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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Tonight, Trump's First Address to Congress Since Returning to Power; Trump Hits Canada, Mexico, China With Steep Tariffs; Trump Officials Backchannel With Zelenskyy to Try to Get Talks Back on Track Before Tonight's Address; Incoming FBI Deputy Director Bongino Uses Heated Words In Post After Head Of FBI's NY Office Is Forced To Retire; Tonight: Trump's First Address To Congress Since Returning To Power. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 04, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

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[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, we are just three hours away from President Trump's televised address to a joint session of Congress. Our coverage will begin on CNN at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. Can the President sell his controversial tariffs and his Ukraine agenda to voters who are anxious about both?

Plus, President Trump paused military aid to Ukraine last night, days after that heated debate in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy. Nick Paton Walsh reports from Ukraine and our Matthew Chance is in Moscow with a view from inside Russia.

And we're going to go back to a grocery store in Pennsylvania where Trump promised to bring prices down, quote, on day one. Are shoppers there satisfied with the president's leadership on this campaign defining issue?

Let's start with our Politics Lead, President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress. It's a major sales pitch of sorts from a president under fire. Tonight, he asked to convince the nation that his cuts instituted by DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, his tariffs, and his Ukraine policy will make the United States stronger.

Jeff Zeleny starts us off at the White House. And, Jeff, what is the White House saying about what we should expect to hear from the president tonight?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, we know that the president has been spending most of the afternoon putting some of the finishing touches and his own language and edits into this speech. It's the first time he will return to the Capitol to give a primetime address. Of course, he had his inauguration speech there just 43 days ago. So, the actions of those 43 days, I'm told, are going to be a bit of a bridge, of an outline of this speech. He's going to be talking a lot about the government efficiency. He's going to be talking a lot about Elon Musk and told Elon Musk will be on hand in the chamber. And that, of course has been the, really, focus of the first few weeks of the administration.

But the action of just the last 24 hours are certainly shining a brighter light on the actual policies of this administration. And I am told that the White House has been fielding calls all day long from Republicans who are concerned about the idea of a trade war. They've seen the stock market reaction. We all have. The world has. The president (INAUDIBLE) has also been deeply watching that. We shall see if they change course at all. Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, suggested there could be some type of a pause. We shall see about that.

But Ukraine also front and center in this speech, of course. So, the president also would like to make a deal on the rare earth mineral deal with Ukraine that was the intention of that meeting last Friday that ended in a very diplomatic breakdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. So, on a variety of fronts, those are the sort of the outlines.

But, Jake, it is going to be a remarkably different moment than the five years ago it was when he was last in the House chamber addressing the House and the Senate. Of course, he was on the verge of the first impeachment vote. The Senate voted the next day to acquit him. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of course, is right behind him. No more. This is his Republican Party. He'll be speaking to a very friendly crowd. I'm told he'll be flexing the idea that he also won the popular vote and indeed has a mandate.

TAPPER: All right. Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much.

Now, let's go to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue where we find Manu Raju joining us from Capitol Hill. Manu tell us the view there.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's a lot of Republicans too want to get some clarity over some of Donald Trump's main policy issues as well as things that he's taken in the last day or so of the tariffs in particular. One of the things that a lot of Republicans want to know is how long this will go on for, whether there's going to be potentially any relief in sight and as well as the DOGE cuts and whether he'll address and some Republicans hope to even speak more compassionately about all the firings that we have seen impacting thousands of jobs, the cuts that could impact some of their constituents as well as, as well Ukraine. This is going to be a divided Republican audience and some questions, including from one Congressman, Mike McCaul, a veteran of the House GOP, someone who supports continuing the U.S. backing of Ukraine, wants Donald Trump to lay out his strategy with that war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE MCCAUL (R-TX): I hope we hear from the president tonight about this, that he's willing to, you know, get things back on track and sign this investment economic agreement that's going to be in everyone's best interest.

[18:05:05] RAJU: Russia says that the actions taken by the United States suggests that the U.S. policies are aligned with Russia. Does that concern you that that's the viewpoint of Russia and a lot of the world?

