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Connect the World
Anti-War Demonstrations Spread Around the World; Turkey Halts All Imports and Exports with Israel; China Launches Unnamed Moon Probe; Trump Back in Court, Testimony to Resume Soon; Employers Added 175,000 Jobs in April, Fewer than Expected; Trump on Trial Then on The Trail. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired May 03, 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, university students protesting, what is happening in Gaza, these scenes from moments ago, not
in the United States, but in France? It is 3 pm in Paris. It's 5 pm here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World".
Well motivating these global protests, of course, outrage over what is happening in Gaza. The U.S. Defense Secretary has just issued a new warning
on Rafah. And this is the scene outside the court where Donald Trump will appear in about 30 minutes. My colleague, Paula Newton will have all the
details from New York. Plus, just hours ago, China made its latest move in the modern day space race, aiming for the dark side of the moon.
Well, the stock market in New York will open in about 30 minutes from now. This is the picture on the futures, the U.S. jobs report is out. The
economy added just 175,000 jobs last month that are weaker than expected and possibly could mean that the feds anti-inflation efforts are working.
That is something that we will explore later this hour.
Right now the U.S. is dealing with newly revealed deep divisions after weeks of protests scenes of violence. Dramatic arrests in a little more
than two weeks some 2000 people in the U.S. have been arrested at protests on college campuses. The latest came just last night.
Well, that video from Portland State University in Oregon, police moved in and removed pro-Palestinian protesters from the library that they had
occupied since Monday. At last check there, 30 people have been arrested. Well, it's not just in the United States. As I said students in Paris are
rallying at this hour in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
The protest is outside the Pantheon not far from prestigious Paris universities like the Sorbonne. Well after weeks of what critics have
called dithering, the White House ramping up its criticism of the campus protests. We learned a short time ago, the Biden's education secretary sent
a letter to college presidents in it she condemns what she calls Abhorrent anti-Semitic incidents on campus.
It comes just a day after Biden made his first in depth comments on the protests. Forcefully saying that dissent is necessary disorder, he said is
not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. The
American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But neither are
we a lawless country, threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest. It's against the law. Dissent is
essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well that's Joe Biden's perspective on what is going on? We're covering the protests on two continents. Polo Sandoval is in New York.
Saskya Vandoorne is in Paris. Polo, let me start with you. We have seen 2000 arrests since April the 18th. Some of them shocking when caught on
camera.
Frankly, I'm thinking of one at Dartmouth University where an older woman was thrown to the ground, but there are others outside of his call for
order. Did President Biden reference the heavy handed nature that we've seen in some of these videos from across the country?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, no doubt some of the images that we have seen are absolutely alarming in some cases. When you see some of
these universities reach out to local law enforcement for assistance in clearing out these encampments at the universities senses are either safety
hazards, or at least are intruding on the normal operations on campus.
[09:05:00]
To answer your question we did not hear the commander-in-chief specifically address images like the ones that we just shared with our viewers. However,
you did hear really one is what is perhaps one of the most substantive responses from the White House amid to mounting criticism that it had
perhaps not done enough to address those increasing tensions on U.S. campus as you mentioned.
Thousands of arrests throughout the country since April and as you and I are speaking, we're now getting word of two additional law enforcement
actions on behalf of the New York Police Department, one at the New York University and the other at the New School. Both of those institutions,
according to the NYPD reached out to police earlier this morning for officers to make their way onto campus and clear out some of those
demonstrators in the case of NYU.
We understood that it was an encampment that was on the sidewalk for six to seven days, in a letter that I had an opportunity to read that was
submitted by NYU to New York police basically authorizing officers to make their way on campus to ask people to leave and those who did not to go
through and actually arrest them.
So we continue to see these scenes play out as pressure certainly mounts on some of universities to do something and without a doubt likely to continue
to see more of these law enforcement actions as U.S. institutions draw a line in the sand.
ANDERSON: Saskya, let me bring you in, you're in Paris, just describe what you are seeing and hearing there?
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: -- let me show you what's happening here. This protest has been going on for about an hour now. You have got
students from Sorbonne University. You've got students from Sciences Po Universities, you've got trade unions, you've got political parties, and
they have been calling three --
They've been shouting that. And as I said they've got Trinity from -- university and that is significant because their university this morning
was evacuated -- police -- came and brought students -- who had been sitting -- So it's a very mixed group of students, it has been very -- as
you can see -- is right -- And -- same thing they want French universities to -- the universities in Israel -- to condemn Israel and they want to be
able to peacefully protest on campuses in France, Becky.
