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Erin Burnett Outfront
Soon: Trump Hosts Dinner For People Who Invest In His Crypto Coin; Suspect In Shooting Of Israeli Embassy Staffers Charged With Murder; Trump Admin Bars Harvard From Enrolling International Students; Kim Jong Un Furious As He Watches His Navy Destroyer Capsize. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 22, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, Trump's digital dinner. At this hour, Trump is sitting down with the biggest backers of his crypto coin, an event reportedly shocking even one of his own kids.
Also breaking, Trump escalating his fight with Harvard, now blocking the university from enrolling international students. That is a massive move. It is nearly 30 percent of Harvard students, and Harvard says it is illegal.
And a, quote, criminal act. North Korea's Kim Jong Un furious, vowing to go after those responsible after his newest warship partially capsized. Wait until you see this.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. Trump cashing in on crypto. President Trump at this moment hosting what is being billed as, quote, the most exclusive invitation in the world. Well, what is that you may ask? It is a private dinner for 220 of the biggest backers of Trump's own private cryptocurrency.
These are investors, many of them from outside the United States. They forked out a lot of money to Trump in order to have the chance for tonight's face to face with the president of the United States. Just before arriving, Trump posted: heading to the crypto dinner. That a sit down that has been advertised on a website.
Let's just show you this website. It is fitting for one of those as "seen on TV" products, as opposed to a dinner with the president. I mean, there's the A.I. generated images of Trump that you can see on the website.
We're going to show you, you can go check it out yourself, though. It's quite fascinating. Multiple "register now" buttons, in case you missed it. Confetti. Theres a silhouette of you shaking Trump's hand. And then there's more. Theres a, quote exclusive bonus which reads for
the top 25 coin holders, you are invited to an exclusive reception before dinner with your favorite president. Plus, we have separately arranged by us -- by us, arranged for a special VIP tour for you. So, make sure you stay in town.
All right. A special VIP tour, but to where? So, when this contest was first announced, that exclusive bonus actually read a little differently. It was specific.
When we found the archived version of the site from back in April. So, when you go there, you can see where this mystery tour was originally. They said, we have arranged by us. We have separately by us, arranged for a special VIP White House tour for you. Now, why is that significant? Because that initial statement and phrasing makes the obvious clear.
There is no separating a president from the presidency. There is no this is personal and something else isn't. The impression of a presidency for sale is bad for America.
And now tonight, the White House may be no surprise, is quickly trying to shut down the perception that this could have anything to do with Trump profiting off the presidency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The dinner tonight, the president is attending it in his personal time. It is not a White House dinner. It's not taking place here at the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay, that doesn't add up. The president of the United States holding a raffle to the top 25 holders of a meme coin that he is profiting from is not okay because Trump is personally getting money from the transaction fees on his meme coins. At least $1.3 million in fees. In the weeks after Trump first announced this dinner, according to a crypto research firm Chain Analysis.
And according to "The Wall Street Journal", they write, quote, he is forging ahead with the event over the objections of some of his own aides and lawyers, who were initially shocked that he had agreed to it, according to people familiar with the event's planning. "The Journal" goes on to report Trump's own son, eric Trump, was even taken aback when he heard about the dinner.
Well, those who forked out millions did so, so they could meet the president. They could get a direct line to Trump's ear. That sort of access is priceless. And something else, the White House said today while defending this over-the-top dinner caught our attention. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: This president was incredibly successful before giving it all up to serve our country publicly. And not only has he lost wealth, but he also almost lost his life. He has sacrificed a lot to be here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: We will never make light of the horrific assassination attempt against President Trump. But the claim that Trump has, quote, lost his wealth stands out because it is false. He has made a lot. So today we reached out to "Forbes'" Dan Alexander because he tracks Trump's wealth. He's a frequent guest on this show. He does the numbers for "Forbes", and he ran the numbers. He said since the time of Trump's first term ended in 2021, so from the end of 2021 until now, he has more than doubled his net worth to about $5.4 billion.
Now, that's the latest "Forbes" analysis. That is a doubling of net worth to $5.4 billion. That's the facts. And according to Bloomberg, the Trump family made roughly $1 billion in paper gains alone from, you guessed it, crypto.
Trump has a coin. The first lady has a coin. Eric Trump and the son of special envoy Steve Witkoff, announced a $2 billion crypto deal in Dubai.
