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Trump Supports His Defense Secretary and National Security Adviser; Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs on Wednesday; Tesla Takedown Movement Calls for Global Day of Action; Myanmar Quake Aftermath; Trump on Greenland: Military Force Not Off the Table; Trump Admin. Targets U.S. Institute of Peace; MAGA Voters Dumped by Trump; Taliban Freed American Woman; Ukraine's Demographic Crisis. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired March 30, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll do it if you ask me to. And the board member said, that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you if you want to do this. And Jack just said, I'll do it if you ask me to. There's no way you can be human and have been removed from a role and then ask to please come back and take this role and not think, hell, yes. Like, All right. I'm back.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

U.S. President Donald Trump is publicly standing by his defense secretary and national security adviser amid the Signal chat scandal, that's despite reporting that suggests otherwise behind the scenes. And President Trump also says he couldn't care less if the price you pay for your next car goes up. He talks tariffs as consumer sentiment plummets. And loved ones hold out hope of finding survivors in the rubble of the Myanmar quake. We'll have the latest in a live report.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Amid a growing scandal over discussion of U.S. military operations on a commercial messaging app. President Donald Trump says he does have confidence in National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump told NBC News', Kristen Welker, that the controversy is, quote, "Just a witch hunt and the fake news."

Now, this comes after The New York Times reported that the president has privately considered firing Waltz who mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal group chat that include detailed attack plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Earlier this week, Trump said Waltz was doing his best. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No, I don't think he should apologize. I think he's doing his best. It's equipment and technology that's not perfect. And probably he won't be using it again, at least not in the very near future. What do you think?

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Yes, sir. I agree with you. Let's get everybody in the room whenever possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: But The Times reports that the president has grown frustrated and angry that the story won't go away. Senior White House Producer Betsy Klein, is traveling with the president and has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: This entire Signal text chain debacle, starting with the sharing of almost certainly classified information about strikes in Yemen by top Trump national security officials, followed by the White House's subsequent messaging efforts really marks the first self-inflicted crisis of President Donald Trump's second term.

Now, Signal, that encrypted messaging app is something that the president himself was quite unfamiliar with and an aid had to explain to him what it was and what exactly had happened here. Ultimately, the president pinning the blame on his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who added the journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, to that text chain.

Of course, new reporting in The New York Times that the president has been polling allies and advisers inside and outside the White House of Waltz asking quote, "Should I fire him?" The Times reports that Trump is privately very unhappy with the news coverage around this, but does not want to be seen as caving. And National Security Council Spokesman Brian Hughes saying in a statement that Waltz, quote, "Serves at the pleasure of President Trump and the president has voiced his support for the national security adviser multiple times this week." Hughes added that unnamed sources should be treated with the skepticism of gossip.

And it doesn't appear, at least for now that anyone will be fired after this episode. Listen to the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We all accept that a journalist should not have been invited into the chat and members of the administration, including my dear friend Mike, have taken responsibility for it. And if you think you're going to force the president of the United States to fire anybody, you've got another thing coming. President Trump has said it on Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday, on Thursday, and I'm the vice president saying it here on Friday, we are standing behind our entire national security team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, sources familiar with his views say that the entire episode has frustrated President Trump, who believes it has marred what has otherwise been a strong and unified messaging operation in his second term. Trump has privately told his top officials to review the use of Signal going forward.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Despite the spotlight on Waltz, two people very familiar with national security issues are raising concerns about the defense secretary's actions. New York Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger says Hegseth's activity may have been the most serious and Retired General Wesley Clark says he's uneasy about Hegseth's behavior in the days since the scandal broke. Here he is.

[04:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER AND FOUNDER, RENEW AMERICA TOGETHER: I just can't imagine what it's like to be some airman's wife out there, your husband's deployed in the Gulf and the secretary of defense is releasing information that could get him shot down. That's terrible. And even worse is the lying about it, because the military runs on integrity. So, when you're caught, hey, I did it. I confess it's a mistake. I'm sorry. Don't try to bluff your way through it, especially for our secretary of defense. We want a good secretary of defense. I'd like to see him succeed. I don't want him to have trouble, but he has to set the example.

