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Sanna Marin's Party Loses Parliamentary Vote; Many Condemn Yogurt Attack On Two Women Not Wearing Hijab; Taiwan President Meets With Guatemalan President. 2-3a ET

Aired April 03, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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LAILA HARAK, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harak. Just hours from now, Donald Trump is expected to arrive in New York ahead of his scheduled court appearance on Tuesday. Trump's legal team is preparing for the first ever arraignment of a former president.

The U.S. and Russia's top officials, speaking by phone about two detained Americans. What Russia has to say about the fate of the arrested "Wall Street Journal" reporter.

And a violent explosion rip through a St. Petersburg cafe leaving a popular pro-war Russian blogger dead. What we are learning ahead in a live report.

We begin here in the United States. In the coming hours, former U.S. President Donald Trump will head to New York for a moment we've never seen before. Sources tell CNN he is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. His legal team says Trump will voluntarily surrender but plans to file substantial legal challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE TACOPINA, DONALD TRUMP'S DEFENSE LAWYER: We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every -- every potential issue that we will be able to challenge and we will challenge, and of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARAK: Well, the former president has been indicted for his alleged role in a hush money payments scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Meanwhile, New York ramping up security ahead of the historic arraignment. Barricades were being set up near the courthouse over the weekend.

One strategy Donald Trump's attorneys are using is to try and discredit Michael Cohen as a witness. He was Trump's former personal attorney and fixer during the alleged hush money scandal. Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, has been defending his client.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANNY DAVIS, MICHAEL COHEN'S LAWYER: Regarding credibility, let me repeat. Everything Michael Cohen has said since he decided to tell the truth, he lied for 10 years for Donald Trump. He went to the American people in front of Chairman Cummings and he said, I lied. I'm ashamed of myself. I own that. Now, from that point on, he's never been shown to have lied. He has been forthcoming with every investigator. He never took the Fifth Amendment the way Mr. Trump did, and the credibility between him and the jury in that courtroom is going to be based on corroborating evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARAK: While Davis says everything his client has testified to is backed up by documentation and corroboration. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more on what we can expect in the days ahead.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The logistics around former President Trump's trip to New York tomorrow and his arraignment on Tuesday are still being sorted out, but we have learned that the former president plans to give a primetime address when he arrives back at his Mar-a-Lago home on Tuesday. We had heard from sources, security sources as well as member of President Trump's team that they wanted to get him in and out of Manhattan as quickly as possible.

So, he will be leaving the city right after that arraignment, coming back to his Florida home where he will address the nation. Now, this will be a chance for him to really give his side of the story and spin his own narrative. As we have heard he has called this a political witch hunt and a hoax.

But the difference between those remarks on Tuesday and what we have heard in the last several weeks, it will be the first time we hear from him since those charges have been made public. Currently, no one knows what those charges actually are and they won't be revealed until his arraignment on Tuesday.

Republicans have rallied around him. The former president spent much of the weekend calling his allies, calling his advisers, and we saw a lot of them on the airwaves defending the former president. But the thing to watch as we head into this next week is how that messaging or is that messaging actually changes once, we see what those charges actually are.

Now on the legal front, we heard from Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who said that they are waiting to see that indictment. But that's going to impact their legal decisions. They are -- have not seen what the charges are and they cannot make any game plan at this point yet until they actually see that. But they did make clear or he did make clear that everything was on the table. Kristen Holmes, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

[02:05:01] HARAK: Joining me now is Michael Genovese. He is a political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. He has also authored numerous books including "The Modern Presidency: Six Debates That Define The Institution." Sir, so good to have you with us. We're getting ready for a very monumental week. The ex-president will be arraigned at the Manhattan Criminal Court House on Tuesday. What will you be looking for?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, a lot of people are speculating that you're going to see the perp walk and you're going to see him in handcuffs. I think there's going to be much less of that than some people anticipate. I think it's going to be very businesslike. I think he'll go in the side door. There won't be a lot of cameras and it will be done very subtly and with, I think, you know, dignity even.

And so, I think that's as it should be, not just for a former president, but for anyone. And so, I think the real events will take place after the arraignment. I think when he goes to give his speech in Mar-a-Lago that night, that's when the fireworks may start.

HARAK: Would you expect to happen?

