Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Brendan Murray is Interviewed about a China Trade Deal; The Numbers on Trump, Tariffs and Canada; Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) is Interviewed about Canada and the Shutdown; Major Mike Lyons is Interviewed about Two Crashes in the South China Sea; Search for Missing Melodee Buzzard. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired October 27, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: In a brazen daytime raid. Paris prosecutors say both men were arrested Saturday. One, they said, was at the airport in Paris, about to board a flight to Algeria. Investigators used DNA to track them down. But what happened to the jewels, like that emerald necklace set among more than a thousand diamonds gifted by Napoleon to his second wife? Well, police have not said if any of the stolen jewels have been recovered yet. The estimated worth, at least $100 million. A manhunt continues for at least two other suspects.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: While President Trump's rival and stop in Japan is in focus today, the administration is very clearly keeping a laser focus ahead to President Trump's meeting with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that the United States and China in -- have agreed on a framework for a trade deal after a new round of talks took place in Malaysia.

Here is what we know about that. Bessent says that China will make, in his words, "substantial purchases" of soybeans after previously halting all orders because of trade tensions. That has been a major blow to American soybean farmers. Also in the framework, the White House may lift or reduce the tariff on chemicals exported from China used to create fentanyl. And China could defer and push off export controls on critical rare earth minerals, at least for a time.

Now, Trump and Xi are also expected to possibly finalize the long negotiated TikTok deal, transferring TikTok's ownership so it can continue to operate in the United States.

Joining me right now to talk about this framework, what we know and not, Brendan Murray, a reporter with "Bloomberg," who watches trade closer than most.

It's good to see you. Thanks for being here.

So, President Trump says that he is confident that the United States is going to come away with a trade deal. But how confident, from everything that you're seeing and reporting on, how confident do you think he should be?

BRENDAN MURRAY, TRADE TSAR, "BLOOMBERG NEWS": Well, it sounds like the two parties have hammered out the toughest of the issues that divide them. You mentioned the rare earths issue. This is a big one that China has threatened, not just the U.S., but the rest of the world to control and restrict the flow of rare earth minerals. Things like magnets that go into cars and defense systems and all sorts of electronics that run pretty much everything that we use as consumers.

So, that is the -- that is the key issue for the U.S. China is also going to purchase some of these soybeans. Now, that's not exactly a huge win for the Trump administration. They just -- they stopped buying U.S. soybeans earlier this year when President Trump put those initial tariffs on China. So, that's just kind of getting back to square one. But it sounds like they're taking the low hanging fruit, resolving those and preventing some sort of escalation between the two largest economies. And the markets really like that. We're seeing the stocks rise. And that is going to set the tone for another series of talks between Washington and Beijing to try to get at some of these -- these other, deeper, more fundamental issues that the two sides are -- still disagree on.

BOLDUAN: And very much stating the obvious here.

The details within this framework is everything. I mean when we -- when you hear that Bessent saying that China is agreeing to defer rare earth export controls, I mean, what could that deferral really look like? Is that a big concession for China?

MURRAY: It's -- it is. It is given the -- given the size of the threat that China issued a couple of weeks ago. So, China basically said, if any country, anywhere, moves rare earths across your border, you have to, you know, file for -- for a license for that. And that, according to the U.S. and Europeans and Australia, you know, would really disrupt the global economy. So, yes, the devil is in the details, but it sounds like that the toughest of the threats that both sides have put on each other -- remember, President Trump threatened to put 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. That would essentially cut off all trade between the two countries and be disruptive on a scale that, you know, we haven't seen yet.

So, both sides are kind of stepping back from the edge of the cliff and saying, look, it's in neither of our interests to go full scale into a trade war. Let's try to stabilize the -- stabilize things and proceed to de-risk our two economies rather than decouple them entirely.

