Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Envoy Meets Putin Amid New Russian Strikes On Ukraine; Trump: Russia Not "Taking" All Of Ukraine Is A Concession; FBI Director: Wisconsin Judge Arrested For Allegedly Obstructing ICE. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 25, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, HOST, "ONE WORLD": President Trump's special envoy is in Moscow, meeting with Vladimir Putin. One World starts right now. The face-
to-face meeting is on the heels of the new deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine, and President Trump's plea to Putin on social media, saying,
Vladimir, STOP! Plus, we'll take a look at a new report on how Americans are feeling about the economy, and President Trump's on again, off again
trade war. And we're in the final hours for people to pay their respects to Pope Francis. I'll speak with a couple who traveled to Rome from the United
States to witness the funeral.
Hello, Everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching One World.
Well, high-stakes diplomacy at the Kremlin today, as White House Special Envoy is in Moscow this hour to talk truce. This as U.S. President Donald
Trump says, a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war is, quote, "pretty close". Now, this is Steve Witkoff's second meeting just this month with
Vladimir Putin, and he is pushing Washington's plan to end the three-year conflict. Now, this comes as Moscow pummels Ukraine with more deadly
strikes, a day after it launched its deadliest bombardment of Kyiv in months. At least eight people were killed.
Now, while the U.S. President has voiced his frustration over the hostilities, today, he sounded an optimistic note, as he headed for Rome
for Pope Francis' funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to try and get out of war so that we can save 5,000 people a week, and that's what my
aim is. I want to say 5,000 young men. They happen to be mostly Ukrainian, Russian. 5,000 young Ukrainian and Russian men, and that's a big honor if I
can do it. I think we're pretty close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And in a new interview with Time Magazine, President Trump says Crimea will stay with Russia, and that the Ukrainian President understands
that. Now, this upends a decade of U.S. diplomacy.
Let's begin with Nick Paton Walsh, who is in London. And let's just pick up there where you heard President Trump state that President Zelenskyy
understands that Crimea will remain a Russian territory. Just the response you're hearing from the Ukrainians, I'm not sure that's the line we've
heard at all from President Zelenskyy.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Look, in a practical sense, I think most Ukrainians, including its political
leadership, accept that the opportunity for Ukraine to retake Crimea and other occupied parts of Ukraine kind of vanished with the failed summer
counteroffensive in 2023. In a practical terms, given the condition of their recruitment and their armed forces, it's going to be tough for them
to mount a significant move to retake that peninsula in the years ahead.
But, that is far distant from legitimately recognizing, under Ukrainian law, the idea that those territories, or even just Crimea itself are part
of official Russia. That's something the Ukrainian Constitution forbids them doing. It's domestically exceptionally unpopular as an idea as well.
And indeed with European allies of Ukraine, it's a no-go area because it would essentially say that borders of Europe can be changed by force. So,
these are particularly complex ideas being floated here.
And I think when Donald Trump, in that brief moment there, says that they believe they're very close, it's interesting to suggest that he is not
referring anymore to the deadline he referred to just yesterday. He didn't actually specify when that deadline was. A European official, I spoke to,
seems to feel that really this is all about trying to get something done in the hundred first days of Trump's presidency. That's Tuesday. Exceptionally
tough ask.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to Russia, has, it seems, finished his meeting with a Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports of the convoy leaving
there. Yury Ushakov, a presidential aide to the Kremlin, suggesting the conversation, speaking to Russian media, had been constructive and useful,
and indeed suggesting, in fact, it focused on the idea of resuming direct talks between the Ukrainians and the Russians.
If indeed that is the case, and we know it may be on the agenda as well, as a potentially new peace proposal hatched or ameliorated in London during
meetings between Ukrainian, U.S., and European officials, downgraded, but still able to produce a document that went back to Trump. If it's part of
that too, we may see here Moscow trying to shift the focus yet again of how these talks function from, what's the deal going to look like? Could there
be a ceasefire too? Well, let's have Kyiv and Moscow talk directly. It may be possible for Ukraine to agree with that, but it starts another process
yet again.
