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Isa Soares Tonight
Fallout From The Latest Drop Of Epstein Files Continues As Former U.K. Lord Quits Labor Party; Diplomatic Efforts To Prevent A U.S. Attack On Iran Ramps Up Amid Simmering Tensions Between The U.S. And Iran; Dozens Of Gazans Allowed To Seek Medical Help In Egypt After Rafah Border Crossing Opens; Ukrainian Energy CEO Urges Extension Of Energy Ceasefire; DRC Mine Collapse Kills 200 People; DOJ Says No New Charges Coming; Final Preparations Underway Ahead of Winter Olympics. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired February 02, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the fallout from the latest drop of
Epstein files continues. A major U.K. politician quits his party amid growing questions over his past ties to the convicted sex offender.
This hour, I'll speak to one of the leading lawyers for some of the survivors. Then sources tell CNN that diplomatic efforts to prevent a U.S.
attack on Iran are ramping up amid simmering tensions between the two nations. We have the latest.
Plus, after nearly two years, the Rafah Border Crossing out of Gaza partially reopens, but only for a small number of Palestinians. We'll have
that and much more ahead this hour. But first, tonight, the U.S. Justice Department is ready to move on after a delayed and partial release of the
Epstein files, making clear no new charges are coming.
But survivors are demanding action until, quote, "every abuser and enabler is fully exposed." Some U.S. lawmakers are threatening contempt or
impeachment proceedings against Trump administration officials, suggesting crucial information is being withheld to shield powerful figures involved
with the late child sex offender.
The U.S. Department deputy Attorney General, a former personal attorney for President Donald Trump, denies that. Todd Blanche says there's nothing in
the files that would allow the DOJ to prosecute anybody. And says the entire world, his words, can look at them and see if we got it wrong,
except they really can't.
Much of the material, as you can see there, well, it's redacted, and millions of documents are still under seal. Survivors are outraged that
some of their names were exposed in the latest release, while the alleged abusers remain hidden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESS MICHAELS, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: This is a victim statement. The only thing that was supposed to be redacted was her name. So, this is clearly
protecting someone. Something. Many things. And so, to say -- to stand on that podium and say, well, you know, there's no names here.
And to hear for months now, there's nothing in this. There's no reason. But then there should be no reason to have a blank page. If there's nothing
there, then what are you redacting?
MARINA LACERDA, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Is the DOJ going to step up and investigate this? Because these are serious allegations. And if we can't
turn to the government to help us and the DOJ, then who will?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Some very important questions raised there. Well, lawyers representing Epstein's victims are now asking judges to force the DOJ to
take down the files posted online, saying the failure to redact victims information has triggered, quote, "an unfolding emergency".
We'll have much more on that show -- ahead on the show right here. But first, we're going to stay with more on the fallout from these files that
expose Epstein's connections to some of the most powerful people in the world, including President Trump, foreign dignitaries, royals, tech giants,
and much more.
Here in the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer is calling on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; the gentleman on your screen, formerly Prince Andrew,
to testify before the U.S. Congress about his relationship with Epstein after new photos emerged.
And Peter Mandelson, who was already fired as British ambassador to the U.S. over his Epstein ties, resigned from the U.K. Labor Party today. He
says he doesn't want to cause it further embarrassment after more revelations surfaced. There's a lot for us to get through.
I'm joined now in the studio by my colleague Max Foster, and our CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson in Washington. Stephen, let me
start with you first. So, help us make sense of what we heard from the deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, because he said the Department of
Justice, we heard there, is not considering any new charges. Do we know why that is?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: No. The administration said last year, and Todd Blanche reaffirmed on CNN yesterday that there
would not be any new criminal charges laid.
The explanation that we have from a legal point of view is that although there may be evidence of ties between public figures and Jeffrey Epstein,
pictures of him with various people, that doesn't necessarily equate to evidence that could prove in a court, beyond a reasonable doubt that there
was a criminal act committed.
[14:05:00]
That is the standard that prosecutors use. It's not just this administration either. There was no prosecution of third parties during the
Biden administration. All of this information that is now being released was swept up in investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
So, there could have been prosecutions at an earlier stage if investigators across two administrations believed that there was grounds for a criminal
case. So, that is the legal point of view. As you heard, a lot of the victims find this very difficult to believe.
