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Trump Speaks to U.S. Troops in Qatar; Qatar's Proffered Jet Overshadowing Trump's Mideast Trip; Five Years Later; Racial Justice Since George Floyd's Murder. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired May 15, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It is Thursday, May 15. And here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

[06:00:40]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: President Trump rallying U.S. troops in the Middle East and talking about the deal he hopes to make with Iran.

Plus, Ukraine's president arrived a short time ago for face-to-face peace talks in Turkey, where Vladimir Putin looks to be a no show.

Also today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about a fundamental right granted by the Constitution and the power judges have when it comes to limiting the president.

And later, it's been five years since the murder of George Floyd, an event that sparked a movement. Have things changed? Or was that just a moment in time?

Six a.m. here on the East Coast. We're going to go live now to Doha, where President Trump is addressing troops right now.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me.

President Trump's weeklong visit to the Middle East will soon enter its final stop, as he plans to head to Abu Dhabi this morning. But right now, he's visiting the United States's largest military base in the region, addressing U.S. troops there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The budget was the highest by far, over $1 trillion. That's a lot. It's a lot of stuff. And hopefully, it's peace through strength. Hopefully, they don't have to use it, because if you use it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Qatar right now. And, Jeff, can you talk about what else the president is saying to these troops?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Audie, President Trump is still addressing the troops, as you can hear behind me. So, I will lower my voice.

But I can tell you that he received a very enthusiastic welcome. Virtually every troop that we could see raised their iPhone to capture the moment that their commander in chief was walking onstage.

He thanked the military for their support. He said it was key to him winning election. But since then, Audie, even though this has a feel of a campaign rally -- that's by design, by the White House -- the service members are listening largely quietly, not applauding when he's talking about removing DEI from the armed forces; not applauding when he's talking about other social matters.

This often is the case as presidents give a political speech to a military base. Of course, troops serve their commander in chief, but they do not necessarily always align ideologically and are not here for political reasons.

But the president also is laying out a -- really his view of the U.S. foreign policy. He says it is not his goal to -- the president said it's not his goal to start new conflicts. But take a listen to what is really a thread of the president's foreign policy doctrine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them. But I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, we are, of course, in the largest military base in the Middle East. Some 10,000 troops are here. And, Audie, this is really the home of so many of the deep conflicts over the last two decades, some of which, actually, the opposition of which contributed to President Trump's rise to power.

This is the very base where airstrikes were launched initially into Afghanistan, into the invasion of Iraq, as well. Of course, President Trump campaigned against those wars.

So, he now, of course, faces geopolitical challenges of his own. They are mounting up day by day, it seems.

But he's been talking a lot about Iran, trying to encourage Iran to the negotiating table to end their nuclear weapon program. The Iran president is calling on the U.S. to stop its threats. So, clearly, that is something that is a brewing challenge for this president.

But, Audie, clearly, throughout the Middle East, on his tours here, he's been making a lot of business deals, but also laying out some of his own foreign policy, like Syria. He was talking about that again today, how he called for an end to sanctions and hopes for a new day in Syria.

[06:05:02]

So, as we continue to listen to the president make his address here, after he finishes, he'll be heading for his third stop in Abu Dhabi -- Audie.

CORNISH: CNN's Jeff Zeleny. Jeff, thanks so much.

Now, the president has been getting the royal welcome in the Middle East, with an escort of camels and red Cybertrucks waiting for his motorcade in Qatar.

But looming over all of that, that proposed gift of a $400 million luxury plane to be used as Air Force One.

The president also held a roundtable meeting with business leaders and Qatari officials in Doha. In a wide-ranging press conference a few hours ago, he also brought up what he sees as the future options for negotiations with Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think -- I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this -- There's two steps. There's a very, very nice step and there's a violent step.

The violence, like people haven't seen before. And I don't -- I hope we're not going to have to do this. I don't want to do the second step. Some people do. Many people do. I don't want to do that step.

So, we'll see what happens. But we're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, Jerusalem Demsas, contributing writer at "The Atlantic"; Erin Maguire, Republican strategist with Axiom Strategies; and Sabrina Singh, former deputy Pentagon press secretary.

Jeff really set us up to talk about this, because the politics, especially within the Republican Party around the wars in the Middle East, are very dramatically different, obviously, from the Bush era. They're almost built in reaction to the Bush era.

