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Elon Musk Pours Money Into Critical Wisconsin Court Election; Trump Says He Couldn't Care Less If Auto Prices Rise Over New Tariffs; Kite Strikes United Airlines Plane Near D.C. Airport; University Of Minnesota Graduate Student Detained By ICE; Parents Deported Back To Colombia After Living In The U.S. For 35 Years; Interview With Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN). Aired 4-5p ET

Aired March 30, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

@RABBLE: These new protocols like Napster were created and now we have that protocol dream. And the goal was for Twitter to adopt the Blue Sky protocol. The goal was for Twitter to become again an open protocol like the Web, and that didn't happen once Elon took over.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right. And so when you reflect on what it was and what it is today, how would you describe it?

@RABBLE: I mean, we changed the world. We democratized communication. We put everybody into the zeitgeist and the public sphere. And that was really powerful. But we didn't give everybody the right tools to govern that. And that caused a lot of damage to the society and the world at the same time. And so I'm very proud that we create the platform for Black Lives Matter and for Me Too, and the Arab spring. And I am saddened that we also empowered swarms of hate speech.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rabble, all very profound thoughts. Thank you so much. Glad you could be with us.

@RABBLE: Thank you so much. Look forward to seeing the last episode.

WHITFIELD: It is tonight. Be sure to tune in to "TWITTER: BREAKING THE BIRD," final episode tonight, 10:00 Eastern and Pacific right here on CNN.

The next hour starts right now.

All right. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right. We begin this hour with the first major election since Trump reclaimed the White House. And now folks will be at the ballot box in just two days. This Tuesday, voters in two key states may give us insight into how they feel about the Trump presidency. We've already seen anger spilling out in town halls, and protests have been underway across the country as people express concerns over the Trump administration's cuts to federal agencies and the workforce.

Now, we may find out if that anger translates to votes. In Florida, Republicans are fighting to make sure they hold on to two congressional seats left open when Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz left office. Trump won those districts by more than 30 points in 2024. But so far, the Democratic challengers are vastly outraising their Republican opponents.

Tuesday could also be a referendum on Elon Musk, who has become central in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between a conservative and a liberal judge. Today, the Wisconsin attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to block Musk and his super PAC from offering $1 million rewards to voters.

I'm joined now by Daniel Bice. He is a political reporter for the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel."

Daniel, great to see you.

DANIEL BICE, POLITICAL REPORTER, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: Yes. Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: So the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin has really shattered spending records. Why is this race getting so much attention?

BICE: Isn't it crazy? I thought things would be over in November, but the spending is going to top $100 million. And you know, what's happened is with Elon Musk and President Trump getting involved, it's gotten everybody interested and engaged in this race.

You have two candidates, a liberal candidate, Susan Crawford, and she's built her campaign in recent weeks around the opposition to Elon Musk. Elon Musk is not very popular here. His approval rating is around 40 percent. And on the other side, Brad Schimel, and he's done something that's unprecedented in Wisconsin. And that is he's attached his campaign completely to the Trump endorsement that he got.

And so people are saying, you know, it's risky because Trump won the state by a very, very narrow margin and he lost the state in 2020. So, you know, that's what's happening right now.

WHITFIELD: Well, you said Elon Musk is not very popular there. But does his million-dollar incentive, does that suddenly make him or his choice popular?

BICE: It's crazy that, yes, so tonight he has a forum in Green Bay. And he's going to give away two $1 million checks to people. At first he said to people who voted, but many people start saying that that was an apparent violation of the bribery statute. So now he's saying he's going to give $1 million to people who signed his petition against activist judges.

The other side, the state attorney general, who's a Democrat, went to court. Interestingly, the case was originally assigned to Susan Crawford, but she recused. And the judge who got it rejected it. The appeals court judge rejected it. And so now it's at the state Supreme Court, and the state Supreme Court is very invested and very involved in this because the court is soon going to be 3 to 3, and whoever wins this race will determine whether the liberals or the conservatives will have control of the court.

[16:05:08]

WHITFIELD: So both Elon Musk and Donald Trump have become a real focus, you know, in this race. Let's take a look at -- what?

