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The Situation Room
Will Menendez Brothers Be Released?; Marco Rubio Heads to Saudi Arabia. Aired 11:30a-12p ET
Aired March 10, 2025 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:30:50]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his way to Saudi Arabia. He's expected to land very, very soon. He will be meeting with the crown prince, and then on to critical talks with a delegation from Ukraine.
They're trying to kick-start a deal to end Ukraine's war with Russia. The Russians invaded Ukraine, as we all know.
Joining us now is Rahm Emanuel. He's the CNN senior political and global affairs commentator, the former U.S. ambassador to Japan.
Rahm, thanks very much for joining us.
What message do you think Rubio is carrying right now to go into this meeting with the Saudi crown prince? He's there because of the Ukraine talks, but would he also, you think, be bringing up other issues, like the Gaza and hostage negotiations, other critical topics?
RAHM EMANUEL, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Without a doubt, there's going to be a lot of discussion of what's in the neighborhood of the Mideast.
Saudi Arabia is hosting geographically the discussions, as they have with the Russians and now the Ukrainians, but you have something happening very much on the hostage front. What does that open up? What are the possibilities?
You also have news, given the violence in Syria, the government in Lebanon that is important for stabilizing. So there's a series of issues that there's no doubt bilateral and in region that are going to be probably first and foremost on the conversation with the Saudi prince. There's no doubt about that. But the primary goal, as you said it...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Are you comfortable, Rahm, with the Trump administration's decision to open up direct negotiations with Hamas, a group the U.S. government considers to be a terrorist organization?
EMANUEL: Well, yes or no. I mean, that's the short end.
Israel could not do it. And if it ends up bringing all the hostages out, it will be a tactical move that was beneficial. It's that straightforward. And, obviously, if you kind of read some of the stuff that's coming out, Qatar has probably told the United States something. And the United States made a decision.
And if you get all the hostages and you get a cessation of activities, it was a gamble worth taking. So I can't tell you the answer today but given -- and there's a lot of information, but it gives some flexibility where the United States can do something. It breaks new ground.
But if you're left without any of the -- without all the hostages coming out, it will have been an own-goal.
BLITZER: After the breakdown of President Zelenskyy's relationship with Trump -- we all know that, what happened in the Oval Office -- and a reminder, Zelenskyy won't even be part of these current talks in Saudi Arabia.
Could the U.S. create enough pressure to get President Zelenskyy to step aside perhaps?
EMANUEL: No, I don't think -- that's up to the Ukrainian people. He's democratically elected. And even the opposition in Ukraine has said there's no purpose for an election.
I happen to think -- if I can just pull back for a second, Wolf, I think the United States is going about what they want all wrong. What's underground in the sense of these critical minerals, if you look at all the research, haven't been surveyed, maybe on a good day 18 years from now.
Ukraine has a solution that's right in front of us not underground, but above ground, that will solve a tremendous amount of security problems for the United States. Their drone technology in the last three years went from no defense to now 30 to almost 40 percent of the defense industry is homegrown and they have battle-tested technology within 30 to 40 days from the field, out to the field, in the laboratory.
The United States can even issue an RFP to a company in three years. Our procurement process at the Pentagon is messed up. And the big five defense industry companies have the United States security over a barrel. Ukraine's homegrown industry that went from zero to 60 miles an hour in three years could turnkey a problem that Democrats, Republicans, administrations, members of Congress and from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have all said needs to be resolved.
And the Pentagon procurement is immune to reform. Ukraine actually offers the United States a major solution to one of the biggest security challenges it has. And we're talking about something maybe 18 years from now where, in 18 days, we could have new drone technology that is battle-tested.
[11:35:02]
I think the United States, in all due respect to -- quote-unquote -- "the art of the deal," is actually negotiating for the wrong thing. And Ukraine can actually enhance the credibility of America's security and its deterrence. And we're looking and asking for the wrong things in real time.
We have a problem. The American defense procurement system is fundamentally broken. There is not a single weapon ever produced on time or on budget. Ukraine has gone from zero in the last three years to 40 percent is now produced in real time in 30 days. Literally, something happens, they retest it, and they have new technology on the battlefield.
That is invaluable to the United States. We should be licensing that. Build it up to two-thirds of the armaments, and we would have something that we have never had before, real, battle-tested technology and a fundamental jolt to an American bureaucracy that is broken and has been broken and nobody can fix it on its own.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: I want to get to another important subject, Rahm, while I have you, a very sensitive issue.
Canada, as you know, will be getting a new prime minister, Mark Carney.
EMANUEL: Wolf, you have me.
