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Trump Lavishes Praise On Saudi Crown Prince, Signaling Renewed Alliance; Israel Targets Hamas Leader In Hospital Strike; Cassie Ventura Testifies In Sean Combs's Sex Trafficking Case; Zelenskyy Agrees To Peace Talks With Putin In Turkey; Kardashian Thought Robbers Would Kill her in Paris Heist; Actor Gerard Depardieu Found Guilty of Sexual Assault; Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura to Resume Testimony; Trump Brand Expands as U.S. Strengthens Middle East Ties; Military Industry Touts New Products at Defense Fair. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired May 14, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Mega deals and mega friendships in the Middle East. Ahead on CNN newsroom.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I do. I like them a lot. I like them too much.
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VAUSE: Donald Trump just gushing over the Saudi crown prince, announcing new trade and investment deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Is he dead or is he alive?
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Israel on Tuesday evening tried to kill Hamas's leader in Gaza.
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VAUSE: That's Mohammed Sinwar, brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, targeted by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital. Freak offs, blue dolphin, ecstasy and male escorts.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The prosecution star witness Cassie Ventura is finally taking the stand.
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VAUSE: That testimony by Sean "Diddy" Combs former girlfriend was graphic and damning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Just on 8:00 a.m. in the Saudi capital Riyadh and the start of the second day of Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East. The U.S. President and Saudi crown prince is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, but President Trump is expected to meet informally with the new president of Syria.
On Monday, Donald Trump announced an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria, which were imposed during the long, brutal reign of Bashar al Assad, who was ousted in December.
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TRUMP: The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important, really an important function nevertheless at the time. But now it's their time to shine. It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off. I say good luck, Syria. Show us something very special.
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VAUSE: In Syria, an end to years of punitive U.S. sanctions was greeted with fireworks in celebration as well as a message of thanks to both the U.S. President and the Saudi crown prince. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Riyadh with more on the U.S. President's trip.
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JEFF ZELENY, CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The trumpets rang out today for President Trump on a royal welcome to Saudi Arabia. There was pomp, pageantry and even Arabian horses to mark the moment of Trump's foray back to the Middle East on his first major overseas trip since returning to power.
TRUMP: What a great place. But more importantly, what great people.
ZELENY (voice-over): The president lavished praise on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and invested more time on deal making than diplomacy. Yet he did unveil a major change in U.S. policy calling for an end to sanctions in Syria. He's set to meet for the first time Wednesday with President Ahmed Al Sharar, who led the December rebellion to oust dictator Bashar al Assad.
TRUMP: The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important, really an important function nevertheless at the time. But now it's their time to shine.
ZELENY: Trump also implored Iran to find a way to end its nuclear program.
TRUMP: I'm here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran's leaders, but to offer them a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future. ZELENY (voice-over): And he looked ahead to the prospect of extending
the Abraham Accords to one day normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as neighboring UAE and Bahrain did in 2020.
TRUMP: My fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia will soon be joining the Abraham Accords. You'll do it in your own time. And that's what I want, and that's what you want.
ZELENY (voice-over): He devoted little time to one of the biggest obstacles of all, the unresolved conflict in Gaza. He is notably not visiting Israel on this trip, unlike he did on his first trip here eight years ago.
TRUMP: The people of Gaza deserve a much better future.
ZELENY (voice-over): From morning to nightfall, Trump took part in a day long series of events, many of which included some of the world's business elite, among them Elon Musk, who is set to leave the White House later this month. Trump touted a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia, whose crown prince stayed at the president's side, sending a clear message of his high standing with this administration.
TRUMP: He's an incredible man. Known him a long time. Now there's nobody like him.
ZELENY (voice-over): It was a marked departure from former President Joe Biden's fist bump and his vow to make the kingdom a pariah after the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a killing that today went without mention as Trump hailed the crown prince.
TRUMP: Oh, what I do for the crown prince.
