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The Situation Room

Trump Delays Auto Tariffs; House Votes to Censure Rep. Al Green; Zelenskyy meets with Europeans After U.S. Aid and Intel Cuts; U.S. Farmers Reacts to Trump Tariffs; Trump May Delay Canada and Mexico Tariffs. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired March 06, 2025 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

MARC SHORT, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: -- now that fully endorsed this. And again, this is another area where the legislative branch has ceded more and more of that authority to the executive branch that allows him to have broad tariff authority. But the policies that are being pursued in this big protectionist, I think, agenda, I think actually undercuts so many of his other accomplishments in his first six weeks. Because now a lot of the focus is on the economy.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Are you worried about Republicans in the midterms as a result?

SHORT: Well, I think you always will be if you have basic control and one party in all branches in the House and Senate and the White House. Traditionally, that is going to be the case. But I think that voters elected Donald Trump to secure the border, I think he's had a lot of success in the first six weeks.

But also, the economy was the other issue. And I think people -- markets are rattled with all this talk on tariffs. And I think that, you know, we're only seeing the beginning of it, Pamela. I think that there's indications now the president's going to provide more exemptions on Canada and Mexico between now and April 2nd.

But April 2nd, what he's outlined is copper, steel, aluminum, E.U., retaliatory terrorists. I mean, it's a whole new thing that he's looking to advance on April 2nd. And I think, again, the advisers he has around him really believe in kind of building a moat around the United States, and keeping, and believing that this will help to rebuild manufacturing base in the United States.

BROWN: But clearly, you're concerned -- other Republicans are concerning businesses --

SHORT: I think that this trade agenda is one that is going to really hamper the economy. And I think that's one of the reasons that Republicans were elected.

BROWN: All right. Marc Short, thank you as always. Great to see you.

SHORT: Thanks, Pamela. Thanks for having me. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the Situation Room, Marc.

SHORT: Thanks, Walter.

BLITZER: Good interview. Very strong. Appreciate it. There's more breaking news we're following right now. The House of Representatives has just wrapped up voting on whether to censure Democratic Congressman Al Green of Texas after he was kicked out of the House chamber after protesting President Trump's speech to that joint session of Congress. Pamela.

BROWN: I'm going to go --

BLITZER: This is a significant development.

BROWN: It absolutely is. I want to go to Manu Raju right now. He is on Capitol Hill. Our Chief Congressional Correspondent. Bring us there, Manu.

MARNI RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is actually a vote that just actually ultimately became a bipartisan vote. The vote was approved 224 to 198 vote. There were 10 Democrats who joined with all Republicans in voting for it. There were two Democrats who voted presidents.

Now, we expect there's some -- I'm told that Democrats are singing, we shall overcome in the well of the Senate. That's what -- or the House. Those are the Democrats who are opposed to what is happening here. We'll see what the speaker ultimately does, that kind of protest that's happening in the result of all of this.

You're listening -- you're hearing the speaker right there. As you can hear the speaker trying to stop these House Democrats. Let's listen into this, Wolf.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Pursuant to Clause 12A of Rule 1, the House will stand in recess, subject to the call of the Chair.

RAJU: Well, that is a pretty dramatic development there, Wolf. Typically, we had expected the House to actually go and to have another vote in the aftermath of this one. So, we'll see what the speaker ultimately tries to do with this protest that is now breaking out on the House floor of some members of the House Democratic Caucus voting -- singing, we shall overcome in the aftermath of this.

But this is clearly a divided some elements of the Democratic Party that -- it was like 10 Democrats voting with Republicans to ultimately approve this measure, 224 to 198 was the vote to censure Al Green, which is essentially is a public admonition. It's a way to say that the House disapproves of an action of a specific member. It really doesn't go beyond that.

It used to be very rare that the House would take such an action, really only in the most egregious of offenses. But in recent years, it's becoming used much more commonly, and in the aftermath of what Al Green did on the House floor, Republicans made clear that they wanted to punish Al Green for his extended outburst and ultimate removal from the House floor during Donald Trump's address to Congress.