[11:05:00]
So, we have to see exactly what Russia has been prepared to concede, what it has accepted or changed in this new peace proposal presented, we think,
by Witkoff during this meeting and how close that gets Trump to his goal, but also ultimately to, in the mind of Donald Trump, is this deadline
something next week now or is it a flexible thing, as he has seen to be saying privately? This has been so much tougher than he thought it would
be. Is he going to have to accept? There is weeks more work ahead to him.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And it was clear that this isn't a deal he could reach on day one of his presidency, but here as we're approaching day 100, it
doesn't appear that he can accomplish much either.
Nick, in terms of any concessions that Russia has made, the President was asked directly about that yesterday at the White House. I'm curious to get
your response and that from your sources in Ukraine when President Trump said that the concessions that Russia has made was not taking all of
Ukraine, which we clearly know was their intent going into this war and something they weren't able to accomplish because they were repelled by
Ukrainian troops.
WALSH: I think it gives you a mindset, though, a glimpse into the mindset of how Donald Trump views Vladimir Putin's capabilities here. He doesn't
seem to be willing necessarily to accept that in the longer term Russia is not going to be able to take Ukraine. That may simply be because in a Trump
administration, U.S. aid is likely to falter. Maybe he doesn't have confidence in European allies to assist Ukraine enough. But, I think
essentially he feels, and his phrasing of this, a part of at times a pro- Russian narrative, is that essentially they're doing Ukraine a favor here by making sure the Russians stop where they are.
Now, it may be we're in for a very difficult summer ahead. In fact, some U.S. military assessments have suggested that Russia's military is re-
equipping, re-arming, able to produce material at a rate that far outstrips that which Europe and Ukraine can potentially bring to the battlefield
here.
But, this is really the key here in a deal, as it seems to be being forwarded now, requires Ukraine to accept a lot, not necessarily formal
recognition by Ukraine of occupied areas as being part of Russia, but potentially some suggestions are, give up ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine's
Constitution has that written in stone as an ambition there. So, that's going to be a tough one, and many other things that require Ukraine to
essentially just accept where they are now and hope the Russians don't come back for another go.
What does it require of the Russians? Well, at this stage, not a lot. There seem to be a lot of carrots in the current suggestion, rather than any
major ideas that the Russians have to pull back or accept something that will significantly hamper them if they try to take off more land from
Ukraine in the years ahead.
GOLODRYGA: And no doubt egg on President Trump's face the week that he has even expressed a bit of frustration publicly towards Vladimir Putin, asking
him to stop with these strikes. The strikes continue. So, he is not listening, and yet he continues to get meetings from President Trump's, top
envoy as well.
Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.
Let's go to the White House, CNN's Alayna Treene. A lot of headlines to parse with you, Alayna. We are also getting headlines out of an interview
that the President gave to Time Magazine, again doubling down on his frustration and not seeing this war come to an end sooner, and also stating
that Crimea belongs to Russia, in his view, and that Ukraine has no future in NATO. What else did he say?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. Some very striking comments in this, and I should note, it was conducted on Tuesday this week, of
course, published this morning. But, what you said there, I really want to focus on. He said, quote, "Crimea will stay with Russia." That is huge.
That is something that Ukraine has thus far said that they are not really willing to concede to Russia. But, Trump is saying that essentially he
believes that it's Russia's to have, and he blamed Obama, former President Barack Obama, saying, Obama was the one who initially gave Crimea to
Russia.
But, all to say, I think, of course, this is so notable, especially after we heard the President yesterday in the Oval Office, when pressed about
what concessions he is expecting Russia to make in this broader, potential deal between the two countries to end the war. He said that stopping the
war and stopping the fighting and not taking over the entire country, that would be a pretty big concession. Something of course, that Ukraine and the
United States, European allies aren't necessarily going to be feeling relieved about or easing any concerns that perhaps Trump is not willing to
give up too much in order to strike a deal.
And then, of course, the other very notable comments regarding this from that interview is he said that he thinks what caused the war to start was
when they started talking about joining NATO, and that's of course a Russian talking point, and another line that perhaps it was Ukraine that
was the one that had really started this war. We know it was Russia that illegally invaded Ukraine. All to say, this comes as we have some new
reporting that behind closed doors, President Donald Trump has been very frustrated that his efforts to mediate an end to this war between Russia
and Ukraine have so far fallen short.
[11:10:00]
He has also privately told aides, according to my conversations with them, that essentially this is harder and more difficult to negotiate than he had
initially anticipated. One of these sources told me that he often brings up how much of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin hate one another, of
course, an unsurprising fact, but one that the President argues is continuing to complicate these talks.
