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CNN International: Middle East On Edge After Iran Attacks Israel; Sunday's Israeli War Cabinet Meeting Ended With No Decision On How To Respond To Iran's Attack; Jordan Warns Iran Against Airspace Violations. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired April 15, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MAX FOSTER, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Max Foster. This is CNN Newsroom.
Two major stories following -- we are following for you this hour. Watching and waiting, Israel's war cabinet considers how to respond to an unprecedented attack from Iran, while countries in the region worry about a growing conflict. We'll have extensive coverage for you. Plus, a history-making trial set to begin in the next couple of hours. Donald Trump will become the first former U.S. President ever to face a criminal trial. CNN is live outside the courthouse, as jury selection in the hush money trial gets underway.
Well, Donald Trump is charged with 34 felony counts and could potentially face years in prison if convicted. The first of four criminal cases against the former President is set to begin this morning in New York City. Trump stands accused of falsifying business records to cover-up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair. Those payments came shortly before the 2016 election that brought Trump to power. We've got much more on what to expect. But, first --
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Decades of a shadow war between two rivals bursts into open warfare this weekend. Israel is weighing up its options following the first ever attack on Israel from Iranian soil. The Israeli war cabinet is meeting this hour to consider its next move, the meeting on Sunday ended without any decision on a response. The IDF says Iran launched more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel in the weekend attack, most of which were shot down. Tehran says it was responding to a deadly Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria, two weeks ago. And now, there is an all-out diplomatic push to contain the fallout. G7 members held a virtual meeting on Sunday, and in an emergency session of the UN Security Council, the Secretary- General urged restraint.
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ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and deescalate. Now is the time for maximum restraint.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us now live from Jerusalem. It does seem as though, Jeremy, the government is thinking about a response, but they're divided on what that should be.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's exactly right, Max. I'm told that Israel's war cabinet is determined to respond to Iran's attack on Israel, the first attack of its kind on Israeli soil, but they are divided over exactly how and when that response should be carried out. The Israeli war cabinet has been meeting for about an hour and a half already today. \
Yesterday, they met for nearly five hours and a very heated debate, I'm told, was carried out during that time. One of the key questions is, how quickly Israel should respond. I'm told that Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, has been advocating for a much swifter response than what we have seen so far, whereas the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far pumped the brakes on carrying out a military response to Iran's attack.
The other consideration, of course, is international support. At this moment, a number of Israel's allies are cautioning it, warning it, urging it, not to carry out a military response to this attack by Iran, or at least to ensure that it is significantly measured. But, as of yet, no decision has been made, as this debate continues, and the Israeli Prime Minister beginning to come under significant domestic political pressure from his right-wing ministers, Bezalel Smotrich as well as Itamar Ben-Gvir on the right wing of this government who are keeping Netanyahu very much in power. They are urging him to carry out a full-scale, a very big attack on Iran. And as of yet, it's not clear if that's the direction that Netanyahu will go in.
Certainly, there is a sense from within the Israeli government that they don't want to squander the kind of international goodwill, in particular from some of their key allies like the United States, in this moment following this unprecedented attack by Iran.
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So, a moment, certainly an inflection point and a lot of decisions that are going to have to be made. It's unclear how quickly this decision will be made. But, certainly, it's being debated right now as we speak. Max.
FOSTER: In terms of the international pressure to de-escalate, it's pretty significant, isn't it, not just the U.S., but countries across the globe. How do they balance that against the will to want to respond when Iran is saying it was just responding in the first place to what happened in Syria?
DIAMOND: Yeah. I mean, look, one of the things that is certainly being taken into account beyond the international pressure is also the fact that the overwhelming majority of these drones and missiles that are on fire, more than 300 of them, 99 percent of them were intercepted. Only a few of those ballistic missiles actually hit the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, causing what the Israeli military has described as minimal damage. And so, that is also being taken into consideration.
But, even if the damage was minimal, even if there were no casualties caused directly by those Iranian missiles and drones, although one young girl was seriously injured by one of the interceptors, the shrapnel from that, nonetheless, the Israeli war cabinet believes that this kind of unprecedented attack on its soil, the first of its kind from Iran launched by Iranian forces from Iranian soil, not the kind of proxy attacks that we have seen in the past, they believe that that merits a response, and that without a response, the kind of deterrence factor on Iran will have been lost. So, they certainly feel like they must act. The question now is, how significant that reaction will be.
FOSTER: OK. Jeremy, thanks for joining us with that.
