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Trump to Convene Cabinet as Key Economic Report Set to be Released; 52 Percent of Americans Say Trump Deportation Policies Have Gone Too Far; Trump's Top D.C. Prosecutor Nominee Claims to Not Recall Numerous Past Controversial Statements Under Oath. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 30, 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]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: In just 90 minutes, we will get our first pulse check on the state of President Trump's economy with early months of his second stint in the Oval Office dominated by tariffs and rollercoaster stock market. Economists' projections are bleak with potentially the lowest growth since the pandemic.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New evidence that Americans are souring on the White House, crackdown on illegal immigration. Brand new CNN polling show trouble for one of the most prominent items on the president's agenda.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And devastating storms hit multiple states. One death has been confirmed and serious damage left behind. The deadly weather threat very much still a threat again today.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman and Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: Happening this morning, a critical gut check on the economy. A key report due out just a short time from now will give us the first major barometer of how Americans are absorbing the impact of President Trump's trade war. According to many economists, it will likely show the growth slowed in the first quarter of the year, potentially the worst quarter since the COVID pandemic.

We're standing by for the White House response to what the markets show us. The president said to convene his cabinet this morning after touting his record for his first 100 days in office during a Michigan rally last night. Trump on stage promising, or his critics might say, threatening, that, quote, you haven't seen anything yet.

Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick meantime is touting that the administration has completed its first foreign trade deal, but he hasn't yet revealed the terms or even which country that deal is with.

CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House for us this morning. What is the feeling there this morning ahead of this economic report that predictions are already saying it is going to be sour?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Sara, it's clear that this is clearly one of the biggest challenges facing this White House right now. Now, you wouldn't necessarily know it after listening to the president's speech in Macomb County, Michigan last night, where he really tried to take a victory lap around his first 100 days. But behind the scenes, this is an area of frustration.

And you can hear it even in some of the public comments you're hearing from his top economic advisers, people like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. I mean, they are under immense pressure right now to try and deliver good news on the economy to the American public. One, they're trying to point to a potential and potentially soon deal with India. We've heard the president and others say it could come as early as this week, maybe next week. But you've also heard them trying to start talking about a potential tax cuts bill, which would be months away at this point, but, again, really trying to offer any type of optimism they can.

Now, part of this as well and one of the real central parts of this frustration, of course, is the tariffs, and particularly when it comes to Beijing and China. China appears really dug in and willing to wait the president and this administration out on tariffs and see if they will blink first.

And even as we've heard the president say, he is talking to President Xi behind closed doors, we know that isn't the case. They are not having meaningful conversations on how to end this trade war with China. And that's really where a lot of this concern around the economy when you talk to economic experts, Republicans on Capitol Hill, that's really a central sticking point.

Now, the president was pressed on this in an interview with ABC last night. Listen to how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You don't know whether or not China's going to eat it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's mathematics.

TRUMP: China probably will eat those tariffs. But at 145, they basically can't do much business with the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So, he says China will probably eat those tariffs, essentially arguing there that such high levels, 145 percent duties on China, are going to force them to buckle at some point.

But all of this, again, I mean, really in that interview, you heard the president trying to assure Americans on the economy, even as he's saying, hang tight and deal with the short-term pain.

SIDNER: Yes. I want to talk to you also about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was the immigrant mistakenly deported to El Salvador. That is what the administration has settled. They took that back and then said, yes, he was mistakenly reported, so it's been back and forth. What did we hear from the president about him?

[07:05:00]

TREENE: Well, this moment during that ABC interview was a pretty remarkable exchange. You essentially had ABC's Terry Moran provoking the president into saying that, sure, he could actually be the one to call up El Salvador's president and to ask him to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. Listen to that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could get him back. There's a phone on his desk.

TRUMP: I could.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could pick it up. And with all the power of the presidency, you could call up the president of El Salvador and say, send him back right now.

TRUMP: And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the court has ordered you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So you essentially have the president there saying like, yes, sure, I could, but we don't think he is, you know, the gentleman that you say is essentially saying. They believe that he is a member of MS- 13, what the president designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

But the significance of this is actually a pretty big, Sara, because there are legal implications to this. The White House's position so far has been that only El Salvador's president could release an El Salvadoran national from an El Salvadoran jail. And that's the position they've been arguing in court.

We are going to see some of the president's attorneys back in court today on this exact case. Of course, remember it comes after the Supreme Court had said that the United States and the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. So, this case is definitely getting more interesting. Sara?

