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Famed Investor Warren Buffett Announces Plans To Retire; New Tariffs On Auto Parts Could Raise Car Prices By $4K; GOP Wrestles With How To Make Federal Budget Cuts; Secy. Of State Marco Rubio Will Also Be National Security Adviser; Zelenskyy "Ready" For 30-Day Ceasefire If Russia Agrees; Gaza Nears Famine Two Months After Israel Is Total Blockade; Germany Defends Decision To Classify AfD As Extremist Group; Vatican Prepares For Final Mass To Mourn Pope Francis. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired May 04, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:32]

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

One of the world's most famous investors is calling out the president. What Warren Buffett has to say about Trump's trade war.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio getting ready to take on even more responsibilities. Look at what they involve and why some say it's just not feasible. And Rubio being rather undiplomatic and accusing Germany of what he calls tyranny in disguise. We're live in Berlin with the latest controversy over a far-right party.

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

BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump's trade policies came under sharp criticism from one of the biggest names in American business who had an announcement of his own to make.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN BUFFETT, CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: The time has arrived where Greg should become the Chief Executive Officer of the company at year end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Legendary investor Warren Buffett says he's stepping down from his role as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year. Buffett told the thousands gathered at the company's annual shareholder meeting that only his children knew his plans. It marks the end of an era in American capitalism. One shareholder talked about what Buffett meant to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has inspired me to pursue value investing and the passion I have for not just value investing, but the way to eventually hopefully one day be able to lead the company the way he has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Pending board approval, Buffett will be succeeded by Greg Abel. He's the Vice Chairman of non-insurance operations for Berkshire.

The oracle of Omaha, as he's known, is also finally revealing how he feels about U.S. President Trump's tariffs. Buffett called the trade wars a big mistake at his firm's annual shareholders meeting.

Now, all of this comes as a new round of tariffs is set to hit the auto industry hard. CNN's Samantha Delouya has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMANTHA DELOUYA, CNN BUSINESS: A new 25% tariff on imported auto parts took effect overnight at 12:01 a.m., and no car is completely spared from this auto parts tariff. That's because there's no such thing as an 100% American-made car.

Last week, President Trump signed an executive order giving automakers in the U.S. the ability to partially offset those tariffs for the first two years that they're in effect. Even with that offset, though, this tariff is expected to add tens of billions of dollars in costs for the auto industry. And for the consumer, it's expected to add an average of $4,000 to the cost of buying a new car.

Investors and the stock market are still digesting the full impact of President Trump's tariff policy. In April, the stock market was incredibly volatile. But for the past nine trading days, the S&P 500 has closed higher. That's the longest winning streak in 20 years.

But many economists are warning that the full impact of the tariffs has not yet been felt. Take a listen to what Warren Buffett, one of America's most famous investors, warned about a brewing trade war at his investor conference this morning.

BUFFETT: There's no question that trade -- trade can be an act of war. And I think it's led to bad things, just the attitudes it's brought out. In the United States, I mean, we should be looking to trade with the rest of the world and we should do what we do best and they should do what they do best.

DELOUYA: Those are stark words from Buffett, who this morning said he believes that free trade has helped all nations, including the U.S., prosper.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Now, some say Buffett's top concern over the Trump tariffs is that they endanger national security. Here's the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget speaking to CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYA MACGUINEAS, PRESIDENT, COMMITTEE FOR A RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL BUDGET: I took his comments to be very much about foreign policy, where he was not speaking just about the pure economics of trade imbalances one way or another, but he was talking about the need for a cooperative approach and attitude that we have with the world around us, and basically emphasizing that shared prosperity is one of the keys to our national security and our safety at home.

He, in fact, has worried about trade imbalances to some extent in the past when he talked about import certificates and other things. And here, I think he was really saying this is broader than just economics, broader than just fiscal.

