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Trump Exempts Some Electronics From China From 145 Percent Tariffs; Trump: Nuclear Talks With Iran "Going OK"; Witkoff, Omani, Iranian Officials Hold Talks In Oman; White House: Man Mistakenly Deported Is Alive And Secure In Salvadoran Prison; Autistic Teen Shot By Idaho Police Dies After Being Removed From Life Support; Protests Erupt In NYC After Judge Says Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported; Pope Attends Palm Sunday Mass At Saint Peter's Basilica; Dozens At DHS, Including Top FEMA Officials, Face Lie Detector Tests. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired April 13, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:38]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It's Sunday morning. Wake up, wake up, April 13th. Good to be with you. I'm Victor Blackwell. Here's what we're watching for you this morning.

The Trump administration is reversing course on tariffs. Well, some of them. We're talking electronics, smartphones, semiconductors, computers. They're now exempt. But the tit for tat with China, that's far from over.

High stake talks between the U.S. and Iran over a new nuclear deal, they were constructive, that's according to both sides. But what comes out of them, we'll have to see. But both sides are set to meet again this week.

And the Trump administration says that a man mistakenly deported to El Salvador is alive and secure. But the administration still has not provided details on efforts to bring him back to the U.S., as a judge ordered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States only send a paltry amount of assistance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an embarrassment. But beyond that, it's deadly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The U.S. is facing criticism over its response to the earthquake in Myanmar after sending just three aid workers and then firing them while they were there.

Plus, you are quickly running out of time to file your taxes. If you're feeling some financial anxiety, I understand it has been a rough couple of days. Well, there's the ongoing trade war and inflation. We'll get into it with some help from a financial therapist.

All right. We're starting this morning with a change in President Trump's tariff policies. The president has exempted some imported electronics made in China from his 145 percent tariff. The items will still be subject to 20 percent tariffs, and he continues to push for production to move to the U.S. Trump claims that the U.S. is making increased revenue from his tariff policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Inflation is dropping. Americans have more money, and the country has more money. You know, we've been making two -- $3 billion a day the last couple of weeks. We didn't make that ever. And we're making a lot of money.

And then I -- to be nice I lowered the tariffs on everybody. But we've been making a lot of money and -- so, it has always been the other way around. Other countries, in particular China, was making a lot of money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Reminder, those tariffs are not paid by the other countries. They are paid by the importers to the Treasury Department. CNN's senior White House correspondent Kevin Liptak has more on what items are included and who could benefit. Kevin, good morning to you.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Victor. Yes, these exclusions were published on the government register late Friday evening and they are significant. The amount really to the first easing of any kind of tariff on China since President Trump began this tit for tat trade war, they could potentially have significant implications for the global economy.

But it is important to note that a lot of these products will still have American tariffs applied to them. Because, remember, President Trump has essentially layered these tariffs one on top of the other. These will be excluded from those sweeping 145 percent reciprocal tariffs that he put in place last week. But they will still be subject to the 20 percent tariffs that he has in place, trying to do something to curb the fentanyl crisis. So, not completely tariff free but certainly much lower tariffs than had been in place.

The list of items is essentially a list of the most popular American consumer products that come in from China includes smartphones, laptop computers, transistors, flat panel monitors, hard drives, semiconductors, all products that, for the most part, are not manufactured in the United States.

This could be a real boon for American consumers who had been worried about potential higher prices on these items could also really benefit the companies that manufacture them, including Apple, Samsung, Dell, companies that have been warning about higher prices but had also spent the last two months trying to cultivate the Trump administration. Some of that now potentially paying off. I think the real question going forward is exactly how long this reprieve will last. Because when you talk to American officials, they do make the point that President Trump has advocated in the past for a more specific tariff rates on specific products, essentially leaving the door open, that he could apply different rates, potentially lower rates, but different rates on these products going forward.