Jordan has issued a stern warning to Iran after the attack on Israel that it will intercept any drone or missile that violates its airspace. This after what appeared to be explosions in the sky over Amman early on Sunday morning. It appears to be mid-air interceptions, but CNN can't independently confirm that. Jordan's Foreign Minister tells our Becky Anderson, the conflict needs to be stopped at source.
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AYMAN SAFADI, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I think what happened was a sign of how terrible things could be, how dangerous the situation could deteriorate into, unless we deal with the cause of all this tension, which is the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the continued absence of political horizons to solve the conflict as a result of Israeli --
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Yeah.
SAFADI: -- policies.
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FOSTER: Ben Wedeman joins us live with a look at reaction from around the region. And you can understand Jordan's concern, can't you, and this is speaking to the wider concern of this blowing up in the region.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. There is -- Max, there is no love lost between most Arab regimes and Iran. But, when that strike took place Saturday night, you can almost hear a sharp intake of breath across the region because this is the thing that many people fear most, is the possibility of an all-out war between Iran and Israel because it wouldn't just be between the two. It would involve, for sure. Hezbollah here in Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Syria and Iraq, perhaps even the Syrian regime.
So, really, what we've heard is a chorus of calls of restraint coming from many regimes that normally are not on friendly terms with the Iranians, but their real fear is some sort of Israeli response to Saturday's Iranian barrage, which really could set into motion the dynamics that would lead to a downward spiral towards a regional war.
And so, when King Abdullah of Jordan, speaking of Jordan, spoke to President Biden over the weekend, he obviously expressed condemnation for the Iranian attack, but he stressed, as Ayman Safadi, the Foreign Minister did, that what really needs to be done urgently, immediately, he said, is to stop the war in Gaza. You'll recall, before October 7, the Middle East wasn't a calm place but certainly it wasn't what it is today. Since October 7, you've seen violence spreading, not just Gaza, but obviously the border between Lebanon and Israel, the Red Sea. You see these strikes on American positions in Syria and Iraq.
And the feeling is, if the war could be stopped in Gaza, and the United States does have the wherewithal to put the pressure on Israel to do it, that would drastically reduce the possibility of Iran and Israel going head-to-head and pushing this region over the edge into the abyss. Max.
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FOSTER: OK. Ben in Beirut, thank you.
U.S. President Joe Biden has strongly condemned Iran's attack on Israel. He made the comments during a call with Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday. The President also says G7 leaders will work together to stabilize the situation in the Middle East. President Biden told Israel's Prime Minister, he should consider the attack a win since Iran's missiles were intercepted and there was no damage within Israel. The National Security Council Spokesman told our Kate Bolduan, the U.S. doesn't want things to escalate.
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JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR: The President believes that what happened Saturday night was an extraordinary military success, and that it proved Israel is not alone and it proved that Israel has a military superiority it can be proud of, and that they ought to think about what that success or the message that that sends to Iran into the region itself. He has also been very clear, Kate, that we don't want a war with Iran. We don't seek to widen and broaden this conflict. We don't want to see things escalate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, let's take a closer look at the White House reaction then. Arlette Saenz joins us from Washington. I was speaking to an Israeli government spokesperson today, saying that they would require, would expect a U.S. support if they were going to respond militarily to Iran on Iranian soil. But, the Americans and the President are saying that they wouldn't support that sort of action.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max. President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend that they should view their ability to thwart this Iranian attack against Israel as a success. And he also, in that call, according to a senior administration official, said that the U.S. would not participate in any counter strikes against Iran. The focus right now for President Biden is really trying to de-escalate the situation. Iran's attack that occurred over the weekend really risked stepping into a wider regional conflict, something that Biden has tried to prevent since the start of this war on October 7.
Now -- right now, White House administration officials are closely watching Israel to see what their next steps will be. We know that the Israeli war cabinet was meeting this morning to determine the way to respond to Iran. And the White House has been saying through John Kirby this morning that ultimately this is a decision that is up to Israel to make. But, at this time, as had been reported from the President's phone call with Netanyahu, it is not expected that the U.S. would participate in any counter strike against Iran. Now, this is all coming as President Biden today is also set to host the Prime Minister of Iraq, Al Sudani, here at the White House. This will be the first time that we see President Biden since the attack over the weekend. But, it also comes as there are heightened concerns about the safety of U.S. troops in the region, including in Iraq.