All to say, this is not where they want to be. The President's 100-day mark of his second term is quickly approaching, and that's really the deadline
he had in mind for when he wanted a deal to be completed. And of course, it doesn't really seem like we're there. So, I think the talks between Steve
Witkoff today and Putin, really the message that he is going to be delivering is we need to know if a deal is viable. Is this tenable? Because
if not, we've heard many of Donald Trump's top advisors say we have to move on. So, it's going to be very crucial to the broader strategy on behalf of
this Trump administration.
GOLODRYGA: Also very interesting and perhaps awkward, given that President Trump and President Zelenskyy will both be in Rome attending the funeral of
Pope Francis tomorrow --
TREENE: Right.
GOLODRYGA: -- as well.
Alayna Treene, thank you so much.
Lots of angles to discuss with our next guest. Andrea Kendall-Taylor is a former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the
National Intelligence Council. She is now a Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American
Security. Andrea, welcome to the program.
I'm sure if the President had asked you, in your view, whether this was a war that could come to an end in his first 100 days in office, you'd
probably say, no. But, here we're getting reports that the President is quite frustrated that this isn't resolved at this stage in his
administration. And you're constantly hearing threats from both the Secretary of State, the Vice President, and now the President of the United
States, suggesting that if something doesn't happen soon, that the United States' role in trying to be a mediator on this will come to an end. Does
that suggest to you that with that comes U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine as well?
ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR, FMR. DEP. NATL. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, NATL. INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL: I think that's the really important question now. I
mean, you're absolutely right. Witkoff is there in Moscow today, and with the plan that the administration has said is their final offer, and as
you've said, they're ready to walk away, what walk away means is still a question that no one has really clear insight to. So, does it just mean
that the United States will no longer be engaged in the diplomatic process in trying to end the war, or does it mean that the United States will
actually pack up and go home entirely, including ending any remaining military aid, especially on those crucial air defenses? And of course, the
key thing that the United States also provides is the intelligent support.
So, I don't think we have any clear insight into that. And certainly, if President Zelenskyy has the opportunity to meet with President Trump at the
Pope's funeral, I think that would be something that he would try to advocate for that. If indeed the United States does pack up, I think he
needs to make a serious case as to why it's in U.S. interests to at least remain in the game, in supporting Ukraine from behind the scenes.
GOLODRYGA: So, what -- if that is the case, if it's the latter, that what the U.S. means is that they not only will not play a role in mediating the
end of this war, but they also will stop providing assistance, valuable assistance and aid and intelligence to Ukraine, what incentive at all does
Vladimir Putin have to bringing this war to an end?
KENDALL-TAYLOR: Well, not a lot, and that's exactly why we've seen such intransigence on his part in making any progress towards the war, when the
United States is talking about bringing a war to the end, having these violent and really exceptional attacks killing civilians in Ukraine. So,
it's very clear that he has no incentive to end the war. And my best assessment is that it's really in his interest to continue with the foot
dragging to try to demonstrate that they are playing along so that they can preserve the U.S.-Russia relationship, because that is something that
Russia gets quite a lot out of. They want to maintain this bilateral back and forth that Putin believes delivers him geopolitical dividends.
But, what he would -- his preferred outcome would be to preserve that relationship and get the United States to abandon Ukraine, and I think
that's his ideal outcome.
GOLODRYGA: That would suggest that the -- and the President has said as much when he says you don't have the cards to President Zelenskyy, Russia
has all the cards and obviously the United States does too, and that it can continue to provide vital aid, that suggests that it's the President's view
that as soon as the United States would cut off support, that Ukraine would ultimately lose this war, and it would come to an end.
[11:15:00]
That's not necessarily clear, though, because Ukraine obviously remains steadfast in pushing back against Russian aggression. They would still have
the support, one would assume, from Europe, and also they have their own internal structure as far as military development, with drones in
particular, where they wouldn't be held back at all, the way they are right now as far as how far they can use such equipment like drones. Right now,
it's the United States that's setting the terms for how and where they can strike. One would imagine that that would be off the table if the U.S.
wasn't part of the equation, no, in prolonging the war.