[05:05:09]

It's about national security. And the posture that we are engaging with, he clearly doesn't think is the right approach. And I would say that there's a strong argument to what he's saying, that we are alienating many allies in a way that is unclear what the motivation behind that could be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Republican lawmakers are trying to figure out how to pass what President Trump calls his big, beautiful bill without cutting Medicaid. The White House released President Trump's budget proposal on Friday as a suggested blueprint for congressional spending cuts. It calls for cuts to the National Park Service, climate research, foreign disaster assistance, and much more.

It also reflects Trump's priorities of beefing up the nation's defense and immigration enforcement. The White House wants this included in the budget reconciliation bill Congress is currently assembling. That would allow it to be approved without Democratic votes in the Senate.

But to make those cuts, Republicans will need to wrestle with the federal government's contribution to Medicaid, and some Republicans fear that will amount to fewer people in their home states being covered.

Thomas Gift, who joins us now from London, he's the Director of the Center on U.S. Politics for University College London.

Good to see you again. Thank you so much for being here with us. So Donald Trump's budget proposal. I mean, normally the president's budget proposal is just a wish list. But do you think that this carries more weight, first of all, because he has such a control over Republicans in Congress, and second, because he also wields the power of DOGE?

THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: I completely agree with you, Kim. Thanks so much for having me. It's important to stress that Trump's budget bill, which calls for about a 23% reduction in non-defense spending, is just the start of negotiations with Congress.

And the proposed cuts target only discretionary spending in areas like health care, education, and foreign aid, not mandatory programs. So I think that this slimmed-down bill does indicate that Trump is trying to emphasize a degree of fiscal restraint, something he really didn't prioritize his first time in office. But with a debt of some $36 trillion, America won't be able to break its spending addiction without slashing defense.

You know, I think that this is particularly salient, this battle between Capitol Hill and Trump, because Trump has made so many overtures recently about trying to rein in appropriations that had already been expended by Congress. So this is a real battle.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, absolutely. And speaking of battle, in Congress, Donald Trump's so-called big, beautiful bill, it seems nowhere near ready. Republicans don't seem as if they're on the same page here. Right now these big bills, they're always messy. Is the disarray we're seeing now unusual in any way?

GIFT: Well, I think the disarray is unusual from the perspective of what we used to see Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill. Up until this point, we've really seen Republicans just be a rubber stamp on everything that Donald Trump wants to do. We've seen them vocalize support outside bills for virtually every single executive action Donald Trump has taken.

But if we kind of take a step back and look at this from a broader historical perspective, it's really not that atypical. Again, this budget that the president has put forward is really just the start of negotiations. And then there's always some assumption that those negotiations are going to unfold and they'll meet somewhere in the middle.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Now, Medicaid seems to be the big stumbling block. Here's President Trump earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: House Republicans are working to invest more money in Medicaid than we spent today. The only thing we're going to cut is the corruption and the crooks that take advantage of some of the illegal schemes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So what, if anything, can we read into that? They're going to spend more money but also cut?

GIFT: Well, they're trying to cut Medicaid, which is a big deal in Congress. At least 12 House Republicans, many of whom are vulnerable in next year's midterms, though, have already expressed concerns about spending cuts to Medicaid. Leading that charge is Representative David Valadao of California, who directs this moderate coalition called the Republican Governance Group. Valadao is said to be running a group chat that's trying to stiffen opposition to slashing Medicaid to pay for tax cuts and largely increases in border investments and defense spending. Valadao actually knows firsthand the political cost of cutting health care. In 2018, he lost his seat after he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

He eventually gained that position back. But his experience, I think, is a warning shot for Republicans who think that there won't be significant blowback to Medicaid. Absolutely, these cuts are going to be a big deal for lots of voters. And if Republicans try to ax that, I think that they're going to face consequences in the 2026 midterms.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, absolutely. And we have to keep in mind, of course, the Republican majority is so thin. So is Donald Trump going to have to kind of mediate these fights personally? And how effective will he be, given that, you know, maybe he might be seen as having less clout these days, considering his dismal poll numbers?

[05:10:25]

GIFT: I completely agree with that last point. I think Trump's low approval numbers right now, according to one poll, which you've probably seen, he's the least popular president at this stage in his term in eight decades. That's certainly not going to do him any favors on Capitol Hill.

