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New Details Emerge About Suspect In Massachusetts Stabbings; China's Military Showcases Gun-Toting Robot Dogs; Two Italian Newspapers Accuse Pope Francis Of Using Homophobic Slur. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired May 28, 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]

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is according to records of the Edgartown District Court. That case has not been adjudicated.

But The Boston Globe got ahold of a police report and says that Ravizza's father told officers his son had "Had just had a mental break and attacked him inside his home." The report also alleges Ravizza wrecked his father's home office.

He was taken to a Martha's Vineyard hospital for observation -- for a mental health evaluation -- but did not meet their standards to be held, according to the Globe.

So a little more background on this suspect due to appear in court today, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And what's the information about a possible connection to a case in Connecticut?

JONES: This is still unclear. Connecticut State Police say that there was a murder in the town of Deep River -- a homicide in the town of Deep River, and a suspect has been taken into custody in Massachusetts. But they're not naming the suspect.

They say that on Saturday, they responded to a disturbance at an address in Deep River. They found a deceased individual. They have not identified this individual. And so -- and police in neither state have said whether the cases are connected, so we're still awaiting more information on that.

But listen to what some of the neighbors in Deep River had to say about this individual found deceased.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE OSTERING, NEIGHBOR: He'd come down here and visit us with the poodle. We'd sit, we'd chat. We talked about where he was from and where I was from, and we got along great for two weeks.

CHARLIE BRASHEARS, NEIGHBOR: It's clear that there's been a murder there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So the mystery remains. We'll have to get more information from authorities. But they say no active threat in Connecticut but they have not named either the deceased individual or the suspect in that case who they say has already been detained in Massachusetts. We'll have to await more details on that -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Keep us posted as more information comes in.

Athena Jones, thank you very much -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So today is the big day -- closing arguments in Donald Trump's hush money and falsified documents trial. It also marks the beginning of the end of Donald Trump's historic first criminal trial. The closing arguments will be underway this morning and the jury could be handed the case and begin deliberating as soon as tomorrow.

So will Donald Trump become the first former president to be convicted of a crime? That depends on today and will very soon be on the shoulders of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates to decide.

With me right now ahead of all of this is defense attorney Randy Zelin, and CNN legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Michael Moore.

Michael, put today in perspective for me if you could. What is going to happen -- what needs to happen for either side?

MICHAEL MOORE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah. Well, I'm glad to be with both of you.

It is an important day. It's a day, really for the first time, that the lawyers get to argue their position. They've been able to put on their evidence. They've been able to bring out documents. They've been able to make some objections and to sort of give some bluster in the courtroom.

But to actually get to tell these jurors out of your own mouth what it is that this -- why this is important, what matters, why this piece of testimony is irrelevant, why this is a lie, why this should not be used as a reason to convict the former president or why through the prosecutor this ties it altogether. So when you talk about closing arguments this is, in fact, the first time they're going to get to argue this case.

And so, there are risks to go in too long if you're on either side. You want to get in there and get quick. This jury has sat through now weeks of testimony and trial. You don't want to lose them in a closing argument. Sometimes lawyers have a tendency to lose a good point because they've drawn on too long. But this is a day where they get to tie those loose ends together.

And, you know, the defense will be saying look, the state didn't meet its burden. It didn't prove the defendant guilty -- Mr. Trump guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Here are those reasons to doubt.

The prosecution will say well, wait now -- don't be caught off by some red herring flying out there. This is -- this doesn't mean anything. They're wanting you to get lost in chasing rabbits instead of actually looking at the meat of this case.

And so, those -- that'll be the competing narrative, in some form, that we hear today.

BOLDUAN: There are going to be a lot of animals brought into these closing arguments is what I'm gathering. There's --

MOORE: I'm sure there -- I'm sure there will be.

BOLDUAN: I'm just messing with you.

Randy, what Michael's getting at is the -- is the burden of proof is an important one to remind everyone. It's on the prosecution, right? They need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed that -- that Donald Trump broke the law.

