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Deadly Filipino Community Celebration in Vancouver; Canada Turns Up to Vote on Monday; Trump Nearing 100 Days in Office Gets Lowest Approval Rating; Critical Week for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal says Secretary Rubi; Indian Navy Test Fire Missile Arabian Sea; Israel Bombs Lebanon, Strikes Gaza; Houthi Reports Alleged U.S. Strike in Yemen Killing African Migrants; CNN Poll: Trump's Approval Ratings Drops To 41 Percent; Congregation Of Cardinals To Meet Daily Until Conclave. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired April 28, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church, just ahead.

A celebration in Vancouver turns deadly as Canada seeks answers. A suspect has been charged with murder.

The somber mood comes just hours before polls are set to open in an election focused on who's best to deal with the U.S.

And as Donald Trump nears 100 days in office, new CNN polling shows Americans are anything but happy.

Thanks for joining us. Well, Canada is now grappling with what police are calling the darkest day in Vancouver's history after at least 11 people were killed when a car plowed into a crowd at a festival celebrating Filipino heritage. Prime Minister Mark Carney paid his respects while attending a memorial on Sunday for the victims.

It's just one of the gatherings being held in Vancouver for those killed on Saturday night. People who were at the festival described chaotic scenes but also speak of strength in the face of such a tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH POTSKIN, EYEWITNESS: We have resilience. We have heart. And we have compassion for one another. And I think that's -- I think that's what's really important right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The suspect identified as 30 year old Kai-ji Adam Lo has now been charged with eight counts of second degree murder. CNN's Paula Newton has more from Ottawa.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 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. Police say that a suspect deliberately drove his SUV into a crowd of people, killing 11. There range in ages from five 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.

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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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: 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.

(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: 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 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.

CHURCH: As Paula said, the incident in Vancouver coming ahead of the election that will determine which party will form Canada's next government and who will lead the country amid tense times with the U.S. Polls opened in just a matter of hours. The election involves six national parties, though the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party are the frontrunners in this race.

[02:05:02]

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 U.S. President Trump, but has been moving to strengthen ties with more reliable allies. Carney's main competition is Pierre Poilievre, Canada's 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.

Earlier, I spoke with Semra Sevi, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and I began by asking her how much of a shift in support toward the Liberal Party is due to Donald Trump's threats and tariffs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEMRA SEVI, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO: A lot of it. At the start of the year, it looked like the Conservatives were definitely going to win. But things have changed when Justin Trudeau resigned, Mark Carney quickly became popular, President Trump returned to the White House, and bringing in talks about taking over land and starting trade wars with Canada in particular.

Because of all of this, voters in Canada stopped becoming angry with the Liberals and started feeling more worried about safety and stability. Trump is viewed in Canada as a serious threat to national sovereignty and economic stability, far more than just a polarizing figure.

CHURCH: And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Donald Trump still thinks Canada would be better off as the 51st U.S. state. What's your response to that?

SEVI: Certainly all of the parties and the leaders have said that that is never going to happen.

CHURCH: And what do the latest polling numbers show about the likely outcome of this election?

SEVI: So it does look like it's a tight race between the Liberals and the Conservatives. When Justin Trudeau stepped down as Prime Minister early in January, the party was polling around just over 20 percent. This is the lowest in the last several years. But Mark Carney has become Prime Minister now, and the leader of the Liberal Party. He's gained a lot of favorability. And the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, he was leading by 44 percent at just the beginning of January. That is now closer to about 37 percent to about 39 percent. And the Liberals are closer to 41 percent. So it does look like a tight race, possibly in the favor of the Liberal Party. And it is just a matter of figuring out whether it would be a minority or a majority government. But it is also possible that the Conservatives might still be able to gain a minority government later today.

CHURCH: Interesting. And what needs to happen with Trump's tariffs for Canada to avoid a recession? And how do the Liberals and indeed the Conservatives each propose to protect Canada's economy?

SEVI: Well, the one thing that has come out of all of this is that President Trump has unified Canadians in a way that no other leader in Canada has been able to do so. So, many Canadians are now united by national pride. And they're pushing back against Trump's claim that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state.

