Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Trump To Turn Himself In Today At New York Courthouse; Russian State Media: Tuesday Hearing For St. Petersburg Suspect; Source: Balloon Was Able To Send Information To China; Australia Bans Use Of TikTok On Government Devices; Disney CEO Slams Florida Governor As "Anti-Business"; What Difference Does It Make For Finland To Join NATO?; At Least One Killed In Netherlands Train Derailment; Police: 2 Israeli Soldiers Stabbed Near Base Outside Tel Aviv; Frontline Villagers Find Hope In Faith. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired April 04, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TRUSTY, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: Does matter. I think a fair- minded judge is likely to recognize there's something fundamentally wrong that we're crossing the Rubicon with this political persecution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: And on Tuesday, former President Trump will appear at the courthouse here in Manhattan for his arraignment. And this will be a historic event. This is the first time a former president of the United States will make an official appearance in front of a judge on criminal charges.

Paula Reid, CNN, New York.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Straight to Kara Scannell who is outside the courthouse in New York. Yes, they were wondering whether or not cameras be allowed in. The judge is not allowing that.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, that's right. The order came down late last night, the judge saying that he would not allow any broadcasting of this arraignment today. He said he would allow five still cameras, just regular photographers to come in and capture the moment when the former president is sitting behind the defense table.

He said that they will be allowed to take a couple of photos until the court staff ushers them out. But he's not allowing the public to watch this live. And he did say in his order that while the populace rightly hungers for the most accurate and current information available to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous, but he said he had to balance this with the rights of the defendant.

Of course, former President Trump and his attorneys oppose any broadcasting of this thing. It would only add to the circuit -- circus like atmosphere, and they were concerned that it would harm his presumption of innocence if this case were to go to trial, and they will try to select a jury here in New York to hear this case.

You know, we're waiting for the former president's arrival. He's expected to show up a couple hours from now. We're starting to see some security really increase around here and preparations for his arrival. A couple of the side streets around the courthouse have been closed. The media presence has certainly grown and we're seeing more barricades in place and more visible police presence are gearing up for the former president's arrival.

Just about 1:00 p.m., he's expected to leave Trump Tower Eastern Time here in New York, and then make his way downtown here. He will go into the courthouse. He'll be processed, that means being fingerprinted, and then he will walk into a hallway just like other defendants, drug dealers and even, you know, his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was also arraigned in this courthouse before this same judge, then Trump will go inside, then the arraignment takes place.

That's where the judge will ask him if he wants to read the indictment. That's usually waived. And then Trump will be asked to enter a plea. His lawyer say he will plead not guilty to these charges. At that point, we expect the indictment to be unsealed. And then we will all get a chance to see exactly what these charges are.

Our sources tell us that this will be more than 30 charges, criminal counts felonies, and will then hear more from the president tonight when he returns and speaks at Mar-a-Lago. Max?

FOSTER: We're seeing some members of the public behind you as well as the media, of course. Are they generally pro or anti-Trump? What sort of people are coming out to see what's going on?

SCANNELL: You know, Max, we've seen both. We've seen a couple of folks here with some pro-Trump signs. I saw a flag last night, a Trump flag. We've also seen some people that are anti-Trump here. But, in general, they've been very small groups, one or two people, maybe five at most that have come here.

It's really otherwise been much more of a media theme. And then some people that are just looking for some attention, you know, dressed up as kind of characters to try to get some some attention. But otherwise, it has been a very calm scene, although we're already seeing the energy here pick up, you know, as the sun comes up, and as we're getting closer in the moment to this historic arraignment. Max?

FOSTER: OK. Kara, I appreciate your time on this historic day. Thank you.

The coverage of Donald Trump's arraignment will continue at the top of the hour. We'll be following the former U.S. president's journey to the courthouse, hear the charges and provide analysis as well throughout the day, so do stay with us.

Now, a woman detained in connection with an explosion that killed a prominent Russian military blogger will reportedly appear in court today. According to Russian state media, the hearing for Darya Trepova will take place in Moscow.

Meanwhile, new video captures the moments before that blast ripping through St. Petersburg Cafe on Sunday, after blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was handed a small statue possibly packed with explosives. A short time earlier, there was this interaction between Tatarsky and Trepova.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADLEN TATARSKY, RUSSIAN PRO-WAR MILITARY BLOGGER (through translator): Nastya, Nastya, come here.

DARYA TREPOVA (through translator): I'm shy.

TATARSKY (through translator): Sit here or here. Sit over and the chair.

