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Jury Selection Underway for Man Accused of Trying to Kill Trump; DC's Homeless People Face Heightened Anxiety Amid Trump's Crackdown; Prince Harry Returns to U.K., Unclear if He'll Reunite with Family. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 08, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Jury selection is underway for the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at his Florida Golf Club last year. 59 year old Ryan Ruth is representing himself for the trial, which is being overseen by Judge Eileen Cannon, the same judge who dismissed the classified documents case against Trump last year. Now, if convicted, Ruth faces life in prison.

So for more on this, let's discuss it with CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson. Joey, thanks for being with us to talk about this important and significant case. Let's start here. Why is Ruth's decision to represent himself significant here?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, for a number of reasons, and I think in a case like this, certainly you would want the assistance of counsel. I mean, there are certainly various procedural rules in court. that are basic, but if you don't know, can really jam you up. Rules like what in terms of admitting evidence. How do you admit evidence? What does it mean to lay a foundation for evidence, getting photographs in evidence, getting video in evidence? And so without the ability to do that, it could be somewhat chaotic in the courtroom.

But when you're facing a case where you could spend the rest of your life in jail, certainly you want counsel to be there and assist you. However, he opted, Danny, not to do that. And of course, we know the Supreme Court said 50 years ago that you have a right to self- represent. And that is exactly what he's doing. And he'll certainly get standby counsel, who will be there to assist him. But in the absence of counsel, it presents an uphill battle. And I think the evidence itself, as compelling as it is, as we look at the charges there, make it for a spectacle, to say the least.

FREEMAN: Well, to that point, Joey, can you talk to me about what potential complications there might be when selecting a jury for this case?

JACKSON: So plenty. You know, jury selection is difficult in and of itself. You want to get a jury who is not predisposed to any particular outcome, but who can be fair, who can be reasonable, and who could understand the dynamic. When you're there representing yourself, you know, it depends on how they view it. Do they view it as a spectacle? Do they view it as a farce? Do they view it as just something that is not consistent with reality in the way things go?

Generally speaking, you have counsel, and then in federal trials, the judge generally will question the jury based upon questions that are presented by counsel in order to parse out those jurors who are fair and who could be objective.

But remember, Danny, during a case in trial, oftentimes we hear, like on TV, right, objection. That means we don't want the evidence in. Well, you have to have objection based on a specific enumerated legal ground, just not because I don't like what they're saying about me. And that could be quite disruptive, right? There are certain other procedural protocols in a courtroom that are required. And again, in terms of selecting a jury, that will happen, right? And we're presuming that the jury that's selected will be fair, decent, and reasonable, and will able to make a decision.

But in terms of the comporting of the trial itself, I think it could present a problem. And let's remember that the judge could revoke his right to self-representation if it does become too chaotic in that courtroom.

[14:35:00]

FREEMAN: That's a good point to note. Just to break down the charges for a moment, he faces five charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, I guess, what will the prosecution need to really prove their case here in court?

JACKSON: So they're going to go right to the evidence, and the evidence appears to be significant, like what? Like the issue of who sold him the firearm. There were two individuals who pled guilty for selling him a firearm. Why was that a problem? Because he was a felon. Like the issue of him staking out at the hole that he thought the president would be at, at the time to engage in the assassination, but then he was caught by a Secret Service agent who saw him there.

You have a person who took photos of his car and him trying to escape at the time that he was seen. You've got this, you know, confession of his and why he believes that he needed to do what he did, calling President Trump all types of names. So I think what the prosecutors will do is they'll go right after the evidence, right after the facts, right after the issues, and he can't just defend on the ground that I don't like Trump. You know, Trump, calling him names, et cetera, that's not the quorum of the court. You have to defend upon specific enumerated grounds that go to whether you're guilty or not guilty. And so that, I think, is going to be the challenge as it unfolds and as prosecutors attempt to establish their case in presenting, Danny, the five charges that you just enumerated.

FREEMAN: Joey Jackson, thank you so much for breaking down what's at stake in such an important case. Appreciate your time.

JACKSON: Always. FREEMAN: Also today, a federal appeals court upheld the $83 million verdict against President Trump for defaming magazine writer E. Jean Carroll. Now, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals said the jury award was reasonable given the evidence presented at trial. The panel of three judges cited Trump's repeated denials and public criticisms of Carroll even after the first jury found his statements were defamatory as a reason to uphold those punitive damages. Now, the case stems from remarks Trump made denying Carroll's sexual assault allegations in 2019 and attacking her character.

