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One World with Zain Asher
Donald Trump: "The U.S. Will Take Over The Gaza Strip; Trump, Musk Working To Rapidly Shrink The Government; USAID Workforce Told They Will Be Put On Leave On Friday; Jordan Rejects "Any Attempts" To Displace Palestinians; In Red Nebraska, Concerns About Trump's Hardline Policy; U.S. Secretary Of State Meets With Guatemalan President; Excitement Building Ahead Of Chiefs-Eagles Rematch; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET
Aired February 05, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:30]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Global condemnation to President Trump's proposal to, quote-unquote, own Gaza.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: ONE WORLD starts right now.
With Trump's push for mass displacement of Palestinians, where does this leave the second phase of a ceasefire deal?
ASHER: And sweeping layoffs planned across the federal government as DOGE gets to work.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, scientists are monitoring a threat from space that may be on a collision course with Earth.
ASHER: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching ONE WORLD.
Well, moments ago, after the swearing in of his new attorney general, President Trump was asked about his proposal to, quote, take over Gaza. And
the president said, everybody loves it. But that is not the case.
ASHER: Yes. Donald Trump laid out his vision at a news conference with the Israeli prime minister on Tuesday, while Benjamin Netanyahu said the idea
could change history.
The plan upends decades of U.S. foreign policy. It relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries and redevelop the enclave into what the U.S.
president describes as the Riviera of the Middle East.
GOLODRYGA: Tens of thousands of Palestinians who had walked for hours to return to the remains of their houses destroyed after months of Israeli
strikes say, they won't leave their ancestral homes. One man telling CNN today that he would, quote, rather eat the rubble than leave.
Meantime, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia are among the regional countries rejecting the idea and calling for a two-state solution.
Earlier, CNN spoke to a Palestinian Authority minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARSEN AGHABEKIAN SHAHIN, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We're shocked by the statements. Today, Gaza is in total
ruin with two million devastated people who need immediate relief and sustenance efforts.
And the last thing they want to hear is anything on displacement. These people have been displaced before they have been made refuge in 1948, most
of them. Most of them have been displaced within Gaza throughout the various wars that were undertaken by Israel on Gaza.
And the last thing they want to hear is displacement. If President Trump wants to create a Riviera, then let it be with Palestinians in their
homeland, in the land of their ancestors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's chief national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt, joins us from Washington, D.C. This really stunned everyone. It appeared
even Prime Minister Netanyahu, I don't know if he was anticipating this policy outline from President Trump yesterday.
I know you've been speaking to officials and getting reaction from around the world, in particular, Alex, the region itself. It was the middle of the
night there, but Saudi Arabia and other countries were quick to put out statements condemning this particular plan.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianna and Zain. I mean, this was a press conference in which we were expecting to
hear more about the ceasefire deal in Gaza, moving into the next phase, which is supposed to start in a few weeks, questions, big questions over
the negotiations and whether Israel would agree to withdraw from Gaza and end the war there.
But this was essentially completely hijacked by this new idea of the president's to take over Gaza, essentially make it a U.S. project, without
really any details about how this would happen, who would implement it, when this would happen. Is this the U.S. military going into Gaza?
So a lot of questions remain. We're hearing instant praise, if you will, for this idea from Republicans, which you might expect. The secretary of
state, Marco Rubio, posting on X last night to make Gaza beautiful again.
We heard from the Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, saying that this is a bold idea, that this is a logical idea. Of course,
condemnation from Democrats, who find this outrageous, as do so many in the Middle East.
As you pointed out, and I think it's really important, we heard an immediate response from the Saudis, who certainly, in Donald Trump's eyes,
are probably the most important country in the Middle East, because he wants to normalize those ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
[12:05:00]
The Saudi Foreign Ministry in the middle of the night there immediately saying, not talking about Trump specifically, but saying that there should
be no annexation of Palestinian land, that there should be no annexation of Palestinian land, that there should be no displacement of Palestinians.
That has been echoed by officials and citizens all across the region.
Earlier today, we heard the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, saying essentially the same thing, that the path forward needs to be a two-state
solution, that there should be no displacement of Palestinians.
So we have Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is here in Washington this week and had that meeting with Donald Trump yesterday. But we are seeing a
series of meetings in the next few days with Arab leaders. We know that Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy for Trump, is going to be meeting with
the Qatari prime minister tomorrow in Florida. We know that King Abdullah of Jordan is going to be coming here to Washington to meet with Donald
Trump next week.
So you can imagine that in these meetings, both in public and in private, we are going to see this fierce pushback to this idea, not just talking
about whether Israel should stay in Gaza longer term, but now this idea of the U.S. taking over and developing and owning the Gaza Strip. That is
certainly something that is going to be met with a full-throated rejection by these Arab leaders.
