Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Chicago Mayor Signs Order To Counter Trump's Immigration Plans; Congress Returns From Summer Recess This Week; House GOP Oversight Panel Subpoenas Epstein Estate For His Will, "Birthday Book," Other Documents; White House Pressures Indiana Lawmakers To Redistrict; Trump Urges Top GOP State Lawmaker To Re-Draw Congressional Maps; CDC Orders Office Return Weeks After Deadly Atlanta Shooting; Congresswoman Denied Entry Top ICE Facility After Wildfire Arrests; Powerball Jumps To $1.1 Billion, Fifth Largest Jackpot Ever; Cooler Air Brings Fall-Like Feel For Labor Day Weekend; New Eligibility Requirements For Updated COVID Vaccine; New COVID Vaccine Regulations To Vary By State; Pope Leo XIV: "Stop The Pandemic Of Arms, Large And Small, Which Infects Our World"; Community Gathers For First Mass After Catholic School Shooting; Source: Israel To Halt Airdrops Over Gaza City; China Kicks Off Two-Day Security Summit. China Kicks Off Two-Day Security Summit; Former Memphis Police Officers Convicted; Mississippi Puts Gun Used In Emmett Till Lynching On Display; Trump Is Putting His Mark On Federal Architecture; "Big, Beautiful Tariffs" Airs Monday At 8PM ET. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 31, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:40]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. End of August. That month went by pretty quickly. It's Sunday, August 31st. I'm Victor Blackwell.

Right now, Chicago is bracing for an immigration crackdown floated by President Trump for as soon as this week. The city's mayor is taking executive action to prepare. We'll break down what he is doing.

Also, China rolls out the red carpet for a notable group of world leaders. We have perspective on the summit happening in the shadow of trade tensions and Russia's war with Ukraine.

Plus, an emotional return to mass this weekend for the Catholic community in Minneapolis. We'll show you the new tributes days after this week's shooting at a Catholic school.

And if you checked your Powerball ticket, a $1 billion jackpot was up for grabs. And we have an update on the winning numbers and whether anyone picked them. I because I'm here, did not.

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Most of the country enjoying a nice weather pattern throughout much of the holiday weekend, with one big exception that forecast coming up.

BLACKWELL: All right. We're starting this hour with the face off that's brewing between the White House and the city of Chicago. The mayor is making plans now to resist President Trump's planned immigration crackdown in the coming days. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Saturday that lays out the groundwork for how the city will respond to the president deploying military forces to Chicago.

CNN's Julia Benbrook explains.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump is focusing in on Chicago. According to multiple sources familiar with the planning, the Trump administration is preparing for a major immigration enforcement operation in the city as soon as next week.

Now, the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, is pushing back. He has accused Trump of, quote, "stoking fear," and signed an executive order over the weekend, laying out the initial plans for how the city would try to resist a potential crackdown. He explained his reasoning for taking this step before he signed the order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D-IL): I do not take this executive action lightly. I would have preferred to work in a more collaborative approach.

But unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of time. We have received credible reports that we have days, not weeks, before our city sees some type of militarized activity by the federal government. This is an erratic, impulsive administration and it is not always possible to understand and know exactly how he will move.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Here were some of the key takeaways. The order says that the police will not collaborate with federal agents on immigration enforcement. It urges federal officers to avoid wearing face masks and identify themselves to members of the public with names and badge numbers. It also directs city departments to resist any efforts that violate the rights of Chicago citizens.

We reached out to the White House for a response to this order. A spokesperson said, in part, if these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the president, their communities would be much safer.

In a social media post Saturday night, Trump called out Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, saying that he better straighten it out or, quote, "we're coming." Now, in the recent days, as Trump has taken aim at Chicago specifically both when it comes to immigration and his anti-crime agenda, Johnson and Pritzker have voiced concerns about the lack of communication from the administration to their local teams.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, Washington.

BLACKWELL: All right. Julia, thank you very much. Congress will be back in session this week after their month-long summer recess. Lawmakers are returning to a number of major policies on the agenda, including Trump's immigration crackdown. There's also the Epstein scandal and the redistricting fight.

