Return to Transcripts main page

The Lead with Jake Tapper

Hunter Biden To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges, Strikes Deal To Resolve Gun Charge; Trump, GOP Slam DOJ Over Hunter Biden Plea Deal; Republicans Accuse Trump-Appointed U.S. Atty. Of Giving Hunter Biden A "Sweetheart Deal"; 25 Percent Of Republicans, 94 Percent Of Democrats Approve Of Decision To Indict Trump; CNN Poll: Trump Remains GOP Frontrunner Even As Post-Indictment Support Appears To Soften; DeSantis Says He's "More Likely" To Beat Biden, "More Reliable On Policy" Than Trump; CNN Poll: Biden's Favorability Drops To 32 Percent; Urgent Search For Missing Submersible With 5 On Board; Author Accused Of Killing Her Husband Sues His Estate; Influencer Andrew Tate Charged With Human Trafficking And Rape In Romania. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired June 20, 2023 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:18]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

This hour, the desperate search for a missing Titanic sub. The U.S. coast guard acknowledging it needs more equipment. Meanwhile, the vessel running out of breathable air. And France now sending an underwater robot for the deep sea mission.

Plus, a Utah woman accused killing her husband poisoning him with a deadly dose of fentanyl then writing a children's book about dealing with the grief. Now wait until you hear how she's trying to get the courts to obtain money from his business.

And leading this hour, the plea deal and the President's son, new federal court filing show Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and that he struck a deal with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge. So, what about all those allegations of money laundering and foreign lobbying? The Justice Department insists its investigation is ongoing.

Our coverage this hour starts with CNN Senior Justice Correspondent, Evan Perez, and CNN Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates.

Evan, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors. And he struck a deal to resolve this felony gun charge. Walk us through what this all means.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the bottom line, Jake, is that his lawyers tell our Paula Reid and Kara Scannell that he -- that prosecutors are going to recommend that he serve no time, no jail time, for pleading guilty to those two misdemeanor counts for failing to file his taxes on time in 2017 and 2018. Now, the gun charge is something that is still outstanding. The -- his -- the plan is, according to the -- to what was filed in court, is for Hunter Biden to enter a program. And if he abides by all of the conditions, it will be sponged (ph), it will be wiped away at the end of about 24 months or so. So, all of this is subject to approval from a judge, of course, which is going to happen in the next a couple of weeks or so.

The bottom line, though, for the -- all of the other claims that you mentioned, those were part of this investigation. And in the end, prosecutors decided that these were the crimes that they believe that they could try to pursue and they ended up with this plea agreement with Hunter Biden.

TAPPER: Laura, if Hunter Biden is not getting any jail time, what would his punishment look like? What would his probation look like?

LAURA COATES, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Normally, probation would entail things like making sure that you submit to urine tests about drug treatment or any kind of compliance they might lay out. Never owning a gun, never having one in your possession. Oftentimes probation cases include an employment requirement as well. Sometimes fines are associated, but also routine meetings with what kind of your probation officer of sorts.

So, these diversionary programs that Evan actually alluded to also include those similar requirements. But just take a step back, Jake, in this and think about the wide net that was cast here to ensure that this would be viewed apolitically and also looked at in a way that this person was not going to be treated like a different sort of potential target or defendant. And I remind people unlike what we've been seeing in recent times when a lawyer meets with the DOJ and tries to talk to them about potentially being a target or a defendant, there appeared to be some conversations over some period of time about making sure that the prosecution was aware that their case likely was not as strong as maybe politically people thought it might be and now we've got this result. Still serious charges to have anyone plead guilty to a crime, let alone tax evasion of sorts, but it's pretty routine to have something a diversionary program of a crime of this level or even not having a sentence.

TAPPER: And as we reported in the previous hour, the person in charge of this plea deal, the prosecutor is Trump appointed U.S. attorney David Weiss. When Biden came into office, he did not dismiss him because of the possible conflict of interest, Weiss investigating his son. Weiss says the probe into Hunter Biden is ongoing, but Hunter Biden's lawyer, Evan, says it was his understanding that this was all resolved. So, which is it?

