Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
U.K., Canada and France Threaten Israel with Sanctions as It Pushes Ahead with New Ground Offensive; Russia Launches 108 Drones Overnight against Ukraine; Trump Talks to House Republicans as Bill Faces Key Vote; Cassie Ventura's Best Friend Bears Witness to Abuse; U.K. Summons Israeli Ambassador, Suspends Trade Negotiations; Israel Allows Some Aid in after 11-Week Total Blockade; Leaders of 23 Countries Urge Israel to Allow "Full Resumption" of Gaza Aid; Two-Hour Trump-Putin Phone Call Ends without Ceasefire; Trump Meets with Republican Lawmakers. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 20, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live on CNN, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) Statue of Liberty here in New York City. Thank you for joining me for this
second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill here in New York, in today for Becky Anderson.
Just ahead this hour, pressure is mounting on Israel as three major allies, the U.K., France and Canada, threaten sanctions if Israel's military
continues its brutal new offensive in Gaza.
Which has exacerbated the already nearly impossible situation on the ground from a humanitarian perspective, when it comes to Palestinians in Gaza
struggling to find food and water.
Similar pressure also mounting on Russia. Now the U.K. and the E.U. announcing fresh sanctions. European countries are hoping that will help
them convince Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
And president Trump is on Capitol Hill at this hour, seeking support for his so-called "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill, seeking that support
from his own party, from House representatives.
Expressing confidence earlier, he said, in his view, Republicans have never been more unified.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: We begin this hour with developments in the Middle East; the U.K., France and Canada threatening potential sanctions if Israel does not stop
its latest offensive in Gaza; 23 foreign ministers also signing a joint statement, calling for more aid to be let in.
Israel, in turn, is accusing London, Paris and Ottawa of "moral hypocrisy and anti-Semitism," saying that they are offering a, quote, "huge prize" to
the October 7th attackers.
In the past couple of hours, the U.N. has said that Israel has now given approval for around 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza on Tuesday. That is an
important and massive increase from what we saw on Monday, when just five trucks were able to cross through.
The U.N. had called that totally insufficient, of course, for Gaza's population of more than 2 million.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS LAERKE, U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: We have requested and received approval of more trucks to enter today. Many
more than were approved yesterday.
And we expect, of course, with that approval, many of them -- hopefully all of them -- to cross today to a point where they can be picked up and get
further into the Gaza Strip for distribution, around 100.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Jeremy Diamond joining us now live from Tel Aviv with more.
So an important first step here.
What more do we know about these trucks and what ultimately could come of perhaps any more increased aid flowing in?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, we do know that 100 trucks were indeed cleared for entry into Gaza by the Israeli authorities.
We don't yet know how many of them have actually been able to make it into the Gaza Strip.
But the key question will ultimately be how many more will be allowed in after today, because 100 trucks simply will not be enough to stem what has
become an enormous humanitarian crisis, entirely manmade, over the course of 11 weeks of Israel's blockade that is currently roiling the Gaza Strip.
And all of this, of course, also happening as Israel ramps up a major new military offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIAMOND (voice-over): The next chapter of Israel's war in Gaza is now underway and it could be the deadliest yet.
Over the weekend, the Israeli military launching Operation Gideon's Chariots, striking Gaza with devastating force. Tens of thousands of troops
now mobilized for the offensive with a new mission from the top.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have intense, massive fighting going on. Intense and immense. There is progress.
We are going to take control of the entire Gaza Strip. That's what we are going to do.
DIAMOND: Israeli strikes have killed more than 300 people since Friday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The toll on civilians is once again rapidly mounting. Among those killed is Ayloul, taken from this world just four months after she was born into it.
Her small body now lies on her father's chest while her family searches for words to make sense of it all.
[10:05:00]
"They were all asleep, a mother, father and their 4-month-old daughter, all targeted in their bedroom," Ayloul's Uncle Omar says.
"I don't know what to say anymore. We've spoken a lot. No one is looking after us. Not Arabs, not Muslims. No one."
In Khan Younis, mattresses and belongings are piled high once again as Israel's new offensive triggers Gaza's latest mass displacement. The
Israeli military ordering hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, declaring the area a dangerous combat zone.
In that same city, anger and frustration boiling over, including at Hamas. Hundreds of Palestinians taking to the streets in a rare protest, calling
for the war to end and for Hamas to get out.
After pushing Gaza to the brink of famine, Israel now agreeing to partially lift its 11-week blockade.
NETANYAHU (through translator): We need to provide a temporary bridge, minimal basic aid to prevent starvation. That's the current situation we're
in.
DIAMOND: The Israeli government says several dozen aid trucks will be allowed into Gaza this week until a new Israeli approved mechanism for aid
deliveries becomes operational later this month. Thousands more are ready to go. Aid trucks will continue to be blocked.
Amid the destruction of another airstrike in Central Gaza, residents are paying close attention to ceasefire negotiations in the Qatari capital. But
here, flickers of progress lead only to another body that must be wrenched from the rubble.
