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Trump Tells Pentagon To Start Testing Nuclear Weapons; Soon: Trial Resumes In $40 Million Lawsuit Over 6-Year-Old Shooting Teacher; NYT: Felony Charge Dropped Against Liberal Activist Arrested After Social Media Post. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired October 30, 2025 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, test the nukes. That is the message this morning from President Trump announcing a major shift in U.S. policy and announcing it on social media, directing the Defense Department now to restart nuclear weapons testing, something the United States has avoided for more than 40 years now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It had to do with others. They seem to all be nuclear testing.

REPORTER: Russia?

TRUMP: We have more nuclear weapons than anybody and we don't do testing. We've halted it years -- many years ago. But with others doing testing I think it's appropriate that we do also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: This morning Russia is reacting to that for the first time. A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin saying that Russia will act accordingly if any country breaks the moratorium on nuclear testing.

President Trump's announcement -- it comes just -- also came just minutes before he sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping who is in the midst of one of the fastest buildups of a nuclear arsenal on Earth and just days after Vladimir Putin said that Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile. Russia is saying that test was by no means a nuclear test.

Joining us right now is CNN political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh for much more on this.

Sabrina, you say that what President Trump has now announced and directed the Defense Department to do is not peace through strength. Explain.

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR, FORMER DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Yeah. This is exactly the opposite of the president's policy of his so-called peace through strength. You know, every year the laboratories of the nuclear weapons labs in

the United States send a letter to the Department of Defense, Energy, and the Nuclear Weapons Council certifying that our nuclear weapons are safe and secure and a deterrent. That they do not need to be tested.

Think of it as this -- as these labs test every single part of our nuclear arsenal, similar to how you would test a car except they never turn on the engine of the car. So if we turn on the engine of the car you are essentially giving carte blanche to other nations around the world, like Russia and China, to start testing their nuclear weapons, which in theory could lead to a nuclear arms race and that is -- or an arms race, and that's not something that we want. And frankly, that flies in the face of the president's policy agenda of peace through strength.

BOLDUAN: Russia's response, as I just read it from a spokesperson, was that Russia is going to act accordingly if any country breaks the moratorium on nuclear testing.

What do you think they're suggesting if the U.S. would restart testing?

SINGH: Well, I think they're suggesting is that they would restart testing. I mean, they also see the president's words as something to be taken seriously. The president outlining that the United States could begin nuclear testing, something that we haven't done since 1992. And by the way, the U.S., while it didn't ratify in Congress, is a signer to a treaty ban on nuclear testing that has ensured strength and security and peace throughout the world against nuclear testing.

And so, I think what Russia is saying here is that if the United States is going to start doing this, we're going to start doing it too, and that is exactly what we don't want to see.

If the president's agenda is peace through strength and ending all of these wars around the world this type of rhetoric is not helpful.

BOLDUAN: And Sabrina, take it just a step further beyond that. If President Trump goes ahead with nuclear tests like this -- look beyond even Russia -- what could that, would that trigger?

SINGH: Well, I mean, think about where you would even do this testing. I don't think anyone is raising their hands around in this country for a nuclear test -- and that would be in Nevada. And think about the lives that would be impacted there as well.

In terms of what that would mean, I mean, you would have to get -- this is also something that the Department of Energy would be significantly involved in and leading on the testing. I mean, I know he said that -- the president directed the Department of War, but Energy has a huge stake in this.

At the end of the day we are party to this 1996 treaty ban on testing. And so I think Congress does play a role here. I hope people are waking up today -- members of the House and Senate -- and asking the White House for clarification and answers.

I think what we also need to see is clarification from the president because if Russia is going to start testing and if China did want to start testing their nuclear arsenal you are going to have this arms race that is going to make people feel very unsafe, very unsecure. I mean, this is not -- you know, this is not the Netflix movie that was just released. This is actually the real world that we live in, and I think people want to feel that they are secure here in the United States. And the president's words really, I think, put people unease of that.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

Sabrina, it's good to see you. Thank you so much -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. New this morning the Justice Department suspending two prosecutors after they accurately described January 6 as a "mob of rioters."

A source tells CNN the prosecutors were notified of their suspension hours after they submitted a sentencing request for Taylor Taranto. Trump pardoned -- the president pardoned Taranto for charges related to his participation in January 6, but the man still faces gun charges stemming from his arrest in 2023 when he was detained near President Obama's home in Washington, D.C.