And given the way that this has all been handled, the fact that there are still millions of pages that are supposed to have been released, that
haven't been released. The issue of the redactions, they find it very difficult to believe that there isn't sufficient evidence to move towards
more prosecutions.
SOARES: And I'll speak to you in just a moment about the redactions and how this was handled by the DOJ. But let me just go to Max from the U.K.,
because the fallout has also been felt here. We mentioned, of course, the former British ambassador and former Labor -- well, not former, Labor Party
veteran for many years, of course, Mandelson.
Give us a sense from what we've seen from the files, you know, these -- all these files, this tranche of files, what it reveals about his relationship
-- his connection to Epstein.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so, we knew they had a relationship, which is one of the problems opposition politicians got in
the U.K., with the fact that Keir Starmer appointed him as U.K. ambassador to the U.S., which was an unusual appointment in the first place.
But that's one issue that we've got here, and then we've got just this appearance in the files, there are images going around of him in his
underpants in these files. The most damning part of it is two parts, really. There is alleged to be a payment from Epstein to Mandelson,
something like $75,000 --
SOARES: Wow --
FOSTER: Which Mandelson says he can't recall, which seems extraordinary when --
SOARES: How can you not recall?
FOSTER: Most people in the world would probably recall being given $75,000 --
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: The other one is that he was passing on a classified effectively, government information or certainly market sensitive information --
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: To Epstein. Again, he's contesting that he's investigating it, but it's all blown up in parliament in a way that it's not in America. And some
of the survivors have said this to me, they say the U.K. feels a lot more proactive on all of this. So, now there are opposition politicians calling
for Mandelson to be -- there's been a complaint gone to the Metropolitan police asking for a criminal investigation.
Keir Starmer is saying he doesn't want lord Mandelson to have that title anymore, or to be able to sit in the House of Lords. So, they're looking
into ways they can do that. And that's a similar debate that we had with Andrew, wasn't it?
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: Over his titles.
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: They say -- they start saying it's really complex to do, it's not actually that complex to do. I think they're probably hoping Mandelson will
give it up voluntarily.
SOARES: You mentioned the House of Commons and how that -- how this is playing out. And I want to play a little soundbite from member of
parliament to just get viewers a taste, really, of some of the discussion. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY THORNBERRY, MEMBER OF BRITISH PARLIAMENT, LABOR PARTY: These files seem to show that Peter Mandelson was given 50,000 pounds by a notorious
pedophile, and a few years later, he sent on market sensitive information to Epstein who worked for JPMorgan about market bailouts.
The Prime Minister's resignation telling them that they should mildly threaten the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and then told him about matters
of national security. Surely, this is not a matter of whether Peter Mandelson shouldn't be in the House of Lords. This is a matter of whether
the police should be involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And many, like you said, are calling for criminal proceedings and criminal investigation. But there are also questions I heard when I was
listening to House of Commons today. I heard some of them questioning how much did the Labor -- the Prime Minister knew, Starmer knew, when did he
know? Because that's a credibility question --
FOSTER: Yes --
SOARES: Here --
FOSTER: They're going in hard on him, what he knew and why he appointed Mandelson to that role, which was, you know, they didn't go for a career
diplomat, they went for a Tory -- you know, Labor Party grandee. And, you know, with the knowledge that they did have a relationship, not with all
the stuff that we've seen in the files.
We should point out that in parliament, they can say what they want because they've got parliamentary privilege. But --
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: Mandelson, you know, just being in the files doesn't mean he's done anything. You know, there's no evidence to say he did anything criminal.
And that's probably what the police would say as well. We haven't got any evidence of anything criminal.
This is all basically, a narrative that Mandelson had -- is falling apart, but does match what the survivors are saying. So, every time, something
else is found in these files, it actually strengthens the survivors' story, and it weakens all the men involved in here.
[14:10:00]
We saw it with Prince Andrew.
SOARES: Yes --
FOSTER: We're seeing it with others as well. But what the survivors want is actually Donald Trump to look at what the U.K. is doing and move further
that way. And so, there -- you know, they are frustrated what's happened here in the U.K.
SOARES: OK --
FOSTER: But they're also saying it's a good example to follow.
SOARES: And Stephen, I'm just -- I'm hoping that you are able to listen to Max there. This is definitely going a very different speed. At least, the
conversations we're hearing in parliament, very different from what we're hearing in the United States. I mean, the "New York Times" today was
reporting of how this whole thing was handled.
