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Now: Protesters Gathering for New Rally ICE Raids in L.A.; Gov. Newsom Fires Back After Trump Says He "Would" Arrest California Gov if He were the Border "Czar"; California Leaders Demand Trump Withdraw Natl Guard Troops. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired June 09, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Not Backing Down: California makes good on its threat to sue the White House over its deployment of the National Guard. And President Trump is suggesting that his border czar should arrest the state's governor, Gavin Newsom.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And on the stand right now, one of Sean "Diddy" Combs' accusers using a pseudonym in court to testify, why Jane says she, quote, "missed him dearly" despite a turbulent relationship.

And Apple looking for a win after a quiet couple of years. We're going to look at today's announcement what could - which could change how we use the iPhone and other devices.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: And happening now in Los Angeles, there is a new crowd of protesters that has been building. It's an ACLU event that organizers are calling a peaceful rally to demand justice for detained immigrants and an end to the ongoing human rights abuses by ICE. This is happening while National Guard troops are now on the ground after President Trump deployed them yesterday. Violence erupted as police clashed with demonstrators.

Moments ago, California's attorney general called the President's troop deployment counterproductive as he announced that there will be a lawsuit coming today. In the meantime, President Trump is escalating his extraordinary fight with the sitting governor. Trump earlier saying this when asked if his border czar should arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gavin Newsom is daring Tom Homan to come to arrest him. Should he do it?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would do it if were Tom. I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Newsom responded. He said that what Trump said is, quote, "an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." And then, moments ago, the President spoke again about Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I would say mostly good. Some of the things you're reading about in Los Angeles. Thank goodness we sent out some wonderful National Guard. They've really helped in a lot of problems that we're having out there. They were afraid to do anything and we sent out the troops and they've done a fantastic job, so I want to thank them very much.

I also want to thank ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is live in L.A. for us.

And Julia, the Attorney General of California spoke out moments ago. Tell us about what he said.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he said that the deployment, Brianna, of the National Guard troops of California was an abuse of the federal government's authority. He said that Trump's comments about the arrest of Gov. Gavin Newsom are even suggesting that is, quote, "more bluster," more talk, more bluff, more bluster, more threats.

And, you know, he really slammed the move to bring this. And we know that we had heard before from Gov. Gavin Newsom and from L.A. City Mayor Karen Bass that these were inflammatory moves. They have been saying that this has only fanned the flames of these protests that have turned so violent.

And I'm holding my hand to my ear here because we have helicopters flying above us. One of them is of the LAPD. We have seen also behind us this line of police officers, Brianna, have taken out their batons and their helmets, that riot gear, assuming - I'm assuming, getting ready for this rally, as we have seen some protesters starting to trickle in.

Again, just a handful of protesters at this time. But we know that just behind me here, on the other side, this is the federal building that has been the focus of the protests over the past few days. Just on the other side is where we're starting to see that gathering of demonstrators. And they're calling just for the release, not of the people that have been detained over the last few days, but particularly for the release of David Huerta, a union leader and immigrant rights activist who Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a patriot over the past few days as he learned of the news of his arrest.

And now - and that he - we know that he will be charged or expecting these charges, federal charges, this is for sure going to be an escalation. I'm interested to see what the Governor has to say about this as well as we go on. And we expect this to continue. KEILAR: Julia, thank you.

I do just want to note for our viewers here, this is from just moments ago. You're watching a gathering here. So far, peaceful. We see people who have taken the stage. There are people dancing and chanting. We will keep an eye on that.

Julia Vargas Jones, thank you for the live report. Boris?

[15:05:01]

SANCHEZ: Let's get the view of one of the officials responding to all of this. Janice, I should say, Hahn represents the 4th District on the L.A. Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Hahn, thank you so much for joining us.

You, in an interview over the weekend, said that this response by protesters was all provoked by the federal government's overreach. I wonder if you see that as justification for some of the behavior that we've seen, the violence, setting cars on fire, throwing Molotov cocktails, whether you feel that is an appropriate response.

JANICE HAHN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR: First of all, we do know that the public has a right to protest. But I think all of us are calling on the protesters to protest peacefully and nonviolently. I served in Congress with John Lewis, who was the quintessential nonviolent protester. I grew up in the era of Dr. Martin Luther King. We know that nonviolence is the best message at this time.

But having said that, I totally blame the Trump administration for provoking this. The way they have come in indiscriminately, going after hard-working residents of L.A. County, many of them in the cities that I represent on the County Board of Supervisors, is inhumane. They're racing into Home Depots and taking the day laborers into custody. Today, I was in a - at a Home Depot in my district of Whittier, where they had just removed day laborers and taken them into custody.

They're going to the schools. They're even arresting people outside courthouses. So, they know what they're doing. They know that they're provoking these residents to stand up and resist. Look, I'm old enough to have lived through the Watts Riots in '65, the uprising in '92, and of course, what happened after George Floyd was murdered in 2020. Each of those occasions, the governor of California requested the National Guard.

