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Poll Shows President Trump's Approval Ratings Dip Almost 100 Days In; Democrat Leaders Launch Sit In Protest at Capitol Hill Steps; Eleven Killed After Car Drove Into a Crowd in Vancouver; IDF Launched Airstrikes in Southern Beirut; Iranian Port Explosion Kills 40; Backlash Over FBI Arrest of WI Judge Who Allegedly Obstructed ICE; GOP Rep. Lawler Joins CNN Newsroom; Shedeur Sanders Received a Prank Call During the NFL Draft. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 27, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: -- Congress and the legislative branch seem to have ceded the power of the purse, whereas the judicial branch seems to be the only speed bump in Trump's way. We'll go through some of the high profile legal challenges and the role of the Supreme Court as the ultimate decider in which if President Trump's orders will have long lasting effects. Back to you.

ERICA HILL, HOST: All right, Abby, thank you. And you can catch Abby's whole story special, "100 Days of Trump" tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on CNN. I'm Erica Hill. Stay tuned. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Jessica Dean.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're on the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Jessica Dean in Washington. We're now just two days away from President Trump's 100th day in office. And tonight, we're getting a clearer picture of how Americans are feeling at this moment in his second term. The president's approval rating now stands at 41 percent. That is the lowest for any president at this point in his term in the history of modern polling. And a significant six point drop in Trump's approval since February.

I spoke with CNN chief data analyst, Harry Enten, earlier today on "Inside Politics" to help break it all down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Where are we a hundred days, almost a hundred days into, President Trump's second term as compared to his first?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYS: I mean, these numbers are just horrible. There's no way to sugarcoat it. And the first way we'll sort of point that out, is we'll look at where Donald Trump is now versus where he was a hundred days into his first presidency. And you see it here. You don't have to be a mathematical genius, 41 percent approval of him now. It was 44 percent back in 2017 around the hundred day mark.

And what's so notable here is that throughout his second term as president, he tended to be running ahead of where he was in his first term. No longer is that the case. He has fallen below where he was at this point in his first term. Of course, this is just Trump. Let's compare him to other presidents, and I really think this kind of puts a bow on it.

And you can see it here. You see the 41 percent, that is 12 points below Joe Biden. It's three points below where he was in his first term. Look at where Obama was 63 percent. He's 22 points below that. And George W. Bush at this point in 2001, he is, I mean, again, 21 points below. And as you pointed out in your opening, Jessica Dean, I look back at all of the polling you possibly could long before I was born, and Trump's 41 percent at a hundred days is the worst on record. He has broken his own record for being the worst. The American people do not like what they are seeing at this point from Donald John Trump.

DEAN: It's just also amazing to see the 60s, not that long ago.

ENTEN: Long ways away.

DEAN: Yeah. Now, Trump ran obviously on immigration and the economy. What kind of marks are people giving him on those two issues?

ENTEN: Yeah. Okay. So let's take a look at the issues, right, because it's not just about overall. It's about the issues. There's only one data point where Trump is above 45 percent. It comes to his handling of gender identity policy. He's at 51 percent. Every other issue, immigration, where he has long been above water, look at this below water, 45 percent.

How about the economy? My goodness gracious. He was elected to fix the economy, just 39 percent. And, of course, the tariff work, 34 percent on that. I mean, the bottom line here is just very simply the numbers for Donald Trump are awful, awful, awful in this poll. And then, of course, you look again on the economy, we compare it to where we were back in 2017. You see the 49 percent there. Look here, 39 percent, 10 points below where he was.

I'm gonna make the green mark a little bit better there, 49 percent. And, again, I went back and looked at all the presidents I possibly could since 1977, and Donald Trump on the economy here, it's not just the lowest for this term. It's the lowest for any president on record a hundred days in to a presidency. Just no bueno, Jessica.

DEAN: That is really remarkable. Okay, so how confident are people that he's gonna use the office of the presidency responsibly?

ENTEN: Yeah. Okay. So we're talking about the issues. Let's just talk a little bit here about just the overall way that Donald Trump is going about his business. Right? Use presidential power responsibly. No confidence Trump will. Well, back in December of 2024, it was 46 percent. Look at where we've jumped to now, 54 percent of Americans have no confidence that Trump will use the power of the presidency responsible.

