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One World with Zain Asher
Israel Returns 45 Unidentified Palestinian Bodies to Gaza; Hamas Calls for Gaza Resident to Hand Over Collaborators; Trump Endorses Pentagon's New Press Access Restrictions; U.S. Strike Kills 6 "Narco- terrorists" Off Venezuela's Coast; L.A. County Declares State of Emergency Over I.C.E. Raids; Trump Threatens to Take World Cup Matches Away from Boston. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 15, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, anger and frustration Israel over the remains of the hostages that still have not been returned.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: "One World" starts right now. President Trump issuing a warning to Hamas as pressure rose on the group to
return all of the remains of hostages who have been killed in Gaza.
ASHER: Plus, NATO Defense Ministers are meeting in Brussels today to talk about collective defenses against Russia.
GOLODRYGA: And the City of Boston is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup, but not if President Trump gets his way. Hello, everyone. Live from New
York. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Are watching "One World". Jubilation over the U.S. brokers ceasefire agreement in Gaza is giving way to harsh reality on
the ground, and the mammoth task ahead.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the slow return of the bodies of deceased hostages is stoking anger in Israel. Hamas has so far returned the remains of eight
people under the ceasefire agreement, but Israel's military says one of the four bodies handed over Tuesday was not that of a hostage.
All 28 deceased hostages were supposed to be handed over by Monday, but the Red Cross says it could take weeks to find bodies buried under rubble. An
Israeli source says Hamas is expected to return more bodies today.
ASHER: Israel Meantime, returned the remains of 45 Palestinians on Tuesday. Gaza's Nasser hospital says the bodies arrived with hands and legs cuffed
and that some were blindfolded and some had suffered gunshot wounds. CNN has asked the Israeli government for some comment about that.
Israeli authorities, in the meantime, are putting the pressure on Hamas by continuing to restrict the flow of aid into Gaza. The U.N. says that Israel
told it 300 aid trucks would be allowed into Gaza today, half of the number that was previously agreed to.
GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, hundreds of displaced Palestinians who trekked back home are finding no house, water or supplies. One woman in Gaza had this to
say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no work, no food, no drinks, no housing. And now winter is coming by God almighty, I'm telling you, I swear we don't
have blankets. I have nothing. Nothing at all. I left, and my house was destroyed, and I'm still in the same situation, and now we're suffering.
Where are we supposed to live? Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do? There are about 36 of us here, me, my grandchildren, my
daughters in law, and my children, and we don't know where to go or where to turn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Donald Trump's formula for peace is laid out in a 20-point plan. And diplomats say phase two of talks have already begun in Egypt, but many
of the thorniest issues are yet to be resolved.
ASHER: Yeah, among the key questions, who's going to be governing Gaza and will Hamas lay down its arms? There's also concern about Hamas reasserting
control in Gaza. Video has emerged of masked fighters carrying out executions in the streets targeting perceived collaborators with Israel.
CNN's White House Reporter Alayna Treene is standing by, but first I want to go to our Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv to talk to us, Jeremy about this
reporting that Hamas is essentially telling or asking Palestinians to hand over anyone that they suspect or that they know has been collaborating with
the IDF or face retribution. Walk us through that.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, these warnings coming from Hamas are accompanied by actual violence that they
have been carrying out inside of the Gaza Strip since this ceasefire came into effect. Hamas' Internal Security Force now warning that individuals
will face the quote, strict hand of justice unless they hand over collaborators who worked with Israel over the course of this two year long
war.
They are also conducting what they call a comprehensive security operation targeting all of those who collaborated with Israel and anyone who
continues to shelter them. And indeed, these are not just empty threats, because just this week, we saw video emerging of a slew of gunmen, some of
them with Hamas bands around their heads, executing eight individuals who were blindfolded and made to kneel in a public square in Gaza City.
In addition to that, we've also seen clashes between Hamas militants and other armed factions inside of Gaza, particularly family clans, including
some that were backed by Israel, but others who deny any cooperation with Israel at all over the course of the war.
[11:05:00]
And it speaks of course, so the power struggle that seems to be unfolding inside of Gaza in the wake of this ceasefire in the areas where Israeli
forces have now withdrawn from. And all of this, you know, awaiting the rest of this ceasefire plan, during which Hamas would agree to hand over
power to a transitional authority.
But in the wake of that, it seems that we are seeing this power struggle playing out in quite violent fashion inside of Gaza. Now, meanwhile, Hamas
did hand over four additional bodies last night to the Red Cross, which handed them over to Israeli forces inside of Gaza and then were returned to
Israeli soil.
