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Trump To Be arraigned Thursday After New Indictment; Russia Hits Key Grain Export Route With Drones In Attack On "Global Food Security"; Saudi Arabia To Host Ukraine Peace Talks; U.S. Markets Fall After Fitch Credit Downgrade. U.S. Markets Fall after Fitch Credit Downgrade; West Africa Bloc, U.S. Trying to Negotiate Resolution in Niger; Ukrainians Save Two Soldiers from Rival Armies; Typhoon Khanun Batters Japan as it Moves West; Gunman Sentenced to Death for Killing 11 in Synagogue; Taiwan Official: Trade Deal Helps Counter China's Coercion; South Africa Reach Knockout Stage for First Time. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 03, 2023 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:24]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN, the now three times indicted, twice impeached, one term president scheduled to appear in a Washington courtroom this day on charges he tried to steal the presidency. Wave of Russian drones targeting Ukrainian port facilities find their mark, and bring the war to NATO's doorstep. And first came the downgrade then came the outrage. Why are so many so angry with Fitch for lowering the long term credit rating of the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: Thanks for being with us for CNN Newsroom. And once again, we're just hours away from a Donald Trump court appearance. This time he is expected in a Washington federal courtroom on criminal charges alleging he tried to overturn the 2020 election.

For those keeping score at home this will mark his third arrest and third arraignment in four months. Security in the nation's capital has been ramped up especially around the courthouse ahead of Trump's arrival. At Department of Justice investigation led by Special Counsel Jack Smith led to full count indictment which includes conspiracy to defraud the United States. One of Trump's lawyers, not surprisingly, insists his client did nothing wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LAURO, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: You have one of the leading constitutional scholars in the United States, John Eastman say to President Trump, this is a protocol that you can follow. It's legal. That eliminates criminal intent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The indictment listing great details the former president's false claims and prolific lies up to and then after the election. His former Vice President Mike Pence, who Trump's supporters wanted to hang during their attack on the Capitol January 6, says at the time, Trump was given some very bad advice by those around him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Sadly, the President was surrounded by a group of crackpot lawyers that kept telling him what his itching ears wanted to hear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Out of two court appearances already on felony criminal charges this year, it will be safe to assume that by now Trump knows what to expect in the hours ahead. Nonetheless, here's CNN's Paula Reid reporting in from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Former President Trump is expected to come here to Washington to appear in person for this hearing, which is expected to be both in initial appearance and also an arraignment. It's unclear if we'll see him arrive because this federal courthouse, it's designed to deal with people who have security details and VIPs it'd be very easy for him to pull in to the underground garage, and we won't get to see him at all.

But once he was inside the federal courthouse where of course there are no cameras, there are no photographs. He was effectively under arrest. And it is expected that he will be processed like any other defendant that we don't expect a mug shot because those are used to identify suspects if they go on the lamp. He is of course one of the most famous people in the world, so no need for that.

But this will be a quick procedural hearing this will not be in front of the judge will oversee his trial. This will be in front of a magistrate judge. It is expected that he will hear the charges that have been filed against him have the opportunity to enter a plea. And it should all be over pretty quickly. And this will be the third time that he has done this this year alone. So he should know what to expect. Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Lawyers for Trump say their defense will focus on the right to free speech. Also at the time the former president was receiving legal advice. CNN's Kristen Holmes reports now from New Jersey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Former President Donald Trump spent the day Wednesday at his Bedminster golf club, meeting with his political advisors and plotting what exactly his arraignment on Thursday would look like. As of now we still aren't sure whether or not he's going to appear via Zoom or in person, but he is expected to appear in person.

Now campaign advisors tell me that this is because he wants to create a near media narrative. What we have seen from this is he and his campaign, going back and forth continually hitting this as corruption in the Department of Justice talking about how this is political.

And when I talk to some of these political advisors, they believe that they have ground to stand on particularly as we get closer and closer to the beginning of primary season and the fact that Donald Trump's poll numbers continue to rise. They specifically point to a poll in the New York Times in which they show a head to head with Ron DeSantis, who is arguably Trump's chief opponent, and him leading with a huge margin. That is Donald Trump. Of course, that all gives them reason to continue this debate, calling this political.

Now of course, whether or not this works in court is yet to be seen. But the big question for these advisors is how can they make sure that this happens, that this works with voters in the field yield, as again, the former president seeks his third presidential bid. Kristen Holmes, CNN, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

[01:05:08]

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now is Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for politics at the University of Virginia and author of "A Return to Normalcy: The 2020 Election That Almost Broke America." Larry, it's good to see. It's been a while.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, John. Good to see you, too.