It certainly sounds like Trump is doing exactly what he accused Hillary Clinton of doing in 2016.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hillary Clinton has perfected the politics of personal profit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT live outside the White House.
So, Jeff, how is the White House, privately? We saw -- we saw the public stance, but privately, behind the scenes, how do they view Trump attending this dinner?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erin, there are people here at the White House and certainly close advisors and admirers of the president who are uncomfortable by this. I mean, you saw "The Wall Street Journal's" report saying Eric Trump, the president's son, was. I heard that echoed and amplified in conversations we had throughout the day.
And here is why -- for all of the dinners and campaign events that the president has hosted at Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster or his golf club here outside Washington, this is different in every way because it has nothing to do with Republican Party politics. It has nothing to do with helping reelect House members or senators. It has everything to do with enriching himself and the Trump family and organization. That's what this is about.
So, the White House, I'm told, was initially sort of surprised by this many of his advisors, because this is something the president decided to do on his own. Now, of course, no one can tell him what to do or say, do not do this. But that does not mean that some people aren't sort of uncomfortable by this.
But he is going ahead with it at this moment. He is arriving, likely to his golf course, and he is going to be sitting down with us. But the bottom line is we do not know exactly who he is sitting down with, because the owners of these crypto accounts and these -- the investors go by their trading names, if you will, not their own names. But we do know, because of reporting by Bloomberg and others, it is largely a list of foreign investors.
So, this is why it's different. Foreigners cannot give money to political campaigns, the political action committees, they can give money to his crypto accounts. So that is what makes this utterly different. It's for him and it's by people who cannot otherwise participate in the process. But they sure can tonight, and they're gladhanding with the president. Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much. So clearly said by you, Jeff Zeleny.
And next, let's go to Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley. He is outside the Trump property hosting this dinner right now as part of protests against it. Also, the lead sponsor of the End Crypto Corruption Act.
So, Senator, let's just start with where you are. You're outside the golf club right now. You're protesting.
Have you -- do you have any sense of -- because we're talking about people are known by their handles. So, we don't even know the names of the people. We know most of them are foreign. You know, millions of dollars at stake here.
Do you have any idea of who's going to be in there, getting the ear of the president tonight?
SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D-OR): Well, Erin, we saw a lot of big black -- big cars arriving with people dressed in a fashion that that suggested they were very rich. And we know that 17 of the 25 individuals who bought the most of these coins, they bought them on foreign exchanges. So, it's very likely they are foreign individuals or foreign corporations or perhaps foreign corporations tied to foreign governments.
And this is phenomenal. I mean, people paid about, were told, $145 million to have a seat at the table tonight. They didn't pay $145 million to get an email showing them an image of a coin. They paid it because it's access and it's influence. And it's being very obvious that that's the case.
BURNETT: So, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, today said did not commit to releasing the guest list for tonight's dinner and suggested that that is not necessary and not required because Trump is going in his, quote/unquote, personal time. And it's not a White House dinner. We talked about the personal time.
So -- yeah, go ahead. MERKLEY: Yeah. It's so closely tied to his presidency. For example,
the head of one company, Freight Technology, said, I bought 2 million of these coins, and I'm going to try to buy 20 million because it's the access and influence to change trade policy between Mexico and the United States of America. And we know in his other crypto venture, we have a situation where a government official from the United Arab Emirates is actually the CEO of the MGX Company that bought $2 billion of his other crypto coin.
And what did they want? They wanted A.I. chips in UAE. And what did they get last week? They got A.I. commitment, a commitment for those A.I. chips in UAE, the United Arab Emirates. So everywhere you look, everyone's acknowledging this is government policy up for sale.
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We've never seen this United States of America. It's a foreign government. It's a violation of our Constitution.
And I must say it's a violation of the whole spirit, no matter if its foreign corporations, foreign individuals, private individuals paying the president for access.
BURNETT: So, you're the lead sponsor, I mentioned, of the End Crypto Corruption Act. So that would ban the president, the vice president, cabinet members, members of Congress, immediate families, anybody, right, from profiting -- from issuing or sponsoring crypto assets like the Trump meme coin. Of course, his family has -- his wife, you know, so the entire family.
But you got a Republican Senate, right? So, I guess the question is, does this go anywhere? And in the context of what you just said, some things are clearly wrong, and it shouldn't be about your party or your politics. You should just say some things are wrong.
But do you believe he is formally violating a law right now?
