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Biden Vows To "Win This Election" As Some Dems Panic; Battleground State Voters Assess Debate; Iran's Presidential Election Goes To Runoff Vote; SCOTUS To Rule Monday On Trump's Criminal Immunity Claim, Limits Obstruction Charges Against January 6 Rioters; Iran Threatens Israel With "Obliterating War"; NHL Draft. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired June 29, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching this here in the United States, Canada and all around the world I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.
Joe Biden delivers a barn burner of a speech in North Carolina after Thursday's night's debacle.
But there are new calls for him to leave the race. Details ahead.
Plus how White House is responding. Donald Trump is using Biden's performance to fire up his supporters. What he's saying about his rival and his own showing.
Plus the U.S. Supreme Court hands down new rulings on everything from homelessness to January 6th. We'll look at the impact of this week's decisions and what next week could bring.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Joe Biden says he isn't quitting the U.S. presidential race despite a debate performance on Thursday that has some Democrats saying he should step aside.
Well, Biden looked very different on Friday. He was animated as he spoke at a rally in North Carolina, telling supporters that he doesn't debate as well as he used to. But he does have the energy and experience to run the country. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't walk as easily as I used to.
I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to.
Well, I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. When you get knocked down, you get back up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: As for his lackluster debate, first lady Jill Biden told supporters on Friday that, after the debate, the president said he didn't know what happened and he didn't feel that great. Here's a look at some more awkward moments from Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I'm the only president this century. It doesn't have any, this, this decade, doesn't have any troops dying anywhere in the world, like he did.
What I've been able to do with the COVID -- excuse me -- with dealing with everything we had to do with -- look, if we finally beat Medicare, there's a lot of young women to be raped by their, by their in-laws, by their, by their spouses, brothers and sisters, by -- oh, just -- it's just ridiculous. And they can do nothing about it.
And I'm going to continue to move until we get the total ban on -- the total initiative relative to what we're going to do with more Border Patrol and more asylum officers.
TAPPER: President Trump?
TRUMP: I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.
I don't think he knows what he said, either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: All right.
Well, this is what "The New York Times" editorial board wrote on Friday.
"To serve his country. Biden should leave the race," saying, he "appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant."
But many Democratic lawmakers in Washington say they still support him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had a bad debate, we move on.
I think he's our nominee and I support him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a challenging night. Challenging night.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But what about his ability to win?
Are you concerned about that? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He can win, you can win.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I think it was a rough night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I win my district based on me. I'm out there. I worked my district. I have delivered my district for other candidates, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche has more on the president and his campaign's damage control efforts.
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KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Day after, defiance. An energized President Biden out to reassure Democrats he's up to the task.
BIDEN: I would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul I can do this job, because quite frankly -- the stakes are too high.
TAUSCHE: Biden's performance at Thursday's debate, stumbling from the outset.
BIDEN: Making sure that were able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I've been able to do with the -- with the COVID excuse me, with -- dealing with everything we have to do with -- look -- if -- we finally beat Medicare.
TAUSCHE: Leading to a panic across the party.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That was not what we needed from Joe Biden and it's personally painful.
TAUSCHE: Inside the White House staffers reeled. Their group chats described as a abysmal and ugly, with one saying, everyone's deflated. Another calling it "RBG all over again."
Sources tell CNN frustration is mounting toward Biden's powerful inner circle, who keep an iron grip on details and decisions for the president. But the Biden campaign is unbowed, pledging to stay the course and debate in September.
An advisor telling CNN: There's no basis to back out.
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Pointing to some high moments for their candidate.
BIDEN: If I'm elected, I'm going to restore Roe v. Wade.
The only person in this stage who's a convicted felon is the man I'm looking at right now.
TAUSCHE: And some low points for the opponent.
TRUMP: I didn't have sex with a porn star, number one. On January 6, we were respected all over the world.
TAUSCHE: In North Carolina, a purple state that the Biden team is trying to turn blue, leaders say the alternative is still worse.
