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Global Markets Slump on Trump's Tariffs; Third Day of Rescue Efforts Continue, Military Still Bombing Towns; Hamas Agrees to Egyptian Ceasefire Proposal, Israel Gives Counter-offer; Trump Threatens Bombing Iran; Le Pen Awaits Verdict; Prince Harry Accused of Harassment and Bullying. Trump Considering Third Term; Trump "Pissed Off" At Putin, Threatens Additional Tariffs; Citizens' Parents Deported After 35 Years In U.S.; Muslims Around The World Mark The End Of Ramadan. Aired 2-2:45a ET
Aired March 31, 2025 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead, global markets react as U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs approach. Hear his new comments on the escalating trade war.
Loved ones hold out hope for survivors from the devastating Myanmar earthquake. We will have the latest on recovery efforts in a live report.
And Prince Harry accused of harassment and bullying. We will look at the claims made by the chairwoman of a charity he co-founded.
Good to have you with us. And we begin this hour with global markets seeing declines as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to impose sweeping new tariffs on countries around the world. Right now, markets are down across the board in Asia amid worries of a growing trade war. You can see the Nikkei down nearly 4 percent there.
As for the U.S. Futures, the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 are also all in the red just hours before the opening bell on Wall Street. President Trump is gearing up for what he's calling Liberation Day on Wednesday. That's when he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported cars and car parts, as well as reciprocal tariffs. Now earlier, the president told reporters on board Air Force One, those tariffs will target all countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The tariffs will be far more generous than those countries were to us, meaning they will be kinder than those countries were to the United States of America over the decades. They ripped us off like no country has ever been ripped off in history. And we're going to be much nicer than they were to us, but it's substantial money for the country nevertheless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Marc Stewart joins us now from Beijing. Good to see you, Marc. So, Asia markets taking a hit ahead of President Trump's threatened tariffs on Wednesday. What's the latest?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Rosemary, I've been watching the markets since around 8:30 this morning here in Beijing, and we are seeing some severe and quite substantial losses in markets across the region in particular, though, South Korea and in Japan. In fact, as the markets close in Japan, we are seeing losses of nearly 4 percent involving the Nikkei, which is Japan's benchmark index. The KOSPI in South Korea also seen significant losses.
Why in particular Japan and South Korea? Well, they export some of the most popular cars that are sold in the United States and likely will be subject to this 25 percent tariff that the president has talked about on foreign cars. Let's look at some of the brands involved. In Japan, we're talking about Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, and then in South Korea, Kia and Hyundai.
These are cars that are affordable to U.S. consumers. They have a good track record and are very well liked. And if these sales, these exports from Asia could be impacted, well, it's not giving markets and investors a lot of confidence. If there is one thing investors want, whether it be here in Asia or in the United States, is a roadmap, a plan for the future. Let's listen to President Trump as he was speaking from Air Force One.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: How many countries will be in that initial tranche?
TRUMP: You'd start with all countries so, let's see what happens. There are many countries.
UNKNOWN: (Inaudible).
TRUMP: I haven't heard a rumor about 15 countries, 10 to 15.
UKNOWN: So, you're starting with all countries.
TRUMP: Essentially, all of the countries that we're talking about. We've been talking about all countries and not a cutoff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: We also saw losses today involving some of the Chinese markets as well as the Hang Seng in Hong Kong. This has potential reciprocal tariffs could be instituted by the United States against many nations, including China. So that's something we're going to watch. Rosemary, these hours ahead are going to be critical because markets in Europe will open as well as markets in the United States.
[02:04:58] We've seen American futures already in the red. The question is, will the uncertainty that we've seen so far early today here in Asia spread to Europe and the United States? We could face some very challenging hours and days ahead, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Indeed, we'll be watching for all of that. Marc Stewart joining us live from Beijing. Many thanks.
Time is running out for rescuers to find more survivors three days after that catastrophic earthquake hit Myanmar. At least 1,700 people are confirmed dead, and the true death toll could take weeks to emerge. Dozens have been rescued across the region at the heart of the quake. But the road to recovery will be long for thousands of survivors who've lost their homes amid the epic devastation. CNN's Mike Valerio joins us now live from Seoul. So, Mike, what is the latest on recovery efforts in the aftermath of this deadly earthquake?
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think, Rosemary, we're going to start with the rescue efforts. And our producers and our teams who are working on this around the world, they found some new soundbites from a relative of somebody who is presumed trapped underneath the rubble of that 33-story skyscraper that collapsed in Bangkok Friday afternoon. So let's go to that soundbite. This is a 41-year-old relative who is still missing somebody who was working on that site. Let's listen.
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DAODEE PARUAT, RELATIVE OF TRAPPED CAMBODIAN WORKER (through translation): May a miracle happen. May the rescuers find them soon and find them easily without struggle. If they're still alive, I hope the team hears a heartbeat or pulse. And if they're gone, may there at least be a scent so they can be found quickly and given a proper religious farewell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: So it gives you a sense -- that gives you a sense of the human toll. Can you imagine, Rosemary, just outside of that scene and waiting and not knowing if your loved one is going to be found or not? So I was talking to Isabel Rosales, our CNN international anchor, about this last hour. Last hour, Rosemary, we passed the critical 72- hour mark. That is the golden window of three days after a disaster, the best chances of finding somebody alive who is trapped under rubble and has survived without any medical attention, food or water.
So we've just passed that 72-hour mark. So we want to jump to Myanmar. That is where the death toll now stands at 1,700 people, but it's quite difficult to get accurate facts and figures. The dynamic that we're watching over the next couple hours, frankly, days and weeks ahead, is how exactly the Herculean humanitarian effort is going to work in Myanmar. Because ever since February of 2021, you might remember we were in the pandemic and there were social media videos of a coup happening in the middle of the day.
There's been a military, I should say, a civil war happening ever since February 2021 led by Ming Aung Hlaing. So there is concern that aid could get to the country, very well, eventually could get there. But will it get to areas of the country that are controlled by rebel forces where there is still fighting? To that end, we have reporting that came in earlier today with some of the rebel groups saying that they're going to pause fighting, Rosemary, for the next two weeks.
But yesterday we had a report of an airstrike happening. Again, the civil war ongoing. So the big point for our international viewers is not only do you have a magnitude 7.7 disaster with rescues ongoing, you also have a civil war that could impede aid getting to where it's needed most, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yeah, that is a big concern. Mike Valerio, joining us live from Seoul with the latest there. I appreciate it.
Well, joining us now from Seoul is Yanghee Lee. She is the former UN rapporteur to Myanmar. Appreciate you being with us.
YANGHEE LEE, FORMER U.N. SPECIAL RQAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: So as Myanmar struggles to save those still buried beneath the rubble, the country's civil war is adding to the suffering with various reports indicating that the military junta is still dropping bombs, even as resistance groups apparently pause their military action, as our report just indicated. What more are you learning about the military junta continuing its aerial bombing in the midst of this national emergency?
LEE: Yes, I just heard a previous reporter refer to the resistance, revolutionary resistance forces as rebels. I think that would be a misnomer. These are the ethnic resistance forces who are working closely with the National Unity Government.
[02:10:00]
As you said, since the earthquake, there's been numerous bombings and airstrikes by the military junta. Recently, there was one in Saigon, and it's really difficult to reach Saigon. And Saigon has been a multi-hit place that the military junta has carried on its campaign. And so Saigon itself is devastated to be hit with another airstrike amidst the earthquake aftermath.
CHURCH: And the country's military junta has made a rare plea for international aid. How critical is it that that aid, assistance and equipment is not only sent to the military government, also to all communities affected by this earthquake, including the National Unity Government, the government in exile, ethnic organizations, resistance armies and others? And is that being done?
LEE: You know, I was really amused when Min Aung Hlaing came out with a plea and came out for blood donations. After four years of killing so many people and driving the country into poverty, calling for international assistance to come in, I thought that was very hilarious. And you know, the military has a long history, and even under Min Aung Hlaing, the military since the Cyclone Mocha, we've seen how the military had weaponized the natural disasters.
They've obstructed and manipulated humanitarian access. And I am 100 percent sure that the aid will not be delivered to the ethnic resistance areas because the roads have already been obstructed. As I said, Saigon roads are obstructed and, you know, it's really puzzling to me. Why hasn't Min Aung Hlaing sent in all of his military assets for rescue and relief? We don't see any helicopters with rescue and relief teams. We only see civilians digging into the rubbles.
We don't see the military men on the ground. You know, they have been forcibly conscripted. So many have been forcibly conscripted. Where are they? So, we are sure that it will not go to the people in dire need. And therefore, the international community, ASEAN, Myanmar's neighbors, the U.N. country team must ensure that aid, assistance and equipment is directed to the National Unity Government, ethnic organizations, Myanmar civil society, and implementing partners to ensure that it reaches all affected communities.
CHURCH: All right. A very critical point indeed. Yanghee Lee, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.
LEE: Thank you.
CHURCH: And for information about how you can help Myanmar's earthquake victims, you can go to cnn.com/impact.
Still to come, Egypt proposes a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but only one side has accepted it. We'll explain.
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CHURCH: In southern Gaza, a deadly start to the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people including five children on Sunday. The strikes are said to have hit a tent and a home housing displaced people. Meanwhile, Hamas says it's agreed to a new Egyptian ceasefire proposal. A Hamas source tells CNN that under the agreement, the group would release five hostages.
A senior Israeli official tells CNN that Israel wants more than that. It wants Hamas to release 11 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages. In return, Israel would agree to a 40-day ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he plans to continue military action in Gaza until there's an agreement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translation): Military pressure is working. It works because it operates simultaneously. On one hand, it crushes the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas. And on the other hand, it creates the conditions for the release of our hostages. This is exactly what we are doing. Last night, the cabinet convened and decided to intensify the pressure, which was already high, in order to further crush Hamas and create the best possible conditions for the release of our hostages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Netanyahu will head to Hungary on Wednesday, where he'll meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The trip comes despite the ICC's outstanding warrant for Netanyahu's arrest on war crime charges. Orban has made clear that he would not honor the warrant.
Donald Trump is threatening to bomb Iran and to impose secondary tariffs on that country unless an agreement is reached over its nuclear program. Here's what he told reporters Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I can't imagine them doing anything else but making a deal. I would prefer a deal to the other alternative, which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is. And that's not going to be pretty and I do not prefer that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:20:02]
CHURCH: In his first term, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal, which imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, Iran has rapidly developed its nuclear capabilities. On Sunday, Iran's president said the Islamic Republic will not engage in direct talks with Washington, but he did leave the door open for indirect talks.
In just a couple of hours, a court in France will deliver a verdict that could derail the political career of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and potentially impact the country's next presidential election. Prosecutors say Le Pen and other officials from the populist National Rally Party embezzled money from the European Parliament and used it to pay for staff in France.
Le Pen denies any wrongdoing and says the funds were used legitimately. The three-time presidential candidate could be imprisoned, fined and barred from holding public office for five years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL RALLY PARLIAMENTARY LEADER (through translation): I've said that this is a trial made by politicians, for politicians and even for politics. I think this has been put to light clearly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: If Le Pen is barred from office, she's likely to be replaced by current National Rally Party leader Jordan Bardella.
The chairperson of an HIV/AIDS charity co-founded by the U.K.'s Prince Harry says his public exit last week was an example of the quote "harassment and bullying" she's experienced while working for the organization. CNN's Clare Sebastian shares her side of the story as well as the fallout from the prince's announcement.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The public spat has now escalated between Prince Harry and the chairwoman of Sentebale, the HIV and AIDS charity he co-founded. Sophie Chandauka gave a wide-ranging interview to Britain's "Sky News" Sunday claiming that the Duke of Sussex had tried to oust her for months as chairwoman of the board, accusing him of bullying and harassment, something a source close to the former trustees of the charity told "Sky News" was, quote, "completely baseless."
