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Some Lawmakers Dodge Canceled Flights, Drive to D.C.; Verdict Reached in Sean Diddy Combs Sex Trafficking Trial; Combs Guilty of Prostitution, Acquitted of More Serious Charges. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 02, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, still deliberating. Right now, the jury and the Sean Diddy Combs trial is trying to agree on one count after reaching a verdict on the other four, what their notes indicate about the deadlock.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, showdown in the House. Lawmakers are now working to push President Trump's mega bill back through the House, but there are deep divides.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

This morning, House Republicans have weather issues and possibly a math problem. Summer storms have canceled a lot of flights as lawmakers are struggling to get back to Washington and vote on the new version of President Trump's spending tax bill. Many lawmakers have abandoned flight plans for a road trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): (INAUDIBLE) Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi here in Moline, Illinois. We had multiple stops here in downstate where I'm originally from, and I'm off to Washington, D.C., right now. My flights got canceled. And so we're going to drive overnight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: House Republicans, like Nancy Mace, are also feeling the pressure to drive themselves to Washington.

The GOP holds a razor thin majority in the House, and even with everyone present, can only afford to lose three votes. Now, many House Republicans are voicing doubts about changes in the new Senate version narrowly hammered out by the Senate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I don't know what's going to happen in the house. They're going to take it up pretty soon. Do they have the votes to pass exactly what we did? I don't know.

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): My colleagues in the Senate failed us. My colleagues in the Senate failed us.

REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC): I think the founders and the 56 signers of Declaration of Independence would be astounded they were adding debt to our children and grandchildren who are defenseless.

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): Every change you make on one side of the bill to appease, maybe one group of people can impact the group negatively for 20 other members on the other side of the bill.

One more change could end up being what collapses the entire thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: We are covering all the angles of this developing and very important story. CNN's Arlette Saenz is up on Capitol Hill. Kevin Liptak is over at the White House.

Arlette, let's begin with you. Set the scene for us. What's about to happen on the house floor?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf House, GOP leadership is racing to secure the votes for President Trump's domestic agenda bill as they are two days away from that self-imposed deadline to get this passed.

Now, it comes as there has been a lot of skepticism from various factions within the GOP conference. There are conservatives who think that the Senate version that was passed does not do enough to cut spending, adds too much to the federal deficit. There are others who are concerned about the steeper cuts being made to Medicaid.

Now, a short while ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he is trying to speak with everybody as they are trying to stitch together the votes to get this across the finish line. We also know that some GOP holdouts will be heading over to the White House today to meet with President Trump as he is also trying to secure his support for this bill himself.

Now, there's a key test vote that is set to happen in the coming hour. At some point in the 11:00 A.M. hour, House leadership has indicated they will hold a vote related to the rule on the bill. This rule passed out of committee last night. There were two GOP lawmakers who voted against it, Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, and they will be among the group to watch going forward, not just on the rule but on final passage.

There is a handful of GOP lawmakers who have expressed concerns, some saying that they will vote no on this measures, others see -- that they're waiting to see more changes. But it all comes as they are dealing with a dramatically changed bill that was passed in the Senate.

[10:05:02] Yes, it extends the 2017 tax cuts. It boosts funding for the defense and immigration priorities, but it also has steeper cuts to Medicaid.

So, these are all issues that they will have to grapple with in these final hours. They're hoping they could have a vote today. House speaker Mike Johnson said that maybe get pushed until tomorrow, but they need to make sure that they have that GOP support. They can only afford to lose three Republicans on the final vote.

BLITZER: All right. Let's go up to the White House right now. Kevin, you're there. President Trump is clearly tightening the pressure on House Republicans. What can you tell us?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And we know that he will be meeting with some of those Republicans shortly here at the White House, including members of the ultra conservative Freedom Caucus, who have voiced concerns about how this bill would affect the deficit. The CBO says that it would add 3.3 trillion over a decade to the national debt, although the White House rejects that figure.