And when you have the secretary of defense up there and he's supposed to represent the integrity and the honor, the faithfulness of the officers and men who serve in the Department of Defense, he's got to represent that. He's got to set the example.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST AND NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mike Waltz came out right away, took responsibility for it, said, I'm the one who set this group up. I shouldn't have done it, you know, moved on from there. Different story for Secretary Hegseth who actually added the material that we're all worried about here, which was the sequencing of the attacks, knowing that he was copying it from some kind of classified environment into a Signal chat. And that was the real violation here.

What happened but prior to that was in the world of error, that was the real violation. And he has not apologized at all. He simply said this wasn't classified, which I can't find anybody in Washington that believes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Both Wall Street and Main Street are on edge ahead of what U.S. President Donald Trump dubbed the Liberation Day, that would be this Wednesday when his reciprocal tariffs on imports would kick in. It would match whatever tariffs foreign countries impose on their imports from the U.S. But that's only step one because separate 25 percent tariffs on car imports are set to go into effect the next day. The move is expected to add thousands of dollars to cars sticker prices.

But Trump said on Saturday he couldn't care less if the prices shoot up because people will eventually start buying more American cars. He also indicated he's open to negotiations on tariffs if he gets something of great value in return.

Meanwhile, new data shows U.S. consumer confidence is taking a nosedive while stocks followed suit Friday with the Dow on track for its worst quarter since 2022.

All right. for the big picture on what all of this means, we're joined by Ryan Patel, a senior fellow at the Drucker School of Management, which is at Claremont Graduate University. He's speaking to us from Los Angeles. Good to see you again, my friend. So, lots of economic, you know, reporting coming out this week. In terms of the data, what did we learn about the direction of the economy? What stood out to you?

RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: Well, I mean, the biggest takeaway to me, and it's no surprise to you, Kim, because we've been talking about it, is that inflation is proving to be stubborn, right? The core PCE price index row is 0.4 percent for the month, that's 2.8 percent year over year, which, what does that mean? It's higher than expected. And that means for the Fed, it's in a tough spot. So, that's the bigger picture, right? They can't justify cutting rates yet. They also know restricted policy coming also means too -- for too long means its own risk.

And then, the second piece to me is the consumer spending, right? It increased but fell short of expectations. And the personal rate -- savings rate was another one that actually ticked up. So, that's kind of a behavior thing, Kim, that suggests households are becoming more cautious somewhat and something to watch closely.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And those inflation numbers you talked about, that was before the car tariffs kicked in. I'm curious about that third piece that you were talking about. I guess it's the second and third piece, but the U.S. consumer confidence that seems to have plunged to its lowest level in more than four years, and people's expectations of the future are also the lowest they've been in over a decade.

But of course, that kind of survey information about how people feel about the economy is soft data. So, the question, which you kind of alluded to there at the end was, will it translate into hard data will actually cause them to change their behavior and affect the economy? What are you seeing?

PATEL: Yes. I mean, for me, I know consumer confidence is often dismissed as soft data, kind of what you were suggesting, but it stays enough. It changes behavior. So, we've already seen a rising savings, as I mentioned, and the pullback, actually discretionary spending.

So, particularly in services dining, in traveling, and if confidence remains weak, the hard data's going to be affected, right? You see corporate earnings, hiring, the broader economic growth. So, to me, consumer confidence isn't just a mood, it can be a Signal and then, you know, that's what we have to pay attention to when it gets there.

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. So, one of the things that's causing some of the pessimism is the fear over Donald Trump's tariffs. And I just want to ask you first about what he said about car prices. So, the full quote about that was he said, I couldn't care less if they raise prices because people are going to start buying American made cars. But that's not really how it works, is it, right? Because, you know, the tariff affects foreign made parts, which will still mean U.S. automakers would likely raise their prices too. Do I have it right there?

PATEL: Yes, the reality is many U.S. automakers still rely on imported parts. I think what President Trump wants is to eventually not to do that, but unfortunately, the auto industry right now is that. So, the tariffs will increase some of the cost as well.

