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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Russian Media: U.S., Russia Agree To Trump-Putin Meeting; Trump's Tariffs Take Effect; Epstein Controversy Engulfs White House; France Battles Fast-Moving Wildfire; Netanyahu, Israeli Security Cabinet To Discuss Gaza Today. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired August 07, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

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

It's Thursday, August 7th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT : The Trump administration's new and higher tariff rates kicked in for nearly every country in the world.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All of this happening as that August 12th trade truce between the U.S. and China is set to expire.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House themselves, they were frustrated with some of the rollout when it came to that information around the Epstein case.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The whole thing is a hoax, something that's total bullshit.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Some 2,000 French firefighters are working to slow a fast-moving wildfire that's already scorched an area bigger than Paris.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESOPNDENT: This is, as French authorities have said, another wildfire that is the result of global warming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

LEE: We'll get to all of those stories in a moment, but we begin this hour with breaking news.

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in the coming days. That's according to Russian state media, citing a top Kremlin aide. Both countries are working on preparations, though location and venue for the meeting have not been announced yet.

Let's go straight to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who joins me live from Moscow.

Fred, the stakes could not be higher right now for this Trump-Putin meeting. Set the scene for us.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, you're absolutely right. The stakes couldn't be higher. And this meeting certainly very important for the Trump administration, but for the Russians as well. And all this news, obviously very fresh coming to us just within the last couple of minutes.

And this comes from a senior Kremlin aide named Yuri Ushakov, who was actually in the room yesterday when Steve Witkoff, the presidential envoy, met with Vladimir Putin for around three hours and apparently floated this idea of having a meeting between the U.S. president and the Russian president. And the U.S., of course, also floated a possible trilateral meeting at some point in the future between President Trump, President Putin of Russia and Vladimir Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, as well.

I want to walk through some of the things that the Russians have been laying out there this morning, because they essentially confirmed that the two sides had agreed on a meeting in the coming days. The Russians are saying that their preparations for such a meeting are ongoing, are going on at a very high pace. But they also say that its unclear how long those preparations are going to take. In other words, in how many days such a meeting could take place, the Russians are saying that the target that they're working on right now is to try and make a meeting between President Putin and President Trump happening at some point next week. But again, it's unclear when.

And one of the things that's important is that the Russians have also said that a venue has already been agreed upon, but that that venue will be announced at some later point. We don't know if that's going to be at some point later today or possibly in the coming days, but it seems as though the two sides, at least from what the Russians are saying, have agreed where this meeting could possibly take place.

There's one other really important nuance, though, that I think we also need to get to MJ, and that the Russians are saying that the idea of a trilateral meeting involving also the Ukrainians, and also involving also Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who of course, has been demanding a face to face meeting with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, to try to come to some sort of agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The Russians are saying that that idea was floated by the U.S. side, was floated by Steve Witkoff, and that the Russians did not react to that suggestion.

So, so far, the Russians are saying that, yes, they've agreed to a meeting between Vladimir Putin and President Trump. Of course, first and foremost, dealing with the conflict in Ukraine. But they have not yet agreed to a not yet commented on towards the American side officially on whether or not they would also be willing to conduct a trilateral summit at some point in the future, also involving the Ukrainians, MJ.

And, Fred, you know, here in Washington, President Trump has pointed out recently that he has been disappointed many times before. Do you think he has any new reason for optimism?

PLEITGEN: Well, certainly both sides said that they sent signals to one another as far as the conflict in Ukraine is concerned. We really only have detailed information about the meeting yesterday between Steve Witkoff, the presidential envoy, and the Russians, involving, of course, Vladimir Putin and Yuri Ushakov, that senior Kremlin aide, where the Russians are saying that they received certain signals from Washington, that they sent back certain signals as well.

[05:05:09]

This morning, the Russians are saying that obviously Ukraine was the main thing on the agenda at that summit. But the Russians are also saying that they talked about a possible reset of relations between the U.S. and Russia as well.