MCCAUL: Yes, I don't think we should be -- our policies should be aligned with any adversary, particularly Russia or China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: But this is a very divided House and Senate GOP over the issue of Ukraine, more and more coming along to Donald Trump's side. Many of them defended Donald Trump in the aftermath of that Zelenskyy episode. How does Trump address that tonight? How will House and Senate Republicans respond to Donald Trump's messaging on that? That will be one key thing to watch later tonight, Jake.

TAPPER: Do Democrats have any sort of unanimity or cohesive strategy in terms of their messaging, or even in terms of their physical presence at the speech tonight?

RAJU: A short answer is no, Jake. In fact, Democrats have been divided for really much of this year, post-election, on their tactics and strategy, and that's really playing out here as well. There are a number of Democrats, progressive members, people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Maxine Waters, who plan to boycott this speech. Ocasio- Cortez told me she does not want to legitimize Donald Trump. That was her words. But others say that they want to -- do want to attend, and make their own political points, either by silent protests or other types of protests. One of the things that we expect to see is number of these fired federal workers to be guests of their -- all of these Democratic members trying to bring that in to point out the human impact of some of these Elon Musk inspired cuts. So, we'll see how that ultimately plays out, Jake.

But the Democratic leaders hope that their members don't engage in any outbursts that we've seen in the past and Democratic members and Republican members alike. Whether they can -- those rank and file Democrats can listen to those leaders, that's another question, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Manu Raju on Capitol Hill, thanks so much.

I'm joined now by Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson. He chairs the House Main Street Caucus, which says its job is to promote common sense, pragmatic legislation. Congressman Johnson, good to see you again.

I want to play for you some of what Vice President Vance said he expects to hear from President Trump this evening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The president of the United States, he's going to make a lot of good arguments. He's going to talk a lot about a lot of the successes that we've had in these first 45 days. He's also going to be himself, which means he's going to poke a little fun, and we're going to have a good time tomorrow, so I'm just going to try to enjoy it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What does poke a little fun suggest to you?

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): Well, I don't know. I suspect he will be ready to roll with the punches. If there are some outbursts from the Democratic side, I don't think Donald Trump was going to be scared off by that. I think he's going to be willing to roll with the punches and maybe give it as well as he takes it.

TAPPER: President Trump said in his inaugural address a few weeks ago that his proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and a unifier. Do you see what's going on with U.S. policy in terms of Ukraine as helping to get to peace?

JOHNSON: I think it's too early to say. Clearly all decent people should want a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine. Let's make no bones about it, Russia is the invader. They were the aggressor. Vladimir Putin is a thug and a tyrant. Now, that being said, though, you only make peace with your enemies. And I think having Zelenskyy back at the table is good news. I think the president's idea for this mineral agreement could be good for the United States, good for Ukraine, and good for a lot of innocents that we don't want to have die in the months and years to come.

TAPPER: What do you say to somebody, a constituent who comes up to you and says, you know, I always thought, especially under Reagan, that the United States stood for was a beacon of liberty, a beacon of freedom, that we stand for democracy and I don't like what I'm hearing from this president when it comes to not only harsh criticism against Zelenskyy, but praise for Vladimir Putin? What do you say to that person and how do you feel on that issue?

JOHNSON: I do think Donald Trump likes to keep open lines of communication with everybody, and that's actually really healthy. The world is most dangerous when the Chinese Communist Party pouts and doesn't pick up the red phones when we call them. I mean, those conversations are how you deescalate dangerous situations. I've already said I think Putin is a thug and a tyrant. That being said, we do need to have a working relationship with any nuclear power, if we want to keep this world as safe and secure as we need it to be.

TAPPER: Let's talk about the tariffs. How concerned are you that the U.S. is entering a trade war that's going to hurt the economic strength of American families more than help them? Because places like Target are already talking about raising prices at produce. And it doesn't appear that this is just brinksmanship, that President Trump is just threatening this or imposing this for short-term. It does seem as though he believes in tariffs as a long-term policy.