[06:05:06]

I also heard from a White House official who said that the president will be ordering up a national security review of semiconductors. Those are those computer chips that power so many of these products. Oftentimes, those reviews will lead to tariffs once they're completed.

So, I think at the end of the day, this is not the final word on all of this. We did hear from the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who said in a statement, President Trump has made clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops.

She goes on to say, that's why the president has secured trillions of dollars in U.S. investments from the largest tech companies in the world, including Apple, TSMC, which is a Taiwan based chip maker, and NVIDIA. At the direction of the president, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.

Of course, as soon as possible, there is quite a relative term from Karoline Leavitt. It could potentially take more than a decade for these companies to uproot their production in Asia and move it to the United States. I think at the end of the day, all of this just underscores the uncertainty that is still continuing to hang over the president's trade agenda as he engages in this tariff war with China -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Kevin, thank you. President Trump also says that the high stakes nuclear talks with Iran that they're going OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Nothing matters until you get it done. So, I don't like talking about it. But it's going OK. The Iran situation is going pretty good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are there other talks that are going well, sir?

TRUMP: I think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Iran called the talks constructive and there are already plans in place for further discussions. CNN's Betsy Klein with us this morning. Betsy, good morning to you.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Good morning, Victor. Well, very high stakes talks in Oman on Saturday appeared to bear fruit regarding the possibility of a new nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. We are learning that special presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with Iranian foreign minister and the Omani foreign minister, met for about two and a half hours, according to Iran's state news agency.

Oman served really here as a key go between. But one source told us that the two delegations were able to speak one on one informally following those talks. A White House statement characterized this meeting as direct communication, said that the discussions were, quote, "very positive and constructive and a step forward."

Now Witkoff, according to a statement from the White House, underscored, quote, "that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations' differences through dialog and diplomacy, if that is possible."

Now, President Trump, for his part, has warned of the possibility of military strikes if a new deal is not reached with Iran. Tehran, for its part, has similarly warned that any attack on Iran would drag the U.S. into a broader conflict with the Middle East.

But sources involved with these discussions do believe that the Trump administration is looking to move quickly here. And to that end, Victor, we are learning that these two sides will meet once more next Saturday for additional talks, likely in Europe, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Betsy Klein for us there. Thank you, Betsy.

A man the Trump administration mistakenly deported to El Salvador is alive and secure in a prison there. That's according to a court filing the administration made yesterday.

However, that filing did not include details on how the White House is working to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. The father, from Maryland, was deported last month, and ICE maintains that he's a member of the MS-13 gang. But his lawyers say the government has presented no evidence of that.

The Trump administration admitted an administrative error led to his deportation, but says that it cannot bring him back because he is in Salvadoran custody. On Friday, a district court judge demanded daily updates from the administration on what it's doing to facilitate his return.

Joining me now is Brett Bruen, president and CEO of Global Situation Room, a strategic communications firm. He also served as White House director of Global Engagement under President Obama.

Brett, good to see you again. Let's start here since we're talking about Abrego Garcia. We know that the Salvadoran president will be at the White House with President Trump next week. Of course, he is now -- his country being paid $6 million to hold these 300 or so alleged gang members. How crucial -- how central has President Bukele become to this strategy, the immigration strategy of this administration?

BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM: Well, I think he has become the most visible part of Trump's aggressive push to deport migrants to the U.S. and to those questions, one, he, the Salvadoran president, is really playing into Trump's hand.

[06:10:07]

He has been very visible on this front, you know, helping to create even sizzle reels that promote the role that he's playing in this. And so, obviously, this will be front and center when it comes to the White House, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes. The State Department has even lowered the travel warning for El Salvador to the safest rating. Safer than France, safer than the U.K. And there are some who question if that actually reconciles with the conditions on the ground there.

Let's talk about these talks with Iran. Both sides saying that they were positive, that they were constructive. This threat of military action, are there any indications that the Iranians believe that President Trump would order a military attack on their resources?

Of course, Trump ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the Islamic revolutionary guard corps head, five years ago. Do they believe that that's realistic this time around?