BOLDUAN: Yes. I was also thinking about the example that Canada, I don't know, maybe is providing in this conversation because we've seen President Trump waver on so many of his tariff threats since he took office. I mean look at the latest dealings when it comes to Canada, adding just another 10 percent tariff to Canada over that ad that ran during the World Series. I mean what kind of example is just Canada, I'll say, that you're hearing for what could happen with China, or what kind of the lesson that, I don't know, China has taken from how to deal with Donald Trump. [08:35:15]

MURRAY: The takeaway from this flare up that President Trump has had with Canada is, it shows you how fragile these trade deals really are. If he doesn't like a political ad that you are running in his -- you know, in the U.S., then he'll raise tariffs, or threaten to at least, the way he has done so against Canada. So, I think it -- it speaks to the -- the uncertainty that's essentially baked into all of these trade deals. These are not free trade agreements approved by Congress and encoded in law. These are, you know, kind of deals with the White House, this particular White House. And it just shows you that, you know, he's the one who negotiated the U.S., China -- the U.S., Canada, Mexico agreement. And if he's willing to blow that one up, you know, what -- what else would he be willing to blow up as well? I think it tells our trading partners that none of these are really set in stone, given the president's temperament if you -- if you -- if you cross him, as Canada did, according to the White House.

BOLDUAN: Yes, what is he willing to -- else is he willing to blow up or what is he willing -- what is he willing to -- to not blow up would be the other way to think about it.

When it -- we were talking -- if we look at the -- I'll call it the low hanging fruit, or the easy stuff as let's just say finalizing the TikTok deal and soybean purchases. We'll -- if that's the low hanging fruit. What is the tough stuff that -- that does need to get done, that would really signify a big -- a big grand deal, if you will?

MURRAY: Yes, I mean, it would be big. A new arrangement between the current -- the status quo, where essentially the U.S. imports a lot of stuff from China, and China doesn't import a lot of stuff from the -- from the U.S. So, it would be a fundamental reshaping of that relationship.

Treasury Secretary Bessent has said China needs to be more of a consumption led economy to absorb more of what the world produces and buy more U.S. products rather than export its -- its capacity, its overcapacity, many economists would argue, to the rest of the world. So, it's -- it's a much more fundamental realignment of the relationship, which the Trump administration sees as still out of balance, even though these tariffs have caused Chinese imports from China to the U.S. to fall something about 15 to 20 percent this year.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Brendan Murray, it's great to have you in. Thank you very much for your time.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, joining us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.

Harry, you know, we're talking about tariffs here. You're just hearing that conversation. Has Trump pushed for tariffs been successful in the minds of the American people?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: No. No is the simple answer.

SIDNER: There you go.

ENTEN: I mean, I think that Americans have moved more against tariffs than any other major Trump policy that he's been pushing during this second term.

What are we talking about here? Well, why don't we just look at this, new tariffs on imported goods. You know, you go back to November of 2024, the majority, 52 percent, were in favor of it. Look at where we are now in 2025, in the fall of 2025, 60 percent, 60 percent of Americans are opposed, opposed to Trump's tariffs. So, we're talking about a four point margin in favor.

Switcheroo. Now to a 20-point margin against. And, of course, there was all this news coming out of the World Series, right, Canada tariffs. We're not just talking China. We're talking Canada and tariffs. And get this, we're talking about just 36 percent. As I look at my little footnote here on the bottom who support new tariffs against Canada.

So, the bottom line is this, if I were advising President Donald John Trump when it comes to his policies, I'd say, step off the tariffs, at least from a political point of view, because the bottom line is, it doesn't sell with the American people. It's one of the largest shifts that we have seen during Trump's second term in office, Sara.

SIDNER: Yes, I mean, the difference here might be that the economy has not greatly improved. And they're sort of seeing that this isn't going hand in hand.

ENTEN: The two go -- yes.

SIDNER: All right, what about how -- how Americans feel towards our Canadian neighbors. Longtime friends. They're always considered to be the nicest people.

ENTEN: Yes.

SIDNER: What are they feeling now?

ENTEN: So, you know, picking and -- picking a fight with China is one thing. Picking a fight with Canada is just something totally different here.

So, what are you talking about? Net popularity in the United States. Well, Canada is far more popular than Donald Trump is here in the United States. Look at this. The net popularity rating of Canada is plus 49 percentage points. Look at the net popularity rating of Donald Trump here in the United States, its minus ten. We're talking about Canada coming out nearly 60 points ahead on the net popularity rating versus Donald Trump here in the United States. When you pick on Canada, as the United States president, you are picking on a country that the American people adore. They adore Canada.

[08:40:01]

Canada has always been a friend to the United States, at least during our lifetimes.

SIDNER: Yes.

