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Trump Escalates Trade War; ICE Raids Continue in California; President Trump Tours Flood Damage. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired July 11, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: President Trump just minutes away now from landing in Texas one week after a deadly flood tore through the central part of the state. We're live on the ground.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: And standoff in California, as protesters and federal agents clash at a farm during a raid. We will tell you what we know about that tense showdown.

Plus, a stunning dino discovery found -- get this -- under a Colorado museum's parking lot.

We're following these developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

WHITFIELD: And we begin with breaking news out of Central Texas, where, moments from now, President Trump and the first lady will see the destruction from the catastrophic floods firsthand.

It has now been one week since the Guadalupe River burst its banks, carving a path of deadly destruction not seen in Texas in more than a century. The death toll is staggering. Officials now say at least 121 people were killed as the water swept through. And, to date, at least 160 are still missing, despite search teams working around the clock.

We're also hearing some of the harrowing moments first responders encountered as they realize the gravity of the situation.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any way we could send a CodeRed out to our Hunt residents asking them to find higher ground or stay home?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten-four. Stand by. We have to get that approved with our supervisor.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Kerrville, Texas, ahead of the president's visit. And I understand, Ed, the president has just a touched down there. What is he and the first lady going to see when they get to that area? And, again, we're not even sure exactly what areas they might be traversing, but it's likely one of the areas that you have already seen.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.

Well, we were able to drive by the emergency operations center earlier this morning, and it was surrounded by security. So, presumably, that is where the president will be meeting. And as he said this morning before leaving the White House, where he'd be meeting with the governor and also families affected by the flooding here.

But this is a community that as the president is visiting will continue working, because the Guadalupe River, miles and dozens of miles of it that stretch through Kerr County, and this is the hardest- hit area a week after this flooding tragedy, this is where crews and rescue teams and search teams and volunteers remain fanned out over miles and miles of the river, continuing the cleanup, but also the more delicate and tragic efforts of trying to find the missing.

Officials here have said for several days now that the missing could be as many as 160. It could be more. It could be less, obviously, those kinds of numbers very difficult to exactly pinpoint in such a chaotic time, but everyone out here operating as if those numbers of people are missing.

And as the president visits here, he will also hear from residents who are -- as we have heard from residents, who are concerned about what is going to -- this place is going to look like in the weeks ahead, because they're now coming to the realization that the cleanup efforts, the support that this community needs, it's going to extend for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL OLIVAS, RESIDENT OF KERRVILLE, TEXAS: They're temporary. And, like everybody, we're exhausted. And so we need a break. And we need -- we need the resources from our government to step in and come in behind the wave of volunteers and provide resources such as debris cleanup.

That's a big one, because, if it wasn't for these guys, that debris would have been there probably for months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And, Fredricka, this is -- Kerr County is a county where President Donald Trump has had a great deal of support. In the last election, he won just over 75 percent of the vote here. A number of people we have spoken to -- spoken with say they're excited to see the president visit here.

[13:05:05] But, really, what stands out is that we can hear the chain saws going and sirens and the effort and the cleanup effort continues, even though this contingency of federal and state officials will be visiting here over the course of the next several hours. That work here along the river is what is top of mind for many more people.

WHITFIELD: Indeed, Ed Lavandera.

And, of course, we're also looking at live pictures of Air Force One landing in San Antonio. You see the helicopters that are in place. Presumably, the president soon will be boarding those choppers and getting an aerial view before landing in any number of the places you just described.

Ed Lavandera, thanks so much.

Let's go to Alayna Treene now at the White House.

Alayna, what do we know about the president's schedule now that he's on the ground there in Texas and what he is hoping to also accomplish while there?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Yes, look, I think, for the question of what he's hoping to accomplish is, he wants to make sure that the people of Texas know that the White House and the federal government are involved in this and that they're trying to deliver as many resources as they can.

You're going to see him try to tout some of the progress that state and local and federal officials have all been making on the ground, some of the coordination that the White House has been doing with Texas. As Ed mentioned, you're going to see Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the ground with him, as will be Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Now, we know that the president did travel with the first lady, Melania Trump. Just to walk through some of what they're going to be doing, they're expected to meet with first responders in the area. I was told he's going to get a briefing from them. He's also expected to meet with families in the communities who have been affected by this horrific disaster and also participate in a roundtable.

And he's been joined today by several different, not only members of Texas, but also different White House officials. For the people just who flew with him on Air Force One, I want to walk you through who is accompanying him today, includes Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz, both, of course, Texas senators, as well as Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Then you also have a number of top White House staff and some Cabinet officials, including Secretary Brooke Rollins. She's the head of the Department of Agriculture. You have the HUD secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner, is also with him, as well as the small business administrator, Kelly Loeffler, and, of course, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, among others. But, Fredricka, I think a big point today -- of today as well is to

also kind of try and quell some of the growing criticism we have seen and the scrutiny of this administration, particularly some of the decisions that were made leading up to this disaster. There's so many questions of whether or not Texas was fully prepared and as well whether federal agencies were properly staffed.

