GOP Keeps House Seats, Tariff Day Announcement, Feds Seek Death Penalty for Luigi： AM Update 4⧸2
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
152.03955
Summary
Trump to unveil the administration s tariff strategy in a Rose Garden speech this afternoon. House advances legislation to rein in universal injunctions, and AG Pam Bondi says federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, and this is your
00:00:08.340
AM update. Results are in from critical house races in Florida.
00:00:13.540
We're going to be much nicer than they were to us, but it's substantial money for the
00:00:17.900
country. President Trump set to unveil the administration's tariff strategy in a Rose
00:00:24.520
Every decision made by a judge on behalf of a plaintiff would still go forward, but it would
00:00:30.920
go forward only as to the plaintiff in front of him and not a nation as a whole.
00:00:36.960
The House advances legislation to rein in universal injunctions, and Attorney General Pam Bondi
00:00:43.300
says federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione.
00:00:49.240
All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.
00:00:54.520
I want to tell you all about Patriot Mobile, one of the few cell phone service providers
00:00:59.260
that operates on all three of the major networks. If you have cell phone service in this country
00:01:03.860
today, you can get exceptional service with Patriot Mobile. That's why they offer a coverage
00:01:09.420
guarantee that others cannot. You might think switching to Patriot Mobile is painful, but
00:01:14.520
it isn't. No need to spend hours in a retail store waiting your turn. Just call Patriot Mobile's
00:01:20.700
100% U.S.-based team from the comfort of your own home or office, and they will have you activated
00:01:26.720
in minutes. Still locked in a contract? Not a problem. Patriot Mobile's contract buyout program
00:01:32.720
covers up to 500 bucks per device. Keep your same number, keep your phone, or treat yourself to an
00:01:39.360
upgrade. So consider joining Patriot Mobile today. Support faith, family, and freedom with every call
00:01:45.600
and text you make. Don't wait. Do it today. Go to patriotmobile.com slash Megan or call 972
00:01:52.260
Patriot. Use promo code Megan and get a free month of service. That's patriotmobile.com slash Megan
00:02:02.380
Two special elections in Florida to fill seats vacated by Republican congressmen remaining
00:02:11.360
decisively in GOP control. Decision Desk HQ projecting a 14-point win for Republican Randy
00:02:18.280
Fine over Democrat Josh Wheel in the 6th District. That's the seat vacated by National Security Advisor
00:02:24.360
Mike Waltz. In the 1st District, Decision Desk HQ projecting a 15-point margin of victory for
00:02:30.900
Republican Jimmy Petronis over Democrat Amy Vallemont. This is for the seat vacated by Congressman Matt
00:02:37.180
Gates. Both races drawing a massive influx of Democrat cash and national attention as Democrats
00:02:44.020
seek to expose discontent with the Trump administration in deep red districts. In the 1st District,
00:02:50.660
Vallemont raising 6.5 million. That's triple the 2.1 million brought in by the Republican. And in the
00:02:58.340
6th District, Democrat Wheel raising a staggering 9 million bucks compared to less than 1 million
00:03:04.680
raised by Republican Fine. The outcome of these elections further solidifying the Republican
00:03:09.940
majority in the House, now at 220 to 213. In Wisconsin, several news outlets, including Decision
00:03:16.820
Desk HQ and others, projecting a Democrat victory in the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race. Democrat
00:03:24.080
Susan Crawford defeating GOP rival Brad Schimmel in a hard-fought race that brought national attention
00:03:30.240
and money. Millions poured in from George Soros for the Dems and Elon Musk, among others, for Mr.
00:03:37.500
Schimmel. The GOP loss means the state Supreme Court there is now poised to throw out the current GOP-drawn
00:03:44.460
congressional map, which would cost Republicans two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
00:03:49.900
Mr. Musk campaigned personally in Wisconsin for Mr. Schimmel, but was demonized by Democrats who
00:03:56.660
ran ads making Elon sound like their opponent. Mr. Trump won in Wisconsin in November, but Republicans
00:04:03.860
in swing states have had less luck winning without Trump on the ballot.
00:04:08.500
President Trump announcing Liberation Day for America in a Rose Garden speech this afternoon.
00:04:17.500
After weeks of buildup, Mr. Trump unveiling a new tariff policy aimed at reigniting U.S.