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ZELENY: It was President Trump's announcement to end sanctions against Syria that was one of the biggest developments so far on this trip. And meeting with Syria's new president here on Wednesday before making his way to a broader meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council and then going on to Doha, certainly sends a sign to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is being overlooked on this trip. There's no question about it.
President Trump also, while vowing to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Iran, did extend his hand to have further talks renewed that commitment. Those taken together, clearly a sign that Netanyahu is the losing leader here. As President Trump continues to make his way through the Middle East. His trip continues through Friday. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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VAUSE: The relatively new leader of Hamas in Gaza appears to be the target of an assassination attempt by Israel. Sources telling CNN Israel believed Mohammed Sinwar was in an underground command and control bunker at a hospital in southern Gaza. At least six Palestinians were killed in the strike. No word yet on the fate of Sinwar. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the very latest. Now reporting in from Tel Aviv.
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DIAMOND: Israel, on Tuesday evening, tried to kill Hamas's leader in Gaza. I'm told that Mohammed Sinwar was indeed the target of an Israeli airstrike on the European Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. That's according to a senior Israeli official and two sources familiar with the matter.
The Israeli military has yet to officially confirm that Sinwar was indeed the target of the strike, and they have also yet to confirm whether or not he was actually killed. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least six people were killed, though in this strike and more than 40 others injured. Many more are still believed to be buried under the rubble, with one doctor at the European Hospital describing a catastrophic situation there. The strike hit the hospital's courtyard, according to that hospital official.
Now, the Israeli military is accusing Hamas of having a command and control center beneath that hospital where sources say Mohammed Sinwar was believed to be hiding. Mohammed Sinwar was elevated to the position of de facto leader of Hamas in Gaza following the Israeli military's killing of his brother, the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, back in October.
But this strike, the timing of it is incredibly notable, coming just one day after Hamas, in what's widely been described as a goodwill gesture, released the last living American hostage in Gaza, the Israeli soldier Edan Alexander. And following Edan Alexander's release, which was intended to kind of jumpstart these hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations. U.S. officials have been sounding much more optimistic about the prospects of a deal.
But now Israel has targeted the man who would have to greenlight this deal inside of the Gaza Strip, raising a series of questions about the feasibility of reaching a deal in the coming days and questions about Israel's commitment to this negotiating process even as they sent a delegation earlier on Tuesday to Qatar to pursue these negotiations. And time is very much ticking down.
The Israeli prime minister on Tuesday making very clear that he intends to move forward with plans for the Israeli military to vastly expand its military operations in Gaza as soon as next week. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
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VAUSE: Another dire warning that Gaza is inching closer to famine. A U.N. backed report has found 20 percent of Gaza's population is facing starvation by September. All made worse since Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March and imposed a blockade on humanitarian supplies. And aid groups have outright rejected an Israeli and U.S. plan for private groups to take over aid distribution across Gaza. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FRETCHER, U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: We have a plan. We have shown we can deliver. With tens of thousands of trucks reaching civilians during the ceasefire. We have life-saving supplies ready now at the borders. We can save hundreds of thousands of survivors. We have rigorous mechanisms to ensure our aid gets to civilians and not to Hamas. But Israel denies us access, placing the objective of depopulating Gaza before the lives of civilians.
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VAUSE: Live now to Cairo and Abeer Etefa, Senior Middle East spokesperson for the World Food Programme, thank you for being with us.
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ABEER ETEFA, SENIOR MIDDLE EAST SPOKESPERSON, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Thank you for having me. And good morning.
VAUSE: Thank you. Good morning to you. Now, even Israel's own assessment of the situation in Gaza is dire. New York Times reporting Israeli military officers who monitor humanitarian conditions in Gaza have warned their commanders in recent days that unless the blockade is lifted quickly, many areas of the enclave will likely run out of enough food to meet minimum daily nutritional needs.
So on the one hand, the U.N. seems to be warning of a high risk of failure famine in the coming months. But are the Israelis talking about a much shorter timeline here for when the worst is expected?
