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Joran van der Sloot Lands In U.S.; Interview with Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) Bipartisan Committee Urges White House to Give Ukraine F- 16 Jets; The Fight for Transgender Rids' Rights; Soccer's Biggest Star Lionel Messi Plans to Sign with Inter Miami. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 08, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:01]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Jean, stay with us for a moment. I'm curious about your vantage point and what you're seeing from where you are. Have you heard about the exact process and what this is going to be like for him over the next few hours?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as is normal, I don't think it would be expected that he would get right off the plane. Because this is -- under the extradition treaties of Peru and the United States, he's flown in from another country. So there is customs in this country. And most likely someone will go on the plane and do the customs check that is mandatory of everyone on that plane. But I think it will take some time. And they may have more security checks.

We do know that when he was taken into custody by Interpol this morning, which is the International Policing Agency, that they had doctors with them. And they did some medical tests including a COVID test. And the president of the National Penitentiary Institute in Peru spoke publicly and said that the FBI had doctors with them on board also. So we can believe that there was at least a medic or a physician on board this entire flight for any medical emergencies that could arise.

SANCHEZ: And Jean, a moment ago you touched on a potential defense that Joran van der Sloot's attorneys may use in this extortion case. Have you heard anything else that might give us an idea of the arguments they will make in court beyond a potential move of venue?

CASAREZ: Well, change of venue would be a procedural issue. But as far as defenses, one potentiality is entrapment here. Because when all of in came down, where money was exchanged, contracts were signed, John Q. Kelly, the attorney for the family, went over to Aruba, met Joran, traveled to this home where Joran said she's underneath the gravel. She fell and hit her head. I secreted her. My father buried her under the gravel. That was all recorded by the FBI, everything. There are still pictures. There are audio transcripts. There are emails which amount to the alleged wire fraud. So all of this forms the basis of the prosecution's case.

But there's always a defense to something like that, and it is called entrapment. So there are other ways that are very crafted -- a defense attorney could go also in this case. But I -- SANCHEZ: Jean -- I want to interrupt you for a moment because it appears that someone has been removed from the jet and loaded into the back of an SUV surrounded by what appears to be armed officers. Obviously, you have a better vantage point perhaps than we do. You mentioned that there was going to be a process of customs and entering Joran van der Sloot into the country. Do we know if he has been removed from the plane? Are you able to gather anything else from your vantage point?

CASAREZ: I think right now since we can't see faces up close, we have to assume that that what you are describing right there is something that is obviously very important, and it appears as though that that possibly could be the defendant himself.

But once he is put into a vehicle, and there will be a convoy that is transporting him to a local holding facility in Birmingham, so that is where they should be going directly from the airport. And there he will be processed. Of course, this is his first time with American juris prudence, you're talking about a mug shot. You're talking about fingerprints, and the FBI will be there with all of this. And then ultimately we believe spending the night in this local holding facility.

And by the way, in Peru you can wear your own clothes. As we saw in previous video, he had his own clothes, he had a warm coat, he cannot do that obviously in the United States. We are going to see him for the very first time in jail garb when we do see him in that court appearance which should be tomorrow.

SANCHEZ: A fascinating detail in the latest chapter of this ongoing saga. Joran van der Sloot once again arriving in Birmingham, Alabama, after 18 years of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. He has been the prime suspect. At any moment that convoy is going to head to that holding facility that Jean described. Jean Casarez, thank you so much for walking us through all of that. I know you're going to stay on top of this story and bring us the latest details from in ongoing saga. Thank you, Jean. Brianna, over to you.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Coming up, U.S. officials telling CNN that Ukrainian forces have lost a significant amount of troops and heavy equipment in their assault on Russian lines in the east. Why my next guest says the U.S. must provide Ukraine with fourth-generation fighter jets.

[04:05:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Ukrainian forces have lost a significant amount of troops and heavy equipment in their assault on Russian lines in the east. That is what a senior U.S. official is telling CNN -- two of them actually. This is coming just days after Ukraine's deputy defense minister said an offensive is taking place in several directions.

[04:10:00] My next guest is part of a bipartisan coalition that just sent a letter to President Biden again urging the U.S. to provide Ukraine with fourth-generation fighter jets. That's a move that Russia says would bring enormous risks. We are joined now by Congressman Jason Crow, he is on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees. He's also a former Army Ranger who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he is now the co-chair of the bipartisan four- country caucus. A lot of stuff, but I think all relevant to what we're talking about here today.

