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White House Confirms Military Parade on Trump's Birthday; Interview with Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA): Stocks Rally After Jobs Report, Signs of China Trade Talks; Jury Selection Starts Monday in Sean Diddy Combs Trial. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 02, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: The White House is now confirming a military parade is going to be held in Washington next month in honor of the Army's birthday. It also coincides with President Trump's birthday himself. What more do we know about these plans?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so this is something that we reported last month, had been in the works for quite some time because it is a major milestone for the Army. It is going to be the Army's 250th birthday, and the Army had been planning since last year to hold a really big bash in the month of June in order to celebrate this commemoration. But in recent weeks and months, it had gone to the White House, and the White House had suggested adding a parade to the mix, because as we know, President Trump, back in 2017, he really wanted a military parade.

It was deemed extremely expensive and impractical, but this time around, it does seem like they are now confirming that this parade is going to take place. We were originally told that the parade route is going to start here at the Pentagon. It's going to go through Arlington. It's going to end at the White House.

And it's likely to be pretty massive. It is going to include Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, things that have concerned the city of D.C. about actually whether this is going to damage the streets of Washington, D.C. But for now, it seems the White House is saying this is moving full steam ahead. It coincides, as you said, with Donald Trump's birthday as well -- Erica.

HILL: All right, Natasha, appreciate it. Thank you.

Still ahead this hour, exclusive new details about the trial of Sean Diddy Combs and who is set to testify against him.

That reporting ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: A little less than 30 minutes to go here before the end of the trading day, the trading week, frankly. And it's nice to see a little bit green, isn't it? U.S. stocks rallying after that stronger than expected jobs report, as well as signs that China is willing to perhaps open trade talks with the United States. You see the Dow up about 1.4 percent right now.

In terms of that jobs report, the economy added more than 177,000 new jobs in April. That beat expectations handedly. Expectations were about 135,000 new jobs. And it was a week, of course, that also saw reports showing the economy shrank for the first time in three years. So some welcome news on this Friday.

Joining me now is Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Ryan McKenzie. Sir, it's good to have you with us on this Friday. You know, there's so much happening and so many questions that people have about where ultimately things will end up in the economy.

I know earlier this week you were part of a business roundtable discussion organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among others. The chamber has asked, I believe it was yesterday, asked the administration for sweeping tariff relief to, in its words, stave off recession and save small businesses. Do you agree that some of that relief is needed?

Is that what you're hearing from small businesses?

REP. RYAN MACKENZIE (R-PA): Well, when we talk to small businesses, particularly on tariffs, they are looking for a resolution, but they're looking for a free and fair playing field out there. And so the concept is good. It's what I think a lot of people agree with.

They want to be able to export their products overseas fairly, have reduced barriers so that their products can enter those markets at a more stable rate and fair rate to products that are coming into the United States. So ultimately, that concept is a good one, but it is incumbent upon the administration to get these deals done and get them done quickly so that we can actually see the benefits for the American workers and the American economy.

HILL: While we're waiting and sort of looking at how things are going to roll out, one estimate published by The Morning Call is that transportation and warehousing is the second largest occupation in the Valley behind manufacturing. So that's about 12.2 percent of the workforce for you. How concerned are you about the impact specifically on manufacturing, on transportation, on these warehouse jobs in the Lehigh Valley right now?

MACKENZIE: Yes, what we're seeing is we're actually seeing an optimistic outlook at the overall economy. We're seeing manufacturers. I was just at one here in Easton earlier today. They were actually looking to expand and grow their operations, and they're in the manufacturing space.

When I was with another employer last week, they were saying, we can't find enough people in the logistics and transportation space who can actually get into these skilled positions. So that desire to grow is out there.

We saw it in the jobs numbers that you talked about earlier. The consumer spending was strong. The investment was strong.

The reason that it ended up going negative was because of the advanced buying. The imports were up ahead of the tariffs. And so that's the thing that we need to recognize there.

But the job number was very healthy, very strong today. And that's what we see in the market, is that people are hiring. They're looking to hire. They do need a skilled workforce. So that's another thing that we have to factor in, is making sure that we have the pipeline of talent to get into those positions.

HILL: I do want to ask you, though, it's exciting, specifically citing the impact of tariffs. Last month, Capital Star reported Mack Trucks is laying off some 250 to 350 workers at its Lehigh Valley operations. And again, they said that's specifically because of the tariffs, because this jobs report, and again, better than expected, right?

This is good news for everybody, a lot of green on Wall Street. But the reality is that this is a look in the rearview mirror. We saw both February and March jobs numbers revised down significantly.

That's not uncommon. So that's also a concern moving forward. Are you worried that the full impact of this is not yet being felt?

