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Isa Soares Tonight
Power Restored in Spain and Portugal; Trump's First 100 Days; Trump Heads to Michigan; Americans frustrated with both Republicans and Democrats. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired April 29, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello and welcome, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Tonight, breaking news out of Sweden. Police say
at least three people have been killed in a shooting in the University City of Uppsala, north of the capital, Stockholm. A major police operation is
underway with the suspect understood to have fled the scene of the attack on an electric scooter.
And that detail is coming from Swedish public broadcaster "SVT". I want to go straight to our Nic Robertson in London. Nic, good to have you on the
story. So, this shooting reportedly happened at the start of a springtime festival. What are you learning?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, late afternoon, about 5:00 p.m., Uppsala is about 55 miles, 70 kilometers north of
Stockholm, the country's fourth largest city. Residents in the area say that they could hear a lot of bangs, repeated bangs. The police came to the
scene, discovered what was initially described as people who appeared to have sustained gunshot injuries later through the national broadcaster
there.
We understand that three people are dead. And indeed, the attacker is believed to have escaped from the scene, is still being searched for by the
police. The motivation isn't clear at this time. European parliament points out that at this time, there is a sort of a wave of gang violence going on
in Sweden at the moment.
And just recently, the police chief in Sweden had pointed out that about 500 young people in the country, younger than 18 years of age, were either
suspected of murder or had thought about murdering or in some way related to murder cases. So, the statistics there are grim, if you will, the fact
that there is this gang violence going on at the moment.
But the police haven't pointed a finger in any particular direction to say who the culprit is, what the motivation is, just that they're treating this
as homicide at the moment.
KINKADE: All right, we will stay across that story. Nic Robertson for us, thanks so much for joining us. Well, President Trump is marking his first
100 days in office declaring promises made, promises kept. But the promise to restore order has instead led to chaos. Mr. Trump has ignited a global
trade war, fired thousands of government employees and deported thousands of migrants, many without due process.
And that's just scratching at the surface of the miles-long list of dizzying moves. In just minutes, the President is scheduled to leave for
Michigan, the auto manufacturing center of the country, he'll hold a rally there tonight where he's expected to announce a new deal that will soften
the impact of his tariffs on automakers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked about that earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES: President Trump has had meetings with both domestic and foreign --
(CLEARS THROAT)
BESSENT: Excuse me, foreign auto producers. And he's committed to bringing back auto production to the U.S. So, we want to give the automakers a path
to do that quickly, efficiently and create as many jobs as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the first 100 days has also been marked by President Trump's attempts to bend institutions to his will. White House officials
tell CNN, the President called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos today to complain about a "Punchbowl News" report, that the company had planned to begin
displaying the added cost of Mr. Trump's tariffs on Amazon products.
Well, soon after the call, an Amazon spokesperson said the policy was never approved and was not going to happen. Democrats are marking 100 days by
trying to show voters that they're fighting back against the President's agenda. Senate Democrats plan to deliver speeches criticizing what minority
leader Chuck Schumer is calling 100 days of hell.
Well, let's turn now to CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson for more on all of this. Good to see you, Stephen. So, polls show the majority
of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump after 100 days, the lowest rating in seven decades. And to add to that, looking ahead at the future, many
Americans say they're pessimistic or afraid. Tell us more.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, and I think that is a symptom of the absolute trauma and the shock in all way in which Trump
has assumed office in his second term.
[14:05:00]
What we've seen is the most expansive claim of presidential power made by any modern President. Trump is deliberately pushing at the boundaries of
his office, the law and the constitution. And I think you can argue that although many Democrats, many Republicans voted for that in Trump's base,
he also won significant support, and that support helped him win the presidency among more independent voters, among people that don't normally
vote for Republicans, for example, young black men and young white men.
So, there is often a case in an American presidential election when a candidate does appeal to the center, and then once they're elected, they
really become more radical than the voters thought they were going to be. This occurred, I think with the Obama administration, George W. Bush's
administration, President Joe Biden's administration.
And then, there is a political corrective. So, I think we're seeing some of that. Of course, Trump is a one-term President, and despite his talking
about, oh, how he's -- you know, people are talking about him, that he should run again in 2028, the constitution doesn't allow him to do that.
So, he's perhaps less constrained by some of the need to keep his approval rating high than some of his predecessors.
KINKADE: Yes, and it was interesting, Stephen, that Donald Trump gave this interview to the "Atlantic", and in part said the first time when he was
running, I had to do two things, run the country and survive. I had all these crooked guys, and the second time, I run the country and the world.
