Return to Transcripts main page
Hala Gorani Tonight
Nancy Pelosi Says Trump Is Engaged in A Cover-Up; Conservative MPs Says Theresa May Won't Be Ousted Tonight; May Says Brexit Bill to Be Published Friday; Critics Question Trump Administration's Iran Claims. Interview with REP. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ): Aired 2-3p ET
Aired May 22, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00] HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight political drama in the U.S. and in the UK.
President Trump storms out of a meeting with Democrats and lashes out those accusing him of a cover-up in a public display of fury.
In the UK, it's all happening behind closed doors. Lawmakers revolt over the British prime minister's Brexit proposals and look for ways to expedite
her departure.
And in an exclusive interview, the President of the European Commission tells CNN
he is frustrated by the lack of unity Brexit among other things. We'll have that later in the program.
The battle lines are now formally drawn in Washington in the past couple of hours we've seen an unprecedented appearance of Donald Trump, even by the
standards of the President, where he said he will not work with Democrats until they're done investigating him. Let's look at how this remarkable
day unfolded, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with fellow Democrats today amid growing calls from her party to impeach the President. Here's what
she said after the meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Would you believe that it's important to follow the facts? We believe that no one is above the law, including the President of
the United States, and we believe that the President of the United States is engaged in a cover-up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We believe the President is engaged in a cover-up. After that Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer went to the White House
for infrastructure talks, at least that was the plan. The meeting lasted five minutes before Trump shut it down. Then this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Instead of walking in happily into a meeting, I walk in to look at people that have just said
that I was doing a cover-up. I don't do cover-ups. And I told senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi I want to do infrastructure. I want to do it
more than you want to do it. I'd be really good at that, that's what I do. But you know what? You can't do it under these circumstances. So get
these phony investigations over with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: That was the U.S. President coming out unannounced on a tirade, lashing out at Democrats. By the way, he had a sign that was pinned to the
lectern. You see it there under our banner, under our graphic and it reads no collusion, no obstruction, among other things we have Sarah Westwood at
the White House. Sarah, we heard from Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. This was an unannounced, unplanned appearance in the rose garden by the
President, correct?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Hala. He was supposed to be meeting behind closed doors about a proposed infrastructure
plan on April 30th. Less than a month ago, the President met with Democratic Congressional leaders about what an infrastructure package would
look like. They agreed on a price tag and today they were supposed to talk about how to fund that $2 billion proposal.
As you said, that meeting lasted about five minutes. President Trump decided he couldn't work with Speaker Pelosi because earlier in the day she
said he had engaged in a cover-up. Sources tell CNN that that rose garden appearance, they started putting that together afterwards. About an hour
before she was slated to come to the White House, they talked about the process of impeachment.
There are Democrats who do want to act on impeachment proceedings. Pelosi resisted those, but she did speak to her caucus today and about the various
investigations into Trump and his organizations, so obviously Trump here clearing up any confusion about how the White House was going to do both,
was going to fight the investigations and work with Democrats. We now know he's simply not going to.
GORANI: Sarah Westwood at the White House, thank you very much. Stephen, over to you. Nancy Pelosi is being asked by, and it's a minority portion
of the Democratic party, but certainly a vocal one, asked to pursue impeachment proceedings against the President. She has resisted so far.
Why?
[14:05:00] STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the reason for that, Hala, the Speaker is, first of all, worried that an impeachment
drive and all the divisive impact that would have would take the focus off what the Democrats really want to talk about, what they hope would help
them win the 2020 election, and that is issues like health care or income inequality. Speaker Pelosi has said this a number of times, that the
President is trying to goad them into an impeachment process, because first of all, he knows that he's not going to get convicted on an impeachment
trial in the Senate because of the Republican majority.
And also, he can use that to turn voters against the Democrats, to make the point or to argue that Pelosi is a captive of a radical left-wing socialist
group to push him towards impeachment and invalidate the 2016 election. So although the President was very angry, you know, in his tirade in the Rose
Garden, there was some method to the mad House because it's clearly a political tactic that he's trying to pile more on it Speaker Pelosi, even
though she has some members from the left and her caucus.
GORANI: and what is not happening is a discussion on policy actually or on infrastructure or anything else. It was all about the battle against
Trump. And he had that placard pinned to the lectern, no collusion, no obstruction, and how much the Mueller investigation cost over several
years, et cetera, et cetera. This is highly unusual. I can't remember the last time any President has done anything like this.
