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Soon: House Votes On $95 Billion In Military Aid For Ukraine, Israel, And Taiwan; Full Jury Panel Selected For Trump's Criminal Trial; House Debating Multi-Billion Dollar Foreign Aid Bills, Includes Help For Ukraine, Israel, Indo-Pacific Region; New Yorkers Weigh In On Whether Trump Jury Can Be Impartial; "Blue Carbon: Nature's Hidden Power" Premieres Sunday 9P ET. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired April 20, 2024 - 12:00   ET

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

MARK ESPER, FORMER UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: And frankly, U.S. foreign policy now going back at least since the end of World War II.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And the House Speaker Mike Johnson has said, he is now ready to do the right thing, even if it costs him his job.

And you can watch the rest of our conversation and all of my interviews at amanpour.com. Plus, you can find all our shows online as podcast at cnn.com/podcast, and on all other major platforms.

I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching, and I'll see you again next week.

[12:00:42]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, and thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right. Happening right now, the House of Representatives is in session for a rare high stakes Saturday vote. Live pictures right now. Right now, lawmakers are debating military aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, totaling $95 billion.

GOP hardliners are pushing hard against more Ukraine aid. But supporters, both Republican and Democrat insists the aid packages are critical for national and global security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): The world is on fire. From Putin's full- scale invasion of Ukraine, to Chairman Xi, threatening Taiwan in the Pacific, to the Ayatollah, rearing his ugly head, invading Israel through his proxies.

The eyes of the world are upon us. And history will judge us by what we do here and now.

REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): Today, with the vote on Ukraine security aid, we rededicate ourselves to who we are. We meet today under the white dome above us, a universal symbol of freedom and freedom loving people everywhere.

And today, we cannot disappoint those who seek what we have.

REP. FRENCH HILL (R-AR): In two years, we'll celebrate the 250th anniversary of this country, this freedom, this democracy, which would not have happened without money from the Netherlands, money from France, guns from France, and Navy from France.

Allies stood at the side of the birth of this nation, the birth of freedom was born here. So, today, we come to this House floor to see that freedom is fought for here in this House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In the next hour, lawmakers are expected to begin voting on the three long awaited funding bills. And to sweeten the deal for House Republicans a fourth bill contains sanctions for Iran, a seizure of frozen or Russian assets, plus a potential nationwide TikTok ban.

GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson was able to push the Bipartisan bills through Congress this week with the help of Democrats. It's a move that could cost him his job, as some hardliners in his party have threatened to introduce a measure to terminate his leadership.

We have a team of correspondents covering the developments for us, Priscilla Alvarez is there in Washington. Let's begin with Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.

Manu, I mean set the stage for us. What's going on right now? How do we expect this to play out?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a hugely significant moment. In fact, right now, House Democrats are meeting in the room behind me, because they are central to what's happening here on the House floor.

They are the ones who are going to supply the key votes to get this package over the fill and finish line, essentially salvage this bill after Republican divisions could have scolded us on the first procedural vote yesterday.

Yesterday, you saw a significant number of House Democrats essentially advanced this measure to the House floor, amid these Republican divisions. There are those so Ukraine supporters within the House Democratic caucus, of course, who are applauding Mike Johnson's efforts.

But there are significant divisions among those on the far-right, members of the House Freedom Caucus. People don't want to spend a dime more money for Ukraine. And on top of that, the decision by the Speaker not to include new border security provisions as part of this package has caused a revolt on the right, with some threatening to move forward to seek his ouster.

And talking to Republicans is very clear. There are bitter feelings, ill will, and a large part in the aftermath of the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy last fall, and those bad, bitter feelings are still lingering in the -- in the conference. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELI CRANE (R-AZ): What good came of getting rid of Kevin McCarthy? Well, I think one of the best things that came on it was a precedent has been set, you can't just do whatever the hell you want, regardless of what the voters that sent us here, what they want, what they demand, and what they deserve.

REP. DERRICK VAN ORDEN (R-WI): It's time for these people to start trying to legislate and stop trying to be popular. OK? So, we have to make hard decisions. That when your decision is solely based on whether or not someone's going to talk bad about you on social media, you're not thinking right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:05:04]

RAJU: So, right now, there are three Republicans who are supporting the effort to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership.

That Marjorie Taylor Greene is leading the effort. She got the support of Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar. Those are two other conservative -- very conservative members of the conference.

