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One World with Zain Asher
Kevin McCarthy Makes History Being Ousted As House Speaker; Police Arrests Killer Of Rapper Tupac Shakur; Pentagon Warns Aid Pipeline To Ukraine Is Running Very Low; Deadly Bus Crash In Venice Kills 21 People; Delhi Police Raids Homes Of 46 Journalists And Contributors Linked To A News Company Called NewsClick; Trump Says He Does Not Have His Eyes On The House Speaker's Job; A Demolition Permit Is Paused On a Former Marilyn Monroe Hacienda. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired October 04, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: For the first time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives has ousted its leader, leaving
Congress paralyzed.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: ONE WORLD starts right now. Kevin McCarthy makes history, ousted after less than nine months. The scramble to find another
Congressional leader has begun.
GOLODRYGA: Trouble in Congress means worries for Ukraine but we've just learned about a new U.S. policy that could change the game. It's a CNN
exclusive.
ASHER: And later, 27 years in the making. The man charged in the murder of Tupac Shakur makes his first court appearance, but he wasn't arraigned.
GOLODRYGA: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. So good to be with you. So much going on. The U.S. House of Representatives is pretty much now paralyzed. It cannot move
forward with anything until it finds a new Speaker. The civil war within the Republican Party exploded late Tuesday as a handful of Republicans
ousted Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker's chair.
GOLODRYGA: It is the first time ever that a speaker has been voted out of office in the middle of
their term. McCarthy says he fears for the future of the House if just a few members can up end the entire legislative process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN MCCARTHY, OUSTED U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I made history, didn't I? My fear is the institution fell today because you can't do the job if eight
people -- you have 94 percent -- or 96 percent of your entire conference, but eight people can partner with the whole other side.
UNKNOWN: When you look back, is there anything you could have done differently with those eight members?
MCCARTHY: A lot of them, I helped get elected. So, I probably should have picked somebody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So, the big question now is, what comes next? The House is in recess until the middle of next week while Republicans try the figure out
who can rally enough support to be the next Speaker.
ASHER: Right. And in terms of names that have been floated around majority leaders Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are the
biggest names -- you see a few other names on your screen.
But those are bigger names -- biggest names that have been floated around, so far.
Jordan confirmed earlier that he will indeed run for the job. Let's bring in CNN's Melanie Zanona on the Capitol Hill for the very latest. So,
Melanie, if not Kevin McCarthy, then who?
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yeah, well, Republicans are really trying to pick up the pieces right now in the wake of yesterday's
historic vote. A vote that really shocked a lot of House Republicans. But shortly after the vote, we're told that there were some Republicans who are
making calls and trying to line up supporters to become the next Speaker.
That includes Steve Scalise, he's the number two Republican, the majority leader. He has been calling some of his allies and being already told he
already has a good amount of support in the conference.
And then there's Jim Jordan. He is the Judiciary Committee Chairman. He is someone who is a -- more of a conservative pick. He was the former co-
founder of the far-right House freedom caucus but he has become more of a leadership and Kevin McCarthy ally in recent years. Hence, why he ascended
to the top of that Committee on the powerful Judiciary Committee
But right now, House Republicans, a number of them from the Texas delegation are meeting in the Capitol and they are hearing from those exact
candidates who are making their pitch and trying to make the case for why they should be the next Speaker.
So, already, a lot of movement underway here. But as of right now, the House is paralyzed until they can elect a new Speaker. No other business
can be conducted in the House until they elect a Speaker. And we're that they're not going to probably do that until next Wednesday at the earliest.
ASHER: All right, Melanie Zanona, live for us there. Thank you so much. We'll be watching that vote closely.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Republican Congressman Anthony D'Esposito who did not support McCarthy's ouster joins us now live from Washington.
Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time to join us. So, you said not to count McCarthy out given his speech -- his farewell speech last
night. It appears that he is taking himself out of the running.
So, in terms of a replacement, and the names that have already been mentioned, is there anyone that you would say you would support now? Is it
Jim Jordan? Is it Steve Scalise?
REP. ANTHONY D'ESPOSITO (R-NY): I think it's a little early for that. I think that everyone is getting their -- really decompressing from last
evening and what went on here on Capitol Hill.
And I think, over the next couple of days, and obviously into the weekend, we will speak to everyone who's interested and hopefully we can come up
with one the best option and come out as a unified front for this country.
[12:05:00]
ASHER: Congressman, Zain here. Just in terms of possibly what may have been Speaker McCarthy's biggest mistake. I mean, the fact that only one person
could call that motion to vacate, put him in a very difficult position. Going forward, whoever replaces him, would that -- would that rule whereby
only one person can call that motion to vacate -- how does the next Speaker actually have the freedom to do his job effectively?