MERKLEY: Quite possibly. If we had the list and we knew that some of those coins were bought on behalf of foreign governments, and absolutely, it's a violation of the emoluments clause of our Constitution. Our founders were so concerned about people buying influence with the president or the members of Congress. They banned it in our Constitution.
But we don't have the list. We don't have the details. That's why disclosure is so important. But we're going -- we're going to keep pressing forward. And to your point, we can only get a bill to the floor of the Senate with 60 votes on a motion to proceed. And I don't think we'll get Republican cooperation, but we are considering a bill, the genius bill, the week after next, in which were going to do everything we can to force a vote on an amendment to end this corruption.
BURNETT: All right. Senator Merkley, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. I know you're outside that crypto event in Virginia, right, outside of Washington. I appreciate your time. And I want to bring in Dan Ives and Katie Drummond now.
So, Katie, have you been able to learn anything about who is attending this dinner?
KATIE DRUMMOND, GLOBAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, WIRED: Erin, we have been doing our very best. It has been incredibly difficult to obtain very much information about who is attending the dinner. We know that there are a lot of crypto enthusiasts and crypto entrepreneurs who have bought their way in --
BURNETT: Yeah.
DRUMMOND: -- obviously to curry favor and to sort of push a crypto agenda to the president. And then we know for a fact that a lot of these individuals are foreign nationals. And we know that because they hold crypto wallets that are tied to exchanges that do not work with U.S. customers.
So, you have to ask of all of those foreign nationals, who are they and what do they want tonight with the president?
BURNETT: All right. So, Dan, to that point, let me just ask a really basic question, because I think to many people, myself included, the whole concept of crypto is very, very confusing to say the least. Okay?
Is there any value to the meme coin, the Trump meme coin beyond access to Trump? Okay, that would justify the staggering amounts of money that are being spent to buy it.
DAN IVES, GLOBAL HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: No, not at all. I mean, I think ultimately this is really a gateway to what's really a new crypto world, right? I mean, if you look at the deregulatory environment that's happening in crypto and obviously on the Trump administration, I think that's how this is being viewed. It's really -- it's about access.
And this is starting what we're seeing. Look, this is -- in terms of crypto, it's a new age under Trump in terms of deregulatory. And everyone wants to see at the table.
BURNETT: So, you know, when you looked at what many of the attendees have done with their Trump coins since they won a spot at the dinner, right? Because to win a spot, like I said, top 25 holders will get this. So, then they're buying and buying and buying. And by the way, it is the transaction fees. Then that can -- can go to Trump.
So, what did you find about what they've done with their Trump coins.
DRUMMOND: So the contest to attend the dinner closed on May 12th, basically immediately after those seats were secured, token holders started dumping their Trump coin, right? So, they essentially, they -- they used it for what they needed it for. Obviously, there is no, you know, extended value to holding these tokens. So, they got rid of them. I mean, "Wired" found that around half of
those individuals who want a place at this dinner subsequently dumped their Trump coin.
BURNETT: I mean, that is stunning. That's the way to answer the question, right?
IVES: I mean, yeah, it's a jaw-dropper.
BURNETT: That's the value of the meme coin.
IVES: But I mean, to your point and obviously great reporting. I think it just speaks to what we're seeing right now in terms of, you know, getting access at this time continues to be front and center, especially when it comes to crypto. And everything we're seeing with bitcoin in this new world.
BURNETT: So, let's do bitcoin by the way. That is incredible reporting I mean it just its one of those things where the number says everything right. Get the seat. See you later. Dump it.
Okay. But you mentioned bitcoin and that was a -- you know, it used to be that crypto was synonymous with bitcoin. Now, there's all of these other things that make it so confusing. Bitcoin itself is confusing.
But you have the whiteboard for tonight compared to the stock market, you've got for the year right. Tell me if I'm right. This is for the year right. Bitcoin is up 19 percent. Thats bitcoin okay. So that's bitcoin.
The S&P 500, flat, zero percent.
[19:15:05]
And the dollar which is actually relevant here, the dollar is down 8 percent okay. You take these three numbers and tell me what you see.
IVES: Speaks volumes, because first off, if you look at bitcoin and crypto, the view is that that's really going to be correlated with stocks. It's actually the exact opposite because what's happening now is you're seeing more and more investors view bitcoin as really an asset class that almost is decoupled from U.S. debt from the from ultimately the bond market. And obviously, it's really betting against the dollar.
And I think this also just shows in this deregulatory environment under Trump. I mean, you are seeing bitcoin. You know, obviously, all new all-time highs. It's really a new age. And this chart speaks volumes in terms of really the dislocation that's happening.