Republican lawmakers are still largely behind Trump. But I think one concern with passing this big, beautiful bill, so to speak, is that Trump has already expended his political capital on all of these executive orders. Trump is really an anomaly among recent presidents in that he hasn't used his first 100 days to build momentum for a signature piece of legislation.

Instead, he's really devoted his energy to these executive actions, from the consequential, like tariffs, to the nominal, like renaming the Gulf of Mexico. If we look back with Obama and the Affordable Care Act, with Biden and the infrastructure bill, it did take them a while to get their policies across the finish line. But unlike Trump, they were laser-like focused on these issues from the very get-go. And the fact that Donald Trump didn't do that during his real honeymoon, I think, could cost him in the end with this bill.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that's a really great point. We'll leave it on that one. Thomas Gift, always great to get your analysis. Thanks so much.

Thanks, Kim. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks set to be one of Washington's busiest men, with the White House announcing he will also serve as national security advisor after the departure of Mike Waltz. And those are just two of Rubio's many hats. The President has also handed him the position of national archivist and acting administrator of USAID. But now officials are scrambling to figure out how he'll get it all done. CNN's Alayna Treene has more.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: So, just days after President Donald Trump announced that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be wearing yet another hat, in addition to serving as the chief of both the National Archives and USAID, the White House is trying to figure out how he is going to juggle all this and what it's actually going to look like.

Now, I can tell you that Thursday morning, as all of this was unfolding and the president was moving to ousting his national security advisor, Michael Waltz, they still did not have a replacement in place. Really, the decision to name Rubio as his acting National Security Advisor came together very quickly after the media started reporting on his plans for Waltz.

And so now the White House is really faced with a series of questions, some of the simplest being, how is this going to work logistically? One is, will Rubio move his office from the State Department to the West Wing, where Waltz, his office used to be next to Vice President J.D. Vance and down the hall from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and the Oval Office.

Another question, of course, is how much of his portfolio is he going to have to hand off to his deputy, Christopher Landau, who serves as the Deputy Secretary of State? All of these questions, I'm told, the White House is still trying to grapple with and answer for.

Now, one other, of course, existential question is, what is this going to look like as it relates to international relations and the safety of the United States national security? Brett McGurk is someone who served on a series of national security councils. He told CNN and kind of put it this way. He said that "the job of national security advisor is the most important job in Washington." He added that "It is totally different than the secretary of state job. Rubio really cannot do both these jobs."

Now, we are told, however, that Rubio is pleased with the job, and he's told people close to him that he expects to remain in the role for about six months. And really, that is one of the clear things.

When I've talked to my sources behind closed doors, they tell me that this really is meant to be a temporary role for Rubio as the president weighs who he wants to put in this position more permanently.

Of course, they warned, however, that, as like everything else when it relates to Trump world, this could change, because if the president believes that he's doing a good job, he may very well ask him to stay in the role longer.

And one thing that is very clear through all of this is that the President, his relationship with Rubio was so different from that which he had with Waltz. He's very impressed with Rubio, unlike he was with Walt, particularly after the way Walt handled that signal scandal. And we kind of saw that on display earlier this week during a ceremony when the president was talking about faith in the Rose Garden. He said that when he has a problem, he calls up Marco.

It's really emblematic, I'd argue, of how much the president has come to rely on Marco Rubio and his secretary of state for some of the most sensitive issues of his administration.

Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come, months after he was berated in the White House by Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he just had his best conversation with Donald Trump yet. We'll have more on that coming up.

[05:15:04]

Plus, he made concerns about famine in Gaza. U.S. and Israeli officials are working on a plan to get aid to civilians in the enclave and to keep it out of the hands of militants. And later this hour, details of the social media spat between the top U.S. diplomat and German foreign ministry over Germany's far right party.

Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Government officials say they're waiting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's definitive response to its ceasefire proposal. Russia's offering to lay down its weapons for 72 hours starting Thursday. Now, that will coincide with Moscow's annual World War II Victory Day celebration.