ANDERSON: Saskya is in Paris, struggling a little bit with the sound there. But I hope that you got most of what she just said that a very diverse
group of demonstrators then were Saskya is in Paris. Polo, let me get back to you. In the United States, these have been very specifically student led
movements on university campuses, some of which is spilled outside of the university grounds.
But ultimately at the core of this is called for divestment, boycotts of business of those who are doing business with Israel to varying degrees.
And the response from universities across the states has been different. And depending on which university you look at, who's listening to the
protesters at this point, and what's been the sort of, you know, the result of what we've seen to date.
SANDOVAL: There are some universities like Colombia, where I spent really quite a bit of time the last couple of weeks covering the protests there,
and Colombia made it very clear that divestment was not going to happen. And then of course, they went ahead and reached out to the NYPD and cleared
out the encampment and the building that had been occupied by students.
But there are some steps forward some movement and in terms of other universities, Rutgers, for example, in neighboring New Jersey, an
encampment there actually was taken down, these students said that they reached an agreement, a tentative agreement with university officials, in a
part of that agreement, they said that they would continue negotiations in good faith.
So because of that, they went ahead and took down that encampment, that's according to one of the student organizers there at Rutgers University. And
these kinds of signs of progress, if you'd like to call them that is certainly something that has, it's a legacy that many students that I heard
time and time again on Columbia, is the reason why they insisted on continuing to camp out on that lawn.
And it's not just some progress in this latest movement, but also previous ones going back to the Vietnam War in 1968. And then 80s, as well, when
Columbia University became the first U.S. Ivy League to divest from South African companies during the apartheid and those are development.
[09:10:00]
So that is progress that this latest generation of students points to, in order to get some hope and why many of these students continue to stay the
course but you also have these universities, many of them they continue to insist that encampments, these massive protests on campus continue to
disrupt operations ahead of graduation ceremony.
So that is why we are seeing these sort of flashpoints develop in universities, the very latest one just this morning on the NYU campus when
police were asked to clear out a sidewalk that had been taken over by protesters for a week.
ANDERSON: Polo, thank you. Polo is in New York, Saskya, of course in Paris. Well Joe Biden told reporters that campus protests will not make him
reassess American policy in the Middle East, but cracks have been forming in U.S. supporters. Israel continues to iron up, Gaza's border City of
Rafah.
The U.S. Defense Secretary delivering a warning to Israel over its planned military operation, there he says there's a good chance we'll see a lot of
civilian casualties unless Israel takes the right steps to evacuate people. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: What we've asked, what we've highlighted for the Israelis is that. It's really important to make sure
that the civilians that are in that battle space move out of the battle space before any activity is conducted. It is a good chance that you know
without taking the right measures that the civilians -- will see a lot more civilian casualties going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well CNN's Paula Hancocks has more on the suffering that we are already seeing inside Rafah. I want to warn you some of the images in her
report are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A grandmother kisses her young grandchildren. Their small bodies share just one body bag a 4 year
old Kareem and his 2 year old sister Mona were killed on Tuesday by an Israeli airstrike. Their aunt says they are innocent. The babies went to
bed last night and never woke up.
Our hearts are broken forever. The doctors tried to save Mona, but could not. The children's parents were seriously injured in the same strike. But
Rafah was not home for these children. The grandmother says the family was displaced multiple times by the Israeli military, ending up in a tent on
the southern border alongside hundreds of thousands of others who have nowhere else to go.
Speaking of the Israeli military, she says this is all they want. This is their goal. The IDF referred to a previous statement when asked about this
strike, saying they are operating to dismantle Hamas, adding quote, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks. But despite months
of threatening and major ground offensive in Rafah, the military has not told civilians to evacuate.
For many here, there is no other option. At the start of this week in Rafah, 22 people were killed and in Israeli airstrike including at least
one infant and a toddler. A one year old killed is carried in the uncle's arms. He says this is who they are targeting. This is the safe Rafah they
talk about.
It is the area the Israeli military has pushed civilians towards for months. An area well over 1 million Palestinians are barely surviving in.
Food, water, shelter, a scarce disease is rising. But amid such misery, some adults are trying to remind children of their previous life. Just
seven months ago, where they could play and learn safely.
This volunteer teacher says the children's mental state is distressed. They have no stability, they're distracted and they lose focus. So we work twice
as hard to try and grab their attention and help them learn. Muhammad says he's happy he can play and study here. He says we lost our schools.