So, Sabrina, I want to start with you, new to the chat. What do you see and how the president is trying to set things up leading up to a conversation about Iran?

SABRINA SINGH, FORMER DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I think what's important is, in one of his speeches, you know, he said that the United States is not going to be interested in nation building anymore. And it's --

CORNISH: Or telling people what to do, right?

SINGH: Right, telling people what to do.

CORNISH: Or judging leaders, which is interesting coming from the Bush era, looking into somebody's soul and, like, knowing who they are. Like, that's done.

SINGH: Right. And of course, in the context of Afghanistan and Iraq.

And, you know, I think this president is really upending, you know, U.S. foreign policy from the last 80 years when it comes to Russia. And then now with some of our Arab partners and -- and his comments of, we're just not going to do nation building or tell leaders what to do. It's a very different approach.

And so, I think what the big takeaways from this trip are, of course, some of the personal business dealings that he's been able to secure for himself.

CORNISH: Yes. Are you talking about the plane?

SINGH: But then I think what -- what you said in your intro was what's looming over all of this.

CORNISH: Yes.

SINGH: And, you know, some of the progress that, you know, Trump has made is this aircraft that he's potentially going to be getting (ph).

CORNISH: Erin, how big a deal is the aircraft? I hear Laura Loomer, Ben Shapiro, like, some pretty strong voices on the right being, like, what are you doing? Don't do this. For reasons of critique of the leadership in the region, in the region. It's pretty specific. It's not don't take a gift.

ERIN MAGUIRE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, AXIOM STRATEGIES: Right. I think that overall, I really don't care about the plane. It's just not something, like, the most important thing to me. If it's illegal, say --

CORNISH: But why do you think there has been pickup on the right. Like, why has there suddenly been this twist of politics?

MAGUIRE: Because I think -- Yes. For -- for a lot of people on the right, they see this as influence peddling by Qatar or by -- by the, you know, by the royal family or whatever to try and bring into the United States. And they don't think it's a good look. So that's --

CORNISH: So, it's about who it is?

MAGUIRE: Yes. And so ultimately, here's the thing. If it's legal, safe and permissible, who cares? If it saves the taxpayer money, even better. If it gets the president safely where he needs to be and we aren't breaking any rules, great. Let's end it. Who cares? CORNISH: Yes.

MAGUIRE: Like for me.

CORNISH: And we should say CNN has got some new reporting about, like, a Justice Department internal memo where Pam Bondi, as you said, is endorsing the legality of the decision.

JERUSALEM DEMSAS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": But it's not just about legality, right? I mean, there's something here about wanting your leaders to know that they're working for you and not for their own personal interests.

We don't know that's what's happening. But the reason we have rules around public officials not accepting gifts -- like, if you can't accept cups of coffee from contractors as a -- as a, you know, a service member of the United States military, not because we think you're going to sell out your country for a cup of joe, but because we understand that there need to be rules of propriety of how you engage with private sector individuals that get special access to you.

And so, for the president to be upending that view, I mean, during his first term, we saw many instances of that with people getting rooms at Trump Towers in D.C. And that perception of influence peddling is one thing.

But when it gets to the level of a $400 million plane that is now intended to then be transferred to his foundation. And then at that point, he gets to use it for his personal use after his presidency. That's not about safety.

(CROSSTALK)

DEMSAS: He said -- But I mean, that's -- that was after the backlash.

MAGUIRE: But also -- and I want to make this point, though. We're talking about whether or not you believe this is influence peddling. Then I would ask anybody, how do you feel about the United States and the position of influence peddling when it comes to sending aid overseas? Right? That is considered a form of influence.

CORNISH: That's a soft power, and that's --

(CROSSTALK)

SINGH: Kids with AIDS.

MAGUIRE: Oh, no. OK. Whoa. Nobody -- no -- I'm not talking about health care here. Don't go to the extreme on this. I'm talking about just the amount of monetary support the United States gives to other nations. That is influence peddling, as well.

So, if we're going to talk about this, talk about it in totality. Talk about it both ways.

DEMSAS: What kinds of things are you talking about? SINGH: You're not wrong that the United States extends influence through soft power like aid. I would say, you know, aid, food and water, getting into Gaza, medical supplies slightly different than a plane.

MAGUIRE: But I want to talk about --

SINGH: You're not wrong. But -- but your premise of -- of spreading soft power, that -- that I -- that I take.

