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CNN International: Trump In Court For Classified Documents Case; U.S. President Joe Biden Campaigns In Midwest States; House Passes Bill That Could Ban TikTok From U.S. App Stores. Aired 11a-12pET
Aired March 14, 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, CNN INT HOST: Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
Right now in Florida, Donald Trump is in a federal courthouse for hearing in the classified documents case. Coming up, we will discuss the former President's legal strategy. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is on the campaign trail in key swing states across the upper Midwest, and Vice President Kamala Harris is set to make a historic visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic. We're going to have a live report from Wisconsin straight ahead. And as the security situation in Haiti continues to worsen, the U.S. is considering using the naval base at Guantanamo Bay to process Haitian migrants.
Right now, Donald Trump is in a Florida courtroom where his attorneys are trying to get the classified documents case against him thrown out. Now, at issue here is whether as President he was entitled to keep the documents he wanted at his estate. Trump faces dozens of charges after prosecutors say that he took the sensitive materials to Mar-a-Lago, then enlisted the help of lawyers and aides to try to block the government's attempt to retrieve them. Now, he has pleaded not guilty. The hearing going on now is a critical one. It could decide whether this case will go to trial.
Let's bring in former Federal Prosecutor Michael Zeldin on this. Michael, welcome. Always good to have you. First, let's just lay out, what is the case that Trump's lawyers are trying to make here?
MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: What they are saying is that as President, which he was just hours before he took these documents to Mar-a-Lago, he was able to designate them as personal property, and that when he designated them as such, and there is no proof that he actually did that, but when he designated them as such, they were no longer presidential records that belong to the government, and therefore, any effort to get them back from him was ill considered. He also was saying that the Presidential Records Act, which designates certain types of information, is vague. He doesn't understand what a national security document is, and therefore the case should be thrown out because that statute on its face doesn't allow enough clarity for him to defend himself. I think both of those motions should fail, Rahel. But, you never know.
Judge Cannon has made mistakes in this case in the past, and we'll have to wait and see sort of edge of our seat to see whether she gets the law correct this time around.
SOLOMON: And Michael, would you say, as a former federal prosecutor, that the law on these issues is relatively clear or settled, or is it open to interpretation, as Trump's team claims?
ZELDIN: Well, it's open to interpretation in the sense that it's never been applied because there has never been a President who has determined that nuclear secret documents are personal and they belong to him. So, it's a matter of first impression. But, I think the law on its face, when you read it, and it says, what is a presidential record and what is a personal record is quite clear. And what is a national defense document is quite clear. So, yes, it's new and that it's being applied for the first time. But, that's not going to make it less clear to the President and it should be something that the judge finds to be without merit.
SOLOMON: Michael, as you say, we're all sort of on the edge of our seats because the implications here are so huge. Walk me through the range of scenarios here in terms of what the judge can decide, and how that might change the trial date, because as of now, we still don't have a start date.
ZELDIN: Right. For Trump, best case scenario is she says, these are personal records. He was allowed to designate them as personal records. The statute is vague on its face. And therefore, I dismissed the charges pending an appeal to the 11th Circuit. That's sort of the blue sky best for Trump.
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The worst is she says, no, you can't designate them as personal records and the statute is clear. And we're going to set this case down for trial in July, as the prosecutor asks. And then, of course, there is every slippery slope grade of a possibility in between those two bookends.
SOLOMON: And Michael, really quickly before I let you go, even if she would set it for July, there is still the likelihood of additional motions. There is still the likelihood of other matters having to be discussed. Do you see a world in which this goes to trial before November?
ZELDIN: It could if the judge really pushed it along. But, so far, she has been slow walking this. I don't know if she is doing it for political reasons or inexperience reasons, or just the way she runs her courtroom. But, it is feasible for it to be tried before the November election, assuming no interference by other cases. But, so far, the indications are that she is taking her time and that is going to make trial before November very difficult.
SOLOMON: Certainly a lot to watch as we all are on the edge of our seats, as you say, Michael Zeldin. Michael, good to have you today. Thank you.
ZELDIN: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. And we -- yeah. And we continue to keep a close eye on another legal battle involving Donald Trump. At any moment, the judge in the Georgia election interference case could rule on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the case.
On March 1, you might remember, Judge Scott McAfee said that he expected to decide Willis' fate within two weeks, and he is promising to stick to his timeline. Now, lawyers for Mr. Trump and his co- defendants accused Willis of financially benefiting from her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, by hiring him to be her special prosecutor. So, two big cases that we will continue to, of course, keep an eye on.
