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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Set To Rake In Millions With 2 Crypto Events This Month; Trump Personally Lobbying For U.S. Atty Pick Amid GOP Concerns; Inside Putin's Home. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 05, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:24]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, a $1.5 million meal. President Trump about to make an appearance at a big crypto fundraiser as two major American companies tonight make an extremely rare move because of the chaos from Trump's trade war.
Plus, breaking news, Trump now personally involved in lobbying for a top nominee. Some skeptical Republicans putting his pick for U.S. attorney in jeopardy.
And Putin's extravagance. A rare look tonight inside the Russian leader's home with Putin playing tour guide as he launches massive new strikes against Ukraine.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT on this Monday, the breaking news. Trump cashing in with crypto. In just minutes, President Trump is expected to arrive at his golf club outside Washington for a crypto industry fundraiser with David Sachs. David Sachs, of course, major tech investor and Trump's crypto czar.
And Trump is set to rake in millions and millions in political donations from this. The price tag for admission, in fact, is $1.5 million a plate, which makes this one of the most expensive dinners with Trump ever.
And it's actually just the first of two major crypto events that Trump is holding. This month, he announced online a second event that's coming in just about two weeks from now, and that dinner is for the top 220 investors of his meme coin. So, to get to that, it's a contest. How much money can be brought in?
It has reportedly made Trump and his businesses more than $1 million so far in trading fees alone. So as that is going on, its worth thinking about this. Ever since Trump was elected, he's been very busy supporting crypto. It has made him and his family, crypto has, billions of dollars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want crypto, I'm in favor of crypto.
I'm a big fan of crypto.
We will make America the undisputed bitcoin superpower and the crypto capital of the world.
We're going to do something great with crypto.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And those crypto chickens are coming home to roost in Trump's own nest. He has well just over the past week. I mean, his son Eric was in Dubai for a $2 billion crypto deal, $2 billion crypto deal for Eric Trump in Dubai. Where does that come from?
Well, Donald Trump Jr. also just spoke at a crypto summit. And, of course, Trump held his own crypto summit at the White House. But while Trump is making money in this case on crypto, he's also tripling down on the idea that Americans should be comfortable with less because of his trade war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls.
I'm just saying they don't need to have 30 dolls. They can have three.
All I'm saying is that that you don't' -- that a young lady, a 10- year-old girl, a 9-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl, doesn't need $37. She could be very happy with 2 or 3 or 4 or 5.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: This is interesting. I mean, this is from a man who, at the height of the apprentice, was there in Times Square at the nation's, at the time, largest Toys R Us hawking his own doll, which I will point out was made in China. And tariffs are hurting doll makers, right? Most of them are made in China.
Take Barbie. According to the Telsey Advisory Group, the price of barbie just over the week that she attracted. So that's Tuesday to Tuesday. As of last, Tuesday is up 42.9 percent. And today, Mattel, maker of Barbie, pulled its guidance for the entire year, withdrawing all projections for future performance because they say the outlook is just too uncertain. They can't project anything. It's a huge move by a major American company, the maker of Barbie. Mattel, saying Trump's trade war is making it harder to predict consumer spending, what people will buy. And they are warning prices will go up as they move more production outside of China.
And this may not be about buying, you know, 30 some dolls for a child, as Trump is saying. It might be really, for many people, just about buying 1 or 2. When you start looking at price increases like that, these increases for some families will mean their kids go without. But tonight, the administration is continuing to claim that the so-far elusive trade deals are just days away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: I think we're very close to -- to some deals. I can say that I am highly confident that we have 18 important trading partners. We'll put China to the side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, companies like Mattel are waiting to hear about a deal with China. That is the deal. The most important deal last year, half of all Mattel toys, just as one example, were made there. The deals are crucial for America's top industries.
I mean, today, Ford pulled its 2025 guidance, said Trump's tariffs could have a significant impact on the bottom line, which is really amazing.
I mean, this happened in a week. Their entire world seemed to fall apart. It was a week ago that General Motors suspended guidance, and hours after that, I talked to the Ford CEO, Jim Farley.
[19:05:01]
And I asked him, are you going to have to suspend guidance in a week? What's going to happen to you?
This was one week ago, and he said, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM FARLEY, PRESIDENT & CEO, FORD MOTOR COMPANY: We know exactly what the tariff bill would look like, you know, in terms of cost for the company. We know the offsets. Next week, I think we'll be able to tell people kind of what the tariff bill is for Ford would look like, the most American company. What -- what kind of offsets. What we don't know, Erin, is what are the import competitors going to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Yeah.
That was a week ago. That was a week ago. I mean, this is the world that we are living in now. One week later, Ford coming out and saying, sorry, we got to pull our guidance for the year.
Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT live outside the White House to begin our coverage tonight.
Kristen Trump's attending that crypto dinner tonight. As we said, a million and a half dollars a plate. But you are learning new information about what might be a plan of his if he sticks with it to shift what he's saying about the economy.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, they're trying to hone in on the messaging about the economy. And one thing I want to point out here is, Erin, you're talking about giant companies, giant corporations, Mattel, General Motors, Ford. Think about the thousands of small businesses who feel like they are currently looking down the barrel of a gun. I mean, these companies can likely survive a hit. They will take a hit, but they will still survive. These small businesses don't think they can last if these tariffs stay in place, because they do so much business with China.
Now, we did see Donald Trump kind of softening his language on China, saying that they might have to decrease those tariffs, particularly because the current state of play or 145 percent, that made it almost impossible to do any business with China.
So, you talked a little bit about that. But the other part of this is that Donald Trump, I am told in the administration, really wanted to focus on immigration, something that they believe that they could get tangible positive results for those first 100 days, obviously, is the same time we were watching the economy kind of freefall at different portions of but now they are going to try to shift that messaging to the economy, to positive messaging around the economy.
But so much of this is really going to be dependent on starting the chain of events with those trade deals. You played Scott Bessent there. We have heard the administration for three weeks now saying that they are on the precipice of having some sort of a trade deal with some countries. They have teased India, they've teased South Korea, but yet we have still not seen anything tangible or even gotten any sort of real readout of where these negotiations stand. So that's really the big question here, particularly as the administration has said that these other trade deals are likely going to have to fall in place before they even got to China, which again, as you mentioned, is really setting off the economy in a huge chain reaction.
BURNETT: Absolutely.
All right. Kristen Holmes at the White House, thank you so much.
Everyone is here with me now.
Dan, no tariff deal. And -- and as you know, at some point, they're going to have one. The issue though also now is -- well, why did they say they had one when they didn't? Lutnick said done, done, done, done. I believe five times he said that there was a deal done a week ago.
Then, Kevin Hassett said there would be one announced by the end of the day. Maybe the day after that. And still nothing, right? Thats sort of okay. Eventually you're going to get one. But you weren't right leading up to it.
DAN IVES, GLOBAL HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: It's the boy that cried wolf. And I think that's the worry is that you continue to talk. And we've talked about on the show the last month, credibility goes down. And the reality is for Mattel, for GM, for Ford, for Harley-Davidson, they need to know the rules of the game.
You talked about it last week. You need. And then that's the issue. This is real. Go to L.A. Look at the port. Look at the ships coming in. It's the reality.
And the consumer over the coming weeks, just like you saw from Telsey and others, you're going to start to see those prices increases. The inventory go down and you could talk all you want, doesn't change the math.
BURNETT: Peter?
PETER TUCHMAN, TRADER AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE: You know what? I just find it so upsetting to see how flippant he is with everybody else's situation. And then he's sitting there with his crypto thing. I guess he's at the crypto thing because he wasn't invited to the Met Gala.
But you know, the fact that everyone is supposed to be without as many dolls and, you know, and these are major U.S. companies that are still -- we've been on this show now for about a month, and we still don't know anything more specifics from liberation day, if that's what you want to call it, the big reveal. We know absolutely nothing except a bunch of promises which have not been fulfilled. Credibility is completely out the door.
I don't think people should be sort of defray the -- the Wall Street has been up nine days in a row. You know what? In a way, it's almost not significant because, you know, its walking. It's climbing a wall of worry. It has nothing to do with reality.
BURNETT: I mean, you look at Ford --
TUCHMAN: Everyone says to me, well, but Wall Street is up. Things must be great.
I don't think so. We've eaten away -- Ken Griffin, I go back to it right away. Brand America has been eroded, and this flippancy about everyone else should -- should --
IVES: You guys talk about --
TUCHMAN: Should swallow this is really distressing to me.
BURNETT: Paul, you know, it's interesting this issue of dolls. Okay? And I know it seems -- it keeps coming up. And then people ask him about it because it came up and he -- but he doubles and triples down. Okay, here's what's fascinating about this.
We went back to an interview in 2011 that I did with him.
[19:10:02]
And this actually, this topic came up in a very specific way. I just play this one part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Instead of buying from China, we'll be making the gidgets and the gadgets and the toys for Barron Trump and everybody else that buys their children toys. They'll be made in Alabama and Iowa and lots of other places.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, there it is. Barron Trump's toys will be made in Alabama and Iowa and lots of other places. It's not a new idea. And it's not -- and it's toys, right? It's actually having toy manufacturing in the U.S.
PAUL HICKEY, CO-FOUNDER, BESPOKE INVESTMENT GROUP: Right. I mean, it's just not profitable to be made in the U.S. I mean, back in the financial crisis, we looked to actually make a game and we tried several producers in the U.S.
BURNETT: So you tried to do it?
HICKEY: We did. We couldn't. So we did it through China. It was -- would have been three -- it would have been $30 delivered per item in 2010. From China, delivered coming across the ocean, it was $10.
So, I mean, just -- you can't get the production to do it. The dolls, I have four daughters who are all grown up now. They don't use dolls, but I would have loved that two doll maximum back then, because 30 -- 120 in the house is just a little too much.
But I joke, but --
BURNETT: Right.
HICKEY: It's -- it's -- you know, this were always saying, oh, we're going to make these things, we're going to make these things here. But certain things, you certain -- certain things --
BURNETT: Certain things are not going to be made here. Right. And I think on the talk about a trade deal, you know, I think the credibility the market or -- is giving credibility to Secretary Bessent at this point. And if you don't see something by the end of next week, I think there's going to be a big loss of credibility within the markets. And that's when you could start to see a problem. If we don't, if we -- because, as dan said, the boy who cried wolf, you know, we need to see something then. And then once you see that people dominoes can start falling into place.
BURNETT: And that will be crucial to see what happens. I mean, because at this point, you got Mattel suspending guidance -- and Ford, I mean, I just -- I'm emphasizing Ford a lot because he was very confident last week. And he said we don't know what our competitors will do, but we know the tariffs. We know what the -- and it was the night GM suspended. And here we are a week later, and they're throwing their hands up in the air on the future.
JEAN CHATZKY, HOST, "HERMONEY" PODCAST: And this is the CEO of Ford. Think about the people sitting at home trying to decide should I continue to put money into the 529 account for my kids? Should I continue to put money into my 401(k)?
These are the questions that are coming in because if these CEOs have lost confidence, individual investors have no idea what to do. And the degree of rollercoastering it's nauseating for them. They just don't know when to move.
And -- and then we have the CEO of Pimco today talking about maybe we're already in a recession, you see head spinning.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, Dan, you know, then on top of that, Trump came out and said he was going to announce 100 percent tariffs on something else. And I thought there was only 100. You know, you get confused.
But on films produced outside the United States. Now, I know the White House maybe now is trying to walk that back a little bit. Trump says he's going to talk to the studios, and I have no idea how such a thing would even work.
But here's a whiteboard today. Very simple, just like it was Friday. Here's my number 75.
IVES: The white board always.
BURNETT: -- to 80 percent.
IVES: You can't bully the white board, though.
BURNETT: The 75 to 80 percent, all right. And the word here is services. And I'm saying this -- this is 75 percent of the U.S. economy is services. So, if you're going to open tariffs up to suddenly starting to tariff services, that is something where you're not hurt as a consumer, you're hurt as a producer. If others start to reciprocate. I mean, in a sense it's a little part of the pandora's box that had not yet been opened until he opened it.
IVES: And, Erin, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. Thats why you're seeing them walk it back. In terms even on the movie theater issue, which actually is a surplus, when you actually 15 billion. But the reality -- you go down this path, this is a dark alley. And I think it just speaks to everything that we've talked about, is that you continue to ultimately continue what I believe is like, you know, cause more investors to get frustrated. Who's right, what's real, when are the deals happening?
BURNETT: And --
TUCHMAN: It's a bit of a bully tactic also, like what else can he can get attention doing. You know, think about all the new the companies like Amazon and Apple who have gone into movie making over the last number of years and built studios like, why are we attacked? We're attacking ourselves, right?
IVES: Yeah.
BURNETT: Right.
TUCHMAN: Right? And, you know, relative to going to China, I have -- I have a doll. You, of course I do. It's called the Einstein of Wall Street doll. And I tried to market. I tried to source it in the United States, I couldn't.
The only place you can make certain things is in China. Thats just the bottom line. And so it makes no sense.
IVES: It's a great doll.
TUCHMAN: It's a great doll.
BURNETT: It's a bobble head. It's a little Einstein.
TUCHMAN: I'm going to bring it in tomorrow. We'll check it out. But still, I don't understand why we're both -- we have spent so many years trying to build ourselves up. And the large corporations like Ford -- think about the financial crisis and how much how much the people in the Midwest who are the -- where their lifeblood has been the auto industry for so long, how they got knocked down and really shaved down and have built themselves back up.
[19:15:08]
Once again to have to go through this kind of anxiety, right? People whose lives depend on that stuff now, people are, you know, there are probably people who are sitting there not going to buy a Ford, right?
CHATZKY: Well, people are -- yes. In Reading, Pennsylvania, you talked about where they had to really look at this schools project that was underway, where the funding was pulled out from under them. But I think -- I think we have to take a step back and think about what are ordinary people supposed to do, what are the consumers and investors sitting at home supposed to do in light of all this chaos?
And the answer has to be to control the things that you can control. If we're headed for a recession and we may be or we may not be, you got to make sure you have your emergency fund. You got to make sure that your resume is up to date, because it's going to get harder to find that next job. And you have to do whatever you can to position yourself to be able to, to take it. Because all of these other factors are uncontrollable.
BURNETT: It's exactly that. I mean, obviously such important advice, but it's exactly that behavior that can lead to a recession.
HICKEY: Exactly. But I think to what -- Jean, you were telling people asking about, should I contribute to my 401(k)? Should I contribute to my child's 529 plan? I think in times like this, people become tempted not to. But this is the time you have to stay the course on these certain things, especially if your children are really young.
And the Ford story is just sort of puzzling though, because what's changed on the tariff front, since GM reported their earnings, like there has -- nothing's changed. BURNETT: That is, right.
HICKEY: So I don't understand why they had to pull the guidance.
IVES: When they started to do the numbers. Farley, they recognize, hey, we got pulled back guidance, billion and a half tariff hit. And I think you're right. I mean, it's like the devils in the details.
BURNETT: It's almost a way showing that they don't look at their business this way. Companies did not look at it this way of what I'm getting from here in this sense. So, it's almost like you got to look at your numbers in a whole new way.
TUCHMAN: And to what you think about it. We just said that barbies are up 49 percent, 49 percent on a 19.99 Barbie. It's a lot of money, right? I mean, all these things, you know, were talking Dan was talking about that the interruption of the supply chain for back to school is already in the mix, right? Thats the lead time that we're thinking about.
Not Christmas yet but back to school. And so that interruption, there are people who are living paycheck to paycheck. Right. And that you talk about.
IVES: Cargo doesn't lie.
TUCHMAN: And I did I got a text -- I got a text two days ago from a guy who's a truck driver who said that the truck stops have been half empty as much as they were last year at this time, basically, that people aren't out there, their trucks are not full already. Theres, you know, the interruption, the disruption of that supply chain goes all the way back.
IVES: Peter, cargo did, is now down 60 percent. It was 40 percent.
BURNETT: It was 40 percent a week ago.
IVES: Now, it's 60 percent.
HICKEY: But so the port of Los Angeles, they are port optimizer. They did say they see that stabilizing towards the end of the month. But here's a constructive aspect of it. The fact that, you know, Mattel, Ford pulling guidance, GM pulling guidance last week, these are so shocking. They're not normal.
But again, the market has, you know, we -- we -- we talked about this a month ago, that companies were not going to give guidance. And so, in some ways, that's what the market.
BURNETT: Coming to fruition.
HICKEY: Yeah. And so the market already that's why we tanked in the first half of April. And we've started to recover because those ludicrous levels that were announced on liberation day aren't going to come to fruition. BURNETT: So I think one of the scary things, though, is we don't know,
even when you talk about this and we talk about shelves being empty, I think the scary thing is nobody really knows what that's going to look like.
CHATZKY: Exactly.
BURNETT: I don't care what an expert you are or whatever. You don't know what consumers are going to. You don't know what's really not going to be on a shelf. 99 percent of the sneakers are made outside the United States. What is that? Nobody actually knows until we see it.
CHATZKY: Which is why you've got people who would not necessarily be inclined to go out and panic buy -- panic buying, right? You have them starting to try to stock up on those sneakers, on those back-to-school clothes, on those things that they can actually get right now.
IVES: But I'm just glad that that Paul -- he's joining Peter and I with our new sneaker factory in New Jersey. And, Paul, thanks for -- it's going to be super.
HICKEY: Exciting work Saturdays and Sundays.
IVES: Okay.
BURNETT: It also makes iPhones, Barbies, all of it.
IVES: $3,500 iPhone --
BURNETT: Hit the button, 3D printing.
IVES: -- we should build them here. If you like $1,000 iPhones, let them be in China.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all.
And next, the breaking news, Trump personally working the phones tonight CNN is learning trying to save one of his administrations favorite nominees, someone who has made controversial statements in the past. So where does Ed Martin stand tonight?
And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering cuts at the Pentagon. More cuts. So, who is it? Who's getting let go and why?
