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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Judge Calls Emergency Hearing Over Trump Deportation; Rubio Says, U.S. Ready To Move On If No Ukraine Peace Deal Soon; Police Chief Says, Suspect Will Face First-Degree Murder Charges; Business Owners On Whether Tariffs Can Bring Jobs Back To U.S.; Tesla Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit; Business Owners On Whether Tariffs Can Bring Jobs Back To U.S.; Tesla Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired April 18, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the Lead. I am Jake Tapper.
And this hour, a new chapter in the showdown over the undocumented migrant from Maryland who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, a Democratic senator who traveled to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia last night, said, today it's time for the White House tom quote, put up in court or shut up. This is, as the Trump administration says, Abrego Garcia will, quote, never return to the United States.
Plus, we're continuing our series on how Trump's tariffs could impact business owners across the United States. Today, we're going to go to Wisconsin talking to the CEO of a company that's been around since the 50sabout how tariffs could affect his employees and his bottom line.
And actress Holly Robinson Pete will join us live on her emotional pushback against the comments made earlier this week by perhaps the most controversial member of the Trump administration, Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.
Our Lead Tonight is breaking news. Federal Judge James Boasberg has just called an emergency hearing scheduled to start in just about 15 minutes. This is over the Trump administration's deportation efforts.
Let's get straight to CNN's. Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, why this last minute hearing?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, there is a group of Venezuelan migrants at a detention facility in Texas who are concerned that they are going to be deported under the sweeping wartime authority known as the Alien Enemies Act.
Now, there have been court rulings across the country to block some people from being removed under this authority. This particular district in Texas, the northern district, is that is not the case. I have been talking to lawyers there who represent some of these clients who were told by ICE that they were going to be subject to this authority and imminently removed.
That is why there is an emergency hearing happening in 15 minutes to talk about this because the key part of this, Jake, is did they get due process? Did the administration give them enough time to tell them that they were going to be subject to this wartime authority? And more breaking news, Jake, they're actually also going to the Supreme Court. They're now asking the Supreme Court to also weigh in on this, saying, the lawyers wrote, to the Supreme Court, quote, the government's actions to date, including its lightning fast timeline, do not give members of the proposed class a realistic opportunity to contest the removal under the AEA, the Alien Enemies Act.
If you recall, the Supreme Court said the administration could use this. Sure. They also said that they need to give them some level of due process. They didn't say what that looked like or what it meant. They just said reasonable time to contest it. Well, the question is, what exactly does reasonable time mean, because according to what I'm being told by lawyers, this is about a 24-hour, 12-hour turnaround.
TAPPER: All right. This afternoon, we also heard from Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, who just returned from El Salvador, where he met with a former constituent of his from Maryland, the undocumented immigrant, Abrego Garcia. What did Senator Van Hollen have to say?
ALVAREZ: Look, there were three really important or interesting moments from what he had to say. Number one, the negotiation, we learned how this meeting came to be. He said that he was going to leave El Salvador. He had tried to meet with Abrego Garcia. It wasn't happening until he got a call. And that meeting was set up at the hotel that he was staying at. So, he shared a little bit more about how all of this came together.
The second point, though, so critical, he's no longer at CECOT, that maximum security prison in El Salvador. Van Hollen said that he has been moved to another detention center That raises a whole host of questions because that prison in particular, the CECOT prison, is for the terrorists, the gang members. So, the idea that he was sent to a lesser prison just raises questions about his background and his history here.
And the third is the figure of how much the United States is paying El Salvador, $15 million. We knew there was $6 million, but there was a bigger lump sum of $15 million.
The reason this was also important is because in these court cases and these legal proceedings, the judges have asked the administration, well, if you are paying El Salvador, why can't you make -- have them send someone back? Well, they were working off the basis of $6 million. Now we know it's a lot more, $15 million.
Now, at the very end, the senator making the point that this is really about due process. That is the overarching point. And take a listen to how he framed that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): This case is about upholding constitutional rights for Abrego Garcia and for every American. The president, President Trump, and the Trump administration wants to say that those who are fighting to stand up for our Constitution don't want to fight gang violence. That is an outright lie. That is a big, big lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Now, there are still ongoing legal proceedings here, so this is, by no means, over, but the president of El Salvador saying in a post on ex just yesterday that he will remain in Salvador in custody, he being Abrego Garcia.
TAPPER: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much.
