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Bessent: China to Buy 12 Million Tons of U.S. Soybeans Through January; Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old Student Testifies in $40 Million Civil Suit; Father of Parkland Shooting Victim on Gun Violence in America; Crowd Chaos at Yosemite National Park After Budget Cuts. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired October 30, 2025 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: So China is set to resume buying U.S. soybeans as part of a larger trade agreement that President Trump says was reached in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that China has agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans through January and is agreeing to buy 25 million tons a year over the next three years. American soybean farmers have been hit hard by Trump's trade war.
After Trump hit products from China with tariffs, China hit back by boycotting U.S. soybeans over the last few months.
We're joined now by soybean farmer and Trump voter Scott Gaffner. He's also notably on the board of directors of the Illinois Soybean Association. Scott, thank you so much for being with us. We noted there that China hasn't bought U.S. soybeans since May. I wonder what this purchase of 12 million metric tons this season will mean for farmers like yourself.
SCOTT GAFFNER, SOYBEAN FARMER WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP: Well Boris, thank you first of all for letting me come on, and thank you for the Trump administration for staying vigilant on this. Because you talked about the government just in this previous segment being in a 30-day shutdown. If you want to think about it in this way, farmers have been in shutdown all year in a government shutdown. If you want to think about it in the context of us not getting a paycheck, because China hasn't purchased any soybeans until just a couple days ago.
And so the news that we do have soybeans now flowing again, that we possibly have our markets back open, and that we can renew this trade opportunity is good news to us as farmers because China is our number one buyer of soybeans.
[14:35:00]
And Illinois is the number one soybean producing state, and as on the board of directors with the Illinois Soybean Association and the United States Soybean Export Council, you know, we represent the 43,000 soybean farmers and half a million U.S. soybean farmers. And so we have to have these trade routes that are open because we rely upon moving these soybeans to those foreign markets. And so it's great news to hear.
It's an early Christmas present, but we want to ensure that this continues to move, that's for sure, because we had a similar arrangement we thought in 2018, and we're not so sure China has fulfilled all their obligations. So it's important that we stay vigilant on that.
SANCHEZ: To that point about the agreement that was in place in 2018 and the moves that China has made, for example, buying soybeans from Argentina, I wonder how difficult it is to plan long term, given that a lot of this is sort of a handshake agreement. Is it hard for you to see a future in which this is up in the air again?
GAFFNER: Well, we need some more so -- we need some solid answers for sure. We need to make sure that this is in writing because we can't just go off of a handshake possibly and just decide and move on, because we do have to plan. Financially, it's no different than any other family as they're doing their budgets.
We have to ensure that we have enough capital to buy equipment, to buy our seed, to buy our inputs, which all those things continue to increase in prices while our commodity prices continue to decrease. And so the good news with the China purchase, it does increase the commodity prices. But just like any other business, we have to have something to go off of.
So it's a little bit more stable than what we've had leading up to this time period.
SANCHEZ: Scott, I got to be honest with you. I'm not totally familiar with the way that soybean farming works. I wonder if having the flow of exports shut down for this many months has affected the product itself, whether it impacts the way that you run the farms, whether it changes in any way the impacts that you're going to feel moving into the next year.
GAFFNER: Well, it, of course, impacts us because instead of sending our soybeans down to Louisiana and out to China, we're storing them right now. So it costs us money to store. The product's still going to be a high quality product.
That's the thing with U.S. soybeans. We're able to store our soybeans in a manner that ensures they are still a great, sustainable, high quality product. And a lot of countries can't do that.
So China will still get a high quality product when we finally send it down there to them. But for us, we want to go from the field down the river, not from the field to our bins and then pay a price basically for storing our own soybeans. And so that's why it's so important that we continue to have these trade routes open.
These markets are open. We have to ensure in the future that these partners are there for the U.S. farmers. China has been a great partner for the last 20 years.
We also have other venues in which we can trade our soybeans with, but they're not as large as China. So everybody's valuable to us and we appreciate the ability to move the soybean pile for sure. But we are thankful for the Trump administration to open up this trade route again.
And so we're just looking forward to moving our soybeans.
SANCHEZ: On the bigger picture, not just given soybeans, which obviously are your living, I wonder if you think the trade war has netted the kind of benefits that have been worthy of the disruption that we've seen so far, not just in the stock market, but with business owners such as yourself across industries.
GAFFNER: So a lot of people ask, why do you support what the administration is doing? We as farmers are very loyal to this country. We want what's best for this country.
And with intellectual property that's China for a long time has not only within other industries, but also in the farming industry has taken advantage of, we have to ensure that those things are stopped. And so if it's for the best of this country or for the betterment of this country, we will take a little bit on the chin, but it can't always be the soybean farmer that gets hit when these things happen. So very loyal to this country, loyal to this administration and what they're doing for the good of this country.