ETEFA: Well, we're not warning about a famine in coming months. There is a famine already ongoing in Gaza. We've got 244,000 people in catastrophic hunger conditions. That means that they are at the highest level of food insecurity and what is what we consider like famine conditions.
But we're looking also at the projection from the day the report went out on the 12th of May and until September. There is risk that this is going to go like much beyond these numbers. It's been over 70 days since the border crossings into Gaza have been closed and all the food have run out.
The World Food Programme have stopped all the bakeries. We've stopped the distributions of all family food rations and even the supplies that were giving to partners to run these hot kitchens, hot meal kitchens have completely run out and all of these kitchens have now closed their doors. Since the end of April, there is no food in Gaza. These are the conditions that are fuel the declaration of a full scale famine.
VAUSE: Israel says this blockade on humanitarian aid is in part to prevent Hamas from stealing those supplies. I want you to listen to the Israeli ambassador to the UN. Here he is.
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DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: That image sink in. The aid you sent, the aid your taxpayers funded, the aid you believed would help civilians, the aid marked by U.N. and UNWRA, it was used to feed terrorists, to massacred women and children. Israel will not allow that to continue.
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VAUSE: There's almost no doubt that some aid has been taken by Hamas. The question is how much Israel wants to give the impression that seems that almost all the supplies were being hijacked. Given the fact that this famine and this crisis has developed so quickly over the last 70 days, I think he said, that seems to be an indication that those supplies were in fact reaching the people who needed it the most. And the stuff which is being stolen by Hamas was fairly minimal at best.
ETEFA: Our supplies, food supplies have been going and feeding the children, the women, the civilian population of Gaza. The World Food Programme urges all parties to prioritize the needs of the civilian population and to allow it to enter Gaza immediately. These food supplies, we're going to kitchens that prepare hot meals to families and to, you know, to the population who can, elderly people who can't go and search for food supplies here or there.
This is really -- we're seeing the impact now and we have been seeing, you know, what it means to have 70 days without food in Gaza. In the ceasefire, the 42 days of the ceasefire, we've reached every, almost every single one in the population. We've provided food assistance. We had actually some gains. We saw improvement in nutrition, in food security.
Families for the first time in many months slept on a full stomach. So we know where the food was going to Israel.
VAUSE: And both Israel and the United States are suggesting that private contractors could distribute aid across Gaza. I want you to listen to the response from the head of the U.N. Agency for Palestinians. Here he is.
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FLETCHER: It restricts aid to only one part of Gaza while leaving other dire needs unmet. It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip.
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VAUSE: Even with all those strikes against it, all legitimate concerns, isn't it better to get something into Gaza, some kind of humanitarian assistance into Gaza right now, and then you worry about the consequences of what it means at some point in the near future?
ETEFA: I think all what I can say following his comments is that the U.N. Secretary General, the Tokyo (ph) and leadership have made it very clear the only way to get aid and assistance to people in Gaza.
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It has to be in a way that does not compromise our global humanitarian principles of humanity. Impartiality, independence and neutrality, action and humanitarian action, response to people's needs wherever they are. And our teams in Gaza, they remain ready to scale up the delivery of critical supplies and services, water, food supplies. And we have seen significant stocks ready to enter Gaza as soon as the blockade is lifted.
VAUSE: Just very quickly. You cannot eat principle.
ETEFA: It aids the humanitarian of aid has to be distributed in a, in the ways that does not conflict with humanitarian principles. We still need to get to the children, to women, to the elderly, to people where they are. It is essential to do that. That's the premise of the delivery of aid and humanitarian assistance.
VAUSE: I understand what you're saying. I take your point and I thank you for being with us. We very much appreciate what you do and your time.
ETEFA: Thank you.
VAUSE: Both Beijing and Washington have lowered their sky high tariffs on imports as agreed to during weekend trade talks, with both sides agreeing to a 90 day pause in Donald Trump's trade war. And the U.S. president tells Fox News he may personally take part in trade negotiations for a long term deal with China.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you foresee yourself dealing directly with President Xi on the final details of this deal?
