Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Trump To Be Arraigned In Documents Probe; Chris Christie Calls Trump Angry & Vengeful; Ukraine: 11 Killed In Russian Strikes On Kryvyi Rih; 3 Dead In "Major Incident" On Streets Of Nottingham, U.K.; Former Italian PM's Funeral Set For Wednesday; BTS Fans Celebrate K-Pop Band's 10th Anniversary. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired June 13, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:00:13]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, an unprecedented day in America. Donald Trump is set to be arraigned in a Miami courtroom on federal criminal charges.

Also, Russian missiles strike Central Ukraine overnight. The number of dead in the residential area is rising, and many are injured. Plus, K- Pop sensation BTS turns 10, and South Korea shows its appreciation with a show of lights.

Just hours from now, former U.S. President Donald Trump will walk into a federal courtroom in Miami. He's facing 37 felony charges in relation to his handling of national defense documents after he left office. Mr. Trump maintains his innocence and calls his prosecution a witch hunt. It's possible we won't see him at all.

Cameras aren't allowed in the courtroom, and he's expected to enter the building through an underground garage. Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, security is tight. Police have officers keeping watch, along with the FBI and Homeland Security. That's in addition to Mr. Trump's Secret Service detail. Miami's police chief says his force is ready.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot of concern that people may try to storm the building or try to enter some of that area. I mean, are you going to harden that area?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what I can tell you is reach back to the folks that have reached to you and tell them that there's no reason of fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Randi Kaye joins us from Doral outside Mr. Trump's Miami area golf resort. Why so much concern about security? And what can we expect, Randi?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are expecting not only supporters, but a lot of protesters who are against the former president. So they are expecting very, very large crowds. So that's why there is quite a bit of concern, not only at the Miami Federal Courthouse, but even here at Doral.

We have been inside Doral. We actually saw the former president twice yesterday when he first arrived here in the Miami area. He came in through the lobby. His son Eric was waiting for him. He greeted some supporters, just a small group waved to them and then disappeared with his legal team, presumably to strategize.

But then later in the evening, he came back down to the lobby. We weren't sure if we would see him again, to have dinner at the main restaurant. He greeted supporters there. There was a small group as well. They were yelling to him, "We're behind you. We support you. You're going to win". And he gave them a thumbs up.

And then once he was in the restaurant, he actually stopped and talked with some of the people who were in there, took photos, gave him more thumbs up, and then disappeared into the back room of the restaurant to have dinner with his lawyers and his son, Eric Trump.

So it was an interesting evening ahead of this very, very important day, as you can imagine, for the former president. There were supporters inside, also supporters outside, but there were protesters out here, too, which really is why there is some concern.

There was one man walking around in a prison jumpsuit carrying a ball and chain. Police had to separate some protesters from some supporters. At times, it was getting a little ugly between them. Of course, there's quite a bit of concern about possibly a call to action, as it's known.

Basically, they want to make sure they can avoid another January 6, like the attack on the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol. So they just want to make sure that they are ready, prepared. They have everybody in place. Miami Police says they are prepared. Secret Service will have their eyes on the president. There will also be FBI, U.S. Marshal as well, just to make sure that the situation is under control. Max?

FOSTER: It's a big day. Randi, thank you so much for bringing us that.

Meanwhile, former Trump ally and ex-governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie is lashing out at Donald Trump during a CNN Town Hall on Monday. The Republican presidential candidate said a second Trump term will be worse than the first. He called Trump angry and vengeful, and he slammed the former president's conduct in connection with a mishandling of classified documents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm more important than the country. These are my papers. He saw in the indictment. His employees were scared. They would -- his boxes, his boxes. He wants his boxes near him. He flew the boxes up to New Jersey for summer vacation.

What is this like? They're a family member? I mean, seriously, I got to have my boxes with me. And let me ask you a question. What exactly was he doing with them? Did someone remind him he's not the president anymore? You don't need these things anymore.

This is vanity run amok, Anderson. Run amok, ego run amok. And he is now going to put this country through this when we didn't have to go through it. Everyone's blaming the prosecutors. He did it. It's his conduct, and he wants to continue to pretend he's president.

He wants the trappings of the presidency around him. And I think one of those trappings is these documents that he can wave around to people as they detail in the indictment. This is secret. I can't show you. I might have been able to show you, but now I can't. But this is what it's about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:05:11]

FOSTER: Well, Christie also took a swipe at his other Republican rivals, accusing them of playing political games.

A rescue effort in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has just wrapped up following a wave of Russian missile strikes overnight. Local officials say five civilian sites were hit, including a residential building, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens more.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted this video to his telegram page. Kyiv, meanwhile, is claiming more gains in the south as fierce fighting continues both there and in the eastern Donetsk region.

CNN's Sam Kiley joins me alive from Kyiv. How would you describe this phase of the counter offensive, Sam?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, what we've seen in Kryvyi Rih is more of the Russian attempts which go back today. One of the war really, of targeting civilians, this time -- excuse me -- in the central Ukrainian city, a big industrial city with very important steel industry, water reserves, generating capabilities and so on. But it's a residential building that was targeted.

Eleven dead, two dozen injured in yet another civilian catastrophe. This all going on whilst the Ukrainians, I think we could safely say now, are prosecuting a counteroffensive with significant increase in their attempts to break through the Russian lines in the south of the country between Zaporizhzhia and the city of Donetsk, the latter being Russian held.

There have been reports of incremental advances into that area by Ukrainian troops using a lot of the equipment that they've been donated by NATO and inevitably some losses both of personnel and of that equipment. And at the same time, there is perhaps connected. But I think unconnected advance being conducted by the Ukrainian south of Bakhmut.

I think that has been an opportunity where the Russians have been folding up in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks, in part of the ebb and flow of the fighting that's been going on there. But inevitably they will no doubt take advantage of that, the Ukrainians, and incorporate it into their planning for this wider offensive which I think now is underway.

We're not seeing the full onslaught yet. There's a lot of Ukrainian reserves, a lot of NATO type weapons still yet to be thrown into the fray. But they also say that this privately is going to be a long and bloody campaign and they do anticipate very significant casualties on both sides, Max.

FOSTER: OK. Sam Kiley in Kyiv, thank you.

British police are investigating an attack on the streets of Nottingham, England, that they're calling a major incident. Eyewitnesses say a man driving a van intentionally ran over several pedestrians. Three people are dead and three others have been taken to hospital across three separate incidents.

A 31-year-old man who was driving the van has been taken into custody on suspicion of murder. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking a story for us from London. As I say, three separate incidents, but they're linking them, but they're not yet giving us a motive.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Not yet, and that investigation is still very much ongoing. There is a heavy police presence across these three separate areas. As you mentioned then, we have that statement from Nottinghamshire Police confirming that they were called to reports of two people found dead at a street in central Nottingham just after 04:00 a.m. this morning.

And then shortly after that were called to a second separate incident reports of a van attempting to run over three pedestrians and those that were injured in that attempted attack have now been transferred to hospital and are receiving treatment. But, of course, there was also that third incident, a man found dead in the street in another location just over a mile away.

So these three separate incidences have now been linked by the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, who has described this as a tragic and horrific incident, but has, of course, confirmed that no motive has been established that just yet. And this will be the key focus for investigators.

We do know there is a large cordon line that has been set up across these areas. Forensic police have been deployed to some of these areas as well, and police are appealing for eyewitness accounts as well as any CCTV footage available. And we have heard from some eyewitnesses already this morning. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN HUGGART, EYEWITNESS: He looked in his mirror, saw a police car behind him. He then quickened up. There was two people turning the corner. He went straight in to these two people. The woman went on the curb, the man went up in the air, there was such a bang and. I wish I never saw it because it's really shaken me up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:10:14]

BASHIR: Now, of course, the investigation is ongoing. A 3-year-old man has been arrested and currently remains in custody. But it is important to underscore here that no motive has been established by Nottinghamshire Police.

We have heard from the Prime Minister here, Rishi Sunak. He has released a statement thanking the emergency services. I can read you just a little bit from his statement saying that he is thankful to the police and emergency services for their ongoing response to the shocking incident in Nottingham. I am being updated and kept updated on the developments. The police must be given time to undertake their work.

And, of course, it could be hours, potentially days, before the police have confirmation of a potential motive. But we are anticipating a further update from Nottinghamshire Police later today. Max?

FOSTER: Nada Bashir in London, thank you.

Now Italy is bidding farewell to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. A state funeral for the billionaire and media tycoon will be held in Milan tomorrow. Berlusconi died in hospital on Monday at the age of 86.

A national day of mourning has been declared for Wednesday and flags are being flown at half-staff on institutional buildings across the country. Berlusconi's body is at his villa outside Milan, where mourners have been paying tributes to the man who dominated Italian politics for more than 20 years.

CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us live from Rome. I mean, it's a national event, it's a state event, isn't it? Whatever you thought of the man as a politician and businessman?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And his funeral, Max, is going to be held in the Duomo di Milano, the Cathedral of Milan, which is that great big cathedral in the center of the city. It's going to be broadcast live on all Italian television stations who choose to broadcast it.

And as you said, tomorrow is going to be an official day of mourning. We expect many of the best and the beautiful of Italy to attend that funeral, that funeral ceremony. And we understand, as far as guests from abroad, the only head of state we're aware of is Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary.

This funeral seems to be organized in a fairly rushed manner, given that he died on Monday and he will be buried on Wednesday. But nonetheless, it is going to be an important event. And different Italians are looking at his death and his legacy in different ways.

Here we have El Mensajero,, a Roman newspaper which says, Il Sogno Italiano, the Italian Dream. And for many Italians, he was the Italian dream. He was -- he came from modest circumstances. He became the richest man in Italy at one point, Prime Minister for four different times. He dominated Italian politics for two decades.

And also part of the Italian dream, he successfully evaded the onerous taxes by and large, with the exception of one conviction back in 2013. Four years, he was sentenced but ended serving four hours of weekly community service instead because of his advanced age.

Other Italians not such a bright view of Mr. Berlusconi's legacy. Here we have Il Fatto Quotidiano saying Banana Republic suggesting that Berlusconi able to evade the law so many times, sex scandals and whatnot somehow managed to debase the position of prime minister of Italy. He left after two decades in the public view as prime minister, as I said, four different times.

The economy during that time shrank. Italy's debt skyrocketed. The Italian economy, some might say, still hasn't recovered from the Berlusconi era. Max?

FOSTER: OK. Ben Wedeman in Rome, thank you. Back with you as we got more updates towards the funeral tomorrow.

Coming up, we'll look at what happens to Donald Trump once he sets foot into that Miami courtroom. Our coverage of the former president's arrest and arraignment just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:25]

FOSTER: Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces 37 federal charges over his alleged mishandling of U.S. National Security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. In just a few hours, he'll appear in a federal courthouse in Miami, Florida, where he is expected to be taken into custody and placed under arrest.

Mr. Trump will then have the charges read to him and is expected to plead not guilty to all of them. Trump is campaigning to regain the U.S. presidency in November 2024, the general election. And it's unclear whether this case will go to trial before then. He's currently the front runner for the Republican nomination, at least.

Trump's court appearance will be unprecedented as he is the first former U.S. president to face federal charges in the history of the country.

For more on the legal process, let's bring in CNN's Katelyn Polantz, who is outside the federal courthouse in Miami, Florida. Thanks for joining us, Katelyn. We were trying to get cameras in the court, weren't we? But that wasn't possible. So just talk us through what we would have seen. KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Max, unfortunately, it won't be possible, and it never is possible in federal court. You just are not allowed to have video or camera there. So here we have sketch room -- sketch artists who go into a courtroom and illustrate what they're seeing, what the courtroom looks like, what the judge looks like, what the defense and prosecutors look like.

And in this courtroom, it's going to be a fairly big courtroom. It's a pretty solemn courtroom. All courtrooms are, and all of these folks are going to be clustering inside what's called the well. And then there will be a section where the public can be watching, and members of the press will also be able to be there watching this proceeding.

Now, Max, this could be a very short proceeding today. It is before what's called a magistrate judge. So a judge that essentially handles some procedural things, a ministerial role, where the defendants come in, they are formally presented with their charges. They enter their initial pleadings, which we do fully expect to be not guilty at this time.

And then they're given some rules, essentially, that's something that we're not exactly sure how that's going to play out. Is the Justice Department going to ask for certain things that Donald Trump must do, that his codefendant must do as they await trial? Do they have to turn over passports so they can't travel out of the country? Other things like that.

Can they talk to potential witnesses in this case? We don't know if that's going to be the case, how that will work, and then they go on their way. There is the formality of the arrest around this court proceeding today. So both of these men, Donald Trump and his codefendant Walt Nauta, they will be processed into the federal system so that the court is aware of them as criminal defendants, that they are under arrest.

But then that after this proceeding, we fully expect them to be released on what's called personal recognizance. So they wouldn't have to put any money up for their bond very likely. That is typically how cases like this go. And then we're off.

Then we watch the court case on paper, in the docket, notes from the judge's announcements, waiting to see what comes next, what the timing will be, when a trial will take place, and then what sort of arguments both sides will be making about what's going to be allowed at that trial, both the law and evidence. What evidence may be able to be presented and remain part of the Justice Department's case. Max?