MACKENZIE: Well, I'll say this, Mack Trucks is a unique situation. And I've talked about this before. They made the decision, which I disagree with, to actually expand into Mexico last year. They made that decision. Now with freight shipping that was softening over the past number of quarters, they were in a position that I think left them vulnerable. I've expressed that to them as a company.

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And I've said that publicly before. So they have a situation that I don't think is the best for the American worker in our local economy. But how we get around that is by making sure that American manufacturers have that playing field where they can compete against a place like Mexico, where they have lower wages, less regulation. And so we do have to have a fair and level playing field.

And again, it is on the administration, it's incumbent upon them to make sure that they get good and fair trade deals for the American economy and the American manufacturers so that they can compete on that global stage. We have the best workforce in the world, especially in the manufacturing space right here in the Lehigh Valley. But they need to be able to compete globally.

And so the trade deals that the administration is talking about, they need to get them done in the next couple of months so that we can start to see that benefit coming home for the American economy.

HILL: I also want to ask about how the American people are feeling. You represent Allentown, which is a majority Hispanic city. Fox News polling shows the president underwater with Hispanic voters who helped, of course, carry him to victory in the Keystone State.

How concerned are you about that shift?

MACKENZIE: Well, I think what we saw was that actually during the last election, we saw great strength for the president in the Hispanic community. That is actually continuing. When I'm out on the street, I know the numbers have maybe shifted since the election.

But when you're talking about the American manufacturing base that we've been talking about throughout this interview, when you're talking about the reindustrialization of our country, many of these Hispanic members in our local community work in those same logistics and manufacturing spaces, and they're hoping that we bring these jobs back here. We saw in the recent jobs report the wages ticked up ever so slightly. But year over year, wages and wage growth is actually outpacing inflation now.

So they're actually seeing these benefits, something that for four years under the Biden administration, they were constantly underwater where inflation was outpacing wage growth. That has now been flipped on its head. And so people are starting to feel that there's a long way to go. Don't get me wrong. There is a long way to go to get out of the hole that we were put in over the last four years economically. But we've started to see really positive green shoots that make me optimistic that we're turning the corner.

HILL: So again, just to clarify the Fox News polling that showed a dip, right, from their most recent polling in April, a dip from support in January. We are just about out of time. But if I could get a yes or no, it sounds like you're saying that does not concern you. You don't think that's actually an issue?

MACKENZIE: I think, again, we're starting to see the benefits of the changes in the economic policy in this country. And again, in the long term, I think we're going to see that we're going to have a strong American economy led by this administration. And Congress has our work to do in making sure that we get a tax package done as well.

Once that uncertainty is cleared up on those two fronts, tariffs and taxes, this economy is going to take off.

HILL: Congressman Ryan McKenzie, appreciate your time. Thank you.

MACKENZIE: Thank you.

HILL: We'll be right back.

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HILL: The criminal trial for Sean Diddy Combs is set to begin on Monday here in New York. And while we don't know the names of those who will be called to testify, sources tell CNN they do expect that list of witnesses to include his former sexual partners, a business associate, and a male sex worker. Combs has, of course, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including sex trafficking. He has denied all civil allegations against him. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister is joining me now with this exclusive

reporting about who may take the stand. There is a lot of attention on this trial, not just because he is so well-known, but because of the allegations, which are really disturbing.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Erica. And that is why there is so much interest in who may take the stand. We know that Diddy was very famous for many years, and he surrounded himself with many celebrities.

The question has been from so many people. Are we going to see celebrities? Who is on that witness list?

Well, the witness list has not been made public, and I hear from sources it likely will not be made public. But I do have some intel on some of the people who we may see take the stand. Now, Erica, I do know the identities and the names of some of these individuals, but the judge actually ruled that the majority of the alleged victims will be able to testify under pseudonym, so we are not going to release their identity at this point.

But aside from Cassie Ventura, who of course is Sean Combs' ex- girlfriend, she is the one person who has chosen to testify under her real name. She is the star witness of this case. I also hear that there are three other key government witnesses, so there will be four key witnesses that the prosecution brings up.

I also hear that a friend of Cassie Ventura will take the stand in an effort to corroborate some of her allegations. And as you said, I also am hearing that at least one male sex worker will take the stand.

You remember that in many of these explosive allegations that have come from civil suits, male sex workers have come up. And in the government's indictment against Combs, they have alleged that at the center of this case are so-called freak-offs, which the government has described as essentially drug-fueled sex parties, where Combs and others forced women into having sex oftentimes with male sex workers.

