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U.S. and Ukraine Sign Minerals Deal After Months of Tense Talks; White House Impatience for Trade Deals Grows as Economic Anxiety Builds; Sources Say, Trump Admin Weighs Sending Migrants to Libya and Rwanda. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired May 01, 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: The minerals deal. A decades-long partnership now cemented between the US and Ukraine. The tough message it sends Vladimir Putin and the potentially huge step it is towards actually ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The greatest manmade economic crisis in modern history. That's a quote and the first we've heard from former Vice President Kamala Harris since leaving office, slamming President Trump and his tariffs.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And NARCAN, a life-saving drug to prevent overdoses, could be harder to come by now. A leaked federal budget proposal shows the Trump administration could potentially cut two dozen substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

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

BOLDUAN: Breaking overnight, it's a done deal. After months of negotiations, blowups, breakdowns and resets, the U.S. and Ukraine have signed a long awaited agreement. It gives the United States access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals. In exchange, the U.S. will establish an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine. And in practical terms, it's a major signal of continued U.S. support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia, cementing a real partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine now, an investment that you can be sure the Trump administration will also now want to keep safe and secure.

Almost as soon as the ink was dry though on that deal, Ukraine says Russia launched a nighttime drone attack on Odesa. Officials there saying it killed at least two people and injured five others. The Trump administration is calling the Ukraine deal -- describing the Ukraine deal as a major win.

When it comes to the other deals that the White House has been working on, trade deals we're talking about, there is new reporting about how the pressure is mounting inside the White House to cut a trade deal, any trade deal, to show that the pain the president's, even now acknowledging himself is setting in from his chair of war, that pain is worth it. CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now from the White House to start us off this morning. First, let's talk about the big deal, this major deal struck now between the U.S. and Ukraine. What are you hearing about it and what both sides stand to gain?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Kate, there have been so many twists and turns to these negotiations over this deal. They were originally, I'd remind you, meant to sign it when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to the White House in February. Of course, that meeting ended up descending into a shouting match. But, look, now, after months of negotiations going over these details, there is a final agreement and it has been signed.

Now, one of the key details in here is when you look at the text compared to earlier drafts, this is actually far less lopsided in favor of the U.S. I remember when we reported on an earlier draft a couple weeks ago, it seemed like it gave way too much to the United States, and that was a big complaint for the Ukrainians. This time it seems more even, and it's not as far-reaching.

One key development in this as well is that it would also ensure that American military assistance to Ukraine would count as part of that U.S. investment, as part of the contributions to this broader investment fund that they are setting up here.

Now, to really get to the bottom line of this, this is so crucial for Ukraine because they want to give the United States an incentive to continue supporting them, particularly as, of course, Ukraine and European allies have been worried that the president might be too willing to give up too much in order to clinch a deal between Russia and Ukraine.

But for President Donald Trump, really, this is about trying to get something in return for what they argue is years of giving too much away to Ukraine for nothing in return. We heard the president say last night essentially that we got nothing. I felt very foolish being the head of a country where Europe gets their money back and it's a much smaller amount. We get nothing.

So, clearly, both sides framing this as a win, but finally signing that full agreement yesterday.

BOLDUAN: And about the reporting that is -- more and more reporting coming out about kind of growing anxiety within the White House over the trade war.

[07:05:06]

What are you learning?

TREENE: Yes, Kate. I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of days speaking with top White House officials, administration officials, and it's clear to me that pressure is really mounting on the president's economic team to show any sort of good news for the American people, right? They really want a trade deal to be announced, to give Americans more reason to continue to be patient, as the president said they needed to be yesterday on social media.

Now, part of this as well, we've heard, you know, from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, from the president himself, that they are moving in closer on a deal. And there is optimism that that will happen.