This letter, you're putting a lot of pressure on the president. The president has softened on F-16s a little bit. He has softened on these attack guns, these longer range missile systems. So what do you want out of this? Just for him to move faster? And what is the difference between him going at the pace he's going and going at the pace you want him to?

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO) INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Well, it's to be with you. And I want to be really clear that I think the president and this administration have done a remarkable job of building a coalition of over 50 countries, most of whom have actually contributed to the Ukrainian war effort. That is the world's largest coalition in support of a partner at war. We have moved a massive amount of arms and munitions and equipment.

We have trained multiple brigades of the Ukrainian military. So this effort has been significant. But in war, no day is like the last one. Days change, weeks change. We have to evolve with the war effort. And what this letter is saying -- this is a bipartisan effort by the Veterans Caucus in the House, we're coming out and saying that you have the overwhelming bipartisan support of the House of Representatives to change the nature of our support, to move certain things faster, but also provide some longer range strike capability in the form of aircraft and long-range rockets to help Ukrainians win this.

KEILAR: If they don't do that on the timeline that you're searching for, what's the risk?

CROW: Well, the risk is, is that the Ukrainians have a series of wins and battles, but they could lose the longer term war. The timelines here are different, Brianna. Vladimir Putin is playing a long game. He's looking one year, two years, three years out. He thinks that the West and democratic nations will lose interest. That we can't sustain the political support, and he can just grind this out. He's willing to send 100,000, 200,000 Russians to their death in hope that's he can win this in the long term. So, what we have to do is help the Ukrainians win this in the short or midterm. Help them destroy the Russian military and their capacity to wage war now.

KEILAR: Let's talk about the longer term of supplying something like F-16s to the Ukrainians. They need logistical support. They need maintenance on that, right? These are finely tuned machines. How would Ukraine get that if they get F-16s from the U.S.?

CROW: Well that's what our letter calls for is an expedited all of government, all of alliance effort to train the pilots, find the F- 16s, and transfer them either directly from the United States or a transfer from one of our allies. Because there's F-16ings throughout the NATO alliance in several countries that might be able to transfer them much quicker than we could. But also train the maintainers.

These are sophisticated aircraft. That's why they're so good. They require a tremendous amount of back-end support and sustainment. So we're going to train the mechanics we're going to have to get the fuel supplies going. There's a lot of things that have to happen now so that six months, nine months from now these aircraft can be flying over Ukrainian skies. And that's what we're pushing the administration to do.

KEILAR: The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, F-16s could accommodate nuclear weapons. He's clearly sending a message here. What is he really saying? As you see it, and does that dissuade you from pushing for this?

CROW: Well, first of all, this administration and President Biden have been very careful of making sure that we are not escalating, that we're not doing anything that would give them a reason to do a catastrophic action like nuclear weapons, unconventional weapons. We've been very cautious and deliberate every step of the way.

But another really important point is we should never allow dictators in rogue nations to dictate the terms of what we're willing to do to defend our partners. Every time Putin or Lavrov has established some kind of red line, we have done things to support Ukraine, and they haven't escalated from that point. So, we should not give Vladimir Putin or anybody else for that matter a veto authority over what we're willing to do to stand by our friends.

KEILAR: These attack -- so these are the longer range missiles that would dramatically increase Ukraine's capability. Were talking about going to almost 200 miles distance, right? There was concern before the White House softened on this a little bit about, this could take the U.S. into World War III, you would give the capability of Ukrainians of going well into Russia. How do you get assurances -- how do you ensure that they don't do that?

CROW: I just don't buy that. Because we have seeing now 16 months into this war, Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians have shown their capability to actually be a good partner. They are not going to jeopardize aid from the United States by misusing our aid.

[04:15:00]

We have asked for assurances that they're not going to use our weapons and our technology to strike into Russia. They have kept those assurances, they have kept those promises. And there's absolutely no reason to believe that they're going break that promise. Because it's not in their interests to do so. So. they're going to do what they need to do to win. They'll use their own technology, and do cross- border strikes, their own weapons and equipment, but they're not going to use U.S. aid to do that. And I don't think we have any reason to believe that they would. KEILAR: We'll follow this. We'll see what the reaction is from the

White House to this request that this bipartisan group including yourself are making. Congressman Jason Crowe, thanks for your time.

CROW: Good to be on.

KEILAR: Boris.

