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Canadian PM: Trump Wants To "Break Us" To Own Canada; Next Week: First Big Statewide Election Of 2025; Weak Opening Weekend For Disney's New "Snow White" Movie. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 24, 2025 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

MANU RAJU, CNN HOST: The White House says Vance and Waltz will be there to watch the nation's national dog sled race and celebrate, quote, "Greenlandic culture and unity". In response, Greenland's newly elected prime minister said, quote, "What is a national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us".

And Greenland is not the only country Trump has had his sights on. Yes, of course, we're talking about Canada. And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling America an existential threat as he scheduled new elections for the end of April.

CNN's Paula Newton is live in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. Paula, thank you for joining us. So, in many ways, the upcoming election turns out to be all about Donald Trump.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in fact, we forgive anyone who believes that he might actually be on the ballot. He is not. And all the national leaders, there are six parties, are pretty much campaigning against him.

And, Manu, Donald Trump is actually the perfect foil here because there is really no loss in standing up to him. And more than that, if it had been just economic, just about the tariffs, then you could look to the Canadian government and say, you didn't prepare well enough.

The economy isn't strong enough. We are -- Canada is weak in the face of this tariff threat. But it is that issue of calling Canada the 51st state that really is unnerving and, quite frankly, enraging Canadians. And that has allowed all leaders to really lean into some pretty dramatic language.

I want you to listen to Prime Minister Mark Carney now.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump's unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty. President Trump claims that Canada isn't a real country.

He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

NEWTON: Gosh, that's stark language. I've never heard language like that, and I'm pretty old, Manu. So, listen, this is what this campaign is about right now, especially heading into April 2nd, right? Those reciprocal tariffs are supposed to come in. And the President has promised to hit Canada pretty hard.

RAJU: Yes, that is some strong language there. And Carney also got some help from Hollywood in a new campaign ad. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CARNEY: Capital of Saskatchewan?

MIKE MYERS, CANADIAN ACTOR: Regina.

CARNEY: Tragically?

MYERS: Hip.

CARNEY: You're a defenceman defending a two on one, what do you do?

MYERS: Take away the pass, obviously.

CARNEY: What are the two seasons in Toronto?

MYERS: Winter and construction.

CARNEY: Wow. You really are Canadian.

MYERS: Yes. But let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?

CARNEY: There will always be a Canada.

MYERS: All right. Elbows up.

CARNEY: Elbows up.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

RAJU: So how is that Mike Myers ad going over in Canada? Listen, as I've said, as many groans as laughs, it's a bit corny, it's a bit stereotypical Canadian. But, hey, again, Canadians leaning into that full disclosure. I did not play hockey except for road hockey. I was a hockey mom.

And everyone can understand why Canadians need to stand up to the United States in this moment. But I will say as well that, look, there is no winning side here because Canada really is facing a threat on these tariffs. And it was interesting that Mark Carney, the prime minister, was in Gander, Newfoundland, Manu, just -- he's there this hour. Gander, Newfoundland, so connected to that Broadway musical, right? Come from away. And he highlighted the fact that the battle is not with Americans, but it is with Donald Trump. The fact that Canadians and Americans have always had this relationship.

I go back to the way I started, Manu. Donald Trump has provided a perfect foil for what is a very tight, a very sharp, a very short campaign. Canada is voting on April 28th. And I think most of the leaders hope that he stays that way as they're getting very good traction.

RAJU: Yes, and that's why he called those snap elections. Of course, things are looking better for him in the wake of this battle with Donald Trump.

Paula Newton from Ottawa, thank you so much for that report.

And it's just been a rough weekend in Wisconsin, as this rabid Badger fan knows all too well. But let's not talk about my misery, let's talk about politics, because the state is just a few days away from one of the most important elections of the year. We'll have new details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:38:53]

RAJU: It's the biggest election since Donald Trump won the presidency five months ago. Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court will be up for grabs next week when Badger State voters head to the polls to pick a judge for the high court. It is the most expensive judicial race in history with more than $60 million being spent on ads.

The contest between Democratic-aligned Susan Crawford and GOP-aligned Brad Schimel has the ultra-wealthy lining up on both sides of the aisle. Elon Musk-aligned groups have spent more than $13 million, a fact that Democrats have seized upon.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now Elon Musk is trying to buy Schimel a seat on the Supreme Court because he knows Schimel always helps his big campaign donors. That's Brad Schimel, and he's way too corrupt for the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

RAJU: All right, I'm joined by Ben Wikler, he's the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, leading the push in the election that could determine abortion access, the U.S. union's right to organize, and even who could win the U.S. House next year.

So, Ben, thanks for joining us. Given the stakes of this election, it doesn't make sense to make this a referendum on Elon Musk.

BEN WIKLER, CHAIR, WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well, Elon Musk is attacking Social Security, he's attacking the Veterans Administration, he's undermining the rule of law nationwide, and he has his own lawsuit in the Wisconsin court system to bypass state law on Tesla dealerships.