And we as farmers, again, and I talked about this before, we want trade, we don't want the aid. And a lot of people think farmers want aid, and that's not what we want. We want to be able to trade in an open and fair market to move our high quality products.
And there's so many countries that appreciate that about the U.S. products.
SANCHEZ: Scott Gaffner, we have to leave the conversation there. Really appreciate you sharing your perspective. Thanks for coming on.
GAFFNER: Thanks, Boris.
SANCHEZ: Coming up, a former Virginia teacher shot by her six-year-old student takes the witness stand. The testimony she gave in court today as she seeks $40 million from the school's former assistant principal.
[14:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Right now, lawyers are arguing motions in the civil trial of a Virginia teacher shot by her own student.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Abby Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school's former assistant principal, alleging that she ignored warning signs about the student's behavior and also that he may have brought a gun to school. Zwerner testified earlier today saying, quote, "I thought I was dying. I thought I had died."
CNN's Jean Casarez is tracking the latest developments. Really riveting testimony, very emotional testimony, Jean. Bring us up to speed here.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Let me tell you what just happened minutes ago. Outside of the presence of the jury, the plaintiffs have rested their case in chief. So they have rested.
[14:45:00]
The defense, according to Virginia law, can argue, which they just finished, an argument asking for all of the charges to be dismissed, saying that no reasonable jury could determine the gross negligence of the defendant in this case, who was the vice principal.
The judge said this is a question for the jury. He would not dismiss the charges. So that means this case will be going to the jury.
Next up is the defense case. And they're taking a short break now before we believe will be the first witness for the defense. But the testimony today of the surviving victim, Abby Zwerner, it was -- you don't often have a living victim.
Normally, they don't make it. But that bullet still in her chest, she did make it. And when she testified on direct, she did say that that she just saw blackness after she was shot and that suddenly she saw people around her trying to stop the blood.
But it was very hard for her to say anything in regard to that. But she talked about her feelings after the fact. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBY ZWERNER, PLAINTIFF: The best I can explain it. It's like I still feel connected and close, but it's also that feeling of distance, a little numbness. And it's like I know I'm -- I trust the person I'm with.
You know, I love them. I know them. But there's just -- there's something that's just different.
It's and it's -- I can't necessarily put it into words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: The defense case should start in minutes. They will try to show this jury that the vice principal did not have a duty to do anything. And the responsibility should have been placed on Abby right there because the student was in her classroom.
KEILAR: Yes, it was very interesting to watch and we'll see what they decide. Jean, thank you so much for that. We'll be streaming every moment from inside the courtroom on CNN, all access on the CNN app and on cnn.com.
We're joined now by Manuel Oliver. His son, Joaquin Guac Oliver, was one of 17 victims killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018. Manny, and you were there. I know people are going to be curious about
your backdrop there. You're in Los Angeles where you've taken your one man play about your son to Los Angeles, the third city that you've gone to. And I want to talk to you about that in a moment.
But first, this trial that we're watching, it really brings these issues of responsibility and accountability of school officials to the forefront. How do you see those issues?
MANUEL OLIVER, FATHER OF PARKLAND SHOOTING VICTIM, JOAQUIN "GUAC" OLIVER: Well, you know what? We went through that. That was part of our own suffering.
And I think that anyone that has a minimum responsibility in any of these shootings should be guilty of something. I mean, we cannot ignore these situations and pretend that any red flag is just something that you can just keep on moving and not even look at it. I do think that you were just talking about someone blaming on the vice principal and then, no, it was the teacher.
And then we keep on, you know, pointing fingers when we should see the big picture. And when it comes to accountability, I think we should point every single finger to D.C. and our politicians, people that have been failing and creating this frustration in someone like me. So, yes, I get this.
I do believe that accountability has to be part of this. But let's look at the big picture and maybe we can fix the whole problem.
KEILAR: You mentioned D.C. One of the last times we spoke in the aftermath of the Annunciation Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis, you had a message for President Trump that you said, hey, he can actually make things happen. Have you spoken at all to White House officials, administration officials since then?
OLIVER: No, I would love to, you know, and maybe someone is listening to this interview and I insist President Trump can solve this problem. I'm not going to go after President Trump. I want to -- I want to be for this moment next to him saying you can do this.
You don't ask for permission to do things. You can actually just write down a bill and people will agree with you, by the way. And you can just be that president that everybody will know in history for being a good guy that ended a war that is in your own country.
I think that makes great sense. And then you might win a Nobel Peace Award. So the invitation is open.
Yes. Why not? Let's have the conversation.
