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CNN International: Alexei Navalny Laid To Rest After Moscow Funeral; Thousands Turn Out To Honor Navalny On Day Of His Funeral; Trump In Court For Classified Documents Hearing. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 01, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
Today, we start with dramatic images from the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Plus, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump attending another court hearing. We'll bring you more information on the highly anticipated case from Florida. And polls are open in one of the most watched elections in the Middle East region. We will take you live to Iran.
We want to begin this hour in Russia. That's where late opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been laid to rest in Moscow. Thousands of mourners gathered in what's become a funeral for one man and a tribute to an icon.
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We hear mourners there chanting his name outside the church where his funeral was held. Supporters also yelled no to war and Russia without Putin. Navalny was one of the Russian President's most prominent critics before his death in a Russian penal colony last month, and crowds gathered today knowing that the Kremlin could crack down. Now, police had been present today, and a monitoring group reports that there was at least one arrest. But, with the eyes of the world on Moscow, security forces have been largely polite. Mourners have been allowed to enter the cemetery and pay their respects. But, some believe that they still do have to limit what they say, and CNN's signal has also been interrupted today.
Our Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance was there for the day's events.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The signal has been very dodgy here. They put an umbrella blanket, it seems, over the whole area, and we couldn't get a signal out. But, we're here now. And you can see the line of people stretches into the distance. Thousands of Russians have come out to pay their last respects to Alexei Navalny. Even though you've just said the funeral in the church, which is a short distance from here, is now over, you can see people are still coming along, carrying flowers and messages to lay at the casket or inside the church where Alexei Navalny has just been taken away from.
CHANCE: Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Yeah.
CHANCE: Thank you, sir. Thank you. Why have you come here today with so many other Russians to pay your respects?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It's symbolic value for people who don't agree with everything that's happening in Russia.
CHANCE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can be specific, because we can say, like, the bad words.
CHANCE: It's risky for you to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. It's certainly risky.
CHANCE: Why take the risk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because that's my stance. And I believe that's to show solidarity that you are not the one who is -- has to deal with this.
CHANCE: All right, sir. Thank you very much. I've got -- we've Polina (ph) over here as well. The fact that Alexei Navalny is dead, what -- has that united people here? What does it say about the state of the country, Russia?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would say that if you are not some people but, at the same time, it's quite -- it's obviously horrible and sad. It upsets me, obviously, and other people here in this group.
CHANCE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But, I think it's kind of uniting thing since a lot of people come --came here to --
CHANCE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- pay their last goodbyes.
CHANCE: Sure. What does it say about your country, about Russia?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are obviously some people who are, I guess, against the whole thing that's happening right now.
CHANCE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can say it, obviously. But, there are some people who have good hearts basically, I think like.
CHANCE: Thank you. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
(Inaudible). A lot of people here coming out. They're very careful about what they say, because obviously, it can be risky speaking your mind out publicly in this way. Remember, hundreds of Russians who were simply putting flowers at makeshift memorials across the country over the past couple of weeks have been detained by the authorities. And so, people know that they're taking a risk here.
But look, so many thousands of people have come out despite the very intense security operation that's been underway here. Riot police have been put in place all along the route to sort of hold people back. But, at the moment, we haven't seen any crackdown yet by the authorities. The authorities are still allowing these thousands of people to file past, to go to this church, which is right behind us there, and to pay their respects to Russia's most prominent opposition figure. From here, in the next few hours, the funeral will take place at a cemetery which is not far from here. And so, this parade, this procession will continue throughout the course of the day, we expect.
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SOLOMON: All right. Our thanks to Matthew Chance there.
Let me now bring in CNN's Chief International correspondent Clarissa Ward, who joins us live from London. Clarissa, good to have you today. I'm wondering what you make of the significance of the thousands of people there, the symbolism of this moment who chose to support Navalny even in a country like Russia where dissent is not allowed.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
SOLOMON: Clarissa, can you hear me?
WARD: Now I can hear you. I'm sorry, Rahel.
SOLOMON: No worries. I was asking what you make of Matthew Chance piece, and the thousands of people that were filing by Matthew, choosing, at the very least, symbolically to support Navalny even in a country where dissent is not tolerated.
WARD: Obviously, you can only be humbled by that kind of courage. As we have seen with other protests, there have been heavy crackdowns. There have been arrests, people who have engaged actively and publicly with Russia's opposition have been arrested, have been hounded, have often been literally forced to leave the country. So, the fact that you saw all these thousands and thousands of people quietly, respectfully, sifting through by, visiting the church, visiting the cemetery to pay their last respects is, I think, very striking.
There were dignitaries there as well, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, the UK Ambassador to Russia. There was chanting at times, but chanting of his name, chants of we're not afraid because you were not afraid. And yet, it never sort of escalated or tipped over into a full-blown demonstration or protest. It seemed almost that everyone was really conscious to get the tone right, that sometimes in those quiet moments of a large presence of people that can be even more powerful sometimes, because although it's quiet, it is still extraordinarily brave. Don't forget, people had been told already by the Kremlin earlier in the day that unauthorized memorials would not be tolerated. And still, they took the risks. They obviously were cautious about going to the official memorials that were sanctioned.
