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President Trump And His White House Versus The Democrats And Their House Up On Capitol Hill; Pilot Is Taken Away In Handcuffs, Arrested In A Triple Murder Case; Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Kamala Harris Is Giving Congress A Hypothetical Ultimatum On Gun Control. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 12, 2019 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:00:26] ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: It is 6:00 eastern time. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Alex Marquardt in this evening for Ana Cabrera.

In just a few hours, the beltway battle begins anew, after a short weekend break.

A new workweek in Washington is beginning. The President and his White House versus the Democrats and their house up on Capitol Hill.

Deadlines, subpoenas, and the President pushing back on probes coming at him from literally 20 different directions.

Here are a few of them in no particular order: The President's taxes. A powerful house committee chairman has formally issued a subpoena for President Trump's tax returns. It's the strongest official demand yet for papers that Trump has, of course, so far refused to give up. The speaker of the House could get involved if that subpoena is not honored.

Then, the attorney general. The House Judiciary Committee voting to recommend that Congress hold him in contempt over his refusal to hand over the full, un-redacted Mueller report. That same committee might hit other administration officials with contempt charges this week and issue them all at once.

And what about Robert Mueller? Will he ever testify before Congress? Judiciary officials say, yes. Not this week. They are working on another date. President Trump either doesn't want Mueller to testify or doesn't care. His position on the subject has changed several times.

And look at all of these Democratic-led investigations, at least 20 of them. The White House is pushing back on every single one.

And that's where we find our CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

Looking at all those investigations, Jeremy, the deadlines, the subpoenas. There are only so many hours in a day, so which of those issues do you think are going to be top of the pile on the President's desk tomorrow?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, we are certainly going to see this battle continue between the White House and Capitol Hill, not only this week, but in the weeks and likely months to follow. But it has been already several weeks since the President vowed to fight all of the subpoenas. And one of those subpoenas is going to face a federal judge's ruling this week.

On Tuesday, we are expecting a federal judge to rule on whether the President can or cannot block a subpoena from the House oversight committee demanding the President's financial records from one of his former accounting firms.

And then on Friday, we are also going to see that subpoena request from the House ways and means committee for the treasury department and the IRS to submit the President's tax returns. That is also on Friday. So, we are seeing some movement on several of those fronts.

But the White House is maintaining its position in saying that several of these requests from Democrats are either unlawful or out of bounds in some way. And the White House in a statement is sticking to that position today.

The White House deputy press secretary saying, Steve Gross, saying there are rules and norms governing congressional oversight of the executive branch and the Democrats simply refuse to abide by them. This White House will not and cannot comply with unlawful demands made by increasingly unhinged and politically motivated Democrats.

But we are also going to see some decision making happen on the front of House Democrats this week. They have to decide how they are going to enforce some of these subpoenas, how they are going to push back against the White House's stonewalling or refusal to cooperate with some of these investigations. And there really is a push and pull within the Democratic caucus on this, on how far to go. And also a wariness of giving in to the President, of giving him what he wants here.

MARQUARDT: Right.

DIAMOND: Which as we have heard the President say, these investigations, impeachment possibilities, all of that, he believes, will help him politically. So Democrats also have to figure all of that out - Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right, well, a big week ahead.

Jeremy Diamond, we know you'll stay on top of all of it. Thanks you very much.

So joining us on all of this are former DOJ prosecutor Joe Moreno and former Trump White House lawyer Jim Schultz.

Thank you gentlemen for joining me this evening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to be here, Alex. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy to be on.

MARQUARDT: Jim, I want to start with you. If you were still in the White House, you would be dealing with all of these investigations and subpoenas that are piling up. We just went through that long list. What do you think of this White House strategy that we are seeing play out here of essentially stonewalling on each of them?

JIM SCHULTZ, CNN LEGAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I think they are picking - they are stonewalling in each of them. They are making legal arguments in each of them. Look, there has been forever there's been a push and pull between the executive branch and the legislative branch of government. And especially when you have a Republican or a Democrat in the White House and the opposite party in Congress, you are always -- that fire is always going to be fueled even more. So, there is no surprise that the Democrats are going to overreach and the Republicans are going to push back on it.

As it relates to the tax returns, we just saw that they didn't turn over the tax returns and that now a subpoena is going to issue or has been issued. And I think in that instance, you are going to see some real pushback on that, and they are going to go to the legislative purpose of the request, the fact that it was only - they are asking for six years and not the one year that he was in the White House.

