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U.S. President Calls Out Netanyahu Over Gaza Aid; EU Announces Major Immigration Reforms; U.S. and Japan Strengthen Military Ties Amid China's Influence; Sons of Hamas Leader Killed in Israeli Airstrike; Israel Plans to Increase Aid to Gaza Amid Shortages; EU Parliament Approves Wide-Ranging Immigration Reforms; Ukraine's President Rejects Trump's Peace Proposal; Republicans Blocking Military Aid to Ukraine Face Pressure; Artists and Activists Urge Republicans to Release Aid to Ukraine; Fight Against Inflation Stalls in the U.S., Impact on Biden's Reelection; Stocks Close Lower after Unexpectedly Poor Inflation Data; Six Former Officers Sentenced for Torturing 2 Black Men. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired April 11, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause, ahead here on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have been very blunt and straightforward with the Prime Minister.
VAUSE: The US President again calls out Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the recent surge in humanitarian assistance entering Gaza is still not enough.
ROBERTA METSOLA, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT: This is a historic day for Europe.
VAUSE: The EU announces a major shake-up in immigration rules, a compromise planned years in the making, uniting both the far left and the right in anger.
UNKNOWN: The funding of Ukraine must end.
VAUSE: And by playing politics in Congress, Republicans may soon hand Vladimir Putin victory over Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The relationship between the US and two key allies was laid bare Wednesday. The Japanese Prime Minister, on his first official visit to the White House, was welcomed with a pomp-filled celebration, with President Biden describing relations between the US and Japan as a cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity. A few hours ago, Fumio Kishida was the guest of honor at a state dinner. He cracked a Star Trek joke while President Biden praised the alliance between both countries, saying it is stronger than it's ever been.
A raft of bilateral deals on defense and the economy and trade were also announced, as well as plans by NASA to take a Japanese astronaut to the moon. But also very publicly, the worsening relations between the US and Israel, over the war in Gaza. During a news conference, President Biden shared details about a recent telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I have been very blunt and straightforward with the Prime Minister. Bibi and I had a long discussion. He agreed to do several things that related to, number one, getting more aid, both food and medicine, into Gaza, and reducing significantly the attempts, the civilian casualties, in any action taken in the region. So we'll see what he does in terms of meeting the commitments he made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida held talks in the Oval Office, both leaders announcing an historic upgrade in military ties aimed at countering the growing influence of China. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, following all these developments from Hong Kong, she joins us now live with more. I guess, how has this state visit now changed what this US- Japan alliance, and, you know, looming over all of this, as always, is China?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and that's why we're seeing an upgrade in the alliance. We've got the leaders of the US and Japan hailing this new era of strategic cooperation, and it is sending a clear message to China. The US President Joe Biden hosted the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for this state visit, a red carpet welcome and honor to underscore Japan's importance to America, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
They announced a range of moves to enhance military ties, military, economic, high-tech cooperation. A Japanese astronaut will be the first non-American to travel with NASA to the moon. You know, this was the fifth official state visit of the Biden White House, the fourth dedicated to a key ally in the Indo-Pacific region, and Japan has been at the center of Biden's alliance building in this region.
Keep in mind that Kishida has pledged to increase defense spending by 2% of GDP by 2037. He has purchased American Tomahawk missiles, and he's also provided ongoing support to Ukraine. Now, on Wednesday, these two leaders, they announced new measures to deepen the alliance. Let's bring up these steps for you. And the new steps that were announced on the following issues, on trade and economic ties, on diplomacy, on climate change, on space exploration, on critical technologies like AI. In fact, officials say there's going to be this joint AI research initiative between Carnegie Mellon and Japan's Keio University, and, of course, defense.
We have to underscore defense here. This was the big takeaway from the state visit and the summit. In fact, 70, 7-0, 70 agreements on defense cooperation were made, including moves to upgrade their military command structures to boost coordination. Now, there has been recent maritime aggression by China in the South China Sea, in the East China Sea, and the United States and its allies, including Japan, they see China as a growing threat in the region. I want you to listen to what the Japanese prime minister said.