I mean, we have been talking about Gaza as this very complicated geopolitical quagmire, and now it's really sounding more and more like a
real estate project. And, of course, we have to remind our viewers that's exactly what Donald Trump is, is a real estate developer, as is his Middle
East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
But an extraordinary number of questions about this incredible proposal from the president yesterday. Zain, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Though notable to hear one top Trump ally, and that is Lindsey Graham speaking out publicly against this idea, in particular, the idea of
U.S. troops being on the ground there in Gaza overseeing this operation.
We'll continue to follow this story later on in the hour. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. As Donald Trump and the unelected billionaire that he put in charge of slashing U.S. government spending work to implement their
priorities, including widespread federal layoffs, the nation's chief spy agency appears to also be in the firing line.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We are learning that the CIA has offered buyouts to its entire workforce, telling employees that they can quit their jobs and
receive about eight months of pay and benefits.
Now, it's not yet clear if everyone at the agency is allowed to take it. Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director, told CNN earlier that the move
could lead to a national security threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MCCABE, SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: To release those people, to encourage them or badger them into leaving the agency en masse would create
a significant drain of not just capacity, because of the numbers of folks that might go, but also deprive the agency and the country of the expertise
and the unique perspective that these folks have because of the work that they've been doing.
That is not a source that you can just tap in the private sector and bring people in. This is something that's built up over years and years of really
hard work. And it would be very, very damaging to the agency's ability to continue functioning at a high level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: At this hour, members of Congress and former government officials are gathering on Capitol Hill to protest the shutdown of the U.S. Agency
for International Development, USAID.
Late Tuesday, staffers were told that they were being placed on leave starting Friday.
GOLODRYGA: And a statement on the USAID website says, thank you for your service. Nearly all USAID employees working overseas are being told that
they will be brought back to the U.S. in the next few weeks.
USAID spends tens of billions of dollars a year on projects that feed the hungry and provide clean water and life-saving healthcare in all corners of
the planet.
Democrats say shutting the agency down is just step one in Trump's plan to shrink the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): And make no mistake, what's happening in AID is just the test case. It's just the test case for what they want to do
throughout the government, which is they want billions, billionaires to take over the process. And so you're right, we should have no business as
usual in the United States Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: USAID isn't the only federal agency that President Trump wants to get rid of. He appears to be targeting the Department of Education next.
ASHER: And that's right. CNN has learned the president is drafting an executive order that would kick off the process of eliminating the 4,000-
person department. Trump says he told his pick for education secretary that her job is basically to put herself out of work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why nominate Linda McMahon to be the Education Department Secretary if you're going to get rid of the Education
Department?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because I told Linda, Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.
What I want to do is let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:10:03]
ASHER: All right. The latest on the efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink the U.S. government, let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene at the
White House for us.
So a lot of people have been complaining that Musk's power, when it comes to slashing spending within the U.S. government appears to be unchecked.
But technically, he does actually report to the White House Chief of Staff's Susie Wiles.
Just talk to us a bit more about her willingness and her ability at this point in time to actually rein him in.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well, it's really interesting because it's clear that Elon Musk has an immense amount of power. He's also
not a full government employee. He's what is called a special government employee. And that allows him to kind of operate in this role where he's
able to continue, you know, working with his businesses.
I think one of the big things that I've heard repeatedly in my conversations with those close to Donald Trump and those working at the
White House is that Musk has no desire to divest. Of course, there are legal questions about his actual ability and functions of what he is able
to do while maintaining that type of role.
But what is clear is that his imprint on the government and what he has been doing has been very far-reaching and widespread. And I am told that
with a lot of, you know, the big news lines that we've heard lately, particularly, you know, the story that we got yesterday that we broke
about, these widespread layoffs and that are expected across the federal government, I mean, I am told that Elon Musk directly has had a hand in all
of that.
Now, I do want to touch on something you brought up earlier, which is that now CIA agents and employees in the agency are now, for the first time,
being offered what some people are calling a buyout, but what the administration is referring to as their deferred resignation program.
This is very significant because, of course, this offer was first extended to two million federal workers last week. It had some exceptions. And one
of those exceptions were national security employees, in part, kind of recognizing their -- the true function that they have, serving as, you
know, part of protecting American safety and national security of the United States.
Now, we know as well that John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA, was personally involved in making the decision to allow agency members to
accept that. That is according to reporting from Katie Bo Lillis, our colleague.
But really, the impact of that, and I know you played some of former FBI Director Andrew McCabe here, just about how, or deputy director, I should
say, excuse me, about how important and significant that could be.