PEREZ: Well, both things could be true for at least for the investigation that the lawyers for Hunter Biden were concerned with, right? This is the investigation that was looking at everything from money laundering and tax evasion to foreign lobbying violations. As far as that's concerned, Jake, we -- everything indicates that the FBI concluded its investigation last year. So that language that was included in the press release from the U.S. attorney in Delaware is pro forma, right, they included all of this. Until a judge signed off on the deal, it is ongoing. However, it doesn't foreclose on the possibility that there are other parts of the FBI that might be looking at other things that are not connected to these allegations.

[17:05:05]

TAPPER: Laura, Trump reacted to this plea deal on Truth Social saying, quote, "Wow. The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up 100 years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere traffic ticket. Our system is broken," unquote. Again, he is the one who appointed the U.S. attorney who oversaw this investigation. That's something that you can't even get, like, Speaker McCarthy, Manu asked him about it. He wouldn't even acknowledge it. David Weiss was appointed by Trump, doesn't that undermine the idea that this is the corrupt Biden Justice Department with two tiers of justice, one for Democrats, one for Republicans?

COATES: Well, of course, it does. It kind of reminds of when there was the election of 2020 prior to that and there were campaign ads that Trump's camp ran that talked about cities and peril or danger or any sort of police brutality related protests and beyond, and the headline was, this is Biden's America as president of the United States when, in fact, it was another president who was actually in the Oval Office named Trump. And so this talking point ought not to carry much weight for the precise reason you indicated. This was somebody who was appointed with an eye towards this very notion. The idea of not having somebody who could be perceived, Jake, as somebody who was in the pocket of or under the wing of the president of the United States.

That's the whole essence of this, but you see a very connective tissue here, don't you, between a special counsel that is Jack Smith and one that he actually appointed. If theme is weaponization, it's convenient only to focus on how it relates to him, not actually what the reality would be.

TAPPER: Lara Coates and Evan Perez, thank you so much to both of you.

Minutes ago, President Biden made his first on camera comments about his son's plea deal. Let's bring in CNN's Priscilla Alvarez traveling with President Biden in California.

Priscilla, tell us more what did he have to say?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, President Biden maintained the position he has from the beginning that he trusts his son, and he's proud of him. Now his first public comments on this came as he was kicking off an AI meeting with experts and researchers. And he was asked by our colleague Jasmine Wright whether he had spoken to his son. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN REPORTER: Have you spoken to your son today, Mr. President?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very proud of my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now President Biden has kept Hunter Biden close over the course of his presidency. He has been a presence at events at the White House and was also a visible and constant presence when President Biden visited Ireland. Now earlier this year, as this case was ongoing, President Biden kept that similar tone, saying that he stood behind his son, that he supported him, and he trusted him.

But of course, Jake, This is going to be part of the campaign going into 2024. As we saw throughout the course of the day, today Republicans, seizing on this case and this plea deal. So this will be another political part of the conversation as the president continues his visit here in California. He is expected to attend two fundraisers later this afternoon. And so we'll be looking out to see if he talks more about this case. Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Priscilla Alvarez in San Francisco, thank you so much.

Let's turn now to Van Jones, who served in the Obama administration and to Scott Jennings, who was special assistant to President George W. Bush.

Scott, you hear these Republicans alleging weaponization of the Justice Department by Biden or the attorney general. We should note, again, this plea was negotiated by a U.S. attorney who was appointed by Trump. And he told House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jim Jordan, earlier this month in a letter that he himself had, quote, "been granted ultimate authority over this matter including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges and for making decisions necessary to preserve the integrity of the prosecution," unquote. So, help me out, help me understand why should I be looking at this plea deal and think that there's something political at play?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Republicans believe this is only part of the Hunter Biden story, that there's a whole other side to Hunter Biden's dealings with foreign oligarch and millions of dollars flowing into Biden related LLCs, Biden Family related LLCs. And so, I guess the explanation, Jake, is you got two different issues. Hunter's personal problems, which, you know, he's obviously a drug addict who lied on a form to get a gun that was thrown in a dumpster near a school by his girlfriend. I mean, that's his personal life. But then you've got this whole business side of it going on that Republicans are keenly interested in because they think it's in -- it is evidence of influence of, you know, foreign entities on the Biden family. So I would that's what House Republicans are going to continue to follow-up on.

