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Isa Soares Tonight
Bail hearing for Sean "Diddy" Combs; Combs Acquitted of Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Charges; Bryan Kohberger Enters Guity Plea; Israel Accepts Latest Ceasefire Proposal; Death Toll Surpasses 57,000 in Gaza; U.S. Judge Blocks President Trump's Asylum Rule. U.S. Pauses Some Weapons Shipments to Ukraine; Jury Finds Sean "Diddy" Combs Guilty on 2 of 5 Counts; Hamas Says It's Ready for a Deal with Israel. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 02, 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, Ukraine's defense system is on the line
as the U.S. pauses some weapons shipments, news warmly welcomed by the Kremlin. A verdict in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. The jury finding him
guilty on some counts as we wait to see whether the rapper could walk free.
Plus, could a Gaza ceasefire be in sight? Hamas saying it's serious and it's ready for a deal as Israel looks to green-light the proposal. We will
have all the details for you this hour. But first, tonight, the balance of power in Russia's war in Ukraine tops our news this hour, after the U.S.
decides to pause some weapons shipments, including air defense missiles to Ukrainians.
And this follows a review of military spending and U.S. support to foreign countries. The Kremlin, as you can imagine, welcomed the move, saying it
will help end the war sooner. A Ukrainian official said this will only encourage Russian aggression. Ukraine's Defense Ministry adds it has not
received any official notifications about the pause.
Officials there call it inhumane to stop supplying missiles, especially Patriot Systems, which are designed to intercept incoming fire. If you
remember, just last week at the NATO Summit, President Trump signaled that he understood how critical those Patriot Systems are to Ukraine. Here's a
reminder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, OK? As they call them. The Patriots. And we're going
to see if we can make some available. You know, they're very hard to get. We need them too. We were supplying them to Israel, and they're very
effective, a 100 percent effective. Hard to believe how effective. And they do want that more than any other thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: They do indeed. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has been pleading, in fact, with western allies to actually boost its aerial defense, have
been pleading for some time, as you know. But U.S. officials say, pausing some weapons shipments is about putting America's interests first.
So, let's add some meat to the bones on this. Our senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes joins me now from this announcement. So,
explain then, to our viewers right around the world, Kristen, why the Pentagon has decided to pause these shipments, and what could this -- could
potentially mean in terms of the U.S. engagement on the war with Ukraine here?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are still quite a few questions about what exactly this means long term. There
are also questions as to whether or not we pulled any sort of military support to other countries. The reason being --
SOARES: Yes --
HOLMES: That when I talk to a White House official about this, they said that this was the result of a review that looked at military spending, but
also the aid that was given to foreign countries. They tried to downplay this as something that was specifically just for Ukraine. But when I
followed up with questions as to, were other countries affected by this? They did not respond.
So, it's unclear right now who was in this review in terms of other countries, and why it is that we ended up cutting -- the United States
ended up cutting some of this military support. And there have been a lot of questions throughout the administration about this in particular because
of what we heard.
And I know you guys just played that, President Trump saying after his meeting with Zelenskyy at NATO, where he seemed more supportive than he has
been in the past. And in fact, he was actually more critical of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, during that summit, than we had seen almost
ever before, saying he was difficult to work with, that it needed to come to an end.
And praising his meeting with Zelenskyy, which, again, is not necessarily common for President Trump. And that's why I believe that talking to these
White House officials, they tried to downplay this as specifically just for Ukraine. Now, they did tell me that Secretary Hegseth; the Secretary of
Defense signed off on this review, but that this was months in the making, that this is not something that happened overnight.
This wasn't just him signing off on a pause to Ukraine, but he signed off on the review as a whole, which would eventually pause these shipments to
Ukraine. And that because of this review, that this was all about, again, aid to foreign countries. Now, one of the things to keep in mind,
obviously, that's something that President Trump has talked a lot about.
He talked a lot about it at NATO, how he doesn't believe the United States should be aiding so many foreign countries in their defense, giving them
military help and military support or financial support.
[14:05:00]
But again, this is -- it seems like a complete turnaround from what we heard President Trump saying just a week ago.
SOARES: Indeed, especially in that exchange he had with that Ukrainian journalist at NATO, I thought that was incredibly moving as she was asking,
of course, for those Patriot Air Defense Missile Systems. Kristen, thank you very much indeed. Well, North Korea is tripling down on its commitment
to help Russia fight Ukraine, according to Ukrainian Intelligence.
