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CNN International: Biden: Will Halt Some Weapons Shipments If Israel Invades Rafah; Soon: Stormy Daniels Returns To The Witness Stand; Russia Celebrates With Putin's Speech, Parade. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired May 09, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:10]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom.
Straight ahead, U.S. President Joe Biden says he would halt some weapons shipments to Israel if its forces invade Rafah. We will have reaction to the CNN exclusive interview. Then, more testimony from Stormy Daniels, as Donald Trump's hush money trial resumes next hour. We'll discuss what to expect from her cross-examination. Plus, Russia marks Victory Day with a military parade and a speech from President Vladimir Putin. Why today's events were scaled down from years past?
As the U.S. President raises the pressure on Israel to hold back from an all-out assault on Rafah, Israeli airstrikes are taking a growing toll on the population of Rafah and other cities in Gaza. The United Nations estimates that nearly 79,000 people have fled Rafah since Monday when Israel ordered residents to evacuate the eastern part of the city. Aid groups are desperate for Israel to reopen key border crossings to bring in fuel and other supplies. One UNICEF staffer says, when fuel runs out, life support systems in hospitals stop.
Meanwhile, in just the last few minutes, we learned Hamas delegation to ceasefire and hostage release talks left Cairo, headed for Doha. Before leaving, they reaffirmed, rather, their commitment to the proposed deal. CIA Director William Burns joined delegations from Israel, Hamas, Egypt and Qatar. And Israeli officials are already reacting to a CNN exclusive, U.S. President Joe Biden telling Erin Burnett, he would hold some weapons shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. Israel's UN Ambassador says the decision could significantly impair Israel's military objectives. Mr. Biden says Israel has not yet crossed his red line despite several days of airstrikes and tank fire into the city. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT": I want to ask you about something happening as we sit here and speak, and that of course is Israel is striking Rafah. I know that you have paused, Mr. President, shipments of 2,000-pound U.S. bombs to Israel due to concern that they could be used in any offensive on Rafah. Have those bombs, those powerful 2000-pound bombs, been used to kill civilians in Gaza?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah, they haven't gone on Rafah yet, if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, that deal with the cities, that deal with that problem. We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out in the Middle East recently. But, it's just wrong. We're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells --
BURNETT: Artillery shells as well.
BIDEN: Yeah, artillery shells.
BURNETT: So, just to understand what they're doing right now in Rafah, is that not going into Rafah as you --
BIDEN: They haven't gotten in the population centers. What they did was right on the border, and it's causing problems with, right now, in terms of Egypt, which I've worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help. But, I've made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet, they are not going to get our support if in fact they go on these population centers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us live now from Jerusalem. And Jeremy, good to see you. So, first, that interview. What are the possible consequences?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly, you heard the President -- President Biden outlining the fact that weapons shipments from the United States that Israel needs to continue its war in Gaza will stop if the Israeli Prime Minister and his military cross the red line of going into Rafah's population centers, where a nearly 1.4 million Palestinians are currently living.
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Now, we know that for months, the United States has made very clear its opposition to a full-scale Israeli military offensive into Rafah because of how many civilians are there, because of the potential impact on the civilian population. There have been multiple meetings between U.S. and Israeli officials to try and work through those differences. But, clearly, the United States and President Biden felt that the Israeli government simply wasn't hearing them. And so, he has taken the unprecedented step as far, as his presidency is concerned, of tying a weapons shipments to Israeli actions on the ground. That is something that we have not seen before from the U.S. President, and it is resulting in quite a reaction here in Israel.
We have seen multiple members of Netanyahu's right-wing governing coalition slamming President Biden for this decision with Itamar Ben- Gvir, the far-right National Security Minister, tweeting "Hamas loves Biden". Bezalel Smotrich, another member of the far right here, saying that these comments from the President, this policy from the United States, should only harden Israel's will to go into Rafah with an all- out offensive. Others on the center of the Israeli political spectrum or on the left are blaming the President -- Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government for a failure of management in relationship with the United States for getting to the point where these disagreements have spilled so publicly into the public forum.
Now, we don't know yet to what extent this threat by President Biden to withhold further munitions shipments, to what extent it may or may not affect Israeli thinking as far as an all-out ground defensive in Rafah. For now, we've seen a limited ground operation in Rafah, but they have -- Israeli government officials have said that that operation will continue to expand until there is either a hostage and ceasefire deal or until Hamas is destroyed.
WHITFIELD: And when you say limited, is there any documentation of what that means in Rafah?
