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Sean Combs Trial Verdict Watch; Trump Benefit Cuts Could Have Life- or-Death Impact. Aired 10-10:10a ET
Aired July 02, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Right now in New York jury deliberates are back underway in the Sean Diddy Combs criminal trial. The
panel has come to a decision on four charges but has not been able to reach a verdict yet on racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge against
the disgraced rap mogul.
Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson. Time here in Abu Dhabi is
just after 6 pm.
Also coming up this hour, the U.S. House of Representatives taking up the revised version of Donald Trump's mega spending bill. We will break down
what it will mean for families across America.
A source tells CNN the Pentagon has paused some weapons shipments to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say they were not informed.
Plus, a look at the devastation left behind after Israel struck a popular cafe for artists and journalists in Gaza. Dozens killed. We will have
reporting from on the ground.
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ANDERSON: Well, this hour we are awaiting a key vote in the U.S. House on president Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy agenda in what could be
the final hurdle to passing this bill.
House members will debate the revised Senate version approved by that chamber Tuesday after vice president JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
Republican leaders are trying to push the bill through with a razor-thin majority in hopes of getting it to the president's desk to sign by the
Independence Day holiday in the U.S. which is Friday.
It won't be easy, with all Democrats opposed and both hardline and centrist Republicans objecting to changes in this Senate version that further swell
the federal deficit. The proposed changes also leave upwards of 12 million more Americans uninsured over the next decade.
I'm joined this hour by CNN political analyst Jackie Kucinich. She's the Washington bureau chief for the "Boston Globe."
It's really good to have you with us. This is how the White House is characterizing what we've seen.
And I quote here, "The Senate delivered a transformative legislative package that locks in historic tax relief, delivers border security
reforms, welfare funds, critical infrastructure and more."
With that kind of White House pressure, how quickly do you expect this to move through the House?
What are the biggest sticking points now that it is passed back?
JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: So I'm not going to predict when this gets through the House because it has been -- speaker Mike Johnson has
a very tough lift in front of him, specifically, members of the Freedom Caucus, which are the most conservative members of the Republican
conference.
They're very upset with the price tag of this. They don't like the fact that there are add-ons, such as those Lisa Murkowski secured for Alaska.
They don't like -- they don't like some of the rural hospital funding that was that was thrown in by the Senate.
There are a lot of things that -- and it varies by member. Some members don't like one thing and others don't like the other. And leadership has to
assuage all those concerns in order to get this through the House.
ANDERSON: And for our viewers' sake, what were seeing on the green is just -- on the screen; sorry -- is just procedural at the moment and we will
absolutely keep our viewers bang up to date when we get the actual vote.
I want to talk about the bill's impact on people, starting with Medicaid. CNN's Jeff Zeleny, a colleague of mine, reported from Missouri ahead of the
Senate vote. Let's just have a listen to part of that reporting.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COURTNEY LEADER, DAUGHTER RELIEFS ON MEDICAID: I know that they're saying that they're not planning to cut Medicaid, right?
I reached out, concerned that, if any changes are made, there will be this trickle-down effect that will impact families like mine.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The front lines of the Medicaid debate are right here in Courtney Leader's kitchen.
ZELENY: What is the face of Medicaid do you think?
And it is -- is it different than you think some people may assume?
LEADER: I mean, we are the face of Medicaid.
ZELENY (voice-over): The Missouri mother of five wrote her Republican senator, Josh Hawley, to explain how slashing benefits would be devastating
to her 9-year-old daughter, Serena, who lives with brain damage and cerebral palsy.
LEADER: Our private insurance won't cover the formula. It doesn't cover the feeding tube pump.
The hit on our budget, it would be over $1,500 a month just for the formula, just for the pump rental.
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And those are things that we have to have to keep my daughter alive.
Oh, there's my beautiful smile.
ZELENY (voice-over): We came along for the ride, sitting behind Serena's nurse, who's funded by Medicaid, as they drove to weekly therapy sessions,
also paid by Medicaid, which more than one in five Missourians rely on for health coverage.
LEADER: We cannot let people like my daughter lose her benefits. And if anybody tells you that, oh, she's -- she's covered, she's protected, I
would really encourage you to say how. What provisions have you made to make sure that those who meet eligibility requirements are covered?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, in the end, Josh Hawley, the senator for that family, voted to pass the bill, despite saying that he had concerns about the cuts.
Jackie, what's going to be the effect of this for lower income families?
KUCINICH: I think it depends. I mean, the subject of Jeff Zeleny's interview, I think there's a lot of concern, not only if you're eligible
but if the red tape will stop. The additional red tape will stop families from getting coverage.
And listen, there are several Republicans who come from districts with very high -- a high number of people on Medicaid. And this is something that
they're going to have to weigh, like senator Hawley, whether it's worth acquiescing to the pressure that's going to be exerted from the White House
versus their constituents' concerns.
Because members that we've been speaking to, they said their phones are ringing off the hook, not just from interest groups but from people who are
actually very concerned, like that woman, about losing their care.
They're under pressure from a lot of different sides. Lately, the White House is the one that's won out but we'll have to wait and see, because, if
they make any changes to this house bill, it has to go back to the Senate - -
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ANDERSON: All right.
Apologies. Thank you. I need to get to my colleagues in the U.S. where, apparently, there is a verdict in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. Let's join
our partners in the United States with this.
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