Names not redacted. There are thousands of victims' names haven't been redacted, just the whole thing has been so badly handled by the DOJ.
COLLINSON: Yes, it's a complete mess. They have all sorts of lawyers trying to work through these files, or at least, they say they do. Let's remember
all of these files should have been released last year. That was what --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: The law that came out of Congress after a Republican revolt against the President said. So, first of all, they're behind in all this.
The way they're releasing it is what I think you would call a very shoddy job.
And then there's this overwhelming suspicion that the Justice Department, which has been turned into basically a personal law firm for Donald Trump,
not just on this issue, but many other issues, is not being fully forthcoming and is trying to protect the President.
The fact that the President has been mentioned in these files more than a thousand times, that doesn't mean, as is the case with Mandelson, that he's
necessarily done anything wrong, but -- or criminal. And he denies any knowledge of any of Epstein's behavior.
But there's this strong suspicion that the Justice Department is acting for Trump, and that is one of the reasons why a lot of these victims believe
that the justice that they've been denied, not just because of the death of Jeffrey Epstein in jail -- by suicide in 2019, but by the slow-walking of
this case, and the fact that there haven't been more prosecutions.
They believe that their trauma is continuing and is continuing in perpetuity, specifically because of the way this is handled, when at the
end of the last year, a lot of them hoped that some closure was going to be available to them because of the passage of the law. So, this is a really
agonizing moment for a lot of these --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Victims and survivors, and an exceedingly sensitive one and difficult one for the White House, whose every single attempt to make the
Epstein files go away seems to make the situation worse.
SOARES: Yes, so many calling for transparency, clearly, they're not getting that so far. Thank you very much. Our thanks to Kevin -- to our panel here,
to Max, thank you, and Stephen, thank you very much to you both. And coming -- coming up in about what?
Twenty, twenty two minutes or so, I'll speak with Gloria Allred; a veteran women's rights lawyer and the attorney to some of the survivors of Jeffrey
Epstein's crimes. Of course, we will discuss, as we were discussing just now with Max, this latest release of documents, and whether the redactions
do enough to protect survivors.
You don't want to miss that conversation in about 22 minutes time right here on CNN. I want to stay in the United States because the U.S. House of
Representatives is moving closer to a pair of key votes, including one that is connected to the Epstein investigation.
The House Rules Committee is expected to take up the recommendation that would hold Bill and Hillary Clinton contempt of Congress for refusing to
testify about their connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The Rules Committee is also expected to clear the way for a vote tomorrow that would end the
partial government shutdown.
Though it is far from clear, if that vote will pass, Speaker Mike Johnson needs virtually every Republican to side with him, because Democrats say
they won't vote for it, as they demand a change in federal immigration tactics, which is what we have been hearing, we've been speaking about this
for the last week or so.
Let's get more on all this. Manu Raju is joining us now from Capitol Hill. So, Manu, just give us a sense, the layout of the land. What are you
hearing? Where do things stand?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, it's very uncertain right now at this moment, Isa. The government shutdown, which started on
Saturday could last at least, until tomorrow, maybe it will go even longer. And it's all as a result of a bitter division between Republicans and
Democrats.
And the fact that Speaker Johnson has virtually no room to maneuver, and this narrowly divided U.S. House. He can only afford to lose one Republican
vote on what is expected to be a party-line vote. The first procedural vote to take up this massive spending package tomorrow.
But there are a number of Republicans who are concerned about various aspects of this plan and concerned about the deal that was cut in the
United States Senate between the White House and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer had demanded that the Homeland Security Department
package piece of this larger funding package be separated out and only extend funding for that agency for two weeks and extend funding for the
rest of the federal government through the end of September.
And the reason why to allow for time to negotiate changes over ICE policy, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
[14:15:00]
But that has caused some issues here in the United States House. Some don't like that at all. And here's another problem. The Democrats in the United
States House also are not in favor of this deal that was cut by the Senate Democratic leader, the Democratic leader here in the House, Hakeem
Jeffries, was not part of this deal.
And he says Mike Johnson has to get the votes on his own to push this bill through his chamber to reopen the federal government. So, a big question
will be tomorrow when this vote hits the House floor, that first procedural vote, can Mike Johnson get the votes and how much help will he need from
President Trump to get House Republicans to fall in line?