BICE: I was just going to say. So one thing that people might not understand is that in 2020, Trump lost the state by a very narrow margin. He filed four lawsuits in the state to try to toss out the results of the election. Each of those lawsuits went to the Supreme Court. So the Supreme Court made the decision on those things, and they all went 4 to 3 against him. And so this is in Trump's mind, and that's part of the reason that he is so involved in this race.

WHITFIELD: OK. And they're popular because they're in a lot of campaign ads. Let me put it that way. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elon Musk bought his way to unelected power. Now with Brad Schimel, he's trying to buy his way into our state Supreme Court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On April 1st, you can stop Musk's extreme agenda.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump is fighting back, but a liberal judge ordered deportation flights to be turned around. We don't need another liberal judge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So how are people interpreting these ads and the way in which the imagery of -- and statements and actions of Elon Musk and Trump being portrayed?

BICE: You know, it's interesting, the candidates have generally gotten lost in this. I mean, it's become a referendum. Brad Schimel wants it to be a referendum on Trump. And he's basically said that, he told me that yesterday, that it was important for him to get 60 percent of Trump's votes to come out on Tuesday.

Susan Crawford, she's raised a lot of money herself. She's raised about $26 million, the most ever raised by a judicial candidate in America. And so -- but she's got two ads running now in Milwaukee and in Madison that's very highly critical of Elon Musk, as you just saw. So, I mean, it's become very much a referendum on those two individuals and what you think about them.

WHITFIELD: Fascinating. All right. Daniel Bice, thank you so much. Perhaps we'll talk to you next week on the other side of the votes.

All right. We're also learning new details about the massive tariffs set to hit importers to the U.S. this week. Starting Thursday, the White House says all imported cars and parts will see a 25 percent tariff. Auto industry experts say it will likely raise the cost of producing all cars sold in the U.S., both imported and American made. But in a phone interview with NBC News, Trump had this to say about higher costs for foreign automakers, saying this, quote, "I couldn't care less. I hope they raise their prices because if they do, people are going to buy American made cars. We have plenty."

Trump allies on Capitol Hill admit they may not necessarily -- that may not necessarily be what Americans want.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Do you support these auto tariffs even if it means Americans will pay more?

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): Yes. I don't think Americans want to pay more for their automobiles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Betsy Klein is in West Palm Beach, near Mar-a-Lago, where President Trump is spending the weekend.

Betsy, what more can we expect to see from these tariffs?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Yes. Well, Fredricka, President Trump has long viewed tariffs and the threat of tariffs as a key negotiating tool. And we're going to see that play out on April 2nd as he imposes those 25 percent tariffs on cars and car parts.

Now if you're shopping for a new car it may be more expensive, but also if you're repairing an existing car, it could cost more. And when the president said in this NBC News interview that he, quote, "couldn't care less" if prices go up due to those tariffs, he had two reasons for that. Number one, he wants Americans to buy more American made cars. And number two, he wants to put pressure on automakers to shift manufacturing back to the U.S.

We should note, of course, that American manufacturers make many parts in Mexico and Canada. Now, after that NBC News interview, an aide to President Trump clarified that when the president said he couldn't care less, he was referring specifically to the price of foreign cars.

Now, the president is also set to enact sweeping reciprocal tariffs on April 2nd, and Americans won't necessarily feel the full effects of those tariffs right away. But import taxes can raise the prices of just about everything. More than 40 percent of the goods imported into the U.S. just last year come from some of those countries that the president plans to target.

I want you to listen to what Peter Navarro, the president's trade adviser, said when asked about concerns from American consumers about prices going up.

[16:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR TRADE AND MANUFACTURING ADVISER: Trust in Trump. We have the example from the first term. We know that we imposed historically high tariffs on China. We imposed aluminum and steel tariffs. We imposed on washing machines, on solar. All we got out of that was prosperity and price stability. And the reason why we're not going to see inflation is because the foreigners are going to eat most of it. They have to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Trust in Trump, of course, may be cold comfort amid so much market volatility and uncertainty for American businesses and consumers, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Also, Betsy, in this interview that the president did, phone interview on NBC, he said he was considering new tariffs on Russian oil as well. How is anyone going to feel that?

KLEIN: That's right. The president said that he would threaten secondary tariffs on Russian oil. He said, quote, "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault, which it might not be, but if I think it was Russia's fault, I'm going to put secondary tariffs on oil."

