Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

11 Killed after Car Plows into Crowd at Vancouver Festival; Canadians to Vote for New Parliament, Prime Minister; China Denies Trump Claims that Tariff Talks are Underway; 3 Children with U.S. Citizenship Deported with Their Mothers; Explosion Kills at Least 40, Injures 1,000+ at Major Iran port; Trial for 'Grandpa Gang' Begins Monday in Paris. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired April 28, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN NEWSROOM with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.

[00:00:37]

Coming up on the show, after a decade of rule by the Liberal Party and mounting threats from their closest ally, Canadians head to the polls to elect a new Parliament.

A critical week for Mr. Trump. From tariffs to Ukraine. The U.S. president's approval rating takes a downturn on key issues as his term nears the 100-day Mark.

And immigration crackdown. Children as young as 2 years old are being deported alongside their mothers, but they're U.S. citizens.

Welcome. Canadians will head to the polls in the hours ahead for an election that will determine which party will form the next government and who will lead the country amid tense times with Canadas closest neighbor.

Those tensions building amid threats and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The vote will also come just two days after a tragedy in Vancouver, where at least 11 people were killed when a car plowed into a crowd at a festival celebrating Filipino heritage. The victims, ranging in age from 5 to 65 years old.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has now been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Police are calling Saturday night's incident the darkest day in the city's history.

CNN's Paula Newton has more from Ottawa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: The details of this tragedy have been so hard to fathom for so many, not just in Vancouver, but also in Canada and also in the Philippines.

NEWTON (voice-over): Police say that a suspect deliberately drove his SUV into a crowd of people, killing 11. Their range in ages, from 5 to 65, and there are dozens that right now remain in hospital.

I want you to hear now from the interim police chief of Vancouver.

STEVE RAI, VANCOUVER POLICE INTERIM CHIEF: This is the darkest day in our city's history.

The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety. It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual.

NEWTON (voice-over): He went on to say that everyone was really in a state of grief, anger, and disbelief as they answered questions about the security.

Now, this was a joyful festival. It was just wrapping up. Police said they had made all the security arrangements, and there weren't many. This actually took place on the grounds of a school, and the SUV was actually approaching the crowds on an off street in that neighborhood.

They did say, though, police, that this would be a watershed in terms of police operations in Vancouver going forward.

And important to remember, in fact, that Vancouver will be hosting events like the World Cup next year in 2026.

This is taking place as Canada is going through a national election campaign. Sunday was supposed to be the last day of official campaigning, and instead throughout Canada, it was so sobering to hear from those who had gone through this absolutely devastating tragedy. Listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.

NEWTON (voice-over): Now, given the senseless nature of everything that happened, there were so many questions about motives. Police made it clear that the suspect was known to them, and that the suspect had had many interactions with them regarding a mental health crisis. They would not give us any more details.

But vigils continue to pop up throughout Vancouver as --

NEWTON: -- so many Canadians try and bring their solidarity and their grief in support of the Philippine community that has lost so much in this incident.

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The incident in Vancouver coming as the election campaign wrapped up ahead of Monday's vote. The election involves six national parties, though the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party are the frontrunners in this race.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is vying for a chance to continue leading the country. The former central banker took over after Justin Trudeau stepped down last month. He's not ruled out continued talks with Trump but has been moving to strengthen ties with more reliable allies.

[00:05:07]

Carney's main competition is Pierre Poilievre, Canadas Conservative Party leader. Though his political capital has declined as relations between the U.S. and Canada took a hit, and Poilievre appeared to distance himself from comparisons to Trump.

Well, let's dig a bit deeper on this. Joining me now from Ottawa is Laurie Turnbull, professor in the faculty of management at Dalhousie University and senior advisor at the Institute on Governance.

Thanks so much for being with me. How are you doing?

LAURIE TURNBULL, PROFESSOR, DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY: Doing great. How are you doing?

HUNTE: I'm good. Thank you for asking.

Let's dig straight into this. President Trump has loomed over this campaign with his tariffs and talk of making Canada the 51st state. How has all of that impacted this election, do you think?