00:04:23.800
manufacturing and reinvigorating the middle class, sparking a new golden age for America.
00:04:29.800
Some economic experts remain skeptical, warning of potential market volatility and inflationary
00:04:35.540
reactions. Wall Street saw substantial losses on Friday, and that drop was driven by worse than
00:04:42.020
expected inflation data and existing anxiety over these pending tariffs. Stocks slide as the world
00:04:48.580
waits for President Trump to unveil more tariffs on Wednesday. We had Goldman Sachs come out with their
00:04:53.580
expectations for a recession. They've raised it from 20 percent. Now they see it at 35 percent.
00:04:59.360
In the first Trump administration, the Tax Foundation estimating Mr. Trump imposed tariffs
00:05:03.820
on approximately $380 billion worth of imports, with a significant portion of those targeting
00:05:10.780
China. Democrats criticized the move, but then kept those tariffs in place when Joe Biden took over,
00:05:17.700
later even increasing some of them on electric vehicles, solar parts, and steel. President Trump's
00:05:24.200
first-term strategy focused primarily on China, but the second time around, he is pursuing a broader,
00:05:29.600
more ambitious trade agenda, reshaping global commerce. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on
00:05:35.960
Monday outlining the core philosophy on Fox. Number one, you can't steal our jobs. Number two,
00:05:41.780
if you want to get preferential treatment, you have to put your factory inside the United States.
00:05:49.140
Your auto plant, your manufacturing, your facility, your AI plant, your chip plant, whatever it is,
00:05:55.880
you want to sell it to Americans on a preferential basis, then you have to make it here. And if you
00:06:00.460
do, you'll get low taxes, low regulations, and cheap energy. But if you sell it to us from overseas,
00:06:06.540
then yes, you will pay a tariff. Reaction from business owners varying sharply across industries.
00:06:12.880
One Alabama textile business owner applauding the move, saying it levels the playing field after
00:06:17.740
decades of unfair trade. If you look at the rates that it would cost us to send our product to China,
00:06:25.100
India, India, it's astronomical. So the reciprocal thing, I think it could help. I think it could
00:06:30.600
supercharge our industry. Others, particularly those dealing with auto parts, expressing concern.
00:06:36.940
Here's a mechanic from Michigan. You can only pass so much on to a customer. You know,
00:06:42.500
as a mechanic, our labor rates are a little bit high because cars are more complicated to work on,
00:06:48.260
to diagnose. So we try to help a customer by getting parts at a discount. Now with these 25%
00:06:55.300
going up, it's not much we can help. And we're scared that customers will put off their repairs,
00:07:01.920
hopefully not too long, but we just don't know what's going to happen.
00:07:06.040
Details on the strategy itself shifting in the lead up to the big announcement.
00:07:10.060
President Trump initially promising fully reciprocal tariffs, meaning if a country applies a 25%
00:07:15.740
tariff on imported U.S. goods, then the U.S. would respond in kind. Mr. Trump suggesting on Sunday
00:07:22.020
night, the final version now may be more flexible. The tariffs will be far more generous than those
00:07:29.720
countries were to us, meaning they will be kinder than those countries were to the United States of
00:07:37.440
America over the decades. They ripped us off like no country's ever been ripped off in history.
00:07:44.600
And we're going to be much nicer than they were to us, but it's substantial money for the country,
00:07:51.080
nevertheless. Since taking office, Mr. Trump increasing tariffs on China by 20%,
00:07:56.380
raising tariffs on steel and aluminum by 25%, and engaging in back and forth battles with Canada
00:08:02.640
and Mexico. Adversaries and allies alike watching closely in recent days for clues on what today's
00:08:08.560
announcement might look like. President Trump on Monday remaining tight-lipped.
00:08:13.080
Have you settled? Well, you're going to see, I've settled, yeah, a long, actually a long time ago.
00:08:17.260
But we talk about it. We talk about it a lot. And we want to do what's right for the country,
00:08:21.540
and even the world, you know, affects the world, not just this country. This has been the piggy bank for
00:08:27.940
the entire world. So it really does affect the world, and that's important to me also.
00:08:32.180
In anticipation of the announcement, several countries preemptively announcing a reduction
00:08:36.940
on their tariffs against us. On Monday, Vietnam slashing duties on cars, liquefied gas,
00:08:43.480
and some agricultural goods. India offering a wide range of cuts on farm imports and manufacturing
00:08:49.600
materials. And on Tuesday, Israel eliminating all remaining tariffs on U.S. goods.
