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CNN This Morning

Soon: Polls Open in Florida & Wisconsin for Critical Elections; Trump Prepares to Unveil Reciprocal Tariffs on U.S. Partners. Aired 6- 6:30a ET

Aired April 01, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: The New York Yankees are knocking it out of the park with their new "torpedo bat." The bat looks a bit like a bowling pin. It's thicker in the part of the bat that's more likely to make contact with the ball.

The Yankees have the most players using torpedo bats, and they just scored a whopping 32 runs in two games this weekend. Major League Baseball confirmed that the bats are legal, and other teams are now trying them out, as well.

All right. That will do it for us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, April 1. Here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always make sure my voice is heard.

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CORNISH: It may be April Fool's Day, but this is no joke. It is, again, a critical election day. Can Democrats whittle down the Republicans razor thin majority in the House?

Plus, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The resources that have gone into this, on both ends, has definitely made an impact.

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CORNISH: The most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. Why Democrats and Republicans are pouring millions into Wisconsin.

Also --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would put us out of the -- you know, out of the market of buying -- buying this car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: President Trump's tariffs are supposed to go into effect in less than 24 hours. How are you changing your spending?

And --

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SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business.

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CORNISH: You might just be waking up, but Senator Cory Booker hasn't even gone to bed. Why he's holding a marathon speech on the Senate floor right now.

It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here's a live look at the at the Senate floor. Democrats, led by New Jersey's Cory Booker, have been staging an all-night protest speech. They're entering their 11th hour.

Booker says it will continue as long as he's physically able. We're going to keep an eye on that throughout the morning.

Good morning to you, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me.

Today, voters are set to give an early verdict on President Trump's agenda. There are two House seats in Florida that are up for grabs. And in Wisconsin, you have the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

So, first up, Florida, where the polls open in less than an hour for the special election. Every vote counts here, with Republicans clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House.

The big race there pits middle school teacher Josh Weil against Trump- backed state senator Randy Fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY FINE (R), FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: Democrats are angry, because every time Donald Trump wins, they lose. They want open borders. They don't want to stop the waste, fraud and abuse.

JOSH WEIL (D), FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This is, you know, a district that is more than 25 percent age 65 and above, and essential services they rely on have been put in jeopardy by this administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: In Wisconsin, it's about the ideological control of the state Supreme Court. The race features Trump-backed conservative Brad Schimel against liberal Susan Crawford, with more than $90 million already spent. That includes millions from George Soros and Elon Musk.

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BRAD SCHIMEL, WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT CANDIDATE: I don't control any of the spending from any outside group, whether it's Elon Musk or anyone else. I'm not running for anything for Elon Musk or any other person.

SUSAN CRAWFORD, WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT CANDIDATE: This is about our Supreme Court. It is about our rights, and it's about our state. And we're not going to let Elon Musk take any of that away from us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Here's why this matters. State Supreme Courts are a crucial stop on the legal bullet train to the Supreme Court. Challenges to abortion rights, voting issues, redistricting. These are issues that affect all of us, and they frequently start in state courts.

So, I'm bringing in our group chat with CNN contributor Cari Champion; Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha; and former White House official under President George W. Bush, Ashley Davis.

OK, we all love to talk about special elections, not just because we're immense nerds, but because they are also what I would call tea leaves. Right? Like, this is supposed to give us an idea of what might happen going forward.

I see you smiling already. What are the tea leaves people are going to be looking at today?

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: There's nothing like the smell of elections in the morning for a political consultant. We love this.

CORNISH: So sad. So sad.

ROCHA: We sit around this table every week, and we talk about what we think people are saying. We talk about polls. We talk about pundits. This is actually people voting.

CORNISH: Right.

ROCHA: This is the greatest real test ever.

And today, pay attention, because it's way two different things. In Florida, you have two very Republican districts. Donald Trump carried both of those by 30-plus.