And so this just tells you on every single different data point you could possibly look at, whether it be Trump's overall approval, whether it be the issues for Donald Trump, or how he conducts himself in office. All of these numbers are pretty much terrible for Donald Trump at this point. And so you just see it here, 54 percent who say that no confidence, he's gonna use presidential power responsibly. It's just no good, Jessica.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: All right. Again, thanks to Harry for that.

[17:04:55]

Joining us now, CNN senior political commentator and former special assistant to President George W. Bush, Scott Jennings, and former deputy and special assistant to President Joe Biden, Dan Koh. Gentlemen, good to see you. Thanks for being here with us. Scott, I want to start first with you. I want to look and talk about some of these polling numbers that we're seeing. Do you think seeing numbers like those that Harry just went through changes how the White House views its policies as part of a mandate they believe they have?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think so because, you know, I think they believe public opinion is dynamic, and they also think that they're doing better than some of these public opinion polls may indicate. I mean, look, I think the president is in the middle of making major changes in the country. He's making major changes certainly in the economy, major changes on immigration. I mean, a lot of what they're doing is not incremental. It's sweeping and change can cause a lot of fluidity in public polling.

I think they think that leadership means asking yourself three questions. Am I doing the right thing? Am I fulfilling my campaign promises? And is what I'm doing putting the nation on the right path even if that means in the short term, I suffer a little bit in public approval? I think Donald Trump would answer all three of those questions in the affirmative. I think they have a lot of confidence on what they're doing. And I think Republicans, just as a subset of all of this polling, are still very confident in their votes that they cast last November.

So I don't sense a lot of panic over at the White House. And, of course, as you know, Donald Trump, is very fixed on how he sees the world and the decisions he's making. And I don't expect major course corrections here at the end of a hundred days.

DEAN: Yeah. Dan, what about you? Were you surprised by these numbers?

DAN HOH, FORMER DEPUTY & SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Look. I think this is a president who continues to make history for all the wrong reasons and Scott's point about campaign promises is true. That's what he should be judged on. And if you look at the numbers, all of his perceived strengths during the campaign have now become his greatest weaknesses. He promised to fix the economy. We saw those numbers there. He promised to fix immigration. We saw how he's performing. He promised to make tariffs, making America great again. He has a 34 percent approval rating on that. And his last big campaign promise, wanting to end the war in Ukraine

within 24 hours, he certainly hasn't made any progress there. So, if this were the resume of an employee at one of Trump's companies, he certainly would have that person fired now. So I think both him and his entire administration should be pretty concerned.

DEAN: And so, Scott, on the on the economy, because s you both know, like, Trump was elected on lowering these prices, on getting inflation, in his words, under control, making the cost of living easier on Americans, but when we look at these numbers, Americans aren't happy with how he's handling the economy right now or his use of tariffs. Is this an example of something, like you were just saying, that you think that long term, they'll swing back his way, especially if they're about to start paying more prices or higher prices?

JENNINGS: Yeah. Great question. Look, this is the issue on which he has the most work to do because it's just not something that we have used recently in this country on trying to change the economy in any way at all. I mean, people just -- I mean, he did it a little bit in the first term but not at this scale. And so not only is he making major changes in how our economy works and how global trade works, he's also having to explain simultaneous to the American people why it's going to work and, hey, I need you to bear with me even if it means a little bit of short term pain.

So it's a tough job when you're trying to implement such massive changes. I do think one thing that could turn public opinion in his favor on this is if he does begin over the next few weeks to announce trade deals with our allies. I mean, there seems to be a lot of countries on deck, to have big announcements with the United States to further isolate China and to show that, hey, the tariffs brought people to the table. We have now more fair trade with these countries and it's ultimately gonna be better for American workers.

Once those deals come out and once the details of that come out, I do think you could see it swing back a little bit in his favor and people might say, hey, he was right about the tariffs. It did bring people back to the United States and gave a fair shake to the average working class.

