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Trump Hits Vegas in First Rally Since Conviction; Rise of the Far-Right in Europe; Blinken in Tel Aviv to Meet Netanyahu; Supreme Court to Rule on Abortion Cases; Supreme Court's Decision on Trumps Absolute Immunity; Apple's Announcement to Partner with OpenAI. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired June 10, 2024 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:30:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Conservative Christians?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: It's going to put me in a hot seat this morning, huh?

ACOSTA: Yes, yes.

SINGLETON: I mean, look, I think a lot of evangelicals will look at the former president and say, oh, you know, that's a little bit of fodder. You know, they have their religious beliefs. And you see some people who were at the event, I actually talked to someone who was there, and he said a lot of people looked at it as sort of jokes and bluster.

They really wanted to hear the president -- former president, make his case about why he's the better alternative, his case against Democrats, his case against President Biden. That's what really, really riled the crowd up. They sort of laughed at some of this commentary. So, I think for those folks, they don't take the former president too serious.

ACOSTA: Well, there's something that I think was very serious yesterday, Meghan, he took his rhetoric surrounding January 6th a step further, suggesting that those who stormed the Capitol were "warriors." A lot of people may have overlooked this over the weekend, but that's the language he used. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But those J6 warriors, they were warriors, but they were really more than anything else, they're victims of what happened. All they were doing is protesting a rigged election, that's what they were doing. So, when we get in, it's going to go very rapidly. We're going to do a lot of things. We're going to look very strongly at J6. Those people, there has never been people treated more horrifically than J6 hostages. What a setup that was. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, reality check, Meghan, the police officers who were defending the Capitol on January 6th, they were the warriors.

MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Correct.

ACOSTA: They were under attack. They defended the Capitol. And I think the other thing that's outrageous about this is this happened just a few days after D-Day. Those are warriors.

HAYS: Correct.

ACOSTA: Storming the beaches of Normandy, that's a warrior. Not storming the Capitol.

HAYS: Yes, I think the warriors, just like you said, are the folks that President Biden and other world leaders were honoring today -- or honoring a few days ago in France for D-Day. And also, just like you mentioned, the police that were there defending the Capitol.

It's offensive that he would call these folks who broke the law, who are insurrectionists, warriors. But, I mean, Donald Trump is saying exactly who he is, and he is saying exactly what people need to be listening to when it comes time to vote, remember.

ACOSTA: And, Meghan, the Biden folks have been grappling with this, this --what they call Trump amnesia. I mean, is this -- has January 6th just been sort of erased from a lot of voters' minds in a way that is not good for the president?

HAYS: No, I don't. And I think that people do have short-term memory. I think that's been proven over and over again every time we have an election. But I do think when it comes time to start voting in November, Trump is going to continue to say things and continue to incite this incendiary language like he's doing. And he's very, like, comparing himself to Jesus. That's very narcissistic, I mean, topics.

So, I think that people are going to start paying attention and start to remember. So, I don't necessarily think that people are going to forget when it's time to vote. I just think people need to be reminded. And I think that's what the Biden campaign is trying to do. I'm not sure it's working just yet, but I think they have five months to help that.

ACOSTA: Yes. Shermichael, I mean, I suppose folks might blow off the Jesus stuff and say, OK, like you were saying earlier, it's just kidding and that sort of thing. But when Donald Trump calls the people who attacked the Capitol on January 7th, the Capitol, I mean, we're sitting in front of it, warriors, isn't there a part of you that just recoils?

SINGLETON: I mean, so strategically, and Meghan made a really, really good point, this is a part of the problem, I would argue, for the Trump campaign. And I know for a fact that some of the folks on the campaign would prefer the former president to stick to the issues. Because if you look at some of the polling, he does pretty well on some of the issues.

ACOSTA: He does it at rally after rally. He calls them hostages.

