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William Cohen is Interviewed about the Trump-Putin Meeting; California to Move Forward with Redistricting; CNN Original Series "American Prince: JFK Jr." Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired August 15, 2025 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:30:00]
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Like that. But look at where we are now. Look at this. No takes the cake at 46 percent. We have had an inverse of the positions. The Republican Party has shifted at least a little bit on Ukraine and now all of a sudden they don't believe that, in fact, the U.S. gives to much support to Ukraine, which is very much unlike we saw -- what we saw in February. Rarely do I see poll numbers like this. You read the blogosphere, you read X, you might think that Republicans think that we're way too much in Ukraine's camp, but Republicans at large no longer believe that.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And on the issue that is a big topic of debate, especially early on in the administration, supplying weapons, continued support for Ukraine in that regard, where are they?
ENTEN: Yes, this is an even bigger shift. I mean, my goodness gracious, U.S. should give Ukraine more arms and military supplies. Look at this. Again among Republicans, in March it was just 30 percent. Hello. We're now up to 51 percent. The majority of Republicans, of Republicans, and certainly the majority of Americans at large, believe that the U.S. should give more arms to Ukraine.
So this, to me, is just such an important point as we head into this summit later today. Americans and Republicans are much more on the side of Ukraine than they used to be. It is quite the switcheroo from where we were just a few months ago.
BOLDUAN: It's very true. And what about views of Vladimir Putin?
ENTEN: Yes, what about views of Vladimir Putin? I mean this guy is hated, hated across the political spectrum. Unfavorable view of Putin. Look at this. Among all adults, 88 percent. Among Republicans, 84 percent. Independents, 88 percent. Democrats, 93 percent. You rarely ever find Democrats and Republicans united as much as they are on the issue of Vladimir Putin. The bottom line is, they don't trust him, and they don't like him.
BOLDUAN: I'm still just wondering what's happening with the other ten -- ten plus percent here.
Harry --
ENTEN: Ten -- ten plus percent believe that we faked the moon landing. So, they can get them to believe anything.
BOLDUAN: I get it now.
ENTEN: Yes.
BOLDUAN: Harry, thank you very much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: We are bringing you some live pictures here. I believe these are live. Tell me, though, if they were moments ago. You just saw -- sorry, moments ago. You saw President Vladimir Putin there just before the camera shifted. He is, of course, preparing to leave for this high-stakes summit with President Trump, meeting now with members of the Russian government. He's in the far east of the country, so he'll be making his way to Alaska.
And, of course, President Trump already in the air.
Joining me now to discuss the stakes of this meeting is William Cohen, the former secretary of defense.
Good to have you with us, as always.
When we look at where things stand and what potentially could come out of this meeting, there's been so much talk, Mr. Secretary, about whether there could be a land swap, which, you know, we had heard initially, certainly some backtracking on that language. And then I was struck, the president was asked just a short time ago on Air Force One about that possibility. Here's how he answered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: On the table? Will you be discussing that?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They'll be -- they'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table. And I think you have two sides. Look, Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn't president, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The president -- the president there saying he is not there to negotiate for Ukraine. His job is to get them to the table. Does this meeting seem to you, based on what we know, and of the two people going into it, does it seem like it is a vehicle to get all three parties at the table?
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, it seems to me it's a very strong attempt to lower any expectations. If he is not there to get a ceasefire on the part of Putin, and then it seems to me it's just a get to know you and apparently he feels he knows Putin so well over the years that wouldn't be necessary.
What I would hope is that President Trump would channel Ronald Reagan, whose portrait hangs in the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan, I would say, well, how would Ronald Reagan deal with Putin? With resolve, with commitment, with strength. And -- and not allow himself to be diverted. And that's what I would hope that President Trump would do with -- with Putin, saying, you invaded a neutral country. You've slaughtered tens of thousands of people. And now you want to have a negotiation and so you can keep a good part of what you had. I think right here what the president has to do is keep his eye on the ball.
And, by the way, he's made a concession already to Putin. Putin has been under the equivalent of diplomatic house arrest. There is no other western country that would have invited him into their capital. But the United States inviting Putin to go to Alaska, on our soil, that is a given to -- to -- to Putin. So, he's -- he's banked that already. But what has he given back? Zero. So, I think the president ought to be very strong on this (INAUDIBLE) President Putin. Be like -- well, I'm going to be like Ronald Reagan.
