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Nationwide "No Kings" Protests Against Trump Underway; Trump Has Ordered DHS To Pay TSA Workers Using Other Funds; At Least 10 U.S. Troops Injured In Iranian Attack On Base In Saudi Arabia; Iran, Yemen's Houthis Launch Missile Attacks Toward Israel. Nationwide "No Kings" Protests Against Turmp Underway; More Troops Deployed to Middle East; GA Dem Looking to Flip Marjorie Taylor Greene's House Seat. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired March 28, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

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[13:00:35]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Protesters are hitting the streets across the country and around the world today, attending thousands of "No King" rallies to push back against President Trump's policies. We'll take you there.

Plus, Iran attacks a Saudi airbase used by the U.S. military, leaving American service members wounded. This, as the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels announce they have entered the war with an attack on Israel.

And the partial U.S. government shutdown drags on, with Republicans turning on each other over DHS funding. We'll tell you how a last- minute bill to end the standoff fell apart, and when TSA workers could finally start getting paid again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone, thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with thousands of "No Kings" protests underway or planned across the country today, including this one in Philadelphia. Organizers expect millions of people will attend these rallies protesting President Trump's policies, the higher cost of living, and the war with Iran.

In all, more than 3,000 demonstrations are planned today, coast to coast. This is the third time "No Kings" protests have taken place since Trump began his second term as president.

We've got a team of correspondents covering today's protests. Donie O'Sullivan is in New York. Let's begin with Shimon Prokupecz in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the main rally for the "No Kings" protests is just now getting underway. Shimon, what is the situation there?

OK, we've lost audio there -- oh, wait a minute. All right, Shimon, pick it up again because we had a problem hearing you.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: OK. Can you hear me?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: Yes, can you hear me now?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: I'm sorry. OK. So, and just thousands. We're going to -- we're expecting tens of thousands of people here in St. Paul. You can see there's this bullhorn here behind me that someone made and it says "No Kings" on it.

But I want to just show you many of the people out here. I'm going to have (technical difficulty). They're just getting ready to start (technical difficulty).

WHITFIELD: OK.

PROKUPECZ: We all know there's no stay (ph) --

WHITFIELD: All right, Shimon, you know, we're going to try and reestablish a connection because we really can't, you know, appreciate everything that you're able to say because we can't hear it. So we're going to go to Donie O'Sullivan, who's in New York City. All right, Donie, what's happening there?

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. Yes, the march, main march here, beginning in midtown Manhattan is due to begin in about 40 -- in the next hour at 2:00 p.m. Thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people are expected, organizers saying upward of 300,000.

They're going to march from where we are right here, just at the corner, southern corner of Central Park at Columbus Circle, and then head down towards Times Square and really take over all of midtown Manhattan. So there's various groups gathering in all different parts of the city right now, and we'll all converge in midtown a little later this afternoon.

As you mentioned, this is the third "No Kings" demonstration. The first one took place last June. It was in a response to the military parade or -- it was sort of a protest that was coincided with the military parade that Trump -- President Trump had at the time, his birthday. And then this movement has evolved since there.

The second took place in October, and obviously that came at a time when ICE actions were intensifying, so that became a major flashpoint in this protest. And now the third event today. And, obviously, we can even see from some of the signs here, anti-war signs about the war in Iran. Of course, also the issues of immigration and everything else ongoing.

So really a massive movement, and we'll be following it through the streets of New York City today.

WHITFIELD: All right, Donie O'Sullivan, we'll check back with you there in New York.

All right, with me right now to talk more about today's protest is Skye Perryman, President and CEO of the nonprofit Democracy Forward. She's also one of today's keynote speakers for the virtual "No Kings" rally. And Skye's on the phone with us right now.

[13:05:07]

So Skye, you know, we last spoke in October during the last nationwide "No Kings" rally. What are you feeling is different today? And how will the tone be impacted?

SKYE PERRYMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, DEMOCRACY FORWARD: Look, I think today you see even more energy than last October. We've seen people of all ages from all over the country out on the streets in Washington today. You do see a very strong rebuke of the President's agenda with the war in Iran.

