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Inside Politics
FAA To Use Musk's Starlink System To Upgrade Its Networks; Trump Voters In Colorado Reflect On President's First Month; Near Collision Between Southwest Jet, Private Plane In Chicago. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired February 25, 2025 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:30:00]
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: -- satellite internet at three locations. The FAA's test center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Also what it calls two non-safety critical sites in Alaska. This is timely because getting reliable weather information in Alaska has been a major issue for pilots. That was just highlighted earlier this month after the crash of a Bering Air Cessna caravan that killed 10 people.
Flying's a vital way of life in Alaska. It has the highest number of pilots per capita. And often when the status of automated weather reporting systems is down, that's really the difference between life and death for pilots. The FAA's new statement says Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 require the agency to fix telecommunications and connections to fix those needs. Really, though, only the start here, Dana. Bloomberg reports that this could be a huge contract for Musk's Starlink, eventually including 4,000 Starlink terminals over the next 12 to 18 months.
Really no dispute here that the FAA's computer and communication systems are bad need of an upgrade. The government accountability office said just last December, that urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging air traffic control systems.
Got to set this against the backdrop of must cuts to the federal government. The FAA asked 400 employees who maintain critical air traffic control infrastructure. Sean Duffy says those jobs are not safety critical, but the union that represents them says any job cut eats away at the safety of the aviation ecosystem. Dana?
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. No question. Thank you so much for that.
Before we start our discussion, I want everybody to remember what Musk said specifically about this question of conflicts of interest when he was speaking alongside Donald Trump to Sean Hannity last week.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: I mean, I haven't asked the president for anything ever.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's true.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And if it comes up, how will you handle it?
MUSK: Well --
TRUMP: He won't be involved.
MUSK: Yes, I'll recuse myself if it is the conflict.
TRUMP: If there's a conflict, he won't be involved.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: So therein lies the rub and the question, Abby, because all of the things that Pete just said are true. It is true that SpaceX is an incredible company that does things that right now the federal government can't do, whether it's Alaska or elsewhere on the technology that it provides.
It is also true that now Elon Musk has inserted himself in a very aggressive way in cuts across the federal government, including the FAA. And we don't have evidence that he has recused himself. We don't have evidence either way.
ABBY LIVINGSTON, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, PUCK: Well, there is a process for this that's foundational to American governance from the local level to the federal level. You have different vendors submit bids, they're vetted, they're compared. And why do we do that? To avoid waste, fraud, and abuse.
And it appears that process has been bypassed, we don't know. But perhaps there is an absolute need to upgrade. But there is a reason we do these things in a process.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA REPORTER: I would just say perception can become reality very, very quickly. You know, we were talking in the earlier segment, I believe the A segment about the fact, you know, oh, they're going to try Republicans going to say it's these federal workers. And, you know, they're crying and this, that, another, but now all of a sudden Elon Musk has become the face of all of this, right?
He's become the face of I'm cutting jobs, but then I'm also potentially giving jobs to myself, essentially, right? And I think that, to me, is the real danger here, because the bottom line is, Musk is becoming an increasingly unpopular character. He is also someone that the American people think has too much power in this administration.
So all of a sudden, you're dealing with, it's not just about A, it's not just about B, it's about the linkage between them, and that is Elon Musk, who is not a popular dude.
BASH: And so this is just one contract that is new. That's not taking into account everything that's already going on. It has been going on for years with regard to federal contracts at multiple companies that he owns.
But let's just continue to focus on SpaceX. Gwynne Shotwell, who is the president of SpaceX, according to Reuters, said the company has about $22 billion in government contracts.
DAVID GURA, ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT, BLOOMBERG NEWS: It's a challenge to put together sort of how many of these contracts there are and how much money is at stake here because some of these are secretive top secret. But to pick up on something that Abby just said, Bloomberg in that report also noted from a person familiar that Verizon had a contract to do this work, and now we have SpaceX kind of circumventing that.