But it is all part of this pressure campaign that the president is applying on these Republicans to get in line. Officials in this building are still confident that they will see this bill passed by that Friday deadline. And, in fact, President Trump just said yesterday that he thought it would be easier to pass in the house than it was in the Senate.

Now, we did hear yesterday from the president's top budget official, Russell Vought, talking about how the president is trying to get Republicans on board. He says that they're trying to educate them. President Trump is doing more than just educating. He's actually trying to threaten some of these Republicans with primary challenges, all part of this effort to get his party in line. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Kevin Liptak at the White House, Arlette Saenz signs up on Capitol Hill, to both of you, thank you very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Happening now, some breaking news coming in. Jurors in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs have reached a verdict on all counts.

Let's go live now to CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister right outside that courtroom. What do you know, Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That is the news that we just thought the jury has sent a note to the judge saying that they have a verdict. As you said, this means that they have reached a verdict on all counts.

Now, this came incredibly quick. The jury has just been deliberating for roughly an hour. Of course, we know that yesterday they told the judge that they had reached a verdict on counts two through five, so four of the five charges that Combs is facing. But they said that they were deadlocked on count one, that count being racketeering conspiracy, which is the most serious charge that Combs faces. Why? Because he is facing life in prison if convicted on that count. So, now to have a verdict, again, just within an hour after yesterday, the jury said that they have unpersuadable opinions, that is what their note said yesterday, among a few jurors. We were anticipating a scenario of different possibilities today that the jury would continue deliberating, that they would say that they are deadlocked, that they cannot reach a conclusion, that is the exact opposite of what has happened here. Again, within an hour, they have said we have a verdict.

So, Combs is with his attorneys. They have gathered with him in that courtroom. We know that his family is in court, his adult children, his mother, so they are all here. We do not know what that verdict is yet, but they have reached a verdict in this momentous trial after seven weeks of testimony, 34 witnesses, again, combs is facing life in prison if convicted on the most serious counts here.

BROWN: So, how long could it be for us to learn what the verdict is, Elizabeth?

WAGMEISTER: We have no indication of exactly what that is. I'm actually checking my notes now to make sure that I give the most updated information to our viewers here. I don't want to give an estimate because we don't have that. But past trials that I have covered, it can be within the hour that when the jury sends the note and says that they have a verdict, that then within 30 minutes to an hour, that verdict is read. I feel pretty confident to tell you that before the jury takes their typical lunch break, that we will have that. So, definitely coming soon, momentarily.

Now, I have some notes from our Kara Scannell who is in that courtroom right now. Combs' lawyers, their faces are drawn. That is what she said. His children are filing into the family rows right now. Throughout closing arguments and throughout this jury deliberation process, the children have been there.

Again, Combs has seven children. One is an infant, so she is not here, but he has six adult children. They have all been here to support him. All of the family rows have been full for closing arguments, for jury deliberation, so they are here. But, again, Kara Scannell saying that their faces are drawn. Yesterday, they were huddling around him. Today, they're huddling around him.

So, we don't know if they know the verdicts yet.

[10:10:02]

We don't want to read too much into that. It could just be the sheer fact that they know that their client is going to learn his fate within moments. Remember, this is one of the most powerful people, quite frankly, in the world. He is a worldwide superstar, but not just a famous celebrity. He's also an entrepreneur, the head of many businesses. This is someone who is used to calling the shots in his entire life, his three decades in the spotlight. And now he knows that 12 strangers, people that he does not know, have his fate in their hands. So this is a stunning moment. Now, more notes coming again from our team inside that courtroom behind me. He is sitting in his chair. He is facing head down. His glasses are on.

