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U.S. Lawmakers Divided On More Aid For Ukraine; UNSC OKs "Security Mission" To Restore Order In Haiti; Pro-Russian Fico Gets Two Weeks To Form Govt. After Win; Trump's Civil Fraud Trial; John Kelly Speaks Out; Activists Fight to Save Tokyo Park and Historic Trees; NASA Engineers are Building a Quite Supersonic Jet. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired October 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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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Opening question ongoing support for Ukraine.
Hurry up and wait as gang violence spirals out of control across Haiti. The U.N. approves sending a multinational force, it just hasn't decided on when. And this time it really hurt. On day one of his fraud trial in New York City, Donald Trump is said to be incensed of allegations he lied about his net worth.
Thanks for joining us here on CNN. For more than a year and a half, U.S. and European support for Ukraine has been almost unshakable for what could be the beginning of the smallest of cracks in that united front. The uncertainty is in Europe coming from a pro-Russian politician Robert Fico winning parliamentary elections in Slovakia, a NATO member.
And in Washington, Congress stripped future money from Ukraine from a bill to fund government and averted shutdown. But President Joe Biden says he remains confident that support for Ukraine will be restored.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We cannot under any circumstances allow America's support for Ukraine to be interrupted, too many lives are at stake, too many children, too many people. I fully expect the Speaker and the majority of the Republicans in Congress to keep their commitment to secure the passage of the support needed to help Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression and brutality.
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VAUSE: At the highest level, though, the European Union is delivering a more positive message. E.U. foreign ministers met for the first time in a non-member country, speaking with Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv. The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, is proposing a $5.25 billion aid package for next year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the allies for their continued support and stressed the need for Ukraine's membership in NATO as well as the E.U.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I am sure that Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning this confrontation, but our victory depends directly on our cooperation with you. The more strong and solid steps, the faster this war will be over. We'll be over on just terms with restoration of our territorial integrity and reliable guarantees for peace in entire Europe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukraine received its first batch of refurbished Leopard 2 from Poland. The Polish armaments group says it's already working on repairing a second round of tanks. Germany, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement in April to set up a hub in Poland to repair Leopard 2 battle tanks used in Ukraine to fight against the Russians.
Ukrainian forces say weapons from the United States and other western countries are vital to their success. Without that support, they will lose. CNN's Fred Pleitgen visited the front lines for a close up look.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ukraine's 80th Airborne Assault Brigade storming Russian positions on the eastern front using U.S. made weapons to try and dislodge Vladimir Putin's troops, gains that would probably be impossible if Washington cut military assistance.
This soldier, whom we can only name as, Vassil (ph), tells me. I don't know what to say that would be tough, he says. The troops say U.S. supplied weapons, like this Browning heavy machine gun, are helping them turn the tide because they're more accurate, more reliable, and more robust than what the Russians have.
(on camera): You can see just how important military aid for Ukraine is for that country to stay in the fight. It's everything from rifles to surface to air missile systems to help Ukraine push Russia back.
(voice-over): The U.S. has sent more than $45 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full on invasion. Many weapons viewed as game changers by Kyiv, like the HIMARS multiple rocket launching systems and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, which Kyiv says have already saved the lives of many Ukrainian soldiers. Losing U.S assistance would be catastrophic, Ukraine admits. But the national security advisor tells CNN he doesn't believe it will be cut.
We are more than confident that this will not happen, he says. If the United States is a country responsible for the democratic world and has assumed this responsibility, it would be a great joy for Putin and all autocratic regimes if the U.S. withdrew the assistance it provides us.
[01:05:09] But the Kremlin believes sooner or later Washington will buckle. Fatigue from the absurd sponsorship of the Kyiv regime will increase in various countries, including the United States, the spokesman says. And this fatigue will lead to a fragmentation of the political establishment and a rise infighting.
The soldiers from the 80th Airborne say they badly need U.S. weapons to continue pushing the Russians back in the east, but will keep on fighting with or without American support. We don't have a choice, he says. We have to do it. Our brigade's motto is nobody but us.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, in eastern Ukraine.
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VAUSE: Michael O'Hanlon is a senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institute and the author of Military History for The Modern Strategist. He is with us this hour from Bethesda, Maryland. Thanks for being with us, Michael.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, AUTHOR, "MILITARY HISTORY FOR THE MODERN STRATEGIST": My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: OK. So, on the one hand, no country has given more military or financial assistance than pure dollar amounts to Ukraine, more than the United States. The Pentagon's budget for next year is about $890 billion, just shy, and has spent a bit more than $43 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the war began in February of 2022. So, in terms of a percentage of GDP, though, Estonia tops that list, spending the equivalent of 1.26 percent of its annual GDP. The U.S. comes in at number 12, about a point, about third of 1 percent. So you can slice and dice these numbers and serve them any way you want, but if you just put aside the whole ethical and moral reasons, and, you know, putting aside defense of liberty and rules of a, you know, global based world order, what has been the return on investment for U.S. taxpayers here and simply, you know, degrading Russia's military capability? And how long can the U.S. sustain this level of funding for Ukraine just from an economic sense?
