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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
U.S. Credit Rating Downgrade; Israel Launch New Military Operation; Iran Did Not Receive Any Written Proposal from U.S.; Controversial U.S.- Backed Group Plans to Deliver Aid to Gaza; Ukraine and Russia Agree on a Prisoner Swap; Trump Renews Threat of Tariffs; Film Industry's Tariff Fears; Cassie Ventura Wraps Testimony at Diddy Trial; 2025 PGA Championship; Eurovision Final in Switzerland. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 16, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Alex Marquardt in for Jim Sciutto here in
Washington, D.C. and you're watching "The Brief."
Coming up this hour, the U.S. has lost its last perfect credit rating. As Moody's joins the other major agencies with a downgrade.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap in their first direct talks in more than three years, but they seem far apart on a ceasefire deal.
And contestants from 26 countries prepare to sing at the Eurovision final in Switzerland.
We do begin with a historic move by financial giant Moody's to downgrade the credit rating of the United States. Moody's stripping the U.S. of its
pristine AAA credit rating, citing rising U.S. government debt levels. Moody's had held a perfect debt rating for the U.S. since 1917. And it is
the last of the major U.S. credit agencies to downgrade United States credit worthiness.
The move could lead to higher borrowing costs for the U.S. It also comes as Congress continues to debate a massive budget bill that could lead to
substantially higher borrowing. Rana Foroohar is joining me now to discuss all this. So, Rana, thank you so much for being with us. What is going to
be the impact of the U.S. losing its AAA rating?
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST AND GLOBAL BUSINESS COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FINANCIAL TIMES: Well, as you say, I think higher
borrowing costs are going to be the first thing that we're going to see. You've already seen bond yields, which tend to reflect that go up, that
means that investors are starting to see the U.S. as a riskier place to put their money.
What credit ratings really mean is trust. Do you have trust in the U.S.? Do you trust that the U.S. will be able to grow, to pay its bills, and to be a
part of the world economy? Really a distinctive part as it has been in the past. And Moody's now is saying we think that's a little bit less likely.
So, there will be market impacts, but they're going to take time to play out. But really this is about saying we're putting a little bit of a
negative vote of confidence on the U.S. at the moment.
MARQUARDT: And Rana, if you're the American voter, the American taxpayer, you've already been through a fairly dramatic year with the tariffs war --
tariff wars and the markets all over the place. How should they be reading this?
FOROOHAR: It's a great question. You know, it's very, very confusing for the average investor to look at equity markets in particular. And they're
just up, they're down, they're up, they're down. And a lot of it has to do with whatever the news at the moment is, if tariffs are on, if they're off.
But really you need to take a step back and say, what is happening in the world? And what's happening in the world is that the U.S. is going to have
a fundamentally different place in the global economy going forward. This isn't to say that the U.S. won't grow and still be strong and that you
won't see the stock market, you know, rise eventually and so on.
But I think going forward, other countries, China in particular, but also other emerging markets are just going to play a bigger role. And so,
investors are going to need to think about that. They're going to need to get more broad exposure.
Right now, though, I would say sit tight. We are in for a volatile few months, a volatile summer, I believe, while we see what happens with the
U.S.-China tariff deal, and when we see what else happens with the Trump administration and the deals that they're trying to negotiate.
MARQUARDT: How predictable, do you think, this downgrade was, given that the other two major agencies, Fitch and the S&P, had already done this?
FOROOHAR: I think it was pretty predictable. I -- you know -- the first time it happened a few years back during some major budget debt and deficit
ceiling wrangling, that was a big shock to markets. That was markets taking a step back and saying, wow, maybe the U.S. isn't exceptional. Maybe this
can happen here too, as it often does in other countries.
We didn't see too much of a change in borrowing costs in part because frankly, the rest of the world was not doing as well. That may change going
forward. This is the beginning of a sea change that I think will happen over years, even decades, where the status of the U.S. is simply less than
it was relative to the past.
MARQUARDT: Rana Foroohar, really appreciate your perspective this evening. Thanks so much.
FOROOHAR: Thank you.
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MARQUARDT: Israel has launched the first stages of a military operation in Gaza that it is calling Gideon's Chariots. The goal to conquer and hold
large chunks of Gaza, they say. The IDF is saying that it has mobilized forces to seize strategic areas of the Gaza Strip.
