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Trump Threatens Steep Tariffs on Goods from E.U.; U.S. and Iran Hold Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks; Trump Administration Bars Harvard from Enrolling Foreign Students; All Feared Dead After Plane Crashes in California; Trump Hosts Private Dinner for Investors in His Crypto Coin; Saudi Arabia Announces Global Tourism Platform; Gaza Girls Keep Rolling on Skates Amid Ruins. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 23, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:45]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Isa Soares.
And coming up, a bad Friday for markets. Stock markets after President Trump threatens 50 percent tariffs on the E.U. and another tariff on Apple.
Then high stakes nuclear talks in Rome. U.S. and Iranian negotiators are trying to come to an agreement. We'll have the latest details from Rome and
from Tehran for you. And the Trump administration bars Harvard University from enrolling international students. And now the school is fighting back.
We are live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, next.
And U.S. stock markets have been open just over half an hour, 31 minutes to be exact. And it's looking like an ugly end unfortunately to -- for Wall
Street ugly and of course to what's going to be a long weekend of course in the United States. All the major indices there, as you can see, pretty much
down in the red after the U.S. president threatened to kick his trade war back in top gear. The Dow down almost 1 percent. Similar picture with S&P
500. The Nasdaq falling the furthest so far this hour, and just in the last 31 minutes, down 1.3 percent.
In a series of social media posts just in the last two hours or so, the president recommended raising import taxes on the E.U. by 50 percent. Apple
is also in his crosshairs, facing a 25 percent tariff if it doesn't start making its iPhones in the United States, and as a result, you are seeing
that share price down 2.5 percent.
Let's bring the very latest, get the very latest on this. CNN's business reporter Matt Egan is in New York.
And Matt, I thought, you know, I thought we're done talking about tariffs. Here we are again. Just walk us through what we heard from the president.
Let's start first on what relates to Europe because European markets, I'm just going to ask my producers to see if we've got them up. They've been
sharply lower just in the last, in the last hour or so on the back of this. Talk us through Europe first and what this means because this is a
staggering, 50 percent. That's completely different from what he'd been warning about previously.
MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, look, just when you thought the trade war was over, it's clearly not, right? This is a major escalation after
really weeks of de-escalation, things seem to be calming down a bit, and now they're heating back up. So you mentioned U.S. markets down sharply on
this major threat from the president of the United States to put this 50 percent tariff on goods from the E.U.
Look, these are two major trading partners. This is the kind of threat that if it actually happened in about a week or so, which is what the president
is saying, if it happened, then you could easily see a slowdown in growth. You could see more supply chain issues, higher prices. And you got to
believe the E.U. would retaliate here. And remember the U.S. imports a lot of goods from the European Union, $771 billion last year alone.
We're talking about everything from cars and car parts to machinery to alcoholic beverages, pharmaceuticals. That's all of the items that the U.S.
gets from Europe. But Europe also imports from the U.S. and if the E.U. decides we're not going to take this, we're going to put retaliatory
tariffs on you, that could end up hurting jobs here in the United States. So that's something we need to keep an eye on.
I talked to Mary Lovely. She's a researcher on trade at the Peterson Institute. And she said, look, I think this is going to backfire because
it's only going to encourage people in the E.U. to take a tough stance here, and because they're not going to take this lying down and they are
going to likely retaliate here -- Isa.
SOARES: Yes. We haven't heard from the European Union, the European Commission. Of course, as soon as we do, we'll bring that to everyone's
attention.
Matt, appreciate it. A busy day. Busy Friday for you. Thank you very much indeed.
Let's get more on this. Carsten Brzeski joins me now. He's the global head of Macro for ING Research.
Carsten, great to have you back on the show. Trade war then it seems is back on. Just your reaction, first of all, to this 50 percent tariffs
potentially on Europe from early June.
[10:05:01]
That is, you know, more than double the size of the 20 percent, of course, initial reciprocal tariff I should say. What do you make of it?
CARSTEN BRZESKI, GLOBAL HEAD OF MACRO, ING RESEARCH: Well, it's a big bummer. And it feels like Groundhog Day. Well, we've been here before and
I'm a bit afraid that we will get to this point more often again in the future. Well, if we take him really at face value and if we were to see 50
percent tariffs on European goods, this would be clearly stagflationary for the U.S. economy and it would also be very harmful for the European economy
because the 50 percent tariffs from the U.S. probably means that European GDP growth would come in some 0.6 percentage points lower than previously,
which would mean it would bring or would push down the European economy again to stagnation.