There are about 2,000 to 2,500 U.S. troops who are currently stationed there to help in the fight against ISIS. We know that the U.S. and Iraq have been in conversations about the future of those troops in the country, whether they are still needed. A senior U.S. official said that while it's not the focus of their meeting today, it is expected to come up as a topic of conversation. And over the weekend, senior defense officials would not say that they thought there were any additional threats to the U.S. forces who are in the region, but did say that the forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support to protect U.S. forces in the region.
So, while the President is also trying to prevent any further escalation of this conflict between Israel and Iran, one that can potentially draw in other allies as well, he is also keeping an eye on the safety of the U.S. troops in the region, who also helped participate in the ability to thwart Iran's attack over the weekend.
FOSTER: OK. Arlette at the White House, thank you.
To Sydney, Australia, now where authorities have arrested a man after reports of a stabbing attack inside a church earlier today. A warning, images of the attack are graphic. They were posted on social media. The attack happened at Christ the Good Shepherd Church, where the suspect can be seen attacking a clergyman during a sermon. A bishop was amongst several people reportedly stabbed. It happened in Wakeley in Western Sydney. Police say none of the victims received life- threatening injuries, and it comes after a man fatally stabbed six people at a mall in a Sydney suburb over the weekend. He was fatally shot by a police officer. Five women were amongst those killed. Police say the attacker may have been targeting women.
Coming up, the Middle East is on edge as Israel considers its next move following an unprecedented attack by Iran, the latest on where this precarious situation stands right now, coming up. Also coming up, the room where it happens, jury selection begins soon in Donald Trump's first criminal trial. We'll go live to the courthouse when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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FOSTER: History is being made today. In just about two hours, jury selection is set to begin in Donald Trump's hush money case. It'll be the first time that a former U.S. President has faced a criminal trial. Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, charges that stemmed out of his alleged efforts to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had a sexual relationship with Trump. Hundreds of potential jurors will be brought into the court and asked dozens of questions to determine if they can be fair and impartial in deciding Trump's guilt or innocence. As for the defendant, he is trying to turn the case into a rallying cry for his supporters.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On Monday in New York City, I will be forced to sit fully gagged. I'm not allowed to talk. Can you believe it? And I'm proud to do it for you. Have a good time watching.
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FOSTER: Well, our coverage begins outside the courthouse where we are awaiting Donald Trump's arrival. That's where we find our Brynn Gingras. She is right there. And the security is on a different level, I understand.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It really is. We've already seen some protests, some supporters show up, Max, and they are actually being pushed into a particular area, even one actually tried to be brought behind our cameras here and immediately they were brought away. But, the security around the building, it's going to be at a frozen when the former President makes his way down here.
Court expected to start in about an hour and 10 minutes or so. And as you just mentioned, when it does get started, there is that process of jury selection. 500 people are going to be called to jury duty today, but that's not all for this trial. There is 100 at a time that will actually be called into Judge Juan Merchan's courtroom, and from there, they're going to be vetted. They actually have -- we've been told that the judge is going to dismiss them if there is any sort of conflict in their personal lives, like can't get child care, issues like that. And then after that is when they begin the process of asking 42 questions related specifically to that trial -- this trial.
Some of those questions are whether or not they've attended or worked at a rally for Trump? Where do they get their news? Do they listen to Michael Cohen's podcast, as he is a major witness in this case? And from there, then each side, the prosecution and Trump's team, they get 10 strikes. They can tell 10 people without questions whether or not they want them on this jury. But, it's going to be a process to find an impartial jury, of course, when it comes to Donald Trump, as he is very well known, not only for being the former President, but certainly here in New York as well. We expect this process of the trial to last about a week to two weeks, and then of course, opening statements for this historic trial can begin. Max.
FOSTER: OK. Brynn, thank you so much.
Now, this will, or well, may be one of the most challenging jury selections ever, finding people who can be impartial about Donald Trump.
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It won't be easy.
For more on that, let's bring in CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson. Thank you so much for joining us, Joey. I mean, he is one of the most famous people in the world. He is also very divisive. So, how do you find someone that can be impartial?
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, & CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: With great difficulty and with some challenges, but it can be done, Max. Good morning. Look, the reality is, is that what happens is, is that they have a host of questions that they'll certainly be asking the jury to make an assessment as to whether this jury is fair and can sit for the President. Remember what the judge has done. The judge has already indicated that those people who self- identify and say this trial is not for me, they will be immediately excused. But, that's not the only safeguard.