I think some of the questions that I've been hearing come up and some of the criticism I'm hearing from lawmakers, for example, is what would happen
if there was a massive national security threat, if there was a terrorist attack or something of the nature and many career employees decide to take
this voluntary paid leave job?
Now I do want to be clear that not all of them are expected to be able to opt into the program, but that's just one example. Now, again, I do want to
stress as well the widespread layoffs that are expected we do now in that initial offer for this program that employees were able to have until
February 6, which is tomorrow, to opt into it.
But beyond that is when I'm told we're really going to start to see some of the real impacts of these more widespread layoffs. And then just to bring
into it some of what you mentioned about the Education Department.
That is something dismantling the Education Department, trying to abolish it is language that the president has used in the past. I mean, this is
something he has talked about wanting to do for several months when he was on the campaign trail. And it's something he personally believes is
necessary.
Of course, so many different schools and people who rely on the resources from the education department are arguing that this would be a major threat
to the work that they do, to the importance of having these resources for children and students.
But really, what the president has argued is that he believes that this should be power that is in the states, not necessarily something that is
controlled by the broader federal government. Bianna, Zain.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Alayna Treene at the White House for us. Thank you so much.
Let's put all of this to our panel. We're putting a lot to our panel today. We are joined by CNN political analyst Paul Begala, former adviser to
President Bill Clinton. And former Republican presidential candidate, Asa Hutchinson. He is currently a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of
Politics. And welcome both of you.
Paul, let me start with you. And the question surrounding the freezing of USAID, putting it under the auspices of State Department and Elon Musk's
role in all of this.
"The Wall Street Journal" editorial board has a piece out this morning entitled, Hurricane Musk and the USAID Panic. And they write, more
oversight and transparency for a leaner USAID makes sense, and we wouldn't mind if it vanished. But that takes more sustained political effort than a
howling wind of tweets in the middle of the night. So, there they are tweaking at Elon Musk.
[12:15:58]
But I'm just wondering, from a Democrat standpoint, we're looking at protests outside of USAID, where you have elected democratic senators
standing there and demanding that Elon Musk's power be revoked, saying this is illegal.
Is this the best the Democrats have at this point? Because this doesn't come across as something very coordinated, very effective at this point.
And if this is just a glimpse as to what's to come in the future, it doesn't seem that impressive either, Paul, to be honest.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, that's fair criticism, Bianna. The Democrats right now don't know whether to scratch their watch or whine
their butts. I mean, they're really in disarray. And you're right.
Here's what, at least I'd say as a Democrat, and I would say, because I'm a political guy. USAID, I care desperately about the people that USAID helps
around the world, but they send that food around the world from American farmers. In other words, USAID buys $2 billion of farm products from
American farmers.
The chances that American farmer voted for Donald Trump is very high. So this is another example, Democrats should argue, and I believe, of Donald
Trump running government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires, and betraying those hard-working farmers whose crops go
to feed the world, which we're very proud of, but $2 billion of agricultural purchases that USAID makes from American farmers may well be
canceled now.
What are those farmers going to do? Mr. Trump is stabbing them in the back at every front. The through line here needs to be betrayal.
By the way, not resistance, the glorious resistance. This is just about betrayal. There's a lot of good people who voted for Donald Trump. And they
need their crops to be sold overseas. They need their schools to be supported.
Of the 10 states, get this, the 10 states, they get the highest percentage of their school funding from the U.S. Department of Education. You don't
have any vote for Trump? All 10.
So Mr. Musk, President Musk, let's be honest, and Mr. Trump are stabbing in the back the very people who put Donald Trump in office. So I think
Democrats should be talking about it that way.
ASHER: That's an interesting perspective about how Democrats go about convincing the American people that there are some major problems with some
of the changes that Donald Trump is making.
Asa, let me bring you in, because obviously Paul was also touching on how Democrats handle this, but just walk us through how you think moderate
Republicans should be handling, you know, the past two weeks. And obviously, we're talking about massive layoffs at the CIA, the FBI as well,
perhaps slashing 4,000 jobs at the Department of Education.
Lindsey Graham is even talking about the fact that the Gaza plan goes way too far in his books, especially when it comes to U.S. troops being on the
ground in Gaza. Your thoughts on how moderate Republicans tackle this.
ASA HUTCHINSON, FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, thank you. And most of the decisions and plans that Donald Trump is laying out is
consistent with what he ran on. It shouldn't be a surprise he wants to abolish the Department of Education. That's exactly what he said he wanted
to do when he wanted to shrink the size of the federal government. That's what he ran on and that's what he's working on.