BLITZER: Can you hear me all right?
EMANUEL: Yes. Yes. Yes.
BLITZER: All right, as long as you can hear me.
As you know, Canada is going to be getting a new prime minister this week, Mark Carney. He's already talking tough when it comes to fighting back against Trump's tariffs against Canada. Is there any chance that Trump could seize this opportunity to deal back the tension with Canada?
EMANUEL: Well, you say to deal back the tension. Yes, there's an opportunity, because, as you can see, the market now, in the sense of financial markets, have now put in America into negative territory.
And you literally -- because of the uncertainty and unreliability of Donald Trump's tariffs, you're inducing and producing a recession here at home that was totally unnecessary. The second thing is to watch is both what's happening to the Liberal Party in Canada that's been revived because of Donald Trump and the elections in Greenland.
Donald Trump is now the instigation for elections overseas that are anti-American, when they used to be pro-American. And it's -- he's creating a scenario where there's political hay to be made by attacking America or standing up to America.
There are good and bad tariffs. Donald Trump's replaced them with unreliable and uncertain tariffs. And the uncertainty is going to create a recession that was totally unnecessary, and Donald Trump will own it. That is the art of his deal. And that's the consequences, which is why I'm shocked at the Republican Congress that's going to be up.
They're like timid souls and they are going to take a recession going into their 2026 elections. They should be speaking up about this, but I'm not the one to give them political advice, but that's what's going to happen. And so I think there's a way to dial it back and he has done it in the past when the markets have turned.
He's now, I don't understand even politically, let alone talking on the weekend about a recession. He now owns it. He has -- he would have owned it otherwise, but, for now, he's created his own Velcro to create and he's produced a recession by giving word to it.
He's made it the Trump recession.
BLITZER: We will see if that happens.
Rahm Emanuel, thanks, as usual, for joining us -- Pamela.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And still ahead: Could the Menendez Brothers be released soon after decades in prison? In just hours, the Los Angeles County district attorney will give an update on their case.
CNN's Stephanie Elam is covering this -- Stephanie.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Over 30 years that Lyle and Erik Menendez have been in jail, but could their path to freedom find a new way forward?
We will have an update for you as the Los Angeles County DA will give us that update later on. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:43:08]
BROWN: In just about an hour from now, the Los Angeles County district attorney will give an update on the Lyle and Erik Menendez case.
The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents and have been in prison for more than 30 years, but they are now pursuing new legal options, in hopes of being released.
Let's go live to CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam in Los Angeles.
Stephanie, of course, a documentary and a series on Netflix sparked a lot of new interest in this case, but is all of this national attention enough to get them out of prison?
ELAM: There are still paths that could lead them to freedom, Pamela.
But what will have to take place here is finding out what the Los Angeles County district attorney, Nathan Hochman, has said. Now, he's already come out and said that he opposes a new trial for the brothers.
He says that they have put forth a continuum of lies, as he put it, and that even if this letter that was reportedly written by one of the brothers and sent to their first cousin, who was 14 years old at the time, stating that they were being sexually and physically abused by their father, he says that he doesn't believe that is truly new evidence that requires for a new trial.
And he also says -- quote -- "It does not constitute self-defense."
Now, ultimately, it will be up to a judge to decide whether or not they get a new trial, but this still could be a setback. Keep in mind that the brothers are sending -- serving life sentences without the chance of parole here.
So, one of the things that they're looking for as well is perhaps just resentencing, where there is a chance of parole. And they have -- also are petitioning the governor, who could come out and Gavin Newsom could right away just say that they are free and grant them clemency.
What he has said, though, Governor Newsom has said that he's going to wait for the district attorney, Hochman, to finish his review, which we are assuming that's what we're going to hear about today, before moving forward.
But he has asked the California Board of Parole Hearings to do an investigation of the brothers to see if they would be -- or pose a -- quote -- "unreasonable risk to society" if they were freed.
[11:45:06]
Obviously, this whole process here could take some time. But it is worth noting that the entire family except for one member of the Menendez family supports freedom for the brothers, saying that they have been reformed and that they were abused by their father. The brothers also claimed that their mother knew about it and stood by and did not act to protect the brothers as well.
The other issue here, if you remember, there was a previous Los Angeles County district attorney, George Gascon, who was saying that he -- that the brothers should be freed. He also pointed to their rehabilitation while they were in prison, showing that they were starting up different programs to help different inmates, even though they knew that they had no chance of parole.
All of that, they're saying, should feed into this decision here. We will find out later today, Pamela, whether or not it makes a difference.
