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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
White House Scrambles To Get Holdouts Onboard With Trump Bill; Diddy Denied Bail, Awaits Sentencing After Partial Conviction; Paramount Settles Trump's "60 Minutes" Lawsuit With $16 Million Payout & No Apology. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired July 02, 2025 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: --and this family, although they're moving on, they want those answers. And what was read in court today, by the prosecutor, very good, but it was basically the probable cause affidavit. We really knew everything.
But the difference was Bryan Kohberger had to stare, and listen, to what he had done.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Yes.
CASAREZ: No emotion whatsoever.
COOPER: Yes. Jean Casarez, thanks very much.
On one note, this week, we said, the killer attended the University of Washington. In fact, he went to Washington State University.
The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Drama on Capitol Hill tonight, as Republicans are stalling and still searching for enough votes to pass President Trump's megabill.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
This is the scene, on Capitol Hill tonight, looking a lot like it did seven-and-a-half hours ago, as House Republicans are basically frozen in place, given right now, they don't have enough votes to pass President Trump's megabill that he wants on his desk by Friday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose three votes total, and any changes to this bill would force it back to the Senate, leaving the Speaker to insist that it should pass as is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Most of our agenda is wrapped up into this legislation. So, it must pass. We have to deliver for the people. President wants to do it. As he said, very well, this is no longer the House's bill or the Senate's bill. It's the people's bill. And it's our agenda. So, we've got to do -- do good on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: At the White House today, we watched a parade of Republicans, filing into the West Wing as President Trump engaged in a charm offensive to try to win them over.
Some of those that you saw going into the West Wing, here on West Exec, that driveway right by the White House, are moderates who are skeptical of the bill and its changes that it makes to Medicaid. Others are from the far-right House Freedom Caucus. They say they're not onboard with this bill because of the trillions of dollars it is projected to add to the federal deficit. All of them are seeking assurances from the President that they'll get something out of voting, yes.
And some of them also seemed to be looking for swag.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): President was wonderful, as always, informative, funny, told me he liked seeing me on TV, which is kind of cool.
I'm incredibly humbled.
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): Did you show them what he signed for you?
BURCHETT: Yes, he signed a bunch of stuff. It's cool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: One source tells us tonight that the White House felt it got some of the hardliners who were inside the West Wing today to a, quote, Better place, after welcoming them there, and telling them that they didn't want them to play into the hands of Democrats by voting no.
But apparently, not in a good enough place to vote so far. Members of the Freedom Caucus released a memo with their complaints, including the expected increase to the deficit and being loaded, quote, "Pork to buy key Senate votes." One member says the bill is morally and fiscally bankrupt.
And one of the leaders the House Freedom Caucus is still trying to get their arms around what is exactly in the changes that was made by the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): I asked every witness at the panel in the Rules Committee yesterday, if they'd read the bill, who were testifying on the bill, and they haven't read it, Will. This is no way to do things. So, I'm trying to go through the bill and understand it.
I mean, if they want to call the vote, right now, I'm a no. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: As we're keeping an eye, on the House floor, tonight, to see whether or not they are going to call that vote. It's still unclear what is going to happen in the next few hours, or if anything will happen at all.
As far as the timing here, this is a self-imposed deadline, we should note, but it is one that the White House still wants Capitol Hill to follow through on. This countdown clock shows how much time House Speaker Mike Johnson has until the Fourth of July.
CNN's Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill tonight.
And Lauren, obviously, the biggest question is, what is going to happen? And I know, I was talking to people at the White House, earlier, who were saying, Are they going to vote tonight? Are they going to vote tomorrow? They do, ultimately, think it's going to get across the line. But what is that looking like tonight, where you are?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, there's a reason you keep this vote open right now, and that is to create a sense of momentum on Capitol Hill. That is what is working in the White House's favor, and that is what is working in Speaker Mike Johnson's favor.
We still have not gotten to that critical procedural vote on the House rule. That is going to be a really early indication of where the votes stand. But the reason leadership hasn't gotten there yet is because they may not have the votes, even to govern the rules of this debate on Trump's agenda, and that is really what is holding this process up.
Now, I am told that Speaker Johnson has been in his office, having phone calls, having meetings, trying to cajole members to get to yes.
[21:05:00]
There's also a furious effort among some administration officials to talk to members about what they can do administratively, on the implementation side. Perhaps they can't change this legislation, because that would force it back over to the Senate, and that could obviously push them past the July 4 deadline.
But there are tools, at the administration's disposal where they have some wiggle room on how to implement this bill. And that is the conversation that, I'm told, is happening with many members, and not just conservatives, Kaitlan.
I think we should note that there are some moderate members, who have some key concerns about Medicaid. We saw that tweet earlier in the weekend from David Valadao, where he was warning that some of the changes the Senate made might be too extreme for him to support this version.
I will note that there is some silver lining for leadership and the White House. I did talk to Warren Davidson, just a few hours ago. He actually voted no, on this bill, when it went through the House in May. And he said he's now voting yes on the Senate's product.
He said he's not so sure the Senate bill is actually that much better, but he's concerned about the longer this hangs out, the longer they get close to that debt ceiling deadline, the harder this gets, the worse the bill gets, and the more pressure will be on Republicans.
