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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Savannah Guthrie's Mother Missing; Trump Says Republicans Should "Nationalize" Elections; Noem: DHS Officers In Minneapolis Will Be Issued Body Cameras. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired February 02, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZENA STENVIK, SUPERINTENDENT, COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS: So, we still have a heavy ICE presence in our neighborhoods, and we're ready for that to de-escalate.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Well, Superintendent Stenvik, I can't imagine how difficult this has been for all the educators in the state. And appreciate you coming on and talking to us. Thank you.
STENVIK: Thank you.
COOPER: Well, that's it for us. The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you, tomorrow.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Breaking tonight. Authorities say the mother, of TODAY show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was abducted in the middle of the night from her home, and they're pleading with the public to help uncover new leads.
Tonight, the Pima County Sheriff told CNN's Erin Burnett how officials determined the home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was a crime scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, AZ: This isn't somebody who wandered off. This is an elderly woman in her mid-80s who suffers some ailments that makes her mobility, her ability to walk around very difficult. The family told us, she couldn't go 50 yards. And that, in and of itself, is a concern. But then we also have some things at that scene that indicate to us that she was removed from that scene against her will.
This is a case to this community, because it's not often that -- never really that we see somebody in the middle of the night, in their safe home environment and bed, all of a sudden disappear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Guthrie was last seen Saturday night near her Tucson home. And when she didn't show up to church on Sunday morning, a church member alerted her family, who then searched for her at home before calling police. Authorities say, Nancy Guthrie does not have her daily medication, and without it, the consequences could be fatal.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the ground in Tucson. Ed, what new details are we learning about this search tonight?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, investigators aren't saying much about the specifics of what was found inside Nancy Guthrie's home. Enough to say that they believe, as you mentioned, that she was taken against her will. And the family knows, in this horrifying ordeal, that this is a race against the clock at the moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night.
More than 40 hours later, officials say, her home is considered a crime scene and are asking the public for help.
SGT. DAVID STIVERS, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Like still a very active investigation. There were circumstances on scene that we believe are suspicious in nature, I think is the best way to put it.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): A widespread search of the area was shut down once officials say they determined she did not leave her home alone.
NANOS: She is very limited in her mobility, right? We know she didn't just walk out of there. That is -- that we know. There are other things at the site, at the scene, that indicate she did not leave on her own.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The mother of TODAY show co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie, lived near Tucson, about 60 miles from the U.S. border with Mexico.
She appeared on the set of The TODAY show, in 2023, holding a cane. And on the show, last November, when Savannah returned to her hometown.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, mom.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, TODAY CO-ANCHOR: What made you want to stay in Tucson at Aunt Ruth's (ph)?
NANCY GUTHRIE, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MOTHER: So wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): News of her disappearance headlined the TODAY show.
CRAIG MELVIN, TODAY CO-ANCHOR: A deeply personal story for us. Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Savannah's colleagues are asking for her safe return.
JENNA BUSH HAGER, TODAY WITH JENNA & SHEINELLE CO-HOST: Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's beloved mom, that she takes daily medication and she needs them for survival. She's without her medication. So, we are thinking of our dearest, dearest Savannah.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): And Savannah shared a statement on behalf of the Guthrie family that says, quote, "Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Mom." And asks, "Anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department."
Savannah Guthrie frequently spoke of her close relationship with her mother on the TODAY show.
S. GUTHRIE: And so, if she would say to you, You can do it, I believe you can, now get out there and go for your dreams? I believed her.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): And included her in segments about Mother's Day.
S. GUTHRIE (voice-over): You may have heard me talk about my idyllic childhood growing up in Arizona.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Even taking her mother back to Australia, where Savannah was born after her dad was transferred there for work.
N. GUTHRIE: That we got you from the store here (ph).
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Time and again, referencing her mother's unwavering support as a single mom of three. Savannah's father died when she was just 16-years-old.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: And Brianna, Erin Burnett also asked the Sheriff here in Tucson, whether or not this situation could have been a kidnapping, a ransom, given the relationship between mother and daughter here, and what her daughter does for a living and being a co-anchor of the TODAY show. The Sheriff downplayed that, saying that there doesn't appear to be any evidence suggesting that.
[21:05:00]
But a great deal of mystery and heartbreak, as not only her colleagues at NBC News and here in Tucson, really wait for any kind of answers to emerge out of this ordeal.