So the Republicans like myself, who ran against him, thought we ought to have a different leader, there's a recognition that the people of America
elected him and he's doing what he said he was going to do.
The big surprise in all of that is his most recent statements on Gaza that America ought to own it and ought to develop it. And this is a stunning
reversal, though, of what he told the American voters that he wanted to do. He said he wanted to shrink America's footprint abroad. That he did not
want to move with the international community all the time. And he wanted to disengage.
And here, all of a sudden, he wants to engage America, and he wants to increase our footprint. And there is some pushback on that. You mentioned
Lindsey Graham, but Josh Hawley, Senator from Missouri, also said, we ought to spend that money at home. And so that's not going to be met with uniform
enthusiasm simply because it's a reversal of his position.
You think about Donald Trump, he's got three choices when it comes to Gaza. Obviously, it has to be rebuilt. There has to be some security overlay for
Gaza. And their three choices are Israel, the international community, or the United States of America. He's not an internationalist. And so he's
leaning forward and saying the United States ought to take responsibility in here.
GOLODRYGA: I mean, there's so much to get into, and I do want to turn it to Paul. But, I mean, you've just named two Republicans who said that they did
not think this was a good idea, Asa. We had the speaker of the House say this was a good idea. I mean, a lot of Republicans saying the best they
could respond with is that the status quo isn't working. But we know that this is a president that said that he was a president to end wars, not to
start wars, and not to send troops overseas. And that's exactly what this would do, not to mention violate the Geneva Convention.
[12:20:16]
But, Paul, let me turn to you going back to Elon Musk's role here. And I think everyone can agree there's always room to streamline. There's always
room to cut costs. There's always room to consolidate what a lot of people say was perhaps an overinflated federal government in terms of just where
all of this money has been allocated.
But that being said, not every department is weighed equally. And just given what we're seeing at the Justice Department and now the CIA offering
buyouts as well, how concerned should Americans be as far as national security issues?
BEGALA: Deeply concerned. Deeply, Bianna. We -- it took us 80 years to build the CIA that we have. It's the greatest intelligence organization on
the planet.
But this is the sandcastle principle. You know, it takes all day with your kids at the beach to build a sandcastle. It takes one wave to wipe it out.
This is decades and decades of very heroic people working to serve our country to make us safe. It was only a few weeks ago on New Year's Eve that
an ISIS-inspired terrorist slaughtered 14 people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
We got a Super Bowl coming up in a few days, also in New Orleans. We're going to decimate the FBI, which keeps us safe and home. We're going to --
Mr. Trump -- well, President Trump, well, he seems to want to cripple the FBI. Maybe because, I guess, crooks hate cops. You know, he is a criminal.
He's literally a convicted felon.
I don't know his motivation, but my guess is crooks hate cops. But I love them. And those FBI men and women keep us safe. And now the intelligence
agencies that will be able to empower us and warn us when there is a threat seem to be under attack.
It does not make any sense, honestly, aside from partisanship. If you love your country, if you love your children, if you want to be safe, you don't
go and attack the people who are risking their lives to keep us safe. And that seems to be what President Trump is doing.
ASHER: It's hard to imagine that all of this is taking place just within the first two weeks. We'll see what the next six months bring.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be seeing a lot of you both, is what Zain is saying.
ASHER: So much to talk about every single day. It's like a fire hose of news.
Paul Begala, Asa Hutchinson, thank you both so much. Appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you.
Well, still to come for us, we're going to take a closer look at President Trump's plans for Gaza.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:25:19]
ASHER: All right. As you said, President Trump says that he can turn Gaza into, quote, the Riviera of the Middle East.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Israeli far-right politicians who reject the establishment of a Palestinian state are praising the proposal.
ASHER: The Palestinians, many of whom have lost everything in 16 months of war, say that this land is simply all they have.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, the U.S. president says he isn't ruling out the possibility of putting U.S. boots on the ground.
ASHER: Time now for The Exchange and our conversation with Ghaith al-Omari. He's a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a
former advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He joins us live now from Washington.
Ghaith, thank you so much for being with us. You know, there have been many --
GHAITH AL-OMARI, SENIOR FELLOW, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: Thank you.
ASHER: -- Palestinians -- there have been many Palestinians who've described Donald Trump's comments from yesterday as reminding them of the
Nakba, 1948, the displacement of millions of Palestinians.
Just explain to us whether or not there is an overarching belief that Donald Trump is actually going to try, going to try to take concrete steps
to actually go through this plan, or whether it's -- he's using it as some kind of a bargaining or negotiation strategy. What are your thoughts on
that?
