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Soon: Opening Statements in Trump's Hush-Money Trial; Trump Says He'll Testify in Trial; 70M+ People Under Frost Alerts in Eastern U.S. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired April 22, 2024 - 06:00   ET

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

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Monday, April 22, right now on CNN this morning.

[06:01:15]

Jurors set to hear opening statements in Donald Trump's hush-money trial. We've got new details about the first witness we expect to take the stand.

A crisis on campus, escalating at Columbia University. Jewish students told by a rabbi to stay home for their own safety.

And the House speaker, Mike Johnson, apparently safe in his job, for now, after the House passes a $95 billion aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.

All right, 6 a.m. here in Washington. A live look at Capitol Hill on this Monday morning. Good morning, everyone. Happy Monday. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

Buckle up. Opening statements begin just a few hours from now in Donald Trump's criminal hush-money trial, the former president apparently losing some sleep over it. He fired up Truth Social just before midnight with this all-too-familiar rant.

He writes, "Tomorrow morning, I report to a New York criminal court for a trial on, somewhat ironically, election interference. It's a sham that should not have been brought, except to try and damage Biden's political opponent" -- comma -- "me. See you tomorrow morning."

OK. The prosecution's witness list is taking shape. This morning, David Pecker. He is the catch-and-kill former publisher of "The National Enquirer," expected to be called first.

Also expected to testify: former Trump fixer, Michael Cohen; and Stormy Daniels, the recipient of the hush money; along with former Trump aide Hope Hicks; the former "Playboy" playmate Karen McDougal; and former White House staffer Kellyanne Conway.

Our panel is here: CNN senior legal analyst, Elie Honig; Franklin Foer. He's staff writer with "The Atlantic." Matt Gorman, former senior advisor to the Tim Scott presidential campaign. And Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director is here. Good morning to all of you on --

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

HUNT: I mean, how many historic days, Elie, are we going to have?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. All of them. All of them.

HUNT: In an election year. But this is one. What do you expect today?

HONIG: Well, the opening statements, first of all, are as the name suggests, it's your first shot at the jury. I mean, this is -- talking about first impressions, right? This is when you get to make it.

These opening statements should not be lengthy. Sometimes you're reading the newspaper about someone giving a six-hour opening. I cringe whenever I see that. You need to get right to it.

But you need to establish your themes, and you need to set expectations as it were. So the prosecution is going to argue -- first of all, their theme is that this is not about just hush money or business records. This is about an effort to steal the 2016 election, and they need to give an outline and overview of their case.

But they also need to brace the jury. You're going to hear from someone -- one person in particular, who's done some bad things and sustained some serious convictions. That is Michael Cohen. They need to address that head-on and say, but you should believe him now. And here's why.

HUNT: It is. I get why. I mean, there's some -- there are some credibility issues.

HONIG: To say it bluntly, for sure.

And the defense is going to do a couple of things. The first thing that any defendant does, any defense lawyer in any opening, is remind the jury 38 times, they bear the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. We don't have to prove anything to you.

And they're also going to rip into Michael Cohen. They say they're going to ask you to send this guy -- well, the jury doesn't sentence. They're going to ask you to convict this guy based on the word of a person who has lied to every single branch of our federal government.

And I think they're going to set in the jury's mind, this is an unreliable case based on unreliable witnesses.

So it'll be fascinating to see how they do it. But like I said, first impressions, this is a key moment.

HUNT: Yes, Matt Gorman, what is your sense of how the politics of this have been breaking for Donald Trump over the course of the last week as the country has watched jury selection?

MATT GORMAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Look, there's an NBC News poll out yesterday that it really hews 40 to 42 percent or so, the outcome of this trial, how you view it, is going to be pretty much based on who you're voting for.

I don't think that changes, quite honestly, much after this, unless something incredibly drastic happens.

But I think where Trump is concerned, on what he can control. I think we talked a lot about what he can't control.

[06:05:04]

What he can control, last week, he went to this bodega, had a messaging of that. Talked about something other than the trial, about himself. It was about immigration, crime, the migrant crisis, winning issues for him.