O'HANLON: Well, thank you. And first of all, on the return of investment, it's too soon to say. I mean, it's like asking whether the construction of the first iPhone was a good idea halfway through that process. I mean, we are in potentially early days in this war. We don't know where it's going. It could still escalate, it could still expand, or it could result in the overthrow of Vladimir Putin.
So depending on which outcome we get, it's going to look a lot different when we assess the numbers. I think that so far, this has been a remarkable effort by the west, collectively defined, including Europe, Canada, the United States and Japan and a few other countries to show a lot of commitment to the idea of protecting or helping protect a sovereign country that's under attack from a ruthless dictator.
We have devoted more than $200 billion collectively over the last two years between Europe, United States, Canada, and Japan. That is a remarkable and huge amount of money. It is greater than the Marshall Plan, all of the Marshall Plan. It is comparable to the Lend-Lease program of World War II, where the United States helped Britain and the Soviet Union with weaponry before it even got involved, and then thereafter.
So the overall effort should make us all, if you're supporting and rooting for Ukraine, make us all feel proud and make us all feel impressed with our unity so far.
VAUSE: When it comes to that question of doing what's right and America's, you know, role as a global leader. I want you to listen to Ukraine's national security advisor. Here he is.
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OLEKSIY DANILOV, UKRAINIAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER (through translator): We need to see whether the United States is responsible for democracy in the world, whether it remains a country that supports democracy, or whether it is a country that will stand by and watch as authoritarian state seize more and more territory.
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VAUSE: Right now, it seems for a growing number of Americans, mostly Republicans, the jury is still out on that.
O'HANLON: We're at a crossroads in the way the United States views this war, because a Republican-led House of Representatives is now unsure of how committed it should be to this particular security challenge compared to the Mexico border, the Fentanyl problem, the rise of China and other things, and then, of course, the Donald Trump dimension, which brings its own peculiarities, adds another layer of uncertainty.
And I think, as an American, I'm afraid I cannot predict where my country is headed on this issue. Most likely, we will not cut Ukraine off entirely, whether this year or even under a possible future Trump presidency. But I do think there's a distinct possibility we will start to ratchet back the aid.
VAUSE: As the debate goes on in the United States, clearly, the Kremlin is watching, here's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
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DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We have already said this a number of times, that, according to our forecast, fatigue from this conflict, fatigue from this absurd sponsorship of the Kyiv regime will increase in various countries, including the United States. And this fatigue will lead to a fragmentation of the political establishment and a rise infighting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:07] VAUSE: It does seem that right now we've reached a very important inflection point right now. And it seems difficult to argue that it's not right.
O'HANLON: It's fine for the Kremlin to go out and say that we are struggling in the west. There are signs of disunity, and that we may not sustain this fight indefinitely on behalf of our Ukrainian friends. We may not give them the support they're hoping for indefinitely. But I will say two things. One, it's Russia's fault this war is happening. And secondly, we're not going to collectively desert Ukraine to the point of letting them be overtaken by Russia.
I think a plausible worst case scenario is we stop providing them weapons to take back more territory. But I'm confident, even with the Trump phenomenon in the United States, we will provide Ukraine enough help, we and our European, Canadian, Japanese allies, and Koreans and others, to make sure they can hold on to the 82 percent of their country they currently hold. Protect their sovereignty, protect their government.
So Russia is -- Russian spokesmen who are talking this issue are out in their own fairyland and do not have a realistic grasp of the plausible paths forward or of who caused this conflict in the first place.
VAUSE: I guess if money really is the problem, here's one solution from Ukraine's foreign minister.
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DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Today I have brought to the attention of my colleagues the necessity of accelerating the work on a legal formula that would allow the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Kyiv.
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VAUSE: As of August, Russia's National Wealth Fund was around $146. That's about $750 million compared to a month earlier. Part of the fund has been frozen by international sanctions. Why not just take it all?
O'HANLON: Yes. This is going to be an intriguing question, and I hope that we figure out a way to use this leverage against Russia to push them and incentivize them towards some kind of a negotiation in the next one to two years, recognizing they may not get their money back if they don't find a way to negotiate some kind of a settlement with Ukraine.
I don't, you know, I've had this conversation with a number of people. I don't think the international community has figured out the legalities of how you seize and keep Russian assets. But I am confident that if this war drags on, that increasingly people are going to look for ways to make that exact outcome possible. And if Russia winds up complaining, so be it. Russia can stop this war anytime it wishes. VAUSE: Good point to end on, Michael. Thanks for being with us. Appreciate your time.
O'HANLON: Thank you kindly.