VAUSE: OK, so each time Trump gets indicted, it seems his numbers seem to edge up. The man invented the indictment bump. And polling from Monday before this latest indictment had him way out in front of his other rivals for the GOP presidential nominee. That's 54 percent. He's way out in front. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the closest to him on 17 percent.

On so many levels, this defies the norm. It defies history. It defies basic common sense. And the theory here, though, is that Trump's legal trouble will help him in the primary. It will do him in the general election. How do you see this working?

SABATO: Well, that's pretty accurate. Within the Republican Party, you do have a sizable percentage who are never Trumpers or anti-Trumpers, but it's dwindled over the years because Trump has essentially taken over the Republican Party, including most of the state and local parties.

So, for people who are running within the Republican Party under the GOP's name, they have to align themselves to a certain degree with Trump. They don't have to be abusive, but they at least have to support him because without supporting him, his millions of backers, it's a kind of cult at one level, they simply will not support these other Republicans in primaries or the general election.

So that's the situation facing other Republicans and it explains why almost all of the senior leaders of the Republican Party back Trump no matter what he does.

VAUSE: As seems almost like a lifetime ago, but I want you to listen to candidate Trump back in January of 2016.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters. Okay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: You know, from the very beginning, he's had this holder of his base. And, you know, over the years that base has embraced alternative facts, science, denial, climate change style, COVID denial, Muskers truthers birthers, election denial, they refuse to see him as being a five-time declared bankrupt con man, they even think he has good hair.

And trying to convince him otherwise seems to be a fool's errand is that because for them to stop supporting Trump, they have to admit that they were wrong on climate change, wrong or the epidemic, wrong about the election and everything else wrong that they'll actually convict Donald Trump?

SABATO: Well, that's certainly part of it. I think it's that they're siloed. You know, we live in an era where if you don't want to hear certain information, even if it's factual, you can keep yourself from hearing it. You can exclusively watch one or two channels that tell you what you want to hear and that back Donald Trump and his beliefs.

You don't have to see contrary information in print either. Because of the internet, we have the opportunity to read hundreds of different newspapers and magazines, and we can pick the ones that reinforce our own biases. Trump has capitalized on this new world of information like no one else ever has.

VAUSE: I want you to listen to the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talking to CNN about the events of January 6, and how Republicans in Congress reacted on that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: They saw the danger. They made statements about it that recognize the involvement of President Trump. And then there are so many of them, the majority of them in the House voted to that to reject the peaceful transfer of government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So among those who basically condemned Trump and then went back on everything, because this guy here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN MCCARTHY, THEN-U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, that was the current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who, within a short time of those words, actually went back on them and went down to Mar-a-Lago. So this is the other side of Trump's base. You're even if you disagree with him, even if you don't like him within the GOP, you have to support him and stay silent. Otherwise, Trump will unleash his base.

SABATO: Yes, and they love power and love their position. And of course, Kevin McCarthy would not be speaker had he not gotten Trump's support, which Trump has reminded him of repeatedly whenever McCarthy seems to be wavering in his dedication to Trump.

Remember after he condemned what Trump did on January 6, within just a handful of days, he had to fly down to Florida to Mar-a-Lago to crawl toward Trump and beg his forgiveness. And he has backed him with varying degrees of enthusiasm ever since.

It's embarrassing for him. It's embarrassing for his party and maybe for the country.

[01:10:00]

We haven't seen this before people in high positions. And remember, McCarthy is just below the Vice President and potentially succeeding to the presidency, to have someone in that high position be so beholden to one other person who can basically control him in order him to do X, Y and Z is disturbing. And that's the least of it.

VAUSE: Yeah. Larry, great to have you with us. Thank you for your insights on all that. It's been a while so good to see you.

SABATO: Good to see you too. John. Thank you.

VAUSE: Thank you. And now to NATO's doorstep where a Russian drone attack has caused significant damage to the Ukrainian part of Izmail, less than a mile away from NATO member state Romania. The Ukrainian president described the strike as a terror attack on the global food supply.

All part of Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukrainian ports, which began shortly after the Kremlin withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. For a year, that U.N.-Turkey brokered deal has guaranteed safe shipping of Ukrainian grain exports, but not anymore. Global wheat prices rose almost 5 percent in the hours after the attack and have remained high since.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Moscow was waging a battle for a global catastrophe. These insane people want the world's food market to collapse. They need price crises. They need disruptions in supply. Someone there thinks they can profit from this, someone in Moscow hopes to gain something for themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: This drone attack is also one of the closest to NATO territory since the war began. Here's the view from Romania just across the Danube River where explosions from the Russian attack could be heard and smoke could be seen rising over the damage port.

