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CNN International: Biden to Restrict Asylum at U.S.-Mexico Border; Opening Statements in Hunter Biden Gun Trial; Iranian Media Reports Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Adviser Killed in Israeli Airstrikes on the Syrian City of Aleppo; Netanyahu Facing Mounting Pressure Over Gaza Ceasefire Proposal; Large Fires Break Out Overnight in Northern Israel After Rocket Fire From Lebanon; Counting Underway in World's Biggest Election in India; Trump Campaign and RNC Say They Raised $141 Million in May; Austin Visits Cambodia Amid Concern Over China's Influence; TikTok's LIVE Feature Accused of Putting Kids at Risk; Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Begins Spewing Lava; Mount Ibu in Indonesia Erupts, Sending Ash Plume Three Miles High; Volcano Erupts in the Philippines, Forcing Many to Evacuate; China's Chang'E-6 Lunar Probe on Its Way Home. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired June 04, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Hi, everyone, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I am Amara Walker. This is "CNN Newsroom." Just ahead, the world's biggest democracy is counting ballots. What we know so far about the results in India's election, live from New Delhi. Also, U.S. President Biden is expected to announce a big change in asylum policy, a major shift during this election year. We will have details for you. Plus, the U.S. president's son in court, opening statements are expected next hour in Hunter Biden's trial. We are live outside the courthouse.
We begin with Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo that have killed an adviser and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That is according to Iranian media. He is believed to be the first Iranian IRGC member killed by Israel since April. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is following the story. He has joined me now, live from Berlin. Fred, what do we know?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Amara. We are still actually in the early stages of gaining some of the details, but there are some things that are becoming clear from Syrian state media and also now, increasingly from Iranian at least semi-official and also official media as well.
It appears as though, and this is coming from Syrian state media, that there were a couple of airstrikes that took place in the vicinity of Aleppo City in Aleppo Province which is, of course, in the north of Syria. Aleppo, one of the biggest cities in Syria and also is one, Amara, that does have a lot of military bases around it, but also a lot of industrial complexes around it, where at least during Syria's civil war, you did have some of the factions that were fighting on the side of Bashar al-Assad, setting up shop in those areas. Of course, those also included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, including some other groups as well. Now, semi-official media in Iran that is reporting that this adviser of the Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed, his name is Saeed Abiyar, according to these sources. There are some photos that have popped up, some stills of him, also some of the alleged funeral ceremony, although it is not clear whether or not that funeral ceremony took place inside Syria or whether that was in Iran.
So far, we've not heard yet officially from the Iranian foreign ministry or from the Iranian military about all this. But of course, you're absolutely right. This could potentially be and appears to be, if indeed the Israelis were behind it, the first member of the IRGC or of the Iranian military killed since the Iranians had threatened that they would retaliate every time Israel attacks, not just Iranian territory, but also Iranian assets outside of Iran. That of course, first and foremost, including the country of Syria, all that of course was in response to Iran's embassy compound getting bombed on April 1 of this year where several top IRGC commanders were killed in that bombing, Amara.
WALKER: And it reminds us of how those tensions escalated last April, when this sort of strike, similar one happened. This was in Damascus on a consulate building there. And you were just recently in Iran, so obviously, you understand the sentiment there and how this could quickly ratchet things up.
PLEITGEN: I think you're absolutely right and it is a very important point. And one of the things that the Iranian, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran made clear immediately after those strikes happened on their embassy compound -- or on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus was that, for them, the equation had now changed in the Middle East. Of course, the Iranians have had military assets in the vicinity of Israel for an extended period of time on the ground in Syria. But of course, they also have some proxy forces, like for instance, Hezbollah in Lebanon also.
But one of the things that we really hadn't seen was a direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran. And that was certainly something that we did see after that strike took place, afterwards, the Iranians attacked Israeli territory from Iranian soil using hundreds of drones, but also ballistic missiles. I was later able to see some of the ballistic missile types and also some of the drone types that the Iranians used in those strikes when I was in Iran, a couple of weeks after those strikes took place. But the Iranian said after that happened, after their top -- or some other top commanders were killed in Damascus, that for them, the equation had changed and that every time Israel was going to attack or would attack any of their assets inside Iran, but also outside Iran, that the Iranians would strike back from Iranian soil.
So, that is going to be very interesting to see what happens after this purported strikes. So far, of course, we always have to point out that we've not heard officially from the Iranians yet, and almost more importantly, we haven't heard officially from the Israelis yet whether they would acknowledge being behind all this. Of course, that is something that they very rarely do, Amara.
