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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Jury Reaches Verdict In 4 Of 5 Federal Criminal Charges; U.S. House To Take Up Senate-Revised Tax & Spending Bill; Conflicting Info On Potential Ceasefire Deal In Gaza; Trump Visits Controversial Migrant Detention Site In Florida. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 02, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:26]

MIN JUNG LEE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. Rahel Solomon is off. I'm MJ Lee.

It's Wednesday, July 2nd, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington, D.C.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jury was able to reach a verdict on four of the five charges that Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing, but haven't reached a verdict yet on count one.

LAURA COATES, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: They want to have another note and they want to have transcripts provided to them from Cassie Ventura and also a man named Dan Philip.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: This will be a critical moment for this bill. The House intends to move to final passage at some point on Wednesday.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a great bill. There is something for everyone.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump getting an up close look at Florida's brand new migrant detention center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The prison meant to house migrant detainees before deportation. Greeting the president in Florida, protesters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

LEE: We begin in New York, where in the coming hours, the jury in the federal criminal trial of entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs will begin a third day of deliberations. Jurors reached a partial verdict on Tuesday, coming to a unanimous agreement on four of the five charges against Combs. They agreed on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

But jurors were deadlocked on a verdict for the racketeering conspiracy count. That final charge carries the heaviest penalty, a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

CNN's Kara Scannell has more details from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jury in the Sean Combs sex trafficking trial reached a partial verdict on Tuesday. The jury said they could not reach a unanimous decision on count one. That's the racketeering conspiracy charge. But they did reach unanimous decisions on sex trafficking counts and on the transportation to engage in prostitution.

The scene inside the courtroom, as this was unfolding, Combs was huddled around his attorneys. At one point, one of his lawyers walked over, took a copy of the handwritten note, and brought it over to Combs with his lawyers, circled around him tightly as they discussed what their next steps were.

The judge asked them what they wanted to do, and both the prosecution and Combs lawyers wanted the jurors to continue to deliberate. The judge brought them back in, instructed them that they should continue to deliberate, follow their duties and obligations, and the jurors said that they would be back at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday to resume deliberations.

If they're unable to make a decision on this, the judge could issue an Allen charge, that's a more serious instruction, urging them to try to bridge the gap and reach unanimity on this remaining count. But as for now, the jury will be back inside the courtroom on Wednesday morning to continue their deliberations.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Joining me now to discuss the trial is Misty Marris, a defense and trial attorney.

Misty, thank you very much for being here.

You know, this is very complicated, and I'm hoping that you can walk us through this just one piece at a time. First, the fact that the jury has reached a verdict on four of the five counts sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, two counts of each. After deliberating for some 12 hours. For starters, what should we make of that?

MISTY MARRIS, DEFENSE AND TRIAL ATTORNEY: Well. Good morning.

It sounds like the jury has come to a unanimous decision on those four charges. Remember, until a verdict is read in open court, it is not a verdict. So what the jury did was send a note that indicated they were unanimous on those four, but that they could not come to an agreement on count one, which is RICO. So, what we expect to happen today is for the jurors to come back into that deliberation room and get in there and get to work on RICO to see if they can come to a unanimous verdict.

With respect to the others, those seem like they will result in either convictions or acquittals because the jurors have said that they're unanimous and the jurors need to be unanimous to either find guilty or not guilty.

So that -- we're all on pins and needles, but nobody is on pins and needles more than Combs and his defense team last night.

[05:05:00]

LEE: So, on this fifth charge of racketeering conspiracy that the jury is deadlocked on, just walk us through that a little bit more. I mean, explain exactly what that charge is and what would the prosecution have needed to prove exactly? To make a convincing case there?

I mean, it is as a reminder, again, the charge that carries the heaviest penalty.

MARRIS: Yes, it carries the heaviest penalty. And it is by far the most complicated. When I heard that this is the one the jurors could not come to a unanimous decision on, I was not surprised. It's a very complicated charge, and it requires a showing that Combs and at least one other person conspired to engage in a criminal enterprise.

So there has to be a conspiracy between at least two people and a criminal enterprise. And that criminal enterprise committed what's called predicate crimes. And the jury has to decide that at least two crimes were committed within the course of ten years.

Now, that sounds like a mouthful. Keep in mind the jury has the jury instructions with them in the deliberation room. It's like 40 pages front and back, and a lot of it is dedicated to RICO, because not only do prosecutors have to prove the conspiracy and that an enterprise existed, but also that prosecutors proved at least two of those predicate crimes. They include kidnapping, bribery, arson, the sex trafficking, prostitution, some of some of the charges were actually predicate crimes as well.

So, the jury has to be unanimous on at least two of those predicate crimes in order to convict. So, all of that being said, it requires a lot of agreeing in order to get to a conviction. And the note yesterday said that they were, you know, they were in a deadlock. And so, there were -- there were differing opinions on that particular charge.

So, whether that means they can't agree on the predicate crimes or they can't agree on the threshold, matters like conspiracy or an enterprise, we don't know. But what we do know is the jury is going to get back to work in the deliberation room this morning. LEE: Yeah, they're going to get back to work in just a few hours

here. When a jury is deadlocked like that, and particularly on such a complicated charge as you were just laying out.