But now during a conversation with the Turkish, President Vladimir Putin has indicated he may be ready to return to the Black Sea Green Deal, that is if his conditions are met. As Russian drones target Ukrainian ports, the Ukrainians are ramping up drone attacks on military targets inside Russia. And CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports Putin is facing trouble at home. While the Ukrainian counteroffensive makes slow but significant progress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Air Defense is lighting up the sky in southern Ukraine as Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on a grain port and the Odesa region. The Ukrainian military later saying they managed to shoot down 11 of the Iranian made Shahed drones.

Two enemy targets were detected because of their sound and we're seeing, he says. We opened fire resulting in the destruction of one Shahed.

But Ukraine is increasingly fighting back, attacking central Moscow with drones twice within three days. A presidential adviser vowing there will be more to come.

I think Moscow will have more and more war on its territory, he says, and this has nothing to do with Ukraine alone. Now, this is due to the historical significance of this moment. If you start such a war, you have to expect that this war will be on your territory.

And Russia is increasingly on the back foot on the territory it occupies inside Ukraine. Kyiv saying its forces are making gains both in the south and in the east.

Eager to shore up support, Vladimir Putin handing out gold stars to troops who fought in with the Kremlin still called the quote special military operation. You came to the front line with a single goal, he says, to be with the fatherland and your people in difficult times.

Putin has increased fines for those who don't answer draft summons, and Russia's Parliament recently voted to increase the draft age limit. And now the country is also dealing with a wave of arson attacks on military recruitment offices, though authorities haven't identified a link to the war. They say in many cases, phone scammers are pressuring vulnerable

people to attack the facilities. But speaking to Brazilian media, Ukraine's president saying he believes there are cracks in Putin's armor. He will not be around for another 30 years he will die. This is absolutely clear, but I give him 10 years tops.

But the Russian military remains a threat both on the battlefield and four Ukraine cities, towns and key infrastructure facing attacks both day and night. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now from New Haven Connecticut is Matthew Schmidt, Associate Professor of National Security at the University of New Haven. Good to see you.

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: Good to see you, John.

VAUSE: OK, so this weekend, senior officials from 30 countries will gather in the Saudi resort city of Jeddah for peace talks Ukraine, the U.S. even India and Brazil will be there. But Russia wasn't invited.

[01:15:00]

And the Kremlin spokesman said Monday even if they were invited, they wouldn't go. Here he is.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Of course Russia will follow this meeting. It is yet to be fully understood what goals have been set. And what the organizers plan to talk about. Is it possible to reach a peaceful settlement with the participation of the Kyiv regime and its current position? The answer is an unequivocal no, it is impossible.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

VAUSE: So what the summary is based on this belief that sooner or later all wars end at the negotiating table, and eventually Russia and Ukraine will hold peace talks? Is that the premise?

SCHMIDT: Yes, that's basically the idea. And what Ukraine's trying to do here is essentially, you know, float the idea of that 10-point plan that Zelenskyy put out earlier in the summer, and socialize it, right? Get the world's leaders behind it before we get to a real negotiation.

VAUSE: You know, most wars do end with some kind of negotiated peace deal, but not every war, you know, when the stakes are absolute, like, you know, the World War II and the American Civil War, the fighting stops with an absolute victory for one side, both Ukraine and Russia talking about this war on those terms of being existential threat.

So, could this summit in Saudi be based on a false idea that this war is it's going to end some kind of negotiated peace? SCHMIDT: Well, you know, if you look at World War II, there was a negotiation, right. We had to move to destroy Nazi military war making capability. But in the end, there was still a negotiated settlement, right. We could have continued to fight, they could have continued to fight. And I think that's kind of where you're headed in this situation.

For Ukraine, this is an absolute existential crisis, and they have to fight to survive. But no matter how hard they fight on the battlefield, it's unlikely that they can actually push out every, you know, Russian soldier from their territory. And even if they did, right. Russia is going to remain an existential threat, even if it sits on the other side of that border line. So there's going to have to be some kind of negotiated settlement to get security.

VAUSE: Just last question on this, but isn't there a difference between negotiating terms for surrender and a negotiated peace deal?

SCHMIDT: Yes, I think so. I mean, I don't think you're going to see a surrender on either side. I'm quite certain that you won't. And a peace settlement has to be something that's long term, it has to be something that actually provides security for Ukraine.

And the problem is, I'm not sure you can get that with Putin in power. You know, I think that's why Zelenskyy is always talking about Putin dying, whether it's in 10 years or in 30 years, he understands that this man's word can't be trusted. And Ukraine is going to have to defend itself.

VAUSE: Yes. And on that, on Wednesday, the pope weighed in on the concept of a peace deal. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): We might ask Europe, where are you selling, if you are not offering the world paths of peace, create a wage for bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, and to the many other conflicts in the world, causing so much bloodshed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: To your point, that seems to ignore the fact that Russia and Putin have refused to engage in good faith negotiations at any point. But here's the thing, what was meant to be a day's long military strike to take Kyiv is now in today 527, two independent Russian media outlets have used statistical modeling to estimate the number of Russian soldiers killed so far in Ukraine, around 47,000.

