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Venezuelan President Announces Sweeping Changes to Government; Marine Le Pen Criticized for Plagiarizing Speech; Donald Trump Walks Out of Interview. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired May 02, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:00:19] JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump is sending shockwaves through the international community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, HOST: Shocking to some, successful to others, but undeniably unique. From North Korea to Moscow to the Middle East, U.S.
President Donald Trump's diplomacy is in the spotlight. We're in Seoul, Moscow, and Jerusalem in just a moment.
Also, looming large this hour, Le Pen accused of not penning her own speech. But France's far right presidential hopeful says she deliberately
cribbed a defeated rivals words, the who, what and why of this coming up.
Plus, crashes in Venezuela as President Maduro announces sweeping plans to change how the country is governed. We're live in Caracas this hour.
Hello and welcome to Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones live for you in London for the program.
He has bucked the establishment, overturned convention and followed his instincts all to put his own personal presidential stamp on the world's
most pressing problems.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He understands the type of diplomacy and the type of negotiating, the type of deal making that
actually gets real results for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: It's an approach that will see Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visit the White House on Wednesday. Mr. Trump is also
keeping the lines of communication open with Russia.
In around an hour-and-a-half from now, he will pick up the phone to the Russia president, Vladimir Putin, and when it comes to North Korea, Mr.
Trump has suggested a meeting no other sitting American president has ever taken.
CNN's Joe Johns has the details on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely -- I would be honored to do it
under the right circumstances.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump sending shock waves through the international community with the prospect of an American
president meeting with North Korea's brutal dictator, Kim Jong-un, after praising the nuclear armed despot a day earlier.
TRUMP: At a very young age he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away. He was able to do it. So
obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie.
OHNS: The president also issuing an impromptu White House invitation to The Philippines' authoritarian president, Rodrigo Duterte, who has overseen a
deadly crackdown on drugs and openly bragged about killing people. The president's willingness to cozy up to rogue leaders with atrocious human
rights records is sparking criticism from both sides of the aisle.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: What you do is you legitimize a person who is one of the really bad actors in the world.
JOHNS: White House press secretary Sean Spicer left to clean up the mess, defending Trump's praise of Kim Jong-un.
SPICER: He is still the head of state. So it's -- it is sort of -- there's a diplomatic piece to this.
JOHNS: And the invitation to Duterte, who has since rebuffed Trump, saying he may be too busy to visit.
SPICER: It is an opportunity for us to work with countries in that region that can help play a role in diplomatically and economically isolating
North Korea.
JOHNS: These aren't the only eyebrow-raising comments from the president. In an interview with Sirius XM, Mr. Trump made this perplexing argument
that the Civil War, fought over slavery, could have been avoided.
TRUMP: Had Andrew Jackson been a little bit later you wouldn't have had the Civil War. He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard
to the Civil War and he said, "There's no reason for this."
JOHNS: The problem: Andrew Jackson had been dead for 16 years when the Civil War started and was also a slave owner. President Trump later
acknowledging this fact on Twitter while insisting President Jackson, quote, "saw it coming."
Trump also defending his unproven claim that President Obama illegally wiretapped his phone, refusing to answer questions about his charge that
Obama is a bad or sick guy.
JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS: You stand by that claim?
TRUMP: I don't stand by anything.
JOHNS: Before abruptly ending the interview with CBS. TRUMP: You don't have to ask me.
DICKERSON: Why not?
TRUMP: Because I have my own opinions. You can have your own opinions.
DICKERSON: But I want to know your opinions. You're the president of the United States.
TRUMP: That's enough. Thank you.
JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:05:01] JONES: Well, for more now on Donald Trump's somewhat unique approach to the foreign policy challenges facing him, I'm joined by CNN
reporters around the world. Alexandra Field is coming to us from Seoul, Diana Magnay is in Moscow, Ian Lee is live in Jerusalem.
Welcome to you all.
Alex, I want to start with you in South Korea. How are the South Koreans responding, reacting to these bizarre comments from Donald Trump saying
that he would be honored to meet Kim Jong-un.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're not responding entirely with just one voice, Hannah, but you do have to take the word honored, and
you can agree, but most people find that word choice pretty stunning in this case.
Though you do have people who do feel that any new approach to North Korea could be a good idea. You have others who have always advocated for more
openness and dialogue with North Korea, and then you have those who are very concerned that even the suggestion of direct talks between the U.S.
and North Korea without South Korea being present - don't forget the last time that negotiations and talks with North Korea broke down, this involved
a six-way talk, six parties involved here.