So, possibly, the Russians put something forward where they might be willing to compromise in the future. As far as Ukraine is concerned. That then got the president of the United States to say, look, maybe a meeting could be in order to try and make that happen and try to work towards a ceasefire.

One of the interesting nuances, though, that we also gathered from what the Russians said this morning is they say that the idea of having this bilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, and between President Trump was floated by the American side that this was a suggestion coming from the American side and that the Russians agreed to it.

So, it's unclear how much headway was really made towards a possible ceasefire. Certainly, the Russians are saying at this point in time that they believe that they have all the momentum on the battlefield would certainly be reluctant for an immediate ceasefire. But certainly, something appears to have been set in motion, possibly also by President Trump's threats of massive sanctions that were set to go into place, of course, by the end of this week.

Maybe that is also something that moved the needle, but again, that's unclear. We haven't heard that yet from either of the two sides, MJ.

LEE: Fred Pleitgen, on that breaking news out of Moscow, thank you so much.

And live now to London and CNN's Clare Sebastian.

Clare, this news again is just breaking. But what is the early reaction out of Ukraine? CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, just coming through in the

last hour or so, MJ. But I can tell you from the Ukrainian perspective, any time you see bilateral discussions between Russia and the Trump administration is a moment of great concern. We've seen that President Trump himself has been susceptible to the Russian narrative around this war in the past.

But on the other hand, this does come at a time when we have seen U.S. support both rhetorical and concrete, in the form of the agreement with NATO to provide more weapons that it has been stepping up, that President Trump's tone has been shifting. And, of course, we did see that President Trump spoke to President Zelenskyy both before the Witkoff-Putin meeting on Wednesday and after alongside European allies.

So that would have helped to some extent put paid to some of the concerns about Ukraine being sidelined from this process.

So, take a listen to the cautious optimism that we heard from President Zelenskyy on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It seems that Russia is now more inclined toward ceasefire. The pressure on them is working, but the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details. Neither us nor the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, of course, a heavy dose of skepticism there a warning, I think, that Russia is perfectly capable of saying one thing and doing another. And the attacks on Ukraine have continued overnight. President Zelenskyy there, in the Sumy region, where we've seen some of those attacks.

Now, Zelenskyy will be engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity. He already on Wednesday, after speaking with President Trump, spoke to the NATO secretary general and the president of Finland. He'll be speaking today with other European allies, including the chancellor of Germany. So, all of that trying to sort of beef up support for Ukraine, put across that, that picture of European unity, lest Russia tried to undermine it.

And I think it's critical that Ukraine does keep control of the narrative here, because, of course, as Fred was pointing out, the Russian side did not engage with the prospect of a trilateral meeting. Their sort of perspective all along has been that Putin wants to meet with President Trump, to sit down, to take his place at the top table of global diplomacy.

But on the other hand, they have never expressed much, much sort of desire to sit down with President Zelenskyy. It seems that the Russian side still very likely trying to sideline Ukraine from this process -- MJ.

LEE: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you so much.

And after months of fumbles, threats and extensions, the Trump administrations historic tariffs have now kicked in for nearly every country worldwide, and they could reshape the global economy if the U.S. has a trade surplus with a country, it is now facing a universal 10 percent tariff, and it's now 15 percent for dozens of countries that have a trade deficit with the U.S.

Governments that did not reach agreements with the U.S. before todays self-imposed deadline will face some of the highest duties.

Brazil, for example, is getting walloped with a 50 percent tariff even though it imports nearly $7 billion more in American products than it exports in goods to the U.S. But Donald Trump is upset with the Brazilian government for putting his strongman ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for an alleged coup. And the tariffs are retribution.

Brazil's current president, Lula da Silva, says for now, he won't be negotiating with the U.S. because President Trump does not want to talk and, quote, I'm not going to humiliate myself.

