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Trump Administration Now Exempting Some Electronic Goods Imported to the U.S. from Tariffs; Likelihood Collapse of U.S. Bond Market Prompted Reversal of Some Tariffs Examined; Louisiana Immigration Judge Rules Columbia University Graduate and Legal Permanent U.S. Resident Mahmoud Khalil Can be Deported; New CCTV Video Captures Loud Boom Before Helicopter Crash in New York; House Republicans Pass Bill Restricting Ability for Federal Judges to Issue Nationwide Injunctions; Some Judges Report Intimidation as Pizzas Delivered to Them with Name of Judge's Dead Son on Order; Department of Homeland Security Reaches Deal with IRS to Share Taxpayer Data; Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Hold Rally in Los Angeles; Comedian Bill Maher Shares His Experience having Dinner with President Trump at White House. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired April 12, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I go there and buy, and I pick the book.

MICHELLE SANDERS, ATTIC JOURNALS: We are trying desperately to use every big of the book. We're not just taking the covers and throwing everything else out. We're committed to the entire book. The pages get made into product. The library cards that we find inside get made into product.

The journals are the bestsellers, and within those, it's always the beloved Nancy Drew. Our necklaces are quite popular because people like finding them for their birthdays, their anniversaries. The floppy disks made into notepads have become wildly popular in the last few years.

The other thing that's important to note is that if you have a book at home that you're emotionally attached to, we came make that into your journal.

You can find our products on our website at AtticJournals.com. And then we partner with a number of retailers around the world, 280 of them, to be exact.

We don't do this for sport. This is our heart.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Thank you for joining me. I'm Isabel Rosales in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with breaking news. A new twist and more uncertainty about President Trump's ongoing global trade war. The White House now exempting some of the most popular goods imported to the U.S. from sweeping tariffs. And a notice from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Electronics, including smartphones and computers, are now excluded from the tariffs. Those items are among the most heavily imported from China, even as the two nations entrench themselves in a tariff standoff. The Trump administration hitting China on Wednesday with a whopping 145 percent tariff on its exports to the U.S., and China retaliating with a 125 percent tariff on U.S. goods.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is in West Palm Beach, Florida, near where President Trump is spending his weekend. Kevin, what's the White House saying about this?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, White House officials have said that President Trump has long held the view that some of these products should be applied more specific tariffs. And I think that's what we're seeing happening today is the White House applying potentially lower tariffs on some of these products, but for now, exempting them from the high 145 percent reciprocal tariff that the president had applied earlier this week.

Now, that's not to say that this is a reprieve on all tariffs for these products, because remember, the president had applied layers of different duties onto these products. And so, for example, the 20 percent tariff related to the fentanyl crisis will still apply. But this is really the first easing that we have seen from the White House when it comes to China and when it comes to the trade war, and I do think it reflects a recognition that these tariffs could have an inflationary effect on some of the most popular consumer goods that are being imported into the United States.

And so, for example, this will apply to smartphones, laptop computers, transistors, flat panel monitors, hard drives, semiconductors. These are all products that, for the most part, are not manufactured in the United States. This could mean that consumers are spared some of the higher prices on those goods, but it is also a boon for some major companies like Apple, like Samsung, like Dell, who will no longer have to contend with some of these high taxes on their products.

Of course, we should mention that the executives of those companies have spent the last several months trying to cozy up to President Trump. For example, the Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who his company donated millions to his inauguration, now those companies seeing relief from some of these tariffs. The question going forward is how long some of this relief might last.

And I'm told by a White House official that the president is ordering a national security study of semiconductors. Those are the tiny microchips that power so many products in the U.S. Oftentimes, those studies can lead to further tariffs down the line. And it does appear as if the president is now looking for a more targeted approach to some of these products that are being imported into the United States.

Now, the White House saying today, this is from the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, that President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops. She goes on to say, that's why the president has secured trillions of dollars in U.S. investments from the largest tech companies in the world, including Apple, TSMC, which is a Taiwanese chipmaker, and Nvidia, also another chipmaker. She goes on to say, at the direction of the president, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.

Of course, "as soon as possible" is a relative term there. It will cost trillions of dollars, potentially decades for the companies to move this production line that is really entrenched in Asia, move it to the United States.

[14:05:00]

But of course, this is all part of the president's plan. But certainly, it's an uncertain plan as this tariff continues to whipsaw back and forth over the course of this week, Isabel.