SINGLETON: It's this type of --

ACOSTA: Now, he's calling them --

SINGLETON: -- imagery that could turn out some people who are on the fence about President Biden who are saying, you know what, I'm just going to stay home. I'm going to disengage altogether, which does benefit the former president. Those folks who will see this stuff constantly, and if the Biden campaign continues to do ads on social media, radio ads, television ads, it does sort of remind people, you know what, I just don't think I want to be bothered with another four years of chaos. That isn't good for the former president.

So, if I was advising him, my advice is stick to the issues. People don't want to be reminded of chaos. It turns them off, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes.

HAYS: And that's also a good point in general for people to vote. They need that contrast. They need to know who they're voting for, for good or bad on both sides, they need the contrast. So, to your point, they both should be sticking to the issues and not the incendiary language.

SINGLETON: Yes, I agree.

ACOSTA: And, Meghan, today Trump is meeting with the probation officer about, you know, this hush money trial conviction and so on. Do the Biden folks think that this has any staying power in terms of an issue? When you look at some of the polling, I mean, it just doesn't seem to register with Trump supporters. Maybe it has some effect on people in the middle. What are you hearing?

HAYS: I do think it impacts the people who are considered those double haters who are going to start to move over to Joe Biden. I do think it has staying power. The more you continue to tell people he's a convicted felon. I mean, it's unprecedented to have a former president who's running for president and the nominee meeting with a probation officer.

Like he is under court supervision, like that is unprecedented territories that we're in. And I do think it matters to these undecided voters, especially these suburban women in places that matter, like outside of Philadelphia.

ACOSTA: Yes. And Shermichael, I mean, Trump was also talking about Jack Smith, going after the special counsel. Let's listen to that.

[10:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, we have a deranged individual named Jack Smith. He's a deranged, dumb guy. He's a dumb son of a -- and I just want to get off normal. No third world country has a border like that. And no third world -- I'll tell you what, no third world country has weaponization where they go after political candidates like we have either. This guy can't get elected anything without cheating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, one of the things that -- I mean, that is coming to Donald Trump's rescue in all of this is the Supreme Court. I mean, our judicial system, the one that he's attacking for convicting him in the hush money trial and kind of coming to his rescue, has it not, on the documents case?

SINGLETON: I mean, with Florida, with Judge Cannon, I mean, it's been beneficial until it's not beneficial. A lot of --

ACOSTA: I'm surprised he's not blowing a kiss.

SINGLETON: To Judge Cannon. Look, a lot of Republican voters, they agree with the former president in terms of Jack Smith. They agree with the former president in terms of the hush money case out of New York, that it, you know, was a misdemeanor case at best. That became a felony case. So, I think there's a mixed bag on this, I guess, is the point I'm trying to make here, Jim.

Yes, the armed base is just like, you know what, we need to drive it home, how corrupt the system is. Then you have some of the more moderate Republicans that are just like, yes, we don't really care about that. Let's figure out the economic issues, some of the military issues, immigration issues. And so, I think what the former president is trying to do is have a balancing act of maintaining that drive with his ardent supporters, but also trying to touch on some of the issues with some of those modern leaning Republicans that somewhat are skeptical of some of his rhetoric.

But I would argue that he needs to pull in some of the folks like the Nikki Haley voters, some of the Republicans that really don't want Joe Biden, but they really are skeptical of his constant perpetuation of divisive rhetoric.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I suspect they were doing a lot of wincing listening to some of this rhetoric over the weekend. Guys, Meghan, Shermichael, thank you very much.

SINGLETON: Thanks. Good to see you.

HAYS: Good to see you.

ACOSTA: Coming up, the far-right surging in European Parliamentary elections. We'll talk about the global impact of that next.

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[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: New this morning, far-right parties are celebrating after making huge gains in the European Parliamentary elections. They are projected to win a record number of seats after three days of voting across the E.U.'s 27 member states. The results prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve his country's parliament and call for a snap election to be held later this month. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now from Paris.

Melissa, the Macron news certainly surprised a lot of people here in the U.S., and millions of people across the E.U. voted in these elections. What do these results tell us about what's happening in Europe right now?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the advance of the far-right had been widely predicted in the polls, Jim. In fact, there had been polls that would suggest that it would be worse than what we actually saw.

