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Trump backs plan to give newborns $1,000 accounts; LAPD declares all of downtown L.A. an unlawful assembly area; Officials say situation in L.A. has calmed down after volatile night; Gov. Newsom vows to sue Trump administration over National Guard deployment; California leaders demand Trump withdraw National Guard troops; LAPD says 27 arrested Sunday amid ICE raid, protests & clashes; U.S. & China kick off new round of trade talks in London; Trump administration looking to restore flow of rare earth minerals from China; Dr. Phil embedded with ICE during L.A. immigration raids. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired June 09, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:01:13]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Controversial call President Trump, suggesting his Border Czar should arrest the Governor of California after deploying the National Guard in the face of immigration protests. Governor Gavin Newsom also says his state could sue the White House over that deployment.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Plus, Trump's travel ban officially takes effect, potentially adding to rising tensions as immigration experts say, this one is designed to beat court challenges. And later, a financial baby bump, the U.S. government could provide every newborn with its own $1,000 investment account. The president is backing the plan with an event at the White House shortly. But, can this get past Congress? We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

KEILAR: Happening now. California Governor Gavin Newsom is firing back at President Trump after the president said he would arrest Newsom if he were the nation's border czar. The two leaders are escalating their feud now in real time as protests over ICE raids in Los Angeles ignited into more violent clashes overnight. The president ending up deploying the National Guard against the governor's wishes, he said something that no president has done since the 1960s, we should note. Governor Newsom then said that he would sue and now, Trump is saying this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Gavin Newsom, he's daring Tom Homan to come and arrest him. Should he do it? I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great. I suppose Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Newsom responded saying, "The president of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting governor? This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. This is a line we cannot cross as a nation. This is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." Let's go live now to Los Angeles. We have Julia Vargas Jones on the scene. Julia, get us up to speed. What's the latest there on the ground?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, we are still seeing an increased police presence here. Just moments ago, we saw (inaudible) movement here of some of the LAPD and other local PD cars around here. We are expecting rallies later on today and we started to see some protestors trickling in, again, just a handful of them. It's the first time we're seeing that since last night. We're also steps away from highway 101, which had been closed partially for a little bit yesterday.

Now, the rest of Los Angeles seems to be back to normal, aside from this one cornered off area where both PD, I should say, as well as National Guard have been guarding this federal building that has been the focus of all of this. All of this fueled by the anger of protestors at these immigration raids, these sweeping immigration enforcement actions that have been taking place since Friday and then again on Saturday, that have triggered all of this. From the beginning, people feeling that they needed to take to the streets to voice their discontent with it and so many of them though, turning to violence and depredation and vandalism.

I have to say that both the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and Governor Gavin Newsom, they have both condemned those actions. They have both said that this is no way to show support for a cause like immigrants right. Governor Newsom saying that this is unacceptable and that those perpetrating that violence are only playing into the hand of the president.

[14:05:00]

KEILAR: All right, Julia Vargas Jones live for us on the scene there in Los Angeles. Thank you. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Let's take you to the White House now and get the latest reaction there. CNN's Kristen Holmes is standing by and Kristen, the president clearly not mincing words here. What do you make of his suggestion that Newsom should be arrested?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, this goes down to the one thing we talk about all the time, which is how difficult it is to work for Donald Trump, because Donald Trump speaks off the cuff. He speaks for himself. And so, we saw the Border Czar Tom Homan earlier today, really trying to walk back those comments about potentially arresting Governor Newsom, saying it would only be if a crime were committed, that that's not something he was calling for.

And then you have Donald Trump coming out and saying, I think that Tom should do it. I think he should arrest him. At one point, he said that Governor Newsom was a good guy, but he was grossly incompetent. He went on to kind of attack Newsom and then again, called for Homan to arrest Newsom with really no reasoning at all behind it. Now, this of course, is coming as we see an escalation between the governor and the president, and also as we see Donald Trump doubling down on the fact that he called in the National Guard.

He just posted this right before he made those comments. He said, we made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would've been completely obliterated. Then of course, at that point, he goes into attacking Gavin Newsom and the Mayor Karen Bass. But largely here, the real importance is the fact that he is doubling down on the decision as there were a lot of questions as to whether or not he legally had the right.