Zelenskyy has denounced that plan as, quote, "a manipulation." He says Russia is simply trying to create a pleasant atmosphere for its parade and to show off for foreign dignitaries who will be visiting Moscow. But Zelenskyy says he's ready to call a truce on certain terms.

[05:20:06]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): At the same time, we are ready as soon as possible, even from today, to move toward a ceasefire if Russia is ready to mirror those steps. For complete silence, for prolonged silence of at least 30 days. This is a fair period in which the next steps can be prepared. Russia must stop the war and cease the assault, cease the shelling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Melissa Bell joins me now from Paris. So, Melissa, take us through the latest comments there.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we've seen again yesterday is more shelling, more drone attacks, more killings of civilians and wounding of civilians as we have every day.

In fact, U.N. officials have been speaking these last few days about the fact that this period, Kim, during which these talks have been going on since February, has marked a significant escalation in the danger of this war to civilians specifically. And I think that is the context in which you have to understand Volodymyr Zelenskyy's comments.

He spoke again yesterday of this three-day truce being offered by Russia around those Victory Day celebrations. The parade itself will take place in Moscow on the 9th. And he's called it again a cynical move, saying even as this three-day truce is proposed, way short, by the way, of the 30-day truce being called for, not just by Kyiv, but by Washington as well, the killing of civilians continue.

We've also been hearing from the Ukrainian president, Kim, over the course of the weekend about the progress that's been made as a result of the minerals deal, the fact that he feels that there's this growing frustration in Washington with Moscow and that with President Trump having had what he called his best meeting with him in the Vatican so far last week, he believes that pressure can and should now be brought on Moscow to look not at a three-day ceasefire, but a 30-day one starting now.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And also, we're learning that China's President Xi will visit Russia for Victory Day celebrations. What more can you tell us?

BELL: That's right. As part of those May 9th Victory Day celebrations, President Xi Jinping will be making what is his third visit to Moscow, we've just learned, since the start of the war in Ukraine. And I think that is important in a number of respects, not only because, remember, that China has consistently said that it retained a neutral position on the war in Ukraine, even as it has adopted or sided with Moscow over the causes of the war, blaming the West for it, and continued to provide many of the crucial components that go into the fabrication of weapons by Russia.

And I think, more than that, it is to be looked at in the context of a projection of Russian and Chinese -- Chinese power, more specifically, that autocratic projection of power, at a time when, Kim, Washington is very loudly distancing itself, taking a more isolationist approach.

So these images, I think, will be important ones, not just to speaking to this relationship that has only grown between Russia and China, but to look at that growing sort of autocratic access in the context of the changes that are happening geopolitically as a result of President Trump's fairly -- clearly defined policy of withdrawing and seeking a more isolationist approach.

Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, important context, as you say. Melissa Bell in Paris, thanks so much.

Flights have resumed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport after a missile landed nearby. They were temporarily suspended, along with train service to the airport. The Israeli military says the missile came from Yemen, and that several attempts to intercept it failed. The Houthi rebel group says Sunday that it targeted the airport with a hypersonic ballistic missile and warned airlines against continuing to fly there.

Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles at Israel, but this appears to be the first one that landed near the airport. It's the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen towards Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel plans to mobilize thousands of reservists in the coming days in what appears to be an expansion of its offensive in Gaza. According to Israel's public broadcaster, the proposal will likely be approved by the Security Cabinet in a meeting that gets underway in less than an hour. The mobilization plan calls for an evacuation of Palestinian civilians in northern and central Gaza ahead of expanded operations there. Negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal have been stalled for weeks.

Sources tell CNN that U.S. and Israeli officials are working on a plan to get aid into Gaza that bypasses militant groups. Sources say the delivery mechanism and the works would be managed by an unnamed private foundation. It's said to include safeguards to ensure aid isn't diverted by Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

A State Department official said an announcement could be made in the coming days. A total Israeli blockade of Gaza just passed the two- month mark, and officials warn that famine is looming in the enclave. And Israel says its blockade is aimed at putting pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages, but human rights groups say starvation is being used as a weapon of war, with thousands now suffering from severe malnutrition.