CNN's Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten is here standing by the magic wall. And, Harry, this is something I really wanted to know, so I'm glad you're here.
[18:05:00]
How do the American people feel about the president's deportation policies?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes. Let's sort of take a look. We're going to dive into the numbers here, and let's just talk about the most basic metric you can look at, which is Donald Trump's net approval rating on immigration. In his first term, he was underwater at this point, 12 points more of the public, on fact, disapproved than approved of the job he was doing. But look at where we are now in April of 2025, he's actually slightly above water at plus one point. This is very much unlike the economy where he was above water in term one and is now below water. On immigration, it's the exact opposite of what's going on. And more than that, the numbers have actually stayed pretty steady since January, since, of course, he came into office.
A different way that we can look at this is compare what was going on under Joe Biden, which what is going on under Donald Trump. And the way we can do this is, on immigration, what track are we on, the right track or the wrong track? Back in December, just 14 percent of the public said we were on the right track. 62 percent, my goodness gracious, the vast majority said we were on the wrong track.
Look at where we are now in April though. Look at this. 45 percent of the country says we're on the right track compared to just 42 percent who were on the wrong track. So, the plurality now say we're on the right track when it comes to immigration. Very much unlike what we saw under Joe Biden, now under Donald Trump, the plurality say we're on the right track, not on the wrong track when it comes to immigration policy.
TAPPER: Interesting. What about the White House policy of deporting immigrants that are here illegally?
ENTEN: Yes. Okay, so let's sort of dive sort of a little bit more into the specifics, right? So, this is a great question, deport all undocumented immigrants. That is voters favoring a government effort to deport all 11 million. Look at where we are now in 2025, 50 percent, the majority of voters agree with this policy, supported, just 43 percent opposed.
That is a massive rise from where we were in 2016 when, of course, Donald Trump was running for the Republican nomination the first time around when it was just 38 percent. The American public is much more so on Donald Trump's side now than back when he was running the first time around.
Now, of course, this is the public at large, right? Let's dive a little bit more into the cross tabs, and this should give you a very interesting look at where the public is, all right? Deport more immigrants here illegally. Well, not much of a surprise, Jake. 90 percent of Republicans agree with that. But look in the middle of the electorate, look here. We get 61 percent of independents agreeing with it, the clear majority. And how about among Democrats? Even there, you get about a third of Democrats agreeing with the idea that we should deport more immigrants who are here illegally.
So, yes, there is some specific issue polling, which might not necessarily look great for Donald Trump, but when you look specifically at immigration and you dive into the cross tabs and you look at Democrats, independents, and Republicans, it's not much of a surprise that at this particular point in time, the slight, it is slight, but still the plurality Americans give Donald Trump the thumbs up on immigration, which is very much unlike what we see with his policies at large and certainly on the economy. Jake?
And look at that number with independents because that's really important.
ENTEN: Look at that.
TAPPER: That's how you win an election is getting the support of independents.
ENTEN: You it, my friend.
TAPPER: All right.
ENTEN: You got it.
TAPPER: Harry Enton, thanks so much.
Let's bring in Democratic Congressman Sean Casten from Illinois. He represents a district that covers parts of Southwestern Chicago. Congressman, thanks for joining us.
So, you just heard CNN's Harry Enten that voters generally back Trump's immigration policies. Today in the Oval Office, President Trump said illegal immigration was, quote, the biggest reason he won reelection. He might be right about that. Do you think that your party is missing something on this issue? REP. SEAN CASTEN (D-IL): Thanks for having me, Jake. I'd question that polling because when you tell people the stories, you get very different answers. Ask somebody whether they think an Afghani national who helped the U.S. troops find Osama bin Laden and now feels threatened at home and is here on an asylum case because they can't be sure they'll be safe at home and is under temporary protected status, but not here legally yet. Should that person be deported? Should a DREAMER who has fought for our military, should that person be deported? Should a farm worker who travels back and forth with the seasonal crop, should that person be deported? Should somebody who came here to study for college fell in love, had a kid and now has overstayed their visa?
These personal stories, people have a much different answer.
Do you think we, in the media, aren't telling those stories? I mean, look, the media tells plenty of stories like that, and, you know, we're not asking about individual A or individual B. We're talking about the deportation policy writ large. And there has been a change in public opinion on this in the last eight years away from your position and towards President Trump's position.