ROSALES: Right, it's been a tense back and forth between China and the U.S., and even with this exemption, it's clear were not out of the woods yet. Kevin Liptak, thank you.

President Trump's trade war has fueled uncertainty in markets around the world. The Dow closed more than 600 points in the green Friday. All three indices were up, in fact, after one of the most volatile weeks on record. Trump's tariffs have also put the typically safe bond market in flux.

Joining us to discuss is William Cohan, founding partner of Puck News and former M&A banker on Wall Street. William, really appreciate your time here. Let's start with the bond market. I mean, this is something that's supposed to be stale if not boring. Why is this capturing so much attention right now?

WILLIAM COHAN, FORMER M&A BANKER ON WALL STREET: Well, because when it's not staid and boring, people get very nervous that, especially when interest rates are moving up and as rapidly as they moved up in the last week or so, people get very nervous about what that might portend, either for a recession or credit -- a credit crunch, or a credit freeze, which would which would make getting access to the debt markets, access to mortgages, access to car loans, much more expensive and much more difficult.

So when that kind of thing starts to happen, people get very nervous. It's one thing when the equity markets are on a roller coaster. That's almost to be expected from time to time, nobody likes it. But when the bond markets start freaking out, people notice, because that's where, you know, as I like to say, it's the bond market, stupid. And all kudos to James Carville for that.

ROSALES: Well, can you break down who holds the majority of U.S. treasuries and why that's important when we're talking about this ongoing trade war?

COHAN: Sure. Because two of our largest creditors in the treasury market are China and Japan. And so, you know, one way that China could quietly sort of get back at us for imposing these strict tariffs on them, albeit there was some relief today on a lot of what we might be buying from China. But one way they could do it sort of in stealth mode is to sell some of their $760 billion worth of treasury securities, which actually some market participants think they have been doing, as well as Japan, which is why the interest rate on the ten year treasury moved up so rapidly in the last week or so.

Or they could alternatively decide not to participate in buying treasury securities in future auctions. We've got to refinance some $6 trillion of treasury securities by June. And if China and Japan don't participate in that, then other buyers are going to demand much higher rates. There's going to be a supply and demand imbalance, and that's going to result in even higher interest rates.

ROSALES: What do you make of this news that electronics are exempt, electronic imports from China? Does that bring any sort of relief?

COHAN: Yes, of course that'll -- that's actually welcome news. Good news. The question I have is, why didn't you do that from the start? Why put us through the chaos of the last two weeks when you were today, you know, on a Friday night going to exempt from the tariffs some of the biggest electronic and other imported goods that we get from China, because that's really going to sort of take some of the sting out of these tariffs, obviously, from China.

Obviously, we buy a lot of other things from China besides electronic goods. But this is probably the highest dollar value of goods that we buy from China. And if that was your plan to do that, why not just do that from the start and take the sting out of it from the beginning? It just seems chaotic to me. And one thing the markets hate is chaos.

ROSALES: Oh, yes, it does. And with this out of whack bond market, what does this all mean for debt financing for individuals, businesses, and the U.S. government? Why should the average American care about this?

COHAN: Much more expensive to borrow money, and it's already showing up. Yields on treasury securities are going up. Yields on corporate bonds are going up. It's going to be more expensive for people to get a mortgage, if they can even get one, or a car loan if they can even get one. Credit card interest expense is already very high. It's always very high. It may even go up higher as a result if the bond yields continue to stay high.

[14:10:00]

I think part of the Trump expectation was that there'd be a flight to quality. And the day after his Rose Garden announcement, the treasury yield on the ten-year did go down briefly, and then but is on a skyrocket upward since then. So it didn't out exactly as they thought. And that's going to be higher borrowing costs for all Americans, whether it's consumers or corporations.

ROSALES: Hey, we're going to be keeping eyes on both the credit and the debt market come Monday. William Cohan, thank you so much for breaking through all this financial jargon, making it easy for us.

COHAN: Thank you. ROSALES: A Louisiana immigration judge has ruled Columbia University

graduate Mahmoud Khalil, a legal, permanent resident in the U.S., can be deported. Khalil was present at pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia last spring. The judge ordered the government to hand over evidence against Khalil that justified deporting him. The evidence cited includes a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It alleges that Khalil has, quote, "beliefs, statements, or associations that would compromise U.S. foreign policy interests." Khalil's lawyers called the judge's decision chilling, and says that it sets a harmful precedent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAHER AZMY, MEMBER OF MAHMOUD KHALIL'S LEGAL TEAM: It was really a shameful, disgraceful process. The whole thing felt like a show trial. The judge had her mind made up from the beginning, was extraordinarily hostile, didn't care about the Constitution, didn't care at all about legal process, didn't care at all about the validity or the quantity of evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And with more on this ongoing legal battle, here is CNN's Gloria Pazmino.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thats right. And it's important to remember that despite this judge's finding that Khalil is, in fact, removable from the United States, it's unlikely that he will be removed from the country anytime soon. The reason for that is because his attorneys have made it clear they plan to appeal that decision.