The Wall Street Journal reports Russia has lost about half of its entire fleet of tanks as of February this year, also 82 combat aircraft and 87 helicopters reported lost as well. And that's on the conservative side. There's unhappiness within the Kremlin, Russia was isolated. You know, in the early stages, Putin may not have been willing to take an off ramp, maybe he is now. SCHMIDT: See, I have a different theory on this. I think that what you see more and more with Putin is that this is a word ideology. It's not a war of realism. It's not a war trying to keep NATO out of Ukraine when NATO was already in Estonia, for instance, in closer to Moscow than it would be in Ukraine.

And that means that you can't really deter him. He has a vision, right? He is like a Hitler in the sense that he's got this idea of the world he's trying to create. And you can't dissuade someone that kind of have phantasm. And he's going to keep trying to make it until somebody stops him. I think that's really, really where we're at and the rest of the world, including the Pope, things that you can you can come in here and have some kind of negotiated settlement and sit down at a table and engage in some kind of logical calculation to end this thing, I think fundamentally misunderstands the war.

VAUSE: Yes. Good point to finish on Matthew. Thank you. Good to see.

SCHMIDT: You too.

VAUSE: Still come here on CNN, fleeing the coup in Niger. Third plane arrives in Paris with European nationals, as the deadline ticks down to a threat of military action to the ousted president, not be returned to power.

Also ahead, the U.S. Treasury Secretary pushing back going to downgrade for the U.S. credit rating. We'll see how Wall Street is also reacting.

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[01:22:09]

VAUSE: A downgrade of us credit by Fitch Ratings has sent stocks tumbling and has triggered much complaining. The Dow lost nearly a 4 percent on Wednesday. The NASDAQ dropped more than 2 percent its worst day since February, and the S and P 500 was nearly one and a half percent.

Analysts say the downgrade is unlikely to have a lasting negative impact but the Biden administration is among those complaining the most. CNN's Richard Quest reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS (on camera): The U.S. Treasury wasted little time after the downgrade was announced. The Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made her views abundantly clear she disagreed this was entirely unwarranted. The U.S. economy was fundamentally strong.

JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Fitch's decision is puzzling in light of the economic strength we see in the United States. I strongly disagree with Fitch's decision, and I believe it is entirely unwarranted. It's flawed assessment is based on outdated data and fails to reflect improvements across a range of indicators, including those related to governance that we've seen over the past two and a half years.

QUEST: It wasn't only the Treasury, top economists respected names also came out and said the decision was inept that the timing was off. It was bizarre, in the words of one. And yet, Fitch stood by its decision to downgrade the United States.

This was not just about the immediacy of a recession, which they say will happen in the fourth quarter of this year. Something else everyone disagrees on, or indeed about the growth that's currently being experienced. In the view of Fitch, this was longer term, it was about the erosion of governance.

RICHARD FRANCIS, LEAD ANALYST ON U.S. SOVEREIGN RATINGS, FITCH: We do feel like governance is as a jarred again steadily over the last 20 years. And because of that, I think we have less confidence that the government can tackle these fiscal challenges.

QUEST: And so now two of the three major rating agencies have downgraded the United States, admittedly 11 years apart. What's interesting is that S and P never went back to the top level, having done the downgrade back in 2011. And it seems unlikely that Fitch would restore the highest grade anytime soon.

This is not about what's happening today. It is a warning for the future. Fitch sent a warning shot across the bows of the US. The only problem is who's listening. Richard Quest, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now Catherine Rampell, a CNN economic and political analysts and an opinion writer for The Washington Post. She's with us from Aspen, Colorado. It's good to see you.

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to be here.

[01:25:02]

VAUSE: OK. So, let's hear from the good folk at Fitch Ratings for a little more on why they did what they did. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCIS: First, I think the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, honestly, if the debt to GDP at 113 percent and growing is clearly pretty alarming. Furthermore, the fiscal deficits are large and again growing. The interest burden, as I mentioned is high and growing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: This is kind of like calling out the elephant in the room because you have one party in Congress that wants to cut taxes and government revenue, and other wants to spend and every four years the party that wants to cut taxes goes a little crazy and threatens to blow up the world economy if it doesn't get its way. And in the process, the government debt just keeps ballooning. RAMPELL: Pretty much. That's a fair -- that's a fair description of the problem. The United States has long term fiscal challenges, many of which are related to programs that are sort of on autopilot and referring to, for example, Medicare, which is the program that in the United States, funds, health insurance, health care for those over 65.