KENDALL-TAYLOR: Well, I think it's important to recognize that U.S. support does strengthen Ukraine's position, and certainly with the air defenses,
intelligence, that puts Ukraine in a much stronger position on the battlefield. So, anything Ukraine can do to preserve U.S. support and
assistance is really important for their future efforts in this conflict.
That said, you're absolutely right that the Ukrainians will not stop fighting if the United States packs up its bags and walks away. As of right
now, their own domestic drone and mine production is inflicting something like 80 percent of the casualties on Russian soldiers, and they have had
radical improvements in their own defense industrial production. They're now producing drones that have a much longer range, and they're also
producing their own longer-range missiles that can strike deep into Russian territory.
So, they will continue to be able to impose significant costs on Russia even without the United States, and I think then that's what Ukraine will
do, is to really play for time and to show Russia and to convince Putin that he can't stay in this conflict indefinitely, and maybe then we can get
to a place where you have a more equal and a more genuine negotiation than what we're currently seeing where the United States is just making
concession after concession.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, thank you so much for the time and analysis. We appreciate it.
We have this breaking news into CNN. A judge in Wisconsin has been arrested, accused of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. The
judge's arrest was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel in a social media post that was quickly deleted.
Katelyn Polantz joins me now with all of the details. What are we learning, Katelyn?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Bianna, quite an astonishing turn in the Trump administration's very aggressive push for
immigration enforcement in this country. The Director of the FBI putting out a social media post, that is now deleted, that says, A judge was
arrested on charges of obstruction for apparently trying to misdirect federal agents away from a person who the FBI says was an undocumented
immigrant or an illegal alien that should be arrested."
The tweet from FBI Director Kash Patel says, "Just NOW", this is this morning, "the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin",
that's a local judge elected to her post, served for almost 10 years, "on charges of obstruction after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an
immigration arrest operation last week. We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be
arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject to evade arrest. Thankfully our agents chased down the perp", that would be
Ruiz, "on foot and he's been in custody since, but the Judge's obstruction created increased danger to the public." He promises more information to
come. There is nothing available right now in federal court records about the arrest of this judge.
But, we do have information about the arrest of the man that immigration authorities wanted in the courtroom of Judge Dugan. And in federal records,
it says that that man was entering her courtroom on April 18th, so last week, and that he was aware that ICE was trying to arrest him, and fled the
building. They did run after him and apprehend him. But, the role of this judge and the response from federal authorities to her and what she was
doing in this case she was handling for this man, Eduardo Ruiz, is now going to be something to watch very closely today, something that we have
not seen in recent memory regarding immigration enforcement. Even if federal authorities are allowed into courthouses for this sort of thing,
arresting a judge for obstruction in a case that they're handling is quite a turn of events.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. I haven't seen this -- anything like this remotely in history or at least recent history. Katelyn, do we have any idea as to why
the FBI Director deleted that post?
[11:20:00]
POLANTZ: We don't, although there are a lot of ways we could speculate about it. But, one thing I will point out is how little information is
available publicly right now. It is quite possible that things are still under seal about Judge Dugan and what is happening with her charges. We are
waiting to see if there is some sort of public information in the federal court that would come out, and perhaps the FBI Director is just getting
ahead of some of the announcement. He did say in this suit, we will have more to share soon. Excellent work, FBI Milwaukee, but still waiting for
official confirmation and some more statements from the FBI, the Justice Department, and other authorities here.
GOLODRYGA: And you'll stay on top of the story for us. Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
GOLODRYGA: Well, leaders from around the world are making their way to Rome today, including the U.S. President and First Lady, for Saturday's funeral
of Pope Francis. Donald Trump and his wife Melania left Washington for Vatican City a short time ago. Before leaving, the President offered fond
memories of the late pontiff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you remember Pope Francis, sir? How would you remember Pope Francis?
TRUMP: Very well. Good man. He loved the world, actually, and he was just a good man. I met him twice. I thought he was a fantastic kind of a guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And this is the scene at the Vatican where access to St. Peter's Square is scheduled to close this hour. The Vatican says 150,000 mourners
have already passed through St. Peter's Basilica, paying their respects to the Holy Father. The basilica must be cleared for a coffin closing ceremony
scheduled to begin in about three hours' time. Now, after Saturday's funeral, the Pope's burial will follow at a place close to his heart, the
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now on the phone from Rome. And Ben, we've been talking to you all week just about the outpouring of visitors here and the
fact that the option to pay final respects and the opportunity had been extended. That window had been extended, given the swarm of people who
wanted to pay their final respects. Tell us what you're seeing there now.
