Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Russian President Vladimir Putin Announces Easter Truce In Conflict With Ukraine; U.S. Supreme Court Pauses Trump Administration's Use Of The Alien Enemies Act To Deport Group Of Venezuelan Immigrants In Texas; Vice President J.D. Vance Visits Vatican City As Pope Francis Recovers From Double Pneumonia; Senator Chris Van Hollen Meets With Deported U.S. Illegal Immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia In El Salvador; Protests Held Against Trump Administration In Cities Across U.S.; Trump Administration Tariffs May Reduce Access To Healthy Foods For Many Americans. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 19, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The record label has said that the lawsuit should be dismissed, arguing that it could restrict free speech protections for musical artists. Quote, "Drake, unquestionably one of the world's most accomplished artists and with whom we've enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another," a spokesperson from UMG told CNN. The lawsuit is still in it's initial stages, but if there isn't an out of court settlement, the trial is on track to potentially begin in summer of 2026. Back to you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we start with this breaking news this hour. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has declared an Easter truce in the conflict with Ukraine. It went into effect earlier this afternoon and goes until tomorrow evening. The declaration comes just a day after President Trump said he wanted to see a peace deal done quickly.

CNN's chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance is in Moscow. Matthew, what is Putin saying about what brought this truce on?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, on the face of it, Putin saying that this 36-hour truce is for Easter, which the Christian celebration is underway right now. But you can't ignore the timing outside of the religion, which is that President Trump has been pushing hard for his diplomatic solution to the for an end to the Ukraine war and has expressed his frustration at that. And there's been a lot of blame focused on Russian foot-dragging. And so it's perhaps possible, likely even, that the Kremlin timed this to sort of ease the criticism that it's been the one that's been sort of intransigent and not been sort of fulfilling its side of the bargain.

Having said that, it is just, you know, it's less than two days this ceasefire has been called for, well short of the 30 days that President Trump had demanded and, of course, which Ukraine has already agreed to. So it is, I suppose, the bare minimum that that the Kremlin could do to show a sort of sense of goodwill towards the peace process.

The big questions outstanding right now, will it be implemented? Already the Ukrainians have expressed skepticism, that words are one thing actions on the ground when it comes to the Kremlin are quite another. And secondly, can it be extended? I guess the big question, which is, given all the diplomatic pressure on the various sides in this conflict, is can this short ceasefire be turned into -- be extended and be turned into something significantly bigger? At the moment, it's too early to say. But that will certainly be raising those kinds of hopes.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance in Moscow, thanks so much.

All right, we're also following breaking news in this realm. A major setback in President Trump's immigration crackdown. The Supreme Court is temporarily pausing deportations of migrants potentially targeted under the Alien Enemies Act. Attorneys made an emergency appeal to the high court on Friday on behalf of a group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who say the Trump administration was working to remove them without sufficient notice to challenge their deportations. The U.S. Supreme Court's order coming down just after midnight, with only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is live for us in Washington with more on this. So now what, Julia?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in that order issued overnight, the Supreme Court paused the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport a group of immigrants in Texas who said that the Trump administration was working to rapidly remove them from the United States. And attorneys for this group of Venezuelan migrants filed an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court Friday evening. And they said that this group was facing an immediate risk of removal from the United States and had not had sufficient time to challenge those deportations.

I do want to pull up that court order for you now, at least part of it, so that you can see it. The court ordered the Trump administration to respond to the emergency appeal once a federal appeals court in Louisiana, which covers cases from Texas, takes action on the case. And the order said, quote, "The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court." So in the meantime, no one from this group is to be deported.

Now, this order did draw dissents from two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. They did not release a statement at the time of the order. The order was released around 1:00 a.m., but we do think that we will get a statement at some point. In fact, that order mentioned that Alito would be releasing a statement.

[14:05:00] And at the heart of all of this is the Alien Enemies Act. It's an 18th century law, and it's one that the Trump administration used just about a month ago now to deport hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. And it's not the first time that Trump's use of this act has been brought to the Supreme Court. In fact, just last week, the nation's highest court said that Trump could use the act. But they highlighted that any migrants that are facing deportation because of the act should be notified and that they should have time to have their removal reviewed in court. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook in Washington, thanks so much.

