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Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) is Interviewed about the Argentina Bailout; Dad Accused of Killing Abuser Runs for Sheriff. Aired 9:30- 10a ET

Aired October 15, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:39]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, the Trump administration is sending a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina. The president says the money is contingent on his biggest fan, his political ally, Javier Milei, remaining in office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: How is this Argentina rescue package America first? And is this rescue package meant to help President Milei's party in the coming election?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, it's helped -- it's really meant to help a good financial philosophy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Milei was one of a few world leaders present for Trump's inauguration. And Milei's office has said that Trump is his favorite president after he was reelected. But this move is raising eyebrows among some in the United States, particularly farmers.

With us now is Congressman Dusty Johnson, a Republican from South Dakota who is also running for governor there.

Congressman, always great to speak with you.

Just -- just in a vacuum, how do you feel about this $20 billion lifeline? I know it's a currency swap, but it's to buy pesos that a lot of people fear are going to be devalued soon. How do you feel about having something like this being contingent on a specific leader?

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): I've certainly heard from plenty of South Dakota producers that they are concerned. I mean, let's be clear, Argentina has increasingly partnered with China to give them more leverage over our country in these trade negotiations. And that is making it more and more difficult for us to get a good deal with China so that we can have soybeans continue to head through the pacific northwest into China. So, I don't love the deal. Now, that being said, I understand what the

president is trying to do. And I get it, Argentina has taken more of a free market approach. In general, philosophically, I like that. I think it is bearing some fruit in Argentina. But listen, I'm not the world's biggest fan of the deal.

BERMAN: Look, you actually jumped to -- right to what my follow-up question was going to be, which has to do with soybean farmers around the country who are selling zero soybeans right now to China. China is not buying American soybeans. They're buying them from elsewhere, including from Argentina, where they're getting this reduced price on them right now, and then we're going to backstop some of the revenue they would get -- are getting from, you know, reducing their taxes on it.

What are you hearing from soybean farmers in general about the trade wars that are happening?

JOHNSON: First off, I mean, we -- we should not give China a free pass just because they buy a lot of soybeans. We do want to draw a hard line with China. I'm on the select committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and we've seen how China is methodically, systematically attempting to poison our networks, our kids, really undermine a lot of key American principles and values.

That being said, we are not going to become completely decoupled from China. We want to have a relationship where they don't have too much leverage over us. It is insane to me that there are hundreds of life- saving -- life-saving pharmaceuticals that we only buy from China. And it's not healthy for us to have 50 percent of all American soybeans flow to one country, China, which in some years has been the case.

BERMAN: Yes.

JOHNSON: So, we need to increase domestic crush. We need to sign more bilateral trade deals with other countries. And we do need to get some sort of a fair deal with China. But you're right, to my knowledge there is not a single order of soybeans that has been purchased this harvest season from South Dakota flowing to China.

[09:35:09]

That is absolutely unprecedented.

BERMAN: Look, and we've heard from farmers, I was at the Farm Aid Concert in Minnesota, and we've been hearing from soybean farmers on the show, and farmers in general. They say that these farms could go under soon if they don't get help.

JOHNSON: I think South Dakota farmers are a little more resilient than that. They are feeling the economic strain. Their bankers and financial partners are feeling the economic strain.

But the Trump administration has stepped forward and -- and has said, listen, we're generating billions of dollars of tariff revenues with these trade disputes. It only makes sense to use some of those tariff dollars to shave off the most jagged edges of the trade war impact on farmers. That's what we're going to do. I am supportive of that.

Now, that being said, I don't know a single South Dakota corn or bean farmer or sorghum farmer who wants to be making money from tariff revenues.

BERMAN: Right.

JOHNSON: They want to make money in the markets. They understand when Donald Trump talks about more and better deals, that long term, that is going to be good for American agriculture.

BERMAN: You have been on the record for a long time saying that shutdowns are stupid. I think I'm quoting you correctly there, right, shutdowns are stupid.

JOHNSON: Yes.

BERMAN: I guess my question to you is, is it easier to end a shutdown if you're in South Dakota and Republicans, you know, have basically been sent home around the country? How -- could you be more effective if you were in Washington right now maybe talking to some of your Democratic colleagues?

JOHNSON: I was in Washington last week. Admittedly, there were not votes on the floor of the House because the House has already voted in a bipartisan way to keep government open. And we could bring the House back and we could vote a dozen times to reopen the government, but we've already taken that vote.

I was in D.C. last week anyway because I did feel that if there was -- if I could be helpful in the negotiations in person, I wanted to be. Of course, I'm working the phone lines. Remote -- remote work is a thing. All of my colleagues on either side of the aisle should be doing whatever they can to stop this, the dumbest of all shutdowns.