In the meantime, it is also a historic day on the U.S. presidential campaign trail. US Vice President Kamala Harris set to stop at a Planned Parenthood clinic in just a few hours. It's believed to be the first visit by a sitting U.S. President or Vice President. Meantime, President Joe Biden is in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Let's get to CNN's Jeff Zeleny, who is traveling with the President, to give us a sense of what more we can expect. Jeff.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN U.S. CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Rahel, President Biden, well, was here in Milwaukee yesterday, talking about his infrastructure plan. He'll be going to Michigan to do a similar thing today. This is really just continuing his lap, if you will, of battleground states in the post-State of the Union address week. He has hit nearly a half dozen battleground states. By the end of the month, he will hit all of the battleground states.
The point, of course, the first order of business, is trying to shore up concerns among some Democrats about the fact that, yes, he is going to be the party's nominee, and then trying to excite them for the months to come. But, he is announcing specific infrastructure deals, like here in Milwaukee, for example, really taking that big bipartisan infrastructure law and reducing it to a granular level what this city and this state will see. In fact, Wisconsin as a key state has already received $6 billion in funding from the infrastructure law.
So, the President clearly trying to use his accomplishments to sell his agenda and his bid for reelection. But, heading into Michigan this afternoon, of course, another key battleground state as well, he'll be going to Saginaw, Michigan. That is one of only 25 counties in America, across the whole country, that for the last four presidential elections has picked the correct one, Obama, Obama, Trump, and Biden. We call that a -- that's very interesting. It's a bellwether. So, he'll be going there this afternoon. But, really, this is all part of selling his message. Of course, as you said, Donald Trump is in a courtroom. His opponent, President Biden, is actually on the campaign trail. Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Jeff, you follow the President, certainly closer than most. It certainly appears that he is on the campaign trail a lot more within the last week or two, certainly since the State of the Union. Is this part of a strategy to really sort of get out there on the streets, get out there in front of voters between now and November from what you can tell?
ZELENY: Well, sure. I mean, it's apart to really take that energy that we saw at the State of the Union address, and to reassure Democrats that he is up for the task. That is really the first thing he must do is to bring people who voted for him last time back and offer some reassurances. It's unlikely he will keep up this pace of campaigning going to a different state virtually every day. He, of course, has a day job and that's being President, so many challenges on his desk and plate as well.
But, this certainly is the sense that he is ramping up, and also visiting some campaign offices along the way. He visited one here in Milwaukee just last evening and meeting with volunteers and campaign staffers, acknowledging that this in fact is a difficult race ahead. He needs their help. And it's a much different campaign. We think back to four years ago. The pandemic was just beginning.
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That changed the entire nature of the campaign. There are no zoom calls in this campaign, and volunteers will be out knocking on doors, sort of reaching out to voters. So, the President clearly is shoring up his campaign team, but more importantly, perhaps reassuring voters that he is up to this task. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Very different election year this time around. Jeff Zeleny in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jeff, thank you.
ZELENY: You bet.
SOLOMON: All right. Coming up still ahead for us, our panel breaks down the state of the race as the presidential campaign swings through a courtroom, as we said, an abortion clinic and the U.S. Midwest. Plus, the U.S. is looking to mitigate a secondary crisis from Haiti's gang problem. Why Guantanamo Bay could factor into a temporary solution? We will be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. It is a wild day on the U.S. presidential campaign trail, as former President Donald Trump sits in a Florida courtroom awaiting a ruling on his classified documents case. Well, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to become the first sitting Vice President to visit an abortion clinic. And President Joe Biden is on the road for a two-day swing through Midwestern battleground states.
Let's discuss all of this with our panel today. Maria Cardona is a CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist, and Matt Gorman is a Republican Strategist and former Senior Advisor to Tim Scott's 2024 presidential campaign. Welcome to you both.
Let me start with you, Matt. Any concern -- I mean, this does appear to be a theme that the presumptive Republican nominee, well, the Republican nominee is in court as his challenger is on the campaign trail. It hasn't hurt him yet. But, does it become a problem with moderates moving forward?
MATT GORMAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think we're entering a phase in the campaign fairly quickly where the courtroom and the campaign chart be intertwined in a lot of ways for the Trump campaign. Look, how he managed to leverage this and still get a message out, a message that isn't just solely about his own courtroom, what's going on in there, is going to be key. Does it happen a little bit like he did during COVID, where at the end of every day, he would talk to the press and debrief them a little bit like that? But, as we know, with COVID, it kind of got off the rails. So, the key here is, as he does everything in the courtroom at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, at the very least, can you still get a message out? That is what the voters want.