And we have heard reports, according to one monitoring group, of more than 40 arrests. So, it's not that this was without incident. But, it certainly didn't devolve into the kind of crackdown that we have seen on previous occasions in which many had feared it had the potential to.
SOLOMON: Right. But, even to your point, I mean, sometimes you can still be quite powerful, even quietly. Clarissa, let me ask, what do you make now of the vacuum that his death now creates in terms of prominent opposition to Putin?
WARD: Russia has been beset by divisions within its opposition for many years. And I think the hope for some is that in his death, Navalny will have the power to sort of harness the various different factions of Russia's opposition and bring them all together. The big question, of course, is around Yulia Navalnaya. That is, of course, Alexei Navalny's widow. She was not attending the funeral today, presumably out of an abundance of caution because of security concerns if she tried to go back to Russia. But, she has publicly said that she is going to take the mantle and try to continue to do the work that Alexei was doing.
But, this is a pivotal moment, Rahel. What does the future of the Russian opposition look like? How can it be relevant to people in Russia when so much of it, and particularly Yulia in this case, are living in exile? These are difficult questions to answer, and particularly against the backdrop of this absolute lack of respect for any form of descent inside Russia. So, it's a pivotal moment. And I think it's difficult at this stage to see where exactly Russia's opposition goes from this, although there are some who believe, again, through his death, that Alexei Navalny has given people the soccer (ph), the strength and the courage to keep doing the work.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And just striking to see these images of his body in the open casket. Clarissa Ward, we'll leave it here. Thanks so much.
Back here in the U.S., we are tracking two critical hearings today that could have a huge impact on Donald Trump's legal standing and his bid to recapture the White House in November. Right now in Florida, the former President is in court for hearing to determine whether to push back the May 20 trial date in the government's federal classified documents case.
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Special Counsel Jack Smith, well, he is proposing a July 8 trial date, while Trump and his attorneys are asking that proceedings are delayed until August 12. Now, Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include obstruction of justice and making false statements.
Let's go to CNN's Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid, who was in Fort Pierce, Florida, outside of that courthouse, and joins us now. So, Paula, what can you tell us about what's happening inside of the courtroom? What are we hearing?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, we just got our first update. You may wonder why I'm holding a handwritten note. Well, inside in this court, right behind me, this is a federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, there is a proceeding of enormous national significance. But, we are not allowed to report live or transmit any information out of the courthouse, as we are at other courthouses when we cover proceedings. Instead, we're relying on a small army of our colleagues who are watching this, taking handwritten notes and then running down the stairs and across four lanes of traffic to where I am here to deliver us the news.
Now, so far, Judge Aileen Cannon has not signaled that she will definitively move this case. It's currently scheduled for May 20. But, she has signaled she might move it back. And she asked the parties to come here today to discuss the scheduling. Now, prosecutors said in court, according to our colleagues, that they believe both parties are in agreement that this can be tried this summer. Technically, that's true. The Special Counsel said they'd like this to begin in early July. Trump's lawyers have insisted, though, they don't think their client should be in a federal courtroom. They don't think that he should be having to sit through a trial when he wants to be out campaigning. They insist that's a violation of his First Amendment right.
But, they've said they would be willing to let this case begin in early August. But, Rahel, maybe a little bit of gamesmanship there, trying to take up some time on the calendar, so other cases don't get scheduled, and then they could always come back to try to push this one back. Now, in an ominous sign for the government, for the prosecutors, the judge called some aspects of their proposed schedule, when they'd want to do this, unrealistic. So, that's a signal that the Special Counsel may not prevail on their request to have this start in early July.
But again, we have so many colleagues inside. They are watching and bringing us out with their handwritten notes, again, not the most transparent or helpful system in a taxpayer-funded courthouse in a proceeding of national significance. But, I'm out here and I'm waiting for more notes.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Paula, we certainly appreciate sort of the pulling back the curtain, to sort of explain how this is all happening. But, let me ask, so, if the judge, Aileen Cannon, has reportedly said that July 8 is perhaps unrealistic, Trump's team is hoping for August 12. Paula, what is the likelihood that this goes to trial before November?
REID: It's a great question, because even if she agreed with the President's lawyers and put this in August, they could always come back in and ask for a further delay. This is a very complicated case. The reason it's getting pushed back is because there is such a large volume of documents. So, at this point, it's unclear what's going to happen with the other federal trial related to January 6. That's on pause. This one, they're going to put on the calendar. But, Rahel, it's anybody's guess if it stays wherever the judge puts it. Now, she could also say firmly, I'm not going to move it again. Don't come back and ask. But again, right now, all eyes are on this judge, Judge Aileen Cannon. Where does she put this trial, and does she leave the door open to possibly delaying it again, if she moves it?