Here is why that doesn't make sense, Fredricka. The U.S. hasn't imported any Russian energy since Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022. So he could double, triple, quadruple tariffs on Russian energy. It wouldn't have any impact. What's also notable here is the tone that President Trump struck regarding Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He said he was pissed off at the Russian leader for going after Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his credibility, and also for calling for new leadership for Ukraine in that war torn country. Of course, that stands in sharp contrast to what the president himself has said.

WHITFIELD: All right, Betsy Klein, thank you so much.

All right. Straight ahead, another incident at Washington's Reagan airport. A United Airlines flight coming in for a landing struck by a kite. Plus, Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz facing angry voters at town halls this weekend. She joins me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:16:49]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. A new incident this weekend at Reagan National Airport when an airplane attempting to land hit a kite. United Airlines confirmed the strike, saying the plane was undamaged and did land safely. Kite flying is prohibited in Gravelly Point, which is a park just north of where the plane landed.

CNN correspondent Brian Todd has details now.

Brian, what are you learning?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, these incidents just keep happening at Reagan National Airport. It's really kind of stunning in light of what happened two months ago with that tragic collision where 67 people were killed.

Here's what we know about the incident yesterday. United Airlines telling CNN it is aware of reports that a kite struck one of its planes landing at Reagan National yesterday. That was United Flight 654 from Houston. It would have occurred at about 4:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon that if there was a kite flown there, it would have been likely flown at Gravelly Point. And you can see how close that is in that map.

It's right at the end of Runway 19, and when you're out there, it looks like it's even closer when you're out there in person. Now we have to say the plane landed safely. The passengers deplaned normally. There was an inspection of the plane and no damage was found to the plane according to United Airlines. But we also got some air traffic control audio where pilots landing at Reagan at about that time were warned by air traffic control about two kites flying at about 100 feet near the end of that runway.

Take a listen to this audio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the beginning of the runway, there is a kite being flown, United 654.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Use caution for a kite around short final.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alaska 8, thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alaska 8, that kite is about 100 feet right somewhere along the final approach past.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We'll be looking, Alaska 8.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 5388, we've got a report there is two of them. One is like a bright yellow one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even better. Thank you. Blustreak 5388.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Now kite flying is not allowed in that area around Gravelly Point. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority tells CNN that its police responded to reports of kite flying yesterday there. There's an image of a police officer there. They briefly confiscated one of the kites and gave it back to the individual. No charges were filed.

But just this afternoon, Fredricka, one of our photojournalists, Manny Climaco, went back to Gravelly Point and he filmed a police officer. You see some of this video. There's a guy flying a kite there. A police officer is coming up to him and is going to stop him from doing that. This was just this afternoon. And some of the video, if it plays along there, you're going to see a low-flying aircraft flying just over it.

Kite flying is prohibited at that place. It is very, very close. Look at how close that plane is coming. And if that kite was at some distance, at some height, that could have been a pretty bad incident there.

So again, Fredricka, these incidents keep happening and we do have very quickly a report of another close call at Reagan on Friday afternoon when a Delta Airlines jet came too close to an Air Force T- 38 fighter jet that was flying around Washington. Excuse me, around Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover. This jet flew at about 350 miles an hour, passed the Delta jet.

[16:20:01]

And again, all of this very near that area where those -- the American Airlines regional jet collided with an army helicopter back on January 29th and 67 people were killed. These incidents keep happening at Reagan National Airport -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow. It's extraordinary. And while they are no longer doing the helicopter, you know, routes, the military helicopter routes along the Potomac, nothing had been said about often those Air Force, you know, flyovers near Arlington ceremonies -- Arlington Cemetery, because it often accompanies many of the ceremonies that take place. So one has to wonder now if that's going to be something that is revisited as well.

Brian Todd, thank you so much.

TODD: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. An international graduate student at the University of Minnesota is in federal custody. The latest detainment of foreign nationals who are attending American universities. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:25:26]

WHITFIELD: Union leaders at the University of Minnesota are calling the detention of an international graduate student by ICE an abduction. University officials are actively working to gather more details. A statement from the university's president says the student was detained at an off-campus residence. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he spoke with the Department of Homeland Security and will share the information when he learns more.