D'ESPOSITO: Well, I think that's a great question. I think the answer to it is we need to
immediately change that rule. And this is not about the individual, it's not about even the
party. It's not about Republicans or Democrats.
It's about this country and to have -- and leave the ability for one individual, one egotistical maniac who wants to cause havoc like Matt
Gaetz, to give him the opportunity to do that again would be a shame and completely derelict of our duties. We need to change that rule immediately.
GOLODRYGA: So, as you just noted, you haven't held back your true feelings about Matt Gaetz. Last week, you referred to him as a grandstanding A-hole
with a personal vendetta against McCarthy. Several Republicans have called for Gaetz to be censored, perhaps even expelled from the party. Is that
something you would support right now?
D'ESPOSITO: I'm not sure what the right answer is to that, but I do know that there needs to be consequences for actions. We work hard. And one of
the biggest things that I've been mentioning in the last 24 hours is, I mean, he is such a hypocrite in that he criticized Speaker McCarthy and
other Republicans like me for last Saturday voting in a bipartisan fashion to put forth that CR across the floor to make sure that we can keep our
government open for 45 days.
Yesterday, in his motion to vacate, him and a small group, a very, very small group of Republicans joined forces with every single Democrat on the
floor, including those to the far left, the ones that he hates the most. He voted with them to uproot our democracy and to have Speaker McCarthy vacate
the seat.
ASHER: You know, a lot of people -- a lot of moderate Republicans, I should say, have been pointing the finger and blaming Matt Gaetz for all of this.
But how do you explain to your constituents -- your constituents back home, the level of dysfunction, right, the level of chaos that seems to be
hanging over the Republican majority here?
D'ESPOSITO: Well, I don't think that there's a lot, although it seems like it's chaotic. I think the chaos is coming from a very small group of
individuals led by Matt Gaetz. We saw yesterday --
ASHER: Ousting a House Speaker -- ousting a House Speaker for the first time in U.S. history, I think that would constitute as somewhat chaotic.
GOLODRYGA: From within your own party.
D'ESPOSITO: But if you look at our party, over 96 percent of our party was in unison yesterday. That's -- that McCarthy should have remained our
speaker. It was a very small group who sided with the far-left Democrats and the Democrats in the House to do what they did yesterday.
GOLODRYGA: So, two pressing issues just got more complicated given the events that took place yesterday, and that is keeping the government open.
We've just extended the CR for now. It looks like we're about 40 days and more funding for Ukraine.
Though you support checks and balances, I know you do support continued funding for Ukraine. How do you make that work, given that you are
leaderless, speakerless, at this point, and Congress is frozen for at least a week?
D'ESPOSITO: Well, we're definitely not leaderless. We have a leader in Steve Scalise. But yes, we need to move quickly. We need to move
efficiently, and we need to move as a party. There's no reason that we should be getting into a speaker vote that lasts 15 rounds again.
We need to go to conference on Tuesday. We need to come up with a plan. And hopefully by Wednesday morning or Wednesday afternoon, we're voting on a
new Speaker so that we can get to work for the American people.
We put this continuing resolution in place so that we had time in order to put the appropriation bills on the floor to keep this government open. And
now, because of the stunt pulled yesterday by Matt Gaetz, that is getting delayed.
ASHER: All right, Congressman Anthony D'Esposito, thank you so much for coming.
D'ESPOSITO: Thanks so much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the political chaos on Capitol Hill could be a big gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on.
Republicans scrambling now to find a replacement for Kevin McCarthy, and Washington's inaction affecting the action on Ukraine's front lines. New
funding cannot be approved until there is a new U.S. House Speaker.
ASHER: The Pentagon is already warning that the aid pipeline to Ukraine is running very low and many analysts say Kyiv burns through about two and a
half billion dollars' worth of equipment and munitions alone every single month.
GOLODRYGA: So, we're just learning of a move that could ease some of the critical shortages facing Ukraine's military, at least temporarily. The
U.S. has transferred over one million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces.
[12:10:00]
And CNN understands more confiscated equipment, including weapons, are set to follow. CNN's Natasha Bertrand is following the story, which was alerted
first on CNN and joins us live from the Pentagon.
So, this was an issue that's been debated over the past few months, what to do with the weapons that had been seized from Iran. It appears now, as
we've been reporting with your reporting, that the U.S. has made a final decision.
