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CNN International: Israel On High Alert As Netanyahu Convenes War Cabinet; Russia Hits Critical Ukraine Power Sources; Critical House Vote For Speaker Johnson On Surveillance Bill. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 12, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
Fears of a widening conflict within the Middle East. Amid tensions between Israel and Iran, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu convening his war cabinet. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson needs a critical win on Capitol Hill, and it looks like he may get it, over a controversial surveillance bill, the vote and his upcoming meeting with Donald Trump, a little later this hour. And speaking of the former President, important updates to bring you on the Trump classified documents case and his upcoming hush money trial in New York. We'll have what you need to know.
We want to begin this hour with Israel on high alert as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his war cabinet to discuss the threat of a possible attack by Iran. Tensions in the region are running high after Iran vowed to retaliate for a deadly attack on its consulate in Damascus last week. The U.S. has sent the top military commander to Israel, warning that Iran or its proxies could carry out an imminent attack on U.S. or Israeli assets in the region. And even as it prepares for possible new front, Israel is keeping up the war on Gaza, killing dozens of people in new airstrikes as the humanitarian crisis there deepens. The top U.S. humanitarian official now saying that it is quote "credible to assess that famine is already happening in some parts of Gaza."
Let's bring in our -- CNN's Ben Wedeman. He is following the developments from Beirut. Ben, from the U.S. to the Kremlin, everyone seems to be on the same page here that a wider war in that region would be destabilizing. What's the latest one on the ground there about these threats from Iran and the reaction from Israel?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. There is no question that we are at a very dangerous turning point in the Middle East. Now, in Israel, that war cabinet convened by Prime Minister Netanyahu is still ongoing. So, we don't know what's going to come out of that. But, we've heard from the White House, John Kirby, the Spokesman for the National Security Council, saying that the White House is watching the situation, in his words, very, very closely. He describes that the Iranian threats are indeed very critical, credible that is, and he also said that the United States is in constant communication with the Israelis.
Now, it's worth noting that when the Israelis bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus on the first of April, they weren't in very close contact with the Americans. U.S. officials said they were not consulted by Israel before that strike took place. Now, the head of U.S. CENTCOM, the central command, is in Israel today. He met with Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, at an airbase in Israel. The Israeli Defense Minister saying that we are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air. We will know how to respond.
Now, the Iranians have said that they are going to respond. However, we did hear from Iranian officials today, saying that if the United Nations Security Council had condemned the attack on the Israeli -- the Iranian consulate in Damascus, perhaps Iran would not feel compelled to respond. But then again, we do not know where, when, how the Iranians are actually going to respond. Obviously, nerves are on edge. But, we're hearing loads of speculation about it could be any day now. But, we are, what, well over 10 days since that attack took place. Rahel.
SOLOMON: No. Ben, it's a very fair point that there are -- so a lot of details. Obviously, we don't know. Speculations are being what they are. They have been enough to raise precautions from some nations like India, from some nations like France, that are urging their citizens to either leave the region entirely or to not travel to Israel, to not travel to Iran. Ben, what else can you share with us about how seriously these threats are being taken?
WEDEMAN: Yeah. This is reminiscent of the opening weeks of the war back in October, when many airlines were canceling flights. And now, we know that Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines are no longer flying to Tehran for the immediate future. France has told its citizens to quote "absolutely refrain from traveling to Iran, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon", where we are.
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India has told its nationals don't travel to Iran and Israel. The UK has told British subjects there in Israel to leave unless absolutely necessary. And U.S. diplomats in Israel have been told not to go far from their homes in the event something happens. So, everybody is on high alert. The question is, when is something going to happen? Rahel.
SOLOMON: And right. When and if and what it looks like and what happens next? Of course, so many questions. Ben Wedeman live for us in Beirut. Ben thanks so much.
Well, Ukraine's critical infrastructure is coming under increased Russian attack. The largest power generating plant in the Kyiv region was destroyed by a missile attack on Thursday. The plant is the largest supplier of electricity to three Ukrainian regions. Ukraine's Air Force says that it was able to shoot down 18 Russian missiles and 39 drones. The Centrenergo energy company says that it has now lost 100 percent of its power generation across its three plants, which have all been destroyed or occupied by Russia. And officials in Ukraine are worried about these constant attacks on
power infrastructure, as CNN's Fred Pleitgen explains, crews cannot make the repairs quickly enough and new military options may be needed.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Kyiv's largest power plant destroyed, the energy company, Centrenergo, declaring Thursday, quote "a black day". The dark smoke on the skyline marking the end of the company's energy supply, all three of its power plants across the country either destroyed or occupied.