Now, it's important to remember that there are two cases unfolding here, the one in Louisiana, which is focused on his immigration proceeding and his immigration -- his deportation order, and the one in New Jersey, which focuses on the constitutionality and the legality of his detention. Remember, Khalil's attorneys have said that his detention is illegal because he is being targeted for his for his speech and for his political activity in violation of the First Amendment.

Now, although the immigration judge has said that she believes Khalil will be deportable, the other case in New Jersey continues to advance. Now, we should also highlight that the Louisiana judge made that determination based on a piece of evidence submitted by the government, a two-page memo written by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he laid out the reasons why Khalil is deportable, specifically citing his protest activity. Again, his attorneys focused on the fact that that activity is protected by the First Amendment, something that not just U.S. citizens are protected by, but also permanent U.S. residents like Khalil.

In the meantime, his attorneys remain focused on trying to get him released from detention. They are hoping that a judge in New Jersey will hear a motion asking for his release. It's not yet clear whether or not that will happen, but it seems like for now, the case is far from over and Khalil will have to remain in custody.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROSALES: Still to come, we will take a closer look at the legal fight over the IRS sharing data agreement with immigration agents. Could this impact your tax returns?

Plus, we're tracking the latest details of that helicopter crash in the Hudson River.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:18:40]

ROSALES: New details in that deadly helicopter crash in New York that killed a family of five and the pilot. Crews from the Army Corps of Engineers pulled large pieces of wreckage from the Hudson River while the search continues for other parts, including the tail of the aircraft. New CCTV video obtained by CNN captures a loud boom and this moment before the helicopter fell from the sky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Now, this is the latest in a series of recent incidents. Just yesterday, a small plane headed for Tallahassee crashed along a busy street outside the Boca Raton Airport. Florida officials say a man on the ground was also injured when he hit a tree trying to avoid that debris. And earlier this week, two passenger planes bumped wings at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. Several members of Congress were aboard one of the planes. U.S. House Republican Nick LaLota posted this photo on social media showing the plane's wing. The FAA is investigating.

Joining me now to discuss these mishaps is aviation attorney Justin Green. Justin, appreciate your time. Can we start with what you think about everything that's happening in the skies right now?

JUSTIN GREEN, AVIATION ATTORNEY: I mean, it must be very scary, especially the terrible tragedy in New York and a family just essentially wiped out, devastated.

[14:20:04]

And it just seems like a lot is happening, but I think that the people should understand that aviation as a whole is relatively safe. But these accidents are really just too many to account for.

ROSALES: Yes, A lot of people that have a nervous, in fact, we've spoken about flying phobias also going up in light of all these incidents that certainly have gotten so much attention.

Does the CCTV footage offer any insight into possible mechanical failure or external factors that may have contributed to the Hudson River crash?

GREEN: So most aviation accidents have more than one cause. And I have a feeling that this one might have a couple of different causes, but it's clear that a terrible mechanical event occurred. The aircraft lost its tail rotor. It lost its main rotor. That could have been the initiating cause, but it also could have been something that happened after the initiating cause.

This particular helicopter is a relatively old helicopter and technology that dates back to the 60s. The rotor system is a semi rigid rotor system that actually flaps up and down. And when they have a problem they could have a boom strike where the main rotor hits the boom that holds the tail rotor. And that could essentially be what happened at the end of this accident. What caused, what initiated it is something that the NTSB is going to be looking at.

ROSALES: Did you have a chance to look at some of those videos circulating on social media? And if so, what was your first and immediate thought seeing the helicopter go down?

GREEN: Well, I mean, my first thought is just it's so heartbreaking for the family and the pilot, honestly. And once that event occurred, there's nothing that the pilot could do to save the helicopter. So it is a catastrophic in-flight breakup of the helicopter, and at that point, gravity takes over, and there's nothing the pilot could have done.