ENTEN: And when you're going after Canada, you are going against someone who is far more popular than you are with Donald Trump. Pretty much every single time, among most Americans, Americans will choose Canada over Donald Trump. Yet Trump has decided to pick yet another fight with somebody or some entity or some country that is more popular than he is.

SIDNER: Any president would love to see that number under their name.

ENTEN: The last president that had this type of number was George W. Bush back in the early 2000. No president has come anywhere close to how popular Canada is right now, and Donald Trump certainly is a long, long, long away. He cannot see Canada from his house when it comes to his net popularity there.

SIDNER: All right, let's reverse this. How do Canadians feel about the United States?

ENTEN: They think that Donald Trump's a big hoser. That's what they think. They hate Donald Trump. They hate everything that he's doing.

Canadians who say America is an enemy or potential threat. Look, in 2023, it was 7 percent. Look how high it's gone now. We're talking about 48 percent. We're talking about a nearly 48 point jump. And the Trump administration might be your friend has a net popularity rating in Canada of minus, get this, 58 points. So, Americans love Canada, but Canadians no longer love the United States of America.

Sara.

SIDNER: Oh, Canada.

ENTEN: Oh, you went over there. Look at that.

SIDNER: Oh, Canada. I ran away from you because I don't want the Canadians mad with me.

ENTEN: Fair enough.

SIDNER: Thank you so much, Harry Enten.

ENTEN: Bye.

SIDNER: All right, joining us now, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan Boyle, ranking member on the Budget Committee and on the Ways and Means Committee.

Thank you so much for being here.

Let's talk about this. Donald Trump in Asia saying, look, the two countries have agreed to a framework for a trade deal. At the same time, he has lashed out at Canada once again, imposing a new and extra 10 percent tariff on Canada, basically because he was angry with an ad that they put out by the Ontario province.

You're a ranking member on the Budget Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. I mean what do you make of these two moves by the president?

REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-PA): Well, first, in terms of Canada, not only is it perhaps, and in my view, our greatest ally and certainly our closest ally, it is also one of our major trading partners. Frankly, about 40 percent of our trade is only with three countries Canada, Mexico and China combined. So, Donald Trump is doing real damage, not to Canada alone, but to the American people. The reality is, the Trump tariff taxes are deeply unpopular because they make life harder and more expensive for everyone.

Now, in terms of China, his announcement, if that's what you want to call it, that we perhaps have the framework of a deal, well, it doesn't really excite me very much. I'm not going to give an arsonist credit for possibly putting out the fire that he started in the first place.

SIDNER: That is one way to put it, Congressman.

Congressman Boyle, your Republican colleague from Pennsylvania, Congressman McCormick, said this to our Manu Raju about negotiating with Democrats when it comes to reopening the government. We are now getting closer and closer to a historically long shutdown. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAVID MCCORMICK (R-PA): You can't negotiate with a terrorist. So, what's happening right now is that the Democrats are trying to ask for something extremely unreasonable. You -- you can have any negotiation discussion you want about extending health care benefits, but you can't start with, you're going to shut down the government to get that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Now, he was given a chance to walk back calling Democrats terrorists in that interview. He didn't. But after the interview he said that he meant the Democrats were hostage takers.

How can you work together if this is what your Republican colleague thinks of you?

BOYLE: Yes. Well, first, I mean, it's absolutely outrageous for a Republican member of Congress, the Senate, to call any Democrat a terrorist. I certainly wouldn't use that language for any of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

In terms of the substance of what he said, what he thinks is so unreasonable is the fact that we are saying, we want everything to operate as it currently does while we negotiate. That means no health care cuts to the American people, period. These are the Republican cuts that were included in their tax bill a few months ago. This is the bill that Donald Trump used to call the one big, beautiful bill until it became so deeply unpopular that he just suddenly stopped talking about it.

The reason why it's so deeply unpopular is that it includes taking away health care, according to CBO, for more than 15 million Americans and making premiums more expensive for millions and millions more, mostly to pay for tax cuts that go to very wealthy people. People in the top one percent.

So, that's what I'm fighting for. I don't think it's so unreasonable at all. And I -- I am encouraged by the fact that most polls show that the American people, by a small majority, actually agree with the Democratic position over the Republican one.

[08:45:06]

SIDNER: The Pentagon says it will use $130,000 donated by an anonymous donor and friend of Donald Trump to pay some members of the military during the shutdown. Are you OK with this?