Still to come, how the increased policing on the streets of D.C. is forcing some homeless people into hiding. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Homeless people in the nation's capital are being told to make yourself invisible. Advice like that from a ministry worker comes as President Trump cracks down on crime in Washington, D.C. More than 50 homeless camps have been cleared since early August, according to the White House, sparking fear among the city's homeless population, some of whom are taking extreme measures to stay out of sight, like hiding in the woods or crossing into Virginia at night.

CNN's Brian Todd is joining us on this story. And, Brian, you have been talking to homeless people in Washington. What are you hearing?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brianna, we've actually spoken to a lot of homeless people on the streets of Washington and homeless advocates, and they're telling us that during this law enforcement crackdown and to deal with these increasingly aggressive tactics by police during this law enforcement surge, they have had to adopt some very extreme measures just to evade law enforcement. And we have to point out that homeless people are not breaking any laws just by being homeless, but they still feel like they have to take these drastic to get away from law enforcement, doing things like sleeping in the woods.

Some of them tell us they're hopping on and off of buses at night to sleep on the buses at night while the buses are on the move, just to stay on the move. Others are going into libraries to blend in with other people during the day.

And one tactic that a lot of them are using, you mentioned it, some of them are walking across the bridges onto the Virginia side of the Potomac River. One of them, Jeff Padgett, let us tag along with him recently when he did what he does every day now. He stopped at this homeless service the center behind me to get a meal. Then he took his two dogs, his two chihuahuas named Puppet and Luna in a black canvas cart and hightailed it across a bridge to the Virginia side of the river so that he could hide from law enforcement. When we got to the other side with him, he talked to us about why he feels he has to do this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEFF PADGETT, HOMELESS RESIDENT IN WASHINGTON D.C.: JEFF PADGETT, HOMELESS RESIDENT OF WASHINGTON, D.C.: Because I don't want to be harassed or locked up or given -- it's crazy -- given an ultimatum. You either leave town, go to jail, or go into a psych ward. I'm not committing any crimes. I'm not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, all right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Now, just a day before he announced the federal government's takeover of the DC police, President Trump posted on Truth Social a message to the homeless people of Washington, DC. He said, The homeless have to leave immediately. He said, We will give you places to stay, but far away from the Capitol.

And a couple of days later, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, followed up by saying that homeless people would be offered shelter, they would be offered addiction and mental health counseling, but if they refused, they would be subject to possible arrest.

But we have learned in the month since has been announced that at least from the federal government, there's been no mental health services forthcoming, no additional shelter offered by the federal government. The DC government has come forward and offered homeless people some additional shelter beds. But again, Brianna, a lot of homeless people do not feel safe going to those shelters.

[14:45:00]

KEILAR: And what about officials, as you mentioned, Jeff, the gentleman you spoke with, goes over to the Virginia side. What are officials telling you there?

TODD: Well, Brianna, we've talked to officials in Arlington County, Virginia. And if you kind of look at the way this area is laid out and the maps and the bridges and where they go, Arlington County is really the most likely destination for any homeless person who wants to get away from DC and cross over onto the Virginia side.

Officials in Arlington have told us they have not noticed a huge influx of homeless people during this law enforcement surge, not anything really more than they would normally notice. But again, these people are taking refuge in secret places. They're hiding in the woods, kind of hard to keep track of. Arlington County officials, though, do tell us they're going to reach out to them and give them help as they need it.

KEILAR: All right, Brian Todd, live for us here in Washington. Thank you -- Danny.

FREEMAN: All right, now let's take a look at some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. First, an Australian woman was just sentenced to three life sentences for killing three people using the world's most toxic mushrooms. Erin Patterson was found guilty of murdering members of her estranged husband's family by feeding them a meal laced with death cap mushrooms. The life sentences will be served concurrently. Plus, a wedding crasher and his accomplice have been arrested after

they allegedly stole about $60,000 in wedding gifts. You can see one of the suspects right there, snatched a gift collection box, then take off with his getaway driver.

Now, this happened at a wedding in California as guests danced, then partied. The bride and groom say the gift box was locked and secured. Police, though, say they found the suspects with the stolen money, along with guns, drugs, in all black outfit. Now, they don't know if there's any connection between the suspects who you see here and the couple at this time.

And Got to talk about it, a Stern stunt, another one we should say. Howard Stern pranked his fans in the media this morning about leaving his longtime Sirius XM radio show. Bravo host Andy Cohen appeared at the top of Stern's 7:00 a.m. time slot, announcing that he was taking over the channel and rebranding it Andy 100.

