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CNN This Morning
India Launches Attack Overnight; Father Robert Hagan is Interviewed about the New Pope; AI Victim Speaks to Killer in Court; Pirro Named as Interim U.S. Attorney. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired May 09, 2025 - 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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STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": The new pontiff chose the name Pope Leo XIV in honor of Saint Leonardo of DiCaprio, who famously decreed --
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: I am pope of the world.
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AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: OK, having some fun there with the election of a new pope. Today, his first full day on the job as the leader of the catholic church.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.
It's half past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.
Pope Leo XIV has been leading his first mass as pontiff in the Sistine Chapel. Moments ago he delivered his homily. He was elected yesterday to succeed the late Pope Francis, who died last month.
And in the case of the Menendez brothers, a judge will consider their request to remove the L.A. district attorney's office from their upcoming resentencing hearing. Their lawyer has accused the DA of being biased against them. The brothers are now serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989.
And Russian president Vladimir Putin, hosting China's president at a victory day parade in Moscow. The two leaders signed a pact to deepen their partnership, while vowing to stand together against what Putin called global uncertainty.
We're also going to turn now to new developments in the conflict between India and Pakistan. A Pakistani source says India launched another drone attack overnight. India has accused Pakistan of attacking it with drones. Major damage this morning near their disputed border in Kashmir. Listen to how Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. described the recent
violence between the two nations.
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RIZWAN SAEED SHEIKH, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Started by India. Escalated by India. It's the third night. Pakistan has exercised its right to self-defense. But basically, this is not the kind of simplified version of the security situation in the region that I think the world wants to see.
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CORNISH: We're going to go live now to New Delhi, India, and bring in CNN's Matthew Chance.
Matthew, can you give us the details of what's happening this morning?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Audie.
Well, you join me in a very hot market in the middle of New Delhi, the Indian capital, where I've been speaking to people about what they think of this increasingly dangerous standoff between India and neighboring Pakistan.
[06:35:11]
And, you know, the general sense you get here is that people are backing the Indian government. They think that the Indian attacks on Pakistan were entirely justified. And that's something that's reflected by Indian officials that I've been speaking to as well, because they're saying that they carried out the airstrikes on Pakistan because of the terror attack, that they blame Pakistan for, that took place in the Indian administered area of Kashmir last month.
Now, there's security measures in place. Already the Indians have, you know, canceled schools, suspended schools in Jammu and Kashmir. They suspended schools elsewhere in Punjab province as well, which is close to Pakistan. They've also canceled all the leave that civil servants are meant to have in this country in preparation, they say, for a possible emergency response.
So, they are expecting, they say, attacks by Pakistan in the future, in the coming days potentially. And I think it's fair to say the country's on a state of -- a state of alert.
So, a very dangerous situation, particularly when you consider, of course, Audie, that both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons. We're a long way from a nuclear confrontation. But in an issue that is as tense and is emotional as this, it is a danger that really everybody is having at the back of their minds.
CORNISH: CNN's chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance, speaking to us from India. Now we're going to go back to the Vatican, because the world's 1.4
billion Catholics are waking up with a new pope this morning. Pope Leo XIV stepping out onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, setting off a massive celebration Thursday. Just moments ago, he used his first mass as pope to acknowledge those who put their trust in him.
So, let's talk more about who he is. Here's what his brother is saying.
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JOHN PREVOST, POPE LEO XIV'S BROTHER: He had a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to. And he had a very strong feeling. And I think in that way he will be a second Pope Francis. I think he'll follow right in his footsteps, working for the underprivileged.
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CORNISH: Joining me now to talk about this new pope is Father Robert Hagen, somebody who has known Pope Leo XIV for more than 25 years.
Father Rob, thanks for joining us this morning.
FATHER ROBERT HAGAN, PRIOR PROVINCIAL, PROVINCE OF ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA AND ORDER OF SAINT AUGUSTINE: Good morning, Audie. My pleasure.
CORNISH: So, we heard from his brother. I know you're also his brother, but we heard from his brother that this is something that has always been with him. Sort of this position. Can you talk about that idea of him being a kind of Pope Francis? What does it mean in terms of his contribution to that legacy?