SOLOMON: Maria, what do you think? I mean, Biden getting in front of voters more and more. How much do you think that helps him really? MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Oh, I think it absolutely helps him, Rahel, and right at the time when the general election is essentially taking off. Like you said, they're really not the presumptive nominees. They are the nominees. These are the candidates. And what you're seeing today, Rahel, I think is a huge contrast that will absolutely benefit President Biden, not just with his Democratic coalition, but with independent voters, even Never Trump Republican voters, suburban women, all of the ones that he needs to be able to make sure that he gets reelected, because he is focusing on all of the issues that Americans care about.
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He is going from city to city to city to talk about what he has done for American families in the last three years, and importantly, what he is going to continue to do for them in the next four if he is reelected. He is talking about the economy. He is talking about housing. He is talking about the -- and the Vice President as well, talking about reproductive rights. So, I think it definitely benefits Biden, while the contrast is you have Donald Trump in a courtroom, which we know for his base is absolutely catnip for them. It helps. But, for independent voters, I think it's actually kryptonite.
SOLOMON: Maria and Matt, standby for just a moment. I want to welcome in my next guest, and then we'll continue on the other side of this.
With me now from Capitol Hill is Democratic Senator Chris Coons. He is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is also a co- chair of Joe Biden's reelection campaign. Senator, good to have you again. Thank you.
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Great to be on with you again, Rahel.
SOLOMON: I want to start with some comments within the last hour from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, if we can listen together and then I'll ask you on the other side a question.
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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed radically since then. And the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.
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SOLOMON: Senator, you were just in the region. You have seen firsthand what is happening in Gaza. Do you support -- do you agree with what we heard from Senator Schumer?
COONS: Well, I, obviously, just heard that brief clip. I'm not sure what the rest of his speech was about. But, let me interpret if I can. Prime Minister Netanyahu has a governing coalition in Israel. That includes two very far right-wing members, Minister Smotrich and Minister Ben-Gvir, and they have made it very difficult for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, for the preservation of stability in the West Bank.
And I think Leader Schumer in that speech was indicating that Prime Minister Netanyahu has a governing coalition whose vision doesn't align with Senator Schumer's vision for a path towards a two-state solution, for a path in which Israel both defends its civilian population against Hamas and protects the civilian population of Gaza. If that's roughly what his speech was about, then I think it is past time for us to be clear with our close and trusted ally Israel, that we have a real disagreement about the path forward between Israel and Palestine.
SOLOMON: Senator, would you also say that it is past time for a new election, which is also part of what Senator Schumer said? And I'll read for you, and I certainly take your point that you haven't heard it in full.
COONS: Right.
SOLOMON: But, he did say, "I believe a new election is the only way to allow for healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel." Do you share that sentiment that it is essentially time for Netanyahu to step aside?
COONS: Well, those are two different things, time for a new election and time for Netanyahu to step aside. Look, Israel is a democracy, and I think we need to respect that. As an ally in a democracy, whatever the result is of their elections, we should respect their free and fair elections. But, it may well result in Netanyahu no longer being the Prime Minister. He is significantly unpopular because many Israelis, in recent polls, have blamed him for the security failures of October 7. It has been Prime Minister Netanyahu's strategy for a long time to divide the Palestinian people between Gaza and West Bank, to weaken the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and to tolerate Hamas in Gaza, partly to avoid ever having to negotiate for a two- state solution. So, if I understand properly your question and the speech by Leader
Schumer that I didn't get to hear, I would understand why he might be saying it's time for new elections in Israel in order to make sure that the strategic direction of Israel aligns with its interests and values.
SOLOMON: Fair enough, and I appreciate you weighing in despite having not listened to the full interview.
Let me move on, Senator, and ask you about this bill to essentially ban TikTok if its ownership is not essentially moved into an ownership structure that is not Chinese-owned. It obviously passed the House. It seems to have bipartisan support from very prominent senators. Do you support this legislation? Where do you stand on the issue?
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COONS: I'm inclined to support it if it accomplishes two goals, if TikTok will still be widely available in the United States, and if we can end the shipping of personally identifying data of Americans to the Chinese Communist Party. I have been briefed in the past on the security threat to our democracy, our society, to our citizens, posed by TikTok because it is controlled by a Chinese company. But, I have not had a full briefing. I know there are some folks arguing that there were First Amendment concerns. I want to make sure I take those into account. But, on a gut level, I want to make sure that social media, and that's not just TikTok, but that social media is not being misused, to mishandle the personal information of tens of millions of Americans.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Some 170 million Americans reportedly use TikTok. Senator, let me ask before I let you go, you are, of course, co-chair of the President's reelection campaign. The President has said -- has indicated that if this TikTok bill got to his desk, he would sign it. Any concerns or worries about how that might be viewed among younger voters who disproportionately use TikTok?
COONS: I think it's important to be clear that the goal of this legislation is not to ban TikTok. It's not to shut it down. It's not to deprive Americans of the opportunity to participate in the ingenuity and the creativity that is a comment on the TikTok platform. It's instead to stop the pipeline from their phones to the Chinese Communist Party, and the ways in which it may be mishandling their data.
So, I do think that if we fail to communicate effectively to younger Americans, many of us will have angry family members, myself included. I don't want to ban TikTok. I want to stop it from being able to take the data of Americans of all ages and backgrounds and send it to a foreign adversary.
SOLOMON: Yeah. It's a fair point. It's not just young Americans. It is small business owners. It is big business owners. I mean, as I said, 170 million people. It's a lot of people. Senator Chris Coons, we'll leave it here. Thanks so much for the time today.
COONS: Thank you.
SOLOMON: OK. Let's continue our conversation and welcome back our panel, CNN political commentator Maria Cardona, and Republican strategist Matt Gorman.
Maria, let me start with you. I'm not sure if you saw that TikTok video of the President, but I think we have it. Let's play a clip of the President on TikTok.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chiefs or Niners?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Two great quarterbacks. Hard to decide. But if I didn't say I was for the Eagles, then I'll be sleeping alone. My wife's a Philly girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: So, Maria, that was obviously right before the Super Bowl, not long ago. If the President just said that he would sign this if it crosses his desk, or has indicated, which one is it? Is it a national security concern, or is it a good way to reach young Americans?
CARDONA: Well, it seems right now, Rahel, it's actually both. And I actually think it's smart for the White House to be using this platform as long as it's legal, and as long as it is something that is useful to reach younger voters, like you said, small business owners and others. I think it's important for them to be using every tool at their disposal. But, to Senator Coons' point, it's also true that it is a national security threat. They are -- the Chinese government is using and abusing a lot of the information that they are getting through this platform.
And so, while this has to go through to -- and if it gets to a bill that gets to the President's desk, it is absolutely important for them to clarify. As the Senator said, it is not a banning of TikTok. It is just either changing ownership, or for sure making sure that the pipeline of the data coming from American users stops and doesn't get into the hands of the Chinese government.
SOLOMON: Matt, let me ask. I mean, you are communications strategist. I mean, do you think that they could effectively communicate that nuance, or is the headline that this is a bill to ban TikTok and that's what people actually hear and that's what people actually process?
GORMAN: Well, TikTok and the CCP wanted to make it seem like it's a bill to ban TikTok. But, it doesn't have to be. Look, at the end of the day, TikTok, functionally controlled by the CCP, has a choice to make. If they really want the data on Americans' face prints, fingerprints, and the like, they can then say, no, we will not divest. We will take our data and consider it a job well done. If they are -- if ByteDance and others are interested in actually continuing this app, then they can let it go through American owners, whether it's Steve Mnuchin or anyone else that wants to buy this thing, then they can do it.
But, it's really what their motivations will be laid clear if this is signed into law. Do they want TikTok to be banned and keep the data, or would they rather have TikTok go forward? The ball is in their court entirely if this passes. It doesn't have to be a ban, but it could be if that's what they want it to be.
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SOLOMON: Really quickly, Maria, let me just ask you to weigh in on the Vice President Kamala Harris set to visit this Planned Parenthood clinic. It's never been done before by sitting President or a Vice President. Why do you think that is in the significance of this moment?
CARDONA: I'm so glad you asked me that, Rahel. I love that she is doing this. The Vice President is a huge asset to the Biden campaign, to this country. She is out there communicating the message that it's the Biden campaign and the Biden administration that is out there making sure to protect Americans' rights and liberties, women's freedoms. And this visit to the abortion clinic, I think, will underscore the fact that this is a freedom and a right and a liberty that is absolutely in jeopardy in this country, thanks to Donald Trump and the Republicans. That has been a winning message for us since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. It was instrumental in 2022, and frankly, in all of this special elections, and it will be that in 2024, especially since Donald Trump has now said he would sign a national abortion ban.
So, I love that she is doing this. It is super strategic, really smart to continue to make this issue front and center for the 2024 elections.
SOLOMON: OK. We'll leave it here. CNN political commentator Maria Cardona, and Republican strategist Matt Gorman, good to see you both. Thank you.
GORMAN: Thank you.
CARDONA: Thanks so much, Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Coming up, a milestone for the SpaceX program. Just ahead, the third launch of its powerful Starship rocket and what happened next. Plus, class is in session and the subject today is freedom. Later in the program, we will be live at schools celebrating My Freedom Day. We will be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom, and I'm Rahel Solomon in New York.
Here are some of the international headlines we're watching for you today. The brotherly rivalry continues within the royal family. According to the UK Press Association, Prince William and Prince Harry will separately take part in today's events, honoring the legacy of their mother Diana. William is expected to give a speech, but Harry will join via a video call, and that is expected to happen after William leaves the ceremony.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says that he is putting together a team to buy TikTok. His potential bid comes after the U.S. House passed a measure to ban the Chinese-owned social media giant or force a sale. Mnuchin says that under his deal, no entity would have more than 10 percent control of TikTok.
A shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea should arrive soon. A charity bow caring to 200 100 tonnes of food is just hours away.
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Today, the European Union's top humanitarian official again called on Israel to urgently open more land routes, saying that there are already pockets of famine in Gaza.
Well, the U.S. could use Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a temporary solution if large numbers of people start fleeing Haiti. A U.S. official says that the Biden administration is having discussions on expanding capacity at the site's migrant center. This comes as concerns grow over a potential exodus from Haiti due to its rampant gang violence.
Let's bring in White House Correspondent Priscilla Alvarez, who joins us now. So, Priscilla, what more do we know about how seriously the White House is considering using Guantanamo Bay? I mean, can it accommodate an influx of migrants?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the short answer to that is no. This is a little-known center that is, again, on Guantanamo Bay, and it is separate from where they hold terrorists suspects. This is a different facility all together. But, this is something that is being seriously discussed within the White House and within the administration, writ large in terms of whether they should expand the facility in anticipation of a potential mass exodus of Haitians, of course, given the situation on the ground there and the deteriorating conditions.
There has been growing concern within the White House about Haitians leaving and heading to the shores of South Florida. We've already seen that before in 2022. There were a number of makeshift vessels that were landing in Florida, and these are vessels that hold more than 100 migrants for this dangerous and perilous days-long journey. And so, if that were to happen again, the administration is having to draw up contingency plans for what facilities are available to them to process these migrants and then repatriate them, either to Haiti or to a third country.
Now, I have been told from the White House, the following, when I asked them about these plans, they said "We are clear eyed that economic, political, and security instability are key drivers for migrants around the world. We are closely monitoring the situation and the routes frequently used by migrants to reach our borders and at this time, irregular migration flows through the Caribbean remain low." Again, what we're talking about here is maritime migration. That is people that are fleeing by sea to the United States.
And so, this is a logistical challenge for the administration should they decide to expand the capacity. But also, the department that would be front and center on this, the Department of Homeland Security, is also running out of cash. They are waiting for additional funding, and without that, it requires a lot of logistical gymnastics really to get the personnel they need down there and also to make sure that everything is in place along with partners with the Defense Department and the State Department. But again, Rahel, above all else, these discussions are yet another sign of how concerned the administration is about what is happening in Haiti currently and what the aftermath of that might be.
SOLOMON: Priscilla Alvarez live for us at the White House. Priscilla, thank you.
Meantime, Russians are getting ready to head to the polls for a fairly predictable presidential election. Voting runs from Friday through Sunday, and Vladimir Putin is expected to easily hold on to power for a fifth term. The election comes as the Kremlin battles domestic dissent and resistance to its war in Ukraine.
CNN's Matthew Chance reports now from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They call themselves the Siberian Battalion, one of several Ukraine- based Russian paramilitaries that are striking across the Russian border. We can't verify their video. But, the group says it shows their latest assault on Russian soil ahead of a presidential vote that Vladimir Putin is certain to win. Never mind voting at the ballot box, says this fighter, taking cover. Join us and vote with the gun, he says.
More dramatic video from another group, the Freedom of Russia Legion say they assaulted Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions. Two Russian villages, they say, were captured. Russian officials say all the attacks were pushed back with dozens of invaders killed, as well as several tanks destroyed. It is Ukrainian election interference, according to the Russian President, who is set, regardless, to secure a fifth term in the Kremlin.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): The main goal, I have no doubt about it, is to if not disrupt the presidential elections in Russia, then at least somehow interfere with the normal processes of expressing the will of citizens.