I would remind you that there were budget cuts, as well as some key roles that had been vacant at the National Weather Service and other federal agencies. There's been a lot of questions of whether or not those cuts led to potentially this disaster not being as prepared for as it may have been previously.

Another key question that the president is likely to be asked today is whether or not he's still committed to his goal of phasing out FEMA. In light of what has happened in Texas, we have heard from a number of officials, the president himself, but also his White House press secretary, trying to sidestep those questions. I'd keep a close eye on whether he's more direct about that today.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alayna Treene at the White House, thank you so much -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, let's talk more about these search operations with Brooks Holzhausen. He's a member of the 300 Justice Road rescue team.

Brooks, thanks so much for being here with us. I see you doing this from your car. I know you are still there on the ground there in Hunt. We're about to reach a week since this flooding started. I just want to ask how you're doing, how your crew's holding up.

BROOKS HOLZHAUSEN, 300 JUSTICE ROAD: I think we're -- under the circumstances, we're holding up well. We have -- of course, everybody's a little tired, a little -- certainly a little shot out.

But we're just pushing through it. We have got guys rolling out, guys rolling back in. So trying to keep some fresh legs every couple of days. A lot of the guys are SEALs, retired SEALs, active-duty SEALs. So they certainly know how to push hard and get their head in the right place to accomplish a mission set.

So, we're doing good.

DEAN: Yes, I know you're still recovering from an Achilles injury. Is that right?

HOLZHAUSEN: Yes, ma'am.

DEAN: Yes, so you should be home recovering, but instead you're out there trying to help your neighbors and help people who are in desperate need of some answers.

What's driving you at this point to stay there and keep going?

HOLZHAUSEN: Well, certainly the community, the kids at Mystic. Obviously, I have a connection there. You may or may not have heard that, but that, the community, Texans, Central Texans.

[13:10:08]

These -- the people affected by this, having -- the thought of having them having to do what we're doing is, they're having to deal with enough right now. So we're going to -- we're just picking up our end of the log and hauling it down the way. When somebody else can't, we got to.

DEAN: Yes.

And your daughters were counselors there. Is that -- that's the connection?

HOLZHAUSEN: Yes, ma'am. A few years ago, they -- just after COVID and pre-COVID, not after COVID (AUDIO GAP) Their last time, they were at college and (AUDIO GAP) they're still very close with friends of their, siblings, our community in San Antonio (AUDIO GAP) have kids there, grandkids.

DEAN: Brooks, unfortunately...

(CROSSTALK)

HOLZHAUSEN: ... expected back.

DEAN: Unfortunately -- the signal you are out there in a very rural area and that signal is getting a little bit weak, so we can't hear everything you're saying.

But I do want to just say thank you, and I think certainly everyone appreciate and is grateful to you and to all those with you that you're still out there and you're still picking up the pieces for so many people who are still in so much pain. So, thank you, Brooks Holzhausen. We appreciate it.

Still ahead: a dramatic standoff between federal immigration agents and protesters outside of a cannabis farm. This happened in California. The FBI now searching for a man they say appeared to fire a gun at ICE agents.

Plus,a dramatic escalation in President Trump's trade war. He's now threatening to put a 35 percent tariff on one of the United States' largest and most important trading partners.

And new reporting the FBI is using lie-detector tests to check employees' loyalty to the FBI director, Kash Patel.

Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL. We will be right back.

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DEAN: New today, the FBI now offering a $50,000 award to help find a man who appeared to fire a gun at officers during a tense standoff at a raid in California. And you can see, in this video, the man appears to point and open fire as protesters clashed with law enforcement outside a cannabis farm near Los Angeles, footage from the scene showing officers firing what appears to be tear gas into the crowd sending some of those protesters running.

And in another video, you can see protesters throwing rocks at an ICE van as it sped away with its driver's side window smashed. Earlier, President Trump's border czar warned, the protests are going too far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP);

THOMAS HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: People are welcome to protest. They have their First Amendment rights, Griff, but they can't cross that line. They can't impede us from doing our job. That's a felony. They certainly can't put arms -- put hands on an agent. That's a felony.

So what happened in California is just another example of protesters becoming criminals. ICE agents are simply enforcing the law that members of Congress enacted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Let's go now to CNN's Veronica Miracle. She's in Los Angeles.

And, Veronica, these raids are happening there in Southern California. They have been for weeks. And we're continuing to see really the heat turn up.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Jessica.

And the fallout from yesterday's raid still evolving today. The response from city leaders, as well as activist groups, has been quite swift. In fact, there's actually an event that's about to happen right behind me. Protesters are walking and driving around the block and they're coming here holding an event.

And then mayor, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, also just held a press conference of her own where she signed an executive directive, a quite sweeping one, in order to bolster the city's support of immigrants, as well as to pursue any legal course that they can take through the courts against the federal agents.

Here's what she had to say:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN BASS (D), MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: These folks are parachuting in and I'm assuming are going to be parachuting out. So what is the threat? And what is the threat if you're carrying weapons on you with these vests on that have dubious identification?