SOLOMON: Yeah, just fascinating with huge implications as you lay out there. Paula Reid live for us in Florida. Paula, thank you.
And from Florida to Georgia where this afternoon in an Atlanta courtroom a judge will hear closing arguments to decide whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the election interference case against Donald Trump and his alleged co- conspirators. Now, defense attorneys claim that Willis benefited financially from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, creating a conflict of interest in the case. Willis has rejected those claims, but the stakes are high in both of these cases. The election interference case against Trump, well, that could be completely derailed if Willis is disqualified. And then a trial delays may mean that those trials won't be complete or even take place before the November election.
A lot to discuss. Let's welcome in former Federal Prosecutor Michael Zeldin. Michael, always good to have you. Can I ask, Judge Aileen Cannon apparently telling, according to our Paula Reid, telling the special prosecutor -- Special Counsel, July 8 is unrealistic, why do you think that might be?
MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, she thinks the case I think is more complicated than Jack Smith thinks it is. There are national security documents, for sure. They have to be dealt with under the procedures that govern national security cases by. But, it really isn't that complex, I think. And I think she and Smith just disagree on its level of complexity. Whether it goes in July or August, really matters significantly, because as Paula said, Trump fears most the January 6 case before a D.C. jury. So, any effort they can to keep that case from trial before the November election is what they're all about.
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And so, they propose cynically, I think, an August date because that's when most likely to January 6 case would occur if the Supreme Court rules against Trump. So, we got a lot of good defense lawyering or cynical defense lawyering, depending on your perspective.
SOLOMON: And then, game this out for me one step further. So, if the defense team feels like maybe the jury pool in D.C. may not be as favorable to Trump, how different might the jury pool be in a state like Florida where this other case is being tried?
ZELDIN: Exactly. So, up in Fort Pierce, where I've had cases when I was in the U.S. Attorney's Office down in Miami, it's a much more conservative jurisdiction than the District of Columbia is. And the hope here is to at least get a juror who will not accept guilt, because you need a unanimous verdict in a criminal case for there to be a conviction. And if they can find one juror who hangs the jury and then has to be retried, well, then we're in November. Even if we start in July, August, September, it doesn't make a difference. So, they're much more happy to have a case up in northern Florida go first than January (inaudible) D.C.
SOLOMON: Let me ask -- in terms of the Georgia case with Fani Willis, Michael, from your perspective, have you seen anything or heard anything, either based on things that the judge has said or the evidence and testimony that we've all seen, that seems to indicate that the defense might get what they want and Fani Willis might be disqualified here? I mean, what are you expecting?
ZELDIN: I do not think that the judge will disqualify her. I think the most important thing about this case is that Fani Willis' office not be disqualified. If Fani Willis were asked to step aside and her office was allowed to continue the prosecution, or if Nathan Wade was disqualified, but the case could still proceed, that's all fine. You don't need Fani Willis. You don't need Nathan Wade. You do need the Fulton County District Attorney's office to still retain jurisdiction over this case and the opportunity to proceed.
On the evidence, I think that there is some conflicting testimony about when this relationship started. But, the relationship in and of itself is not grounds for disqualification. What could be grounds for disqualification is if there was a financial motive and we haven't really seen that, and/or whether the parties lied to the court about when the onset of this relationship began, and that evidence is very equivocal. So, we'll see what he says. But, most important, as I said, Rahel, is that the Office of the District Attorney be allowed to continue this case.
SOLOMON: And then just to put a button on it, but then there becomes a lot more discretion in terms of the district attorney in terms of whether to pursue the case. And so, that sort of becomes the tension point. Right? I mean, if it's not Fani Willis, who has decided to take the case, the next district attorney, the next prosecutor may decide not to.
ZELDIN: Right. If it stays in her office, you would assume that her deputy would continue the prosecution. If she gets disqualified and her office gets disqualified, then the new district attorney could look at the evidence and say you know what? I don't agree. And we saw that sort of in New York with Cy Vance being replaced by Alvin Bragg, and Bragg had a different view of New York evidence than his predecessor Vance did in that DA's office. So, that's where there is a possibility that a change in the office could change the whole outcome of the prosecution.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And that's an interesting point, Michael, because that is the one example, the one trial at least right now where a trial date has been set and it appears to be moving forward. Michael Zeldin, so much to watch. Great to have your insights today. Thank you. Have a nice weekend.
ZELDIN: Thank you. You too.
SOLOMON: All right. Just ahead, we're going to have much more on Donald Trump's legal proceedings, plus the debate over U.S. immigration policy, as our political panel takes a deep dive into the state of the race. And we're also tracking Iran's legislative elections happening today. Coming up, we're going to take a closer look at the turnout amid discontent and a struggling economy. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. We continue to track and follow these two critical hearings today that could really significantly impact Donald Trump's efforts to recapture the presidency this fall, one in Florida relating to the trial date in his classified documents case, the other in Georgia over whether the District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from Trump's election interference case. And this comes a day after Trump and President Biden made dueling visits to the U.S.- Mexico border. Those visits highlighting the deep divide over the country's migrant crisis which has quickly become a dominant issue in the 2024 presidential race.