Only three of those were positively identified as belonging to the bodies of hostages that Israel was expecting. We are told that Hamas is likely to
hand over additional bodies, perhaps as early as tonight, but the Israeli government has made clear that there will be consequences should Hamas not
uphold its end of the bargain here in handing over all of those hostage bodies.
There are still 21 bodies of hostages being held by Hamas and Israel now restricting the flow of aid into Gaza as a result of that slow handover,
but we are hearing as well from the Relief Chief for the United Nations, Tom Fletcher. He is saying that the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza
remains urgent.
He is calling on Israel to rapidly expand the number of crossings that allow aid into the Gaza Strip, and also making clear that humanitarian aid
should not be used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations.
GOLODRYGA: And Alayna Treene to you in Washington, concerns now about Hamas reconstituting itself in Gaza and trying to reassert power there with some
of these gruesome images that we have seen that we should also note, Hamas itself has posted on their own propaganda channels, fighting and killing
those rival clan and family members.
The president was asked about this, and he said that phase two is still going to begin. It's in play now. And even threatened Hamas that if they
weren't going to lay down their arms. He said, we will do it for them. A lot of questions about who we are. Can you walk us through what the White
House is saying now?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Now this is one of the most striking comments, Bianna, Zain, that we have heard from the president ever
since he returned from his trip to the Middle East on Monday, because, look, this was one of the key concerns, of course, of this broader 20-point
plan that the president had proposed,
And that the different parties had agreed to this idea that Hamas would be disarmed and that they also would not play a future role in the governance
of Gaza. Of course, we have to actually see that implemented. And that's what a lot of people, I know in the White House and throughout the Trump
Administration have been really trying to make sure they are keeping the pressure on Hamas around that point specifically.
But the president was asked about this yesterday, and essentially his threat was that if they do not disarm themselves. He will do it for them.
Listen to how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They know I'm not playing games, and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently, but they
will disarm. Do you understand me? Because you always everyone says, oh, well, they won't disarm. They will disarm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: So, you heard him say there, I think the key line there as well was we could -- we will do it quickly and perhaps violently. Now to your point,
Bianna, I think it was a good one is that you don't necessarily know who we are. And I would note as well that on Sunday, just a couple days ago, we
heard from the vice president.
He said clearly that the President of the United States, Donald Trump would not be putting U.S. boots on the ground to deal with this. Now, of course,
that is different from the CENTCOM Command Center that we know is in the Middle East. They already have many military members who are operating
there who are expected to monitor the situation and make sure all parties involved in the ceasefire agreement actually hold up their end of this
deal.
But still, it's very unclear what that could mean and if this could escalate it further. But again, one thing that I do want to stress, and
this has come up in all of my conversations and the people in that building behind me, is that they do believe that there is a difference this time, of
course, with this deal that has been struck than the deals in the past that have seen these ceasefire agreements just quickly fall apart once you get
to these harder issues.
And that's because there is so much international buy in from leaders in the region, including the Qataris, the Saudis, the Emiratis, the Egyptians,
the list goes on. And so, they are hoping that they can work out some of these obstacles in the very short term to make sure that there is no threat
to this broader deal.
ASHER: Right, Jeremy Diamond, Alayna Treene thank you both so much.
GOLODRYGA: Ghaith al-Omari is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He's also a Former Palestinian Negotiator and was an
Adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
[11:10:00]
And he joins us now live in Washington. Ghaith, it is good to see you. So, it's worth noting to our viewers that divisions within Gaza are less
sectarian and more along family lines and divisions there when we're seeing such acts public executions and brutality now in Gaza.
Does this suggest to you that Hamas is reconstituting and reconsolidating its own power, or are we likely to see perhaps more disarray and even a
civil war type of situation within the enclave?
GHAITH AL-OMARI, FORMER PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Thank you. I'm not surprised with what's emerging from Gaza, because that's what Hamas had
done in the past, whether in previous wars or previous ceasefires in this war. And what they're trying to do is two things.
One is to assert control, and we will see if this works out, because they have been weakened during the last couple of years, but politically, what
they're also trying to do is to basically consolidate power and to improve their bargaining position. What do we move to phase two?
The phase two of this armament, relinquishing power, et cetera. But after two years, many of these clans are well armed. And I expect to see a
turbulent few days and maybe weeks, unless the international community steps in to stop this.