HAGEN: Well, certainly his love of the poor. If you look back to Leo XIII's life, he was very much about the plight of the worker, of the laborer. The ten years that Leo spent in Peru, really, with the poorest of the poor, with those who don't have a lot of resources, who really depend on each other and on God for strength and patience and perseverance, I think that's really forged his vocation. It's left an indelible mark on who he is.
Also, Audie, the fact that he's an Augustinian. Much of his training and his formative years in religious life would come from the charism and the inspiration of Saint Augustine. Augustine himself. Known as the doctor of grace. To understand that, you know, none of us has all the strength by his or herself. And that it's good to lean on God and to lean on one another so that we're all kind of called to help each other through life. And it's not an independent exercise.
And so, this is the spirit and the approach that I think Leo will have, much, much like Francis had in his life.
CORNISH: You're calling him Leo, but, obviously, you knew him as Bob. Is there any moment you can recall where you realize, this guy's pretty special?
HAGEN: I can tell you, Audie, he was -- he was a good ten years ahead of me in the seminary. So, when you join, you go through a lot of steps as a rookie, a lot of firsts. And it can be nerve wracking and you can be unsure of yourself as you kind of get immersed into religious life. And so, I spent that first year in my Augustinian training in Racine, Wisconsin, which would have been in the province of the Midwest, Our Mother of Good Counsel, where then Father Bob served.
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And I just have to tell you how welcoming he was to me. How reassuring. Introducing me to other brothers, people that I didn't know, encouraging me in my vocation, you know, to kind of hang in there and stay with it. And so I felt -- I saw in a man very early on that gift of friendship. He's a very, very accomplished person, speaking multiple languages, incredibly bright, but at the same time not condescending, warm, approachable, with kind of a twinkle in his eye. He's a people person.
CORNISH: What's been your -- what's your group chats like? Are people just completely -- like, so excited?
HAGEN: We're -- exactly. I mean it was as if a family member had stepped up on that balcony, and you're just flabbergasted to see the person that you know in that position. And yet, at the same time, seeing a kind of serenity within him. And you can see that he really is full of the Holy Spirit.
You know, much is made of the conclave and the cardinals that voted. But as people of faith, we really believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding this process. That, in fact, this is the will of God. And so that God has picked him for this incredible responsibility and opportunity that we have really for the whole world.
CORNISH: Well, Father Rob Hagen, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
HAGEN: My pleasure. Thank you.
CORNISH: Still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, a man brought back to life by AI in a courtroom. The message he delivered directly to his convicted killer.
And a throwback to the 90s with a new honor for the virtual pet just about everybody had.
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CORNISH: All right, we've heard about AI doing all kinds of things, but this, frankly, is the wildest one yet, giving a man his voice back after he was killed in a road rage incident. That's what happened in a courtroom in Arizona when the man convicted in his death actually heard directly from the victim.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness, and in God, who forgives. I always have, and I still do.
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CORNISH: I'm joined now by CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams, who helps me make sense of all things legal happening around the country.
At what point is this an ethical issue? I was kind of shocked to see this image, and I wondered if this is like a trend I should be aware of.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It is a trend you should be aware of and humanity should be aware of because AI is coming and affecting every area of our lives.
Now, in terms of an ethical issue, there really isn't a huge one here, believe it or not.
CORNISH: Like, I feel guilty showing this right now --
WILLIAMS: It is and --
CORNISH: Even though, obviously, his family --
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: Yes.
WILLIAMS: And it's important that you have the banner AI generated content. It's important that judges note when something is coming into court where this item came from.
Now, because this was sentencing, basically anything goes. Anything that can help inform the judge make a decision as to mercy or justice or vengeance or whatever else. And even an animated speaking defendant at sentencing is fine. Now, in a trial, this would be an absolute no, no, just under the --
CORNISH: Oh, I see. OK.
WILLIAMS: Under the Constitution. It's the Sixth Amendment. You have to be able to confront people who are testifying against you. You can't confront a dead man, as much as many of us would like to try, but --
CORNISH: I see. So, the key here is sentencing.
WILLIAMS: Sentencing. That's all (ph).
CORNISH: OK. I want to shift gears to the Diddy trial.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: Because, obviously, the jury is being seated or selection. So, tell me, where are we and when will there be opening statements?
WILLIAMS: Well, should be Monday if all things are according to plan. That's this Monday, three days from now.