TRUMP: Yes, I could see that. I mean, I'm not sure that it'll be necessary.
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VAUSE: Not long after Beijing and Washington agreed to drastically deescalate the trade war, Chinese leader Xi Jinping took a veil swipe at the U.S. while speaking at an economic summit in Beijing. He warned bullying will only backfire.
With that, let's go to Beijing. Steven Jiang standing by there in our bureau in Beijing. So Stephen, the tariffs have been lowered but this is a pause, not an end. What can they achieve in 90 days?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, John, you know, as you just played I sound by, President Trump has made no secret of his desire to negotiate directly with Chinese leaders Xi Jinping for quite some time. But the problem here, of course, as Chinese officials have told me as emphatically in private, that is simply not how their system works. This is not Xi Jinping's personality. He doesn't want to go mano a
mano with Trump and he's all about sending his teams officials and trusted aides to do the negotiation as they did in Geneva last weekend before he comes in to put on ball on it for any major deals.
The one positive development from that round of talks for the Chinese at least is this establishment of formal consultation, dialogue and mechanism. That had been a long standing complaints before the Geneva talks because they said they had always been ready to sending their top representative for trade negotiations, but getting no clarity from the White House in terms of the U.S. point people now this has been resolved.
But as you also mentioned, from their perspective, Xi Jinping has scored points both domestically but also internationally as the state media here in social media has very much cheering this quote unquote resounding success, resounding victory of Chinese negotiators saying this is not only protecting China Chinese interests, but also shielding other countries from America's bullying tactics.
So going forward, it's going to be interesting to see whether or not this much anticipated phone call between the two leaders will happen. Because the Chinese assessment probably hinges on whether or not they could see they could gain anything politically and economically from such a phone call, even after the atmosphere between the two countries has improved.
But also remember, just Even with this 90 day pause, it's going to be very challenging to turn this temporary truce into a more permanent solution. Because all of the underlying issues that really trigger this trade war very much remains the same. And a lot of the U.S. demands and complaints has a lot to do with China's fundamental belief, its political system. We're talking about industrial policies, alleged intellectual property theft and Chinese restrictions on foreign, especially American firms.
So all of that is not going to be easily resolved even during this 90- day window. So one thing that's likely to happen, according to many people, John, is Mr. Trump, as he has done in the TikTok case, just keeps extending this 90 -- the 90 day deadline. But of course, a lot remains to be seen whether or not these joint statement, kind of like pleasantries will be turned into concrete actions on the ground. John.
VAUSE: Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang in Beijing. Appreciate it.
In a moment, the push for peace. Ukraine's president calling on allies to be ready to impose strong sanctions on Moscow if it rejects a ceasefire deal. Details in a moment.
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VAUSE: Ukraine's president is taking up Vladimir Putin's offer of direct peace talks. Says he will be in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday and will speak directly with Russia's president and only Russia's president. None of his envoys. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with reporters Tuesday, including CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy very clear he will be going to Turkey to wait for Russian President Vladimir Putin initially in the Turkish capital alongside the president there, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and maybe even moving on to Istanbul if Putin decides to fly there.
Wherever Putin is, he'll go, but he set some minimal goals for that meeting.
If this meeting does go ahead and does not result in an immediate 30 day ceasefire. Will you consider that to have been a failure?
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: No. Of course, it means that Russia is not ready for diplomacy. It's been only one side. It's only about Russia. What has been if they will not -- if Putin will not come or if ceasefire will not be supported by Russians, by Putin, exactly by him.
So it's been only one thing, that Russia is not ready for any kind of negotiation, no time for playing games on the technical level and et cetera. It's been only one thing that we need to be more strong, unite and tough on them. And today I see only one thing, sanctions.
WALSH: Now, sanctions really are key here because after the deadline from European powers in Ukraine for Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days that kind of expired on Monday, there were threats of severe sanctions. Then, they seem to have been delayed to see if Russia will send Vladimir Putin to this meeting in Turkey.
