Border Czar: ICE & CBP Working On Minneapolis “Drawdown Plan”

23:36We should note she's running to be commission chairwoman. Really appreciate your time. Just to start this raid almost six years after the 2020 election, you have a very strong take about what the feds were looking for here. What is it? Yeah, I mean, listen, we all know that this is a strategy that is starting, actually started many months ago when we had certain cases come into Fulton County, two cases, a state and a federal case, looking for these documents to just relitigate something that has already been resolved many years ago. This is a six-year-old obsession of our president that is now only leading to what he plans to do, which is to sow chaos and create a crisis that doesn't exist in Fulton County so that the 2026 elections can be disrupted.

24:28I mean, it's very clear to me what this is all about. And we can see the strategy working its way all the way to May 19th through our primaries and into November during the general election. Were you ever told or did you ever hear a stated reason as to why the boxes had to be taken yesterday? No, well, it was a criminal warrant. Both of the cases that are currently in Georgia, the state cases about getting these documents, the federal cases about getting these documents. And we were just told now the warrant was a criminal warrant. So this this is really just a way for them to circumvent waiting on the adjudication of the two cases.

25:10The first case was said to, is coming up on February 9th, which they were going to, the judge was going to decide whether or not to allow the process to move forward, to unseal the documents and the procedure for doing that, which would have been monitored, which would have included copying something that the state election board did not want to finance to the tune of about$500 ,000. So in order to circumvent having to pay to copy the documents, to have to actually go through a legal process. They just put a criminal warrant in place to come and seize the original ballots from 2020, which everybody should be concerned about.

25:52I want to play a notable revelation about the raid we heard today from the Fulton County Elections Chair Sherry Allen. Take a listen. No voting machines were taken, but I can't tell you exactly what was taken. We do know, like I said, we had the 700 boxes, but I do know other documents were looked into, too, that we did not believe had anything to do with 2020. You know, to that point, I think that dovetails right into what you seem to be pointing to, that this is about more than the 2020 election. Oh, yeah, this is, you know, really nothing can happen with the 2020 election. So pretending that this is about, you know, he lost the 2020 election, it can't be, you know, gotten back.

26:34I mean, it's just foolish to continue talking about it as if it's about the 2020 election. It's about 2026 midterms. It's about disrupting the elections, militarizing our process of elections, making people afraid to go to the polls. This is what the strategy is. Get these documents, look at them, and create a story that there has been a criminal offense here, that there's been fraud, that there There are people who voted that shouldn't have voted in order to make people believe that Fulton County cannot run accurate, fair, transparent elections. And we all know that we can. We have not ever had a problem running elections.

27:17I mean, if we had a problem running elections, why is he not looking for the 2024 ballots? He would want all ballots, right, if we were doing something wrong. But he's only interested in the ballots of 2020 when he lost. And, of course, what might happen in 2026 is why he's so concerned. Well, I really appreciate your time. Certainly something we're going to be keeping a very close eye on. Thanks so much. Thank you. We'll talk more about that FBI operation in Georgia. Plus, the turmoil in Minnesota, it's quickly become a flashpoint in the state's race for governor. The key Democrat watching her bid.

27:59The relationship between the FBI director and the president has always been complicated. Unravel the complex dynamic in the CNN original series, Standoff, The FBI, Power and Paranoia, premieres Sunday, March 22nd on CNN and next day on the CNN app. In our politics lead, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota officially launched her bid to be the state's next governor. I'm running for everyone who wants more affordable health care for every student, farmer, dreamer, and builder. And I'm running for every Minnesotan who wants ice and its abusive tactics out of the state we love. Klobuchar also promised to unify the state after Trump's immigration crackdown.

28:44The Democrat is looking to pivot after nearly two decades in the U.S. Senate and after Minnesota's current governor, Tim Walz, ended his own re-election bid as the state is under scrutiny in fraud investigations. I want to bring the panel to talk about this. Yamisi, just to start with you, do you think Klobuchar, who's very well known in town, obviously ran for president as well, is the right Democrat to lead that state right now? A hundred percent. And I'm not saying that because I used to work for her in 2020. I was waiting to see if I was going to have to come in after the fact. Just at the top, former and proud A.B.

29:17Klobuchar staffer. And I know she's the right person for the job. And Minnesotans have also approved her as the person for the job to lead them statewide from the time that she was AG all the way up through the Senate. She's known in the Senate as one of the most bipartisan. She's won awards for it. I mean, at a time when there is such great division in this country, but really focusing on Minnesota, she is the right person to cut through the noise, to work across the aisle and get things back to some semblance of peace and community in Minnesota. Yeah, someone who genuinely works bipartisan and with a level of pragmatism, I think, in the upper chamber that you don't often see these days.

29:51Shumago, yesterday, current Governor Tim Walz said he'd never run for an elected office again. The decision, of course, to end his campaign shocked a lot of folks when he was taking that heat for the handling of the alleged child care fraud. I want you to listen to how Klobuchar addressed that. I don't like fraud or waste in government. That's why I went after crime as county attorney. I will make sure the people who steal taxpayer money go to jail and root out the fraud by changing the way state government works. I mean, I think a pretty agreeable stance. Yeah, of course. But this is an issue in Minnesota.

30:29It's a big issue. Without any question at all. You can look at the cases up and down the last couple of years related to this issue. What do you think of that message? Well, first of all, I'll say that I think Tim Walz has just completely just dropped the ball on this. And his responses, in my opinion, are just unsatisfactory, which is why I think he's decided not to run again. That said, I went and looked at Senator Klobuchar's record when she was a prosecutor. Very, very tough prosecutor. And I don't know if you recall, Phil, but when she was running for president, some issues came up because of her time as a prosecutor.

30:59So this is a no-nonsense person. I've had the pleasure of meeting the senator a couple times. A lot of respect for her. She's well-regarded on the Republican side in the Senate. She is someone who believes in legislating. And I think she's going to do a tremendous job as an executive. Look, we have our differences, but I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for political leaders who do care about getting something done. We may not agree on everything, but just come to the table showing that you're trying to accomplish something. I think she's going to get a lot of support, even from some of the conservative Republicans in the state legislature in her state.

