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Afghan Terror Suspect Arrested; Trump Touts Historic Change; Trudeau and Trump Speak. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired March 05, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:01:08]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Trade war or just a trade warning? President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussing a possible compromise to pause tariffs. So can the president cut deals with Canada, China and Mexico to avoid having everyday goods cost even more?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Top terrorist apprehended. President Donald Trump saying the U.S. has arrested one of the militants behind the bombing at Kabul Airport's Abbey Gate during the drawdown; 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians were killed in that attack in 2021.

And a fight over misinformation. Scientists know vaccines are the best way to stop measles. So why would the Trump administration back treatments like cod liver oil and vitamin A?

We are following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: Breaking news into CNN, we just learned that President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have spoken amid an escalating trade battle between the two nations.

Let's go straight to CNN's Alayna Treene, who's live for us outside the White House.

Alayna, what are you hearing about this call?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Boris, you're right.

I'm told that they spoke this morning, some point this morning, but obviously on the tariffs and what they can do, really what Canada can do to try and find a way out of this, but very light on the details. I was told that we should expect some more details later in the day from the White House.

Also, we know that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is soon going to be delivering a press briefing. I'm sure she is going to be oust about this. But, look, this is really important timing because we did hear the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, say this morning that perhaps the president would make a new tariff announcement today that could include some sort of exemptions on these tariffs, particularly as it relates to the auto industry. Now, I have been digging a little bit on this behind the scenes. I'm

told that this would not be a pause of the tariffs. It would not be a reversal of that 25 percent blanket tariff you saw on Canada and Mexico. But there could be some carve-outs, again, for things like the auto industry.

Take a listen to how Lutnick put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD LUTNICK, U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY: And my thinking is, it's going to be somewhere in the middle, so not 100 percent of all products and not none, somewhere in the middle, because I think Mexico and Canada are trying their best. And let's see where we end up. So I do think somewhere in the middle is a likely outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, a couple of things here to keep in mind, Boris. One is that we know that, yesterday, the president, I was told by White House officials, was very closely monitoring the stock market.

We obviously saw it fall pretty heavily over the last two days on the news of the tariffs. But he's also been fielding a series of calls from different Republican lawmakers. We also heard the president say that he met with some automakers yesterday. He said that himself during his speech, so all of that just kind of playing in behind the scenes.

Now, I also just want to bring up one point as well, is that Lutnick in that interview as well was saying -- he was referring to this not as a trade war, but as a drug war and really saying the key focus and the key kind of fixation that the president has as it relates to these tariffs is wanting these countries to do more to stem the flow of fentanyl.

Now, I did ask national security adviser Michael Waltz this morning about this, just given that role. He told me that he has no details on what will or won't happen today, but he did say that they are seeing some encouraging things on the behalf of Mexico and Canada to try and do that, so all to say, hopefully, we will get some more details out of that call from maybe the press secretary and see if there is actually going to be that type of announcement with some of these exemptions that Lutnick was referring to -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: And we will be monitoring that briefing.

Alayna Treene live for us at the White House, thank you so much -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Stores like Best Buy and Target have already said they will be raising prices because of the Trump tariffs, but this morning White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro dismissed concerns that the tariffs will lead to inflation, arguing that companies will pay the price instead of consumers.

[13:05:18]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Can you -- can you guarantee prices will not rise as a result of these tariffs?

PETER NAVARRO, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICE TRADE AND MANUFACTURING ADVISER: I think the president was right that there will be some disturbance.

But if I could...

BROWN: What does that look like? What does disturbance mean? How do you define that?

NAVARRO: Well, let me -- let me -- let me describe what's the normal adjustment process and why we didn't have inflation last time.

And it's not -- it's not the kind of Best Buy, "Wall Street Journal" view, if there are tariffs here, it goes right to consumers. That's not what happens at all. The first thing that happens is that the countries we tariff absorb most of that, because they have to sell here.

BROWN: The importers pay the tax. The importers...

NAVARRO: That's not...

BROWN: They might lose business. That is true.

NAVARRO: That doesn't appear in the data.

BROWN: But the...

NAVARRO: We know for a fact, for example, with China...

BROWN: Which data?

(LAUGHTER)

NAVARRO: ... that produces -- yes, there you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: With us now former deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department Aaron Klein.

First, your response to what you're hearing there from Peter Navarro.

AARON KLEIN, FORMER U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT TREASURY SECRETARY: Yes, I mean, look basic economics is very clear on this. When you put in a tariff, it's going to raise prices, it's going to be passed along to consumers.

Will some industry and some folks take a little bit out of that about corporate profits? Possibly. But the vast majority of it will play through onto prices. And that's what you're seeing from stores. That's what you're seeing in reality.

