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Trump Loses Third Bid In Three Days To Delay Hush Money Trial; Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) On Arizona Republicans To Block Efforts To Repeal Abortion Ban; Biden To Announce Expansion Of Joint Patrols In Indo-Pacific. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired April 11, 2024 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORT: A lot of economists are throwing around the word "stubborn" -- some even comparing it to a toddler that is refusing to leave the park.

Yesterday's report was the third in a row that was hotter than expected. Again, that is disappointing because it means the cost of living is going up too fast. Things like gasoline and housing, but also other stuff like car insurance, car repair, baby formula. The cost to go to a vet. The cost to go to a sporting event. All of those have gone up.

And this is also disappointing for all of us as borrowers, right? If you were hoping to catch a break on a mortgage --

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Right.

EGAN: -- or a car loan, or you're trying to pay off your credit card debt, you might have to wait a little bit longer.

Listen to what President Biden said yesterday on the prospect for an interest rate cut from the Fed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I do stand by my prediction that before the year is out there will be a rate cut. This may delay it a month or so. I'm not sure of that. I don't -- we don't know what the Fed is going to do for certain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EGAN: We don't know what the Fed is going to do for certain, but we do know that doubts are growing on Wall Street about a rate cut in June. Look at this. Just a month ago, markets were pricing in a 71 percent chance of a rate cut. Even two days ago, we were looking at a 60-40 chance. Now --

SIDNER: Wow.

EGAN: -- down to just a 17 percent chance. We're hearing from Goldman Sachs. They had thought three rate cuts

this year and now they say two. Barclays says one.

And we even heard from not one, but two former Obama economists, Larry Summers and Jason Furman. They suggested that maybe the next move from the Fed is not a rate cut. It could actually be a rate hike. Now, too early to actually forecast that but it speaks volumes that they were even talking about rate hikes right now.

SIDNER: Yeah, and I know you're reporting that Moody's chief economist has said that gas prices could be the big mover here and could create real problems for the economy as well. We will see.

EGAN: We will.

SIDNER: This is not good news on inflation.

Matt Egan, thank you so much.

EGAN: Thanks, Sara.

SIDNER: John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. This morning, Donald Trump failing in his latest bid to derail his criminal trial here in New York. For the third time in just three days, a New York appeals court judge denied his request to delay the trial. It's going to start on Monday unless something really unexpected happens.

CNN senior crime and justice reporter Katelyn Polantz is with us now. So -- I mean, there are a couple of days to go -- actually, four -- until Monday, so what next?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, John, we'll have to see what the next couple of days bring. But what we saw Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were these last gasps of Trump's defense team trying to put everything on hold so he wouldn't have to go to trial on Monday in New York in that hush money case -- the accusations of falsifying business records and facing the jury for the first day of jury selection.

Where we are now -- that trial is going forward on Monday. It will begin with Donald Trump as a criminal defendant in court in Manhattan, facing the potential juror pool as that process gets started.

What happened over the last couple of days was Monday, his team went to court -- went to an appellate judge and asked them to put things on hold for one reason, moving the trial. The appellate court said no, we're not going to do that. Tuesday, it was about a gag order and the appellate court said no, we're not going to do that either.

And then yesterday, another scramble to get before an appellate judge with a smorgasbord of things that Trump's team was trying to use to say put everything on hold. They wanted to have a stay -- a pause because they want to look at the recusal of the judge in the case. They want to get him off of the case. They wanted to bring up presidential immunity issues. Some questions about filing during the trial.

And the appeals court said no, we're not going to put this on hold. It's moving forward. These are not things that you are arguing with merit here at this time to cause the trial to stop.

The district attorney's office in New York says there's great public interest for this trial to begin on Monday. And so, it certainly looks like it will. But you never know what a new day will bring in court. More filings are possible.

And, of course, there's a hearing tomorrow for Donald Trump's co- defendants in his other case -- the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case in Florida -- John.

BERMAN: Of course, there is.

All right, Katelyn Polantz for us this morning. Thank you very much for that -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Joining me now to discuss Trump's failed delay tactics is CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen. He is the author of a brand- new book. It's aptly timed, Norm. It's called "Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial." Thank you so much for joining us, Norm.

