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Isa Soares Tonight
Israel's Security Cabinet Approves Plans To Occupy Gaza; Grief And Fear Permeate Kashmir Valleys That Separate India And Pakistan; President Trump Says He Doesn't Know If He Needs To Uphold The Constitution Because He Is Not A Lawyer; Pakistan And India Downgrade Ties; Trump: 'I Don't Know' If I Need To Uphold The Constitution; Federal Trial Begins For "Diddy"; Honoring VE Day 80 Years On. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired May 05, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, it's time to start the final moves.
Those are the stark words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel plans to occupy Gaza. Also tonight, an exclusive report from the
hill-tops of disputed territory in Kashmir, as tensions rise between India and Pakistan.
And U.S. President Donald Trump claims he doesn't know if he needs to uphold the constitution. We'll remind him with our legal scholar. "We are
conquering Gaza to stay. It's time to stop fearing the word occupation." Those stark comments from Israel's Finance Minister on the security
cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza.
And that's where we begin tonight with breaking news from the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now confirming that Israel plans to move
Gaza's population, saying it's for, quote, "their protection". An Israeli source says the escalation will happen after U.S. President Donald Trump
visits the region, that will happen next week if no hostage deal is reached.
But even if it is, Mr. Netanyahu is making clear that Israel will hold on to land it captures, he says, quote, "it's time to start the final moves.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): One thing will be clear. There will be no in and out. We'll call in reserves to come
hold territory. We're not going to enter and then exit the area, only to carry out raids afterwards. That's not the plan. The intention is the
opposite.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And as ominous as that sounds for the people of Gaza, their more immediate threat, as we've been telling you, showing here on the show could
be starvation. After blocking all humanitarian aid for two months, Israel is considering allowing deliveries again, but under a new framework.
Sources say it would be managed by a private foundation to circumvent Hamas. The U.N. and other aid organizations in Gaza refusing to go along,
saying the plan would drive civilians into military -- militarized zones to collect rations. The U.N. says, quote, "the design of the plan presented to
the U.S. will mean large" to us -- pardon me -- "will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people will continue to
go without supply.
It contravenes, as you can see there, fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life sustaining items as a
pressure tactic. As part" -- they write -- "of a military strategy." Let's get more on all of this. Our Jeremy Diamond is following all the
developments from Jerusalem. And Jeremy, you and I have been speaking about this for the last few weeks, and now it seems that this is a road the
Israelis are prepared to go down. Speak to the timeline here and this plan, what do we know?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. It was back in March when we first reported that the Israeli military was considering
calling up tens of thousands of reservists and then carrying out a large scale military operation in Gaza in which they wouldn't just occupy certain
areas and then leave within weeks after clearing the area of Hamas militants, but rather that they would stay, potentially occupying the area
for months, if not years.
And that is exactly what we are now seeing play out as these negotiations between Israel and Hamas are really going nowhere fast in terms of trying
to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release deal. And so, the Israeli military now, or the Israeli government, I should say, now, approving plans
for this kind of wide-scale offensive in Gaza that would involve, according to one official, the conquest of territory and remaining there.
And indeed, the Israeli Prime Minister confirming that in that video that you just played, talking not only about occupying large swaths of Gaza, but
displacing Palestinians, and that also appears to be where this U.S.- Israeli mechanism for the delivery of aid that is now being considered, also seems to come into play, and speaks to why the United Nations and
other groups do not seem inclined to participate in it.
And that's because, clearly, this new mechanism that the two sides are working on, which Israel says is designed to keep aid out of the hands of
Hamas, will be intended to allow for the delivery of aid to very specific areas of Gaza, to determine where that aid goes, to whom it goes.
[14:05:00]
And it seems as well to lure parts of the Gaza civilian population away from certain parts of the Gaza Strip and towards others, displacing tens of
thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people from the northern part of the Gaza Strip, for example, down to the southern portion of Gaza, which
does seem to be the kind of chain of events that the Israeli military is now preparing for.
It does seem like Israel is going to give this plan a couple more weeks before actually putting it into action. Part of that likely stems from the
fact that it will take time for these reservists to be called up to be ready for action, but also, Israeli officials say to give more time, more
time and space, especially as President Trump arrives in the region next week for the potential for some kind of a breakthrough with Hamas over
ceasefire and hostage talks.
Something, of course, that would -- Israel would agree to if it was more favorable to its terms --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Than those discussions have been so far.
