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Hala Gorani Tonight
Spicer: Backchannels Are Part Of Diplomacy; Trump Hammers Germany Over Trade Gap; Ariana Grande To Headline Memorial Concert; Manchester Police Raid Property In Wigan; ISIS Targets Young And Old In Twin Attacks; Labour's Corbyn Stumbles Over Childcare Policy Pledge; Protecting Migrant Farm Workers: Alejandrina's Story; Netflix Series Returns for Fifth Season. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 30, 2017 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:22]
(HEADLINES)
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Good evening to you. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones live here in London sitting in for Hala Gorani and this is
THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
All right, a busy hour ahead and we begin with the White House under fire. Just moments ago, the press secretary, Sean Spicer, wrapped up his first
briefing since U.S. President Donald Trump returned from the first overseas trip.
Sean Spicer wanted to talk about the trip, and he did at length, but instead when it came to the Q&A afterwards, he was pressed on Jared
Kushner, that's the president's son-in-law, and the reported attempts to set up back channel communication with Russia. Here is just one exchange
from that tense briefing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'm not going to get into what the president did or did not discuss, but what your question assumes is a
lot of facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so being leaked out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does he approve of the action?
SPICER: You are asking if he approves of an action that is not a confirmed action. That being said, I think Secretary Kelly and General McMaster have
both discussed that in general's terms backchannels are appropriate part of diplomacy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the White House disputes that that happened?
SPICER: I'm not going to get into it, but your question presupposes facts that have not been confirmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: OK, let's bring in CNN's Tom Foreman from our Washington bureau. Also joining us David Swerdlick, an assistant editor at the
"Washington Post." Gentlemen, welcome to you both.
David, to you first, Sean Spicer, may not have wanted to talk about it, but straight out of the blocks, he was asked about Russian and these possible
back channels and crucially, he did not deny that these back channels existed.
DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That is right, Hannah. The White House in the last couple of days both via Press Secretary Spicer and
the president's own tweets and other spokespeople both on the record and off of the record have been pushing back on this idea that it is fake news.
But calling something fake news in addition to being sort of a worn-out theme now after a few months of the Trump administration is also not a
denial as you say. It is simply trying to wave away press reports.
And later in the briefing, Press Secretary Spicer had some difficulty coming up with a meaningful example, he did come up with an example, but
not a meaningful example of a fake news story from the mainstream media.
So this is going to continue to dog them as long as they are sort of batting away these stories without specifically stating what in the stories
they say is false and what reporting they say is factually inaccurate.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes, Tom, fake news came up in a lot in that news conference, didn't it? And Sean Spicer suggesting that it was the press
misrepresenting what the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was talking about the other day when she criticized the state of German-U.S. relations. Your
take on that?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sadly, this is really what we've seen through this administration and almost everything, any time somebody
says something they don't like to hear, their take on it is that you misunderstood, and you are misinterpreting, it is fake news as we
mentioned, and it is simply cannot be trusted.
And what is emerging more and more a few months into this administration are these two alternate realities. There is a reality of those of us who
cover them, and what many people in the world are saying of the reality of the situation, and what the White House says, and they are diverging
further, and further apart -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: And David, the FBI director, this vacant role at the moment, he did touch on that a little bit. We know that there are a couple
of people now who are being interviewed for the role, and that is crucial of course, because it is going to involve investigations into possible
Trump-Russia links, but I mean, are we left with anyone who actually wants to be the FBI director?
SWERDLICK: Well, someone is going to eventually want the job, and accept the idea of being put forward by President Trump, and submit themselves to
scrutiny by the U.S. Senate for confirmation to that position.
[15:05:00]You have to imagine this person is going to A, go into it knowing that his predecessor was fired by President Trump, and also that on the way
to the job, he will be questioned by Senate Democrats and Republicans with regard to the investigation going on about the administration, which they
are about to serve, but someone will eventually be appointed.
What has happened, though, Hannah, here is that a number of names of prominent, you know, marquee people have been floated and one by one they
have either sort of backed away from being in consideration or the administration has just interviewed them and decided that they want to move
on and find a candidate that's more suitable, so we will see.
VAUGHAN JONES: Tom, back to you. Where do we stand at the moment with this Russian investigation? There are so many inquiries going on across
the Congress at the moment, so what is the latest?
FOREMAN: Well, right now, the Russian investigation is like an electric wire that the White House can neither put down nor hold on to. They don't
have any choice because, as you mentioned, there are many investigations out there right now.
We have the special counsel now leading the FBI investigation, which is the probably the tip of the spear here. We don't have any proof of anything
going wrong right now, but as long as it is out there, and as long as we keep getting this drip, drip, drip of information of new leads, of new
possibilities and the real chance that something might come up exactly what David made reference to.
All sorts of people in this town who might ally themselves with this administration don't want to because they do not want to be swept up in
that until they see that cleared up, and that could take months.