DEAN: And Dan, for the Democrats in all of this, look, if Americans continue to say the economy is their top concern and really the cost of living is their top concern, And maybe it goes the way Scott just laid out, maybe it doesn't. Maybe prices continue to go up. We're gonna have to see how that shakes out. If that happens to be the case, is this a place where Democrats think they can get an opening?

KOH: Well, absolutely. Look, the Biden administration, it was hard with inflation being what it was to combat that messaging because people felt it at their kitchen tables. I think what's most concerning about the Trump administration right now is that although you're starting to see some prices rise as a result of tariff policy and things like automobiles, you're starting to see some layoffs. Stellantis just recently announced some layoffs as a result of tariffs. There still hasn't been the net increase in prices that many economists are anticipating is happening.

And so once people are feeling the result of these tariff policies at the grocery store, at the pump, all these different places, I think they have a lot of right, to be very concerned about it. And, look, even if it is a tariff deal that isn't 40 percent in China, but its 20 percent, studies have shown that that will ultimately result in price increases. So no matter what, a lot of Americans are gonna have to pay a lot more than they are right now and that should concern everybody.

[17:10:05]

DEAN: And, Scott, just in your opinion, in talking with people who are in Trump's orbit in your experience, something like this -- and to be fair, it's not just CNN polling. We had polling from other outlets that kind of showed similar stories right now in terms of where the president's approval rates are. Is that something that does get into his head at all? Is that something that they use to evaluate anything? Or is it kind of that bunker mentality where they're just like, we need to push ahead. We think this is the right thing to do and we don't really care right now.

JENNINGS: Well, I think the White House always takes into consideration public opinion and everything they're doing. But for the president, you know, this is it. This is his last term. He's not gonna be running again. And I think he's quite confident in the program that he laid out, whether it's on the economy or on immigration or on anything else. And I don't think he's typically swayed by undulations in polls, particularly right now. Now, if I were a Republican running, in the midterms, I would certainly be really focused on public opinion because I got to face the voters again.

If I were Vice President Vance and I wanted to run for president in 2028, I would be thinking about it as well. But for President Donald Trump, I really think that he is so confident in what he's doing, particularly on the tariffs. He loves this idea. He's been talking about it for 40 years. He thinks it's important. He thinks it's gonna tilt the economy back towards the American working class. I really just don't see and don't really hear the idea that a public opinion poll or a round of bad polling is gonna shake him from the belief that this is the right thing to do.

And at some juncture, that's what leadership is. You get elected, the American people put their judgment in you, and you don't really, you know, tilt into the breeze. You stick with what you're doing because you have confidence in what you laid out and what you won your -- you won your race on.

DEAN: Dan, I do want to ask you about the sit in that we're seeing from Democrats on the steps of Capitol Hill this morning. This started very early. When I was doing the other show this morning around 8:00 a.m., they were already out there, when the sun was coming up. And just about 24 hours before Congress comes back from recess and Republicans prepare to push through, the Republican -- the Trump agenda with that using reconciliation, which is just using that parliamentary procedure that allows it just Republicans to participate in this. But if they're looking to cut $1.5 trillion in spending and extend

these tax cuts that Trump put into place in his last term. Democrats are looking for a way to get in there. What do you think about what's going on? Is this the way to do it?

KOH: I think it's really important right now for Democrats to do everything they can to capture the hearts and minds of Americans. This is certainly innovative and different just like Senator Booker did with his record breaking stance on the floor. And look, the reality is you mentioned $1.5 trillion. There is absolutely no way that you can have a $1.5 trillion cut without everyday Americans feeling it at the kitchen table, in the in their student loans. All the different things that they care so much about.

So, this is what the stakes are and I think Democrats are stepping up and saying that they won't take this lying down and that they're gonna do everything they can to not only fight for it, but to bring attention to it so that we can continue to build a coalition.

JENNINGS: Jessica, may I respond to that?

DEAN: Yes, please.

JENNINGS: I think this is a point worth debating because this is gonna be the next few weeks in Washington.

DEAN: Yeah.

JENNINGS: Republicans and Democrats talking about the level of federal spending. Back in 2019 before COVID, we spent about $4.5 trillion as a government. Today, we're spending almost $7 trillion. Five years later, we've gone from four and a half to almost $7 trillion. I think the American people know we're spending too much money. The government is too big and the idea of cutting a little bit here, not even to pre COVID levels, but just a little bit makes sense to a lot of people.