[18:10:04]

JOHNSON: Well, I'm not the world's biggest fan of tariffs as a permanent economic condition. That being said, I really am okay with their use as a tool, as a piece of leverage. I think it's really hard to say exactly what the president's motivations are, because if you're really bluffing, well, Jake Tapper and Dusty Johnson don't know that it's a bluff. I think he's going to do what he can to try to drive the very best deal, and, Jake, I got to tell you, I'm a big fan of that. In little old South Dakota, we sell $7 billion a year of manufactured and agricultural goods. That is $7,700 apiece every single year for every single South Dakotan. We need more market access, and I think tariffs can be a tool to move us in that direction.

TAPPER: Congressman Dusty Johnson, thank you so much. Good to see you again.

JOHHNSON: Thank you.

Our political panel is going to give their expectations for tonight coming up.

And later, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tries to diffuse his difficult relationship with President Trump a day after the president paused military funding. We're going to have live reports from Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv and Matthew Chance in Moscow. That's ahead.

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[18:15:00]

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress is less than three hours from now.

Joining us to discuss Republican Strategist Shermichael Singleton and Democratic Strategist Paul Begala. Paul, what are you expecting to hear from President Trump? I'm not asking you what you want to hear. What are you expecting to hear given everything going on with tariffs and Ukraine and everything else?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Showmanship. It is his great gift. This guy is a great showman. I obviously don't support him. But he understands better than anybody, probably even better than Ronald Reagan, how to command attention. And he has to distract us right now. Stock market is down. Inflation is up. Consumer confidence is down. You know, things are bad since he took office and I think because of his policies. Rather than, you know, if it was Bill Clinton, he'd want to talk you through here's what we're doing and why. I think he's going to want to divert and distract. And he comes up with things.

In 2020, you remember, he gave Rush Limbaugh, who was dying of cancer at the time, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And he could do something. Maybe he'll give Putin Zaporizhia and Crimea and Donetsk and Kharkiv, maybe Alaska if Lisa Murkowski keeps voting against him. So, he's going to do something that I can't even imagine.

TAPPER: So, some distraction. Shermichael. Trump's Senior Adviser Jason Miller told CNN that President Trump plans to, quote, lean into tariffs. Tariffs right now -- I mean, Lawrence Summers said something about how if you're every economist, except for those paid by Trump or against tariffs, it's a little bit of an overstatement, but I did see a survey of 45 economists and 43 say they are going to lead to higher prices --

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

TAPPER: -- unequivocally.

SINGLETON: Yes, we know that. The question becomes, how long do these tariffs stay in place? You saw TSMC, the chip manufacturer, saying they're going to invest $100 billion into the United States for research and development. That's going to be new jobs in Texas and across the U.S. Toyota just announced that they're moving manufacturing out of Mexico to Indiana. That's going to be thousands of jobs for Americans. UAW just made an announcement today saying, yes, finally an end to NAFTA, which promised to uplift all boats. It actually destroyed quite a bit of the middle class. You may disagree, Paul, but the facts speak for themselves.

So, the point is, yes, there's going to be a temporary pinch. But as a lot of these companies and manufacturers look for a workaround, a part of that workaround, Jake, will be the realization that we have to move manufacturing to America, to hire Americans to rebuild the middle class that is frankly almost nonexistent today.

TAPPER: I know you have a lot to say on this, but we only have a limited time.

BEGALA: Yes, sir.

TAPPER: And I want to know what you think Democrats should be doing tonight. Should they be boycotting? Should they be standing and being cooperative and polite? Should they be heckling? Like what would you tell a Democrat in the arena?

BEGALA: First, he is a guest in your house and you should treat him like that. In the military, which I never served, but my dad, my grandpa, they were -- my father-in-law was a war hero. They teach you -- you salute the uniform, not the person. And we honor the office. Democrats need to do that, I think it's very important.

I still remember, I'm still angry about Joe Wilson, a congressman from South Carolina, yelling at President Obama during the State of the Union. You're a liar. I don't want any of that. Did you see the news out of Belgrade today? The Serbian parliament descended into a riot, a literal riot, smoke bombs, one member had a stroke.

So, I mean, the near civilization is very thin. So, I guess if I were counseling the Democrats, I'm wearing a Ukrainian tie for a reason, right? You can send a message. I love that they're having workers there who've been betrayed,

TAPPER: Federal employees who have been fired, yes.

