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Biden Says, "I'm Running and We're Going to Win"; Dem Lawmaker Tells Biden He Should Quit; Biden Allies Say It's Time to Fully Support President; Republicans Await Trump's V.P. Pick; Russia Reacts to Report on Assassination Plot in Germany; Netanyahu Reverses on Key Concession in Ceasefire Talks; Biden Holding Meetings with Congressional Democrats; Actor Alec Baldwin Weeps as Case Dismissed; Lavish Indian Wedding of the Year; France Reveals Flag Bearers for Opening Ceremony at Summer Olympics. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 13, 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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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, U.S. President Joe Biden tells supporters in Michigan that he's staying in the race and that he intends to win.
In a stunning turn of events, the judge in the Alec Baldwin "Rust" shooting trial throws out the case. Baldwin leaves a free man.
And the son of India's richest man marries an heiress in the wedding that has the whole world watching.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: U.S. President Joe Biden told a cheering group of supporters Friday that he's not leaving the race for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not going home unless I get one sign and that is Motown is Joetown. It is.
KINKADE (voice-over): Biden addressed the crowd in the battleground state of Michigan, directly attacking former president Trump.
And for the first time he laid out his priorities for the first 100 days of a second term, including passing a law to make abortion legal, expanding Medicare and Medicaid, raising the minimum wage and banning assault weapons.
BIDEN: I'm nominated by this party because 14 million Democrats like you voted for me in the primaries. You made me the nominee, no one else, not the press, not the pundits, not the insiders, not donors. You, the voters. You decided. No one else.
And I'm not going anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: the Biden campaign is hoping for more energetic speeches like that one. CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz has more on Biden and the growing calls for him to leave the race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Joe Biden on the move to Michigan today, looking to get his candidacy back on
track.
BIDEN: There's more to do. I know I'm only 41. We've got to finish the job and I promise you I am -- I'm OK.
SAENZ (voice-over): The president working behind the scenes to shore up support, scheduling at least four meetings with key groups on Capitol Hill,
including Asian-American and Hispanic lawmakers.
The outreach coming after a private meeting between Biden and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Who said he directly expressed the full
breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward. A source familiar with the meeting telling CNN, Jeffries spoke
bluntly about House Democrats' views and did not offer an explicit endorsement of his own.
Biden hoping his Thursday press conference would put the Democratic doubt to rest but some still vocal with their concerns.
REP. BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL): We can't have a situation where every day we're holding our breath.
MAGGIE KULYK, DEMOCRATIC DONOR: I think persisting in this direction is really a huge mistake.
SAENZ (voice-over): Actress Ashley Judd writing "I now ask President Biden to step aside." Biden's top allies argue it's time for Democrats to
accept the president's decision.
CRAIG MELVIN, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Should the conversation about the president getting out of this race, should that conversation continue? REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): No, it shouldn't. If he decides to change his mind later on, then we would respond to that. We have until the 19th of
August.
SAENZ (voice-over): As he heads to Michigan, Biden is eager to turn the focus back to Donald Trump.
BIDEN: But do you think our democracy is under siege based on this court?
Do you think democracy under siege based on Project 2025?
SAENZ (voice-over): While one House Democrat from the state has called for Biden to step aside, the president will be flanked by elected officials in
a show of force, in a state the campaign argues is key to Biden's victory in November. The president's speech taking place at the same site where he
made this pledge in the 2020 race.
BIDEN: Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else. There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future
of this country.
SAENZ (voice-over): But four years later, Biden charging ahead as the Democratic nominee.
BIDEN: What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited in terms of the economy, our foreign policy and domestic division. I've got to finish this job because there's so much at stake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: On Friday, one Democratic congressman told Biden directly that he should drop out.
It happened during a virtual meeting with U.S. president and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Congressman Mike Levin of California becoming the 19th congressional Democrat to call for President Biden to step aside and remarkably doing so directly to President Biden during a virtual call with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
[03:05:00]
Now according to a source briefed on that call, Biden pushed back, defending his record but also added that this is exactly why it's important for him to get out there to show that he is moving, well and healthy.