[18:05:25] MARQUARDT: Right.

SCHULTZ: That, again, it's overreach by Congress.

MARQUARDT: Joe, do you think that this stonewalling can continue for a long time? Do you think Democrats will eventually get what they want, it's just a matter of time?

JOSEPH MORENO, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROSECUTOR: Well, Alex, time is definitely the essence, right? I mean, this will all take time. Whether you call it stonewalling or whether you call it legitimate counterarguments. I mean, reasonable people can disagree, certainly. It will take time, though.

And when I see that list of 20 or so investigations that you put up recently, I mean, some definitely jump out as stronger than others. So I have to think that for issues that have to do with while President Trump was in office, meaning how he handled the Mueller report, the issue about security clearances, that seems right for Congress to get that information because it has to do with what's happening right now.

Things like the President's tax returns when he was a private citizen, things like accounting records from his accounting firm when he was a private citizen, that seems like more of a reach. So, I think that while the general consensus is that Congress will probably have the benefit of getting most of these materials, some will certainly going to be more hard fought than others.

MARQUARDT: Both of you have mentioned these tax returns, which, of course, Democrats have been demanding since the days of the 2016 campaign.

Jim, as you noted, Democrats are asking for six years' worth. The acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, swears that Democrats will never see them. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICK MULVANEY, ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF: This is just about trying to embarrass the President for past goings on --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's embarrassing about his tax records?

MULVANEY: That's what they want to know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it?

MULVANEY: I don't know because I've never seen them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there something embarrassing about his tax records?

MULVANEY: I don't know because I've never seen them, and I don't care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: So Jim, do you think after all of this pushback about the taxes for years now that it's becoming obvious to some extent that the President is trying to hide something?

MORENO: I think this is the Democrats trying to use the powers of Congress to do political opposition research, especially as it relates to those years going back beyond the November -- I'm sorry, January of 2017, when he was sworn in.

I mean, if you go back to the Teapot Dome scandal, the reason why they wanted the tax returns was because of conduct that took place during the administration. And if you -- and there has to be some legitimate legislative purpose to that. While it's not explicit in the statute, certainly it was implicit in what Congress was attempting to do back in the 1920s during that scandal.

So, I think there's going to be -- I think the treasury department's on firm footing there. They have good lawyers in that department in Brent McIntosh. And I don't think -- he is not a person that's going to lead them astray. They are going to have legitimate arguments to be made that are likely to go before the court. They have two options -- one, they can do nothing and Congress can file for contempt, or two, they can seek to quash those subpoenas. I think we are all going to have to wait and see how they handle it.

MARQUARDT: Joe, could you respond to Mick Mulvaney there and tell us why we, the American public, needs to see the President's tax returns?

MORENO: Well, I get why a lot of the American public wants to see the tax returns. I mean, that's legitimate requests, right? But the fact is that -- and I agree with Jim on a lot of what he said -- I mean, if you leave it optional for Presidential candidates to release their tax returns, you can't get too upset with them if they opt not to release their tax returns. So I get very much why people want to see them, but the reality here is that President Trump did not need to release them. If we want to change that going forward, we can certainly change that in the law. But as far as Congress' demand to get these returns, I don't think that's one of the stronger of the various different investigations that they are pursuing. My recommendation, if I was advising House Democrats, go with quality over quantity. Go with the investigations that have a better chance of succeeding in court.

MARQUARDT: Well, the other thing, of course, that Democrats want to see is Robert Mueller testify in front of Congress.

Jim, we have seen the President going back and forth on that question of whether he should testify. Would you like to see Mueller in front of Congress?

SCHULTZ: Whether or not I want to see Mueller testify before Congress is irrelevant. I don't sit in Congress. But I think in this case --

MARQUARDT: But do you think that there are still questions that he needs to be asked?

SCHULTZ: -- up to the justice department. I don't think that there are, right. I don't think there are questions need to be asked. Certainly Congress is going to be curious about one thing, why did he punt on obstruction? And that's something that they are going to want to ask about.

The other issues were fully flushed out. I think that's one that they are going to want to try to drill down on, and that's where the focus of the questioning is. That's what everyone's talking about in the news cycles is why did he do what he did on the obstruction issue.

[18:10:04] MARQUARDT: Right, why did he punt it. And we still don't have a date, of course, for his testimony. It's looking more and more likely.

