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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Judge Denies Mistrial, More Testimony About Combs' Violence; Trump Issues Slew Of New Pardons And Commutations; Why The Macron Shove Is Old News In France. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired May 29, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Combs instructed them to pull over. He said that they did, and Combs walked up to the car window and threatened Ventura saying he would release sex tapes on the internet and also send them to her parents' employer so they would get fired.

Then Nash testified that Ventura told him that it wasn't her and Combs on the tapes, but it was her and other men. Now according to Nash, Ventura said that Combs -- that she did want to have sex with these men and why did she do it? Combs -- Nash testified because "Puff wanted her to." Now, Nash is due back on the stand on Thursday to continue cross-examination.

But earlier in the day the jury also heard from investigators with the LAPD and also an arson investigator with the fire department, both arriving on the scene of Kid Cudi's homes in two separate instances that the jury has already heard about. One when people had testified that Combs had gone to Cudi's home. He was looking for him after he learned that Cudi was having an affair with Ventura. The second time, the testimony around the fire-bombing of Cudi's car.

The arson investigator testified that he believed it was targeted. That someone had slit the canvas roof and dropped a lit Molotov cocktail in there. And the jury saw additional photos of damage to the car from the Molotov cocktail, including the bottle and the rag that was inside of it.

Now, the investigator was also asked questions about fingerprints recovered at the scene and that's when things got a little heated at the courtroom. The prosecutor had asked him about fingerprints on the bottle. He said there was a partial print recovered that belonged to a female.

He also testified that they did have prints from the initial alleged break-in at Cudi's home, but he said they couldn't make any comparisons because those original prints had been destroyed.

Now, Combs' attorneys outside of the presence of the jury said that it was outrageous for the prosecution to suggest that Combs could have had anything to do with the destruction and they asked for a mistrial. The judge denied that.

The trial continues on Thursday with Nash back on the stand under cross-examination.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We'll take a short break and we'll be right back.

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[05:36:50]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

The Trump tariffs have retailers in the U.S. scrambling to figure out how to deal with all the uncertainty, and this week we're finding out how some of them are coping.

Macy's, for its part, beat earnings estimates on Wednesday, and Dick's Sporting Goods and Abercrombie & Fitch also both reported positive results. But some are also warning of price increases. And today we'll hear from companies like Best Buy, Costco, and The Gap.

Now, according to credit card companies U.S. consumers are still spending like crazy although banks like Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America and others are setting aside more money to cover bad loans before tougher times set in.

Let's get to Michael Baker, who is the head of consumer research and also the managing director at the investment banking company D.A. Davidson. He joins us live this morning from Boston. Great to have you this morning.

First, let me just get your reaction to this news out of the federal trade court overnight striking down the reciprocal tariffs.

How do retailers respond to this decision? How do you see it?

MICHAEL BAKER, HEAD OF CONSUMER RESEARCH AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, D.A. DAVIDSON: Well, I don't think retailers will do anything too quickly because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. But if this new ruling sticks and retailers do not have to pay these tariffs -- or the importers, I should say, don't have to pay tariffs, that would certainly be good news.

But I think, still, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen. This decision is going to be appealed, so not the time for knee-jerk reaction. My guess is that retailers will continue to do what they were doing prior to this new ruling but hope for the best.

SOLOMON: Yeah. And speaking of what they're doing, I mean, we know that some, like Macy's, have already said that they're being selective, but they are raising prices. That they feel like this is what they need to do to mitigate some of the impact from the tariffs. They've also cut their profit guidance in relation to Macy's. We've heard others like Walmart and Home Depot and Target again say that they're raising prices.

I'm curious how you would describe the state of the U.S. consumer right now. What are you seeing?

BAKER: Well, I would say that the consumer is cautious and concerned but resilient. That the consumer is hearing a lot about price increases. There may have been some pull forward on purchasing, particularly durables. We think that definitely happened in automobiles and probably is happening on consumer electronics as well.

Best Buy, as you said earlier, will report in a few hours and we think that will be a good report maybe because of some pull forward.

But overall, retail spending has held up really well this year so far. We think pacing at about, the way we measure it, 3 1/2 to even closer to four percent. That's above the growth last year. It's about in line with the historical average. So even though the consumer feels a little bit of concern they're still out there spending.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, that's been the really fascinating thing I think not just about the least few months but honestly, Michael, the last few years. Despite higher costs and despite higher rates the consumer has remained resilient.

I'm curious if you see that resilience being sustainable in this environment or do you see that changing.

BAKER: Well, historically, we've always thought, and we can show mathematically that the biggest influence to retail spending is employment. And if consumers have jobs, they might sound concern and say they're concerned but they will spend.