And Putin making a rare admission tonight about North Korea's role when it comes to his war in Ukraine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:24:27]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump is actively lobbying Republican senators personally, telling them to back one of his top nominees. Multiple sources are telling CNN that Trump is now involved in the confirmation process of Ed Martin, his pick to serve as U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
Now, Martin is facing some Republican skepticism on Capitol Hill over past controversial statements and media appearances.
Paula Reid broke this reporting, and she's OUTFRONT.
I mean, Paula, the president getting personally involved here, what more are you learning?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erin, this isn't just any nominee. This is Trump's favorite U.S. attorney nominee, I am told by a source.
[19:25:02]
And this resistance is, of course, coming from his own party, which is why the president is having to get on the phone to try to get this across the line. Among those lawmakers with some reservations, North Carolina lawmaker Thom Tillis, he has serious questions, he says, about Martin's nomination, specifically as it relates to comments Martin made about police who defended the Capitol on January 6th.
We've also learned that Senators Cornyn and Cruz have privately expressed concerns about this controversial nominee. But a White House official tells me the White House continues to be confident that Martin will be confirmed, despite his many controversies that I know you have covered extensively on the show, including his failure to disclose nearly 200 media appearances in his official paperwork, as well as claiming he did not recall some of his most controversial statements.
Now the clock is ticking for him to convert hearts and minds about his confirmation. He has to be confirmed by May 20th because he is an interim right now. If they aren't able to do that, then they'll have to pursue a different process. And one option, Erin, is for Judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointed judge who has drawn the ire of president Trump and his allies for some decisions he has made opposing Trump policies he could potentially pick the next U.S. attorney in D.C.
BURNETT: All right, Paula, thank you very much.
OUTFRONT now, former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb.
Ty, Paula saying there that reporting the date really matters here because that would obviously -- if it goes that other way after May 20th, change things completely.
So, Trump's personally involved. You heard Paula reporting on what appeared to be reservations by some very prominent Republican senators. She mentioned Cornyn and Cruz, Senators Cornyn and Cruz.
So what do you think when you hear that Trump is personally getting involved in trying to get Ed Martin's confirmation through the Senate?
TY COBB, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE LAWYER: Well, I think it's unfortunate. It really shows, again, how low this president is willing to go to get loyalists into positions that they're unqualified for and really have no business having and trying to force Ed Martin into the U.S. attorneys position is like trying to take somebody off the subway with two broken arms and make him the starting third baseman for the Washington Nationals.
The reality is, this guy is not qualified. His -- his entire office is demoralized. Over 100 lawyers who are former assistants in that office and worked there and had great reputations have written letters and lobbied very hard to try to prevent the office from suffering this level of indignity.
This is a guy, you know, yes, he did. He did fail to disclose 200 media appearances. And he's -- and he has revised his submissions to the to the Senate multiple times, as some of those have leaked out. But its not just 200 media appearances. These are 200 media appearances on Russian media.
You know, this is not somebody who's, you know, talking about "Good Morning America". This is somebody who has a very sordid background, no prosecutorial experience. He's gone after congressmen and women merely for criticizing the president and threatened prosecution. And he has fired everybody that had anything to do with the January 6th prosecutions, all of which, as we know, resulted, most of which resulted in convictions and sentences and had to be the subject of pardons.
So, this is not somebody that deserves this office. This is not somebody who is qualified. And the fact that Trump is on the phone just shows how low he's willing to go. Sadly, with regard to Senator Tillis, who's had concerns about Kennedy. He had concerns about Kash Patel. He had concerns about Hegseth.
Those concerns have not amounted to anything, you know, at all, because he's voted for all of them, and he's likely to do that here, which would be unfortunate.
BURNETT: So the context here also is Trump in this interview he gave this weekend with NBC's Kristen Welker. He did not say he'd uphold the Constitution. Obviously, the oath you swear when you take the office of the presidency is to do just that. It's the most core thing. But she was asking about due process for Americans and non-citizens.
Okay. That was the context of her question. And let me just play their exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Don't you need to uphold the constitution of the United States as president?
TRUMP: I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Again, the context here was due process, right? So it's right on that Abrego Garcia line, and that that was the context of her question.
But the answer was the answer that he gave. Does it surprise you to hear that from him?
COBB: Not necessarily, but I don't think it really is a considered response. I think this is a Trump who, you know, always is looking to give himself a little bit of wiggle room. You know, he doesn't want to commit to anything that might tie him down.
You know, on the other hand, he is the first president in 240 years who has any doubts about whether his responsibility is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution as he takes an oath to do.
It is -- it is, you know, we already have a situation where he has refused to uphold the Constitution. He has refused to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia, notwithstanding the Supreme Court's admonition that he's to do so.
