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Prosecution Offers Rebuttal After Defense Ends Closing Argument In Sean Diddy Combs Trial; Veterans Attend Immigration Hearing To Support Afghan Refugees; Wedding Of Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez Draws Big Names To Venice. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 27, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Moments ago the defense wrapping up its closing argument in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. The prosecution will now give a rebuttal and just a little bit ago the judge made clear that the jury is likely going to get the case on Monday instead of today. Combs is facing five criminal counts and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges against him. He's pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Defense and trial attorney Misty Marris joins us now for some perspective. Misty, where did the defense seem to think it had the best opportunity in their closing?

MISTY MARRIS, DEFENSE AND TRIAL ATTORNEY: So first of all, I was in court today, Boris, and I observed the defense closing argument being stylistically very, very different than the prosecution yesterday. Prosecutors stood behind a podium, had slides, compared the evidence to the elements of the legal charge, very almost educational to a certain degree, telling the jury why they should find Sean Combs guilty.

The defense, completely different. They told a story, a narrative about Combs and his personal relationships with Cassie Ventura and Jane. They also closed very strongly, focusing on the lack of evidence of a criminal conspiracy to support the RICO charge, pointing out that Combs is the only individual who's being prosecuted and there are no other co-conspirators that prosecutors put on the stand.

Where I also thought they were particularly effective is remember, they didn't put on a case, no witnesses from the defense. So they utilized evidence that came in during the prosecution's case, including witness testimony, which tends to undermine the prosecution's theories to create reasonable doubt. All in all, the defense did a very good job of telling that story, something that may stick in the jury's mind.

SANCHEZ: I wonder, Misty, how do you think jury instructions might alter the course of their decision-making? Is there anything that could perhaps sway them?

MARRIS: Oh, Boris, the jury instructions are really something that's going to be of critical importance and they are in every single case. [15:35:00]

But here, when you're talking about complex charges, especially RICO conspiracy, as well as what we know are the predicate crimes.

So to explain, prosecutors have to prove that there is a conspiracy to commit racketeering activity, which are crimes in furtherance of a criminal enterprise. And there's 10, I think 11, predicate crimes that are going to be listed in those jury instructions. So just talking about it right now, it is a lot to digest and that's just one charge.

Then we also have sex trafficking, as well as The Mann Act, transportation to engage in prostitution. So listen, it is complicated. And that's why closing arguments are so important.

When the jury hears the jury instructions, which the judge will read on Monday now, both sides want the jury to be thinking about their narrative of the case and looking at those elements through what they've presented and what those final words were to the jury in closing to tie it all together.

So look, the jury instructions are very, very complex. I think it's going to take a while for the jurors to work through them, but certainly it could be something that impacts the way the jury decides the case.

SANCHEZ: How much precedent do you think is riding on whatever verdict the jury comes back with?

MARRIS: Well, in a case like this, we're talking about the jury who's going to make the question about guilt or innocence. So all of the legal arguments about whether or not these charges should have been thrown out, whether or not evidence should have come in or out, all of those are going to be appellate issues. Right now, the jury is the decider of fact.

I mean, they decide what happens. They weigh the credibility of the witnesses. They'll decide whether or not they're going to disregard some witness testimony, whether they found witnesses to be truthful or not truthful, and also weigh the evidence, meaning what evidence do they feel is more important with respect to the charges?

So the jury here, they're going to speak. You know, I've been in court for people that have been watching this trial. There were a lot of diametrically different opinions.

In my view, this jury is going to have a lot of work to do when they get in that jury room.

SANCHEZ: Misty Marris, thank you so much for keeping track of it for us.

MARRIS: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, the protected status is running out for the Afghan citizens who helped the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan. How American veterans are now showing support by showing up in court for their immigration hearings.

[15:40:00]

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: In a little over two weeks, thousands of Afghan citizens living in the U. S. will lose their temporary protected status.