The country is sending as many as 30,000 more troops to bolster Russian forces all along the frontlines. North Korea, if you remember, initially
sent 11,000 troops to Russia just last year. Officials say thousands of those fighters were either killed or hurt in this war. Our Nick Paton Walsh
has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): They brought near-suicidal ruthless tactics, the rumblings of a war going
global. Eleven thousand North Korean troops helped Russia expel Kyiv's soldiers from its border of Kursk. But that, it seems, is just the start.
CNN has learned up to 30,000 more may be headed to the frontlines, according to Ukrainian Intelligence, for use in a Summer offensive.
With Moscow hungry for manpower and Pyongyang keen to school its troops in brutal trench and drone warfare. They were first seen here in October, but
recently, the routes used then could be active again. A troop-carrying Ropucha ship was seen here on May the 18th. The same type of vessel at the
same Russian port used in transports last year, experts said.
Ukraine also assesses Russia will refit transport planes like the ones seen on the tarmac here again in June at North Korea's Sunan Airport, to move so
many North Koreans likely air or rail, will take them across Siberia to the frontline, 10 kilometers east of Kursk. This camp has enlarged in recent
months, further evidence of North Korean build-up.
CNN has geolocated to hear the six-minute video report from a part Korean- Russian correspondent. The report surfaced 48 hours after the Kremlin's first admission of the North Korean deployment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: They're not only training, but appear to have new long-term bunker accommodation and equipment. The tastes of home red Korean pepper and
homemade propaganda, it says revenge for our fallen comrades. This Russian instructor says his new trainees are aged 23 to 27.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: And there's a translation sheet to get over the language barrier, which meant the first units operated separately from the Russians.
(GUNFIRE)
WALSH: State media has shown videos of both countries now training together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: Here in the same training ground, a Russian shows how to use a shotgun to take down a drone. Others practicing clearing buildings
together. More signs are open. Putin's top presidential adviser, Sergei Shoigu visiting Kim Jong un here for the second time in a fortnight,
announcing a thousand mine clearers and 5,000 military construction workers to rebuild Kursk region.
Perhaps a sign Moscow is indeed short of the manpower it has sent mercilessly into the fight, but also that it is not short on allies who
share their ruthless commitment. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Important reporting there from our Nick Paton Walsh. I want to bring in William Taylor. He's the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
Ambassador, good to see you. Let me first get your reaction to what I was just discussing with my colleague at the White House and this decision by
the Pentagon first of all, to pause munition shipments to Ukraine. How much of a blow is this to Ukraine in its fight, of course, against Russia?
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: And it is fighting against Russia, Isa, you're exactly right. It is defending itself. But it's
defending Europe. It's defending our interests. So, it's in our interest to enable the Ukrainians to do that effectively, to stand up to the Russians,
to stop the Russians in Ukraine, and the Russians, as you just reported, are using these long-range bombs, these missiles, these cruise missiles,
some of which can be taken down by the weapons that the Europeans provide them.
[14:10:00]
But many of the long-range ballistic missiles can only be taken out by the Patriots. So, it's important for us to provide these to the Ukrainians.
SOARES: Yes, and we saw the impact, of course, as -- of some of these decisions of the air power. We're seeing the air war, I should say,
escalating, this coming at a very fragile time just over the weekend, just for our viewers, just some context. Russia launched 477 drones and 16
missiles into Ukraine.
Meantime, those frontlines, Russia inching ever closer, ambassador. Ukraine's Foreign Minister said today that this decision by the Pentagon
would encourage Russia. Those were their words. Do you agree? Does it embolden Putin further, ambassador?
TAYLOR: It absolutely does, Isa. And they've said so. The Kremlin has praised this decision, saying it's a good idea for the Americans to cut
down on the support to Ukraine, and that, of course, allows the Russians to be more successful than they would otherwise be. Now, they are making some
slow progress on the ground, very slow, but nonetheless grinding through, taking little bit by little bit at enormous cost.
But the Russians clearly do not want the Americans to -- and the Europeans to provide these weapons to the Ukrainians. So, yes, the Russians are
very happy with this decision.
SOARES: And not only does it perhaps encourage Russia, ambassador, but it -- you know, crucially, it kind of plays into their hands, given you know,
what you've just said from what we heard from the Kremlin today. The Kremlin saying today, "the fewer weapons that's supplied to Ukraine, the
closer the end of the special military operation."