VAUSE: Almost a year after officials in Haiti appeal for international help to control a nationwide surge in gang violence, their own Security Council has agreed to send a multinational force. Right now, gangs control more than half of the island and about 80 percent of the capital of Port-au-Prince, leaving thousands dead and thousands more wounded and others left out of their homes. Journalist Stefano Pozzebon reports now on the council's decision.
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: The United Nations Security Council approved on Monday the deployment of a multinational armed force to Haiti as gang violence and political paralysis continue to affect the Caribbean nation. The force is expected to be led by Kenya, which has pledged a thousand policemen to spearhead the mission, although other countries in the Caribbean have also expressed their intention to participate.
The vote was passed on Monday afternoon with the abstention of China and Russia. It follows repeated calls by the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to pledge for international assistance. And it was actually applauded by the government of Henry.
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JEAN VICTOR GENEUS, HAITIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): On behalf of the government and people of Haiti, I would like to thank all of those who, through their voices, their efforts, their support and their contribution of all sorts, have finally made today's decision possible. More than just a simple vote, this is in fact, an expression of solidarity with a population in distress.
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POZZEBON: Henry took power in 2021 following the assassination of late President Jovenel Moise. While summations question his mandate, the security situation has greatly worsened under his watch. The country's capital, Port-au-Prince, for example, is largely controlled by warring gangs. And the United Nations estimate that some 200,000 Haitians have had to flee their homes due to the wave of violence. As of now, it is unclear when this multinational force would actually reach Haiti, nor the exact composition of this expedition.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
VAUSE: Jacqueline Charles is the Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald. She is with us now from Miami. It's good to see you. Thanks for being with us.
Thanks for having me. OK, so despite all the problems in the past, the decision not to send or to send international forces rather to Haiti has been overwhelmingly welcomed by the government, which has been overwhelmed by gang violence. Here's the foreign minister. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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GENEUS (through translator): The vote on this text represents significant progress towards resolving the multidimensional crisis that Haiti is going through. It's a glimmer of hope for the people that have for too long been suffering the consequences of a difficult political, socioeconomic, security and humanitarian situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK. So about a year ago, Haiti made this request for international assistance. About two years before that, you know, the presidential candidate was assassinated. Is all of this now a day late on a dollar short?
JACQUELINE CHARLES, CARIBBEAN CORRESPONDENT, MIAMI HERALD: The situation is this, that the rampant violence, that it has just gotten worse. And people think like, it can't get any worse than this. And when you think that, something else happens. I mean, the U.S. embassy had to basically curtail its services. Some people will say close because of gang violence, they are trapped between four gangs.
After this vote today, I have to tell you that I was just getting from people, oh, my God, OK, hope, hope, hope. You know, again, there are going to be people who are going to oppose this, and there are people who oppose this. But for the average Haitian who has been on the run in the last two months, over 30,000 people have had to leave their homes.
They're living in open air spaces, some on the grounds of schools. They just feel that they have been left alone. And they know that their police, as much as they're trying to do, they just cannot control these gangs.
VAUSE: Yes, and by some estimates, about 60 percent of the country is now under the control of, by some estimates, 162 gangs with 3,000 well armed gang members. Kenya will send 1,000 police officers, with a smaller number coming from Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda. Now, this is not exactly the colon power doctrine of overwhelming force. There's 10,000 Haitian police that can't control these gangs. This isn't even a U.N. force. It's a multinational force. It doesn't even have an arrival date here.
CHARLES: So it's 80 percent of Port-au-Prince that is controlled by gangs. It is 3,300 Haitian police officers only on active duty throughout the entire country for 12 million people. And while they have had success against gangs, the problem is that they just can't hold territory. But yes, you raise an important question. The last U.N. stabilization mission was 6,000 to 8,000 military and police officers, and the gangs were not as ruthless as this.
We're still waiting to see how large a force this is going to be, when is this force going to deploy, and whether or not the mere presence of this force will make these gangs sort of, you know, repel. We saw that with the U.S. when they sent the deployment of a U.S. Coast Guard ship for two days. It was silenced because the gangs didn't know what to expect. I mean, nobody can predict what's going to happen here, but the reality is that the Haitian police, they need help. They've asked for help, and they realize that they are outgunned, outmanned by these gangs.
VAUSE: You know, the last time there was a big international force set into Haiti was after the earthquake, and they brought, you know, cholera and left thousands dead. Kenya will lead this force. It doesn't exactly have the best record when it comes to treatment of, you know, the local people that they meant to put in their care on these sort of missions. I mean, there are allegations, proven allegations, of rape and torture carried out by the Kenyans in the past. So this is a kind of a catch 22 for the people of Haiti.
CHARLES: Look, the reality is this is that the President of Haiti was killed. That government that was in place asked for the U.S. to send troops, the U.S. declined to do so at the time. In the two years, the violence has accelerated. And despite the pleas from the U.S. and the U.N. countries did not raise their hands. Kenya did.
And because Kenya has decided that they're going to lead this force, now you have to figure out, OK, what do we do with this? Other countries have stepped forward. Jamaica, they have experience of doing anti-gang operations with the police. The U.S. is saying that they're going to hold Kenya responsible and the countries that send personnel if things happen.
The reality is that when you invite outsiders into your home, into your country, you don't know what they're going to bring. And yes, cholera did happen. But today, there is cholera as a result of the gang violence, and there is rape as a result of the gang violence.
VAUSE: Here's a snapshot, rather, of where Haiti is right at the moment. In the first nine months of the year, more than 2,400 people in Haiti have been reported killed, more than 950 kidnapped, and more than 900 injured according to U.N. statistics, about 200,000 have been forced from their homes throughout the country. So what is the bigger impact on the region when one country is facing this sort of spiral into destabilization, if you like?
CHARLES: Well, and that is the concern. I mean, when you think about Turks and Caicos where I'm from, right next door. I mean, they're dealing right now with a violent crime problem, and they're saying that guns are coming from Haiti. Jamaica talks about the trade in Ganja for guns. The Dominican Republic, despite the current issues they have with the border, they're talking about that spilling over.
The concern is that this situation in Haiti is going to become a regional crisis. It is just two hours from the shores of Florida. But the reality is this, 12 million people who are forced to leave their homes, kids who not go to school, gangs have taken over the schools, they want relief. And the people who are saying that they are opposed to international intervention and the question becomes, what is your solution?
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VAUSE: Yes. Jacqueline, thank you so much for being with us. Your experience and insights are really, really valued. So thank you.
CHARLES: Thank you.
VAUSE: According to Armenian defense officials, an Armenian soldier was killed and two others wounded Monday and attacked by Azerbaijani forces. Delegations come amid a mass exodus of refugees from Nagorno- Karabakh, an independent enclave which was taken by force last month by Azerbaijan. More than 100,000 refugees have fled Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia amid this crisis, that's according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Serbia is standing down about half of the troop force deployed to the border with Kosovo. More than 8,000 soldiers have been sent to the border after a deadly attack on Kosovo's police force last month. Authorities say one officer and three armed attackers were killed. Senior Kosovo Serb politician reportedly admitted to taking part in the gun battle. Serbia's president told CNN's Christiane Amanpour the incident is under investigation.
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ALEKSANDAR VUCIC, SERBIAN PRESIDENT: Of course Serbia will held accountable all the people that committed criminal deeds and that we might find on our territory. And he is available and he is on our territory and prosecutors will do their job.
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VAUSE: The President says at least 4,400 soldiers are still stationed at the border.
Just days after the top U.S. House Republicans struck an 11th hour deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown, Kevin McCarthy now faces the most serious threat to his speakership so far, and the calls are coming from inside the House. A motion to remove McCarthy as House Speaker has been filed by hardline Republican Matt Gaetz, who's long been a critic of McCarthy. A floor vote to oust the Speaker would take a majority to succeed, meaning McCarthy will likely need Democrat support to stay in power. Gaetz says this time next week, there will be either a new House Speaker or the public will finally know that McCarthy is aligned with Democrats.
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REP. MATT GAETZ (R-NY): I have made no deal with Democrats because I believe that Democrats should vote against Kevin McCarthy for free. It's Kevin McCarthy who's out there offering deals to Democrats. So if there's a deal made with Democrats, the only deal is to make one with McCarthy, because I'm not offering anything and won't offer anything. And by the way, if the Democrats want to own Kevin McCarthy, they can have him.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: In a back and forth on X, formerly known as Twitter, McCarthy wrote Bring it on in response to Gaetz's motion to oust him. Now Gaetz fired back soon after that, saying, oh, just did.
Still to come on CNN, a pro Kremlin leader wins Slovakia's parliamentary elections. What it means for the war in Ukraine. A detailed report ahead this hour.
Also, NASA is working on a plane that could rupture the sound barrier without rupturing your ears. More like a sonic thump than a sonic boom. What a future quiet supersonic jet might look like and what it could mean for air travel.
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VAUSE: The President of Costa Rica is calling for a coordinated international response to a massive surge in migration passing through Central America. President Rodrigo Chaves Robles says Costa Rica is under severe austerity measures and caring for the migrants is becoming unaffordable. More than 84,000 people entered Costa Rica through its southern border in August alone. That's a 55 percent increase from the month before. Chaves Robles spoke to CNN's Isa Soares.
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RODRIGO CHAVES ROBLES, COSTA RICAN PRESIDENT: Today, the large inflow of migrants, mind you, 71 percent of them cross within 24 hours. We help them is putting pressure on our communities, on public safety, on waste management, on health services and especially on our budget.
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VAUSE: The President, along with his Panamanian counterpart, plan to visit the Darien Gap this weekend. Many migrants passed from south to Central America to try and help them in a orderly way.