BERMAN: Congressman Dusty Johnson, we do appreciate your time this morning. Thanks so much for being with us.

All right, still to come, running for sheriff after admitting to killing a man who he says molested his daughter.

No more reclining seats for free. The airline that will charge more for seats that lean back.

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[09:42:06]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, new for you this morning, an Arkansas father charged with killing an alleged child predator after finding the man with his 13-year-old daughter, announced he's now running for sheriff.

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AARON SPENCER, ANNOUNCED CANDIDACY FOR LONOKE COUNTY, AR SHERIFF: My name is Aaron Spencer. Many of you know my story. I'm the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed.

And through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Now, Aaron Spencer has admitted to killing Michael Fosler, who was out on bond at the time. The 67-year-old Fosler is accused of grooming and sexually assaulting Spencer's teenage daughter.

Here now to discuss this latest development in this case, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson.

Thank you so much for being here.

This is complicated because he has -- Spencer has admitted to shooting this man, admitted to killing him. But you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. So, can he go forward and simply run for sheriff during all this?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, Sara, good morning.

The short answer is, absolutely, right, innocent until proven guilty and everyone is afforded due process. What is due process? It means notice, we're charging you. But now I have an opportunity to be heard, which is to defend myself. So, to be clear, he's charged with second degree murder. What does that mean? It means that if you act with indifference to human life. Say I point a gun at someone, I don't mean to kill you, but I point it, isn't that reckless enough to suggest that if the gun goes off you'll die? Yes. Or if I intend to seriously injure you but you die, it's also second degree, punishable by about 30 years in jail.

Now, those are allegations and accusations. And while that's pending, he is permitted to do whatever he wants to do. And in this instance, he wants to run.

But as you lay out the story there, Sara, the facts are very sympathetic. So, even though he's been accused of this and will stand trial of this, the fact is, is that his indication, right, the accused, is that he had a confrontation with this person who had his daughter out in the dead of night in the car. It was an order of protection issued with respect to his conduct as against his daughter, should not have been near her to begin with. The person who was grooming her, the 67-year-old, was facing life in jail. And his indication, the one running for sheriff, we just saw the clip, is that based on that confrontation, he needed to protect himself. He's going to allege self-defense. And who knows, the jury could very well buy that. And if they don't, they could still acquit anyway. There's something called jury nullification.

SIDNER: And speaking of the jury, now that he is running for the sheriff's position, and this is the same sheriff, right, that is looking over or involved in his case. But now that he's doing so, how difficult will it be to get a jury that does not know or maybe has already formed opinions about this particular case?

JACKSON: So, that's a great question.

[09:45:01]

And the calculus is always, not whether even you formulated an opinion or if you know about the case and have heard about it and have a perspective on the case, but could you keep that to the side and evaluate the case for what it is? Having said that, I think this is a case ripe for jury nullification. Now all those asking, well, what that means? What that means is that a jury could accept the fact that he killed this person, but say, hey, I would do the same thing. So, you could accept he engaged in the conduct, but you could still let him go.

And even considering that, which is just a jury knowing he did it but giving him a pass, I think he has a valid defense. That valid defense being self-defense. Very briefly. Arkansas has a stand your ground state. What that means is that you have no duty to retreat if, right, you are where you lawfully can be. And if you engage in a confrontation, if you're in immediate fear of death or serious physical injury with that other person, number one. Number two, your response to that threat is proportionate to the threat that was posed to you, and you act reasonably, that's self-defense and you could very well be declared not guilty if the jury buys that you were in that fear. And if they don't, they could still say, hey, what is he doing with a 13-year-old in the dead of night in the car when he shouldn't have been there? Even if we don't think it's self-defense, I'd have done the same thing and they could give him a pass on that.

And so, we'll see how this develops, if he's acquitted and if he's elected.

SIDNER: Yes. I think the trial is supposed to be in January. The election in February. We will have to see what happens there. But it is a really complex case. And then this extra wrinkle, he is running for sheriff during all this.

JACKSON: Yes. And just real briefly, what happens, Sara, is in most states you can't, if you have a felony, even hold public office. That's different federally, as we know.

SIDNER: Right.

JACKSON: If you're convicted federally, then, you know, it doesn't matter. You could run for Congress, run for president, as we've seen. But in state laws, about 40 states in the country, if you're convicted of a felony, you cannot hold office. So, there's a lot riding on this trial with regard to his ability to serve in -- in the event that, you know, he gets elected.