I will say, just to Jerusalem's point, though, you know, because you made the point about is it going to save taxpayer money? The -- the reality is, is this Boeing plane that Air Force One that's already on order and delayed, it has already been -- that's money spent.

So, what our U.S. military is now going to have to do is rip out whatever is in this Qatari plane that's being gifted and retrofit it, which is going to cost more money to the taxpayer. And at the end of the day --

CORNISH: And at the end of the day, it won't go to other presidents,

SINGH: Right. Right. It won't go --

CORNISH: And we've paid for something that he will enjoy for --

SINGH: Exactly.

MAGUIRE: If it's legal, safe, and permissible, I just don't find issue with it for me.

SINGH: But the other thing too is, you know, young junior military officers have more rules and regulations of standards and code of conduct than the president of the United States.

And there should be a standardized, you know, code of ethics that applies to everyone, down from the junior officer who's going to put his or her life on the line when it comes to this country.

CORNISH: Yes, well, this conversation is not going away. Group chat, stay with me. We've got a lot to talk about today.

In fact, coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, Vladimir Putin not going to Turkey today. So, what does that mean for peace talks?

Plus, he's in charge of health agencies across the country. But RFK Jr. says you shouldn't take his medical advice.

And bracing for a travel nightmare as New Jersey transit engineers get ready to walk off the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want this to be the end result. We'll find out tomorrow how things go.

The more time goes by, the -- the -- the more of a challenge it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:50]

CORNISH: OK, if you're getting ready, it's 15 minutes past the hour. And here is your morning roundup.

Today, the Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade immigration agents is expected to enter a not guilty plea.

Attorneys for Judge Hannah Dugan say they have filed a motion to get the case dismissed, arguing that there is no legal basis for it.

Now, she faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

And Health And Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Hill, basically dodging questions about vaccines. For instance, when asked if he would vaccinate his children against measles, he said probably. And then he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HHS SECRETARY: I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Now, as health and human services secretary, Kennedy oversees more than two dozen health agencies, including the CDC and the FDA.

In New Jersey, transit authorities and rail engineers have until midnight to reach a deal to avoid a strike. The union called for better pay and working conditions during a protest on Wednesday.

Now, this strike could cripple the commutes for 350,000 people in New York and New Jersey.

And ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're approaching the five-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. So why some are questioning whether his death was part of a lasting movement or a moment.

Plus, reviving a spacecraft that's billions of miles away, NASA's newest feat.

And right now, President Trump speaking to troops in Qatar. We are continuing to monitor that. We'll be right back.

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[06:22:40]

CORNISH: You know, it's hard to believe, but it's been nearly five years since George Floyd was murdered by then Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd's final moments, captured on cell phones seen around the world, ignited a firestorm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go home, Jacob. Go home. Go home, Jacob. Go home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: It also forced a conversation over race, policing and justice into the national spotlight.

Now, the pushback to those changes from those times has been swift and furious. There's been deep cuts to diversity programs, and some corporate diversity offices are closing altogether. Many are asking whether those calls for change were a moment or basically a lasting movement.

That question is the focus of a new report from the National Urban League. It's called "George Floyd Five Years Later."

And joining me now is Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING.

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT/CEO, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Congratulations on the show.

CORNISH: Thank you. Thank you.

So, one of the things that's been so interesting is we forget, originally, this was all about policing, not corporate H.R. departments, not like special eyeshadow, like not Juneteenth. It was about police and police brutality and treatment of communities.

Just a few months ago, a federal judge agreed to pause proceedings on the consent decree between Minneapolis and the federal government. Basically, justice attorneys asked to put the case on hold.

As the -- as the Trump administration rolls back on these kinds of civil rights protections, what message is that sending?

MORIAL: It's a mistake. It's a mistake for the nation to roll back voluntary agreements. These agreements were voluntary between the Justice Department and the cities. And these agreements embodied, if you will, five, seven, ten-year commitments to improve those departments. To retrench now is nothing but politics.

It has nothing to do with quality policing. It has nothing to do with the Constitution.

And I'm deeply troubled by the idea that, once again, the Trump administration, in its first term under Jeff Sessions, retrenched. And then we had George Floyd. We had a number of heinous police killings.

Under the Biden administration, with Kristen Clarke at the helm of the civil rights division, progress was made. A hundred and -- 180 police officers were convicted. Some 12 police departments were investigated for pattern and practice violations. [06:25:13]

And we made progress in some states like Maryland and others. Many police departments engaged in reforms. They banned chokeholds. They did a whole range of things. We made some progress.