SIDNER: You best believe those comments will come up in court today.

Alayna Treene, thank you so much for all your great reporting this morning from the White House. John?

BERMAN: Yes, those words from the president, I could, could create a legal situation for him.

All right, new CNN polling this morning shows that Americans are turning on President Trump on this signature issue, cracking down on illegal immigration. Just over half say the president has gone too far and most do not believe the federal government is being careful in following the law while carrying out deportation. Still, it is an issue where his numbers remain stronger than his overall approval.

Let's get right to CNN's political director, my friend, David Chalian. Talk to us about these numbers, better than other issues, but still in a different place than he was a month ago.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Exactly. I mean, I still think this is a strong suit, but the manner in which he's going about some of the immigration and deportation policy enactment here is clearly raising questions for the American public. Because, as you noted, it's above his overall job approval rating, but he's gone from majority support on this issue. Majority approval just in March, John, now down to 45 percent, and for the first time we've seen in a while underwater on this issue which is a concern.

But look where the economy is down there, look where inflation tariffs, on issues, you can imagine why in Michigan last night when celebrating his first 100 days, he was leaning into immigration as the thing that sort of brought him to the dance and the thing that animates his base of support so very much.

BERMAN: Yes. The best option sort of, he has to talk about right now.

This case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, which Terry Moran was pressing the president on last night, where do Americans fall on that issue?

CHALIAN: This is a prime example of what I'm saying about sort of the how the Trump administration has been proceeding here is raising questions. 56 percent in our new poll say that the administration should bring Abrego Garcia back. Only 20 percent of Americans in our poll, John, say, should not bring them back, and about a quarter are unsure about what to do in this case.

I will note, that 56 percent, that includes 28 percent of Republicans, John. 28 percent of Republicans think that Abrego Garcia should be brought back. More Republicans, of course, say he should not be, but Democrats and independents overwhelmingly say he should be brought back. I just think this issue is not cutting quite the way that the administration had hoped it would be cutting.

BERMAN: Yes. No, that number kind of jumps out of the screen. It might not be what people, certainly the White House expected on this.

David Chalian, great to see you this morning. Thank you very much.

CHALIAN: Thanks, John?

BERMAN: Kate?

BOLDUAN: And there is new CNN reporting on Donald Trump's nominee for top D.C. prosecutor, what he's saying under oath about past comments that include defending January 6th rioters and praising an alleged Nazi sympathizer.

Oh, plus, can the Catholic church in Oklahoma run the nation's first religious charter school and can that school get taxpayer funding? A blockbuster case before the Supreme Court today. And also ahead, a fiery explosion caught on camera after several cars crash on a North Carolina highway.

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[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: New CNN reporting, defending January 6th rioters praising an alleged Nazi sympathizer and refusing to close the door to a third Trump term. Ed Martin is President Trump's nominee to be one of the nation's top most powerful prosecutors, and he faces a tough confirmation battle to become D.C.'s top prosecutor. He's now talking about some of his most controversial past statements, statements made on the record.

CNN's Annie Grayer has this new reporting and she's joining us now. Tell us more, Annie, what you're learning.

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, Martin said he did not remember a number of his most controversial past statements in his latest submission to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I'm just going to walk you through a few examples.

He was asked if he'd ever denigrated prosecutors who sought stiff sentences for January 6th rioters. He said he couldn't remember, and yet we found an example of him doing just that in 2023.

[07:15:01]

He said that he has never promoted or affiliated with any white nationalist group and yet we found him on a podcast in 2021 that is known for promoting white nationalists. And he was asked if he has ever compared a Democratic politician to Hitler. I want to play for you a clip from 2022.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED MARTIN, TRUMP D.C. PROSECUTOR PICK: There's only one character on the world stage right now who actually is utilizing some of the techniques, maybe many of them, that were used by people like Hitler and by Hitler himself, and that's Joe Biden. President Joe Biden is Hitler, and I am not joking when I say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: On his form to the Senate Judiciary Committee, however, Martin said he did not remember if he had ever equated a Democratic politician to Hitler.

So, this is just the latest submission from Martin, as we've been reporting. He failed to include nearly 200 of his past appearances on his initial paperwork to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is supposed to be a paper trail of your entire life. He's denounced his associations with a known Nazi sympathizer, but our recent reporting undercuts that just shows how many times the two appeared together and all of the positive things Martin had said about him. Senate Democrats are doing everything they can to delay this nomination, but it's really going to come down to Republicans and whether they are going to move forward with this nomination who President Trump wants.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Annie, thank you so much for bringing us your reporting on this. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, what a disturbing report. Thank you, Annie.