ASHER: And just in terms of phase two of this ceasefire deal, because Donald Trump has made it clear that he believes we are in phase two. But
there are obviously massive hiccups to that. Firstly, Hamas still has not returned all of the remains in terms of Israeli hostages, we also know that
Israel, of course, does remain somewhat opposed to recognizing a Palestinian state.
And part of phase two is, of course, some kind of political solution. And Hamas is, of course, still armed. And the big question is, of course,
whether or not they will fully disarm. So just explain to us, even though you have the U.S. President saying, hey, we're now in phase two, that's
clearly not the case.
How do we actually get to phase two based on the ceasefire agreement that has been agreed upon?
AL-OMARI: First of all, the fact that there's a ceasefire is a huge deal because it enabled us to talk about phase two and later on phase three. But
then real challenge right now, because, you know, phase one had to be agreed very quickly. The challenge now is, how do you build the
international coalition, whether it's military or whether it's civilian, to come and implement the phase two.
And right now, we actually have no clue what's going on. We're just starting this conversation. Very few countries are willing to send troops
to Gaza. Will we have an international force in this case? And then who's going to govern Gaza? The plan talks about an international board.
We don't know the composition of the board, with the exception of President Trump leading it. All of these questions will take time, and the fear is,
as the kind of wheels of diplomacy are turning very slowly, Hamas is creating facts on the ground with time, the implementation and the momentum
would die down.
So, there is a sense of urgency. But right now, I just don't see the energy and don't see the kind of initiative taking place in the diplomatic world.
GOLODRYGA: If I could go back to the president's words yesterday, he said that if Hamas doesn't disarm, we will do it. We will disarm them. And as
you heard in our previous conversation with Alayna Treene, who is the we here. Part of this peace plan includes international military presence and
peacekeepers, at some point in Gaza, the majority of them would be from Arab and Muslim countries.
I mean, just realistically, do you see these Arab and Muslim peacekeepers being the ones who disarm Hamas, if that is what the president is pushing
for? And if not them, is it ultimately going to be the IDF again and there goes the ceasefire.
AL-OMARI: I see Arab and Muslim countries now trying to get this armament through a political process. I think in the coming few days, Egypt is going
to convene an internal Palestinian dialog to talk about this argument. And the reason they're doing this is exactly what you alluded to, which is none
of them want to basically shoot at Hamas or be shot at by Hamas.
That's both dangerous from a security point of view, but also from a political point of view. Today, I see many Arab countries, frankly, walking
back their commitments, the Egyptians, the Emiratis, et cetera. We're hearing maybe Pakistan, Azerbaijan, all of that.
The crux of the matter, though, is that if Hamas is not disarmed, whether politically or through an international military, then the IDF will step
in, because, for Israel, this armament is the core of all of this.
[11:15:00]
ASHER: And just in terms of who's going to be governing Gaza, I mean, we know that based on what the ceasefire stipulates, that it should be some
kind of group of Palestinian technocrats led by some kind of international board of peace, and that Hamas is not going to have any real role in the
governance of Gaza going forward, and that eventually you would have the Palestinian Authority taking over with sort of significant reforms.
After that there have been significant reforms, Hamas, for its part, has said, look, aside from the disarmament issue, we believe that the
governance of Gaza should be decided by the Palestinians in Gaza themselves. So, explain to us how we actually get to the point where there
is a new body, a new sort of group of Palestinian technocrats actually taking over Gaza?
AL-OMARI: First of all, Hamas has actually said they're willing to step down from governing Gaza, because they don't want to do the thankless job
of government. They want to maintain real power by keeping their guns. Today, though, we see different actors also trying to, kind of, you know,
create political facts on the ground.
The Palestinian Authority had already nominated 15 individuals to head the kind of a political committee. We see the Egyptians creating their own
list. I know the U.S., the administration is thinking of a list of names as well. So, we see a race of some sorts. What Hamas is doing, trying to do in
all of this, they're saying, look, we're not going to be, you know, the face of governance, but you have to consult with us, with every name that
is approved for this.
So, they want to maintain a strong behind the scenes role. And here, this is really the challenge for international diplomacy. Will we accept this
kind of, you know, charade, or will there be serious pressure against it? Which really raises the point. You know, President Trump had been very
involved until this moment, and that was essentially creating the momentum.
Will he maintain focus and interest, and more than that, you know, who in the United States, in the U.S. government, will own this process? Because
right now we see some of the institutions, you know, be it the State Department, et cetera, weakened. So, these are all practical questions that
would be the make or break of actual success of this process.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And it does appear that Hamas is trying to learn from the Hezbollah model, prior to Israel defanging, really Hezbollah last year, but
Hezbollah sort of playing a behind the scenes governance role and having a major say in Lebanon, it's obvious that that's not going to be an
acceptable situation in Gaza.