Let's just start here. Trump's been rejected three times in three days. What do you think he's thinking about all of this and is it unusual? Because it's pretty usual when someone tries to get a case dismissed that the judge doesn't dismiss it, correct?

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, AUTHOR, "TRYING TRUMP: A GUIDE TO HIS FIRST ELECTION INTERFERENCE CRIMINAL TRIAL" (via Webex by Cisco): That is the normal circumstance, Sara.

[07:35:00]

I think what Trump is thinking is that he faces a grave risk of a possible conviction and a possible sentence of incarceration if he is convicted. Of course, he's innocent until proven guilty.

The way that Judge Merchan, the judge, has started talking about the case -- is part of that peril that is leading Donald Trump to this frenzy of failed delay tactics. Judge Merchan, in his decisions on the case, but also in what he is going to read to incoming possible jurors starting on Monday. He says this is a case of alleged criminal election influence. In other words, the judge has started to talk about this case not as a hush money case, not as personal peccadillos, but as attempting to interfere with an election. That gives the subtitle to trying Trump.

And I think Trump is anxious about that because if these 34 felonies are a democracy matter, Sara, that poses potential legal but also political exposure for the former president.

SIDNER: Yeah, it makes it a much bigger deal politically, certainly, for him. You know, there's this gag order in place and he seems to be openly daring the judge to call him out for potential violations. He fired off a whole number of posts, as you know, on social media, including one which was a response to the disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti, who represented Stormy Daniels -- who was formerly representing her back in the day.

Michael -- he wrote about Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, two likely witnesses in the case, saying this because Michael Avenatti did an interview yesterday. "Thank you to Michael Avenatti for revealing the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our country dearly."

You see those things. These are people that could be -- they are on the witness list -- Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels -- and he calls them sleaze bags and says there are lies and misrepresentations.

Is that a violation of the gag order? What happens here?

EISEN: It's certainly a violation of the gag order. In trying Trump, we include a list of the likely witnesses based on our analysis. And Cohen and Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, are certainly witnesses in this case.

And I suspect that what is happening -- we may not see it in plain sight, Sara, but what is happening is the judge has called the lawyers in or the D.A. may have sent a letter -- so far, not public -- saying hey, there are violations of the gag order happening here. So -- and I do think that will come into public.

Trump always does this. He did it with the civil fraud action before Judge Angoran. He tests the limits. The gag order has already been extended to include family members because Trump was attacking family members of the judge.

So we can expect some fireworks on this. It's part of Trump's strategy to send a bad signal to his potential supporters in the jury pool. Hey, I'm being picked on. But this is a very savvy judge. He's not going to allow this to taint the jury pool.

SIDNER: Yeah. The one major thing you cannot go after -- witnesses in a case. They are supposed to be protected, as well as jurors.

Norm Eisen, it is always a joy to see you. Thank you so much -- John.

BERMAN: All right. This morning, redemption for a police dog dropout. Roger -- he is the dog -- sprang into action after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan where he helped search for bodies under the rubble. But the compassion he put into emergency rescue -- it was a bad match for his first calling. He failed out of police classes because he was deemed too friendly and too playful for professional drug sniffing.

But luckily for all, he found something else. He now has seven rescue operations under his belt -- or collar. And he is still plenty playful. He likes reporters, we are told, which puts him in good stead. And we are told he plans to retire next year when he will be nine, which is 63 in dog years, Sara.

SIDNER: Too friendly and too playful. John, that describes you.

BERMAN: Yes.

SIDNER: That describes you, my friend.

BERMAN: Said by no one, ever.

SIDNER: What an adorable dog. Oh, I want him.

OK. Three fishermen stranded on a tiny remote island in the Pacific. How they managed to get their rescuers' attention. You're going to want to see this. That's ahead.

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[07:44:37]

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, chaos inside the Arizona State Capitol where Republican lawmakers blocked efforts to repeal an 1864 ban on nearly all abortions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Democrats and some Republicans tried to roll back the ban after the State Supreme Court upheld the law.

[07:45:00]

Now, Axios is reporting that the Republican House Speaker there opposes a repeal and would not allow a vote on it.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Republican from South Carolina. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

You've called the Arizona law extreme. Yet, Axios, as I just said, is reporting that the Republican House Speaker in Arizona will block any attempts to change it.