A lot of people are wondering, where does all this money go? So I think it's a worthy debate to have. I know Democrats are gonna argue to keep every dollar and raise every tax, but I do think the Republicans here have some room to run, which is controlling spending, cutting taxes on working class people, making the tax cuts permanent. This is an area where I do think there's some possibility of improvement in public opinion for the Republicans if they're able to get their reconciliation package done.

DEAN: Scott, I do want to ask or Dan, go ahead.

KOH: Yeah. I think it's just really difficult for Republicans that one side say they're being fiscally conservative when Donald Trump added more to the deficit than any president in modern history. I think this is a very difficult sell for the American people.

JENNINGS: What happened during his presidency? I mean, what happened during his -- are you against any of the COVID spendings?

KOH: If he was a president who truly cared about fiscal responsibility --

JENNINGS: You won't admit it. This is the -- this is the dishonesty of the debate.

KOH: He wouldn't have had this historic addition. And look --

JENNINGS: -- because Trump -- Trump has COVID. He has to spend money. Everybody, all Republicans and Democrats agreed that we had to spend money because the economy was shut down. And now you --

KOH: Did he add to the deficit or not, Scott?

JENNINGS: -- it was a bipartisan accomplishment.

KOH: Was it a historic add to the deficit or not?

JENNINGS: It was a historic pandemic that we had to respond to. And my point is, it's over, and now we should go back to the pre-pandemic spending. That's what Republicans are wondering. The pandemic's over. Why are we still spending like it's the pandemic? We should go back to pre-pandemic. That's a reasonable argument.

KOH: Then we should have a pre -- the permanent tax cut for the rich is not the answer.

JENNINGS: You mean the people who paid -- all the people who pay taxes? Yes, they all got a tax cut. Everybody got a tax cut.

[17:14:57]

KOH: If you're counting just the rich in that, no, that's not the answer.

JENNINGS: Well, it's a good debate because in a Democrat's opinion, if you have a job, no matter what kind of job you have, you're rich. And that -- this is what you're gonna hear in the debate. If you have a job, if you're a working class American who got a pay cut or who got a tax cut, they're arguing that you're rich. No matter what your pay is, they're arguing that you're rich because you work. And I think this is where the Republicans are gonna have some room to run.

KOH: I think working class people are smarter than that. They realize that billionaires are doing all kinds of tricks to avoid paying basic income tax, and that's a problem for all Americans.

DEAN: All right. So we're gonna see this play out on Capitol Hill and probably here on CNN as well. Scott Jennings and Dan Koh, thanks to both of you. I do really appreciate it.

JENNINGS: Thank you.

KOH: Thank you.

DEAN: Police in Vancouver call it the darkest day in that city's history as a car pummeled into a crowd of people killing 11. We're gonna have the very latest from there. Plus, President Trump says he's talked to his Chinese counterpart. But

if you ask the treasury secretary, you'll get a different answer. More on that, you're in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

DEAN: At least 11 people are dead and dozens more injured after a driver plowed a car through a crowded street fair in downtown Vancouver, Saturday night. Hundreds of people there were celebrating at an annual Filipino Heritage Festival when it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE RAI, INTERIM VANCOUVER POLICE CHIEF: The driver of the vehicle was the lone occupant, and he was arrested at the crime scene by members of the Vancouver Police Department after bystanders and witnesses intervened to detain him. I can now say with confidence that the evidence in this case does not lead us to believe this was an act of terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Paula Newton is with us now from Ottawa. And, Paula, we just got some new information from police. What are they saying about all of this?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. The press conference is ongoing with both the Vancouver Mayor and police, and they are saying that the death toll remains at 11. Sadly, Jessica, you know, the ages, they say, range from five to 65. And I have to say, when so many people describe what happened there, they did talk of many children who had been injured and were being attended to. I do want you to listen now though to an eyewitness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA POLINTAN, EYEWITNESS: From over there, from, like, the start right there, he just pushed the gas all the way through the whole block right there, crashing into, like, everyone in his way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Crashing into anyone in his way, and that's why police also say that dozens more are in hospital with injuries. Some are critically injured. This has been just such a shocking and disturbing event in Vancouver. In fact, police calling it, you know, the darkest day in the city's history. And they do say that this is a watershed moment, that things like security in Vancouver will change, although they stress, Jessica that there was no security warning about this. They had looked at the security plan, and everything looked fine.

