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Top Federal Prosecutors Quit Over Orders to Drop NYC Mayor Adam's Charges; Trump Speaks After Meeting Indian Prime Minister; Face Checking Trump's News Conference with Indian PM. Top Federal Prosecutors Quit Over Orders To Drop Adams Charges. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 13, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: -- Sportico. Number one is soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, earning a reported $250 million. Other popular athletes on the list include Steph Curry, LeBron James and, of course, the MVP of the Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts, the quarterback of my beloved Philadelphia Eagles. The parade is tomorrow in Philly.
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The news continues on CNN with one Mr. Wolf Blitzer right next door in a place called "THE SITUATION ROOM." I'll see you tomorrow.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news.
Several top federal prosecutors call it quits after the Trump administration's orders to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. One official accusing Adams' lawyers of offering what amounted to a quid pro quo.
Also breaking, we're standing by for remarks by President Trump after his meeting with the visiting prime minister of India over at the White House. Trump's front burner issues of trade and immigration very much on their agenda.
And the president is lashing out at Senator Mitch McConnell after the former GOP leader voted against Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s confirmation as health secretary. We're taking a closer look at McConnell's new rebellious streak and Trump's very angry reaction.
Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BLITZER: And we begin with breaking news, new protest resignations by top U.S. Justice Department officials and a New York federal prosecutor. They're quitting over the Trump administration's order to drop criminal corruption charges against the Democratic mayor of New York City, Eric Adams.
CNN's Kara Scannell is in New York. She's got details for us.
Kara, what do we know about these officials and their resignations?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this is becoming a growing crisis at the Justice Department. The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, who is serving in an acting capacity, informed the Department of Justice that she would be resigning today. That is because she will not follow through with the directive from acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove to dismiss those charges against Eric Adams.
This followed this meeting that took place between the prosecutors from the Southern District and Bove and Adams' attorneys. And what Sassoon writes in her letter to the Department of Justice, the attorney general resigning. She says that Adams' attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams' would be in a position to assist with department enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed.
She is arguing that this was not about the merits of the case and something that she said she stands behind because she said that they were ready to bring a superseding indictment, new charges against Mayor Adams relating to obstruction of justice.
Now, in the response, this is Emil Bove responding to the resignation letter, he said he accepted her resignation and he said, defending their position, saying the Justice Department has reached this conclusion about dismissing the case without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based. The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration.
Now, the thing here, Wolf, is that whether who is going to move to dismiss this case now because in addition to Sassoon, when Emil Bove moved this case to main justice, two top officials in the Public Integrity Section offered their resignation, saying that they would not move forward to dismiss the charges based on these issues that have nothing to do with the merits of the case. So Bove himself could move to dismiss it, or will they get someone else to step into that place and move to dismiss it?
Now also, it's not a foregone conclusion. A federal judge has to sign off on this, and it's possible he will want more information before willing to rubber stamp a decision from Trump's Justice Department -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Kara Scannell, in New York for us. Thanks very much for that report.
I want to go to the White House right now. That's where President Trump weighed in on the Eric Adams case just a little while ago. Let's go to CNN's Jeff Zeleny. He's over at the White House for us. So what is the president saying, Jeff?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as the president was sitting down with Indian Prime Minister Modi, he was asked specifically about this prosecutor case in New York. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A U.S. Attorney has resigned over the DOJ's request to drop the case into Eric Adams. Did you personally request the Justice Department to drop that case?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I didn't. I know nothing about it. That U.S. attorney was actually fired. I don't know if he or she resigned, but that U.S. attorney was fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:05:04]
ZELENY: So the U.S. attorney not fired of course, tendered their resignation, but we're going to see the president here taking the stage at this meeting with the Indian prime minister -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jeff, stand by. I want to go to the White House right now. The news conference between the president and visiting prime minister of India, Prime Minister Modi, is just beginning. I want to listen in.
TRUMP: I'm thrilled to welcome the prime minister of India, my friend, Narendra Modi, back to the White House. We spent a lot of time here and a lot of time in India, and he's a very special man.
Prime minister, it is a pleasure to extend to you the same hospitality that you showed Melania and myself when we traveled to your beautiful country five years ago. It's hard to believe so long ago, and it seemed like yesterday it was beautiful. We opened the cricket stadium, 129,000 seats, I think the largest stadium in the world, and it was an incredible period of time.
