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The Situation Room

Interview With Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY); Highland Park Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty; Trump Makes English Official U.S. Language. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired March 03, 2025 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:32:15]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: President Trump has signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States. This is the first time in American history an official language has been designated on the national level.

The critics warned that it could make the U.S. less competitive on the global level.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: CNN correspondent Brian Todd is joining us right now.

Brian, I know you have been doing a lot of reporting on this. Walk us through what this actually means beyond the symbolism.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of it is symbolic, guys, and a lot of people are talking about this.

But what you should know also is that already more than 30 states across the country have already designated English as their official language. Now, according to Donald Trump's executive order, this means that it will promote unity, it will promote a shared culture and also encourage new Americans, newly arrived immigrants, to learn how to speak English.

That's the rationale behind the Trump executive order. But it also means that it also allows government agencies and other groups that receive federal funding to choose for themselves whether they offer Spanish-language translations for certain key instructions. So they will be able to make that call on their own, each agency.

What that means is, from possibly filing your taxes to applying for Social Security and disability and other benefits, you could lose translation on a government Web site, possibly. Again, it's going to be up to the agencies to decide that.

So that's why a lot of people are talking about this and that's why you're getting some pushback from some immigrants rights groups.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Brian, just to be precise, if somebody wants to apply for a U.S. passport, a U.S. citizen who speaks Spanish... TODD: Right.

BLITZER: ... wants to apply for a U.S. passport, they won't get the instructions in Spanish?

TODD: It's possible that they won't. Now, again, it's going to be up to each individual agency.

And what's really going to be interesting to see from now on is that which agencies are going to go along with this or which will keep offering instructions and other things in Spanish and other languages? You have got a lot of immigrants' groups pushing back on this.

Here's a quote from George Carrillo, co-founder and CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council -- quote -- and this is what he's talking about here. "Imagine families navigating health care or legal systems without materials in a language they understand. It is a barrier, not a bridge."

And you have also got pushback from Puerto Rico, where 94 percent of the people there speak Spanish. Pablo Jose Hernandez River, he's the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. He's also the non-voting member of the House from Puerto Rico. This is his quote, according to "The New York Times."

"This reflects a vision of American identity that conflicts with our Puerto Rican identity."

So, again, pushback from immigrants rights groups to this. We really have to see how it's going to apply in reality when people really want to apply for something and don't have a translation and then can't do it. Another immigrants rights leader said this is going to kind of take away our competitiveness with the rest of the world.

So, a lot of people talking about it. We really have to see what it means in reality. And this, of course, goes back to -- Donald Trump's been harping on this theme for years. This goes back to the 2016 presidential campaign, where he -- I don't know if you remember. He criticized Jeb Bush for answering some questions in Spanish.

[11:35:13]

He said this is a country where we speak English, not Spanish. It goes back that far.

BROWN: Of course, yes, we remember that.

TODD: Yes.

BROWN: So there is that question, how much of this is symbolic, right, given what he has said and how much of this will have a direct impact on people's lives?

TODD: Yes. Yes.

BROWN: And I guess what you're saying is, we will have to wait and see.

TODD: We do have to wait and see. A lot of people are saying this is mostly symbolic and Trump playing to his base, which, of course, he is.

There are also people who believe this is discouraging immigration and preventing people from getting basic services and needs that they need to apply for. But the reality is going to really play out when someone like you mentioned, Wolf, applies for a passport, applies for Social Security and cannot read English and has to have some other help in translating into Spanish or another language.

That's where you're going to probably see a lot of people either not applying for those benefits, not getting them, and that could be a potential problem.

BROWN: All right, Brian Todd, thank you so much for all your reporting.

TODD: Yes.

BROWN: Welcome to the new SITUATION ROOM.

TODD: Thank you. It's great to be here.

BLITZER: He's a regular in THE SITUATION ROOM.

BROWN: He is. He's been here from day one, 20 years.

BLITZER: From day one, 20 years. All right, thanks very much, Brian.

(CROSSTALK)

TODD: Thank you.

BLITZER: Appreciate it.

There's more breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM right now. In Illinois, a man is pleading guilty in the 2022 shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois. That's just outside of Chicago. Seven people were killed and dozens were injured.

