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White House Invokes Rule Forcing Plaintiffs Challenge Government To Pay Upfront; Americans Weigh In On Trump's Sweeping Changes; Interview with Rep. John Mannion (D-NY); Texts By Surviving Roommates Shed Light On Timeline Of Killings; Trump Pauses Tariffs On Most Canadian & Mexican Goods. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired March 07, 2025 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Katelyn Polantz joins us right now with much more on this.

I mean, how does this rule work?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, it's a rule that is part of how you're supposed to do things in court when you file a lawsuit and it's around whenever someone files an emergency action. So ask for a restraining order or an injunction, which is what a lot of these 100 or so suits are asking for from people trying to block Trump administration policies.

And this rule fine print type of thing that most people are not even paying attention to. I've never seen this used in court before. And when I was asking legal experts, have you ever seen this? They were laughing. Wow, who found this?

But it is something that is on the books that the Trump administration can try and invoke. Basically, it says that a court can require a plaintiff. So the people that are bringing the lawsuit and asking the court for emergency relief to post a bond at the start of that lawsuit that a judge would set so that number could be zero dollars, or it could be $1 million, depending on the judge.

And so that is what the White House now is encouraging agencies to go out there and ask for when they are fighting these suits in court. The way the White House characterizes it, they say that they want to push back against suits that may be frivolous, where the injunctions may not be successful because they believe that the people who are bringing these lawsuits are partisan and exploiting the courts.

But there have been several successful situations where judges have stepped in and told the administration, we are going to give this injunction to the people that brought the lawsuit. We are going to stop potentially unlawful action here.

So this is just an incredible move where someone really dug into the rules and is saying, oh, let's try this with judges in court. Well see if judges are going to do it, though, requiring plaintiffs to put up money at the front of these emergency cases -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: I mean, add this to the long list of like, stand by and let's see how this thing plays out. I mean, that's unchartered territory. Once again, it seems.

Katelyn, thank you so much.

John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. I have a special guest here. Why? We'll tell you in just a moment.

This morning, I want to give credit where credit is due. "Axios" this morning, Mike Allen and his morning newsletter called it the rug pull presidency. President Trump, he says, is building a reputation as the flip-flopper in chief. The president, who, after announcing a bold new policy today, might well reverse it tomorrow. Why it matters, he asks. In a chaotic world, the federal government normally acts as a stabilizing force. Under Trump, it's driving chaos.

Now, even before this was published just a few minutes ago, CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten here was preparing something along those lines to explain what's happening out there, Harry.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah, I might be quick, John, but I'm not that quick that if something dropped a few minutes ago that I would be able to get it together so quickly.

Look, Google searches for Trump and chaos. Look at this number, up 320 percent, this terms average week versus the first term. This 46-day stretch that the Trump presidency has gone on has the most number of searches for Trump and chaos on record.

The American people are seeing this. They think that Donald Trump is like butters in South Park. He is professor chaos. That is what is going on.

The American people at this particular point are going, what is happening here? They are seeing Trump and they are associating him with the word chaos.

BERMAN: And the markets, if there's one thing that stock markets, investors don't like, what is that?

ENTEN: Yeah, they do not like uncertainty. They don't like chaos. How about trade policy, uncertainty index, this dates back all the way since 1960. We are dealing with a record high. Well, get this, up 651 percent versus a year ago. One day, Trump seems to be for tariffs. The next day, he doesn't. One day he seems like he's backing off tariffs. Then he's threatening to do it a month from now.

What we're seeing is chaos play out in this trade, uncertainty that is playing out in the stock market as well. Traders, investors, Americans are channeling their inner Vince Lombardi saying, what the hell is going on out there? BERMAN: That's right. I mean, they may or may not like the tariff

policy. What they like less, though, no matter what, is the wild reversal.

ENTEN: They just need to know what's going on so that they can plan.

BERMAN: All right. Now we know that that Wall Street not happy with it. But what about Main Street?

ENTEN: Yeah. What about Main Street? Do they think that all this chaos is good? Is Trump making changes too quickly, i.e. rushing changes without considering their impact?