And you think -- after listening to all of this you think they fell short? How?

RANDY ZELIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: They fell way short because let's start with reasonable doubt. What is reasonable doubt? And it's not simply a doubt based upon reason.

Any time a human being needs to make an important decision in life, if you have enough information -- for example, doctor says you need open heart surgery. Doc, go ahead and schedule. I don't have a reasonable doubt. Conversely, if I say I appreciate it, but I need a second opinion. I need more information. That is having a reasonable doubt.

There is reasonable doubt all over this case. Where is Keith Schiller? Where is Allen Weisselberg? How did Michael Cohen get away with stealing $30,000? Hold a pity party for him. Made $4 million on this. Thought he'd be chief of staff.

[07:35:02]

He's a fixer. If the plumber comes to my house to fix my leak, I could be home. That doesn't mean I know how he's doing it and what it's taking to be fixed.

Stormy Daniels -- let's hold a pity party for her. Why do we need to know whether or not the former president wore a condom or not?

It's simply about did the former president know that books -- his records -- false entries for legal fees. Michael Cohen was his lawyer. Did he intend to cover up the election or to protect his family? It's everywhere.

BOLDUAN: When Randy gets to whisper tones, I start getting concerned.

Michael, Donald Trump is upset that his defense team is giving closing arguments first and the prosecution is going second. What he said in this social media post is "Why can't the defense go last? Big advantage, very unfair."

Defense going first, prosecutors going second if you will. It's standard procedure in New York. Does that put his team at a disadvantage, though, even though there's nothing nefarious going on with it?

MOORE: Well, you know, it always is good to be the one to have the last word to the jury. I mean, you know that just in arguments with friends and family everybody tries to get the last word. So I can understand him wanting to do that.

But the fact of the matter is that the prosecution bears the burden of proof. And so, the law gives them the chance in circumstances like this to come in and be the one and have the chance, at least, to carry that burden forward.

I think if Randy was arguing on the other side, they wouldn't have a good chance at carrying it because those are some great points that he brought out here in the argument.

But the complaining about Trump about how this thing lays out and what the procedure is, that's just sort of much ado about nothing. I mean, in every courtroom around the country the prosecution gets to conclude if there's been some evidence put on certainly by the defense. I mean, that could be one factor that's considered. But they do bear the burden.

So there's nothing that's being done to him. What his -- what he ought to be doing is slapping his lawyers on the back and telling them they've done a good job and to go in there and fight for him, and let's make sure we point out A, B, and C because these are the holes in the state's case.

BOLDUAN: One thing that Michael is also pointing out, Randy, is the timing of how long you spend. We have been told that prosecutors are expecting to spend several hours going through the evidence. That even regardless of Michael Cohen's credibility, they'll say, this is the evidence we have connecting Donald Trump to crimes.

Talk to me of your experience of timing. How long a closing argument should be. Do you risk going too long versus too short? Do you risk losing the jury?

ZELIN: It is what lawyers are famous for. You need to know when to sit down. There is a reason why law shows -- you can try an entire case in a half an hour with commercials. The same way you know -- you know when I've been on for too long and the producer is in my ear saying wrap, wrap, wrap. It's got to be the same way with the prosecution and the defense. It's like obscenity. You kind of know -- but, yes, you should get up there.

And to Michael's point, the same way. The defense doesn't have a disadvantage because what the defense says is ladies and gentlemen -- I sit down, the prosecution gets up there -- you need to be thinking for me. What would Randy be saying in response to the prosecution? So it's simply a matter of right now. Any minute, they're going to say Randy, wrap.

BOLDUAN: Never.

ZELIN: Same way with the lawyers. Know when to sit down. Be secure knowing you've made your point. Sit down.

BOLDUAN: OK, and I'm going to take that as my wrap. And it's good to see you, Randy. It's great to see you, Michael, as always. Let's see what happens today -- John.