COLLINSON: Especially putting something on the Presidential podium itself. That's a symbol of American democracy and the presidency. But your point
about policy is an important bun. It's probably a structure that isn't going to be getting done. We're in the middle of budget talks between the
White House and Republicans and Democrats on the hill to try and get a $2 billion spending implications.
The White House is also trying to raise the guy's approximate target limit. It's not an exaggeration to say that could trigger no negotiations if we're
going into a total breakdown between the Democrats on the hill and the President such that the government's business can't be done. They're going
to have global ramifications.
GORANI: And Pelosi and Schumer appeared after the President gave his address in the Rose Garden. What did they have to say?
COLLINSON: It was very interesting. Nancy Pelosi has a way of talking about the President which seems calculated to annoy him, almost sort of
calling into question his manner, basically saying he was scared to do a deal with Democrats. Chuck Schumer said basically that the White House
doesn't know how, actually, it's going to pay for this $2 trillion infrastructure spending package, so the President was keen to find an
excuse to walk away from the talks. You have a very public back and forth between the Democrats and the President, both of them trying to sort of
probe at each other's weak points in a battle for public opinion.
GORANI: Stephen Collinson, thank you very much.
Right now in London there is fever and speculation over Theresa May. Mrs. May faced the wrath of the House of Commons trying to sell yet again her
Brexit deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER, UK: Reject it and all we have before us is division and deadlock. We risk stopping Brexit altogether, something the
British people would simply not tolerate. We risk creating further divisions. We risk creating further divisions at a time when we need to be
acting together in the national interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: The Prime Minister is not giving up. Now, that didn't go down well with most people. She's managed to anger pretty much everybody. It
led to calls for opposition members for her to quit. Those calls have grown louder as the day goes on with rumors within about an hour ago that
the Prime Minister was considering making a very important announcement later this evening. Now we're learning potentially that will not happen.
Let's go to Downing live. Phil Black is there. The Prime Minister just couldn't hang on anymore, what's the latest?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some of the things that we know, Downing Street officially says no planned statement from here tonight so far. Yet
what's emerged and is becoming clear throughout the course of the day is there are members of the Conservative Party that would like to see her make
a resignation statement immediately. Such has been the wrath and the fury inspired by her latest compromises to try to get the wrath and the fury
inspired by her latest the wrath and the fury inspired by her latest compromises to try to get a withdrawal bill to Brexit through Parliament.
They have been agitated to try to change the rules that allowed them to depose the leader so she could be ejected immediately. If that were to
happen, that would be hugely significant for the conservative party. The Conservative Party doesn't go about changing rules completely in the heat
of a passionate moment. That's not its style. At the moment, rules really matter here, because no matter how many are angry with the pm, she is safe.
She can't be challenged to get in for 20 months.
What we have just heard very recently from a Conservative MP speaking to CNN is that a meeting of those back-bench MPs have decided that the rules
will not be changed. What that means is Theresa May hangs on again, for tonight, anyway.
GORANI: Thanks very much. Phil Black live at 10 Downing. Bob Is an MP of May's Conservative Party and he joins me now. Do you think the Prime Minister should resign?
BOB SEELY, MP CONSERVATIVE PARTY: So she's going. It's just a question of when. I think probably next week. It's a sensible time to do it. She was
never going to resign this evening. Someone will have to say something or take responsibility for the European elections. We know they're going to
be bad, it's just how bad they're going to be. Next week becomes critical.
GORANI: So why did top cabinet members ask for meetings yesterday. There is speculation around that. And potentially they were going to tell her
they lost confidence in her and that she should step down.
SEELY: I don't know, but there's no point in resigning today if the election results will be made public on Monday. We know she's going.
Sadly we can't see a Brexit we can all live with. So it's probably the end of may, so to speak.
GORANI: Would you support, if this bill is presented to Parliament, will you vote in favor of Theresa May's Brexit deal?
SEELY: Like everyone else, I'm really wary of it, and sadly the Prime Minister has become the problem here, and we probably need real the new
leadership so that we can re-approach the problem.
GORANI: What difference would it make to get rid of Theresa May it is not like Brexit will become easier to resolve is not like the Europeans will -
SEELY: I think there is just more options. One of the problems was that the DUP that's the folks from Ulster they lost confidence in the Prime
Minister. If there is a new Prime Minister they like, be it Boris, be it Jeremy, a better Unionist candidate like Michael Gove, they may give the
benefit of the doubt. They may be willing to enter the negotiation. They may say if you change to this and this and this with the backstop we may be
back in play.
GORANI: Will the Conservatives support somebody like Boris Johnson who during the Brexit campaign really came out with many lies to support his
position that the UK should leave the EU?
SEELY: that's an incredibly subjective thing to say --
GORANI: he talked about 350 million a week for the NHS. We know that's not true.
SEELY: Great idea. In principle if you leave the European Union you stop paying money into the European Union. In principle, that is correct. You
can argue and say it's only 150 million. You can argue and say it was 400 million if you take this into account.
One thing we know, that's not a provable lie. You can say it was an exaggeration but it wasn't a lie. What you can see categorically is a lie
is the series of claims which were made by remainers, by the treasury, by the Chancellor, sad to say, that there would have been an immediate or
prolonged recession. There wasn't.
GORANI: That wasn't a lie, that was a projection.
SEELY: It turned out to be false.
GORANI: It turned out not to be realized, but to say 350 million pounds -- anyway we are not going to relitigate that but my point is that those who
are critics of Boris Johnson say she shouldn't be the one to negotiate this deal. He was the one misled with exaggerated statements during the
campaign.
[14:15:00] SEELY: You can say exaggerated, but the people misleading, in the remain campaign made a series of consistently false predictions all of
which have proved to be false because we can test them against reality. We haven't had a prolonged recession we didn't have half a million-extra
unemployed, quite the opposite, we had half a million extra jobs. We didn't have an emergency budget, we didn't --
GORANI: The remainers just wanted the status quo. There is nothing mysterious about what they wanted. Let me ask you, though, a little bit
about the future. Let's move on to the future because that's what we're looking toward here. How is your country going to negotiate a better deal
with another Prime Minister? Let's move on to the future because that's what we're looking toward here. How is your country going to negotiate a
better deal with another Prime Minister?
SEELY: I've given you one example.
GORANI: I know, but still, you need the Europeans here to embrace any deal. This is not a unilateral proposition.
SEELY: Sure. And we are close in terms of numbers. You get the DUP back on side, that's another 15 or 20 Conservatives. Then you reach to between
10 and 40 Labour MPs who are very strongly --
GORANI: They need to renegotiate the whole thing is what you are saying.
SEELY: No, maybe just go back to the European Union in September after everyone has had a nice long holiday which they do in Europe.
GORANI: But here you MPs don't ever take vacations? Are you in recess next week?
SEELY: It's a tourist economy. From April to October, I don't go. I stay pretty much on the island because that's where my constituents are and
that's where I see them. We renegotiate. We can go back in September and say, if you tweak this, you'll have a deal. But the difference is another
critical difference that's no deal is better than a bad deal, it seemed to be that wasn't particularly the case. If you have Gove or Jeremy Hunt and
they say we're leaving on the 31st of October, and it's not an extension of this or that, but deal or no deal, that focuses the minds.
GORANI: You care at all about this European parliamentary election?
SEELY: We're going to get hammered and justifiably so. I actually thank all the Conservatives that are going out to vote. Because the political
class has let them down.
GORANI: One MP, Conservative MP, said he was self funding his campaign because
he was not getting a dime, not a penny.
SEELY: To be honest I think it is throwing good money after bad. Well done that person, I hope they win.
GORANI: Thanks very much. Appreciate it.
Another big event is just around the corner. Hundreds of millions of people there with Mr. Seely will be voting in the EU elections they begin
tomorrow. Earlier CNN's Fred Pleitgen sat down with an exclusive interview with Jean Claude Juncker the President of the European Commission. Not
surprisingly Brexit was top of the agenda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We would not block the British Parliament if the British Parliament was ever to decide
to go for a second referendum, that is a British decision, not a European one. I would like to say yes, yes, yes to the idea of having a second
referendum, but I'm not convinced the result would be totally different, to be seen at the autopsy when it happens.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Is it time for the Europeans to also get tough and say, look, if you guys can't come to
any compromise, you just have to get out.
JUNCKER: We are prepared for all kinds of assumptions. We're failing our energy when it comes to lecture the British Parliament. It's the oldest in
the world, but I have to say I am a little bit fed up because we're going from one extension to the next extension, and we are imagining the next
extension. People are losing patience.
PLEITGEN: Is it then time to stop with extensions? Because you have other things to do. There are other problems in the European Union. There are
youth unemployment, refugee crisis --
JUNCKER: We have so many things to do but this is a vital question for Britain and for the continent. I would never ask the British to stop the
process. I still hope there will be no Brexit because the consequences entailed by a Brexit will be divorced solution possibly.
PLEITGEN: You obviously spent a lot of time with Theresa May negotiating a deal. Do you sometimes feel sorry for her when she has to go through those
things?
[14:20:00] JUNCKER: Yes. I was term a province in a very small country. I know the constraints of someone who is leading the government. Sometimes
when she is sitting here in my robes at 7:00 in the morning, midnight sometimes, Yes. I'm saying to myself, this is a woman of courage. This is
a woman who knows how to do things but she is not able to succeed in doing things that she would like. No, no, no, I like her very much. She's a
tough person.
PLEITGEN: Would you also, then, be concerned of what might come after her? Because we talked about the fact she is at the moment on the ropes. There
is talk about whether or not she'll be in there next week. Ropes. Ropes. There is talk about whether or not she'll be in there next week. The
opportunity for her could be. What I don't like was to be more important and as long as they agree among themselves. It will be interesting to see
the personality of the next Prime Minister and there will be sooner rather than later. We have to conclude it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We'll have more with that exclusive interview with Jean-Claude Juncker on this show. Stay tuned for that.
It's possible Iran was involved in Syria. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Sources tell CNN the U.S. Defense Department is set to put officials on a plan to send thousands of additional troops to the Middle
East. This comes after the U.S. sent a Navy strike force and bomber task force to the region and appears to be the latest reflection of heightened
tensions with Iran. The Trump administration blames Iran and Iranian- backed forces for a series of incidents in and around the gulf, including attacks that damaged several ships.
Congressman Ruben Gallego was a Marine in Iraq and he is questioning the assertions about Iran he joins me now live from Washington. Congressman,
you tweeted, I get the same intel as Senator Cotton. He's greatly exaggerating the situation to spur us into war. Don't fall for it. The
intelligence you're seeing, what does it indicate?
REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): Well, the intelligence I'm seeing, look, Iran is a threat. A lot of their aligned forces are always on the move. But
what I saw in my hearing was an attempt by the administration to create everyday information streams and try to cobble together a narrative that
there is some imminent threat to our national interest coming from Iran.
GORANI: So what do you believe is being exaggerated?
GALLEGO: I certainly believe what they're trying to point out for example is a lot of the aligned groups like militias found in Iraq and
organizations across the Middle East who are actively either getting ready to protect themselves or to go on any type of offensive approach should we
attack ourselves was being misconstrued by this administration, I think, that made it seem like there was an imminent attack rather than the fact
that many of these incidents seemed to me to be escalating just to match us, to deter us.
GORANI: So you believe what Iran is doing as preparation directed at them or as a deterrent, you think there is more with the activity suggests?
GALLEGO: I think it's a combination of both. Our deterrent encourages them to escalate, that encourages us to escalate, and it creates a scenario
where war mongers like John Bolton can actually use that opportunity to accidentally trip us into a war. That's one of my concerns. You have a
couple neo-cons who have been wanting war for quite a while, and the higher tension there can be, the more likely there is to be a spark or some
miscalculation by one side and next we are in a shooting war.
GORANI: But I guess the difference between Iran and I am sure you will agree today and in Iraq 2003 is that there seems to be a lot more
skepticism surrounding the intelligence that is being presented by those who might potentially favor conflict with Iran?
GALLEGO: Yes, there is more skepticism not just by members but the public. This is just our job in terms of oversight and committees to make sure
we're asking these hard questions and pushing back. Let's be clear, Iran is a problem. They are a maligning influence in Iran but there are ways
for us to deal with this without going through a full-scale war.
GORANI: The acting defense secretary on Capitol Hill briefed -- there was a closed-door briefing, I should say, on Capitol Hill where he was quoted
as saying after that, we're not going to war after that closed-door briefing. Does that reassure you?
GALLEGO: No, not at all. The buildup I saw, the assumptions they were basing some of their conclusions on, this is not something that's going to
go away and we should just keep on guard. We should do whatever we can to contain Iran. The last thing we want is to find ourselves in a full-
fledged war in Iran.
GORANI: We're on CNN International, as you know. We're seen in Iran as well. You're a U.S. Congressman. What would you tell ordinary Iranians?
GALLEGO: I would tell them everyday Americans don't want that, either, with Iran. We would love to see them come into the regular world order to
stop their overseas influence campaigns and to join us, the coalition of countries that define themselves as liberal democracies. At a minimum we
would have to ask them to stop acting in the manner that they are acting which creates I think this animosity between our countries.
GORANI: Nancy Pelosi met with Democrats today, some of your colleagues on Capitol Hill would favor impeachment on the President. Are one of them?
GALLEGO: I'm getting there. I think the first step is an impeachment inquiry, it will be a proper step. I'm waiting to see what would happen
with two particular witnesses, if they are able to testify. And if not, I will probably forward and support an impeachment inquiry.
GORANI: Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona, thanks very much for joining us. Appreciate it.
GALLEGO: Thank you for having me.
GORANI: Still to come tonight, the world's biggest economic block could be about to undergo huge changes. We'll bring you the latest as voters across
Europe prepare to vote in those parliamentary elections. And we'll bring you the rest of the exclusive interview with Jean-Claude Juncker.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:17] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Returning now to our top story. The growing pressure on the British Prime Minister Theresa May to
resign. It's been a day of wild speculation around parliament. Conservative members of parliament debated how much long -- how much
longer, I should say, the prime minister can hang on.
Mrs. May keeps pushing her Brexit plan, urging parliament to vote on it for a fourth time. Bianca Nobilo is here with more. So there was speculation
up until about an hour ago that she would come out and say she's stepping aside. None of that now is expected to happen.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I actually just saw a little bit more of it right before I came on. So it has played the entire
day. It's been feverish, the speculation.
And like I said, it debated. But now, it's ramping up again. Truthfully, I bet the prime minister had only bought herself about a day and a half,
because this is all happening amid the backdrop of the European elections tomorrow.
We have the leader of a national party which is standing for election in the polls in a matter of hours, potentially resigning today.
GORANI: But would she resign tomorrow?
NOBILO: It is highly unlikely given the fact that the country is voting in European elections. She would hope for the party she represents, the
Conservatives. She is going to be meeting with Graham Brady, the charity's very influential backbench committee on Friday.
So we can glean from that that she's probably safe between now and then. She's also refusing to meet ministers one on one, which is what Thatcher
did right before she was ousted. And I think she's trying to avoid the situation when she's told face to face, "you have no road left, Ms. Prime
Minister."
GORANI: Right. So if she -- but then resigning on Friday, that would be before the results of the European Parliamentary elections are announced.
That would also be quite odd and unconventional.
NOBILO: Well, we should remind our viewers that the prime minister does not want to resign. She even referred yesterday this being a job that she
loved, that she's agreed to leave earlier than she wanted to. This is a push which has come from the fact that the prime minister's latest
iteration of her Brexit plan has been resoundingly criticized from all sides, even more so than the last version of it.
Now, that was the only reason that she was staying in post. She said, "I'm going to try and get this through and then I will have a clear timeline for
my departure, the leadership contest will begin."
But now, we know that her latest plan is a nonstarter, so it begs the question, well, why are you here, then?
GORANI: Right. But what difference would her departure make to Brexit? And it's a still a deal. Europeans still have to sign on to nay agreement.
NOBILO: They do. That is all correct. And this is the sticking point, because those who were so angry at the prime minister's inability to be
able to get some kind of popular deal through parliament today wanted her out.
But then immediately, they realized, well, if you get rid of the prime minister even today, she'd be replaced by David Lidington, most likely, her
deputy prime minister, who has a very similar stance to Theresa May on those issues and he certainly not going to be someone that the Brexiteers
can do business with.
So we're left with the same issue. You need somebody who's going to be a caretaker prime minister, ideally to get a Brexit deal through to provide
time for the conservatives to have their leadership contest.
But the arithmetic remains unchanged. The problems that plague Brexit right now are not going to change. The only thing that might have agency
in is the European elections if the Brexit party does sweep a huge amount of the vote up with the 30 percent, then that might be a cause that
parliament has to recognize.
GORANI: Well, someone tweeted that it would be amusing to see David Lidington, someone Donald Trump, I presume probably has never heard of,
welcome him on a state visit on June 3rd.
NOBILO: Indeed. In fact, I think a lot of the British public may not have heard of David Lidington. He has had a fairly long career, but he's not a
very colorful character. I would be surprised if Donald Trump was aware of him at this point.
[14:35:02] GORANI: Anyway, thank you very much, Bianca Nobilo, thanks very much and we'll keep our eve on. We'll continue our May watch which we do
now every day. Thanks very much.
Well, voters across Europe will go to the polls tomorrow in an election that will shape the future of the European Union at a critical time in its
history.
Across the continent, Euro skeptics and nationalists, show their clout five years ago and could gain seats again. They're taking on moderates who are
working to uphold the integrity of the union.
And let's not forget, here in the U.K., voters will be voting tomorrow, even though they were not supposed to be because the U.K. was meant to
leave the E.U. in March. Someone who certainly keen to voice his disapproval with the Brexit process is the outgoing European Commission
president, Jean-Claude Juncker.
Here's the rest of that exclusive interview with Fred Pleitgen who was asked him if he's concerned that polls show anti-European parties could do
very well in these elections.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: I've never taken these opinion polls as seriously as political parties are doing, because it
has been proven so many times in recent European history that these opinion posts were wrong.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But it could -- it could have repercussions on, obviously, at least for a while on the
makeup of the -- of the European Parliament. And also some pretty important decisions, as long as they're still in it before Brexit came into
effect.
JUNCKER: Yes. But I didn't like the idea that the British being still numbers of European -- U.N. are participating in these elections. It's
something start to tragic joke, because they will be elected, they will come to Strasbourg and to Brussels. They will sit in European Parliament
and everyone knows that they will leave European Parliament, but they will have a decisive influence on the -- immediate decisions which will have to
be taken by the European Parliament, the election of the president of the European Commission to a place be. It's difficult but it could happen.
PLEITGEN: So you're not happy about that. You don't like --
JUNCKER: I'm not happy about that. But the (INAUDIBLE) do I like (INAUDIBLE) the law is the law. As long as the British -- members of the
European Union, they have to elect their numbers to the European Parliament.
PLEITGEN: And in general with the E.U. elections coming up, the euro skeptical, right-wing forces, seem to be very strong in many countries.
How much does that concern you and why do you think that is? What's wrong with the E.U.? What's wrong with Europe?
JUNCKER: What is wrong with them? That would be the other way of putting the same question. What is wrong with those who are openly fighting
against the European Union? European Union has proven to be the place of peace in the world.
It's whenever I'm traveling to Asia, to Africa, people are looking at us as if we were a kind of Peace Corps, because we have achieved on this country
what has not been achieved elsewhere. We have 60 wars for the time being, globally spoken. Not in Europe but part of (INAUDIBLE) which is not part
of the European Union.
This populist, nationalist, Europeans and nationalists, they are in love with the old country and they don't like the others in some countries of
the European Union, the government, the parliament a major part of the society don't like those coming from far away. I do like those coming from
far away, because the main guiding principle of the European Union would be solidarity. We have to act in solidarity with those who --
PLEITGEN: But that message which is obviously important also needs to resonate with voters. And what we've been seeing over the past European
elections is turnout declining, and it seems as though the ones who can mobilize their forces are the ones who are euro skeptic.
JUNCKER: It's always easier to mobilize negative forces than to mobilize positive forces. And in fact, I'm -- yeah, sad that I was listening to the
British current government not to intervene in the British campaign, because the only institution people who could have set the opposite of
those who were relying in the British campaign would have been the Commission. We were wrong not to intervene in that debate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Jean-Claude Juncker there.
So we have some breaking news from the U.K. and this could begin to signal really the end of the prime minister. Perhaps the more precipitated and
Brexit perhaps more precipitated than she had wanted.
[14:40:02] The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, has decided to resign. She was serving the government of Theresa May since 2016.
Bianca is here again. The significance then of this?
NOBILO: This is significant because it's the first resignation that we've seen this week since she had a mammoth cabinet session with all of those
around her who were both leavers and remainers supposedly they'd come to some kind of agreement which was the plan which Theresa May put forward.
And yesterday, that was incredibly unpopular. Theresa May then present it to the House of Commons.
Today, there was increased criticism about why it wouldn't work. She isolated Brexiteers and remainers. And then like with many other
situations with Theresa may that we've seen in the past, she has a cabinet meeting. There seems to be some form of consensus. And then in the 24 to
48 hours after that evening, there are resignations and it turns out that what the prime minister represented to the cabinet into the press was not
what cabinet thought had been agreed. This is the recurring cabinet we've seen.
So she details in four points the reasons for her resignation. One of them is, I've always maintained that a second referendum would be dangerously
divisive and I do not support the government willingly facilitating such a concession.
NOBILO: So that is alluding to that plan that we were talking about, that the prime minister's put forward. Her last chance attempt to try and get a
Brexit deal through and make her legacy one of qualified success.