But then, on top of those long term challenges, which are exacerbated by our demographic problems, you also have Republicans coming into office and cutting taxes, which also adds to deficits. And Democrats coming into office and passing a bunch of big spending programs. And both parties talk a pretty good game about getting deficits under control.

And to be fair, the Biden administration has signed a couple of pieces of legislation that on their face look like they might reduce deficits, although you might quibble with the details. But the broader picture is we don't have a plan for dealing with these challenges. And that's essentially what Fitch was responding to.

VAUSE: Still, it was not received well by many in Washington, Larry Summers, who served as Treasury secretary under President Clinton tweeted or X this, the United States faces serious long run fiscal challenges. But the decision of a credit rating agency today, as the economy looks stronger than expected to downgrade the United States is bizarre and inept. And the current treasury secretary was none too pleased either. He's a little more from Janet Yellen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YELLEN: Over 13 million new jobs have been created since January 2021, or unemployment rate stands at 3.6 percent, near historic lows, overall annual inflation has declined every month for the past year, and our economy continues to grow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Those numbers are right. That's what to dispute here. But it doesn't address the concerns about how to fix the debt, does it?

RAMPELL: Not particularly. I think a lot of things are true here. And they sound like their intention, but they're not necessarily. We have long term fiscal challenges in the United States. Point one. That's what Fitch was responding to.

Point two, the economy today in that, you know, in the near term, looks relatively strong. But we don't know for sure that we will escape a recession, this time around, maybe we -- maybe will have a soft landing. I certainly hope so. And I think the odds of that have increased, maybe we'll have a recession.

But the chances of recession do seem to have diminished, which is a good thing. It means also that it's a bit puzzling that Fitch put out this downgrade when it did, as I said, we have these long term challenges. They were the case months ago. They were the case years ago. We have a number of other issues going on, including challenges with

competent governance, functional governance here in the United States, again, the case months ago, the case years ago. So I think what the Biden administration is taking umbrage at is why are they getting picked? They feel like they're getting picked on. Right? Why are they getting picked on? Why is this downgrade happening now when in some respects, things haven't changed? In some respect, maybe they've actually approved at least if we're talking about like the near term economic.

VAUSE: So I'm going to put you on the spot here and say it sounds to me what you're saying is that basically, you think it's a fair assessment by Fitch, the only thing which is, which is questionable, here is the timing.

RAMPELL: Basically, I think it's reasonable for Fitch to call out these kinds of risks. Now, it does come into question like, why the United States would all things considered still be downgraded? Yes, we have deficit problems. We have governance problems, lots of countries do. Markets don't really seem to care as yet.

You know, Treasuries are still regarded as the safest of safe assets. They are the benchmark against which basically all other assets on Earth are measured in terms of their relative riskiness.

[01:30:04]

So if the United States is not, you know, gold plated essentially in terms of its credit rating, who would deserve to be. Yes, we have a lot of problems and yet the dollar is still global reserve currency. There is still tremendous demand for U.S. debt.

Again you know, some jitters in markets today, but we saw that when S&P downgraded the United States back in 2011, and things eventually normalized even if the credit rating never actually returned to its, you know, AAA standard.

So you know, the substance of the critique, I'm sorry I know this sounds -- it sounds more nuanced than probably -- the viewers want to hear, but the substance of the critique is correct. The question is why now, and then like why rate the United States worst than other places whose debt is frankly why the markets own judgment is considered less desirable.

VAUSE: We like nuance in the show. We think nuance is important. And we thank you for being with us, Catherine. Thank you so much.

RAMPELL: Thank you.

VAUSE: When we come back here on CNN, a Ukrainian soldier kept alive by drones when there was no one else around to help him. We'll have more on that story in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Evacuations of western nationals continue from Niger as the deadline ticks down for demands by regional leaders to end the military takeover and reinstate the democratically-elected ousted president.

France has now evacuated more than 700 Europeans on three separate flights. U.K.'s foreign secretary says the first British nationals have also left. On Wednesday the U.S. ordered all nonessential personnel and their families to leave the country, but the U.S. embassy will remain open. Meantime, the United States and a bloc of west African nations continue to resolve the crisis diplomatically.

And on that here is CNN's David McKenzie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Foreign nationals continue to be evacuated from Niamey, the capital of Niger. It's a very volatile situation in that country since the coup that ousted democratically- elected President Bazoum.

Now ECOWAS, the regional bloc and the U.S. State Department are trying to negotiate an end to the situation, return the democratically- elected president back to power.

[01:34:47]

MCKENZIE: The U.S. government in particular hasn't officially announced that this is a coup, because if they do, a series of steps need to be taken to withdraw military support from Niger, a key ally in the fight against extremists in the Sahel Region.

