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CNN International: U.N. Security Council Adopts Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire; Israeli Operation Rescues Four Hostages Held in Gaza; Antony Blinken in Middle East Amid Diplomatic Push for Ceasefire Deal; U.N., Jordan, Egypt Host Humanitarian Aid Summit for Gaza; Malawi's Vice President and Nine Others Killed in Plane Crash; Suspect Arrested in Stabbing of Four Americans in China; Singapore Airlines Offers Payments to Passengers Injured on Flight; Port of Baltimore Shipping Channel Fully Reopened; Ukrainian President Says Rebuilding Ukraine Will Be Beneficial to All of Europe; Jury Resumes Deliberations in Hunter Biden Gun Trial; Trump Completes Interview With Probation Officers; Rising Sea Levels Force Residents Off of Panamanian Island; Boys Find T-Rex Skeleton to Be Featured in New Exhibit. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired June 11, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:12
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 U.S. Secretary of State meets with hostage families in Israel today as pressure grows for a Gaza ceasefire deal. We are live in Tel Aviv and Beirut this hour. Plus a shocking attack, four Americans stabbed in China. We'll have the very latest on their conditions and what we know about why it happened. And next hour, the jury in the Hunter Biden gun trial resumes deliberations. We are live outside the courthouse with a preview.
We begin with a renewed push to bring an end to the eight-month old war in Gaza, one day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a ceasefire plan that was first outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden. The U.S. drafted proposal calls for a ceasefire deal in three phases, and the release of the hostages held by Hamas. U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinked traveled to Jordan after meeting Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials in Netanyahu. Now, Blinken says the Israeli prime minister re-affirmed his commitment to the proposal, while Hamas says it welcomes the resolution and is ready to engage with mediators.
Meanwhile, we are getting new video about fresh details and fresh details about that deadly Israeli operations Saturday that resulted in the rescue of four hostages who were being held in Gaza. Gazan officials say more than 270 Palestinians were killed in the raid, a number that Israel disputes. CNN's Paula Hancocks has the latest and we warn, you some of the images you are about to see are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New video from the Israeli military shows the rescue of Israeli hostages from central Gaza. It says hundreds of personnel were involved in this rare daytime operation, three hostages locked in an apartment in one multi-story residential building, another held in a flat 650 feet away in a densely-populated neighborhood. Models of the buildings were built weeks before to train forces.
This is how Israel's hostage rescue mission looked from the ground. Airstrikes, explosions, residents running to find safety that does not exist in Gaza. Hostages were flown by helicopter back to Israel and to emotional reunions with family who had dreamed of this moment for eight months. Families who only heard about the mission once their loved ones were safe.
ORIT MEIR, MOTHER OF RESCUED HOSTAGE: I haven't stopped smiling since my Almog was returned to me, but the remaining hostages need a deal to get home safely. There is a deal on the table. We ask the Israeli government to move forward with the deal.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): The doctor who has treated the hostages since they arrived tells me, despite appearing in good condition, all four are malnourished.
DR. ITAI PESSACH, TREATING RESCUED HOSTAGES: Their muscles are extremely wasted. There is damage to some other systems because of that.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): He says they were moved frequently and beaten by their captors.
PESSACH: It was harsh, harsh experience with a lot of abuse almost every day, every hour, both physical, mental, and other types. And that is something that is beyond comprehension.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Dr. Pessach also treated some of the hostages released in November, and says the psychological damage of these four is significantly worse.
PESSACH: All of them had faith but losing that faith I think is where you get to the breaking point. And I am happy that these guys are here. But there are others losing the faith in us, in human kind.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Residents in Nuseirat, central Gaza are in a state of shock, struggling to deal with the aftermath of Saturday, which neighboring countries and the EU's top diplomat have called a massacre.
This woman says, most of those trapped under the rubble are women and children, houses are filled with displaced people. Israel committed a massacre.
Hospital directors and Gaza officials say more than 270 were killed, hundreds more injured. The IDF says there were fewer than 100 casualties. There is no breakdown of civilians versus fighters, but this hospital is filled with women and children.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE) [08:05:00]
WALKER: Our Oren Liebermann is joining us now from Tel Aviv with the latest on that operation and where the ceasefire negotiations stand. And let's start with these talks, Oren. And on the surface, it sounds like both sides seem to be OK with this proposal, but when it comes to what's being said publicly versus privately, there seems to be differences at least when it comes to Netanyahu. What are we learning about where things stand?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the most important point right now is that this isn't over the line yet, and it is in that 'yet' where this has fallen apart many times in the past. The Biden Administration and we heard this from Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. They appear confident the Israelis will agree to the proposal that's on the table, that despite the fact that some far-right members of Netanyahu's own government have said they will torpedo the government and the deal if Netanyahu agrees to it. And he has also said he won't agree to a permanent end of hostilities.
