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Trump to Have Virtual Pre-Sentencing Interview With Probation Officer; Soon, Secretary of State Blinken to Meet With Netanyahu; NVidia Splits Stock as Share Price Soars. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired June 10, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: I spoke to Adam and his crew. They were just as happy as I was to have a friendly female face on that crew. Thank you to Kim for taking charge because, man, she did.

We also do want to just take a moment to thank all of the first responders here in the District of Columbia, but across the country that all of us trust with our lives every day, because you really have no idea when you might need to make that call and having those people on the other end of the line. It makes all the difference in the world. They are truly lifesavers. So, thank you to all of them.

Thanks to our panel. Thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Kasie Hunt.

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, a former president meets with his probation officer. You wonder if James Madison had that in mind when writing the Constitution. What can Donald Trump say that might impact his sentence?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Tony Blinken back in the Middle East set to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister just after the dramatic hostage rescue operation in Gaza. And a key member of his war cabinet resigns. And now the U.S. is calling for a new U.N. Security Council vote.

And back-to-back shark attacks just miles apart off the coast of Florida. Officials are now issuing a warning because of it.

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

BERMAN: This morning, something no former president has ever done. Donald Trump will sit for a pre-sentencing interview with his probation officer. This interview will be part of the report the probation department will submit to Judge Juan Merchan ahead of Trump's sentencing on July 11th. And for normal defendants, it could be a significant factor in determining whether there will be prison time. Of course, Donald Trump is not a normal defendant.

With us now, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. John, we got some new information about how this will be similar and different to other meetings like this.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So, the normal process is that the probation officer sits with the defendant, and in some cases, in this case, the defendant's lawyer, and they go through a tick list. It's, what is your home situation? Do you live in a stable environment? Do you have employment? Can you get employment? Are you suffering from any drug addiction? What is your criminal background?

Is it violent? In this case, Donald Trump is going to be different from a lot of defendants, in fact, the vast majority. He lives in a triplex at the top of a building with his name on it. He has no criminal record, and yet, like many other defendants, he does have multiple other open felony cases. But as far as employment, drugs, and so on, the question that they're trying to resolve at the probation department is a couple of things, but key to it is, is he a good candidate for the community corrections environment? In English, that means the prison correction environment or being on probation without going to jail, but having to accept the conditions of probation.

BERMAN: Now, a lawyer present and by Zoom, this will not be in person and Todd Blanche will be there with Donald Trump. How unusual is that? You know, is that what a Joe Schmoe defendant normally gets?

MILLER: A Joe Schmoe defendant usually comes down to see the probation officer. The probation officer wants to get a look at him or her, get a sense of that. But during COVID, the system had to keep going. So, virtual probation interviews became a thing, and this makes sense because he's in another city.

BERMAN: You said probation here. What would probation exactly mean for Donald Trump?

MILLER: So, probation is if you are convicted of a crime and they say, we're not going to incarcerate you, but we need to check up on you to make sure you're not going to re-offend or you're not re- offending. Parole is when you go to jail and they let you out early and they check on you after the fact.

So, this is an interesting thing. You know, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, went to a lot of trouble to bring this case and to get this conviction. And he said in his controversial day one memo that he wants less people to go to jail, especially in non-violent crimes. But he did single out white collar crimes. So, we don't know what they're going to ask for.

BERMAN: And then very finally, John, this meeting will happen today, will we hear what comes out of it or how will we know what comes out of it?

MILLER: So, technically, we shouldn't hear what comes out of it. The PSR, or the pre-sentencing report, goes from the New York City Department of Probation to that state Supreme Court judge, Juan Merchan, and it is to help him, as he decides on the sentence, whether it's in jail or prison, or whether it's on probation, what those conditions should be. If it's probation, Donald Trump will probably have to check in with a probation officer once a month, sometimes once a week. He sounds more like a once a month candidate and make sure he doesn't get arrested again and stays out of trouble.

[07:05:01]

BERMAN: John Miller, an education, as always. Thanks so much for being here.

MILLER: Small civics lesson.

BERMAN: It really is. No, I mean, all this stuff is new to me. Donald Trump will learn a lot about it today, no doubt.

MILLER: It's good that you don't know about it.

BERMAN: I appreciate that so far, yes. Kate?

BOLDUAN: The things John Miller doesn't know.

So, will Hunter Biden take the stand or are we now just hours away from closing arguments? Very soon, you could have that answer as Hunter Biden's trial gets back underway in Delaware next hour. The president's son is facing multiple charges related to a 2018 drug purchase. He has pleaded not guilty. So, where do things go now after what ended the week -- with the week ending last week with very dramatic and emotional testimony?