[00:05:09]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We reaffirmed the importance of realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rules of law and concurred to maintain close collaboration through various opportunities, including the Japan-U.S.- Philippines summit, which is planned for Thursday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: You heard it just then, that summit happening on Thursday in the U.S., U.S. time, Biden will be hosting his first ever leader summit between the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines. And this is part of the Biden administration's wider strategy to bring Asian allies closer together and to offset a rising China. And, John, also on Thursday, we know that Prime Minister Kishida will address a joint meeting of Congress and he will become only the second Japanese leader to do so. Back to you.
VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout as always, live for us with analysis and reporting. Thank you. Well, three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh have been killed by an Israeli airstrike. According to Israel, all three were operatives in the armed wing of Hamas involved in terrorist activities. CNN, though, cannot confirm that. Hamas says several of Haniyeh's grandchildren were also killed when their vehicle was struck at a northern Gaza refugee camp. They were returning from Eid al-Fitr gatherings to mark the end of Ramadan. Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, released a statement saying such killings will only make Hamas more steadfast in its principles, adding that Hamas will not surrender, will not compromise, no matter how great the sacrifice.
And after months of life-threatening shortages, Israel's defense minister says there are now plans to, quote, flood Gaza with aid. He made it clear the decision to ramp up humanitarian assistance was due to pressure from Washington. Meanwhile, the Israeli agency that handles the inspection and delivery of aid has again blamed the U.N. for failing to distribute it where it's needed. The agency says hundreds of trucks are waiting to be picked up by U.N. agencies. This post goes on to say, U.N., do your job. Focus on distribution and stop blaming Israel for your colossal failures. The U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office has accused Israeli authorities of restricting access to many parts of the Palestinian territory. In Gaza, Eid al-Fitr was marked with grief, uncertainty and loss. CNN's Nic Robertson has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPILOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Eid's joys are scarcer in Gaza this year. Celebration eked amidst ruin. Farah crying as she recounts finding her beloved Eid clothes in the rubble of her home, then realizing she won't get to wear them. Her family's festivities foregone this year. Thank God we're alive for Eid her father explains. But we're exhausted and devastated. We should be in our home, comfortable, eating, celebrating. In the ravaged enclave, millions are clinging to what is unbreakable tradition. We insisted on praying inside Rafah's mosque so all the world knows that we are holding on to our mosques, to our land, to our country Mostafa El- Hallou (ph) from Gaza City says.
Eid spirit also being kept alive in makeshift kitchens. Ingredients of everyone's Eid memories, donated by charities outside of Gaza, lovingly crafted into date, sesame and caraway cookies. We're trying to make our kids happy, remind them of the smell of Eid Ahlam Saleh says. We didn't get the traditional new clothes, there was no joy for Eid, no balloons, no sweets. What is in abundance this year, Eid's custom of commemorating the dead, silent clusters of sorrow surrounding fresh dug soil in other years less tragic than today.
Um Ahmad came with her children. My kids lost their father, she says. When I told them I was going to visit his grave, they told me, mum, we want to come visit Baba. This little one was banging on the stone, saying, I want to see Baba. He said, who's going to celebrate Eid with me? There is no going back. A generation here growing up with new memories. Of suffering and loss, a long time before the joy shared by about 1.9 billion other Muslims around the world become universal in Gaza again. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
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VAUSE: The EU has announced wide-ranging immigration reforms which could fundamentally change the asylum process. Lawmakers approved the changes Wednesday, reforms aimed at easing the burden on countries that have historically taken in the most migrants, such as Italy and Greece. Now the bloc aims to spread the burden across the 27 member states, either through relocation or financial and practical aid. The reforms come as migration, set to be a key issue in June's European elections, and growing far-right movement across Europe. Here's more now from the EU Parliament's President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
METSOLA: We promised a new system that is fair with those eligible for protection, that is firm with those who are not, and that is strong against the traffickers and the networks preying on the most vulnerable of people. Tonight we have delivered on that promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Live now to CNN European Affairs commentator Dominic Thomas. Dominic, good to see you.
DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thanks for having me on, John.
VAUSE: You bet. So, these reforms to EU migration rules are a true compromise in almost every way. On the left, human rights activists and migrant groups like these protesters on Wednesday were unhappy. Here they are.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: (PROTESTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: They argue the reforms don't offer sustainable solutions, while also being opposed by these reforms, opposed by anti-immigration groups and far-right wing governments like Hungary, whose prime minister posted on X. The migration pact is another nail in the coffin of the European Union. Unity is dead. Secure borders are no more. Hungary will never give in to the mass migration frenzy. We need a change in Brussels in order to stop migration. OK, so they took years to get to this point. How do they manage to get it so wrong?
THOMAS: Well, John, I mean, as you mentioned, you know, so much of this is about geography. So, at the starting point, it's about Italy and Greece, countries that find themselves on what they call the front lines of the of the migration crossing in the Mediterranean. And they want greater assistance from their. EU partners. But at the end of the day, it's about the fact that the number one sort of polarizing issue in Europe in many ways, as with the United States, is the question of immigration. And based on people's perceptions and experiences from news stories, from politics and so on, there's a perception that there is a crisis, that it's out of control and that it's a threat to not just the nation, but the EU zone in general, and that therefore the European Union must respond.
And it would seem at this junction that no matter what you do with facts, reason and so on. The fact is that the narrative of immigration in Europe today has gone from being something positive, the sort of the foundation of European countries towards something extremely negative. And I think that this new harsher EU policy, which is really more about repression and deterrence, is actually indicative of how that particular narrative has won out, John.
VAUSE: And the president of the European Parliament was speaking about these migration reforms. What she said was kind of interesting. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
METSOLA: It's not ready. It's not a solution to all the challenges. There's still a lot of work to do. However, we have really given a legislative response to a European plea that our citizens have asked across all member states for many, many years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Not exactly a ringing endorsement. It seems she's saying that these reforms are, you know, something's better than nothing.
THOMAS: And it took them nine years, John. This legislation has just made, through Parliament, this process started a very long time ago. And when it gets down to the sort of the really kind of fundamental sort of issues that countries like Italy had, the first point of entry for migrant is still the country in which one is processed. What the European Union has tried to argue is that this new policy strikes a sort of an improved balance between the kind of logistical deterrence aspects, safety, security, and so on, and also the human rights aspects.
But actually, what's contained in this policy, is really an increased focus, which is really, I think, of great concern towards outsourcing and externalizing migration. In other words, working with third-party countries, non-EU countries, to do the processing before they actually arrive in Europe. And that's something that human rights organizations have been talking about for a while, that undermines those rights and also forgets in this whole equation that the right to migrate is a human right. And rather than focusing on solutions to kind of the driving forces, behind migration, they're focusing ever increasingly on the ways in which they can further repress it and stop it, John.
VAUSE: Well, the EU Commission President seemed almost giddy with excitement. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Migration is a European challenge which must be met with a European solution, one that is effective and both fair and firm. And this is what the Pact on Migration and Asylum delivers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:14:59]
VAUSE: In her own way. Under these reforms, EU members will be required to either take responsibility for asylum seekers by either taking in thousands of them, or they need to provide funding for the countries which do. On paper, at least, that seems to be a fairly equitable way of sharing the burden among the member states.
THOMAS: Right. But at the end of the day, John, it's another concession. It's saying these are the new rules. And if you don't want to play with the rules, then you have to pay. So, right. So, we talk about solidarity, streamlining. Those are the kinds of words that you see in the legislation recurring at every kind of turn and corner. And Orban has already spoken out, the prime minister of Hungary, saying that under no circumstances will he participate and work along with what is supposed to be a success and an example of EU solidarity.