But, again, it's the timing of this. They recognize that the state of the economy is not necessarily where it needs to be right now. And from my conversation, there is some quiet anxiety over how quickly, or really how slow these talks are moving. And so I think, you know, we are going to see potentially a quick deal in the coming days, maybe next week, as the treasury secretary said. That's really something they're hoping to deliver on. Kate?

BOLDUAN: And what impact that has on well, the trajectory of where what we're looking at with the economy is a standby to standby.

It's great to see, Alayna. Thank you so much. John?

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, in her first major speech since losing the election of Donald Trump and leaving office, former Vice President Kamala Harris slammed the president's tariff policy as what she called reckless and accused him of setting off the greatest manmade economic crisis in modern history. Harris also warned of a constitutional crisis.

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KAMALA HARRIS, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We are living in a moment when the checks and balances upon which we have historically relied, have begun to buckle. And that is a crisis that will eventually impact everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: CNN's Eva McKend joins us now. As always, the former vice president choosing her words and her moments carefully here. Eva, what did you see?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: She did. John, you know, in the vice president's first major speech since the election, it really served as both a call to action and a pep talk of sorts for Democrats. She leaned heavily into American's concerns about the economy, blasting the tariffs, warning that a recession is possible. She raised concerns about President Trump's conflicts with the courts, her belief for moving the nation towards a constitutional crisis.

But she essentially told people not to lose heart, that this is the time to protect the most vulnerable. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Instead of an administration working to advance America's highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So, courage is contagious. That is something she also said and something that she told another group of women a few weeks ago and seems like a core theme for the vice president in this moment.

Now, the big question, what is next for Vice President Harris? We know that Harris' advisers believe that if she is going to get into the California governor's race, that will require her to make her intentions clear by the end of the summer. John?

BERMAN: So, that's a timeline right there.

Eva McKend, great to see you this morning, thanks so much for sharing your reporting. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Still ahead, where will the U.S. send deported migrants? New CNN reporting on how Libya and Rwanda may soon join El Salvador as destinations for forced deportations.

Plus, we're expecting new data this morning about layoffs in the United States. How many job cuts are in the works and which sectors are going to be hit the hardest?

And a terrifying fall, a baseball fan hospitalized this morning after falling from the stands during the game. How he's doing this morning.

That story and more ahead.

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SIDNER: This morning, new drone footage showing detainees at an immigrant detention center in Texas sending a message to the outside world. The detainees have been accused of being gang members and face deportation under the Alien Enemies Act, which the Trump administration has been using.

They could be sent to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador. And it is now not just El Salvador. CNN has learned the Trump administration is considering sending undocumented migrants with criminal records to Libya and Rwanda. And sources tell CNN the U.S. is in talks with other countries about taking migrants.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has the story.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Trump administration is considering sending migrants to countries, like Libya and Rwanda. It's part of a concerted effort by the administration to send migrants to other places, including those that aren't their own.

Now, the conversations we're told in the cases of Libya and Rwanda center on migrants with criminal records. We're told that this was a proposal that was discussed with Libyan officials this week, and that there have been conversations recently regarding Rwanda and with Rwanda as well. [07:15:01]

Now, in the case of Rwanda, this would be on an ad hoc basis, according to sources, and the cost structure of this is still being finessed because it would likely be a higher price per person since they would also be absorbed within society in Rwanda.

The conversations, however, regarding Libya go a step further with some Trump officials hoping that they can enter into formal negotiations with Libya for what's known as a safe third country agreement, essentially allowing the U.S. to send asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S. southern border to Libya.

Now, it's unclear what nationalities they would be willing to accept, but the United Nations has raised alarm over human rights abuses in Libya in the past, and all of this would likely face legal challenges in the United States.

The administration, of course, has previously tried to enter into safe third country agreements in the first Trump administration, and they've already faced legal challenges in this administration in sending migrants to third countries.

A federal judge in that case temporarily blocking the administration from sending migrants to other countries if they're not provided notice ahead of time and given an opportunity to contest. But, again, the administration looking at all of these options as they push for migrants to be removed from the U.S.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

BOLDUAN: Priscilla, thank you so much.