We went to sleep with hope that tomorrow will be better and suddenly everything turned upside down, Raed Abu Elik (ph) says. My message is look
at this. Stop this war.
More men eventually joined Raed (ph) to pull out their neighbor's body and carry him out of the rubble. Signs of hope now seem far away once again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DIAMOND: And Israel is indeed facing criticism from some of its closest allies over this new expanded offensive, with the United Kingdom, Canada
and France calling on Israel to stop this latest military offensive, calling it, quote, "wholly disproportionate" and threatening concrete
actions if Israel does not stop.
As an additional 87 people were killed in the Gaza Strip overnight, the United Kingdom now announcing that it has suspended negotiations with the
Israeli government over a new trade agreement and summoning Israel's ambassador over this expansion of military operations. Erica.
HILL: Jeremy, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, as a number of countries threaten sanctions on Israel, others are also turning their sights and their sanctions on Russia. E.U. defense
ministers meeting in Brussels earlier to adopt a fresh wave of sanctions in an attempt to raise the pressure on Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire
in Ukraine. The U.K. also unveiling new sanctions today.
All of this coming, of course, on the heels of that nearly two-hour call between the U.S. and Russian presidents on Monday, a call that failed to
lock in a ceasefire or any sort of a timeline.
In an analysis piece today, CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson writes, "A few weeks ago, Trump called for Russia to stop attacking
civilians and wondered aloud whether Putin was 'tapping me along' by giving Russia what it wanted on Monday.
"It's fair to ask whether Trump is less tapped against than tapping."
For more insight, Stephen Collinson joins us now live from Washington, D.C.
The takeaway from this call is not a lot happened in the call but it seems to have been, in a number of ways, good for Vladimir Putin if he wants to
continue to drag this out.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. And I think we understand that what Russia wants is, if it wants to end the war, it
wants to end it on terms that are hugely punitive to Ukraine and that Ukraine could never accept.
And it seems like the upshot of the call between Trump and Putin was to allow a new process to start that could take many weeks, talking about
eventually talking about a peace deal while there is no ceasefire in place.
That would allow for Russia to continue its operations, its attacks on civilians and would leave Ukraine facing rather a bad situation of more
talks but no end to the fighting.
And that's what seems to have come out of the call. It was very interesting that the president, while the Europeans are piling on more sanctions,
calling for ceasefires, Trump wasn't really willing to use any leverage that the United States itself has.
HILL: It is fascinating, that lack of a use of leverage.
[10:10:00]
There was talk about the sanctions, Donald Trump saying, you know, he's not putting on any additional sanctions here because there's a chance of
getting something done.
Is there a sense, though, globally, outside of the White House, that there is a chance at this point?
COLLINSON: It doesn't seem so because there's nothing happening that would change Russia's behavior.
And while the European sanctions are making a point -- and potentially they could have some impact on Russia at the margins -- most people believe
that there can be no solution to this unless the United States gets involved and uses pressure on Russia to change its calculation.
It seems, to be honest, that the Russian calculation hasn't started since, hasn't changed since the start of the war, which is, as Putin says, he
wants to address the root causes of this conflict, which Russia basically argues is the presence of Zelenskyy.
And it wants a Ukrainian state that is under Russian influence, to put it in a short form. So there's no reason, I think, to think that there will be
progress in the short term.
It was interesting, listening to the president speak to reporters in the Oval Office last night. He spoke very vaguely about the possibility of the
Vatican getting involved. He suggested that the United States could walk away if there's not progress. This could be a negotiating tactic.
But given what we know about his and JD Vance, the vice president's antipathy about helping Ukraine and the billions of dollars of help that
the Biden administration gave, that could well be a statement of what the administration really thinks about this.
And it does raise questions about its long-term commitment. And in the president's remarks, there wasn't really any sense that there was a U.S.
strategy to do something different, to get Russia to change its view of this conflict. So you have to say it's very difficult to be optimistic that
something's going to change soon.
HILL: You know, he was also asked whether -- he was asked by one of the reporters in the Oval, do you still trust Putin?
He said, "I do."
I thought it was interesting. The remarks from President Zelenskyy, who noted in his words, it's crucial that the United States not distance itself
from the talks and the pursuit of peace, noting the only one who benefits from that is Putin.
There has been so much talk over the last several months about the Europeans stepping in here, taking the lead in a number of ways.
Can this continue?
Can it progress without the U.S. if the U.S. does, in fact, based on what we heard floated by the president and the vice president, maybe if the
Americans do back out of these talks?
Can Europe help Ukraine get this done?
Is there enough leverage?
COLLINSON: I think there's been quite a few studies that argue that Europe could provide Ukraine with sufficient ammunition to defend itself over the
long term. That would require, you know, a stepping-up of European munitions manufacturing, for example; more investment by the Europeans,
assuming the political will is there.
But once the United States is off the table, that takes a huge source of influence and pressure and resources away from this. But you remember that
Trump was talking about how this is Europe's problem. It did seem that he's pretty willing to turn this over to Europe.