But even more than that, people who are determined to say their votes must count in November and that the administration is really running roughshod over people's rights. It's been very inspiring to see how many people are taking to the streets and just the clear, you know, clear message of "No Kings," whether you're talking about a war that the President started without the authorization of Congress or whether you're talking about attempts to undermine the elections. People are out and about today in Washington.

WHITFIELD: And what kind of impact do you think it's going to make? Because we are looking at aerial pictures, Philadelphia. I mean, the turnout is sizable. We saw New York just minutes ago, and we saw portions of St. Paul, also huge turnout.

But then, you know, while the protesters or demonstrators feel like, you know, they can let it all out and they are in similar company, feeling the same way about the administration's agenda. Overall, what is the expectation of the impact this might make?

PERRYMAN: This is how you make impact in the United States. I mean, people using their voice and peaceful protest is the way to make impact. And we have seen the administration have to back off a number of its priority agenda items because of people in communities across this country pushing back.

So I think this makes a huge impact in terms of sending a very clear message that the American people are not going to let their democracy go down without a fight. They're not going to be silent while the administration continues to target our community members and our neighbors. And while the administration now is acting even more erratically with an unjustified war that is putting Americans in harm's way.

So I think, you know, this is the way. This is the way that people in communities across the United States have made impact for decades and for centuries. And that is what you see, of course, out today as well.

WHITFIELD: Not only are people there in the streets, like we're seeing a lot of these live pictures from city to city virtually, which is another way in which you're helping people to participate. Your Democracy Forward organization has also filed numerous lawsuits against President Trump's executive orders. Help us understand why you think it is so important to take the legal routes, as well as the routes of demonstrations to challenge this administration.

PERRYMAN: You know, the legal route has been so important. The Constitution in this country does not defend itself. It has to be defended by people. And the way people can do that is not only using their voices in the streets, but also using their voices in court, demanding that -- demanding accountability for the violation of their rights.

We have filed hundreds of lawsuits. This is the largest and most successful affirmative legal effort against an executive branch in United States history. We are having judges of all ideologies, judges even appointed by President Trump, rebuking the administration, saying that they are violating people's constitutional rights. And so we're going to keep going in the courts as well.

WHITFIELD: We've seen that before. That's what helped power the civil rights movement with a lot of legal challenges. Skye Perryman, thank you so much for being with us. All the best today as people in large numbers continue --

PERRYMAN: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: -- to collect in so many cities across the country.

All right, happening right now, the nation's airports. Well, they're dealing with another busy weekend with thousands of TSA workers missing their second full paychecks since the partial U.S. government shutdown began. Hundreds of TSA workers have quit and thousands more are calling out as they struggle to pay their own bills.

And Congress has now failed to move forward on an agreement to end the shutdown and the airport disruptions. Early Friday morning, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan funding deal to fund TSA, but left ICE and Customs and Border Patrol alone for now.

But last night, the House GOP immediately rejected that bill and approved an entirely different plan that fully funds DHS for eight weeks. Democrats are demanding that any deal must include reforms to ICE immigration tactics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D), MINORITY LEADER: We want Republicans to stop holding TSA agents and air travelers hostage to their extreme immigration agenda. Bring bipartisan legislation that was unanimously passed by the Senate to the floor so we end this Trump-Republican shutdown today.

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[13:10:13]

WHITFIELD: The House GOP is urging the Senate to come back from their recess to approve their plan, but Senate Democrats have already said that deal will be dead on arrival in the chamber. Regardless of what Congress does, President Trump has ordered the DHS, through executive action, to start paying TSA employees immediately using other funds.

Two people familiar with the plan said that funding will be coming from the President's One Big Beautiful Bill he signed last summer. The DHS says TSA workers could actually start seeing their paychecks as soon as Monday.

All right, we're continuing to follow the protests. Demonstrations nationwide as millions of people are expected to rally against the Trump administration and its policies. We're also following new developments in the war with Iran. New satellite images show a Saudi base used by U.S. forces before and after being attacked by Iran as a new front opens up in the war.

CNN Anchor and Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto is live for us in Tel Aviv. Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we'll be bringing you a lot more news after the break, including new Iranian attacks, not just here on Israel, but on other Gulf nations as they continue to show an ability to strike out.