Can he keep doing that? Can he keep talking about something other than himself when it comes to this trial? And also, can he show -- have video of him that isn't just him sitting in a courtroom?

HUNT: Yes. If he can keep lightening from striking in North Carolina, which --

GORMAN: Yes.

HUNT: -- has kept him from his rally this weekend.

Kate Bedingfield, the -- the Biden team are being pretty careful to stay out of this. Obviously, this is not the Biden Justice Department prosecuting him in this particular case. It's a state case. But the optics are what they are.

Do you think they're handling it the right way?

BEDINGFIELD: Yes, I do. I mean, I think the Biden team has been well- served by being hands-off on this, both because it doesn't allow Trump to sort on seize on the idea that Biden is, you know, somehow like persecuting him here. So I think that is good.

And he's broadly, I think, Biden has been well-served by a message that says, I respect norms, and it's important for our government to function the way it's supposed to. That, in and of itself, was a compelling message in the 2020 campaign and was effective.

So I think that's good.

I also think it reflects the reality, and it sort of goes to what Matt was saying, that either way don't think this trial is going to be decisive in the campaign.

Now, I don't think it's good for Donald Trump, to be clear. I don't think it's good when the backdrop of your campaign is a courtroom. I don't think this is helping him. And it's certainly -- I think we see in the numbers, it's not helping him build a broader coalition that he needs to build an order to win the White House.

HUNT: Very different from the primary, yes.

BEDINGFIELD: But, at the end of the day, is this case going to be decisive in November? I don't think it is one way or the other. And so I think the Biden team is being smart about keeping their focus on the messages that I think are going to be decisive, including abortion, the economy, and then Trump's sense of chaos overall.

HUNT: Frank Foer, big picture. I want to show you what some of these Republican senators had to say last week about the trial, and we'll talk about it. But watch this first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you concerned about that kind of alleged conduct?

SEN. DAN SULLIVAN (R-AR): Not really, because it doesn't seem to be a factor for a lot of people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I kind of don't give it a lot of thought. The justice system's in motion. We'll see if it's a fair trial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just think it's too late, too contrived, and really, let's solve this at the ballot box.

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): It's a salacious trial. It makes for good television on this. This is a throwback to the Clinton administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: So that Senator Lankford throwback. What -- what is your big kind of picture view of this?

FRANKLIN FOER, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": Yes. They looked so comfortable talking about this trial.

HUNT: I mean, they have to be at this point.

FOER: I think we're so -- we're so inured to thinking that Trump stuff just doesn't land. But I -- there are a couple of ways in which it does lead.

HUNT: OK.

FOER: First, is that he's spending oodles of cash on this. I think a quarter of the money that he's raising is going to pay for his legal fees.

And then secondly, it's a cultural event. Media knows how to talk about a legal trial. The public knows how to discuss a legal trial. It provides a narrative framework for talking about all these things about Trump.

O.J. Simpson just passed away. Casey Anderson (ph). We're going through all these familiar steps. And it provides a way for us to process and to discuss these things about the former president that would be hard for a campaign to talk about in a way that felt fresh.

So I mean, yes, it's not going to matter in the end in a decisive sort of way, but it matters.

HUNT: Yes.

HONIG: Kasie, I thought it was interesting.

HUNT: Last word.

HONIG: One of those members of Congress said it was too late. And it is remarkable to think this conduct happened eight years ago. I mean, I have a son who's a first year in college. He was in elementary school when this happened.

And that would worry me a bit as a prosecutor, because you don't want your jury feeling like something is ancient history. You want them to feel like it's immediate.

And the other thing I wonder -- and this maybe goes to the political effect -- is this story is known and then some. Now we could -- we will certainly get certain revelations. I'm particularly interested in what Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway have to say.

HUNT: Yes. Me, too.

HONIG: But I don't know that the overall narrative is going to change that much. I don't know if -- I mean, everyone pretty much understands. Paid hush money to, you know -- well, the prosecution would say to silence these women before the election.

And here we are eight years later. So it's a prosecutorial issue. It's also a political issue.

HUNT: Yes. All right. We've got to take a quick break.

