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Mass Rallies Held Against Trump in U.S. and Overseas; E.U. Preparing Countermeasures to Trump Tariffs; At Least 16 Killed as Severe Storms Sweep Parts of U.S.; Video Shows Final Moments of Emergency Workers Killed By Israel Troops and Buried in Mass Grave; 19 Killed in Russian Missile Strikes on Zelenskyy's Hometown; Demonstrations Planned as Le Pen Vows to Fight; Restaurant Chains Face Crisis in the U.S. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired April 06, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:32]

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

A global day of action as protesters push back on the Trump administration's policies. Now, the President has responded to hands- off calls.

Restaurants across the country are struggling to survive in this economy, why your favorite chain could be in trouble.

Plus, devastation in the heartland as a powerful storm rips apart communities from Ohio to Alabama. We'll have a look at the aftermath.

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

BRUNHUBER: The Trump administration's actions are stoking anger across the United States and people are now taking to the streets. On Saturday, huge crowds of people participated in mass protests. They gathered in every single U.S. state and in several European cities as well to denounce Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The protesters are demanding an end to the billionaire takeover of the White House, to mass firings of federal workers, and to attacks on immigrants and other vulnerable communities. Democratic lawmakers joined in speaking out against Trump's assault on democracy and the rule of law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GREEN, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: Within the next 30 days, I'm bringing articles of impeachment. I'm coming for you, Mr. President. You don't deserve the office you hold. You can't be entrusted with liberty and justice for all. You can't be entrusted with government of the people, by the people, for the people. I'm coming for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The outrage is spreading overseas as well, as CNN's Julia Vargas Jones shows us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PROTESTERS: Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Across the U.S. and the world, more than 1,400 protests on Saturday, according to organizers, telling U.S. President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, hands off.

PROTESTERS: Hands off Canada.

PROTESTER: Hands off Greenland.

VARGAS JONES: People taking to the streets in Portugal, Germany, France, the U.K. and North America. Many are Americans living abroad.

PROTESTERS: I've never seen things worst in America than now.

VARGAS JONES: Organized by pro-democracy groups such as labor unions, LGBTQ plus advocates, veterans and election activists, uniting against the Trump administration's policies on the economy, human rights and more.

MICHAEL BRASSARD, ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTER IN PARIS: Hands off means restore what we've had as a democracy. In fact, when we were making our poster and we were saying, what to have hands off, off, we had trouble limiting the list. The list got so long between free speech and reproductive rights and Social Security. I mean, we could have done 20 other things.

PROTESTERS: Hands off U.K.

VARGAS JONES: In London's Trafalgar Square, one protester holds a sign reading, keep your tiny orange hands off the world. Hundreds of demonstrators came out in London, also in Frankfurt in Berlin, Germany.

TIMOTHY KAUTZ, DEMOCRATS ABROAD: We have to show solidarity with all the demonstrations in a thousand cities today in the USA. We have to show that we are not in agreement with what is happening in the USA. People in Germany, people in Europe need to know that this is not something that is happening with our approval and we need to get up off of our -- get onto our feet and out in the streets to show that this is something that will not pass.

PROTESTERS: I will not be silent, I will not be silent.

VARGAS JONES: With barely three months in office, Trump's policies on immigration, tariffs and more resonating around the world.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Now, while those thousands of protests took place, the president went to play golf. The White House announced that he won and will play in the senior club championship today.

Now, in the coming days, Elon Musk and DOGE are expected to take aim at the Department of Homeland Security with significant staffing cuts said to include the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. And the Trump administration continues to target USAID. It has now canceled funding for lifesaving programs that had previously been spared. But in a setback for the administration, a U.S. federal judge has made permanent what was previously a temporary restraining order against cutting funds for the National Institutes of Health. Assuming the government complies, the ruling will apply nationally.