GORANI: Yes, you mentioned the drip, drip, drip of the information coming up, the latest thing today is that the Russians possibly have some sort of
disparaging, damaging intelligence personal to Donald Trump, and that is how they were able to influence the U.S. election of last year. Tom, your
reflections on that?
FOREMAN: Well, we don't know. This is the main thing about all these investigations. What we hear is a lot of possibilities of things. I will
say that one of the things that comes up time and again, in this case, it comes up, in the questions being raised about Jared Kushner was involved in
it came up, with Michael Flynn it came up.
Time and again we come back to what we talked about early on in this, can somebody with such a vast business empire, and business connections not
wind up with conflicts when they start to getting into government.
It does not mean any of these are necessarily illegal, but that seems to be what an awful lot of this keeps tying into, business connections and things
people did where they were acting maybe as a business agent or government agent or something in between.
VAUGHAN JONES: And David, final word to you, and the one thing that Sean Spicer, possibly the reporters in the room did not get a chance to actually
ask him because he did wrap up the Q&A very quickly, but the communications director having resigned, was he pushed or did he jump?
SWERDLICK: You know, I am not sure. I think we are still finding that out, but it could be somewhere in the middle. I mean, Dubke, the
communications director who is leaving, he wasn't either a Trump loyalists. He wasn't one of these people that was with Trump throughout the campaign
and he also wasn't one of the folks that came over from the RNC, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus or Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
He was a hired gun who came in after inauguration day. So it's I think, you know, there was a mixture of probably the president was not happy with
the job that was being done overall in the communication shop.
But also this is a person who has not made much noise or fuss about leaving. I would guess that there are a lot of motivations going on behind
the scenes.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes, we wait to see what happens to Sean Spicer as well, whether he stays in the same role that he's been for the last few months in
this administration. Gentlemen, my thanks to you both. David Swerdlick and Tom Foreman, thank you.
Now it is impossible to know what the kremlin or Russia is thinking behind closed doors, but publicly, at least, Russia is not holding back when it
comes to its opinion of Donald Trump.
Today, the country's deputy foreign minister said he's, quote, "concerned that there been little progress in improving the relationship since Trump
took office."
Well, Trump himself was outspoken on the issue of Russia tweeting today, "Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. and how a lame excuse for
why the Dems lost the election has taken over the fake news.
Let's go to Moscow and get the reaction from there, CNN's Claire Sebastian, joins us now. Claire, is Russia laughing or crying about the apparent back
channels or channels of some sort but are missing at the moment with the U.S.?
CLAIRE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hannah, it certainly doesn't seem like they are laughing. You know, over the past few weeks, we've seen
levels of frustration, exasperation rising over the constant stream of kind of Russia-related controversy coming out of Washington.
Today, we got a real sober assessment of this by the deputy foreign minister who said that he is worried, because the contacts and cooperation
between Russia and the Trump administration have led to no serious breakthrough.
[15:10:04]And we even, you know, signs of anger, he says what he called the defamation of Russian's ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyack is
causing indignation in Moscow. So this really does go beyond the kind of frustration, even kind of slightly humorous exasperation that we have seen
over the past few weeks.
I think here in Russia, certainly they were closely scrutinizing Trump's first foreign trip last week for any signs of any kind of good news for
Russia perhaps even on sanctions. They got the opposite.
Trump's chief economic adviser saying that from far of lifting the sanctions, they may actually consider strengthening them. So here in
Russia I think it's certainly they are definitely not laughing. The concern levels are rising here -- Hannah.
GORANI: OK, well, standby for a second because it is not just Donald Trump that the Russians have very strong opinions about, they also have quite a
lot to say after the French President Emmanuel Macron was critical of Russian media. He was critical while standing next to Vladimir Putin.
Here is what Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I think that these assessments reflect the well-known momentum of the anti-Russian
campaign, which the Obama administration has unleashed and which has since took over a number of other countries including European countries, and our
western partners cannot get out of the way at this momentum. However, there are no facts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: Claire, does the kremlin really believe that there is an anti-Russia campaign currently being waged by the west, namely by Angela
Merkel, Germany and Emmanuel Macron?
SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think, Hannah, that is the general consensus here. Not only among the kind of the officials who are close to Vladimir Putin, but a
lot of people that I have spoken to believe that Trump is essentially being paralyzed by the kind of the anti-Russian sentiment we heard from the
Foreign Ministry over the weekend who called it McCarthyism.
The feeling here is that Trump's opponents are really using the Russian cards to try and hurt him essentially, but to the point of information on
what Lavrov was saying there.
He was talking about the statement by Macron in that press conference yesterday calling the Russian media outlets, RT and Sputnik, agents of
influence, that has caused a lot of anger here in Russia.
Lavrov went on in that press conference to say that they have never been found in breach or in violation of any regulations by the British
regulator, (inaudible) and that is actually not true.
We contacted (inaudible) and they said they had found that RT was in breach 14 times since it set up in the U.K. in 2005. So you know, a lot of anger
here that he obviously spoke quickly in his anger.
