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Elon Musk's Email Deadline For Federal Workers Expires; Vatican: Pope's Condition Critical, Showing "Slight Improvement"; U.S. Declines To Condemn Russia For War On Ukraine. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired February 25, 2025 - 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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KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, February 25th.
Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think everyone thought it was a pretty ingenious idea. We said, if you don't respond, we assume you're not around.
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TAUSCHE: To reply or not to reply. That is the question.
Elon Musk's email ultimatum leaves federal employees in limbo. Now they're getting a second chance to respond or face termination.
Plus, a cautiously optimistic update. Pope Francis showing improvement overnight but still remains in critical condition. We're live in Rome with the latest.
And --
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TRUMP: That's what I do. I do deals. My whole life is deals. That's all I know is deals.
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TAUSCHE: The art of the deal. President Trump heralds his deal making capabilities to bring an end to Russia invasion of Ukraine, while French President Emmanuel Macron sends a message of his own.
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TAUSCH: Five a.m. here on the East Coast. You are looking live now at the Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kayla Tausche, in for Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us. Elon Musk's midnight deadline for federal workers to justify their
jobs or else has come and gone. So what now? Federal agencies spent the day Monday confounded by contradicting orders from administration officials about whether they should respond to Musk's weekend message. One IRS employee telling CNN it's bedlam. Veterans Affairs workers say, quote, no one knows who is in charge and who to listen to, adding its totally disruptive.
One message sent to Health and Human Services employees told workers to, quote, assume that what you write will be read by malign foreign actors.
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LATISHA THOMPSON, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE: I saw the content of that email. I found it to be very disrespectful and insulting. The American -- the federal workforce goes to work every single day and provide critical services to working families, veterans, seniors, students every single day.
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TAUSCHE: The president, however, backing Musk's claims that failing to respond to the email could result in workers losing their jobs.
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TRUMP: The last email that was sent where he wanted to know what you did this week, you know why he wanted that, by the way, I thought it was great. What he's doing is saying, are you actually working? And then if you don't answer, like you're sort of semi fired or you're fired because a lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist.
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TAUSCHE: Eventually, the Office of Personnel Management informed agencies last night that responding to the email was voluntary and failure to respond would not, quote, equate to resignation. But Musk seems undaunted, saying late last night workers will be given another chance and claiming that, quote, failure to respond a second time will result in termination.
Joining me now to talk about all of this is Julia Manchester, national political reporter at "The Hill".
Julia, first take us back to the beginning. Do we know what over the weekend was the catalyst for Musk sending this email in the first place?
JULIA MANCHESTER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE HILL: You know, I think Musk has really been going to the beat of his own drum, essentially, you know, looking to take advantage, you know, take charge but not communicating with many people in the White House. Seemingly, President Trump is okay with that, but its causing so much chaos, obviously, within the federal government, to the point where you have Trump loyalists like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other cabinet nominees that are pushing back against, uh, Elon Musk in this way. Kash Patel including that.
So I think it's just caused a lot of confusion. I think Musk in many ways thrives off of this chaos. He likes this, but it really appears to be no end in sight. But clearly, a rift between Musk and some of these high ranking officials.
TAUSCHE: And then there were some criticisms lobbed by Republican lawmakers suggesting that, in their words, more compassion needed to be used in the -- in the exercising of some of these mandates for Elon Musk.
And then, almost in response to that, President Trump said this in the oval office yesterday. I want to take a listen to that and then get your response.
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TRUMP: Elon uses an expression caring. If we had people that cared, just cared a little bit when they did contracts, when they negotiated with outside vendors for -- on behalf of the United States, that's what I'm doing now.
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I'm negotiating for the people of the United States, and we're doing a great job of it.
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TAUSCHE: So that was actually when he was doing his press conference with the French president, not in the Oval Office. But that being said, he is almost responding to the criticism by saying, hey, if more care were exerted when these contracts were initiated or when these people were hired, we wouldn't have to be doing what we're doing now. How's that going to be accepted?
MANCHESTER: Right. So that's one of the arguments that supporters of this email, supporters of, you know, getting these employees to reveal the five things they did last week, essentially say, but at the same time, you know, there is this pushback, even though you have Trump and Musk and others saying this is how its done in the private sector. You do have people that may support DOGE support these actions in theory, saying, well, this is really not baked into the culture of the federal government. It's sending a shock -- shock wave and that we have to understand where these federal workers are coming from.