Now to Slovakia, where a pro-Russian leader has won parliamentary elections and will begin to form a government about two weeks. Victory is important because look at the map. Ukraine is bordered by Russia to the east and Slovakia to the west. Now, as Robert Fico tries to build a coalition government, there's a new focus on his comments against sending arms to Ukraine. Details now from CNN's Nick Robertson.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Robert Fico, Slovakia's pro-Putin populist leader, has been here before 2006, 2010 and 2016, winning the biggest vote share in national elections, 22.9 percent. But not enough for his SMER SD party to govern alone, as they did following the elections in 2012. His challenge now build a governing coalition. The clock's ticking. He has two weeks. ROBERT FICO, LEADER, SMER PARTY (through translator): I want to say to all Slovakia that we are ready, we are enlightened and we are more experienced in the fights we have taken.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): If he succeeds, it would be his third term as Prime Minister and could have a big impact beyond Slovakia's borders. Fico's no weapons to Ukraine policy would be a massive U turn, potentially ending Slovakia's stalwart support for its neighbor.
FICO (through translator): We are ready to help Ukraine humanitarianly. We are ready to help in the restoration of the state. But our opinion on arming Ukraine does not change.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): For now, no change in Slovakia's Ukraine policy, the current technocrat foreign minister in Kyiv with his E.U. counterparts pledging continuity.
MIROSLAV WLACHOVSKY, SLOVAKIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We came here to express our full support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Reality is his replacement in a Fico-led government may rankle E.U. unity and not just over Ukraine. Ahead of this election, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova warned Russia's disinformation is rampant in Slovakia.
VERA JOUROVA, EUROPEAN COMMISSION VICE PRESIDENT: We speak about dangerous campaigns which is misleading, which can do harm to the society, which can radicalize the society, and which can radically change the election's result.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): It's too soon to know if Jourova's fears were realized, but pro-Putin's sentiment is already strong. Most Slovaks don't blame him for invading Ukraine. If Fico fails to build a coalition as he did in 2010, other parties are confident they can muster the 75 seats in the 150 member parliament needed.
MICHAL SIMECKA, LEADER, PROGRESSIVE SLOVAKIA: Realistically, there are two options, you know, at the table. One is a government led by Mr. Fico, and the other one is a coalition made up of progressive Slovakian and other partners, which would, in fact have over 80 MPs.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): For now, though, it's Fico in the driving seat, potentially putting him on a collision course with European leaders, something sure to please Putin.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: For the first time, Pope Francis has hinted at the possibility of some same sex couples receiving blessings in the Catholic Church. He says it could only happen on a limited case by case basis. The church does not recognize same sex marriages. The Pope's opinion came in response to formal questions posed by five conservative cardinals, some of his harshest critics. And it differs from an explicit Vatican ruling against blessings of same sex couples issue did in 2021.
[01:30:03]
Well, it seems Donald Trump is getting used to this showing up in court thing, even when he doesn't have to. Day one of his New York trial on fraud charges, the former president was outraged when he was outside the court. Inside, he just simply scowled, more on that in a moment.
Also ahead, scathing criticism of Trump from his former chief of staff, John Kelly. Hear what he is saying now about his former boss.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: For the first time, Pope Francis has hinted at the possibility of some same-sex couples receiving blessings from the Catholic Church. He says it could only happen on a case-by-case basis. The church does not recognize same-sex marriages.
The Pope's opinion came in response to formal questions posed by five conservative cardinals, some of his harshest critics. And it differs from an explicit Vatican ruling against blessings of same-sex couples issued in 2021.
Well, it seems Donald Trump is getting used to just showing up in court even when he doesn't have to. Day one of his New York trial on fraud charges, the former president was outraged when he was outside the court, inside he just simply scowled. More on that in a moment.
Also ahead, scathing criticism of Trump from former chief of staff John Kelly. Hear what he is saying now about his former boss.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Not exactly breaking news these days but Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom Monday for the first day of his civil court trial. And there he went after the New York attorney general and the judge.
The attorney general is seeking a quarter of a billion dollars in financial penalties, and a ban preventing Trump and his two sons from doing business in New York state.
The case centers on accusations that Trump inflated his wealth on financial statements for better terms on loans and insurance policies.
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LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: Donald Trump and the other defendants have committed persistent and repeated fraud. Last week, we proved that in our motion for summary judgment. Today, we will prove our other claims.
My message is simple. No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Trump used his court appearance to bolster his presidential campaign, do a little fundraising and repeat some of his greatest hits.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This has to do with election interference, plain and simple. We have corrupt attorney general in the state.
This is a pure witch hunt for purposes of interfering with the elections of the United States of America. It's totally illegal. It's politics.
Now it's been very successful for them because they took me off the campaign trail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: That's not true. Trump was not required to be present in court for what's expected to be a month-long trial. He chose to be there.
More details now from CNN's Brynn Gingras.
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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Pretty eventful day for the first day of the civil fraud trial, brought against Donald Trump, his adult sons and the Trump Organization by New York attorney general Letitia James.