BRUEN: They do. And look, this is hanging over the talks. And quite frankly, it's probably the reason why they're speaking face to face. And yet, Victor, this is a long, difficult process.

Trump has discovered this as he has, you know, bragged that he could resolve the war in Ukraine in one day, that Gaza was solved. And, you know, quite frankly, I think he's fishing around for a peace deal to be able to show that he is, in fact, able to do the art of the deal.

It isn't going to be easy with Tehran. Tehran has a lot of their own demands. And, you know, they have proven in the past to be a very challenging interlocutor. So, we'll see if Witkoff and the Trump team can do better.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about Witkoff because his portfolio is broad and apparently broadening. He is the point man for Israel versus Gaza, Ukraine versus Russia, the Saudi-Israeli normalization, the hostage negotiations, and now these nuclear talks. He is a real estate investor.

Is this something that we would typically have expected Secretary Rubio to handle? What do you think about the point man of Witkoff on this?

BRUEN: Normally, yes. And quite frankly, it's bizarre that he is being handed more responsibilities when the responsibilities he already has are not going particularly well. Obviously, you know, the situation in Gaza, the cease fire broke down. Ukraine has not advanced as promised on the peace front. So why in the world would you add another major challenge to his portfolio?

And, Victor, as you say, you know, he's an amateur diplomat out playing the role of negotiator. He doesn't have a deep background in any of these areas, and he hasn't yet proven that he can, you know, work a deal on the, you know, highest stakes in the world.

BLACKWELL: The reversal on some of the tariffs, smartphones, semiconductors. Let's listen here to -- this is Democratic senator Chris Murphy and what he thinks about -- OK, we don't have that -- in which he says -- the senator says that this is just to appease the donors of the president.

Tim Cook donated -- of Apple, donated $1 million toward the Trump inauguration. Is there another explanation for the exemptions for these products specifically?

BRUEN: I think the other explanation is these are products that Americans will feel pretty quickly. And so, Trump, I think, is trying to alleviate some of the financial burden. Because in theory tariffs sound great but then when you go to the store and you discover you have to pay 124 percent more for that television screen or that iPhone that you hope to buy, it becomes, you know, an entirely different matter.

And this is where for Trump, he is going to face challenges over the coming days and weeks, because Americans are going to start understanding economic lessons, global economic lessons in a way that they have never before.

BLACKWELL: All right. Brett Bruen, thanks so much. Enjoy this Sunday.

The tragic ending to a story that we covered yesterday. A teenager with autism who was shot multiple times by Idaho police has died after being removed from life support. We'll have details, next.

Plus, dozens of Homeland Security staffers, including top FEMA officials, have been given a lie detector test over alleged information leaks. Ahead, how the DHS is defending this move.

And the U.S. is facing criticism for not doing enough to help with disaster relief in Myanmar after the devastating earthquake.

[06:15:01]

Coming up, what the Trump administration is saying about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: This morning, we have a tragic update on a teenager with autism who was shot by Idaho police. His family says that he died yesterday after being removed from life support. Victor Perez was 17 and also had cerebral palsy.

[06:20:03]

He had been in a coma since being repeatedly shot by law enforcement. The shooting happened just over a week ago. Police say the incident started after they got a 911 call, saying an apparently intoxicated person holding a knife was chasing someone in a yard.

But Perez wasn't drunk. He appeared impaired because of his disabilities. At the time, family members were also trying to get the knife away from him.

Things escalated once police showed up and ordered him to put down the knife. They were separated from him by a chain link fence. Perez started stumbling toward them, and that's when officers fired their guns. The family said the doctors removed nine bullets from his body and amputated his leg.

Protesters packed the streets of New York yesterday after an immigration judge ruled that a Columbia grad, Mahmoud Khalil, can be deported from the U.S. The ruling was announced in Louisiana on Friday after the federal government submitted what it said was evidence alleging Khalil's beliefs, statements or associations made him deportable.

