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Trump Praises Zelenskyy On Their Meeting At The Vatican; Colorado Underground Nightclub Under Surveillance For Months; Trump's Approval Sliding Ahead Of 100 Days In Office; Eleven Killed When Car Plows Into Crowd At Vancouver Street Festival; Backlash Over FBI Arrest Of Wisconsin Judge Who Allegedly Obstructed ICE; Alleged "Grandpa Gang" Faces Trial Tomorrow For Kardashian Heist. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired April 27, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:43]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in Washington, and we have breaking news.
As President Trump says it is time for Russia to make a deal with Ukraine, saying he's, quote, "very disappointed with Russia" for its airstrikes on Kyiv as his administration works to secure a peace deal between those two countries.
Trump, of course, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy one on one during his visit to the Vatican just yesterday. And then moments ago, he spoke to reporters and described that meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What is your message to Vladimir Putin after your meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy? And how did that meeting go?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the meeting went well. We'll see what happens over the next few days. We'll probably learn a lot. I was very disappointed that missiles we're flying by Russia. But that missiles were flying. Very disappointingly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: All right, let's go straight to CNN's Betsy Klein, who's live outside the White House.
And Betsy, the president seems to be praising Zelenskyy here and over the past few days, growing frustrated with Putin. What more are you learning about what he's thinking in the state of play?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Yes, Jessica, it's so notable when you think about the fact that tomorrow marks two months since that contentious Oval Office showdown between President Trump, JD Vance, the vice president, and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
Now, I think we are really witnessing a significant messaging shift from President Trump as time goes on, and they have not been able to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine. He obviously had so much tough talk for Zelenskyy back in February and March, and the fallout of that meeting. He had been parroting Russian talking points, claiming that Ukraine was somehow responsible for Russia's attacks.
But the president met one on one with President Zelenskyy on Saturday when he was in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. The two of them talked for about 15 minutes, one on one. The president posted on social media moments after that meeting, expressing concern that Putin may just be tapping him along to drag out negotiations, questioning whether Putin was really serious about a peace deal.
And this after last week, he called on Putin to stop assaulting Kyiv, posting on social media, quote, "Vladimir, stop." But listen to how the president characterized this meeting with Zelenskyy, his most substantive comments since that Rome meeting speaking to reporters just moments ago as he made his way back from New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It was a beautiful meeting. I'll tell you. It's the nicest office I've ever seen. It was a beautiful, beautiful scene. He was very, you know, look, he wants to do something good for his country. He thinks he's doing a good job and he's working hard.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Last meeting you had was pretty rough. Did you sense a different attitude now? And if so, why?
TRUMP: I do. I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture. And I think he wants to make a deal. I don't know if he wanted to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLEIN: So a calmer Zelenskyy says President Trump. He said that his Ukrainian counterpart asked the president for more weapons for Ukraine. The president, of course, remaining noncommittal on the provision of more weapons. Of course, he denied that the relationship was ever bad and continues to strike a much different tone on Putin. Voicing frustration, he said, I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal. I want him to sign a deal and be done with it.
Now, of course, the president views himself as a deal maker. He promised on the campaign trail that he would end this Russia-Ukraine conflict on day one. And we are coming up on the 100th day of the president's second term in office. There is so much frustration from the president that he has been unable to secure a deal. It's, of course, proved so much more complicated and elusive, I think, than he had originally been expecting.
But the latest CNN polling indicates that there is waning public support for his handling of foreign affairs. 39 percent approved to 60 percent disapprove, and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that this is going to be a very critical week ahead for talks with Russia and Ukraine -- Jessica.
[19:05:05] DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein at the White House, thank you so much.
Joining us now, former NATO Supreme Allied commander and CNN military analyst, Admiral James Stavridis. He's also a partner at the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, and the author of the book, "The Admiral's Bookshelf."