[19:30:03]
And he -- he was called out last week by Judge Beryl Howell in D.C. for violating the constitutional rights with regard to or violating the Constitution in multiple regards with regard to the Perkins Coie law firm and the other law firm assaults that he's -- he is under. He has willy-nilly violated the Constitution with impunity and will continue to do so absent Supreme Court, you know, showing him where the line is.
And that's what he's asked for. And he -- and he needs them.
BURNETT: So the Supreme Court showing him the line, I guess the question is will he follow those rulings? I mean, you know, it comes to deportation policies. You know, he was -- he was asked whether he would follow the Supreme Court even if he disagreed with the ruling that came out. Here's how he answered that question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So is that a good enough answer?
COBB: Well, I'm not sure who the brilliant lawyers are, but, you know, they do have to follow what the Supreme Court says, and the failure to do so will only further erode the confidence that people have already started to lose in the -- in what's going on with government and Trump generally.
I think you're seeing that reflected in the polls. I think you see some of that reflected in some of the softness that he's now trying to add this week in terms of suggesting that he might do what the Supreme Court directs him to do. I hope -- I hope that he will. I believe that he will. I think he'll
be forced to certainly, in regards to many of these things that we're -- that we're now seeing with regard to immigration and the law firms and the attacks on Harvard and other institutions.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Ty. Good to see you.
COBB: Good to see you, Erin. Thanks for having me.
BURNETT: All right. And next, breaking news, Stephen Miller just commenting on whether he will be Trump's next national security advisor.
Plus, for the first time, Putin playing tour guide, actually inviting cameras into his gold-plated apartment. It is the first time. We'll show you what he wants the world to now see.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:36:41]
BURNETT: Just in, top Trump aide Stephen Miller, dodging when asked about President Trump, saying he is a top candidate to become Trump's next full time national security advisor.
Here's Miller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: We have a tremendous national security advisor right now. His name is Marco Rubio. I've gotten to know Marco so well. I consider him a close friend. He's doing an extraordinary job. He will be the Kissinger of our time. And I'm just proud to work alongside him.
In my role as deputy chief and homeland security advisor, let me tell you, President Trump made the right choice with this appointment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, Rubio is interim, and it's only going to be a few months, according to Trump. And Miller's comments came just hours after Trump heaped praise on Miller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole. I mean, I think he sort of indirectly already has that job. You understand, because he has a lot to say about a lot of things.
REPORTER: And, you know --
TRUMP: He's a very valued person in the administration, Stephen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, former Democratic Congressman Max Rose and journalist Gretchen Carlson, also the cofounder of Lift Our Voices.
So, Congressman, is Stephen Miller qualified to be the next national security advisor.
MAX ROSE, FORMER DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN: Under normal circumstances, absolutely not. But it would be very fitting for this administration, which what you're seeing left and right is they don't actually value national security experience, right? They have a secretary of defense who had zero experience doing anything on a high level in this space.
So, you could see Stephen Miller coming in there and organizing immigration raids across military bases across the country and joyriding the department of defense, just as these other individuals have done. For God's sakes, his daughter, her husband, her father is the senior advisor for African and Middle Eastern affairs, his real estate buddy is doing negotiations directly with Putin.
Geopolitics, for them, is just a joke.
BURNETT: I mean, Gretchen, Olivia Troy was former homeland security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence. Miller obviously closed in the first Trump term. I just -- I actually think it's better to play this than to quote it. Here's what she said about Miller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVIA TROY, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER TO VP PENCE: He is a horrible human being. I think he is someone who has gone all in down the rabbit hole on very much extremism. And I think in his -- in his like mind, there would be no migrants, immigrants or any mixed race in our country.
(ED VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Are Miller's views, the exact reasons why Trump would want him?
GRETCHEN CARLSON, JOURNALIST: I was going to say when the question is about is he qualified not for national security, potentially, but certainly in Trump's eyes, because he is the most far right fringy guy, I think, in the administration. And he's a yes man to Trump.
But keep in mind, you know, this is -- this is a guy who was behind putting children in the cages in the last administration. He's now behind the getting rid of federal funding for educational institutes like Harvard if they don't agree with Trump policies. He now has said today on social media that he doesn't really believe in due process unless you're already an American citizen, which would come as a shock to the Supreme Court because according to the Fifth Amendment and the 14th Amendment and the Supreme Court rulings in the past, immigrants do have due process.
They might have to go back to their country or to another country, but they have to have a hearing first.
[19:40:03] So, I think that we would be in for a whole new game in the national security office with Stephen Miller, because nobody would know what was going on.