What's your reaction to that?

REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): That's like pulling the pin out of the grenade today on the issue of abortion and that's wrong. And in the post-Roe v. world era, the government needs to listen to the people. Every state should put this issue on the ballot. It's in the hands of the people. Let the people decide for themselves what they want to do and how they want to do it.

Arizona's 1864 law is a terrible law. It gets away -- it does away with all -- virtually all of the exceptions -- rape, incest, and even life of the mother. It makes it a felony. It throws doctors in jail.

I don't know anybody -- in my state, at least -- who would support that kind of thing and I can't imagine the majority of Arizonans would support it either. It needs to be repealed and it needs to be repealed immediately.

BERMAN: So, Donald Trump and you, it sounds like, are saying that the decision on abortion should be left up to the states. You know, Arizona is a state. Alabama is a state.

MACE: Um-hum.

BERMAN: No exception for rape or incest there. South Dakota is a state. Missouri is a state. Oklahoma is a state. These are states that do not have the exceptions that you are supporting.

So what do you say to women who live in these states?

MACE: Well, South Carolina -- when we were doing our Fetal Heartbeat bill back in 2019, there were no exceptions for rape or incest, for example. And I wrote an amendment and I put all of those exceptions in there. And, in fact, we were one of the first states in the nation to have exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother.

I would encourage these states to listen to the people, which is why I'm encouraging them to put it on the ballot. Let the people decide. Listen to your voters. Listen to your constituents.

And I'm a Republican. I'm a pro-life Republican but I'm also sensible in listening to suburban women because I am one. I'm also a mother.

And I listen to constituents in my district who we don't always agree but we do know we want to show compassion, which is why when you have these, I think, sometimes barbaric and draconian laws in these states it's up to the people to have their voices heard and to start encouraging the lawmakers and encouraging the government to do the right thing here, which is why I've been so vocal. John, you know I'm one of the few Republicans who has been very vocal on this since Roe V. Wade was overturned.

BERMAN: I want to shift gears now to what's been happening inside the U.S. Capitol. You helped tank the FISA reauthorization rule that was supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republican Congressman Tom McClintock, of California, is calling on you and others to be sanctioned for voting against the rule.

How do you feel about that?

MACE: Absolutely not. I mean, we had an opportunity to reform FISA and the -- our side decided not to. And we need to have a real discussion about how we can balance our national security and our nation's sovereignty while also, at the same time, protect law-abiding citizens and their constitutional rights. Americans should not be spied on without a warrant.

I look at the border, for example. We're allowing -- we haven't done anything about the border. We have terrorists coming in every single day. Let's get serious about our national security both at the border and in FISA while we also protect American citizens' rights. I think it can be done.

BERMAN: Lindsey Graham -- senator from the state of South Carolina, as you know -- says that "Anybody who supports shutting down FISA and making us blind to

terrorist threats will equally own future calamities that are certain to come if we let our guard down."

MACE: Well, this is part of a negotiating tactic. I will tell you, as soon as I leave CNN studios today I'm going to meet with fellow Republicans to talk about the next steps in reforming FISA and how we can use the 19 -- the bloc of 19 to be able to do that.

When we talk about national security I'm serious about it. I sit on the House Armed Services Committee.

But here we are. We're a nation with wide-open borders at this -- at our southern border not doing anything about the terrorists that are coming through every single day.

So let's get serious about national security. Let's secure our southern border. Let's do FISA but do it while we are protecting law- abiding citizens. That's all we want is to ensure that American citizens' constitutional rights are protected.

BERMAN: So, Donald Trump sent out a post on social media yesterday morning before this rule went up for a vote. He wrote, "Kill FISA. It was illegally used against me and many others. They spied on my campaign!!! DJT"

In 2018, when he was president, he posted on social media, "Just signed 702 bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!"

[07:50:00]

So, yesterday he said it was used against him. In 2018, he said it was not. Do you think he's confused?

MACE: Well, I think there's been information in the last couple of years -- the last six years, at least, that showed that his campaign was spied on. I'm someone -- I --

BERMAN: Well, not by 702. I mean, I know it's -- I know that it's a complicated thing --

MACE: Um-hum.

BERMAN: -- but not by 702. It wasn't rule 702, which is what you were voting to reauthorize yesterday. There's no one who is against that.

MACE: Right. Well, I'm a constitutional conservative so I have voted, for example, to put members of my own party -- hold them in contempt when we've had those votes. I've done that with Democrats and Republicans alike.

So, for me, I don't really care who is in power or who says what. I want to do the right thing for the people I represent in my state and my nation, and that means protecting the constitutional rights of every single American.

BERMAN: House Speaker Mike Johnson is under continuous threat it seems over his role as Speaker of the House.

What do you say to Marjorie Taylor Greene and maybe others who want to push him from power?

MACE: Well, the bill that she filed was not actually a privileged resolution, so there's not going to be a vote to my knowledge, at least, anytime soon on a motion to vacate Mike Johnson.

I think Mike Johnson was dealt a bad hand. The difference between him and the former speaker is that I believe Mike Johnson when he talks to me. We have conversations. I don't get lied to. We know -- we know where the pieces are on the chess board with him and he's honest.

Yesterday, he came out and supported the FISA in the conference meeting. He's truthful to conference members and to the people of this country. And honesty and integrity are something that is sorely needed in Washington, D.C.

BERMAN: Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolina. Thanks for being with us. Let us know what happens in these negotiations you're about to walk into when you leave the CNN studios --

MACE: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: -- over FISA. Appreciate it -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John.

On our radar this morning, an avoidable event and a shocking lack of response. That is a special grand jury finding that the 2023 shooting of a Virginia teacher by a 6-year-old student could have been prevented.

A panel investigating the shooting at Richneck Elementary School also found what they said was a shocking lack of response by the former assistant principal despite several warnings about the 6-year-old. The assistant principal later resigned. The panel made a number of recommendations for the school district in its 30-page report.

The Newport News commonwealth's attorney's office will hold a press conference later today to discuss the findings.

And Caitlin Clark, the highest-scoring player in college basketball history -- men or women, mind you -- is getting a well-deserved honor. The Iowa sensation will have her number 22 jersey retired after she had such an incredible season and making it, once again, to the NCAA Women's Championship game. She will be only the third Hawkeyes women's basketball player to have a jersey retired.

And how did three men stranded on an island finally get rescued after a week in the Pacific? A little creativity with them and they used what they had around them. They made a "HELP" message with palm fronds, Coast Guard officials say. The trio were fishing when their skiff was caught, damaged by swells. So they swam ashore on a very remote 31-acre island in Micronesia and wrote the message and just waited.

A Navy jet spotted the SOS and when help arrived, the Coast Guard petty officer who spoke the local language soon realized he was actually a distant cousin to the castaways. What? John.

BERMAN: I'm not sure I saw that movie.

SIDNER: There's a lot going on there. I know.

BERMAN: I don't know if I saw it. A new tale or a movie, or something.

SIDNER: That was a surprising ending.

BERMAN: Yeah, it's a little twist on the whole thing.

SIDNER: I like it.

BERMAN: It was his cousin and they had a snack or a meal there.

SIDNER: Maybe a Lunchable.

BERMAN: Hopefully, not. A lot of sodium.

All right. Happening now, a severe storm and flood threat is expanding to include more than 65 million people from Florida up to New York. We are getting reports -- new reports of flash flooding in Florida. At least four tornadoes were reported in Louisiana and in Texas. One of them touched down in Slidell, Louisiana where 10 people were hurt.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is there this morning. Derek, what are you seeing?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. You know, John, it is a miracle that no one was killed during this terrifying tornado that touched down here in Slidell, Louisiana roughly at about 10:00 a.m. in the morning. You can see some of the damage behind me. This building just obliterated by the EF-1 tornado winds. That's winds between 86 to 110 miles per hour.

But certainly, the most catastrophic of damage came in the apartment complex that's directly behind our live shot. This is the Courtney Heights apartment complex. We'll take you into the air so you can see exactly what it looks like. And we were analyzing this video yesterday and it almost appears as if a tin can was peeled back on the top of this building. Like, the roof was literally pulled back by this ferocious wind that came through. There were families inside exposed to the elements -- wind, rain, and the sound of a tornado.