SOARES: And, look, Carsten, in this -- in President Trump's post this morning, the president basically took issue with what he called non-
monetary trade barriers. Can you speak to that and how much truth there is in his concerns, first of all?
BRZESKI: Well, it's not new. I think non-monetary trade barriers are one. And we've heard this before. For example, VAT tariffs that the U.S. then
compares with Europe. VAT tariffs are not discriminatory. Let's also be clear on that. Then there are, for example, standards and regulations that
differ clearly between the U.S. and the E.U. I think it is these kind of tariffs. But don't forget, the European Commission, the E.U. had also
already proposed to purchase more U.S. goods.
The Europeans have also already kind of at least put forward the idea of cutting tariffs at all between the U.S. and the E.U. So I think the
European Union has already moved quite away towards the U.S.
SOARES: And we heard the president say that the E.U., and I know he's always had strong words against the E.U. as you know, as you well know,
Carsten, but he said the E.U. had been very difficult, he said, to deal with.
Is it clear from your vantage point, Carsten, what the U.S. expects or wants to see in order to strike a deal with the E.U.?
BRZESKI: In all honesty, not really. I don't know whether the U.S. administration wants the Europeans to cut, for example, VAT. I don't know
whether the U.S. administration wants the Europeans a bit like the British to come up with some kind of quota. So, well, I think it could because if
you compare, if you compare average tariffs between the U.S. and the E.U., they are very similar. So they only differ in specific sectors.
So to me it's not very clear what the U.S. administration really wants as the Europeans have already offered quite some, well, some measures, some
gestures towards the U.S. administration.
SOARES: And I'm going to park the E.U. for now because President Trump has also been posting on Truth Social about tariffs on Apple. Your perspective
on that because he says he wants Tim Cook's iPhones to be manufactured and built in the United States. Shares are down just almost 2 percent -- 3
percent, pardon me.
BRZESKI: I think that's clearly what the idea behind it is to get more manufacturing production again back to the U.S. So from the president's
point of view I think this makes sense. So this is a measure to really then bring back manufacturing to the U.S. It would come at the cost of U.S.
consumers because what does it mean, it would push up prices enormously. Even if you were to produce in the U.S. this would also mean higher
production costs for any company that currently produces partly in Asia.
So this means, yes, it could eventually bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., but U.S. consumers would have to pay a higher price for that.
SOARES: Yes. And are they prepared to pay three times their current price? I am not sure about that.
Carsten, appreciate you coming on this breaking news. Thank you very much indeed.
Now to Rome, where the fifth round of high stakes nuclear talks begin. The U.S. between the U.S. and Iran underway. That is according to Iranian
media. Those indirect discussions are taking place behind closed doors, but publicly, expectations have been low. The two sides seem deadlocked over
Tehran's uranium enrichment program, which the U.S. wants dismantled. On Thursday, Iran's foreign minister posted, quote, "Figuring out the path to
a deal is not rocket science. Zero nuclear weapons equals we do have a deal. Zero enrichment equals we do not have a deal. That's pretty clear."
We have two of CNN's best minds across the various angles. Our Fred Pleitgen joins me live from Tehran and our Ben Wedeman is in Rome.
Fred, let me go to you first. Look, I assume both sides are still talking because I've yet to hear anything else so far.
[10:10:03]
And that I will take as a good sign. But speak to the skepticism from Iran's side going into these talks first of all. What are you hearing?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Isa. Yes, we have heard a lot of skepticism on the ground here in Tehran, also
from Iranian officials. There were two Iranian officials that we spoke to who said that right now the hopes are not very high on the Iranian side.
And in fact, they're going into these talks not expecting any sort of breakthroughs.
But they say to see whether or not the Trump administration is actually serious about reaching an agreement. And the main reason for that is what
you were just talking about. Some of the public statements, especially from the president's negotiators, Steve Witkoff, saying that Iran was not
allowed to have any nuclear enrichment. We haven't actually heard that from President Trump himself.
So the Iranians are also saying that they believe that there's a sort of mixed messaging coming from the Trump administration, that that mixed
messaging is also way too public for their tastes. They say they want these negotiations to take place behind closed doors to be able to speak about
the issues that still divide these two sides.
Now, as you can imagine, on the ground here, the skepticism is also very large. I was at Friday prayers earlier today, and a lot of people there
that we spoke to said they don't trust the Trump administration at all. Here's what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No way. There's no trust because generally they have failed their previous tests towards the Iranian nation.