VOICE OF BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're seeing now is that they are beginning to try to start clearing people
and the press away for this security sweep that's supposed to take place. Now, we understood earlier from the Vatican press office and the Italian
authorities that at 05:00 p.m., they would start clearing people out of St. Peters Square, at 06:00 p.m. local time, which is in about 45 minutes, that
they will stop allowing people to enter the line to go through St. Peter's Basilica to pay final farewells to Pope Francis. So, it does appear that
now they're really getting into high gear in terms of preparation, security preparations for tomorrow's funeral that happens -- begins at 10:00 a.m.
Now what's interesting about this funeral, something we will not have seen, certainly on television, is that Pope Francis will not be buried, unlike
his predecessors, in St. Peter's Basilica. He'll be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY). Rather, his coffin will be
taken on a six-kilometer drive through Rome. It will go through Imperial Rome, passing through Piazza Venezia by the Roman Forum, by the Colosseum
(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) Santa Maria Maggiore. So, that's going to be a very interesting sight to see tomorrow.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and of course we'll be covering it all live for you here on CNN, as that begins.
Ben Wedeman, thank you so much.
In about 10 minutes' time, I'll be talking to a couple who've made a special pilgrimage to Vatican City to pay their final respects to Pope
Francis. He blessed the marriage of Hayley and Tony Grese in 2019. You're looking at some of their lovely wedding photos from that time, and I'll be
speaking with them about their poignant return back to Rome.
Well, still ahead for us, there may be signs of de-escalation in the spiraling trade war between the world's two largest economies. We'll take a
look at what they are and what it means, straight ahead. Plus, how do Americans feel about the state of the economy and President Trump's tariff
policy? April's consumer sentiment report was just released and we're about to find out. That's all ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: China appears to be making plans for a protracted trade war, as Beijing once again dismisses claims from the U.S. President that tariff
talks are underway. On Friday, the Politburo headed by President Xi Jinping said that it would draw up emergency plans to contend with what it's
calling increasing external shocks. Now, it comes as Beijing and Washington are granting concessions to protect their own economies. China seems to
have quietly rolled back retaliatory tariffs of 125 percent on some microchips and semiconductors. This as the Trump administration has
exempted smartphones and other electronics from its tariffs. Earlier, the U.S. President refused to comment specifically on the talks, he says, are
taking place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said you spoke with President Xi. Have you spoken to him since the tariffs? When was your last --
TRUMP: I don't want to comment on that, but I've spoken to him many times. I think the tariff plan is doing very well. We're resetting the table.
We're going to make our country very rich, very, very rich. It's already happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, April's consumer sentiment report was just released. And given what we're seeing in this report, Vanessa, sentiment does not
seem to be aligned with how the President is feeling about the country becoming very rich anytime soon.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, sentiment is really just about how people are feeling. It's not necessarily
based on a data point. The only data point is what people are feeling about the economy, and consumer sentiment in the month of April fell for the
fourth straight month, down eight percent there. That is better than the initial reading that we saw in the beginning of April when consumer
sentiment was down more than 11 percent. But, keep in mind that this reading that you're looking at on your screen right now, now encompasses
the reciprocal tariffs that were sort of put on pause for 90 days. So, maybe people feeling slightly better about that.
We know that in this report, Americans are feeling a little bit better about current economic conditions. But, when you take a look at
expectations for the future, that's where you see people very worried. So, you have consumer sentiment since January for future expectations dropping
32 percent. That's the steepest three-month percentage drop since the 1990 recession. And if you look at your screen there, look all the way on the
right hand side, that is the level that we're talking about, that eight percent drop. That really is the fourth worst reading since 1952.
So, it is still significant that people are feeling very terrible about the economy and, especially the future. They're concerned about the labor
market. They're concerned about inflation, and of course, they're concerned about trade uncertainty.
[11:30:00]
This report said that spending is unlikely to remain strong amid these numerous warning signs, and that's important, Bianna, because consumer
spending makes up about 70 percent of U.S. GDP, and we've already heard from key groups like the IMF, who have revised down economic growth for the
United States. And it's worth noting, though, that this report in April is likely before many Americans have felt higher prices, because many
retailers have been able to stockpile and are going through their pre- tariff retail right now.