The Trump administration recently announced that it was terminating that protection for Afghans, most of whom fled their country when it fell in 2021 to the Taliban. Earlier this month, ICE arrested Sayed Naser, an Afghan asylum seeker who helped the U.S. military during the war. They arrested him in San Diego after he went to a hearing in his case. DHS says that Naser entered the U.S. in 2024 unvetted during the Biden administration, and there is nothing in his immigration records indicating he assisted the U.S. government in any capacity. DHS goes on to say that Naser's claims will be heard by a judge and any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request asylum.

Naser's attorney, though, calls that a ruse and says that Naser has provided evidence, including letters of recommendation from former employers, showing that he served as an interpreter at the Kabul Military Training Institute.

Now there are two veterans advocacy groups rallying around these Afghan immigrants who helped American service members during America's 20 year war, organizing vets to accompany them to their court appearances across the country.

I'm joined now by Shawn VanDiver. He's the founder and the president of Afghan Evac, which is one of the groups behind this Battle Buddies effort.

Shawn, thank you so much for being with us. And just first off, talk to us about the scope of the population affected here. How many Afghan refugees and their family members are we talking about possibly facing deportation and tell us about the kind of assistance they provided during the war.

SHAWN VANDIVER, FOUNDER, #AFGHANEVAC: Sure, Brianna, thank you so much for having me on today. I'm excited to be here talking about Battle Buddies, which is sort of flipping the script, right? For 20 years of war Afghans stood beside us and now it's our turn to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they're fighting for their lives in our country.

The number of Afghans is sort of unknown, right? Like the DHS doesn't really share a lot of information these days. By our last count, it was somewhere between 9- and 14,000 folks who were eligible for TPS. But that's that's only one protected temporary status, right? There's humanitarian parole, and there's various other statuses that folks could be here under.

What we're seeing this administration do is systematically deconstruct and block the pathways both abroad. Afghan Evac worked alongside the last administration to create the safest, most secure legal immigration pathway in our history. It was called Enduring Welcome, and it was meant to bring the nearly 500,000 Afghans that we have left behind here.

We got to about half of them. There's about half of them left. And this administration has ended Enduring Welcome. They've ended the executive agency within the State Department meant to take care of them. And then once they get here, they're snatching him up from courts like poor Syed Naser Nouri was on. He was the inspiration for this effort.

[15:45:00]

IAVA and I got together or IAVA and Afghan Evac got together, and we said, Hell no are we going to let these folks who made it all the way here after standing with us stand alone in court. And that's what brought us to today.

KEILAR: OK, so tell us -- tell us what you're asking veterans to do with these immigration hearings. And what are the limitations? Because we've seen that there are some -- there are some interactions where people have tried to accompany immigrants to different hearings. Are there some limitations to what they can actually do if ICE does come for some of these Afghans?

VANDIVER: Sure. Look, this isn't a protest. This isn't -- you're not supposed to wear slogans or bring signs or disrupt the court proceedings. Battle Buddies is about standing in quiet solidarity, standing outside the courtroom with them as they're preparing to go in and face this life altering with the federal judicial and federal immigration system. It's about accompanying Afghans into court while they're in there standing, quietly observing.

It's about bearing witness once they get outside. We hope that people will capture whatever happens on film, but we don't want people interfering. They have to sign, you know, essentially a code of conduct, legal guidelines that say that they're not going to do those things, right?

Because this isn't -- we're not making it about us. This is about Afghans who have done every -- Sayed did every single thing he was supposed to do. Every single thing he was supposed to do. And the thanks that he got was he got snatched up, and now the government is trying to deport him.

I'm actually right after we get off here. I'm going to go see him at the Otay Mesa detention facility.

KEILAR: OK, we'll check in with you to see, you know, what what he's experiencing. So what happens to Afghans if they lose their TPS and they have to go back to Afghanistan or some other country?

VANDIVER: Sure, if they lose their temporary status here in the United States and they're deported, the Supreme Court just this week said the President Trump can send anybody anywhere he wants to. There's no more limitation on going back to your country of origin. So he could ostensibly send them to South Sudan or Kosovo or another country that is nothing like Afghanistan, or they could give Afghans the option to go back to Afghanistan.

