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Four Officers Killed While Serving a Warrant; Biden's Approval Rating Dips; CNN Speaks to Haitian Gang Leader. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired April 30, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're still trying to determine exactly what happened. But their initial report is that when the task force approached that home, the suspect, who was identified overnight as Terry Hughes Jr., began shooting at those officers. They returned fire, eventually hitting and killing Hughes. We're told he died in the front yard.

Now, the chief did say this morning they're still trying to determine if there was someone else shooting from inside the house, which, look, that sparked a more than two hour standoff. They eventually removed two people, we're told a woman in a 17-year-old girl, from that home. But again, they're still not sure if someone was shooting from inside the house or if it was Hughes the entire time, just moving to different locations.

Now, three members of that U.S. Marshals task force were killed, two 14-year veterans of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Sam Poloche, who leaves behind a wife and two children, and Alden Elliot, who leaves behind a wife and a child. A deputy U.S. Marshal was also killed. The U.S. Marshals have not identified them at this time.

Late last night, after being injured in critical condition for more than six hours, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer died. Eyer was responding to that shooting to try and help those other officers. He leaves behind a wife and a three-year-old son who were by his side in the hospital. He was recognized just about a week-and-a- half ago as one of April's employees of the month. The mayor saying yesterday that this is one of the most difficult days in Charlotte.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR VI LYLES, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: You never know what your day is going to be like. You can't plan things like this to be in this space at this time.

They lost their lives after they gave us the opportunity to be in a safe place and they lost their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Now, three of those officers who were wounded remain in the hospital. Governor Roy Cooper was there with them and their families last night. President Biden spoke with the mayor and the governor. He issued a statement, calling the four officers who were killed heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm's way to protect us.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You know, Dianne, the chief just told me last hour that it was a week ago he was shaking Joshua Eyer's hand thanking him for the work he had been doing, taking guns off the street.

Dianne Gallagher, in Charlotte, thank you so much for that.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Seeing their faces, hearing their stories, just - it's too much.

Coming up still for us, Donald Trump is heading back to court this morning. Why is he already mad at his lead attorney? We have new reporting on that.

And the latest billion dollar - billion dollars lottery jackpot going to one of the most deserving winners we've really ever heard of.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:15]

BERMAN: All right, moments ago, Donald Trump left Trump Tower - and you can see him departing right there, speaking to some people as he gets in his SUV for the drive down to the courthouse in Manhattan. He, of course, is charged with falsifying documents to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress. Testimony in that trial begins again shortly. And we could learn, maybe as soon as today, frankly, it's been a long time, we've been expecting it, if the judge will rule or find Donald Trump in contempt for the things he has been saying outside of the courtroom. For - standby for that.

In the meantime, new developments in the case against the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022. Prosecutors have asked the judge not to let him add to his alibi on the night of the killings and to prevent anyone but him from testifying about where he was the night of the murders. It comes following an announcement the defense - from the defense team that they plan to have a cell phone tower expert testify to partially corroborate a claim that he was out driving when the killings occurred.

A new study finds that teenagers who vape are more likely to be exposed to toxic metals, including lead and uranium. This can cause harm to brain and organ development. Authors of the study reported that teens who vaped six to 19 days a month had 40 percent higher lead levels than teens who vaped one in five days a month.

An immigrant from Laos who goes by Charlie won a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot. He has also been battling cancer for eight years. The 46-year-old says this money will help his family live a worry-free life. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENG "CHARLIE" SAEPHAN, POWERBALL WINNER: I pray for blessing. My prayer were answered. And my life has been changed. Now I can (INAUDIBLE) my family and find a good doctor for myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: So, when he found out he won the jackpot, he called his wife as she was driving to work. He simply told her, quote, you don't have to go anymore. The couple and a friend played and won together. They will split the lump sum payment, $422 million after taxes.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: He says, and I can find a good doctor for myself is - that's remarkable.

So, we're also continuing to cover all the breaking news with regard to the protests that have broken out. Pro-Palestinian protesters have seized an academic building at Columbia University. More arrests overnight have happened at the University of Texas at Austin over - and over similar protests - similar protests there.

These protests continued to engulf campuses across the country and are also increasing pressure on President Biden to respond further. The latest CNN polling shows voters are dissatisfied with Biden's handling of the U.S. response to Israel's war against Hamas.