AL-OMARI: Look, I mean, if you want to look at it on the ground in the Middle East, whether among Palestinians or other Arabs who are not
following, you know, the litigate of policy process in D.C., they seriously -- they definitely look at it as a serious American plan. And it's bringing
on unleashing all of these kind of latent traumas, like a fear of a second Nakba, et cetera, or conspiracy theories.
Here in Washington, we actually don't know. We are getting indications on both directions. I mean, on the one hand, the president has been saying,
no, I've been thinking about it for a long time. It's a real plan.
On the other hand, you see his national security adviser, Michael Waltz, coming out today and saying, oh, actually, no, this is just an opening
statement, an opening offer. Let's see what the Arabs are going to present.
We don't know, but we do know that these kinds of statements do create reactions in the Middle East that actually can impact both U.S. interests
but also the interests of U.S. allies.
GOLODRYGA: You know, Ghaith, just in the short term, there is a lot of concern about what this means for the already fragile ceasefire hostage
deal that's in place now, as negotiations have started to begin going into phase two, which is much more complicated, and there's already a lot of
pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu not to go forward and fulfill phase two.
I spoke with some families of hostages in response to just what we heard last night, and that is their big concern about what this could possibly
mean for the deal in the short term. What is your reaction to that particular issue? What are you hearing?
AL-OMARI: The -- you know, in a formalistic sense, yes, the negotiations will start this week in Qatar, et cetera. But the reality is what the
president said yesterday, will give a lot of incentive to Hamas to get out of the deal.
Hamas will say if the end of this process, of the ceasefire process, is the displacement of Palestinians, we're not going to be complicit in this. So
it will certainly complicate things.
To be perfectly honest, I am even worried about whether or not phase one is going to be sustained. But if this becomes official U.S. policy, it's very
hard for me to see how Hamas will say yes and, more importantly, how the Arab countries like Qatar and Egypt will be able to pressure Hamas to say
yes.
ASHER: One of the things that Donald Trump mentioned in that press conference yesterday, he said that Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian
President El-Sisi would come around to this idea despite their initial rejections.
We know that the King of Jordan is going to be visiting the White House in about a week or so. I mean, just walk us through how that conversation is
going to go. You mentioned in your earlier answer that a lot of people in the Middle East believe that Donald Trump is actually going to make this
plan a reality, but he doesn't have that much leverage over various countries in the Arab world in order to do so.
AL-OMARI: I mean, to be honest, he has a lot of leverage on Jordan and Egypt. Both countries receive a lot of American aid and not only the
financial aid, but kind of the security relations, et cetera. So there is a lot of leverage.
Yet, you know, leverage only works if you're asking your counterpart to do something that they feel is in their interest, or even, you know, partially
in their interest. In Jordan, the idea of receiving a million, a million and a half, two million Gazans is seen as a threat to Jordan's existential
threat.
And so if you're faced with what you believe is an extensive threat, no amount of leverage is going to convince you to basically commit suicide.
[12:30:02]
So it's going to be a very difficult conversation. There'll be a lot of pressure on the Jordanians. I believe that the Jordanians cannot say yes to
this. They might stall. They might try to buy time.
What they're going to try to do is to get a unified Arab position so that when the king comes, he will not only say this is a Jordanian position,
this is an Arab position.
Whether they can do that remains to be seen. But I think this is what the dynamics we're going to see there very, very harshly to see how the
Jordanians or for the matter the Egyptians who are going to be there. The week after next, President El-Sisi is going to be in Washington the week
after next. Very hard for them to say how they can say yes.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. A plan like this going forward risks destabilizing the entire region even more than it already is.
Ghaith al-Omari, thank you so much for your time.
ASHER: Thank you, Ghaith.
GOLODRYGA: We appreciate it.
AL-OMARI: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
Mexico's National Guard says hundreds of troops have arrived at the country's northern border to fight drug trafficking and control migration.
ASHER: And it comes days after Mexico reached the last-minute deal with the U.S. to avoid a trade war after President Trump threatened to impose
tariffs on America's southern ally.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to send a total of 10,000 troops to the border, similar to the deal reached under former U.S.
President Joe Biden back in 2021.
All right. Even in red states where President Trump is very popular, his immigration crackdown is not being met with universal support.
GOLODRYGA: And CNN's John King went to Nebraska in the heart of the American farm belt, where he heard a lot of concerns about the impact of
Trump's immigrant policies.
[12:35:09]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Nebraska prairie. It's calm and quiet as the rolling farmlands wait out winter.
CROWD: This is what community looks like.
KING (voice over): But even here, the new Trump agenda stirs passion and fear.
CROWD: Love over hate.