I think where all this leaves President Zelenskyy, if your point about his remarks, he is in a position where he can't afford to alienate the United
States even more, to push it away.
But at the same time, he has to make the point, as he did today, that there needs to be more pressure on Russia, that there needs to be more sanctions.
So in a way, he's appeasing president Trump by couching some of the things he's saying in diplomatic language while, at the same time, making the
point that all of this is pointing toward a dead end for Ukraine.
HILL: Real quickly, before I let you go, what's next on the calendar?
Nothing?
COLLINSON: Well, the Europeans are today talking about potentially even more sanctions. There is this vague promise from the United States that
came out of the call, that the Europe, the Ukrainians and the Russians will speak together about a framework for a ceasefire and an end to talks.
I guess we'll see if there's any pressure from the United States to actually make that happen. But it does look that it's all in limbo right
now.
HILL: Yes. Stephen, always appreciate your insight. Thank you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
HILL: Well, president Trump has been speaking earlier today with House Republicans. He's on Capitol Hill this morning. He's there to try to
convince the members of his party to pass his massive tax and spending cut bill.
And it's facing some obstacles, which is why the president finds himself on the Hill. Hardliners insisting on even more spending cuts.
[10:15:00]
Moderates want increased deductions for state and local taxes, what's known as SALT. That is a nonstarter for the hardliners.
Before going into the conference, the president also pushed what he says are the benefits of the bill and then threw in a not-so-veiled warning to
any Republicans who plan to oppose it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is bigger than any Ronald Reagan tax cut. It's even bigger than the tax cut that I gave, because, as you know, that's being extended
and increased.
So this is the biggest tax cut in the history of our country. Or you'll get a 68 percent tax increase.
And if that happens, I mean what Republican could vote for that to happen?
Because there wouldn't be a Republican much longer. They would get, they would be knocked out so fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Lauren Fox is back with us.
Is it really that simple, Lauren?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, behind closed doors, Donald Trump sort of gave a little bit of something and took a little bit
of something away from each of the sides in that room.
First, he made clear that he believes that the high state and local taxes that a lot of these New York Republicans are fighting for their
constituents to be able to deduct are the problem of Democratic governors.
And obviously, that sort of is pointing to the fact that perhaps he may not be as open to raising that cap as much as some of those New York
Republicans and swing district Republicans were hoping for.
That has been a huge sticking point in the closing days of this negotiation for those moderate members.
Then he also made clear behind closed doors that members needed to be careful messing with Medicaid, telling them explicitly, using the F-word,
saying don't eff with Medicaid, making clear that that program and cutting too deeply into it could have huge reverberations for the midterm elections
and for the Republican House majority.
Which Donald Trump does not want to lose. Now he's open to the kinds of things like work requirements, curbing waste, fraud and abuse, other
options that Republicans have been looking at or just making sure that people are registering their eligibility every six months, instead of just
every year.
That is the kind of change that a lot of Republicans, including some swing district Republicans and the president, can live with. But sort of cutting
further into this program, reducing how much the federal government gives to states, that's the kind of thing that could really rock up those
enrollment cuts.
And make it really hard for people to access a program that they depend on. So really interesting comments from the president in there. Obviously,
we're going to be getting a lot more as members leave this meeting.
Now does this get them closer to meeting that Thursday deadline?
I think that still remains a huge question.
Do members come out of this meeting satisfied or conservatives still going to fight for deeper Medicaid cuts?
I think it's really going to be worth watching if Donald Trump has changed people's minds or if he's just made it clear where he stands on some of
those critical issues.
HILL: Even just him making clear where he stands on some of those issues, does that give some of these holdouts enough cover, Lauren, if they wanted
to come over to his side?
FOX: Well, I think it certainly does if you're someone who was sort of on the fence, if you wanted to be fighting for these things or not.
But the problem is a lot of these members believe that they do need to curb federal spending. I mean, someone like Chip Roy may not be convinced, after
Donald Trump says that they don't want -- he doesn't want them cutting Medicaid too deeply, that they still shouldn't be fighting to cut Medicaid
more deeply.
That fundamental shift for Chip Roy may not happen today. I think that that's the kind of issue that not every single member is going to see eye-
to-eye with the president.
At the end of the day, do they vote against this bill because of it?
I think that is the huge and remaining question on the table right now, because Donald Trump made clear before he went into that meeting that, you
know, someone like Thomas Massie, who has voted no on a number of the president's priorities, Donald Trump knows who he is and doesn't believe
that he should be in Congress.
And I think that if you're a conservative, you might be keeping that in the back of your mind.
HILL: Lauren Fox, always appreciate it. Thank you.
Still ahead here, testimony is now underway in the criminal trial for Sean Diddy Combs, his former assistant back on the stand at this hour. We'll
take a closer look at what's happening inside that Manhattan courtroom on the other side of this break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: Happening now, the former assistant to Sean Diddy Combs is back on the witness stand for a second day of testimony in the music mogul's sex
trafficking and racketeering trial. Defense attorneys have just begun their cross-examination.