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And the employment situation right now is pretty strong. The last few months maybe a little bit less employment growth that we've seen in the past, but still unemployment in the four percent range and growing every month. Wages up in the high three percent-low four percent range. Those are good numbers for the consumer and really, that's what's driving the spending in our view.

SOLOMON: What about the psychology of it all? The headlines, the concern, the uncertainty. How much of an impact do you think that has on consumer spending? We haven't seen it show up just yet, but we have seen it show up in some of the soft data -- the sentiment. But as we're talking about it -- I mean, in the hard data -- in the actual figures -- dollars and cents -- people are still spending. What about the psychology of it all?

BAKER: Right. Well, I think what it does is it causes the shift in the categories -- in the mix of what consumers are spending on. They certainly still spend on basic needs -- everyday needs. Again, maybe some pull forward on some larger durables that might be considered non-discretionary.

Where we see it is big-ticket discretionary purchases. Home Depot and Lowes, for instance, are seeing their project sales -- kitchen remodels --

SOLOMON: Yeah.

BAKER: -- bathroom remodels, et cetera -- down year-over-year.

So the consumer will spend on sort of everyday needs and those types of things --

SOLOMON: Um-hum.

BAKER: -- but reluctant to go out and make these bigger picture purchases, particularly ones that are --

SOLOMON: Yeah.

BAKER: -- financed because rates are still a little bit elevated.

SOLOMON: Yeah -- no. It's an interesting point, too. You think about vacations. You think about looking at some of the airlines. You think about whether that's an area where people maybe think maybe I'll do a road trip instead of an international trip. Lots of things to watch.

But Michael Baker, appreciate you being here this morning. Thank you.

BAKER: Sure, any time. Thank you.

SOLOMON: Yeah.

Well, the presidential pardons just keep on coming. The latest group to receive clemency from President Trump, and he's not done yet.

We'll be right back.

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[05:46:27]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. I'm Rahel Solomon, and here are some of the stories we are watching for you this morning.

The U.S. Court of International Trade has blocked most of President Trump's global tariffs, ruling that the president lacks the authority to impose them under a national emergency order. The decision now halts the 30 percent tariffs on China, 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and 10 percent universal tariffs. The Trump administration has already appealed.

Elon Musk is exiting the Trump administration. The Tesla CEO was to begin the off-boarding process Wednesday night. That's according to a White House official. Musk recently signaled that he would be stepping away from politics to resume his duties at Tesla. The billionaire also has responsibilities with SpaceX, social media platform X, and other business ventures as well.

Benjamin Netanyahu says that an Israeli airstrike has killed the de facto leader of Hamas. Israel's prime minister told lawmakers on Wednesday that Mohammad Sinwar died earlier this month at Khan Yunis. His brother, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in October.

President Trump is again using the power of his office to grand clemency to selected Americans convicted of crimes.

Among those he pardoned on Wednesday, former New York congressman Michael Grimm, who served seven months for tax evasion a decade ago. He is also remembered for threatening to throw a reporter off a balcony and break him in half.

Others include the notorious co-founder of Chicago's Gangster Disciples street gang, Larry Hoover, who at 74 has been serving six life sentences at a federal supermax facility. Now he's not going to go free. He's already serving a sentence of up to 200 years on state murder charges in Illinois. Those are not impacted by the presidential pardon.

And reality TV stars, the Chrisleys, were released from federal prison on Wednesday, a day after they were pardoned.

CNN's Randi Kaye picks up the story.

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TODD CHRISLEY, AMERICAN TV PERSONALITY: We're the Chrisleys, Todd and Julie Chrisley. We live in a neighborhood north of Atlanta -- a gated neighborhood with celebrities here.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): When they rose to fame about a decade ago, Todd and Julie Chrisley billed themselves as self- made religious real estate tycoons. Their mansion outside Atlanta was 30,000 square feet. They drove fancy cars and wore designer clothes. The show chronicled it all -- their lavish lifestyle along with their business and family drama. There were spinoffs too, among them "Growing Up Chrisley."

FAYE CHRISLEY, MOTHER OF TODD CHRISLEY: So what you want to do?

SAVANNAH CHRISLEY, DAUGHTER OF TODD CHRISLEY: We need to get out of Nashville. Try a different city.

CHASE CHRISLEY, SON OF TODD CHRISLEY: I got to let my wings fly, you know?

S. CHRISLEY: If we're going to move, we need to move to somewhere that makes sense for both of our futures.

KAYE (voiceover): Despite their success, prosecutors say it was based on a lie. They were convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and tax fraud. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years; his wife Julie sentenced to seven years. Their daughter Savannah believed in her parents' innocence and

continued to fight for their release. That included embracing MAGA world and spending time at the White House in President Donald Trump's orbit.

Last year, Savannah posted this photo with President Trump. She also spoke at the Republican National Convention.