Let's get into the latest political headlines with political reporter for "The Washington Post," Kadia Goba. Good morning to you, and let's start with Chicago. And as you heard from Julia's report there, this executive order from the mayor, he says that he wants the president to stand down.

[06:05:01]

Give me what the likely response is or reception is from Washington when you hear these demands from Brandon Johnson.

KADIA GOBA, POLITICAL REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: Yes. This is just further escalation between -- in the rift between Blue states and the White House. The Trump administration is targeting people like Chicago or governments like the Washington, D.C. I live in Washington, D.C. We already see that there -- the White House has deployed federal services throughout the area.

I don't think he's going to pull back. I think this is intentional. I think when we think about who are the prospective nominees or candidates for 2028, I think people should pay attention that these are some of those states that he's targeting. We saw the same thing happen in California as well.

There's going to be pushback from Democrats, in particular in Congress. But I don't see why how they're going to reverse it the same way they couldn't reverse anything in Washington, D.C. or in California.

The White House is exercising their authority to do this, and likely will be challenged. But I don't think he has pushed -- he's going to hold back on any of this.

BLACKWELL: All right. Kadia, we're on the back end of the August recess. And this started actually a little early because Speaker Johnson called it to try to cool some of the fervor over the Epstein documents and releasing those files. The House returns now with a subpoena to the Epstein estate for the birthday book, in which the "Wall Street Journal" says the president submitted a note. Has that fervor cooled over the month?

GOBA: You know, I think it -- the temperature probably dropped a little bit within the district. At the beginning of recess, we saw a lot of town halls. Well, some town halls that Republicans held and constituents were angry. But it started to die down. Well, Democrats and a few Republicans are not going to let that happen when we return back from Congress.

As you mentioned, there's already the white -- there are some -- victims are actually or I should say, Epstein survivors are coming to the Capitol. They're meeting with the House Oversight Committee. I think that that is an escalation in itself.

And there is also a bill that many members will have to contend with. There's a bipartisan effort by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna that essentially will try and force a vote on the floor to compel the justice department to release the Epstein files. So, it's not going away when it comes to Washington.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the redistricting fight. Now, we know that Missouri Governor Kehoe has now called for a special session in Indiana to try to increase their share of the seats from six to eight to seven to eight Republicans. You have reporting on how the White House is pushing states to make these moves. What do you know?

GOBA: Yes. So, we saw that there was a meeting with the Indiana state legislators last week where President Trump had a private conversation with the leaders of that Republican caucus. So, this is an effort, we reported a while ago that it's not only going to be Missouri. We're talking Indiana, a seat in Missouri, potentially five seats in Florida.

This is a way to ensure that Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives. The more seats that they have, the more likely Speaker Johnson will maintain a very, very slight majority in the House. I don't think this effort is going to be -- is going to let up also. And I think we'll see most of this happen before the 2026 election.

BLACKWELL: And I misspoke earlier. Obviously, it's Kehoe in Missouri and Governor Braun in Indiana that JD Vance had a meeting with. And to that point, how involved is the vice president in this campaign to get Red states to redraw the lines?

GOBA: Well, I have to say he did visit Indiana and, you know, did bring up redistricting. And while the Indiana legislature was visiting the White House, he did -- most of the conversation, we understand was about the build back -- I'm sorry, the big beautiful bill, but also around the last 25, 30 minutes of the conversation that Vance had with state legislature, he slated legislators, he did bring up redistricting.

[06:10:01]

So, I think he's, you know, on the coattails of the president and also encouraging this.

BLACKWELL: All right. Kadia Goba, thank you so much for being with me this morning. Enjoy the Sunday.

The CDC is calling staff back to the office September 15th. It's just a little more than a month after a gunman fired almost 500 rounds at its headquarters in Atlanta, killed a police officer. Employees say they felt like sitting ducks during the August 8th attack. More than 200 bullets hit six CDC buildings, many of them have been working remotely since the shooting.