Now, this comes of course as President Donald Trump has just left the region. He is on his way back to Washington after that trip this week to
the Middle East. He stopped in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Among many other subjects, the Iranian nuclear deal was one topic of conversation. Trump just saying that Iran has gotten a U.S. proposal, and
in his words, has sort of accepted. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Iran, has the U.S. given them a formal proposal? Has Steve Witkoff handed that over?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They have a proposal, but more importantly, they know they have to move quickly. Or something bad's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: But the Iranian Foreign Minister says, quote, "That Iran has not received any written proposal from the United States, whether directly or
indirectly."
Firas Maksad is the managing director for the Middle East and North Africa practice at the Eurasia Group. Firas, thank you so much for joining me.
Lots to discuss. Let's start with this breaking news. Right as Trump leaving the Middle East, the IDF announcing on X that it has begun
conducting these extensive strikes, mobilizing troops to, as they say, achieve these operational goals, control of Gaza.
This was expected to some degree, but your thoughts on why this is coming now and the apparent failure of the United States, Trump and Witkoff, his
Middle East envoy, to get Israel to agree to a broader ceasefire after the release of the Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander.
FIRAS MAKSAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, EURASIA GROUP: Yes, Alex, there's no sugar coating. Big U.S. disappointment here.
President Trump in the region, Israel not on his itinerary. That had not been the case. The last time the President did that tour to the Arab
countries, Israel was very much part of that.
And that's because the president was hoping until the very end that there'd be a breakthrough, if not a return to a ceasefire in Gaza, but at least
allowing some humanitarian aid to go into that strip. There hasn't been aid going into Gaza for over two months now, and the president is very
sensitive to the image of starvation coming out of Gaza.
So, as a disappointment, President Trump did not go to Gaza. And I -- this is the first time to my recollection in recent history, that at a time of
war we see such daylight between an American president and an Israeli Prime Minister.
At the heart of it here is that Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, is missing the forest for the trees. His own domestic political calculus.
He is troubled because of some legal entanglements. He's got a right of center, a far-right wing coalition that is preventing him from ending the
war in Gaza, even though a total victory still alludes him, and moving forward towards a ceasefire.
But eventually, what President Trump really wants in the region, which is to see normalization between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and some of these other
Arab countries.
MARQUARDT: Yes, well that normalization, of course, not appearing close at hand at all, given what's going on in Gaza. But as far as the rest of the
trip is concerned, it seems to have gone as well as it possibly could have for both Trump and the three Gulf countries that he visited. What do you
think is going to be the longer-term effect of this Middle East tour?
MAKSAD: Well, I -- listen, I think normalization is very much piece -- part of the puzzle. Part of what President Trump wants his legacy to be in the
region. One of two pathways to a Nobel Prize, as he sees it, the other being Russia-Ukraine, and we all know how that's going. Not going very well
at all.
But the broader context here is great power competition with China, particularly in the realm of A.I. and strategic tech. This is a part of the
world that is capital rich and has an abundance of cheap energy, both which are prerequisites and factors for A.I. and strategic tech dominance.
And so, the president really taken advantage of that in what I'm calling the trillion-dollar tour to these three countries. And all three countries
have national visions with A.I. and strategic tech at its heart. So, China looming large in this visit, although normalization in the Arab Israeli
component, certainly part of it too.
MARQUARDT: Firas, we only have a couple moments left, but the biggest surprise, I think, from this trip was this meeting between President Trump
and the Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump talking about lifting sanctions, but he laid out a whole series of directives that he expects
Sharaa to act on. How quickly do you think the Syrians will get to working on that list?
MAKSAD: Alex, that was the shocker. That was the big surprise. Most of us tend to be thinking about this trip in terms of the money. The trillions of
dollars that were accrued in the MOUs that were signed, but there were also geopolitical moves like that meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa, something that
the Saudis and the Arabs had lobbied hard for. Syria is the row house in the middle of the neighborhood.
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If it's on fire, everybody else is in trouble. So, to steady that ship, you needed to lift U.S. sanctions. And it comes, you're right, with a whole
list of U.S. demands. And they're not conditions, as far as it seems. So, the sanctions will be lifted, but certainly Sharaa has a long list of
things to comply with U.S. demands, including handing over jihadi elements and some pro-Iranian elements that continue to operate in Syria.
MARQUARDT: Yes, that's a very important note. Palestinian terrorists, as he calls them, fighting against ISIS terrorists as well. Eventually
normalizing ties with Israel. But as you note, are not exactly conditions per se. Firas Maksad, thank you so much for joining us this evening. Really
appreciate it.
MAKSAD: My pleasure.