Finding a jury is really this exercise in pop psychology where both sides have to suss out, can someone -- do we think they'll rule in our favor, or at least be receptive to us?
CORNISH: Yes.
WILLIAMS: Now, this case, the tricky thing is it deals with two things people care deeply about, one, famous people, and, two, sexual assault. Jurors come in with their own biases and views. And so it's really hard to get people who really can step back and look at this case fairly.
CORNISH: OK, we are going to get into one last story.
WILLIAMS: Are we?
CORNISH: This is a little bit like the AI one where I'm like, what?
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: This is weird.
There was this health worker who's coworkers compared them to Darth Vader.
WILLIAMS: Uh-huh.
CORNISH: They got really upset and actually, I think, quit their job at one point. And then they actually won some kind of settlement, $40,000.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: How did this even become a case? They --
WILLIAMS: Oh, well, I --
CORNISH: Because then I got lots of coworkers I need to call. But just -- I don't understand name calling being a problem.
WILLIAMS: Well, in the United Kingdom, where this all originated, there actually is a law of detriment making someone's workplace life work. Kind of like how the planets, like Coruscant or Tatooine or Alderaan might have different laws. England has a slightly different workplace standard. Workplace standards. So, here --
CORNISH: What? OK, go on. WILLIAMS: Yes.
CORNISH: Say more, Elliot Williams.
WILLIAMS: Oh, a genuine laugh. I love it. I --
CORNISH: It was.
WILLIAMS: Here -- here in the United States, workplace harassment, you must create what's called a -- conditions that are so severe or pervasive as to alter someone's employment. That would be before you could sue, you know, kind of like the force that surrounds a galaxy, binds us all together.
CORNISH: Yes.
WILLIAMS: That's how pervasive the harassment must be in the United States.
CORNISH: As a "Star Trek" person, I feel attacked, but continue.
WILLIAMS: Well, I can see, there's room for all of us in God's great galaxy.
And so, because they took a Myers-Briggs test --
CORNISH: Yes.
WILLIAMS: Sent her out of the room and said, you know what, you came back as Darth Vader, a court found that that was a detriment to her.
[06:50:04]
Now, I really think that couldn't happen in the United States. It really couldn't, but --
CORNISH: Yes, but also because people love Darth Vader so much
WILLIAMS: Right.
CORNISH: People like Elliot Williams. I don't know.
WILLIAMS: You're mocking me.
CORNISH: Oh, I'm not. I'm not. What I'm trying to do is --
WILLIAMS: Oh.
CORNISH: Let folks know that you got -- you got children involved in this.
WILLIAMS: Yes, well, it's -- look, look, you know, the -- the force is strong in that one, my child.
CORNISH: It is. It is.
WILLIAMS: And that's -- that's my son on the day that the "Rise of Skywalker" came out.
Now, I want to be clear, this does not show any bias on my part. I can fairly assess, you know, a matter involving the great Sith lord, Darth Vader. But your mockery of me, you know, as he would say, Audie, I find your lack of faith disturbing.
CORNISH: I just want to say, you using legal voice on me, like weaponizing legal voice in this context, is appreciated. I stand.
WILLIAMS: It's my weapon. I can't force-choke someone. So, the least I can do is throw out a little bit.
CORNISH: Elliot, with the legal roundup, a very professional lawyer that we bring on to CNN.
WILLIAMS: I know. What have we done (ph)?
CORNISH: Elliot, thanks so much.
It's now ten minutes to the top of the hour. Here is your morning roundup.
OK, so the acting administrator for FEMA, he's now out of a job. Cameron Hamilton, he was fired one day after breaking from the administration and telling Congress he does not support dismantling the agency. President Trump has said he wants to eliminate FEMA.
A federal court in Alabama -- a federal court says Alabama purposely engaged in intentional discrimination when it refused to draw a congressional plan with a second black majority district. The court is now considering whether the state should be required to get federal approval of its congressional maps going forward.
And new numbers out this morning showing the impact of President Trump's tariffs on China. That country's exports to the U.S. falling by 21 percent compared to this time last year. And it's having a ripple effect at ports across the U.S. Some ships are arriving half empty.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A trucker, who last week was hauling about four or five containers a day, this week will likely halt just two or three.
