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Congress Faces Looming Government Shutdown Deadline; Analysis: Trump Pushing Conservative Policies On Blue States; Remembering Gene Hackman's Life And Legacy. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 28, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:30:35]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: Five thirty a.m. here on the East Coast, but you are looking live at Dallas, Texas on Friday, February 28. Good morning, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean in for Kasie Hunt. Wonderful to have you with us this morning.

The clock is ticking as Congress now has roughly two weeks to prevent a government shutdown. But recent efforts by DOGE to dismantle government agencies is throwing a wrench in those already complicated conversations as Republicans grapple with how to fund those very agencies.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested codifying Musk's cuts as part of a stopgap funding measure, but Democrats and some Republicans are pushing back against that idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): It's going to need to be bipartisan and I think some of my colleagues in the Republican conference don't recognize that and as soon as we try to work with Democrats they want to -- they don't want to vote for it. And I think that that's really what puts us at risk at a shut -- for a shutdown right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Joining us now Shelby Talcott, the White House correspondent for Semafor. Good morning, Shelby.

SHELBY TALCOTT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, SEMAFOR: Good morning.

DEAN: Nice to have you here.

So look, this is going to be quite a battle to get this done and we are -- the clock is ticking as we just noted.

TALCOTT: Yeah, there's not a lot of time. And certainly, not only Democrats and Republicans are kind of on different sides of the aisle when it comes to numerous parts of this bill, but Republicans are also on different sides of the aisle -- DEAN: Right.

TALCOTT: -- at times.

So we heard Speaker Johnson suggest codifying those Musk cuts. That's gotten pushback from Republicans as well as Democrats. And so there's a lot of questions over how to fund this. There's concerns about cuts to Medicaid. There's concerns about cuts to Social Security. So there's a lot to be done in a very short amount of time in order for this to be successful.

DEAN: And Congress doesn't love to work quickly. They do do well, I guess, with really hard deadlines and they like to take it --

TALCOTT: Yeah.

DEAN: -- right up to the -- to the edge there.

I want to take a look at what Nicole Malliotakis -- that we just heard from here -- but just talking about, too, just like the role that DOGE should be playing and Elon Musk as well. I want to listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALLIOTAKIS: DOGE should be a recommendation. They should be an advisory role. But at the end of the day it's the secretaries under this administration as well as the members of Congress who should have the final say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And I'm sure you've talked to a lot of members of Congress. Whenever we've had them on various shows I've asked them are you comfortable with not having really any oversight? Asking people on the Oversight Committee. And there have been a number of Republicans who say yeah -- no, it's OK. But obviously she, there, saying look, we need some oversight of what's going on.

TALCOTT: Yeah. And we actually have heard from some Republicans. By and large, Republicans are willing to sort of --

DEAN: Yeah.

TALCOTT: -- step back and let Donald Trump do what he wants. But there have been some Republicans -- Rand Paul, for example -- who have said at some point Congress is going to need to vote on these DOGE cuts.

And what's interesting is this is becoming more of an issue. And I actually asked Donald Trump about this very question two weeks ago in the Oval Office when Elon Musk was there, and he said he would be fine with Congress voting but also started sort lamenting about how -- why would Republicans want to do that. Why would they feel it was necessary? So when push comes to shove if that ends up happening -- and it could

because Republicans are growing quietly more concerned over these DOGE cuts as they hear from their constituents -- is Donald Trump going to be on board with that?

DEAN: Right. And there is this kind of balance that we're seeing from these Republicans who have to publicly continue to support this while, as you know, privately hearing from constituents and maybe behind the scenes are trying to save different programs and make sure that they're not going to bear the brunt when they're up in two years.

TALCOTT: Yeah, and we heard from that. Susie Wiles went to the Hill, Donald Trump's chief of staff, earlier this week and she talked to some lawmakers to sort of alleviate some of those concerns. And the big concerns -- Elon Musk also, yesterday on the Hill, talking to lawmakers.

The big concerns we're hearing from lawmakers is just they need more transparency. They're on board with the cuts generally. They're on board to let Donald Trump sort of do what he wants. But they're getting concerned because they want more transparency. And they also are worried about the speed at which Elon Musk is operating and how sometimes that speed has resulted in cutting employees or staffers, or agencies or parts of agencies that they actually need.

[05:35:00]

DEAN: Yeah.

And speaking of cuts, one area they're also really concerned -- different than DOGE, but as they go through this budgeting process and trying to find cuts within the budget as they work through this these -- the potential cuts to Medicaid.