The country is supporting Canadian products and culture with rallying cry of elbows up, a hockey reference that you might be familiar with. So all of the leaders are saying something similar on that front. It's just a matter of voters deciding which one of those leaders are strong enough to stand up against President Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And in the U.S., 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 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 of the president's handling of the economy now sits at 39 percent, a career low for Mr. Trump.

Ron Brownstein is CNN's senior political analyst. He joins me now live from Los Angeles. Good to see you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

[02:09:58]

CHURCH: So Donald Trump's approval rating at the 100 day mark is the worst since modern day polling began dropping to 41 percent. That's according to the latest CNN poll. And the majority of Americans say Trump has made the U.S. economy worst with his tariffs. So, Ron, how politically damaging is this for Trump and what could it mean potentially for the 2026 midterms?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, you know, look, President Trump is not the first president who took a pretty modest victory and inflated it in his head into a mandate for doing pretty much everything he ever wanted to do. But he has certainly taken that tendency to the max. I mean, you know, he was a plurality winner. He did not win the popular vote. He was only the third person ever to run three times and never win a majority of the popular vote. And he has taken that as license to fundamentally retrench the federal

government, slashing programs, re-orient America's role in the world, and use federal power in unprecedented ways to target his enemies. And if you look up and down the CNN poll that came out this weekend, the New York Times/Siena poll, CNN poll, the Washington Post poll, CBS, even Fox, they all send the same message.

The majority of Americans are saying this is not what we signed up for. We hired you to do two jobs, get control of the border, and above all, get control of inflation. And I think the answer to your question is, if he stays on the trajectory that he's on, and if his approval rating stays as low as it is now, no guarantee of that. But if it does, it will be a very difficult election in 2026 for Republicans, because the president's approval rating has become the single most important factor in shaping how the midterms sort out.

CHURCH: And of course, Donald Trump took power in January after promising to bring down prices, but his tariff policies have done the exact opposite, with many Americans watching their life savings dwindle, and now many fearing the possibility of a recession. So how does Trump back off his tariff turmoil without losing face, or could he perhaps choose to double down despite his historically low approval ratings?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, it's important to understand that he was in trouble on the economy even before he announced the tariffs. You know, if you look back, I wrote a piece in early March, noting that his economic approval rating at that point before the tariffs was already weaker than at any point in his first term in most polls. And in fact, rarely, Rosemary, if ever, that the share of Americans who say they disapproved of his management of the economy exceed 50 percent at any point in his first term, even in the depths of the pandemic.

Now, CNN poll today, the Washington Post-ABC poll, over 60 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy. Initially, I think that was mostly because people thought he was sliding the problem of inflation and focusing more on other matters that were somewhat peripheral to them, like, you know, taking over Greenland or the Panama Canal or Gaza. But post-tariffs, I think he has moved into a second level of difficulty, which is that people don't think so much that he's sliding the problem that he is compounding the problem.

And there's an overwhelming consensus in polls that Americans believe his tariffs are going to make the costs of their day-to-day necessities go up. I'm not sure how he gets out of this. I mean, you know, even his fallback positions on the tariffs are in increase, and tariffs are inherently tougher on the middle and working class than they are on the rich. So he has dug a pretty serious hole here.

Maybe, you know, the economy stabilizes without the tariffs taking a big bite, but you may have seen Gary Cohn, who was his first term White House economic advisor, saying today on one of the Sunday shows that we haven't even really seen the impact yet. We're going to see it in the second half of May. His economic disapproval rating has crossed 60 percent before that happens. What's it going to look like after that happens?

CHURCH: Yeah, interesting. And Ron, as you touched on in his first 100 days, Trump's initiatives have caused massive disruptions to individuals, institutions and financial markets, with all his policies receiving low support from Americans. And polls show there's a perception Trump's administration is trying to avoid complying with federal court orders, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. His efforts to deport migrants to El Salvador with no due process, of course, concerned many. How far might he go with this? And will the judiciary stand its ground?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's really interesting. I mean, you know, even as you point out, many of the specific things he has done have drawn very negative reaction in polls, pardoning the January 6th rioters, attempting to close the Education Department, refusing to take steps to bring back Mr. Abrego Garcia.