But we'll see if the speaker decides to do anything else to these Democrats who are now speaking out or chanting, it seems, on the House floor if they're ultimately removed or if the speaker decides to take any action on them as well, guys.

BROWN: Very interesting.

BLITZER: I'm going to take a closer look at those 10 Democrats who voted --

BROWN: Me too. I was just thinking that.

BLITZER: -- to censure their fellow Democrat, Al Green of Texas.

BROWN: Yes, because I would think, Manu Raju -- I think we just lost him, but I'd like to know historically, you know, you were talking about it used to be extraordinarily rare, not so much in the last recent years, but how rare is it for a member of the person be censured own party to be -- to vote with the other side like this?

RAJU: You know, that has happened sometimes in recent history, but typically, these things have gone down -- at least in the last couple of years, have gone down mostly along party lines. Sometimes people might break ranks, especially ones in difficult districts. One person who did vote to censure Al Green right now is Marcy Kaptur. She's a veteran Ohio Democrat, someone who's actually in a swing district, so that tells you something there.

[10:35:00]

Another one, Jared Moskowitz, a much more -- a more moderate member of the House Democratic Caucus. He voted to censure Al Green. Another one, Jim Himes of Connecticut, not -- perhaps not as progressive as some of the members who are actually engaging in some of that protest that was happening here. But the larger issue here, though, is the debate within the Democratic Party or how exactly to express themselves as the opposition to Donald Trump at this key moment in that during the speech, the Democratic leaders did not want their members to engage on things with Al Green was doing. They did not want people to hold up signs that was the message that came from Hakeem Jeffries himself to his Democrats and progressives in particular were not -- did not listen to that advice. They wanted to show that they were fighting with Donald Trump and they wanted the public to know that as well.

And clearly, Al Green didn't take that advice also. We'll see what he ultimately says when he comes out of this censure vote. But before this vote, Pamela and Wolf, he said, I'm prepared to suffer the consequences of his actions. So, he has really no regrets for what he did. And he said he would do it again.

BLITZER: All right. Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill, important information. We'll be watching it closely. We'll see what he says. BROWN: We will.

BLITZER: We'll report that for our viewers well.

BROWN: And we should also note -- that's right. And we should also note that Congressman Himes who voted along with nine other Democrats voted to censure him will be on our show a little bit later.

BLITZER: Absolutely, we'll talk to him. We'll get his --

BROWN: Yes.

BLITZER: -- thoughts on this as well. Very sensitive information indeed. And we'll be right back with a lot more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

BLITZER: Let me get back to our breaking news, the U.S. House of Representatives has just voted to censure Democratic Congressman Al Green of Texas for protesting during President Trump's speech to Congress. Ten Democrats actually voted to censure him among all of the Republicans.

Let's talk about this and more with Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman of New York. He sits on the House Homeland Security Committee. I know you voted not to censure him, Congressman. What went into your decision?

REP. DAN GOLDMAN (D-NY), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, first of all, the Republicans have rendered censure to be totally meaningless by using it at every opportunity. It also is just entirely separate and apart from what we should be doing. How is censuring Al Green helping to lower the cost of eggs? How is it reducing inflation? How is it increasing unemployment? How is it reducing housing costs? It's not. The Republicans are doing meaningless stuff on the floor and it is ultimately hurting Americans.

What we should be talking about is all the lies that Donald Trump told on Tuesday night. How he how he brought in a cancer survivor while he's cutting cancer research. How he brought in the wife of a slain officer while he is pardoning others who were convicted for assaulting officers. How he lied about Ukraine aid. How he lied about Social Security. How he lied about so many different things. That's what he's doing. That -- he is gaslighting the American people.

And what I wish we were talking about is not how the Democrats oppose what Donald Trump did, but the terrible lies and policies that Donald Trump is pushing through and the complete ineptitude and powerlessness that the House Republicans are showing.

BLITZER: I want to get your thoughts on another critically important issue, specifically Ukraine, Congressman. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is holding a critically important meeting right now with the European leaders in Brussels, as the U.S. dramatically is scaling back support for Ukraine's war effort. Some Trump officials have suggested that support could be restored if Zelenskyy meets certain conditions.