There is an additional safeguard two respects. The one way is that they're called challenges for a cause. In the event that you question jurors further and there -- they seem to indicate that they have some bias about them, you can approach the judge and have them removed. That is stricken from the jury for a cause. Those challenges are unlimited. As Brynn Gingras was reporting as well, there are these what are called peremptory challenges. Those are discretionary challenges, because you may not get a proper vibe from a juror. It has nothing to do with really whether they're bias but just having to do whether or not you think they're fit for this jury. So, yes, it will be challenging, but it certainly can be done.
Last point, Max, and that's this. It's not whether you have opinions about the case. It's not whether you like the President, dislike the President. It's whether you can put those aside and base your decision on the facts and evidence, on the merits of the evidence you hear that's been done throughout the country, numerous times with many celebrities and many important people and many unimportant people. Everyone is important. But, the reality is, is making the distinction. This obviously is the President or former President of the United States. I think as challenging as it will be, our system demands it, and it shall be done. A fair and impartial jury will be impaneled to hear this case.
FOSTER: Away from all the rhetoric that will come out of this case, if he is found guilty, it doesn't actually make much difference, does it, in terms of his ambitions for the White House.
JACKSON: It really could. The two ways really to address that question, the one is that, certainly, as it relates to his supporters, Max, they appear to be entrenched (ph) that we're going to vote for you no matter what. And in fact, it seems like it's a rallying cry as we look at the 34 counts of falsifying records, the Class E felony, the four years in jail. And of course, he says he is not guilty, and every defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
So, from a political perspective, he certainly could get elected. What would be of interest to me, Max, is whether the judge, if the judge sentenced him to time in prison, what would that do in the event the President were elected? How can you now be in prison and then serving in the White House? Not a far-fetched really proposition to talk about, and it's something that could very well happen. We'll have to wait and see.
FOSTER: In terms of how I might use it, I mean, you can assume that he is -- if you look at the other appearances, legal appearances he has made, he has used it as part of his political campaign. Hasn't he? But, I know that he is going to be present during this case. But, how often will he be allowed to speak and use it as a platform?
JACKSON: Yeah. I think every day. Yes, he'll be present. But, just remember the society that we're in, this trial is going to be covered not only in New York, where it's taking place, as we look at the former President there, it'll be covered throughout the country, and in fact, internationally. And so, talk about press and talk about campaigning, there you go. You have the ability to connect with voters' right there.
I would suspect, Max, that after every appearance, he will come, court appearance that is, which he is required to be at, I think he'll come out and he'll address the public, talking about a witch-hunt, talking about corrupt system, talking about weaponization of prosecution, talking about him being a victim, him being innocent. So, I think he'll be campaigning in New York, although he'll be campaigning throughout the country while being in New York at every occasion he gets.
FOSTER: Now, we are expecting him to testify (inaudible). Do you think he is going to play that straight in terms of his legal defense?
JACKSON: So, it's always an open question, because, will he testify? Will he not testify? That was probably going to be a game-time decision. And so, I don't know that even if he said he will testify, whether that will actually take place. But, you have to be careful, because if you do testify and you do really give the indication or make misrepresentations and you fib, the judge can hold that against you in terms of sentencing. I'm not suggesting that he is or intends to lie on the witness stand. What I'm saying is it's a warning. Any defendant who testifies and if the judge has the sense that your testimony is fabricated, they can and do generally use that against you in terms of sentencing.
[08:25:00] So, be careful in the event that he does testify. And I think his team will be speaking with him as to whether that would be in his interest.
FOSTER: It's going to keep me busy, for sure. Legal Analyst Joey Jackson, thank you for joining us.
Law enforcement officials say they will deploy a sophisticated and multi-layered security plan greater than that of Trump's previous high-profile cases in Manhattan, as Brynn was saying, but Polo Sandoval has more detail.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we all remember the security presence that was dedicated to former President Donald Trump during his civil fraud hearings, and also during some previous appearances here in criminal court. I think of that as really the precursor to what we will begin to see here Lower Manhattan starting on Monday when his trial gets underway. This is a months-long planning situation that will involve many agencies.
I'll give you sort of a preview of what we could expect, for starters. The NYPD will be mainly in charge of securing the area around the courthouse, using some of these barricades to create what are called like these frozen zones to secure the area around the facility itself, especially as the former President arrives and then certainly as he leaves. Any potential Trump supporters or protesters, the NYPD will be really getting their presence to this park across the street, essentially creating a safety zone or at least a bubble here between members of the general public and what's going on inside.