[08:05:00]
WALKER: All right. Frederik Pleitgen, appreciate your reporting there as always, in Berlin. Well, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure to agree to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza, but it is still unclear exactly what is in the proposed deal and where it stands despite coming from within the Israeli government. According to U.S. President Joe Biden, the three-phase proposal would include a release of hostages with a full and complete ceasefire. Hamas has yet to officially respond.
Meanwhile, we still don't know when the prime minister is expected to address the U.S. Congress, although a source says it will likely happen in July. CNN's Nada Bashir joining me now, live from London, with more. Hi, Nada. So, what do we know about this potential ceasefire deal? What is in it? Because it seems like there is a lot of confusion on where things stand.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. We are hearing a lot of mixed messages and there are certainly a lot of moving parts at this current point in time. We heard from the Israeli prime minister over the weekend, essentially problems in cold water on the proposal, the peace plan, the three-phase peace plan put forward and announced by President Biden on Friday, seemingly suggesting that this was an Israeli deal. But clearly, there seems to be still some major sticking points.
Now, the U.S. President Joe Biden had said that Hamas had been downgraded to a point where they are not at this current point in time able to carry out an attack such as the attack that was on October 7. That was a purportedly one of the key reasons Israel launched its war on Hamas back in October. But of course, we have heard from the Israeli prime minister over the weekend saying that the conditions for an end to the war, for a ceasefire on the Israeli part have not changed. The Israeli prime minister and Israeli government overall wants to see a full destruction of Hamas before going forward and agreeing to any sort of prolonged ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Now of course, despite these comments, the U.S. has said that it remains confident that Israel will go along with this peace proposal put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden. We've also heard from officials within the Qatari government speaking to where Hamas currently stands when it comes to this peace proposal. Officials there are saying that there are some positive indications, but that they are still far from a full commitment, that they are seeking further clarification on some of the language in this current peace proposal.
But of course, there is mounting pressure from various corners at this current point in time. Of course, the international community has been pleading for some sort of resolution to bring an end to the bloodshed that we are seeing in Gaza, for hostages to be released. Of course, that is also something that we have seen within Israel as well, protests taking place still over the weekend, protesters demanding that the Israeli government focuses more on the safe return of those hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza. But these Israeli prime minister is also facing pressure on the opposing side from within his own cabinet, far-right members of his government, including the National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as their far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both saying that they would withdraw from the government if this ceasefire is agreed upon by the Israeli government, that they want to see the full destruction of Hamas. And of course, this is something that Biden acknowledged on Friday. He did knowledge that there would be members of the Israeli government who want to see the war continue, who want, in his words, to see an occupation potentially of the Gaza Strip.
So clearly, still some major sticking points there. The U.S., however, continuing to push for this piece planned to be approved.
WALKER: And Nada, we just learned a few hours ago about some fires in northern Israel that were caused apparently by rocket fire that came from southern Lebanon. Do we know how all this started?
BASHIR: Well, look, we are hearing from Israeli authorities in northern Israel that rocket fire has caused large-scale fires, which are now said to be under control in northern Israel. Officials there say some thousand acres of land engulfed in flames, large fires as we have seen in that dramatic video. We have heard from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, they say they launched drones carrying out this latest attack. And of course, since October, we have seen the continued exchange of rocket fire along Lebanon's southern border.
This is an issue which has been longstanding and of course, as you heard there in Fred Pleitgen's reporting, of course, this is one of the key proxies backed by Iran and continues to be an active group across this war. But of course, we have seen that exchange of rocket fire since October. This is something which has seen the killing of civilians in southern Lebanon, destruction of civilian homes, as well as the killing of journalists that Hezbollah says that this attack by the group on northern Israel came in response to the targeting of southern Lebanon on Monday and the killing of three Hezbollah fighters there.
[08:10:00]
WALKER: All right. Nada Bashir, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much. Live for us there in London.
Well, at this hour, the votes are being counted in the world's largest election. India's six-week voting period ended on Saturday with 642 million votes being cast. Millions had to put up with extremes of hot weather to exercise their right to vote. Narendra Modi is bidding for a rare third term as prime minister and a majority for his party, the BJP, in the 543-seat Lower House of Parliament.
But while the early results put the BJP in the lead, the opposition Indian National Congress party is performing better than some analysts expected. And we have just learned that Mr. Modi has won his own seat in India's spiritual capital, Varanasi, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. All right, let's get some perspective now on the Indian election. We are joined now by Ashok Malik. He is a partner at The Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm. Appreciate your time, Ashok.