Now, he wrote a piece on cnn.com in part response -- responding to that, and you pointed that Trump has a finger in every geopolitical pie, yet it's
unclear what Trump's next move will be, right?
COLLINSON: Yes, certainly, Trump, he believes he has almost kingly powers at home in the United States. He certainly is creating a situation where
everybody in the world has to react to him with his tariff plans, for example, his bizarre plan to take Palestinians out of Gaza and move them
somewhere else, and to create a seaside resort in the enclave.
With his Ukraine plans, he's unilaterally trying to make peace in Ukraine on the borders of Europe, without really consulting Europe. And it looks
like he's trying to impose what a lot of people think is a pro-Russia agreement on a country that was invaded. So, he is doing all of these
things, and he's using his personal power. I think the question is, what does that do first to the reputation of the United States?
And then more importantly, while Trump thinks he's conducting things on the global stage, a lot of other countries are starting to think, well, the
United States isn't the reliable, stable power that we thought it was. And it has been for decades. There is now, for the second time, a very
volatile, erratic President who is taking aim at what we thought were U.S. values in terms of international relations.
So, we have to make our own arrangements. So, you're seeing Europe talking perhaps about doing more to finance its own defense. You're seeing nations
in Asia wondering whether the U.S. security umbrella and U.S. economic cooperation, which they've banked on for years, and which is even more
important now, China is a superpower, is going to be really there for him.
So, he's causing great uncertainty, and in a way, I think you could argue that he's denuding American soft power and hard power in a way that will
make it more difficult for U.S. Presidents in the future to run the world in the way that Trump thinks he's running it right now.
KINKADE: All right, Stephen Collinson, good to have you, and I'll point our viewers to your piece on cnn.com. Thanks so much.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, Donald Trump returned to the White House thanks to the confidence many voters had in him to build a strong economy. But 100 days
into Trump 2.0, many aren't sure of his ability to deliver. Our chief data analyst, Harry Enten, is here to look at the results of a new CNN poll.
Good to see you, Harry. So, break down the numbers for us because they're not looking good for Donald Trump, are they?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: No, I think they're looking awful for Donald Trump. Two thumbs down, Siskel and Ebert might just say. Look, you
take a look at the economic approval rating, Trump's economic approval rating at the 100-day mark, it's the lowest on record for any President
since we started asking about economic approval ratings back, James Earl Carter in 1977.
He is doing considerably worse than he was doing back in his first term, when it was 49 percent. Remember, the economy was a strength for Donald
Trump in his first term. No longer. Look at his economic approval rating now. It's just 39 percent, a drop of 10 points from where he was in his
first term. Now, what's exactly going on? What's cooking?
[14:10:00]
Well, take a look here. I think this sort of gives you an indication, your family's top economic problem, say a government policy. Look at where we
were last year under Joe Biden, just 10 percent said it was a government policy that was your family's top economic problem. Look at where we are
now, that percentage has more than doubled to 21 percent in April of 2025.
Now, what has actually occurred over the last few months that might make people say that, in fact, it's a government policy that is, in fact, your
family's top economic problem. Oh yes, it was the tariffs, it was the tariffs that Donald Trump has tried to implement. And take a look here,
because I think this really gives the game away, OK.
Trump's tariff policies will hurt the economy. Well, in the short term, look at this percentage, 72 percent. You never get 72 percent of the
American public to agree on anything, except for maybe that Santa Claus is a good guy. But even in the long term, with this, of course, is the
argument of Donald Trump. Hey, things might be tough in the short term, but over the long term, things will get better.
But even their long-term, look at that, a majority, 53 percent say that Trump's tariff policies will hurt the economy. The bottom line is this,
I've looked at this poll from top to bottom, and every single question we ask when it comes to the economy there, simply put, is no good news for
Donald Trump. The American people, as I said at the beginning, two thumbs down, they simply put, do not like what they're seeing, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, and it's certainly hurting many people across many areas of the U.S. Harry Enten, good to see you. Thanks so much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, the White House is trying to keep the focus on one of his signature issues, immigration despite growing concerns over due process.
Well, since taking office, Donald Trump has pushed the limits of presidential power when it comes to immigration, even clashing with federal
judges trying to restrain him. And on Monday, he expanded that, signing three executive orders, ramping up his crackdown, among them, one that's
aimed at potentially cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities.