CASTEN: Look, I can only speak to what I'm hearing at home and as I travel around Illinois, Jake, and I do not hear that same level of xenophobia that we see in the polling. And I think the difference is that most people are fundamentally good. All they hear is the sound bite. They take that in a certain way. If they hear the individual story, they take it in a different way.
TAPPER: So, you think that people who want people who are in this country illegally to be deported are xenophobic?
[18:10:05]
Is it not possible that maybe they have other -- I mean, I'm sure some of them are xenophobic, don't get me wrong, but like is it not possible that others think, hey, we need to have a an organized, functioning immigration system, hey, if you're in this country illegally, you shouldn't be here? I wouldn't be allowed to be in any other country illegally. I mean, is it not possible that there are other things at play?
CASTEN: No. I guess the point I'm making, Jake, is that we have always, through the course of our history, had demagogues who have demonized whoever was the recent immigrant population that comes here. And that always has a certain amount of political saliency. It had saliency when the Italian said we shouldn't welcome the Irish. It had saliency when the Irish said we shouldn't welcome the Chinese. There's nothing particularly new about this moment.
You know, what I hear when I talk to folks at home is concern about, like, you know, in the last administration, yes, there was a general concern that if you didn't follow the law, you shouldn't be here, and everybody agrees with that. There was also a recognition that the agricultural sectors of Illinois depends a lot on farm workers and there aren't enough bodies to fill those jobs, that our, you know, that our restaurants and kitchens all depend on folks who are coming here.
And the -- I think you can have those conversations and you can uplift people if you choose to do so, or you can fall in the trap of demagoguery. And when we have a president who traffics in demagoguery, it's not surprising that that infects the public discourse. It's also not surprising that if those of us who are in positions of leadership can actually lead public opinion. We don't have to just follow it.
TAPPER: You recently held town halls with voters in red districts in Illinois. Republican Congressman Mike Boast's (ph) district in Carterville, he won with 74 percent of the vote. What are you hearing from voters on issues other than immigration and why are you going to red districts?
CASTEN: So we went down primarily because Richard Hudson, the NRCC, told his members not to do town halls. And I don't think democracy works unless voters understand what's happening and that they vote. And so we went down to say let's make sure that people can go down. It was sort of empowering to be in a position where I'm not asking for your vote, I'm just here to answer your questions.
And it was also, frankly, uplifting for me because you realize the issues and the concerns are the same everywhere, regardless of how we shade a congressional district on a map. There's real concern raised about the cuts in the Social Security Administration because these rural parts of the state tend to also be poor, a lot of people who depend on Social Security.
Huge concerns about tariffs, particularly the agricultural tariffs. 60 percent of our soybean crop gets exported to China. We grow a lot of soybeans in Illinois, and there were a lot of farmers who were concerned that that means they won't be able to export this year. They're also keenly aware that USAID buys a million tons of food from U.S. farmers a year, and they're wondering what's going to happen to that. There were concerns raised by veterans about the cuts in the Veterans Affairs Administration. There's just this general malaise.
And these concerns were being raised by people who led off their comments by saying, I'm a Democrat and I wish my constituent would show up. They were also raised by people wearing MAGA hats, because, ultimately, they're all Americans. They're all trying to figure out what is going on in our country right now.
And I did my best to answer their questions. I did my best to be an explainer. I'm sorry that I had to be there instead of their representatives, but I think it's a good thing for civil society that we go and have those conversations.
TAPPER: Congressman Sean Casten of Illinois, thanks so much. I appreciate it, sir.
CASTEN: Thank you, Jake.
TAPPER: Is the United States preparing to walk away from the Russia- Ukraine Ceasefire talks? The new comments today from both President Trump and his top diplomat, the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, suggesting their efforts may have an expiration date.
Plus, what investigators are revealing today about the suspect in yesterday's mass shooting in Florida State University and the two victims killed in the attack.
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TAPPER: In our World Lead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio started an international guessing game this morning by saying this about the Trump administration's attempts to get a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
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MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short-term, because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on.
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TAPPER: With us now is former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor. Ambassador Taylor. Good to see you.
What do you think will happen if the US ultimately decides we can't do this, and they move on as Secretary Rubio says?
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE UNDER TRUMP: The war won't move on, Jake. The war will continue. The Ukrainians will continue to fight. The Russians will continue to push on Ukraine. If the Ukrainians have the support from the United States, even if we've moved on, if we continue to provide the support, that could allow them to continue to hold off. The Europeans are also stepping up, and so this will not stop the war.