[12:40:13]

So he can make money if he can buy a judicial seat for Brad Schimel. And Brad Schimel is the kind of bought-and-paid-for political hack that I think most voters do not want on the Supreme Court. So this has become a referendum on Musk, and I think voters are going to say very loudly and clearly that they do not want Elon Musk to have unchecked power in Wisconsin the way he appears to have it in the federal government.

RAJU: But, you know, you have singled out Musk's spending, but you have your own billionaires. George Soros has spent about $1 million. JB Pritzker has given a six-figure donation. Michael Bloomberg, affiliated with Gun Safety Group, is also spending in this race.

So, yes, Musk has spent some more money, but you have Democratic billionaires who are spending a lot of money. What's the difference here?

WIKLER: Well, Elon Musk singularly is currently taking a giant hatchet to Social Security offices across the state of Wisconsin, trying to privatize the Postal Service, shutting down child cancer research, and, unlike every other major donor in the race that I'm aware of, has his own litigation in the Wisconsin court system.

So he's using his propaganda platform, X, to do broadcasts with Brad Schimel. He is sending door-to-door canvassers all over the state with flyers that say, Trump -- Brad Schimel will advance Trump's agenda. He has made this race about himself.

And he's put in more money into this race than any donor in any judicial election in American history. Many, many times more than any other donor on either side of this race. So this really is this question about whether the world's richest man should be able to buy a judicial election.

Susan Crawford is the kind of public servant that Elon Musk is trying to fire from the federal government, the kind of public servant who will not rule with fear or favor for any particular interest, donor for anybody. She just wants to serve the people.

That's who, as a Democrat, who I want to have, wearing the judicial robes, casting the deciding vote in cases like the abortion ban or Republican attempts to re-gerrymander our state or anything else that comes before the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.

RAJU: I want to switch gears to talk about the big picture for your party. According to Quinnipiac, Democrats have really never faced such a grim national moment. Congressional Democrats are pulling nine points underwater, nearly 30 points worse than their previous low from a decade ago. And this is backed up by multiple national polls.

And we're talking about Democratic voters here who have lost confidence in your party. So why do you think there is such a crisis of confidence within your own party right now?

WIKLER: If you ask grassroots Democrats, and I've been all over the state of Wisconsin this weekend campaigning to support Susan Crawford, talking to groups of folks in red counties and blue counties alike, Democrats want to see folks fighting back harder against the attempt by Elon Musk and Donald Trump to create an oligarchy in this country that only works for far-right billionaires at the expense of working people and everyone else.

They don't like the attacks on their freedom. They want to see Democrats on the front lines fighting back. And that's why what we've seen is actually record-breaking volunteer engagement in this race to support Susan Crawford, record-breaking grassroots donations, people going to Crawford for WI, Crawford for Wisconsin, and chipping in at record levels.

She's raised more money than any judicial candidate on either side to her campaign from grassroots donors. That energy reflects, I think, a frustration that folks don't see elected officials fighting back in the same way, but it doesn't mean that folks aren't going to turn out quite the opposite.

We're seeing a higher level of early voting from Democrats in this race than we saw even in 2023, which was a record-breaking year for turnout. So I think the anger that you're seeing is fury about the sense that this country is being ripped apart by Musk and Trump, and people want to see folks fighting back against it.

RAJU: Yes.

WIKLER: That will come home to roost for Brad Schimel.

RAJU: And you're talking about fighting back harder, but you have leadership here in your party, particularly Senator Chuck Schumer, has faced a lot of anger, the kind of intraparty anger we have not really seen really since the Tea Party movement.

You recently ran to lead the DNC. You came in second place to Ken Martin. I wonder if you believe that the Democratic leaders here in Washington are doing a good enough job in fighting back.

WIKLER: I will say that the most powerful job that Democratic leaders are doing is when they go out across the country. That's something that we've had town halls across Wisconsin, people versus Musk town halls, to shine a spotlight on what Musk is doing to help Schimel and how we're supporting Susan Crawford.

You see Democrats going out and holding town halls, often with an empty chair for a Republican representative, all across the country.

RAJU: But, Ben, our Democratic leaders doing --

WIKLER: And (INAUDIBLE) town halls all over the country.

RAJU: You're seeing candidates do that --

WIKLER: What's that?

RAJU: -- but are the Democratic leaders, I'm talking about the people here in Washington who are leading your party, people who are leading the DNC, they're leading Congress, are they doing what you're hearing on the ground, fighting back hard enough?

[12:45:00]

WIKLER: I think their phones are melting down with calls from constituents who are saying, fight harder, be louder. I think this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. And the more, the better. We need more voices in more places to push back, expose what the Republicans are doing, and show that Democrats believe in something.