The official response that we're hearing from officials here in South Korea doesn't address the use of the word honored, and it doesn't take on the
idea of President Donald Trump sitting down directly with Kim Jong-un, instead officials here are talking more broadly, reaffirming that it has
been the longstanding position of both the U.S. and South Korea to leave the door open for the possibility of talks with North Korea if North Korea
is able to show that they are on a path to denuclearization, and that does echo what you did hear inside the White House briefing room from Sean
Spicer who made it clear that there were certain benchmarks that North Korea would have to meet to show their seriousness before conditions would
be considered right for such talks.
But this was another opportunity for the Chinese to come out. They have obviously continued to endorse the idea of open dialogue with North Korea.
It's something that they continue to advocate for. They've gone so far as to suggest that the U.S. should drop the joint military exercises with
South Korea that typically enrage Pyongyang in order to take a first step toward facilitating conditions during which de-nuclearlization could then
be discussed, Hannah.
But that word honored leaving a lot of people scratching their heads, to say the least.
JONES: You have to wonder, though, Alex, whether there's a method to the madness here. There's been stalemate with North Korea for so long now,
perhaps an unprecedented move like this is necessary just to break the mold.
FIELD: And this does not diverge completely from what you have heard President Trump saying before when he was a candidate. He did talk about
the possibility of having more dialogue with North Korea and discussion with Kim Jong-un directly. I think it was the use of that word honored
that really caught people off-guard. You couple that with his use of the word "smart cookie" to describe Kim Jong-un and it's left people perhaps
somewhat confused.
But put it into context, this is the same president who last week said publicly that he doubted that Kim Jong-un was a very strong leader.
You have seen some kind of clarity from the White House on what the direction will be with regard to North Korea recently. They have said that
they hoped that diplomacy is the approach that words. At the same time, still beefing up the military presence now with two U.S. bombers that have
flown over the Korean peninsula, North Korea calling that a provocative action. U.S. and South Korean officials saying those bombers are part of
training exercises, another show of strength from the U.S. and a possible deterrent against further provocation from Pyongyang - Hannah.
JONES: Alex, thank you.
Diana Magnay is standing by for us in Moscow. Diana, it's been a busy day or - of diplomacy, rather, for President Putin. He is soon to speak to
President Trump on the phone, we understand. This is the first time that these two have spoken since, of course, those U.S. airstrikes on Syria. Do
we expect Syria to top the agenda again?
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Syria will be the main discussion point, we believe. But there is very little common ground that
these two leaders have on Syria beyond a shared dislike, if you will, of ISIS. Fundamentally, they disagree on the role of the Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad in any future political protest there. And of course the Tomahawk cruise missile strike by the U.S. in response to that chemical
attack was described by President Putin as an act of aggression against a sovereign state, a violation of international law, which has brought U.S.-
Russia relations to a very, very low level.
And when you contrast that with the expectations at President Trump's inaugurations, you see how Syria has alongside these allegations of hacking
of the U.S. election, brought relations between the two countries to a low level.
It was interesting because today President Putin was meeting with a German Chancellor in Sochi and addressed, once again, the issue of Russia's
alleged interference in the U.S. election. This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We would never intervene in the political process of other countries, that's the first
thing I would just say. But secondly, you (inaudible) example of the U.S., which hasn't been confirmed by anything or anybody. It's just rumors,
which were being used - utilized by the American media industry, and particularly with regard to political process in Europe as well, that is
absolutely out of the question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MAGNAY: Bear in mind, this is the third telephone call that President Putin has had with the Ameircan president since he was inaugurated. Three calls
in 100 days, more than four months. It is not very much when you think of what the expectation was. And Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman said
last week that any idea, any thoughts of an actual meeting were, at this stage, wishful thinking. We'll see whether today's phone call changes
that, Hannah.
JONES: Yeah, and we'll see, of course, if we get any details, a readout what the two men talk about. Diana, thank you.
Now, ahead of President Donald Trump and President Mahmoud Abbas, that's the Palestinian Authority leaders meeting on Wednesday, tomorrow, the
Palestinian militant group Hamas has unveiled a new policy document that appears to accept a Palestinian State along the 1967 borders. But Hamas,
led by Khaled Mashal still refuses to recognize Israel.
Our Ian Lee is in Jerusalem for us following this story.
Ian, a softening of an approach towards Israel by Hamas. How is Israel reacting to it, then?
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Israel, Hannah, is saying that this is the same Hamas today that it was two days ago, that there is
really no change to this organization, that they're trying to fool everyone, pull the wool over the world's eyes. So, they say they are still
trying to continue their objective, which is what they say is the destruction of Israel.
So, from the Israelis it's the same Hamas, but for others, for the Palestinians that we've spoken with from a different sections of the
political spectrum, they have different opinions. You have Mustafa Barghouti (ph) who is a prominent Palestinian politician saying that this
shows Hamas maturing in their political speech, you also have Mohamed Shataya (ph) who is an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
saying that great you are decades late to the ideas that we came with and came to in Fatah, but now lets have reconciliation talks.