[07:55:00]

We talked to a married couple in a home just behind the Courtney Heights apartment complex that you're seeing now. They had quite a remarkable story to tell. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RENEE BENNETT, SLIDELL RESIDENT: I see him coming in so I thought I'd unlock it for them. So I'm trying to open it and it wouldn't open, and I didn't know he was --

JIMMY BENNETT, SLIDELL RESIDENT: Because the wind is pulling me back. It's knocking me back, you know? And all of a sudden I hear a noise and that's when the tree fell on my truck that I just got out of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN DAM: And that's a split-second decision between life and death for that gentleman. We're so grateful and thankful that he got out of harm's way. But he was describing how the tornado or the wind was trying to suck him backwards away from his house, so quite dramatic.

Now, that same storm system is moving up the East Coast and I want you to see the severe weather today. I'm going to highlight the Florida Peninsula and into southeastern sections of Georgia.

But then I also want to bring your attention to that shading of orange across the eastern sections of the Ohio River Valley and western West Virginia. This is an enhanced risk of severe storms today. A few tornadoes still possible, damaging winds, and large hail.

And then, the other threat here is also the flooding that has been ongoing. We're focusing in on the Florida Panhandle and that area had a flash flood emergency in and around Tallahassee earlier this morning. That's moved on. The bulk of the heavy rainfall today will be across the coastal areas of the Carolinas.

John, back to you.

BERMAN: Really dramatic -- really dramatic pictures. And I do have to say the fact that you're drawing on an iPad in the midst of tornado damage and it's showing up on our screen right here -- I want to know how you can do that when I can't get my email to work. But that's a whole other thing.

Derek Van Dam, great to see you. Thank you very much -- Sara.

SIDNER: That's a very good point, John. We need to talk to someone about that.

All right. Today, the White House is expected to announce an expansion of joint patrols in the Indo-Pacific as tension simmers between China and the United States. The announcement comes ahead of the president's historic meeting this morning with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines -- part of a move to strengthen ties between the three nations and counter Beijing. CNN's Arlette Saenz is joining us now from the White House. What does this expansion look like at this moment?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, President Biden and the leaders of Japan and the Philippines are hoping to project a show of unity with their meetings and announcements today amid aggression from China.

Now, President Biden will meet one-on-one with President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, and then they will expand that to a large trilateral summit that will also bring in Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. It's a historic summit -- the first time the leaders of the three countries will be meeting together.

But maritime security is really expected to be at the top of their agenda at a time when senior administration officials heading into this summit said that they are very concerned about China's aggression in the South China Sea. A lot of that concern centers around the fact that China has taken aggressive actions towards Filipino ships, at times firing water cannons at their crews.

And today, they will be making an announcement that there will soon be joint patrols by the Coast Guards of each country in the coming year. A senior administration official says that will include the U.S. Coast Guard bringing on members of the Japanese and Filipino Coast Guard onto their ships for training.

And it also comes just on the heels of heading into this summit, there were those joint military exercises conducted between the U.S., the Philippines, Japan, and Australia really trying to have this show of unity and force as they are facing this aggression from China in the region.

But really, this trip for -- these two visits from President Biden of the Japanese leader and also the Filipino leader really highlight his emphasis on the region in trying to rebuild those alliances as they trying to find ways to counter China going forward.

SIDNER: Arlette Saenz, thank you so much for that.

We are now going to speak with Michelle Ye Hee Lee, the Tokyo bureau chief for The Washington Post, to further discuss this.

So, President Biden clearly trying to forge closer ties with Japan and the Philippines in an effort to counter China's increasing influence and aggression, especially in the South China Sea.

What do you think are some of the most important items that should come out of this meeting?

MICHELLE YE HEE LEE, TOYKO BUREAU CHIEF, THE WASHINGTON POST (via Skype): Some of the most important items that should come out of this meeting is the two leaders that -- first of all, President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida discussing joint cooperation on defense matters -- on exporting Japanese defense materials to the United States and coordinating how the U.S. military in Japan can work closer with the Japanese Defense Forces -- the Japanese military. And this is all to prepare in case of a potential attack -- a potential crisis in the South China Sea.

In terms of the trilateral cooperation that the three leaders will discuss, it's definitely going to be on maritime security to really ramp up the security around the Philippines to protect and help the Philippines in case of even more overtures from the Chinese.