KEILAR: So, when you hear that from him, he's talking about a disturbance. He used air quotes around that. What do you make of that kind of explanation?

KLEIN: Yes, so, look, there's a short-term impact in terms of things because you can't adjust, right.

If you're taxing things that are coming from foreign places more than are coming from domestic production, there's going to be an equilibrium and a change. Economics does a very good job of modeling these situations. But the reality is, it's going to raise prices.

And this is exactly counter to what President Trump promised Americans, which was lower prices, and what he's failed to deliver.

KEILAR: The current trade deal in place was negotiated by Trump during his first term. So that was five years ago. Is it time for it to be renegotiated? Is America getting ripped off?

KLEIN: Look, so I think Trump rose to power arguing that the trade deals that have been put in place on a bipartisan basis from President Clinton, from NAFTA, from China's brought into the WTO, ended up harming America.

And he had a point. China did manipulate their currency for a long period of time, and presidents of both parties failed to acknowledge that and take the proper responses. Free trade, as promised to us by President Reagan, failed to deliver in some very key areas.

But it also brought us $200 flat screens at Costco. So it's a more complicated situation. The problem with Trump is, it's an economic fantasy land where he thinks he can have it all, right? He lives in a world of Cadillac spaghetti and flying rainbows, where you're going to have tariffs balancing the budget and people not paying higher prices.

It doesn't make any sense. It's not tethered in economic reality.

KEILAR: Commerce Secretary Lutnick hinted this morning at a possible deal to scale back some of these new tariffs on certain sectors, and I wonder what the effect is when you kind of have this mix, right, this back-and-forth uncertainty?

KLEIN: Right.

Well, it creates a tremendous opportunity for crony capitalism, where different people can go into the White House and ask that their sector be carved out. And this is why kind of a top-line, across-the-board situation, because now you don't know whose friend is getting a sweetheart deal from whom.

The other thing is, President Trump seems to not understand how products are really made. Returning to cars, which was a theme of his thing, he said, oh, American cars won't be subject to this, or you will be able to deduct an interest on that.

What is an American car? Is an American car Toyota built in Tennessee?

KEILAR: Well, let's talk about autos, because Lutnick said one category that could be exempted is cars, which would be hit hard otherwise.

The United Auto Workers union praises Trump's tariffs, we should notice -- note. They have fought to keep auto jobs in the U.S. They say that tariffs are a powerful tool in the toolbox for undoing the injustice of anti-worker trade deals.

What do you say to them? Do they have a point?

KLEIN: Yes, so, look, I think the UAW has long been concerned about currency manipulation.

I remember when I was working in Congress supporting some of their stuff and working with them, because there was currency manipulation happening for a long time from competitors in Asia and other places. On the other hand, what is an American car? These cars go back and forth between the U.S. and Canada in the manufacturing process.

And trying to stick a tariff on it every time a part crosses the border is going to be a total disaster.

KEILAR: Cadillac spaghetti and rainbows sounds pretty good, though, Aaron, I will say.

(CROSSTALK)

KLEIN: The Trump fantasyland does sound appealing, right? That's why he's brought in.

And then every time he fails to deliver, he blames it on someone else. He said he was going to lower egg prices day one. Hasn't happened yet. Now he's in the White House blaming Biden.

KEILAR: The chickens have a say. That's what we have learned.

Aaron Klein, thank you so much -- Boris.

[13:10:01]

SANCHEZ: We are seeing some strong reactions to President Trump's joint address to Congress last night, including some of his attacks on his predecessor, Joe, Biden for leaving him in a -- quote -- "economic catastrophe and inflation nightmare," also notably saying that Biden let the price of eggs get out of control.

We watched last night's speech with a group of Pennsylvania voters in an important swing county. Here's how they reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: What did we think about Trump blaming Biden for the high cost of eggs? Did we like it? Raise your hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Nobody liked it. Nobody thought...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know much about it. I mean, I don't really have enough...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They killed 100 million chickens in 2024.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: That was part of the response to avian flu.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But -- exactly. But that also is a reason why the prices went up. It's not that Trump did anything about that. And, I mean, it was the bird flu. They had to cull the chickens. That's why the prices raised up. It wasn't Trump's fault. It wasn't because Biden had some crazy policy against eggs.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss this and more with pollster and communication strategist Frank Luntz.

Frank, thank you so much for being with us.

I hope you appreciate that I was trying to do my best Frank Luntz imitation there. I heard from folks who were enthralled with Trump's speech, but they didn't love that egg line. So I wonder who you think that line resonates with. Why was that in the speech?

