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Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump-Era Ban On Bump Stocks On Guns; Israel Threatens Large-Scale Attack On Hezbollah; Biden Doubts Ceasefire Deal Coming Soon But Hasn't Lost Hope. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired June 14, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. And we're following major breaking news right away. The U.S. Supreme Court really along party lines. It's striking down, striking down a Trump-era federal ban on gun bump stocks, delivering a major blow to gun safety advocates. In a scathing dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor says the ruling will have, quote, deadly consequences, her words.

And just moments ago, the Biden campaign laid the blame directly on the former president saying and I'm quoting right now from the Biden campaign statement, weapons of war have no place in the streets of America. But Trump's Supreme Court justices have decided the gun lobby is more important than the safety of our kids and our communities. I want to bring in our Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid, who's watching all of this unfold. Update our viewers on the significance of this, Paula.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So, Wolf, this is one of the most significant cases going before the High Court this term also one of the few questions related to gun rights that the justices need to decide. Now this case focuses on bump stocks. And for anyone who's not clear on what that is, a bump stock allows a shooter to convert a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can fire at a rate of hundreds of rounds a minute. And the question is whether those should be classified as machine guns. Now the Trump administration, the Biden administration, gun rights advocates have all said that, yes, this should qualify as a machine gun.

But here in a six-three decision, the High Court has disagreed they have overturned this. And the opinion was authored by Justice Clarence Thomas and he wrote, quote, firing multiple shots using a semi- automatic rifle with a bump stock requires more than a single function of the trigger. And the mechanism here for operating this gun, that seems to be really the basis of their analysis.

But in a scathing dissent, the liberal justices completely disagree. Justice Sotomayor writing, quote, when I see a bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck. A bump stock equipped, semi-automatic rifle fires automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. Because I, like Congress, call that a machine gun, I respectfully dissent.

Now there is one other major gun case pending before the justices and that question is whether someone who has a restraining order related to domestic violence can own a gun. We still have 20 at least outstanding opinions from the justices. And we expect to get those opinions over the next few weeks. Wolf?

BLITZER: Paula Reid reporting for us. Paula, thank you very much.

I want to bring in some of our legal and firearm experts right now, starting with Joan Biskupic. What is the significance from your perspective? You cover the Supreme Court of this major decision.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Well, it was a very intense morning over a very technical part of language that you could see the ideological breakdown on how to read it. You know, the actual language they were interpreting was, you know, what does it mean by a single function of a trigger? And, you know, bump stocks are very dangerous devices that are added to a semi-automatic. And what Justice Sotomayor on behalf of the dissenting liberal said, actually, it is a single function when the shooter would put pressure to continually fire off rounds continuously.

BLITZER: We're showing some pictures of it --

BISKUPIC: Yes, which I think is helpful for people to see. And what she said is, you know, by this very technical reading of this language, essentially, the court today, put machine guns back in the hands of civilians. And I have to say, this was the first time we had dueling readings from the Court bench, you know, just as Thomas trying to explain just how narrowly this 1934 machine gun loss should be machine gun prohibition should be interpreted. And Justice Sotomayor saying it needn't be read that way, given the way modern devices have developed, and very strongly saying, calling on Congress to do something.

Justice Thomas and Justice Alito, separately, in a concurring opinion said, sure, Congress can change it. But the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms does not have the right to do this. Justice Sotomayor said from the bench, that sure, Congress can change it but if you read it the way it's supposed to be read, looking at the language, which he said was the interpretation of the dissenters. This prohibition was already there for bump stocks.

BLITZER: So this is a big win for the gun lobby the NRA, this decision today?

BISKUPIC: A very much a big win, very much hurts the gun safety advocates. And just to remind everyone how this started, it came during the Trump administration after the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas when more than 50 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded. So this was something that actually began under the Trump administration and as you could tell from that statement, the Biden administration is pretty disappointed here.

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BLITZER: I want to bring in Stephen Gutowski, he's a firearm expert for us. Stephen. Justice Thomas's opinion digs into the mechanics of semi-automatic rifles. What did you make of his argument?