And thus, the hard work ahead of who is going to be governing and how Hamas is ultimately disarmed is going to be the big challenge, as well as
retrieving all of those hostage bodies as well and getting aid in to those civilians in Gaza. Ghaith al-Omari, always great to have you on for your
expertise. Really appreciate that.
ASHER: Thank you, Ghaith. Thank you so much.
AL-OMARI: Thank you both. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, more firepower to Ukraine. That's what the U.S. Secretary of Defense and other NATO leaders are discussing right now in Brussels.
We'll bring you an update just ahead.
ASHER: Plus, Kenya mourns the death of its Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga. We're live in Nairobi with more on his life and his legacy and how
he's going to be remembered just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, right now, NATO Defense Ministers are in Brussels to discuss their response to Russian aggression against European nations. The
summit comes after recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace, and as the war in Ukraine drags on for more than three years.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says NATO allies are buying U.S. weapons to bring more firepower to Kyiv.
ASHER: It's unclear if that includes the long-range Tomahawk missile tomahawks. We're not on the Brussels agenda today. However, they will
likely be discussed when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House on Friday. NATO Secretary General hopes that meeting will kick
start meaningful negotiations with Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I can assure you that we are very happy about a meeting taking place, the fact that the American President Trump
and the President of Ukraine are working so closely together. Of course, we are supporting Ukraine wherever we can.
I myself in constant contact with President Zelenskyy and President Trump. So, I think it is very good that you have that meeting on Friday, because
in the end, what we need to achieve is to make sure that Putin gets to the table, that meaningful negotiations start, and that we bring this terrible
war to an end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: For more on this, let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen from Berlin. So, Fred, a lot of talking, a lot of meeting, it seems that the
majority of these European leaders are in agreement that something must be done to respond to Russia's continued aggression and incursion into NATO
territory.
Yet nothing has come of it as of yet, and now you have Zelenskyy arriving in Washington, D.C. It does always appear that the west is a few steps
behind Russia. Are things expected to change anytime soon?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a little something has come of it, at least as far as NATO is concerned. And what
they've been saying, one of the things that they've been talking about is that pearl initiative that NATO has obviously called into action, which
essentially means European and other NATO countries buying weapons from the United States to then give those weapons to Ukraine.
And one of the things that the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, said, is that he said that at the beginning, when this initiative started a
couple of months ago, that six countries from NATO were then involved, pledging about $2 billion and that now, as of the summer that happened
today, about half of NATO members, about 16 to 18, have now also said that they are going to pledge money into that fund to then buy weapons from the
United States to give to Ukraine.
So that was certainly something that was praised not only by the NATO Secretary General, but also by the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, who
said that NATO members were stepping up spending more on defense, but that also those purchases of U.S. weapons to then give those weapons to Ukraine,
that, that also counted against defense spending that NATO countries need to do.
He also said that NATO countries in the U.S.'s view needed to keep that commitment going. Let's listen to in to what the war secretary had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: All countries need to translate goals into guns, commitments into capabilities and pledges into power. That's all
that matters, hard power. It's the only thing belligerents actually respect. Your continued investment in leadership is vital to helping
Ukraine defend itself and to bring an end to this conflict, peace through strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Goals into guns, obviously the operative words there by Pete Hegseth. One of the interesting sorts of nuances that we picked up in that
short statement that he gave is that he said that if Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, was not willing to end the war in Ukraine, as the U.S.
put it, that the U.S. would also come to the table with capabilities, as he said, that only the U.S. has now.
Did not specifically mention those Tomahawk cruise missiles, even though that whole topic really loomed large over that NATO Summit. You played that
sound bite from Mark Rutte, before we had this live segment here. Mark Rutte also said, look, he really can't talk about the tomahawks, because
that is a strictly bilateral issue between the United States and Ukraine.
Obviously, everybody looking towards that Friday meeting in the White House between the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump,
because in effect, the U.S. would either have to give those missiles to the Ukrainians, or if they allow NATO members to purchase those missiles to
then give them to Ukraine.
[11:25:00]
The U.S. would still have to sign off on that transfer. So certainly, NATO is saying, yes, they are looking favorably at that meeting taking place,
but they really can't comment on those Tomahawk missiles at this time, guys.
GOLODRYGA: Something else they're discussing is what to do with the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets as well. Ukraine has long pushed for that
money to be used to not only fund this war, but also help Ukraine rebuild following the war as well. Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much.
