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Day One Of High-Stakes U.S. And China Trade Talks; Trump Floats Raising Taxes On The Rich To Pay For Agenda; Putin Says, Russia Ready For Negotiations Without Any Prior Conditions; Pope Leo XIV Makes First Public Outing To Visit Augustinian Shrine, Trump: "Great Progress Made" At U.S.-China Trade Talks. Bill Gates Says Elon Musk's DOGE Cuts Killing Children. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired May 10, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Here in the CNN Newsroom, I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

High-stakes weekend talks with the world economy on the line, as the U.S. and China, the world's two biggest economic superpowers, meet in Switzerland. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Geneva and he's due to meet his Chinese counterparts again tomorrow for further talks. The U.S. says it hopes these conversations diffuse some of the heightened tensions after President Donald Trump started a trade war this year with steep tariffs. But just yesterday, Trump suggested that he may be open to a new deal, writing on social media, quote, 80 percent tariff on China seems right, up to Scott B.

CNN Correspondent Marc Stewart is in Beijing and CNN Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein is there at the White House in Washington.

Marc, let's start first with you. What has the Chinese government said about these conversations? What are they hoping to get out of it?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the interesting point from China is that it's almost presenting itself as if it's doing a favor by sitting down with the United States after this U.S. initiated trade war. It's made the point over and over again that it's not going to cave in, that it's not going to be the one that makes the first move and that it's only meeting with the United States because of these extended overtures.

I would not be surprised if China walks away from this with a long list of to be considered. I think that the feeling going into this is that expectations are very, very low. That's what at least one analyst in Washington told me.

So, China is using this as a way to not only deal with these economic hardships, but also to boost its image in a way as being an alternative to the United States in a sense that it is going to be the strong and stable force in the world amid all of this political turbulence that we are seeing in the U.S. that it says has been initiated by the White House.

A big part of the Chinese messaging has not just been focusing on the United States, but also the global economy. We heard messaging last week from a Chinese government official almost making an appeal to other nations around the world to stand behind China, an act of solidarity, because it feels that the U.S. is acting like an economic bully.

So, while there is certainly a big economic component in all of this, and it will eventually be addressed for China at this very moment, very early on to these talks, Jessica, it's also about ego.

DEAN: All right, Marc Stewart in Beijing.

I want to go now to CNN Senior White House reporter Betsy Klein, who's in Washington. Betsy, what is the White House saying, thinking as we now head into day two?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, well these talks concluded after several hours, early afternoon, D.C. time, and are expected to continue tomorrow in Switzerland. But I think it's really notable that neither side is characterizing how these talks went, what progress is made, but very significant that these talks will continue for a second day. Clearly, there is some momentum going forward.

Now, Trump administration officials, as Marc just laid out, also sought it to tamp down expectations ahead of these talks, saying that this was just a good step forward, but not expecting any substantive deal to emerge this weekend. Of course, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who's traveling in Switzerland for these conversations, said that his goal earlier this week was to really deescalate tensions with China.

And, of course, all of this comes just weeks after President Trump imposed those very steep 145 percent tariffs on most Chinese goods. He appeared to soften the ground for negotiation on Friday, saying that he was open to an 80 percent tariff rate on China, but it was up to Scott B., of course, referring to his treasury secretary there. But I want you to listen to how the president is thinking about these talks and what he told our colleague, Kristen Holmes, in the Oval Office on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What parameters have you given Scott Bessent on negotiating with China this weekend?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have to make a great deal for America.

HOLMES: Are you going to be disappointed if he comes back without a deal?

TRUMP: No, not at all, because we already made a great deal. We're not doing business with China right now.

HOLMES: Have you given Bessent a number of how low you're willing to go?

TRUMP: Yes, I am.

HOLMES: Are you willing to share that number?

TRUMP: No. But I put out a number today, 80 percent. So, we'll see how that all works out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Trump declining to put a number there on what he authorized Bessent to negotiate, but still a very significant step forward today.