This is what Speaker Johnson said about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: He doesn't want to cut Medicaid benefits for anybody, and we don't either. I don't either. We're not going to do that. That's not part of this plan. And the Democrats have been lying about it and so it's important for us to clarify that. We're going to take care of those who are rightful beneficiaries of the programs.

We're going to cut the fraud, waste, and abuse out of Medicaid, and that's where we're going to get part of the savings to accomplish this mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: But Shelby, there has been real concern because they want to take $880 billion out of the area that oversees Medicaid, and just doing the math it's hard to see how you get there.

TALCOTT: Yeah. DEAN: So what are you hearing about how that's all playing out on the

Hill?

TALCOTT: Well, it's bipartisan concerns --

DEAN: Yeah.

TALCOTT: -- and the Senate -- some Senate Republicans are concerned about it. It was a concern even before this bill passed with some House Republicans.

Now, Donald Trump was asked about it this week at the White House and he said -- he reiterated his campaign promise we're not going to cut Medicaid.

But again, as you -- as you note, this bill does include those cuts. And when Speaker Johnson mentioned that these were not going to be cuts that directly affect people with Medicaid there's still a lot of vagueness around how you get such a big number and cut successfully without making those major cuts.

DEAN: All right. So a lot of questions on this Friday. And then we look to President Trump going up to the Hill next week.

All right, Shelby. Thank you so much.

Outrage pouring in from right-wing supporters of the Trump administration after the administration's mass firing of federal workers. Even listeners of conservative talk radio are voicing their concern as thousands of Americans deal with the fallout of abruptly losing their careers.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has the latest now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELON MUSK, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY: The overall goal here with the DOGE team is to help address the enormous task of --

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Across the country backlash over DOGE appears to be intensifying and in some unlikely places --

CALLER, FOX NEWS "THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW": It's frustrating all of us because, like, how do you make life decisions and try to figure out what to do, how do you know to send your kids to college, if you can afford to buy a house when there is no information coming from the administration, which I support strongly.

SERFATY (voiceover): -- with many Republicans now flooding the airwaves on conservative radio angry about how Elon Musk's buzzsaw cuts to the federal government are playing out --

CALLER, FOX NEWS "THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW": I'm a strong supporter of this administration and what their efforts are, but they're not communicating to us to any way of what their overall goal and plan is.

SERFATY (voiceover): -- leaving right-wing commentators facing the wrath --

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST, "THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW": I think that's where the main focus is going to be on and limiting the bureaucracy. How many of these jobs are redundant?

SERFATY (voiceover): -- and to push back on concerns within their own party.

HANNITY: They're not going to fire every federal employee. There's too much work that the federal government needs to be done, assuming that your work and her work is -- are essential. I don't think you're going to have anything to worry about. You're certainly not involved in weaponization or politicizing in any way.

SERFATY (voiceover): Typically a conservative friendly platform is suddenly not, especially when the fired federal workers are Trump supporters.

CHRIS STIGALL, HOST, "THE CHRIS STIGALL SHOW": I have had quite a bit of outreach from you federal workers. I don't believe Elon or Trump is going to war with every person that works in the federal government.

But folks, I'm going to talk to you like an adult here for a minute. Grow up. Grow up. If you work for the federal government you need to grow up, respectfully.

SERFATY (voiceover): This fallout not just on the airwaves but out in the country where Republican lawmakers are facing the anger in tele- town halls this week --

REP. BOB ONDER (R-MO): No one voted for Elon Musk. And if you say he's doing all these great things, when is he going to go before Congress with his report of all these so-called savings? Yeah. So we -- yeah, thank you, and we appreciate your question.

CONSTITUENT: Yeah, because you can't answer me.

ONDER: No. I'll answer it. Elon Musk is doing a great national service. He reports to the president.

SERFATY (voiceover): -- and expressing fresh concerns of their own.

REP. RICH MCCORMICK (R-GA): I want to have compassion.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But you think they've too far and too fast here?

MCCORMICK: Uh, I think it needs to be reviewed.

MALLIOTAKIS: This idea that they were going to just fire people via Twitter -- Elon Musk -- that, to me, seems rash. It seems not appropriate.

SERFATY (voiceover): Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Still to come on CNN THIS MORNING, Donald Trump using the power of the presidency to try to force conservative social policies onto blue states even though those states have routinely voted against those very policies at a state level.

Plus, remembering the legendary actor Gene Hackman as we look at some of his most iconic roles on screen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from Paramount Pictures "The Firm."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:40:05]

(COMMERCIAL)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Is Maine here -- the governor of Maine?

GOVERNOR JANET MILLS (D-ME): Yeah, I'm here.

TRUMP: Are you not going to comply with it?

MILLS: I'm complying with state and federal laws.