On Monday, David James testified about a conversation he had with Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in which she said she couldn't get out of
the relationship because Combs controlled everything in her life. Ventura's mother is also slated to testify later today.
Joining me now is Jennifer Rodgers. She's a CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor.
And it's important to note, when you were with the Southern District here in New York, you were also heading up the organized crime unit. So you can
really help us, bring us in here. We're talking about this testimony. A lot of the testimony we've seen so far graphic, violent. We're talking about
domestic violence.
How does this play into the charges here when we're talking about racketeering, we're talking about sex trafficking?
JENNIFER RODGERS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Erica, they're really unusual charges, which I think is obvious.
Usually when you're talking about racketeering or RICO charges, it's traditional organized crime figures, extortion, sometimes labor unions, you
know, where there might be violence. But it's not domestic violence. And it's certainly not sex involved.
So these are highly unusual charges, not unprecedented. There have been some cases -- R. Kelly, for example; Ghislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey
Epstein assistant. So it's not unprecedented but it is unusual.
So they use them to prove that this is what the racketeering enterprise was doing. I mean, some racketeering enterprises do regular extortion for
money. This one was forcing people to commit these sex acts and participate in these sex parties. So it's a different object.
I think it takes a kind of a lighter touch, if you will, by prosecutors. You don't want to exploit the kind of salacious nature of some of this
testimony and evidence. You want to treat it as serious as it is.
It's a racketeering case, a sex trafficking case. There are victims here. And so, you know, I think it takes a different approach. But you know, it's
a real case, real charges. So far, I think they're doing a good job.
HILL: And it seems prosecutors are really leaning into this idea of the control, that they are trying to show that Sean Combs had over people to
that point. David James, his former assistant, had said, I can't, I can't get out, that Cassie Ventura had told him I can't get out.
And that the assistant had also been told to, quote, "stay in his lane," that he was asking too many questions.
How does that help in painting this narrative for the government?
RODGERS: Well, the government has to show that this was involuntary. You know, unlike saying to someone, give me some money or I'll beat you up, you
know, you can see how that would be involuntary. It's different with this kind of a case, right?
They were romantically involved. So the notion of her participating in sex parties could be completely voluntary as part of their relationship. The
government has to prove that it wasn't, that she was coerced. It was involuntary.
She didn't stay because she wanted to. She stayed because she felt like she had to. And I think they're doing a good job of that with her testimony and
the corroboration of it. They also, though, Erica, have to prove that this was a racketeering enterprise. It wasn't just him.
And so that's another thing they're using these assistants for, that the assistant also felt like, you know, he had to do what he was doing. And
there will be a lot of testimony about that, too, to prove that it wasn't just Ventura who was involuntarily involved.
[10:25:00]
But that there were people around Diddy who were doing his bidding. And that was part of this racketeering group.
HILL: There was some back-and-forth before jurors were brought back in earlier today between the attorneys, deciding what could and perhaps could
not be brought up in court today when Cassie Ventura's mother takes the stand. She's expected to take the stand later.
And specifically, this was about Combs demanding payment from her, her taking out a loan to pay him some $20,000 and having that money wired back.
Why would it be, from a prosecution perspective, important to have that out there?
I can imagine why the defense may not.
But why would the prosecution want to make sure that that could potentially be entered into the record?
RODGERS: Well, I think they're, again, trying to demonstrate just this coercive nature. You know, Cassie Ventura was caught and stuck and couldn't
get out. And her mother is a witness to that.
And so I think what they're trying to do is, again, corroborate her. But you know, it is also a little bit pulling at the heartstrings, as you can
see. I mean, having a victim's mother on the stand, of course, she'll have to stay within the rules of evidence and not provide hearsay and so on.
But you know, of course, she's going to be upset about what her daughter went through. So there's a little bit of kind of, you know, looking at the
jury, this poor woman and this woman's mother is here. So I think there's a little bit of that pulling at the heartstrings with this testimony also.
HILL: Yes, Jennifer Rodgers, always appreciate it. Thank you.
RODGERS: Thanks, Erica.
HILL: When we come back, the United Kingdom now taking action against Israel over its renewed military offensive in Gaza. More on that when we
return.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill. Here are your headlines.
U.S. president Donald Trump on Capitol Hill speaking with House Republicans today, urging them to pass a massive tax and spending cuts bill. Hardliners
who oppose the bill say it doesn't cut enough spending, while moderate Republicans want increased deductions for state and local taxes. That's a
nonstarter for the hardliners.
E.U. defense ministers meeting in Brussels earlier to adopt the bloc's 17th sanctions package against Russia. The U.K. also announcing its own
sanctions on the country a short time ago. Europe is trying to raise the pressure on Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
The former assistant to Sean Diddy Combs, now back on the witness stand for a second day in the music mogul's criminal trial in Manhattan. The
prosecution wrapping up its direct questioning of David James a short time ago.