Russian strikes systematically targeting power facilities have been a constant in Ukraine since late 2022, but have ramped up in recent weeks. DTEK, Ukraine's largest power company, saying two of their plants were also targeted overnight. They say their facilities have suffered their worst attacks this month since the war began, with 80 percent of their infrastructure already destroyed. Employees trying to repair and to rebuild, the burnt-out skeleton of their facilities needing to be back up and running as soon as possible, echoing each other's calls for the world to ramp up its weapons support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Interpreted): We need more air defenses. If we don't have air defenses, there won't be anything left. A lot of missiles and drones get through, and we get a lot of hits.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): It's a call heard many times over, with the Ukrainian President currently in Lithuania to meet European leaders and to ensure those calls do not become white noise in this very long war. Warnings by generals also becoming more desperate, with the country's parliament voting on Thursday to overhaul mobilization rules, potentially allowing the military to call up more men.
GEN. YURIY SODOL, COMMANDER, JOINT FORCES OF UKRAINE (Interpreted): The enemy outnumbers us by seven to 10 times. We lack manpower. We are holding the defenses on the last breath.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The bill still needing to be signed into law by Zelenskyy, is a sign of an exhausted frontline. Civilians in Kyiv spending the night once again underground, a routine too familiar for a country resilient as ever.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Delphi, Greece.
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SOLOMON: All right. And on Capitol Hill, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking for a critical win today. This is over a controversial surveillance bill. Today, the full House of Representatives is expected to vote on whether or not to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Now, the current law expires one week from today, and Republicans sink in attempt to reauthorize it on Wednesday. That's after urging from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, under the new proposal, the law would be extended for two years instead of five years. The vote to bring the bill to the House floor came hours after the FBI Director made a strong appeal. Listen.
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CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: Let me be clear, failure to reauthorize 702 or gutting it with some new kinds of warrant requirement would be dangerous and put Americans' lives at risk.
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SOLOMON: Let me bring in Lauren Fox, who joins us live from Capitol Hill with the latest. Lauren, can you just first explain for us what is this law and what does it do?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. The intelligence community is making clear over the course of the last several weeks that this is a vital tool for them, as they continue to try to fight back terrorism threats and other threats across the country. Specifically, though, what lawmakers have been really debating is Section 702. That is a part of this law that essentially allows a warrantless spying on foreigners and their communications. Now, what some folks up here on Capitol Hill are who are concerned about civil liberties have argued is that Americans are swept up sometimes in those queries.
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And right now, the fight and showdown has been over adding a warrant requirement when an American is involved in those communications with a foreigner that they are sweeping up. So, what we've seen so far today is that procedural vote actually passed on the floor with Republicans voting all together to pass it. That is because of that change from a five-year authorization to a two-year authorization that made those hardliners more comfortable.
Now they are debating the tenants of six different amendments, including that amendment that would add a warrant requirement. Now, if that warrant requirement is included here, that could make it much more difficult to get this bill through the Senate and get it signed by the Biden administration. That is because there have been a lot of concerns from the administration and from Senate Democrats that including that warrant requirement could make this law virtually unusable to intelligence officials. Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Lauren, have those concerns been met at this point? Because this is Johnson's fourth attempt at getting this through. It looks like the fourth time could be the charm here for him. What change?
FOX: Yeah. I mean, it certainly could, but it's really honestly too early to know. So much is riding on whether or not that warrant requirement amendment actually passes or not. So, we're keeping a close eye on the House. The vote is expected to begin around 11:45. But, I will say that that change from a five-year authorization to a two-year authorization was really important for hardliners because they are looking at the November election. They are optimistic that former President Donald Trump could win the White House, then he would be in the driver's seat to make any additional changes that he wanted to this law.
So, while Steve Scalise, the majority leader, wouldn't explicitly say that Donald Trump was happy with the changes that they had made, he did say that conversations had been occurring with the former President, and he said quote, "a lot of people are happy about where this ended up." Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. So, everyone can sort of read between the lines of who a lot of people are. Lauren Fox live was on Capitol Hill. Lauren, thanks so much. And as Lauren just said, a vote on that bill is expected to happen in about half an hour from now. We're going to check back in once it gets underway.
In the meantime, coming up after the break, a flurry of legal activity surrounding former President Trump, including his upcoming hush money trial. We'll break it down with our panel coming up next.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. In just a few hours, a U.S. federal judge will hold a hearing to consider whether to dismiss charges against two of Donald Trump's co-defendants in the classified documents case. Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, both still work for the former President at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and they both say they did not know what was in the boxes they moved.
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And then, what could be a major blow to Trump, Evan Corcoran, a key Trump attorney, has left his legal team and may become the central witness in the classified documents case against Trump. The former President once again characterizing the cases against him as a political witch hunt.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All these crooked cases are brought about by the Justice Department in one form or another, and crooked Joe Biden. The only thing they could do is go after his political opponent, a guy named Donald J. Trump.