One of the things we've been reporting is this indication from California that we have seen that they are going to bring legal action against the president. We tried to ask him those questions as he was walking back into his office, turning from Camp David, and he did not answer those questions. But obviously, something we're trying to get to the bottom of is how they would react to any kind of legal action and how much further is the Trump administration and President Trump himself willing to go with these protests?

SANCHEZ: Kristen Holmes live at the White House. Thank you so much. Let's discuss what's happening on the ground in Los Angeles with Seema Mehta. She's a political reporter for the L.A. Times. Seema, thank you for being with us. As you hear President Trump there say that the National Guard prevented complete destruction of Los Angeles. We also hear the Mayor Karen Bass telling CNN that this is not a citywide civil unrest, that it's just a few streets downtown. What is your reporting on the extent of what's taken place and how it's impacting the broader area?

SEEMA MEHTA, POLITICAL REPORTER, LOS ANGELES TIMES: I mean, it's evolved rapidly over the last three days. I mean, it started out as peaceful protests, but then as it got more confrontational, as the LAPD got involved, it -- and as it became nightfall, it definitely got more, more violent. And if you look in downtown, I mean, the pictures and the images I'm seeing including of our old building, our historic building, like there's -- everything is tagged up.

There's a ton of graffiti, a lot of the government buildings, graffiti about ICE, about Trump, words I can't say on television. But, it's -- downtown does not look great right now. But it broadly, L.A. is such a big sprawling city, and so we're not seeing this everywhere. Certainly not.

KEILAR: So, local officials, Seema, are saying to CNN that it was the National Guard being called up here that escalated the tensions. Is that what you have seen?

MEHTA: I mean, it definitely seems like, and we are definitely hearing this from the governor, from the mayor, from a lot of local officials, that this escalated it. That this was something that that was -- and also that was designed to escalate it, that -- to have a federal law enforcement presence with shields and large weapons, that it was designed to escalate, that said that it was designed to create a situation that would be chaotic and, and incendiary. And there was definitely, I mean, when you look at the protestors compared to the, first, the National Guard and then LAPD getting involved between them, that definitely stepped up what happened yesterday.

And yesterday, I mean, Friday and Saturday, there were protests, but Sunday was where things really seemed to get really chaotic. SANCHEZ: You've also done some reporting on the legal questions raised by this decision to send in the National Guard. Walk us through that reporting.

MEHTA: Sure. I mean, the legal, I've spoken with a number of constitutional experts and they, basically said that while they think what President Trump did is sort of unprecedented, that he does have the authority to do it. That it's like a very, very broad view of executive power. That's how the governor and lieutenant governor have said that they're going to sue.

So, I think this is going to -- I mean, this is clearly going to end up in the courts in the next days and hours, days, weeks. but it's -- the president does have broad authority to do this, but it's just really unusual because when we see the National Guard out here, for example, during the wildfires in January, or in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict in '92, it's -- they were invited here by state officials and it -- especially during the (inaudible), they were being like heralded for like their help.

[14:10:00]

And this is a very different situation. Like, the governor did not ask for this. The president federalized the California National Guard. So, this is a -- it's a very unprecedented situation. Like, we have not seen anything like this, I think, since the '60s.

KEILAR: Yeah. And the LAPD chief was asked about whether they need the guard and he didn't dismiss it. He said before he would be able to answer that question, he would need to know what the Guard's capabilities would be. It sounds like, he needs more information about what the role of the Guard would be. H have those questions been answered?

MEHTA: Well, the thing is that it doesn't sound like there was a lot of coordination, particularly when this first started on Friday and on Saturday. It sounds like LAPD started coordinating with the National Guard on Sunday. But there is -- there's been a lack of information, I think a lack of communication. And then also, and I think, the LAPD chief, I mean, at first, people are -- LAPD can handle this. Like, we don't know -- we don't necessarily need the National Guard here. But I think as things got crazier yesterday, there was -- that went into question.

SANCHEZ: I also wonder, Seema, as the Border Czar Tom Homan vows that there are going to be continuing raids, like the kind that triggered the peaceful protest beginning the weekend. Have you gotten any information that there are raids ongoing? That there are these apprehensions still happening?

