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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump's Travel Ban Hits Legal Hurdles; Trump Attacks Judge Who Suspended Travel Ban; Appeals Court To Hear Arguments For And Against Travel Ban; U.K. Speaker Tries To Block Trump Speech; Trump Criticized For Remarks On Putin, U.S.; Candidates Gear Up For Presidential Vote; Legal Challenge to Travel Ban Underway; Syrian Refugee Sues Facebook over Fake News; U.S. Firms Take Travel Ban Concerns to Court; Sex Trafficking in Dubai; Late Night T.V. Takes on Sean Spicer. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired February 06, 2017 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani, live from CNN London. Thanks for being with us this Monday. This is THE
WORLD RIGHT NOW.
The American president, Donald Trump, is rallying the troops today, around his pledge to destroy radical Islamic terror. He visited the headquarters
of U.S. Central Command in Florida a short time ago. There he is.
While he's on the road, his administration is finishing up a new legal argument to an appeals court, urging it to reinstate his controversial
travel ban. The deadline to file this paper is three hours away.
A federal judge suspended his executive order on Friday. President Trump says a temporary ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly
Muslim countries is critical to keeping America safe. Here's Trump minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism and we will not allow it to take root in our
country. I'm not going to allow it. You've been seeing what's been going on over the last few days. We need strong programs, so that people that
love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in. Not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We're joined now by CNN political analyst, John Avlon, editor-in- chief at the "Daily Beast," and CNN legal analyst, Laura Coates, a former federal prosecutor.
Laura, I want to start with you. How is what we are expecting today at 6:00 p.m. Eastern or by 6:00 p.m. Eastern different from what the
Department of Justice filed on Sunday?
LAURA COATES, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So up until now, we've only had judges from Washington State to Massachusetts deciding on whether or not the
parties were likely to win. Whose argument was going to be likely to be successful, if it actually was decided by the courts?
Those are the injunctive relief. Now we've got the end of the game at this point, where the briefs will be in. Judges will say, listen, I've heard
the arguments, now I can decide on the merits. Is it constitutional or is it not constitutional?
This could be where the buck stops, of course, if the Ninth Circuit finds it is constitutional or unconstitutional, and the Supreme Court ultimately
doesn't rule on it, that decision will actually be the lay of the land.
GORANI: OK, so, sorry, Laura, just one on the timeline. I mean, how long is this all expected to take before we have some sort of definitive answer
on this particular travel ban?
COATES: Well, those three judges who are going to convene from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could have a decision by early Tuesday. They
convened over the weekend to initially say, we're not going to reinstate the ban until we have further briefing.
And they could decide the issue after 6:00 p.m. tonight and between tomorrow morning, and decide whether or not they should actually be
reinstated or suspended. Remember, time is of the essence and this court knows that.
There's confusion in terms of travel restrictions, confusion across the circuits, et cetera. So they want to resolve it very quickly and we expect
it to be maybe Tuesday or Wednesday to be a decision.
GORANI: John, I want to read one of the tweets that got the most attention this weekend by President Trump, an attack on the judiciary, which is quite
extraordinary. His critics say it's, in fact, dangerous for America's democracies, condemning yet again the federal judge, who temporarily
suspended his travel ban.
He called him a "so-called judge" and tweeted this, "I just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens, blame
him and the court system." How was this received in the United States, this attack on a judge?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Very badly. And it's truly disturbing, because it sets up the president of the United States, attacking one of the
three main branches of government and undermining the credibility of it, questioning the credibility, by calling him a so-called judge.
His behavior we've seen during the campaign, of course, when he attacked Judge Curiel. But to see it come from the president of the United States
sets a very troubling tone. And it increases the likelihood of a real conflict between the executive and the judiciary branch, which is
ultimately a constitutional conflict.
Tonally, in terms of substance and style, it's very dangerous and uncharacteristic of presidents we've had in the past.
[15:05:11]GORANI: But so, John, what is the goal, do you think here, from the White House, the Trump administration, in repeatedly attacking the
press, attacking the judiciary, always trying to refocus, sort of, the battle America has against radical Islam and radical Islam alone? What do
you think the strategy is behind this?
AVLON: Well, I think in the case of attacking the press, it's an attempt to, you know, question the integrity and the dependence of a free press,
which is guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. In the case of attacking the judiciary, it goes actually two formal separations of powers.
I think it's sometimes a mistake to over-interpret strategy -- a strategy to Donald Trump. Often, these are simply impulses. But I think the
administration tries to weaponize those impulses, if you will, by pursuing a communication strategy of distraction.
And they certainly would like to keep the conversation solely to ISIS and to the war on radical Islamic terrorism. But by doing this, it really
undermines some of the key pillars of the American democracy or threatens to, and that is very dangerous ground, indeed.
GORANI: So Laura, what happens next in terms of, first of all, what's happening in the courts? I mean, could this go all the way to the Supreme
Court?