Never. However, we have initiated the talks to prove our intention is not war. We want the enrichment for medical and other purposes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our supreme leader says we don't want a nuclear weapon. We don't need one because our power lies in our
belief in God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I hope this round will be like previous rounds, and the common points of the parties will get closer so
that both countries will benefit. But considering the differences that exist, a result seems a bit out of reach.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The negotiations are unilateral. Trump is trying to show his power, but it is our right to have nuclear
capabilities. We don't want anything dangerous. Just for medical purposes and agriculture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So that's some of the folks that we spoke to earlier on the sidelines of Friday prayers, of course, mostly more conservative people who
go there. Nevertheless, we do feel that skepticism also in Iran's leadership as well with the supreme leader of course having come out a
couple of days ago saying he himself does not expect that these talks are going to come to a successful conclusion -- Isa.
SOARES: He doesn't sound like a great start, but they're still talking.
So, Ben, to you in Rome, where these talks are ongoing, just broaden this out for us and for our viewers right around the world. What are the risks
here if these talks fail? Because we have heard threats from this administration regarding, you know, not actually nothing coming out of
this.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, back in the middle of March, Isa, President Trump did send a letter to Iran's supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying they have 60 days to come to some sort of agreement. So we're basically at the end of that period. And the
sort of the unwritten after statement of that letter was and if or else if an agreement is not reached.
And what we have seen is this I think is basically spin by Trump administration officials shared with journalists, including CNN, that the
United States believes that Israel is making preparations for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Now, anybody who's been not living under a rock
for the last 20 years knows that Israel has for years now threatened Iran's nuclear facilities and also has been pushing the United States to take
military action against Iran on its behalf.
So these reports coming out of Washington don't really come as a surprise. Now, certainly what we know with the Trump administration in its second
incarnation is that it is unpredictable. It does appear that there isn't an appetite among the members of the administration, particularly the
president, for some sort of full-on war with Iran. But there is no hesitation at putting out this kind of threat.
And the Iranians don't necessarily react well to this sort of bullying and intimidation. That seems to be the technique increasingly used by the Trump
administration. So expectations in Rome are not very high for these talks. Now, just seconds ago, I looked at my phone and I saw that the Iranian
Foreign Ministry is saying that so far the talks have been professional, but there is no indication of any sort of breakthrough at this point --
Isa.
SOARES: Stay close to your phone. Ben Wedeman for us there in Rome, Fred Pleitgen for us in the streets of Tehran this hour. Thank you very much to
you both.
We'll stay across that if we have more details. Of course we'll bring that to you. And we'll have more news for you after this short break. Don't go
anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:17:12]
SOARES: Harvard University is suing the Trump administration after it barred the school from admitting international students. The university has
asked a federal judge to immediately block the ban, saying it is compliant. It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation, it writes, for
Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its
faculty and students.
Harvard refused to hand over foreign students' records, if you remember, to the Trump administration after campus antiwar protests last year. So this
will impact, of course, thousands of students and have ramifications far beyond Cambridge.
And I want to welcome in Leo Gerden, a Swedish student at Harvard, set to graduate next week.
Leo, thanks for coming to the show. Congratulations on your graduation for next week, but can you give me your reaction, first of all, to the news
that you've been hearing that happened in the last 24 hours from the Trump administration, and how that's being received by yourself and your fellow
students here?
LEO GERDEN, HARVARD INTERNATIONAL STUDENT: Yes, it's just devastating. I was looking forward to celebrating commencement next week. But now, you
know, I might leave this place and it will not look the same next semester because without the international students and the international
researchers, the Harvard campus will not be the same anymore. And we are being used essentially as poker chips in a battle between the White House
and Harvard. And it feels honestly very dehumanizing.
SOARES: And I'm guessing that is being felt by other colleagues? You speak to the current climate, you think, right now, given there are so much
uncertainty on what happens next.
GERDEN: Yes, the -- people are just so worried. You know, people have fought so hard, including myself, to get into this place. And the day I
opened my acceptance letter was probably the best day of my life. And now all of that hard work can just be taken away from us, just like that. And
everyone is in a state of extreme uncertainty right now whether they will be able to come back next semester.
People are making new plans of transferring, especially to other institutions abroad. And you know, what have we done to find ourselves in
this situation? What have we done to deserve this? It is just tragic.
SOARES: What do you want to see from Harvard? You want to see Harvard fighting back? What are you -- do you think will happen here?
GERDEN: No. I think we have to fight with whatever tools available right now because giving in to the Trump administration is a strategy that will
not work.
[10:20:05]
If we give over the names of a few students, or if we fire a few professors, then Trump is going to send a new letter of demands the next
week, demanding even more. So we simply have to take this fight now. It's a fight that none of us wanted, but we do have to take it, and we have to
stop him now.