At the end of the day, once again, and we saw this in the lesson of Brexit, the more the European Union makes concessions and mainstreaming streams and kind of works with these far-right parties over their anti-immigration status, ultimately, the more they end up legitimizing them and making them more palatable, ultimately, to the electorate. And we see this once again, Orban instrumentalizing this with, as you mentioned, the upcoming early June European elections, where it's clear that the EU vote will be used once again by far-right parties that will, you know, optimize their votes by appealing to what is a low turnout election and ultimately shaping that agenda, which I think ultimately will lead to ever increasing and harsher legislation, which unfortunately never really meets the desired outcome in this context. But it's the state of the play at this moment in the EU's history, John.
VAUSE: And in other places too around the world, Dominic, notably the US. Thank you, Dominic. Always good to have you with us. I really appreciate your insights. Good to see you.
THOMAS: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Take care. We'll take a short break. When we come back, Ukraine's president on Donald Trump's idea of how to make peace with Russia. What does Zelenskyy think about this whole proposal to swap land for peace? Not a lot.
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VAUSE: According to reporting by the Washington Post, Donald Trump has said privately if he's re-elected, he may press Ukraine to give up territory to Moscow in return for peace. The Trump campaign was quoted as saying the story is based on uninformed sources. Nonetheless, the next reply could ask the Ukrainian president for his take on the entire idea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Russia unleashes barrages of powerful missiles on Ukraine's cities, killing and wounding dozens in the past days. And Kiev, both outmanned and outgunned, suffers setbacks on the battlefield. I asked Ukraine's president about Donald Trump's reported plan, if he's elected, to end the fighting by forcing Ukraine to give up territory and hand it to Vladimir Putin. Would you ever be willing to give up Ukrainian territory for peace?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I did not hear it directly from Trump, his ideas in detail. I did not have the opportunity to talk to him about this topic and his idea of how to end the war. If there is such an opportunity, I would be happy to hear and I will listen and we will talk about this topic.
[00:20:29]
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Trump campaign today also denied the former president has agreed to visit Ukraine after reports surfaced, he was planning a visit. Zelenskyy says Ukraine will lose the war if Republicans don't approve U.S. military aid fast. Kiev's army running short on everything from artillery ammo to air defense missiles.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): I understand that it is not easy and everyone thinks about themselves. Our partners are helping. I am grateful to them. They help as much as they can, but as much as they can is not enough if we really want to defeat Putin, if no one wants Putin to drag the world into World War III.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Speaking to me, Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and its allies not to be intimidated by Putin. If Ukraine gets the weapons and ammo, he says, Kiev will win.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): It is a war and we have a serious enemy against us. But let's be realistic, not pessimistic, let's be realistic. Today, the situation is stabilized. If there are concrete political steps from our partners, we will break Putin's backbone.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Delphi, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: For the past 175 days, Republicans in the U.S. Congress have blocked billions of dollars in military and financial assistance for Ukraine. And now pressure is growing on those far-right mega- Republicans to release that money. More than three dozen artists, activists, academics, including Mara Streisand and Sean Penn, have published an op-ed on CNN.com saying this. Ukrainian armed forces are defending basic American interests. They are doing things that Americans cannot do for themselves. By absorbing the entire Russian attack, they are making other wars in Europe impossible.
Among the 35 signatures on that open letter to Congress is Mona Charen, who is also policy editor at The Bulwark and host of the podcast Beg to Differ. She joins us this hour from Washington. Thank you for being with us.
MONA CHAREN, POLICY EDITOR THE BULWARK AND HOST OF BEG TO DIFFER PODCAST: My pleasure.
VAUSE: So, using celebrities to bring attention to an important issue can be very effective. They may not be interested in what's happening in Ukraine, but they may be interested in what Barbara Streisand or Hilary Swank are interested in. So, is this open letter needed right now because many or most Americans just don't know or don't care that Republicans in Congress are blocking billions of dollars in military and financial support for Ukraine, and they don't realize what the consequences of that could be?