[02:14:58]

He still gets good marks for his handling of the border, and there is still support for some of his policies making it tougher for transgender kids to participate in school sports. But beyond that, he is facing a lot of resistance on many of the specific policies. You know, what that translates into is another question. I mean, there's no indication that Republicans in Congress are showing any willingness to try to impose any constraints on him.

But you do have to wonder. There's an old saying, you know, the Supreme Court follows the election returns. And I do think that it is possible that all institutions outside of the Republican Party, whether we're talking about law firms, universities, the Democratic Party, or the courts, they feel more comfortable standing up to Trump in some of the ways that he is kind of barreling through our constitutional system now that he looks vulnerable than they might have if he was, you know, kind of a colossus bestriding the political system.

So, we'll see what it means, but there's no question that the track he's on is one that should be worrying to Republicans about their situation in 2026. So far, that hasn't really changed their behavior though.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate it as always.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the coming week will be, quote, "very critical" in determining whether Washington can still broker peace between Russia and Ukraine before President Trump walks away in frustration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We're close, but we're not close enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 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 disappointing. We'll see how it goes.

Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal. And we have the confines of a deal, I believe. And I want him to sign it and be done with it and just go back to life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Russia says its foreign minister and Rubio discussed Ukraine in a phone call Sunday. It appears they spoke of preconditions to start negotiating a peace agreement.

India ups the ante as tensions with Pakistan continue to escalate following last week's deadly massacre on civilians in Kashmir. The details just ahead.

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[02:20:00]

CHURCH: 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.

Tensions in the Middle East are high as Israel intensifies attacks across Gaza and bombs the capital of Lebanon. An airstrike rocked southern Beirut on Sunday, soon after the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the area. Israel claims they targeted a Hezbollah facility which stored precision missiles. Hezbollah has not yet commented on the incident.

The Lebanese Civil Defense says it extinguished fires caused by the strike and no injuries were reported. Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect in November, the IDF has carried out a number of strikes targeting southern Lebanon.

In Gaza, the death toll has crossed 52,000 after more than 18 months of the Israel-Hamas war. That is according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health which does not differentiate between civilians and militants. Gaza officials say the number includes more than 16,000 children and 12,000 women and the U.N. is warning that Palestinians in the enclave are quote, "slowly dying from a lack of food supplies due to Israel's total blockade of aid." Israel has previously denied that Gaza is facing a hunger crisis but the U.N. says food supplies are dwindling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN WHITTALL, U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: Coming days in Gaza are going to be critical. Today people are not surviving in Gaza. Those that aren't being killed with bombs and bullets are being -- are slowly dying. People here are being suffocated. What we see around us is endless suffering under a total and complete blockade, a total closure that's now lasted for almost two months. While airstrikes, ground operations are intensifying and displacement orders that are pushing people out of their homes are increasing.

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CHURCH: A developing story we're following out of Yemen. The Associated Press is reporting that Yemen's Houthi rebels say a U.S. airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants, killing and wounding some of the 100 people held there.

[02:25:02]

The report goes on to say the U.S. military had no immediate comment. The alleged strike comes amid an intensified airstrike campaign by the Trump administration targeting the rebels as it tries to negotiate with their main benefactor, Iran. We will update this story of course as more details become available.

As President Trump approaches his first 100 days in office, CNN speaks with Vietnamese-Americans. Ahead, what they think about his second term performance.

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[02:30:05]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

As President Trump closes in on his first 100 days in office, CNN is asking voters to weigh in on his performance. Despite starting his second term with the strongest poll numbers of his political career, CNN's latest poll shows voters have soured on him in recent months. His approval rating is at 41 percent. That's the lowest approval rating of any newly elected president in at least 70 years.

CNN's MJ Lee spoke with members of the Vietnamese American community who have a history of voting conservative. She asked what they think of Mr. Trump's performance since inauguration day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These crispy fried rice flour shells stuffed with shrimp and pork are one of the dishes "Ty Ty" Truong cooked when President Donald Trump campaigned at her restaurant last fall.

What was it like to have him here?