Brianna.
KEILAR: Ed Lavandera, please keep us updated from Arizona.
And for more on this search, we're joined by:
Josh Campbell, CNN's Senior Law Enforcement Correspondent.
Also, Brian Stelter, CNN Chief Media Analyst. And criminal defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, is with us.
Josh, given your background in the FBI, what are investigators piecing together at this moment?
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a critical situation. What began as a missing person case has now taken a much more dire direction, with authorities saying that they believe this was the result of a crime, that she was forcibly removed from her home. The Sheriff telling CNN, a short time ago, they believe that she was actually taken from her bed. They don't know why. They're trying to obviously understand where she is and who may be responsible for this.
But again, they are racing a clock. As the Sheriff indicated, she is someone who takes prescription medications. If she doesn't get those medications within a 24-hour period, there is the possibility of death. So, this is a very, very serious situation.
I've been talking to people familiar with the investigation. They say, this is now a robust effort, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, led by the local sheriff's department there, but also with the support of agencies like the FBI. I'm told that they are looking at cellphone tower data that is in and around that neighborhood, to try to help them geolocate who may have possibly been in that area. They're also using other technology, like license plate readers.
But here's the thing, Brianna, and this is what I continue to hear. This is tedious painstaking work. Because, what they're doing is going to nearby neighbors and asking them to proactively look through any type of surveillance footage, to see if they even get a glimpse, a glimmer, of who this person might have been, who was in that area.
And right now, it appears authorities don't have any credible leads, as far as who this might be. But as we've seen in past incidents, that can turn on a dime, one piece of evidence can then lead them in the direction where they then set off to try to figure out where she is.
So, a very volatile situation right now. Of course, our hearts go out to Savannah (inaudible) families are dealing with this tragedy, and obviously we hope for the best.
KEILAR: Yes. We certainly are hoping for the best.
And Mark, given how well-known Savannah is, there have been questions about whether or not Nancy Guthrie was targeted. Josh just raised those questions here.
I do want to listen to what the Sheriff said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT: Do you think this is a kidnapping for ransom? Do you have any -- I mean, any kind of ransom note or anything that would indicate that?
NANOS: No.
BURNETT: Or at this point, do you not know if that's the case?
NANOS: No, we -- we've been working with Ms. Guthrie -- Savannah Guthrie's security team, and researching any potential threats there, or anything. But no, we're not hearing anything like that. We've not seen that. We'll never rule it out. But no, we're not -- we don't -- that's not the direction we're going in right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So it sounds like Mark, they don't -- they don't know, right? They don't know the answer to that question. But I wonder what stands out to you about what we do know about this search so far?
MARK O'MARA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, obviously we know it's an abduction because of something that was found at the house, probably a scuffle. Obviously, she left without her cellphone, left without her medication. So that's strong indication that there was a crime, and they've called it as such.
What's interesting to me is the lack of forensic evidence that has been gathered from the neighborhood. Because, if you looked at that overview we have in the neighborhood, it is a populated area, which means we now know there's dozens and dozens of Ring cameras. Even cars going down the street have phone -- have video. So, I'm surprised we don't have a lot yet.
But what's interesting that noted to me, one, there has not been a ransom. But I'm now curious. Ms. Guthrie, Savannah, isn't a pundit, right? She's not out there talking. She's not inflammatory. That may have been almost this, I can't get to you, but I'll get to your mom. But she's not even a target in that sense. So, it's really confounding as to the reason why this woman would be focused on. But it has to have something to do with the notoriety of Ms. Guthrie, because nothing else makes any sense.
KEILAR: Brian, we know time is critical here. Mrs. Guthrie needs her medication. And I understand that Savannah is supporting. She's in the area, right, supporting this search?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: That's right. She's in Tucson. In a segment, last fall, when she returned home for a TODAY show feature about Tucson, she called herself a daughter of the desert. She has been back home so many times. But this is the worst reason of all, right? This is the trip she never wanted to take to be back in Tucson today.
[21:10:00]
She was supposed to fly to Italy today, to get ready for NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics. She is scheduled to co-host the Opening Ceremony coverage on Friday. Of course, it almost goes without saying that's on hold now, and that doesn't matter right now. NBC is, of course, focused on supporting her. But Guthrie is home in Tucson, as she flew as soon as she could, yesterday, when she heard that her mom was missing, after her siblings or other family members notified her of the situation. So, she has been there all day today, doing whatever she can.