So, the worst is yet to come. Probably if you're a smaller business, in the next couple weeks, that's when you're going to have to start raising
prices. If you're a larger retailer and you've been able to stockpile, probably in the next couple months, we know from one ocean carrier broker,
they said back-to-school items and holiday items are probably going to see those price increase from these tariffs. Of course, Bianna, this could all
change in a reversal by the President. But, as it stands right now, this is the picture of how people are feeling.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And this correlates to the warnings that the President received from some of the top CEOs of major retailers just this week,
saying that if these tariffs go into effect, that we could start to see not only prices increase in the weeks to come, but actually empty store shelves
--
YURKEVICH: Yeah.
GOLODRYGA: -- as well. The difficulty in bringing those goods to the United States and a disruption to the supply chain also a major concern.
Vanessa Yurkevich, good to see you. Thank you so much.
YURKEVICH: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, as we mentioned earlier, Time Magazine dropped a rare interview with President Trump marking his first 100 days in office. Now,
in it, Trump claims he has made many deals on trade after pausing reciprocal tariffs on most countries earlier this month. Asked when he is
going to announce those deals, Trump said, I've made 200 deals. When pressed by Time on the accuracy of that figure, Trump said, 100 percent.
And then asked to share who the deals are with, Trump declined to answer. Instead, he said, because the deal is a deal that I choose, I view it very
differently. We are a department store and we set the price. We -- he went on to say that he would reveal the deals when they are done in about three
or four weeks' time. We shall see.
Still to come for us, we go back to the Vatican where the last group of mourners is now lining up to say goodbye to Pope Francis. Among the
mourners is an American couple who have a special connection to Pope Francis. They'll tell us about it, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to One World. I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here are some international headlines we're watching today.
For the second time this month, Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin for talks on Ukraine.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, told CBS news Thursday that Moscow was ready to reach a deal to end the war, but some points needed to
be fine-tuned.
China appears to have reduced its 125 percent tariffs on some U.S.-made semiconductors. That is according to import agencies. Chinese goods going
into the U.S. are subject to a 145 percent tax. China says trade talks won't happen until the U.S. removes its tariffs.
A keyboard border crossing between India and Pakistan remains closed, as relations between the two countries plummets. On Tuesday, gunmen opened
fire in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir killing 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan, which denies involvement in the attack. Both sides have
taken measures to retaliate.
Well, in just a few hours, Pope Francis' coffin will be sealed in a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica. The last mourners are filing past his
body right now before the basilica's doors are closed. The Pope's funeral is set for Saturday with dignitaries from around the world attending. Among
those planning to attend Saturday's funeral will be Hayley and Tony Grese. The Pennsylvania couple who met the Pope as newlyweds in 2019 are back in
Rome and join me now to talk about their special connection to Pope Francis.
Hayley and Tony, welcome to the program. So, walk us back to 2019 when you first met Pope Francis. What was that like? How did it come about?
HAYLEY GRESE, ATTENDING POPE FRANCIS' FUNERAL: Yes. So, we were married in March of 2019, and following our wedding we came to Rome as part of our
honeymoon, and we've learned about the Sposi Novelli, which is a special blessing bestowed on newlyweds by the Pope. So, we -- I brought my wedding
dress, which is traditional during the Sposi Novelli, and we received special tickets to attend the blessing after Pope Francis' Wednesday
audience.
So, following the Wednesday audience, we were then escorted to the back of where he was speaking, and following that, he actually came and greeted
each couple and blessed each couple individually, and he spent a couple of minutes actually speaking to each couple, which was extremely special.
GOLODRYGA: That's incredible. And Tony, do you remember that exchange? What did he say to you?
TONY GRESE, ATTENDING POPE FRANCIS' FUNERAL: Absolutely. It's one of those things you'll never be able to forget as long as you live. The really
striking thing is he came up to us and before we could say anything, he just said, please pray for me. The humility for the leader of the Catholic
world to ask us for our prayers was really flooring, really, really humbling, and it showed his love that he has for us and for his flock.
GOLODRYGA: And what did you say in response?
T. GRESE: We were kind of dumbstruck. We were like, yes, we will. We asked him to pray for us. We asked him to pray for our family. And we told him
that we were from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and we asked for prayers for our diocese.