Let's dig into all of this with today's panel. Alice Stewart is a CNN Political Commentator. She is a Republican Strategist, and former Communications Director for Senator Ted Cruz. Mark Longabaugh is a Democratic Strategist and former Senior Strategist for Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. Welcome to you both. Great to have you.
Alice, let me start with you. I'm wondering just in terms of these legal issues we're seeing today, the impact of this, I mean, if none of these cases -- if none of these trials go to court before November, the charges are baked in for November for voters. I mean, what impact does it have on Trump if he doesn't have to sit for trial in any of these cases?
ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, it will have zero impact for the primary, but significant impact for the general election. And timing is everything here, Rahel. And what Donald Trump is doing, here is a very wealthy and powerful man. He is now trying to buy time and that's what this is all about, because we see whether we're talking about any of these cases, whether it is the election subversion, whether it's hush payments, whether it is January 6, whether it's the Georgia case, or the classified documents, Donald Trump has convinced the GOP voters and his base that all of this, every charge is the same. It is part of the weaponization of the DoJ and liberals to go after him because he is the biggest threat to Joe Biden.
And we have the Republican Convention coming up on January -- July 15, four months away. These cases will not impact that because his voters in the GOP will support him. But, four months later, the general election, Donald Trump does not want to see a resolution of any of these cases before then, because he does recognize the consequence of, if there were to be some conviction in these cases that would impact a general election, those independent and undecided voters and some of those that are disaffected. So, they're trying to push this back as far as possible because they see this could impact the general election in November.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And Mark, I mean, how are Dems viewing this? I mean, the thing that you often hear is, surely if he is convicted, he will lose votes. But, if he doesn't have to sit trial for these federal cases before November, what then for the Dems?
MARK LONGABAUGH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, & FORMER SENIOR STRATEGIST, BERNIE SANDERS 2016 CAMPAIGN: Yeah. Well, let me make one point. I mean, he clearly, I agree, he is trying to delay because one thing is already been proven. When you get him in court and the trial proceeds, the Jean Carroll case, with the Trump Organization business case, he gets convicted, because in a court of law, you have to abide by facts. And the law, in his criminality, becomes very, very evident, and he is convicted.
So, I think he very quickly hears these cases moving forward. I would also say that I don't -- number one, everyone has really discounted this New York case, but it looks like that's going to trial here at the end of March, number one. Number two, I'm not sure the Supreme Court isn't going to deal with the immunity thing pretty quickly, and Jack Smith is going to have enough time to get that January 6 trial in before the Republican Convention. So, I still think there is a very high likelihood that Trump is facing reelection in the fall with a conviction.
SOLOMON: Alice, Super Tuesday, just days away, if you were a betting woman and we're talking a week from now, is Nikki Haley still in the race? What are you watching?
STEWART: She has vowed to stay in the race through Super Tuesday.
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But, whether or not she is a viable contender in the race is quite questionable. And look, it's all about the delegates. And we're still very early. Donald Trump has less than 200 delegates and needs 1,215. But, the reality is, he pretty much has the full faith and support of the GOP base. But, I do think it's important for Nikki Haley to stay in the race, because voters deserve a choice and they deserve a choice for a change. And it's important for many of these states who haven't had the opportunity to cast their ballots to realize this is not a coronation. This is a nomination of someone who represents the views and values of the party.
And look, it's an uphill battle. I've been in that position where the delegate math does not look good. But, the conviction to give voters the choice is strong. And I commend her for doing so. And it's a difficult situation to be in. But, the difference between her and all the other GOP candidates who were in her spot and got out is money. And she has money to keep the trains on the tracks and she vows to do that.
SOLOMON: Mark, let me ask, next week also a really big week for the President with State of the Union. It may be his biggest audience before November. What does he use this event? Has he used this opportunity? What does he need to say?
LONGABAUGH: Well, I mean, I actually think the State of the Union here is going to be a key moment to set the agenda for Biden's reelection campaign. Obviously, it is not a campaign event. It's obviously an official government event. But, I think the agenda is set there. It's going to be really important.
I would say there is sort of three things that Biden is going to be able to accomplish in it. Number one, like he did in the last State of the Union, he is going to be able to show that he is still very, very vigorous, and sort of deal with the age issue a little bit. Secondly, I think he is going to have a moment to really talk about the tremendous accomplishment that his administration has had, whether it's on infrastructure, whether it's been on climate and clean energy, whether it's been on American jobs and the CHIPS Act, capping prescription drug prices. He has got a great record to run on. And I think he is going to outline some of that. And then finally, I think he is going to put an agenda for the future on the table to fight for middle and working class Americans. And so, I think it's going to be a big moment for him.