TURNBULL: It has really directed the ballot question, I think. It has really been a kind of a cloud over everything, but also a really focal point in the sense that the election has really become who is the person -- the election has become about who is the person to stand up to Trump? Who is the person to defend Canada? Who is the person to lead Canada during a time of economic uncertainty, security uncertainty?

And so, the smaller parties in Canada have had a harder time punching through. It's really about those two -- two larger parties: Carney, Poilievre. Who is going to be the prime minister?

HUNTE: I want us to talk about some of the other issues that aren't U.S.-based. What are the big things in Canada that people are concerned about right now?

TURNBULL: I mean, apart from the issue around the tariffs, the threats coming from Trump, what's going to happen with that relationship between Canada and the U.S., there are also issues like an affordability crisis, the cost of everything. The cost of gas, the cost of groceries and rent, anything.

There's also a housing crisis in the sense that people are looking for affordable housing. People are looking for, you know, where is a good place to live? Are there enough houses for people? No. Entwined with that is the fact that over the past ten years, the

Liberal government has really been focused on bringing a lot of immigrants into Canada. And so, looking at that, that flow, at the same time, as we haven't really figured out where everybody's going to live, there's a sense of -- of that being a real, really complex policy issue.

I think other than -- I mean, healthcare is always a big issue in Canada. It's a provincial jurisdiction issue, but the federal government plays a big role, because they fund a lot of healthcare costs.

And so, lots of things to talk about. But it seems like the Trump issue, the relationship with the United States has really taken over.

HUNTE: Oh, yes. You can understand why.

Talk to me about the current polls and what they're showing. The Liberals have been in power for almost a decade. Do you think there's an appetite for change, or maybe not?

TURNBULL: Yes, there's definitely an appetite for change. And prior to the U.S. election in November and the result for Donald Trump, like, prior to that and even after that, Justin Trudeau was still the prime minister. He was still the leader of the Liberal Party. And there was a really, really strong push to see change from that -- that government.

But then, once Trump came in, Trudeau ended up stepping aside. The Liberals get a new leader in Mark Carney. Now there's still a change momentum, but it's not clear who the change candidate is going to be.

Pierre Poilievre is obviously, you know, not the prime minister. The Conservatives are not the government. In some ways, that's the obvious change candidate.

But Pierre Poilievre has been a -- been a politician for over 20 years. Right? Like, he's -- in many ways, he's somebody that people are very familiar with.

Mark Carney, I think, is harnessing some of that change momentum in the sense that, I mean, he's taken over the Liberal Party in some ways. You know, the Conservatives are trying to say, look, this -- you're just going to give the Liberals a fourth term. You know, let's not do that.

But Carney is a different guy. Carney is not a politician. He's an economist. He's a banker. He's been Bank of Canada governor, Bank of England governor. So, he comes with a very different kind of skill set and set of experiences.

And so, change momentum, for sure, but not sure exactly who's going to harness that momentum.

HUNTE: Interesting. And once this election is over and the business of governing actually gets underway, can the next prime minister repair Canada's relationship with the U.S., or will it ever be the same again?

TURNBULL: I don't think it will be the same again. I mean, reparation, I think is -- is a goal, and I think that's a very important one.

But I don't think that we will see the same kind of approach, at least not in the foreseeable future. There's a sense that a vulnerability needs to be -- we need to do something different. We need to, you know, continue a relationship with the U.S., but at the same -- and there's no replacing that relationship, given the closeness and how entwined our supply chains are. Even like auto industry, for example, it's hard to imagine how -- how any other partner could play a similar role.

[00:10:05]

However, I think part of the conversation is to think about how trade relationships could be diversified, how our own internal economy could be stronger, how internal trade could work better.

So, those sorts of conversations that, frankly, Canada ought to have been having for a long time now, are now kind of pushed up to the top of the of the pile, so that we deal with those things.

HUNTE: OK. I just learned so much from that. Laurie Turnbull in Ottawa, thank you so much for it. We'll see what happens.

TURNBULL: We will, indeed. Thank you so much for having me.

HUNTE: Thank you. See you soon.

Russia says its foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state discussed Ukraine in a phone call on Sunday. It appears they spoke of preconditions to start negotiating a peace agreement that would end Russia's war on Ukraine.

Marco Rubio says the coming week will be very critical in determining whether the U.S. can still try to broker peace and suggests U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline for a deal is swiftly approaching.