Now amid all this congressional pushback, lawmakers are now headed back to their homes states. They're on a week long recess where they will no doubt be hearing from their constituents.
And we know that they are factoring in that into their decision. We heard from representative Cory Bush earlier. She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She has not yet called for President Biden to step aside. But she says that 100 percent of the calls coming into her office are people who want Biden to step aside.
Now all this comes as new, a group letter, 24 former Democratic lawmakers, including two former U.S. senators, are now calling for Biden to step aside. They say he is to release his delegates and they call for an open letter.
In this letter obtained by "Politico," they say that Biden's energy and vision is intact but they say the stamina that he needs for the campaign and potentially for the next four years is not -- Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, on Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: One of those lawmakers who says Mr. Biden should step aside is Michigan representative Hillary Scholten. She was the 10th congressional Democrat to make that call.
Here's what she told CNN about her decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HILLARY SCHOLTEN (D-MI): This is not about today. This is about tomorrow. And the future. And the president has had an incredible legacy, one that anyone would be happy to run on or retire on.
And there is -- there is no, no greater legacy one that he has built in his life, his career in the Senate and the vice presidency. But we're talking about who is the best nominee for the next four years. And there have been serious concerns that have been raised and not been addressed in the last 12 days since the debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, there are 260 Democrats in the House and Senate plus four independents who vote with them. The 20 Democrats calling for Mr. Biden to step aside represent about 7.5 percent of the total number in Congress.
Most have either refused to comment or have offered the president staunch support. California representative Barbara Lee says she's backing the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): We've known President Biden. I've known him for many years and worked with him. You know, he's known to make gaffes. OK.
Well, but look at who he is and what he has done: 15 million jobs; insulin capped at $35. When you look at negotiating prescription drugs, when you look at the economy and how the inflation rates are beginning to come down -- and he's fought for people each and every day.
Ordinary people, working men and women, people of color. And so it's not just about what he's done and what he's delivered but it's about the roadmap to the future. What he has done is an indicator of what he intends to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Joining me now is CNN senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein, who's a senior editor at "The Atlantic" and joins us from Los Angeles.
Good to see you. Ron.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to be with you again.
KINKADE: We've seen "The New York Times" reiterate its call for Biden to step aside. More Democrats are calling out for the same. Donors are holding off giving to the Biden-Harris campaign and Joe Biden says he's not going anywhere.
So where does that leave the party right now?
BROWNSTEIN: Paralyzed and in an exceedingly difficult position. I think, you know, if you look at the political professionals, the people who run campaigns, pollsters, strategists, campaign managers, the predominant view among them is that Biden irreversibly damaged himself in the debate and probably can't recover to beat Trump.
And might in fact, you know, trigger significant losses for Democrats on other ballots. Donors, I think, are largely in the same place but elected officials are divided. I mean, there isn't that kind of consensus among elected officials, that it would be better if he gets out.
And certainly in the polling, Democratic voters are divided. We've seen different results in different polls about whether most people want him to stay out or stay in. It does not appear enough of a critical mass as yet developed to drive out a president who doesn't want to go.
Even though the people who do this for a living for Democrats are exceedingly pessimistic about whether there's a realistic path forward for him to beat Donald Trump.
KINKADE: We did hear from one of his staunchest allies a short time ago, John Fetterman, the senator from Pennsylvania. I just want to play some of his sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): On the ground, regular kinds of people in Pennsylvania are excited for Joe Biden. And I witnessed that when I was in Philadelphia last week. I would rather focus on the vulnerabilities of Donald Trump. He seems to have a pro porn star part of his platform.
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And then also he's all about Project 2025 and he's a convicted felon. And he said a lot of crazy kinds of thing and he seems to have a strange love affair with Putin as well. I think I'm more concerned about those kinds of vulnerabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So how many more Democrats need to come out and start focusing more on Trump's faults rather than Biden's?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think there, you know, both sides of this debate agree that the only way Democrats are going to win is if the race is about Trump.