Well, turning now to Kenya, where civilians there and citizens are mourning the death of one of its most prominent political leaders. Former Prime
Minister Raila Odinga has passed away at the age of 80. Odinga reportedly suffered a heart attack while receiving medical treatment in India.
ASHER: Kenyans marched the streets of Nairobi, sharing their grief for the man who for decades was at the heart of Kenyan politics. His work as a pro-
democracy activist led to really important political reforms, including multi-party democracy and a new constitution.
Our Larry Madowo joins us live now from Nairobi. I mean, this one will hit a lot of Kenyans hard. I mean, this is a man who has been a key figure in
Kenyan politics for decades. I mean, he launched or tried to become President of Kenya five times. He failed. He was prime minister at one
point, and, of course, a key opposition figure, a thorn in the side of a lot of members of Kenya's political elite.
And that Larry, I think the question is now that he's gone. I mean, it does leave a void in terms of who's going to be the voice of the opposition now
in Kenya.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It leaves a massive void about who will lead the opposition in Kenya, but also about President Ruto's chances of
reelection in 2027. He was depending on the support of Raila Odinga for that. But you've seen this wailing and weeping on the streets here in
Nairobi and other parts of the country.
Kenya, in mourning about the death of one of its greatest sons, a towering figure in African politics, has been eulogized by leaders from around the
world, from Narendra Modi to Cyril Ramaphosa to Bola Tinubu, leaders in every corner of the world celebrating this man's contributions to
democracy.
He was simply known as Baba, meaning dad, and many here saw him as that the father of democracy, as President William Ruto described him. And after the
news came out of his cardiac arrest and death in southwest India, many hundreds gathered at his home here in Nairobi, at his home in Western
Kenya.
And I went to his home here in Nairobi and met hundreds of people who were weeping and holding branches, which you only do in lower culture when a
great man has died. And I asked one of the people who was there why she had come there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDA AMBITHO, MURNER: I'm here today because Baba has made an impact in our lives as Kenyans, as East Africans, and as Africa in general. He's been
the father of democracy, and us as Kenyans, we are enjoying freedom because of Baba. So today I'm here because Raila is down, and it's so painful.
MADOWO: So, when you heard that he had died, you had to come to his home to mourn with the people here.
AMBITHO: I actually left my work and come right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: She left her office just to be there to mourn with the family. Raila Odinga's body is to be transported back here to Nairobi. The
government of India has agreed to facilitate that transfer. President Ruto announced, while he declared seven days on national mourning, flags will
fly at half mast, and he will have a state funeral with full honors, when that happens.
No one sacrificed more for the democracy in Kenya, and no one gave as much as he did. He was imprisoned multiple times in the 80s in the fight for
multi-party democracy. He saw that come to fruition in 1991, and in 2010, he helped bring together a new constitution in Kenya that's been praised as
one of the most progressive in the world.
That is why he became one of the most recognizable figures in African politics, so powerful, never having become president, and yet so
influential that four different Kenyan Presidents had to seek his support to govern effectively.
ASHER: It is remarkable, when you think about it, somebody who became that famous, that well known, not just across Africa, but really across the
world, despite never having received the top job. And as you point out, there's a massive question about what happens in terms of the opposition
when during Kenya's next elections in 2027.
Larry Madowo, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, 15 days and counting, the U.S. government shutdown is in its third week with
no end in sight. And how president threatens to retaliate against his political foes -- foes?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today.
ASHER: Hamas has handed over just eight bodies under an agreement to return the remains of 28 deceased hostages after the U.S. brokers ceasefire.
Israel says one of the remains was actually not an Israeli hostage. The slow pace of their return is frustrating. A lot of people in Israel, the
government is responding by continuing to restrict the flow of aid into Gaza.
GOLODRYGA: NATO is discussing plans to stiffen its defenses against Russia. Defense Ministers are in Brussels today to talk about sending more weapons
to Ukraine. Delivering long range American Tomahawk missiles is not on the agenda. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to repeat
his pleas for the weapons when he visits the White House on Friday.
ASHER: Pakistan, Afghanistan's Taliban have agreed to a temporary ceasefire after deadly gunfire erupted between the neighbors. It was some of the
worst violence between the two countries in years. The Taliban initially accused Pakistan of launching attacks in Kabul and a border region.
Pakistani government says the two sides are making what it calls sincere efforts to find a positive solution.