So we see him moving around that. And I think it's important just to keep in mind, yes, he has this, Elon Musk has this vast business empire. It touches so much, and so you rightly pointed out that the FAA is important for him when it comes to launching shuttle, spaceships or satellites.
He also has to deal with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Reporter today that the SEC is now asking members of the SEC if they're bringing cases against him because of political considerations. His specter looms so large now over Washington, over so many agencies and so many places.
BASH: Yes.
GURA: I think it's going to provide just a host of problems. And I go back to what happened when Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, was in Washington. The president was asked, is Elon Musk meeting with him in his personal capacity to talk about his businesses, or on behalf of you and the administration? And Donald Trump at that moment, couldn't answer that question --
BASH: Yes.
GURA: -- either way, and it was so astonishing.
[12:35:09]
BASH: And just to pick up on what you were saying about Verizon. Musk was tweeting about Verizon yesterday. Go ahead, S.E.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Musk also reportedly fired a bunch of workers at the FDA that were looking at his Neuralink program. They were the ones looking at whether this would be approved.
So, yes, he's got his hands in a lot of pots, and it's not just that he stands to gain financially. It's that he's overseeing agencies that are regulating his businesses, which is a little, like, you know, the old saying, putting the arsonist -- making the arsonist, the fire chief, but also head of HR, head of accounting, and then awarding him a contract for accelerants is like what all of this is.
And I'll just remind you of like a quainter time. Back in 2002, Mike Bloomberg becomes mayor of New York City. There is a huge brouhaha over the 35 Bloomberg terminals he donates to city hall so that his staffers can get to work right away.
He donated them, meaning there was no conflict, but the quote, "conflict police", right, came after him for all of his business investitures, and how he was going to be all compromised. Suddenly, nobody cares about all of these very obvious conflict.
BASH: And it just reminds me of the game I like to play. What if this was George Soros and --
CUPP: Right.
BASH: -- and Barack Obama or Joe Biden --
CUPP: Joe Biden, yes.
BASH: -- doing all of this?
CUPP: Yes, exactly.
BASH: Everybody's heads would be exploding.
So, coming up, what do Americans who voted for Trump think about his presidency a little more than a month in?
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
DAVID HAYES, COLORADO VOTER: I really don't like him as a person. I think he's arrogant, kind of a jerk.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: John King's latest instalment All Over The Map to Colorado this time is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:41:31]
BASH: An onslaught of executive orders, mass firings, threatening key allies, Donald Trump is moving at a blistering pace to reshape America. So what do his voters think five weeks in? CNN's John King traveled All Over the Map to Colorado to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Spomer Ranch spans more than 100 acres, home to 60 horses and one last bison.
HAYES: This little guy down here, his name is Trouble.
KING (voice-over): A bit ornery at times. Yes, Trouble.
HAYES: You know, it's like Trump. I really don't like him as a person. I think he's arrogant, kind of a jerk.
KING (voice-over): David Hayes is a funny man.
HAYES: I tried farming for a while and I would rather get run over by a bison, you know.
KING (voice-over): The northern Colorado ranch has been in his family since the 1880s. The White House and Washington are far away.
HAYES: We got like hot dogs.
KING (voice-over): Yes, Hayes wants the government shrunk. But he doesn't see a coherent plan. And he doesn't trust Elon Musk. Doesn't believe what he says. Doesn't want Trump letting Musk poke around Social Security or tax files.
HAYES: I don't know how many people he's fired. And, you know, Musk keeps saying, well, I found $1 billion of waste here. And Social Security, there's hundreds and hundreds of people that are collecting it that are between 100 years old and 150. Can you believe any of that crap?
He can't substantiate it, but you can't believe it.
KING: Right.
HAYES: So that's a trust issue.
KING (voice-over): A blue-collar rural guy in one of the nation's most competitive congressional districts. A three-time Trump voter who calls the president unfocused and arrogant. But Democrats should hold the celebration.
KING: But if you had to do over tomorrow and you had to pick again between Trump and Harris, what would you do?
