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IDF Blames Mistaken Identification for Strike on Aid Workers; Major Legal Blows to Trump's Efforts to Get Criminal Cases Thrown Out; Iowa Star Caitlin Clark Looks to Cement Legacy at Final Four. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired April 05, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Of the men's, double.

[07:00:01]

A lot of the frenzy, of course, due to Clark becoming the all-time scoring leader in men's and women's NCAA Division I history, again, leading scorer from in the men and in the women. And tonight, she and her top-seeded Hawkeyes will play the number three UConn Huskies.

Sarah Longwell, this is awesome.

SARAH LONGWELL, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: It's the best. These things are so fun to watch. I've been having the best time with it. And it's not just about the prices being worth them. Like these women, like people are suddenly like, ooh, you know, what's Angel Reese going to do? Is she going to get drafted to the WNBA? Is she going to stay in college? Like people are into the stories, they're into these women as athletes. It's so fun.

HUNT: It's freaking awesome. And guess what? It's the weekend. I get to stay up late and watch the games.

Thanks very much to our panel and thanks to you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt.

Don't go anywhere. CNN New Central starts right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, the IDF just released its findings on the strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, the investigation blaming the deadly strike on mistaken identification.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A pair of major legal setbacks for Donald Trump this morning. But the federal judge in Florida might have left open an escape hatch big enough to drive a truckload of documents through.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And tonight is the night, the Final four in the women's NCAA tournament. Caitlin Clark gearing up to try and lead the Hawkeyes to a national title.

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sarah Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: We begin with breaking news out of Israel. We've just received the IDF's initial findings on the Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza on Monday. The internal investigation has found Israeli forces believe they were targeting Hamas, end quote, mistakenly assumed two Hamas gunmen were in the vehicles in the aid convoy. Israel has now fired two military commanders.

Let's get right to CNN's Nic Robertson. He joins us now live from Jerusalem.

Can you walk us through the findings? It's a couple of pages. And what do you see that might be missing when you look at some of the details of this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, sure. This is a sequence of events that the IDF has laid out that they say led to this misidentification and misclarification of the events on the ground. They say the IDF spotted a gunman getting on the aid trucks. We're talking about trucks here, the big vehicles that carry the actual pallets and containers of food and other humanitarian supplies. And then the idea says they saw another gunman, again, a single. So, we're talking about two gunmen. They're saying they see get on the aid truck or aid trucks.

Then the convoy goes into the warehouse and the IDF says what happened next is where the misidentification, a misclarification happens, that the IDF then tracked the SUVs, the vehicles leaving the warehouse after the aid trucks had been there.

The IDF says they didn't realize these SUVs were for the World Central Kitchen, despite the fact these were markings are clearly emblazoned on those vehicles. The IDF then says that those vehicles were engaged because the IDF believed that the gunman were inside those SUVs now, no longer on the aid trucks after they've been to the warehouse, but inside the SUVs.

Now, the IDF says this should not have happened. It was against their protocols and against their rules of engagement. And they have now dismissed a major who was directly involved in the incident and the brigade chief of staff, a reserve colonel, and disciplined the brigade commander as well.

Now, the World Central Kitchen say that it is good that the IDF has acknowledged and accepted responsibility. It's good that they have taken disciplinary action. However, they're saying that this is these outrageous killings, that what the IDF has said so far and what they've done is really of cold comfort. They said that the IDF report shows that the World Central Kitchen workers were doing everything that they should have been doing.

But this, of course, leaves many, many questions unanswered. How could it be assumed that the gunman who'd been on trucks were now inside? We're talking about two gunmen could be inside three different vehicles and so many more unanswered questions. SIDNER: Yes, that's true. We will wait to see what happens. I know the World Central Kitchen founder has asked for an independent investigation that is not done by the IDF.

I do want to talk to you about something that has just happened, you know, after this conversation between Netanyahu and President Biden, the aid crossings into Northern Gaza opening up, and a dedicated port Israel said, will be available for aid shipments.

[07:05:11]

What else are you learning there?

ROBERTSON: Yes. I think it's kind of key to look at what the White House is saying here. U.S. policy is going to be determined on how Israel moves forward from these statements, and we heard the same from Secretary Blinken today, and it is what Palestinians are telling us as well.

It's one thing to hear it from the Israeli government, particularly when they're pushed by the United States to do this, but let's see the reality on the ground. And the context of that, of course, is that back in January this year, the Israeli government said that it was okay for food shipments to come in through the port of Ashdod, which is 20 miles from the Erez Crossing.

However, those food shipments, when they arrived, were then blocked by protesters. We already know that elements with inside Netanyahu's -- Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, right-wing elements, are saying that they didn't agree with this move by the Israeli government.

This sets the scene for, again, potential protests to potentially stop convoys. It hasn't happened, but this is why the White House will look closely.

And another point of reference here is that, when he was here in early February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Israelis that they should be opening the Erez Crossing in the North of Gaza, because that's where the humanitarian situation is most desperate. That's where people are literally dying of starvation. We just got a figure from people on the ground there today. You know how much it is, for one kilo, 2.2 pounds of potatoes today, $22, $22 for two pounds for potatoes.

That's the price of the potatoes, that's why people are starving in the north of Gaza right now, and that why there's going to be so much scrutiny to see if this actually happens, that the U.S. has called so many times for Erez to be opened. Sara?

SIDNER: Yes, and the U.N. agency that is looking at famine, says famine is imminent there, a man-made famine.

Nic Robertson, thank you so much for all your reporting, Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, this report also comes out as Israel is now, as you guys were just discussing, planning to open another crossing into Gaza to allow more humanitarian aid to flow in. And this is after that phone call between President Biden and the Israeli prime minister, where Biden issued an ultimatum, the Netanyahu takes specific and concrete and measurable steps to protect aid workers or risk losing U.S. support.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House now with much more on this. Arlette, what are you hearing this morning from the White House about this initial review this, initial analysis, this initial report coming out about that strike?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, officials here at The White House were closely waiting and watching for this initial report from the Israelis as they're trying to get some further explanation for what exactly led to that strike on that world central kitchen convoy. It comes on the heels of a very blunt conversation between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, where Biden warned Israel would face consequences if they do not do more to protect civilians and ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Now, in that phone call, a senior administration official tells CNN that Netanyahu admitted that the IDF was to blame for the strike on this convoy. And this morning, we have some interesting new language from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who, ahead of the Israelis' report being released, said that there must be a thorough, independent investigation and full accountability for what happened. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's also critical that we see an independent, thorough and fully publicized investigation into the killing of the World Central Kitchen team who were performing heroic work under the most difficult circumstances in trying to get assistance to people who so desperately need it.

So, we're looking to see that investigation. We're look to a public accounting. And we are looking see accountability in its wake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, this all comes on the heels of what could be one of the consequential phone calls of this conflict between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In that phone call, Netanyahu assured the president that Israel would be trying take steps to prevent incidents like this from happening again. That's according to a senior administration official.

One thing that the two men agreed on was that more needed to be done to be able to track where these humanitarian aid workers are in Gaza. There also was a discussion about the need to get more humanitarian in to the enclave, and that was through the opening of these access points, as Nic was talking about earlier, just in the hours after this call between Biden and Netanyahu, Israel approved the opening of that Erez Crossing in Northern Gaza. Now, one thing that Secretary Blinken and other officials here at the White House have stressed is that while they welcome the opening of this crossing, while the welcome the ports, they also want to see the metrics of the -- see how many aid trucks are actually getting in, see how much assistance is actually being distributed to the American -- to the Palestinian people.

But, really, this call between Biden and Netanyahu will be closely watched since it was one of the starkest warnings that he's offered -- that Biden has given to Netanyahu about the way that they're conducting their operations, saying that things need to change.

BOLDUAN: Arlette Saenz at the White House for us, thank you so much, Arlette. John?

BERMAN: Denied, denied, denied, Donald Trump's effort to get the documents case tossed, rejected. The Georgia election case tossed, rejected. The New York criminal case delayed, rejected. This morning, how to cope with so much rejection?

Then one driver lucky to be alive this morning after a mammoth crane fell right on top of it.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was driving, and I felt a compression. I looked up, and I saw the blue structure coming down. I slammed on my brakes.

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BERMAN: And all you need is leather chaps and some excellent protective eyewear, no, not just my average Saturday night. Why the cowboy capital of the world is becoming eclipse central.

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[07:15:00]

BERMAN: This morning, new legal setbacks for Donald Trump. In the classified documents case, a federal judge there refused to dismiss the case based on the argument that he had a right to keep the classified material.

In the Georgia election interference case, the judge rejected Trump's argument that his speech and conduct are protected under the First Amendment.

And on top of that, the former president is now facing new questions about the $175 million bond he posted in the New York civil fraud case. The New York Attorney General's Office is questioning whether that money is actually sound.

CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz with us this morning. A lot of rejection this morning, Katelyn.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: A lot of rejection, but also, John, think about it this way, a lot of green flags by judges to allow prosecutors to continue these cases against Donald Trump toward the trial. So, you have the Mar-a-Lago documents case, you have the Georgia January 6, 2020 election case, you have the hush money case in New York.

In all of those, Donald Trump's team is either trying to get the cases totally dismissed or put on hold for a very long period of time. And in each of these this week, we're seeing the judges say no to those requests.

That is somewhat typical in the way that this typically works before trial to see these denials of these requests to dismiss the cases. And, John, there is a silver lining for Trump that is coming to him based on how his lawyers are arguing these things in both the Mar-a- Lago documents case and in the hush money case.

The judges have looked at requests from Trump's team, arguments around the Presidential Records Act, him trying to claim the classified documents or his personal records, as well as in the Hush Money case in New York, that he's about to go to trial on, an argument around presidential immunity on both of those.

