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The Situation Room

Backlash Grows Over Trump Beef Import Plan; Consumer Confidence Drops; Interview With Ontario, Canada, Premier Doug Ford. Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired August 25, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: There are growing calls among a lot of Canadians right now to expel from Canada the United States ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, in part because of the very strained relationship between the Trump administration and Canada.

The State Department spokesperson here in Washington tells CNN that President Trump -- quote -- "has the right to determine who represents the American people, as well as our interests around the world" -- end quote.

Where do you stand on this controversy involving the U.S. ambassador in Canada?

DOUG FORD, PREMIER OF ONTARIO, CANADA: Well, I don't agree with expelling any American diplomats, especially the ambassador. He has a job and a role to play. I understand that. And I don't believe in that whatsoever.

Let's try to work out a deal, and that's what we need to do. We need to give certainty. We need to create more jobs, millions of jobs on both sides of the border. Very simple. Right now, the U.S. is in a slump. Numbers are down. Job numbers are down.

Costs are going up, no matter if it's building a house. One-third of the lumber comes from Canada, cost of goods, cost of food. Let's create a trade deal that will lower the cost of goods, lower the cost of building homes, create millions of new jobs.

Yes, again, President Trump needs to take a couple pages out of Ronald Reagan's book that was dead against tariffs. It just hurts any country when you put tariffs on Canada, especially your number one customer in the entire world.

BLITZER: Premier Doug Ford, good word. Good words, indeed. Thank you very much for joining us. Let's hope that this strain...

FORD: Thank you.

BLITZER: ... this awful relationship right now gets better, and gets better quickly. Appreciate it very much.

FORD: Yes. Thank you. And God bless America. God bless Canada. Let's get a deal done. Thank you.

BLITZER: Yes, God bless both countries.

Coming up: an apparent threat to President Trump's youngest son from Iran with a $10 million bounty. Now the U.S. Secret Service is investigating.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:36:31]

BLITZER: Happening now: The U.S. Secret Service is investigating after a video aired over the weekend by Iranian state media that appears to threaten the life of President Trump's youngest son, Barron, and offering a 10 million dollar bounty.

While threatening content has been made by Iran against the Trump family, this appears to be the first time that 20-year-old Barron Trump has been publicly singled out.

In Texas, another important story, large plumes of smoke are filling the skies in the north-central part of the state, as firefighters are battling a very fast-moving wildfire. The so-called Ross Fire is spreading at a rate of 35 football fields every minute since it began Monday afternoon.

So far, more than 50,000 acres have burned. Extreme heat and dry conditions have made the area extremely vulnerable to wildfires.

And the store Target is now apologizing for a children's Halloween costume after criticism that it resembled blackface. The picture may be sensitive to some viewers. The now-pulled costume was supposed to depict a circus clown, but many on social media swiftly commented that it resembled a racist caricature.

In a statement, Target said -- and I'm quoting the store now -- "As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale."

And there's more breaking news this hour. Consumer confidence in the United States slipped for a second straight month to its lowest point since January.

Our Matt Egan is joining us right now.

So what's driving these latest numbers, Matt?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Wolf, the mood on Main Street is pretty subdued right now, consumer confidence falling slightly this month, missing expectations. As you mentioned, this is now the lowest level for consumer confidence since January.

We also saw that July was revised slightly lower. Confidence fell across all age groups, led by those who are under 35. And the Conference Board, which puts together this survey, they said that, when you look at political affiliation, consumer confidence, it's softened among independents and among Republicans.

However, Democrats -- Democrats were feeling somewhat more positive. So why did this happen? Well, the big thing is that consumers are feeling more pessimistic about the future. The expectations index of this survey fell significantly, and all three components deteriorated, including business conditions, labor market, and household income.

On the other hand, people are feeling a little bit better about the situation on the ground right now. This report found that people feel a little bit better about the job market, right? The number of people who are saying that jobs are hard to get, that went down. Those who think that jobs were plentiful, that went up.

But, look, when you look at where all this fits in, in the bigger picture, consumer confidence, it does remain pretty low. In fact, if you go back to 2021, very few months were lower than it is right now. So, Wolf, this is painting the picture of a lot of caution right now on Main Street, whether it's because of the job market, the war, or inflation.

People are not loving this economy right now -- back to you.

BLITZER: Good point.

Matt Egan, reporting for us, thank you very, very much.

Amidst all of this, I want to bring in Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton and former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign Karen Finney. They're both CNN political commentators.