Others have gone right up to the line and suggested they'd be open to it. But if this does go forward, that would mean, Democrats will be essential here to essentially scuttling this effort on the first procedural move and saving Mike Johnson's job.

Will they do that? There are several of them who said that they absolutely will. But the Democratic leadership has yet to take a position on this. Yes, that's one of the questions here that they may have to grapple with.

Whether what Marjorie Taylor Greene decides to do, also inserted our colleague Ali Maine, just asked Greene outside the House floor, whether or not today was the day to try to force that vote seeking his ouster?

So, Of course, she can call for that vote, it would happen within two legislative days. She declined to comment on her plan. So, still a question about how she plans to proceed. Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Manu, if the vote goes through today for any number of days, then, how quickly with the U.S. Senate act?

RAJU: It's still a bit uncertain. Now, Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader did indicate that there have been ongoing discussions to try to get this done quickly. He said there is a tentative agreement, in fact, to take this up by early next week.

There is an expectation potentially that this could be cleared in the United States Senate on Tuesday, and that would cap the end of what's been months and months of battling mostly among Republicans about how to proceed on this issue.

And after two months after the Senate passed a bipartisan plan, that collected dust for about two months, until Mike Johnson made his own move. But ultimately, this proposal that was expected to land on the president's desk not too different from that plan that passed the Senate about two months ago.

WHITFIELD: All right. Manu Raju, we'll check back with you. I know you're keeping an eye on a lot of activity, people coming and going there, likely to do some of your great reporting. Thanks so much.

Priscilla Alvarez, also in Washington now.

Priscilla, so, the president has been waiting for this day for a long time to try and get money approved, especially for Ukraine. How is the White House responding as, you know, they wait probably on the edge of their seat, whether indeed it is going to pass through?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden has thrown his support behind these national security bills. And to your point, Fredricka, the president asked for these funds last year. They have desperately wanted to see them get passed.

And the White House has maintained over the course of all this time that it is urgent and necessary for Ukraine.

Oftentimes, when President Biden would come out to talk about the necessity of these funds for Ukraine, as well as other national security priorities, he would frame it as a national security priority, noting that they cannot cede any ground to Russia.

And in an op-ed this week in The Wall Street Journal, President Biden called it a "pivotal moment". And in a statement yesterday from the White House Office of Management and Budget, they echoed that. Saying, "Passing this legislation would send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a pivotal moment. The administration urges both chambers of the Congress to quickly send this supplemental funding package to the president's desk."

Now, it's important now that they note the strength of American leadership. Because over the last several months, what we've also seen is a recurring topic of discussion in the president's conversations with world leaders, in which he has affirmed that the U.S. will stand by Ukraine. But that has been a difficult argument to make when these funds are stalled in Congress.

Now, we should also note that US officials say the stakes are high. In fact, this week, CIA Director Burns said that Ukraine could lose the war by the end of the year if they don't get these funds. So, all attention on the House floor today.

WHITFIELD: All right, and we'll be watching as well. Thank you so much, Priscilla Alvarez and Manu Raju.

All right. And don't forget you can catch Manu tomorrow morning on "INSIDE POLITICS" at 8:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. All right. Let's talk further on all that's taking place. We're about to take place on Capitol Hill.

With us right now, Stef Kight, she is a political reporter for Axios and Daniel Lippman is a White House reporter for POLITICO. Great to see both of you.

DANIEL LIPPMAN, WASHINGTON REPORTER, POLITICO: Thank you.

Stef, you first. I mean, these aid packages have bipartisan support, which is a real rarity these days in Congress. How significant is it for Speaker Johnson to push these bills through even with the risk of his own job on the line?

STEF KIGHT, POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: I mean, there is huge pressure on Johnson to finally get this done. There has been growing pressure on him to act on this by -- these bipartisan bills for a long time now. We know that in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, Republican leader there has been pushing -- putting pressure on Johnson to move on this, knowing that despite there being a real divide within the Republican Party, that there is still significant support for continuing to provide needed aid to our allies in Ukraine, as well as Israel, the Indo Pacific, et cetera.

So, this is a huge moment for Johnson. And, of course, it comes with enormous risk, especially facing a motion to vacate.

[12:10:03]

And we'll see whether Marjorie Taylor Greene, actually makes good on her threats there. And we'll know very shortly whether she does.