TAPPER: Can Ukraine continue to fight the war if they have the support of the Europeans, which seems relatively ironclad, but not the United States?
TAYLOR: They can and they will. It turns out that wars changed, as you've been reporting, and it turns out 40 percent of the weapons used by the Ukrainians at this time is -- 40 percent is produced in Ukraine. The changes also on drones artillery. Used to be, artillery was the big killer on both sides, actually. And now it's drones, and the Ukrainians make a lot of drones. So, they can provide that. And in terms of will, you know that story.
TAPPER: Yes. We all remember as candidate Trump repeatedly boasted on the campaign trail that he would end the war in Ukraine in the first 24 hours of taking office.
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Here's what he said this afternoon. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT ELECT: My whole life has been one big negotiation, and I know when people are playing us and I know when they're not, and I have to see an enthusiasm to want to end it. And I think I see that enthusiasm. I think I see it from both sides.
REPORTER: Do you think Russians --
TRUMP: But you're going to know soon?
REPORTER: Do you think Russia's playing you?
TRUMP: No, nobody's playing me. I'm trying to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What do you think? Do you think Russia's playing? We because we had Brett McGurk here and talked about the negotiations in Saudi Arabia and Zelenskyy, this is after that horrible meeting in the Oval Office. Zelenskyy agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. Russia hasn't honored even a day of that.
TAYLOR: You're exactly right, Jake. President Trump and President Zelenskyy agreed on that 30-day cease fire, and they went to President Putin and Putin said, no. Putin is the problem here. He is stalling it out. He is dragging it out so that he can take grinding a little bit more territory every day.
TAPPER: So, the Wall Street Journal's reporting that a framework for a peace deal has been presented to all sides. Secretary Rubio wouldn't go into detail, but one sticking point appears to be this security guarantees that Ukraine wants in case of a ceasefire and whether the U.S. would be ready to back up any possible European security force, so like the French and the Germans occupying -- or not occupying, being invited to have some bases in Ukraine. Rubio says security guarantees are not an illegitimate desire. What do you think?
TAYLOR: I think it's a very strong desire. In fact is it's a requirement for the Ukrainians that they have some reason to believe that if they sign a ceasefire that the Russians won't come back. The Russians won't violate it, which they have. You remember in the Minsk group times, the Minsk negotiations, the Russians violated those ceasefires 17 times.
TAPPER: I'm old enough to remember when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in a deal with the United States and the, I think, Soviet Union in which they said, we'll never invade you as long as you give up these nuclear weapons.
TAYLOR: You're exactly right. It was actually the Russians.
TAPPER: It was Russians. Okay.
TAYLOR: It was actually the Russians. Exactly right. And the Russians and the Americans and the Brits said, if you give up these weapons, your security is guaranteed. And, of course, it wasn't.
TAPPER: Yes. There are indications that the U.S. and Ukraine are close to a deal on mineral rights. This is very important to the United States, to Trump, Ukraine giving the U.S. access to its mineral wealth as payback for all the billions of dollars of assistance the U.S. has given. Would that be a big achievement?
TAYLOR: It would be an achievement and it would get Americans into Ukraine and working, developing those resources. That's a good thing. That's the United States would like to say that that's part of a security guarantee. The Ukrainians are not convinced that that's going to be the security guarantee they need. But if they can -- if both the United States and Ukraine can develop those resources over time, this is not something that's going to happen quickly, then that's good for both sides.
TAPPER: All right. Ambassador Bill Taylor, always good to have you here. Thank you, sir. I appreciate your expertise.
The vice chair of the Democratic National Committee sparked a lot of controversy this week when he announced a $20 million effort to primary members of his own Democratic Party. And that vice chair, Mr. David Hogg, will join us live to respond to criticism, next.
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In our National Lead, police say that the suspected shooter in Thursday's mass shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee will, quote, face the charges up to and including first-degree murder.
CNN's Brian Todd's following the story. Brian, are officials any closer to a motive considering the suspect is currently not cooperating with police?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, they appear no closer to establishing a motive tonight, but again, they're trying to question him, and as you mentioned, he has invoked his rights not to speak to police. So, the motive really remains an outstanding question tonight.