This was one, ambassador, and just -- and just frame this for our viewers. This has been one of their key demands throughout.
TAYLOR: Exactly right, Isa. So, the Russians have demanded that Ukrainians essentially capitulate. That's their demand. I mean, and they almost say it
in those terms. That is that stop getting weapons from the West. Don't join NATO, move back from the positions that they -- that the Ukrainians now
hold.
The Russians want Ukrainians to capitulate. And so, if the Americans withdraw the support that they've provided, in particular with these long-
range -- with these weapons, the Patriot missiles that take out the long- range attack missiles that the Russians are sending, if they -- if the Americans do that, that does give the Russians an advantage.
And they think it will accelerate the end of the war. The problem is that they're exactly reversed. That is --
SOARES: Yes --
TAYLOR: If we do not provide those weapons, it will extend the war. It will -- more Ukrainian civilians will die, more Ukrainian soldiers will
die. It will extend the war, which is the opposite of what President Trump has said he wants to do. He wants to end this. He wants to get to a
ceasefire. So, this decision does not go in that same direction.
SOARES: So, help us make sense then, ambassador, of what is happening, because this is a pause, but you know, as you will know, many in NATO, just
last week and for months in fact, have been -- and some of the Foreign Ministers I've spoken to have kind of been walking on eggshells a bit in
their communication, and concerned that the U.S. will pull away from Ukraine.
We heard the President last week saying it, NATO, talking about the possibility of sending more U.S.-made Patriot Defense Systems. We saw a
moving exchange, as I was saying to our correspondent with the Ukrainian journalist. Why the change of tune and why now then on this pause?
TAYLOR: Well, it's a right question. And -- but you've also just reported that this report, this review that the Pentagon is doing --
SOARES: Yes --
TAYLOR: Has been taking place over a couple of months. So, this is not something that just happened yesterday or the day before. This was a long
study that the Pentagon did about their stockpiles. And as I understand, it was not coordinated with the rest of the government, not coordinated with
the President's policy of ending this war.
So, it is a decision made by people in the Pentagon without consulting with people who are actually trying to end this war, both in the State
Department and in the White House and President Trump.
SOARES: Then give us a sense, ambassador, of how this is going to play out, because there was a deadline that President Trump put for -- on
President Putin. I don't know what happened to that deadlines. I've seen so many come and go, ambassador, to be completely honest with you, I've lost
track.
We did hear, though, from Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, who said on X, I'm going to quote him. "Russia cannot continue to
stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine. Diplomatically, what pressure can be applied here? There's a lot of talking going on, but
that's all.
TAYLOR: There is a lot of talk. Some of the talk can lead to action. And - -
SOARES: Yes --
[14:15:00]
TAYLOR: You're right, it's both diplomatic and military. The military we've talked about. We need to provide those weapons and the defense
against the Russian attacks, but also there is Senator Graham, well, one of the senators in our Senate, has 82 co-sponsors on a bill that would put
very harsh sanctions, much harsher than existing right now on the sale of Russian oil and gas.
And that's what's funding the Russian economy in its support for this military. So, with that decision, the Senate could make a strong statement
about the importance of stopping Russia and of supporting Ukraine. And President Trump will use -- could use that as an indication of where the
Senate is and probably where the House of Representatives, and certainly where the American people are.
The American people support Ukraine and oppose Russia. So, this is what can be done. They can take action both on the military side by providing those
weapons, but also on the economic side to stop to slower -- slow the movement of these resources into the Russian economy.
SOARES: Ambassador William Taylor, always great to get your insight. Thank you very much, sir. Good to see you.
TAYLOR: Isa, thank you very much, thanks for having me.
SOARES: Thank you. Now the ongoing conflict has heightened security concerns right across Europe. In response, Denmark is taking steps to
bolster its defenses in a bid to recruit more soldiers. The Nordic country has expanded its military service to include women, as of Tuesday, women
turning 18 are now required by law to register for potential military conscription. Those measures are already in place for men. CNN's Anna
Stewart spoke with members of the Danish military about the change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marching through the fields and forests with faces painted and weapons in hand. These Danish soldiers
will soon train beside new recruits. Women have been able to take up arms in the Danish Royal Guard since the 1970s. Now the military is looking to
expand and will add women to the law, requiring 18-year-olds to register for a yearly conscription if there aren't enough volunteers.