While the judges are saying no to the requests on the table from Trump's team, they're saying, we might want to think about these topics again and talk about them later. Judge Aileen Cannon, specifically in the classified documents case, says that she's not really even going to determine yet if there is going to be the idea of presidential immunity or Presidential Records Act discussed before a jury.

And she says to the Justice Department who says, get rid of this idea already. She says, this is just a genuine attempt in the context of the upcoming trial to better understand the party's competing positions and the questions to be submitted to the jury in this complex case of first impression.

So, in these criminal cases, denials for Donald Trump's team as the table setting is happening, as the trials are approaching, but it is not the final word from these judges, not at all.

BERMAN: And in the New York civil case very quickly, this money is now in question?

POLANTZ: Yes. In the civil fraud case, Donald Trump did get $175 million in bond to be able to post so he can continue appealing. But the New York Attorney General's Office, they want to make sure they get paid.

And so there is going to be a hearing on April 22nd to just check out Knight Specialty Insurance Company and that company's arrangement with Donald Trump to post the bond, making sure that there is the collateral money there so that if Trump loses the appeals, he has the money that the New York A.G.'s Office can collect.

BERMAN: Kaitelyn Polantz, great to see you this morning. Thank you very much for all your reporting. Sara? SIDNER: The excitement is building, Magic Johnson saying he's had his popcorn ready on Tuesday for tonight's Final Four showdown. It's going to be a historic night for college basketball.

And a new lawsuit filed from Angelina Jolie claiming Brad Pitt was abusive prior to that 2016 plane incident. We will explain.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: Tonight in Cleveland the women's final four begins. It's N.C. State versus South Carolina while UConn goes head-to-head with the Iowa Hawkeyes. And two of this year's standout players Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers preparing to face off.

CNN's Carolyn Manno has much more on the very big there's been so much build-up to these matchups. I'm very excited what's going to happen tonight.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's like the sports version of a solar eclipse, where you have two huge stars meeting at the exact same time. I mean, interest in women's college basketball, as you know, Kate is skyrocketing and Caitlin Clark is such a huge part of that. But she really is one of the handful of elite women in the sport right now that are just showing everybody, new fans, fans who have loved this for a long time, that this is just a good, entertaining product to watch.

And tonight, she faces UConn, another one of college basketball's generational talents in Paige Bueckers, with a berth in the national championship game on the line and the viewership is going to be huge.

[07:25:05]

This is only the second time that they'll meet in their collegiate careers, the rivalry the rivalries goes way back to when they were teammates on stacked junior Team USA squads. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA GUARD: Since I've known her since she was in middle school, she's always worked that same way. She's always had that fire. She's always been a great leader. And, you know, I really honestly couldn't be happier for her in the year that she's had and you know, the way she's led this team back to the Final Four when they've kind of been dealt a tough hand as a program and they never made excuses.

And to me, I think that's something, you know, you just really admire as a competitor more than anything. So, I think it's really cool.

PAIGE BUECKERS, UCONN GUARD: She's just a competitor. She wants to win. She has just intangibles of the game. She knows how to play, a great I.Q. But I think the biggest thing about her, she competes and she's just a winner. She wants to win at all costs. And so I know going into that, it will be a great matchup. But I'm excited. It's great for the game. And to be at this level, on this high stakes, to see where we were in AAU competing against each other, it's just really cool to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Iowa and UConn tip it off at 9:30 Eastern, that is after number three N.C. State takes on top-seeded, undefeated South Carolina at 7:00.

And the top-seeded UConn men's team set to take on Alabama in their final four matchup tomorrow. Their schedule has been thrown off by some really terrible travel issues. The reigning national champion Huskies didn't arrive in Arizona until 3:12 in the morning on Thursday. Head Coach Danny Hurley says that will not be an excuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HURLEY, UCONN HEAD COACH: Once kind of that edge wore off, you start -- you know, lucky to be here. We're lucky to get an opportunity to come play in the Final Four. And then who doesn't deal with problems with the airlines? I mean, people deal with it during the holidays and it's just -- it's something that you just got to get through, but it sucked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Relatable. You can catch the men's Final Four on our sister channel, TBS, tomorrow. N.C. State taken on Purdue just after 6:00 Eastern followed by Alabama-UConn, and the winners playing for the national title on Monday night.

N.C. State and UConn with their men's and women's team both in the mix, and tonight, we saw 12 million people watch Iowa last time out against LSU. I cannot wait to see how many tune in tonight.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely, Carolyn, thank you so much. My only gripe is that it's at 9:30. It's hard to keep the six and nine-year-old daughters up to watch the game.

BERMAN: It's a Friday night. It's a Friday night.

BOLDUAN: I'm going to have a rager.

BERMAN: You can sleep it off.

All right, so, why you should get microchips and plant it in all your friends, or at least your pets? An amazing story of a reunion thousands of miles in the making.

And then a mammoth crane collapses on a busy road, practically splitting a car in half. We've got the dramatic video.

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[07:30:00]