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: That's right, Bianna. So, over the last several months, they have been trying to find a legal pathway
to do this, and the Justice Department has been working with the Pentagon and the White House to figure out how they can take these seized weapons
that they have seized from Iranian shipments going to Yemen to support the Houthis there and use them to support Ukraine, because obviously, Ukraine
is facing pretty critical ammunition and weapon shortages at this time.
Now, they have apparently figured out a way, which is through civil forfeiture. Essentially, the Justice Department has taken control over
these seized weapons and ammunition, and that allows the U.S. to use them as they see fit. And so, what we're seeing now is that that process has
already begun.
The U.S. already transferred over one million rounds of that seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainians on Monday, and it is our understanding that is
only the beginning. The U.S. has seized thousands and thousands of assault rifles and other weapons and equipment from the Iranians over the last
several months as part of a broader campaign to interdict the Iranian smuggling network that is going to Yemen and fueling the war there.
So, instead of just keeping these weapons in storage, the U.S. has taken the advice of many advocates who say, look, Ukraine could really use these.
And I think that, you know, it's important for the symbolism, as well, because as you know, Iran and Russia have a partnership, and Iran has been
helping Russia in its war in Ukraine, sending them drones and other equipment.
So, this could really drive a wedge between the two countries now that Iranian equipment and ammunition will start showing up on the battlefield
in Ukrainian hands. Bianna. Zain.
GOLODRYGA: But no doubt, relief for Ukraine as any additional aid is warranted and very welcomed for them at this point. I want to get you to
weigh in on longer term, Natasha, what this means given what's happening in Washington for continued aid to Ukraine.
We're just getting an alert that Jim Jordan, who said that he is running for Speaker, would oppose an aid package for Ukraine. This is something
that the -- I know Ukrainian leadership had been alarmed about, as well as other U.S. allies. Now, it seems to be a real pressing issue in Washington,
as well.
BERTRAND: It's going to be a really tough fight and I think the administration is definitely concerned about because they are running
extraordinarily low on funds.
The Defense Department wrote a letter to members of Congress just last weekend saying that if the new funding is not approved, then they really
only have about a couple of months left of funding and the Ukrainians could eventually run dry and any kind of gap between what the Ukrainians are able
to use in terms of their fight against Russia, and of course, the Russian onslaught, that is very dangerous especially going into winter.
And so, one of the big things the administration, of course, is going to be looking at is amongst these candidates for House Speaker -- are they pro-
Ukrainian? Are they in favor of supporting the additional support to the Ukrainians?
Right now, one of the leading contenders, Jim Jordan, he apparently is saying that he is not in favor of that. It remains to be seen whether he
can be swayed or whether the other candidates will be able to be lobbied by the administration. But it is definitely an extremely critical moment for
the Ukrainians as they wait for that additional U.S. support. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Jim Jordan telling our Manu Raju, quote, "I am against that." We will continue to follow this story. Natasha Bertrand, thank you
so much for breaking it for us.
ASHER: All right, still to come here, Donald Trump takes aim at the New York Attorney General, yet again on day three of his courtroom appearance
in a civil fraud trial. We'll have a live report for you just ahead.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, journalists in India targeted by police. Protesters say this is how the Modi government tries to shut down critical media. We've
got reaction from New Delhi ahead.
ASHER: And an Italian official is saying there are no signs this bus breaks before plunging off an overpass killing 21 people. So, what exactly did
cause this terrible tragedy? We'll have that story next.
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[12:15:00]
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GOLODRYGA: Italian officials have released graphic video of a deadly bus crash near Venice. Now, if you look closely at the highlighted video we're
showing you right now, you'll see the horrifying moment when a passenger bus plunged from an overpass on Tuesday. Sadly, children were among the 21
people killed in the accident.
ASHER: Right, rescue crews were at the scene. This is moments after the bus crashed or rather plunged to the ground. It is not clear yet exactly why it
happened, why exactly the bus left the road. But a public prosecutor told Italian media, there are no signs of the bus break or tried to break or
that it had contact with other vehicles before it fell from the overpass. Here's our Ben Wedeman with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: CCTV catches the moment at 38 past 7 P.M. Tuesday when the bus crashed through an overpass
guardrail outside Venice. What followed was an apocalyptic scene in the words of the city's mayor. The electric-powered bus plummeted 15 meters,
about 30 feet, onto railroad tracks, then burst into flames.
At least 21 died from the fall or the resulting inferno, including two children with more than a dozen injured. The bus caught fire, and so we had
first extinguished the flames in order to get inside, says the spokesman for the fire brigade.