Admiral, thanks so much for being here with us. We just heard President Trump addressing his relationship with President Zelenskyy. I want to play a little bit more and then get your thoughts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is your relationship with President Zelenskyy better now than things were in the Oval Office?
TRUMP: I think so. But, look, it was never bad. We had a little dispute because I disagreed with something he said. And the cameras were rolling and that was OK with me. But we had a dispute. But I -- look, he's in a tough situation. A very tough situation. He's fighting a much bigger force. Much bigger. And that force has not been very distinguished, you know? It's been a lot tougher than they thought, but it helped them when we gave them $350 billion worth of weapons or cash.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Admiral, what are your thoughts on what we're hearing from the president this afternoon?
ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST: Well, we heard the president give his highest praise about Zelenskyy a moment ago. He said he's ready to make a deal, and that is about as good as it gets, I think, from Donald Trump. So at the moment he's high on Zelenskyy and he appears to be down on Putin. And he ought to. Putin is no friend of the United States. He's our enemy. He's the one who invaded. And I think we may have seen a tipping point of all places in the Vatican.
I think about the two of them sitting face to face in those chairs and that beautiful place. You're showing a nice clip here. That is a nice office. And I sensed a real warmth there between the two of them. And Macron is standing next to them, the French president, who has done so much to facilitate. But look at the body language there. They're leaning in. They are, in my view, engaged.
And again, this is a pretty distinctly better moment than two months ago, as everyone is pointing out. So I am cautiously optimistic that the Trump administration will now really put pressure on Putin and force him to come to the table, get a ceasefire. Everything after that is negotiable. Let's cross our fingers and hope that moment in the Vatican is a bit of a miracle.
DEAN: And CNN has reported that Trump is privately frustrated that he doesn't have that deal yet, that he hasn't achieved his goal of ending that war. I want to listen to what the Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on that this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is going to be a very critical week. This week is going to be really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more important in some cases. But we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We're close, but we're not close enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: In all of that, if you're reading between the lines, what are you hearing?
STAVRIDIS: I'm hearing exactly as he said. The obstacles are, in my view, in one place, there in Moscow. That's the obstacle. And what Putin desperately wants is sanctions relief. And I think Putin is ready to take that step. But as Secretary of State Rubio said, there are obstacles as well. And those are challenging Putin to get to the table and also coming up with reasonable security guarantees for the Ukrainians.
But I'd call it 65 percent, 2 in 3 chance we get to a kind of shape of a deal. And God, let's hope we start with a ceasefire.
DEAN: What does it mean if you're Putin and the Kremlin to see President Trump publicly talking like this and see this shift in tone that has now carried on, to be fair, for several days?
STAVRIDIS: He's got to be worried and he's got to be assessing, OK, what are my red lines going into a negotiation. What do I have to have? If you're Putin you have to have continued control of the territory you have conquered. That's 20 percent of Ukraine. You have got to get sanctions relief and you've got to keep Ukraine out of NATO.
So he's running that tape through his mind right now, Jessica. And that's the shape of the agreement. And over in Kyiv, you've got Volodymyr Zelenskyy running the tape on his side. What he wants are security guarantees, preferably European troops, British, French, perhaps some Nordics, perhaps some Baltic troops in Ukraine.
[19:10:05]
He wants guarantees of continued supply of weapons, and he's willing to park his NATO aspiration, I think. But he wants a path into the European Union. So both sides have a pretty distinct set of desires. I think they're communicating those separately to the United States. We're getting very close. And as I read between the lines of what the secretary of state said and the tone from the president about putting pressure on Russia again, I'm cautiously optimistic. Thats where I think Marco Rubio is as well. DEAN: And as the secretary of state said this could be, and this will
be, in his view, a very important week to see kind of how that all shakes out.
I do want to talk to you as well about just this incident we're seeing coming out of Iran, where the Iranian authorities have remained pretty quiet about the cause of what was a massive port explosion that state media says killed at least 40 people on Saturday. Obviously, it can be -- it's not easy to trust state media from Iran at face value.