"TY TY" TRUONG, OWNER, TRUONG TIEN VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT (through translator): I found him to be very friendly. It seemed like he really wanted to visit a restaurant that truly captured Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

LEE: Truong Tien is tucked away in one corner of Eden Center, a sprawling strip mall at the heart of the Vietnamese-American community in suburban Virginia. In 2024, the majority of Asian- Americans voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but the electorate shifted to the right by five points compared to 2020.

And Vietnamese-American voters tend to lean more Republican than other Asian ethnic groups, with 51 percent of them identifying as Republican, compared to 34 percent among all Asian American voters. Almost 100 days into Trump's second term, the community here remains divided about the president. On a recent rainy afternoon, Sam Hua says Trump is to blame for high prices.

LEE: You're not happy with him because prices are going up.

SAM HUA, VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN HARRIS VOTER: Yes, every price -- everything up now. Eggs too expensive too. I come 1979, almost $1, the egg.

LEE: 1979 is the year Hua came to the U.S. He's part of an entire generation of Vietnamese-Americans that settled here after the fall of Saigon. Hua recently retired, but at 69 years old, had to start working part time again at a restaurant for extra cash. He voted for Harris. Two of his brothers did not.

Why do they like Trump?

HUA: Because he make no, no too mane, illegals come to United States.

LEE: On this issue, he happens to agree with his brothers.

You think too many people are coming in illegally?

HUA: Yes.

LEE: Richard Nguyen also came to the U.S. after the Vietnam War as a refugee.

What did you buy today? Just coffee?

RICHARD NGUYEN, VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN TRUMP VOTER: Coffee. Yes. Today it the thing that on sale.

LEE: Nguyen supports Trump on immigration and trimming the federal government. His backing for the Republican Party has much to do with his own memories of escaping communism.

NGUYEN: I escaped my country because the communists in my country. After the 1975, right? Henry Kissinger, they sell my country.

LEE: Inside the shopping center, Huy Pham owns a prepared food store.

How much is this one bag?

HUY PHAM, VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN HARRIS VOTER: Bags is $15 for 10 pieces.

LEE: OK.

Pham voted for Harris, and he sees a clear generational divide in his community when it comes to politics.

LEE: The shop owner across the hallway was wearing a Make America Great Again hat. So, I mean, you see that all around you here, right?

PHAM: Yes.

LEE: Yes.

PHAM: We good neighbor. I like him a lot.

LEE: One issue that's top of mind for Pham recently is immigration.

PHAM: We have a big population of immigrants, right? Migrants. They are good people. You know, they try to make a living here.

LEE: A few doors down, florist Huan Vo declined to say who he voted for in the last election.

HUAN VO, FLOWER STORE OWNER: As a business owner, we're not just only, you know, tailored to this party or the other party.

LEE: Yes.

VO: We would like to serve everybody equally.

LEE: As he braces for tariffs.

VO: These, you know, daisies is right here, they come from Colombia. Big rose's right here, they just come from Ecuador. Flowers is also could be, you know, from 10 percent up to 20 percent from the tariff.

LEE: Vo says he's not entirely sure how to make sense of Trump's second term so far.

Do you feel like life is better?

VO: It's hard to tell. Everything is really uncertainty at the moment right now with a lot of changes.

LEE: MJ Lee, CNN, Falls Church, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Now that Pope Francis has been laid to rest, we will take a look at what happens next, as cardinals prepare for the conclave.

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[02:39:22]

CHURCH: We are moments away from the College of Cardinals next meeting in the lead up to their secretive conclave. That's when they will choose the next pope.

Preparations at the Vatican are ramping up after Pope Francis was laid to rest over the weekend. We are looking at that live picture there. It's a crucial decision that will dictate the future direction of the Catholic Church. The conclave is expected to begin as early as next week. On Sunday, dozens of cardinals visited Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Maggiore. They each took turns praying at the pope's tomb before attending a vespers service.

[02:40:02]

As people around the world say their final farewell to Pope Francis, organizers of a drone show in Barcelona honored his memory. Two hundred drones lit up the sky on Sunday, creating an image of the late pontiff and two hands together praying. They flew above the Montserrat Abbey, which is celebrating 1,000 years since its founding.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church.

"WORLD SPORT" is coming up next. Then I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.

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[02:45:00]

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