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Trump Team Asks for Delay in Docs Trial; Ukraine Repels Airstrikes on Kyiv; Putin's Secret Train; Threads Tops 100 Million Users. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 11, 2023 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:49]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

New this morning, attorneys for former President Trump are asking the judge overseeing the classified documents case to delay the start of the trial in Florida until after the 2024 election. Now they say the Justice Department request for a December start will come in the heat of Trump's presidential campaign.

Sara Murray joins us on set with the latest.

He was always a candidate when the charges were brought. You could argue the presidential campaign is happening now. What are we supposed to take from this filing?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, there's going to be a big fight over scheduling going forward. And in this filing they make clear, Trump and Walt Nauta's team, that they don't think that a trial can proceed fairly as long as Donald Trump is running for president of the United States. It would impact the outcome of the presidential election, as well as the ability for both Donald Trump and Walt Nauta to prepare for trial.

So here's one of the lines in this filing that sort of cast - shows how they're casting this as, you know, Donald Trump versus Joe Biden, even though there's a special counsel in this case. They say proceeding to trial during the pendency of a presidential election cycle wherein opposing candidates are effectively, if not literally, directly averse to one another in this action will create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the defendant's ability to secure a fair and impartial adjudication.

So essentially it's going to be really hard to get a fair trial in the middle of a presidential election. They also say, look, there's a lot of evidence we have to go through, including so far at least nine months of security footage.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: It's not a surprise that they're asking for this trial -

MATTINGLY: Yes.

BROWN: I mean, you know, and also there's the question hypothetically, if he did become president, does he -- will he really get a fair trial then? And there's the DOJ memo saying that it's unconstitutional to criminally prosecute a sitting president. So, there's all kinds of --

MURRAY: Yes, I mean, I think if you're - if you're a very cynical person, which of course I'm not, you - you might --

BROWN: Of course not, Sara Murray. Of course not.

MATTINGLY: Oh, we're not supposed to laugh.

MURRAY: You might suggest that - that Donald Trump wants to kick this down the road because if he is the president of the United States -

BROWN: Exactly.

MURRAY: You're in a much better position to pardon Walt Nauta and potentially be in an interesting constitutional question about whether you could just pardon yourself.

BROWN: Interesting points to raise there, Sara.

All right, and let's talk -

MATTINGLY: If she's cynical.

BROWN: If she's cynical.

MATTINGLY: She's probably (ph) not.

BROWN: Yes, that's just the cynical point of view. Not -

MATTINGLY: (INAUDIBLE).

BROWN: Exactly. Let's make that clear.

All right, this was really interesting that the U.S. attorney in Delaware, David Weiss, is openly refuting now some of the IRS whistleblower's claims in the Hunter Biden probe. Tell us what he's saying.

MURRAY: He wrote a very concise letter to Capitol Hill and made a lot of news in it. I mean we heard from these IRS whistleblowers who complained that there was political interference in the Hunter Biden criminal probe and essentially in two paragraphs David Weiss said, one, you said I wanted to be a special counsel. I never asked to be a special counsel. So that knocks down one of the big allegations. And two, he says, I was never blocked from bringing charges anywhere in this investigation. That was another thing the whistleblowers claimed. You know he, again, decided to move forward with tax charges and Hunter Biden decided to plead guilty to two of those tax crimes. And it was in Delaware. But Weiss is making very clear that he had the authority to proceed with his investigation. And again, this is a big deal. Republicans have held up these claims

on Capitol Hill as an indication that the Biden administration was somehow influencing this probe and David Weiss is trying to make very clear that he was able to move forward. And, again, he's a Trump appointee.

BROWN: Yes.

MATTINGLY: Do we think he'll testify at some point (INAUDIBLE)?

MURRAY: I think he will testify at some point. You know, I think this has to be taken care of in court. Hunter has to officially file his plea in court in the next couple of weeks. But I think both Weiss and Merrick Garland have made clear that he's willing to testify when it's appropriate.

MATTINGLY: All right, Sara Murray, thank you.