SOARES: And for, I believe you're a student -- I think you're studying economics. You can correct me if I'm wrong, Leo. And you come from Sweden.
But, you know, there were, and I'm looking at some of the data, 6,500 international students on campus in the year 2022 to 2023, which makes it
about, what, 25 percent of all students. We've heard today, Leo, from China's government saying that Trump's, you know, Harvard ban will, what
they said will tarnish the U.S. image.
Do you agree with that? I mean, you speak to, you know, whether you think international students will be thinking twice.
GERDEN: Yes, definitely. You know, I will be thinking twice if I was a freshman and I'm, you know, I've been participating in protests and
everything. So I'm not the most risk averse person. But I totally understand if people don't want to come anymore, because why would you go
to a country and study at an institution when you don't even know if you will be able to graduate? If you can't speak out, speak up, or write an op-
ed in the newspaper or post on social media because you're worried that you will be detained by ICE agents on the street and put in a detention center.
This climate that Trump is creating for international students, it will be an enormous hit on higher education in this country, on America's ability
to be at the forefront of innovation.
SOARES: Indeed. I wonder then, you know, given the divisions within the country with this administration, whether that's had -- will have you think
any influence in your decisions after you graduate? What are your plans, Leo?
GERDEN: Yes, so funny enough with what we were talking about earlier, I'm actually going to China next year for a master's in global affairs. It is
with an American scholarship program. But it is just so crazy to me, which I would never, never have imagined that I'm probably feeling more safe with
regards to my visa when I'm in China than right now when I'm in the U.S.
SOARES: Wow, that is quite something. Leo, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. And congratulations once again. Very, very well-
deserved.
GERDEN: Thank you.
SOARES: We'll stay across the story, of course, a story that impacts so many students, of course, in the United States.
I want to go to the United States because an investigation is underway in San Diego, where a business jet carrying six people hit power lines before
crashing into homes in the Southern California city. And you are looking, we're going to show you this, some of the devastation that has been caused.
Authorities said burning jet fuel ran down the streets, creating a massive fire. No one on the plane is believed to have survived.
Three employees of a music agency were killed. That is according to the Associated Press, and the agency is known for its work with rock bands like
Sum 41 and Hanson.
Our Stephanie Elam is in San Diego with much more.
So, Stephanie, just where are we on the investigation and do we have any more clarity this hour about what caused this?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No clarity. What I can tell you, though, Isa, is I've been able to see some of the field here, and I'll get out the
way so you can see this house. This is the house that was most impacted by what this plane going down has done here to this neighborhood made up of
military families. Everyone who lives here has somebody in the family who's in the Navy, right?
So here in San Diego, on the street behind us, I can tell you there's still a wing in the street after it took down a power line that is also down, a
pole is down. But I would have to say that based on the fact that we were watching planes fly through here all day yesterday, that it is -- it was
definitely really low by the time it hit that power line, came through here and then just ignited everything on this street.
It's amazing that no one on the street died. We do know that the visibility was not good at the time. In fact, take a listen to the air traffic control
from San Diego talking to the pilot as he was entering into an approach mode. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 0955 Zulu with wind calm, visibility one half and indefinite ceiling 200.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. That doesn't sound great, but we'll give it a go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELAM: There was no distress signal that came from the plane, and you heard the pilot's voice there sounding very, very calm at that moment. But coming
through here, something went wrong. And this is what has happened here. The homes catching on fire. They even had to take some of the animals and wash
them out of the jet fuel that they were doused in.
[10:25:03]
It still smells like jet fuel here so there are still about 100 people or so that are evacuated from this area. The fuselage is still partially
there. It's a small plane you can't really see it because there's burned out cars in the front of it, but they're going to move it over the weekend
so that they can continue this investigation.
I did ask the NTSB yesterday about the flight data recorder that said this aircraft should have had one, so they should be able to get more answers to
that. And also, we also know that this automated weather system that should have been working at the airport where this plane was trying to land wasn't
working, had stopped working about a day before then. So the pilot got weather data from another nearby airport.
So looking to see how all of this is factoring in. But this is a plane that was coming from New Jersey outside of New York City, stopped in Wichita to
refuel, and then landed, was going to land here with these six souls. But while we think all of them have died, two for sure, it's amazing that no
one here on the ground died. Neighbors help neighbors get out and be safe.
SOARES: Indeed. Absolutely remarkable. Stephanie, thank you very much indeed.