Donald Trump does insist he will testify in his own defense. Will it actually happen? Is it a good idea? We're going to ask Elie about that.

Plus, how one hardline Republican governor is trying to show her loyalty to Donald Trump, or is she?

And sharing the wave. The special visitors one surfer had on her championship winning ride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:14:20]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump, are you going to testify?

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNT: You heard it right there. Donald Trump vowing to take the stand, insisting once again on Friday, he plans to testify.

Now we have heard this from the former president before. In his civil fraud trial last year, he was set to testify for a second time, but he canceled with just 24 hours' notice.

Our panel is back.

Elie, would you do it if you were Trump? Would you testify? I mean, can you even answer that question at this stage in the case?

HONIG: So that's a that's a really good question, because the real answer is you cannot answer it. You don't have to answer it until the moment you take the stand.

You get -- one of the benefits of being a defendant is you get to see the prosecution's entire case, see how your lawyer does trying to undermine it, see how you feel.

But the short answer to your question is no. Hell no. I would not take the stand. I would not advise him to take the stand. There's no reason for him to take the stand. It's incredibly risky.

Like I said before, the prosecution bears the burden of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone who takes the stand is taking an enormous risk.

I know on TV, everyone takes the stand, because it's dramatic. It's quite rare in the real world.

Here, if you're Donald Trump, I mean, look, it would just be a disaster. He -- if you get caught in a contradiction as a defendant taking the stand, it's over. If you get caught in a lie, if the jury doesn't like you, it's over.

So I would beg, plead, urge him. I don't think he is going to take the stand. I think he's positioning right now. I just -- it's so tactically self-defeating I can't see it happening.

HUNT: Yes. I mean, Frank, what is Trump doing there? It's -- it almost seems to me like he feels like, you know, people think he was a coward if he said no, basically.

FOER: Yes. Correct me if I'm wrong, he has to be there, right?

HONIG: Well, he needs to physically be there, yes.

HUNT: But he doesn't have to take the stand.

FOER: Right. He doesn't have to take the stand.

I mean, I think it's just the type of bluster. I mean, you ask Donald Trump, are you man enough to take the stand? He's going to say, Yes, I'm going to take the stand. It's easy to bait him into saying yes.

And whether he means it or not, I mean, I don't know if he knows if he means it in his own head.

HUNT: Matt, what do you think?

GORMAN: No, I think two things (ph). I completely agree with you. He's going to, of course, say yes, and he's going to say, you know, Well, you know, I can't do it for this or that.

I completely agree. And I think Elie makes a good point, where the jury pool is so tainted against him, him taking the stand I could see just simply poisoning it.

But I think also it's important to remember, his messaging about taking the stand isn't necessarily about the trial. It is about the politics of it. And I think he's speaking to a very different audience, necessarily, than the jurors.

HUNT: I think you put it pretty succinctly (ph).

BEDINGFIELD: This is -- I think this is the same -- yes. I think this is the same bluff he's calling on debates, to be honest with you. It's like he's -- you know, he's kind of marching around saying anytime, anywhere. Of course, I'll do it. I mean, you know.

But at the end of the day, do I think he actually wants to debate Joe Biden? I actually don't think that he does. And I think it will be really interesting to see how that plays out.

But it's like the same. It's the same bravado, and it's the same kind of political posturing. But --

HUNT: It's interesting you raise that, because I'd be surprised if Biden -- I think Biden is the one that actually doesn't want to debate, but we can table that for another day. We've got enough news.

BEDINGFIELD: I think -- I would say -- look, he may not. I would say I actually think he should. I think anytime he is standing next to Donald Trump, I think it's a good comparison for him. It certainly was in 2020. But there's a lot a lot, a lot, a lot that goes into preparing for debates. So --

HUNT: Fair enough.

HONIG: I'll tell you right now what Donald Trump's out will be, if and when he decides not to testify. He'll go, well, we just saw their case. It was a disaster. They didn't have anything on me. My attorneys tore down Michael Cohen and their joke of a case and their joke of a batch of witnesses. They got nothing. I don't need to take the stand. That's it.

That's what he'll say publicly.