First off --
ASHOK MALIK, PARTNER, THE ASIA GROUP: Thank you.
WALKER: Let's talk about the fact that Narendra Modi, he and his party were aiming to win a super majority, 400 seats in the Lower House of Parliament out of the 543. But, he and his party are facing a stronger challenger than they had expected. What is happening here? And obviously, the voters in India, they are sending Modi a message.
MALIK: Absolutely. Look, the 400 out of 543 was a bit of political rhetoric, but it was expected and the BJP certainly expected that Mr. Modi's party, the BJP would win a third successive single-party majority. What does seem to be happening is that Mr. Modi's coalition, which consists of many parties, is winning a majority but smaller than expected. And Mr. Modi's own party, the BJP is falling short of a majority on its own.
India's election has been extremely competitive and the opposition is doing much better than expected, which is of course good for democracy and good for political competition and polarity. What this means going ahead is that if I could use an inexact, but rough American analogy, Mr. Modi will still come back to office, but he'll be like a president who will have to negotiate legislation through a fractured or divided Congress rather than being able to just push things through. So, he will still probably have the same ends in terms of economic strategy, but he will have to find new ways and means to achieve those ends.
WALKER: Yeah.
MALIK: What is the message India's voters are sending? Frankly, there are different messages across the states of India, because many states have voted differently. But, the overarching message could probably be that the BJP was taken in by its own over-confidence, and tripped up is by its own overconfidence.
WALKER: So, in terms of -- because, as we know, Modi is a brand, right? Extremely popular. He is likely on his way to -- he and his party, the BJP, likely on their way to win a third term. But of course, there have been many critics of Modi who have said that democracy has faltered under his rule. He has cracked down on dissent. But also his pushed forward of Hindu nationalism over the past few years, obviously, polarizing the country in many ways. So if he is forced to have a coalition, what does this mean then in terms of his, I guess, stronger man tactics?
MALIK: Two things here. One, it is a bit ironic, you talking about democratic backsliding, if you will, or challenges to democracy on a day when a party that has been in office for ten years and was widely expected to win a large majority even by exit pollsters has actually suffered a setback and the opposition has fought its way back into a much stronger position.
The people have delivered a mandate that is, in some senses, disappointing for the ruling party, even though it has come back to office. So I think democracy is alive and kicking in India and voters have certainly showed that they have a mind of their own. They are willing to speak their minds.
In terms of Mr. Modi's tactics, you're quite right. He has run the government here in New Delhi for two terms now, five years from 2014 to 2019, then 2019 to 2024 with a single-party majority. He will now have to show greater flexibility in leading a coalition. But he is a very astute politician, he is a very experienced politician. He (inaudible) his personal charm, he (inaudible) his mechanism of persuasion. It will be a test for him, but he is a smart politician. I'm sure he'll do it.
[08:15:00]
WALKER: So, what is the mandate then? And he has transformed India in the past decade in many ways, economically for the good -- for good and also, for worse in some ways, right? Because there is a lot of inequality in the country. But what is it that people, I guess, what are the biggest grievances? Is it the economy?
MALIK: Look, the biggest grievances, the biggest opportunity, the biggest challenges, the biggest hopes all relate to the economy. Mr. Modi has achieved a lot in the past ten years. Indian infrastructure, roads, sports, houses, housing for the poor, digital infrastructure, the use of fintech or financial technology to make payments, all of that has been revolutionized. It has changed enormously. So, they are solid achievements of the government. Where there are still problems is in terms of job creation, the manufacturing story in India is still very much a work in progress and a lot of hopes lie in the next five years because of conditions that have been created domestically by improved infrastructure and also conditions that have been created globally by supply chains being reordered and moving from some locations or some countries such as China to diverse homes, including India.
So, there is a lot of hope that the economy will really pick up steam in the next few years. The latest growth figures for India's GDP have been very impressive, 8.2 percent, the highest for any major economy in the world. Those are solid achievements. But, yes, I'm sure there had been shortcoming. I'm sure people are impatient and want to see things happen faster. And they have sent that message to their prime minister and to their government. And well, that's democracy. You have to accept the answer and improve.
WALKER: Fascinating stuff, really appreciate you joining us, Ashok Malik. Thank you.
