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CNN This Morning
Deadly Quake Rocks Thailand and Myanmar; HHS to Cut Thousands of Jobs; Breaking Down the Backlash Behind 'With Love, Meghan'. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired March 28, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: And thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon, live in New York. For our international viewers, we will be right back with more on that devastating earthquake centered on Myanmar. But for our viewers in the U.S., CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
[06:00:26
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It's Friday, March 28. Here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole building collapsed!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: The search for survivors underway right now after a deadly earthquake in Southeast Asia, powerful enough to wreck high-rise buildings hundreds of miles away.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: This will be a painful period for HHS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Ten thousand workers fired in a major overhaul of America's health agencies. Can the government save billions without impacting programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the CDC?
And then --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We don't want it. We don't want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: Foreign nationals studying in America, snatched off the streets by federal agents. Has the immigration crackdown reached a new level?
And a flood of trouble in Southern Texas. Drivers rescued from fast rising waters. And the danger isn't over yet.
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. But you are looking at Bangkok in Thailand. Emergency crews there looking for survivors amid the destruction of a major earthquake.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for joining us today.
We are following breaking news out of Southeast Asia, where a deadly earthquake has hit Myanmar and collapsed buildings as far as Thailand. That's hundreds of miles away.
When one building went down in Bangkok, people ran for their lives. Dozens of other high-rise buildings there were also damaged. At least one person in Bangkok has died. At least 50 more so far reported injured.
People are actually believed to be trapped in the rubble of a building.
This was a 7.7 magnitude quake. CNN spoke to one witness about how the disaster unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK BROWN, WITNESS BUILDING COLLAPSE: Earthquakes are not common in Bangkok or in Thailand.
A lot of confused, confused people, a lot of panic, I think, especially when seeing the building coming down. People got out of their cars immediately on the expressway. It just came to a standstill. There was a lot of fear, a lot of panic, because people don't know what's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, the epicenter of the quake hit Myanmar, where at least three people are reported dead. I want you to stay with CNN throughout the day, because we're going to continue to track this story.
Now, I want to turn to some domestic news, because states are bracing for impact as the Department of Health and Human Services prepares to fire 10,000 workers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH GREEN (D), HAWAII: It's a disaster. It's public health malpractice on the part of RFK Jr. and the DOGE team. It's going to cause loss of life in our state, and in Kansas, and in Texas, and wherever else disease spreads. It's outrageous. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the layoffs will also include a sweeping reorganization that includes the creation of a, quote, "administration for a healthy America," and another 10,000 workers have actually already voluntarily left the workforce.
The department claims the changes will save almost 2 billion a year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNEDY: The entire federal workforce is downsizing now, so this will be a painful period for HHS as we downsize from 82,000 full-time employees to around 62,000.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: While the secretary acknowledged some pain for people who are impacted, budget officials in the White House, they're taking a victory lap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL VOUGHT, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET: Now, it's fantastic. I talked with Secretary Kennedy about an hour ago, and you know, he is really excited about what they've unveiled today. The extent to which they reordered the -- the department, the number of people that they're able to -- to let go and -- and -- and be able to find efficiencies at HHS.
And, so it's a -- really exciting what you're seeing across. You know, we've had a lot of cabinet meetings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining me now to talk about this: Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor; Rob Bluey, president and executive editor at "The Daily Signal"; and Seung Min Kim, CNN political analyst and White House reporter for the Associated Press.
I want to thank you all for joining me here.
I'm going to kick it off with Rob in the group chat. People talk so much about Elon Musk, and we will, too. But Russell Vought is so much the architect of the idea of reorganizing the government. And he always speaks about it in glowing, cheerful terms. Right?
But you heard RFK Jr. saying it differently. There's going to be some pain. So, which is it? Which do you think the American people are going to hear?
[06:05:07]
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": Probably a little bit of both, depending on what side of the political aisle you're on, Audie. I mean, let's face it, there are those who, I think, want to see
people treated compassionately. Any time somebody is losing their job, you don't necessarily want to be in a situation where you're cheering that on.