But public opinion on his handling of the issue is slipping. As CNN poll shows, around 45 percent approve of his immigration efforts, down 6 points
from March. Separately, e-mails seen by CNN showed the administration has proposed the idea of sending up to 500 alleged Venezuelan gang members to
El Salvador's notorious mega prison.
Well, Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Washington. Good to have you with us, Priscilla. So, you have new reporting on this deal-making between the
Trump administration and El Salvador. What are you learning?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, up until this point, it hasn't been clear how exactly the U.S. and El Salvador came to an agreement to
take the unprecedented step of the U.S. sending migrants from the United States to El Salvador to be held in this notorious mega prison. Well, my
colleague and I, Jennifer Hansler have reviewed correspondence and also talked to sources who revealed new details as to how this came to be.
Now, we're told that this happened at pretty high levels, with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio speaking directly with President -- El
Salvador President Bukele. But there were also correspondence with other officials in which they talked about, for example, up to 500 being held in
that facility, the images of which you're seeing there.
One source telling me that the 500 was a notional number, and ultimately El Salvador agreed to have up to 300 sent to that prison. Recall that in mid-
March, the United States deported 238 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. Now, in addition to this, there was also an arrangement made on money. Now,
the U.S. has approved 15 million to be sent down.
So far, less than 5 million has been provided to El Salvador. The reason for that, according to the sources we spoke with, is because they are
sending money as they send people. So, around $20,000 per person. Now, immigration enforcement officials have told me that this is still cheaper
than it would be here, but it is certainly an unprecedented step that the U.S. is taking here in its arrangement with El Salvador.
And that's really what it is, an arrangement. There have been calls by lawmakers here in the United States to see the agreement and to try to get
more understanding as to what exactly came to be here. What we are learning is that really, this was an arrangement. As one source told me, it was done
in a non-binding fashion, sort of a friendly handshake in other words.
The State Department also weighed in on our reporting and they said, quote, "that the United States has provided funding for El Salvador's law
enforcement and anti-crime needs in connection with the government of El Salvador's office." Offer to receive Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members
removed from the United States.
So, confirming that and also saying that they will continue to provide assistance as necessary. But again, this was a controversial decision by
the United States in mid-March to send those planes down to El Salvador. It has since become the basis of a fraught legal battle. But officials that
I'm talking to say they are still intent on sending people to El Salvador. And now, we have a little bit of a clearer picture as to why exactly El
Salvador agreed, and how that's come to be.
[14:15:00]
KINKADE: Some interesting reporting from you and Jennifer. I also want to ask you about the mass deportation plan that Trump ran on. How do the
deportation numbers under the first 100 days of the Trump presidency compare to what we saw under Joe Biden?
ALVAREZ: So, deportation numbers so far under the Trump administration are behind where they were under the Biden administration this time last year.
There's a pretty clear reason for that however. Part of that is because during this time last year, under the Biden administration, there was a lot
more border crossings, and those are easier repatriations for the United States.
Someone can cross. They may not have a claim in the United States and then be easily removed. Therefore, according to experts and officials I speak
with, that can add to the numbers of deportations. Now, the administration, the Trump administration, has had far fewer border crossings, part of a
trend that started late last year.
So, those numbers aren't feeding into their larger deportation numbers to the same extent. And what this really reflects is the challenge that the
administration faces when trying to execute on its deportation agenda, because it is, frankly, challenging and difficult with the limited federal
resources and personnel to carry out mass deportations.
And that is what the Trump administration is running into, which is why they are taking some of the brazen measures that they have, like, for
example, invoking the Alien Enemies Act, a sweeping war-time authority only used three times before, but it essentially eliminates due process, it
makes it so much easier to swiftly remove migrants in the United States.
So, when you take it all together, you can see how the administration, both publicly and even behind the scenes, is working on measures to make it
easier for them to deport people, given the fact that it has just historically been so challenging for the United States to do, and also to
ramp up those numbers, which, as I've just mentioned, are lower, given again, that there are just fewer border crossings.
KINKADE: All right, Priscilla Alvarez staying across it all for us on immigration, good to have you with us. Thank you. Well, President Trump has
also had an outsized influence in a key vote beyond U.S. borders. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has declared victory for him and his Liberal
Party in Monday's federal election.
They ran on a fiercely anti-Trump message in an election fueled by taunts from the President and anger at damaging U.S. tariffs. In his victory
speech, Mr. Carney made it clear that as leader, he has no intention of bowing to White House demands, and CNN's Paula Newton reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER-ELECT, CANADA: Who is ready? Who is ready?! Who is ready to stand up for Canada with me?