The action follows several international students being detained or deported over what the Trump administration calls homeland security concerns.

CNN's Rafael Romo is here with more on all of this.

What are you learning? RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this particular case, Fredricka,

stands out because of the lack of information about what exactly happened to the student. Officials have not released the student's identity, the location where this individual is currently being held, or the reason for the detention.

CNN reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to request information about this case, but so far there has been no reply. The University of Minnesota disclosed some details in a letter sent to students, faculty and staff on Friday, calling what happened a deeply concerning situation, as many on campus rallied in support of the detained student, expressing concern and indignation.

According to the letter, an international graduate student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday. The detention happened off campus, but the student is enrolled at the Twin Cities campus. University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham said in the letter that the university had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred.

Several Minnesota officials, including, as we mentioned before, Governor Tim Walz, have reacted with both concern and surprise about this case. An activist attending the rally at the University of Minnesota said she does not consider the operations to detain international students as detentions. But in her words, abductions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAMONA MALCZYNSKI, PRESIDENT, UNITED GRADUATE WORKERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO: The nature of the ICE abductions of international graduate students and immigrants across the country since the Trump administration came into office has been horrific. People are being taken without being told why and by officers who are sometimes masked and not in uniform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: The detention comes as several foreign nationals affiliated with prestigious American universities have been arrested amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Rumeysa Ozturk, an international graduate student from Turkey, we were reporting about this yesterday, was detained Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and sent to a detention facility in Louisiana, where she is currently being held.

The only thing stopping her from being deported right now is an order from a federal judge issued late Friday. An attorney for the University of Minnesota detained student, the one we were talking about at the beginning, declined comment to CNN, saying it's a highly sensitive situation. The attorney also confirmed she has been in contact with her client, but it is unclear, Fred, how long it took her to reach the student after the detention and again, publicly, we have no idea where she's -- or this student because we don't know if it's who she is, where she is right now.

WHITFIELD: Because so many who have been detained eventually end up in Louisiana.

ROMO: Right.

WHITFIELD: And sometimes there are other stops along the way.

All right. Let us know when you learn it.

ROMO: Of course.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.

All right. After living in the U.S. for 35 years and raising three daughters, a California couple, rather, was arrested, held at multiple detention centers for several weeks and then deported to Colombia.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is here with more on their experience -- Julia.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, 35 years, an entire life built in this country. But all of that for at least 20 years was hanging in the balance as this couple requested extension after extension, getting one year at a time stays in this country. All of that changed just a couple of weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez fled Colombia in 1989, applied for asylum in the U.S. and made California home. They raised three daughters, all born in the U.S. They paid taxes, volunteered during COVID, and checked in with immigration authorities every year without fail. Until a few weeks ago.

STEPHANIE GONZALEZ, PARENTS DEPORTED AFTER 35 YEARS IN THE U.S.: I spoke with my mom on the phone around 10:30 a.m., and she let me know that her appointment went great with her officer, that they gave her a year extension, and so we thought that everything was going to be great. And then unfortunately, a couple of hours later, we heard different news.

[16:30:08]

The officers simply looked at his file and said that he didn't really have a case and that he was going to be detained, and then called my mom back in and arrested her as well with no explanation.

JONES (voice-over): The couple was held for three weeks in detention facilities in California, Arizona and Louisiana. Then, deported to Colombia.

GONZALEZ: We didn't really get to say goodbye. The phone call from my dad was really short. He just told us that we had to go pick up his car that was left in the parking lot. He just told us that he loved us. That he didn't know where he was going.

JONES: In 2000, the couple was issued a voluntary departure order but had received extensions yearly on their stay until now. In a statement, ICE said that Gladys and Nelson had exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S. between March 2000 and August 2021.

Including reviews by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2001 and 2018. Citizenship and immigration services in 2010. And the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2021. Their attorney says their arrest reflects a broader shift in immigration enforcement.

MONICA CROOMS, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY (on camera): We're seeing people like Gladys and Nelson who have, again, cooperated with immigration over several years, have never given immigration any reason to believe that they would flee.

People like Gladys and Nelson are being swept up in these removal efforts. And it's just -- it's devastating. It's devastating to, not only their families, but to the communities in which they live because people are terrified.

