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Trump Using Tariffs To Try To Push Manufacturing Back To U.S.; Air Force Removes Articles Honoring First Female Thunderbirds Pilot, Then Restores Some Content Hours After CNN Inquiry; 800 Plus Measles Cases Reported In Half of U.S. States. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 18, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

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[15:30:02]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: The U.S. is ramping up pressure on China, adding new port fees to Chinese ships that dock at American ports. The U.S. Trade Representative says the goal here is to revive shipbuilding in the U.S. China has pushed back, saying it will in turn raise global shipping costs and then drive-up inflation in the U.S.

Earlier today, President Trump told reporters talks with China are going nicely. My next guest doesn't really have to worry about the shipping containers or the tariffs. His company sells only goods that are made fully in the United States.

Mark Andal is the founder of Made in America Store. Mark, it's good to have you with us. I mean, this came out of losing a lot of, as I understand it, this came out of you losing a lot of your welding business to cheap competition from China, looking at what it required for you to make that change. How long did that process take for you?

MARK ANDOL, FOUNDER, MADE IN AMERICA STORE: Yeah, it took quite a while. You know, I opened the Made in America Store April 3rd, 2010. I had just lost a major account to China through my general welding and fabricating. And, you know, we started with just 50 products April 3rd, 2010. I'm proud to say we're up to 15,000 products, 100% made in our country. And we support 500 privately owned American businesses.

HILL: A lot of what we've heard from small business owners, and again, this is across a range of different industries, so I know they're all a little bit different. But a number of them have told CNN, look, we would love to do more of our manufacturing in the United States. We'd love to make more here. We'd love to source more of our materials here. But they're just not available. Or the cost is too high. Perhaps the factories don't exist for it.

Do you sense a real push, because the stated goal of the government is to bring more business back, more manufacturing, easy for me to say, back to the U.S., which many Americans would like to see as well. Do you think there's an understanding about how long potentially that could take and what may be needed in the meantime to shore that up? I mean, you have firsthand experience. ANDOL: Yes, I -- you know, I am a manufacturer. I still operate general welding and fabricating. We're always looking for work. So I do think it's possible. And a lot of my vendors like Channellock and S- ESTWING Hammers and WD-40, there's a lot of things made here already, so they prove they can do it. I think with automation, 3D printing and, you know, technology, there's nothing we can accomplish. We have to work on the worker shortage, the skilled trade shortage. I think we have the best workers in the world, and they can do a great job.

We lead with quality. You know, a lot of people don't go overseas for quality. America makes a great quality product. I absolutely think it's possible. I think what our president, administration is doing is helping us. Our vendors are happy, the 500. A lot of people don't realize even our flag. Annin Flag Carter Beard told me once that 50% of our flags are made overseas. So there's a lot that has to change. I do believe we need the help. We're out of balance at this point.

HILL: For a minute, I thought your shot froze. I'm sorry. Sorry, Mark. You mentioned the need for skilled trade workers, for those highly skilled trades. Where do you see that coming from? Does there need to be more of a push, right, maybe even in high schools, to push more towards trades out of high school and into those trade schools?

I will say, as a mother of a high school senior, I've read some great articles recently about the push into some more of those domains, because the return on investment is more immediate in many cases than a bachelor's degree and longer lasting.

ANDOL: Yeah. Absolutely. I believe in getting metal shops, wood shops back in schools. I think the stigma has to be lifted on welders, fabricators, machinists. You know, and I think, you know, Northland Workforce Training Center I use here in Buffalo, Alfred College, they've got some great programs. Like you said, the cost isn't that high. You can get a certificate or a degree with a job training program, and these kids can make good money.

You know, kids need a purpose, and I believe in skilled trades. It's a great way to make a living, and we need it. The demand is on right now, and that's what's happening. We're raising awareness for Made in America products. Again, 15,000, 100% products I have, and you can see that at madeinamericastore.com. I say that because a lot of people can use our website for a reference on what is Made in America and what's not Made in America, because we have nothing that plugs in or takes a battery, and I think that's important to mention out of 15,000 products.

You know, I always said we've been to the moon, but we can't build a toaster or a coffee pot, and I think with additive, you know, manufacturing, 3D printing, injection molding, you know, as long as we get the incentives going to the manufacturers right now, we can start moving forward with this project.

HILL: You talk about those incentives to manufacturers, but hearing you mention automation and A.I., as you know, that had a major impact on manufacturing in this country decades ago, right, as there was less need for workers because more things were becoming automated. How do you balance those two, both the need for the skilled workers that you're talking about, but also the reality of the role of technology here, being able to do more and do more with fewer workers in some cases?

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ANDOL: Yeah, I sell boss snowplows, and I've seen they use robots, robotic welding, but you still need somebody to watch the machine, take care of the machine. So there's a lot. I think if the volume gets increased, we can do a lot with both. We need the human because, you know, I build specialty products at General Welding, fabricating trailers, custom trailers, military trailers, things like that. So I think you've got to balance both. But everything I have in my shop has a computer on it, a CNC machine. So you need smart individuals to run the machine, highly trained individuals.