Here's what we do know about the suspect tonight, and this is information compiled by our CNN teams on the ground and by CNN's investigative unit. The suspect is named Phoenix Ikner. He's 20 years old. University officials confirm he is a junior at Florida State University. Authorities say he is the son of a local sheriff's deputy.
Officials and records reviewed by CNN say that when he was taken into custody, Ikner was carrying a handgun that used to be the service weapon of a sheriff's deputy named Jessica Ikner. Jessica Ikner has not responded to CNN's request for comment.
Authorities say that Phoenix Ikner spent time training with law enforcement and served on the Sheriff's Advisory Council in the years before the shooting. And according to CNN's John Miller citing a law enforcement source. Familiar with the investigation, police recovered an AR-15 rifle inside the car that Ikner drove to campus in addition to the handgun and the shotgun that were found near him.
Now, according to court records, his biological mother, whose name is Annmarie Erickson (ph), was accused of taking him to Norway when he was 10 years old in violation of a custody agreement. The father at one point tried to modify a custody agreement claiming that the biological mother left him in, quote, deplorable hygiene and that he looked like he hadn't slept enough.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revel said at this point there does not appear to be any connection between the alleged shooter and any of the victims. One Florida State student did tell CNN that Phoenix Ikner was asked to leave an extracurricular political group a couple of years ago due to unsettling behavior that he displayed there. Jake?
TAPPER: What more do we know about the victims?
TODD: Right. We just got some new information this afternoon, Jake, on the victims. They are now identified as Robert Morales. He is an FSU graduate himself, according to his LinkedIn page, and he was an FSU employee. That's according to his older brother, Ricardo Morales.
Heartbreakingly, Ricardo Morales chronicled on X his experience yesterday trying to find his brother at one point, posting, quote, waiting for a callback. Robert Morales leaves behind a wife and a daughter, according to his brother.
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And the other victim, Tiru Chabba, who worked for Aramark (ph), a food and service and a facilities management company, he worked there at Florida State University. He is a 45-year-old father of two.
TAPPER: All right. Brian Todd, thanks so much. I want to bring in gun Safety Advocate and Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee David Hogg, who joins me now live in studio.
David, as a survivor of the 2018 Florida shooting in Parkland, what do you make of the fact that three weeks ago, the Florida Statehouse voted to lower the minimum age to buy a long gun from 21 to 18? It had been raised because you and your fellow classmates had lobbied the Florida legislature and there was a package of gun reform and red flag laws and psychological help and school safety officers, a whole thing that Governor Rick Scott, Republican, signed into law but now they're talking about lowering the age back to 18 for long gun purchases.
DAVID HOGG, PRESIDENT, LEADERS WE DESERVE PAC: It's ridiculous. I mean, it was Republicans that passed that law in the first place. They controlled the House and the Senate and our state government, and obviously Rick Scott was the governor who was also a Republican.
The reason why this law matters is because the shooter in Parkland was not able to purchase a handgun under federal law because he was not over the age of 21, but he was able to purchase an AR-15 because that's the logic of the NRA. They're actively trying to lower that age once again in Florida. And it's just ridiculous. We're seeing time and time again in instances, whether it's Uvalde, whether it's Parkland or under other instances, many of these shooters are under the age of 21, and it simply does not make sense that if you can't buy a handgun that you should be able to purchase an AR-15 in the first place.
TAPPER: Let's talk about what you did this week raising a lot of eyebrows here in Washington, D.C.
HOGG: Just a few.
TAPPER: You announced this week -- you're the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, but you're raising $20 million to boost primary challengers running in safe Democratic seats against incumbent Democrats, yes, safe seats.
HOGG: Thank you for the clarification, yes.
TAPPER: Yes. It's causing a lot of stir. We asked James Carville about it the other day. We couldn't get you, we couldn't book you that day for whatever reason we knew.
HOGG: Well, rest assured he's my biggest fan.
TAPPER: Well, so here's James Carville. Here's what he had to say about your idea. Take a listen.
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JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: The most insane thing I ever heard is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee is spending $20 million running against other Democrats. Aren't we supposed to run against Republicans?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What's your response?
HOGG: What's his plan to deal with our 27 percent approval rating? That's my question to him. The fact of the matter is, right now, our party is in a crisis. We are seeing people lose faith in our party. They're losing faith in democracy across the country, and we need to make sure that we're getting people to vote for Democrats, not simply because we're not Donald Trump, but because we have a better message, a better option for them, not simply the less bad of two options, as I think Carville tries to promote when he says, well, we should, we just shouldn't say anything.