There is truly a special bond between the United States and India and the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy, and I believe, the world's largest country in terms of the numbers of people. And today, the prime minister and I are announcing a framework to strengthen those ties even further economically. And the U.S.-India compact for the 21st century is a historic initiative that will deepen every aspect of our partnership and our friendship.
Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters. In 2017 my administration revived and reinvigorated the Quad Security Partnership, and our meeting today, the prime minister and I reaffirmed that strong cooperation among the United States, India, Australia and Japan. And it's crucial really to maintaining peace and prosperity, tranquility, even in the Indo-Pacific.
In addition, the United States and India will be working together like never before to confront the threat of radical Islamic terrorism, a threat all over the world actually. Today, I'm pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and one of the very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India. So he's going to be going back to India to face justice.
As we deepen our defense partnership, we'll also strengthen our economic ties and bring greater fairness and reciprocity to our trading relationship. As a signal of good faith, Prime Minister Modi recently announced the reductions to India's unfair, very strong tariffs that limit U.S. access into the Indian market very strongly and really it's a big problem, I must say. India imposes a 30 percent to 40 percent to 60 percent and even 70 percent tariff on so many of the goods, and in some cases, far more than that.
And as an example, a 70 percent tariff on U.S. cars going into India, which makes it pretty much impossible to sell those cars. Today, the U.S. trade deficit with India is almost $100 billion. And Prime Minister Modi and I have agreed that we'll begin negotiations to address the long running disparities that should have been taken care of over the last four years. But they didn't do that in the U.S.-India trading relationship with the goal of signing an agreement.
And we want -- really we want a certain level playing field, which we really think we're entitled to and he does also in fairness. So we're going to work on that very hard. And we can make up the difference very easily with the deficit, with the sale of oil and gas, LNG, of which we have more than anybody in the world.
The prime minister and I also reached an important agreement on energy that will restore the United States as a leading supplier of oil and gas to India. It will be hopefully, their number one supplier in the groundbreaking development for U.S. nuclear industry. India is also reforming its laws to welcome U.S. nuclear technology, which is at the highest level into the Indian market. This will bring safe, clean and affordable electricity to millions of Indians and tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. civilian nuclear industry in India.
And under the framework we are announcing today, the United States and India are also joining forces to ensure that artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies are developed by the two of the most -- really two of the most advanced nations, intellectually and otherwise technologically, anywhere in the world.
[18:10:12]
There's nobody very much closer. We have an incredible relationship there. And those are -- this is where it seems to be heading. And artificial intelligence complex, a very complex subject, but it seems to be where people want to be and they want to go. And we're leading right now by a lot, but other people will try to catch us. I don't know if they're going to be able to. We're going to make it available. We're going to make tremendous amounts of electricity available, and
we're going to let the people that are buying the electricity make their own electric plants, electric generation plants. And we've never done this in our country, but we're going to get it done very quickly. Lee Zeldin and his group are going to get the approvals in very rapid form, and we're calling it a national emergency. And that's exactly what it is. So we're going to be -- we're going to remain at the top of the A.I. or artificial intelligence, I think, for a long time to come, and we're going to be working very closely with India and other countries on that. But right now we're the leader by quite a bit.
Finally, we agreed to work together to help build one of the greatest trade routes in all of history. It will run from India to Israel to Italy, and onward to the United States, connecting our partners by ports, railways and undersea cables. Many, many undersea cables. It's a big -- it's a big development. It's a lot of money going to be spent. And we've already spent some, but we're going to be spending a lot more in order to stay advanced and stay the leader.
I'm pleased to report that with today's announcements, the friendship between the United States and India is the strongest I believe it's ever been. I think our relationship is the best it's ever been between two leaders of the two countries, and it's an honor to say that.
I'd like to now invite the prime minister to say a few words, and then we'll take some questions. And we appreciate you all being here. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Your excellency, President Trump. Delegates of both countries, friends from the media. Namaskar.
I would like to, first of all, my heartfelt gratitude to my dear friend President Trump for the grand welcome and hospitality accorded to me. President Trump's leadership has been instrumental in nurturing India-U.S. ties and making them vibrant. I could feel today the same enthusiasm, the same enthusiasm, the same energy, the same commitment that we had worked with during our first term.
On our discussions today highlighted our pride in our accomplishments during his first term. The deep mutual trust that we share and also the resolve to attain new goals. We also agreed that the partnership and cooperation between India and the U.S. can shape a better world.