That is going to be a big question, because if he does not get the votes, then House Democrats will have their own demands, which means that this
government shutdown could drag on. Isa --
SOARES: Manu, I know you'll stay across all of these lines for us. Manu Raju there for us on Capitol Hill. Good to see you, Manu, thank you.
RAJU: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, sources tell CNN, top U.S. and Iranian officials are planning to meet in Turkey on Friday to try and find a diplomatic solution between
the U.S. and Iran, while the supreme leader warns that any American attack could explode into a regional conflict.
U.S. and other western officials were pushing to try to schedule a meeting this week with U.S. foreign envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian
representatives. That's amid a warning from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that, quoting now, "if Americans initiate a war this time, it will be a regional
war."
President Trump responded by saying in his words, "if we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether he was right." Well, in Tehran, our senior
international correspondent Fred Pleitgen, spoke with Iran's Foreign Minister in an exclusive interview. Here's what he had to say about the
possibility of war with the United States, and the latest remarks from President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBAS ARAGHCHI, FOREIGN MINISTER, IRAN: So, I'm not concerned about war. What I'm concerned of is miscalculations. And I think President Trump is
wise enough to make the correct decision.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How can a meaningful negotiations process be jumpstarted right now?
ARAGHCHI: We have lost our trust to the United States as a negotiating partner. There are now some intimidators, some friendly countries in the
region who are trying to build this confidence. So, I see the possibility of another talk if the U.S. negotiation team follows what President Trump
said fair and equitable deal to ensure that there is no nuclear weapons.
PLEITGEN: So, if this confidence is built, you are ready and willing to sit down directly with the American side.
ARAGHCHI: No, the question of directly and indirectly is something else. That is the form of negotiation. And we have to -- we have to --
PLEITGEN: That's what they say they want that --
ARAGHCHI: Yes, but we have to take care of the substance of negotiation. And that is more important.
PLEITGEN: President Trump says that negotiations are already going on. Would you say that these talks that are going on right now are fruitful?
ARAGHCHI: So far, yes, fruitful.
PLEITGEN: Things like enrichment. Things like ballistic missiles, things like proxy forces in the region. Is that completely out of the question for
you, or is that something you could at least talk about?
ARAGHCHI: President Trump said no nuclear weapons. And we are -- fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal. Of course,
in return, we expect sanctions lifting. So, that deal is possible. Let's do not talk about impossible things.
PLEITGEN: What do you think the consequences would be if there was a full- on military confrontation between Iran and the United States?
ARAGHCHI: If war starts, that would be a disaster for everybody. In previous -- in the previous war, we tried hard to limit the scope or scope
of war between Iran and Israel.
This time, if it is between Iran and the U.S., since the U.S. bases are spread all over the region, then inevitably, you know, many parts of the
region would be involved, engaged, and that could be very dangerous. Being prepared doesn't mean that we want war. We want to prevent a war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our Fred Pleitgen speaking to Iran's Foreign Minister. So, where does the Trump administration stand on diplomatic efforts, really, to
prevent U.S. strikes on Iran? Let me bring in our senior White House reporter, Kevin Liptak with us.
And, Kevin, before we came to you, we were just reporting that top U.S. and Iranian officials are planning to meet in Turkey on Friday. I think this is
your reporting. What more do you know? What more can you tell us?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, we understand the American delegation in Istanbul will be Steve Witkoff, the President's
foreign envoy, Jared Kushner, who is the President's son-in-law. You know, they were already in the region.
They were going to be in Abu Dhabi for the second round of Ukraine-Russia talks. And this is sort of an extension of the trip amid this intensifying
effort by the U.S. allies in the region.
[14:20:00]
You know, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey itself to try and put together a meeting to stave off a U.S. military strike. And certainly, President
Trump has been saying over the last several days that he does think there is this diplomatic window that is open, despite what he calls an armada in
the region and despite these threats that he has put out there to launch a major military action against Iran.
Now, there are some questions here, some big questions. One is whether Iran is willing to agree to any of the terms that the U.S. is seeking here. You
know, you just heard the Foreign Minister tell our Fred Pleitgen that they could agree on no nuclear weapons.
That is not really specifically what the U.S. is asking for here. They're looking for Iran to end all domestic uranium enrichment, which is something
that the Iranians have said previously they won't agree to. The other items, like giving up the ballistic missile program, that's not something
that analysts say will be easy for Tehran to forego, you know, giving up support for the proxy groups.