HILL: It is a lot. He is facing, what, in terms of civil lawsuits, multiple civil lawsuits as well, Elizabeth, more than 60 accusers. How do those civil cases play into this criminal case, if at all?

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WAGMEISTER: So, look, the criminal case is completely separate from the civil case, but they are related. I hear that many of the witnesses who will be testifying are civil accusers, so they are people who have already come forth with their allegations in a civil sense. So some of the allegations that we hear on the stand may sound familiar to viewers who have been following our reporting on this case, Erica.

Now, I've also heard that many of the civil accusers have been crucial to the government's investigation. So even if they are not going to be witnesses who are called to testify, I do hear that many of them have been brought in for questioning, they have been very cooperative, and they have provided some key evidence or some key information that got them to this point as they are prepping for the trial.

Now, as you said, he is facing five counts, one racketeering charge, two sex trafficking charges, and two charges, transportation to engage in prostitution.

So this trial is expected to last up to two months. It starts next week with jury selection. Opening statements will be the following week on May 12th.

And it remains to be seen what will happen, but whatever the outcome of this criminal case is, Erica, Diddy still faces a mountain of civil lawsuits, over 60 that he is still facing.

HILL: Yes, it is self-taught, to put it mildly. Elizabeth really appreciate the updated reporting. Thank you.

Still to come here, CNN speaks with comedian Samantha Bee about her latest pursuit. She wants to make talking about menopause cool. I am here for it, sister.

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HILL: This Sunday on a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER," CNN's Nick Paton Walsh journeys deep into Brazil's Amazon region to visit indigenous communities as they receive internet access for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The thing that has changed our world forever is now seeping across this vast, vital expanse that has kept us all alive for as long. The internet is coming to here. The Amazon, the forest that gives the world breath.

And to the indigenous communities that have for centuries called this splendid isolation their only home. And the slow wind upriver provides a rare vanishing glimpse of a world before the internet, of a people who have never been online.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Be sure to watch The "WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER" this Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

Well, Prince Harry says he is devastated after losing an appeal over his security in the UK. In an emotional interview with the BBC following that ruling, Harry said the decision to strip his security after he left the royal family in 2020 has actually put his family in harm's way and made it impossible for him to bring his children back to the UK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point. And the things that they're going to miss is, well, everything. You know, I love my country. I always have done. Despite what some people in that country have done.

So, you know, I miss the UK. I miss parts of the UK. Of course I do. And I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Prince Harry went on to describe how the security issue itself has actually driven a wedge in his relationship with his father. He said the King no longer speaks to him, but that he is hopeful for a reconciliation.

Samantha Bee is the latest in a string of celebrities and, frankly, women everywhere discussing what it's like to go through menopause and perimenopause. She says she's tired of the stigma around it. Me too.

CNN's medical correspondent Meg Turrell spoke to the Emmy award winning comedian who was opening up about this phase of her life.

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MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Getting to talk with Samantha Bee about her new show, How to Survive Menopause, was like getting advice from a very funny big sister. And a big sister who's just been through a huge life event that can feel pretty mystifying to people. And she described that need to find connection.

SAMANTHA BEE, EMMY-WINNING COMEDIAN AND WRITER: I feel like you're out there and your spider senses are just like, you're just like looking for someone to say the word to in life. You're just like, let me find an ally in this moment. Let me make eye contact with someone who I think is having a hot flash just like me right now.

TIRRELL: She says she was experiencing symptoms for years before she finally figured out what she was going through. And she says the reason for that is that up until recently, she thinks we really didn't talk about menopause enough.

BEE: Nobody was talking about menopause. And I mean like zero people. So we're all kind of talking about it now and you can read about it.

And people are like, yes, like Oprah's doing a special about it. But eight years ago, zip, like zero information. Nobody in the conversation.

Not cool. Very unsexy. Mention it and you are just like a witch crown who lives in a cave. Don't come out. Ok.

TIRRELL: But it is a much bigger part of the conversation now. Thanks a lot to people like Samantha. And she said one of the things that has really helped her navigate it is talking about it. And she really emphasized the need to find community.

BEE: I would say that the number one thing, and this, I do talk about this in the show, like very vigorously, is that you have to find a community of people that you can talk to, even if it's just one person.

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And I don't suggest that we need to have like a coven of great friends around us at all time. It's not that it's not like we have to just gather in, again, in a cave and like sing about it. We just have to be able to say the words.

TIRRELL: And she does that and more. The podcast is "DR. SANJAY GUPTA'S CHASING LIFE," and it's out now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And our thanks to Meg Terrell and Samantha Bee for that. You can hear more of their conversation on the "CHASING LIFE" podcast, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks so much for joining me, I'm Erica Hill. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END