Friends, the people of America are aware of President Trump's motto, make America great again or MAGA. The people of America are well aware of it. The people of India, too, are focusing on both heritage and development as they move forward at a fast pace and with a firm resolve to ensure a developed India by 2047.
If I were to say this, borrowing an expression from America, our vision for a developed India is to make India great again or MIGA.
[18:15:04]
When America and India work together, that is when MAGA, when it's MAGA plus MIGA, it becomes MEGA, a mega partnership for prosperity. And it is this mega spirit that gives new scale and scope to our objectives.
Friends, today, we have also set ourselves the target of more than doubling our bilateral trade to attain $500 billion by 2030. Our teams will work on concluding very soon a mutually beneficial trade agreement in order to ensure India's energy security we will focus on trade in oil and gas. Investment in energy infrastructure will also increase. In the area of nuclear energy we also discussed increasing cooperation on small modular reactors.
Friends, America plays an important role in India's defense preparedness. As a strategic and trusted partners, we are moving forward actively towards joint development, joint production and transfer of technology. In the times to come as well, new technologies and equipment will enhance our capacities.
We have decided to launch the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance and a defense cooperation framework for the next decade will be prepared. Defense interoperability, logistics, repair and maintenance will also be its key components.
Friends, the 21st century is a technology-driven century. Close cooperation in the area of technology between countries that believe in democratic values can give new direction, strength and opportunities to the entire humanity. India and the U.S. will jointly work in areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology and several other technologies.
Today, we also agreed on TRUST, which stands for Transforming Relationships Utilizing Strategic Technology. Under this our focus will be on establishing strong supply chains for critical minerals, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals. We have also decided to launch a recovery and processing initiative for strategic minerals like lithium and rare earths.
We have had close cooperation with the U.S. in the area of space. The NISAR satellite, developed with mutual cooperation between ISRO and NASA, will soon be flying into space on an Indian launch vehicle.
Friends, partnership between India and the U.S. strengthens democracy and strengthens democratic values and systems. We will work together to enhance peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
[18:20:04]
The Quad will play a special role in this. During the Quad summit, scheduled to be held in India this year, we will expand cooperation in new areas with our partner countries. Under the IMEEC and I2U2, we will work together for the development of economic corridors and in the area of connectivity.
India and U.S. will stand strongly together in the fight against terrorism. We agree that in order to eliminate cross-border terrorism, we need concrete actions. And I'm very grateful to President Trump that he -- in 2008, somebody who carried out genocide in India, that criminal is now going to be handed over to India. And I'm grateful to President Trump for this. And appropriate action will be taken in the courts in India.
Friends, the Indian community living in the U.S. is an important link in our relations. In order to further deepen our people to people ties, India will soon open new consulates in Los Angeles and Boston. These will be new consulates. We have invited American universities and educational institutes to open their offshore campuses in India.
President Trump, I am grateful to you for your friendship and strong commitment towards India. The people of India still fondly remember your visit in 2020 and hope that President Trump will come and visit them again. On behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, I invite you to visit India.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
TRUMP: Thank you. Thank you very much. OK. Thank you very much. That was excellent. We'll do a few questions please. Please go ahead. Please go ahead. Yes, yes. Blue shirt.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. People in India will naturally welcome your decision to extradite Tahawwur Rana to India back home. In that context, I would like to ask you a question about in last few years, we have seen several groups in the. U.S. being raising anti-India voice, calling about separation terrorism activities in India.
Do you think that should continue here in the U.S. as well?
TRUMP: You're going to have to go louder.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, people in India would be welcoming your decision to extradite Tahawwur Rana to --
TRUMP: I can't understand a word he's saying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May I, sir? May I? May I, sir?
TRUMP: Go ahead back there.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, thank you.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: First I want to ask the prime minister a question. You and the president, you both spoke about combating ISIS. You both sounded very excited about this. Excited about this partnership upcoming. And I was curious, how much more confident are you with President Trump leading this country, that there will be peace through strength and you will have a successful partnership with the United States versus with Biden's incompetence and weakness over the last four years.
(LAUGHTER) TRUMP: That's your question, but I'll answer it. I agree with you. Gross incompetence. We're going to have a fantastic relationship, and it has been -- look, the whole world has been set back over the last four years by the weakness of the United States, the weak leadership of the United States. But I think we've taken care of it in just three weeks it seems to me that even some of the media that we wouldn't prefer has been writing that this is a much different country right now, that the world has a light over it. Not only our country, but the whole world.
The prime minister told me that before, too. Even over India, the world has a light. They need the United States to be strong and powerful, but good.
