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Trump Falsely Claims Ukraine Started War With Russia; Judge Sides With DOGE In Fight Over Federal Data; New Video Shows Moment Of Fiery Toronto Plane Crash; Vatican: Pope Francis Hospitalized With Pneumonia; U.S. Senate Advances Kash Patel's Nomination For FBI Director. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired February 18, 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]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, breaking news, President Trump levels an outrageous and false accusation against Ukraine, claiming Kyiv started the war with Russia. This comes just hours after U.S. officials wrapped up talks with Russian diplomats without any Ukrainians present.

Also breaking, a federal judge just sided with President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency in a major fight over access to federal data. All of this as new court filings raise very serious questions about Elon Musk's role within the government.

Plus, incredible new video shows the moment of that fiery crash landing of a Delta flight in Toronto. Remarkably, the airline now says all but two passengers have been released from the hospital.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.

Let's get straight to the breaking news tonight, President Trump parroting Russian propaganda as he falsely accuses Ukraine of starting the war which began almost three years ago when Vladimir Putin's troops invaded Ukraine.

I want to bring in our Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny. He's traveling with the president in Florida. So, Jeff, what exactly did President Trump say?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was some of the sharpest criticism we have heard directed from the Trump administration or, in fact, any American president at the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Of course, this is coming on a day when the U.S. and Russia were meeting to talk about the very fate of Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not have a seat at the table.

But the president was asked specifically about that just a short time ago at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He fired back at Zelenskyy, suggesting that he could have stopped the war three years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think I have the power to end this war. And I think it's going very well. But today I heard, oh, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: You could have made a deal. You should have never started. Of course, well, that is not just a misstatement of history, of course. Russia invaded Ukraine, as we all saw and witnessed three years ago, nearly to this date. But Russia also has the history of Ukraine, I mean, when, during the first Trump administration, their incursion was spreading and growing.

But the American president did not stop there. He went on to essentially a belittle and question the authority of the Ukrainian president. He said his approval rating was at 4 percent. There is no evidence to back that up. The latest poll from a couple months or so ago was right around 50 percent. Never mind that, he also questioned his leadership and said that there should be new elections.

Now, of course, there have not been elections in Ukraine because martial law was called because of the Russia invasion. But, Wolf, take it all together here, as this is coming as peace talks are just dramatically intensifying between the U.S. and Russia, as we saw in Saudi Arabia, there's no question that -- odd man out here and Trump was very eager to fire back at Zelenskyy and certainly not defend him today, Wolf.

BLITZER: Truly outrageous comments. Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.

All of this comes as U.S. and Russian diplomats kick started their talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at trying to bring the war to an end without Ukrainian negotiators in the room.

Our Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt is joining us now from the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Alex, how is this comment, this latest comment from President Trump, going to be received?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this will strike at the deepest fears that the Ukrainians have of how President Trump views the conflict and who is responsible and concerns over concessions to the Russians. The president here laying blame at the feet of the Ukrainians, that, you know, he's going beyond the usual anti-Ukrainian talking points of the fact that this war has been dragging on for three years and costs the U.S. tens of billions of dollars, going beyond the Russian talking points that, in fact, it was Ukraine who provoked this war by getting too close to NATO, too close to the E.U., moving away from Russia, saying here very clearly that this was Ukraine's fault and that Ukraine started it.

[18:10:08]

And Jeff Zeleny is absolutely right. We know that that is not true. We know that it was Russia who launched this war February 24th of 2022. They came in from the north, from the east and from the south. And so there's no question about that.

Where we go from here very much remains to be seen. He is essentially undercutting his negotiating team here in Riyadh. Just striking statements from the American president that will further raise concerns about the concessions that many accuse the U.S. of giving to Russia at this point without getting anything in return. Wolf?

BLITZER: Alex, what came from the talks between the U.S. and Russian diplomats in Riyadh, where you are earlier today?

MARQUARDT: Well, Wolf, this may be remembered as the moment or one of the moments that Russia essentially came in from the cold, was recognized again by the west. Here, we saw President Putin's top aides sitting across the table from the top American national security officials.

The American delegation tried to downplay the fact that the Ukrainians were not there, that the Europeans were not there, downplayed the fact that they were just meeting directly with the Russians by saying that you have to meet with adversaries in order to get to a peace deal, arguing that this was just the first step in a very long process.