GOLODRYGA: U.S. President Donald Trump is touting another U.S. military strike targeting a boat off the coast of Venezuela in which six people were
killed. The president claims the vessel was affiliated with Narco- terrorists, though neither he nor the Pentagon have provided any proof of that.
This is the fifth such strike the U.S. has announced in the past several months.
[11:35:00]
ASHER: Right, the U.S. government shutdown has entered its third week without any resolution in sight.
GOLODRYGA: The president is now threatening to use the funding lapse to achieve some of his own political goals and expand executive authority.
Donald Trump says that he will release a list on Friday of what he calls democratic programs that he wants to permanently cut in his bid to shrink
the government.
The White House, however, says it will reallocate existing funds to temporarily pay the military. It's important to remember Congress controls
the purse. Meanwhile, Mike Johnson, who is refusing to call the House back into session, warns the shutdown could become the longest in history.
ASHER: On Tuesday, the Senate failed to pass the funding bill for the eighth time, and President Donald Trump is also, by the way, throwing his
support behind the Pentagon's controversial new restrictions on reporters. Most major news organizations, including CNN and Fox News, are protesting
the rules would essentially restrict journalists' ability to keep Americans informed on national security issues.
CNN's Political Commentator Sabrina Singh is a Former Deputy Press Secretary at the Pentagon joins us live now from Washington. So, Sabrina,
of course, you are the perfect person to talk to about this. Hegseth's Press Office essentially is outlining these new rules for beat reporters,
reporters who cover the Pentagon.
Essentially saying that these reporters have to pledge, sign a pledge, not to cover or obtain or access any unauthorized material, even if that
material is unclassified. And anyone who doesn't sign the pledge, essentially would be not allowed to cover the Pentagon in the same way,
just as Former Press Secretary of the Pentagon. Can you just give us first and foremost your reaction to this?
SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I mean, when I first saw this. You know, it was pretty devastating to see sort of not only the
pledge that the department is trying to get reporters to sign, but really what it's going to do for the American people.
I mean, because news outlets like CNN and others are not going to sign this pledge, because it's essentially saying to reporters that you'll be the
stenographers for the Pentagon and not report on other, you know, news stories or on sourcing that reporters might find.
And it really is a detriment to the American public and the accountability and transparency that reporters and the free press provide to the American
people. I mean, you have to remember, this is a department that is requesting the largest budget, nearly a trillion dollars to fund the
Department of Defense.
And so, the American public deserves to know how their tax dollars are being spent, whether that comes to operations or our men and women in
uniform, in our civilian workforce, putting their lives on the line to protect American freedom. And it's just going to be really devastating to
have, you know, a Pentagon press corps that's no longer in the building.
GOLODRYGA: I'm sure there were times as secretary, press secretary there, where you were hoping to avoid some of the tough questions and the press
briefings from journalists. But of course, that is the nature of the job. And we should note that CNN, along with many others of our colleagues at
other networks, did not sign that pledge.
And one of the questions they would likely be asking and some of the concerns about why this pledge was introduced, and why we are seeing such
guidelines now asking or the White House demanding to be enforced, is because of what we're seeing happen around the world.
Let me ask you about the strike on the Venezuelan boat. It is the fifth such strike on a vessel off of Venezuela by the U.S. in just the last month
alone. Under what legal authority, can you tell us if at all the Pentagon allowed to carry out what appears to be extrajudicial killings?
Now, nobody wants Narco-terrorists in the United States, but there is a legal process typically I would imagine that should be followed in terms of
addressing this concern. Is this it?
SINGH: Well, I mean, this is the problem, and this is the questions that I think the Pentagon press corps, and frankly, others have, and members of
Congress have, is what is the legal authority that the Pentagon is using to conduct these strikes? And not only that, you have mentioned that this is
the fifth strike that we've seen.
No individuals have been named. We have no idea exactly where they were heading, what was being carried on board. And at the same time,
multimillion dollar platforms are likely being used to conduct these strikes. I mean, they're being done from the air.
They're likely from an aerial platform, and to use a missile like that not only cost millions of dollars, but you're essentially using it against a
speedboat carrying a few people on it. Is that one, a good use of American taxpayer dollars. And two, why aren't we getting the answers to the
questions that we all deserve?
[11:40:00]
And because the Pentagon is not conducting regular press briefings, members of Congress are not getting answers to their questions. There's a lot of
uncertainty and murkiness out there that frankly, we all deserve to know the answers to. Like you said, no one wants to see drugs come into our
country, but there are ways to intercept these boats that are more cost effective than using our military resources.