At the same time, I think the path we're on is unsustainable. We -- we all talk about the massive deficit and debt that our country is facing. So, to do nothing is also not an option.
CORNISH: OK. Donna Shalala, actually, she's a former HHS secretary in a Democratic administration. She wrote an op-ed about the change.
She calls this a "silly new bureaucracy." And I'm saying that because this is a reorg, right? And most people in the world, in the country who hear about layoffs and hear "reorg" knows "I'm getting canned." Right? In the business world, that's how that is perceived.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right. And I guess the question is, how much faith do we have that these cuts, the arbitrary 10,000 people, were done with care?
And I don't think that the last two months have been any indication that there has actually been specific care given to who's being cut, how, when, where, and what actual impact to the government.
Now, it's shrinking the size of government, and that's certainly a goal that many people have. But there's a degree -- we have to acknowledge, there's been a degree of sloppiness with how DOGE and the -- the administration have gone about this.
CORNISH: Yes, OK. I don't want to stay on this too long, but Seung Min, I want to come to you. Because the rubber meets the road when it starts closing rural offices --
SEUNG MIN KIM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
CORNISH: When it starts closing the point of access for everyday people. But what are your sense of the politics around this?
KIM: Right. Well, the overall goal of just government efficiency in general, I don't think anyone actually opposes that. But it's how it's executed and how it affects ordinary Americans, voters, where really -- where you really start to see the impact and how it's going to hurt -- if it is going to hurt -- politically.
So, you have thousands of jobs being cut at agencies that oversee the safety of food and medication, thousands overseeing public health. What is the actual impact?
You know, when you start to see these cuts down the line --
CORNISH: Yes.
KIM: -- do we get information about the latest outbreak in a prompt fashion? Do we get timely information about the safety of food? I'm actually watching. There's only about 300 jobs, or relatively
speaking, that are being cut at the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. But HHS said those jobs are focused on people who troubleshoot problems for Medicare beneficiaries.
CORNISH: So literally, customer service.
KIM: Right.
CORNISH: OK, so let me stay with --
KIM: So, like, how does that affect them?
CORNISH: I want to stay with this for a second, because Elon Musk finally came out with DOGE members to talk about what they're doing. I'm going to take a little sound of this for a second. I want people to hear their voices.
But, Rob, you made the point that it's about time.
BLUEY: Yes, absolutely. I mean, and I hope that Elon does this on CNN and other networks, because frankly, they need to -- they need to.
CORNISH: Because it's necessary.
BLUEY: Because it's not going over well. Right.
Well, to your earlier question, I think the American people see a lot of chaos. And Elliot spoke to that. So, explaining that and trying to let them understand that they're going through a process of trying to eliminate duplication in some cases, including at HHS, where they say there shouldn't be 40 different communication offices. Let's streamline some of those services.
CORNISH: OK. Stay with that thought, because here's something that one of the members of the DOGE team said about the future he sees for government services.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE GEBBIA, LEADS DOGE'S DIGITAL RETIREMENT PROJECT: We really believe that the government can have an Apple Store-like experience: beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, Apple Stores, that's what you're going to get. Is that what you think we're really going to get?
BLUEY: Well, I think it's going to take some time. I mean, these are massive changes.
I mean, they also spoke in that interview about the Social Security retirement system and this cave in Pennsylvania that houses all the paper records. They want to digitize all of that. So, I mean, that's not going to happen overnight. CORNISH: We know that's not easy.
BLUEY: It's not easy.
CORNISH: Elliot, what do you hear when you're hearing this conversation about -- I mean, I feel like tech people are always promising a utopian and more ideal vision. And then a lot of us are stuck in A.I. Chatbots trying to get basic services.
WILLIAMS: You know, my Medicare from the Genius Bar does sound pretty awesome.
CORNISH: It does.
WILLIAMS: I just --
CORNISH: It does.
WILLIAMS: After all of these months of, quite frankly, untruths or misinformation that have come from Elon Musk's own X account, I just wonder, how much can you trust the things you're hearing after statements of celebrity funded trips to Ukraine and 50 million condoms being brought to -- and this is me sitting here, right?