In the end. And Trump remains an extremely vulnerable candidate. I mean, look at that Pew Research Center poll that came out yesterday. The doubts about him have not gone away. There was not some new Donald Trump in that debate. He was as polarizing and extreme and as, you know, prone to lying as ever.
The problem for those, those who want, who believe Biden has to get out, they their view is that you never get to erase that is primarily focused on Trump. So long as 75 percent of Americans are saying they don't think Biden can do the job for four more years.
KINKADE: And millions of people in America around the world saw that disastrous debate. Not everyone saw Joe Biden speaking to NATO Thursday. I just want to play some of that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.
President Putin?
He can beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy.
I wouldn't have picked vice president Trump to be vice president. So I think she is not qualified to be president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, it's hard to unhear that, isn't it. It's hard to dismiss that as just another mistake.
BROWNSTEIN: It's also -- excuse me.
It's also the way the backdrop of the debate changes all that. Believe it or not, I covered Joe Biden's 1988 presidential campaign and he's made verbal flubs for his whole career. He made them when he was 40 and 50.
But after the debate, you know, with that in people's mind, all of the kind of common Bidenisms or you know, kind of missteps that he makes take on a whole different light.
And I think there's a second issue that's involved, which is, once voters have seen that kind of, you know, kind of shocking performance that he delivered at the debate, does subsequent good days or good nights erase the damage done by the bad night that they saw?
Once voters know that card is somewhere in the deck, are they OK if it only comes out once every two weeks or once every three weeks?
I mean, is there -- or is it just simply unacceptable to have a president who can seem as unfocused and lost and unable to express a coherent thought as Biden did at that debate?
KINKADE: It was interesting there listening to Joe Biden speak in Washington. I just want to play some of that sound, just --
(CROSSTALK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: -- this year's.
I think I'm the best call I know. I believe I'm the best qualified to govern. And I think I'm the best qualified to win.
But there are other people who could beat Trump, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: "There are other people that could beat Trump, too."
What was he suggesting there?
BROWNSTEIN: You know, the mood swings in the Democratic Party over the last two weeks have been by the hour, sometimes by the minute.
I mean, you know, it looked like Biden had shut off this criticism and this pressure. Nancy Pelosi kicked open the door again. Then at that press conference, those remarks suggested that maybe he is open to eventually stepping aside.
And then you see in Michigan, where he doubles down. Now I will say that I wouldn't I would not think it would make a lot of sense for him to step aside before the Republican convention and allow the GOP to direct more of their fire toward a potential stand-in nominee, Harris been most likely one. If you're going to get out, it would make more sense to get out after
the Republican convention and let them waste several days targeting him with arguments that would become instantly obsolete if he got out of the race.
But I, you know, the mood swings are known as big (ph). Don't forget the reason this debate happened in June, which we've never seen before, is because the Biden camera campaign recognized they were not on a pathway to win.
They were on a trajectory to fall short and they were the ones who had to shake up the race. Instead, they compounded their biggest vulnerability.
KINKADE: Exactly, exactly.
Well, said Ron Brownstein as always, thanks so much.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Republicans are getting ready for their national convention that begins Monday. More than 50,000 visitors and attendees are expected to flood Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the four-day gathering.
But the big question is, who Donald Trump will select as his running mate?
CNN's Alayna Treene reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just two days until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee is slated to begin, Donald Trump has yet to announce who his vice presidential pick will be.
Now I've been talking to many of Donald Trump's advisers pretty much regularly about the topic of who it will be and when will it come.
[03:15:03]
And they say they still do not know. Now there are a couple of notable moments I want to mention.
One is that they view Monday evening, when Donald Trump will be officially nominated for Republican nominee at the convention, they view that as their deadline to announce.
And on Saturday, Donald Trump is also holding a rally in Pennsylvania. It's actually Butler, Pennsylvania, which is just on the border of Ohio, home to senator J.D. Vance, someone we know to be a top contender.