You got it here folks, 56 percent. The majority say that Trump is making changes too quickly. They don't like what's going on. They don't like what the rock is cooking compared to just 43 percent who say no.

This Trump presidency, we were talking about this going back since January 20th, right?

[07:35:03]

We said, hey, maybe this Trump presidency with Susan Wiles will be more on the tracks. It seems to have gotten off the tracks as far as the American people are concerned. And they simply put, do not like it.

BERMAN: And thank you, Harry, for the first time that butters and Vince Lombardi have ever been used in the same segment.

ENTEN: And -- and the rock.

BERMAN: And the rock.

Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: I want what he's drinking. All right. Thank you.

The Department of Education is facing an uncertain future this morning. President Trump promising to dismantle the entire agency in an executive order. And we just heard from the secretary of the Department of Education, Linda McMahon, who said this on Fox just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AINSLEY EARHARDT, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: I'm sure they're fearful they're going to lose their jobs.

LINDA MCMAHON, EDUCATION SECRETARY: Well, I think anytime there's talk about shutting a department down, you know, the employees that are there are concerned about their jobs, but they're good off ramps for them. And in a country where we right now have over 8 million openings in jobs, I think there would be a lot of places for them to go. We'd like to help them get there.

EARHARDT: I want to talk to you about what this means for our teachers. I'm a daughter of a teacher for 33 years. My sister is a teacher in Charleston, South Carolina, and I want to talk about what --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Okay. Joining us now is Democratic Congressman John Mannion of New York. He sits on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and is a former high school teacher.

Bless you. I think you were there for 28 years. That is a -- quite a feat, sir.

First of all, do you accept that even without congressional approval, Trump can essentially dissolve the Department of Education the same way he did with USAID?

REP. JOHN MANNION (D-NY): Thank you so much for having me on.

First of all, what I'd like to say is, you know, teaching is the most gratifying profession you can be a part of, and it's one of the most challenging. And I was there for 28 years. I'm also a parent.

It's clear that departments like the Department of Education must be created by Congress. And then if we are going to make changes within them, it's going to require legislative action.

We've seen and one of your previous spots talked about what happens in the courts. And this would clearly go into the courts. Dismantling the Department of Education is going to cause chaos. It's going to cause chaos for kids -- real chaos in red states and blue states, urban and rural communities.

We love our public schools where I'm from in central New York, in the Mohawk Valley. They're the core of our communities. We trust our teachers.

And I believe this action is shortsighted and illegal.

SIDNER: What will crushing the Department of Education mean to parents, to children, and to teachers in -- in your state and states across the country?

MANNION: So the Department of Education, legislation came out of that, like the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. And there are protections there so that all students receive a free, appropriate public education and individualized setting.

I didn't just teach AP, biology and chemistry. I also taught a 15 to 1 living environment class.

It's the legislation that protects the funding that comes out of the Department of Education to make sure that these kids get the speech services they need, the individual services that they need.

And when you strip away a Department of Education, that is intentional and protecting these kids and their rights and the parents that sat in those CSA meetings that fought for the rights so that their kids could achieve their American Dream and seek their passion. That's why we have the department.

I stand unapologetically with our public schools and oppose this action.

SIDNER: All right. I want to talk to you about something else in politics. There is this schism that seems to be happening, and it's been going on for quite some time between progressives and moderates, and they're sort of trying to find -- some of the moderates trying to find any common ground they can with Republicans.

But Democrats lost ground to Republicans in the 2024 election.

And now "Punchbowl News" is reporting that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other party leaders brought in some of the Democrats, including Jasmine Crockett, who have been the most feisty and vocal against Trump. And they were dressed down for that.

What do you think of that?

MANNION: Well, listen, I am not aware of that. I know this -- I know where I'm from. I've lived in central New York, in Syracuse my entire life. So I understand my community.

And we are a down the middle district, so I have to work with Republicans and Democrats, and I've been successful in doing so. And I think the people of my region have responded to that.

So you have to be a good reflection of your district. I believe that I'm a good reflection of my district.