Now, like you said, consumers don't always switch buying behavior overnight. So, they're not going to go and say, I'm going to go buy an American car right now tomorrow. If the prices rises too much, then they'll just hold off on the purchase altogether. That's another angle that we're not seeing in this. It's not to lead, well, one car's more expensive, it's going to change the behavior.

So, I think it'll be interesting to see -- I also think President Trump is also understanding, I would hope, is the economy as well when it comes to hurting car automakers. He's been in close contact over the last month with them hoping that they would increase their prices. So, I think this might be one of those soft spots that you see maybe that they come off, you know, when we get to closer April 2nd.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, April 2nd. All right. So, let's talk about the so-called Liberation Day when he'll announce these global tariffs. There's plenty about -- plenty of confusion about what to expect. Trump himself has suggested that they won't go as far as originally proposed. So, I know a lot of unknowns here, but what are you expecting? And depending on that, what effect might it have on the rollercoaster that is, you know, the markets these days?

PATEL: Well, the first part is to expect the unknown. I mean, you've seen mixed signals that means, what, Kim, we've seen this, is that he does want to make a deal, right? They want to not create confusion or concerns for the market. So, the soft language and the hard language is mixed signal. So, you can expect that to see what actually occurs on -- even if it stays on one side or other, think about that it -- you know, if it's hard language, there may be something soft that comes out to it. I've -- we've already seen that. I think businesses are looking at that.

I think the global economy for me doesn't pause for policy changes. So, companies are making moves regardless of how it happens. And the question becomes, who does faster? And then that goes to the markets, right? Are they going to wait? Are they not going to wait?

And you saw Friday that it was not great news, but we can see next week if there's any little bit, you know, pause or a tone that's softer, you'll see the market react to it.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We shall see. Maybe you and I can catch up about the aftermath of all this next week. Ryan Patel, thanks again. Appreciate it.

PATEL: Appreciate you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Well, Elon Musk faces growing backlash in the U.S. and abroad for his role in slashing U.S. government jobs and foreign aid. In Northern Germany, new video shows seven Tesla vehicles burning in the City of Verdan on Saturday. Police are investigating the cause of the fire. Now, it came as the Tesla Takedown Movement call for a global day of action on Saturday.

United States, more than 200 demonstrations were scheduled at Tesla locations across the country. The protestors are angry with Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and head of President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency in his government role. Musk has worked to gut federal staffing and budgets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY BIRDSALL, PROTESTER: I am an economist, and this is not about efficiency. This is about reducing efficiency. You know, it's taking a hammer to issues. Getting rid of senior people especially does not bode well for improving in any efficiency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Marybel Gonzalez reports from a protest in Southern California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The protests against Tesla and Elon Musk continue nationwide with over 200 reported just this weekend alone. Now, here in Pasadena, California, dozens and dozens of people have come out outside of a Tesla store with signs saying, democracy is not autocracy. Keep Elon Musk out of the federal government. All sorts of messages they hold get through the ears of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk himself. They're critical of Musk's recent downsizing of federal agencies and their employees. And they say they're worried about the future, especially when (INAUDIBLE).

We spoke to one organizer who tells us what drove him to attend this protest, which is now his third one in recent weeks.

[04:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT VICTOR, PROTESTER: These are not regular protesters. This is a pretty seasoned crowd, if you know what I mean. Probably most people here are over six. And you know, these aren't the activists' type of people. So, you've got to ask a question, why are these people coming out here? There's been wholesale gutting in Social Security. There's a threat to Medicare and Medicaid. And there's so many people in our state that utterly depend on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GONZALEZ: Now, these protests have been a by and large, peaceful with organizers of this movement, asking protestors to remain calm when sending their message. But we do know that there's been several incidents of violent attacks and vandalism on Tesla cars, Tesla dealerships, and other Tesla facilities. I ask these organizers what they think about these acts of vandalism and they strongly denounce them, saying that is not the way to send a message. Instead, they said, this is what people should be doing, taking to the streets to boycott Musk's companies until they see him step down.