We carried out a rapid intervention, which allowed us to save 15 people, but unfortunately, we could do nothing for the victims. Most of those
victims were on their way to a tourist camp on the outskirts of Venice, among them -- Ukrainians, Germans, French, Croatians and Austrians.
The Venice prosecutor has launched an investigation into the crash using videos of the crash to determine if other vehicles were involved and also
looking into the possibility the driver, a 40-year-old Italian national who also died in the crash, may have suffered a health issue. So far, there's
much speculation but little else that provide clues to why this disaster happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: That was our Ben Wedeman there. All right, you're looking at flood waters -- images of flood waters that have completely inundated parts of
Northeast India, leaving at least five people dead. As you can see here, roads have pretty much turned into lakes, homes submerged underwater.
The floods were triggered by really heavy rain. And officials in the state of Sikkim are saying that even though three people were rescued during a
search and rescue operation. Twenty-three people are still missing at this point. The local government said the rising waters have completely
destroyed bridges and forced them to evacuate hundreds of people to temporary camps.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, protesters in New Delhi are speaking out against police raids on the homes of dozens of journalists.
[12:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Protesters say the raids were an attack on press freedom. CNN's Vedika Sud picks up the story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: There's been widespread condemnation from journalists and activists here in India over the raids conducted by the
Delhi police on the offices of a news website that has often been critical of the Indian government.
On Tuesday, the Delhi police raided homes of 46 journalists and contributors linked to a news company called NewsClick. Police say the
founder of the media outlet and a colleague have been arrested and an investigation is underway in connection with a controversial Anti-Terrorism
Law that critics have called Draconian.
Under this law, it's difficult for an individual under investigation to receive bail. Students, journalists, civil society groups and political
opponents have organized protests across Delhi, Wednesday, to express solidarity with those questioned and arrested.
MUDITA SINGH KUSHWAHA, STUDENT: From here, we want to send this message to the government that the more power you will use to, you know, come down on
independent journalists, on media, on people, on common citizens, the more power, with more power the people are going to fight back.
SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN, FOUNDING EDITOR, THE WIRE: The fact that terrorism charges can be levelled against a news organization and its 76-year-old
founder and editor can be sent behind bars, sends a message to the media as a whole in India that you exercise your freedom of the press at great risk.
SUD: Responding to a question on Tuesday's raids, India's information minister Anurag Thakur said he didn't need to justify the actions of the
police.
ANURAG THAKUR, INDIA'S INFORMATION MINISTER (through translator): If anyone has committed anything wrong, agencies are free to carry out investigations
against them under set guidelines.
SUD: Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance, India's press freedom ranking has fallen dramatically. This year, the country was ranked 161 out
of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index, published by "Reporters Without Borders".
Tuesday's crackdown comes almost eight months after the Indian tax authorities raided the BBC's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai after it aired
a documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the Gujarat 2002 riots. Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, it's been about two weeks since Azerbaijan took control of the breakaway region, Nagorno-Karabakh, in a lightning offensive. And
since then, most of the 120,000 ethnic Armenians who live there have since fled to Armenia, leaving behind a near-deserted capital that a Red Cross
crisis leader describes as surreal. CNN's Scott McLean has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The view from the ground shows road after road of abandoned shops and homes. From above,
what was once a bustling city just two weeks ago, now all but cleared out. The town square, a desolate ghost town filled only with belongings left
behind.
On the road to Armenia, broken down vehicles have been ditched, one still with a trunk full of clothing. A U.N. mission reported estimates of between
only 50 and 1000 ethnic Armenians still inside Nagorno-Karabakh. Everyone else was either afraid or unwilling to live under Azerbaijani rule.
UNKNOWN (through translator): My 9-year-old son says, let's go back to Stepanakert and live in a brocade without any sweets or any food, but at
least in a home.
MCLEAN (voice-over): The Red Cross is now going around the empty city of what Armenians call Stepanakert, looking for the tiny number of people
still left.
MARCO SUCCI, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: The elderly who, too, cannot move. Bedridden patients who were left with food, provisions
and water just close to the bed in order to be fed and fine for a few days. It's really heart-breaking to see how difficult it has been for those
living, but also how difficult it is for those who remain here.
MCLEAN: All told, well over 100,000 people have fled to Armenia. Is that the desired outcome?
HIKMET HAJIYEV, ADVISER TO AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT: No. In no way that's the desired outcome because Azerbaijan on multiple occasions and through
different channels, and also publicly stated that we are providing rights and security of Armenian residences in Karabakh.
[12:25:00]
After the post-conflict situations, there are elements of panic. Unfortunately, it also happens. And also, what we see is there was an
element of manipulation by the illegal regime, as they tried also to spread panic among the civilian population.
MCLEAN (voice-over): Hajiyev would not unequivocally say that all ethnic Armenians would be entitled to keep or sell their homes in Nagorno-
Karabakh. But Azerbaijan has promised and delivered freedom of movement to allow people to leave, even for those who took up arms.
Though there are some high-profile exceptions, like the former state minister Ruben Vardanyan arrested on the border. His children have pleaded
for international help securing his release. Meanwhile, the president of the former separatist government, Samvel Shahramanyan, is still in the
region.
MCLEAN: He has not been arrested.
HAJIYEV: He's not under the arrest and he continues his interaction with appropriate Azerbaijan authorities.
MCLEAN: Is it possible that he will be arrested?
HAJIYEV: I don't know. I don't have an answer to that question because it's a legal question and therefore there should be legal answer for that.
MCLEAN: Meanwhile, in Armenia, the parliament voted to join the International Criminal Court. The hope is to get justice for alleged crimes
across the border in Azerbaijan on a piece of land that very few Armenians still live on. Scott McLean, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right, well, coming up for us, the Republican Party is tearing itself apart. So, who, if anyone, can unite it? We'll look at two
potential contenders to be the new House Speaker in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Well, paralyzed, leaderless, stuck. No matter how you put it, the reality is the U.S. House of Representatives
cannot do anything until it gets itself a new Speaker.
ASHER: That's because a handful of Republican -- rebel Republicans, I should say, did the unthinkable on Tuesday, voting out their own elected
leader, launching a scramble to find someone who can actually unite the party and take control of the House. There is actually real urgency here in
terms of picking somebody else.
The clock is ticking on a mid-November deadline for Congress to agree on a Spending Bill to keep the government open. The GOP will meet on Tuesday, so
candidates for the Speaker's job can make their pitch. On Wednesday, they hope to elect a new Speaker. And while they try to move forward, most
Republicans are frustrated their party is going through this kind of upheaval.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY ARMSTRONG, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I got to congratulate my eight Republican colleagues. They gave Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden unified
control of government in D.C.
MICHAEL MCCAUL, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: We don't have a speaker. Eight of our members voted with all the Democrats to oust them. And now, we have to
spend time, you know, deciding what we're going to do.
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: Eight people in the Republican Party managed to pull off a time machine. We're in January 2nd again right
now, and everything else is just hooey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Just hooey is one way to describe it. Several names have cropped up as potential candidates, including Steve Scalise, who was number two to
McCarthy in the Republican leadership. And just a short time ago, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan said that he planned to run for the job.
ASHER: Time now for The Exchange. And joining us live now is CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein. Ron --
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
ASHER: What a 24 hours, right? So much to talk about.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.
ASHER: My question to you is, are Democrats in for a rude awakening here? I mean, the decision not to rescue Kevin McCarthy, just to sort of let him
fall on his own sword, is that going to backfire for Democrats? Do you think really, or rather do they think really, that Speaker Jim Jordan, for
example, is actually going to be better for them than Kevin McCarthy? I think not.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. No. It's a complex calculation because in practical terms, high likelihood, as you know, is that if Kevin McCarthy was forced
out, whatever came next would be even more beholden to the right in the Republican Party and more confrontational with Democrats, more
confrontational with the White House, less likely to be cooperative on critical issues like aid to Ukraine.
All that's true. But -- there is a but. And that is that there is a point of view in the Democratic Party that the worse, the better, the more
chaotic the Republican caucus appears, the more likely the Democrats will win back the House in 2024.
And there's evidence of that, Zain, from 2022, which is that we had an unusually large number of voters who said they were dissatisfied with the
way things were going in the country, dissatisfied with Biden's performance, and voted Democratic anyway because they view the Republican
alternative as too extreme. A Jim Jordan speakership would certainly give the Democrats plenty of moments to make that case again in 2024.
GOLODRYGA: Ron, are you surprised not that this happened, but how it played out, that a motion to vacate went through without McCarthy even making a
way for him to perhaps work with Democrats, having any sort of plan in place for himself, given that he knew this was just a ticking time bomb,
and also these eight Republicans not having an heir apparent in place before they voted to oust him?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, you know, Bianna, in one sense, this is really, as I wrote today, a continuation of what we have seen almost for 50 years. I
mean, Newt Gingrich rose to prominence in the 80s by arguing that the Republican leaders in the Congress at the time were too quick to make a
deal -- deals with Democrats, even if you use Reagan, by the way, being too accommodating to Democrats.
He becomes Speaker. He gets a rebellion on his right from people who thought that he was too quick to make deals with Bill Clinton. We saw the
pattern again under John Boehner after 2010 and Paul Ryan when he became a speaker after each of them, or basically, you know, left the job one step
ahead of the lynch mob on the right that wanted to push them out.
So, there is always a piece of the Republican conference who believes that the principal goal of Congress is not really to legislate or to kind of
keep the machine running. It's to show maximum resistance through any means necessary or available to the democratic agenda.
And, you know, I think McCarthy understood that this sort of Damocles was hanging over him from the moment he made that decision to get the
speakership by allowing a single member to file this motion to vacate. It really wasn't in his personality or his political orientation to make a
deal with Democrats to run the place on a bipartisan, on a more bipartisan basis.
[12:35:00]
So, I'm not surprised that it played out. I'm also not surprised that they don't really have a Plan B but I do think that there will be a lot of
incentive even among these eight to kind of come to a conclusion fairly quickly because they understand they're on thin ice in their conference.
ASHER: I mean, that's exactly it. That's exactly why we're here. It's because the agenda has pivoted from, you know, actually governing, just in
terms of the Republican majority, to thwarting the Democrats at every turn. I do want to ask about Donald Trump, because McCarthy is somebody who has
stuck his neck out for Donald Trump several times.
After January 6, he went to Mar-a-Lago, he kissed the ring, even opening the impeachment inquiry into President Biden was all about placating and
appeasing Donald Trump. Yet on McCarthy's worst day, okay, on his worst day, where was Donald Trump?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, I think he was in court, literally. But yes, the point is --
ASHER: Minor details, minor details.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, you know, Donald Trump has made clear throughout his career that he views loyalty as an absolutely one-way street. He demands
total loyalty and, in fact, looks for ways and moments to demonstrate, forces others in the party to demonstrate subservience to him in a manner
similar to autocratic leaders, you know, the world.
I mean, the way in which he kind of pressures Republicans to stand behind him, to show that they're behind him 100 percent even as he's getting
indicted, for example. But he doesn't really return the favor ever.
You know, there's a lot of, it's one of many reasons why you can shake your head at how Republicans have continued to kind of circle the wagons around
Trump at each moment. They've had an opportunity to separate from him. They've chosen not to.
But look, Trump is a manifestation of what we were just talking about, that there is a big audience in the Republican coalition. There's a big portion
of the Republican coalition that believes they are being marginalized and displaced by all the ways America is changing, culturally, demographically,
and economically.
And what they want above all, more than any specific agenda, is someone who will fight against those changes by any means available. And that's what
the rebels and the House were reflecting. That is the wave that Trump has ridden to become the most prominent figure in the GOP.
And it is one that ultimately produced January 6th. I wrote today, January 6th was one manifestation of that. Kevin McCarthy's fall was another
manifestation of that. We have not seen the last manifestation of that.
GOLODRYGA: Ron, in terms of what this means for the American people and internationally, I mean, does this raise the odds of a government shutdown
in 40 days, given what's happened in Washington over the last 24 hours? And does it put a standalone bill for Ukraine even more in peril?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, and yes, I think. I mean, as I said, I think whoever comes into this job next will have to be even more concerned about the
critics on the right with one possible escape hatch here. I don't consider it inconceivable that whoever takes the job next does so on the condition
of eliminating that rule change that McCarthy agreed to where a single member could file a motion to vacate.
And that might give them more freedom to maneuver here. You know, the point about the government shutdown as McCarthy correctly understood, that
Republicans would not be in a better position to negotiate for what they want after shutting down the government than they were before.
So, there was really no reason to take the risk of being blamed for inconveniencing and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans. That
calculation will still be true in 45 days, and it's possible that the next leader will make the same judgment as he did.
Ukraine is a different story, because, you know, there is this growing isolation, a streak in the Republican party that Trump exemplifies. I mean,
the fact that you have the two leading candidates in the presidential race, Trump and DeSantis, both largely opposing further aid to Ukraine.
It is going to be a rocky path. I would suspect they still will find a way to do it in the near term, but the longer this goes on, the more that
Republican opposition spreads and the greater the threat becomes to, in effect, give Putin what he wants by pulling back our support.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, really telling that the President of the United States has to reassure allies that U.S. support is there given where we were a year
ago where he was actually having to convince allies to support Ukraine with more aid. Ron Brownstein, a crazy 24 hours. We're grateful to have you on
to break it all down for us.
BROWNSTEIN. Thanks so much. Yeah.
GOLODRYGA: Well, a final farewell to a trailblazer. As you can see here, people are lining up to pay their respects to Senator Dianne Feinstein in
her hometown of San Francisco.
[12:40:00]
ASHER: Right there. She is lying in state at City Hall where she once served as mayor. Feinstein passed away Thursday night after months of
declining health at the age of 90 and just moments ago, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid her respects to her dear friend. They shared a
very long friendship on the news of Feinstein's death, Pelosi said, quote, "My family loved her personally and politically in every way."
There is Nancy Pelosi there, paying her respects to the late senator Diane Feinstein. All right, still to come here after the break. Thanks, but no
thanks. Donald Trump brushes off suggestions he could be the next Speaker of the House --
GOLODRYGA: Why not?
ASHER: -- as he heads into day three of his civil floor trial. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Donald Trump says that he is focused on running again for the U.S. presidency and does not have his eyes on the House Speaker's job.
The former president's remarks came ahead of his third day in a New York courtroom. He, his two adult sons, and others face civil fraud charges,
which could deal a serious blow to the Trump business empire.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, on Tuesday, the judge in the case rebuked Trump for attacking the court clerk in a social media post. He is now banned, all
parties, from making public comments about his staff.
CNN's Brynn Gingras joins us live from New York. So, Brynn, is the former president adhering to that partial gag order?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So far, he certainly was a little bit more tempered when he went into the courtroom this morning. I
can tell you that our colleague Elaine (ph) learned from a source that actually he's going to be leaving when it comes to the lunch part of the
day, which is in just about 15 minutes, guys.
We're told he'll leave after lunch and he'll go to the airport to head to Mar-a-Lago before a campaign event this weekend. So, he won't be in the
afternoon session. And he's been pretty animated inside that session, being a little flustered by some of the balls and strikes that the judge is
currently calling in regards to the reviewing of documents that is happening right now through cross-examination.
But listen, you guys just talked about the big headline that was yesterday, and that is that gag order that was issued to everyone really in the
courtroom, the defendants and the state's attorney's office.
And that is because Trump posted a picture of the judge's clerk with Senate Majority Chuck Schumer and in that Truth Social post, he said, that she was
his girlfriend without any evidence to support that.
[12:45:00]
And this is the judge who Trump has attacked personally, but it does seem that this was just a bridge too far. The judge came to the bench yesterday
afternoon and immediately admonished that, said it needed to be taken down, and basically said if anybody posts anything or says anything about anyone
on his staff, that there was going to be some strict sanctions.
Now, it's not clear what that exactly means. There's no written order there. We do know both parties met with the judge after court was over
yesterday. So, I'm imagining that was discussed.
So, yeah, he's a little bit more tempered in his statements, more just arguing and upset about what's going on inside the courtroom. And it will
be interesting to see guys going forward, when does he return after he leaves today?
He has expressed some interest in testifying. He's on the witness list for both the state's side and the defense. And so, we'll see. Does he come back
when he takes his stand or does he come back for more testimony? So, we'll keep our eyes and ears to that. Guys.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it is notable that he's been in court three days in a row. Brynn, you're reporting that he will be going back to Florida though, this
afternoon. Thanks so much Brynn.
ASHER: And one more note on Donald Trump and his business empire. Forbes is saying that he is no longer among the richest Americans.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. This one's got to hurt knowing how much he prizes these lists. The annual Forbes 400 list does not include Trump this year. Now,
Forbes estimates Trump's net worth at $2.6 billion, about $300 million short of the cutoff to be among the 400 richest people in the U.S. Forbes
says the main reason Trump fell off that list was a deal to merge his social media company remains in limbo.
ASHER: All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, a battle to save a piece of Hollywood history is brewing in Los Angeles. Efforts to save Marilyn
Monroe's bungalow -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the suspect charged with the murder of Rapper Tupac Shakur all the way back in 1996 made his first court appearance today and could
not be arraigned. Counsel for Duane Keith Davis, who is known as Keefe D, was not present in court, delaying the arraignment for two weeks. Davis
will be held without bail. It took police more than 25 years to get to this point, many calling it justice for a legend.
[12:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Police say Shakur's shooting stemmed from a conflict between two gangs in Compton, California, and now Davis, who is 60 years old, the shot
caller for the group that carried out the crimes. CNN's Josh Campbell joins us live now from Los Angeles. So, Josh, first of all, talk to us about what
happened in court today, because he couldn't be arraigned. He didn't have a lawyer. That's now been sort of postponed for a couple of weeks.
But just really, also, how we got to this point. Tupac died 25 years ago, this is a man who has talked openly about killing Tupac or being involved
in Tupac's murder for years, if not more than a decade. Why is this only happening now?