On Sunday, Mr. Trump couldn't say for sure whether the Russian president was serious about ending the war. But he does feel Ukraine's leader is more interested in a peace deal after their sit-down inside the Vatican.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your message to Vladimir Putin after your meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy? And how did that meeting go?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think the meeting went well. We'll see what happens over the next few days. We'll probably learn a lot. I was very disappointed that missiles were flying by Russia, but that missiles were flying, very disappointingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: President Trump is watching his poll numbers tumble as he closes in on his 100th day back in office on Tuesday.

A new CNN poll out on Sunday shows his approval rating dropping to just 41 percent. Now, that is the lowest for any newly-elected president at the 100-day mark in at least seven decades.

And it's not just his overall approval numbers that are on the decline. Approval over the president's handling of the economy now sits at 39 percent, a career low for Mr. Trump.

The president's ongoing trade war is raising fears of a global recession, but he's sticking by his aggressive tariff policies. Here's what he told reporters on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to be taking in a tremendous amount of money. We're going to be taking in a lot of jobs, a lot of plants and factories. They're already coming. I mean, you see it. And we're going to make a lot of money, and we're going to cut taxes for the people of this country. It will take a little while before we do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: There's also mounting confusion on whether trade talks between the U.S. and China are even happening.

President Trump says they are and that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But China has denied that talks are underway.

Well, you know, I want to dig into this. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is joining us live from Hong Kong.

Hello, Kristie. How are you doing?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there.

HUNTE: You're good? You're good?

STOUT: Yes. I'm good. I'm good.

HUNTE: I'm glad. I'm glad, I'm glad.

How are investors making sense of the conflicting statements from Trump and China? What's going on?

STOUT: Ben, as we head into a new trading week, there is all-out trade war confusion, with the U.S. President Donald Trump saying high-level trade talks with China are underway; and China is saying, no, that's not happening.

And then adding further to the confusion, we've got fresh comments from the U.S. treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, who is not backing Trump's claim. In fact, Scott Bessent on Sunday told ABC News that he's not sure whether there were direct talks between these two leaders. Let's bring up Bessent's comments for you. This is what he said on

Sunday: quote, "I don't know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi. I know they have a very good relationship and a lot of respect for each other."

Now, on Friday, that was when President Trump told "TIME Magazine" that he was having direct talks with China over the trade war, and also said that President Xi had called him.

This is what Donald Trump told "TIME Magazine." Let's bring it up for you. Saying this, with regards to Xi Jinping, "He's called. And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf," unquote.

Now China has hit back, saying, no, this is not happening. This is not true. And they've repeated this point multiple times over the weekend.

We saw that social media post by a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in the United States. And this is what Liu Pengyu posted on X, saying this: quote, "There have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the U.S. on the issue of tariffs, let alone any agreement being reached."

Going on to say this: "If the U.S. genuinely seeks to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it must correct mistakes, abandon coercive tactics, and remove all unilateral tariff measures against China."

And look, while there is, indeed, confusion over talks between the U.S. and China, there have been moves to de-escalate the trade war.

As reported on CNN, we know this: that import agencies have told CNN that China is rolling back retaliatory tariffs on some U.S.-made semiconductors that would go to the China market.

[00:15:08]

And on top of that, the American Chamber of Commerce in China is saying that China has allowed some U.S.-made pharmaceutical products to be allowed into the Chinese market, tariff-free.

So, how are investors weighing all of this? Now, let's bring up the live dynamic data for you. This is what the Asian trading day looks like at the moment.

And you can see the stock market action in Hong Kong and elsewhere. You can see it's green arrows in Japan's Nikkei. Here in Hong Kong, as well the Seoul KOSPI. Just a little tiny bit of downward pressure there in Shanghai as people's investors seem to take and give a little bit more weight to those signs of de-escalation, perhaps.

Back to you, ben.

HUNTE: Wow. You packed a lot into those few minutes. Thank you, Kristie Lu Stout. Appreciate that.

STOUT: Thank you. Take care, Ben. HUNTE: You, too. See you later.

STOUT: See you.