[05:05:02]

Now, Elon Musk isn't sounding as enthusiastic about President Trump's tariffs as other members of the administration. He said on Saturday that he wants to see zero tariffs between Europe and the U.S. to stay as after the president slapped 20% duties on goods from the E.U.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELON MUSK, TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: I'm hopeful, for example, with the tariffs that -- that at the end of the day, I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America and also more freedom of people to move between Europe and North America if they wish. If they wish to work in Europe or wish to work in America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view. So that has certainly been my advice to the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. For more on all this, we're joined live now by Tobias Gehrke, Senior Policy Fellow for Geoeconomics with the European Council on Foreign Relations in Brussels.

Thank you so much for being here with us. So in total, about 70% of E.U. exports to the U.S. will be affected. There seems to be a lot of anger among Europeans and a strong desire to retaliate. But the E.U. response has been very different from that, say, of China, which immediately slapped counter tariffs on the U.S. So why is that?

TOBIAS GEHRKE, SENIOR FELLOW IN GEOECONOMICS, EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Yeah, thanks for having me on. Well, look, the 20% on the European Union, I think, is within the scope of what was expected. It's quite painful, but it's also not existential. And I think there's a bit of wait and see momentum right now in Europe. What will be the effect globally before a strike back? So that's the one thing.

I think the other thing, though, that many Europeans are looking at is the effects on the tariff hammer that came down on developing economies. Even though that doesn't affect Europe directly, I think many are looking at this and seeing, OK, this is not just a tariff issue with the so-called dirty 15, as the narrative was for the last couple of weeks, but really a global tariff or global revolutionary agenda for the global economy. So we have to wait and see perhaps a little bit what the real attentions are.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and wait and see whether there will be European counter tariffs. I spoke in the last hour with the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, and he said reciprocal tariffs would lead to mutually assured destruction. Do you agree? And how bad do you see things getting here?

GEHRKE: Yeah, I think the Europeans, they have been quite clear that they want to respond, that they're ready to respond, but any response would be measured and precise, targeted. So it's not going to be an eye for an eye, 20% tariff, I think, much rather looking for where -- where can we put some pressure without hurting ourselves too much?

Now, the issue is Europeans have already announced a 26-billion-euro retaliation package in response to the tariffs on steel and aluminum a few weeks ago. So those tariffs are not yet in place, but they will come in place in about two weeks.

They already target a lot of U.S. goods from, you know, jeans to household appliances to motorbikes, alcohol, soybeans, poultry. In other words, the low hanging fruit are already gone.

So right now, the Europeans, I think, there's a growing consensus to say if we want to continue to respond and be precise and measured, you have to move into different areas. And that means U.S. services, particularly digital services.

BRUNHUBER: OK, well, let's -- let's talk about that then, because, you know, we heard Elon Musk sort of pleading for zero tariffs between Europe and the U.S. When we look at Europe possibly going after either big banks or big tech, as you said, how vulnerable is Silicon Valley to retaliatory measures?

GEHRKE: I think a little bit. They make a lot of money and are quite embedded in the European market, and the Europeans have tools to -- to make life more difficult. You know, they have measures that could put a special levy, a tax, in other words, on digital platforms like X or Meta or digital marketplaces like Amazon.

You know, they could say, if you want to serve European customers, you have to pay basically an extra fee. They could also, you know, put more limits on how these digital players operate, how do you store data in Europe, how do you process data? All of that could be tightened and could make it more difficult for these players in Europe.

BRUNHUBER: You talked about European leaders sort of adopting a wait and see attitude for now, possibly in line of sort of trying to negotiate their way out of these. But it is hard to negotiate when you don't exactly know what your opponent wants. [05:10:10]

I mean, on one hand, President Trump has said tariffs give him the power to negotiate. On the other hand, we know he loves tariffs for their own sake. He used them widely in his first term. And he recently wrote on social media to many investors coming into the United States and investing massive amounts of money. My policies will never change. So a lot of confusion there.

GEHRKE: Yeah, Kim, I totally agree, and this is, I think, the biggest issue for the Europeans to really get a clear sense, what is the ultimate goal? Can some of these tariffs be renegotiated or negotiated away, or are they in fact the end goal in themselves? And that is causing huge confusion for the Europeans.