Joe, what would you ask Mueller if you were up there on that dais?

MORENO: Well, I agree, it's really not so much about the Russia collusion part. That's pretty nailed down. It's the obstruction part. It's how much did the OLC, the justice department policy about indicting a President weigh into his decision about not ultimately making a recommendation one way or the other.

One thing I would add, though, is that I would have cautious expectations. Bob Mueller is a by-the-book guy. I do not expect he's going to kind of go off on extraneous answers to questions. I think he is going to stick largely to the script of his report.

MARQUARDT: All right. Let's leave it there.

Jim Schultz, Joseph Moreno, thanks so much. MORENO: Thanks, Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right, well, a murder mystery that may finally be solved four years after a Kentucky couple are found dead. An airline pilot is now charged with killing them as well as their neighbor. The couple's son joins me next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[18:14:38] MARQUARDT: Picture this. You are at the airport waiting for your plane to take off when, suddenly, the pilot is taken away in handcuffs, arrested in a triple murder case and then charged with killing a couple and their neighbor back in 2015. Passengers, not surprisingly, were stunned. Here is what we know.

Pilot and army veteran Christian "Kit" Martin, was arrested early Saturday morning at the Louisville, Kentucky, airport. The army vet was court-martialed back in 2015. At least one of those killed, Calvin Phillips, was preparing to testify against him.

CNN's Natasha Chen has been looking into this very complicated case. Here's her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[18:15:15] NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An arrest has been made in a brutal triple homicide that is haunted a Kentucky community for years.

ANDY BESHEAR, KENTUCKY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today we can announce an indictment of Christian Richard Martin for three counts of murderer.

CHEN: Martin is charged with the 2015 murders of Calvin Phillips, his wife Pamela and their neighbor, Edward Dencero (ph). Authorities say Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his home and his wife and neighbor were found in Pamela Phillips' burned up car a few miles away in a cornfield. At the time Martin expressed little concern about being charged in the case.

CHRISTIAN RICHARD MARTIN, SUSPECT: No. I have no worries about that.

CHEN: He was arrested at the Louisville airport Saturday. He has worked as a pilot for PSA airlines, a subsidiary of American airlines since January 2018.

American airlines released this statement. All of us at American airlines and PSA airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015. Our team was made aware of the indictment this morning after his arrest at Louisville international airport. We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation.

The airline says Martin has been placed in administrative suspension pending the investigation. The attorney general credits Matt Phillips, the son of the victims, keeping the case alive.

BESHEAR: He was worried that the case was stalled and was worried that justice would not come. We hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up on a case.

CHEN: One of our affiliates, WSMV in Nashville, did an investigation showing that one of the victims, Cal Phillips, may have needed to testify in a case where martin was court-martialed in 2015, but two weeks before that case began, these murders happened. We talked to the former attorney for martin, who said martin is the poster child for life is unfair.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: All right, our thanks to Natasha Chen.

Now I want to bring in the son of the couple that was allegedly murdered by pilot Kit Martin in 2015. Matt Phillips joins me from Louisville, Kentucky.

Matt, thanks so much for speaking with us this evening.

MATT PHILLIPS, SON OF COUPLE ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY PILOT: Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Matt, I can only imagine how emotional this moment is for you after this arrest. I do want to ask you about that arrest of Kit Martin. But first, tell me about your parents, Calvin and Pamela Phillips. Tell me what they were like.

PHILLIPS: I think for the majority of anyone, your parents are your biggest fan, right? My mother taught me to read, taught me to drive, told me I could be anything I wanted to be in my life. My dad loved me unconditionally.

On top of that, they were great citizens. My father was a military veteran himself. My mother was a VP at her bank and gave willingly of her time. They were good people. And they answered a call when a neighbor said they needed help. They protected kids who were being domestically abused, and they died for that. So, they are my heroes, and I think a lot of people could fall in that.

MARQUARDT: I'm so sorry. But describe for me what you thought, what was going through your head, what you were feeling when you heard that the suspect in your parents' death was arrested on Saturday.

PHILLIPS: You know, finally. It's been three-and-a-half years. We have been terrified. Our community has been terrified. My parents were brutally murdered. And I think a lot of relief has come. But you know, honestly, we are just one step in the next journey of this, right, the next phase. So, we have got a long way to go but a lot of relief on our side and in the rest of the community.