We lost everything. A tent school may not see much. But even this pretense of normality for these children will be lost if they're forced to move yet
again. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Turkey halting all trade with Israel due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza according to the Turkish state media, which cited the
Ministry of Commerce in 2023. The trade volume between Turkey and Israel reached $6.8 billion, while the government says all imports and exports
have been stopped and will stay that way until Israel allows the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
[09:15:00]
Israel's Foreign Minister accused Turkey's President of breaking trade agreements and behaving like a dictator, he said. Well, today is World
Press Freedom Day. Its ceremony has just begun in Santiago in Chile, to launch the event and to honor Palestinian journalists.
Palestinians account for 92 of the 97 journalists and media workers killed amid Israel's war with Hamas in the last six months, the deadliest period,
according to the committee for to Protect journalists since records began. The United Nations meantime is working to highlight the importance of
freedom of the press, calling journalists the ultimate allies in human rights.
More from me shortly, I want to now turn you over to New York. CNN's Paula Newton, outside the courthouse where Donald Trump's hush money trial is
about to kick off its seventh day of testimony, Paula?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, yes, we are awaiting the arrival of the former president apparently. He is going to speak before he enters the
courtroom as he has most days not today's testimony is expected to pick up where it left off yesterday with a forensics analyst from the Manhattan
DA's office back on the stand now.
He was tasked with inspecting Michael Cohen's phones and share details about what he found. The jury also heard more from Stormy Daniels' Former
Attorney. Kara Scannell gets us all up to date. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New details from a key witness the ex-attorney of an adult film star and Playboy model who
brokered hush money deals at the center of Former President Donald Trump's criminal case.
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Getting ready to spend another day in the courthouse which is bogus trial.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Keith Davidson back on the stand on day 10 of Trump's trial cross examined by Trump's attorney who attempted to discredit
Davidson by painting him as a shady lawyer. Meanwhile, prosecutors tried to show how Davidson's arrangement with a tabloid and Trump's ex lawyer
Michael Cohen to kill two bombshell stories about Trump's alleged affairs directly impacted the 2016 election.
Trump denies both affairs. In his testimony, Davidson recalled texting National Enquirer Editor Dylan Howard on election night in 2016 as results
came in, in favor of Trump. Davidson, said he texts Howard, what have we done? Oh, my God, Howard replied. Davidson testified there was an
understanding that our efforts may have in some way strike that our activities may have in some way assisted the presidential campaign of
Donald Trump.
Prosecutors played an audio recording of Cohen saying Trump hates that they paid off adult film star Stormy Daniels. Cohen was heard saying, I can't
even tell you how many times he said to me, I hate the fact that we did it. And my comment to him was but every person that you've spoken to tells you
it was the right move.
The payment and conspiracy of Trump's involvement in Daniels' hush money deal is the crux of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors also questioned
Davidson about Daniels sitting down with Jimmy Kimmel in January 2018. Before the interview Daniels and her attorney released a statement denying
an alleged affair with Trump. But hours later she told Kimmel it didn't look like her signature.
JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC HOST: Did you sign this letter that was released today?
STORMY DANIELS, AMERICAN PORNOGRAPHIC FILM ACTRESS AND DIRECTOR: I don't know. Did I?
KIMMEL: Wait a minute that you can say like --
DANIELS: Doesn't look like my signature, does it.
SCANNELL (voice-over): After Davidson said Cohen threatened to rain legal held down upon her and threatened to sue Daniels multiple times and saying
don't act with us. You don't know who your effing with. Later that year, Daniels said she felt she had to sign the letter denying an affair, which
he said was a lie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it was untruthful, why did you sign it?
DANIELS: Because they made it sound like I had no choice.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Throughout the sometimes testy cross examination Trump's Attorney Emil Bove sought to paint Davidson as untrustworthy. He
zeroed in on a 2012 FBI investigation into possible extortion involving the selling of Former Wrestler Hulk Hogan's sex tape. Davidson said he was not
charged in connection to the case.
Bove attempted to tie Davidson's involvement with Hogan's alleged extortion plot to his hush money deals for Daniels and Former Playboy model Karen
McDougal. Bove asks Davidson if he goes right up to the line without committing extortion. Davidson responded I don't understand the question.
After court, Trump said he's pleased with how its team is doing.