MARQUARDT: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, it's a new U.S. backed group, and it says it will begin delivering aid into the Gaza Strip within two
weeks. It is operating under a mechanism that is controlled by the United States and Israel, but without the backing, and this is very important, of
United Nations aid groups. Jeremy Diamond, our correspondent in the region, spoke to the head of the foundation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Given the extraordinary circumstances on the ground right now, you've asked the Israeli government
to allow aid in temporarily through existing mechanisms. Have they agreed to that and how soon will that aid get in, if so?
JAKE WOOD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION: That's right. We think that the situation on the ground is clearly urgent. And we can't
afford to wait. We are committed to being operational with our plan by the end of the month, ideally in advance of that. But, you know, no time like
the present to move aid in under existing mechanisms.
The Israelis have agreed to that operational condition. We don't yet have final details as conversations are ongoing about what precisely that means
and when, but we do expect to have some positive updates on that in the coming days.
DIAMOND: Once you are up and running, how many distribution sites will you have in Gaza immediately and how much of Gaza's population do you expect
those distribution sites to be able to feed?
WOOD: Yes, well, we are going to immediately open up by the end of the month four secure distribution sites. We have plans to ramp up to eight to
10, that will include locations in Northern Gaza. The initial plan as we have today, is going to provide 300 million meals over the first 90 days.
DIAMOND: Top humanitarian aid officials have been very critical of this plan. They say that it will enable the forced displacement of Palestinians,
that it will bring additional risks to the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, called
this a, quote, "Cynical sideshow", and a quote, "Fig leaf for further violence and displacement." What's your response to those comments and
criticisms?
WOOD: A lot of what NGOs in the U.N. heard early was full of misinformation. There were a lot of rumors about the IDF providing the
direct security here. There were rumors about, you know, biometric PII being shared back with the Israeli government. And I -- you know, I cannot
blame the humanitarian community for crying foul amid that misinformation. I would not have participated in a plan that did those same things.
However, that is not the plan. I want to stress, this plan is not perfect. But this plan will be feeding people by the end of the month in a scenario
where no one has allowed aid to be in over the course of the last 10 weeks.
DIAMOND: So, will this aid mechanism be able to function without those major U.N. agencies? Will you have the stocks of aid? Will you have the
trucks, the infrastructure to be able to get enough aid and then distribute it inside of Gaza?
WOOD: I think right now it's hard to say. You know, ultimately the community is going to face a choice. This is going to be the mechanism by
which aid can be distributed in Gaza. Are you willing to participate? The answer is going to be, you know, pretty critical to whether or not this
ramps up to sufficiently feed. 2.2 million people in a very desperate situation.
DIAMOND: The whole reason that this mechanism is being set up is because Israel won't let aid into Gaza in any other way. Israel accuses Hamas of
stealing aid and then profiting off of the aid that it resells to the Palestinian people. Humanitarian aid organizations have rejected those
claims, saying that they've seen no significant diversion of aid inside of Gaza. Have you seen any convincing evidence that Hamas is indeed stealing
aid in significance quantities?
WOOD: I think my view on this discussion is that it doesn't really matter. Israel controls access to Gaza. And if it is their belief that there is a
large percentage of aid that is being interdicted by Hamas and other non- state actors, then we have no choice but to create a mechanism which operates in that construct and in that framing.
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I'm here to solve a problem and feed people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUARDT: Our thanks to Jeremy Diamond for that very important interview.
Now to Turkey where Ukrainian officials sat down on Friday across from the Russian side in Istanbul. And Ukrainians are accusing the Russians of
saying, quote, "Unacceptable things." Now, this was the first Russia- Ukraine meeting since the war began, more than three years ago. Both sides now agreeing on a prisoner swap involving 1,000 troops in exchange from
each side.
Now, the Ukrainians said that they were ready to have a ceasefire agreed to today, but they accused Russia of sending a low-level delegation that could
not make that kind of decision. Ukrainian defense minister, who is in that meeting, says that the goal is to have the two presidents of the two
countries meet in the next round of meetings. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, he has accused his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of
being too scared to show up in Istanbul.
Joining me now is Ambassador Michael Carpenter, a former senior director for Europe at the National Security Council under President Joe Biden, and
a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.
Ambassador Carpenter, thank you so much for being with us on this really important day. I think you would agree with me that it's great that both
sides sat down with each other across the table in Istanbul, but what do you think was actually accomplished?
MICHAEL CARPENTER, FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE AT THE NSC, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE OSCE: Well, of course, the prisoner swap, a thousand
people is a major accomplishment. So, I think it's good that the meeting happened. Of course, hidden behind the headlines is the fact that this
negotiation process, if you want to call it that, is taking place right as U.S. armed shipments to Ukraine are starting to peter out.