MARQUARDT: Yes. I can only imagine. We just heard the Kentucky attorney general there giving you credit

for your persistence. We have heard that over the past few years you were very involved in this case. You checked in with law enforcement as well as the district attorney's office. Do you have any idea how law enforcement finally cracked this case and found Martin?

PHILLIPS: You know, I think it's up to law enforcement to convey that, but I'm very thankful that we are here. I can tell you it's rare sometimes for homicides to be solved. And I think that we are just thankful that we are where we are.

MARQUARDT: Your father, as we mentioned in the setup to this, was set to testify in the pilot's court-martial case. Do you know what your father was planning to say?

PHILLIPS: You know, what my father was planning to convey was actually conveyed. He handed over pictures of a sub-16-year-old boy who had been beaten violently, choked multiple times. He had those pictures that he handed over. He also handed over a disc that contained classified information that never should have left an army post. And really, all of those things came out without their deaths. I will say that Martin was dishonorably discharged. He is in my view not a military veteran. He was shamefully kicked out of the military. My father had a lot to do with that. And I think we should all be thankful for that, frankly.

[18:20:12] MARQUARDT: Your father was a military veteran himself. Do you think that that played some role in his decision to come forward and speak with the authorities and comply?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. My father viewed the status of an army officer as somebody who should be true always. And when you have someone who is violently offending children, he felt that that was completely unbecoming of an army officer, and he came forward with that.

I'm proud of my parents for that. They stood strong. They stood as any citizen should. And I think that they should be commended for that. And the fact that they ultimately were assassinated because of that stance is fairly repulsive. And unfortunately, it's the reality that we have today.

MARQUARDT: If this pilot's issue was, indeed, with your father, who as we mentioned, was set to testify, why your mother and the neighbor as well?

PHILLIPS: You know, I think you are talking about a person who doesn't think logically. I don't think a normal human being thinks about murdering anyone, so that's a question that maybe someone can ask Kit Martin. What I will say is that he did what he did, and we have to go forward and have justice come out of it.

MARQUARDT: In your mind, what is justice?

PHILLIPS: I would like to see at least life, but frankly, the death penalty for me would be on the table. We have a lot of emotions, you know. No family should ever have to go through what we have gone through. No family should have to come to their childhood home and have their parents never speak to them again. Nobody should ever have to clean blood of their parents at their House. So, we have a lot of emotions. I have a lot of emotions. I think we are angry. We are outraged, I think as anybody would be.

MARQUARDT: And in light of all those emotions, we thank you very much for coming on tonight. Matthew Phillips.

PHILLIPS: Of course. Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right, well, just days after another deadly school shooting in America, some of the 2020 candidates are making their stance on gun control abundantly clear. The major step that senator Kamala Harris says she would take if she were President.

You are live in CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:26:05] MARQUARDT: Democratic Presidential candidate senator Kamala Harris is giving Congress a hypothetical ultimatum on gun control. She laid out her policy in an exclusive interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For anyone who sells more than five guns a year, they will be required to perform background checks on the people they sell them to. And this will be the most comprehensive background check policy that has ever been had in our country thus far.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Can that be done by executive order?

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, it can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Kamala Harris is just the latest 2020 candidate to tout tougher gun control policies. We hear now more from CNN's Rebecca Buck.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm afraid that one day I'll go to school and he'll never come out. I'm sorry.

REBECCA BUCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A student and a mother --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's devastating that my 6-year-old had to be taught how to hide and stay quiet in case someone came to her school to shoot people.

BUCK: Both brought to tears by gun violence in America and looking to 2020 Democratic candidates for answers.

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am tired of going to funerals where parents are burying their children. We are going to bring a fight like the NRA has never seen, if they're going to defend corporate gun manufacturers more than represent its people.

BUCK: Senator Cory Booker this week laying out a sweeping gun reform plan -- a 14-point approach that would expand background checks, close loopholes and ban assault weapons. And just as drivers need a license, booker thinks gun owners should, too, a process that would require fingerprints, an interview, and completion of a gun safety course.

BOOKER: Enough is enough. I will not only lead this fight, but we will win this fight.

BUCK: Not long ago, candidates would have shied away from this fight, lest they risk alienating voters or getting the wrath of the NRA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave you defenseless.

BUCK: But that's changing. Now Democrats aren't just talking about gun control --

HARRIS: But we need reasonable gun safety laws in this country.