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[13:16:16]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. A live look right now at the "No Kings" protest in Washington, D.C. More than 3,000 "No Kings" demonstrations are planned across all 50 states today. We'll continue to bring you the latest on these large-scale protests against President Trump's policies, including his decision to go to war with Iran.

Today marks four weeks since the start of the war, and there are no signs that the end is in sight. Iran has attacked an air base in Saudi Arabia used by the U.S. military, injuring at least 10 U.S. troops. Iranian state media released a satellite image showing the damage to Prince Sultan Air Base, amounting to one of the most serious breaches of American air defenses since the start of this growing conflict.

And earlier today, Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, announced they launched missiles towards sensitive military sites in Israel, marking the group's entry into this war. President Trump, despite previously claiming victory in Iran, said the war is not finished yet, suggesting on Friday the U.S. still has thousands of targets left to hit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now we're just going after targets, and again, they have no anti-aircraft, so we're just floating over the top looking for whatever we want. And we're hitting it, and we have another 3,554 targets left, and that'll be done pretty quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, I'm joined now by CNN Anchor and Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto in Tel Aviv. Jim, earlier today, Iran launched missiles toward Israel, and now the Houthis joining in. What is the region now bracing for?

SCIUTTO: Well, Fred, what's clear is despite the number of targets hit by the U.S. and Israel since the start of this war some four weeks ago, thousands of targets, Iran is maintaining a capability to strike out, not just against Israel. We did see a missile interception earlier today. The debris from that interception injured 11 people here.

Last night, there was a cluster munition, a cluster missile that fell over Tel Aviv, not far from us here, that killed someone, injured two others. Iran still has an ability to strike, as does Hezbollah, which has been firing into Israel from the north. And you're seeing Iran's ability to strike at Gulf nations as well, principally that attack that struck Saudi Arabia and struck that U.S. base there, damaging aircraft and injuring those soldiers, but not just there.

They also struck in Kuwait, damaged the airport. And now, as you mentioned, the Houthis have entered the fight, firing a handful of missiles since they made that announcement last night. So though their military capability has been diminished by U.S. and Israeli attacks, there's that fire there at Kuwait's main airport.

Though their ability has been diminished, it has not been eliminated. And we're experiencing that firsthand here in Tel Aviv.

CNN Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance is in Doha, Qatar. And Matthew, I wonder, how are the Qataris you're speaking with interpreting this? Because, of course, they rely on the U.S. to a great deal for their air defenses. And yet, Iranian strikes are still proving capable of breaking through those defenses and causing an enormous amount of damage.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're absolutely right. I mean, the whole Gulf region is absolutely fearful and concerned about the possibility of worse damage yet to come. It's already been catastrophic, in the words of the Qatari foreign ministry, the economic damage that's been inflicted on this Gulf state alone since the start of the Iran war.

But, you know, there is this constant ability of the Islamic Republic to throw drones and missiles, lash out at the Gulf Arab states. It's been doing that here in Qatar.

[13:20:13] There have been several, and these are the words of the defense ministry, several drone attacks that were intercepted by the Qatari forces over the course of the past 24 hours. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has actually been visiting Qatar today. He's been on a bit of a tour of the Middle East.

He's signed a 10-year agreement to supply Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, potentially in the future the United Arab Emirates as well, with Ukrainian drone technology, interceptor drones, to help them deal with that constant Iranian drone threat. Of course, Ukraine has a great deal of experience with dealing with Ukrainian-designed and Russian-deployed Shaheed drones in the conflict there.

And so Ukrainian expertise is of immense value at the moment to this region. But, yes, there have been Iranian missile and drone strikes, Qatar, you mentioned Saudi Arabia, 10 at least U.S. service personnel have been injured, as well as a U.S. military tanker that has been damaged. That airport in Kuwait, the international airport there, dramatic images of fire sort of lighting up the night skies after what the Kuwaiti military say was damage to a radar system there as well.

And there have been drone and missile attacks just like that across the Persian Gulf region, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, Matthew, with this attempt at negotiation between the U.S. and Iran, still indirect at this point, just briefly, do our Gulf allies, do officials you speak to in Qatar, place much hope in a diplomatic solution or at least a truce at any point?

