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CNN This Morning
DOJ Indicts Attorney General Who Defeated Trump in Court; Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado; Israeli Forces Pulled from Parts of Gaza, Strikes Reported Friday; Gold Rush, Red Flag: Soaring Prices & Economic Concerns. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired October 10, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: And the voice actors from "KPop Demon Hunters."
[06:00:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG MENDEZ, COMIC CON ATTENDEE: This is actually probably my seventh New York City Comic Con. Love it. It's kind of being --like reconnecting with everything geek. And this is kind of being -- coming back to my tribe. So, when I'm here, I'm with my people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: New York City Comic Con continues through Sunday, October 12. Looks like a lot of fun.
Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's retribution continues. The top prosecutor in New York state indicted.
CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: His only goal is political retribution at any cost.
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CORNISH: Another Trump foe targeted by the Justice Department. The charges Letitia James now faces.
And phase one of the Gaza ceasefire plan approved. Why the U.S. is sending 200 troops to the region immediately.
And the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has just been awarded. Did a certain president take home the medallion?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D), CHICAGO: We are going to fight every single day with everything that we have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: A victory in court for the city of Chicago. President Trump's push to send in the National Guard now on hold.
And the price of gold soaring to an all-time high. Why that could mean dark days ahead for the U.S. economy.
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KENDRICK LAMAR, HIP-HOP STAR: Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young. You better not hella go to cell block one.
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CORNISH: And a big court ruling in that bitter feud between two of hip-hop's biggest stars.
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast, but this is a live look at Gaza as the Israeli military says a ceasefire is in effect as their troops begin to pull back.
Good morning, everybody. It is Friday, October 10. I want to thank you for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish, and here's where we start.
President Trump calls for the prosecution of his political enemies, and his Justice Department continues to oblige.
Letitia James was indicted Thursday in Alexandria, Virginia. The attorney general of New York faces two felony charges: bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York state attorney general. These charges are baseless. And the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: On September 20, the president posted a note to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking, "What about Comey, Adam "Shifty" Schiff, and Leticia [SIC]? They're all guilty as hell."
And then less than three weeks, two of them have been indicted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show. She's got serious Trump derangement syndrome. There's no question
about it. Letitia James, the corrupt attorney general of New York.
Did you ever watch her? I will get Donald Trump.
James ought to be looked at. She's like the puppet master of the judge.
Letitia James, a total crook. All they do is want to go after political opponents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, CNN senior reporter Edward- Isaac Dovere; Jonah Goldberg, co-founder and editor in chief of "The Dispatch"; and Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist.
Edward. Isaac. Sorry, Isaac, I want to ask you first, because "The Wall Street Journal" had been reporting that that note that the president had posted to Truth Social was supposed to be private; ended up public. Bondi was asked about it in a hearing. So, the quiet part is more or less said out loud.
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, I don't think there's any surprise or mystery of what's going on here. This was an indictment in search of a crime.
The president has made clear for a lot of -- a lot of time how much he wanted to have Tish James have some political retribution for the pretty obvious reasons why he doesn't like her. Because of all the cases that she was involved with, whether they're cases against him when he was president the first time or president now, related to the work of his administration or the things that she did as New York state attorney general to go after his business, the Trump Organization.
It -- it is just -- there's no -- again, there's no mystery to it. We all knew that this was coming. She knew it was coming so much that she had prerecorded that video to respond to it. This is --
[06:05:06]
CORNISH: Yes.
DOVERE: This is where we are.
CORNISH: That's a good point. I think we have a bit of it. Do you guys -- do we have a bit of her video already? But it's interesting watching her have that conversation. And Maria, I wanted to -- Oh, here we go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: What is fueling this campaign, what is fueling my soul right now is Trump and his abuses. Abuses against immigrants, against women, against our environment. We need an attorney general who will stand up to Donald Trump. And we
need an attorney general who understands and knows the law, and who recognizes that no one is above the law, including the president of these United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: And I want to compare this to what we heard from Jim Comey when his indictment was announced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant. And she's right. But I'm not afraid. And I hope you're not either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Very quick correction there. The tape of Letitia James was from 2018.
But I want to come to you, Maria, about what is an effective response in this scenario? What I hear from Comey and in James -- Letitia James' public comments is trying to make the case bigger than their own.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes.
CORNISH: And is that effective, or do people see these as private, petty battles?
CARDONA: Well, I think they're both. But, you know, they're not mutually exclusive.
They are very petty. They are focused on vindictiveness. They are focused on retribution. And Isaac is right. This should surprise none of us.
But it should outrage all of us, Audie, because this is a clear indication and an example of the massive weaponization of the Department of Justice to go after Donald Trump's enemies. Not go after people who are committing crimes against the country, who are committing crimes against the states, against American citizens. No. Who are pissing Donald Trump off and who he is really mad at for going after him.
And the thing that's different --
CORNISH: But the thing about James is he was always able to look at the campaign that she ran, look at the language that she used and say, this is lawfare.
And Jonah, I'm wondering for you at this point, maybe these terms are all meaningless, right? Weaponization of government; lawfare. But they do have implications beyond just these players. JONAH GOLDBERG, CO-FOUNDER/EDITOR IN CHIEF, "THE DISPATCH": Yes. Look,
I think what Letitia James did was really bad. I don't think the cases brought against Trump in New York were particularly impressive or solid. I think campaigning to prosecute somebody is kind of creepy for a prosecutor.
And, you know, I think what Trump is doing is much, much worse. But that's what slippery slopes are like. I mean, the way the conversation always is with this stuff is like, what? You know, you'll get Democrats to say, oh, this will be -- you know, we're starting a terrible precedent. This is going to be what happens when the Democrats get back in power. You're going to rue the day, regret it.
We've been on this slope for about 20 years now, with things getting progressively worse. Trump is making them get more bad. But the -- some of the prosecutions against Donald Trump were really just terribly politicized, bad ideas that helped reap this problem.
And some were actually rock-solid, like a lot of the Mar-a-Lago obstruction stuff. I think he was -- he was dead guilty of. But it gave Trump the ability to conflate all of them. And so, you get all this whataboutus stuff from people who say, well, the Democrats started it.
And it all basically boils down to the same argument, which is, you know, two wrongs make a right. And that's where -- that's where Trump is. And it gets really, really tedious. I agree with Maria entirely. It's not surprising at all, but it should be shocking.
CORNISH: All right, you guys stay with me. We've got a lot to talk about this hour.
Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, the price of gold hits a new record high: $4,000 per ounce. Why that could be the cause for concern.
Plus, Israel approves the first phase of a ceasefire deal. How the U.S. will play a role on the ground.
And counterprogramming. Turning Point USA planning their own All- American Halftime, because they don't want to see Bad Bunny.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're going to put on an all-American show when there is one already. Y'all do realize Bad Bunny is American. Or he -- or is he just not the American you want to see?
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CORNISH: New this morning, President Trump thought he was a contender, but the Nobel Committee went in a different direction. The woman known as Venezuela's "Iron Lady" is now the latest Nobel
Peace Prize recipient. Maria Corina Machado is known for leading Venezuela's opposition movement. She attempted to run as a presidential candidate in 2024, but Nicolas Maduro's regime blocked her from doing so.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee making the announcement just an hour ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERGEN WATNE FRYDNES, NORWEGIAN NOBEL COMMITTEE CHAIR: She's receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining me now, CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon.
Good morning, Stefano. And I'm actually hearing that at this point, Machado is in hiding, right? Because we are talking about her being an opposition figure in a brutal regime. So, can she even come to the ceremony?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, she most definitely not, Audie. Yes, Maria Corina Machado is currently in hiding. We understand that she is still in Venezuela, or that's at least what her team has been telling us the past few weeks and months, and even this morning.