We believe in a country that works for working people, that is a democracy, that is not a monarchy ruled by a kind of techno-monarchist king named Elon Musk with Donald Trump as his sidekick. That's -- people want to see that fight from Democrats. And I think the more voices we have on the front lines, the better off we are.

RAJU: If you guys lose this race next month, what message would it say about your party at this critical moment as you're trying to fight back? What would it say about Democrats' ability to win in a critical swing state like Wisconsin?

WIKLER: If Elon Musk, who in our latest tally this morning, he added $2 million for the Republican Party this weekend, added money through his PACs, if his $18 million investment in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race combined with the Stop the Steal, you know, far-right MAGA funders, Dick and Liz Uihlein, others, if all that is enough to buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court, that is a blinking red light emergency moment for Democrats nationwide.

We are doing everything in our power to learn lessons from last fall, communicate on more platforms in more places, energize more voters. And my hope is that through all of that effort, we're able to defeat the richest man in the world in this fight, and Susan Crawford will be our next justice.

If we fall short, we're going to need to redouble, retriple, we quadruple our efforts because this is an emergency moment for the American Republic. It's the biggest threat we've ever faced in my lifetime, maybe going back to the Civil War. You can see it every time you turn on the news.

The only people who are not furious about what's happening are the people who are not seeing what is going on nationwide. So if folks' eyes are not opened yet, then we need to do everything we can to raise the alarm level even further.

RAJU: Yes, blinking red light for your party if you lose in that election next week. Ben, that's your words.

Ben Wikler, we appreciate you coming out and sharing your view.

And we've reached out for an interview with the Wisconsin Republican Party chairman. We have not heard back, but we will keep trying.

All right, coming up, Snow White and the Seven controversies? We look at why the new Disney film crashed at the box office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:39]

RAJU: It's a mixed bag of apples for Disney's highly anticipated adaptation of Snow White. Boston Globe writes, "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! Don't go". On Rotten Tomatoes, a 44 percent score. Ouch.

But Hollywood reporter calls it Disney's, quote, "most captivating live-action update". The film's $43 million box office fell short of expectations after entering opening weekend with attention for all the wrong reasons. The storyline, controversy, and cast politics.

The LA Times puts it this way, "An uncertain Snow White holds a magic mirror up to polarized times".

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister joins us live from Los Angeles. So Elizabeth, this film has been courting controversy from the very start.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It absolutely has. And now it ranks as the worst opening weekend for any modern day live-action remake of a Disney classic. Even ranking worse than "Dumbo" from 2019, which made $45 million in its opening weekend domestically.

But, Manu, if you look at some of the other live-action Disney films, films like "The Little Mermaid", "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", those films were all either nearing $100 million or surpassed $100 million during their opening weekend. Many of those films going on to become billion-dollar blockbusters.

Now, it remains to be seen if the controversies are the reason that this film faltered in its opening weekend. But let me take you through some of the scandals that have plagued this film from the very start. When Rachel Zegler was cast, she plays Snow White. The right lashed out, saying that Disney should have cast a white actress.

Rachel Zegler is Latina. She is part Colombian. Well, then, that's not all. Rachel Zegler, when she shared the first trailer for the film, Manu, she shared the trailer, and then she had a tweet that said, and remember, Free Palestine.

Now, she may have many fans that agree with that stance, but when you are launching a Disney film, the last thing that the studio wants when you are playing Snow White is to enter politics. Now, the two stars, Rachel Zegler, as I said, plays Snow White, and Gal Gadot plays the Evil Queen.

Well, Gal Gadot is Israeli. She is former IDF, and both of these actresses have had very public stances on the war in the Middle East. Gal Gadot, in fact, she was recently honored by the ADL. Let's take a look at what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

GAL GADOT, ACTRESS, "SNOW WHITE": No one wants to hear celebrities talking about political issues, right? Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews.

None of us can ignore the explosion of Jew hatred around the world anymore.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WAGMEISTER: So some very powerful words there from Gal Gadot, but obviously at odds with her co-star, Rachel Zegler.

[12:55:03]

In fact, when Gal Gadot was honored with her star on the Walk of Fame becoming the first Israeli actor to ever receive a star on the Walk of Fame, it was met with protesters. We see that right there. I have sources who tell me this was the most security that ever had to be present for a Walk of Fame ceremony.

Now, just when you think that's it, Manu, oh no, there was some more controversy. When Trump won the election last year, Rachel Zegler, she shared a post saying in part, quote, "May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace".

She ended up apologizing, saying that her emotions got the best of her, but again, this is the last thing that a studio wants when you are launching a family-friendly film such as "Snow White".

RAJU: Yes, no question.

Don't want to perhaps turn off your audience, at least some of your audience. Not so good business. Not such a good business.

All right, Elizabeth Wagmeister from L.A., thank you for that report.

And thanks for joining Inside Politics. CNN News Central starts after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)