JONES: The couple spent years and thousands of dollars in legal help, much of it, they say, from unlicensed or disbarred individuals.

CROOMS: Our hope was that the Board of Immigration Appeals would see this and agree with us that there was just a gross miscarriage of justice, with respect to how Gladys and Nelson were represented. And would reopen their case to allow them to potentially seek legalization through one of their daughters.

JONES: The couple's daughters launched a GoFundMe, raising over $75,000 from more than 750 donors, to help their parents rebuild in Colombia and pay for future legal efforts.

CROOMS: They'll have to start over again. But the hope is that they will be able to come back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (live): And the way to come back, Fredricka, would be through -- to apply for a family reunification immigrant visa through their daughters. But for that, they have to wait at least 10 years. All of that time outside of the United States.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Vargas Jones, thanks so much.

Frustrated voters voicing their displeasure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. VICTORIA SPARTZ (R), INDIANA: I'll -- so, let me just address. No, I will not demand their resignation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: This was at a town hall just days ago with Republican representative, Victoria Spartz, in Indiana. I'll talk to the congresswoman about that and other town halls, next.

[16:33:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. For weeks now, voters have been giving lawmakers an earful at town halls across the country. On top of President Trumps deep cuts to government agencies, frustrations are also mounting over the leaked group chat with top White House officials and national security officials about the U.S. military strikes in Yemen.

Here's how Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz responded to her constituents' questions of accountability in Westfield on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To demand the immediate resignation of Pete Hegseth, Michael Waltz and the rest of the group chat.

SPARTZ: I'll -- so, let me just address. No, I will not demand their resignation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Spartz held another town hall yesterday. Ashton Hackman, from CNN affiliate WTHR, spoke with voters in Muncie, Indiana, eager to share their concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Tax the rich. Tax the rich. Tax the rich.

ASHTON HACKMAN, JOURNALIST, WTHR-TV: It was confrontational from the start. Nearly 100 people filling the room in Muncie City Hall, pressing Congresswoman Spartz for answers on issues of government spending, health care and DOGE cuts from President Trump and Elon Musk.

SPARTZ: You know, we need to take into consideration. And then, we need to decide in the Congress. Do we want to actually put it in the budget? So, that is a discussion and work (?) we have right now.

HACKMAN: Answers, at many times, masked by uproars from the crowd.

CHELSEA MCDONNEL, OUTREACH DIRECTOR, MADVOTERS: Any opportunity that our representatives give us to be involved in their decision-making process, it's incredibly important to step up and do that. I'm not going to promise that they're always going to listen but be a part of the solution.

HACKMAN: Chelsea McDonnel is one of those constituents asking questions, sharing how cuts at the federal level impact lives on a local level.

MCDONNEL: I write grants for multiple organizations, including the soup kitchen. And we're going without answers about things like our FEMA grants. And it's very concerning for us, because we really depend on that to keep people alive.

HACKMAN: But it wasn't just those speaking out against Congresswoman Spartz. Many supporters were there to ask questions, too.

RANDALL MCCALLISTER: I think more representatives do need to show up and talk to their constituents.

[16:40:04]

HACKMAN: Randall McAllister went to both of the town halls. He said the current political climate makes it difficult to find middle ground.

MCCALLISTER: We got to chill out and just listen to each other. Even if we don't agree, at least have that conversation. Instead of all the anger built up. Just sit down, relax and actually have a conversation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Our thanks to Ashton Hackman from our CNN affiliate, WTHR.

All right. Here with us now is Congress -- is the Congresswoman at the center of those town hall discussions, Republican Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana.

Congresswoman, welcome. Thank you so much for being with us.

SPARTZ (via Webex): Thank you for having me, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, people in the audience in the Westfield town hall were quite upset. You know, challenging you, among other things, on whether Defense Secretary Hegseth should be fired or removed. You said no to that.

So, what are among the other things that you told voters that you are considering, as it pertains to DOGE activity, including firings and department dismantling?

SPARTZ: Well, unfortunately, Fredricka, this town halls, which should be part of the process for us to communicate with our constituents and have dialog, became really an organized ambush by Democrats. And there are a lot of radical groups to push a false narrative that Republicans are doing something wrong. And that spread lies.