[09:35:03]
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. Mr. Putin, stop killing Ukrainian people. That's the message he has to get. We'll work the details out later, but we have to be committed to telling Putin, you've got to stop the killing. And, by the way, if you don't, we're going to seriously arm the Ukrainian people so they can defend the rest of their territory and take back what is theirs.
So, you have every incentive to come to the table now, stop the killing. We'll talk about all these things you're dangling in front of us later. You want to talk about arms control. You want to talk about space share. You want to talk all of these other bangles out there. And he's also bringing a trade mission. Putin, businessman, to this conference. It's not about business. It's not about trade. It's about stopping the killing of Ukrainian people. And that's what I hope President Trump (INAUDIBLE).
HILL: And yet for this -- and yet for Vladimir Putin, though, someone who, you know, who reads President Trump fairly well and knows that this is a leader who enjoys flattery, right, but President Trump also likes to make deals. So, the fact that he is bringing these business leaders with him, it is certainly a distraction. Are you concerned that that could in some ways color the presidents thinking?
COHEN: I think what Putin is doing is picking a page out of Eisenhower's book. President Eisenhower said, if I have a problem I can't solve, I make it larger. What Putin is doing now, he's got a problem he can't solve, and that's overrun the entire country of Ukraine. So, I'll make the problem bigger and tell President Trump and the world, hey, I'm a big, powerful, nuclear armed country. So, it's in the United States' interest to make these other deals with me, taking President Trump's eye off the ball. And so, I think the president's got to be, in addition to Ronald Reagan, maybe Rocky Balboa, whom he admires. Eye of the tiger. Keep your eye on the man you're dealing with. And we know who he is. We've seen how he's dealt with every other president since he's been in office. So, I think President Trump says he won't mess with me, great. I want President Trump to be strong and tell President Putin, stop the killing. You -- you began this. You need to stop it. And we shouldn't give you any benefits or any kind of agreements until this stops.
HILL: Former Defense Secretary William Cohen, appreciate your insight, as always. Thank you.
Kate.
BOLDUAN: President Obama weighs in on the redistricting battle as California Governor Gavin Newsom announces he's now fighting fire with fire. Details ahead.
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[09:42:13]
BOLDUAN: So, overnight there's new video into CNN of former President Barack Obama, you see there, weighing in on the redistricting fight on a Zoom call with Texas House Democrats. The same Texas Democrats who have now signaled that they are ready to end their protest against Republican plans to adopt a redrawn congressional map.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: What we all recognize is, we can't let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: President Obama and others mentioning California is part of this. Governor Gavin Newsom there yesterday formally launched his effort to redraw California's congressional maps in direct response to Texas.
CNN's Steve Contorno is in Chicago, where a number of those Texas Democrats have been staying since they left the state.
Steve, what's happening in California now with all of this?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, next week, Kate, the legislature will be back in session and California Democrats are expected to move quickly to advance these new maps that would counteract what Republicans are trying to do in Texas.
But I should note, it's a much more challenging road ahead for Democrats there than in Texas. Republicans can simply just pass these new maps using their majority to get their way.
In California, there is a constitutionally mandated independent redistricting commission that is in charge of drawing maps. And what Democrats there are essentially asking voters to do is to, in November, pass a ballot referendum as -- saying that they want to temporarily suspend that constitutional provision.
This is a very popular provision. It passed with more than 60 percent of the vote back in 2010. But Democrats there are saying this is a necessary step to counteract what Republicans are doing across the nation. Gavin Newsom also saying that California cannot be alone in asking other Democrats to get involved.
Listen to what he said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district, all across this country, not just in Texas, but in Missouri, where J.D. Vance went just a week ago in Indiana, in places like Ohio, in places like Florida. We need to stand up. Not just California. Other blue states need to stand up. We need to be firm in our resolve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: Newsom and Democrats will face some notable opposition trying to get this through the voters, including former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the League of Women Voters, and Charles Munger Jr., the son of the late Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman.
[09:45:04]
Munger put more than $12 million into the effort to get this approved back in 2010, this independent redistricting commission. And, Kate, a spokesperson for him told CNN yesterday, quote, he will vigorously defend the reforms he helped pass. So clearly some challenges ahead for Democrats trying to counteract what Republicans are doing elsewhere. Not as easy for them as it has been for Republicans.
BOLDUAN: Steve, great reporting. Thank you so much.
Still ahead for us, more of our special coverage of President Trump's historic summit with Vladimir Putin coming in just hours. The message from Ukraine's President Zelenskyy this morning, quote, "we are counting on America".
And John Deere, the iconic American brand that makes tractors and farm equipment, announcing a huge hit -- taking a huge hit from President Trump's tariffs.