[14:50:00]
KEILAR: Manny, you are there on stage at the Kirk Douglas Theater where your one man play is playing and will through Sunday. It's great. I've seen it. It's unlike anything I've seen before. Talk to us about what you're trying to achieve and where you're going next with this effort that is really a very interesting form of advocacy you and your wife, Patricia, are pursuing.
OLIVER: Listen, this is a neutral way of bringing the gun violence situation and tragedies to our country. We're using our own story, story of a family that came from another country. And after dreaming for the perfect land to settle, then we found that gun violence ended the life of our beautiful son, Joaquin.
All that comes to stage. Also, in addition to that, you will meet Joaquin. It's his life, his love for things.
We also talk about the damage that gun violence is creating in our country and how a family, again, Patricia and me, were able to move on and find solutions for others. So yes, we're here in L.A. It's been a long run. It's 17 shows in total.
We have five more. A lot of people have come. They're all full.
Again, we still have, and if you don't find tickets, just call me. I'll find a way to seat people on the floor, OK? I can do that.
And what's next? Well, I know already that we're coming back to L.A. This theater happens to be like home for us now. So we are talking about that.
We will be in New York next year. We will be in Coral Springs early next year, blocks away from the school where my son was shot. So we won't stop using art.
And this way of expressing the problem is unique, is unprecedented, and it might work.
KEILAR: Yes, you brought me to tears. You made me laugh during your show. It was really an experience I think people should have.
Manny Oliver, thank you so much, as always, for being with us. We really appreciate it.
OLIVER: Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a great day.
KEILAR: You too, Manny.
National parks remaining open despite the government shutdown. Next, how one of the most popular destinations has become a chaotic free- for-all without staff there to keep the order.
[14:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: The government shutdown has put a severe strain on America's national parks. CNN's Bill Weir visited Yosemite to see for himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After Elon Musk took a DOGE saw to the National Park Service, America's best idea was already understaffed and under siege. About a quarter of the service staff and their combined experience was lost.
Then came the shutdown with furloughs and threats of more layoffs. And under Trump, parks like Yosemite stay open with no one at the gates and a skeleton staff. One of the worst ideas for national park health, according to 43 former superintendents.
They tried but failed to convince Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect the nation's most cherished landscapes from unmanaged crowds.
KEN YAGER, YOSEMITE CLIMBER ASSOCIATION: I'm concerned definitely. I've seen this kind of stuff before in the past. This one feels a little different. I have a feeling it's going to last a lot longer.
WEIR (voice-over): As founder of the Yosemite Climbers Association, Ken Yager has been a fixture on rocks like El Capitan for over 50 years.
YAGER: I worry about damage in a lot of ways to these parks. When you've got so many people in a national park like this, it disrupts the wildlife, disrupts the plant life.
Trash gets left everywhere. I clean up trash. That's what I've been doing for 22 years with a bunch of volunteers in Yosemite facelift, and we've cleaned up 1.2 million pounds of trash.
WEIR: Wow.
YAGER: So, it can show you how much and how quickly it'll build up.
WEIR (voice-over): A reservation system is supposed to control the numbers hiking up Half Dome, but social media shows moments of crowded chaos.
YAGER: Never seen that before.
WEIR: Right in the middle of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) meadow. Wow!
WEIR (voice-over): Older base jumpers and drone pilots. Last year, there were 15 campground rangers in Yosemite Valley. This summer, just six who also had to pitch in on basic maintenance alongside goodhearted citizens.
WEIR: I know a lot of volunteers are sort of filling the gap in these shutdown days. Who are these folks?
AVA LEWIS, YOSEMITE VOLUNTEER: A lot of them are maybe furloughed employees or folks that work with concessionaire or like people in the local community and people that just really care about this place and care about this park.
CORY GOEHRING, YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY: For the most part, I think we're seeing the best of people come out at this time.
WEIR (voice-over): Volunteers like Corey Goehring from the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy are trying to provide as much basic info as they can. But he says days like these remind Americans that the park belongs to them, and it's time to be a good steward.
GOEHRING: Number one, and I think the most important, plan ahead and prepare. Number two, travel and camp on durable surfaces.
Number three, dispose of waste properly. Number four, basically leave what you find. Take only pictures. Leave only footprints.
WEIR: That's the one my dad hammered into me.
GOEHRING: Yes. And number five, you know, only use established fire rings. Number six, respect wildlife.
WEIR: OK. I love that.
GOEHRING: So, keep wildlife as a difference.
WEIR: Yes.
GOEHRING: And then number seven, yes, respect each other while you're here. While you're visiting.
WEIR (voice-over): But good campers can't control invasive species or protect wildlife from poachers or identify archaeological wonder like the pros can.
LEWIS: More traffic through the park. And, you know, people going off trail and litter and all those things really add up when you don't have full staffing in the park.
WEIR: Right.
LEWIS: So, you know, folks like me will go around ...
END