I do think the Europeans, by and large, want to negotiate. They do want to negotiate from a position of strength, however. So what I would expect is continued outreach, going to Washington and anywhere else, but also preparing a stick and bringing that stick to negotiation.

At the same time, the Europeans are not only preparing sticks. It has to be said there's very much an effort here in Brussels and elsewhere to say, what else can we offer? What purchases can we offer? LNG, soybeans, American arms and defense equipment.

So there's a lot of that ongoing and preparing a sort of package that they could bring and hopefully get rid of some of the tariffs anyway, maybe not all of them. So I think that's a broad strategy, both prepare retaliation, but also make offers and concessions and trying to figure out what is the ultimate goal of the Trump administration.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, still so much confusion and chaos around the world over this. Tobias Gehrke in Brussels, really appreciate getting your analysis. Thanks so much.

GEHRKE: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Some international students attending universities in California had their visas revoked this week, according to officials, at least 15 students and recent graduates were affected. Now, it's apparently part of a crackdown by the Trump administration.

Some F1 visas, which are required for full time academic study in the U.S., are being terminated at private and public institutions across the country. Similar reports have emerged from Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio and Colorado. University of California confirmed the terminations were issued without warning and without explanation. Stanford University said it wasn't even aware that immigration authorities were on campus.

While some relief from severe weather in the coming hours here in the U.S., the deadly storm system that's been hammering several states for days is expected to start breaking and pushing eastward, although storm threats remain in effect for the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia. The line of violent storms that swept from Texas to Ohio have left at least 16 people dead since Wednesday, including a five-year- old boy in Arkansas.

On Saturday, severe thunderstorms and heavy rain triggered catastrophic flooding. And some of those areas had already been hit hard by days of storms and deadly tornadoes. Millions of people in the greater Memphis metro area remain under a flash flood emergency, while tens of thousands are without power. More than 6000 flights were delayed on Saturday.

CNN's Ryan Young has more from Arkansas, where the storms have left behind life threatening flooding and a trail of devastation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So it's been a little bit since we've been on air. We want to tell you the reason why. This is the vehicle that we've been traveling in. And as we come back this direction, one of the things that we're bumping into all over the place is the fact that we can't just drive wherever we want.

The creeks, the rivers, the lakes nearby have all been spilling their banks. And that's stopping us getting back to paved roads or anywhere that we can kind of get out of this area. The water is just overflowing all the banks. There's no way that someone can take a car or a truck across this very safely.

Look at how fast the water is moving. We've talked to neighbors nearby. They say they're hunkering down, hoping that a storm passes in the near future. But this is something that emergency crews are worried about as well, because they want to keep people inside and safe and not have to rescue them with swift water boats.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to the United States today and his planned meeting with Donald Trump and why the two are expected to discuss the International Criminal Court.

Plus, startling new video shows the final moments of 15 emergency and aid workers were shot and killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. Their bodies were later found in a mass grave.

Ahead, why the video doesn't match what Israeli troops say happened before the shooting began.

And a town in southern Ukraine is reeling after one of the worst attacks in the war so far this year. We'll have more next.

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[05:18:46]

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. is suspending the visas of all South Sudanese visa holders. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the change Saturday with immediate effect. It also means no new visas will be issued to people from the country. And the Canadian government has updated its online travel advisory to warn U.S.-bound citizens that their electronic devices are subject to search. That can include border officials demanding passwords to unlock devices for inspection. Travelers who refuse run the risk of having their electronics confiscated and being denied entry to the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday. The Israeli Prime Minister's office says Netanyahu will fly to Washington on Sunday. And then he plans to discuss several topics with Trump, including what his office called the fight at the International Criminal Court. This appears to be a reference to the ICC's arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Now, there's new video showing the final moments of 15 aid and emergency workers who were shot and killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. Their bodies were found in a mass grave, along with their vehicles and the United Nations vehicle. Israel claimed the emergency vehicles were advancing suspiciously and without lights. But the video tells a very different story.