Still ahead, Target and Walmart resuming business with some of their Chinese suppliers, it's after orders. Were stuck in limbo for weeks.

Plus, what a play, an outfielder makes an incredible backhand catch. That and all your latest NBA playoff headlines, bam, next.

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BERMAN: Breaking overnight, the reigning NBA champion bust in Celtics advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs after dispatching a very talented up and coming Orlando Magic. The Celtics will now face the New York Knicks in the second round. Wait, what's that? I'm hearing the Knicks did not advance last night. My apologies.

Let's go to CNN's Andy Scholes. Oh no. Oh no. I can hear the cries down at Madison Square Garden.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: John, I am just absolutely shocked that you want to lead with a New York team losing. What a surprise.

We'll get to the Knicks in a moment, but going to start here with Tyrese Haliburton's dad rushing on the court to talk trash to Giannis after the Pacers won that series. Now, game five between the Bucks and Pacers, they went to overtime. Bucks had a seven point lead with 40 seconds left. But the Pacers, they came storming back. Haliburton, he has the ball in the closing seconds, he beats Giannis off the dribble for the game-winning layup. So, the Pacers win 119-118 to take the series in five.

Haliburton's dad then came on the court waving a towel at Giannis. The two exchanged words, and here's what Giannis had to say about that interaction afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS FORWARD: I'm happy for his son and I'm happy that he's happy for his son. That's how you're supposed to feel. But coming to me and disrespecting me and cursing at me, I think, is totally unacceptable, attack with him at the end. And I think we're in a good place.

TYRESE HALIBURTON, INDIANA PACERS GUARD: We had a conversation and, you know, I think he just needs to just allow me to just play basketball, stay over there. I'll come to him to celebrate. But I think it's the emotions of the game just got excited there. But I talked with him. I'll talk with Giannis eventually about it. Just, you know, I don't think that my pops was in the right at all there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And Haliburton's dad did apologize on X overnight for his actions.

Now, to the Knicks, who failed to close out the Pistons last night, Jalen Brunson once again tweaking an ankle here with four minutes left in the game. He had to go to the bench to regroup. And then the Pistons were able to hold on down the stretch to win this 106-103. Game six of that series is going to be tomorrow in Detroit now with the Knicks up 3-2.

In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Hurricanes winning a double overtime thriller to eliminate the Devils. This game went to double O.T. Dawson Mercer, here he's going to get the double minor high sticking that sent Jesperi Kotkaniemi back to the locker room holding a towel. But that put Carolina on the power play and they would win it to take the series in five games.

Golden Knights meanwhile and the Wild, they also would go to overtime. Brett Howden would send the home fans home happy as he scores. Vegas wins 3-2 to give them a 3-2 lead in that series.

And finally, the Red Sox, Jarren Duran, he hit this ball deep to center field against the Blue Jays and Daulton Varsho going back, falls down. Well, look at that, was able to stick his glove out for the incredible catch. Varsho said when he fell, he was like, oh, boy, it's going to land somewhere near me. But the last second, stuck his glove out, incredible catch. Alex Bregman says, one of the best catches he's ever seen, John, and I would have to agree because you don't see that very often.

BERMAN: You'll be shocked to know I was monitoring that live as it was happening. CNN assigns me to watch the Red Sox every night to make sure there's no news. I couldn't believe it, and none of the Red Sox could either. You see Jarren Duran was laughing after. He is like, are you kidding me? Did that really happen?

SCHOLES: Once you see a guy fall down in the outfield, nothing good usually happens. But credits to Daulton Varsho, who is a gold glove center fielder for making that play.

BERMAN: Yes, and he will be this year too clearly. Andy Scholes, great to see you, thank you very much.

SIDNER: Of course, it happened to your Red Sox on.

BERMAN: Sara, they won. I'm just saying.

SIDNER: I know, but that was a dang good play against them.

Just say still ahead, how is Trump's immigration crackdown going over with the American people? A new poll out this morning showing the details of what people think about how he is performing there.

And tornadoes and hurricane-force wind gusts.

[07:25:01]

We look at the damage on the ground following a line of deadly severe storms that are happening across the Midwest. Those stories and more coming up.

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