Now, I want to tell you that this demeanor that we are hearing from Combs is very different than what I have observed from him throughout this trial. I have been in that courtroom most of the days for this two-month trial. At times, Combs was actually upbeat. He was smiling with his attorneys. He was laughing. He would be passing notes with his children. So, today, of course, this is what we would anticipate. He knows that he is about to learn his fate. Does he spend the rest of his life behind bars? Does he spend a decade-plus behind bars or is he going to be free?

So, he is looking nervous right now as we speak, but, again, we don't want to read too much into that because it could just be that he's nervous to learn his fate, or maybe they know something that we don't know yet. Pam?

BLITZER: You know, it's very interesting Elizabeth, it's Wolf. I just want to be precise with these charges that we're going to get verdicts on very, very soon, presumably momentarily now that all the decisions have been reached. Racketeering conspiracy, that was the one charge out of five that the jury was having trouble reaching a consensus on, reaching agreement on. Racketeering conspiracy, that's the, the most serious charge, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The other four, they reached verdicts. We don't know what they are, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. That pertains to victim one, Cassie, carries a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. That's sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.

Then there's another charge. We know that there's a verdict. We don't know what it is. Transportation to engage in prostitution that, again, pertains to victim one, Cassie. That carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence.

Then there's sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion pertaining to victim two, Jane. That carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Transportation to engage in prostitution, that's charge number five, pertains to victim two. And commercial sex workers carries a ten-year maximum prison sentence.

So, we're going to learn all the sentences momentarily. Is that right, Elizabeth?

WAGMEISTER: That is right. And, Wolf, thank you so much for spelling that out. I'm so glad you did, because what that showcases is that all of these charges are incredibly serious with large penalties, even though count one, that racketeering conspiracy is the most serious, where he's facing life in prison, those two sex trafficking charges, one pertaining to Cassie Ventura, who is Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend of over a decade, the other sex trafficking charge pertaining to the woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, also a former girlfriend, those each carry a minimum of 15 years, as you said, Wolf, a minimum. That means if he is just convicted on one of those charges. That is more than a decade behind bars. They also carry a maximum of life in prison.

Now, those two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, that each carry a maximum of ten years, many of our legal experts, our Laura Coates, we were talking yesterday, they believe that those are let's call it the low-hanging fruit, the two charges that may perhaps be the most easily provable. Why? Because there's less gray area. What the prosecutors have to prove there is that people were transported across state lines for the purpose of commercial sex.

And throughout this trial, the jury has seen numerous flight records, hotel records, bank statements tied to Sean Combs or his Bad Boy Entertainment, where he paid for those flights, for those hotels, again, flights across state lines, that being the operative important word there, flights for Cassie Ventura, for Jane, and also for male escorts.

Now, we have an update. The judge is on the bench. We found out that that note came in precisely at 9:52. Here is what the note says, very simple, Wolf. Quote, we have reached a verdict on all counts. So, again, that's why I said we don't want to read too much into this because at least pertaining to the notes that we are aware of from yesterday and today, there's nothing there that indicates that Combs' team knows what those verdicts are.

[10:15:04]

They just know that they simply reached them.

Now, there is a school of thought that by reaching a verdict this quickly, that there's not so much gray area. Yesterday, our Laura Coates, our Joey Jackson, many of our legal experts saying that they believe that this is in the prosecution's hands right now. Joey Jackson saying, as a defense attorney, that he would be worried right now, that he would say, I would not want to be the defense right now. This is not looking good.

Now, I also want to remind you about the prosecution's closing argument, which was, for a full day, they really simplified these charges. These charges are complex. As I said, nothing's black and white. There is a lot of gray area when you're dealing with the issue of consent and the issue of this operation, which is a business, not something that looks so black and white as the mob or the mafia, which is usually where racketeering and conspiracy comes in.