Still the U.S., at least on the Israeli side remains confident. Hamas has made positive noises and seems to have given an initial positive response for the ceasefire on the table. But now, it comes down to the details and that is where this has fallen apart repeatedly in the past. That is Blinken's concern right now, as he goes through shuttle diplomacy here in the Middle East. He started in Egypt a couple of days ago. He held meetings in Israel with the prime minister, the defense minister, the head of the opposition, Benny Gantz who just left the war cabinet after stepping down.
These are all of the players you'd need to have on your side to get it over the line on the Israeli side. And now he's focused in seeing if you can pressure the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Qataris, to try to get Hamas to agree to it and to get to a point where we are there, where there is a ceasefire, not waiting for the final details to be hammered out. It is a -- even if we are closer than we've been in months, the process isn't over the line yet and Blinken knows that very well.
WALKER: And regarding that dramatic hostage rescue operation, as you've been hearing, there have been growing condemnation about the civilian death toll, although CNN is not able to verify those numbers because there are conflicting numbers on the Israeli side versus the Palestinian side. What else do we know?
LIEBERMANN: Regardless of which number is correct, either 274 dead from the Palestinian ministry of health or less than 100 from the Israelis, either one of those numbers still makes it one of the deadliest days in Gaza in months. And we have seen operations, incidents, events, bombings, and strikes from the Israeli military far smaller than that that have disrupted previous attempts at negotiations.
Still Blinken it's trying to move this forward despite the results of the operation here. Meanwhile, on the Israeli side, the four rescued hostages are out of the hospital, so they continue their recovery, but they were brought here suffering from some malnutrition, but doctors said in fairly good condition, able to go home or at least able to be released from the hospital within a matter of days. All that is positive, but the unity you would have expected from an operation like that, though it was certainly there in the country celebrated, it quickly led to the divisions we have seen for so long now with anti- government protests calling for the ceasefire that will bring the remaining hostages home.
In fact, as Blinken left earlier today, before he flew out, there was a small protest for that same anti-government pro-ceasefire message right outside of his hotel.
WALKER: Oren Liebermann, appreciate your reporting from Tel Aviv. Thank you very much. Let's bring in our Ben Wedeman now with a look at the diplomatic efforts around the Middle East. Ben, first off, Jordan is hosting this Humanitarian Aid Summit along with Egypt and the U.N. Secretary of State Antony Blinked is attending as well. What is the conversation sounding like right now there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this summit being held at the Dead Sea is attended by representatives of 75 countries in addition to the Palestinian authority and humanitarian organizations, really the focus of it is on getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been a problem from the beginning of the war. But certainly, it has gotten much worse when Israel began its operation last month in Rafah and the main crossing from Egypt has been closed. So, the situation in terms of supplies getting into Gaza has gotten worse and worse.
Now, we heard Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary General, saying that all available routes into Gaza must be operational and all land routes are absolutely crucial. Now, we've seen, for instance, Jordan began this system of airdropping food into Gaza and that has been followed by the United States and other countries. And also, the United States has spent more than $340 million to set up a pier in Gaza, which was only operational for a week before it was disabled by a storm and only last Friday, went back into operation.
[08:10:00]
But it is not being used at the moment because of security concerns. Really, the stress is that the best way to get humanitarian aid into Gaza is through the land routes, through Egypt, but more importantly through Israel, which has seven crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel proper. But because of bureaucratic delays, inspections, and the fact that many of these convoys that are bringing food to Gaza are being interfered with by Israeli extremists, they're simply not getting in.
So really this is the focus of this summit. The question is will it make any difference? In the absence of a ceasefire, it's all sort of up in the air at the moment, but they're trying to emphasize the importance of just opening up Gaza, so that necessary food, medicine and other supplies can get inside. Amara?
WALKER: Ben, what could Secretary of State Antony Blinken then bring to the table in these talks?
WEDEMAN: Certainly, let's keep in mind that Antony Blinken represents the United States, which is really the only country that has the ability to put pressure on Israel to change its stance. But as we've seen until now, the United States is playing this contradictory role where on the one hand, it is providing all the weapons to Netanyahu; on the other, it is also trying to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. But because the Israelis are putting up obstacles on the border, that they have to go too extreme lengths like this, why have (ph) the expensive humanitarian pier that until now hasn't really been in operation for very long. So, I think he is probably going to get an earful for many of the other delegates at this conference to try to get the United States to pressure Israel to allow more aid to get into Gaza. Amara?