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): We know that Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy and our nation and we have to stop him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: At a rally in Virginia on Friday, Trump slammed Biden's debate performance. At one point, he told the crowd that Biden didn't know what he was doing on Thursday night. He said Biden's preparation was no help.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Despite the fact that crooked Joe Biden spent the entire week at Camp David, resting, working, studying, he studied very hard.
He studied so hard that he didn't know what the hell he was doing.
No amount of rest or reeking (ph) could help him defend his atrocious record.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Earlier, I spoke with professor of government Natasha Lindstaedt about the focus on President Biden's age and capabilities.
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NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: I think the Democrats are mishandling, yet again, the whole issue of the age, which, of course, is a big issue but they're mishandling it, because if you look at the other side, which is something I find much more disturbing, Republicans have a candidate who is a convicted felon.
A con man, a compulsive liar, he's convicted of rape by the civil trial. He slept with a porn star while his wife was married. He tried to stage a coup, put a bounty on his own vice president's head.
Says he's going to be dictator for the day. And in the debate, as your clip mentioned, he doubled down on answering the question, would he accept the election results?
And he said, well, only if it's free and fair. And that's code for only if I win.
He poses a massive threat to U.S. democracy. And this is the most important election in our lifetime because he is such a major threat. And yet again, we're focusing on Biden's age, which is understandable in some ways, but also disturbing that we're not looking at the big picture and the bigger issues.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, I think certainly people are looking at both of those things but many Democrats aren't enthused going into this as poll numbers weren't very good. And certainly I can imagine they won't be helped by this performance.
And now as we've heard, there are calls that he should be replaced as the nominee.
I mean, is replacing him a delusional fantasy?
Do you think I mean, it would seem a much clearer path if he were to step down, then they could just nominate someone at the convention.
But if he doesn't what then?
What do you see happening?
LINDSTAEDT: I think the Democrats are in a rock and a hard place here because this idea of replacing him should have come much earlier. Should have come two years ago.
And it didn't. They didn't do enough to try to promote Kamala Harris and improve her approval rating. Her approval rating is worse than Biden's and that's a concern because people are thinking, well, if he doesn't do well, then Kamala Harris will be in place.
And they put her in portfolios that weren't particularly great, like the issue of immigration. Still would have been better had she had a better approval rating. They haven't been discussing who the alternative is going to be.
And when mentioning the names, none of the names look good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right. Gary Tuchman caught up with Biden and Trump supporters as well as undecided voters in the battleground state of Georgia to see where they stand after Thursday's debate.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We talked with Georgia voters at a sports pub in Atlanta immediately after the debate was over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm only 25 and I see -- well, they're both old and they're both either avoiding questions or they're both like, don't know what the hell they're answering.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): And we talked with Georgia voters on the recreational Beltline that surrounds Atlanta after everyone had the night to think about the debate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't necessarily feel competent in either candidate's ability to run a country. TUCHMAN (voice-over): We had conversations with dozens of Georgians, many of them very uninspired.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate that it's between these two guys because I don't like one candidate more than the other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like a younger candidate on both parties.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The headline old man versus conman really resonated with me.
TUCHMAN: Before the debate, were you leaning toward Biden, Trump or undecided?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably leaning toward Biden.
TUCHMAN: After this debate, how do you feel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without a home.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Many who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and support him currently are frankly depressed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My genuine hope is that perhaps somebody else will step up for that nomination.
TUCHMAN: On the Democrats?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): These two women say they are strong Biden supporters but watching the debate was difficult.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was concerned, very, very concerned about Biden's real ability to carry this nation forward just from a physical perspectives.
TUCHMAN: Do you feel the same way?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I care about where our country is going to be.
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Rather than who delivered the most stellar debate on stage. And I care about who tells the truth, who's going to keep me safe, who's actually going to do things for the country. I don't feel like that's Trump.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Speaking of former President Donald Trump, many Georgians leaning toward voting for him. Tell us that President Biden's debate performance was not at all surprising to them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought he sounded unsure rather confused and not.
