NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, April 28, 2025

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

Trump administration touts border security as 100-day mark nears; Inside El Salvador prison holding deported migrant; Millions without power following European blackout; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, 99 days into his second term and the president facing new headwinds. The president digs in on immigration, signing new executive orders targeting sanctuary cities, the backlash over removing children who are U.S. citizens. It comes as polling falls in his handling of the economy and tariffs, and as shoppers see prices rise and rise on some major online marketplaces, plus exclusive access inside an El Salvador prison where Kilmar Abrego Garcia was taken when he was transferred out of that maximum security facility. Thirty six million under the threat of severe weather. Al Roker is tracking that. The investigation into a deadly boat crash in Florida where one of the boaters left the scene. The crackdown on deep fakes of nude images generated by AI. Can a new law stem the scourge?

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. It is something every modern day president faces, the measuring stick of those first 100 days in office. Tonight, as the Trump presidency mirrors that mark, some harsh takeaways for the president and his administration, starting with a 45 percent approval rating among voters, according to a new NBC News Stay Tuned poll. His approval rating is higher than his first term, but it is barely masking erosion and warning signs on some of the other issues that help propel him into office, like the economy, where his approval on trade and tariffs stands at 39 percent. And on

border security and immigration, a signature issue for President Trump, our poll shows him with a 49 percent approval. And tonight, the removal of an undocumented migrant mother and her two children, both American citizens, is the latest flashpoint in an ongoing fight over the president's mass deportation policies. Garrett Haik has the latest. Tonight, President Trump, approaching his 100th day in office, focused on his top day one priority, border security. The president signing three executive orders on immigration, including one ordering the attorney general to compile a list of so-called sanctuary cities and states that don't fully cooperate with the federal immigration authorities.

After a weekend raid in Colorado Springs, where the DEA says over 100 migrants in the U.S. illegally were arrested at an underground nightclub frequented by MS-13 and TDA gang members. The American public don't want illegal alien criminals in their communities. They made that quite clear on November 5th, and this administration is determined to enforce our nation's immigration laws. The White House touting a 95 percent drop in illegal border crossings in March compared to the same month last year under President Biden. But tonight, the administration is facing criticism from migrant advocates over the removal of two American citizen children of an undocumented woman from Honduras,

including her four-year-old son. A migrant rights group says he was sent to Honduras without his medication for stage four cancer. The Trump administration says his mother chose to take her children when she was deported. A mother wanted her children to go with her. What better due process would anybody want? That's a parent's choice, not a government choice, not a judge's choice. We pressed President Trump's border czar. How is going after families with young kids targeting the worst of the worst?

First of all, we said we're going to prioritize the worst of the worst. You feel like that's what you're doing? Absolutely. But when you prioritize something, it doesn't mean you forget about everybody else. I just have from day one, if you're in the country, you're not off the table. But nearly 100 days into his second term, it is the economy where President Trump is facing his biggest challenge. Just 39 percent of

Americans approve of his handling of trade and tariffs in a new NBC News Stay Tuned poll. Overall, the president's approval rating stands at 45 percent, two points down from our poll a month ago. And Garrett, our poll also shows President Trump has just a 40 percent approval rating on handling of inflation, and the White House is about to focus on that tomorrow. Yeah, that's right, Lester. As the president marks 100 days, the Treasury Secretary will be here tomorrow to defend the administration's economic approach. And the president will hold his first major rally since the campaign in Michigan, a state he won, but where the economy and the impact of his tariffs are front and center. Lester. All right, Garrett, thanks. Now to our exclusive access inside the El Salvador prison believed to

be holding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose controversial deportation has made headlines. David Noriega is in El Salvador for us tonight. This sprawling penitentiary in El Salvador is the last known location of Kilmer Abrego Garcia after he was deported from the U.S. This is a low security prison. Every single inmate that you see here has exhibited good behavior. They're nearing the final years of their sentences. That is why they were approved to participate in these work and rehabilitation programs. U.S. court records say Abrego Garcia was transferred here from SICOP, the Supermax mega prison where he was first sent.