(CHEERS)
(APPLAUSE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A rallying cry for Canadian sovereignty, as Mark Carney declared victory in the country's federal elections.
CARNEY: We are once again -- we are once again at one of those hinge moments of history. Our old relationship with the United States, a
relationship based on steadily increasing integration is over. We are over the shock of the American betrayal. But we should never forget the lessons.
NEWTON: The liberal party leader issuing a stunning rebuke to President Trump as he promised his country would never yield to the United States.
CARNEY: As I have been warning for months, 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. That will never -- that will never, ever happen.
NEWTON: The 60-year-old former central banker, also sending a message of unity to the millions that did not vote for him.
CARNEY: And my message to every Canadian is this, no matter where you live, no matter what language you speak, no matter how you voted, I will
always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.
PIERRE POILIEVRE, LEADER OF CANADA'S CONSERVATIVE PARTY: So, I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Carney --
NEWTON: Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat early Tuesday, saying Carney had won enough seats to form a razor-thin
minority government. Throughout his campaign, Carney rode a wave of anti- Trump sentiment since winning his party's leadership contest in a landslide after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped down last month.
CARNEY: We are fighting unjustified U.S. tariffs.
NEWTON: Trump's tariffs on imports from Canada and continued threats to annex the country as the 51st state only helped him ride that wave to
victory. Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, why Ukraine's President says Russia's temporary ceasefire offers just an attempt by Putin to ensure silence for
his military parades.
[14:20:00]
Plus, what we know about the cause of a blackout, stranding millions of people for hours in Europe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade, welcome back. Well, Donald Trump promised to stop Russia's war on Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.
It's been 100 days with no concrete deal in hand or even in sight for one of the U.S. President's stated foreign policy priorities.
Donald Trump's administration now suggests it could move on if the quagmire continues. On paper, there is a new offer. Russia has declared a unilateral
three-day truce, but it won't start until May 8th. That period coincides with Russia's World War II victory day commemorations.
The Ukraine President calls it an attempt at manipulation, and an effort by Vladimir Putin to have silence for his military parade. President Trump has
been pushing both Ukraine and Russia to get a deal done fast. But for Ukraine, it's not enough to get a ceasefire just for a ceasefire sake.
Kyiv wants security guarantees and a lasting, durable peace that does not reward Russian aggression. Let's get some perspective now from former
Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk; he's a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, and chairman of the Center for
Defense Strategies in Kyiv. Good to have you with us.
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S EURASIA CENTER: Thank you.
KINKADE: So, we know that Trump is a self-proclaimed dealmaker. He hasn't yet got a deal for Ukraine as promised. What has he achieved in those first
100 days?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, he certainly brought up the idea that the war needs to end with some kind of a deal, some sort of a truce, of ceasefire,
armistice, whatever. And clearly, Putin demonstrated that he's not interested in any of that. Frankly speaking, any leader of the foreign
nation, which is not Russia cannot stop it for Russia.
So, Russia needs to be -- to make that decision. And technically, Putin can stop the war in one day. I mean, he can stop it now if he wants to. So, the
fact that it's still going on is that, he feels that he can continue. He feels that he can still gain something either territorially or in terms of
the -- you know, some kind of a conditions and so on.
[14:25:00]
And so, he continues. We've been always saying that the only thing which can stop Russia from continuing the war is the pressure, is economic
pressure, military pressure and so on. But so far, there hasn't been much additional pressure to Russia, and so, they're continuing.
KINKADE: Yes.
ZAGORODNYUK: They build up a substantial army. They build up a relationship with a whole number of countries with China particularly, and
some other countries. And so, they're getting the resources and they still can't fund the war seems like at least at the moment --
KINKADE: Yes. When your President Zelenskyy came to the U.S. and met with Donald Trump in the White House, he was berated. I just want to play some
of that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You've allowed yourself --
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: From the very --
TRUMP: To be in a very bad position --
ZELENSKYY: From the very beginning of the war --
TRUMP: And he happens to be right of that --
ZELENSKYY: From the very beginning of the war, Mr. Trump --
TRUMP: You're not in a good position.
ZELENSKYY: I was --
TRUMP: You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards --
ZELENSKYY: I'm not playing cards --
TRUMP: Right now, you don't know that --
ZELENSKYY: I'm very serious, Mr. President --
TRUMP: You're playing cards --
ZELENSKYY: I'm very serious --
TRUMP: You're playing cards. You're gambling --
ZELENSKYY: I'm the President in war --
TRUMP: With the lives of millions of people.