TRUMP: It was a long day in court, as always been very happy about the way things should go.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[09:20:00]
NEWTON: Brynn Gingras joins us now here outside the courtroom, the former president basically leaving off yesterday the way he's just started right
now. We shouldn't say he's speaking if he says anything of important we'll bring it to you. Brynn, those audio recordings must have gotten the jury's
attention at this --
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I really think someone earlier said they had to digest that because there was so much
played for them. And this is not only just for the prosecution, but the defense was playing those audio recordings as well. And on the prosecution
side, remember, they have to tie Donald Trump to knowing about these hush money payments.
And that's what they were trying to do with at least one of them. Now, we're aware of these audio recordings, because actually one came out on CNN
years ago, but one of those that was played, was between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump essentially talking about the payment to Karen McDougal and
sort of the negotiations that were around it.
Now that's important for jurists are here if they want to kind of realize did Donald Trump know about it or not. Now has to do with Karen McDougal
and -- Stormy Daniels, but still an important audio recording. And then there was another one that was played now this is when Keith Davidson was
actually on the stand.
And it was between the conversation of Cohen and Davidson. And essentially, Cohen, as you saw on -- said that he Donald Trump hated the fact that they
did it in regards to the Stormy Daniels' non-disclosure agreement. So they're right. If you're a juror might think, you know, he didn't know
about that.
But that not you know that hush money payment. So these are so important. But again, the defense was using them as well, as Karen was pointing out,
in one case. Cohen talked about leverage with Davidson saying that they had to get this payment done prior to the election because they would lose
their leverage if they didn't.
So they're being used on both sides. And it really, you know, I would think as a jury or ping pong game, trying to figure out which one you believe or
which one's important to you.
NEWTON: Yeah, so interesting that whether this was a witness for the prosecution or defense.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
NEWTON: Sometimes it left you wondering, why was this person called and who are they helping right now?
(CROSSTALK)
GINGRAS: Yeah.
NEWTON: It was really interesting to watch all of that and to read the transcripts afterwards.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
NEWTON: Brynn, you're going to stay with us for the next few hours.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
NEWTON: Really appreciate it as I said, court proceedings should get underway in about 10 minutes from now, the former president, speaking to
reporters just before he goes in, Becky, we will bring it all to you as this continues.
ANDERSON: Appreciate it. Thank you, Paula. Coming up that and China launches a new probe heading for the moon. We're going to take a look at
how that changes the International Space Race more on that is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're now watching the live feed -- satellite launch - -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well that is China successfully launching the lunar probe change or Chang'e-6 earlier Friday.
[09:25:00]
Young manned mission is seen as a milestone in Beijing push to become a dominant space power. It plans to put astronauts on the moon by 2030 and is
even aiming to build a lunar research base. Now the number of countries with big plans in space is mushrooming. In the last year, India and Japan
have both landed spacecraft on the moon.
Joining me now is CNN's Marc Stewart from Hainan Island. And earlier you were at the Wenchang Space Center for that launch. And it's been sort of,
you know, plugged as a major, potentially major step forward for China's space program, which of course has scientific benefits and ambitions, as
well as very importantly, strategic ones. Explain Marc, if you will?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Becky, I wish I could say space exploration in general is just about human curiosity. But it's not
it's a way for a nation to mark their presence in a very big way. That's why as you mentioned, so many nations are excited about this possibility of
a return to the moon.
And for Chinese President Xi Jinping in particular, having a strong space program, a thriving state space program is very important to him. He's
called it an -- an eternal dream, if you will. So what we saw today is evidence of this bigger ambition to help put China on the world stage in an
even bigger way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEWART (voice-over): This is China's latest leap in the global quest to put a human back on the moon. CNN was there invited by the Chinese
government for a behind the scenes look at the Wenchang launch site, here on Hainan Island along the South China Sea. The goal of this mission to
bring back the first samples ever collected from the moon's far side, part of China's ambitious plan to send astronauts by 2030 and build a Lunar
Research Station.
YAN ZEHUA, SPACE PHOTOGRAPHER: It made us feel we are the strong country because we have the power to launch the big rocket to the moon.
STEWART (voice-over): What's happening here has critics, the Chinese government maintains space should be a peaceful place. Yet the head of NASA
expressed concern China may be using its civilian program for military purposes, even suggesting a Chinese takeover of the moon.
STEWART: Why does the journey to the moon matter so much?
LEROY CHIAO, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: I think it's symbolically important. It's again, why does any country get into the Spaceflight business,
particularly human spaceflight, it's for national prestige, it's for to show the world their technological prowess.