[07:35:05]

With us now is CNN political commentator and former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Christine Quinn, the executive committee chair of the New York State Democratic Committee.

I remember on January 6 when people were saying this will never be a memory hold -- this event. It seems like the Justice Department is saying hold my beer on that.

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes, it's certainly been memory hold and whitewashed by many elected Republicans.

And what's remarkable -- there was a CBS poll earlier this year that said the percentage of Republicans who went from strongly disagreeing and opposing the events of January 6 went from 50 percent down to 31 percent. Nearly a 20-point drop in just a matter of four years. And I think that's what happens when you have the most prominent elected officials in the country saying this wasn't a big deal.

But what stood out to me is "mob of rioters" is actually kind of the most toned-down language you could use to describe the events of that day. That's not a controversial take. That's not saying insurrectionists, which goes a step further.

So it just goes to show how much they really want to clean up anyone within the DOJ who sees the events of January 6 for what they were.

CHRISTINE QUINN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR, NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE: I mean, firing lawyers for telling the truth, it defies any logic at all. I mean, that's what you want from lawyers is to put out the facts. And as you said, that's a minimal description. What do they want lawyers to do? To lie and create facts and create stories that the president is going to like? It's terrible. The Department of Justice has little to do with justice anymore.

BERMAN: Just a few minutes ago ABC News and The Washington Post released a new poll on the destruction of the East Wing in the White House, and the results were just pretty glaring, right?

Fifty-six percent oppose it. The way you should read this is oppose and support -- like, alternate here. Fifty-six percent oppose it being knocked down. Just 28 support it. And then the strongly oppose -- 45 percent say they strongly oppose the East Wing getting knocked down. People seem to care a little bit about this.

QUINN: That is clear as day. And, you know, that image of the bulldozer and the East Wing being gone, you can't get it out of your mind. It's as the -- is -- the president decided he was going to rip apart history and take apart places where amazing and important things happened. And it's all about his arrogance. All about wanting some big, grand ballroom that resembles his hotels. It is so at its core wrong and really un-American, and I'm glad to see that the American people see it so clearly.

BERMAN: So things move fast in politics and we're a year away from the midterm elections, but what are the chances we see these images plastered --

QUINN: Oh --

BERMAN: -- all over Democratic ads?

GRIFFIN: It's going to be leading in the midterms.

Listen, I was skeptical that this would stick because nothing really sticks --

BERMAN: Right.

GRIFFIN: -- in the era of Trump, but I think there's two things. It was the optics.

It was that Donald Trump said that the East Wing would not be touched and then we see it being bulldozed in a matter of days.

But then the timing. We're in a government shutdown right now. You've got federal workers being laid off. You've got unemployment that's too high. You've got inflation ticking up to the point where the Fed just gave us another rate cut. It is a moment that feels like let them eat cake. He's getting a ballroom and Americans are struggling to make ends meet ahead of the holidays.

The timing couldn't have been worse. I actually think he probably could have gotten the public somewhat on board with this if just not for the timing and the way in which it was done. BERMAN: So the timing -- the shutdown which still lingers on. There may be the first kernels of some faint optimism that some senators are talking to each other. But what we still don't see, Alyssa, is serious White House involvement.

Why and when might we?

GRIFFIN: It's fascinating because I was working for Pence in the White House during the longest shutdown in history, which this one is close to becoming, in 2018, and there was this sense of urgency in the West Wing. We have to cut a deal. We've got to be talking to Republicans in Congress, and we've even got to talk to Democrats.

You don't get a sense of urgency. The president has been abroad twice now. The vice president has been abroad. They are business as usual.

I think these SNAP benefits running out does create some sort of a fire under everyone in D.C. You just owe it to the public -- again, ahead of the holidays. People who are relying on this to meet their basic food needs. I think that's going to make the White House feel like they have to get involved to some degree. But I still think this will be congressionally led.

BERMAN: Christine, this is your wheelhouse, you know, with the SNAP benefits here in New York City and whatnot. So many people are affected. Alyssa is saying maybe it will make the White House feel like they have to get involved. But for Democrats, I mean, this is hurting a lot of people that they represent.

QUINN: You know, I run a homeless service organization, and we have 7,000 people a night. Families with children -- 3,600 children. The average age of someone in a shelter in New York City is five years old. Ninety-eight percent of our clients are on SNAP.

I've spent the past days on the phone trying to raise $400,000 this week because that's how much money we need to make sure our clients get what they would have gotten in SNAP and can buy food for their children.

