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Biden Unveils New Israeli Cease-Fire Proposal; Impact Of Trump's Convictions On 2024 Election; U.S. Defense Secretary At Singapore Security Summit; Kyiv's Go-Ahead To Strike Russia With U.S.- Made Weapons; Austin Has "Frank Discussion" With Chinese Defense Minister; Judge Merchan's Sentencing Options For Trump; Trump's Guilty Verdict Impacts Georgia Voters; Extreme Heat In India; UEFA Champions League Final. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 01, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers watching around the world.
I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Here on CNN NEWSROOM U.S. President Joe Biden calls the war in Gaza to end. The details of what's in the proposal he's pushing leaders to get behind.
Donald Trump, lashes out at the U.S. Justice Department and the New York judge after his criminal conviction on 34 felony counts.
And deadly temperatures in India as people battle a heat wave that shows no signs of letting up.
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COREN: "It's time for this war to end."
Those words coming from U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday as he laid out a new ceasefire deal proposed by Israel. It's Mr. Bidens toughest message to Israel so far, saying it must wrap up operations in Gaza, since, according to the president, the goal of defeating Hamas has been met.
The proposal includes the release of all hostages held by Hamas over three phases. Biden says this deal is the best hope to bring peace to Gaza and get much needed aid into the enclave.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Humanitarian assistance would surge with 600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza every single day. With the cease-fire, that aid could be safely and effectively distributed to all who need it.
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COREN: CNN's Kevin Liptak explains what's in the new proposal.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is describing this as a decisive moment as he unveils, in quite striking detail, this three-phase proposal from Israel to secure the release of hostages and pair it with a cease-fire.
And President Joe Biden clearly coming out, trying to put pressure on both sides to come back to the table and come to the agreement. And I think the thinking really is by laying out these details so specifically, the president is putting the onus on both sides to come together and end this war.
And certainly he did say very explicitly in his speech that it is time for the war to end. He said for the first time that Israel has degraded Hamas' capabilities to the point where they could not launch another attack akin to the one on October 7th.
And he said that that is reason enough for Israel to come back to the table and come to an agreement.
Now just to tick through some of the phases of this deal that the president laid out, in the first phase would be a six-week ceasefire. It would include the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas of Gaza and the release of elderly and female hostages.
A senior administration official did say there still needed to be some details negotiated between the sides as the deal moves from the first phase to the second phase. But the second phase would include a permanent end to hostilities, the exchange of the remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
What the president said in his speech that was that, as these negotiations, were continuing, this ceasefire would also continue, sort of putting that on the table as a key option for these sides to come to an agreement on.
The third phase would include a reconstruction plan for Gaza as well as the return of all the remaining hostages. Now President Joe Biden said in his speech that this was an Israeli proposal. But I think the reaction from the prime minister's office does expose a little bit of daylight between the two men.
The prime minister's office says that they Israeli government is united in the desire to bring home our hostages as soon as possible. But they said that Netanyahu and his government remain firm in the fact that they cannot end the war before they are completely have gone after Hamas.
Now in his speech, President Biden did apply pressure on the Israeli public to pressure their own government to come to an agreement on this deal. And he did call out certain members of the Israeli government, who he said were opposed to ending the war in Gaza. Listen to what he said.
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BIDEN: I know there are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue indefinitely.
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Some are even in the government coalition. They've made it clear they want to occupy Gaza. They want to keep fighting for years. And the hostages are not a priority to them. Well, I've urged leadership in Israel to stand behind this deal.
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LIPTAK: Of course the backdrop to the president's speech today is the situation in Rafah as Israeli forces enter the central part of that city and as Israeli airstrikes continue to bombard areas there.
We did hear from the president for the first time today about that Israeli strike that resulted in the deaths of 45 civilians. He called them "terrible images." And this was interesting because certainly President Biden is under a lot of pressure himself here in the United States to try and find a conclusion to this war.
I think what you heard him say today to these protesters was to redirect their anger and their outrage toward Hamas and encourage that terror group to come to the table to finalize an agreement and to bring the hostilities to an end -- Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.
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COREN: As Kevin mentioned, Israel confirmed its forces had pushed into central Rafah after a new offensive launched in the city in early May. Israel is facing international criticism for its military operation in Rafah, which has uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians, many not for the first time.
On Friday, the Israeli military claimed it destroyed dozens of Hamas tunnels and killed hundreds of Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the city.
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COREN: Well, Donald Trump and his attorneys are planning their next moves after his conviction on 34 felony counts.