There's of course, a very large U.S. base in Agadez where drones operate. It's an important intelligence gathering operation for that wider region and beyond.

I spoke to a former CIA analyst and former U.S. government official about what could happen next and what is at stake.

CAMERON HUDSON, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CSIS AFRICA: I think we have seen all of these national militaries with some kind of outside assistance still struggling to contain the terrorist threat. And so absent not just any old military assistance but U.S. military assistance, I think you're going to find that the Nigerian army is going to really struggle.

MCKENZIE: The real estate as it were in the Sahel for the U.S. and France to operate is almost running out. I mean where do you see this going from here?

HUDSON: I think that is also why we are seeing Secretary Blinken and others really doubled down on not calling it a coup, it's obviously an ongoing coup. It is almost more of a hostage situation. And so I think that that is in part why we are seeing diplomats continue to double down on the restoration of President Bazoum and the restoration of civilian rule in the country, because they don't want to have to make those hard choices about where they go next and whether or not they suspend military assistance to Niger in the near term. MCKENZIE: The coup leaders show no signs at this stage of relenting

and the worry is that that the region which is already seeing huge pressure from extremist groups could get even more violent in this country.

David McKenzie, CNN -- Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And representatives from ECOWAS, the group of West African states arrived in Niger Wednesday for negotiations with the new military leaders. And the general who led the coup said the ousted president will not be returned to power despite severe sanctions and a threat of military force.

Meantime, one of the coup leaders and other military officers spoke to neighboring Mali on Wednesday, seeking military support. Mali is run by Wagner-backed military rulers who took power in their own coup. It is not clear if the Niger5 delegation discussed hiring Wagner as well but Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin suggested a few days ago is mercenaries were there to help.

Now to a story of two soldiers -- one Russian, one Ukrainian -- both separated from their units after being wounded. One was saved by a Ukrainian drone, the other by Ukrainian troops.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It is usually only the dead lying here in the craters of Ukraine's southern front, but sometimes a glint of life shines. This drone spotting a Ukrainian soldier, Serhiy separated from the units, wounded in the chest and leg by shelling, he filmed this as he lay alone bleeding.

He feared whatever fight to live he put up would not be enough, he later told CNN from his hospital bed.

SERHIY, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): I was ready to fight for my life. And I did even lying there under the blazing sun. I realized I was too close to the Russians and you even start to look at your gun in a different way.

WALSH: But the drone operators had other plans. They attached water, medicine, and a note to the drone and sent it back. It found him again and dropped the packaged but he didn't know if it was friendly or a Russian bomb.

SERHIY: All the time I was crawling, a crown was always hovering above. We did not realize if it was friend or foe. It was a lottery.

WALSH: This is the moment he realizes the drone may save him. The water and medicine kept coming, easing the pain that was visible, even from up high and then he crawled back to safety. SERHIY: The combat medics who gave me first aid when they found me

were very surprised I survived for two days with a pierced lung

WALSH: Serhiy's recovering, and talks now of a new life with greater value and purpose.

They don't want to leave anyone behind, said the drone operator.

"Every life is important to us. I could not live with myself if we just left someone behind in the field.

Probably only several miles away, salvation was uglier. Here, as the Ukrainian assault by the 15th National Guard on a Russian position.

[01:39:51]

WALSH: It is ferocious and eventually forced a dozen Russian troops to pull back. Artillery had injured the Russian commander badly and the Russians left him behind, presuming he was dead.

But this video supplied by Ukrainian forces shows they found him alive and he received medical treatment.

We're naming him for his safety but he was later awarded a posthumous medal according to Russian media reports. Left behind and declared dead by his comrades.

The Ukrainians who found him say he may have wished he didn't survive. We said, "Don't try, anything or you will die," he says. And he asked us to shoot him. "And we offered him the chance to do it himself but he said he could not do that."

"He's an enemy, and I had no real desire to save him. But orders are orders, and they have our guys and we can swap prisoners."

"As a human," another says "I was shocked that they had left him behind. But as a soldier I know my enemy and I know it is not an uncommon practice for them."

The opposite fate on different sides in these wide ugly expanses of violence.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN -- Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'DONNELL: Still to come on CNN, after battering Japan, Typhoon Khanun now heading for mainland China. The very latest on the storm's path in a moment.

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VAUSE: Typhoon Khanun has weakened slightly as it moves west over the Pacific towards China. But not before parts of southern Japan were battered by some of its powerful winds. Cars were overturned, trees uprooted, more than 200,000 homes on Okinawa lost power. Right now (ph) Khanun is on a direct path towards China but meteorologists expect it to turn away before making landfall.