Well, multiple media outlets published reports that Stern was gone, but Stern came back on the air about 10 minutes later, announcing it was all a hoax that he himself arranged, with Cohen's help, of course.

Now it comes as Stern's future with SiriusXM remains unclear. He had previously said he would address his future today. Got us again.

All right, still to come. Royal watchers are keeping an eye on Prince Harry's trip back to England, wondering if reconciliation with his family will be on the agenda. That's coming up next.

[14:50:00]

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FREEMAN: Royal watchers are keeping a close eye on Prince Harry's trip to the UK. I know we are certainly. This morning, the Duke of Sussex paid tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, by laying a wreath and flowers at her grave on the third anniversary of her death.

KEILAR: Harry is making the trip to attend the annual Well Child Awards in London. He's been a long standing patron of the charity, which supports seriously ill children and their families. And his visit also sparked speculation over whether he might meet his father, King Charles III, who he hasn't seen in person in more than a year.

CNN royal historian Kate Williams is with us now from London. All right, Kate, what more can you tell us about Harry's visit and whether he might be able to see his father?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, well, this is the big question. Is Harry going to see his father? Now the King is in Balmoral still on his annual summer holiday, but we do understand that he's coming into London for his treatment for his cancer. And we do believe he's coming into London on Wednesday and we do see a gap in Harry's diary. So Harry's got quite a busy diary. He's been -- and he obviously was at the World Child Awards as you were talking about today. He was laying a wreath for the Queen in Saint George's Chapel, Windsor, and he's flying out at the end of the week.

But it does seem that there's space in his diary on Wednesday. The King's diary is empty. And I think a lot of people are saying, is this a chance to have a meeting, a private meeting between father and son? Now, Harry was very close -- William was doing an engagement today, about 15 miles away from where Harry was. But I don't think there's any expectation that Harry and William are going to meet. But Harry and Charles, now, that's a different matter. And I think a lot of us would be very -- it would be perhaps a very happy moment if the two of them were able to meet just briefly.

FREEMAN: Kate, help us read the tea leaves here. In July, as I understand it, senior aides to the King and Harry were photographed meeting in London in what multiple British media outlets were reporting was an initial step, I guess, towards opening up communication channels between the two. What can you tell us about those conversations?

WILLIAMS: Yes, well, that was a very significant moment that the advisors and the aides are meeting and they met on a balcony and of course it got photographed and it was in the news. And I do think this suggests there is a rapprochement. I think that the King he's always been devoted to Harry and we know that he said to his sons that he wants his final years to be a happy years. And I think they much the King wants to build a relationship with Harry. I think he wants to build a relationship with his grandchildren and so therefore I think he does want to move this forward.

And I think also the royal family, the royal aides are trying to assist in this because what we have at the moment is everyone talking about the broken relationships in the royal family, not where the royal family want the emphasis to be, which is on their charities, their work, their patronage. So I think it's in everyone's interest if they try and create this relationship. And clearly, AIDS did it first. And that's why we won't know for sure whether Harry and Charles meet. It's not like we'll be able to see one car going in, one car going out necessarily. But I think, certainly, if they do meet on Wednesday, sources will tell us we'll have the information. And this, I think, will be the beginning of a movement forward in the relationship.

[14:55:00]

KEILAR: Kate, how do you think the British public sees this, and maybe also sees the King undergoing this treatment as kind of a chance, like an opening, really, for them to maybe have this moment?

WILLIAMS: I think Brianna, you're right. I think it is a chance. It is an opening. Now, Harry has talked about his security. He was last in London talking about for the security case, which he was very disappointed about. And there are reasons why he's been very disappointed. He's spoken out and talked of his disappointment, but I think at the same time, Harry and Charles have been through so much together. Harry loves his father, Charles loves his son, and the two of them do want to create this relationship.

And certainly we are gearing up now to Charles's 80th birthday that's going to be in a few years' time. And Harry, I think, is going to want to be part of the celebrations on the balcony with the balcony wave, perhaps even that the children are here. I think it is a beginning. And I think, as you say, many of us, when we face life-changing illnesses like cancer, it does make us rethink a lot of what's happened before and the importance of family. And I'm obviously that might be very well the case that the King is feeling that way that he does when his son comes over in this brief moment, they might be able to have a moment of meeting and a conversation and between father and son, not royal to royal, but father to son.

KEILAR: Yes, you think a lot of people certainly would connect with that very human element of this story. Kate Williams, great to have you. Thank you so much.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

KEILAR: Still to come, as Florida moves to end vaccine mandates, a fierce debate is emerging. Personal freedom versus public safety. We'll talk about that.

END