The question really is where does President Donald Trump fit in all of this? Will he back those harder sanctions? Will he go to any meeting in Turkey? And does any of this process change his ultimate feelings about whether Moscow wants peace?
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VAUSE: Back on the stand in a moment, the longtime former girlfriend of music mogul and party thrower Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to resume her explosive testimony for another day. Details in a moment.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
After 35 years in jail for killing their wealthy parents, the Menendez brothers are now eligible for parole. They were originally sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 murders of Kitty and Jose Menendez. On Tuesday, a California judge re-sentenced the brothers to 50 years
to life, which means Eric and Lyle can now be considered for early release.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian told a Paris courtroom she thought she would be killed while being robbed at gunpoint back in 2016. Kardashian testified Tuesday in the trial of ten of her alleged attackers accused of stealing nearly $10 million in cash and jewelry.
More details now from CNN's Saskya Vandoorne reporting in from Paris.
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SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: It was a long and emotional day for Kim Kardashian, who testified for almost five hours, most of that she did standing. And it was only at the end when she was visibly drained, that she asked to sit down.
Kardashian broke down several times during her testimony as she recounted the details of that night nine years ago. Kardashian said she believed she would be raped. She believed she would be killed.
She also described a very violent heist, saying that she was handcuffed. She was duct-taped and placed in the bath.
Now, inside that courtroom with her, she was facing the ten people on trial, nine men and one woman nicknamed here "The Grandpa Gang", as most of them are over 60.
The alleged mastermind, Aomar Ait Khedache had his letter read out in court by the judge where he apologized. Khedache has pleaded guilty to kidnaping and armed robbery. And Kim Kardashian responded to that letter saying that she forgave him.
Take a listen. She said, "I believe so much in second chances and I meet people who have done horrible crimes and I try to have empathy for them. But I do also fight for victims who have been through horrific crimes."
So two of the defendants are pleading guilty to some of the charges, but the remaining eight say that they had no part in the heist whatsoever. We expect a verdict on May 23rd.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN -- Paris.
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VAUSE: French actor Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. This trial was the highest-profile me too prosecution France has ever seen.
An attorney for one of the victims saying the verdict is a win for all women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Depardieu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CARINE DURRIEU DIEBOLT, VICTIM'S LAWYER (through translator): This is a wonderful decision. Today, it gives recognition to Depardieu's victims. It's a victory for two women, two women on a film set. But it's a victory for all the women behind this trial.
And I'm also thinking of other victims of Gerard Depardieu who have come forward who are barred by statutes, and for the four other victims who took the stand to recount the sexual assaults they suffered.
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VAUSE: Depardieu received an 18-month suspended sentence. He must register as a sex offender. He's repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and his attorney says they are planning an appeal.
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JEREMIE ASSOUS, GERARD DEPARDIEU'S LAWYER (through translator): We have reached a new stage, meaning that these days, defense itself in this type of trial is no longer accepted.
Obviously the court of appeals will sanction this type of decision, since it's a denial of the rights of defense.
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VAUSE: The former girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs is expected back in a New York courtroom for another day of testimony in his racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
Cassie Ventura is the star witness for the prosecution. On Monday accused the music mogul of physical and emotional abuse, as well as using violence, drugs and other forms of intimidation to coerce her into participating in group sex parties he called "freak offs".
Leigh Waldman has the story and a warning: some details, as you would expect, are graphic.
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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cassie Ventura's testimony today is centering around the control and abuse that she endured for the more than ten-year-long relationship she was in with the defendant, Sean "Diddy" Combs.
She said he forced her to have unprotected sex with male escorts. He beat her and controlled her entire life, everything from her finances, her looks, to her career.
Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs in the spotlight this week as his trial proceeds in New York. "Diddy" faces federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution's star witness and Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura taking the stand Tuesday morning, saying their relationship included physical violence, quote, "too frequently".