[18:25:02]
And I think that's happened, and I think it's happened in a very short period of time. But I will tell you, we're going to have a fantastic relationship, and it will make both countries much stronger.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Yes, go ahead, please.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: OK. Geeta Mohan from "India Today," sir. I'll just take my colleague Lalit Jha's question forward because you can't understand.
TRUMP: OK. Fine.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The question is about the fact that you've decided to extradite Tahawwur Rana. Thank you so much. India has been waiting to have him back in India to bring him to justice. But there are many other elements in the United States of America, particularly Khalistani separatists, who have been working against Indian interests.
How is the United States of America going to cooperate on that front with India? There have been allegations that have been leveled against Indian agencies by the Biden administration. Are you going to relook that with Tulsi Gabbard as DNI now?
TRUMP: Well, I don't think India had a very good relationship with the Biden administration. Biden, they wouldn't sell them oil and gas, which is rather hard to believe, because, you know, it's a good thing to do. And a lot of things happened that weren't very appropriate, I thought, between India and the administration, the Biden administration. But as you said, we're giving a very violent man, it seems to me.
I mean, I don't know that he's been convicted yet or will be, but let's assume he's a pretty violent person. We're giving him back to India immediately. And there are more to follow because we have quite a few requests. So we work with India on crime, and we want to make it good for India. And it's very important. So that kind of a relationship is very important to us. OK? Go ahead please. Go ahead. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you. Mr. President, you've repeatedly
called India a big abuser of trade and said it is really difficult to do business in India because of tariffs. You announced reciprocal tariffs today. I am hoping you can speak about what kind of reciprocal tariffs India can expect. Are you willing to make any concessions and how can India head off these tariffs? I also have one for the prime minister.
TRUMP: Sure. Well, India has been, to us, just about the highest tariff nation anywhere in the world. They've been very strong on tariffs and I don't blame them necessarily, but it's a different way of doing business. It's very hard to sell into India because they have trade barriers, very strong tariffs. We are right now a reciprocal nation. We are going to, if it's India or if it's somebody else with low tariffs, we're going to have the same.
Whatever India charges, we're charging them. Whatever another country charges, we're charging them. So it's called reciprocal, which I think is a very fair way. We didn't have that. We -- I was going to do that in my other term. And we had the greatest economy ever in the world. There's never been an economy like we had. And then we got hit with COVID. We had to focus on that. And I wasn't really in the mood to be putting it on Italy and Spain and France and India, frankly, and a lot of other countries, because the world was very troubled until we got rid of that nightmare.
But we had the strongest economy anywhere in the world during that fairly long period of time. During my first term, as you know, and we didn't do the tariffs. We would have done the reciprocal tariffs, but we decided and I decided, I think on a human basis, on a humane basis, not to do them because of the fact that there was such suffering all over the world. The last thing we needed to talk about is trade problems. But now we do. We're doing -- we see tremendous future for our country.
But we felt that now it's finally time after 45 or 50 years of abuse, that we will do. And this isn't India. This is among a lot of nations. The European Union is very difficult for us, very, very difficult. They tax our companies at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They take advantage of a lot of things. So we're not happy about that. China, of course, is terrible and we've never taken in $0.10 until I was president. We've taken in hundreds of billions of dollars from China since I've been president in the first term and now.
And we have to do that just as a mechanism of fairness. And that's what I've done. And so we are being reciprocal with India. Whatever India charges, we charge them. So frankly, it no longer matters to us that much what they charge because whatever they charge. I had discussions with India in the first term about the fact that their tariffs were very high and I was unable to get a concession. So we're just going to do it the easy way, and we're just going to say, whatever you charge, we charge.
[18:30:02]
And I think that's fair for the people of the United States. And I think it's actually fair for India. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) make a concession, sir? Are you willing to make a concession? Sir, any concession?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President.
TRUMP: Go ahead. Please. Ask it to the Prime minister, please.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A question for the prime minister, please.
TRUMP: Ask to the prime minister, please.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sorry. Thank you, Prime Minister. The U.S. is giving a lot of push to curb illegal immigration. And India has been cooperating on this issue. How does India see this issue in the larger context? Thank you.
MODI (through translator): I don't think this is a question that is about India only, but even globally, you can talk about this issue. And we are of the opinion that anybody who enters another country illegally, they have absolutely no right to be in that country. And as far as India and the U.S. is concerned, we have always been of the same opinion and that is that any verified Indian who is in the U.S. illegally, we are fully prepared to take them back to India.