HAYES: I would still do Trump.
KING: So conservative, independent, is that fair?
ESMERALDA RAMIREZ-RAY, COLORADO VOTER: Very conservative, independent, yes.
KING (voice-over): So would Esmeralda Ramirez-Ray. She smiles when asked about Trump's frenetic first month.
RAMIREZ-RAY: I voted for that. I love it.
KING: What did you vote for?
RAMIREZ-RAY: I voted for a president that was going to put America first. I voted for a president that was going to secure our borders. And I voted for a president that was going to make sure that we were respected throughout the world. And I believe I'm getting that.
KING (voice-over): Greeley is the northern edge of Colorado's 8th, a congressional district that is 40 percent Hispanic and has a significant undocumented population. Ramirez-Ray is a court interpreter for defendants who don't speak English.
She agrees with Trump that some who cross the border illegally are violent criminals. But she wishes he would add that the overwhelming majority are good people.
RAMIREZ-RAY: I was raised as a migrant worker working in the fields. Those are the people that are out there picking their crops. So even though I support Trump, I don't believe that he's the end-all be-all savior of humanity. Nobody is.
TODD WAUFLE, COLORADO VOTER: Now this one, we've had Canadian hoser for a long time before all this stuff came up.
KING: Right.
TODD: All the fights with American and Canadian hockey players and everything.
KING (voice-over): Like Hayes, Todd Waufle says Trump can be arrogant and pompous. But like Ramirez-Ray, he's a fan of the early pace.
WAUFLE: I like him going full speed. Let's get things done. Let's find out if the policies work, they don't work. But, yes, this is the baby brewing system. Boil it up there.
KING (voice-over): Waufle started Satire Brewing seven years ago. Business is good and he constantly debates expanding. But a plan to boost sales by adding canning machines is on hold because of Trump tariffs on aluminum.
[12:45:03]
WAUFLE: When you fly enough, you understand, you know. Buckle your seatbelt, turbulence ahead.
KING (voice-over): Waufle's approach is a trademark of many Trump voters. Accept the things that make you cringe to get the things you want, like a better economy and a stronger border.
WAUFLE: Trump's going to say what he's going to say. And, yes, some of it's going to be exaggerated, some are not going to be true. But at the end of the day, I think you've got, you know, sift through all that. Is he going to get things done? Is he going to get the country moving the right way?
AUSTIN JENKINS, COLORADO VOTER: Let go right in front of your eyes. Just like that.
KING (voice-over): Austin Jenkins voted for lower taxes and less regulation. That would help his small businesses, including this cocktail bar and the Greeley Hatchet House.
JENKINS: He seemed like the lesser of two evils in my opinion.
KING (voice-over): But Jenkins finds the first month unsettling. Not a fan of tariffs or executive orders by the dozens, or Musk popping from agency to agency.
JENKINS: I thought there's supposed to be checks and balances somewhere.
KING: So where do I want to let go, shoulder height?
JENKINS: Right in front of your eyes.
KING: Right from my eyes, OK.
KING (voice-over): Plus, he sees fear in the Latino community. Wishes Trump would find a more compassionate way to improve border security.
JENKINS: I think there's a better way to go about it. I don't know if it's necessarily just force them out.
KING (voice-over): Trump, of course, won't be on the ballot next election. But this district will help decide whether Republicans keep their tiny House majority.
JENKINS: The cost of living is getting crazy here in Colorado. And I hope that they would have some kind of an impact of helping that.
KING (voice-over): The new Republican congressman won by just 2,000 votes. His 2026 re-election prospects will likely hinge on Trump's performance. On whether swing voters here see the president as focused on the big issues, or veering too far off target.
John King, CNN, Greeley, Colorado.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
BASH: Don't go anywhere, we have a lot more to talk about after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:51:12]
BASH: This just in to CNN. A Southwest jet had a near collision with a private plane at Midway Airport in Chicago. This happened Monday.
CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean is back. Walk us through what happened.