I also heard from Ralph Norman earlier, a conservative, who said he's a little nervous to send it back to the House, because Lisa Murkowski got so much in the--
COLLINS: Yes.
FOX: --Senate version of this bill. He said, Who knows what other kind of pork Alaska could get?
COLLINS: Yes, Alaska did well, based on what Senator Murkowski got in here to get her vote.
Lauren Fox, thank you. Keep us updated on what is happening over there, and if they do start voting. We'll check back in with you.
My congressional sources are with me tonight.
Democrat Pat Ryan of New York.
And Republican Mike Flood of Nebraska.
It's great to have you both on what is going to be a question mark of a night.
And Congressman Flood, just with you, what do you expect? Do you think this vote is going to happen tonight? Are Republicans going to pass this bill tonight?
REP. MIKE FLOOD (R-NE): Well, the fact that we're still in session, the fact that the House is still operating, I have every reason to believe that we've got the momentum. We're going to get there.
Listen, we've seen this play out before. It takes a while. It's messy. Trying to get 218 people to agree to anything, in a party with a big tent, is difficult. But I am optimistic we're going to get there. And that's what my colleagues are telling me, you know?
This could take till midnight, till 01:00 a.m. But getting this done, delivering certainty for the American people that their taxes are not going to go up next year, that's what this is about, and I'm hopeful that we'll get there.
COLLINS: How do you think, Congressman Flood, just to follow up on that, Speaker Johnson satisfies both moderates and members of the House Freedom Caucus here?
FLOOD: Well, that's really been his trick, the whole way, as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He runs in between all of these different groups. And I can tell you, I was at the White House with the President, this morning. He is energized. He is ready. He believes -- this isn't, like you said, this is not the House's bill, the Senate's bill. This is America's bill. This is the mandate that President Trump ran on. This is the mandate that I, as a member of the House of Representatives, ran on, and everybody else in the Republican conference.
And it is messy. But we will get there. And tonight, when you go to bed, you'll wake up tomorrow, and we'll be talking about the signing ceremony at the White House.
COLLINS: OK. So, you think it's going to vote -- or it's going to pass in the next few hours.
Congressman Pat Ryan, when you're looking at this. Democrats obviously, are kind of just watching what is happening here. What is the plan that you've heard from leaders in the House, on the Democratic side, of how you plan to respond to this bill that your party has so heavily criticized?
REP. PAT RYAN (D-NY): Well, clearly, if this were as beautiful and easy -- although I appreciate you, admitting it actually is a messy bill, Mr. Flood.
FLOOD: It's a messy process.
RYAN: If this were easy, it'd be done, and we would have gotten it complete.
The reason it is so messy and damaging is because people are now actually learning what's in here. You heard my colleague, call this morally and fiscally bankrupt, my Republican colleague, and I respect that he said that.
Think about -- forget about the process, frankly. Think about, you're an American family, watching this at home, tonight, and you're wondering how much, and how quickly, and how badly, is my health care going to be cut? Is my aging parent going to be able to stay in assisted living? Is my young child with a disability going to stay on their health insurance? How much of my taxes are going to go up, so Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos can get their tax breaks?
It's really, regardless of when this passes, it is a betrayal of the American people.
COLLINS: Well, Congressman Flood, on what the President is trying to do. One of the messages we heard coming out of the White House was, Don't play into Democrats' hands, don't stop this bill from ultimately passing.
You were at the White House today, I believe. Correct me, if I'm wrong there. But what was the messaging from the President, in terms of what he said, that the Republicans should say in response to this. One things that we -- one thing we heard was that he was telling Republicans today, the bill doesn't touch Medicaid, which -- it does touch Medicaid. Maybe some people like that. But it does affect Medicaid.
[21:10:00]
FLOOD: Well, the President was talking about this bill, meaning, growth, you know? I'd have a hard time sleeping, if I were in his shoes tonight, because we're looking down the barrel of the biggest tax increase in American history, if we do nothing.
And apparently, voting no is acceptable. But the American people that are trying to put food on the table need to know that this is a $1,600, $1,700 a year tax on every single Nebraskan. That's a lot of money. There's a lot of money on the table here. And there's no talk, from any of the Democrats, about what to do with taxes other than, Let them go up.
The other thing you talk about Medicaid. Listen, Lisa Murkowski, she pushed that rural hospital fund from $25 billion to $50 billion. That's sizable. Nothing happens at all in the next couple of years.
Talking to Dr. Oz at CMS, a lot of this is the Biden-era giveaways in the state directed payments program that skyrocketed from 2020 to 2024. You can look at this chart that I have right here, and you can see what the Biden administration has done.
We're basically, in the future, taking Medicaid what it was, before all of our hospitals were full of people, during the COVID pandemic, which, by the way, has been over now for a couple of years. And the Democrats want to keep shoveling money into programs that are not delivering for the American people.
COLLINS: But Congressman Flood, can I just follow up with you on that? Because there's an estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy that estimates about 37,000 Nebraskans could lose coverage by 2034. Do you believe -- what do you believe that number is, if you disagree with it?