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[09:50:26]
BOLDUAN: This morning, the California Highway Patrol is investigating after an immigration raid in southern California turned deadly. A man ran out of a Home Depot in Monrovia, less than 30 minutes from L.A., and went on to a busy freeway and was hit by a car. He later died at the hospital. At least ten other people were taken into custody in the operation. In a statement to "The New York Times" though, Homeland Security said that that man was not being chased by its agents. Home Depot told CNN they are not notified when ICE operations are about to occur.
There is a possible break in a 57-year-old Minnesota cold case after a car was found by a fisherman at the bottom of the Mississippi River. Dive teams recovered a severely deteriorated 1960s Buick Electra Wednesday that had been submerged for decades, and also discovered human remains inside the vehicle. Authorities believe the remains are that of 59-year-old Roy Benn, who vanished in 1967 while carrying a large sum of money. He was declared dead in 1975, but his disappearance has remained unsolved since.
Now one of America's most well-known farming equipment makers says tariffs are putting a big dent in profits. John Deere reported that tariffs have already cost the company $300 million so far, and could cost it $600 million by the end of the year. That news from the John Deere -- John Deere's earnings call yesterday. It sent the stock tumbling. It closed down nearly 7 percent. John Deere says it's counting on more tax friendly policies and trade deals to boost its profit outlook now.
Erica.
HILL: The new CNN original series "American Prince: JFK Jr." tells the story of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s life, from his early years, marked, of course, by his father's assassination just days before his third birthday, to his marriage to Carolyn Bessette and their untimely deaths.
CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister takes a look now at their life in the spotlight and the legacy they left behind.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a nation with no royal family, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were prince and princess.
STEVE GILLON, FRIEND AND JFK JR. BIOGRAPHER: Each of them had their own charisma and their own charm. But you put them together and it was like a multiplier effect.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): With images like these, saluting his father's casket at age three, John Jr. grew up as America's son.
GILLON: He just hated being called John John. And he would always say, he'd mutter under his breath, you know, one John is sufficient.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): But Kennedy accepted his public life, while Bessette preferred to stay private, creating an aura of mystery and public fascination.
CAROLE RADZIWILL, FRIEND OF CAROLYN BESSETTE-KENNEDY AND JFK JR.: She married, like, arguably like the most famous man in the world at that time. She refused to bend to the will of the press. WAGMEISTER (voice over): Carole Radziwill spent years in the couple's
inner circle. She was married to Kennedy's cousin and best friend, Anthony, whose mother, Lee Radziwill, was Jackie O's younger sister. She says Bessette was the opposite of her public image.
RADZIWILL: I think what people take away from the photos is that she sort of seemed like a caged, scared person. And she just wasn't. She was very strong, very confident.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): Bessette left a job at Calvin Klein after she met Kennedy, but never actually sought the role she's still known for, fashion icon.
RADZIWILL: She didn't fuss over her fashion. She lived her life with style. Style for her was not like what she was wearing.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): Her effortless, chic style is embraced today. When fans saw early photos from an upcoming FX series on John and Carolyn, they erupted online, claiming the looks appeared more fast fashion than Bessette's classic elegance.
Producer Ryan Murphy told "Variety," "Carolyn Bessette is clearly a religion of her own," insisting these were merely test shots.
JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.: Ladies and gentlemen, meet "George."
WAGMEISTER (voice over): In 1999, Kennedy's magazine "George" was failing. His best friend and cousin, Anthony, was dying of cancer. And his marriage to Carolyn was strained.
RADZIWILL: All I could say is, there is no talk of divorce or breaking up. They were going to a wedding together that Friday.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): But then the world stopped as John and Carolyn's single engine plane crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. America's royal couple was gone.
RADZIWILL: She was the protector of all of us. She protected me. She was John's protector.
GILLON: Had John lived, he would have run for office.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): Just months before his death, Gillon says Kennedy spoke of what might have been, embracing his family roots, and a life in politics.
[09:55:08]
GILLON: He said, what people need is hope. They need to know that tomorrow is going to be better than today. And there was this long pause and he looked at me and he said, I can do that. I think I can do that.
WAGMEISTER (voice over): Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: A new episode of the CNN original series "American Prince: JFK Jr." airs this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.
BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for joining us today. A huge day ahead with special coverage going to continue about the Trump-Putin summit that will be taking place in mere hours.
This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL with my good friend Erica.
HILL: Lovely to be with you.
BOLDUAN: "SIT ROOM" up next.
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