So, as we head into the summer months, the U.S. security assistance for Ukraine that was agreed during the Biden administration is going to start
to run out. And Putin knows this. And right now, Putin is playing rope-a- dope with President Zelenskyy. He refuses to meet. He's sending lower-level delegates who are saying things like Russia is prepared to fight forever.
And there's no real meeting of the minds.
There's no compromise. And frankly, there's not going to be a compromise because Russia maintains its maximalist position. And President Zelenskyy
is not going to sell out his country. He's not going to capitulate. So, what that means is you have, sort of, the illusion of a negotiation
process, but not much substance behind it. Again, as I said at the top, the prisoner exchange being the exception and that was certainly worth it.
MARQUARDT: So, the -- Moscow, President Putin has not really budged in three months of these discussions. Trump has threatened sanctions, hasn't
followed through. Do you think that sanctions from him, more sanctions from Europe would actually force Putin to negotiate more seriously? How can they
get Putin to move?
CARPENTER: Of course, I mean, what the United States needs to do is it needs to apply its leverage to the instigator of this war, to the
aggressor, Russia and not to Ukraine. So, our former ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, who resigned just wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press
today, where she said that she resigned because precisely the United States was applying its leverage on the wrong party, on Ukraine, not on Russia.
So, what we ought to be doing is sending more armed shipments to Ukraine and signaling to Putin that we're going to increase the pressure, tariffs,
sanctions, whatever other pressure can be brought to bear to eventually cause him to see that the war is futile and that there's no other way to do
it other than to sit down at the table and make concessions.
MARQUARDT: Ukraine is pushing for the two presidents to meet. Do you think that Putin would actually do that and sit down with Zelenskyy anytime soon?
CARPENTER: Again, I think unless the United States really begins to apply serious pressure, not just alone, but together with our European allies, I
don't think Putin is going to want to sit down because for Putin to recognize Zelenskyy as his co-equal, he would need to recognize that
Zelenskyy is the leader of a sovereign Ukrainian state.
Now, remember, Putin doesn't acknowledge that Ukraine exists as a sovereign state. And so, for him, that is already a big concession if he were to meet
with Zelenskyy, either with Trump or anybody else in the room. But that should be the U.S. goal is to drive for a meeting between Zelenskyy and
Putin, ideally with the U.S. and our European allies at the table as well.
MARQUARDT: And now, we're hearing from President Trump and his Secretary of State saying, perhaps admitting, that there won't be a breakthrough until
Trump meets with Putin. Many have said that would be a concession, a win for Putin. Do you agree that's what it would take to get Putin to budge and
to get to the table? Do you think that there should be a summit?
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CARPENTER: Well, I think absolutely that any discussion of the future of Ukraine has to include the president, the democratically elected president
of Ukraine. Anything else is sort of Yalta-esque, you know, spheres of influence trying to carve up the world at the table where just the United
States and the Russia sit together. That's unacceptable.
However, I do think high level engagement is necessary. So, I do think President Trump is going to have to get involved, but I think it's going to
be together with President Putin and President Zelenskyy all sitting at the same table, and importantly with more leverage for Russia.
So, what President Trump needs to do is put Ukraine in a position of strength going into the negotiations rather than putting Russia in a
position of strength. Remember, right now, Russia knows arms shipments are going to run out soon and it will be able to prevail on the battlefield on
-- in the last back half of this year.
MARQUARDT: Yes, certainly a major focus for the Ukrainians to get those shipments and more aid to the front lines as soon as possible. Ambassador
Michael Carpenter, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
CARPENTER: My pleasure.
MARQUARDT: A law enforcement source tells CNN that the former FBI Director, James Comey, is expected to be interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service. Now,
you can briefly see him leaving his home there in Virginia in this new video that has just come in, and this comes after a social media post by
Comey that some top Republicans are claiming was a threat against President Trump's life.
Now, the post that Comey has since deleted showed seashells on the beach, arranged to read 86, 47, the number 86 referring probably to getting rid of
or tossing something out. And of course, President Donald Trump is the 47th president.
Now, in an interview with Fox News, the president said, quote, "That meant assassination." Comey denies that the picture was a call for violence, and
he said, quote, "I didn't realize that some folks associate those numbers with violence."
Our Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez joins us now with more. So, Evan, this is just a remarkable story. What is this secret service going to
be looking into and how seriously do you think they're taking it?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, they're treating this as a serious investigation because the president wants this
to be treated as a serious investigation. You can see from the comments he made in Fox News, that he believes that Comey knew exactly what 86 meant,
and that it meant assassination, not just tossing out.