BUCK: -- but putting it front and center.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will be the first campaign to make ending gun violence the top priority in my campaign.

BUCK: It's a welcome change for Kris Brown, President of the gun reform advocacy group BRADY.

KRIS BROWN, PRESIDENT, BRADY CAMPAIGN: The new normal absolutely is the Presidential candidates on the Democratic side in this particular race actually really thinking thoughtfully about what the right solutions are and laying claim to those solutions.

BUCK: In a recent CNN poll, 65 percent of Democratic voters said it's very important that the Democratic nominee supports executive action for stricter gun laws, ranking the issue third behind climate change and Medicare for all. Activists say the mass shooting last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, marked a turning point in the national debate.

BROWN: That ignited something in this country, not just in Parkland, not just in Florida. It sparked a nationwide movement of youth who were active on this issue, who voted on this issue, and they still care passionately about this issue and so do their families.

BUCK: Those voters helped sweep Democrats to victory in 2018, like Lucy McBath, who ran on gun reform in suburban Atlanta and won, a blueprint, Democrats believe, for doing the same at the Presidential level.

BOOKER: I'm running for President for many reasons. This is one that we will get it done. We will get done.

BUCK: Now, even as this issue is getting more attention from the Democratic field, there is not yet a consensus among the candidates on gun policy. Beto O'Rourke saying he does not fully agree with booker's plan and that gun licensing may be a step too far.

Rebecca Buck, CNN, Charlotte.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: Thanks to Rebecca Buck there.

Now, "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman is one of the celebrities at the center of a widespread college admissions cheating scandal.

[18:30:00] She is due in a Boston courtroom tomorrow. Ahead, we have details on her plea deal. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: China has vowed it will retaliate against President Trump's hike in tariffs, and one of the ways they could do that is by importing fewer American products, specifically crops. And that could potentially deal a devastating blow to American farmers who are already dealing with the fallout, not just from this standoff but from severe flooding as well.

[18:35:09] Lyle Benjamin is the president of the Montana Grain Growers Association. Lyle, thanks for speaking with me tonight.

LYLE BENJAMIN, PRESIDENT, MONTANA GRAIN GROWERS ASSOCIATION: Absolutely. I'm always happy to talk farming.

MARQUARDT: Lyle, you say that farmers were already hurting before these most-recent talks with China broke down. If you would, put us in the shoes of farmers. What has life been like for farmers during all this upheaval, this uncertainty, during this trade war?

BENJAMIN: You know, farming was really good for about the first 10 years of this century. A lot of people came back to the farm. Their -- the economy was really rolling hard in farm country.

That kind of started to tip over a little bit in 2014. And then since this trade war has escalated, it has really taken a downturn for us.

We've seen real capital struggles. Guys are having trouble financing their yearly operating notes. It's been tough to move product, whether you're a corn farmer, a soybean farmer, a grain farmer, or, you know, a wheat farmer.

We've seen the India tariffs really wipe out all this market for U.S. farmers. It's pretty tough times right now.

MARQUARDT: We saw last July the President announcing a $12 billion program to help the farmers that you're talking about. Do you feel like those subsidies have given farmers any sense of relief?

BENJAMIN: You know, they helped, but in the scheme of -- larger scheme of things, they're kind of a drop in the bucket. On my farm, it represents maybe a hundredth of a percent of my total budget.

So, you know, when we're looking at the market losses we've seen with -- from decline in Japanese trade, specifically from decline in Chinese trade, and the uncertainties with North American free trade and USMCA agreements, you know, that's a drop in the bucket.

That payment represents maybe just a few percent of the losses my own farm has seen. And those losses look the same, I would say, across the northern plains, Great Plains, and the farming belt.

MARQUARDT: One of the other solutions that the President has been floating -- and this was just in the past hour, via Twitter. He said that the U.S. government would use money that it gets from these tariffs to buy food from American farmers and then distribute that food to starving people around the world.

Would you be in favor of a move like that? Does that make sense to you? Do you think it would be helpful?

BENJAMIN: With all due respect, that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard. To start with, it's not WTO-compliant. It would be considered dumping by the WTO, so right at the forefront, that's a major problem for all grain farmers.

We'd love to feed hungry people around the world. I applaud that part of the idea. But it's -- you know, it's just not a good idea.

The other component of that, that we rely on so much in the farm industry, is the free-market price development or price establishment strategy. If the government's buying all the grain, we lose that price establishment mechanism, and now we're working with a set price.