S. CHRISLEY: My family was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile.

KAYE (voiceover): She also posted on Instagram after her visit to the White House in February, writing "I will never stop fighting for my parents."

Last month, another visit to the White House. Then came this moment about a week ago.

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S. CHRISLEY: They referred to us as the Trumps of the south at trial -- the prosecutors did. When I saw, obviously, what the president was going through, what my family has gone through, it was very -- it was eerily similar.

KAYE (voiceover): That appearance on Lara Trump's show on Fox is what Savannah believes changed the course of her parents' lives.

S. CHRISLEY: I think that episode of her show reminded the president of my family's story.

KAYE (voiceover): Then suddenly, yesterday, President Donald Trump announced he was pardoning Todd and Julie Chrisley.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow.

S. CHRISLEY: Thank you so much.

KAYE (voiceover): This was Savannah after learning of the pardon.

S. CHRISLEY: The president called me personally, as I was walking into Sam's Club, and notified me that he was signing paper -- pardon paperwork for both of my parents. I still don't believe it's real.

Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

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SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead for us, a moment caught on camera between the French president and his wife went viral around the world. But in France, it's already old news. We'll explain coming up next.

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SOLOMON: It was the shove seen around the world when cameras caught French President Emmanuel Macron apparently being pushed in the face by his wife. The video went viral but in France, this viral moment quickly disappeared.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voiceover): A very public display of affection in Jakarta. Just days earlier and entirely different moment -- a quick shove caught on camera and instantly viral. International media and social media seizing on the moment amid questions of what caused the shove from France's first lady and her refusal to take her husband's hand walking down the stairs of the plane.

But in France it was old news by morning perhaps due to the country's longstanding tradition of shielding the private lives of public figures. Where former President Francois Mitterrand's secret daughter with his longtime mistress was hidden from public view for years, and where former President Francois Hollande's secret relationship with a French actress caused a stir but quickly faded from the headlines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): Private affairs are adult and private.

VANDOORNE (voiceover): That same rule applied when the Macrons intimate moment went global.

Their love story was never ordinary. He was 15; she, his drama teacher, married with three children. According to an old school friend Macron avoided girls his own age.

JEAN-BAPTISTE DE FROMENT, MACRON FRIEND FROM SCHOOL: They were maybe too young to be interesting for him.

VANDOORNE (voiceover): Fourteen years later they married, but not before Macron sought the approval of Brigitte's children, one of whom was his age.

TIPHAINE AUZIERE, BRIGITTE TROGNEUX'S DAUGHTER (through translator): It was a powerful act. Not everyone would have asked us first. But he wanted to know if we could accept it.

VANDOORNE (voiceover): In 2017, their bond became campaign material -- a modern glamorous French love story. But some say that over time that image has worn.

After the shove they made a show of unity hand-in-hand on the streets of Hanoi.

EMMANUAL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): We were in the middle of bickering and rather joking with my wife. And I'm surprised by how this becomes a kind of geo planetary catastrophe. VANDOORNE (voiceover): Whether it's a kiss in Jakarta or a shove in

Vietnam every moment fuels the story. In a country that once prized discretion the president is finding it harder to keep his private life out of the spotlight.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: The beauty brand Rhode created by model and TV personality Hailey Bieber has been sold to e.l.f. Cosmetics for a billion dollars. That is the largest acquisition for e.l.f. to date. Rhode has capitalized on digital marketing which has resulted in long lines for pop-up events and frequent sellouts of their limited product line.

Hailey Bieber, who is married to popstar Justin Bieber -- she is going to stay at Rhode. She'll serve as the company's chief creative officer and head of innovation.

e.l.f. dominates the skincare and makeup market for teens and younger consumers and says that they will expand Rhode's retail presence, potentially making it easier for consumers to get their hands on those products.

A Chinese space launch could shed light on two intriguing objects on our solar system -- in our solar system. The Tianwen-2 mission will collect samples from an asteroid that may be a chunk chipped off the moon. The space rocks has become a quasi-satellite near our planet Earth. The mission will return the samples in about 2 1/2 years, then the probe will spend about seven years traveling to a comet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. And the goal is to study its dusty tails.

All right. In hockey, the Florida Panthers are heading to their third- straight NHL Championship Final after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 last night. Carter Verhaeghe gave Florida the game- winner in the third period. The Panthers added an insurance goal as the clock ran down, winning the series four games to one.

The scene now switches to Texas where the Edmonton Oilers could lock up their Western Final tonight if they defeat the Dallas Stars. Now if the Canadian-based team reaches the Stanley Cup Finals it would be a match -- a rematch with Florida. The Panthers defeated Edmonton last year, but the Oilers want revenge.

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Love a good rematch. Love a good rematch.

Thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now, and we'll see you tomorrow.