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Runoff for President in France; Lauren Speranza is Interviewed about the French Election; New Rule Regulating Ghost Guns; Shooing at Gun Range in Georgia; Sanctions on Russia. Aired 9:30-10a

Aired April 11, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:08]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this morning, results show French President Emmanuel Macron with a narrow first round victory in his country's presidential elections, setting up what is expected to be an intense runoff with far right candidate and Vladimir Putin ally Marine Le Pen just two weeks from now.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Big implications for European unity in the midst of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Let's go to CNN's senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann. He is in Paris.

So, Jim, big question is, where do the voters who supported the other candidates, I mean the third place finisher was just behind Le Pen. Where are they most likely to go in the final election?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly the question we're all asking this morning, James. In fact, yes, indeed, that's what -- some of the leading candidates that came in last night have indicated to their voters where they think they should vote. For example, the green candidate said vote for Macron. The center right candidate said vote for Macron. And the socialist mayor of Paris said vote for Macron.

However, some of the other candidates, not quite so clear. The extreme left-wing candidate said vote for anybody but Marine Le Pen, who is the far right candidate in the runoff. So he's saying basically vote for Macron, but in other words. And the far left candidate said vote for -- I'm sorry, the far right candidate said vote for Le Pen, because their lines of attack and their lines of policy are somewhat similar. So, it's going to be interesting to see. But, of course, voters don't

have to pay attention at all to these people that are giving recommendations. They can vote anyway they want. And we'll see, this -- this next two weeks will be very important.

Macron started off his day this morning, went right out and did some campaigning up in the northeast part of France, up near the Belgian border, which is a hard-pressed area, a kind of area that would have appeal to Marine Le Pen because of the economic conditions up there. But he went right up into -- I guess you'd call it enemy territory trying to attract votes. And that forced Marine Le Pen to get out on the trail as well. They've only got two weeks.

Jim.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we know what Macron will be doing in the next two weeks, and that is probably not speaking to Vladimir Putin as much as campaigning internally.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Jim Bittermann, thank you.

BITTERMANN: That's right.

GOLODRYGA: Well, joining me -- joining me now to discuss is Lauren Speranza. She's the director of the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Lauren, always great to see you.

So, let's talk about what got Macron into the position he's in right now because for the last three months he hasn't really been campaigning for office, right? He's been spending more time trying to mediate leading up to the war and then, obviously, weeks into the war as well.

Was he hoping that that would give him the boost needed domestically that clearly it didn't give him?

LAUREN SPERANZA, DIRECTOR OF TRANSATLANTIC DEFENSE AND SECURITY CENTER FOR EUROPEAN POLICY ANALYSIS: I think that's exactly right. Macron was playing the statesman card that he hoped would give him the credibility and position him to win domestic support. But I think what we saw was that European leaders, just like some in the U.S., are struggling to balance major foreign policy crisis, like the war in Ukraine, with domestic concerns and the push from some voters to focus more at home.

And the way this has manifested in France is really concerning. I mean Marine Le Pen represents a historic threat to one of the most important democracies in Europe. I mean she has praised Vladimir Putin, who is a war criminal, describing him as a future ally of France. She relies on Russian money for her campaign. She opposes sanctions on Russia and arms delivery to Ukraine. And it -- her platform includes things like leaving the NATO military command and anti-EU measures, which could eventually lead to France leaving the EU at some point down the road.

So, in many ways, the runoff election on April 24th between her and President Macron boils down to a vote for Europe, for Vladimir Putin.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, this is Le Pen's third attempt at running for president of the country.

[09:35:02]

She's offered a softer approach this time around. But, you're right, you can't deny looking at her past, constantly criticizing NATO. Her campaign is still paying off debts to Vladimir Putin for their support and Russian bank support back in 2017. She's really homed in on and focused on the economy, domestic issues. Talk about what's happening inside France right now, and is this something that perhaps neighboring countries should be viewing as a warning sign given some of the economic challenges they're facing now?

SPERANZA: That's right. So she has focused more in on pocketbook issues. You know, things like rising cost of living, and, in many ways, rising energy costs, which are, in part, stemming from the sanctions on Russia given Europe's energy dependence on Moscow. And that has a real impact because of the war on Ukraine on everyday citizens inside France. And so other countries as well who are taking part in these sanctions are feeling those effects at home.