Details now from CNN's Chad Myers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Still looking at a very strong storm here in the water, just to the west of Okinawa. Look at the satellite presentation here. Yes there are a few bands where dry air is trying to wrap into the eye, but still a very impressive-looking storm system here.

Still moving to the west toward China but all the computer models stop it and turn it to the right and then eventually off towards the east at Naja (ph), 189 kilometers per hour as it passed over that, one of the southernmost points there of Okinawa.

And still about 300 to 350 millimeters so far in some spots and it's still raining. So these numbers can change obviously, before the end of the storm.

It's now 185 kph, still moving to the west slowly but that will eventually stop according to the computer models. And according to the Direct Typhoon Warning Center, we will see this at about 110 kph as it turns to the right and move to the north of Okinawa in the next few days.

[01:44:52]

MYERS: We are not going to get a lot of movement with this. There's going to be an awful lot of rainfall in some spots. And we all hope that it's just over water and not over some of these islands. Because easily, we could see 500 millimeters of rainfall if it actually does get on to a reporting station on to an island.

There's the rainfall over the next couple of days moving on up towards Japan. This is another problem as it does turn towards the north, it could turn to the left a little bit later on in its life.

But everywhere that you see white there, that is 500 millimeters of rainfall or more and that is almost all ocean there. Some heavy rain showers, over parts of Taiwan expected as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A new trade deal between the United States and Taiwan has Taiwan's chief trade negotiator downright bullish. He believes the historic agreement will strengthen the economy and help push back against growing financial intimidation from China.

CNN's Will Ripley has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Taiwan's top trade negotiator John Deng leading a fight for the island's financial future, battling what he calls bullying by Beijing from this board room, in central Taipei.

Do you feel like you're on the front lines of an economic war?

JOHN DENG, CHIEF TAIWANESE TRADE NEGOTIATOR: I feel we are on the diplomatic front lines.

RIPLEY: The front lines of battle waged in black and white, 75 pages, nine months of negotiations. Taiwan says the most comprehensive trade agreement with the U.S. in more than 40 years since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979, beginning decades of diplomatic and economic isolation for Taipei.

DENG: China is exercising their coercion all the time. Taiwan is not their only target.

RIPLEY: But it could be the most vulnerable target, he says, a small democracy with a big authoritarian neighbor, and he says, a big problem.

DENG: China now, they will and they are intensifying their pressure on Taiwan.

RIPLEY: Pressure paid in full, powered by the world's second largest economy. Mountains of money for China's massive military cyber and diplomatic operations targeting Taiwan with intimidation, disinformation and isolation, island leader say. They don't have Beijing's budget but they do have a big bargaining chip you can only see through a microscope.

More than 90 percent of the world's most advanced microchips, made in Taiwan. Chips that power global tech and give Taiwan crucial, soft power.

Deng says formal agreement with friendly democracies might deter a Chinese attack.

DENG: Think about the (INAUDIBLE) on the problems but it can build up the confidence. If we can prove to China that we are -- we can help each other. I think this sends a much stronger message.

RIPLEY: China says it strongly opposes official interactions of any forms between what it calls China's Taiwan region and countries that have diplomatic relations with China.

Do you think that this kind of a deal would increase or decrease the likelihood of China making a move on Taiwan?

DENG: I think we all have to prepare ourselves if we can attract more foreign investments, if our investors can go to more countries to invest, Taiwan would be stronger.

RIPLEY: And safer he says. Trade today, Taiwan's democracy tomorrow.

Will Ripley, CNN -- Taipei. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Israel's supreme court will soon hear the first in a series of appeals against (INAUDIBLE) back into new laws passed by Benjamin Netanyahu's government. It challenged a law which now raises the (INAUDIBLE) declaring a prime minister incapacitated or unfit for office.

Until this law was passed in March, that power rested solely with the attorney general. Now goes to the cabinet.

The hearing comes amid mass protests over the government separate judicial overhaul plan. Next month all 15 supreme court judges will convene for the first time ever to hear challenges. A new law which prevents the court from reviewing the reasonableness of government decisions.

The gunman who carried out the deadliest attack on American Jews unanimously sentenced to death by a federal jury on Wednesday. Families of the victims says this ends a painful chapter that began on October 2018 when the shooter burst into the Tree of Life synagogue, killed 11 worshippers with an AR-15 style rifle.

CNN's Danny Freeman has more now reporting in from Pittsburgh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After more than nine weeks of trial, over 100 witnesses, and nearly five years since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, a jury of five men and seven women unanimously voted to sentence shooter Robert Bowers to death. The jury deliberated for 10 hours.

ALAN MALLINGER, SON OF ROSE MALLINGER, SHOOTING VICTIM: Today was the hardest day, and I think it was the hardest day for the jury, too. And it was a hard day for the judge.

