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One World with Zain Asher
Trump Threatens New Sanctions On Russia For "Pounding" Ukraine; Russia Applauds Trump's Recent Shift on Ukraine; Trump Admin Continues Sweeping Efforts To Reshape Government; South Korean Fighter Jets Mistakenly Bombs Houses, Church; Freeze Of USAID Funds Negatively Impacting U.S. Farmers; Groundbreaking AI Tool Help Fight Sex Trafficking; Turning Advertising Into A Performance Art; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET
Aired March 07, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:27]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: The week that was, the past seven days, have been anything but typical.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. The second hour of ONE WORLD starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the United States was in trouble, and we called them, do you think they're going to come and protect
us? They're supposed to. I'm not so sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: A friend to longtime enemies. We'll take a closer look at the week that's given everyone a case of whiplash.
ASHER: Also ahead, Starship explosion. The most powerful launch system ever built, lights up the night's sky. Where it happened and why.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW DOOLAN, SIGN SPINNER: I appreciate you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you.
For me, sign spinning is my thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Ladies and gentlemen, it is an art form. Meet the best sign spinner. You know, there was such a thing. We'll introduce you to him.
Hi, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher, you are watching ONE WORLD.
We begin with a noticeable shift in rhetoric in the US-Russia relationship, and what appears to be a significant warning. After weeks of conciliatory
statements towards Moscow, Donald Trump is now threatening new sanctions on Russia in response to the Kremlin's continued bombardment of Ukraine.
Now it comes as Washington and Kyiv try to reestablish their diplomatic footing. If you can believe it, I was here. I remember. It's been only a
week since that disastrous, contentious Oval Office meeting. Senior U.S. and Ukrainian delegations are now expected to hold talks in Saudi Arabia
sometime next week.
Right now, the Trump administration says they're optimistic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I think that the president has said that there's a path back and President Zelenskyy has demonstrated that he's intent on that good faith path back.
He's apologized. He said he's grateful. He said that he wants to work towards peace. That's -- by the way, that's ultimately the goal here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: In the past 24 hours, Trump has again renewed doubts about Americans -- America's commitment to defend NATO, an alliance Russian President
Vladimir Putin has long viewed as a threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, I think it's common sense, right? If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them. No, I'm not going to defend them. I got into a lot of
heat when I said that. You said, oh, he's violating NATO.
But if the United States was in trouble and we called them, we said, we got a problem, France. We got a problem. A couple of others I won't mention. Do
you think they're going to come and protect us? They're supposed to. I'm not so sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: On the while Russia continues to batter Ukraine. Overnight, the Kremlin carried out a massive aerial bombardment on Ukraine, targeting its
energy infrastructure.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now at the White House. Kevin, honestly, I have no idea where to begin. I mean, obviously, there's the NATO comments
in terms of Donald Trump saying that he will favor those who are spending more in terms of NATO members.
But there's also the fact that there's going to be this meeting next week, just in terms of the war with Russia. Zelenskyy is going to be in Saudi
Arabia for these talks. He's not actually technically part of the peace talks, but he is going to be there.
Just walk us through the best-case scenario in terms of what can come out of these meetings. I believe Zelenskyy's hope is going to be that the U.S.
will reinstate intelligence sharing and also the much-needed military aid to Ukraine, especially after the aerial bombardment that we saw from Russia
just in the past few hours. Take us through it.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, yes. And I actually asked Steve Witkoff yesterday whether there was anything that the
Ukrainians could bring to the table to these talks next week that would allow for a resumption, both of the intelligence sharing and of the
weapons.
And he didn't necessarily specify what exactly that would be, but he did seem to voice a more conciliatory tone towards all of it. It is clear that
the White House is intent on trying to get this relationship with the Ukrainians back heading in the right direction.
And certainly the president, that message from Zelenskyy that he received, earlier this week, does view that as an apology. Zelenskyy didn't actually
apologize in his message, but that is how it's being viewed by the president and by his advisors, which is, in the end of the day, good news
for Zelenskyy because that is what they had been asking of him after that Oval Office debacle a week ago. And so that is all setting up these
meetings.
[12:05:03]
My understanding is that this will be in Jeddah early in the week. I don't believe that Zelenskyy himself will be attending them, despite the fact
that he will be in Saudi Arabia. He says that his team will then go on to meet with these American officials.