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CORNISH: This weekend, President Trump's top trade officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the tariffs.
And this next story is a blast from the past. Do you remember Tamagotchis, the egg shaped digital pet that I killed in middle school but took over the toy aisle in the '90s? Well, it was just inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. This is how people talked about the toys when they were first introduced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just sits there and keeps talking about it. Oh, no, he's not eating. He's going to get sick. I'm worried.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't take care of it, it'll start beeping at you and -- and giving you all kinds of heck.
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CORNISH: Also making up the class of 2025, Defender, Goldeneye 007 and Quake.
President Trump replacing a controversial choice for U.S. attorney in Washington. His new candidate, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. He pointed to her legal background when making the announcement. The confirmation for the previous candidate, Ed Martin, fell apart this week when key Republican senators said they wouldn't support him. Now it will be Pirro's turn to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for D.C. She comes into the job as a fierce defender of the president. Her Fox News show was also cited several times in a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems over the 2020 election for repeatedly making unfounded claims about fraud.
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SIDNEY POWELL, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY: It is one huge, huge criminal conspiracy that should be investigated by military intelligence for its national security implications.
JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS HOST: Yes, and it -- and hopefully the Department of Justice. But -- but who knows anymore.
The president's lawyers alleging a company called Dominion, which they say started in Venezuela with Cuban money and with the assistance of Smartmatic software, a back door is capable of flipping votes.
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CORNISH: Again, we're playing those because those clips are -- the claims aren't true, and they were the subject of the lawsuit that they lost. That and other claims from different Fox News hosts eventually led to a massive settlement.
The group chat is back.
I am, in a way, not surprised Ed Martin did not survive this process because Republican senators started to speak out. What do you make of the choice?
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": Well, this is -- well, first of all, on the point about Ed Martin, this is the difference between Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats. When Senate Democrats were confronted with the situation with Rachel Rollins, who was a George Soros backed prosecutor from Boston, appointed by Joe Biden for U.S. attorney in Boston, Democrats stood united. It took the tiebreaking vote of Kamala Harris to get her across the finish line. [06:55:01]
Here, Republicans fold and don't give Trump the nominee. What does Trump do? He says, fine, I'll one up it. I'll give you Judge Jeanine Pirro. And plus, I'm going to put Ed Martin at the Department of Justice. And so, you know, it's classic Trump.
CORNISH: So, Ed Martin isn't even going away.
BLUEY: No. (INAUDIBLE).
CORNISH: And to be clear, there were other issues. They raised concerns about sort of him complimenting a Nazi sympathizer. Like, there were some specific things that I think made it untenable.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I was about to say, I don't think those two people are the same.
What I do think it shows is the following. This is a defeat for Donald Trump, even if he's putting Jeanine Pirro there. This is the first time -- the second time that Senate Democrats have actually pushed back on a nominee -- I mean Senate Republicans have pushed back on a nominee. Will -- it remains to be seen whether this is a part of a trend where Senate Republicans are really trying to claw back some of their power, which they've ceded.
But Jeanine Pirro, the other question is, is this actually legal? Because already Ed Martin was there as interim. Interim means 120 days. Does that mean that he can appoint another person for another 120 days? This is a big question. Or will she have to be confirmed?
CORNISH: Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And so, can she be confirmed? There's a lot of questions still around this that aren't clear.
CORNISH: We were just showing the number of media personalities that are now in this White House.
JERUSALEM DEMSAS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": Who works at Fox News anymore?
CORNISH: Well, but, you know, I think it gets to the fact that Trump cares a lot about message, staying on message, delivering that message in an interesting and charismatic way that the audience can understand, right?
DEMSAS: Yes. Yes.
CORNISH: It is a performance. What do you make of this choice?
DEMSAS: I mean, you know, it's a very -- its very interesting. I mean, from a messaging perspective, it's very clear he wants someone who's going to defend his interests --
CORNISH: Yes. DEMSAS: Who's going to be willing, clearly, with the comments you just played about the Dominion lawsuit, willing to really push even the legal edge here.
But I think what's interesting about the fall of Ed Martin is that Thom Tillis' decision here was --
CORNISH: And this is the senator from North Carolina.