MEHTA: Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of rumors flying around and I have colleagues that we have all over the city chasing that. There's rumors about a high school, about raids there, and it turns out those were untrue. There's some rumors about some raids in workplaces, in places like Pasadena. So there's -- there's just a lot of uncertainty and fear in the streets right now. And also, I mean, it's leading to questions like, are people going to stay home from work? Are they not going to send their kids to school? Just because they're afraid of being in public right now. So there's -- there's so much uncertainty here currently.

SANCHEZ: Seema Mehta, thank you so much for your reporting. Thanks for joining us.

MEHTA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come. A story first reported here on CNN. See how the Trump administration is using TV host, Dr. Phil, as part of its immigration crackdown. Plus, we have new details from the latest round of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China as talks begin today in London.

KEILAR: And then later, president Trump's new travel ban is now in effect. His stories and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

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[14:17:03]

SANCHEZ: A new round of trade talks is underway between the United States and China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are heading the U.S. delegation in London. The hope is that the world's two biggest economies can preserve this fragile truce brokered just last month, when the two countries agreed to drastically roll back tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days.

A major sticking point centers on China's control over so-called rare earth minerals used in a wide range of electronics, vehicles and defense systems. President Trump's top economic advisor says the administration will be looking to restore the flow of these essential resources. And in return, China wants Trump to ease export controls on advanced U.S. semiconductors and related technologies. We'll keep you abreast of the latest details during these talks. Brianna?

KEILAR: And with us now is David Gura, Anchor and Correspondent for Bloomberg News and Host of the "Big Take" podcast. David, thanks so much for being with us. When people hear about these rare earth minerals, they may not know exactly what we're talking about, but just as one example, Samarium, the world uses it for so many things. The New York Times reports that each Female^-35 fighter jet requires 50 pounds of this stuff for magnets in the plane, each plane, and China produces all of the world's Samarium. So, how much leverage does that give China in these talks? DAVID GURA, ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Yeah, it's just a fact of nature that so many of these metals are in China. That's where they are. And so, they have a lot of leverage in terms of what they're allowing to be exported. And so, you look at the conversation that's taking place today in London between China and the U.S., it comes on the heels of another set of talks between China and the United Kingdom and the European Union. They're trying to get these minerals as well.

So, what we're looking at is a world in which so much, and that includes high-end computing technology, but appliances as well and cars, relies on these metals to operate. China does have the upper hand here. I think they recognize that. It is what's kind of animating them as they enter these talks. But you mentioned the deliberations that are taking place here, the U.S. in recent weeks has placed holds on chip-making designs and chip-making technology. That's something that China needs as well. So, it's not as if China has all the leverage here, Brianna, but that is certainly something that gives them an upper hand in these talks.

KEILAR: So when Kevin Hassett, who is the head of the President's Economic Council, said that after this meeting, the rare earths will be released in volume, he's setting that expectation. Is that realistic?

GURA: What we saw coming out of those talks in Geneva was effectively a handshake deal. And the big takeaway from those conversations that took place now just about a month ago was these two countries, these two parties are going to keep talking. And I think that's how we should look at the event that's taking place in London today and likely tomorrow. You have the U.S. and China continuing talks over trade. What was supposed to happen over the course of the 90-day period was some more agreement on all of these issues.

What Kevin Hassett is talking about there, and he, the president's Chief Economic Advisor is saying, is that China is going to bend, they're going to allow these to be exported more easily to, to the United States.

[14:20:00]

That could happen here. But the kind of theme throughout all of these trade talks that we've seen over the last few months is a real lack of detail on paper. So, effectively, we could get that. There's no indication that we will yet, but it is certainly what the U.S. is most animated about and wants to get out of these talks.

KEILAR: And David, we did just learn that imports from China to the U.S. were down 20 percent in May, which is the steepest drop that we've seen since the pandemic. Can you put that into context for us, the effect of that on the U.S. economy, but also how that's felt in China?