However, it doesn't stop there. These are children of very ordinary families and they are lured by big dreams and big promises. A lot of them are brought in without them knowing about why they are going to a country, and in fact, they are connected with a human trafficking system. And we have to make sure that we fight against this system. As far as the U.S. and India is concerned, I think what we should do is make efforts to make sure that we uproot these from within the system so that we can reduce or remove human trafficking.
And basically the young, vulnerable, poor people of India are fooled into coming over as illegal immigrants. And our bigger fight actually is against this ecosystem or this system that encourages such gangs to thrive. And I can tell you that India will completely support your endeavor in achieving this.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. The question for the Prime Minister Modi, first, if I may. I wanted to ask you, did you discuss any possible business deals with Elon Musk during your meetings today, Mr. Prime Minister? And, Mr. President, I wanted to ask you, today you spoke about hoping to have three-way talks with President Xi and President Putin. What would you say to European leaders and other allies who may be concerned that your apparently more keen to speak to America's adversaries than to its allies? Thank you.
TRUMP: Well, maybe I'll just go first on this one. We had some talks and we told the European Union, we told the NATO people, largely they overlap, you have to pay more money because it's unfair what we're doing. We're doing a tremendous amount more. We're probably $200 billion more going into Ukraine, using for Ukraine to fight, and Europe has not really carried its weight in terms of the money. It's not equitable. And we want to see a counterbalance. We want to have them put up more money. They have to do that.
At the same time, we had a very good conversation with President Putin the other day yesterday, and we also had a very good conversation. I did both in both cases with President Zelenskyy. And I think we're going to be able to do something. I think we're going to be able to make a deal, and I hope so, because it's a horrible war. It's a very terrible, bloody war with a million and a half soldiers, at least already dead on the battlefield, lying all over the fields like nobody has ever seen anything like it since -- certainly since the Second World War.
And so I think we're going to be able to do something. We're working with President Zelenskyy and with President Putin. And my impression is that they -- I know that President Zelenskyy wants to make a deal. And I also feel that I know that President Putin wants to make a deal. I wanted to know that before I began any detailed discussions. But the meeting and the conversation, also the meeting with Steve Witkoff in Moscow was a very successful one. And my phone call with him was a very successful one. Please.
[18:35:10]
MODI (through translator): You asked a question regarding Elon Musk. I have known him for a very long time. I was not even a prime minister at the time. When I first met him, I was chief minister, and today he came to meet me along with all his family, with his children. And so we had a nice discussion. As far as the EV is concerned, EVs are concerned, the word EV has a copyright and that is one person who has a copyright for the word EV and that is Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. Can I ask whether you discussed at all today the case of Gautam Adani, who is one of the wealthiest men in Asia and perceived as an ally of Prime Minister Modi?
Prime Minister Modi, have you asked the president to take action on that case? Thank you.
MODI (through translator): Firstly, India is a democratic country and our culture and our thought philosophy is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which basically means that the entire world is a family. Every Indian is my own family member. And when it comes to such personal matters, two leaders of two countries will not get together on that topic and discuss anything on an individual matter.
TRUMP: Go ahead. Please. Yes. Please. Sir, go ahead please.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Prime minister. I have a question for you as well. But, Mr. President, you have suggested with regards to the Russia-Ukraine war, you've suggested several things that Ukraine should give up the idea of NATO membership, territory that were seized back in 2014 by Russia. What should Russia give up?
TRUMP: Russia has gotten themselves into something that I think they wish they didn't. If I were president, it would not have happened. Absolutely would not have happened. And it didn't happen for four years. If you look at what has taken place under President Bush, they lost a lot, under President Obama, they lost Crimea. Under Biden it looks like they could lose the whole thing. Under Trump, they lost nothing. Ukraine lost nothing. They didn't give up anything. And you take a look at the other three presidents surrounding me. They gave up a lot.
I think that when you look at Ukraine and when you look at the mess that they're in, it's got to be ended and it's got to be stopped. Now, Russia has taken over a pretty big chunk of territory, and they also have said from day one, long before President Putin, they've said they cannot have Ukraine be in NATO. They said that very strongly.
I actually think that that was the thing that caused the start of the war. And Biden said it and Zelenskyy said it. And I think that was one of the reasons, one of the starts of the war. But from long before Putin, they said, you cannot have -- you cannot have Ukraine going in in any way into NATO. And I start from that standpoint. I think everybody knew that.