The Secret Service, their main responsibility will be protecting the former President. They will also be the ones to determine what motorcade route they take here from Trump Tower that's about six miles away. A law enforcement official telling my colleague Mark Morales that they will likely, that route will vary from day to day. And then finally, court officers, their responsibilities will be behind these walls. They'll be mainly in charge of the former President's movements, even dedicating a specific elevator that will be the one to actually take Donald Trump up to the courthouse where the proceedings are going to take place.
Look, some good news here. These agencies, they are all used to doing this, and working hand in hand before. What we'll certainly set this situation apart is that now it's not just a former President facing trial. It's a former President that is currently running for President.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
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FOSTER: Well, next, our CNN special coverage of the Trump hush money trial begins at 9 a.m. in New York, 2 p.m. in London.
This just into CNN, the crash that brought down the bridge in the U.S. city of Baltimore is now under federal criminal investigation. Six workers died when a cargo ship slammed into the bridge last month. An official tells CNN, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard are leading the investigation into the disaster, and whether the crew failed to report an earlier issue with the vessel that delayed its departure.
Coming up, Israel is facing international pressure to de-escalate, as the country weighs its next move following Iran's drone attacks over the weekend. We'll have the very latest for you coming up. And we'll have much more on Donald Trump's first criminal trial. A look back at the events that led up to today's jury selection, coming up.
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FOSTER: Israel's war cabinet is meeting once again in the wake of Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack over the weekend. It follows an hours-long cabinet meeting on Sunday that ended without a decision on how to move forward. Officials tell CNN the cabinet is engaging in a heated debate about the timing and the scope of the response.
Meanwhile, a diplomatic push is underway to prevent further escalation in the region. U.S. President Joe Biden met virtually with G7 leaders on Sunday in hopes of stabilizing the situation. The European Commission's President is also urging restraint.
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URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Such a direct Iranian attack against Israel is unprecedented. Today, we, the leaders of the G7, condemn this in the strongest terms. We expressed our solidarity and support to the people of Israel, and reaffirmed our unshakable commitment towards its security. Iran's actions risk provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation, and this has to be avoided.
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FOSTER: Let's take a closer look then at what's going on behind the scenes diplomatically. Barbie Nadeau joins us now live from Rome, because Italy has been leading the charge.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: That's right. Italy is holding right now the rotation of the G7 presidency, and that's a very important role especially because when these -- when the G7 presidency is in Europe, there tends to be a lot of focus on what's going on in the region. To that point, I think a lot of people were hoping that the presidency could be focused more on the war in Ukraine and some of the diplomatic efforts there, some of the efforts to stop the situation there. Instead, everything is, of course, focused on Israel now, their potential response to what's happened over the course of the weekend.
Now, one of the things that the G7 is set to do, the foreign ministers are going to be meeting on the 17, 18, 19, that's Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, of this week in Capri, that's an island off of the coast of Naples, and that's going to be led by Italy, of course, in terms of the diplomacy and the dialogue and everything they hope to get done there. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also be attending that meeting. Now, of course, everyone is looking for ways in which this -- they can use the word de-escalation in ways in which they can caution Israel in terms of their response, justifiable as it may be, in order to try to keep things calm.
One of the things, though, that will slip by the wayside that was on the agenda for this G7 meeting here in Italy is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been, of course, pushed to the backburner as everyone is trying to get the situation to just simmer down just a little bit, Max.
FOSTER: What real authority do they have on this, away from the words of warning?
NADEAU: Well, they -- obviously, there is -- it's not going to be a binding resolution or anything like that that they can get out of this meeting. But, it is important, diplomacy in these situations is crucial. It's about the only binding tool there is or non-binding tool there is. And Israel, whether they'll listen or not to these G7 countries, it's super important that these countries are together. They're on the same page.
One of the things, of course, that European countries are most concerned about is trade in the region. They use the Red Sea for much of the trade and transport. And as long as things are volatile in the region, of course, all of those things are put at risk as well. So, diplomacy will be at the highest levels, or are not quite the highest levels, I guess. Foreign Ministry is not quite the highest level. But, they will be very, very important. What comes out of this meeting will be very, very important. And the discussions both that are held on the public stage and behind closed doors and in the quarters will also be incredibly important in these coming days, Max.
FOSTER: Yeah. Absolutely. Barbie, thank you so much for that.
The new trading week gets underway in the U.S. in about an hour and we'll see how the market reacts to Iran's attacks on Israel. And the Asian and the European markets were pretty mixed to Iran. Anna is here. They don't have much to go on. They were really reacting to what's happened on Saturday.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were reacting to that, but also they reacted very much on Friday in anticipation of those attacks. So, we actually saw an all-time record high for gold. We saw a big rise in terms of the oil price. So, today, what you're seeing is actually almost a pullback in terms of some of the risks for those asset classes.