[19:05:00]

We'll be watching those talks quite closely tomorrow. Jessica?

DEAN: And, Betsy, I want to ask you about some of your reporting as well, looking ahead to tomorrow when the U.S. and Iranian officials are meeting in Oman for another round of nuclear talks. An Iranian official is pessimistic, telling our colleague, Fred Pleitgen, recent talks were, in his words, not genuine on the American side, but what is the Trump administration saying about that?

KLEIN: Yes. I asked a U.S. official to weigh in on those very negative comments from an Iranian official ahead of these very high-stakes fourth round of talks in Oman between the U.S. and Iran, led by Steve Witkoff, of course, the presidential envoy to the Middle East. The U.S. official told me, quote, President Trump is completely sincere in his desire to reach a deal with Iran and is completely committed to getting one. The United States will ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, but also wishes for lasting peace in the Middle East, a new relationship with Iran and for the Iranian people to reach their nation's full potential.

Now, it really remains unclear whether the U.S. and Iran can reach a deal here, but this will be a very closely watched moment, both for the U.S., for Iran, and for the region as head of President Trump's first major trip abroad to the Middle East, starting on Monday.

DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein at the White House, our thanks to you and our colleague Marc Stewart in Beijing, Florida.

Congressman Carlos Gimenez is joining us now. Congressman, thank you so much for your time on this Saturday evening. I want to go back to where we started at the top of our hour with these talks with China. The talks for today have finished. They're going to continue tomorrow. I'm curious what you would consider success out of these talks.

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I don't know what I consider success. Success is a good deal for America and. I think your reporter had it right that China has to save face. And so it's going to be difficult to get there because, you know, somebody has to blink and I don't think they're going to blink. Because if they do, then they have ceded something to the United States that they, that China is not the big dog, it is the United States. Our economy is $30 trillion. Theirs is $18 trillion. Their warehouses are getting full of items that can't be shipped because the orders have stopped here in the United States. And so they're going to be hurting a lot more than we are.

So, look, whatever is a good deal for the United States, and also they also got to -- you got to clamp down on their practices and their really, you know, nefarious, unfair labor -- not labor practices, but actually trade practices that the Chinese have, you know, done for years and decades, intellectual property theft, you know, undermining and undercutting entire industries in order to take them over. You know, that's what China's about and we need to stop that. And so, you know, a good deal for America, that's what I'm looking for. I don't know what that is right now.

DEAN: I do also want to ask you about the role that the Trump administration said that it's playing in negotiating the ceasefire between Pakistan and India which they were able to successfully do. Vice President Vance had previously said earlier this week, the conflict was none of our business. But the Trump administration did step in, Secretary of State Marco Rubio making big moves. Do you believe it was right for them to intervene?

GIMENEZ: Absolutely. Look, we are still the world's largest superpower and it's in our best interest to have peace in that in that part of the world. They've been at each other's throats for decades, but all- out war will not be good for either one of them or the world at large. And so I'm glad and I am very happy, very proud that Secretary Rubio, you know, stepped in, I guess, under President Trump's orders and was able to, you know, effectuate a ceasefire. That's good for America and good for the world, and actually really good for India and Pakistan.

DEAN: I want to come back home to the bill and the agenda that you all in the House are working to get together right now, and this is, I think, where so much of the domestic story goes and where the Trump agenda goes is what you're going to be able to get together and pass. Your colleagues in the House just released a very bare bones version of what they would like to see. I'm curious if you support what's currently publicly out there and do you -- what are you focused on? What needs to happen for you to support this bill?

GIMENEZ: We need to extend the tax cut and Jobs Act of 2017. We cannot be the Congress that had passed or let the largest tax increase in American history go through. We also need to protect Medicare and Medicaid, like the president said, and then other things to stimulate the economy, also unleash American energy. We've had way too many regulations and we need to -- you know, we have a lot of resources under our feet that we need to unleash. We need to be energy dominant in the world. We need to help our friends with that with that energy and help America too.