And so, when you don't have a Pentagon press corps, or you don't even conduct Pentagon briefings. You know, we're left with a lot more questions
than we have answers to.
ASHER: Yeah, we know that at least one U.S. military strike on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean targeted Colombians as well. And just in
terms of government shutdown, because we have so much to talk to you about today, but just in terms of this government shutdown that's now entering
its third week.
It's very interesting, because President Donald Trump does have this role abroad now it seems as this master negotiator, right, this person who has a
great ability to make all sides nervous. And therefore, is much better able, apparently than previous presidents, to bring all sides to the table,
because of that.
Domestically, it is a very, very different story when it comes to the government shutdown or other issues here in the U.S. He is a much more
polarizing figure, less willing to compromise, far less willing to negotiate. Just explain the dichotomy in terms of the two sides we're
seeing of the U.S. President play out both domestically and on the world stage.
SINGH: Well, you know, it is a striking contrast. I think here at home, the government is shut down, and many people across the federal government are
about to go without paychecks. I mean, I think paychecks were supposed to be issued yesterday, and so people are going without pay, basically,
starting today.
And you have our men and women in uniform who are being deployed to cities around the country, you know, as part of the National Guard, going without
pay. And then you have, you know, our folks abroad, also, you know, struggling with that. I mean, you saw some of those photos with our service
members in law at food lines.
So, there is that stark contrast here, at home, but then abroad. I mean, it should be commended that this administration did bring home the last
remaining hostages, living hostages that were being held by Hamas in Gaza. But there's still a lot of uncertainty with that deal and how we move
forward into that phase three of rebuilding Gaza.
So, I think what you saw from this administration, written from Donald Trump on the world stage, is really using American power at its best and
being able to bring allies to the table and bring a coalition together to bring a conclusion to, you know, a very long war. But again, there's so
many remaining questions. And of course, here at home is where people are feeling it the most, especially with the shutdown.
So it's good that we have a conclusion, or somewhat of an end chapter to what's happening in Gaza, but here at home, you know, we need the
government to be reopened to continue to ask these tough questions and get more answers from this administration on everything that you mentioned,
from the strikes happening, you know, in the south com area of responsibility to you know, our folks can get paid.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, a reminder that members of Congress, however long this shutdown will be, are still getting paid.
ASHER: -- The irony there. Maybe if they weren't, the shutdown would only last less than 24 hours. Sabrina Singh live for us. Thank you so much.
SINGH: Thank you both.
GOLODRYGA: All right ahead on "One World", the U.S. immigration crackdown, and what it means to a teenager who watched her parents being taken away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: Right, Los Angeles County is declaring a state of emergency over federal immigration raids. L.A. officials blame the crackdown for spreading
fear in the community.
GOLODRYGA: In Chicago, one teenager knows all about that fear. She's been telling CNN that she could barely keep herself together when both of her
parents were detained by I.C.E. agents. This video showing the confrontation and questioning by I.C.E. agents has gone viral. We'll have
more on that in a moment.
ASHER: Since then, Yurithsi Enciso and her older brother have been left to care for their younger siblings as they wait to hear what will happen next.
CNN's Maria Santana has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video quickly spread across social media, a teenage girl on the side of the road shielding her
younger siblings as I.C.E. agents arrest their parents and older brother after a traffic stop in September.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your brother, is he a citizen?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- we don't answer questions.
YURITHSI ENCISO, PARENTS DETAINED BY I.C.E.: That's all I could say. Like no other words came out of my mouth. I was not prepared for that.
SANTANA (voice-over): 19-year-old Yurithsi Enciso and her 22-year-old brother Moises, Jr., speaking publicly for the first time about that viral
moment that they say turned their lives upside down.
ENCISO: My heart was just kept pounding. Kept pounding, my legs, my hand, kept shaking.
SANTANA (voice-over): She says she was only able to hold it together for her 12-year-old sister and her little brother, who was turning 10 that day.
ENCISO: I didn't want them to see me crying, because that was going to affect them more.
SANTANA: Yeah.
ENCISO: So, I just had to make sure they were calm. It's OK. We're going to be OK.
SANTANA (voice-over): Moises, Jr. says that morning, he went with his parents to pick up supplies at Home Depot before the family's birthday
celebration when they were pulled over for allegedly making an illegal U- turn. He recalls three I.C.E. vehicles blocking them in and agents surrounding their car demanding to see their IDs.
MOISES ENCISO, JR., PARENTS DETAINED BY I.C.E.: And they just kept asking us these questions. And my dad kept looking back at me and saying, like,
should I answer? What should I do? And I was kind of like also panicking.
