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Trump Threatens China with Near Tariffs in a Game of Brinksmanship; DOGE Cuts Target Agency that Helps Seniors, Disabled. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired April 08, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: A rare glimmer of hope for the endangered Galapagos tortoise. The Philadelphia Zoo says that their nearly 100- year-old mating pair became first-time parents at the end of February.

[06:00:11]

One baby tortoise has already broken out of its egg, and three other hatchlings are being closely monitored.

The zoo says they plan to debut the tortoises later this month.

All right. That will do it for us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, April 8. Here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have great respect for China, but they can't do this.

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CORNISH: President Trump threatens to escalate his trade war with China, issuing them an ultimatum and a deadline. But China does not appear to be backing down.

Plus --

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KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Our team will get to work tomorrow to deport these heinous, violent foreign terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The White House can resume rapid deportations, but there's a catch. New rules from the Supreme Court.

Also --

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the highest I've seen the water in my lifetime.

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CORNISH: The flooding danger is not over as deadly storms leave some communities underwater.

And --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In three short years, we got the University of Florida's basketball program back where it belongs, which is winning national championships.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The Gators chomp. Florida rallies past Houston to win the title. How they pulled off the comeback in the final seconds.

It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here's a live look at Cincinnati, where communities around the Ohio River could still see some more flooding threat today.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me.

And the question this morning: Who will blink first? Donald Trump is threatening even more tariffs on China. The president says he will impose an additional 50 percent tariff tomorrow if China doesn't call off their tariffs today.

And caught in the middle of this: you, the consumer here at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not working right now. We've been working two days a week. Being kind of slow. There is not much work right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How come?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The economy.

BILL ABOUDI, OWNER OF AB TRUCKING: We're a smaller port. We're going to feel it. Drivers will work half a day instead of a full day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right, so you heard there from a trucking company at the port of Oakland. That's where they receive almost half of their shipments from China.

And it's just one example of how President Trump's tariffs are actually impacting people's lives, even before many of them have gone into effect.

Some of the world's wealthiest businessmen are also making it clear that they're not on board. Richard Branson calling the tariffs a colossal mistake. Republican mega-donor Ken Langone says he doesn't understand the bleeping formula.

And Bill Ackman, another Trump-backing billionaire, warning of a "self-induced economic nuclear winter."

Even Elon Musk says he wants to see this. The U.S. and Europe maybe move to a relationship with zero tariffs.

President Trump, however, is not flinching. Nor is China. This morning, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of economic bullying and said that, in a trade war, quote, "China will fight to the end."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF BIRD ROCK COFFEE: We're trying to keep our prices right where they are for the time being, although, again, we reserve the right, over the next month or two or three, as our paper goods start to run out, to see what tariffs are doing at that point. Because those 30 percent tariffs out of China and Vietnam are going to be high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. A sign that the market may be as resilient as the president hopes: U.S. futures are pointing up this morning. Global markets also ticked up following Monday's major losses.

The group chat is here to discuss: Jackie Kucinich, Washington bureau chief for "The Boston Globe"; Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns; and Mike Dubke, former White House communications director during President Trump's first term.

OK. Jackie, I want to start with you, because obviously, we are seeing a market that is so desperate for anything that, like, little rumors, actually sent things up and down yesterday. What is it that we're hearing from the White House?

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: So, the White House is still projecting that this is something that's going to work, that they just need patience. And frankly, you're seeing it reflected back at them on the Hill.

They've managed to kind of quash any effort to, at this point, to claw back some power to Congress. Republicans who were starting to express some dissent have quieted down. We'll see how long that lasts as the market continues to do what the market has been doing, and Congress comes back.

[06:05:06]

But certainly, at this point, at least from their party, they're starting -- right now, everyone is staying in line. But, you know, during that press conference, Audie, yesterday, you did

have the president say, yes, I might do this. Yes, I might do that. We'll have to see. So, you -- so, the uncertainty still remains, even as they're saying they're being steadfast.

CORNISH: You know, this latest threat of 50 percent tariffs, that's on top of last week's 34 -- 34 percent, which is itself on top of the existing 20 percent.

I mean, basically, if the president makes good on all of these promises, Chinese goods would face an effective tariff of 104 percent.

Chuck, how long do you think people can -- I don't know -- experience this shift and go along with what the president wants? Because culturally, Americans are used to less expensive goods.

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, we -- I would say we've gotten addicted to cheap goods, and people made that economic philosophy back in the day when Walmart was booming. Folks decided that they wanted to buy lots of cheap stuff from China.

But let's talk about the American voter and not the billionaires, because the American voter is really going to determine what happens here. Because we have a midterm election where they'll be heard in about 18 months.

And a regular citizen out there, he watches, or she watches the stock market here or there, but they don't understand instability, buybacks, bonds, all the others. If you're 66 and you're thinking about retiring, sure, you watch it every single day.

But regular folks, there's two things that really affect them politically. One is, when they get their 401(k) statement, they always look like I do to see if you've made a little money or you've lost a little money, and over time, that becomes a problem with the perception from that voter.

And the second thing, which we talked about a lot on this program, which is why Donald Trump got elected, was the price of things, the affordability of things. Every time eggs go up or gas goes up, people feel that, because they're buying them every single week. And that's where the American public is.

If this keeps driving up or drives up prices at all, and I think you're going to see a repercussion from the American voter.

CORNISH: Mike Dubke, I want to bring you in, because there's -- we've mentioned coffee. We've talked to the truckers. Another interesting data point. Nintendo had just announced its new console. Stay with me. The Switch 2 last week.

And basically, as soon as it did that, it had to halt U.S. preorders because of Trump tariffs, right? A 24 percent tariff on Japan basically could make the device unaffordable for a lot of people.

This could touch people in a lot of different ways, right? Beyond the arguments that the White House is making.

So, Mike do -- do those moments matter or has the White House just made the argument so cleanly that people see this as a way to bring back manufacturing?

MIKE DUBKE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR DURING FIRST TRUMP TERM: So, I'm going to answer this in two ways. First of all, I'm going to agree with a lot of what Chuck just said. And this is going to be a very happy, you know, get-along Tuesday here.

I think the American people, especially the 40 percent that aren't invested in the stock market, are looking at those prices every day. And we've seen a slight downturn in inflation. We've seen a slight downturn in some prices.

So, right now, for the -- for the -- the new base of the -- of the Trump administration and, frankly, the Republican Party, to a certain extent, is not revolting on this.

But let's get back to your original question about China. I think China is the fight that the president wants.

If you look at the Nikkei average this morning, you see that it's rebounding, because he's negotiating with Japan. With Europe, there's been some movement. I think the fight with China is what the president and the administration would like to focus on. And that's what we're -- we're about to see.

So, they're setting this up. I don't think the communications have been great coming out of the White House. It's been kind of all over the map, but I think it's starting to settle in, in a place that's a positive for Trump.

CORNISH: OK. Stay with me. There's a lot going on. Before we go, I want to play this one last cut from Peter Navarro, basically, Trump's trade adviser, making a promise. And I feel like these are the kinds of promises that really should be on record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NAVARRO, ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: Dow 50,000, I guarantee that, and I guarantee no recession. OK. Why? Because when we pass the biggest, broadest tax cut in history within a matter of months, that's going to be a great stimulus. There's not going to be any inflation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: You guys stay with us. We're going to talk a lot more this hour about what's going on.

So, how should Democrats respond to President Trump's policies that are reshaping America? What's their path forward? Senator Bernie Sanders is going to look to answer those questions in a CNN town hall that's going to be hosted by Anderson Cooper. That's happening Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. And coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, parts of Appalachia still reeling

from Hurricane Helene. And now DOGE is looking to decimate staffing at FEMA. We're going to have Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards. He represents one of the areas hit hardest. He's going to talk more about that.

[06:10:11]

Plus, the U.S. and Iran may be sitting down for talks on its nuclear program. Can they come to a deal?

And historic rainfall sending rivers surging, and the flooding isn't over yet.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The water was up to my thigh. Ice cold. And then as I stepped out, I almost fell, because the water was dragging me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:15:09]

CORNISH: All right. If you're getting ready, it's 15 minutes past the hour. Here is your morning roundup. Some of the stories you need to know to get your day going.

While the rain is over, the danger is not. Dozens of rivers across the Southeast are expected to hit major flood stage this week. That's adding to the devastation already on the ground.

So, for example, in Louisville, river levels rose five feet in 24 hours, and that triggered a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying communities near the Kentucky River.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of devastating on that part. You know, it's -- it's under siege, basically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're lucky enough. It's not extremely devastating, but it's hard on a lot of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Twenty-four people are now confirmed dead. That's across seven different states.

South Korea announcing it will hold a snap election in June to choose its next leader. The country's last president was removed just last week by the nation's top court for trying to impose martial law.