Any Afghan that has been here for any period of time faces certain death when they return because of their relationship with us, especially somebody like Sayed. Sayed fled after the Taliban hunted his brother down at a wedding his wife is at. He and his wife fled and they eventually -- Sayed got to Brazil. He walked to the United States from Brazil, knocked on the front door as he was legally allowed to do was let in, filed for asylum and is now, as he describes it, sleeping in the same room he goes to the bathroom.

It's unconscionable, disgusting. This is not what we signed up for. This is not, I'm sure what President Trump's voters voted for. Veterans all across this country are pissed off, and that's why IAVA and Afghan Evac started Battle Buddies.

KEILAR: Shawn VanDiver, thank you so much for being with us and do check in with us and let us know what is happening with Sayed. We really appreciate you being here.

VANDIVER: We sure will. Thank you so much.

KEILAR: Still to come. A look at near record levels on Wall Street and what's been driving the market resurgence.

[15:50:00]

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SANCHEZ: Right now, the stars are shining bright in Venice and not the ones in the night sky. We're talking about a barrage of celebrities at the epic nuptials of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, both seen here today headed to their ceremony.

KEILAR: Some of their 200 guests also caught on camera on the way. Actress Sydney Sweeney. There was singer Ellie Golding, Tom Brady, who I mistook for Jim Carrey.

But nonetheless, Oprah, a lot of the Kardashian Jenner clan and the A- listers have had to navigate around protesters, actually, who oppose over tourism in Venice, among other issues.

We have CNN's Melissa Bell in Venice. She did not mistake Tom Brady for someone else I'm sure. What were you learning about the big event, Melissa?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not sure I saw many more of them than you guys did. Brianna and Boris, simply because we to the press here in Venice on the ground in our little boat as we tried to navigate our way around the canals. Have been kept entirely in the dark about what was happening. And in fact, the guests that are right now over there on that private island, San Giorgio Maggiore celebrating we understand the actual ceremony where it was expected. Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos would exchange vows and rings in front of the Italian -- an Italian singer ahead of what we believe will be a big gala event over there on that private island. We were kept entirely at bay as well. So we haven't seen that many of

them around simply because Venice has gone about its business. There are many tourists here. It's been very hot. And it's been very hard to see anyone.

Also, I think one of the interesting things is how closely all of the guests apparently observed the nondisclosure agreements that they were made to sign. None of the really posting about any events.

All that we saw with some of them leaving the opening party last night with a few images off the downpour, the torrential downpour that we had here in Venice, the thunder and lightning that we had. Some of them showing some of the water in their boats. Otherwise, we've not seen very much of the events. They're very closely respected the wishes of the bride and groom.

What we understand is that at that ceremony behind us to the tunes of the Italian singer Matteo Bocelli, they have exchanged vows, possibly only ceremonial because we've been speaking to town hall officials here in Venice and they say that they had not organized a civil wedding. Perhaps they've done in the United States before they left. Certainly this part of it at least ceremonial.

[15:55:02]

Tomorrow the big event, we understand Lady Gaga performing -- Brianna and Boris.

SANCHEZ: Oh wow. What do we think it's going to be, paparazzi? It shouldn't -- it should not be Bad Romance. That would be --

KEILAR: No, but why not? Just do it. It would be ironic. Ironic, just do it.

SANCHEZ: Our A-lister, Melissa Bell live in Venice. Thank you so much, Melissa.

Stay with NEWS CENTRAL. We'll be right back.

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SANCHEZ: Right now we are watching the stock market as they are on the verge of completing an incredible rebound. The closing bell just a few moments away and there's quite a bit of green on your screen.

[16:00:00]

The Nasdaq and S&P are on the cusp of ending week on a record high.

KEILAR: Yes, this is 80 days after markets were plunged into what looked to be a bear market because of President Trump's sweeping tariffs. But we should note here the president announcing just a short time ago that he's terminating trade talks once again with Canada, a huge trading partner. So we'll have to see how that impacts trading going into next week.

But I don't know. Maybe you can check your 401K.

SANCHEZ: It's a good idea right now. Maybe in a few weeks when those trade deals are due. Well, we'll have to wait and see.

You won't have to wait and see "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt because it starts right now. Thanks for joining.