When I was a state senator just a short time ago, 29 of my 33 municipalities that I represented were run by Republicans.

So we all need to work together. We do -- but we also need to stand up for what's right.

[07:40:01]

In central New York, we know right from wrong. And some of these actions are not just wrong, they're unconstitutional.

It's our job to stand up and call that out regardless of party.

SIDNER: The midterms are less than a couple of years away. You were able to beat a Republican incumbent in your district.

What lessons should Democrats learn about how you did that?

MANNION: Well, listen, I believe that over the course of my lifetime, I have deep connections and have earned the trust of individuals. Parents trust teachers.

SIDNER: I was a teacher for 28 years. I was a teacher in an urban setting, but also for about the last 20, I was in a suburban conservative -- a conservative leaning area of the region.

So I served in a very apolitical way. I represented teachers while I was still teaching.

But you got to know your communities. And in central New York, we had some difficult times with the manufacturing job losses of the '70s, '80s and '90s. I watched our elected officials be strong advocates, be positive, be diplomatic, and work with everyone.

That's what works with my district. And I know that other elected officials and candidates, they know their districts. They've got to work for their district and work to represent everybody.

I believe my success was because of my deep roots there and my ability to work with everyone and call out my own side when necessary.

SIDNER: Congressman John Mannion, thank you so much. Appreciate you coming on this morning.

And thank you for all your many years of teaching in the public school district. I know that is not easy, but it can be quite rewarding.

MANNION: Thank you so much.

SIDNER: All right. This morning, health officials in New Mexico are investigating if measles caused the death of an unvaccinated person who tested positive for the disease. According to the New Mexico Health Department, the individual had not sought medical attention.

Since the outbreak began, New Mexico has confirmed ten measles cases, all in Lea County. Six cases in adults, four in children. The county shares a border with west Texas, which remains the epicenter of the major outbreak where the virus has infected at least 159 people and killed a child.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, something happened in our house. Newly released text messages and 911 calls now shedding new light on the horrifying night when four Idaho college students were killed in their home.

And giant fireballs streaking through the sky, lots of videos coming out after the SpaceX Starship explodes for a second time this year, already.

And a new CNN original series following the creation of one of the world's most popular social media platforms, the Twitters. "TWITTER: BREAKING THE BIRD" premieres this Sunday at 10:00 p.m. only on CNN.

Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEL HARVEY, VP OF TRUST & SAFETY, TWITTER, 2008-2021: When people are building products, when people are building features, there's this analogy that I use, which is an engineer comes to you and they're like, I've made the perfect kitten. It doesn't need food, doesn't need water. It will never grow old. It will never die. It is the perfect kitten.

When you look at the kitten, you're like, why can this kitten shoot bullets? And they're like, well, that's not -- that's not what you're supposed to use the kitten for. I told you all the things the kitten was intended to be used for, and I'm like, yes. And someone, whether accidentally or on purpose, is going to shoot a bullet with this kitten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:48:37]

BOLDUAN: New this morning, here are the quotes: No one is answering. I'm freaking out. Those are the words coming from newly released text messages and also 911 calls in the case against Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four Idaho college students.

These new details are coming from the two surviving roommates from that horrific night. Prosecutors are now asking the court to allow these messages to be used as evidence in court. Kohberger is set to go to trial in August. This week, another twist his attorneys have asked for new DNA evidence to be thrown out.

CNN's Jean Casarez is here with much more on this.

And this is all very important because this is what's going to be able to be seen in trial or not.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, this is going to be front and center. And, you know, since November of 2022, we've known there were two surviving roommates, but we really didn't know what they said, what they knew, what they did. And now we've got a glimpse of that.

Timeline is so important here. And everybody, let's start with 4:00 a.m. to 4:25 a.m. That's when law enforcement believes the murders occurred, 4:00 a.m. to 4:25 a.m.

All right. First timeline, at 4:04. There was a white Elantra that was driving in front of the house. It actually started about 3:30 in the morning going back and forth, but it was very apparent at 4:04.

At 4:12, there was a Door Dash delivery.