TAPPER: Van, do you see the plea deal as wrapping up the Hunter Biden scandal for President Biden? Or not as you just heard from Scott?

VAN JONES, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICER: Well, you know, there's a right wing media machine that generates all kinds of commentary about Hunter Biden, true, false, or otherwise. And that's just not going to stop. No matter what happens, you're going to have that continuing because there's a need on the part of the president's opponents to try to dirty up his family. They -- this whole idea that you have a Biden crime family.

[17:10:21]

Like, this is -- now those of us who know Joe Biden and know the Biden, it sounds ridiculous, but you have to understand, there's a whole part of the country that they've hurt that so many times. This fits inside of that narrative.

I will say, you know, just to be honest, it doesn't look good if you're Donald Trump and you're getting hauled into court all the time in catching cases. It doesn't look good for the Bidens for, you know, one of their family members to be getting in trouble. We can be honest, it doesn't look good, but it is not as bad as you're looking at what's coming out now as what the right wing media has been ginning people up for, and that's just the reality.

TAPPER: Scott, let's talk about Donald Trump because the initial hearing in this federal criminal trial against him will be taking place in August the same month as the first debate, at least as of now. Right now, a new CNN polls show's Republicans are still with Mr. Trump. Twenty-five percent of Republican voters approve of the decision to indict him in the classified documents case. That's good news for him. Only 25 percent approve of the decision. But how likely is it that any of this is going to change as we get deeper into the campaign season, and the court case begins perhaps in August, and then you may even have other indictments from -- on other charges?

JENNINGS: Yes. There was some evidence in our polling that there was a bit of a softening on Trump from the last survey that we took. So, it did appear that at least a few people took notice of what happened in the indictment. I mean, honestly, I think as this wears on and he continues to talk about it, he's going to be more and more screwed. I mean, if you look at the video of the interview he did with Bret Baier, he admitted, he admitted to what's in the indictment.

He admitted to holding on to the document. I mean, he's out there publicly admitting to what is alleged in the indictment, which is a federal crime. And so, I would think as we get to the debates, as you mentioned, and you know, on and into the campaign, the other candidates would be able to make this case that we can't go through a campaign with a Republican standard bearer who's carrying around these federal indictments, who's publicly basically admitted to committing the crimes and may have more crimes coming down the pike. So, I think there's a little evidence of softening now, not much, but a little, and more possibly to come as the year wears on.

TAPPER: And, Van, in that interview that Trump did on Fox last night, he also, again, continued to lie about the 2020 election. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What do you say to that female Independent suburban voter who feels that way? To win her back. First of all, I won in 2020 by a lot. OK? Let's get that straight. I won in 2020.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You know that this --

TRUMP: And if you look at all at --

BAIER: That's not what the co-chair --

TRUMP: -- of the tapes, if you look at every -- the ballots were fake ballots. You had -- this has a very rig election.

BAIER: Are you going to go -- this is how you're going to tell that Independent suburban woman voter to vote for you?

TRUMP: No, no, no, we're off to winning an election, and I think we're winning very well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, I mean, once again, he did not win in 2020, and everything he talks about is a lie. But, I mean, is this exactly the message that Democrats, Van, are hoping Trump is going to keep focusing on?

JONES: Well, I mean, I hope he gets some help. I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, it's just sad. He's just like, you know, this, you know, rambling on about the same things that everybody knows isn't true. And when you can't get somebody at Fox to give you a pass on it, unless you know that it doesn't make a lot of sense, I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball, but I suspect that there are some people who going to believe him on that stuff and other people who are going to look at reality.