Also another few names that we know Donald Trump is considering on what I'll call his short-short list. Those are North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott as well. And so we're still waiting to see exactly when this will come. But I
do want to point your attention to an interview Donald Trump did with a radio station on Friday. Take a listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: It's like a highly sophisticated version of "The Apprentice."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TRUMP: OK. If you think about it. And they're great people and they really -- got to know them very well.
I'd say four people, you know, four or five people. but I got to know them very well.
Some dropped out over the course of -- and they didn't draw -- you know, I had -- there were reasons why they wouldn't have done as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's still open, though, sir?
You're telling us that it's not necessarily a done deal in your mind, is that right?
You're still --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I am -- I am -- no, I'm going into great detail. But more ultimately, it's more of an instinct. You know, you develop an instinct.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
TREENE: Trump was really saying the quiet part out loud there by saying he kind of views this as a highly sophisticated version of "The Apprentice," of course, the reality television show that he was a part of for several years.
But that is how he's looking at this. All of these men are competing to claim that spot. But again, still no word on when exactly it will come -- Alayna Treene, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, Russian assassination plot aiming to disrupt the delivery of military aid to Ukraine. Still ahead, the Kremlin reacts to a CNN reported a plan to hit on a German CEO whose company plays a big role in supplying Kyiv.
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KINKADE: Ukraine's push for lifting restrictions on striking inside Russia with U.S. supplied weapons is getting more traction in Washington. U.S. currently allows Ukraine to do that only if Russian troops are preparing for cross-border attacks.
But senator Jeanne Shaheen is now telling CNN that Ukraine should have more leeway because she doesn't believe Kyiv would target civilians like Russia does. Civilians were the victims of the latest barrage of Russian strikes in Eastern Ukraine.
Officials saying at least three towns took artillery fire on Friday with the residents and their homes on the receiving end. I want to bring in CNN's Barbie Nadeau for more.
Barbie, Ukrainian soldiers, certainly struggling to hold the front line in several areas. There is this concern that Russians could threaten critical major supply routes if they are pushing any further.
What can you tell us about these latest attacks?
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These latest attacks, we know that at least six people died, at least 19 people, including a child, were injured and these attacks, were on residential private homes, on commercial enterprises.
We know one private car that was on fire in these attacks. What we're also hearing is there's this sort of proxy war going on to try to disrupt the supply chain and that's happening in Europe.
KINKADE: And the Kremlin is pushing back on CNN reporting of a foiled plot to assassinate the CEO of a German arms firm, which has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine.
What more can you tell us about that?
NADEAU: Yes, this came from U.S. intelligence and this was reported by CNN. The Kremlin, of course, saying that it's fake news.
In one of their reports to journalists on Friday. This revolves the CEO of Rheinmetall, which is a very important arms maker that supplies weapons and vehicles and armed cars and things like that to Ukraine.
And this was what the U.S. intelligence services called a mature plan to assassinate this a CEO, who was, of course, being protected in a safe right now. But this isn't the only thing that we're hearing about.
The U.S. intelligence also says that there's this sort of, as I mentioned, a proxy war going on in Europe to try to disrupt these supply chains, to stop European companies from supplying arms and weapons and defense mechanisms to Ukraine. So that's, of course, very disturbing as it affects Europe to a great degree. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Barbie Nadeau for us. Thanks to you. Well, the U.K.'s new prime minister Keir Starmer reinforced NATO support for Ukraine. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, he was asked about former president Trump possibly making a deal with Putin and threatening to leave NATO if reelected.
Starmer says, NATO is stronger than it's ever been.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: My position as prime minister of the United Kingdom could not be clearer, which is an unshakable support for NATO.
We were proudly one of the countries that was there at the founding of NATO. If you look at the treaty which is in Brussels, the NATO founding treaty, it's a -- it's a labor secretary of state that signed it.
So we're proud of that history. It's an unshakable support. And NATO now bigger than it's ever been with extra countries stronger today, I think than it's been. And with a real resolve that came through the council over the last two days, on a number of issues, but particularly on this question of Ukraine and standing up to Russian aggression.
So, I think there's a real clarity of purpose in NATO and certainly a real clarity of purpose from me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Israel's prime minister has reversed course in a key concession in Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
[03:25:00]
Benjamin Netanyahu had previously agreed to allow Palestinians fully unrestricted access to northern Gaza during an eventual ceasefire.
But as an Israeli source familiar with the talks tells CNN that the prime minister told his negotiating team this week to demand that armed men be barred from northern Gaza as part of any ceasefire and hostage deal.
The new demand could upend progress in those talks.
Joe Biden told a crowd of supporters on Friday that he's not leaving the presidential race. And they had a message for him. That story just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
And movie star Alec Baldwin walks free of criminal charges after the court case in the "Rust" movie shooting comes to an abrupt end. The details when we come back.
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KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Despite growing calls for him to drop his reelection campaign, U.S. President Biden told supporters Friday that he's not leaving the race for the White House.
And they had this message for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE (voice-over): That crowd encouraged Biden to stay in the race. But at least 19 Democrats in the House and one senator are calling on Biden to drop out. On Friday in a virtual meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, congressman Mike Levin of California told him directly that he should quit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN senior White House correspondent MJ Lee has more from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is soliciting more direct feedback from worried Democratic lawmakers. On Thursday night, he hosted House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries here at the White House.
[03:30:00]
We know that he is said to have offered honest feedback from members of his own caucus to the president, though sources tell us that he didn't offer a direct endorsement of the president himself.
And this afternoon the president calling in to meetings with Hispanic lawmakers and Asian American lawmakers. And in that first meeting, we are learning that congressman Mike Levin directly told the president that he believes he needs to step down, stop running for a second term.
And the president responded by defending his record and then saying this.
He said, "That's why I think it's important. I got to get out and show people everything from how well I move to how much I know and that I'm still in good charge."
The president did try to do some of that with some retail politics in Michigan. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to finish this job. There's more to do. I know I'm only 41. (LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: For the longest time I was too young because I was the second youngest man ever elected to the United States Senate. And anyway -- and now I'm too old. But I know hopefully, with a little bit of age comes a little wisdom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEE: Now there has been so much anxiety and so many concerns being voiced by Democratic lawmakers since the president's disastrous debate performance.
And one concern has been whether the concerns that they are raising to some of the president's advisors are actually getting through to the White House and directly to the president.
I am told that, in a meeting with Senate Democrats on Thursday on Capitol Hill, Steve Ricchetti, who is a top adviser to the president, told senators in the room that he was taking copious notes of the concerns that they were raising.
And he said, "I promise I am sitting down with him" -- being the president -- "to go over all of this."
What is clear is that the high-stakes press conference that the president held on Thursday night, even though the White House and the campaign felt like that it had gone well.
Basically, that he had done a solid job, that that definitely was not enough to help the president fully turn the page on what has been a moment of real anxiety for the Democratic Party -- MJ Lee, CNN, at the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, there was a dramatic turn of events for Alec Baldwin in his manslaughter trial arising from the "Rust" movie shooting. The actor left the courthouse free of all charges after the judge dismissed the case. Josh Campbell filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A stunning end to the prosecution of actor Alec Baldwin, who had faced an involuntary manslaughter charge following the fatal shooting on the set of the movie "Rust" in 2021, that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
In a shocking move on Friday, the judge abruptly dismissing Alec Baldwin's indictment that came after his legal team had filed a motion to dismiss, accusing state investigators of misconduct, specifically saying that key evidence in the case was not properly disclosed. Here's a judge reading a ruling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JUDGE MARY MARLOWE SOMMER, FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO: The state's discovery violation has injected a needless, incurable delay into the instant jury trial. Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice.
Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: Now after the case was dismissed, Alec Baldwin broke down in tears. He was being consoled by his attorneys. And the gallery members of the Baldwin family were there.
They were also in tears, embracing. We caught up with the special prosecutor in this case afterwards, who said that she respects the decision of the judge but maintains that the state did nothing wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARI MORRISSEY, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: There is no reason to believe that the evidence that we discussed in court today was related to the set of "Rust." It never left the State of Arizona.