The defense has now begun its cross-examination. Earlier, James testified he did not personally observe physical violence between Combs and his then-
girlfriend Cassie Ventura but said he did hear them arguing about her career more than once.
[10:30:00]
Take a look at the scene overnight in Gaza, Israeli strikes killing dozens as the Israeli military has been ramping up its air and ground offensive.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the past few days alone.
And the U.N. says there is perhaps a glimmer of hope today, after the U.N. said it received approval for around 100 aid trucks to enter today as
Israel is allowing this aid into the enclave.
The move comes after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed fears that Israel could lose support from its most important allies if the famine, if
famine occurs. The United Kingdom moments ago announcing it would actually be suspending negotiations for new trade agreement with Israel. And it has
summoned Israel's ambassador.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: I want to put on record today that we're horrified by the escalation from Israel. We repeat our demand for a
ceasefire as the only way to free the hostages. We repeat our opposition to settlements in the West Bank and we repeat our demand to massively scale up
humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
The recent announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza, a basic quantity, is totally and utterly inadequate. So we must
coordinate our response, because this war has gone on for far too long. We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Abeer Salman has this report now on the realities on the ground in Gaza. And I do want to warn you, some of this is difficult to
watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
ABEER SALMAN, CNN PRODUCER AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the story of one 12 year old girl, Jenna Escefi (ph) and her family. But it's
also the story of so many others in Gaza today, where days are punctuated by the never-ending search for water and food.
And where the death of one pushes a family to endure unimaginable hardships.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
SALMAN (voice-over): After her brother was killed, it was Jenna who stepped up, becoming her family's caretaker and guardian.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
SALMAN (voice-over): It's a burden made worse by Israel's punishing 11-week blockade of food and aid on the Gaza Strip. Israel says the blockade was
designed to bring about the release of all of the hostages and pressure Hamas. So far, neither has happened.
Instead, despite aid now trickling in, the U.N. says 20 percent of the population faces starvation, calling it, quote, "atrocious and beyond
human."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
SALMAN (voice-over): A baby born and perished surrounded by starvation; her three brief months of life, sustained by a child. Before the war, Gaza
survived on food deliveries from hundreds of trucks a day.
Now with the Israeli military pledging to take over the entire Gaza Strip, whatever makes it through will almost certainly not be enough -- Abeer
Salman. CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And joining me now, the CEO of Health Workers 4 Palestine.
[10:35:00]
Amira Nimerawi is in daily communication with medics in Gaza.
I know you also have family in the enclave. Joining us live from Cairo today. Amir, it's good to have you with us.
First of all, can you just bring us up to speed on what you are hearing from both your family in Gaza and also from those who are working with your
organization, the medical aid workers?
AMIRA NIMERAWI, CEO, HEALTH WORKERS 4 PALESTINE: Yes. So to start off with the healthcare professionals that we have been in touch with, especially
within the last 24 hours, it's very clear that not only has Israel escalated its violence against civilians, as we heard in this report just
now, over 600 have been killed in the last few days.
But what we heard last night was that the Indonesian Hospital in the north of Gaza, generators were bombed again, rendering the hospital unusable.
And also from British and Palestinian colleagues in Al Nasr hospital, in Khan Yunis in the south today, who are awaiting evacuation orders at any
moment, who were very close to where bombs were being dropped and apparently the whole of Khan Yunis has been advised that they might need to
evacuate.
Just a couple of hours ago, I heard from colleagues at Al-Awda hospital that Israeli quadcopters had been unleashed on them and were targeting
ambulances. And ambulances weren't able to actually take patients back to the hospital for treatment.
And we've just heard about half an hour ago from the municipality of Deir al-Balah that Israel has bombed the only source of water, well in the --
in that area, ensuring that there's now no water at all available to.
HILL: You have gone out for just a minute. So Amira, if you can still hear me, can you give us a sense of in the areas where the health workers are
still able to treat injuries, to treat whatever the medical need may be?
What are they able to do in this moment?
What are they not able to do?
NIMERAWI: I mean, there's not a lot that they can do except to triage and to try to preserve life and to try to preserve limbs.
So we're hearing from colleagues in Al Nasr hospital, which I just mentioned, in the south in Khan Yunis, where Dr. Victoria Rose (ph), a
plastic surgeon, has said that they're losing kids left, right and center from completely preventable injuries and complications of those injuries.
For example, one of her patients just died from sepsis, which in the U.K. or the States would be completely treatable and preventable. So they're
trying their best to support the health workers.
The Palestinian health workers, who have been living through this genocide since the beginning, who continue to turn up every single day to treat and
to heal and to be there for their communities.
But they, too, because of the lack of aid and because of the complete decimation and deliberate destruction of the healthcare infrastructure, are
not able to fully complete the treatments and services they would normally be able to do in the U.K. for example.
HILL: We know what a major issue food is. The lack of food is really what I should say. Speaking with my colleague, Jeremy Diamond, our
correspondent, in Israel earlier, as he noted, you know, as this -- as we're hearing of perhaps 100 trucks that have now been cleared to go in
today on the heels of just five yesterday.