What are -- how are you evaluating this? Is this just an explosion or could there be more to it? There's a lot of secrecy around it.
STAVRIDIS: Well, I'm one to always start off with Occam's razor. The best explanation is the simplest and most obvious, which in this case would be some kind of incompetence on the part of the Iranian port authorities, if you will, Jessica. But you would be foolish to completely discount the idea that it could be Israeli activity sending a signal to the Iranians.
I think that particularly given the moment we're in, trying to sever that last proxy, the Houthis, who are being resupplied from the sea, there is, in my mind at least, some possibility of Israeli involvement here. But I wouldn't want to speculate beyond that. And I do think the best explanation is probably just some kind of massive error on the part of the Iranians.
I would, however, conclude here, never discount the Israelis' ability to do things that are creative and engaging to Iran.
DEAN: All right. Admiral James Stavridis, as always, thanks so much. Thanks for spending some of your Sunday with us. We appreciate it.
STAVRIDIS: You bet. My pleasure.
DEAN: Still ahead, more than 100 immigrants arrested during a raid at an underground nightclub in Colorado. Officials say it was a major crackdown on drug trafficking, prostitution and violent crime.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:17:24]
DEAN: Authorities in Colorado Springs say they've detained more than 100 immigrants after an overnight raid on what they described as an underground nightclub. Officials say more than a dozen active-duty service members were at the club at the time of the raid, some of whom were working as security guards.
The DEA posted video of the raid on social media, announcing in English and Spanish they had a search warrant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Occupants of 296 South Academy, this is the police with a search warrant. (Speaking in foreign language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones joins us now with more details.
Julia, what more are you learning about what unfolded there?
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that the DEA said there was significant drug trafficking, prostitution and violent crimes that were associated with this nightclub. They said that both Hells Angels, Tren de Aragua and MS-13 were also associated with this location. Of those 12 active duty service members you mentioned there, Jessica, we have heard from the Army that they are now under investigation, that they are aware of the matter. They are under the Criminal Investigation Division of the Army.
Those 100 plus migrants that were detained now under ICE custody. DEA said they seized firearms as well as drugs. Listen to some more of the details from the special agent in charge there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN C. PULLEN, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DEA ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIVISION: When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor. And we did find cocaine. It looks like some pink cocaine or the Tusi. And there was a little bit of other drugs. We haven't had time to test everything, but there were dozens of small packages of drugs that they've recovered so far that I have personally seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: And Jessica, about 300 officers participated in this operation from various different federal agencies, including ICE, DHS, U.S. Marshals, as well as two separate sheriff's departments that aided in this raid.
Two of the individuals that were arrested had outstanding warrants for their arrest. We can expect more arrests to take place as the investigation continues. And the D.A. did say that this had been a months' long investigation. You know, they had been surveying this place that they described as this underground club, which we're not certain what that means. If they didn't have a license to operate or if there was any kind of licensing.
This was kind of what looks to be an abandoned strip mall, Jessica. It's an interesting location, but it's hard to separate the results from this raid, which the DEA posted all over social media this morning from the politics. You know, we even heard from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
[19:20:02]
She took to X to express that this was a result of the Trump administration's directives to make America, quote, "safe again" and even said, you know, as the 100 days approaches, look at the progress that we are making -- Jessica. DEAN: Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much for that reporting.
In the meantime, we are just two days now away from President Trump's 100th day in office. And tonight, we're getting a clearer picture of how Americans feel about this moment in his second term.
The president's approval rating now at 41 percent. To give you some context, that is the lowest at the 100-day mark for any president in the history of modern polling. It also represents a six-point drop in his overall approval since February.
Joining us now, CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein.
Ron, really great to see you. We have repeatedly heard this White House saying they're going to move quickly, that they have a mandate to act, to carry out these policies. As you look at these new numbers coming in from Americans on how they feel about this moment, what do you think that means for how the White House has been going about all of this?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Look, good afternoon, Jessica. First of all, you know, Donald Trump is not the first president to inflate in his mind a relatively narrow victory into a sweeping mandate to do everything he wanted to do. I'm not sure the gap, though, has ever been as large between, you know, a candidate who won a plurality victory.
By the way, becoming the first person ever to appear on the national ballot three times without winning a majority, Donald Trump. And then take that as license to fundamentally reconfigure the federal government. rethink and withdraw America's role in the world and in unprecedented ways, weaponize the federal government against those he perceives as his adversaries. And I think if you look across the board at all of these polls that are out in leading up to the hundred days, the American public, most Americans are saying this is more than we signed up for.
You know, we empowered you above all to do two jobs, get control of the border and they still give him good marks on that, although, interestingly, are beginning to distinguish between the border and immigration. And the other big job we signed you up to do was to get our cost of living under control. And on that front, he is facing by far the weakest ratings on the economy he has ever received at any point in his first term.
You know, I wrote in March that that might be a leading indicator of where his overall approval was going. And I think that's very clearly the case now as we near the 100-day mark.
DEAN: Yes. And I think you and I have talked about this before, too, but I think it bears another discussion, which is how much patience does the average American have in terms of the cost of living and inflation, and what they're willing to endure for a policy. We've heard -- I've talked to a number of Republicans today who have said, look, there's going to, you know, to their point that they all have been making, which is short-term disruption. This is going to be hard for a little bit then it's going to get
better. But the question is how long will people give them?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Well, clearly the initial verdict is extremely negative. As you know, as we were talking, in his first term, he rarely, almost never in any major poll did even 50 percent of Americans say they disapproved of his handling of the economy. Now, in the CNN poll today and in the "Washington Post" poll today, he is over 60 percent disapproval on the economy.
He is facing especially poor ratings on the economy among the two groups where he made the most important gains in 2024, which is Hispanics and young people. And, you know, among Hispanics, for example, by nearly 4 to 1 in multiple polls, including a CBS poll, a lot of polls are out today, they are saying his policies are making their personal finances worse, not better.
Now, having said all that, I think Trump still, you know, he's early in his presidency. He does have a room to turn it around if events turn around. In the CNN poll today only, I think it was 28 percent say his policies are addressing the country's problem currently. But there was another 27 percent who said that they might someday. So, I mean, you know, the runway is not shut off three months into the presidency, but he has dug a seriously deep hole initially around the idea, I think, among the public that he was not focusing enough on the problem of inflation.
Now, because of the tariffs, people believe that he is compounding the problem of inflation. And he still has this Medicaid tax debate to come against this backdrop, in which many Americans, I think, are going to conclude that he's making their health care costs more difficult. So, you know, he's on a difficult trajectory. It's not clear exactly what turns it around, but it's premature to say that it can't turn around if events -- if the economy gets better in particular.
DEAN: And then you have a number of Republicans, all of them in the House, some Senate members who are going to be running for reelection. And again, to your point, we've got time to see how this shakes out. But, you know, if you're looking at this and you're running for reelection, you can't be thrilled about it.
[19:25:05]
We are getting new video in right now of a fiery town hall for New York congressman, a Republican, Mike Lawler, who we actually just had on the show a couple of hours ago. I want to show a little of this video we're getting in.
BROWNSTEIN: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BOOS)
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): The fourth most bipartisan member of Congress.
(BOOS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: OK, so you're listening there to Congressman Mike Lawler. And Ron, look, there are some Republicans that won't even do this right now. He is doing it, but it's -- he's being met with boos and shouting and probably going to have a lot more of that as this continues tonight.
BROWNSTEIN: Look, full stop. If Donald Trump's approval rating is anywhere near where it is today on election day in 2026, Republicans will lose the House and they will be at risk, they will certainly be at risk of a net loss in the Senate, if not actually losing control of the Senate. The president's approval rating has become by far I think the most important factor in midterm elections.
And in a state like New York, any Republican is going to have a difficult time if Donald Trump is really at 41 percent or 42 percent. Don't forget, in midterms, those college educated voters who are especially resistant to many of the things Trump wants to do, not only on the economy, but in the civil rights, civil liberties area, are a slightly larger share of the electorate.
What we saw in 2018, though, Jessica, was that Trump's approval rating really varied a lot from state to state, and overall he was only at 45 percent. And that was a big reason Democrats gained 40 seats in the House. And there were states where he was under 50 that helped Democrats win those Senate seats, like Colorado, for example. But there were other places where he remained strong, like Missouri, Indiana and North Dakota. And Democrats won -- Democrats lost those seats to Republicans.
I suspect you could see something of a similar pattern in '26 where, you know, Trump's approval varies quite a bit, given that he's still, you know, maintaining a lot of support among Republicans so he may be better off in red states. But overall, you know, Republicans are choosing not to raise any objections to a course that clearly is -- it has put them on a course where they are almost certain to lose -- I think I would say virtually certain to lose the House if things do not get better for Trump.
And as I say, the big legislative fight that's going to be heating up in the next 10 days is one in which the congressional Republicans are going to be advancing a giant bill that is going to cut taxes, mostly for the affluent, and pay for it partly by cutting programs that benefit the middle class, Medicaid, food stamps, maybe child care. And that could compound the kind of problems that they're facing with voters feeling that they're not addressing the strains on their cost of living.
DEAN: All right. Ron Brownstein, good to see you. Thanks so much.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me. DEAN: Still ahead, at least 11 people killed when a car plowed into a
crowd at a Vancouver street festival. What we're learning about why this happened as Canadians begin mourning the victims.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:32:46]
DEAN: Authorities in Western Canada are trying to figure out why a man rammed his car into a crowded street festival, killing at least 11 people Saturday. The victims had been celebrating an annual Filipino Heritage Festival in downtown Vancouver when this happened. Here's what the mayor said just a little bit ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)\
MAYOR KEN SIM, VANCOUVER, CANADA: Here's what I can confirm at this time. Number one, the suspect has been arrested and is currently in VPD custody. Secondly, evidence points to this not being an act of terrorism. Thirdly, the individual in question has a significant history of mental health issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: CNN's Paula Newton is with us from Ottawa. Paula, what else are you learning about all of this?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, it's been incredibly sobering day with unfortunately, so many cities in North America around the world really understanding the problem here in Vancouver. There was really a plea from the police department to say, look, we are crime fighters. We are not social workers. We're not health care workers. They say they had interacted with this suspect several times, given the mental health crisis he was in.
Now, in terms of that festival late Saturday evening, a man with a black SUV really just put the pedal down and started ramming into people. And it is so disturbing and police themselves just describe this as anger, grief and disbelief. Really, I want you to hear now from an eyewitness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA POLINTAN, EYEWITNESS: From over there, from like the start right there. He just pushed the gas all the way through the whole block right there, crashing into like, everyone in his way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: And disturbing as well is the deaths now confirmed 11 between the ages of five, just five years old and 65. There are dozens injured and among them there are children.
Again, police were questioned about security there, saying, look, this was a festival on the grounds of a school. It was secure. They say, though, that this will be a watershed moment, in their words, about how operations like this can go on, although really hesitant, saying, look, we can't turn the city into a police state. In fact, Jessica, the mayor, was in Boston recently speaking to Boston officials about how they go about securing the marathon every year.
This is the last day of campaigning in Canada. There is an election happening tomorrow, of course. Totally different tone to the campaigning. I want you to listen now to Prime Minister Mark Carney as he spoke about this incident.
[19:35:24]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter. Those families are living every family's nightmare.
And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino- Canadian community and to everyone in the broader lower mainland Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Vigils are already springing up in Vancouver, being held even at this hour. We do expect charges against the suspect soon -- Jessica.
DEAN: All right, Paula Newton, thank you so much for that.
A Wisconsin judge says the Trump administration is sending a message to chill the judiciary, this is his colleague, another Wisconsin judge is facing charges accused of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:42:06]
DEAN: In Eastern North Carolina, one person is dead, six others injured after a shooting at Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black University. This happened after a school spirit event. We're told the person killed was 24 years old and not a student at the school. Authorities have not said whether a suspect has been identified, but they do say there is no current threat to the campus.
The Justice Department is facing mounting backlash following the FBI's arrest of a Wisconsin judge. The DOJ accuses judge Hannah Dugan of trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid being taken into custody. Dugan faces two charges for obstruction and concealing the individual from arrest, and now other judges are speaking out against Duggan's arrest, saying it sends the wrong message.
CNN's Kyung Lah has more. KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jess, there
certainly is growing outrage and concern in Milwaukee. The outrage coming in the form of public protests in Milwaukee. But there's a lot of worry and concern for Judge Hannah Dugan from those who know her best, her fellow judges.
I spoke with a judge in Milwaukee who in fact, just parks a few spaces down for her, who has known her for some two decades, who said as he was watching all of this unfold from Friday morning, he simply could not believe his eyes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEDRO COLON, WISCONSIN COURT OF APPEALS, DISTRICT 1 JUDGE: I couldn't believe it on so many levels. Number one, Hannah is one of the most peaceful people I've ever met. She's not a threat to anyone. Not to mention that its highly legally unusual for this to occur. That is, to send down ten plus officers to arrest a judge about an allegation that took place 48 hours before. I just think everybody is flabbergasted, and they should be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: Judge Pedro Colon says certainly he can't weigh in on the facts of this case because he wasn't in the courtroom, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to do so. But he is concerned about the larger message that the federal government is sending to judges just like him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLON: I think what they want to do is to essentially have the judiciary, not only in Wisconsin, but the independent judiciaries of the state, this is the United States of America, essentially succumb to their power and their policy priorities independent of constitutional rights and what other rights people have. That's not the way we do business in a democratic country.
The reality is we sort out constitutional rights and we don't allow anyone, including the government, including Mr. Patel, including anyone, to have more rights than anybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: Judge Colon is speaking out, understanding that he does risk making himself a bit of a political target given the Trump administration is behind all of this. And he says he is doing so even at that personal risk, because he wants the people of Milwaukee to know that the judges who he knows, the judges who work in that city, review the facts and are fair.
[19:45:10]
DEAN: All right, Kyung Lah, thank you for that. Still ahead, the shocking crime that allegedly had Kim Kardashian tied up and robbed at gunpoint is now headed you for that. New details about how she'll have to testify.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:50:01]
DEAN: In 2020, Kim Kardashian says she was robbed at gunpoint and tied up in a Paris apartment. The long awaited trial for that alleged crime begins tomorrow, and CNN Saskya Vandoorne has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIM KARDASHIAN, AMERICAN MEDIA PERSONALITY AND SOCIALITE: ... because I didn't know who he was, and imp like, what is happening? Are we going to die? Just tell him I have children and like, I have babies, I have a husband. I have a family, like I have to get home.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PRODUCER (voice over): Kim Kardashian-West was held at gunpoint. She built an empire on fame and luxury, but one night in Paris left scars that lasted years.
Now, nearly nine years later, Kim Kardashian will soon face the men accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint. Disguised as police, they allegedly made off with about $10 million in cash and jewels. The men, most over 60, now nicknamed the "Grandpa Gang." Three of them escaped on bicycles.
Kardashian spoke about the violence on "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."
K. KARDASHIAN: Then he duck-taped my face. I think like my mouth to get me to, like, not yell or anything. And then he, like, grabs my legs and I wasn't, you know, I had no clothes on under, so.
VANDOORNE (voice over): But not everyone felt sorry for Kardashian.
KARL LAGERFELD, FASHION DESIGNER: You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.