And so, the Secret Service is going to treat this as a normal threat investigation. They get a lot of these. And one of the typical things they
do is they go talk to these people who may put a social media posting or may have said something or sometimes sent letters and they go and ask them,
what did you mean by this? Where were you when you posted this, for instance? And you know, looking to see whether you have any intent to harm
the president.
Obviously, Comey says that none of this was intended to indicate violence. He -- when I reached out to him yesterday, he pointed me to his replacement
post, which said simply that I oppose violence of any kind. So, I took the post down and that none of this was intended that way.
Look, you know -- and talking -- it's kind of an interesting thing. I've talked to people today about what people think this means. I didn't think
86 -- I didn't take it to mean that -- to mean it to be assassination. I thought it would be more like removing someone, as in impeaching him or
something like that. But others said that they thought that it does indicate more of a violent tone. So, it is -- it does depend on where you
sit, I guess, and your own experiences.
MARQUARDT: And we're hearing people shout from the rafters, Don Jr., the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of Homeland Security. But
you mentioned the word intent.
PEREZ: Right.
MARQUARDT: And so, how important is that in all of this?
PEREZ: That's the key word. And that is really key to every -- to any investigation of this kind. And so, they need to make sure that, did you
intend anything to harm the president? And that will make the decision for prosecutors on whether they can go forward with a charge.
Obviously, overhanging all of this is the tortured pass between James Comey, the former FBI director who Trump fired, who investigated him, and
there's a -- let's just say, a lot of history of enmity between the two men. And so, that might explain some of what is happening right here.
And I should note that there's plenty of examples of where Trump has, in some of his language, appeared to call for violence against Hillary Clinton
and others. And people on the right have quickly said, oh, he never mentioned. He never said or intended any of that. And so, that's what
you're seeing on the other side now.
MARQUARDT: And as I've heard you say earlier today, there are plenty of examples of people talking about 86, 46.
PEREZ: 86, 46, you can look on social media. You can also look at on Amazon, you'll see a lot of merchandise for sale -- for -- that says 86, 47
or 86, 46, which is obviously a reference to Biden.
[18:25:00]
And none of those appear to have garnered this serious kind of an investigation from the Secret Service.
MARQUARDT: Yes, this story was not one that I saw -- that I had on my Bingo card for this Friday in May. Evan Perez, thank you very much for joining
us.
Still ahead, film industry fears why President Trump's tariff threat on movies made overseas could hit foreign production companies hard. All that
and more after this break, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARQUARDT: And welcome back to "The Brief" U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday. The S&P500 rising for a fifth straight session. It rallied more
than five percent this week, thanks to strong gains in tech. Nvidia shares rallied more than 15 percent this week. The A.I. chip maker struck a deal
with Saudi Arabia and stands to gain from the partnership that was announced by President Trump in the United Arab Emirates.
President Trump warned on Friday that higher U.S. tariffs are still very much on the table. Trump saying that there's not enough time for the U.S.
to negotiate with every foreign government before his 90-day tariff pause runs out, that self-imposed deadline. So, he says that the U.S. will be
forced to impose tariffs without direct talks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: We have, at the same time, 150 countries that want to make a deal, but you're not able to see that many countries. So, a certain point over
the next two to three weeks, I think Scott and Howard will be sending letters out, essentially telling people -- it would be very fair, but we'll
be telling people what they'll be paying to do business in the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUARDT: Reports say that one of this summer's most anticipated Hollywood blockbusters will open in Chinese theaters soon despite the ongoing U.S.-
China trade tensions. Beijing has reportedly OK'ed the release of "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning" on May 30th with other upcoming U.S. films
also getting the Nod.
Now, China had threatened to reduce the number of U.S. film exports amid the trade battles. Tom Cruise was on hand for the U.K. premier of the film
in London on Thursday after its premier at the Cannes Film Festival took place earlier in the week. Tom Cruise, who of course stars in the film, he
climbed on top of a -- the model of a biplane which plays a key role in the movie.
[18:30:00]
"Mission Impossible" is just one of a number of Hollywood movies that have either been filmed overseas or use overseas production firms. President
Trump's threats to impose 100 percent tariffs on movies made outside of the United States are creating new uncertainties and headaches. for many of
those production houses. Our Anna Stewart reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, this looks (INAUDIBLE). I can see bonnets already.
STEWART (voice-over): We are stepping into another world, certainly a different era.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the "Marie Antoinette" of -- you know, the famous pink dress in the "Marie Antoinette."
STEWART: Wow. That's beautiful.