In that, she had the concession to those who wants the second referendum and to the remainers that she would provide for a parliamentary vote on a
second referendum and would essentially facilitate that. It's a bit more complicated, but that's the basics. That is something which Brexiteers,
Andrea Leadsom being chief among them, one of the key Brexiteers in cabinet cannot abide. They think it's on democratic.
They obviously believe in the Brexit project and that has been one step too far for her along with those three other points which you mentioned, one of
them being the fact that -- essentially acknowledging that government is not functioning properly and so they can't scrutinize the legislation
properly and they feel the --
GORANI: She writes, "There has been such a breakdown of government processes that recent Brexit related legislative proposals have not been
properly scrutinized or approved by cabinet members."
I guess the questions is, how many more resignations can she sustain without having to automatically step down because her cabinet has just
collapsed?
NOBILO: Well, she has sustained many during her tenure. One less formal mechanism by which people discussed opposing the prime minister is that the
cabinet say to the prime minister, you no longer have our confidence. So you cannot govern if you don't have heads of the department.
If this signals a move towards that, as we know, there is a huge groundswell from within her in-party, the backbenches of wanting you have
to go. So if you have it at the top from cabinet and you have it from the grassroots and the backbenches of the party, she's being boxed further and
further into a corner they may --
GORANI: Well, she's survived with no-confidence in December and we thought that meant she would say for a year from (INAUDIBLE) party.
NOBILO: We did. And according to the current rules of the conservative party, she is, which is why there's been a lot of discussion today about
altering those rules to so that they can have another vote of no-confidence inside the 12-month period to try and expedite her departure.
But regardless, even if she resigned, she's going to need to be replaced by an interim who is likely to be somebody that marries most of her opinions.
So it doesn't necessarily break the deadlock, but it would be a massive moment for the prime minister.
It's also significant that Andrea Leadsom is the one to resign today when we're talking about how much longer Theresa May has left, because in the
last leadership contest for the Conservative Party, the one that Theresa May won, it was down to her and down Andrea Leadsom.
And in fact, they didn't have a traditional standoff against each other. Andrea Leadsom backed down to that contest after some controversial where
she indicated that because Theresa May was not a mother and didn't have children, that she wouldn't have such a stake in the future of Britain.
GORANI: Sure. Oh, I remember that.
Thanks very much, Bianca. And I'm sure we'll see you again next hour for more on this.
The European elections could shape the future of Europe and the European Union. It's a massive exercise in democracy. In France, the choice is
stark.
Emmanuel Macron's pro-E.U. party and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Party, are leading the polls.
CNN's Melissa Bell rode along with candidates from both sides.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) is back on the streets of France just ahead of European elections in which two very
different visions of the future are trying to make themselves heard. To have a closer look at the crossroads at which Europe find itself, we
visited Normandy and Paris to hear from the two parties that lead the polls.
In Paris, we met an MP and candidate for Marine Le Pen's National Rally. And in Normandy, we're with Stephanie Yon-Courtin, candidate from Emmanuel
Macron's La Republique En Marche.
[14:45:11] STEPHANIE YON-COURTIN, LREM CANDIDATE FOR E.U. ELECTIONS: This is the place where Europe, Europe was warned even if the young generations
only know peace and do not really worry about the fact that we might have worries or conflict. Peace is very fragile. We have to remember, you
know, those who forget the past are condemned to living again.
BELL (on-camera): Is there not a danger that your party, your campaign will pay the price of the president's personal lack of popularity right
now?
YON-COURTIN: If you wouldn't be involved, if you wouldn't say anything, then we would ask, what is he doing? Because Macron, honestly, since his
election as president, has already reshaped and has already replaced France and Europe.
BELL: How significant is the threat to Europe do you think?
YON-COURTIN: All these nationalists -- I mean, they just want to destroy Europe. They just say, look, we need to create new national borders. They
advocate a return to nationalism. That will not solve anything. And to the contrary. I mean, they are going to -- they play with people's anger
with people's fear. We want Europe to be not only a duty, but also hope for young generations.
BELL (on-camera): Back in the French capital, Gilbert Collard, a candidate from Marine Le Pen's National Rally, believes that Europe is headed for a
revolution.
GILBERT COLLARD NATIONAL RALLY CANDIDATE FOR E.U. ELECTIONS (through translator): We're heading for a people's revolt. The people are tired.