WALKER: All right. Ben Wedeman, always appreciate reporting there from Beirut. Thank you, Ben.
Malawi's vice president has been killed in a plane crash along with nine others, and that is according to the country's president. The wreckage was discovered following a massive search effort after the plane carrying Saulos Chilima and the others went missing on Monday. Now, President Lazarus Chakwera said rescuers found the vice president's plane completely destroyed near a hill in a dense forest. And, he said, an effort is underway to transport the remains of those who were killed back to the capital.
CNN's Larry Madowo is following the story from Nairobi. Larry, tell us more about -- I mean, they had been searching for the plane and it's wreckage for some time. They finally found it, just hours ago. What do we know about how they found it and what happens next?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, it took almost 24 hours, probably more to find the wreckage of this plane in this forest. This was supposed to have been just an hour-long flight from Lilongwe, the Malawian capital, to the northern region of Mzuzu. But when they approached the landing, air traffic controller told them to turn back because of bad weather and poor visibility, they could not land. And shortly after that, they lost control. They lost contact with the tower and they fell out of radar communication and that was about 26 hours ago now.
And President Lazarus Chakwera was immediately informed. He said he, asked the Malawi Defense Forces to immediately begin searching for it. I want to show you pictures of the wreckage where this German- manufactured twin turboprop airplane was found. It shows the fuselage almost entirely destroyed in this scene. Public records show that the Malawi Defense Force has at least three of these aircraft. The Malawi Air Force was formed in partnership and with help from the German Air Force back in 1976, so they still have a lot of German aircraft, and they fly these aircraft all the time.
President Chakwera himself says he has flown in one of these aircraft, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LAZARUS CHAKWERA, MALAWIAN PRESIDENT: That aircraft is an aircraft I have myself used on similar trips, an aircraft that others had used just the day before, and an aircraft that the crew had just operated successfully just hours before. And yet, despite the track record of the aircraft and the experience of the crew, something terrible went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe, sending it crashing down and killing everyone on board.
[08:15:00]
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: There were nine other people on that aircraft besides Vice President Saulos Chilima. He was 51, President Chakwera describing him as a good man, a devoted husband, and a patriot. And he said it had been the honor is life to have him as his deputy and counsel over these past four years. I did interview Saulos Chilima in 2019, shortly before he and Lazarus Chakwera formed a coalition that allowed them to form government in Malawi after a disputed election. They didn't always get along, but at least coming together helped bring this government in power. And for many people in Malawi now, as time of mourning and sadness after this tragedy that is just for many people unspeakable, Amara.
WALKER: Yeah, just shocking for everyone there. What more do we know, Larry, about the vice president? I mean, he did have a wife and family, and also the nine others who were on the plane?
MADOWO: We know that this was a Malawi Air Force plane, so some of the people on board where military officers, including the crew that was operating that aircraft. Dr. Chilima had most recently been seen in Seoul in South Korea, where he was representing President Chakwera at the Seoul, at the Korea-Africa Summit. He was due to go to an event to -- it was the funeral of a former official in the Malawian government. He was 51. He was a politician who came into politics after having a successful career in business and was much beloved in many parts of the country. That is why we've seen so much outpouring of love and emotion from so many people in the country, who looked up to him as a leader and second-in-command in Malawi.
WALKER: Larry Madowo, appreciate your reporting. Thank you.
Still to come, four Americans stabbed in a shock attack in China. We are live with the latest on what we know about the suspect. Then, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy begins intense diplomatic push, asking for more assistance. His message to Europe, Ukraine's recovery will benefit all of us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Police in northeastern China have arrested a man they say stabbed four Americans at a park, all four teach at Cornell College in Iowa and they were taking part in a partnership with a university in Jilin City. Now, video purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack surfaced on Chinese social media, but then it was quickly censored. Police say the suspect is a 55-year-old man who, in their words, collided with the foreigner while walking.
One of the victims is the brother of an Iowa state representative and he tells CNN that his brother is doing well and that he's recovering. Marc Stewart joining us now from Jilin City where this attack happened. Tell us more.
MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Amara. As you mentioned, a 55-year-old man is in custody and this explanation that he just bumped into them certainly raises even more questions.