Still ahead for us, maybe the dolls will cost a couple bucks more. The way the president is now talking and acknowledging his trade policies will raise prices on everyday goods. Why then is he casting blame on everyone but himself?

And the Lakers are out. What their playoff loss could mean for LeBron James.

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BERMAN: All right. This morning is brought to you by the letter L. Lakers, Luca, LeBron, losers.

Now, I don't mean that personally. They all have winning personalities here, but, literally, they're out of the playoffs. Despite one of the most stunning trades in NBA history, they are gone, this after the big win in some big coaching by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Let's get right to Andy Scholes for that. I looked at the box score. I saw Rudy Gobert with 27 points. I'm like, oh man, something happened here. ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Gobert, big game. And John, your intro, from a true Celtics fan there, right? Only way a Celtics fan would intro a Lakers playoff loss. But this obviously not what the Lakers fans were hoping for when they traded for Luka Doncic, they ended up winning just one playoff game.

And Lakers Coach J.J. Redick, he tried going small in game five, but did not work. Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert dominated, dropped 24 rebounds, scored 27 points. Minnesota, though they missed 40 three- pointers in this game, but Mike Conley hit a big one with under 90 seconds to go, pretty much put it away. Final, 103-96 Timberwolves.

And here was LeBron afterwards when asked how much longer he's going to play,

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, LOS ANGELES LAKERS FORWARD: I don't know. I don't have an answer to that. It's something I'll sit down with my family and my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And then just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So, let me see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, Timberwolves now wait the winner between the Warriors and the Rockets.

Stanley Cup playoffs, Alex Ovechkin getting the scoring started for the capitals in game five against the Canadiens. Washington would go on to win 4-1 to win their first playoff series since they won the cup back in 2018. They now move on to face the Hurricanes in round two.

And defending champs also moving on, the Panthers getting six goals from six different players as they beat the Lightning 6-3 to take the series. Florida now awaits the winner between the Maple Leafs and the Senators.

All right, and, finally, Bill Belichick releasing a statement yesterday defending his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson in the wake of the CBS Sunday morning interview. In that interview, the 24-year-old Hudson shut down questions about how the two met. Belichick said, I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter Tony Dokoupil and the producers that I prefer to keep that conversation centered on the book. After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point, to help refocus the discussion.

All right, Berman, I mean, Belichick was your coach for more than 20 years with the Patriots. How closely are you following this whole saga?

BERMAN: Don't put this on me. Don't put this one on me. No, I will say this. I will say this. The sort of the intersection between my sports podcast world and like my pop culture friends has never been greater. Like all the sports fans I know are talking about this and then people who I don't think have watched a full football gamer saying, you know, what's the deal with that? What happened? It's sort of amazing.

SCHOLES: I certainly am going to be watching more North Carolina football this year than I probably ever have.

BERMAN: Yes. She's been on the field, I think, for some of the early season practicing. I mean, there's a lot going on here. There's a lot, let's just say, there's a lot going on with this.

Andy Scholes, thank you.

SIDNER: Not to criticize your former coach, John, but you know, when someone writes a book that we do ask other questions always.

BERMAN: Oh, don't give me -- actually 100 percent. Like this was the -- we were going to talk focus on other things. How about focusing on you and like, you know, what's going on in your life?

[07:25:01]

SIDNER: We always ask other questions that's the whole point. You want to sell your book? We want talk to you about other stuff.

Anyway, that's your coach. I mean, your former coach. We will leave that there. Andy Scholes from teeing that up for me.

Still ahead, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a critical mineral deal after months of heated negotiations. What does that mean though, for the war and for Ukraine's security.

Also new this morning, a recently leaked federal budget proposal shows that Trump administration could potentially cut dozens of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

Those stories and a whole lot more ahead.

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