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High-Stakes Races in Florida and Wisconsin Test Trump's Power; Up to 50 Senior IT Professionals Sidelined Inside IRS; Columbia University Student Ran from Homeland Security, But She Still Doesn't Know Why They Came for Her. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired April 01, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: IRS officials sidelines as the White House finalizes controversial plans to share sensitive taxpayer data with immigration authorities.

I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: John said it, now I'm saying it. It's election day in America. Just moments ago the polls opened in Wisconsin's highly funded Supreme Court race.

Voters in Florida are also casting ballots today in a pair of closely watched special house elections. All three races serving as early referendums on Donald Trump's presidency.

Now in Wisconsin, voters are choosing a new justice who will decide the balance of power in the state Supreme Court. And it's brought in huge amounts of money, at least $90 million spent making it the most expensive judicial race in United States history. Trump ally Elon Musk was just there handing out million dollar checks to two voters. The two candidates laying out the high stakes.

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BRAD SCHIMEL, WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT CANDIDATE: Many of our election integrity laws are going to end up in front of this court and we could see the rules we've put in -- our legislature's put in place in recent years to try to protect that election integrity gets struck down by this activist court.

SUSAN CRAWFORD, WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT CANDIDATE: We have two candidates in this race and only one of the candidates wants to be a fair and impartial justice on the Supreme Court. The other candidate is a partisan politician who wants to politicize our court and is willing to sell our court out to the highly highest bidder.

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SIDNER: And in Florida, two congressional seats are up for grabs, including the one vacated by Mike Waltz, Trump's national security advisor and a key player in the Signal gate controversy. Joining me now is Mica Soellner, a congressional reporter for

Punchbowl News. What are you watching today in these races, which normally would probably not be paid a ton of attention to, but they are, everyone is looking at this laser focused.

MICA SOELLNER, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, Wisconsin, I know that I spoke with many members of their delegation last week and they're closely monitoring this because this is going to hugely impact the potential future of House races and how the maps are going to be drawn. So it's going to have a huge impact on Congress, no matter which side is victorious tonight.

And then in Florida, we're looking at a race in Michael Waltz's seat, a race that Trump won by over 30 points. But Republicans are starting to get nervous because it seems like their candidate may may lose a lot of that margin actually only -- we still expect them to win, but they could only win by about 10 to 20, which would be a huge shift towards Democrats in a very, very red district.

SIDNER: It's a very tight vote in the House as well. So there's so many things here sort of hanging in balance.

Let's head to Wisconsin now. There's a whole lot of attention and a whole host and bunch of money that has been pumped into this state Supreme Court race there. Tell us why.

SOELLNER: Yes, I mean, I think that both both sides are definitely making the case that this is clearly one of the most important political races in the country that's happening now. Elon musk and his groups associated with him have poured millions of dollars into this race.

I know that Democrats in the Wisconsin delegation, despite the fact that there's only two Democrats in the House and one in the Senate are making that a big deal on their message, saying that Musk is trying to buy (INAUDIBLE) very similarly to how he did to the events that he was holding in the 2024 presidential election as well.

SIDNER: Mica, I botched your name at the beginning. I do apologize. I know who you are. You are a great reporter, and I really appreciate you.

Kate is laughing --

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Because I love you.

SIDNER: I get I get brain -- can I say fart on TV, brain fart?

BOLDUAN: You could say whatever you want.

SIDNER: Well, that's what happened, Mica, just so you know -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: I am not one to be making fun of somebody for mispronouncing something. We let's just leave it right there, my dear.

OK, joining us right now. Political commentator and former Democratic member of the South Carolina State Heart State House. Now, you know I'm going to screw a bunch of stuff up. Bakari Sellers and Maura Gillespie, former adviser to then Speaker of the House John Boehner.

And there isn't a worse person for me to do something silly on air with them. Bakari Sellers and Maura Gillespie because they will make fun of me relentlessly. Let's start with Florida, Maura. What's the least and the most that you think you can read into this special today?

Because special elections are special. Everyone's got an opinion on how much it can tell us about the future. What do you think?

MAURA GILLESPIE, FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, BLUESTACK STRATEGIES: I would never make fun of you on air. So let's just put that out there. Yes, there you go.

And no, I think today, you know, Cliff Stearns held the seat for many years with normally 70 percent of the vote on average, 65 percent of the vote.