The other question that I think is up in the air is whether this will result in a signing of that minerals deal that had been planned for last
week here at the White House that fell apart, but now all sides seem to be intent on getting that back on the table.
Of course, the backdrop to that is this continued bombardment in Ukraine by Russia. That is part of what inspired the president's message this morning,
really taking a very different tone towards Moscow than we had heard over the last several weeks, saying that if this bombardment continues, as he
called it, pounding Ukraine, that he would consider tough new sanctions, including on the banking sector.
What makes this so striking is that it was only, you know, earlier this week and late last week that the president was open to lifting sanctions on
Russia. And so this is a new tone. And he says that until a ceasefire and final agreement on peace is reached, he wants these two sides to get -- to
come together. And he's essentially using this as a threat.
And so I think it is notable. And I think what it does is indicate the president's impatience at how all of this is moving. Remember, he had
promised to end this conflict 24 hours after taking office. Obviously, that didn't happen, but he is very focused on getting it done. And I think this
is a recognition that, yes, he will need the Ukrainians to come to the table, but he will also need the Russians.
And I think watching the continued bombardment at a moment when he was trying to find a resolution to this conflict just rubbed him the wrong way.
It frustrated him. That's what led to this message today.
So this will be an important sort of stretch of days as the two sides come together. How that meeting in Saudi Arabia, actually, results and what it
actually produces I think remains to be seen, but all sides seem to be intent on putting that back on the right track.
ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Let's go to Ukraine now where CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is standing by in Kyiv.
Nick, just talk about the reaction, thus far, to this rare admonition of Russia and Vladimir Putin from Donald Trump, similar to the threat of
sanctions that we heard from him about a month ago with no follow-up. But clearly, he's a bit angered that he's vouching for Russia, saying that
Vladimir Putin's wanting peace, and in the meantime, every single day, we have seen continued bombardment on Ukraine.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I think it's fair to say that Ukrainian officials have sort of given
up giving running public commentary on Trump's social media statements.
And the president, I think, obviously chose today for some reason to make his feelings felt. It's not as though there's been a marked significant
change in the scale. Yes, 67 ballistic missiles is an exceptionally large amount. It's probably one of the highest we've seen for quite some time.
But I should point out, over the past two or three weeks, where the US- Ukraine relationship has been an absolute turmoil, we've had hundreds of drones fly sometimes nightly across Ukraine by the Russians.
The ballistic are a particular problem and that it's the U.S. supplied Patriot missile systems only, the air defense, that can take them down. So
it may be that as those stocks dwindle or they appear in doubt because of President Trump's own pause on military aid here that the Russia continues
to try more with its ballistic missile stockpile.
Why particularly today, is it ahead of Tuesday's talks between Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and the Trump senior cabinet? We simply
don't know. Is it resetting a balance perhaps for some parts of the Republican Party who might think that his rhetoric towards Russia has been
remarkably soft over the past two weeks?
I recall in the early days of his administration him talking about how Putin had ruined Russia's economy and how he needed to make a deal. Then
that ebbed and the very fast-paced rapprochement began between Moscow and Washington.
Now it appears that he's suggesting the possibility of sanctions. I'm sure many Ukrainians would note that he has acted against Ukraine by pausing aid
and intelligence sharing and indeed the scenes in the White House on Friday too, which have significantly dented, I think, Ukraine's morale and belief
in the U.S. as an ally.
But instead when it comes to Russia, he's threatening the possibility, strongly considering these sanctions and indeed tariffs, most experts
suggest, given there's virtually no trade between the U.S. and Russia because of earlier sanctions, is a bit of a toothless gesture.
So we have to wait and see if this is genuinely equal applied pressure towards Russia or if it is a public bid to show that he's, as his those
around him are suggesting the United States is now an intermediary between both sides rather than pursuing Moscow's own agenda.
[12:10:06]
But bear in mind, we are obviously here on a Friday night another nervous Ukraine, fearful of the drones. We've seen over 200 during some nights, air
defenses here trying to shoot most of them down in central Kyiv.
They were flying while Trump's own Ukraine and Russia envoy, Keith Kellogg, was staying in here. Drones were literally flying over near about over its
head. So it's a consistent threat. It is just interesting to see as this Tuesday meeting where it does seem possible to, well, as Kevin was saying,
this is a rapprochement. This is getting the relationship back on track.
There's also a lot of pressure, which may indeed mean that Ukraine is asked to give more at this meeting. So we'll have to wait and see what terms for
a peace deal, if any, are suggested in Riyadh.