CHANCE: Well, I mean, there's hope that there'll be a truce. There's hope that the negotiations that President Trump insists are taking place will produce an end to this conflict because of the damage that has already been caused and because of the damage that could be caused in the future.

But I can tell you here in Qatar, along with in other countries like Bahrain -- sorry, like, you know, other kingdoms across the Gulf states, there's a great deal of concern that worse is yet to come. They've already suffered enormous damage.

Iran has threatened or vowed to increase its retaliation if the war in Iran from the United States and Israel escalates. And the economic consequences of that for this entire region are potentially incredibly damaging, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Matthew Chance in Doha, thanks so much.

Well, in today, today in the U.S., millions of people from Alaska all the way to Florida are rallying not just against the war in Iran, but other Trump administration policies, including immigration. We're going to speak to the former Fort Worth police chief on how officials are working to protect protesters and their First Amendment rights. That's next.

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[13:27:47]

WHITFIELD: All right, this is a scene in St. Paul, Minnesota right now as millions across the country rally against the Trump administration for the third round of "No Kings" protests. Our Veronica Miracle is in Chicago for us where a rally is set to begin there this hour.

Veronica, what's it look like so far with people starting to assemble?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, Fredricka, it's a sunny, of course, cold day in Chicago, but sunny nonetheless. And it's bringing out a ton of people already. This event isn't supposed to start for another half an hour with the speakers, a lineup of speakers going to be taking that stage. And already we have seen so many people here gathering.

I just spoke with organizers who said the last event that they held, this "No Kings" protest, they had about 250,000 people show up, almost 300,000. And today, they're hoping to exceed those numbers. And they're already seeing lots and lots of people show up.

Now, Chicagoans, you know, they've got a sense of humor. There's a lot of people actually dressed up in costume today, including one woman who came in an inflatable baby Trump costume. Take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIZ HORTEGA, "NO KINGS" PROTESTER: I would actually like to see him step down. And that would probably be the best thing for this country and the world.

Well, I'm here also to support ICE being abolished, to be honest with you, because, you know, I'm Mexican. And I believe that, you know, Mexicans have a place here. You know, we've been here for a long time. We've proven that we're hard workers. And that's all we're here to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: So once the speakers conclude, they're actually going to be marching all the way through the city. They're going to shut down roads and they plan to walk past the Trump Tower. So we'll be monitoring this and we'll be walking with them.

Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be checking with you throughout the afternoon. Thanks so much. Veronica Miracle there in Chicago.

All right, to what lengths are these First Amendment rights being protected? Joining us right now to discuss this, former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead. Chief Halstead, great to see you.

So you served on President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force. What are the top priorities for law enforcement around the country today with so many assembling for these "No Kings" rallies? JEFFREY HALSTEAD, FORMER FORT WORTH POLICE CHIEF: Well, the first of all is going to be absolute clear planning and great communication- based relationships with the organizers. That's absolutely essential. I help man staff and supervise well over a hundred of these.

When you have those relationships at the onset of the planning for these events, it makes the relationship and the day of the event so much safer. But we all know maybe about five to ten percent of the people attending might not have the peaceful mindset of walking and marching with the other good citizens that just want to exercise the First Amendment right. That 5 to 10 percent can cause a significant amount of headache for law enforcement, but they are trained, they are prepared, and they are ready to have a peaceful event. If it turns a little sideways, they have alternative plans in place at all times.

WHITFIELD: I mean, organizers are expecting much greater turnouts in suburban and rural areas, in fact, this go around. Are smaller police departments ready to handle today's protests?

HALSTEAD: The beauty of the way that our profession supports the brothers and sisters on the front line that are planning these events, they will actually put out a resource request so that they can have enough staffing and personnel to safely manage these events, to keep all the marchers safe, and make sure that the route is followed so they can actually take care of some of the traffic concerns in those communities.

So, in those smaller and more rural areas, you're going to see a multitude of various uniforms, city, county, and possibly state, but most of them are there for just almost like a security phase. They might be walking with them. They might be on bicycles. Some are also in undercover positions because they want to hear some of the internal chatter in these groups to see if they're planning something that could hurt those good citizens that just want to come out and march and take a stand.