Marshall Cohen is outside court for us. How soon do you expect to have that answer of where this really is headed and how fast, Marshall?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Kate, good morning. We should find out pretty soon because the proceedings resume here in Wilmington, Delaware, at 8:10 A.M., just about one hour from now. And one of the first items on the agenda is to have an answer from the defense. They told the judge that they wanted to take the weekend to think this over, figure out the final contours of their strategy if Hunter is going to take the stand in his own defense or if they're going to arrest their case and move on to closing arguments.

Now, why might they want to do that? We've always said it's unlikely and it would be incredibly risky. But before the trial, they said in some of their court filings that one of the things that they would want him to tell the jury if he decided to testify in his own defense was that, He has been clean, sober and law-abiding since 2019.

Kate, the jury has heard so much testimony about his rampant drug abuse, really painting him in a very struggling and negative light. They said if he did testify, he would want to convey to the jurors directly that he's been clean for several years now. But, of course, if he did testify, the prosecutors could grill him. And they said in filings that the They would probably want to bring up his discharge from the Navy ten years ago after a positive drug test and that they might try to attack his credibility by bringing up that, in their view, he not only lied on this gun for him, but he's also lied on his taxes. So, a huge decision, it would be a risky move, and we should find out in about one hour. BOLDUAN: So, then add it all up with the caveat of it's uncertain what we're going to hear right when court picks back up, but what, how soon could the jury have this case?

COHEN: Well, if he doesn't testify, then it's time for closing arguments. Both sides will be able to give their final push to the jury on why they think they should get a conviction or an acquittal. Then there's jury instructions as well from the judge educating the jurors, instructing them on the laws in this case, the elements of the alleged crimes, and how they should conduct their deliberations.

Now, one of the things that the defense wants the judge to instruct the jury about today, during those instructions, is what they call their theory of the case, the simplest, most straightforward reason why, in their view, this trial should end with three not guilty verdicts. And they told the judge that she should instruct the jury that Hunter Biden, quote, did not believe that he was either a drug user or addict at that time, when he bought the gun and when he possessed the gun.

They've said all along that if he did not know he was a drug addict, if he did not know he was a user, then he cannot be convicted of these crimes. So, it could happen today, Kate. It very likely will.

BOLDUAN: And it all picks back up an hour from now. Thank you, Marshall. I appreciate the reporting. Still ahead for us, the secretary of state back in the Middle East and about to meet with the Israeli prime minister. The prime minister now facing a new reality after that dramatic hostage rescue operation in Gaza was quickly followed by a key resignation from his war cabinet. The test now for Blinken ahead as we learn new details about that rescue operation.

Plus, NVidia is one of the hottest stocks of the year, up 144 percent. And now the major change hitting today as the market's about to open.

And they've woken a monster. That is the new reaction from Caitlin Clark after learning she will not be playing on the U.S. Olympic Team in Paris.

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[07:10:00]

BERMAN: Happening now, U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has arrived in the Middle East for meetings at a precarious moment. He will meet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. And also later, Benny Gantz, who just quit Israel's war cabinet to protest Netanyahu's handling of the war.

CNN's Oren Liebermann live in Tel Aviv this morning. What a tumultuous few days there, Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: John, this was such a celebratory moment, and it still is, after a major operation to rescue four Israeli hostages from a densely populated area in Gaza, but the Israeli government itself is already fractured following that with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trying to hang on to one of his war cabinet members who just quit the government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN (voice over): In a hospital in central Israel, they hugged as if there was no tomorrow because for so long they feared there wouldn't be. Four Israeli hostages were rescued from Gaza in an Israeli operation on Saturday after eight months of captivity. Among the rescued, one of the most well known hostages, Noa Argamani, reunited with her father here.

[07:15:01]

Video from October 7th showed her pleading for help as kidnappers drove her into Gaza. Her father thanked the Israeli military for the rescue.

But reunions like this remain all too rare. This is only the third successful Israeli rescue operation since the war began. Orit Meir reunited with her son, Almog, one day before her birthday.

ORIT MEIR, MOTHER OF ALMOG MEIR: There are still 120 hostages in Gaza and we want a deal now.

LIEBERMANN: The daring daytime operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza lifted the spirits of a nation. But unity was fleeting as anti-government protests demanded a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages and a ceasefire.

On Sunday, war cabinet member Benny Gantz resigned from the government, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of slow walking the war for his own political gain. Netanyahu vowed to keep pushing towards total victory over Hamas, the cost of which was once again apparent.

Witnesses in Gaza describe Israel's operation as hell on Earth, inside a dense residential area with the crowds of midday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A crazy bombardment started hitting everywhere, something we never witnessed before. Maybe 150 rockets fell in less than ten minutes.