GOLODRYGA: Wow. And Hayley, it's interesting, because I read you were planning a trip to Rome since last November. So, obviously you were not
knowing, sadly, that the Pope would pass away and that your trip would coincide with his funeral. Tell us why you had planned to go to Rome
initially.
H. GRESE: Yes. So, we had initially planned to come to attend the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis. He is the -- on track to be the first
millennial saint. His nickname is actually the Saint in Jeans. So, he was an incredibly normal boy who was about our age, and we are -- our family
just has a strong, really strong devotion to him, because he was so young.
[11:40:00]
And we had such a strong devotion that we actually named our third child Carlo after Blessed Carlo Acutis. So, we were really looking forward to
attending that canonization in person because we have such a strong devotion to him. So, that was why we initially came to Rome.
GOLODRYGA: And obviously that canonization has been delayed, given the passing and then the funeral of Pope Francis. I would imagine, Tony, that
you two have already had the opportunity to pay your final respects to the Pope, the Pope who you met just a few years ago. If you did, tell us what
that was like and the crowds around you because we've seen massive turnout.
T. GRESE: Absolutely. So, we actually flew in yesterday around 12 o'clock Rome time. We got to our place where we're staying probably around two
o'clock, and we just walked right to the Vatican. We hopped in line. We were lucky enough to only have about a 30-minute wait to get through the
line outside and to get to his coffin. Now, it was just a very quick bypass. You see him and then you're escorted away. But, it was very moving.
We were there with people from Italy. We were there from people from Argentina, America, Ireland, Australia. So, you're there sharing respects
with people from the entire world. So, it was great to be able to see that.
We also went to St. Mary Major today where he is going to be buried and we saw the tomb where he is going to be placed. So, kind of got to see a
little bit of everything. And it's a very strange time, but again, it's a very humbling time.
GOLODRYGA: Humbling time, and look, you are one of 150,000 people that have come to Vatican to pay their respects to Pope Francis. We have spent the
majority of this week now talking about his legacy and his influence, not only to the Catholic faith, but to the world as a whole.
Hayley, how closely will you be paying attention to the Conclave, as the cardinals now meet in the days to come to pick Pope Francis' successor?
H. GRESE: Yes. We plan to be watching very closely. We -- it's a really unique historic special time in the Catholic Church. There is a spotlight.
The whole world is watching here. And I was saying to Tony yesterday, it feels a little bit like a family reunion kind of in an odd way. So, we're
all united here to, of course, grieve the Holy Father and think about his legacy. But, we also joyfully anticipate the new Holy Father and we pray
very fervently every day that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals of the church to make the right decision. And it's just a very, very special
time. You feel so united to the Catholics of the world, which is what it means to be Catholic.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Well, you, like so many billions of the rest of the world, and myself included, all of us, will be closely watching and waiting with
high anticipation for that white plume of smoke to finally emerge in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, thank you so much for sharing your experience, your personal story with Pope Francis, and I hope it is a meaningful trip that
you're experiencing there in Rome. Thank you.
T. GRESE: Thank you.
H. GRESE: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And join CNN for a special coverage Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday. That is 08:00 a.m. in Rome, 02:00 a.m. here in New York.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: U.S. lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties continue to face disgruntled voters at townhalls across the country.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
GOLODRYGA: That was the scene outside a townhall in Washington State for a Democratic congresswoman who faced scrutiny over her decision to back
President Trump's voter ID bill. And in Iowa, a Republican congresswoman faced frustrated voters over the Trump administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When will you and your Republican colleagues take back your legislative power to reign in President Trump? When you going to reign
that power back in? You're not -- you're losing -- the executive branch is running the other two branches right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: For more on this, let's bring in CNN's Arlette Saenz. So, Arlette, clearly, Americans frustrated on both sides of the aisle. Let's
talk about what these members of Congress are hearing, as they're out in recess right now, meeting with local constituents at townhalls. Republicans
also expressing their frustration with some of Trump's policies, but namely, some of his top cabinet officials.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right, Bianna, and voters have really made clear that they have frustration with how lawmakers from
both parties have responded to the Trump administration. Now, in one of those townhalls in Iowa, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson heard an earful from
constituents, as you heard just there, who were frustrated that the Republicans haven't done more to reign in Trump's actions.