CORNISH: Right. So, the things that have been fact checked as incorrect.
WILLIAMS: Thirty million dollars in "The New York Times," luxury hotels for illegal aliens. These were all debunked.
And I just -- you know, when these folks, or I think, Elon Musk in particular, look at the camera and tell you that you're doing something. They are doing something. Can you believe them?
But to your point, Rob, if we're making -- if we're getting rid of paper or making things more efficient, all for it. Everybody should be all for it. But I just don't know if they've done themselves a ton of favors with how -- with whether the public should actually regard the things they say as credible.
[06:10:06]
CORNISH: Yes. And obviously, if you are now explaining, not that you're losing, but very clearly, you need to make these DOGE guys wear ties and explain what they're doing.
So, my group chat is going to stay here with us. We've got a lot to talk about today.
There's, of course, also some breaking news going on with that earthquake in Southeast Asia.
But coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to say, don't delete those texts. A federal judge orders the Trump administration to preserve the group chat that set off this week's scandal.
Plus, a suspect is in custody. Ahead, details on the man charged with arson after a fire at a Tesla facility in Las Vegas.
And of course, the breaking news this morning, that earthquake striking Southeast Asia. Multiple people have been killed. More are still trapped. We're actually going to get some live details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:15:28]
CORNISH: For those of you just waking up, it's 15 minutes past the hour. I want to give you your morning roundup. Some of the stories you need to know to get your day going.
Another federal court is ruling against the Trump administration' s effort to ban transgender troops from the military. A judge in Seattle this time put the ban on hold for now, saying the government showed no evidence that having transgender troops has an adverse effect on the military.
The Trump administration, already appealing an earlier ruling against that policy.
And Las Vegas police arrested a suspect accused of firing shots at Teslas at a center and setting them on fire with a Molotov cocktail. The FBI says he was later taken into federal custody to face a possible arson charge.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said that attacks on Tesla properties are nothing short of domestic terrorism.
And the prime minister of Canada says things will never be the same between the -- between Canada and the U.S. after the Trump administration's tariff threats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: The old relationship we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over. What exactly the United States does next is unclear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: The two leaders are expected to speak by phone in the coming days.
And King Charles is home recovering after a brief hospital visit for his cancer treatment. He was experiencing side effects, so he canceled his schedule for today. The king and Queen Camilla are expected to visit Italy next month.
And you've got to see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time-outs. Two seconds left. Giddey for the win. Go! My God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: The Bulls taking down the Lakers on a buzzer beater from half court by Josh Giddey. Chicago had trailed by 18 points in the second half.
L.A. won the night before on a buzzer beater. So now they're just the fifth team in the NBA to win and lose on a buzzer beater on consecutive days. That's a very specific record.
Still coming up this morning, even if you haven't seen Meghan Markle's new show, you may have seen the online backlash. So, we're going to break down the why behind the vitriol on your timeline.
Plus, the latest on heavy rain in Texas that led to water rescues. And even more dangerous weather is actually on the way.
And we're still keeping an eye on Bangkok in Thailand. Emergency crews there looking for survivors amid the destruction of a major -- destruction from a major earthquake.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:22:17]
CORNISH: All right, let me go off-script for a second, because I have gotten pitched this story so many times. It's about the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Her latest move is the launch of her own lifestyle brand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: It's a real delight in being able to be a present parent. And it's a luxury sometimes, because we all have to work. We all have a lot of stuff to do, but when you can take a minute to just --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saturday morning.
MARKLE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: All right. So honestly, on first blush, everything about this feels straight from Celebrity Playbook 101. But a lot of those ventures actually kind of fizzle out.
So, why is Markle facing this, like, wave of criticism? Because there's skepticism of her products, accusations of inauthenticity. And honestly, I can't escape it even when I want to.
So, I'm going to unpack all of this with one of my faves. Lisa Respers France enters the chat. Lisa, good morning.
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Audie.