LIEBERMANN: Palestinians rushed the wounded to ambulances. In this disturbing video, many, including women and children, bore the horrific scars of heavy bombardment. Al-Aqsa Martyr's Hospital quickly filled with the injured and the dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dogs were eating people's remains. We pulled out six martyrs, all torn up, children and women.

LIEBERMANN: The operation drew swift and severe international condemnation and Hamas called it a massacre. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 270 were killed in the Israeli strikes and 700 wounded, which would make it one of the deadliest days for Gaza in months.

The IDF disputes those numbers, saying it estimated the number of casualties was less than 100. CNN cannot independently verify these figures.

On Sunday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's Dana Bash that innocent people were tragically killed in this operation. He called on Hamas to accept the ceasefire that's on the table right now.

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: And the best way to end this war is for Hamas to say yes to the deal President Biden announced and that Israel has accepted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN (on camera): What's unclear now is how easy it is to accept this deal from Israel's side with Gantz quitting the government. Netanyahu has even more pressure from his far right coalition partners who have threatened to dissolve the government if he accepts the ceasefire deal. So, this is not at all an easy path forward as Blinken is expected to arrive here later on today. John?

BERMAN: Yes, it will be interesting to see the impact of the hostage rescue combined with Benny Gantz leaving the war cabinet, the impact that will have on negotiations. Oren Liebermann, terrific new details in that report. Thank you so much.

So, temperatures so hot, they could kill you where millions of Americans need to be extremely careful today.

And then a catastrophic failure, that is what officials say after a large chunk of one of the country's most beautiful highways cracked and then collapsed in a landslide.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: This morning, chipmaker NVidia will start trading at a new split adjusted price when markets open. NVidia's chips are used in everything from gaming to cars and now becoming especially important because of the surge in A.I. tech. So what does this stock split really do and who is going to benefit?

CNN's Matt Egan is keeping a very close eye on this one for us. What is going on here?

MATT EGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kate, if you're an NVidia shareholder, don't freak out. The share price is about to shrink dramatically, but it's not a glitch. It's actually a sign of success. So, as you mentioned, NVidia is just having this legendary period of success lately. They power these computer chips that really run artificial intelligence. And so they're so hot that the board announced a ten for one stock split. That means that the stock is going to go from closing on Friday above $1,200 a piece to just over $120.

The reason why companies do this is because they're trying to make the share price more accessible, right? When a stock goes into the high, hundreds of dollars or even thousands. --

BOLDUAN: Right. You're pricing people out of the market on this.

EGAN: Exactly. It makes it harder for smaller investors to take a piece of it.

Now, the market value is on change. This is really just a cosmetic change. But this is something that a lot of other successful tech companies have done. Apple, Amazon, and Tesla have all done it. And it's really a sign that this company is on a positive run because the share price has gone up. It's actually a good problem to have.

BOLDUAN: Talk to me about -- I mean, you're hitting on it. I mean, a lot of it is A.I., but what is driving NVidia's success?

BOLDUAN: Well, NVidia, for the longest time, was known as the company that powers computer chips for video games. And then they made this bet ten years ago that they could become the brains of artificial intelligence. And that paid off massively.

Look at this meteoric stock price rise. Just five years ago, you could buy this stock for about $50. Now, it's above $1,200. Last month, NVidia revealed that its revenue tripled year over year.

[07:25:00]

Its profits soared more than sevenfold. It's now worth more than $3 trillion. It's an incredible amount of money.

If you compare NVidia, it's worth the same amount as Starbucks, Boeing, Citi, AT&T, JPMorgan, Tesla, Exxon, Home Depot, and Walmart combined. Just one company is worth the same as all of these household brands.

In fact, NVIDIA is now one of the most valuable companies in America, worth more than Amazon, more than Google owner Alphabet. Last week, it even briefly topped Apple. And it's really not far behind Microsoft, which, of course, is another A.I. play, because they have their own A.I. chatbot, and they've invested in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. But guess what computer chips power ChatGPT? NVidia. This company is --

BOLDUAN: It's already huge. And it feels like what you're telling me is sky is the limit and where this thing is headed.

It's good to see you. Thanks so much. Let's see what happens.

EGAN: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Wow, those numbers, that chart was crazy pants.

All right, talk about crazy pants, a wild plane ride. Passengers are saying that they could feel the hail hitting the plane. And now we are seeing the damage left behind after a dangerous landing for one Austrian Airlines flight. Just look at that damage.

And some are calling it an air ball. Caitlin Clark is calling it no big deal. But it's also making clear she has found brand new motivation to drive her new WNBA career.

We'll be back.

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