And so, you know, there's a lot of moving parts here, but at the end of the day, we cannot fail and we will not fail. You know, I'm confident that we will come to an agreement.

[19:10:02]

All parts of my conference will come to an agreement and we will pass this big, beautiful bill.

DEAN: And on that note, you know, you mentioned that you want to extend the tax cuts. A lot of people, and I believe you, on our program before have said you want to make sure that that's paid for, that there are cuts that coordinate with anything that you would be adding.

I want to play a clip from what the president said. He's now open to raising taxes on really the ultra wealthy in this country. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Would you do it? Is you're giving up something up top in order to make people in the middle income and the lower income brackets save more. So, it's really a redistribution. And I'm willing to do it if they want, but I actually think it's good politics to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: So, Congressman, hearing a Republican president talking about a redistribution of wealth is not something we typically hear. Would you be -- would you support adding these higher taxes on wealthy Americans to pay for some of this?

GIMENEZ: Some of the hyper rich. Look, I've said on, I think, a previous program that I am open to it. I got to see the pluses and the negatives on it. I know that when you also tax, you know, some of the rich, they're the ones that are job creators, and so what will that do to investment in the country, but, yes, I'm open to it and I think a lot of my colleagues are open to it too. We have discussed it. And again, how much would that generate? How much could we offset some of these other cuts that that we need to pass? We need to pass and we need to pass the, you know, the 2017 you know, tax bill.

And so, again, failure is not an option. This could be one of those things that actually offsets the savings and the reduction in revenue that we'll have by passing the tax cut and Jobs Act. But we need to do that, without a doubt. That's the number one thing that we need to do. But, yes, I'm willing to listen to it.

DEAN: And what could get you to a yes on that?

GIMENEZ: I need to see the numbers. And so, look, it's the president's right. It's really -- it's not bad politics, you know? Everybody's accusing us of this, oh, this is a tax cut for the rich, and then all of a sudden we put a tax hike on the rich. I guess that whole narrative just falls apart. And so, politically, yes, but then, you know, it's not just about politics. It's about what's good for America. And so that's -- you know, I need to hear the arguments on both sides, and then I'll make up my mind. But am I open to it? Yes, I'm open to it.

DEAN: I'm also curious how much what the president wants and what he's behind versus what you believe in slash what you believe is good for your constituents. How do you manage all of that? How often are you reflecting back on what President Trump wants and trying to balance that with maybe what your constituents you believe is best for them.

GIMENEZ: Well, look, the president says he doesn't want to touch Medicare. He doesn't want to touch Medicaid. He wants to give, you know, no taxes on tips. He wants no taxes on Social Security and overtime. All those things, my constituents would love that.

Now, what are the details to that? You know, are you going to somehow hurt my state in one way or another as you are trying to pay for these things? That's the other side of the coin. But everything he said, my constituents are fine with. And the problem is how do you pay for that?

Look, we're committed to not touching Medicare, not touching Medicaid. Now, the cuts in Medicaid, or the reduction in Medicaid, has to do with if you are eligible to work, you need to go to work. We're not going to fund Medicaid for illegals. And also one final thing is, you know, unbeknownst to me until a couple days ago, there are close to 2 million Americans that are on Medicaid that are signed up in two states. That's double dipping. You know, we need to eliminate that too. That, and those things that, you know, waste, fraud and abuse that can be touched, but not the benefits to the people that deserve those benefits.

DEAN: All right. Congressman Carlos Gimenez, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

GIMENEZ: It's my pleasure.

DEAN: And breaking news, Russian President Vladimir Putin responding for the first time since facing a new ultimatum, a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. Putin's remarks wrapped up just moments ago, and CNN Fred Pleitgen is going to join us from live inside the Kremlin. He's coming up next.