TREPOVA (through translator): I'll sit over here. I am too shy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Nada joins us here. It's extraordinary to watch that video. Looks quite ordinary to some extent and then, obviously, we know what happens next.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. There has been this video as well as other CCTV footage from outside of the cafe in St. Petersburg, which has been circulating online and on Russian state media. And of course, you see that interaction between Darya Trepova and Russian pro-war military blogger inside.

Of course, it is extraordinary to see that given what we know what happens next. And it is that explosion according to Russian state media reports the suggestion is that there was explosives within the statute handed to blood Vladlen Tatarsky in that cafe in St. Petersburg.

[08:05:12]

And now, of course, Russian authorities say that she will be appearing in court today. We have seen another video being released by the authorities of Darya Trepova in custody being questioned following her arrest. She is asked, you can hear a male voice in the video. She knows why she has been detained. She says, yes, because she was at the scene at which Vladlen Tatarsky was killed.

And then she's also asked what she did at the cafe. And she says in this video, that she brought the figurine and declined to answer who actually gave it to her. Now it is important to note that, of course, this video was selectively put out by the Russian authorities. It's unclear whether or not she was speaking under duress.

And in fact, her husband has already claimed that he believes she has been framed. She was arrested, it has to be said, in the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine for protesting that invasion. So there has been criticism, real concern that this may have been politically motivated. FOSTER: What do you mean by that? That's an internal terrorism issue, political issue, what do you think is the most likely way this investigation is going to go?

BASHIR: Well, Russia has been very clear in cracking down on any signs of opposition to the war in Ukraine, even calling it a war has been deemed illegal and, of course, Darya Trepova has been arrested in the past of protesting that invasion. So some, including her husband and other supporters and allies, say that they believe this could be politically motivated.

They feel she may have been framed. That video released of her being questioned in custody, they feel may have been done under duress. And, of course, this, we're talking about a very prominent pro-Russian military blogger as well. So clearly, we have to look at this in the context of this is going on and it's the war in Ukraine.

Tensions are very high and any sign of criticism within Russia of the war in Ukraine over the invasion has been dealt with by the Russian authorities with a very heavy hand.

FOSTER: OK, Nada, thank you.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. earlier this year was able to gather information from American military sites and transmit it to Beijing. But a source familiar with the matter says the intelligence community is not overly concerned about the information the balloon was able to gather.

The Chinese foreign ministry reiterated on Tuesday that the balloon flights was a, quote, unintended, unexpected, an isolated event.

Let's bring in CNN's Natasha Bertrand. She joins us from the Pentagon. What exactly did they find then, Natasha?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. So the FBI is still investigating this balloon. But as of right now, what they've learned is that the balloon was able to capture some imagery, as well as collect some signals intelligence from sensitive military installations across the United States.

Now, the U.S. intelligence community as well as U.S. officials more broadly are telling us that they are not overly concerned about this, because they don't believe that the images and the signals that this balloon was able to collect or anything more sensitive or sophisticated than what a regular Chinese satellite would be able to capture, which of course orbit over these sites every single day.

But there is a caveat to that, which is that the U.S. government still doesn't know whether Beijing was able to erase some of the data on the balloon before the U.S. government was able to get its hands on it, of course, after shooting it down off the coast of South Carolina in February. So there is a scenario in which the Chinese government could have wiped the balloon before the U.S. was able to examine it.

And therefore, the U.S. really doesn't know if it has a complete picture of what the Chinese government was able to collect here. But we are told that the FBI is continuing to investigate the balloon. They have learned interesting things about the algorithms that power the balloon software, as well as how it was able to maneuver.

And we are told that in addition to the fact that the FBI and U.S. officials believe that this balloon was really maneuverable by the Chinese government, it was also able to collect these images and these signals in real time. And so, all of this raises questions about when of course the U.S. is going to have a complete picture of what the Chinese government was able to collect as of right now. Again, they aren't overly concerned they don't necessarily think that it is a major national security threat, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Natasha, thank you for joining us from the Pentagon there.

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed that he will meet with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday. China is condemning the meeting saying it violates the one-China principle. Taiwan is a self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own.

President Tsai I will arrive in the U.S. after wrapping up a trip to Central America where she has been shoring up ties with Belize and Guatemala to Taiwan's remaining regional allies.

Australia will ban TikTok from his government devices over alleged security concerns. The move falls in line with other Western nations cracking down on the Chinese owned video sharing app, following warnings that China could use it to spy on users and manipulate public debate.

[08:10:06]

TikTok Australia and New Zealand General Manager Lee Hunter called the decision, quote, extremely disappointing.