SOARES: And as you've been -- reported -- and you have focused on this at great length, Jeremy, you know, the Gazan population has been, you know,
displaced so numerous, countless times now. What will happen to them? I mean, what if they don't want to leave? Because as we've heard time and
time again from many -- many, in fact, many of your reports out of Gaza, they don't want to move. They're going to stay where they are. What happens
if they don't want to be moved?
DIAMOND: Yes, and a lot of that stems from the fact that there is such a sense of despair, frustration and --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Hopelessness among so many Palestinians in Gaza. They have moved or they have seen others move before following Israeli military evacuation
orders, only to have bombs dropped to the areas to which they have fled, or bombs dropped on the routes on which they have fled. And so, there are so
many who now say, listen, I am staying in my home.
I would rather die here than have to move and risk everything that comes along with that. And look, we don't know what the conditions will be. Where
will they be moved to? One of the ideas that seems to be floating around is that they will be moved south of the Morag Corridor, which Israel has now
taken over, separating the southern part of the Gaza Strip, including the city of Rafah, from the rest of the Strip.
But Rafah has largely been devastated now. It used to be kind of one of the areas where so many of these humanitarian organizations were based. But
once the Israeli military last May carried out an offensive there, it has largely been emptied out of humanitarians and more recently, the Israeli
military has almost entirely evacuated that area of civilians as well as it goes about destroying a lot of the infrastructure there, both above and
below ground.
So, it really remains to be seen where Gaza's civilian population will go, and whether they will heed these --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Likely new evacuation warnings that will come.
SOARES: And stay with us because I'm just seeing -- we're getting information now from an Israeli security source, and I'm hoping you can
shed more light on this, Jeremy, that Israel has strike -- has been striking Houthi targets in Yemen. This is, of course, one day after a
ballistic missile hit Tel Aviv's international airport. What more can you tell us about this, Jeremy?
DIAMOND: Yes, that's right. The Israeli military has indeed conducted strikes at the Yemeni port of Hudaydah, that's according to the Israeli
military now, which is starting to confirm our reporting and the reporting from others about these strikes happening in Yemen. This is, of course, in
direct retaliation for that ballistic missile that landed right next to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, shutting down that airport for about an hour,
leaving an enormous crater that showed how lucky Israel actually got in the end, that it didn't strike the airport itself, that it didn't strike a
populated area because it would have been so deadly.
The Israeli Prime Minister yesterday had vowed that there would be retaliation. And indeed, we are now seeing that take place, the first
Israeli strikes, we should note in Yemen in several months now. Over the last several months, Israel has really ceded the space to the United
States, which has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen for the last several months now.
But clearly, this ballistic missile going through Israel's air defense system, striking so close to the airport, resulting in cancellations of
flights, airlines that have stopped service to Tel Aviv now, it required an answer from Israel, from Israel directly, according to Israeli officials.
And so, that's what's taking place. The question now, Isa, will Israel also take action against Iran? Because that certainly --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Has been part of the conversation, and Israeli Prime Minister had made clear that the -- Israel's response would not be a one-off. Isa?
SOARES: Jeremy Diamond, a lot for us to get through this evening, appreciate it, thank you, Jeremy. Well, the head of the Palestinian mission
to the U.K. says the world is setting a dangerous precedent by sitting on the sidelines as all this unfolds.
[14:10:00]
Husam Zomlot, a well-known face here on the show says what's happening now in Gaza will haunt us all. And he made a chilling analogy. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUSAM ZOMLOT, HEAD OF PALESTINIAN MISSION TO THE U.K.: Imagine if a group of people took some hostages in Chicago, just for the sake of the -- of the
argument. Then the U.S. government will lay siege on Chicago and prevent food, water, electricity, energy, and then bombard the hell out of -- you
got -- carpet-bomb families. You know how many families have been wiped out of the record in the last year and a half?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on all these strands, I'm joined now by Daniel Levy; President of the U.S./Middle East Project. Daniel, great to see you. Just
picking up really on what Jeremy was saying, and Netanyahu spans this expansion. Perhaps not a surprise to you and I because we have talked about
his intentions of -- in Gaza, and we've seen -- we've particularly heard that in the last few months as Jeremy and I were talking about.
But now they're talking about the conquest, is the language of territory and remaining there. Talk up to the significant -- this -- significance of
this and the fact that this is actually -- you think, this is actually going to go ahead, or is this a -- go ahead.
DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT: So, let's distinguish between two things, maybe one, Isa. One, there is an element potentially of
bluff about this. President Trump is about to visit the region, there are ongoing efforts, Israel may be trying to influence the terms of a
ceasefire. However, if Israel sticks to its position, there will be no ceasefire.
So, the massive reservists haven't been called up, and that will be a challenge if Israel does hold -- take Gaza, then its troops are going to
face more resistance and Israel will incur --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: More losses. Right now, bombing from the air, shelling, drone attacks, that's cheap for Israel in terms of putting its own soldiers at
more versus less risk. That's one thing going on. But of course, it's not bluff in terms of the realities inside Gaza since March the 2nd. Nothing
being allowed in --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: You now see children dying of malnutrition, 9,000 have been treated for severe malnutrition, 91 percent of the population face severe food
security, and now they seem to be saying, we're going to make it even worse. Plus, this idea not only of preventing the agencies that can change
things in short order, know how to, but outsourcing this to firms that I think will be designed to keep people just hovering below that famine line.
We know of war profiteering, this foundation, they seem to be bringing in sounds like genocide profiteering.
SOARES: And we have heard from -- I understand, my producer just telling me in my ear that we have heard from U.S. President, he was asked about Gaza
just in the Oval Office. I haven't heard what he said. So, let's listen to it together. Let's have a listen --
LEVY: OK --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to help the people of Gaza get some food. People are starving and we're going to help
them get some food. A lot of people are making it very bad. What do you -- have you looked -- Hamas is making it impossible because they're taking
everything that's brought in. But we're going to help the people of Gaza because they're being treated very badly by Hamas. Thank you very much
everybody --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, that was it. I mean, didn't really add much to what you were talking about. But, you know, what we are seeing, has been slowly laid out
by not just this administration, but also by Prime Minister Netanyahu. But going to your last point, what they've tried to achieve, they've been
trying to achieve that by putting pressure on Hamas for months. It has not worked. How would it -- what -- how will this make any difference?
LEVY: It won't in that respect. And anyone who sees this through the lens of this is trying to get better terms --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Pressure Hamas, get the hostages out. Get -- provide Israel --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Security isn't paying attention. The Israeli side have been quite clear. That's why Prime Minister Netanyahu faces an International Criminal
Court arrest warrant request for war crimes, because they have made quite clear that this is really about making Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians.
We now have off the back of a previous comment by President Trump here, he seemed to both adopt the Israeli talking point that Hamas is causing the
starvation.
Of course, that's not the case, while at the same time saying, we'll need to get stuff in. I think that's why the Israelis now pretend there's a
plan. But a previous comment of the American President was, the Gaza Riviera --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Which we're all familiar with. Since then, Israel has set up an authority for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. They call it voluntary. There's
nothing voluntary when you're starving and bombing and when you destroy the entire housing stock, and then saying, we're going to move you guys out of
here, let's find you a different option.
[14:15:00]
And there are two timelines here, Isa, one is the horrors of the destruction and the need to bring an end to this. And the fact that many
Israelis, not enough, but many know this is not leading anywhere good --
SOARES: A large percentage of them actually disagree with this plan, from what I understand. I mean, of course, the hostages, but the majority of the
population disagree with this plan.
LEVY: So, it breaks down, the -- there is a majority who prefer Netanyahu to agree to a hostage deal. I wish I could tell you that the numbers who
oppose what's being done to the Palestinians were higher than not. The country is in a very bad place. And what I think we see is these parallel
timelines of what is horrendous for Palestinians, what I think will end up very bad for Israel, and at the same time, international law and the
acknowledgment that this is a genocide in real time.
So, you have -- the books have been written on --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: Maralaclid: one day everyone would have been against this, Pankaj Mishra, "The World After Gaza", Peter Beinart, "Being Jewish after the
Destruction of Gaza", the International Court of Justice again last week, the International Criminal Court. One day, people will know they were
complicit in a genocide. Right now --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: It's taking place and it's too slow.
SOARES: And on that point, look, Bezalel Smotrich; the far-right Minister, went as far as to say that today, it's time to stop fearing the word
occupation. It was the most natural word in the early days of the state at people who seek life conquers its land. We -- hearing the plan, we're
seeing the actions. We're hearing the rhetoric. Yet, where is -- where are the world leaders? Why the silence?