GOLODRYGA: And a reminder, as you note, another night without that crucial U.S. intelligence sharing as well used to thwart off some of those vicious
Russian attacks, no longer now. The U.S. says they're paused, but for how long? We don't know.
Nick Paton Walsh, thank you.
ASHER: And Trump's recent pivot to Moscow has upended, of course, decades of U.S. and Western policy. In fact, a top rated news show in Russia has
even begun talking about a new great troika on the world stage. Matthew Chance has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a sign of the times that even the Kremlin's old propagandists are rapidly changing
their tune.
Dmitry Kiselev is the state mouthpiece who once boasted how Russia could reduce America to nuclear ash.
CHANCE (voice-over): Now he's talking about a great troika: the U.S., Russia and China forming the new structure of the world.
And Ukraine is where that structure is being forged. Trump administration's hard line on Kyiv, including the suspension of U.S. military aid, has been
greeted with glee in the Kremlin, with Russian officials now berating Europe while flip-flopping on Washington's historical role.
All of the tragedies of the world originated in Europe, claims the foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. Colonization, wars, the Crimean War, Napoleon,
World War I, Hitler. If we look at history in retrospect, he says, Americans played no instigating or even inflammatory role.
It's extraordinary revisionism in extraordinary times.
TRUMP: You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We're not playing cards. We are serious.
TRUMP: Right now, you don't -- you're playing cards.
CHANCE (voice-over): This was the moment that underlined how everything had changed. The humiliation in the Oval Office of the Kremlin's sworn enemy
took even Russians aback, with Kremlin channels struggling to make sense of Washington's seismic shift.
Trump speaks about peace, and those around him talk about Ukraine's success, says this reporter on state television. But it looks like he's
giving Russia all the cards to achieve success on the battlefield, he adds.
TRUMP: So, Vladimir, thank you very much.
CHANCE (voice-over): And it's far more than that. The strange Trump-Putin bond is now threatening Western unity. In exchange, all Putin has done is
offer potentially lucrative business deals. Trump's kryptonite, according to one Russian commentator.
Trump is like Superman, and our president, Putin, has found his weakness, he tells state TV. As soon as Trump hears the words rare earth metals, he's
ready to accept any terms, he adds.
Little wonder the Kremlin's propagandists are now falling over themselves to praise the United States. They may have changed their tune, but America
has, too.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Well, President Trump is expected to sign additional executive orders in the coming hours as the sweeping effort to reshape, if not
dismantle, much of the federal government moves forward.
ASHER: Yes. So a quick look back at Washington's really sort of whirlwind week that we've seen. We also saw the Trump administration announce a slew
of massive cuts, including the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Some 70,000 jobs are on the chopping block, according to a memo by the department's chief of staff. Officials insist the cuts are all about
extreme lining bureaucracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG COLLINS, U.S. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: Now we regret anyone who loses their job. And it's extraordinarily difficult for me, especially as a
VA leader and your secretary, to make these types of decisions.
But the federal government does not exist to employ people. It exists to serve people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Also slated for dismantling, the Department of Education, sources say the White House is preparing an executive order, although fully
eliminating the department will require Congress to act. Some lawmakers are cautioning against any such move.
[12:15:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): This would be, if it happens, one of the most destructive and devastating steps that Donald Trump has ever taken. Who's
going to be the victim? America's kids, America's schoolchildren. To get tax breaks for his billionaire friends and hurt our schoolchildren? I don't
think that's what America wants. I don't think that's what America bought into.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: A lot of dizzying developments both national and on the international front to talk about with our next guest. Larry Sabato is the
director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia and joins us now from Charlottesville. Larry, good to see you.
Let's start domestically here, because we did have, even a slight divergence between Donald Trump and Elon Musk in terms of the strategies
that Musk has been pursuing throughout his campaign on slashing federal workers in DOGE, and that came yesterday when he said that it should be up
to the cabinet heads of their own departments to decide who goes and who stays. And ultimately then, it will be Elon to come in if that's not
getting done.
Talk about the pressure internally, you think, and that you're hearing on the president from some of his top aides and advisers and cabinet officials
who feel that Elon Musk has really taken over their own roles.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Yes. Even though Donald Trump, at least in public, did not appear to be
concerned that Elon Musk was coming across as co-president, some of Trump's aides were very concerned.