Again, following up on the suspect who has not yet been named or charged saying that they are -- that they know him and that he's had many interactions with police regarding mental health. Now, this comes on the last day of campaigning for Canada's national election, and I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark Carney as he got the news. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter. Those families are living every family's nightmare. And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino-Canadian community, and to everyone in the broader Lower Mainland, Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: You know, the prime minister, even he was definitely emotional in delivering the message of support. That support continues throughout the city of Vancouver, in Canada, and beyond, of course, to the Philippines itself. I know right now, there is a small memorial and a vigil taking place at the scene. A more organized vigil will happen in the coming hours. But, again, so many people trying to make sense of this.

And yet the same time, Jessica, you have to think that people are still trying to identify their loved ones. There are still people searching hospitals, wondering if their loved ones were at those events. And it's just a situation that many say is difficult to cope with given the fact that it was so senseless and yet so horrific on the ground.

DEAN: Yeah. Just awful, awful, awful. Paula Newton, thank you so much for that update.

Also new today, a massive explosion in Southern Beirut, an Israeli airstrike targeting a Hezbollah facility in the Lebanese capital. That's according to Israeli officials. The attack happened after the IDF advised civilians to evacuate the area. Lebanon's president condemned that attack. Back in November, Israel and Hezbollah entered into a ceasefire though the IDF has carried out a number of strikes since that time. No injuries have been reported.

We are seeing new video of Iranian rescue workers trying to put out the flames from a massive explosion. You see them dropping what appear to be bags of fire retardant through a helicopter hatch. Iranian authorities have still not revealed what caused that blast at a port in the country's southwest on Saturday.

[17:25:00]

State media is now putting the death toll at 40 with nearly a thousand people injured after the explosion sent a huge fireball into the sky. Eyewitnesses say chemicals in an area housing shipping containers caught fire, setting off that much larger explosion.

A Wisconsin judge says the Trump administration is sending a message to chill the judiciary. This is his colleague, another Wisconsin judge is facing charges accused of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO COLON, JUDGE, WISCONSIN COURT APPEALS - DISTRICT 1: There's no way that we would have treated a much more dangerous criminal the way we treated Judge Dugan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:00]

DEAN: The Justice Department is facing mounting backlash following the FBI's arrest of a Wisconsin judge. The DOJ accuses Judge Hannah Dugan of helping an undocumented immigrant try to avoid being taken into custody. Dugan faces two charges for obstruction and concealing the individual from arrest. And now, other judges are speaking out against Dugan's arrest, saying it's sending the wrong message.

Kyung Lah joins us now live. Kyung, you spoke with another Wisconsin judge about all of this. What did he tell you?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, he's saying that there is growing concern and outrage among the legal circles and the colleagues of Judge Dugan because this is something that he just says he did not expect would get to this point.

There have been some public protests that we're seeing in Milwaukee, but also just a lot of concern about what is happening to this judge, who was well respected in the community, well regarded by her colleagues.

Judge Colon says he simply could not believe what he was seeing with his colleague.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO COLON, JUDGE, DISTRICT 1 WISCONSIN COURT OF APPEALS: I couldn't believe it on so many levels. Number one, Hannah is one of the most peaceful people I've ever met. She's not a threat to anyone. Not to mention that it's highly legally unusual for this to occur. That is to send down 10 plus officers to arrest a judge about an allegation that took place 48 hours before. I just think everybody is flabbergasted as they should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Judge Colon says that he certainly can't weigh in on the direct facts because he wasn't in the courtroom as this was all happening. But he is also concerned beyond just for the welfare as colleague, but also the larger message that this sends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLON: I think what they want to do is to essentially have the judiciary not only in Wisconsin, but the independent judiciary of the state. This is the United States of America essentially succumb to their power and their policy priorities independent of constitutional rights and what other rights people have. That's not the way we do business in a democratic in -- in a democratic country.