A Health and Human Services spokesperson says, staff whose offices are still damaged will be reassigned space. The return order comes as the agency faces layoffs and leadership shakeups.

Democratic Congresswoman Emily Randall says she was denied entry to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. That's despite her legal right to conduct oversight. The Washington native cited a 2024 law that allows unannounced visits, only to be told yesterday that weekend visits are now requiring advanced approval.

The visit came after two men working the Bear Gulch wildfire were taken into custody. Randall is also asking federal agency why immigration enforcement was carried out during an active firefight.

And that Powerball jackpot it's now up to an estimated $1.1 billion after no winner last night. It's the fifth largest prize ever, cash payout almost $500 million. Your next chance is to play Monday night. It may not be the jackpot, but there were still more than 10 tickets sold worth $1 million or more.

Take a look. Last night's winning numbers, three, 18, 22, 27, 33, and that Powerball, 17.

All right. We're coming up on Labor Day. Cooler air is moving across much of the east, and people are asking if its fall already. Let's bring in our meteorologist Chris Warren with what to expect. It's very pumpkin spice around here.

WARREN: It is. A lot of people, I think, thinking they hit the jackpot in weather --

BLACKWELL: There you go.

WARREN: -- in a big way.

BLACKWELL: There you go.

WARREN: Right. Because temperatures have been quite nice. More like fall. And this time of year, a lot of the U.S. can easily have some serious humid heat that is really tough to deal with.

Now, most of the country pretty quiet. Big exception is here with that flood threat. So, flood watch posted here in Texas because of the showers and the thunderstorms that are possible throughout the day.

So, this is for flash flooding. And, remember, flash flooding, flooding that happens very quickly, happens in a flash. So, be on alert if you're in this area here under a watch and possibly getting a warning on your device or some other way, just make sure you know what to do if there is some showers that lead to some flooding.

Showers and thunderstorms right now, pop in really the exception across much of the U.S. Current temperatures right now upper 40s in upstate New York to lower 60s currently in Nashville, 62 degrees right now. It will be warming up. Not as hot as it could be this time of year, but still quite warm across parts of the southeast. Milder in the Northeast with temperatures in the 70s.

For the south, this is where the heat is going to be. Upper 80s in New Orleans. Orlando into the mid-80s, over the next couple of days, mid to upper 80s. And for the Northeast expecting to see these temperatures the next few days, including Labor Day in the mid-70s. That's right mid-70s this holiday weekend.

As far as the overall pattern for the Northeast and much of the Midwest, it's going to stay relatively cool compared to what you might expect this time of year for early September. That's right, going into early September now.

So, the pattern with that cooler air dropping down, settling in and hanging out, and that is going to be the story throughout much of the upper Midwest and throughout the Northeast with this cool air continuing, Victor, right through much of the week.

BLACKWELL: I think we've had enough of the summer where we broke records. We've earned this.

WARREN: I think so.

BLACKWELL: We've earned this.

WARREN: Definitely.

BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you, Chris. Next on CNN THIS MORNING, the Annunciation community in Minneapolis, they're gathering for the first mass since that deadly shooting that killed two children. New comments are coming in from Pope Leo.

Also, confusion, concern and controversy. Millions may be blocked from getting the latest COVID shot. The FDA is sweeping new restrictions have doctors a little concerned.

And it's a high stakes summit in China. Leaders from India and Russia top the guest list.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:19:25]

BLACKWELL: This morning, details of who's eligible to receive this year's updated COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA has approved the vaccine for specific groups limiting access for some who may be or have been able to get it in the past. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has details.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Here's what we know about the updated COVID-19 vaccines this year. The FDA has approved the vaccines for a limited group of people, adults ages 65 and older, and younger people who are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19. That could be due to an underlying health condition, for instance.

[06:20:02]

But for healthy people who don't fall into either of those groups, you may have to get a doctor's prescription to receive the shot. And it's not clear whether your insurance may cover it.