LEVY: And that's the sense of helplessness. And that's why you see people out on the streets often accused of hate marches, these aren't hate
marches. These are, as I say, I think one day people will look back on that. I hope that's the case, because where is the leadership? And the West
has normalized something which should never be normalized. Some countries have taken a strong position, but others are there just with rhetoric. And
they can be --
SOARES: How much is Trump playing to this? The fact that Trump is now in office. Does -- has that forced some leaders to soften their language?
LEVY: Not necessarily.
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: But what Trump has done in the latest comments, in the comments throughout, I think he has given a sense of let's get this done now.
Further empowering and Israeli body politic and Israeli establishment, which increasingly leans into the idea that final victory, which means
finishing the job of removing Palestinians, of killing Palestinians and making it uninhabitable for Palestinians, those words are so painful for me
--
SOARES: Absolutely --
LEVY: To articulate. But he's empowered those people and more will need to be done to stop it. By the way, you opened with Yemen.
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: There's a choice here. Allow Israel to continue bombing Palestinians, then Houthis in Yemen will, in solidarity continue. And then the U.S.,
U.K., Israel will bomb Yemen. You can have that entire circle of bombing, or you can stop it in its entirety and prevent this genocide. That's where
we need to be right now --
SOARES: It is absolutely chilling, of course, for so many people in Gaza, but also for those hostages, the families of those hostages are waiting, of
course, for their loved ones to return.
LEVY: And they know Netanyahu is --
SOARES: And he's made --
LEVY: He's the least bit interested --
SOARES: And the administration has made it clear that that's not their priority. They've said that openly. Daniel, great to see you --
LEVY: Good to see you --
SOARES: Thank you very much.
LEVY: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, in the next hour, critical hearing as the Trump administration once again attempts to send a group of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador
without the right, of course, to due process. Government lawyers will argue that the President has the power to deport citizens of an enemy nation
during wartime under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
The federal judge presiding over the case was appointed, of course, as we've reported here, by President Trump. Let's get Gloria Pazmino now on
this. And Gloria, you've been on the story right from day one. Just talk us through what we're likely to hear now in this hearing that's taking place,
what? In the next hour or so.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, I think the most interesting thing going into this hearing is going to be whether or not this judge
agrees with other judges who have so far said that the use of this Alien Enemies Act, this wartime authority that the Trump administration has been
relying on, is unlawful.
Now, we should remember that many of these cases are about migrants who are facing deportation under this order. They are trying to stop that
proceeding. But more broadly, and perhaps most importantly, it's specifically about the administration's use of this wartime authority.
Remember, the Trump administration is using this power to claim that they are deporting Venezuelan men to El Salvador because they are members of
Tren de Aragua, the gang in Venezuela.
[14:20:00]
But as we also know, and even as the administration has itself admitted, they have wrongfully deported people who have actually no ties to this
gang. We've heard it from family members as well of the men who have been sent to El Salvador. Now, the question here is, whether or not this judge
is going to agree. Now, in the meantime, the Supreme Court here in the United States has blocked the deportations for now.
But the Trump administration has made it clear that they plan to push ahead. In the meantime, there are hundreds of men in a Texas detention
center that are awaiting removal under this order. And this is why we are seeing such a flurry of illegal activity challenging these deportations.
This one specifically in Pennsylvania that's playing out today, is about a man who was detained by immigration officers in Philadelphia, where he
lived.
He was then transferred to that Texas detention center and is awaiting deportation. Despite a judge's court order not to have him transferred out
of Pennsylvania. The man's attorneys are asking this court in Pennsylvania to issue a preliminary injunction, in other words, to stop the government
from deporting him and others while litigation plays out.
So, we've seen in other similar cases that judges are questioning the legality of the Trump administration's use of this wartime authority. So,
the question going into this hearing today, whether or not that judge is going to agree -- by the way, this happens to be a Trump-appointed judge in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
So, it's going to be interesting to see that outcome, and seeing if the judges and the court system here in the United States continues to push
back against the administration's plan to use this authority.
SOARES: I know you'll stay across it for us, Gloria. Gloria Pazmino there, thank you very much indeed. Well, Rwanda says it's in the early talks with
the U.S. to accept migrants deported from U.S. soil. Rwanda's Foreign Minister confirmed the discussions on national TV on Sunday, but stressed
that nothing is finalized. The East African nation has positioned itself as a destination for migrants that western countries would like to remove, but
rights groups have raised concerns.