31:29I think we'll try to find avenues to work with her and her cabinet. So I wish her the best of luck. I want to swing back, and not just because it was surreal standing at the magic wall with John King six years later doing the same thing we were doing six years ago. in the same state. But this issue, I don't know if people noticed, but last week in Davos, the president, like out of the blue, said something like, people will soon be prosecuted for what they did. Again, falsely claiming the 2020 election was rigged. And it seemed like a very outlier line. And then today, Trump posted this, quote, Trump won big, crooked election.

32:02Of course, yesterday, there was an FBI raid in Fulton County. There's a midterm, there's a huge election, midterm election coming up here. Yeah. How does this impact things? I mean, I'm going to say this as somebody from Georgia. I cannot believe the president is centering himself at a time when Republicans in Georgia desperately need him. There's a tight race happening at the governor's level. Of course, we know that Senator John Ossoff is running again. He's highly favored. I mean, this is the time to really lean in and support the Republican Party. But here's the division again. President Trump cares about President Trump and his legacy.

32:34And part of that legacy is in his belief that he won that election fairly. But the Republican Party has to exist and move on beyond him. And this is one of those trying times where Republicans have to acknowledge that the leader, the person they have at the top of the ticket does not care what the party looks like a year from now, two years from now when he's done. What's your read on the Gabbard appearance? I was a bit surprised by that. I mean, I thought it was odd considering her position. That said, when I think about the president's record, we had tremendous victories in 2024. for, obviously he won.

33:07And I think a lot of Republicans in some very tight races are going to want the president's endorsement. Some places are going to want the president to turn out for them. Some places may say, hey, we need a degree of separation because maybe it's a purple district. It's a toss up. I think the White House is going to be understanding of that. But if you listen to Susie Wiles, she's going to have the president out there running like he's running for reelection again himself. And in some places, I think that's going to be favorable. Some places we got to avoid. That said, I probably wouldn't focus so much on this, Phil.

33:36What I'm looking at right now is some of the enthusiasm gaps that we're seeing among Republicans and Democratic voters. I'm looking at where independents are and some of their frustration. We've got to make sure that those guys turn out for us versus our opponents on the other side. Talking about the economy, talking about the successes with immigration, I think those are the things that are going to move the needle. But I think that's actually a really interesting point that I want to follow up on, Because the risk here is compounding those issues that already exist in a state where, like, if you're at the NRSC right now, you're watching all this play out and banging your head against a wall.

34:07John Ossoff has a ton of money and yet is in Georgia, therefore makes him beatable just by the makeup of the state. What are you doing if you're at the NRSC? Where you have a very, very popular governor, Governor Kemp, who I know very well, has done a tremendous job, has high approvals, not only among Republicans, independents, and even some Democrats who voted for him. And so I think that's someone that if I were, again, in the political shop at the White House, I'm calling Governor Kemp, what do we need to do with the president's PAC to support you and the folks on the ground there to try to win that Senate race, but also help all of our other lower ballot candidates?

34:40I think it's a winnable seat, but we've got to make sure our focus is on the right thing and not on the past. I was trying to figure out where in the kumbaya versus all-out war state Trump and Kemp are right now. I feel like there's still kumbaya from the last kumbaya. I'm not totally sure. It would be tough, but I will say we all know Trump likes to win. And so my thing is, Mr. President, we know that there have been some disagreements between you and the governor. But how about this? Add a big victory by winning back that seat to your legacy. I think Trump would love that. Same question to you.

35:08If you're DSCC right now. You're excited. And you might be calling Marjorie Taylor Greene to get a little talking point as well. Come on. Marjorie Taylor Greene starts showing up at DS events in the Ossoff. My head will explode. I don't have the capacity. Please call her. That would actually help on the Republican side. Michael, you may see. Appreciate you guys very much, as always, my friends. Thanks. Well, this programming note, two new features soon on CNN's new All Access app. Next, we'll preview a popular visual podcast coming soon. Also soon on the app, a new edition of Have I Got News for You.

35:40This week's episode will feature comedian Nimesh Patel and political commentator Tara Setmeyer. Look for that first Saturday night, 9 Eastern on CNN, then on the CNN app. We're back in a moment.

35:59We're back with Jake Tapper's conversation with the voices behind a new podcast on CNN's All Access app. Here's Jake. And our pop culture lead, you've seen them on stage and screen, and now they're coming to your living room. I had a scene in Elmo and Grouchland with just Elmo and me. And I felt I was off in that scene. And I felt I wasn't focused and I wasn't listening and responding the way I wished to be with Elmo. And we finished it and I went to the trailer and I was ready to kill myself. I just thought I failed Elmo, and I seriously, I'm not kidding you, I called my therapist to talk to my therapist about the fact that I let Elmo down and I can't let it go.

36:48That's just a taste of Don't Listen to Us, the newest advice show podcast hosted by legendary performers and partners Mandy Patinkin and Catherine Grody. They invite you into their home to laugh, to cry, and to hopefully walk away a little wiser. and here to discuss are the hosts, Mandy Patinkin and Catherine Brody. So great to have you guys on. You're both advice skeptics, you say. But so that... The idea that we might leave you a little wiser, just erase that, edit that out. But if you're advice skeptics, you are doing an advice podcast. So how did that happen? Oh, my God. How did that happen?

37:27They asked me. They called me. I'd worked with one of the producers, Debbie Pacheco, before. She wanted to do something with Catherine and me when the social media got, you know, successful. And I said only, Debbie, don't take offense to this. I said only if our son Gideon is involved because Gideon is the magic sauce. So she and her partner Katrina instead said fine. They Gideon and her got together. So the three of them, Gideon, Debbie and Katrina do all the stuff. Catherine and I know nothing. We sit down. We have no idea where it's going. And and it's a free for all. Maybe that's the appeal is that with all the predictability that you can find and sort of things to sell, we're not predictable.

38:10Maybe we make being elders a little less scary because it shows that you could be idiosyncratic and your odd selves forever, you know, and you don't have to stop. Well, that's the intellectual answer. I don't have a clue why people are interested in listening to us. It's just a wonder to me. I really, I actually feel sorry for people because I just, I just don't know what's gotten into them. Well, I think I can diagnose it. I can, I can explain it. It's because you're charming and it seems very authentic. I do wonder, what is it like working with each other? I've been married for 20 years this year, very happily so, but I also know marriage is work.

38:54And now you're in addition to marriage being work. Work is work. So what's that like? You know, look, it's all because of Gideon, our youngest son. He started during the pandemic, you know, filming us, but he was filming us before saying family archives, family archives. And then it took off in the way it did. People asked to do this. And the magic, the true magic sauce is we feel safe. We feel safe with each other. We feel safe with Gideon. And as you well know, Jake, there's the magic of editing. We can say the stupidest thing, anything to get us canceled. And Gideon can cut it out and throw it in the garbage or just put it out there.

39:34So, you know, we just feel safe and we love each other, all of us as a family. And as Gideon said, you know, guys, you only have to do this as long as you're having fun. If you stop having fun, we can stop. And that's our rule. I don't know. I think people need community. They need to connect with each other. They need some practice of being human in a very inhuman time. But this is really foreign to us. We don't know what we're doing or how to do this at all. And what's been interesting as we go along, we've had some really interesting conversations. We don't have famous people. You know, we just had one person that was kind of famous, but only that one person.

40:13We just have normal people, many friends or people from the normal walk of life. And that's what it is. That's all it is. We're just talking to people. We goof around. We say, we fight, we do whatever we want. And it just keeps going. We agreed to do 40 of them initially. And we're almost finished with the first 40. And we've had fun. We've had some really interesting, some very moving conversations with people, incredibly moving. just surprises that I had no idea that it would, that we'd connect to people in ways that would really affect us and be grateful for what our son, you know, gave us.

40:55So you're having fun and we're having fun watching and listening to you. Don't Listen to Us is available to listen to right now on the CNN app or at CNN.com slash watch. Mandy Pink and Catherine Grody, thanks so much for being here. Don't be a stranger. Come back soon. Thanks a lot. Glad you're sharing us. Thanks, Kate. Welcome to The Lead on Phil Mattingly. In for Jake Tapper. This hour, the White House border czar says plans are in the works for an eventual drawdown of immigration agents in Minneapolis. But Tom Homan also pledges he's staying in the state until, quote, the problem is gone. So what exactly is the plan and how soon could we see it?

41:35Plus, his name comes up quite a bit when you talk to Democrats about 2028. 28. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is here. He'll discuss his criticism of Kristi Noem, his message for Democrats heading into the midterms, and his own political future. Also, tens of millions of Americans are already under winter storm watches as a bomb cyclone is expected to develop over the next few days. The storm's track is still uncertain. We're going to get an update from the CNN Weather Center. And the Kennedy Center is rolling out the red carpet tonight for the premiere of Melania, a documentary about the First lady's return to the white house but after paying mrs trump an unprecedented 40 million dollars for the film is amazon gonna actually make any profit off this project the lead tonight borders are tom homan says he's planning for a quote drawdown of what so far has been a drastic law enforcement present presence in minnesota but there is no timeline just yet i'm staying till the problem's gone.

42:39But we've made a lot of progress, a lot of progress in the last three days. The longtime immigration official is now tasked with mopping up the mess left behind in Minneapolis from President Trump's aggressive deportation agenda, a piece of his four-year plan that he usually takes any opportunity to talk about, but not today at his cabinet meeting where the president spoke for more than an hour. And that's where we start, over at the White House, where we find CNN's Caitlin Collins, who just left the Oval Office, where the president held a signing event this afternoon. Caitlin, I gotta be honest, knowing you were in the pool today, which meant you were gonna be in the room with the president at any of his appearances, knowing there was a cabinet meeting and also an Oval Office event, I assumed you were gonna get lots of questions to the president and a lot of answers.

43:27You didn't. Why not? Well, I mean, Phil, it's rare for the president not to take questions when reporters come into the Oval Office. It's practically unheard of for him not to do so after a cabinet meeting. Typically, he goes around the room, has cabinet officials speak, and he declined to take any questions from reporters earlier. It wasn't even really kind of a question as we were ushered out of the room pretty abruptly from him after he ended, about an hour and a half after speaking in the room with no questions. And then just now, we were in the Oval Office again as he was having his cabinet secretary, his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, and his wife talk about addiction.

44:01He had people go around the room. And then typically he stops, looks at the press and takes questions. He did not do so there just now in the Oval Office, Phil, which you know is incredibly rare, especially for this president who earlier was just talking about how transparent his administration is. And obviously it raises a lot of questions because I've covered Trump for a long time. I covered this presidency the previous term. This is pretty rare for him not to take questions from reporters. And it comes as there are real questions facing the administration over what has happened in Minneapolis and whether or not they are trying to make real changes and scale back to what's actually happening on the ground by sending in the Borders, our Tom Homan, as he spoke with reporters this morning about what he believes needs to change and what needs to happen on the ground going forward.

44:47And also, there's been a lot of outcry here in Washington from a group that, you know, Phil, doesn't often criticize the president, and that's Republican lawmakers. But despite that, Republican lawmakers this week have not only called on the president to get rid of his Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. They've also said there needs to be a thorough and fair investigation into the shooting and killing of Alex Preddy by federal agents on Saturday. Now, the president is not talking to us in public, Phil, but I will tell you he's been posting up a storm on Truth Social as he was doing overnight.

45:18He was doing so this morning, including posting that new video of Alex Preddy that resurfaced. It's video taken about 11 days before he was ultimately killed during that fatal encounter with those immigration officials on the ground on Saturday. The president was reposting it multiple times, including with a meme of Elizabeth Warren reading something over it. He was posting conspiracy theories about the election, claiming that the 2020 election was hacked by the Italians, by spy satellites, by China, by Obama. All of those topics that he's been posting online, but did not clearly want to take questions about Phil.