DIAMOND: Well, we have seen Israeli tanks and troops starting to move into parts of eastern Rafah. The evacuation of 100,000 civilians in that part of the area was ordered a few days ago. But, we are also seeing some impacts in central Rafah as well, including one blast that we -- that occurred yesterday, injuring about a dozen children.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The blast is so close to the Kuwait Hospital in central Rafah that the victims arrive on foot, in the arms of those who rushed them out of the rubble. So many of the victims are children, crying out for their parents. Others are silence, unresponsive, as the doctors desperately trying to save them. The hospital says most of the 25 people injured are children. Israeli tanks have yet to roll into central Rafah, but in the eastern part of the city, the Israeli military is two days into a ground operation that has killed dozens. They say they are carrying out targeted raids, working to eliminate Hamas militants and infrastructure, including tunnel shafts.
As people are pulled from the rubble of overnight strikes, the need for medical care is only rising in Rafah. But, this is the site at one of Rafah's three functioning hospitals, empty beds and abandoned medical equipment after Al-Najjar Hospital was forced to shut down. Patients and staff fleeing after the Israeli military ordered civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate. The hospital's doctors are now setting up a field hospital further west. But, with no Intensive Care Unit and only a third of the capacity, there is only so much they can do.
DR. IBRAHIM ABU NASSER, ABU YOUSSEF AL-NAJJAR HOSPITAL: We have this equipment work. We have (inaudible). We have less of electricity. We are suffering too much and (inaudible) civilian people killing women and men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tens of thousands of people are now fleeing Rafah, fearing the fighting, but also the uncertainty that lies ahead. Right now, we're going to Khan Younis, this man says. God willing, we'll find somewhere and we'll be able to put something up that resembles the tents. But, those who have already fled this coastal Al-Muwasi area, Israel's designated humanitarian zone, are finding little to sustain their struggle for survival.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Interpreted): I've been waiting from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. to fill one tank, and I couldn't fill it all. What should we do? The water isn't clean. Food isn't clean, neither is the canned food.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Interpreted): Find us a solution. We don't want wars. We were not born for wars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 400,000 people are already living in this sandy area. Hundreds of thousands more could soon join them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DIAMOND: And negotiations to try and reach that ceasefire and hostage deal over the course of this past week are still ongoing. But, we have just learned that a Hamas delegation that has been in Cairo has now left, returning to Doha, Qatar. Yesterday, we saw the CIA Director Bill Burns meeting directly with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. No word yet on to what extent the gap between Israel and Hamas, the two proposals that they have supported that are on the table, to what extent that gap has been bridged. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Still up in the air. Thanks so much, Jeremy Diamond. Appreciate that.
All right. Back in the U.S., when Donald Trump's hush money trial resumes this morning, a blockbuster witness returns to the stand. Stormy Daniels has been telling the jury about intimate details of her alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump. Sources tell CNN that Trump's defense team had originally planned a relatively quick cross- examination of Daniels. But, when she implied sex with Trump may not have been consensual, they decided to ask additional questions as a way of protecting Trump's reputation.
Our Brynn Gingras is at the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, and she is joining us live right now. All right. So, Brynn, what should be expected from Stormy Daniels' cross-examination today?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, a lot more from the defense team chipping away at Stormy Daniels' credibility. That is what they were getting started on. When court finished up on Tuesday, they basically were questioning her credibility, questioning her motives, basically saying -- getting her to admit that she hated President Trump on the stand.
Now, like you just said, Fred, they didn't expect to take a long time with her as a witness. But, they changed that tactic once they had heard what she was giving the prosecution, essentially saying that or implying, rather for jurors, that the sex between the former President and herself, which he denies, of course, was not consensual. And they said that they now have to ask more questions to make it clear, and to really improve the reputation of the former President. So, they said they have a lot more to go. Now, how long it is, it's not exactly clear. But, we also know right after that redirect will happen with the prosecution.
So, it's unclear how long Stormy Daniels is going to be on the stand today. But, certainly, going to be an eventful day in court. I got to tell you, Fred, we're standing out here, out here every single morning for court, and the line for the public to get in has grown longer and longer and longer. And a lot of people here want to see Stormy Daniels as a witness because it was so incredible testimony, really, for this case, aside from the fact that it's just a historic trial in general.
WHITFIELD: And Brynn, the judge wants the defense attorneys to control their client. The former President was making a lot of --
GINGRAS: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: -- gestures. He was using some profanity under his breath. The judge didn't like that. At the same time, the defense attorneys are challenging the whole gag order. What's the status on all of that?