They warn that Rwanda may not guarantee basic protections for the deportees. Last month, the U.S. deported resettled Iraqi refugee to Rwanda.
A U.S. official says they had long tried to extradite him in response to Iraqi government claims, he worked for ISIS. Our Larry Madowo joins me now
live from Nairobi.
So, Larry, I mean, we've seen plans like this before right here in the U.K., 2022 I think it was, asylum seekers being sent to the U.K., or at
least, the plan to send them -- that didn't quite take off. Talk us through what the government is saying in Rwanda about this, and what conversations
have been had so far.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, we went to Kigali back in 2022 to see where these U.K. migrants would be held. It was a hostel, but there's a lot
we don't know about this current talks with the United States, for instance, how many numbers will they take in? Will they be imprisoned like
they are being in El Salvador, and -- or will they be allowed due process?
There's a lot we still don't know. They're still early days of these talks. But Rwanda has a track record for what is known as migrant offshoring, and
there's a lot of criticism of this practice, but also of Rwanda's own human rights record and the treatment of refugees. We'll get to that a little
later. But first of all, this is what the Foreign Minister told state television.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVIER NDUHUNGIREHE, FOREIGN MINISTER, RWANDA (through translator): We are in talks with the USA. You know, even before we were in talks with the
U.K., it's not a new thing for us. And even apart from the U.K., you know, we received migrants who had been trapped in Libya. I would say that's the
spirit we are in, of giving chance to migrants who are in trouble across the world.
So, we are in talks with the USA, it's not finalized yet for us to say this is how it will turn out, but talks are taking place, and once they are
concluded, we'll inform you. It is in its early stages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Obviously, he's put a spin. They're giving a chance to migrants in trouble. Rwanda gets paid for this. In the case of the U.K., they were
supposed to make about half a million dollars over five years, and then for every migrant, maybe another 20,000 pounds per head. The bigger question
is, why would the U.S. deport migrants thousands of kilometers away to Rwanda?
It's very far, and that is the point. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that they are asking countries to do this as a favor to them,
take our most despicable people, that's what they call them, most despicable people, and the farther the better, because they can't come back
over the border. Isa.
SOARES: Larry Madowo, thank you very much, Larry. Good to see you. And still to come tonight, President Trump balks when asked whether he'll obey
the U.S. constitution. Is the United States on the brink of a constitutional crisis? I'll speak with a constitutional scholar in just a
moment. Then relations between Pakistan and India are in a nosedive.
New details ahead as tensions escalate over that deadly attack in Kashmir. Plus, we're getting rare access through the forest in Pakistani-
administered Kashmir. Those images for you, an exclusive report just ahead.
[14:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Living in fear. People in the Kashmir Valleys are closely watching tensions rise between India and Pakistan. Relations have nose-dived since
gunmen killed 26 people nearly two weeks ago, and that attack targeted tourists in the Indian-administered Kashmir. Earlier, Pakistan carried out
a second missile test in three days, and India said it ordered several states to conduct security drills.
Our Nic Robertson tracks through the forest in Pakistani-administered Kashmir to give us rare look at the disputed territory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): High in the Himalayas. Pakistan's army is taking us deep into disputed Kashmir,
toward the line of control, the de facto border with India, and one of the most militarized conflicts in the world. Tensions between the two nuclear-
armed neighbors rising since a terror attack killed 26 civilians, mostly Indians, almost two weeks ago.
Militaries on both sides readying for possible escalation as India blamed Pakistan and Pakistan denied responsibility. It's a war of words. Civilians
on both sides of these rugged mountains fear not for the first time will be victims of events way beyond their sway. Control of the towering peaks
unresolved for 75 years.
(on camera): Just driving through the mountains here, it's easy to understand why Kashmir is still a disputed area, so hard to fight a
decisive war in this rugged terrain.
(voice-over): The other thing you see here is poverty, meager villages clinging to the hillside. People here say the spike in tensions making it
harder to eke a living, as we're about to find out. On foot now, the village we're heading to, a few 100 feet from the line of control.
(on camera): And just look over there, you can see how close the frontlines are. That's the last Pakistani position there, the Indian army position a
few 100 meters away, and those trees, that's the line of control.
(voice-over): When we arrived, most villagers clustered around one house, some hiding in the dark inside. Children peeking from unglazed windows.