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SOLOMON: All right. Let's bring in CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz, joining us now from Washington. Katelyn, what can we expect from this hearing today?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Rahel, this isn't a hearing for Donald Trump himself or his lawyers. They're busy in New York and not going to be in court in Florida. But, at this hearing, it's his co-defendants, Carlos De Oliveira and Walt Nauta, two people who work for Trump, who are alleged to have moved boxes and are charged as part of that obstruction conspiracy where the Justice Department couldn't get the national security records Donald Trump had in his possession and had to give back to the federal government. They couldn't get them back and didn't.
So, at 2 p.m., the hearing begins before Judge Aileen Cannon. It's going to be legal arguments that will boil down to Carlos De Oliveira's lawyers and Walt Nauta's lawyers, arguing to the judge that they didn't know enough when they were moving boxes to face these charges alongside Donald Trump. That's what it boils down to. Some of their arguments include that the case should be dismissed because they weren't aware of the benefit to Donald Trump, and in this investigation of moving those boxes that they do acknowledge they moved out of the storage room, around the property. They also are saying that they didn't have a full understanding of the investigation that they are allegedly to have obstructed at that time, and they also didn't know what was in them.
So, this is a hearing about these two co-defendants, but it is going to put a spotlight on an important part of the case, the obstruction charges against them and Donald Trump, that make this case so significant.
SOLOMON: Katelyn, for those who have been following Trump's cases, this news about Evan Corcoran, they may recognize the name. Right? It's arguably the lawyer we've seen the most, perhaps with Todd Blanche. What do we know about him leaving the team, and what does -- what is Trump saying about this?
POLANTZ: Rahel, this is a long time coming for Evan Corcoran to fully depart the Trump team because he was the most significant lawyer, the face of a lot of Trump's legal defense during the federal investigations around those classified documents, as well as January 6. He became a witness in the Mar-a-Lago documents case and then continued on working for Trump on the January 6 case. But now, Kaitlan Collins has reported he has formally left the team. Why it's so important is he too is a cornerstone of this obstruction part of the Mar-a-Lago documents case.
The federal government, the Justice Department compelled him to turn over any information he had to speak to the grand jury, and he did, and what he provided to the investigators that became part of the indictment is what he knew of Donald Trump signaling to him. He didn't want to turn over all of the federal records, when he had to, and ultimately, Evan Corcoran did his part to provide records back to the government that he could find in the storage room at Mar-a-Lago. But, he somehow didn't find them all at that time. Those are the boxes that had been moved out of there.
So now, Evan Corcoran leaving the team is the solidification of this split, where he has become a main witness. He is Trump attorney one. And we're about to see in the coming months, in this case, Rahel, how a fight over whether the Justice Department is going to be able to put him on the stand at the trial before the jury to testify against his former boss.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Really fascinating. A lot to watch here. Katelyn Polantz live for us. Katelyn, thanks so much.
And with all of the attempts to delay the trial, seemingly exhausted in New York, we're now just days away from the start of Donald Trump's hush money trial. And here is what to expect. So, the case is the first of Trump's four criminal indictments to go to trial. He is accused here of arranging a $130,000 payment made by his former Attorney Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Now, prosecutors accused Trump of falsifying business records to try to hide potentially damaging information from voters leading up to the 2016 election. The former President faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, and a maximum sentence of four years in prison, if he is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty. Now, among the potential bombshell witnesses is Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.
I want to discuss all of this, and welcome in my panel today. CNN Political Commentator Shermichael Singleton. He is Republican Strategist. And Meghan Hays, she is a former Special Assistant to President Biden and the former Director of Messaging and Planning at the White House.
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Good to see you both.
Shermichael, let me start with you. I want to read for you an excerpt from an interview POLITICO just did with Michael Cohen, obviously, the star witness here in this hush money case. So, I'm going to roleplay. So, bear with me, guys. So, the reporter says, "Do you think we will be surprised by it, by some of the corroborating evidence?" Michael Cohen, "I do". Reporter, "In other words, we don't know everything that's going to be presented." Michael Cohen, "In fact, most people don't really know anything. They only know what the headlines have been. And as you know, very, very well, headlines do not necessarily tell the story." Shermichael, your thoughts. Should Republicans be worried about what we could potentially learn in these next few weeks?
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: No, because I think the genesis of this is that Donald Trump paid money inappropriately and tried to hide something. Michael Cohen has a significant credibility issue, which any defense attorney would be happy to cross-examine someone like him on the stand. And politically speaking, I don't think this matters as much. This isn't January 6. This isn't the trial out of Fulton County or the documents case in Florida. Those three, I think, are incredibly substantial. And I think if one of those were to occur, then I would be concerned. But, the hush money case is salacious. It's interesting. It's like sort of Real Housewives reality type of drama. People are intrigued by it. But, I don't think most people are principally concerned with this out of the four.
SOLOMON: But, do you think his more conservative base wants to hear these potentially salacious details? He is potentially Real Housewives of, I guess, we'll call it New York details. Does that potentially hurt that part of his base?