So, I saw it regardless of what really a lot of my colleagues understand is becoming a safety situation, because we have a very violent group creating chaos, which really puts safety of our staff and other constituents, police at stake, decided not to do it. I thought, we still need to do it, because we shouldn't be silenced.

And we need to talk about the issues that are important for the American people. Because we try to legislate a lot of good issues, and that will benefit Americans.

So, we did that. But, unfortunately, the action was very violent. And I'll tell you about the questions relating to Pete Hawk. That is kind of hypocritical that -- you know, that a lot of people are so fighting for the same due process for people here illegally. Which, realistically, we can do only in a limited way. They don't feel that actually people like Pete Hegseth should have a

due process before were going to do any, you know, demand resignations and take them out of their position that they were appointed to. If some innocent mistakes happen, we always have room for improvement.

But I think they entitled for more due process. Not a mob rule than illegals in our country that violated rule of law and working with cartels and create dangers in the country.

WHITFIELD: So, are you disputing --

SPARTZ: Unfortunately, now, the other side doesn't want to have dialogs.

WHITFIELD: So, are you disputing that a number of the people that are showing up at your town halls are legitimate constituents? I mean, I would -- I would think that, you know, you're in your third term. You probably recognize a lot of your voters at many of these town halls. And do you feel that that was representative of your district and the sentiments that people were conveying to you?

SPARTZ: No, I'm actually a lot in my district. I had a lot of meetings beyond town halls. This is organized by Democrats that do a lot of social media posts. A lot of them were standing. And very radical groups in my district were standing all day to make sure that they can get in first.

Because we even expanded capacity for the first town hall. It still was, you know, normal that we don't have so many people because ultimately that's a jundah (?), you know, organized group of people. So, they wanted to make sure they get in and, you know, they were professional protesters or agitators.

They do it in other places. And they get in first so that they can flood the room. That a lot of legitimate constituents couldn't even come. So, some of them or a lot of them probably are constituents. You know, we have a very diverse district.

But they represent extreme left, not represent really the Indiana Fifth District, because people don't -- the majority of people in my district don't want violence. They don't want spit on my stuff and scream for two hours. And they want to have a conversation. That's not a majority of Americans.

And, truly, I don't think majority of Americans want violence.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, it didn't -- it didn't look like, from a lot of the videotape I saw that there was violence. But people certainly were very emotional.

And of some of the comments I was able to hear, there were a lot of sentiments about Elon Musk, who were challenging the powers of Elon Musk. And they want to hear from you.

And I wonder what you've been telling people who are asking you, and other members of Congress, when they say they didn't elect Elon Musk. They are concerned that he has overstepped his bounds. And even some judges have said that he has overstepped his bounds in some of the firings.

What do you say to people who have showed up at your town hall who are expressing that? What are you saying to them? Do you think Musk has gone too far?

SPARTZ: No, actually Musk has been very helpful for us to bring more transparency and audit better the government that the Congress can look and decide what actions we need to put into the law in our preparation (?) reconciliation. Because as an auditor (?), someone who has been talking now for years.

[16:45:00]

SPARTZ: And, actually, not just me. Government accountability office was talking how terrible and broken government. We don't have simple controls. We don't know where the money are going. Departments are not auditable. We have a lot of fraud and we do nothing about it. No one is doing anything.

So, at least he brings more transparency where American people can see now. So, we make sure that we get rid of fraud and save these programs and benefits for the people, for the people that belong, these programs to. That we have enough money and we're going bankrupt.

And I -- and I'll just said to your other point. Actually, in Muncie, the town hall was much more brutal in the way that they were much more organized, protested, and were actually very brutal to my staff and some of the Trump supporters. And it was much, much -- you know, it was very serious and very concerned for the police.

WHITFIELD: So, Congresswoman, you know, what are the actions? You said, you know, it's about the actions of the members of Congress. Members of Congress, you know, helped craft law, legislation. You have the purse strings.

What are the conversations among members of Congress about how you are going to either keep in check the President or Elon Musk and DOGE, when it's Congress who should control the purse strings? And when you have the President who says he wants to dismantle the Department of Education or restrict funding to the Smithsonian, which is Congressionally approved. What is the plan of action among members of Congress, regardless of party?