Still to come, a president's son on trial, straight ahead. What to expect when opening statements get underway next hour in Hunter Biden's gun trial. Also, Donald Trump's legal problems seem to be paying off for him as campaign donations are surging.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: We are just minutes away from opening statements in Hunter Biden's trial on gun charges. The son of President Joe Biden faces three felony charges connected to the purchase of a gun in 2018, a period when prosecutors say he was abusing drugs. A jury was seated on Monday and the trial is expected to take about a week.
Prosecutors plan to call about a dozen witnesses, including women who were close to Hunter Biden, to prove he was battling addiction when he bought that gun. Let's go now to the courthouse for more. That's where we find CNN's Marshall Cohen. Hi there, Marshall. What are we expecting to hear today during opening statements?
[08:20:00]
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, Amara, good morning from the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Any minute now, the son of President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden will walk into this courthouse for this start of his criminal trial. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts related to a gun that he bought in 2018. As you mentioned, it is all about whether or not he was abusing drugs or addicted to drugs when he bought that gun.
The prosecutors have said that the evidence in this case is overwhelming, and now, it is time for them to prove it. They have photos and videos and text messages that they think bolsters their argument that yes, he was abusing crack cocaine at the time when he bought that revolver at a gun shop that's, frankly, only about 15 minutes from this courthouse.
Amara, this is a very intense situation. This is a family affair. The First Lady Jill Biden was in the courthouse yesterday. Hunter Biden, of course, has been very open about his struggles with drugs and alcoholism. But those struggles will be front and center at this trial. You mentioned witnesses that are expected, his ex-wife is on the witness list. His former girlfriend, Hallie Biden, who was the widow of his brother, Beau Biden, she is on the witness list as well. They are all lined up to testify about how he was abusing drugs when he bought that gun.
If the prosecutors can prove that, they will get a conviction. But of course, there is two sides to the story here. The defense also has a bunch of issues with this prosecution. They think that the law does not clearly define what an addict is. They've argued that this is frankly a politicized case that should have never been brought in the first place. But anyway, 9 a.m., just about one hour from now, here in Delaware, that is when -- actually less than an hour, about 30 minutes -- that is what it is all about to kick off. Amara?
WALKER: And Marshall, let's make that distinction now. Because, of course, there have been comparisons made between Trump and of course, Biden's son. You have a former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is now a convicted felon and then you have an incumbent president's son. So, we are talking about the son of President Biden. President Biden not on trial; Hunter Biden is. But when we talk about this, obviously, there is a lot of politics at play. So, how is Hunter Biden's trial going to play into the presidential campaign?
COHEN: Republicans would love for this to be a huge part of the presidential campaign. They put Hunter Biden at the center of the impeachment inquiry into his father, which frankly has hit a wall, but was a big part of the action on Capitol Hill over the last year, year- and-a-half. They have argued that Hunter Biden is part of a corrupt enterprise of wheeling and dealing in foreign countries, using his influence with his father to get all kinds of shady deals overseas. That is not what this trial is about, that is not what these alleged crimes are about at all. But you can rest assured, Amara, that Republicans will definitely be cheering on the fact that past few months were all about Donald Trump and his crimes. And now, we are talking about Hunter Biden's alleged crimes as his opening statements in his trial kickoff today.
WALKER: Marshall Cohen, thanks for watching this for us at the courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Well, the U.S. President Joe Biden is also set to announce strict new limits on the number of asylum seekers crossing illegally from Mexico. The president plans to issue an executive order expected as soon as Tuesday. It would effectively shut down the border to those asylum seekers when a daily threshold of 2,500 is reached. Unaccompanied children would be exempt and some immigration advocates warn that could encourage families to send children to the border on their own.
Mr. Biden plans to issue the order under authority that was widely criticized by Democrats when Donald Trump used it during his presidency. Let's talk more about what this all means. CNN's Rosa Flores is reporting now from the U.S.-Mexico border. So, tell us more, Rosa, about what is expected, what kind of policies are respected to come down from this executive order and the impacts that could have?
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, we are still waiting for all of the details from this executive order. But as you mentioned, it sounds very much like some of the policies that were used by the Trump Administration and some of the policies that were shut down in the court. And I'll get to that in just a moment, but I want to get first to some of the reaction here on the ground, on the border, and reaction is mixed.
There's a group of officials who are supporting the president, there is a group of mayors who will be attending in-person at the White House when President Biden makes this announcement. That includes the Brownsville, Texas mayor. This Brownsville is in south Texas and this mayor issued a statement saying in part, "President Joe Biden is expected to unveil an executive order that may notably impact migrant's ability to seek asylum along the U.S. southern border.