In fact, the message from the European Union this morning is that the center has held the largest block to come out in European Parliament will be the center right, that of Ursula von der Leyen. But the far- right substantial gains and that will make a difference.

These are parties who are, by and large, whilst not being a monolith, Eurosceptic, many aligned more closely with Moscow than with the idea of continued support to Ukraine, and they're now being the second largest bloc in the European Parliament will have an effect on things like the European Union's unity, its voice on immigration issues and essentially, on how it sees itself and manages its future. So, it's a substantial win for them and for many at the center of European politics, extremely worrying development, Jim.

ACOSTA: And, Melissa, what more do we know about these snap elections in France that are going to take place just before the start of the Paris Olympics? I'm sure it's busy enough as it is already there in Paris.

BELL: We had our work cut out for us as it was, Jim, even before this remarkable decision that really took everyone by surprise. Emmanuel Macron didn't have to call this election. Now, just to be perfectly clear, it has nothing to do with presidency. He will remain president until 2027. What it does mean, though, is that we're going to have snap parliamentary elections by the end of the month. This is what he told The Nation last night after his party scored so dismally in these European elections.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): This is a situation that I cannot come to terms with. The rise of nationalists, of demagogues, is a danger for our nation, but also for our Europe, for France's place in Europe and in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: What happens now is that the country will hold parliamentary elections 30th of June, 7th of July for the second round, we're going to get a new prime minister as a result of those a new government. And if the polls are correct and they do as well, the far-right that is, as they just did in the European elections, then the expectation, the possibility is that we will find ourselves with Emmanuel Macron as president, a far-right prime minister, and a national assembly that leans that way. And that really would be a remarkable turn of events, Jim, and would change the way he is able to govern no doubt going forward, Jim.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. Very big changes there. All right. Melissa Bell, thank you very much, joining us live in Paris.

And just moments ago, Secretary of State Tony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv. He's set to meet with the Israeli prime minister in just a short while from now. Tomorrow, he is expected to meet with one of Netanyahu's main rivals, Benny Gantz, who resigned from the war cabinet of that country over the weekend before departing Cairo.

Blinken said his Egyptian counterparts were in communication with Hamas as recently as a few hours ago. He is also urging Middle Eastern countries to press Hamas to say yes to a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza.

[10:45:00]

Turning back to domestic items, the Supreme Court nearing the end of its term. Time is running out to release potential blockbuster decisions on a range of major cases with significant effects for this country. Here with me to discuss, CNN Senior Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic.

Joan, great to see you, as always. Up first, we want to show our viewers, we have two cases on abortion. The most closely watched one, whether to impose new restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. The other would decide if a near total abortion ban in Idaho conflicts with the federal law requiring emergency medical care for patients. I remember we covered both of these cases live on this program.

What are the justices said about these? What do you expect to happen?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Sure. Remember, Jim, we're two years now from when the justices just by a narrow five to four vote reversed all abortion rights nationwide, constitutional abortion rights. So, these are, you know, sort of the next generation.

And the first one that I think is the most closely watched involves the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug mifepristone, which is an abortion pill. Right now, in America, most women who need to end a pregnancy need do it through abortion medication, not through surgery. So, access to that mifepristone is crucial.

This case tests the FDA's authority for finding any drug safe and effective as they did for mifepristone. And for practical consequences on the ground, it would involve whether the FDA regulations that have allowed it to be available at 10 weeks of pregnancy rather than seven, which had been the prior rule, and whether it could be obtained by mail rather than in person. But, more broadly, this case tests FDA authority for any drug's approval and the conditions for it. So, it really goes to broad federal regulatory authority. And a threshold question is, who can actually challenge that? In this case, a group of anti-abortion physicians have challenged it. And during oral arguments, Jim, the justices were pretty hung up on that, on whether these doctors actually had what's referred to as legal standing.