45:52And also, I should note, it comes as the president's immigration tactics you're seeing a new Fox News poll that doesn't have favorable numbers for the president when it comes to ICE. People believe that the ICE tactics that have been used are too aggressive according to well over a majority of Americans. Yeah and just to be clear for folks we're not doing inside baseball stuff me and Caitlin about who gets questions and doesn't. The president takes more questions than any president. I've certainly been in this profession and he takes questions from Caitlin. The toughest questions from Caitlin and gives answers to them in these types of moments.

46:21That's why it's notable especially given what's going on. Caitlin Collins. Appreciate you as always, my friend. Thanks so much. And don't miss Caitlin on her show, The Source with Caitlin Collins. Her guests tonight include Democratic Senator Andy Kim. That's tonight at 9 Eastern on CNN. I want to turn out to some breaking news in our politics lead. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says a bipartisan funding deal has been reached to avoid a government shutdown. I want to get straight to CNN's Manu Raju on Capitol Hill. Well, Manu, we started this week saying no chance. Now apparently there's a deal.

46:54What's happening here? Yeah, there's a deal. And as a result of a shift by the White House moving much closer to the Democratic position, in large part because they are responding to the public outcry over what has happened in Minneapolis and the two deadly shootings involving ICE agents and U.S. citizens and forcing Republicans and the White House to reckon with that reality. and reckoned with the fact that they simply would not have the votes to fund most of the federal government by the deadline, which is at 11.59 p.m. Friday night, because in the 53-47 Senate, you need seven Democratic votes at least to break a filibuster.

47:33Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that would not happen unless ICE was dealt with in this package. Now, this deal that has been struck between Chuck Schumer and the White House would move funding for the rest of the federal government, the Defense Department, State Department, Labor Department, other major federal agencies, they would be funded until the end of September. But Homeland Security Department funding, that's different. That includes money for ICE. That would only be extended for two weeks. And under this proposal, that would give them that amount of time, just two weeks to find a deal to deal with ICE.

48:08And Democrats have been demanding significant changes to restrain ICE as part of that plan. And so once when and if this becomes law, Phil, then the next much harder negotiation about how to deal with ICE will actually take effect. And the key thing to watch, Phil, tonight there could be a vote in the Senate to move ahead to avoid a government shutdown. The House still has to come back into session. They've been out all week. Will they do that before Friday night? That seems unlikely. So there could be a very short shutdown, but probably one that would last until Monday at the latest. It's an amazing week on the Hill, but also setting up a really, really high-stakes debate on some really critical issues in the weeks ahead.

48:47Manu Raju with the latest, as always, for us on Capitol Hill. Thanks so much. I want to bring in two former officials with experience in this field. Ken Cuccinelli, former Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during President Trump's first term. And John Sandweg, the former Acting Director of ICE under President Obama. Guys, really appreciate your time. John, just to start with, the tonal shift that we've seen over the last couple of days, in particular this morning from border czar Tom Homan, who also worked at ICE during the Obama administration. Based on what you heard, do you think he's the right man for leading a de-escalation in this situation?

49:21Yeah, Phil, I had an opportunity to work with Tom. I spent four, four and a half years working closely with Tom. Tom's a professional. Tom understands that you can do immigration enforcement without the chaos we're seeing in Minneapolis. So what I heard today really was a repudiation of the tactics that we've been seeing. And, you know, this idea that we bring up Border Patrol agents en masse, we put them under the command, all ICE operations under the command of the Border Patrol. I think what you heard today is Tom saying that, you know, candidly, I think you heard him saying that was a mistake, that we need to go back to what ICE has historically done, which are more targeted operations.

49:50And as Tom repeatedly pointed out, those targeted operations keep the agents safer. They keep the public safer. They minimize some of these interactions. So I look, I have a lot of confidence in Tom. But of course, we'll see in the next few days how things change there. Right. Are we pulling those Border Patrol agents out? And does ICE revert back to those more traditional tactics? Or do we see a continuation of what we saw over the last three weeks? Ken, I wanted to ask you about one of the specific requests Homan is making for the state to provide more access to the jails, which also comes in contrast with something that Mayor Jacob Frey said last night at our CNN town hall about Minneapolis being a sanctuary city.

50:25Just take a listen to the two comments. When we have these agreements, it takes less law enforcement agents to do the job. One agent can arrest one bad guy in the safety and security of a jail where he's behind the wire, we know he don't have weapons. When you're trying to catch a murderer or a rapist, the first question that you ask is not, where are you from? The question that's important is, did they rape somebody? Did they murder somebody? And if they did, we investigate and we partner to do so. Ken, how do local officials and federal officials begin to try and get those two ideas working in tandem here?

51:05Well, I think I heard the mayor dodging. I agree with John that Tom Homan is the right person for this de-escalation effort. But the two comments don't match up. Tom Homan has made a general comment about cooperation of handing over criminals who are in local or state jails or prisons. And the mayor zeroed in and focused on what certainly was an agreeable statement, we all want to prosecute rapists and murderers. But he dodged the question of then handing over those of them that are here illegally to ICE. And that's the rub. And Tom Homan's point that it takes far less ICE agents. You want less ICE agents in Minnesota.

51:49There is a way we can all make that happen. And he laid it out in the press conference this morning, which was part, I think, of the deescalatory effort, which I commend. And will make ICE more efficient at achieving its mission. It has a mission established by Congress, voted for by Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer that it's had for decades. As John knows, he led that effort. And I was honored to work with ICE when I was deputy secretary. So I think these goals can be achieved. I think you can see a reduction in the level of potential for violence in Minnesota by that cooperation. It'll keep agents safer and it will reduce the presence of ICE in Minnesota, which theoretically should accomplish goals that people on all sides of this are seeking to accomplish.