[05:20:01]

CNN Jerusalem Correspondent, Jeremy Diamond explains. And just before we play that story, we want to warn you some of the video and audio in his report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: New video footage has emerged of the deadly attack on a convoy of emergency response vehicles in Gaza. The video directly contradicts previous Israeli military claims about this attack and really collapses much of their narrative about how this attack unfolded. The Israeli military previously claimed that the ambulances in this convoy and one fire truck approached troops suspiciously without headlights or emergency signals. But you can see in this video that the vehicles are well lit. Emergency signals are on. And these are clearly marked ambulances and a fire truck. And as soon as they get to the scene of a previous attack, Israeli troops opened fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAT RADWAN, PARAMEDIC (through translation): There is no God, but God. There is no God, but God. And Muhammad is the messenger of God. There is no God but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: Now, the gunfire continues for several more minutes, and as that is happening, you can hear the paramedic who filmed this video reciting the Shahada, the profession of faith that Muslims recite when they are facing death. That paramedic, Rafat Radwan, he was killed, along with 14 other emergency responders in that attack.

Now, the Israeli military said earlier this week that it would investigate this incident, acknowledging that Israeli troops had indeed carried out this attack and that they had also buried these individuals in a mass grave.

The head of Southern Command will present the findings of this investigation on Sunday to the Israeli military's top general, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. As for the claims about the lights of these vehicles being off, I'm told by an Israeli military official that that actually came directly from the Israeli troops who were involved in this attack. And those claims have clearly proven to be false based on this video.

This investigation that the Israeli military is -- is carrying out internally, it is also based on the review of aerial surveillance video of this attack. The Israeli military has so far declined to share that video publicly, citing this ongoing investigation. But we will certainly be pressing them to release that footage.

The Israeli military is also still claiming that several of the emergency responders who were killed in this attack were Hamas members. But so far, they have provided no evidence to back up that claim at all. And certainly in light of this latest contradiction, the Israeli military is certainly facing questions about its credibility relating to this incident.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Israel has denied entry to two members of the British Parliament. Israeli officials say the two were part of an official delegation and were to, quote, "spread hate speech." The lawmakers landed in Israel on Saturday. The British Foreign Secretary says Israel's decision is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply disturbing.

Meanwhile, Hamas has released new proof of life video showing two Israeli hostages. These photos are from the hostages and missing families forum. Hostage Bar Kupershtein, is on the left of your screen and that's Maxim Herkin on the right. Their families have asked that the Hamas video not be shown and CNN is honoring that request. Both men were abducted on October 7th.

Anti-government protesters were on the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday. They're demanding the government do more to bring home the hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza.

Turning to Ukraine now, where earlier residents in the capital sought cover in underground metro stations after Russian missile strikes. Authorities say one person has been killed and a further three were injured. It appears another three were injured in a separate Russian airstrike, this time in southern Ukraine. Military officials says the attack used Iranian made Shahed drones and the Ukrainian president's hometown is now in mourning after one of the deadliest attacks so far this year.

CNN's Ben Hunte has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A makeshift memorial at a playground in Ukraine, a place that should be off limits to the ravages of war, but not here in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown. And not in this war with Russia that's still grinding on despite U.S. attempts to broker a peace deal.

In one of the deadliest strikes of the year, Ukraine says a Russian missile struck a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing several civilians, including children. Ukraine says Russian drones later attacked private homes in the city. Russia says it targeted a military gathering at a restaurant in a high precision strike that killed dozens of military personnel. Ukraine says that's Russian misinformation and the toll on civilians was high.

[05:25:12]

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): My condolences to their families and loved ones. Many others have been injured and buildings have been damaged. The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings, hitting a children's playground and ordinary streets.