COATES: Absolutely. But here's the problem, when you go to the Supreme Court, as you know, right now, we're supposed to have nine justices. We
have eight, because one was not confirmed after the death of Antonin Scalia last February.
Now, we do have a nominee, Judge Gorsuch, however, he is not yet confirmed, let alone seated. And what happens is, if there is a split between four
justices and the other four, well, the lower court, circuit court's decision will be the one that actually is the law of the land.
If they can't resolve it with a majority opinion, then whatever the Ninth Circuit rules will actually stand, making this a very, very important case.
But remember, there is a chance that the court could kind of kick the can and wait for that ninth to be seated, which is a possibility.
But given the fact with this immigration and travel ban now into play, we expect it to be a very, very long confirmation and a very, very tumultuous
one, at that. So the likelihood of him being seated as a ninth justice before this is resolved is very slim.
GORANI: And you know, from the outside looking in here, internationally, so many people have been talking nonstop about this travel ban. Not least
because it affects them or people they know or family members. And John, inside the United States, is there support for this travel ban?
AVLON: Look, I mean, the polling has been somewhat divided, but we've seen unprecedented protests, really, you know, Americans coming out and saying,
you know, a travel ban, a refugee ban is contrary to our deepest values, our best selves.
And I think even the president's allies in Congress, many prominent Republicans, have criticized quite strikingly, not only the substance, but
more specifically, how it was executed, which is to say there was a high degree of chaos surrounding the implementation of this executive order.
And so, from a political, as well as principled standpoint, it's come under a lot of fire. The president still has over 40 percent of Americans who
support the idea of it. But there's been unusual popular outrage about it and political pressures, as well, because of just the chaotic way it was
announced and implemented.
GORANI: And so much worldwide interest and we'll continue to talk about it, of course, and follow this story. Laura Coates and John Avlon, thanks
to both of you for being on the program.
There is a lot of uncertainty and confusion about that travel ban, as it moves through the courts. Now some news you can use, if you will. If
you're planning to come to the United States or go to the United States and were affected by the immigration order, here are a few things to keep in
mind.
The Department of Homeland Security is carrying out standard inspections of travelers while the ban is suspended. So, basically, that means usual
procedures. The State Department says the process of obtaining a visa is also back to normal, so you could presumably go to your embassy and apply
for that visa.
And it says it has reversed the cancellation of visas that were revoked electronically after the ban was announced. But anyone whose visa was
physically stamped or marked as "canceled" must go to an embassy or consulate to have it reinstated.
So there's an important distinction here, if you have an electronic visa and it was canceled, then you're fine. But if it was a physical visa and
it was crossed out, then you have to get a new one.
But either way, pretty much, it's back to business as usual in terms of getting a visa, if you're a passport holder of one of the seven countries,
which, of course, as you know by now, include Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
Now to a potential blow to that famous special relationship between the U.S. and U.K. The speaker of Britain's House of Commons, right here in
London, says he doesn't want President Trump to speak to lawmakers. John Bercow cited parliament's opposition to racism and sexism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:10:09]JOHN BERCOW, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS: I must say to the gentleman, to others with strong views of this matter on either side of the
argument, that before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would, myself, have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster
Hall. After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, I am even more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster
Hall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. Well, our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is here. Let's just be clear for our international viewers who
are not familiar with how this works. When a state visit happens, by a U.S. president, typically, they address parliament. But if the speaker
says, I'm opposed, then it doesn't happen?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This is -- he gets to decide along with the speaker of the House of Lords and the Lord
Chamberlin, and they do this as a consensus. There are three of them. So if one of them and has strongly said no, this is a very, very clear
indication it's not going to happen.
President Obama was the first American president to address the combined Lords and Commons in the Westminster Hall. Other U.S. presidents, Reagan,
Clinton, addressed them in a sort of a lesser setting, if you will, the royal chambers. So this is a very big snub for President Trump.
GORANI: But this is the U.K. speaker saying, I don't think he should address either assembly.
ROBERTSON: It's not just the speaker because this is a motion that was signed by 163 MPs. That's a quarter of --
GORANI: Not a majority, though.
ROBERTSON: It's a quarter, significant, and I think what you're getting here is a mood of the resentment of this visit by President Trump, whom
we've seen that on the streets, close to 2 million people have signed, saying that they don't want him to come. They think this is damaging --
GORANI: That doesn't mean the visit won't happen? He'll still meet the queen, have an audience with the queen?
ROBERTSON: Theresa May's office this evening is saying, they're not referring to this specifically, but they are saying, we're still planning
on preparing a state visit for President Trump. He's been invited by the queen. That still stands. He's going to come, but it's what he does when
he gets here.
Remembering President Obama, not only was the first U.S. resident to speak in the Westminster Hall which is old. It's over 900 years old. John
Bercow himself when introducing Obama says, this place goes so far to the heart of the nation. There's a plaque in there for President Obama.