52:46John, we just heard from Manu Raju on the Hill about this deal that has been reached to avoid a government shutdown, which will also trigger a really intense debate over the course of the next two weeks about what Democrats have been asking for change-wise policy writers to the funding bill for DHS. You've been in this space. There's not a lot of political comedy or pragmatism that ends up in these types of fights. Do you think there's going to be an outcome here? You know, Phil, look, ideally when you're a law enforcement agency and Ken knows this, right, you don't want Congress dictating how you do the job, right?

53:17There are certain things that they can dictate, the goals, what you fund. But in terms of these specific writers I think they're talking about, ideally you don't have those, right? But, of course, with everything that's happened over the last couple of weeks, it's just inevitable that this was going to happen. So I think the devil will be in the details. I do think there's some things Congress can demand that the agency can work with. It won't impede their ability to do their job, and it will address a lot of the concerns. I mean, one thing I'd like to see is greater transparency about who was arrested, just so the public can understand, right, who's been targeted, what their criminal history is.

53:49But, you know, again, although not ideal, this is a natural outcome of when you had the chaos you've seen on the streets. Yeah. Ken Cuccinelli, John Samuels, really appreciate your guys' time and perspective. Thanks so much. Good to be with you. Yeah, my pleasure. Well, our Business Leaders series is back with a look at how immigration operations are impacting small businesses in Minneapolis. The owner of a restaurant that is giving back to the community will join me live next.

54:18Time now for our Business Leaders series on The Lead. And usually we're talking with small business owner about the impacts of President Trump's tariffs. Today, we're heading to Minneapolis to Pimento Jamaican Kitchen, a restaurant located just 500 feet from where Alex Peretti was shot less than a week ago. It's one of many businesses being pushed to the brink by the aggressive immigration enforcement in the city. The chef and owner, Tommy Bivas, joins me now. Tommy, really appreciate your time. I know it's a very tough time in the community. Just to start with, what did you see and experience on Saturday as a member of the community?

54:53As a member of the community, walking out onto each street, the most diverse street in Minneapolis, think of Flatbush Avenue in New York or Georgia Avenue in D.C. or Calle Ochoa in Miami, and seeing it under siege and tear gas everywhere, it was heartbreaking because this is a space where people come with families, kids are here, my kids walk to school right up the street, and for us to have seen each street turned into something like that was very heartbreaking. What changes have you had to make, have other business owners on that street had to make, just to keep the business open, operational during this time of turmoil?

55:28So during this time, what we've done is we've actually stepped up. So all the other neighbors, they've stepped up and made that their spaces are heating spaces, warm spaces, because of course Minneapolis is cold. We've also ensured that people are fed and hydrated as they're coming out to pay their respects. Naturally, throughout this time, it's been quite difficult because of Of course, employees, Native American employees are scared to be out in the streets of Minneapolis. Employees born in New York City are scared to be out in the streets of Minneapolis. And so we've had to figure out how to adjust and adapt to where I'm in the kitchen on the regular, doing dishes like everybody else, because we have to be agile and pivot as needed right now under these circumstances.

56:07You know, the point you make, you're an immigrant, you're a business owner, you're in the community. So much of your restaurant as it was started, you have a remarkable story. but the restaurant was started as really kind of the community being a critical piece of how you wanted your business to be run. Do you fear at all for safety and well-being? Well, naturally, we're here for the community. The community has always been here for us. It started in my backyard and people coming together. And so we've always shown up for the community, and the community has always shown up for us. In 2020, after George Floyd was lynched, we were targeted, but nonetheless, the community stepped up and 150 volunteers walked around our block 24-7, nonstop, keeping us safe.

56:49And so to answer your question, I'm not scared because one, I'm protected by God, but I'm not scared because our community shows up and supports us every single day. And above all, we continue to support them. At the end of the day, we know that Minneapolis isn't that place. Everybody is leading with compassion. And so whatever needs to be done to keep each other safe is what Minnesotans are all about. And so as a result, I'm not feeling that scared. And we know that we won't be targeted, hopefully. We hear from the political side of things, the administration officials, the lawmakers. As someone who's seen what this has done to your community in the community, what do you think needs to happen?

57:31I think, first of all, cooler heads need to prevail right now. Enough is enough. We've gone far enough. We definitely need the drawdown. We definitely need ISIL. We definitely need to get back to normal. Because right now what we're seeing is no due process. One can be held for however long the people are being held, for hours and days in some cases. And then as it relates to what's happening as a business owner, I can say there's an economic war being declared on businesses. So employees are scared to be out in public. Guests are scared to be out in public. And business owners are afraid of what's happening around them and for themselves and for their own safety.

58:12And above all, that means that slows down their overall economy and everybody's getting hit where it hurts, where it really matters. And so as a result, I think what needs to happen is we all need to sit down. I'm willing to host President Trump. He's from New York. You know what I'm saying? He knows good jerk chicken. Come sit down, break bread with Mayor Fry and Governor Walz, and we can figure out how to solve this. Because right now, enough is enough. It has gone too far. And quite honestly, we don't see the return. And we don't know who are the criminals, if you will, that would justify killing people on the streets of Minneapolis.

58:44One, I think sitting down at your restaurant seems like a great idea regardless of the issues. But Tommy Beavis, the chef and owner of Pimento Jamaican Kitchen in Minneapolis, was doing hurricane relief for Jamaica like four weeks ago. Now in this moment, really appreciate your time, sir. Thanks so much. Well, today marks one year since the deadly collision outside D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. CNN's Pete Mantine got access to the cockpit of an American Airlines plane to see the new technology they're hoping can prevent similar tragedies.

59:20international lead families who lost their loved ones on american airlines flight 5342 gathered today to mark one year since that tragic collision over the potomac river between the commercial airliner and an army blackhawk helicopter the crash killed all 64 passengers and crew members on the American Airlines flight and three soldiers in the helicopter. The technology known as ADS-B could help prevent the next tragedy. But as CNN's Piedmont team reports, most airlines aren't using it. I'm stepping into the cockpit of an American Airlines jet to see how the airline is installing new equipment that investigators say could help prevent a repeat of last year's deadly midair collision over the Potomac River.