Now Disney CEO Bob Iger has slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida State Legislature for restricting Disney's autonomy. Iger told shareholders that the state's recent actions were, quote, anti- business and anti-Florida, is the latest clash in a row which began last year after Disney publicly oppose Florida's so-called Don't Say Gay bill, which limits discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools.

CNN's Rahel Solomon is joining me from New York. So we've got an insight really about how Iger is tackling this in this call.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, this is a feud, as you pointed out, that has spanned more than a year but also span more than its current CEO because remember, this started last year with a former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, it is now of current CEO's problem to solve.

But at the heart of this feud is a special tax district that Disney has enjoyed since 1967. And that gives Disney a certain level of autonomy, a certain level of control over how it wants to govern both its resort in Florida but also the land that it sits on. But Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, wanted to strip back some of that power. He called it leveling the playing field.

Disney, however, saying, wait a minute, the timing of this seems really curious. This actually feels a bit more like retaliation, because this only became a thing essentially, after we made those critical comments about that Florida education bill that critics have called Don't Say Gay.

Bob Iger, the current CEO responding to questions about this verbal feud with a Republican governor from Florida to shareholders yesterday. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB IGER, CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY: And so our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Well, the Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, wasting no time his office putting out this comment, "While a company has first amendment rights" -- and we can pull this up for you -- "While a company has first amendment rights, it does not have the right to run its own government and operate outside the bounds of Florida law. The Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis has worked to put Disney on an even playing field and Disney got caught attempting to undermine Florida's duly-enacted legislation in the 11th hour."

Max, what he's referring to there, the 11th hour is this recent discovery from the governor's office that essentially a board of this special district, a board that was essentially appointed and picked by Disney had given Disney much of its power back in perpetuity. And so, the governor's office realize that that's what it's calling out Disney for saying, look, you at the 11th hour tried to undermine our authority here in Florida for the state legislators.

So what happens now, Max? Well, that is the big question. I mean, I can tell you that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, you ain't seen nothing yet essentially that more is to come. He is calling for a state investigation into these actions of the Disney board of the board that had been picked by Disney also calling perhaps for a court proceeding. So all this to say, stay tuned. More to come here.

FOSTER: OK. Rahel, thank you.

Still to come, NATO is set to welcome Finland as its newest member in the coming hours. Meanwhile, the border between Russia and the military alliance will nearly double. We'll discuss the implications.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:44]

FOSTER: What difference will it make if Finland's joins NATO? It has joined today as the country prepares to officially become a member of the U.S.-led military alliance later on Tuesday. Finland's accession will roughly double the border that Russia shares with NATO.

Here's a map of Russia's border with NATO before today. And this is what it looks like once Finland joins today. An official ceremony will take place in the coming hours when the Finnish flag will take over that empty flagpole there. In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is hailing the move as historic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Need to become stronger, Finland become safer by belonging to an alliance where we guarantee the security of all allies. The purpose of NATO's deterrence and defense is not to provoke a conflict, it is to prevent the conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Russia has warned that it will bolster its defense at the border if NATO sends any troops or military equipment to its newest member. Russian President Vladimir Putin had demanded that NATO limit further expansion even before he launched the invasion of Ukraine.

Let's bring in CNN International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson. When we look at the map, it really becomes clear, doesn't it? How big this shift is in bringing Finland in?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: And it also shows you how much fear was created in Finland as well, by virtue of that very, very long border with Russia. They saw what was happening in Ukraine, remembering just not long before Russia invaded Ukraine. The sense was in Finland, among the public that they didn't need to join NATO.

And that had been a position held for many decades in Finland, but the invasion changed that almost overnight. The public mood shifted in Finland, the political mood, a dispensation shifted with that too. And the request came very quickly, which has been recognized very quickly.

But that 800 miles of border, we were along that border this time, last year. A lot of it is forest, a lot of it is very remote in the winter. You can imagine it's now covered, it's a border, that until now hasn't had a great deal of protection along it. There's been a bit of motion detectors, but there are tracks in the forest where you can get very close to the border with Russia, and quite literally walk across a field, swing your leg over the low fence and walk into Russia.

That's going to change. Finland is spending $150 million to build a long fence along that border. So a lot is changing here, physically on the ground, no word of additional NATO troops. Again, that, as you were saying, Max, that's what would anger the Russians. But think about it this way too, Russia stretched militarily in Ukraine, an 800- mile border where they would have to beef up forces, as they say they would, would become a drain for them too. FOSTER: In terms of how this might be received in Moscow, does the fact that the flag goes up today make a difference, or was all the tension based on the initial decision to allow them in?