STEWART: This isn't just about space in science, it's also about national pride and profit. Space tourism is big here, that includes these rocket
shaped water bottles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time so we are very excited.
STEWART (voice-over): The space presence here is palpable as families take pictures and shop for souvenirs.
STEWART: It's not just snacks at this hotel gift shop. Its backpacks, rockets, even a model of the Chinese space station. Even afternoon tea
comes with a taste of space.
STEWART (voice-over): Celebrations aside, this is a cosmic competition to make a mark on Earth and beyond.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STEWART (on camera): And all of this fun that you saw, the families, and the tea that was inspired by space. And this all is part of this bigger
narrative is bigger attempt to lift national pride. And from what we've seen here, people are really excited. And Becky, this is something that
China is going to talk about for a while.
It will take about four or five days for this lunar lander to get to the moon's orbit, and then it will have to gradually lower itself down if he
will onto the moon surface. And that's going to take several weeks. So this is something that we will actually see come to fruition in the middle of
June actually.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. It's good to have you and it's good to have you there, Marc. Thank you. Well, still to come, phone calls secretly recorded
by Donald Trump's former fixer will take center stage again as a forensics expert prepares to take the witness stand again in the hush money trial.
We're live outside the courthouse for you, up next.
[09:30:00]
NEWTON: We are just getting underway here we're standing by for a forensics expert to take the witness stand for a second day now in Donald Trump's
hush money trial.
Now the defense is expected to resume its cross examination of Douglas Daus is an analyst who works for the district attorney's office and it follows
an explosive day of testimony on Thursday, and that included secret phone call recordings played for the jury. All of this as the possibility of
being held in contempt, once again, hangs over Trump.
Now the judge has yet to make a ruling after Thursday's hearing on whether or not he violated the gag order four more time. CNN's Justice
Correspondent Jessica Schneider now is live for us in Washington has been following up on all this. Now, in terms of looking forward to today's
testimony, when we talk about those audio recordings, we will hear more of that.
What kind of impact can we expect here on the jury, especially -- actually yesterday, they heard the President's voice at least once in those
recordings?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: And Paula, it's the first time that this jury is hearing the voice of Michael Cohen, somebody who
will be a major witness for the prosecution, who the defense will try to strike down. You know, this morning, we could really hear even more audio
recordings from Michael Cohen's phone, because that data analyst will be back on the stand.
He's the one who took that inside look at Cohen's, two phones. So the jury did hear twice from Michael Cohen via those audio recordings yesterday.
There was one of those recordings where you actually hear Trump and Cohen talking about the Karen McDougal deal. There's another where Michael Cohen
is talking about sort of the former president's reaction to the Stormy Daniels' deal.
And prosecutors are likely admitting all of these into evidence to try to build their case that Donald Trump knew of and was intimately involved in
these hush money deals and the subsequent cover up. The data analyst also talked about several text messages from Cohen's phone that included texts
between Cohen and Hope Hicks.
Hicks of course were a top official in Trump's White House. She was eventually communications director, she is expected to testify but there's
no word on exactly when. So it's a bit of a mystery about what to expect today, when the data analyst testimony wraps up.
Of course, Paula, prosecutors have not been releasing their witness list or the order of people that will be called and prosecuted have said that's
because they just don't want Trump talking publicly about these witnesses before they're called.
[09:35:00]
So we'll see what the day brings today here. We start with that data analyst. Court should be starting at any point this morning. And then it
runs through about 3:45 pm today, a little bit of a shorter day than normal. So we'll see what the day brings and what witnesses the day brings,
because we always are on pins and needles since the prosecution doesn't release that in advance, Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah, absolutely. Jessica. And a reminder that we are all looking at the sidebar there, which gives us an indication as to what is going on
by the hour in court, Jessica Schneider, for us in D.C. We will get back to you. Thanks so much. We want to dig a little deeper now with Bernarda
Villalona, she is a Criminal Defense Attorney and Former New York Prosecutor.
You've been on both sides, which was why we'd love to talk to you. When we talk about the audio here, what is different about that when the jury is
listening to that, because those are whether it's the defendant or whether it's a witness in their own words?
BERNARDA VILLALONA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: So audio recordings are very damning pieces of evidence. And it also gives a lot more explanation. What
I love about audio recordings, as a former prosecutor is that -- you can't argue that the audio recording was contained. It is not there, you know, it
was not subject to credibility issues.
