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Trump Arrives to Fanfare in Qatar With Camels and Cybertrucks; Trump Announces $200 Billion Boeing Deal With Qatar; Trump Praises Syrian President and Considers Normalizing Relations, Announces Plan to Lift Sanctions; Ventura Details Health Issues She Says She Faced After Freak Offs. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired May 14, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:20]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Billions of dollars in deals, as President Donald Trump tries to cement ties between the United States and Gulf States like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But he can't dodge questions about one deal or one gift in particular, that controversial jet that Qatar is trying to gift the U.S. president.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": And a dramatic day in court, in the criminal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, jurors could see -- soon be shown those notorious videos of those alleged coerced sexual encounters that are at the heart of the case, as the media mogul's ex-girlfriend testifies for a second day. And a second chance for one of the greatest baseball players of all time, how a move by Major League Baseball could clear the path for Pete Rose to enter the Hall of Fame. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

SANCHEZ: We start this hour with camels and cybertrucks. That's what greeted President Donald Trump as he arrived in Qatar today for the second leg of his trip to the Middle East. The fanfare continued with a number of new deals announced by the president, including a $200 billion agreement for the purchase of 160 Boeing Jets made in the United States for Qatar Airways. This is separate from that roughly $400 million luxury jet that the president says he plans to accept as a gift from the Qatari royal family, a highly controversial move that's even been criticized by members of his own party.

Let's get the latest in Doha with CNN's Jeff Zeleny, who's there for us live. Jeff, the president arriving just a short time ago at a palace in Doha for a state dinner with the Qatari Emir. How were the country's leaders responding to this visit so far, especially in light of the controversy regarding the jet?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, as you can imagine, the controversy is happening in the United States, not happening here. In fact, it has not been discussed, at least publicly, but we are seeing live pictures right now of the images of the president and the Emir of Qatar before a state dinner at the Lusail Palace. Really, one by one by one by one dignitaries and officials and business leaders are shaking hands of both leaders. This is something we have seen really throughout the president's trip here. But it was a deal earlier today with Boeing, the U.S. company Boeing, that the president was touting at the price tag of $200 trillion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Kelly is telling me from Boeing, that's the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing. That's pretty good. So, it's over $200 billion, but, 160 in terms of the jets. That's fantastic. So that's a record, Kelly, and congratulations to Boeing. Get those planes out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So clearly, the President has been a little furious at Boeing for their slow delivery, in his view, of his new Air Force One, which has led to the whole controversy of the Qatari royal family donating or wanting to a plane to the United States. We'll see if that ever happens. But that Boeing deal, which is $2 billion (ph), is something that the president is touting as one of the bigger deals here in Doha.

SANCHEZ: And Jeff, there was a stunning moment as President Trump was getting ready to leave Saudi Arabia. Before he left, he met with Syria's new leader, a former jihadist whose rebel group helped topple the Assad regime. Trump says that he now plans to lift sanctions and potentially will normalize relations with the Syrian government. What else did he say? What else came out of this meeting?

ZELENY: Boris, that was extraordinary. It has been 25 years since a U.S. president has met with a leader of Syria face to face in this manner. And this was coming on, sort of on the fly, if you will, not an announced visit at the beginning of the trip. But after the president, yesterday, announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, a meeting was scheduled. It was sort of arranged by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

But the images that you see there, so extraordinary. We will see what happens in the coming months and years with Syria, but a major development, a major change in U.S. foreign policy. Despite his background as a jihadist, he led the rebellion against the ouster of Bashar al-Assad last December.

[14:05:00]

When the president was flying here to Doha, he was asked, by reporters on board Air Force one what he thought of him. And he called him an attractive man, a tough man with a strong past. That is an understatement, no question, but a major change in foreign policy on Syria.

SANCHEZ: Yeah.

ZELENY: Boris and Brianna?

SANCHEZ: One of many fascinating moments. Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much for the reporting. Brianna?

KEILAR: With us now as former Defense Secretary and CIA Director under President Obama, Leon Panetta. Thank you so much for being with us. We are obviously watching this trip with such curiosity, and I do want to note, you were in the Obama administration during his red line on Syria. You had left by the time we learned it wasn't actually a red line. I know in retrospect, there are many moments in American policy on Syria where officials might want some do-overs to be clear.

But what do you think of how President Trump is approaching the president of Syria, quite unconventionally here, as he was a jihadist in Iraq fighting American forces?

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, frankly, I think it's a good move because I think there's a chance, to try to stabilize Syria, to try to give it at least a governing structure that can allow it to govern itself. And so, I think removing the sanctions gives them a little bit of breathing space in order to try to move in the right direction here. And so, I think that in terms of United States' Middle East policy, the ability to try to get Syria in the right place and not be a threat to other countries is a good move.

