly Saturday Night; we'll see what happens there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been trying to figure out a way to say this all day.

WATT (voice-over): This all began about 6000 miles from Gaza City in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4th. Macklemore, pop rapper with a social conscience, told the crowd one reason he joined his dear brother Ed on tour.

MACKLEMORE, RECORDING ARTIST: Because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart, free Palestine.

WATT (voice-over): Not at my place, you won't, said billionaire Pat's owner Robert Kraft, who owns one of those stadiums. Gillette Stadium has a long-standing commitment to providing a welcoming environment. Kraft wrote, not providing a platform for hate speech. Sheeran says the promoter pulled the plug. Macklemore claims Sheeran threw him off the tour after a call from

Kraft, who had rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum, if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues. Kraft also called out Macklemore's broader history of anti- Semitic rhetoric and imagery.

In 2014, he wore one looked like an anti-Semitic stereotype get-up on stage. Later, described it as a random costume in an apology to anybody that I may have offended.

[04:55:00]

Kraft critics have also dredged up his past, flagging his arrest for soliciting prostitutes in 2019. Kraft pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed. Sheeran critics highlighting his closeness to Kraft. He played perfect for the first dance at Kraft's wedding. Sheeran explained why on SiriusXM.

ED SHEERAN, RECORDING ARTIST: He was my first stadium that I played in the U.S. ever, and I've always had a lovely relationship with him. He's super sweet.

WATT (voice-over): Sheeran now much maligned for his part in this and for his largely apolitical public persona. It's very hard to just smile and strum these days.

WATT: Ed Sheeran summed up his position like this, just because I don't talk about something publicly doesn't mean I don't have an opinion. Doesn't mean I don't care. Now, earlier, Macklemore laid out a challenge, donating a million dollars, all his earnings from the tour, and saying to Robert Kraft, match that donation.

Robert Kraft then came out and said, even before Macklemore made this challenge, Ed Sheeran had called me and asked me to donate $2 million. It seems, at least in public, that all three of these guys agree that the Palestinian people need some help. But beyond that, there is a lot of noise, and it isn't getting any quieter. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Thank you so much for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our live coverage continues with "CNN Headline Express" in a moment.

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