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Trump Administration to Use Emergency Funds to Pay Partial SNAP Benefits; Millions of Americans Facing Delays in SNAP Food Assistance; Policing, Public Safety Key Issues in Race for Mayor of Minneapolis Mayor; China's Viral Trump Impersonator. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired November 03, 2025 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: The Trump administration now says it will provide partial food stamp benefits for November by tapping into the program's contingency fund amid the government shutdown. Remember, they were forced to do this. On Friday, two judges ruled that the White House had no choice and had to pay out those funds.
But now there are significant questions about exactly when those payments are going to go out. In today's court filing, the Department of Agriculture said, quote, "For at least some States, USDA's understanding is that the system changes States must implement to provide the reduced benefit amounts will take anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months."
And it is that uncertainty, which is now hanging over recipients like Chantille Manuel, who spoke with CNN earlier today.
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CHANTILLE MANUEL, SNAP RECIPIENT: I'm pretty stressed out.
[15:35:00]
And I have to decide whether to put gas in my car or buy something to eat today.
No matter how hard I'm trying to come up in the world, it just doesn't matter. I just keep getting held down. I just need a little leg up. And you know, I'm five years in recovery, and I've gone to school.
I've done all these things, and I'm trying to work, and I'm trying to open a business, and I just need a little more help, and I can't get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There are yet others, like Laterese Johnson, who says that she has two weeks of food benefits left to feed herself and her grandkids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LATERESE JOHNSON, SNAP RECIPIENT: So, with the amount of SNAP benefits that I receive, it's just enough to feed, you know, one person. But I have to share that with my grandchildren, so it's times when, you know, it's already a sacrifice. So, if you take the SNAP benefits from me, you're taking the SNAP benefits from kids that enter into my home as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: That sentiment is all too familiar for families like that of Eve Eriksson. She and her husband, a disabled veteran who can only work part-time, rely on the program to keep their family afloat, especially as they try to take care of their child who has autism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVE ERIKSSON, SNAP RECIPIENT: It's scary. I'm a mom. You know, all of our food goes to our kid first, and then we, you know, then you never know.
We're going to, you know, what of our little bit of food stamps that we have left, are we going to spend that on, you know? I mean, these are -- I hate to say it, but sometimes we're hungry.
I'd like everybody in Washington to stop, you know, playing games and take us seriously. We're real Americans, and it's not just our family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Food banks across the country are warning of a coming crisis. This weekend in the Atlanta area, thousands of people lined up at a food giveaway location. One woman even waited in her car for 14 hours in the hopes of being among the families who could receive free groceries.
We're joined now by Annemarie King. She is a SNAP recipient. Anne- Marie, thank you so much for being with us and talking to us about your family.
Tell us a little bit about your family. I know you have eight kids, all the way up to the age of 11 years, and you told CNN that you personally are only eating one meal a day as your husband picks up extra shifts at the drywall factory where he works.
Tell us how you're managing. Tell us what the effect is on you.
ANNEMARIE KING, SNAP RECIPIENT: I mean, we're just at this point trying to get by and get creative. You know, I just kind of have to think about making sure to make it stretch as long as we can.
SANCHEZ: And what does that look like if you're eating one meal a day? I mean, you can't sustain that long-term, right?
KING: No, no, it's definitely not something that we can do long-term at all. I think because we were kind of thrown into this, we had to kind of think quick on our feet, too. So, you know, maybe if it goes on longer, we just have to -- we just have to keep picking up shifts and doing overtime just like my husband's been doing.
KEILAR: So, I know that on the app, which is how you look at your benefits, it had not had a date --
KING: Yes.
KEILAR: -- yet for when you would see your benefits refresh. Now that there has actually -- there's been multiple court decisions, and we've learned that the Trump administration in compliance with those is going to partially fund SNAP benefits for November.
Is there anything on your app telling you when you might be seeing some more SNAP benefits go into your account?
KING: There's nothing on the app yet. It just basically explains that on October the 31st that they had made the decision that they were going to have to release some sort of funds for SNAP. Basically, the only thing that we're given on the app is that we will receive it.
It's just going to be delayed in that they can't give us a date and that it will just have to -- it's an evolving situation, and we just have to keep checking for updates.
SANCHEZ: Wow. Are you -- how are you talking to your kids about this? Are they aware of what's going on?
KING: I mean, for the most part, they're all younger, so you can't really have a discussion with them about food stamps and things like that for them to understand. You know, I think it's just -- it's just being creative and making it, you know, fun meals still and kind of getting through it and just making sure that you just don't show the worry to them.
KEILAR: Yes, I mean, that's the thing, right, is you are not revealing that stress that you're experiencing, and you are hungry.
[15:40:00]
Tell us what that stress is like, knowing that you're putting on this happy face for your kids, but you don't really have answers about when this is going to be fully resolved for yourself.