[08:20:00]
I wanted to show you some video from the actual scene inside this massive park in Jilin City. We just walked up there, it's about 15- mile hike from the location where we are now, and any evidence of this attack clearly has been washed away, a contrast to a lot of the video that we've seen some of the stills on social media these four Americans covered in blood, clearly injured after this attack. In addition, a Chinese tourist was also injured, tried to intervene, trying to help.
But this park is very much a common gathering spot in this community. It's a point of pride in the city. We have seen a lot of retirees here; we've seen a lot of people with their families after work. There are trails, there are -- there's a train. There's a temple. I mean, this is a very nice place to be. It's about 30 minutes from the university. So, that -- this is not necessarily a target point for anyone to necessarily get hurt.
Let's talk about the current environment though in China, as we fill in the blanks in all of this, this is happening at a time when there has been a rise in nationalism. It's something that I hear in conversations that people here in China; it's something we see on social media. Yet at the same time, there has been this very broad appeal by Chinese President Xi Jinping to bring more American students -- as many 50,000 American students here to China to study. So, it'll be interesting to see if this single event perhaps dampens the enthusiasm for these programs.
Also, Amara, I think -- you mentioned this earlier -- when this happened, now almost 48 hours ago, there was no mention of this in the Chinese press. Any postings on social media were quickly scrubbed away. It wasn't until we heard from some lawmakers in Iowa where the school is based that we got a hint that this was happening and there is now some reporting in state media finally happening any tonight. But I'm bringing this up for you, so people can get a better idea about the surveillance and the control that the Chinese government has often in difficult situations like this, Amara.
WALKER: Yeah, I'm sure your report is being censored right now as well in China. I mean, it's really peculiar, right? I mean, you mentioned these things, the fact that the information about this even happening, these stabbings happening is being suppressed. But also, the way that police are handling this, saying that this was just a collision of a Chinese man running into these foreigners or bumping into them is -- are these attacks being investigated as attacks or a crime?
STEWART: Well, we are getting the word of the government. In fact, the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs said this was something that they are aware of and were concerned about. It's important to stress that these attacks on foreigners are very rare. Guns, for example, are such an off limits part of society here. It is very hard to get a gun. So when there is violence, it is often gun violence like this, or knife violence, I should say like this -- these knife attacks. We've seen some in recent years, some that have targeted children, but foreigners are very rarely targeted.
I live here in China. I always feel safe and this is obviously something that is of concern to the government as was expressed during a briefing today in Beijing, Amara.
WALKER: This is concerning in general for foreigners, especially the way we see it's being handled. Marc Stewart, good to see you. Thank you.
Well, Singapore Airlines is offering compensation to passengers injured last month when their flight ran into severe turbulence. One passenger died and several others were severely injured. The airlines says it's offering $10,000 to everyone who suffered minor injuries and will discuss larger offers with passengers whose injuries were more serious, while giving them an advance payment of $25,000 each. The plane was flying from London to Singapore when it hit turbulence over Myanmar. It landed and made an emergency landing in Thailand and officials say the passenger who had died had a suspected heart condition.
The Port of Baltimore's shipping channel is now fully re-opened, more than two months after that cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The accident killed six construction workers and cut off access to the crucial waterway. Crews had to remove about 50,000 tons of wreckage from the river. The container ship was stuck in the channel until it was hauled away on May 20th. Insurance experts estimate replacing the bridge could cost more than $1.2 billion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Berlin for an international conference on efforts to rebuild Ukraine. It is all part of an intense week of diplomatic meetings with western partners. Now earlier, Mr. Zelenskyy was welcomed by the German president.
[08:25:00]
He told the conference, Ukraine's recovery would benefit all of Europe and he called for more investment and more aid. Now, speaking to the media alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Ukrainian president appealed for more air defense weapons to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT(through translator): Our key emphasis today is clearly air defense and energy. This is something that it is impossible to live under modern conditions in Ukraine. No more social activities (inaudible) is helping Ukraine to protect its skies with Patriot systems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Mr. Zelenskyy is set to address the German parliament at any moment, and he's also scheduled to attend the G7 Summit it Italy later this week. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is joining me now live from Berlin.
Hi there, Fred. So, what is President Zelenskyy looking for today? What has been his main message so far?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there were several main messages. I mean, one of the things that we have to keep in mind, Amara, is that this is of course, a recovery conference for Ukraine. So certainly, talking about rebuilding all the things that have been destroyed in that country, in the not-too- distant future. The Ukrainians, of course, hope that is something that's really key here. But I think also that bit of sound that we just listened to from Volodymyr Zelenskyy about him calling for more air defense system is also something that's absolutely key to the Ukrainian president.