[05:25:05]

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has our report, and we just want to warn you it contains images that are difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside her fly infested tent, Iman Rajab is doing her best to keep her six children alive. Today, survival looks like this, sifting the half bag of flour she found on a garbage dumpster in Gaza City after all of its bakeries shut down. It is rancid, crawling with pests and clear signs of contamination. But Rajab hopes she can salvage enough to make bread for her children.

My kids are vomiting. After they eat it, it smells horrible, she says. I keep cleaning it and it won't get clean. But what else can I do, she asks, what will I feed my children if not this.

Rajab is one of hundreds of thousands of parents in Gaza struggling to feed their children, an entirely manmade crisis that is rapidly spiraling.

For nearly two months now, Israel has carried out a total siege of Gaza, refusing to allow a single truck of humanitarian aid or commercial goods into the strip. Israel says it is trying to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages, but it is civilians in Gaza who are paying the heaviest price. There is no food, no nothing. Death is easier than this life, this elderly woman says.

This soup kitchen in Central Gaza can now only provide one meal a day to those who are growing increasingly desperate. This man says he has been standing in line for hours hoping to feed his family.

These scenes an echo of last summer when hunger swept across Gaza killing 52 Palestinians, according to the ministry of health. The Biden administration pushed Israel then to let in aid. There is no such public pressure from the White House now, which says it backs Israel's tactics. Food warehouses are now barren.

YASMIN MAYDHANE, EMERGENCY COORDINATOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: We are in a position now where over 400,000 people that were receiving assistance from our hot meal kitchens, which is the last lifeline for the population, is in itself grinding to a halt.

DIAMOND: Cases of acute malnutrition are now spiking. United Nations said nearly 3,700 children were diagnosed in March, 85% more than the previous month. Five-year-old Usama al-Raqab is among those most severely affected by Israel's blockade, which has exacerbated his preexisting medical conditions. He has lost eight pounds in the last month and now weighs just 20 pounds. His skin sticking to his bones, every movement is painful.

Because of this war, my son has reached this state, she explains. Now, he can barely walk. I have to carry him everywhere.

Every day, his condition worsens. Every day, Israel prevents food from getting into Gaza. Usama's life becomes more at risk.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Germany's security officials have declared the country's far-right political party an extremist group. The party's leaders have used antisemitic and xenophobic rhetoric. One of them was convicted of breaking laws against using Nazi slogans in public. So why are U.S. officials criticizing the move? We'll have that story ahead.

Plus, against a backdrop of anti-Trump sentiment, Australia's Labor Party held onto power in Saturday's elections. The role Trump's trade war played in the vote. We'll have that coming up. We're on CNN Newsroom. Please do stay with us.

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[05:32:12]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check on some of today's top stories. Famed investor Warren Buffett says he will step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway later this year. The man known as the Oracle of Omaha also criticized the U.S. president's tariff plan, calling the trade wars a big mistake. Buffett's remarks come as a new round of tariffs hits the auto industry hard.

Now, most imported auto parts will come with a 25% import tax, and that levy doesn't protect American-made cars. Experts estimate the tariffs could ultimately add about $4,000 to the cost of any vehicle.

Ukraine's President is slamming Russia's proposal for a three-day ceasefire to take place next week. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready for an immediate ceasefire if Moscow agrees to lay down its weapons for 30 days instead. He says U.S. President Donald Trump agrees that a longer-term ceasefire is the right first step to peace.

Top U.S. officials and Germany's foreign office got into an online diplomatic dispute this week over far-right politics. Now, it started when German security officials designated the far-right political party Alternative for Germany an extremist organization. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the move tyranny in disguise. The German foreign office responded, saying, in part, "We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped."

Vice President J.D. Vance also chimed in, claiming that the Berlin Wall has been rebuilt by the German establishment. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is a far-right party that's engaged in anti-Semitic and xenophobic rhetoric in the past. One of its members was even convicted of breaking laws against using Nazi slogans in public.

But the group has gained traction in the German parliamentary system. It finished second in February's national election. The extreme classification will allow Germany's domestic intelligence agency to monitor the party's movements more closely. AfD condemned the move.