Ventura described sexual encounters that have been referred to as freak offs saying, quote, "within the first year of our relationship, he proposed this idea, this sexual encounter that he called voyeurism, where he would watch me be in intercourse with a third party, specifically with another man."
Ventura testified these encounters were regularly recorded, and she feared they'd be leaked to the public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this case, Cassie Ventura is that narrator. They need to show that this was not just sex, right? This was coercion.
WALDMAN: Monday, jurors were shown this hotel surveillance video from 2016 showing "Diddy" assaulting Ventura. Prosecutors used this to help argue that Ventura was being forced against her will to engage in sexual acts.
The defense arguing Ventura consented to these sexual acts and that Combs is not on trial for domestic violence.
Defense attorney Teny Geragos told the jury in her opening statement, quote, "What Combs did to Cassie on this videotape is indefensible. It's horrible. It's dehumanizing. It's violent. It's virtually every bad word you can think of. It is not evidence of sex trafficking."
Ventura's testimony is expected to last into Wednesday. If convicted, "Diddy" could face a sentence of up to life in prison.
Ventura's testimony is often too graphic for us to share here. It's expected to continue into Wednesday.
We know she's being supported inside the courtroom by her family, including her husband.
Combs is being supported by his family as well. His mother and some of his children.
In New York, I'm Leigh Waldman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani joins us now live from Los Angeles. Thank you for being with us.
NEAMA RAHMANI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Thanks for having me, John. Glad to be here.
VAUSE: Ok. Now Combs is facing five charges. There's one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The racketeering and sex trafficking are the big ones. They carry a maximum penalty of life. So did Cassie Ventura testimony move the needle on those two more serious charges?
RAHMANI: John, it did. And what separates sex trafficking from ordinary sex between consenting adults is that force, fraud or coercion.
Let's set aside fraud. But Cassie did talk about coercion And force and THE coercion was the drug use.
She testified that Combs would make her use drugs to the point where she would vomit, and that these freak offs would last days, sometimes every week. And those are the elements of coercion.
But we also heard testimony about force -- the guns Combs had, his entourage, his security. She would be trapped. And if they were unable to contact her, they would physically find her.
And obviously, we talked about the 2016 video of the beating that she suffered at the Intercontinental Hotel here in Los Angeles that was obtained by CNN. So this paints a picture of sexual activity that was not consensual.
And when it comes to racketeering, typically that's something that is reserved for the mob or cartels. But it has been used in sex trafficking trials in the United States.
And the most famous case, of course, being rapper R. Kelly, who was charged with racketeering.
VAUSE: And this is how Ventura described the sex parties that Combs would have. She said freak offs would typically start with oil and touching. After that, she said participants would engage in oral sex before progressing to intercourse as she stay awake for days at a time without sleep against her will. At times, Combs himself would urinate on her or demand an escort do so.
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VAUSE: And that's pretty tame. That's the edited version of her testimony. And while many will find those details upsetting and uncomfortable, to say the least, we have this argument being put forward by the defense, you touched on this, that immorality is not the same thing as illegality.
And even the drug use and the escorts, that sort of happens every day. It's almost a, you know, run-of-the-mill sort of thing now.
So how close to this line is the defense walking of actually proving the difference between what we find immoral and what is actually illegal?
RAHMANI: Well, the defense is trying to walk that line. And the first thing they did, and this came out in opening statement, was separating physical violence from sexual assault. They had to admit the physical violence.
But what they're saying is that this was mutual combat, essentially. And Cassie Ventura did say that she was insanely jealous. I expect the defense to use that and argue that she, too, was violent. There was testimony of her having a black eye, it being purple, for instance.
There's plenty of evidence of the physical assault. But what they're trying to do, like you said, John, is separate out that sexual violence and say that really it wasn't violent at all. In fact, it was consensual.
And when you're defending a sexual assault case, there's really only two defenses. The first is it wasn't me. I didn't partake in that sexual activity. Well, here there's videos of the freak offs and plenty of independent witnesses.
So Combs' only defense here is to argue consent. And it's possible, but unlikely the jury buys it.