SOLOMON: All right. A lot to watch certainly in the week ahead. Great to have your insights today. Alice Stewart, Mark Longabaugh, thank you both. Have a great weekend.
STEWART: You too, Rahel.
LONGABAUGH: You bet.
SOLOMON: All right. We have some news just into CNN. Boeing has agreed to pay $51 million for violating the U.S. Arms Export Control Act. The charges include employees in China downloading sensitive data related to defense aircraft and missiles. Boeing also disclosed 80 additional unauthorized downloads of defense data and information in 18 countries. The U.S. State Department said that all of the issues that it found were voluntarily disclosed by Boeing and most predate 2020 when the company improved its compliance program.
All right. Still to come for us, world leaders demanding answers after more than 100 civilians were killed in Gaza while waiting for life- saving food deliveries. We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. And here are some of the international headlines we're watching today.
Police say at least two people are dead after a man drove a car into pedestrians near a school in northern China. At least six more people are seriously hurt. The driver was arrested at the scene and the case is under investigation.
Cuba's massive fuel price hike, more than 500 percent, goes into effect today. The price increase is the largest in decades. But, officials say they have no choice but to pass the cost on to consumers as the Communist-run country grapples with shortages and a deepening economic crisis.
And late Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has been laid to rest after a funeral in Moscow. Thousands lined the streets to honor the late Kremlin critic. At least one arrest has been reported. But, police have largely allowed mourners to enter the cemetery and pay their respects.
Meantime, international calls are growing for an independent investigation into a devastating incident in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry says that at least 112 civilians were killed after Israeli troops opened fire as crowds desperate for food gather around aid trucks in Gaza City. An IDF spokesman says that Israeli tanks fired what he called warning shots after seeing that people in the crowd were being trampled.
Let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond who is live for us in Tel Aviv. Jeremy, what more can you share with us about the international reaction to this incident?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, this incident is clearly shining a spotlight on the need for a ceasefire in order to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza. It is becoming increasingly clear that under the current circumstances, not enough aid is able to make it in to northern Gaza in particular, and that the ongoing war, the growing insecurity in the north is making it very difficult, if not impossible, for sufficient aid to get in. And that's where we're getting a lot of the international reaction focusing on.
The French Foreign Minister calling for an independent investigation into this incident, saying that these actions yesterday are "indefensible and unjustifiable". The German Foreign Minister also demanding clarifications from Israel, and saying that the Israeli military should fully investigate this incident. And we know that the United States is also calling for this to be looked into. Samantha Power, the administrator for USAID, the top U.S. aid agency, saying yesterday that desperate civilians trying to feed their starving children should not be shot at.
Now, again, focusing on the need for aid in in Gaza, the reason why you saw those scenes yesterday beyond the Israeli gunfire, just looking at the massing of people around these aid trucks, is because so little aid has been able to get into northern Gaza. We have seen international agencies, but in particular, countries like Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and others, are increasingly dropping aid via the air in order to try and get aid into northern Gaza. But, that just represents a small drop in the bucket when you look at the overall need.
The World Food Programme has warned that if nothing is -- nothing changes here by May, Gaza -- half a million people in Gaza could be facing a full-blown famine. And today also we're getting an update now from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Rahel, I should note, which says that now the death toll from yesterday's event is up to 115 people killed, more than 760 people injured, and still many, many more questions about this incident. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Absolutely. Jeremy Diamond live for us in Tel Aviv. Jeremy, thank you.
Voters, meantime, in Iran are choosing the country's next parliament. Around 15,000 candidates are competing for 290 seats, and nearly 150 people are running for the 88 seats in the Assembly of Experts. That assembly has the power to appoint Iran's highest political authority, the Supreme Leader. Now, despite the government's efforts, turnout is expected to be at record lows.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen saw Iran's Supreme Leader just a short time ago, and he joins us live from Tehran. Fred, good to have you. Talk to us a little bit about what you're seeing on the ground there.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rahel. Well, one of the things that we're seeing is that normally the polls were actually supposed to close right now. They were actually supposed to close initially two hours ago.
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But then, the authorities here said that so many people were still wanting to cast their ballots that they extended voting hours by two hours. That was supposed to end now. But, I am seeing behind me at the polling station here, which is one of the main ones in Tehran, inside the Hosseinieh Ershad mosque, that the doors still are -- still open there. So, it seems as though maybe the voting hours will be extended once again. But, at the same time, you're absolutely right. One of the things that we've seen in the run-up is that pollsters were saying that they do believe that the turnout could be at record lows, they believe in the low 40s percentages. Some believe that they could be even lower than that.