[08:40:00]

But what is driving that dissatisfaction is a bigger conversation.

CNN's Harry Enten has been looking into it. He's here with us now.

Harry, first, start with us about where Biden's approval rating stands when it comes to the handling of Israel's war against Hamas.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, you mentioned the word dissatisfied, and I would certainly use that word. I might even use a harsher term. All right, these are Biden's worst issue approval ratings, OK? The economies is at 34 percent. On inflation he's at 29 percent. On the Israel-Hamas war he's at 28 percent. His disapproval rating is north of 70 percent. My goodness, gracious.

And if you look at the trend line, you see that Biden's approval rating on the Israel-Hamas war has only been going down. If you looked at the beginning of Israel's war with Hamas, it was closer to about 45 percent. So that trend line going in a very bad direction. And right now it's one of the worst issues for President Biden.

BOLDUAN: But take us inside that number. Do - when you go - when you dig deeper, does it suggest that people want - let me say this, want President Biden to support Israel less?

ENTEN: Yes, this, I think, is the big question. And President Biden truly is between a rock and a hard place. So, this is a separate poll that was conducted by Quinnipiac University last month, is America's support for Israel too much? You see about a 30 electorate says in fact it is, 33 percent, but about right you get this 37 percent. Too little, 21 percent.

So, for President Biden, if all of a sudden he would become less friendly towards Israel, he could, in fact, alienate this 21 percent. He could in fact alienating this 37 percent. Yes, there is a portion of the American public that believes that there's too much support for Israel. That's especially the case among young voters. But when we're talking about the electorate at large, and, of course, that's what we're talking about when we're talking about elections.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

ENTEN: If Joe Biden were in fact to become less friendly towards Israel, I'm not sure it would necessarily work out for him overall.

BOLDUAN: Yes, so, I mean it shows that inside that very dissatisfied number is, there is a group who thinks he's not doing enough to support Israel. There's a group who's saying he's doing too much to support Israel. This is exactly what this is getting at. Why it's so important to dig deeper in the numbers.

ENTEN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Talk me through just policy - policy towards Israel, Israeli policy, and this whole issue, how it's impacting Biden in 2024 just in general. Like, how is - where is it land in this election?

ENTEN: Yes, exactly right. You know, we look at President Biden's approval rating. It's sort of, you know, hovering around 40 percent overall. And the question is, how much of this is because of folks that are dissatisfied with Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas War. And so I think it's important to note how many people actually consider this issue to be important. How many say the Middle East conflict is the nation's top problem? Kate, it's just 2 percent of all adults.

BOLDUAN: Right.

ENTEN: That ranks 19th on the issue list. If you look at voters under the age of 35, like many of those who are protesting on college campuses, just 3 percent say it's the nation's top problem. It ranks tenth overall. So, again, I'm not necessarily sure what Joe Biden's supposed to do in this situation because if he, in fact, where to become less friendly towards Israel, he could alienate those few independents or Republicans that are supporting him. And, overall, I don't really think it makes that much of an impact on his overall stand.

BOLDUAN: When you see where it ranks in terms of the issues and number one I'm going to guess, and we have seen this over and over again, all of these issues, adults under 35, whatever, it's still the economy, their personal economy, and that's where he remains focused (ph).

ENTEN: Exactly right, Kate. BOLDUAN: It's good to see you, Harry. Thank you so much.

ENTEN: Nice to see you.

BOLDUAN: John.

BERMAN: With us now, CNN political commentators, former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield and Republican strategists Shermichael Singleton.

So, Kate, you know, take us inside the White House at a moment like this. How would the discussions go over how to respond to these protests that we're seeing?

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, what you have is a recognition inside the White House, a recognition of the emotion and the passion and the outrage that you're seeing from these student protesters and from people, frankly, on both sides who are supporting either side of this conflict. I mean you just heard Harry kind of go through how divided the country is on this.

So, there is, as they're discussing this inside the White House, they are certainly acknowledging the passion and the anger, but they're also, I can tell you this team is very, very good at staying focused on the long term, on the long-term policy goal, on not - so they are very focused on not allowing themselves to be kind of whip sawed around.

Now, you know, what they are discussing now is remaining locked in on the policy choices that they believe is going to - are going to move the Middle East to a more stable, long-term, peaceful place. And that's what's driving the conversation. That's how President Biden's thinking about it. What do we need to do to ensure America's interests in the region and around the world, and what do we need to do to get to a cessation of the violence and a longer-term peaceful next phase after this conflict.