WHITFIELD: OK. And Stef, we're going to take a pause a moment. Let's listen to Steny Hoyer and what he has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD): -- will remain loud and clear for all to hear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice over): OK, we'll have, I have to re-rack some of that, you know, in order to hear the totality of what the representative was saying.

So, Daniel, you know, for you, for months, President Biden has been urging Congress to pass this military aid bill for Ukraine, if it does, indeed go through, how big of a win is this for him? What is this telling him also about the days ahead and working with members on both sides on Capitol Hill?

LIPPMAN: Well, most voter -- most voters don't vote based on foreign policy. It might be a change this year because of how salient Gaza is. But this gets him back in a position to show the Ukrainians that we're not going to abandon them. For Speaker Johnson, it also secures his legacy a little bit on this issue. He was worried about how history was going to view him if he had let down a Ukraine and we had heard that Ukraine could have fallen by the end of the year without this money. They had been out of ammunition, and he does not want that on his watch.

WHITFIELD: But Daniel, what's your opinion as to what change because Speaker Johnson wasn't always on board with more money for Ukraine. But in recent weeks, we're seeing, you know, he's had a change of heart, or at least, his emphasis has, has now turned toward assistance. What do you suppose changed?

LIPPMAN: There's been a huge pressure campaign, in terms of former generals of the U.S., and also the Ukrainians, and Europeans, telling Johnson, this is very important.

And also, we haven't seen opposition from Trump to this package. He has kind of stayed neutral. And so, if he had come out swinging against this, then, that would have tanked it.

But he even said the other day, hey, Europeans are not helping Ukraine enough, either. And so, I think Johnson also, if Trump gets reelected in November, his negotiating position to have a good deal with the Russians would be much stronger, if this package comes through in the next few hours.

WHITFIELD: And Stef, if this package does go through in the next few hours, what do you suppose this means for Speaker Johnson? Does this embolden him on his power or persuasiveness to get things done? Or does this put him back on his heels, trying to save his job, win greater popularity among those Republicans who have been more than reluctant about this, and actually think about that question.

Let's listen now to Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): You walk into the festival site and see hundreds of memorials to the innocent victims who were murdered in cold blood. At kibbutz Kfar Aza, we saw homes riddled with little bullet holes and burned to the ground with people still in them.

This is what Israel is up against. This is what Israel must defend against. Maniacal terrorism dedicated to the destruction of not just the state of Israel, but of all Jews. Israel fights not only to destroy Hamas's Iran-backed military capabilities, but to send a clear message to our adversaries who seek to erase the Jewish state, you will not be successful.

President Biden, leader Jeffries, and Democrats have fought for months to send this critical security assistance, as well as life-saving humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people who are also victims of Hamas. A vote against this bill is a vote to deny that aid. I am proud to support this vital effort to help Israel in this existential ballot, battle, and aid civilians. And I urge my colleagues to join me to free Gaza from Hamas. I'm Israel hi. I yield back the balance of my time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlewoman yields. Gentleman is recognized.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I yield to the gentleman --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Daniel, I wonder if you could, you know, address what I was talking about with the House Speaker, you know, Johnson. And if this does go through, what does this mean for his demeanor, his posturing, his power?

LIPPMAN: Well, he's had a tough time in terms of learning the ropes. This was someone who -- most Americans had not even heard of when he was elected Speaker after that long battle. And so, and there is a lot of doubts about whether he'd be able to keep this tiny majority in November.

And so, I think this gives him some muscles where he can actually enact some of his agenda. He doesn't have that much because you have a Senate controlled by Democrats. But this secure some of his power because he doesn't look weak where he puts up -- like bills like, you know, to impeach Mayorkas, and you don't get any -- it had -- he had to do it another time to do that.

And so, this he is trying to -- he seems to have figured it out this complicated puzzle today.

WHITFIELD: All right. You know, and Stef, just on the heels of what Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz was talking about, zeroing in on Israel, and this $95 billion package includes $26 billion for Israel, if this goes through, broken down, sort of in this way.

[12:15:12]

$17 billion would go to offensive and defensive weapons for Israel, whilst $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and elsewhere. And I wonder if there's any real specificity about that humanitarian aid. Who would -- if this -- if this bill is passed, who would be responsible for the dissemination of that humanitarian aid?