HUNTE: And back to it. Three children who are U.S. citizens have been deported with their mothers. Coming up, what two Trump administration officials are saying about why they were removed from the country. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:32]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

Two senior Trump administration officials are defending the deportation of three children who are U.S. citizens.

White House border czar Tom Homan and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say the U.S. did not deport the children, but deported their mothers, who took the children with them.

CNN's Brynn Gingras has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, yes, we're talking about two separate families here, two mothers with children who are U.S. citizens deported to Honduras last week -- over the weekend and, essentially, brought their children with them.

Now, whether or not they had that decision is what's up for debate at this point.

According to court documents, according to immigration officials and, really, these two women's attorneys, we're learning that a mother of a 2-year-old went in for a routine checkup with ICE officials and immediately was told that she was going to be deported.

Her 2-year-old is a U.S. citizen, and she's allegedly wrote a letter to officials saying that she wanted her daughter to come back with her. That's despite her attorney saying that the father tried to get custody of this child, because he had a sister-in-law who is a U.S. citizen, and he wanted the little girl to go with that family member. And that, you know, that was ignored.

And in another case, there is another mother who had a 4- and a 7- year-old. And the 4-year-old is actually undergoing cancer treatments. Those children, also U.S. citizens. Same thing happened. It's sort of deja vu.

This mother goes in for a checkup, according to officials with ICE officials, and is told she's going to be deported.

Now, according to the attorneys for these women, they say they didn't really even have a choice about whether or not their children could come or stay in the United States.

According to federal officials, it's a different story. Take a listen to what Tom Homan was saying on the Sunday circuit about this issue.

TOM HOMAN, TRUMP'S BORDER CZAR: The children aren't deported. The mother chose to take the children with her.

When you enter the country illegally and you know you're here illegally, and you choose to have your citizen child, that's on you. That's not on this administration. If you choose to put your family in that position, that's on them.

But having a U.S. citizen child after you enter this country illegally is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. It doesn't make -- make you immune from our laws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And these women's attorneys say that they had no attorney with them at these meetings with ICE officials. And they also say this is just another example -- example of a lack of due process. We'll have to see how this all plays out.

Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Still ahead, the latest on the massive explosion at an Iranian port that left dozens dead, and 1,000 others injured.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:27:53]

HUNTE: Welcome back. I'm Ben Hunte. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

The polls will begin to open across Canada in the hours ahead for an election that will determine who will form the next government.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of the Liberal Party believes he would be best to steer the country through the turmoil triggered by Donald Trump's tariffs. His main competition is Pierre Poilievre of Canada's Conservative Party.

And President Trump now says he feels Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy is more interested in a peace deal. That's all after they sat down inside the Vatican for talks on Saturday, just before the funeral for Pope Francis.

But Trump says he's not sure whether the Russian president is serious about ending the war.

The death toll in Gaza has crossed 52,000 after more than 18 months of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Gaza officials say that number includes more than 16,000 children and 12,000 women.

At least 40 people are dead and 1,000 more injured after a huge explosion at Iran's biggest port on Saturday.

CNN's Larry Madowo has the latest on the search for what caused that deadly blast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're learning a bit more about this massive explosion in Southern Iran in the Bandar Abbas port --

MADOWO (voice-over): -- including from this new CCTV video that appears to show the moment this explosion took place. What appears to be a warehouse explodes. Some people can be seen running from the scene and a fire ignites.

This fire, we now know, spread a thick gray smoke; rose up in the sky and was up there spreading for hours. Authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency, ask people to stay indoors and lock their windows, avoid any outdoor activities because of the risk of the pollution from the air.

The main question is what was the cause of this fire? Iran's national oil refining and distribution company said none of its facilities were involved here. None of its pipelines or fuel tankers were involved.

One theory is that it could have come from a section where chemicals -- sulfur -- was being stored. That is still under investigation. And authorities in Iran have been scrambling to correct what they see as misinformation.

[00:30:11]

On Sunday, just after Iranian officials said that the fire was 80 percent contained, some containers are reported to have exploded, reigniting a part of that fire.

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, says he has sent several aircraft with experienced professionals to help put out the fire.

The big investigation will be about what caused this fire. And this is especially important because of the speculation about the timing of this explosion happening as the United States and Iran had begun a third round of talks --

MADOWO: -- about the country's nuclear program in neighboring Oman.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Tensions between India and Pakistan continue to rise following last week's deadly attack on civilians in Kashmir.

