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Maryland Senator Meets With Mistakenly Deported Man in El Salvador; Police Say, Two Dead, Five Wounded in Shooting at Florida State University; Rubio Says, Time to Move on If Russia-Ukraine War Can't Be Ended. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 18, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news overnight, first pictures, the Maryland man caught in the middle of a now major legal fight is seen for the first time since being wrongfully deported to El Salvador. What the senator who sat down with him is saying now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: this morning, new details about the tragedy on Florida State's campus, remembering the victims this morning and what we're learning about the suspect.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: and breaking overnight. President Trump promised he would end Russia's war on Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Now, his secretary of state says, the U.S. might abandon efforts to find a peace deal within the next few days.

I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan and special guest star Sara Sidner.

BOLDUAN: (INAUDIBLE) to come to work today. This CNN News Central.

SIDNER: I know you didn't.

BOLDUAN: Breaking news overnight, a U.S. senator meeting with the Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen sharing this photo that you see right here behind me, which is the first look at Kilmar Abrego Garcia since he was sent to the notorious CECOT prison last month. Van Hollen is headed is getting back to Washington now, promising more details on his meeting with Abrego Garcia. We are standing by for those details.

The meeting took place in a hotel in El Salvador. After earlier in the day, Van Hollen posted video saying that he had been denied entry to the prison, blocked by soldiers there. El Salvador's President Bukele jumped quickly at the opportunity to mock Van Hollen's visit in meeting, posting this on social media saying that Kilmar Abrego Garcia miraculously risen from the death camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen.

But according to a person familiar with the situation, a Bukele aide actually placed two glasses on the table in the middle of their meeting in an attempt to stage the photo. Abrego Garcia's wife issued a statement on the meeting saying this, that me and my children -- me -- my children, and my prayers have been answered. The efforts of my family and community in fighting for justice are being heard because I now know that my husband is alive.

Let's get to Katelyn Polantz joining us now from Washington. Adding another element to this, Katelyn, is Van Hollen's visit, and all of this comes as an appeals court, obviously here in the U.S., just ripped into the Trump administration for refusing to really do anything to help return Abrego Garcia, as they have been ordered to do. Tell us more what you're learning.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a warning like we have not seen before from a court like this. This is the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and they are warning the executive branch, the presidency, the White House, about the possibility of the crumbling of American democracy. I am not speaking with hyperbole here. I will read you some of this opinion in a second.

But what the court technically did, Kate, is they said, we're not stepping in. There's a trial judge who is overseeing some fact finding, evidence gathering about Abrego Garcia and the U.S.'s attempts to facilitate his return to the United States from that prison. The judges in the Fourth Circuit, they say the government admitted their mistake, that they had sent him there by mistake, but they're doing nothing apparently to correct it, and instead they're attacking the courts.

This is what the opinion says. This is those stark words. If today the executive claimed the right to deport without due process and in disregard of court orders, what assurance will there be tomorrow that it will not deport American citizens and then disclaim responsibility to bring them home? And what assurance shall there be that the executive will not train its broad discretionary powers upon its political enemies. The executive may succeed for a time in weakening the courts, but over time history will script the tragic gap between what was and all that might have been. Yet we, the court, clinging to the hope that it is not naive to believe our good brethren in the executive branch perceive the rule of law as vital to the American ethos. This case presents their unique chance to vindicate that value and to summon the best that is within us while there is still time.

[07:05:01]

Those words, those are written by Jay Harvey Wilkinson. This is not just any judge. This is one of the longest-serving, most well- respected federal appeals court judges in the United States. He is 80 years old and has been on the bench for 40 years, almost half of his life. He is a Reagan appointee and well-known as a conservative. This should not be taken lightly, these words, even if the appeals court, technically, they're just not stepping in at this time. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Yes. Katelyn, thank you so much for laying it out for us. I really appreciate it. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. This morning, students at Florida State University are waking up to the aftermath of a terrifying moment and a tragedy. Classes are canceled today after a gunman opened fire on campus. Police say two men were killed. Neither of them were students there, five others were wounded. And right now, police were still searching for why, why the shooter did this.