Now, if a better deal can be negotiated, if they are able to make a deal where they can do that, that's fine with me. I really don't care. I want, I want that bloodshed to stop. I don't want to see, you know, we have an ocean between us and the sight we're talking about, the sight of death. We're calling it the fields of death. We have a big ocean in between us. This is more important for Europe.
We shouldn't be in. They have to equalize, and they're going to have to do it fast. But they have to equalize. But as far as the negotiation, it's too early to say what's going to happen. Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won't. And it's all dependent on what is going to happen. The negotiation really hasn't started, but I will say as far as NATO is concerned, from many years before President Putin, I will tell you that I've heard that Russia would never accept that. And I think Ukraine knew that because Ukraine wasn't in and never requested to be in until more recently. So that's the way it is. And I think that's the way it's going to have to be.
Go ahead please. All right. Go ahead, please. With the tie. With the tie. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President.
TRUMP: Yes, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, you spoke about Prime Minister Modi as a tough negotiator. Who was the tougher negotiator today and who has a better negotiating tactic when it comes to tariffs?
[18:40:05]
TRUMP: Oh, he's a much tougher negotiator than me. And he's a much better negotiator than me. There's not even a contest. OK?
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Yes. Go ahead. Please, go ahead. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How do you see this relationship between India and the United States to counter China? And what is your vision when it comes to India, you know, brokering peace in the Ukraine and Russia conflict?
TRUMP: Well, I think we are going to have a very good relationship with China. I got along with President Xi very well until COVID. That was a bridge too far. But until then, I got along with President Xi very, very well. We were very close as leaders go. I don't want to be naive, but --
BLITZER: We're going to continue to monitor this news conference between the president of the United States and the prime minister of India. They're speaking at the White House answering reporters' questions right now.
The prime minister is now the fourth foreign leader to visit the White House since President Trump started his second term last month. The two men talking a lot about trade and upping military cooperation, including the president's announcement that there -- that the U.S. will sell F-15 fighter jets, F-35 fighter jets, I should say, to India.
You also heard the president addressed Russia's war on Ukraine, including whether Ukraine should become a member of NATO, something President Trump clearly opposes.
I want to go back to CNN's Jeff Zeleny over at the White House for us.
Jeff, the top takeaways from this news conference at least so far, and as I pointed out, it continues.
ZELENY: It does continue, Wolf. And what this is a sign of just these sort of rolling rollicking news conferences where some reporters from non-mainstream outlets are asking the president a very friendly questions, as you can see there. But others as well asking central questions. And what the president was just talking there about Ukraine is something that he has been repeating for the last couple of days.
And this is very, very. Significant because the president of the United States is basically parroting the talking points and the point of view from Vladimir Putin about why the Russia-Ukraine war began. So, so fascinating there to see the president talking about his predecessors. Not just Joe Biden who has become an anthem of the first few weeks of his candidacy, going after Joe Biden on a variety of fronts but also Barack Obama. Also, George W. Bush, talking about just the history of the region.
But one thing we've not really heard, Wolf, is the president assigning any blame to Vladimir Putin for the invasion. In fact, quite the opposite. We saw again today the president in the Oval Office talking about how he believes Russia should now be readmitted into the G-7, the group of seven nations. Of course it was always the G-8 until 2014, some 11 years ago, when Russia invaded Crimea, the small portion of Ukraine. Of course, they were expelled from that. But the president is calling for Russia to be readmitted. And that
certainly will be met with objection from most, if not all other member nations. But many topics here discussed and then the two leaders are scheduled to have dinner after this news conference -- Wolf.
BLITZER: An important relationship between the United States and India, to be sure.
Jeff Zeleny, stand by. I want to bring in CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale right now.
So, Daniel, what stood out to you from the news conference that we just heard at least so far.
DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I heard three false claims that we fact-checked over and over for months, if not years. First of all, the president repeated a claim that he also made earlier today. He said that the U.S. is in for as in providing aid to Ukraine for $200 billion more than Europe collectively has. In fact, he has that reversed. So according to the Kiel Institute, a German think tank that closely follows the aid situation, it is Europe collectively that has provided significantly more wartime aid to Ukraine than the United States has.
It's about $250 billion in aid allocated to Ukraine by Europe, collectively about $123 billion, so about half of that allocated by -- sorry that's committed by the U.S. And then in terms of aid actually allocated, it's still tens of billions higher for Europe, $129 billion compared to about $91 billion for the U.S.