We're going to take you to Paris because jurors in the Kim Kardashian armed robbery trial have been poring over months' worth of evidence, as well as
testimony. Ten defendants, dubbed the "grandpa robbers," stand accused of carrying off the $10 million jewelry heist during Paris Fashion Week back
in 2016. Prosecutors say the assailants ambushed Kim at her Paris apartment, tied her up and took off with her jewels. If convicted, some of
the defendants could face 10 years in jail.
And still to come tonight, a private dinner with the American president that comes with a price tag of millions. What critics are saying and how
the White House is defending it. That is next. Plus, there's a growing push in the U.S. to use A.I. powered tech to help solve crimes. But not everyone
is a fan. We'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Isa Soares. Here are your headlines.
The fifth round of high stakes nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran is underway in Rome. That is according to Iranian media. Ahead of discussions,
the two sides appear deadlocked over Tehran's uranium enrichment program. The U.S. wants Iran to stop all uranium enrichment activity, but Tehran
says that demand will collapse talks.
Russia says almost 800 prisoners of war, including nearly 400 Ukrainians and nearly 400 Russians, have been released as part of a large scale
exchange. We're hearing the swap started earlier today with Kyiv and Moscow each expected to release 1,000 prisoners. The exchange was agreed by Russia
and Ukraine at last week's landmark meeting in Turkey.
[10:30:10]
Harvard University is suing the Trump administration after it barred the school from enrolling foreign students. That ban is the administration's
retaliation against Harvard for refusing to hand over foreign student records to the Department of Homeland Security. And this will impact, of
course, thousands of students and have ramifications far beyond Cambridge.
I want to welcome in Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard, to the program.
Professor, really appreciate you talking to us. I was just speaking, what, in the last five minutes or so to a student at Harvard who was clearly
shocked by what is happening and what this may mean. He said he would never apply of course, he would -- and pour into doubt any foreign students. But
can you speak to, if this goes, if this is implemented, what that would mean in reality?
STEVEN PINKER, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: It would be a complete shock and disruption. Foreign students are in our classes. They're
in our labs. They're in our student associations. They're just woven into the life of Harvard. And that's been true for 80 years.
SOARES: What do you make, then, of the fact that this administration has continuously at least gone after Harvard? What do you make of this?
PINKER: Well, it's often been said that the Trump administration is following the handbook of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships of trying
to cripple civil society organizations outside of government that they worry could serve as centers of people opposing the government's policies.
So they've gone after law firms, they've gone after media organizations. They've gone after the courts.
Anything that isn't part of the executive branch of the government and it could serve as a counterweight or a brake, they are trying to disable.
SOARES: And we heard from the administration, they were saying, you know, by promoting DEI, promoting indifference, they also -- their argument is
they're hostile to Israeli students, a breeding ground of antisemitism. What do you make of those arguments that this administration is putting
forward?
PINKER: They're wildly exaggerated. There is a grain of truth to them. I have an article in "The Times" this morning called "Harvard Derangement
Syndrome" of how some flaws and shortcomings that we're trying to deal with have been blown up to crazy proportions. It is true that there have been
some pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have crossed the line into disruption, and Harvard had a confused response to them when they occurred.
But the discipline has now been centralized. The guidelines for acceptable protests have been clarified. So it is something that Harvard is trying to
deal with. But Harvard is a -- as a Jewish faculty member myself, I can say it's a perfectly congenial place for Jewish students and faculty, and that
this is a pretext. This is an administration that has had Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers to the White House for dinner.
They don't care about antisemitism. And if anything, this action is harming the Jewish population because it's saying we're going to shut down science,
we're going to end careers and career aspirations in order to further Jewish interests. Believe me, the Jewish interest did not ask for that. And
it is harmful to the Jews, and it is simply a pretext to punish independent institutions.
SOARES: And I imagine, Professor, that this will go down a legal route, that Harvard will fight this as long as it can. But can you speak here to
the impact if this were to go ahead, not just on Harvard University, but also on civil society, on America as well. And America, growth and economy,
what these students bring, of course, and what the U.S. students get from each other. Of course, the collaboration between everyone, between all
these students.
PINKER: Absolutely. It's part of a Harvard education that you learn about other parts of the world, and how better to learn about it than to actually
have conversations with people who come from other parts of the world. Also, if anyone is getting a raw deal, it's the rest of the world. We're
kind of absorbing many of their smartest people. They form companies here. The CEOs of companies here.
They take up about a third of the National Academy of Sciences, including myself. I'm Canadian. I came to Harvard to study, and I pretty much never
left. But I'm typical of many, many scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers who came to the United States and to -- I like to think to the benefit of
the United States, never left to be the rest of the world at sore at us.