But unfortunately, there's very little any individual can do right now as investigators try to put the pieces together.
KEILAR: Yes.
And you mentioned, Josh, a little bit about the FBI's role here. What other resources can they bring to bear in this situation?
CAMPBELL: Well, in these type of missing-person situations and fugitive situations, for that matter, as well, they do bring in a host of resources and expertise.
What the Sheriff said is that they're focusing primarily, right now, on trying to actually access camera footage from inside the home. This is a process that sometimes, it's backed up into the cloud, and so they're trying to get access to that.
So, these agencies bring in these technical specialists, because they're trying to develop this TikTok, essentially. At what point did this person come? What transpired? Do you actually see them leaving? And in what direction are they actually leaving?
I will note that, as we've seen in multiple investigations in the past, authorities always have to make this calculation. How much do we release to the public? How much do we want to actually keep close to the vest?
There is a great value in not sharing everything. Particularly, if you start to identify a possible suspect, you want to home in on that person, identify where they are. That could be why we're not seeing them release a lot of information.
But the longer this goes on, we expect that they will start to try to open that aperture, again, to try to get as much information as they can out there, trying to just create that awareness. Anyone who saw something, or maybe if you saw something days ago, or a week ago, that you didn't think was particularly important then, they want people to kind of go through that process. They're looking for any tip they can. They say, no tip is too small right now.
KEILAR: Yes, Mark, do you expect that we'll learn more here soon?
O'MARA: I do.
And to echo what Josh just said, they know more than we know, and that's appropriate. They have to keep some of these facts close to their chest, because I would be very surprised that they don't have some information about some car, somewhere. But rather than let that out there, by telling the person in the car, maybe to change cars or whatever, they're going to keep that close to the chest. That's just Investigation 101, to gather a lot of information, let some of it out to the public, so you're getting additional information.
But that critical mass of information, they have to keep close to their chest until they develop it properly, and that information getting out would give information to the bad guys that they don't want them to have.
KEILAR: Yes, certainly, there are a lot of people who are trying to get as much information as they can.
I think, it just goes without saying that Savannah Guthrie is one of the kindest, most down-to-earth people in television news, which can be a tough industry.
STELTER: Yes.
KEILAR: And to know her is really it's -- to love her and to know her is to know how much she loves her mom. So, this is really essential, as we're getting the word out here.
Thank you to all of you for your insights there.
And officials are asking that anyone who has information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department. That number is 520-351-4900.
And up next. Just a stunning call by President Trump for radical changes to the way that your vote is counted.
Plus, one of the top officials at the Justice Department, telling CNN, he doesn't think that any more charges will be brought in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
And DHS makes a major immigration enforcement change, after two fatal shootings of American citizens prompted calls for transparency and accountability.
[21:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: In this, an election year, President Trump just called for a radical change to how your vote is counted, and Democrats are sounding the alarm.
Dan Bongino, the President's former Deputy Director of the FBI, is now back in the podcast biz. And today, the President picked up the phone to make the case for nationalizing elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Republicans should say, We want to take over, we should take over the voting -- the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.
And we have states that are so crooked, and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. And we know this, because Trump's then-Attorney General, Bill Barr, looked for it, and he didn't find any of the President's claims to be credible.
And the reason the states count the votes, like they'll do for the midterms, is because it's the Constitution telling them to. It's right there in black and white calligraphy. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.
That process is happening in November. And Trump's push to change 250 years of how this country holds elections comes after his party just lost another special election. That made House Speaker Johnson's already-thin majority in the House even thinner and tougher to control.
Just last week, we saw the FBI seize truckloads of ballots in Fulton County, Georgia. In a letter to members of Congress, the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, says her presence was at the request of the President himself.
[21:20:00]
Still, the facts remain unchanged. Three different Georgia recounts all found the same thing. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election there.
And in light of that stubborn reality, this weekend, the aforementioned Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, tried to distance the President from the search. Despite the President's own social media posts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, just because he said that doesn't mean that he's involved. I don't believe he was involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Well, he was involved. Director Gabbard put him on the phone, Trump, with the very FBI agents who conducted the search. A highly unusual call described as a brief pep talk. To be clear, that is not how any of this is supposed to work, and for good reason.