KENNETH STROM, LEADER, THE DANISH MILITARY'S CONSCRIPTION PROGRAM: Today, 24 percent of the conscripts are females, but they are joining on a
voluntary basis.
STEWART: The law is set to change that percentage since it went into effect July 1st. The move comes as the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, and
Europe's security concerns are heightened. Amid the crisis, Denmark recently announced its efforts to bolster their military and introduced a
five-year plan to increase defense spending by $5.9 billion.
STROM: It's based on the current security situation. In order to get more combat power and have those skills that are needed for either the army,
Navy, Air Force or even the special operation forces.
STEWART: The military plans to further develop those skills by increasing service from four months to 11, starting next February. According to
"Reuters", the military expects the changes to increase the annual number of young people completing their service to 6,500 soldiers by 2033.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I think it's very good for the Danish military because, you know, war is active in the world right now, and we
need to enforce our military in Denmark. So, I think it's good.
STEWART: Some women are looking forward to the potential increase of young female service members, but there are still some accommodations to be made.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now, it's made for men. So, perhaps like the rucksacks are like a bit too large and the uniforms are large as well. But
I do know that they are working on it at the moment. And I think it's -- I think it's going to be something that they're going to achieve.
STEWART: And in 2026, there may be more fitted blue and green uniforms to suit the nation's goal of training more men and women to serve their
nation. Anna Stewart, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Still coming up here on the show, what's next for Sean "Diddy" Combs after a mixed verdict in his high profile sex-trafficking trial.
We'll look at the verdicts and what happens next crucially? Also just how committed are House Republicans to carrying out President Trump's domestic
agenda? We'll look at the bill that could impact the daily lives of millions of Americans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, on Capitol Hill right now, another loyalty test of sorts for House Republicans as they try to drag President Trump's sweeping domestic
agenda bill across the goal line. You're looking there at live images. The House has begun the procedural votes on the Senate version of the
legislation, which, as you know, includes tax cuts, billions for border security and defense.
And while slashing Medicaid nutrition programs and environmental protection. Some Republican hardliners are voting to stall the bill over
the estimated trillions of dollars it's projected to add to the federal deficit. It is, though, a delicate dance for House Speaker Mike Johnson,
who can only afford three no votes within his own party.
Hes hoping for a full vote on the bill as early as today. To Capitol Hill now, CNN's Annie Grayer is tracking developments. I understand they're on
the second vote of the procedural votes. This is all kick-started. But the White House yesterday, Annie, was sounding very confident that this was
still going through. What is the mood like there today? As President Trump I know has been meeting with some GOP holdouts?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, the mood is still in a wait-and-see mode as we look to see how Republicans are going to vote on
this next key procedural vote, because that will give a big indication as to where members are. I mean, we know that Republicans are essentially
divided into two camps right now.
You have a group of more moderate Republicans who think that the Senate's cuts to Medicaid don't align with what they support, which passed the
House. And then you have a group of more right-wing conservatives who say that this bill does not do enough to cut spending. Now, representatives
from both of those groups met with President Trump at the White House earlier today.
I caught up with some lawmakers who were in each of those meetings, and the mood was definitely more positive. It seemed like the President really
listened to their concerns and answered individual questions. Was there for -- in one meeting over two hours, talking to -- coming in and out of those
meetings, talking to members.
But it's going to come down to math and how members decide to vote. We have seen this story before where Republicans, you know, say that they are
against this bill up until the last minute and ultimately decide to support the President, his agenda. But that is going to be the big question here,
because if everyone does show up today -- and again, there were some attendance issues this morning given the weather around D.C.
Republicans can only lose three votes here, and that is still an open question as to whether Speaker Mike Johnson can deliver this. Because
remember, the Senate has already left town. So, Republicans in the House can't make any changes to this bill. So, it's either they need to accept
what's in front of them or go back to the drawing board. But that is -- and I am sure where we are, and we're watching the House floor closely as a lot
of conversations are going on.
SOARES: And, you know, I think it's important talking about the math, it can only really get three no. That speaks to the major fight that Mike
Johnson has on his hands.
[14:25:00]
Have we heard from him? What has he been saying or whether he can get all of them in line?