For more on this, we want to go live now to Berlin, where I'm joined by Matthew Moore, Political Correspondent for Deutsche Welle. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So what do you make of the fact that senior members of the Trump administration are weighing in on this development in Germany? Does it surprise you that they're getting involved here?

MATTHEW MOORE, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, DEUTSCHE WELLE: It doesn't surprise me, but I'll tell you what, it will make this whole issue a whole lot more harder for the German government, for the German institutions and the authorities, because it just adds another element to this highly controversial, highly complex issue, and that is how you deal with a party that is second in the poll -- second in the poll is 21% in recent elections, but at the same time security services say poses a real threat to German democracy.

[05:35:05]

And it's worth just bearing in mind why they say that. They say that because it's senior figures and throughout the party there is a sense that people with migration backgrounds, they don't belong to Germany, they're not part of the German people, that they are kind of second- class citizens, and that they also reject things like the rule of law or their respect for human dignity, things that are in the German constitution. So that's the intervention here by senior U.S. officials just makes this whole thing a lot more complex for German leaders.

BRUNHUBER: What about for the AfD? I mean, as we've seen in some countries in recent elections, like in Canada and Australia this week, being seen as aligned with the Trump administration can be toxic for voters. So what does it mean for the AfD?

MOORE: That's interesting, isn't it? Because on the one hand, this is -- we see things like Elon Musk endorsing the party, and that really gives it a boost and it helps to normalize the alternative for Germany here in Germany and make it seem like it's more of a mainstream party. On the other hand, MAGA, Trump is toxic in Germany. We see that in polls. So it's not yet clear whether they set to benefit from that kind of support.

But I think for the AfD, it's just hugely important for this party to be talked about, to be in the headlines every day. It just gives them more coverage and more publicity. And that's the business they're in, is the attention economy. And the other aspect to it, which is super, super important, is that this kind of vindicates some of their platform, which is that free speech is under threat. And so they can now say, look, even senior people in the U.S. government back us and believe that we're on the right path with this.

BRUNHUBER: So you talked about their platform there. So let's dive into that a little bit more, just for a bit more context. When we say far right, I mean, that means different things to different people. So how extreme is this party that the Trump administration is supporting?

MOORE: This is the party, as you mentioned, that senior figures have been convicted of using slogans which are banned in Germany because they hail from the Nazi era. This is a party where senior leaders will talk about people from other countries not belonging to the German people and speeches. And they'll say things and it's kind of a nod to ethnic nationalist talking points.

This is a party that talks about and says it fully backs re-migration, which is a far right talking point, which is about saying that people with foreign backgrounds who even have assimilated, integrated, even have German passports, that actually they should be sent back home because Germany is not for them. This is the party that thinks that the LGBTQ rights are really are a threat to the Christian way of life. So just to give you a sense of that.

And this is a party that every day kind of tries to attack the judiciary, tries to attack institutions in Germany. And that's why the security services have come to this conclusion. They say it's OK to have a debate about these things and ask where potentially the judiciary could be reformed. But that's not what this party is doing. They say they say it is actively trying to kind of shape trust in the foundations of democracy. And --

(CROSSTALK)

BRUNHUBER: You can see how --

MOORE: -- combative way. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, you can see how many of those elements sort of merge in with the MAGA worldview. So as you've mentioned, these, you know, German authorities and politicians are in a bit of a bind as to what to do with the party. So here's German Chancellor Olaf Scholz when asked whether the AfD should be banned from holding office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I think that's something you shouldn't rush into. After all, one of the things that we as citizens and politicians have to deal with is the fact that the federal constitutional court has rejected all recent applications for bans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And then we also saw the AfD's co-leader responding to Rubio's post, agreeing with his comments about the designation being tyranny, saying, quote, "Since the AfD is the strongest party in polls now, they want to suppress the opposition freedom of speech." So could this designation and the publicity, as you mentioned, an outcry amplified by the Trump administration be useful for the party?