The question really is, is what caused it? And that it could be that there is a loss of engine power, which then led to flapping of the main rotor hitting the tail boom. It could be a transmission issue that initiated it. But it seems like something mechanically happened that's not supposed to happen. This is a -- these flights are supposed to be safe. They're supposed to be flown very carefully, not extreme maneuvers like you might have in other types of aviation, like military aviation. So there's clearly something terrible happened mechanically that led to this terrible tragedy.

ROSALES: And it's my understanding that mechanical records are not open to the public. We're really going to have to wait on this report from the NTSB. Am I correct in that?

GREEN: Yes, yes. And the NTSB is going to cabin everything. And they have a very strict methodology. They don't want their investigation -- they want their investigation to go where the evidence leads. So they try to keep it relatively confidential. They will issue safety recommendations during the course of the investigation if they identify a safety issue. But it could take up to a year or even more before the NTSB reveals essentially all the causal factors and contributing factors that caused this accident.

ROSALES: Could current regulations for helicopter tour companies be lacking when it comes to ensuring safety in densely populated areas like New York City?

GREEN: Well, New York, that's a very good question. And I just want to say, I think that there's certainly need for improved regulation, improved oversight by the FAA. But at the same time, whether improved, you know, improved oversight would have prevented this particular accident it's too soon to say.

Here, you have to understand that in New York City, they're flying, this particular operator is flying single engine helicopter over water in a very congested airspace. "The New York Times" today essentially ran a story about some of the problems that this particular operator has had, both safety related and financial. So it seems to me that the FAA certainly needs to do more in essentially overseeing the operators, not just in New York but anywhere these operations are ongoing.

ROSALES: And I want to get your take on this. Given that you represent families affected by the midair collision at DCA in January, what is your perspective on the recent near-miss involving a helicopter and a plane, as well as the wingtip collision between two aircraft at the same airport, basically, is DCA becoming too congested to operate safely?

[14:25:08]

GREEN: Well, I'm actually very honored to be representing families. And a family group is formed, and they are asking for the FAA, actually an independent review of the safety of DCA and other hotspot airports. And I 100 percent think it's needed. One of the things that's come out is the history of near-misses at DCA in that very congested airspace, and the fact that they really didn't analyze all these close calls. And had they done so, they clearly would have stopped the helicopter flights so close to the approach and departure ends of the runways, which is the first thing they did after this accident, just should have been done before. And the families that lost their lives, you know, would have been saved.

ROSALES: Justin Green, really appreciate your time. Thank you.

GREEN: No problem. Thank you.

ROSALES: Well, up next, a new effort by GOP lawmakers who are looking for ways to respond to judges seen as blocking President Trump's agenda.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:38]

ROSALES: Welcome back. A bill titled the No Rogue Rulings Act is on its way to the Senate. House Republicans recently passed the legislation, which looks to curb federal judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions. GOP lawmakers have been looking for ways to respond to judges seen as blocking President Trump's agenda. Trump and his ally Elon Musk have publicly pushed Republicans to go even further than that and impeach judges impeding the administration. But the House GOP leadership has signaled that it doesn't have the votes to greenlight the effort and is pursuing other avenues. This bill is one of those avenues. Meantime, this Tuesday, lawyers and judges from across the political

spectrum will come together for a virtual rally to speak in defense of judicial independence and the rule of law. Among the speakers is District Court Judge Esther Salas, whose life forever changed when a gunman targeted her family, killing her son at their home. Judge Salas joins us now. Judge, really appreciate your time. Can we first get your reaction to this bill passed in the House this week?

ESTHER SALAS, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE: You know, I am going to really focus on the threats to judges all over this nation right now. I found out recently that in addition to pizzas being delivered as a form of intimidation to judges and their children, now they're attaching my son's name on the orders of these pizzas. It's horrible to imagine that my son, who was love and light, is now being used, literally weaponized, to intimidate judges and their families.

And for me, I think we're all focused at the moment on these acts of intimidation, violence and all forms of acts that really try to chill the judiciary and its independence. So I'm focused on that, Isabel. I'm focused on really this Speak Up for Justice event, which is this coming Tuesday, April 15th. We are uniting to really talk about supporting the judges and supporting the rule of law and really focusing on this constitutional framework that has held this country together for well over 200 years. And so for me, it's about speaking to the acts of violence and intimidation and how we can try to stop that.

ROSALES: And, judge, I believe that is a drawing of your son right behind you. And did I hear you correctly --

SALAS: Yes. That is my light, my love. And he's with me always. And he's with me now as I spread this message of love and light and support for our judiciary.