Here's a little bit of what Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: But we have to understand that it's been three and a half years since there's been any sort of regularized contact between the United States and Russia, and in some cases between any of the participants in this conflict and Russia.

So, the goal of today's meeting was to follow up on the phone call the president had a week ago and begin to establish those lines of communication. The work remains. Today, is the first step of a long and difficult journey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: A long and difficult path. There were four things according to Secretary Rubio that the two sides agreed to. The first is to normalize embassy operations. Both the Moscow and Washington embassies from the two sides have essentially been gutted over the last few years. They want to send diplomats and intelligence officials back to their posts. And then specifically, Wolf, both sides are going to be naming a high level delegation to continue with these Ukrainian negotiations.

And then, very interesting, Wolf, they're looking past the end of this conflict, essentially offering Russia a carrot, saying there's an opportunity for historic economic and investment cooperation. So, some really interesting points there, but, again, Wolf, there is major concern here that U.S. is giving concessions to the Russians. We heard President Trump just hours after these talks wrapped saying that U.S. troops should not be inside Ukraine. This comes at a time when both the Ukrainians and the Europeans are saying that the Americans must absolutely be involved in giving security guarantees to the Ukrainians, and we're hearing otherwise from the American president. Wolf?

BLITZER: Alex Marquardt reporting from Riyadh in Ukraine in Saudi Arabia for us, thank you very, very much.

Joining us now, the former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and CNN contributor Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow bureau chief.

Wendy, let me start with you. What's your reaction, first of all, to President Trump today, falsely claiming that Ukraine started this war with Russia?

WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, Wolf, I think you, Jeff, Alex said it. It was outrageous. It is actually, so far, and I think Jill, who knows Moscow and Putin quite well, all this administration has done so far is giving carrots to Russia. And today, the president put sticks on President Zelenskyy and Ukraine, when, in fact, as you all have said quite accurately, it was Vladimir Putin who horrifically, illegally invaded a sovereign territory and set off this horror show.

As you know, Wolf, on January 10th, I led a delegation from the United States to meet with the Russians as a last ditch effort, even knowing from intelligence that Putin had made the decision to invade because he believes Ukraine belongs to Russia. And so when you hear Senator Wicker say today that he believes that you can't trust Putin, he is actually echoing something that then-Senator Rubio said a couple of years ago when he said, Putin was a liar and you couldn't trust him.

So, the fact that the administration has begun with Russia, has given them embassy normalization, saying NATO -- Ukraine can't get into NATO, saying that, in fact, no troops from countries who are part of NATO can ever be there as peacekeepers, said by Lavrov today, the administration saying it may take troops out of the Baltics, saying that Zelenskyy and the European Union can't be at this meeting, all of this is giving give me's to Russia and really making it very difficult for President Zelenskyy.

[18:10:16]

He is trying to humiliate and bedevil Zelenskyy to take away his confidence. But having been to Ukraine during this war, I can tell you that the Ukrainians are resilient, they are tough, and they will not back down to a just and durable peace.

BLITZER: Jill, let me play that little clip. This is Senator Roger Wicker, he's the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaking earlier today. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): Any sort of peace talks that might get a fair result would definitely need to have the Ukrainians at the table.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think that Putin can be trusted in these negotiations?

WICKER: No. Putin is a war criminal and should be in jail for the rest of his life, if not executed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Pretty strong words. Putin should be in jail for the rest of his life, if not executed. Jill, pretty stunning comments from this Republican senator.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: They are, but he's technically correct. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, according to the International Criminal Court, the ICC. Now, neither Russia nor the United States is a member of the ICC, but, technically, there is a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin. So, I think the senator is absolutely correct.

And I have to agree with Wendy Sherman that the negotiations, if the United States is really bringing two sides together, this is really a shocking development, because it is putting all of the onus, no criticism on Russia, whatsoever. In fact, as we see, Russia got a lot today, and telling Zelenskyy that he started the war. I was in Moscow, February 24th, 2022 and followed it very closely.

This is precisely what Vladimir Putin says, that it was the Ukrainians who started it. But I don't know we have to beat a dead horse here. It's quite obvious. The proof is there. The video is there, and the world really does know that Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. And he wanted to take over the country and get rid of President Zelenskyy.

BLITZER: Yes. We all remember what occurred almost exactly three years ago.

Wendy, Trump says he probably will be meeting with Putin before the end of this month, yet he hasn't met with so many of America's closest allies since becoming president. What could that reveal about his priorities right now?