The gunshot sent terrified students running for safety, others barricading themselves inside classrooms. Some witnesses say the gunman didn't seem to be targeting anybody. He just started shooting. Authorities say the suspect, a 20-year-old who's believed to be a current FSU student, has been hospitalized after he was shot by officers. And according to the Leon County sheriff, he is the son of one of the department's deputies. And police say the handgun that was found on him is his mother's old service weapon.

CNN's Nick Valencia is at the FSU campus in Tallahassee. What more are you learning there this morning?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Student Union here is behind me and there's so much shock and sadness here after what happened, and students will be allowed back on campus today to recover any belongings that they may have left behind when they fled this tragedy. Classes are canceled, but there is a vigil expected later this evening at about 5:00 for this community to come together.

The big question this morning, though, is why. And there's no new details that investigators so far have released, and that may be because they say when that alleged gunman was taken into custody, he invoked his Fifth Amendment, and has not been cooperating with police.

But there's a lot of questions as to what may have inspired this 20- year-old son of a Leon County sheriff's deputy to allegedly use her former service weapon, now her personal weapon, to carry out this mass shooting rampage. And it was a stunning revelation by the Leon County sheriff at a press conference when he revealed that sheriffs in the department were familiar with this alleged gunman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF WALTER MCNEIL, LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA: The alleged shooter was also a longstanding member of Leon County Sheriff's Office Citizen Advisory or Youth Advisory Council. So, he has been steep in the Leon County Sheriff's Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have. So, it's not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Police say the threat to the community is over, but the scene last night was still very much so active, as we saw biologics team on site scrubbing away the stains from the sidewalk. There was also a mass held yesterday to cover the community in prayer. Not lost on the community here is that this shooting happened during Holy Week and just a couple of weeks before the end of finals. Sara?

SIDNER: It is so disturbing to see this yet again on a campus there at FSU in particular this time. Nick Valencia, thank you so much for your reporting. John? BERMAN: All right, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatening to abandon peace efforts in Ukraine. Why he says the United States might need to, quote, move on.

This morning, investors and economists asking what life might be like after Fed Chair Jerome Powell if the president tries to force him out. We've got new reporting on possible replacement.

And a hearing set to take place this morning in the case against the man accused of murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO, why the death penalty is now on the table.

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[07:10:00]

BERMAN: All right. Breaking news this morning, a major new threat from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who says that if there are no signs of progress, the U.S. might abandon efforts to find an end to Russia's war on Ukraine. Russia, along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, met with both Ukrainian and European officials on Thursday, but now he says the U.S. might just move on.

Let's get right to CNN's Nic Robertson for the very latest on this. What exactly is the secretary saying, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. He is saying that there's a degree of frustration coming from the White House that President Trump has put 87 days into this already. He said everyone recognizes that you can't make a deal in the space of 12 hours. I think it's worth mentioning that President Trump had originally said it could be done in double that, 24 hours, but his talking about a level of frustration.

He did say and these are the first details we already had from the secretary of state following those meetings yesterday, that the input that came from the Germans, the French, and the British, around the table there was useful and constructive.

But he lays out a scenario whereby he wants answers and the U.S. wants to move along if they don't get the right answers about the possibility of peace. This is how he framed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: The president has spent 87 days at the highest level of his government repeatedly taking efforts to bring this war to an end.

[07:15:00]

We are now reaching a point where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not, which is why we're engaging both sides. 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, from our perspective. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So, the this here, what he laid out at those meetings, it appears a broad framework is how he described it as how the United States sees the possibility for ceasefire, talks going forward, Ukraine, of course, already signing up to unconditional ceasefire, Putin and Russia prevaricating, raising different points.

It's not clear here whether Rubio is referring that the right answers need to come from the Europeans or Ukrainians or the Russians or everyone. But there is an anticipation that there will be a meeting early next week, potentially here in London.

BERMAN: Yes. Look, as you point out, there is a history of Trump and Marco Rubio being tough on Ukraine, less than tough on Russia. Is there a sense on who he's trying to nudge along here, especially because the Ukrainians just basically announced the framework for a mineral deal with the United States?