But in this case, the prosecutors, they simplified that. They said, all that you have to do to prove the sex trafficking charges, which, again, he faces two, is you have to find Mr. Combs guilty of one freak-off, just one, Wolf, that was not consensual and that happened by forced, fraud or coercion. That was quite stunning, I would imagine, for the jury to hear after they had been sitting through seven weeks of testimony evaluating this all because they did see text messages come in from Cassie Ventura and Jane, sexually explicit text messages, where they said, at least in text, in writing, that they were willing to engage in some of these freak-offs. Now, in their testimony, both women had said that that is not what they meant, that they felt coerced. They wanted to placate Sean Combs, but, again, not so black and white. But the prosecutors saying, you only have to find him guilty of one time, one time with wrongdoing.

Now, big moment right now, the jury is entering the courtroom, Wolf and Pam. Again, we don't know exactly when that verdict is going to be read, but the jury is entering right now. So, it could be just moments away that we find out this verdict.

BROWN: All right. And, of course, you will be tracking all of that. I want to bring in our Legal Analyst Elie Honig and Elliot Williams. Elie, it was just yesterday that there was a partial verdict and in the note from the jury to the judge, on both sides, the jury said that they, there were two sides unpersuadable on this racketeering conspiracy. Now, they reconvened this morning, and only an hour later they have reached a verdict on all five counts.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: So, the unpersuadable have apparently been persuaded one way or another. Now, this is a very solemn and nerve-wracking moment, any trial, any courtroom. Sean Combs is about to learn his fate within minutes. What's going to happen now the judge is bringing the jury back into the room, the parties are making their way back into the room. The judge will then have the foreperson of the jury stand up and go count by count one through five, guilty or not guilty.

Based off of what we knew at the end of the day yesterday, if I was the prosecutors, I would be feeling fairly confident that I had at least some convictions in here, because the end of the day yesterday, we knew the jury had verdicts on counts two through five, but were stuck on count one, the RICO count. If the jury had found him not guilty on counts two through five, presumably, logically, they would've already found him not guilty on RICO conspiracy count one.

So, I think prosecutors are feeling okay now. I'll tell you one thing --

BROWN: Hold on. I'm getting some news in my ear from my producer, racketeering, not guilty.

HONIG: Not guilty on count one, okay.

BROWN: So that was the one that they were hung up on yesterday.

HONIG: It makes sense, yes.

BROWN: That was a complicated one. And you -- sex trafficking, not guilty.

HONIG: Wow, that's a big deal. Okay.

BROWN: Because that was the one that --

HONIG: That's count two. That's -- BROWN: -- that legal analysts thought could be low-hanging fruit, that that could be the one that he was charged with. I'm waiting to find out more.

Okay. Say that again? I just want to make sure we're accurate on air. Sex trafficking, not guilty, as we've said. And then, what was the other one? We have to be very precise. We don't want to put anything out there that's not accurate.

But it's remarkable to me that the, the racketeering conspiracy and the sex trafficking --

HONIG: So, racketeering and conspiracy means they have not found that there was an enterprise, an organization.

BROWN: A criminal enterprise, which is what the prosecution was trying to prove.

HONIG: Right, exactly. The question now is what happens with the other, the four other counts. Sex trafficking, there's the sex trafficking with forced, fraud or coercion. That's a very serious charge. Then, separately, there are two counts of interstate prostitution, less serious charge. So, we need to know exactly which counts they've come back, with respect to each verdict.

BROWN: Sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura, not guilty.

HONIG: Not guilty, sex trafficking of Cassidy Ventura. So, that is obviously an enormous win for the defense.

[10:20:01]

It means the jury did not credit Cassie Ventura's testimony. That's a huge blow to the prosecution.

BROWN: And that's -- it's also -- and there was the video, of course, where he was beating her up in the hotel lobby.

HONIG: Sure.

BROWN: And, you know, the prosecution's strategy with showing that video or with knowing that that video was going to be shown to the jury was, well, domestic abuse did happen. They said, look, domestic abuse happened, but there was no sex trafficking, and so there was no racketeering. And it seems like the jury --

HONIG: If we're talking about count two here, the forcible sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura, that means the jury has concluded there was not force or fraud or coercion involved in that. It could still be that the jury finds, yes, a person was moved across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. That's count three --

BROWN: Okay. I'm getting some other news.