RT has also come out and defended itself, the editor-in-chief calling the Macron comment a cheap vaudeville. So we have a situation where the sides
are really very much at odds today despite what -- from Russia's perspective whether the positive optics of Putin and Macron standing next
to each other at the Elysee Palace yesterday -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: (Inaudible) indeed to look at, I believe. Claire Sebastian, thanks very much. Claire there in Moscow for us.
Meanwhile, the White House says things are good between the U.S. and Germany after some testy exchanges. Sean Spicer called the relationship
between Donald Trump and Angela Merkel, quote, "fairly unbelievable."
This after Mr. Trump ruffles the German leader by failing to commit to defend fellow members of the NATO alliance. He is now hammering Germany on
trade as well.
Chancellor Angela Merkel says things like this suggest that Europeans need to manage their own affairs without depending on the U.S. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): There are more reasons than there ever were before to take our own hands within our own
fate within Europe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: OK, Fred Pleitgen joins me now to talk about the potential spat brewing between the U.S. and Germany. It's not just Angela Merkel,
but German foreign minister has weighed in as well. And Angela Merkel doubled down on her comments from a couple of days ago meaning this wasn't
just off the cuff comments she made about the U.S.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, certainly. It is not off of the cuff comment, and Angela Merkel is not one who is
known for off of the cuff comments. She is someone who definitely thought this through and is making this part of, you know, they are in an election
campaign situation right now.
But really Germany is taking this very, very seriously especially them saying, look, we have to take destiny into our own hands. We have to do
more for instance for our own defense, but I think the thing that hurts Germans most was Donald Trump's talk on trade.
Saying that the Germans were somehow bad for exporting too many cars to America. That's something where the Germans say look we have created so
many jobs in America. German automakers, for instance, have.
That they really felt that that was unfair, and so that is driving them at this point in time to really re-evaluate a lot of ties in Europe and try to
strengthening those. But you're right, the foreign minister also weighed in it as well. It's a pretty large issue right now.
VAUGHAN JONES: Well, you mentioned what Donald Trump already said about trade. He's also tweeted about Germany today as well. I want to bring
that to our viewers.
He said, "We have a massive trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay far less than they should on NATO and military, very bad for the U.S. This
will change."
[15:15:03]Now we know that Donald Trump is a president who enjoys having his enemies, but why would he want to make an enemy out of the strongest
leader in the west right now?
PLEITGEN: Well, I think one of the things is because he talked so much about trade, and trade deficits in the election campaign, and I think it's
something where he seems to be trying to show that he is fighting for American workers.
But again, what the Germans are saying in response is, look, they have created 110,000 jobs, and that is the German auto industry in America over
the past couple of years, and produced about 900,000 cars in the U.S. in 2016 of which 70 percent were actually exported.
So that is sort of what they are saying. And, yes, I mean, it could lead to a realignment in certain ways. Right now, you have the Indian prime
minister in Germany, the Chinese prime minister in Germany very soon.
So look for them to also look more towards Asia to try and bolster the ties if indeed it turns out that over the next four years America is going to be
difficult to deal with.
VAUGHAN JONES: And Angela Merkel is obviously standing for reelection at the moment as well so she is in campaign mode, but do you think she is
potentially hedging her bet that she might be around longer than Donald Trump?
PLEITGEN: The way things are going right now, she probably will be around for a while. I mean, at this point in time, she is very far ahead in the
polls. I do think that she is hedging her bets, but at the same time, of course, she is going to have to deal with the Trump White House over to the
next four years.
And she certainly going to have to realign Germany's policies, but I think a lot of it is also sort of coming together in the greater scheme of
Europe, and for instance, Britain with Brexit looking more towards the United States.
And really, Europe, and the E.U. countries that are still left moving closer together. And I think Macron's victory in France also is a welcomed
inroad for Angela Merkel to say, look, let's foster these European ties and make them closer in light of this White House.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes, bolsters her position for sure. Fred Pleitgen, thanks very much for your analysis.
Now still to come, residents turn out for music and prayer in Manchester, an interfaith service and a benefit concert helping victims of the arena
bombing. Security is tight for both as you'd imagine.
And later, ISIS terror strikes twice in Baghdad, at an ice cream shop, and at a pensioner's office. All that and much more when THE WORLD RIGHT NOW
continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back to program. One of Manchester's most famous residents is trying to bring some comfort to the city eight days after the
arena bombing. Security was tight at the theater venue as former Oasis singer and Manchester local, Liam Gallagher, performed a benefit concert
for victim s and their families.
Meanwhile, another memorial concert is now set for Sunday, Ariana Grande will headline. The bombing of course, came at the close of her performance
at the Manchester Arena last week. Other performers on Sunday will include Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, and Pharrell Williams.
So quite a lineup.
[15:20:00]Meanwhile, though, Manchester authorities have not let up in their searched for anyone who might be involved with the arena attack.
Police searched a property in nearby Wigan, just hours ago.