I don't think he's gaining much ground. Scott showed there's some softening. He's still, you know, 20 points ahead of any rival in the Republican Party. But you see, you took a 10 point hit with this most recent indictment and arraignment. There are more indictments and arraignments to come. And at some point, maybe things get better. But, I mean, you know, he just won't stop honking that same little horn, jumping up and down that same little pogo stick, and he's not going anywhere with.

TAPPER: And Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who right now is in second place in many polls in the Republican race, it's taking more veiled swipes at Trump. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that, you know, I'm more lie likely to win the election against Joe Biden. And I think I'm more likely to actually get this stuff done. I mean, you know, there have been promises made about draining the swamp, building the wall, doing all these things, you know, none of that came to fruition.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: What do you make of that argument, Scott?

JENNINGS: Well, I think he's right. I mean, Trump was all over the place on policy if it hadn't been for Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan for much of his presidency, he would have gotten nothing done. And those are people he now routinely attack. So I think DeSantis is right on the policy argument, and he's right to make it.

[17:15:06]

And I also think he's looking at the same polls we are that show Trump with a favorability rating nationally of, like, 31 or 32. And also looking at Biden at 31 or 32, he knows this election, if it comes down to those two, is going to be determined by double disapprover, the people who hate both, Biden and Trump, and there's a lot of them. And what we've seen in 2020 and what we're seeing in polling now is that those double disapprovers are likely to default against Trump, not for him. And I think DeSantis is right to bring that up and make the electability argument to his fellow Republicans.

TAPPER: And Van, as Scott rightly notes, Biden in our new poll, his favorability rating has dropped to 32 percent. That's down from last month's already super low, 35 percent. At what point should Democrats start panicking about this?

JONES: I think a lot of Democrats are behind the closed door. There's a lot of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth but people are afraid to talk about it publicly, mainly because the alternative is not clear. And because Joe Biden just keeps flummoxing people, he's always underestimated, and then he always over performs. And so I think, you know, we've had over and over again, he wasn't supposed to go to nomination, he wasn't supposed to win by as much as he won by, you know, he was going to lose the midterms, he wasn't getting anything done.

And so, because Joe Biden just keeps outperforming and over performing all the people who are concerned about them, it's really hard for people to make the argument publicly that it's time for him to go. And so, you know, we are where we are, but those poll numbers are not good.

TAPPER: Van and Scott, thanks to both of you, really appreciate it. Good to see you.

Coming up, more on Donald Trump's federal criminal case. What we're learning about his trial, which is now set to start in less than two months.

Plus, the accusations of human trafficking and rape leading to charges today against a controversial online influencer and his brother. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:47] TAPPER: In our law and justice lead, Donald Trump continues to campaign for a return trip to the White House despite separate state and federal criminal indictments. But as Mr. Trump gives interviews and speaks publicly about his growing legal troubles, expert say he is undermining his own defense. Let's bring in CNN's Katelyn Polantz.

Katelyn, Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has set the initial trial date in the classified documents case for mid-August. What are you learning about that?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Jake, we do have that order from the judge today, one of the first ones from Judge Aileen Cannon now that she's going to be in charge of this case as it heads to trial. That trial date for mid-August that she's setting, that's a starting point, essentially. It is a trial date, and a trial could happen as soon as August, we know the Justice Department wants to get to trial fast and has already made sure that they're not kicking up any dust that could throw things off track. But right now, there are a lot of things that could come up between now and the trial that the judge even said in her order when she set that date, you know, there could be more complicated issues in this case that will need a delay, there are also the classified documents issues around this case that could be prompting to a delay, but there is going to be a lot of eyes on everything that happens in this court record leading up to trial And some of that is what will be presented at the trial.

We already know just from yesterday, Donald Trump is out there publicly potentially previewing what his defense is or at least offering his own side of the story when it comes to what happened after the Justice Department sent him his subpoena for classified records. Here he is speaking to Bret Baier yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: They said, can you give the documents back?

TRUMP: Again, we have and we were talking.