Keep in mind, this was the President, less than two weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that. They found out. People will soon be prosecuted for what they did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: We're joined now by CNN's Senior Legal Analyst, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Elie Honig.
Elie, the Constitution is pretty clear on this. States decide how elections are run. Is this even possible?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY: No, it's not, Brianna. So two major problems here.
First of all, the entire factual premise that this election was stolen is provably false.
Second of all, to your point, this notion of nationalizing or federalizing our elections is wildly, aggressively unconstitutional. You put it up before Article I Section 4, it is up to the states. And that is by design. The reason our Framers chose this decentralized model of elections is to prevent precisely this type of in-house, federalized power grab coming from the White House or coming from the federal executive branch.
I promise you, if Donald Trump actually tries to execute this, actually tries to federalize our state election, every federal judge in this country, nine-zero in the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, Sam Alito, on down, will strike it down. It is that flagrantly unconstitutional (ph), it's anathema to our constitutional structure.
KEILAR: Given everything we know about Fulton County, Trump's caught- on-tape efforts in 2020 to find votes, recounts, confirming the results. What could the Feds have, that they showed to a judge, that enabled them to have the green light to do this?
HONIG: It's a great question, and I'm dying to know it.
We may, at some point soon, actually see the affidavit that prosecutors had to put together. And this had to have happened. Prosecutors had to have written out probable cause that a crime was committed, brought it over to a judge. We know that a magistrate judge in Georgia found probable cause. Now, we haven't seen that actual document, laying out the probable cause. But we might, because we learned today that Fulton County officials are going to challenge this search warrant. But I think it's a great question.
But remember this, when judges are looking at a document like that, it's one-sided. It's just the prosecutors telling of it. There's no defense involvement. There's no cross-examination. So, judges are sort of going on a cold, black and white record, as brought to them, by federal prosecutors.
But where probable cause came from? I have no idea. Maybe we'll learn at some point.
KEILAR: And on the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's presence at the search of that Fulton County Elections Office. This was the Deputy A.G.'s explanation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLANCHE: I don't know why the Director was there. She is not part of the grand jury investigation. But she is, for sure, a key part of our efforts at election integrity and making sure that we have free and fair elections.
I'm not unhappy or happy. That Tulsi can go where she needs to go. She's phenomenal. She's doing a great job. And she's a partner with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So Gabbard, Elie, says she was there at the direction of the President. Can you think of a reason for the DNI to be on site for an FBI search warrant?
HONIG: There's no reason whatsoever. The DNI has no law enforcement powers. There's no reason for Tulsi Gabbard to be there, when they're loading up boxes onto a hand truck and pushing them out to a truck.
And I thought it was so interesting today that it came out, that Tulsi Gabbard's sort of defense for being there is, Well, the President asked me to be there. As if that makes it better? That's the whole problem here.
Because presidents, going back 50-plus years, have made efforts to stay out of prosecution, to stay out of things like search warrants. And so, the fact that we now know that Donald Trump was involved in telling her to be there, really just flagrantly violates that.
And it's interesting, Todd Blanche knows that that's wrong. And you can tell he knows it's wrong, because you played the clip before, of him talking to Dana Bash, where Blanche, who was at the Southern District, same time as I was, basically denies that the President was involved, because he knows it's wrong for the President to be involved. And now today, we learned, the President absolutely was involved.
This is a break in the historical chain, going back at least to Richard Nixon. Even Richard Nixon at least tried to hide it when he meddled in cases. And now, it's just all out in the open.
[21:25:00]
KEILAR: And this new reporting about the President hopping on a call with the FBI agents kind of further shows his involvement. How bad is that?
HONIG: Well, it does. It further confirms his involvement.
And I should say, that kind of involvement could actually jeopardize a charge if we ever do see one. Because, if anyone ever does get charged out of this, they will argue, Vindictive, politically motivated prosecution. And the agents who conducted that search warrant, some of them would certainly become witnesses. They can be cross-examined on this. It would go to their motivation. It would go to the government's motivation. So, whether they realize it or not, they're not helping their own case, should there ever be a charge here.
KEILAR: All right, Elie, thank you so much.