Opening statements kicked off today with Trump inside the courtroom. And in those opening statements, state attorneys laid out what his case will be for the next three months or so that this trial is expected to last.
[01:34:49]
GINGRAS: Talking about how Trump and his sons and Trump Org conspired to commit persistent fraud and saying in doing so, banks took on hidden risks.
They talk about how they'll be calling several witnesses to the stand, including Trump's sons and possibly Trump and even Michael Cohen, who is -- of course, his testimony to Congress is the whole reason why this case even got started in the first place.
When it was the defense's turn to bring its opening statements, they talked about how Trump made billions off of just good business deals in real estate, essentially saying that he did everything by the book and pointing out the fact that no fraud was committed. And that there were really no victims in this case. In some, they say, there was no illegality, there was no fraud, and
there are no victims. Now as far as what was happening inside that courtroom, Letitia James was there inside sitting, as well as Eric Trump and Donald Trump proceeded with his defense attorneys.
Now Donald Trump did not acknowledge Letitia James several times as he walked past her except for, maybe one time. Eric Trump actually walked over to Letitia James at shook her head twice throughout the duration of the day.
But Trump did take the time outside of the courtroom to lash out, not only at Letitia James but about this trial in general and about the judge who will be deciding, really the balls and strikes of this entire case.
So it will be interesting to see, if he shows up later on Tuesday for court, but as of now, it is unclear if he will show up. Although, he is eager to testify again in a trial that is expected to last three months.
I'm Brynn Gingras, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Donald Trump's longest serving White House chief of staff is offering his strongest rebuke yet of the former president. In an exclusive statement to CNN, John Kelly called his former boss a person who admired autocrats and dictators. He is now going on the record to confirm a number of damning stories about statements Trump made behind closed doors.
Details now from CNN's Jake Tapper.
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TRUMP: I, Donald John Trump --
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No other president has had so many former top aides making such harsh public assessments. Most recently, Cassidy Hutchinson.
CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE: I think that Donald Trump is the most grave threat that we will face through democracy in our lifetime, and potentially in American history.
TAPPER: She joins a growing chorus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's unfit for office.
BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else.
TAPPER: And today, Trump's longest serving former chief of staff, John Kelly, is chiming in with his harshest criticism yet.
In an exclusive statement to CNN, Kelly says about Trump, "What can I add that has not already been said?" Calling President Trump quote, "A person that has no idea what America stands for, and has no idea what America is all about."
For the first time ever Kelly sets the record straight, with on the record confirmation of a number of damning details about Donald Trump from background sources including from a 2020 Atlantic story, reported with unnamed sources by editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Including the stunning detail that Trump turned to Kelly on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in 2017 and asked "I don't get it. What was in it for them."
This is Kelly confirming on the record, stories of Trump insulting John McCain, and former President George H.W. Bush. Because in Vietnam and World War II respectively, the former aviators were shot down.
Kelly describes Trump as quote, "a person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spent years being tortured as POW are all quote, "suckers" because quote, "there is nothing in it for them."
A person who did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because quote, "It doesn't look good for me."
A person that demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family, for all Gold Star families, on TV during the 2016 campaign. And rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America's defense are quote "losers" and wouldn't visit their graves in France.
Kelly confirming on the record a story reported in the book "The Divider", where Trump tells Kelly he wants a military parade, like one he saw for Bastille Day in France except that he does not want any wounded veterans.
Kelly confirming that Trump, in 2018, in France, refused to visit graves of Americans killed in World War I.
To CNN Kelly calls Trump a hypocrite, saying he is quote, "not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on Evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women."
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TAPPER: And he concludes Trump is quote, "a person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law."
He concludes "There is nothing more that can be said. God help us."
TRUMP: He's doing a great job as chief of staff --
TAPPER: A stunning repudiation by a man who worked side by side with Trump longer than any other of Trump's many chiefs of staff.
Kelly also criticized Trump for saying that former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Mark Milley should be executed. In a departure speech on Friday, Milley responded.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, FORMER CHAIRM, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We don't take an oath to a king or queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. We don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator.
TAPPER: Some of the people who know Donald Trump the best now warning of the threat they think he poses if elected in November 2024.
Jake Tapper, CNN -- Washington.
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VAUSE: When we come back here on CNN, we will take you to Tokyo and a major battle over an historic part and the Ginkgo trees that have grown there for more than 100 years.
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VAUSE: Battle lines are being drawn in Tokyo with activists trying to save 100-year-old Ginkgo trees and a city-approved plan to cut them down to make way for two new skyscrapers.
The trees are part of a park which is a (INAUDIBLE) green space in a city with no shortage of skyscrapers.
CNN's Will Ripley has our report.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A fight for the future of a much-loved Tokyo Park.
Protesters urging officials "respect history, stop the Jingu Gaien District Urban Redevelopment Project.