FRANK LUNTZ, FOUNDER, LUNTZ GLOBAL: It was in the speech because it was what I call it killer line. It's something that differentiates Trump from other presidential speeches, from other key moments in politics and in governing.

I just want to emphasize that was the longest speech ever. It's not quite a State of the Union, but it's similar to it. And no one's ever gone longer than him. That was the most political speech ever. He referred to his predecessor by name more than any other individual who's held one of these speeches.

Third, it was the most partisan ever. Whether you had Democrats sitting on their hands or Republicans (AUDIO GAP) knew exactly who was who based on the view on television and based on being in the chamber.

And, forth, it was the most disruptions by the minority party ever, whether holding up those placards, whether you're yelling at him, as the congressman did, and being unwilling to keep quiet when he was called on it. If you're a Republican, that was arguably, and I have been doing now for decades -- if you're a Republican, that was manna from heaven. That was exactly what you wanted to hear, and you're shocked that he

was saying it so bluntly. If you're a Democrat, it was sheer hell, because it tells you that this is going to continue. And if you're an independent, you agree with the policies, but you don't agree with the tone.

SANCHEZ: I do wonder what you made of some of the more theatrical moments, the designation of that cancer survivor as a Secret Service agent, the other young man that Trump revealed to me had been accepted into the military academy, as well as that mom from Texas who had a wildlife refuge named after her daughter who was killed by undocumented migrants.

A lot more theater than actual substantive policy, it seemed. Does that make a difference with voters?

LUNTZ: Well, that theory -- that theater, which is a correct observation, has been going on since Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, when he cited the government worker who jumped into Potomac to save a life.

And presidents have been doing it ever since then. I actually thought that there was more details, that there was more focus on exactly what Donald Trump is going to do. And he made it clear what you have seen in the last six weeks is not just the beginning, that it is going to happen again and again and again, which is why I have said on your program and others that this is the most consequential president since FDR and the most likely to drive a difference in where we are now versus where we are in the past truly since Andrew Johnson -- sorry -- Andrew Jackson.

And why that's important is because not only is Trump moving forward. He's putting his foot on the gas and accelerating. And while that is awesome for the people who voted for him, the 50 percent who voted for him, but those who did not, I know how frightened they are.

I hear it. And it's a fear that's tinged with frustration because they hear nothing from the Democratic Party that gives them any pause. I want to emphasize those paddles holding up in silence about cutting Social Security, cutting Medicaid, calling Trump a liar, attacking Elon Musk, that is not governing.

That is performance art. I was angry at Republicans when they interrupted Joe Biden's speech over the last four years, and I'm angry at Democrats for doing exactly the same thing. Please show some decorum, show some civility on both sides. The Democrats will blame Trump. The Republicans will blame the Democrats.

[13:15:04]

Both of them, for the sake of the country, need to lower that decibel level, lower the heat, and work to get what they want done, because elections do have consequences, but do it in a way that makes us proud, not which makes us ridiculed across the globe.

SANCHEZ: Frank Luntz, we have to leave the conversation there. Always appreciate you sharing your perspective with us. LUNTZ: It's an honor.

SANCHEZ: Brianna.

KEILAR: We do have some breaking news into CNN, several stories that we're following.

We have just learned the Trump administration is planning to cut tens of thousands of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. That's according to an internal memo obtained by CNN. The memo says the department will revert to 2019 staffing levels.

We're also following two major court rulings, both dealing serious blows to President Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE efforts. A workers board has just ordered for almost 6,000 probationary workers fired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be reinstated at least temporarily. The order indicates the mass layoffs were unlawful and could eventually be reversed.

It also signals that the board could reverse similar mass firings at other federal agencies. That order came just hours after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen. The aid had already been approved by Congress, but was withheld, as Trump sought to clamp down on government spending.

Nonprofit groups who relied on the aid argued the funds advanced U.S. interests abroad and saved millions of lives around the globe.

Still to come: A car dealer in Pennsylvania says he's already feeling the impact of the Trump tariffs. He will join us later this hour.

Plus, President Trump says a top terrorist behind the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members has been captured. What we know about the operation.

And then later, as the measles outbreak in Texas grows, we're going to take a closer look at the unconventional treatments being touted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as some officials worry they could be seen as a substitute for vaccination.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:21:28]

SANCHEZ: A suspect in the 2021 bombing at Kabul Airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is now in U.S. custody and is expected to appear in court today; 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack at Abbey Gate.

Mohammad Sharifullah is charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support for terrorism. President Trump announced the arrest during his address to Congress last night.

CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis joins us now with more. Katie Bo, what more do we know about the suspect's involvement in the

attack?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so, Boris, Sharifullah, who actually went by a nom de guerre, Jafar, so I will call him that to keep things simple for us, he effectively acted as a scout for the Abbey Gate bombing.