[05:10:05]

India is also facing a steep hike. Its tariff rate is currently at 25 percent, but will double in a few weeks as punishment for buying Russian oil, which the White House says is funding Russia's war in Ukraine. But the Indian prime minister is defending his decision to put domestic needs first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): For us, our farmers' welfare is supreme. India will never compromise on the well-being of its farmers, dairy sector and fishermen, and I know personally I will have to pay a heavy price for it. But I'm ready for the farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers of my country. India is ready today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Much of Southeast Asia has been hammered by the new tariffs, but the main Asia Pacific markets have not flinched and are showing signs of resilience, all posting solid gains at the close of trading this Thursday.

And now, let's look at Europe. At last, check a mixed bag with only the FTSE headed lower.

And ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street here in the U.S., the U.S. futures have been in positive territory. As you can see, the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures are all in the green.

And meanwhile, President Trump says China could also face a tariff hike for buying Russian energy.

CNN's Marc Stewart reports from Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If we look at this U.S.-China trade dynamic, we have seen a shift early on in this trade dispute. The United States focused on China's manufacturing sector. We've seen a shift recently to rare earth minerals. And now, the U.S. is focusing on Chinas purchase of crude oil from Russia.

Russia is China's top supplier of crude oil, and it's something -- additional tariffs at least, it's something that the administration has thrown out before.

Let's listen to President Trump speaking on Wednesday. Who is keeping the door open to tariffs targeting these fuel purchases.

TRUMP: It may happen. I mean, I don't know. I can't tell you yet, but I can -- we did it with -- we did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China.

STEWART: When confronted with this possibility in the past, China has made remarks saying that it will take energy supply measures that are right for China based on its national interests. As far as the timing of all of this, it comes as a trade truce between the U.S. and China is set to expire.

Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: New developments in the Jeffrey Epstein case appeared to get under President Trump's skin. His R-rated response to reporters in the Oval Office just ahead.

And the Israeli prime minister is set to meet today with his security cabinet, as reports say he is pushing for a full conquest of Gaza. We'll have a live report ahead.

And meanwhile, France is seeing it's biggest wildfire in decades, with flames scorching an area larger than the city of Paris. Details ahead on CNN EARLY START.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:17:35]

LEE: Now to the Jeffrey Epstein case. A dinner meeting for top Trump officials to discuss their strategy appears to have been moved or rescheduled. It was supposed to happen last night at the residence of Vice President J.D. Vance, who was once in lockstep with conspiracy theorists demanding the release of the Epstein files.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. That -- that is an important thing. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: But Vance hasn't had much to say recently about Epstein, and in fact, his tune has changed so much that podcaster Theo Von called him out, reposting a clip of that interview with the quote, "Yeah, what changed?"

Meanwhile, President Trump says he has not been briefed on conversations between his Deputy Attorney General and Epstein's coconspirator, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. And he had some choice words for reporters about the ongoing Epstein saga.

CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump lashing out again when asked by reporters about the Epstein case about Epstein files, particularly, he was asked about a dinner that CNN reported on hosted by Vice President J.D. Vance, in which the major responders to the Epstein case would all be sitting down together and were expected to talk about the response to the Epstein investigation, particularly the rollout of information.

Here's what he said in the Oval Office.

TRUMP: Look, the whole thing is a hoax. It's put out by the Democrats because we've had the most successful six months in the history of our country. And that's just a way of trying to divert attention to something that's total bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

HOLMES: Now, Vance has denied CNN's reporting. He did so again on Wednesday, saying Epstein wasn't going to be discussed.

But just a quick breakdown of what CNNs reporting actually was. And it came from multiple sources within the White House, around the White House, close to all these key players. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was going to have dinner with Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as the Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and the head of the FBI, Kash Patel. Part of the reasoning for this dinner was to get everybody on the same page and aligned amid this Epstein fallout, and amid the scandal, the last time that we talked about a meeting between Bondi, Wiles and Patel, it ended in rage as Dan Bongino, the deputy FBI director, stormed out of the meeting after being accused of leaking stories about Bondi.

