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Deadly Storms Carve Destructive Path Across Midwest and South; Trump Expected to be Arraigned in New York Tuesday; NYPD Tells Officers to Be Ready for Mobilization during Shifts; Funerals for Two School Shooting Victims to Be Held Today. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired April 01, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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


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[11:00:27]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with dangerous severe storms across the country. A deadly tornado outbreak wreaking havoc across much of the Midwest and South Friday. There are now at least 50 preliminary tornado reports in seven states.

At least 10 people have been killed and dozens of others are injured. Most of the deaths are in Arkansas, where the damage is catastrophic. Reports of at least a dozen tornadoes there.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declaring a state of emergency and activating the National Guard as the storms gutted entire communities. She's expected to give an update on the storm damage at any moment now. And the hardest hit areas of Arkansas, that was the town of Wynne.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know what's left. All my neighbor's house is about destroyed. My two boys are out now trying to help dig people out of their homes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Little Rock also bearing the brunt of these storms, the city's mayor telling CNN today that entire neighborhoods were flattened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Impact is devastating. It just came out of nowhere. I clearly know it was coming. Everyone took cover, as relates to the emergency response from that standpoint. But just to see the devastation of the impact of the flattening of homes, the flattening of businesses in a matter of minutes. WHITFIELD: And more devastation in several other states, including

Indiana and Illinois. People are waking up this morning to their homes and businesses destroyed, their neighborhoods littered with debris.

But the threat is far from over. Some 70 million Americans are now bracing for more severe storms today.

CNN has teams tracking the latest of these powerful destructive storms. Let's begin with Adrienne Broaddus live in northern Illinois. Adrienne, what are you seeing there?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Take a look behind us, Fred. This is what is known in this city of Belvidere as the Apollo Theater.

People were here for a concert last night when the roof collapsed, injuring 28 people, killing at least one. I want to take you inside so you can see what it looks like from above.

Among the 28 who were injured, officials tell us at least five of those had what they describe as severe injuries. 18 others had moderate injuries. Again, those folks were here for a concert last night when the roof collapsed bringing down the sign in front of the Apollo Theater.

We're being kept away for obvious reasons by this fence and the barricade that is here in place, but it's easy to see if you're standing here on the ground. There are bricks scattered throughout the street. There's shattered glass around the neighborhood. You can see trees that have fallen. There's some trees on top of homes here in the community.

It's unclear if a tornado touched down in this city, but across the state there were multiple confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Adrienne. We'll check back with you.

Let's go now to CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz. So Britley, we're not done with these severe storms.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST; No, ma'am. we are watching them across the northeast and across the southeast later this afternoon, although we are now tracking a few severe storms across parts of the Ohio Valley around that area of low pressure.

It's a pretty massive system. We get down to the southeast. No severe thunderstorm warnings at the moment, but strong storms nonetheless, with winds gusting over 40 mph in some cases, some small hail as well.

Severe thunderstorm warnings now issued for parts of Ohio back up into southeast Michigan, so we'll watch those closely. Those are producing winds over 50 mph in hail as well.

That will all track farther east. That's the start of a line that will develop later this afternoon and into the early parts of the evening to the northeast. New York, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Dover all included.

These are where areas that are likely to be dealing with a few tornadoes and damaging winds and hail. Those are our biggest concerns down through the southeast as well. Places like Tallahassee on up into Savannah and Columbus will be dealing with the same concerns. Just not as likely, so there's the system moving through. Watch the time frame here. There's three o'clock in the afternoon across the southeast. These storms really take on the energy of the afternoon and start to fire up.

But once we get into the evening, we lose the heat of the day and we lose the threat for storms. It pushes back off into the Atlantic.

[11:04:58]

RITZ: But the northeast, here we are 2:00 in the afternoon. There these storms are really starting to ramp up and watch this bow out as we move into the afternoon. There it is.

That's the wind threat that I'm starting to talk about here where we can have winds over 60, 70, even 80 mph. And then it moves out throughout the evening Saturday, and it's cold enough to produce snow.

So here we are, with 57 tornado reports over the last 24 hours. We'll watch these continue on, possibly rise. We are already over 150 percent of average for tornado reports, and we're not even to peak season yet. Peak season typically happens April through June, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. All right. Wow. What a cycle.