So there's a lot that needs to be set. We have quite a shortage of skilled workers, but we also have to increase the demand on made in America products so that our factories and our manufacturers get busy because I do believe that manufacturing is the heart of America. We get that strong again, I believe in rebuilding the middle class.

Again, my father's 88. He worked at Ford, Bethlehem Steel in the day and he did real well being middle class. You know, we had a swim pool, extra car. He fed a lot of families and I have a lot of livelihoods. And a lot of people don't realize, you know, increasing American manufacturing feeds a lot of families and that's what we want. A lot of people want to work with hands. We've got to get that focus back on there and I think it's happening right now.

HILL: To your point, just last question for you real quick. What do you see as the timeline, though, to this really being viable, to getting those jobs back and to bringing more manufacturing back to the U.S.? Are you talking in your view and based on your experience, is this a matter of months, a matter of years?

ANDOL: Yeah, I think it's a matter of years. Again, a lot of my vendors have been doing it for years. My favorite shirt is our Made in America shirt because China is a long drive to work. I came up with that 15 years ago after losing a big account to China directly. So we absolutely can get it done. There's great manufacturers in our country already busy. But I think the demand is going to be increasing daily now. So it'll take time, but we've got to all focus on it and do our part.

HILL: Mark Andol, I appreciate your time this afternoon. Thank you.

ANDOL: Thank you. Have a great weekend.

HILL: You too. Just ahead here, she became the first woman to fly with the elite U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds team. Her achievements, though, were partially erased from government websites amid President Trump's war on so-called DEI content. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Nicole Malachowski will join us live, next.

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HILL: Happening now, hours after a CNN inquiry, the U.S. Air Force has begun restoring online articles about retired Colonel Nicole Malachowski who was the first woman to fly with the elite Thunderbirds. Representatives from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Air Force Base in North Carolina where Malachowski served as commander of the 333rd Fighter Squadron confirming to CNN affiliate KUSA that the articles were removed in compliance with President Trump's directives targeting DEI content.

CNN received a statement from an Air Force spokesperson saying, quote, "The U.S. Air Force salutes Colonel Malachowski's service as a leader, warfighter, and pilot. Digital content related to her career is currently being restored across all Air Force platforms." Going on to say, "We continue to review all content under our purview to comply with Defense Department directives while honoring our history."

So this is the error message that was previously popping up during searches about Colonel Malachowski. And then we'll show you the restored article. The headline there reads, DEI underscore a life in flight for first woman Thunderbirds pilot.

Joining me now, that trailblazer herself, retired Colonel Nicole Malachowski. It's really great to have you with us. I'm curious, what was your initial reaction when you realized these articles about you had disappeared?

COL. NICOLE MALACHOWSKI (RET.), FIRST FEMALE U.S. AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS PILOT: Well, thank you, Erica, for having me. I certainly appreciate this opportunity. When I first discovered that these articles were disappearing, I think I had a mix of emotions. The first being a little bit of shock and confusion. The fact is, is that I have been retired for over seven years and many of the articles that were deleted about me were more than a decade old. Then I started hearing that this was happening to countless other minority and women veterans, you know, across our country. And it occurred to me that this is a bigger problem than just my individual story. And I think that was when I started to feel deeply concerned and maybe a little bit angry.

HILL: Maybe a little bit angry. So now the fact that these pages are now being restored following some of these inquiries, coincidence? We don't know. What do you think that we're in this moment now where they're being restored?

MALACHOWSKI: Well, I'll tell you what. This news is definitely a surprise to me. It's certainly a pleasant surprise. But what I want people to understand is that it's not just about my story being restored or any individual service member or veteran stories. We know that tens of thousands of articles, social media posts, photos, and videos have actually been deleted and removed. And those articles are all related to the honorable service of women and our minority service members and veterans. And so it's more than just my story. This is a great first start. I'd like to see them keep going. HILL: I was struck by something that you told 9 News. I just want to read this for our viewers, noting, "There was indeed a time when women and minorities could not fly aircraft in defense of their country. For us to act like those barriers never happened or those barriers were never broken is to completely ignore our history."

Why is it so important for you that that struggle and that period of time before it was normal, perhaps, to see a female fighter pilot? Why is that an important part of history?

MALACHOWSKI: It is so vital, I think, that we always celebrate and acknowledge historic firsts or when challenges and barriers are overcome. For the reason, I think, that I stated, right, we have to understand where we came from. There was indeed a time when Black Americans weren't allowed to serve their country, when women weren't allowed to fly, you know, military aircraft.

[15:45:17]

The second we forget about those struggles and challenges is the start, I think, of us regressing as a society. And I think that the other reason that we celebrate these firsts is that it is acknowledging that we are opening the door and keeping that door open for the second, the third, and the fourth.