Khalil is currently a legal U.S. resident. He was detained last month for his role in pro-Palestinian protests. For weeks, the case has been at the center of the Trump administration's antisemitism crackdown on college campuses. Khalil's lawyers have until April 23rd to appeal the latest ruling.

And we're following breaking news from the Vatican. Pope Francis appeared today at a Palm Sunday service at Saint Peter's Square. With me now live from London, is CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb. Major moment for Pope Francis. There have been questions about if he would be able to participate in Holy Week services.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Victor. Of course, the Holy Week and the lead up to Easter is the high point of the church's year. And of course, it's normally a time when the pope is very visible and present leading a large number of services.

But of course, Pope Francis had a -- recently had a five-week hospitalization for pneumonia. He's been back in the Vatican recovering, and he's been ordered to have a period of convalescence and rest for at least two months.

However, the pope clearly determined to be present, at least in part, for the Holy Week and Easter services, arriving at -- in Saint Peter's Square this morning, on Sunday, greeting people saying, have a good Palm Sunday and a good Holy Week. And he then said hello to the cardinals and the civic leaders.

He seemed in good spirits. He was also not wearing the nasal cannulas to receive oxygen, as he had done last Sunday when he appeared in Saint Peter's. So, that's a good sign in terms of the pope's recovery.

Of course, the pope did have a huge health crisis. He was at risk of death on two occasions during that hospitalization. So, there is a long way to go in his recovery. But the fact he appeared today suggests he wants to be present, at least in a small part, during this hugely important week for the church.

Of course, there'll be a lot of focus on what he can and can't do, given the hospitalization and the health crisis he has been through. But the appearance today, an encouraging sign and a suggestion that the pope is determined to try and be present. Although, he has to undergo a period of convalescence and recovery to come through what has been such a serious health crisis for him, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's just been a couple of weeks since the doctors at Gemelli Hospital said that he should stay away from large crowds for several months. So, it looks like he was outside for most of that and not really at the center of these crowds. So, maybe still following doctors' orders and being part of the services. Christopher Lamb for us in London. Thank you, Christopher.

At least one FEMA official has been placed on leave now after being administered a lie detector test over alleged leaks. The growing concerns over this controversial practice at DHS. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:28:38]

BLACKWELL: CNN has learned that the Department of Homeland Security recently administered lie detector tests to about 50 staffers. That includes FEMA's acting administrator and roughly a dozen officials at the agency. CNN's Gabe Cohen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Department of Homeland Security is standing by its use of these lie detector tests. A spokesperson for the department telling me in a statement, quote, "DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant. We will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."

Now, to be clear, government agencies, past administrations have used lie detectors to catch leakers. But usually it was for classified, highly sensitive national security information. And so, there's growing concern at FEMA where these tests are primarily being used because of alleged media leaks.

Several of the officials tested failed their polygraph, according to that DHS spokesperson. Although, she wouldn't specify exactly what information they're accused of leaking. One of them was placed on administrative leave this week and actually escorted out of FEMA's office.

And we have learned that FEMA's acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, a Trump appointee, was also tested, and he was cleared, according to DHS.

[06:30:00]

Now the FEMA officials I have spoken with are using words like witch hunt and garbage to describe these tests. One of them told me, quote, I find it very, very hard to believe that within the normal course of business, any of these employees had their hands on classified material. They are trying to incite fear. They are trying to get rid of people.

President Trump and his allies have been criticizing FEMA for months now as ineffective and unnecessary. And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has promised to eliminate the agency altogether. And we've also heard from whistleblower support organizations that are raising concerns about these lie detector tests and in particular the high volume of tests that we're seeing under this administration. One of them telling me what used to be a sensitive, carefully considered high risk decision is now a knee jerk reaction. And that, they say, is what makes this scary.

Gabe Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, with me now, CNN senior national security analyst and former DHS official Juliette Kayyem.

Juliet, good morning to you.