Thank you so much to both of you, Britley Ritz, Adrienne Broaddus. Appreciate it.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday, where he will then voluntarily surrender on Tuesday to the Manhattan district attorney's office and be arraigned.

Trump's indictment will mark the first time in U.S. history that a current or former president has been criminally charged. Sources say Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz joining us right now. Katelyn, help us understand all that, you know about what's about to happen.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE AND CRIME REPORTER: Well on Tuesday when Donald Trump has his day in court for the first time facing the criminal justice system after being charged with a crime, we know that there's going to be a quite intense amount of security around him, a lot of attention on him, cameras in the hallways of the courtroom, a lot of lockdown inside of that courthouse.

But what will happen inside the court -- the courtroom itself is what is very important, but it's also going to be pretty procedural. We know that Donald Trump will be read the charge that he faces. At this time we believe it's 30 or more, at least one felony. Some pretty serious counts there that he is going to be contesting. We know he'll have the opportunity to enter a plea. So it's fully expected he will say he is not guilty. And then the judge will also be able to consider how this case is going to move forward to a trial.

It's the first time that Donald Trump is facing this judge. Maybe the judge will consider putting potentially some restrictions on him. We don't know yet what the prosecutors are going to ask for, but this is a judge that Donald Trump has already been out there publicly criticizing on Truth Social saying that the judge hates him. That this judge was handpicked by the prosecutor, he's alleging that.

Although last night one of Donald Trump's defense attorneys, Tim Parlatore (ph) was on CNN, speaking to Katelyn Polantz and Katelyn asked him isn't anyone counseling Donald Trump that it might not be the best idea to go and criticize this judge he's going to be appearing before in two days?

This is what Donald Trump's attorney, Tim Parlatore, responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY PARLATORE, DONALD TRUMP'S LAWYER: Well you know, here's the problem. You have a client who is also a presidential candidate. And so it's not like a normal situation. Where you tell the client hey, don't say anything. Don't talk about anything because the case is the single most important thing in their life.

I know Judge Martian (ph). I've tried a case in front of him before. He can be tough. I don't think that it's necessarily going to be something that's going to change his ability to evaluate the facts and the law in this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: So there's Donald Trump's attorney toning down the rhetoric a bit around the judge. But we are going to be watching how this case unfolds, and especially what the judge will want to talk about and say on Tuesday because this judge will be in control of the case moving forward and whether or not it even goes to trial if the law is sound, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lots of complexities are beginning Monday. Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much.

All right, ahead of former President Trump's voluntary surrender on Tuesday, New York City is ramping up security measures right now. A memo from the NYPD told officers to be in uniform and prepared for deployment.

and we're now learning that Trump is expected to walk in view of cameras before entering the courtroom for his arraignment.

Let's check in now with CNN's Polo Sandoval, who is live outside the Manhattan criminal court house. So Polo what kind of measures are in place? The mayor's office apparently is commenting about whether there are

any credible threats to the city. Tell us more about all the ground work that has been laid.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CRPD: Fred the building that you see behind me, it has been and will continue to be in a constant state of vigilance. Some of the officers that you just mentioned, you see them at their post right now. And this is what we continue -- what we expect to continue into Monday and definitely into Tuesday with major logistical and security considerations.

Let's talk security for a second. NYPD has established -- at least they've set up temporary surveillance cameras, temporary lights as well, in parts outside the building to make sure that it remains secure.

[11:09:57]

SANDOVAL: You also have, of course, that increased police presence as well as court officers that will be working through the weekend to make sure that facility remains safe.

And also those measures that you're not seeing, the behind the scenes intelligence effort right now by officials to monitor social media for any potential organized protests that we should mention even weeks after the former president called for protests, I think major has really materialized here in lower Manhattan.

But the what if is what has officials in a constant state of vigilance, so we should also mention that the mayor's office can say as recently as yesterday that they do not know of any credible threats, but the logistics that we just heard about right now, Fred, look NYPD Secret Service, they have worked hand in hand to move former presidents in and out of the -- in and out of New York City.

But the unprecedented nature here will make this anything but normal ahead of Monday his arrival into New York City -- Donald Trump's of course. And then when he comes here downtown Manhattan to face those charges that we learned about on Thursday, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Polo Sandoval, we'll check back with you. Thank you so much.

All right. With me now to discuss all this Jennifer Rodgers. She is a former federal prosecutor and a CNN legal analyst. Jennifer good to see you.

So sources say the former president faces more than 30 charges related to business fraud. What does that say to you?

JENNIFER RODGERS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's hard to say Fred at this point, because often when fraud is charged, you could charge for each individual instance of fraud. So here it is falsification of business records, but it may be that they have charged as an individual count, as is routinely done each individual entry in the ledgers that is false. So the fact that there are potentially north of 30 charges here does

not necessarily mean that it's a vastly broader indictment than what folks have been talking about.

But we'll have to wait see, you know, they had another criminal investigation going on. So it's also possible that there are different charges in there as well.

WHITFIELD: So in this case, if there are, you know, reportedly more than 30 charges. What does this tell you about how the information will be relayed to the court? I've heard terminology. Like what is it a talking indictment that a story might be told. What are your expectations?

RODGERS: Well it's -- so it's called a speaking indictment and complicated white collar cases. Prosecutors do it this way in order to kind of educate anyone reading the indictment about the scheme itself.

That's not as typical in state court as it is in federal court, but in a case like this with this much scrutiny on it, I do expect that prosecutors will take the opportunity in the indictment to lay out the scheme a bit to explain how it all came about because usually when you see an indictment, frankly, it's pretty much just the statutory language and the allegations about who they're charging, and over what dates and that sort of thing. So this will be a chance so that we all reading it can understand exactly the scheme that they're charging here. So I do expect to see that in this case.

WHITFIELD: Obviously, this is unchartered territory. It's unprecedented for a former president to be indicted. So given that, is it your feeling that the bar was set much higher about what kind of evidence there is. What kind of testimony documents there might be to substantiate charges?

RODGERS: I do think so. I mean, you know, listen it's kind of a double edged sword on the one hand in terms of accountability and the rule of law. You want to treat Donald Trump like you would any other defendant? If anyone else would be charged with this, he ought to be charged with this.

That said, the level of scrutiny on this is such that you certainly would want to have all of your ducks in a row, right. Every T crossed, every I dotted. You want to make sure all of your evidence is solid before you proceed with something this historic.

And so I fully believe that Alvin Bragg and his team have done that in this case.

WHITFIELD: So being charged with or even convicted of a crime does not disqualify, you know, former President Trump or anybody else for that matter from running for president, come 2024, but what kind of impact do you believe it might make that there is a grand jury indictment here?

RODGERS: Well, it's hard to say politically what potential voters will think. But logistically it's going to be complicated for the former president because he's going to want to be crisscrossing the country appearing at rallies meeting with donors, I mean all the sorts of things that candidates do.

And yet he's got this criminal case happening in Manhattan, which means he'll have to be in court periodically, but also he'll have to be working very closely with his defense team. It's a really big burden to face a criminal offense, probably more than he realizes at this point.

It takes a lot of time and takes just a lot of brain space, so I think it's going to be hard for him to do it. And also Fred coming down the pike. I think very likely at least two, maybe three more criminal charges, which is just going to complicate matters more. So I think it's going to be a real challenge.

[11:15:00]

WHITFIELD: Right. In all there may be four cases. So what about the coordination of his attorneys. Different attorneys, different cases, but like you mentioned for someone who is running for president. He is going to be crisscrossing the country. He's going to be called, you know to do and you know different things for all of these cases.

So what about the coordination between his variety of defense attorneys?

RODGERS: Yes, they're going to have to be in close touch for sure. I mean, not only on this specific scheduling issues, but strategic issues as well. Of course, they wouldn't want to be talking about a plea in one case if the other team has decided that they want to take an across the board, aggressive approach that there will be no plea.

You know, all those sorts of things I think will be talked about at great length among the lawyers and, of course with the client, Donald Trump too. It's uncharted for them as well. I mean, I don't know that a team of defense lawyers will have had to face this sort of situation before either with cases going on in multiple jurisdictions at one time. So a challenge for everyone all around and it's going to be interesting to watch for sure.

WHITFIELD: Right. And with a high profile client to boot. Jennifer Rodgers thanks so much.

RODGERS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead funerals for two of the Covenant School shooting victims will be held today just as new, heartbreaking 911 calls from that day are being released. We're live from Nashville next.

Plus Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits Bucha, marking a somber anniversary one year since the town was liberated from Russia and some of the darkest atrocities of Putin's war were revealed. A live report from Ukraine straight ahead.

[11:16:40] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're hearing new 911 calls from this week's mass shooting at a private elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee. The calls capturing the panic and distress as three adults and three children were gunned down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're shooting at everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to make sure that if he comes there, you're going to have to either find a way to get out safely or fight. Do whatever is safest for you to do, ok, but try to barricade yourself in the room as best you can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please find someone soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many more shots did you hear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard so many.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the church right by the young, fire station, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok so on this side of the fire station.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, there's children here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Heartbreaking. Meantime, funeral services will be held later on today for two of the victims killed in the shooting. 61 year old Cynthia Peak (ph) was a substitute teacher at the school and the family of nine year old Hallie Scruggs (ph) says she had a love for life and an active spirit.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher is live for us in Nashville. Dianne, how is this community remembering these victims?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Fred, this has been a really hard week here in Nashville on the community as a whole. Both those who knew the six victims and those who did not are continuing to come out here to the school, to the church and pay their respects. Stuffed animals, flowers, putting them at those photos of those six victims.

And it is a reminder that how young just three of them only nine years old and one of them will be laid to rest this afternoon. Nine year old Hallie Scruggs, who her aunt describes her as incredibly smart, feisty enough to keep up with her three brothers and her aunt's four boys, with a love for life that kept her smiling and running and jumping and playing and always on the go.

Her father, Pastor Scruggs is the lead pastor here at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A little earlier before Hallie is laid to rest 61 year old Cynthia Peak. Her funeral will also take place here in Nashville at a separate church.

She was called Cindy by her friends. She was close friends with the first lady of Tennessee, Maria Lee and the governor, who said that they were supposed to have dinner with Cindy Peak on Monday night.

Of course, she was killed by that shooter in her school as she was a substitute teacher. A close friend from childhood, a state representative in Louisiana, said her entire hometown of Leesville, Louisiana is grieving Cindy saying that she was a dear friend and a good person. Fred, the funerals do continue throughout the weekend and into next week as Nashville continues to come to grips with what happened here at the Covenant School and continues grieving all six of those victims.

WHITFIELD: Yes, grieving on what will be a very long road. Dianne Gallagher, thanks so much.

The "Wall Street Journal" editor is vowing to do everything in her power to bring detained journalists Evan Gershkovich home from Russia as President Biden demands the Kremlin, let him go. We'll discuss the ongoing situation next.

[11:24:01]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Overnight Arkansas was hard hit by a string of tornadoes. Here is Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders moments ago on this update.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (R-AR): -- obviously suffered serious damage over the course of the last 24 hours. And I'm unbelievably thankful for the incredible partnership that we have with both the mayor and members of our legislature from around this area.

This group represents all of central Arkansas in Little Rock, this area that was hit so hard and very thankful for their willingness and the cooperation that we've had.

Certainly the (INAUDIBLE) station that is behind us has suffered just an unbelievable amount of damage. But I think the real story here is not the damage that happened, but it's the heroes that were born out of the tragedy. And the fact that we have firefighters who despite the fact that they had a tornado literally coming through their station were worried about the community.

That tells you who they are, and it tells you I think a lot about our state. And I'm so thankful and so proud of the heroic efforts of the firemen that are located here at this station who as the tornado came through work to protect and bring members of the community into a safe space.

And as soon as it passed immediately went to work caring for our community. That tells you who Little Rock is. That tells you who Arkansas is and it's why I know and have every confidence that we will be back on our feet better and stronger than we ever have in quick fashion.

[11:29:48]

SANDERS: I have had the opportunity over the last couple of hours to speak with both the Homeland Security Secretary as well as President Biden, who have offered tremendous amount of support, anything that Arkansas needs. They have assured us that those resources will be here and on the ground.

And we really appreciate their willingness to help Arkansas out from a city, county, state and a federal perspective, I would say that everyone is working in total lockstep and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that people of our state are back on their feet again.

Mayor would you like to tell anything real quick?

MAYOR FRANK SCOTT, JR., LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: Thank you. Governor Sanders. Again, I would just say here today that communication across state, federal, local all working on one accord and our response recovery for Little Rock, Central Arkansas and, of course, the entire state.

We continue to ask that everyone remain prayerful. We know faith without works is dead, and so there's going to be a lot of working going on between now and then, and we ask that everyone be patient as we're working to respond as quickly as possible to all the needs as we move forward together again, we're grateful for the federal government.

Also was able to visit with Mr. President Biden and he's assured Little Rock will have all the resources needed in addition to, of course, the entire state of Arkansas as he's been directly communicating with Governor Sanders and do appreciate everyone.

And clearly, when you see all of our Little Rock legislators here today with us, it shows the unity that we have as a state's capital city, but the unity of our entire state as we know, we work together on one accord for the best of all Arkansans.

SANDERS: Thank you. You guys have any questions?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. That was a Little Rock, Arkansas Mayor Frank Scott, along with the Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on the devastation, the damage caused by a string of tornadoes overnight in Arkansas.

All right. Now to Ukraine where more Russian shelling has turned deadly this morning. A Ukrainian official says at least two people were killed, including a five month old baby as Russians -- Russian rounds hit a town in the eastern Donetsk region. The relentless attacks come as Ukraine marks the one year anniversary

since the liberation of Bucha and the discovery of the brutal massacre there.

CNN's David McKenzie is in Kyiv for us. So David, I mean the images of the atrocities that happened in Bucha are haunting. I mean it was one year ago, but those images are kind of seared in everyone's memory.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. And it was a solemn moment that President Zelenskyy commemorated the one year anniversary of the liberation of that zone of Kyiv to the northwest of where I'm standing.

And as you say, it is seared in many of our memory the awful scenes as that area was cleared out of Russian forces. And CNN was one of the first teams on the ground there when they did that.

And you saw the evidence that accumulated of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in that area, including murder and sexual violence and torture. All of these awful things that happened during about a month of occupation by Russian forces.

President Zelenskyy gave out medals. He also gave an inspirational message to those assembled.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russian evil will collapse right here in Ukraine and will never be able to rise again. Humanity will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: And certainly that is -- that is a message for Ukrainians from Zelenskyy on the somber moment. The fighting continues all across the frontline, Fred, especially in the eastern zone of Bakhmut.

I want to show you this video coming from a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner mercenary group. It shows the trademark black flag right in the center of that town on a high rise building. Now this doesn't mean necessarily that they have taken over that city. But what it does mean based on our geolocation is that they are making some progress.

They had a very heavy cost based on all accounts. That city has been fought over. It's largely depopulated for many, many months now. It's become a symbolic fulcrum of this -- this conflict, I should say, in the east.

The Ukrainians maintain they still control a large part of the urban center of what's left of it of Bakhmut. And as you say, even as they fight over that city, there are still civilians killed and almost daily basis from shelling, rocket attacks and missile attacks from Russian forces, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. David McKenzie, thanks so much for that update. The "Wall Street Journal's" editor in chief, is vowing to do

everything in their power to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, the journalist who is being held in Russia on spy charges. This as President Biden demands Gershkovich's release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your message for Russia right now as they're detaining --

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To who?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To Russia, they're detaining this "Wall Street Journal" reporter.

BIDEN: Let him go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to expel Russian diplomats or journalists?

[11:34:59]

BIDEN: That's not the plan right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Journal says the White House needs to expel the Russian ambassador and Russian journalists from the U.S., something the president says he has no immediate plans to do. But leaders of more than 30 news organizations around the world signed a letter to Russia demanding his release. The Kremlin says accredited foreign journalists can work safely in Russia.

Let's bring in Bill Browder. He is the CEO of Hermitage Capital Management. And he's also the author of two books, "A Red Notice" and more recently "Freezing Order based on his experiences in Russia and becoming a target of Vladimir Putin himself.

All right. So good to see you again.

So can you help people understand why this time this American journalist is targeted?

BILL BROWDER, CEO, HERMITAGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: I think it's pretty straightforward that this is hostage taking, plain and simple. Putin wants to have a high value American hostage by taking a "Wall Street Journal" reporter. He accomplishes that.

Why does he want a hostage, because he wants to use that hostage use Evan as a trading chip for other Russian people who have been arrested, there's been a number of Russian spies and other money launderers and others who have been arrested in the -- by the United States and around the world. And Putin wants to restock his supply of hostages.

If you remember there was a previous hostage swap of the basketball player, and now that that she's home? Yes Brittney Griner -- now they need another one. And so that's what this is all about.

It also serves a second purpose, which is very important, which is that this is a red line, even the Soviets during like Stalin didn't cross it. You don't arrest western journalists. And by doing so if you're the editor of any other newspaper, and you have somebody on the ground in Russia, you're probably going to ask them to leave right now.

And so Putin doesn't like accurate reporting of what's going on in his country, and there's no better way to get rid of all the journalists, than to terrorize one and let everyone else scramble across the border.

WHITFIELD: And you mentioned Brittney Griner. And I wonder since she was the most recent taken and then released. Do you see that Gershkovich's journey, his experience is going to be very similar, or do you see that Russia will treat him -- his case differently? That negotiations or even demands would be played out differently.

BROWDER: Well I think he's a higher value hostage. I mean, she you know, he's a journalist.

You know, it's it doesn't require a campaign for anyone to understand that how important he is, he is -- he is somebody who, you know, works for the Wall Street Journal immediately, the president says, let him out. And so I would imagine that -- that from the Russians perspective this is -- this is somebody really important that they can do a lot with.

But the one thing I would say is that I've seen these things play out and they take a long time. We shouldn't expect anything to happen very quickly. The Russians will want to convict him in their court for espionage. They want to give him a very long sentence you want -- they want us all to squirm and feel terrible about it.

And at the point of maximum pain for the west, then they'll offer some type of hostage exchange. But that's not going to happen very quickly in my prediction.

WHITFIELD: In the last year, many news organizations, American news organizations pulled a lot of their journalists out of Moscow, out of Russia anticipating that, you know, there would be a real crackdown because there were threats against journalists who are going to say anything and report anything that was you know, antithetical to what Vladimir Putin would want publicized.

And now recently, White House spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday that Americans need to get out of Russia because, as we see now there have been many who have returned or many who have stayed.

What are your thoughts about western journalists as a whole who are inside Russia? And particularly now that Gershkovich has been detained? What do you advise them to do?

BROWDER: Well sadly, I would advise them to leave the country. There's really not much that that one can do if Putin decides to take more hostages. All it does is it just exacerbates the problem as much as we'd like to have accurate reporting for every single person out there? They're human beings with their, you know, wanting freedom and having families and so on and so forth. And I don't think that anyone should be put in harm's way.

And it's clear, Putin is not playing by any set of rules. They're just -- all rule books have been torn up. You don't arrest western journalists. Even Stalin didn't and here we have Putin doing it without any shame.

WHITFIELD: Bill Browder, thank you so much. We'll leave it there for now.

[11:39:54]

WHITFIELD: Coming up, a flurry of Republican lawmakers were quick to line up behind former President Trump after he was indicted, but there are some top party members who have yet to defend him. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: After historic indictment, key House Republican leaders were quick to defend former President Trump. House Speaker McCarthy slammed the Manhattan district attorney calling the news an injustice. And while we know how some leaders are responding, we don't know the charges against Trump, which will be announced in the coming days.

CNN's Alayna Treene joining us live with more on all this. Alayna, so who are among the Republicans that we are hearing from? And what are they saying?

[11:44:48]

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, immediately after news of the indictment broke on Thursday, we saw Republicans in Congress as well as nearly all of Donald Trump's potential 2024 rivals rally around him and come to his defense.

We saw Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seen as his top 2024 rival right on Twitter that he thought this was politically motivated and said that Florida would not participate in an extradition request of Donald Trump if that were to come.

We also heard from Vice President Mike Pence. He told CNN on Thursday that the indictment was an outrage and that he thinks it's politically motivated. And of course, Vice President Mike Pence on shaky ground with Donald Trump ever since January 6th but having very strong words and defense of him and his former president to CNN on Thursday.

WHITFIELD: Ok sorry about -- my mic wasn't on so you couldn't hear me ask a question.

All right. So what are we hearing now in other ways on Capitol Hill?

TREENE: Well Republicans from rank and file members to Republican leaders on Capitol Hill also very strongly coming forward to defend the former president. We heard House Speaker Kevin McCarthy say that he will hold the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, accountable. We also heard other members like Congressman Barry Moore really double down on their defense of Donald Trump and push that this is politically motivated, of course, even though we have not seen the charges that are included in this indictment.