KIGHT: You know, I mean, this inclusion of humanitarian aid is, of course, hugely important to, you know, Democrats at large. And, you know, this is an issue where we've continued to see Democrats divided on how to address the situation in Gaza, we have seen President Biden face pressure within his own party to kind of navigate a very difficult domestic political position as we're trying to support Israel, while also acknowledging the need in Gaza right now.

And so, this will be this is -- you know, much attention has been paid the Republican divide over our response to Ukraine in this package, but we are also likely to see some Democrats who feel that the U.S. is not doing enough to kind of condition the aid that we provide Israel when we're looking at what's happening in Gaza as well.

And to your other question about Speaker Johnson's legacy, how he comes out of this, you know, the question really is who you're asking there, because he is once again, having to rely on Democrats to get through some of the biggest moves and biggest packages he's had to handle thus far. And we know, you know, whether or not we see a motion to vacate, he has ruffled some feathers within his own party, and there will continue to be more conservatives in the House, who are going to continue to push him and be upset and point to the fact that he had to rely on Democrats, even for the procedural vote to get this to the floor.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Stef Kight, Daniel Lippman, thanks to both of you, as we continue to listen to our representatives there on the floor, make their arguments for or against the voting of this in all $95 billion foreign aid package. Thanks so much.

And the House is set to vote on these critical aid bills later on this afternoon. Of course, our team was following all of it. And Donald Trump, former president back on the campaign trail for the first time following jury selection in his historic criminal trial.

What comes next for the former president as opening statements are now scheduled to start Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:22:20]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

All eyes are on Capitol Hill right now as lawmakers take to the House floor. Live pictures right now on a rare Saturday session to debate multiple foreign aid bills, including aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as a national security bill that includes new sanctions against Iran, the seizure of frozen Russian assets, and a measure that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok. Much more on all of that straight ahead.

And opening statements in the historic first ever criminal trial of a former president are set to begin on Monday. Donald Trump will return to a Manhattan courtroom, as prosecutors present their arguments in the New York hush money case. But before they begin, Trump is hitting the campaign trail, holding events in North Carolina later on today.

His stop in the Tar Heel State comes after a dramatic final day of jury selection. CNN's Kara Scannell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "We have our full panel." That announcement from Judge Juan Merchan after jury selection concluded. 18 Manhattanites, 12 jurors, and six alternates, now seated. DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm sitting at a courthouse all day long. This is going on for the week. And this will go on for another four or five weeks, and it's very unfair.

SCANNELL (voice over): Trump appeared board much of the trial day four, as attorneys on both sides probe potential jurors until they filled the remaining five alternate seats. Moments after the full jury was picked, a bizarre and tragic moment outside court, as a man set himself on fire.

Authority say he was previously known to the police, and while they are searching for any domestic terror connections, that is not believed to have been the motivation. In court, a handful of prospective jurors became emotional. One was excused after she told the judge she had anxiety and was worried as the trial goes on, more people could know she is part of the jury, saying, "I might not be able to be completely fair and not emotional, so that concerns me."

Another was dismissed after she began crying, saying, "I'm sorry, I thought I could do this. I wouldn't want someone who feels this way to judge my case either. I don't want you to feel I've wasted anyone's time. This is so much more stressful than I thought."

A third was sent home after noting she was feeling anxiety and self- doubt. As she listened to a line of questioning about the credibility of witnesses.

At the defense table, Trump set flipping through papers with charts, photos, and graphics. He whispered and past notes with his lawyers, and at some points, was hunched over with his elbows on the desk.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger started off questioning potential jurors, telling them, "This is not about Mr. Trump being a former president. It's not about his being a candidate for the presidency. It's only about whether the evidence proves he is guilty."

[12:25:02]

During her presentation, Trump leaned back in his chair. At one point, his eyes closed. Trump's attorney Susan Necheles, focused on bias against the former president. She told those in the jury box, "You all bring biases, and you particularly bring biases about someone who is as publicly and outspoken as President Trump. There is nobody that doesn't know him in this room."

In the afternoon, the court moved to a routine hearing to determine how much of Trump's legal history, the prosecution will be allowed to ask him about if he testifies, which he said he plans to.

Prosecutors argued they should be allowed to question Trump about the findings in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case among others. Despite Trump's attorney's strong objections.

The former president shook his head as the prosecution spoke about how he defamed Carroll. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk more about the start of this historic court case with trial attorney and former Baltimore prosecutor Debbie Hines. Debbie, great to see you again.