SOARES: Can I ask you very briefly because we're running out of time and the impact this has potentially on Harvard's finances, of course, because
we've seen them go after, you know, federal grants, contracts?
[10:35:02]
But these international students, they make up the 2022, '23 number of students, I was looking at, about a quarter of all students. That's
significant.
PINKER: It is. It's not the main reason that they should not be expelled.
SOARES: Yes.
PINKER: I mean, Harvard, we don't accept them for the revenue. At least I hope not, and that's not the reason that we cherish them.
SOARES: Professor, always great to get your insight. Professor Pinker there. Thank you very much indeed. We'll stay across this story.
Now, Mr. Trump is also raising the eye of congressional Democrats after 220 of the top Trump meme coined buyers attended an exclusive crypto dinner
with him on Thursday. Over the last three weeks, investors have dumped an estimated $148 million into Trump's cryptocurrency. So far, the White House
has declined to reveal the invitees' identities. Critics say that this is the most brazen pay-to-play event even for Mr. Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): This private, secret dinner in which individuals who have put money in Donald Trump's pocket get access to him is maybe the
most corrupt of all the corruption.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And that wasn't even the worst. Some of the Democrats are calling it, quote, "an orgy of corruption."
Harry Enten joins me now to run the numbers.
So, Harry, just talk us through this. I mean, how successful was the president's drive here to get people to buy his meme coin? Do we even have
the numbers?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: We have some numbers.
SOARES: Yes.
ENTEN: And I think that the numbers that we do have argue that it was massively successful. What are we talking about? So let's take a look here.
What's the meme coin coin price, right? Up 45 percent. Up 45 percent post- private dinner announcement. And it's important to keep a note that beforehand the meme coin price had been falling, had been falling. It had
dropped 85 percent from its peak.
So all of a sudden you turn a meme coin in which the price was falling to all of a sudden rising. And of course, it's so important to point out that
two Trump Organization affiliates hold 80 percent of the coin supply, and just them trading the coin, that generates millions in transaction fees
alone. So regardless, you're getting these Trump affiliate organizations massively more wealthy.
Now, of course, you were pointing out, right, there are charges from Democrats that this is pay-to-play, right? It's corruption. Do the American
people feel that this is corruption? Do they agree with the Democrats? Well, let's take a look here. Trump's net approval rating on corruption in
mid-April, look, he was underwater, right? His net approval rating was minus seven points.
Now, though, it's even lower. Look at that. It's minus 12 points. So the American people absolutely buy into the argument that Trump is affiliating
himself with corrupt actions. Indeed, I think it's important to point out that they felt that way prior to the 2024 election. But last I checked,
Donald Trump won that election despite the fact that the majority of Americans thought that, in fact, he was corrupt, doing actions like he did
with this meme coin dinner.
So then you ask yourself the question, how the heck did Donald Trump actually win in 2024? And I think it's so important to note that Donald
Trump doesn't occur in a vacuum. Right? You have to face him off against his competition. It's not just that the American people think that Donald
Trump's corrupt. They think his competition is corrupt as well.
So take a look here. The net approval rating on corruption. We mentioned Donald Trump, right? A minus 12 point net favorability or net approval
rating on corruption. But look at Joe Biden back in 2023, even further underwater at minus 29 points. So, yes, Americans see actions like that
meme coin dinner as corrupt. But I think it's so important to point out that Donald Trump, even if they view him as corrupt, they view the entire
system as corrupt.
And I think that's part of the reason why is that he gets away with stuff like he did on Thursday night because they just think that Donald Trump,
even if he's part of the swamp, it's a very large swamp. And there are a lot of Democrats in that swamp as well.
SOARES: And the White House, I think, Harry, in the last 24 hours will say, you know, they were trying to make the distinction, and from what I
understand, that this was done in the president's own time, and we don't have enough time in the show to get into this. But this is not the only
money enterprise for one family that we have seen.
Do Americans care about that? Do Americans care about the ethical questions here, especially when we know the makeup of some of those people who are
part of that, of that invite?
ENTEN: They absolutely care. They absolutely care about all of this. And Americans are absolutely concerned with foreign influence in American
government. Weve seen that in poll after poll after poll. But I think it's also important to note that one of the reasons that Donald Trump was able
to win the White House back in 2016, the first time around, was because they saw him as a good businessman.