GINGRAS: Yeah. So, the gag order, of course, this is something that the former President has talked about so much when he talks to the press how he doesn't think it should be in place. He thinks it's unconstitutional. It's against his rights. Now, that is something that they have filed in front of the Court of Appeals here in New York. Now, the court has said that they -- he first wanted to just at least halt this trial until they made a ruling about that gag order. Again, their argument that it's not constitution -- it's unconstitutional. Now, they're saying expedite that ruling since a ruling hasn't been made. And so, that's essentially what was just filed with the courts.
Yesterday, unclear how long that's going to take. But, we know that the former President has violated, according to the judge here, 10 times and been fined $1,000 each time. So, we'll see how that all plays out in the Court of Appeals here in New York.
WHITFIELD: All right. Brynn Gingras, we will be checking with you throughout the day. Thanks so much, outside the courthouse there in Lower Manhattan.
All right. This is a quote now, "We will not let anyone threaten us". That was the message from Russian President Vladimir Putin today as he addressed a Victory Day celebration in Red Square. Putin's speech came amid a military parade that, according to the country's Defense Minister, was scaled down from last year. Victory Day marks Russia's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Today's events came just two days after Mr. Putin's inauguration for another six-year term.
Let's bring in now CNN's Clare Sebastian, joining us from London with more on all this. Clare, a big event, even if scaled down from last year. So, what was Putin's main message to the crowd?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Last year was already scaled down, Fred. This year, smallest still fewer pieces of equipment, fewer soldiers. Look, obviously, I think the reason is that many of these modern battle tanks that Russia used to display on Victory Day, they are either in use or perhaps even out of action because of the war in Ukraine.
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It is an opportunity this day for Putin to rally patriotism around the war in Ukraine. He conflated it with World War Two, accusing the West of distorting history and supporting what he said with the current followers of Nazism (inaudible) Ukraine. It is important that he keeps public opinion on his side with this war, as losses mount, and this was a good opportunity to do that. But, it did seem like a lot of his messaging was aimed at one particular target audience, which was not in attendance, and that is, of course, the West, accusing them, as I said, of distorting history. And also, there was a thinly veiled nuclear threat. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): Russia will do everything in order to not let the global confrontation begin. But, we will not let anyone threaten us. Our strategic forces are always ready.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, I should say that this did seem to have been a measured nuclear threat. We have seen him increase the saber rattling in recent days and weeks. But, we did then see Putin, with the cameras rolling, chatting to the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, about upcoming non-strategic nuclear exercises that Russia has announced. And the two leaders, while they were obviously doing this for the benefit of the cameras, were keen to emphasize that these were pre- planned and were routine. So, I think, look, it was clearly a calculated threat, and I think part of a bigger picture of Russia wanting to ensure that the West is watching and taking Russia seriously, and using that to inform its decisions when it comes to supporting Ukraine. But, overall, I think he didn't go as far as he could have.
WHITFIELD: And Clare, I mean, this comes right after his inauguration of another six-year term. Is his audience, his domestic audiences, he wanting this message to reinforce something at home or mostly abroad?
SEBASTIAN: I think it's a bit of both. Obviously, he has now got another six years in office. That could end up being 12. So, he wants to paint himself essentially as the modern day czar, the guardian of history, and events like this certainly do, do that with all the pomp and circumstance. But, I think broadly in terms of the international audiences, which he knows is there and watching, Russia wants to be seen as a global power, even perhaps a superpower with its own sphere of influence to counter the U.S.
Now, there were some foreign leaders there, mostly from former Soviet countries, but also the President of Cuba. We also saw the leaders of Laos and Guinea-Bissau. So, not a large amount, but certainly enough for Russia to be able to say that it is not isolated as a result of this war. He did also claim in his inauguration address two days ago that the majority of the world sees Russia as a reliable partner. And obviously, as I said, the key lever that he can pull internationally to have Russia taken seriously is the nuclear one, and he is not shying away from that, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Clare Sebastian, thanks so much, from London. Appreciate it.
All right. Still to come, U.S. President Biden has a new proposal he hopes will calm some of the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border. Is it too little too late? We'll take a look. And later, we'll also bring you his exclusive interview with CNN and how he plans to beat Donald Trump in the November election.
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WHITFIELD: All right. In the coming hours, the Biden administration is expected to propose a new rule that they hope will ease some of the congestion of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. That's according to two sources. Here is how it works. The rule would let immigration officials reject asylum claims earlier in the process if a person is found to be ineligible. The sources add that it's more of a tightening rather than a sweeping change to the current immigration system.