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You know, so to see the fact that we're even questioning the seat should be an alarm bell for Republicans as what coming out comes down to is the issues, right? Voters are basically saying the issues that they voted for in November aren't being addressed right now. And so, and couple of that with the fact that Randy Fine really kind of thought he had in the bag up until a few weeks ago. That's why you're seeing, excuse me, these numbers.

And I do think that Republicans need to pay attention to this. But the seats will be -- I think the seats will both be won by Republicans. I'm not worried about that part, but the numbers will tell a story that I think the majorities are in question.

BOLDUAN: What do you think Bakari? Do you -- are you -- can you read into -- will you want to read into the outcome from let's just stick with Florida 6 since that seems to be the one getting so much attention into what it could mean for midterms that are still, you know, it's not tomorrow. Midterms are not tomorrow.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, no, I don't take a whole lot of stock from special elections. I think people in and around D.C. oftentimes look at special elections as some type of predictor of the future, and that's just not the case. But I mean, this will have some impact on whether or not Republicans are able to pull some upset in the New Jersey governor's race, for example, it will foretell maybe what's going to happen in Virginia later this year.

There will be some signs you can take, but at the end of the day, more was extremely correct. People voted for Donald Trump for two reasons. They voted so that he would close the southern border, and they voted so that he would lower the price of eggs.

They didn't vote for all this other Elon Musk stuff and all the other charades that are going on in and outside of the White House. And so I think that's bogging down his message. But we'll see tonight.

The one thing this will not impact is Donald Trump. He ain't going to change for nobody because of any election. House Republicans may run away from him, but Donald Trump is going to be Donald Trump.

BOLDUAN: On the issue of Elon Musk, especially his influence in that Wisconsin judicial race. I mean, now the most expensive state judicial race like in history. There is some interesting -- an interesting take from the political playbook this morning.

I wanted to read for you some reporting from JMart. Here's the reporting.

Such is the concern Musk is causing among GOP representatives and competitive seats that some are praying for an early reckoning, JMart reports. An April 1st massacre would be a beautiful thing, one GOP lawmaker tells him, as it might help shuffle Musk toward the exit door well ahead of the midterms. Quote, Elon's work needs to wrap up and he needs to exit stage left, another GOP lawmaker agrees.

Which is interesting, is Elon Musk becoming a problem for Donald Trump? Bakari.

SELLERS: Oh, we were just sitting here waiting on you to call a name out. Yes, it is a problem for Donald Trump. I mean, we have stated that from the very beginning.

Elon Musk is going to out -- just outstay and overlive his welcome here. I mean, he's unelected, he has no accountability to anyone and he's out there doing the job of legislators.

And at the end of the day, when we come on air and continuously call him the Speaker of the House or the President of the United States, that wears thin on lawmakers because Elon Musk is the one who's running the federal government right now.

He's also running it into the ground and so these cuts that you see, the fact that farmers aren't able to get subsidies, aren't able to sell their goods, the people -- those complaints come back to their members of Congress, not Elon Musk. And because he's not on the front line taking the brunt of the complaints, he's driving around Tesla's and, you know, making new babies every other week. He does not understand what's really going on out here in the streets and that is going to wear thin quickly.

BOLDUAN: On that point, add to that -- not on that point -- Donald Trump hinted yesterday more that Musk may have to -- may have to leave his duties as a special government employee, may have to go back to running his company full time, kind of ending his time with his mission at DOGE. And here's what he said to reporters in the Oval Office.

I think he's amazing, but I also think he's got a big company to run. And so at some point he's going to be going back. He wants to. I keep him as long as I could. I thought it was pretty interesting hearing. That is not what we have heard from Donald Trump to this point. Anything about him having to go, him needing to focus on his company at all.

What do you hear in that? What do you think?

GILLESPIE: Well, remember when this was first announced that old DOGE entity with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk at the helm, they said very proudly that all of their work at DOGE would be completed by July 4th of 2026, America's 250th birthday. So it's already set in stone that the DOGE entity would dissolve by then.

So this shouldn't really be as newsworthy or -- and or did the president forget about that. That it was already set in stone that it was going to end.

[08:10:03]

So I think that that's but really what I think what you could read into that if you wanted to is that he's looking for an escape valve. And so if things don't go well and aren't looking great for 2026, well, DOGE should have already been ended by then. So who will he then blame?

So I don't know if he's trying to prolong it so that you can then blame him after the midterms. I'm just not sure. But even until November, yes, I mean, I don't know.