In fact, in that very same speech, he was calling for Ukraine to get seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. Those are, of course, by far the most capable surface-to-air missile systems that the Ukrainians have. Now, the Germans have just OK-ed sending a third system to the Ukrainians. That in itself is a big deal and certainly, also something that the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz talked about as well. So, those definitely the key principles for the Ukrainians.
And we just had a press conference here a couple of minutes ago by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and also with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. And I was able to ask both of them, first of all, Olaf Scholz, whether or not those bad results that his party got in the EU elections and then, of course, also pro-Kremlin parties doing very well in those elections in France and in Germany, whether that could hamper his efforts to try and support Ukraine in the future. He said absolutely not, Germany well continue to support Ukraine as will other European countries.
And then Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his part, also said that he believes that Ukraine with the military assistance that it's getting and they obviously hope to get a lot more that he believes that they will not only be able to hold the Russian military up, but possibly even turn the tides on the battlefield. But of course, that is something for the Ukrainians that has been very difficult, continues to be very difficult. Another big touchy point also for the Ukrainians is the mobilization of people to actually go to the frontlines and use some of those western weapons that are being supplied. Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying now is the time for Ukrainians to come and defend their country, Amara.
WALKER: Well, and if we could talk a little bit about the momentum there on the battlefield because, Fred, you've reported from the frontlines in Ukraine many times. We know that the weapons are -- and the ammunition are now flowing into Ukraine. Are they going to be able to reverse the momentum on the battlefield? PLEITGEN: I'm not sure if they're going to be able to reverse it quickly, but I do think that so far, already the Ukrainians have been able to stall the Russian offensive in a pretty major way. In fact, the most recent things that we've been hearing, especially from the Kharkiv front, where of course the Russians are attacking directly from Russian territory, directly from the region around Belgorod towards Kharkiv, did manage to make some gains initially.
The Ukrainians apparently have now managed to hold them up and there were a couple of things that were key to do that, one of them was the fact that the Ukrainians have a lot more ammunition, a lot more artillery shells than they did before. They also put some of their most capable troops on that part of the frontline. But of course, also Amara, the fact that the U.S. and other allies have now allowed Ukraine to strike Russian troops inside Russian territory in that part of Russia, close to the frontline, the Ukrainians saying that, for instance, those HIMARS artillery rocket systems already making a big difference on the battlefield.
Now, the Ukrainians say that they are holding the Russians up to a certain extent, they believe they've reversed the momentum there. But of course, they are still up against a very big force that also has a lot more manpower and the Ukrainians right now are saying, and this is something that Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said just a couple of minutes at the press conference, they are saying that mobilization is really kicking in, in Ukraine now. But of course, it's going to take time to train those troops up, get them battle ready, and then of course, also train them up on the western weapons that they might soon receive and that they have been receiving for a while, to be able to make them a capable fighting force, Amara.
WALKER: Frederik Pleitgen, always appreciate your reporting there from Berlin. Thanks so much, Fred.
Still to come, the fate of the president's son is now in the hands of a jury. We will check in on deliberations in Hunter Biden's gun trial. And later, we will break down some of the options the judge has when it comes to sentencing Donald Trump for the guilty verdict in his hush money trial.
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[08:32:25]
WALKER: In about a half hour from now, the jury will get back to deliberations in Hunter Biden's gun trial. The president's son faces three felony charges connected to his purchase of a gun in 2018. Our Paula Reid has been at the court and has this report on Monday's closing arguments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a major show of support, Hunter's family members and pastor taking up three rows in court today. CHRISTOPHER ALAN BULLOCK, FOUNDER AND PASTOR, CANAAN BAPTIST CHURCH NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE: I've known the family for years and you don't abandon your friends and family in tough times.
REID (voice-over): In closing arguments. Prosecutors pointed to the gallery of supporters and said, those people are not evidence and reminded the jury that "No one is above the law." The prosecution directly addressed the most difficult element they have to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied on a federal background check form when purchasing the gun at the center of this case. The defendant knew he used crack and was addicted to crack at the relevant time period, adding that Hunter would have been aware from his time in rehab that he had a problem with drugs.
Maybe if he had never gone to rehab, he could argue he didn't know he was an addict. At the end of his closing, Prosecutor Leo Wise circled back to testimony from Hunter's daughter, Naomi, on Friday, when she told the jury that when she returned her father's car to him on October 19, 2018, she did not see any evidence of drugs. But Wise reminded the jury Hunter's former girlfriend, Hallie Biden, his brother Beau Biden's widow, had testified that when she found the gun in the same car days later, she found it alongside drug paraphernalia.