The real question is, how long does this last and how much can get through the security concerns that exist?
Given this release, if you will or the OK to allow these hundred trucks in, does that give you any sort of hope that this could continue?
And if so, what does that mean for your family, for example, still in Gaza?
NIMERAWI: Yes. So I think first of all, it's extremely dangerous to be saying that any of these trucks are providing any kind of hope. Five trucks
yesterday, 100 trucks, maybe today. Those five trucks are still actually have not been able to enter into the communities in Gaza. They're still
actually technically at the border.
So I think, with the track record, especially over the last 19 months with Israel, we need to wait until we see what actually happens on the ground.
It's a matter of when we see it, we believe it.
The situation is completely dire. I mean, just from my own personal experience, we're hearing constantly from family members who are waking up.
And this is in the south, where, you know, supposedly this is a humanitarian zone.
They're not knowing what they're going to eat that day. Some of my family members have actually risked their lives, facing shooting from tanks, just
to go back to their bombed house because they remembered that there might be some pasta left in the house.
You know, the trip of a kilometer is a dangerous and deathly trip for them to take. So this is the reality. Just hearing in this report now, the basic
level that is needed for Gaza is 500 trucks a day and that's still nowhere near enough.
This sort of game of counting trucks is extremely dangerous. What we need is for unfettered access and corridor for all of this aid to be able to go
in.
[10:40:05]
But most importantly, Israel needs to be stopped. There needs to be arms embargoes. There need to be complete sanctions and there needs to be an end
to the occupation. Because without that, we will continue to see this happen over and over again.
And we will see the succession of their plan, which is to ethnically cleanse Palestinians not just from the Gaza Strip but also from the West
Bank.
HILL: Amira Nimerawi, we appreciate you joining us today. Thank you.
NIMERAWI: Thank you.
HILL: A Columbia University student is celebrating his graduation instead of spending time in a U.S. detention facility. Mohsen Mahdawi receiving his
diploma in New York on Monday.
The philosophy major was arrested last month during an interview to finalize his U.S. citizenship, as the Trump administration cracked down on
pro-Palestinian activists. A judge later ordered his release. Here's what he had to say to reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHSEN MAHDAWI, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GRADUATE: Me coming to this university, rather than being in a prison clothes, rather than being in a
prison, either in Vermont or in Louisiana, I come here to celebrate.
With who?
With my fellow students, my brothers and sisters and with my professors. And with my community in New York City.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Mahdawi says his fellow students, professors and faculty cheered the ideas of peace, equality and humanity.
Still ahead here, Donald Trump, facing two major international wars with no concrete resolution in sight. Why other countries are now turning to
sanctions.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: Donald Trump's second term playing out so far in the shadow of two major wars, which Washington has sought to mediate and ultimately end,
although the conflicts, of course, continue. Gaza facing an escalating humanitarian crisis today, while Ukraine and Russia continue to accuse one
another, launching attacks overnight via drone.
This after that lengthy call, of course, between presidents Trump and Putin on Monday.
So where could things go from here?
Joining me now, CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier.
Always good to see you. Let's start off with what we -- what did or did not, I should say, come out of this call between Trump and Putin yesterday.
There was no push, really, from what we got in terms of the readouts on the part of Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin. This seems to have, in the -- in
the words of my colleague, Nick Paton Walsh, you know, Putin has proven here that he doesn't really need the U.S. at all.
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Putin has once again gotten Donald Trump to trust him and to believe that Moscow is going to
start good faith negotiations with Ukraine that will lead to a ceasefire.
And then something else; even though, up to this point, every single time anyone has made a demand of Moscow, they've come up with excuses. They've
reframed the conversation, the argument.
[10:45:00]
And then done nothing except continue to prosecute the war. So there is real frustration in Europe. A French minister put out a statement, saying
that this just shows that Vladimir Putin basically is still keeping on with the war and hasn't changed his tune.
Just came from a reporting trip to the Baltics and Ukraine. In Ukraine, they don't understand why Donald Trump seems so enamored of Putin. But all
they can do, as they learn from that first disastrous Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump, is keep acting like they are the cooperative
ones.
And hoping that Trump will eventually see that Putin is doing nothing, playing him and continuing to fight.
HILL: It's so interesting you bring up the point of trust, right?
Because in the Oval Office yesterday, a reporter asked president Trump, "Do you still trust Putin?"
And his answer, pretty simple.
He said, "I do."
And it made me think back to an interview that secretary Rubio gave. Just - - I think it was about three weeks ago, I believe, on "Meet the Press."
And he was asked specifically about trust and whether you could trust a deal with Vladimir Putin and trust Putin not to go after Ukraine again or
to try to invade another European country.
And the comments from secretary Rubio in response were that peace deals aren't built on trust. So there's also sort of, you know, competing views,
perhaps in some ways, in this administration. Would not be unheard of in an administration.