It's not subject that oh, that somebody plans to the day you have an actual recording of whatever is recorded on that recording itself. So makes it
difficult for the defense to try to argue otherwise. I mean, the question would be is, how will you argue this? Would you argue with that you can
consider it in some other way?
Are you going to argue that no, this is not what it meant to say. This is what he meant to say. But then the question will be will you put Donald
Trump on the stand to testify that it meant something else?
NEWTON: Yesterday, we also heard about this issue of whether or not Donald Trump was being extorted like this was some plot to extort him for money
that obviously sets up the defendants in the defense would want to say, as perhaps a victim. What did you make of that back and forth?
VILLALONA: I didn't like the word extortion, as the prosecution, I'm surprised that the prosecutor didn't object to that language. And the
reason why is because during opening statements, they did object when the defense brought up this theory about extortion, and Judge Merchan sustain
that objection.
And so the prosecutor should have followed up and did the same thing doing the cross examination. Because if the jury, I think the jury is now
confused, I think the defense did leave an idea in this jury that way, this was a shakedown, Donald Trump was a victim here, he was being forced to
give this money whether this story was true or not, because he needed to protect his family or he needed to protect his image.
And not for the purposes of interfering with the campaign, which is huge, because you need to tie this Conspiracy, you need to tie this pavement to
having to deal with the campaign. So hopefully, I think quite honestly, when Michael Cohen does come forth and testify. The prosecution is going to
be able to clean that up.
They expected that to happen. That's why they ended off with putting that audio recording with Michael Cohen and Donald Trump, even though they're
talking about Karen McDougal, but at least they turned back the narrative back in their face.
NEWTON: Interesting, because your point is they need to recover from that.
VILLALONA: Absolutely.
NEWTON: And they know what they're talking about. No, you are schooling me just before we got on talking to me about this issue of the President
talking before and after he goes into court, he just spoke again. He claims that the gag order is really stifling for him that he cannot defend himself
because the gag order, can you put it right for us --
VILLALONA: Lies, This is all lies. I'm surprised that his attorney was able to stand next to him with a straight face and just allow him to continue on
repeating that nonsense. So when it comes to defending testifying, it is the defendants, the defendant is the only person that can make that
decision.
In fact, Judge Merchan at the conclusion of the case is going to turn to Donald Trump and asking, do you wish to testify on your own behalf not ask
the attorney but ask Donald Trump, because only the defendant in the case can make the decision about whether they want to testify because that is
their exclusive right? A gag order is not going to prevent a person's right to testify under the constitution.
NEWTON: All right, we have to go but would there be any doubt in your mind if you were defending the former president? What would you say to him you
tell them to take the stand or not take the stand?
VILLALONA: Oh, you're not testifying at all?
NEWTON: Not a good idea.
VILLALONA: Not a good idea.
NEWTON: I'm sure that he's been no not to take good legal advice. We'll see what happens in this case, Bernarda thanks so much.
VILLALONA: Thank you.
NEWTON: Really appreciate that for us. Now it's still to come for us. Donald Trump will be in Florida this weekend to headline the spring
gathering of the Republican National Committee which his daughter in law Lara Trump now co-chairs. We will take a closer look at all that. Stay with
us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back, we are just getting a look at the latest U.S. job numbers. These are for April. And here is what the latest jobs
report is showing us that the U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs last month. That is fewer than had been expected and the unemployment rate ticking up
to 3.9 percent.
Wall Street was anxiously awaiting these numbers. Well here is how stocks are reacting. Clearly there is some buying going on. Let's bring in Matt
Egan question on, you know in anticipation of these numbers, of course Matt was what these numbers would mean for the Fed and for interest rates.
See immediate response from investors in buying these markets is that a Fed cut is still on the cards. Are they thinking straight at this point?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Becky, yes, these numbers are, they're kind of Goldilocks, right? Not too hot, where we'd have to worry about the Fed not
doing any interest rate cuts or even doing interest rate hikes and not so cold that we have to start thinking about real bad slowdown in the economy.
The one reason why I would say maybe you don't want to overreact too much here is this is just one month, right? I mean, we've had month after month
after a month of blockbuster job gains. So we don't want to read too much into this because one month does not make a trend.
But let's look at the numbers right 175,000 jobs added that is not only slower than expected, that is well below the gain of 315,000 in March. So
we're talking about almost half the pace and the unemployment rate was supposed to stay flat at 3.8 percent. It went up a little bit to 3.9
percent.