This villager telling us they live in fear now. Elderly, children, and women are incredibly scared, he says. We want to take our livestock out to
pasture, but the Indians are right there in front of us and we're very concerned.
[14:30:23]
Their fears may be well-founded. This 17-year-old says Indian troops killed his father, Malik (ph) Farooq. He had gone to the line of control to chase
our cattle, he says. The Indian shot him and accused him of being a terrorist. He is not. He's a good man.
The day after the massacre in Indian administered Kashmir, the Indian government announced it had foiled a terror plot, killing two Pakistanis.
Malik's (ph) brother denies the allegations too, says, he was just a herder like me. Believes India wants their land before breaking down in tears.
ROBERTSON: It's OK. It's OK. It's OK.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): India's done a great cruelty to us, he says. If they want me to leave, put a bullet in my head. That's the only way I'll
go.
With no end in sight on both sides of the border, civilians, as ever, the losers in this decades old conflict.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Sajiwa (ph), on the line of control in Pakistan administered Kashmir.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Nic for that report. And with this decades long conflict show no signs, as Nic showed you there, of resolution. There is no
shortage of grievances and accusations being levied, as you heard there, on both sides of the border.
Officials in India have long accused Pakistan of backing armed groups and the separatist forces inside the Indian administer portion of Kashmir.
Pakistan says this was true in the past, but is not happening now.
And with the killings of 26 civilians still fresh in the minds of many across the border and calls for revenge, it's no surprise that global
powers, including the United States and China, have stepped in to urge restraint in the standoff. We'll of course, stay across the story for you.
And still to come tonight, American presidents take an oath to obey the Constitution, that much, you know. But President Trump says he's not so
sure about that. These chilling comments straight ahead.
And then later, the federal trial for music mogul Sean Diddy Combs is underway. We'll be live in New York with the very latest, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789, U.S. presidents have promised to uphold the Constitution of
the United States, the very foundation, of course, for the American Republic, and that included Donald Trump just a few months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: And will to the best of my ability --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preserve, protect, and defend --
TRUMP: -- preserve, protect, and defend --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the Constitution of the United States --
TRUMP: -- the Constitution of the United States --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- so help me God.
TRUMP: -- so help me God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, you heard it there. But a wide-ranging interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Mr. Trump offered this stunning response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN WELKER, NBC "MEET THE PRESS" ANCHOR: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?
TRUMP: I don't know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the
Supreme Court said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the president also answered with an equally eyebrow raising I don't know when asked whether everyone in the United States is entitled to
due process. The bottom line here for you, let's make it very clear, for the first time in the nearly 250 year history of the United States, an
American president says he doesn't know if he will preserve, protect, and defend the United States Constitution, and that should be chilling indeed.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president of the National Constitution Center. He's also professor at George Washington University Law School. Jeffrey, great
to have you on the show. Welcome. Let me start off with that little -- you know, with that comment that we had in that interview there from the
present where -- whether he -- where he says he doesn't know whether he needs to uphold the Constitution. This was, of course, as we play there
just three months or so since, of course, he's swore an oath to do so.
Do you buy his. Comments that he doesn't know or is this just willful ignorance, do you think?
JEFFREY ROSEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER: Well, there's no question that the president's most serious and sacred oath is to
uphold the Constitution of the United States. So, there's no question he has to uphold it.
If President Trump was saying he doesn't know he has to hold the Constitution, it would indeed be a grave dereliction of that oath. He might
have been read to say that he doesn't know whether the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution is correct, and he has the right to
interpret the Constitution differently than the Supreme Court, and that's a claim that president's ever since Thomas Jefferson have made. But it really
wasn't clear from the context of that interview exactly what President Trump was saying. And it certainly is worth emphasizing that the president
must uphold the Constitution of the United States. That is what he swears to do when he takes the oath of office.
SOARES: Yes. I suppose the other question is, I mean, how else would you interpret it? I mean, how else is he going to interpret it? It's very
clear, the Constitution, is it not?
ROSEN: Well, not about all of the issues that are before the Supreme Court, ranging from whether or not the president can fire the heads of independent
agencies to whether the tariffs are constitutional to all of these really serious issues involving immigration. And he was -- he seemed to be talking
about immigration there and there -- of course, there's a very serious dispute, will the president obey an unambiguous order of the U.S. Supreme
Court?