HUNTE: Russia denies targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured in the invasion. Residents of Kryvyi Rih say it's hard to watch the repeated attacks on their town, especially after the loss of so many children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): How could one adequately deal with it? There was a one-year-old child's birthday celebration in the cafe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are no bases, hangars, big garages or piles of equipment. The site that was attacked, I saw the regular cars of civilians that were damaged and burning.

HUNTE: Russia recently rejected a U.S. proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine had agreed to. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he put Moscow on notice that a breakthrough on peace talks must come soon. Ukrainian and European leaders accuse Putin of stalling as Russia tries to gain more territory.

Rubio also says Russia's actions, not words, will show if it's interested in peace. On this playground, now filled with stuffed animals, flowers and shrapnel holes, that still feels a very long way away.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come, protesters are demanding an end to Donald Trump's abuses of power. We'll have more on the nationwide demonstrations ahead. Plus, French far-right Leader Marine Le Pen plans to fight her ban from seeking office. Just ahead, how she and her party are about to dial up the volume and fight back. Stay with us.

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[05:30:25]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom, I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta. Let's check on some of today's top stories.

Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is expected to make more cuts to the federal government this week. DOGE could be making major cuts to personnel at the Department of Homeland Security.

At least 15 students or recent graduates of the University of California system and Stanford University had their student visas revoked this week. The school system says the termination came without warning, and still not known the exact number of students who were affected.

The ripple effect of Donald Trump's tariff plan continues following a steep drop in the stock market. Thousands gathered for a day of protests around the world as people call for the administration to rethink its policies.

Despite the anger growing around the world, President Trump's advisers are defending his tariffs. Betsy Klein has more on that from Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, we are witnessing a historic reconfiguration of the global trade order and so much economic upheaval as a result of President Trump's tariff policy, including a market sell-off, a foreign retaliation, anger from corporate America, as well as skepticism from the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

But it was business as usual here in South Florida for President Trump, who hit the golf course on Saturday in Jupiter, Florida, and really a remarkable split screen as protesters took to the streets to counter his tariff policies. The White House issuing this official statement, quote, "The president won his second-round matchup of the senior club championship today in Jupiter, Florida, and advances to the championship round tomorrow."

But even as he arrived at his club, the president remained defiant, saying in a post to social media to, quote, "Hang tough." And his team overall is staying the course.

Listen to what his Trade Adviser, Peter Navarro, told CNN on Saturday.

PETER NAVARRO, TRADE ADVISER TO THE U.S. PRESIDENT: The market will find a bottom. It will be soon. And from there, we're going to have a bullish boom. And the DOW is going to hit 50,000 during Trump's term. The S&P 500 is going to have a very broad-based recovery. And wages are going to go up. Profits are going to go up. And life's going to be beautiful here in America. Trust in Trump.

KLEIN: The Trump team maintaining that they are on the right track here, even as markets are spiraling. The DOW down 12% from a recent high, and the NASDAQ down more than 22%. And while the president acknowledges that short-term disruption to the markets is to be expected, the reality is they just don't know what is going to happen here.

The President himself has expressed some openness to cutting deals with different countries. And CNN has learned that there are active discussions underway on bespoke trade deals with India, Vietnam and Israel. To that end, we do expect President Trump to host Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

Betsy Klein, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Key House conservatives are rejecting a new budget blueprint adopted by the Senate on Saturday. It's meant to kick-start President Trump's agenda, but several Republican lawmakers say they can't support the budget resolution as it stands. Congressman Chip Roy is warning, quote, "If the Senate's Jekyll and Hyde budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no."

Hardline conservatives in the House are seeking at least $1.5 trillion in cuts compared to the Senate's $4 billion. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he plans to bring the Senate proposal to the House floor next week.

People are gathering in Paris today for dueling demonstrations supporting and opposing Marine Le Pen's ban on running for office. The far-right leader was the front-runner for the 2027 presidential election when she was convicted of embezzlement and banned from public office for five years. Her party has called for a peaceful mass protest meant to build support against what they consider a political decision. Other major parties will stage counter-demonstrations.