The former U.S. president spoke Friday less than 24 hours after the guilty verdicts, slamming the Biden administration, the Justice Department, Michael Cohen and others. His speech was full of grievances and false claims.
Mr. Trump also claimed that the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels were part of a non-disclosure agreement.
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TRUMP: It's called a nondisclosure agreement. And most of the people in this room have a non-disclosure agreement with their company. It's a disgrace. So it's not hush money, it's a non-disclosure agreement, totally legal, totally common. Everyone has it.
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COREN: The former president will be sentenced next month, Paula Reid has more on that.
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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The New York criminal case against former president Trump is far from over. Of course, the next date on the calendar is his sentencing on July 11th, just days before the Republican National Convention.
Sources tell CNN it's unclear if Trump's legal team will move to push that back later in the year.
There'll be meetings about that over the next few days to figure out if they want to let that sentencing date stand and use it politically as they enter the convention or if they want to push it back a few weeks, given that his legal team will be busy with another case down in Florida through the end of June.
Now after that, we expect that the Trump team will ultimately file an appeal throughout the course of this case.
They have been preparing for the possibility of an appeal if there was a conviction. They have been filing motions, raising objections, trying to preserve any constitutional questions. Now that process will likely take a long time, possibly last until after the November election -- Paula Reid, CNN, New York.
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COREN: Well, joining me is CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He's also the senior editor for "The Atlantic."
Ron, always great to have you with us.
Obviously, Donald Trump railing against this verdict.
But how devastating a blow is this for Trump personally and politically?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Personally, this is someone who is skating on the edge of the law seemingly his whole life, viewed himself has invulnerable. I think it is a very humbling moment that is, that he has reacted to with rage.
Politically, the impact I, think is going to be more of a slow burn. I don't think we really know from the polling beforehand how much it will actually play out. In fact, we are as you know, a very deeply and closely divided country. There's, there's not a lot of big movement possible. It is trench warfare. And the question is, over time, how much does the idea of electing a
convicted felon as the nation's chief law enforcement officer and commander in chief weigh on voters?
The circuit breaker in that is that many of the voters who are most likely to move away from Trump because of this are also deeply negative about Joe Biden and his performance. So we will see how they balance all that in the weeks ahead.
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COREN: I want to ask you how will this affect his base and how will this affect undecided voters?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, very different, right. I mean, we saw in the Republican primaries that Trump has a lot of success at marketing to his base, the idea that there is this vast conspiracy aimed at him that is really targeting them.
That they are going after me because I am defending you and the fact that virtually the entire elected cohort of the Republican Party has denounced this decision, which, I think, by the way, is a pretty clear indication of how much resistance he would face almost no matter what he does if he is reelected from Republicans.
That's going to keep I think the vast majority of Republican voters in line but not only undecided voters but voters who are really outside of his coalition but within primarily because they are discontented over the economy or they think Biden is too old.
I mean that that is the real question. We have two candidates whose weaknesses both are more visible than their strengths. And I think the real danger to Trump in all of this is that it reminds voters of what they didn't like about his presidency -- the chaos, the division, the unpredictability.
The retrospective job approval of Trump, the retrospective assessment of his presidency have been going up as people remember that inflation and the cost of living was more under control when he was president.
But this reminds, I think, people, begins to remind people that there's a lot more that goes with the menu if you reelect Trump.
COREN: President Joe Biden has weighed in, saying that no one is above the law.
But what happens if Trump gets jail time?
I mean could this spark violence?
BROWNSTEIN: Sure. Yes.
That is not imminent as you as you know. I mean, so long as this is on appeal, he will -- as I understand it, it's very unlikely that he will be placed in any kind of incarceration. And he has a lot of appeals. You saw the Speaker of the U.S. House, Mike Johnson, a Republican,
basically openly appeal to the Republican appointees on the Supreme Court to find a way to overturn this. And maybe eventually they will.
But this will be hanging over Trump for a long time. I mean, this is not going to go away. He may not be going to jail but neither, I think -- many -- most legal analysts and I think that this is going to be overturned anytime soon, even if eventually it might be.
And so this is going to be something that is, that is there all the way through the election and I think, as I said, is going to force voters to really cross that threshold issue. It's one thing to think of it prospectively in a poll.
Could you vote for someone who is a convicted felon?
It's another thing to kind of look your neighbors and your kids in the eye and say, I just voted to make a convicted felon the chief law enforcement officer. I think that could be a bigger hurdle, not necessarily an insurmountable one for Trump, given the hesitance about Biden for another term.
But I think one that will weigh on voters increasingly over time.