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Oil, looking at that today, Brent crude is down nearly one percent today, which I think leads into this argument that there was a lot of risk going into the weekend, and now perhaps there is a feeling that unless the situation escalates further, the risk is no longer as worrying. With oil being the key asset class to watch out for, it's an interesting one, because Iran isn't just a supplier or a major supplier of oil. It's actually the fact that Iran sits on the Strait of Hormuz, which is, of course, one of the arteries of trade when it comes to oil. Around a fifth of the world's oil consumption runs through there. So, that was the risk going into the weekend.
Equities very much mixed, Europe's mix. The U.S. is actually looking to open higher, and I think it's going to be earnings there today, to be honest. Goldman Sachs just reported before the bell, very strong set of earnings.
FOSTER: If it does escalate, it's a completely different story, isn't it, because it brings in closed air space, like trade routes, as you say, and countries that genuinely do contribute a huge amount of oil to the world.
STEWART: And you have to look at the safe havens where you would expect money to be flowing, stocks like defense stocks. And as you mentioned, airline stocks, where you would imagine you'd see some sort of pullback as air spaces close. So, there is always a lot to look at in the markets when you're considering a story like this one. Right now, today, it looks like investors are waiting to see what happens next. But, there is no huge concern of an escalation of this stage.
FOSTER: What's the main concern right now?
STEWART: For investors, probably as ever, inflation is central banks, Max. It has been the case all year. Interestingly, oil prices are up 20 percent this year alone, and that is on conflict in the Middle East and concerns. And gold, I was just looking, gold prices are up 14 percent this year as well. So, that does go to show that while there is a lot of focus on interest rates and central banks and inflation, there is also a lot of concern about geopolitical rates.
FOSTER: Yeah. Yeah. OK. Anna, thank you so much.
Israel bound to exact a price from Iran when the timing is right. Earlier, I spoke with the Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, about to Tehran's direct attacks, what the next steps may be, and despite this escalation, why Israel's objectives in Gaza haven't changed.
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DAVID MENCER, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: We had 170 suicide drones, 120 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles, aimed at my people here in Israel. That meant Israeli mums and dads, kids in and out of bomb shelters, most of Saturday night, miraculously. Thanks to the IDF, but also thanks to the U.S. as well, we managed to repel that threat. But, listen, I want to pose a simple question to you, whether it's in the UK or the U.S. What would you do? What would the U.S. do if just one, just one of those cruise missiles was aimed at Andrews Air Force Base, or in the UK at RAF Brize Norton? We are standing on the frontline of this terrorism. We know that Iran
is the axis behind all of the terror in our region. It's -- Iran is Hamas in our south. Iran controls Hezbollah in our north. Iran has the Houthis in the straits of the Red Sea. Iran has Shia militias in Iraq attacking U.S. forces. But, I'll tell you, together with our allies, we're ready, and we're prepared for every eventuality, offensive and defensive.
FOSTER: Will there be a response?
MENCER: So, that's up to our people. We have caught our government. That's up to them in terms of how they do. The primary responsibility of every single government is the protection of their people. But, whether there is a response or not, we're fighting Iran every single day. There are rockets coming over from -- Iranian rockets coming over on our northern border to Hezbollah -- from Hezbollah every single day. We've got 60,000, 60,000 residents displaced in our north, about the same number in our south from -- because of the threat from Hamas, which means that our war aims remain the same. We are going to destroy Hamas. We're going to get back our 133 hostages. And of course, we're going to make sure that Hamas does not pose a threat to us ever again from Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: My conversation earlier with the Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer there.
Now, as Ukraine's struggles to fend off Russian aerial attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Iran's attack on Israel proves the modern air defense systems saved lives. Nearly all of the hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles fired towards Israel were intercepted and destroyed. Mr. Zelenskyy says that's all he wants for his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): The whole world sees what real defense is. It sees that it is feasible. And the whole world saw that Israel was not alone in this defense. The threat in the sky was also been eliminated by its allies. And when Ukraine tells its allies that unity provides the best defense, they are already well aware of its effectiveness. They are aware of it and ensure it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched 130 Iranian-made drones against Ukraine this week alone.
[08:40:00]
Most were intercepted. But, he says it was harder to destroy the more than 80 Russian missiles and 700 guided bombs fired this week, including the missile that flattened this neighborhood in Kherson.