BURNETT: Well, we talk about what's the alternative to the dollar. And people say, oh,, the yuans not ready. Theres not enough booms in the German market. Well, maybe, maybe, maybe you're looking at it right here.
But, Katie, it is -- when you -- in all of the reporting, when you look at all the different types of cryptos and meme coins and whatever, those really are the value -- the Trump coin value then is what? It truly is just --
DRUMMOND: I mean, look, according to some of the experts we've spoken to, they're describing it as essentially a utility coin, right? Which means you hold it because there is there is some value to holding it. The value: access to the president.
BURNETT: Yeah. Bottom line. All right. Thank you both so much.
IVES: Great.
BURNETT: And next, the breaking news. The man who allegedly shot and killed two Israeli embassy staffers just charged with first degree murder as a friend and coworker of both victims who was with them just before they lost their lives joins us next.
Plus, from MAGA to Trump. Wait until you hear just how many times Republicans have added Trump's name to his big, beautiful bill at the last minute. It is all chronicled.
And breaking news. We are learning of even more people who were on that private plane that crashed into a California neighborhood. So, what are investigators saying about the cause?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BURNETT: Breaking news, a 31-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first degree murder after allegedly shooting two Israeli embassy staffers. A young couple about to be engaged outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., last night.
Whitney Wild is OUTFRONT outside his home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As FBI agents in tactical gear search an address linked to the man accused of shooting two people outside the capital Jewish Museum in Washington. The people who live in this busy North Side Chicago neighborhood are trying to make sense of the tragedy.
JOHN FRY, NEIGHBOR OF SHOOTING SUSPECT: It shocked me. I heard that the shooter was from Chicago but to have it be my next door neighbor.
WILD: From Chicago to Washington, law enforcement has been working around the clock to learn as much as they can about the 31-year-old shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez, part of the investigation, according to law enforcement sources, a lengthy letter signed with Rodriguez's name and posted to social media Wednesday night.
The letter advocated for violent retaliation over the war in Gaza, called Israels actions in Gaza genocide, and expressed fury over the, quote, atrocities committed by the Israelis against Palestine. The letter referenced armed action as a valid form of protest, calling it the only sane thing to do.
What more, at this point can one say about the proportion of mangled and burned and exploded human beings whom were children? The letter said. We who let this happen will never deserve the Palestinians' forgiveness.
The shooting happened outside the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, staff members at the Israeli embassy.
PAM BONDI, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The hate has got to stop and it has to stop now. And this person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
WILD: Israeli officials say Lischinsky and Milgrim were dating. Lischinsky planned to propose soon.
BONDI: What we saw last night was disgusting. I saw a young man's body being taken away who was about to get engaged. He had an entire life in front of him and that was taken away.
WILD: Eyewitnesses told CNN, Rodriguez first pretended to be a bystander after the shooting. When police arrived, Rodriguez turned himself in, shouting "Free Palestine". A moment caught on video obtained by CNN.
ELIAS RODRIGUEZ, SUSPECT: Free, free Palestine!
YONI RIVER KALIN, WITNESS: He said, I did this for Palestine. He started yelling free, free Palestine, intifada revolution. There's only one solution.
WILD: Rodriguez appears to have been an activist for years. This GoFundMe page set up in 2017, raised money for a trip to Washington, D.C. for an event with a group called the People's Congress of Resistance.
Rodriguez apparently writing that he wanted to put an end to imperialist war. He was also interviewed by Scripps News at a protest in 2018 over plans for an Amazon building.
RODRIGUEZ: Like if we can keep Amazon out, that is a huge victory and demonstrates sort of the power of people coming together and being able to say no to things like gentrification and these corporate subsidies.
WILD: In the aftermath of the shooting, Rodriguez's neighbor shared this message.
FRY: I learned during the Vietnam War, you don't stop war with guns and bombs. Stop wars by going to your neighbors, talking to your neighbors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILD (on camera): Erin, Rodriguez is facing a list of charges. One of those charges using a firearm to commit murder, carries the possibility of the death penalty -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Whitney, thank you very much.
OUTFRONT. Now, Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson at the Israeli embassy who worked closely with Yaron and Sarah.
And, Tal, it's an unspeakable loss that I'm sure you cannot truly comprehend.
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I mean, this was your friends, people you worked with. You had coffee with Yaron and Sarah hours before the shooting.