ZELENSKYY: You think --
TRUMP: You're gambling with World War III --
ZELENSKYY: What do you expect --
TRUMP: You're gambling --
ZELENSKYY: What is gamble?
TRUMP: With World War III.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: He certainly seemed to be on the attack there. And just a week ago, Donald Trump and President Zelenskyy met at St. Peter's basilica just
ahead of the pope's funeral, away from aides for a brief discussion about 15 minutes. And afterwards, Trump came away and said, well, maybe Putin
doesn't want peace. Do you have any other indication about what took place, what was discussed during that meeting?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, clearly, there's been some time, and U.S. administration have seen that despite the efforts, Russia is still dragging
this whole situation, and they are coming up with all kinds of, you know, delays and all sorts of terms which are unreal. But also, they're
constantly like keeping these negotiations at some sort of a distance.
So, basically, they never actually come to the specific discussion, and they never demonstrated readiness to the -- to stop the war. And also
they're accumulating additional forces for some breakthroughs, for some additional offenses and so on. So, anyone who would spend enough time to
look at -- looking at that, you know, that person would understand that clearly, Russia is continuing its policy, they're continuing a strategy,
and they're not changing anything.
So, it's sort of logical to assume that, you know, they simply don't want that, at least, at the moment, at least, until the actual pressure has been
applied. And I believe that there's still a way to stop Russia, we all do believe that, but those measures need to be taken, and they have to be very
resolved.
KINKADE: Do you believe that Ukraine gave up its cards in 1994 when it agreed to dismantle its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees
from the U.S., U.K. and Russia?
ZAGORODNYUK: It's a very complex topic. Continuous debate among security people, you know, because it's the question -- of course, technically,
there is -- there is a -- you know, a nuclear deterrence concept. And when nuclear deterrence concept works, then these countries are considered to be
as safe as possible because nobody would sort of mess up with them, you know.
But at the same time, reality is that, at that time, Ukraine was in a very difficult economic situation, it didn't have enough -- you know,
capabilities in order to support those weapons and so on. And still, frankly speaking, if we now assume that the best way to stop the aggression
is to restore the nuclear power or never give up nuclear power, that's a very dangerous assumption, because that means that nothing else works.
And what we need to do, we need to make the world where the conventional deterrence works, where the international alliances work, which can stop
the aggression. That's much better than to counter nuclear, because nuclear war, if it starts, God forbid, you know, nobody can win it. So, we need to
keep away the idea that nuclear deterrence is the only one which works. It's not for the good of humanity, to be honest.
KINKADE: Yes, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, good to have your perspective and analysis --
ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you --
KINKADE: We appreciate your time.
ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you.
KINKADE: Relief today for millions of people after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal and parts of France on Monday, and cheers rang out
when the lights flickered back on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: It was one of the biggest blackouts Europe has ever seen, paralyzing cities and disrupting travel across the region. Subway
passengers were trapped underground, trains and planes were brought to a standstill, with millions trying to find their way home in the middle of
the chaos. Officials announcing they've ruled out a cyber attack, and the Spanish Prime Minister says an excess in renewable energy production isn't
to blame either. Salma Abdelaziz explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After the darkness comes the light and celebrations for what used to seem so trivial.
In Spain, as trains started running Tuesday, loved ones were reunited. Like Laura, who finally made it to Valencia after a night on the train station
floor in Madrid.
There was no electricity, no cell phone connection. You couldn't even speak with your family, she says. Until they managed to open the station, we
thought we were going to sleep in the street. Then at least we could go inside, sit down. The military came and gave us these blankets, but it was
bad until 2:00 a.m.
They were the lucky ones with Spanish authorities having to rescue passengers this morning stranded on trains overnight.
In Portugal, traffic was back to normal as power to the traffic lights was restored. But just a few hours earlier, tens of millions of people in the
Iberian Peninsula and parts of France were left without power in one of the biggest blackouts in recent European history. Residents directing traffic
themselves, helping the elderly, and stocking up on supplies, not knowing how long the blackout could go on for.
Still no answers for the big question, how did this happen in the first place? Spain's prime minister and king convened the country's cabinet
Tuesday promising answers.
PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): What people should be clear about is that the Spanish government is going to get to the
bottom of this matter and that the necessary reforms and measures are going to be taken to ensure that this does not happen again. And we are obviously
going to hold all private operators accountable.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Multiple agencies were quick to reject the idea of it being caused by a cyber-attack, but without answers, experts say
questions are likely to remain for weeks.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, still to come tonight, from the economy to foreign policy to climate change. We'll take a closer look at the impact
of Donald Trump's policies in a battleground state after 100 days in office.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. The U.S. president is traveling to Michigan this hour ahead of tonight's rally, marking his first 100 days
back in office. While Donald Trump looks to celebrate this moment, America's economy is casting a dark shadow over his administration.