Other countries around the world that compete with us -- there's Australia and Canada particularly -- will just set their prices a few cents underneath whatever our government price is and continue to outcompete us. So it's -- that idea's really a nonstarter.

MARQUARDT: So if that's a nonstarter, what would you like the -- to see the President do?

BENJAMIN: Y'all, what we really need is open free-trade markets. We need the USMCA agreement to be ratified by Congress. We need to be in CPTPP with the Asian Pacific Rim countries.

And frankly, we need the tariffs to go off of the China deal. We need a trade agreement with China that works well and is equitable.

Certainly, there's been troubles with China, and there's absolutely things within the U.S./Chinese relationship that needs remedy to make trade equitable for all industries. But right now, the farmers are taking it in the shorts. The collateral damage to the A.G. industry in the U.S. is almost indescribable right now because of these tariffs on China.

MARQUARDT: And much of the President's base of support is from these states that are being affected most dramatically. Do you think that your message is getting through to the White House, to the President?

BENJAMIN: The administration has been fairly consistent in their trade stance. We've had conversations with the administration, and it's -- I haven't seen the changes that we are looking for as an industry yet, but we continue to push the message.

[18:40:01] And we continue to ask for USMCA and participation of CPTPP and to get this Chinese trade agreement put together and signed, sealed, and delivered.

MARQUARDT: All right. Lyle Benjamin, thanks very much.

BENJAMIN: Absolutely.

MARQUARDT: And now, this week's "Before the Bell." Here is CNN's Alison Kosik. Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Alex. It's all about trade. Analysts say stocks could sink if there's no progress on a China trade deal. Last week's talks in Washington ended without an agreement. One strategist tells CNN Business, stocks could fall as much as five percent next month if there's a complete breakdown in talks.

Fears of an all-out trade war sent the market sharply lower last week. The selling started when President Trump threatened to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products. By Friday, the administration made good on the threat. The VIX, a market index that tracks volatility, shot up to its highest level since January.

This week, tariffs will likely be a hot topic when Walmart reports earnings. Last fall, the world's biggest retailer asked the Trump administration to pull back on tariffs, warning they would hurt its customers, its suppliers, and the U.S. economy.

So has that happened? Well, we'll see what the company says on Thursday, but its stock price has held up. Shares of Walmart have gained about 20 percent over the past year.

In New York, I'm Alison Kosik.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:43] MARQUARDT: New today, Houston police say that blood evidence linked to missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis has been found in the hallway of her stepfather's apartment. And the Harris County Assistant District Attorney says that there is a substantial likelihood that the stepfather, Derion Vance, may be charged with murder.

Right now, the stepfather is in custody, charged with tampering with evidence, namely, a human corpse. He reported Maleah Davis missing just over a week ago. Law enforcement officials, at this point, are not confirming whether the little girl is alive or dead.

Police do say that a laundry basket was found in the trunk of Vance's car along with a gas can. They're asking anyone who may have sold the gas can to him to call the authorities. Houston police also say that cadaver dogs responded to the scent of decomposition in Vance's vehicle.

Now, it's another day of reckoning tomorrow for the "Desperate Housewives" star, Felicity Huffman. She's expected to appear in a Boston courtroom on charges related to the college admissions cheating scandal.

Huffman will plead guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Authorities say that she paid $15,000 to have someone correct her daughter's SAT exam in order to, of course, improve her score.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me now. Polo, thanks so much for joining me.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

MARQUARDT: Where are we on this case?

SANDOVAL: You know, Alex, this court appearance has been weeks in the making. We've known about this for quite some time here, specifically because, as you may recall, that the actress was among 13 parents who worked out a deal with prosecutors back in April, agreed to plead guilty in this college admissions scandal.

They agreed to plead specifically to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, and in exchange, prosecutors said that they would no longer pursue any more charges. And then they would also recommend incarceration at the so-called low end of the sentencing range, potentially maybe a few months versus a few years.

And that could possibly come with a $20,000 fine, maybe even a year of probation after any possible sentence. However, we should remind viewers that, ultimately, it's going to be the judge who will decide on any sentencing.

Also, let me take you back, Alex, to April, when Huffman released a statement, fully admitting guilt and shame. In her statement -- I'll read you a portion of it and I quote -- she wrote, my desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.