BEGALA: middle class men and women have been betrayed by Trump. All they want to do is serve our country. I'm all for that. But I don't want any catcalls hooting. You can sit even with your arms crossed and disapprove of the content of what the man is saying. But I think Democrats will play right into Trump's hand if they misbehave in any public way.

TAPPER: So, Shermichael, one of the main criticisms that Democrats have for President Biden was that he did not do enough to acknowledge the economic pain that they were feeling in the grocery store and at the gas pump, that he would hold up charts and graphs and say, much to Paul's chagrin, and say, look, the economy is great, the economy is great, and people didn't feel that way. Prices are rising, right. And Target just said produce is going to go up because of these tariffs.

SINGLETON: Tariffs, yes.

TAPPER: How much should President Trump acknowledge there is some economic pain and I'm sorry for that, but, ultimately, we're going to get there versus just ignoring it?

SINGLETON: Which was the point that I was making.

[18:20:00]

I first want to touch on something Paul stated before I answered that question about the president disrespecting federal workers. About 15, 20 years ago when President Clinton fired hundreds of thousands of federal workers, it was a more methodical process, if you will. He didn't disrespect those federal workers.

BEGALA: No.

SINGLETON: President Trump is doing it more expedited.

BEGALA: He's doing it unconstitutionally, Mr. Trump.

SINGLETON: But, no, I don't agree with that, Paul. I don't agree with that.

BEGALA: You can't fire people who the Congress has hired and told you to run their agency.

SINGLETON: I think it's Congress. They're not objecting to what the president's doing.

TAPPER: Here's what Bill Clinton did. He went to the Congress. He passed the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994.

SINGLETON: 25,000 buyout, I agree with that. I don't disagree with that.

BEGALA: Okay. But there's a way to do it. But the headcount is --

TAPPER: You have made the same arguments on this very show.

BEGALA: But the headcount today in the federal government is lower than it was 20 years ago.

SINGLETON: No. Wait a minute here, Paul. The only -- one of the only entities in this country that have grown has grown rather in the past four years has been the federal government hiring thousands and thousands of people to do, what, we don't know. Then they complain about having to complete a report to say what they did the previous week.

TAPPER: You talk about pinch and a pain. So, it's going to be pain, but it's going to be felt by the middle class. Democrats, they need to talk about the betrayal. Mr. Musk is not going to feel any pain. Mr. Zuckerberg is not going to feel any pain. The billionaire's board club

(CROSSTALKS)

TAPPER: You should have handed it over back to him.

SINGLETON: To answer that question, yes, you acknowledge the pain. But, again, the ultimate message to the American people, look at the companies that are coming back to make jobs in America. Look at UAW, strong union, certainly not for a Republican.

BEGALA: Grandma's got to get a Medicaid cut so that Elon can get a tax cut.

TAPPER: You're about to be Belgrade over here for a second.

BEGALA: I know. I love this guy.

TAPPER: C-SPAN, you got a lot of hands on each other. All right. This isn't C-SPAN Serbia.

Paul Begala and Shermichael Singleton, thanks to both of you.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy now calls his heated Oval Office meeting with President Trump regrettable. We're going to get reaction and live reports from both Ukraine and Russia. Stay with us.

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[18:25:00]

TAPPER: Our World Lead now, sources tell CNN that Trump officials are involved in some backchannel negotiations with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy after Friday's Oval Office fireworks and last night's U.S. pause on military aid. They want to get talks about that rare earth mineral deal back on track before tonight's address.

Today, Zelenskyy called that heated Oval Office meeting Friday between himself and the president, then the vice president, he called it, quote, regrettable. We have reporters in Ukraine and Russia.

Let's start with our Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv. Nick, how confident are Ukrainian officials that Zelenskyy's new outreach, his olive branch, will bridge this divide?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Look, I think it's exceptionally hard for anyone in Kiev to really divine what might come next after two weeks, frankly, of a rollercoaster ride. Now, Zelenskyy seems to have gone, it seems, close enough to what some Trump's advisers want him to do. He's called twice, both in a video and in the social media, posting the Oval Office meeting regrettable. He's offered, actually, that basic tenets of what might even be a peace plan for the future, suggesting there could be a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia and indeed, too, there could be a limited ceasefire in the air, sea, and potentially limiting attacks on energy infrastructure.