[08:25:00]
But this mayor, like many other officials, are not speaking on camera yet. They are not commenting further because they are waiting for those details. They want to make sure that they comment on the actual executive order and not on the rumblings around the executive order. Then there is another group of officials who are upset about this. They don't think it is going to fix the issue. They think it is too little, too late and there are some who are upset because they weren't invited to this White House meeting. That includes the mayor of El Cajon, California. That's in southern California near San Diego. That mayor issued a statement saying, in part, this is nothing but a sham and an insult to those of us dealing with the real consequences of his failed border policies. Now, the White House would argue that no executive action on the border is going to fix all the ills on the U.S. southern border, that what is necessary is action by Congress, that only Congress can achieve comprehensive immigration reform that can tackle many other facets and problems that are going on, on the U.S. southern border.
Now, one of the things that is very interesting and very curious about the timing of all this is the fact that we are not in December of 2023 when the U.S. southern border was experiencing a migrant surge. During that month alone, the migrant apprehensions were about 250,000. That is according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The numbers have plummeted. That's what we've been experiencing on the border.
Everybody that I talk to here in south Texas says that the numbers are extremely low. We have those numbers for you. In April, they were about 128,000. So, this is about half of what they were experiencing back in December. I talked to a source yesterday who says that the migrant apprehension numbers for last month dropped even more. So when I talked to people here on the border, they point to that and say that that is their first indication that this executive order, that this announcement is more politically motivated than actually border motivated, based on what is happening on the border.
Now, we don't know all the details of this executive order. We are waiting for that announcement from the White House, but what we do know is that it is expected to be reminiscent of a Trump-era rule that used an authority known as 212(f) and all that means is that it is an executive power to clamp on illegal immigration. Now, we know that when former President Trump tried to use this measure back in 2018, it was struck down by the courts. That challenge, that court challenge was led by the ACLU and I talked to the lead attorney at the ACLU who led that challenge that led to the striking down of that measure. And here is what he said about the Biden Administration now trying to do something similar. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE GELERNT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ACLU NATIONAL IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS PROJECT: We do think that a policy that shuts down asylum would be an extreme overreach. We understand that people want the border process to be streamlined and we are in favor of that as well. But to say no asylum for anybody, at a certain point, that is really extreme. And if that is what ultimately happens, then we will have to review all our options, including obviously, litigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: And Amara, I think that is going to be the key question. We know that the Trump Administration tried this. It was struck down by the courts. Now, the Biden Administration is going to try something similar. Will this new measure -- will this measure that is going to be announced by the president today, will that stand a challenge in court? We don't know. We are going to have to wait and see what those details are. And I can tell you that the ACLU is going to be looking very closely at the details to see if they are going to sue or not. Amara?
WALKER: Rosa Flores at the U.S.-Mexico border. Appreciate your reporting, Rosa. Thank you.
Well, talk about a daunting task, counting votes in the world's largest election. We'll update you on India's key vote after the break.
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[08:31:35]
WALKER: Votes are being counted in India, in the world's largest election. And we have just learned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won his seat in Varanasi, which is India's spiritual capital. He is trying to win his third consecutive term as prime minister. His party, the BJP will need to get a majority of the 543 seats in the Lower House of Parliament to form a government. And at last check, Mr. Modi's party has won at least 23 seats so far. Let's bring in our Ivan Watson live in New Delhi. Hi, Ivan, lots going on around you. What do we know so far about the results? IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, it
does look like Narendra Modi is posed for an electoral victory again, and we are looking at preliminary results in the world's largest election right now. And more than 360 million -- sorry, 640 million ballots that need to be counted. So this is a huge, the undertaking here. It does look like he is headed towards another electoral victory.
What the preliminary results do not suggest is the kind of landslide that he has enjoyed in the past two elections that he has enjoyed a massive mandate to be in power over the last ten years. Instead of, as he predicted perhaps up to 400 seats in parliament being won by his alliance, it may be that they can't even when 300 seats. Again, that is according to the preliminary results. So here we are, at the headquarters of his BJP, the ruling party here, and we've had to back off a little bit because of the sound. People are partying, but as they have told us, it is not quite the electoral fervor than they enjoyed in 2019 when the BJP alone won 303 seats.
In fact, it may be that his party can't even win on its own 272 seats to win a simple majority in the Lower House of the Parliament. Instead, what we've seen is the opposition alliance, which goes by the name INDIA, appears to be surging forward and winning considerable grounds that they lost in the last election in 2019. So, this suggests that if the preliminary results go forward, that Modi may have to govern in a coalition which will be a new arrangement for him.