As you mentioned a little while ago, prosecutors have maintained that Hoffman paid $15,000 to essentially facilitate a better SAT score for her daughter -- her oldest daughter. Hoffman have -- has also said, Alex, that her daughter had no role in this scheme here.

MARQUARDT: Right, right.

SANDOVAL: And also important to remember that tomorrow is simply going to be another step in this -- what seems to be this --

MARQUARDT: This saga.

SANDOVAL: -- never-ending saga, this scandal.

MARQUARDT: Yes.

SANDOVAL: Basically, what the judge is going to do is formalize this deal that they both have worked, both Huffman and prosecutors. Sentencing, that's likely going to happen at a later date.

MARQUARDT: But, of course, Huffman is not the only celebrity caught up in all this.

SANDOVAL: No.

MARQUARDT: We have Lori Loughlin --

SANDOVAL: Right.

MARQUARDT: -- famously of "Full House." She and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, they, however, are pleading not guilty. So any sense of how they might be able to convince a jury that they didn't do anything?

SANDOVAL: It's a big question, I think, that we could potentially see answered when and if this goes to trial.

We should remember, though, that they both have had constant opportunities to take up a potential deal, just like Huffman did, but so far, they have indicated that they are not prepared to do that. They are prepared to, at least for now, fight these charges when and if this case goes before a jury.

So, yes, as you correctly point out, it's a very different route that they're taking versus Huffman that will be back in court tomorrow to formalize this plea deal.

MARQUARDT: What a story.

SANDOVAL: Yes.

MARQUARDT: Polo Sandoval, thanks very much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks, Alex. Appreciate it.

MARQUARDT: All right, coming up, what is in a name for the royal baby?

[18:49:34] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: In honor of Mother's Day, the official Instagram account of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared this photo of royal baby Archie's little feet. The background has forget me not flowers which were Princess Diana's, his grandmother's, favorites.

So here's CNN's Jeanne Moos with a reality check for the royals.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They used to be two, then baby makes three. And now, baby has a name, a bunch of names.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is official.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

MOOS (voice-over): But you can call him.

BALDWIN: Baby Archie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Little Archie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prince Archie.

MOOS (voice-over): Actually, he's not a prince yet. Archie met the Queen, but his dad and mom decided against bestowing any aristocratic titles on their son for now.

He was introduced to the public at Windsor Castle. Meghan caressed him while Prince Harry picked off lint. Mom described motherhood as --

MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Magic. It's pretty amazing. I mean, I have the two best guys in the world, so I'm really happy.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: He's already got a little bit of facial hair as well.

(LAUGHTER)

PRINCE HARRY: Wonderful.

MOOS (voice-over): Amid all the oohing and aahing, some offered a reality check.

Read one mother's tweet, very much enjoying the irony of watching Meghan and Harry talk about the magic of parenting, whilst my 3-year- old screams, "you're not my mommy anymore," at me for not painting her nails correctly.

And how about these top six name suggestions for the new royal baby? I do not give a (INAUDIBLE).

But you know who gave the baby's name the royal treatment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything's Archie. Ooh! Archie's here.

MOOS (voice-over): The ginger-haired comic strip character greeted the news with, "I'm baby." And someone wondered, how can Archie be the prince when Jughead wears the crown?

It's a lot of name for someone seven pounds, three ounces.

[18:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

MOOS (voice-over): Mom and dad reportedly just like the name Archie while Harrison comes from son of Harry.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": They had the baby on your birthday, and there's a rumor --

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: Yes, that kid stole my thunder.

KIMMEL: Yes, really.

CLOONEY: My birthday.

KIMMEL: You will be the godfather to the child. Is that true?

CLOONEY: That's -- that would be a bad idea.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS (voice-over): All this royal baby hoopla, Archie is probably saying, wake me up when it's over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can say that again.

MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: As families across the country come together to celebrate Mother's Day, a Georgia family is mourning the loss of their husband and father.

Sergeant Kelvin Ansari of the Savannah Police Department was fatally shot Saturday night while responding to a report of a robbery.

He was a 10-year veteran of the police force and served previously 21 years in the Army. Ansari leaves behind his wife and four children. They are aged 5 to 25.

Another officer was injured in the shooting and was treated and released. So far this year, at least 18 police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Alex Marquardt in this evening for Ana Cabrera. Thanks for joining us on this Mother's Day.

[18:59:54] Tonight, imbalance of power?