So far, the vast majority of COVID vaccinations they've happened at pharmacies. But due to state level regulations, some pharmacies may not offer the vaccines anymore. At CVS pharmacy, for instance, the company says it is offering COVID shots at most of its locations. But in 16 states, you won't be able to just walk in to get the vaccination. That's because of those states' policies in all but three of those states, CVS pharmacies can administer a COVID vaccination if you have a prescription.

The three states where that isn't an option are Massachusetts, Nevada, and New Mexico. And these states could change at any time. This does appear to be an evolving situation.

BLACKWELL: All right. Moments ago, Pope Leo, the first American Pope, spoke about the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting during his Angelus prayer. He asked God to stop the pandemic of arms that infects the world.

The Pope expressed his condolences shortly after the shooting on Wednesday. And he said in a statement that he was profoundly saddened by the terrible tragedy. He also offered his heartfelt condolences and spiritual closeness to all those affected, especially the families grieving the loss of a child.

And in Minneapolis, the heartbreak was met with the beginning of healing at Annunciation Catholic Church as the community gathered for the first mass since that school shooting that killed two young students, injured 18 others.

On Saturday, Father Dennis Zehren led a tearful mass in a nearby auditorium urging his grieving congregation to sit in this low place with Jesus. Before the mass, Father Zehren spoke to reporters. He recounted the horror he witnessed when the shots broke through the windows of the church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATHER DENNIS ZEHREN, PRIEST, ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH: It's a difficult memory. And it just -- it was loud, it just kept coming, and my first instinct was just to rush towards where the bullets were coming from. If I could have got between those bullets and the kids, that's what I was hoping to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Outside the church, flowers, ribbons and signs honor eight- year-old Fletcher Merkel, 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Their parents are now calling for urgent action on gun violence and mental health.

The community is mourning, but also healing. They say one prayer at a time.

Our breaking news, leaders from India and Russia are now in China for their highly anticipated meeting with the Chinese president.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:16] BLACKWELL: Israel says it will soon stop dropping -- stop airdrops over Gaza City as it prepares for a major offensive to fully control Gaza's largest city, that's according to a source. Despite Israel dropping leaflets to tell people to evacuate, the Red Cross calls Israel's mass evacuation efforts, quote, "impossible." More than 1 million people have already been displaced in Gaza City alone.

Israel's attack plans are being met with heavy criticism, including from the hostages' families, after Israel rejected a proposed Hamas 60-day ceasefire two weeks ago. Hamas also confirmed Israeli airstrikes in Yemen this week killed the prime minister of the rebel controlled Houthi government. The Houthis have vowed revenge.

The leaders of China, Russia, and India are meeting together as China hosts a major Eurasian security summit. More than 20 leaders are expected at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meetings. China's leader, Xi Jinping, is using the summit to present China as a stable alternative to the U.S. led world order. And this is happening as President Trump's tariffs upend trade negotiations and countries alliances.

One of the high-profile attendees in India's -- is India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It's his first visit to China in seven years. Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin also there is expected to stay for four days. He'll be there on Wednesday when China caps off the high-level meetings with an elaborate military parade. And it's intended to show off the country's military might.

Joining me now, CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier. Kimberly, good morning to you. Let's start with President Xi's intentions here. What's his goal for the summit?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, he is taking advantage of the tariff disarray to present China as the alternative and showing that he can master all of these forces together in a Eurasian economic, political and military bloc of sorts. That rivals anything that the west and the U.S. used to present in terms of, you know, the organizations and the countries that you want to do business with because you can count on them.

What Xi is sending a message to the world about is saying, you know, we are the stable country, as you mentioned in your intro, whereas you never know what's going to come out of Washington next.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we show the video now of this bilateral meeting here between China and India. Narendra Modi on the screen now. Talk about his involvement and his, I guess, growing alliance with China, considering just days ago the announcement of those 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports into the U.S.

DOZIER: Yes, India and China have been at odds for years over a border dispute and a clash several years ago that was deadly and killed several Indian forces. But the more Washington beats up on Delhi, the more Modi has reached out to China and also been embraced by Xi. The latest tariffs imposed on India are an extra 25 percent, totaling 50 percent. And that extra 25 percent is a complaint by the U.S. that India is buying crude oil from Russia.