HONIG: -- which maybe we have a verdict on.

BROWN: Sex trafficking of Jane, I'm told in my ear, not guilty.

HONIG: Okay.

BROWN: Tell us about that case.

HONIG: So, sex trafficking, this is the other victim. And, again, if we're talking about the charge relating to coercion or fraud, that means the jury has found that there was not coercion or fraud with respect to Jane the other victim, victim two.

BROWN: Let's bring in Laura Coates. She has more. Laura? Hey, can you hear me? Hey, Laura.

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Hi. We can hear you. This is monumental, Elizabeth. We've been covering this case for two months, really for more than a year at this point in time. We are seeing about the actual verdict here. And just for everyone to understand, count one was the most serious charge, carrying up to a life sentence. He has been found not guilty of racketeering, conspiracy, RICO, not guilty. He has also been found not guilty of sex trafficking of Cassandra Ventura. She testified for days. We're also learning that he's been found guilty of the transportation to engage in prostitution count involving Cassie Ventura. He has been found not guilty of sex trafficking of Jane, who is the girlfriend that he was dating as well, and guilty of the transportation to engage in prostitution.

Now, Elizabeth, this is very, very significant. We had an inkling yesterday when there was a hung jury on the initial RICO charge, the most serious, that there might be an actual acquittal there or a hung jury. The prosecution insisted on having it keep going. The defense wanted it to keep going, and now we know they have a result. It is a not guilty verdict. Talk to me more broadly here, because the prostitution acts, people thought it was kind of a low-hanging fruit, he was found guilty of those, but not sex trafficking of Cassie.

WAGMEISTER: This is the best possible outcome for the defense. This is what -- of course, they wanted a full acquittal. But if you're not getting a full acquittal, this is what they wanted. Their client is now not facing life in prison. He is facing two separate charges that he was convicted on serious charges. They each carry a maximum of ten years. So this isn't nothing that we are talking about.

But the most serious charges, he has been acquitted on. As Laura said, days of testimony from Cassie Ventura, from Jane, Cassie being on the stand for four days, Jane being on the stand for six days, these women crying, breaking down on the stand, well, guess what? The jury did not believe most of their story, or even if they believed most of their story, it did not line up with those charges. So --

COATES: And, by the way, on that point, let's talk a little bit about that. Because there was an inkling for those people who had been in the courtroom, including ourselves who had been watching a testimony, remember what they were using as the defense to counter the sex trafficking. It was free will. They were talking about free will. And they were suggesting, while the prosecution said, any bait and switch or manipulation to coerce these women by fraud or threat or otherwise to engage in these so-called freak-offs, that that force, that cloud of force and threat and violence that had hung over the head at Cassie Ventura was enough to suggest that she never could develop the free will to say no.

And when it came to Jane, the idea of manipulating her to travel to places like New York under the pretenses of quality time and shopping only to then engage in freak-offs was enough of manipulation. Well, the defense, you know, was very clear. They kept saying, free will. These are grown women making grown up decisions, who have interest in engaging in this behavior. It seems that the jurors may be looking at text messages or testimony agreed with that sentiment.

WAGMEISTER: Absolutely. And we were just talking about some of those text messages that came in, and let's dig into them a little bit deeper. As I said, nothing about this is black and white. I have covered many high-profile sex crimes cases with famous defendants and the concept of consent can be very hard for a jury to understand, especially when you have text messages that say, I want to do this freak-off.

[10:25:08]

Now, again, these women on the stand said that they texted those things to simply placate Sean Combs because they were scared of him, because -- especially in Cassie Ventura's case. Remember, this is a woman who was physically beaten. Our team got that on video, and the jury saw that numerous times.