FOSTER: We keep talking about the historic nature of this. It's never happened before, but there have been similar cases over the years and over the centuries. Just explain what is truly historic about this and unusual.

POLANTZ: Well, this is historic and unusual in that no president of the United States, current or former, has ever been indicted with a crime, any crime, especially a federal crime, felony charges.

[08:20:09]

And these charges, these are charges that the U.S. Justice Department knows how to handle. They know how to bring them in court. They bring them in a lot of different jurisdictions. These charges are about the willful retention of national defense information. So sometimes people who have access to classified material, national security material, they have that information in places they're not supposed to have it.

And then the federal government will look into it, whether it's found, you know, documents in a hotel room, documents out of an embassy, something like that. And the person often will get charged with this willful retention of classified or national security records. Those are the charges Donald Trump faces at the core of this indictment.

He has 31 charges, representing 31 different top secret, secret, or other classified national security documents that he is accused of having at his -- at Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Florida, after the presidency. He's also accused of moving things around, obstruction of justice.

But people do go to jail for crimes like this if they are convicted. And it is something the Justice Department prosecutes and knows what to do with a case like this.

FOSTER: Thank you for the detail. Katelyn Polantz in Miami, thank you for that.

Be sure to stay with CNN for much more on the arrest and arraignment of Donald Trump. Our special coverage begins Tuesday, 02:00 p.m. Eastern, that's 07:00 p.m. London and 10:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.

Still ahead, K-Pop Band BTS marking its 10th anniversary, and the super fans are making the pilgrimage to Seoul to celebrate. Details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: This week marks the 10th anniversary of the South Korean K-Pop Band BTS. And though the group is on temporary break right now, week long celebrations kicked off in Seoul on Monday. The city's landmark Namsan Tower was lit up in purple, the band's signature color. And many of their fans from around the world were descended on the city to celebrate.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the first the world saw of BTS. "No More Dream" released 10 years ago this week. Alongside backstage footage of seven young men who could sing and dance, but few could have imagined the global stardom that would follow.

From being the first K-Pop group to debut at number one on the Billboard album chart, to securing the most weeks at the top spot of any artist, beating out Taylor Swift, with 46 weeks at number one.

International fans have been arriving in Seoul for recent weeks for 10th anniversary BTS tours, visiting anywhere the band has made famous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We waited for this moment for years, and now it's finally happening.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): A group of fans from the United States are flying in from different states for their pilgrimage, a trip seven months in the planning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to just, you know, eat the food that they've eaten. They must have really good taste. And just be in places where they've been, you know, music video shooting, just to breathe the same air that they breathe.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Top of the tour list, a bus stop on the east coast, where the band shot its album cover, "You Never Walk Alone." A regular stop for fans, who refer to themselves as the Army. As well as the band's old home that's turned into a cafe, and this building where the band's agency used to be.

We caught up with two fans in Seoul, who traveled all the way from Scotland and are graduate students who consider this to be the first of many BTS-related trips to South Korea.

[08:25:05]

ROWAN JOSS, BTS FAN FROM SCOTLAND: It's emotional. It's very, like -- you're happy, but it's very like, oh, my God, like, this is real.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): They attribute the band's longevity to the serious messages they portray in their lyrics. Topics they can relate to.

JOSS: Their mental health talk is, like, is unique to them. Honestly, I know new brands are trying to do that, but BTS have done it in a way they haven't before.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): With two of the seven members currently serving mandatory military service here in South Korea and the remainder to follow soon, the group's record label, Big Hit, reportedly says they could reconvene by 2025.

Every member has also had success with a solo career so far.

BANG SI-HYUK, CHAIRMAN, HYBE (through translator): We've been prepared to turn this into a turning point in their career. It's obviously true that they needed this time of rest after such an intense period of hard work.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): BTS is marking its 10 years with a new single, a new book and a festival by the river. Some fans are celebrating with a pilgrimage of anything their idols visited or touched or even ate.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, finally, hidden within a serene forest near Olympia, Washington, lies a disconnected rotary phone. Its purpose, to give people a chance to say the things that they never said. The Telephone of the Wind offers solace to people mourning loved ones by providing a space for them to call up those they've lost and speak to them once again.

Installed in honor of family after the death of their daughter, the phone has already inspired the creation of dozens more across the country, all with the aim of helping people heal. A plaque beside the phone states, "This phone is for everyone who's ever lost a loved one, for memories and saying the goodbyes you never got to say".

Well, thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Amanda is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00]