CHANCE (voice-over): But, human rights groups say that normal process has already been distorted in a Kremlin crackdown on dissent, including hundreds of detentions at memorials for opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died suddenly last month in an Arctic penal colony.
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Just this week, his former Chief of Staff in exile, Leonid Volkov, said he was brutally attacked by a man with a hammer outside his home in neighboring Lithuania, left with painful wounds and a broken arm.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin strongman is already looking beyond the Russian election to the U.S. presidential race, insisting he will work with whoever, in his words, is trusted by the American people. But, he warned U.S. forces to stay out of the war in Ukraine.
PUTIN (Interpreted): The U.S. has said it's not sending troops to Ukraine. But, we know what American troops would be on Russian territory, interventionists. This is how we would treat them. Even if they appear on the territory of Ukraine, they understand this.
CHANCE (voice-over): But for now, it is Ukraine doing the fighting, unleashing a barrage of drone attacks across Russia, like this one in Belgorod. These images show a drone flying near a Russian oil facility in the city of Ryazan. Russian authorities say at least 25 Ukrainian drone attacks have been thwarted. But, as Russia's presidential election nears, the impact of its war next door is being increasingly felt.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: All right. Thank you, Matthew.
And SpaceX has lost its latest Starship rocket on reentry. This after a promising launch from Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Booster will start to do its flip and then move in, and moves back burn setting it up for an eventual splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Now, despite losing the rockets, SpaceX actually says it's still a major success. The unmanned rocket made it further into a test flight than ever before. SpaceX lost both its rocket and booster earlier in the process during the past two launches.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boosters now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: All right. Coming up for us, fast food consumers say they're actually not loving it. Still ahead, we will take a look at why some McDonald's customers are choosing to eat at home instead of at the Golden Arches. Plus, young people standing up to forced labor, and saying yes to opportunity. It is the eighth annual My Freedom Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The poster shows the comparison that the companies that use child labor and the ones that don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Welcome back. The eighth annual My Freedom Day is here, and students around the world are speaking out in classrooms and on social media, explaining what freedom means to them.
[11:40:00]
It's a student-led day of action against modern day slavery and a celebration of freedom. This year, the focus is on combating forced labor. We start our coverage this hour at the Atlanta International School. That's where students made a video debunking myth surrounding human trafficking.
Let's bring in our Lynda Kinkade who has been speaking with some of those students who made the video, and she joins us live. Lynda, I know you've been talking to the cute kids all morning. Talk to us a little bit about the conversations you've had and what you're hearing.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Rahel. Well, here at the Atlanta International School, about 1,000 students, more than 1000 students actually, aged five to 18 are taking action for My Freedom Day. And here we've got a little preview of what's going to happen over the next couple of hours, which is a film festival debunking myths around human trafficking. These three students, Jackson, Tanvika (ph), and Loganne made an incredible film debunking one myth. Loganne, just explain what your film is about.
JACKSON BROWN, 12 YEARS OLD: So, my film was about a basketball player who was getting trafficked by a woman online. So, the myths we're trying to debunk were a trafficker is someone you don't know, and in this instance, this is a person he knows, and he is known for a long time. And we're trying to debunk another myth that only women get trafficked when this one is the man get trafficked.
KINKADE: Excellent. Just for our viewers, Rahel, I just want to play a short clip from that film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: I'm looking for young basketball players for a commercial photo shoot. I know how good you are at basketball, and I told my boss that you'd be perfect.
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KINKADE: So, I think you just saw that clip. Jackson, obviously, starring in that film. Tanvika and Loganne also helped put this film together. How much effort went into making this film?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we had around 10 to -- like 10 people, mostly our group and other, like adults helping us. And we started around end of January, and then we started filming. KINKADE: And Loganne, how did you come up with this idea?
LOGANNE SERVALS, 12 YEARS OLD: Well, we were thinking about maybe like we do something school related with young people, so we can show that. Also young people are getting traffic, which is mostly our theme because we're doing child labor this year and human trafficking for kids. We wanted to bring up something school-related and we thought that an athlete would be good for this position, and it really showed that it could happen at any age. It could be even if you're like super popular, you want to play sports. It could happen to anyone.
KINKADE: Excellent. And from those students who've seen the film, Jackson, what was their takeaway? What lesson did they learn?