The reality is we sort out constitutional rights and we don't allow anyone, including the government, including Mr. Patel, including anyone to have more rights than anybody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: And that last point is why Judge Pedro Colon said that he needed to speak out, that he understands he is speaking publicly at some risk of becoming a target politically, given the Trump administration's view of all of this. But he says he wants people in Milwaukee to know that the judges there observe the facts, and they are fair. Jess?

DEAN: All right. Kyung Lah with the very latest on that. Still more to come. Thank you very much for that reporting.

New today, police have made an arrest in the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's handbag. Her Gucci bag, similar to the one you see here, contained thousands of dollars in cash, her passport, blank checks, and a DHS access badge when it was stolen last Sunday as the secretary and her family dined at a D.C. restaurant.

Police say surveillance video shows the suspect using his foot to slide that bag away from Noem's chair and then walking out with it tucked under his jacket. Authorities say the person arrested is -- quote -- "a serial offender." Secret Service was with Noem at the time, and law enforcement experts have raised concerns that the incident was a lapse in security as the thief was able to get so close to a Cabinet official.

A Republican congressman from New York is set to answer his constituents' questions face-to-face. Before he does that today, Representative Mike Lawler will be talking with us. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: For all the talk of progress on trade deals out of the White House, there is a more basic question over whether China has picked up the phone, if the Chinese president and the American president have spoken with one another. Trump says -- said on Friday he has spoken with China's president numerous times. Beijing insists there have been no discussions. The treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, today says the two leaders have what he calls a good relationship, but that he wasn't aware of a phone call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: This was IMF World Bank Week, the NDC as you know. And the -- I had an interaction with my Chinese counterparts, but it was more on the traditional things like financial stability, global economic early warnings. I don't know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Republican Congressman Mike Lawler is joining us right now. Congressman, thank you so much for your time this afternoon. I know you are there in West Nyack to hold a town hall later tonight. I do want to talk to you about that in just a moment.

But first, I do want to get your thoughts on this trade war with China. You have said previously, Congress will need to intervene if the White House doesn't demonstrate significant progress. Bessent has offered this time frame of months to reach a deal. Do you think that's sufficient?

REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): The president put a pause in place on the reciprocal tariffs, put a flat 10% in, and they are going through the process of negotiating now with Japan, India.

[17:40:07]

We'll see, obviously, the progress made with the EU, having met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni just last week. So, I think progress is being made. The issue to me will be, obviously, if after the 90-day pause, progress is not made and that the administration tries to move forward again with, you know, the reciprocal tariff approach. Obviously, I think Congress will be weighing in.

But I think the immediate, you know, need, obviously, is to negotiate these trade deals. The fact is that other countries have had high tariffs in place. They've had high barriers to entry for U.S. goods and products, and they've had price controls on U.S. goods.

And this, especially China, has obviously been an unfair trade partner. They have sought to devalue our currency. They have used intellectual property theft and economic coercion, taking control of ports and waterways as a mean of control -- means of controlling trade. So, there is significant, you know, areas that need to be discussed, especially with President Xi in China.

But I think many of our allies will negotiate fairer trade agreements because the fact is they rely on the U.S. economy and U.S. consumers purchasing their goods. And so long term, it's certainly not going to be beneficial for, say, Mexico or Canada, not to negotiate fair trade agreement with President Trump.

DEAN: And I hear you in saying let this 90-day pause play out, let's see what happens, and then Congress, if it hasn't moved forward, needs to step in. But just knowing that the clock is ticking here and that the American people are going to be the ones who are going to be paying the price in the meantime while this is all worked out, does that make you anxious? Does it -- do you think there could be a point before the 90 days where you need to push a little harder or if Congress does need to step in?

LAWLER: Look, I think the administration, obviously, needs to show some progress during those 90 days. You know, ideally, obviously, over the next month or so, you would start to see significant agreements take shape.