Officials did not give us access to Abrego Garcia, and they said they would not answer any questions about him. But they showed us the facility where he was last known to be held, a sharp contrast to SICOP. Inmates raise dairy cows here, and they move relatively freely. And the prison specifically excludes gang members. No gang members work here, the warden told us, raising questions about why Abrego Garcia was moved here when both President Trump and El Salvador's president have called him a gang member.

El Salvador does not intend to smuggle a designated foreign terrorist back into the United States. A U.S. immigration judge in 2019 wrote that evidence shows Ebrego Garcia is a verified member of MS-13, and President Trump showed a photo of Ebrego Garcia's tattoos he says demonstrate gang membership. But his family and his lawyers deny he is a gang member, arguing evidence against him has been discredited, and saying that, like other inmates here, he has been completely cut off from contact with them. Are you allowed to communicate with anyone in the outside world? No. Lawyers, family members?

No. The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return. But tonight, here, we see no signs of movement. Lester. David Noriega, thank you. Things are slowly getting back to normal in one of the busiest travel corridors in the country. A communications system malfunctioned in nearby Philadelphia forced Newark Airport to halt all flights. United had to reroute dozens of aircraft. Delays are expected to take a while to resolve there because of it. It is going to be

a stormy night for millions in the U.S. and some swaths are under tornado watches and flash flood watches tonight. Al Roker is here. Al, spring storms are here too. That's right. And this is going to be a long event, Lester. We're looking right now at strong storms firing up. We've got flash flood watches right now stretching from central Missouri on into northern Texas. And we've got an almost uninterrupted line of tornado watches from Minneapolis down to San Angelo. A few tornado warnings embedded in there as well for tonight. Twenty eight million people at risk. Nocturnal tornadoes possible from many Minneapolis all the way into central Iowa tomorrow. The threat from upstate New York all

the way to central Texas with hail, damaging winds and tornadoes possible. We move into Wednesday from Arkansas on into Texas. Ten million people at risk. Damaging winds, flood watches and flood risks right now for central Oklahoma into Missouri for upwards of five inches of rain or more, Lester. Flooding, damaging winds, hail, tornadoes. Next 72 hours. Al, thanks for that update. We turn now to the tragedy in the water in Florida. At least one person was killed after a boat crashed into a ferry packed with festival goers, sparking a mass casualty response and a search for answers.

Here's Marissa Parra. Mayday, mayday, mayday. A deadly collision on the water in the chaotic aftermath unfolding in the dark of night. The Clearwater Ferry is adrift. A deadly collision on the water in the chaotic aftermath unfolding in the dark of night. The Clearwater Ferry is adrift. The violent impact caught on camera in Clearwater, Florida, a boat with six people on board colliding with a ferry carrying 45. Our 911 call takers could hear what they described as horrific screaming in the background.

Andrew Terriglio tells us he was part of a nearby pirate cruise boat tour. His crew was among the good Samaritan boats that stopped to help. We could just hear them yelling for help, stuff like that. The ferry seen in shallow water here. We shined the light because they had no power on their boat so that at least now they could see we were yelling to them communicating that there was help on the way. A swarm of first responders combed through Clearwater Bay searching for survivors, calling the collision a mass casualty incident. We had multiple folks with broken bones, a lot of orthopedic injuries, a great deal of soft tissue injuries. At least 10 people were injured with two airlifted and one man, a father, was killed. Police say the boat

that hit the ferry stayed at the scene for a short amount of time before officers later found it three and a half miles away. The unnamed captain of the boat, labeled cooperative by authorities who say he voluntarily submitted to a breathalyzer that detected no alcohol. He was not held. The mystery deepening in waters still reeling from tragedy. Marissa Parra, NBC News, Clearwater, Florida. We are learning more about when we could see a successor to Pope Francis after this weekend's funeral.