COREN: Well, Trump's campaign is saying that it's raised nearly $53 million post conviction, shattering records.
I mean, it seems to certainly have energized his supporters.
But being a convicted felon, is that less of a concern than age or perception of mishandling the economy?
And then what does that say about America?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, no, I look, I think there are, if you look at the polling, it is pretty clear. There is not a majority of voters who affirmatively want to elect either of these candidates.
There is enormous discontent with Biden's handling of the economy and a significant majority of Americans think he's too old to do the job now, much less for another four years.
I mean, that is real and it's not going anywhere. But there has never been, in three election, two elections and now the third one, any indication that there are a majority of Americans who want to live in the America that Trump envisions.
And so you have these offsetting dynamics. And you have a kind of -- where the Venn diagram overlaps, a fairly substantial number of voters, who are at the least ambivalent about each of them.
COREN: Ron Brownstein, so important to get your perspective. Thanks so much for joining us.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
COREN: Ukraine gets the green light from Washington to use U.S. weapons for limited strikes on Russia.
Still ahead, we will have reactions from Kyiv and Moscow to the major shift in U.S. policy.
Plus a key security summit is underway in Singapore, right now. The U.S. Defense Secretary is meeting with regional allies and rivals alike.
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Looming large, a more assertive China and Russia.
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COREN: We're getting word of, a new wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine.
Officials say at least 12 people are injured after overnight strikes in the Kharkiv region. A state grid operator is also reporting new attacks that hit energy facilities across the country. Two power plants operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company are seriously damaged.
The strikes also caused fires in southern and western Ukraine. Military officials say Ukraine shot down more than 80 missiles and drones overnight. Meanwhile, emotions were hard to keep in check as Ukraine and Russia conducted their latest prisoner swap.
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COREN (voice-over): Well, this woman couldn't hold back tears as she saw her son for the first time in more than two years. Kyiv says he was among 75 Ukrainian POWs who were exchanged for 75 Russians on Friday. The boy himself was also held in the occupied part of Ukraine earlier.
And he reunited with his mother just days after his birthday.
Russia has also repatriated the remains of more than 200 fallen Ukrainian soldiers. The exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
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COREN: Ukraine now has a go-ahead from Washington to conduct some strikes inside Russia with U.S.-made weapons. The U.S. secretary of state confirmed the decision on Friday, which marks a U-turn from previous U.S. policy. But as Fred Pleitgen reports, it comes with some major caveats.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Quite a
significant step by the Biden administration to now allow the Ukrainians to use U.S.-made weapons to target Russian territory, albeit in a restrictive manner.
Now essentially what the U.S. is saying is that if Russian troops are amassing on the Russian side of the border, for instance, toward the Kharkiv region, then the Ukrainians could target those Russian troop concentrations, using American-made weapons.
They could also, for instance, target Russian jets that have been bombarding the front lines in that Kharkiv area as well.
However, what the Ukrainians can't do is they can't hit further into Russian territory; for instance, using ATACMS missiles to target some of those Russian air bases from which those jets take off from, that then target those Ukrainian positions.
Nevertheless, Ukrainians obviously very happy about all this. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he came out and he said that this is a very important first step for the Ukrainians.
Even though he couldn't talk much more about what all this is going to mean, the Kremlin, of course, irate about all of this, saying that this shows the degree of the involvement of the West and the U.S. on the Ukrainian side.
Another interesting thing about all this is that, as the U.S. says, that they are now allowing the Ukrainians to use American-made weapons to target Russian territory.
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Other NATO allies are also following suit. The Germans, for instance, have come out and now said that the Ukrainians are also allowed to use German weapons to fire across the border, especially of course, in that Kharkiv region, where right now the Ukrainians are facing a massive Russian offensive -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
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COREN: The U.S. Defense Secretary is in Singapore right now for a major security summit. Lloyd Austin is meeting with America's key partners in the region.
Here he is, a short time ago, with Thailand's defense minister. And on Friday, Secretary Austin held rare talks with his counterpart from China. Well, CNN's Ivan Watson joins us now, live from Singapore.
And Secretary Austin said that he had good but frank discussions with his Chinese counterpart, pushing for this need to keep the lines of communication open. I mean, that would seem like a step in the right direction.
And then a short time ago, China had a terse response to Austin's speech. Tell us what you're learning. IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I'm going to
start with some news that we've just learned. The president elect of the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, that is president-elect Prabowo Subianto, is onstage. He may have just wrapped in his comments.