[06:15:03]
Upon reaction to this announcement, they told us that she won't likely be able to -- to travel to Stockholm to pick up the prize unless something changes in the government structure in -- in Venezuela.
She's currently wanted for several crimes by the authoritarian government of Nicolas Maduro.
But looking at the broader picture, I think that this sends two messages. The first one is that, Audie, the Venezuelan -- the cause of the Venezuelan freedom and democracy remains very popular all around the world, and that the Venezuelan opposition have more allies than not just the U.S. White House. The current president, Donald Trump, who has been trying for weeks to put pressure on Nicolas Maduro, to oust him from power, without success so far.
And the second one is that, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize like a personal story. They like a good character that can rally the affection of the people behind her.
Maria Corina Machado has been a consistent, critical voice of the Venezuelan government since at least the early 2000s. She was one of the most critical voices against the former president, the late Hugo Chavez, and then against Nicolas Maduro.
She orchestrated a major electoral victory back in July 2024. She was not able to run herself but decided to stay in Venezuela and in hiding. And that, of course, it's a powerful personal story that probably the Nobel Peace Prize wanted to -- wanted to acknowledge -- Audie.
CORNISH: Well, this is great context, Stefano. Thank you so much.
(AUDIO GAP) The Israeli military (AUDIO GAP) are pulling back, but -- (AUDIO GAP) -- in the strip. Gaza's civil defense organization warned Palestinians not to return to occupied areas until Israel confirms its troops will be gone.
For Palestinian families, the next phase comes with a mixed bag of emotions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is a good feeling. Praise be to God. We are very happy about the announcement of the ceasefire and the end of the genocide: killing, displacement and destruction. But something is still missing. We have lost so many victims, the dead and the wounded, and we paid a heavy price.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am both happy and sad. Happy because there is a ceasefire and we may be able to return to our homes. But sad for those we lost: our sons who remain buried under the rubble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: In the meantime, celebrations in Hostage Square as families await the return of their loved ones. President Trump says that is coming soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages, and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: At some point very soon, we are going to see 20 living human beings emerge from the darkness into the light for the first time in two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss is Yaakov Katz. He's a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. He also coauthored a book, "While Israel Slept." I want to thank you for being here.
And first, to start, actually, with those images of the celebrations about the potential for these hostages to come home. Is there some nervousness, though? Right? This would be Hamas giving up what it has perceived and weaponized as leverage, these people.
YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR FELLOW, JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE: No, 100 percent, Audie, and that's why there's a lot of -- there's optimism, but it's very cautious here in Israel. People know that, over the next 72 hours, now that the ceasefire has
gone into effect, the Israeli military has pulled back to the pre- agreed-upon lines along the perimeter under the Trump plan.
So, basically, leaving about 30 to 40 percent of the Gaza Strip that it had been in control of, from 80 percent now down to 50 percent.
And now we wait to see that these 20 living hostages are going to be released sometime on Monday or Tuesday.
But let's not also forget that there's another 28 deceased hostages' bodies, and those, some of them Hamas is already saying they're having some difficulty finding.
So, what happens over the next 72 hours will tell us, of course, whether these hostages are actually going to be released. But as we've seen over the last two years, lots can go wrong, unfortunately, as we wait for this very important day to come.
CORNISH: I want to show you something that we have here, which is, at this point, "The Jerusalem Post" today, where you used to be the editor in chief, where it says -- it shows the hostages and President Trump's silhouette filled with the faces, these kind of images of hostages, both dead and alive, who remain in Gaza.
Is this reflective of Trump being the centerpiece in this? Is he getting all of the credit, even politically?
KATZ: Well, that's a very powerful front page of the newspaper today. And I think it definitely reflects the feeling here in Israel, among many people, that Donald Trump is the one who made this deal possible. And that, without Donald Trump, there would not have been a deal. And we would not be seeing, hopefully, the hostages getting out in just a few days.
[06:20:14]
Trump used the leverage that he had over Israel to get Israel to agree to this deal, and that took some convincing.