The real number that I think is getting the attention of investors, traders, and probably some of those officials in the Federal Reserve, is
wages. We saw that wages were up by 3.9 percent year over year. Now that is significant, because this is the first time we've seen wage growth below 4
percent.
And you could see it on that chart, the average hourly earnings in the blue line. This is the first time we're below 4 percent in almost three years.
And so from the worker perspective, this isn't so bad, because wages are still beating paychecks. That's the green line, right? Paychecks are going
up faster than prices rather, right?
That's good. Wages are hotter than inflation, but they're cooling off. And that's going to be seen as a good sign from the officials at the Fed who
have been worried about inflation. So you put all these numbers together. And you do have this really positive reaction on Wall Street where the DOW
is up more than 500 points.
The NASDAQ well over 1 percent, it was 2 percent gains on the day. I do think that investors are thinking look, this keeps alive our hopes for
interest rate cuts not in June necessarily but later this year.
[09:45:00]
ANDERSON: And in what is an election year in the United States this isn't important for Joe Biden and his opponent, Donald Trump. What does this
mean, in terms of politics?
EGAN: Well listen, I think politically, it gives Joe Biden another positive data point to talk about because he can say, look, the jobs market is still
growing. 175,000 jobs added in a month is a really solid number. Historically, this would be looked at as strong. It's only because the
market has been so hot.
The jobs market has been so hot, that we're talking about this as a slowdown. Joe Biden can also talk about the historic nature here, right?
This is another consecutive month, where the economy is adding jobs. And it's now the 27th month in a row where the unemployment rate is below 4
percent.
That is tied for the longest streak in American history tied with the other streak that happened between 1967 and 1970. So historically, this is
really, really positive. Joe -- we could hear from Donald Trump though, say, look, inflation remains a problem in this economy. And so I think that
if you're in the White House, you're happy to see strong job numbers.
You're happy to hear more talk about interest rate cuts, but at the end of the day, I do think what they really need is more help on the inflation
front. And we're going to be getting new numbers on inflation in the coming weeks and that's really where I think we're going to see more of an impact
politically.
ANDERSON: Yeah, because if you -- if you believe in the polls, which many people don't these days, but when polled, most men and women on the street
as it were, say, it is all about the cost of living, the big economic numbers don't necessarily resonate. It is that cost of living index, which
is -- you know what it is all about in it, how do people feel about when they go shopping, when they feel their cars, et cetera?
And if we thought -- you know what happens in the state -- stays in the States, it's really crucial what's happening as far as fed rates are
concerned as you and I know because it has an impact on the dollar so many of these currencies around the world pegged to the dollar in so many assets
of course, priced in dollars so all of this is important. Always good to have you Matt, thank you.
EGAN: Thanks Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, the electric vehicles gaining global traction some classic car owners are choosing to electrify their vintage motors instead of well,
frankly just junking them. Here in the UAE, a Dubai based startup is riding that wave but with a twist have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): From Jason Momoa's 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was trying --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): -- to Robert Downey Jr.'s latest show. These expensive vintage cars owned by celebrities are not just for show
their electric. Lately car enthusiast worldwide had been turning their beloved classics into electric rides that are eco friendlier, and one Dubai
startup named Fuse wants to jump in on that action.
SALMAN HUSSAIN, CO-FOUNDER, FUSE: The ethos of the company was to bring something new, something that we've seen in happening in the U.S. and the
UK to adapt it to the local markets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The company starts by scanning the vehicle and engineering electric kit for each car. Then they swap out the
internal combustion with it. Finally, the fun part begins taking it for a spin.
HUSSAIN: Classic Car can cost anything from about $40,000 and up usually to a maximum of $110, $120,000 which is fully -- with 300 to 400 horsepower
motors.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): It's not cheap, but the company wants to make it affordable for emerging markets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A nice connector --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): -- like this durable 1998 Toyota Hilux pickup truck, an icon in the deserts of the Middle East and Africa. To
scale this up, the company created something called "EV in a Box" a ready motor and battery that's packed in a box to be shipped anywhere and
installed in a car in one day.
HUSSAIN: Targeting a price below $20,000. We hope that we can achieve through mass orders a price of at least $15,000. And then the second phase
of that kit to be able to offer it as a subscription service so that you are able to pay a monthly cost that will be offset by the savings that you
make on fuel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The EV market is valued at around $400 billion with EV conversions accounting for just 5 billion of that amount,
according to PwC.
