Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Trump in Saudi Arabia for First Stop in Major Middle East Trip; Trump Visiting Middle East Amid Controversy Over Luxury Qatari Jet; Testimony Resumes in Sean Combs Sex Trafficking Trial; Only 3 Controllers Managed Newark's Air Traffic Causing Delays. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired May 13, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Specifically, she said to us later, it was about our book, about the fact that sources were saying these things about him behind closed doors, and are they wrong? And the president said they were wrong, but he doesn't obviously know what's in the book as of now. His spokesman, who wouldn't go on the record, told Axios in the excerpt that Alex and Axios published this morning that nobody can point to any result of this alleged deterioration that meant a decision was bad or any impact on the country, to which I just say, stay tuned. We got a lot more coming out, including on "THE LEAD" today at 5 p.m. Eastern, we'll have more from "Original Sin."

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And we'll be watching, Jay Tapper. Thank you so much for getting up early for us this morning. Original Sin is out May 20th. One week from today. Grab it anywhere you buy your favorite books.

All right, a new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

All right, next hour, testimony is set to resume in the criminal trial of Sean Combs. Jurors have already heard graphic and explosive claims about Combs' private life. And today, we expect to hear more from when a star witness takes the stand. That witness, his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.

And right now, President Trump in the Middle East for the first leg of the first major international trip of the second term. He's meeting with key allies as he faces criticism and bipartisan backlash over his plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar as Air Force One.

And we are live outside court in Paris. Kim Kardashian arriving last hour and testifying as we speak against the men accused of holding her at gunpoint and robbing her of more than $10 million in cash and jewelry.

I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Some of the breaking news we're following this morning, President Trump in Saudi Arabia. His first major overseas trip of his second term. The first stop on his three-day swing through the Middle East.

The president receiving a royal and lavish welcome from the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They're at every stop with him so far, literally rolling out the red/purple carpet this morning. Also there today, a big group of CEOs gathering for a Saudi-hosted investment forum. And among them, you see right there, Elon Musk. But this time, Elon Musk in the role of CEO of Tesla.

Also on Trump's travel itinerary, a stop in Qatar. The nation apparently offering to gift Donald Trump with perhaps the most expensive gift ever bestowed on a president, the $400 million jet that the president wants his administration to use as Air Force One. The offer raising all sorts of ethical, legal and security concerns. Let's narrow in on the security aspect of this right now.

Joining me right now is CNN Senior National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem. Great to see you, as always, Juliette. Some Republicans are even speaking publicly with misgivings, is one way to describe it, with security concerns over this gift.

I mean, Senator Shelley Moore Capito told our colleagues on the Hill that she'd be checking for bugs on that plane. I mean, you also think there are substantial security concerns here. What are they?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I think the first is just obviously the sort of Trojan horse fear. Any country that donated something to the United States that had national security implications would have to get a thorough review and an assessment to make sure it wasn't bugged, there weren't vulnerabilities. So it's going to be a nuts to bolts review of this airplane to make sure that it's that it doesn't have anything that that allies or enemies would want.

This is not casting aspersions on a particular country. We would do this with any country because it is that to think of Air Force One as the Oval Office in the air. We would not let a foreign contractor build the Oval Office, especially one that's funded by the government of that foreign country.

More importantly, everyone needs to understand this is just a plane. And and Donald Trump put the words Air Force One on top of it. And we know this because this plane, as we understand the specifications, doesn't have encrypted comms, a missile defense, EMP shielding, a medical suite and most importantly, mid air refueling.

And why do we do mid air refueling? Because the plane is for continuity of operations and continuity of government. If something bad happens, this is just a plane. It was a gift. And they're just saying it's Air Force One because that's what Donald Trump does.

But Air Force One is more than just a plane.

[08:05:00]

It is to protect the constitutional order and the president of the United States, regardless of who it is. BOLDUAN: I mean, that is -- some of the things that you're that you're

that you're bringing up, not things that have been raised so far, which I think are important for people to be considering now.