FLOOD: Well, I've been on the phone, all week, with the Nebraska Hospital Association. Something that you need to know, that not many do know, is that Nebraska is just coming into the provider tax system. So, there's going to be an additional $1 billion flowing into Nebraska hospital providers, Medicaid providers, in the coming year.
I think any estimate that people are coming off Medicaid in Nebraska is wrong. I think we have to look at the big picture. It's easy to pick one program. But remember, you've got provider payments, you've got state directed payments, you've got critical access hospitals that have less than 25 acute beds. All of that is working together to deliver health care.
I was in the legislature for 10 years. I was the Speaker for six. I know that every single year, Nebraskans have increased provider rates. So, if we want to talk about what happens? It's going to go well in Nebraska, states that are well-managed, that have people that are working. Our unemployment is at 1 percent. I'm not worried about the waste, abuse and fraud. But I do worry about that in places like New York and California, where that chart there is taking care of illegals, and that should not happen.
COLLINS: Congressman Ryan, what's your response to that, in terms of what this will do to Medicaid?
RYAN: There are so many -- so much BS in that answer, I don't know where to begin.
The reality is, you can throw out stats that are made-up. You can hold up a chart that who knows where it came from.
FLOOD: It came from the CMS.
RYAN: If you--
FLOOD: I'll get you a copy of it.
RYAN: I'm happy -- I'm happy to speak, if you'll show some respect, please, as I've done for you.
FLOOD: Go ahead.
RYAN: There are almost a 100,000 people in your district, sir, almost 200,000 in mine, that are going to be affected by these cuts. Half of them are kids. Half of them are kids under the age of 18, on the child health insurance program started by George W. Bush, by the way, that are going to lose their health care. That is an objective fact. And the fact that this is being spun as anything else is really just pathetic.
And I think, with all due respect to my colleague, your constituents know that. We've seen at your town halls that they know the harm that's coming, and they're speaking out. And the fact that you're not listening to them shows how the entire Republican Party is more about following President Trump than actually supporting the American people.
FLOOD: You notice there how he didn't--
COLLINS: Congressman Flood--
FLOOD: He didn't want to talk about waste, fraud or abuse. He didn't want to talk about all the illegals that are on the state's rolls, in states like New York.
I come from a state that's well-run. And I have a record of supporting people that are in vulnerable situations, or they have diabetes, or they're developmentally-disabled. Medicaid has to be protected, so that it can be available for those that truly need it.
If you are able-bodied, this says, Go out, show us that you can't work. If you can work, get a job, get health insurance, you can do this. Like, as Americans, we can't spend $5 trillion more, over the next 10 years, having a bloated program that isn't actually helping actual Americans. It's really helping illegal immigrants.
And they're not talking about waste, fraud or abuse. They're not talking about the increase in state directed payments. They're not talking about these provider tax which, by the way, an additional $1 billion is coming to my district.
COLLINS: Yes.
FLOOD: I have to look at the entirety of what's happening, and I'm comfortable with where Nebraska is going.
COLLINS: Congressman Flood, can I ask you about what you have heard from constituents, given, there was a moment in May, after the House passed this bill, initially, before it went to the Senate and underwent the changes that it's undergone, where you were speaking with your constituents.
This is the moment from that town hall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FLOOD: This provision was unknown to me when I voted for the bill.
(CROWD YELLS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Next question. Next question.
[21:15:00]
FLOOD: I am not going to hide the truth. This provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The provision there is one that would have made it harder for judges to hold parties in contempt of court. It's been stripped out by the Senate.
But have you read the bill fully now, with the Senate's changes, sir?
FLOOD: I have -- first of all, I believe that honesty is the best policy. And I want people representing me that if they receive a question, they answer it honestly. The minute after I found out that was in there, before I even returned to Washington, I immediately called my counterparts in the Senate. I started working with the Senate Banking Committee.
I do believe in the rule of law. I do believe that a federal district court injunction should have teeth. We relied on that system, when President Biden was president. I want the same system under Donald Trump. I want the same system in America.
I am myself a lawyer. I believe in the rule of law, and I'm going to stand up for it. And I am, I think, the only Republican that has vocally opposed that, and I will continue to do it, because it is the right thing to do. COLLINS: Congressmen Mike Flood and Pat Ryan, thank you both for joining. It's nice to have a Democrat and a Republican on, especially together. Really appreciate your time tonight.
FLOOD: You bet.
RYAN: Thanks.
COLLINS: Coming up here. We are hearing from the Governor of North Carolina who is pushing back on this bill and what it means for his state. He personally wrote a letter to his delegation here in Washington. My source tonight is North Carolina governor, Josh Stein. He'll tell us why, next.
Also coming up. In that huge verdict in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, and why the judge denied him bail, citing what his own attorneys said in court.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, Sean "Diddy" Combs is back behind bars, after he was denied bail until his sentencing. Jurors convicted the music mogul on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but they acquitted him of the most serious charges that he was facing, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Diddy was seen doing a fist-pump, a subtle one, we are told, upon hearing the verdict, which the defense touted as a major victory today, given it spared him from spending the rest of his life, potentially, in prison. He's now facing a potential sentence of 20 years, though it remains to be seen what exactly his sentence will be here.
