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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Marks 100 Days In Office; U.S. Commerce Secretary: "Deal" Reached On Auto Tariffs; Liberals Win In Canada; White House Seeks To Keep Attention On Immigration. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired April 29, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:24]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Rahel Solomon. It is Tuesday, April 29th, 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Tuesday marks President Trump's 100th day in office, and a new CNN poll shows Americans are not happy.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: There are a lot of fronts in which he is going to a place that I think many Americans don't want to go.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Canada's Liberal [Party has made a stunning political comeback in a federal election, driven in large part by anti-Trump sentiment.

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The announcement of a new ceasefire. For three days in May, the Kremlin says its guns will fall silent.

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yet again, another attempt at manipulation. The ceasefire should be not just for a few days, only to return to killing afterward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Later today, President Trump will celebrate the first 100 days of his second term with a rally and the battleground state of Michigan. His visit comes as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared to confirm a "Wall Street Journal" report that Trump will announce a deal easing tariffs on automakers.

But brand-new CNN polling released this hour just a minute ago, shows growing dissatisfaction with the president. Sixty-four percent say that they think things are going badly in the country right now, 36 percent say they're going well. Asked about their feelings on the remainder of Trump's second term in the White House, 41 percent said that they were afraid. Only 28 percent said that they were optimistic.

Now, the White House doesn't get all the blame. 62 percent of respondents said that they disapprove of Republican leaders in Congress, 72 percent disapprove of Democratic leadership.

Now, the economy is a key issue that has many Americans concerned, and for that, they do blame the president. CNN polling shows 59 percent say that Trump's policies have made the economy worse. Only 27 percent say that they have made it better. Now, a number of economists have predicted severe consequences from the president's trade policies.

But a new forecast from Apollo Global Management puts the chance of recession at 90 percent. Chief economist Torsten Slok writes: The consequence will be empty shelves in U.S. stores in a few weeks, and COVID-like shortages for consumers and for firms using Chinese products as intermediate goods.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent -- well, he has a different view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Are you worried about empty shelves?

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: Not at present. We have some great retailers. I assume they preordered. I think we'll see some elasticities. I think we'll see replacements.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: A longtime Republican strategist, Karl Rove, says that he doesn't see things getting much better, even if Trump's tariff policies do succeed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL ROVE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: When it gets to the economy, he is in very bad shape. And it's not only that he's in in the short term, in bad shape. There's also evidence in the poll that no matter -- even if he gets his way on certain things like tariffs, that he's not good in the long run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Wall Street, meantime, reeling from the presidents first 100 days back in the White House, the Dow has dropped more than 3,000 points since the inauguration, resulting in massive losses for investors.

Now, the White House, meantime, is hoping to keep the focus this week on immigration, where they feel they have been most successful.

CNN's Alayna Treene reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the Trump administration is leaning in heavily this week to mark the president's first 100 days in office. On Monday, they chose to focus on immigration. What administration officials tell me behind the scenes is really a bright spot for Trump right now in this point. In his second term. Thats why you saw them focus so heavily on -- on talking about the number of deportations to this point compared to the Biden administration.

At the same point last year, you saw the White House's borders are Tom Homan speak in a briefing on Monday morning, but on Tuesday, the focus is going to shift to the economy.

And it comes as CNN has new polling that shows many Americans, 59 percent, believe that the Trump administration has worsened conditions for the economy. That's compared to 27 percent who say that they have improved conditions, and 14 percent who said that they have no effect.

Look, these are pretty dismal numbers for President Donald Trump, particularly on an issue that he had vowed to repeatedly on the campaign trail to improve.

[05:05:07]

He often said he was going to be ushering in the golden age for America. There would be an economic revival, but these poll numbers show that Americans remain broadly unhappy with where the economy is and disillusioned by his trade policy.

Now, of course, all of this comes as the stock market has been kind of ping ponging. People are questioning what is going to happen with these tariffs. And despite the White House saying that they have had around 100 countries approach them with -- with trade proposals, we haven't seen any hard evidence or tangible evidence of what those deals will look like.

Now, Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, is expected to give a briefing Tuesday morning to talk about this. You can anticipate he'll be facing a lot of tough questions from reporters on the status of these deals. We heard him on Monday say that he believes India could be the first country that they will strike a trade deal with, that that deal could come as soon as this week or next week.

But again, a lot of people are running out of patience. We have in this poll as well, that 6 in 10 Americans are saying Trump's policies have increased the cost of living in their community, and just 12 percent say his agenda has helped bring prices down. Now, one of the most striking things in all of this, to me at least, is how different this is from the presidents first term, when he used to dictate some of his policy based on how it was performing in the stock market.

We know that Trump has said publicly, but also privately, that he is willing to have Americans, you know, deal with a little bit of short- term pain and that he genuinely believes in the long run, the economy will even itself out. But again, this has been one of the areas that hasn't been a bright

spot for this administration. And it also comes as we know that he's been frustrated with the status of talks with certain countries, including on China, which has really dug in on its position on trade policy. All of this, as we know that the Trump administration officials and in my conversations with them, argue that behind closed doors, you know, they noticed that the one -- the first 100 days is really when you're able to get a lot through, you have more leeway, particularly when you look at how Republicans in Congress are responding to some of this.