Defense Attorney Abbe Lowell countered, warning jurors not to convict his client improperly, adding it's time to end this case. He compared the trial to a magician's trick, trying to dupe the jury, saying watch this hand, pay no attention to the other one. He accused prosecutors of cherry-picking evidence to present a more damning timeline of Hunter's drug use and said his client was not lying when he marked down that he was not an addict on that federal form.
Lowell attacked two of Hunter's former girlfriends who both served as prosecution witnesses in this case. He noted Zoe Kestan took pictures of Hunter with drugs, but not in the key month of October 2018. He also reminded the jury that Hallie Biden could not remember specific details about when she found the gun in Hunter's car. And noted Hunter was the one who told Hallie to file a police report for the missing gun after she threw it out.
[08:35:00]
Hunter did not take the stand to testify in his own defense in this case, a move that would have come with potential rewards and definite risks.
REID: The jury will return to court at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday to continue deliberations. Now he is (ph) in court, Monday morning, as the jury heard instructions from the judge, she went through it line by line explaining the rules that they have to follow as they undertake this historic decision.
Paula Reid, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: All right. Marshall Cohen is outside the courthouse right now. OK. So the jury is about to begin deliberations in less than a half an hour for day two. We heard there from Paula Reid that the judge gave the jurors their instructions. What were those instructions? And what do we expect today?
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Amara, good morning here from Wilmington, Delaware. Yesterday, before court ended, the jury booked one hour of deliberations. That is what happened yesterday. Today, they will pick it up. They are expected back here at 9:00 a.m. The judge told them that they can go straight to the jury room and once they are all there and assembled, they can resume their deliberations. And at that point, we will all just be waiting to hear from them.
So as Paula explained, he is facing three criminal charges related to his alleged possession and purchase of a gun in 2018 while he was addicted to drugs. There are three counts in this indictment, but underneath those counts, there are elements of each offense that would need to be met for the prosecution to get a conviction. So the jurors are going to be deliberating and debating whether or not every element of every offense has been met.
They need to be, obviously, unanimous in order to render a verdict. So, there's 12 jurors, six men, six women. It is a diverse group with a fair number of African-Americans on the panel. They are all from Delaware and they are here in Wilmington to render a verdict on the most famous political family from this state, the Bidens, and the son of the president. Amara?
WALKER: Unprecedented moments. Marshall Cohen at the courthouse and Wilmington, Delaware. Thank you very much, Marshall. Let's bring in some legal expertise. I'm joined now by Jeff Swartz. He is a former judge in the State of Florida and a professor at the Thomas Cooley Law School.
Judge, good to see you. OK. So in closing arguments, yesterday, we heard the prosecution say, look, the evidence was overwhelming. And the defense said no, the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof to prove that Biden is guilty. What is your take?
JEFF SWARTZ, FORMER MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COURT JUDGE: Well, there's a built-in reasonable doubt that was argued by Abbe Lowell and that basically is that the state, the government is arguing that they had evidence. It said that Hunter knew that he was in fact an addict and that he was using drugs, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he filled out the form and possessed the gun.
On the other hand, some of their own witnesses, some of the same prosecution witnesses said, well, we didn't see a gun. We knew that he was using drugs at time, but he went to rehab three or four times, and didn't really consider himself an addict when he came out, that he was on his way to recovery. And so, now, the jury has to sit there and sift through all that and decide, did he know or didn't he know? If he didn't know, then he did not intentionally violate the law. That's the key.
WALKER: It seems that the prosecution, judge, is concerned that sympathies may play into the verdict. You know that the emotional aspects of the case may play into these deliberations. What are your thoughts on that? Because the prosecution in his closing arguments, seconds into it, made sure to point out the family members who've been sitting in the courtroom day in and day out. We know that Jill Biden, the first lady, I mean what a whirlwind last few days where she's been flying back and forth to France and then back to their Delaware courtroom, then back to France to be there for her son.
The prosecution emphatically said, no one is above the law while they pointed out the first lady being there in court as well.
SWARTZ: You know, I looked at that and I thought that that was really kind of a desperation move by the prosecution. They obviously were overwhelmed with the support that he received from his family. I think it's a big mistake in Delaware in particular to point to the Biden family and say, these people don't matter. It was more than just that they weren't witnesses. He actually said they don't matter.
Well, they matter to the State of Delaware and they matter to these jurors who our constituents of Joe Biden when he was a Senator and they know this family. There was clearly some sympathy for Hunter during opening statements when a couple of jurors started crying, lowered their heads, wouldn't look at the prosecutor or anybody else when they walked out.
