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The Situation Room

Interview With Fmr. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA); Supreme Court Hears Case on Transgender Athletes; Trump Threatens Retribution For Minnesota. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired January 13, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH SHEMPER, PRESIDENT, BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION: They had broken in through one of the windows from the outside with an axe, apparently, and then proceeded to pour gasoline or some kind of accelerant from a gas can all over our library, as well as in front of the administrative offices.

Anything and everything that was in the library is no longer. It's just ash. But, like anything else, the Jews, if anything, as our history shows, we're a people of surviving. We're survivors. And physical things can always be replaced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:30:16]

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Shemper also told me that it's going to take up to a year to repair the temple before the congregation can go back and hold services there -- Wolf, Pam.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Rafael Romo reporting with the latest, thank you very, very much -- Pamela.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: All right, Wolf, new this morning, President Trump lashing out at Minnesota and Chicago, saying in a social media post in part: "Every place we go, crime comes down. In Chicago, despite a weak and incompetent governor and mayor fighting us all the way, a big improvement was made."

And then going on to say: "Fear not, great people of Minnesota. The date of reckoning and retribution is coming."

The president posted the comments as Minnesota and Illinois announced that they're suing his administration over the immigration crackdowns.

I want to bring in CNN senior national correspondent Ryan Young, who has been on the ground there in Minneapolis.

Ryan, as you're walking there, I'm wondering how officials are responding to this inflammatory rhetoric coming from the president.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you they have been really strong in this fact, as they're saying they're going to follow through this lawsuit.

And the reason why we're walking back in this direction is this is just where ICE and a lot of the Border Patrol officials were just here. All these neighbors that you see here were using their whistles and they were blowing and they were trying to stop an arrest.

While we were here, we actually saw people running through the alleys trying to escape being captured. This was a chaotic scene. It lasted for over 20 minutes. There were flashbangs used. There were pepper balls sprayed into the crowd. There were tear gas agents deployed.

And we saw people physically trying to get in the way of some of these arrests that were being made. So, as we walk you this direction, I want to show you, because this kind of played out here. In fact, you can still see part of the canister that exploded right there in the middle of the intersection.

These people were absolutely incensed by this, and we fell back for a quick second because obviously this was so chaotic at one point. We saw some of the agents accidentally spraying each other. So they had to fall back into several vehicles. Traffic was blocked up on Park Avenue.

And as we saw this, we saw at least three people being detained. Not sure what was going on. But, again, we witnessed people actively trying to use the alleys to run, to escape, to evade these agents as they were here in this crowd. And there were people crying, yelling and screaming.

So you understand we're just blocks away from where Renee Good was killed. The emotions here are so extremely high. And this to me was one of the most physical flash points we have seen since last week. Again, it's video that sort of surprised us about how quickly this happened and hundreds of agents surged into this neighborhood with people screaming, "ICE, get out of our city."

So we wanted to bring you this live and we will continue to follow this on the ground in this neighborhood.

BROWN: Yes, sounds like it was quite a chaotic situation there...

BLITZER: Yes, very.

BROWN: And members of the community coming out to film what they're seeing. Tensions are high there on the ground in Minneapolis, as you laid out, Ryan Young. Thank you so much for that.

And just ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM: all eyes on the Supreme Court, as the justices consider two landmark cases on transgender rights.

We're going to speak to former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene about it up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:38:05]

BROWN: Breaking news, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in blockbuster cases that could determine the future of transgender athletes in school sports.

Two transgender students, Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox, are challenging state bands in West Virginia and Idaho, respectively.

BLITZER: And joining us now, the Republican former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. She recently gave up her seat after breaking with President Trump. She's backing the state's opposing transgender individuals in girls and women's sports.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

First of all, tell us what you would like to see emerge from the Supreme Court and why.

FMR. REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Well, I hope to see the Supreme Court defend Title IX and defend girls and women's rights in sports.

Biological males do not have a place in girls and women's sports. No matter how many puberty blockers, hormone treatments or surgeries a biological male has, it will not make them a female. And it is still an unfair competitive advantage against biological girls and women.

This was a huge issue in the 2024 election. It's not a winning issue. Most Americans agree that girls and women's sports must be protected. And I can tell you I have a lot of experience as a travel ball mom where my daughter travels the entire country earning her place in D1 college sports.

It is imperative that we protect our girls and our women's rights in Title IX.