Up next on CNN Newsroom, we go back to the New York courthouse where Donald Trump is expected to arrive any minute now. Also ahead, the U.S. President wants to see tensions de-escalate after that unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel. More on White House reaction, coming up.
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FOSTER: Now, we want to take you live to New York because Donald Trump is heading towards that historic case. He is going to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. You can see how he has got his convoy. This is the biggest security operation we've actually seen for any of the Trump trial cases and appearances. And what makes it significant is that we've never seen a former President in this situation before.
So, the -- in terms of public access to the courthouse, we're hearing from Brynn a little earlier, who is outside, the public very much being pushed back. They didn't want any risks here. And this will be the picture presumably going ahead. Today is all about jury selection. Joey Jones (SIC) describing how it's such a huge challenge when you have such a public figure, but also someone who is very divisive. But, this is something they felt confident the court could handle pretty adequately. But, you can see the scale of that convoy, Donald Trump's convoy, a former President, not even a current President, but of course he does have the support from the CIA. But, as I understand, it won't take too long to get to the courthouse. He is obviously getting a lot of help there with traffic as well. He has got a police car. They're out front.
Now, CNN's Kristen Holmes is outside the courthouse. She summed up exactly what's happening just a short while ago.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If you have any indication of where Donald Trump's mindset is out, you can look at his Truth Social. We've seen a series of posts over the last couple of hours ranting about this case, particularly the gag order against him, a lot of it not true, saying that they are, they being the court, is able to speak about him, but he is not able to speak about them. I think we can all agree. We haven't seen anything from the judge in this case posting about Donald Trump on social media. But, he is expected to leave Trump Tower within the next half hour. And when he gets there, that's the beginning of jury selection.
So, what exactly does that look like? We are talking about 500 people, Manhattan citizens, and that is important because Trump's team had hoped that some of the outer boroughs would be considered. Those of the boroughs where they're most likely to see a Trump supporter. Then they will come in. They filled out a questionnaire, which I will get to in one second. Once that weeds out people, you're talking about roughly 100 people going into the courtroom at once to be vetted.
[08:45:00]
Ultimately, they're going to land on 12 jurors with six alternates there.
Now, let's talk about what exactly they're going to be asked in the questionnaire, because again, this is what's going to be the first line of defense. It's going to weed out people automatically. Some of the questions there are, where do you get your news? Do you follow Trump on social media? Have you ever attended a Trump rally? Do you have any affiliation with groups like QAnon, the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers? Have you ever participated in an anti-Trump event? Then they will move on to this vetting by the judge. And just to note, both the prosecution and the defense are allowed to veto without any questions asked, 10 people on each side.
So, this is just the beginning of what could last up to two months, this trial as a whole. What does that look like? As you said, this is unprecedented. You're going to have Donald Trump. He is required to attend in a courtroom, roughly four days a week. There are going to be some holidays here and there. That is every weekday except for Wednesdays. How does this square with his campaign? Well, we're really not sure yet. This is the real juggling act you're about to see. They had said that he was going to campaign on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We know there is nothing on his schedule this Wednesday, but there is a chance he is actually going to hold events around New York during the court days after he gets out of court, possibly on those Wednesdays, and we know that he is expected to travel on every Saturday.
Now, at the end of all this, I do want to just note here because this is what we're all working towards, what are the possible penalties if Donald Trump is convicted? So, we're going to pull this up for you, maximum prison sentence, if he is convicted on those 34 charges, four years for each count. But, there is a 20-year sentencing cap for this type of felony. Also, he could be sentenced to probation, and the President cannot pardon himself in state crimes.
FOSTER: So, Donald Trump, obviously, heading towards the court now. Kristen speaking to us a little earlier on, but a large motorcade there towards this very historic trial. And as Joey was describing to us, even if he is found guilty of this, he can still carry on and campaign in the presidential election and potentially getting into the White House as well. But, there has been some polling suggesting that a criminal record would put some voters off. So, we will wait to see how that plays out.
But, we're going to go to Brian Todd now, who has more on how this really historic case came together.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't until almost 12 years after the affair allegedly occurred that the world first learned of the allegations of hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. In January 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that, in the weeks before the 2016 election, Donald Trump had arranged a $130,000 payment to the adult film star to keep her from publicly discussing their alleged 2006 encounter. Later, former Trump Attorney, Michael Cohen, testified that Trump directed him to make payments to Daniels, quote "for the principal purpose of influencing the election, and that Trump later reimbursed him." Cohen served jail time for campaign finance violations related to the hush money payments, and gave jarring testimony to Congress. MICHAEL COHEN, DONALD TRUMP'S FORMER ATTORNEY: I am ashamed that I
chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.
