Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Keith Ellison is Interviewed about DOGE Cuts; Distributors Feel Impact of Tariffs; John Bolton is Interviewed about Ukraine. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired March 06, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

MATT MOWERS, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Cut the size of government.

And, look, there's been a, you know, unholy alliance between big government and big corporations for a long time. Sometimes corporations are trying to follow where the government's going. They're trying to read the trend. And so, that's part of the reason why you're probably going to see a little bit of an outcry, even from corporate America, because they're dependent on big government often. And that's the system that Donald Trump was elected to change.

I mean, you look at the polling that Harry had talked about, the American people are with him on this. As long as the president's out there explaining it, they're going to give him a long leash to do exactly what they elected him to do, which is to turn upside down the system.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: No, and Harry's numbers were telling, although they were before this report.

And just to be clear, this report says that many of these job cuts are, in fact, from the government, but a lot are due to fear of trade wars, which aren't government jobs, fear of bank bankruptcies, actual bankruptcies. That's not anything to do with the government jobs cuts. And also otherwise throughout retail, big job cuts there.

Bakari, I do want to ask you, because Matt brought up sort of the feeling about Elon Musk and what he's doing. The Republicans have told their members, according to "The New York Times" and others, to stop holding public town halls because of the feedback they're getting. This is from "The Times," "Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chairman of the House Republicans' campaign arm, issued a stark message to the GOP rank and file, stop having in-person town halls with your constituents. The directive, relayed to lawmakers during their private weekly meeting in the basement of the Capitol, comes as the Republican town halls have devolved into angry shouting matches across the country."

Your view?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, Representative Hudson is a coward. And I think that members who don't go out and meet with their constituents are displaying cowardice.

And the fact is, look, this is what happens when you advocate your duty and your responsibility. I think that Republicans who got elected to the House and Senate majorities are now sitting on their hands and doing absolutely nothing and allowing DOGE and the - Elon Musk and his band of 25 year olds run roughshod throughout the United States government. And it's just ironic to sit back and watch because if we wanted to have - Matt and I could actually go in a room and have a conversation about what precise cuts we should make to government so that it actually moves more efficiently. What they're doing now, Americans are not going to be pleased when the - when the farmers have to go to the USDA office and realize that the line is wrapped around the building because of asinine cuts. They're not going to like when they go to their federal Social Security building and realize that their checks are late. People are looking for their tax returns, but they're firing IRS agents. Americans are not going to like this. But, hell, Congress isn't doing the job, so who cares?

BERMAN: Matt, it is interesting because Elon Musk did meet with House and Senate Republicans yesterday. And our reporting is he was told by Republicans, hey, you know, we kind of need a say in this. Rand Paul told him, if you want these cuts to be permanent, we have to vote on this.

What are you hearing from elected Republicans, Matt, about how much involvement they want?

MOWERS: Well, the truth is, they'd love to have a lot of involvement. But the problem is, they hadn't acted for years, right? In their own base, the Republican Party's base, has said they want to see a decrease in the size of government. I saw it, you know, when I was in the first Trump administration. We proposed our - a budget reduction for our own office. Congress ended up giving more money than they did the year before because they're so reactive to those political pressures.

And I think what you're going to see, though, and the reason why President Trump and Elon Musk and others are doing this the way they are is because, if you do it piecemeal, if you go out and you have a study and come out with your findings and you try to recommend these things, you're going to see so much pushback from whether its public sector unions, whether it's the actual bureaucracy, what have you. The next thing you know, four years is up and you've made no progress. And then what was the point?

They know they have to act quickly in order to try to enact some of the changes that Americans clearly are desperate to see right now. And I think Congress is going to go along with it at the end of the day. And not only that, they will probably make a lot of those cuts permanent in a serious way that they haven't done before.

BERMAN: We'll see. And again, right now, this morning, there is serious pushback from the stock market. Stock futures very much down. Investors very concerned with what they are seeing in this economy.

Matt Mowers Bakari Sellers, thanks to both of you. Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, after all the bad stuff you see and here, we're giving you a break. Here's "The Good Stuff."