And I think some of the cabinet officers were very unhappy that they had become cabinet officers and yet, they weren't in control of their own
agencies. It was all up to Elon Musk as to how many people were cut and even who they were.
So naturally, over time, as comments were made to Trump, he realized that what he thought was pure light from Elon Musk was becoming heat. And he was
starting to feel it. So he has to be careful. And as we always say, there are 288 million reasons why Elon Musk has the power that he does, his all-
time record breaking contribution to Trump and other Republicans in 2024.
You're not going to separate yourself from him easily and Trump won't. But you do have to put some guardrails around him.
And finally, Trump is starting to do that. We think, you know, he's mercurial. He said that yesterday. Who knows what he'll do today?
ASHER: I want to talk about the jobs report that just came out, 150,000 jobs added in February. The report was mixed. It was sort of somewhat
lukewarm. We knew going into this that not all of the federal jobs cuts that we've been seeing would be reflected. And this report is most likely
going to be reflected in the next report we see.
Once the numbers do start coming in, especially when you add in the impact of tariffs, for example, as well, obviously, the White House is going to
have to spin that somehow. They're going to have to explain that American people. How do you think they're going to go about that, Larry?
SABATO: They will say it's short term pain for long term gain. And then they'll go back to the Biden refrain. We're just having to clean up the
terrible mess left us from Joe Biden, even though there have been 50 straight months of job growth. It's unprecedented in American history,
maybe even world history.
But they're going to blame any bad effects on Joe Biden. And they're going to claim any credit they can for whatever good happens. But it all comes
down, not just a job but to prices.
And so far, they have had no success at all in bringing down prices of the kind of staples that Americans judge inflation by, whether it's gas or eggs
or any other key consumer goods.
GOLODRYGA: Foreign policy isn't typically a top-of-mind issue for voters, but just watching at a dizzying scale the change in U.S. posture and policy
towards NATO, our allies, and obviously our support for Ukraine in just the first six weeks of his administration, what are some of the potential
consequences that Trump could face from Americans if this continues, if this sort of cozying up to Vladimir Putin constantly disparaging NATO
allies even yesterday suggesting that if they don't pay up, that U.S. won't defend Article Five and saying something along the lines of, you know, you
really think these countries would defend us?
Well, actually, we don't have to hypothesize. The one time that Article 5 was invoked, we'll recall, was after September 11th. And we did see allies
come to our defense, our support there, fighting alongside with us in Afghanistan. Trump is aware of this, and yet he continues to air these
talking points. What are the risks he potentially faces from American voters at some point?
[12:20:16]
SABATO: Well, the voters will have their say in 2026, mainly, although there are some off-year elections this year, and that could show an anti-
Trump wave if it exists at the time.
But I'll tell you what the real threat is. And I don't know whether Trump has this in mind at all, but a sizable portion of the Republican Party, the
rank and file and also elected officials, really are, once you scratch the surface, more Reaganite than they are Trumpite. That is, they still view
Russia as the evil empire, just as Ronald Reagan termed it.
They still worry about whether NATO is strong enough. Yes, they want to increase the defense expenditures in many of these countries, but they
understand the purpose of NATO. And it has worked for the most part since it was established. This is the post-World War II global situation that has
been not stable, but it hasn't been a disaster as it could have been.
So I think the real threat to Trump is that Reagan portion of the Republican Party will actually start speaking up at some point. I know
that's daring because they haven't set up peep up till now, other than a handful of them. But if that goes, he has real problems.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we remember Marco Rubio's face a week ago, Friday, when he was sitting there on the Oval Office couch watching what was transpiring
before his eyes, and yet, he went out there and defended it.
But you're not the only one who's making this point. Larry Sabato, at some point, one has to assume whether or not a lot of these staunch Russia hawks
and Reagan Republicans will actually publicly distance themselves from some of these postures.
Thank you, Larry, for joining us. Good to see you. Have a good weekend.
SABATO: You have a great one, too. Thanks.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've lost several engines and we've lost attitude control of the vehicle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Another blow to Elon Musk's SpaceX. A second Starship rocket launched ends in an explosion.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, new video from a botched South Korean military drill that accidentally bombed civilian homes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:25:08]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa. Deerfield Beach. Whoa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: SpaceX is trying to figure out what on Earth went wrong after its fast Starship spacecraft exploded. You see it lighting up the sky there.
Shortly after lifting off from Texas. They say the unmanned spacecraft experienced engine trouble less than 10 minutes into the flight.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The explosion was visible over Florida and parts of the Caribbean, which is what you see here.