And he just announced that Indonesia is prepared to send peacekeepers to Gaza if all parties would agree to that. He welcomed President Joe Biden's announcement on Friday of a new peace initiative for the more than seven-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza with that staggering loss of civilian life of more than 30,000 people killed.
And he said that Indonesia would be prepared to establish a field hospital in Gaza, to evacuate and treat up to 1,000 Palestinian civilians. Again, if some kind of a peace agreement were to be formulated.
And that just illustrates some of the concerns that the different delegations gathered here in Singapore have right now, where you have leader after military chief, after military officer, from different countries, repeating concerns about the moment in history we're in right now.
Where there are two major wars underway in Ukraine, involving, of course, Ukraine and Russia. And then, of course, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Those issues addressed by the U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs, who met face-to-face here yesterday.
That being significant because the defense leaders of these two rivals, they did not hold face-to-face talks last year.
At that point, Beijing was not answering calls from the U.S. government and the tensions were ratcheting up.
There are still myriad disagreements between Beijing and Washington but at the very least right now, we see the two governments talking to each other, disagreeing with each other publicly, as we've seen in the forums here. But speaking at the very least, which the U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, said was a good thing -- Anna.
COREN: And, of course, Ivan, this is not just a forum for the United States and China to speak but other countries in the Asia Pacific.
What are they saying about the rising tensions in the region?
WATSON: Sure. And one of the flashpoints right now is between China and this much smaller country, the Philippines.
There's a dispute in the South China Sea with both countries claiming atolls and shoals for themselves and engaged in, sometimes violent jostling between their Coast Guard vessels and ships operating in these contested waters.
I've personally witnessed some of this when I've seen Chinese ships swarming much smaller flotillas of Philippine ships and firing water cannons at them. A question was asked to the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at his speech last night here.
What would Manila do if a Filipino citizen was killed in one of these ongoing skirmishes?
He said that would be a crossing of the Rubicon. Take a listen.
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FERDINAND MARCOS JR., PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is, I think, very, very close to what we define as an act of war.
And therefore, we will respond accordingly. And our treaty partners, I believe, also hold that same standard.
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WATSON: So President Marcos was of course referring to the U.S.
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Which is a mutual defense treaty ally of the Philippines.
I asked U.S. secretary of defense Austin about that.
How would the U.S. respond to a potential death?
And Austin said he would not respond to a hypothetical scenario. But he said that the U.S. commitment to its mutual defense treaty is ironclad -- Anna.
COREN: Ivan Watson joining us from Singapore.
We appreciate the reporting. Thank you.
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COREN: Well joining me now is CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger. He's also author of "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion and America's Struggle to Defend the West."
David, great to have you with us. This, of course, is the first face- to-face meeting of the two defense ministers of U.S. and China in two years.
How is it playing out at the moment?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the good news is the Chinese have resumed meetings with Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Singapore forum and annual meeting of defense ministers is a good place to do it.
This is part of a much broader effort, that you've seen led by Xi Jinping since his meeting with President Joe Biden in California last Thanksgiving, to begin to open up more channels with the U.S. But it's been paired with some significant aggressive actions that I
think have got the U.S. more concerned than at almost any point I can think of. After the inauguration of a new Taiwanese president the other day, trying to ram very extensive military exercises all around the island.
Flying and sailing in places that, a few years ago, they never used to go. The Chinese nuclear buildup is moving very quickly, as China tries to get to an arsenal the size of Russia's and the United States get.
Can't blame them for that but it's certainly changing the nuclear balance.
And we're seeing a rising tide of Chinese influence operations and of Chinese malware in the American electric grid -- pipelines and so forth -- which American officials say is all about slowing down our response if China moves against Taiwan.
So there's a lot on the agenda.
COREN: As you say, a long laundry list of issues that, no doubt, Lloyd Austin and Dong Jun were discussing on the sidelines.
But these two countries, they cannot go back to the time where there was no discussions happening. They need to keep this military to military communications open, yes?
SANGER: They need to but I wouldn't be surprised if they're cut off again. This has happened time and time again with China and it's China's way of expressing displeasure.
But they also know that it drives the U.S. crazy if there's no one at the other end of the phone. One of the really interesting things to watch I think in these discussions and the ones that will follow, Anna, are how the United States takes up the growing relationship between China and Russia.
In recent times China has been increasing its supplies of not weapons but the technology to make them -- parts, semiconductors, drone parts -- everything that Russia desperately needs to pursue the war in Ukraine, short of giving them weapons themselves. And it's only part of a broader partnership.