GORANI: There's a plaque. President Xi Jinping of China in October of 2015 addressed parliament. Some people will look at this and say, well,
the speaker, there's a picture of it and the U.K. speaker behind him.
ROBERTSON: In the royal gallery. He didn't get to that Westminster Hall.
GORANI: Right, but the same one that Reagan, for instance --
ROBERTSON: And Clinton as well.
GORANI: They can say, well, you can have the president of China with all the human rights issues, but --
ROBERTSON: Well, Bercow has already ruled out the royal chamber, as well, royal gallery. So Bercow is ruling that out, says both places, so where
does this leave --
GORANI: That's my point. Critics will say, you have the Chinese president --
ROBERTSON: He doesn't even get that, absolutely.
GORANI: So we don't have a response?
ROBERTSON: President Trump's visit, to Britain, is a hot political potato. Wherever he goes, we can expect, unless there's some metamorphosis and huge
change in public opinion, we can expect large protests, as close as the public can get to where he will be.
GORANI: Well, we have the large protests and he wasn't even in the country. I can't even imagine what will happen --
ROBERTSON: We can expect more of the same.
GORANI: Thank you very much, Nic Robertson, as always.
Meanwhile, an interview President Trump gave over the weekend is making waves on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Trump is taking heat at home for
drawing a sort of moral equivalency between Russia and the United States. And that is not the part that has the kremlin riled. OK, this is the bit
that has Moscow asking for an apology. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you respect Putin?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I do respect him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you? Why?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I respect a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get along with them. He's a leader of his country. I say
it's better to get along with Russia than not and if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS, which is a major fight and Islamic terrorism all over
the world, major fight. That's a good thing. Will I get along with him? I have no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a killer, though. Putin is a killer.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: There's a lot of killers. We got a lot of killers. Why you think our country is so innocent?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That got people upset. Bill O'Reilly's comment, also, obviously, Donald Trump there not really disagreeing with Bill O'Reilly when he says
that Putin's a killer, and then Donald Trump answering, well, you know, you think we're so innocent?
Let's go to Moscow and get more with CNN's Ivan Watson. First of all, reaction from the kremlin to all of this, Ivan?
[15:15:02]IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the kremlin's chief spokesman said that he would like an apology from what he
describes as a respected news organization, like Fox News. That Bill O'Reilly's accusations were, quote, "unacceptable, offensive."
If you take a look at something like the U.S. State Department's human rights report and his summary of human rights abuses in Russia, Hala,
you'll see that there are a great number of allegations of human rights abuses from arbitrary detention, allegations of torture, accusations that
Russia is fueling, arming, funding separatists in the war in neighboring Ukraine but does not go so far as to directly accuse the Russian president
of killing people.
And of course, Donald Trump came out and defended Vladimir Putin and that's part of why he is so popular here, in Russia, according to a recent poll
here, about 46 percent of Russian respondents, they expect that ties between the U.S. and Russia will improve under the Trump administration --
Hala.
GORANI: But I do wonder, though, with what the U.N. ambassador -- the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said about either returning Crimea or
keeping the sanctions in place. Now we have this -- I know this is not something the president said, but Bill O'Reilly, the Fox News host said it
and the president did not contradict him, about Putin. Is this kind of early sort of what was anticipated to be a good relationship, perhaps,
souring, only a few weeks into the Trump presidency already?
WATSON: I think it's too early to say that, but what we are hearing is this kind of measured response from top Russian officials saying, hey, with
we think that we could work with the Trump administration. There are areas where we think we can cooperate. And notably, the one that Donald Trump
himself has repeatedly mentioned is hopefully combatting terror together, alongside with the Russian government.
And that's something that the kremlin has said repeatedly, but you also have top Russian officials that have said, hey, we have to wait and see who
these top appointments will be in the Trump administration. And there's even a kind of reverse kremlinology taking place, where a top tabloid here
is playing a guessing game, which officials in the Trump administration, which cabinet officials will be friends or foes of Russia in the days and
months to come.
But there are other signs of disagreement between the Trump administration and the kremlin, already. And one is notably on Iran, where you had in
that same interview, Donald Trump coming out very harshly against Iran, calling it the number one state sponsor of terror. And you've had the
kremlin coming out really for the first time since the inauguration, directly disagreeing with Donald Trump and saying, no, we have good
relations with Iran.
We don't see things that way. And if they can't agree on which organizations, which bodies, this groups participate in acts of terror,
that's going to make this proposed joint effort against terror a little bit more complicated, won't it?
GORANI: Yes, it sure will. Thanks very much, Ivan Watson, live in Moscow.
Still to come this evening, French presidential candidate, Francois Fillon says he is not dropping out. Not! Despite a scandal involving his wife.
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had some choice words about Iran as he met with Theresa May. We'll tell you more, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:20:47]
GORANI: Just a few shorts months away from the French presidential election, and while far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, hopes to channel this
tide of populism sweeping the world all the way to the (inaudible) Palace, one of her main rivals is facing a fight to save his campaign.