So, there's a wide range of views about this new Hamas charter, but there are real three big things in it that are different from the old one. That
being that 1967 border, also a split of sorts from the Muslim Brotherhood saying that they are now a nationalistic political movement, and also
saying that Jews are not their enemy, but their enemy, as Hamas calls it, are Zionists, or Israelis, Hannah.
JONES: Ian, just briefly, if you can, this meeting between President Trump and Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow, what can we expect?
LEE: Well, this is going to be a big meeting. And speaking to the people around the Palestinian president, they say he's hopeful. He's eager for
this.
The one big change that they said that's different from past presidents is that they have a direct line to the White House. They say the White House
is dealing directly with this issue, with the Palestinians. It isn't, they say, going through the State Department as it has in the past. And this is
what's giving some hope that because the president is putting his reputation on the line, that there could be more movement. But there's
still a long ways to go.
One of the big issues that they're going to be talking about is settlements, and since President Trump's inauguration, there had been an
announcement of thousands of settlement - new settlement units. And that's a real stumbling block for the Palestinians. They say that has got to stop
- Hannah.
JONES: OK, Ian Lee, Alexandra Field, Diana Magnay, thank you all for your analysis.
Now we turn to some other stories on our radar today. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has met with the Russian president, Vladimir
Putin, as we were just hearing there. And our meeting came amid rising tensions between their countries over Ukraine and Syria.
After the meeting, Mr. Putin called for an impartial investigation into last month's poison gas attack in Syria's Idlib Province.
It is the final day of the current British parliament. In a few hours, it will be dissolved ahead of a general election next month. The government
will remain until the vote, which takes place on June 8.
Republican leaders in the United States once again trying to push through an Obamacare repeal, but just like before the party is struggling to unite
around the revised bill. The White House had pushed for a vote this week, but it's unclear if that will happen.
Well, last month, President Trump's political rival, Hillary Clinton, said it was gratifying to see him realize how complex health care can be. You
can watch her, Hillary Clinton, speaking live with our Christiane Amanpour, in just over an hour. That's a 1:00 p.m. in New York, 6:00 p.m. here in
London.
Still to come on the program this evening, the French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen fights back against allegations of plagiarism.
With the election just five days away, can she pull off a win. Politico's Nicholas Vinocur is my guest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:17:41] JONES: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. Welcome back.
The second round of the French presidential election is now just five days away. And opinion polls released just in the last 24 hours suggest Marine
Le Pen lagging far behind Emmanuel Macron by about 20 points.
Now, Le Pen is fighting accusations of plagiarism. Melissa Bell explains from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hannah, we are just days away now from that crucial second round of voting in France's presidential
poll with the French electorate being asked to choose between those two very visions of what France might be. On one hand, the one set out by the
far right's Marine Le Pen. On the other, the almost diametrically opposed vision being set out by the centrist Emmanuel Macron.
So, no surprise at this stage, given the changes that are on offer, given the differences between the two candidates, the words of each are being
extremely carefully watched and measured, especially given the number of undecided voters that there are out there.
Now, yesterday was the 1st of May. Marine Le Pen, the far right leader, marks the occasion with a speech that it was very quickly noticed resembled
another speech that had been delivered just two weeks before by her former rival, the mainstream Republican candidate Francois Fillon. Have a listen
to the two of them.
FRANCOIS FILLON, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): People learn our language, sometimes at great expense, in Argentina, or
Poland, if there are waiting lists to sign up for the Alliance Francaise school in Shanghai, Tokyo, Mexico.
MARINE LE PEN, NATIONAL FRONT PARTY (through translator): People learn our language, sometimes at great expense, in Argentina, or Poland, if there are
waiting lists to sign up for the Alliance Francaise school in Shanghai, Tokyo, Mexico.
BELL: Now, you don't have to speak much French at all to realize that that is exactly the same speech delivered in the same order using the same words
and almost the same cadences.
Now, what's pointed out very quickly on social media and whipped up a sort of storm around what Marine Le Pen had been hoping to achieve by so clearly
lifting the words of the man who just until Sunday the 23rd of April had been her opponent.
Now in fact her campaign team now say this was deliberate, a deliberate strategy to show those voters of Francois Fillon that they can now back
Marine Le Pen without any fear. She is a woman, she claims, who speaks their language.
Because of course this is the really interesting part of the runup to the second round of voting where the two candidates are trying to convince the
electorate of the candidates that have now been pushed out of the race that they can (inaudible) them.
And given the redrawing of the political lines here in France with the two mainstream parties knocked out before the second round. There is
everything to play for. With Marine Le Pen hoping to get not only votes from the far left, Jean-Luc Melenchon disappointed voters, but also as we
heard there from the voters of Francois Fillon.