GORMAN: I think yes, it makes sense. I think that makes a lot of sense. And it's also, I think -- it helps that it's not televised, right?

So if it was televised, that might be a little different calculation to speak to the voters. If he's trying to filter to the media, I think that's a good point.

HUNT: Yes. If this were televised and he were on the stand --

HONIG: That's interesting.

HUNT: I mean, that would be --

HONIG: Yes.

HUNT: That would be a moment to stop, rewind.

Elie Honig, thank you for starting what's going to be a long day for you, very early with us.

HONIG: Same thing. Thanks, guys.

HUNT: Always appreciate having you.

All right. Coming up next here, Jewish students at Columbia University urged to stay home for their own safety as campus confrontations intensify.

Plus, North Korea accused of firing multiple ballistic missiles just hours ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:34]

HUNT: All right, 22 minutes past the hour, five things you've got to see this morning.

North Korea firing multiple ballistic missiles off its Eastern coast. The short-range missiles traveled for about six minutes before falling into the sea. That's according to the Japanese Coast Guard.

No injuries or damage have been reported.

There's another one of these. The FAA is investigating the near collision of multiple airplanes at New York's JFK's [SIC] International Airport.

The agency says a Swiss Airlines flight had to abort its takeoff on Wednesday, quote, "because four aircraft were crossing the same runway."

OK, guys.

Hanging ten with a pod of dolphins. Gabriela Bryan won her first world championship tour event in Australia yesterday with this magical moment in her final run, sharing a wave with some dolphins.

I love it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never a doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Nelly Korda on fire, winning the LPGA's first major of the season. The Chevron Championship is her fifth win in a row, tying the tour record held by Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez.

Tens of thousands of people in Southern China displaced by days of torrential rains, triggering widespread and severe flooding. Officials say at least 11 people are still missing.

All right. Time now for weather. We've got freeze alerts for more than 70 million people in the East and the Plains this morning, with temperatures 15 degrees or more below average.

Our Weatherman van Dam tracking all of it for us.

Derek, good morning. What have you got?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning. And happy Earth Day to you, too. I just want to say I noticed.

HUNT: Happy Earth Day!

VAN DAM: Yes, I walked into our offices today. They had a big sign. How can you make an impact on Earth Day? Get rid of single-use plastic bags. I mean, it's a simple solution on this Earth Day. Just -- just pack a couple of those in your car as you head to the grocery store. I do it. It's easy. Everyone can take part, right? There we go. Happy Monday.

HUNT: I take it in Georgia, they don't charge you $0.05 for every bag you bag.

VAN DAM: They do not. That's right. Exactly.

HUNT: You live in the South. Fair enough. Yes.

VAN DAM: That's right.

All right. So the big story here is the cold weather that we're dealing with this morning. And over 70 million people under this frost or freeze alerts that blanket much of the Eastern U.S.

Not many locations, necessarily, below freezing. We're hovering just above it. But of course, for sensitive plants, that could be a problem.

So if you are watching this morning, first and foremost, thank you. But maybe you can get out there, because the coldest part of our morning is still occurring right now. Maybe you'll want to cover up those plants.

[06:25:04] Look at this. This is going to continue. We're talking about 56 percent of the lower 48's population will experience temperatures this week below 40 degrees. Yes, that's chilly, well below average for this time of year.

We'll start to rebound those temperatures later in the week. But the main culprit: this high-pressure system that is causing the clear and cool weather.

Personally for this weatherman, I like it. It brings back the sunshine. The only real rain now across the Florida Peninsula.

We watch an advancing cold front that'll bring some showery weather to the upstate New York and Northern New England. And then we focus our attention on Friday. Late in the week, we have the potential for more severe weather developing. Of course, we'll keep you ahead of that -- Kasie. Back to you.

HUNT: All right. Our Weatherman van Dam. Derek, thank you very much. Wonderful to have you on this Earth Day.

VAN DAM: Thanks. Appreciate it.

HUNT: See you tomorrow.

All right. Coming up next here, what South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is telling CNN about Donald Trump and January 6.

Plus, the intelligence chief of the IDF announcing his resignation. We'll have more details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:00]