SINGLETON: It doesn't. I actually did a focus group yesterday with Georgia Republicans. A slew of them were evangelical, some were from the suburbs, and they are principally concerned with winning in November. Immigration and the economy were their top issues. We also talked extensively about abortion. But, I don't think this is going to deter them. They believe that the country is headed in the incorrect direction under President Biden.
SOLOMON: Meghan, is this the type of thing? Is this a type of trial that team Biden can capitalize on at all? Can they bank on this at all, or is this a non-factor?
MEGHAN HAYS, FMR. SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, & FMR. DIR. OF MESSAGE & PLANNING AT WHITE HOUSE: I mean, I don't know in terms of if it's a factor or what the verdict is going to predict here and how that's going to be helpful to the campaign. But, I do think that this draws away from the issue that the Republicans want to talk about and gives the campaign an opportunity to drive home on the abortion issue, which has been such a pivotal issue in a great fundraising moment, as well as to work on voter turnout for the Democrats. So, I do think that it becomes an issue there. It just drives away from their core issues that they want to be talking about, like immigration or the economy.
SOLOMON: Speaking of abortion, let me stick with you, Meghan. Vice President Harris, she is going to be in Arizona today, attempting to make this connection between these state bans and Donald Trump and the Dobbs decision. Arizona always want to watch, Meghan, is it the one to watch now?? How critical is Arizona this time around?
HAYS: Well, I don't think that she'll be attempting to make the connection. I think they are making the connection successfully. I think that people are -- well, it's really resonating. That this is something that was caused by Donald Trump. There is no question that he has taken credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and these are -- this is the outcome that's happening. It's in the state's hands. And these are the issues that are going to be facing voters in November.
I do think that Arizona is back on the table. I think that the President won by a very small margin last time. And I think that all these people are going to start turning out. And these are going to affect down ballot races. If there was a ballot initiative on the table in November for abortion, this will drive turnout. This will drive folks in that like moderate, undecided voter base right now that the Democrats will need to win in November and will really help keep Arizona blue.
SOLOMON: Shermichael, after that ruling in Arizona earlier this week, I've heard Democrats call it a game changer. It's been called dynamic changing. Are Democrats overestimating how mobilizing this issue is? Or is this something that Republicans really going to have to contend with and sort of get a strategy behind? What do you think?
SINGLETON: I mean, if past is precedent, I mean, then they are in their right to be excited about the potential mobilization. I do think, though, if you look at a bit of the math, the difference in Arizona in 2020 was 10,457. Donald Trump's victory margin in 2016 was far greater than President Biden's victory margin in 2020. With that said, to go back to the focus group that I mentioned in the previous discussion, I asked many of the evangelicals directly, if President Trump came out and said, I'm going to clarify my statements on abortion. It should be a states right issue. By that, I mean voters should have the opportunity to vote on at a VA referendum.
Rahel, I was surprised. Every last one of them, including the most conservative ones in that focus group said they would support the President taking that was position.
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They understood that you have to appeal to a greater electorate. I asked them about some of the quotes from Mr. Vander Plaat (ph) out of Ohio. The quote from Mike Twin said it's a slap in the face to pro- life Americans. They all said that in the past, that may have been the case, but the country is changing. Republicans need to adapt. So, I think the former President has far more room on this issue that he actually realizes.
SOLOMON: Meghan, let me ask you, not long ago, you heard some, at least some, say that Biden's biggest challenge was voter apathy. His biggest opponent was the couch. And I'm wondering, with this abortion measure on the ballot in at least Florida, Maryland and Nevada or New York, I should say, and possibly another eight states, including Arizona, how much can Biden's campaign count on this, helping in terms of just turnout, just people turning out to vote on these ballot measures?
HAYS: I think it's going to be a huge help. I think we've seen in the midterm elections as well as some other conservative states that have had ballot initiatives on their ballots, that it did drive turnout. I think it's a huge benefit for him to drive turnout. It gets people in there to vote. And then he needs to continue to draw the connection that this is a Trump -- that is on the ballot because of Trump and that he is the better candidate in November. So, it's just about capitalizing then on the voter turnout.
SOLOMON: And then, Meghan, let me stick with you.
SINGLETON: Rahel, if I --
SOLOMON: No. Go ahead. Go ahead.
SINGLETON: I was just going to say really quickly, if we can moderate on this issue, we saw a poll that came out yesterday that said voters showcase, they will not vote for someone who is on the wrong side of this issue. If Trump moderates and then get back to topics like the economy, back to the immigration, then I do believe he has the potential to shift the message to his corner.
SOLOMON: Meghan, I just want to talk really quickly about some of the economic news we got this week, because it's been a rough week for the economy, at least in terms of economic news, both in terms of inflation, what it means in terms of when we could start to see rate cuts. That forecast has been moved out. We got consumer sentiment today, and consumer sentiment stayed steady. People aren't feeling worse, but they're not feeling better, either. How much worse did that make things for the President? After some indications that maybe things were improving, we kind of had a rough patch this week.