And now some of the attention will quickly turn to wanting to make sure the policy is in the right place before the midterm elections. All of this weighing on the president's first 100 days in office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Our thanks to Alayna Treene there. More now on the auto tariffs deal expected to be announced by President Trump later today. Now, right now, almost all cars imported into the U.S. are hit with a 25 percent tariff. That is on top of tariffs on materials like steel and aluminum.

A separate 25 percent tariff on imported auto parts is set to take effect on Saturday. And according to "The Wall Street Journal", President Trump will restructure things to avoid tariffs being stacked on top of each other. The journal reports that all those rates could be significantly lower.

Its a big week for the U.S. economy. More indicators due out this week to give us a check on the state of the health of the U.S. economy, the state of the U.S. consumer, the job openings and labor turnover survey jolts that drops in just a few hours, along with the latest consumer confidence index, is also a big week for earnings, especially the tech earnings.

Let's take a look at U.S. futures right now, which are all up. Let's call it about a quarter of a percentage point across the three averages.

All right. Turning to politics now. And our neighbors to the north a stunning comeback for Canada's liberal party in a federal election driven by anti-Trump sentiment, voters adopted the elbows up rallying cry from hockey in response to his threats against their jobs and their sovereignty.

And Prime Minister Mark Carney also making it clear in his victory speech that he won't back down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARNEY: America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. Never. But these are not -- these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SOLOMON: CNN's Paula Newton has more from Ottawa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even in the last hours of Canada's election, Donald Trump made sure that he was a defining presence. And what did that mean for Prime Minister Mark Carney? It meant, he was elected prime minister of Canada very much running in order to thwart the threats from Donald Trump and not just his economic threats, but his threats to make Canada the 51st state.

Now, the win for Mark Carney was less than some were expecting. He had been riding much higher in the polls a few weeks ago, perhaps enough to get him that coveted majority government in Canada, which would mean he wouldn't have to compromise when it came to making legislation.

The parliament that Canada will get, though, will now be a much messier affair, and they will have to come to terms with exactly how they renegotiate their relationship with the United States.

[05:10:01]

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, as much as Mark Carney had a resurrection of his party, Pierre Poilievre, it should be noted, blew a 25 percent lead in the polls just about five months ago.

Now, that being said, his party picked up a significant amount of seats in terms of what anyone can learn from this kind of an election. Canadians really were trying to elect a leader that could stand up to Donald Trump in the Oval Office, but in so doing, a lot of the smaller parties were marginalized here in Canadian politics were left more fractured than ever, even though they are still at this hour, quite united against Donald Trump.

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: And still ahead for us, the economy isn't the only issue that has voters concerned. A look at why President Trump is now underwater on his handling of immigration.

And later this hour, well talk to presidential historian Douglas Brinkley about Trump's first 100 days in office and what comes next.

We'll be right back.

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[05:15:35]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

As president, Trump marks the first 100 days of his second term, new CNN polling, released just minutes ago, finds that many Americans have soured on some of the president's biggest policy initiatives, and many believe that the president is operating with too much unchecked power. Half of those polled believe that courts and judges are doing too little to keep the president in check, and 56 percent say that Congress isn't doing enough, either, 53 percent of Americans say the Trump administration itself isn't upholding government checks and balances. Notably, 10 percent believe that the White House is doing too much.

And the president has cracked down on immigration during the first 100 days of his second term. But CNN's polling shows that a majority, 54 percent, now disapprove of how he is handling the issue. The administration put up yard signs on the White House lawn on Monday, showing pictures of alleged criminal offenders.

Now, CNN has blurred their faces because we can't verify their identities or the allegations against them. Meantime, border czar Tom Homan took part in the White House briefing, and he -- he touted some of the administrations crackdowns on border security, including deporting 139,000 undocumented immigrants since the start of President Trump's second term and a significant drop in the number of people crossing the border illegally. He also defended the government's actions after three children who are U.S. citizens left the country with their mothers who were deported.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: What we did is removed children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them. This was a parental decision. Parental one -- parent -- parenting 101. The mothers made that choice.

And I tell you what? If we didn't do it, the story today would be, Trump administration separating families again. No, we're keeping families together. Parents who make the decision what happens to their child. Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune from our laws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And the president signed executive orders on Monday, cracking down on cities and other jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Another mandate that truck drivers be proficient in speaking English.

And former First Lady Michelle Obama is warning in a new interview that Trump's deportation policies aren't just about immigration. She says that they're an assault on the courts and due process itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: In this current climate, for me, it's, you know, what's happening to immigrants. My fears are for what I know is happening out there in the streets all over the city. And now that we have leadership that is sort of indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn't, I worry for people of color all over this country. And I don't know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody.

And that makes me -- that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: CNN's Gustavo Valdez has a look at President Trump's wins and losses on immigration over the course of his first 100 days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We built over 500 miles of border wall.