Take us inside that room. I mean, how do the people in that room potentially get to a unanimous decision? And also, I mean, how likely do you think that is?

MARRIS: I actually think in this case, it's very unlikely. I do not think that the jury is going to be able to come to consensus. Of course, we don't know. We're only opining because we're not in that room.

Jury deliberations are secret. So the content of what they speak about, we are not allowed to know. Even the judge is not allowed to know. So, what the jury is going to do is follow the instruction that the judge gave yesterday. He gave what we call a -- it was a watered down version of what's called an Allen charge and an Allen charge basically says to the jury, go into the deliberation room and keep an open mind.

If you're in the minority of people and in your opinion, listen to the majority. If you need to see more evidence, see more evidence, try and come to a consensus. But do not give up your true convictions.

So, the language is very specific not to be what's called coercive, not to feel like it's putting pressure on the jury, agree no matter what. The language is to go in there and really listen, keep an open mind and see if you can do your duty as a juror and come to that unanimous decision.

So that's what the jury is going to do today. I'm a little skeptical that we'll get there on this particular charge. I think that you could see a hang up on whether or not there's even a criminal enterprise, and you don't even get to the next elements then. But only time will tell, because the jurors are the ones who are truly in control at this point.

LEE: We'll be watching very closely today. Misty Marris, thank you so much.

MARRIS: Thank you.

LEE: A hearing in the Idaho quadruple murder case is scheduled for Wednesday. Bryan Kohberger is expected to plead guilty as part of a deal to avoid trial. And the family of one of his alleged victims is furious. The father of 21-year-old, Kaylee Goncalves, tells CNN he was stunned to learn prosecutors had reached a deal with Kohberger, one that removes the possibility of the death penalty.

Speaking to Jim Sciutto, Goncalves said the plea bargain left him and his family feeling, quote, betrayed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE GONCALVES, FATHER OF KAYLEE GONCALVES: This isn't -- this isn't what we should be doing. You don't deal with terrorists, then you don't deal with people who kill your kids in their sleep. So, we'll never -- we'll never see this as justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: The families of the other three University of Idaho students who were killed had a mix of reactions, with one expressing disappointment in the deal and the remaining two saying they supported it.

[05:10:07]

And here in Washington, the House is set to take up President Trump's domestic agenda bill this morning. The Rules Committee voted to advance the measure overnight after the Senate passed the bill 51 to 50 on Tuesday.

But the outlook in the full House is anything but certain. Some in the president's own party are concerned about adding trillions of dollars to the federal deficit. Others are not happy about changes that were made in the Senate.

Still, President Trump says he's optimistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It tells you there's something for everyone. I mean, we have -- it's a great bill. There is something for everyone. And I think it's going to go very nicely in the House. Actually, I think it will be easier in the House than it was in the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: One of the president's strongest supporters in the Senate was less than certain about the outcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I don't know what's going to happen in the House. They're going to take it up pretty soon. Do they have the votes to pass exactly what we did? I don't know. I just think we delivered for the president. We gave our house colleagues a better bill than we found.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And now, House members are rushing to get back to the Capitol as severe weather has forced a number of flight delays. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes.

Speaker Mike Johnson says he hopes for a vote today, but it could come as late as Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Got to play the cards that are dealt to me and we're working through that, talking to all members and all caucuses and everybody else. So. But we remain optimistic we're going to land this plane. So, stay tuned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: More now from CNN's Washington correspondent Sunlen Serfaty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: This will be a critical moment for this bill. The House intends to move to final passage at some point on Wednesday. But how they get there, when they get there, and if they get there is still an open question at this hour. The first thing they'll look for is a procedural vote.

This is, in essence, a chamber vote on a rule on the bill that is, in essence, a vote to advance the bill. And that's where well get an early indication how House conservatives who are frustrated with this process, worried about the contents of the bill, if they will get behind it.

Now, many of them at this hour have indicated that they potentially could stand in the way of the bill going forward. They are frustrated and concerned about the deep cuts that the senate amended bill made to Medicaid. They want to go ahead and amend it again.

That is something that House Republican leadership wants to avoid. They want to avoid this legislative ping pong, where the bill goes back and forth between the House and Senate. House Republican leaders want to get this over with. They want to see this passed on Wednesday in the House.

But how they get there again is still an open question. The House speaker can only afford to lose three Republican defectors at this point. If there is full attendance in the House on Wednesday, and that also is an open question, because weather is further complicating the plans of House Republican leadership. There are severe storms in the East Coast, and many members are facing flight delays, so they need each and every member back here in attendance to potentially vote on this bill.

House Republican leaders projecting confidence, also acknowledging that they need to deal with the hand that they are dealt, acknowledging that they need to potentially work with some members in the morning. So, this potentially could set off a scramble.

A lot to happen before this bill gets over the finish line here in the House.