Carville believes in a politics of being timid, of hiding. I believe in fighting. And that is what people want to see right now from the Democratic Party. We just saw an example of that with Senator Van Hollen going to El Salvador to say, we need to meet with this man.
And, yes, Democrats obviously are in the minority right now. But let's be clear, we cannot win back the majority if we do not convince the American people that our party offers something that isn't just not Donald Trump but is substantially better than Donald Trump, that fights to lower costs for Americans across the country, whether it's healthcare, housing, or the foundational building blocks of the American dream that feels so out of reach for people or addressing gun violence.
We can't simply just hide, as Carville repeatedly promotes, not to mention the fact that, frankly, he has not won an election since before I was born. I think it's time for some new voices in our party.
TAPPER: When were you born?
HOGG: 2000.
TAPPER: Well, I guess that -- so, anyway, I can hear James Carville's head exploding all the way from New Orleans when you called him timid. And, James, you're welcome back on the show next week and you can --
HOGG: Happy to talk more.
TAPPER: And you can respond. Who are some of the Democrats that you want to primary? Who are some of these people that you think deserve the Democrats to focus on them in their safe seats, $20 million worth?
HOGG: Well, in particular right now, what we're hoping with this effort is by announcing this, we can get a lot of them to decide not to run for office again, so that this isn't necessary.
TAPPER: Give me one. Give me one name.
HOGG: Well, I have to wait to see who retires out there because we don't want to pick unnecessary fights, but we're willing to do that if our approval rating continues to be at this rate. Not to mention the fact, yes, we are going -- we're planning on spending millions of dollars to ensure that we are getting Democrats that are -- simply this is not a thing that is just about age. To be clear, there are older people who suck, as we just saw, and there are younger people who suck as well, and people of all ages. Unfortunately, that is not specific to age.
We are here to find the most effective young people in our country, truly generational leaders, and replace people that are failing to meet the moment right now that we hope step aside. And in addition to that, we want our frontline candidates to win. Just yesterday, we gave the DCCC $100,000 as one of their biggest contributors this cycle, and that's because we're not just talking about challenging Democrats in safer seats.
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We want to support young people that are running in our frontline seats as well to get us into the majority in the first place.
TAPPER: Give me an idea of two Democrats that you're excited about, that you think of, these are the kinds of people I want more of in Congress?
HOGG: I want more people like Congressman Maxwell Frost, right, who has helped to lead the charge in Congress against gun violence, helped to push you know, the former of Biden administration to create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention that oversaw in a two-year period a double-digit reduction in gun homicides. That is remarkable.
I want to see more people like AOC who are going out there and fighting, but it's not just progressives as well. Ultimately, I want to see people, even if they're more moderate, that are not owned by special interests, that are not taking corporate money and are here to reform our campaign finance system to give people faith in our democracy.
Because Democrats can't just go out there and say, well, we need to fight for democracy over and over again when we don't show why democracy matters because we don't use it effectively enough by fighting to revive the American dream that so many young people feel like isn't possible. And if people want to support our work, they can go to leaderswedeserve.com.
TAPPER: David Hogg, thank you so much. I appreciate you being here, sir.
After HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed this week that people with autism would, quote, never hold a job, never go on a date, unquote, which is a sweeping, sweeping thing to say about a group of all -- you know, very diverse group of people, there has been some seriously heartfelt and angry backlash from parents of autistic individuals across the United States saying he's just plain wrong. He's ignorant. And one of those parents is actress Holly Robinson Peete, and she's going to join us next.
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TAPPER: In our Health Lead, Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. has announced what he calls a massive testing and research effort to determine what he is causing what he -- determined what has caused what he calls the autism epidemic. RFK Jr. also said this about people with autism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: This is a preventable disease, and these are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize we are doing this to our children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: We're joined now by Actress and Singer Holly Robinson Peete. He's the mother of a son with autism. He's 27 years old. Thanks for joining us.
You did an Instagram post after RFK Jr.'s comments, speaking about your son and what you called his list of nevers. Tell us about that.
HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, MOTHER OF SON WITH AUTISM: Well, Jake, first of all, thank you for having me when R.J. was diagnosed. In two, in 2000, we were given a list of nevers. He would never say, I love you, he would never mainstream in school, never play team sports. That one got my former quarterback husband in really badly. Never do so many things. Never have meaningful employment.