Again, it is early days yet, and his supporters are still crowing victory because it does look like he will stay in power, but there will be a new arrangement. And the preliminary results suggest that he will have a weaker mandate than he has enjoyed in the past. But watch this space, it could still change. There are still probably tens, if not hundreds of millions of votes to count. Amara? WALKER: OK. But if India will have to be run by a coalition, then what will this mean for Modi's power and his ability to push his agenda through?
WATSON: Well, it will be new grounds. It will be new political territory for him. So, it'll depend on his coalition partners, on what they would ask in return. It gets a little bit messier, it can be less stable. But the fact of the matter is that Modi has dominated politics in India for a decade. He has almost cult-like status among his supporters in this country.
[08:35:00]
He'll still be carrying that forward. But this was very much seen as a referendum on him. He's front and center, you look at all the iconography of his party, it is always Modi, Modi, Modi, his picture. And a reference has shown a slip in, again, according to preliminary results, it appears to show that his support has slipped. And why is that? Well, as much as he is triumphalist (ph) in talking about Indian now the most populous nation in the world, now the world's fifth largest economy, you're still dealing with youth unemployment of more than 40 percent. These are real challenges. Income inequality, and the critics hammered Modi and his party accusing him of backsliding on democracy that they've accused him of eroding freedoms of speech and religion and the press in this country. These are things that have at times put him on the defensive and they may have cut into the electoral victories that he has enjoyed in the decade -- in the past decade. Amara?
WALKER: All right. Ivan Watson watching this for us in New Delhi. Thank you very much, Ivan.
Well, Donald Trump may have something to smile about post-conviction, his finances, his campaign finances to be exact. The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee say they have raised more than $140 million last month, $53 million poured in, in just 24 hours after for his guilty verdict last week. The campaign claims the verdict in the hush money trial was the driver for a big surge in donations. CNN's Alayna Treene joining us now from Washington with more.
I know you've been covering this very closely. I think some people though are just scratching their heads and a lot of these are new donors, according to Trump's campaign. Why do you think we are seeing this surge in Republican donors feeling so energized for a convicted felon?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Amara, I think it is really interesting, first of all, to point out that this is similar to what we saw in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump being indicted four times last summer, his supporters rallying around them. However, these are much more significant numbers that we are seeing in the aftermath of the jury delivering this verdict. And part of it is, I think, when I talk to supporters on the ground, many of Donald Trump's core supporters, people in his base very much believe what his campaign is saying, that this is a sham trial, that this is political. But I think it is also now, given that at he is the presumptive Republican nominee and he has a lot of new donors in his back pocket, we are seeing a lot of them contribute large sums of money as well. And of course, we have to wait until we see the FEC reports for ourselves until we will know the exact numbers. But this is what the campaign says that they have raised. And I do want to just break down some of the numbers here because I think it is very interesting.
So, they say they raise roughly $141 million last month, $53 million you said in the 24 hours after that verdict was delivered and they say $70 million since the verdict was delivered by the jury. Now, that would be more than what the Biden campaign combined raised in March and April. And remember, Donald Trump has been really trying to catch up to Joe Biden's fundraising number. So this would be a significant victory for the former president.
And when I talk to Donald Trump's advisers about this, they say that, of course, they are trying to capitalize as much as possible on this unprecedented conviction, something they view, of course, as a negative situation. But they also recognize the political and financial benefits of this. And it is not just Donald Trump and his allies pushing this as well, it is also his potential vice presidential contenders, people like Tim Scott, J.D. Vance, Doug Burgum, all people we have seen spanning the airwaves (ph), really pushing people to support Donald Trump, to give money to his campaign, and that is exactly what we are seeing is happening.
But I do want to be very clear, Amara, that Donald Trump's campaign is still unclear of what the political impact of this will be. Sure, they are seeing a significant immediate boost in the short-term for support, for financing and fundraising coming in. But it is still unclear how Republicans and specifically independents will continue to view this conviction as we look forward to November. Remember, a key date that we all need to be paying attention to is July 11th. That is the current sentencing date for Donald Trump.
It comes just days before the Republican National Convention in July. And that could also be a huge moment that could potentially turn off Republicans, could turn off conservative leaning independent voters. These are all things that I know the Donald Trump's campaign are very closely watching and are still very uncertain of how it will ultimately pan out.