A stretched of homes was cordoned off, and police asked people to avoid the area while they carried out their investigations.
CNN's Muhammad Lila joins me now with the very latest from Manchester. And Muhammad, while the city tries to get back to normal, the investigation
continues at some phase with raids happening on a daily basis.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is right. They are happening on the daily basis, and neighborhoods are being evacuated on
a daily basis as parts of those raids. Let me just explain where I am right now in Manchester. I am standing right in front of that Liam
Gallagher concert.
You can see security is patting down guests before they go inside for the concert and of course, Liam Gallagher being a son of Manchester, and the
fact that this concert is happening at all tonight is certainly an important event for the city given what happened that the attack happened
just over a week ago at another concert.
Now the investigation continues. We talked about the raids. Well, police have also released security camera images of the suspect, Salman Abedi,
carrying a blue suitcase. Police call it a distinctive blue suitcase.
And those images were captured of Salman Abedi. Police believed say that the suspect was seen wheeling around that suitcase in the days and in fact
in the very hours leading up to the attack.
Now they don't believe there's anything dangerous in that suitcase, but they are looking for it, and they've asked the general public that if they
see that suitcase, they shouldn't go near it, but rather they should call the police.
Now police have also said that they believe the explosives were placed in a backpack and that also raises more questions about what the suspect was
doing wheeling that suitcase around the city, including in fact right in the downtown core.
And they are hoping that by locating that suitcase, it might provide some answers in terms of possible leads or helping them to find other people who
may have been involved in this network which has been their primary goal now for several days.
VAUGHAN JONES: And Muhammad, you talked about the concert happening behind you, at the moment, the security is tight for that. But this Sunday, an
even bigger event planned with an incredible lineup, the security no doubt will have a major struggle when it comes to policing that.
LILA: That is right. You know, Ariana Grande has announced that she is going to be back on Sunday not just alone, but with some superstars in the
music world, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, among them, and if you recall, CNN spoke to the mayor of Greater Manchester not too long ago and he talked
about the security and how they need to set up security at events after they were finished.
There was a good security screening process as people were entering the event, but it was after they left that they needed to step up some
security. We spoke to the mayor today once again to get his reaction on how important this weekend's concert is going to be for Greater Manchester,
and this is what he told us?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY BURNHAM, GREATER MANCHESTER MAYOR: Well, it is going to be quite significant particularly to people who perhaps were at the first concert
who would want to go back and be part of that second concert. I think that it will be a positive moment, and people can begin to look to the future,
and they can at least again enjoy being with each other, and taking comfort in that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LILA: And you know, we have been talking to some of the music fans here who are going to the Liam Gallagher concert, they tell us that they and
their friends are now frantically trying to get tickets for this weekend's concert. And it is believed that at this weekend's concert not only the
victims will be honored but also the family members of the victims as well.
So it is bound to be an emotional time, but certainly a very important event for Manchester to show the rest of the world that it's healing and
it's moving through this tragedy.
VAUGHAN JONES: That benefit concert is scheduled for Sunday night. Muhammad Lila live for us in Manchester, thank you.
Right now, ISIS is claiming responsibility for two deadly car bombings in Baghdad. We must warn you some of the video we are about to show you is
disturbing.
(VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: One attack took place outside a government office where senior citizens were lined up to collect their pensions. It was a chaotic
scene. Bystanders rushed in with hoses and their bare hands to try to reach some of the victims. The other bombing was outside an ice cream shop
where families were gathered.
Joining me now from Istanbul with more on this is CNN's Ian Lee. Ian, what are the Iraqi government saying about these two horrendous attacks?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hannah, there's been an increase in security during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan because ISIS has said
that they want to carry out more attacks, and called on supporters to carry out more attacks. For the terror group this is an auspicious month for
jihad.
We heard from the minister of Interior who vowed to hunt down the perpetrators, but it is difficult. ISIS has a number of cells believed to
be operating in Baghdad and other places in Iraq.
[15:25:13]And in this latest video, you are seeing these attacks, ISIS target the young and the old. Eyewitness telling CNN that in the aftermath
of the attack outside the ice cream parlor that there was blood mixed with ice cream, and you can see in the videos children targeted in the attack,
and families targeted in this attack, similar to what we saw in Manchester, something that the world is seeing a tactic of ISIS -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: And Ian, you mentioned that this is all happening during the holy month of Ramadan, with that in mind, what does ISIS hope to get
out of attacks coming at this time?
LEE: Well, you have to look at the battlefield, Hannah, right now ISIS is on the back foot when it comes to Iraq, though, losing ground in Mosul and
other parts of Iraq, and one thing that they've used, the tool of theirs to create fertile ground was really the sectarian attacks.
They said they were targeting Shiite Muslims in these attacks, and they want to create a wedge between the Shiite and Sunni community, something
they have done quite effectively, not only ISIS but also al Qaeda.