Priscilla Alvarez is joining us now from Washington with some of the details on this. Priscilla, good morning to you. So, what more can you tell us about this new proposed rule?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is an attempt by the Biden administration to again try to tighten the current U.S. immigration system. There are few tools at the administration's disposal when it comes to making sweeping immigration policy changes. So, a lot of focus over the last several months and really over the last several years has been tightening certain aspects of the system, in this case, looking specifically at asylum seekers. So, what this really boils down to is being able to rapidly reject migrants who are making a claim for asylum if they are found to be ineligible. Sometimes, that happens later in the process. This essentially moves it up.
So, in an earlier stage of the process, they may be able to reject someone if they see at that point that they are ineligible. And the idea here, of course, is to be able to more quickly expel or deport those migrants who are not eligible for asylum, while letting those who are continue through the U.S. immigration system. But, of course, this comes at a time when the White House has been weighing executive action, which would be far more drastic and sweeping. Now, the President has said his lawyers are reviewing this. Sources tell me the same. And there hasn't quite been a decision yet on when or if they decide to move forward with that executive action. But, in the interim, they're clearly trying to focus on what parts of the immigration system they do have control over and they can make changes.
Now, we have heard from lawmakers about this that have been, I should say, have reviewed this or have been briefed on this. And what they say is, look, there was a border bill on the table. Remember, this was something that was worked on in the Senate in a bipartisan way to try to really overhaul the U.S. immigration system. And in the end, it failed. And Democrats are pointing the finger at former President Donald Trump, who told Republicans not to move forward with it. And so, in the absence of any sort of reform in Congress, it is these small changes that the administration is trying to make to, in their words, make the system more efficient.
Now, of course, the devil is the details. We have not seen the rule yet. It is expected to be released at some point today. Now, this would still have to go through a public comment period. So, that means that while it is released today, it's a proposed rule, it would still need to go through a whole set of the public comment period, and then finalizing that rule for it to really take effect. But, it gives us a sense, at least, at this point of where the administration is putting its focus when it comes to asylum.
WHITFIELD: Any reactions thus far?
ALVAREZ: Well, so far, the reactions have been pretty muted, because they haven't seen, the immigration advocates, say they haven't seen the rule yet. So, they're not sure exactly what it's going to entail, and if it is a small as the administration and sources have been describing it to be. Now, I should note that immigration advocates are typically on board when it comes to tightening the system, especially for those migrants who are ineligible for asylum. But, again, like anything else, it's going to require a review of the rule itself for those reactions to really pour in. But, at this point, given that it's not expected to be a sweeping change of policy, their concerns still are very much focused on any type of executive action that the White House might take on the U.S.-Mexico border.
WHITFIELD: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, we'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much, from Washington.
All right. Still to come, a preview of what to expect from the cross- examination of Stormy Daniels. I'll talk to a former judge about how far the defense can go in attacking a prosecution witness. And CNN speaks exclusively to Paul Whelan, one of the Americans being held by Russia. He shares his concern for the U.S. soldier recently arrested there. What he said, after the break.
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WHITFIELD: In an exclusive interview with CNN, Joe Biden says it's too early to worry about polls and his rematch with Donald Trump. Biden spoke to CNN's Erin Burnett from the key swing state of Wisconsin, where he was campaigning on Wednesday. He said this election is a major test for democracy, and he said he is certain Trump will not accept the result if he loses again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: So, obviously, we're here in Wisconsin. It was a crucial state for you, one of the ones that put you over the top. It was the same for Trump when he won in 2016. And he was actually here last week on his day off from the Stormy Daniels trial. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Mr. President, quote, "If everything is honest, I gladly accept the results of the election." And then he continued, though, with this. "If it's not, you have to fight for the right of the country." How seriously do you take that threat?
BIDEN: Seriously, it's just like they did in September 6 -- I mean, January 6. The guy is not a Democrat with a small d. I mean, he is the idea, like, you can only love your country when you win. Number one, how many court cases they have, Supreme Court cases? They all said this is totally legitimate election. This is Trump. I mean, it's the same, whether he -- and he may not accept the outcome of the election. I promise you, he won't.
BURNETT: Promise that he won't.
BIDEN: He won't.
BURNETT: So --
BIDEN: And which is dangerous. Look, I travel around the world with other world leaders. They all say not a joke. 80 percent (inaudible). We got to win, my democracy and the state, their democracy and state, because when you think of the things he is saying, he is saying, if I'm reelected -- if he is reelected the President, he is not going to -- he is going to make sure his attorney general prosecutes those he tells him to prosecute, and he doesn't even fire --
BURNETT: On the first day.
BIDEN: On the first. Not just -- he said this about prosecution across the board. He is going to -- I'm your retribution. What person has ever has said anything like this stuff? What he means? He is going to wipe out the changes we made in Medicare, changes we made in terms of drug prices, change we made, wipe it all out, and then he is going to put in a 10 percent tax, which is going to increase everybody's cost, average American cost 1,500 bucks a year. I mean, listen to what he is saying.