I understand that the court disagrees with me and I respect the court's decision. There is absolutely no evidence that any of that ammunition is really related to the incident involving Ms. Hutchins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: Now the way the judge ruled here is so important. She dismissed Alec Baldwin's indictment with prejudice, which means prosecutors cannot retry the case. Alec Baldwin is a free man-- Josh Campbell, CNN, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: I want to welcome attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin in Las Vegas.
Appreciate you staying up late for us, Areva. This is just an incredible case. We saw at the start of the day one prosecutor resign. The other prosecutor went from questioning witnesses to becoming a witness. I just want to play some sound from court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORRISSEY: The information, everything that happened in this regard, especially as it pertains to me, needs to come out in the public.
SOMMER: All right. So you're calling yourself as a witness.
MORRISSEY: But it -- I am. It was my understanding that the court indicated to me previously that you wanted me to testify.
[03:35:00] I understand you've now changed your mind. I think it's a good idea if I do it. I urge you to let me.
Do you want me here at the podium?
SOMMER: No --
(CROSSTALK)
MORRISSEY: I had a picture of the ammunition that didn't match the ammunition from the set of "Rust."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No concerns in your mind when you got the case file and you turned it over to us and it wasn't included?
MORRISSEY: Absolutely not. There's a -- there's a terabyte of discovery. I didn't know whether this two-page police report had been provided. And in addition to that, I had no reason to believe and still have no reason to believe that those rounds have anything to do with these cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Areva, it seems so embarrassing for this state prosecutor.
How unusual is this?
AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: This is highly unusual. This case has just had a series of errors, error after error after error; the resignation of the special prosecutor before the case is even concluded. We've never ever seen anything like that happening in a criminal case.
We also had an investigator there, worked on this case, sent an email to the district attorney's office, talking about how unprofessional and how flawed the investigation was in the first place. So it's just been a comedy of errors with respect to this case.
I'm not surprised at all that the judge dismissed the case with prejudice.
To have the prosecutor have to take the witness stand and defend her actions, again, highly, highly unusual. The judge using words like "intentional withholding of evidence," "incurable violations" by this prosecuting attorney and then the ultimate dismissal with prejudice.
This is highly embarrassing for this prosecuting team and I'm sure disappointing for the family of Halyna Hutchins.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And it was certainly just an incredible moment, when the judge put on some latex gloves, cut open this folder, this manila folder, to look at the evidence before dismissing the case.
I just want to play some sound from the judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOMMER: The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide this discovery to the defendant.
The state unilaterally withheld a supplemental report. Santa Fe County Sheriff's officer made the decision and apparently also with the prosecutor, pursuant to Hancocks' (ph) testimony, that the evidence was of no evidentiary value and failed to connect the evidence to the (INAUDIBLE) case.
The jury has been sworn. Jeopardy has attached and this disclosure during the course of trial is solely that it undermines the defendant's preparation for trial. There's no way for the court to right this wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: I mean, you can see the judge is disappointed as well with the way this is unfolding in her courtroom. It was noted in that folder that she opened that some of the ammunition did in fact look like some that was found on the set of that film.
Could there be any further repercussions for the state prosecutor?
MARTIN: Well, that's a good question. Lynda. The question about what this prosecutor knew and didn't know and what actions she took that were intentional versus those that may be considered negligent.
I would not be surprised if we didn't see the defense attorneys file a bar complaint, a complaint with the state bar, asking the state bar to investigate her for misconduct with respect to the way she conducted this trial.
But Lynda, we should not gloss over the fact that everything that happened in that courtroom today is like right out of a movie, to have the judge put on, as you said, latex gloves to go into the well of her courtroom, to have this prosecuting attorney have to take the witness stand.
The jury is dismissed. I mean, there's so many things in this case that happened today that are highly, highly unusual, things that you only typically see in an actual dramatic set, this kind of dramatic movie.
But all of this was real, happening in real time. And now Alec Baldwin is a free man. He will not be held accountable, criminally accountable, at least for the death of Halyna Hutchins. And again, I cannot imagine what a blow this must be to her family.