That echoes a proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron. He also said that Ukraine is willing to sign the rare earth mineral deal. That idea never really went away despite this particular dispute. And he's also said clearly that Ukraine is committed to peace.

The big question really Jake in all of this is what kind of peace when Donald Trump cut off aid last night and demanded Ukraine commit to peace. What kind of peace was Trump referring to? Is it the peace that U.S. and Russia are negotiating on a separate track without Ukraine? Is it the peace that their European partners appear to be pulling together with consultation with Ukraine? Or is it something entirely separate that is just more an emotional response about where Trump feels he wants Zelenskyy to be?

We may get more steer on that in this speech ahead tonight, but be in no doubt, pausing U.S. military aid for Ukraine is an existential crisis here. People are frankly horrified at this idea. They've had to adapt to multiple permutations over the last three years, certainly, and the last pause in U.S. aid back in December 2023, I remember being there, have caused a massive collapse in morale. We're seeing possibly that now. We know that in weeks, the Patriot air defense missiles that are so desperately needed to defend against Russian ballistic missiles may run out. By May, there may be an artillery ammunition crisis, potentially a loss of that vital part of their defense.

So, this is really something Ukrainians wake up every morning looking at their phones understanding very little about their relationship with the United States. Maybe we'll get a bit of healing or clarity tonight, but, frankly, it's been a seesaw of two weeks, so little that can be relied upon. Jake?

TAPPER: Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv, Ukraine, thank you. Stay safe.

Matthew Chance joins us now from Moscow. Matthew, what's been the reaction there to President Trump pausing military aid to Ukraine?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, well, they've -- well, obviously, they've welcomed it. I mean, there's been some pretty positive statements made by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. He said it was a decision that could really push the Kyiv regime towards a peace process. He knows very well that without U.S. weapons, without a constant supply of them, it's going to make it much more hard for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to resist, you know, the Russian sort of invasion of the country.

There's been some skepticism, a senior. Russian lawmaker saying that it would have been more important if the U.S. had stopped providing intelligence, you know, kind of information to the Ukrainians, because obviously the Ukrainians use that to pinpoint the locations of Russians.

[18:30:03]

But, generally, it's been welcomed as another huge concession, frankly, by the Trump administration in the favor of Russia.

TAPPER: Are Russian leaders looking for anything in particular in President Trump's address this evening?

CHANCE: Well, I think they're sitting back and watching what's going to come up next. They've already got such a lot, remember, in terms of, you know, their objectives in Ukraine. I think some of the focus right now is on what economic benefits Russia can extract from this Trump-driven detente with Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, again, the Kremlin spokesman, talking about a whole range of various deals that could be done across Russia with the U.S., including in occupied areas, areas that Russia from Ukraine.

But, you know, generally, what the Russians want most of all, they've already got, which is to sit back and watch the western alliance splinter and potentially disintegrate as a result of all this turmoil and disaccord when it comes to Ukraine.

TAPPER: Matthew Chance reporting from Moscow, thank you so much.

Let's bring in Rebecca Heinrich. She's a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. She specializes in U.S. national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence. Rebeccah, so good to see you.

What should Zelenskyy be doing right now to get the deal back on track? Obviously, that very conciliatory post on social media helped, the video probably helped, but he clearly really offended Trump and Vance.

REBECCAH HEINRICH, SENIOR FELLOW, HUDGSON INSTITUTE: He did. I think he's doing all the right things at this point. I think the most recent post on Truth has been the most encouraging to, to get us back on track. He also indicated that he has potentially other help now from European allies. You've got the Brits now and the French that are willing to provide, potentially, peacekeeping forces. All of that shows that Zelenskyy is interested in peace, something that the administration called into question because of the Oval Office breakdown.

But I think Zelenskyy now, at this point, is in a waiting position to see how the Trump administration responds.

TAPPER: So, on Earth 2, where Kamala Harris won, would Democrats be pushing for a peace plan at some point as well? I mean, this is a lot of money. It doesn't seem as though -- it does seem like Russia's winning. A Ukrainian told me that. Obviously, in a perfect world, you know, Putin wouldn't have invaded and Ukraine could keep all its territory. I guess what I'm asking is, wouldn't any peace deal under any president require some territorial concession to the aggressor, Russia?