Well, prepared. I'm sorry to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that they -- Biden, you know, looked sad. Trump was Trump.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Here in the Beltline and back at the Wicked Wolf's sports pub, voters we talked to who had already decided to vote for President Biden still plan to. And voters who support Donald Trump aren't planning to abandon him at the ballot box either. But we did find a few undecideds who may be on the verge of a decision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought that Trump, in this debate and overall, I think he's more reasonable and more cogent and more, yes, thoughtful, than what he was four years ago. I'm undecided but I'm thinking of voting for Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I was pretty undecided.
TUCHMAN: And what are you thinking now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm leaning more toward Biden.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): And we also found some people who feel like this woman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that we could all benefit as a country from someone other than the two options that we have today. One is a convicted felon and the other was unable to coherently explain his stance yesterday.
TUCHMAN: So who do you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure if I will vote because of it.
TUCHMAN: We did talk with three voters who say they will do definitely vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. One of them voted for Donald Trump four years ago, one for Joe Biden one didn't say who he voted for. But what they all have in common, none of them say they were inspired by what they heard at the debate -- Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right. After the break, the European media have harsh words for Joe Biden after his halting debate performance. Have more on that next.
Plus Iran's presidential election heads to a runoff. We will take you live to Tehran for the very latest when we come back.
Plus political uncertainty in France as voters go to the polls to decide whether to go to the far right or the far left or stay in the center. We'll have details ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden is battling calls for him to abandon his candidacy after his unsteady debate performance with Donald Trump on Thursday. But his campaign says he's staying in the race.
Biden stressing on the campaign trail that he has the energy and experience for a second term, even as his dismal showing resonates around the world.
The fallout over Biden's debate performance has reached Europe, where media outlets are using words like "disaster" and "drowning." Nic Robertson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In Moscow, state media lampooned President Joe Biden's debate performance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Congratulating him for not falling over, criticizing him for what they called a 20-second freeze up, saying he had trouble remembering who and where he was. If Russia was gleeful, Europe was shocked.
Newspapers agreeing, Democrats panic, British tabloids, Biden bombed, even this kick from the populist "Sun," Joe-matose. In France, Italy, Germany headlines much the same; Greek and Middle East newspapers suggesting Biden step aside.
Leaders were silent. Several met him two weeks ago at the G7 in Italy, where he also seems slow and kept them waiting. The growing reality for them now, a Donald Trump redux in more dangerous times.
Many of them will remember those bruising days, not just physically but verbally too. His tone and topics on NATO unchanged, suggesting Putin is Europe's problem.
TRUMP: Oh, I got them to put up hundreds of billions of dollars. It has a bigger impact on them because of location because we have an ocean in between.
BIDEN: I've never heard so much foolishness. This is a guy who wants to get out of NATO.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): According to the Kremlin, President Putin didn't stay up to watch the actual debate, because --
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I don't think you expect that the Russian president could have set an alarm clock woken up in the early morning hours. ROBERTSON (voice-over): He will likely now be up to speed if only through the unfriendly filter of his own media and likely pleased too. Trump who also hinted at cutting funding for Ukraine potentially shortened his odds on winning the election.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also likely feel relieved, a Trump reelection good for him, given what Trump's saying about Israel.
TRUMP: You should let him go and let him finish the job.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): And falsely accusing Biden of tying Israel's hands in its fight against Hamas.
TRUMP: He doesn't want to do it. He's become like a Palestinian.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): But like America, substance not the big takeaway overseas, everyone judging performance, policy, a worry for another day -- Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
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BRUNHUBER: Iran's presidential election is heading to a runoff with no candidate winning more than 50 percent plus one in Friday's vote.
Moderate lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian and hardline, former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili will go to a second round of voting on July 5th. The results must still be reviewed by the influential guardian council before the two candidates can start campaigning again.