MURRAY: Thanks.

MATTINGLY: Well, the first ever classified briefing on AI in the Senate is today. What can we expect to hear about it?

BROWN: And right now we are waiting for NATO leaders to gather for a group photo as the future of Ukraine's membership will be discussed. We're going to take you there live. Stay close.

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[06:38:53]

BROWN: There are fast-moving developments this morning on the front lines of Ukraine. Just about 700 miles southeast of the NATO summit in Lithuania, Ukraine says it's managed to repel Russia's early morning air strikes in Kyiv. And at the same time, Ukraine is accusing Russia of targeting grain facilities in the southern port city of Odessa using Iranian drones.

CNN's Alex Marquardt live in Kyiv for us.

So, Alex, what, if anything, could be read into the timing? Do you think this is Russia's latest attempt to make a statement as NATO leaders gather in Lithuania and as Turkey paves a way for Sweden to join NATO?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, it is certainly possible, but this is very much a continuation of what we've seen from Russia, these barrages of air strikes, both missiles and drones, being targeted all across Ukraine. Around 30 of these drones being targeted at both the Kyiv region, the capital where I am, as well as the southern port city of Odessa overnight. Almost all of them, those Iranian made kamikaze Shahed drones, they were almost all taken down we're told by Ukrainian air defenses. There was some damage to buildings here in the Kyiv region. At least two of the drones getting through in the port city of Odessa and hitting administrative buildings, we're told. [06:40:07]

Thankfully it appears that there have been no casualties. But as you note, Pam, this is coming at a time of this critical NATO summit. Ukraine hoping for some very concrete results from this summit. They're hoping to be told how and when they can expect to join the NATO alliance. But this morning, Pam, it is not clear whether Ukraine is going to be getting those answers. We heard earlier today from the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan saying to not expect a timetable for Ukraine to join the NATO alliance. He talked about reforms that Ukraine needs to undertake.

And then just moments ago, Pam, a rather angry tweet from President Zelenskyy saying that they're starting to hear about certain wording being discussed in Vilnius without Ukraine. I want to read part of this frustrated tweet. He writes, it's unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set, neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. While at the same time vague wording about conditions is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the alliance. He goes on to say, Pam, that this means motivation for Russia to continue its terror.

Now, we have not yet been told whether President Zelenskyy will actually be attending the summit. An official tells our colleague Arlette Saenz that he is expected to meet with President Biden while there, but we - but President Zelenskyy has been clear, Pam, that he's not going to be going to Vilnius for fun, as he says. It is clear that they really do want concrete outcomes from this NATO summit.

Pam.

BROWN: All right, Alex Marquardt, thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well also this morning, a new trail of paperwork and photographs providing a rare glimpse inside Russian President Vladimir Putin's ghost train. That 22-car locomotive includes a fully equipped gym, a skin care and massage parlor, state of the art communications systems, and the whole thing is bullet proof so the president can travel in style as analysts say he grows increasingly paranoid about his safety.

CNN's Matthew Chance live in London with more.

Matthew, there's always been a lot of questions about what this train actually looks likes, what it is. What's the advantage for Putin to travel by train?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, I think he just feels it's safer. I mean, look, Phil, remarkably little is known about Putin's private life or about how he travels around his vast country. But this new trove of documents, which was obtained by The Dossier Center, which is a Russian investigative group, and shared with CNN, does reveal fascinating insights about that train and about how the Russian president is cosseted behind closed doors.

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CHANCE (voice over): A rare glimpse inside Putin's secret train. With leaked documents shown to CNN -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's a special train for the president.

CHANCE: Revealing how the Kremlin leader travels amid increasingly tight security and luxury.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's surrounded by enemies and he -- psychologically he wants to feel protected.

CHANCE: From outside train number 1, as it's dubbed in Russia, seems ordinary. It's heavily armored carriages purposefully disguised with regular Russian railway's paint work and grime.

State media was once allowed inside, recording President Putin meeting transport officials in a sumptuous board room.

The train's other 20 or so carriages, some updated as recently as last year, have remained a closely guarded secret, until now.