HAYS: Yeah. I mean, I think that these are just indicators. They come out monthly. The jobs report that came out last week was extremely positive for all the jobs that the President has created more than -- unemployment went down under four percent, I think, for 50 years or something, some incredible number that the President has worked really hard to do. So, this is just one indicator of the economy. Did we need to do more? Do we need to go further? Of course, we do. Do people feel this in their checkbooks when they're out purchasing things? Yes. But, the President is out there working hard to cut junk fees and some other -- bring healthcare costs down.
So, it's not that he is not working on it. There is definitely more to go. So, it definitely is a rough patch. But, I don't think that it is the final say before November.
SOLOMON: Shermichael, last word.
SINGLETON: It's a substantial rough patch for the President. Car insurance is up 22 percent. You got to have that to get back and forth to work. God forbid, you have an emergency repair. That's up 12 percent, Rent 5.9 percent. Electricity, up five percent. Gas 1.3 percent. And that's going to increase, Rahel, as we approach the summer months. This is a persistent issue and a thorn in the side of the Biden administration and reelect campaign. And he you cannot address it, he is going to have an issue going into November, especially if Trump can moderate on the abortion issue.
SOLOMON: All right. We'll leave it here. A lot of ground covered and even a little bit of role playing. We covered a lot of ground today. Thanks, everybody. Shermichael Singleton and Meghan Hays --
SINGLETON: Thanks, Rahel.
SOLOMON: -- have a good weekend.
All right. And a quick reminder, CNN's special coverage of the Trump hush money trial starts Monday at 9 a.m. in New York, 3 p.m. in London.
All right. Coming up, can U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson regain support in his party? Still ahead, his attempts to do just that during a meeting with former President Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. But, will it work? We'll have a live report.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I am Rahel Solomon live in New York. And here are some of the international headlines we're watching for
you today. A mass evacuation is underway in the Russian city of Orenburg, as catastrophic flooding gets worse in parts of Russia and Kazakhstan. The city's mayor urged residents to leave their homes immediately. The flooding is caused by fast melting snow and ice and heavy rains.
And severe storms in parts of the U.S. brought the threat of flooding, tornadoes, hail and damaging winds. On Thursday, emergency crews in Pennsylvania and West Virginia had to rescue residents who were stuck in floodwaters caused by torrential downpours. The storms left 120,000 people in the east without power early Friday.
And standing together against China was one of the main themes Thursday, as the leaders of Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. held their first trilateral summit.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has a look now at China's response to the meeting.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines is a major move to counter China's increasing pressure in the South China Sea, and China is pushing back. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry summoned a Japanese diplomat to express quote "serious concerns and strong dissatisfaction". And according to state media, China's Coast Guard conducted a patrol near the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands. On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a White House summit. Biden said U.S. defense commitments to both the Philippines and Japan remain quote "ironclad".
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The United States' defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They are ironclad. As I've said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty.
STOUT: The three nations also announced plans to bolster the Philippines with a number of new infrastructure projects, including investments in ports, rail, clean energy, semiconductor supply chains, and wireless communications. They also pledged to deepen cooperation and global humanitarian aid and disaster response. Also on Thursday, Japan's Prime Minister addressed Congress. He called China the quote "greatest strategic challenge". Now, China's Foreign Ministry criticized Japan and the United States for ratcheting up tensions. On Friday, a spokesperson, Mao Ning, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said quote, "The real challenges facing regional peace and stability are the United States and Japan forming gangs, forming cliques, and instigating group confrontations" unquote.
Japan has a dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. The Philippines has had several tense encounters with China in the South China Sea. In fact, just last month, a CNN team witnessed one confrontation while on embed (ph) with the Philippine Coast Guard. And China's provocative moves in the region have drawn regional allies closer together and closer to the United States.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: All right. Thanks, Kristie Lu.
Well, embattled U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to make an appearance at Donald Trump's estate in Florida a little later on today. The visit comes at a precarious time for Johnson, as he seeks job security within his own Republican Party. The pair is expected to hold the news conference at Mar-a-Lago on what they're calling election-related issues.
Let's bring in Alayna Treene, who joins us from Washington. All right. Election-related issues, Alayna what can we expect to come from this meeting?
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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Rahel, Speaker Johnson is traveling to Mar-a-Lago today in part to emphasize his close ties to the former President, of course, as there is a threat of other members in his -- his House colleagues, I should say, who are threatening to strip him of the speaker's gavel. Now, in my conversations with Trump's advisors, they say that this event is being held to highlight and draw attention to what they are arguing are state proposals and lawsuits to have non-citizens voting in the election, excuse me.