This is a disgrace and the real crime of it is that the Department of Agriculture has the money to keep these benefits going. This isn't a bank account that has run dry.

[07:40:00]

It is a political decision by the White House to use people who are going to be without food -- old people, children -- as political pawns and to force a question of do people go hungry or people go without health care.

BERMAN: But you say the White House.

QUINN: Yes.

BERMAN: What about Democrats? What pressure do you think this puts on elected Democrats like Chuck Schumer who, you know -- the senator for New York?

QUINN: Oh, there's no question it puts pressure on everyone, as it should, because it's a horrible situation. But let's not forget it's the Republicans who have set up. People can go hungry or people can be without health care. Neither of those things actually has to happen and people should get in a room and figure it out.

GRIFFIN: But by the way, a prediction here. There is a move among Senate Republicans and a certain number of House Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene to vote to reopen the government for a short-term extension of Obamacare subsidies. That's the way this impasse ends because to your point, it should not be a choice between health care premiums skyrocketing and your ability to eat.

BERMAN: Well, we will see. We will see if the next few days bear any fruit. We'll also see how much suffering there is here because people are being caught in the middle.

Christine Quinn, Alyssa Farah Griffin, great to see you both in person.

QUINN: Yes.

GRIFFIN: Yes.

BERMAN: All right -- Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right.

Right now, Hurricane Melissa is a category 2 hurricane again after tearing through Jamaica as one of the worst storms ever on record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD SOLOMON, MAYOR, BLACK RIVER: The conditions here are devastating. Catastrlphic is a mild term based on what we are observing. We are to do any rescuing. We are unable to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Authorities recovered at least four bodies so far in St. Elizabeth Parish, one of the worst-hit areas. Homes and businesses destroyed. And as you see there, it's hard to get into places. Roads are blocked by debris.

Our Derek Van Dam is there on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voiceover): Widespread devastation after the deadly category 5 Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, whipped through Jamaica Tuesday leaving behind a path of destruction. Most of the island without power.

On the ground a muddy mess as people come out to survey the damage for the first time. Crumbling infrastructure, flooded roads, downed trees causing major disruption and making getting aid to those most in need a very difficult task.

VAN DAM: We are literally on the frontlines of the Jamaica Defense Force. Ambulances, local NGOs, police, volunteers trying to clear the roadway leading into Black River -- some of the -- what we believe is the hardest-hit areas from Hurricane Melissa. It's a monumental effort to try and get aid through to this area, including medical provisions.

We've seen ambulances and people coming together to push those ambulances through debris and thick mud. This effort trying to get aid and people and the help that is desperately needed into portions of western Jamaica.

VAN DAM (voiceover): People banded together. Some did whatever they could to survive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to climb over our house -- a wall -- just to get shelter in another person's home just so that I didn't drown to death with my child.

VAN DAM (voiceover): Jamaicans also can't get a break from the heat. The humidity from Melissa shot the heat index over 100 degrees, making conditions to clean up even harder.

ANDREW HOLNESS, JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER: Black River is what you would describe as ground zero. The people are still coming to grips with the destruction but from what I've seen and the interaction the people here are strong and resilient, and positive in outlook.

VAN DAM (voiceover): Melissa also hit Cuba, flooding streets of Santiago and cutting off road access.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There was a lot of wind, a lot of rain. This area as flooded. Where you see now, the water reached almost knee high.

VAN DAM (voiceover): In Haiti, Melissa's outer bands brought deadly flooding.

Back in Jamaica, the road to recovery is long but some are staying strong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jamaica is a disaster right now, so we just have to pray for the best and the good and help each other who can't help, and that's it.

VAN DAM: This is some of the heavy machinery being used to clear a route into the Black River region, which is still about 15 miles to my south and west -- a very difficult and challenging task ahead.

We were on a medical convoy following along with the Jamaican Defense Forces today, working along this very road, but we encountered so much debris that we had to turn around, and many other people clearly are doing the same.

It is going to be a challenging, monumental task to clear this road to get the necessary aid to the hardest hit areas of western Jamaica. I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[07:45:00]

BOLDUAN: Derek, thank you so much for that continued reporting. We'll be checking back in.

Ahead for us, new videos released in the middle of an emotional day in a courtroom. A former Virginia first-grade teacher suing an assistant principal after being shot by her 6-year-old student. What happened in court -- you'll want to see.