VAUSE: Well, she also testified about booking hotels and this was interesting. She said often Combs' staff would make the arrangements. Ventura also testified that Combs tasks her with finding escorts. He had specific physical requirements and had to approve the escorts, she said, adding that he wanted her to check if the person was a cop.
She said some escorts participated in freak offs in multiple states, this is the interesting part. And sometimes she or a travel agent for Combs, helped coordinate their travel.
VAUSE: Ok, so this gets to the racketeering charge. Explain the importance here of that testimony to that charge.
RAHMANI: Well, it's very important. So racketeering requires a criminal enterprise. And it doesn't have to be a rigid organization. It can be a loose association of two or more people.
And anyone that helped Combs set up these freak offs, if he is indeed convicted of sex trafficking, they're criminally liable. They're on the hook for the trafficking. If they aided and abetted, even if they didn't participate in the actual sex acts.
That's why, John, I expect to see some of Combs' former employees testify. They're going to know where the bodies are buried.
But in addition to that, it requires RICO predicate acts. So that can be bribery. We heard testimony about that yesterday. Assault, extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor -- these are all potential acts that, if proven, would prove that racketeering charge.
VAUSE: Yes. And that brings to life imprisonment. It also has I think the sex trafficking has a minimum time in prison as well.
RAHMANI: It does.
15 years, right.
RAHMANI: That's a 15-year mandatory minimum.
VAUSE: Yes. Hey, Neama, thanks so much for staying up. It's really good to have you with us. We appreciate the insights.
RAHMANI: Of course, John. Talk to you soon.
VAUSE: Thank you.
And if you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, it doesn't matter where you live or anywhere around the world, you are not alone. And there's always help and support online.
Still to come here on CNN, Donald Trump brings the art of the deal to the Middle East, where he's heaping praise on his hosts and watching his family business expand across the region.
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VAUSE: The first big overseas trip of Donald Trump's second term is all about business. It's been good for business, his family business.
Critics say the dealmaker in chief is focused less on diplomacy and more on the Trump brand, with plans for luxury skyscrapers, golf courses, resorts and real estate across the Middle East.
CNN's Kyung Lah has our report.
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KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A close look at the Trump Organization portfolio finds the Trump family's business ties to the Middle East have more than tripled since his first term in office, according to a CNN tally.
Even after Trump retook office, the Trump brand has been out promoting flashy new construction projects in countries President Trump is visiting this week.
ERIC TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: On behalf of my family, we love Dubai, we love the gulf.
LAH: In Dubai, a new Trump International Hotel and Tower. In Saudi Arabia, a new Trump Tower in Jeddah and two projects in Riyadh.
E. TRUMP: We are going to redefine luxury anywhere in the world.
LAH: His sons sealing deals for projects around the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The project, unlike any other.
LAH: In Oman, Don Jr. and Eric Trump met with the crown prince last summer about a Trump-branded resort being developed with the nation's tourism arm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump International Hotel Oman.
LAH: In Qatar, a Trump-branded golf club announced just last month, involves a firm that's headed by a Qatari official and backed by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund.
A Trump organization spokesperson says the company does not conduct business with any government entity, adding the Trump branding agreement on the Qatar project is with a builder, a separate company.
Eric Trump is currently in charge of Trump Org decisions and has promised to keep them separate from his father.
But the president still owns the company, so he stands to make money on any successful deal, whether he's involved or not.
The Trump Organization has said Trump would put his assets in a trust managed by his children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll make sure that there's no conflicts. And we'll have those signed off By the best legal teams in the world.
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LAH: During his first term, Trump's company pledged to make no new deals overseas, but not this time around.
And it's not just Trump's real estate deals. An Abu Dhabi-backed fund is using a cryptocurrency from the Trump family crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, for a $2 billion investment. Critics say the result: the public can't separate Trump the president, from Trump the businessman.
NICAH BOOKBINDER, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON: Is he making the decision from the basis of what's in the United States interest? What's in the American people's interest, or is he looking to benefit his business partners, his own business, his own bottom line?