BURNETT: And Trump made it clear where he stands for now. He said he's got a few months to make the decision. We'll see when it happens, Congressman. But, you know, obviously you served in the military and we have this reporting on Defense Secretary Hegseth that he is going to be cutting the number of four-star generals and admirals. He is going to cut it by at least 20 percent.
So, this is the four-star level, at least 20 percent. So, you served in Afghanistan. You were obviously a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Austin. Is that something that is. Does that make sense? Is that there's just a lot of fat and bloat at the top? Does that argument add up at all?
ROSE: Argument adds up. It's not a bad idea. Look, there's three-star generals are incredibly impressive individuals who could fill most of these four-star roles. And there's certainly excessive bureaucracy, bureaucracy in the Department of Defense.
But there's a deeper problem here, which is why are they doing this? And I don't think its actually connected to a strategic imperative, but rather to the fact that they are looking for constant destruction. And these generals are intimidating to folks like Pete Hegseth because they have what he doesn't, which is experience and good instincts.
BURNETT: But -- but you're saying -- so you're saying there could be cuts, but it's how you pick it, who you do that. It's --
ROSE: Yeah. Of course, there -- absolutely. I mean, it's an incredibly bloated organization, there's no doubt.
BURNETT: Yeah.
CARLSON: Well, he's gone on the record. Pete Hegseth in a podcast before he was confirmed as secretary of defense, is saying that at least one third of the military was there for political reasons. In other words, he believed they were politicizing their roles.
So, I think we should pay very close attention to the people whom he decides to get rid of, because this could be a way. I agree with you that governmental operations tend to be bloated, as is bureaucracy.
BURNETT: But under the guise --
CARLSON: Under the guise --
BURNETT: -- to do a political purge.
CARLSON: -- of who will he be getting rid of?
BURNETT: So let me ask you also, because president Trump is defending that A.I. generated image of himself as the pope that he sent out the White House, sent out and claimed he had no idea where it came from. He had posted on his own account that. But that's why I'm noting that. And he said this today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Catholics loved it. I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet.
That's not me that did it. I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it was A.I., but I know nothing about it. I just saw it last evening. Actually, my wife thought it was cute. She said, isn't that nice?
Somebody did it in fun. It's fine. I have to have a little fun. Don't you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: He posted it on his own account.
CARLSON: Yeah.
BURNETT: But -- but to say that Catholics were, you know, thought it thought it was great. I mean, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said that it was not good.
CARLSON: Well, and that's very interesting because Cardinal Dolan has been a huge supporter of Donald Trump. But I think it's, you know, look, is it a joke? Can we all take a joke? Yes.
But I do believe that it's sacrilegious. However, I also believe that at least half the country maybe wouldn't be that upset if Donald Trump actually did become the pope, because then he wouldn't be president.
BURNETT: Nh, not the half people might have thought you were about to say. Gretchen took a turn there.
CARLSON: I did.
ROSE: It was good, think you were going.
BURNETT: What do you make of that, though, Max? I mean, this has been. And no doubt this is what he wanted, right? We're not. If you're talking about the him looking that he's the pope, we're not talking about the trade war. You're not talking about those other things.
ROSE: Absolutely.
BURNETT: Nonetheless, this is something that matters to a lot of people. And whether you're Catholic or not, there is something sacred about the religious leader of something as big and important or of any religious group.
ROSE: Sure. Theres an element of this that's smart politics. I had Donald Trump's record for his last 100 days of chaos, cost corruption all going up, all skyrocketing. Every day, you're going to think about, how can you do something so outrageous that you can change the subject from your woefully inadequate record? Now, of course, one should think if they were in the right state of
mind about all these Catholics in these swing states. And perhaps what we're seeing right now is a new stage of Donald Trump's recklessness, because he, of course, won't be up for reelection.
BURNETT: Yeah.
CARLSON: The one thing I was just going to add to that is that I think what egged him on to actually post that photo was that there were Republicans after he first said a few days prior that he maybe would want to be pope. There were Republicans who actually egged him on social media and said --
BURNETT: Lindsey Graham.
CARLSON: He did. He said, wouldn't it be wonderful if Donald Trump was pope, the perfect person? And I think he saw that. And then that just fuels the fire to, you know, exacerbate the image of him as pope.
BURNETT: Right. Something like Lindsey Graham said it was, you know, always in jest, but it's something that endears you to Trump. And Trump feels that. And then, lo and behold, we get the A.I. image.
ROSE: Who knew Lindsey Graham sucking up? It's not working, right?
CARLSON: Well, he had just recently gotten -- Donald Trump had just endorsed him in South Carolina in the race. So, this is how it all works, Erin. We're not -- we're all not new to this game, right?
BURNETT: All right. The orange smoke.
[19:45:00]
Thank you both very much. Appreciate it.