[08:40:00]
There clearly was a plea to that sympathy. The idea give us jury nullification because you feel sorry for him. And some of these people had addiction in their own families. So, to point to a family and say, they don't matter is like saying to that juror, you don't matter either. And I think that that was really a very bad thing for the prosecution to do. I don't think they should have been that confrontational about it.
WALKER: But, the judge did explicitly instruct them, right, that it's about the evidence and not their emotions.
SWARTZ: Yeah, they do. The judge does explain that, but the problem is that when you're doing a jury nullification case, you're telling them to please forget the judge talking, telling you to forget your sympathy. We think you should be thinking about it because this is the family that supported him. They knew him the most. They believe in him, that type of thing. And you know, you just need one or two, that's all you need to hang the jury. That's all you need.
WALKER: Is that your prediction? A hung jury?
SWARTZ: If we don't have a verdict by the end of today, yeah, that would be my prediction. There is either going to be a very quick guilty or it's going to be long drawn out deliberations and possibly a hung jury.
WALKER: All right. We'll watch this closely and we'll have you back tomorrow, hopefully. Former Judge Jeff Swartz, thank you so much.
Still to come, a judge who has often ruled in Donald Trump's favor in his classified documents case rules against him this time. We'll have the details.
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WALKER: There was a flurry of activity Monday regarding Donald Trump's legal problems. First, the judge in the former president's classified documents case refused to throw out some of the charges against him. Trump's lawyers had made a technical argument against several of the 41 charges in this federal case, but Judge Aileen Cannon rejected the motion.
Also, in his hush money case, where he was found guilty, Trump took part in a pre-sentencing interview with a probation officer in New York. The virtual interview was described as polite and uneventful. It will help form the pre-sentencing report that the judge will consider, after Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
And despite all the legal issues hanging over him, Trump is trying to remain focused on his campaign to regain the White House. Our Alayna Treene has more on that. Alayna, I mean, it's really incredible, all these legal troubles swirling around Trump though he's very much focused on his political future and he's been holding meetings with Senate republicans this week.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: He is, he's going to be meeting with Senate Republicans on Thursday at the invitation of Senator John Barrasso, part of Senate leadership, and really the focus of that meeting we are told is about his 2025 plans and what his agenda would look like if you were to win the election and take -- go back into the White House.
[08:45:00]
Now luck, you're totally right, Amara. From my conversations with the Trump campaign, they really do want him to leave his weeks-long criminal trial in the past and begin focusing again on his general election campaign in earnest. And that means talking about the issues that they think voters care the most about. That's immigration, crime, the economy, inflation, all things we heard Donald Trump discuss over his two campaign stops this weekend.
But, this meeting with Senate Republicans is going to be more about policy, about some of the things that they could be potentially voting on if he were to be back in office and it's going to be really interesting I think to see what comes out of that meeting because, as we know, Republicans, Senate Republicans in particular have really rallied around Donald Trump despite all of these legal troubles, despite his conviction in that Manhattan trial, they are very much with Donald Trump and they want to do as much as they can to ensure that he is successful in November.
So, I think what they discuss on Thursday will be very interesting for us to keep an eye on. And also, as we pay attention to how Donald Trump is trying to re-message and re-frame the narrative, now that his trial is over and he's back on the campaign trail in earnest. WALKER: Yeah. And not disk bite his conviction, but because of his conviction, I mean, he's had some impressive fundraising figures as well. What's the mood been like inside the Trump campaign?
TREENE: Yeah, it's fascinating. So, part of this really aggressive approach to being back on the campaign trail is also about fundraising. We saw Donald Trump attend a series of fundraisers over the weekend. It was part of a big West Coast swing and Donald Trump's co-campaign manager, Chris LaCivita told me when we were in Las Vegas on Sunday that they raised $27.5 million during those campaign stops alone. And that's on top of Donald Trump's campaign and the RNC raising $141 million last month, most of what they attribute to that conviction.
And it's fascinating because we did see this happen last year in the aftermath of Donald Trump's indictments, his campaign saw a major uptick in fundraising as well as support following those indictments. We saw a similar thing with his conviction, Trump's campaign says $70 million of that $141 million was raised in the days after the verdict came down, that he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. So, they are trying to use that to continue to boost his numbers. What's still unclear though, Amara, is how this is going to play out in the long run.