VIRGINIE MOUZAT, LE FIGARO JOURNALIST: There's just one expression that comes to my mind, femme fatale.
VANDOORNE (voice over):Journalist, Patricia Tourancheau, wrote of the robbery in her book.
PATRICIA TOURANCHEAU, JOURNALIST (through translator): In France, it's still very badly perceived when people flaunt their wealth so much. And what was heavily criticized, for example, is Kim Kardashian's selfie. So, they knew she had jewelry on her, but she's showing off and her way of exhibiting her wealth in France is quite insufferable.
VANDOORNE (voice over): That selfie, now entered into evidence, according to court documents, the thieves tracked Kardashian's social media and knew exactly when and where to strike. In a strange twist, one of them, Yunis Abbas, has since turned the
heist into a publicity tour. Now 70, he wrote a memoir titled "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian" and promoted it on French television.
GABRIEL DUMENIL, ABBAS' LAWYER, YL AVOCATS: Since his arrest and his imprisonment, he read such nonsense about the case. Such violation of a privacy that he felt that he had to speak his truth.
VANDOORNE (voice over): Abbas has downplayed the crime, and some in the French media have portrayed him more as a cheeky anti-hero than a criminal. He's pleaded guilty to armed robbery but denies kidnapping.
YUNIS ABBAS, ALLEGED MEMBER OF "GRANDPA GANG" (through translator): I'm very happy for her. I asked her to forgive me, if she can't, too bad, I'll live with that.
VANDOORNE (on camera): After years of delays, partly because of big cases like the Paris attacks, the trial will open here on Monday. Ten suspects are facing charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and more. They're not in custody, though, because of detention limits, and many are in poor health.
Most say that they will plead not guilty, but if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years behind bars.
Saskya Vandoorne CNN, Paris.
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DEAN: All right. Thanks so much. And we'll be right back.
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DEAN: Tuesday marks exactly 100 days since President Trump's second term began. By all accounts, he and his administration are trying to push their agenda forward at a speed that's never been seen before.
Next, "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper, CNN Anchor Abby Phillip takes a closer look. Here's a preview.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR OF "NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP": Thanks, Jessica. Ambitious, dizzying, shocking, unrelenting, a political and cultural revolution -- those are just a few of the ways that historians, experts, and reporters have described President Trump's second term so far.
Since FDR and the New Deal, presidents have been judged by their first hundred days in office and President Trump's first 100 days have been extraordinary in his push to take and consolidate more power into the Executive Branch.
Trump and his administration have taken so many sweeping actions on so many different fronts, from a whiplash tariff policy that sent markets and retirement funds on a roller coaster ride to realigning the global order by challenging allies.
There have been mass deportations seemingly made for social media and, of course, widespread layoffs spearheaded by his biggest campaign donor, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency.
We are going to explore all of those topics in this week's "Whole Story." Here's a preview of that.
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PHILLIP: Some people say that this is a constitutional crisis, is it?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, AUTHOR, "THE PARDON: THE POLITICS OF PRESIDENTIAL MERCY": Donald Trump's first hundred days have tested the Constitution in ways that we have never seen in generations.
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: What people fear is that we're going to get to a moment where the Trump Administration will defy a court order. The President himself has said that this administration will not defy a court order. That remains to be seen.
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The answer is, I always abide by the courts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: We are also going to take a look at the balance of power that is outlined in the Constitution.
President Trump has tested that traditional understanding of the co- equal branches of government, Congress and the Legislative Branch seem to have ceded the power of the purse, whereas the Judicial Branch seems to be the only speed bump in Trump's way.
We'll go through some of the high profile legal challenges and the role of the U.S. Supreme Court as the ultimate decider in which of President Trump's orders will ultimately have long lasting effects -- Jessica
DEAN: All right, Abby, thanks so much.
It's an all new episode of "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper. It is next. It is only on CNN.
Thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. We'll see you right back here next weekend. Have a great night.
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