By Sunday evening at about 8:00 p.m., we should have a clear idea, at least, of which of the two candidates France has chosen - Hannah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:20:30] JONES: Exciting times. Melissa there.
Well, as Melissa reported, Le Pen is trying to win over supporters of her former rival, Francois Fillon, even going as far as to use his words in a
speech on Monday. But she is still trailing far behind Emmanuel Macron. So, how could she possibly pull out a win?
Well, our next guest examines that question in a new piece for Politico. Journalist Nicholas Vinocur joins me now from Paris. Nicholas, welcome to
the program. Thank you for joining us.
I want to ask you first of all about these polls. So much has been said about them. It looks like that Macron is 20 points ahead. I mean, we
should rely on them. We know that they can be unpredictable at times. But is it plausible at all that Le Pen could pull this off?
NICHOLAS VINOCUR, JOURNALIST: Well, we said that there's a very narrow path to victory. And that's also to keep the suspense going in the final
days, but it's true that she is a very, very steep hill to climb. She needs to win 3 million votes of people who have never voted for her before
in order to win the election. So, it's a long shot.
But there is a way that she could manage to get there. And it goes through winning over conservative votes, but also getting left-wing voters to stay
home. And if that rings a bell, it's because it sort of echoes what Donald Trump did in the United States in his election.
JONES: And actually I just want to bring in part of your article as well where you referenced that in particular. I just want to read out part of
it to our viewers.
You write, populist go, the suppression tactic echoes Trump's campaign strategy by targeting potential Hillary Clinton supporters with negative
material in crucial states. The Republican candidate swung the votes in his direction. Le Pen wants to do the same.
Le Pen is obviously trying to ride the populist wave in a similar way to how Donald Trump did in the United States. I mean, are there clear
parallels, though, between what she's doing and what he did?
VINOCUR: Well, the parallels are obviously speaking to a base opposing globalization, talking about a sort of nationalist America first, or France
first agenda. Those are the political parallels. Obviously the situation, the landscape is extremely different in both countries.
But we're talking about that technique, trying to get elected by getting your opponent's voters to stay home. There are definitely parallels to
see. I sighted a leaflet that was broadly distributed between the two rounds of the election which addressed Jean-Luc Melenchon, far left voters
directly telling them stay home, don't vote for Emmanuel Macron. He's going to be - not be the president that you want.
And we've seen Le Pen push that line in going into the final round. She knows that this is one of the only ways she can pull of a win on Sunday.
And she's going to give it her best.
JONES: And I guess that's why she's almost being shameless really about this whole plagiarism row and so say stealing Francois Fillon's words. I
mean, she's not denying that she's done it. She's done it very deliberately, because she's trying to win over those conservative voters.
VINOCUR: Absolutely. This is one of the main parts of her strategy, which is becoming the default candidate for the right in France. The National
Front is always been an outsider party. It's been toxic to sort of regular well to do, bourgeois conservative voters. And by taking these words,
literally taking them out of Francois Fillon's mouth and repeating them, she is saying, well, now I am the default candidate. I'm somebody you can
trust. And that's been the message she's been given to them all week long saying don't be afraid. I'm not - I don't represent an extreme, I
represent something you can trust.
But it remains to be seen whether they'll follow and whether they'll believe her.
JONES: And she's going to need the far left to stay away, I guess, when it comes to Sunday.
How important, with that in mind, is turnout going to be?
VINOCUR: Well, turnout is going to be crucial in this election. One of the big unknowns is whether Marine Le Pen supporters are going to turn out
in the same numbers as Emmanuel Macron's supporters.
The one scenario that we've been looking at under which Marine Le Pen can win this election requires Emmanuel Macron supporters to stay home, his
potential supporters, to stay home, to abstain in great numbers, only about 70 percent turnout. And a very high turnout for potential Marine Le Pen's
supporters above 90 percent.
If you get that differential, that big difference in abstention rates between her supporters and his supporters, then she has a small chance.
But as the numbers stand now, there is really no clear path to victory for her.
JONES: A fascinating race it will be, a fascinating dynamic really across the whole of France. Nicholas Vinocur, thank you very much for joining us.
Nicholas is with Politico.
And you can read more about the challenges facing Le Pen's opponent, Emmanuel Macron, on our website. Just go to CNN.com/Europe to check out
the piece Macron's to Lose.
The latest world news headlines are just ahead on Connect the World. Plus, calls for constitutional change by Venezuela's beleaguered president. But
the problems there aren't just political. We'll explain how the country is in a dire economic state.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
JONES: Republican leaders in the United States are trying to round up enough votes to push through a new health care bill. And Republican
members of the House just held a meeting on Capitol Hill.
House Speaker Paul Ryan signaled he won't bring an appeal of Obamacare to a vote unless he's sure it has enough support.