And so we call that the never day. And when I heard his list of nevers, I was taken right back to that day. And I just thought it was such a wasteful and dangerous use of a platform to talk about these children and adults, my son's an adult, as if they're just disposable, as if they are a blight on society and it felt like institutionalized hopelessness. That's what I kept coming up with.
TAPPER: And what has he been able to do even, you know, with autism?
PEETE: Well, first of all, the fact that he mentioned pay taxes first just really threw me because I've heard a lot of nevers, but I've never heard that never, as it pertains to autism. Not sure why that was the first one, but he does pay taxes.
My son has a job with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has two World Series rings with his name on it. He has thrived. He has done so many things. He's checked almost everything off that never list. He would be embarrassed if I said that the dating is the last thing to go.
But at the end of the day, that's my son. He's had a very good outcome and he still has his struggles. But as an advocate with our Holly Rod (ph) Foundation, I work with families all across the spectrum who need a lot more support. I spoke to a woman just yesterday, Jake, because I counsel a lot of parents who are just getting the diagnosis and she was scared to death after she heard what RFK Jr. said. Like the health and human secretary should be someone who encourages and lifts us, someone who helps us, provides us with services, and does not make families feel less than. That's what his job should be, not to come up with these archaic never lists and make us feel like our kids are not worth something.
TAPPER: In a recent interview, the Trump administration's new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, suggested that autism is caused by a range of environmental and dietary exposures. In your work with families and children with autism, what's your take on what causes autism and these comments like that, it's dietary, environmental, it's this, it's that?
PEETE: I'll be honest. When R.J. was diagnosed with autism in 2000, a causation was like my number one goal, but it was really hard and frustrating because I wasn't getting any answers and I switched my focus to just helping him make the best of his life and to be able to thrive in a society doesn't really -- that will look down and devalue people with autism.
So, it's not that I don't care anymore about what causation is, and I'm fine with research, I'm just not okay with you coming out and saying all these things that our kids will never do because it's just not true. There are families who do need more support and who have more severe issues say than ours.
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But at the end of the day, as autism parents, we just want our families, our kids, to have the best chance at life.
So, I don't focus too much on causation, but I know it's frustrating not knowing what causes it. And I'm open to all kinds of, you know, us figuring out or trying to figure it out. But we got to do so in a way that is responsible and doesn't lessen or make our kids, you know, seem like they're not worth society, worth being in society, and they're not worth valuing.
TAPPER: Holly Robinson Peete, we thank you for your time. And I can see your love for your son on your face. It's -- it's a great thing to see. Thank you so much for joining us.
PEETE: Thanks, Jake.
TAPPER: Our series on how Trump's tariffs could affect American small business continues today in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
We're checking in with the CEO to see how the new policies may impact his company and his employees. Stay with us.
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TAPPER: And we're back with our money lead, and our LEAD listening tour of sorts, we've been hearing from business owners about the impact of President Trump's tariffs on their businesses. The reaction has ranged, some are all in on Trump's bigger economic plan. Others believe that the tariffs are bad for business and will hurt their business, as well as the American consumer.
Here's a sampling.
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DREW GREENBLATT, CEO, MARTIN STEEL: This is a very exciting time for the American manufacturing worker.
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We're going to be able to pull people from poverty into the middle class that used to not have an avenue.
DAN MITCHELL, FOUNDER AND BUILDER, EAGLE CDI: To make sure that none of those tariffs have an impact on our ability to be able to put affordable homes on the ground, because right now that's the biggest issue is housing affordability.
BOBBY DJAVAHERI, PRESIDENT, YEDI HOUSEWARE APPLIANCES: We've been adjusting on a minute-by-minute basis. And unfortunately, when you're a business owner and you have such volatility and uncertainty, it makes it very difficult to forecast.
MIKE JONES, OWNER, MAE FARM MEATS: But I am concerned with the effects on the economy, how it may affect my customers and their willingness to purchase.
DIANE GROSS, CO-OWNER, CORK WINE BAR & MARKET: The last thing that we want to do right now is raise prices on gas, for sure, because prices are already going up on labor and on all our other costs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Let's get a new perspective.
Paul Grekowicz is the CEO of Gilman Precision in Grafton, Wisconsin. Thats just north of Milwaukee. His company makes machines and parts for other industries that range from medical to food and beverage.