Now, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily stopped flights into several Florida airports because of the debris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just had the rocket launch and it blew up. If you guys are closer to the debris and need to deviate, let us know. If you're
just seeing it, that's OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attention all aircraft, due to a space vehicle mishap, a debris response area has been activated pretty much from the Orlando area,
south.
If you guys do see any falling debris from that Starship explosion, let us know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The FAA has also ordered an investigation into the mishap. Now the second in a row loss of a Starship spacecraft.
All right. Newly released video shows the moment when South Korean fighter jets, accidentally, I mean, look at this, they accidentally bombed the
homes of northeast of Seoul. These are residential homes, by the way.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Unbelievable. Officials say 15 people were wounded when South Korean military pilots mistakenly dropped eight bombs on a group of
homes and church. Our Kristie Lu Stout has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Live-fire bombs have fallen on civilians in a joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise gone wrong.
On Thursday, South Korean fighter jets accidentally bombed a civilian district northeast of Seoul, injuring more than a dozen people, this
according to the South Korean military. A footage from local media shows the aftermath. We see several homes damaged by the accidental bombings,
with shards of glass and debris strewn across the floor.
Now the blast destroyed two residential buildings, a truck, and part of a church. The incident took place just after 10:00 a.m. local time during
military drills in Pocheon. Now eight MK-82 bombs were, quote, abnormally dropped from two KF-16 fighter jets and landed outside the designated
firing range.
South Korea's defense ministry said it was caused by a pilot inputting the wrong bombing coordinates.
For years now, residents in the area have protested about the potential danger from nearby military exercises. And after the accidental bombing,
the mayor of Pocheon is speaking out.
BAEK YOUNG-HYUN, MAYOR OF POCHEON, SOUTH KOREA (through translator): I call on the government and military to come up with clear measures to prevent a
reoccurrence of any further damage to civilian districts.
LU STOUT: The South Korean Air Force tells CNN that the fighter jets were involved in live fire drills with the South Korean army and the U.S.
military. And it's all related to the annual joint drills called Freedom Shield that are due to officially begin from March the 10th to the 20th.
The South Korean military now says all live fire drills will be suspended from now until the investigation is complete. South Korea's Air Force says,
it will provide compensation to the victims. It has also apologized for the accidental bombings.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on ONE WORLD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BOYD JR., 4TH GENERATION FARMER, AND FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION: Every time he makes those type of drastic
announcements, he affects America's farmers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: How Donald Trump's slashing of foreign aid has claimed an unexpected victim, American farmers themselves.
GOLODRYGA: And later, we meet the man who's been turning advertising into a --
ASHER: Love it.
GOLODRYGA: -- performance art. Well, now he's Vegas-bound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOOLAN: I didn't even feel like I tried, but I whooped everybody trying to do it again in Vegas. And she was like, I hope you will. So that's my
current hopes. And I'm going to go out there and do it for my mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:48]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
When Donald Trump made shutting down U.S. foreign aid, one of his first acts in office, many of his supporters cheered. They didn't want the U.S.,
quote, wasting money on overseas programs.
ASHER: But the cutbacks in USAID are being felt domestically as well. For example, the farmers who relied on USAID to purchase their products and
distribute them overseas.
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOYD JR.: You ask me why I do it, biy? We feed people. And that's a good feeling.
What I produce here, I stand behind my crop. I don't produce anything on my farm that I wouldn't eat. Matter of fact, I'll show you, I'll chew some
soybeans for you.
It tastes good. I grew them right here on my farm.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: What does it taste like?
BOYD JR.: It tastes like McDonald's hamburger.
PROKUPECZ: No.
BOYD JR.: Yes. That's what's in them.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): John Boyd Jr. is a fourth-generation farmer. He grows wheat, corn, and soybeans here on his 1,000-acre farm in southern
Virginia. He also founded the National Black Farmers Association.
And he's no fan of President Donald Trump.
BOYD JR.: The president casts a net of uncertainty. Every time he makes one of these wild announcements that people are saying, yay, tariffs to China,
tariffs to Mexico, tariffs to Canada, USAID, it's over, it's done.
Every time he makes those type of drastic announcements, he affects America's farmers.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Within days of taking office, President Trump dismantled USAID, a humanitarian program that's been a lifeline for the
most vulnerable around the world, and a critical source of income for U.S. farmers, paying them hundreds of millions of dollars a year for their
crops. He also froze some funding for farmers and rattled trade markets.