All right, we're learning new details now about the brewing court battle between the Trump administration and international students. So far, the U.S. State Department has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 international students and recent graduates from schools around the country. More than 100 of those students have filed suit. And late last night, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against their deportations. One of the attorneys representing the students spoke with CNN this morning and says he can't understand why the government is taking this kind of action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES KUCK, REPRESENT STUDENTS WHO FILED LAWSUIT: It turns out that none of our students are active in any way on social media, and that these terminations actually had to do with prior contact, either with law enforcement or with immigration itself, that had been previously resolved. So once we realized it wasn't about social media, we knew right away that ICE had stepped over the line.

The common denominator is that at some point they had their fingerprints taken, whether it was because of a speeding ticket or because they were arrested on shoplifting, which later dismissed, or whether they had actually had a problem with immigration at the border or inside the United States, then left and came back. The common denominator is none of our clients have a conviction. None of them are deportable from the United States. And none of them violated their student status.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Attorneys say another hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

At this moment, a protest is underway in the nation's capital calling for the release of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Senator Chris Van Hollen returned from the Central American country Friday after meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. CNN's David Culver has more about Senator Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A photo op that is sparking political spin from all sides. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen sitting next to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident whose deportation has become a flashpoint in President Trump's mass deportation efforts and his clashes with the courts.

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, (D-MD): This case is not just about one man. It's about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody who resides in the United States of America.

CULVER: Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia late Thursday in a San Salvador hotel.

HOLLEN: I called Jennifer to tell her that I had met with Kilmar, and I told her what he said to me, which was first and foremost, that he missed her and his family.

CULVER: Abrego Garcia's wife described the news of her husband's condition as a prayer answered, adding that she's relieved to know her husband is alive.

Deported last month, despite a 2019 U.S. immigration court order prohibiting his return to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was put on a plane and sent straight to El Salvador's notorious terrorism confinement center, CECOT. The administration first called Abrego Garcia's deportation a mistake in court, but now stand by it. In the Oval Office Monday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele sat next to President Donald Trump, both leaders defending Abrego Garcia deportation and imprisonment, with President Trump deferring to others to explain.

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us.

NAYIB BUKELE, PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR: We're not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country.

CULVER: On Wednesday, Senator Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador, meeting with the country's vice president. And on Thursday, he tried to access CECOT without permission. We visited CECOT just days before Van Hollen attempted his visit. Officials took us into sector four, where suspected MS-13 and 18th Street gang members are kept, some convicted, others still awaiting trial. But we were not allowed in other sectors where the newest deportees, including Abrego Garcia, are believed to be held.

Perhaps most surprising is that the first mention of Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia came from President Bukele. He posted several photos with a seemingly sarcastic caption, "Kilmar Abrego Garcia miraculously risen from the death camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador." He then added that Abrego Garcia gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody.

HOLLEN: As we are talking, one of the government people came over and deposited two other glasses on the table with ice.

[14:10:06]

And I don't know if it was salt or sugar around the top, but they look like margaritas. Let me just be very clear. Neither of us touched the drinks that were

in front of us.

CULVER: The photos were selected, intentional, according to a source close with the Salvadoran president, one of them clearly showing Abrego Garcia's arm tattoos. The source saying that that is intended to hint at gang affiliations, which have been publicly alleged but not legally proven.

Conservative allies say the meeting is proof that Democrats are siding with a suspected MS-13 gang member, but neither the U.S. nor El Salvador has filed formal charges against Abrego Garcia, and his attorneys maintain he has no gang ties, and yet he remains in Salvadoran custody.

Now, one thing that stands out to me from senator Van Hollens press conference is he says, Abrego Garcia, as of several days ago, is no longer being held in CECOT, the terrorism confinement center, that instead he was moved to another prison. The reason that's significant is Salvadoran officials have told me repeatedly, if you're considered to be a gang member, then you are to go to CECOT. The other prisons in El Salvador are meant for lesser criminals. And so it's a bit contradictory if they're going to still continue to consider Abrego Garcia to be a gang member, or even, as President Bukele has suggested, a terrorist, if he's not being held in a facility that's meant for that level of criminal.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: David Culver, thank you so much.

Coming up, we'll take you to Rome for the newest details about Pope Francis's plans for Easter celebrations at the Vatican.