The Supreme Court, just a few weeks ago, ordered the president to facilitate the release of Mr. Garcia, who's being held in El Salvador. It's
not clear whether or not the administration is complying. He's never come out and say, I will defy the Supreme Court. That would be a constitutional
crisis because no president in American history has defied an unambiguous order of the U.S. Supreme Court.
[14:40:00]
But in that interview, as in President Trump's other comments, he hasn't said that and what exactly he meant by that, we'll see, I've got to talk to
the lawyers. And it was interesting that he did follow that up by saying, if the Supreme Court speaks, I'll obey that. So, he continues to reassert
his willingness to obey the court at the same time as he's drawing these legalistic distinctions and appearing to say that he can interpret the
Constitution differently.
SOARES: Yes. You know, I kind of get mixed messages on this topic. I mean, particularly on the Kilmar Abrego Garcia, of course, the return of Kilmar
Abrego Garcia, which the Supreme Court was asking to facilitate the return. All right.
Are we on the way? Are you concerned at all, Jeffrey, that we're on the way of the constitutional crisis, or are we already there, in your view, given
all the challenges this administration's facing in the courts, as our reporter was telling us in the last 10 minutes or so?
ROSEN: I do draw a high bar for a constitutional crisis. I think ignoring unambiguous order of the Supreme Court would absolutely be a constitutional
crisis, because no president has done that.
Now, President Trump has not obeyed an unambiguous order, and he's not said that he will. But what's concerning about this interview and many other
comments of the president is he comes up to the brink of saying, well, maybe I don't have to listen to the courts, and in very much attacking
lower court judges and calling for their impeachment and so forth, he's creating an atmosphere in which it's not clear whether or not obey when
push comes to shove.
With this latest comment, what's interesting in suggesting that all persons in the United States are not entitled to due process. There, the
Constitution also is unambiguous. It says, no person shall be deprived of due process of the law. And the Supreme Court has interpreted that to mean
all person, citizens, and noncitizens alike. So, that's a question about which there's no room for debate and the president's unwillingness to
concede that is troubling.
SOARES: And in that same interview with NBC, he said he also -- he said he wasn't, quote, "looking at running for a third term in 2028," as if it's a
personal choice, whether he obeys the Constitution. How do you interpret his words and do you worry that his words and his actions could
potentially, you know, if he doesn't stick to the rule of law and to what the Constitution says could be turning the country towards
authoritarianism?
ROSEN: Well, on the third term, the Constitution is pretty unambiguous. It says that you can't be elected twice to the presidency. There's a
complicated scenario in which someone could run as vice president after having served for two terms, get elected vice president, have the elected
president resign and take over. And it's arguable that that's a loophole that the framers didn't anticipate. But we're really not talking about
something like that.
And in any event, President Trump then walked back that comment about I decide and said, you know, J. D. Vance or Marco Rubio would be a good
successor. All of these are areas not of openly breaking the law, but of breaking norms and of always sort of coming up to the edge of appearing to
say that he can thwart clear text or Supreme Court precedents, and then walking it back, there's an atmosphere of uncertainty, which could indeed
create a lack of respect for the rule of law in the United States.
SOARES: You must be having quite fascinating discussions in your law school, Jeffrey, with all these cases ongoing I would love to be able to
fly on the wall to see the discussions being had. What a moment. Jeffrey, appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed.
ROSEN: Thank you so much.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, a federal sex trafficking trial begins for music mogul Sean Diddy Combs. We are live in New York for today's jury
selection. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, the trial against Sean Diddy Combs is underway in a New York courtroom. Today is the first day of jury selection for the case against
the music mogul. Combs faces federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud, or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution and sex
trafficking by force. Combs has been held at a detention center in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. He has pleaded not guilty to all the
charges.
Let's get more from New York from our Kara Scannell. So, Kara jury selection starts today. Give us a sense of what they're looking for from
these jurors, because I'm seeing they've already questioned 15 prospective jurors from what I understand so far.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they have. 15 so far have been questioned. Four of those have been excused and 11 are continuing through.
The magic number here for the judge is 45. That's how many jurors, prospective jurors they want to have in hand before lawyers for Combs and
the prosecution will make their preemptory strikes. That means they can strike anyone for any reason until they get down to 12 jurors and the
number of alternates.
So, a lot of the main thrust of this is they want to make sure they can find someone who's fair and impartial. They want to make sure that if
someone has heard something about this case, they can set it aside. And what we have seen so far through this questioning by the judge is that of
the 11 that have gone through, a couple of them have seen the hotel surveillance footage depicting Combs kicking and dragging his former
longtime girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. That is a key piece of evidence in this case.