GRAYER: He still remains optimistic, but he understands that his members need time to --
SOARES: Yes --
GRAYER: Walk through the differences between what's in the Senate bill and what passed in the House. He also knows that members ultimately have to
answer to their districts and vote their conscience. So, he's giving members, I think, room to have these conversations. He's been talking to
everyone across his conference today, but he knows that he is -- he needs to deliver this for the President.
He's been working with the White House and Senate Republicans for months on this. So, his goal is to try and get everyone to yes as soon as possible,
because as we've been reporting, the President wants this on his desk by July 4th.
SOARES: Can you just -- as we're looking at this, as I understand, this is second vote on the procedural votes. How quick do you think we'll get this,
as you know, you were pointing out that the President wants this before July 4th. How quickly are we likely to see them voting here?
GRAYER: Well, that's been interesting as we've been watching the floor activity this morning is, these votes are being held open for a very long
time, and there's a reason for that. That's because Republicans first wanted to take attendance and see how many of their lawmakers were actually
here. And from there, have conversations in person.
There are a lot of side conversations going on, on the floor between different factions of the conference right now. And that's why this vote is
continuing to be held open to allow these conversations to happen. Because there's an old adage on Capitol Hill, you don't want to put a vote on the
floor that's going to fail, and that's the calculus that Republican leaders are making right now is, do they want to move forward with this next key
procedural vote?
This third vote that we're waiting for in this vote series, and risk having it fail, that could, you know, be a huge embarrassment for the President
and the White House, or do they want to continue to hold this vote open and allow for more conversation to happen when they're more confident about
getting all of the votes they need to make this pass?
So, that is the deliberation right now, and we're waiting to see kind of which approach Mike Johnson and his leadership team go with.
SOARES: Really good context, Annie, really appreciate it. Thank you very much. Annie Grayer there. Well, the parent company of "CBS News",
Paramount, has agreed to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump for $16 million. Trump claims "CBS" deliberately edited an interview last year with
Kamala Harris on "60 Minutes" to benefit her and hurt him.
"CBS" has denied any wrongdoing and says the settlement does not include an apology. Paramount says the money will not go to Trump himself, but to his
future presidential library. Paramount is trying to complete a lucrative merger that requires approval from his administration. Tesla has reported
yet another plummet of its electric car sales.
The company is facing backlash from CEO Elon Musk's political activities and more competition from other electric car makers. Tesla reports its
sales fell more than 13 percent, that is the largest year-to-year drop in the company's history. The 384,000 cars it sold last quarter, 60,000 less
than the same period roughly a year ago, just for context.
Now that the verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial has come down, will he be freed from custody until sentencing? That's what we're waiting to find out.
We are live for you live from the courthouse, and then later, talking peace and waging war. Israel escalates deadly strikes on Gaza amid international
efforts to secure a ceasefire. Both those stories after this very short break. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: In about two and a half hours, we should find out if Sean Diddy Combs is allowed to walk free, at least until his sentencing. His attorneys
are asking the judge to release him and the bail hearing is scheduled. This comes after a New York jury found him guilty on two counts of
transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him on more serious charges. Combs was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering
conspiracy, which could have put him imprison for life.
Let me go to Elizabeth Wagmeister, who joins us from outside the courthouse in New York. She has been following this case for some seven weeks or so.
Elizabeth, I've seen as well in the last few moments that the lawyer for Cassie Ventura has submitted a letter to the judge saying -- asking the
judge not to release Combs from custody while he awaits sentencing. Just talk us through what that letter says because that's what is being decided
the next few hours.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. So, after Combs was convicted on those two counts of transportation to engage
in prostitution, well, the defense said that since he has been acquitted on the three most serious charges, that they would like to see him walk out of
this courtroom right behind me, because, again, he has been acquitted on those most serious charges.
The judge then asked both sides, the defense and the prosecution, to submit their motion, which they have. Now, we are awaiting the judge's decision
and we will have a bail hearing at 5:00 p.m. But as you said, Cassie Ventura, who of course is the star witness of this trial, her attorney has
submitted a letter to the judge strongly opposing this, saying that Cassie believes that Sean Combs is a danger to society.
Now, some interesting context. You may remember that before this trial even began, when Combs was arrested in September of 2024, here in New York City,
he was immediately put behind bars and he was denied bail three times by three different judges, one of those judges being the judge who oversaw
this trial. Now, the reason why, well, the prosecutors had said that they believed Combs to be a danger to society and that they also believed that
he had been tampering with witnesses and have been trying to manipulate witnesses from behind bars.