KEILAR: Any concerns about the description of what Trump called his strong past, right, his very strong past, emphasis on him being a fighter, without some important context there. Does this send a message to other extremists who might take aim at the U.S.?

PANETTA: Well, obviously, we continue to have concerns about terrorism in that part of the world, with regards to ISIS, with regards to Al-Qaeda, with regards to other terrorist groups that impact. But when you have somebody who -- when you're dealing with Syria, you've got people who have had a lot of backgrounds in terms of fighting back and fighting against the Syrian regime of Assad. And so, I think that he's right because this individual was able to lead that rebellion, was able to depose Assad, and as far as I can see, is working to try to stabilize a difficult challenge with regards to Syria.

And so, even though he had credentials as a terrorist fighter in the past, the reality is that he is now leading that country, has led a strong rebellion to try to get rid of Assad, and is trying to work now to try to stabilize Syria. So, I think that overall, the United States has an interest in stability and that's what this is about.

KEILAR: It's really interesting. And lifting those sanctions, is there any concern that Russia could look to try to exploit that in some way? How does the U.S. hedge against that?

PANETTA: Well, I think we have to be -- we have to be smart about how we do this and make sure that neither Putin or Russia or any other adversary takes advantage of the situation in Syria. And to some extent, I think what the president is doing is he's making an investment here in terms of Syria's future. And by building a relationship, by getting rid of the sanctions, by trying to help them financially be able to stabilize, I think it gives the United States a really important position with regards to Syria and with regards to the Middle East.

So, I think overall, this is a smart move and hopefully, will pay off in terms of a better situation in Syria, for the future.

KEILAR: And any concerns, as you look, as I mentioned, you're the former CIA Director, this gift of this plane, unprecedented, from Qatar. Any concerns from an Intel standpoint?

[14:10:00]

PANETTA: Yeah, I'd say so. I think there's a lot of concerns about -- when you buy a plane from a country like Qatar. You have to worry about just exactly how many listening devices are part of that plane, what other intelligence are they trying to gather. Look, this is not a smart idea for the president for several reasons. One, constitutionally, I think our forefathers made clear that presidents ought not to get a gift from a foreign country through the Emoluments Clause.

Secondly, I think that the appearance of having the president of the United States flying around the world in a plane from Qatar just presents the wrong kind of appearance for a president of the United States. And thirdly, I think it contradicts what the President wants in terms of his whole economic policy, which is to restore manufacturing in the United States and to have Americans buy American.

Here, he is receiving a gift from a foreign country rather than turning to our own manufacturers. Now, I'm glad he made the deal for Boeing with regards to Qatar. I think that's an important step in the right direction. But why isn't he putting more pressure on Boeing to produce a plane for the president of the United States? That's where the pressure ought to be, on Boeing to help produce Air Force One.

KEILAR: Secretary Panetta, great to have you. Thank you so much for being with us.

PANETTA: Good to be with you.

KEILAR: And here moments ago, Cassie Ventura, who of course is the ex-girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, resumed testimony in his criminal sex trafficking trial. Right now, she is nearing eight total hours on the stand over the past two days of direct questioning. And then very soon, we're expecting the jury to see for the first time, images of some of these explicit sexual encounters that Ventura says she endured at Sean Combs' direction, sometimes for days at a time. On multiple occasions today, Ventura alleged that Combs would threaten to embarrass her by releasing videos of those incidents.

SANCHEZ: Also, just a short time ago, Defense Attorneys of Sean Combs revealed they're now adjusting their strategy for cross-examining Ventura. Combs' lawyers say that her direct examination went differently than expected. The defense is likely to take over before the end of today. Let's get some perspective with Legal Analyst, Trial Attorney, and Podcast Co-Host of "M&M In The Morning," Mercedes Colwin. Mercedes, great to see you as always. Just wondering broadly what you make of this adjustment by the defense to the direct examination of Cassie Ventura, how they are now going to have to approach that cross- examination?

MERCEDES COLWIN, LEGAL ANALYST AND TRIAL ATTORNEY: Great question, Boris, because all of us are thinking the very same thing. Cassie Ventura did not hold back on all the torrid details of what she endured at the hands of Combs. She was flawless in her delivery. She was meticulous in terms of the description, what took place. The prosecution did a good layup leading up to Cassie Ventura's testimony as well be by showing the videotape, because the core essence of this case is that Cassie Ventura was under the control and coercion and threats of violence by combs. That's the key.

She is the cornerstone of this prosecution. And by showing, of course, the defense has to turn around and say, well, no, these are consenting adults. These -- this may not be a conventional relationship. There is violence, it's domestic violence. This is violence between two consenting adults. But by showing that videotape, by having the flawless testimony of Cassie Ventura, the defense has to really think to themselves, are we really going to attack her on whether or not she consented to all these freak offs?