ROBERTSON: I think it very much depends, as Russia says, what happens along the border because they've said that they will react. There was very stern words earlier on -- early on when Finland declared its position for joining NATO. And Russia said if you put any nuclear weapons along that border there, then we're going to respond likewise.

And we've seen Russia recently say that it's going to be deploying nuclear capabilities to Belarus, which does push closer than they've had them previously. So I think in that degree, you know, when Russia says that it's national security interests potentially going to become under threat, there's a reality that Moscow will potentially follow through by bolstering their forces along the border.

But to what end? You know, Russia's complaint, and it was at the beginning of -- before they invaded Ukraine, but actually NATO was a threat and NATO was going to expand and Secretary of State Antony -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today, speaking in Brussels, at NATO Headquarters said actually, I should be thanking President Putin for making NATO bigger and stronger because his invasion of Ukraine that's precipitated Finland joining.

[08:20:10]

So the frustrations that may be voiced in Moscow are going to be hard for them to realize on the ground, not impossible at all, but also may come at extra pressure on them that they don't want from NATO, because this was Putin's point of the war. This was going to avoid further NATO encroachment, and now it's happened. And that's -- that is -- that doesn't play well politically for him.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you very much indeed.

And then a couple of hours, we'll see the flag go up at NATO headquarters, which will be a big moment.

Coming up, villagers who remain in the war ravaged towns of eastern Ukraine are finding strength in a traditional way and that's through faith, will meet a fearless pastor who is trying to keep their hopes alive.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: At least one person was killed and several others injured when a passenger train derailed in the Netherlands. It happened early on Tuesday near The Hague, according to the Dutch Prime Minister. He tweeted a statement wishing strength to the victims and their relatives.

Police say two Israeli soldiers were stabbed near a military base south of Tel Aviv on Tuesday. According to military official, the suspect is a 20-year-old Palestinian from Hebron in the occupied West Bank, who is believed to have acted alone. That official says the soldiers were on their way to the base when the attack happened. One of them is in serious condition with a stab wound to the neck.

We are following developments in Ukraine where its armed forces say 14 out of 17 drones launched by Russia was shut down overnight. Most of them were over the Odesa region. Meanwhile, the military is reporting little change to the eastern front lines. That says Ukrainian troops have repelled dozens of Russian attacks in the Donetsk region in just the past day.

Now for the few who remain in the battered villages and the eastern front lines, almost all they have left is their faith. Many elderly or disabled or shell shocked by war. But every week, a pastor comes to give them what they feel they need the most and that is bread and hope.

CNN's Ben Wedeman went along.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donning his flak jacket, Pastor Igor Yershof (ph) of the Protestant Bethlehem Christian Church prepares for his rounds. Today he's conducting services in the village of Maximilianivka (ph), just a few miles from Russian lines.

Church is a hurried affair, just 45 minutes of no frills sermon in prayer to Terry is dangerous. A Russian artillery shell recently landed next door spraying shrapnel on the walls, destroying the roof shattering the windows. Yet when the faithful emerge, there is momentarily a sense of serenity.

It comes your soul says Natalia (ph). We feel that we're with God and that He protects us. But for the handful of residents Maximilianivka (ph) is ghost town. The few still here depend upon the kindness of others for their sustenance, including bread brought by Pastor Igor, one loaf per person.

[08:25:04]

(on-camera): Once a week, every Sunday, this is the only time these people can get fresh bread, fresh bread that's still warm.

(voice-over): But man cannot live on bread alone. Today it says Pastor Igor, hope is the most precious thing for people here on the front lines.

Afterwards, we went with the pastor to a nearby bomb shelter and abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium. At the shelter entrance, Alexei (ph) shows us where parts of the rocket struck a month ago. That day, he recalls, when rain began to fall and others went below, then the rocket hit.

If it had been five minutes earlier, he says, no one would have survived.

Down below, they have electricity, even satellite television. Ana (ph) distracts herself by cooking. She never leaves the shelter. It's horrible, she tells me. Three times shells exploded next to me once when I was at home when exploded nearby. I was alone. Everything was smashed. Now I can't go outside even for five minutes.

Here there is shelter but no peace of mind.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Maximilianivka (ph), Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: NASA releasing the names of the astronauts who are scheduled to fly around the Moon next year. The crew members will be Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. The group includes the first woman, the first person of color and the first Canadian to travel so far into space.

Artemis II will be NASA's first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since the Apollo program ended more than half a century ago is scheduled to blast off in November next year.

Thanks joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Patrick Snell up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)