You may remember that when Combs was in jail before this trial, prosecutors said in a letter that Combs had been paying other inmates to use their
phone in jail. So, for all of these reasons, this why we are in pins and needles to see what the judge will decide. Of course, when he denied bail
before the trial, that was well before the trial and before he had been acquitted of three charges.
But again, Sean Combs convicted on two charges. He is now a convicted felon on two felony accounts. That is a stunning downfall for one of the most
famous, powerful, wealthy celebrities and media moguls.
[14:35:00]
So, today, by no doubt is a good day for Sean Combs because it could have been a lot worse. He could have been in facing life in prison and now he
knows that he won't be in prison for the rest of his life. But still, each of these counts on which he was convicted carried 10 years. So, he is
facing the potential of 20 years behind bars.
SOARES: Elizabeth Wagmeister with the very latest there. Thank you very much. And Cassie Ventura's lawyer said, Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs
is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself as well as the community. That's from the letter that was
written and handed to that handed to the judge today.
Let's get more on this. Joining us now is former state and federal prosecutor, David Weinstein. Great to see you, David. Look, a mixed bag
clearly as we've been hearing throughout the day for the defense on the racketeering conspiracy. Your reaction, first of all, to this -- to the
charges.
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND PARTNER, JONES WALKER LLP: Well, you know, when they said they had a verdict as to before
the council were hung on the racketeering conspiracy, quite frankly, you know, to me it seemed based on the questions they were asking, the
testimony they were having read back, that they had found him guilty on at least one of the sex trafficking counts. So, I expected to hear a guilty
verdict. What surprised me was that it was as to the transportation and furtherance of prostitution count and not the sex trafficking count.
As to the racketeering charge, it's a complicated charge, and the jurors were simply having a hard time wrapping themselves around the fact that
this was a criminal enterprise. I think that they expected it to be some sort of organized crime family, some sort of international drug trafficking
family, and that's what they saw as an enterprise. They heard what the defense said, that this was simply an individual running his business. So,
they didn't find the enterprise. I don't think they were hung up on the other parts, the overt acts or anything else.
But it's a mixed bag. He is a convicted felon and he's looking at some time now, and I think realistically, he's not going to get out sentencing.
SOARES: And you heard Elizabeth Wagmeister talking about the letter that's been sent to the judge asking for him not to be released on bail, of
course. We're waiting for that decision to come. When it comes to the sentencing and making the decision, what are the factors here that the
judge, you think, will be weighing up?
WEINSTEIN: He's going to consider a large number of factors here. Some that are going to be strictly on behalf of the defendant, Sean Combs, in
this case. His physical history, his mental history, what he's done in his life prior to getting involved in these bad acts, the type of person he is,
the people he surrounded himself with, whatever good things he's done in his life, whatever mitigating factors he has in his background.
And from the prosecution, he will hear about the things he was convicted of, certain things that he did to advance his -- what the government has
said as his criminal organization. Certain role that he took as an organizer leader, acts of violence that he's committed amongst and upon
these particular victims in this case. They'll try to get into both uncharged conduct and acquitted conduct to convince a judge that a sentence
at the very low end of the advisory guidelines is not sufficient to either deter his future misconduct or to punish him for what he did, and also to
send a message out to others who might considering doing the same type of activity.
A lot of what we've seen in these two letters that were filed at 1:00 today about why he should get out on bond, why he is not a risk of flight, why he
is not a danger to the community, and then by the government as to why he is and amplifying what that one victim had to say about their fear down the
road, if he should be released, at least at this point.
SOARES: Does -- David, does the fact that he has kind of beaten those heavy charges, does that, do you think, have some sort of influence here on
the judge's decision to release him? What do you think on that?
WEINSTEIN: I think it has a small bit of an impact on the decision. I think we can all agree if he was convicted of the RICO charge and he was
looking at life in prison, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. The defense would be asking for bail again, but we wouldn't be having this
discussion.
I think the fact that these jurors, that 12 people went back into the jury room, heard the same evidence the judge did and acquitted this particular
defendant on all but two of the counts, and the two counts of conviction were the least serious, I think that's going to impact somewhat his
decision.