But one of those jurors was allowed to proceed to the next round. Another one was excused. And the reason that person was excused is because she
referred to it as damning evidence, and the judge had agreed with Combs' lawyer. So, that was kind of too high of a hurdle to get past to allow this
juror to continue on.
But of the 11 that have gone through, two are women who have said that they have experienced sexual assault in the past decades ago. They said they can
separate that from this case, but these allegations are different. One woman disclosed that she had been arrested for shoplifting when she was 16
years old, stealing a wand from Harry Potter World at Universal Studios. The judge kind of joked back and forth with her about that, she's moving
forward, as is a man who has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for felony. He works at the Department of Corrections.
So, they're going through this process, asking fairly rigorous questions of the jurors to get to this court issue of can they set aside whatever
they've heard, whatever they've read to evaluate this case based on the evidence that comes into court.
I mean, one woman was very fluent with Sean Combs' music, his history, as well as a number of people that could be associated with this case where
their names might be referenced. That person was also allowed to proceed.
So, working their way through, again, once they get to 45, they will then begin their preemptory strikes. The judge is hoping that given this pace
that they might get there by Wednesday with having opening statements beginning next week. And after the opening statements, the prosecution will
begin to present its case. Their star witness is Cassie Ventura. She's expected to take the stand, as are three other alleged victims, and a
number of people who used to work for Combs. Isa.
SOARES: Thank you for laying it out very well there for us, Kara. Thank you very much indeed.
[14:50:00]
And still to come tonight, the Red Arrows thundering over Buckingham Palace, part of the military fly pass roaring through London to honor the
veterans of World War II. We'll bring you the pomp, as you expect, and the pageantry, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And just recapping one of our breaking stories this hour, Israeli strikes on Yemen after a Houthi missile attack at Ben Gurion Airport. Video
from the Israeli government shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting in a command bunker during the strikes on Yemen. He's joined by his defense
minister, as well as military chief of staff. Israel is now saying it struck the Port of Hodeidah and a concrete plant east of the city. Israel
says these sites have been used to launch strikes against Israeli civilians.
I want to turn the attention though to the Vatican because 133 Catholic cardinals will be involved in electing a new pope. And now, the Vatican
says all of them are in Rome. They've been arriving one by one. The papal conclave begins on Wednesday. The secretive and momentous task of choosing
a new head of the Catholic church will stay behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapels, as you all know.
Workers have been busy installing curtains on the Vatican balcony when the successor to Pope Francis announced he will be introduced to the world on
that balcony. Francis, the first Jesuit pope in history died just last month.
And now, Britain is celebrating the heroes of World War II. Thousands are commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
That is of course, the official surrender of Nazi Germany to Allied forces, which took place on May the 8th, 1945, ending a war that had claimed tens
of millions of lives.
Earlier under cloudy skies, the British monarch and other members of the royal family turned out along with the crowds for the first time -- for the
first of the four days of tributes across the U.K., of course. Our Anna Stewart was there and sent us this report earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been nearly 80 years since victory in Europe was declared over Nazi Germany. In the words of
Winston Churchill --
WINSTON CHURCHILL, FORMER U.K. PRIME MINISTER: We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing, but let us not forget for a moment the toils and
efforts that lie ahead.
[14:55:00]
STEWART (voice-over): VE Day is this Thursday, but commemoration started Monday and will continue through the week. With very few Second World War
veterans still alive, there is a big push this year to ensure that the huge sacrifices made are marked and remembered by the future generations.
And so, began a procession of more than 1,000 members of Britain's armed forces from Parliament Square down the mile to Buckingham Palace. Also,
Ukrainian troops. A reminder of the current conflict in Europe.
Watching on, the Royal Family, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and of course the veterans who are front and center of today's events.
STEWART: And it wouldn't feel complete without a fly pass. And today's is a flight pass with a difference.
STEWART (voice-over): Led by a Lancaster Bomber, one of just two in the world that are still air worthy. Ending with a Red Arrows accompanied by
typhoons. And the traditional parting wave from the royal family, including the youngest princes and princess who will take on this duty leading a
nation in remembering the sacrifices of the Second World War for decades to come.
Anna Stewart, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And that does it for me for tonight. Do stay right here, Newsroom with Max Foster is up next. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