SIDNER: That's right, if he's convicted, he cannot be the sheriff.

JACKSON: Cannot.

SIDNER: So, we will have to see what happens. Joey Jackson, I appreciate you coming on. Appreciate you.

JACKSON: Always. Thanks, Sara.

SIDNER: John.

BERMAN: All right, new this morning, accusations of excessive force after a mother arrested outside her daughter's school. We have the video.

Plus, how breast cancer awareness initiatives have saved tens of thousands of lives. Also, how Sara Sidner is officially being named a hero.

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[09:51:56]

BERMAN: This morning, a Florida mother is accusing a police officer of using excessive force after she was arrested outside her daughter's school. Newly released video shows the confrontation. Authorities say the woman was parked in an intersection and that her driver's license had been revoked in the past.

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ERIKA McGriff, MOTHER ARRESTED OUTSIDE SCHOOL: All I was trying to do was get my daughter out of the school, from out of school without getting wet, drenched in the rain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now the woman, along with two bystanders, were arrested and charged under Florida's new halo law, which creates a 25 foot buffer zone around first responders. Civil rights attorneys -- some civil rights attorneys say the law is unconstitutional and are weighing whether to launch a legal challenge.

The Justice Department says it seized $15 billion in cryptocurrency, its largest haul ever. Prosecutors say a Chinese businessman ran at least ten forced labor camps in Cambodia as part of this scheme. He's still on the run. The indictment says two locations had more than 1,200 cell phones controlling 76,000 accounts on social media.

So, this morning, sit back and relax, but not in economy and not for free. WestJet is removing free reclining seats in economy on dozens of its newly redesigned planes in order to, quote, "preserve personal space." Now, passengers can still book reclining seats, but only in WestJet's premium cabins or extended comfort sections.

Hero.

SIDNER: Hey, the big question is, do you or do you not recline your seat when you can?

BERMAN: Heroes always recline, like Sara Sidner. SIDNER: I'm with you, John.

All right, this morning marks 40 years since the start of breast cancer awareness initiatives. Now, the American Cancer Society says that that push has helped save more than a half a million lives due to proactive screening and better treatments. A year ago this month, CNN's Stephanie Elam brought our dear friend, former MTV veejay Ananda Lewis and I together as we were both in the midst of treating the same kind of and most common breast cancer. In June, though, Ananda died from the disease. Stephanie joined me this morning where we talked about just what a difference testing makes.

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SIDNER: And I just wanted to give people just a few facts that I just -- that struck me and I think struck you as well. And this one really got me because on every form that you go, when you go to the doctor and they ask you about your history, they say do -- does anyone in your family have breast cancer? Did your mother have it? Did your grandmother have it?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They always ask.

SIDNER: They always, always ask. And I thought since my family didn't have any history of breast cancer that I was safer. And it turns out that 85 to 90 percent of women who get breast cancer do not have it in their family history.

ELAM: Yes. So that sense of security needs to go away.

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: The screenings need to happen. And I think also, you know, you just look at the age of people who are passing away from this disease, right?

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: And I'll just say cancer as well, because D'Angelo passing yesterday, he was the same age as me.

SIDNER: That's right.

ELAM: I realized I was only two weeks older than him.

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: Like, when you look at cancer and what it's doing to our community, to other communities, we need people to get the testing done. And if that is part of Ananda's lasting legacy, then I think she would be very happy about that, to make people see this other side.

[09:55:07]

And you said it, the gassing on her part, it did. Because at the end, we thought that we had months. We thought that we had weeks. And then it turned out to be, oh, we have days. And it was like, no, a matter of hours. So, like, when you think about how quickly things can change.

Now, at the same time, there are people who are living in stage four for a very long time as well.

SIDNER: That's right.

ELAM: Things have progressed and gotten better. But what needs to happen is the testing. And when you feel something doesn't seem right, go and get it examined.

SIDNER: Immediately. Yes.

ELAM: Because that's the thing, because people are feeling things inside their body and they're ignoring it because they've got kids, they've got work, they've got jobs, they've got obligations. All of that won't matter if you're not here.

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: So, it's something that I find myself saying over and over to people, as other people close to me have gotten cancer recently, is, you've got to get the testing done. The support system is there. Everything will happen. The hair will grow back. You look phenomenal.

SIDNER: Thank you.

ELAM: You look amazing. And it's great to see you and be here with you. But it's worth it.

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: It's worth it. And that -- I'm getting emotional.

SIDNER: Yes.

ELAM: But that's the part that I think we can't forget. And that's what matters to everyone that loves you is getting tested.

SIDNER: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: And we will leave you those -- with those --

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