So, this jury selection happened much faster than a lot of analysts have predicted they thought maybe it would take weeks. This was a matter of days. So, what's your take on how this judge is executing a real efficiency in the jury selection process. And if you think that's going to carry over into the actual trial -- management of his trial.

DEBBIE HINES FORMER BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR: So far, this judge, Judge Merchan has done an incredible job. I mean, I myself have had jury selections that have taken longer than a week when it's been 200 people that are presented on the panel, which is what was presented here in this case.

So, the fact that he was able to expedite it, move it along, I mean, he really has a good knack for that. And not all judges do, by the way. So, he is already proven he's keeping it on track. He's probably even ahead of schedule, because I'm sure the judge himself probably did not expect to have the jury completely seated with six alternates in the box, as we call it in one week.

So, that's just very good. He just has to keep everything on track from this point.

WHITFIELD: So, in the end, or it's about to begin now with 12 jurors, six alternates, but there is been a lot of pressure on these jurors. We're seeing it already, you know, dismissal, voluntary or otherwise, of three jurors. So, do you think having six alternate is going to be enough?

HINES: That is my question as well, when I saw that there were only six alternates. No, honestly, I think they should have picked more than six alternates for this case. Six, four to six is usually about standard. But there is nothing standard or regular about this case. We haven't even started and before we could even get a full set, as you mentioned earlier, three people had anxiety.

So, you have to have 12 jurors, no matter what. You cannot go less than 12 jurors. So, as time goes on, this is going to be an eight-week trial. Anything can happen. Not even relating to Trump, but people have illnesses, people's family members get sick.

That's why we have alternate. So, that was my concern in the beginning.

The six, I don't think is enough, honestly.

WHITFIELD: And you can't add more once things get underway. You are stuck with the number of six alternates, right? And if you, you know, use all of them, exercise them, then what potentially could happen? HINES: So, you know, a trial in New York, most criminal trials, you need 12 jurors. So, if you get below the 12, It's an automatic mistrial. I mean, unless and which would never happen. Unless both sides agree to proceed with less than 12 jurors. That is not likely to happen, particularly, with Mr. Trump as a defendant, because all he wants is a mistrial, in some way, to delay, delay, delay.

So, yes, that number 12 is really, really crucial to keep those jurors in the box, as we say.

WHITFIELD: So, quickly, given the type profile, there is a lot of pressure, you know, for a variety of reasons. Do you see that these jurors will ultimately be sequestered?

HINES: That will depend on Donald Trump's actions. I mean, I think that obviously -- well, not obviously, I think that what will happen to these jurors is the same that happened in the Jean Carroll case, is that there will be security, U.S. Marshals that will take them to and from the courthouse each day, hopefully.

So that they are just not roaming around on the subway or out in public. But at the end of the day, it's just really going to be difficult to keep them intact, unless he says something.

But it's so difficult for jurors to be sequestered Fredricka. It's just really, really difficult to be away from your family and your friends and your loved ones. But it may have to come to that to get this trial all the way through to the finish line and over the finish line.

WHITFIELD: All right. Debbie Hines, great to see you. Thanks so much.

HINES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Israel set to receive $26 billion in U.S. aid if today's vote passes in the U.S. House. We'll go live to Jerusalem for more on what impact that money is expected to have.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. We're waiting for the first key House vote that would provide billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. That's expected soon. For Israel, the aid would include $5 billion to restock its missile and rocket defense systems and another 3 billion for other advanced weapons systems. The vote follows this week's skirmish between Israel and Iran that rattled nerves around the world. CNN senior diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem for us. So Nic, what would this aid package mean for Israel?

[12:35:01]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It would give it certainty that the money that it's come to rely on for many, many decades now will continue to come. Concern here because, of course, a sense of a growing rift between the White House and Prime Minister Netanyahu because of the way he's fighting the war in Gaza. And to that point, some military aid President Biden has said will need, when it's -- when that aid is given to other countries.

Then they -- then those countries are going to have to agree on the use of those weapons and the supply of humanitarian aid into those areas where the weapons are being used. And that clearly has implicit -- will have an implicit effect on Israel going forward, it appears. But the economy is hurting because of the defense spend at the moment. So making sure this aid continues to come.

