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Connect the World

Zelenskyy: Willing to Listen to Trump's Ideas to End War; Israel Official & Source: Hamas Can't Find 40 Hostages for Deal; Police: Victim and a Male Friend had been seen Earlier, Dressed Like Vampires; Gold Bars Flying Off Costco Shelves; Former Trump Org CFO Sentenced to Five Month in Prison. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired April 10, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, you're looking at a live view of the White House's President Biden prepares to welcome Japanese

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife on what is an official visit. The two leaders are expected to announce moves to strengthen military ties.

It's 9 am in Washington, its 5 pm here in Abu Dhabi. Hi, I'm Becky Anderson. This is "Connect the World" from our Middle East Broadcasting

Hub. Also happening this hour, Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to CNN as Russia launches a new wave of attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

We'll bring you that interview coming up. U.S. President Biden makes his strongest criticism yet of Israel's conduct of the war. He says Benjamin

Netanyahu's approach in Gaza is a quote mistake. And the biggest weekend on the Gulf calendar, back the Masters tees off at Augusta on Thursday.

And this is a look at the futures the markets will open for business in about 30 minutes' time. And as you can see futures down after a report has

shown an unexpected increase in U.S. consumer inflation for March, more on that this hour. Well we begin with defiance and determination from

Ukraine's President who has been speaking to CNN at a major global conference.

In an interview with our Senior International Correspondent Frederick Pleitgen, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the west to hurry up with its

deliveries of new weapons to help turn the tide he said in Ukraine's war with Russia. Listen to what he told the delegates at the Delphi Economic

Forum just in the past few hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: We are at war in the enemy series. But let's be realistic. And I've passiveness let's be realistic.

Now the situation is stabilized. Once we have weapons and concrete political steps from our partners, we will break Putin's backbone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well Fred joins us now from that forum in Greece. I mean, look, this is not a new message from the Ukrainian President. In fact, if you

think about it, we've been hearing this message since almost the beginning of this war back in February of 2022. Just how urgent is that message now,

Fred?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I think that's exactly the key issue right now. It certainly isn't a new message.

But it is definitely a very urgent message, especially the way things are going on the battlefield right now for the Ukrainians, where we just heard

there from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when I asked him how things actually were going that things have stabilized.

But of course, we know that the Russians have been pressing, and that right now things also are very dangerous for the Ukrainians, Becky, as the

Russians are bringing more firepower also airpower to bear on Ukrainian troops. In fact, one of the things that he said during that session that we

had with him was he kept talking about needing more air defense systems to try and keep the city safe.

But of course, also to keep Ukrainian frontline troops from getting the brunt of those massive Russian air attacks. Now, on the whole, Volodymyr

Zelenskyy said that he still does believe that the Ukrainians would be able to turn the tide and will be able to turn the tide. But they need more

weapons from the U.S. and its allies, and certainly more ammunition and they need them very fast. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENSKYY: I understand that this is not easy. And everybody's thinking about oneself. And we are grateful to all our partners. But what we have

now is not sufficient, if we want to truly prevail over Putin if nobody wants to put into drag the war the world into third world war.

PLEITGEN: Thank you, Mr. President. As you know, there was a report out this week that allegedly if and still very big if Donald Trump was elected

President of the United States in November, that he would essentially force Ukraine into a call it a peace deal with Russia that would force Ukraine to

cede territory, like for instance, giving up on getting back Crimea and also seeding the Donbas region. Would you ever be willing to give up

Ukrainian territory for peace?

[09:05:00]

ZELENSKYY: First and foremost, those signals were on certain media platforms. I haven't heard that directly from Trump. His ideas in detail, I

did not have an opportunity to discuss them with him and to discuss his ideas on how to end the war. If I have such opportunity, I will, with

pleasure, listen to them and then we can discuss the topic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: So there you have the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pretty careful then speaking about what could happen if President if Donald

Trump becomes the U.S. President again and again, of course, right now, there still is a whole process in the U.S., Becky, that ends with the

election in November.