Reporting in Pasadena, California, Marybel Gonzalez.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, Elon Musk has gone from the darling of environmentally conscious EV owners to a pariah for many after he led the charge for massive federal job and budget cuts. Tesla's stock has fallen 45 percent since December. Wall Street Analyst Dan Ives has been one of Tesla's most bullish cheerleaders, but he's reassessing his opinion and explaining what he thinks Musk should do to turn things around. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN IVES, GLOBAL HEAD OF TECH RESEARCH, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: There's going to need to be a balance, almost arm's length -- you know, in terms of how he's going to, you know, interact with DOGE as well as being CEO of Tesla. This is not sustainable. This cannot continue at this pace. I think that all hands meeting that was a step forward. But I mean, for Musk, this is a key four to six weeks ahead. It's sort of the clock struck midnight. He needs to sort of balance this. This cannot continue at this pace.

And Musk is Tesla. Tesla is musk. Where's Jensen from NVIDIA now, looking at code? Where is Cook from Apple? You know, where's Nadella from Microsoft? I mean, there -- so, it just speaks to the point, like, OK, Musk is obviously going to do this differently, but I think it reached a tipping point. And I think you see it in the stock, you see in investors, and that right now, for Musk, this is a key period ahead and days like today cannot continue for Tesla.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: In the coming hours, Musk is due to arrive in Wisconsin. He's taken an active role in that state's Supreme Court race. A race that's smashed campaign spending records.

All right. Coming up, Donald Trump says he won't rule out a military to takeover of Greenland. We'll bring you the latest on the dispute between the United States and Denmark. Plus, more than 1,600 people are dead after Myanmar's earthquake. How aid workers are grappling with the horrific aftermath. That's next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: A desperate race to find survivors is underway after Friday's deadly earthquake tore through Southeast Asia.

The death toll in Myanmar has soared to more than 1600. And that number is expected to climb much higher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIE MANRIQUE, MYANMAR PROGRAMME COORDINATOR, IFRC: What we're seeing here in Myanmar is a level of devastation that hasn't been seen over a century in Asia. This is a level of the earthquake that we're going to see, not just today, tomorrow, but for the next weeks. Ongoing death tolls, types of injuries. We know that buildings have collapsed. There are people still under those buildings. We have a small window of opportunity to reach those people now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Health workers on the ground are struggling as the United Nations says Everything from damaged roads to a shortage of medical supplies are hurting relief efforts. Rescue teams are also criticizing a lack of aid from the military government, which is waging a civil war against rebels, but the country's so-called shadow government has announced a two-week pause in offensive military operations, include ousted, but democratically elected lawmakers who oppose the ruling junta.

A U.N. human rights representative for Myanmar is now urging the International Community to work with the shadow government on relief.

Now, there is some good news. Just hours ago, this young man was pulled alive from wreckage after being stuck under the rubble for about 40 hours. And in Bangkok, Thailand, the city reports about 9,500 buildings have been damaged, as it also announced its death toll has risen to 17. Rescue workers there are still looking for survivors after a high rise collapsed. Two bodies have been recovered.

Joining us live from Singapore is Journalist Manisha Tank. Manisha, bring us up to speed on the latest.

MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Well, you've shared some of the latest numbers in terms of fatalities. And I think it is really interesting that we do not yet, and we haven't for hours had any updates from the authorities in Myanmar on the number of those lost, 1,600 you mentioned, 3,400 injured and they're saying that 140 remain missing. But as many agencies are reporting, we are expecting those numbers to climb. Right now, it's very difficult to get communications out of Myanmar. The internet is intermittent and even before this quake due to the civil war there that has reached for five years, there were rolling power blackouts. So, it's going to be a very challenging situation.

That said, international agencies are piling up that there are countries offering support into the tens of millions of dollars. We know that money has been pledged by the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union, Australia, just to name a few, and there are already safety teams on the ground from various countries. We know a Chinese team arrived over the weekend. We know that Russia, India. Singapore has sent 80 members of the Civil Defense Force to assist with search and rescue operations.