When now she -- today, she is describing the physical toll that took place as a result of the freak offs, the days that it took for her to recover, the sores in her mouth and the UTIs that she was afflicted by that were very painful. And these are very -- obviously, very disturbing types of symptoms that she endured days upon end. And of course, the defense has to say to themselves, she comes across as a very secure witness. She's not the 19-year-old or the 22-year-old, or the 29-year-old. That's how long she was with Sean Combs, for about 10 years, from the time she was 19 to the time she was almost 30.

This is a very confident young woman. And the only time that she cried when she said, she was pressed, why did you stay? Why didn't you call?

[14:15:00]

Why did you stay in this relationship? She said because I loved him. I wanted him -- I wanted to spend time with him. And that's -- those are real emotions, but she was unemotional when she was talking about what she endured during those freak offs.

KEILAR: Yeah. She talked about taking drugs, needing to dissociate during them. I do wonder, Mercedes, repeatedly now, she has talked about -- when she would be arranging these using -- these events using Combs' money. She would talk about that and she'd be arranging them at his direction, sometimes she said she didn't want to, like once on her birthday, and she said he would just corner her and she'd have to do it. But she also keeps saying it was my job. She's referring to it about -- she said, yesterday, that it had become a job for her. Today, she said it was her job. How significant is that to the case the prosecution is trying to build here?

COLWIN: Well, it really is about the control that Combs had over her and he controlled everything. In fact, yesterday, she testified that he controlled on what she wore. The nail polish she would wear. She would be punished if she wasn't compliant. Her electronics would be taken away, her jewelry would be taken away, her property would be taken away and then she'd be subject to the violence. It -- that type of job, it says she's really trying to paint for the jury that she had -- did not have control of her life. This is what she was signed onto the Bad Boy Records to produce albums. Guess what? She produced one. That's it. One single album. No other albums were produced under this 10-year contract that she had with Combs.

Her job, as she wants to describe it to the jury, was not about being an R&B record -- recorded -- as a record artist as she was initially trying to do with Combs, in her initial interaction with them. It became her job to create these freak offs used because of the coercion and control that Combs had over her. And that will be -- continue to be the theme because at the core and which is what the defense has to demonstrate, is there's consent involved. These were adults, it's consent. But if you're saying there's this imbalance of power, Combs had all the power.

He had the power to control my recording, my entire history, whether I'm going to record another album. He had control over my entire career. He had control over me in terms of the fear that I had, that he would have a reaction if I wasn't compliant. That's why she keeps going back. Cassie keeps going back and saying, this was more -- this was a job. My job wasn't about being a recording artist. It became about creating these and participating in these freak offs.

SANCHEZ: Mercedes Colwin, very much appreciate your point of view. I do want to let our viewers know as we're watching this on our screen, in court, we have reporters that are bringing us the latest information and just now, as jurors are being shown images, sexually explicit images of these encounters, we're getting reporting that one female juror let out a deep breath and rested her hand on her chest as an image was placed on the monitor before her. These are images that the public, we should point out, are not seeing. We're, of course, going to keep following the latest on this trial and bring you the newest information as we get it.

Still to come, House Speaker Mike Johnson says there will be no cuts to Medicaid after lawmakers hold an all-night debate over President Trump's sweeping tax reform and spending bill. We're going to speak to a Republican lawmaker whose state could be hit hard by Medicaid reforms. Plus, more than three decades after murdering their parents, the Menendez Brothers are now eligible for parole. We're going to explain what comes next.

KEILAR: And then later, the MLB reversal that has baseball fans in an uproar, what we know about the controversial decision that makes Pete Rose and others eligible for the Hall of Fame. That and much more ahead on "CNN News Central."

[14:23:00]

SANCHEZ: On Capitol Hill, House Republicans are pushing ahead with a contentious budget bill that includes trillions of dollars in tax and spending cuts to help pay for the president's sweeping agenda. Some Republican lawmakers want big cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low and disabled -- for low income and disabled Americans. House Speaker Mike Johnson is also scrambling to bridge a major divide among Republicans over SALT, that's short for State and Local Tax Deductions, which primarily impacts blue states.

We're joined now by Republican Congressman Mark Alford of Missouri. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us. I do want to get your response to your fellow Missourian Senator Josh Hawley talking to Manu Raju on CNN earlier today, who says he will not support this bill as it stands. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY, (R-MO): Listen, if you want to do work requirements, I'm all for that. I bet every Republican and I bet most Americans would agree with that. But we're not talking here about just work requirements. The House goes much, much, much further than that. This is real Medicaid benefit cuts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Real Medicaid benefit cuts, what do you make of that? What do you think of the Senator's comments?