So that is going to be part of the psychological warfare of these attacks, not just creating mass casualties, but trying to create a divide and keep
that divide wide. So that's going to be another challenge of the government.
Not just to provide security, but try to reconcile the two groups that have been at odds for some point for the past quite a few years.
VAUGHAN JONES: Ian Lee live for us there in Istanbul reporting on these two attacks in Iraq. Thank you.
Now still ahead on THE WORLD RIGHT NOW tonight, a former ambassador to NATO calls Russia the albatross hanging around the neck of the Trump
administration. Nicholas Burns is my guest next.
And just nine days to go and the U.K. election is cropping up, but will a stumble on a major policy pledge hurt Labour's Jeremy Corbyn? We are live
in the Labour heartland in just a few minutes time. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back. Let's bring you the headlines this hour. Sean Spicer facing tough questions in the last hour over whether Donald
Trump's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, sought to set up back channels with Russia. Spicer refused to be drawn on specifics, but did say
that generally back channels are a normal part of diplomacy.
One of President Donald Trump's personal attorneys has declined to cooperate with the Russian investigation in Congress. Michael Cohen says
he received an invitation to provide information and testimony pertaining to the probe to the House and the Senate Intelligence Committees, but Cohen
says he respectfully passed on the invitation.
[15:30:08] Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega has died. He suffered complications following brain surgery. And Noriega was one of Central
America's most notorious military strongmen. He was captured by the U.S. military in 1989 and served almost two decades in an American prison for
drug trafficking. Noriega died at the age of 83.
OK. So the verdict from the White House is in. President Donald Trump's first foreign trip was tour de force.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN SPICER, UNITED STATES WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I want to begin by recapping the incredible, historic trip that the President and the first
lady have just concluded because it truly was an extraordinary week for America and our people.
In just nine days, the President traveled across Europe and the Middle East and interacted with nearly a hundred foreign leaders. It is wan an
unprecedented first trip abroad, just four months into this administration, and it shows how quickly and decisively the President is acting to
strengthen alliances, to form new partnerships, and to rebuild America's standing in the world.
We've never seen before at this point of presidency such sweeping reassurance of American interest and the inauguration of a foreign policy
strategy designed to bring back the world from growing dangers and perpetual disasters brought on by years of failed leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: A glowing report card there, but Spicer's greatest hits album may not sound very sweet to some of Washington's longtime allies.
I'm joined now by the former ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns. He joins us from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he is a professor.
Ambassador, welcome to the program.
NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Thank you.
VAUGHAN JONES: Home run or epic fail, what's your assessment of the President's first overseas trip?
BURNS: I actually think it was a tale of two trips. I thought that the President's trip to the Middle East, his visit to Saudi Arabia, his meeting
with the Gulf Arab leaders, his visit to Israel, were, frankly, positive because he was able to, I think, lift up relationships that had not been
very positive during the Obama administration.
There had been a lot of distrust of the United States that we weren't sufficiently attuned to the problems associated with Iran and the region.
And President Trump gave very solid commitments to the Saudis, Emiratis, the Kuwaitis, the Israelis, that we would be a firm supporter. There were
arm sales announced to those countries, so positive.
On the other hand, the trip to Brussels for the meeting with the European Union leaders, the inauguration of NATO headquarters was, I think, the
least effective visit by an American president to NATO headquarters and the E.U. in the last 70 years because the President did not give an assurance
that the United States remains fully committed in all respects to both of these pivotal institutions that define modern Europe.
And you saw both the body language was not positive, in the snub of Prime Minister Markovic of Montenegro. But much more importantly, the President
did not fully and clearly reaffirm his Article 5 commitment to the European allies. And you see the result with the pubic musing by Chancellor Merkel
that maybe the Europeans can't depend on Americans anymore. I thought it was a low point of American diplomacy over many years.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes. Things started to turn sour, didn't they, when he headed to Europe? It does seem like there's some sort of a new world order
taking shape at the moment. On the one hand, you've got Merkel, you've got Macron, even Obama as well; and on the other hand, Trump and Putin. How
does that sit with you?
BURNS: Well, I think President Trump is in danger of actually turning American foreign policy upside down, since Harry Truman was in office in
the late 1940s.
We've always been a defender of NATO. We've always defended the Europeans against Russian encroachments on European territory. And right now, the
European leaders, like Chancellor Angela Merkel, want to maintain the sanctions on Russia. President Trump refuses to criticize President Putin
in any way.
So there's a big division over Russia, there's a big division over trade because President Trump has walked away from the U.S.-E.U. trade agreement,
and a major difference of opinion on climate change.
And the refusal of President Trump to recommit the United States to the Paris Global Climate Accord may be the most significant of all of these
disagreement, because it is vital to the world that the United States, as one of the two largest carbon emitters, stay involved and diminish our
dependence on carbon to help the world confront climate change. And I think from Macron to Merkel to the other leaders in Europe, there is a
whole host of issues where they now feel separated from the United States.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes. Russia is one of the main stories, though, that will not go away for Donald Trump. What do you think he should have done by
now? Should he have publicly denounced Russia for potentially hacking, for potentially having derogatory information on him? And maybe going forward,
should he sacrifice his own son-in-law in order to save his own administration?