But also, obviously, Congress is working right now on a reconciliation package that includes a tax bill, and that is going to be vital for the economy to ensure certainty moving forward. The current tax bill expires at the end of this year. So that, obviously, would be catastrophic for the economy. It would be the largest tax increase in American history if we don't pass a tax bill.

So, getting reconciliation done, getting some of these trade agreements, you know, put -- you know, signed off on and put forward, obviously, is going to create more certainty in the market and create an opportunity for a lot of economic growth and investment.

You've already seen the president announce over 4 trillion in new investment into the U.S. That is nothing to sneeze at. That is significant. We want to see that continue. So, obviously, having a tax bill, having some trade agreements locked down will make a big difference as the economy moves forward.

DEAN: And you mentioned what you all are about to do heavy work on, which is passing the president's agenda through the House and then -- and through the Senate and getting it to his desk. You all are trying to, and just for people to know, you sit on financial services and foreign affairs, you all are trying to cut one and a half trillion dollars. And I've heard -- I've talked to a lot of your colleagues. I know that you want to cut wasteful spending, that you want to make sure that there is not -- no dollars being spent that don't need to be.

But there are real concerns from people that there could be cuts to vital services, that there could be cuts to Medicaid, that if you start dipping into that and trying to get to the number you've got to get into, that really the only way you can do that is to start trimming and start cutting from there. Are you confident that won't happen? There will be no cuts to Medicaid?

LAWLER: Well, a few key points that I think are important to point out. Number one, the Senate bill was 4 billion, not 1.5 trillion.

DEAN: Right.

LAWLER: And it is the Senate that will govern the rules of reconciliation, number one. Number two, over the next 10 years, we're projected to spend $86 trillion. So, we're talking about potentially upwards of 1.5 trillion in savings. That's 1.7% of total federal spending at a time in which we have 36 trillion in debt. We're running $2 trillion deficits on an annual basis, and we're paying a trillion dollars in interest on our debt.

So, we have to get serious about this. Obviously, we want to make sure that vital programs like Medicaid are protected. I've been very clear about that. I am not cutting benefits to any eligible recipient.

[17:44:58]

At the same token, we've also been clear in saying illegal immigrants should not be getting Medicaid benefits. In New York, they're spending 1.5 billion on that. There should be work requirements. By the way, that's something Bill Clinton championed in the 90s and Democrats supported. So, I don't know why they would be opposed to work requirements now. And we should have eligibility verification sped up from an annual basis to a quarterly basis or a semiannual basis.

When you look at the CBO projections on those three things alone, you're talking upwards of $500 billion in savings. And by the way, CMS has said that on an annual basis, there's about 50 billion in fraudulent payments. So, we should be cleaning that up. And again, over the entirety of a 10-year window, you're talking about potentially 1.5 trillion.

But to me, it's not the number. It is the policy. It is -- it is what we can get 218 votes out of the House to agree on.

DEAN: Right.

LAWLER: And I've been very clear about protecting Medicaid, especially for the IDD community, our seniors, children, single mothers. So, we will do that, and we will also root out the waste, fraud, and abuse.

DEAN: So, you will not vote for something if it cuts Medicaid to those groups of individuals you just talked about?

LAWLER: I've been -- I've been very clear about protecting Medicaid for every eligible recipient. Period.

DEAN: All right. And I do want to ask you, you're in there -- you're in New York, in your home state, in your district for a town hall tonight. You are talking to voters at a time when some Republicans have chosen not to do that. We're also getting these new polls out as we circle around President Trump's 100th day in office, and we're seeing in the CNN polling a historic low approval rating for the president, not just for him, but for any president in modern polling.

As you get ready for reelection, as you're talking to voters, you're on the front lines out there. Does that give you any concern? How are you addressing that with your constituents?

LAWLER: No, because I talk directly to my constituents. They know who I am. Since I've taken office, I've held over 1,200 in-person events. I've held over 50 town hall meetings in mobile office hours. We're doing four, that I've announced already for this year. And I engage in interviews like this daily, if not weekly, communicating with my constituents. We communicate via email, social media, in public, in person, all the time.