SHERMAN: Well, I think it's clear that his priority is to try to have a relationship with Russia to have a place for economic development in Russia. There has been discussion, I believe, of our oil and gas companies reentering Russia. So, in his mind, putting historic economic possibilities on the table is very Trumpian. He does this in all of his transactional negotiations.

But I think as everyone who has spoken tonight understands, one has to be very tough with Putin. He understands only power and toughness. He does not easily take anybody's idea of what and how things should proceed unless it's something that he's going to get. And there's nothing about what has been discussed so far that leads one to believe, as I said, that there will be a just and durable piece. And that is what is owed to the people of Ukraine,

BLITZER: Wendy Sherman and Jill Dougherty, to both of you, thank you very, very much. Just ahead, new harrowing details from inside the Delta plane that crashed upon landing in Toronto as we're learning more and more about the injured right now.

But, first, the other news breaking this hour, a win tonight for the Trump administration in court from the judge who was overseeing the President Trump's federal election subversion case.

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[18:15:00]

BLITZER: There's more breaking news tonight, the Trump administration scoring a big victory in court as a judge rejects calls from blue states to block Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from obtaining federal data.

Our Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid is on the story for us. What are you learning, Paula?

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So, Wolf, here, we're talking about Judge Tanya Chutkan. She's the Obama-appointed judge who oversaw Trump's criminal case related to allegations of election subversion. Today, she declined to block Elon Musk and DOGE from accessing data at a slew of federal agencies.

Now, this lawsuit was brought by a group of Democratic state attorneys general. They were also asking Chutkin to block DOGE from being able to fire federal employees or place them on involuntary leave.

Now, Chutkan declined this request. She said that, quote, they have not shown that they will suffer imminent irreparable harm absent a temporary restraining order. That's what they were asking for.

She went on to say, the court is aware that DOGE's unpredictable actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion for plaintiffs and many of their agencies and residents. It remains uncertain when and how the catalog of state programs that plaintiffs identify will suffer.

And this is DOGE's second big legal victory on this issue just today. Earlier today, another Obama-appointed judge here in Washington, Judge Randy Moss, ruled that DOJ would not be blocked from accessing data at the Department of Education.

[18:20:00]

And that came after a group of students that receive financial assistance sued to try to protect their data. But, again, the judge ruled that they had not shown how they would be harmed.

And at least four times in recent days, emergency lawsuits and legal actions against DOGE have failed, mostly on this idea that judges say, look, you haven't shown that you have been harmed. But these judges have left the door open that if in the future plaintiffs or challengers can show that their data was compromised or improperly used, they may be able to return to court. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Paula Reid reporting for us, thank you, Paula, very much.

Our political and legal experts are joining us right now, and, Elliot Williams, let me start with you. What do you make of these decisions?

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right. And picking up on Paula's last point there, this is certainly a win for DOGE, but it wasn't an unequivocal one, Wolf. And there's a few -- there's some nuance in the judge's opinion. Yes, as Paula had said, the states did not establish that they were actually harmed. What the judge says is that, well, they're speculating. They think that in the future, if this thing happens, perhaps the residents of my states might, and it just, it was speculated on. But in the future, they can come back after, whether it's terminations or funding changes or whatever, and raise their arguments again. That was one. So, they can revisit it.

The other thing, and there's a big point made in here, she makes a statement about the appointment of Elon Musk and questions whether there is an appointments clause problem under the United States Constitution, was this individual who was heading this entity properly appointed. She just put it out there. So, this is something that's going to be litigated. This is not the end of this case, but, no, this was certainly a win temporarily for the Trump team.

BLITZER: Keyword, temporarily, we'll see how that unfolds.

Ashley Etienne, as you know, Trump was asked today about Elon Musk's role with DOGE. This is what he said. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Elon is, to me, a patriot. So, you know, you could call him an employee. You could call him a consultant. You could call him whatever you want. But he's a patriot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: How do you interpret that?

ASHLEY ETIENNE, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: I mean, listen, we don't know who Elon Musk is. I mean, Elon Musk hasn't gotten security clearance. Why would you want someone who doesn't have security clearance to gain access to my secure data?