STEPHEN GUTOWSKI, GUN-SAFETY INSTRUCTOR AND FIREARMS REPORTER, THERELOAD.COM: Yes, I mean, I think his argument is factually correct, as far as how the bump stocks actually operate compared to fully automatic firearms where, you know, bump firing, in fact, is entirely possible without the bump stock. You can do this technique on any semi-automatic rifle or handgun as well. Bump stocks make it more a bit easier to accomplish. I've used them in the past.

That's their sort of a novelty device. Obviously, you're used to horrific effect in the Las Vegas shooting. But, you know, he is, I think, technically correct on how they work and what the law defines things as which was the big hang up in oral arguments for the conservative justices and seems to be how it played out in this case.

BLITZER: Jennifer Mascia is with us as well. Jennifer, the liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a stinging dissent attacking the conservative majorities interpretation of the bump stock ban. What did you make of that?

JENNIFER MASCIA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It wasn't surprising. The liberal justices and oral arguments had said, you know, what does the method matter when the result is the same, which is a lethal spray of bullets. So it wasn't surprising if you listened to the oral arguments. It really was split along party lines. It is worth noting, though, that 17 states and Washington, D.C. still have their own bump stock bans. Many of those were passed after the federal bump stock ban and 2018.

Those from what I understand can remain. States can pass their own bump stock bans now. It's doubtful. Red states will. And here we see once again, you know, kind of a split between an America that has one set of gun laws and then other states, Republican-led states that have looser restrictions. Ultimately, Congress must resolve this by passing a law but the realities in the Senate pretty much preclude that from happening.

BLITZER: Yes. Good point. Joan, explain to our viewers why this isn't a second amendment, you know, the right to bear arms-type of case?

BISKUPIC: Sure. Sure. It didn't come up under the constitutional protection for gun rights. It came up under the Administrative Procedures Act, which goes to just how regulations get written by an administration, just what Congress has delegated authority to an administration and prior laws. But we do have a second amendment firearms case that's yet to be decided and that we expect to be decided in the next two weeks, which will go more to the core right to bear firearms. This one Congress on its own can change, if it will, but as you just heard, it's unlikely because the Senate. Yes.

BLITZER: Very unlikely. All right, thanks to everyone for their insights.

Still ahead this hour, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah reaching a boiling point right now, several rockets fired by the Iran-backed group. And Lebanon, striking very close to a town in northern Israel. We'll take you to the region live.

[11:08:19]

And Pope Francis breaking with long standing tradition in the Roman Catholic Church and taking part in the G7 Summit. What he sees as his role in helping him the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

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BLITZER: This hour in Israel, violence smolders in the northern and southern ends of the country in the north right now. The exchange of rocket attacks is escalating along the border with Lebanon. Israel is warning that it's prepared to launch what it describes as a large scale attack on the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which is in southern Lebanon. And in the southern part of Israel, the ceasefire talks to end the war in Gaza appear to have stalled. We'll have more on that coming up in just a few moments.

But let's begin in northern Israel right now. CNN's Oren Liebermann is now in Haifa for us, right up in northern Israel. Oren, how real are the concerns of a full blown war between Israel and Hezbollah erupting?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the concerns themselves are very real, and that's why you're seeing not only Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, paying attention to this border, but also the U.S., France trying to step in with what might be a diplomatic off ramp and attempt to get there. That's the level of concern here. And that's because we have seen more rocket launchers across the border from Hezbollah over the course of the past 72 hours than we have at any point in the course of the past eight months.

Two days ago, it was more than 200 rockets fired across the border from Lebanon into Israel. Yesterday was about 50. Today about 35. It's on in terms of numbers alone, a downward trajectory, but the concern is very much still there. And that's why this border is so volatile. One little miscalculation brings you closer to the fear of an all-out war across this border. And a former member of the war cabinet, Benny Gantz, warning that if it continues like this, there may, Israel feels be no choice but to look at the possibility of needing to conduct a larger operation.

Now this -- we have seen the sort of the trajectory of escalation moving up over the course of the past couple of weeks. It certainly went up another level when Israel carried out a strike three days ago that killed a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon and that's when we saw that large volume of rocket fire. The question is where does this go from here and that's what we're what we're monitoring the situation very closely here.