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[19:15:00]

DEAN: Breaking news out of Russia. Just moments ago, President Vladimir Putin delivering remarks moments ago, well after midnight in Moscow, his first public comment since European leaders pressured him to agree to a 30-day ceasefire by Monday or face possible massive sanctions.

And joining us now, CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who was in the Kremlin for that Putin statement, and Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow bureau chief and adjunct professor at Georgetown University, also author of a new book, My Russia, What I Saw Inside the Kremlin.

Fred, let's go into Kremlin. Let's start first with you. Walk us through what we heard Putin say tonight.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Vladimir Putin especially essentially poured cold water on that ceasefire demand that we heard from the European countries, and, of course, Ukraine in Kyiv earlier today. [19:20:06]

They, of course, were demanding a 30-day immediate ceasefire starting on Monday, and then also threatening tough sanctions if the Russians would not agree to that. Well, Vladimir Putin came out very clearly and said that he was not going to be pressured by anyone into a ceasefire agreement. He said that he believes that a ceasefire is not something that would lead to a long-term peace, that, as he put it in Ukraine, he claimed that the Russians had unilaterally agreed to several ceasefires and that all of those ceasefires had been broken. Of course, the Ukrainians, for their part, say the exact same thing.

But I think one of the key things that we heard from Vladimir Putin tonight is he said that instead of an immediate ceasefire, what he's calling for now is negotiations that he hopes will start on May 15th, and he claims that he's going to speak to Turkey's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tomorrow to see if he can get such negotiations, which would be direct talks between Russia and Ukraine going as fast as possible.

Of course, the Kremlin in the past has said that it will not agree to an immediate ceasefire, as, for instance, the Trump administration wants, but at the same time says that it is open to direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side, and obviously this is the Russians trying to move into that direction, at least as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned.

He said that he believes that any sort of immediate ceasefire would only allow the Ukrainian side to regroup and retrench, as he put it, and would not lead to, as he put it, a longer term cessation of hostilities or dealing with, as the Russians put it, the root causes of the conflict.

It was quite interesting because after Vladimir Putin spoke, I was still able to speak to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, for a short period of time. He called this, in his words, a maximalist serious approach, and he said that the Russians had always claimed that they were ready for direct talks at any point in time with the Ukrainian side. However, they believed a ceasefire, an immediate ceasefire, as called for today in that meeting in Kyiv by the Europeans, and the Ukrainians would not be in their interest.

DEAN: And, Jill, as you're watching this tonight, what did you take away from this moment?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Classic Putin. I think Putin is under enormous pressure right now from the west. You've got the Europeans going to Kyiv, meeting with Zelenskyy. Everybody wants the United States, the Europeans, they all want this 30-day ceasefire. Putin has continued to say no, you know, we have other demands. So, he is looking like the troublemaker in this. And so a way of getting out of that is to, you know, turn over the table and start anew and then say something which has to be pretty, you know, significant and flashy. So that is, let's have direct talks with the Ukrainians.

But I think this is a sign of Putin really feeling especially now that Trump has shown that he's getting frustrated with Putin. We don't know whether that will change. But it is significant that President Trump now is saying, you know, this is the time Russia has to do this. And even Vice President Vance said, you know, Russia is demanding too much. So, if the United States, the Trump administration, which has been pretty friendly to Putin's position, is now saying, you know, we're tired, you have to do something, that's significant for Putin. Some of his, you know, support is fading.

So, I think he wants to he wants to avoid that pressure and also he can say, well, you know, if nobody shows up in Istanbul on the 15th, if the Ukrainians don't go, then it's their problem. They don't want peace.

DEAN: And, Fred, as all of that's happening, who does Putin look to as an ally in this moment? Does he look to Xi, does he look to China? You know, how is he operating in this moment?