Sometimes, it just says police. That's why we see it looks like they got them online. You know, they don't even look real. So that's what we're wanting to know in the FOIA as well. What are the specific policies that say you need to be masked and that say that you don't have to have proper identification?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: Now, in terms of what happened at the raids, it's still not clear exactly how many people were detained and arrested, but from aerial footage, we could see people being lined up against some of the facilities and being detained. We also saw busloads of people being taken away,

But those numbers have not come out yet, although the Customs and Border Protection of representatives said that there are at least 10 people who were under the age of 18 that were discovered on those farms, eight of them unaccompanied minors. And so now this is also a child labor violations case.

As we have seen in the video, the response from protesters was swift and it was violent, at one point blocking access and creating two skirmish lines from both entrances of one of the farms. And then there was the confrontation. And, as you mentioned also, the FBI now looking for an individual who may have fired their weapon at officers, a $50,000 reward leading to the arrest for -- leading to information to that man's arrest.

So, a lot happening here. And also you can see -- I don't know if you can hear, but protesters heading this way now, so a lot happening here in Los Angeles -- Jessica.

DEAN: Certainly.

All right, Veronica Miracle there in Los Angeles, thank you so much for that -- Fredricka.

[13:20:01]

WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica, joining me right now to discuss is CNN legal analyst Carrie Cordero.

Carrie, great to see you.

So, authorities claim, let's focus on the arrests and the techniques, if you will. So, authorities are claiming that they had arrest warrants.

Do these arrest warrants justify this kind of method and outcome?

CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, this obviously, Fredricka, is taken in the context of the general immigration enforcement that this administration is implementing.

And so, if they have -- the important part is that they have warrants, that they're using legal process to be able to enforce the immigration laws. Where there's bigger questions is with respect to the lawsuit that advocacy organizations have brought which pertain to warrantless or even suspicionless arrests that are being made in the context of immigration enforcement.

So there is a distinction if the federal agents have warrants versus if they don't.

WHITFIELD: And this happened at a cannabis cultivation farm. The establishment of cannabis cultivation itself is legal in California. But what questions perhaps do you have about how the people under arrest were targeted and everything that played out, absent the protest itself?

CORDERO: The issues of protesters and the violence in that was what the clip you played a little bit ago, the question about, if there's protests involved, then individuals have a right to protest, exercise their First Amendment rights, but they can engage in violence.

And if they do engage in violence, then that's going to implicate law enforcement to respond to that. If arrests are being made at a particular location by authorities, then the key is, what is the alleged criminal violation and do they have a warrant in place?

And so, when it comes to immigration issues, that's really the question. Are they -- is the federal government targeting locations where they think people are supposed to (AUDIO GAP) specifying the particular location and they have a warrant under -- that's been authorized?

WHITFIELD: OK.

And then, separately, today, a federal judge in a Central California district is expected to rule on a lawsuit seeking to halt immigration raids. What are your expectations from this case?

CORDERO: Yes, so in this case, the question is whether or not the judge is going to put a pause or provide further guidance or grant the request on behalf of the advocacy organizations to halt the immigration enforcement.

And so the allegations that have been made by the advocacy organizations is that the government is not using a warrant, not having specified reasons to detain, search or arrest specific individuals, but instead is just doing it based on where they are or based on their appearance and so forth, and so I think the question is whether or not the judge is persuaded that the government is potentially violating different provisions of the Constitution, including the Fourth Amendment.

And also there's been allegations about right to counsel, and so whether the judge then limits the government's ability to do that. If they if the judge does, certainly, the Trump administration would take that up further and appeal it further because they're going to continue to want to enforce their immigration authorities.

WHITFIELD: All right, Carrie Cordero, we will leave it there for now. Thank you so much. Have a great weekend.

All right, coming up: The White House ratchets up the pressure on Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Why the administration is now accusing Powell of breaking the law.

And it's a discovery 70 million years in the making. A Denver museum says its unbelievable find is like winning the Willy Wonka factory.

Stay with us.

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DEAN: President Trump once again ratcheting up his trade war.

He's now threatening to put a 35 percent tariff on Canada. That is, of course, one of America's biggest trading partners, the warning coming 10 days before a July 21 deadline for a trade deal that U.S. and Canadian officials had been trying to meet.

The president also telling NBC News he may issue a blanket tariff for other countries as well.

CNN's Matt Egan joining us now to bring us up to speed on where things stand.

Matt, these tariffs and trade negotiations often a moving target. Where do things stand right now?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Jessica, it's been a whirlwind week of tariff moves from President Trump. You almost need a box score, like in baseball, just to keep track of it all.

But here's the latest escalation. It involves America's neighbors to the north, Canada, the president threatening this 35 percent tariff on Canadian imports as of August 1. Now, a White House official told me that the expectation is that this 35 percent tariff rate will only apply to the Canadian goods that are currently facing 25 percent tariffs.

So that means it would exclude energy, potash and USMCA-compliant goods. But this official did caution that the president has not made a final decision here. Now, the stakes are significant because Canada is the number three source of imports into the United States.