HIROSHI ONE, PROTESTER AND TOKYO RESIDENT (through translator): The Jingu Gaien is ours and our kids' cultural inheritance. It's not fair to push through a redevelopment plan without properly consulting citizens.
RIPLEY: Protesters fear heritage ginkgo trees will be endangered by a new stadium. Hundreds of others axed making way for tall buildings of concrete and steel. This they say is not just a fight over one park. It's a fight for the future of Japan's green spaces, the right to have a say.
Built with public donations in 1926, the Jingu Gaien is seen as the people's park, home to a famous rugby venue, a historic baseball stadium were Babe Ruth once played, its centerpiece, an avenue of 100- year-old ginkgo trees.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like a sanctuary to those living here.
RIPLEY: That peace already broken, small scale construction underway on a billion-dollar redevelopment plan approved by the Tokyo government led by real estate firm, Mitsui Fudosan. [01:44:55]
RIPLEY: Developers say they will update aging sports facilities, promote more open green space, protect the avenue of ginkgo trees.
Tokyo says it wants to create a world class sports hub, like the billion-dollar Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium. Roughly 1,500 trees were cut down to make way for that controversial Olympics project.
Many campaigners don't trust the developer's promise to keep the Ginkgo Avenue save.
MIKIKO ISHIKAWA, DIRECTOR, ICOMOS JAPAN (through translator): Imagine if developers said they built three skyscrapers in New York Central Park and a stadium next to the American Elms of East 92nd Street. No New Yorker would accept that.
RIPLEY: More than 200,000 people had signed a petition calling for a review of the plan. Just this month the International Council on Monuments and Sites issued a heritage alert, warning of reversible destruction of cultural heritage, about 3,000 trees at risk it says.
Responding to the anger the Tokyo government again requested developers submit a concrete plan before cutting down any trees. The plan to ensure the survival of as many trees as possible. Many fear the older ginkgos may not make it.
In an email to CNN Mitsui Fudosan said it will preserve the environment, and work with arborists to ensure the care of each tree. Pressure is mounting on Tokyo as more people rise up.
Just before he died, famed musician Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote a letter to the governor urging people to speak out for the earth. A fight his daughter now carries on.
MIU SAKAMOTO, MUSICIAN: I think it's the last letter from him. Saying that keep on thinking, and keep on raising your voice.
RIPLEY: As calls to reconsider Jingu Gaien's future grow louder, for now these heritage ginkgo trees stand tall, silent guardians of the ecosystem facing an uncertain future.
Will Ripley, CNN -- Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Typhoon Koinu is now equal to a Category 3 Atlantic hurricane, according to Joint Typhoon Warning System. Center (INAUDIBLE) the Philippines is already feeling the storms outer bands with wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour.
The typhoon is moving northwest and is expected to weaken before potentially making landfall on an island within the region. The system could impact southern Taiwan and southern China later this week.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says tropical storm Philippe has made landfall in Barbuda on Monday, giving (ph) heavy rain and the risk of flooding. Forecasters say sustained winds were recorded at 85 kilometers an hour.
But the storm is expected to become a hurricane when it moves into the open Atlantic later this week. It's not expected to pose a threat to the continental United States.
The U.S. Army Private who bolted to North Korea from the Demilitarized Zone has now been reunited with his family at an army medical center in Texas when he arrived early last week.
He spent around two months in North Korean custody after the army said he willfully and without authorization, ran across the border into the reclusive country back in July.
U.S. officials say they conducted intense diplomacy with several countries to secure King's release. An army spokesperson says his status has changed from absent without leave to present with duty.
He will now undergo a reintegration process which includes medical care.
Coming up here on CNN, NASA is producing what it says will be the world's first quiet supersonic jet. No sonic boom anymore. How could it travel that far? What does this mean for air travelers?
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VAUSE: Huge fireball lit up the night sky over Oxford, England early Monday. British police believe a bolt of lightning hit gas containers sparking the blaze. An eyewitness report feeling a shockwave, then hearing a lot of rumble in the distance, before seeing the flames. British police believe no one was hurt.
Well, NASA is trying to redevelop kind of an old type of aircraft. But this time, the supersonic flight will be drastically different. No more sonic boom, more like a a thump.
NASA Engineers are building the jet they call X-59. It's supersonic, meaning it will break the sound barrier, but it won't come with that great big boom.
Scientists say (INAUDIBLE) much quieter than similar jets. This one will produce what NASA calls a sonic thump instead of a loud boom. It is a research jet meant to test the possibility of new technology and show us how fast we could actually travel on a commercial airline sometime in the future.
Jay Brandon is the chief engineer of NASA's X-59 QueSST plane. He's with us this hour from Virginia. Jay, thank you for being with us.
