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One World with Zain Asher

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: "I am Sorry"; Trump: It's Time for Country to Move on Amid Fallout; Israel Brings Forward Security Cabinet Meeting; Trump: "Softer Touch" may be Needed in Immigration Crackdown; Stars of Netflix's Hit Series "Bridgerton" Speak to CNN; China Robot's Fancy Footwork at the Olympics. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired February 05, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Zain and Bianna are off today. This is "One World". Britain's Prime

Minister could be fighting for his political future as the fallout from the release of the latest Epstein files continues to reverberate around the

globe.

The U.S. Department of Justice is under scrutiny for failing to protect some victims while redacting too much information on alleged abuses. The

Chairman of a top U.S. law firm is stepping down. Emails show he communicated with a late convicted sex offender as recently as 2019.

And in Britain, a newly released email appears to confirm the authenticity of a photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and sex trafficking victim

Virginia Duffre. The British Prime Minister, has apologized once again today for hiring Peter Mendelson to be the Ambassador to the U.S.

Mendelsohn stepped down from his -- from the House of Lords this week over his ties to Epstein. Here's what Starmer said to Epstein's victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry, that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having

believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him. I'm sorry that even now you're forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: In his newest analysis CNN's Stephen Collinson says the Epstein storm could topple a world leader, but it's not Trump. He joins me now live

from Washington. Good to have you with us, Stephen. So why does the prime minister with no personal link to Epstein look closer to losing his job

than the U.S. President whose name appears in these files?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think that the latest release of the Epstein files have cast an even worse light on Keir

Starmer's decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as U.S. Ambassador, or UK Ambassador, to the U.S.

Mandelson was fired last year after a previous release of the Epstein files, but the closeness of his relationship with Epstein that's revealed

in the latest document dump from the Justice Department has really played into this idea that Starmer was already in deep political trouble, and

that's exacerbated that it's exacerbated questions about his judgment.

Why did he choose someone while knowing that he had a friendship with Epstein, and indeed, Mandelson was already a very controversial figure. So,

I think Starmer is facing already an existential threat to his political career, and this is a catalyst for more questions about his judgment.

In the case of Trump, you know, Trump controls the U.S. Justice Department. He has a very firm grip on the Republican majority in Congress. Those are

the organs of accountability and investigation. And while there are no criminal charges that have been laid against Trump or suggestion that he

did anything wrong, there is absolutely no chance that the Justice Department is going to do anything that is embarrassing to the president.

After all, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is the point man on Epstein. He used to be Trump's former personal lawyer.

KINKADE: And of course, Stephen, you describe Trump as being almost immune to character scandals. Has Epstein simply become background noise in this

oversaturated environment?

COLLINSON: Yeah, I wouldn't say necessary background noise, but there's so much that Trump does all the time. Look at the extraordinary January we

had. He went and got Maduro in Venezuela. We had the shootings of two American citizens in Minnesota.

This week we've been talking about his threat to nationalize the midterm elections, which is a threat against American democracy. The FBI went and

seized voting machines from Georgia in line with his obsession about the 2020 election.

So, Epstein, I think, is a very serious matter. There are questions about what the president knew about what Epstein was doing during his friendship,

which has since been broken off with Epstein. But there's just so much that Trump floods the zone with scandal and outrage, and I think it's very

difficult for any one particular question to really hurt him politically.

That said, look at his approval ratings. They're below 40 percent. The main reason for that is partly immigration.

[11:05:00]

Perhaps Epstein is having a little bit of an impact, but mainly it's about the economy, and the fact that many Americans believe that the economy is

not working for them and they're having trouble affording their basic needs. If Trump is really hurt politically, it probably won't be Epstein,

but something else that does it.

KINKADE: Yeah, I think you're right. Stephen Collinson, as always, our thanks to you.

COLLINSON: Thanks.

KINKADE: Well, in Abu Dhabi, some progress on talks between Russia and Ukraine, each returning 157 prisoners to the other side. This marks the

first such exchange in four months. According to Steve Witkoff, talks were productive, but he says significant work remains.

And overnight, a landmark nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia expired for more than a decade the "New START Treaty" put limits on both

country's nuclear arsenals. I want to go straight to Fred Pleitgen who joins us live from Moscow. Good to have you there for us, Fred.

So, from what you're hearing there is Moscow signaling any real flexibility when it comes to those core issues of territory and security guarantees.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems as though the talks, as Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Envoy, put it, seem to have

been constructive, and that's certainly something that we're hearing from the Russian side and from the Ukrainian side as well.