And although we don't have polling on this particular meme dinner when it comes to being a good businessman, I think it's just part of that larger
picture. Donald Trump, I think a lot of Americans, if you look at the polling, tells you who he is. He says it like it is. And so when he does
dinners like that, you know what, they may say, we don't necessarily like that, but at least Donald Trump is being forward and honest with us.
[10:40:02]
And I think that is a big part of the reason why, when you see those dinners like you have last night, even if American voters feel that those
are corrupt actions, they're like Donald Trump's being honest with us.
SOARES: Good spin, good spin, Harry. Appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed.
ENTEN: Thank you. Thanks.
SOARES: Now we're going to stay in the United States. A fourth person is facing charges for allegedly helping inmates escape from a jail, in New
Orleans jail we'll say. The latest charge comes a week after 10 inmates broke out of the Louisiana prison. Five of the inmates have been recaptured
and five are still on the loose. Louisiana State Police say they'll use, quote, "as many resources as possible to bring these fugitives to justice."
And that includes using facial recognition. The technology is considered controversial by some people in the U.S., though it's used widely in many
countries and companies.
I want to get you up to speed, of course, on all those stories and some of the stories, in fact, that we have on our radar this hour.
Today marks the first of three days commemorating five years since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd's death led
to a nationwide outcry for police reform. But this week, the Trump administration announced it's ending its oversight of those reforms.
A judge denied a request to end deportation proceedings for Mahmoud Khalil. His attorneys argued that the Palestinian activist and lawful U.S. resident
was detained illegally two months ago. The judge will decide as early as next month if Khalil will be deported or if there is a path for him to
stay.
In a historic move, Germany deployed permanent troops to another country for the first time since World War II. Chancellor Merz said that 45 armored
battalion based in Lithuania will protect NATO's eastern flank from Russia. Berlin is expected to have up to 5,000 by the end of 2027.
We'll have much more news after this very short break. See you in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Saudi Arabia is set to host major events in the next decade, including the World Cup in 2034. As it prepares to welcome all of those
international visitors it is investing in its tourism industry. Behind it all will be a new global platform for tourism called TOURISE.
Our Becky Anderson spoke with the Saudi tourism minister.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): On the heels of President Trump's visit to the Gulf, Saudi Arabia has been in the
spotlight, but the kingdom has been attracting more and more visitors on less official business. From the archeological marvels of Alula to the
energetic capital of Riyadh, and the beachside oasis along the Red Sea, the kingdom is positioning itself as a global tourism destination.
[10:45:12]
AHMED AL KHATEEB, SAUDI TOURISM MINISTER: We want the experience and the travel and tourism to be a human. We will definitely always use technology,
but we will encourage and we will protect the human being interaction because travel is all about human.
TOURISE is a summit, is a venue that will bring for the first time the government officials who regulate this sector, this very important sector
that represent 10 percent of the global GDP and 10 percent of the global jobs, with the operators, with the private sector who build and manage and
operate the -- and invest and operate this sector. And therefore it will be a platform, a unique platform, one of its kind, to bring the private and
public sector and the NGOs together to talk about the future of this very important industry.
ANDERSON: Saudi Arabia announced a new global platform called TOURISE, open to further cement the kingdom's place in the tourism industry. In 2024
alone, the kingdom says it received 30 million international visitors and the tourism sector as a whole contributed almost 5 percent to the country's
GDP.
AL KHATEEB: People are coming exploring the beauty of Saudi Arabia. The Arabian hospitality, people are coming to learn about our history and
heritage, to enjoy our food, to enjoy the Red Sea.
ANDERSON: With the kingdom's finances under pressure this year due to low oil prices, budgets are tight. That is not a secret. Some of the
transformation plans are being cut back. Which tourism projects are you prioritizing and why at this point?
AL KHATEEB: For the capital is a top priority. Riyadh is top priority. Riyadh winter is the most beautiful winter in the world and therefore, you
know, with Riyadh season, with the Qiddiya, the largest ever built sport, entertainment and culture city, Diriyah, which is, you know, undergoing and
happening, and other -- and King Salman Park, King Salman Airport, and so on and so forth. These projects definitely is moving as planned at the
right speed.
And we started to see some of the projects coming on stream. And we will soon see the Qiddiya announcing some of their theme parks. The Red Sea is a
priority. People would love to visit the Red Sea, to explore the Red Sea, and therefore Red Sea Global is launching and opening new resorts.
ANDERSON: Last year I actually spoke with John Pagano, the CEO of the Giga Project Red Sea Global. We discussed both the success to date there, his
ambitions, and indeed the challenges that he has faced, not least in the supply chain challenges and disruptions in the Red Sea caused by
geopolitics. And while the kingdom can't control every external shock, nobody can, how important is the kingdom's increasingly influential
leadership role in regional de-escalation from a tourism perspective, sir?