BERMAN: Looking for a TV -- they give you the wrap signal right when you first start. Like, in the first sentence -- wrap.

BOLDUAN: We blew through those wraps.

BERMAN: Wrap.

BOLDUAN: That's part of the beauty of the show.

BERMAN: Right.

This morning, "Black Mirror" meets real life scary. China's military just showcased a robotic dog outfitted with an automatic rifle. You heard that right. They say the remote-controlled weapon is not only able to fight alongside soldiers in urban combat operations but maybe could replace them.

CNN's Mike Valerio has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, during recent military drills with Cambodia, China's military showed off a robot dog with an automatic rifle on its back and -- well, this is what happens. It's a two-minute video made during the China-Cambodia military training exercise known as Golden Dragon 2024. In one drill, the rifle-firing robot is leading an infantry unit into a training building.

And a soldier says in this video released by state broadcaster CT -- CCTV, "It can serve as a new member in our urban combat operations, replacing our human members to conduct reconnaissance and identify the enemy and strike the target."

Now, a CCTV video from last year also highlighted China's rifle-armed electronic canines in a joint exercise with the Chinese, Cambodia, and Lao -- Malaysia and Tai and Vietnamese militaries.

[07:40:00]

The dogs have been popping up on China's heavily regulated social media and this is the latest instance of that happening.

John, let's send it back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much. John, stay there for a second.

Here is the way to start your morning, some would say -- what's described to be one of Britain's most extreme annual events, and it's even better in slow-mo. The annual Cooper's Hill -- Cooper's Hill cheese roll, an age-old tradition dating back to at least 1826 where competitors launch themselves down a steep hill all in an effort to chase large wheels of cheese. Double Gloucester cheese racing down the hill, traveling at speeds of 70 miles per hour. Sounds awesome.

This year with some additional fun for everyone. It was especially slippery and muddy after a recent rain.

An American took the gold -- or the wheel, if you will -- in the women's division. Abby Lampe brought her -- brought home victory. Incredibly, this is her second time winning so she's got some technique. But what is her technique, you say? "You just have roll" is the quote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBY LAMPE, WINNER, WOMEN'S DOWNHILL RACE: I got some (INAUDIBLE) on my face. But that could be -- that could when you're really rolling down the hill.

DYLAN TWISS, WINNER, MEN'S DOWNHILL RACE: It's a little bit daunting. I just knew that I had to relax and go with it and not fight the hill. I had a slight expectation that this is the sort of thing I could win, but I was very surprised when they singled me out and said come across.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Don't fight the hill. That's decent advice.

The origins of this competition unknown. One of our key sources, including John Quincy Adams -- they were unavailable for comment, John.

BERMAN: Well, that's too bad because he's a great interviewer, it turns out.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, yeah.

BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: Barnburner.

BERMAN: I will say the American woman won just -- you know, we won the Revolution and now we're winning the cheese roll down the hill competition.

BOLDUAN: That's why I wanted you to stick around. Any reference to the Revolution --

BERMAN: Yeah.

BOLDUAN: -- John Berman is always good for one.

BERMAN: He beat them in everything, let's just say.

BOLDUAN: Wait -- look at this slow-mo again. Man, I would look -- I would break something. There's no question.

BERMAN: Putting your life on the line for cheese.

BOLDUAN: All for cheese.

BERMAN: All right. Happening now, millions of Americans under severe storm watches. We have live pictures to show you from Dallas where there is a dangerous situation developing. You just saw lightning strikes right there.

Also, standing by for a response from Pope Francis after he allegedly used a homophobic slur behind closed doors.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:46:48]

BOLDUAN: The NBA is paying tribute to one of the best to ever play the game. Hall of Famer Bill Walton was honored with a moment of silence before game four of the Eastern Conference Finals. Walton died yesterday following a prolonged battle with cancer.

Following his legendary college career at UCLA, Walton went on to win two NBA championships with the Portland Trailblazers and the Boston Celtics before moving on to having a very successful broadcasting career.