Let's take a look at the markets, and they are pretty flat today. You can see the S&P 500 up a little bit over half a percent, the Dow almost 1
percent. And the U.S. stock market is on track for its worst first 100 days of any presidential term in more than half a century. Wall Street has been
shaken by historic levels of uncertainty and volatility over Mr. Trump's tariffs.
In a new CNN poll, a growing majority say the U.S. president has made the economy worse, and his approval rating has dropped to a historic low.
Well, my next guest is Zoe Clark, the political director for Michigan Public Radio and co-host of "It's Just Politics." Good to see you, Zoe.
ZOE CLARK, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, MICHIGAN PUBLIC RADIO AND CO-HOST, "IT'S JUST POLITICS": So, good to be here.
KINKADE: So, Trump will be holding a rally in Detroit, Michigan later tonight, which he narrowly won in 2024, at a time when polls show that most
Americans disapprove of the job he's doing. From your listeners, what are they telling you about how they think Mr. Trump is going in his first 100
days back in office?
CLARK: Sure. We should note Michigan is a swing state. It went for Trump in '16 Joe Biden in '20, and then, again, back to Donald Trump in 2024. So,
it really is a microcosm of the country. So, when you talk about the national polls, they're not unlike polls that we've seen here in Michigan.
The base, just like polls we're seeing nationally, happy with what he's doing, but it's certainly less than 50 percent.
We've always known that the Trump base, that sort of MAGA base is still smaller. Then you have folks that no matter what are going to be angry,
dislike what the president is doing. And it's that sort of middle group that we're watching, independents, moderates, those folks who voted really
for Trump in '16, Biden in '20 Trump again in '24. And those folks, what we're seeing right now, they have some concerns about what Trump is doing
vis-a-vis the economy.
KINKADE: Yes. And of course, Detroit is considered the auto capital of America. We heard earlier today from the treasury secretary saying that
some of the tariffs might be walked back so that these automakers aren't having stacked taxes. What's been the reaction there to the tariff and
aluminum tariffs?
CLARK: Sure. Well, I mean, it's a little bit like watching a game of tennis, right, the volleying back and forth. And I mean, just the past six
weeks alone when these tariffs were first --
KINKADE: I'm just going to interrupt you. Zoe, sorry to interrupt you. Donald Trump is speaking at the White House. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Great. Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly, and he did the right thing
and he's a good guy.
No, not an update. No, not an update.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jordan Conrad (INAUDIBLE). I want to get your response on the left media. They're trying to hide the mugshot that are featured on
the front lawn of rapists, murderers, pedophiles. What do you think of that? Aren't they proving to be the enemy of the people?
TRUMP: Well, I guess they are. I guess they are, right. Thank you. Who are you with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like your hat by the way.
TRUMP: Who are you with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gateway, the Gateway Pundit, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, what is your message to Republicans on the Hill who seem not to be on board with your political agenda? What do
you say to them?
TRUMP: Oh, I think they're going to be all aboard. I think the Republicans are really with us. We have the big beautiful deal. It's moving along and I
think we're going to have it taken care of. I think they'll all be there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell us about your decision on the auto tariffs, sir?
TRUMP: We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short- term. And during this little -- if they can't get parts, you know, it has to do with a very small percentage. If they can't get parts, we didn't want
to penalize them. And during -- they have a one-year period and then they have an extra year, but it's for a very, very small part of the car.
Basically, they're paying 25 percent.
[14:40:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what's your message for all retailers who (INAUDIBLE)?
TRUMP: Yes, nothing that really, he's a good guy. I've gotten to know him over the last couple of years and he's done a fantastic job. So, I
appreciated what he did.
How are you? There we go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to give this speech in Michigan. You're going to list the accomplishments of the administration. If there was one
big thing you really wanted to have had in the first 100 days, what would it be?
TRUMP: Well, I think we're either we've done everything or it's in the process of being done. For instance, the border is in great shape. 99.9
percent came out again today, 99.9. That -- I would say that was my number one thing. The economy would be certainly right up there and I think it's
doing great.
We were losing billions and billions of dollars a day with trade, and now I have that down to a very low level. And soon, we're going to be making a
lot of money. We're going to be reducing people's taxes, and we're going to get the big -- look, a very important element that we're working on now,
maybe more important than anything with the border in good shape is the fact -- excuse me, is the fact that we want to get, and very importantly,
the big beautiful new deal. If we get that done, that's the biggest thing. What's happening in Congress right now.