BROWN: I want to look a little bit more at the facts here. The president of the NCAA testified to Congress back in December 2024 that he was aware of -- quote -- "less than 10 transgender individuals out of the sports governing body's more than 500,000 total athletes," so not even 1 percent.

And you're right. The polls show that the majority of Americans support these bands. But do you have any concerns that this issue has become blown at a proportion, because it has been a political flash point, rather than an actual widespread problem?

[11:40:07]

GREENE: Well, my concerns is the issue continues to persist.

And I think voters going into 2026 and 2028 will look at this and they will ask, is the Democrat Party and Democrat candidates going to once again shove this down our throats and make girls and women accept the biological males in their sports? And I think that's going to be a big turnoff at the polls. And I will go a little bit further. In America, of course, everyone has their rights and their free speech. And that's incredibly important to protect. But there's all kinds of sports.

And if trans sports are such an important issue, they can create their own leagues. They can create their own competitions. I mean, if you turn on any sports channel on TV, there is every single kind of sport available.

And so if this continues to be such an important issue, I encourage them to create their own divisions to compete in. But we have to protect girls and women's sports at all costs.

BLITZER: I know, Congresswoman, you're a mom. Do you think you would feel any differently about this very sensitive issue if you had a transgender child who simply wanted to participate in sports just like friends?

GREENE: No, absolutely not.

As a matter of fact, I would do just what I recommended. I would get out there and create a league where they could all compete against each other in a safe and fair way. But, as a woman and as a mom, as a former athlete and the mother of a D1 collegiate athlete, I would go to the mat. I will go to the mat to protect girls and women's sports.

And I did. That was my voting record in Congress. So I think it's incredibly important for all sides to respect each other's boundaries. I mean, look, if I tried to go play professional basketball, I'm 5'2''. I'm not going to be able to play professional basketball.

And life isn't fair. But I think that girls and women's sports has to be protected to give girls and women a fair competitive advantage.

BROWN: I want to turn to another important story here in Washington. I know you're happily back in Georgia. You're now out of Congress.

But I am curious what you think about this, that federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over his June testimony before Congress about the Central Bank's renovation. Now, Powell, for his part, says this is just a pretext because President Trump disagrees with his monetary policy and opposition to lowering interest rates.

What do you think about this?

GREENE: Well, I have just read the little bit that has come out about it. I saw his video. I also saw Jeanine Pirro's statement that this is not a criminal indictment. So the details are a little bit unclear to me.

However, after watching years of political lawfare, that's something that I will always stand against. And I think most Americans don't want to see any type of power organized against another side for any other reason. However, Jerome Powell did testify to Congress. And Americans are very

tired of abuse of their tax dollars, where fraud has become a major issue. I mean, it is a hot topic that's talked about, especially among conservatives across the country.

So people care a lot about how their money is being spent. But, also, I think that we always have to stand watch against any type of political lawfare.

BROWN: Right. And just to be clear, he said he was served a grand jury subpoena that could lead to a criminal indictment, depending on how this investigation plays out.

BLITZER: And this investigation, Congresswoman, into Powell is just the latest example of a perceived opponent of President Trump's facing legal repercussions.

It also happened, as we all know, with Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, among so many others. Many Democrats say the Justice Department under President Trump is being weaponized for political reasons. Is there any validity to that?

GREENE: Well, I will certainly speak from the other side. We saw Joe Biden's Department of Justice certainly weaponized against the president himself, many people that are on his staff.

So we saw that come from the other side. Again, I will come from the standpoint that I am staunchly against any type of political weaponization of the Department of Justice. I think that is a dangerous precedent to set in America. And I hope it's something that we see come to an end.

BROWN: I want to ask you about what's happening in Minnesota. I mean, this country is so politically divided, and we're seeing that play out with the reaction to these videos coming out of Minnesota with this ICE shooting of Renee Good.

[11:45:05]

And you had the DHS secretary, Kristi Noem, come out shortly after and say that it was an act of domestic terrorism. She has doubled down and others in the administration have supporting this ICE officer.

And then, on the other side, you have officials there at Minnesota who say that this was a reckless abuse of power by this ICE officer to shoot Renee Good three times. I'm wondering, now that you're sort of out and -- how you're looking at these videos that have come out and you're looking at the situation in Minnesota.

GREENE: Yes, I see that as such a such a sad tragedy. It's a situation that just shouldn't have occurred.

I'm certainly no ballistics expert and I'm not an expert on law enforcement conduct. So it's -- I have a difficult time judging that scenario. However, there is a woman that is dead today. And I think that's extremely sad.