And in Wisconsin it couldn't be more even. I like to remind everybody at home, Donald Trump won Wisconsin just five months ago, but also, a Democratic senator won a statewide election at the exact same time. It's a 50/50 state. And in these two races in Florida, they just had primaries there, I'll

remind everybody, on January the 28th, just like six, eight weeks ago. And in that race, let's take Florida 6, for just one quick example.

[06:05:08]

In that primary, 41,000 Republicans voted in the Republican primary, and only 16,000 Democrats. It's a very Republican seat.

CORNISH: So, this was going to be my next question. So, I love the energy you have brought to this.

ASHLEY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes.

CORNISH: We know.

(CROSSTALK)

CORNISH: But Chuck also has worked in elections, right? You're not just here for the hat.

ROCHA: Yes.

CORNISH: You have actually consulted on elections.

ROCHA: A lot.

CORNISH: Cari, I want to bring in you for a second, because what to you, like, has this punched through? Meaning, do you hear people referencing Wisconsin? Do you hear people referencing these special election races?

CARI CHAMPION, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, because earlier, you said we are nerds. Perhaps in my nerd group, yes, the special elections.

But to your point, this is a moment where we can see where we are as a community, as how we feel about what's happening with this current administration.

I am not here for the hat. I also -- if he would allow me to wear the hat.

CORNISH: But I ask because Elon Musk is out there talking about this. Right? And the power of X. It just feels like there's a way to punch into the mainstream consciousness.

CHAMPION: You know, and I'm not from D.C. I'll use this as an example.

When I come here, I feel like I am more aware of what's happening. It is conversation that you hear in coffee shops. You hear where you sit at a restaurant, you know, by yourself in my case, to eat.

But when -- you know, from California, live in New York, you hear about it, but not so much. People are saying they believe Elon has been cover for this administration. People are mad at him when there are really other issues to be determined.

But I think, as you said earlier, this race is something that we can really get the tea leaves, if you will.

CORNISH: I want to play for you Wisconsin's Republican senator, Ron Johnson. He was asked by our Manu Raju about Elon Musk's wealth influence -- influencing the state Supreme Court election.

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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How do you feel, though, about him cutting personal checks to essentially get people to vote?

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): No, I mean, they have a petition. How many tens of millions of dollars have George Soros and J.B. Pritzker put into these races? We're just not willing to unilaterally disarm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, Johnson is absolutely right. There has been spending on both sides. The spending by Elon Musk, though, has been remarkable. And in orders of magnitude more and also designed to draw in the average voter with the giant checks.

So, what do you see in this moment of how he's asserting himself?

DAVIS: Well, I think it's actually going to be very telling to see if he's the reason that people vote against the Republican candidate or not.

CORNISH: Right.

DAVIS: And I think --

CORNISH: Because he had a rally in Wisconsin just a few days ago.

DAVIS: Right. And I saw it yesterday, and he had the cheese on his head.

ROCHA: He wore a hat. Hats are a big thing. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.

CORNISH: You heard it here first.

DAVIS: But -- but listen, I mean, George Soros has been brilliant on playing in the judge area for years. I mean, he's the most high- profile person that has been doing that.

Republicans, this is the first time that someone as high-profile as Elon has spent as much money on the Republican side.

But again, first of all, it's almost $95 million total that's been spent on this race, which when I hear these numbers, I get so, like, flustered because we could be doing such good with that money.

CORNISH: So do the candidates, because they're judges. And they're going around telling people they're independent.

DAVIS: Well, that's what I was just going to say on both sides. I mean, the Republican is saying, you're not voting for Elon; you're voting for me.

And then the Democrat, who's currently the judge, is kind of obviously, she was talking about Elon, but I've heard her also say, you're not voting for George Soros or Pritzker, as well.

So, I do think that these -- both of these candidates are trying to back themselves off the chaos.

But going to Florida real quick, my -- my thing for tonight is how many people are going to vote? I guess, like only 17 percent of --

CORNISH: We should be clear, we're talking about the congressional districts, the 1st District, and also the 6th.