ROSALES: Yes. And did I hear you correctly that you've heard of other judges getting pizzas delivered to them as a form of intimidation with your son's name on those deliveries?

SALAS: Yes, you have heard me correctly. It hasn't been widely reported, but there has been in the last few weeks pizzas being delivered, pizzas that were not ordered by these judges, pizzas that are being delivered to judges' homes. That one, tells the judge, I know where you live. Then that got escalated. They started sending pizzas to the judge's children. That tells the judge, one, we know where you live, and now we know where your children live.

Well, as of this week, Tuesday night, a judge received a pizza, actually, it was Monday night was the first pizza at his home. And the pizza was sent by Daniel Anderl, my son. And sadly, we found out on Thursday the fourth pizza delivered to a judge with Daniel's name associated to it as the sender or the order of the pizza. They're literally using my son and his beautiful memory to weaponize and intimidate judges all throughout this country.

[14:35:00] This is no -- this is something that we have to speak to. And that's what were going to do at Speak Up for Justice on Tuesday. And we're asking people to register for it. I know that you have the link to it, and I hope you're sharing it. We want people to really join. We want to -- we want to shed light on this and not heat. We want to come together as Americans. We want to talk about the rule of law. We want to talk about the Constitution. And we want to talk about how we can support the judiciary in this country. It's so important for us to come together. And this division and this hatred, and it just has to stop. We have to -- we have to come together as opposed to continuing to fight one another.

ROSALES: And, judge, you've seen the worst of what could happen. Any mother's worst nightmare, violence becoming a reality. How are you supposed to do your job if you're a judge and you get these threats to your family?

SALAS: You know, Mark and I lost our only child, Daniel, on July 19th, 2020. I tell everyone that he was a miracle baby because I had four miscarriages, three before him and one after. And I can speak, and Mark and I can speak to the value of human life. And we know what it's like because we live with the pain of not having our son with us anymore in this world.

And so I say that what we're doing to judges and what we're, you know, when we see this administration, certain members of Congress, people in power calling us corrupt, calling us partisan, calling us rogue judges, putting the words "wanted" by certain judges, this, this type of rhetoric, this inflammatory rhetoric is giving license to the people that are trying to intimidate these judges.

We need to start speaking impeccably. We need to start remembering that words matter, how we treat each other, that matters. How our leaders react to the rulings that might be unfavorable, that matters, because Americans look to their leaders for guidance. And that's why it's so important that our leaders lead with courage, that they support the judiciary. Republicans, Democrats, independents alike need to speak up for justice. And we're really hoping by Tuesday's event that we can begin to bring us together, as opposed to tearing us apart. That's what we're aiming to do on Tuesday, April 15th. And we're asking that your viewers and everybody who loves this country, that they sign on and support the judiciary. Support us and speak up for justice.

ROSALES: Of course, and good point that this rhetoric does have real life consequences, as you, unfortunately, have seen firsthand yourself. Judge Esther Salas, thank you for your time and your vulnerability, too.

SALAS: Thank you so much for covering this story. And remember, Speak Up for Justice.

ROSALES: Thank you, Judge.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:43:00]

ROSALES: Welcome back. Sensitive taxpayer data will soon be in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security after reaching a deal with the IRS this week. It's the latest in President Trump's deportation push, using that information to track down undocumented immigrants. The move raised serious questions over the legality of this collaboration, causing months of tensions within the IRS. The chaos led to the resignation of several senior agency officials as they fought against releasing this data.

I want to bring in CNN senior reporter Marshall Cohen for more details. Marshall, what are you learning about the leadership crisis at the IRS?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Isabel, it really did blossom into a full-blown crisis in the past week because of that controversial deal that you just described, where the IRS, for the first time, will cooperate with immigration to provide the home addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration pushed this through in the past week, finalizing a deal over the objections and legal concerns of many career IRS officials.

We reported a few days ago that multiple IRS officials refused to sign this document, so they had to send it all the way up to the Treasury Secretary himself. And in the wake of this controversial agreement, many senior members of the leadership team at the IRS have decided that they're going to resign. The acting IRS commissioner is on her way out. So is the chief risk officer, the chief privacy officer, the chief financial officer. The upper echelon of the IRS is being hollowed out right now, and it couldn't come at a worse time with Tax Day just a few days away.

But of course, I should point out, the administration says that despite all the hubbub and complaints and concerns about this, the administration believes this is completely lawful and necessary to crack down on people that have no business being in this country.