And I think a good deal of what you're seeing, Secretary Austin trying to figure out these days, is, how do you intersect and try to divide up that partnership?
Remembering that the reason that Kissinger and Nixon did the opening to China in the early 1970s was, in large part, to keep Russia and then the Soviet Union -- I'm sorry -- China and the Soviet Union from coming together.
And now between China and the Soviet Union's main successor state, Russia, that's exactly what seems to be happening.
COREN: Do you feel that after this meeting there will be a stabilization of the relationship between the U.S. and China militarily?
Or is it too early to say?
SANGER: We've already seen a bit of stabilization in the overall relationship.
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But I think the big fear is that it could be quite temporary. Look, China's going through the hardest economic times it's had in recent memory. Instead of growing at 7 percent or 8 percent, it would be lucky to be growing at 2 percent or 3 percent.
And even the Chinese officials, I know, don't believe China's own statistics on these issues. So I suspect that a good deal of what's happening now is an effort to make sure relations and investment are open from the West to get China through this period.
But I'm not sure that it's necessarily a permanent change.
COREN: David Sanger, great to get your insight. Thank you so much for joining us.
SANGER: Great to be with you, Anna.
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COREN: After his conviction on 34 felony counts, former president Donald Trump probably won't go to prison.
So what might be his punishments?
A look at the judge's options ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
Plus Mexico prepares for an historic election overshadowed by violence. More on that next.
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COREN: Donald Trump is slamming the U.S. justice system, the White House and his former attorney, Michael Cohen.
Just one day after his conviction on 34 felony counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial, Trump delivered a speech filled with false claims.
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TRUMP: This is a case where if they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone. These are bad people. These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people.
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COREN: Well, Trump's sentencing hearing is set for July 11th. Brian Todd explains what that sentence might be.
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TRUMP: There was no crime here.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's legal team has just a few weeks to come up with their best argument for why he shouldn't go to jail. July 11th is his sentencing day.
Before then, the former president is likely to have to go through pre- sentencing interviews with probation officers, where he'd have to give personal information. When Judge Juan Merchan does level the sentence, he has a few options.
The most serious one, prison time. The crimes for which Trump's been convicted, falsifying business records, could carry sentences of up to four years each. But realistically ...
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's unlikely that someone convicted of this type of felony in New York with no prior criminal history would see much, if any, prison time.
TODD (voice-over): Trump's advanced age, experts say, would also be a factor in not sending him to prison.
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Plus, the security challenge of putting a former or a current president behind bars.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: His Secret Service detail would have to be armed. They would have to be with him. They would have to be able to control the process of where his food comes from, how it's delivered.
TODD (voice-over): Another sentencing option, probation. Analysts say while that might be a more realistic choice, it would come with a host of inconveniences and indignities for the former president.
WILLIAMS: Having to be drug tested, having to check in with a probation officer.
JEREMY SALAND, FORMER MANHATTAN PROSECUTOR: There could be random visits by probation officers to your home, not with a search warrant but they can come knock on the door. You need to let them in.
TODD (voice-over): Home confinement also might be part of a probation sentence for Trump or maybe a restriction on out-of-state travel.
MARTIN HORN, FORMER CORRECTIONS AND PROBATION OFFICER, NEW YORK CITY: If he were going to fly off to another state, Wisconsin, Arizona, he would have to get explicit permission from the probation agency.
TODD (voice-over): Trump could simply be fined for his convictions or ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He could do community service where he has to pick up trash on the subways.
TODD (voice-over): Experts say a conditional discharge could be a sentencing option.
SALAND: It's a condition of your discharge or your release and you have to abide by those conditions. The court will say, don't get arrested, don't get in trouble for the next year or during the pendency of your sentence or for a stated period of time. And that's it.
You're not checking in. No one's following up with you. There's no probation, there is no oversight.
TODD (voice-over): All options, experts say, reflective of the striking uniqueness of this situation.
MILLER: This is completely uncharted territory for the court system, for the Secret Service, for the Department of Corrections in New York City.
TODD: Legal analysts say acceptance of responsibility is often a key factor when a judge considers a sentence. And the fact that Donald Trump has shown no remorse for the actions he has been convicted of and has repeatedly publicly attacked the judge and witnesses in this trial, could bring him a stiffer sentence -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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COREN: Regardless of the sentence that Trump receives, his name will still be on the ballot in November's presidential election. CNN's Nick Valencia talked with voters in the battleground state of Georgia to gauge the impact of Trump's conviction, take a listen.