Anne Thompson joining us now live from the Vatican and a lot of work to get ready for the conclave. There certainly is, Lester. The conclave is going to start on May 7th, and there is a lot of work to do. The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals will vote for the next pope, are closed to tourists. The stove and the chimney have to be installed in the chapel for the burning of the ballots. Next week, all eyes will be on that chimney. Black smoke means no agreement. White smoke means someone's gotten two-thirds of the vote and is the next pope. While the chapel is ready, the cardinals continue their meetings.

A red hat is a media magnet. And today, some of the cardinals were swarmed like they were movie stars. But this is real life. Lester, they are in the spotlight. And thanks. Turning out of that trade war with China, massive online marketplaces, Shein and Temu, are hugely popular in the U.S. for their low prices. But new trade realities mean those prices are now going up. Here's Christine Robbins. This three pack of men's athletic shorts went from twenty three dollars to fifty six dollars after retailer Temu added a more than $32 import charge into the shopping cart. My $18 free shipping Temu order that I tried to place last night had a $27 import charge. Over at Shein, prices rising too.

Has anyone looked at their Shein cart this morning? Both posting nearly identical notices to customers blaming, quote, recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs. After the Trump administration closed a loophole that allowed duty-free shipment of low-cost Chinese goods directly to U.S. households, they'll now carry a 120 percent tariff or $100 shipping fee, rising to $200 in June. These products, so cheap even with these higher costs, many of them are still less expensive than U.S.-made goods. It's an early look at how the U.S.-China trade war will bring border taxes to Americans' bottom lines. President Trump says the two sides are negotiating, and the Treasury Secretary today said the next move is China's.

It's up to China to de-escalate because they sell five times more to us than we sell to them. And so these 125, 145 percent tariffs are unsustainable. A Chinese official disputing the White House account, saying China and the U.S. have not conducted consultations or negotiations on the tariffs issue. And Christine, where do we stand right now in negotiations? Well, the Treasury Secretary today suggested progress with India in negotiating a new trade deal. But a reminder here, frankly, that sometimes it can take a couple of years to make a deal. And there's just 72 days left in the president's pause on all those extra tariffs

on so many countries, Lester. All right, Christine, thanks much. We will be right back in 60 seconds. Deep fake nudes of real people that look convincingly authentic. Can a bipartisan bill on the verge of becoming law stop it? A major House vote is underway at this hour as lawmakers take up the bipartisan Take It Down Act, which would criminalize posting sexually explicit images, including those created by AI. Savannah Sellers is here. Savannah, what's the latest on this? Lester, the Take It Down Act is widely expected to pass the House tonight. The bill's aim is to stop the spread of nonconsensual, explicit images made by AI, but meant to look shockingly

real. What's key here is that the bill doesn't just go after big tech companies. If passed, it will criminalize the act of just posting the image, meaning individuals could face penalties, even prison time. Now, critics warn it could lead to censorship, but supporters say it could make a real difference. Social media companies would also be required to take down these images within 48 hours of being notified by a victim. We'll know more about the bill's fate tonight. Lester. All right, Savannah, thank you. We're back in a moment with the new images and a break in the case after the DHS secretary's purse and thousands of dollars in cash were stolen.

Plus, the new video of that speedboat caught on camera flipping. What went wrong? Next. New security images show the man authorities arrested for stealing a bag belonging to DHS chief Christy Noem in a federal complaint. Authorities say a homeless Chilean man was behind three separate robberies, including the Easter Sunday theft of Noem's purse. They say he used several of Noam's credit cards to buy food and alcohol. He faces federal charges, including robbery and identity theft. A second man was also arrested. And in Arizona, a shocking video shows the scary

moments a boat unintentionally took flight during a high-speed competition. The boat, attempting to reach top speed, flew up into the air, flipping and twisting before landing. This new video shows the inside of the boat. One expert says wind may have been a factor. Speedboat Magazine reports those on board were checked out at a local hospital but walked away okay. And a pair of baby bald eagles have a growing flock of online fans. Siblings Sunny and Gizmo were born a few weeks ago in Big Bear, California. Now thousands of people regularly

watch the pair and their parents through a 24-hour nest-side live stream run by a local non-profit. In a few weeks, the beloved birds may learn to fly. And that is nightly news for this Monday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.