ROSALES: And what a huge reversal for the IRS.

[14:45:00]

For decades, it's been telling undocumented people, hey, just file, just file via a Social Security number or the ITIN. This is a good faith effort to help you out, maybe, eventually down the road in getting citizenship.

It's not lost that Tax Day is just three days away. Marshall, you reported that a top priority for the administration is reassigning IRS criminal investigators to instead do immigration related investigations that would support DHS in border enforcement work. Wouldn't that take them away from tax collection, things like catching tax cheats, money launderers? I mean, this is how the government brought down the mob. COHEN: Yes, that is the concern, Isabel. These folks at the IRS

criminal division, the men and women there, they spend all of their time going after tax fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, offshore accounts. And when they catch these criminals, it brings in a lot of money to the federal government that the government can then spend on programs for all of us, right?

So when you move these folks away from their tax mission and on to immigration enforcement, the concern is that it could cost the government a lot of money. The IRS is one of those unique agencies where for every dollar they spend, they actually bring in five, six, seven dollars. I can't say that for all different agencies across the government, but this one, this one is a revenue positive.

ROSALES: Taxes not typically the spiciest of things to talk about, but oh so important. And they impact us all. Marshall Cohen, thank you so much.

Well, coming up, as the Democratic Party struggles to regain momentum, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could be showing the way as they try to rally support among Democrats. We'll look ahead at what to expect and what we'll hear at today's events. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:51:29]

ROSALES: Happening now, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are set to appear at a rally in Los Angeles. It's part of their Fighting Oligarchy tour that also stopped in Las Vegas last month. CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen joins us now. Natasha, this tour hasn't just been an attack on Republicans, has it?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the message has really been about holding the powerful to account, whether that's within your own party, stepping up to do those things, to do the right thing, or to really hold the Republicans account as well.

I have to say, this is a lot of people. We're seeing thousands of people that have packed this space even an hour before this official program begins. There are people up the steps to my right over there by the music center, and also up the steps all the way to City Hall there.

And in speaking to just people in the crowd, I did talk to one person who said that he and his wife don't usually come to rallies. They've never actually been to a Bernie Sanders rally. But they told me they felt that there's just too much going on that's going in the wrong direction right now. He pointed to the Trump tariffs, to DOGE, to the immigration policies. And so that's why they showed up today.

So you see a lot of crowds coming to these events just kind of looking for something that they can do, something they feel they can do. Here's a little bit of what Bernie Sanders and AOC said at their Vegas rally. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, (D-NY): This isn't just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us too.

(CHEERING)

OCASIO-CORTEZ: But what that means is that we as a community, must choose and vote for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class.

(CHEERING)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I-VT): I will tell you that the worst addiction in this country today is the greed of the oligarchy.

(CHEERING)

SANDERS: They are like heroin addicts. They need more and more and more. And if they destroy Social Security and Medicaid to get what they want, that is what they will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: It's interesting that the sentiment of their messages aren't necessarily all that different from what Sanders was saying in his previous presidential campaigns, but now in the year of 2025, it carries different context because of who is in power, because people like Elon Musk have such power over what happens in D.C., Isabel.

ROSALES: Natasha Chen, hearing you loud and clear even despite that singer. Appreciate the report. Thank you.

Well, "Real Time" host Bill Maher has now shared his firsthand account from his recent dinner with President Trump. On his show last night, Maher described the president as engaged, willing to absorb his opinion, even if that was different than his own. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL MAHER, HOST, "REAL TIME": Just for starters, he laughs. I'd never seen him laugh in public, but he does, including at himself. And it's not fake. Believe me, as a comedian of 40 years, I know a fake laugh when I hear it.

(LAUGHTER)

MAHER: And I thank you for them.

Example, in the Oval Office, he was showing me the portraits of presidents, and he pointed to Reagan and said, in all seriousness, you know the best thing about him? His hair.

(LAUGHTER)

[14:55:13] MAHER: I said, well, there was also that whole bringing down communism thing, waiting for the button next to the Diet Coke button to get pushed, and I go through the trap door.

(LAUGHTER)

MAHER: But no, he laughed. He got it.

Look, I get it. It doesn't matter who he is at a private dinner with the comedian. It matters who he is on the world stage. I'm just taking it as a positive that this person exists because everything I've ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent, at least on this night with this guy. I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him. And honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump. That's just how it went down. Make of it what you will. Me, I feel it's emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: You can watch the full episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" tonight at 8:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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