HONIG: Thanks, Brianna.
KEILAR: My next source is the Ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. California congressman, Robert Garcia.
Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.
You say the FBI search of the Fulton County Elections Office is a gross abuse of power.
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): I mean, no question. I mean, first, I mean, Donald Trump is still obsessed with his loss to President Biden in 2020. And when you talk about election interference, when you talk about someone that wants to actually cause chaos in our election system, that's what you're seeing actually right now happen.
And thank God that we have independent election systems and registrars, not just in states, by the way, but also at the county level. So, we don't only have that state protection, we have a local county jurisdiction protection across this country. Elections were built this way, so they're protected and that every vote is counted.
What Donald Trump is doing right now is literally election interference. And so, the FBI, the DOJ, certainly Tulsi Gabbard, everyone needs to be on notice that we are watching, we are investigating, and we have a lot of questions.
KEILAR: So, when you look at these different data points. The seizure in Fulton County. The President's comments about nationalizing elections. Pam Bondi on Minnesota's voter rolls. What do you think the endgame is here?
GARCIA: Well, I think -- look, I hope the American public gets it, that Donald Trump is a liar, and he's been lying to the American public and directly to everyone across this country about what happened in the 2020 election. He lost. He needs to move on.
And now he's willing to break the law. He's willing to weaponize the DOJ and the FBI. He's willing to send Tulsi Gabbard, who has nothing to do with elections in this country, to oversee some type of operation, where he himself is now on the phone as she's passing it off to FBI agents.
I mean, this is highly -- not only is it highly concerning, but everyone in this country should see what's happening here. The President is trying to set up to disrupt our elections in the future. Many of us have believed so. And that process is beginning now, and he's been talking about it for years.
KEILAR: I want to ask you about Jeffrey Epstein, as the Ranking Member of the congressional committee that's investigating him. I want to play something the Deputy Attorney General said tonight about the files that the DOJ has released. Here it is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Is there any chance that any of these individuals who partied with Epstein and engaged in, you know, relations with minors will be prosecuted?
BLANCHE: Well, look we--
INGRAHAM: Any chance?
BLANCHE: I'll never say no, and we will always investigate any evidence of misconduct. But as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so as horrible as -- it's not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein. And some of these men may have done horrible things, and if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will. But it's also the kind of thing that -- that the American people need to understand, that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: What's your reaction to that?
GARCIA: I mean, it's gross, it's sick. I mean, I hope that people understand that the survivors, when they hear that kind of BS, it's retraumatizing.
Jeffrey Epstein trafficked and raped children and girls. The men that were responsible, that were not just co-conspirators, that funded what Mr. Epstein was doing, but the men that participated in those actions, have yet to be held accountable.
So, why won't Mr. Blanche release the names of all of the men that raped and abused children? Why won't the DOJ release the names of the co-conspirators? Why have they decided to hold back 50 percent of the Epstein files and play games with where Trump's name is, and removing this photo, and redacting this, but then putting out the names of the survivors? This has been completely botched by the White House, and is all part of a massive coverup, that's clearly being directed by the President and Pam Bondi.
Todd Blanche should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize to all the survivors, and he should -- and he should go after everyone that caused harm and release the names, most importantly, immediately.
KEILAR: The Clintons, Bill and Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify in-person as part of your committee's investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files. Chairman Comer said that he still has questions for their legal team. Do you expect that testimony to happen?
[21:30:00]
GARCIA: I mean, I do. I mean, look, let's be really clear. First, we have said that we want to talk to anybody. We don't care if they're a Republican or a Democrat, what position they hold, how powerful they are. We want to talk to anyone that has information about Jeffrey Epstein, and that includes Bill Clinton. We've been -- we've been on that from day one.
KEILAR: So, what's your question for him?
GARCIA: Look, I think -- we want to understand anyone that actually spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, we want to understand and understand more about what Jeffrey Epstein did, who he knew, where he got his finances from. And obviously, if there's any information about any abuse, we want all that information.
In addition to that, James Comer now has all the information -- all the information from the Clintons that he wanted prior to the deposition, he has. Now he has an opportunity to interview them, along with us. They have accepted all of the terms. Now let's hear from President Clinton.
KEILAR: All right. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. Really appreciate it.