Now, he might disagree with the jurors and just felt they got it wrong or had another reason, and that is going to factor into both sentencing and
then his consideration, ultimately, of whether he presents a risk of flight or a danger to the community.
SOARES: Let's talk about those two charges, because I think they carry a sentence of 10 years in prison. For our viewers just around the world, what
is the likelihood here, David, that he will face them consecutively or, you know, that will face those full 20 years?
[14:40:00]
WEINSTEIN: I think the percentages are low that he is going to face 20 years. That would be if he was sentenced all the way up to the maximum on
each count and the judge ran them consecutively. Now, the judge can certainly come up with a sentence that is run consecutive for each count or
even concurrent, but the advisory sentencing guidelines, as they're calculated right now at a higher end by the government, lower end by the
defense, run anywhere from about 21 months to 63 months. So, that's about a year and a half to about five years, and that's total sentence.
That doesn't bind the judge. He doesn't have to give that sentence, but that's what he's looking at right now, despite the fact that it's 10 years
as to each count. And so, the judge is going to have to decide what's appropriate in this circumstance.
I don't think we're going to see credit for time served and probation this one, not after the testimony we've heard, and certainly the victims who are
going to continue to come forward. But I don't think he's going to exceed that advisory range by that much at all. I don't think we're going to get
up to the 10-year range.
SOARES: David, really appreciate you laying it all out. We'll find out in about two and a half hours, a bit or less than that. Thank you very much
indeed. David Weinstein there.
WEINSTEIN: You're welcome.
SOARES: Now, the man accused in the deadly stabbing of four University of Idaho students has changed his plea to guilty. Bryan Kohberger changed his
plea as part of a controversial deal, which will eliminate the possibility of receiving a death penalty. The 30-year-old was charged with four counts
of first-degree murder. The crime happened in 2022 at the apartment of University of Idaho students. Some of the victim's family members have
spoken out against allowing the plea deal.
There's still no verdict in one of Australia's most high-profile criminal trials. Sequestered jurors in the mushroom murder case have been
deliberating since Monday. 50-year-old Erin Patterson is charged with killing three of her estranged husband's relatives by serving them
poisonous mushrooms for lunch. Patterson denies the charges, which carry a life sentence and calls it all a terrible mistake. The jury will remain
secluded until they reach a unanimous decision the charges of murder and attempted murder. We'll stay across that story for you.
And still to come tonight, promising new statements on a possible ceasefire as well as hostage deal for Gaza, even as new Israeli strikes push the
overall death toll past just a truly devastating mark. We'll bringing you that story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: There's new hope today that a Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal could be on the horizon. And Israeli officials says his country has accepted the
latest proposal. And Hamas is now considering it, saying it's serious and ready, their words, for a deal.
Yet, there still appears to be a major gap on how a temporary truce would actually unfold and who would be left in charge once the war does come to
an end. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and a pullback of Israeli forces. But listen to what Israel's prime minister said just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There will be no Hamas. There will be no Hamas stand. We're not going back to
that. It's over. We will free all our hostages. Oh, come on. How can you say that, those are two conflicting goals? What nonsense? It works
together. We will accomplish it together. Contrary to what people say, we will eliminate them completely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday. President Donald Trump says he expects a ceasefire to come next week. A
truce could save countless lives in Gaza and see some hostages return home. Gaza's health ministry now says more than 57,000 people have been killed in
the war, many of them, as we've been reporting on the show, women and children. It says 142 people were killed just in the last 24 hours alone,
including the director of a prominent hospital along with his wife and daughters.
Well, we've heard positive indications, of course, about a ceasefire before, only of course, to see hopes being dashed. So, what's different
this time around? Our Jeremy Diamond has this report from Tel Aviv for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, since President Trump posted Tuesday night that Israel has agreed to the latest proposal for a
ceasefire and hostage release deal, we've been trying to understand what is new about this latest proposal? What is different from the proposal that
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, presented just a month ago to Israel and to Hamas?