But you do feel with the Ukrainian President that there is that renewed sense of urgency right now as the Russians are pressing. But I did find him

to still be very combative. And he was saying that Ukraine, of course, will not cede any of its territory voluntarily, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Fred. Thank you very much indeed. Well, the White House whose thing the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on an

official visit today. The Biden's welcomed the Prime Minister and his wife at the White House on Tuesday ahead of today's official talks.

In the coming hours, the allies are expected to announce moves to strengthen military ties against an increasingly assertive China in the

Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders will also announced plans to work more closely on a wide array of projects, including space missions and

artificial intelligence research.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us now from the White House. I think, it's important just to lay out why this is a significant visit coming as it does

now. And any further detail we understand about this sort of coming together of the U.S. and Japan increasingly.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida really hoping to showcase the close

relationship between the two allies at a time when they are facing rising aggression from China, in the South China Sea, as well as China's economic

might as well.

Now, this comes as the President's focus has largely been over the past few years on the war between Russia and Ukraine but also the conflicts between

Israel and Hamas more recently, but the President has still kept his eye on his Indo-Pacific strategy seeking to bolster alliances and partnerships in

the region in an effort to blunt China's influence.

Now Japan has really been a key ally and officials here say the cornerstone of that Indo-Pacific policy at a time when they've changed their own

defense posture. But also they have seen a strong ally in Kishida when it comes to Japan support of Ukraine amid Russia's invasion there.

Now this is expected to kick off in the next hour with his official south lawn arrival ceremony which will be filled with pomp and circumstance. Then

they will also be having a bilateral meeting followed by a joint news press conference where the two leaders are expected to outline a several

announcements they are making across a host of sectors.

One of those key announcements will be a commitment to upgrade the U.S. the force posture in Japan at a time when they are trying to seek greater

defense and security cooperation between the two countries. Officials here say that that will take some time to actually implement. They still need to

go through the planning.

So won't be still for another several months before they have the final details hammered out. We also anticipate that they will announce

establishing a military industrial council focused on trying to figure out where they can co-produce any defense weaponry as well. As you noted, there

will also be significant announcements when it comes to space.

Japan has long indicated that they would like to land an astronaut on the moon in the future. So we will see what those announcements exactly entail.

And then there's these efforts to ramp by AI research deepen cooperation when it comes to semiconductor production, as well as bolstering some of

those people that people ties with student it changes.

But one thing that is also quite symbolic in this visit is this new announcement that we were expecting. Japan has said that they would provide

cherry tree saplings to the United States. So this is notable because one of the most historic gifts that Japan had ever offered the U.S. were these

cherry trees and if you've been to Washington in the springtime is one of the most beautiful sites here in the nation's capital.

As we've seen these cherry blossom trees lining the Tidal Basin. The National Park Service has said they will need to cut down some of those

trees due to the rising water levels they are. And Japan is now offering a symbolic show of support and unity and offering some saplings to replace

that.

So really the two leaders here are hoping to emphasize the strength of this relationship while they're also seeking ways to further counter China in

the region.

[09:10:00]

ANDERSON: Some real positioning there, Arlette it's good to have you and those cherry blossoms will be very familiar to the Japanese leader. Thank

you. In a rare move Chinese Leader Xi Jinping held talks earlier today with the Former President of Taiwan. And that meeting comes amid rising tensions

of course along the strait as Arlette has been discussing. And just weeks before Taiwan -- in a new leader that Beijing openly opposes. Kristie Lu

Stout has the details.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chinese Leader Xi Jinping held talks to Taiwan's Former President in a rare meeting that recalls a past era of

warmer ties. Now this is the first time a Chinese Leader hosted a Former Leader of Taiwan. And it comes just weeks before Taiwan inaugurated a new

president that Beijing openly detests.

Ma Ying-Jeou is the ex-Chairman of tolerance opposition coming down. He led Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. And he arrived in China on April 1. And what he

calls a trip of peace and friendship. Now Taiwan officials tell CNN his meeting with Xi was moved to today to coincide with the Japanese Prime

Minister's state visit to Washington. After the meeting we heard from both Ma and Xi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT: There is no grudge that cannot be resolved, no issue that cannot be discussed, and no force that can separate us.