BROWN: Their takeaway is that there are several different myths about human trafficking. And we -- our mission was to learn -- teach them how to debunk these myths, and teach them how to fight human trafficking --
KINKADE: Excellent.
BROWN: -- in the correct way.
KINKADE: Excellent. And these students, Rahel, are just fifth, sixth and seventh graders making these films. These are some of the students you saw the film.
You're 11. What did you think about this film?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was pretty great. Freedom Day is like how you have to reflect on the people that have been trafficked, and you have to be grateful that you're not trafficked or you're in child labor.
KINKADE: And what did you make of this film? What was your lesson?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought that it was really important to watch this video because there are a lot of kids getting traffic around the world, because -- from people they do know and people they don't know, because sometimes they fall into things that they're not supposed to fall into.
KINKADE: And is it surprising to think that this isn't just an issue that happens elsewhere? This happens here in the United States, even in Atlanta.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It isn't surprising, because, yeah, it's like you talk about interior of the airport speakers. It talks about human trafficking. And so, it's just an issue all around the world that we have.
KINKADE: Excellent. And what does My Freedom Day mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it means like being aware that some people around the world are getting trafficked, and that we have to realize that, like, ways that we can help and ways that we can take action to try to eliminate this problem in the world.
KINKADE: Wonderful. And you saw this film. What did you make of it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was a good way to express how it's not good to take, what, people's freedom from what they already have, based on how they are if they're class, if they are popular or they're not. I just -- it's not a good thing to take away someone's freedom.
KINKADE: Exactly. And what does Freedom Day mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me, Freedom Day is a day that you have to think about, like, a lot of bad things that are happening to people around the world, and that some children are being, like, lured into these.
[11:45:00]
And I think that freedom is -- I think that every child deserves rights, no matter what their skin color is, no matter what their religion is, no matter what gender they are, that everybody deserves to be free.
KINKADE: Exactly. An important day of action here. And it also, luckily, involves in chocolate. We've got Katherine (ph) here who is hosting this Fair Trade chocolate table and coffee. Explain what fair trade means, and how people can use their purchasing power to stop human trafficking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fair Trade is a worldwide movement that works help economically disadvantaged farmers and manufacturers to ensure that they don't get used by big corporations and to make sure that they're able to get like paid equally and paid fairly. And by doing this, it helps to prevent like child labor as children don't need to be used in -- to create these products. And in addition, a big benefit of this is some of the money goes back to these disadvantaged communities and lets them grow and prosper.
KINKADE: Exactly, because we know, obviously, forced labor is in the future at many different food chains, including chocolate, including coffee. And do we get to have a sample today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Actually here, we are outside -- our table outside, we are letting students sign this anti-human -- anti-child labor petition and then get a chocolate for it. So, if you'd like to try one?
KINKADE: I will not say no to that. So, I will definitely try one of those. But, I just want to say, Rahel, there is a raft of activities throughout the day. Earlier we saw kindergarten kids and first graders learning about the rights of a child including the right to an education. Rahel, back to you.
SOLOMON: Just really incredible stuff there, just impressive to see those young people who know so much and are working to use their voices to spread awareness. Lynda Kinkade live for us there in Atlanta. Lynda, thank you. Now, let's go to Brazil and that's where students are dancing for
freedom. This dance rehearsal is just part of the commemorations of My Freedom Day. This is happening at the Red House International School in Sao Paulo.
Our Julia Vargas joins us there and joins us there live. So, Julia, give us a sense of sort of what you've heard and what you've been witnessing there.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER: A lot of education, Rahel. These students are learning about how we got to modern day slavery. What is the history of children and people of all ages being enslaved and being free from bondage? I'm here with the principal of Red House International (inaudible). (Inaudible), tell me a little bit about how are the activities unfolding at your school this week?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we have several activities going on. We have students dancing for freedom. We have students drawing. We have research going on. We have workshops leading. So, students are actually engaging into spreading the word about modern day slavery. Mainly because of our history in Brazil, people tend to think that slavery is something in the past. So, we are to make sure students actually understand this is such a modern and updated topic here in school.
JONES: And you can see, Rahel, around us, there are some letters that students wrote to companies that may be using slave labor or child labor. They're trying to use their voices to ask these companies to stop with these practices.
I want to speak to some of these students. Now they are middle schoolers. This is Donatella (ph). Correct? Come here. OK. What grade are you in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seventh.