[15:35:10] BURNS: Well, there's no question that Russia did interfere in the American elections as they've interfered in the French and now are
interfering in the German elections. No question at all about that. Any prior American president would have ordered a big investigation and,
frankly, a series of policy measures designed to prevent this from happening again and to limit the ability of the Russians to do it again.
The fact that President Trump has not taken any measure to defend the United States, I think, is a gross example of his incompetence. And now,
obviously, now not to stand up to Russia over Ukraine, over its annexation of Crimea, over its intimidation of the Baltic States, he is failing in his
commitments to the NATO allies. So in that respect, Russia is a major problem for President Trump.
Most of the Republican Party leadership has opposed him on these issues, and he doesn't have the American public with him on these issues. And now
there is this looming investigation into charges of collusion. They have not been proven.
I think that on the question of Jared Kushner, he is innocent until proven guilty. He deserves the day in the court of public opinion. But the Trump
administration would be well advised to put a convincing -- well, to clarify some of these many of these many questions that are being asked
about this.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes. And Jared Kushner, we should say as well, has said that he is willing to testify in front of Congress as well.
BURNS: That is right.
VAUGHAN JONES: I'm wondering, though, about foreign relations as a whole and the world right now, given that is the name of the program, of course,
as well. With diplomacy somewhat up in the air at the moment, what does that mean for current crises going on around the world? I'm talking about
Yemen, I'm talking about Syria, about Ukraine. Do all of these stories just lay dormant while we wait to see how the world deals with the Donald
Trump?
BURNS: Not at all. The world continues, as you know. I think, in terms of the Middle East, President Trump set out a fairly clear course ahead of
maximum support for Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and the Gulf Arab states, the traditional American allies.
The big question mark is Syria, whether or not we can convince the Russian and Syrian leadership to engage in real negotiations to end this war. It
doesn't look like it because Russia and Syria believe they can actually win the war. That's probably not going to be the case, and that's very bad
news for civilian population, which has been pommeled and brutalized by the Syrian and Russian governments.
VAUGHAN JONES: Yes, for more than six years now as well, we should point out. Ambassador, thank you very much for joining us on THE WORLD RIGHT
NOW. Appreciate it.
BURNS: Thank you so much.
VAUGHAN JONES: And now, to the U.K., and it's just nine days until Britain votes. With polls suggesting the opposition Labour Party is closing in on
Theresa May's conservatives. But in an interview with the BBC a short time ago, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, stumbled when asked about the cost
of his childcare policy. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMA BARNETT, BBC RADIO 5 LIVE PRESENTER: Let me understand then. How much will it cost to provide unmeans-tested childcare for 1.3 million
children?
JEREMY CORBYN, UNITED KINGDOM LABOUR PARTY LEADER: It will cost -- it will obviously cost lot to do so. We accept that.
BARNETT: I presume you have the figures?
CORBYN: Yes, I do. It does cost a lot to do it. The point I'm trying to make is that, we make it universal so that we are in a position to make
sure that every child gets it. And those that can, at the moment, get free places will continue to get them. Those that have to pay won't and we'll
collect the money through taxation, mainly through corporate taxation.
BARNETT: So how much will it cost?
CORBYN: I'll give you the figure in moment.
BARNETT: You don't know it?
CORBYN: Well --
BARNETT: You're logging into your iPad there. You've announced a major policy, and you don't know how much it will cost?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: Extraordinary conversation there. Well, CNN's Richard Quest is traveling around the U.K., gauging the public mood in the week
before the vote. He joins me now from Newport in South Wales.
Richard, you're in traditional Labour heartland, of course. But Labour, as you saw there from Jeremy Corbyn, really struggling on the detail of some
of its key policies. And these policies are issues that really affect people where you are right now. What are they saying?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think that this question will come along the lines of the "gotcha" question. You're familiar, you know,
of course, when George Bush was asked how much was a pint of milk. Politicians.
Now, you can arguably say, he should know the details of every little point of his policy, and that's a valid point to make, whether or not this plays
into this idea that he doesn't have a command of detail, that he isn't, if you like, top flight.
And in many ways, Hannah, that is the core problem for the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn. It is a feeling by some that he doesn't look
prime ministerial, if you like, and he hasn't got the caliber to run the country. But now you have to contrast that immediately with the way the
Prime Minister Theresa May has flip-flopped over the last couple of months on various policies to her detriment. And people say she blows hot and
cold. You pay with your money, you take your choice.
[15:40:18] Tonight, we will be here in the Baneswell social center. We're in the quiet room, next door is the karaoke room. I promise you, with the
"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," we may well have a bit of karaoke before the night is finished. Come on in, sir. You're most welcome. Have a drink on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
VAUGHAN JONES: Richard, that's what's coming up in your show in the next hour ahead. I just want to ask you specifically about where you are,
though, in Wales, right now. Is it conceivable that in this Labour heartland, we could now see a shift towards the conservatives, once, of
course, an inconceivable issue?