And I think we're going to get it done. We have great Republican support. If the Democrats blocked it, you'd have a 60 percent tax increase. I don't
think that's going to happen. We have great support from Republicans. So, the big beautiful deal, that's what we want, the bill.
I think the next period of time, I think my biggest focus will be on Congress with the deal that we're working on. That'll be the biggest bill
in the history of our country in terms of tax cuts and regulation cuts and other things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) the Canadian election?
TRUMP: As pope?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TRUMP: I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice. No, I don't know. I have no preference. I must say we have a cardinal that
happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good. So, we'll see what happens.
Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Mr. President, you are doing so much for (INAUDIBLE). You are the first president that in the first hundred-day
focus for the first time in the history of this country. Are you planning maybe in the future (INAUDIBLE) --
TRUMP: Sure. I would do that. I would do that. Absolutely.
Yes. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you (INAUDIBLE)?
TRUMP: They are calling and I will be talking to them. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you happen to do something with the tariffs and automobiles? Were you worried about the automobiles?
TRUMP: No, not at all. We're just giving them a little chance because in some cases they can't get the parts fast enough. So, this is just a little
transition. It's 15 percent for one year and just 10 percent for another. It's a little bit. And it has to do, that's only the percentage of parts on
the car. So, it's a little bit of help for people that will be doing a great job. And these are all people, for the most part, that are building
plants and we'll be working here. So, it's a little transition.
Go ahead. What? India's coming along great. I think we'll have a deal with India. The prime minister, as you know, was here three weeks ago and they
want to make a deal. We'll see what happens. Thank you. Thank you.
KINKADE: You've just been listening to Donald Trump there as he prepares to take off for Detroit, Michigan. Michigan, of course, being a
battleground state. He was asked there about his greatest achievements, what he thought he had accomplished in his first 100 days of office. He
touted the border policies. He said the border is in great shape. Our border crossings have indeed dropped significantly. He
also said the economy is doing great. He said we were losing billions of dollars in trade. We will soon be making more. Of course, that is in sharp
contrast to the polling we've seen about how Americans feel about the economy right now.
[14:45:00]
Standing by for us is Stephen Collinson, our political reporter, and Zoe Clark, who's a radio host in Michigan. Good to have you both with us.
I want to start with you first, Stephen, because we also heard some new lines about the Amazon call that Trump made to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, that
followed the reporting this morning that Amazon was considering pricing at Trump's tariffs. So, putting products online and highlighting the cost of
Trump's tariffs on each product.
Amazon has since said that's not going to happen, and it sounds like that's partly in -- because Trump reached out directly to Jeff Bezos. What did you
make of those comments, Stephen?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, it seems like Bezos, who's been trying to, some people would say, cozy up to Trump ever since he
won re-election made this decision following this call from the president. The White House was very angry about this possibility. They called it a
hostile and political act.
I think one reason is because it contradicts everything that Trump says is that tariffs don't increase costs on consumers, whereby the economics tell
us that whenever a tariff is imposed, it's not the country that brings the product into the United States that pays extra, it's the consumer or the
company, and then it -- the money gets passed onto the consumer in the form of higher prices. And that, in turn, raises prices of goods that are being
made wholly in the United States, because that's the way the laws of supply and demand work.
So, that was really a possibility that would puncture this White House reality, alternative reality that tariffs don't cost anybody anything. It
was also interesting, I think, in that interaction with reporters that the president was again arguing that any -- all the proceeds or most of the
proceeds of tariffs that are being brought into the treasury would then be turned around and given back to the American people in the form of tax
cuts. He's even talked about abolishing income tax completely, that is almost impossible because the amount of revenue would bring in from tariffs
doesn't equal what you get from taxes and also the cost of rising prices can dampen demand.
So, there's a lot of very strange economics going on that is now the orthodoxy of this administration. The reason for that is because Trump
pretty much single-handedly believes all this stuff and everyone around him is not basically telling him that this isn't going to work.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And, Zoe, I want to go to you in Michigan, which is where Donald Trump is headed right now, a battleground state. Donald Trump
there was speaking about the economy, saying that it's doing great, which is in a stark contrast to the polling we've seen, which shows that 69
percent of Americans believe a recession is likely, and 59 percent said that Trump has made the economy worse. What's the mood there in Michigan
when it comes to the economy?