With a legal appeal likely to be decided next year in the presidential election set for 2027, it's far from certain how French politics will play out in the near term. CNN's Melissa Bell reports from the French capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three times she stood for president, three times she lost, coming in second twice. But Marine Le Pen, who's 56, seemed certain that 2027 would be hers for the taking, until Monday, when a Paris court decided otherwise.

(On camera): With an immediate five-year ban on Le Pen standing in any election, the judges outlining how her far-right party had embezzled more than $5 million over the course of 11 years, allowing it to become the political force that it is today.

[05:35:12]

But Le Pen stormed out even before the rest of her sentence had been read out. It includes a fine to try to get some of that money back and a prison sentence, two years suspended and two years under house arrest, Le Pen making her fury plain the very next day in Parliament.

MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL RALLY (through translation): We will defend ourselves. We will use all means at our disposal to allow the French people to choose their future leader. And we will win.

BELL (voice-over): The French Prime Minister also called on the judiciary to move swiftly on her appeal. And a decision is now expected in 2026, which means that Le Pen may yet be able to stand.

The question now, what this judicial saga will mean for a party that's always been about cleaning up the swamp.

VINCENT MARTIGNY, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF COTE D'AZUR: The whole RN's narrative about politics is that the elites are corrupted and that the RN is the only party that has never been convicted of any crime, any offense. And this narrative has ended a couple of days ago.

BELL: But the anger amongst Le Pen supporters is real. The judges involved in the decision are now under police protection. And a protest is planned here on Paris' left bank on Sunday. The real question now, how this political and judicial uncertainty plays out in the court of public opinion.

CHRISTINE OCKRENT, JOURNALIST: On the whole, public opinion thinks the judgment, the sentence, however harsh, is legitimate. The paradox is those very elected people are those who, a few years ago, insisted that these very laws which have just been executed become harsher, starting with Marine Le Pen.

LE PEN (through translation): Are we going to learn and actually implement a lifetime ban on eligibility for all those who have been convicted?

BELL: There's also the wider picture of surging far-right populism elsewhere. But Marine Le Pen's most vocal supporters may not be doing her any favors with the French electorate.

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: That's a big deal. That's a very big deal. When she was banned for running for five years and she's the leading candidate, that sounds like this country. That sounds very much like this country.

MARTIGNY: Those who support her are Trump, Putin, Orban. Most people think that all these guys are very dangerous, that they are the villains of international politics. And the fact that the RN is linked to them is not really good for the RN.

BELL: The RN, or National Rally, now has to figure out how it can remain what it's always been, a Le Pen family affair, even as it considers a plan B that could take the shape of Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old who led the party to its first-ever national victory in the European elections last year.

ROBERT WAELKENS, LE PEN SUPPORTER (through translation): (Translation covered) Marine, it will be Bardella. (Translation covered) will get there, that's for sure.

BELL: Le Pen this week described Bardella as a formidable asset, but one she hoped the party would not need to deploy, quote, "sooner than necessary."

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, Hooters, Red Lobster, everyone knows them, so why are they fighting for survival? We'll have more on that after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:41:53]

BRUNHUBER: World famous American eateries like Hooters, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays are facing a crisis. These casual dining chains usually cater to lower- and middle-income families, but diners seem to be abandoning them. These restaurants have been hiking menu prices while at the same time their customers are being squeezed by the rising cost of living.

So instead, diners are choosing to cook dinner at home and are finding cheaper options. Places like Applebee's and Outback Steakhouse are shuttering hundreds of locations and Hooters is just the latest chain to file for bankruptcy.

Joining me now on this from Philadelphia is Ernest Baskin. He's an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Food, Pharma and Healthcare Department at Saint Joseph's University.

Thank you so much for making time for us this morning. So before we get to the larger trend on Hooters itself, walk me through it. What led to Hooters filing for bankruptcy? Was it just a matter of people getting sick of the tacky sexism or is there something deeper at play here with them specifically?