And then on the subject of tariffs, we heard the president repeat his claim that we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China as a result of the tariffs he imposed during his first presidency. That money came to the U.S. Treasury from Americans. Study after study has found that it is U.S. consumers who bore the brunt of those tariffs, and it's U.S. importers who make the tariff payments.
And finally, Wolf, he said that before I came along, no president had taken in $0.10 in such tariffs. Well, aside from the question of who pays them, again, usually Americans, the U.S. has had tariffs on China and other countries since the 1790s. It was taking in billions a year in tariffs on Chinese products under, for example, President Barack Obama. So certainly not true there either.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Excellent fact checking by Daniel Dale, as he always does. Thank you very much, Daniel, for that.
Right now, we're joined by CNN's new senior political and global affairs commentator, Rahm Emanuel.
Rahm, thanks so much for joining us. You're the former ambassador to Japan.
RAHM EMANUEL, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thanks, Wolf. BLITZER: So you know, this -- these issues very, very well. You were watching President Trump's news conference right now with the prime minister of India. Certainly a lot of topics were discussed, including Russia's war against Ukraine.
What stood out to you as someone who has watched this very, very closely?
EMANUEL: Well, a couple of things. One is, as you notice, he talks about the war in Ukraine. He never mentioned that it was Russia that invaded. It's not like it's just a war appeared like Immaculate Conception. He never refers to how it started. He then in -- you take a look at this, there's a reason why -- and there's a reporting that Kremlin is high fiving each other and in the Munich conference and in Kyiv, they're wringing your hands before even the negotiations started, he's agreed that Ukraine can never be part of NATO.
Well, how about Ukraine can join the E.U., the market, which is what they wanted. He never mentioned that, which is a premise of one of the things that Ukraine is seeking.
So in my view, this is a real disturbing element in that area. Second is, you know, he talks about the art of the deal, that he's a great negotiator, a deal we can make. Well, there's more issues. What's going to happen to the gray zone attacks by Russia on Europe, cutting the cables as they've done, blowing up things at DHL that they have done.
What happens as it relates to Ukraine's permanent security? So this is not a ceasefire where Russia rebuilds, but actually a cessation of activities. What happens to the areas in Ukraine where the United States is talking about taking minerals and areas?
There is a lot at stake here since this is the first war, in a sense, between two nations since the end of World War Two, and its going to directly impact not only the peace in Europe, but also, obviously the security of the United States. We have adopted a position in the posture more familiar and more similar to Russia before anything has ever happened.
And to me, the other premise that I think is a mistake here, he's talking about NATO's expansion, and that is a premise pushed off by the Kremlin. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, NATO never moved east. All those countries moved West because in the power of freedom was an incredible force that allowed these people.
The idea that NATO moved the east is a total misnomer put out by the Kremlin. Those countries know the consequences of the Russian bear, and they decided to be part of freedom. That is what happened historically, starting as NATO became enlarged, which is why recently Finland and Sweden saw what Russia did. They wanted to be part of collective entity and collective security.
So that's what struck me.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: I want to get your thoughts, Rahm, on some major domestic issues that are unfolding right now, including this truly remarkable charge from the former acting U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, accusing Trump's Justice Department of what he's calling a quid pro quo.
What's your reaction?
EMANUEL: Well, there's a pattern here that you have to put, not just one-offs. The inspector generals who watch for waste, fraud and abuse, fired. The U.S. attorney resigns because of the situation as it relates to the indictment or case against Mayor Adams in New York steps down, including two in the D.C. area. The other people in the ethics office, everybody who's got a position to monitor waste, fraud and abuse or worse, criminality going on has been fired.
So the people actually on the line, the thin blue line to protect the taxpayers, have basically been fired or sidelined to the point that they are -- the only option they have professionally, in the sense of their own code of conduct, their own conscience is to leave and quit.
So this is not just the U.S. attorney over here. I happen to think the inspector general firing is illegal over here. You want to find fraud? Inspector generals in 2023, all collectively, $93.1 billion they have identified. Right now, DOGE, a billion. Put those votes on the floor of the Senate and the House and have a vote. You'll find $93 billion in savings.
But everybody who's responsible to deal with corruption has been sidelined or muzzled, including the FBI, the consumer office, the U.S. attorney -- acting U.S. attorney in New York, the inspector general. They're all pieces of a similar puzzle. That's what's going on.