And so, I think one thing that just to keep in mind, and I think is very important to point out, is that there is already a federal ban on non-citizens from voting in elections. But, this has really become a somewhat of a rallying cry for Republicans ahead of November. And Donald Trump himself has gone so far as to claim that Democrats want undocumented immigrants traveling into the country in order to vote in the election. Of course, there is no evidence of that actually happening.
Now, there is some nuance to this as well, Rahel, and that is that in some cities across the country, they do allow some non-citizens to vote in certain elections, but it is not a widespread problem, and some of those elections include school board elections, local elections, things like that. But again, something that they're really trying to emphasize and link to immigration, which has become such a huge issue for many voters in the country.
Now, according to our colleagues Melanie Zanona and Kristen Holmes, another focal point of this event today is going to be re-litigating the 2020 election. And remember, both Donald Trump and Mike Johnson very much peddled false claims of fraud in the 2020 election in their attempts to overturn the results. And so, that's really going to be playing a big role in their messaging today.
And one thing I also just want to point out is that they are billing this as a press conference. However, it's still unclear if they're actually going to take questions. When I talked to Trump's team, they say that they do expect them to take questions. But, of course, they sometimes say that and it doesn't always happen. So, we'll see what happens later today, Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. That's important context there. Alayna, any sense, based on your conversations, whose idea was this? I mean, it stands to reason that this benefits Johnson more than it benefits Trump. So, sort of what was the reasoning behind this? Who came up with this idea?
TREENE: Yeah. So, from my conversations with the sources familiar with planning this event, this was more of Johnson's idea. There had been some talk of doing some sort of statement or policy rollout regarding what they are calling election integrity and laying out what I explained before about non-citizens voting in elections. But, instead, Johnson wanted to make this a joint event and appear alongside Donald Trump. And it all comes down to really these threats that he is facing. Mike Johnson has only been Speaker for a few months, but he has already seen a series of his votes fail on the House floor, something other speakers like Nancy Pelosi have never had happened while they were Speaker. And so, this is really a perilous time for him. And so, that's part of this push.
The other thing that we're hearing is that he is going to Mar-a-Lago with something else at the top of his mind, and that is Ukraine funding. It's been a huge issue that Republicans have squabbled over for months now. And I think part of what Johnson wants to do today is figure out where does Donald Trump stand on this, and would he defend him if they bring some type of Ukraine aid to the floor? And so, that'll be another thing we're keeping track of and how that goes today. And there are behind-the-scenes conversations around that meeting.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Really interesting. We'll, of course, watch to see what happens and if they take questions. Alayna Treene live for us in Washington. Alayna, thank you.
All right. Coming up, U.S. consumers are not feeling much better about the economy, but they're not feeling much worse. We're going to break down a new report on consumer sentiment, straight ahead.
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[11:40:00]
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. A new report says that consumers' feelings on the U.S. economy are largely holding steady. The University of Michigan's Survey of Consumer Sentiment shows that at 77.9. That's slightly down from last month, although still well above record lows from summer of 2022, but below pre-pandemic levels. The new data comes on the heels of two disappointing inflation reports, pushing stocks lower this week. Let me bring in Matt Egan now. Matt, with this report, it's usually
less about the actual number, more about the trend. What do we learn here?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Rahel, we watch this really closely because this is really a measure of how people feel. And there is big economic implications. Right? Consumer spending is the biggest driver of the economy. There is also obviously political implications. And so, the latest numbers, as you mentioned, they dipped, not a major drop, but a dip within the margin of error. And the trend is what we look at. And so, the trend is really showing that consumer sentiment has kind of stalled out. Right? On the right side of the screen, you can see the last few months sort of going sideways. The good news is sentiment has rebounded, no doubt, from two years ago when inflation was really, really hot.
I think the bad news is that consumer sentiment remains well below pre-COVID levels, on the left side of that screen. And I think this reflects ongoing concerns about the cost of living. Right? I mean, housing, car insurance. The price to get your car repaired. Energy, obviously, is a huge one. We know gas prices are ticking up. As we're speaking, oil prices are up another two percent, signaling higher gas prices to come.
The other important element of this report, Rahel, is what people think is going to happen on the inflation front. And I think there is some negative news in this report for the Federal Reserve, because it showed that consumers are anticipating inflation to heat up, that prices will be going up at a faster rate in one year from now and also in three years from now. So, that's another thing that we should keep in mind because that really goes to how people are feeling.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Matt, it's been so fascinating in terms of covering the economy, because you have inflation on one hand, which people feel pretty crummy about, but then you have the labor market on the other hand, which has been really strong. But, one thing that companies have had to sort of deal with, because it's been such a strong labor market, is trying to retain talent. And they're thinking about a four- day workweek as a way to possibly avoid burnout and sort of keep hold of talent. Talk to us about that.