ERNEST BASKIN, CHAIR OF FOOD, PHARMA AND HEALTHCARE DEPARTMENT, SAINT JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY: So I think part of the deal with Hooters is that they had a significant debt load. And so when you're operating a restaurant on a significant debt load, you have to be really, really profitable in order to pay down that debt. And so I think that was one of the proximal causes, but the consumer trends did not help them at all.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So let's get to that trend then. There have been a number of similar chains that have gone bankrupt or are really struggling shuttering locations. Is there a common factor to blame here? BASKIN: Yeah, I think there is. I think there are significant issues going on right now in casual dining. I think what you're seeing is customers in the middle are being squeezed. What happens typically when customers are operating on lowered budgets is that they're trying to see how can we cut costs, how can we trade down, how can we save money. And so most customers are going to trade down, look for things that are cheaper and or cook at home. A few customers will trade up, but those restaurants are not necessarily offering them anything to trade up to.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So how much does it as well have to do with sort of changing trends that started kind of during the pandemic, more people getting takeout and kind of the shift towards online and delivery?

BASKIN: I think during the pandemic, a lot of people learned how to cook. And so what that means is they learned that they can go to the grocery store, they can get a number of ingredients and cook at home, and it's going to be cheaper than going out to eat and getting a large meal at a restaurant, which hurts you if you're trying to aim at that consumer who is going out to eat on a regular basis because there are fewer of them available.

BRUNHUBER: On the other end, I mean, you were talking about people being squeezed and sort of having less income and so on. But Millennials and Gen Z, if you look at the data, they seem to prefer local restaurants over chains despite those higher costs. So is that part of the problem here? And can chains at all appeal to these types of demographics?

BASKIN: I think what Gen Z and Millennials are looking for is that they are looking for value and they're looking for unique experiences.

[05:45:01]

And so part of the reasons why they're trying to prefer -- they're preferring local restaurants is that they want to see something new. They want to see a unique dish that they can try. They want to see an experience that they can tell others about.

And that doesn't mean there is no space for casual dining in this area. It's just that casual dining needs to really think about what is its unique value proposition and how do they get Millennials and Gen Z to say, yes, this was awesome. I need to go here and tell other people about it.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and dishes that they can put on Insta, for instance.

BASKIN: Exactly.

BRUNHUBER: So the Trump tariffs, now that they're hitting, we're projecting, I guess, that it'll make things more expensive, possibly even put the country into recession. Consumers may have less disposable income. Will these types of restaurants be able to capitalize on this or will it push them further under, do you think? BASKIN: I think it's going to hurt them because at the end of the day, the budgets of consumers are not going to get any larger. And as the budgets get squeezed even more, you're going to see this entire trend accelerate.

Plus, many of the high margin items that these restaurants are selling, like alcohol, are going to be impacted even more because some of these brands are foreign.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. All right. Well, I guess a dim prognosis for these sort of casual dining restaurants, is there anything, do you think, before we go that can save them against the currents that they're facing right now?

BASKIN: I think they need to look at their competitors up market and see what they can, what simple things that they can appeal that will make them unique, or they can look down market and see if they can become cheaper. It's just at the middle where there's not going to be a consumer left. And so they need to see, they need to look at, can we go up or can we go down?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it's a fascinating subject. Really appreciate getting your insights on all this, Ernest Baskin. Thank you so much.

BASKIN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: March Madness has college basketball fans on the edge of their seats. Coming up, the latest on teams heading to the championship and how they earned a shot at this year's title. Stay with us.

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[05:51:15]

BRUNHUBER: Well, the U.S. is witnessing peak college basketball as the final four teams in this year's March Madness battle it out for a spot in the national championship. CNN's Coy Wire has the latest on who came out on top after Saturday's hard-fought matchups.

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COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: March Madness turned April absurdity with four teams, four student sections, four bands and fan bases all filing in under one roof on the same day. The final four is one of the greatest sporting events on the planet. And this one in front of 68,000 people lived up to all the hype.

The Duke Blue Devils, overwhelming favorites to win it all coming in, led almost the entire game. Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg was everywhere. Sick passes, vicious blocks, a game-high 27 points.