So, the politics are real. They are certainly over - you know, overlaying these conversations because the president is running for re-election.

[08:45:06]

But, you know, when you think about what this White House team focuses on and prioritizes, they're very good at looking at the long term and not allowing the short term, if you will, to move them around.

BERMAN: So, Shermichael, the Republicans are clearly trying to exploit the images of these demonstrations, but there is - is there something disingenuous about this, because the protests are against President Biden's policy toward Israel and Gaza right now, a policy which some of these same Republicans who are trying to exploit the protest say doesn't go far enough?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, it represents, what, 3 percent of all voters 35 or under. We just saw in that previous segment with Harry Enten, I'm under 35. Individuals at my age group and younger, we represented 38 percent of all new or regular voters in 2020, John. That's about 15 percent of the overall electorate.

And so from a strategic position, as a strategist, my advice and my thoughts on this is that Republicans should talk about what most people my age are principally concerned with. That's cost. That's the inability of starting a family in the immediate. We're now delaying it by alarming numbers according to some analysts. The ability to purchase your first home is nearly impossible.

And for a lot of the young people at Columbia, at NYU and Harvard and many other institutions across the country, when they leave those pearly gates of their four-year degrees, they're going into a world of significant economic uncertainty. And that's, I think, the principal concern for most people in my age group, and I think Republicans should speak to that.

You've seen Donald Trump, in some ways, try to argue, and make his case on that point. I think Republican should continue.

BERMAN: Well, first of all, thank you for rubbing it in that you're under 35.

SINGLETON: Sorry, John.

BERMAN: That's all right. I've been dealing with it for a while now.

So, listen, Kate, I do think it is worth noting that we are seeing these images and it is notable, whatever you see a university building takeover, it's something that makes people sit up straight. This is not 1968, at least not yet across these campuses and the level of unrest we're thinking - we're seeing, but how much concern do you think there is within Democratic circles right now about the Democratic convention, which is in Chicago, which has seen protests going back to 1968 around conventions there.

BEDINGFIELD: Well, first of all, let's not forget, there's no draft. There was a draft in 1968. People were worried that their son, their brother, their nephew, their friend, was going to be sent over to the conflict in Vietnam. There's no draft. We have a volunteer army. Our army is not - you know, we don't have boots on the ground in this conflict in Gaza and Israel. So, the level of impact that people are feeling in their day-to-day lives as a result of this conflict is just - it's just different. It just is.

So, that being said, obviously the convention team will be working to ensure that the convention moves as smoothly as possible, functions as smoothly as possible. That there's space for protests. I think what we've seen on these college campuses shows that there is - there is energy, there's passion behind this. And I would imagine that there will be protests at the convention in Chicago.

You know, but I think for the Democrats, what they're trying to do is allow space for protests. Obviously, historically, these kinds of protests have driven social change. It's important that people be able to voice their concerns and frustration with disagreements they have with their government. That's important. That's a bedrock American - fundamental American principle.

But I think the level of intensity I think is just not comparable to 1968. Again, there's no draft. And secondly, you know, I think Democrats are going to continue to focus on making policy decisions that are designed to get us to a peaceful end to this conflict and into the next phase in the Middle East. And I think for young people who want to see peace, those are the kinds of policies that they should be supporting.

BERMAN: Kate Bedingfield, Shermichael Singleton, just for the record, I was not alive in 1968 for the protests then. So, thank you both.

SINGLETON: So, there you go, John.

BERMAN: Yes, there we go. There is that. Glass half full.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Have we touched a nerve? I think we have today.

Coming up for us, a new day of testimony in the criminal trial of Donald Trump as there are also new reports that he has been complaining about his lead attorney.

We also have the latest from the scene at Columbia University. We'll be getting back there. Sara Sidner's on the ground. Pro-Palestinian protesters take over an academic building on campus and the university just put out a new statement.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:54:00]

BERMAN: A CNN exclusive this morning. He is on the FBI's top ten most wanted list with a $2 million bounty on his head, accused of kidnapping American missionaries and killing an American hostage.

CNN's David Culver spoke to Haiti's notorious gang leader.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Vitel'homme agrees to meet us.

