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Greta Thunberg Leaves Israel After Detention On Gaza Aid Ship; Trump To Observe Military Demonstration, Deliver Speech At Fort Bragg; Baldoni's Attorney Plans Next Steps After $400M Lively Suit Dropped. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired June 10, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:33:48]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Today, a source telling CNN that Israel sees, quote, "cautious progress" in the ceasefire talks with Hamas, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says he believes understandings are forming. Right now, the two sides are weighing a 60-day ceasefire that would see Hamas release 10 Israeli hostages and the bodies of another 18 abducted on October 7th. Hamas, though, insists the deal include a permanent end to the war. The signs of progress come as we get the latest on a flotilla of activists detained by Israel as they try to deliver aid to Palestinians.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Jerusalem with the details. Jeremy?

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, four of the 12 activists who attempted to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza have now left Israel, including Greta Thunberg, who boarded a flight to Paris en route to her native Sweden early Tuesday morning. She arrived in Paris speaking with reporters, making clear that she's going to continue to keep up her fight for Gaza and accusing Israeli authorities of illegally intercepting their ship. Listen.

GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: They did an illegal act by kidnapping us on international waters and against our will, bringing us to Israel.

DIAMOND: Now, as for the eight other activists who were on board that ship known as the Madeleine, they are still being held by Israeli authorities after reportedly refusing to sign documents consenting to their deportation, disputing authorities claims that they illegally entered the state of Israel.

[14:35:17]

They maintain that their ship was boarded in international water and are disputing the entire nature of their detention, as well as these claims that they unlawfully entered Israel.

The Israeli authorities, interestingly, have not actually disputed that they boarded this ship in international waters, but they maintain that they were upholding a legal naval blockade in accordance with international law.

Those eight other activists are still being held in the Givon prison in central Israel, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which oversaw this effort to break Israel's naval blockade. Israel's foreign ministry had previously said that anyone who refused to sign deportation documents would be brought before judicial authorities, who would then authorize their deportation.

Now, all of this is happening as we are seeing continued attacks near these aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip. More than 30 people were killed on Tuesday alone, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as we have continued to see reports of Israeli gunfire toward -- directed at people near these aid distribution sites. And obviously, we are still seeing these scenes because of the ongoing hunger and desperation inside of Gaza, with the trickle of aid that Israeli authorities have allowed into Gaza over the last couple of weeks simply not enough, as of yet, to stem the ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza.

Now, will all of this end? Will there be a ceasefire in Gaza continues to ultimately be the question, as these indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue. Some cautious optimism on Tuesday about the prospects of a deal, as Steve Witkoff, the special U.S. envoy to the region, has now told Israeli officials that he believes new understandings are forming with Hamas, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Not clear exactly what those understandings are, but the Israeli Security Cabinet now set to convene on Thursday to discuss what's being described as some cautious optimism, cautious progress in these negotiations.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

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SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Jeremy Diamond.

Up next, President Trump's warning to any demonstrators planning to protest at this weekend's military parade. Don't go anywhere, CNN NEWS CENTRAL returns in just a moment.

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[14:42:06]

SANCHEZ: President Trump says that anyone planning to protest at Saturday's military parade in the nation's capital will be met with, quote, "very big force." He issued that warning moments before heading to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for part of the Army's 250th birthday celebration, which culminates with Saturday's elaborate parade.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live for us at Fort Bragg. So, Alayna, how is all of this playing out? ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, look, I mean, there's a few things I think I would note here. One is, of course, how we're really seeing the president lean into this idea that the military can be used to solve domestic issues, not only foreign ones. And I actually asked for it. A lot of different service members here on the ground at Fort Bragg, what they thought about that. First of all, of course, what they think about the president coming here today to give this speech in honor of the Army's 250th anniversary, but also, of course, his military parade this weekend.

They said that they appreciate him coming here. They like that he's going to be doing this parade to kind of honor them. But some of them were more hesitant when it came to the question of should he have deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. They argued, you know, we have a job to do. One of them said it was a tough decision.

And then others I talked to here on the ground argued, look, I mean, that's what the National Guard should be used for, to try and handle civil unrest. So, kind of a mix of opinions we got here on the ground.

But just to give you a little sense of what the president is planning to do here today, Boris, he just landed moments ago off Air Force One. When he gets here, he's going to first participate in a presentation of some of the Army's capabilities before giving remarks.

I would like to note that, of course, Fort Bragg is headquarters for U.S. Special Operations Command and also home to highly trained members of the Army, including the Green Berets and Rangers. And so a big moment here for the people who are based here.

And all of this, again, comes, I think, when you look at what's happening in Los Angeles and also the president's plans to have that parade this upcoming weekend, of course, coinciding with his 79th birthday, is how different this is from the president in his first term. I'd remind you that if you looked at, you know, what he's doing in L.A. During his first term, he thought that deploying the National Guard, he needed to get the approval of governors. And then with his military parade, he also was listening to his former military advisors who told him not to do that. All of that is now changing, really, as the president is very much trying to lean in and show that America's Army is stronger than ever for us.

SANCHEZ: Alayna Treene, live for us at Fort Bragg, thank you so much.

Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And with us now is retired Army Colonel Peter Mansoor. He's a former aide to General David Petraeus. He's now a professor of military history at

The Ohio State University.

All right, Colonel, so you've heard it, this parade is facing a lot of criticism, and we're hearing it from both sides of the aisle about the cost, about whether it's appropriate because we don't usually do this kind of thing in America. How are you seeing it? [14:45:07]

COL. PETER MANSOOR, U.S. ARMY (Ret.): Well, military parades should be exceptional events for exceptional reasons. We saw them after victory in World War I, World War II, after the Civil War, after the Gulf War. In this case, we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Without the Army, there would be no nation. It was actually formed before the Declaration of Independence was signed. It has fought in every war the United States has been involved with, and celebrating its 250th birthday is -- is absolutely correct. It should be a big deal, and a parade should be part of it.

KEILAR: It is happening, this parade, which is going to be a huge show of force, the likes of which we just haven't really seen before. It's now going to be happening as you have Marines and the Guard having been called up in California against the wishes of state and local officials there. Does that change how people are going to view this parade?

MANSOOR: Well, you know, the parade has been politicized, unfortunately. If it were being held under any other president, there probably wouldn't be an outcry, except for maybe the expense. But, you know, I think it's two separate things. The president should, in my view, not have ordered the National Guard and the Marines into Los Angeles. I think the situation could have been handled by increased police presence, but we are where we are. The parade has been in the planning works now for months, and it'll go forward. And I think it'll be an exceptional event to showcase an exceptional Army.

KEILAR: Yeah, no doubt. There is, when you talk about this being politicized, there's actually a lot of public trust in the military in America, the most trusted institution, actually. But it has taken, as you're well aware, these hits in recent years, particularly with younger American adults, folks who are in their 20s, they're especially likely to look at the military and see it more in a negative light than a positive light. What do you worry about the effects of politicization of the military?

MANSOOR: Yeah, so we -- our Army and military in general requires volunteers to sign up and serve. And the more it becomes politicized on both sides, not just the Republican side, the tendency of young people to raise their right hand, and it's where an oath to the Constitution diminishes. And that's my biggest concern.

As far as the parade is concerned on Saturday, you know, I would -- I would really like to see the protests that will inevitably occur focus not on protesting the parade, but maybe protesting the administration's policies. The parade is celebrating the Army, and I think the people viewing it should take it in that light.

KEILAR: Colonel, great to speak with you about this. There's a lot of nuance to this issue, and so it's great to explore it with you. Colonel Mansoor, thank you.

MANSOOR: Thank you. KEILAR: Justin Baldoni's attorney calling actress Blake Lively predictable as he reveals the actor plans to continue fighting with new evidence. We'll have details right after this.

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[14:52:51]

SANCHEZ: It almost certainly does not end with us. At least the legal fight, right? Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal fight not over yet. The actor's lawyer says that Lively's, quote, "predictable declaration of victory is false" after a judge tossed out Baldoni's $400 million defamation suit against the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

KEILAR: That's right. CNN's Lisa Respers France is with us now. Wow, Lisa, what are you learning?

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Well, what we're learning is that both sides are still deeply entrenched in what they say has happened. Now, while Blake Lively's team is presenting this as a vindication and a victory for her, Justin Baldoni's side says, wait a minute. We have a quote from his attorney who is referencing the fact that they have until June 23rd to be able to refile some of his claims, though not the biggie, the defamation.

So, we have that claim that that quote from his attorney, if we want to pull that up in which his attorney said, while the court dismissed the defamation related claims, the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. So, clearly, Justin Baldoni is not going to let this go. He is going to continue to fight.

But over on Blake Lively's side, she's positioning this as not just a win for her, but a win for all women and a win for feminism. And we have her quote. She put up a statement on her Instagram stories and she said, I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.

I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you. So, this has been a huge, huge case. Massive stars. I mean, her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are a major power couple. And Justin Baldoni says that he's going to continue to fight. And Blake Lively, of course, is going to continue to fight because she still has her lawsuit against him in which she's alleging sexual harassment. And this smear campaign that she says was instituted against her because she spoke up.

KEILAR: Yeah. She says it was retaliation. And that's still going to keep going here. Was this dismissal, which and look, it's -- it's not entirely over. Like you said, there could still be this narrow filing. But this was like the big kahuna. And the judge said no. So, I mean, it is by any definition a victory for her. But was it expected or was this a surprise?

[14:55:19] FRANCE: I think it was a surprise, especially to people who don't really understand the law, because what the judge in essence said, he wasn't making a determination on what Justin Baldoni was saying. He was just merely saying that because your allegations of defamation come from her lawsuit, you can't do that. That's protected.

So, what she said in her lawsuit is protected. So consequently, you can't sue her for defamation for that. But by taking the defamation off the table, I mean, that's the meat. And so, it feels like what he's left with is potatoes at this point.

SANCHEZ: Potatoes aren't bad, but in this context --

KEILAR: He wants to meet with them, generally, right?

SANCHEZ: Yeah, yeah, definitely.

FRANCE: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: Lisa Respers France. Appreciate you.

FRANCE: Thank you. Appreciate you guys, too.

SANCHEZ: Up next, California's governor says that President Donald Trump intends to send more National Guard troops to Los Angeles as he accuses the administration of not providing for the service members already deployed within the city.

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