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MILLICENT ABBEY, DEMOCRAT SUPPORTING TRUMP: Trump for '24. Go Trump.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Millicent Abbey gets too emotional when talking about Donald Trump.
ABBEY: I love you, Trump.
VALENCIA: When you look at that flag, what do you think?
What do you see?
What do you feel?
ABBEY: Well, I just I just feel he's coming back.
VALENCIA: The 64-year-old grandmother was right here at her home in Atlanta when the guilty verdict came down. She wasn't watching. Her husband, who was a Democrat, was but Abbey says she made up her mind a long time ago.
ABBEY: Except that we've added a little bit because they say, well Trump this, Trump that, he's going to jail, this and that, who cares, who cares?
We don't care.
VALENCIA: You don't care at all that he's a convicted felon now?
ABBEY: No, we don't, no.
VALENCIA: Do you understand that some people would say, you know, the justice system worked here?
He is --
ABBEY: What justice system?
VALENCIA: Out on the trail of Atlanta's belt line, the heart of the city's liberal enclave, voters were shocked anyone could still support Trump after the guilty verdict.
JADEN HUCKABY, FIRST TIME VOTER: I just think its crazy. I think somebody who doesn't know your name doesn't care about you at all having that kind of loyalty to somebody who would throw you to the dirt for nothing is insane.
JOSHUA HUCKABY, LIBERAL LEANING VOTER: I think that Trump is kind of put himself in this position where he is seen as almost a religious figure by a lot of his supporters. And they are willing to follow him regardless of what he does. And that is -- that is a scary thing.
GINA WAOTA, LIBERAL LEANING VOTER: I'm kind of upset that he could still so ran for president and being a felon but that's how it is.
DEB KAHN, BIDEN SUPPORTER: He's clearly just the most despicable person who's ever run in this country.
VALENCIA: And the guilty verdict?
KAHN: Oh, I mean, I'm not surprised.
VALENCIA: Twenty miles north, in Cobb County, voters here weren't surprised either in this populace Atlanta suburb crucial to Biden flipping Georgia four years ago, people we spoke to watch the case closely. For more than a dozen voters we spoke to, the verdict reaffirmed the way they were already leaning.
Do you think that he got a fair shake?
JAMES HENLY, COBB COUNTY VOTER: I think so.
VALENCIA: Yes.
HENLY: Yes, I think so. I mean it was a jury of twelve and that's how we've always done in his country. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every man knows he did. You know, he is, he's guilty.
MELODY RICHESON, INDEPENDENT: I think everything happens for a reason and I think that when you do bad, that God sees what you do and he punishes you as he sees fit.
VALENCIA: Do you wish that Trump could be president forever?
ABBEY: Yes, I would.
VALENCIA: As for Millicent Abbey, she says nothing would stop her from voting for Trump in November.
So he could literally go on Fifth Avenue and shoot someone as he says --
ABBEY: I'd support him.
VALENCIA: -- and you would support him?
ABBEY: Yes, I would.
VALENCIA: Some of you may be wondering how we met Millicent Abbey. Well, I was driving through town in Atlanta earlier this week and I saw a Trump flag, which is a rarity for a deeply held blue county.
When we knocked on the door, though, I don't think I expected to see who came to the door. But Abbey tells me that she is such a hardcore Trump's supporter to the bone that this lifelong Democrat said she would go back to voting for the Democrats if Trump switched parties because she says he is such a good person.
[03:40:00]
But every other voter that we spoke to was not as convinced. In fact, one of the voters that you heard from in that piece says that she's only reluctantly voting for Joe Biden because she says that Trump has been proven to be such a bad person.
And in a state like Georgia, which is crucial to winning the 2024 presidential election, she would hate to hand the win over to president Trump -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Marietta, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Turning now to the election in South Africa, where the country is looking at its biggest political shift since the end of apartheid.
For the first time in 30 years, the ruling African National Congress party is set to lose its majority after this week's vote. With the results from 90 percent of voting districts counted, the ANC was at 41 percent.
It's a huge blow for the party of Nelson Mandela since the ANC will be forced to form a coalition to stay in government. The final results are expected to be announced this weekend.
On Sunday, Mexico is set to have the largest elections in its history, more than 20,000 positions are on the ballot nationwide.
And the country is poised to elect its first female president. CNN's Gustavo Valdes has more on this historic race where public safety is a top issue.
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexico is on the brink of electing its first female president as two of the top contenders representing the country's better known parties are women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: A cause for celebration for some voters, who think it's time to have a female president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: But conscious that gender alone is not the main reason to vote. Even the candidates rarely used their gender in their political speech.