He'd actually been in prison up until about two weeks prior to the attack. He was released and was approached by ISIS-K, which had already recruited him way back in 2016, so he was already a member of the group. And they approached him about basically conducting surveillance for the person who would ultimately become the bomber in this case.

And I will cite the indictment here. According to the indictment, he was tasked with scouting a route near the airport for the attacker. He conducted surveillance along that route, specifically checking for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints, communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that he did not think the attacker would be detected while proceeding through that route.

So, he's ultimately instructed by ISIS-K to leave the area around the airport. He does so. The attack obviously takes place and he later recognizes the bomber as another ISIS-K operative with whom he was imprisoned until just two weeks prior.

SANCHEZ: Now nearly four years after the attack, how was he apprehended?

LILLIS: So, the Trump administration has obviously made going after the Abbey Gate bombers a big priority. The Abbey Gate bombing has been really a symbol for the Trump administration to demonstrate what they see as incompetence by the Biden administration in this ultimately very messy and deadly withdrawal from the -- from Afghanistan in 2021.

So, on just his second day in office, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, telling FOX News this morning that he talked to his counterpart in Pakistani intelligence and shared intelligence that the CIA had that Jafar was present in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

And he effectively told Pakistani intelligence, according to Ratcliffe, that, look, if you want to have a constructive relationship with President Trump and with this administration, you're going to act on this intelligence and find a way to apprehend this guy. You're going to make this a priority.

The Pakistanis ultimately were able to do that and he was extradited to the United States and appeared at Dulles Airport last night, where he was met by Ratcliffe, other senior Trump administration officials, including the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, the attorney general, Pam Bondi, and is expected to appear in court today.

SANCHEZ: And we will be watching those proceedings. Katie Bo Lillis, thank you so much -- Brianna.

KEILAR: And joining us now for more on this, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. He also served as assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs under President George W. Bush.

Sir, your reaction to the apprehension of Mohammad Sharifullah for his role in the 2021 Kabul attack that killed 13 service members?

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT (RET.), FORMER U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PLANS AND STRATEGY: Hi, Brianna.

Well, I think the most important thing is that we now have somebody directly linked to the Abbey Gate bombing in custody and available for interrogation. It's important to note that this is just a foot soldier, somebody who was out doing reconnaissance.

[13:25:14]

It is now incumbent upon our intelligence community to try to get further information on who actually provided the equipment, masterminded it, planned it. So there's still a way to go. I agree with Katie Bo that this is a success for the Trump administration, primarily because it would appear that the Pakistani intelligence services, who are so critical to our ISIS fight and our al Qaeda fight, are now willing to cooperate with the Trump administration.

They had been reluctant to do so with the last administration.

KEILAR: And speaking of that, you had Pakistan acting on this American intelligence. We heard Trump thanking Pakistan in his remarks last night.

How do you see Pakistan's role, especially, as you noted, in this case, there is a need to dig deeper when it comes specifically to the Abbey bombing and also to other issues in the region? How do you see Pakistan helping the U.S. when it comes to counterterrorism in the region right now?

KIMMITT: Well, first of all, on the specific issue of Abbey Gate, I think there are two types of intelligence, number one, intelligence the Pakistanis develop and act upon or share with us, and the other intelligence, which we provide to them and say act on this, these people are in your country, hand them over to us, as they did the other night.

So I think the real measure of the intelligence relationship will be what happens from this point forward. Pakistanis, of course, have a significant background with al Qaeda, with ISIS. In many ways, there's some concerns Pakistan's been too involved with them.

Nonetheless, this is their opportunity to work with the new administration to go after the people that killed our soldiers, our sailors, and bring them to justice.

KEILAR: This morning, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, said that the U.S. has paused intelligence support and weapons shipments to Ukraine.

How significant is this? What does this mean when it comes to Ukraine, already struggling against Russia in its war efforts?

KIMMITT: Well, first of all, I don't think they're going to lose 100 percent of the intelligence support from the United States, quite simply because much of that intelligence is provided to our NATO allies, our Five Eyes organization, and inevitably they will provide some of that to the Ukrainians.

At best, that could be 75 percent. There still will be critical intelligence. That will be missed simply because the U.S. has better capabilities. I'm actually more concerned about whether they cut off the Starlink communications channel to the Ukrainians.

That would have a devastating blow, in many ways far worse than the intelligence.

KEILAR: We will be looking for that, then.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, thank you so much for being with us.

KIMMITT: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Next: President Trump's tariffs already driving some prices higher. We will be speaking with a car dealer in Pennsylvania who says he's already lost business.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)