SPARTZ: Well, I think, you know, unfortunately, just go to your point. 85 percent we spend in Congress doesn't even look at it for decades now. So, until we reform all our processes, which are really hard to do on a partisan basis. It needs to be a bipartisan agreement, which very difficult to reach any bipartisanship.

Unfortunately, we try for a few years. We try to do fiscal commission and couldn't get through it. And even though introduced it in both chambers. And only very few people in Congress want to govern. That's a problem. You know, but now it's a lot of grandstanding for Democrats. So, I don't see it very realistic. But we'll still try to do it. You know, so, then, a lot of ways, reconciliation is becoming the only place for us. We at least can look at some terrible waste, fraud and abuse in some of these programs, like Medicare and Medicaid.

The Democrats and Nancy Pelosi used to be all for it. You know, where Vice President Biden was saying it's a Ponzi scheme. We need to do something. We need to save these programs. And, suddenly, when Republicans are doing, there is no fraud. We're going to be protecting fraud.

So, there are some things we can do. There are some things need to be bipartisan. We'll have to deal with it. But hopefully we can come to more common sense because the country is in trouble fiscally.

And we need to govern. And I hope more people will come and listen to the republic. And, hopefully, we will not be intimidated and silenced and talk about good policy we want to do for all Americans. Because good economy, good jobs, dealing with fraud, saving these programs have a future for our children. That should be common sense we should agree on.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it there for now. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, glad you could be with us. Thank you so much.

SPARTZ: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

[16:48:12]

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WHITFIELD: For the past two years, CNN Anchor Kate Bolduan has been documenting the front lines of the evolving fentanyl crisis, through the eyes of paramedics, dealers, active users, and a doctor inside a NICU, treating the youngest victims, newborns suffering from withdrawal.

Here's a preview from Kate's reporting for this week's episode of "THE WHOLE STORY."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He (?) is having some tremors. The fentanyl crisis has been very real. I mean, opiate use in general. Since the time I started practicing in pediatrics and neonatology, there's been an increase in over 300 percent of patients.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. What we found is that there's so many of these moms that are using that were not comfortable with sharing that information.

BOLDUAN: If a pregnant woman comes in and she holds this information back, how does that impact the care?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they wouldn't have shared it with their provider, they wouldn't know that it's actually more dangerous to stop using if you're already pregnant. So, they would try to get themselves off of it. And sometimes cold turkey. Stop using.

BOLDUAN: People are going to hear that and, what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The baby can die inside. So, the baby will then also go through withdrawal, much like the mom will if she stops using. And it can cause the baby to actually die in utero.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Kate Bolduan joining us right now. So, in addition to that, what likely surprised you the most during your two- year investigation?

BOLDUAN: Yes. So, what you just saw there, Fred -- and thanks for having us on -- is just a piece of what we found in our two years of taking a look at the fentanyl crisis. A crisis that people know so well and has touched so many lives.

But what we found very quickly and then documented over a period of two years, something I've never been able to do before, is how this crisis is evolving. Because with the great progress that's been made with overdose reversal drugs like Naloxone or known -- you know, more traditionally, like Narcan, there is this growing number. I describe it as a wave of fentanyl survivors.

[16:55:03]

BOLDUAN: People who are living with now an addiction to one of the most powerful drugs out there.

And what we saw is it now presents a new challenge and a whole new set of questions for these people who are struggling now with a horrible addiction. Their families, their communities and society at large, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so, what are we going to, you know, learn, you know, about watching this episode?

BOLDUAN: What you're going to hear from are people who have never spoken out before. Some are the type of people who are the most stigmatized in this crisis. Mothers who are suffering from addiction and become pregnant and what they are -- choices -- the question -- the choices that they are faced with.

The paramedics who are on the front lines, who are using first-in-the- nation programs to try to not only save people's lives but to get them into recovery. We even speak to a dealer on camera who wants his side of the story to be heard as well.

So, all aspects of this now evolving crisis and the very courageous voices and people that wanted to speak up in the midst of. WHITFIELD: So incredibly fascinating. We'll all be watching. Kate

Bolduan, thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, of course, watch "Fentanyl in America: A Way Out." CNN's "THE WHOLE STORY" presented by Anderson Cooper tonight at 8:00.

All right. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Jessica Dean, after this.

[16:56:33]

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