BAIER: And then they said they went to DOJ to subpoena you to get the --

TRUMP: Which they've never done before.

BAIER: Right.

TRUMP: And in offer --

BAIER: So why not just hand them over then?

TRUMP: Because I had boxes. I want to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out. I don't want to hand that over to NARA yet, and I was very busy as you've sort of seen.

BAIER: Yes.

TRUMP: I've been very, very busy. BAIER: But according to the indictment, you then tell to say to move to other locations after telling your lawyers to say you'd fully complied with subpoena when you hadn't.

TRUMP: But before I send boxes over, I have to take all of my things out. These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of things. Golf shirts, clothing, pants, shoes. There were many things. I would say much --

BAIER: Iran war plan?

TRUMP: -- much more -- not that I know of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: So he says he didn't know of the Iran war plan in those boxes, but his golf shirts were there as well as potentially some other records that he wanted to go through. That is something that could potentially be used in court as the Justice Department tries this case. And there is a real question here, is this actually going to be what Donald Trump's defense argument will be? Or is he just trying to put part of his story out there right now whenever there are people listening the wider public. Jake.

TAPPER: Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Next, we're going to go live to the coast guard command center in Boston. What crews they are saying about the desperate mission to find the missing sub that was headed to the site of the sunken Titanic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:28:24]

TAPPER: Topping our world lead as of this hour, rescuers have not had any success in locating the missing submersible, but seemingly vanished Sunday in the North Atlantic Ocean. And time sadly is running out according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Earlier this day, there was less than 40 hours worth of oxygen left for the five people on that vessel. It might be about 40 -- about 36 hours as of now. Those on board include the CEO and founder of OceaGate Expeditions, a French submariner, a British businessman, and a Pakistani businessman and his son. CNN's Jason Carroll is at the coast guard's command center in Boston.

Jason, what challenges are the crews facing here?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the biggest challenge is the one that you mentioned, Jake, and that is time. Time before that oxygen runs out. We're talking now about less than 40 hours. And the time to get some of that necessary equipment, more of it to the area, that remote area of the North Atlantic where it's going to be needed.

The coast guard is saying that they are doing everything that they can. A number of emergency crews, vessels are headed towards the area. And in fact, today, Jake, they talked about a remote operating vehicle that's being used there out there today attached with a camera to go beneath the surface of the water to see what it can see. But, again, time is not on their side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. JAMIE FREDERICK, U.S. COAST GUARD: Logistically speaking, it's hard to bring assets to bear. It takes time, it takes coordination. And then we're dealing with, you know, two pieces of -- you're dealing with a surface search and a subsurface search. And frankly, that makes it an incredibly complex operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:30:01]

CARROLL: And you heard him there talking, Jake, about a complex operation. The coast guard at one point was asked, they said, well, what does a deep sea rescue at this point look like to you? And he said that was not a question he could answer at this point. One former passenger who was on board this deep sea exploration down to the Titanic OceanGate, this was about a year ago, CNN spoke with him, and he said that he, at this point is just hoping that the submersible has somehow risen to the surface and sitting there on the surface still waiting to be rescued. Jake?

TAPPER: Jason, what kind of additional equipment or assets might be on the way to help the coast guard with the search?

CARROLL: Well, we learned about that in addition to that as well. And the Navy, for example, announced that it's going to be bringing one of its salvage systems into the area. This is a salvage system that's used to working in deep waters. And what it can do is it can lift and undersea objects that weigh as much as 60,000 pounds. Again, this submersible only weighs about 23,000 pounds in comparison. The Royal Canadian Navy, one of its ships is in rout. And on board this particular ship, there's a mobile hyperbaric chamber that can carry at six people. But in terms of arrival, when asked when that royal Canadian ship is going to get there with that special hyperbaric chamber, we're talking 48 hours from now. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Jason Carroll in Boston, thank you so much. Last summer, CBS reporter David Pogue toured this Titan vessel and interviewed OceanGate founder, Stockton Rush, who's now missing. Pogue noted even then a lack of sophisticated parts and devices in his view for some of the vessel's construction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID POGUE, CBS REPORTER: It's also the only one with a toilet, sort of. And yet, I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised.