And that is certainly something to watch. I mean we saw some strong statements coming out from politicians in other European countries, like Spain and Italy kind of condemning this rise of populism as we're seeing with support for Le Pen. And I think what we're watching for here is that even if Macron is able to secure a narrow victory, you know, how long will that support last? I mean there are other far right candidates around Europe that could also gain similar support.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

SPERANZA: And so I think European leaders are worried about their own political future. And this could have a domino effect across Europe.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it shouldn't go unnoticed that 51 percent of the country voted for an extremist on either the far right or the far left. And it's not isolated to just France. You see Viktor Orban winning in Hungary. You see Serbia the same way. And Poland, even with their politics, despite all of the benevolent work they're doing to take in Ukrainians right now, I mean there is concern amongst European allies that this illiberal liberalism that we're seeing will start to spread to other countries, no?

SPERANZA: That's right. And, actually, you know, Europe has seen a wave of support, populist support like this, you know, going back to 2016, around the time of the historic Brexit vote that we saw in the U.K., the election of Donald Trump, the election of -- the rise of other leaders in this far right camp. And so it's not that we haven't seen it before. And I think this is why this is such a critical moment. And those that are even typically critical of President Macron for his engagement of Putin are actually now seeing him as sort of a defender of freedom and a bulwark against this kind of rise of populism and are urging folks to support him.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, clearly a wake-up call, not only for voters in France, but those in Europe and neighboring countries as well.

Lauren Speranza, thank you.

SPERANZA: Thanks, Bianna. And if I could, could I just say ten seconds about -- I'm joining you here from Warsaw, and I wanted to just give a ten-second shout-out to a really fantastic organization that's working here on the ground to actually send supplies across the border into Ukraine. The name is Flindoctia (ph) Greenroads (ph). And if anyone is looking to support, I would encourage you to check them out.

GOLODRYGA: Just one of the many organizations doing such important work right now.

Thank you. Thank you.

SPERANZA: Thanks, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: We appreciate it.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, President Biden set to reveal a new plan targeting what are called ghost guns. We're going to be live from the White House, next.

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SCIUTTO: This afternoon, President Biden is expected to announce new steps to fight gun violence. The new regulation aimed at controlling specifically the use of so-called ghost guns. These are weapons made at home from kits that are so widely available now.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And as of right now, they are unregulated and untraceable, and they're turning up more often at crime scenes.

CNN's White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins us now.

Jeremy, how far will this new Justice Department rule go to reign in ghost guns?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, amid the Biden administration's inability to work with Congress to actually pass more gun law reforms because of the current makeup of Congress, we've seen this administration focus instead on executive actions and what it can do to address gun laws from that standpoint.

And ghost guns have been one of the focuses of this administration. Today the Justice Department will actually issue this final rule on these ghost guns which are, you know, these unregulated, untraceable firearms made from kits often. It will now require that those ghost gun kits have a serial number and that individuals looking to purchase those ghost guns actually will have to undergo a background check to purchase these individual components that can be put together to form a fully functioning firearm.

This follows a lengthy review and comment process that went over at the Justice Department. And, today, that rule will now actually be announced.

In addition to that we're expecting President Biden to announce a new nominee to lead the ATF, a significant nomination after he was forced to withdraw his previous nominee back in September, David Chipman, a former ATF official, because of his work for a pro-gun reform group. He came under fire from Republicans. The new nominee is expected to be Steve Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney in Ohio, who ran for Ohio attorney general back in 2018. And this will of course, bring permanent leadership, if indeed he is confirmed, to an agency that has been under acting leadership since President Biden came into office in January of 2021.

[09:45:08]

Jim. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it's taken -- it's taken almost a year and a half to get someone there permanently.

Jeremy Diamond, thank you.

Well, the president's announcement comes after a weekend of gun violence across the country. Los Angeles and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, saw fatal shootings, while more than a dozen were injured there, and shootings in Elgin, Illinois, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C.

SCIUTTO: In Georgia, federal, state and local agencies, they're involved in a triple homicide investigation, this one taking place at a shooting range where on Friday the county coroner arrived, he discovered his parents and 19-year-old son were the victims. Just remarkable, shocking to imagine that.

Joining us now, CNN's Shimon Prokupecz.

So, what do we know about the shooting in Georgia?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, police now offering a $15,000 reward for information on the potential suspect or suspects in this. Forty guns were taken during this -- what police believe was a robbery. And as you said, the Coweta County coroner went to the store, this is a family-run business. Everyone in this area knows these people. This is -- they have been in business there for about 30 years. It's the Lock, Stock and Barrel. It's a gun range. Also it's a gun shop. And as I said, 40 guns are now missing. So the ATF is also investigating.

But, yes, the coroner there going to this location. It's about 50 miles from Atlanta. And he found his parents, 75-year-old parent, and, as you said, his 19-year-old son there dead. And, obviously, police now looking for the suspect or suspects. They really don't have much more to work off of now. The other thing that's really interesting is that the thieves here,

they stole these surveillance camera, the equipment from there. So, all of that is missing as well. So police really just trying to figure out exactly who's behind this at this point.

SCIUTTO: Lord, those poor people and that poor coroner.

Shimon Prokupecz, thanks so much.

Coming up next, Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt. What a new report this morning is revealing about Russia's economic impact from sanctions. It could be a significant moment.

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[09:51:35]

SCIUTTO: The European Union is looking to impose a sixth package of sanctions on Russia. This for pressing forward with its increasingly brutal invasion of Ukraine.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, CNN's chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins us now with more.

So, Christine, having a look at this, this is the sixth round of sanctions, but not having an oil or gas embargo, do they have any teeth at this point?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's what they're talking about here. And there are some ministers, European ministers, who would like to have energy as part of these sanctions, would like to really have an embargo. Others don't. So there's a big disagreement about what it will look like. But we know that more sanctions are coming, a sixth package of sanctions.

They have -- you know, they've sanctioned their coal exports. Will they go to other fossil fuels? That is the big question. That's what we're still waiting to find out.

SCIUTTO: That's where the bulk of Russia's income is, you know --

ROMANS: Yes. And that's what finances the war.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ROMANS: And here's -- this is the teeth of all of these sanctions we've seen. They're trying to unplug Russia from the global system. They're trying to keep its banks, you know, on the back foot.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ROMANS: And they're trying to disrupt the funding of this war.

SCIUTTO: Yes, a European official said the other day, $30 billion in oil and gas revenue since the start of the war.

ROMANS: Sure.

SCIUTTO: That's a lot of money to finance it.

ROMANS: Uh-huh.

SCIUTTO: So, there was a downgrade.

ROMANS: Yes.

SCIUTTO: We've been looking at the possibility of a Russian default on some of its debt. This is a partial default. Significant?

ROMANS: S&P Global, yes, calling it a selective default. And essentially there was -- there were -- there were interest payments due in dollars and the Russians paid for it in rubles. And the Treasury Department would not allow it to go through. Now, remember, they've got all these dollar assets around the world in American banks that they can't get their hands on. The ruble, by the way, the ruble has been manipulated over the past few days, right?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

ROMANS: It's trying to save its -- save the ruble. The ruble, it's very difficult to determine what the real value is of the ruble at this point. The economy is crashing there. The markets have crashed. The economy is crashing there in Russia and there's no question the standards of living of Russian citizens are declining rapidly.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. I mean economists are projecting a 10 percent decline in GDP for Russia this year.

ROMANS: That's right.

GOLODRYGA: Though we should note, a 45 percent decline is expected for Ukraine.

ROMANS: That's from the World Bank. Right.

GOLODRYGA: Right.

ROMANS: And that's really going to be felt terrible in Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: The people always suffer the most, right? The average people suffer.

ROMANS: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And there's no -- there's -- I don't see the off ramp here right now. And that's something that S&P Global also said. S&P Global said they think that there will be further Russian sanctions from here on out. It makes it very difficult to figure out how they're going to pay all of their debts in full and on time.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, full on economic war.

ROMANS: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Christine Romans, thank you.

SCIUTTO: So this is news. Elon Musk will no longer join Twitter's board of directors. The company's CEO posted a message Sunday saying the appointment was supposed to be official on Saturday but that same morning Musk shared that he no longer wished to be on the board. Musk, who is already the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX is still Twitter's largest shareholder now and that -- and Twitter says they will remain open to his input.

GOLODRYGA: He is very active on Twitter.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the new White House Covid response coordinator says the CDC will have an update on the transportation mask mandate sometime this week. Dr. Ashish Jha tells CNN the agency is working on a scientific framework the (ph) approach the mandate which expires April 18th. In many places, broad requirements that Americans wear masks in public places have been lifted, but the transportation mandate applies to planes, trains and buses.

Well, still ahead --

SCIUTTO: The Russian onslaught in eastern Ukraine that's begun with the fight for the Donbas region in the east, expected to be long, possibly even bloodier than we've seen so far.

[09:54:58]

We're going to be live with the latest coming up.

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GOLODRYGA: Good morning, everyone, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

This morning, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says tens of thousands -- tens of thousands have been killed in a single city, the city of Mariupol in the south. This following weeks of relentless shelling of civilian areas there. These new images this morning show what's left of the destroyed theatre in that city. You remember, this is where hundreds of people, including women and children, were sheltering. Many of them died in that strike.

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GOLODRYGA: You never get used to images like that.

We're also getting a fresh look at the damage in Irpin.