MA YING-JEOU, FORMER TAIWANESE PRESIDENT: For Taiwan without stability and peace on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. There will be no stable and

prosperous Taiwan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: They last met in Singapore in 2015. That was the first such meetings, is a two sided split in 1949 following a bloody civil war. And

that landmark summit it took place shortly before Taiwan's current President signing when one election of China openly loads and detest Tsai

in her party, the DPP which is independence leaning.

And China has ramped up aggressive tactics since Taiwan's election in January this year, which resulted in another presidential win for the DPP.

And let's say Beijing is using the meeting with Ma to shape hearts and minds abroad and inside China.

Wen-Ti Sung, a Taiwan based Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub says this quote, Ma's visit gives Beijing proof that there is still a

significant portion of Taiwanese society that values shared ties of Chinese tradition and culture between the two sides of the Taiwan strait.

It is also a useful data point Beijing can point to, to tell China's domestic audience that there is still reason to be patient with Taiwan.

Amanda Hsiao the International Crisis Group adds this quote, for Beijing Ma's visit is also a useful way of assuring its domestic audience. We have

not lost the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people.

Now China claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite having never controlled it. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

ANDERSON: -- as president directing blunt new criticism at Israel's Prime Minister over his approach to the war with Hamas is what Joe Biden told

Univision about Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview done a few days after seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in Gaza in an Israeli

drone strike. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think what he's doing is a mistake. I don't agree with his I think it's outrageous that

those four, three vehicles were hit by drones and taken out on a highway where it wasn't like it was along the shore, wasn't like it was a convoy

moving here --.

So what I'm calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine

going into the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well Iran's Supreme Leader vowing his country will respond to an Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy complex in Syria. And our two top

Iranian commanders were among the 13 people reported killed there, of course. Nic Robertson joining us this hour from Jerusalem and Ben Wedeman

is in Beirut.

Let me start with you, Nic. There is, as I understand it, some potentially significant news today about ceasefire negotiations, which of course,

include hostages and prisoners on the Palestinian side. So what have you got?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, the three phase approach to the hostage negotiations and ceasefire. This was something that

would unfold over three periods of six weeks each. That's sort of been the basis of negotiations for the past number of months.

[09:15:00]

It was always envisaged that the Hamas would Release 40 hostages during that first phase and that those 40 hostages would be the young children,

women, and all women, people who are sick and elderly men. Now the numbers that CNN has seemed to tally somewhat with what we understand now, Hamas

are telling international negotiators.

Hamas is now saying, well, we don't have 40 people who fit that category. CNN has counted two young children, the Bibas brothers Ariel and Kfir. We

also Kfir, we also understand that there are about 13 women in the age range that could be released, that are still held, and 11 men in the age

range 65 to 85, who could be released by our reckoning that comes to a total of 26.

Now, this is potentially a big sticking point. The question is in the negotiations now, in the minds of Israeli officials, is Hamas being

unwilling, intentionally obstinate and not being able to come up with this? Are they just unable to do it? And that's going to be a judgment call for

Israeli negotiators to figure out but if they can't come up and meet the terms of what was the first phase of this deal, then it seems that a

ceasefire will remain over the horizon?

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Nic. Let me just bring in Ben, at this point, because obviously these talks Ben, are critical in trying to

establish a ceasefire, albeit a temporary one in this phase one for something like six weeks to allow for the release of some of these hostages

and Palestinian prisoners, and importantly, to get in that humanitarian aid.

Meantime, we are getting more information it seems about the potential for this conflict in Gaza to spill not just to the north and into Lebanon, but

the rhetoric between Iran and Israel heating up today. What have we got?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, what we know is Iran has accounts to settle with Israel after the first of April, when

there was an Israeli strike on the Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria that killed among the others to senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary

Guard Corps.

Now, today, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was giving a sermon marking Eid al-Fitr, the holiday at the end of Ramadan. And he was quite

blunt. He said that an Iranian response to that strike in Damascus is coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER: When Israel attacked our consulate. It was like attacking the soil of Iran. This is an international

norm. This evil regime made a mistake and must be punished, and it will be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: And we heard, for instance, just the other day, Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah here in Beirut, stressing that the

Iranian response would be an Iranian response, not as suggested by U.S. intelligence sources speaking to CNN that would this response would come

via Iran's proxies or allies in the region.