In fact, Kyrylo Budanov, who is, of course, the Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, he came out and said that they were

extraordinarily constructive as he put it. The Russians for their side, also said that there had been movement on the talks. However, those

comments came from Kirill Dmitriev, who is the Chief Russian Negotiator ahead of that round of talks that happened today.

It was quite interesting to hear that Steve Witkoff also said that there had been some progress made on key issues, but he also said that difficult

issues still remain. And one of the things that appears to have happened in this round of talks is that, first of all, they went into a tri lateral

meeting, which is sort of a large meeting with the U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations, but then also tried to compartmentalize things into

working groups to try and work through some of those very difficult issues.

Of course, what we've been hearing from both the U.S. and the Ukrainian side is that territorial concessions that Ukraine might have to make as

part of any sort of peace agreement are still something that's very difficult for the Russian side, of course, they also say that they

certainly wants to have all of the Donetsk region of Ukraine as part of any peace agreement. Those are still some of the very difficult things to work

through.

The U.S. side has said that at the same time as this is going on, the atmosphere is still very constructive, and certainly that prisoner swap

that happened today, they say, is also something that's a direct tangible result of these negotiations and the constructive atmosphere that they're

in.

Again, 314 prisoners being exchanged the Ukrainian side, saying that 139 of the prisoners that they received now had been in custody in the Russian

Federation since 2022 so certainly a large step for the Ukrainians that sort of sets the tone.

And one of the things we picked up on is that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, he also came out and said that they want to continue

this momentum that has now started, and want to have the next round of talks to happen as soon as possible, Lynda.

KINKADE: OK, Frederik Pleitgen for us in Moscow. Thank you very much. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iran's Supreme Leader to be very worried

ahead of nuclear talks in Oman on Friday. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister are expected to lead the negotiating teams.

Both sides appear at odds over the agenda, including Washington's insistence that the discussions include Tehran's ballistic missile program.

Right now, the U.S. military buildup in the region continues. Here's what President Trump told NBC News on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should the Supreme Leader in Iran be worried right now?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be. As you know, they're

negotiating with us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know they are, but the protesters have said, you know, where are the Americans? You promised them we would have their back. Do we

still have their back?

TRUMP: We've had their back. And look, that country is a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear -- peace in the

Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: You will recall that it was Trump who threw the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear Deal during his first term back in 2018. Well, Steve Witkoff also

met with the Israeli Prime Minister in Jerusalem Tuesday ahead of those planned U.S. Iran negotiations. And according to a readout from the Prime

Minister's Office, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran -- warned him that Iran could not be trusted.

An Israeli official says the Security Cabinet meeting that was supposed to take place Sunday has now been moved to this afternoon. CNN's Nic Robertson

joins us now live in Jerusalem. Good to have you with us, Nic.

So, we know Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn't trust Iran. So, does it -- does Israel see the U.S. strategy as too optimistic, too weak?

[11:10:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It certainly sees the potential for an outcome that Israel would rather not have. Israel thinks

that Iran is weak at the moment that it's beaten back. Israel has beaten back its proxies, Hezbollah to the north in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the

Houthis also in Yemen.

So, there's a sense from the Israeli perspective that the war, that short, 12-day war last year, was a success, but the job is not done, at least

that's sort of how it's -- how it's assumed that the prime minister is viewing the situation, and therefore is the Israelis are cautious about the

way the United States are handing handling the talks right now.

They will see the fact that the talks were originally this week going to be scheduled to be in Turkey, that they were going to be regional partners,

regional allies of the United States, the UAE, the Saudis, the Qataris, were going to be there. The Omanis, the Pakistan was also going to be

represented at those talks in Turkey.

But then Iran decided to shift the tables, it appears, and decide to have the talks without those other regional allies of the United States, and to

have the talks in Oman. And the foreign minister of Iran has said that those talks will be about nuclear issues.

U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has said it needs to include the missiles -- the who -- the proxies of Iran in the region as well. So,

there's a big air gap between where the U.S. is on this, where Iran says it is at the moment. And from Israel's perspective, which always viewed the

last nuclear deal the United States did with Iran, the JCPOA, back in 2015 they always viewed that as a weak and not positive move for the security in

the region.

So, I think when you take that in the round, Israel will be concerned that that and in the worst of what the Prime Minister Netanyahu told Steve

Witkoff earlier in the week that there's a real possibility they worry that Iran will try to get into talks with the U.S., will string the talks out,

and that this will sort of cause a lowering of the tensions, a decrease in the likelihood of strikes on Iran, which, you know, many in the region are

concerned about.

Yet from Israel's perspective, this is the time when Iran is at its weakest. So, I think all of this will be the sort of things on Prime

Minister Netanyahu's mind when he has those talks with the security cabinet, where he'll meet with those cabinet members and be able to give

them his view of conversations with Steve Witkoff and his view potentially, of what the talks could hold between the U.S. and Iran.