BURNETT: So, when you look at your campaign at this moment, it's tight. It's tight. And Barack Obama, your predecessor, of course, he has said that this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. That's how he described it. So, he believes your rematch with Trump is going to be incredibly close. It certainly looks like it will be.
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What's his advice to you when you talk to him?
BIDEN: Keep doing I'm doing, and to make sure -- what his advice is, we came in by sort of getting the vice president. Look, you've got to organize, block and tackle, people knocking on doors, putting up signs. We have over.5 million individual contributors in America, whenever it happened before, 70 percent -- 97 percent less than 200 bucks. We've opened 100 headquarters across the country. He has opened none. We have 5,000 paid staff. We're doing the blocking and tackling. We're going out and making sure that we knock on doors, get folks out the old fashioned way. That's basically -- because it's all (inaudible).
And we have raised more money than any President has at this point in the campaign. And so, I think I'm feeling good about the trajectory of the campaign, and you know as well as I do. Most people don't really focus and make up their minds in the fall. There is a lot going on. And we'll see what happens.
BURNETT: Mr. President, thank you very much for your time.
BIDEN: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. In almost exactly one hour, Stormy Daniels will return to the stand at Donald Trump's hush money trial. We expect her to face a withering round of cross-examination from the defense today. Sources tell CNN that they had originally planned to take it easy on Daniels, but decided to turn up the heat after Daniels' testimony seemed to imply her alleged sexual encounter with Trump was not consensual.
For more analysis on all this, let's bring in retired Florida judge Jeff Swartz. Judge, great to see you again.
JEFF SWARTZ, FORMER FLORIDA JUDGE, & PROFESSOR, THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL: Nice to see you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. So, in cross-examination of Stormy Daniels today, reportedly the defense plans to aggressively try to discredit her, undermine some of her testimony. I mean, of course, that's usually the goal of any cross-examination. Right? But, could it backfire if the defense attorneys go too strong? How will they try to strike a balance?
SWARTZ: I don't know how they can strike a balance at this point. They either -- they kind of abandoned it the other day when they started on her. And I think that this is more a Donald Trump thing. This is what he wants to see. That's what he wants them to do. I think that his defense team would have been much smarter to take it easy on her to a certain point, to continue to cross-examine her in an attempt to convince the jury that this never happened. It's not -- it's going to fall on deaf ears. I think that she did a fine job to the extent that she convinced them that the incident took place. Some of that detail is necessary for them to hear. If they go after her to try to convince them that she is lying, I think they're going to start to feel sorry for her, and that's pretty hard because she is a pretty hard person to feel sorry for.
So, I think that they would be better off to back off today rather than go after her. But, I don't think that's what Mr. Trump wants.
WHITFIELD: And maybe if the jury -- even if the jury doesn't know the minutiae of say the E. Jean Carroll case, I mean, it does kind of resonate. It's kind of the cloud in the room, right, even though --
SWARTZ: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: -- we're talking about something very different. So, it really is important when you talk about undermining what she said. You can only go but so far before the jury is going to feel sorry for her.
SWARTZ: That's correct. And I think that at this point, again, like I said, trying to convince them that this never happened is kind of a mistake when you have the McDougal situation, although she was a long standing, at least allegedly a long-standing Paramore for him. The bottom line is that it seems to fall -- her detail is so well -- to her is so well-known, but to everybody else, they're finding out things about him that they'd rather not know.
But, the point is it does substantiate what she is saying. They would have been better off to just poke holes in a few things, go after her motive for going after Mr. Trump, and just leave it at that and try to paint her as someone who is just profiting off of all of this, as opposed to being concerned about doing the right thing.
WHITFIELD: And already, I mean, that was quite unusual, this defense tried to push for mistrial after Daniels' testimony was very detailed --
SWARTZ: Right.
WHITFIELD: -- about the former President. Did the judge perhaps make any mistakes by commenting that some things are, I'm quoting him now, better left unsaid, but then allow the testimony to proceed?
SWARTZ: Well, I think that Mr. Trump's lawyers at some point stopped objecting, and then they started up again. Here is the way the law works. If he gives a curative instruction and Mr. Trump's lawyers don't object to that curative instruction by saying there is nothing you can say that's going to fix a judge, so don't say anything at all, then, at that point, they may have waived that error. That is that in some states, and I think Georgia is one of them, if you let a curative instruction be said, it cures the error that took place.