As allegations of corruption continue, Francois Fillon, this man, have continue fight on speaking earlier -- there were allegations that his wife
was employed in a fake job and continue to cash a paycheck for essentially doing nothing. Speaking earlier, he gave a vociferous response to the
allegations. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCOIS FILLON, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): Today, as a candidate for the presidential election, I'm being attacked
with incredible violence. So far as you know, this has never been seen in the fifth republic. I may as well say so strongly and to start off, it's
the candidate of the presidential election of the right and center, currently being targeted, and I assume all my responsibilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Let's go live to Paris. CNN's Melissa Bell joins me now. He's going to stay on, Francois Fillon, he's the conservative candidate. Is he
too damaged, though?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the big question, Hala. He's going to have to claw back an awful lot of lost momentum. This was, after
all, the man who was leading the polls, who seemed unstoppable after his party had chosen.
He was top of the polls, presenting himself as the perfect answer to the far-right's Marine Le Pen, the most credible alternative, and then,
Penelope Gate.
Now he came out fighting today. The question had been whether he'd simply hand over to another candidate and accept the inevitable. No, today his
firm response came. He will fight on, seeking to clear his name.
He's now to publish the details of what both he owns and what his wife has earned as well as his tax return. The trouble is, though, Hala, that the
official inquiry into all of this continues and if it finds against him, it's very difficult to see how he'll manage to carry on.
GORANI: Right. It will be interesting to see how he'll carry on, if someone will step in to replace him. Let's talk about the others. Le Pen,
you know, she has her level of popularity. We know that. Then there's the independent ex-economy minister of the current president, Emanuel Macron.
But we've heard reports over the weekend that Wikileaks is claiming to have damaging information on Emanuel Macron, and the theory would be that they
want to help Marine Le Pen win. I mean, this is kind of what's being said. What do we know about this?
BELL: This has been Julian Assange speaking out in the Russian press, Hala, and we're waiting for these revelations. We're waiting to find out
exactly what they are. All that he's said so far, is that they are revelations about Emanuel Macron, the man who, as you say, is now second in
the polls, the man challenging Marine Le Pen, the far right candidate.
Revelations that have come out of Hillary Clinton's e-mails. We don't yet know what they are, but clearly, this is coming from Russia. It's
interesting, you have to remember that Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate has a particular view on foreign policy, and she wants -- one of
the things she wants is a (inaudible) with Moscow.
So should she be elected, she would take a number of things that Moscow would presumably in favor of, like a Frexit, which would cost a long shot
over the future of the European Union itself and she wants closer ties with Russia.
In fact, she's been criticized here in France for taking a loan from a Russian bank. She's defended this by saying, well, no French bank would
lend to me. I had no choice.
But there are questions about her proximity to Moscow, and what a Marine Le Pen presidency would mean in terms of a change of tact in France's foreign
policy and attitude in particular to Russia, that this has come from the Russian president is extremely interesting.
Only a few weeks ago, France's internet watchdog had gathered the political parties together and said, look, we need to be aware of the possibility of
hacking in this election, of attempts to change its course, not only through cyber-attacks, but also through attempts to influence the press and
this could be what's happening. We're likely to hear much more about it over the coming days.
[15:25:05]GORANI: Yes. We're certainly seeing very similar online activity in France, to what happened during the U.S. election, as well,
from some of these accounts that support certain candidates, versus others. So it will be interesting to see that. Melissa Bell, thanks so much.
Melissa is in Paris.
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is in London, meeting Theresa May, and he's urging, quote, "responsible nations," his words, to sanction
Iran. Last week, the U.S. slapped new sanctions on Iran after the country's latest ballistic missile test. Mr. Netanyahu says other
countries should follow the Trump administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Iran seeks to conquer the Middle East. It threatens Europe. It threatens the west. It threatens
the world, and it offers provocation after provocation. That's why I welcome President Trump's insistence on new sanctions against Iran. And I
think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations. And I would like to talk to you how we can ensure that Iran's aggression does
not go unanswered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Also happening here in London, the queen is celebrating a major milestone. No other British monarch has reached. It is the sapphire
jubilee.
She ascended to the throne 65 years ago today. It was marked with ceremonial gun salutes across the country and a 2014 photo of the queen
wearing sapphire has been re-released to celebrate the anniversary. The jewelry was given to her as a wedding gift by her father, King George VI,
all the way back in 1947.
Still to come, what is an executive order, anyway? And what could Donald Trump do with that power next? We'll return to the legal battle brewing
over the travel ban. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, Donald Trump once again repeating one of his favorite themes, saying he won't allow Islamic terror to take root in the United
States. The U.S. president visited the headquarters of Central Command Monday, referring to his now-suspended travel ban. He said the U.S. needs
strong programs that will stop people who wants to destroy it from coming in.