And up next, the President weighing in on a new plan from the Homeland Security Secretary to immediately send body cameras to all agents in Minneapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It wasn't my decision. I would have -- you know, I leave it to her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Tonight, immigration officers in Minneapolis will now be fitted with body cameras, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in the city.
Earlier today, Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, announced, the cameras would be deployed to officers, quote, "Effective immediately," adding that, "As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide."
It's a decision that President Trump says was up to the DHS Secretary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Kristi Noem just announced that you're deploying body cameras to Minneapolis. What's your thinking behind this decision, and do you want to see this?
TRUMP: Well, it wasn't my decision. I would have -- you know, I leave it to her. They generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can't lie about what's happening. So it's, generally speaking, I think 80 percent good for law enforcement. But if she wants to do that, I'm OK with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: My source tonight is a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Democratic congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal.
Thank you so much for being with us.
Do you agree with Noem requiring body cameras for every agent in Minneapolis?
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Well, sure, they should have had body cameras before.
They have plenty of money. She said, When funding becomes available. They got $75 billion through the big, bad betrayal bill that Republicans passed earlier last year. And even if you took the $45 billion that they're using for detention now, that still leaves $30 billion. So, they have plenty of money available.
But my real problem is they have bodycam footage for the Alex Pretti murder. They have not released it. Those body cameras are only as good as what you do with the footage. We have footage. Right now, we have video footage from all over. And yet, they're still lying about what's on there. And so, I just don't think that body cameras are the answer.
She certainly has money. She should deploy them. People should use them. But it's about what happens, and how seriously the department takes what happens.
KEILAR: Meaning, you want there also to be a policy with how body camera footage is used.
JAYAPAL: Exactly. Exactly.
KEILAR: Is that -- is that what -- I'm hearing correctly?
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: And--
JAYAPAL: We need independent investigations. I mean, I don't trust the DOJ, I don't trust Pam Bondi, I don't trust Todd Blanche, to actually hold an independent investigation. When, all of these people came out immediately, upon seeing video footage, and said, The officers are innocent. They were lying to the American people, literally over and over again.
And so, what happens with that body camera footage? Does Pam Bondi do the independent investigation? Or do the state and local authorities, who still haven't gotten access to the Pretti footage?
KEILAR: But what are you hoping that that Pretti footage, that bodycam footage, would reveal for the public to see?
JAYAPAL: Well, this goes to the next question, right? Because we saw what we saw, and there's been so much analysis. It's clear that these officers murdered him, and that they need to be held accountable. And my concern now is that the DHS is completely unaccountable. ICE and CBP are completely unaccountable. They are rogue agencies with enormous amounts of money, who have been encouraged by Kristi Noem, by Bovino, by all of these people, to just go out and do whatever and think that they're -- that they don't have to suffer any consequences.
KEILAR: Senate Democrats are demanding this list of reforms, when it comes to ICE, in exchange for funding DHS.
Changes to warrants.
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: Roving patrols. Not wearing masks. Wearing these body cameras. Enforcing what are widely-accepted standards when it comes to use of force.
Do their demands go far enough, as you see it?
JAYAPAL: Well, I think the most important things are the policy changes. So, the no-warrant -- you know, no more warrantless arrests is very, very important.
I think getting ICE and CBP out of Minnesota is very important. I spoke to Governor Walz today. They are still there, doing the same things. Liam was returned, but there are still many kids who are being held in these detention facilities in Texas. They are still ignoring judges' orders.
[21:40:00]
So, I think that there's a number of things that really are about making sure that you're not just arresting people without a warrant, without a judicial warrant, not an immigration warrant, that we slow down the numbers of people that are actually being put into detention who have no crimes whatsoever committed. These are the kinds of policy changes that will actually matter. And getting these militarized forces out of our states and cities is very, very important.
KEILAR: There is nothing in these Democratic demands that would actually abolish ICE or, as I've heard so many Democrats say, Tear it down to the studs.
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: I think they say that if they don't want to say, Abolish ICE.
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: And so, is abolishing ICE then, just a talking point, if that's not really in the demands?
JAYAPAL: No, look, I think it is about what we have the power to do. And I have said, for some time, going back to 2019, I've said, we should dismantle DHS. Because DHS was only a creation after 9/11. It never existed before that. All of these agencies were in different places. The immigration piece was within Department of Justice. And actually, the enforcement part of the immigration piece was a very small part, because immigration is a civil system, and it's dealt with administratively. There needs to be some enforcement, but not in the form that it is today. This is the largest militarized force that we have, is immigration for a civil system.