GENOVESE: Well, I think in the speech itself, what I expect to happen is that if past is prelude, Donald Trump is kind of a one trick pony. He knows how to do one thing very well and that's go on the attack. And so, I think what he'll do is he'll start screaming about which hunts and hoaxes.

He'll try to rev up his base, which is a very good political strategy. It's not a good legal strategy, and he's now converting from the political to the legal. And in that sense, you know, I think he's going to have a really hard time making that convergent. He is to his base, the Pied Piper. And they will forgive him anything. But when you get into a legal venue, they worry about evidence and they worry about facts. And so, Donald Trump is going to be in a more hostile environment in that regard.

He will wear his indictment as a badge of honor. But I think for most of us, we're now beginning to see more clearly that the emperor has no clothes. His base is still blind to that, but most Americans are beginning to see that.

HARAK: Now, current or a former president being charged with a crime is unprecedented, but a case against a presidential candidate is not.

GENOVESE: That's right. In the most literal and narrow sense, this is the first time we've ever indicted a former president, but we've had a lot of scoundrels in politics and a lot of rogues. Politics has always had its seamy side. You may recall -- you're too young to recall actually, that Richard Nixon was named an unindicted co-conspirator because at that time they believed, and many still do, that you cannot indict a sitting president. But now that he's out of office, you could indict.

And we've also had rouges like -- and characters like Eugene Debs, who ran as a socialist candidate for president several times in 1920. He ran from prison in Alabama. And so, you know, the Constitution is very ecumenical and very, very limited in terms of its requirements. To be president you all just -- the natural born citizen, 35 years of age and having lived in the United States for 14 years. Beyond that, any rogue, any scoundrel, anyone can run for president.

Now we've had a history of calling corrupt politicians to account. And that's a really good sign, that no one, not even the president should be above the law. No one not even a former president should be unaccountable.

HARAK: Now, Mr. Trump is defiant. He denies any sexual encounter, any wrongdoing. He says he has not done anything illegal. Now, depending on which side of the political aisle politicians are, the reactions have been very divided.

GENOVESE: We don't know what the indictment contains. Once we know that, then we can make some really reasoned judgments. What happens if there is a 30, whatever count indictment, which is very clear, very specific, which gives some of the rationales? That might be persuasive. If it's just bullet points and accusations, then it might be much less useful.

But I think what we've seen is that the American political system is divided, divisive, polarized. We fight with each other. Each side believes that he has God on its side, and each side believes that it is fighting a holy crusade, and in that sense, they both say that virtually anything goes. The first thing to go, though, and to go out the window is the truth.

HARAK: Now, Mr. Trump says, Braggs prosecution is politically motivated. Prominent Republicans also very quick to target Alvin Bragg. What do you make of that argument?

GENOVESE: It's understandable because of the hard political times we live in. It's understandable because Donald Trump is the kind of character who brings out the best and the worst in people. But you have to recall that this was a grand jury. It wasn't the district attorney alone who brought these charges.

[02:09:58]

A jury, a grand jury of New Yorkers voted that they believe there is grounds for some kind of investigations, then an indictment. Then the D.A. takes over. And so, you know, you open yourself up in any political prosecution, whether it's merited or not to all kinds of accusations, and the D.A., Mr. Bragg will be torn apart in in the media by Republicans and Conservatives.

He has to have tough skin. He has to be thick skinned. It's going to happen. He has to rely on the strength of his case. If this case holds up, he is vindicated. If it doesn't hold up, the criticisms might be valid.

HARAK: Now, Mr. Trump will be the center of attention, the focal point in national news here in the United States this week. How do you expect this to be received across the nation?

GENOVESE: You know, it's such an odd thing that there is, and I hate to put it this way, but an entertainment value. That is to say that people are going to be fascinated by the process, by the charges, by the arguments, pro and con, guilty, innocent, and so it has a bit of a circus atmosphere that might occur, but I think it also has an incredibly important educative function that it might serve.

We might highlight the importance of the rule of law, the importance of accountability even for a president or former president, that no human being, no politician, no powerful individual is above the law. And if that message comes across, that's a great message to send to America and to the world.

HARAK: Michael Genovese, thank you so much.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Laila.

HARAK: Washington is taking its demand for the release of an American journalist arrested in Russia directly to Moscow. The two sides' top diplomat spoke by telephone Sunday about the arrest of "Wall Street Journal" reporter, Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich is the first American journalists to be detained by Moscow on espionage charges since the Cold War. He faces up to 20 years in prison. CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz tells us Gershkovich was not the only American detainee brought up during the call.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday to urge Russia to immediately release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. This marked a very rare phone call between the two men. They've only spoken three times since Russia invaded Ukraine, and each of those calls has focused on trying to release detained Americans.