[08:35:00]
So, he did the right thing by doing that, and I don't think he really hurt the state that much by saying those things about her testimony. I think that was pretty obvious to the jury. So, that was nothing new to them.
WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. OK. And then, Judge Merchan, he also admonished Trump by saying, to his attorneys, he won't tolerate Trump's head shaking and cursing under his breath in the courtroom. So, how will Trump's attorneys try to contain him? I mean, might Trump's actions in the courtroom even further exacerbate the former President's gag order tolerance with the judge?
SWARTZ: I think that, first of all, it is not included on the gag order. That would be have to be a separate warning directly to Mr. Trump, saying, if you don't stop, I'm going to have to hold you in contempt of court. That would set up a second means by which they could find him in contempt of court. The first time he finds him in contempt of court, he is just going to warn him again. The second time, he has the option to remove him from the courtroom, put him in an ante room and make him watch the trial on TV and communicate with his lawyers through basically a closed circuit kind of hookup.
Now, we usually save that for very disruptive defendants, people who yell and scream and shout and do things in court to disrupt. What Mr. Trump is attempting to do is not only disrupt, he is attempting to intimidate. And at that point, Mr. Judge Merchan has got to take control over the courtroom again. He has got to sit there and warn him, don't do this anymore. I'm going to have to find you in contempt. And this will make finding number 11 or 12. So, he better be very careful. Mr. Trump has got to tread lightly. But, Judge Merchan is kind of losing his patience with him.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my. OK. All that's very fascinating. OK. So, on redirect, potentially, what do you know already prosecutors will have to try to establish or even clarify with Daniels' testimony?
SWARTZ: I think they're going to have to go back and re-establish the basics of what occurred. Without going into all the lurid detail, ask five, six, seven questions that reinforce the fact that all of this occurred. Yes, I don't like him, but I wouldn't lie for to go get him. I would not lie about this. Let her repeat those things, and do it about six, seven eight questions and then sit down. I wouldn't go back and let her go off on him again. That'll be a problem.
WHITFIELD: All right. Retired judge Jeff Swartz, great to see you again. Thanks so much.
SWARTZ: Nice to see you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: And of course, we've got live pictures there at Trump Tower, awaiting the former President to get into his motorcade and then head to Lower Manhattan.
All right. So, CNN has learned that Western intelligence believes Russia is seeking to exploit what it sees as a window of opportunity to expand its attacks on Ukraine. As Kyiv waits for new U.S. weapons and other aid to arrive, three officials tell CNN that Moscow wants to take advantage of that lag time. It's important to note that it took months for the U.S. Congress to approve the new aid, as Ukraine struggles with the lack of military equipment and ammunition.
CNN's Jim Sciutto broke the story, and is joining us live. Good morning to you, Jim. So, what more can you tell us?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it shows in effect, Fredricka, that there are still consequences from the long, months-long delay in U.S. aid and that Russia sees an opportunity here as Ukraine awaits that aid, that ammunition, weapons systems etc. to arrive in quantities. They see an opportunity here to step up, in particular, air attacks, missile attacks, drone attacks, to exploit that delay. And we saw a sample of that on Wednesday overnight, as Russia sent dozens of drones and missiles, specifically targeting energy infrastructure, which has been a favorite target of theirs. They want to take advantage of that before Ukraine can in effect arm itself up again to defend itself.
And it's also a reminder, Fredricka, that during this delay, Ukraine lost ground. It lost territory, and it lost a lot of soldiers. And I've spoken to Ukrainian commanders who blamed those losses, including those losses of soldiers, on that delay. It really shows that the lasting effects of a long delay in U.S. assistance to Ukraine war effort.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks for bringing that to us. Jim Sciutto, good to see you.
SCIUTTO: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right. One of the Americans detained in Russia tells CNN exclusively that he is worried the arrest of a U.S. soldier there could complicate his case. Paul Whelan has been in Russia's custody for more than five years now. The State Department calls him wrongfully detained. Whelan's comments to CNN come a week after a U.S. soldier traveled to Russia without permission to visit his girlfriend. Police there are charged Staff Sgt. Gordon Black with theft.
Jennifer Hansler is joining us now from the State Department. Jennifer, what more are you learning?
[08:40:00]
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Fredricka, Paul Whelan here sounded a bit more positive about the efforts underway to secure his release. He said he knows there have been proposals put forward. He knows that there are negotiations underway. And he is hopeful that there is a light at the end of the tunnel here after what he says has been too long of a time. At the same time, as you noted, he is a little bit concerned about this recent arrest of this U.S. soldier, particularly if the soldier is designated as wrongfully detained.