WHITFIELD: And then, you know, there might be some counter protests, not necessarily, you know, with the plan, you know, to be up to no good, but simply want their opinions heard too. They too may have permits. So, what kind of preparations might law enforcement have been making just in case, you know, there is some conflict between these different sides of demonstrations?

HALSTEAD: Yes, I think it's no secret that there is an extreme division in our nation right now. So, what I really respect about both groups, now this can be the actual protest group and those counter protesters, the majority of them reach out to their local law enforcement leaders because they also want to have a peaceful event, but they also want to express their opinion.

You'll see a much more visible police presence in the areas where the counter protesters may have assembled or may move. There's nothing to be afraid of. We just want to make sure that the march continues safely and also that the counter protesters respect the laws and not have any dangerous instruments, weapons, or devices that could disrupt a very peaceful event. So, with that said, yes, you will have the counter protest movement.

This occurs in all of these events, but we work with both sides so that they can both have a productive day in their mindsets. But at the end of the day, our first responders can go home safe and unharmed.

WHITFIELD: All important details that everybody is dealing with today. Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead, thank you so much.

HALSTEAD: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, a third aircraft carrier and more than 1,000 additional U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East. What the Trump administration is now saying about the possibility of boots on the ground.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAWN HARRIS (D-GA) 14TH DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I believe the Democratic Party has kind of lost themselves. We used to be the party of hardworking people. I think we need to come back to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: -- Democratic candidate Shawn Harris calling for his party to get back to its roots. My conversation with a retired Marine veteran and Georgia farmer about his bid for the House seat vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Runoff election April 7th.

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[13:35:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jim Sciutto, live in Tel Aviv. This is CNN's continuing breaking news coverage of the war with Iran.

And here's what we're following today. 10 U.S. service members were injured in an Iranian attack on a Saudi air base used by the U.S. The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has entered the war after it launched at least one missile, perhaps more, towards Israel. And a short time ago, 11 people were injured by falling debris from a missile interception in central Israel.

With me now is Frida Ghitis. She's a CNN contributor, senior columnist for World Politics Review. You can catch her "INSIGHT" on Substack. Frida, good to have you. Thanks so much for joining.

FRIDA GHITIS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, SENIOR COLUMNIST WORLD POLITICS REVIEW AND SUBSTACK, INSIGHT WITH FRIDA GHITIS: Good to be with you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: I wonder how you interpret Iran's continuing capability despite punishing attacks from the U.S. and Israel over the last four weeks to strike not just Israel with effect, but U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, the airport in Kuwait. You know, they are literally drawing blood, but also doing a great deal of damage. What does that tell you about where this war goes from here?

[13:40:00]

GHITIS: Well, obviously the regime has not collapsed. I think that was the best-case scenario that Israel and the United States were hoping for. That is not happening. The U.S. and Israel have complete control of the skies over Iran, and they have caused an enormous amount of destruction in the areas that they wanted to degrade, but they have not been able to get the regime to stop firing.

And that is -- you know, the reality here is that Iran has played its -- what is a weak hand very effectively. And the part of this that is most striking to me is that the United States and Israel have degraded the missile capability of Iran, even if it's still shooting. They have done a lot of damage to its nuclear infrastructure, which was, you know, one of the top reasons for going to war against Iran.

But Iran has activated another weapon, and that other weapon is its geography, its ability to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. And that is something that was not on the list of priorities for the U.S. and Israel, but it's become, in reality, it has become the most powerful weapon that Iran has at this moment. And it's a real problem, and it's a problem strategically, economically, and politically, for especially for the United States and for President Trump.

SCIUTTO: Yes, no question. It's become a real focus for him. So, as you know, there is a great deal of speculation as to whether the U.S. president will order a ground operation, whether on Kharg Island, where a great deal of Iran's energy infrastructure is, or perhaps on the banks of the Strait of Hormuz, or a big focus here in Israel is somehow retrieving those many hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium. Here's what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday about the possibility of boots on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to destroy their Navy, we're going to destroy their Air Force, and we are going to significantly destroy their missile launchers so they can never hide behind these things to get a nuclear weapon. We can achieve -- we are achieving all those objectives, we are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: He may be right on that. The U.S. can achieve those objectives without ground troops. Opening up the Strait, the nuclear material is a different story. Is that where this war might be headed?