CHAREN: Right. That was the point of the letter was to spell out exactly how low the stakes are for the United States. That is, we are not being asked to provide soldiers, not a single drop of American blood. What we are being asked for is so easy for us. It's just to provide weapons. By the way, a lot of the money that would be spent on these weapons would be spent right here in the United States, providing jobs for Americans and replenishing our defense capacities as well. But look, this is a case of a brutal dictatorship that has invaded a peaceful Democratic neighbor.
Just in a blink of an eye ago, it would have been, of course, understood that the Republican Party would be the most forthright in standing up for an American role here, for showing world leadership, and for sticking with a fellow democracy. But in our time, we have seen the Republican Party now become, sadly, very prone to being pro- Putin.
VAUSE: And the general in charge of U.S.-European Command warned that without that U.S. support, without that military assistance, Ukraine will not win the war. He also added this. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. CHRIS CAVOLI, COMMANDER U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND: If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and will run out of air defense interceptors in fairly short order. If one side can shoot and the other side can't shoot back, the side that can't shoot back is the one that can't shoot back loses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So clearly the clock is ticking down at this point. But even with public pressure, are those Republicans in Congress likely to budge?
CHAREN: Well, there's so much on the line. And this Republican conference in the House has been unbelievably dysfunctional. You know, the rules that they put in place allow a petition to recall the speaker and what they call vacate the chair. And they're not going to do that. They're going to have to step back and vote at the initiative of any member. And Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to do that if Mike Johnson, the speaker, puts aid for Ukraine on the floor. And of course, behind it all is Donald Trump.
[00:25:19]
VAUSE: Here's part of the letter which also goes through what could happen if Ukraine fails. If Russia breaks through, this will be our fault and then we will understand what we have lost. Everything that Ukraine is doing for us can be reversed. If Ukraine is defeated, we will find ourselves in a far more dangerous world. It will be a world where we can expect war in Europe and war in Asia. As you say, there is no mention in that letter of the representative from Georgia, the Jewish space lady, Marjorie Taylor Greene, who just said this on Wednesday. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): The funding of Ukraine must end. We are not responsible for a war in Ukraine. We're responsible for the war on our border. And I made that clear to Speaker Johnson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And let's also say you mentioned Donald Trump as being basically the primary driver of all this. Again, not in that letter to Congress. Why not call them out publicly?
CHAREN: The fact is that there is an entire ecosystem on the right now. It's not just Marjorie Taylor Greene. It's people like Tucker Carlson, who just recently journeyed to Russia and gave a sort of truckling interview with the President of the United States. And I think that's a very, and, you know, has become an unpaid, I presume unpaid, who knows, propagandist for the Russian state. You have figures like Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio saying we should be more concerned about our southern border than about Ukraine's borders. You know, it is -- it is much broader than Marjorie Taylor Greene, unfortunately. And it's really, it's painful that that's the direction that my former party is now on.
VAUSE: Well, there was a time when Republicans stood up to Moscow, calling out autocrats in the Kremlin like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (?): While they preach the supremacy of the state. Declare it's omnipotence over individual man and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth. They are the focus of evil in the modern world. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The party of Reagan and it says the other party of Trump seems just a little bit too easy or try to explain what's happened to Republicans in all this.
CHAREN: For large numbers of Republicans now, they not only no longer oppose Russia because it's no longer communist. They no longer oppose authoritarianism. I mean, this party and the conservative so-called conservative movement in America has also lionized Victor Orban who says that he is for illiberal democracy, and he has proven it by the way he's governed. You know, closing down opposition press doing favors for cronies, limiting people's freedom in a variety of ways, controlling the courts and the, you know, many conservative CPAC, you know, and many others have held him up as a model and meanwhile, they, -- you know, Donald Trump after Trump -- after Putin invaded Ukraine for the 2nd time. The 1st time, of course, is 2014, but the 2nd time in 2022.
Trump's immediate reaction was that this was a genius move that that showed real savvy he said. And okay, it's not just the Trump said that, but it's that the Republican Party did not recoil in horror. In instead, they said, yeah, you know, that's -- he's our man, let's nominate him again for president in 2024.