The speaker of Britain's House of Commons doesn't want Donald Trump to speak to lawmakers here in London when he makes a state visit. John Bercow
cited parliament's opposition to racism and sexism as his reason for saying no to a Trump ddress by Trump to the House of Commons.
[15:30:00] U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says he's troubled by the flaring violence in Eastern Ukraine. In an interview with ABC, Pence didn't rule
out lifting Russian sanctions in the future, but he says it all depends on how Moscow acts in Ukraine over the coming months.
Well, the travel ban is just not being enforced right now, but the legal saga around it is in full swing. We're less than 2 1/2 hours away now from
knowing the crux of the government's argument in support of the travel ban.
The Department of Justice should submit a legal document by 6:00 p.m. Washington time. Once that's in, three judges will decide whether to hold
a hearing or just deliver their ruling. Whichever party this court rules against is then likely to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Trump seems to be using his executive power liberally, but now he's facing a legal challenge to one of his most controversial actions. Let's discuss
this with my next guests, CNN global affairs analyst, David Rohde, and Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Larry
Sabato.
Thanks to both of you for joining me. Larry, I want to ask you this. Many people around the world, who watch CNN International and follow the news,
ask, what are these executive orders that Donald Trump seems to be signing in the Oval Office, where he's just, you know, one after the other, signing
these controversial orders? What are they exactly? And are they limitless in what they can address?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Well, they are certainly not limitless. The U.S. constitution divides power,
governmental power at the federal level, into three branches -- the legislative, the judicial, and finally, the executive.
The executive order is simply an action by a president in which he concedes of the action, in the executive order, to be within his purview in the
executive branch. Naturally, the legislature may decide that it is not in his purview or occasionally, it's rare, but the judiciary may rule
something out of order in an executive order.
But I think it's pretty clear that Donald Trump is pushing the edge of the envelope, not just with the travel ban executive order but with some of his
others. And sooner or later, some of those executive orders will probably be overturned in whole or in part.
GORANI: All right. But the executive does have, Larry, power over immigration policy?
SABATO: Well, he has part of the power, but he shares it with the legislature. And that's the way our system works, the branches have
certain powers that are overlapping. They also have certain veto powers on the other branches of government. One single branch of government or one
single actor, the President, is not allowed to become an autocrat.
GORANI: And, David, what evidence is there? Because Donald Trump argues this travel ban is needed to, quote, "keep America safe." I mean, he
repeats this at every opportunity, also with a heavy focus on radical Islamic terror. What evidence is there that any such ban would prevent
attacks on U.S. territory?
DAVID ROHDE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, this is one of the holes in the executive order. The seven countries that are named in this order,
there haven't been large terrorist attacks by refugees from those countries.
A lot of people question why Saudi Arabia, most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia is not subject to this ban. People talk
about Pakistan, as well, Afghanistan. The two most recent and most deadly killings in the U.S. involved, you know, naturalized citizens or refugees
from Afghanistan or Pakistan. So that's the hole in this ban, politically.
He's created a narrative during the campaign of this unchecked threat. Democrats and Hillary Clinton argue that there is an effective vetting
system in place already, and that this is sort of -- he's trying to gain political points by, you know, announcing a ban that isn't really need.
GORANI: But has a refugee ever committed an act of terror in America?
ROHDE: It's my understanding that, no, no refugee has committed one. Definitely no one from Syria. There are children of refugees that
committed them, but, no, no refugee themselves, as far as I know.
GORANI: Larry, can I ask you about these executive orders? In the first two weeks, Donald Trump signed 19. And it looked like a lot because there
was a whole performance around it, where he holds up the executive order, et cetera. But Barack Obama, in his first two weeks in office, signed 12
executive orders. They're not that far apart.
SABATO: Well, they're --
GORANI: I'm sorry, 12 memorandum, nine executive orders. I got my numbers wrong. So 12 memoranda, nine executive orders.
SABATO: Yes.
GORANI: Yes.
SABATO: And often, the memoranda are indistinguishable from the executive orders, for the most part. But, no, I'm not saying and no one's saying
that other presidents haven't issued executive orders.
[15:34:58] And sure enough, some of Barack Obama's were very broad too. What's interesting is that they were criticized extensively by the
Republicans as being too broad. Of course, there's not a peep from them now that Donald Trump is doing the same thing or maybe going beyond what
Barack Obama did.
So executive orders are often controversial. And over the decades, they have become broader. And as they have become broader, they have become
more controversial.
GORANI: And today we heard, we know, David, that Donald Trump met with CentCom Command. He also the addressed troops in Florida, promising to
rebuild the military, to give it more power, more influence, to take care of veterans. This is also a theme that we've heard a lot from Donald Trump
on the campaign trail and now that he's president, David.
ROHDE: Yes, and this gets back to this executive power argument. He can certainly give a lot more moral support to the military. Obviously, he's
the Commander-in-Chief. He can order raids.