00:08:56.520
Coming up, the House of Representatives set to vote on legislation aimed at reining in
00:09:00.820
universal injunctions from federal district court judges. And A.G. Pam Bondi announcing federal
00:09:07.900
prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, accused of killing the CEO of
00:09:15.260
What are you doing this Easter to celebrate with your family? Angel Studios, who gave us the box office hit
00:09:22.260
Sound of Freedom, has an unforgettable movie coming this Easter called The King of Kings, an animated story
00:09:28.680
of the life of Jesus, featuring an all-star cast including Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman,
00:09:35.420
Forrest Whitaker, and more. Using stunning animation with vivid theatrical scenes you've never seen in a movie
00:09:42.120
like this. King of Kings brings the story of Jesus to the big screen for a whole new generation.
00:09:48.080
And we have a special offer. Become a premium member in the Angel Studios Guild, a membership that
00:09:53.960
puts you in the driver's seat to help Angel choose which movies it greenlights, and you will get two
00:09:59.660
free tickets to see King of Kings and every single theatrical release from Angel Studios. It's a great deal.
00:10:06.040
Get two free tickets to see King of Kings and join the Angel Guild as a premium member at
00:10:11.840
angel.com slash Megan. Take your kids to a truly wonderful movie this Easter season
00:10:17.660
and be a part of making family entertainment great again. Angel.com slash Megan.
00:10:23.460
The House of Representatives set to vote on the No Rogue Rulings Act as early as next week. The bill,
00:10:35.380
introduced by Republican Congressman from California, Daryl Issa, aimed at reining in a single judge's
00:10:40.660
ability to affect nationwide policy. Federal judges slapping President Trump with at least 15 universal
00:10:46.400
injunctions since he took office in January. Some of the frozen policies, including the president's
00:10:52.000
initiative to end birthright citizenship, ban transgender individuals from military service,
00:10:57.800
and deport suspected illegal foreign terrorist operatives under the Alien Enemies Act. On Tuesday,
00:11:03.980
Congressman Issa describing the bill in a hearing about judicial overreach.
00:11:08.680
The No Rogues Ruling Act does not eliminate the ability of judges to make decisions. In fact,
00:11:16.040
every decision made by a judge on behalf of a plaintiff would still go forward.
00:11:22.000
But it would go forward only as to the plaintiff in front of him and not a nation as a whole
00:11:28.100
determined by one judge, neither elected nor appointed to a position of sufficient power
00:11:34.560
to speak on behalf of the entire nation. Universal injunctions, a flashpoint in the second
00:11:39.860
Trump administration, fueling intense debate on Capitol Hill. Conservatives accuse left-leaning
00:11:45.520
advocacy groups of launching coordinated legal offensives, hand-picking districts to block Trump's
00:11:51.440
agenda in the courts before the policies even get off the ground. Lifting a nationwide injunction can
00:11:56.940
take several months to even years to go through a full appeals process. The House will likely advance
00:12:02.600
Congressman Issa's bill. Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Chuck Grassley of Iowa
00:12:07.860
introducing companion legislation in their respective chamber. Any legislation to this effect is likely to die
00:12:14.300
in the Senate as Republicans do not have enough votes to overcome a filibuster.
00:12:21.640
The latest Ivy League universities targeted by the Trump administration, Harvard and Princeton.
00:12:27.860
On Monday, the Trump administration announcing a review of about $9 billion in federal grants and
00:12:33.120
contracts to Harvard. The Trump administration claiming the university may be in violation of
00:12:38.380
federal compliance standards surrounding unlawful acts of anti-Semitism on campus. In response to the
00:12:45.760
October 7th Hamas terror attack on Israel, more than 30 Harvard student groups signed on to an open
00:12:51.880
letter holding Israel, quote, entirely responsible. Then-President Claudine Gay testifying about concerns of
00:12:58.680
illegal demonstrations of anti-Semitism on the Hill in December 2023.
00:13:03.460
You understand that this call for intifada is to commit genocide against the Jewish people in Israel
00:13:09.840
and globally, correct? Can you not say here that it is against the code of conduct at Harvard?
00:13:15.440
We embrace a commitment to free expression, even of views that are objectionable, offensive,
00:13:22.600
hateful. It's when that speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies against bullying, harassment.