QUEST: Very interesting. I was talking about that with the Labour M.P. and the Tory candidate. And his majority is just 3,000, so it would take
the smallest of shifts towards the Tories for this seat to turn Tory, which it hasn't been since the 1980s. So, yes, it is conceivable. It is still
perhaps unlikely, certainly if Corbyn is narrowing the gap.
But in this election, which as you know only too well, Hannah, when it was called, we all thought ho-hum, this is going to be a boring run to the
polls. It's suddenly become energized, enlivened, and even though most experts still think Theresa May will win, that is certainly not necessarily
a racing certainty.
VAUGHAN JONES: It's certainly been energized with the prospect of karaoke in the hour ahead as well. Richard, thank you very much indeed. Richard's
in South Wales for us.
And now, still ahead on the program. This migrant farm worker was once afraid to go to work each day, but conditions on the field are changing.
Thanks to the work of activists. Her story is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN JONES: The CNN Freedom Project is dedicated to bringing an end to modern-day slavery. Today, we introduce you to a migrant farm worker who
once feared going to work each day. Now though, she sees a brighter future, thanks to the work of activists who brought about change. Amara
Walker has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 5:30 a.m. Immokalee, Florida. It is a dark morning under an overcast sky as Alejandrina Carrera
begins a 40-minute walk to her sister's house to drop off her two small children.
[15:45:04] It's too early for them to go to school and they're too young to stay home alone, but Alejandrina has a bus to catch.
Every day, hundreds of migrant farm workers like Alejandrina come to this parking lot in the center of town where they board old school busses that
take them to the fields. Alejandrina picks tomatoes on a farm about 30 minutes away. She likes her job now, says she is treated with respect.
But it wasn't always that way.
Alejandrina came to Immokalee from Mexico more than 20 years ago. She was alone, just 14 years old, small, scared, and extremely vulnerable. She
says it didn't take long for someone to take advantage of her.
It happened at one of the first farms she worked at. She says her boss promised her a better job in a warehouse. But as soon as she got in his
truck, he drove to a remote part of the farm and she knew she was in trouble.
ALEJANDRINA CARRERA, MIGRANT WORKER (through translator): He told me, if we don't do this the easy way, we'll do it the hard way. I was afraid and
trembling. He tried to abuse me sexually, but he didn't get to because another worker heard me screaming and came to help me. The next day, the
boss fired us both.
JON ESFORMES, CEO, SUNRIPE CERTIFIED BRANDS: Agricultural workers are, without a doubt, the most vulnerable workers in the United States and, I
would say, across the world.
WALKER (voice-over): Jon Esformes is co-owner of Sunripe Certified Brands where Alejandrina works today.
ESFORMES: Let's talk about reality here. This is farming, this is agriculture. Agriculture, from the very early days of man farming and
needing to have work, has been full of opportunities for abuse.
WALKER (voice-over): His family-owned farm is one of the largest in the U.S. and was the first to join the Fair Food Program, an innovative
initiative that has been held up as the most comprehensive social responsibility program in U.S. agriculture. Today, nearly every farm in
Florida has signed on. The program combines a set of high standards that includes monitoring the farms and educating the workers.
Leonel Perez works for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers or CIW, a nonprofit organization that developed the Fair Food Program. Today, CIW is
holding a training session with farm workers, teaching them not only what rights they have but what to do when those rights are violated. Leonel and
the other educators here have firsthand knowledge because they are all former migrant farm workers themselves.
LEONEL PEREZ, FARM WORKER, COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS (through translator): The most important thing for me is to be able to talk to
other workers because I have a shared experience. I worked in the fields, too. And now, we can work together to end worker abuse.
WALKER (voice-over): The Fair Food Program works because it has market consequences. If a farm violates the code of conduct, it is suspended from
the program and cannot sell to participating buyers, which includes some of the biggest fast food restaurants and grocery stores. It all makes a big
difference for those at the bottom of the supply chain like Alejandrina.
CARRERA (through translator): You can work freely. You're not going to be harassed. You're not going to be insulted. You're not going to be forced
to work. There's more respect now.
WALKER (voice-over): These days, Alejandrina wakes up in the morning, happy to come to work, proud to talk to her kids about the company she
works for. And that, she says, is the biggest change of all.
Amara Walker, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: A positive story there of one migrant farm worker.
Well, coming up, on Wednesday, tomorrow, on the CNN Freedom Project, many big retailers has committed to protecting farm workers by becoming part of
the Fair Food Program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first campaign took four years to get Taco Bell on board. And the second campaign took two years to get McDonald's on board.
The third campaign took one year to get Burger King on board. I think Subway was a very quick sort of one-month process. So you can see there
was a way it was unfolding.