And what if your Roomba could walk and talk? The new and pricey humanoid robot that could be your next live-in housekeeper and, let's be honest, friend.

And it's a big week for CNN. In the United States you can now stream CNN whenever you want on the CNN app. You also will have access to exclusive reporting, unlimited articles, and award-winning original series and films, and much more. Go to cnn.com/allaccess.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:50:10]

SIDNER: This morning new body camera video showing the moments after a first-grade teacher in Virginia was shot by her 6-year-old student. Abby Zwerner, who was badly injured in that shooting in 2023, is now suing the school's ex-assistant principal for $40 million in a civil case. Zwerner claims Ebony Parker ignored warnings the student had brought a gun to school in his backpack that day and that the child was in a "violent mood." Testimony resumes this morning.

And here with us, CNN's Jean Casarez who has been watching all of this. This is both a heartbreaking and also unusual case.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN REPORTER: It is, and we all heard about it two years ago when it happened. But Sara, this is the first time that we're actually hearing sworn testimony of what happened that morning. And this is a civil case.

But the testimony, so far, is that Ebony Parker, the defendant, who was the assistant principal who was in charge of the crisis management of the elementary school -- that she was told four different times that they believed a student had a gun.

The first time, a teacher came in saying a student has just told me that this child has a gun. Nothing was done. The second time a teacher came in saying, what I understand, he just took something out of his backpack, put it in his pocket. And it's actually the victim that said his pocket is bulging. And then the third time an administrator -- can I check his backpack? No. Fourth time, two teachers ask, "Can we check his person? We believe

there's a gun." The assistant principal said "No. His mother should be coming to the school." And shortly after that, that child took that gun, pointed it at Abby Zwerner, shot her through the hand and it went into her chest.

A doctor testified -- her surgeon, yesterday. He was with Walter Reed. He was the one that did multiple surgeries of war victims -- Afghanistan victims. They called him in to do her multiple hand surgeries.

I want you to listen to his testimony yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JAMES STUART, ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON: It's a devastating hand injury with a significant amount of boney injury or bone fractures as well as a number of soft tissue injuries that were associated with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And have you seen those types of injuries in your past?

STUART: Yes, sir. This -- you know, we take care of a lot of stuff at Riverside Regional Medical Center, but on a -- you know, if you stratified these in a scale of one to 10, this was more closely associated with a 10-type injury, which we were seeing frequently during the war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Also on the stand yesterday was her twin sister, Vanessa (sic), who testified -- and legally, this is very important -- that emotionally, she is a totally different person.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNAH ZWERNER, TWIN SISTER OF ABBY ZWERNER: She's just not the person that she was. I feel like she's kind of lost her, um, sense of direction in a way. And, um, yeah, I think that she had a lot to be excited about, and she doesn't anymore. And so that light has kind of dimmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: The defense has very aggressive cross-examinations here -- first of all, with Ebony Parker. That she was doing standardized testing that day and that she was in her office -- needed to be in her office and that really, the teachers should have just taken action. But there was an expert educator who took the stand saying no, teachers have a duty to report --

SIDNER: Right.

CASAREZ: -- what is going on -- but you, as the vice principal, have the duty for action. Also, the sister said that -- on cross that she took her to a Taylor Swift concert and the defense trying to make a point -- well, that -- she was out. She was doing things.

SIDNER: I mean, you could see how devastating this could be to someone who trusts children and is put in this position.

We will see, Jean Casarez, how this all plays out. But it is a compelling, fascinating, and devastating trial that you've been watching.

CASAREZ: We believe she is going to take the stand herself -- Abby Zwerner.

SIDNER: And I know we will have you back for that. Thank you so much.

And you can catch Jean again as the trial begins today. We'll be streaming every moment from inside the courtroom on CNN All Access on the CNN app -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: So this morning a former Illinois sheriff's deputy awaits sentencing after the shooting death of Sonya Massey. A jury found Sean Grayson guilty yesterday on second-degree murder. Grayson could now face up to 20 years in prison. The jury did not convict him on the more serious first-degree murder charge that would have carried a sentence of 45 years to life.

[07:55:00]

You'll remember back in July last year, the 36-year-old woman who is Black, called police to report a suspected prowler at her home and then body camera footage captured what then played out. Grayson confronting Massey about how she was handling a pot of hot water she had removed from her stove. That is when the officer, who is white, shot and killed her.

Sentencing is set for January.