I'm going to speak on behalf of the American people, if you don't mind, Wolf. What does getting sensitive information or access to grainy sensitive information have to do with cutting government waste? What does getting that information, access to that information, have to do with the price of eggs in Iowa? Absolutely nothing. The fox is in the hen house at this point and Donald Trump is asleep at the wheel. He cannot tell us what information is being accessed, who's accessing it, and for what purpose are they using it?

If you ask me, this is all -- the only explanation at hand is that Donald Trump is bought by Elon Musk and Elon Musk has carte blanche to do whatever he wants and to sellout Americans' sensitive data. The American people have to wake up to what's happening right now. This is not a test.

And here's the other thing that I think is most concerning. This is only what we know. It's what we don't know that Elon Musk is doing that is most alarming and should be most alarming to the American people.

BLITZER: Bryan Lanza is with us as well. Bryan, as you know, both Musk and Trump repeatedly gave the impression that Elon Musk is running, in fact, DOGE. So, how do you square that with this new White House claim that he isn't?

BRYAN LANZA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP 2024 CAMPAIGN: Well, listen, I think, you know, an adviser comes in and does certain things, but they don't have to get into details. Elon and his they're adviser to these agencies, they're advisor to the administration and they're advising where the fraud, waste and abuse is taking place. And, yes, sometimes they do need data. They need -- you know, sometimes they need Social Security numbers to make sure there's not duplicates going on.

ETIENNE: They're not invading information to determine how the government -- what does have to do with government --

LANZA: Absolutely, they have to look at everything. Listen, when your bank account has been breached, you know, you look at everything that's going place. You don't just say keep spending money, and say, I'll look at -- I'll do research later.

ETIENNE: But why do you need access to my personal bank account information? That's the problem. Is accessing people's personal information -- and we don't know anything about Elon Musk.

LANZA: Well, we do. We do. He's received security clearance for his contracts. There's receipt. I mean, let's be clear, Elon has passed extensive security background checks because he's gotten these agreements during the Obama administration, during the Biden administration. So, it's a lie to say Elon has not been vetted. He has been vetted by the FBI. He has been vetted by this government or he would have never received those contracts. So, I get that's a talking point that you want to confuse the American people on that, but the reality is he does have all these clearances, so he does have these access.

The question becomes is why is the deep state sort of fighting this resistance of what President Trump was elected to do? Elon is a tool and a weapon to what President Trump wants to do, and he wants to shrink the size of government. And he's told people that he's going to shrink it. He got elected on this purpose, and you need data to make those decisions.

ETIENNE: But I don't think you need people's personal data. That's the line we have to draw at some point, is that this is a man who's going in, not just from Treasury -- LANZA: He is going to have the same data that other federal employees at that access have. So, he's not treated specially.

ETIENNE: But the intent is not to. Those federal employees have access, not with the intent of cutting government waste.

LANZA: So, your criticism is he should not have that data because he's going to cut -- because he wants to cut government --

ETIENNE: No, because he has access to it and we don't know what he's doing with the information. Trump won't even tell us what he's doing.

LANZA: Every employee at that level has the same access that Elon has. It's not special access.

[18:25:00]

BLITZER: Let me get Elliot back into this conversation.

WILLIAMS: I was enjoying that.

BLITZER: I was enjoying it too. Judge Chutkan also warned that the Department of Justice, as you know, has to make truthful representations to the court. What do you make of that?

WILLIAMS: That's a little bit of an ouchie from a federal judge. And having appeared in front of a lot of judges and clerked for two of them, you read between the lines about some of the statements they make. Now, look, making truthful representations to the court is the basic core responsibility of any member of the bar or anybody who's appearing. A judge doesn't make a statement like that unless she has at least some sense that there was either some, if not falsehood, twisting of the truth a little bit in what they presented to her.

Let's keep an eye on that and see exactly what she was getting at and if she really is saying that the Justice Department was either lying or making falsehoods to her.

BLITZER: All right. Guys, everyone, thank you very, very much. Good discussion, indeed.

Coming up, we're getting new video right now from inside that Delta plane that just -- the video just moments after it skidded down a runway in Toronto and flipped over. We have more details coming up. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

BLITZER: More breaking news we're following. We're getting brand new video of the terrifying moments inside the cabin of that Delta flight right after it crash landed and caught fire and flipped over in Toronto.