KINKADE: All right. Nic Robertson for us in Jerusalem, our thanks to you. Well, President Trump is promising a more nuanced approach to his

immigration crackdown following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. He tells NBC News a softer touch may be needed in

the operation. Trump acknowledges that the shootings should not have happened.

Alayna Treene is at the White House and joins us now. Alayna, good to have you there for us. So, President Trump certainly signaling a different tone

when it comes to his crackdown using I.C.E. What does that mean in real terms on the front line in cities like Minneapolis?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I think this is really going to happen. We're going to have to wait and see, really, if this is

actually a strategic move that the president is doing.

Particularly when you look at Minnesota, for example, we did hear from the president's Border Czar Tom Homan, who is on the ground in the state,

essentially saying that, yes, they are removing 700 I.C.E. personnel, border personnel from the state. They're still leaving 2000.

And we heard from local leaders saying that's a good start, but we have to really see what that looks like in practice. As you mentioned, does this

actually de-escalate in the ways that many people are hoping. But I will acknowledge that the president's comments calling for a softer touch are

definitely rare for him.

He is not one to typically admit any types of missteps from him or from his administration more broadly. I do want you to listen, Lynda to the exact

language that the president used.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking of Minneapolis what did you learn?

TRUMP: I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough. These are criminal. We're dealing with really

hard criminals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: I think there are a few things to keep in mind with this as well. Obviously, this is very different rhetoric, as you mentioned, from what we

have heard from some of his top officials, like the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem or his Deputy of Staff, Steven Miller, when they

aggressively came out to defend the I.C.E. agents involved in the fatal shootings of those two U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

This is far more conciliatory, again, very rare for the president, but that comes as we know that the public is not really with the administration on

this issue.

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We've seen a number of polls Lynda in recent days essentially saying that the majority of Americans believed that there was excessive force used, and

that the killings of those two Americans were not justified. And so, Trump is definitely looking at those polls. He is hearing about that feedback

from his advisors.

I know that from my conversations with the people in the building behind me. And part of this as well is that this is an issue that Trump knows he

helped him get back into the White House for a second term. He still believes it is very popular. He still believes it's an issue as they look

ahead to the November midterm elections, that he hopes Republicans -- will help Republicans largely win.

We'll see if that's the case, but he recognizes there needs to be the shift in order for them to be successful in that effort.

KINKADE: Exactly. Alayna Treene for us outside the White House. Thanks very much. Well, still to come on "One World", we sit down with the stars of the

number one show streaming on Netflix right now "Bridgerton" and fans can't get enough the season four drops. The interview is next. You're watching

CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. "Bridgerton" is the most popular show on Netflix right now. And Season Four serves up fresh scandals, high stakes romance

and the return of two of the most powerful forces, Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte. I caught up with the stars to talk about legacy, longevity and

how their characters epic friendship anchors the show.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I should like great gossip.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The social season might look a little --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You must begin the proper way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dearest gentle reader.

KINKADE: So, the new season is upon us. Did you ever think back on those first days on set that Bridgerton would be this successful?

GOLDA ROSHEUVEL, "QUEEN CHARLOTTE": No, I think is the simplest answer.

ADJOA ANDOH, "LADY AGATHA DANBURY": I think we thought we'd be in a reasonably successful show, but to have 82 million households watching it

within the first 28 days. Who can imagine that?

KINKADE: Yeah. It's quite incredible, really.

ROSHEUVEL: Yeah.

ANDOH: Bridgerton is a bit of a game changer in terms of a historical drama for -- yes for its casting, for it's -- for the amount of sex.

KINKADE: And Ariana Grande.

ANDOH: It's pretty romantic.

KINKADE (voice-over): Bridgerton's newest season dives even deeper into the social chess match of London in the early 19th century.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The impossible seems possible.

KINKADE (voice-over): At the center of it all is Lady Danbury, sharp, tongued, eagle eyed, and always several moves ahead, she's not only the

lady in waiting to the powerful Queen Charlotte she's her friend and confidant. For three seasons, they've shared a tight, almost dependent

relationship.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you wish to leave me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your Majesty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot go. I will not allow it.

ROSHEUVEL: I truly believe that this is one of the great love stories of Bridgerton.

KINKADE: It really is. You have such a strong bond that's really tested this season.

ROSHEUVEL: Yeah.

[11:20:00]

KINKADE: What was it like preparing for that shift?

ROSHEUVEL: Charlotte plays the Queen card for the first time ever in this relationship, the status card. These two women head-to-head for the first

time, and it's hurtful. Adjoa has been one of the actresses in my life who I really admire, and I've always looked up to.