But definitely, getting the leverage on the Qataris and the Egyptians and the Turks to get them to put their pressure on Hamas to agree to this deal.
CORNISH: Yes.
KATZ: This wasn't simple, and it required a lot of personal and political capital on behalf of the president of the United States.
And I think that he used it very smartly in reaching a deal that secures Israel's long-term security interests, disarms Hamas, removes Hamas as the governing entity over the Gaza Strip, gets back the hostages.
But also pulls back the IDF and gives the people of Gaza, the innocent people of Gaza, an opportunity to begin to rebuild their lives, to reconstruct Gaza that has been largely devastated; and to hopefully take all of us who live in this region on a path towards stability, normalization. I don't want to yet say, "peace."
CORNISH: Right.
KATZ: But that could happen sometime in the future.
CORNISH: We're able to show images now of people there right along the water that's live in Gaza, in this moment where there is, at least, a pause in fighting.
And Yaakov Katz, thank you so much for talking to us.
KATZ: Thank you.
CORNISH: After the break on CNN THIS MORNING, it's a gold boom. Gold prices through the roof. But should that make us nervous?
Plus, the government shutdown officially hitting Americans wallets. Today's payday for more millions of federal workers.
And good morning, New York City. This is your sunrise.
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[06:26:00]
CORNISH: OK, the price of gold is hitting record highs. And the last time we saw a surge like this: when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Before that, the 2008 financial crisis. So, like, is the gold rush a red flag?
Here's what I do know: is that this week, gold surged past $4,000 an ounce for the first time, and analysts say it could go higher.
Soaring demand for gold is typically a warning sign for the economy. Experts say it points to questions about reliability and trust in central banks globally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN GRIFFIN, CEO, CITADEL LLC: Central banks around the world, as you see individual investors around the world go, you know what? I now view gold as a safe harbor asset in a way that the dollar used to be viewed. That's -- that's what's really concerning to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining us now to discuss, Robert Armstrong. He's a commentator at "The Financial Times."
Good morning, Robert. Thanks for being with us.
ROBERT ARMSTRONG, COMMENTATOR, "THE FINANCIAL TIMES": Great to be here. CORNISH: So, we just heard someone say, is this concerning? And I do
want to get a sense from you about who we're talking about when we say that the price is up and that there's bigger demand.
ARMSTRONG: Well, it's been a very interesting story. And about two years ago, the price of gold is half of what it is today. And only two or three times in history have we seen the yellow metal increase in price so quickly.
And I think it started, as that clip just suggested, with central banks around the world wanting to diversify their holdings of U.S. dollars a little bit and get into gold after the U.S., especially in the case of Russia, sort of weaponized the dollar in international politics. And that made other countries think, wow, maybe we ought to have a different resource on our books here, rather than being so dependent on the United States.
CORNISH: So, just so I'm clear about this, is it a little bit like when we looked at the bond market, and it started to get a little -- people were nervous there? Is this part of an overall trend of people around the world saying, I don't trust the United States and its economic policies enough to put all my golden eggs in that basket.
ARMSTRONG: I mean, I think it's been interesting that the trade has sort of transformed. It started with actions by global central banks a few years ago.
But like so many other Wall Street stories, this one took on momentum and life of its own. And I think your viewers will perhaps have had the experience recently of seeing more advertisements for gold on TV or on the Internet, as the price of gold has taken on a life of its own.
And there is this narrative, as you suggested, that what we're seeing is a response to inflation fears. And that, eventually, the United States, because it has so much debt, will have to inflate its way out of its debts.
The problem is that the rest of financial markets, we're not seeing that in -- in the strength of the dollar itself, in the bond market. So, we have a narrative about inflation, but this has turned into a classic fear of missing out retail trade.
CORNISH: Robert Armstrong, thank you so much for explaining it. Appreciate it.
ARMSTRONG: My pleasure.
CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, a judge blocks Guard troops from Illinois. But can the president get around that?
Plus, she captured the nation's heart during Loyola's March Madness run. We remember Sister Jean.
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