Let's go live to see an CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild.

Whitney, first of all, what are you learning about this plea deal?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: We're still working through with the conditions of the plea deal are, Wolf.

But what we know is that he's pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder. He was facing a long list of charges, 21 counts of first- degree murder, three counts for each person killed, as well as 48 counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors had previously dropped the 48 counts of aggravated battery, so slimmed down just slightly, Wolf. But what today we know is that he pleaded guilty, again, to murder and attempted murder. This is a really important moment, Wolf, not just because it is the end of a horrific chapter for these families who have had to live through this every day for the last three years, but also because it's a really abrupt moment in the court.

There has been quite a bit of back-and-forth here, Wolf, over what Crimo's fate would be. What we know is that before he had a pleaded not guilty. Then he indicated he was willing to take a plea deal and then abruptly changed his mind, at the surprise of even his own attorneys.

This last trial, this final trial was set to begin today. There had already been jury selection. This trial was supposed to begin with opening statements, but moments before that happened Wolf, Robert Crimo III pleaded guilty.

Again, we are still working through the conditions of that plea deal, but, again, this is the end of a just gut-wrenching chapter that these families were going to have to live through, Wolf, because this trial was expected to last about a month.

The 48 survivors were all expected to testify. Prosecutors had also told the court they intended to bring forward thousands of pages of evidence and a video in which they claim the shooter confessed. Again, moments before that was all set to begin, he pleaded guilty. Sentencing is set for later in April, Wolf.

BLITZER: Whitney Wild reporting for us.

Whitney, thank you very much.

Pam, this story, it was very personal for me. I have got very close family living in Highland Park.

BROWN: Oh, wow, I didn't realize that, Wolf.

BLITZER: They're OK.

BROWN: Yes, but that's still very personal and personal for a lot of those families directly impacted.

BLITZER: Yes.

BROWN: Still ahead right here on the new SITUATION ROOM: As the Department of Government Efficiency threatens to lay off thousands more federal workers, the governor of New York has a new message: You're hired.

We will speak live with Governor Kathy Hochul ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:43:54]

BLITZER: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is now plotting a major political comeback, announcing over the weekend his candidacy for mayor of New York City.

Cuomo resigned from office back in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal. He denies all those allegations.

Joining us now is New York's current Governor Kathy Hochul. She served as lieutenant governor during the Cuomo administration.

Governor Hochul, thanks so much for joining us.

When Cuomo stepped down back in 2021, you called his behavior -- and I'm quoting you now -- "repulsive." Do you think he is fit to serve as New York's mayor?

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): First of all, Wolf, congratulations on the new show. Delighted to be on your first episode.

Also, here's what I'm going to tell you about the mayor's race. And this is the position you're going to hear today all the way up until the election's over for the primary in June. I will work with whomever the really smart voters of New York City decide they want to be their mayor.

That is not up for me to decide. I don't even vote in the city. But I will say also I will support people ultimately after they're elected who support my agenda of increasing public safety, dealing with the homelessness crisis, people with mental health problems, closing down illegal cannabis shops, making our streets safer.

[11:45:07]

So, I'm looking forward to working with whomever wants to partner with me to lift this city up. But, in the meantime, I'm not focused on the politics. I have a state to run. I have got multiple crises, many of them emanating from Washington.

I was with children yesterday who are severely ill, who are -- parents -- parents are terrified of losing Medicaid. So I will say, this will all work itself out, but I'm focused on governing the state of New York, nothing else.

BLITZER: The governor of New York, as you well know, and the mayor of New York City have to work together very, very closely. If Cuomo wins that race and becomes the next mayor of New York, would you be able to work with him, despite some of that history?

HOCHUL: It's up to the voters, Wolf. I'm not injecting my voice into this election. There's a lot of people that have put their names forward. I admire anybody who wants to run for office.

I'm in my 16th election. I know how challenging it is, but I want people who will put the city first, who understand that I have done more to help this city than anybody in a long time, investing money. I'm literally paying for overtime for our police officers, NYPD, to be on the subways. And guess what? Subway crimes are way down.