So this administration has been in place for what, fewer than 80 days now, and there have been 50 tests. The prevalence of this happening. What's your reaction to these numbers and who is having to face these tests?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, I'll start with the fact of them. Look, I've worked with FEMA my entire career. Maybe I can name one time in which classified information was used.

FEMA is a, you know, is a community engagement agency. They're distributing money, providing help in a disaster. None of this is classified or national security secrets.

So this gets to the point that we're reporting about, that the lie detector tests become sort of something about allegiance, something about trying to possibly get people so miserable in their jobs that they're willing to voluntarily leave. And I think it becomes a way in which Secretary Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, can sort of force allegiance because she's wildly unpopular in the building. We certainly know that from some of our reporting.

And so, I think she's trying to sort of scare people into being popular, which is not going to work. I just want to be clear here. There's 100 political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security, 300,000 career employees. But this is her management style.

BLACKWELL: It seems the reporting that the acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron --

KAYYEM: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- Hamilton, had to also face one. Seems like a really bold vote of no confidence. And he's a Trump appointee.

KAYYEM: Yes. And not terribly qualified, to be honest. He sort of was a surprise to all of us in the field. Look, the field is very small in emergency management. There's not that many names. He comes out of the military. That's never a great fit for the FEMA administrator because it's a civilian job. It's one about, you know, a delivering services into the civilian community. Nonetheless, the fact that it was a statement to give him the lie detector test, they might be concerned about him because he isn't, I think, directly from the Trump world. I don't know why he's staying if you don't have the confidence of your leadership.

But again, I think that this is this has almost nothing to do with lies or -- or -- or -- or secrets disclosed. This has almost sort of everything to do with the fear tactics that that Secretary Noem is sort of engaging in within the department.

Remember, the department there are statements that the department wants to get rid of FEMA. Those have been leaked. That would not be a politically popular decision.

So, I think she's trying to cover up politically unpopular management decisions that she's making by just going after people who are leaking the truth that's unclassified. This is unclassified truth.

BLACKWELL: Some universities in Florida have signed an agreement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. University of Florida specifically signed an agreement that gives their campus police the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency's direction and oversight.

Would that include some of these detainments that we're seeing at Columbia and Tufts?

KAYYEM: Yes, it would. So, this is the 287(g) process. I'm familiar with it. I've never heard it done for university police or college police. They are not -- they are not, you know, public sector police.

In most instances, they go through different training. It's a different beast on colleges and universities than, say, in a major city. In most instances, 287(g) agreements are done between the jurisdiction -- I mean, sorry, between ICE and let's say a major metropolitan police department.

[06:35:12]

This again is part of the narrative of the Trump administration. We're going to allow anyone to get you out. It breeds fear throughout the colleges and universities. It is responsible for a couple hundred in Florida alone of sort of, you know, detention or visa exclusion.

Florida, it's interesting. I don't quite get, I mean, I get the politics of this, but like, Florida is a very -- Florida's universities and colleges are very welcoming to international students and international students tend to pay in cash. So, you know, I'm not quite sure the long-term strategy here, except for to make international students too fearful to both go into the state, let alone the country. I think that's the goal actually, but it will have economic as well as sort of, you know, freedom of expression consequences.

BLACKWELL: Juliette Kayyem, thanks so much.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Still to come, the U.S. is facing criticism over its response to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar after sending just a few aid workers and firing them while they were there.

How the Trump administration is responding, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:41:08]

BLACKWELL: The U.S. is facing criticism for not doing enough to help war-torn Myanmar recover from this deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

CNN's Will Ripley has more on the criticism and what the Trump administration is saying about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What the earthquake didn't take, the fire did. This was Sein Pan, one of Mandalay's poorest districts, built over an old garbage dump.

Survivors describe an inferno when the earth split open.

KYI THEIN, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translation): The fireball emerged from the ground just after the earthquake. It wiped out all 400 houses. Everybody ran. Now nothing remains.