Here's what Rep. Barry Moore had to say to our colleague Manu Raju.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So are you -- are you jumping the gun on this?

REP. BARRY MOORE (R-AL): No it looks pretty political. So without seeing the indictment without knowing anything behind it. The motivation was there long before the evidence was.

TREENE: So, Fredricka, I will point out, though, that not all of the Republican response to this, and Republicans in congress are responding the same way. I think it's very notable that the top two Senate Republican senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, as well as senate minority whip John Thune, have been silent ever since the news of the indictment broke.

So there is some division among what we're hearing from Republicans, but by and large, really strong defense of the former president. and this is exactly what Donald Trump and his team was hoping for. Donald Trump does not want to be indicted. This is something that his advisors have told me privately over the past several weeks.

but they do think that this could have the impact of potentially being a political benefit to him. And so we're going to continue to see how this plays out in the coming weeks, and if he can continue to enjoy this rallying around him from these members. But the long term impact is still unclear.

WHITFIELD: Already he's used it as a pretty good fundraiser. So in some respects, it's working out for the former president.

All right. Alayna Treene, thank you so much.

All right now to an update on the health of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, his office says he has now been discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment for clinical depression.

In a statement, Fetterman says he wants everyone to know that depression is treatable and treatment works. He also posted this picture on Twitter. Fetterman is expected to return to the Senate when it reconvenes April 17th.

All right. Still ahead, we're live in Rome, where the Pope was just released from the hospital and joked with reporters on the way out. We'll bring that to you next.

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[11:48:12] WHITFIELD: Pope Francis is now out of the hospital and in pretty good spirits after a bout with bronchitis this week, and he's already getting back to work. CNN is learning the Pontiff will preside over Holy Week celebrations.

CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher joining me live now from Rome. So, Delia, you actually spoke with the pope? How is he doing? What did you all talk about?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well listen, Fredericka, the Pope's surprised us because he was leaving in the car from the hospital, and he stopped and he got out to thank journalists for their work. So obviously I asked him how he was feeling. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (INAUDIBLE): I think every road -- I'm still alive. You know what comes to mind is something that wants an old man older than me. Told me after a situation like this. Father, I didn't see death. But I saw it coming. It's ugly, huh?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: And Fredricka, you know, it's typical Pope France, right to make a joke and deflect questions about his health. But as we were talking then a couple came up. It was a couple who had just lost their daughter last night.

WHITFIELD: Oh no.

GALLAGHER: Their daughter, Angelica, and the Pope comforted them, prayed with them. And so you see these poignant moments with Francis and hats off to him that had to pivot from talking to journalists and asking questions about his health to comforting grieving parents, as he did indeed, on Friday in the hospital.

The Vatican told us he was at the pediatric oncology ward handing out rosaries and easter eggs to children on that ward and even managed to baptize a newborn baby boy.

WHITFIELD: Oh my God.

GALLAGHER: So you know, he's certainly not lying down, resting in his hospital bed. Can you imagine? 86 years old, he had antibiotics given to him intravenously, but I can tell you he is back on his feet. He confirmed that he will be at tomorrow's mass.

That doesn't mean he'll be saying the mass because, of course, he has a knee problem. So for some time now, the Pope hasn't been able to stand up for long periods of time. So he sits down. The Cardinal says the mass, but he will be speaking.

And that's important Fredericka because obviously his voice is very soft because of the bronchitis, and so we'll be monitoring now. This has put his health back in the spotlight, we'll be monitoring this whole coming week.

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GALLAGHER: He's got a number of public events at the Vatican leading up to Easter. So we'll be seeing how he's doing. But certainly from today I can tell you he looked pretty good, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Remarkable rebound and recovery of -- from the pontiff there. Delia Gallagher, thank you so much. Glad you were able to have that chat with him and we got to see his funny side too. Thank you.

All right. Quick programming note. Tomorrow at a new time Eva Longoria's culinary adventure continues in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Don't miss the new episode of the CNN original series, "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR MEXICO." That's tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Coming up, we're live from Arkansas and Illinois after massive deadly storms tore across those states.

We'll bring you the latest next.

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