ROSE: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, new details tonight about how Kim Kong Un is coming to Putin's defense. And live pictures from the Vatican as some of the cardinals speak out tonight about picking the next pope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, a rare look inside Russian President Vladimir Putin's opulent Moscow residence, playing tour guide on state television for the first time showing people inside his opulent quarters as he continues to launch massive strikes on Ukraine.
[19:50:12]
A wave of explosions hitting Kyiv in just the past 24 hours. But Putin, meantime, was showing off his gilded living room, a home church, even revealing what's inside his fridge.
Well, it comes as former Vice President Mike Pence tonight exclusively tells our Kaitlan Collins that President Trump's actions are making Putin bolder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I think in the last three years teaches us anything, it's that Vladimir Putin doesn't want peace. He wants Ukraine. And the fact that we are now nearly two months following a ceasefire agreement that Ukraine has agreed to. And Russia continues to delay and give excuses, I think confirms that point.
Look, I've met Vladimir Putin. I have studied his leadership in Russian over the decades. And I really believe that Putin only understands power. And it's the reason why in this moment, we need to make it clear that the United States is going to continue to lead the free world, to provide Ukraine with the military support they need to repel the Russian invasion and achieve a just and lasting peace.
The wavering support the administration has shown over the last few months, I believe, has only emboldened Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Kaitlan's full interview airs tonight at 9:00. You definitely want to catch that.
The comments from Pence come as we are getting new details tonight about why Kim Jong Un is coming to Putin's defense, and Will Ripley is OUTFRONT with that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the worst kept secret of the war in Ukraine. For months, North Korea and Russia denied teaming up on the battlefield, even as the evidence and casualties began piling up.
Ukraine said they had a hard time capturing North Korean soldiers alive, claiming they blew off their own faces with grenades. Choosing death over the risk of exposing the mission.
Then, seemingly out of the blue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE TV ANCHOR (through translator): Comrade Kim Jong Un decided on our armed forces participation in the war and informed the Russian side.
RIPLEY: North Korean troops in Kursk honored on state TV, praised as selfless warriors shedding blood to defend a brother nation.
Kim Jong Un, invoking a rarely cited mutual defense clause, saying Russian territory was under attack and North Korea answered the call.
What other reasons would there be for both of them to reveal this? Essentially, at the same time?
SHREYAS REDDY, LEAD CORRESPONDENT, KOREA RISK GROUP: Right now, the Trump factor is perhaps paramount. They've got a strong alliance. They have some leverage.
RIPLEY: That leverage may have come at a cost. Ever since Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed their sweeping military pact in Pyongyang. U.S. and South Korean officials say at least 12,000 North Korean troops have been rotated into Russia. South Korea's national intelligence service estimates 5,000 North Korean casualties, including at least 600 deaths.
Even in a country with such restrictions on information, North Korea wouldn't be able to hide that many casualties from its people.
REDDY: Definitely not. And that may have been a big factor in why they had to come clean.
RIPLEY: CNN obtained handwritten battlefield notes from a dead North Korean soldier, revealing early days on the ground filled with loyalty but not clarity. Diaries from two captured North Korean soldiers revealed many didn't know where they were or why they were fighting. The North Koreans even carried notes about using soldiers as bait in a drone attack.
But Ukraine says the North Koreans are learning fast in real time, mastering drone warfare, artillery coordination, 21st century battlefield tactics, more valuable and deadly than decades of military drills.
Theres even talk of North Korean soldiers marching in Russia's victory day parade next week. Whether or not Kim shows up, the message to Trump is clear, North Korea is no longer on the sidelines.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: And next, we're going to take you to the Vatican, where the cardinals right now are on the cusp of picking the next pope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:59:20]
BURNETT: Finally, tonight, you're looking at live pictures from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. All 133 of the cardinal electors already in Rome at this hour, ready to pick the 267th pope for the Catholic faith.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL IGNATIUS SUHARYO HARDJOATMODJO, ARCHBISHOP OF JAKARTA: I think it will be short, hopefully.
REPORTER: Will it be positive? Will it be quick?
CARDINAL WILLIAM SENG CHYE GOH, ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE: We won't know. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit.
REPORTER: He didn't say anything just yet?
GOH: He's saying many things, but we need to listen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. We're going to be live from Vatican City beginning tomorrow night for this incredible story right in the middle of the action near the Sistine Chapel. That's where the cardinals are going to hold their conclave, as you can see on this diagram in Casa Santa Marta, that is where the cardinals are going to be staying. And of course, they will be sequestered, unable to even use their phones for the duration of this conclave.
Thanks so much for joining us.
"AC360" with Anderson begins now.