So, this ruling could turn out to be more incremental than long lasting in terms of FDA authority. So, we're watching for that one, especially.

ACOSTA: And, Joan, we also have Trump's appeal for immunity from Special Counsel Jack Smith's election subversion charges. I mean, they -- the Supreme Court looked at this on April 25th, if my memory serves me. See, that seems like a long time ago.

BISKUPIC: Your memory is right. Your memory is right.

ACOSTA: Where are we on this?

BISKUPIC: But --

ACOSTA: They're going to do this, right?

BISKUPIC: They are -- they have to do this. They have to do this. And just so viewers know about where they're going to go for these abortion cases, the Trump related cases, they tend to get out by the end of June on their annual session.

So, we could see this ruling on June 27th, June 28th, or maybe, in this case, because it's such a big one, they could slap over to July 1st, which is a Monday. But let's just tell people what they're -- what's involved. Donald Trump is claiming absolute immunity in the election subversion case that Special Counsel Jack Smith has brought on behalf of the Department of Justice and on behalf of the American people, actually.

So -- and he is claiming absolute immunity. The justices will probably reject that. But they could still rule partially for Donald Trump by saying, we need to decide or the lower courts need to decide what acts here in the election subversion charges go to his official actions or private actions, and the case could go back to lower courts.

Now, you remember, Jim, this is one where a trial judge was about to actually start a trial of Donald Trump back in March, first week in March. So, it's already been delayed by the Supreme Court consideration. The Supreme Court could send it back for further proceedings on legal issues and factual issues that could take us well past the election.

ACOSTA: So, that would mean there's no doubt that this will not happen before election day?

BISKUPIC: There's a sliver of doubt, but virtually not.

ACOSTA: OK.

BISKUPIC: Yes.

ACOSTA: All right. Joan, thank you very much.

BISKUPIC: Sure.

ACOSTA: Really appreciate it. Coming up, you could soon have A.I. integrated into your phone. The expected announcement. We're talking about Apple just a few moments, next.

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[10:50:00]

ACOSTA: Apple is on a mission to reinvigorate iPhone sales, and it's now turning to artificial intelligence for help. The tech giant is expected to announce a partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, in an effort to supercharge its phones and draw in customers with new A.I. features. CNN's Clare Duffy joins us now.

Clare, this is a fascinating development with the iPhone, we're all attached to, or so many of us are attached to. What can we expect?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, Jim. The biggest thing that we're expecting to hear today is the potential that Apple is going to upgrade Siri with artificial intelligence, potentially with the same technology that OpenAI is using for ChatGPT. This could make Siri into a much more effective personal virtual assistant. It could do things like tell you things about the weather or answer detailed questions about the news. Potentially, it could help you draft e-mails or text messages or search through old photos. We also could see things like A.I. capabilities for Apple maps.

And look, the stakes are really high for Apple here. It hasn't given users a really compelling new feature that would encourage them to upgrade their iPhones in about four years, which has really taken a hit to sales. And also, many of Apple's competitors are out ahead in terms of articulating a strategy for artificial intelligence. You have competitors like Microsoft and Samsung that have already rolled out A.I. powered devices.

And so, analysts say it's really important that Apple brings some kind of wow factor today in these A.I. announcements, Jim.

[10:55:00]

ACOSTA: Interesting. And might this really fuel sales for Apple? I mean, that's what they're looking for here.

DUFFY: It's really important. Apple is in this sort of tricky moment where iPhone sales have slowed, especially in China, which is a really key market where it's facing a lot of competition. It's also facing antitrust regulations, lawsuits, and you have the Vision Pro, which it launched with so much fanfare earlier this year, and sales have really been lackluster for that. You might also see some A.I. capabilities for that Vision Pro as Apple looks to really is supercharged its hardware sales.

ACOSTA: All right. Fascinating. Clare Duffy, thank you so much.

And thank you for joining us this morning. I'm Jim Acosta. Our next hour of "Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer" starts after a short break. Have a great day.

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