PLEITGEN: Well, I think one of the things that we've seen over the past couple of days, and what the Kremlin has said as well, is they believe that all the support that they think that the Russians have been getting here in Moscow with that May 9th massive parade that took place is something they believe that makes the Europeans nervous, as they put it, because, of course, there were dozens of heads of state who came here, many of them then held bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin, of course, trying to deepen their relations with Russia.

But there's absolutely no doubt that at the top of that list, and this is something that Vladimir Putin actually said at this press statement, once again, was Xi Jinping. He was the guest of honor at the events that took place here. He was sitting next to Vladimir Putin as that parade went past for the May 9th Victory Day celebrations, of course, celebrating 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany. And it certainly has been that partnership that the Russians have said will continue to grow.

And, of course, that partnership right now is even closer than it was before. Where on the one hand, as Jill was saying, the Russians certainly feeling the heat, not just from the Europeans, but from the Trump administration as well, and at the same time, of course, the Chinese, for their part, feeling that heat also in that tariff standoff with the Trump administration.

[19:25:02]

So, if anything, the Russians have said that relationship is going to grow stronger. They already say it's at levels that are unprecedented. And you also have, and I think this is very important, a very deep mutual friendship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, who have cultivated this for many, many years. And those two leaders, of course, they've seen us administrations come and go. They've seen U.S. policy change, but the one thing that has remained in place is their friendship. And that's certainly something that they're also looking to cultivate in the future and, of course, support one another against pressure, for instance, from the Trump administration.

DEAN: Yes. And it is 2:25 A.M. where you are Fred, we're going to let you go and say thank you so much for staying up quite late with us to make sure we got this breaking news and for covering it for us.

Fred Pleitgen there at the Kremlin, thank you so much.

I do want to go back to Jill Dougherty, who is standing by and still with us. And, Jill, European leaders said today, if Russia does not comply with the ceasefire demand, Moscow could face these powerful new round of sanctions that would be applied to its banking, its energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil. How much of a squeeze could that actually put on Putin and Russia?

DOUGHERTY: Oh, I think it could be pretty significant because, you know, they're talking about perhaps ending or, you know, stopping Nord Stream 2 pipeline. There was some, you know, talk from the Kremlin that they wanted that gas pipeline between Germany and Russia reopened. And, you know, there was kind of a little feeling that, well, maybe this is possible now that they are, you know, moving forward with some type of agreement.

But that's that. If that is ended by, the Europeans that is really significant for Russia. And, you know, that's short-term, let's say pretty short-term. Long-term, the Europeans are talking about ending their energy dependence on Russia by 2027. So, that's just down, you know, a couple of years. That's really significant because Russia, of course, makes huge amounts of money from energy. Their budget depends upon it.

So, again, getting back to this, Jessica, I think it's really that he's feeling the heat. I think Fred used that phrase, he is feeling the heat. He sees the Europeans united. The Europeans are very worried or were, and maybe still are, that President Trump would get cold feet and would pull out of this peace process and leave it on the European shoulders. So, they very quickly came up with something and, you know, going to Ukraine, talking about these massive sanctions, et cetera.

So, Putin had to do something, and in classic Putin style, he does something that gets attention and makes it look as if he is driving this, whereas actually I don't think he is at all.

DEAN: All right, Jill Dougherty, more to come on this. We're glad you're here with us on this, what could be a pretty pivotal day. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you.

DEAN: Thank you as Pope Leo XIV prepares for his Sunday mass, his brother speaking to CNN about the moments he believes led to his historic selection and why he's not surprised.

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[19:32:46]

DEAN: In a matter of hours, the first American Pope is expected to greet up to 150,000 faithful in Saint Peter's Square on his first Sunday as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV made his first public outing earlier today, visiting the

Shrine of Our Lady Of Good Counsel outside Rome. The site is an Augustinian sanctuary run by his religious order, he then stopped to pray before the final resting place of the late Pope Francis.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Atika Shubert, has been following the days' developments from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Saturday morning. Pope Leo met with cardinals to discuss themes that were brought up during the general congregations before the Conclave and he signaled that he intends to closely follow the example of Pope Francis.