You know, Hezbollah, Hamas, those groups have already been seriously degraded over the last year. Iran obviously having some serious economic
troubles at the moment. So, that may be an easier thing for them to agree to. But to be sure, none of the terms that the U.S. has put out there so
far seem like things that Iran will very easily say yes to.
The other sort of question that is pervading all of this is whether the President's pursuit of a deal here is just misdirection. Remember back in -
-
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: June when the U.S. targeted the nuclear sites in Iran, the President sounded very open to striking a deal with Iran, to sitting down
for talks. Really, up until the moment that the B-2 bombers started dropping the buster-bunker bombs on Iran.
And so, the question I think a lot of people have is whether the President is just sort of stalling for time here as his military options become
finalized. But I think, you know, the fact of this meeting now coming together in Istanbul on Friday, I think will still be welcome news, at
least, for now, for all of these regional players who are very much looking to avoid a larger conflict.
SOARES: Yes, and the military options. We heard today from the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said that the U.S. military is more than prepared.
He said, to take action against Iran if the country doesn't engage in nuclear negotiations. Kevin, great reporting. Thank you very much indeed.
And still to come tonight, a crucial lifeline for Palestinians, the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopens after nearly two years. But
movement is extremely limited. We will explain. Plus, brutally cold temperatures and a power grid on the brink of collapse.
Ukrainians are facing the harshest Winter of their lives and clinging to hope that a new round of peace talks could bring an end to four years of
war. Both those stories after this very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Well, the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt has partially reopened after being closed for nearly two years. The passage provides a
crucial lifeline for Palestinians in the war-torn enclave, particularly those requiring urgent medical care.
But the number of people allowed through is extremely limited. Only 50 people are permitted to cross both ways in the first few days, and that is
according to Egypt's state-linked news affiliates. Passing through the crossing has historically been very expensive, though it's unclear whether
a toll is currently in place. Our Nic Robertson has more for you from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): For a lucky few of Gaza's war wounded, a day they've dreamed of boarding buses in
Gaza to take them to treatment in Egypt. Fareed al-Qazzaz(ph) hoping he'd make it across.
"We want proper, lasting treatment", he says. "We are people who want life and love peace." The once bustling Rafah Border post, closed by Israel 20
months ago and still controlled by them, opening for the first time. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, an estimated 20,000 Gazans need
medical treatment outside of the war-torn enclave.
Ibrahim Al-Batan(ph) is war-wounded and needs dialysis, is hoping to get out soon too. "There used to be a hospital in the north, another in the
city center. All of them destroyed", he says. "I came out of intensive care two days ago. There's no treatment at all. So, what am I supposed to do?"
On the Egyptian side, more hopefuls, Gazans who fled the war desperate to go home, facing Egyptian, then EU and then IDF controls before they're free
to reunite with loved ones. Omar Xuereb(ph) left with a sick relative last year and is desperate to go back.
"I own a piece of land", he says. "But when the war began, it was too dangerous to work there. And now I struggle for regular contact with
relatives." Israeli officials said the border could only reopen once the remains of the last hostage was returned. That was a week ago.
But Rafah is far from back to pre-war business as usual. No trucks crossing and for now, only a few dozen carefully-vetted Gazans able to do so. Nic
Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: The next round of trilateral peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. are set to begin on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. Those diplomatic
efforts will come on the heels of a new attack by Russia. At least, 12 miners were killed and another eight injured after a drone strike on a bus
in the southeast of Ukraine.
The company's CEO called it the darkest day in its history. He told our Clare Sebastian plunging temperatures mixed with power outages have many
people struggling just to survive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAKSYM TIMCHENKO, CEO, DTEK: I think that it's already the signs of this humanitarian catastrophe when people living in their apartments with
temperature 6 degrees with babies, kids and with older people. So -- and that's how massive it can be. It depends over the next weeks.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you view the energy ceasefire happening over the last few days? Does it give you confidence that more
initiatives like this can be achieved? Does it give you confidence for the peace process going forward?
TIMCHENKO: It gives us hope, not confidence. And I think that what was announced the next -- the next meeting or coming days, we will see. I think
that one of the most important outcome of this meeting is prolongation of the -- end of the ceasefire.
And if it has happened that it gives more hope, probably can be converted into confidence that peace processes is continuing, and that we have real
outcome of this meetings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our thanks to Clare Sebastian for that. Well, there's also been a deadly mining disaster in another part of the world.