Now, you mentioned that building collapsing in Bangkok. Bangkok not a city familiar with seismic activity. You know, it came as such a shock and surprise what happened there. But amidst all of that devastation and tragedy, there have been some uplifting stories, like the one you mentioned, but also, this story from a 36-year-old mother who was in labor when the quake struck. Listen to this.

[04:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANTHONG SAENMUANGSHIN, THAI MOTHER (through translator): I was telling my baby, don't come out yet, but the pain kept growing and growing as I was coming down the stairs. Then I was put on a hospital bed and was surrounded by a lot of medical staff where I just gave birth right then and there. It was all a shock to me too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TANK: It must have been so frightening for her, but that baby being delivered safely and securely despite everything that was going on around them. Now, speaking of what has been going on everywhere is we are now beginning to get real images, satellite images of before the quake and after the quake in Myanmar, and we can begin to see the level of destruction. Destruction that the World Health Organization has described as enormous. Whole bridges, the inward (ph) bridge in Mandalay collapsing into the river and also whole communities, which have just been reduced to rubble. Still so much work to be done, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely right. Manisha Tank in Singapore, thanks so much. Four people are dead after powerful storms and flooding ravaged parts of Southern Texas and Mexico. One man in Reynosa, Mexico drowned and three others were killed in Hidalgo County, Texas. Nearly 700 people rescued in the Mexican State of Termopilas after heavy rains flooded parts of the area.

Now, more than 100 million people from Michigan to Texas will be under threat of severe storms today. The current weather system could create strong and long-lived tornadoes. It's also expected to bring heavy rain that could trigger flash flooding in the south and Midwest. More than 3 million people are under a flood watch, but there is good news, the rain should ease drought conditions in the Carolinas. Well, they were MAGA and voted for Donald Trump. Still to come, their buyer's remorse. Why they're so dismayed. Plus, an American woman is free after being detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The details of her release and her message to President Trump. That more when we come back. Stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Donald Trump is escalating his threats to take over Greenland. When asked Saturday about the possibility of using military force to take over the island, the U.S. president told NBC news, quote, "I don't take anything off the table." Now, this comes after Vice President J. D. Vance's controversial visit to Greenland, stirred up anger in both Greenland and Denmark. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance may have left Greenland, but what he said there is still causing a stir, both on the Arctic Island and in Denmark, which controls Greenland's foreign and security policies.

VANCE: Our message to Denmark is very simple, you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.

KINKADE (voice-over): Vance suggested Greenland would be better off becoming part of the U.S. rather than a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. A brash offer repeated by the U.S. that struck a nerve in Copenhagen.

LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: We are open to criticism. But let me be completely honest, we do not appreciate the tone in which it's being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies.

KINKADE (voice-over): Denmark says It remains open to further cooperation with the U.S. in Greenland. It's already investing more into Arctic security and the Danish prime minister just announced plans to visit Greenland next week.

But near the U.S. embassy in the Danish capital, some demonstrators had a less diplomatic message to the U.S., chanting, Greenland is not for sale, and holding signs like, make America go away. It's a lot of pressure on Greenland's new government, which was formed just hours before Vance's visit.

JENS-FREDERIK NIELSEN, GREENLAND PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will have to engage in dialogue. There is no doubt about that. And the first thing we do is engage in dialogue with our closest allies who will have to move even closer as the situation is now. KINKADE (voice-over): Vance acknowledged that Greenland will ultimately decide its own future. The new coalition government says it favors a slow independence from Denmark, not exactly the fastest track for change the U.S. is pushing for. But something some residents of Greenland say is much more their speed.

STINA SORENSEN, GREENLAND RESIDENT: Now, everybody's eyes is on Greenland also Denmark. That in that way, it's good that he said something, but take it easy.

KINKADE (voice-over): Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Another move critical to Trump's plan to increase the U.S. presence in the Arctic. The president says the U.S. will purchase what he says is a large number of badly needed icebreakers from Finland. Now, this comes after he spent part of Saturday golfing with Finland's president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Finland is the world's leading producer of icebreakers. In November, Finnish leaders signed a deal with Canada and with the Biden administration to develop more of the vessels.