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CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now, live from Tehran.
So Fred, they go to a runoff. Tell us about the two top candidates and where things go from here.
PLEITGEN: First of all, I think it's an exceptional showing for the moderate candidate, for Masoud Pezeshkian. One of the things that his camp had said before the election is that they believed that there needed to be high voter turnout for him to actually have a chance to reach the runoff stage of this election.
Now we know that the voter turnout was actually low, was about 40 percent of the people who are eligible. And yet he managed to get substantially more votes than the next top conservative candidate.
Of course that being Saeed Jalili, about 1 million votes for that is definitely a lot. Now as far as the two candidates are concerned, Masoud Pezeshkian is advocating for better ties with countries here in the Middle Eastern region, better ties with the West as well.
Where Saeed Jalili is saying that he wants to continue the policies of Ebrahim Raisi, a president who, of course, was killed in a helicopter crash a little over a month ago. And that would mean a hard line toward Israel and a hard line toward the United States as well.
There's several wild cards now going into the next round. First of all, Masoud Pezeshkian has definitely had a very good showing. But one of the things that we have to keep in mind is that, in the end, more people voted conservative in the election than voted moderate in this election because, of course, there were three conservative candidates.
On the other hand, we've noted that the turnout for this election was low.
And the big question is now heading into the second round, is whether both camps will be able to hold and mobilize more voters to have a higher turnout in the next round of elections to see who's going to become next president of this country.
BRUNHUBER: Fred, you touched on it. So I want to look at this a bit more closely, what it means for the U.S., how much things could actually change in terms of relations with America and with Israel as well, with tensions heating up with Iran's proxy, Hezbollah.
PLEITGEN: Yes. And Israel and Iran recently having been on the brink of an all-out shooting war. I don't think there's going to be any change in the policy toward Hezbollah as far as the Iranians are concerned.
They once again today threatened that if Israel were to attack Hezbollah and Lebanon were to attack Lebanon, that then that would be a catastrophe for the region. Obviously, the Iranians have a lot of proxy forces that are loyal to them in the greater Middle Eastern region that they could mobilize.
So the Iranians would definitely continue to take a hard line toward Israel. They also had said, after their embassy in Damascus got hit, presumably by the Israelis, that they would now hit back at Israel from Iranian territories if they're from Iranian territory, if their forces in the Middle Eastern region get attacked again.
So that's not going to change. As far as the U.S. is concerned, however, Masoud Pezeshkian, of course, calling for a detente, calling for better relations. Iran's supreme leader has already said he's skeptical of that.
One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that the Iranian president and certainly the foreign ministry also, they can effect change as far as Iran's foreign policy is concerned.
But they have to do that in conjunction with obviously the military, with the Revolutionary Guard and especially with the supreme leader, who has to sign off on any sort of foreign policy moves, at any moves, quite frankly, that are made in this country.
So they would have to convince the supreme leader to do that first and then try and get better ties with the U.S. And then of course, the big wildcard in all of that is who is going to be the next President of the United States? Because I can tell you one thing, a lot of people here, of course,
going to vote in their election but a lot of people have kept a close eye on that debate between president Trump and President Biden as well, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, I can imagine so. Listen, great to have you there in Tehran. Fred Pleitgen. Thank you so much.
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BRUNHUBER: French voters go to the polls tomorrow to choose between President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance and far right or far left parties in the first round of voting. The far right is expected to make significant gains in the snap parliamentary elections.
Macron called the elections after his party was defeated by the far- right National Rally party in the recent European parliament elections; 577 seats are up for grabs. If a candidate in a particular race doesn't win a majority tomorrow, a second round of voting will be held a week later for that seat.
Now, regardless of the outcome, Macron has said he will only stay on as president until his term ends in 2027.
All right, after the break, calls for Biden to step aside continue.
But how simple is it to replace him as nominee?
We will have more on that next.
Plus a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling is forcing prosecutors to reopen cases against dozens of rioters at the Capitol. Details coming up, stay with us.
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Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
Joe Biden, the White House and top Democrats are doing damage control this weekend. The U.S. president's faltering performance at Thursday's presidential debate has some calling for him to drop out of the race. But his campaign says he's staying in it.
Donald Trump was also criticized for his debate performance. Democrats say he lied and delivered misleading statements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: But Social Security, he's destroying it because millions of people are pouring into our country and they're putting them onto Social Security. They're putting them on to Medicare/Medicaid. They're putting them in our hospitals.
They're taking the place of our citizens there. What they're doing to the VA, to our veterans is unbelievable. Our veterans are living in the street. And these people are living in luxury hotels. He doesn't know what he's doing and it's really coming back. I've never seen such anger in our country before.
BIDEN: The idea that we're going to be in a situation where all these millions and millions, the way he talks about it, illegal aliens are coming into the country and taking away our jobs, there's a reason why we have the fastest-growing economy in the world.
The reason why we have most successful economy in the world. We're doing better than any other nation in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: So as rumblings to replace Biden continue, CNN's Tom Foreman walks us through the uncertain process of switching to a new nominee.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Primaries have been held, delegates committed. President Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party. Short of a true health crisis, about the only way he loses that slot is if he agrees to step aside.
His stumbling debate performance against former President Donald Trump however has fueled calls for him to do just that.
BIDEN: The total initiative relative to what we're going to do with more Border Patrol and more sidewalks.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: President Trump?
TRUMP: I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.
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I don't think he knows what he said, either.
FOREMAN: But even then, the process of replacing him would be full of uncertainty.
Democrats could work it out at their convention in August, the way political parties used to. Various names would be put forward and, most likely, the more than 3,900 delegates from across the country would discuss, debate and eventually decide on a new candidate.
All of them right now are currently pledged to Biden and approved by his campaign. But if they can't agree, if it gets really nasty and grinds on, well, then maybe the additional 700 super delegates, deep-seated party insiders and elected officials, could be key to settling the matter.
They normally cannot vote on the first ballot for president if it would change the nomination but they can vote on subsequent ballots. But that scenario raises questions, too.
Would voters who took part in primaries feel pushed aside and alienated from the party if a new nominee was chosen?
Would a new choice be able to mount an effective campaign in the roughly 10 weeks from the end of the convention until Election Day?
And, who would be the choice?
There are several big names that could likely be considered but not until the party decides how it feels about Vice President Kamala Harris.
Plenty of Democratic voters and party leaders would see her as the natural heir to the nomination. And if she is not chosen, her disappointed supporters could also become a deep problem for the party in November.
For now, Biden's advisers and other top Democrats are pushing back on the whole idea of him dropping out. And according to his team, the president is still looking forward to a rematch with Trump at the next debate in September.
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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile at a campaign rally in Virginia, Donald Trump took a post debate victory lap. The former president mocked Joe Biden's shaky performance but said he didn't think it would be enough to cause him to leave the race.
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TRUMP: Many people are saying that after last night's performance at Joe Biden is leaving the race.
But the fact is, I don't really believe that because he does better in polls than any of the Democrats they're talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now both Biden and Trump made false and misleading claims during Thursday's debate. But a detailed fact check by CNN shows that while Biden made at least nine false or misleading claims, Trump made at least 30.
For example, this answer, in which he gave several misleading statements, trying to change the narrative around January 6.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: And if you would see my statements that I made on Twitter at the time and also my statement that I made in the Rose Garden, you would say it's one of the strongest statements you've ever seen.
In addition to the speech I made in front of, I believe, the largest crowd I've ever spoken to and, I will tell you, nobody ever talks about that. They talk about a relatively small number of people that went to the Capitol and, in many cases, were ushered in by the police. And as Nancy Pelosi said, it was her responsibility, not mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The cases of dozens of January 6 rioters are being reopened by federal prosecutors after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday the Department of Justice overstepped its authority by bringing felony obstruction charges against hundreds of rioters.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for a 6-3 majority that included liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett filed a dissenting opinion. Donald Trump's legal team expects to use this ruling to attempt to get his obstruction charges dismissed.
But an adviser to Trump's legal team told CNN the ruling weakens the charges against Trump and likely won't lead to a dismissal.
And in another case, watched closely by city and state officials who are dealing with a surge in homelessness and encampments across the nation, the Supreme Court ruled that cities can ticket homeless people for sleeping outside.
The case stemmed from a lawsuit over Oregon's anti-camping ordinances filed by several people experiencing homelessness.
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BRUNHUBER: Ray Brescia is a professor of law at Albany Law School and the author of "Lawyer Nation: The Past, Present and Future of the American Legal Profession."
Thank you so much for being here with us this morning. So I want to start with the January 6 ruling.
What impact do you think it'll have?
PROF. RAY BRESCIA, ALBANY LAW SCHOOL: Well, thank you for having me this morning.
It could have a number of impacts. There are certainly people who have been prosecuted and found guilty under this statute and -- already and they are certain to appeal their convictions.
There are people with prosecutions pending against them and those charges under that provision are likely to be dropped.
And then there's the former president himself. This is a part of the prosecution against him. And that is -- certainly those elements of the charges, although they're not the only charges against him, are likely to face some challenge in the lower courts.
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Should that case proceed, we'll know on Monday how and if the case against the former president will proceed when the Supreme Court should issue its ruling on the immunity claim, that broad immunity claim sought by the former president.
So those people who have had, who have been prosecuted and found guilty under the statutes, my understanding that they may face renewed charges, different charges. So it's not exactly clear right now that dozens or even hundreds of people will be released from prison because of this ruling.
But it certainly takes a tool out of the toolbox of the prosecutors seeking to bring individuals involved in the storming of the Capitol to justice. So it remains to be seen, though, whether there're going to be a large number of people who are simply released because of this ruling. I don't think that's going to happen.
BRUNHUBER: I want to ask you about another massive ruling. This is the Chevron decision. This will now limit the power of federal agencies. The impact on this, I believe, is one of the most cited in American law. Some 70 Supreme Court decisions were based on it. Some 17,000 lower court decisions.
So overturning it, I mean, what impact could it have on regulating things like health care and the environment?
BRESCIA: Oh, it's going to make it much, much more difficult for agencies to regulate health care and the environment, among other things. As you said, this case has been cited thousands of times. It is an important power, if you would, that agencies have to interpret statutes.
And the ruling from the 1980s, that said that agencies are entitled to some deference when a statute might be ambiguous or it's not exactly clear what Congress' intent might have been, that we should give agencies some deference in doing their job.
Do it playing the role of protector of the air and the water and investors. And now, there's a good chance that they will be hamstrung in their efforts to protect the American people in many different areas.
Some people may think that's a good thing, that agencies should have their powers curtailed. But it really shifts the power of the federal government to do a lot of things from the executive branch, which is supposed to enforce the laws, to the judiciary, which will now oversee virtually every act of a federal agency.
Or at least has the potential to, if people challenge agency regulations. BRUNHUBER: So before we go, I want to ask you about this, because this
will affect a great number of American cities and many people as well. The Supreme Court will allow cities to ban homeless camps.
I mean, there're about half a million homeless people in the U.S.; 40 percent of them I understand sleep outside in places like under bridges and parks and so on.
So what do you think this decision will do?
BRESCIA: Well, it doesn't automatically mean that any, every jurisdiction can now, in effect, criminalize homeless. What it did is it authorized local governments to pass ordinances that ban sleeping in public.
And certainly that includes homeless encampments and, as you say, sleeping under bridges and things like that. But it gives those local communities that want to do that the power to do that.
And it's really -- it's understandable that local governments are struggling to meet the problem. The unhoused in the United States is a serious problem we have in the country.
[05:40:00]
But in places where there aren't opportunities for people to get shelter -- and this is something that the dissent by Justice Sotomayor points out -- in places where a local government isn't trying to provide shelter and it has enough shelter beds for the unhoused, then on the other hand to say, well, you can't sleep outside.
I'm not sure what people are supposed to do. So it's a terrible problem. And limiting local governments' powers in this way wouldn't be the end of the world. But it is going to give them the power to do just that.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, so many important decisions came through. And then, of course, Monday we have the possibly momentous decision on Trump's claim of absolute immunity. Look forward to breaking that down. Really appreciate having your expertise on this, Ray Brescia, thank you so much.
BRESCIA: Thanks for having me.
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BRUNHUBER: There are new problems for the U.S. humanitarian pier in Gaza. We will tell you why the structure had to be removed for the third time in six weeks. That straight ahead, stay with us.
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(MUSIC PLAYING) BRUNHUBER: Many civilians are stranded in the midst of an ongoing Israeli attack on a neighborhood in Gaza City. That's from the Palestinian civil defense, which says the Shujayea neighborhood has been under non-stop artillery fire since Thursday.
Meanwhile, officials say the U.S. has temporarily removed its humanitarian pier in Gaza for the third time in six weeks. The structure has been towed to a port in Israel because of expected bad weather.
And we're on to Iran. Iran says Israel will face, quote, "an obliterating war" if it starts a full-scale invasion in Lebanon. Israel has hinted at a possible military action amid growing tension with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border.
[05:45:00]
All right, for more we're joined by Nada Bashir from London.
So more trouble for that U.S. pier.
What's the latest?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's why it is being dismantled once again because of the adverse weather conditions according to two U.S. officials speaking to CNN.
This port, this pier, rather, has been dismantled because of expectations are on high seas and bad weather conditions. Now as you mentioned, this is the third time that we are seeing the port being -- the pier dismantled in less than six weeks.
And of course, U.S. officials have previously said that this pier was designed and established as a temporary measure but it has been plagued with issues since it was established.
It is now currently being transported to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel temporarily. It's unclear when the pier will be back up and running. But of course, there has been growing criticism from within the U.S.
We've heard from lawmakers criticizing the Biden administration for wasting taxpayers' dollars on this pier, which clearly has proven ineffective at times.
We've been hearing from humanitarian organizations, which have called on the U.S. and other allies to focus more on preventing obstructions at crucial land crossings into Gaza, rather than on this maritime corridor, which, again, has been plagued with issues.
And what we're also seeing now at this pier is a pileup of humanitarian aid. Now since its establishment, we've seen more than 8,000 metric tons of aid being carried through via the pier established by the United States.
But currently what we're seeing is a pileup of aid deliveries on this coastline because there are difficulties and challenges with the actual distribution process, particularly now for the World Food Programme has been forced to suspend its distribution operations on the ground in Gaza because of the security situation.
And we have seen continued airstrikes and military offensives around areas deemed to be humanitarian zones. We have of course, seen numerous humanitarian workers killed as a result.
And this has really stoked concern amongst humanitarian organizations, including U.N. agencies, around the safety and security of their workers on the ground. So we are seeing now this pileup of a that isn't being distributed.
And in fact, at those land crossings into Gaza, which are still being blocked and obstructed, we are still seeing trucks queuing up, waiting to bring in vital aid to the Gaza Strip.
And this is coming of course, as U.N. backed experts are warning of a spread of famine across the Gaza Strip. So this is a desperate situation.
And what we're hearing again from aid organizations, as we have done for the last few weeks, if they want to see more of a focus on unobstructing those land crossings rather than on trying to keep this pier up and running despite the continued problems that it is clearly facing.
BRUNHUBER: Appreciate that update, Nada Bashir in London. Thanks so much.
Kenya is deploying its military nationwide to quell anti-government protests, which have at times turned deadly in clashes with police. The country's defense secretary says the deployment is based on threats to national security and will continue until, quote, "normalcy is restored."