KING: It's a lot. To be honest with you, you know, my husband already works so much, and now he's gone probably more so. So, it's kind of just me here trying to figure it out, and, you know, it's just a lot of just trying to figure out ways that you have a little bit more control over the situation. But unless, like, something happens, it's just -- it's one of those things where you just can't do anything about it but worry and hope that they don't start to see it.
KEILAR: Annemarie, what do you want lawmakers here in Washington, what do you want the president to know?
KING: It's really just -- there's stopped being a point. I mean, I understand that both people -- both sides are trying to make points, but I just don't see how -- I don't see how there's a point, I mean, to hold -- it almost feels like we're being used as pawns on both sides, and I just really just hope that, like, we're just stopping pawns.
SANCHEZ: It is an unfortunate situation, Annemarie. We're sorry that you're dealing with this. We hope that it gets resolved soon, and we'd love to keep in touch with you as the days go by, and hopefully there's a resolution.
KING: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Annemarie King, thank you so much.
Voters in Minneapolis are set to choose a new mayor in tomorrow's elections, and a major issue in the race is the future of the city's police. We'll explain next.
[15:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Among the many off-year election races across the map tomorrow, Minneapolis voters are heading to the polls in a mayoral race centered on public safety and police reform. Police Chief Brian O'Hara took over a department in free fall after one of its officers, you'll recall, murdered George Floyd, and he slowly rebuilt a force that still faces challenges.
KEILAR: Now three opponents to the incumbent mayor are criticizing the city's public safety efforts, joining together to form what they call a slate for change. CNN's Ryan Young is with us now on this. Ryan, help us understand what's happening here.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, guys, talking about a flashpoint when it comes to the officer crunch that's hitting departments across this country. But in Minneapolis, it became the focus point, especially after the murder of George Floyd. The city at one point had 900 officers, and then their numbers dipped as officers quit, retired, or moved on after that, so public, the riots and everything that happened.
They dipped to 550 officers. At some point, that created a real patrol issue. Even right now, they need overtime to cover a lot of shifts.
Now, city leaders, community activists, they all have ideas about what should happen with this police department, but when you think about it on a day-to-day basis, they have to create trust and they have to be able to move forward, especially when they're dealing with crime. Take a listen to the police chief about the talk -- about the tall tasks that officers face on a day-to-day basis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: We're the most scrutinized police department on earth, but you do come on this job, and if you're coming on for the right reasons, you have an opportunity, once your career is over, to look back on what you've done and realize every day of your life, you have an opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives.
MICHELLE GROSS, PRESIDENT, COMMUNITIES UNITED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY: It does matter who the mayor is because mayors are, again, from the very top, controlling that culture. They determine, you know, what happens in a community around policing because in our city, policing is 100 percent the responsibility of the mayor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Yes, Boris and Brianna, I actually got challenged by some former police officers. Their whole point was a lot of people put focus on the day-to-day operations of this police department, especially after what happened with George Floyd, but since then, they don't think there's been enough talk about the gap that's been left with all these officers leaving, and then you have to do the day-to- day task of patrolling and keeping people safe. We talked to one business owner who said he's seen a real change in just the interactions, and that's something that he's proud of, but at the same time, this job has become very political.
KEILAR: Yes, it certainly has. Ryan, thank you for that.
And now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour.
Jon Stewart is sticking around at Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" through 2026. Paramount just announced they renewed his contract to host the show every Monday, with correspondents hosting in alternating roles Tuesday through Thursday. Speculation about Stewart's future on the show grew after Paramount went through a protracted merger process and made several concessions to the Trump administration.
The head of Comedy Central said in a statement that Stewart's return is an ongoing commitment to the sharp commentary that defines "The Daily Show."
Also, the maker of Huggies, Kimberly Clark, announcing it is buying Tylenol's parent company, Kenvue, in a nearly $50 billion deal. It's a merger that's the latest in a deal-making -- in a deal-making explosion under the Trump administration, I should say, but the deal will come with challenges.
[15:50:00]
Kenvue's main product, Tylenol, of course, has come under recent scrutiny after President Trump made unfounded claims linking autism to the use of the drug during pregnancy.
SANCHEZ: And the rock and roll world mourning the loss of singer Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay. A spokesperson announced she died Sunday in a Nashville hospice facility after a battle with cancer. She is best known for her time as singer with The Grateful Dead during the 1970s. Also, though, well-known as a session performer working with top artists including Elvis, Percy Sledge, and Neil Diamond. In 1994, she and other Grateful Dead members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was 78 years old.
Ahead, you were set to meet China's viral Trump impersonator who is taking social media by storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP IMPERSONATOR: The CNN people, they come to John King. All they want to do is to shoot me. Getting my haircut. That's crazy. Well, today I'm doing it. Ok. Let's go. Let's go.