DEMSAS: This is the senator -- the senator from North Carolina, who, you know, won his seat after his Democratic opponent was caught, you know, sexting or something. And, you know, it's not one of those cases where he's really conscious of the potential for him to lose his seat in the Senate, and he's playing that very, very carefully. And so the question is, can Jeanine get past Thom Tillis? I mean this is a guy who is not just going to fold to Donald Trump. He realizes he has a competitive election in North Carolina. It's not a shoo in.
CORNISH: We also --
BLUEY: And now we face the Republican primary opponent even before the general election.
DEMSAS: Yes.
CORNISH: Yes. That's kind of (INAUDIBLE) given.
DEMSAS: Charlie Kirk was very upset about his -- his decision.
CORNISH: Oh, really?
DEMSAS: Yes. Yes.
CORNISH: What was the take?
DEMSAS: He -- Charlie Kirk was upset. He was saying, you know, we've been waiting for Thom Tillis to go full MAGA here. It would give us a reason to believe that you would be a MAGA candidate. And this is in Charlie Kirk's telling --
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I mean this is the thing that you're seeing playing out over and over again.
CORNISH: Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's the pressure on the elections of these -- of these people who really --
CORNISH: Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Makes them decide what they're going to do when they have to face a vote like that in the Senate.
CORNISH: And the cabinet, of course, serves at the leisure of the president. But to your point earlier, like the head of FEMA reportedly may be out because he was like, I don't think we should get rid of FEMA and, like, next thing you know, they have another choice.
I want to talk to you guys about what you're keeping an eye on. We're heading into the weekend. What are the things you are thinking about?
Jerusalem.
DEMSAS: Yes, I'm keeping an eye on India and Pakistan right now. India strikes in Pakistan were deeper into the territory than has happened in decades of the conflict. Twenty people -- more than 20 people died.
CORNISH: I feel like you are keeping an eye on this. J.D. Vance is not.
DEMSAS: J.D. Vance is not keeping an eye. He has said that, you know, it's not something that I guess that the U.S. has an interest in. I think when nuclear powers are potentially going to be in a fight, everyone in the world has an interest in that.
But I -- you know it's possible there's going to be an off ramp here. There are back channel conversations happening between India and Pakistan.
CORNISH: Oh, yes.
DEMSAS: And I'm hoping that that resolves.
CORNISH: OK.
Rob.
BLUEY: Well, we started the group chat talking about Pope Leo. So, I'll be keeping an eye on who he meets with in his early days. I know he has a briefing with the press coming up. Also, we're looking for clues. There was a lot made of his name. The fact that he follows Leo XIII. And then also the dress that he wore. More traditional than, say, what Pope Francis would have done.
CORNISH: Yes. Lulu.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Mine's also about the pope. And the most important thing that I can say about the pope is, "The New York Times" interviewed his brother, and it turns out he is not a Cubs fan. He likes the White Sox. Everyone was --
CORNISH: Breaking. Right, say that again.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes, he is a White Sox fan. He is not a Cubs fan. The Cubs put out a tweet, said he's a fan, you know, of ours, and they totally got that wrong. And that was something that his brother really wanted to make clear to everyone in Chicago.
CORNISH: So, this has been -- you've done the reporting.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I've -- I personally hasn't. This is --
CORNISH: This is actually the biggest news of the day. GARCIA-NAVARRO: This is the biggest news of the day. So, everyone who
was like celebrating this man was a Cubs fan, sorry. So sorry. Not true.
CORNISH: Oh, my goodness. I'm just -- I'm just happy for Chicago. I think I'm also going to be paying attention to this pope over the next handful of days. Just one of our guests was saying earlier, like, where does he go first? Does he do a press scrum? Which just means when we, like, stand all around them pointing our microphones at them. It's like, in my mind, I like to think that a pope is above certain kind of American political atmospheres.
[07:00:02]
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes.
DEMSAS: I mean, with a -- with a catholic vice president who's made that a very core part of what he talks about, it's hard to imagine that the pope isn't going to be a big part of our own political conversation. I mean the tweets that we referenced --
CORNISH: Or at least ready to answer.
DEMSAS: Yes. Yes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes, he can avoid it, and he might embrace it.
CORNISH: Oh, interesting.
OK, you guys, thank you so much. We talked about so much today.
And thank you to the group chat. Thank you to you for waking up with us. I'm Audie Cornish. And CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.