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No, it's a great question and the court that you talked about that appearance was very brief because it
appears as though this defendant is still trying to locate his attorney. The attorney wasn't available to come into court today, so the judge did
agree to push this back two weeks.
As far as the timing, I mean, this is the big question. This seemingly came out of nowhere on Friday when law enforcement in Las Vegas announced that
after nearly three decades, they finally made an arrest in the murder of Tupac Shakur. This individual, Duane Davis, police described as the shot
caller in this group of people that were allegedly retaliating against Tupac Shakur.
Now, they showed this video from near the incident on the Las Vegas Strip again, nearly three decades ago, where this group with Tupac Shakur and one
of his associates allegedly attacked the nephew of the defendant. And then the defendant got a group together to go hunt down police say Tupac Shakur
and that resulted in this vehicle pulling alongside Shakur. Someone in that car opened fire, killing him and injuring the driver.
But there's been this question for all this time about who actually did it. Now, this individual, Duane Davis, as you mentioned, he has not been quiet.
He's been out there publicly talking about the circumstances. He even admitted that he was in the vehicle. He said that he had nothing to do with
the murder, but he's not someone who's been quiet.
And we actually had a former law enforcement officer from Los Angeles on CNN who said that back in 2009, this individual confessed to police about
his involvement, as well, but it couldn't be used against him based on the circumstances. So, we still have that looming question, why now after all
this time?
Finally, we do know that in July of this year, so just a couple months ago, police did execute a search warrant at a home associated with this
defendant. Could they have found something in there that was important here? That we'll have to wait and see, guys.
ASHER: Well, I think the good news is that this all represents some degree of closure, I guess for Tupac's family members. I know that his mother
passed away already, so she didn't live to see this moment, but does represent closure for his family members and for fans, as well. I'm a huge
Tupac fan, and so this moment means a lot. Josh Campbell, live for us. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: That makes the both of us huge Tupac fans.
ASHER: Who knew that Bianna was a Tupac fan?
GOLODRYGA: Oh boy. We'll have a whole other segment on that another time. Meantime, we want to tell you this story. The house where Marilyn Monroe
spent the final months of her life has been saved from the wrecking ball, for now, at least.
Demolition plans by the new owners are being put on hold amid efforts to designate the bungalow as a historic cultural monument. From Los Angeles,
Nick Watt reports for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRACI PARK, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL: Marilyn Monroe made the Brentwood bungalow at issue today her home.
NICK WATT, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): And City Councilwoman Tracy Park sported a hair and makeup homage for her fight to save that home.
PARK: This was the only home she ever owned, and it's the home where she tragically died 61 years ago last month.
REPORTER: One of the most famous stars in Hollywood history is dead at 36. Marilyn Monroe was found dead in bed under circumstances that were in
tragic contrast to her glamorous career as a comic talent.
WATT: An overdose, the coroner said it was probably suicide, more than a year after the release of her final film, "The Misfits".
GAY, "THE MISFITS": What makes you so sad?
ROSLYN, "THE MISFITS": You're the first man ever said that. I'm usually told how happy I am.
WATT: The house, a near 100-year-old hacienda on half an acre, sold in August for over eight million dollars. The new owners, who apparently also
own the house next door, applied for a permit -- a demolition permit.
WATT: Here in L.A., people love to knock stuff down.
UNKNOWN: It is part of the story of L.A. L.A. is always reinventing itself. If you can't see sometimes touch the place, visit the place, the history,
the story, the people connected to it are just less real.
WATT: For now, the demo permit is paused while city officials debate giving this house historic protected status. Why shouldn't they be allowed to do
what they want with what they bought?
UNKNOWN: Even if it is ultimately designated as an historic cultural monument, you can add onto it, you can make modifications, you can still be
living, breathing, changing, but still be there to help tell the story of Marilyn Monroe.
[12:55:00]
WATT: Monroe fans, conservationists and the councilwoman are confident they can save this suburban slice of Hollywood history.
PARK: To her and to us, this residence is more than just a brick and mortar structure, it is a symbol of her journey.
WATT: Now, the new owners of Marilyn Monroe's house, there it is just behind that wall and the bamboo. You can just see the tiles on the roof
there -- the new owners have been keeping a pretty low profile, but I did manage to get a text message from them.
It reads, "We are optimistic that we will be able to work with the city and Councilwoman Park to reach an agreement that recognizes Marilyn Monroe's
legacy, respects our neighbors and reflects our hopes and concerns." Let's see what happens. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
ASHER: All right, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I am Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. Always great to be with you -- another day. "Amanpour" is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