For several hours outside the courthouse, you saw crowds waiting to see if Diddy would walk out today, something his supporters were chanting for his release.
But the judge denied Diddy bail, citing his history of violence, and telling his attorney inside the courtroom, this afternoon, quote, "You full-throatedly in your closing argument told the jury that there was violence here. And domestic violence is violence."
Though Sean Combs is back in custody tonight, his attorney praised the jury for a verdict that he says is right enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC AGNIFILO, COMBS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: One thing stands between all of us and a prison, and that is a jury of 12 citizens. And we had a wonderful jury. They listened to every word, and they got the situation right, or certainly right enough.
Today is a win. Today is a victory of all victories for Sean Comb -- for Sean Combs, and our legal team. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I'm joined now by CNN's Chief Legal Analyst and Anchor, Laura Coates, who has been following this trial for every minute from the very beginning.
And Laura, just as this came down today, tell me what you thought of this, as someone who was inside the courtroom, day in and day out, watching all of this unfold.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: It raised several questions, one, being about the decision to charge RICO, which is normally associated with the mob.
And the first question that came to mind was whether, strategically, the prosecutors made the right call. Obviously, the jurors did not find that they had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. But it speaks to the complexity of that type of charge.
Also, even though there was emotional and days-long testimony, compelling testimony from both Cassie Ventura, the person that we saw was the recipient of that savage assault at the hands of Sean "Diddy" Combs in the InterContinental Hotel, video exclusively obtained by CNN. Also Jane, a pseudonym victim. The jury was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that they -- either of them had been sex trafficked according to the letter of the law, remaining the prostitution charges under that so-called Mann Act.
And I think what people have to understand about this is that perhaps two things can be true at once. They could have believed the testimony of the women who testified, and also believed that the prosecution failed to prove their case according to the letter of the law.
COLLINS: And Laura, listening to you, and watching you outside the court today, it was stunning to hear you just describing the scene, outside the courthouse, and that there were people with travel-size bottles of baby oil there.
COATES: Ugh.
COLLINS: Can you just--
COATES: Kaitlan.
COLLINS: --tell me what you saw?
COATES: Kaitlan. Kaitlan. Kaitlan. Let me tell you. If you were to juxtapose between what you see in a federal courthouse, where the Marshals are consistently trying to ensure and maintain a level of professionalism, and the gravitas to be enforced, and decorum. The split-screen to what can only be described, at some points, as a spectacle, a show, a circus and the devolution of what happened outside.
Now, there was the range of people, including journalists, and, of course, those who were streaming and wanting to be observers of this process.
And then there were those who were provocateurs, and elated by talking about and bringing to attention some of the most odd and peculiar aspects of the freak-offs. Baby oil. And one point, someone pouring baby oil over another person who was in underwear. Somebody carrying around travel-size bottles, T-shirts being worn that said, A Freako is not R.I.C.O. I mean, this was a spectacle of the biggest kind.
[21:25:00]
And of course, the NYPD, they were present. They were there. They had a huge presence. They also had different barricades that were up that was akin to a street line in Manhattan for a parade.
And Kaitlan, there were shouting matches every, I would say, few minutes. Why? Because the court of public opinion was out strong. There were those who believed wholeheartedly, in Diddy, and those who believed that this was a failure of dramatic proportions for women in a MeToo -- post-MeToo era, and about believing women.
And so, you really saw the gamut there, the court of public opinion, the spectacle of a circus, and, of course, the reaction in real-time to the justice system at work.
COLLINS: I mean, it was quite something.
COATES: Yes.
COLLINS: Laura Coates, thank you for that.
Laura has much more reporting on everything she saw inside court. Stay tuned for a special two-hour edition of "LAURA COATES LIVE" tonight. You will not want to miss that.
And also, on Saturday, you're going to see Laura hosting a special edition of "THE WHOLE STORY" "THE CASE AGAINST DIDDY." That will be at 08:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN, on Saturday.
My legal sources are also here tonight. Elie Honig. And Elliot Williams.
And Elie, I mean, if you're a defense attorney? You saw Marc Agnifilo. They basically came out today and did this kind of celebration victory tour, where every attorney spoke about why they believed Diddy was wronged here, and praising the jury's decision here.
ELIE HONIG, FORMER ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Rightly so. I mean, the defense won this case.
The Southern District of New York, the vaunted SDNY, my beloved former office, got their teeth kicked in, in this case. There's no other way to say it. And the primary thing I attribute that to, is they overcharged this case. I have been saying that for a long time.
This is not racketeering. And I used to charge racketeering extremely aggressively, extremely broadly. They did not have the proof that Sean Combs sat atop some sort of sprawling criminal enterprise. They charged this as a racketeering conspiracy of one person, Sean Combs. Nobody else got charged. Nobody testified against him.
And when you overcharge a case like that, two things happen. One, you get a not-guilty verdict. That's terrible. But also, you compromise your credibility. The jury is much less likely to believe everything you say, as a prosecutor, if you get caught overextending. So I think there's fault to lie at the SDNY's feet here.
COLLINS: What did you make of it?
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The same thing.