And Trump also met with Ecuador's president on Saturday. Daniel Noboa shared this photo on social media. Ecuadorian officials say it was a, quote, "friendly and private meeting." The talks come as Noboa pushes for troops from the U.S., Brazil, and Europe to help Ecuador fight powerful gangs. The center right president is also facing a runoff election in two weeks, his opposition leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez opposes bringing foreign troops to Ecuador.

The Trump administration targeted the U.S. Institute of Peace with mass firings on Friday. The vast majority of staff receive termination notices by e-mail, that's according to a source who was terminated and requested anonymity to speak without jeopardizing their severance package.

Now, the institute gets about $55 million a year from Congress for research, policy analysis, education, and training. The White House spokesperson told CNN, President Trump is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars.

And yet, more fallout from the cuts by Elon Musk and his DOGE team. President Trump got more than 70 percent of the vote in Wood County, West Virginia last November, but some people who find their federal jobs in limbo there now say they regret voting for him. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER PIGGOTT, FEDERAL EMPLOYEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE: This flag used to hang there.

[04:35:00]

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This was the flag Jennifer Piggott proudly hung outside her home during campaign 2024.

PIGGOTT: We had the flag. I had the shirt. I was a MAGA junkie.

KAYE (voice over): A MAGA junkie who thought her government job would be safe with Donald Trump in office. She was wrong.

PIGGOTT: I cried. It's scary. You know, it's a really scary thing. And I was embarrassed. He's a good boy.

KAYE (voice over): Piggott was abruptly fired last month from the Treasury Department's Bureau of Fiscal Service, based here in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The reason given for the firings of 125 probationary employees at the bureau, poor performance.

PIGGOTT: I had my last review on the 31st of January, and I had the highest rating that you can get on a review, less than 21 days before I was terminated for my performance.

KAYE: You voted for Donald Trump?

PIGGOTT: I did.

KAYE: Do you regret that vote?

PIGGOTT: Yes, I do. To cut the knees out of the working-class Americans just doesn't make sense to me. I expected more from President Donald Trump.

KAYE (voice over): Since speaking out, Piggott says she's received death threats and her home has been egged. This woman asked us not to show her face for fear of retribution. She recently retired from the Bureau of Fiscal Service because she was afraid of losing her health insurance if she was fired. She also voted for Trump.

KAYE: Would you still have supported him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure that I would have. The way that it's been done, I'm for balancing the budget, that type of thing, but not in this context. It's just not right.

KAYE (voice over): Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered half a dozen federal agencies to immediately offer thousands of probationary employees their jobs back. But this week, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to put that judge's ruling on hold and stop those employees from returning to work. Eric Engle is a representative for the National Treasury Employees Union.

ERIC ENGLE, CHIEF STEWARD, NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION CHAPTER 190: They are fully reinstated. All 125 of them. They are on paid admin leave.

KAYE: Now they're getting paid for not doing their job. So, did the government really save any money here?

ENGLE: Not at all. No. No. That -- that's not -- I mean -- I personally don't believe that was ever the point, but they -- no, they're not saving any money from these probationary and trial period employee firings. This has nothing to do with eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.

KAYE: The Bureau of Fiscal Service employs more than 2,000 people here in Parkersburg. People we spoke with told us it's considered the place to work. Jobs at the bureau are hard to come by, and people have always believed it was one of the most stable employers.

KAYE (voice over): Ronda Bragg is another probationary employee who was fired from the bureau. She didn't vote for Trump because she feared something like this might happen.

KAYE: A lot of people who voted for Donald Trump lost their jobs now. What do you think about that? What do you want to say to them?

RONDA BRAGG, FEDERAL EMPLOYEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE: You know, at first, I wanted to say, when all this happens, you deserved it. At the same time, they're in the same spot that I am. And I honestly don't think any of us deserved it. It's not even 50,000 a year. You know, it's not that much money. I'm blue collar, just like the rest of them in this valley.