WALKER: Yeah, that is a question, right? How will this impact and influence the moderate and independent voters. Up until the criminal conviction, former President Donald Trump -- President Biden had quite a cash advantage over his opponent.
[08:40:00]
I mean, how could this now change the dynamics of the race now that Trump seems to be catching up in terms of campaign finances?
TREENE: Well, it is interesting because whenever you hear from the two, the president's campaign as well as the former president's campaign, when they were asked about lagging in fundraising numbers against their other candidate, they both say it doesn't matter about the amount of money you have, it is what you do with it. But, I do think it'll change the race in some ways. I mean, a huge goal of Donald Trump's campaign has been to try and catch up to Joe Biden in fundraising.
He is going to be fundraising later this week on the West Coast, Donald Trump trying to continue to maximum as much money as he can in the aftermath of this conviction and really, so much of these campaigns are about money. You need money to get really far in a general election and it is something that has been very important to the Trump campaign. So, I think the fact that we are seeing them not only this month, but also last month, they outraced the Biden campaign as well, is a significant victory for them and something that, of course, they are going to continue to push moving forward as they continue to November.
WALKER: Alayna Treene, appreciate you. Thank you very much.
Well, the U.S. defense secretary is back in Singapore after a trip to Cambodia. Earlier, Lloyd Austin met with Cambodia's prime minister and defense minister. His visit comes as Washington grows concern that Phnom Penh may grant China exclusive access to a key naval base. In Singapore, on Monday, Austin spoke about the importance of regional partnerships to combat threats from China and Russia. CNN's Natasha Bertrand joining me now, live from Singapore. So tell us more about what Austin's message has been to our allies in Asia?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, the overall message and what he has been trying to convey over the last five days here in Asia and Singapore and Cambodia is really that the U.S. is here to stay in the Indo-Pacific and that its security alliances with various Asian countries, they are not going to be broken or intimidated by China's "bullying and coercive behavior." That's how Secretary Austin characterized it in a speech that he made here over the weekend.
And his trip to Cambodia today, it was really an effort to try to shore up that relationship with the Cambodians because they are a really key partner and they have been increasingly kind of subsumed by China. China's influence over the country has really grown and the ramifications of that include a possible expansion of China's military footprint, which of course is deeply concerning to the United States. There are deep concerns that China may have exclusive access to a very significant naval base in southern Cambodia that could allow it to continue its provocative actions in the South China Sea.
So that was really top of mind for Secretary Austin as he went to meet with the prime minister and the defense minister in Cambodia today, again, just this broader overall theme of trying to convey to these Asian countries that the U.S. basically can serve as a counterweight to the Chinese in the region. But broadly, you know, over the course of several days here, that the message was that these countries here, they don't necessarily have to feel intimidated by the Chinese because of the presence of the United States.
The United States is regularly carrying out military exercises in the region. They are bolstering relationships with key partners here and ultimately, the Chinese, they were kind of very angry about that message and they hit back pretty hard in their own remarks following Secretary Austin's speech and they accused the U.S. of actually being a major destabilizing force here. So clearly, there are extreme tensions that remain between the U.S. and China, but broadly, they are trying to act responsibly and keep military-to-military communications open, so that there are no misunderstandings or any kind of escalation of tensions here beyond what they already are, Amara.
WALKER: And where does Secretary Austin head next?
BERTRAND: Well, he is actually going to Paris and Normandy starting tomorrow and he is going to be participating in the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. And he is expected to make remarks around that just as he did last year. And if last year is any guide, it is likely that he is going to make some kind of reference to how the events of D-Day and World War II really compare to what Europe is experiencing now with the war in Ukraine.
Last year, he spoke about Ukraine and about D-Day and about World War II, saying that he just like 80 years ago, 79 years ago, last year, that the goal now is to really seek a world where those who speak tyranny and genocide will be cast out. That is what he said. And so, he basically is going to emphasize the importance of democracy and this notion that countries can't invade other countries and take them by force.
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So, expect him to reiterate those same themes on this very important anniversary, Amara.
WALKER: All right. Natasha Bertrand in Singapore, thank you.
Still to come, TikTok under fire once again, as a new lawsuit calls one feature on the app a virtual strip club putting kids at risk, the details ahead.
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WALKER: More troubles are brewing for the social media giant, TikTok, an explosive new lawsuit accuses the popular video sharing app of creating a virtual strip club where kids can be abused. The suit was filed by Utah's attorney general who claims TikTok's live stream feature allows a sexual exploitation of minors, saying adults can use the site to encourage children to engage in illicit acts on camera for cash payments. Now, TikTok has pushed back on the claims saying it has measures in place to protect young people.