And, Paul, you tell us that you're largely supportive of Trump's tariffs. How could they help your company?
PAUL GREKOWICZ, CEO, GILMAN PRECISION: Well, ultimately, we're talking about. Leveling the playing field. You know, we're a essentially American built, 100 percent American supply chain.
So, we're not facing the same challenges of a lot of the other manufacturers out there. The bottom line, you know, we give -- we give ourselves a chance to compete here. We're going to go out and win. American manufacturing is strong, and we want to be a part of bringing it back, making it stronger.
TAPPER: What about your employees? Weve talked to business owners who are pro-tariff, pro Trump tariff, but their employees are feeling a little anxiety because of what's happening to their 401(k)s with the stock market and such. What do you hear from your employees?
GREKOWICZ: Well, of course, there's a little bit of nervousness around some of the personal impacts on them, and that's something that we care about very deeply here too. You know, we're a small business and everybody's like family. So we're going to be looking out for that.
I mean, relative to 401(k)s and investments and some of these short- term spikes, you know, we're really telling people were playing the long game here. We have folks that ask questions are concerned. But ultimately, if you look at the long-term market performance and where we're going to go with the strong manufacturing economy, brighter days are ahead. So, if we can get through this short term disruption, then we have a very bright future ahead.
TAPPER: How long do you think this short-term disruption is going to last?
GREKOWICZ: Well, if I could predict that, I'd probably be making some of my own stock investments. But we don't need to go into that. When it -- when it comes down to it, you know, this could be six months. It could be two years. When it when it comes down to what I think the end game is for bringing back industrial manufacturing capacity in the U.S., that's about a five-year journey that's getting more people in place, getting the right equipment, reestablishing supply chains. It's not going to happen overnight. And while the tariff policy is driving action and driving people in
that direction, it's going to take us a while to get there. And we have to be ready for a little bit of a rollercoaster.
TAPPER: How has your business changed, if at all, since the president imposed his tariffs?
GREKOWICZ: Well, we've already seen an uptick in order inquiries. Weve seen new orders coming in from customers that we haven't talked to in 20 years. So, when their end customers are investing in their infrastructure, they go to the machine tool builders that we sell product to. And that effect is trickling down to smaller companies like Gilman.
So, we're already participating in some of the excitement, maybe some of the concern of the chaos that's out there. But ultimately, it's been a good thing for us so far. We're getting significant inquiry volume, which is what we're always looking for.
TAPPER: Paul Grekowicz, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
GREKOWICZ: Thank you, Jake, I really appreciate the opportunity.
TAPPER: You're going to want to paws what you're doing to hear this next story. Meet the visitor who must have been feline brave while slipping through the White House barricades earlier today.
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TAPPER: Our last leads now. We're going to start in law and justice. A federal judge in New York denied the request to delay the sex trafficking trial for Sean "Diddy" Combs. Combs' defense team wanted the trial to move. Two additional counts have been added to his case earlier this month, he has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection will begin on May 5th as scheduled.
In our money lead, Tesla is settling a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a Black female employee who claimed a manager at its Fremont, California, plant would sometimes greet workers by saying welcome to the plantation or welcome to the slave house. The employee said she was also subjected to racial harassment. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
And in our paw-litics lead, someone called the Secret purr-vice or claw enforcement. A snuck -- a cat snuck onto the north lawn of the White House today. Sophie, that's the cat's name, according to her caller, charmed a few members of the press corps who gave her some welcoming scritches and a tour of the briefing room before her owner whiskered by to pick her up. No word yet on whether she will be invited back, perhaps to the next cat-binet meeting. I'm glad that there was not a cat-astrophe, and I hope you found the puns hysterical.
Coming up Sunday on "STATE OF THE UNION", Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and House majority whip Tom Emmer, also from Minnesota. That's a lot of Minnesota. Sunday morning at 9:00 Eastern and again at noon only here on CNN.
I have two books coming out. In May, "Original Sin", about President Biden's decision to run for reelection and the cover up of his decline. And in October, "Race Against Terror", about the hunt to prosecute an al Qaeda terrorist who killed Americans and was out to kill more. You can check them out and preorder them at jaketapper.com.
If you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can listen to the show whence you get your podcasts.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. Have a great weekend and a peaceful and meaningful Easter.