KAYE (voice over): In a statement regarding the reinstated employees, a spokesperson for the Treasury Department told us they are weighing "how best to consider their performance, Treasury's operational needs, and the Trump administration's government-wide effort to increase efficiency."

PIGGOTT: Hi, baby.

KAYE (voice over): That's hardly any consolation to Jennifer Piggott and her family.

KAYE: If you could say anything to President Trump now, what would you say?

PIGGOTT: I expected better from you. I really did. I expected that you would do what was right and cut waste and fraud and all of those things that you promised us before we elected you in office, but you're not doing that. You're creating a disaster. And I don't know what America is going to look like if this continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Empty maternity wards and full cemeteries. Still ahead, how the war with Russia has created a demographic crisis in Ukraine. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: An American woman is now free after the Taliban detained her in Afghanistan. Faye Hall was released on Thursday to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul in good health, a source tell CNN. Qatar mediated her release on behalf of the U.S., which has no diplomatic presence in the country. Hall was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization. It's not clear why she was in Afghanistan.

On Saturday, President Trump shared a video on Truth Social of Hall expressing her gratitude. Hall mentioned she voted for Trump twice and was, quote, "so glad he was in office." Trump said he's honored by her words

Demonstrators turned out in Israel Saturday to demand that the government accept a ceasefire and secure the release of all hostages in Hamas captivity.

This was the scene in Tel Aviv as minor scuffles broke out between police and protestors. They want the government to agree to a ceasefire proposal that would see Hamas release five hostages and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Hamas said Saturday that it would accept the deal.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military is ramping up attacks in Gaza. The IDF announced the start of ground activity in Rafah and ordering some neighborhoods in Southern Gaza to be evacuated.

Ukraine could be trying to get a new bargaining chip in ceasefire talks with Moscow. The Kremlin says Ukrainian forces have launched an incursion into Russia's Belgorod region, claiming 20 villages are under attack. Ukraine has been silent about the allegation, but the operation would come as Ukraine is losing ground in Russia's Kursk region where Kyiv gained ground last August. It's not clear what Ukraine's goals in Belgorod might be, but both sides are looking for territorial gains as the White House pushes for a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Ukraine says, Russian drones hit the City of Kharkiv Saturday night, killing two people and injuring at least 25. The attacks hit a military hospital, a shopping center, and residential buildings.

Three years of fighting have left a gaping hole in Ukrainian society. Many people who fight in the war never come home. While those behind the frontlines hesitate to have children because of the conflict. Clarissa Ward reports on the lost generations.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Baby Mark is just hours old, but his mother, Ophelia, waited years for this moment.

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Probably, the war was the only thing stopping us from having a baby, she tells us. My husband is in the army and talked about kids for four years, and then the war started, and it wasn't time for kids.

WARD: Do you feel it's sort of your duty?

WARD (voice-over): I think yes, she says. They are destroying us, our nation. Odessa, like all of Ukraine, is in the grips of a demographic crisis. It can be felt in the heavy silence of these hallways. WARD: This is definitely one of the quietest maternity hospitals that I've ever visited, and the main doctor just told us the births here are down 40 percent since the start of the war.

WARD (voice-over): According to official statistics, there are three deaths for every birth. Ukraine has the highest death rate and the lowest birth rate in the world. Just as the country needs babies to keep growing the population, it needs men to keep fighting the war.

On the streets of Odessa, draft officer Oleksandr stops men of fighting age to make sure they are not dodging their duty. You're the second team to stop us today, two young men tell him. They're 21 and 19, below the conscription age of 25. Lucky for them.

Oleksandr says it has become harder and harder to find draft dodgers because people put out notices on social media warning others of where the patrols are.

It happens every day. As soon as we set up checkpoints and start working, the Odessa telegram channels inform locals about this, he says, and there are no people on the streets. Everyone runs away.

It's not hard to see why. Everyone here has lost someone. Three years of war with Russia has ravaged Ukraine's male adult population.