[01:49:55]

MALLINGER: I'm sure everyone here as we move on and, you know, see justice, the justice system work and just thankful for, you know, the jurors doing what they did.

FREEMAN: As the verdict was read, survivors of the shooting hugged each other in the courtroom. The judge presiding over the case choked up as he thanked the jury. Fifty-year-old Bowers only briefly looked up at the jurors as they affirmed their death penalty decision.

ANDREA WEDNER, INJURED IN SHOOTING, MOTHER KILLED IN SHOOTING: Returning a sentence of death is not a decision that comes easy. But we must hold accountable those who wish to commit such terrible acts of anti-Semitism, hate and violence.

FREEMAN: The verdict include a stunning rebuke of the defense's core arguments to spare Bowers' life. The jurors were not convinced that Bowers suffered from schizophrenia or was motivated by delusions. And not a single juror believed he committed the offenses under mental or emotional disturbance.

During the trial, the prosecution detailed how Bowers had been convinced of the anti-Semitic and anti-Latino white replacement conspiracy theory that has been pushed by some on the extreme right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you guys have any statements?

FREEMAN: His defense team not commenting on the verdict.

In contrast, the jurors unanimously agreed with federal prosecutors. The killing of 11 Jewish worshippers was premeditated, motivated by his hatred of Jews. And the jury found Bowers had no remorse for the attack.

ERIC OLSHAN, U.S. ATTORNEY: When people who espouse white supremacist, anti-Semitic and bigoted views, pick up weapons and use them to kill or to try to kill people because of their faith, our office and our partners in law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law each and every time.

FREEMAN: Now formal sentencing is expected to happen on Thursday morning, and during that proceeding we're also expecting to hear more impact statements from some of the victims who were impacted most by this shooting.

Danny Freeman, CNN -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We'll take a short break. We'll be back in a moment. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Another lawsuit for Dua Lipa and "Levitating", with a $20 million lawsuit over copyright infringement. The magician who was hired to perform only on the original recording says their work has reappeared in several remixes, including one streamed nearly two billion times on Spotify.

It's been a week of high drama at the Women's World Cup and it's not over yet. Fans can expect to get more action in the final game on Thursday as Colombia takes on Morocco and Germany play South Korea, all bidding to qualify out of group H.

CNN's Don Riddell has the highlights now from Wednesday's matches.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: For the first time ever, south Africa have qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup but Banyana Banyana kept their fans on the edge of their seats until the very last seconds.

South Africa's last game in Group G was against Italy and they were trailing until a moment of good fortune when Benedetta Rossi made a disastrous back pass and their goalie, Francesca Durante couldn't keep it up.

[01:54:55]

RIDDELL: South Africa back in the game. It was tied at one-all until the 67th minute, when South Africa went ahead with a well-worked (ph) move, finished off with a thumping strike from Hildah Magaia. South Africa now in position to both win a World Cup game and qualify from their group for the first time ever.

But, Italy had skin in this game too. A draw would take them through and Arianna Caruso's header pulled their level. 2-all would've been enough to see the Italians through. However, there was a twist in the tale in stoppage time. Thembi Kgatlana turned the ball in for a sensational 3-2 win.

Can you imagine how that must have felt? An historic achievement for these players and their country and the credit to all their hard work and sacrifice.

How cool is this? A celebration inside South Africa's locker room. A wonderful scene and such contrast from their first World Cup four years ago when they lost all three games.

Banyana Banyana qualified from their group in second place. It was Sweden who finished on top with three wins out of three after beating Argentina, 2-nil. The Swedes are flying into the last 16. They will have a mega clash against the U.S.A. on Sunday. South Africa's next game will be against the Netherlands on Saturday.

Joining South Africa for the first time in the knockout round will be Jamaica, the Reggae Girlz have progressed at the expense of Brazil. And that means that the legendary martyrs incredible World Cup career has ended in heartbreak.

Brazil had to beat Jamaica to go through, and they would've been hoping that the World Cup's all-time leading scorer could deliver the goods. But after 80 minutes, Marta was taken off and she had to watch from the bench as the game finished in a goalless draw. Brazil's devastation though was Jamaica's joy. A goalless draw meant that the Reggae Girlz are going to keep on making noise in this tournament. Neither their men's or women's team has ever made it out of a World Cup group before.

France top their group with their 6-3 win over Panama in Group F. Jamaican fans will want to frame this group table and hang it in the Louvre, an historic achievement. But their result have been rather minimalist. One win, two draws and one goal scored and none conceded.

Hugely disappointing for Brazil though, it's the first time that they have failed to progress in 28 years.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thank you Don. I'm John Vause. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Stay with us please. After a very short break my friend and colleague, Rosemary Church will be up.

Hope to see you right back here tomorrow.

[01:57:40]

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