STEWART (voice-over): From "Marie Antoinette."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll do it again.
STEWART (voice-over): To "Les Miserable."
(MUSIC PLAYING)
STEWART (voice-over): And more recently, "Snow White."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fairest of them all.
STEWART (voice-over): British Company, Sands Films has been making period costumes for films like these for some 50 years.
SCIUTTO: OK. Well, looking through the endless rows of costumes, this is one you may recognize. This was in the movie "Little Women." Now, clearly,
this is based on an American novel. It was produced by an American company, Columbia Pictures, and it was largely filmed in Massachusetts, but the
costumes were designed and made here in Southeast London.
STEWART (voice-over): Some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters are made in Britain, like the latest mission impossible.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I need you to trust me one last time.
STEWART (voice-over): Whether it's the location, or in the case of "Barbie," the Warner Brothers studio in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. Last
year, Hollywood spent more than $1.8 billion in the U.K., employing hundreds of thousands of people in the industry, and President Trump isn't
happy about it.
TRUMP: -- bad business. They have the nice sign and everything's good, but they don't do very much.
STEWART (voice-over): His threat to slap tariffs on foreign made films has its skeptics.
OLIVIER STOCKMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SANDS FILMS: I would say it's impossible to put a tariff on the film because it -- the film is a non-
tangible asset. That is the -- that's the issue at stake. That's what they want to do, is to bring back employment in Hollywood. Now, to do that, they
would have to make the financial environment for the film production to find it more attractive to do it in Hollywood than to do it in Pinewood or
in Hungary, or in Australia for that matter.
STEWART (voice-over): Businesses like Sands Films aren't worried. They plan to be making costumes for all the eras and sizes for decades to come.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUARDT: Our thanks to Anna Stewart. And coming up next, wanting to give other survivors a voice. Cassie Ventura, wrapping up four harrowing days in
court in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
MARQUARDT: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Alex Marquardt. Here are more international headlines that we are watching today.
Moody's rating has downgraded the credit rating of the United States, taking it down one notch from AAA to Aa1, it cites government debt and high
interest rates is the reason. The move, bringing it into line with similar previous downgrades by the S&P and Fitch rating agencies.
Peace remains elusive between Russia and Ukraine after the countries held their first direct talks in more than three years. While there have been no
signs of major breakthrough in Istanbul where the talks took place, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners
traded each way. Turkey's foreign minister sees this moment as a, quote, "important day for world peace."
The Supreme Court has blocked President Trump's attempt to continue deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The Trump administration
wanted to use the law to speed up deportations and remove the review that is normally needed before removing people from the country. The court's
justices sent the case back to an appeals court to answer further questions.
Now, Cassie Ventura has wrapped up her testimony at the trial of music mogul Sean Diddy Combs, and another highly emotional day in court in New
York. Combs' former girlfriend said that she felt as though she was, quote, "basically a sex worker," and that Diddy damaged her music career by making
her take part in his infamous freak offs.
In a statement outside court, Ventura's lawyer said that the singer hopes that other survivors of abuse will be encouraged to speak up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG WIGDOR, CASSIE VENTURA'S ATTORNEY: This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. I hope that
my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear. For
me, the more I heal, the more I can remember, and the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: Elie Honig joins us now from New York. He has been following this case. So, Elie, a very emotional week, a pivotal week in this trial.
Cassie Ventura really was the star witness for the prosecution. How do you think she held up under both direct questioning and cross examination?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Alex, what's so unusual about this case and about Cassie Ventura as the witness is she is clearly, as you
say, the star witness, the most important witness for the prosecution.
Now, ordinarily in that scenario, the defense will try to tear the star witness down. They'll try to convince the jury, this person is a liar. This
is a horrible person. This person has bad motives. That is not what the defense tried to do with Cassie Ventura, and I think wisely because she
came across as credible, as sympathetic, as believable, as likable. And instead, what the defense is trying to do is essentially use Cassie
Ventura's own words, her own texts, to argue to the jury this was a deeply troubled relationship. This was indeed a physically abusive relationship.
However, the argument they're making through Cassie Ventura goes, it doesn't meet the legal requirements of the federal racketeering and sex
trafficking charges that the government has brought here. So, I think both sides have reason to be pleased with Cassie Ventura's performance, both on
direct and cross. The case is not over and the witnesses that are coming up later are really going to tip the balance one way or another.
MARQUARDT: Yes. You touched on the strategy of the defense there. How effective do you think they were at dismantling one of the main arguments
that the prosecution has been making, and that's the coercion argument?