I know this would have been normal. You were friends. You sat next to each other, you go out, you have a cup of coffee. And now here we are.
What are your last memories of them?
TAL NAIM COHEN, WORKED CLOSELY WITH SLAIN ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS: Hey, Erin. Thanks for having me. Yeah. It's really. It's heartbreaking because, you know, yesterday, maybe 24 hours ago, we were, you know, passing by one another. I saw Sarah at the coffee corner. We made coffee. Each one has their particular cup, mug they like.
So, we laughed about it. And, you know, it was just another day. Nothing insinuated. That would be our last conversation. Our last -- the last time. I'll see her all year long. It's devastating. And it came as a complete shock to us, to everybody at the embassy.
BURNETT: I know your office and Sarah's are next to each other. And you were very close. Can you tell us? You know, we see this, this image of them, and they do look so happy. I know you've talked about how happy they were and happy together. Tell us what she was like.
COHEN: So, Sarah was honestly the cutest girl in the world. She's a bubbly, redheaded, beautiful young woman ready to capture the world. She had so much ahead of her to accomplish. She was so talented, and she was beautiful.
You know, she had this exquisite taste of clothes. She wore this most beautiful dresses. Everything always matches the outfit, to the purse, to the shoes. She was so funny. And, you know, she lighted up any room she entered with her beautiful red hair.
BURNETT: Which is such a gift to be the person who lights up the room. I know that that they were just days away from getting engaged, and your own had bought a ring this week. They were -- they were going to be, I believe, in Jerusalem next week. And the plan was they were going to get engaged there.
What were they like as a couple?
COHEN: So, you know, they were the cutest couple. It was like, you know, a homemade romantic comedy of the embassy, Israeli embassy version. Sarah joined the embassy a short while after Yaron. And I don't know exactly how it started, but pretty soon we started seeing them having lunches together and, you know, smile at each other. And it was pretty obvious, they're, you know, they're really like each other.
And they were the cutest couple. We always used to say that they would have the most beautiful children, because both of them are so, you know, young and smart and, you know, the world was at their feet.
BURNETT: It is impossible to imagine being in your shoes, never mind being in their shoes. You know that you go to work in Washington, D.C., you walk into the embassy to think that this could happen there, right? It is something that will change the rest of your life, the life of others. I know there were other two other people that work at the embassy that were with Yaron and Sarah, during the shooting, they were hiding until police arrived.
How are you all even processing this right now?
COHEN: So, I think for us at the embassy, the most important thing, after reviewing all the security protocol and making sure that the embassy team is safe, is to make sure to give our people all the support they need, especially the young people and the two staffers that were at the event. And, you know, they were there seeing how their friends were murdered in cold blood on the one hand, and on the second hand, they survived. And they have to live with it.
So it's a very, very complex, complicated situation that bring with it complex emotion. And were there for them and giving them all the support we can.
BURNETT: Tal, thank you very much for being willing to come on and talk about them and just that picture we all keep seeing. Just thank you so much for giving a little bit of a voice to them. And always remember what you say about her lighting up the room with her red hair when she would come in.
Thank you.
COHEN: Erin, if I might, if I might say just one last thing about Sarah. So don't tell my boss, but every once in a while, I used to take my kids to the embassy to bring them when they had a day off of school. So today, this morning, I had to tell them that Sarah was murdered because I didn't want them to find out from anybody else.
So, it was a very, very difficult conversation to have this morning, waking up the kids. And my daughter told me after a while, you know what, mom?
[19:30:00]
When you weren't looking, Sarah always used to give me candies. So that's the kind of person she was.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you so much. And thank you for sharing that. And I'm sorry for what you're going through as a mother, too. Thank you, Tal. COHEN: Thanks.
BURNETT: And next, the breaking news of the Trump administration stepping up attacks on Harvard, now stripping the university of its right to enroll 30 percent of its students, anyone from outside the United States. Other universities could be next.
And the breaking news the number of passengers presumed dead rising tonight, as investigators are scrambling to determine why a private jet crashed this morning in a California neighborhood.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:35:20]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump barring Harvard university from enrolling international students. Thats nearly 30 percent of the university's student population. A letter from the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reads, and I quote, this administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese communist party on its campus.
It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.
Noem didn't stop there, going on Fox News to warn other universities across America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTI NOEM, DHS SECRETARY: Get your act together, because we are coming to make sure that these programs that you are facilitating an environment where students can learn where they're safe and that they're not discriminated against based on their race or their religion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Harvard calls the move unlawful.