BOYLE: You know, on the one hand, I -- I think at first glance you give credit to any private citizen who would say he doesn't want anyone in the military to go without a paycheck and that he is voluntarily kicking in some of his own millions. He, ,obviously has a lot of millions to spare.

But on further examination, it is worrying that this ends up actually being more of a cost than it's worth. And what I mean is, what is Mr. Mellon getting in return for this sort of incredibly large contribution? The conflict of interest rules that used to apply until the Trump administration just decided to ignore them would actually prevent something like this from happening.

So, again, on the one hand, I -- I give credit to this individual for acting in such a way to ensure that our soldiers don't go without a paycheck. But I am deeply worried about the conflict of interest this presents and what he may be getting in return, kind of the quo part of a quid pro quo.

SIDNER: All right, Congressman Brendan Boyle, thank you so much for getting in early this morning and having a chance to chat with us. Appreciate it.

All right, back to back crashes in the South China Sea. What caused two U.S. Navy aircraft, in different exercises, to go down within minutes of each other?

Plus, a puppy getting trapped between two boulders -- oh, he's so cute. How crews managed to get her out of that rough, sorry, situation. Oh.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:14]

SIDNER: Two U.S. Navy aircraft have crashed within just 30 minutes of each other over the South China Sea, both during what the Navy calls routine operations. The helicopter, and MH-60R Seahawk, went down first. All three crew members were rescued. About a half an hour later, and FA-18 Super Hornet fighter jet also crashed while operating from the USS Nimitz. Both pilots were able to eject safely and were rescued.

Now, President Trump called the back-to-back crashes "very unusual," suggesting bad fuel may be to blame. The Navy has launched an investigation into the incident.

Joining me now is retired Army Major Mike Lyons.

It is a pleasure to see you again.

Look, I just need to ask about the president's sort of idea of -- as to what happened. Bad fuel, does that sound like something that could cause crashes like this?

MAJ. MIKE LYONS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good morning, Sara.

It's possible. The fact that they were coming both from the Nimitz, the same platforms where they emanated from I think that there is a possibility there. But the Navy needs to do an investigation on this. They were likely doing two separate exercises. The F-18 more or less doing projection of power in the South China Sea as part of that overall strategy the Nimitz has there, and the helicopter perhaps doing some training in -- on rescuing people at sea. That's really what that aircraft does.

It's possible that that is the case with bad fuel, but the Navy will do a full investigation to determine specifically what it was. But it is highly coincidental.

SIDNER: OK. What could it be if it's not bad fuel? I mean what are some of the things that happen? It just seems quite unusual that you're seeing two of these incidents happen very close to each other, in different exercises. It wasn't that they crashed into each other. They both went down separately.

LYONS: Yes, I think the main thing to look at is environment. See, what was the weather? If the weather had an impact on the mission. I don't know what the weather situation was in the Pacific at that time in the South China Sea, and specifically what was going on. I think they'll look at mechanical records. They'll take this investigation very seriously and determine if it was the same crew, perhaps two different crews that were working on the -- both vehicles at the same time.

So, again, it is more coincidence, but the fact that the op tempo is so tremendous out there in that operation. As the Nimitz projects power, in order to make sure that U.S. flagged vessels are having the maritime accessibility they have and to move goods and services throughout that area, as China looks to do the same, they try to project their power and try to stop the maritime vehicles from going. So, again, high op tempo. A lot of things going on for the Navy right now, especially in that part of the world. SIDNER: I do want to ask you about what we've been seeing in the

Caribbean. We've been, you know, watching as the Trump administration, time after time, for now I think eight different times, have dropped bombs on boats saying they're drug traffickers in the Caribbean. And now we're hearing about U.S. warships docking in Trinidad and Tobago. If you were going to go to war with Venezuela, is this one of the things that you would do? Is this how you would start to operate?

LYONS: Sara, this is almost unthinkable that we would do something like that given the amount of leverage we already have over Venezuela and Colombia when it comes to economics. But we're projecting visible power right now, visible leverage in that part of the world, letting Maduro and the leaders there know that we could, if we would want to do that, we'd want to have that that mission to invade Venezuela. Again, unthinkable.