TODD (voice-over): Donald Trump has always denied having an affair with Stormy Daniels. In April 2018, Trump was asked by reporters about hush money payments.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, did you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels?
TRUMP: No.
TODD (voice-over): But, later in 2018, in an ethics filing, Trump acknowledged reimbursing Michael Cohen for more than $100,000, but didn't say what it was for. Daniels spoke to Anderson Cooper in a CBS interview about the alleged payment.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "60 MINUTES": Was it hush money to stay silent?
STORMY DANIELS, ALLEGES AFFAIR WITH DONALD TRUMP: Yes. I believe without a shadow of a doubt in my heart, and some people argue that I don't have one of those, but whatever, that I was doing the right thing.
TODD (voice-over): That same year, The New Yorker magazine detailed reports that Trump had had an affair with former Playboy model Karen McDougal. She spoke to Anderson Cooper about it.
KAREN MCDOUGAL, ALLEGES AFFAIR WITH DONALD TRUMP: The only regret I have about the relationship that I had with Donald was the fact that he was married.
TODD (voice-over): The Wall Street Journal reported four days before the 2016 election that the publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid had paid McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story shortly after Trump became the Republican nominee for President, but that the Enquirer never published the story.
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, AUTHOR, "THE MAKING OF DONALD TRUMP": Catch and kill, that is pay someone and then kill a story that would be damaging to Donald.
MCDOUGAL: I knew the story wasn't going to be printed. They didn't want to hurt him.
TODD (voice-over): Trump has denied having an affair with McDougal. He was indicted a year ago on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the Daniels hush money payments. He has pleaded not guilty.
[08:50:00]
Cohen, Daniels, and McDougal, are among those expected to be on the witness list for this trial. How credible a witness would Daniels be? SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: She seems like she would make a
very good witness. If I were trying the case. I'd be happy to put on the stand. What really helps the prosecution here is what she is talking about is all corroborated in the documents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Brian Todd reporting for us there. Do stay with CNN for full coverage of the Trump hush money trial. You can see Trump actually heading to the court. It's about to begin.
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FOSTER: Taking you back live to New York where we have live pictures, as you can see, of Donald Trump's motorcade making its way to the lower court -- the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, rather, Manhattan, rather. He left Trump Tower just a short while ago. Road pretty clear for him and a huge amount of cars. This is a historic threshold really for Donald Trump, but also when you consider that a former President is going on criminal trial. And it has so much significance because it goes back also to his time when he was at the White House, in the Oval Office.
There will be jury selection on the first day. He'll be present for that. And lots of questions about how you select a jury that can be completely impartial and independent when he is such a well-known and divisive figure. But, this is all about the hush money payments allegedly made to an adult film actress just before the 2016 election, which is why it plays into his role as President last time.
And just another extraordinary twist in this story around Donald Trump. When he has appeared in relation to other criminal or sort of court cases, he has obviously used them as a platform for his political ambitions as well. So, this idea that the establishment is out to get him is something that we expect to hear, not necessarily in court, but certainly outside court, and when he addresses the cameras, which we could expect him to do every day. He is expected to testify as well. At least he said he was going to do so. So, that'll be an interesting insight into how he views this case and how it plays into his wider case in terms of getting back into the White House.
He -- in 2024, in this presidential election, he could actually lose this case and go into it as a convicted felon, which would be an extraordinary situation, but under the Constitution, it wouldn't actually prevent him if he lost this case, but it will obviously be very high profile and play into all the political campaigns. But, he is slowly making his way to the courthouse. He has been in Trump Tower. And the whole world really is watching, extremely tight security around the courthouse, as we understand from Brynn Gingras, who is there. Crowds being pushed back more than they normally would be. So, I think the authorities in New York aware of how much attention there is here and how it needs to go as smoothly as possible despite all that attention.
[08:55:00] This is about a payment to a woman who alleged she had had sexual relationship with Trump. Important to make the point that he denies that, and a lot of this will come down to any sort of paper trail that proves her case, and she will be appearing as well, you'd presume.
But, thank you for joining me here in CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster. CNN's special coverage of Donald Trump's hush money trial begins at the top of the hour. We're also bringing the very latest developments, of course, in the Middle East as they come in. Join my colleagues Erica Hill in New York and Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, who will be here after the break.
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[09:00:00]