But if he's going to, you know, increase the number of ships in the Navy or increase the size of the Army, that involves Congress. He's got to get
budgets approved that would actually pay for that kind of expansion.
So there are some parts of these executive orders that he can carry out himself, but many others where he's limited. He's got to get Congress'
support.
And then on this travel ban, elements of it, you know, critics argue, are unconstitutional. You can't favor one religion over another. So I know
it's complex and confusing to people outside the United States, but there are limits to these executive orders.
GORANI: All right. Thanks to both of you, Larry Sabato at UVA and David Rohde, joining us both on this important story.
And don't forget, you can get all the latest news, interviews, and analyses on our Facebook page, facebook.com/halagoranicnn. This is THE WORLD RIGHT
NOW.
Tech versus Trump. Why companies are worried about their workforce and what they're doing about it. That's coming up next.
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GORANI: Facebook is among a host of tech companies that are criticizing Donald Trump's travel ban, and they're standing up for refugees and
immigrants. But now, it's facing a lawsuit from a Syrian refugee. He says the spread of fake news on a site like Facebook, in fact, put him in a very
precarious situation, that it led to threats against him and his new family in Germany where he's resettled.
Our Atika Shubert has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the photo that started it all. Eighteen-year-old Anas Modamani
couldn't believe his luck, thrilled to snap a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The photo went viral on every newspaper, every newscast,
capturing a rare human moment for the normally reserved German leader. Anas' smiling face became synonymous with Merkel opening the country's
doors to tens of thousands of refugees.
[15:39:55] Then came the Brussels terror attack. Suddenly, the photo reappeared on Facebook, falsely labeling Anas as one of the attackers. He
explains --
ANAS MODAMANI, SYRIAN REFUGEE (through translator): At first, I cried as I thought, this is not me. I thought, immediately, what does this mean?
What will the future hold? This is really not a joke now. It's serious.
SHUBERT (voice-over): The Brussels bombing, the Berlin Christmas market attack. Anas' face has now been plastered across fake news articles,
falsely accusing him of carrying out multiple attacks. He has received threats online. Life for him and his foster family has been turned upside
down. They screen their mail, watch for suspicious vehicles.
Anke Meeuw is fiercely protective of the teenager she has taken into her family.
ANKE MEEUW, ANAS MODAMANI'S FOSTER MOTHER: The first time in my life that I am fearing -- have fear for my family and fear for the house and the
things I do.
SHUBERT: Yes.
MEEUW: And most of all, I'm afraid for Anas and his security.
SHUBERT (voice-over): Now Anas and Anke are taking Facebook to court. They say the social network took too long to respond to multiple requests
to take down the false postings, now shared tens of thousands of times.
In response to a request for comment, Facebook said, "We are sorry to hear about Mr. Modamani's concerns with the way some people have used his
image." The statement went on to say, "We have already quickly disabled access to content that has been accurately reported to us by Mr.
Modamani's legal representatives, so we do not believe that legal action here is necessary or that it is the most effective way to resolve the
situation."
Anas says, it's not just about him. He told us --
MODAMANI (through translator): I will find a solution. It's not just me. If anyone can write whatever they like on Facebook, spreading these
falsehoods, and no one is punished, then it's not only my problem.
SHUBERT (voice-over): "It's the problem of the world," he said. Facebook has taken steps to identify and take down fake news more quickly before it
spreads. And Germany may be among the first to test Facebook's responsiveness, as it considers a law to fine for each fake news report the
site fails to take down.
For Anke, she hopes that having the matter heard in court will make people realize that spreading lies on social media has real-life consequences.
MEEUW: We are real people. He's a real man. He's a real young man, living in real Germany, and a real family, with real friends, with a real
job, with a real school. And it has impact on his real life.
SHUBERT (voice-over): But in a world of alternative facts and fake news, for Anas and Anke, getting back to normal life seems more hope than
reality.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, as we mentioned, some of the biggest tech firms are stepping into that legal fight against the travel ban. Almost a hundred companies,
in fact, including these big names -- eBay, Google, Netflix. They've all filed a court motion opposing the ban, saying that it violates the
country's immigration laws and the constitution. And their businesses. And they say, well, it's bad, all of this, for the bottom line.
Samuel Burke joins me now. What kind of legal action are they taking, exactly?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNNMONEY BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Well, you now have the biggest tech companies in the entire world joining this
lawsuit, so this is more than just a press release, more than just saying their opinion. In these documents, they say that not only is this bad for
business, they say that this is also unconstitutional according to their lawyers.
Now, of course, a judge will decide that, but we've talked about the fact that this is personnel. Microsoft has employees who haven't been able to
see each other, their families, as a result of this executive order. It goes against their principles. We know that because these tech companies
have said that very publicly.
But here, at the end of the day, the bottom line is, their bottom line is being affected. Take a look at this portion of the court document, where
they say, quote, "The order represents a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the
immigration system of the U.S. for more than 50 years, inflicting," they say, "significant harm on American businesses, innovation, and growth."