1:00:04We believe in the safety enhancements of this. Captain David Surridge is leading American's push to install new in-cockpit collision avoidance technology across its Airbus A320 fleet. The new equipment is part of a system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, or ADS-B. The system transmits a flight's location to air traffic control once every second. Now, American is installing an extension of that system to show its pilots the location of other planes in near real time. The system in airplanes is known as ADSB-IN. Our pilots can see the aircraft around them, and they can get information from them.

1:00:45During Tuesday's final public hearing on the Potomac crash, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy slammed the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to require ADSB displays in cockpits, something investigators have sought for years. Homendy says if American Eagle Flight 5342 had ADS-B in, its pilots would have received a 59-second warning of impending collision and could have taken action to avoid it. This was preventable. This was 100 % preventable. It gives me a list of all the aircraft that are around. In a flight simulator in Phoenix, I watched how the display installed in Americans' planes shows the altitude and direction of nearby aircraft.

1:01:27I've designated this aircraft by the fact that it's green. And even allows pilots to highlight a specific plane to follow or avoid. Older collision avoidance technology currently mandated on airliners does not show direction and does not function at low altitudes just before landing. It seems like this technology kind of fills in this blind spot that the other technology wasn't really able to give you information about. Exactly. This is proactive versus reactive. This week, investigators showed new recreations from the viewpoints of the Army Blackhawk helicopter and from the right seat of American 5342, the seat occupied by 28-year-old First Officer Sam Lilly.

1:02:08His parents, Tim and Sherry, say the findings validate that it was impossible for Sam to see the approaching helicopter against bright city lighting. There's a technology that's available now. It's not very expensive, and it can probably save thousands of lives. If there is some sort of ADS-B-IN mandate, will it prevent future crashes? Without a doubt. Absolutely. NTSB has been recommending it for decades, and why are we disregarding the recommendations of our safety agency, of the experts? American Airlines says it now has more airplanes with ADS-B in than any other airline in the world. About 300 aircraft, roughly a third of its fleet, already have the equipment.

1:02:53The airline tells me it hopes to install this across its entire fleet in the absence of any federal mandate. The FAA says it generally supports ADS-B in and similar technologies, though a big requirement might need action from Congress. One proposal, known as the Rotor Act, would require the technology in nearly all U.S. airspace. That bill has the support of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. It passed the Senate last month and is now awaiting action in the House. You know, Phil, some small changes already since this crash one year ago tonight. This could be the lasting reform, the big reform, so those 67 lives weren't lost in vain.

1:03:35Really important story. Pete, thanks so much, as always. Well, he previously served as a mayor before joining the Biden administration. So what does Pete Buttigieg think of the ongoing clashes between the mayor of Minneapolis and the White House? I'll ask him live next.

1:03:53In our politics lead, as White House boarders are Tom Homan announced plans for eventual drawdown of immigration agents in Minnesota today, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine posted, quote, I can report that Secretary Noem has informed me that ICE has ended its enhanced activities in the state of Maine. There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. Here now is former Transportation Secretary for the Biden Administration, Pete Buttigieg. He's also the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Really appreciate your time. Just to start kind of with what we've seen over the course of the last 36 hours, there's clearly a messaging shift, a total shift from the borders are this morning in his press conference, Susan Collins talking about the DHS secretary acknowledging a shift as well.

1:04:37Do you believe there's an actual de-escalation here? Well, there's certainly a lot of damage control happening in the White House. They are changing their posture, yet to be seen how much that changes conditions on the ground. I think what's important to note is not just that this is happening, but why this is happening. At a time when our country seems so polarized, actually a lot of people have come together, not just Democrats. This is not a left or right thing anymore this is right versus wrong. And I think that's why you're seeing conservative voices, Second Amendment voices, even some elected Republicans saying this cannot go on like this.

1:05:13This does not make us safe. Standing up to the president and requiring him to do the one thing that he swears he'll never do, which is back down. What do you say to people who say, look, the president ran on this? I mean, literally at the Republican National Convention, they were holding signs, largest deportation force in history. Stephen Miller was there from the beginning. They said, look, this is what people voted for. Well, the president ran on immigration. I don't think most people who voted for him, in fact, I know most people voted for him, weren't voting for the idea that an American citizen could be pushed to the ground, have federal agents take his gun away, and then shoot him up to 10 times.

1:05:50I don't think Americans were voting for immigration police to get more funding than the FBI itself. I don't think most Americans voted for scenes like what we saw of a woman opening her door at her home in Minnesota to find half a dozen federal agents wearing more tactical gear, more heavily armed than I was when I went outside the wire in Afghanistan and arresting her husband only to have his arrest ruled unconstitutional and illegal and have him returned a few days later. This is not what most Americans left, right, or center want to see. And I think that's why you're seeing more Americans left, right, and center speak up and demand that things change.

1:06:32I want to turn to the remarkable scene in Georgia. You talk about people seeing things and saying, wait, I don't know that that was what I was really, I wanted lower prices. I wanted a different economy. I don't think many were really keyed on this remarkable scene in Georgia, where the FBI seized hundreds of boxes of 2020 election ballots and related material from the Fulton County Elections Office. Senator John Ossoff called yesterday's FBI search in Fulton County a, quote, sore losers crusade Georgia Republican chairman. Josh McCoon called the action long overdue and, quote, Georgians have waited years for real answers about what happened in 2020.

1:07:04Getting every detail out, especially around ballot handling and processes in Fulton, is absolutely critical. What's going on here? What's going on here is that the president is, again, weaponizing federal law enforcement for political ends. It's just like recently we saw the attorney general weirdly inserting a request for voter rolls in her demands with regard to Minnesota. And again, most Americans want nothing to do with this. The president lost the election in 2020. He went to court dozens of times trying to prove otherwise. There's a reason why he lost again and again in court, which is that in a court of law, unlike on Twitter, you have to actually present evidence for your claims and there are punishments for lying, which is why more than 50 cases about this were rejected.