MOORE: It could certainly be useful for the party because the party is -- is kind of in a bit of a kind of crossroads here. It's trying to there are people within the party who wanted to try to -- to -- to become part of the democratic process. And that means going into coalitions with other parties.

But this is a moment here where the party has got to decide, are we going to become more radical? And basically say that we can only go into power if we get 51% of the votes in Parliament. And I think we will see that this party basically do that because that is a strong that the wing within the party that is more radical is the stronger wing. And they will say, look, there is no way we can ever do -- do a coalition with the Conservatives in this country.

[05:40:13]

But what's interesting is this dilemma about a political ban, right? Because within the party, there are some that probably think that this is actually helpful for them because it gives them perfect slogans, perfect message for the coming elections, not just kind of in the next year at the state level, but in four years, they can say, look, this is this is your last chance to, in their words, save Germany. This is -- this is your last chance to vote for the AfD before potentially we're banned. So there are those in the kind of the democratic middle who would say a ban only serves to help them.

We should try to fight them with dealing the issues that they that they campaign on, things like immigration, things like the cost of living, things like energy prices, and try to try to tackle those issues that Germans clearly care about rather than ban the party that is -- that is that is hammering these issues home and is a radical party and no question. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how this develops in Germany and certainly will be watched by many people here in the U.S. with interest.

Matthew Moore, live in Berlin. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Marco Rubio also congratulated the current Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on his reelection win. The U.S. secretary of state called Australia a valued ally, saying the U.S. looks forward to deepening its relationship with the country and the election was a strong recovery for Albanese and his center left party. The prime minister will start his second term with at least 85 seats in the one hundred fifty seat lower house. And it was a disastrous night for Australia's conservatives. This is the first reelection for a prime minister in 20 years as voters chose stability over change against a backdrop of global turmoil.

CNN's Ben Hunte has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It was Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's night, a victory for the Labor Party that almost wasn't. Just a few months ago, it was his main rival, conservative Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, who was leading the polls.

But the tide turned, driven in part by the disruptive trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. Voters ultimately choosing stability over change.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: In this time of global uncertainty, Australians have chosen optimism and determination. Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way, looking after each other while building for the future.

HUNTE: It was a clear message from voters.

ALBANESE: We are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country. We did not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else.

HUNTE: Albanese is the first Australian Prime Minister to win a second consecutive term in two decades. And the Labor Party not only increased its majority in Parliament, but also uprooted Dutton from his own parliamentary seat that he's held for more than 20 years.

Like the recent election in Canada, concerns over Trump's global tariffs and turmoil galvanized voters to reject the conservative opposition, with many Australians wary of Dutton's rhetoric and policies that seemed way too similar to Trump's.

PETER DUTTON, LIBERAL PARTY LEADER: We've been defined by our opponents in this election, which is not the true story of who we are. But we'll rebuild from here.

HUNTE: For the next three years, Albanese has his work cut out for him. He has to tackle ongoing domestic problems with housing shortages and the high cost of living, issues he was widely criticized for not fixing in his first term. And he has to continue to navigate relations with the U.S. in unpredictable times.

But the high stakes of this election didn't dampen the spirits of some voters. Many Australians participated in some colorful voting day traditions, from feasting on barbecues, including democracy sausages sold by volunteers at polling stations. With some wearing tight- fitting swim trunks known as budgie smugglers to cast their votes. With so much uncertainty ahead, there are at least some things Australians can count on.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The papal conclave is set to begin selecting the new pope on Wednesday. Still to come, an update on the Vatican's final preparations before the cardinals gather to cast their votes. Stay with us.

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[05:47:45]

BRUNHUBER: The Vatican will hold the ninth and final mass to mourn the death of Pope Francis today. The ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica completes the Novemdiales or nine days of mourning that traditionally follows a pope's funeral. Today's mass is one of the last preparations before next week's papal conclave to choose the next pope.

Joining us live from Rome with the latest is CNN's Barbie Nadeau. So, Barbie, take us through what we're expecting today and then looking ahead to the upcoming conclave.