The country's credit rating has gone down. It's spending hundreds of millions of dollars a day, literally, to fight its wars with Iran, with Hezbollah and Gaza. So knowing that the aid continues and that it will be incoming and the things like the Iron Dome missiles, which get about $500 million of those funds, the fact that that will come, that there will be these protective Iron Dome rockets supplied and the advanced weapon you talk about, all of that is important. It's important militarily, it's important economically.

WHITFIELD: And, Nick, there are other developments with Israel. The IDF says it killed 10 people that they are calling terrorists. And that taking place in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank?

ROBERTSON: Tulkarm, in the part of Tulkarm refugee camp called Nur al Shams. The IDF also says that they've arrested a number of wanted people. And we've seen young men with flexi cuffs, with their hands flexi cuff behind their backs being put inside of the IDF's military vehicles to be -- it appears to be taken away normally for questioning.

This has been quite a long -- ongoing operation in Nur al Shams, perhaps one of the biggest we've seen in the occupied West Bank since October 7th. The IDF says that four soldiers have been injured in that operation. It isn't clear yet if it's over. And Palestinian authorities are saying that a child, the news agency in the West bank said that a 16-year-old had been killed.

We don't have a full understanding of all the Palestinian casualties at the moment, but that's what we're hearing from authorities in the West Bank.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Robertson in Jerusalem, thanks so much.

All right back in this country, the jury for Donald Trump's criminal trial has been ceded, but Trump doesn't think he can get a fair trial in Manhattan. What New Yorkers think about staying impartial, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:42:38]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back on Capitol Hill. The debate just ended on the House floor and a set of foreign aid bills. Soon, lawmakers will vote on them. The bills include aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as a national security bill. And we're continuing to monitor all of this. And of course, we'll bring you the latest as it happens.

All right, meantime, all 12 jurors and six alternates have been seated for Donald Trump's first criminal trial in Manhattan. But can the former president be judged by impartial jurors in a city that overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020? CNN's Miguel Marquez asked New Yorkers to weigh in on the high profile case. And some of their answers just might surprise you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Donald Trump for many years. What is -- what was your impression of him before he was president?

ALLISON EGAN, RETIRED NURSE, 70 YEARS OLD: An arrogant son of a -- but not a bad person.

MARQUEZ: But you think you could be in that courtroom and you could judge the evidence fairly?

EGAN: Yes. Because I haven't delved into the details of him or anything. He doesn't really interest me that much.

MARQUEZ: Do you think you could be a fair and impartial juror in the Trump trial?

ELIZABETH TIULESCU, RETIRED FUNDRAISER, 78 YEARS OLD: No, that's unfair not too.

MARQUEZ: Why?

TIULESCU: Because as I said before, I really hate him. He's a total catastrophe.

MARQUEZ: We are going from the top of Manhattan to the very bottom of Manhattan, talking to Manhattanites, potential jurors, and whether they could be fair and impartial in the Donald Trump trial.

On the 34 counts that he is charged with, you could make a fair and impartial decision?

TARIK BARBEE, SECURITY GUARD, 61 YEARS OLD: Sure, if I listen to the facts and everything, yes. I think I can. I won't let him being a jerk cloud my legal sense of fair play.

JESSIE BERGER, CONSULTANT, 35 YEARS OLD: I don't have any biased opinion about him. I think people should be judged by what they've done before.

MARQUEZ: Right.

BERGER: And anything they've done, they're done. And it's history and it's evidence. So I should be judged by that.

MARQUEZ: You think it could be fair to Donald Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. It's just I mean, every month I feel like deserves that.

KATHY PROUNIS, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER, 55 YEARS OLD: Yes, I would totally be fair and impartial because that's what I believe in. And I'm always, you know, I'm a New Yorker. I'm upfront and I'm honest about everything.

MARQUEZ: Could you be fair and impartial?

STACY DONNELLY, MAKEUP ARTIST, 43 YEARS OLD: No.

MARQUEZ: Why?

DONNELLY: Because all the T.V. and speculation and things that I've seen that he's done, and I don't really agree on his character.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): In 2020, Manhattanites voted Democratic in overwhelming numbers, just over 12 percent for Trump. But Biden, nearly 87 percent. Do you think Donald Trump can get a fair trial in Manhattan?

[12:45:06]

AFI FRENCH, CONSULTANT, 46 YEARS OLD: I would say yes. If there's a place that it's going to happen, it's going to happen here. Because New Yorkers in general, I mean, we may have opinions, but I feel like we set the tone for fair and equity. Like, that's what we do.