JONES: Seventh grade. Donatella, do you want to read us a little excerpt of your letter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, of course. I feel concerned about this important matter, because I feel disturbed buying from a company that reinforces slavery. I'm also concerned that according to ILO, International Labor Organizations, millions of children are working. Could you imagine living this awful conditions in your childhood? This awful conditions will no hope for a better, fairer and deserved future that these kids never had. But, it's never too late to fix this.
JONES: Thank you so much. What are you going to do? Are you going to keep buying your products from these companies?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I'm not, because I think it is better you use like tiny companies because these tiny companies are usually using our Greek culture work, using handmade things. So, it's better to use like handmade clothing and maybe like a little -- a tiny technology. So, use tiny companies.
JONES: And what message do you have for people around the world about My Freedom Day? What does that mean to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it means that you need to -- freedom for me is to have the choice where you live, how your life works, but also you need to respect them like basic boundaries, like no disrespect for anyone and also respect -- but also because they respect your boundaries, you need to respect theirs.
JONES: Thank you so much, Donatella. And there is one more person that wanted to read a little piece of her letter.
[11:50:00]
Your name is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Melissa (ph).
JONES: Melissa, do you want to read a little part of your letter for us?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. I use a lot of your products, and I was really concerned with the fact that you get some ingredients from companies that have forced labor and child labor. I was not happy knowing that kids younger than me were suffering and having to work for 12 hours a day to get very little or no money. They worked after school, or even did not study to help their parents and families with money. And the worst part is that the number of kids that are in this situation is not small. At least one in 10 kids are suffering.
JONES: Thank you so much. As I said, Rahel, a lot of education. These kids are learning so much about what's going on in the world and here in their own country in Brazil. Rahel, back to you.
SOLOMON: Yeah, truly, truly impressive. Julia Vargas Jones, thank you, live for us there in Brazil.
Well, from California to India to the Ivory Coast, there is still so much more to learn about the problem of child labor worldwide and what you can do to help stop it. See what others are saying at #MyFreedomDay on social media, and watch our reporting on modern day slavery at cmm.com/myfreedomday.
Well, coming up, inflation may be down but economic problems continue for many businesses. Just ahead, a look at some of the challenges McDonald's and Family Dollar locations are facing. We're going to have a live report straight ahead.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Two major companies are facing some top economic challenges. McDonald's says that it has been forced to raise menu prices because of inflation. The result is that many low income consumers are choosing to eat at home instead. On the retail front, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree are planning to close about 1,000 stores across the U.S. They cite inflation as the main issue, but they've also struggled with a range of other problems.
Let's bring in CNN's Consumer Reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn. Nathaniel, it is it just inflation? I mean, what's behind this?
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN CONSUMER REPORTER: So, Rahel, for McDonald's, I think that you and I -- we've talked about these higher burger prices and some of the trends that we're seeing on social media, the $18 Big Macs, the $3 hashbrowns. And so, that's creating challenges for McDonald's, and it's really having an impact. And so, people are starting to buy less at McDonald's and some of these fast food restaurants and more at grocery stores. This year, restaurant prices, McDonald's prices, are up about 4.5 percent compared to grocery prices which have risen just one percent. So, groceries are looking like a bargain when you compare them against an $18 Big Mac meal.
SOLOMON: Fair enough. What about Family Dollar closing almost 1,000 stores? What's going on here?
MEYERSOHN: So, it's not just inflation with Family Dollar closing 1,000 stores, Rahel. I think that this story is really more about corporate mismanagement. Dollar Tree -- it's hard to keep track of all these Dollar stores, but Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar in 2015 and both -- and the company has just struggled to integrate Family Dollar. The stores are kind of run down. The prices are too high. So, it's not that consumers are necessarily pulling back from Dollar Stores. It's that Family Dollar has struggled with this new company.
[11:55:00]
Just today, Dollar General, which is the rival to Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, Dollar General has most of its stores in rural locations, Dollar General is doing well. Shoppers are going there. It's opening about 1,000 stores a year. So, people are still going to Dollar stores. They're just not going to Dollar stores that are run down like Family Dollar.
SOLOMON: That's really interesting. Yeah, because what you saw certainly during the peak of inflation is that some of these Dollar stores actually got increased traffic, because as consumers became more price conscious, they were looking for ways to stretch their dollar. And so, when I heard that we were doing this story, I was really sort of curious, Nathaniel, because it seems to buck the trend. But, to your point, sometimes, it's a specific company issue, not necessarily a macro issue. Really, really fascinating. Nathaniel Meyersohn, we'll leave it here. Thanks so much.
All right. And we know your time is money. So, thank you for spending some time with me today. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.
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