Well, as Suzanne Malveaux now reports, the Republicans could be headed for another political failure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Vice President, have you got the votes on health care? Are you going to get it passed?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare in jeopardy again. The White House ramping up
pressure on House Republicans to bring the new bill to a vote this week, despite wavering confidence in its fate.
[11:30:13] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do we have the votes for health care? I think we do.
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're getting closer and closer every day. But we're not there yet.
MALVEAUX: CNN's latest whip count has 21 House Republicans planning to vote against the bill, which means they can only afford to lose one more vote or
it fails. A big gamble for President Trump, considering 18 other lawmakers remain undecided. Some Republicans warning the "no" count could be even
higher.
REP. CHARLIE DENT (R), PENNSYLVANIA: There are probably a few more "no" votes than 21 at the moment. I don't know what the exact number is. I've
heard numbers saying it's within, you know, two or three votes and as many as ten. So I would suspect it's probably closer to ten than two or three.
MALVEAUX: The core issue: how patients with preexisting conditions would be covered under the new plan. President Trump insisting the bill will protect
them, telling Bloomberg News, "I want it to be good for sick people. It's not in its final form right now. It will be every bit as good on
preexisting conditions as Obamacare."
But the bill actually allows states to apply for a waiver, allowing insurers to raise premiums on those with preexisting conditions, a change
that's attracted House Freedom Caucus members but alienated moderates.
In a surprise defection, Congressman Billy Long, who supported the first bill, withdrawing his support, complaining it "strips away any guarantee
that preexisting conditions would be covered and affordable."
President Trump's lack of understanding about what's in the bill growing more apparent, the White House attempting to clarify the president's mixed
messages.
SPICER: What the president is doing is ensuring, going forward, as we attempt to repeal and replace it, that preexist -- coverage of preexisting
conditions is at the core of that. So that is something that he has ensured is in the current bill and will continue to push for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Suzanne Malveaux reporting there.
To Venezuela now where opposition figures are strongly denouncing President Nicolas Maduro's plans to change the constitution. A new body, which would
be elected in secret, would have the power to do just that.
Venezuela's problems don't end with politics, though, the economy is in a death spiral with skyrocketing inflation, job cuts and a food crisis. The
belt tightening in the country is quite literal. Last year, the average Venezuelan lost nearly nine kilos in weight. And 32 percent of the
population eats less than two meals a day.
Chronic food shortages in government and retail supermarkets means many have to turn to the black market just to find basic goods. And as you'd
expect all of that comes at some price. Powedered milk can sell for up to 100 times its official price at a staggering $700. Same for maize flour,
which is a staple of Venezuelan cuisine, selling for up to $300 and even a dozen eggs, up to $150. It is simply unaffordable for most people.
Let's go live now to the Venezuelan capital Caracas. Freelance Journalist Stefano Pozzebon is there for us. Stefano, good to have you on the
program.
These are staggering statistics coming from Venezuela. You get the impression the economic problems there are so deep that there really is no
way out for President Maduro.
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Certainly feels that way, Hannah. I was just out on the street a couple of hours ago, and I was speaking with
people who were protesting against the latest decision to call for a redraft of the constitution and asking what is the single most important
thing that the new - the government or whoever is in charge here in Venezuela will have to focus. And I say it's food.
I mean, for most of the people, the politics game, the politics stalemate we have in opposition and a government who refuse to sit down at the same
table is simply very, very far from their everyday reality, or the realities that it cannot find food to put on the table for their children,
they cannot find medicines for the loved ones who are sick, or get injured. And that is what is occupying most of Venezuelan's minds at the moment.
JONES: Yeah, these rallies, these protests have been going on for some time now.
I'm wondering, is there an effective political opposition in the country that would be ready to go were Nicholas Maduro ousted?
POZZEBON: It's very tricky to predict anything that is happening here in Venezuela, because in the last few weeks we have seen so many developments,
and sudden developments.
The opposition at the moment feels it's very united in saying that the current government needs to go and the free election, free general election
needs to happen as soon as possible so that Venezuela can get a new leadership to rule the country.
But at the same time, the most vocal leader, and the most charismatic leader of the opposition, Henrique Capriles, was put (inaudible) was
intended to run for office for the next 15 years just a couple of weeks ago. So, the opposition quite paradoxically finds itself in this situation
of asking and demanding for free election, free general election as soon as possible, but risky not to have a candidate to field against the current
president Nicholas Maduro.
[11:35:27] JONES: Stefano, in the short-term, thee constitutional changes put forward by Maduro, are they likely to be accepted?
POZZEBON: It's very - I wouldn't say accepted, because let's remember, the whole unrest that erupted last month in April was because on March 29, the
Supreme Court announced on a sentence that they were trying to oust power from the parliament and taking on themselves.
Now, the new constitutional change, who has effectively killed the current legislation and put new general election for a new constitutional assembly.
So, if ousting power from parliament caused a month-long of (inaudible) unrest and people on the street what is completely changing the form of the
state going to take? that is the big question that Maduro has to answer?
JONES: Stefano Pozzebon in Caracas, thank you very much indeed.
Live now from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up on the program, a CNN investigation uncovers the story of an FBI employee who married the
ISIS fighter she was investigating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: You're watching CNN, this is Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in for Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
Now, this could be the plot of a Hollywood movie, a German rapper turned ISIS fighter marries an FBI translator, then the wife turns on her
terrorist husband.
Now, the FBI is trying to explain how someone with top security - secret security clearance became an ISIS bride.
Drew Griffin has the details in this exclusive story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language spoken).
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORREPSONDENT: He is known by ISIS as the German, Abu Talha al-Almani, a notorious ISIS fighter and recruiter. A former German
rapper who in intense and disturbing videos called for violent jihad and proudly held the severed head of an ISIS victim. Denis Cuspert is his real
name. A German national targeted by the United States as a specially- designated global terrorist who survived a U.S. missile strike in 2015 and
is believed to be still alive somewhere in ISIS-controlled Syria.
What has not been disclosed until now is that an FBI employee with top secret clearance lied to her bosses, secretly traveled to Syria, and
married Cuspert for a short time, becoming the ISIS bride of the very terrorist she was assigned to investigate. That now-former employee is
Daniela Greene, her face obscured due to concerns for her safety. Having violated the public trust and endangered our nation's security, according
to federal prosecutors, Greene served just two years in prison and is now free. She wouldn't answer CNN's questions, saying if I talk to you my
family will be in danger.
The information about her case comes from previously sealed court documents, the records unsealed only after Greene finished cooperating with
authorities and after prosecutors asked the judge to make them public. "Unsealing these documents," they write, "will allow appropriate public
access to this case."
Greene, who was already married, traveled to Syria in the summer of 2014 and not only spent time in the company of members of ISIS but ended up
marrying an infamous ISIS terrorist.
[11:40:56] GEORG HEIL, FREELANCE JOURNALIST: He is calling upon his followers to commit attacks inside Europe. He says "Europe is the new
battleground." He says go and slaughter them and ambush them, shed their blood, take hostages, kill them.
GRIFFIN: Daniela Greene, according to people who knew her, was born in Czechoslovakia, raised in Germany, met and married a U.S. Army soldier. The
U.S. Army brought her husband to South Carolina where Greene enrolled in Clemson University's history department seeking her master's degree.
ALAN GRUBB, CLEMSON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: Daniela was a very hardworking, conscientious student.
GRIFFIN: Professor Alan Grubb was Greene's thesis advisor and a few years after graduation the FBI hired Greene as a translator, assigning her to the
Detroit field office. She was tasked with helping investigate a terrorist labeled "Individual A" in court documents. CNN has learned "Individual A"
is the German rapper turned ISIS fighter, Denis Cuspert. Greene was able to track the terrorist using three Skype accounts, but it turns out the FBI
knew of only two. Greene had sole access to a third Skype account.
And in June 2014, Greene told her supervisor she was making a trip to Germany to visit family. Instead, she flew through Toronto to Istanbul,
traveled south to Gaziantep, Turkey, crossed the Syrian border with the help of the terrorists and disappeared. There, in ISIS-controlled Syria,
government prosecutors say Daniela Greene met up with the ISIS terrorist and not only married him but told him she was employed by the FBI and that
the FBI had an open investigation into his activities. Professor Alan Grubb says any tale involving terrorism simply could not involve the Daniela
Greene he knew.
So, if I told you that she got wrapped up in a terrorist investigation where she's the target, I would assume that you would find that hard to
believe?
GRUBB: I would be dumbfounded by that. It would be hard to believe. I don't think there's anything in her background that would suggest to me, or any
of the people she worked with here, proclivities in that direction. So yes, I would be surprised.
GRIFFIN: Shortly after arriving in Syria, Daniela Greene had a change of heart and within weeks was sending emails back to the United States. "I was
weak," she wrote in one. "I really made a mess of things this time." The following day she wrote, "I am gone and I can't come back. I am in Syria. I
am in a very harsh environment and I don't know how long I will last here, but it doesn't matter. It's all a little too late." She went on, "I will
probably go to prison for a long time if I come back, but that is life."
On August 6, 2014, Daniela Greene left Syria, left ISIS, and did return to the United States where she was immediately arrested. Unlike other
terrorism-related cases, Daniela Greene's arrest and plea deal would receive no publicity at all from the Department of Justice. The case
quietly hidden, court records sealed for months. Even after her case became a matter of public record, still silence. A look on the FBI and the
Department of Justice websites show page after page of press releases about similar terrorism arrests over the years, but this one stayed buried until
now.