WALKER (voice-over): Those restaurants all signed an agreement with the CIW, pledging to purchase tomatoes only from farms that follow a strict
code of conduct to protect worker rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: Well, one fast food chain refuses to become a part of the program. You can find out why with all the details. That's tomorrow on
the CNN Freedom Project.
Now, still to come on THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. On the show tonight, Netflix launches a new season of political drama as "House of Cards" returns now in
the era of Donald Trump. What will they make of it? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:52:37] VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back. We are getting new details about Tiger Woods' arrest on the charges of driving under the influence. Police
say the golfer was found asleep at the wheel and had to be awakened, and they add that his speech was slurred.
Well, Tiger Woods, himself, is blaming prescription medication, and he insists that alcohol was not involved. Police arrested the golfer not too
far away from his home in Florida. He was released just a few hours later. Woods is set to make his first appearance on July the 5th. We'll see if it
goes ahead.
And now, finally on the program, imagine creating a hit T.V. series about American politics filled with plot twists and intrigue, only to find
yourself competing not with the rival program but with the real live White House. That is something of the situation facing the creators of "House of
Cards" as the show enters the Trump era. Season five of the Netflix drama is now online, and I can't wait. Here's a sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: The American people don't know what is best for them. I do. I know exactly what they need. They're like little children,
Claire. We have to hold their sticky fingers and wipe their filthy mouths. Lucky for them, they have me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN JONES: Well, for more, I'm joined by Frank Pallotta. He is in New York for us.
Frank, great to have you on the show. Are there parallels that we can draw between this new season of "House of Cards" and the current administration
in the White House?
FRANK PALLOTTA, CNNMONEY MEDIA REPORTER: Of course, there is. But we all need to make just sure that, obviously, this is a fictional account of a
presidency, and what we're actually going through is very real reality. But where it connects is that both are incredibly dramatic, and it kind of
is like reality following art following reality. It's this huge cycle that's going on, which, in a way, is kind of building buzz for this new
season.
I have been a fan of the show since season one. And remember, this was Netflix's first, like, big original series hit. And this is season, more
so than the last couple, has been even more intriguing to most people because they just want to see how much of a crossover between reality and
fiction actually is.
VAUGHAN JONES: It is the age-old question, isn't it, Frank, what came first, the chicken or the egg? I'm wondering, for the writers of "House of
Cards," do they wait to see what plays out in the Trump White House, or are they somehow preempting the chaos?
[15:55:10] PALLOTTA: Well, a lot of this season was filmed during the election, before the election, so while they were still campaigning, so,
obviously, Trump was a huge character during that. But I feel like the writers -- at this point, we're five seasons in. Frank Underwood is his
character. That is who he is. And I doubt they're really going to take a lot of what's going in the real world and inject it very nonsubtly into the
show.
What you'll kind of see is more kind of just interactions between the audience and what they're watching. They might just see something that is
happening on the show that wasn't exactly meant to signify reality, I guess you could say.
VAUGHAN JONES: And talking about taking inspiration, Donald Trump, we know, is a huge T.V. fan. He watches a lot of television. Do we know
whether he is a fan of "House of Cards"?
PALLOTTA: He has never really spoken about the show in the past, so I'm not exactly sure if he is a fan, but like you said, he watches a lot of
T.V. But then, again, he watches a lot of cable news. I don't know necessarily if he gets to the digital options like a Netflix.
VAUGHAN JONES: And what about the producers of the show? When they're putting together a new season, do they worry that the narrative that
they're coming up with could somehow be reflected in real life?
PALLOTTA: I don't necessarily think. If you look at pop culture right now, we have a lot of crossovers between "House of Cards," FX's
"Americans," which has, you know, Russians, Asians pretending to be American. There's a lot of, like, symbolism there.
You have "Veep" on HBO, which has kind of been compared to the administration a little bit. And then obviously, the late shows like
"Saturday Night Live" and the "Late Show," all of these things. Pop culture is kind of blended in reality and vice versa.
I think, if anything, it's a great way for artists to kind of speak about the times we are living in, without blatantly talking about it. Like, so
Frank Underwood isn't Donald Trump, but he sure acts like a president that a lot of people seem to be worried about. So that's what is very
interesting about it.
VAUGHAN JONES: And what about Netflix? I mean, this is a huge hit for them, so they must be delighted they're finally getting this latest season
out.
PALLOTTA: Oh, yes. I mean, Netflix, like I said, this is one of trademark Netflix's shows. This was the first show to ever really have a huge impact
on the digital network. It kind of put them on the map. And to have these characters come back, regardless of who the President was going to be,
right, when it comes back is a huge coupe for Netflix and a big, big deal for them.
VAUGHAN JONES: Well, we can't wait to see it. I'm sure it's the same for you as well. Frank Pallotta, thanks so much for joining us.
PALLOTTA: Thank you.
VAUGHAN JONES: And thank you for watching as well. This has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," and a bit of karaoke possibly, is
up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