ANA MARIA SALAZAR, JUSTICE ANALYST: The question mark is, once this woman is elected president, whomever it may be, how different will her leadership be than Mexican politics, a politician?
VALDES: Journalist and security analysts Ana Maria Salazar says Mexicans are used to seeing women in high political positions, like state governors and supreme court judges. So it's no surprise that most people are focused on each candidate's plans for the future of the country, with one issue being their top priority.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: Public safety. Mexico is considered one of the world's most dangerous countries.
SALAZAR: Whomever this person is, they're really going to have to have a serious evaluation as to how do you deal with a country where organized crime has dramatically increased territorial control?
VALDES: Dozens of candidates have been killed during the current political cycle.
Claudia Sheinbaum, candidate of Morena, the party currently in power, has pledged to continue the policies of president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who, under the banner of "abrazos, no balazos," "hugs, not bullets," decided to not to engage the army or law enforcement to actively pursue criminal organizations.
A tactic many believe has failed. Opposition candidates such as Galvez want a change of strategy, proposing partnering with the United States to form a binational police force to fight crime and money laundering.
SALAZAR: Something dramatically has to change and neither one of them, neither Xochitl Galvez or Claudia Sheinbaum, have been able to lay a strategy that would at least guarantee a systematic reduction of violence in Mexico in the next six years.
VALDES: Public safety is not the only issue where the legacy of Lopez Obrador will shape the next presidency. In six years, Morena, the party founded 10 years ago, controls 20 of the country's 32 states and holds more seats in Congress than any other party.
Provisionally, Mexican presidents tend to stay away from politics once they leave power. Lopez Obrador has pledged to retire to his ranch in southern Mexico.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
VALDES: But many doubt he'll go away entirely.
SALAZAR: You can assume that if Claudia Sheinbaum becomes the next president of Mexico, the outgoing president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, will be following very closely on a daily basis every decision she makes.
VALDES: A future in which a woman will have to step from under the shadow of a man to lead a country and carve her own path -- Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: South Asia is in the midst of an unrelenting and deadly heat wave.
And it could be days, weeks, even before relief comes to the region. Those details after the break.
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[03:45:00]
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COREN: India is sweltering in a record heat wave. On Tuesday, temperatures soared to almost 50 degrees Celsius.
And officials say there have been at least 28 heat-related deaths in the past week. Officials are rationing water in Delhi due to a severe water shortage, which is making it even harder for residents to cope with the oppressive heat. More now from Kristie Lu Stout.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the slums of New Delhi, the summer sun is deadly. The temperature is pushing 50 degrees Celsius. That's more than 120 in Fahrenheit. And these homes have no water.
A lifeline arrives. In desperation, people swarm the tanker and some people miss out.
Poonam Shah has six children and no water for them to drink.
POONAM SHAH, DELHI RESIDENT (through translator): There are 10 people in my family, six kids, me and my husband, my in-laws, relatives come over sometimes.
Can we all bathe in one bucket of water?
STOUT (voice-over): Today, her family may not even get that. Poonam was working at her street food stall when the water delivery came and she missed it.
SHAH (through translator): What are we supposed to do?
There's no water.
STOUT (voice-over): A severe water shortage in Delhi means the amount of water being delivered to Poonam's neighborhood in Delhi's Chanakyapuri area has been halved. At the same time, heat stroke is taking lives.
Hospital waiting rooms are full of exhausted, dehydrated patients. Even here, the heat is stifling. The doctor in charge says the hospital is equipped with the right equipment to save people but only if they arrive in time.
DR. AJAY SHUKLA, RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA HOSPITAL: Mortality rate of heat stroke is very, very high. It is close to 60 percent to 80 percent and people can survive if they get immediate and very early medical care.
And that involves rapidly cooling the body.
STOUT (voice-over): The majority of heat stroke patients here are from poor communities, working people like Kali Prasad, who says he has no choice but to spend long hours in the sun.
KALI PRASAD, DELHI RESIDENT (through translator): we have to deal, so we deal, we are poor people. So we have to die. We have to work no matter how hot it is. We don't have any other option.
Who will feed us?
STOUT (voice-over): This heat wave gripping Northern India is unprecedented; 49.9 degrees Celsius is the highest on record for New Delhi. Climate change having the greatest impact on some, the most deprived -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.
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[03:50:00]
COREN: Plumes of smoke and raging fires could be seen tearing through the hills around Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on Friday. It's just one of several forest fires the country is grappling amid a heat wave and dry conditions.