KINKADE: Yes. Exactly. I mean, we saw Alec Baldwin weeping. His head in his hands and later hugging his wife, who was seated behind him. You mentioned that he can't be tried again, at least not criminally in this case.
But he could face a civil case, right? MARTIN: Apparently, there is a civil lawsuit that was filed by the sentence husband and there has been no resolution. In fact, her civil -- the civil attorney for the family came out to say that they are still looking forward to their day in court and looking forward to holding Alec Baldwin accountable.
[03:40:03]
So absolutely the civil case will not in any way be impacted by what happened today in the criminal case. And I would anticipate that case to move forward if there's not an out-of-court settlement for there to actually be a trial on the merits.
But again, that's about money. That's about money damages. It's not about jail time, it's not about conviction. Literally the most of the family can hope for is that Alec Baldwin is found liable for the death of Halyna Hutchins and then forced to pay some money damages to the family.
KINKADE: Yes, we have to feel for the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer. Thank you so much for joining us, Areva Martin. We appreciate your time. Thank you.
MARTIN: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, the judge ruled Friday that former New York mayor and Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is no longer entitled to bankruptcy protection. This means his creditors can begin pursuing his assets immediately.
Giuliani sought bankruptcy after a jury awarded two Georgia election workers $148 million because Giuliani defamed them after the 2020 election. Last week, Giuliani lost his New York law license because he pushed false information in court challenging those election results.
And he is also fighting criminal charges in Arizona and Georgia.
An American woman who arrested in Turks and Caicos early this year has returned home to Florida.
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KINKADE (voice-over): Sharitta Grier is one of five Americans accused of bringing ammunition to the islands in recent months. Her attorney told CNN that she got a suspended 23-week sentence and a $1,500 fine at the hearing Thursday.
After landing back on U.S. soil, she warned other travelers to be careful.
SHARITTA GRIER, FLORIDA RESIDENT: I'm very emotional. I'm very happy to be back in the United States with my family.
QUESTION: Did you have moments where you felt like you were not going to be able to get back home? GRIER: Yes, I did. Now I had ups and downs. You know, some days I'd be OK. The next day, I'm down. You know, it's emotional roller coaster. You know, just be careful. Be very careful because the other states, the other countries got different laws than we do. So that's very serious.
KINKADE (voice-over): Grier said she had no idea two rounds of ammunition were at the bottom of her luggage when she flew into Turks and Caicos in May. The four other Americans have pleaded guilty to similar charges. They've been sentenced and returned to the U.S.
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KINKADE: Well, still to come, from a list of actors and singers to captains of industry and the political elite, stars gathered in Mumbai for the lavish, to say the least, wedding of an Indian billionaire and his pharmaceutical heiress fiancee. That story next.
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[03:45:00]
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KINKADE: Well, weddings in India's wealthy class are often glittery, multi-day affairs when no expense is spared. But this was one for the ages. The bride and groom, both from ridiculously rich families, tying it up before thousands of guests on Friday at a star studded ceremony in Mumbai.
But as our Will Ripley reports, it also highlighted the gap between the rich in India and everyone else.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the youngest son of Asia's richest man marries the daughter of a pharma tycoon,
an event seen as India's wedding of the year in the Bollywood capital of Mumbai, of course, there's a red carpet. And this one is packed. With some
of the world's biggest stars. Anant Ambani marrying his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant.
ADITYA MOTWANE, WEDDING PLANNER: The big fat Indian wedding. It's just because of the scale of the people that are attending our celebrations.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The Ambani wedding, a three-day spectacle of extreme opulence and Indian tradition, says this Mumbai wedding planner.
RIPLEY: Indian weddings, a grand scale, the Ambani wedding would be like interstellar scale.
MOTWANE: It is the biggest wedding celebration ever happened on this planet. That is 100 percent.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The lavish celebration of love and luxury began back in March. This weekend's wedding finale kicks off at the Ambani- owned more
than 40,000 capacity Geo World Convention Center. Before moving to the family's private skyscraper, Antilia.