Students at several high schools in Pasadena, California, that just experienced devastating fires and school closures, just got a huge present. A reason to dance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE CARELL: Attention. Attention, all seniors. This is Steve Carell.

Alice's Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets.

(INAUDIBLE)

[08:35:02]

Have fun. Enjoy the prom. And remember, this is Steve Carell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Steve Carell did that without cracking a smile in his traditional way.

All right, tickets to prom typically cost around $100 to $150 apiece. But this year, it's free. Many of these families suffered through those Los Angeles wildfires. The charity Alice's Kids will donate $175,000 for more than 800 students to go to prom for free. Sounds fantabulous.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Fantabulous is right. So is Steve Carell. Fantabulous.

SIDNER: True.

BOLDUAN: The impact of tariffs on your groceries. Taking a look at that as items are already getting more expensive.

And Elon Musk suggests that Donald Trump should pardon the ex-police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd. The man who led the prosecution against Derek Chauvin, Minnesota's attorney general, is our guest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:45]

SIDNER: As the Trump administration, Elon Musk and the DOGE team look to overhaul the government through spending freezes and mass firings, four attorneys general are using their platforms to let voters voice how they feel about those moves. Democratic AGs from Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Arizona are holding a series of town halls. The inaugural event was last night in Phoenix. And fired federal workers shared stories of how their lives have been forever changed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was heartbroken to receive an email on Monday, February 24th. It said I was terminated immediately. That meant that not only could veterans no longer access the services I provided, but I could not follow my own code of ethics, providing termination services to the veterans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is joining me now. He was part of this town hall.

Thank you so much for being here this morning.

Let me first ask you, what do you and your fellow attorneys general plan to do when it comes to those people who are suffering from - from being fired? Many say they're being fired unjustly.

KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, we're gathering the information, which very well could form the basis of a lawsuit to defend their employment rights. So much of what the Trump administration has been doing is illegal. That's why, in the some seven lawsuits we have filed, we have been successful in all of them so far.

SIDNER: You know, a lot of the Republican base and Republicans in general talk about states rights. Do you think that Donald Trump is trying to crush states'

rights?

ELLISON: Donald Trump has no regards for states' rights. He has no regard for the rights of anyone who doesn't do exactly what he says. And that is exactly why we have to stand up at this moment. Our country is based on the rule of law. We have a country based on a constitution. And I will admit, as a person who has seen a lot of things, I'm shocked at the absolute blatant disregard this president has for the law.

And so, we're going to continue to stand up for the rights of our states. States have the right to make laws that fit the needs of the people of that state. And that's just what we're going to continue to do.

But I want to tell you, we don't wake up in the morning looking to sue Donald Trump. We sue Donald Trump when Donald Trump violates the law, which is quite frequently.

SIDNER: Because you are the Minnesota attorney general and were well versed and took part in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer who - now former officer who murdered George Floyd, I got to ask you about this. Elon Musk tweeted a post asking President Trump to pardon convicted murderer Derek Chauvin of the federal civil rights charges that he pleaded guilty to.

ELLISON: Right.

SIDNER: Musk has enormous power and influence with Donald Trump. What do you think of this?

ELLISON: I think that it is, sadly, another example of blatant disrespect for the law, blatant disrespect for George Floyd and his family and people who remember those very, very ugly days of March 20 - I mean May 2020. And I also think that, you know, it's - it - it doesn't - and it doesn't - it does matter. It matters a lot. But I want listeners to know that his state charges where he got 22 years, 22.5 years will remain no matter what Trump does. Those convictions are solid. But I hope that Donald Trump has enough humanity to recognize that releasing Derek Chauvin would cause untold injury to George Floyd's family and the many, many people who feel vulnerable because, you know, they share experiences, like the one George Floyd experienced.

SIDNER: The family said it - yes, I've spoken with the brothers of George Floyd, who said this would set them back and set the country back 400 years.

ELLISON: Yes.

SIDNER: So, ultimately, do you agree with that?

[08:45:02]

ELLISON: I do agree it would set us back as a society.