KING (voice over): Immigrant workers are critical in a state where cattle outnumber people by more than three to one. Nebraska is second to Texas in
U.S. beef production, sixth in pork, and its cornhusker state nickname celebrates its role as an agriculture giant.
JOHN HANSEN, PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION: If we have a hitch in the get along in Nebraska, it's a big enough processing state, it's going to be
felt in the food chain.
KING (voice over): By hitch in the get along, Nebraska Farmers Union President, John Hansen, means a Trump immigration crackdown that rounds up
undocumented workers.
HANSEN: Do we need better enforcement? I think we do. There's a constructive way to do it, and there's a less than constructive way to do
it. And so it remains to be seen how we proceed.
KING (voice over): This is a red state, and its Republican governor is offering support if the Trump White House puts Nebraska on its immigration
crackdown list. Fear is the word you hear most from immigrants, even those with legal status.
GIN, NEBRASKA RESIDENT: This first term was more of like, let's see if this can happen. This year is more, I'm going to do it.
They go to school.
KING (voice over): Gin has a green card now and is working towards citizenship, but he has family and friends who are undocumented. And he
asked that we not use his full name.
GIN: It's a scary time for my community, for people I care for aren't basically are not lucky enough like I am.
KING (voice over): Rumors of ICE activity spread fast, as did word that agents can now enter schools and churches.
GIN: It starts up people getting scared. Basically, it starts off like, have you seen immigration? Have you seen this? And you see the fear in
people's eyes. Just the fact that they can't go out to the store, they can't go get groceries or even hospitals. It's just a hard time.
KING (voice over): Immigrant advocates like Mary Choate say clients are worried now about sending their children to school or showing up for
English classes and other services.
MARY CHOATE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE: We really want to keep immigrants and refugees involved in the community so
-- because they're so integral to our community. But it's been very difficult for them to be able to do that because they fear going outside of
their homes.
KING (voice over): G is seeking asylum. She was a journalist back home in Honduras, targeted by the government, she says, after reports detailing
corruption.
G, ASYLUM SEEKER (through translator): If I go back to Honduras, they will kill me.
KING (voice over): She entered the states a year ago using a Biden administration phone app that Trump eliminated on day one.
KING: Your lawyers tell you, you're in the asylum process and you should be OK. But with Trump as president, are you worried?
G (through translator): Of course. For sure.
KING: Why?
G (through translator): Because he tries to implement quite strict policies with immigrants in general. And I think even more with people who have just
entered the country. At least with the program I entered with, there is some instability, so to speak. So, of course, that increases anxiety and
concern.
With Trump's arrival, I have felt very unstable. I have a lot of anxiety. I suffer from insomnia and I cannot stop thinking about the possibility of
being deported.
I cannot go back.
KING (voice over): Nebraska State Senator, Kathleen Kauth, is pushing a new E-Verify law that requires employers to certify their workers are legal.
Simple and common sense, she says. But Kauth concedes, the polarized national debate might make it harder to win over Democrats.
KATHLEEN KAUTH, REPUBLICAN NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR: I'm really more worried about Nebraska and focusing on what do we need in Nebraska to understand
the problem, how do we make sure that we are keeping people who are not here legally from taking jobs from people who are here?
KING (voice over): Kauth believes the state can handle any workforce disruption caused by stronger enforcement. And she is a state example of
the Trump effect on the Republican Party. Any path to status or citizenship for those already here illegally must start with going home.
KAUTH: I kind of view it as a poison apple from the poison tree, whatever the legal definition is.
If your first act is to break the law, you have become a criminal. And so therefore everything after, even if it's well-intentioned, even if it's
wonderful, please go back and go through the process because we do want you here, but we need you to do it the right way. And I don't think that that
should ever change.
KING (voice over): Go back is the driving theme of the new Republican immigration push, and a big reason more immigrants think it's best to stay
in the shadows.
John King, CNN, Nebraska.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. At this hour, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Guatemala City meeting with the president and his cabinet.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. It is the latest stop in his trip through Latin America. Now, the trip is focused on furthering Donald Trump's immigration plans and
bolstering relationships with the region's leaders.
[12:40:09]
ASHER: Guatemalan president, Bernardo Arevalo, was elected in 2023, running on an anti-corruption platform in one of the region's poorest countries.
GOLODRYGA: Stefano Pozzebon is following the story in Bogota and joins us now live.
So, clearly, all of these countries, Stefano, this is an asymmetrical relationship where they're much more dependent on the United States, who
has more leverage here.