ROBERTSON: Look, I think you have to read this as the pressures on the Ukrainians. We know from President Trump yesterday. He is still dissatisfied and not happy with President Zelenskyy. Marco Rubio this morning spoke about the Ukrainian delegation needing to go back and speak to President Zelenskyy. President Zelenskyy last night again appeared to reiterate what is said before about Steve Witkoff and Witkoff's meetings with Putin, that Witkoff is buying the Russian narrative here, and that potentially the illusion from what we heard from what President Zelenskyy said last night about this broad framework could include details about concessions on land.

And Zelenskyy has said that the unconditional ceasefire they signed up to does not have any specificity on that area at all. And that's not specificity that they're willing to get into. They've got red lines on it, so it perhaps appears here as if the Ukrainians are being pushed in order to get to the next stage as President Trump wants to say that they're going to be willing to give up territory. And that's been a red line so far.

BOLDUAN: Yes, Ukraine under the gun, literally and figuratively here. Nic Robertson, thank you for your reporting on this. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Still ahead, Trump lashing out at the fed chair saying if you want him out, he'll be out of there. But what does the law say.

Plus, young children are reportedly being left to face immigration courts alone. Advocates say they may be hardest hit by the Trump administration's crackdown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: So, President Trump has decided to kick it up a notch with his really one-sided feud with the chairman of the Federal Reserve, lashing out at Jerome Powell over Powell's warning on the impact of Trump's trade war on the economy. The president now suggesting that he has the power to remove the Fed chair whenever he wants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late, always too late, a little slow, and I'm not happy with him. I let him know it and, oh, if I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: He says, believe me, but really shouldn't actually believe him right there because he cannot fire the Fed chairman. The Federal Reserve is an independent entity. Caveat, it also has not been stress tested in the courts. We will get to more of that later. Still today, he can't fire him.

CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House. I feel like there's a lot of caveats I had to throw into that one. But, Betsy, given that the -- given everything I just laid out, a lot of people have begun asking is, why is Trump doing this and is it because he is looking for a scapegoat if when the economy turns south?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Yes, Kate, it's an excellent question. And, certainly, there is so much instability in the U.S. and global economy as a result of President Trump's tariff policy. Of course, this resulting and intensifying trade war with China. So, President Trump clearly looking to shift some blame to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who he says is not doing enough to lower interest rates.

Of course, all of this setting up a key test for the central bank's independence. The president says that Powell is, quote, playing politics and that the Fed really owes it to the American people to get interest rates down. Of course, all of this comes after Powell said that tariffs could raise inflation, potentially slow economic growth and could inflict lasting damage on the American economy.

But all of this, setting up so many legal questions of whether the president has the authority to fire a Federal Reserve chairman, and certainly would likely go all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Federal Reserve, as you mentioned, was created as an independent body. It is supposed to be immune from political pressure, and Powell, for his part, was elected to a four-year term that is set to expire in May of 2026.

But asked what he would do if President Trump were to ask for his resignation or fire him, Powell offered this emphatic response last year. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Some of the president-elect's advisers have suggested that you should resign. If he asked you to leave, would you go?

JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: No. REPORTER: Can you follow up on his -- do you think that, legally, you're not required to leave?

POWELL: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, Kate, there are already rumors of who President Trump could select to replace Powell potentially. The name of Kevin Warsh, who is a former Fed governor and also a longtime Trump ally, has been popping up repeatedly.

Of course, this is not new. The president has long complained about Powell, including during his first term, but, of course, not doing much to calm markets. The Dow down more than 500 points yesterday, Kate.

BOLDUAN: It's good to see you. Thank you so much, Betsy. John?

BERMAN: All right. This morning a man is now in custody, accused of kidnapping a ten-year-old girl he met at a popular online gaming platform.

And then we have breaking news in the mass shooting in Florida State University, new reporting on the victims in what we now know about the suspects.

[07:25:03]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: This morning, the campus of Florida State University is a crime scene after yesterday's mass shooting. Police say a gunman opened fire killing two people and injuring five others. And right now, that 20-year-old suspect is in custody, hospitalized with non- life threatening wounds after he was shot by police officers. Police say he was a current FSU student and the son of a Leon County sheriff's deputy.

[07:30:04]

The question, yet another grieving community is asking this morning, why?