Walton was 71 years old.

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel says his son is recovering from his third open-heart surgery. Kimmel posted the photo of his son on Instagram from his hospital bed. And Kimmel writes, "Billy, you are the toughest and funniest 7-year-old that we know."

Kimmel's son, Billy, was born with congenital heart disease. They have been sharing their family's medical journal all along the way, getting their son the care that he needs, including a series of operations over the years. The Kimmel family hopes after this, this will be their son's final surgery.

And we have new video this morning showing the devastating aftermath from the weekend's tornadoes. Just take a look at this. This is video out of Kentucky. At least 23 people died in five states. Four people were killed in Kentucky alone. And we're going to show you aerial video over Oklahoma where two people were killed. Several others were injured in the storm. You can just see homes just wiped out.

I'm going to play for you the neighbor who knew the two women who were killed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL MILLER, OKLAHOMA RESIDENT: I don't know how any of them survived. Pieces of their house we found down here. All of our kids played together. My kids adored them. My kids adored their children, which they are alive, thank God. Because Tawna would have wanted her kids to be safe. Linda would have wanted her grandkids to be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The children, though, survived.

Sunday was the most active severe storm day of the year, so far, with at least 14 tornadoes reported.

Right now, nearly 50 million people are at risk for more severe weather today. The storms could bring damaging winds up to 80 miles per hour, wind gusts, hail as large as golf balls. A continued threat of potential tornadoes.

CNN's Allison Chinchar -- she has much more on this. It is one thing after another, Allison. Where -- what are you -- what are you watching most closely right now?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, so a totally different system than the weekend but it's impacting a lot of the same areas that are dealing with cleanup from the storms this past weekend.

Here's a look at the focus. You can see right here the Southern Plains. This is where we're really going to see most of the activity today in terms of the strongest thunderstorms.

We have an active severe thunderstorm watch as we speak just south of Oklahoma City, and that goes all the way through Dallas. And you can see that strong line of thunderstorms really moving through the Metroplex as we speak. A tremendous amount of lightning, very strong winds, and very heavy rainfall. So all three components there.

You've got several severe thunderstorm warnings. This one right here does include the city, especially the southern suburbs, of Dallas as we speak.

Again, power outages in this area have really started to tick up in just the last hour or so. We're already over 120,000 people without power, most of them in that northern region of Texas. But that number is likely going to go up as that cluster of storms you just saw continues to slide down.

[07:50:09]

And you can see on the side of the screen there just some video of the Dallas general area. Again, very dark skies as that line moves through.

Now, as we go through the rest of the day, that initial line will continue to slide east. But we're also going to start to see more development beginning in many of the same places once we get to this afternoon. And then by the evening, that line really starts to take shape. So, yes, another round potentially for Dallas, much of northern Texas.

And then, by the evening and overnight hours, that's when we expect it to slide into areas around Houston. So that means overnight tonight we could be dealing with some more watches and warnings as we go through the evening hours. And then by morning, we start to see the bulk of that -- at least the strong stuff -- moving back out over shore.

So here is a look at what we've got for today. The big concerns are going to be very large hail. Yes, as you mentioned, it could be the size of golf balls, eggs -- maybe even as much as baseballs in some areas. Damaging winds but, yes, also the potential for a tornado. So that does include Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, up through Amarillo, and also into Oklahoma City. So you've got a pretty wide swath here of areas that we are keeping an eye out for a lot of these storms.

Just in the last few days -- you look at starting before the weekend began. We've had over 76 tornado reports, nearly 1,000 damaging wind reports, and over 300 hail reports. And yes, guys, we could end up adding to those numbers by the end of the day today.

BOLDUAN: Just one day after another we've been seeing this.

Allison, thank you so much for bringing us up to speed on where things are now -- John.

BERMAN: I've got to say those pictures behind you from Dallas are menacing. We're going to keep an eye on what's going on there this morning and we'll bring you up to speed as that develops.