[11:15:10] I'm in Haifa, in northern Israel, the border not that far from me. There is almost a deceptive calm here right now only because it's approaching the beginning of the Sabbath. But in no ways the border itself quiet or calm, nor has it been over the course of the past couple of weeks, and certainly not in the last 72 hours.

BLITZER: And Oren, I just want to remind our viewers tens of thousands of Israelis in their families, they've been forced to flee to leave Northern Israel and head south because of fear of a full scale war and the dangerous, presumably, that would present to them.

LIEBERMANN: Absolutely, and that number has grown slightly over the course of the past couple of days as rocket fire has forced some more evacuations, rockets have hit homes, there have also been a number of drones launched, some of which have been intercepted, some of which have gotten through. So the number of evacuated citizens, as you pointed out in the tens of thousands. And that's why the former member of the war cabinet pointed out that Israel can't go through another year, like it has seen over the course of the past eight months.

And the question is, what does it take to restore at least a stable situation along the northern border, and that the former member of the war cabinet pointed out, Israel may prefer a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah may prefer a diplomatic solution but that's not where it looks like this is headed at the moment, at least not in the immediate future.

BLITZER: Yes. It looks like a very, very dangerous situation, could be even worse type situation than what's been going on in Gaza over these many, many months. Oren Liebermann in Haifa, for us, Oren, thank you very much.

Also, right now, ceasefire talks are at an impasse over at the G7 Summit in Italy. President Biden said Hamas is, quote, the biggest hang up his words toward reaching a deal as the U.S.-backed Israeli proposal for a ceasefire is now clearly in limbo. CNN's Ben Wedeman asked to Hamas leader how many of the hostages in Gaza are still alive. Listen to his response.

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OSAMA HAMDAN, HAMAS POLITBURO MEMBER: I don't have any idea about that. No one has an idea about this.

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BLITZER: Some hostages who are still being held are dual American- Israeli nationals. I want to take a moment to tell you a little bit about them as their families desperately fight to bring them home, more than 250 days after the October 7th Hamas terror attack. A warning some of the video you are about to see is graphic.

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BLITZER (voice-over): Edan Alexander was serving as a volunteer soldier with the IDF when Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7th. His mother told CNN that she and her son spoke while the attack was underway. She told him on the phone, I love you. Be safe, be brave.

YAEL ALEXANDER, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER: I'm speaking with him like every day in my heart like the whole day I'm speaking with him and just tell him how we miss him and we are doing everything that we can and we want him to come back and just to tell him about all this stuff that we did and --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doing, still doing.

ALEXANDER: -- you know.

BLITZER (voice-over): This is Sagui Dekel-Chen. He is a father of three girls, one of them born while he has been a hostage.

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE SAGUI DEKEL-CHEN: Sagui is exactly the kind of son that every father would want to have, a leader, a friend, a loving man.

BLITZER (voice-over): Hersh Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped on October 7th from the Nova Music Festival. Graphic video from that day shows Hamas fighters leading him away from a bomb shelter and forcing him in a truck. According to eyewitnesses and video evidence, he had huddled in that shelter until terrorists threw grenades inside. Hersh's hand has blown off, bloodied, the bone in his arm visible.

In April, Hamas released a propaganda video of him, the first proof he survived those injuries. In that video, part of Goldberg-Polin left arm is missing. At the end of the video, he told his family to stay strong, a message that echoed his mother.

RACHEL GOLDBERG, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: It was just interesting, because as, you know, I've probably said a million times -- over a million times at this point over these 202 days, I love you, stay strong, survive. I love you, stay strong, survive. And so to hear him use that sort of language, which I'm assuming he has not heard us say and to say, I know you're working so hard. I don't know if he knows that. But it was very meaningful for us and powerful for us to hear that.

BLITZER (voice-over): Omer Neutra was raised on Long Island and was captain of multiple sports teams growing up. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors. And his family said he chose to join the Israeli army to, quote, do his part in defending the country.