Now, the State Department released a readout of this most recent call where they say, quote, "Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States' grave concern over Russia's unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. The Secretary called for his immediate release. Secretary Blinken further urged the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. Paul Whelan is in the process of serving a 16-year sentence after facing espionage charges in Russia.

Gershkovich is also facing espionage charges, something that the White House and his employer, "The Wall Street Journal" say simply just is not accurate. Now, on the Russian side, they said that this phone call between Blinken and Lavrov was requested on behalf of the United States. And they said that Lavrov told Blinken that ultimately, that Wall Street Journal reporter's fate would be determined in Russian court.

Now, this all comes at a point of very high tension between the U.S. and Russia, especially with that war in Ukraine continuing on and one thing that officials will be working towards in the coming days is trying to get consular access to Gershkovich so they could see what exactly his state it is so officials can assess that and they can also relay that to their family.

But the White House at this moment is trying to stress that this remains a top priority for the president. Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

HARAK: Still to come, an explosion rips through a cafe in St. Petersburg killing a Russian military blogger. The latest on the investigation in a live report ahead.

And our David McKenzie reports on a group of American and Canadian doctors who are performing reconstructive surgeries on Ukrainians wounded during the war.

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[02:15:00]

HARAK: A murder investigation is underway in Russia after a prominent pro war military blogger was killed in a blast at a St. Petersburg cafe. And that moment caught on this dramatic video. Vladlen Tatarsky died in that explosion, which happened during an event hosted by a pro war group where more than 30 others were injured. And video shows the extensive damage left behind. State media reports that investigators have been questioning everyone who was inside the cafe at the time.

A spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry is already pointing the finger at Ukraine without citing any evidence, while a Ukrainian officials suggest the killing was a result of in-fighting in Russia. Let's go live now to London where CNN's Clare Sebastian is standing by and following developments for you. Clare, a very audacious attack on a high profile, pro Kremlin figure. What are Russian authorities saying? How are they treating this?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Laila, this is something that for the moment they seem to be letting law enforcement do most of the talking. As you say, a murder investigation has been opened by the investigative committee in St. Petersburg. There's still a lot of damage at the scene. The death toll -- the injury toll rather rising over 30. So, you can see that we're still in the early stages of this.

They are, according to state media, focusing on a woman who, according to eyewitnesses, handed Vladlen Tatarsky a figurine of sorts shortly before the explosion. So that's what state media is saying that they are looking at.

[02:19:52]

In terms of political reaction, nothing from the Kremlin as of yet, but we have heard, as you say, from the foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova who immediately pointed the finger at Ukraine, saying that Russian journalists are constantly experiencing threats of reprisal from the Kyiv regime and its inspirers, which are increasingly being implemented. Interesting that she is sort of linking him with Russian journalist since he was a military blogger, really with a Telegram following of around half a million. She praises his service to the motherland as well, even though of course he was known at times to be critical of the way that Russia was conducting this war. So as of now, as I say, mostly this is being focused on how law enforcement is dealing with this and we wait to hear more reaction, perhaps later.

HARAK: Clare Sebastian reporting. Thank you so much, Clare. Now, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner says a Russian flag has been raised in memory of Vladlen Tatarsky on the battlefield in Bakhmut. Those comments from Yevgeny Prigozhin coming in a brief video he claims was recorded in the eastern Ukrainian city. CNN can't immediately confirm the location where Prigozhin recorded the message, holding a flag that was indistinct in the darkness.

Meantime, Ukraine says at least six people were killed in Russian airstrikes on the town of Kostiantynivka. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says Russian forces targeted residential areas, launching two strikes with S300 long range missiles and four strikes with a multiple launch rocket system.

Thousands have been wounded in the war and now there is new help for some of those who were disfigured. CNN's David McKenzie met surgeons from the U.S. and Canada who are helping them heal. We want to warn you, some viewers may find these images hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The impact of war is hard to look at.

UNKNOWM: Look at my finger. The difficulty that I'm having is that I don't know what anything looks like behind the skin here. I can make an opening that looks like there's an eye, but they're never going to look like normal eyelids.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And the surgical realities are nothing like civilian life.