JAY BRANDON, CHIEF ENGINEER, NASA'S X-59 QUESST PLANE: Sure. Glad to talk with you. VAUSE: So the X-59 QueSST, the QueSST part is short for Quiet Super
Sonic Technology. And when it comes to the commercial viability of supersonic flight, it seems it all comes down to the boom and the possibility of turning down the volume from a sonic boom to more of a sonic thump, when the sound barrier is broken.
So when will we know if that is possible? And what does that mean to get to that point?
BRANDON: So that is the whole point of the X-59 is to demonstrate that we can actually design an airplane to be without a loud sonic boom and like you say, you know, be a small thump instead.
So we will know that after we start flying and start doing some testing, supersonically in the X-59 program. We have three phases at the X-59 test program.
The first phase is the envelope expansion, make sure the airplane flies and do its mission, it's safe to fly, fly supersonically.
And then phase two is all about documenting and demonstrating that the performance in terms of sonic boom, is actually what we expected to be. That's phase two.
Then phase three is the traveling across the country and letting people sample, basically here flies supersonically and gather a database that we'll use to hopefully change the rules.
VAUSE: Overland supersonic travel was banned in the United Sates about what 50 years ago. All the countries followed that ban as well. And that essentially meant the Concord was sort of relegated to transatlantic travel. It was a (INAUDIBLE) vanity project in many ways.
Why has it taken so long to review this technology? Because obviously, the ability to travel Mach 2 or Mach 4 as a passenger commercial plane is clearly of some value. Why did they just give up until now?
BRANDON: Well, it is a combination of, you know, working on it, getting the tools to the point -- the computers to the point where we can actually use our, you know, the mathematics needed to design an airplane to be able to, you know, soften that sonic boom to a thump. And so, it is taken this long to develop the theories and to develop the computer programming to actually make a design viable.
And so now that we think we can do that, we are developing the X-59 to prove that out.
VAUSE: Yes. And if commercial flights -- a Mach 2 or Mach 4 are to become sort of a reality on a daily basis, it does come down to the private sector investment and cost.
NASA studies concluded potential passenger markets have 57 (ph) routes that connect cities since the U.S. and other nations prohibit supersonic flight overland, the studies, findings cover transoceanic travel including high volume North Atlantic routes and those crossing the Pacific.
And so specifically what routes are you looking at here? Which ones are the most (INAUDIBLE) financially viable? And you mentioned this, you want to get the rules changed. If that boom becomes a thud, is that a sort of a technicality then at that point in changing the rules?
BRANDON: Well, it's not really a technicality. Right now, the rule, you know in 1973 was based on speed. You can't fly supersonic over land. And so what we're trying to do is gather the data to change that we'll make it based on noise, rather than speed.
And so we will have to gather, you know, enough data to make that a convincing argument that, you know, we can control the public reaction based on noise.
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VAUSE: So give me an example. If you do get supersonic travel up to speed that's commercially viable airline -- is it commercially viable airline jet, what does that mean for travel time, L.A. to New York, New York to I guess -- over to Miami? What are we looking at here on travel time?
BRANDON: Yes. So, you know, basically, you cut your travel time in half or less. So you know, it makes a viable day trip to go across the country and actually show up to meetings that day and then, you know, maybe get home, you know later that night or first trip early the next day.
So, you know, from a business point of view, it certainly makes things a lot more efficient. From a personal point of view, you know, you can go and visit your family, if we're spread across the country the way most families are these days, many are. You'd be able to go and visit your family without taking a whole week off to deal with the travel and all that kind of stuff. It goes both ways.
VAUSE: You mentioned that the cost here, the prices would be on par with sort of standard aviation travel for a regular flight? Would it be more expensive or would it be cramped like the Concord was?
BRANDON: Yes, that is all kind of beyond where we are with the X-59. That all has to do with the commercialism and how you decide to scale this technology to a commercial jet. And how you want to do that.
So this is the first of the long pulls (ph) for getting supersonic flight going again. We think it is one of the most challenging to get the sonic boom under control.
But there's others, you know, which are economics, which are environmental. And you know, NASA's working on those as well with other programs, as are other people. All those are going to have to be solved, I think to make it a good, commercially viable technology.
Jay, we wish you the best of luck. Thanks for being with us.
BRANDON: All right. Thank you.
VAUSE: Finally, Japanese tech company has way too much time on its hands. It built a towering robot that looks something straight out of the Transformers. Standing over four meters tall, weighing 3.5 tons, human operator can sit inside, moving the arms and hands with joysticks. The robot can also switch to vehicle mode, when needed. Sounds like something out of the, you know, Transformers.
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RYO YOSHIDA, CEO, TSUBAME INDUSTRIES (through translator): It could be used at a disaster relief site and eventually for work and space. Rather than (INAUDIBLE) for multiple robots can be brought in, we would like to develop multipurpose work equipment, where a single robot can perform multiple tasks at sites where only a limited number can be used.
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VAUSE: Yes, there's more to meet the eye. The company plans to sell the robots for merely $3 million apiece.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague, Rosemary Church after a break.
See you back here tomorrow.
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