Right now, it appears as though there's an effort to push back on that. It doesn't --

CORNISH: Well, the backlash is also political. There's also a groundswell. You had police unions saying, look, we can't do our jobs under the various restrictions and scrutiny.

And of course, the "defund the police" movement, which I think was successful maybe in 1 or 2 cities. But the blowback to that idea was tremendous. Do you see that as one of the pain points?

MORIAL: The reform movement and the defund movement are two separate things.

CORNISH: Do you think people understood that?

MORIAL: I don't think so. And I think there was an effort, once again, to conflate and confuse people about what this reform movement is about.

Let me tell you something. I ran a city. I reformed a police department. I did it while reducing corruption. I did it by reducing brutality and bringing the rate of violence down. These things go hand in hand.

CORNISH: But you also know it's not easy, right? And when --

MORIAL: It's hard.

CORNISH: When police unions, et cetera. When people step up and say, look, you're going too far, they also look at the crime rates in cities. And there are lots of Democratic cities that have rising crime rates.

MORIAL: Yes, Democratic cities, Republican cities. That's not the point.

The point is, is that the police reform movement is not -- not -- a movement that's going to make communities less safe. It's a movement that will make communities more safe, because a trusted police department, a police department that has the trust of its citizens, is going to be far more effective.

You take Minneapolis, for example. At the time of George Floyd, they weren't closing cases. They had one of the lowest closure rates in the country.

CORNISH: Right. Closing the case. The formal term when we think solve, maybe.

MORIAL: Well, what it means is when -- when a crime is committed, you identify a suspect.

CORNISH: Right.

MORIAL: You do the investigation in the follow-up. If you don't, then the police department is wholly, in many respects, ineffective.

But I think the important thing now is at this moment that we've had progress. The idea is we've got to not have entrenchment.

Look, even Donald Trump, when George Floyd was killed, made some very significant statements. He signed an executive order at the time. So even he in that moment --

CORNISH: At the time, it felt that it wasn't just a moment.

MORIAL: And now there's retrenchment by his Justice Department. And so, we're here. We want to put a spotlight on this, because the movement to continue to make change is still operating at the grassroots level. It's still operating in the communities.

And look --

CORNISH: But you also called 2024 the year of reversal --

MORIAL: Yes.

CORNISH: -- of corporate commitments. And you said that it's opening the floodgates for racist rhetoric to go mainstream, that it's become commonplace for pundits to crudely refer to the acronym of diversity, equity and inclusion, saying people didn't earn it.

How big a deal is that kind of corporate cultural rollback? And as it relates to these communities?

MORIAL: So, Audie, the corporate cultural rollback is troubling. It's, in some ways, almost insulting.

But I also want to lift up some -- a Jamie Dimon, a Roger Goodell, a number of corporate leaders. And there are other companies like Apple and others who've stood up to this attempted assault, like Costco, who stood up to this attempted consult [SIC] -- assault.

So, what I find in corporate America is that the retrenchments are troubling, because there should be none.

But I also want to highlight those that have said, look, diversity, equity and inclusion really equal opportunity. It's important for my company. It's important for my customers, and it's important for the nation.

So, we can't let the headline be the only story in this moment. This conversation is going to continue.

But the report is designed to say, look, in 2020, we thought that it was a very significant step when people confronted many of these long- term challenges. CORNISH: Yes.

MORIAL: Now we see retrenchment. Any retrenchment is not good for the long-term health and vitality of this nation.

Let me just say this. Sixty to 70 percent of Americans support diversity, equity and inclusion. Poll after poll after poll. The loud voices that you hear in opposition are not representative of the majority of the American people. We've got to keep that in mind.

CORNISH: But they are in control right now, in a lot of ways. So --

MORIAL: They are in control. And that's why we've got to activate those -- those of us who believe that equal opportunity is the American value. We've got to fight for it.

CORNISH: All right. Marc Morial, thank you so much --

MORIAL: Thank you. Always.

CORNISH: -- for coming in. We appreciate your time.

And Marc Morial, head of the National Urban League.

Now, still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to talk about Cassie Ventura returning to the witness stand in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. What the defense's strategy for her cross-examination could be.

And we're also learning more about President Biden's final months in office and the claims that he was isolated from his own cabinet.

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