[18:40:00]
HONIG: I think they did a good job. I think they did what they could. I think they used certain texts from Ventura that showed that at times she
expressed positivity and enthusiasm about these freak offs. At times she even was involved in some of the organization of them.
But let me tell you what the comeback is going to be, and already we've started to see this from the prosecution. First of all, the prosecution's
going to argue. When she said those things, that was because she was under extreme duress, because she was suffering from the trauma of being a
victim. I think the actually better argument that they may get to the prosecutors at some point is if you have an ongoing relationship, at times
it's consensual at other times it's coercive. Guess what? That's coercive on the whole, that violates the law, at least as to those times when it was
coercive.
So, I think the defense was smart in the tact they took with Cassie Ventura. I think it would've been a huge mistake to try to tear her down,
but I still think the prosecution has a compelling argument to make here.
MARQUARDT: So, do you think that the prosecution is building this strong case for sex trafficking and racketeering, or are you seeing weak points
there.
HONIG: So, on the sex trafficking, I think the prosecution is building a strong case. Again, they have to show that there was transportation for
sexual purposes with coercion threats or fraud. I think the videotape of the beating really helps them on that.
But let me answer the other part of your question separately. I do not think that the prosecution so far has made out a racketeering charge. I
used to charge racketeering all the time. It means there is a criminal enterprise, an organization of some type. It doesn't have to be an LLC, it
doesn't have to have an official name, but some sort of organization. Usually, we would use it to charge mobsters, to charge drug trafficking
organizations and that that organization existed over a period of time. They committed multiple interrelated crimes in order to promote and protect
the organization.
As of this point, I think they've shown a vicious, horrible, abusive relationship, but they have not shown racketeering as of this point. They
may get there, maybe there's going to be a whole string of other victims and witnesses that come in and show some more signs of organization, but as
of this point, the racketeering part of this feels like an overcharge to me.
MARQUARDT: Yes. Lots more to come in this extremely dramatic trial. Elie, Hogan in New York, thank you so much.
HONIG: Thanks, Alex.
MARQUARDT: The PGA Championship is now underway in North Carolina. We'll have all of the highlights from the second round coming up after the break.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
MARQUARDT: Jhonattan Vegas is at the top of the leader aboard standing on eight under in the second round of the PGA Championship. The 40-year-old
from Venezuela is chasing his first major title. Patrick Snell joins us live from Charlotte now.
So, Patrick, we don't know if Vegas is going to end up winning on Sunday, but he's already made history this week. Tell us about that.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Alex, he really has. Yes, quite an extraordinary story. A 40-year-old from Venezuela making history by
becoming the first player, the first man ever from his country to be leading a golf major. It is quite an inspiring story, whichever way you
look at it.
He already made history by becoming the first man from his country to win on the USPGA tour, and not just that he's won four times in total. It's his
extraordinary life journey, though, moving from his homeland to the United States. He's now based in Texas.
But I asked him after his first round on Thursday how he actually got started in the game, and he did share with us reporters who were gathered
there that back in the day as a kid he would practice the sport of golf with a broomstick and a rock. Just reflect on that for a moment. He was
also very passionate indeed, I will say, about the sport of baseball as well. But it is an inspiring story everywhere you look at it.
And he went out there during Friday's second round. He shot a wonderful tally, a round of 70, did have a double bogey at the last, but he gave him
eight under par leading the tournament. A whole new experience really because he did it after day one. He is leading again on Friday after his
second round. And I asked him what that whole new experience, what was that like to savor, listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JHONATTAN VEGAS, WORLD NUMBER 70: Well, it means a lot, right? I mean, this is kind of what we put all those hours for. You put all those hours to give
yourself in chances like this. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do it throughout my career, but you never know, you know. You just got to keep
the pedal down. Keep your head down and keep working hard and, you know, you never know when things are going to turn your way. So, I just got to do
what I do. So -- and, you know, good things could happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: I will see how it all pans out for him, Alex. So much attention going into this tournament on Rory McIlroy who just completed the Career
Grand Slam by winning the Masters recently. Didn't have the best of first days by his very high standards. He shot a three over par. 74 for him on a
course where he's won four times previously. But he's hoping to be around and looking good to make the cut. He's currently at one under par.
And a word on Scottie Scheffler, his playing partner out there along with Xander Schauffele. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, is also hoping
to win this tournament for a first time, whether he love to do that a third career major, if he can do that. Things looking really good for Sheffler at
the moment. He's at five under par right now, Alex, Scottie Sheffler. We're all set for what should be a thrilling weekend of golf. Back to you.