TRUMP: Well, I'm -- we are the federal law.

MILLS: See you in court.

TRUMP: Every state -- good. I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: That tense exchange between President Donald Trump and Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills ignited by his recent order banning transgender women from competing in women's sports.

Our next guest, CNN senior political Ron Brownstein, argues this is just one of several examples of Trump trying to force Democratic states to adopt his conservative policies.

Brownstein writing, "Trump has threatened to cut off federal funds for states, cities, hospitals and universities unless they adopt a wide range of conservative social policies, such as banning transgender girls from competing in high school sports and ending diversity programs in education and employment.

[05:45:08] Since most red states have already adopted these policies, the principal effect of Trump's orders is to attempt to impose these ideas on Democratic-controlled states that have already considered them at the state level, and virtually without exception, spurned them."

Ron Brownstein joins us now to talk more about this. Ron, good morning to you.

Elaborate a little --

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST, SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC (via Webex by Cisco): Good morning.

DEAN: Good morning.

Elaborate more on this argument you're making.

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. So we have seen an enormous divergence over the last four or five years in the states on a range of social policy. Virtually every red state -- every Republican-controlled state has banned transgender girls from high school sports. Has banned gender- affirming care for minors. The vast majority of them have imposed limits on how classroom teachers can talk about race and gender in K to 12 grades, and most of them have also restricted diversity issues, particularly in public education.

But Jessica, those ideas have made virtually no inroads in blue states with the exception of New Hampshire where Republicans actually control the governor and the state legislature. None of the states that voted against Trump have done any of those things.

Now we see in the first weeks of the Trump administration in his flurry of executive orders, as you note, he is threatening to cut off a wide range of federal funding sources for states that don't adopt these policies. Basically, he is seeking to use the power of the federal government, the power of the federal purse to rescind rights that are protected now in blue states who have considered these ideas. I mean, these ideas have all been proposed and rejected.

And as I note in the story, this is a very unusual role for the federal government. I mean, usually when the federal government participates in the rollback of rights it's looking the other way or standing aside. When states roll back rights, as Washington did during the seven decades of segregation. It is much more rare for the federal government to affirmatively go into states where rights are protected and try to erase them.

DEAN: It is also a big ironic, I suppose, that -- the argument that Republicans and Trump himself has made so many times to send things back to the states --

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.

DEAN: -- and let them decide. To take that argument and then put it with what we're seeing play out -- what you're writing about. BROWNSTEIN: No -- yeah. Historic reversal of roles. I mean, Trump himself -- in 2016, there was a quote from him on the campaign trail talking about how important it is that education be decided at the local level.

Well, his executive order is threatening to cut off funds to every school district in the country unless they follow his dictates, which are essentially what the red state agenda on how they talk about race and gender, and sexual orientation in the classroom, and patriotic education.

I mean, this really is kind of an historic over -- and it's not just Trump. I mean, you have multiple proposals from Republicans in Congress. For example, the Save Act that would impose rules requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in every state.

There is legislation that Republicans have introduced that would require every state to honor a conceal carry weapon permit granted in any state, which would override the blue state rules.

And while all of this is going on the Trump administration, on multiple fronts, is trying to stop the blue states from implementing left-leaning or progressive policies even within their own borders, like congestion pricing in New York or the -- or the mandate to move toward electric vehicles in California.

So all in all it really is a comprehensive effort to force blue states to adopt the red state social agenda that, as I said, they have considered and rejected.

DEAN: And so how does this play out? What happens next? Does this just all go to the courts?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, it's already in the courts, right?

I mean, you know, I talked to the Washington State attorney general in my story who was part of a group that has sued Trump over the -- attorney generals have sued Trump over the executive order cutting off funding for medical institutions that perform gender-affirming care for minors. They have -- I think they have a date in court again today. They've achieved the temporary injunction against that.

But there is interestingly -- I think that the key precedent here is a 2013 Supreme Court decision written by John Roberts which said -- ironically, it focuses on the USAID agency, which is now in the -- you know, under so much stress from Musk. But that decision said the federal government obviously can control what an entity does with the federal money but he can't use the federal money to control what the -- how the federal -- how the entity acts on other issues with its own money, or funding from other sources.

[05:50:05]

And, of course, Roberts wrote the decision that prevented the federal government -- that prevented the Obama administration from threatening states by cutting off their Medicaid money if they didn't expand -- if they didn't expand Medicaid eligibility.

So this idea of using the federal purse to coerce other entities to do things beyond the scope of that immediate -- those immediate federal dollars -- in the past, the Supreme Court has said no. We'll see if they hold to that now that Trump is using it to advance conservative social goals that these six Republican-appointed justices have all traditionally been quite sympathetic to.