And later, even in pro-Trump areas of the U.S., there are concerns about the economic impacts from the president's trade war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:16:36]

WHITFIELD: For the first time in this second Trump presidency, the administration held in person talks with the Vatican. Vice President J.D. Vance, who was baptized into the Catholic faith almost six years ago, spoke with both the Vatican's secretary of state and foreign minister today. These images released from the White House. The Vatican said the discussions included, and I'm quoting now, "an exchange of opinions," end quote, over migrants.

Right before President Trump's inauguration this year, Pope Francis called his -- the Trump administration's deportation plans a disgrace. A statement from the vice president said the conversation involved Catholicism in the U.S., persecution of Christians worldwide, and President Trump's commitment to world peace. It's not clear if Vance will meet with the Pope, who is recovering from double pneumonia. Tomorrow is the holiest day of the Christian year, Easter Sunday. CNN

Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb is with us right now. So as the Easter vigil mass in the Vatican City is underway, Christopher, we know that Pope Francis has been recovering from pneumonia. So will he be attending the vigil service?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the Pope won't be attending the Easter vigil, which is going on at the moment in Saint Peter's Basilica. It's the high point of the church's liturgical year. But he was in the Basilica just before the service got underway to pray. He also said hello briefly to some pilgrims from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while he was there.

Francis has not been leading the major services of Holy Week and Easter because he's still recovering from double pneumonia, but he has tried to be visible and present as best he can. He, as I say, was in the basilica earlier today on Thursday before Easter. He went to a prison in Rome where he greeted the inmates there. And he does hope, the Vatican say, to be present at the Easter Sunday blessing that takes place on Easter Sunday. It's a very special blessing that only the Pope can give. And the Vatican says the Pope does hope to be there.

Obviously, he can't speak for long periods of time because of this pneumonia. He's going through physiotherapy each day to try and regain his voice, but he has shown since he left hospital a determination to be present when he can to make these spontaneous, surprise appearances. And there is an expectation that he will be there in Saint Peter's tomorrow to offer that Urbi et Orbi blessing, which is to the city and to the world, that takes place on Easter Sunday.

WHITFIELD: All right, Christopher Lamb, thank you so much.

All right, happening right now, rallies in several U.S. cities protesting President Trump and his agenda. These are live pictures from the nation's capital right now. Will take you to a protest in Atlanta as well, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:24:08]

WHITFIELD: Today, demonstrators are rallying against the Trump administration in multiple cities across the U.S. The protesters say they oppose the presidents funding cuts, government cuts, deportations. CNN's Rafael Romo is at a demonstration in Atlanta. Rafael, we saw this a couple weeks ago in multiple cities, including Atlanta. Is this part two of that, or is it taking a different tone and tenor?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Yes, it is part two, Fred, but it is considerably smaller. We are standing at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue here in the midtown neighborhood in Atlanta. As you can see, dozens of people at each corner here, maybe a couple of hundred people all together. It started a couple of hours ago, and at one point, all of these people marched north to 14th street.

[14:25:00]

They held a rally at 14th street, where the peace monument is located. It's a peace monument that tries to bring together north and south. This is after the Civil War. But you can see the people behind me. They are, for the most part, speaking against the government of Donald Trump, also against Elon Musk. They say things about -- against how, in their opinion, this government is taking away the rights of people, civil rights, human rights, laying off people illegally, they say.

And so these are these are the kinds of things that we've been hearing for the last few weeks here in Atlanta. At this hour there are other protests going on in different parts of the country. There's a protest going on at the Washington Mall in Washington, D.C., of course. And they say that this is only the beginning, Fred, that they are fed up, that they need a change, that they do not stand up for immigrants being forcibly deported to other countries. And some of them have told us if something like that can happen to an immigrant, immigrant, can then it happen to somebody else in this country.

But again, as you can see behind me, maybe a couple of hundred people here, and they are still speaking very, very loudly, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rafael Romo, we'll keep checking with you. Again, in Atlanta, the nation's capital, it's happening in several cities today.

And we also want to continue to follow breaking news from the nation's highest court. Overnight, the U.S. Supreme Court threw another wrench into the Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants under the Alien Enemies Act. Around 1:00 this morning, Eastern time, the court issued an order temporarily pausing any deportations of a group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who say the Trump administration was working to deport them without proper notice. Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissented.