In the meantime, Donald Trump heads to court. These are closing arguments set to begin very shortly in the criminal case against him.

What does this all mean for the presidential election?

With us now, CNN political commentator Paul Begala, and former Trump administration official, Matt Mowers.

Paul, let me just start with you. Look, what does the verdict mean? How important is it for Democrats what happens in this trial?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. Well, obviously, the stakes for Mr. Trump are very high, but Democrats -- there's a real risk for Democrats.

You know, Darrell Royal, the legendary coach of my Texas Longhorns in the 60s -- they asked him why he didn't throw the ball more. He said, well, three things can happen and two of them are bad. That's the case for Democrats in this trial.

If Mr. Trump is acquitted, it's bad for the Democrats. If there's a hung jury, it's bad for the Democrats. The other big risk, which they have avoided -- they've done a good job

of this -- is not obsessing on the trial. You don't see Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the House, at the trial -- you see Speaker Mike Johnson. You don't see Chuck Schumer -- it's his hometown -- it's Hakeem's hometown. The Democrats are not obsessing on this, which is good.

They need, though, to make sure that they are messaging not about Trump's alleged criminality and not about his character, but about people's lives.

And here's the obvious thing. I don't really care if Trump was in bed with a porn star. I care that he was in bed with big oil executives and promised to close down all of our environmental protections for a billion dollars in campaign contributions. Because when Donald Trump gets in bed with big oil, you're the one that's going to get screwed. That's what the Democrats should be saying and they're pretty close to it.

BERMAN: Do you think they'll be able to stay quiet about this if he is either a) acquitted or b) a hung jury, Paul?

BEGALA: So far, they haven't. Yes, I come on a lot and I criticize my Democrats all the time. They take their cues from Joe Biden. President Biden's been really good about staying focused on his mission and on the American people.

The thing is Trump's -- maybe this is unfair. He seems somewhat self- absorbed to me. Maybe I'm being unfair.

Democrats should not also be so focused on Mr. Trump. They have -- it's a trap. They have to focus on the voters' lives. If Mr. Trump is hauled away in manacles, it will not help anybody to fill their tank in their F-150. But if Trump is making corrupt deals, allegedly, with big oil, that could hurt you, Mr. and Mrs. America -- and that's where I think Democrats need to keep the focus.

BERMAN: All right, Matt, you've been waiting patiently and laughing from time to time. Your take on this. What would a guilty -- what would a guilty verdict mean for Donald Trump here?

MATT MOWERS, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL, PRESIDENT, VALCUR GLOBAL PUBLIC STRATEGY: I mean, look, that would have a bigger impact obviously on the logistics of running for president -- having to seek approval for travel and things like that -- than it would on public opinion. And public opinion polling shows and bears that out that he's already been tried in the court of public opinion. Most Americans already have an opinion about whether they think he is guilty or not. Nearly every voter who has committed to a candidate says that the outcome of the trial has no impact over how they're actually going to vote.

Now, look, in presidential politics you obviously would rather be not guilty than guilty, right? Like, that is rule number one.

But rule number two is that if the vast majority of Americans view that the trial is political, which most polling suggests it would. If you look back at an AP poll about a month ago, it showed that only about 20 percent of American voters thought that Donald Trump would get a fair shake in the trial. And that is just as much a part of this campaign that could actually help him run for president compared to any sort of alternative.

[07:55:00]

And I think the key thing here to also remember is that if it is even a hung jury, this confirms a lot of suspicions of voters -- supporters of Donald Trump that this was political from the get-go. And if that happens, I actually think you're going to see him gain in polling a little bit given that a number of Americans are going to think he got a raw deal.

BERMAN: But convicted felon, if that's the outcome? You do think that might have some negative tilt?

MOWERS: No, I -- yeah, I -- look, it certainly could have an impact. Again, I think more on the logistics.

BERMAN: Right.

MOWERS: But most Americans -- and while it could hurt them a little bit with some of this kind of soft Republicans where -- and Independents who are coming around to him and who still are now thinking very fondly of the days of the policies when he was president, it could actually highlight some of the negatives.