I think it's interesting to hear Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, for example, a state that has hundreds of, you know, over 100,000 federal workers there. Yesterday, he gave a press conference and walked a very fine line saying that he supports DOGE. But at the same time, he has compassion and empathy for a lot of these federal workers talking about how their jobs in the private sector available in Virginia should they get laid off. So we're seeing a number of different kinds of messages coming out
from Republicans. But at the end of the day, this is forcing all of them to respond.
TAUSCHE: We do have that sound from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Let's hear how he put it yesterday.
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GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN (R), VIRGINIA: We need to press forward and drive efficiencies in our federal government. And as a result of driving those efficiencies, I do expect that some Virginians will lose their jobs. And that's why it's so important that we provide alternative -- alternative opportunities for them.
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TAUSCHE: So they talk about draining the swamp. Virginia is obviously in the backyard of the swamp in Washington, D.C., a state run by a Republican governor who's seen as a hopeful for a potential 2028 or beyond. And then there's a governors race in that state coming up.
How is this issue going to play out there?
MANCHESTER: And I will note that after inauguration or ahead of inauguration, I should say Governor Youngkin was encouraging Trump administration, federal workers or officials that were moving to D.C. area to move to Virginia. So that's interesting.
But look, were already seeing it play out in that race. You have Democrats essentially in Virginia, essentially putting out a message that says, you know, this is Glenn Youngkin's message to voters: update your resume, saying it lacks compassion, it lacks empathy.
And you also see it playing out in the state legislature. There you have the speaker, Don Scott, during their special session, expand the scope of the session to focus on relief for federal workers or how to respond to these cuts.
So this is in many ways really shaking up Virginia, not only in northern Virginia, where so many of these federal workers live, but also in parts of Virginia like Hampton Roads, Norfolk, a huge military population, also a big swing area of the state to watch in November.
TAUSCHE: Well, Virginia, perhaps uniquely, does have at least northern Virginia healthcare companies, tech companies, defense contractors. So perhaps there would be a soft landing for some of these workers, at least in the northern part of the state. But of course, this is something we're going to be watching.
Julia Manchester -- Julia, thank you.
MANCHESTER: Thanks.
TAUSCHE: Straight ahead on CNN this morning, a slight improvement for Pope Francis. We'll bring you the latest live from Rome as the pontiff remains in the hospital in critical condition.
Plus, President Trump refuses to call Vladimir Putin a dictator. And the U.S. sides with Russia at the United Nations.
What it all means for Americas allies.
And Donald Trump taps a MAGA podcasting star as the FBI's second in command. How will it shake up the bureau?
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DAN BONGINO, PODCASTER: Folks, the FBI has lost. It's broken, irredeemably corrupt at this point. I mean it when I say it, it's way past time to clean this FBI house up. Don't even waste your time lecturing me on this issue.
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TAUSCHE: The Vatican says Pope Francis is showing slight improvement and is in good humor as he continues to battle double pneumonia and mild kidney issues this morning. Officials say the pontiff is able to eat and move around.
Catholics filled St. Peter's Square Monday in the first nightly service for the 88-year-old pope. Prayers also pouring in from around the globe.
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ANDRES ALOY, BUENOS AIRES RESIDENT: I'm worried because he's a very important figure. I think since he took office in 2013, he's given another perspective to the church. I'm worried about thinking he's nearing the end.
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TAUSCHE: We go now live to Rome and CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman.
Ben, what is the latest that we are learning from the Vatican?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this morning, Kayla, we got a one line statement from the Vatican press office saying that the pope rested well all night and we've just heard from a Vatican source that basically, it was the same conditions last night as the night before that he woke up in the morning and continues to receive medical treatment.
Yesterday evening, we had this more detailed bulletin from the press office saying that even though the pope remains in critical condition.
[05:15:03] He does have double pneumonia at the age of 88 and has had persistent respiratory problems over the last few years. But there is a slight improvement in his condition.
Now on Saturday, he has -- he had a respiratory crisis that has required. He now requires oxygen, but that oxygen is being administered at a lower concentration and a lower flow.
He does have kidney issues, but the medics here at Gemelli Hospital in Rome say that they're not a cause for excessive concern. So he's not out of the woods. But by and large, it does appear that he -- the crisis we saw over the weekend when it seemed that the news was very bad, seems to have passed at the moment. And as I said, they're reporting a slight improvement in his medical condition.
He does continue to function. He is not bedridden. He is eating normally. And yesterday, of course, he got on the phone with the Parish priest in Gaza, something that he's been trying to do every day since the war in Gaza began -- Kayla.