DAVIS: Correct. And one is replacing Mike Waltz, who now is in the midst of both Signal-gate and also holds a national security position.

And also, Matt Gaetz, who's done many things, but one of them right now will not be sitting in that seat.

These are safe Republican seats. They were won by Trump. They were won by Republicans. Why are we even talking about them today?

DAVIS: Well, the story that's going to come out, no matter what, even if the Republicans do win, they're never going to win by the margins that Trump won. I mean, it looks like especially the Waltz seat may only be, like, 2 or 3 percent difference the Republicans are ahead. Obviously, within the margin of error.

So, I think that's going to be the story tomorrow morning, no matter what, is that they --

CORNISH: Does that mean that they should be concerned, that Trump administration should be concerned, in your opinion?

DAVIS: You know, here's what I think about this. I think that -- and I was looking last night when I, obviously. with this topic, every election right after a presidential -- I mean, obviously you watched Glenn Youngkin's race in Virginia.

CORNISH: Virginia, right.

DAVIS: Obviously, I think he's a good governor. But like, would he would have won if we weren't -- it was obviously, like, a referendum on Biden at the time.

I think these races so soon after an election, such as the presidency, is --

ROCHA: What I --

DAVIS: I don't know what. CORNISH: Hold on. We're going to talk for the whole rest of the day

about this. If you can believe it.

ROCHA: Let's do this.

CORNISH: If you can believe that. We're going to be talking about this a lot today.

In fact, I'm actually going to be talking to one of the candidates in today's races, Democrat Gay Valimont, who's hoping to win that seat vacated by Matt Gaetz.

Plus, RNC treasurer Joe Gruters will be here, as well.

Now, also coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, it was a Lone Star State showdown, and the Longhorns came out on top. The women's NCAA Final Four is set. Did your bracket survive?

Plus, why one university could lose billions of dollars in funding.

And uncertainty and concern around the world as we brace for President Trump's tariffs. What exactly will it mean for you?

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need to get something, like, right now, so I can lock in the price before these tariffs go on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:15:16]

CORNISH: All right, wake 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.

Harvard University could end up losing nearly $9 billion in grants. Three federal agencies say those grants are under review, because the school is accused of not doing enough to suppress antisemitism on campus.

Harvard's president says losing that money would end lifesaving research.

An incredible video shows the moment the roof was ripped off of a home in Michigan. Deadly storms have swept through the area. In fact, tornadoes have touched down in at least seven states.

Now, so far, several people have been confirmed killed. This did include at least three children.

If you're in the area, understand a new storm system is rolling through the Central Plains, and it could bring more tornadoes and thunderstorms. Please stay safe. In the meantime, the NCAA women's Final Four is set. Last night, Texas

defeated TCU 58 to 47. The Longhorns make their first appearance in the Final Four since 2003. They're going to face South Carolina on Friday.

The other Final Four matchup includes UCLA and UCONN, who also won last night.

And you've got to see this. A first-of-its-kind mission. SpaceX blasting off overnight, sending four tourists into orbit. Of course, led by a bitcoin investor.

Here's the thing about where they're going that actually makes this historic. The crew will orbit the North and South Poles, and they will spend a few days in space before coming back home.

Coming up after the break, you might start to see the price of everyday items go up. That's depending on what President Trump decides to do with tariffs tomorrow.

Plus, all night long. Democrats staging a protest speech on the Senate floor. It's now in its 11th hour. Is it resonating with you?

And good morning, Wichita. A potent storm system is actually sweeping across that state today. You could see tornado warnings or even hail the size of tennis balls. Everyone be careful out there.

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[06:21:36]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of our grain and malts are sourced from overseas, from Germany and the U.K., and that will impact a lot of breweries across the board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you, you know, our costs have gone up and our cans. There's nothing I can do about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Could soon cost you more to crack open a cold one. You just heard from those craft brewers in Asheville, North Carolina.

That's because President Trump's sweeping tariffs are expected to go into effect tomorrow.