COATES: Like the jury is leaving the courtroom right now. Their job is done right now. So, the duty done. They have been there for seven weeks and they just left the courtroom.

WAGMEISTER: This is -- I mean, really it is a stunning turn of events. It's a quick deliberation. I mean, a quick turn of events from yesterday when they were deadlocked, but also remember this is the beginning of day three. This jury reached a verdict and under 15 hours after hearing two months of testimony. So, really, a stunning outcome. Again, I would anticipate that the defense is quite happy right now.

But Sean Combs will still be serving prison time.

COATES: Yes.

WAGMEISTER: These are still two charges that each carry ten years. Now, Laura, I actually want to hear, as a former federal prosecutor, how much time -- and you may not want to make this prediction, but how much of that time do you anticipate that he would serve, what do you think that the judge may sentence him at with each of these charges carrying ten years each?

COATES: Great question. First, let me just dab the sweat off my brow, because let me tell you something, I was sprinting from the court trying to get here for this moment because I was so eager to understand what the actual verdict would be, that I'm literally doing an affair to remember sprint through the streets of Manhattan trying to get here. And on the way people were asking, is there a verdict through the streets of Manhattan. That's how people have been doing this particular case.

And here's the thing, after almost eight weeks, the SDNY has a success rate of conviction of over 90 percent. It's actually over, I think, 95 percent. So, think the resources that are being used in this case, more than, what, it was six prosecutors, including Maurene Comey, a top prosecutor in the SDNY, who handled Ghislaine Maxwell and other infamous cases as well for almost eight weeks. The devotion of resources and time and energy and cost resulting in prostitution related charges.

Now, that might be a black eye if people are thinking about the rate of conviction, but they believed in their case, and now they'll go forward knowing that the jury, who they must respect, has found only this one. But here's the thing, ten years is possible. But for a first time offender of any crime like this, it could be as little as two years in prison as well.

Now, they could run consecutively, meaning back-to-back as opposed to concurrently, but that is something that -- we're not talking about the maximum per se. And this judge will have discretion. Here's what will happen now. He will set a sentencing date. He will have a probation report that is coming up. And over this probation report, he is going to essentially figure out issues of remorse and recidivism, which is a fancy way of saying, will they commit the crime again? He'll look at the different factors that are in place for sentencing guidelines. This is federal court. And he will draw a conclusion on that.

He will not walk out of free man today at all, but he knows right now the possibility of life without dresser's (ph) life is no longer on the table. Prostitution though is.

And like I say, I'm a little surprised in a way, although this was low-hanging fruit to have the prostitution, because, again, there was almost like a fall heard around the world when they said, no, I didn't pay these escorts for sex. I paid them for their time. And the defense said, well, that's what it was. And they weren't always paid. They didn't perform, but they didn't actually call a single male escort who traveled across state lines. They called two who were in this area and who also talked about their sexual performance. But did that surprise you that, really, this came down to the documents alone?

WAGMEISTER: It came down to the documents, and I think that was obviously incredibly effective for the jury. Because, again, when they are seeing flight records that show said sex worker went from Atlanta to New York, that's pretty clear cut and dry that you are traveling across state lines. So, it did come down to that evidence, to the documents, because you are right, Laura, not only did they not call any male sex workers who traveled across state lines, but also none of these sex workers called themselves prostitutes.

So, that is -- you bring up a really, really good point that these male escorts on the stand, they were not saying, yes, now, in hindsight, I realize that I was paid as a prostitute, so that wasn't cut and dry. But that documentation, the bank statements, the hotel records, and also the flight records clearly is what compelled the jury to convict him on those two charges.

COATES: I think we're hearing something right now that they're asking for Sean Combs to be released pending the sentencing.

[10:30:00]

I believe they're saying he wants to go back to his home in Miami, which, of course, was the subject of a lot of discussion. He lives on One and Two Star Island, talk about the level of wealth.