AL KHATEEB: The geopolitical uncertainty is one of the risks that the region has been facing for decades and will continue to face. We're happy
to see that de-escalation in many, you know, area in the region. And I think the what is happening in Syria is a very positive thing, and I hope
the rest of the region will follow. However, it is very normal when you have some huge investment, abnormal investment in a country like Saudi
Arabia, this investment is exposed to sometimes to risk capacity, availability risk, financial risk and so on and so forth.
However, we know this. We have all the mitigation in place. We are moving, we are building the country, and we will -- we started to deliver and
started to operate some of these destinations.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The kingdom is set to host several major events like World Expo 2030 and the World Cup in 2034, which it hopes will contribute
significantly to both the economic and cultural transformation.
AL KHATEEB: We are holding the World Cup in many cities in Saudi Arabia that will give the chance for the fans to explore the nature and the
topography. Like we are hosting some of the games in the south of Saudi Arabia, in Abha and in many other cities.
[10:50:06]
We are building new stadiums. We have stadiums today, but the stadiums we are building to host the World Cup, like his Royal Highness Mohammed bin
Salman or MBS stadium in Qiddiya is out of this world. It will be an amazing stadium that will give different experience for fans and for the
players.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And for today's "Parting Shot," 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 Mohammed Darwish takes a closer look at how these young skaters keep rolling despite it all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOHAMMED DARWISH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Gaza's shattered ground, young girls find a sense of freedom on four wheels.
RIMAS, SKATER AND COACH (through text translation): I skate and training the girls brings me so much joy.
Come on. Go, go.
It's what helps us forget the bombings, the death, the war.
DARWISH: Despite the dangers and Gaza's rising death toll, with about 53,000 people killed so far, girls like Rimas meet at the YMCA in Gaza City
to skate. They practice for five hours twice a week, even if it's on an empty stomach.
An Israeli siege of the strip, now in its third month, means food supplies are dangerously low and many are at risk of malnutrition and famine. Israel
says the blockade is a pressure tactic to force Hamas into releasing the hostages.
These girls, though, they're just here to skate.
RIMAS (through text translation): Yes, I skate but this morning, I came without eating. Each kid gets one plate. People eat once every three days.
RAJAB AL-REEFI, COACH (through text translation): Hello there.
RIMAS (through text translation): Hello. I couldn't find anything. They had run out.
AL-REEFI (through text translation): Well, you were late. How do you think you'll manage today?
RIMAS (through text translation): I don't know.
AL-REEFI (through text translation): You'll be OK. God willing.
DARWISH: Captain Rajab, as he's known, started skating back in 2014.
AL-REEFI (through text translation): Good morning, everyone.
DARWISH: A few years later, he began teaching, and now so many kids show up, they have to take turns using one of the group's six remaining
skateboards.
AL-REEFI (through text translation): We got these from under the destroyed homes. We dug them out of the rubble so we could keep going.
DARWISH: Rajab, Rimas, and a handful of other volunteers are passing on the sport to the next generation, hoping normalcy will one day return.
RIMAS (through text translation): We've been through a lot. There were really painful days. There were a lot of days without food. Other times,
tank shells fell on us. Right now here in Al-Zaytoun, we're under an evacuation order. But it's OK, we keep going. We put our trust in God.
AL-REEFI (through text translation): I try not to let the kids feel it but that time in training, when we were training the children, two girls, not
just one, fainted. And I knew it was from a lack of food. I even felt it when I skate, while feeling totally exhausted from hunger. And this is a
big problem. Right now we're facing death on as many fronts. Not just rockets but starvation.
DARWISH: Music, laughter, friendship. They're all part of the club's spirit and their numbers are growing all the time. Despite the risks.
[10:55:00]
AL-REEFI (through text translation): God forbid if anything happens to me, I have a message to all the kids. My journey needs to keep going. This
sport won't die. It's like the roots of an olive tree in Palestine. This sport will keep going, God willing.
DARWISH: Mohammed Darwish, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks and thanks to Mohammed for that report.
That does it for the two hours of CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks very much for your company. "ONE WORLD" is up next. And we'll have much more, of course,
on what we've heard from President Trump in the last two hours, threats of tariffs on the E.U. If I show you the markets before we go, being red
arrows right across the board, not just in the U.S. as you can see there, the Dow down, Nasdaq down more than 1 percent, but also European stocks
down, red arrows right across the board as markets prepare to close.
Zain will have much more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