CNN's Clare Duffy is joining us now with more on the lawsuit. What more do we know about the suit, Clare, and about this LIVE feature Utah officials are objecting to?
DUFFY: Right, Amara. So, this lawsuit specifically takes aim at this feature, TikTok LIVE, where users can post live videos. They can interact with viewers and respond to comments in real-time. And TikTok also allows viewers to send these monetary gifts, which are often represented by colorful emojis to the users conducting live stream. So often, you'll see live streamers, for example, offering a shout out in their live video or some other incentive if people send them a monetary gift.
But, this lawsuit claims that the incentive structure here, where people are performing in real-time for cash payments can lead to the exploitation of children. It claims that adults can encourage children to engage in illicit acts on camera in exchange for money. It also claims that TikTok has known about this issue for some time and that those animated gifts, little tokens there are clearly aimed at children, that they are designed specifically like cute animals or Disney characters.
Now, TikTok, of course, has pushed back on these claims. A spokesperson told me that the platform has industry-leading measures and policies to help protect the safety of children and teens. They said creators must be at least 18-years-old to go live and that the platform immediately revokes access to features if it finds that accounts do not meet its age requirements. But, this lawsuit is claiming that TikTok isn't doing enough to verify and enforce user's ages to ensure that it really is only adults using this live stream feature, Amara.
WALKER: And of course, TikTok is facing a lot of challenges, isn't it, including bans by the federal government and so on?
DUFFY: Yes, this is just -- actually the second lawsuit from the Utah attorney general against TikTok over use safety. The earlier lawsuit accused TikTok of harming young user's mental health, which is a claim that also has shown up in a number of lawsuits against this platform from other states.
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And then of course, you do have the threat of a ban in the United States after President Joe Biden signed a law that will force TikTok either to sell off from its Chinese parent company or be banned from U.S. app stores. But TikTok has sued to block that ban, Amara. So, we'll have to see how that plays out.
WALKER: Yeah. TikTok under fire here in the U.S. Clare Duffy, good to have you. Thanks so much.
DUFFY: Thanks.
WALKER: Still to come, a Chinese spacecraft is heading home after collecting soil and rock samples from the moon. The significance of this is straight ahead.
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WALKER: A volcano in Hawaii has rumbled back to life. The Kilauea Volcano located in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park started spewing lava early on Monday. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the eruption has since paused, but warns that activity in this region is dynamic and it could quickly change. This volcano is the youngest and most active on Hawai'i Island.
Elsewhere on the Pacific Rim, a volcano in Indonesia briefly erupted on Tuesday morning. This time-lapse video shows Mount Ibu sending an ash plume three miles high, a series of eruptions since May have led to the evacuation of seven nearby villages, but no new evacuations have been ordered at this time.
And hundreds of residents living near an active volcano in the Philippines were ordered to evacuate after an eruption center column of ash also several miles into the sky. Scientists say the blast took place for six minutes, causing a strong earthquake. Officials warn that falling ash could affect surrounding villages. Aviation officials say more than 60 flights had to be canceled.
And the Chinese lunar lander is on its way back to earth after a successful mission to the far side of the moon. The Chinese Space Agency says the Chan'E-6 probe collected soil and rock samples from a vast crater near the moon's South Pole, something never done before. CNN's Marc Stewart has the story.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This lunar landing and the sample collection is certainly a big deal for the Chinese space program on a scientific front, but it is also rich in symbolism and political importance. We've been looking at images from this far side of the moon, the South Pole, the Aitken basin, where for the first time China unfurled a Chinese flag on that lunar surface. It is certainly an ego boost to China. Take a listen to what one Chinese scientist had to say.
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ZHOU CHANGYI, CHIEF DESIGNER AND RESEARCHER, NSSC-CAS (through translator): The national flag should be able to inspire patriotic enthusiasm among Chinese people around the world. I think people across the country should be looking forward to this picture and be proud of our great motherland.
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STEWART: We certainly don't want to dismiss the scientific aspect of all of this. These samples will be brought back to earth. It will take about a month. They will be studied to learn more about the lunar surface and the solar system, but also play a key role in the development of the Chinese space program as it looks to build a research base on the moon and land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2030.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
WALKER: All right, that's my time. Thank you so much for joining me here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Amara Walker.
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"Connect The World" with Becky Anderson is up next. You will have more on India's election results and all the rest of the day's top stories. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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