Zircon Service is a Russian company that builds what it calls elite wagons for its clients, specializing in luxury designs for private and state corporations. Of course, the Kremlin.

Among a trove of documents, including blueprints, letters and images, obtained exclusively by the Russian investigative Dossier Center and shared with CNN is one from Zircon Service dated August 2018, notifying the Kremlin of a test run for what it calls the sports health wagon that's been ordered. Accompanying photos show what the Dossier Center says is Putin's private gym on board the train. As recently as last year, the Kremlin was looking to upgrade the gym with American equipment to replace the Italian machines originally installed.

The former member of Putin's personal protection service who says he fitted the train's secure communications equipment before defecting from Russia told The Dossier Center the Kremlin leader started traveling by train more regularly in the buildup to the invasion of Ukraine last year.

[06:45:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Planes can always be detected. While there are so many trains and there's no real way to track them. So, this was just for secrecy so nobody knew his movements.

CHANCE: But discretion for the Russian president doesn't mean discomfort. Leaked plans for the train also show a luxurious spa on board, including a Turkish steam bath. And according to the Dossier Center, a fully equipped cosmetology suite with a massage table and high end beauty equipment, including a radio frequency machine used to enhance the tautness of human skin. CHANCE (on camera): Now the Kremlin disputes The Dossier Center's

findings, telling CNN that President Putin neither owns nor uses a railway car like the one described. But in the aftermath of a recent armed rebellion here in Russian in which Putin's authority was threatened, the focus on his isolated existence is higher than ever.

CHANCE (voice over): And the idea of Putin being pampered as he travels incognito by armored train underlines how strangely cloistered the Kremlin leader has become, even paranoid and besieged according to his former speech writer.

CHANCE (on camera): Why is it, do you think, that Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have spent such large sums of money planning and constructing this armored presidential train?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is losing the war, he is losing in politics, he is losing in popularity. He is getting more an more enemies, committing more and more crimes. He cannot build political walls, so he wants to build the walls of concrete and armor. Physical defense.

CHANCE (voice over): There are signs that's an image the Kremlin knows it should shed. In recent weeks have seen Putin more publicly engaged than he has been for years. But in his increasingly hostile world, the security and luxury of train number one maybe sanctuary indeed.

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CHANCE: Well, Phil, Putin, of course, has good reason to feel threatened from outside. We saw the dramatic events, the armed uprising of the past couple of weeks. But the problem is, the more closeted he is from the general public, the more that threat is likely to grow.

Phil, back to you.

MATTINGLY: Matthew Chance, fascinating reporting. Thanks so much.

BROWN: Well, new images this morning of the latest round of anti- government protests in Israel. Demonstrators are taking to the streets after Israeli lawmakers voted to strip the country's supreme court of the power to declare government actions unreasonable. We're going to have much more on this developing story just ahead.

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[06:51:37]

MATTINGLY: Happening right now, you're looking live at pictures out of Vilnius, Lithuania, where NATO members are officially greeting and getting set to take known - to take what's known as the family photo. Always an interesting and somewhat bizarre set of interactions that happens at all of these major summits. President Biden and alliance leaders have entered the high-stakes summit with a sense of unity after a major win when Turkey agreed to Sweden's bid to join the allowance. We're going to be following this throughout the course of this morning. BROWN: Well, it's not even a week old, but Meta's new social media

site Threads has surpassed more than 100 million users already. That's according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And, meanwhile, there are reports of measurable declines in Twitter usage in just the past few days.

Joining us now is CNN's senior media analyst and senior media reporter at "Axios," Sara Fischer.

It's so interesting because there have been several different platforms who tried to do what Threads is accomplishing now, but they haven't been able to. Why do you think Threads has been able to achieve this substantial growth in such a short amount of time?

SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: Because it's linked to Instagram, which has well over a billion users around the world. And what they did was they waited until they could figure out, how can we launch this product quickly. And when they saw that Elon Musk was limiting the number of tweets that people could get, they bumped up the launch, had over a billion people get this message out, if you want to sign up for Threads, you use your same Instagram account, and basically overnight this became a success. A huge success, by the way, because, if you think about it, Meta has launched so many copycat apps in the past few years, many of them have been shuttered. But this one so far I think will stick.

BROWN: They're getting good press. I'm sure they feel like, finally, right, after --

FISCHER: For going after a competitor. When does Mark Zuckerberg get good press for going after a competitor?

MATTINGLY: Well, I think it's when the competitor is Elon Musk to some degree.

BROWN: Exactly.

FISCHER: Exactly right.

MATTINGLY: I do want to shift over to artificial intelligence, mostly because if I don't Pamela, who talks about it pretty much every second of every commercial break, will --

BROWN: Only because I'm taking a class on it (INAUDIBLE).

MATTINGLY: Taking a class on it. Very fascinated by it. The U.S. Senate is going to have a classified briefing today. Its first classified briefing on artificial intelligence with senior intelligence and defense department officials.

What's your sense right now of lawmakers understanding and what they could possibly do to get in front of this very fast-moving technology?

FISCHER: I actually think they're doing the right thing by taking these briefings, by holding their own educational briefings, by bringing folks like Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, into Capitol Hill. If you think about it, we didn't have lawmakers taking social media regulations seriously until it was far too late, ten years into the process.

We have this type of technology be rolled out to the masses about six, seven months ago and already we're having White House classified briefings, we're having briefings on Capitol Hill. So, they're doing the right thing there.

What they need to do, Phil, though, is get consensus. Right now I think there is a bipartisan understanding that we need to do something around legislating with AI. No one knows exactly what we're going to do.

What this briefing will help understand is how our adversaries are handling AI. Not only are they going to share with lawmakers today about what we're doing as a country in terms of national security, science and technology, advancing the country with AI, but also how are other countries leveraging it and regulating it. Perhaps that could inspire lawmakers here to come up with some ideas.

MATTINGLY: Love that optimism.

BROWN: Well, they better get to it fast, right, because, like you say, other countries are doing just that and it's really touching every sector, including, as I was learning in my class last night, about automated weapons in AI and how each country has a different view on whether automated weapons should be fully controlled by AI, how much human control there should be.

[06:55:07]

There are so many different questions within just the national security realm. There's also a lot of questions about copyright law and artificial intelligence and there's really not a lot of clarity about how this is going to shake out. You have this new lawsuit filed by Sarah Silverman suing Meta and OpenAI for copyright infringement. This is what they said.

Oh, I'm sorry, I - I misunderstood my producer in my ear. I thought that there was sound.

But -- so basically - so Sarah Silverman is suing over the training data that was used for these platforms. And it's really an interesting case. And this is probably going to be the beginning of many, right?

FISCHER: So many cases. So, until we can figure out how we're going to legislate AI, most of this is going to be left to the courts to figure out how we interpret our current laws to be able to fit this new technology. What Sarah Silverman is suing for is she's saying, these companies, like OpenAI and Meta, used my copyrighted work to train their algorithms and I want to get paid for that. I want money for that. And I also - I think these types of celebrities are trying to set a precedent so that other artist's work aren't going to be abused.

But it's interesting to note again, Pamela, these are pretty serious lawsuits that are going to be filed in courts all throughout the country as we try to figure out what's going to happen.

BROWN: And these companies say, look, it's fair use. We should be able to use this. The copyright office said that works from artificial intelligence is not copyrighted. So it raises all kinds of questions too of, who do you hold accountable in these cases.

FISCHER: Totally.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

BROWN: All right.

MATTINGLY: Full employment for lawyers. Full employment for lawmakers. Full employment for Sara Fischer, who's going to explain everything to us throughout.

Thanks so much, Sara.

BROWN: All right, thank you so much, Sara.

We want to turn to the devastation out in Vermont. Look at these pictures. Catastrophic flooding hitting Vermont there, washing out roads and cutting off communities. President Biden declaring a state of emergency. We are live on the ground as millions are under flood alerts.

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