(On camera): How do you compare it to here in Ukraine?

ANTHONY BISSETT, MISSION DIRECTOR, FACE THE FUTURE: Well, the level of complexity for these cases is significantly more elaborate and significantly more complex.

You think we can get the mouth working better.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Face the Future mission director Anthony Bissett says the blast injuries are often devastating.

BISSETT: One of the things that we can do is improve the appearance of the scar.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Multilevel bone and soft tissue injuries.

BISSETT: That really get -- does not get any more complex than this, even in a combat scenario. MCKENZIE (voice-over): They brought together highly specialized plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses from the U.S. and Canada to reconstruct and repair.

BISSETT: Al that bone is missing.

But many cannot and if we can do that, then that certainly is a fulfilling opportunity.

MCKENZIE (on camera): So, it's not just the physical change, it's a psychological help you hope.

BISSETT: Absolutely. Absolutely. And it's a psychological help, not just for the patient but also for their family.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Roman Belinsky is one of their patients. He's invited us to his home.

What do I think of him? I'm proud of my son, says his mother, (inaudible). I'm proud of him. I'm proud of the fact that he didn't run away. He didn't hide.

Early in the war, his mechanized infantry brigade faced the brunt of Russia's invasion and they oncoming tanks.

(On camera): Are you surprised that you survived?

MCKENZIE (voice-over): I do not understand how I survived, he says. I don't even understand how I got through the shelling because it was dark. My (inaudible) hanging out. I was concussed. My whole face was covered in blood. Shrapnel went right through me. He says many in his brigade were lost. We were all like one family, he says. You know, somewhere you feel your guilt but I didn't also die like they did. Roman lived.

And this will be his third surgery with Dr. John Frodel.

JOHN FRODEL, FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON: What bothers you the most now? Our hope is that at some point they leave happy, you know, that I don't see them again. On my end, I have to appreciate we're making steps because they don't fix that. We make them better.

BISSETT: This is where we shine, which is in the operating room. All of the steps and activities that we're doing before getting here is really to get us to this point.

[03:24:57]

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Roman's surgery is one of the first of the day. He says Dr. Frodel and the team have already put him back together and saved his life.

(On camera): Dr. Frodel is working to move a cheek implant just a tiny bit higher under (inaudible). The margins in this kind of surgery are very small, but the differences for the patients can be huge. PETER ADAMSON, FOUNDER, FACE OF THE FUTURE: A person's appearance is a reflection of their inner spirit, of their inner self to the world. And we must never forget that. But everyone wants to have a facial appearance that others want to look at and would want to get to know you. It's part of the human condition.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): David McKenzie, CNN, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARAK: Still to come, Finland is getting ready for a new government just days before it joins NATO. I'll ask the chief diplomatic correspondent for "The New York Times" what this means for the country.

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HARAK: Just days before Finland is set to become NATO's newest member, the government in Helsinki is headed for a change. Results in Finland's parliamentary elections indicate Prime Minister Sanna Marin center left party will lose and she will be out of office. She conceded defeat to the opposition right wing National Coalition Party.

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HARAK: Its leader, Petteri Orpo ran on a pro-business platform and has vowed to cut spending. But his party will have to form a coalition with other parties to govern. Let's bring you more now on this. I want to turn to Steven Erlanger. He's the Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for "The New York Times" and joins us now from Brussels via Skype. So good to see you.

What led to the political downfall of Ms. Marin?

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[02:30:00]

STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, she is still very popular in Finland but her center left party was increasingly less popular. She was always more popular than her party and has been going on in nearby Sweden also where the last election saw swing to the right. That happened in Finland too. The Finns are kind of famously tight fisted.

And her -- the biggest criticism of her that mattered domestically had nothing to do with Ukraine or NATO on which she was considered to have done a good job or even COVID but the size of the government debt. Now in regular European terms, Finnish debt is only about 70 percent of GDP. It's not bad at all. But for the Finns, it seemed much too much. So, they have gone for a center-right's party.

Very narrowly, it should be said that promises to rein in public spending. And that is really the problem. Sanna Marin during her campaign, just very aggressively said that the problem in Finland was not enough growth, but refused to talk about budget cuts. So, this in the end cut against her. But she does remain quite popular, even if she's somewhat controversial as well. A fresh face, a new generation, a woman who enjoys her private life.