And there was a veteran who directed a very pointed question her way, as essentially arguing that there is a double standard for the Trump
administration and President Trump's cabinet officials, talking -- as he talked about that issue of the Signal messaging chat, which had included
classified information. This veteran argued that that just wouldn't fly for an ordinary civilian. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I had done what President Trump has done or what Mr. Hegseth has done, then I would've lost my clearance and been court
martialed. Yet these people seem to be going on and they're putting our military in harm's way by doing so. Congress needs to step up and do
something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, Hinson responded by claiming there was no classified information on that chat, which drew some boos from the audience. It's just
another moment of a contentious townhall that Republicans had faced. It is worth noting that many Republicans have chosen not to do these types of
event. But, Hinson is among that small group that has during this two-week recess.
GOLODRYGA: And Democrats aren't getting a reprieve either, Arlette. We've been talking for the past few weeks about frustration among Democratic
voters that they feel even though their party is in the minority, that their elected officials aren't doing enough to push back against some of
Trump's most controversial policies. Talk about what we're hearing in those townhalls.
SAENZ: Yeah. These townhalls have also illustrated and shined a light on the debate that's been occurring within the Democratic Party about how
exactly to push back against President Trump.
[11:50:00]
Now, over in Washington last night, Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, she heard from constituents who want her to show more
anger. She is in a very interesting district. She is one of only 13 House Democrats who won in a district that Trump had also carried as well. Here
is a sample of some of the voter interactions she had last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This administration is illegally deporting immigrants without due process. Why are we not hearing anger and fight from you?
REP. MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ (D-WA): Being angry, being loud feels good, but is it a productive long-term strategy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: But then, right after she said that, the crowd shouted that, yes, they do think being angry and loud is a strategy that Democrats need to
adopt going forward.
Now, these townhalls are expected to continue throughout today and into the weekend, capping off the longest recess that lawmakers have had so far over
the last two weeks, as they're preparing to come back to Washington next week.
GOLODRYGA: And they sure are getting an earful from their constituents.
Arlette Saenz, thank you so much.
Well, still to come for us, from trash to treasure, how one artist turned a football rite of passage into a feast for the eyes?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: The National Football League draft is a spectacle for both fans and potential players. The players all walk down a green hallway, a hallway
to greet the cheering crowd and celebrate their new team. And this year, that hallway is not just a football tunnel, it's an art installation.
CNN's Coy Wire has a story behind the unique display.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): Green Bay, Wisconsin, hosting this year's NFL draft, and while one name won't be called on stage, his hard
work will be on full display.
IKE WYNTER, MILWAUKE-BASED ARTIST: My name is Ike Wynter and I got commissioned by the NFL to bring all 32 NFL teams' logos to life.
WIRE (voice-over): Ike Wynter's artwork lines the very path future stars walk after hearing their names called. A Milwaukee native, he spent more
than 600 hours building logos for all 32 teams entirely out of furniture he found on the side of the road.
WYNTER: I had yet to stain or paint or buy a piece of wood for my art. When they kind of gave me the green light to start on the project, I just kind
of started disassembling all those furniture, and it's all from alleys and the side of the road.
[11:55:00]
WIRE (voice-over): No paint, no stain, just raw materials, repurposing more than 50 pieces of discarded furniture for every three-by-three-foot work.
This year's draft theme is "Built by Community". Wynter says, using Wisconsin's castoffs without altering their natural beauty was important.
WYNTER: Wood is always the one thing getting tossed. So, instead of just tossing it one day, I literally just made the conscious effort to bring the
wood home and use a couple of saws in my garage and just cut it up truly out of like curiosity and for fun and as an art project.
WIRE (voice-over): While he has already created pieces for heavyweights, like Mike Tyson, he calls this project the coolest of his life. To make the
moment even more special, when the NFL came knocking, they had no idea they were tapping into a family legacy. Wynter is the grandson of Ray Kuffel,
who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1944.
WYNTER: I'm glad that my grandfather's story gets to be revisited through this whole journey. I'm glad that my art is more publicly known through
this journey. Whatever tomorrow brings, as long as I get to sit in my studio and cut wood and listen to music, I'm on a good journey.
WIRE (voice-over): Wisconsin's trash reimagined into treasure. A reminder that not all legacies are written in stats. Some are built in sawdust.
Coy Wire, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: What a cool way to close the hour. Thanks to Coy for that story.
And stay with CNN. I'll have more One World after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