I think, let's say there's three buckets of charges here. There's the RICO charge, the racketeering charge, by far the most complicated. The sex trafficking charge, which was certainly complicated and fraught, that was also an acquittal. But the far more straightforward charges of transporting individuals for engaging in acts of prostitution.
Receipts don't lie. Financial records do not lie. And there was a clear record that prosecutors had, that I think jurors had a hard time denying or seeing past. It's just, People testified that there were sex acts. And look, we have literally, the receipts from them. And I think, it was hard for the jury to say no, there.
COLLINS: I want to get what you think is going to happen with this sentencing, when it happens, and if he stays in jail this whole time.
But Christine Cornell is also joining us. She is, of course, one of the most excellent sketch artists in New York, and was inside the courtroom today as this verdict was read.
And you have this moment of Diddy kneeling, after the verdict came down. We heard that he did a bit of a fist-bump as well. Can you just tell me what you saw inside that courtroom today?
CHRISTINE CORNELL, COURTROOM SKETCH ARTIST: You know, it was incredibly fraught. The lawyers, I mean, you could feel it. It was palpable.
And Diddy himself didn't know exactly what to expect. None of us knew what to expect. It was, we were told the day before that they were at loggerheads, and they were never going to agree. And then, it took them almost just an hour. And all of a sudden, there was a verdict. Who knew what it was going to be?
I think Diddy was stunned when he heard the Not guilty, and relieved, and went back and forth a little bit. You could just see that he was -- he couldn't quite believe it. And then, when it sunk in that he was really kind of on the mend, that's when he did his -- his raised fist, you know? But then he got a couple of guilties, and all of that was going to take a little bit of time to process.
So, the family was completely silent behind me. They didn't know exactly what to make of it. It wasn't until it was entirely completed, he turned and nodded to them, and like, This was a great verdict, and then they began to applaud. And that's when he fell on his knees, as if he was like, praying, at bedside, to thank, the powers that be, for cutting him loose and giving him another lease on life.
There was a little bit more. He really was engaging a bit with the jury as all the not-guilties were coming in. He was just -- he had his hands up in prayer, in front of him, and it was like he was thanking them, again and again. There was no question that he was just relieved beyond belief.
COLLINS: Yes. Christine, great to hear what it was like inside the room. Thank you for that level of detail.
And the question here is, what happens next?
The judge denying him bail, did that surprise you?
[21:30:00]
HONIG: I will cop, yes, I was surprised. If you could see my texts, in that two-hour window, I said, he's probably getting out, I think he's getting bail. But the judge is clearly going to consider the other evidence beyond what he was convicted for.
But really important, the stakes for Sean Combs are so much lower now. He's in so much better position. And importantly--
COLLINS: What is he facing now?
HONIG: So--
COLLINS: Up to 20 years?
HONIG: But forget about that.
WILLIAMS: No.
HONIG: That's crazy-talk.
COLLINS: It's not going to be anywhere near that?
HONIG: Because, and we have a really good sense, because the prosecution put in their brief today, at 01:00 p.m., asking to keep him locked up.
The prosecution said, Under our hyperaggressive calculation on the guidelines, adding in all the enhancements, they came out at 51 to 63 months, that's about four-plus years to five-plus years, minus 15 percent for good time in the federal system, minus the 10 months he's already done.
So, even under the prosecution's extremely aggressive take, he's only looking at three or so more years. He's going to ask for less than that.
And let me tell you something. If this was not Sean Combs, if you threw out all the evidence that the jury acquitted him on? This is a probation case. Straight-up interstate prostitution? That's enough, you wouldn't even charge that. Never mind sentence someone for years in prison.
COLLINS: So maybe he'll get nothing?
HONIG: He could -- well, he could get time served. The prison is -- excuse me, sentencing is--
COLLINS: Right. What do you say--
HONIG: --three months from now. He could get that. But I think the judge signaled he's going to do a little more than that.
WILLIAMS: Yes. And I think the fact that the judge did hold him doesn't bode well for Sean Combs.
COLLINS: Yes, does that factor into the sentencing?
WILLIAMS: No, it doesn't -- it doesn't factor in, but it's a sign of the judge's frustration with the defendant, and also, how serious he thinks what the defendant did was, right?
He did not have to. He -- it's not a crime of violence. It's not nearly as serious as some of the other things he was charged with. And he could, after taking his passport and posting a bunch of money, he could have let Sean Combs walk. So, that's a sign of frustration. But yes, he will bring in all of these other factors. But it's not a lot of time.
But the world needs to get out of its head, this notion of 20 years. That would be if you took the most the law says, and added it all together, it does not happen. It will not happen here. It will be orders of magnitude less than that.
COLLINS: Elliot Williams. Elie Honig. Christine Cornell, as well. Great to have you all here, as we'll follow this incredibly closely.
And also, some breaking news this hour, on what we were just talking about, when it comes to Washington. The President just posted about when he expects the House to vote on his megabill. We'll be back on Capitol Hill, for a live report, next.
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Breaking news, as President Trump just said on Truth Social, moments ago, that it looks like the House is ready to vote tonight, as Republican leaders have been working, all day, to win over Republican critics to get this bill passed.
CNN's Lauren Fox is live on Capitol Hill tonight.