DANIEL NEUTRA, BROTHER OF HOSTAGE OMER NEUTRA: My brother is strong, friendly, amazing guy. He's really funny guy. And so many people have reached out to me from his youth group, from school, from so many different places hundreds of people just reaching out to us to tell him, to tell us how much he means to them. And he's really a person who builds communities around him. And without him, these communities are lost. We don't know what to do without him.

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BLITZER (voice-over): Keith Siegel grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his brother describes him as a gentle person. He and his wife Aviva, were kidnapped from their home on October 7th. Aviva was released in November as part of a hostage deal after more than 50 days in captivity. In April, Hamas released a video of Keith along with Israeli hostage, Omri Miran. After seeing Keith in that hostage video, his wife and daughter had this message.

ILAN SIEGEL, DAUGHTER OF HOSTAGE KEITH SIEGEL (through audio translation): Seeing my father today only emphasizes to all of us how much we must reach a deal as soon as possible and bring everyone home. I demand that the leaders of this country watch this video and see their own father crying out for help.

AVIVA SIEGEL, FREED HOSTAGE & WIFE OF KEITH SIEGEL (through audio translation): Keith, I love you, we will fight until you return.

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BLITZER: The hostages and missing families from in Israel, they're urging ceasefire mediators to, quote, intensively continue negotiations to bring their loved ones home.

Turning now to Italy, where Pope Francis is making history as the first pontiff to address the annual G7 Summit. Right now the Pope and other world leaders are discussing the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and the push for stronger oversight.

CNN International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Italy covering the G7 for us. Nick, what more, first of all, can you tell us about this artificial intelligence session?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Well, the pope really kicked it off and gave it the sort of impetus and momentum to broaden out the conversation among the leaders, he talked about artificial intelligence as a tool, that a tool that can be for good, essentially, in a way a God given tool because it is from our own intellects that that we were given. That gives us the intelligence therefore, to develop AI.

So he talked about this AI tool was, like all the other tools that mankind has had. And you can use it for good or for bad. And for bad, he said, an example of automated weapon systems that can shoot and aim and select a target automatically without human involvement. And but the Pope said, look, what he wanted to see was the development of this tool to benefit all communities, not just one country, not just the rich, but the poor. He wanted to see it distributed equitably. And that's what the conversation among the other leaders has been about, two levels to make sure that the developing world for example, doesn't get left behind with this incredible AI tool that it benefits from the scientific developments, that it benefits from the health care developments, that it benefits from agricultural movements.

Also, what they want to do is develop a common governance. So that's where the G7 countries work together to say, OK, let's try and align the way that we want to govern AI because it's a global tool, so that we can work effectively together to set up guardrails, so it's not used inappropriately. Wolf?

BLITZER: Nic Robertson in Italy covering the G7 Summit for us. Nic, thank you very much.

[11:23:46]

Still ahead this hour, the American journalist Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia now for 443 days. Now the Kremlin is officially sending its espionage case against him to court. What this could be for the desperate efforts to bring this journalist home? I'll speak with his editor over at "The Wall Street Journal," that's next.

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BLITZER: There's a very troubling new development for "The Wall Street Journal" reporter, Evan Gershkovich. He's the first American journalist to be arrested in Russia on espionage charges since the Cold War. The 32-year-old now faces up to 20 years in prison after Russian prosecutors indicted him and formally accused him of spying for the CIA. Russia alleges that he, quote, collected secret information about a tank factory.

Joining us now is Paul Beckett. He's assistant editor over at "The Wall Street Journal." Paul, thanks for joining us. Let's begin with your reaction to this news that your colleague, Evan Gershkovich will have to now face trial. How did that hit you?

PAUL BECKETT, ASSISTANT EDITOR, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Very disappointing, Wolf, as you imagine, not unexpected given that it's been more than 14 months that he's been there. And he's been in this series of pretrial detentions up until now and this is the next phase. But it's just a grossly unfair to him. And he's an innocent man sitting in a Russian prison facing a charge which is absurd for doing his job for "The Wall Street Journal."

BLITZER: As you know the State Department immediately slammed this Russian indictment. Listen to this. Listen.

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MATTHEW MILLER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: There's absolutely zero credibility to those charges. We have been clear from the start that Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime.