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Donald Trump Returns to the Capitol since Insurrection; Pope Francis Meets with the Comedians Before Heading to the G7 Summit; CNN Speaks to a Senior Hamas Official on Ceasefire Plans and the Hostages' Fate; Tesla Shareholders Voted to Award Elon Musk a Pay Package; McIlroy, Cantlay Share Lead at Day One of U.S. Open. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 14, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren, live from Hong Kong.
Just ahead. Donald Trump makes his first return to Capitol Hill since the attack on January 6, 2021, meeting with Republican lawmakers as he seeks to retake the White House. Also --
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: You cannot divide us, and we'll be with Ukraine until they prevail in this war.
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COREN: The U.S. President sends a firm message to Russia, signing a major security pact with Ukraine. But will it turn the tide of war?
And a major ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court on abortion medication.
We begin this hour with U.S. Republican lawmakers pledging their support to former U.S. President Donald Trump as he seeks to be re- elected. Well Trump return to the Capitol Thursday for the first time since leaving office after the January 6, 2021 riots.
Senate Republicans there applauding Trump after their closed-door meeting. Trump also met with House Republicans, and it was supposed to be about policy, but sources say he spent much of the time ranting about various topics, such as questioning why pop star Taylor Swift would support President Joe Biden over him, and describing the city of Milwaukee, where Republicans will hold their convention this summer, as horrible. He also heaped praise on the GOP lawmakers.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This is an outstanding group of people. I'm with them a thousand percent. There was me a thousand percent. We agree just about on everything, and if there isn't, we work it out. And we've had a, I've had a really great relationship with just about everybody here, with everybody here, just about all of the senators. And if it wasn't fantastic, it gets worked out. And we have one thing in mind, and that's making our country great.
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COREN: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has had a distant relationship with the former president since December 2020, but during the meeting, they shook hands.
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REPORTER: Did you talk to him directly?
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), U.S. SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Yeah, we shook hands a few times. He took questions from the audience, and it was an entirely positive session.
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COREN: CNN's Manu Raju has more on how Trump was received on Capitol Hill.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A pep rally, that's what some Republicans said in the aftermath of Donald Trump coming back to Capitol Hill. The first time he has visited Capitol Hill since January 6, 2021. Of course, at that time, Trump supporters came into this building, attacked the building, created destruction, violence in its way as the Congress was trying to certify Joe Biden's electoral victory.
But that was not a subject of discussion behind closed-doors. In fact, in the Senate discussion in particular, that did not come up, even though that had been a major source of consternation between Donald Trump and many Republicans, including the top Republican, Mitch McConnell, the GOP leader, who had said in the aftermath of January 6 that Donald Trump was morally and practically responsible for the events of that day. In fact, they had not spoken actually since December 2020.
But on Thursday, they interacted. In fact, they had a warm interaction. They shook hands, and at one point, Donald Trump even praised Mitch McConnell, saying that praising him and crediting him for electing more Republican senators along the way, a sign of how the party is falling in line very quickly behind Donald Trump. And when I asked a bunch of Republican senators today and House members about whether there was any dissension and whether January 6 came up, they said no.
Did he talk about January 6 at all? January 6 that come up? The House Republican meeting, was there any dissension?
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Oh, no. I saw nothing but overwhelming support for President Trump.
UNKNOWN: No, I didn't sense any dissension. But, you know, I didn't catch everybody's response either.
UNKNOWN: It was a pep rally environment for President Trump.
UNKNOWN: He is the leader of the party, and he happens to be the guy who was chosen by the overwhelming majority of Republicans to be the nominee. Who are we to say no?
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RAJU: Now Trump's remarks both to the House and the Senate were a bit unwieldy, rambling at times. And in fact, in the House, one thing he did talk about, which was light on policy, one was abortion. Of course, the issue of abortion has been so complicated for Republicans in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision. He warned Republicans not to go too far on that issue, fully recognizing that it could blow back against the GOP in November, as it has in recent election cycles.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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COREN: Well, CNN political director David Chalian spoke about the show of unity and what the picture of Trump and McConnell represents. Take a listen.
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DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: To me, this encapsulates the modern day today Republican Party, because we know what Mitch McConnell stood on the floor of the Senate and said about Donald Trump's culpability and responsibility as it related to January 6th and that the justice system would catch up to him when he made the decision that he was not going to support conviction and impeachment at the time.
We know they haven't spoken since December of 2020, when Mitch McConnell believed Donald Trump's behavior was out of bounds. And yet there he is shaking his hand because this is what today was all about for Donald Trump, showing unification of the Republican Party behind the presumptive nominee. And you don't get that more accurately than seeing the leader of the Senate Republicans join forces.
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COREN: David Chalian speaking there.
Well, President Biden is attending the G7 summit in southern Italy. Meeting today with the Italian prime minister and Pope Francis. But he's still answering questions about his son Hunter's conviction on gun charges. CNN senior White House correspondent MJ Lee reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MJ LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Joe Biden back on the world stage, but unable to escape a deeply sensitive and painful saga for his family back home. After a full day of meetings with fellow G7 leaders here in southern Italy, the president signing a historic bilateral security agreement on everything from training Ukrainian armed forces to joint cooperation on weapons production and intelligence sharing. Biden pledging America's continued support for its ally.
BIDEN: Our goal is to strengthen Ukraine's credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term. A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine's own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression.
LEE (voice-over): The president also facing questions about his son Hunter, who just days ago was convicted on three felony gun charges. Biden publicly commenting on that painful development for the first time.
BIDEN: I'm extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He is he's one of the brightest, most decent men I know. I said I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.
LEE (voice-over): When reporters asked whether he would commute Hunter's sentence, Biden giving a one word answer.
President Zelenskyy, who had also spent time with Biden the previous week in France, thanking the U.S., including members of Congress, for continuing to send funds to aid Ukrainian wartime efforts.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your leadership, which is reflected in particular in this agreement. And I'm very grateful to all Americans.
The Biden-Zelenskyy news conference capping off the first day of the G7 summit. But no issue looming larger than Russia's continuing assault on Ukraine. The G7 alliance wishing to send a collective message to Vladimir Putin. You will not outlast us.
Biden racing to cross the finish line on a number of initiatives ahead of his November election. His rival, former President Donald Trump, and his isolationist foreign policy views could throw into question the strength of America's continued support for Ukraine. Whether the G7 moves could be undone.
BIDEN: Why are we hundreds of billions of dollars more money? Why is this happening? Why is Europe spending a fraction of the money that we're spending?
LEE (voice-over): The president also announcing Thursday a $50-billion loan program for Ukraine paid for by interest accrued from hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets.
M.J. Lee, CNN, Fasano, Italy.
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COREN: Well, I spoke last hour with Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Key School of Economics, and I asked him what the U.S.-Ukraine security pact means for Ukraine's future.
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TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, AND FORMER UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: It means more stability. It means more training, more technology transfer, more support. It means strategic partnership. And this is not the only agreement.
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There are multiple other agreements with different other countries. In some sense, it creates a network of agreements which are not quite like NATO, but that's a bridge towards that.
COREN: President Biden has delivered a very strong message to the Russian President Vladimir Putin saying he cannot wait us out. The concern, however, is whether this pact will survive the outcome of the U.S. election in November. In other words, is this Trump-proof?
MYLOVANOV: Yes, it's a very important question which makes a lot of allies nervous. But the way the situation or relationship with Russia is going is that Russia is doing everything possible that this agreement and other agreements would be in the best interest of the United States.
COREN: You say it makes allies nervous. How does it make Ukraine feel?
MYLOVANOV: Ukraine is nervous about the elections. We understand that elections put in pressure domestically on the United States. We have seen a delay in the aid for Ukraine. We will work with whatever government and whatever administration, whatever president will be elected. We are actually confident that both Biden and Trump will continue to support Ukraine, but we understand that the internal politics of the United States create frictions and delays.
COREN: We cannot deny that Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for Ukraine and the U.S.' financial commitment to this war. He has said he could end the war in 24 hours. Buried in the fine print of this signed security agreement, it says, quote, "either party may terminate this agreement by providing a written notification through diplomatic channels that would take effect six months after." Is that not a loophole that a future-President Trump could very well exploit?
MYLOVANOV: Well, you know, this is Biden administration, and that means that the United States believe that's in their interest. So they have not created this loophole for President Trump.
And also if we think about, if we recall that President Trump was one of the first U.S. presidents who provided lethal weapons to Ukraine.
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COREN: Tymofiy Mylovanov speaking to me a little bit earlier.
Well, Pope Francis will make an appearance at the G7 summit later today. But first, migration is on the agenda for world leaders. CNN's Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb, is live this hour. Christopher, migration, obviously a huge issue for Europe. Tell us what is on Pope Francis's agenda in the coming hours.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Anna. Migration, a huge agenda in Italy, where Italy has been the main arrival point for so many migrants coming from North Africa. The topic of migration is going to be on the agenda for the G7 to look at how to tackle human trafficking and how to invest in those countries where there are so many people deciding to leave and make that perilous journey to Europe.
The prime minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, expected to meet with President Biden today. Of course, President Biden has unveiled his plans to tackle migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, but facing legal action in the process.
Prime Minister Meloni has been very tough on migration. So that's one of the main topics at the G7 today. Pope Francis later will be arriving for discussions at the summit. He is going to be talking about A.I. It's something that he's concerned about. He's calling for an international treaty to regulate artificial intelligence.
It is the first time that a pope has participated and addressed a G7 summit of world leaders. So an historic moment when the pope goes to southern Italy in Puglia later today to address those leaders. He'll also be meeting with President Biden to discuss, I'm sure, artificial intelligence and global conflicts.
It's going to be a busy day for Pope Francis, but an historic moment when he goes to that G7 meeting. Anna.
COREN: Now, Christopher, on a lighter note, I believe that the pope is wrapping up a meeting with comedians in Vatican City. When we spoke last hour, there were some serious faces in the crowd. Were any jokes made? Any laughs?
LAMB: It was certainly a lighthearted and fun meeting. The pope spoke to the comedians, told them that they have the gift to unite people and make people smile.
[03:15:06]
He then met with a number of them there. We saw him sharing a joke with Stephen Colbert and other comedians. Whoopi Goldberg, you can see in the front row, was amongst those meeting the pope. Pope Francis keen to emphasize the importance of a sense of humor. He himself said to the comedians that he prays each day for a good sense of humor and joked with them at the end to pray for him, not against him. So a lighthearted, but a humorous and important meeting at the Vatican with the pope and the comedians.
COREN: Oh, fantastic. Lovely to see those smiles. Makes us all smile. Christopher Lamb in London, many thanks for your time.
Well, more rain is heading to South Florida in the coming hours and that has people on alert for more flooding. A look at the damage already done and what might be coming ahead on CNN.
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COREN: A blow for reproductive rights in the U.S. on Thursday. Senate Republicans voted to block a bill that would have guaranteed access to in vitro fertilization across the country.
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It needed 60 votes to advance, but just got 48. But Republicans criticized the bill as unnecessary overreach. The bill is part of a broader push by Senate Democrats to show voters the contrast with Republicans over reproductive health care as the election in November draws near. Well, here's what two of the bill's sponsors had to say.
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SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): This is a moment which is a binary choice. Do you support IVF or you don't? Do you support families having access to this incredible process that allows children to be born or not? And today we saw clearly that most of the Senate Republicans are not willing to stand up and protect IVF treatment in the United States of America.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): I am angry. Really, really angry. For months now, Republicans have been running to cable news shows, telling every camera in sight that just like their ringmaster, Donald Trump, no one cares more about women than they do, that no one cares more about defending our rights than they do, and that all they want in this scary post Alabama ruling reality is to defend Americans' access to IVF. Well, that's bull (expletive).
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COREN: Well, President Joe Biden slammed Senate Republicans after the vote, calling it outrageous and unacceptable.
In its first abortion decision since Roe vs. Wade was overturned two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected a lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration's approach to regulating the abortion medication Mifepristone. The court ruled the doctors and anti-abortion groups that filed the legal challenge did not have standing to sue.
Paula Reid has more.
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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It is rare to get a unanimous decision on an issue like abortion from the high court, but here are the justices collectively decided to sidestep the question before that, which is whether the FDA had exceeded its regulatory authority when broadening access to this drug, Mifepristazone.
And there are a lot of stakeholders watching this very closely, including women who would need access to this drug. The FDA, as any possible decision restricting their regulatory authority, would have an enormous impact on many industries, including, of course, the pharmaceutical industry.
And of course, depending on which way this went, it also could have had an impact on anyone seeking office this year.
Right now, they have effectively preserved the status quo, but because the justices did not decide the issue and instead just sort of tossed it out based on standing, it is possible, even likely, that this issue could return to the high court in the coming years.
Now, for anyone who has concerns about Mifepristone, but does not have standing to bring a lawsuit, here is Justice Kavanaugh's advice for them. Quote, "citizens and doctors who object to what the law allows others to do may always take their concerns to the executive and legislative branches and seek greater regulatory or legislative restrictions on certain activities".
So now all eyes on another abortion case before the justices as they release most of their key opinions over the next few weeks. This next case is out of Idaho and deals with what you do when you have a state with more restrictive abortion laws and that comes up against the more permissive federal laws. All eyes on that case, certainly one of the top ones the justices will decide for the next few weeks.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
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COREN: Well, the U.S. Supreme Court justices are not without their own controversies. A top Senate Democrat revealed on Thursday that Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips than were previously known on the private plane of Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow.
According to information obtained by the Senate Judiciary Chairman, Thomas traveled on Crow's private jet during trips from 2017 to 2021 between various U.S. states. The judge has been criticized for failing to disclose such trips in the past, although his defenders say he followed the rules as they were understood at the time.
And in other U.S. legal news, the district attorney leading Georgia's election subversion case against Donald Trump and multiple co- defendants fired back at her critics Thursday, accusing them of, quote, "anti-Christian attacks". CNN's Brian Todd has the latest.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A defiant Fulton County District Attorney delivers a message to her detractors.
FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Black women are sick and tired of being sick and tired. TODD (voice-over): During an appearance Thursday at an African
Methodist Episcopal Church outside Atlanta, Fani Willis talked about what she's gone through since former President Donald Trump tried to get her removed from prosecuting his election subversion case in Georgia and since Nathan Wade resigned as a prosecutor in the case because of their previous relationship.
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WILLIS: What can I say? I live the experience of a black woman who is attacked and over sexualized. See, I'm so tired of hearing these idiots call my name as Fani in a way to attempt to humiliate me because like silly schoolboys, the name reminds them of a woman's rear, of her behind.
TODD (voice-over): Willis did not mention anyone by name in her speech, but alluded to the moment Trump's former attorney Rudy Giuliani made an offensive remark about her at a Michigan church event last week.
I've got two prosecutors, Fani and a hoe.
TODD (voice-over): Willis responded to that this morning.
WILLIS: Very anti-Christian behavior celebrated. In fact, they cheer, celebrate it and laugh loudly.
TODD (voice-over): This came just hours after CNN's Kaitlan Collins interviewed Nathan Wade. A tense moment came with this question.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: When did the romantic relationship between the two of you start?
NATHAN WADE, FORMER FULTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR: There's been this effort to say that, okay, these exact dates are at issue and these exact dates are, I'm getting, I'm getting signaled here.
TODD (voice-over): A consultant to Wade interrupted the interview. They moved aside and spoke for a few moments. Then Collins resumed.
COLLINS: Everything okay?
WADE: Yeah.
COLLINS: Just to revisit the question, it was to clarify when the romantic relationship started and when it ended.
WADE: Sure. So, you know, I believe that the public has, through the testimony and other interviews, the public has a clear snapshot that this is clearly just a distraction. It is not a relevant issue in this case.
TODD (voice-over): As Willis continues to fight Trump's appeal to get her kicked off the case, analyst Norm Eisen believes she's got a good shot at staying on. NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Her relationship with her former deputy, Nathan Wade, did not prejudice Donald Trump in any way. He was not a witness in the case. There is no allegation that they shifted the evidence in any way.
TODD: Three times, Kaitlan Collins asked Nathan Wade if he believed his personal involvement with Fani Willis played any role in the delay of the Georgia trial, likely until after the 2024 election. Three times, Wade answered he did not believe the relationship played any role in that. Like Willis, Wade said there had been threats against his life, which he described as being constant.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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COREN: Well, much of South Florida is under flood watch with more heavy rain expected in the coming hours. Many areas around Miami have already had catastrophic flooding after being saturated by more than a foot of rain over the past two days. The city of Fort Lauderdale got its entire average June rainfall in just 24 hours on Wednesday.
Airports in South Florida canceled more than 400 flights on Thursday. So far, only around 30 flights have been canceled for today. More than seven million people across the area are under flood watches through Friday night, with up to four inches of additional rain expected.
Our Carlos Suarez is in Fort Lauderdale and gives us a closer look at what's been happening there.
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CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More rain moved across parts of South Florida Thursday afternoon and into the night. In this one neighborhood near Port Everglades in Broward County, the flooding did not recede. The forecast called for another three to six inches of rain here in the city of Fort Lauderdale and in neighboring Hollywood. That's on top of the more than a foot of rain that fell in Fort Lauderdale in the past 48 hours.
For a part of Thursday afternoon, a flood warning was in effect for parts of Broward County.
Now, south of here in Miami-Dade County, the forecast was calling for the heaviest rain to move through the early part of Thursday night.
Some residents in both counties spent the day trying to dry out their homes and cars.
Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in five counties, including Miami-Dade and Broward. Now, once the rain clears and some of the flooding out here recedes, well, the forecast on Friday is calling for more rain.
Carlos Suarez, CNN, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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COREN: A wildfire continues to burn about 15 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. State officials closed U.S. Highway 60 after the Rose Fire jumped the road, forcing evacuations in the area. At least six buildings were destroyed.
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Firefighters are working to put out the blaze, but wind and hot, dry conditions continue to hamper their efforts. At last report, the fire was only 20 percent contained. There are almost a dozen wildfires burning across Arizona.
A senior Hamas official is speaking exclusively with CNN. Hear what he has to say about the war in Gaza, prospects for a ceasefire and the fate of the hostages.
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COREN: Nearly one million Palestinians have been displaced by ramped up Israeli military operations in southern Gaza. A new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council says displaced people in Gaza are finding it harder to relocate due to overcrowding, clogged streets and a surge in transportation costs.
Those trying to escape the fighting are arriving in places at least partly in rubble or tent cities with nowhere else to go. President Biden said he's not confident there will be a ceasefire in Gaza soon, but says he hasn't lost hope. And he called on Hamas to step up.
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I've laid out an approach that has been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, by the G7, by the Israelis. And the biggest hang up so far is Hamas refusing to sign on, even though they have submitted something similar. Whether or not it comes to fruition remains to be seen. We're going to continue to push. I don't have a final answer for you.
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COREN: But talks on a potential hostage ceasefire appear to be in limbo. The U.S. Secretary of State, during a visit to the region, questioned whether Hamas is negotiating in good faith. We're told the militant group's latest response came with a number of amendments. But Hamas says it has shown the necessary positivity.
[03:35:10]
Well, now to a CNN exclusive, rare insight directly from a senior Hamas official about the war in Gaza, the hostages held for more than eight months and the prospects for a ceasefire. CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has that story. And a warning, his report contains some graphic video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the 7th of October last year when Hamas militants streamed into Israel, killing hundreds and grabbing hostages, the war in Gaza has been an unrelenting nightmare of death and destruction. Talks to end the war are once again bogged down as every day the death toll mounts.
In Beirut, we spoke to senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan, one of the few privy to details of the ceasefire negotiations. But not privy, he claims, to the condition of the 120 hostages still in Gaza.
WEDEMAN: How many of those 120 are still alive?
OSAMA HAMDAN, HAMAS POLITBURO MEMBER: I don't have any idea about that. No one has any idea about this.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): The "Wall Street Journal" recently reported that messages from Gaza Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to mediators and other Hamas officials included one in which he allegedly said the deaths of civilians in Gaza is a necessary sacrifice. Hamdan insists the messages were fake.
WEDEMAN: After eight months of this war, more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, probably more. More than 80,000 injured. Was it a necessary sacrifice for the people of Gaza?
HAMDAN: You seem that you can't start from the beginning. Let's start from page number one. Why talk about the page of the 7th of October? What about the Israeli occupation?
WEDEMAN: I'm talking about what came after the 7th of October.
HAMDAN: Well, the 7th of October was a reaction against the occupation. What came after that, it shows the real face of Israel. It shows how Israel is occupying the Palestinian lands, demolishing the situation of the Palestinians, killing the civilians. It's not the first time they are killing the civilians.
WEDEMAN: I mean, Hamas is an organization. Does it regret what it did on the 7th of October, given what happened afterwards?
HAMDAN: We are living with this for the last 75 years as Palestinians.
WEDEMAN: Now, CNN spoke to one of the doctors who treated the four Israelis who were freed on Saturday, and he said that they suffered mental and physical abuse. What do you say to that?
HAMDAN: Well, he is an Israeli. He has to say what the Israeli authorities are asking him to say. If you compare the images of both before and after releasing, you will find that they were better than before. I believe if they have mental problem, this is because of what Israel have done in Gaza.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): But in addition to what has been said about the four recent hostages freed, there have been also claims about the dire conditions others faced while in captivity. The fate of the remaining hostages hangs in the balance. At the G7
summit in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was hoping Hamas would agree to the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The response we got was unfortunately not the yes that we were looking for, a yes that virtually the entire world has given.
WEDEMAN: Okay, Mr. Hamdan, simple question. Why hasn't Hamas yet agreed officially to the U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire?
HAMDAN: We said it's a positive step, but we need to see the facts on the ground. We need to know what exactly the president means by saying a ceasefire, a withdrawal.
WEDEMAN: What is left? What do you need?
HAMDAN: We need an Israeli, a clear position from Israel to accept the ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, and let the Palestinians to determine their future by themselves.
WEDEMAN: Are you optimistic at this point in time that you will reach some sort of agreement?
HAMDAN: Well, I think if the United States administration acted in the positive way, seeing the situation not only in the eyes of Israel, we can reach soon an agreement.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): And in the absence of an agreement, this war goes on with no end in sight.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Meanwhile, the Israeli military and Hezbollah have exchanged more fire along the Israel-Lebanon border. Lebanese media say one person died from a strike in the southern part of the country, and ten others were wounded.
[03:40:01]
And the Israeli military says 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, setting off at least 10 fires. This is the latest fallout from the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander earlier this week.
Well, Russia has given the legal go-ahead for detained "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich to stand trial. He's facing espionage charges. The first U.S. journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War. After being jailed for more than a year, prosecutors are finally spelling out what they say he allegedly did. Matthew Chance has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Evan Gershkovich has now been formally indicted for espionage by the Russian authorities, and his case moved to a court in Yekaterinburg, about a thousand miles from Moscow, where he was originally arrested back in March last year.
In a statement, Russian prosecutors accused Gershkovich of acting on instructions from the CIA and of collecting secret information on a tank factory in the city. The factory was named as Uralvagonzavod, which produces and repairs military equipment.
Gershkovich did this, according to Russian prosecutors, with, quote, careful measures of secrecy, although no evidence has yet been produced to back up those allegations. It's also unclear when the trial will actually get underway. But what we do know is that Evan Gershkovich, the U.S. government, and the Wall Street Journal, of all, categorically denied the espionage allegations.
In a new statement from the journal's editor-in-chief, it says that the Russian regime's smearing of Evan is repugnant, disgusting, and based on calculated and transparent lies. It also says the case against Evan Gershkovich is an assault on the free press and calls on the U.S. government to redouble its efforts to secure his release.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Donald Trump's supporters typically say they'll stand behind him no matter what.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you concerned if Trump loses?
UNKNOWN: Yeah.
O'SULLIVAN: That there will be another January 6th?
UNKNOWN: No, I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, just ahead, CNN talked to some who are willing to repeat a flat-out lie about their country.
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[03:45:00]
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COREN: Well former U.S. President Donald Trump got a warm welcome from Republicans in the Senate and the House on Thursday when he returned to Capitol Hill for the first time since leaving office after his followers stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump strayed from speaking about policy to ranting about, among other things, Taylor Swift supporting his rival Joe Biden, the Department of Justice former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republicans who voted to impeach him.
U.S. President Joe Biden bills his reelection campaign as a fight to preserve American democracy. But that's not resonating with Trump supporters. Many of them say democracy isn't much to fight for in a country that they say isn't and never was a democracy. Well, that's simply not true. But the MAGA base isn't letting reality get in the way of a good message, as our Donie O'Sullivan reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'SULLIVAN: What happens if Trump loses?
UNKNOWN: I don't see him losing.
UNKNOWN: I don't think he lost the last election, to be honest.
O'SULLIVAN: Do you think he's going to win?
UNKNOWN: Yes. Without a doubt.
UNKNOWN: No doubt.
O'SULLIVAN: What if he doesn't this time? What happens to the country?
UNKNOWN: We're in trouble. We're in big trouble.
UNKNOWN: We're done. Biden talks about democracy, you know, saving democracy. They're the ones that are killing democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, there's a lot of criticisms of Trump that he is bad for democracy, that he's bad for American democracy.
UNKNOWN: Do I say something? We are a republic.
UNKNOWN: We're a republic.
UNKNOWN: We are not a democracy.
UNKNOWN: We're not a democracy.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): One thing we've been hearing at Trump rallies like this over the past few months is that America isn't really a democracy.
UNKNOWN: America is not a democracy. It's a republic.