Brian Todd is joining us now from the Toronto airport with all the latest developments. Brian, first of all, tell us more about this incredible footage.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Wolf, this is dramatic new video from inside the fuselage right after the plane crashed. This video coming from a passenger, Peter Koukov. It's only about nine seconds long, but you can see it's just incredible carnage inside the fuselage, inside the cabin, people hanging upside down, other people trying to crawl out of the fuselage, this dramatic video coming from passenger Peter Koukov. Those immediate moments after the plane came to a stop on the tarmac here.

Meanwhile, tonight, we do have new information on the investigation and other dramatic new images of the crash itself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): Tonight, dramatic new video of the fiery Delta plane crash outside Toronto showing the moment of impact, the flames, the right wing tearing off, and the left wing flipping the plane over. First, the approach.

STEVEN WALLACE, FORMER DIRECTOR, FAA OFFICE OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION: It does seem to be slightly right wing low.

MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: There was no attempt to flare at all which slows the plane down. It'll put your back wheels on the runway first.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Why was that? Was there some sort of what we call wind shear?

TODD: The weather at the time, cold, some blowing snow and wind gusts up to 38 miles per hour.

JOHN NELSON, SURVIVED DELTA PLANE CRASH IN TORONTO: It was routine, but like the winds were super gusty. The snow had kind of blown over the runways.

TODD: Then, the impact.

PETE CARLSON, SURVIVED DELTA PLANE CRASH IN TORONTO: It was just a very forceful event, where all of a sudden everything just kind of went sideways. It sounded, I mean, it was just cement and metal, you know?

NELSON: When we hit, it was just a super hard light-like hit the ground, and the plane went sideways, and I believe we skidded like on our side and then flipped over on our back where we ended out. There was like a big fireball out this left side of the plane. We were being tossed around. I was just trying to hold on to everything at that point.

PETE KOUKOV, SURVIVED DELTA PLANE CRASH IN TORONTO: We were upside down hanging like bats. Some people were kind of hanging and needed some help.

TODD: Passenger Pete Carlson got a gash on his scalp. CARLSON: I took my seatbelt off. And as I took it off, crashed down onto the ceiling, which had become the floor because we were upside down.

TODD: Even as passengers evacuated, the danger was not over.

CARLSON: You could smell the gas. There was just liquid pouring over, you know, the small windows.

NELSON: There was another explosion, but luckily the firefighters got out of there.

TODD: The fuselage doused in foam as passengers moved to safety.

DEBORAH FLINT, PRESIDNET AND CEO, TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: I cannot commend enough the crew the flight attendants, pilots, and our emergency responders for their quick and effective response.

TODD: The injuries?

CORY TKATCH, PEEL REGIONAL PARAMEDIC SERVICES: Back sprains, head injuries anxiety, some headaches, nausea and vomiting due to the fuel exposure.

TODD: Another angle showing the impact in this video obtained by TMZ.

O'RBIEN: It's extraordinary to see the collapse of that landing gear. That must have indicated a lot of impact, or maybe some problem with the landing gear itself.

TODD: But officials not yet commenting on a possible cause.

KEN WEBSTER, SENIOR INVESTIGATOR, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA: We've already removed the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder, and we've sent them to our lab for further analysis.

At this point, it's far too early to see what the cause of this accident might be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): And, again, we want to show you the dramatic new video from inside the cabin moments after the plane came to a stop upside down. Peter Koukov, a passenger, providing us this video, people hanging upside down inside the cabin, others trying to crawl out of it.

Now, as for the cause of the crash, while officials here are not definitively saying at this hour if weather was a factor in the crash, Deborah Flint, the president and CEO of the Toronto airport, did say that on Thursday and on Sunday, they had two different snow storms that brought more than 20 inches of snow to this airport and the area around it. That was more snow than they had all year last year. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, excellent report. Brian Todd, thank you very much, Brian's in Toronto.

I want to get some analysis right now from CNN Aviation Analyst Peter Goelz. Peter, these are truly stunning new videos showing the crash taking place and its aftermath. What do you think could have gone wrong?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Boy, these are extraordinary videos.

[18:35:00]

The one from inside the cabin is just breathtaking to see the carnage and, you know, destruction and people got out of that alive. I think people are going -- the investigation is going to focus on why the aircraft was unable or pilots chose not to flare, pull the nose up of the plane just before touching down the impact on the landing gear on the right side had to be enormous. That's one of the most robust parts of the plane that it collapsed on impact and then allowing the wing to tear off. That's where the focus of the investigation is going to zero in on.