But when you see this playing out like this, in this very public trust of Vladimir Putin, what are the next avenues, beyond trying to be diplomatic
in public for Kyiv at this point?
DOZIER: Well, you can see that the European Union just got approved its 17th package of sanctions. Britain announced a sweeping package of
sanctions today, with the goal in these new sanctions to cut down on the profits that Russia is able to receive from the oil that's traversing the
world in its ghost fleet.
So they are continuing to be cooperative on the surface with the United States while doing what they can within limits. And one of the realities
here, though, is that, as JD Vance, the vice president, signaled, there is a worst possible outcome of these stumbling efforts toward talks.
That Donald Trump could get impatient, walk away and not just walk away from trying to negotiate between Russia and Ukraine but also take away the
intelligence, take away the weapons supplies.
I've spoken to numerous NATO European leaders and Ukrainian officials, who say, look, when they cut off the intelligence, it hurt, especially hurt our
monitoring of areas like Kursk, some of which Ukraine still holds and strikes on civilian areas.
And in terms of the weapons supplies, Ukraine has ramped up and is making something like 40 percent of a lot of the weapons, the drones that are used
on the ground right now. But they still need long-range U.S. weapons like the Patriots. And if the U.S. were to pull out, that would be a nightmare.
HILL: Real quickly, before I let you go, when it comes to the situation in Gaza, Steve Witkoff, over the weekend, said that the aid issue is
logistical, in his words. The president on Saturday told FOX that the U.S. would have the situation taken care of.
Do you see any movement on the part of the U.S. having any influence in this moment?
DOZIER: The U.S. is seen as the only one who could have any influence to stop the basic flattening of Gaza. But officials I've spoken to on the
European side don't see the U.S. doing enough to stop it.
There's frustration across the Middle East in Arab countries as well. They are watching the Palestinian people starving and seeing them hit again and
again and again.
And their populations are signaling to them there will be no expansion of the Abraham Accords, which Trump so badly wants, as long as Gaza continues
to be attacked and only Trump is seen as the one who can stop it.
HILL: Kimberly Dozier, always appreciate it. Thank you.
DOZIER: Thanks.
HILL: We'll be right back.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: For tonight's "Parting Shots," skateboards become a lifeline for young girls living amid the rubble of Gaza in a heavily bombed enclave. A
group of girls decide to skate away their reality on the ground that is anything but stable. CNN's Muhammad Darwish takes a closer look at how
these young skaters keep rolling despite it all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MUHAMMAD DARWISH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Gaza's shattered ground, young girls find a sense of freedom --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: We want to take you now live to president Trump on Capitol Hill, just speaking after meeting with lawmakers.
TRUMP: Who do you work for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Notice.
TRUMP: Who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Notice?
TRUMP: I don't even know what the hell that is. You got to get yourself a real -- let me tell you. I think we have unbelievable unity. I think we're
going to get everything we want and I think we're going to have a great victory and this man has done a great job. And I think this was a
tremendous session. You may want to say something.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Yes. It was a great meeting. The party is unified. The House of Republican Conference is excited, multiple
standing ovations. They love this president. The people back home love what he's doing. It's historic and everybody understands the scope and the
meaning of this. If we do not accomplish this mission, every one of you, all the American people are going to have the highest tax increase that
you've ever had.
Among the debt ceiling clip that's approaching and all the other problems, this is the bill to do it. I think we're going to get it done, Mr.
President.
TRUMP: The Democrats want to raise your taxes if this doesn't work, if this doesn't get the numbers that the Republicans want, then I think it
does. I think it's all Republican votes. The Democrats are going to be raising your taxes by 68 percent and they will not do the -- we're going to
have an 85 percent cut in drug costs. 85 percent cut in drug costs. The Democrats, the drug prices are going to go up.
I can't imagine a Democrat not voting for this. I think the Democrats, if they don't vote for it, that means they're voting for an increase in drug
prices. Think of that, versus an 80 to an 85, maybe 75 but it could be an 85 percent cut in drug costs. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you need to reach out to individual members?
Do you need to make a pitch to individual members --
TRUMP: I don't think so. No. That's what I did. It's really what we did today. I think it was a really great -- that was a meeting of love, let me
tell you. It was, that was love in that room. There was no shouting there. I think it was a meeting of love. There were a couple of things that we
talked about specifically where some people felt a little bit one way or the other, not a big deal and I covered them. And It wasn't so much a
speech. I covered certain points.
And I think there was -- I'd be very surprised.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You told them you --
TRUMP: No, I didn't tell. Who told you I said I'm going to --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what we heard inside the room.
TRUMP: It's a lie. Wait a minute. Wait, wait. Who's told you that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we heard from people inside the room.
TRUMP: Oh, really?
JOHNSON: It's not true.
TRUMP: I never used the term. I didn't say losing. I didn't even talk about it. In fact, it's the opposite. I think we're getting into that --
I'm not losing patience. We're ahead of schedule. Anybody that told you that is a liar. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I never mentioned the word
losing patience because I'm not losing patience. We're ahead of schedule.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's why I asked you.