But I will say, any time you engage in activities that put yourself in a dangerous situation where you're impeding law enforcement, these terrible tragedies can occur. I am a big proponent of peaceful protest. And that goes for any type of protest that we have in our country. And I'm a big believer in our First Amendment right, Americans' rights to the thing to put their free speech out and to protest.

And I just encourage people, if you're going to protest, do it in such a way where your life is not in danger. And I just -- I just really hope to see this calm down. I think Americans are really fed up with this. They watched it from all summer long in 2020, and then we watched it going in with January 6.

And it just remained -- all these type of violent protests remain the biggest topic that they saw on the news for so many years. And to see it bubble up again, this is not what Americans want. They really want prosperity. They want safety. They want their children to be successful.

They want to be successful and they want happy lives and that means less drama on TV and on social media.

BROWN: And let me just follow up with you, because the president now is saying that there's going to be retribution coming to Minnesota. We know DHS has sent even more officers there on the ground since that shooting.

Tensions are high there. It's a tinderbox. Are you concerned that the administration could make the situation worse there, rather than helping, in the way that you just laid out?

GREENE: Well, I think we have to acknowledge that the protesters are engaged at such a level where they're following ICE, trying to dox ICE, put law enforcement lives in danger.

Again, when it comes to protest of all kinds, I just encourage people to do it safely and do it peacefully, because there's no price on your life and you can make your point, you can put your free speech out there and put your opinion out there.

But there is a mother that's dead today and there's a child that has been orphaned because of the extreme nature that she engaged in and because an ICE officer pulled his firearm and shot her. And, again, I say this is a tragedy and I hope that everything calms down.

BROWN: Yes.

And just to follow up, I mean, officials of Minnesota said they argue that she was participating in her First Amendment rights, that she wasn't obstructing it. You see the cars go by in the video, but, certainly, as you see that tensions are very high there on the ground.

And former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, it's really nice to have you on now that you're out of Congress and you're also newly engaged. So congrats to that. Thank you so much for your time.

GREENE: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And we will be right back.

Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:53:25]

BLITZER: Moments ago, Kathleen Hartnett, the attorney for Lindsay Hecox, delivered her opening statement before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hecox's filed suit against the Idaho's 2020 Fairness in Women's Sports Act.

That law bans transgender females from women's sports teams and public schools at all levels. Earlier, we heard from Alan Hurst, the Idaho solicitor general.

Here's Kathleen Hartnett, the attorney for Lindsay Hecox. Listen to this.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KATHLEEN HARTNETT, ATTORNEY FOR LINDSAY HECOX: Idaho concedes that H.B.500 draws a sex-based line by categorically excluding all students with a biological sex of male from women's teams.

Sex classifications like that are closely scrutinized under the Equal Protection Clause to ensure they rest on evidence, not supposition. Idaho's articulated justification for this line is to protect women's sports from birth-sex males because of their -- quote -- "biological advantages."

That means H.B.500 is aimed at controlling for sex-based biological advantages, not for all the many reasons one athlete may be better than another that have nothing to do with sex. On the preliminary record in this case, and as the experts below agreed, circulating testosterone after puberty is the main determinant of sex-based biological advantage that H.B.500 sought to address.

And on this record, Lindsay Hecox has mitigated that advantage because she has suppressed her testosterone for over a year and taken estrogen. H.B.500 thus fails heightened scrutiny as applied to Lindsay and transgender women like her who have no sex-based biological advantage as compared to birth-sex females.

[11:55:00]

That analysis would come out the other way for the untalented cisgender boy. He would have the same sex-based advantage, the circulating testosterone. He just would not be as good at sports. It also would come out the other way here, for example, if a

transgender woman had gone through a male puberty and had not mitigated that advantage.

This court's cases have recognized that when the government's justification for a sex-based classification does not apply to a discrete subgroup of those classified, that classification is unconstitutional regarding that subgroup.

And that holding in Caban, which I'm sure we will discuss further, has been repeatedly referred to and reaffirmed, including more recently than Nguyen and Morales-Santana.

Because the court can affirm based on sex discrimination, it's not necessary to reach the question of transgender status discrimination, but H.B.500 also fails on that basis. If the court does not find the case moot, the preliminary injunction should be affirmed.

I welcome the court's questions.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BLITZER: And CNN will have continuing coverage of the Supreme Court's arguments throughout the day.

BROWN: All right, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

"INSIDE POLITICS" with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right now.