[10:40:05]

All right, Karen and Michael, we just heard, as you know, from the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, in that exclusive interview we had here in THE SITUATION ROOM. He's hoping to win back the House majority, and he's campaigning on the issue of affordability.

Democrats have struggled in the past with their messaging. Do you think they have been successful, Shermichael, so far?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I think you look at the 40-plus special elections that Democrats have been successful with. A lot of moderate, centrist-leaning candidates have focused a lot on a cost of living and affordability.

You just highlighted some of the numbers in terms of consumer confidence being an issue. Inflation levels have risen and fallen. We still expect the Fed at some point, hopefully next year, to lower interest rates quite a bit more.

And so I think Democrats to focus on that issue is smart. I have argued and debated Karen about this for months now that Republicans should also focus on that very same issue. And I just want to add quickly I know there's been a lot of attacks against the minority leader for meeting with Jared Kushner.

I'm just going to say this. There is no way the White House would have permitted that meeting to occur if they did not expect that Democrats are likely going to take over the House. And while I know people are criticizing Hakeem Jeffries about it, he has to govern.

He still has to govern. And I get folks are arguing that he has to hold individuals accountable. The American people still want a functioning Congress. And so I think you have to allow him the space, Wolf, to have conversations with people he may disagree with.

BLITZER: What do you think?

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it was a mistake. I think it was a real misreading of this moment, and I do think his team understands that.

Obviously, they have spent a couple of days trying to explain. I mean, it gave the White House and it gave the MAGA movement more legitimacy than they deserve in this moment, because when we are on the verge of hopefully, we have still got to get through the election, taking back Congress, that is the moment to play to your strengths and to work through with your candidates and with the American people what our governing agenda is going to be.

There's no reason to believe that anything that he discussed with Jared Kushner or with the White House is going to be -- is actually going to be end up being true, based on what we have seen time and time again in the way that this administration behaves.

BLITZER: Well, what's wrong with leaders from both sides, and we know they disagree on a lot of issues...

FINNEY: Yes.

BLITZER: ... getting together and seeing if there are areas where they can work out a good compromise?

FINNEY: I think you do that after the election. I think you do that after the election, when you can have a conversation about, here's what our agenda is going to be. Here is where we're going to hold you accountable.

I mean, I just don't think you needed to do it before the election. I think that was the issue. It's not that -- and also we're in a very unprecedented time. This is not a normal administration.

But, that being said, look, I do want to say I think, on the affordability conversation, I know Republicans would prefer that Trump talk about affordability instead of Canada, for example, as you were just discussing.

BLITZER: Go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

SINGLETON: I mean, look, Karen is right. Her and I were just talking about this, watching your interview. And I said...

BLITZER: The interview with Hakeem Jeffries.

SINGLETON: Well, not only that one...

FINNEY: The premier.

SINGLETON: ... but also with the Canadian premier, that I would like to see the president making his case to the American people, for one, how we're going to quickly resolve this thing with Iran, because we have got to get gas prices lower, but, two, going to very critical battleground states making a message for what the conservative agenda must be, Wolf, to counteract every single thing Karen just said, where Democrats obviously have an advantage.

You look at the enthusiasm numbers. You look at the projections that they are indeed favored to take the House. The question for folks who have voted for Republicans and supported Republicans, what is our agenda to fix this mess? And I don't think we have articulated that very well.

FINNEY: And I think that's the other thing I would add that is important in this moment. Republicans historically have enjoyed an advantage on the economy.

SINGLETON: Yes.

FINNEY: That has completely flipped for about the second time in my career in politics, where Democrats actually -- Americans trust Democrats on the economy. So it's a -- this is a moment for us to press that advantage.

We will see what happens today in South Carolina, where really you have two -- even though President Trump has endorsed Lindsey Graham's sister, you do really have two MAGA candidates vying for this nomination.

So it's not a real choice actually for those voters, and whoever they elect is going to be someone who will be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, not someone who would fight for them and deal with affordability.

BLITZER: Let's turn to that South Carolina election tonight. President Trump's choice, Senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, faces Congressman Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination.

Shermichael, President Trump's super PAC has already spent more than $800,000 to boost Darline Graham. Just how much of a test is this run- off that we're going to see later tonight a test of the power of the president's endorsement?

[10:45:03]

SINGLETON: You know, look, I think it's important, Wolf, because if Senator Graham loses, then I think the conversation, particularly from a lot of the president's critics, would be, this is a president who no longer has the influence that he once had at the beginning of his presidency.

You have Ralph Norman, former congressman, ran for governor, who is someone who's been very supportive of the president's agenda to Karen's point, who is neck-and-neck with someone that the president just campaigned for just last Friday.