So, that's what I think needs to happen once we have power back in. We need to really dismantle DHS, and we need to put these agencies in places where they belong, and where they can't be misused and weaponized against the American people.
KEILAR: I suspect you are not voting for this two-week funding for DHS?
JAYAPAL: I am not voting for that.
KEILAR: You are not voting for in order to reopen the government--
JAYAPAL: Absolutely not.
KEILAR: --while Democrats and Republicans negotiate changes to immigration enforcement.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who is the top Democrat on Appropriations, said that Democrats, quote, Won't be able to bring the kinds of pressure they need in negotiations with the White House over changing the full DHS bill without this two-week stopgap measure.
Do you see her point there?
JAYAPAL: I understand what she's saying, that it allows us to at least pass appropriations for some other pieces. But to me, there's nothing that we're going to get in 10 days that we can't get today.
We have, right now, the opportunity to make these reforms and the changes, and I think Republicans know that we need to make them. Certainly, Republicans across the country do.
But what we need to do is do it quickly, before they try to shift the attention to nationalizing the election, or starting a war in another country, or changing the subject to whatever it is that they wanted. They never wanted to talk about Epstein until they wanted to stop talking about ICE.
So, we have a real opportunity, and we should use it, right now. And that's what I think we're going to have to focus on.
KEILAR: Well, I want to talk about both.
JAYAPAL: OK.
KEILAR: So speaking of Epstein. As you've heard, the Deputy Attorney General signaling, there aren't going to be any more--
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: --charges, it appears.
JAYAPAL: Right.
KEILAR: Do you believe that is the end of the road for accountability when it comes to Epstein-related--
JAYAPAL: No.
KEILAR: --stuff?
JAYAPAL: No. I mean, I find it so unbelievably disrespectful to the survivors, who I've spent quite a bit of time with, when they were on the Hill, and on my podcast, and talking to them, getting to know them. And the way in which this has been conducted, the way in which these files were released without redacting their names, their information, and now saying that there is nothing to prosecute here? Are you kidding me?
There is so much in these files that needs to be at least investigated. But this is similar to what they do with every coverup, right? They just lie right out of the gate, and say, There is nothing to see here.
The only problem is, both with ICE and CBP, and with Epstein, the American people know these are giant coverups. They know what their eyes tell them, they know what their ears tell them when they're listening to the survivors, and they're like, Wait a second. No, you said you were going to release it. Now you don't want to release it?
And, by the way, Donald Trump's name is in there, what, 5,000-plus times.
So, I think that this is not the end of accountability at all. It's a tiny percentage of the files that have been released. They've really disrespected the survivors. And we need to haul these people before us and actually get real accountability for these survivors.
KEILAR: It is important to note, he hasn't been accused of wrongdoing. There were some certainly salacious allegations that came out.
JAYAPAL: Yes.
KEILAR: The Justice Department says they're false.
You were saying, there needs to be more investigation, as many Democrats are.
JAYAPAL: Into all of them.
KEILAR: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, thank you so much for being with us.
JAYAPAL: Thank you, Brianna. KEILAR: And up next. A new documentary, Rise of the 49ers peels back the curtain on the dynasty for new generation of fans. Kaitlan spoke with one of the featured NFL legends. Of course, Joe Montana. We'll have that next.
[21:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Before the reigns of Kansas City and New England, the NFL dynasty was defined in San Francisco. The 49ers dominated the 1980s with Super Bowl titles, in 1982, 1985, and 1989. And they added two more championships in 1990 and 1995.
A new documentary goes behind the scenes of San Francisco's dramatic transformation, from the laughing stock of football, to one of the most decorated franchises in the history of professional sports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Montana was all of a sudden one of the hottest names in America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Montana is down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Candlestick Park becomes silent.
[21:50:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To suddenly have the greatest quarterback to ever play the game get yanked?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was the best in the game, and I was trying to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Game on. I'm better than he is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Off we go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steve Young comes on. Here comes Joe Montana.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steve Young.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now Joe Montana's coming back in again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: And Kaitlan Collins spoke to the legendary quarterback at the center of those glory years. Four-time Super Bowl champ, three-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time NFL MVP, and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Joe Montana. He is part of AMC's brand-new docuseries, Rise of the 49ers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: And it is an honor to have you here on this show. So thank you for joining.
