NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 25, 2025

Episode Date: April 26, 2025

Judge accused of obstructing arrest of undocumented migrant; 250,000 people pay respects to Pope Francis over 3 days; Car bomb explosion kills top Russian military commander; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the rare move is a judge is arrested by the FBI. Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan accused of trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest by federal authorities. The judge swept up by the FBI outside her courthouse where protests quickly erupted. The DOJ's case against her and what she's saying as top Democrats blast the move will have a fallout tonight. The casket of Pope Francis sealed ahead of his funeral, now just hours away. President Trump and dozens of world leaders in Rome where security measures are at the highest levels. Tom Yamas from the Vatican tonight.

The reports of chaos surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, his alleged threat to polygraph a top military officer, and the officials saying he has become erratic. The Moscow car bomb that killed a top Russian commander. The bombing coming just as a U.S. special envoy meets with Vladimir Putin. Trade war warning. Is there a risk of a repeat of COVID-era supply chain shortages because of President Trump's terror fight with China. Luigi Mangione arraigned in federal court inside the rare federal death

penalty case. George Santos sentenced, the former congressman now facing years in prison. And the Pope's impact, what he told an eight-year-old boy about his father and heaven. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tensions between local and federal authorities over President Trump's immigration crackdown escalated today with the FBI arrest of a Milwaukee County judge who was accused of interfering with federal agents as they attempted to apprehend an undocumented migrant. Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly allowing the migrant, who was in court on domestic abuse charges, to leave through a non-public door. FBI Director Kash Patel in an ex-post saying the judge intentionally misdirected federal agents.

Today, a protest in support of Judge Dugan formed outside the courthouse. A spokesperson for the judge saying she will defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated. Her arrest also marking a new flashpoint in the administration's verbal attacks on judges who have ruled against parts of the Trump immigration agenda. Gabe Gutierrez has details. What do we do when immigrants are under attack? Send us back! Outside a Wisconsin courthouse,

tonight a dramatic escalation in the fight between the Trump administration and the courts over deportations. It is clear that FBI is politicizing this situation to make an example of her and others across the country who oppose these attacks on the judicial system. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan now out on bail after being arrested this morning in the parking lot of her own courthouse, accused of obstructing the

arrest of an undocumented immigrant. According to court documents, that immigrant is 31-year-old Eduardo Flores Ruiz, who had a deportation order against him. The FBI says federal agents showed up with that warrant at Judge Dugan's courthouse last week and planned to arrest Ruiz in a public hallway outside Dugan's courtroom, where Ruiz was facing charges of domestic abuse. According to a criminal complaint, when Judge Dugan heard about the planned arrest, she became visibly angry and commented that the situation was absurd. Then the FBI says the judge instructed Ruiz to leave through a back door of the courtroom, then escorted Ruiz and his attorney to another non-public door.

According to the documents, Ruiz made it outside and sprinted down the street before he was arrested after a foot chase. I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law, and they are not. And we're sending a very strong message today. That message comes as a former New Mexico judge and his wife were also arrested this week for allegedly harboring a member of the violent gang Tren de Aragua at their home, which he denied. President Trump today on Air Force One, accusing the judiciary of standing in the way

of his crackdown on illegal immigration. These are judges that just want to, you know, show how big and important they are. We have hundreds of thousands of people that we want to get out of the country. And the courts are holding us back. And Gabe joins us outside FBI headquarters. Gabe, back to that Wisconsin judge. We're now hearing from her after her arrest. Yes, Lester, she just released a written statement saying that she's committed herself to the rule of law and principles of due process for her entire career, adding that she looks forward to being exonerated. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez. Thank you. Turning now to the Vatican, where the final preparations are underway for Pope Francis's funeral, which begins just hours from now. Tom Yamas is at the Vatican. Tom, security must be tight. It is, Lester. Good evening. The funeral will be filled with ancient traditions, but the security will be very high tech. Cameras, drones and police officers, thousands of them protecting not only the public, but heads of state that tonight are arriving in Rome.