But I know you're speaking with officials that also have asks and that would like to see perhaps change or evolution in their relationship with
the United States, in particular with this administration. You spoke with some of those officials in Guatemala. What are they telling you they'd like
to see?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Bianna. Well, I think Guatemala's case is really interesting because all of the other countries that the
Secretary of State has visited this week, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, are all governed by the right or by conservatives. These are governments
that try to speak the same language with the new White House, while instead Guatemala is -- the Guatemalan president is a completely different person.
He, Bernardo Arevalo, was hailed as a great victory for the Democrats, actually. He had a very close relationship with the Biden White House. He
met with Kamala Harris several times.
So it will be very interesting to speak to see what he asks to Rubio in the meeting that we understand is happening just as you and I are speaking. So
we're going to bring you the latest lines as soon as that meeting is over.
What we are hearing is that they are trying to make concessions to the White House. For example, Guatemala is still accepting military flights
while other progressive governments in the region have pushed back against that practice, for example Colombia or Brazil or Mexico.
But at the same time, I think that Arevalo is trying to pass a point that this moment could be an opportunity for the countries of Central America.
Take a listen to what his spokesperson told me last week, for example, Bianna.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANTIAGO PALOMO, GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: Our administration is committed at creating those opportunities that historically have been
negated to the Guatemalan people.
And, you know, the return of our migrants presents that opportunity, not only for the state and the government on its own, but to coordinate this at
this -- you know, as a national effort with the private sector, with the tourism sector, with the infrastructure sector, so that we can reintegrate,
you know, our nationals into the Guatemalan economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: I think that the message, Bianna, that is coming out of Guatemala City is that, yes, we recognize the pain that these policies are causing,
the disruption that is bringing in to families and communities. We've seen that in that piece from John King out of Lincoln, Nebraska.
But at the same time, let's try to make the most of it. Let's try to find a way to speak the same language with this White House and make the most of
for the economic benefit of having these populations back.
And that's why I think Guatemala is a key and crucial step for the new Secretary of State's trip to the region. Bianna, Zain.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Stefano Pozzebon for us. Thank you so much.
Coming up, as one of the world's most popular tourist spots, Santorini is typically filled with visitors. But now earthquakes are sending almost
everyone on Greece's Instagram Island back to the mainland. We'll have details, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:13]
ASHER: All right. Those of you waiting for a package from Temu or AliExpress, it may be just a little bit delayed.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. That's after the U.S. Postal Service announced that it will resume accepting incoming packages from China and Hong Kong.
ASHER: The reversal came just hours after officials decided to temporarily suspend such deliveries. Until recently, parcels under $800 did not have to
pay duties or be inspected. But a Trump executive order ended that.
All right. Right now, the Greek island of Santorini is a ghost town.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Thousands of people have left the island as hundreds of earthquakes rock the famous tourist spot.
Elinda Labropoulou has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tourists who came looking for respite, now rushing to escape dreamlike Santorini as the Greek
island trembles with seismic activity.
Hundreds of earthquakes have struck the waters near the island since Friday. Some are hardly noticeable, others have reached magnitudes of over
5, giving visitors and locals alike enough reason to flee.
TZANIS LIGNOS, SANTORINI RESIDENT (through translator): No one could sleep last night. Not my wife, my son only a bit. There was a lot of noise. It
was surely a 4.9 quake. And in the house it was really loud. We went running outside. That's why we cannot stay here any longer.
LABROPOULOU (voice-over): More than 6,000 residents have already left Santorini, while schools remain closed until at least Friday. And
authorities warn residents to avoid indoor gatherings.
These measures as airlines offer extra flights out of the island and people flock to the ports. But as the island empties, its tremors persist.
BENI OUKLALA, SEASONAL WORKER (through translator): We're going to leave because I'm afraid. There are constantly earthquakes. We have to leave for
the kids so the kids can calm down.
LABROPOULOU (voice-over): Santorini is no stranger to earthquakes, but near constant seismic phenomena like this are rare.
Even so, as thousands rush to the mainland, others feel less inclined.
EFTICHIS DIAMANTOPOULOS, TOURIST BOAT CAPTAIN (through translator): We will stay here. Why should we leave? If something happens, it happens. Oh, well.
We are locals. We were born here.
LABROPOULOU (voice-over): Scientists say the seismic activity could last for days, if not weeks. Threatening landslides and the possibility of a
larger quake.
And so an island whose geography and beauty is known to draw visitors in, for now, steers them away.
Elinda Labropoulou, CNN, Athens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Coming up, scientists say you really, really should not be worried about this. They're talking about this. But there is actually an
asteroid that could be headed towards planet Earth and weigh up the risks of a collision when ONE WORLD continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:36]
ASHER: All right. Here in the U.S., egg prices are going up, and it appears to be driving some people to pretty extreme measures.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Officials say thieves in Pennsylvania managed to steal about 100,000 eggs from the back of a distribution trailer. Now, those eggs
are worth about $40,000. The national average price of eggs is a hot-button issue in the U.S. right now, as the resurgence of avian flu has shortened
supplies, leaving consumers feeling the pinch of higher prices.