LAH: The White House rejects those questions.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.
LAH: Trump says his business relationships aren't just for the billionaires, but for Americans.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's an honor to have such a great investor investing in our country.
LAH: One publicized early win came from this Emirati billionaire, Hussain Sajwani. He built a Trump-branded golf course and villas in Dubai years ago, and spent New Year's Eve at Mar-a-Lago. He's promising to invest $20 billion in U.S. data centers.
I sat down with Sajwani earlier this year. The election of Mr. Trump impacted the decision to invest.
HUSSAIN SAJWANI, CHAIRMAN, DAMAC PROPERTIES: Yes. Impacted from the point of view that we think it's going to be more pro-business. And if that happens, of course, we'll invest.
LAH: How important is the Trump name to your business, to your brand?
SAJWANI: It's very important. Those villa we have done, we made money out of them, you know, and customers are happy and we are happy. And he's happy.
LAH: President Trump says in this trip to the Gulf, he is going to be able to bring more investment into the United States. The president is telling reporters that based on his meetings with business leaders in the gulf this week alone, he believes he'll be able to create some 2 million American jobs.
Kyung Lah, CNN -- Los Angeles.
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VAUSE: In a moment, the 78th Cannes Film Festival underway in France. But among all that glitz, all that glamor, there is also frustration.
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VAUSE: With the Russia threat not going away and a wobbly U.S. commitment to mutual defense, across Europe government budgets are ramping up defense spending and all that money has to be spent somewhere.
CNN's Pau Mosquera reports from Spain's Defense and Security Fair in Madrid.
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PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drones, weapons, armored vehicles -- this is the kind of fair where you get to be careful when touching anything that is being displayed.
We are at Spain's Defense and Security Fair that is taking place in Madrid where both the Spanish and international companies are showcasing the latest innovations of the military industry.
This is a big opportunity for country delegations and military attaches to get down to business, to close important deals.
Now it is also important to highlight that this fair is taking place after the Spanish government has confirmed that will be investing an additional $11.6 billion to meet NATO's 2 percent target by the end of the year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are presenting this UGV, an unmanned ground vehicle that carries a weapon system to allow soldiers to control it remotely without having to be physically on the battlefield. Spanish Armed Forces asked to be controlled 5 to 10 kilometers from
the control center but distance can be extended.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are seeing an unmanned aerial system. It's a drone. It's the development of our own company. It's a weaponized one.
When we integrate for micro missiles that are launched by a specific system that is developed as well by us. Normally, this kind of micro missiles are addressed to soft targets.
PEDRO PEREZ, STRATEGIC TESTS DIRECTOR, FMG: In this fair, we are showing all our catalog in 105 and 120 -- this is the caliber of the barrel that used the tank ammunition. We are fully booked.
Our capabilities for, you know, supporting the Ukrainian war and all the conflict that we have now.
MOSQUERA: All this equipment covers the needs for land, maritime and air defense domains. Now, some of it may end up in the hands of the Spanish armed forces. Now the spending will ramp up.
Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.
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VAUSE: This year's Eurovision song contest held its first semifinal on Tuesday, and Sweden's song about sauna saw the favorites make it through to Saturday's final. Apparently no sweat.
Against fans predictions, Belgium was sent packing by viewers worldwide, while Iceland and Portugal just squeezed through.
Programing note -- the second semifinal be held on Thursday.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival also kicked off Tuesday. Stars of the silver screen did not shy away from flaunting some dazzling floor length gowns on the red carpet.
During the opening ceremony, Hollywood icon Robert de Niro received the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award. He used his acceptance speech to call for protests against the U.S. president's threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on films produced outside the United States, and for his cuts to funding for the arts.
Here's Bobby.
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ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. And that affects all of us. That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic.
Art is inclusive. It brings people together like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. And that's why art is a -- is a threat. That's why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists.
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VAUSE: Bobby de Niro there.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague Rosemary Church after a very short break.
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