[14:30:04]
Several mines in eastern Congo collapsed this week after landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. M23 rebel forces who controlled the area
reported 200 people were killed. The mines were being used to extract coltan, a metallic ore used in smartphones, computers and electronics. The
mineral-rich area has been ripped apart by violence between government forces and different armed groups fighting, vying for control.
And still to come tonight, an attorney for Jeffrey Epstein Survivors says she's confident he and Ghislaine Maxwell were not the only sexual abusers.
We'll speak with Gloria Allred just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Back now to our top story, the push for justice by survivors of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The U.S.
Justice Department, we told you at the top of the show, is making clear no new charges are coming and it doesn't intend to reveal any more files after
Friday's release. Many powerful people were referenced, including President Donald Trump more than 1,000 times.
While some references about him are benign, others include newly disclosed, unverified sexual assault claims. Many files that we showed you at the top
of the show included reductions. Have a look at some of those on your screen. Yet some survivors had their names and identifying information
exposed. Survivors' attorneys calling it an unfolding emergency. They now want judges to force the removal of the files from public view.
Adding to the victim's pain, the New York Times says it's come across dozens of images that showed unredacted nude photos of young women, or
possibly teenagers, with their faces visible. The paper says officials have now largely taken down those photos, and the DOJ tells CNN it's, quote,
"working around the clock to fix the issue."
[14:35:00]
Let me get more reaction. I'm joined by Gloria Allred, an attorney for more than two dozen Epstein victims. Gloria, good to see you once again. Let me
first get your reaction to the release of these 3 million documents. What are the women, the victims who suffered, of course, in the hands of
Epstein's kind of deprived world, how are they reacting to what's been released?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR EPSTEIN VICTIMS AND PARTNER, ALLRED, MAROKO AND GOLDBERG: Well, many of my clients, and also many of the clients of many
other attorneys, were just so horrified that they had been promised that their names, that their photos, their emails, that their texts, that their
direct messages would be redacted.
And in fact, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had said the reason it was taking so long to release the files, which were due to be released
December 19th, it was because they were trying to protect the survivors' names and identities. But what happened was, rather than protect them when
everything was dumped and released on Friday, it turns out many of the survivors who had been called Jane Does, their names were not redacted.
And some of my clients had photos of them that were put online, their emails, their texts, their other messages between Jeffrey Epstein and
themselves. Some had the driver's license, other identifying information on there. And all of their information was not released, just some. And for
some, that hurt their reputation because it was out of context.
But the point is, it wasn't the survivors being protected. In fact, it appears that some of the potential sexual predators were being protected
because the Attorney General said there's not going to be any more release of files, even though many were not released. And in addition, he said
there will not be any prosecutions of any of the men. So, I call that a case of, I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts. That's how
it feels for me.
SOARES: We'll get to Todd Blanche in just a moment. I just want to give our viewers some other examples of what we had from other victims. One email
allegedly lists 32 underage victims with only one name redacted and 31 left visible, as well as FBI 302 forms with full first and last names of victims
unredacted.
Can you speak, Gloria, to the real-life implications for so many of these women who trusted the DOJ with their names and their story here and their
testimony?
ALLRED: Well, you put it exactly correctly. The 302 forms are the interviews with the victims and the FBI or the Homeland Security or
prosecutors. And I was present when many of my clients were interviewed, and they were all promised by the DOJ that their names and all their
information would be kept confidential. This was a number of years ago, except if they had to testify at trial, but none of them were called to
testify at trial. There was no trial for Jeffrey Epstein because he died or was killed in the custody of the federal government in Manhattan.
But in any case, this is devastating to them. It is just so humiliating, embarrassing. It's such an evasion of their privacy. They can't trust the
Department of Justice anymore. That has been in question for quite a while. It's been eroded. But at this point, the trust is gone. But not only for
them, for a lot of other victims of sexual abuse by other people. Why would victims, you know, trust their information to the Department of Justice
when it's obvious that they can't be trusted?
SOARES: Yes. And Todd Blanche, I think he said that the mistakes were, quote, "inevitable," Gloria, given the volume of documents. How do you
respond to that?