I'm joined now by Geoff Duncan. He is the former Republican lieutenant governor for Georgia. Great to see you.

First, I'd love to get your reaction to the protests happening in Atlanta, in the nation's capital, people who are contesting many of the Trump administration's policies and agenda. Will this be effective, impactful even, potentially?

GEOFF DUNCAN, (R) FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, GEORGIA: Well, I think what you're seeing show up is there's several constituencies, even those that voted for Donald Trump, that the juice just doesn't feel like it's worth the squeeze anymore. If you just specifically look at tariffs and what he's doing with some of these rogue DOGE efforts that just seem chaotic and disruptive but not effective. Americans care about their politics, but they really care about their money. And when you see $10 trillion of both Republicans and Democrats money disappear just because he wants to, really what now looks like a pure power play, you're going to continue to watch this play out and watch different constituencies, both Republicans and Democrats, start to push back, because, you know, Democrats are getting fired and Republicans are getting fired. Democrats are losing their life savings, and Republicans are, too.

WHITFIELD: Right. And so with you've got, you know, markets taking a big hit. You've got a number of court challenges where the Trump administration is not winning, or at least they are considered setbacks. However, if you look at what the president is doing and other action from the White House, it's still full steam ahead.

As a result, do you see this White House potentially having a credibility problem within the GOP? At what point might there be some real pushback or challenge coming from the party that might take some of the wind out of the sails of the Trump administration? Do you see that potentially happening?

DUNCAN: Yes, I think what you're watching see play out is the playlist every day out of the White House is to just try to run up against as many guardrails as you possibly can. And thank goodness we have our court system in place with this really important checks and balances. I mean, I've lost count.

WHITFIELD: But then he's also defied the court orders.

DUNCAN: Well, and that's the next big issue is, does the Trump administration follow these court orders? I mean, democracy is built on that on one of those foundational pieces. And so, yes, I do think people are going to continue to get tired of watching this thing just continue to roll out.

You mentioned confidence. I think that's the biggest issue going on with the economy right now. The world is losing confidence in America as to we know what we're doing. I think the world, first you're seeing Wall Street, then the bond market, and just, and leaders around the world realizing, I don't think Donald Trump really knew what he was doing when he came in. He just came in with the notion of, I'm going to break as much glass as I can and act like I'm campaigning, but he's not governing. And I think that's the biggest issue.

WHITFIELD: For how long can this go on? The Trump administration is nearing the 100-day mark. And as we mentioned, people are losing a lot of money. They've lost their jobs, their livelihood. You see these court orders and you see this administration continuing to defy some of those court orders.

[14:30:00]

So if people are losing patience, as you say, in what form are they demonstrating that that could actually put the brakes on what the Trump administration is doing, its agenda? Because there is no about- face thus far.

DUNCAN: Well, the brutal realities are we've got four years of Donald Trump, whether we like it or not. And so we're going to have to figure out how to operate within that space.

I do think the economy is really going to be paramount here. If we watch this stock market continue to unravel, if we watch the bond market continue to be stressed, if we watch unemployment rates climb unexpectedly and inflation grow, I think Americans are going to really, really put pressure on all angles, political angles, on Donald Trump to do something different.

And he's proven to be stubborn, and he's proven -- I mean, just the realities of the reports today in "The Wall Street Journal" that they had to wait for Peter Navarro to leave the office for 15 or 20 minutes. Lutnick and Bessent came in and had a meeting with him to talk him out of it the last minute actually implementing these tariffs, which in their words, Donald Trump's words, actually saved us probably from going into an overnight depression just based on one decision. And I think all Americans should be concerned that we've let one person get that powerful by themselves inside the confines of our democracy, to determine in one night if we go to a depression or just walk our way into a recession, or we continue to flourish.

WHITFIELD: And you talked about that in the AJC. So then you talk about, you know, how people are operating. How about for you as a former lieutenant governor here in the state of Georgia? The last time you were here, you were talking about your endorsement of Kamala Harris for this presidency. That didn't work out. You're watching this up close and personal. How are you operating? Maintaining a hopefulness, or how are you trying to be empowered right now at what is a very troubling time for a number of Americans? We talk about the markets, job loss, et cetera.