How far should the Ukrainians be willing to go to satisfy President Trump and get this critically important aid and intelligence sharing reinstated?

GOLDMAN: Look, I think the Ukrainians have to stand up for what's right for Ukraine. Because Donald Trump is not. And it is very clear, based on his actions, that Donald Trump is yet again trying to extort Ukraine for the benefit of Vladimir Putin.

It's one thing to talk about wanting to get to peace, but when you stop sharing intelligence, and you stop cyber offensive warfare against Russia when they're doing it to us, you are placating Vladimir Putin. This is not trying to get to an equitable peace agreement, this is just trying to do Vladimir Putin's bidding at the expense of Ukraine. And just like he did in 2019, President Zelenskyy has to stand up for what's right for Ukraine. And giving away Ukrainian territory after a Russian invasion by a tyrant in Vladimir Putin is not what's right for Ukraine.

So, I think that we have to call it as we see it, which is that Donald Trump is not advocating for equal peace deal, he's advocating to support Vladimir Putin, a dictator and tyrant. And that is unacceptable.

BLITZER: I want to quickly turn, while I have you, Congressman, to another breaking news development unfolding right now. President Trump is preparing to sign an order dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Can he legally just dismantle the Department of Education by executive order, or does he need congressional action?

GOLDMAN: Well, ultimately, if you eliminate an agency, you need congressional action. But just the fact that this is what he's doing shows his disdain for the American people, shows his disdain for public education, shows his disdain for special programs that are essential for so many Americans to use and learn for Title I, which provides extra funding for disadvantaged neighborhoods.

[10:45:00]

This is just more and more of Donald Trump's effort to completely slash and burn the American government and cut costs that go to -- cut programs really and funding that goes to the vast majority of working Americans so that he can pave the way for tax cuts for billionaires. That is all that he's doing with these cuts and it is going to really, really harm the vast majority of American people.

BLITZER: One final question before I let you go, Congressman. What about the pushback that Elon Musk seems to be getting, at least from some Republicans in Congress? Is there an opening here for Democrats to work with those Republican lawmakers and try to reassert Congressional authority over spending? GOLDMAN: Wolf, it's got to come from the Congressional Republicans, because they are in the majority. And it has been shocking to me how Republicans in Congress have just handed over all of their own congressional authority to Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is not rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. He can't possibly know that it's waste, fraud, and abuse. And in fact, the representations of what he's cutting are false on his so-called transparent wall of receipts. What he's doing is a massive corruption scheme where he's cutting other government contracts while he is getting $13 billion. This is for Elon Musk's own benefit, and the Congressional Republicans have basically given all of their own power, of the purse, to Elon Musk. And it is about time that they stand up.

But I'll tell you something, Wolf, I will believe it when I see it. I'm sure they can say -- pay lip service to it, but let's see them actually go to the floor and put some legislation down that will curtail and put guardrails on Elon Musk.

BLITZER: Let's see if that happens. Congressman Dan Goldman of New York, thanks as usual for joining us.

GOLDMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Thanks, Wolf. And just ahead, we're going to speak to a farmer who says President Trump is casting a, quote, "net of uncertainty" every time he makes a tariff announcement. We'll be right back.

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[10:50:00]

BROWN: Breaking news, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just said the tariffs on nearly all products from Mexico and Canada will likely get delayed. But for now, the vast majority of them are still in place. The exception right now is a one-month reprieve on auto tariffs, but Americans are scared of all this uncertainty going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But then we rely on the market in Mexico to get rid of some of our product. So, then on the sales side, we're getting hit. So, we're getting hit on both ends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're doing everything in our power to try to keep the cost low. But at the same time, we have 26 employees that we have to make sure still have jobs. And we still have to pay the rent, we still have to pay LADWP, we still have to pay our city taxes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know where I work, a lot of the vendors are, you know, scared to death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you worried about this? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, hell yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Joining us now is John Boyd Jr, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association. He is also a fourth-generation farmer who works 1,000 Acre farm in southern Virginia. Thank you so much for joining us. So, what do you make of these new comments by the commerce secretary? Is that a relief or does it add to the overall confusion? How are you taking that in?