This is not Panama of 1989. This is not getting rid of Noriega. You heard a U.S. senator last night on "60 Minutes" say that he thinks he should go. But that creates problems unto itself.

But right now the military is using these visual leverage techniques in order to put Venezuela in a box, close off all maritime drug trade operations that are taking place in the Caribbean.

[08:55:07]

That's their primary objective. But these cartels will -- are smart. They'll move their product in other ways, over land and through the Pacific. But this is just one way for this administration to show that they want to take over this area of operations very quickly by the level of military operations they're having.

SIDNER: Major, do you have any concerns about the way in which the administration is going about this? Their killing first, asking questions later. And so far, no one has been given a -- certainly not publicly, the evidence that all of these are drug boats, that all of these are members of, for example, cartels. What are your concerns there? Do you have concerns about that?

LYONS: Well, I'm concerned about the overall strategy here. What specifically are we trying to do? Are we trying to stop all the drug traffic and trade? If that's the mission, that's 18 month, two year, five year type operation here. And it's not just the military that will be involved with that. I think that they go after those small speedboats to, again, project power, show that they have the capability to do that. They're trying to deter in the small run. But with 2,500 metric tons of cocaine that's moved from Colombia and Venezuela on an annual basis there, it's nothing compared to the amount of drugs that are -- keep coming through. So, maybe this is the beginning of some long term strategy that we just don't know.

But it's not just a military mission. That, to me, has got me most concerned. Eventually, if he -- the president mentioned something about using land forces.

SIDNER: Right. LYONS: I just don't know where they would go. That would mean War Powers Act authorization. Use of military force is a very complex military operation.

SIDNER: All right, Major Mike Lyons, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for your analysis this morning.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Also this morning, an Illinois driver has a lucky run in with an officer. The woman, she began choking while she was driving. She pulled over and a nearby officer actually quickly noticed that she needed help. He performed the Heimlich maneuver and was able to clear her airway and help her. She was OK and able then to drive away afterwards on her own. I mean, talk about right place, right time. Oh my God.

There's also this. Dash cam video from Oklahoma Highway Patrol showing the moment a tire flies off a semi trailer and bounces into traffic. It happened after the truck was having a mechanical issue. As you can see, the SUV -- the driver of that SUV pushed the tire out of the road. And officials say that the driver's quick thinking possibly prevented a much more serious accident.

And you've heard of firefighters rescuing kittens from trees. But how about rescuing a puppy stuck between two -- stuck between rocks? Take a look at this rescue in California. Firefighters use lifting airbags to create space and ropes to save this three month old Great Pyrenees puppy named Zoe. No word on how Zoe got stuck, but she is out. She's safe. And she is back home now.

Also new this morning, a growing mystery out of California as the search for a nine-year-old, Melodee Buzzard stretches into a second week. Investigators say that the little girl, who you see here in what looks like a wig, hasn't been seen since early October. And the only person who may know what happened is her mother. Now detectives are retracing a cross-country trip that may hold the answers.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has been following this case and what investigators have uncovered so far.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators have now pinpointed the critical window in Melodee Buzzard's disappearance, releasing new images they hope will help explain what happened on that trip with her mother.

This has narrowed down the timeline of her disappearance. And investigators say that they found evidence that she was with her mother as recently as October 7th. That's when these pictures were taken. She was at a car rental business in Lompoc, about an hour northwest of Santa Barbara. And in those images she's wearing a hoodie, sweatshirt and what appears to be a wig of darker and straighter hair than her natural hair.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, Melodee's mother, Ashley Buzzard, rented a car that day and then drove from California to Nebraska with a stop in Kansas along the way. She then returned to Lompoc on October 10th without her daughter.

Four days later, after a school administrator reported Melodee hadn't been in class for months, sheriff's deputies began their investigation and attempted to contact Melodee and Ashley at their home. Melodee wasn't there, and then no clear explanation was given for her whereabouts. That's when investigators say that the mother stopped cooperating.

Now, the FBI is helping local detectives retrace that three day trip, giving renewed hope to members of her family who gathered on Friday night.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If she's listening, we love you. We're here for you. And we just want you to be happy and call me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just can't stop thinking about this. And I hope -- I hope something good comes out of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:00:05]

JONES: For now, detectives say they remain hopeful that perhaps Melodee could be with someone who just doesn't realize --