So in the immediate term, he saw those numbers increase, but will that continue especially as voters have more time to marinate on the fact that he is now a convicted felon. And in addition to the fundraising side of it, his campaign it is very unclear of how it's going to play out politically as well, particularly among voters who are more independent thinking, more conservative leaning independent voters, they are very unclear of how this will impact his campaign in November with some of those crucial voters in many of these key swing states. Amara?
WALKER: Yeah, that is the big unknown as you say. Alayna Treene, good to have you there in Washington. Thank you. So as we've mentioned earlier, Trump took part in a pre-sentencing interview Monday with a New York probation officer. In exactly one month from now, Judge Juan Merchan is due to hand down the sentence after Trump was found guilty on all 34 felonies in his hush money trial. There is a wide range of options open to the judge. Our Brian Todd has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just went through a rigged trial in New York.
(CROWD CHEERING)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now that Donald Trump has completed his pre-sentencing interview with a probation official, a report on the interview will be sent directly to Judge Juan Merchan, who has a few options for sentencing Trump, 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, with a maximum of 20 years. But realistically --
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, FORMER DEPUTY U.S. ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: 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. He turns 78 this week. 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 and 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 NEW YORK CITY CORRECTIONS & PROBATION COMMISSIONER: 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.
[08:50:00]
TODD (voice-over): Experts say a conditional discharge could be a sentencing option.
SALAND: Here's the condition of your discharge, you are released 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 stated period of time, and that's it. You're not checking in, no one is 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.
BERNARDA VILLALONA, FORMER ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY, KINGS COUNTY, NEW YORK: For the Probation Department, this is uncharted waters. They have never interviewed someone of this statute before. They know that their work, their recommendation is going to weigh heavily into judgment and decision by Judge Merchan.
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's 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Still to come, an island in Panama is in danger of disappearing and hundreds of families are forced to flee their homes for good. We will tell you why.
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WALKER: Some residents of a tiny island in Panama are leaving their homes permanently. The island is being threatened by rising sea levels and now, hundreds of families there are being relocated to government- sponsored homes on the mainland. CNN's Rafael Romo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An island that was once home to a community will soon have no one. Hundreds of families who live on this small island off the coast of Panama have started their new journey, leaving their flooded homeland behind. Alberto Lopez is one of many who call this place home.
ALBERTO LOPEZ, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (through translator): We feel sadness because if this island disappears, part of our heart, part of our culture disappears.
ROMO (voice-over): Panamanian authorities say this is the first case of human displacement in Latin America caused by climate change. This week, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said the planet had endured 12 consecutive months of unprecedented heat, causing sea levels to rise.
ATILIO MARTINEZ, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (through translator): In recent decades, global warming has started very strongly. Some sardines, lobsters, and everything we consume are disappearing. Now, they have realized that global warming is one of the factors in the situation, so they have been forced to relocate us.
ROMO (voice-over): The islanders are relocating to newly built homes on the mainland that where, Panama's housing minister says, they won't have to worry about costs.
ROGELIO PAREDES, PANAMA HOUSING MINISTER (through translator): We have invested $12.2 million in this. All the islands have the same problem, so we hope the necessary resources will be set aside to anticipate these problems.
ROMO (voice-over): The United Nation's Population Fund assessed 41 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean who live in coastal areas are threatened by the severe weather brought by the climate emergency.
LOPEZ (through translator): I thought of my grandmother, my grandfather, my aunt who died here. It will never be the same but we have to move forward because life goes on.
ROMO (voice-over): Rafael Romo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: The heartbreaking reality of climate change. Rafael, thank you.
[08:55:00]
Now to an amazing discovery in North Dakota, three boys on a family hike, look at this, stumbled upon the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Their dad told his paleontologist friend who confirmed-- who has a paleontologist friend to just call -- well, he confirmed they had discovered a prime specimen of a juvenile t T-Rex. Two of the boys told CNN what happened when they found the skeleton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIAM FISHER, FOUND THE FOSSIL: My Dad said, go and get you brother and cousins. And I said, could you (inaudible) for them? And he yelled (inaudible) and when they came running up here, Jessin just looked at and said, that's a fossil.
JESSIN FISHER, FOUND THE FOSSIL: I did know right away. I am the paleontologist of the house.
(LAUGH)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: He is a paleontologist, I love that. Only a handful of juvenile T-Rex skeletons have ever been found. The bones are part of an exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the boys will star in a documentary, both premiere later this month. They named the T-Rex 'Brother.' It is one of just four young T-Rex fossils that have ever been found on earth. So note this, if you ever find a T-Rex fossil, just speed dial your paleontologist friend.
Thanks for joining me here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Amara walker. "Connect The World" with Erica Hill is up next.
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