CULVER: Hi there.

CULVER (voice over): On his turf.

CULVER: I'm David.

CULVER (voice over): Flanked by his followers, he leads us inside this flashy mansion.

CULVER: And so is this your - your home?

CULVER (voice over): In a room filled with gold rimmed furniture and stuffed animals, I ask him about the crisis engulfing Haiti.

Our dream is to rid the country of the corrupt oligarchy and politicians who are holding us back, he says. We need to get rid of the system and return stability to Haiti. He speaks with intention and calls for greater dialogue.

But if it's the same system that's been in power, then, as armed groups, we will never put down our weapons, he says.

[08:55:03]

CULVER: And so do you have regular communications with, as you say, the other armed groups?

CULVER (voice over): Yes. We're united, he tells me.

The gangs have formed a coalition known as Vivonpsalm (ph), or living together, and collectively they push back on foreign intervention, holding tight their grips over a fractured state, some using terror tactics like kidnapping, rape, and murder to sustain control.

CULVER: Is that something you have participated in, in ordering you men and women to kidnap?

CULVER (voice over): He says he hopes to defend himself in court against those allegations. And while not denying his followers have kidnapped people, he deflects blame to outside forces for creating a state of corruption, as he sees it. He's eager to show us other parts of his home and territory and introduces us to his top commander.

CULVER: So, you're his cousin?

CULVER (voice over): Security experts suggest Kraze Barye has more than 1,000 armed gang members, including recently escaped inmates.

CULVER: As you can see, a lot of his armed soldiers and followers are around us. And he's suggesting that we follow and drive with them.

CULVER (voice over): He brings us to the edge of his territory. We notice his guards, normally curious and watching us, are instead looking outward, cautiously, toward another gang's territory. A reminder that the coalition of gangs might be more fragile than portrayed.

In the midst of our tour, a disturbing video starts circulating on WhatsApp. It reportedly shows that devastating and deadly aftermath of an allied gang attack on a community a few miles from where we are.

CULVER: The destruction, the violence, the deaths that have played out, do you take any responsibility for that?

He only says he made mistakes and is not perfect. He blames politicians.

We're interrupted. Something nearby puts his guards on edge. We pick up the conversation a short distance away. Senior editor Cailtlin Hu further pressing for an explanation to the horrors we've seen in Haiti.

CAILTLIN HU, CNN SENIOR EDITOR: But we have also met in hospitals, women, children, innocent people who have been burned, who have been forced to leave their homes, who have been shot, who have been raped. Why are innocent people suffering in this struggle?

CULVER (voice over): He does not clearly answer. Instead, he frames the months of deadly street violence as collateral damage. He points the finger at police, saying they refuse to engage in dialogue and instead recklessly opened fire. Police say they're desperately trying to keep the gangs from gaining more ground.

Vitel'homme claims to be a man of faith, devout in practicing voodoo, a common religion here in Haiti.

CULVER: I've heard rumors, and I don't know how true they are, so I ask you that you have voodoo protection. Do you feel that protection?

CULVER (voice over): Yes, he tells me confidently, adding that he prays daily for his fellow Haitians.

CULVER: Ultimately, what is it going to take to bring stability and a future of calm to this country?

CULVER (voice over): He says he and the other armed groups need to be included in discussions of Haiti's future. That's the only way he sees convincing gang members to drop their guns in exchange for a future outside of violence.

As curfew nears, we head back the way we came. Vitel'homme sopping several times along the way, mingling with locals, handing out food, smiling as though on a campaign trail.

CULVER: We're getting out?

CULVER (voice over): He wants us to meet these two men, blind refugees. They tell us Vitel'homme took them in, but it leaves us wondering, why help these men and force so many others out of their homes. Look at actions over words, he tells me.

As we near the edge of his territory and the end of our five-hour visit -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, let's not hang around here.

CULVER (voice over): Vitel'homme gets out of his motorcade, waves for us to move forward and strolls to the desolate street corner. He then comes to our door and shakes each of our hands. His actions, intentional and symbolic.

CULVER: Here we are just blocks from the U.S. embassy and that's clearly a demonstration of how confident he is and the many he has around him, displaying a show of force.

CULVER (voice over): A flexing of strength in a lawless nation where today at least gangs hold the power.

David Culver, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[09:00:02]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with breaking news this morning from Columbia University.