Now, in response to this statement by Ali Khamenei, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, came out and said, once Iran directly attacks

Israel, that will be a turning point. He stressed that, if that happens, Israel will strike inside Iran. Now, if this comes to pass, this certainly

is a major escalation between the two countries who have been striking one another indirectly.

Hezbollah here which has very close ties with Iran has been exchanging fire with Israel. We've seen the Houthis in Yemen, firing at navigation, the

militias in Iraq, attacking the Americans, but a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel would certainly ratchet up the volatility of what

is obviously an already very volatile situation in Gaza itself. It's a very dangerous situation now, Becky.

ANDERSON: Meantime, where you are people in Beirut and across Lebanon also very concerned about what happens next. Both of you thank you very much

indeed for joining us. Iran has pardon four environmentalists who spent at least six years in prison.

[09:20:00]

According to the ILNA news agency, the activists are among more than 2100 prisoners pardoned by Iran's Supreme Leader this week to mark Persian New

Year and Eid al-Fitr. They were arrested while working for a wildlife protection group and accused of espionage for installing cameras which were

reportedly used to monitor the Asian cheetah and other species.

Right, you're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson 20 past 5 here in the UAE 20 past 9 on the East Coast of America if you are watching

in that part of the world. Still to come, a true crime mystery out of Italy, a young woman's blood drained body found in an empty church. Police

saying she may have been there hunting for ghosts. Details on that are up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: To a shocking story out of Italy for you now, where a young French woman was found dead in an abandoned church. The blood drained from

her body. CNN Reporter Barbie Nadeau is live in Rome. Barbie, so many bizarre details, in this case, what else have you learned?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: You know there are a lot of sketchy details in this definitely and a lot of puzzle pieces are still trying to put

together. Now this body was found in a de consecrated church in the north of Italy over the weekend. Her blood was drained from her body. She had had

a knife wound on her neck.

I think it was maybe a camping knife but oddly she was also shot. I think the shots were probably fired after she was dead. Some of the blood they

say was removed from the floor of the crime scene. So those are all obviously things that they're trying to understand. But what we do know we

do not know her name, but she has been positively identified by her family.

And she had told her family that she had a companion we're going to search for ghosts. Now this area where the body was found is in a place where

there are known legends and folklore about ghosts in a haunted castle there. And so we understand that this couple of may have been you know,

doing something for social media.

They had an apparently a TikTok channel, French TikTok channel in which they were often ghost hunting. Now her companion a young man has not been

found has not been arrested. But he's obviously very much under consideration in terms of his involvement in her demise. But we don't know

a lot of details beyond that.

The police have put together a lot of puzzle pieces. They're also looking at other missing person's reports in the area of which there have been a

couple over the last couple of months and trying to understand exactly if those might have anything to do with this grisly crime, Becky.

ANDERSON: Absolutely remarkable. Stay on the story for us. As we get more of course we will get it to your viewers. Thank you.

[09:25:00]

Well, more than 100,000 people have been folds from their homes along the Russia, Kazakhstan border after a dam burst there. My colleague Isa Soares

has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Catastrophic flooding and thousands of lives upended across several regions in Russia, forcing many

to evacuate with just their pets and a handful of belongings. At least three people are reported to have died so far. Authorities declared a state

of emergency in the Orenburg Region near Kazakhstan.

After the Ural, Europe's third longest river swells several meters and burst through a dam embankment in Orsk, a city of more than 200,000

residents. The anger that was palpable on Monday, with protesters chanting shame on you, local officials and Putin help the government's response.

No one is helping us here, a man in this crowd shouts. The state is doing nothing he says. The city mayor said the flood has now peaked according to

Russian State News Agency tasks, and the Kremlin spokesperson describes the deluge in these regions as inevitable due to an abnormal increase in water

levels.

Dmitry Peskov also said the President Vladimir Putin is currently not planning on visiting the affected areas. Across the border in Kazakhstan,

the country's President said the floods were his country's worst natural disaster in decades. In Russia, the country's Emergency Situations Minister

flew over some of the flooded zones on Tuesday to inspect the damage.