SCOTT GLOVER, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: This is a very wild tale involving terrorism, the FBI, matters of national security, and it's hard
to imagine that there would not be public interest in it.
GRIFFIN: CNN investigative reporter Scott Glover discovered the court documents.
GLOVER: I think it's a fair assessment to say it's embarrassing when an employee with a top secret national security clearance secretly travels to
Syria and marries a terrorist who is the subject of the investigation that she's working on.
GRIFFIN: What is even more stunning about this secretive case is how it ended. Greene began cooperating with the FBI immediately upon her arrest.
She pleaded guilty to making false statements involving international terrorism, though the government said she skirted a line dangerously close
to other, more serious charges. The assistant U.S. attorney wrote, "The nature and circumstances of this offense warrant serious punishment."
Similar cases have ended in sentences of eight, 10, 15 years in federal prison. Greene was sentenced to just two. According to prosecutors, it was
because of her cooperation. She's already out, on probation, but free.
The FBI had little to say about this case other than to tell us that because of Daniela Greene's case, the bureau had taken steps to identify
and reduce what they call vulnerabilities. As for the seemingly light two year sentence, a Department of Justice official told CNN that it's actually
in line with other defendants who have lied to the FBI in terrorism cases, but htne offered significant cooperation once they were under arrest.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Drew, thank very much. An extraordinary story there.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Still to come this hour, one of America's funniest late night hosts takes a break from the jokes to tell
the heart wrenching story of his newborn son's health problems.
Plus, we'll see what's behind the latest big name departure from Fox News? All that is coming up after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:46:31] JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY KIMMEL: This poor kid, this is what he looked like on Monday, but this is what he looked like
yesterday. Poor kid, not only did he get a bad heart, he got my face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Funnyman Jimmy Kimmel there being, well, Jimmy Kimmel. But the late night talk show host also got serious and very, very personal too
while talking about his newborn son.
It was a moment that for millions of people humanized the U.S. health care debate in one heartbreaking incident. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMMEL: They did an echocardiogram, which is a sonogram of the heart and found that Billy was born with a heart disease, something called tetralogy
of fallot with pulmonary atresia. We put the baby in an ambulance to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and on Monday morning, Dr. Starns (ph)
opened his chest and fixed one of the two defects of his heart. And went in there with a scalpel and did some kind of magic that I couldn't even
begin to explain.
He opened the valve and the operation was a success. It was the longest three hours of my life.
(APPLAUSE)
KIMMEL: We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago millions and millions of us had no
access to health insurance at all.
You know, before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you'd never be able to get health
insurance because you had a preexisting condition. You were born with a preexisting condition. And if your parents didn't have medical insurance
you might not live long enough to ever get denied because of a preexisting condition.
If your baby is going to die, and it doesn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make. I think that's something now, whether you're a
Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right? I mean, we do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Well, Jimmy Kimmel's son will need two follow-up operations, but he's already been able to bring little Billy home.
Now the hits just keep on coming for the Fox News network. First, CEO Roger Ailes was forced out for sexual harassment allegations, then came the
host Bill O'Reilly, now Fox News co-president Bill Shine has resigned. He's not accused of any harassing behavior, but some former Fox employees
say he covered up the wrongdoing of others.
Let's bring in CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter. Brian, the hits just keep on coming as we say for Fox. how is this all going down
within Fox itself?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: A lot of shock and confusion at the network, which continues to have a very high ratings. But behind the
scenes has been beset by these scandals and controversies all, of course, all of it starting with Gretchen Carlson, a Fox News anchor, suing her boss
Roger Ailes last July, accusing him of sexual harassment.
There's been a domino effect since then. Ailes forced out his job as other women came forward with similar allegations. Then. in April Bill O'Reilly
also stepping aside from his top rated program because of allegations against him.
As you said, Bill Shine, who was essentially promoted to run the channel ones Ailes was ousted. Bill Shine has not been directly accused of any
harassment behavior, or behavior like that, but he has stood accused in various lawsuits of knowing what was going on, not doing enough to stop it,
not doing enough to clean house at the network.
So, what we see here are the Murdochs - Rupert Murdoch and his sons James and Lachlan, three of the most powerful men in the media business, trying
to figure out how to move this network forward, how to really bring it into the 21st Century.
[11:50:21] JONES: One would imagine there's quite a lot of legal advice being sought by people on both sides of the aisle at Fox News at the moment
- on screen, off screen , employers, employees. I mean, who is next?