Lauren, what's the latest? Are they actually voting right now? FOX: Yes, that's exactly what is taking place right now. I'm standing just feet from the floor of the House of Representatives, and the bells have just gone off. This process is now underway to vote on that key rule vote. This is what we've been waiting on, all day long.
Now, this is not the final vote. This is still just a procedural vote in this process. But the reason it matters is this is going to give us a very early indication, if Speaker Johnson and Donald Trump have been able to assuage all of those concerns from the House Freedom Caucus, as well as from some moderates, who have had deep concerns about some of the further cuts to Medicaid that came out of that Senate bill.
So, right now, what we are going to see is we're going to see this take place on the floor, and we're going to be watching really closely, how long does this rule vote stay open? What does the whip operation look like on the House floor? And where do some of these key holdouts land on this vote?
It's very possible that this could still fail. That is certainly an option for a lot of conservatives, who had been voicing concerns all day about this bill.
But the reality is, this is an opportunity for leadership to show the President, where the votes are. Obviously, that can put pressure on members to finally decide. It's one thing to say to say you are a, no, in a closed-door meeting. It's another thing to say it on the floor, right in front of the President, when he can tweet or get on Truth Social and come after you just moments later.
COLLINS: And he is live-posting right now, so that can very well happen.
Lauren Fox, we'll check back in with you, as we're watching very closely to see what happens here.
I should note, as this legislation was getting ready for this vote, that Lauren was just reporting on there, there was a new letter from a swing state governor, pressuring lawmakers, in his state, regardless of their party, to vote no.
North Carolina governor, Josh Stein, urged lawmakers to press pause on this bill, he said, quote, Because of the immediate and long-term threats it poses to the health and well-being of North Carolinians and the economic stability of our state.
And the Governor joins me now.
And it's great to have you here, Governor.
Did you ever hear back from your state's delegation, or any of them planning to vote no, besides Democrats?
GOV. JOSH STEIN (D-NC): Yes, we'll just have to see tonight what they end up deciding to do. Of course, I hope, with all my heart, that they do, because this bill will be devastating to North Carolina.
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Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians will have their health care taken from them, potentially all 1.4 million SNAP beneficiaries. By the way, 600,000 of those are kids, will lose their food benefits. Our surging clean energy economy runs the risk of having a complete stop. The estimates are, we'll lose 45,000 jobs, over the next few years, because of the elimination of the manufacturing tax credits.
And all of this is going to add $3 trillion to $4 trillion to our debt. Why? Why are they doing these things? It is to give tax giveaways to very wealthy people, people who are already doing really well-off and to big corporations. This bill is a complete disgrace.
COLLINS: Well, and obviously they've been arguing, if they don't extend the tax cuts that the President passed, in his first term, that it'll hurt working Americans.
But I wonder, because one thing that we've heard consistently from Republicans, including one that was sitting here last night, Tim Burchett, was, I don't believe the projections from the Congressional Budget Office about what it's going to add to the deficit, or the media is overhyping this.
But it was a Republican in your state, Thom Tillis, who gave that scathing speech, the other day, saying that hundreds of thousands of people in your state could lose health care, if this bill passes as it looks like it's on track to do so right now.
STEIN: Yes, I will give Senator Tillis credit. Because he called our DHHS folks and said, What is the consequence of these cuts, you know? And then he double-checked those numbers against independent organizations. And he came back and said, These are the numbers.
You cannot make up the numbers. It truly is math. If you take a trillion dollars out of the Medicaid system, a trillion dollars, there is no way you can do that without causing devastated concert -- devastating consequences on people's lives, on people's health and well-being.
And here's the thing that a lot of people don't appreciate, is this will affect you, whether or not you are on Medicaid, because the entire system will end up having to pay much higher rates. People will still get sick. But instead of going to their primary care doctor, they'll wait until they get sicker, and go to the very expensive emergency department. All commercial rates will go up.
But will there be hospitals to serve us? We have a lot of rural hospitals in North Carolina. If they lose this margin from Medicaid, they run the risk of going out of business. And if there is no hospital--
COLLINS: Yes.
STEIN: --in a community, it becomes very difficult for that community to survive. COLLINS: Can I ask you? Because Senator Tillis said he's not going to run for reelection. President Trump said, the other day, he thought Lara Trump should, his daughter-in-law, should run for that seat, and it would be great. Though, he noted, she lives in Florida now.
Democrats are hoping your predecessor, Roy Cooper, is going to get in. Do you think that he should?
STEIN: Well, I've known Governor Cooper -- Roy, for 25 years. We're very good friends. I think the world of him, and know that he would be an amazing senator. So, here's one North Carolina voter who hopes he gets in. But of course, that's his decision to make.
COLLINS: Governor Josh Stein, I appreciate you joining us on this breaking news tonight. Thank you for your time.
STEIN: Thank you, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Up next. There is a multimillion dollar payout coming President Trump's way in his lawsuit against Paramount, the parent company of CBS News. The extraordinary details of this settlement with Kara Swisher, next.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit that was filed by President Trump, over a "60 Minutes" interview with -- last year, with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump had demanded $20 billion -- $20 million (ph) in damages. And the $16 million that he'll get will include plaintiff's fees and costs. It won't be paid to the President directly, but it will go to his future presidential library.