BOYD JR.: We take it totally, totally for granted. And what we're doing in this country right now, we're gambling with all that.
PROKUPECZ: Gambling with farmers.
BOYD JR.: Gambling with farmers' lives. To gamble with my life, to gamble with my livelihood, man.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Farmers like Boyd rely on loans to plant for the upcoming season, with the hope that the harvest will pay it off and bring
home some profit.
[12:35:07]
In fact, about a million American farmers rely on the USDA for financial assistance every year. But just days before planting season starts, Boyd
says he hasn't been able to get a loan yet. And he says he's not the only one.
BOYD JR.: They want to hear, they want you to show them on paper how you're good for that operating loan and how you're going to pay it back. I can't
pay it back with $8 beans and $6 beans and $3 corn.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The majority of grain exported from the United States is stored in grain elevators. In Kansas alone, one grain elevator
can export millions of dollars of goods.
PROKUPECZ: This is in Pawnee County in Kansas. This is a grain elevator site. This is where farmers will bring their grain, stuff that they've
harvested, like milo and wheat and soybean and corn. It is stored in these bins, these large concrete bins, and then sold to exporters, companies who
are willing to buy that. And right now, it is very difficult to move some of this stuff.
KIM BARNES, CEO, PAWNEE COUNTY COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: They could come in and sell wheat for $5.58. It was down 14 cents today.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Kim Barnes has been buying and selling each year's harvest for Kansas farmers for over 50 years.
BARNES: All these bins are full and they're full of milo.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): That's $5 million worth of grain, Barnes says. Grain that countries like Ethiopia and others depend on for food aid.
PROKUPECZ: And so what's going on with the milo? Why do you have so much of that right now? What are you seeing in the market?
BARNES: We just don't have any market for it. There's nobody wanting to buy it.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Five months ago, Barnes says USAID bought over 200 million metric tons of milo from American farmers. Today, with no market
for that grain, he's desperate. One potential lifeline, a proposal in Washington for the USDA to continue USAID's food distribution program.
PROKUPECZ: You're optimistic that the USAID stuff will get moved into the USDA and the program will get --
BARNES: And will go on.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): But John Boyd doesn't share that optimism. He's not just worried about the future of farming, but for the future of his own
farm.
BOYD JR.: I have four children. And I know that my kids have watched me scuffle, you know, throughout my career.
And they're not going to want to do this if this administration continues to make it more difficult than it already is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Time now for The Exchange. We're going to look at how Donald Trump's shifting and unpredictable policy and decision-making are
impacting economies and businesses around the world.
Joining me live now is Betsy Stevenson. She's a public policy and economics professor at the University of Michigan and was a member of Barack Obama's
Council of Economic Advisers during his presidency.
Betsy, thank you so much for being with us. As you know, we got the job numbers out this morning, about 150,000 jobs added in February. A lot of
people are characterizing those numbers as essentially the calm before the storm.
When you think about the dramatic cuts we're seeing in terms of the jobs in the federal government, plus, also the uncertainty around tariffs, you've
got the one month reprieve offered to Canada and Mexico until April 2nd, but now we just got word that Donald Trump has just threatened a 250
percent tax on dairy imports from Canada.
So there is so much uncertainty. Just walk us through what this means for the U.S. economy going into the second quarter of this year.
BETSY STEVENSON, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Well, I think you sort of summed it up by saying there's just a
lot of uncertainty. No one knows what's going to happen. I mean, before I came on the show, I had to open up live news to see what do we know? What
might've changed in the last five minutes?
That's a really difficult environment to be making decisions about investments or hiring. Should you hire more people? Well, it's going to
depend on, you know, what you think business conditions are going to be like over the next month, but you have no idea whether there's going to be
tariffs on your industry or not. You have no idea whether your contract might be canceled with the government or not. That uncertainty is starting
to slow people down.
I think that is much bigger than the cuts in federal government employees. The cuts in federal government employees is, you know, wreaking some havoc
on services for Americans and what we might get out of our federal government, but it's still small in the grand scheme of the number of
people who lose jobs every month and who get hired, right?
So if we think about a normal month, about six million people will separate from their job, and another six million people or get hired. And so most of
those people who lose jobs, most of them find a new job within five weeks. And that's going to be true for those federal government employees as well.