GHITIS: Yes, and you know, if this war ends with Iran having established that it has the ability to hold the global economy hostage, to hold the crucial exports that make these Gulf countries so wealthy, to hold them hostage, then Iran will have won this war. If the war ends with Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz, able to shut it down at will, that will be a victory for Iran. And I think the Trump administration, I think Trump understands that. And in case he has any doubts about it, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are making it very, very clear to him that the UAE has been speaking out very, very forcefully, rejecting the notion of a ceasefire that would leave Iran in control of the -- of Hormuz, in control in the sense that it is able to shut it down at will. And then there's the issue of the, you know, nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium that is going to be extremely difficult to extract without some kind of a deal with the authorities in Iran, whoever they are at this time.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, from the Israeli perspective, and Israeli officials have told me this, without securing that nuclear material, that enriched uranium, they would not consider this war really an unqualified victory. It's a real focus. Frida Ghitis, we appreciate you joining us this weekend.

GHITIS: My pleasure.

SCIUTTO: There is more ahead this hour on nationwide rallies in the U.S. against President Trump's policies taking place in more than 3,000 U.S. cities. We're going to ask organizers what they hope to accomplish with this round of protests. Please do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Live look. We're taking you right now to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where crowds are showing up. They are walking the streets. There are more than 3,000 No Kings demonstrations across the country, and this is one of the big ones. They are protesting President Donald Trump's policies, the higher cost of living, and the war with Iran. All that according to event organizers.

All right. President Donald Trump pledged to seek additional relief funding for the farming industry, hosting what he called the largest gathering of American farmers the White House has ever seen. The president announced executive actions he said would help farmers and food suppliers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Every day, we're looking for new ways to support our farmers, reduce your costs, and to help lower the price of food for the American family. We're going to prove that the golden age of American agriculture is right here and right now.

[13:50:00]

I'm also asking Congress to quickly pass the new farm bill, and today I'm promising to request additional farm relief for our great patriots and the next funding bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Speaking from a balcony overlooking a massive gold tractor there on the White House lawn, the president called on farm equipment companies to lower prices, and the rising cost of fuel to power that equipment is increasing since the war with Iran. Farmers already strained by Trump's tariffs are now facing higher prices at the pump. Diesel costs have increased by more than $2 from a month ago. And a cattle farmer is running for Congress.

Democrat Shawn Harris is in one of the most closely watched congressional runoff races in the country, Georgia's 14th district. Voters there head to the polls 10 days from now. Harris is hoping to beat his Republican rival, Clay Fuller, for a seat once held by Republican and one-time MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene. I caught up with the Democrat who believes his range of experiences as a U.S. Marine, an Army veteran, and now cattle farmer, prepares him for the challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: What are you hoping to bring to this position given all of that experience?

SHAWN HARRIS (D-GA) 14TH DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Well, first of all, I want to say thank you, Fredericka, for allowing me to be on your show.

And what I bring to the table is just tested leadership, a leader that says, this is not about me. This is about all the hardworking people here in the northwest Georgia when it comes to the 14th district. Because we have farmers, we have teachers, we have veterans, we just have hardworking people that are finally looking for somebody that's going to stand up for them.

WHITFIELD: What are your potential constituents saying to you? I mean, right now they're your neighbors. And what are they saying to you about how they would want to challenge you if you get this job?

HARRIS: You know, what I've always said to them is, when I get this job, hold me accountable. More than 7,000 people in the district got my direct cell number. Because one of the things I learned in the military is, I work for the people. I used to work directly for my soldiers. Because at the end of the day, when I get this job, I want everybody in northwest Georgia to understand that, look, when I get to D.C., I'm a Democrat, but I'm not tied to a party. When President Trump does something right, I'm probably going to stick with him. But if it's not good for the people in northwest Georgia, they're going to have a champion that's going to push back. My opponent has made it very clear, whatever President Trump wants to do, he's going to agree.