OUTFRONT now, Norm Eisen, former White House ethics czar, executive chief of Democracy Defenders Fund. He attended Harvard.
And, Norm, people may notice you're in Sterling, Virginia. You are also outside President Trump's crypto dinner. We were just talking to Senator Merkley from there a few minutes ago. So, I'm going to have more on that in a moment from you. But first, let me just start with this. The bottom line, will Trump prevail and Harvard lose a third of its students?
NORM EISEN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS CZAR: Erin, like every other case where Donald Trump's retaliation has been tested in court, over 150 times courts have rejected it. The same thing will happen here. It's against the Constitution, against statutes, regulations. It's arbitrary and capricious.
This isn't about supposed disputes over information with Harvard. Its revenge and retaliation, pure and simple. It will not stand legally.
BURNETT: What's the effect? I mean, you went to Harvard. What's the effect right now on campus all of a sudden? Boom. They say a third of your students can't be here.
EISEN: Well, the effect is devastating. There's thousands of fine students and scholars who come from all over the world to be a part of the Harvard community. And they make it the unique and outstanding place that it is.
So, it affects the community. It has a financial effect. But, Erin, I'm most focused on the human effect on these students, students, about 7,000 of them whose lives have been turned upside down by this cruelty -- them, their friends, the community. It's not only illegal, it's cruel and immoral.
BURNETT: You know, Harvard's made concessions. Their DEI office, they call it now the office of community and campus life. You know, they've tried to make some concessions. Is anything going to be enough?
EISEN: No, when you're dealing with a bully and an autocrat, the way you protect yourself is by standing up to the bully? If you keep bowing down, kissing the ring, it's never sufficient. That never works with a blackmailer.
What does work is going to court. Thats what they should do here. And that's the flip side, Erin. Yes, this is very upsetting and difficult, but it's also an opportunity for Harvard and its students to stand up for democracy.
BURNETT: All right. So now back to where you're standing, Norm, because you're standing outside Trump's crypto dinner. And the person who says that he has Trump's top meme coin holder is a guy named Justin Sun. He's there.
We are reporting that he is there at the dinner, even though they're not putting out the list. We don't know who's there. Probably. We understand its mostly foreign, very wealthy people who are there with Trump.
But we know Justin Sun is one of them. He's a billionaire, incredibly successful guy. Guess where he gets his graduate degree? University of Pennsylvania.
So I'm just curious, Norm, whether Trump has his way, right, the reality is there'll be a lot fewer people like Justin sun, who was born in China and has become incredibly successful, thanks in no small part to the fact that he went to school in the United States of America and found incredible business success there.
EISEN: And, Erin, I was here for the press event surrounding and to cover the crypto dinner that's happening in here. It's packed with foreigners like Mr. Sun. The question is they should -- they're welcome to come to the United
States on student visas to study, to do business legitimately.
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What we can't have is this kind of influence peddling involving foreign individuals paying huge sums to have dinner with the president, the highest bidders getting face time with the president. Thats not the United States of America.
He's -- Trump is behaving like some medieval potentate, or Louis XIV, the sun king, demanding tribute from subjects around the world. That's not American. It won't stand and it won't stand legally. I think people are going to litigate over these kinds of issues.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Norm, thank you very much. And for anyone just joining Norm, referring to the fact that -- well, everybody, there had to be a top meme holder, but there was a raffle, you know, for the top 25 meme holders to have a special early reception with the president.
Also tonight, President Trump's big beautiful bill has a lot more Trump in it. So, so, this is -- this is you can't make it up. This is real life. Okay?
So just hours before the bill passed by a single vote and we were all sleeping, I hope you were sleeping. Republicans amended the bill. Okay. Can I just show you what they did? Because, you know, there's a -- there's a -- it's tracked.
Okay. So, this goes on and on and on. Dozens of mentions of MAGA get changed to Trump. So, you know look at this page 10. And the item relating to section 110115, strike MAGA and insert Trump. The next one in this section 110116, strike MAGA and insert Trump.
And it happened again and again and again and again.
Harry, it happened a lot. It happened a lot. Tell us something we don't know other than that should disturb anybody, that this is a world were living in where this kind of stuff is actually happening. How many times did Trump come into the Big, Beautiful Bill last night where he wasn't in before?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah, he wasn't there. And then magically, Trump appears. You can't get rid of the guy. Look, we checked it out. How many times has Trump's name now in instead of MAGA?