CLARK: Sure. I think it's concerning. And just like we heard that interview, right, there's a little bit of whiplash. There's a sense that
you're never exactly sure what's going to come next. And in a state where manufacturing is huge and where businesses look for stability, it's a
really unstable time.
And so, you know, the economic uncertainty right now in the state's largest manufacturing industry, there's a lot of folks holding their breaths right
now and trying to figure out what is going to come next.
KINKADE: And, Stephen, I want to go back to you, because you touched on this tax bill that Trump calls a big beautiful deal where he is planning to
potentially use revenue from tariffs to pay for major tax cuts and potentially wipe out some income tax. What are economists telling you about
the details that we know so far?
COLLINSON: Well, Trump made all sorts of claims on the campaign trail, which would go against actually Republican orthodoxy in taxes, for example,
exempting tips that people get when they work in bars, exempting some retirement income. He has also talked about lowering rates for most working
Americans and even raising them on millionaires, that would go against not just Republican tax policy over many years, but it would go against his own
tax policy in his first term, his tax reform, which the new tax bill is needed to extend.
So, I think I would take some of what the president is saying with a pinch of salt, not just because he might change his own mind, but because this
has to get through a very narrowly divided house of representatives. The Republicans have a very small majority. The Senate is held by the
Republicans too, and they can use various maneuvers to get past a filibuster that Democrats could use to stop it.
[14:50:00]
But the House is key here. And the act of putting together a tax bill is hugely complicated. Almost every member has some exemption that they really
need for their political health that they're getting lobbying from in their own state. So, it takes a very long time.
The tax bill in the first Trump term didn't move through the House until just before Christmas. And although Republicans are talking very
optimistically about getting that done within a few months, perhaps by the July 4th Independence Day holiday, that looks hugely ambitious. And Trump
needs this to fund a lot of his other priorities.
For example, one of the reasons, as you were mentioning earlier in the show, that the deportations are not quite at the pace of the administration
wants, is because they don't have the resources in the Customs Department enough personnel, enough courts to process some of these claims. So, they
need financing. And that's all caught up in the tax and budget bills that are not moving very fast at the moment on Capitol Hill.
KINKADE: Yes. And it's interesting when you look at the polling, Americans are just not happy with the opposition either. I want to go to you on this,
Zoe, because the Democrats are slipping, even the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, his approval rating was down to 17 percent in Michigan. Is
this sounding the alarms for Democrats?
CLARK: I mean, it's been sounding the alarms. The Democrats really have been in the wilderness since that, you know, first week in November of
2024, and are still trying to figure out a pathway out. And it's not just trying to figure out a pathway, there's multiple different groups within
this large tent, this coalition party, trying to figure out what that is. Is it the AOC, right, the more progressive wing. We're seeing huge rallies
from Bernie Sanders and folks. We have Rashida Tlaib, who is a congresswoman here in Michigan, really saying what we need to do is lean
into the progressive wing, right, that Biden and Kamala Harris were not enough of that.
And then you have the more centrist Democrats, the newest freshman senator from Michigan, Elissa Slotkin, who really made news among many Democrats
when she delivered a very moderate sounding during Trump's address to the nation, what we sort of call the State of the Union, although the first one
in a term is an address to the nation basically, saying, look, we have to get sort of away from this woke agenda and litmus tests about what it means
to be a progressive.
And so, I think Democrats have not figured out, right, what their rhythm is, what their messaging is. And that's because there's a lot of messaging
going on right now within the Democratic Party.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. You make some good points there. We'll have to leave it there for now. Zoe Clark, Stephen Collinson, good to have you both
with us. Thanks so much.
And we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. A controversial cardinal has pulled out of the conclave to choose a new pope. Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu was
convicted of financial crimes by the Vatican. Following the death of Pope Francis, he launched an appeal over the right to be part of the conclave.
But on Tuesday, the Italian cardinal announced that he is formally withdrawing while, quote, "remaining convinced of his innocence." The
enclave is to elect a new pope. It's going to start on May 7th.
A high-profile trial is underway in Australia for a woman accused of murdering three people by serving them poisonous mushrooms. Erin Patterson
is charged for the 2023 deaths of her husband's parents and aunt. Prosecutors alleged that Patterson served poisonous mushrooms as part of a
Beef Wellington lunch. Additional charges for the attempted murder of her husband were dropped. The trial has captivated Australians with a daily
podcast being produced along with plans for a documentary. Patterson has pled not guilty.
Well, thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kincade. Stay with CNN. CNN Newsroom with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
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