[07:50:02]

Xana Kernodle had ordered some food. She answered the door. She got her food. She went into her bedroom. It's believed she was very much awake eating her food.

At 4:17, there was a security camera about 50 feet away from the house that they all lived in, and that security camera had audio, so it picked up, first of all, a whimpering, a thud, and then a dog barking. And Kaylee had a dog.

Then at 4:22 to 4:20 -- 4:22 to 4:24, there were texts back and forth with the surviving roommates that were alive. They were in their separate bedrooms on the first floor. No one is really answering. I'm really confused. Xana was wearing black. I'm freaking out. It's like a ski mask almost. I'm not kidding.

Now, we did know before that one of the roommates said she opened her bedroom door, saw a man all in black with a mask covering his nose, bushy eyebrows, 510. Not muscular, but a little athletic. That's probably what they're referring to right there.

And then finally, at 10:45 a.m., they text Kaylee and Maddie Mogen, where are you? Call us back.

And finally, seven hours later, at 11:58, almost noon, they call 911. And they say that they have an unconscious person. It's Xana Kernodle. And that's when law enforcement got there.

So it's -- you got to think about this because they were petrified. Finally, 911 was called. They were there the whole time they survived. They'll be on the stand. We'll hear the recordings. This will be so important to the trial.

BOLDUAN: What they heard, what they recall, these messages that kind of track that timeline and that track, this timeline. This is just all. I mean, but -- but first, you have to have the judge say it's in. And so this is why this is so important that every step of the way is so critical leading up to this trial.

Let us see. It's great to see, Jean. Thank you so much, John.

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, he went from the Olympic slopes to one of the FBI's ten most wanted. Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is accused of running a multinational cocaine ring and arranging multiple murders. There is a $10 million reward out for him. When he competed in the 2002 Olympic Games.

This morning, two active duty U.S. soldiers and a former soldier are accused of selling military secrets to buyers in China. The indictment alleges one of them sold nearly two dozen classified hard drives, labeled either secret or top secret, along with military documents. The Justice Department says the two active duty soldiers served at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State.

This morning, a new NTSB report reveals that the black box on the jet that crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, the black box was not recording. Officials now say it likely had not been working for years. The NTSB estimates it will take between 1 to 2 years for them to determine the likely cause of the crash that killed seven people. This morning, the FAA is telling SpaceX it must investigate why its

spacecraft exploded during a test flight last night. It lost contact with ground control at minutes after lifting off. People saw debris falling from the skies. The FAA had to issue a ground stop at airports in Florida for a time.

Now, this is the second straight time this happened. Another starship spacecraft exploded in January during a test.

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: A brand new song released by Dolly Parton today, and it is a great one. Dedicated to her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, who passed away this week. The song is called "If You Hadn't Been There".

Dolly Parton says, quote, Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23. And like all great love stories, they never end. They live in memory and in song. And I dedicate this to him.

Only Dolly Parton could come out with such a great song so quickly.

SIDNER: I love her so much. And I wish her well. This is going to be hard for her.

Thank you, John.

All right. As President Trump walks back tariffs on most products from Mexico and Canada, again, Canada says retaliatory tariffs will stay in place until that pause is permanent.

CNN's John King went to visit our northern neighbors as part of his all over the map series to hear what the Canadians think about the president and his tariffs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is American steel in Western Canada for custom finishes. One belt is to burn a few notches and drill a few holes, another to weld some angled braces.

[07:55:04]

Soon, back a rail car and back across the border for an office project in Alaska. It is a partnership that supports 100 jobs here A.I. Industries in Surrey, British Columbia.

This is just one piece of nearly $800 billion a year in trade between the United States and Canada. Now, though, a partnership in peril because of President Trump's insistence on new tariffs.

KARIM WAIJI, CANADIAN RESIDENT: He wants to show that U.S. is strong and because I'm bigger than you are, I can bully you around and this is how I'm going to do it.

KING: Trump paused the tariffs Thursday, just two days after imposing them. Another about face. Yes, Waiji prefers no tariffs but he says weeks of threats and contradictions from Trump make it impossible to plan and are already hurting both economies.