So, for the federal government to decide on top of these ICE raids to weaponize our own National Guard against us is unconscionable. And I'm calling on them to leave us alone for a while. Let us take a breath. Let us understand what's happening. Let us talk to them and understand what their intentions are.

SANCHEZ: The chief of LAPD says that he is reassessing the need for troops. Is it your view that local law enforcement would have this under control without any federal enforcement? HAHN: Absolutely. We have Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. We have the 9,000 officers in the LAPD. And by the way, LA County has numerous cities. We have 88 cities, many of whom have their own police departments.

So, if we needed any mutual aid, we could call on our cities within Los Angeles County. But I have confidence that our County Sheriff's Department and our LAPD is well staffed and equipped and has the training to handle this situation.

If that changes, then it would be up to the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, or our governor, Gavin Newsom, to request help from the National Guard. But at this point, I'm really sad, I'm really upset, we have people in LA County who are so afraid right now, who are so confused by what is happening. They didn't show up at church yesterday. They are not sending their kids to school. They're not going to their doctor's appointments. And they're not even going to their immigration hearings, which we've asked them legally to do.

So, I really want them to back off. I'm calling on our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, who was a member of Congress that I serve with. We were actually in a Bible study on a weekly basis. I'm asking her to relook at how she's deploying ICE agents and tell her to look at this situation with dignity and compassion.

SANCHEZ: The administration has maintained that these operations are targeting criminals, people that they say have broken the law by being in the country without permission, even though being undocumented is usually handled in a civil court. Where do you draw the line between enforcing the law and the overreach you're accusing the administration of?

HAHN: Look, when Donald Trump got elected, and as far as I know, when he wanted Kristi Noem to be his Secretary of Homeland Security, they told the American people that what they were going to go after were the violent criminals who were in this country illegally.

[15:10:04]

And I know with discussions of my county sheriff, that if in fact the federal government presents a federal warrant to our sheriff to have someone who is in our jail, who has been convicted of a crime and is in our jail, we will work with them to turn over that person. And as far as I know, we've been doing this.

What we did not agree to, nor do I think the American people have agreed to, is this overreach that now everyone who is in this country who does not have documentation is considered a criminal. And that is not the case in my opinion. These are hard-working people, whether they're at the Home Depot just trying to make some money to provide for their families. They are essential workers. They are part of the economy of L.A. County and they're people that we go to church with, we go to school with, and they're part of our community.

So in no way do I think these are the people that should be whisked away from their workplace or their families and detained without, by the way, any chance to talk to their families or legal counsel. As far as I know, they are not given that opportunity.

In fact, we have a huge rally today right outside my office. About a thousand people are gathered to call for the release of David Huerta, who is an SEIU state president, someone we all know and love and respect. He was detained, in my opinion, unlawfully over the weekend and as far as I know has not been allowed to speak with his family or legal counsel.

This is not the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This does not feel like the government that I have grown up with and have chosen to serve in public service for my county government.

SANCHEZ: I just want to let our viewers know we're actually monitoring that event that you were just describing for Mr. Huerta. We're going to keep an eye on the situation in Los Angeles and bring you the latest as we get it.

Janice Hahn, thank you so much for sharing your point of view.

HAHN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Brianna?

KEILAR: Today, President Trump is defending his decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to the protests there, writing on Truth Social that it was, quote, "a great decision," while adding, "if we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated."

Kori Schake is with us now. She's the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She's also the author of the upcoming "The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil- Military Relations in the United States," which will be coming out this fall.

Kori, thanks for taking time for us today. What does calling in the Guard and readying Marines in a controversial circumstance like this do to public trust in the military, and why does that matter?

KORI SCHAKE, DIRECTOR, FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY STUDIES, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: Well, the American military is prohibited by law from domestic policing. The National Guard is available for the President to mobilize, as the President has done. But it's been done very rarely over the objections of a governor or a mayor, because it's so politically provocative.

So, the American military doesn't like doing domestic policing. They're not trained for domestic policing. It should only be in extreme circumstances in which they are employed. And in my judgment, the President hasn't demonstrated that those are the circumstances involved in Los Angeles right now.

KEILAR: Historically, if we go back in time, there was a tremendous distrust of a federalized military, and we see that in some of our founding documents as well. There is right now a chorus of Trump supporters who are saying that he should invoke the Insurrection Act here. He called people who are causing problems, as he put it, in Los Angeles, professional agitators, insurrectionists, a noteworthy word there. What would that mean if he invoked the Insurrection Act?

SCHAKE: Yes. So the president has very wide authorities if the Insurrection Act is invoked. Since 1878, it has been against the law for the American active duty military to be involved in policing. National Guard units can be called up in support of federal authorities. But it's only happened a couple of times historically over the objections of a governor.

[15:15:02]

And in those cases, 1965 and after Board versus Education (ph) had to be enforced in Alabama. So it's very rare. And it's a dangerous thing to associate the American military with domestic policing. The public doesn't like it. The military doesn't like it. It's bad for recruiting. It's bad for retention. We have domestic law enforcement agencies capable of handling these problems on almost every circumstance.