JOHN BOYD JR. FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION: I think it adds to the overall confusion. Every time they come out with a statement about the imposing tariffs or part of it's been recalled, all this confusion right here at planning season for America's farmers. So, this is a critical time in this country for America's farmers. They're getting their corn planters out. They want to be in the field, but they don't have the resources.

Last session, Congress put in place $30 billion to help America's farmers and USDA has not disperse those monies. So, we need a complete farm mortgage moratorium until that is done. You can't collect on the farmers and you haven't helped them. And in the president's speech, he said he loved farmers to bear with him. But we don't have time to bear with him. The last time the president imposed tariffs on America's farmers soybeans, and I'm a soybean producer, went from $16.80 a bushel all the way down to $6 a bushel. And we had to depend on a market facilitation program, a USDA program. And black and the government don't go good in the same sentence. And those payments was delayed, so many black farmers and many didn't receive the payments.

So, these are some of the things that are facing us right now today as I speak to you. And we need farm operating loans. And that's something that USDA food that we should put out there. And we have egg shortage and we have farmers out here in our organization that have vacant poultry houses, that they can't get poultry flocks in because we don't have farm operating monies to work those facilities.

BROWN: So, you say you can't afford any sort of disruption. And you're responding to what we heard from President Trump during his speech saying, hey, hang in there farmers. There might be some disruption, but just hang in there. American farmers survive on the thinnest of margins. How much do prices rely on these foreign markets, China, Canada and Mexico buying U.S. farm goods?

BOYD JR.: Well -- and thank you for that question. Mexico is probably the number one purchase of U.S. grown corn. China, the number one purchaser of U.S. grown soybeans. And when you put a cloud of smoke there, a certainty over those markets and the U.S. trade representatives should come out and provide new markets for America's farmers.

[10:55:00]

So, we're the first in line to take the blow and the last in line to take the blow would be the American people when they walk into supermarkets and face these high food cost prices. And then, on the lower end, the farmers don't have a real market. So, we get the lower end of this thing. And that's what happened the last time.

So, we need the president. If the president listened to this show, I want to sit down and talk to you so I can tell you exactly what we need right now. Just critical time and planning season for America's farmers.

BROWN: You have the tariffs and also these USAID cuts. How has that impacted you?

BOYD JR.: USAID cuts, all the employees lost their job. We took billions of pounds of American grown commodities out of circulation. Many was already bought and purchased, now being stockpiled at these buying elevators around the country.

People, we have a national catastrophe. And really, this is a state of emergency for America's farmers right now. You put in all of this chaos, and that's what this is, the president came right into office and caused a whole lot of chaos for the first people in line, the most important people, America's farmers. And he campaigned on making sure that farmers will be put first, and he won probably, I'm going to say this, 99 percent, especially white Americans and white farmers voted for this president. And here he is making us pay the piper here at the beginning of planting season.

So, these are some real issues facing America's farm and we need the American people to step up and support us right now at this critical time. There are foundations that should be supporting the MBFA. There are companies and corporations that should be supporting us right now at this critical time. The president come in and put all these sweeping changes in and we need Americans to act in the same matter in the sweeping opportunity to help America's farmers to stay on the farm.

BROWN: OK.

BOYD JR.: We should not be losing farmers in this country.

BROWN: John Boyd, Jr., thank you for coming on and sharing what you're going through. And keep us posted. You said you're having trouble getting government loans that are owed to you. So, keep us posted on what's happening on that front. Thank you so much and best of luck to you.

BOYD JR.: Thank you so much for having me.

BROWN: Wolf?

BLITZER: The stakes for American farmers are enormous. Right now, in the next hour, we'll speak with former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman as well, he's got very strong views on all of this. Also coming up, with tens of thousands of jobs potentially on the chopping block over the Department of Veterans Affairs, we'll speak to a veteran and a father who has already -- who was already part of the first round of firing. That's coming up next.

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