MARQUARDT: McIlroy maybe resting on his laurels. He's got two days to go. So, good luck to the whole field. Patrick Snell in Charlotte, thank you so
much.
Coming up after the break, it is time for the legendary international music extravaganza held this year in Switzerland. Of course, that is the
Eurovision Song Contest, and its final is set to take place on Saturday. Millions are expected to tune in to the world's largest live music event.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
MARQUARDT: They're cranking up the speakers in Basel as the Swiss city gets ready for Saturday's. Eurovision Song Contest grand final. According to the
betting odds, the favorite to win is KAJ, I believe I'm pronouncing that correctly, who are representing Sweden with a song about, wait for it, a
sauna.
The contest always attracts criticism, often political in nature. This year, Israel is facing protests because of the ongoing military campaign in
Gaza. Now, representing Israel is a singer who is a survivor of the October 7th attack. She was met on arrival by protestors waving Palestinian flags
at the opening ceremony on Sunday.
Dean Vuletic is our Eurovision expert of the evening. He wrote the book, "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest." Dean, thank you so much
for joining us. It promises to be an exciting weekend. But for people who haven't seen Eurovision before, how would you describe the appeal? What's
your pitch to them?
DEAN VULETIC, EUROVISION HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR, "POSTWAR EUROPE AND THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST": Well, the Eurovision Song Contest has been held
annually since 1956. And basically, it's a contest in which songs represent countries and they compete to be the winner.
MARQUARDT: And they often do so in some very colorful garb. And I'm thinking particularly of, I think it was a Finnish or some kind of
Scandinavian band dressed as Vikings several years ago. But in terms of the recipe, the magic sauce for a song that wins, is there a formula?
VULETIC: There used to be a formula, if we could say that there used to be a recipe for the classic Eurovision song, but things have changed in recent
years. What makes Eurovision entries attractive. These days is, I would say, authenticity. Audiences want to see songs that represent something of
the cultures that they come from.
So, this year we actually see more songs that are not in English than any time since 1998 when the language rule was changed to allow songs to be
performed in any language, not just the national languages of the countries they represent. But also, the costumes make an entry attractive, the
effects on stage, huge props. This year we see a giant microphone. We saw a giant blender for Australia last night for the second semifinal, a giant
chandelier, giant lips. So, all of these things make Eurovision attractive, crazy, and a lot of fun.
MARQUARDT: And there are some stars who have broken through. This has been a launching pad for some. You've got ABBA who are probably the biggest
stars who really made it thanks to Eurovision. How -- what are some other examples of success stories?
VULETIC: Well, we could go back even further to 1958, the third Eurovision song contest. Domenico Modugno came third with the song "Volare." It won
the first Grammy Award and it has since become the most successful non- English language pop song ever. So, Eurovision launched that.
It has also launched Celine Dion. She won for the Switzerland in 1988. And actually, in the first semi-final a few nights ago, she sent a video
message remembering her performance for Switzerland. And I think a lot of fans would hope that she will turn up tomorrow for the grand final. But
that's wishful thinking.
And in recent years we've seen the Italian group Maneskin achieve global success after its Eurovision win. The Dutch singer Duncan Laurence and also
the Armenian singer, Rosa Linn, who didn't win but has a huge hit with her song "Snap."
MARQUARDT: And then, Dean, there is this story to the side, but also dominating headlines of the protests against the Israeli singer who, as we
noted, did survive the Hamas attacks at that music festival on October 7th. How is that playing out?
[18:55:00]
VULETIC: Well, the protests this year have been much smaller than last year in Malmo. Last year we saw thousands of people take to the streets to
protest against Israel's participation in Eurovision. This year, there have been protests, for example, at the opening ceremony. But it was a small
protest. I was there. There were about a hundred thousand people on the streets of Basel for the opening ceremony. So, the protest was a feature,
but it certainly didn't affect the festivities.
And as the European Broadcasting Union, the organizer of Eurovision says, we live in liberal democracies. Last year, Eurovision was staged in Sweden.
This year in Switzerland. People have a right to protest as well.
MARQUARDT: And we only have a couple seconds left. Who do you want to win?
VULETIC: Well, Sweden and Austria are the favorites, but I would go for Spain. A powerful song about divas, strong women, pop and Latino mixed
together. It's a fantastic song to dance and sing to.
MARQUARDT: We'll be watching out for that. Dean Vuletic, thank you so much.
And thank you to all of you out there for joining us this evening. I'm Alex Marquardt here in Washington, D.C. You've been watching "The Brief." Stay
with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
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