Tonight, the next step in the ritual of saying goodbye to a pope. A white silk veil placed over Pope Francis's face, holy water sprinkled on his body, an inner lid marked with a cross, his name, and a coat of arms, and finally, the sealing of the casket. Before this moment, the Vatican saying over the last three days, 250,000 people have passed through. Outside, the lines so long, tensions were high. This group told it was too late, no more visitors. But then, in the spirit of Pope Francis, those shut out were let in. They ran to line up and say goodbye. Earlier, we witnessed the crowd surge. Today, on the last day of public viewing, the crowds have exploded in size.

They stretch as far as the eye can see behind me. The Vatican estimating half a million people will come to the Pope's funeral tomorrow, including 50 world leaders. President Trump just arrived and former President Biden, a devout Catholic, will also be there. Pope Francis's penchant for simplicity will guide the day. It's something the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Nelson Perez, says he often saw firsthand, including during a visit where he stayed in the Pope's residence. I went up to get my breakfast and then standing next to me was the Pope sticking something in the microwave.

And it's like, this is different, right? That's the simplicity of him. He didn't change. He was the Pope, but he didn't change. No, he didn't. Greg Burke, an American, spent five years working closely with Pope Francis, including as his chief spokesman. Today, he said goodbye.

If I can ask, what did you pray when you got to see him? Well, I prayed thanks. Just thanks for being a small part of it. So many people touched. Tom, what can we expect after the funeral mass tomorrow? Well, Lester, the world's going to see something that hasn't happened in more than 100 years. Pope Francis is not going to be buried here, but rather in a basilica a few miles away. So there will be a procession that will wind through the Eternal City at a walking pace because it's expected to be thousands of people lying in the streets waiting to say goodbye to Pope Francis. All right, Tom Yamas tonight. Thank you.

Now to the new turmoil inside the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again in the spotlight over his use of signal and new details about a heated shouting match. Peter Alexander has our new reporting. Tonight, NBC News has learned new details of growing drama involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including that his behavior has become, quote, erratic and that he seems increasingly insecure about his job and standing in the administration, according to two officials familiar with the situation. At one point last month, we're told there was a heated confrontation between Hegseth and then acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Chris Grady. Hegseth was upset after news reports he approved a military briefing on China for Elon Musk, which Hegseth

strongly denied. The Pentagon had screaming at Grady that he will, quote, effing polygraph him to find out if he leaked the information, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the meeting. This month, three Pentagon officials were fired in a leak investigation, but two of them were soon exonerated, according to multiple government officials. Those folks who were leaking, who have been pushed out of the building, are now attempting to leak and sabotage the president's agenda and what we're doing. And that's unfortunate. The latest scrutiny of Hegseth began in March after a report he discussed sensitive details of imminent U.S. airstrikes at a group chat on the encrypted

Signal app. Hegseth denied any classified information was shared. But after the New York Times first reported Hegseth texted military information to a signal chat, including his wife and brother, President Trump made clear to Hegseth he did not approve in a phone call describing Hegseth's actions as childish, according to two U.S. officials, but also telling Hegseth to keep fighting. And Peter, you have some new reporting tonight on Secretary Hank Senth and a special Internet hookup. Lester, that's right. That unsecured Internet line that was installed into his office allowed him to use the Signal app on his personal computer, which two officials tell NBC News is in defiance of the Defense Department's usual security protocols.

Of course, raising concerns that the unsecure line could be more vulnerable to hacking or surveillance by foreign adversaries. All right. Peter Alexander, thanks. A car bomb explosion in Russia killed a top military commander. The timing of the bombing coinciding with the arrival today of President Trump's special envoy in Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. Keir Simmons is covering it all for us. Keir, good evening. Lester, good evening. That explosion today happened at almost exactly the moment President Trump's envoy landed in Moscow. The blast left a car outside an apartment block incinerated and looks like another brazen assassination of a military commander deep inside Russia, Russia calling it terrorist

activity. Hours later, White House envoy Steve Wyckoff met President Putin for the fourth time. The Kremlin called that constructive, saying they spoke for three hours, including about direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. But the Kremlin making no mention tonight of the unconditional ceasefire Ukraine wants first. And in a new interview, President Trump says his promise to end the war in 24 hours was an exaggeration. Lester. All right. Keir Simmons, thank you. A new warning tonight of growing supply chain disruptions, potential empty store shelves and higher prices as more

major companies alert the trade war will hurt their business. Christine Romans has details. Tonight, a leading financial firm warning of COVID era shortages on store shelves in just weeks because of President Trump's global trade war chiefly with China. The two countries so far apart, they can't even agree if they are talking. President Trump today saying of China's President Xi. But China says, quote, China and the U.S. are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs. The U.S. should stop creating confusion. The trade war between the world's two biggest economies has major companies ripping up their financial projections and has rattled financial markets. This level of uncertainty is not good.

It's not healthy and it's affecting investment spending and planning and that will have an effect on growth in the economy. The president says countries are clamoring to make deals. I think the tariff plan is doing very well. We're resetting the table. We're going to make our country very rich, very, very rich. It's already happening. But with no new deals inked, global trade is collapsing. The number of containers coming from China to the U.S. cut in half. Dean Croke analyzes freight logistics. Means higher prices for things like consumer goods, electronics, automotive parts, apparel, machinery. Back to school season is not far away from those items being ordered from overseas. Raising prices is going to be, I think, a very common thing.

Are we talking about truckers and potential job losses for the people who handle these goods? We are. It's already happening. That warning from Wall Street firm Apollo says Main Street will feel it soon. and potential job losses for the people who handle these goods? We are. It's already happening. That warning from Wall Street firm Apollo says Main Street will feel it soon. Quote, in May, we will begin to see significant layoffs in trucking, logistics and retail, particularly in small businesses. Meantime, polls show the public souring on the president's handling of the economy. And Christine, there are reports that Apple may shift some of its production from China to India. That's right. One of the byproducts of this trade war, Lester, is that many companies have been diversifying away from China. That

started in the president's first term and then accelerated during covid reports today that Apple aims to make more of the iPhones sold in the U.S. and India instead of China. By the end of twenty twenty six, we have reached out to Apple, but have not heard back. All right, Christine Romans, thanks. Meanwhile, the trade war is taking a toll on some American companies that depend on imported goods from China. One even launching its own war room to handle it all. Andrea Mitchell explains. In Chanhassen, Minnesota, a medical supply company providing critical products to hospitals and emergency workers around the country.

Container 2825. We have a lot of our respiratory items on there. Now caught in a global trade war. $78,000 of extra tariffs. $52,000 would be our loss if we bring that container in. We've got some tough headwinds ahead of us. CEO Todd Fagley founded MedSource Labs in 2002. They survived the Great Recession, COVID, but now it's tariffs. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. Is this a crisis?

Well, I think it's a bubbling crisis. I think the general public doesn't feel it yet, but there's going to be a lot of price increases in a lot of products. It's a challenge they confront at a daily tariff meeting. Can we just ship them to Colombia, finish the kits there, because those other products are being made there? Yeah, let me check. This is not Christmas time decorations. These are medical devices that we've got to deliver.

Many of these products come from China, but tariffs have made them too costly to replace. So they're waiting to see how bad the trade war gets before ordering more. That can lead to shortages in hospitals across the country. The company has factories in China and India, but also built a plant closer to home in Colombia. You don't have to worry about backlogs, the ocean, the canals. A hundred percent. Yeah. And it's, it, and we don't have to worry about all that. The Columbia factory is maxed out. You tried to build in the U.S.

You were in Indiana. Yes, we were. Home, that's what the president wants. Why not stay here? During that five years, we lost money every year. It was very difficult. There was a lot of regulation, obviously. It was a big lift.

We couldn't really find the skilled labor that we needed. His message to the White House. If we can put a factory back in the U.S., let's do it. If we've got the roadmap, we're ready to go. But that's unknown yet. So now they're spinning the globe every day, waiting for the next decision from Washington. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Chenhassen, Minnesota.

And we'll be right back in 60 seconds with the latest on Luigi Mangione inside the looming legal battle over the rare federal death penalty case. Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to federal charges today. NBC's Sam Brock reports about the stakes as federal prosecutors seek the death penalty. Inside a lower Manhattan federal courthouse where no cameras are allowed, Luigi Mangione's first court appearance in weeks, now wearing prison garb, produced this exchange with the judge fresh off a federal indictment. How do you plead? Mangione responding, not guilty.

The plea comes after an early April declaration from Attorney General Pam Bondi on Fox News. The president's directive was very clear. We are to seek the death penalty when possible. If there was ever a death case, this is one. Mangione faces four federal counts, including murder through the use of a firearm, which makes him eligible for the federal death penalty. In the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, New York State doesn't permit the death penalty. But as the public support for Mangione is manifested in the form of chants and major

dollars, the government argued in an intent filing overnight that his case merits capital punishment because he sought to, quote, amplify an ideological message and to provoke broad based resistance to the victim's industry. Mangione's attorneys have called it a political stunt and today pushed back on the idea of holding his state trial before his federal trial, telling the judge constitutional issues will be impacted if we are forced to try that case first. It's going to be really tricky for them to get an impartial juror if they've already had this case litigated in the state. The judge set a December date to reconvene in the federal case with a trial plans for 2026. Lester. OK, Sam, thanks. We're back in a moment with sentencing day for George Santos, the one time member of Congress, crying in court as he's now told how much time he can expect to spend

in prison. Former Republican Congressman George Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in prison today. The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges last year. Santos made a tearful plea for mercy, but the judge said he was, quote, fully deserving. Santos has said he would ask for a presidential pardon. Some sad news in the search for a missing Princeton student we told you about earlier this week. The university announced the body of Lauren Blackburn, set to graduate next year, was found at a lake near campus. So far, no reports of foul play. And it was little surprise Cam Ward was the number one NFL draft pick last night, but he got a big one at his debut with the Tennessee Titans.

Legendary quarterback Warren Moon gave Ward his blessing to wear his retired number one jersey. Moon wore the number for the Oilers before their move to Tennessee. When we come back, a tight embrace, a life-changing exchange, the good news about one boy's profound interaction with Pope Francis. Next. Since Pope Francis passed away, a moment from years ago has been shared around the globe. It involves the Pope, a young boy, and a simple question. That young boy is now a young man, and our Anne Thompson spoke to him today. At an ordinary parish in Rome, far from the grandeur of the Vatican, eight-year-old Emanuele Baldieri was scared and emotional.

Mourning his father, he had a question only Pope Francis could answer. I asked him whether he was in hell or in heaven because he didn't believe in God. But I think he was a good man. Today, at the same cement soccer pitch in Rome, I was right there. where the Pope called to him and embraced him as he whispered the question. The now 16-year-old says it was like talking to his grandfather.

He tried to comfort me, to make the way to feel easier on me. Did it change your life? It did change my life. It made my faith stronger. Francis told the boy, even if his father didn't believe, because he had had his children baptized, it was enough. As Emanuele wept, Francis asked the crowd if God would abandon his father. The Pope said, Emanuele, you have your answer. Emanuele never saw Francis again, although he heard from others that the Pope asked about him. I think of him as a gentle person who wasn't afraid to act. An act and answer that changed this life forever.

Anne Thompson, NBC News, Rome. What an incredible moment that was. Coverage of the funeral of Pope Francis begins at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning here on NBC. That's nightly news. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.