I have talked to some folks in South Carolina from my time there during presidential races, and many expect that he actually may win, that the senator, with the president's endorsement, financial support, and campaigning with her might not get her across the finish line. That's a really, really big story.

BLITZER: All right, we will see what happens in South Carolina.

Shermichael, thank you very much.

SINGLETON: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Karen, thanks to you as well.

FINNEY: Thanks.

BLITZER: Coming up: a growing beef between cattle producers and the White House. I will speak to the president of the U.S. Cattlemen's Association about why he says a proposed plan to lower beef prices in the United States, why he says that will hurt everyone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:29]

BLITZER: Happening now, growing backlash over a new White House plan to lower the price of beef. President Trump is facing fierce criticism, even from within his own party, over a 90-day plan to import massive amounts of foreign beef.

He says his plan to pause tariffs on the imported meat and sell it at a 25 percent discount would be passed down to customers. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to get the beef prices down, so we will get them down a little bit. And that's what people want. That's what the voters want, and that's what I want. The ranchers are great. They're my people. I love the ranchers. They have done a fantastic job, but they admit that we need a little help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The price of ground beef has jumped 24 percent since President Trump returned to office. But American ranchers say this plan undercuts local farmers and threatens the safety of the beef supply. As the president of the U.S. Cattlemen's Association put it -- and I'm

quoting him now -- "You don't put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last" -- end quote.

And the president of the U.S. Cattlemen's Association, Justin Tupper, is joining us right now.

President Trump claims this plan to import foreign beef and sell it 25 percent below market price is designed to give ranchers -- and I'm quoting him now -- "a little help."

Do you see it that way?

JUSTIN TUPPER, PRESIDENT, U.S. CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION: No, Wolf.

And thanks for having us on.

But we respectfully definitely disagree. We don't think bringing in a bunch of foreign beef, that their cost of production, how they do things in their country way different than us, will lower the price. It'll just help the big four packers, which happen to be three of the four majors are foreign-owned.

It'll help them and their bottom line, but it'll do nothing but hurt American ranchers.

BLITZER: The president, as you know, hasn't specified exactly where this imported beef would be coming from. First of all, does that concern you? And do you know where this imported beef presumably would be coming from?

TUPPER: No, Wolf, we don't know where it would come from.

It does concern us some because we have the safest, best protein on the planet, in my view, and we do a great job of making sure that the consumers get to have the safest best protein on the planet, beef. And a lot of these other countries don't adhere to the same standards that we do.

BLITZER: So you think American consumers who eat imported beef should be wary, should be nervous about that?

TUPPER: No, I think we do a good job of checking it, but I think the first thing the consumer needs to know is, beef is not too high. You look at the price of a bag of chips or your morning latte, they're about the same as a pound of hamburger, and the nutritional value is way higher.

We think there's a lot of places where everything's higher, inflation, insurance costs, fuels. Every input cost that the American rancher has is at the highest levels they have ever had. We're finally making a minimum wage, and we don't need to be a dumping ground for these foreign countries to put their less quality beef into.

BLITZER: We reached out to the White House, and a spokesperson told us -- and I'm quoting now -- "While the administration will be easing tariffs on beef imports to address a short-term supply crunch, the administration is simultaneously working closely with ranchers to grow America's cattle herd size, which is currently at a multidecade low."

Is that true? Are they? What is the administration actually doing on the ground with ranchers right now?

TUPPER: Well, they are trying to open up some grazing lands, and that's important. The reason we have the lowest cattle herd since the 1950s, we'd had historic droughts. We have lost a lot of acres to urban sprawl, and we haven't been profitable.

The cattle sector has barely made a minimum wage or just scratched and clawed to break even. We're finally at a point where we can make some money, and that will signal us to grow the herd again. And those are the kind of things that the ranchers want to hear. They don't need another government bailout. We don't want the government to be in our business.

We just want a fair and safe market where we can grow our cattle herds and make sure that we produce the safest, best protein on the planet.

BLITZER: Let's hope that happens.

Justin Tupper, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

TUPPER: Thank you.

BLITZER: And here's what's coming up all new right at the top of the hour.

Any moment now, Canadian leaders are expected to announce that country's response to the latest U.S. tariffs. We're going to bring it to you live when it happens.

[10:55:08]

Plus, an active duty U.S. Air Force major with 17 years of service is facing very rare criminal charges right now. His crime? Publicly criticizing his commander in chief.

And a major breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's, the new blood test that just got the green light from the FDA, information you need to know. It's all new.

That's coming up in the next hour.

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