BLITZER: How critical will the video footage of the plane crash be to this overall investigation?

GOELZ: These videos are just extraordinary from two perspectives. One, seeing the plane land, that is going to help investigators match that up with the voice recorder, which is recording what's going on in the cockpit and the data recorder. But the inside the cabin photos are going to help the -- this is going to be a accident that is going to be taught for years on how you evacuate a plane in a dreadful situation. Flight attendants are going to be training to this accident for the next decade. And that video is going to be right at the center of it.

BLITZER: They certainly need to learn the lessons to make sure it doesn't happen again.

As you know, the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board here in the U.S., is coordinating with Canadian transportation authorities. What sorts of things will investigators be looking for first as they try to determine the cause?

GOELZ: Well, the NTSB is the accredited rep to this accident. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada runs the investigation. The NTSB provides resources. They're going to be making sure that they've got all the pieces of the plane necessary to conduct the investigation. They want to make sure they've got everything to do with that landing gear, everything to do with that wing to make sure that they understand the dynamics that took place that caused the separation of the wing, that caused the collapse of the landing gear. And they say they've got the data recorder and the voice recorder. They'll be talking to the flight crew intensively.

BLITZER: They certainly will. Peter Goelz, thanks very much for your analysis. And just ahead, critical moments in New York City right now with the embattled mayor preparing for a key court hearing, and the governor of New York weighing whether to remove him from office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: More fallout tonight from the U.S. Justice Department's push to drop the corruption case against the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, another federal prosecutor is stepping down in protest amidst all of this.

I want to bring in CNN's Gloria Pazmino and Legal Analyst Norm Eisen. Gloria, you're there in New York for us. Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has the power to remove Mayor Adams from office. What do we know about whether she is actually considering that?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's a power that the governor is not taking lightly, right? She had a series of high- profile meetings in her Manhattan office today. She called in several top ranking Democrats here in New York to discuss next steps. The governor has said that she is concerned about the recent developments here in New York City regarding the mayor, everything that we've learned since the Department of Justice issued this memo directing federal prosecutors here in New York to dismiss the charges against the mayor.

But this is a really difficult political position for this governor to make and there is almost a guarantee that there will be some political fallout no matter what she does. Whether she decides to use her executive power, whether she decides to do nothing and see what else happens in the next several days, or if she decides to say that she's standing by him. There will be a political cost for the governor to take.

We are expecting to get an update on this case tomorrow. There is a federal court hearing on the case, and the parties are expected to appear in court to essentially argue their case as this judge that's been overseeing the corruption case against the mayor has to decide whether or not he will dismiss these charges.

BLITZER: Norm, do you think the allegations against Mayor Adams have risen to the point that the governor should in fact step in and remove him from office?

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Wolf, it's never happened in the long history of the governor of New York that there have been allegations so serious evidence, so profound, that a mayor needs to be removed. But not only is there a mountain of evidence in wrong, of wrongdoing in this case, so profound that the interim U.S. attorney chosen by Donald Trump, Danielle Sassoon, walked off the case because it's not right to drop it, but there's also the impacts on the city of New York, the chaos and the danger to the residents of the city of having a mayor in this situation. I think Mayor Adams should be dismissed by the governor. BLITZER: Gloria, if Governor Kathy Hochul of New York decides to remove Mayor Adams, what could that process actually look like?

PAZMINO: Well, Wolf, it certainly will not be an easy or fast process. There is, in fact, due process that would follow this decision by the governor.

[18:45:02]

She would have to present the mayor with charges. It would be like a version of impeachment right here in New York. And the mayor would have to have a chance to present his case. He would get a chance to basically defend himself in public after those charges are presented to him.

Then the governor would take that and decide whether or not she wants to keep him in office or remove him. She could also suspend him from office. We should also remember that there's a mayoral primary just around the corner here in New York in June. That is also a very big part of the political calculus here.

In removing the duly elected mayor of New York City, Democratically elected mayor of New York City, the governor would be making quite a statement about her powers, and shed be setting a significant precedent for that. So there are some who are saying that we should just -- they should just wait it out and let the primary play out.

BLITZER: And as we heard, Norm, a judge will consider the Department of Justice's controversial motion to dismiss the charge against Mayor Adams tomorrow. How likely is it do you believe that the judge could, in fact, decline to dismiss the case?