GURA: So, we've seen so much uncertainty here over these trade policies from the very beginning, and that's felt by consumers certainly, but by businesses as well. They don't know how easy it's going to be to get the materials that they need or how expensive those materials are going to be either. There was hope after that meeting in Geneva, again, when they agreed to continue these talks that maybe sort of export/import relationship was going to open up again the way that it had been before April. That in fact hasn't been the case.

So the data that you're talking about show that we haven't seen kind of an influx or an uptick once again in shipments from China to the U.S. And you can kind of look at that and look at sort of the appetite for those shipments, again, indicating the fact that companies in the U.S. are still wary of what these tariffs are, what they're going to be, how all of this is going to play out. And I think that that might be something that was a bit of a forcing mechanism here to get these parties back to the table.

Yes, you had the presidents of the U.S. and China talking. That was certainly something that was catalytic here. But I think also the fact that we've seen that precipitous drop in sort of exports is something that was certainly worrisome to the Chinese government and to Chinese companies as well.

KEILAR: David Gura, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it.

GURA: Thank you.

KEILAR: And next, as we follow protests in Los Angeles, a new poll reveals what the majority of Americans think about President Trump's deportation policy. And if you've recently had a baby, your child could potentially qualify for a so-called Trump account. We'll explain.

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[14:26:35]

KEILAR: Let's shift back now to Trump's immigration crackdown. A new CBS poll showing that while a majority of Americans support the President's goal, they are against his approach. And as Friday's clashes unfolded across L.A., there was a familiar face, maybe one that you wouldn't expect, who was embedded with ICE agents during Friday's raids. It was Dr. Phil and his camera crew, who say that they got a firsthand look at the targeted operations, which ended with dozens of people being detained.

He's expected to use that footage in an upcoming report reinforcing a made-for-TV spectacle, that is Trump's controversial crackdown. We have CNN, Chief Media Analyst, Brian Stelter with us now. Brian, why was he there? And it's something that's highly unusual.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: I think it really speaks volumes about the administration's made-for-TV strategy here. They are focused on the visual spectacle, and not just this week, we could actually see it back in the first week Trump returned to office. Dr. Phil was out in Chicago. He was embedded back then on ICE raids. This time, he was embedded at the ICE field office in L.A., hanging out with Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan, getting what Dr. Phil's network calls exclusive access to Homan, the day before the operation. Then on Friday morning, he was there. I was told maybe even helping rally the federal officials before they headed out for the operation.

And then he was with Homan again on Saturday. So as I wrote on cnn.com, Dr. Phil was out there producing a show that's going to air on his relatively small cable channel today and tomorrow. It's not about the ratings, ultimately, it's about what this rep represents and it represents a desire to put on a show, especially for Trump-aligned media outlets. There's a desire to show this immigration enforcement is happening. It's happening every day, and Dr. Phil is a part of that effort to televise it for the country.

KEILAR: What are Trump-aligned media outlets saying about this?

STELTER: Well, number one, that this is going to resolve and (inaudible) to Trump's benefit, talking about polls that show this is the top issue. This is the area where Trump has the most support among Americans. You saw Steven Cheung, the Trump Advisor, over the weekend saying, look, his approval rating on immigration's going to be even higher after the National Guard was sent to L.A. So clearly, the White House believes this is a winning issue. We've heard Trump and his MAGA media outlets refer to, what I call, the city in ruins storyline, referring to L.A. as a place that's in -- it's in ruins basically. And the Trump and his forces are going to liberate it and set it free again.

It sounds like something out of an action movie to be quite frank, and is not very tethered to reality (inaudible) these MAGA media outlets, and even from the judge -- the Defense Department earlier today, the DOD's rapid response account on X saying L.A. is burning. Of course, Monday morning there were no fires burning this morning in L.A. So that kind of very hyped up, very hyper-charged rhetoric coming from Trump, coming from his agencies and coming from his MAGA media outlets.

And I've noticed, Brianna, we all live on our phones these days. We're all scrolling through social media. You've got to be careful at a delicate moment like this to look at the timestamps, look at the dates, look at when things are actually posted, and if they're really from the situation they're purporting to be. A lot of these algorithms are surfacing hours-old or even days-old content. So you might be looking at a video of something, wondering what's happening in L.A., it's actually from two days ago, and that's -- it only matters --

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