[12:40:07]
The question will be though, what kind of jobs are out there for them? And that's going to depend on how much certainty there is about what's going
on.
And the stock market sort of sums it up, which is a lot of people are believing that the net present value of companies, meaning the net present
value of their sales in the future is lower today than it was when President Trump took office.
GOLODRYGA: And, Betsy, it's good to see you. You mentioned the stock market. It's at its lowest point this week. It had its worst week since
last September. And we've seen consumer sentiment also begin to soften as well.
And just moments ago, Fed Chair, Jay Powell, has been speaking. And here's what he said as he's speaking at an event at the University of Chicago. He
said that America is definitely feeling uneasy about the uncertainty as we've just been discussing.
But he said, ultimately, he is not worried, quote, despite elevated levels of uncertainty, the U.S. economy continues to be in a good place. And as it
relates to consumer sentiment, he went on to say sentiment readings have not been a good predictor of consumption growth in recent years. What do
you make of those headlines?
STEVENSON: I think that there is some useful points he's making there in some places where I think he's maybe being a little optimistic.
So, you know, if you think about the fact that a lot of companies let people go during the pandemic and then struggle to hire people, what we've
seen is companies are more reluctant to let people go unless they're certain they're not going to need them. So I think we're not going to see a
lot of layoffs happening unless we're sure that the, you know, things are going to slow down.
But we might see a slowdown in hiring. And in fact, I think we're already starting to see a little bit of a slowdown in hiring. He's also right that
consumers have not been telling us what they plan to do in those consumer sentiment surveys. So we've seen sentiment below. And yet, people still go
out and spend as if they've never been happier or more confident in the economy. So he's sort of shrugging his shoulders and saying maybe they'll
keep doing that.
I think what I would say back is maybe they won't. We don't really know why we've seen this split between consumer sentiment and consumer behavior.
Some of it is driven by politics. You know, that the sentiments reflecting not just how you feel about the economy, but how you feel about the
political environment.
But we had a big switch up in politics. And so that might mean that the relationship between sentiment and behavior is going to look a little bit
different in 2025 than it did in 2024.
So I would definitely urge caution in drawing the conclusion that, you know, weakening consumer sentiment isn't going to lead to weakening
consumer spending.
ASHER: All right. Well, we'll have to wait and see, especially just in terms of what happens on April 2nd, whether or not those tariffs end up
going into effect or whether President Trump uses it as a negotiating tool and kicks the can down the road even further. But as we were saying,
uncertainty is wreaking havoc either way.
Professor Betsy Stevenson, live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Still to come here, we'll take a look at how a nonprofit group is using artificial intelligence to fight human trafficking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:21]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Sexual predators have more ways than ever to access children. Social media, online gaming, and the internet make it easier for
traffickers and buyers to stay out of sight.
But now, AI bots are giving law enforcement an edge to root out and intercept predators.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We're rolling.
FAYTHE KADONA, HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR AND ADVOCATE: The very first time that I was sold for sex, I was 18 years old, and my best friend's mom sold
me for $50 to a man that she knew.
It was this breaking moment in my life of almost like this finality of, you're never going to be worth anything. No one's ever going to love you.
As I got older, I experienced more abuse, and I was trafficked in and out of hotels in Atlanta.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How much do you think is happening online?
KADONA: I think it's easier. It's easier for traffickers to stay hidden. It's easier for buyers to have anonymity.
GRAPHIC: In 2019, the non-profit organization Street Grace partnered with Microsoft to develop an A.I. platform to intercept predators online.
BROOKE RUFFIN, VP/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STREET GRACE-GEORGIA: Transaction Intercept is an online platform for law enforcement to use in their human
trafficking operations.
When you log in, you set up an operation. You've spun up a bot. You now have a number where you would place on a nefarious site. Buyers would then
message the number found on that ad to pursue a purchase or to strike up a conversation.
Officers can then observe the conversation. They can take over the conversation to gather further intel, or to have that human in the loop
that is often needed for prosecution.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So this is a 46-year-old, and he has approached an ad that's 14.
He says, Hi there, honey. Want to meet up, love?
The bot says, Hey there, have to check to be sure.
He asks if the bot is cop. She says no cop. Call me Bridget. How old are you?
I'm 46, honey.
The bot then fully discloses the age at 14. Then the conversation is taken over to go in and make that arrest.
KADONA: I got Involved with Street Grace in 2017. I've been able to help with some of the personas that law enforcement is able to use, because the
one thing is, I know how to act in that world.