Obviously, of the impact of him -- his personality. I still don't think it's going to change the dial right now, so as long as that -- the direction of the country is going the way it is, Americans are responding that way, which is largely driven by factors outside the confines of the courtroom or even in the discussion. It's about what they're feeling every day with inflation.

BERMAN: So, Paul, it's almost as if Politico knows you're coming on and decides to publish articles based on that. The headline in Politico this morning -- the Playbook -- is "Dems in full-blown 'freakout' over Biden." You see it right there in, like, 26-point font. "Dems in full-blown 'freakout' over Biden"

And they have a quote here from Pete Giangreco, a direct mail guy -- a famous Democratic direct mail guy. And he says, "There's still a path to win this, but they don't look like a campaign that's embarking on that path right now. If the frame of this race is what was better, the 3.5 years under Biden or four years under Trump, we lose that every day of the week and twice on Sunday."

So these are Democrats fretting, Paul.

BEGALA: Yeah. You know, there's only two ways to run for office, unopposed and scared -- and I think the Biden people ought to be scared. I think he's done a great job but this fixation on getting credit for his accomplishments I think goes about it the wrong way. Bill Clinton didn't get credit for his economy until Newt Gingrich

shut down the government. Barack Obama didn't get credit for Obamacare until the Republicans tried to repeal it.

What the Biden campaign needs to do is go on the attack, and the attack needs to be not -- not -- that's right, not oh, Trump is a crook. It should be Trump is a threat.

We, together, Biden should say, cut the price of insulin from $300.00 to 35 bucks. Trump is a threat to that. he'll repeal it.

We expanded health care and cut your health premiums. Trump wants to repeal that.

We produced more energy than ever without sacrificing our environmental laws. Trump wants to sell out to big oil, let them raise your prices, and pollute our environment.

No, it's go at Trump as a threat to Biden's accomplishments and that's how Biden gets credit for his accomplishments. And I don't think they're quite there. I think they're simply saying give me a gold star. I did such a good job. And really, I should carry 50 states -- let's be honest -- and the District. You know, I think that's the wrong way to do it. It should be all about Trump as a threat to your middle-class life.

BERMAN: Not scared enough, as you put it.

All right, Paul, Matt, thank you both so much for --

BEGALA: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- being with us this morning. Great to see you -- Kate.

MOWERS: Thanks so much.

BOLDUAN: Two Italian newspapers are accusing Pope Francis of using a homophobic slur during a closed-door meeting held last week. Now, according to the papers' latest reporting, the Pope said that gay men should not be allowed to train for priesthood.

CNN's Christopher Lamb has much more on this, and there's a lot to learn here, Christopher. What more are you learning, and what is the Vatican saying?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (via Skype): Well, Kate, these reports have caused quite a stir and the Vatican have not yet responded to the claims that the Pope used an anti-gay slur in his meeting with Italian bishops a few days ago.

Now, these meetings that the Pope had were behind closed doors, so the reports of the slur were leaked out. So we don't have any official confirmation yet of what was actually said and as I said, the Vatican is not commenting.

The context to this is that the Pope was reportedly discussing with the Italian bishops whether or not gay men could be admitted to train for the priesthood. The Pope has consistently said no, that cannot happen because of previous Vatican rulings and his own feelings about the potential for a gay man to live a double life within the seminary.

It should also be said that some are suggesting that the Pope may not have been fully aware of the offensive nature of the slur that he used. Of course, Italian is his second language. But clearly, if he did use intentionally homophobic words and a homophobic slur, then that would undermine the Pope's great efforts to be more welcoming to gay Catholics.

He is, of course, the Pope who said early on in his pontificate, who am I to judge when talking about gay priests? He has also offered the possibilities of blessings of same-sex couples and called for the decriminalization of homosexuality.

So if the Pope did intentionally use this slur, it would undermine that and threaten his attempt to really shift the church's position on this.