On Sunday, India's navy said it carried out anti-ship missile tests to demonstrate its readiness for a long-range offensive strike. This show of strength comes after India suspended its participation in a crucial water-sharing treaty with Pakistan.

Islamabad responded, saying any attempt to stop or divert water to Pakistan would be considered an act of war. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the Kashmir attack.

Still to come, a trial is set to begin in Paris for members of the so- called "grandpa gang" accused of robbing reality star Kim Kardashian.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:17]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: As a tourist bus approached guards (ph) at iconic Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona on Sunday, it was met by protesters firing water pistols.

The people on the bus looked astonished, but on the ground, some residents say they're tired of tourism getting top priority while they struggle to afford to buy a home or even meet soaring rents.

Spain is enjoying Europe's fastest economic growth, but it also had a record 94 million tourists last year.

Add the arrival of thousands of migrants, and Spain's national bank estimates there's a housing shortage of about half a million homes.

In a 2020 interview. Kim Kardashian publicly reflected on the moment she feared for her life when she was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris apartment. As the long-awaited trial begins in Paris, her words underscore the lasting impact of that ordeal.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne brings us the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR/ACTOR: I didn't know who he was. And I'm like, what is happening? Are we going to die?

Just tell them I have children. Like, I have babies. I have a husband; I have a family. Like, I have to get home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint.

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She'd built an empire on fame and luxury. But one night in Paris left scars that lasted years.

Now, nearly nine years later, Kim Kardashian will soon face the men accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint.

Disguised as police, they allegedly made off with about $10 million in cash and jewels.

The men, most over 60, now nicknamed the Grandpa Gang. Three of them escaped on bicycles.

Kardashian spoke about the violence on "Keeping up with the Kardashians."

KARDASHIAN: Then he duct tapes my face and then, like, my mouth to get me to, like, not yell or anything. And then he, like, grabs my legs and I wasn't, you know, I had no clothes on under. So --

VANDOORNE: But not everyone felt sorry for Kardashian.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.

VIRGINIE MOUZAT, JOURNALIST, "LE FIGARO": There's just one expression that comes to my mind: Fame fatale.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Journalist Patricia Tourancheau wrote of the robbery in her book.

PATRICIA TOURANCHEAU, JOURNALIST/AUTHOR (through translator): In France, it's still very badly perceived when people flaunt their wealth so much. And what was heavily criticized, for example, is Kim Kardashian's selfie.

So, they knew she had jewelry on her, but she's showing off, and her way of exhibiting her wealth, in France is quite insufferable.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): That selfie, now entered into evidence. According to court documents, the thieves tracked Kardashian's social media and knew exactly when and where to strike.

In a strange twist, one of them, Yunis Abbas, has since turned the heist into a publicity tour. Now 70, he wrote a memoir titled, "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian" and promoted it on French television.

GABRIEL DUMENIL, ABBAS LAWYER: Since his arrest and his imprisonment, he read such nonsense about the case. Such a violation of its privacy, that he felt that he had to speak his truth.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Abbas has downplayed the crime, and some in the French media have portrayed him more as a cheeky anti-hero than a criminal. He's pleaded guilty to armed robbery but denies kidnapping.

YUNIS ABBAS, ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPPED KIM KARDASHIAN (through translator): I'm very happy for her. I asked her to forgive me. If she can't, Too bad. I'll live with that. VANDOORNE: After years of delays, partly because of big cases like the

Paris attacks, the trial will open here on Monday. Ten suspects are facing charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, and more.

They're not in custody, though, because of detention limits, and many are in poor health. Most say that they will plead not guilty, but if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years behind bars.

[00:40:04]

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Thousands of runners competed along the River Thames in the 45th annual London Marathon on Sunday.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa set a new world record. She crossed the finish line in just two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

In the final ten kilometers of the men's marathon, Kenya's Sebastian Sawe pulled away from the pack. He finished the course in two hours, 20 -- oh, two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds.

Love that.

OK, thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. It's been very real. Let's do it all again in 30. WORLD SPORT is next. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:21]

(WORLD SPORT)