RUFFIN: The authored bot personas are structured to ask for certain intel that will be needed for prosecution.
In our beta testing, over the last several months, within 20 states, we've had 17,925 transactions disrupted. We have intercepted somebody from
causing another person harm.
KADONA: There is a piece to this that I didn't see in the beginning. There is a -- there's hope in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Street Gray says that Transaction Intercept is building one of the largest data sets of human trafficking buyers and their behaviors in the
United States.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And coming up on Tuesday, March 11th, join CNN for My Freedom Day, a student-driven worldwide event to raise awareness of modern-
day slavery. Follow the hashtag My Freedom Day on social media and check out cnn.com/myfreedomday.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:20]
ASHER: From A-listers like Adele and Lady Gaga to breathtaking magic and circus shows, Las Vegas is famous for its world-class entertainment.
GOLODRYGA: But this weekend, it will host a type of performance art you might not be so familiar with, sign spinning. What is that you may ask?
Well, Mike Kinney with our affiliate KTVT explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOOLAN: Yes.
MIKE KINNEY, KTTV REPORTER (voice-over): Most days you'll find Matthew Doolan on a street corner.
DOOLAN: Can I get a beep beep?
KINNEY (voice-over): Trying to get a reaction from drivers.
DOOLAN: Yes. Well, nowadays, you really only have about three seconds to get their attention.
KINNEY (voice-over): A honk and a smile --
DOOLAN: Hi.
KINNEY (voice-over): -- is what he's working for.
DOOLAN: I feed off of it. The energy that they give me just gets me going. As soon as I get a honk, I always give them a bigger trick because of it.
KINNEY (voice-over): Doolan is a sign spinner, advertising for companies by putting on a show.
DOOLAN: We get them to engage with us with a smile and wave, then we're doing a trick, you know, trying to get them to remember us, right? Leave a
signature.
KINNEY (voice-over): His signature trick is a tongue twister.
DOOLAN: SmeakerDickelMcFinalHeimerstein. A ridiculous name for a ridiculous trick.
There it is.
KINNEY (voice-over): Using his ninja-like moves to keep people entertained.
DOOLAN: I mean, everybody when they're a kid wants to be a ninja at some point. You know, at some point. They see something in there, like, I want
to be a ninja. This is where I can kind of live it out in its own weird way.
Yes.
KINNEY (voice-over): While those passing by in cars may not know his name, he's made quite a name for himself in advertising. He is the current sign
spinning champion for Texas.
DOOLAN: Can I get a beep, beep?
I feel like I'm like one of the few true sign spinning nerds. We have break dancers. We have people who have done martial arts, all types of stuff, but
that's their thing. And then they have incorporated into sign spinning.
For me, sign spinning is my thing, you know. I wasn't ever as good at anything else as I am at this.
KINNEY (voice-over): This weekend, he heads to the World Sign Spinning Championship in Vegas, competing against others from around the globe.
DOOLAN: I got the two best sign spinners in Germany coming out, going to Vegas. He's going to be the second best sign spinner in the world. I'm
going to be the first.
KINNEY (voice-over): This year, Doolan's focus on winning is centered around one thought.
DOOLAN: I just lost my mom this year. She was still around right when I had won the state championship. And I told her, I was like -- I didn't even
feel like I tried, but I whooped everybody, trying to do it again in Vegas. And she was like, I hope you will. So that's my current hopes. And now I'm
going to go out there and do it for my mom.
[12:55:04]
Yes.
KINNEY (voice-over): Doolan says, if you see him on a corner, give him a honk or a wave. It'll brighten his day and hopefully yours too.
DOOLAN: Can I get a beep beep? Beep, beep, beep, beep.
KINNEY (voice-over): Mike Kinney.
DOOLAN: Thank you. Thank you.
KINNEY (voice-over): CBS News, Texas.
DOOLAN: I appreciate you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: And I appreciate you, darling.
GOLODRYGA: Oh, I appreciate you too. I can't spin my affection for you, but, wow, he's got some talent.
ASHER: But he said he didn't even try, but yet he whooped everybody.
GOLODRYGA: And we're wishing him well.
ASHER: How are you supposed to read the signs? If it's advertising, you're actually supposed to read the signs, and you can't if he's spinning it.
GOLODRYGA: You just watch him. Yes. He did it for his mom. He's doing it for his mom. We're rooting for him.
ASHER: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next. Enjoy your weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