TRUMP: Why don't you go back to your source and tell them they're liars if the source even exists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- passes the House.
TRUMP: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senators are already talking about making a number of changes --
TRUMP: Sure. Always have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that OK?
TRUMP: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want them to --
TRUMP: Yes. In some cases, they have things that I like even better. No, it always happens. There'll be some changes. John Thune and Mike have been
very closely aligned about this. They've been moving it up together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, apparently you said don't ask with Medicaid (INAUDIBLE), you did say in the room. There is some concern among
some Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley that this could impact benefits and they can be amount to hidden tax on the --
TRUMP: Here's what I said.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm wondering if you're --
TRUMP: Here's what I said -- you want to hear what I said?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you say those members who are worried about blow back?
[10:55:00]
TRUMP: Waste, fraud and abuse for Medicaid. If you find waste or fraud or abuse, we want to strengthen Medicaid. We want to strengthen Medicare.
Waste, fraud and abuse. The Democrats will let illegals be on. They'll destroy it. It will be destroyed. They want to have illegal immigrants be
on. And if you do that because that's not -- it wasn't designed for that. Waste, fraud and abuse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you guarantee that your voters who supported you on election, working class voters will not lose health insurance under this
bill?
TRUMP: Oh, they won't lose health insurance. Not only that, remember, I'm cutting drug prices by 85 percent. And right now, I've -- I'm saving it.
I'm saving the whole thing because I did something that nobody was willing to do. Other countries pay a tiny fraction of what we do and I instituted
favored nations. We're now going to pay the lowest in the world. We're going to be the equivalent of the lowest country in the world.
People go to London, they go to Canada, they go to other countries, many other countries because they want to buy their pharmaceutical products,
their drugs at a fraction of the cost. Now we're going to have the lowest cost anywhere in the world and nobody else would do that but me. And that
might be an election by itself, it might be election winning.
Now when you add that in, when you put that into Medicaid and Medicare, we've just strengthened Medicare and Medicaid and the Democrats won't do
that. You know why?
Because they're taken care of by the drug companies. And the ones that are taken care of are hard line. Some Republicans get money from drug
companies. And that's OK because they're OK with it. I talked about it.
The drug companies take care of everybody. It's the biggest lobby, most powerful lobby in the world. There's no lobby like that but the Republicans
are OK with it. Not only OK with it, they love it. It was time. So we're going to cut drug prices by -- from 75 to 85, in some cases, even more than
that.
You know, I was telling the story that -- and some of you were at that news conference. I gave a news conference where I was the first one in 18 years
to cut drug costs for the year and they were like a quarter of a point to half a point less and I was very proud of that. Now I'm cutting them by 80,
85 percent because I stopped the scam.
This was a scam between the middleman and the drug companies. This was a giant scam. And by the way and other countries, because other countries
fought for this. This was a giant scam. And we're not going to have it.
So remember this, go back and tell your people, if you'd like to, that the Republican Party is cutting the cost of drugs by as much as 85 percent, not
8 percent, not 5 percent, not 1 percent, 85 percent. And you're going to have the lowest drug prices anywhere in the world because I'm doing favored
nations and it's all done. I signed it. And the Democrats will unsign it and the drug prices are going to go up. And I think on that issue alone,
you can't lose an election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- DOJ weaponizing with the arrest of a congresswoman, Democratic congresswoman.
TRUMP: Oh, give a break. Did you see her?
She was out of control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you address --
TRUMP: You know, those days are over. The days of woke -- no, I didn't. The days of woke are over. That woman. I don't -- I have no idea who she
is. That woman was out of control. She was shoving federal agents. She was out of control. The days of that crap are over in this country. We're going
to have law and order.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, thank you very much. You campaigned on lowering the price of groceries.
How can you justify cutting food assistance in this bill?
TRUMP: Let me just tell you, the cut is going to give everybody much more food, because prices are coming way down. Groceries are down. Eggs. You
told me about eggs. You asked me a question about eggs my first week. You said, eggs. I said, I just got here. Tell me about eggs.
And it was going through the roof. You know that eggs now way down. Everybody's buying eggs. Grocery is down. Energy is down. Gasoline is now
buying -- they're buying gasoline now for $1.99. When I -- if you look back, you will see $3.50, $4.00.
This country -- we were going to lose this country. Our country now is respected all over the world. All over the world, we're respected. We were
a laughingstock. The entire world was a -- we were a laughingstock. I went to the Middle East and those rulers of those three countries are very
powerful people, very big people, very rich people.
They respect our country again. And China was going to take them off. China was going to get all -- they were going to get into the -- if you look
Saudi Arabia, you take a -- take a little look what was happening with Qatar and UAE, great people, unbelievable people, unbelievable leaders but
they were abandoned by this country.
And they're not going to China anymore. They love us. We love them. We're going to take care of them and they're going to take care of us. We came
back with $5.1 trillion, trillion. Every other president would have come back having spent --
END