Get this, 52 times Trump's name is now in the big beautiful bill. And that happens across 18 pages. I was looking back. I can't ever recall a president's name being that much mentioned in any particular bill. At least the living president, the current president, that is.
BURNETT: It's incredible. And here's the thing. We know Trump likes to put his name on things.
ENTEN: Yes.
BURNETT: I remember back in the day he wanted to put his name on a building in the United Arab Emirates, and they laughed at him and they said, that's for our leaders. Well, and by the way, it actually still doesn't have a name on a building there. But look at Saudi Arabia.
He loves his name on buildings. He loves his name everywhere. But there's evidence that this actually works when it comes to voters and politics, right?
ENTEN: Yeah, absolutely. As evidence, you may recall, you know, about five years ago, at this point, we were in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, right. And there were checks that were sent out, you know, a COVID stimulus, right? And Trump said, I want to get my name on these checks.
And you know what? He was able to get his name on a number of these checks. And you know what? The people who got the checks with his name on it, their chance of voting for him in the general election in 2020 versus the baseline, get this, they were 20 percent more likely to vote for Donald Trump than others.
So, I think he might look back on that and say, you know what, maybe I can get my name on some of, you know, some of these baby bonds essentially, and or these baby accounts and say, you know what, maybe I can get some more votes that way.
BURNETT: So babies get $1,000 in his name on it.
There is also just on this I just want to point out the basic with same with stimulus, right? That money came from taxpayers.
ENTEN: Yes.
BURNETT: And giving out to Americans, and it was in a bipartisan way.
ENTEN: Correct.
BURNETT: Right? So, it shouldn't be about who the president is. But it was. And your point and it mattered. We all know Trump loves putting his name on products. He's tried a lot of different things, right? Like these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Trump watches. Trump coins. Trump digital trading cards. Trump steaks. Trump University.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Tell me something I don't know, Harry.
ENTEN: You know, that's not the only thing that Trump has put his name on the past. Perhaps my favorite example is Trump had a game that came out in 1989. I think we actually have an ad for that game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything's set for tonight, Mr. Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wonder what Trump's game is this time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump's got a new game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Trump's got a new deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your game, Donald?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about Trump's new deal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What, what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump has a new game. What is it?
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: My new game is "Trump: The Game".
ANNOUNCER: "Trump: The Game" where you deal for everything you've ever wanted to own, because it's not whether you win or lose, it's whether you win.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANNOUNCER: Play "Trump: The Game" from Milton Bradley.
TRUMP: I think you'll like it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENTEN: I just love that clip. It's just basically a knockoff monopoly.
BURNETT: I'm speechless. I had not seen that before.
ENTEN: See, I told you something you didn't know, Erin Burnett.
BURNETT: Indeed, that was something.
ENTEN: And I will tell you right now on Amazon, it's selling. If you want to buy a copy for it, maybe I'll get one for you. It's selling for $135 right now on Amazon. Might be an interesting investment. A little gift for you from Harry Enten to Erin Burnett.
BURNETT: All right. That was -- that was really fascinating.
All right, Harry, thank you.
[19:45:01]
And next, the breaking news, the number of people presumed dead after their jet crashed into a California neighborhood is rising tonight. And we are learning some troubling details about the airport where the plane was attempting to land.
Plus, Kim Jong Un is said to be furious after watching his prized new battleship partially capsized. And now he wants those responsible to pay. But how?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, the death toll likely set to rise from a fiery plane crash in a California neighborhood. Officials saying tonight at least two people are dead. But the NTSB just revealing six people were on board the small private plane that crashed into a San Diego neighborhood. The impact destroying homes and vehicles somehow. And it is a miracle that no one in those homes died a true miracle.
We are learning the automated weather system at the airport where the plane was attempting to land, stopped working about a day before the crash.
Stephanie Elam is OUTFRONT.
[19:50:01]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We ran outside and saw just sparks flying up.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A private business jet crashing into a dense neighborhood roughly six miles north of downtown San Diego in the early morning fog after hitting power lines about two miles from the airport where it was going to land. That's according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got multiple explosions. We're doing evacuation, got multiple houses on fire.
ELAM: The crash setting at least ten homes on fire and burning cars up and down the street.
First responders arrived on scene just minutes later, rushing to put out the flames and search the homes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to probably have several hundred people evacuated.