Let's say that this they move forward with this. The Defense Department takes ownership. That's what the president says it would be given to -- gifted to the Department of Defense. One law enforcement source told CNN kind of when this initial idea came up, as you're talking about, it would be a security nightmare.

The quote from this source was, The U.S. Air Force would have to tear it apart looking for surveillance equipment and inspect the integrity of the plane.

I mean, you look at the size of that thing. How would the Air Force Secret Service add them all together, whoever it's going to be? How do you go about making sure it is actually safe?

KAYYEM: I mean, I've talked to folks from the Air Force as well as Secret Service. It is literally nuts to bolts. You are taking off the shelling of the airplane, reassessing the wiring, potentially replacing it, especially if it involves secure comms.

So this so everyone, so in terms of Trump's criticisms of delays, I want to get out of the legal issues and the fraud and corruption because the legal issues are separate.

This is just in terms of his claims that Boeing is late in delivering Air Force One, the real Air Force One. The reason why is because we need it secure, right? It takes a while to do things like midair refueling, which to me, the lack of midair refueling is like is like number one security issue. You need a president to be able to stay in the air without having to land.

So this is this is going to be delays anyways, right? This is going to be six months, a year, 18 months. In that case, I'd rather keep it in the United States.

BOLDUAN: Great to see you, Juliette. Thank you very much for your perspective -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We are standing by for what could be the most critical testimony in the entire federal sex trafficking trial of Sean Combs. His ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, is expected to take the stand.

Now, she is the woman he attacked in a hotel surveillance video from 2016. Prosecutors said Combs coerced her and another woman to participate in what he called freak offs. They said he called himself the king and expected to be treated like one. He expected his inner circle to cater to his every desire, including his sexual desire and his inner circle, made sure he got everything he wanted.

Now, prosecutors plan to show the jury video of these drug fueled days long sexual performances. Lawyers for Combs say the videos will show consenting adults. They say the evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual, but it will not show you a racketeer, a sex trafficker or somebody transporting for prostitution.

With us now is trial attorney Kelly Hyman. Counselor, thank you so much for being with us.

A big day in this trial, Cassie Ventura, who many people have seen on this video, Sean Combs beating her. She will take the stand. What does the prosecution need to get from this testimony?

KELLY HYMAN, TRIAL ATTORNEY: The prosecution needs to prove their case. So let's discuss what this case is about. There are charges of racketeering enterprise.

And what that means is that they allege that Sean Diddy Combs had this enterprise and committed these crimes, arson, kidnapping and use those crimes to help benefit himself. He's also been charged with sex trafficking, using force, coercion and threats. And then lastly, charged with prostitution, taking people across state lines.

Now, we have to remember, Miss Ventura was his ex-girlfriend and she has a lot of knowledge of what's going on. And she will help establish the fact of what happened and what transpired in regards to these freak offs and what happened at those freak offs and participating in them and being forced to commit these crimes.

BERMAN: As we have heard, this is not a domestic violence case. It's not even a sexual assault case. So merely proving the fact of some of these acts, whether people approve of them or not, will not be enough.

So what phrases should we expect to see? What are the buzz words or sentences that prosecutors will try to establish with Miss Ventura?

HYMAN: They will try and establish that she was forced to do this, that she was coerced to do this, that she feared. Those are going to be key themes for the prosecution.

For the defense side, the key thing is going to be consent. Consent is definitely going to be key, that she consented to this, that these acts were her choice.

[08:10:00]

Another buzz word you're going to see is choice. It was her decision. And that also, that she benefited from this, from financially. What were her motives from the defense standpoint? She was motivated by money.

BERMAN: So that's what we're going to see today. What we have already seen on the stand is the security officer who was there at the hotel the night that video was taken of what happened in the hallway and also testimony from a man who was paid to have sex with Cassie Ventura, he testified while Sean Combs watched. So what was your takeaway from the testimony of these two people?

First, what did the prosecution get from them? And again, focusing on what they need to prove in this case.