Well, Chandauka also claimed that donors had pulled out of the charity after the Duke left the U.K. and stepped down from royal duties in 2020, but no one at the charity she said felt able to talk to him about the risk his reputation was posing to the organization. Last week Prince Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, announced they were quitting until further notice because their relationship with Ms. Chandauka had broken down, quote, "beyond repair." Ms. Chandauka said Sunday she had no prior warning of this announcement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOPHIE CHANDAUKA, SENTEBALE CHARITY CHAIR: At some point on Tuesday Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors or my executive director. And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their family. That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: Neither the Duke of Sussex nor Sentebale have commented on this interview but a source close to the trustees and patrons of the charity told CNN on Sunday they, quote, "fully expected this publicity stunt and look forward to the adjudication of the truth." A source familiar with events also denied Chandauka's assertion that the press had been informed about the departures before the charity made the announcement last week saying they sent her a resignation letter on March 10th.
Well as for the charity that Prince Harry of course set up in 2006 to continue his mother Princess Diana's legacy and help children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana living with HIV and AIDS, well, Ms. Chandauka says its work will continue. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
CHURCH: Just ahead on CNN, the parents of three American citizens have been kicked out of the country in which they have worked, paid taxes, and raised their children for the past 35 years. The full story after the break.
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[02:25:00] CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. More now on our top story. A barrage of provocative comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend ranging from the war in Ukraine to again teasing a potential third term in office. On Sunday, the president told NBC News, quote, there are methods to how he could secure another term in the White House, that's despite the 22nd amendment of the constitution which clearly and definitively states it's not possible. Here's what he told reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm not looking at that but I'll tell you I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which is in a way a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged so it's actually sort of the fourth term in a certain way. I just don't want to credit the second because Mike was so bad, he did such a bad job. I don't want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we got a long time to go. We have a long time. You know, we have almost four years to go and that's a long time. But despite that so many people are saying you've got to run again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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CHURCH: As a reminder, there's been no proven evidence of tampering in the 2020 election.
Meantime, Donald Trump is now expressing some displeasure with Vladimir Putin and his personal attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. president is threatening to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a deal that would end the war in Ukraine. He says the clock is ticking to accept a ceasefire agreement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's a psychological deadline. If I think they\re tapping us along, I will not be happy about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: President Trump also had some criticism for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming on Sunday the Ukrainian leader wants to back out of a deal exchanging rare earth minerals for U.S. aid. President Trump warned there will be big problems if that happens.
Well, after living in the U.S. for 35 years and raising three American citizens, one couple was arrested, handcuffed and deported to Colombia. Their children want them back.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (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 hours later, we heard different news from 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.
VARGAS JONES: 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.
VARGAS 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: 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.
VARGAS 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.
VARGAS JONES: The couples' 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.
VARGAS JONES: Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Orange County, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Muslims around the world are marking the end of Ramadan. Thousands gathered to pray in the center of Albania's capital. We will show you how people celebrated Eid across three continents. That's next.
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[02:38:54]
CHURCH: A private space flight will try to make history Monday. It'll be the first crewed mission to orbit Earth's North and South Poles. It launches in the coming hours with a crew that's never been to space.
Cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang is leading the mission. He also funded it. The team is planning to spend 3 to 5 days in orbit while attempting to set a record. The mission includes a nod to history. It takes its name, Fram2, from a Norwegian ship used to explore the North and South Poles more than 100 years ago.
Well, Muslims around the world gathered on Sunday to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Thousands attended Eid Al-Fitr prayers at a convention center in San Diego, California, where the imam called for peace in Gaza.
In Qatar, worshipers gathered on the pitch of a major football stadium to pray. The education city stadium hosted eight matches during the 2022 World Cup. Thousands filled the center of Albania's capital for Eid prayers. Around 60 percent of Albania's population are Muslims.
[02:40:08]
And that's the traditional sound of Eid. At one village in Malaysia, Kampung Talang was used as used cannons to mark the start of the holiday. Since 1937.
I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. WORLD SPORT is coming up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more CNN NEWSROOM.
Do stay with us.
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[02:45:00]
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