1:07:51Trying to relitigate this now is clearly raw politics. And I think an attempt to get us talking about anything but the president's economic failures, he ran on lowering costs. And yet today in the White House, he specifically promised to increase housing costs, which is actually what's been happening. He specifically took action that has directly increased the cost of groceries and consumer goods with his tariffs. and he's increasing utility bills by shutting down energy projects. It is the opposite of what he promised. And of course, he would want us talking and thinking about anything else. Actually, I had that sound ready because I want to ask you about housing and what the president said today related to the issue that you just referenced.

1:08:31Take a listen. People that own their homes, we're going to keep them wealthy. We're going to keep those prices up. We're not going to destroy the value of their homes so that somebody that didn't work very hard can buy a home. The political person in me says, you cut that in an ad pretty quick. But the policy person in me says, all right, what are the policy plans on housing, which is a very difficult and tractable issue? How do you respond to that? And where do you think Democrats are there? Well, first of all, build more housing. But also we need more responsible fiscal policy. See, when you do a massive tax cut for the wealthy, It runs up deficits that lead to interest rates being higher, which makes it harder to afford a home.

1:09:14So the president is talking out both sides of his mouth. I also think it was very revealing that his idea of somebody who wants to buy a home is somebody who doesn't work very hard. Most people I know are working very hard. And yet, by some measures, the average age for a first-time homebuyer has gone from about 28 to 40. It cannot go on like this. And the president is doing nothing, nothing to help make it possible to afford housing in this country. If anything, he's making it worse, not just with the fiscal policy, but with this immigration policy that is going to make it harder to get anything built in this country.

1:09:47Where do you land? We're talking during the break. Midterm season is in full gear. You're when I talk to Democrats, anybody who's running wants you usually in their district or in their state. the idea of what the message should be, what the focus should be on. Karl Rove, I think, was saying this will be the first time Democrats can't run against just Trump. They need to run on policy issues. What are those policy issues? But also, where does ICE fit into all of this? Because this was an issue, I think, in the last couple of elections. Well, specifically on ICE, I think Democrats need to stake out the common sense position that, of course, we need to have immigration laws, secure borders.

1:10:23We need to enforce those laws. But what this administration is doing is not making us safer. It is making everything worse. More broadly, I think Democrats need to make sure that we are making clear what we would actually do. And I do sometimes worry that the Democratic Party could lapse into appearing like the party of the status quo. What we are about is making sure that you are able to get through life better because you've got a government that's working for you. And that happens at every stage of your day, from when you get up in the morning and you can get clean, safe drinking water because you have good basic city services, to being able to drive on a road to work or school that has good infrastructure funding, keeping it in good condition, to being able to have quality education, child care you can afford, knowing that when you get to work, you are protected in your job.

1:11:11You have good benefits and good pay. Coming home to a house you can actually afford, and if anything goes wrong, knowing you can afford the health care to cover you, too. That's what we are about as a party. That is our message. And while there is plenty going wrong, obviously, with the Trump administration, I don't think it's enough only to talk about him. Because if we're only talking about him, we're not talking about you. This midterm year for many, many politicians who have run for president has been a really formative moment for them to make their decision. Even those that haven't sometimes will be out campaigning, and that's when they kind of know.

1:11:42I'm interested. You said you don't know if you plan to run again in 2028. But what would be the case for not running? What would you have to see to make you say, I don't think this is it? Look, deciding to run for any office, every time I've decided to run for something, every time I've decided not to run for something, has been based on looking at what the office calls for in that moment and looking at what I bring to the table. And sometimes there was a match, and sometimes there wasn't. It's also something you think about as a family. And a year ago, as I was weighing whether to run for statewide office in Michigan, thought a lot in these terms, including what that would mean for our family.

1:12:18But what I'm sure of is how I should spend the next year, because no matter what, I know that lifting up candidates I believe in, causes I believe in, going to places around the country, including places that don't always hear enough, I think, from people on my side of the aisle, that's the best thing I can do to make a difference right now. Pete Buttigieg, really appreciate your time. Thanks. I know we're talking politics, but I don't want to leave the set without acknowledging the pain of the families in that plane crash that happened one year ago. We're all thinking of them. Yeah, we were talking.

1:12:47It's surreal. It was one year ago, but remarkable to see our team interview the parents for certain. Thank you very much. Appreciate your time. The new documentary, Melania, premieres at the Kennedy Center tonight. But it's not without some controversy. We'll explain next.

1:13:07In our politics lead, the president and first lady will arrive at the Kennedy Center soon for the premiere of Melania. Now, Amazon paid the first lady, Melania Trump,$40 million for the documentary film showcasing her return to the White House. Everyone wants to know. So here it is.

1:13:31Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations. Did you watch it? I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news. Citizens Betsy Kline is on the red carpet. Betsy, just how unprecedented is this project? Oh, it's incredibly unprecedented, Phil. And behind me, we've basically got a second cabinet meeting convening of the President Trump today. We've seen Secretary Betsen, Secretary Turner right behind me. We've got Brett Ratner, the director of the film, right over my left shoulder right now. But Melania Trump has really approached this role very differently this second term. She has largely split her time between Florida and New York and kept a very low profile with very few public appearances as well as very few media appearances.

1:14:19That has all changed this week, appearing on Fox News three times in the past few days, promoting this documentary. Former first ladies write books and appear on the speaking circuit all the time. What is unprecedented here is that a sitting first lady is working to profit off of inside access to her private life. She is proving that a peek behind the curtain of her private world can be a multimillion dollar commodity. And when we think about what to expect, it's worth noting she has served as an executive producer on this film. That means that she has full editorial control and participation in this movie.

1:14:55And setting aside the question of whether this is a political calculation for Amazon, this is, they are making a bet that there is going to be an audience for this documentary in theater. Since Donald Trump entered office, Melania Trump has essentially been somewhat of a Rorschach test for the American public. Is she a MAGA queen or is she the leader of some secret resistance? There's just a lot of public curiosity about her. But one thing the media tour for this documentary has made very clear is that she is her husband's wife. They are incredibly politically aligned. So the question now is, is that going to translate to ticket sales?