RIPLEY (voice-over): More than 2,000 people homeless. A neighborhood vaporized in minutes.

I just want my home back, the survivor says. She sleeps outside. And like many here, prays for help.

Aid workers say help, from the United States at least, is nowhere to be found. No American rescue teams. No visible U.S. presence in Mandalay. No American flags on the food trucks.

FRANCOIS BENCOSME, FMR USAID OFFICIAL: The United States only sent a paltry amount of assistance. It sent only three workers, which then subsequently were fired.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Those three U.S. staffers arrived days after the quake. They were notified their jobs would be eliminated while in the disaster zone.

The U.S. initially pledged just $2 million, later increasing it to $9 million. Compare that to 2023. The U.S. pledged $185 million and full search and rescue teams to the Turkey earthquake, deploying more than 200 U.S. staff. MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're not the government of the world. We are willing to continue to help in the humanitarian crisis. Other countries need to do so as well.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And others are. China, Russia, India, Japan. More than 15 countries have boots on the ground. Search and rescue units, field hospitals, mobile clinics, heavy machinery. Chinese teams were pulling survivors from the rubble just 48 hours after the quake. Beijing also pledged nearly $5 million more than the U.S.

TOM FLETCHER, HUMANITARIAN CHIEF, UNOCHA: So, the fact that the U.S. is cutting back heavily hits us here, as you know, it hits us everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an embarrassment. But beyond that, it's deadly.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The U.S. used to be a leader in global disaster response, sending elite rescue teams, dogs, cranes, food and water. All that feels like a distant memory now.

EI MON KHINE, MYANMAR RECOVERY WORKER (through translation): We need proper machines to dig through collapsed buildings. Without them, people die. We can't save lives without real support.

RIPLEY (voice-over): This is the first major natural disaster since the Trump administration dismantled most of U.S. aid, firing thousands, freezing funding and ending contracts.

In Myanmar, almost 20 million people were already in need, displaced by four years of civil war. Then came the earthquake. The suffering is immense. The United States, once a lifeline, now missing in action.

RIPLEY: Remember those three U.S. aid staffers working in Myanmar when they were notified their jobs were being eliminated? This was part of the broader layoffs at U.S. aid. And we're told that they weren't immediately pulled out. They're actually still working in Myanmar, but their positions are being cut and there are no plans to replace them.

Now, the countries that are ironically providing more aid to Myanmar are also sending hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons to the junta in some cases, like Russia and China. The UN has documented dozens of junta attacks since the quake, including some even after the junta declared a ceasefire.

Will Ripley, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: So, if you're watching your 401(k) getting rocked by the recent trade war first, is that a good idea? Should you be looking at the numbers? Anyway, chances are you're a little stressed.

[06:45:00]

We'll ask an expert how to cope with financial anxiety. That's after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: So with the trade tensions rising, economic signals flashing red financial anxiety is setting in for a lot of people. Confidence just hit a low not seen since the 1950s.

Even the White House is asking Americans to trust the plan and expect some pain. But trust doesn't pay bills. So how do we cope when money and stress start to mess with our mental health?

[06:50:00]

Here with me now is Dr. Traci Williams. She is a certified financial therapist.

Good to have you back. Again, the only financial therapist I know, have ever heard of. It's good to have you on this especially.

So, what are you seeing from people right now as all of this is coming at once?

TRACI WILLIAMS, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL THERAPIST: A lot of anxiety, a lot of questions. People don't know what to do and they are panicking. I have heard of people who are wanting to pull out their 401(k) because they're not sure what's going to happen with the economy. And I am telling people, hold on, we need to slow down. We need to breathe.

BLACKWELL: Now, OK, so aside from the financial advice of what to do with the actual investments, are you a person who says don't look at the 401(k) account right now?

WILLIAMS: If you're not retiring --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WILLIAMS: -- you don't need to look.