But Kelvin Sampson's Cougars showed the resilience and fight that produced a rally that was fit for an all-time classic finish. Down six, Emanuel Sharp, sharp shooter, hits a huge three, bringing them within three. Then they steal the inbound pass, miss a three-point attempt, but Joseph Tugler slams home the rebound, bringing it within one.

And after a Duke foul, Houston hits two free throws to take the lead with 19 seconds to go. Duke gets it to their star, but Cooper Flagg's final shot comes up short, and the Cougs and this stadium erupt. Their fans couldn't believe what they'd just seen. Neither could Duke's. Houston pulls off the unthinkable 70-67 upset win, advancing to the national title game.

KELVIN SAMPSON, HEAD COACH, HOUSTON UNIVERSITY: No one ever loses at anything as long as you don't quit. Now, when you quit, I don't care if you've lost.

J'WAN ROBERTS, FORWARD, HOUSTON UNIVERSITY: Looking at the time and looking at the clock, you know, I feel like we just believed in ourselves, and we had a feeling that we can still win the game.

SAMPSON: Don't sleep on Houston. Don't sleep on Houston.

WIRE: In the early game, Florida coach Todd Golden facing his mentor, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, also a slugfest. Their team's going back and forth, throwing haymakers like Alijah Martin's statement dunk with about five minutes to go, but the Gators' Walter Clayton Jr. had his moment. Started his career at Iona, which has about 4,000 students, and now on the sport's biggest stage, he scores 34 points, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to score 30 or more in an Elite Eight and Final Four in a single tourney. After a 79-73-win, Clayton clutched, and his coach Todd Golden reflect on the epic night.

WALTER CLAYTON JR., GUARD, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: Man, I just got a bunch of guys around me that trust me, and I say it all the time, man. Them guys trust me to take those shots. You know, some nights they fall, and tonight was one of those nights.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your coach didn't even know you had 34 points.

TODD GOLDEN, HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: I'm just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket, I guess, but he's done what he's done all year for us, and big moments stepped up, hit huge shots, settled our team down, and made winning plays when we needed them the most.

WIRE: The stage is set. The Florida Gators going for their first title in 18 years against the Houston Cougars, who's never won a title, but now they have a chance to get one in their home state. It all goes down right here with some Monday Night Madness.

Coy Wire, CNN, San Antonio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And the Women's NCAA Championship game will tip off later today. Two powerhouse programs are gearing up to battle it out in Tampa, Florida. The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to win their third national title in four seasons, and the University of Connecticut is ready for revenge after South Carolina beat them in the 2022 national championship. If the Huskies win, this would mark the team's record-breaking 12th national title. The highly anticipated showdown is scheduled to start around 3 p.m. Eastern time.

After the pandemic largely closed North Korea's borders to the outside world, the Hermit Kingdom has opened its doors to host the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years.

[05:55:09]

According to state media, at least 200 runners have arrived in the nation's capital to compete. The race follows a route through Pyongyang's landmarks and the nearby countryside before finishing in front of a stadium crowd of 50,000 locals.

The marathon is part of a series of events this month commemorating the upcoming birthday of Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea and grandfather to the current leader Kim Jong Un.

National Cherry Blossom Festival is still in full flower this weekend in the U.S. capital. But for one family, a photo shoot captured more than Washington's symbol of the return of spring. Have a look at this. How about a lovely snapshot of Belle Preston and her little brother Thomas with those pink perennials framing the scene. Meanwhile, you can see they're photobombed by another then former President Barack Obama just on a casual stroll, oblivious to the camera.

The kids who probably wouldn't know him anyway, so blissfully unaware. But their parents, well, the scene took a minute for them to sink in. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PORTIA MOORE, CHILDREN PHOTOBOMBED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA: So once they finished the shoot, I picked him up and I was like, what did you say? And he was like, that's President Obama. And I was like, oh my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Oh my God, indeed. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Connecting Africa.

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