MOTWANE: It's one of the most beautiful, iconic landmarks, you know, of our country. It's where the family resides. It is a beautiful home for
them. It's a home that they've always hosted, you know, people from all across the world, whether it's been presidents, prime ministers,
celebrities.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The guest list, a who's who of A-listers, rich, powerful and of course, famous. The global glitterati descending on
Mumbai.
Celebrating the union of two 29-year-olds who happen to be mind- blowingly wealthy and not afraid to show it. The couple reportedly paid millions,
hiring Justin Bieber and Rihanna for their pre-wedding parties. People around town have mixed feelings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, you have wealth but yes, we get it, you have wealth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's fabulous. It's helping the economy. It's helping everyone. So I think if they have the money, they should spend it.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The massive price tag, a drop in the bucket for the Ambanis, with a fortune of.
Well, over 100 billion from the family business
Reliance Industries, the energy retail and media giant.
This weekend's highly conspicuous consumption in stark contrast with widespread poverty across India. Critics call the Ambani a glaring example
of the growing wealth gap in the world's most populous country. The family trying to fend off critics by throwing charity events, like this month's
mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples near Mumbai -- Will Ripley, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Nikki Khan is the founder and president of Exquisite Events.
She's been planning high end South Asian weddings for around 30 years and says the family didn't skimp on any detail.
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NIKKI KHAN, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, EXQUISITE EVENTS: No expense has been spared, from security to transportation, to entertainment -- global entertainment -- to the jewelry, the attire -- best Indian designers, best global designers -- chefs, Michelin star chefs.
So everything, every detail has been absolutely prioric salons (ph) and they've really not overlooked any small or big details.
It's been a feast for at least my eyes and I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me in the industry, that to watch all the moving parts -- because Indian weddings can be very complexed (sic) and have a lot of moving parts.
And this one, I cannot even imagine, just transporting the guests from all over the globe, providing them with the best guest experience.
[03:50:00]
And leaving no detail overlooked. I think that every guest that is there has been tended to, has been acknowledged. And that's something really -- obviously, it's part of Indian culture. It's a very, very hospitable culture.
And to have a guest flown in and to provide the ultimate experience for them and to make them comfortable and to make them partake in all the activities, it speaks volumes for the family.
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KINKADE: Well, still to come, the Wimbledon men's finalist set with two champions going head-to-head.
Once again for this year's ground (ph). That story when we come back.
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KINKADE: A swimmer and discus thrower will lead the French Olympic delegation at the Games' opening ceremony in Paris this month.
Swimmer Florent Manaudou and discus thrower Melina Robert-Michon were elected as the flag bearers by their peers. Sprinter Nantenin Keita and triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant were elected to lead the Paralympic Olympic ceremony. [03:55:07]
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games gets set to start July 26th with the Paralympics starting on August 28.
Seven time winner champion Novak Djokovic is headed to his 10th Wimbledon men's final this Sunday. Djokovic produced some of his best tennis of the tournament, set up a rematch of last year's final against current champion Carlos Alvarez.
Djokovic won in straight sets over the 25th seed Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4. The first break came after a 26 shot rally in the first set. Musetti broke back and then lost his serve again and Djokovic never looked back.
Britain's Prince William galloped for a good cause on Friday. The Prince of Wales participated in the Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor. The equestrian event raised money for a number of charities, including Wales Air Ambulance, Child Bereavement U.K., Royal African Society and Action for Children.
The Princess of Wales was notably absent from that match. Kate Middleton has remained mostly out of the spotlight as she undergoes treatment for cancer.
NASA has released a stunning new image from the James Webb telescope. Two galaxies locked in a cosmic dance in the Hydra constellation. The larger galaxy, called the Penguin, appears to be guarding the other one, called the Egg. NASA says the galaxies started pulling on each other millions of years ago and may eventually form one galaxy. NASA says the image commemorates two years of scientific discoveries from the powerful telescope.
Well, thanks so much for joining us. I appreciate your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Kim Brunhuber will be here with much more news in just a moment after a quick break. Stay with us, you're watching CNN.