So, my constituents know who I am. They know what I believe. They know what I stand for and what I'm fighting for. And I'm fighting to address the issue of affordability. It's why I'm fighting so hard to lift the cap on salt in the tax bill. It's why I've fought to secure our border and stop this massive influx of illegal immigration, which we've already seen historic drops, just over 7,000 border crossings, in the month of March, a historic low.

So, we are doing the work. Obviously, there is concern and consternation people have about the economy and the cost of living, and that is what we are tackling. We're reversing four years of disastrous policies that gave us record inflation. That's why we're working to cut spending. Joe Biden increased spending by $5 trillion in the first two years of his administration. It is unsustainable and it is what gave us the high cost of living, housing, groceries. That's what we're in the process of reversing. So, yes --

DEAN: But congressman --

LAWLER: -- there's going to be a little bit of short-term volatility --

DEAN: Yeah.

LAWLER: -- but it, long term, will ensure a stronger economy, and that is what this is about.

DEAN: Yeah. And that's just my last question, is that there are going to be -- right now, people are going to be paying higher prices. The economist -- leading economist and the Fed chairman, they're all concerned that the current policies are going to lead to either stagflation or higher inflation.

LAWLER: Well, you've already seen grocery prices come down. Cost of eggs, for instance, came down significantly. Gas prices came down. You saw a real wage growth, higher than inflation, for the month of March. So, look, the economy is moving, but we obviously want to make sure that it is strong for every middle class, hardworking American family in this country.

And that is why we are fighting so hard to get trade deals that benefit the American people, that bring back jobs and manufacturing and investment in the United States. You saw already, the president announced over 4 trillion in new economic investment from foreign companies and countries. That is a positive for the economy. Yes, there's going to be a little short-term volatility, but long term, we are going to be in a much stronger position, especially when we get the tax bill done under reconciliation.

DEAN: All right. Congressman Mike Lawler, we really do appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us.

LAWLER: Thank you.

DEAN: We'll be right back.

[17:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) DEAN: The son of an Atlanta Falcons coach and the team are apologizing to Shedeur Sanders, the University of Colorado quarterback whose slide in the NFL draft grabbed headlines this week. While he was waiting to be drafted, Sanders was the victim of a prank phone call on Thursday during the first round of the draft.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Loomis here, GM of the Saints.

SHEDEUR SANDERS, FOOTBALL QUARTERBACK, CLEVELAND BROWNS OF NFL: How you doing?

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Good. How are you, man?

SANDERS: Good. Been waiting on you.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Way to go.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Yeah, we have. It has been a long wait, man.

[17:55:00]

SANDERS: Not for sure.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Going to take you with our next few right here, man.

SANDERS: You say you're going to have to wait a little longer. Sorry about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Now, that was obviously not the general manager of the New Orleans Saints. CNN's sports Don Riddell is joining us now. And Don, what were you learning about all this?

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: This is just a remarkable twist, Jessica. To say that Shedeur Sanders has been on a roller coaster over the last few days would be quite the understatement. Remember, he was expecting to be drafted early. He ended up sliding all the way to the fifth round, and he was taken by the Browns as the 144th pick. And in the middle of it all, this prank call.

So, what we're now learning is that the man behind it was the 21-year- old son of the Falcons defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, his son, Jax. Now Jax has apologized today on social media. He said he had made a tremendous mistake. He said that his actions were selfish and childish. It sounds like he and Shedeur Sanders have spoken, but Sanders hasn't yet made a public comment about this.

The Falcons have also apologized. They have said they're reviewing their protocols because it seems that earlier in the week, Jeff Ulbrich's iPad was open, and that's how his son was able to glean these contact details leading to this. The NFL is in touch with the Falcons about this, and this whole thing has just become a whole mess. And when you think about the nerve-shredding experience that the draft process is for these players, you can only imagine just what a nightmare it would be to go through something like this, to get a call purportedly from a team, and then for it to turn out to be just a joke. So, it was already, as I say, an incredible draft weekend, not necessarily the one that Shedeur Sanders was hoping for. And with this in the middle of it, well, he really did experience it all, didn't he?

DEAN: Yeah, he certainly did. That's already such a high-pressure situation. Don Riddell, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. Still ahead, President Trump just returning to Washington, and he's talking. We're going to tell you what he said when we come back.

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[18:00:00]

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