STELTER: I wish I had an answer for you on that. You think about how much is changed at Fox News in the past year - Bill O'Reilly gone, Megyn Kelly
gone for other reasons. Other anchors like Greta Van Susteren also leaving. The biggest star now on the schedule is Sean Hannity. He's the
only guy in prime time who was there a year ago, otherwise the schedule has been totally revamped.
There has been buzz, rumors this week that maybe he is looking for a way out also. He has denied that, but there is curiosity about whether anybody
else is going to be leaving on air, you know, on the schedule, and then off air, whether - some of the other executives who have been at this network
for many years are going to lose their jobs.
The bottom line here is that Roger Ailes, he ran this channel with an iron fist for 20 years. And there was some bad behavior behind the scenes. We
know that. That's been documents. He has denied the harassment allegations, but even putting those aside, if that's possible, other bad
behavior behind the scenes is being investigated by federal government investigators here in the United States, justice department investigators
looking into the conduct of staffers.
So, the questions becomes if you had Ailes running this network and engaging in some shady practices, what about all of his deputies who are
still there? All the people now running the channel that still have their jobs have all been promoted that were working for Ailes for 20 years.
The question is whether those executives are going to be the next to go.
JONES: And Fox's commercial enterprise, its commercial ventures now, we know that 21st Century Fox is still trying to take over the remaining
portion of Sky here in the UK. Is that still potentially going to be impacted by this scandal?
STELTER: This might be the most important part of the whole story. The government - the British regulators, Ofcom, have to determine between now
and June whether the Murdochs are fit and proper to own all of Sky. Fit and proper, the important language meaning these are going to be good,
corporate stewards, good, corporate citizens, that they are all respectable and appropriate to be going through wit these deal?
That's a unique sort of thing. And the United States there isn't a version of that, that the Murdochs have to contend with. But in Britain, there is.
So, between now and June, that's what regulators are going to be looking. And there is a belief among media observers that the Murdochs are having to
make these moves at Fox News partly because they're concerned about losing the Sky deal.
Rupert Murdoch has wanted this Sky deal for so long. He's been seeking it for so long. The question of whether this American scandal is going to
affect him across the pond.
JONES: Brian, always great to talk to you. Brian Stelter, thanks very much indeed.
Now there is an art to terminating tough interviews and that's the focus of tonight's Parting Shots. Donald Trump has talked to a lot of reporters
over the years at times getting so frustrated with the line of questioning that he just brings it to an abrupt stopped. As Jeanne Moos now reports,
he's just done it again. This time, though, in the Oval Office.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can have your own opinions.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What really made it more than enough.
TRUMP: That's enough.
MOOS: Was the dismissive wave, interview over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I want to know your opinion? You're the president of the United States.
TRUMP: It's enough. Thank you. Thank you very much.
MOOS: CBS's John Dickerson was thank you-ed right out the door. And 27 years earlier it was Donald Trump who walked out after tough questions from
CNN about the financial health of his casinos.
TRUMP: Back to the negative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back to the negative.
TRUMP: You know what, do this interview with somebody else.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We talked about this yesterday on the phone.
TRUMP: Do the interview with somebody else, really. You don't need this. Do it with somebody else.
MOOS: Instead of "thank you," it was "good luck."
TRUMP: I think it's very unfair. Good luck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry you feel that way.
MOOS: Actually, Trump's walkouts are rare when you consider how many hundreds, even thousands of interviews he's done over the years. He's never
come close to terminating me, though as a presidential candidate Trump walked off on two Ohio TV reporters in a single day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And 19 days out from the election you've been labeled a racist, you've been called a sexist.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you respond to that?
TRUMP: I am the least racist person you've ever met.
MOOS: This after a woman came out accusing Trump of touching her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know the woman came out about you groped her, can you talk about allegations of that?
TRUMP: I know nothing about that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About the open allegations?
TRUMP: I don't know about that.
MOOS: Trump clearly knew nothing about fake rapper Ali G. when he sat down with Sacha Baron Cohen's character who asked him to invest in --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These ice cream gloves.
MOOS: Trump declined the request, did it without taking off the gloves.
[11:55:09] TRUMP: Good luck, folks, it's been nice to see you. You take care of yourself, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is you going to be in on that?
TRUMP: Well, it sounds like an interesting --
MOOS: Trump tends to be harder on the microphone.
TRUMP: Do it with somebody else and have a good time.
MOOS: Than the interviewer.
Jeanne Moos, CNN...
TRUMP: That's enough.
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Just about time for me to walk out now as well. But before we finish up Connect the World for today, a very important reminder, you
should go and check out our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNConnect with all the excellent analysis, interviews and reports from today's show and of
course every other show as well.
I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones, that was Connect the World from the scene here in London, the team in Abu Dhabi, and of course in Atlanta as well, thanks so
much for watching. The news continues here on CNN. Quest express is up next with who else, but Richard Quest.
END