And as part of this settlement, CBS has also agreed to release all transcripts of interviews with U.S. presidential candidates, going forward. That stands out because one, obviously, it's a news judgment to release those transcripts and have them come out. And also, this entire lawsuit was over a contested transcript with a presidential candidate.
The President claimed the evidence that the Harris interview had been deliberately edited to benefit her, and to hurt him, ahead of the election, because CBS aired two different soundbites from Harris, in response to one question.
This is the first clip of Harris' answer that aired on "Face The Nation."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WHITAKER, "60 MINUTES" CORRESPONDENT, CBS NEWS: But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening. KAMALA HARRIS, ATTORNEY AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And this is the clip that aired on "60 Minutes."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITAKER: But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening.
HARRIS: We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Today, Paramount said that the settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret. The $16 million though, of course, likely says enough.
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Paramount has been trying, for months, to complete a lucrative merger with Skydance Media, a deal that would require approval from the Trump administration.
Joining me tonight is Kara Swisher, a CNN Contributor, and also the host of the podcasts, "On with Kara Swisher" and "Pivot."
Kara, your thoughts on this settlement today?
KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, HOST, "ON WITH KARA SWISHER" & "PIVOT" PODCASTS: Well, I'd like to read from someone who wrote tonight, The President is using government to intimidate news outlets that publish stories he doesn't like. It's a low move in a free country with a free press.
That would be Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, which is saying that. So, I think that pretty much sums it up. And if Rupert Murdoch, which is also the owner of Fox News, which also got pulled into a lawsuit, is saying that, it says a lot.
This is a terrible settlement. It sets a terrible precedent. And, at the same time, Trump didn't get much. He got nuisance money, to go away, essentially. He was demanding $20 billion. Then they wanted a $100 billion, and an apology, et cetera, et cetera. But it's still, it still sets a bad precedent that CBS does this, and hurt "60 Minutes," which is a legendary broadcast.
COLLINS: Yes, it is a notable moment.
Kara Swisher, thank you for that. I got to get back to Capitol Hill right now. There's breaking news there.
SWISHER: Thanks.
COLLINS: Lauren Fox, I want to check in with you. Lauren, what's happening right now with that vote?
FOX: Yes, this vote is still underway.
And I should note, we just talked to Speaker Mike Johnson. He did not say or guarantee that this was going to pass. Right now, we see four noes on the board. Now, that doesn't mean that they stay noes. This has not gaveled yet. But obviously, that would be enough to potentially sink this rule.
We have heard from some other Republicans, including Keith Self, who I talked to, right before he went to the floor, that he was going to be voting no, that more conversations needed to happen, that they had been having productive talks all day long, but that there were still questions that conservatives had.
Now, can they change this dynamic on the floor? Can the Speaker and his team make some moves here? It's not unprecedented. It's not something we haven't seen before. But obviously, this is not going in the right direction, at this current moment.
We could see this change, I just want to make that clear.
But this is a really important vote, because, again, they cannot get to Trump's final vote on the agenda until they get through this rule vote. So, this is critical.
Obviously, they have been having conversations for more than eight hours today, about whether or not they were going to be able to get this across the finish line tonight. That still remains to be seen.
Kaitlan.
COLLINS: And Speaker Johnson just spoke with reporters, a few moments ago. What did he have to say about -- I mean, I assume he was confident that this was going to pass.
FOX: He really just said that this was part of the legislative process, that he is confident that at some point they will get Trump's agenda through. But he did not make a promise that it was happening right this minute. And I do think that that is informative about what he knew might happen on the floor.
But again, it is still unfolding. We don't know what's going to happen ultimately. But Speaker Johnson did not take questions. He just gave a brief statement, and then he continued on to the House floor.
COLLINS: But as it stands right now -- and I think your caveat there is important that this could change, with the votes are not final yet. We're literally watching them be counted right now. But as this stands right now, they are losing. They don't have the votes here, right?
FOX: Yes, that's exactly right. Speaker Johnson can only lose three votes with full attendance. So four would be too many. He would lose on this rule vote. But again, like we've been saying, this could change. But that is enough to sink this, if they were to gavel it right this second.
COLLINS: Lauren, what have you been hearing from members as they -- they knew this was coming, obviously. We'd been watching this build up.
Tonight, the President seems to be quite confident that this is moving in, in his direction. He's been posting non-stop throughout the hour, saying that, criticizing Democrats, and saying that they're ready to vote tonight.
From Republicans, about their meetings at the White House today, as the White House was trying to get them on board. Sometimes, it's the sticks. Sometimes, it's carrots. I mean, depending on what this is going to look like, in terms of how they were trying to get them to vote, in the yes column on this.
FOX: Yes, Kaitlan. I mean, I think the meetings at the White House were helpful. I don't think that any member that I talked to, coming out of those meetings, thought that that turned things in the wrong direction.
But you have to remember. Members are trying to digest a bill that just came over from the Senate. They have a lot of questions about some of the changes that were made, especially because they believe that they had the right product, right? When they sent it over to the Senate, they thought, many of them, that it was a better product than what came back to them.