HEINRICH: Yes, absolutely. I mean we were in a bad position It was much easier to deter the aggression It's much harder at this point to compel the aggressor to get back out of that territory So, you're going to have to have some kind of peace agreement.

The question, of course, has always been on what terms. How good can the United States compel an end to this conflict, on terms that are good for Ukraine, so Ukraine can remain strong, secure, sovereign in some sense, and also for NATO? Because NATO -- you know, those Eastern European countries are very concerned that if there isn't a strong, robust European security guarantee, that Putin is just going to restart aggression.

TAPPER: You think -- and I've seen you argue, and that's one of the reasons you're here, because I thought it was so interesting. You think that people are not seeing the rare earth minerals deal the same way you are, which is you think it's like this is a way to guarantee the United States will care about Ukraine's sovereignty and survival?

HEINRICH: One of the things that has been a hallmark of the Trump administration is to try to take abstract ideas and make them concrete for the American people. So, rather than the Biden administration said, look, this is democracy versus autocracy. Trump is saying, I'm talking about, no kidding, rare earth minerals for the benefit of the American people were invested in the security of Ukraine. That is great for Ukraine to have the United States and Ukraine having deeper, more concrete ties.

President Trump even said whenever he was talking to you of office to reporters, he said, listen, we're going to have European peacekeepers, potentially the French and the Brits, serious, fierce people need bigger militaries, but serious, fierce people. And he said, and listen, I haven't ruled out potentially Americans, it was sort of an offhand comment. But I think it's interesting that President Trump is saying, look, let's get vested, let's get -- Ukraine has like, something like 3 to 5 percent of the planet's rare earth minerals, where the United States has 1 to 2 percent.

So, there's great benefit for the United States. It's my hope that Zelenskyy sees that this is the necessary path to getting the United States to commit for a long-term benefit of Ukraine.

TAPPER: You're not a psychoanalyst, but let me ask you, do you think President Trump sees it the way you do, this is a way to get something out of it and also like help Ukraine, or do you think some smart person sold President Trump on this argument to get his sign off on why we should care?

HEINRICH: Well, I think President Trump is very highly motivated to end the war.

[18:35:00]

He wants to focus on trade and economic benefit for the American people. And so he inherited a serious problem. It's a hot war. The European Union is still our biggest trading partner, so we need to have security in Europe. We have to have security in Europe to even have allies and partners help us deter China. So, even if you're focused on China, you need peace there. So, I think that he was looking for a clever way to say, how do I get about this?

The other thing I think probably haunts him, you know, the Afghanistan withdrawal was terrible, catastrophic. And President Biden, I think, was fairly blamed for that, stuck in the heads of the American people. Ukraine cannot become President Trump's Afghanistan.

TAPPER: Interesting.

HEINRICH: And so it's now on his watch to bring this thing to a safe landing in the best way possible. It's been hard to watch the diplomacy play out publicly.

TAPPER: It sure has.

HEINRICH: But my hope is that this is going to get wrapped up pretty quickly once Zelenskyy hopefully signs this deal with the president.

TAPPER: Rebeccah Heinrich of the Hudson Institute, thanks so much, really interesting stuff. Please come back soon.

On the campaign trail at a grocery store, candidate Trump promised to lower prices on day one. How do folks in Pennsylvania, in the Pennsylvania town where he made that promise, how do they think he's doing?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

TAPPER: Tonight in our Money Lead, the price of groceries, bringing down prices is expected to be a part of tonight's address by the president. It was a promise of then-Candidate Trump on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, we're going to bring those prices way down.

Your prices are going to come down.

Do you know what people tell me mostly? Groceries, the simple word, groceries.

But a vote for Trump means your groceries.

They say about my groceries were so expensive, they'll be cheaper.

And the price, you know, they talk about more than anything else, groceries. Who would think groceries? It's so bad, they go to the supermarket. Who would think it could happen?

Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down, and we will bring back the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now, more than six weeks in, has there been any progress made?

CNN's Danny Freeman has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In many ways, Sprankle's Neighborhood Market was just like any other local grocery store until the president came to town.

TRUMP: They caused inflation at a number that nobody can believe. We've never seen numbers like this.