HYMAN: Usually from the prosecution, when you have a witness, your first witness is usually your strongest witness or someone that's going to help with the timeline in this case. But from the prosecution standpoint, they had two witnesses that can help bolster the claims of the fact that there was coercion, that there was abuse. And that's really going to help when Ms. Ventura takes the witness stand to help establish the fact that she is harmed and that she was coerced to do what she did.

BERMAN: And in terms of the defense, how did they deal with these witnesses?

HYMAN: They have an opportunity and they had an opportunity to cross- examine, to poke holes. So in regards to the security officer, they were poking holes at the statements that he gave that he didn't give those prior in his incident report and trying to show that he didn't say that before, but now all of a sudden, now he takes a witness stand, he's saying that.

And in regards to the second witness that was paid to have sex with Ms. Ventura, they are trying to establish that she enjoyed it, that she was not being coerced to do it, that it was her decision, that she had a pleasure of it to show that this is not force, this is not coercion, this is consent. And that's going to be key to this case.

BERMAN: And that's what people need to look for today as Cassie Ventura is expected to take the stand. Counselor Kelly Hyman, thanks so much for being with us. Do appreciate it -- Sara.

SIDNER: Right ahead, flights in and out of Newark airport delayed again today. How much longer will the shortage of air traffic controllers affect flight traffic there?

Plus, deputies using a drone to help disarm two children who were playing with a loaded gun. The sheriff now sharing new details about the children's family.

And after spending decades in prison, the Menendez brothers hoping they will soon walk free. What we know about their re-sentencing hearing that starts today.

Those stories and more ahead.

[08:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: This morning, Newark Airport is facing more delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Monday night, flights headed into Newark were held on the ground for more than two hours before they could take off because only three air traffic controllers were managing all of Newark's incoming and departing flights.

As the FAA continues to deal with the nationwide air traffic controller shortage, more delays are expected as we head into the very busy summer travel season.

CNN's Pete Muntean joining us now. This is an issue that you have pointed out for years. And now here we are. Things seem to be, though, getting worse. What are you learning about all that's happening there at Newark? And it could happen elsewhere at some point.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The issues are becoming chronic here, Sara. The FAA says it will likely implement a ground stop for Newark flights sometime this morning, once again because the air traffic control approach facility at the center of this saga is short-staffed. Late last night, the FAA confirmed to me as few as three controllers were working the evening shift, which caused the FAA to implement an average of a two-hour delay for flights bound to Newark.

They do that for your safety, but let's put it into context here. Full staffing at Newark approach control during the busiest times of the day is 14 controllers. The FAA says that hasn't happened in years because of this nationwide controller shortage.

The nationwide shortage is really the catalyst for all of these issues at Newark. It's a microcosm. It's why the FAA moved the Newark approach control facility last year, but that move introduced these telecom problems, which are causing these repeat failures of radar and radio.

The Trump administration is trying to speed up controller hiring. And I want you to listen now to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reiterating yesterday that there's no quick staffing fix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We don't have the ability to just snap our fingers and move controllers around. It takes time to train up specifically on the airspace in which they control, which is why the staffing becomes an issue, and you've got to see over the horizon on how you make sure you have enough in training to deal with any shortfalls that may come in the out year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The FAA said yesterday it takes at least a year to get a Newark controller trained up. The agency says there are controllers in the pipeline.

Also, tomorrow, the Department of Transportation is holding a meeting with airlines. The goal is to get the number of flights in Newark to something that's manageable.

[08:20:00]

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told me last week he wants the FAA to impose a limit, reimpose a limit, something known as slot rules. And last night United sent an e-mail to millions of customers to say once again that flying in and out of Newark is safe, as so many people have doubts right now, Sara. SIDNER: They have doubts because learning that there were only three controllers that were there for incoming and outgoing flights, that does not seem safe to the general public. Pete Muntean, thank you for all of your reporting on this. Really appreciate it -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, President Trump says he is moving ahead with plans to accept a luxury jet. He says Qatar wants to gift him. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are raising concerns. Is there anything they can do to stop it?