Now, this is a process that often takes a long time. This happened so recently that there is no imminent sign that Gordon Black will in fact be designated as wrongfully detained. But, if that does happen, Whelan is concerned that this could bring the negotiations back to square one. This is how he described it to me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN DETAINED IN RUSSIA: Unfortunately, if this gentleman is declared wrongfully detained, it will sort of start negotiations for Evan and I all over again, because then there'll be the three of us. And this is one of the problems that we've had in the past. They were negotiating for me, and then it was Trevor and me, and then it was Brittney and me. And now it's Evan and me. And every time they've negotiated, it's always been starting fresh when there's another person involved. So yeah, it is a bit of a concern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: So, Whelan there of course referencing Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed to fellow Americans who were designated as wrongfully detained and who the U.S. was able to get out of Russia in prisoner swaps. U.S. officials have consistently said that Russia would not include Paul Whelan in those swaps. Now, the State Department says that it is working utmost to bring home both Paul, and Evan Gershkovich, the detained Wall Street Journal reporter. They say this is a top priority, and a State Department official told me yesterday that Russia should release them immediately. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jennifer Hansler at the State Department, keep us posted. Thank you.
All right. Still to come, CNN goes to the battleground state of Michigan where many young voters are struggling with their decision on who to support for President. We'll explain why, after the break. Plus, from the stadium stage to the small screen, how pop icon Lady Gaga could bring her tour to your home state? Stay with us.
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WHITFIELD: All right. For weeks now, a protest about the war between Israel and Hamas have been a feature on U.S. college campuses. Now, President Joe Biden tells CNN, he quote, "Here is the message", but he also cautions not all the actions he has seen are acceptable. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I hear the message. Look, two things. First of all, there is a legitimate right to free speech and protest. There is a legitimate right to do that. They have a right to do that. There is not a legitimate right to use hate speech.
[08:45:00]
There is not a legitimate right to threaten Jewish students. There is not a legitimate right to block people access to class. That's against the law. That's against the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Mr. Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war is top of mind for many college students in this election year.
CNN's John King went to speak to young voters in Michigan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protests amid the Commencement celebration, a time-honored tradition on campus. But, this one is complicated. Jade Gray and Anushka Jalisatgi are now University of Michigan graduates and now former co-presidents of the College Democrats, proud their school as part of a global statement.
JADE GRAY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CLASS OF 2024: It was in my application whether that this was a campus of like a history of protests --
ANUSHKA JALISATGI, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CLASS OF 2024: Right.
GRAY: -- a rich history of social justice movements.
JALISATGI: Yeah.
KING (voice-over): Worried, though, about months of war and death, months of student anger at a President who can't afford to lose Michigan.
KING: How much they're going to hurt the President?
GRAY: However much he decides.
JALISATGI: Yes. That starts with calling for a ceasefire, for listening to his -- the student voters across the country.
KING (voice-over): This is from our first visit five months ago, protest against Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict were just beginning.
KING: Is it fair to say you're glad the election is not tomorrow?
JALISATGI: Yes.
KING (voice-over): The election was nearly a year away then. Six months away now.
GRAY: Michigan is up for grabs, and I did not think I'd be saying this right now, and I wish I wasn't saying this --
JALISATGI: Yeah.
GRAY: -- right now. But, I'm genuinely concerned about which way Michigan will go.
KING (voice-over): Both hope a summer away from campus protests helps younger voters see a bigger picture.
GRAY: I'm certainly not voting for the guy who is in court right now --
JALISATGI: Yeah.
GRAY: -- and who incited an insurrection --
JALISATGI: Yeah.
GRAY: -- and put three extremists on the Supreme Court, who therefore took away rights for the first time in history, who has demonized the LGBTQ community --
JALISATGI: Yeah.
GRAY: -- of which I'm a part of.
KING (voice-over): But right now, things are raw. Some friends talked about staying home or voting third party.
JALISATGI: Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza and in -- across Palestine have been displaced, have been starved, have been killed. So, I think it really does come down to people's own judgments on the motivations of the President.
SUMMER MATKIN, MICHIGAN VOTER, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Oh, what a cute boy.
KING (voice-over): Summer Matkin's home in suburban Detroit, processing freshman year at Wayne State.
MATKIN: Can you talk about politics for me?
KING (voice-over): Back in November, big reservations about the President's age, but zero doubt if the choice was Biden or Trump.
MATKIN: I'd go Biden.
KING (voice-over): Now, not so sure.
MATKIN: No matter how many Taylor Swift references you make, you'll never understand us. My thing is I think he has handled everything with -- on Israel and Palestine terribly.
KING (voice-over): Still leaning Biden but part of a consequential debate with friends.