ALLRED: Well, yes, I'm not sure it's a mistake. I'm not necessarily going to call it that. They're not the victims in this case. It's the victims of
Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, they are the victims. The Department of Justice has had this information for years. And, you know, if they couldn't
do this in 30 days, they should have told everyone that and asked, you know, for more time at that time instead of complaining now.
I'm wondering whether these survivors are being punished, because a lot of the information about the sexual predators is being protected. But the
information about the survivors is exposed. It's out there for all the world to see. We have asked that our client's information be redacted. We
worked over the weekend, our legal team, and we sent what needed to be redacted to the Department of Justice.
[14:40:00]
But we have asked that our client's information be redacted to the Department of Justice. But it's too late because a lot of people already
have downloaded that personal information about the survivors. And this is just unprecedented. It's outrageous. Shame on the Department of Justice.
The people who were hurt were the ones who trusted them. Unfortunately, they couldn't trust them. They were betrayed.
SOARES: Gloria, any of your clients and any of the victims, are they suing the DOJ at all? What are you doing to respond to this?
ALLRED: Well, first of all, it's a denial of justice, once again, for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Maxwell. Because they were denied
justice in 2008 when the sweetheart deal was made with Jeffrey Epstein instead of a multi-felony count indictment, the U.S. attorney at the time
sent it down to the state. And he only got Jeffrey Epstein 13 months in jail. And he could go to his office every day where he also sexually abused
girls and then just sleep in the jail at night.
But it was, again, when he was killed or died in 2019, justice was denied again for the victims who wanted to confront him in a court of law. And
now, 2026, they are being punished. And I have to wonder, is this intentional or not? There's no justice for them.
SOARES: Gloria, as always, great to have you on the show. Thank you very much. I know we'll stay in touch. Gloria, all right there for us.
We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side. Thank you, Gloria.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics are this Friday in northern Italy. As excitement builds, the city of Milan continues
to get ready with final preparations. Our Antonia Mortensen has a preview for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: There's a real buzz here in Italy as the Olympic flame makes its way to Milan, where just in a matter of
days, the 2026 Winter Olympics are due to start. The event will be held across eight different locations in Northern Italy, with main hubs here in
Milan and the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
[14:45:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just got here last Monday and already the city seems like buzzing from it. There's advertisements everywhere. Obviously, we're
right behind one of the Olympic team stores, so, so far, the city atmosphere has been great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's, like, party vibes. People are excited. We're excited, and I think the atmosphere is really good.
MORTENSEN (voice-over): Milan will host ice sports and the opening ceremony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A milestone.
MORTENSEN (voice-over): In Cortina, we'll see the women's alpine skiing events, sliding sports, and curling. The glamorous mountain resort
returning as an Olympic host more than 70 years after the 1956 games.
Sixteen venues have been built or upgraded for the games, though not without setbacks. The Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena faced serious
concerns over its ice quality.
With the NHL returning to the Olympics after 12 years, players had warned that they wouldn't complete unless the ice met standards.
After a January test event, organizers now insist the rink is ready, even as some non-critical parts of the stadium remain unfinished.
The price tag for these games, around 4 billion USD. Officials hope that the investment in infrastructure from transport links to long- term
facilities, will pay off for future generations, long after the medals have been awarded.
DOMENICO DE MAIO, EDUCATION AND CULTURE DIRECTOR, FONDAZIONE MILANO CORTINA 2026: It's really important that the sport infrastructure that has been
born in Milano Cortina will be a, really, legacy for our country. But the big event like the Olympic Games have the impact of all community. It's a
commitment to create a bridge with all communities, not only with the fans or sports stakeholders.
MORTENSEN (voice-over): Safety will be a top priority at the games, and U.S. security officials told CNN they've had teams here for two years,
working with Italian authorities to protect American athletes and their delegations. But news that ICE agency employees will assist U.S. security
operations hasn't gone over well locally, prompting the Italian government to clarify their role as restricted within the U.S. diplomatic missions.
ANTONIO TAJANI, ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We need to look at what the responsibilities of ICE actually are. If they come, they
will come to cooperate, not out on the streets, but to cooperate with the police. Just as police forces from other countries do. When there's a major
event, there has to be international cooperation among police forces.
MORTENSEN: And beyond sport, the region hopes to leave its mark, showcasing its culture, food, and of course, the unbeatable coffee.
The countdown is on here in Northern Italy, and the world is watching.