Human Rights Watch says at least 30 people were killed in the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday. It alleges Kenyan security forces shot directly into crowds of protesters, including those who were fleeing. CNN has contacted Kenyan police for comment.
Ukraine says emergency crews are still looking for survivors along a Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro. A missile hit a high- rise residential building yesterday, killing one person and leaving 12 others injured.
Officials say the strike took out an entire section of the building above the eighth floor. Two people were reportedly rescued at the scene.
Now across the border, Russia says a Ukrainian drone hit the Kursk region overnight, killing at least five people. Officials say it was part of a barrage of strikes across Russia but other drones were shot down.
We'll be right back. (MUSIC PLAYING)
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BRUNHUBER: The final countdown is on to the Summer Olympics. Now 27 days until the opening ceremony in Paris. And while Simone Biles is pretty much a lock to be there, the U.S. Gymnastics women's teams suffered two key injuries at trials Friday night. CNN sports anchor Andy Scholes joins me now with more.
So Andy, how much are those injuries expected to hold the team back?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORT CORRESPONDENT: We have to wait and see her, Kim. Injury is always tough.
That man getting hurt at the Olympic trials after just years of preparation for this moment, it's got to be brutal for these athletes. And the gymnastics trials that take place in Minneapolis and Kayla DiCello, who was an alternate in Tokyo, tearing her Achilles on the vault.
She had to be carried off the floor, with just tears in her eyes. It was tough to see. Then a few minutes later, Shilese Jones, who won silver and bronze at the last two Worlds, she tweaked her knee on the vault. She did tough out the uneven bars but her status moving forward is going to be unclear.
Simone Biles meanwhile, she was her normal dominant self. She wasn't very pleased with her balance beam routine but still managed to have a 2.5 point lead after day one. Biles, despite being the most decorated gymnast of all time since these trials, well, they make for a very tense weekend.
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SIMONE BILES, U.S. GYMNAST: it's stressful, it's heavy. I feel like a lot of us have like cottonmouth because they're so stressed out. But it's one of the best pressure situations to be in going into the Olympics because I feel like, if we can do this, then we can do anything.
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SCHOLES: While on the track, Sha'Carri Richardson with another strong performance in the 200 meter semifinal, the 24-year old with a personal best 21.92 seconds as she tries to become the first American since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 to win an Olympic double in the 100 and 200.
Now waiting for her in Saturday's final is the reigning world silver medalist in the 200, Gabby Thomas, outdoing Richardson, posting the best time in the world this year, 21.78 in her semifinal. So you have Richardson and Thomas squaring off tonight just before 830 Eastern. Should be a good one.
NHL's draft meanwhile taking place at the Sphere in Las Vegas, maybe the coolest place ever to hold a draft.
[05:55:00]
And check out the reaction from 18-year-old Beckett Sennecke when he heard his name called, that third pick by the Anaheim Ducks. Look at, he's just shocked. So great. He was so surprised because most mock drafts had him projected to go in the teens. But definitely a cool moment for him and his family.
(INAUDIBLE) the minor league club, the Lake County Captains have new premium seats at the ballpark in Ohio. And it's a row of toilets. The team saying, why sit on the toilet and play on your phone when you can sit on a toilet and watch an entire baseball game?
The cushy thrones come with reading materials and a bathroom attendant.
So Kim, hey, you can just enjoy a whole baseball game while on the throne.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, let's hope the angry fans don't get the urge to throw something.
SCHOLES: Minor league teams always got something fun --
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BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much, Andy Scholes, appreciate that.
All right. Well, the crew of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, will have to stay on the International Space Station for at least another couple of weeks. NASA and Boeing are busy testing and troubleshooting issues with the craft's thrusters which have been problematic since the start of the mission.
NASA's commercial crew program manager sought to reassure people about the situation, saying, quote, "I want to make it clear that Butch and Suni are not stranded in space."
All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS."