[18:50:01]
And you can't treat them as one-offs. And -- and the taxpayers will be fleeced in this process in the name of finding waste, fraud and abuse.
BLITZER: Rahm Emanuel --
EMANUEL: That's hypocrisy.
BLITZER: -- I want to -- we got to leave it right there. But thanks so much for joining us. And once again, welcome to CNN. We appreciate it very much.
We'll take a quick break --
EMANUEL: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: -- and we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The breaking news this hour, federal prosecutors resigning after being told to drop the corruption case against the New York City Mayor Eric Adams, raising allegations of a quid pro quo.
Joining us now, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.
What's your reaction to this blistering letter from the former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York?
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): It's a beautiful, powerful letter. But the thing that blows my mind is that she clerked for Justice Scalia.
[18:55:02]
She's an active, career-long member of the Federalist Society.
So already, whoever is left within the vague hemisphere of Trump world who believes in the rule of law will not be able to last because they put corruption first. They are the corruption party at this point.
You know, they wiped out the inspectors general. They fired 17 of them illegally without notifying Congress. They have to come to us 30 days before they have to specifically set forth the rationale for getting rid of the inspectors general, who are the anti-corruption fighters in each agency and department.
And so, despite all of their phony rhetoric about how Elon Musk is finding corruption, they are wiping out the whole infrastructure of anti-corruption fighters. And I thought this was a wonderful statement by an honorable U.S. attorney, just saying, no, she's not going to cover up the corruption of the mayor of New York just so he can join the political team of Donald Trump and support his lawless efforts on immigration.
BLITZER: All right. I want to play something for you, Congressman, that the new attorney general, Pam Bondi, actually said during her confirmation hearing.
Listen and watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM BONDI, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The partisanship the weaponization will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Is the Justice Department, Congressman, living up to this standard under her new leadership over at the Department of Justice?
RASKIN: Obviously not. And every accusation from Trump world is just a projection and a confession of what they're doing. You know, they had a committee on the weaponization of the Department of Justice, which found absolutely nothing against the Department of Justice in the last administration. But they were getting ready to weaponize the Department of Justice now. So they fire all the prosecutors who worked on the January 6th cases.
They demand a roundup of 6,000 FBI agents who were involved in that massive investigation into that massive attack on American democracy in the Capitol, and our police officers. It's all about partisan weaponization, and it fits their unitary executive theory that everybody in the executive branch of government, including now members of independent boards and agencies like the Federal Election Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, work directly for Donald Trump.
And he can fire them for whatever reason he wants. They have to take political orders for him. And the deputy attorney general was trying to demonstrate to everybody in the Department of Justice, there's a new sheriff in town, and that's Donald Trump and the department of justice no longer has any independence at all in executing the criminal law enforcement function.
BLITZER: Do you think this Mayor Adams matter, Congressman, needs to be investigated by your Judiciary Committee? Do you think the Committee Chairman Jordan will do so?
RASKIN: Well, we are composing a letter as we speak to him, telling him to do that. I don't have very high expectations he will do that. But we need this entire matter to be aired out, because what this very conservative Republican U.S. attorney has divulged is that there was an explicit quid pro quo negotiated, which is if you drop the charges against Mayor Adams, which were handed down in an indictment by a grand jury, which found that beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard that he engaged in these political corruption offenses, if you drop those charges, then he would go along and be a good political player.
And they dropped the charges without prejudice, meaning they would hold them over him. So if he didn't quite toe the line the way they wanted, they could be reinstated later. I mean, this is such a complete diminution of the Department of Justice and such a shrinking of the idea of the rule of law. It's all "let's make a deal". It's scandalous.
But this administration stands for corruption. And what Elon Musk is doing in Washington is all about expanding corruption. He's not the enemy of corruption. He's the agent of corruption.
Very quickly, in the minute we have left this hour, are Democrats, Congressman, doing enough to challenge the Trump administration on these various issues right now?
RASKIN: No, nobody's doing enough. I mean, I'm working seven days a week now. You know, I don't -- I don't know how much you're working -- working now, but all of us can be doing at least a little bit more. But we are involved in all of the cases that affect article one legislative power.
We're defending the powers of Congress. We're defending the civil service rights of our excellent public workers, like air traffic controllers, and Drug and Food Safety inspectors at FDA and research and health and food safety inspectors at FDA and research and health scientists at NIH who are keeping the public, health secure.
We're out there in all of these cases, and we're speaking out very strongly against this attack on our form of government.
BLITZER: Congressman Jamie Raskin, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