But he did initially say that this would be done but by July 4th.

BOLDUAN: I can see a really fun soap opera playing out before our eyes.

GILLESPIE: It'll be very interesting in 2026.

BOLDUAN: At least. Bakari really quick on tariff day coming up. The fact that it's still a mystery of what tariffs are about to set in and on what countries. That means what in terms of the real impact and political impacts because that's what we're discussing of this trade war.

SELLERS: A lack of consistency and a lack of competency. But this is what the American people voted for. Listen, I give Donald Trump a lot of hell every time I'm on TV and rightfully so.

But the lone compliment I can give him is that he has been the most honest broker that we've had in recent American history. The reason being is because he told us he was going to do all of these things and people for some reason assumed that he would forget or otherwise reprioritize or otherwise say that no, I'm just not going to do it. And so now all of our allies, foes and friends alike, they just have to sit on pins and needles.

And you know who else that affects that affects your grandmama's social security or her retirement that is in the stock market right now that is about to fluctuate depending on what Donald Trump decides to do today. That type of lack of competency, that type of lack of consistency -- oh, you said a quick answer. I'm sorry, that's what Donald Trump is known for.

BOLDUAN: I never expect a quick answer from you, my long winded friend. It is good to see you both. Thank you so much -- John.

BERMAN: All right, we are standing by for the opening bell on Wall Street after the first quarter in years. And you know what? Doesn't look good right now. You can see futures pointing downward, fairly sizable losses when the market opens this morning. As investors brace for that announcement they were just talking about on tariffs with these confusing signals coming from the White House.

This morning, dozens of IRS employees, including top cyber security experts placed on leave just as people are filing their taxes. So what could possibly go wrong?

And we have a new update in the frantic search for survivors in the earthquake that has now killed more than 2,000 people.

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BERMAN: This morning, the Trump administration is sidelining dozens of top IT officials who were seen as blocking plans to help immigration enforcement. This as the Trump administration and Elon Musk's task force pushed to gain access to the agency's most sensitive taxpayer data. We're talking about this all happening at the IRS. As many as 50 senior IT professionals, some of top cyber security experts are on leave.

Let's get to CNN's Rene Marsh for the latest on this. Rene, what are you learning?

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, good morning. These senior IT professionals, they were charged essentially with overseeing the guts of the IRS's complicated data systems, and they saw their access abruptly revoked. And Friday evening, they received a separation e- mail obtained by CNN, saying that they were being placed on leave effective immediately. But the e-mail didn't say why.

Now, three sources, including one of the impacted employees, tell me that they believe that they were targeted again for pushing back on DOGE requests surrounding some of the IRS's most sensitive taxpayer data that could be used to help the Trump administration's effort to locate undocumented immigrants.

DOGE has been met with resistance at the IRS by employees who say many of the group's requests violate privacy and disclosure laws for when IRS data can be shared. We reached out to both the IRS and a Treasury Department spokesperson sent us an e-mail response and statement denying that the employees were placed on leave, denying it had anything to do with immigration enforcement.

Instead, they say that those employees were placed on leave because they were nontechnical personnel in technical decision making roles. The agency went on to say as part of the Treasury Department and IRS leadership's evaluation of the best way to improve the performance of the IRS and simultaneously reduce cost to taxpayers.

That is why and that is the reasoning they are giving for these employees being placed on leave.

But John, I will tell you, I reviewed the LinkedIn profiles of many of these employees, and it certainly tells a different story as far as their level of technical experience.

It's also worth noting that we reported just last week that the IRS is nearing this unprecedented agreement with immigration and customs enforcement to share location information of suspected undocumented immigrants.

As far as the data goes, John, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants pay roughly $59.4 billion in federal taxes. That is from the year 2022, and they play pay some $37.3 billion in state taxes.

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So sources at the IRS are also pointing out how this could just really de incentivize these undocumented immigrants who have been paying taxes from continuing to do so, and that will essentially result in a huge revenue loss for the IRS -- John.

BERMAN: Yes, perhaps some unintended consequences there. Rene Marsh, thank you so much for this reporting. Appreciate it -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Still ahead for us, a Columbia student flees the country after ICE agents show up at her door. This morning she is telling her story to CNN and says she still does not know why her visa was revoked.

Plus, it is Election Day, and right now polls are open in Florida and Wisconsin and what is really the first some first critical tests of President Trump's momentum in this second term.