ELAM: The FAA says there were six people on board the plane, which disintegrated on impact. Among the dead, music booking agent David Shapiro, who owned the plane, according to "Billboard Magazine". Authorities say they are still making further identifications.
Jet fuel spilled across multiple blocks in one of the largest military housing units in the world, according to navy officials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Front yards are completely saturated with fuel. Use extreme caution to evacuate.
ELAM: The jet was heading toward the small Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego just before it crashed. Visibility, according to weather data, was at about half a mile at the time of the accident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look at the plane, the path that it took behind me here, you can see that its trajectory came through this direction, took out the front of that house, and it ended up here to the right behind me.
ELAM: The pilot checking in to air traffic control was told the weather station wasn't working, but was given weather data from a nearby airport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That doesn't sound great, but we'll give it a go.
ELAM: No emergency was reported before the crash.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (on camera): And officials say that really what happened in the middle of the night, I think it was before 4:00 a.m. that these neighbors really came to the aid of their neighbors to help them get out of these homes, like this one, which is the most densely impacted to get them out. And the smell of jet fuel is still very strong in the air here.
And that's a large reason why a lot of these homes are still evacuated, as they will continue to process this and get more information on what happened here in this very densely packed community in San Diego -- Erin.
BURNETT: It's hard to hear those final words from the pilot.
All right. Thank you very much, Stephanie. And a miracle for those on the ground
OUTFRONT next, North Korea's Kim Jong Un lashing out and vowing that people will pay after his newest warship is damaged during a special ceremony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:46]
BURNETT: Tonight, furious. Kim Jong Un lashing out after witnessing North Korea's newest warship partially capsized during a launch ceremony. That's according to North Korean state media in a rare admission of failure. Kim, of course, the ruthless dictator who reportedly had a defense minister executed with an anti-aircraft gun, called the ship blunder a, quote, criminal act and vows to punish those responsible.
Will Ripley is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were supposed to be North Korea's double threat. A pair of brand new 5,000-ton destroyers heavily armed, a massive upgrade from their aging Soviet era fleet. Modern warships designed to strike fear and project power far beyond North Korean shores.
But only one made it off the dock. New satellite images reveal the aftermath of a catastrophic launch failure. The second destroyer lies partially capsized in the water. One side submerged, sections of the hull draped in blue tarps. This was that ship just days earlier, before the botched launch left it on its side, half sunk, dead in the water. Worse still, Marshal Kim Jong Un was watching from shore.
North Korean state media quoting Kim, calling the warship launch a criminal act that brought shame to the nation. Kim blaming absolute carelessness and irresponsibility of shipbuilders, scientists and military leaders.
What's going to happen to these people that were -- that were directly involved with this?
MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, there's no doubt he will hold everybody responsible for this. And anybody who is tangentially responsible for this, he'll hold them accountable. And without being graphic, he'll put a bullet in everybody's head if he has not already.
RIPLEY: Retired General James "Spider" Marks served on the Korean Peninsula. He believes Kim will punish what he sees as a national betrayal. Swiftly and brutally.
Over more than a decade in power, Kim has built a reputation for exactly that, ordering the trial and execution of his own uncle. North Korea denies Kim also ordered the assassination of his half-brother.
Top ranking officials accused of failure have vanished. South Korean intelligence believes some were executed, others sent to forced labor camps for reeducation.
MARKS: This is going to be incredibly painful.
RIPLEY: General Marks says the warship disaster also exposes deeper problems inside the North Korean military, well beyond the navy.
MARKS: What is the state of those nukes? How are they maintained? What is the inventory look like? Is this the possibility for a mistake?
RIPLEY: The South Korean and U.S. militaries say Kim's crown jewel lies crippled, possibly damaged beyond repair, just weeks ahead of a major political summit in North Koreas capital, Pyongyang, where observers say the reckoning will come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY (on camera): We're also learning North Koreas new destroyer, the one that did make it into the water, may actually lack a functional engine. Satellite imagery suggests the ship has never been sailing independently. Experts believe it may rely on tugboats for movement. Of course, raising serious doubts about the ships real operational capability and undermining North Koreas claim of this advanced naval modernization, as if the dock accident didn't already do that.
BURNETT: Absolutely incredible. And what General Mark had to say and, well, we'll see what happens in these next few weeks and the timing, incredible.
Thank you so much, Will Ripley.
And thanks so much, as always to you for being here with us.
"AC360" starts now.