There's had a controversy in relatively conservative Finland, but I don't think was a very key issue in her loss.

HARRAK: Well, now the hard part starts to arguably a coalition will have to be formed. Could we see Miss Marin make a comeback or play a role in forming a new government?

ERLANGER: I think very much so. I mean, it's a 200-seat parliament and the highest party got 48 seats. So, it's going to have to be a coalition, it's likely to be at least three parties. But Sanna Marin's problem is that her left allies won't work with the national coalition party. The big question for them is do they go to the populist harder right Finns party, which came in second and build a coalition around that.

Or will they go more toward the Social Democrats who came in a narrow third and build a coalition around them? And if they do that, then it's possible Sanna Marin would have another ministerial office. She could be for best or she could be something else. I'm not sure that interests her right now. One of the great questions in Finland is what comes next for Sanna Marin.

HARRAK: And I think also the rest of the world will be keenly watching her next move. Finland, as you know is about to join NATO. Has a decision to join NATO played any role in these elections? I understand -- I mean, it didn't even play a role. It wasn't contentious at all. Did that does surprise you?

ERLANGER: Not exactly. I mean, because foreign policy in Finland is basically run by the President. It's a very powerful presidency. Sauli Niinisto and he's the most popular politician in Finland. And he was the one who kind of really guided Finland and Sweden too toward NATO. Now, basically, all parties went along. Some on the left, still didn't like it. But as you say, it was not at that point any longer a controversial issue.

And by the time the election happened, it was all done. I mean, all that remains for Finland to get in NATO is the exchange of a few letters. So, it really is a done deal.

HARRAK: Done deal. Steven Erlanger, thank you so much for providing us with your insights. Greatly appreciate it.

ERLANGER: Thank you.

HARRAK: Now we turn our focus to Iran where many women are condemning a yogurt attack on two women for allegedly not wearing their hijab. This viral CCTV video shows the moment when a man enters the shop, confronts them, and then proceeds to dump a tub of yogurt on their heads. The two women arrested for failing to wear the hijab in public according to Mizan News Agency.

Well now, several Iranian women are speaking out blaming the government for sewing discontent amongst citizens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I think those women and the way they were dressed had nothing to do with that man. This behavior causes tensions. The family of the victimized woman will be upset after seeing this video and take other action. I think this sort of behavior should be condemned in every country.

[02:35:03]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): If the government did not cause such discontent amongst the people, they would not rise up against them. People would have no reason to fight and foreign countries would not support them in their protests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Still to come. Taiwan's president shores up relations with supporters in Central America. What Guatemala's president have to say about their partnership. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRAK: Taiwan's president is in the middle of a 10-day trip across North and Central America. Well, this past week, she spent three days in Guatemala and is now visiting neighboring Belize. She's trying to deepen connections with allies as a growing number of countries are abandoning Taipei for Beijing. CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen travelled to Belize Sunday after wrapping up a three-day visit to neighboring Guatemala. Earlier Sunday, President Tsai and host Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei toured the hospital in Chimaltenango. A city about an hour west of the Guatemalan capitol. The Medical Center was built. Thanks to a $22 million donation from Taiwan.

Once again, President Tsai praised the Guatemalan government for its support to her country, saying that Taiwan will continue to cooperate and provide assistance to its democratic partners around the world. President Giammattei reiterated his country's support for Taiwan. I reaffirm before you the unconditional commitment that Guatemala is an essential part of its foreign policy. We'll continue to support the recognition of Taiwan sovereignty, he said.

President Giammattei went even further at a public event Saturday when he reiterated that Taiwan is in his words, an independent nation and the only and true China with which Guatemala shares democratic values, mutual respect and fraternal ties.

[02:40:04]

Tsai's visit to Central America happened only a week after Honduras, another central American country broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan after 80 years just before forging a new alliance with China. Now, Taiwan has only 13 diplomatic partners, mainly small countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that the One China Policy should be accepted worldwide, adding that she hopes Guatemala makes the right decision to stop supporting Taiwan in the near future. On Monday, Taiwanese President Tsai is expected to sign several agreements with the government of Belize before meeting with Prime Minister Johnny Briceno.

She's traveling to California later in the week before returning home and already visited New York last week as part of her 10-day trip to the region.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

HARRAK: We'll take a quick break. For our viewers in North America, I'll have more news for you in just a moment. For our international viewers, World Sports is next.

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(WORLD SPORT)

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