Antonia Mortensen, CNN, Milan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, there's now a charge to visit the iconic Trevor Fountain in Rome. Tourism officials are hoping the fee, just more than $2, will curb
the massive crowds who toss coins, take selfies, and, quite honestly, just linger around the site. Residents do not have to pay, and entrance is free
to all during overnight hours.
For those who duck barriers and toss coins from afar, a city official said patrols would be introduced soon. The Trevor Fountain, immortalized in the
movie, "La Dolce Vita," has become a flashpoint for over-tourism in Rome.
Well, Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar were big winners at the Sunday's Grammy Awards, but it was way more than music that was really making the
headlines. Still to come, how artists used the event to take on ICE.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. The Music World's biggest night was held Sunday in Los Angeles, but it wasn't just winners and losers making
headlines. U.S. immigration policies and recent actions by ICE were mentioned throughout the show. One of the big winners of the night, this
man on your screen, Puerto Rican rapper Bud Bunny, had this message for ICE as he accepted an award.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUD BUNNY, GRAMMY WINNER: Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE out. We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we are humans,
and we are Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And Bud Bunny was one of the big winners of the night. Our Stephanie Elam joins us now from Los Angeles. Stephanie, great to see you.
The big winners, and we saw Bud Bunny there, were chosen for their music, but politics, clearly as we heard there, striking a chord with many.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, and it was expected. I mean, the Grammys of all the award shows tends to be the most political. I
interviewed Harvey Mason Jr. earlier in the week, and he is the head of the Recording Academy, and he said, by definition, musicians are vocal, and he
expected people to speak out. And we saw several people. I was on the red carpet who had these little white pins on that said, no ICE, and just
capital black letters, people from Justin Bieber to his wife, Hailey Bieber. You saw all kinds of people doing that, and then you saw people
also addressing it on stage, the performers and some of the winners.
And Trevor Noah himself, who -- this was his sixth and final time hosting the Grammys, but he also made some jokes himself and inferring some things
about President Trump and Epstein Island and also making a Greenland reference in there. Obviously, that has brought the ire of President Trump
today, but overall, it was a big night of music, but the emotions around the political atmosphere in the United States was definitely present there
as well.
SOARES: Yes, Olivia Dean, one of my favorites, who's just fantastic, and she also performed, but she said, I remember her line, I'm a product of
bravery. It was just so beautiful, such an eloquent speech from this young lady.
ELAM: And she's not even American, but yet weighing in on this as well. So, you did see a lot of that, and also, you know, you've got a lot of people
who are pushing back on Bad Bunny, who is clearly California dreaming right now because here he was at the Grammy-winning, you know, best album of the
year, which is one of the hugest prizes. That's a big prize. That's the last one of the night, right? "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," that album is what
won, and then he's going to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show a week later. So, he's really having quite the week right now and using this
platform to talk about this.
And same thing with Billie Eilish, who has gone on this platform many times to say that people who are celebrities need to speak out about what they
think is wrong. She actually said at one point that no one is illegal on stolen land. So, you saw several of these people standing out and speaking
out about it.
All that, but besides that, it was just really a phenomenal show. I mean, it was like a mini-concert after a mini-concert after a mini-concert, and
it was well-produced. Even the in-memoriam, Isa, was amazing. You felt like at first it was just going to be your standard in-memoriam, and then it
turned into a full-on rock concert celebrating Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away last year.
But you had, you know, Guns N' Roses greats like Slash up there. You had Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers up there as well, Post Malone. And
then they went from them singing "War Pigs" from Black Sabbath, and then moving on to Lauryn Hill leading a tribute to Roberta Flack and D'Angelo,
who also passed away last year. [14:55:00]
And it was just like a who's who of R&B, and it was phenomenal. The entire crowd was on its feet by the time they got done with the in-memoriam. If
you have an ability to watch it, I suggest you do. It was really well done, and the music was fantastic last night.
SOARES: Stephanie, great to see you. Thank you very much indeed. And finally, tonight, for the first time in 52 years, mankind is about to head
back into deep space. Right now, NASA is conducting a crucial wet dress rehearsal, kid you not, of the Artemis II rocket. It is wet because live
fuel is being used in the test. But just minutes ago, we got word that there appears to be a leak in the super cold liquid hydrogen fuel. It is
unclear how long it will take for NASA to fix the leak. Had today's test gone well, NASA could have launched Artemis and four astronauts into space
this weekend. We'll keep on top of this story for you.
That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I'll see you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