And watching that footage, thinking back to you being drafted, the dynasty starting, leading the 49ers to four Super Bowl champs in eight years. What was it like for you to relive those moments?
JOE MONTANA, PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER, 4X SUPER BOWL CHAMPION, 3X SUPER BOWL MVP: Oh, it was a lot of fun. You know, we had -- a lot of the players were there, and telling lies bigger than they -- every year that they get. And so, it was fun to watch the release of this, knowing that you've been through all this before, and you look back and some of the things you forget about, and, Oh, man.
COLLINS: I mean, what was it like, though? Because I think everyone looks at your success, and says, Oh, it's such a given.
What was it like to going from being that team that suffered so many losses, and building that, and getting to that moment? Because, as you know, it wasn't a given, without the work that y'all put in.
MONTANA: No, and I think the things that changed that organization first was Eddie DeBartolo. Second was his bringing on Bill Walsh.
And Bill Walsh had a different way about him. And when we were two and 14, it was hilarious, and we were like The Bad News Bears honestly, we go -- we would leave Saturday -- when we were playing at home, we'd practice Saturday at the facility, and when we were going out the door, there were like 30 to 50 people coming in the door to work out, because Bill knew he didn't have the people that he wanted.
And so, to watch Bill assemble that team, and -- kind of gives you a lesson in life and the things that I've kind of followed after -- post-career. But you could see what he was doing, and what he was trying to do. He would mix in some older players here and there, and try to bring in some young players to help learn from those guys. And he was just amazing. It is sad, he left us way too early, unfortunately.
COLLINS: Everyone love him (ph) watching.
Drake Maye, obviously keeping the eyes on the Patriots, as they're about to face the Seahawks. And Sam Darnold.
MONTANA: Yes.
COLLINS: You got any predictions about the Super Bowl? What are you going to be watching for?
MONTANA: You know, I think what -- a lot of people are probably feeling the same way. Sam Darnold has been through just the craziest ride from the Jets to 49ers. I mean, if you look at the last two teams, I think the -- I think the thing that popped up on the screen the other day was he won 28 games for the last two teams that he played. And there he is in Minnesota -- in Seattle now, doing the same thing.
So, my hat is off to him for the adversity that he faced. And the thinking like, I'm going to be here for a while. Next thing, you know, you're gone. And so, I would really like to see him win. I don't have a -- as they say, I don't have a dog in the fight. But I'm pulling for Sam.
COLLINS: Joe Montana, it is truly an honor to have you here on the show. Thank you. I love getting to talk football with you, and I can't wait for everyone else to watch Rise of the 49ers. Thank you for joining us tonight.
MONTANA: Thank you for having me. And I look forward to hearing what other people have to think or say about it.
COLLINS: Absolutely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Our thanks to The Comeback Kid himself, Joe Montana.
And you can watch that four-part docuseries, Rise of the 49ers, exclusively on AMC and AMC+.
And up next. His name is already on the building, but the President apparently has more plans for one of Washington's most iconic institutions.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: President Trump now says the show will not go on at the Kennedy Center until at least 2028 for renovations. Trump says the Performing Arts Center renamed by his handpicked board to include his name, will cease operations for two years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I was thinking maybe there's a way of doing it simultaneously, but there really isn't. And we're going to have something that when it opens, it's going to be brand-new, beautiful. I'm not ripping it down. I'll be using the steel. So, we're using the structure, we're using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down. But when it's open, it will be brand-new and really beautiful. It will be at the highest level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The President's closure comes amid a wave of cancelations by performers since he took control of the Kennedy Center, which became a fixation throughout his first year back in office.
[22:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We'll make a lot of changes, including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything. It needs a lot of work. I say, How about Kennedy Center? Let's fix that one up.
I have really great marble contractors and wood workers, and we're fixing Kennedy Center the way it should be. It was -- it was a mess.
We're going to make it something really special. It is -- it's been tired, it's been mistreated, a little bit like the White House has been mistreated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The Kennedy Center will close for construction on July 4th, the same day as America's 250th birthday.
Thank you for joining us.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