EGAN: Yeah. That's right, Rahel. We know that a lot of companies, they're desperate right now to attract talent, but also hold on to the workers they have and make sure they don't burn out. And so, this new survey from KPMG found that 30 percent of CEOs of large companies in the United States, they are exploring changes to the work schedule, including a four-day or a four and a half day workweek, which is, I was struck by how high that number is. Now, they would not have to sell workers on it. Right? Workers love this idea. There is a Gallup poll that shows 77 percent of U.S. workers, they support a four-day workweek. It's pretty hard to get 77 percent of Americans to agree on anything, but they're on board with this idea.
Now, I did talk to Paul Knopp, the CEO of KPMG U.S., and he said, listen, yes, companies are going to explore what this idea. But, no, he doesn't think it's imminent just yet. And he said, listen, it's going to work for some industries and some companies and some workers. It wouldn't work for everyone. But, there is some research out there showing that in the U.S. and in Europe, when companies have tried this, they've liked it. They have found that there were improvements for worker well-being, improvements for worker productivity. So, I don't know. Rahel, what do you think? Should we go ahead and try to do a four-day workweek here at CNN?
SOLOMON: Listen, listen, the managers, they want to hear my response. I definitely think we should go to a four-day workweek. But, Matt, I'll tell you what I was surprised by. I already thought most places were on a four-day workweek, because as you know, I mean, we come in every day. Mondays are pretty quiet in the office. Fridays are pretty quiet in the office. So, I found a lot of people who are already on a part-time hybrid schedule, at least.
Matt Egan, good to have you. Thank you, Matt.
EGAN: Thanks, Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Now, let's take a quick look at how the markets are finishing up the week. The markets are still open, just in case. Here in the U.S., you can see they are solidly lower, the Dow, NASDAQ, S&P, all off almost a percent.
[11:45:00]
The Dow was off about 300 points. It's been a rough morning for the Dow, for sure. The NASDAQ off a full percentage point, and the S&P off nine tenths of one percent.
Let's take a look at Europe and Asia, both closed now, Europe is mixed, FTSE 100 closed up almost one percent, DAX and CAC 40, off fractionally. The Nikkei also closed higher, about a quarter of a percent. The Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite were both lower, with the Hang Seng worst among them.
All right. Coming up, Michael Smerconish, he is going to join us live to recap some of the major headlines from this week. Good to see you, Michael. And we're going to have a preview of what we're tracking for next week. We'll be right back
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. I want to check in now with our friend Michael Smerconish, and there has been plenty on Michael's mind this week, most of all, O.J. Simpson, warping (ph) the nation's attention for a final time on Thursday. His death leaving behind a complicated legacy, the trial of the century for the killing of Simpson's ex-wife and her friend, the United American, while also exposing its divisions. 30 years later, another high-profile case takes the spotlight. The hush money trial against former President Donald Trump begins on Monday.
I want to bring in Michael Smerconish, who joins us now with his thoughts on this tumultuous week. Michael, if I could just start with this news that Evan Corcoran, Trump's lawyer, is formally departing the team, possibly a key witness in the Mar-a-Lago case. That can't be good for any client who is sort of watching their lawyer now leave, and also potentially a prosecutor's witness. I mean, what are your thoughts here?
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, "SMERCONISH", & CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I've always thought that the Mar-a-Lago case was the most straightforward and posed the most legal peril for former President Trump, if it should ever get to trial. Among the four indictments that he is currently facing, it just seemed to me, Rahel, to be the most clear-cut because they have the videotaped evidence. They also have apparently a number of text communications that are damning of the former President. The issue that you're raising is a reminder to me of the extraordinary nature of this case because they were able to pierce the attorney-client privilege.
And so, I'm not surprised that Corcoran would leave. I don't know how, frankly, he could stay. But, I've always thought that that issue is probably the appellate issue for Trump, but that he ought to be concerned if that case ever gets to trial.
SOLOMON: Well, one thing that does appear to be going to trial is this hush money case, which is set to begin on Monday with jury selection. Michael, one thing we've heard from Republican strategists, including on this very program within the hour, is that's not a serious case politically damaging. It's not seriously politically damaging for Trump. Do you think they are underestimating this trial? Or what do you think?
SMERCONISH: It ties in to your earlier comment about the fact that O.J. Simpson has just passed, and that really was the trial of the century. We had the Lindbergh baby kidnapping case in the 30s. That was Bruno Hauptmann on trial. There were no cameras. When O.J. was on trial in the mid-90s, everybody watched. It's been estimated that 150 million people watched that verdict came in. I was one of them, Rahel. It's probably before your time. I know exactly where I was and who was around me at the time.
[11:50:00]
And I think this case would be like that if there were cameras but there aren't. So, the intangible here is, how closely will people follow it when we have to rely on real-time reporting from individuals who are in the courtroom via probably social media? And I just don't know. I know that the polling data says that many of his supporters, maybe as many as a quarter, say, well, if he is ever convicted, then I couldn't stick with him. I don't know if that's true. It depends how this is perceived in the court of public opinion.