And over in the Kurgan region, melting ice and torrential rains caused another river to overflow. This is not a joke, the Regional Governor says

bluntly, leave, and take your papers, valuables, children, elderly relatives with limited mobility you need to do this now he says.

Floodwaters in Kurgan are expected to rise even higher over the next 48 hours. Putting thousands more lives at risk and wreaking even more havoc.

Isa Soares, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well still come here on "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson, 27 minutes past 5 in the evening here in the UAE. Boeing battling

yet another bad headline as a whistleblower voiced his concern about the safety of its jets. More on that is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching "Connect the World". The markets are off and out of the gate today. And a

key report on the state of inflation in the United States released in the last hour shows consumers costs once again rising in the month of March,

perhaps no surprise, these markets are out of the gate and lower today.

Two of the big culprits, gasoline and housing prices that is the state of the markets on the opening let's bring in CNN Reporter Matt Egan who joins

us now. And Matt, it does appear the progress that was being made to slow inflation has hit a bump. Just walk us through what these numbers are

telling us at this point.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Becky, these numbers show that inflation is proving to be stubborn, right? It's just not moving kind of like a toddler,

right? It's stuck at levels that yes, it's much cooler than two years ago, but no, not back to normal. So the latest numbers show that consumer prices

jumping by 3.5 percent year-over-a year in March.

That's hotter than expected. It's a six month high. That is acceleration from 3.2 percent, the month before. You zoom in you look month-over-month

prices remain at higher than expected levels. And the biggest problem could be that core inflation.

Core inflation did not cool it was supposed to. So you mentioned what are some of the culprits here, gasoline and shelter that did account for more

than half of the increase of inflation. Another issue here apparel prices up by almost 1 percent month-over-month and also car insurance.

We're seeing that car insurance surged by 2.6 percent in the last month alone up by 22 percent year-over-year. So listen, this is not to say there

aren't positives, we did see that. New cars, used cars, airfare all of them cooling and inflation is in a better place than it was two years ago.

But listen, when these numbers came out, we saw an instant reaction in the market. Bond yields spiked, stock futures plunged. We saw that U.S. stocks

opening sharply lower this morning with a loss of about 400 points for the DOW more than 1 percent for the NASDAQ and the S&P 500.

And Becky, I think all of this raises an obvious question, which is how can the Fed possibly cut interest rates right now, when we've had a series of

hotter than expected inflation reports and a blockbuster jobs report. In fact, one former Obama Economist Jason Furman he was just out on social

media saying maybe the next move for the Fed isn't an interest rate cut at all.

What if they actually have to hike interest rates again? So these are all uncomfortable questions, I think for markets right now and economists and

officials in the White House.

ANDERSON: Jamie -- yeah. And Jamie Dimon in the last 24 hours, the big bank chief has said he sees rates going as high as 8 percent. Look, he's always

and for some time now, not always, but for some time now being on the side of the argument that says there isn't enough data to suggest a cut in

rates.

But he's talking about a significant increase at this point. Of course, that's going to affect the markets. I do wonder what the new normal should

be. I mean, if they're looking at 2 to 3 percent as a window these days, maybe the Feds got to look at 3 to 4 percent or higher as the new normal

because it's right otherwise, these rates and this story is going to remain stubbornly difficult for the markets.

Matt, there's a new gold rush in the most unlikely of places. Wholesale Retailer Costco; just explain what's going on and what's behind this?

EGAN: Well Becky listen, gold prices are really -- they're having a moment, right? I mean, we're talking about a 14 percent year-to-date gain for gold.

It's been on fire. This move is really catching the attention of people on Wall Street.

It feels like everyone is buying gold right now everyone from central bankers and China to customers at Costco and there are a number of reasons

why gold prices are up. You could see it on your screen moving closer and closer to $2,400 an ounce for the first time ever.

Some of the reasons here, go back to what we were just talking about right? Inflation, gold has long been looked at as a hedge against inflation also

the fact that the Fed has been talking about interest rate cuts. Rate cuts sometimes boost the price of gold.