DUNCAN: I think it's to continue to be an honest umpire to the best of my ability and others. I'm not the only person out here trying to bring wisdom to some of this difficult stuff. But I do think we're going to have to pull back into the 2026 elections all over the country. I think we've got to set the tempo that we deserve better as Americans, and we want better.

I look at here in Georgia, we're going to have a governor's race and all of our statewide constitutional officers that are going to be elected or new or reelected. And Brian Kemp, of course, is term limited out. We have an opportunity here in Georgia to elect sober- minded individuals that can continue to carry the torch that that Brian Kemp was able to get us through some tough times and grow an economy and make smart decisions around health care and education.

But if we just take the national narratives and either run far left or far right, we're going to elect a clown instead of a leader. And other states should do that. If we can get to that spot in 2026 all over the country, then we can probably get ourselves back on track. But if we just take the national bait and play the games, were going to get what we deserve.

WHITFIELD: You no longer consider yourself a member of the Republican Party. Does this mean you no longer have aspirations for an elected office?

DUNCAN: Well, being in elected office was an amazing opportunity. It was it was an amazing honor to have the weight of 11 million people -- 11 million people in Georgia trusting you to make good decisions was something special.

I don't want to be in elected office if I can't make a difference. I don't want to be in elected office if I have to go up to a podium and only tell 60 or 70 percent of the truth to get elected or to govern. I want to be in office in a day and age where it's rewarded to be an honest umpire, it's rewarded to work with both sides of the aisle. That doesn't feel like it's the current period of time, but I hope to get there one day.

WHITFIELD: All right, former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, good to see you. Thank you so much.

DUNCAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, it's humans versus humanoids. Why some robots were running in a half marathon today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:38:24]

WHITFIELD: As President Trump's trade war takes effect, farmers are on the front lines as shifting economic policy has met with uncertainty. CNN's Elle Reeve visited South Dakota to talk with some of the residents -- some of the president's supporters, rather, and detractors about how all of that uncertainty is impacting their life and their bottom lines.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JAIME BAYSINGER, WAITRESS, RED HOG SALOON: I wanted Trump.

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You wanted Trump?

BAYSINGER: Yes. There was no way in hell I wanted her out there. But now I don't know what would have been better.

REEVE: What were you expecting?

BAYSINGER: I was expecting the lower cost of a lot of just your everyday living things And hoping that he would make things better for everybody in America, because that's what we need. Groceries are already outrageous. And then we put the tariffs on across the seas or whatever, like, China, all that. It just makes everything more expensive for everybody.

REEVE (voice over): Jamie Baysinger is the only person we met in eastern South Dakota who openly questioned her own political views. Most people we talked to said it was risky to talk about politics here, even as the effects of Trump's tariffs loomed over the agricultural economy in an area that voted for him by about 70 percent. Generally, opinions were divided between trust Trump's plan and, how can you still like this guy?

REEVE: Wait, so, Becky, let me ask one thing. Are you in a politically mixed marriage? BECKY HOFER, FREIGHT BROKER: Yes. Did you see the -- Joe Biden sign?

REEVE: I did.

HOFER: Would you like to talk about that a little bit?

REEVE: Yes.

REEVE (voice over): Becky Hofer was not afraid to talk. She's a Democrat and her husband is a conservative non-voter.

[14:40:03]

She's a freight broker. Basically, if a company needs to ship bricks, she'll find you a flatbed truck. If you need to ship meat, she'll get you a refrigerated truck.

HOFER: You need the truck tomorrow? Can you guys, like, fork a pallet jack into the back of the trailer for him to pallet jack them to the front?

REEVE (voice over): This gives her a window into real-time shifts in the economy.

HOFER: Everybody's nervous. People are making different decisions for different reasons. But, you know, some of it's hesitation, some of it's actual price changes. Everybody just wants some stability right now.

REEVE (voice over): And those shifts can be complex. She says China's retaliatory tariffs on American pork and beef could lead to higher prices on fruit.

HOFER: Right now, it's produce season in California. We need to get out to California. What goes out to California? Meat. We haul pork. We haul beef. Where does it go? It goes to Asia. If it doesn't go, the price produce is going to go up even that much more because they're going to have to pay more for the trucks.

REEVE: As we've talked about, you're in a really conservative area, very pro-Trump area. Like, do you feel frustrated in trying to talk to your neighbors about what's going on?