SOLOMON: Yeah. No. That's a really interesting point. I mean, the one caveat is that we do expect cameras to be in the Fulton County courthouse, if that case ever goes to trial. But, of course, that's a big question mark because of all of the motions there.
Michael, let's turn to O.J. I do want to get your thoughts on that. It's been really fascinating to watch some of the reactions. Obviously, O.J. was an extremely controversial figure, and even in his death, sparking a lot of conversation. What do you think his legacy and his life revealed about the U.S.?
SMERCONISH: Man, I remember being so upset when that verdict came in because I believed him to be a double murderer, and I still today believe that to be the case. I was so angry that I really couldn't understand, and I don't know that I really wanted to understand what enabled if it were jury nullification for that verdict to come in, and I get it now, in retrospect, having done a lot of reading on this, watched a number of documentaries that it just became so much larger than O.J. for people of color in Los Angeles at that time, and the way in which they perceived the LAPD having treated their community and of course, the Rodney King situation. He became a symbol of all that, and it was an opportunity for -- this is probably a bad word choice, but a leveling of the playing surface. And to the detriment of the Goldman and Brown families.
So, the other legacy, I think, Rahel, is this. I'm a big believer that there ought to be cameras anywhere the public's business is being done. And one of the setbacks for the movement of having cameras in courtrooms was the O.J. case because the perception has been, well, that's what it gets you. No. This was the aberrant case. The judges, pardon me, the judge in this case, Judge Ito, lost control of the courtroom, but this is not what every televised trial would be like, and I wish the Trump trial would be televised.
SOLOMON: It's so interesting, Michael. It was a little before my time, but not so much because I was young. I was quite young. I'm not going to say my age right here. But, I do remember, I remember people talking about it. And what I remember more is the pop cultural references that the case took on for decades. I was talking yesterday with Areva Martin. Jay-Z's latest album 4:44. He talks about the story of O.J. That's the name of the song, and he talks about how race does not transcend wealth. If you are black in America, you are black in America.
But, let me circle back, Michael, because how do you think the O.J. case changed sort of Court TV and just the public demand or public fascination with watching trials?
SMERCONISH: Funny that you should ask, because on my radio show today, our colleague Jeffrey Toobin was a guest of mine. He was in the courtroom every other day. He split his courtroom paths with another journalist, and by a coin toss, Jeffrey was in the room when the O.J. verdict came in. And Rahel, he said to me today, do you know that at the time of the O.J. trial, there were not legal analysts on the payroll of the cable affiliates? And like, look now, we know the personalities who show up on CNN and on the different affiliates because it's become so much an accepted, a necessary part of our culture. O.J. came out of the blue and changed forever, I think, the whole way in which the legal system gets covered, and by whom.
SOLOMON: Yeah. That is so interesting. It's funny, Michael, not funny, but I was watching a documentary last night about O.J., just to sort of refresh my memory --
SMERCONISH: Sure.
SOLOMON: -- and Jeffrey Toobin, a young Jeffrey Toobin was there. And so, it was an interesting sort of walk down memory lane.
Let me let me ask before I let you go, Michael, just in terms of the former President and the type of coverage that he commands because of all of these trials, and sort of the implications of that in an election year.
SMERCONISH: So, I don't know what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks because this trial is going to take weeks. I don't think that the judge sits on Wednesdays. I mean, is this going to be a situation where Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Donald Trump is wedded to that courtroom because he has got to be there, and then he is going to step out and face a bank of reporters, and on Wednesday, he'll travel somewhere? And we are entering yet another area of, what do they say, unchartered waters. I mean, we don't know what this is going to look like.
[11:55:00]
We really don't know because we've never been here before. He has run very much a campaign against what he believes is this persecution and it did well for him among Republican voters. But, this is now a general election season, because he is the presumptive nominee. So, I don't know what it looks like. I just know that come Monday, like the dynamic is about to change again.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And this could be a trial that lasts eight weeks, as you pointed out, not in a session on Wednesday, but eight weeks, nevertheless. A lot to watch. Michael Smerconish, we always appreciate you on the show. Thank you.
SMERCONISH: Thank you. Appreciate you too. All right.
SOLOMON: All right.
SMERCONISH: See you.
SOLOMON: And you can watch Smerconish right here on CNN tomorrow morning starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
Well, British detectives felt a little bird-brained after they discovered why the sirens on their police cars suddenly sounded different. So, the culprit wasn't faulty wiring, but something a little higher up from the ground. Take a listen.
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It happened Monday in the town of Bicester. So, the police department shared this video of the suspect and it quickly went viral, as you can imagine, on social media. The Facebook post said that the bird's off- key three warble had fooled officers -- tree warble have fooled officers all week. Well, it's a nice way to end the week.
We know your time is money. So, thank you for spending some time with me today and this week. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. Stick with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is coming up next week.
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