FREEMAN: A month before election day, President Trump visited the family-owned grocery store in rural Kittanning, Pennsylvania to drive home a critical campaign promise.

TRUMP: When I win, I will immediately bring prices down starting on day one.

FREEMAN: Yet, despite the promise and the visit, prices have stayed stubbornly high.

RYAN SPRANKLE, OWNER, SPRANKLE'S NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET: Professionally, it was the wildest 37 minutes of my life.

FREEMAN: Ryan Sprankle, now clean shaven, is the owner of the store. He proudly gave Trump the tour back in September and Ryan voted for Trump in large part because he said prices would come down.

Are you concerned that hasn't happened yet?

SPRANKLE: I'll be honest, no matter who's trying to get your vote, you know, I think there's always a certain amount of overpromising.

FREEMAN: While the Republican acknowledges prices have remained high, he says they have stopped going up so rapidly.

SPRANKLE: The fact that a lot of the big companies' prices have stabilized and aren't increasing at the rates that they've been increasing at gives me hope that, you know, at least it's got somebody's attention.

FREEMAN: New data from the Commerce Department appears to back up what Ryan's seeing. Inflation did, in fact, cool slightly in January compared to December. One of the Federal Reserve's go-to inflation gauges rose 2.5 percent last month compared to the year before, slowing from December's 2.6 percent annual rate.

But that doesn't mean American shoppers are feeling relief yet.

JENNY KLINE, PENNSYLVANIA INDEPENDENT: I think it's going to take some time for that to happen.

FREEMAN: But Jenny Kline, an independent who voted for Trump, says she has complete faith in the president.

KLINE: It didn't get this way in six months. You know, it'll take a while for the prices to come down and I'm willing to give him the time because I feel he'll be able to do it.

BRIAN MCGRATH, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRAT: A lot of these areas around western Pennsylvania, I'm sure in West Virginia, are kind of like depressed. We haven't seen a lot of growth here. We hope that maybe by having Republicans in there might be some potential growth.

FREEMAN: Brian McGrath is a registered Democrat who voted for Trump. While he feels some parts of the new administration have gone overboard this past month, he's still willing to give President Trump time to bring prices down.

MCGRATH: We'll have to wait and see. All I can say is two years from now, we'll have another, what is that, midterm election, and if people aren't happy, then they're going to go the opposite way.

FREEMAN: At nearby Espirare Coffee, prices are front of mind.

JOLENE MCILWAIN, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATY: And here in the coffee shop, you hear people talking about, are we going to be able to afford to get a car loan? Are we going to be able to afford to buy eggs?

FREEMAN: Democrat Jolene McIlwain didn't vote for Trump, but understands the desire here for something different.

MCILWAIN: I think people are going to hold out hope, but also be highly critical, no matter which party. Because we've seen under both kinds of administrations, we've seen difficulty.

SPRANKLE: There's a lot riding on the next four years.

FREEMAN: Yes.

SPRANKLE: Because let's face it, people made a choice in 2016, people made another choice in 2020 and now the next four years I think will really go a long way to determine what's everybody's decision that they made the right decision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN (on camera): So, Jake, the message you hear right there that we heard again and again from folks in this county where Trump won with 76 percent of the vote is we're willing to give the president a little bit more time to make good on those promises. But make no mistake, they also said they're going to be watching these prices like hawks as we move forward in the next couple of months and years. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Danny Freeman, go birds.

Next, the Trump shakeup at the FBI, the head of the New York office is forced out with no explanation. Now, the incoming FBI deputy director has posted -- it was something that some might call a vulgar message on social media directed at the ousted head of the New York FBI.

[18:45:08]

Details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:49:21]

TAPPER: On social media, incoming FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino used some heated words after the head of the FBI's New York office says he was forced to retire. Dan Bongino wrote, heads are rolling as FAFO appears to be hitting the FBI. FAFO means F around and find out. Except it's not F, its the F word.

James Dennehy said there was no explanation why he had to retire. Just last month, he told his staff he was prepared to, quote, dig in after the Justice Department was pressuring FBI agents who worked on January 6th cases.

Joining us now to discuss, CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller.