PAUL LIPPERT, RETIRED FILM PROFESSOR, 68 YEARS OLD: Clearly, our justice system is being attacked. I think it's up to us to defend it, to defend due process, and to defend the rule of law against all of its enemies.

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WHITFIELD: All right, Miguel Marquez and New Yorkers, thank you so much. And we'll be right back.

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[12:50:12]

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WHITFIELD: Interesting, huh? Well, that's Taylor Swift's new song featuring Post Malone from her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department." It released Thursday night and it's already breaking records. It is now Spotify's most streamed album in a single day. Taylor Swift has also become the most streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history.

As a four time Emmy award winning filmmaker, Nicolas Brown's documentary work has taken him all over the world, exploring issues related to global warming and conservation efforts. Well, now in a new CNN film, he continues his journey by drawing attention to a promising new ally in the fight against climate change, Blue Carbon.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been touring the world with my music. And now I want to focus on what's happening to our planet.

The hardest thing when it comes to climate change, that it just feels so big and overwhelming. I like to concentrate on the stories where there is hope because they are out there.

I'm going to visit coastal communities that have a new ally in the fight against climate change. It's called Blue Carbon. These are habitats which can conserve biodiversity.

Sorry, I'm way too happy.

Protect our cities against storms and rising seas and help us turn down the planet's thermostat.

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WHITFIELD: Ooh, I know you're intrigued. I am. Joining us right now is the director of CNN original film "Blue Carbon: Nature's Hidden Power," Nicolas Brown. Great to see you, Nicholas. I'll get that earpiece together. We need to hear each other.

NICOLAS BROWN, DIRECTOR, "BLUE CARBON: NATURE'S HIDDEN POWER": Yes.

WHITFIELD: OK. Yay. OK, so first up, and she just gave us a summation of what Blue Carbon is, but break it down for us. What is Blue Carbon?

BROWN: Well, technically, Blue Carbon is three ecosystems, mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses. So it's that liminal space in between the land and the ocean. And it just happens to be fantastic at storing carbon. It also has these other added benefits, which is kind of what we discovered as went along in the film, which is like coastal protection and fisheries. So it's one of these win-win situations for the environment. Yes.

WHITFIELD: And is there a feeling that they are flourishing or how much more are they being threatened?

BROWN: I mean, it's getting better. People are recognizing now that these are really important ecosystems, both from a biodiversity standpoint and from the climate standpoint. But so far, we've kind of hated swamps, like traditionally, you know, malarial, crocodiles, all that, it's like -- and it's very flat, so people like to develop them and put airports or industrial parks.

So we've lost, you know, in many cases, between one and two thirds of our coastal blue carbon ecosystems and we're trying to save what's left. And that's what the film is about, is a rallying cry, you know, ghost swamps. WHITFIELD: Yes. Yes, because they're really important, because, like you said, even with the word swamp, some people think, not really interested in that. But sometimes these marshes are incredible bird sanctuaries, right? Mostly they are. I mean, and mangroves are incredible places of birthing, real nurseries for a lot of, you know, wildlife. So what do you want people to learn about why they need to appreciate things that people might want to defer to as swamps, but they're really vital and important?

BROWN: Well, I think the other big aspect to this is the communities who live there. Many of whom are suffering on the front lines of climate change, and they tend to be not the people who cause climate change. So there's kind of a climate justice angle to this as well. So I think it's sort of in concert with biodiversity, but human communities, blue carbon, is this sort of opportunity to shine a light on these -- on the conservation efforts of these communities and the sustainability of these communities, as well as the ecosystem and the biodiversity.

It's just -- with climate change, you know, it's something we are all concerned about. And there are technologies that are going to help us draw carbon out of the atmosphere maybe in the future, but we have a technology that works fantastic right now and we can do that right now. And that is nature. And so it's, I call it low hanging fruit, you know. Go directly towards the conservation and, you know, that's what blue carbon is about.

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WHITFIELD: Oh, so inspiring. I can't wait to see more. Nick Brown, thank you so much for breaking it down for us. And of course, we can watch its totality in the CNN films presents "Blue Carbon: Nature's Hidden Power" that premieres tomorrow at 09:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

All right, any minute now, the House will begin voting on four high stakes foreign aid bills in a rare Saturday session on Capitol Hill. We're live next.

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