WAIJI: Even with the threat of tariffs, prices have gone through the roof and they've gone higher. So, we're seeing right now when we're bidding a job today versus we're bidding it three months ago, our cost has gone up almost 15 percent.

KING: British Columbia is a living postcard. Scenic mountains and gorgeous waters. The importance of trade is everywhere you look. Canadian lumber waiting at rivers edge. Rail cars to carry Canadian crude oil, crops and more. The bustling Pacific rim Port of Vancouver.

PETER XOTTA, CEO, VANCOUVER FRASER PORT AUTHORITY: You watch it for eight hours. You'll see on average, we've got ten ships arriving and ten ships leaving. We did about 160 million tons of cargo last year, 75 percent of that is those bulk commodities -- grain, coal, potash, sulfur and other agricultural products, outbound.

KING: Peter Xotta is the port's CEO. He says shippers who normally plan six or nine months out are now taking things a few weeks at a time because Trump is so unpredictable. And he says Trump's threats and his tone leave Canada no choice but to find new markets, new partners.

XOTTA: It's been a wake-up call, right? It's been a wake-up call for Canadians that we need to figure out a way to not be as dependent.

KING: This rift goes beyond what Canadians see as Trump's bad math. They are furious at his bad manners, his constant insults, calling Canada the 51st state and its Prime Minister, governor.

DARRYL LAMB, CANADIAN RESIDENT: We've been in this together for a long time. We fought wars together. We went to Afghanistan. We did all this stuff together. Why? What are you doing here?

KING: Daryl Lamb is the brand manager at Legacy Liquors. Yes, This too, is a front in the new trade war.

LAMB: There's a Yellow Rose right there from Texas -- right there.

KING: So, is it popular?

LAMB: It is and if this goes into effect --

KING: You can't sell this.

LAMB: It'll be off the shelf. It's gone.

KING: Tito's Vodka too, also from Texas.

Diagram of a trade war.

The Premier of British Columbia says if Trump imposes tariffs, he will ban sales of alcohol from States that Trump won that also have a Republican governor. LAMB: We've gone through this before with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We were asked to remove all Russian products from our shelves.

KING: Lamb says some customers rushed to stockpile American favorites, but others want all American products off the shelves.

KING: So mad at Trump for what he's saying about Canada that they're saying, get it out of here.

LAMB: Hundred percent, absolutely. I'm just worried about this eternal relationship that we've had for 200-plus years being soured for four.

KING: Vikram Vinayak is a short haul truck driver. Carrying berries destined for the United States on this run.

What are other loads that are pretty typical?

VIKRAM VINAYAK, CANADIAN RESIDENT: Nursery, trees, auto parts, and produce. Sometimes we pick frozen fish.

KING: How much of your work or products that you know are going to end up in the United States?

VINAYAK: More than 80 to 90 percent of our loads are going to U.S.

KING: As many as five runs a day, 40 to 50 hours a week. But tariffs will cut shipments to the United States and cut Vinayak's hours.

You have a wife and two daughters?

VINAYAK: Yes.

KING: And so what does that mean about planning? Thinking maybe we won't make a vacation or maybe we won't buy something, what is it?

VINAYAK: No, no, just planning is nothing. The main thing is how to get out of this situation by finding another job.

KING: Does that make you mad? You might have to find another job. Do you like this job?

VINAYAK: Yes, I love this job.

KING: One of many jobs now at risk because of a U.S.-Canada relationship, Trump just shifted into reverse.

John King, CNN, Surrey, British Columbia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Minutes from now, a check in on the health of the U.S. economy. The monthly jobs report about to be released. The first monthly jobs report of President Trump's second administration. You see futures look ticking up right now. We're going to bring all of it to you.

And for the first time -- for the first time in the United States in more than a decade, South Carolina is preparing to execute a death row inmate by firing squad.

And brand new body cam video, just in to CNN shows the incredible moments a police officer rescues a 12-year-old boy who nearly drowned in a hotel pool.

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sara Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.