But, one of the things that we have seen in the past days that we were on the ground here in Tehran was a massive push by the Iranian authorities to try and get out to vote, to try and get people to vote. In fact, pretty much everywhere that you go to here, you can see posters on the streets urging people to go and cast their ballots in this election. Some of the folks that we've been speaking to on the ground in Tehran said that they were quite disillusioned with some of the policies that they've seen over the past four years from parliament. They said that they were not going to vote. But, there were also others. We were at some events from conservative organizations where they said that they would come out and cast their ballots.
So, it's really up in the air how big the turnout is going to be. But, certainly, this is definitely a pivotal election for Iran and for the future of the country, that at least according to the Supreme Leader who cast his ballot earlier today, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah, certainly, especially in light of all the domestic turmoil we have witnessed the last few years. Let me ask, Fred, in terms of the tensions in the region, as of late, what you can share with us about how closely the U.S. is monitoring these elections?
PLEITGEN: Well, they'll certainly be monitoring very closely to see what happens in Iran in the future and to see whether or not the turnout is actually going to be as high as the authorities hope here. Of course, one of the things that the Supreme Leader of this country once again said earlier today is that he believed that high turnout would also be a message, as he put it, to the enemies of Iran. And of course, the first and foremost enemy of Iran is the United States here in this region.
And one of the things that we've been hearing a lot from politicians in Iran is that they say that they're concerned about a possible escalation between Iran and the United States, especially in light of the war that's going on in Gaza, Israel's operation against Hamas there, and they do fear that that could have regional repercussions and certainly hurt the stability in the region. We've already seen a taste of that, of course, with some of those attacks by pro-Iranian militias in the region that has led to a further confrontation between Iran and the United States.
So, certainly, the U.S. will be watching this very closely. The Israelis will be watching this very closely. And certainly, the countries in the region will be watching what happens on the ground here in Iran very closely as well, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Great to have you on the ground there to provide that real close perspective there. Fred Pleitgen live for us in Iran. Fred, I thank you.
And still to come for us, right now, Donald Trump's focus is on his Florida hearing, followed by a busy weekend on the campaign trail. Coming up, I'm going to speak with CNNs Michael Smerconish on what you need to know about Trump's legal troubles out of Super Tuesday. And then, WeightWatchers is losing some serious star power. Oprah Winfrey announcing that she is leaving the company's board. We'll talk about how Wall Street is reacting. I can tell you, it is not positive. We'll be right back.
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[11:40:00]
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as a director of the company. Now, she didn't reveal a reason. But, WeightWatchers says that it wasn't because of a disagreement, adding that Oprah will remain a "strong, strategic voice and collaborator". Now, the news sent WeightWatchers stock tumbling on Thursday, although this morning it has since recovered, at least some of that loss.
Let's bring in Nathaniel Meyersohn who was in New York. Nathaniel, I mean, just explain for us, I mean, Oprah is obviously a mogul, as we said. But, why is her stepping down such a big blow to WeightWatchers, and what do we know about the pivot the company now expects to make with its business?
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: So, Rahel, I think we all know how important Oprah is for these businesses. We all know about the Oprah effect. What is most interesting to me, though, about this story is the timing of Oprah's departure from WeightWatchers. It comes at a really difficult moment for the company and the weight loss industry, which has been upended by the rise of Ozempic, Wegovy, and these GLP-1 drugs. So, WeightWatchers has been really trying to pivot its business. It bought a company that has access to doctors who can prescribe these weight loss medications. So, WeightWatchers is trying to shift from diet culture and wellness culture into these drugs. And Oprah herself had said that she was taking a weight loss drug.
So, this is just a really difficult moment for WeightWatchers and for the industry, and certainly Oprah leaving WeightWatchers is just going to add to the pressure on the company. And we see a Jenny Craig recently filed for bankruptcy. So, look, if you're a traditional weight loss company, you are in trouble right now. And Oprah leaving is not going to help.
SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, Oprah does sort of have that -- seem to have the magic touch. Nathaniel, I'm so interested in how these drugs have really touched a lot of different industries. I mean, I've seen even some of the grocery stores talk about the impact of weight loss drugs in their earnings calls. So, just talk to us a bit about what other industries these drugs seem to be touching and impacting.
MEYERSOHN: Yeah. So, weight loss -- the weight loss industry is not the only industry that has been upended by the rise of these drugs, grocery stores, as you mentioned. I've been working on a story about gyms that are trying to respond to this trend. So, you have luxury gyms like Equinox and Lifetime Fitness. They're trying to pivot their businesses to try to attract members who are on these GLP-1s. So, Lifetime has launched kind of a weight loss clinic. Equinox is targeting a membership a plan for people who are on these GLP-1s. You see grocery stores. And not -- JPMorgan predicts that nine percent of the U.S. population will be on one of these drugs by 2030.
So, you can tell why these businesses are just scrambling to adjust to this rapid rise.
SOLOMON: Nathaniel, would you say that we're starting to see a case of the haves and the have nots? Because it seems like there -- it seems like these drugs are such a massive disrupter in the weight loss industry. You're seeing some industries really benefit from it and you're seeing others really struggle in this new space.