UNKNOWN: It's not a democracy. OK, democracy is actually not as good as you think it is.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But for centuries, America has celebrated its democracy.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Democracy is worth dying for. GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Democracy remains the definition of political legitimacy.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But some Republicans and pro-Trump media are pushing the idea that America is not a democracy.
UNKNOWN: The United States of America is not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: The United States of America is not a democracy. You don't want to be in a democracy.
PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: We are not a democracy. We are a republic.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Is America a democracy?
ANNE APPLEBAUM, AUTHOR, "AUTOCRACY, INC.": America is a democracy. It was founded as a democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories. I hear a lot of things out on the road. But to hear Americans, people who would describe themselves as patriots, say that America is not a democracy that stopped me in my tracks.
APPLEBAUM: You are hearing people say America is not a democracy because there are people around Trump who want them to be saying that, who've been planting that narrative.
O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy?
UNKNOWN: I think we're a republic.
O'SULLIVAN: What's the difference?
UNKNOWN: I feel like democracy is government control. I don't see freedom in democracy. I see freedom in the republic.
APPLEBAUM: Honestly, the word democracy and the word republic have often been used interchangeably. There isn't a meaningful difference between them.
O'SULLIVAN: So much of the warnings and criticism about Trump is that he is a threat to democracy, that he is anti-democratic.
APPLEBAUM: Absolutely. If they can convince people that we don't have a democracy, then it's okay that Trump is attacking democracy because it doesn't really matter.
O'SULLIVAN: So why has democracy become a bad word?
UNKNOWN: Because it's being used in a way to change the flavor of our country, which is a republic.
APPLEBAUM: These words were used in different ways in the 18th century. And it's true the founders didn't want direct democracy, by which they meant people gathering on the town square. They wanted representative democracy.
But I think the reason why this conversation about language has risen now is because there is a part of the Republican Party that would like to rule as a minority. And they need an excuse for why that's okay. And so they have begun to say we're not a democracy, we're a republic. And it's not 100 percent clear what that means, but I think they mean we want Donald Trump to be able to do whatever he wants.
O'SULLIVAN: Some people I've been speaking to at Trump events recently have been saying America is not a democracy, it's a republic.
[03:50:03]
UNKNOWN: We've always been a democracy, first of all. I mean, we used to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, we used to have that too. Now they're picking on the Christians and the Jewish people. I mean, how much more can we take?
O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned if Trump loses that there will be another January 6th?
UNKNOWN: No, I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.
O'SULLIVAN: And look, of course, there is a legitimate discussion and debate to have about what form of democracy there is here in the United States. Indeed, a constitutional republic is a form of democracy. But look, that is not what is happening here. What's happening here is that because Trump has been described, has been criticized as a threat to democracy, these folks are being convinced that America isn't a democracy in the first place. And if it's not a democracy in the first place, then Trump is no threat. That's what we're seeing being pushed.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Donie O'Sullivan with that sobering report.
Well, Tesla CEO Elon Musk gets an eye-popping bonus ahead. We'll find out what Tesla shareholders had to say about his pay package when we come back.
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[03:55:00]
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COREN: Elon Musk is already one of the world's richest men. Well, now he's getting the largest CEO compensation award in U.S. corporate history. Tesla shareholders voted to give the founder of the electric car company about $49 billion as of Thursday's market close. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Our stockholders have approved the ratification of the 100 percent performance based stock option award to Elon Musk. That was approved by stockholders in 2018.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: A judge disallowed that same payment award back in January. Objections this time focused on the size of the package and concerns that Musk is distracted by other pursuits. Others seem to think the package was necessary. One described Musk as the ultimate key man without whose relentless drive there would be no Tesla.
Round one of the U.S. Open is in the books with two golfers tied for the lead at five under par. World number three Rory McIlroy is looking for his first major crown in 10 years. The 35 year old from Northern Ireland matched the tournament's lowest score ever at the Pinehurst course with a 65. American Patrick Cantlay did the same.
He poured in six birdies to shoot under 70 for the first time in nine U.S. Open appearances. Well, the world number one Scottie Scheffler did not have such a good day. The tournament favorite finished one over par at 71 and tied in 34th position.
Well, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has reportedly signed a record five-year $275 million contract extension that ties him for the highest paid player in the NFL with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Lawrence is only 24 years old. He was the number one pick in the 2021 draft out of Clemson University.
That is staggering. Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. "CNN Newsroom" continues with my colleague Max Foster.