He also explained why he chose the name Leo. He said that he was inspired by pope Leo XIII and his defense of workers' rights in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Today, the Pope said, we face similar challenges just from A.I. Now, in the afternoon, he went to the Augustinian sanctuary outside of Rome, known as the Madonna Del Buon Consiglio or The Mother of Good Counsel. He met with members of the religious order there, but also had a private prayer in front of the sacred image of the Virgin Mary there.

Now, of course, he's a member of the Augustinian order, but he's also been known to go here for prayer in the past. So, this is very much a personal, meaningful first visit by the Pope. He ended the day with a visit to Santa Maria Maggiore. This is, of course, where Pope Francis is buried, and this was an homage to Pope Francis.

Now, on Sunday, we expect the Pope to preside over the Regina Caeli prayer here at Saint Peter's Square. An estimated 150,000 people are expected to attend.

Atika Shubert for CNN in Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And we are learning more about Pope Leo XIV, according to a New Orleans genealogist, the Pope has Louisiana Creole ancestry. His grandparents on his mother's side, came to this country from Haiti and lived in New Orleans before moving to Chicago.

He grew up on the city's south side as one of three boys in his family, and in the days since Pope Leo was elected, his brother John has worked to stop a terrible rumor that Robert Prevost is not a Cubs fan, but instead a die-hard White Sox fan. There he is, on the left of your screen during game one of the 2005 World Series between Houston and Chicago.

He stood normal guy and future Pope there at the baseball game. CNN's Whitney Wild spoke to Pope Leo's brother, John, sharing fond memories of growing up with the boy they called Rob. [19:35:24]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN, LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): So, this is your mother?

JOHN PREVOST, BROTHER OF POPE XIV: Yes.

WILD (on camera): Wow. You guys really look like your mom.

PREVOST: Yes.

WILD (on camera): Yes. He really takes after your mom.

PREVOST: Yes.

WILD (voice over): John Prevost remembers the days when now, Pope Leo XIV was known simply as Rob.

(POPE LEO XIV speaking in foreign language.)

WILD (on camera): Did he teach you anything as a as a person, as a child?

PREVOST: Stand up for what you believe in.

WILD (voice over): He was the youngest of three boys spread just four years apart. Music filled their home. Pope Leo learned to play the organ, his brother did too.

PREVOST: He would take the lessons and come home and teach me. Our mom had an almost an operatic voice, and so she was very active in our church choir.

WILD (voice over): Prevost says his brother always knew he would one day become a priest, and was guided to the papacy.

PREVOST: Not that he necessarily was looking for the job, but if that's what God wants, then he will do it.

This is his ordination and his first blessing went to our mother. That's when he became a cardinal.

WILD (voice over): The Pope's chosen path began early.

PREVOST: When the now, Pope graduated eighth grade, he was off to seminary already. It's bittersweet in the sense that when we dropped him off for freshman year of high school, the ride home was very sad. Now, it's even worse in the sense that will we ever get to see him unless we go over to Rome. You know what I mean?

WILD (on camera): How does that feel as a brother?

PREVOST: It's hard, you know, it's hard.

WILD (on camera): How do you cope with that?

PREVOST: You just have to, you know, there's no other option.

WILD (on camera): Did your mom or dad ever try to talk him out of it?

PREVOST: No, because he knew at such a young age that this is what he wanted. No one was going to talk him out of it.

WILD (voice over): Pope Leo assumes his position at a fraught political time around the world and in his home country.

PREVOST: I don't think he's really happy with what's going on in terms of immigration in this country. It's not really human to be treating other humans the way some of them are being treated. And I think that will become an issue he'll talk about.

WILD (voice over): Prevost says he talks to his brother every day and deeply understands the weight of the Pope's role as well.

WILD (on camera): How do you move through this life with this brother, who means so much to the world?