Now, this is hypocritical in a number of different ways. The U.S. isn't levying similar tariffs against China, which buys even more oil from Russia. And a large portion of the oil that India imports from Russia, it refines and then sells on to the European Union, which is supporting Ukraine.

So why not beat up the European Union economically over purchasing this Russian oil? That's not happening. And so from the Indian point of view, this is manifestly unfair and another reason to take a look at who they do business with. And China is looking like the more stable partner.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Vladimir Putin also in China for this summit. He'll also stay for the military parade midweek.

The last time I think many people saw a world leader roll out a red carpet for Vladimir Putin, it was President Trump a little more than two weeks ago in Alaska. And that was to try to get to some peace talks, to some ceasefire. At least that's what he walked in trying to get.

Where does that appear to go now? Because the latest reporting is that the President is frustrated. He's a week into the two weeks that he said he'd know whether he could really get some progress out of Vladimir Putin.

DOZIER: Yes, the Alaska summit graced Putin with a photo opportunity, but he's made absolutely no sacrifices so far on the battlefield.

Only this week, he staged one of the largest attacks yet on the capital, Kyiv, killing more than 20 people, most of them civilians. And yet what you saw was Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, in comments about those attacks, saying that Trump wasn't surprised because Ukraine had just staged a massive attack on Russian energy infrastructure.

And when you look at the comparison of those two, energy infrastructure versus civilian apartment buildings, which were the primary target hit in Kyiv, it just shows you, at least it shows Ukrainians and Europeans watching this, that the White House doesn't seem to understand the difference between Russian aggression against Ukraine and how they've targeted civilians on a regular basis and Ukraine being the underdog trying to target the energy infrastructure just as a way to survive and cripple the Russian war machine.

So where the peace talks are, they're increasingly frustrated on the ground in Ukraine because it looks like Trump isn't dealing fairly. He isn't putting the pressure on Moscow to make Moscow actually change its behavior. And everyone thinks that only Washington has the power to do that.

BLACKWELL: Yes. One other leader that we rarely talk about in this kind of multilateral context is Kim Jong-un, who's been confirmed that he will attend this event midweek, this parade at Tiananmen Square to mark the end of World War II. The trio of Xi, Putin and Kim together, give us the significance of seeing these three leaders together on, I believe it's Wednesday.

DOZIER: Yes, we really are seeing the emergence of this new military block because China has provided Russia with at least logistical help. Ukraine says they provided lethal aid, but we know for sure that they provided enough supplies that have helped Russia stay in the fight, whereas North Korea has provided lethal aid, including ballistic missiles and troops on the ground to help keep Russia attacking Ukraine.

So it is an emerging block that is dangerous. And as Washington says, Trump says that he wants to meet with Kim Jong-un. But what does he have to offer when Kim Jong-un is being embraced by two world powers that are not asking him to denuclearize and instead taking advantage of the way he's weaponized over the past decades?

[06:35:02]

BLACKWELL: Yes. Kim's first visit to China since 2019. Rare to see him leave his country. Kimberly Dozier, thank you so much.

Three former Memphis police officers who were convicted in the death or connected to the death of Tyre Nichols are getting a new trial.

We'll explain why, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:03]

BLACKWELL: Three former Memphis police officers convicted in connection with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols last fall will get a new trial. A judge ordered a new trial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith.

Now, a warning, the video we're about to show is disturbing.

The men were found guilty in October of last year of obstruction of justice through witness tampering and the death of Nichols. But a judge sided with defense lawyers who argue the judge presiding over the trial was biased against the men.

Joining me now, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson. Joey, good morning to you.