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BOLDUAN: So a Cornell student says that he is now leaving the United States voluntarily after a judge declined to block the government from taking steps to deport him. He was told to surrender to ice according to court filings, and his visa was revoked over his participation in pro-Palestinian protests last year.

He is a dual citizen of the U.K. and of Gambia. He previously faced losing his student visa after he was suspended twice by Cornell last year.

There's also this story we are tracking, which is CNN now learning new details about another foreign student who has already left the country. This one, a former Fulbright scholar from India who was just two months away from finishing her PhD at Columbia. She's now fled the country after her student visa was revoked. And the secretary of DHS. brazenly labeling her on social media, a quote, unquote terrorist sympathizer.

Simone Prokupecz has her story.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, you were asked to stay in the room. Hey, why don't you just stay in there? If not, you can leave.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This new cell phone video captured by a roommate and obtained exclusively by CNN, shows masked Homeland Security agents inside Columbia University housing searching Ranjani Srinivasan's apartment after the Trump administration revoked her student visa targeting her for deportation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a warrant to search these premises for electronics, documents related to Ranjani Srinivasan.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The search inside the apartment in mid-March lasted just minutes. This was the third time federal agents came to her door. By then Srinivasan, an Indian national, was already gone, having fled to Canada in a panic, leaving her home of nearly ten years.

RANJANI SRINIVASAN, FORMER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: It still doesn't feel real.

PROKUPECZ: Do you miss being there?

SRINIVASAN: Yes, yes. All my friends are there, you know, my home, like my cat. I don't know when I'm going to actually be able to go back.

PROKUPECZ: Do you think you will?

SRINIVASAN: I mean, I want to. All my friends and family, like my entire life, is there right now.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): It all began when the state department abruptly canceled her student visa, triggering a disturbing set of events. Immigration agents started showing up at her door. She and her roommate didn't allow them in.

SRINIVASAN: They basically started yelling in the corridor, saying my name, saying my visa had been revoked. And she just said -- she asked them, do you have a warrant? And they had to say no. And she was like, sorry, bye.

PROKUPECZ: Did you have any reason to understand why they were doing this?

SRINIVASAN: No, I was stunned and scared. When she told me, she turned back and told me ICE is at the door and I was just shivering. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not resisting.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Within days, she heard of the high-profile arrest of Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. Scared she was next, she went into hiding.

PROKUPECZ: Were you afraid that they were going to take you and then detain you and hold you in a ICE detention center?

SRINIVASAN: Yes. I was very afraid. But that fear was not borne out of something I had done, because I had done nothing wrong. It was more about the other things that were happening around us.

There have been disappearances. There have been random arrests. So I could not predict what would happen next.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Srinivasan's troubles trace back to two summonses she received during protests outside Columbia University on April 30th of 2024. DHS said she never reported them on her visa renewal.

Srinivasan says she was trying to return home and wasn't part of the protest. Those summonses were dismissed months before she applied for renewal. And there should have been no record of their existence.

NATHAN YAFFE, ATTORNEY FOR RANJANI SRINIVASAN: When people aren't fingerprinted, when they're not charged with a crime, convicted with a crime, that's information that New York City and New York state has said they don't make available to the federal government and this raises very serious questions about those representations.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The question that Srinivasan's lawyers are grappling with now. How did she even get on the radar of federal authorities?

For one, records reviewed by CNN show she was not in New York City during the peak of the campus protests and never participated in the encampments.

That didn't stop Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from posting this video of Srinivasan at LaGuardia Airport on March 11th and calling her a terrorist sympathizer.

SRINIVASAN: I'm not a terrorist sympathizer. I'm not a pro-Hamas activist. I'm just literally a random student. It just seems very strange that they would spend so much, you know, like vast resources in, like, sort of persecuting me.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The former Fulbright scholar who earned a master's degree from Harvard was just two months shy of achieving a lifelong dream, getting her PhD from Columbia University. For now, that's all in jeopardy.

PROKUPECZ: What are you worried about?

SRINIVASAN: I mean, without a degree -- I mean, all of this is, you know, it's not going to be recognized, Any of this work. My five years is completely wasted.

PROKUPECZ: Now, CNN has reached out to all of the agencies named in our story, the Department of Homeland Security, the NYPD, Columbia University, the New York City mayor's office, which told us they would look into this. They never got back to us. All of the agencies have not responded to our requests for comment.

Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, New York.

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