GUSTAVO VALDEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of U.S. President Donald Trump's main campaign promises.

TRUMP: It's got to stop, and we've got to have the largest mass deportation effort in history. And we're going to.

VALDEZ: Is perhaps one of his most successful so far. Despite backlash from countries in Latin America and critics in the U.S.

TRUMP: That's a good one, birthright.

VALDEZ: After Trump ordered the U.S. military to secure the border and assist with mass deportations, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro refused to allow two military planes carrying deportees to land in his country because he didn't like seeing migrants in shackles as they were being transported.

But Petro ended up sending a presidential plane to retrieve his citizens after the U.S. briefly imposed tariffs on Colombian imports, sanctioned government officials and suspended consular services.

But some policies so far are not working out as planned. The notorious Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, known for housing many terrorists from the September 11th attacks, is now also being used as an immigration detention center and most have eventually been deported to their country of origin or returned to the U.S. without explanation.

Back at home, President Trump's policies continue to face legal challenges.

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Even with a conservative majority the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to stop deporting some immigrants using the Alien Enemies Act, so it can hear the case. The act that dates back to 1789 and has only been used in time of war. It allows for the detention and quick deportation of foreign adult men, considered a danger to the United States.

The Trump administration argues that members of international crime organizations like Tren de Aragua from Venezuela and MS-13 from El Salvador in the U.S. illegally, can be deported under the act.

Some have claimed the government is detaining them without evidence, and many say they are entitled to challenge their removal.

DAVID SUPER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: That's not what this law is. This law is for when the United States is at war.

The administration is arguing that it's the equivalent of a war; that we have problems with gangs and cartels. But the definition of war and invasion was very clear in 1798 when this law was passed. And that does not mean it.

VALDES: And then there is the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man deported to his country, even though an immigration judge had ruled he shouldn't be.

The U.S. admits it was a mistake, but his case has led to a standoff between Abrego Garcia's legal team, the courts who ordered his return to the U.S., and the Trump administration's refusal to work to bring him back.

Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right, still ahead, 100 days down, more than 1,300 to go. We will talk with presidential historian Douglas Brinkley about the Trump presidency, 2.0.

And the lights are mostly back on after one of Europe's biggest blackouts. But questions continue to grow over why two countries went dark.

We'll be right back.

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[05:26:34]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Let's get back to that brand new CNN polling released this hour, which paints a bleak picture of how Americans feel about politics. Sixty percent or more say they're feeling frustrated or disappointed. Twenty-eight percent described their outlook as optimistic, 21 percent say they're fired up.

Now, both of those last numbers mark an increase compared to January.

And the polling comes as President Trump heads to Michigan today for a rally marking the first 100 days of his second term in office. He's expected to announce a deal easing some auto tariffs.

CNN's latest polling shows that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of tariffs.

Joining me now for some perspective from Washington is presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University, Douglas Brinkley. Douglas, great to have you on this day, both in terms of the polling

and this 100-day mark. Just give me your sense of your response to these results from the polling and how you're thinking about these first 100 days from a historical perspective.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, from a historical perspective, it's been a very surreal roller coaster ride of 100 days.

It really began with day one and President Trump wanting to make it clear that he was just going to sign away a huge signature on executive orders, and he sort of flooded the zone with them. And many of them go through the court system, and then they're found to not be legal, that there seem to be just in Trump's imagination.

So, it's for as many as he signed. Fewer have stuck. But certainly, that first one executive order that he did, releasing the January 6th insurrectionists is one that will live on because we're still in many ways debating if Trump won the first election. You know, some years back and whether January 6th should have been a disqualifier or not.

SOLOMON: Yeah, I think those pardons, the scale of those pardons, how many people were pardoned, really caught a lot of people by surprise, including his own supporters.

Douglas, "unprecedented" is a word you hear a lot these days. I'm curious from your perspective, which of his actions thus far -- granted, we're only 100 days in -- will be most associated with this term, whether it's his immigration policies, his tariff policies, or his attacks on law firms, universities, or the like?

BRINKLEY: You know, we live in a visual age. So I think when Elon Musk got his giant, you know, buzz-cutting saw and said he's going to take it to America, and you started seeing President Trump, approving, you know, 10, 20, 30, 40 percent cuts in, you know, EPA and Department of Education, which they're blowing up to do away with.

The amount of that and the drama of that, with Musk lording over the resolute desk -- well, I think be an indelible image of the marriage between Trump and Musk. But also the fact that from Maryland to El Salvador and us having to see the visuals of the prisons there made people wonder whether all of us have lost our constitutional rights. Fourth Amendment right, for example, do we still have it anymore with Donald Trump as president?

And then most presidents, like we talk about the first 100 days of FDR -- well, he had 77 legislative bills produced in that period of time. And you see Trump ignoring Congress and going this executive power route, saying, essentially, I'm the most powerful man in the world, and then jacking tariffs up so high for countries that it's -- it's been, you know, it's pure fantasy.