SANTANA (voice-over): Yurithsi and Moises, Jr., both are awaiting approval for deferred action for childhood arrival status or DACA. Their siblings
are U.S. citizens. According to DHS, their parents, Constantina Ramirez and Moises Enciso, Sr., are undocumented Mexican immigrants.
They have lived in Cicero, a suburb outside of Chicago for nearly 20 years, the family attorney told CNN. They are now being held in separate detention
centers.
ENCISO: And I remember that first night, the first thing I wanted to do was sleep in my mom and dad's bed, because it felt like if I was sleeping
there, I had like a part of them.
SANTANA (voice-over): That night marked the beginning of a new reality, one where they were suddenly left to care for their younger siblings.
ENCISO: They haven't been doing good. They're always saying that they miss them whenever we're, like, about to eat and like own it like tough
flashbacks about my mom and dad. Oh, remember when my mom did this kind of just like a quiet, they sat.
SANTANA: What would it mean for your family if they worded that they told it.
ENCISO, JR.: They try not to think about it.
SANTANA: Oh, it's -- Oh, it's hard.
ENCISO, JR.: Think we don't know, like we don't know if my siblings can stay here with us, like we don't know if they have to go to Mexico. There's
just a lot of like, insecurity or uncertainty that we just.
SANTANA (voice-over): According to DHS, if the parents have a valid claim, it will be heard by a judge.
[11:50:00]
If not, they will be subject to removal, but their children say they'll keep fighting until their family is together again.
ENCISO: -- There are hardworking people who, I don't know if I consider my parents more best -- and now they're going to be there for me and support
me.
SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, President Donald Trump has threatened to relocate next year's Football World Cup matches out of suburban Boston, after suggesting
that parts of the city had been taken over by unrest.
GOLODRYGA: But here's the issue, it's not up to him. The 11 U.S. cities that are due to host matches are chosen directly by FIFA, not to mention
changing venues before the June kickoff would be a logistical nightmare. CNN's Patrick Snell joins us live. Patrick, what's the president's beef
with Boston and FIFA here?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Zain, Bianna, look every World Cup I've ever covered over the years, and they've been a few the -- where the
matches are played are always determined by the tournament organizers, in this case, FIFA. But could next year's Men's World Cup in the U.S., Canada
and Mexico.
Could it be different? You're absolutely right. You know, this is the president weighing in. You know, the bulk of the matches will be here in
the U.S., and that includes games in the Boston area. This actually now the second time in a month that Trump has threatened to remove the right to
host games from U.S. cities, even though the tournament organizers say he doesn't have the remit to do so.
Now, President Trump said he could push to relocate matches from Boston after suggesting that parts of the city had been, as he put it, taken over
by what he called unrest. The home of the NFL, New England Patriots in Foxborough is one of 11 venues set to hold matches in America.
Now, just for some context here, Boston has a Democrat Mayor, Michelle Wu, who Trump has described as intelligent but radical left. Let's listen to
Trump now speaking at a press event with Argentina's President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The answer is yes, if somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni the Head of FIFA, who's
phenomenal. And I would say, let's move it to another location. And he would do that. He wouldn't love to do it, but he'd do it very easily. He'd
do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: That's a reference to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with whom Trump has a very good and positive relationship, I should point out.
[11:55:00]
As I mentioned, it's not the first time in the last few weeks that President Trump has talked about moving matches. My "World Sport" colleague
Amanda Davies actually recently sat down with Victor Montagliani, the FIFA Vice President, President of CONCACAF, that's the footballing federation
that covers North Central America and the Caribbean region as well.
That is hosting the World Cup at the leaders in sports summit. He insisted it is FIFA's tournament and FIFA's jurisdiction -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR MONTAGLIANI, VICE PRESIDENT OF FIFA: With all due respect to current world leaders, football is bigger than them, and football will survive
their regime, their government, their slogans. Does it cause a headache once in a while when you're having to administer the game, whether you're
at a league or an international federation, of course it does. You have to be realistic about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: A case of watch this space. Watch it closely, teams right now are vying to book their spot at the World Cup for 2026. There are subplots and
stories, and I think more twists to come. We're tracking it every step of the way. You can be sure of that. Right back to you.
GOLODRYGA: I'm already going to put in my day request for to be off air, whatever --
ASHER: I can --
GOLODRYGA: Patrick, thank you so much.
ASHER: Thank you, Patrick, we'll have much more "One World" after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