So this -- this finding of bias is not because of something that the trial judge said or did explicitly during the trial. Explain what's happening here and what led to this conclusion by this new judge.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST (on-camera): Yes, Victor. Very good morning to you. I think it's quite surprising, I should say, with respect to the ruling. Why? Just understanding that what a trial judge does is a trial judge is a referee, a referee, just like in any other type of proceeding where instead here in the trial level, you're talking about rulings. For example, there may be evidence you as a defense lawyer want excluded. Maybe it's a statement, maybe it's a document, whatever it is that you feel and you make a motion to the judge, hey, exclude it. A judge has the opportunity to say, yes, I'm going to exclude it from the view of the jury or no, I'm going to admit it.

So during the course of the trial, there are various types of questionings that are engaged in people here, right? All the time, objection sustained, meaning you're not allowed to answer that witness or objection overruled, meaning proceed to answer the question, witness. That's what a referee does. And then ultimately a jury makes a determination as to whether or not there's guilt or the lack thereof.

In this particular case, what had ended up happening was, is that not during the course of the trial, but subsequent to the trial, after the trial was over, a few days later, the judge's law clerk was the subject of a carjacking in which they were shot. At that particular time, there was an investigation. During the course of the investigation, the judge was asked questions by police officials, U.S. Attorney's Office in particular, who are federal prosecutors about, you know, hey, how could this have occurred?

The judge surmised that perhaps it was the Memphis Police Department because they are infiltrated by gang members. That information was turned over to the defense.

Now, this was after the trial, Victor, as I noted. This was after the verdict, as I noted. Based upon that, the defendants made a motion saying, hey, based upon those inflammatory remarks in which there was no evidence to conclude they were gang members, this judge must be biased.

And by the way, look at the judge's rulings on the course of the trial, evidencing bias. Thereafter, very briefly, what ended up happening was, is a new judge, and I should also note, Victor, very importantly, this judge concluded that I am not going to sentence these defendants, right? In any event, a new judge concluded, based upon the remarks that the judge made, that it wasn't anything, no ruling the judge made, but based on those remarks, that it demonstrated not an actual bias, but an appearance of a bias such that a new trial should be ordered in the interest of justice. And that's how we arrive at this particular place.

BLACKWELL: And so, an attorney for Justin Smith said that because his client and also Tadarrius Bean were acquitted of some of the more serious civil rights charges, they cannot be charged on those counts this time around. Is that true? Or is that likely?

JACKSON (on-camera): No, no, that's absolutely the case. What ends up happening is, is that there's something, obviously, you are aware, and you know, viewers have heard about this double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is you cannot be charged and tried for the same offense twice, particularly where a determination has been made by a jury as to those offenses. And so whatever's remaining in terms of what the jury did not conclude, right, you, for example, won't be able to be tried on, again, or excuse me, if the jury did not reach a determination on charges, you won't, you will be able to be tried on those. However, charges of which you are acquitted of, that's done. It's over.

And so it's, you know, going to reach here. I just have to say, though, Victor, in terms of the actual particular motion itself in the ruling, it's unusual, because generally speaking, what happens is, is the issue is whether a fair trial was given, not what happened after, not what happened, you know, at some subsequent time, but did you make rulings at the time of the trial that were consistent with the law? And the new judge concluded that there was nothing in the course of the trial itself that would demonstrate that there was any bias at all with respect to the rulings that were made then.

So it's somewhat unusual ruling, to be sure.

BLACKWELL: All right, Joey Jackson, thank you.

There's some controversy over a new museum display marking 70 years since the lynching of Emmett Till.

[06:45:04]

Mississippi's Department of Archives and History has acquired a gun used in the 14-year-old's murder, and they put it on display. The weapon belonged to one of the white men who abducted Till from his great-uncle's home 70 years ago this week.

And when officials made the announcement that they have the gun and holster, the museum's director said it is an important part of Emmett Till's story that some are still learning about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MORRIS, DIRECTOR, TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSUEMS: We just really saw an opportunity to tell a fuller story about what happened to a 14- year-old boy who was murdered. And it wasn't until earlier this year that I fully understood that he was shot. Most people know about the fact that he was brutally beaten and tortured, but it's important to know that he was shot as well.