Parts of Pakistan have recorded temperatures just above 52 degrees Celsius or 126 degrees Fahrenheit over the past week.
Ahead of the biggest game in club football, CNN talks to former Real Madrid forward and five-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale. Just ahead, what he says about his old team and what it's like to watch from the Wembley stands.
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COREN: The Champions League on Saturday will see Real Madrid in a showdown with Borussia Dortmund. In the leadup to the match, CNN's Amanda Davies sat down with retired Real Madrid player and five-time winner Gareth Bale to talk about his experience playing in the final and the religion winning the competition.
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AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Given the role that the Champions League had in your career, do you get a little special feeling on Champions League final eve?
GARETH BALE, RETIRED REAL MADRID PLAYER: Of course.
You go back to the memories of when you were in the final when you won them. So yes, obviously as a player, you're excited, you're a little bit nervous. But yes, it's kind of the ultimate club game. And everybody looks forward to it.
DAVIES: And you won your five with Real Madrid. They are the record 14 time European champions.
What is it about this competition and Real Madrid, do you think?
BALE: It's hard to explain, even being there it's still hard to explain but I think they prioritize the Champions League from day one. It is all about the Champions League. The first objective is to win that competition.
Obviously, we want to win the league and the cup. I think what comes first is the Champions League, the fans love it. The atmospheres in the evenings of a Champions League night is electric.
And yes, just what the club lives for and yes, it seems to be working. DAVIES: How's it talks about, is it -- is it talks about in different
terms?
BALE: Yes. It's more of a religion to try and win it. It is an obsessive kind of thing to keep trying to win the competition. And they're doing a pretty good job of it.
DAVIES: Yes. And you were there in 2022 when Carlo Ancelotti led them to that title.
What will he be saying to the players this evening, do you think?
BALE: Obviously knowing Carlo, not a lot. But just keeping the atmosphere very calm, very relaxed, yes, just doing what they always do, trying to keep their normal routines I think. And yes, it's just one of those.
[03:55:00]
You can really overthink a final. And I think a lot of teams who have not had that experience struggle with that. So -- but the end of the day, it's kind of keeping the same routine. You want to play your best football.
And obviously you've been playing very good football to get to the final. So it's really not a lot to that you should change. But finals and pressure make you do that.
DAVIES: How do you describe him as a manager?
BALE: Just a genius in terms of man management and tactics. Just he just kind of makes everybody feel, one, he is a very good -- not a manipulator but he really makes you all feel like you're a part of the team, even if you're not playing. He makes you feel a part the team.
And that's a special trait to have and not many managers are able to that. And I guess it's a big reason why he has had the success he's had.
DAVIES: In the old days, there was always that kind of conversation that Brits moving to Spain would struggle to settle in. You defined that. Jude Bellingham is somebody who is defining that.
What have you made of the impact that he's made in his -- in his first season?
BALE: Yes, no, I think it's been good. It's -- I guess it, when people do say that kind of drives you on to me to prove them wrong, I guess. So, yes. It's one of those. I think he's had a good season. But I'm sure he will want to win this competition more than any other.
So still a hard game ahead. But one I think Real Madrid should have enough to win.
DAVIES: How decisive do you think he will be in terms of deciding the outcome tomorrow? BALE: Again, the same as any attacking player, I guess even defensive
player. They're all going to have a massive say, I think, yes, attacking player, normally take the glory. So you kind of just hope it's your day. You get that chance in there, you're able to take it.
DAVIES: But how much of an impact, a threat do you think Dortmund will pose?
BALE: Yes. They're a merit, not just making up the numbers in the final ,which I'm sure a lot of people maybe will think. Yes, I obviously believe that Real Madrid are going to win. They have the experience of being in finals like I've said. And they knew how to get it done. But yes, Dortmund are going to be a danger, no doubt.
But I think Real Madrid will have enough.
DAVIES: Do you wish you were still playing?
BALE: No. I'm actually happy --
(LAUGHTER)
BALE: -- with what I did. The time was right for me to retire. And I'm still happy with my decision.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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COREN (voice-over): Before we go, NASA's James Webb space telescope continues in its mission to demystify the cosmos. On Thursday, the agency announced the discovery of what appears to be the earliest known galaxy.
It's a bright and vast body of stars formed during the universe's infancy some 290 million years after the Big Bang, a period astronomers call the cosmic dawn.
Before Webb's observations, scientists didn't know galaxies could exist at this stage in the development of the universe.
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COREN: Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Kim Brunhuber picks up our coverage after this short break. Stay with CNN.