STOCKTON RUSH, OCEANGATE CEO: We can use these off the shelf components.

I got these from Camper World. We run the whole thing with this game control.

POGUE: Come on.

It seems like this submersible has some elements of MacGyvery Jerry Rignnes. I mean, you're putting construction pipes as ballast.

RUSH: I don't know if I'd use that description of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Let's bring in CNN's Gabe Cohen who's also been on this submersible. Gabe, tell us what you saw.

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Jake, I did a story about Titan back in 2018 when I was a reporter in Seattle. First thing that struck me, of course, was the size as we actually stepped into that vessel, just how cramped five passengers would be inside that chamber for more than eight hours. And then as you saw in that report, some of the components of the technology that felt quite simple, somewhat rudimentary, the game controller, for example, that you saw there that actually operates the vessel.

But look, OceanGate has touted its use off the shelf components that really they say helped a streamlined construction of Titan and made it easier to operate. The company has said they did not cut any corners when it comes to actual safety, especially when it comes to the carbon fiber shell that you can see that surrounds Titan. They worked on this vessel with NASA, with Boeing, and many other groups they say to create a safe vessel that they believe can dive 13,000 feet.

Now that said, Jake, we have learned that Titan has lost communication with support crew in the past, unable to get messages from the surface which they really rely on when they're underwater. They don't know where they're going because as, you know, there's no GPS on board.

TAPPER: You've also interviewed the OceanGates CEO. Did he say anything to you about the safety of the Titan?

COHEN: Yes. So I did. I interviewed Stockton Rush who founded OceanGate several times. He's also, as we have confirmed one of the people missing inside the vessel. He is the pilot right now onboard. Look, he described to me. He described their submersibles as armored vehicles. Those are the words he used. He said that they were safe and they were tested. Going places where, of course, no diver can go into water with pressure that could crush other vessels.

I asked him though repeatedly about safety during my different interviews before different expeditions. And I spoke to them right before they were going out to see another shipwreck, the Andrea Doria, and he told me, quote, everyone is getting back safe. We can take risks with equipment, but not with people. Jake?

TAPPER: Gabe Cohen, thanks so much. And joining us now on the phone is David Mearns, he's a marine scientist and an expert in deep water search and rescue. David, thank you for joining us. So the U.S. Coast Guard is now acknowledged how challenging the search and rescue mission is, including noting that they don't have all the necessary equipment or expertise they need. Are there any other options for the coast guard? Any other strategies that they could be pursuing?

[17:35:07]

DAVID MEARNS, MARINE SCIENTIST AND DEEP WATER RESCUE EXPERT: Well, I think you're seeing it play out today. And that there are several vessels, commercial vessels and research vessels that are underway to the site, some we hope and we believe with the kind of deep water assets that could potentially find the missing submersible, this is indeed on the seabed and make the recovery.

TAPPER: If they do locate the submersible before the estimated oxygen levels in the vessel run out, what might the rescue effort look like? Is it possible to pull the vessel that could be about 13,000 feet deep in the ocean back to the surface? And how slowly would they need to do it so they don't cause any harm as the individuals go up several atmospheres?

MEARNS: Well, this is one atmosphere, it's sub, so we don't really have to worry about the pressure that people suffer when they're scuba diving, for instance. They can come out to the surface and walk out of that submarine without any ill effects. If it's a little bit of a rough ride to the surface, then so be it as long as they're safe. But you have to remember, while this submarine is very big and heavy on the surface, in the water, it's not much more than mutually buoyant. It will only be slightly negative because that's the way it's designed.

And if it's on the seabed with its ballast weights, it will be slightly negative and then it won't take much force for an ROE, for example, to attach a lift line to it and then slowly haul it to the surface. Once it gets up to the surface, any of these offshore vessels with an offshore capable crane that can lift that kind of weight, we'll be able to get the men, get the sub on board and then take them out of the sub.