CORNISH: OK, so when the first -- when the Netflix show first aired, everyone made fun of the Netflix show. Obviously, when her first attempt at a brand -- American Riviera Orchard, I think? --
FRANCE: Yes.
CORNISH: -- launched and fizzled, people made fun of that. Is there something particular about the latest wave of Markle vitriol?
FRANCE: Well, yes, I think there is something particular. This is very hit or miss. Right, Audie, when it comes to trying to do this. Because on one hand, celebrities launch these lifestyle brands because they have a built-in audience, right? They have a built-in social media audience, and they have built-in fan base. So, that feels like it makes it a little bit easier.
But you also have to hit the sweet spot of giving people what they want, or at least what they think they want, right? So, for every Rihanna and Kylie Jenner making billions of dollars selling makeup, you have a Blake Lively and a Tyra Banks who weren't as successful in that space.
So, the thing with Meghan Markle -- the Duchess of Sussex, I guess we should call her -- you know, go by that.
CORNISH: I mean, she'll tell you.
FRANCE: Right, exactly.
CORNISH: She did on the show. But let me follow up on this, because lifestyle brands, I mean, I grew up with Martha Stewart, and so did all of these influencers, frankly. She is the birth of the industry.
FRANCE: Right.
CORNISH: And it's always been an industry populated by women and women celebrities. Gwyneth Paltrow, I think, for millennials is the de facto. And Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in Paltrow's Instagram stories, y'all. And it became a whole thing. Why?
FRANCE: It became a whole thing, because the Internet had decided that Gwyneth Paltrow was trying to shade the Duchess of Sussex. And so, I guess she decided she was going to troll the trolls.
And what she did is, while she was doing one of those answer sessions where people ask her questions and then she answers them, one of the questions that came over was like, what do you have to say about this beef? And she's like -- with Meghan Markle. And she's like, I have no idea what this is. Do you know what they're talking about?
[06:25:05]
And she turns to Meghan Markle, who's sitting there eating some deliciousness in her kitchen. And she's like, "Uh-uh." And so, it was a really cute way to, No. 1, not allow the Internet to
pit two famous women in a lifestyle space against each other, but also to remind folks that we're both very, very rich. Thank you very much.
CORNISH: OK. I want to ask one more thing, which is, you know, Harry and Meghan, so to speak, exited the British media ecosystem to embrace the U.S. one, which is, basically, the attention economy and playing on your celebrity status.
Are people just over it? Like, is some of this just the exposure fatigue?
FRANCE: I think it is about several things. I think it's about race when it comes to Meghan Markle. I think it's about class.
People are just very bitter. They view her as the person that snatched Harry away from the royal family, which to me, I think, is incredibly unfair. Because if you followed Harry's story, you could tell he was not going to be a regular royal. And he's been very outspoken about wanting to protect his wife.
But a lot of people feel like, when it comes to the Duchess of Sussex, it very much has to do with not wanting to see a woman of color enjoy the soft life.
I mean, here she is going to her bees to collect her own honey. And while we expect that from a Martha Stewart, people don't necessarily want to see that from the Duchess of Sussex.
And it's been interesting to watch black women, in particular, the 92 percent, those who say that they supported and voted for Kamala Harris, say, you know what? We are going to support her.
So, they're pulling out their Le Creuset. I'm sure I pronounced that incorrectly. And they are hosting parties.
CORNISH: Yes.
FRANCE: And they are saying, look --
CORNISH: They're arranging fruit.
FRANCE: Right.
CORNISH: They're making pies.
FRANCE: Luxury. Right.
CORNISH: I don't have the time, but I like you, Lisa France, giving me that energy this morning.
FRANCE: Absolutely.
CORNISH: Thank you so much.
FRANCE: Thank you. CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're also going to talk
about the wildfires that are affecting Western North Carolina. Why one firefighter is calling conditions on the ground an absolute travesty.
Plus, we're going to have new details on that earthquake that is causing destruction across Southeast Asia. This is a live look at Bangkok, where Thai authorities are on a search for survivors in this rubble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