MATKIN: A lot of our generation is also considering going third party, but I kind of fear it's going to split up the votes and end up having it fall back on Trump, which I wouldn't want to happen.
KING (voice-over): Maya Siegmann began the school year, likely Biden, ends it, definitely Biden, happy with her grades, even more happy it is over.
MAYA SIEGMANN, MICHIGAN VOTER, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT: It was terrifying. It's terrifying. The escalation of other campuses has made me fear for my campus.
KING (voice-over): Siegmann offers nuance, often missing when politicians discuss the campus protests. No problem with calls to end the killing or the speed up humanitarian aid. But, fear when she sees banners like this, the Intifada was a violent armed uprising targeting Jews.
KING: You're wearing your Star David. You ever think of taking it off?
SIEGMANN: I did. I took it off actually for about a week or two, and then I put it on four or five months ago, and never took it off.
KING (voice-over): A fierce supporter of Israel, but a fierce critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
SIEGMANN: I personally don't agree with how he is operating. I think that he is trying to prolong the war.
KING (voice-over): Ibrahim Ghazal also speaks with nuance. He is no fan of Hamas, and acknowledges Israel is right to respond to terrorism.
IBRAHIM GHAZAL, MICHIGAN VOTER, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL STUDENT: You don't want human rights violations. If you're going to conduct war, conduct it within the rule of law, international law. That's all people are asking for. Nothing more.
KING (voice-over): Ghazal is in two groups critical to Biden's Michigan math, a younger voter and an Arab American. He just wrapped his first year at Wayne State Law School.
GHAZAL: It's been stressful just seeing people that look like me and just human beings seeing human beings on my phone screen being killed day in day out. And what's worse, as an American, I have to see my government funding it. So, stressful.
KING (voice-over): A Biden voter in 2020, who says the President is in deep trouble in Detroit, Dearborn, and other Michigan communities where Arab and Muslim Americans number in the tens of thousands.
GHAZAL: With older people, I would definitely say they're not voting for Biden. For younger voters who are stuck in the sense that it's Biden or Trump. The only reason I haven't closed the door is because I think he still has an ability to change course and set a precedent for the future.
[08:50:00]
KING (voice-over): Ghazal's summer goals, take a break, then study the third-party candidates, and watch to see if the President truly does change course, or if the encampments are still a thing when classes resume in the fall.
John King, CNN, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, have you ever wondered what's it like in a black hole? Well, NASA's new simulation answers that question, and we'll have details.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back, SpaceX is unveiling a new suit for the first ever commercial spacewalk. The extra vehicular activity suit is for both pressurized and unpressurized environments. A 3D printed helmet incorporates a new visor to reduce glare, and a camera that provides information, including the suit's pressure and temperature. SpaceX plans to use the new suits during a Polaris Dawn mission into orbit, and that could happen in a few months.
And imagine being sucked into a black hole, and if you can't imagine it, well, NASA is here to help. They've just come out with a new simulation showing you what it would be like to fly into a supermassive black hole. It's posted as a 360-degree video on YouTube. But, here are some of what it looks like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This new NASA simulation takes you past the Earth's atmosphere and into a supermassive black hole. The immersive visualization was made on a supercomputer and moves viewers close to the speed of light. NASA created two different scenarios for viewers. One shows a first person perspective of an astronaut just missing the event horizon or point of no return of the black hole and slingshotting back out. And another, where it crosses the boundary and plunges into the event horizon. According to NASA, the black hole is similar to the one at the center of the Milky Way and its event horizon spans 16 million miles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: No thanks. Too scary for me.
All right. And finally this hour, it's been a banner year for female pop superstars. First, Beyonce goes country, then Taylor Swift comes out with a double album, and now, Lady Gaga has an HBO special coming out.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
Go ladies. What a year. This was filmed at LA's Dodger Stadium during Gaga's 2022 tour. From fiery stage sets to flashy costumes, fans can expect all the bells and whistles worthy of a Gaga production. And you can catch the spectacle on May 25 on HBO and in many countries around the world on Max, which of course, as CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, all one big happy family.
All right. Thank you so much for joining me in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN' coverage of Trump's hush money trial begins next hour on Connect the World with Becky Anderson and Erica Hill. And in the hush money trial courtroom today, superstar prosecution witness Stormy Daniels to return to the witness stand and face cross- examination by defense attorneys. Right there, live pictures, or just moments ago, rather, the former President leaving Trump Tower, looking like he is acknowledging folks in the crowd there on Fifth Avenue and then his motorcade heading downtown to the criminal courtroom.
[08:55:00]
All right. Stay with CNN.
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