Once they're to the surface, pretty much their safety will be assured, and that's the key thing. But in this instance, because it's a one atmospheric sub, we don't have to worry about hypobaric pressures or equalizing them in any way.

TAPPER: We should know David, that your friends with two of the five individuals onboard the vessel, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet on a personal level, what is going through your mind right now?

MEARNS: Well, yes, I know both men, one socially, one professionally, their friends. I consider them friends. We're in a very small tight community. And many people like me who know both of these guys are doing everything they can to support from afar this search and rescue and really all day today or and yesterday, even for the people I don't know, you know, hearing that a father and son were on board ostensibly maybe to celebrate a Father's Day. It's just heartbreaking.

And a lot of my thoughts today were going out to same as his children and his wife, who are all very concerned though. So that's when I have the time to stop and think that's where my thoughts are. And that's why everybody is working very hard to try and help if we can.

TAPPER: Yes. It's important for people to remember the human cost of this. Just -- you're in this small community, did they ever talk about the risks associated with such expeditions?

MEARNS: Yes. You know, they know the risk very well. I mean, I can only talk about Hamish and PH. And listen, PH lose these risks. He has been in down in a sub many times deep. And as I say, he lives them. Nobody knows him better than he does. And Hamish is not a man averse to danger and risks. But did they step onto that submarine inside on Sunday morning thinking that this was possible. And I have doubts about that.

And I think while this is not something we're worrying about today, but in the future, in the near future, whatever the outcome is and hopefully these men come home, that we need to conduct some sort of investigation into what happened. And we need to have a rethink about this type of activity at this depth of water in such remote locations when you're taking passengers to these deep locations, it's not professionals who rim and know the rest like PH, but passengers. And really, that's where I think my industry needs to do a bit of self- reflection in the weeks and months to come.

[17:40:09]

TAPPER: David Mearns, thank you so much. And our thoughts and prayers, obviously, with your friends and the other passengers on the vessel. Appreciate your time today.

MEARNS: Thank you. I appreciate it.

TAPPER: Coming up a woman in Utah accused of killing her husband then writing a children's book about dealing with grief, the lawsuit that she's now filing in the wake of her husband's death, you won't believe it. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Back with our Law and Justice Lead, a Utah mom and author accused of killing her husband by lacing his cocktail with a deadly dose of fentanyl is now suing her husband's estate. After her husband's untimely demise, Kouri Richins wrote a nationally respected children's book about dealing with grief without mentioning, of course, her possible role in her husband's death. Now she's being held without bail on charges of criminal homicide and aggravated murder, let's get right to CNN's Nick Watt. Nick, it sounds like Richins late husband might have even anticipated something like this?

[17:45:13]

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jake, that is one of the most bizarre aspects of this entire bizarre case, Eric Richins had apparently told his family he thought his wife was trying to kill him, said she poisoned him before, also he'd tweaked his life insurance and estate planning apparently to keep cash away from her. But a few hours before Eric died, Kouri made him a cocktail that prosecutors suggest was laced with a fatal dose of fentanyl, and he took it and drank it.

What is a lethal dose of fentanyl had been apparently a search on Kouri's phone? That's according to investigators. Now to that other twist, Kouri, the accused killer, is suing the estate of the dead husband she allegedly murdered. She wants a share of the proceeds from their family home, which is worth maybe a little less than $2 million. They married in the backyard of that house, raised their three kids there.

Kouri also wants a slice of the proceeds from the sale of Eric's masonry business, and that's another $2 million or so. Eric and Kouri were married. So why isn't she entitled to that money anyway? Well, not long before he died, Eric Richins, according to paperwork filed with the court, installed his sister, not his wife, as the trustee of his estate, if he were to die. Kouri says they both paid for the house and a prenup protects her inheritance.

Now last week, a judge denied her bail saying that if released, there might be an incentive for her to harm herself, family members, or witnesses, and that there is, quote, substantial evidence against her. She is yet to enter a plea. She's due back in court Thursday. Jake?