And Kim Kardashian is inside a Paris courtroom this morning. She is testifying right now in the trial against the group of people accused of holding her at gunpoint and robbing her of millions of dollars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:00]

BOLDUAN: Right now, Kim Kardashian is testifying inside a Paris courtroom. She's facing the group of 10 people who were accused of, now nearly nine years ago, tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint. Minutes ago, she told the court that she thought it was a terrorist attack at first. Here's the quote for you.

There was a lot of terrorist attacks happening in the world. And I thought that's what it was. Also saying, I didn't understand that it was for my jewelry.

At the time, this is in 2016, the suspects ended up taking off with nearly $10 million in cash and jewels, including her $4 million engagement ring. Nine men, one woman, they are on trial right now, facing multiple charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy. This continues today. We're going to continue to bring you updates as we get them. A verdict is expected later this month -- John.

BERMAN: All right, breaking news this morning. President Trump is getting an extravagant royal welcome in Saudi Arabia. And blurring the lines, critics say, between his public office and private business. This is the first stop in his major Middle East swing. He will also visit Qatar and the UAE, three countries that have done business with the Trump organization.

And Qatar is now offering to give the Trump administration a $400 million luxury jet to possibly use as Air Force One. As gift goes, it's a pretty lavish one. And it raises all kinds of ethical and security questions.

With us now is John Bolton, President Trump's former national security advisor and a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador, always great to see you. Just very quickly, on the gift of this jet, what's your opinion on the optics of it?

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, I don't think the optics are good. When you have people in Trump's camp, like Rand Paul and Laura Loomer, both saying they think it's a bad idea, that ought to say something about the potential political blowback that he'll face, even from MAGA Republicans.

I think the major objection here is the security objection. We don't know what has happened to that plane. We don't know who's had access to it. And if they really wanted to bring it up to Air Force One standards, it would require significant overhaul for all kinds of reasons.

I mean, just start with aerial refueling, which obviously Air Force One can do. It has special fuel tanks. Most normal 747s don't have an aerial refueling capability.

And that doesn't even deal with the question of communications, secure communications the president needs, air defense systems it needs, and all the other things that go for Air Force One. I think many people don't realize the current Air Force Ones are flying offices. They're not flying palaces.

It's designed to be a working space for the president and his staff. And that, I don't think, is what this particular flying palace he's looking at is. So it would be a complete redo of the airplane if he wanted it.

BERMAN: The president meeting right now with Saudi officials, and this is the beginning of this trip to the Middle East. What do you think is the most important thing for the administration to get from this trip?

BOLTON: Well, what they should be talking about is how to deal with the common problem of Iran, both its nuclear weapons program and its support for terrorism. The Houthis in Yemen, Hamas, Hezbollah, Shia militia groups in Iraq, and other threats. It doesn't appear from public reporting that that's going to be the focus.

The focus is going to be economic deals between the U.S. and the three Arab states. And that's not to say that's not important. But nuclear weapons seems to me to be more important than almost anything. And that's the real crisis we face and have faced for some time with Iran.

BERMAN: I want to ask you about China and the sudden reduction in U.S. tariffs on China, down to 30 percent from 145 percent. What do you think Xi Jinping takes away from the machinations over the last six weeks?

BOLTON: Well, I think it shows in his case, and I think you can point to several other cases as well, that the Chinese said, you want to trade war? Fine, we're ready for it. And basically, Trump backed down.

I thought The Wall Street Journal this morning caught it perfectly. It said, with respect to the tariffs generally, that Donald Trump had declared war against Adam Smith and lost. And I think that's a pretty fair rendition of it. This is the wrong way to go about dealing with the problem.

China is the worst actor in international trade, and it really requires a pretty strong response from the United States. But the way to do that is to go to all of our friends and allies who have suffered the same kind of theft of intellectual property, facing subsidized Chinese companies, never really opening its internal markets. Here's an interesting thought. Get your allies together and go against China all as one group.

Don't go to war with your allies the same time you're going to war with China on trade.

BERMAN: Take on Adam Smith. Take on in the invisible hand. Maybe you get slapped in the face, as they might say.

[08:30:00]