I'm working on getting more homeless off the streets, building more housing. No one has ever taken this on the way I have to reduce the cost of living here in this great city. So my agenda is broad-based. It's very supportive of the city. I had to work with Bill de Blasio as mayor. I worked with Eric Adams for the last number of years.

And whatever the voters decide, I will respect that.

BLITZER: You know, Governor, I want to turn now to President Trump's sweeping efforts right now to slash the entire federal government.

You hosted a roundtable this morning with workers hit by those federal job cuts. What kind of impact is this having in my home state of New York?

HOCHUL: It is absolutely devastating. Some people are on the verge of tears. I gathered about 10 people who unceremoniously were dumped, some of them on Valentine's Day, people that were working to fight consumer fraud, making sure that the huge corporations that are trying to evade taxes have to pay it, people who take care of our veterans, people who are making us safe.

All of them were just dumped. And I know the Trump-Musk administration doesn't have regard for them. They think they're disposable, that they make no contributions. But guess what? These are people who keep our skies safe. They're the ones who are researching, making sure we can have cures for our kids, so our kids don't get sick, taking care of vaccinations, countless ways that these are highly valuable people.

But, in New York, we're saying, you get fired by them, in New York, you're hired. And just literally today, you will start seeing -- in Washington at Union Station you will see ads that show basically this message, that you want a job in public service, we respect you, we want you to stay, and so here it is. We want you to come back and work for us.

I will hire you. I need you. We have 7,000 openings in the state of New York, and we value public service. Public servants take care of our people. That's what it's all about. So, come on board. We will hire you.

BLITZER: On another very sensitive issue, Governor, I want to get your thoughts. President Trump is now pushing ahead with plans to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting tomorrow.

Canada, of course, borders New York state. You and I grew up in Western New York, right on the border with Canada. How is this going to affect New York state, which has such close economic ties with Canada, especially Ontario?

HOCHUL: It'll be devastating. You know the synergy. There's -- to us in Western New York, it's not another country. It's just our neighbors across the bridge.

And the jobs, the people go get their education back and forth, the close connections, but also the businesses that thrive in New York and in Canada because we have -- they're our largest trading partner, $5 billion worth of trade across our borders every single year. That's going to affect the cost of steel and aluminum as we're trying

to build up. We're building Micron, the largest semiconductor manufacturing print going on right now, the largest investment in history, going on in Syracuse, New York. I have to keep that going.

And for our businesses to think that some of their commodities, their products are now going to cost 25 percent more, how is that about reducing people's costs? We were promised lower prices on day one, Inauguration Day. Not only is everything going to go up, even eggs. Eggs now cost $11 in New York City, up 20 percent from what they have been on Inauguration Day.

So this is not the trend. This is not what people were promised. And I encourage the administration to look closely at how they can keep the promise of reducing the cost of living for every American, but particularly people who are hard-hit here in New York.

BLITZER: Yes, very hard-hit indeed.

Governor, the Trump administration has already delayed the implementation of these tariffs before. Do you foresee that happening again?

[11:50:06]

HOCHUL: I hope so.

I hope they understand that what is a good sound bite is not going to help in reality, especially the businesses and the people who voted for you. These are people in the North Country of New York. It is a predominantly red area. They voted for you, Mr. President, and now their jobs and manufacturing are on the line.

And I would be terrified to know that the damage that could happen is people losing their jobs in New York and all across America. We can't let that happen. So, continue to delay. Let's work this out. Let's find a solution. But let's not drive up the costs on people all across this country. That's the last thing we need right now.

BLITZER: The president has repeatedly tied his proposal for a lot of tariffs to the flow of drugs crossing the border, including the Canadian border into the United States.

Are you seeing evidence of significant drug trafficking from New York's border with Canada?

HOCHUL: There was a time when there was a spike, but I have deplored more people on the border. The Canadians are working closely with us, the Border Patrol.

It is a fraction of what is being talked about. It is a problem, of course. We don't want a single drug to come across the border, but it does not justify the cataclysmic impact that tariffs will have on the state of New York. So, we can solve the problem at the border. We don't want drugs coming over. We don't want gangs coming over. We don't want human traffickers coming over. We get that. We will work with you. We will work with the federal

administration on this. But this is such an extreme remedy that it's going to have a ripple effect across our entire economy and especially in a place like this state.