So, prices will likely go up. That part is certain. Another thing that's certain: markets don't like it. Here are the live stock futures, in the red, where I think they've been the last couple of days.

Joining me now, editorial director for the Economic Innovation Group and host of the "New Bazaar" podcast, Cardiff Garcia.

Cardiff, welcome to the program.

CARDIFF GARCIA, HOST, "NEW BAZAAR" PODCAST: Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: Trump did tariffs in his first term. Biden actually kept some of them. What is so different about what he's doing now?

GARCIA: One simple, very big difference. Both Trump one and the Biden administration largely focused on China.

What's happening now is that the tariffs we're looking to implement, and some of the ones that have already been implemented, are large, much bigger and indiscriminate. They're being applied to allies and not just to geopolitical rivals. And not just to China.

CORNISH: You said indiscriminate. They use the term "reciprocal," which means, look, they've got tariffs on us. We've got tariffs on them.

Does that wash? How do you understand that definition?

GARCIA: Well, what's a little tricky about it is that we don't have the details yet. We'll find out a lot more tomorrow.

But even then, the matter won't be settled, because it's expected that a lot of countries are going to try to get exemptions for themselves. A lot of American industries and businesses are also going to try to get exemptions.

In terms of the reciprocity angle here, what's a little bit tough to square is that other foreign countries, including the allies that we're likely to put these tariffs against, already have very low tariffs on the products that Americans sell to them. And so, it's a little bit tough to see exactly what the rationale is going to be.

You know, I'm -- I'm awaiting this like everybody else.

CORNISH: Yes. Which gets to the point of uncertainty, which honestly, seems to be my go-to descriptor, frankly, for so much of what's happening in the Trump administration.

CNN's Stephen Collinson actually has a piece out this morning that says, "Trump has the world on edge as he mulls fateful tariffs, decades in the making."

Can you talk about this "on edge"? Because when I kind of dug into the numbers, the numbers I don't normally dig into, what I saw was just, like, the uncertainty is creating a problem. Why?

GARCIA: Yes. So, it becomes very hard for American businesses to plan what they're going to do over the course of the next year if they don't know what a lot of the intermediate inputs that they use to make their products are going to cost.

CORNISH: So, we heard from beer --

GARCIA: That's uncertainty. CORNISH: -- makers.

GARCIA: Right.

CORNISH: They were even talking about the cans. We heard from coffee people earlier this week.

And the Fed actually tracks this, right? They track uncertainty --

GARCIA: yes.

CORNISH: -- at the Federal Reserve of St. Louis. Can you talk about why and what it shows us if we were to look at it now?

GARCIA: Well, if you were to look at a chart now, I think what you'd see is that uncertainty is spiking. I mean, it's almost a vertical line. So, you can show -- right.

CORNISH: Here it is. So that line vertical line all the way at the end is 2025.

GARCIA: Yes.

CORNISH: And it's -- the one in the middle is COVID. So, we're not in that level of crisis.

GARCIA: It's similar, yes.

CORNISH: So why is that number so high?

GARCIA: It's similar. And by the way, you can also see that in surveys of American individuals and businesses, as well. They're really feeling --

CORNISH: Individuals meaning me. Consumers.

GARCIA: Consumers, people who are worried that unemployment is going to be higher in the coming year, that inflation remains persistently high. American businesses citing that uncertainty in how they make their plans for the coming year.

[06:25:07]

All of that enacts a big economic cost. How big it's going to be, again, just depends on the details of the tariffs themselves and what comes next.

CORNISH: All right. Cardiff Garcia, I hope you come back, especially because we might actually know more --

GARCIA: Yes.

CORNISH: -- in the coming days. Cardiff Garcia is editorial director for the Economic Innovation Group.

So, coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to talk about Elon Musk and his spending of millions on elections. We're also going to find out about just how much power and influence that's giving him over voters.

Plus, two astronauts in space for nine months now, speaking out about their trip and revealing, would they do it again?

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