HOFER: Yes. It's -- the biggest thing that frustrates me is that, I just feel like nobody cares right now until it affects them. And I don't understand how they don't see that. They're not dumb. These people aren't dumb. And they're not unkind people and selfish people and thoughtless people. So, I don't understand why they're OK with it.

REEVE (voice over): Hofer introduced us to her neighbor, Rod Olerood (ph), who was feeding cattle and who, for now, is OK with it.

ROD OLEROOD (ph): I just think we need to let the president do what he's doing, and we need to just see what's going to happen here and give him a little latitude so that, you know, if it doesn't work, then we're going to have to try something different. REEVE: OK. So, you're willing to let the president try some stuff to

see --

OLERUD: Yes, to see if this works. Let's give the president a chance. And we'll just have to go from there.

Looks like a little boy.

REEVE (voice over): Tommy Baruth thinks we already gave it a chance. He's a retired soybean farmer who saw what happened in 2018 when Trump put tariffs on China.

TOMMY BARUTH, RETIRED FARMER: The export market just went right down the tubes because these countries could buy them from other places cheaper. Brazil and other countries were the ones that benefited from that.

REEVE: I read that it stayed that way, that now China buys a lot more from Brazil.

BARUTH: Exactly. And a lot of times those markets don't come back.

REEVE (voice over): Doug Bjorke runs a lawn mowing business. He says Trump's plan will work out in the long term, even if some crop prices fall.

DOUG BJORKE, LAWNMOWER REPAIRMAN: Yes, the price might come down. But when them people start starving, they're going to come back to the table.

REEVE: You mean in other countries?

BJORKE: Yes. We're a gracious, gracious nation feeding the world. And we shouldn't have to without getting something for it.

REEVE (voice over): Rick Eckmann says in the three days after the tariffs, cattle futures dropped below the point of breakeven for his farm.

RICK ECKMANN, FARMER: We had him do this before.

REEVE: Yes, he really likes you.

ECKMANN: Yes.

REEVE: Did you vote for Trump?

ECKMANN: No. No. No, I did not.

REEVE: Why not?

ECKMANN: You want me to be truthful?

REEVE: Yes.

ECKMANN: I think, to get to where he's at today, he's stepped on people, and he's got no morals, I don't think. I don't like the man. I don't like him.

REEVE: Why do you think so many of your neighbors do support him?

ECKMANN: I don't know. I guess I don't see anything good about him.

REEVE: Does it affect the way you think about America?

ECKMANN: It scares me.

REEVE (voice over): Terry Nebelsick, a lifelong Republican and retired school superintendent, was very careful in how he talked about the political climate. He's concerned that Trump's push to dissolve the Department of Education will cut public school funds for needy kids, potentially at a time of economic turmoil.

TERRY NEBELSICK, FORMER SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: If poverty is happening to adults, children are hurting. And where adults sometimes just have to work through it and work through it and make sure there's food on the table, during that time we have children and adolescents who are forming who they're going to be. And I do think that the public school is a collecting point for people to be able to reach those kids and make sure that they're fed and have medical attention and have their basic needs met.

REEVE (voice over): Again and again, our conversations in this midwestern nice town came back to character and values.

BARUTH: When Sheila and I raised our children, we taught them to be honest, you know, not try to cheat anybody, to respect. Trump is -- doesn't do any of those things.

REEVE: Do you find a lot of farmers around here agree with you, or are they fans of Trump?

BARUTH: This is a very Republican state. I think it's too soon for them to say they're wrong.

REEVE: Elle Reeve, CNN, Huron, South Dakota.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Elle.

[14:45:00]

Coming up, tariffs aren't just impacting the cost of food but also the access to it. Why wealth experts are sounding the alarm as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As President Trump's tariffs are taking effect, some health experts are warning it could impact Americans access to nutritious foods.

[14:50:00] According to the USDA, the U.S. is importing nearly 60 percent of the fresh fruit consumed each year, and more than a third of the fresh vegetables arriving into the U.S. from another country. With tariffs come higher prices for much of that produce, making a lot of that healthier food harder to afford.

One public health professor telling "The Atlantic", and I'm quoting now, "people are going to immediately eat less fruits and vegetables and will more likely rely on processed foods."