VAUSE: Yeah, the party certainly has changed over the years to say the very least. Mona, thanks so much for being with us. Really appreciate your time as well as your insights. Very much appreciated.
CHAREN: My pleasure.
VAUSE: When we come back, the latest data shows the fight against inflation in the U.S. May have stalled. So, what does this mean for Joe Biden as he campaigned to re-election? Details in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
[00:31:59]
Tornadoes and severe storms ripped across the Southeastern U.S. on Wednesday. In Slidell, Louisiana, a twister injured at least ten people, according to local police.
The storm knocked down trees, damaged homes. There'll be more details on the extent of the damage later Thursday, once surveys are done.
Today, watches across the South have now expired, but heavy rain, flash flooding, and high winds remain a threat.
Concerns are growing in the U.S. that efforts to contain inflation may have stalled. Consumer prices picked up again last month, rising through 3.5 percent for the 12 months ending in March.
President Biden said Wednesday his approach to containing inflation is sustainable. And he said Republicans don't have a plan.
U.S. markets fell sharply on the unexpected inflation rate. The Down closed down more than 400 points, or 1.1 percent; and the S&P lost 1 percent, as well.
CNN's Brian Todd has more details, reporting in from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A seemingly endless headache for American consumers at the cash register and for President Biden at the ballot box.
New numbers show that annual inflation ticked up higher than expected last month, consumer prices rising to a 3.5 percent increase in the 12 months ending in March, fueled in part by higher mortgage prices and rising gas prices.
JOSEPH GAGNON, PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: Inflation is still a threat, but I think it's receding. Not likely to continue, but it is not good news.
TODD (voice-over): The president defending his record combatting inflation,
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have dramatically reduced inflation from 9 percent down to close to 3 percent. We're in a situation where we're better situated than we were when we took office, where we -- inflation was skyrocketing.
TODD (voice-over): But this comes as Biden's former White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, known as a loyalist, slams the presidents messaging on the economy.
In comments obtained by "Politico," Klain said his former boss spends too much time talking about infrastructure. Quote, "I think the president is out there too much talking about bridges. If you go into the grocery store, you know, eggs and milk are expensive. The fact that there's an effing bridge." Klain goes on to say, "Like it's a bridge, and how interesting is the bridge? It's a little interesting, but it's not a lot interesting."
Klain did concede that Biden is effective at showing compassion for families who are struggling financially and talking about how to bring down costs. But Donald Trump was quick to pounce on the latest numbers.
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT/2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Biden has totally lost control of inflation. It's back, it's raging back.
TODD (voice-over): In a recent poll, only 37 percent approve of President Biden's handling of the economy, while 62 percent disapprove.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Joe Biden certainly has a lot of work to do. I think that we're hearing it from his advisers quietly, that they certainly want to talk more about the economy.
TODD (voice-over): For example, unemployment hasn't been this low this long since Richard Nixon was president.
GAGNON: Many people have gotten bigger wage increases than they've seen in inflation, especially the lower income workers have seen big wage gains, more than inflation.
TODD (voice-over): Still, with Wednesday's numbers, the Fed is now likely to postpone the interest rate cuts expected this year, which would boost the economy and make homes more affordable.
[00:35:04]
CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We don't know what's going to happen to long-term rates. We don't know what's going to happen to the fiscal situation. We don't know what's going to happen with oil and energy prices, which also affect, or can push through to other forms of inflation.
TODD (voice-over): So how much of a threat will inflation pose to President Biden as election day approaches?
GAGNON: I'm pretty sure inflation will be better by election time, but it's not coming down as fast as many of us would like.
TODD: Part of President Biden's messaging after those inflation numbers came out was to try to deflect some of the blame to the Republicans, who he said have no plan to combat inflation, and to corporate greed. The president saying he's calling on corporations, including grocery retailers, to use their record profits to reduce prices.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Still to come, six white former law enforcement officers admitted they tortured two black men for hours. Now the self-described Goon Squad will go to prison for a long time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Strike three for Donald Trump and his legal team, and their efforts to delay his criminal hush money trial in New York, which is still on schedule to begin Monday.