And the standard for invoking the Insurrection Act has historically been very high. And it would be an ominous sign for the Trump administration to invoke it in these circumstances.

KEILAR: I mean, that is a very - that's an extreme circumstance, invoking the Insurrection Act, something like that or even in the case of mobilizing the Guard in a controversial way, these sort of differing orders and decisions, potentially the president, would you expect that there would be different opinions within the military ranks about whether those are ethical orders and how would that be handled?

SCHAKE: Well, the American military actually doesn't have the latitude to disobey unethical orders. They have a responsibility to disobey illegal orders. But you actually don't want a military judging for itself what the policy should be. And shielding our military from having to make those kinds of decisions is one of the reasons that we don't use them for domestic law enforcement.

So it's a very slippery slope the President is unnecessarily engaged in.

KEILAR: Kori Schake, thank you so much. You have such a depth of expertise on this and we really appreciate you walking us through it.

SCHAKE: Thank you.

KEILAR: Still to come, Los Angeles is on edge and so are the city schools. We'll talk to the district superintendent on what he's hearing from students and parents.

Plus, Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend testifying the Cassie Ventura lawsuit triggered her own - triggered, pardon me, her own sexual trauma.

And then later, a major announcement from Apple, what iPhone users need to know? Well, that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:53]

KEILAR: The Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial is entering its second month of testimony. The rap mogul's former girlfriend known as Jane, who is testifying for a second consecutive day, talked about her reaction to learning of the lawsuit from Cassie Ventura. Ventura was the first to file sex allegations against Combs in 2023. And Jane said, quote, "I feel like I'm reading my own sexual trauma." That's what she said to jurors that she wrote in a message to Combs.

SANCHEZ: Jane also revealed to jurors how Combs allegedly threatened her about her sex tapes. She texted Combs' chief of staff, quote, "he said that he would expose me and send them to my child's father. He's been bothering me for two months." Jane then testified the chief of staff told her, quote, "I always tell him all the time to just give these things space. Otherwise, we end up in a situation like we're in now." And Jane said that she understood that to mean Ventura's lawsuit. Joining us now is CNN Legal Analyst and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson.

Joey, great to have you, as always.

What do you make of Jane's testimony so far and specifically the part about the threat of releasing a sex tape?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, it's quite significant testimony in as much as it goes directly to the core of sex trafficking, Boris and Brianna, nice to be with you. The issue is really for a jury's determination as to whether this was this relationship, something that she was consenting to, something that Jane was undergoing in the normal course of you could call it kinkiness or the nature of their relationship, or whether it was otherwise compelled and coerced.

And when you hear testimony with respect to her feeling used because she's looking at a lawsuit and wow, this is sort of what you do to me. And by the way, in writing to him for two of my birthdays, do you recall that in essence, and I'm paraphrasing, you know, that we were engaging in these activities with other men really in saying against my will, in force and effect.

And so when you break it down to its essence, and whether it meets the standards of sex trafficking, that's what prosecutors are using it for. Now, there's a lot the defense can say in responding to that, including the nature of their long term relationship, the fact that she was consenting over a period of time, right?

The fact that in essence, the both of them being together and on a timeline of her saying you were paying my rent that came years after the fact. And so there's a lot that could be said in retort to that. But these are all factual questions, Boris and Brianna, that the jury is going to have to sift through in making a determination as to whether this was coercion, meeting the level of sex trafficking, or whether this was just a relationship predicated upon two people who were engaged in activities that may not be normal to other people, but was something that they would just do.

KEILAR: She testified, Joey, that after the raids on Diddy's homes, that he actually at some point after the raids, he hired a lawyer for her. I mean, obviously, her testimony is not helpful to him. But paying for the lawyer, paying for the apartment, I mean, what are jurors going to read into this?

[15:25:07]

JACKSON: Yes, so a couple of things, right? On the first way you want - if you're a prosecutor, you want them to read into this, that this was part of his normal abuse, his manipulation, his control, and the manner in which he would keep a person, particularly a woman, particularly Jane, particularly Cassie, under his thumb, such that he could engage in this activities that was against their consent. If you are the defense attorney, what you're saying, in essence, is that that certainly was not the case at all. He in a loving relationship that he had for many years was taking care of her because of the nature of that relationship. It wasn't predicated, if you're the defense upon her engaging in these sex acts, it was predicated upon the normal course of what he would do by virtue of love. And that is to take care of a person who was his partner to ensure that she was okay, to ensure she was fine and to ensure that she was protected.

Those are the narratives that you'll have. What narrative carries the day will depend upon what the jury and how they process this information and whether or not to them it's trafficking or whether or not to them it's just a complicated relationship that was based on her consenting to these activities.

SANCHEZ: Joey Jackson, thanks for being with us.

JACKSON: Always, thanks.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, new concerns that ICE raids around Los Angeles could spill over to school campuses. The superintendent of L.A. schools will join us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)