[15:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: He walks, talks, and acts just like President Trump. Boasting, bravado, a bit of drama. He's perfected the president's mannerisms to a T.
KEILAR: But English isn't even his first language and he's never even been to the U.S. CNN's Mike Valerio introduces us to a Trump impersonator who has become a social media star in China and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHEN, TRUMP IMPERSONATOR: We're in Chongqing, China. It's so high. It's so high.
Vintage style. I love the facade. Right?
They're doing a pretty good job. They're doing a pretty good job. It's a harmony. It's a harmony. I love this city.
People ask me, how do I feel today? I'll tell you, I feel fantastic.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it a different kind of U.S.-China summit with the Chinese Trump.
CHEN: Ladies and gentlemen --
VALERIO (voice-over): Meet Ryan Chen, a 42-year-old business manager who started making imitation videos of the U.S. president only a few months ago.
CHEN: China. People from Qingdao, China, they love dumplings. They really do.
Trust me, nobody does seafood like Qingdao people. They literally turn all of their seafood into dumplings.
I think it's vegan food. It's still good. It's still good.
I went into a truth and dare with my friend, and I lost this dare. And he dared me to do Trump and put it on my account. And it turned out the -- the video went viral. You want to take a picture with me?
VALERIO (voice-over): He's now exploded into one of China's biggest online stars, with more than a million followers on the Chinese version of TikTok.
Trump's mannerisms down and even more astonishing.
VALERIO: It's incredible that you've never been to America, and you have Trump just spot on that you're able to do it.
CHEN: Yes, yes, because I'm a little bit gifted in acting. Actually, a lot of people -- after they see my video, they come to Chongqing.
VALERIO (voice-over): Chongqing is his hometown, a mega city of more than 32 million people.
Chen highlights the metropolis and its culture and his Trump videos, trying to entertain and monetize while staying clear of any political landmines.
With the U.S. and China increasingly at odds with each other on the global stage, Chen says, he aspires to act as a comedic ambassador between the superpowers.
CHEN: I can help bridge the gap of, you know, bridge two cultures so that spread happiness. So, I can help foreigners to see what real China is.
VALERIO (voice-over): Starting with the best of Chongqing's famous spicy cuisine.
CHEN: We call it thousand year egg.
VALERIO: Uh-huh. OK.
CHEN: And it's really delicious.
VALERIO: Wait. What is this taste like?
CHEN: MSG, right?
VALERIO: MSG? All eggs should be like this.
CHEN: Oh, really?
VALERIO: Yes.
CHEN: I love this guy. He likes everything. He likes every --
VALERIO: Not everything.
CHEN: -- controversial food.
So, the CNN people, they come to Chongqing. All they want to do is to shoot me getting my haircut. That's crazy. Well, today, I'm doing it. OK. Let's go. Let's go. Hey, Mr. Tan. Mr. Tan. That's my guy. That's my guy. The best barber in town. He's very professional, this guy. I'm going to look 30 pounds lighter after this.
We had a promise, right? A deal is a deal.
TAN, BARBER: You like it?
CHEN: I think it's tremendous.
TAN: Tremendous.
VALERIO (voice-over): After their meeting in South Korea, President Trump gave his assessment of the talks with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping.
TRUMP: From zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.
VALERIO: Ryan, on a scale of zero to 10, how would you rate this interview?
CHEN: Interview with CNN people?
VALERIO: With us CNN people.
CHEN: I give it a 67. It's a big number. It's a big number.
VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Chongqing, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Six-seven. Mike Valerio, I mean, walked into it there. That was great, Mike, thank you.
The 54th running of the New York City Marathon this weekend provided something you almost never see in long-distance running, a photo finish. Take a look at the final stretch of this 26.2-mile race. Two Kenyans, stride for stride, crossing the finish line with the same time of two hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds. The first time in New York City marathon history that a photo finish decided the winner.
SANCHEZ: They coordinated those outfits. I mean, they had to have, right? They're identical.
KEILAR: I hope so.
SANCHEZ: Well, after that dramatic neck-and-neck win, the final runners eventually finished the marathon in the dark, but they were also celebrated with cheers and hugs. More than ten hours after the starting gun, Hannah Schonwald (ph) was the last of the 59,000-plus runners to finish the marathon. There she is right there.
It should be noted she's pregnant and running for two, and she wore a shirt that said, Baby's First Marathon. Congratulations to her and to all those who participated. It is not easy to run 26-plus miles.
[16:00:00]
Shout-out to Evan Perez of the CNN family who ran it as well in something like four hours.
KEILAR: That's pretty good. He did very well. Have you ever run a marathon, no?
It's tough stuff.
SANCHEZ: No.
KEILAR: Me neither. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt -- who probably can -- starts right now.
END