An associate justice rejected the latest filing in just a few minutes. Trump's team argued a delay was needed to appeal a lower court's ruling on presidential immunity and a bunch of other irrelevant stuff.
The criminal trial regards payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged one-night stand with Trump nearly two days -- two decades ago.
Trump can still appeal the denied motions to New York's highest court, but it doesn't have to accept that appeal. And it's happening on Monday. First time a president, a former president sitting in a criminal trial.
Well, they call themselves the Goon Squad. A group of white law enforcement officers in the U.S. state of Mississippi known for their aggressive, violent tactics against criminal suspects.
Now, six of those former officers are facing lengthy prison sentences for the racist and brutal torture of two black men in January of last year.
CNN's Ryan Young has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALIK SHABAZZ, LEAD ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL JENKINS AND EDDIE PARKER: Justice has come in Mississippi. What has come?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An historic sentencing hearing in Rankin County, Mississippi.
SHABAZZ: No police officer in the history of Rankin County has ever been held criminally responsible for harming anyone, Let alone a black person, six former law enforcement officers, sentenced in state court for their role in a crime and cover-up they all admitted to, subjecting two black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, to almost two hours of torture and sexual assault last year, ending with Jenkins shot in the mouth. SHABAZZ: Probably take a lifetime to heal from these attacks.
YOUNG (voice-over): The former officers are also known as the Goon Squad, a name some of these white former Mississippi officers gave themselves for their alleged willingness to use excessive force and cover it up.
And now justice was handed down to them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will serve 20 years in custody of Mississippi Department of Corrections.
[00:40:04]
YOUNG (voice-over): These six men will be serving between 15 and 45 years, which will run concurrently with the federal sentences they each received last month.
In the courtroom, victim impact statements were read out by their attorney.
SHABAZZ: "They beat, kicked, tazed, insulted, waterboarded, and humiliated me over and over again. That will forever be engraved in my mind and my heart. I am hurt. I am broken."
YOUNG (voice-over): The two victims speaking out afterwards, grateful and thanking, in particular, the media.
EDDIE PARKER, VICTIM OF OFFICER'S ASSAULT: I'm thankful for y'all, you know. You've been here with us, man, for the ride. All y'all that helped us, you know, with this fight, man, I just want you all to know, man, it touched me in my heart, man, to know that we were listened to, you know. Y'all gave us a voice, man.
YOUNG (voice-over): And while justice was served today in Rankin County, many insisting there's still much more that needs to be done.
ANGELA ENGLISH, PRESIDENT, RANKIN COUNTY BRANCH OF NAACP: This chapter of the book has been written, but the book is not finished. We have spoken with the Department of Justice. We have re-intimated (ph) that we want a clean sweep. We want them to go throughout the Rankin County Sheriff's Department, and we want them to clean house.
YOUNG (voice-over): Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker seeming to find a purpose from the pain they suffered.
PARKER: I may have found what I was looking for, my purpose, you know, is to fight for the person that -- that's scared to fight or fight for the person that can't fight.
YOUNG: Yes. Community members expressed over and over again, they want more investigation into the sheriff's department. They want to see Bryan Bailey step down or be pulled out of office.
We've talked to Bryan Bailey before. He says he had no idea this Goon Squad was operating withinside his department. It'd be up to the feds and the state to see what happens next.
Ryan Young, CNN, Rankin County, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Before we go, an update on a gambling scandal which has rocked Major League Baseball.
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in negotiations to plead guilty, according to "The New York Times," which sites three people briefed on the matter.
The interpreter was fired after allegations he stole more than $4 million from Ohtani and was using it to place bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation.
For his part, the Dodgers pitcher and designated hitter denies any awareness or involvement in the scandal.
I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. See you soon.
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