TAPPER: And, Nick, are Richins' criminal charges mentioned in the civil case?

WATT: Not that I can see. And also, I couldn't find any mention of the reasons that investigators say Eric Richins changed his will, changed his state planning. They say he discovered his wife had taken out home equity loan without him knowing had taken money out of his bank accounts, had spent money on his credit cards. The actual details of this crime as well also not mentioned are pretty amazing.

Now prosecutors say that they have evidence Kouri Richins was in touch with a known drug dealer that she bought fentanyl, that her husband died of a fentanyl overdose, found dead at the end of their bed early one morning. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Nick Watt. Thanks so much.

And American social media influence with a huge reach to millions of young men is facing major new legal trouble overseas, the serious and disturbing charges against Andrew Tate. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:52:01]

TAPPER: And online influencer largely known for his misogynistic rant, has been officially indicted on charges of human trafficking, rape, and criminal gang charges. Prosecutors say that Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan both lured women to Romania than sexually exploited them and subjected them to physical violence. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now to discuss. Melissa, walk us through these charges. MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, essentially, what Romanian prosecutors are accusing the Tate brothers of is having used the love of boy method during these women and then coercing them to produce pornographic content. It's a very high profile catch for Romania's anti-corruption brigade, the charges specifically have to do with traffic and rape and forming a gang to exploit women.

Now they've taken them to custody at the end of December, moved him into house arrest in March, this time the charges. Our Romanian affiliates are saying there may be a hearing on Wednesday, but this could be a fairly lengthy trial. Still, Jake, in Romania, rape carries a sentence of 10 years as does trafficking. He's also, he and his brother, facing another investigation that has to do this time with money laundering and other allegations of child and adult trafficking. So he's looking potentially a fairly long prison sentence and then further legal proceedings behind that, Jake.

TAPPER: And Melissa has mentioned Andrew Tate, he was a controversial figure even before these criminal charges.

BELL: That's right. You're talking about 6.9 million followers on Twitter for his fairly vile misogynistic content. He refers to women as dogs says they're partly responsible for their rapes. And yet, even though he's been banned on some social media platforms, very little stopped him. In fact, the irony tonight, Jake, is that in 2017, when he moved to Romania, it was because it was a country compared to the U.K. where rape charges are harder to have stick. And so the irony tonight is that, in fact, he may have underestimated Romania's judicial system, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Melissa Bell, thanks so much.

Long overdue, the public honor for a 75-year-old man in Wyatt took 60 years. But first here CNN's Alex Marquardt in for Wolf Blitzer with what's next in the situation room. Alex?

[17:54:14]

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: Well, Jake, major questions about the status of this search for the submersible off the coast of the U.S. and Canada. We'll be digging into that. We will check-in with our correspondents, including Oren Liebermann over at the Pentagon, who will be asking about all the international and American resources that are being brought to bear. We'll also be speaking with a retired U.S. Naval deep sea diver who was also in charge of diving and salvage operations for TWA Flight 800 when it crashed. So lots more on that search and rescue effort coming up in just a few moments. Jake?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: After more than 60 years, 60 years, a long overdue Eagle Scout ceremony was held in Washington State. Seventy-five-year-old Samuel Lynn Jones became an Eagle Scout at the age of 15. But at the time, he was denied public recognition. According to his white scout master at the time, because Jones did not come from a, quote, model African American home. Jones was raised by a single mother in public housing. It wasn't until members of his church pushed him to work with their sponsored Boy Scout group that they learned of Jones' past with the Eagles Scouts and what he was denied. So on Monday night, the Vietnam veteran and retired Naval commander finally received his Eagle Scout medal with his daughter Aquila by his side.

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky if you have an invite. I'm back on the TikTok at JakeTapper. You can tweet the show at TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of the show, you can listen to the lead once you get your podcasts, all two hours just sitting there like a big fillet mignon.

[18:00:00]

Our coverage continues now with Alex Marquardt, who's in for Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room. See you tomorrow.