BLACKWELL: OK, so stay away from it.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Now, as the numbers fluctuate, there can be this, I don't know if it's natural, maybe it's natural for some to attach one's self-worth to their financial worth. And how do you untangle those two?

WILLIAMS: Yes. Remembering that all of the things that got you to where you are, are not tied to the numbers that are in your bank account. You are your own person. You have your own likes, your own dislikes. And how well your money is doing is not directly correlated with who you are as a person.

BLACKWELL: OK. I would never tell anybody to turn off the news. But is it healthy to watch as the, you know, the dial goes up and down every day, all day? WILLIAMS: Now, what I have been telling people is you do want to be informed, but do not get sucked into the chaos.

BLACKWELL: OK.

WILLIAMS: Because that can fuel your anxiety.

BLACKWELL: How do you know when you are sucked in?

WILLIAMS: Yes. When you find that it is on your mind, even if you're not watching the news, chances are that you're beginning to experience some stress, some anxiety. And it may be a good idea to step away from the news cycle for a little while.

BLACKWELL: OK. We're also a couple of days out from the tax filing deadline, right? So again, it's all coming at once.

As it relates to the tax filing deadline, what are some of the things that you annually advise your clients to do and not do?

WILLIAMS: Yes. So hopefully people have started by now.

BLACKWELL: Yes. I hope, it's the 13th. I mean, hopefully they have.

WILLIAMS: But if they haven't started, it is a good idea to at least get started. Pull your W-2s, your 1099s, whatever you need to. If you need to file an extension, that's something that is available to you. And if you feel overwhelmed, definitely get help, but at least start.

BLACKWELL: You also wrote a piece on self-care for immigrants. How does the financial conversation overlap with that conversation?

WILLIAMS: Yes. So, immigrants tend to have unique financial needs. The cost of immigrating is a major cost for a lot of families. And in this time, it's something that people are thinking of as they may be for immigration attorneys and so on to help them stay here in the country and continue to be productive.

BLACKWELL: What's the self-care?

WILLIAMS: Self-care can mean keeping in touch with your friends and your family back home. It can mean engaging in your traditions. It can also mean finding hobbies, things that you enjoy here that can help you to feel safe and calm and enjoy your experience.

BLACKWELL: I hear an accent.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

BLACKWELL: And where's that from?

WILLIAMS: I'm from Trinidad.

BLACKWELL: From Trinidad, a place I have not been, but do want to go, Doctor --

WILLIAMS: You need to.

BLACKWELL: OK, well, let's put it on the list. We're talking about investment in Beyonce concert tickets during the break.

I'll keep that conversation with Jess (ph) during the break.

Dr. Traci Williams, thanks so much.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: All right. The godfather of 3-D print guns, Pardon, January 6th Riders, a Luigi Mangione fan club. Sounds like a motley crew.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan is speaking with all of them and more in the latest episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER." And sometimes the conversations get a little scary.

Here's Donie speaking with a MAGA activist at a January 6th pardon press conference. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: You mentioned Pelosi. What do you think she would be charged with in this scenario?

IVAN RAIKLIN, AMERICAN FAR-RIGHT POLITICAL OPERATIVE: It's a simple statute. This is treason.

O'SULLIVAN: Treason, yes.

RAIKLIN: Absolutely. And I would like to see at the end of the due process, lawful capital punishment.

O'SULLIVAN: Will you be disappointed if in 12 months from now somebody hasn't been executed for treason?

RAIKLIN: I think the nation will be furious.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): He says even I could be a target.

RAIKLIN: I'm not sure yet if you are or are not on the deep state target list, because I haven't consumed all of the information that you've put forth to determine what your status should be.

[06:55:01]

O'SULLIVAN: But we've been hanging out --

RAIKLIN: As we ruin you.

O'SULLIVAN: As you what?

RAIKLIN: Just like you ruined us. An eye for an eye. Look up Leviticus as a Christian, man.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLACKWELL: Be sure to tune in an all-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER," one host hour, one whole story. Airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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