PREVOST: It's very awesome. You know, it's a very great honor, but with honor comes great responsibility.

WILD (voice over): Whitney Wild, CNN, New Lenox, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: With the world economy on the line, President Trump weighing in on the U.S.-China trade talks just moments ago. We will bring them to you, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:42:43]

DEAN: Breaking news, now, President Trump making his first comments on the trade talks underway with China, those are happening in Switzerland this weekend. Let's go back to CNN's Betsy Klein at the White House. This comes in a post, Betsy, what's he saying?

KLEIN: Yes, so, the trade talks wrapped up a few hours ago between the U.S. and China in Switzerland and we are hearing for the first time reaction from President Trump.

He says in a post to social media, "A very good meeting today with China in Switzerland, many things discussed, much agreed to a total reset negotiated in a friendly but constructive manner. We want to see for the good of both China and the U.S., and opening up of China to American business." He goes on to say "Great progress made."

Of course, all of this comes after there had really been a relative stalemate between the U.S. and Chinese officials after President Trump imposed those 145 percent tariffs, but also a very significant sign that these talks are going to continue for a second day on Sunday. Something we'll be watching the White House and Chinese officials will be watching quite closely -- Jessica.

DEAN: Indeed, all right, more to come as those that second day gets underway not too long from now.

Betsy Klein, thank you so much for that breaking news from the White House. We're going to have more news for you in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:48:41]

DEAN: Bill Gates is calling out fellow tech-billionaire Elon Musk, saying the cuts DOGE is making in foreign aid could kill millions of children. He spoke to CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that will air in full tomorrow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GATES, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST: He's a genius in some domains but in global health, it hasn't been a focus.

And so, I'd say that, you know, firing all those people and cutting off all that money, that was a mistake.

This is less than one percent of the budget. If there was a modest cut, you know, a challenge to be more efficient or to get others to step up. I'm fine with that. But 80 percent that's going to be millions of deaths and it's a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: This week, the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist announced he would give away the rest of his fortune over the next 20 years, focusing on global health and education.

Joining us now, CNN media analyst and AXIOS media reporter Sara Fischer. Sara, good to see you. Let's start first with bill gates here. Do you think these are attempts to attack Elon Musk, save USAID or maybe both?

SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: I think first and. foremost, Jessica, he wants to save USAID. It's notable that he's coming out with this commentary now, not when the cuts were being made. And I think that's because he actually did not want to get into a detente with Elon Musk while he was still in Washington.

Now, coming out of this major DOGE plan, I think Bill Gates sees a path to start to lobby Congress and even the White House. He said he's had conversations with Donald Trump about what needs to happen next.

I don't see this as him trying to bring Elon Musk down, but I do think he knows he has a platform and he wants to use his voice to call out Musk and others who are sort of enabling these cuts, to say that this is not the right thing for humanity.

[19:50:30] DEAN: Yes and it is interesting, as you note the timing, waiting until

Elon Musk is kind of on his way out of Washington versus when he was there. And it -- I guess you could theorize that it's to prevent the huge back and forth that could potentially take place.

FISCHER: Yes, Elon Musk is somebody who likes to engage. Bill Gates is not somebody who likes to engage. He wants to avoid that.

I also think with the announcement happening now, it's likely because he also made these interviews in conjunction with the announcement that they were going to be shuttering the Gates Foundation in 20 years, but then doubling the commitment $200 billion towards some of its efforts, like vaccines, maternal health, saving children's lives.

So he likely wanted to sort of pair the commentary together and just do one big media splash. But Jessica, the whole thing is very notable because when it comes to the giving pledge, billionaires giving away their wealth, that's something that Bill Gates did with Warren Buffett. But Elon Musk is a signer. You know, he has worked with Elon Musk in the past to ensure the benefit of good for society.

DEAN: I also want to ask you about another big media story. A Chicago native, now the first American Pope, Pope Leo XIV. It sparked quite a media splash, especially online.