MEYERSOHN: Yeah. I think that the food companies, some of these snack companies and sugary drink companies, really could struggle as more people start to take Ozempic. And so, look, I think there is still a lot of uncertainty about the impact of these drugs on different industries. But, investors and executives, everybody is trying to figure it out. And so, you could start to see a divergence of companies that are doing well because of the drugs, but also companies that start to struggle. If you're kind of an Oreo or some of these are Twinkies, I'm not sure if the future is looking as bright for you.
SOLOMON: Yeah. I love how I call it the haves and have nots. You put it a lot more tactfully, some companies who will do well and some who won't. Nathaniel Meyersohn, thank you. Good to have you.
All right. Let's take a look at some shares and see how WeightWatchers are doing today. You can see shares are trading at about $3.33 a share, up seven percent today, but really tanked yesterday after the news of Oprah stepping down from the board there.
[11:45:00]
And let's take a look at the broader market. The NASDAQ is up about half a percent. The Dow was pretty much flat, but we'll still call it green. And the S&P is up about four tenth of one percent as well.
And taking a look at markets overseas, Europe and Asia finished the day in the green.
All right. Still ahead for us, only four more days until the U.S. presidential Super Tuesday contest. Trump and Nikki Haley are making their final pitches to voters before they head to the polls. And coming up after a short break, CNN's Michael Smerconish will join us to discuss and break it all down. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. As we've been reporting this morning, there are two critical hearings today that could have a huge impact on Donald Trump's legal standing. This comes as Trump competes with Nikki Haley to win over voters in the final days before Super Tuesday.
Here to break it all down for us is host of CNN's "Smerconish" and our Political Commentator, Michael Smerconish, who joins us from the great city of Philadelphia City. We both know very well. Michael, good to have you today.
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, "SMERCONISH", & CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi Rahel. Thank you for having me.
SOLOMON: Let me ask, with these two hearings happening today, it appears that Trump's team is successful at, at least delaying some of these things. I'm wondering, if voters don't have the opportunity to see how this plays out before November, how impactful do you think that's going to be come November?
SMERCONISH: It may matter a lot and it may matter not at all, because as you know, when you look at the polling data, people who are supportive of Donald Trump have routinely said maybe in the 20 percent to 20 percent range. But, if there is a conviction, then I wouldn't be supportive of Trump. I'm not sure I believe them, because they've stuck with Trump through thick and thin thus far. You know the line. He claims he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and still get away with it and win. And I think in the eyes of many of his voters, that's probably the case.
There is also significant difference between these four different actions, as you point out, two hearings today, but two federal trials, two state trials. But, the only case that gets to trial before the election is seemingly the first one up, which is we're now in March. Maybe later this month, the Alvin Bragg prosecution for the hush money payment. I don't know that that necessarily hurts him. I really don't. I don't know that that's going to cause any of his base people who are already voting for him to abandon him. It's certainly not going to cause people to flock toward him. So, it's yet another of those intangibles.
In my mind, the big issue is whether the January 6 federal case, the case pending before Judge Chutkan in the District of Columbia, is that going to get to trial before November, because I think that's the most perilous case to him. And as you know, Rahel, the Supreme Court has just said they're going to hear that with arguments in April, the immunity claim.
SOLOMON: Yeah. You know what, Michael? That's an interesting point, because we saw in the federal documents case in Florida that the Trump team is now saying, OK, you know what? We'll take an August start date. And the thinking perhaps is maybe they would prefer that trial versus the federal election subversion case.
Michael, let me turn gears and switch gears to the board, and we saw both Joe Biden, the President, and the former president at the border. Let's take a listen to some of what they had to say.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a Joe Biden invasion. This is a Biden invasion. Over the past three years, the United States is being overrun by the Biden migrant crime.
[11:50:00]
It's a new form of vicious violation to our country. It's migrant crime. We call it Biden migrant crime.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Here's what I would say to Mr. Trump. Set a planned policy position. Instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me, or I'll join you in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together.
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SOLOMON: And Michael, the reason why I wanted to play that is because, one, as you know, it is notable that Biden is even on the border. It's a second time since taking office. But, when you look at polling, immigration appears to be the issue right now for voters. Look -- I mean, more than even twice the economy, more than even twice inflation, unlike inflation where the Fed has a lot of control. Michael, do you think this is an issue where the President can change the narrative and say, look, I actually tried to improve the situation, but the other guy tanked the deal? Can the Dems turn that issue around? What do you think?
SMERCONISH: I think that's a logical argument, the way you just expressed it. I mean, there was bipartisan support in that Senate bill. And it's pretty obvious, at least to me, that Donald Trump then put the word out with Senate Republicans that he didn't want to see any progress because he knows it is pun intended. It's his trump card. It's his strongest issue. You're right. Gallup this week said it's the number one issue on the minds of voters. And then, Trump putting the kibosh on it, you would think would bolster Biden, but I don't know that it will, Rahel. I don't know that people are paying close enough attention to recognize what's just gone on.