REP. MARK ALFORD, (R-MO) APPROPRIATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEES: Well, Boris, thanks for having me on. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Senator Josh Hawley. We just dropped his bill in the House today, the PELOSI Act, which bans members of Congress from trading individual stocks. We're aligned on that. We are not aligned on the terminology, let's put it that way, for Medicaid. He calls them cuts, I call them savings. Look, we are kicking 1.4 million illegal aliens off of this program. 1.6 million Americans are now enrolled in Medicaid in at least two different states. We are finding the savings in these programs to come up with $900 billion of what's going to be $880 billion. They've come up with $900 billion over 10 years saving, so that we can properly fund the program for people who are truly in need of these services.

[14:25:00)

SANCHEZ: On the question of who is truly in need of these services, this bill essentially creates expansive requirements and checking in with --

ALFORD: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: -- officials and things like that. It is still expected that millions of people are going to lose coverage and nearly half of Medicaid recipients in Missouri are kids. Are you guaranteeing the people of your state that they will not lose health benefits?

ALFORD: If you are eligible for Medicaid and you do the proper check in and Boris, I think what you're speaking about, right now, if you qualify to be on Medicaid, for whatever reason, they don't look at your case for another year. Your condition may have improved. You may have gotten a job. You may be able to work or volunteer and not be eligible for some of these services. We're going to start looking at it every six months. We think in a day and age when you have technology that is more easy to check in than writing a paper slip and handing it in, I think that is very doable. And I think those who really need the services and are truly eligible for it, those are the people who are deserving of us finding the savings, so that they can continue a path towards success.

SANCHEZ: I do wonder though, because one in five Missourians are covered by Medicaid. Roughly, how many of them in your view, would be deemed ineligible for these benefits or in your view, are committing fraud? Do you have an estimate, a rough number?

ALFORD: I do not. I do not have any numbers on that. I know that some people in the Show Me State are concerned, but it is a Show Me State and we're going to ask people to show me, show me why you should be using taxpayer monies for Medicaid that's funneled from the federal government down to the state level. Look, we are not dis -- we are not empty of compassion. That is not what it's about. I'm compassionate about turning this country around.

We are on the edge of going over the cliff from the debt that we have, $36 trillion. We've got to get this reconciliation passed. We've got to get the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act renewed and extended and make it permanent, or it's going to be the largest tax increase in U.S. history. And yes, to pay for that, we're going to find savings in these programs. All the committees have now met. Ag Committee is meeting right now and every one of these committees just about has found more savings than they have been challenged to find. That's because the waste, abuse and fraud is real. It's time to end that. It's time to do the right thing for the American people.

SANCHEZ: Congressman, that there may be waste and fraud. But the reason that I ask you for an estimate is because it seems like, ultimately, people that may have legitimate claims are going to wind up losing their benefits. It's already estimated that there are thousands --

ALFORD: Why?

SANCHEZ: -- of people -- it's already estimated by your state that there are thousands of people who are eligible for Medicaid that aren't receiving it.

ALFORD: They are legitimate people, Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. These are documents put out by your state.

ALFORD: They are legitimate?

SANCHEZ: Yes. What do you say to the people of your state who (inaudible) these benefits --

ALFORD: I do -- look --

SANCHEZ: -- into your state's constitution?

(CROSSTALK)

ALFORD: I will do everything I can, Boris, to make sure -- in my district, to make sure that if you are eligible for Medicaid, we will get you the benefits that you deserve. And until you get off of the eligibility requirements, if you stay on that, you will continue to get the benefits. Our Governor Mike Kehoe feels the same way. We are moving ahead in Missouri to make big reforms in taxation policy. We're bringing back infrastructure out of the Appropriations Committee to turn the Show Me State into the Grow Me State, and we are going to take care of people.

SANCHEZ: We'll see how this gets implemented. Congressman, I do want to ask you about President Trump saying that he plans to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria. You have been a staunch supporter of Israel. You've visited the country.

ALFORD: Yes.

SANCHEZ: You've said that Americans must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel against the forces of evil trying to wipe it off the map. I bring that up because last month, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked Donald Trump to not erase these sanctions on Syria, saying that it would lead to a repeat of the events of October 7, 2023. Beyond that, you also have the United States, negotiating directly with Hamas, negotiating directly with Iran, President Trump not even visiting Israel during this Middle Eastern trip, but sitting down with the president of Syria, a former jihadist. I wonder what you make of all of that and where you think Israel stands in this picture of the Middle East.

ALFORD: Well, look, I don't trust jihadists, but I trust Donald J. Trump a lot more than anyone else in the Mid East, including Benjamin Netanyahu who we've met with twice. Just recently in October, we flew in from Amman, Jordan, appropriations congressional delegation trip to meet with him. This is serious business. Israelis are surrounded by all sides now from people who don't just want them in the neighborhood, they want them dead. We've got to protect Israel.

I think Donald J. Trump has that first and foremost, but we also have to recognize that things are changing in the Mid East. Once Iran is driven away from the picture and whatever it means that may take to make that happen, Saudi --