[09:35:00]

Demand is really strong because again, central banks, they're diversifying away from the dollar, especially China's central bank, they're all buying

gold. And gold is something that does well when people are scared. And unfortunately, there are a lot of things in the world right now to be

fearful about when you look at the war between Russia, Ukraine.

The Middle East situation, and then there's FOMO right? Fear of missing out, some for -- some of this is people are buying gold because other

people are buying gold and the price is going up. And then you have this Costco situation, right?

I mean, they're selling gold bars in Costco. The company says that they sold $100 million worth in the first quarter alone. They just started doing

this in September, and Wells Fargo has a report out saying that they expect that Costco is actually selling up to $200 million worth of gold bars every

single month.

So listen Becky gold prices, they keep going up and up. If anything, some on Wall Street are warning that this rally may have gotten a little

overheated and gold have to -- might have to chill out for a little bit. But then again, you get a number like today's inflation report and that's

going to boost demand further.

ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating, isn't it? It's always good to have you Matt, thank you very much.

EGAN: Thanks Becky.

ANDERSON: Egan in the house. Well, U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing facing new allegations of safety, shortcuts and retaliation. One of its engineers

is accusing the company of taking dangerous shortcuts with two of its wide bodied jets the 777 and the 787 Boeing already under federal investigation

after a series of alarming incidents including when a fuselage panel on a 737 airliner blew out in midair.

Gabe Cohen joins me now from Washington, D.C. This is the latest game of several problems for Boeing just explain?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Becky, this is more bad news for Boeing. This is a scathing complaint that's been filed to the FAA by this

Boeing Engineer Sam Salehpour and he alleges that the airplane manufacturer has been cutting corners in its assembly of two of its plane, this plane --

the 787 Dreamliner and the 777.

His claim here in part is that crews have been forcing together some misaligned parts of the fuselage or the main body of the plane basically

jamming those pieces together. Here's how he described one incident take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM SALEHPOUR, BOEING WHISTLEBLOWER: I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align basically by jumping up and

down your deforming parts so that the holes aligned temporarily. And you can get a pan with a mallet so that you can go into the holes. And that's

not how you build an airplane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And so that was from a call that we did with Mr. Salehpour and his lawyers yesterday, that's who you saw on the screen there. Now Salehpour

claims at the process to fill all have the tiny gaps Becky in between pieces of the plane just has not been done properly, which can put a lot of

added stress on those parts and dramatically reduce the decade's long lifespan of the plane.

There is a dire warning in this complaint. I want to read it to you. These defects it says could ultimately cause a premature fatigue failure without

any warning, thus creating unsafe conditions for the aircraft with potentially catastrophic accidents and passenger fatalities. So really

concerning there.

But look Boeing, Becky has vehemently denied these claims saying they're inaccurate they do not represent the work that the company has done to

ensure safety and that the issues raised here has been subjected to have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight.

A lot of these allegations aren't new. The FAA actually halted deliveries of the Dreamliner back in 2021, because there are similar issues with those

gaps that we're talking about between parts of the plane. But Becky, as you mentioned, it's just another issue that Boeing is facing.

The Max-9 another one of their planes still facing a lot of scrutiny after that door plug blew off in January. And so this complaint now under

investigation and we know that this whistleblower is set to testify in front of a Senate Subcommittee next week.

ANDERSON: News you can use folks. Gabe Cohen thank you. Well up next, golf's biggest weekend is on the horizon who will be wearing the Green

Jackets by the back end of the weekend at this year's Masters? "World Sport" is coming up.

(COMMERIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Some breaking news just into CNN. The Former Trump Chief Financial Officer has been sentenced to five months in prison for perjury.

This is the CFO of the Trump Organization. He made a plea deal with the government after falsely testifying about the size of the Trump triplex

apartment which is in New York.

So the Former Trump Org CFO sentenced to five months in jail after testifying falsely about the size of Donald Trump's triplex apartment.

Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months on perjury charges after admitting to testifying falsely to the New York Attorney General about his

knowledge of the size of that apartment and how the value of that apartment was inflated on Trump's accounts. More on that as we get it folks.

Well, the biggest weekend on the annual golf calendar is back. The Masters tees off at Augusta tomorrow. Andy Scholes will have that up next. I will

be back at the top of the hour for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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