The section of Odessa's main graveyard designated for military burials is a sea of flags and tombstones. Fresh plots have been dug, ready for the war's newest victims.

Here, funerals are near daily and often held in batches of two or three. Every detail is perfectly choreographed. The city has had plenty of practice to get it right.

The mother of 23-year-old Anton Sidorko weeps over the body of her son.

My sunshine, you won't shine anymore for me. You won't come and say, Mama, I'm here, she sobs. I won't see you again. You are far away, so far away.

For those who give life, the pain of losing that life too great to bear.

Back at the maternity hospital, Ophelia's husband has come to fetch her and baby Mark. He asks we not show his face.

Grow big and strong, the nurse says, as she hands him the baby. Come back to us for a sister. But he will be heading back to the front in just over a week. And Ukraine's population will never recover until there is peace.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Odessa.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, there's no sign of a slowdown in the protests over the arrest of turkey's popular opposition leader. As you can see, thousands of people demonstrated in Istanbul on Saturday where Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on corruption charges last week. It happened just before he was selected to be the opposition's candidate in the next presidential election expected in 2028. The mayor denies the charges. Some polls show he would beat the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The arrest led to Turkey's largest anti-government rallies in years as the mayor's supporters slammed his detention as politically motivated. Since Wednesday, more than 1,400 protestors have been arrested.

Well, crowds are gathering in Tokyo and Washington, D.C. marking the arrival of cherry blossom season. Coming up, why this year's peak bloom is early. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Parts of Earth's northern hemisphere were retreated to a partial solar eclipse on Saturday. It was most visible in eastern parts of North America, but some people saw it in Europe. This type of eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of and partially blocks the sun, casting a shadow on the earth.

Well, cherry blossoms have reached their peak in parts of Tokyo and Washington, D.C. as the Northern Hemisphere welcomes the return of spring. CNN's Allison Chinchar has more on the seasonal beauty and the warm weather that's brought it into peak bloom.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Japan's cherry blossoms are once again in bloom, a fleeting ferry land lasting only about two weeks. Uniting locals and visitors in Tokyo under a canopy of pink and white.

PAUL MYERS, U.S. TOURIST: We were excited. We'd heard that it was a big event. Everybody comes out, has a picnic, spends the day, and I love being around a lot of people and seeing everybody out, just having a wonderful time together.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): The temperature sensitive buds flowered five days earlier than last year, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an earlier season that's raised some concerns in recent years about the potential impact climate change could have on the treasured trees. But some residents in Tokyo say the weather has been unusual lately.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The recent temperatures changed quite a lot, and my body can't adjust to it. I think the cherry blossoms probably can't keep up with the changes either.

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CHINCHAR (voice-over): Almost in sync with the cherry blossoms in Japan, Washington, D.C. is also pretty in pink. The U.S. National Park Service declaring peak bloom on Friday. The trees were gifts from Japan, first arriving in Washington in 1912 with some people saying the fragile flowers are an escape from some of the harshness of the world.

AMY WENDEROTH, U.S. RESIDENT: D.C. is majestic. And despite the political crazy, this is what it's all about. It's gorgeous. I love it. It's majestic. It's God.

CHINCHAR (voice-over): Last year, Japan announced a new gift of 250 more trees to the U.S. Once again, sharing the joy that people both in Tokyo and Washington try to enjoy as long as it lasts.

Allison Chinchar, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, college basketball's March Madness is in full swing this weekend. Duke is back in the final four, for the first time since Coach K left. Number two seeded Alabama struggled to score against the Blue Devils despite setting a three-point record in the previous round. Duke held a commanding lead from the opening tip off coasting to an 85 to 65 victory. Their next opponent will be revealed today following a showdown between Houston and Tennessee.

Now, in the West region, the top seated Florida Gators found their way to a comeback win over Texas Tech. Late in the second half, the Gators fell behind by 10 points to the Red Raiders, but Florida went on a scoring run in the final three minutes to close out the game 84 to 79. The win marks Florida's first trip to the Final Four since 2014. They'll face the winner of today's matchup between Michigan State and Auburn.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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