00:13:31.240
Does that speech not cross that barrier? Does that speech not call for the genocide of Jews and the
00:13:38.380
Ms. Gay resigned less than one month later amid massive backlash over her performance and accusations of
00:13:44.340
plagiarism. In January 2024, Harvard establishing two task forces, one focusing on combating anti-Semitism,
00:13:51.840
one on combating anti-Muslim, anti-Arab bias. In January of this year, as part of a settlement with
00:13:58.940
Jewish student groups, Harvard adopting an official definition of anti-Semitism to apply in disciplinary
00:14:04.820
hearings. While it's threatening, the Trump administration has not yet frozen or canceled any federal funds
00:14:11.060
granted to Harvard. On Tuesday, however, it did pause dozens of grants to Princeton University, part of a
00:14:17.880
broader review into whether the school is in violation of federal civil rights laws tied to
00:14:25.380
President Christopher Eisgrupper, on Tuesday, writing in an email to the Princeton community,
00:14:30.460
We are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the
00:14:36.480
government in combating anti-Semitism. Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process
00:14:43.160
rights of this university. Mr. Eisgrupper saying the frozen grants come from the Department of Defense, the
00:14:49.300
Department of Energy, and NASA. Princeton Financial reports indicating the university takes in more than 455 million in
00:14:58.580
federal grants and contracts. How much has been frozen? Not yet clear. Federal prosecutors will seek the death
00:15:06.160
penalty against Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian
00:15:12.800
Thompson. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi writing on Tuesday, quote, Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian
00:15:19.060
Thompson, an innocent man and father of two young children, was a premeditated, cold-blooded
00:15:24.700
assassination that shocked America. On December 4th, around 6.45 a.m., security footage of the
00:15:32.020
incident showing a masked suspect calmly waiting outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, then ambushing
00:15:38.440
Mr. Thompson, shooting him in the back and the leg before fleeing on an electronic bicycle. Five days later,
00:15:46.180
Pennsylvania police arresting Mr. Mangione at a McDonald's nearly 300 miles away. Authorities say
00:15:52.200
Mr. Mangione was in possession of a 3D-printed pistol, a suppressor, zip ties, duct tape, and a
00:15:59.120
handwritten manifesto expressing rage with the American healthcare system. In a bizarre twist,
00:16:05.680
news of the assassination inspiring a strange fan base for Mr. Mangione. This Ivy League hottie named
00:16:12.720
Luigi is the Robin Hood that we never knew that we needed. I listened to Luigi's manifesto this morning
00:16:18.400
three times, and I cried. Honestly, it's beautiful, and I agree with him. At least he left a very
00:16:25.780
powerful message, and he highlighted how terrible the healthcare system is in America. I think he'll
00:16:30.080
go down as a hero in history. Mr. Mangione's court appearance is packed with adoring fans of the
00:16:35.820
suspected killer, one even slipping him a heart-shaped love note. Shortly after the arrest, the Fed's
00:16:42.700
charging Mr. Mangione with murder and interstate stalking. The suspect yet to enter a plea in that
00:16:48.980
federal case. Mr. Mangione also facing a laundry list of state charges in both New York and Pennsylvania.
00:16:56.820
New York prosecutors indicting Mr. Mangione on first-degree murder in the furtherance of terrorism,
00:17:02.340
a crime carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. Mr. Mangione pleading not guilty to
00:17:08.520
all the New York charges, his legal team attempting to have the Pennsylvania charges dismissed.
00:17:13.780
It is permissible for federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, even in states that do not allow
00:17:19.180
capital punishment in their state prisons, but it's rare. Typically, juries in these districts are not
00:17:24.980
inclined to support this ultimate punishment, leaving the prosecutors with an uphill legal battle.
00:17:32.400
And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for The Megan Kelly Show,
00:17:37.020
live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast
00:17:50.040
Your business doesn't move in a straight line. Some days bring growth, others bring challenges.
00:17:56.120
But what if you or a partner needs to step away? When the unexpected happens, count on Canada Life's
00:18:02.260
flexible life and health insurance to help your business keep working, even when you can't.
00:18:07.020
Don't let life's challenges stand in the way of your success. Protect what you've built today.
00:18:12.760
Visit canadalife.com slash business protection to learn more. Canada Life. Insurance. Investments. Advice.