[18:50:03]

John, what does Dan Bongino's comment signal about the future of the FBI? And how do you think it's likely to be received by FBI agents, including those at the New York field office?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, it's clearly a threat. There's no other way to dress that up, which is get with the program. But if we feel that you are resisting, even if it's because you think you're being asked to do something wrong, then you will be dealt with. So they're setting the examples. They're leaving the bodies in full view for others to see.

And frankly, as a former assistant director of the FBI, I actually find it a little disturbing that the deputy director of the FBI to be is using a quote from the Proud Boys, which essentially is a gang that was convicted in court of serious crimes before being pardoned as his slogan for -- how to keep people in line.

TAPPER: What do you make of Special Agent Dennehy being forced to retire instead of being outright fired? Could that mean that he'll need to keep a lid on any criticism of the Trump administration if he wants to get his pension? Is that -- is that the reason?

MILLER: Well, firing him would have required them to prove or show that he did something wrong, which I don't think they could do. And if they did, I think if he sued on that, he would win. But they could have made his life miserable if he stayed.

So retiring allows him to go and collect that pension. And who knows whether he will speak out after or not. TAPPER: Dan Bongino previously called the FBI irredeemably corrupt.

How much power does the position of deputy FBI director have?

BONGINO: Well, again, its disturbing that the person who is going to be the number two there has said the agency is irredeemably corrupt, that he's going to be helping to lead, but enormous power. The FBI deputy director is the person who runs the day to day operations of the FBI, means he needs intimate knowledge of the FBI's operations and capability, which he doesn't have and will have to learn.

It makes him the rating official for all the special agents in charge of all the field offices and all the assistant directors. So basically, while the director takes the organization into the future, the deputy director is effectively running the place, a lot of power.

TAPPER: John Miller, thanks so much.

We're getting closer to President Trump's address tonight on Capitol Hill. He's been in this critical moment before during his first term. We're going to take a look at that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: We're just a couple hours and change away from President Trump's address to Congress. He's expected to justify some of his major shakeups to tout his successes, trying to rally Congress and the country behind his agenda. He is, of course, no stranger to this high stakes moment.

Here's Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border.

(CHEERING)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Standing before a House and Senate controlled by Republicans, President Donald Trump's first address to Congress promised less violent crime, fewer regulations, and a huge change in health care.

TRUMP: I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare.

(CHEERING)

FOREMAN: He talked about better trade deals to boost the economy, more pressure on America's foes, more stability for its friends.

TRUMP: Our allies will find that America is once again ready to lead.

FOREMAN: By 2018, with the economy roaring, Trump was touting the big tax cuts he and Congress had approved.

TRUMP: There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.

FOREMAN: He pressed both parties to embrace immigration reform, and in a little noted moment, he asked Congress for more power.

TRUMP: To remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.

(APPLAUSE)

FOREMAN: But by 2019, with Democrats having retaken control of the House, frustration was seeping into Trump's bravado. While he boasted about his friendship with foreign dictators, he suggested American Democrats were not to be trusted.

TRUMP: Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.

(CHEERING)

FOREMAN: And the Russia investigation, which would lead to his first impeachment by years end, was clearly on his mind.

TRUMP: An economic miracle is taking place in the United States, and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations.

FOREMAN: And in 2020, with the Republican controlled Senate having refused to convict him, almost all talk of bipartisanship was gone. He praised the economy, saluted right wing firebrand Rush Limbaugh, and barely mentioned the rapidly spreading coronavirus, which would claim its first U.S. victim two days later.

TRUMP: Our agenda is relentlessly pro-worker, pro-family, pro-growth and most of all, pro-American.

(APPLAUSE)

FOREMAN: Yet the Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, grabbed the biggest headline of the night, ripping Trump's speech to shreds.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: A reminder: stay with us here at CNN. Join my colleagues and me tonight for our special coverage of President Trump's joint address to Congress. We're going to get started in about an hour.

We should also note, I have two books coming out in May, "Original Sin", about President Biden's decision to run for reelection, the cover up of his decline, and in October, race against terror, about the hunt to prosecute an al Qaeda terrorist who killed Americans and was out to kill more. You can check them out at JakeTapper.com.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. I will see you in an hour.