TAUSCHE: And, Ben, we have seen crowds gathering in St. Peter's Square. We saw the images of the faithful gathered on Monday evening. We expect that to take place on a daily basis.
What is the significance of that?
WEDEMAN: Well, really, this reflects the concern, the worries that people have about the pontiff's health. In fact, it is the top story in most of the newspapers here in Rome this morning. This nightly vigil that began last night and is expected to continue every night until hopefully, the pope's health starts to improve dramatically.
Now, this is reminiscent of what we saw exactly 20 years ago, when Pope John Paul II was in his final weeks of life. His health situation obviously was much worse back then than Pope Francis. But what we saw back then was nightly prayer vigils for Pope John Paul II. And we're expecting to see nightly prayer vigils for Pope Francis as well -- Kayla.
TAUSCHE: History perhaps repeating itself. Ben Wedeman in Rome -- Ben, thank you.
A stunning shift in U.S. policy. The Trump administration aligning itself with the Kremlin by voting against a general assembly resolution that condemned Russia's war on Ukraine, going against America's longtime European allies. The U.S. also pushed through its own resolution, making no mention of Russian aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praising Trump's actions.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The newly elected president, his hands are free. He is free from these shackles that do not allow to move forward and work towards resolving the conflict. These actions are based not so much on emotions as on cold calculation, on a rational approach to the current situation.
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TAUSCHE: It's been three years since Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the casualties are mounting.
CNN's Matthew Chance reports from Moscow. But first, a warning. The images you are about to see are disturbing.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Three years into this bloodshed and the frontlines remain hellish and brutal. There may be talk of peace -- but every day in the war zone, the ultimate sacrifice is being paid.
Across Russia, cemeteries are now burgeoning with fresh graves. The grim reality of the Ukrainian meat grinder can no longer be hidden or denied.
This monument was put up so people would know there is a war going on, says Viktor, the head of a local veterans organization. It's not just some kind of operation, he says. People are dying.
It wasn't meant to be this way.
These are Russian forces. I can tell they are Russians, I have spoken to them already.
Back in 2022, as the full scale invasion began, CNN encountered Russian troops sent on what became a suicide mission to capture the Ukrainian capital.
The Kremlin still calls its special military operation was meant to be over in a few days.
Instead, Russian troops were forced to withdraw, leaving behind them a trail of devastation, and in places like Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, allegations of human rights abuses too, all denied by the Kremlin.
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Now, President Putin is still pinning medals on veterans before toasting their fallen comrades at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.
How many unknown soldiers there have been? No one even knows, Putin says. But thanks to their efforts, courage and extreme hard work at the front, we have Russia today, he adds.
And, after three years of fighting, Russia also has the Ukrainian territories it's captured and occupied like the ruins of Pisky and countless others, where former residents are now returning to their destroyed homes and trying to claim compensation from the Russian authorities now in charge.
I don't think there will ever be a peace agreement, Ekaterina says. "How can they agree on who will fix all of this?" She asks.
Three years on and there are doubts buildings or lives can ever be rebuilt.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
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TAUSCHE: Ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, the dealmaker in chief hosting the French president at the White House with the future of Ukraine hanging in the balance. Are the two leaders on the same page?
Plus, a setback for the "Associated Press" in its legal battle with the White House over the name of that gulf between Mexico and Florida.
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TAUSCHE: Twenty-five minutes past the hour. Here's your "Morning Roundup".
A federal judge declining to temporarily restore the "AP's" access to President Trump's Oval Office and Air Force One events. Trump imposed the ban earlier this month when the news organization refused to use the phrase Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico. The judge will hear arguments next month over the "AP's" request for a preliminary injunction.
The Secret Service agent who tried to shield President John F. Kennedy from being shot in 1963, has died. Clinton Hill was 93 when he passed away on Friday. In a 1975 interview, he said he felt the assassination was his fault.
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CLINTON HILL, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: If I had reacted just a little bit quicker, I could have, I guess. I'll live with that to my grave.
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TAUSCHE: Hill served under four other U.S. presidents, protecting Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
A source with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles tells CNN the team would be honored to visit the White House. That after rumors on social media swirled this weekend claiming the Eagles turned down or at least planned to turn down an invitation. The source tells CNN the team is still waiting on that invite.
Coming up, another Trump ally lands a spot in his administration. Podcaster Dan Bongino tapped to be the number two at the FBI.
Plus, France's President Macron fact-checking President Trump in real time. When it comes to ending the war in Ukraine. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back.
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: No, in fact, to be to be frank --
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