ASHER: All right. Does a 1.3 percent chance actually sound all that likely? I don't think it does. Does it? Maybe not.
But when you're talking about it --
GOLODRYGA: I mean, it's not zero.
ASHER: It's not zero. So there is a -- so you're telling me there's a chance?
GOLODRYGA: There's a chance. Yes.
ASHER: When you're talking about the chance of an asteroid hitting planet Earth, even one percent does sound pretty scary.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. That's what I was going to say. Scientists say they are tracking an asteroid that was spotted zipping past our planet around
Christmas of last year.
Now, as they calculated its path around the solar system, they realized that there is a 1.3 percent chance that it could hit Earth the next time it
comes our way, and that is the year 2032.
ASHER: Not tomorrow?
GOLODRYGA: No, but not, you know, hundreds of years from now. The asteroid is thought to be roughly the size of a football field, and scientists say
if it did strike Earth, it would not be a planet killer, but it could devastate a large city or generate big tsunamis.
ASHER: Let's hope it misses us this time around.
All right. The music industry has raised more than $120 million for wildlife -- wildfire relief efforts in the Los Angeles area. Almost 25
million came from Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony and related events over the weekend.
GOLODRYGA: And the proceeds from last Thursday's Fire Aid concert, headlined by artists like Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, and the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, are expected to exceed $100 million. Now the number will go to -- the money will go to a number of charities in Southern California. All
going to a good cause.
ASHER: All right. Excitement is building in New Orleans, the header Super Bowl LIX.
GOLODRYGA: You are so pumped, I know you are.
ASHER: The Brit is so excited for the Super Bowl. It could be a three-peat win for the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles could snatch it
for them and clinch their second title.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. CNN's Coy Wire is in New Orleans where the game will be played with unique stories to share about two football players celebrating
something extra special on game day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: We are here in New Orleans outside the Philadelphia Eagles team hotel and they have a tough task here at Super
Bowl LIX. They have to try to take down the two-time defending Chiefs, who are going for a first ever three-peat as Super Bowl champions.
Now as if Patrick Mahomes, their star quarterback, needs any more motivation, he's already been to five Super Bowls in seven seasons,
including three wins.
Found out just a bit ago that he does have some added motivation this time around. His newborn baby daughter, Golden.
PATRICK MAHOMES, QUARTERBACK, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: It's always motivating whenever you have another baby. I mean, just because I want them to have
the same experiences that the other two had.
And she's been amazing. She's been sleeping well. Mom's been extremely happy and I'm excited for her to be able to come. I think this will be her
first football game at the Super Bowl, and hopefully we can get her a win.
WIRE: Baby Golden picked a great game to be her first one.
On the other side, there is some added motivation for Saquon Barkley.
The Philadelphia Eagles' 2,000-yard rusher, MVP candidate, running back. Super Bowl Sunday will be his birthday. So we caught up with him to ask how
he feels about that.
[12:55:05]
SAQUON BARKLEY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUNNING BACK: I think it's pretty cool that the Super Bowl lands on my birthday, you know. Not only my birthday,
Coop's birthday, and Sam's birthday too.
But, yes, I don't think, you know, win the Super Bowl on your birthday or whether the day before or the day after, I think just winning the Super
Bowl in general is such a cool moment and it puts you in football royalty and it's something that you want to accomplish since you're a little kid.
So whether it was on my birthday or not, to be able to win it would mean everything, would mean the world.
WIRE: Saquon will turn 28 on Super Bowl Sunday in his first ever Super Bowl. And his teammate that he mentioned, Cooper, Cooper De Jean, it's his
birthday as well. Cooper's number 33. Saquon wears number 26. Those two added together equal 59. This is Super Bowl LIX. Some Eagles fans are
saying it is written in the stars. We shall see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: That's (INAUDIBLE).
ASHER: That was a whole new numerology analysis.
GOLODRYGA: But I saw where he was going with that. I saw. There's a lot to celebrate either way. I know who I'm rooting for.
ASHER: Who you're rooting for?
GOLODRYGA: Kansas City, but, you know.
ASHER: Yes, but your son isn't actually, apparently.
GOLODRYGA: No, no. It's a big rivalry. Not a big rivalry. I'm not even such a huge fan. But, yes, my son does not want -- he's rooting for Philly.
OK. That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. Sorry I'm providing you information you don't care about. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: We do care. We do care, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: No, you don't.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