An Israeli official who I've spoken with says that there are indeed stronger assurances from the United States and from the mediators about
reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza, meaning a stronger commitment from the United States to ensure that those negotiations that are supposed
to take place during this 60-day ceasefire and perhaps beyond as well, that they ultimately lead to a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
I'm told that Ron Dermer, the strategic affairs minister, one of Prime Minister Netanyahu's closest advisers, he agreed to this proposal on
Tuesday while he was in Washington. In addition to those stronger assurances, I'm told that Israel has also agreed here to allow for a surge
of humanitarian aid during his 60-day ceasefire through the traditional United Nations run humanitarian channels and not through this controversial
U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Now, the question is, will Hamas accept this? Hamas has now confirmed that they have received this latest proposal, and they say that they are
conducting, quote, "national consultations," but they reiterate once again that they are aiming to reach an agreement that ends the war and secures
the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
And so, the question now is whether or not this stronger language in this latest proposal will be enough to bridge that gap with Hamas. And of
course, Prime Minister Netanyahu still contending with a very volatile domestic political situation as right-wing members of his government,
Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are both signaling opposition to another ceasefire proposal. The prime minister said to convene his full cabinet on
Saturday night to discuss all of this before he heads to Washington Sunday.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Hopefully, we'll get more clarity on this tomorrow. We'll have much more news after this short break. Do stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: And breaking news just coming into CNN. A federal judge has just dealt a major blow to the president -- to President Trump's immigration
crackdown. The move blocks an effort to stop migrants from claiming asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. In his decision, the judge writes, the president
cannot adopt an alternative immigration system.
Priscilla Alvarez is monitoring this, it's her story. She's breaking it for us. So, Priscilla, I mean, this a significant blow to President Trump. Just
talk us through what the judge has said.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Isa. And it targets a signature element of President Donald Trump's agenda, that being
immigration, but more specifically the U.S.-Mexico border.
Now, what this lawsuit was about is a presidential proclamation issued earlier this year that effectively shut down asylum at the U.S.-Mexico
border. That's a departure -- an unprecedented departure from decades long protocol, which allowed migrants to seek asylum along the U.S. southern
border if they crossed unlawfully or if they crossed lawfully. This was targeting all of that.
And in this ruling, issued only moments ago, a federal judge said that the administration does not have the authority to do that. And by doing so,
they violated immigration law. Now, this essentially the argument that the challengers were making, that the administration had no right to seal off
asylum at the U.S. southern border. The administration, however, has said that the president has brought authorities on matters of public safety and
national security to have issued this proclamation.
But the judge, in a very sharply worded decision, said the following, quote, "The president cannot adopt an alternative immigration system, which
supplants the statutes that Congress has enacted."
Now, the judge also stayed this decision for 14 days, and it's likely that the administration will appeal it. But for now, even if it doesn't take
effect immediately, it certainly is a blow to the Trump administration, which earlier today was also touting the low number of border crossers. And
it has been remarkable. Those numbers have plummeted in recent months. They were already declining towards the end of the Biden administration, but it
is something that the administration has talked about often.
And current and former homeland security officials have often cited these policies, clamping down on the U.S. southern border as contributing to the
drop in border crossing. So, this ruling means a lot for this administration, both because it is a blow to their agenda, but also because
often it is sort of cast as a way to keep border numbers low.
So, we'll see what happens from here. Again, this a decision that has stayed for two weeks. The administration likely though to appeal it. Isa.
SOARES: Yes. And on the administration front, is it --- have we heard from the U.S. president on this yet or just too soon? I know the story's just
breaking.
ALVAREZ: We haven't heard from the president yet, or his aides, but to your point, Isa, this happened only moments ago.
SOARES: I know you'll stay across it for us. Thank you very much, Priscilla. Appreciate it.
Well, ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama has announced that he will have a successor after his death. That sets the stage for a high-stake
succession battle read between Tibetan leaders in exile and China's Communist Party. Tibetan Buddhist believes spiritual leaders can choose the
time as well as the place of their rebirth when they die. However, Beijing has long claimed to have authority over the process of the century's old
tradition. That has gradually become a battleground for the control of the autonomous Chinese region of Tibet.
[14:55:00]
And a village near Chicago plans to buy this childhood home of Pope Leo XIV. The small two-story house in Dalton, you can see there, Illinois,
where Robert Prevost lived decades ago, has drawn national attention, as you can imagine, since he was elected pope in May of the (INAUDIBLE). The
village board voted unanimously on Tuesday to take control of the property. Officials acknowledged concerns that traffic is adding strain to warn (ph)
that roads, but they also call the change to buy historic site a once in a lifetime opportunity.
And that does it for this hour of this show. Thank you very much for your company. Do stay right here. "What We Know with Max Foster" is up next. I
she'll see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