1:15:28And we'll have to see in the coming days this movie releases on Friday, Phil. No one has chronicled the First Lady better than you have, Betsy Kline, over the course of this first year. Didn't imagine red carpet moments for you, but very happy. That's true there. Great work, as always, my friend. I want to bring in the panel now. You bought your ticket. Which night are you going? I don't go to theaters anymore. I watch things on streaming. So when it hits Amazon, I'll watch it. Oh, my gosh. Let me tell you something. People love a little peek behind the curtain and people love to see how things operate in the background.

1:16:04And we know so much about President Trump, but we don't know much about her. And I think it would be interesting to see how she's done the first lady role and also like to see the way she operates with Barron, to see her as a mother. I mean, those are things we just don't know about her. So I do think there's curiosity. But in today's industry, I'm not so sure you'll sell out actual seats in a theater. I think that's kind of my biggest question of, you know, there's always this like, there's no explicit connection to we did this because we really want to ensure that like our cloud contracts get approved by DoD.

1:16:33But there's also like no way that anyone was thinking this is going to make$100 million in the box office. I mean, sure. I mean, many movies don't make$100 million in a box office despite spending over$100 million. Right. Look, I think this is interesting. She's notoriously private. it. I'm curious to sort of peek behind the curtain. What does the First Lady like to do in her private time? What does she like to do with her son? We don't see Barron a lot often. I'm curious to see if he'll be in this film a lot. And then when you think about it, what, $40 million to make this? Amazon has a market cap of$2.5 trillion.

1:17:06I mean, let's put that in perspective. This is nothing for Amazon to throw$40 million at this thing. So look, congratulations to the First Lady. Maybe you don't sell out theaters, but I think it might do fairly well on the streaming services. I think people will be more interested. I don't think the theater numbers are going to be indicative of it's First Lady. Everyone's interested in the First Lady. Everybody wants to see behind the scenes of any First Family, regardless of their political party. Maybe checking him a bit. It'll be interesting to see how much, I know in some interviews she said she thinks the YMCA is inappropriate.

1:17:35Yeah, and Brett Ratner, at least Rush Hour 4, also coming out soon. But I'm excited about that, though. As long as Chris Tucker's in it, I'm game. Okay, I've got to ask about the cabinet meeting today, because we are used to these three-hour affairs, so much so that Trump was mocking the fact that some of them are three hours, saying he got really bored. But at the beginning of, to that point, at the very beginning, he made a point, like, let's keep this short. Take a listen.

1:18:04Some people said he closed his eyes. Look, it got pretty boring. It all feels. I love these people. I love to sleep. But there's a lot of people. It was a little bit at the boring side. But I didn't sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell out of here. You know what's bad with the sycophancy has gotten so over the top that even Trump's like, man, that's a little much. They are a long field. But I thought what was more interesting than anything else is he never called on Kristi Noe. He made clear it was going to be short, but he called on very specific people, never called on his embattled DHS secretary.

1:18:42I mean, that was really the only person in that cabinet meeting that people probably wanted to hear from. They wanted to know how she was doing and also to analyze her relationship with the president. I think if he would have called on her, we would have gone bit over bit over how many questions did he ask her? Did he like her answers? Was she stuttering? Was she nervous? I mean, I think to kind of keep her to the wayside and let's keep Tom Homan to the front is the smart thing for him to do right now. Politically smart. I don't disagree with that at all. And I agree with the president. Like, I'm not a big meetings guy.

1:19:09let's get to the point. What in the hell are you doing? What's your department doing? And send me a note and I'll read the rest of it in lengthy documents. So I don't blame the president, Phil, for closing his eyes because those meetings are long. And when you find these cabinet secretaries, they like to talk about things that frankly just aren't of importance to the president. So I don't blame them for that. They're long because he like set the tone for them being long. And then everybody was from like the rights previous day, like back in the first term, I remember watching the first one. I was like, oh, we're really going to do this?

1:19:38We're all just going to go around and genuflect in front of it. You're all grown-ass people. What are you doing right now? And now it's just the norm. And then they make it a one hour instead of three hours. We're like, whoa. Maybe an overcorrection because during the Biden era, it was very quick. He would say something at the top and then you'd shout questions and we would get the press out of there. But I mean, I think three hours, especially in that room, I've been in that room before with a full cabinet and press. It's hot. I feel bad for The photographers who have to carry the cameras, all that and stuff.

1:20:08I do want to ask you, though, not taking questions today. Are we over-reading it? Especially, like, he and Caitlin. When Caitlin's in the room, the president will eventually call on Caitlin. Yeah, he likes to call on Caitlin. Because he wants the back and forth. He respects her. I think he's a journalist. And the types of questions that she asks, he knows they're going to be tough. He didn't take any questions today. He did. Surprised you? It didn't surprise me at all. I mean, again, think about what's been going on this week with immigration, ICE, Minnesota, Minneapolis, to be specific. If I'm advising the president, we know the press will ask those questions.

1:20:35We have an investigation that we want to see continue in a transparent way. I don't want to muddy those waters, Mr. President. Let's have a quick meeting, take no questions from the press. I think that was the right decision to make. Yeah. I mean, and I think this is also probably Susie Wilds getting some directional control here. Gone are the days, I mean, when things were flaming with Doge. In response, we had Elon Musk stand up and give a monologue to the entire cabinet. I think he's shifting gears here. and instead of becoming the story, letting the story just play out in Minnesota. Susie Wiles is running a tie ship, as she should.

1:21:05That's true. That's true. Relatively. Compared to the first term. Absolutely. Guys, I appreciate you guys, as always. Thanks so much for coming in. Well, millions of Americans could soon be in the path of another round of winter weather thanks to a bomb cyclone. An update on the forecast next.

1:21:24Forecasters are warning that a powerful winter storm is expected to impact the U.S. East Coast this weekend. as many of us still dealing with the lingering ice, snow, and a brutal cold streak. The worst conditions, likely from Georgia up through both Carolinas to southern Virginia and possibly New England. Aaron Burnett, Outfront starts now.