So taco night just took a turn. Taco dinner kits sold at Aldi, Giant, and Martin's are being recalled after customers found cocoa mix packets inside instead of taco seasoning. The cocoa mix contains milk, which is not listed on the box as an ingredient and thus creates a serious allergy risk. The kits were sold in more than two dozen states, including Illinois, Georgia -- Illinois and Georgia.

And I'm just wondering -- chocolate tacos doesn't sound bad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't seem to find my glasses. Is this paprika?

NEO, HUMANOID ROBOT: No, that's cayenne pepper. Also, your glasses are on your shirt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I hadn't heard that yet. That's kind of hilarious.

Cool or creepy, you decide. That's Neo, the new humanoid robot. Neo does it all. It cleans your house, does your laundry, waters your plants. Did I mention Neo can also dance? It can be yours for a cool $20,000. It weighs 66 pounds and stands five feet-six inches tall. And do not worry. The company that makes Neo says there's a whole lot of security features in place to prevent this whole thing from becoming something out of a scary movie.

Speaking of which, on this Halloween eve we present to you Google's Frightgeist list, the most popular Halloween costumes of the year. And pretty much the entire list is, you guessed it -- six out of 10 are all from KPop Demon Hunters. That is maybe the least surprising thing of this Halloween list.

There is also a fun twist though. This trend has now sparked a new interest in a centuries old traditional Korean hat -- one worn by some of the characters in the Netflix smash hit. The gat was worn by noblemen in the Joseon Dynasty established back in 1392.

Of course, CNN caught up with one of the -- this is quite cool -- the last master gat-makers in Seoul. He showed off the traditional method. It uses bamboo, silk, horse hair, and later dyed. A real gat takes up to a year to produce. So unless you were way, way, way ahead of the game -- like even before Demon Hunters released in August -- you are unlikely to see any authentic versions of the hat while trick-or- treating this year.

Rounding out the top 10, John Berman's favorite, the Lorax; Elphaba from Wicked; and, of course, the Labubu, John.

BERMAN: I'm going as I do every year as a sexy cat -- rrrrh.

BOLDUAN: I legit was not expecting that one and I'm so here for this -- yes.

BERMAN: Cool and creepy as you asked before.

All right. New this morning The New York Times is reporting that a retired Tennessee law enforcement officer has been released from jail after getting arrested for a social media post about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The Intercept first reported about the arrest and has the video showing 61-year-old Larry Bushart getting handcuffed at his home last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLICE OFFICER: This is what they (INAUDIBLE).

LARRY BUSHART, ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POST: OK.

POLICE OFFICER: Threatening mass violence at a school.

BUSHART: At a school?

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: All right. This morning, after spending more than a month in jail, the felony charge was dropped.

With us now is CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter. Brian, what happened here?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: When I first heard about this, I was shocked, John. A man sitting in jail in Tennessee over a Facebook meme that he posted in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk killing.

This man, Larry Bushart -- he is an ex-police officer. Also, a progressive and maybe a keyboard warrior -- someone who is posting many, many memes on Facebook.

And one of the posts that he shared in the wake of Kirk's killing was a reference to a comment that Donald Trump made after a school shooting in Iowa. It was a -- it was a meme that's pretty popular in liberal circles referencing Trump being dismissive of that school shooting or saying that people need to learn how to live with gun violence.

But that meme that he posted -- it was interpreted by the local sheriff as a possible threat. The sheriff claimed that people in the community were afraid of the meme. Were concerned about the threat. And so he had this man hauled into jail and then he was in jail for more than a month. That's because the bond was set at $2 million -- a shockingly high amount as The Intercept pointed out last week.

So The Intercept website was able to obtain the bodycam video showing the arrest and showing that even the local police who were tasked with arresting Larry Bushart were shocked by what was going on. You hear him saying in the clip, you know, I've been in Facebook jail but never in real jail. And that's the point of this -- that it seems like there was a situation where this man was taken into custody and put in real jail for something simply involving a meme.

Now, I spoke with Larry Bushart last night. He said he was relieved to be out of jail, and he said that he was thankful for his supporters. And he didn't want to comment any further, which suggests to me that he wants to talk to his lawyer first because there certainly is the possibility of a First Amendment lawsuit against the local authorities in this case, John.

BERMAN: That is so interesting here. One month in jail for that.

Brian Stelter, everyone should go read about this and much, much more on the Reliable Source's newsletter, which I don't think is out yet.