There is a real French fatigue, administrative fatigue, fiscal fatigue, social fatigue, a fatigue with the fact that fraternity no longest exists.
BELL: Are we heading towards a world to this election to the next ones where inevitably people are looking to withdraw behind their own borders?
COLLARD (through translator): The suppression of borders we've seen with the E.U. has had dramatic consequences for France. We could leave the nice
neighborhoods that we're visiting now and head to the outskirts. Then you'd see. Go and have a walk around Paris and then you'll understand what
the suppression of borders means.
Now, we're not talking about wolves. Borders are not wolves. What we're talking about is creating borders.
BELL: You win tomorrow, what will you make Europe become?
COLLARD (through translator): A Europe where nation exist, where no one causes problems for our cheeses. A Europe where they're not concerned with
the size of seats in our tractors. A Europe where they respect our people, our geography, our traditions, our history, our soul as a nation.
BELL: Now, those two very different visions of the future are being reflected in battles across Europe, between on one hand populist, largely
euro skeptic nationalists and on the other more liberal pro-Europeans and this time, with the very future of the European Union itself at stake.
Melissa Bell, CNN, in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come tonight, after a million reported cases in 2017, aid workers in Yemen fear a new massive cholera outbreak could be on the way.
We will take you to Yemen to see what doctors there are trying to do about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:48] GORANI: In war-torn Yemen, aid workers people are worried that cholera is making a massive comeback and the fighting is making it
difficult to tackle the outbreak.
CNN's Sam Kiley travel to the cholera tents in remote towns where doctors are fighting an uphill battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Spring rains. Something to celebrate in war-torn Yemen. But this joyful abandon
has mortal risk, cholera. Aid agencies fear they're on the brink of an epidemic.
Hajjah is an ancient city many miles from Yemen's frontlines where Houthi rebels are battling a Saudi-led coalition. Refugees fleeing war who broke
cholera with them. It's spreading and fast.
DR. ILHAM WASEL, HAJJAH CHOLERA EMERGENCY CENTER: Everybody. Everyone have diarrhea, vomiting, nausea. Everybody.
KILEY: Is it spreading?
WASEL: Yes.
KILEY: The numbers of new patients climb every day.
A month ago, there were only 11 patients here, 60 came in yesterday.
KILEY: How old is she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two years.
KILEY: And what's her name?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amalia (ph).
KILEY: When did you first see that she was getting sick?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Around four days ago. It started with diarrhea, then it got worse.
KILEY (on-camera): One of the catastrophic side effects of this war has been that people from outside the cities have been forced into beautiful
ancient towns like this Hajjah. But there's a consequence of that, the systems are overloaded, the clean water system. And these women have bene
telling me that they've been drinking from the river in the town, the same river the sewage flows into. That will guarantee a cholera epidemic.
KILEY (voice-over): A year ago, a million Yemenis were infected with cholera. Over 2,000 died. This year, the United Nations says there'd been
300,000 suspected cases, a quarter are kids under five.
For now, the Yemenis are coping but they don't have long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're very worried that if we're not able to stop it now, we could see an uncontrolled epidemic spread like wildfire across this
whole country. As we face this cholera outbreak right now, we do not have sufficient cholera kits in the country, we do not have sufficient IV fluid
to address the crisis.
KILEY (on-camera): So, doctor, what's happening with this patient?
WASEL: We have low blood vessel and a coma. We should IV with and give him a breathing should control it.
KILEY: So cholera kills very quickly, doesn't it?
WASEL: Yes.
KILEY (voice-over): This cholera patient survived. But without outside help, many thousands of other lives are at risk.
Sam Kiley, CNN, Hajjah, Yemen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:49] GORANI: Before we go, we wanted to show you one of the wildest police chases you will ever see.
It happened just north of Los Angeles where a woman stole a huge motor home and then wouldn't stop, even as a tree literally ripped off the side of the
vehicle. The driver weaved in and out of traffic, often hitting other cars with pieces of the RV falling off. There were also two dogs on board who
clearly didn't want to be there. Oh, poor thing.
Well, the dog is OK, I'm told. The dog is OK.
The dangerous chase finally ended when the driver ran into a car and the tree. The driver then made a run for it, but she was tackled by police and
arrested.
Police say the driver of the final car hit by the motor home suffered some serious injuries. We hope they do well and are OK, and that's that.
Crazy pictures, crazy times.
Thanks for watching tonight. I'm Hala Gorani. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