The Trump administration revoking the legal status of migrants who entered the U.S. using the Biden-era CBP One app. An email from the Department of Homeland Security ordered them to leave immediately.

It's unclear how many people received the email. To be clear, more than 900,000 migrants have been allowed to enter the country by making appointments on the app since 2023.

And a small jet skidding off the runway and into the water in Oregon. The plane was cleared for approach. The pilot never told controllers they were on the ground.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The jet actually went into the water. Everybody is exiting and trying to make their way to the shore.

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CORNISH: There were five people on board. They all had to be taken to the hospital, but for minor injuries.

And you've got to see this.

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BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Oh, Christ! (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK, not exactly a fan of Boris Johnson. The former British prime minister had a run in with an ostrich. He was driving through a wildlife park in Texas when the animal came up to the window and pecked his hand.

Johnson's wife posted this video on Instagram with the caption, "too funny not to share."

Still to come on CNN THIS MORNING, sweeping cuts to programs such as Meals on Wheels. The potential crisis now facing millions of seniors and disabled veterans.

Also, the Trump administration revoking even more student visas.

And good morning to San Antonio, home of the NCAA championship game. It was a late night of partying there for the Florida Gators.

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[06:22:02]

CORNISH: This morning, many programs like Meals on Wheels are facing an uncertain future, much like the elderly and disabled Americans who depend on them.

The latest round of DOGE cuts hitting the government agency that funds and facilitates those programs according to NPR, is going through a reorganization. Joining me now, the former head of the Administration for Community

Living, Alison Barkoff.

Alison, I think most people don't know that agency very well or what it does. We're talking about Meals on Wheels. I think also LIHEAP -- correct me if I'm wrong -- which helps people get funding for their heating bills, air conditioning.

What are you hearing from former colleagues about these cuts?

ALISON BARKOFF, FORMER ADMINISTRATOR, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: Good morning and thank you for having me.

A lot of people might not know the Administration for Community Living, but it provides tens of millions of older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers lifesaving services and supports like meals for older adults; senior centers; family caregiver supports; services that help people leave institutions like hospitals and nursing homes and go home.

And as you mentioned, HHS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced last week that the Administration for Community Living would be dismantled and its program spread across the department; and over half the staff has been terminated.

There's a lot of uncertainty right now about the future of these programs and how they will be able to continue to support the health, independence, and dignity of the millions of Americans who rely on them day in and day out.

CORNISH: So, Alison, just so we're clear, as they said, the programs are not going away. The programs will be under other departments. Why can't that work? Aren't there other agencies? There's often duplication in the federal government.

What is it that you think will happen if they move to these other departments?

BARKOFF: First, we have not had any transparency. The fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said, quote, unquote, "critical programs" would be moved. There's been no information at this point about which programs will continue, which ones might be eliminated, and where they're going.

Secondly, with less than half the staff, it will be nearly impossible to implement these programs. In fact, some of the agencies where these programs are being moved also were really cut to the bone in terms of their staff.

And finally, people are incredibly concerned. The funding that Congress allocated in mid-March has not yet gone out to the field. Many of these community-based providers can last no more than two or three weeks without critical federal funding before they begin to cut services or even start laying off their own staff.

[06:25:03] So, a lot of uncertainty right now and no information coming out from HHS about exactly what's happening with these programs.

CORNISH: Alison, we have just a minute left, but I want to get a sense from you where you think we will see the impact first.

I know a lot of food pantries might be expecting more people to show up, but these are the communities where often, they can't get the help, right? Maybe they can't drive themselves. They can't do these other things.

So, where do you think we're going to see this rear its head in terms of its effects on everyday people?

BARKOFF: I think we are going to start seeing this literally in communities across the country.

People rely every day on the one healthy meal that comes and feeds an older adult. People rely every day on the person who might come in their home to help get them out of bed, give them a shower, and get them out into the community.

If we don't see this funding come out soon, we will literally start seeing these life-saving services reduced, and potentially people having to leave their own homes and communities and enter nursing homes.

That's how critical the programs the Administration of Community Living provides are to people, day in and day out.

CORNISH: That's Alison Barkoff, a former head of the Administration for Community Living under President Biden.

Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to talk about the Supreme Court handing the Trump administration a big win, basically allowing deportations to continue under the Alien Enemies Act with one distinct condition.

Plus, it is in drinking water all across the country. Fluoride. That might not be the case for long.

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