EISEN: Wolf, if it's Judge Dale Ho. He's a fine jurist. I know him from his time in private practice and he makes clear in his order today that the ultimate decision is for the government. But it must be done under the federal rules with leave of the court. And that means the court is not a rubber stamp.

So while the ultimate decision of the court probably will be to recognize the dismissal, the judge has ordered the parties to show up and to address the reasons for the government's motion to dismiss the scope and effect of the consent and the procedure. So it's no slam dunk for the government.

BLITZER: Huge moment coming up in New York City and New York state.

Norm Eisen, Gloria Pazmino, to both of you, thank you very much.

Coming up, a live report from Rome where the Vatican -- Vatican officials are now giving new details on the health of the pope, who remains in the hospital.

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[18:51:23]

BLITZER: Vatican officials now say Pope Francis, who's been hospitalized for the last five days, has pneumonia.

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb is live outside the hospital in Rome.

Christopher, tell our viewers what else we know.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this is a concerning development about Pope Francis's health. The Vatican saying earlier on that a CT scan this afternoon revealed pneumonia in both of Pope Francis's lungs. The pope has a complex respiratory tract infection that needs a different, different kind of treatment.

It's already been changed twice, the treatment that the pope has been given. It is unclear how long the pope is going to remain in hospital. He's been here behind me at the hospital for five days, as you said. Basically, we don't know how long its going to be because its all about how well the pope responds to the treatment.

Francis, we are told by the Vatican, is in good spirits. He's received cards from children in the hospital. People have been praying for him, but the pope is vulnerable to respiratory infections. He's 88 years old.

And as a young man, had part of his right lung removed. So there is concern about Pope Francis's health. And we are expecting further updates from the Vatican in the coming days -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's hope he recovers completely. We're praying for him, indeed.

All right. Christopher Lamb, thank you very, very much.

Coming up, another very controversial cabinet nominee is moving closer and closer to confirmation.

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BLITZER: There's more breaking news here in Washington. The U.S. Senate has just voted to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, President Trump's controversial pick, very controversial pick to lead the FBI.

Our chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju is up on Capitol Hill for us. He's got details.

How did this vote play out, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Democrats have tried to do everything they can to slow down and derail this nomination, but so far, they have failed. Republicans have stuck together, overcoming another Democratic effort to slow down this nomination. Republicans moving now to shut down debate as soon as Thursday. That could set up a confirmation vote Thursday, Friday night or if not earlier, to get him to this ten-year post. Remember that this position typically is filled for ten years, and

presidents typically don't come in and name their own FBI director.

But Donald Trump made clear he wanted Kash Patel for this position. Christopher Wray, the previous FBI director, then stepped aside. Democrats are raising concerns that Patel, as the next FBI director, would go after Donald Trump's perceived enemies and would carry out his agenda, raising concerns about whether he would put the law first or put Donald Trump's retribution agenda first.

The Republicans have pushed back on that notion, saying that he is the right person to reform this agency, which has lost credibility over the years. They say, and right now, we expect all Republicans, at least most of them, to back this nomination. One key Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, who is typically a swing vote, Wolf, told me that she is still undecided. She needs to have a conversation with Patel.

But no Republicans have come out in opposition, which is why they have real confidence right now that he will get the position.

And, Wolf, that vote happened right before the Senate just confirmed Donald Trump's 17th senior level nominee. This was Howard Lutnick to be the next secretary of commerce. That vote was approved 51 to 45, making Donald Trump giving him another cabinet position filled after weeks of Republicans pushing them through, Wolf.

BLITZER: And tomorrow, Manu, Trump's pick for labor secretary, has her confirmation vote. What are you hearing about that?

RAJU: Yeah, this actually could play out a little bit differently, Wolf. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former congresswoman, has taken some positions, more pro-labor union positions supporting legislation that some Republicans who are opposed to have raised concerns about.

One Republican, Senator Rand Paul, who sits on the key committee considering the nomination plans at the moment to vote against this nomination. Now, if this went down along party lines, that could be enough to stop this nomination, Wolf.

But some Democratic senators are telling me tonight, Wolf, that they are open to backing her, including Senators Tim Kaine and Tammy Baldwin. They say they need to hear what she has to say in this confirmation hearing before they make a final decision, but this could need Democratic votes to get over the finish line. We'll see if that actually happens here, Wolf, in the coming days.

BLITZER: We'll be watching.

Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill, thank you very much.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Thanks very much for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.