And to share the screen with her is epic, a real privilege to have two people of color, women of color, sharing the screen is beyond exciting.

KINKADE: And they're both such strong characters.

ROSHEUVEL: Yes.

ANDOH: They are. And you know, we get to -- we get to play. You know, we've been strong. We've been strategic. In the origin story, you've seen us both

be a little vulnerable, but in the main show, you really haven't. So, we have to find our way back from this impasse where we're -- it's like kids

in the playground really.

KINKADE: And is it true that you originally auditioned for this path Lady Danbury?

ROSHEUVEL: It was. Yes, it is true.

KINKADE: Do you remember that audition -- how the casting process changed?

ROSHEUVEL: It haunts me. I fell apart in the room. It was a terrible, terrible audition. An hour later, when I got home, I got a call to say,

there's this other little part of the Queen, would yourself tape for it? I said, fine, great. And I just did it off the cuff.

ANDOH: And that's where the magic is.

ROSHEUVEL: That's where the magic is.

KINKADE: We know Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistle Down.

ROSHEUVEL: Lady Whistle Down, yes.

KINKADE: And you and her have this little cat and mouse dynamic?

ROSHEUVEL: Yes.

KINKADE: And it changes this season where --

ROSHEUVEL: She's my little play thing.

KINKADE: Yeah, she's your subject, but she's also, you're also a fan of Lady Whistle Down.

ROSHEUVEL: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

KINKADE: How does that dynamic play out?

ROSHEUVEL: It was great. It was great to kind of expand that rivalry, but face to face.

ANDOH: And what's great is, you know, both these women have been trapped in their roles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would need to be well disguised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just to be out by midnight.

KINKADE: And this season begins with this fabulous masquerade ball.

ROSHEUVEL: Yes.

KINKADE: I feel like wardrobe never gets a break.

ANDOH: John Glaser, our Emmy award winning costume designer, and his team. They worked so hard it's stunning.

ROSHEUVEL: They're also keeping this ecosystem of, you know, the felt maker from Italy, or the leather worker from Spain. You know, there are whole

little cottage industries of craft ship that is still continuing, because they've got this outlet in the show now.

KINKADE: And all the flowers I understand are real too. The florist must be the fizzy.

ANDOH: The florist, the food. We have historical food cookery on everything.

KINKADE: Each season we see someone new.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're the teacher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are perhaps the most intriguing person I've ever met.

KINKADE (voice-over): Australian Actress Yerin Ha stepping into a leading role as the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton.

KINKADE: This year, we've got Australian.

ANDOH: Yes.

ROSHEUVEL: Yes.

KINKADE: Patriot.

ANDOH: Yeah.

KINKADE: Fellow Aussie who's wonderful.

ROSHEUVEL: She's amazing.

KINKADE: How does that new energy change the dynamic?

ANDOH: It's energy. And Yerin has got this lightness and this brightness, but a depth to her as well. She's lovely.

ROSHEUVEL: And then we also introduced class, because of the Cinderella nature of the story.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wants to find the lady.

KINKADE: There are countless actors who would love to be cast in Bridgerton. What would your advice be to them?

ANDOH: That's a good question. Find your connection with the character, and then have fun.

ROSHEUVEL: Yes, I think that would be my -- play, play, play.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, the countdown continues to the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and we are just one day away. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is

now in Milan ahead of tomorrow's opening ceremony. Earlier, he met with U.S. Olympic Athletes, saying that the entire country is rooting for them.

On Wednesday Team USA's first ever honorary coach Snoop Dogg joined the torch relay. The Olympic flame passed through several Italian cities before

arriving in Monza. And some of the sporting action has already begun, starting with a mixed doubles curling and the Women's Ice Hockey.

Well, move over Raygun a new smooth dancer is at the Olympics. You can find this dancing robot at the Chinese Hospitality House in Milan. It showed off

some hip hop and break-dancing moves and even showcase in Tai Chi. The Milan Cortina opening ceremony is tomorrow, and robots are not allowed to

compete, but this guy perhaps should be good at give it a medal.

Well finally, this hour in the United States, all eyes are on Sunday's Super Bowl between the Seattle East Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

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And it's not just for football fans the ads of course, and a half time show are always entertaining. Global Star, Bad Bunny, will take to the Super

Bowl stage in a performance that is already making history. Bad Bunny will be the first Spanish language artist to headline the half time show. In the

coming hours, the Puerto Rican Rapper will hold a news conference, which we will bring to you live.

I'm Lynda Kinkade. I will be back with "One World" in about 90 minutes. Right now, CNN Creators is up next. And then a special edition of

"Amanpour".

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(CNN CREATORS)

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