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Job openings unexpectedly increased in May as U.S. companies moved forward with their plans to increase their workforces. The number of available jobs rose for a second consecutive month, from 7.4 trillion in April to an estimated 7.7 million at the end of May, a six-month high. That's according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The increase was driven largely by job postings in restaurants and hotels ahead of the summer travel season. And here's a quick check of the U.S. stock futures. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq, as you can see, there are all slightly up right now. The data on job openings is among the important economic metrics released this week about the labor market. We're also watching for the June jobs report that's coming out this Thursday.

And meanwhile, Nissan is recalling more than 440,000 vehicles in the U.S. because they could suffer an engine failure. Transportation officials say the recall includes Nissan, Rogue and Altima vehicles, as well as two Infiniti models, the QX50 and the QX55.

And still ahead, the Trump administration pauses some military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Details on how this fits into President Trump's America First agenda, next.

Plus, a new ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas is on the table, but already, mixed messages are coming out on whether Israel will accept the new terms.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:19:43]

LEE: The Trump administration has paused some shipments of munitions to Ukraine. This includes air defense missiles, which have been crucial for Kyiv's efforts to repel Russian attacks. According to a White House official, the pause comes after the Pentagon conducted a review of spending and military support to foreign countries.

[05:20:02]

The official said the review had been underway for months and was approved by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The White House says the pause reflects the decision to, quote, put America's interests first. It's not clear if military aid to other countries would also be affected.

The latest ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas still hangs in the balance. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a 60-day truce with Hamas, but an Israeli source familiar with the matter now contradicts that claim, saying the proposal is not approved yet. And it's still unclear if Hamas will even agree to the terms. President Trump warned the group to accept the deal, saying that otherwise, quote, it will only get worse.

The president is set to meet with the Israeli prime minister at the White House on Monday.

Here's what he told reporters about that upcoming meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: How firm are you going to be with Netanyahu about ending the war in Gaza?

TRUMP: Very firm and very firm. But he wants it, too, I will tell you. He's coming here next week. He wants to end it, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And sources tell CNN Benjamin Netanyahu has held a number of high-level meetings on whether to pursue a ceasefire or intensify attacks on Gaza.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Abu Dhabi.

Paula, what exactly do we know about these conditions for an agreement? And what's your sense right now of whether a deal could come together?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, MJ, if you listen to the U.S. president, then there is a lot of optimism that this deal will come together. President Trump has said that he believes that there could be a decision next week. We know that the Israeli prime minister is heading to the White House early next week for his third meeting with President Trump.

And, as you heard just then, President Trump said he will be very firm with him. He's been very vocal, very public about his desire to see a ceasefire and to see the hostages being returned from Gaza.

Now, at this point, what we understand, according to a source familiar with the situation, is that that Qatari officials have forwarded and have given a new proposal to both Hamas and Israel. Now it appears, according to this source, as though there are slight changes within this proposal which really focus on the timings and focus on the negotiation and guarantees for ending the war.

This was a real critical sticking point in recent talks. The final ending, permanent ending of the war, which is what Hamas wanted. But Israel has really been favoring a more temporary ceasefire, leaving the door open for it to be able to go back into Gaza and carry out its military attacks, which it has done in in recent months.

So there certainly are a lot of moving parts at this point and an assumption that it is moving in the right direction, at least according to the Trump administration.

But the very fact that he has been so vocal shows that he is putting pressure on the Israeli prime minister, who may potentially agree this time around to have a more permanent ending of the war.

The latest proposal, as far as we understand it, according to an Israeli source, would be a 60-day temporary ceasefire. Five living hostages released on day one, with five more at the end of the first week, and there would be negotiations within that time for a more permanent solution -- MJ.

LEE: Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi, thank you. And still to come, the U.S. president and the governor of Florida are

both bragging about the deadly location of a new migrant detention center. We'll hear what human rights advocates have to say about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:28:28]

LEE: U.S. President Donald Trump toured a new controversial migrant detention facility in Florida on Tuesday. His administration calls it Alligator Alcatraz and says it can hold thousands of people awaiting deportation. The White House publicly touts its location in the Everglades as dangerous, too dangerous for anyone to try to escape. And they say that's precisely a selling point.

CNN's Brian Abel has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN ABEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As President Trump's big, beautiful domestic policy bill heads back to the House after narrow passage by the Senate today, the president is getting out of dodge temporarily at least. The president is highlighting his immigration enforcement efforts with a visit to the newly built Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in the Florida Everglades. The prison meant to house migrant detainees before deportation.

Greeting the president in Florida, protesters, some displeased with the facility's resurrection in an area adjacent to lands belonging to an indigenous tribe. Others disgruntled over potential environmental impacts, while some dissatisfied with what they call inhumane conditions for the people who will be kept there.

However, Trump, alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying the facility could act as a motivator for self-deportation.

TRUMP: These people come in here, they want to go home, and they want to go home, so we immediately send them home, you know, where it's appropriate. If somebody is a real killer, we don't send them anywhere. We put them in a maximum security.

KRISTI NOEM, DHS SECRETARY: We don't have to -- they don't have to come here if they self-deport and go home, they can come back legally. We will let them come back legally.

TRUMP: And there is a lot.