And so that gun being on display is going to help us tell that story

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, a cousin who runs the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation says that associating the weapon with the anniversary of Till's death is not appropriate. Another cousin who was there when Till was taken says he's grateful the gun is there for the public to see and that he hopes other items used in the murder are found.

President Trump takes aim at a White House contractor on social media who was caught on camera damaging the Rose Garden's limestone.

We'll tell you about the stone saga at the White House, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:53]

BLACKWELL: President Trump is complaining about the stonework on the new White House Rose Garden. He's calling out a pair of contractors on Truth Social.

It's as he's working to leave his mark on architecture and design in Washington. From new stonework in the Rose Garden to the new look of federal building.

CNN's Betsy Klein has new reporting on his latest move to impose his style on the nation's capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, presidents typically don't wade into stonework or federal architectural policy, but this president does, marking his latest effort to impose his style and tastes on Washington, D.C. And one thing that I've learned from observing and interacting with President Trump since back in 2015 is that he is still deeply attuned to his background in real estate. It's one of those things that makes him tick. The President making that very clear in a post to social media on Saturday as he took aim at some damaged rock in the Rose Garden.

He says, quote, three days ago, while admiring the stonework, I happened to notice a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long. It was deep and nasty. I started yelling. Who did this? And I want to find out now. And I didn't say this in a nice manner.

The President was able to track down some surveillance video of the incident in question. It appears to show two men pushing a steel cart on that limestone. It does not appear to be intentional. Limestone is a very soft rock.

The President also saying those contractors would not be allowed to work at the White House again.

And separately, the President issuing an executive order this week that mandates that all federal buildings embrace classical architecture. It also says that those buildings that do not must be run by the President. And that includes those brutalist buildings, some of the iconic geometric buildings that you see in Washington, D.C., like the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building, as well as the D.C. Metro System.

It says, quote, In the District of Columbia, classical architecture shall be the preferred and default architecture for federal public buildings absent exceptional factors.

Now, all of this comes as President Trump has taken other steps to impose his taste here at the White House, including those efforts to adorn the Oval Office and Cabinet Room with gilded accents, his efforts to pave in the White House Rose Garden to make it look more like his Mar-a-Lago resort, as well as a planned expansion of a 90,000 square foot White House ballroom expected to break ground in the coming days.

Altogether, the President taking steps to apply his aesthetic vision to Washington, D.C.

Betsy Klein, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: President Trump has made some surprising claims about tariffs. He claims they will make the country richer than it has ever been before. He argues that tariffs would have prevented the Great Depression. But what does history say?

In his latest documentary special, Fareed Zakaria looks back at America's experience with tariffs and spoiler alert, there are some sobering lessons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS (voice-over): April 2nd, 2025, America's so-called Liberation Day. As President Trump unveiled new tariffs on countries spanning the globe.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country.

ZAKARIA (voice-over): He wanted to return America to its glory days.

TRUMP: We're going to produce the cars and ships, chips, airplanes that we need right here in America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We make steel, we make steel and talk steel.

ZAKARIA (voice-over): Trump was tapping into a powerful nostalgia for an economy that used to make things. And for the bountiful middle class manufacturing jobs that came with it.

TRUMP: This will be indeed the Golden Age of America.

ZAKARIA (voice-over): A century ago, America had a longing for another lost era. It led to massive tariffs designed to help one industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Depression, fear and failure stalked the nation.

ZAKARIA (voice-over): Which then damaged the entire economy.

[06:55:04]

This is the story of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, a law that carries dire warnings for America today.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLACKWELL: Be sure to watch "BIG, BEAUTIFUL TARIFFS, A FAREED ZAKARIA SPECIAL," airs Monday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

And there's much more ahead on the next hour of "CNN This Morning Weekend," including China kicking off its two-day security summit. It includes meetings with leaders from India and Russia.

A live report from the summit that's coming up at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:02]

BLACKWELL: Good morning. Welcome to "CNN This Morning." It's Sunday, August 31st.

August flew by, didn't it? It's all over now. I'm Victor Blackwell --