We took great steps forward. There's 18,000 police departments across the United States. After the murder of George Floyd, many of them had a reflective moment and did a lot of things to try to improve police/community relationships.

And, you know, police departments depend on trust. And Derek Chauvin destroyed that trust. And they've been trying to rebuild it. So, it's actually really hurting law enforcement, because what you're saying is, good conduct, bad conduct, it doesn't matter, you get to murder people if you want to. And so, for every chief and every police officer out there striving to make a better department with a better relationship with their community, it is a spit in the face to them.

SIDNER: Keith Ellison, I appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so much for being here.

ELLISON: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Also new this morning, President Trump's 25 percent tariffs on well most everything coming from Mexico and Canada already having a real world impact. Distributors are seeing higher prices for things like avocados, tomatoes and more. And fruits and vegetables from Mexico aren't the only items getting pricier.

CNN's Natasha Chen has been looking into this for us. She's joining us now.

Natasha, what are you learning?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this importer and distributor here in Los Angeles prepared for this moment knowing the tariffs were going to come. They actually ordered a bunch of avocados to arrive on Monday, before the tariffs took effect. So, these pallets of avocados that you see were at original price. But had they ordered them to arrive today, they would have paid 25 percent more out of pocket for this to cross the border.

Now, the limes, however, these ones did come in today, and they're already more expensive than the same box would have been on Monday, because on Monday it would have cost this company about $30 to bring in each box. And on that 25 percent tariff, now its $37, $38. And of course, that cost is passed along. Their customers are other distributors and supermarkets. And so, some of them are actually right across the street opening their doors right now, getting ready for their clients, customers potentially from restaurants around Los Angeles coming to them to find produce. So, you can see how this cost just trickles on to pass on to the next person and the next person, ultimately to the consumer.

Here's what the sales manager, Jaime Herrera, said about this moment of uncertainty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAIME HERRERA, PEREZ & LARIOS, AVOCADO IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR: It is hard to sleep at night because you're thinking, OK, how are we going to do this? I go, are we going to have enough customers? As it is, you know, like you mentioned earlier, you know, ICE (ph) is on the streets, people are not buying. Consumers are limiting themselves. And we're bringing in all these products not knowing whether we're going to be able to sell it or not. And we're - not only that, but, you know, the savings that we have on the side, we're now bringing it out because we have to pay those tariffs that we have to - it's decapitalizing a little bit.

And so, that's what's concerning is that we're going to get decapitalized really quick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And, of course, there are now retaliatory tariffs as well. Retaliatory actions after Canada started pulling U.S. made liquor from its shelves earlier. The CEO of Brown-Forman, which makes Jack Daniels whiskey, said that the move was disproportionate. Here's the quote, "that's worse than a tariff because it's literally taking your sales away."

Now, of course, depending on the product, depending on the actual bit of produce, there could be different winners and losers in this. If American growers are making the same thing as the Mexican growers in the same season, maybe they can stand to benefit short term. But all of this is very unpredictable, hard to do business for the people trying to make it work.

BOLDUAN: Trying to make it work, exactly right.

Natasha Chen, thank you so much.

John.

BERMAN: So, tomorrow, the Texas Department of State Health Services will issue an update on the total number of measles cases in the state. As of now, there are 159 cases in western Texas. One death has been confirmed.

A CNN investigation finds vaccine hesitant religious communities, along with laws that allow Texans to make a choice on vaccinating their children, that could be fueling the spread.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, new this morning, can the EU take America's place when it comes to helping Ukraine? What is happening at a summit in Brussels with Zelenskyy and European leaders wondering if Trump will abandon them all?

And what police had to do to save a life when this car burst into flames.

Those stories, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:53:43]

BERMAN: All right, happening now, European leaders are meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels. The EU summit comes after President Trump put the brakes, not only on military aid for Ukraine, but also key intelligence sharing. A White House release calls the president's Ukraine strategy "peace through strength," in something of a nod to former President Ronald Reagan.

With us now is former national security advisor in President Trump's first administration, John Bolton.

Ambassador Bolton, thank you so much for being with us.

Peace through strength. What do you think of using that phrase to describe President Trump's policy toward Ukraine?