And so, it just takes a lot of time, a lot of work, for administration officials to explain exactly what the changes are, to explain what implementation forces they have at their disposal, to make things better for some of these individual members.
[21:55:00]
And it's always important to keep in mind here that, yes, conservatives might be the ones who have been the loudest, voicing their concerns. But there are still some deep, deep reservations among moderates about the fact that the Senate bill did make changes, to Medicaid, further cuts than they were really comfortable with.
And there's a lot of work that has to happen, to convince some of those members, especially those in tough districts, that this bill is worth voting for, especially because it's those more moderate members in swing districts that have to turn around and run the tough races.
COLLINS: Well, and Lauren, I believe Speaker Mike Johnson is there, on the floor, as all this is happening right now.
I just want to tell you, as you're reporting on TV, what we're seeing is that Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania has voted no, on the rule here.
Obviously, when you talk about the people who have issues with this. We've been talking about Chip Roy, and people who don't like the green energy subsidies that they wanted to get rid of here. But there's also these moderates that are people like a Brian Fitzpatrick here, who also had concerns about this, and maybe this could change as his vote is still open.
But I wonder what that says to Republican leaders about, whether they have support, enough support here.
FOX: Yes, I've had so many conversations with Fitzpatrick, about concerns about Medicaid, specifically. I mean, if you go back to the repeal of Obamacare, or the attempts to repeal Obamacare in 2017, a lot of these Republicans remember some of those lessons, right?
And Brian Fitzpatrick talks a lot about that time, of remembering exactly what happened to some members who voted to repeal Obamacare. Obviously, it failed in the Senate. But then, those same House Republicans had to go out and campaign. And obviously, that is a very, very tall order for so many of them.
So, there's a real concern here about what changes happened to Medicaid, in the Senate bill, and I think that you are seeing that reflected here on the floor. Like you said, it's not just some conservatives who are voting against this rule. You're seeing there, Brian Fitzpatrick.
COLLINS: Yes, and on what the White House can do here? The President can promise executive orders. We had heard that was something that the White House was certainly willing to barter with, when it comes to green energy and the concerns there.
But if you're worried about Medicaid, and what these new changes are going to look like to provider payouts, and rural hospitals in your state, there's not necessarily an executive order that comes to mind immediately that can be used to assuage those concerns.
FOX: Right. I mean, there is a rural hospital fund in this Senate bill, and there is broad jurisdiction for some of that funding to be given out at the discretion of the CMS Administrator. I know that's really weedy. But for some members, perhaps that gives them some wiggle room, some leeway, some belief that they might be able to really soften the blow to their own communities.
But if you're a member, you have to feel really confident that that's going to be the case. And I just don't know, right now, if that's going to be the case for some of these moderates.
COLLINS: Yes, as they're looking at that.
I do think there's a question. It feels like we always get to these moments, Lauren, of will they, won't they, with Republicans and President Trump. And the White House's belief is, Yes, they always say every time -- and I should note, there's Tom Emmer coming down the middle. The White House says, Every time this happens, this last minute drama, but they always end up ultimately voting for what the President wants here.
But right now, that seems to be an open question.
FOX: Absolutely. And, I mean, I do think that it's very possible that they could keep at this for a long time, right?
You can begin this process on the floor. You start in one place, you end in another. I mean, just think back to the race for Kevin McCarthy's speakership, where all those votes started to change on the floor in short order. That's always a possibility. But it does require some compromise.
And I will say, they have been at this for hours now. Sometimes, the pressure of the floor can really change things. But sometimes, it doesn't, right?
And they've been having a lot of important conversations. And clearly, some members still are not comfortable. And there's a concern that if they start to move through this process, if they let the rule through, then they move on to the final vote, it becomes even harder to say no in this process.
Now, all along, Speaker Johnson has been trying to tell his members, Just get to the next step. Just get to the next step. There's always changes that can be made.
But they are at a point, right now--
COLLINS: Yes.
FOX: --where time's out, right? And Scalise has made clear, even as he went to the floor, This is the bill. It is time for members to decide where they're going to be.
COLLINS: Well, and Lauren, just to point out for everyone who's watching, and what -- this seems like a very tense thing that is playing out, on Capitol Hill. Right there, in the bottom left of the screen, you can see Speaker Mike Johnson, in what appears to be a very engaged conversation.
I mean, what -- what have -- Republican leaders have left to say to these members, if the bill is as it is, and it's not going to be changing?
FOX: Yes, I do think one of the most interesting arguments I heard, earlier today, came from Warren Davidson, who was the conservative. He voted against this bill, when it came through the House in May.
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And he said that one of the things that started to change his mind, he's supporting this, is the fact that he believes as they get closer and closer to the debt ceiling deadline, the pressure is going to build, and this product is not going to get any easier, even -- any better, for conservatives to vote on. I thought that was really interesting and compelling. Perhaps that's where Johnson starts to go.
COLLINS: We'll see. Right now, he seems to be trying to flip a no-vote to a yes. We'll see if that works.
Lauren Fox, we'll keep checking in with you, on Capitol Hill.
Thanks for joining us. I'm going to hand it over, as this breaking news is unfolding, right now, to "CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP."