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, it's really poignant, Kim, is at noon on a Sunday you'd usually have this piazza filled with people waiting for the pope to give his Sunday Angelus prayer, which, of course, there is no pope right now. So instead, you've got people filing through the Jubilee door and just praying in preparation for this final day of mourning.

In about an hour's time, they'll close the church to prepare for this very solemn mass. And that's when the real work begins. Starting tomorrow, the cardinals who are here will be meeting for two congregations to discuss the priorities of the church and to figure out just who will replace Pope Francis, who for so many people is irreplaceable. Let's listen to what one person in the piazza had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARA CHATELLIER, FRENCH TOURIST (through translator): I think he was a very committed pope who knew how to make people talk about him and who proposed many beautiful things. So I hope the next will be as committed to the causes that are important today. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, you know, Kim, it's just that big question. Is this next pope going to be more like Pope Francis or will he return back to sort of the more conservative popes of years before? And everybody's wondering, and people are betting and hedging their bets.

And, you know, I remember here the conclave, the last two conclaves I was here in, the piazza's filled with people looking for that smoke, the white smoke, the black smoke, just waiting to see who the next leader of the Catholic Church will be, and we can expect that starting on the evening of the 7th, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Right. Until then, it's still sort of this atmosphere of it's kind of solemn and as the pope is mourned there. And in that context, there's been a lot of criticism, Barbie, here and around the world after President Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as a pope. So have people there seen this picture and how are they reacting?

[05:50:04]

NADEAU: Yeah, you know, I mean, it's in all the Italian papers today, and the reaction is sort of one of disappointment, I guess, especially when President Trump came for the funeral and there was that meaningful conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and then to have this sort of in-your-face AI, you know, vision of him as the pope.

And who it hurts more than anyone else, of course, are those American cardinals, some of whom are being named as possible contenders to be the next pontiff. And, you know, the American Catholic Church supported Donald Trump over Joe Biden because of his stance on abortion. And, you know, something like that, that image, that sort of blasphemous image is going to hurt them more than anyone, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, poorly timed, to say the least. Barbie Latza Nadeau, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

And we'll be right back here on CNN Newsroom. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: There was mud on the ground and excitement in the air at the 150 first running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. One of the odds-on favorites took the crown and the run for the roses. Patrick Snell has the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: With dubbed the greatest two minutes in sports, always huge interest around the Kentucky Derby. One of the most famous and prestigious horse races in the world. A crowd of over 147,000 in attendance. Plenty of rain there in Kentucky. Muddy, muddy conditions at Churchill Downs ahead of the big race.

[05:55:11] This is the 150 first running of the Derby. Just an absolute quagmire there for the 19 horses taking part. The early pace set by Bob Baffert, Citizen Bull. But in the end it will be Sovereignty powering forward to the finish line. Sovereignty ruling the roost, finishing clear of the pre-race favorite Journalism in second. Journalism coming off three straight wins but the horse here would be denied. The three- year-old Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, entered the race as one of the favorites at 9-1 odds to win.

And what a moment too for Junior Alvarado, the winning jockey from Venezuela. A wonderful, wonderful moment for him and his family. Alvarado's first Kentucky Derby victory. Much focus ahead of the race had been on the legendary trainer Bob Baffert, who until last year was banned from running horses at Churchill Downs. After his horse Medina Spirits failed drug test back in 2021, Baffert has trained six Kentucky Derby winners and his horse this year, Citizen Bull, who I mentioned off the top there, coming in in the end in 15th place. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The Preakness follows next in two weeks and then it's the Belmont Stakes in early June. You know, 2018 was the last year we had a Triple Crown winner and that was Justify, trained by Bob Baffert. Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown so in terms of that Triple Crown, next stop for Sovereignty is the Preakness on May 17th in Maryland.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And before we go, Rio went Gaga. Global pop icon Lady Gaga marked her triumphant return to Brazil on Saturday. Have a look here.

Organizers estimate more than 2 million fans attended her free concert on Copacabana Beach. There's no official tally yet, but that would make it one of her biggest shows of her career. City officials say Gaga's visit could pump more than $100 million into the economy.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Connecting Africa.

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