WHITFIELD: You're speaking with certainty that you are going to get this job. And this job was once filled by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was a firebrand. You know, she was one of the first advocates of President Trump. Is that a reflection of what the constituents want in their candidate or in the person holding that position?

HARRIS: Well, they definitely want a fighter. But they also want somebody that's going to have common sense and actually know how to treat people with respect. With that being said, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the new Marjorie Taylor Greene, I call her Marjorie Taylor Greene 2.0. That Marjorie Taylor Greene is very similar to the moderate Democrat that you're talking to because she talks about health care issues. She's talking about we probably shouldn't be in this war because this war is a war of choice. She talks about, and we agree upon, that the Epstein files need to be released right now.

WHITFIELD: So, you feel like you would be an extension of the new Marjorie Taylor Greene?

HARRIS: I feel that Marjorie Taylor Greene is an extension of me. I mean, I don't want to be Marjorie Taylor Greene. I don't want to be anybody. I am comfortable being Shawn Harris because I think northwest Georgia needs a leader that's going to go to D.C., got a backbone, that's going to push back on Democrats and going to push back on Republicans.

WHITFIELD: You have said you are not a politician. You are a cattle farmer. You are a U.S. Marine vet. You are also an Army Brigadier General. But if you get this job, you will be in a sea of politicians. How will you navigate those waters?

HARRIS: You know, the key thing is going all the way from being a private in the United States Marine Corps at Parris Island and then working my way all the way through Tuskegee and ultimately leading men and women in combat in Afghanistan, being in other places, then ultimately being a senior defense official in Israel. All of those experiences have given me the ability to work with some of the highest leaders throughout the world, including U.S. politicians.

So, I will, when I go in that particular room and close the doors, it won't be too big for me to navigate. The reality of it is most of those leaders have already received briefings from me on the top- secret side of what's going on in the world.

WHITFIELD: Just recently I spoke with John Boyd, who leads the National Black Farmers Association, and he underscored that more than 63 farmers a day have had to shut down, foreclosed, out of business.

HARRIS: Yes.

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WHITFIELD: And this is just recently. What are farmers telling you about their concerns who have been hit hard by the tariffs, and now they're being hit hard by high fuel costs?

HARRIS: Yes. The reality of it is I'm from southwest Georgia, Blakely, Georgia. That's where I'm from. And down there they're planting peanuts, corn, cotton, and soybeans. The reality of it is if you're not planting right now, you're going out of business.

WHITFIELD: And you might not be able to plant because of fertilizer costs.

HARRIS: Because fertilizer costs are so high, diesel costs are so high, and the banks are saying right now, I'm sorry, we can't leverage your farm anymore, so we're not going to lend you the money. The subsidy that the president is talking about that he's going to give them still hadn't got here.

WHITFIELD: No subsidies have arrived --

HARRIS: Some have --

WHITFIELD: -- to farmers that you know?

HARRIS: Some have received theirs, but others are still waiting. The reality of it is that's why that number of foreclosures are going up. And less than two, three weeks ago, that number was 53. So, it's still going up. And I fully expect it to go up even higher based on this war that we're currently in.

WHITFIELD: You're a Democrat running to fill a former Republican seat. How do you define what the objective or the mission of the Democratic Party is right now?

HARRIS: You know, to be honest with you, that is a very good question. Because where I stand as a moderate Democrat, I believe the Democratic Party has kind of lost themselves. We used to be the party of hardworking people. I think we need to come back to that and actually focus on kitchen table issues that are affecting hardworking people every day, period. So, that would be my message to the Democratic Party.

WHITFIELD: Shawn Harris now putting Rockmart, Georgia on the map.

HARRIS: Rockmart, Georgia is definitely on the map.

WHITFIELD: And hoping to set up shop, perhaps a part-time residence in Washington, D.C. as well.

HARRIS: 100 percent part-time. I look forward to coming home every weekend and answering to all of the people in an entire district, regardless if they voted for me or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. My thanks to Shawn Harris. CNN has reached out to Harris' Republican opponent, Clay Fuller, and at this time Mr. Fuller has declined our request to be interviewed.

All right. More on our breaking news. Nationwide protests against the Trump administration kicking off in more than 3,000 cities. Our reporters are on the ground.

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