So they're worried about how this is going to affect their stock prices, at the end of the day. And make no doubt about it, they're drawing a line in
the sand because they're worried that the other set of visas, the H1B visas that are so the dear to them and so important to these companies, could be
up next.
GORANI: Now, this sounds like we're getting super in the weeds. But it's not really the case because when you say H1B visas, I mean, these are
highly qualified engineers, things like that, people who get visas because they have this set of qualifications to work at these big tech companies.
BURKE: You might think this is apples and oranges because on the one hand, we're talking about seven countries that Donald Trump is accusing of being
problematic for the United States, and on the other hand, the H1B visas are thousands of visas that are given out each year to highly qualified
workers.
But at the end of the day, these tech companies, what we're hearing from Silicon Valley is that they're so uncertain right now about what's going
on, that they're worried that this could show that maybe next, they'll be getting less H1B visas.
[15:45:10] GORANI: So they're really projecting into the future the possibility that they might be hurt further if there are more restrictions
on visas.
BURKE: Exactly. So much --
GORANI: Which hasn't happened yet, clearly.
BURKE: Which has not happened but there has been a sign from the White House that they're considering altering this H1B visa program. And for all
we know, they could be getting more. But because so much has changed, and when Donald Trump talked about a Muslim ban, these companies tell me, they
never thought that it would affect people who already had valid visas, their employees. And so now they're so riled up in a way that they're
taking every measure they can to show how important this is to them.
GORANI: And I can imagine, people even with visas not impacted by the order might be nervous. You know, leaving the country --
BURKE: If this seven --
GORANI: -- what if they don't let me back in?
BURKE: Exactly, these seven countries now. But what these tech companies worry about, so what could the other countries be? And could it be an
overall change in the immigration system that they didn't plan for?
Keep in mind, they thought that Trump would be all pro-business right out the gate, and it did seem that way for a moment. And now, they're very
anxious because make no doubt about it, for these people, in the case of Microsoft that has 50 people who have been affected and their some odd 50
family members, this is a terrible situation for the company to be.
And people going to their office and saying, can I relocate to one of your European offices? So it's created so much uncertainty on a lot of levels
for these companies and the people who work for them.
GORANI: Well, it's generated a lot of anxiety. Thanks very much, Samuel Burke, for that update.
Well, in every corner of the globe -- Tokyo, London, New York -- and every day, unfortunately, people are trafficked like merchandise, forced into
things like sexual slavery. Nowhere and no one is fully immune, including in the United Arab Emirates, where just a handful of cases are reported
every year.
Here's CNN's Muhammad Lila.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RISHMA, TRAFFICKING VICTIM (through translator): All I could feel was that someone was touching me, and that my clothes were being removed from my
body. Everything, I could understand but couldn't react. There was no life in my body, nothing was making sense.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She is bravely sharing her story, asking us only to hide her identity. We'll call her Rishma (ph).
She was just 20 years old when she came to Dubai, thinking she'd be working in a beauty parlor. Instead, the people that brought her here took her
passport, drugged her, and trafficked her for sex.
RISHMA (through translator): There would be 22 men each day. There was a man standing guard outside. He would lock me in from outside. He told me
this is what you have to do here.
LILA (voice-over): After two months of being raped, she pretended to be sick. When her captors took her to the hospital, she ran barefoot to the
nearest police station.
In recent years, police have been cracking down on trafficking with officers getting specific training on how to identify and help victims like
Rishma (ph).
They told her she was safe and they brought her here, to the Ewaa Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking.
LILA (on camera): Thank you for allowing us to come to your shelter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're most welcome.
LILA (voice-over): From the outside, it looks like an ordinary house. But on the inside, it's this incredible safe haven, a place where victims get a
chance to just feel normal again. With daily chores, art classes, and bunk beds, all to make it feel just like home. With social workers and
psychologists to help them recover.
LILA (on camera): People don't necessarily associate trafficking with a country like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, trafficking is associated with every single place in the world, not only advanced countries or poor countries or
disaster countries. It's associated with all countries.
LILA (voice-over): The first Ewaa Shelter opened its doors nearly 10 years ago, with a federal mandate to rescue and rehabilitate victims, giving many
something they thought they'd never get -- a second chance at life.
RISHMA (through translator): All the helpers here treat us like we are their daughters.
LILA (voice-over): There's even a room specifically for children, the youngest trafficking victims, with stuffed animals, toys, and cartoons.
For Rishma (ph), this hits hard and close to home.
Rishma (ph) is pregnant. It happened when she was being held captive. Now that she's free, she's going back to her home country to deliver the baby,
but like so many victims, she leaves with a sense of guilt.
LILA (on camera): Who do you blame for all of this?
[15:50:00] RISHMA: I think myself.
LILA (on camera): Yourself?
RISHMA (through translator): I think it's my own fault. I came here on my own decision, I shouldn't have come. My father told me not to go. I
listened to him, then none of this would have happened.