HILL: There have been insinuations that people of color that women are, in some way, perhaps, not advancing based on merit, that this is, you know, quote, unquote, "DEI." The fact that your accomplishments were seemingly removed because you are a woman, does that make you feel like your accomplishments are viewed as being less than?

MALACHOWSKI: Well, I think, in some people's eyes, that is, in fact, the case, and that's certainly unfortunate. I think that our country as a nation needs to come to an agreement on what DEI actually means. You know, as someone who served over 21 years, remember, I'm a fighter pilot. I'm a combat veteran, a retired colonel. I'm somebody who cares deeply about my country, and I care deeply about the people I served with and the people that are serving now.

You know, this idea that DEI stifles meritocracy couldn't be further from the truth. We have to have the same, I think, definition of DEI. DEI is about casting that talent net wide, as wide as we can across America, so that our armed forces reflects the face of the nation, of course, that we're serving.

HILL: Do you have concerns about what else may have been removed in terms of content and whether that will be restored?

MALACHOWSKI: Oh, as an American, I have deep concerns about this whole issue. Remember, what we're talking about is mass censorship of the legitimate, credible, facts-based stories of veterans, people who served our country, many of them serving in wartime. My question, and what I hope the viewers, you know, think about is, if we as a country are so easily willing to censor the facts-based stories of those who wore our nation's uniform, what else are we willing to censor? I think this is setting an extraordinarily bad precedent for our country. HILL: Colonel Nicole Malachowski, really appreciate you taking the time to join us today, and thank you for your service.

MALACHOWSKI: Thank you, ma'am. Thanks for the opportunity.

HILL: Just ahead here, half of U.S. states are now reporting cases of measles, the latest numbers as we continue to follow this growing outbreak.

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HILL: Half of all U.S. states have now reported measles cases. So keep in mind, the U.S. has had more than 800 cases this year. That is nearly triple the number reported in all of 2024. It is only April. The majority of cases right now are concentrated in an outbreak that spans Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, possibly Kansas.

CNN Health reporter Jacqueline Howard is following all of this for us.

So the fact that we are at such a large number, just four months and change into the year, break this down for us. What more do we know about this expanding outbreak?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Well, Erica, we also know that among those more than 800 cases, sadly, 85 people have been hospitalized. Sadly, two children have died. We know that there's one more death currently under investigation.

And as you mentioned, Erica, most of the cases are concentrated in Texas where there is that ongoing outbreak right now. In the state of Texas alone, the state is reporting nearly 600 cases total. As you see on the screen here, 597 cases. Some of the cases in New Mexico have been tied to the outbreak in Texas. Some cases in Oklahoma have been tied to this ongoing outbreak. And as you mentioned, Erica, possibly some cases in Kansas as well.

But keep in mind, the United States eliminated measles in the year 2000. And now in 2025, this is where we are so far this year.

HILL: Which is really something. The Trump administration's efforts to cut public health funding, is that impacting at all the response to this outbreak?

HOWARD: We are hearing from some officials in Texas that they've had to cancel measles vaccine clinics due to funding cuts. And the funding cuts that they're referring to, just recently, Department of Health and Human Services pulled back billions of dollars in CDC funding that was allocated to local health departments during the COVID pandemic. But the health departments say they use some of that funding to respond to emergencies like the measles outbreak.

So Dallas County said that they canceled 50 vaccine clinics due to funding cuts. In New Mexico, staff that were ordering vaccines and checking vaccine records, they were laid off due to funding cuts. And responding to an outbreak like this, it does cost. Here's CDC Senior Scientist, Dr. David Sugarman, speaking about the cost of a measles outbreak like this and the public health response.

Have a listen.

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DR. DAVID SUGARMAN, CDC SENIOR SCIENTIST: Estimates are that each measles case can be $30,000 to $50,000 for public health response work. And that adds up quite quickly.

HOWARD: Erica, because that adds up quite quickly, that can include lab work, testing, even the healthcare costs of people getting sick. That's why some public health experts say it's more cost-effective to invest in prevention efforts than having to respond to emergencies on the back end.

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HILL: Yeah, at the rate of tens of thousands of dollars per case. Jacqueline, really appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

Any moment now, we are expecting to hear from Senator Chris Van Hollen following his visit to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported. We're going to bring that news conference to you as it happens.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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HILL: Just how far, or maybe I should say in this case, how fast would you go to make sure your friend gets to the altar on time? One man was actually flying 105 miles per hour, making his way down a Florida parkway. Why? Well, perhaps see the bride in the passenger seat there? He had to get her to her big day last week.

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Police in Port St. Lucie, Florida, sharing this video of the traffic stop and frankly, not one they likely encounter every day. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whose wedding is it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's mine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What time is it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's 2:30.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where at?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In store at the parking lot. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're already late.

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HILL: Whoops, already late. The good news is you can see here, the bride did ultimately make it to the altar to tie the knot. Her friend, though, ended up with a court date.

Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Erica Hill. The arena with Kasie Hunt starts right now.