HEIKO SEITZ, GLOBAL E-MOBILITY LEADER, PWC: That's somewhere between 1 and 2 percent of the global market share. So it shows you that it's a niche
product. However, for emerging markets conversion is a great opportunity to decarbonize fast. If you want to electrify for example in Central Africa,
the fastest and cheapest rail still is EV conversion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): A small market that Hussain has big goals for. He says he's aiming to electrify 50 cars by the end of the year,
leading the charge for sustainable road ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[09:50:00]
ANDERSON: And there is more news just ahead do stay with us. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, you're with "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson ten to six in the UAE. Why did President Joe Biden lump Japan a close ally of the
U.S. in with Russia, China and India as countries that he considers xenophobic? Well, he made the remarks on Wednesday at a fundraiser in
Washington. CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. Arlette, what did exactly the Biden say? And what was the context for this as much, much sort
of reporting this is another gaffe by the U.S. President?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Becky President Biden made these comments in a fundraiser with Asian American and Pacific Islander
supporters here in Washington on Wednesday evening. And in his comments, he was trying to talk about how immigration is foundational to the United
States' thinking?
And what he was saying was that he loved India and China in the category as being xenophobic, lumping them in with countries that are more adversarial
to the U.S. like China and Russia. I want to read you specifically what President Biden said.
He said, quote, you know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants, we look
to the -- look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India
because they're xenophobic, they don't want immigrants.
Now the White House yesterday sought to clarify the president's comments a bit saying that what he was trying to stress was that immigration was
important here in the United States. But these comments certainly could set off some diplomatic anxiety with two countries that are key partners and
allies to the United States.
You'll remember Japan's Prime Minister Kishida was just here a few weeks ago for a state visit where the president touted the shared values for
democracy between the two countries. But it also comes at a time when Japan has been facing a demographic crisis with an aging population. And new data
from last year had shown that new births had actually declined in the country for an eighth consecutive year.
Now, this really has broader implications for the workforce and economy in Japan. And it comes at a time when they have had more limited immigration.
Japan and East Asian countries have not embraced immigration in the same way that places like the United States have to try to bolster their
populations.
Now this all comes as President Biden is also facing significant pressure back here at home when it relates to migrations. There have been strained
resources at the U.S. southern border. The president had OK -- a bill that would have enacted some of the strictest immigration standards in quite
some time. But what he has also been trying to stress is that this is a country of immigrants. And so that is where he was trying to present this
argument as he spoke at that fundraiser earlier in the week.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you. Well, that's for Donald Trump, though he is sitting on trial in a New York courtroom as we speak later
today. He goes back on the trail in full campaign mode he will be heading home to Palm Beach in Florida where the Republican National Committee is
holding its spring retreat. It's the committee -- for which his daughter- in-law Lara Trump is now Co-Chair.
[09:55:00]
Former President will headline a big fundraising event for deep pocketed Republicans tomorrow. CNN's Alayna Treene joins me from Washington. Alayna
while he is in court, many days a week, Donald Trump, of course, is still running for president, how is this event likely to help him in that race?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, it's getaway weekend for Donald Trump Becky. And look, I think this event; it's all about money, right? And it's
also about reminding his allies and supporters particularly those at the RNC, that he needs their checks.
He needs them to be out there helping him they he needs to have them as surrogates to help campaign for him and boost his messaging. But again, a
lot of this is about money. And that's where this fundraiser is happening this weekend, to try and do that and try to help him especially as he's
trying to catch up to Joe Biden, in the money game.
We've seen Joe Biden raise a lot more than Donald Trump. And so it's something that the Trump campaign is very much aware of. Now, I also just
want to note something that's also interesting around this weekend, and that's that many of Donald Trump's potential vice presidential contenders
are also going to be at this Republican National Committee Retreat.
And also on the sidelines of this big event on Saturday featuring the former president that includes people like North Dakota Governor Doug
Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio. There are others like JD Vance, the Senator from Ohio, a lot of names that we've been hearing Donald Trump tout
privately about who he might want to pick for a potential vice presidential contender.
Now, I just also want to point out, though, that he's not expected to make that announcement anytime soon. He says he'll be announcing that closer to
the Republican National Convention in July. But I definitely think there'll be some conversations here on the sidelines that can give us some more
insight into how he's thinking about this Becky.
ANDERSON: Alayna thank you. And that wraps up this hour I'll be back though, right after this short break with more "Connect the World" with me,
Becky Anderson out of Middle East Programming Hub here in Abu Dhabi stay with us folks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