SANCHEZ: More and more Republican states are passing bans to limit what transgender people can do. And when it comes to kids, the debate has grown even more fierce. Just last night Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence doubled down on his stance during a CNN Town Hall. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: However adults want to live, they can live. But for children, we're going to protect kids from the radical gender ideology and say no chemical or surgical gender transition before you're 18.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Joining us now is CNN anchor and host of "THE LEAD," Jake Tapper. Jake, the Republican Party often touts parental choice on things like school choice, on curriculum. But on this issue it appears that they are limiting the choices that parents can make over their own kids' lives.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. They are proposing laws, and in some cases passing them, putting state government officials' opinions above that of parents and doctors in many cases when it comes to hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and sex reassignment surgery for people under 18. We're going to talk to a guy named Rick Colby from Ohio coming up in "THE LEAD."

Rick Colby testified recently before a committee in the Ohio state legislature. He described himself as a Republican, as a Christian, and as anti-woke as you can get. But he also has a trans son named Ashton. And we're going to talk to Rick and Ashton about their experience and why they view things differently than Vice President Pence. This is a relatively new issue on the political sphere. We heard from the vice president last night about his opinions about, you know, people like Ashton Colby, and so we're going to talk to Ashton and his dad, as well.

SANCHEZ: Looking forward to that conversation. On the comments from the former vice president, he's obviously in Iowa declaring that he's running for president. Why specifically do you think that he staked this position?

TAPPER: Well, I think, first of all, he's a man of serious conservative Christian faith. And I'm sure he believes every word of what he said. I think also in terms of politics, there is an opportunity for him to win the votes of conservative Christian evangelicals in Iowa which is a sizable voting block. Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucus in 2016 with support of those individuals. That is the lane that he is pursuing. As to why he thinks his opinion is worth more than that of parents and doctors, I don't know.

SANCHEZ: Yes, Pence putting a lot on that race in Iowa. Could make or break his presidential campaign.

TAPPER: And also I should note, like that is a real opportunity to knock Trump down a peg, Iowa. And so we'll see what happens.

SANCHEZ: Yes, Jake Tapper, looking forward to "THE LEAD." Starting at 4 p.m., of course. "THE LEAD" starts at the top of the. Don't miss it.

KEILAR: We certainly will not.

A surprise decision, we're talking about ahead. The Supreme Court says Alabama likely discriminated against Black voters. The justices are ordering the state to redraw its Congressional map. We'll have details on that next.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: He is a world cup hero and seven-time world player of the year. A snubber of a reported $400 million fortune from the Saudis and now he's taking his talents to South Beach. Living legend Lionel Messi shocking the sports world and going to Inter Miami, a surprise move to major league soccer. And it's already sparking a massive surge in ticket prices across the entire league. Get this. The average ticket price for a Messi or for Messi's potential debut game on July 1st, they just jumped 1,000 percent a meager $120 to $1,248 and it keeps going higher. This surge in prices applies to every single game that Inter Miami is now playing this season.

KEILAR: Look, it pays not to be a fair weather friend there. You bought your tickets before, right? Of course, this was just a huge coup for the league. They had to get very creative to close the deal. Both Apple and Adidas coming in to assist on this. According to multiple reports, Apple will now give Messi a percentage of all new subscriptions to its MLS season pass on Apple TV+.

Adidas already signed him to a lifetime contract but the company is reportedly working on a new profit-sharing agreement. Oh, and Messi will also get an ownership stake in Inter Miami once his playing career ends. Unclear how much all of that is worth now. The Saudis reportedly offered the Argentine superstar $400 million. That's a lot of money for one season. He says it wasn't about the money.

[04:25:03]

SANCHEZ: Yes, and especially in the midst of all the sports washing with the merger of PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it is surprising to see him doing that. Brianna, is a huge Miami sports fan. I've never watched an Inter Miami game. That's going to change. I'll get myself a Messi jersey and may even wear it to the studio.

KEILAR: Are you going to shell out for one of those tickets?

SANCHEZ: We'll see about that. I mean, soccer is a little bit slow for my taste, but if it's Messi, maybe.

KEILAR: Yes. I think that would be very, very exciting to watch. In Miami no less.

SANCHEZ: I think so, no less. See you dancing.

KEILAR: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Playing some drums.

KEILAR: It will be amazing. Amazing.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much for joining us on this Friday on CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Brianna, always a pleasure to join you.

KEILAR: Always.

SANCHEZ: And Jim. Wherever Jim is.

KEILAR: We missed you Jim.

SANCHEZ: Having a good to somewhere, yes.

Hey, "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts after a short break. Thanks for being with us.