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, I think Ronald Reagan would be turning over in his grave. This isn't peace through strength. This is going over to the other side, in the case of the war in Ukraine. Give Trump credit, he knows a good slogan when he hears it, but he's not pursuing it. He has made one concession after another to the Kremlin. Really, to the point, as I say, we've basically -

BERMAN: So, you don't see this as strength? BOLTON: No, I see this as weakness because in Trump's mind relations between states are dictated by the personal relations between their leaders.

[08:55:00]

He likes Vladimir Putin. He thinks he's his friend. He doesn't like Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And this is how he's reacting. He's already, through his public statements and statements by his top advisers, given away key positions that should have been the subject of bargaining, now putting really significant pressure on Ukraine by, quote/unquote, suspending the delivery of aid and the provision of intelligence that will give increasingly, over time, Russia significant advantage on the battlefield.

BERMAN: Yes, talk to me about intelligence sharing, because over the last 48 hours administration officials have seemed to confirm that there is a pause on sharing that intelligence. How important is that?

BOLTON: Well, it depends in part on exactly what it is they're withholding. If they're withholding everything, obviously, that's the - the most serious. And it's not - it's just not clear from public statements what they're doing. But - but the cumulative effect of not having this (INAUDIBLE) takes a real toll, both on defensive operations and in terms of any offensive operations that Ukraine wants to pursue.

But I think the biggest (INAUDIBLE) it's a matter of reality that he needs U.S. assistance. The Europeans are long on rhetoric, short on performance, typically. And the weapons and ammunition that we've been supplying have been critical to Ukraine's defensive position. So, it's maybe unfair. Life is unfair. But I think he's got to grit his teeth and do what's necessary to get this assistance turned back on.

Again, it - that's a short term solution. But what Trump is doing by this kind of approach is ripping up years, decades of goodwill that the United States has built up, not just in Europe, but around the world. He's capitalizing on what the record of past administrations have been for his own personal advantage.

BERMAN: If Zelenskyy did make an abject apology, going even further than he's gone so far, what do you think that would do? Do you think that would be enough to help Ukraine for the long term?

BOLTON: No, it will be enough for today. As I say, once you're in this kind of circumstance with Trump, there's very little upside to it. That's why really Vladimir Putin and the Russians have no incentive whatever to come to the negotiating table quickly. Trump is giving them, day by day, a stronger and stronger position.

And this is just Trump on his own. I mean, I don't know what his advisers are telling him. But if you set about systematically to weaken Ukraine, you couldn't come up with a better plan.

BERMAN: I want to ask you quickly about tariffs, the tariffs that the president threatened to impose, then pause, then did impose, then backed off. What message to the international community does this tariff policy have beyond just economics?

BOLTON: Well, I think it shows erratic, nearly irrational decision making on the president's part. You know, he said in the State of the Union he had talked to the three CEOs of the - of the big American automobile manufacturers. They were all on board with the tariffs. He went after Canada and Mexico. And yesterday, according to press reports, we saw a - people kneeling, begging for relief from tariffs. But it wasn't those mean Canadians, it was the CEOs of the American auto companies, which the tariffs are designed to protect. They're designed to give room for American manufacturers. And instead, it's Americans that are hurt.

Honestly, I think Republicans should be up in arms about this. I don't think the Republican base, or even many Democrats, voted for hidden tax increases, which is what these tariffs are. It's just unbelievable. And the effects on the economy, I think, are going to be felt in a lot of ways here and abroad, most importantly in the short term, because of the uncertainty that they're creating. Businesses are going to hold back from investments in key strategic decisions until they know what the lay of the land is. And since with Trump it changes daily, I think we're going to risk a real pause in economic growth.

BERMAN: Ambassador John Bolton, thanks for coming on this morning. Appreciate your time.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Also new this morning, a dramatic rescue captured on body camera in New Jersey. Here it is. A driver was trapped in his car after his car crashed into the back of a tanker truck carrying diesel fuel. Both vehicles burst into flames. You can see it. The smoke flying in the sky.

[09:00:00]

An officer on patrol in the area arrived and sprung into action.