FISCHER: People love a viral moment and what could be more viral than the first American Pope? We were seeing memes generated with eye of the pope chugging Malort, him in Chicago dog costumes. There's a huge debate about whether or not he was a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan. His brother stepped in, Jessica, he is a White Sox fan.

You know, I even saw some of my Villanova friends trying to take Philly credit for the Pope. This is just a huge and exciting moment, the first American Pope. And I think people took to the internet to get united around something during an otherwise very chaotic news cycle.

DEAN: Yes, I mean, that is kind of been, you know, there are those moments, I think, especially on social media that are fun and that you kind of see the fun in it again. And it's not as much fighting and darkness and this seems to be one of those moments.

FISCHER: Absolutely, also, this is a pope who seems pretty personable, like the fact that he's been seen at baseball games wearing baseball caps. He speaks English perfectly. This is somebody who feels really relatable and as a result, people are diving in. They want to know more about this guy. It's the first time that I think Americans have felt such a closeness to the Pope and Vatican City.

DEAN: Yes, Sara Fischer, as always, thanks so much. We really appreciate it.

FISCHER: Thanks, Jessica.

DEAN: Yes, and just a note, you can watch Bill Gates' entire interview with Fareed on "Fareed Zakaria GPS" tomorrow on CNN at 10:00 A.M. Eastern. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:25]

DEAN: Mexico is suing Google for changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says Google is wrong to label the body of water as the Gulf of America in areas that do not belong to the United States. She says Google goes even further than President Trump's executive order to rename the body of water bordered by Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. CNN has reached out to Google, the presidency of Mexico and Mexico's Foreign Affairs Agency for more details.

Tonight, there's one less hunk of space junk orbiting the earth. Kosmos 482 was originally sent into space by Russia in 1972. It was supposed to land on Venus, but it never made it there, and instead it circled the earth for decades, slowly spiraling back into the Earth's gravitational pull.

Russia's space agency says it splashed down in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia. It may have even survived reentry, since it was designed to survive the blazing hot atmosphere of Venus.

In this week's episode of "Searching for Spain," Eva Longoria takes us to its capital, Madrid. The city is an incredible mixture of the old and new, and a melting pot of traditions and cultures from around the world and Eva takes us inside one of Spain's oldest restaurants to try a classic Spanish tortilla, as well as some of the city's famous fusion dishes. She also attends the Madrid Pride Parade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh. This is so -- this is a piece of art.

EVA LONGORIA, AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, AND ACTIVIST (on camera): You're in love with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know I can be eating this every day.

LONGORIA (on camera): I love this.

LONGORIA (voice over): The broth is swiftly followed by the second course. Plentiful vegetables.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chickpeas, potato, cabbage.

LONGORIA (on camera): Oh my God, meat.

LONGORIA (voice over): Last but not least, a mountainous medley of meat.

LONGORIA (on camera): So what are these meats?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this is beef shank. This is Morcilla.

LONGORIA (on camera): Blood sausage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is chorizo.

LONGORIA (on camera): Chorizo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tocino from a good Iberico pig, you know, this smells to Spain.

LONGORIA (on camera): That's lovely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you go to areas of Spain, you will find maybe just one or two of these meats of that area. So, here is a gathering of more --

LONGORIA (on camera): A representative of the entire country. I'm going to enjoy the pork rib. Mm-hmm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mm-hmm.

LONGORIA (on camera): The meat just like comes right off. The bone, oh my gosh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love eating with people who loves food.

LONGORIA (on camera): Me too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And be sure to tune in a new episode of Eva Longoria's "Searching for Spain" airs tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific only here on CNN.

Thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. We're going to see you again tomorrow night. We start at 5:00 Eastern tomorrow.

An all-new "Real Time" with Bill Maher comes your way next. Have a wonderful night, and we will see you tomorrow at 5:00 P.M.