And I also don't see a constituency of people who were really upset about the border, and they say, we need Biden, because it's Joe Biden who is going to bring us border control. There doesn't seem to be passionate about Biden and the border the way there is for Trump.
SOLOMON: What are you watching in the State of the Union? This might be the President's largest audience to date before November, certainly if we don't see any dates -- any debates. What are you watching, Michael?
SMERCONISH: More than message, more than policy, his ability to deliver it. And I have to say this. For all the concerns about his acuity, his mental acuity, or frailty, use whatever word choice you would, last year in the State of the Union, I thought it was one of his best appearances ever. He was, I don't know if heckled is the right word. But, Rahel, remember the exchanges that he had with Republican detractors, I thought Biden handled himself very, very well in the State of the Union. Well, he is a year older. We're all a year older. You got to see how he is doing on Thursday night. There'll be a lot of attention just to make sure that he is on top of his game.
SOLOMON: What about Super Tuesday? Do you think a week from now -- do you think on next week's show, do you think we're still going to be talking about Nikki Haley? I mean, the stakes for her it seems like couldn't be larger.
SMERCONISH: Rahel, what a week is coming up. Super Tuesday on Tuesday, for like a year we've been talking about, and when we get to Super Tuesday, well, we're there. Super Tuesday, State of the Union, and then keep your eye on this. A week from today, No Labels, 800 people getting together from 50 states and trying to bring to resolution what are they going to do. So, I think we're going to know a lot more about Nikki Haley, a lot more about Joe Biden, and a lot more about a third- party candidate by this time next week.
SOLOMON: OK. Talk to us about tomorrow. What can we expect from tomorrow's show? SMERCONISH: I want to game out. I want to game out the timeline of how the summer might play out with Trump being tried or not. And I'm going to pose the question. What happens if Trump is put on trial post Labor Day? Would DoJ even do that? DoJ doesn't want to do anything that's political. Of course, a trial judge is going to set the trial date. But, is Merrick Garland or Jack Smith, are they going to want to try Trump in September or October? That fascinates me.
SOLOMON: Wow. I didn't even realize that that was a possibility because it is so close to November.
SMERCONISH: Well, stop and think about. So, the Supreme Court hears argument on the January 6 case in April. They come back, what, June. Judge Chutkan says she needs two months for the teams to prepare. It's Labor Day. So, now it's the start, like the unofficial start of the final sprint of the campaign. Are we really going to see Donald Trump sitting in a courtroom on trial instead of campaigning, instead of attending debates? I mean, everything else has been so crazy. Maybe that happens too.
SOLOMON: And then, talk to me a little bit about sort of the one thing you're watching. As you pointed out, I mean, it feels like these days, every week feels consequential in the world of politics, but this week, especially because of all of those things, State of the Union, the Super Tuesday. What are you watching?
SMERCONISH: I don't think that Donald Trump is successful with his immunity argument in front of the Supreme Court. I just -- I don't think that's going anywhere. It's not so much how it ends. It's the way that it's handled and the timing of it. I'm most interested to see what the timeline will be like, because I think that the spectacle, and of course there are no cameras in a federal courtroom, but still the spectacle of a major party candidate in the heat of the campaign being on trial, I don't know how that breaks.
[11:55:00]
If there are no cameras, a lot of people are going to resort to their cable outlet of choice and probably be reinforced in their beliefs. Maybe it doesn't make a big difference. But, there is so many intangibles that we have no idea what's coming and what's going to play out in already a kind of a nutty election cycle.
SOLOMON: Yeah, for sure. And then before I let you go, Michael, just because you're in Philly, a city that I know and love very well, and a city that Biden has visited many times certainly over the last year, I'm wondering if you would give me your quick take on Michigan and the primary results there. It's an area where he hasn't visited as much. Do you think that was a mistake, especially in light of what we saw with the vote there?
SMERCONISH: I thought that the uncommitted vote, and what did it end up, being 13 percent, for in -- in the --
SOLOMON: More than 100,000. SMERCONISH: -- Biden election was -- yeah. I mean, it's a lot of people. And of course, it all stems from the perception of the Arab community, in terms of his support for Israel not withstanding what's just transpired in Gaza in the last 24 hours. And then you look at Nikki Haley and the vote that she is getting. When you remove however all the obstacles and it's just Trump and it's just Biden, I think we could run that election tomorrow and get the same result that we'll get eventually.
SOLOMON: Wow. That's fascinating. Well, we'll leave it there. Michael Smerconish, always a pleasure to have you. We'll see you --
SMERCONISH: Thank you.
SOLOMON: -- tomorrow. Thank you.
SMERCONISH: See you, Rahel. Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. And thank you for being with me today. We know your time is money. So, I so appreciate it. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. I'll see you next week. But, don't go anywhere. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.
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