MUNTEAN: Well, we're just --
BASH: Excuse me, it happened at Midway Airport. It happened this morning, not Monday. Pete, take it away.
MUNTEAN: This morning at about 10:50 Central Standard Time, this Southwest flight, Southwest 2504, and you can see in the video from Planespotters here, was coming into land on Midway's 31 Center. Very busy airport, huge hub for Southwest Airlines. This is what's called a go around or an aborted landing. You may have experienced this on a commercial flight. Usually pilots do this when the approach is unstable, or there's wind, or there's wind shear. In this case, this is called a runway incursion, meaning an airplane on the runway where there shouldn't be.
That's the private jet, the Challenger 350 there, taxiing out in front of this flight. The crew artfully of the Southwest flight does a go around, pitches up and climbs back into the air to come back around for a successful landing.
Obviously, nobody hurt in this, but this is a narrative -- just one more example in a narrative of incidents that we have seen since the start of 2023. And the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board has investigated a significant number of these incidents that came within very close, we're talking feet away from a possible collision.
JFK, Austin, Boston, Burbank the list really goes on. Seems likely that this would end up not only under FAA investigation, but also under NTSB investigation because the alarm bells have been there for a long time. Why are airplanes able to get so close to each other when air traffic controllers are responsible for keeping the runway safe and clear?
There are a lot of factors here. And of course, we're still at the very, very early stages of this. So don't want to speculate. Although, you have to talk about this while mentioning air traffic controllers are under an incredible amount of stress right now. You have to connect it back to the big story.
DOGE is making cuts at the FAA right now. And also FAA controllers just had to essentially justify their jobs with five bullet points to Elon Musk. 10,000 of them responsible for controlling the airspace in the national airspace system. And many of them are working mandatory six day weeks of 10 hour shifts. We're talking mandatory overtime.
The Southwest crew did the right thing here. People ask me all the time, why is there a go around? This was the right call. You can always go around and fly back into the air and come back around and try another landing. The big question is, why did that private jet enter onto that runway when this passenger jet, the Southwest flight, was moments away from landing? Very scary.
BASH: Yes. That looked like very quick thinking by that Southwest pilot. Thank you so much for bringing that to us, Pete.
You know, we were just talking about, I think you were mentioning it, Abby, about just the anxiety in this country. And if you just take air travel as one example, and the idea that people are afraid and connecting it back to the chaos.
Just the FAA, for example, and the cuts of the FAA and the fears of the FAA, and this is one of those classic government agencies that is supposed to be there for one reason. And one reason only to make us all safe when we fly. LIVINGSTON: Yes, I mean, I'm a Texan and I have flown Southwest many times and Midway is their hub airport. So I can -- I've gone through there many times and I can -- I know that. I've -- I can put myself in that empathy.
And I think it's -- my mother's asked me to reconsider flying. And when mothers across America are making those comments to their kids, that's going to have an economic effect.
CUPP: Yes, I was just flying with my family for my son's winter break and I have extreme anxiety, so this is what I do all the time anyway. But I was for sure thinking about the latest incidents because it's not one, it's not two, there are -- have been multiple incidents like this where near misses and in some cases some fatalities, and these are still anecdotes.
BASH: Yes.
[12:55:14]
CUPP: And flying is still very safe. But it's really hard not to get in your head about it --
BASH: You have data.
ENTEN: Yes, I would just say that, you know, if you look at the NTSB data from January, in fact, it was the safest January on record when you combine both general and, of course, commercial aviation. And but the bottom line is, I'm still freaked out as well, despite what the data says.
CUPP (?): Yes.
BASH: Ten seconds.
GURA: You know, I think we're looking for improvement here in that system. What's missing here in this conversation about chaos is any sense that things are improving. Hearing Pete talk about people working 10 hour a day, 6 days a week doesn't engender a lot of confidence in the way that system is set up or where it's going at this point in time.
BASH: Alright, everybody, thank you so much.
Thank you for joining Inside Politics today. CNN News Central starts after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