Joining us right now, the founder of Culina Health, registered dietitian Vanessa Rissetto. Vanessa, great to see you.

VANESSA RISSETTO, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: So as you look at these tariffs, which foods do you think will be most impacted?

RISSETTO: Yes. You would think about avocado and grapes and berries. Those are already very expensive to begin with. And now with the tariffs, they're going to be more expensive. So now people who aren't able to afford those fresh fruits and vegetables are less likely to eat those nutrient dense foods and are looking more towards those overly processed foods.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. So then, we've all become accustomed to the term, you know, food deserts, places where it's already pretty difficult to buy affordable, quality, fresh produce. Does this mean some of those deserts are going to become even drier? They're going to be, you know, depleted even further of the fresh stuff, fresh fruit and vegetables?

RISSETTO: Yes. We think that about half of the items in the supermarket are going to be impacted. So that's about 40,000 items. You would think things like beef and seafood and oils, all of those things are going to be affected. And then you would think about places like the Midwest and the south. They are more reliant on trade for revenue. So you're going to see that they're not able to access those foods as easily as those of us on the coasts.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's interesting. And so the shipping, the transporting of these food products, that's partly why, right, or largely why?

RISSETTO: Correct, correct. That's correct.

WHITFIELD: So what's going to be your recommendation? What do people need to be doing? Because oftentimes when people, you know hear about this, and maybe it's already happened in a lot of communities, people start stockpiling. But when you talk about fresh, you know, they've only got so much shelf life or refrigerator life. So what do you recommend people need to do?

RISSETTO: Sure. I think right, we can always get frozen fruits and vegetables. You can even get them at the Dollar Store, right? They are allowed to ripen, to peak, and then flash frozen. So those are minimally processed. So you can use that. You can take what you need and save the rest. And then also you can buy in bulk. But let's not just buy in bulk to buy in bulk. Let's buy things that we are actually going to use. And so those are canned goods, you know, a lot of like hard cheeses will last longer. So you just have to think about what's right for you and your family. But those are the ways for us to save and still be able to access fresh, healthy food.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like people are going to start thinking of things like canning, you know, jarring, learning how to do that? Just like during the pandemic suddenly people developed a greater interest in growing things in their backyards. Do you see those kinds of trends or habits picking up?

RISSETTO: I think, yes, for people who have high health literacy and have access. I think for those people who live paycheck to paycheck and don't understand how to do those things or where to start and don't have the means or the wherewithal, I think you're going to see those people lean more towards the ultra-processed and canned things that are cheap, because we do know that in 2018 and 2019, when tariffs were imposed, that that led to an increase of $90 per household on what they were spending on food. And that is material for you if you are living paycheck to paycheck.

We tend to forget that there are working poor, people who go to work every day and pay taxes, but they're going to the soup kitchen in order for them to eat and feed their families. And so I think were going to see that that gap is going to continue to widen.

WHITFIELD: All right, Vanessa Rissetto, thank you so much. A pleasure having you. Please come back.

RISSETTO: Thanks for having me. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, new details on who will foot the bill for the White House Easter egg roll. Many of the companies have already been sending a lot of money to the Trump camp.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:59:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, a brand new CNN Original Series will take you on a journey with some of your favorite stars. Here's a quick preview of where you will go this season on "My Happy Place."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BILL PORTER: My happy place, one place where I could truly be myself. I am totally in love.

ALAN CUMMING: I feel A deep sense of calm when I'm here. I slow down. I connect.

OCTAVIA SPENCER: This city feels like an extension of my personality.

QUESTLOVE: Whenever my schedule clears, I head straight to my happy place, Austin, Texas. There's a level of joy that I get from people that actually appreciate

the music.

SIMU LIU: There's something about Thailand that just seemed very welcoming to me.

I hate how good that tasted.

TARAJI P. HENSON: I needed a radical change of scenery. Bali allowed me to find the part of me that I had lost.

SPENCER: I want people to experience this highly captivating, culture, filled, beautifully intricate, diverse city. Theres no other place like it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Didn't we just watch his movie today?

LIU: Life's crazy, isn't it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "My Happy Place" premieres April 27th on CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, tune in to "My Happy Place" Sunday night, April 2yth, at 10:00 Eastern and Pacific.