LILA (voice-over): How can you console someone who didn't do anything wrong but still blames herself?
LILA (on camera): I want to tell you this. We cover stories of trafficking as part of this series for CNN. This is not your fault.
You didn't do anything wrong. You did everything right. You should never feel as though this was something that you, yourself, caused. These were
bad people that did this to you.
LILA (voice-over): It will take months, maybe years, for Rishma (ph) to fully recover. She says she prayed to God every night to set her free.
And now, thanks to the support she's gotten, her prayers have been answered.
Muhammad Lila, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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GORANI: Well, it's being described as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history. The New England Patriots produced a phenomenal turn
around inspired by who else but Tom Brady, which brought them their fifth Super Bowl win. The action, though, wasn't just on the field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LADY GAGA, SINGER: The land was made for you and me. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Apparently, those were drones, by the way. Those were drones in the sky, in formation to, in fact, then illustrate the U.S. flag.
That was Lady Gaga. She had a powerful half time performance. She began on the roof of the stadium, before starting a medley of her greatest hits.
Let's turn to late-night laughs. "Saturday Night Live" doesn't usually hold back when it comes to poking fun at Trump. This week, they found a
pretty funny way to parody someone else in the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA MCCARTHY, ACTRESS: When it comes to these decisions, the constitution gives our President lots of power and Steve Bannon is the key
advisor, OK? And our President will not be deterred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Melissa McCarthy -- who would have thought that she would look so much like Sean Spicer with great hair and makeup, obviously -- having fun
at the expense of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
And, well, Spicer was a pretty good sport about it. He called the skit cute and funny and a part of American culture, unlike President Trump,
who's repeatedly said "SNL" is unfunny.
Let's head to New York for the latest. CNN Entertainment and Media Reporter Frank Pallotta joins me live.
Frank, I watched that twice and the second time was actually funnier than the first. I just couldn't get over how much she sounded and looked like
him.
FRANK PALLOTTA, CNNMONEY MEDIA REPORTER: I mean, whoever did the hair and makeup for Melissa McCarthy on "SNL" should win an Emmy.
GORANI: They need to win an Emmy, exactly.
PALLOTTA: Oh, win -- we'd give them all the awards. It was such a smart and great and most importantly, hilarious take on the entire Sean Spicer
and Trump administration controversy that's kind of going on with the media.
I mean, there's a point in the sketch where she pulls out a super soaker and just keeps soaking the press corps with the super soaker. It's
incredibly smart and it's what "Saturday Night Live" does best.
GORANI: Yes.
[15:55:09] PALLOTTA: It takes something that is really funny and kind of gives it some bite and some satire.
GORANI: Yes. And, I mean, it was basically just 20 percent angrier Sean Spicer. But there were elements there of that performance that really kind
of brought you back to, at least, the first impromptu press conference after the inauguration.
PALLOTTA: It really did. And it really kind of was very pointed, in a way, because it kind of takes what Spicer's actually doing in real life and
just blows it up to about 10 times in this hilarious thing. But it's not that far off from what's actually happening. So, in a way, it's kind of
calling out Spicer's credibility on air.
But like you said, to start, Spicer has taken it in stride and actually said that what she really needs to do is dial it back on the amount of gum
that she's chewing. She actually put an entire bottle of gum in her mouth, and then takes it, globs it, and puts it on the desk. It is one of the
best sketches that "SNL" has done in years, if not in its entire 42-year history.
GORANI: Wow, that is quite a statement, Frank Pallotta. It's entire 42- year history. I have to agree with you, though. And no one but Melissa McCarthy, no one, could have pulled this off.
PALLOTTA: Yes. And the thing is, now, the next question is this, how much are they going to use Melissa going forward? I mean, after her, you have
Baldwin, who is playing Trump or basically, this caricature of Trump. Now, two of the biggest names, who aren't even on the cast, are kind of creating
this "SNL" universe.
GORANI: Yes.
PALLOTTA: And it's just really just viral every single week. And we know that Trump watches it, so it's just making these huge waves.
It is "Saturday Night Live" at its best. And it's one of the reasons that America is a great country. It's because of our satire. And they are
doing a great job this season.
GORANI: I cannot disagree with that. It was absolutely masterful. Melissa McCarthy did a fantastic job. Thanks so much, Frank Pallotta.
And before we go, I want to leave you with, perhaps, the most bizarre video of the day. Let's move away from some serious news to take a breath, just
a few seconds of fun.
This came to us from the U.S. state of Texas. That's where the Weatherford Police Department went on a high-speed chase for that wild beast, a cow.
Where is it? There it is! It's on the run!
The steer went on the lam after escaping a slaughterhouse last week. Police officers and two bona fide cowboys teamed up and chased the steer
around town for 90 minutes. Eventually, they closed in on the cow and lassoed it and wrestled it to the ground.
I'll see you tomorrow!
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