BROWN: We sure will. I know you will bring us the very latest on that front.
Stephanie Elam, thank you so much.
And CNN, by the way, will have full live coverage of the L.A. County district attorney's news conference this afternoon 1:00 Eastern. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:51:03]
BROWN: As Elon Musk takes a key role in the Trump administration, he's also getting some more airtime on "Saturday Night Live" played by Mike Myers channeling one of his most famous characters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES AUSTIN JOHNSON, ACTOR: Let's get Elon in here, so you guys can work things out.
Elon?
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNSON: But, Elon, you got to listen to me OK. Marco is a very important part of the team. And we all need to...
MIKE MYERS, ACTOR: Phase one of my plan is complete. Ingratiate yourself to the president and take over the media. But was taking this job a bad idea? A lot of people seem to really hate me.
My Tesla stock is crashing and my personal net worth just dropped by $100 billion.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING)
JOHNSON: Elon, stay in your lane. You're not the boss.
MYERS: But I paid you $300 million.
JOHNSON: And that's why you're the boss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: One hundred billion dollars.
BROWN: Billion dollars.
BLITZER: I love that.
BROWN: Notice he was wearing a suit in this one.
BLITZER: Very cute.
BROWN: Yes, I guess because, the State of the Union, Elon was wearing the suit.
BLITZER: Very sweet. BROWN: But in the weekend before, when they were in the Oval, and he came in with the chain saw in his typical attire, because Zelenskyy was being given a hard time not wearing a suit. Elon, as we know, normally doesn't. That is so funny. I love it.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: And, Pamela, before we go, I got a playlist fit for a king.
Yes, thanks to Apple Music, you can now listen as King Charles does. He just released his curated playlist. The artists represent a wide range of genres and time periods. The British monarch paid homage both to pop singer Kylie Minogue and a reggae legend Bob Marley, an unlikely pairing for a single playlist. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: I used to love that song as a kid.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: I'm so impressed that the monarch likes the same kind of music I like.
BROWN: I know. Well, Wolf, you're known for your catchy tunes.
BLITZER: Oh, very catchy.
BROWN: We do want to note those are two songs with very different vibes, one a catchy dance tune, the other upbeat, yet introspective. The king says both bring him joy.
BLITZER: Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING CHARLES III, UNITED KINGDOM: The song is "The Loco-Motion." And this is music for dancing. Again, it has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still.
I always recall his words, "The people have a voice inside of them." He gave the world that voice in a way that no one who heard can ever forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And other artists, Pamela, on the playlist include Michael Buble, Raye, Grace Jones, and Diana Ross.
And I a few months ago I had dinner with Diana Ross.
BROWN: Wow, what was that like? BLITZER: It was so exciting, because I grew up loving her a ton, of
course.
BROWN: Of course. She's a legend.
BLITZER: She's amazing.
BROWN: All right, so we should note that you do a song of the day every day. I put it on my Stories on my Instagram.
How do you -- walk us through your process for that.
BLITZER: Well, I love music. I have always loved music ever since I was a little boy. My mom made me take piano lessons. So I have always loved music.
And if there's a song that just pops up in my head, I sort of wind up singing it all day. You know our song of the day today?
BROWN: Yes, what is the song of the day?
BLITZER: I get knocked down, but I get up again.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: From Chumbawamba.
BROWN: I love that, because it's such a great message for a Monday.
BLITZER: And it's a message for all of us. I get back...
BROWN: Let's put it up. I think we had a graphic of all your recent songs of the day for everyone to look at right here. We got some Beyonce. We got some Bob Dylan, the Beatles. Quite the mix, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, shake it up, baby. "Twist and Shout" with the Beatles, all the single ladies, all the single ladies, Beyonce, and "Like a Rolling Stone." I loved the movie, the new movie featuring all the music of Bob Dylan.
I grew up listening to Bob Dylan. You're too young to remember him.
[11:55:00]
BROWN: No, no. I'm not too young for Bob Dylan. Who doesn't love Bob Dylan?
Love it, song of the day, Wolf. And I can't wait to see what you pick tomorrow.
BLITZER: We will see what I pick tomorrow.
BROWN: So much anticipation.
BLITZER: But the words are, I get knocked down, but I get up again.
BROWN: Get up again. Everyone, remember that.
BLITZER: Yes, OK, good.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can keep up with us on social media @WolfBlitzer, @PamelaBrownCNN.
We will see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning at our new expanded two-hour time slot, THE SITUATION ROOM at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.
BROWN: "INSIDE POLITICS WITH DANA BASH" is next, right after a short break.