All of that was based on the rollout of the information around the Epstein investigation.

[05:20:04]

So right now, it is important to the White House. It is important to the sources around the White House that they present a unified front.

And this is particularly important given what we are seeing right now, which is the White House is weighing a decision of whether or not to release transcripts or even audio from a conversation between Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The reason why this is so key is that they want all of their players on the same page, and operating as one. If they are going to make a decision like this. One thing to keep in mind here is the White House themselves. They were frustrated with some of the rollout, and particularly how it led to so much pushback when it came to that information around the Epstein case.

They are trying and have been trying to take control of the narrative, to take control of the optics and be on the offensive. And that starts with having a strategy in which all the key players, which would include Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, are on the same page.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Rising temperatures are making conditions even more difficult for the nearly 3,000 firefighters who are battling a huge wildfire in southern California. The Gifford Fire has burned more than 90,000 acres across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It is just 9 percent contained, and it's the biggest wildfire in the state so far this year.

And meanwhile, lightning strikes are being blamed for a wildfire that's growing quickly in northwestern Colorado. Authorities say the fire has merged with the nearby grease fire, scorching nearly 45,000 acres, or about 18,000 hectares, near the small town of meeker. High temperatures combined with very low humidity and windy conditions are making things more challenging for fire crews. And right now, the fire is not contained at all.

The opposition is growing in Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighs whether to expand military operations in Gaza. We'll have those details ahead.

And later, the White House appears to be quietly walking away from promises that the president made to federally fund IVF treatments. But can he turn his back on such a major campaign promise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:26:43]

LEE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with his security cabinet today. Reports say he plans to urge for a full conquest of Gaza, but the idea of expanding Israel's military campaign is facing growing opposition. Sources say the country's military chief is warning against a full takeover of the enclave, and Israel's opposition leader is calling it a bad idea.

All of this as health officials in Gaza report the highest death toll in weeks. CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has reported

extensively from Gaza for decades. But right now, the Israeli government has banned international media from the territory. So Ben is joining us live from Rome.

Ben, tell us more about how the prime ministers desire to intensify this war is going over. Does it enjoy any real support?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does enjoy some support among the more extreme elements within the Israeli body politic, certainly. Let's keep in mind that we are almost exactly 20 years since Israel, the so-called Gaza disengagement, during which Israel pulled its troops and its settlers out of Gaza. And there is a strong movement within sort of the far right within Israel to resettle Gaza, reoccupy Gaza, so that wing of Israeli politics certainly would welcome this move. However, many others are opposed.

Now, you mentioned the chief of staff of the Israeli army. Eyal Zamir, he's worried that it's going to be a trap, that until now, Israel occupies about 75 or has military control of about 75 percent of Gaza. The remaining 25 is where the -- more than 2 million Gazans live. When you send in military forces to those areas which are crammed with people, inevitably there are going to be a lot of civilian casualties and there's going to be resistance, in which, of course, the Israeli forces will be resisted by Palestinian fighters.

So, there's a real danger of a spike in casualties on both sides. And others are, for instance, the families of the hostages are very worried that any sort of military action in that remaining 25 percent of Gaza inevitably will harm some of the hostages.

Now, it's believed there are 50 Israeli hostages left in Gaza, only 20 of them. It's believed, are still alive. But the worry is that they could be in danger as well. So even though there are some elements who are cheering on this suggestion by Prime Minister Netanyahu to reoccupy, reconquer Gaza, there's also a lot of resistance, as I said, from within the Army and society as a whole -- MJ.

LEE: Ben Wedeman in Rome, thank you for that.

Human Rights Watch says Israeli attacks on schools that are sheltering Palestinian civilians highlight the lack of safe places for displaced people in Gaza. That comes in a new report which says Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on school shelters and has illegally and indiscriminately used U.S. munition.