DEAN: All right, Ron Brownstein. Great to have you. Thanks so much. We appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for -- thanks for having me.

DEAN: Um-hum.

New developments this morning in the investigation into the mysterious deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife, and their dog. All were found deceased in their New Mexico home Wednesday. Police now say they're waiting for autopsy and toxicology reports. And while there are no obvious signs of foul play the circumstances are now being labeled as suspicious.

The 95-year-old was last seen publicly coming out of a convenience store in 2024.

CNN's Jason Carroll reports on what made the beloved Hackman the actor's actor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GENE HACKMAN, ACTOR: I don't like to talk about myself that much.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Gene Hackman had a hard time watching himself on the big screen but the same could not be said for audiences who helped to make him one of the greatest American actors to grace the silver screen.

Clip from Warner Bros. Pictures "Mississippi Burning."

CARROLL (voiceover): Hackman was known as an actor's actor. The New York Times called him "Hollywood's perfect every man." That's because Hackman had that innate ability to embody every type of character he portrayed.

HACKMAN: We're going now. Goodbye.

CARROLL (voiceover): Whether it was a narcotics detective, a bank robber, or a basketball coach, Hackman could make audiences see something authentic in his characters.

Clip from Warner Bros. "Hoosiers."

CARROLL (voiceover): Hackman had a prolific career though he got a late start to acting. Eugene Hackman was born January 30, 1930 in California. His father ran a printing press. The family moved around a bit finally settling in Illinois. Hackman says a traumatic incident as an early teenager may have been

the catalyst for his wanting to become an actor. It was the moment his father abandoned the family. He was playing in the street when he says he watched his father wave and drive away.

HACKMAN: I wasn't bitter, you know -- disappointed certainly, hurt, you know. I don't think I was ever bitter. I loved him.

CARROLL (voiceover): Hackman told Vanity Fair, "It was so precise. Maybe that's why I became an actor. I doubt I would have become so sensitive to human behavior if that hadn't happened to me as a child. If I hadn't realized how much one small gesture can mean."

Hackman lied about his age and joined the Marines at 16, becoming a radio field operator. He worked odd jobs for years and didn't pursue acting until he was 30. His mother died before his movie career took off in a fire started by her own cigarette.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you always want to be an actor?

HACKMAN: Well, I did secretly. I didn't want to tell anybody because I was ashamed. I thought maybe that was -- that was something that lightweights did.

CARROLL (voiceover): Hackman received a best supporting Oscar nomination for his part in "Bonnie and Clyde." One of his toughest roles, portraying a New York City detective in "The French Connection." Hackman asked the director to replace him because he felt he was in over his head.

HACKMAN: I don't think I've ever been pushed as much by a director either, which was really good for me.

LIZA MINELLI, ACTRESS: And the winner is -- the winner is Mr. Gene Hackman.

CARROLL (voiceover): In 1972, an Academy Award win for Best Actor in "The French Connection."

More iconic roles would follow. His take on Lex Luthor in "Superman."

Clip from Warner Bros. Pictures "Superman."

HACKMAN: I wouldn't play Superman for anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't envy Christopher getting into the cape and --

HACKMAN: Well, he uses my body, of course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.

CARROLL (voiceover): To Coach Norman Dale in "Hoosiers."

Clip from MGM Studios "Hoosiers." CARROLL (voiceover): Another Oscar nomination for is portrayal of FBI agent Rupert Anderson in "Mississippi Burning." A best supporting actor win in 1993 for his performance as Sheriff Little Bill in the dark western "Unforgiven."

More than 80 films spanning some six decades. Through all the work and all the accolades Hackman just saw himself as an actor.

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Your name goes above the title, but are you a star?

HACKMAN: No. I -- you know, Warren Beatty is a star. You know, Robert Redford is a star, Brad Pitt. I never think of myself that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:55:00]

DEAN: Jason Carroll, thanks for that reporting.

Still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING air traffic controllers in high demand. How the FAA and Elon Musk are trying to bolster the ranks.

Plus, Ukraine's future on the line as Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy prepare to meet today. We're live at the White House and in Kyiv.

(COMMERCIAL)

DEAN: It is Friday, February 28. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Mr. President, do you still think that Mr. Zelenskyy is a dictator?

TRUMP: Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Face-to-face after weeks of turbulence. Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy will go one-to-one today in a high stakes meeting that could very well shape the future of Ukraine.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I think we have to be realistic about the impact of these cuts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to be very clear that we expect to see the results of what we're -- what DOGE is doing and what the administration is doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Choppy water.