BLITZER: New York Governor Kathy Hochul, as usual, thank you very, very much. Appreciate it. We will continue this conversation down the road.

HOCHUL: Sounds good. Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: And before we go, I think you want to share something with our viewers.

BROWN: That's right.

We had -- well, beyond the fact that this is the first debut of THE SITUATION ROOM with both of us, which is a true honor for me, I appeared on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" last week. It was such a surreal experience. It meant a lot to me. It was so much fun.

And it was my mom's favorite show. She just loved it. She'd watch it every night. She passed away in 2020, so it was especially special for me.

I want to play a moment, Wolf, where he asked me about when you and I first met.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Now, do you remember the first time you met Wolf?

BROWN: I do. I was a little kid, and I met him in Atlanta, Georgia. And I remember my parents saying: "You're about to meet Wolf Blitzer. This is a really big deal."

And I just was like: "His name is Wolf?"

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: And then they introduced me to him. And he had this big white beard. And I literally was like, is he like part wolf or something?

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: You know, like, as a little kid, your imagination runs wild.

COLBERT: Sure. Yes.

BROWN: He was this mythical creature to me. And then I watched him on CNN. And I was like, oh, my God, I want to do that one day. That looks like the coolest job ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And he said, really? You knew then?

BLITZER: So, do you still think it's the coolest job ever?

BROWN: I still think it's the coolest job ever. And I can't believe I'm actually doing it with you, which is completely surreal.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: That, at that age, I looked up. I remember watching you covering the war and then being in THE SITUATION ROOM. And so it's really cool. I told him, I said, I wanted to be -- start off, I wanted to be a detective, an archaeologist.

And then I saw you doing this, and I thought, hey, I could do that. You know, all three jobs require being a digger. So I thought I could do that.

BLITZER: And I know, when I saw you on Stephen Colbert's show, I was thinking of the first time I was on a late-night show. That was after the first Gulf War a long, long time ago.

I don't even know if you were born yet.

BROWN: Yes, we have it right here. Look, there's Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes. It was on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson."

And he said really nice things about me. And I loved it. And I'm sure you loved being with Stephen Colbert.

BROWN: It was an honor. And you had told me that you realized when you were on Johnny Carson's show, hey, maybe I have made it.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Maybe I have become famous as a result of the first Gulf War.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: That was my initial thought, that, wow, a kid from Buffalo, New York, all of a sudden on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson."

BROWN: All of a sudden. And I felt that way, a kid from Kentucky. I was just a girl -- I'm a girl from Kentucky, ending up being here with you and then on Stephen Colbert's show. It was really cool.

And we talked about the press as well, freedom of the press, what's happening with the White House. And it was just a really important discussion. You're talking about the importance of our job right now to hold power to account and to ask the tough questions of people in power and to aggressively cover the White House without fear or favor.

BLITZER: And we always are worried right now, especially now, about some problems involving the freedom of the press. It's so, so important for the American people. BROWN: It absolutely is.

Well, we're going to continue to cover it here on THE SITUATION ROOM. Nothing will deter us, right, Wolf?

BLITZER: We're together.

BROWN: We are together.

BLITZER: We're a team going back to Atlanta, when we were there for the Buffalo Bills-Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl. Tom Johnson, who was then the president of CNN, a good friend of your family, friend of mine, invited us to come to the Super Bowl.

[11:55:00]

BROWN: Yes.

BLITZER: Unfortunately, the first half was OK, the second half terrible.

BROWN: I don't remember that part, but I can just confirm to our viewers, you are not part wolf. You are fully human.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Do I look part wolf?

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: Well, no.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: But, no, it's very exciting.

BLITZER: We're going to have fun here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

BROWN: Yes, we are.

BROWN: And we thank you all for joining us.

BLITZER: And, to our viewers, thanks very much. You can keep up with us on social media @WolfBlitzer and @PamelaBrownCNN.

We will be back here tomorrow and every weekday morning for our expanded two-hour SITUATION ROOM 10:00 a.m. Eastern until noon Eastern.

In the meantime, have a great day. "INSIDE POLITICS WITH DANA BASH" starts right after a short break.