Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Tariffs to Kick in August 7th Despite Claims of Firm Deadline; Mexico Tariffs Remain at 25 Percent; Gaza Residents Risk Their Lives to Try to Get Food; Death Toll Rises to 31 in Russia Bombardment of Kyiv; 12-Day War Exposed Gap in U.S. Anti-Missile Defenses; France Halts Evacuations from Gaza Over Antisemitic Reposts; Terrifying Stories Emerging from Turbulent Delta Flight; NTSB Hearing on Deadly Plane Collision Near Washington, D.C. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 01, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:31]
ERICA HILL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Top of the hour here. Thanks for joining me for the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill in New
York on this Friday.
President Trump announcing new tariffs on imports all over again. We take a look at reaction from around the world, including some harsh words from his
neighbors.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Gaza today to inspect an aid distribution site. Palestinians say he needs to take a look at the
suffering that is really happening, not just what the Israelis allow him to see.
And Ukrainians counting the lives lost today after Russia stages its deadliest attack on Kyiv in a year. We are live in the Ukrainian capital.
We could call it a case of delayed shock, as Donald Trump's tariff blitz reverberates around the world. A slew of revised tariff rates that will now
kick in next week following a last-minute change from the U.S. president. Of course, that was set to go into effect today for countries that hadn't
agreed to a new trade deal with the U.S., but it has been now pushed to next week. Why? Well, because U.S. Customs officials frankly need more time
to get ready.
The world's second largest economy, meantime, also has a bit more time to make a deal. China and the U.S. still currently observing that truce in
their tariff war, though it is due to expire by the middle of August. No truce of any kind for the U.S. and Canada, however. The U.S. president
raising tariffs on some Canadian goods to 35 percent. That's an increase from the 25 percent tariff.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticizing Mr. Trump's justification for that move, saying, quote, "Canada accounts for just 1 percent of U.S.
fentanyl imports and has been working intensely to further reduce these volumes." You'll recall President Trump had said this was the reason for
the tariffs initially was fentanyl coming across the border.
Carney going on to say, "Canada will be our own best customer. We can give ourselves more than any foreign government can ever take away by building
with Canadian workers and by using Canadian resources to benefit all Canadians."
Larry Sabato is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and joins us this hour from Charlottesville, Virginia.
Larry, it's good to have you with us. When we look at sort of the geopolitical, if you will, angle of things, the way that these deals have
been made and-or dictated, how does that impact the standing of the United States, not just as a trading partner, but politically, geopolitically in
the world?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: It certainly doesn't help. The chaos that we've seen over the past few months
is just remarkable. And here's really why, Erica. Normally you have econometric models of all sorts, and some of the greatest experts in the
world will focus in on things like this and come up with precisely the right tariff rate.
No, this is Donald Trump spit-balling it in the Oval Office, mainly based on his intuitions and instincts. So it can be anywhere and it can be
delayed for any period of time. And it's based on some personal feelings. Look at Canada versus Mexico. Trump does not like Prime Minister Carney,
and I guess because he's seen his ratings in Canada, Canadians aren't too crazy about him.
So Canada is in for harsh treatment, even though their contribution to the fentanyl problem in the United States is tiny, almost infinitesimal.
Meanwhile, at the southern border, where gigantic amounts of fentanyl come across monthly, President Trump likes President Sheinbaum. So they're being
given kid gloves treatment. And this is all over the world. If you -- if you're liked by Trump, suddenly the numbers look better for you.
If you're not liked by Trump or you want to punish a country like Brazil because they're being tough on a former president that Trump likes, then
you're going to get terrible treatment.
HILL: There's also, I mean, what's interesting is the way that these tariffs have been rolled out and there is some pushback. There are lawsuits
that were filed because technically it is the job of Congress to approve to impose tariffs. So there's a number of small businesses that have sued.
There's actually hearing in an appeals court yesterday related to this case. And I want to play a little bit about what one of the lead attorneys
had to say in terms of what he sees as where things stand in this moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEAL KATYAL, ATTORNEY ON CASE CHALLENGING TRUMP'S TARIFFS: If the president thinks this is so important and he needs it for leverage or negotiating
authority or stuff like that, go to Congress and get it done.
[10:05:03]
I mean, it's not like he's facing a Congress that's controlled by obstructionist Democrats or something. These are members of his own party,
and yet he won't do it. The Trump administration's argument boils down to simply this. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, for however long as
I want, and the courts have no business reviewing what I'm doing. And, you know, that might be the law of some other country. It's certainly not the
law of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: It's fascinating as we watch this as yet another example of {resident Trump really testing the limits of the separation of powers. Clearly, in
this country, the job of Congress. But that also leads us to the reality that there is a chance that the courts could say you actually don't have
the legal authority to do this in the way that you have done it, Mr. President.
How much of that looms over where we're at in this moment, Larry?
SABATO: I think everyone who's tuned into this policy understands that the courts could potentially overturn almost everything that Trump has done
except for the Supreme Court. That's always going to be the ace card for Donald Trump. Nobody knows what they will actually rule. But when you've
got six out of nine justices who are essentially Trump Republican judges, the odds are pretty good that you're going to be able to get at least a 5-4
decision.
And that's incredible because tariffs are listed in the Constitution as being under the preserve of Congress. So we'll see. I'm always dim on the
prospects of the Supreme Court overturning anything Trump does.
HILL: In this moment, to the president, one of the -- one of the things the president ran on, right. the economy. So some of the most recent CNN
polling, when we look at how Americans are now responding several months into the Trump administration, the president is not polling well when it
comes to the economy, not polling well when it comes to tariffs.
The handling of the federal budget. I mean, if you look at that, he is underwater on all of these numbers. What does that say politically? How
much is riding on these tariffs for both the president and the GOP?
SABATO: For Trump and for the Republicans on the ballot in 2026, Trump won't be on the ballot, this matters a lot because it's affecting
perceptions of the economy, and those perceptions have turned negative. And why was Trump elected to improve the economy? Because people felt Biden had
failed on the economy. Well, if we end up having substantial inflation or if the economy weakens in other ways, like today's job numbers, which were
very disturbing, especially there were revisions, the downward revisions, dramatic revisions to the jobs numbers for the last two months, then you're
going to see a political reaction at the polls. So the stakes are very high.
HILL: Absolutely. And so real quickly, Larry, just specifically, as you mentioned, which I think is really important, those jobs numbers that came
out just about 90 minutes ago. The revisions for the last two months. What will you be watching for in the coming months to see how this is impacting
the American people and as we move forward into 2026?
SABATO: Well, you do look at the polls because people know the economy in their lives and their ratings are based on what they see at the grocery
store, at the gas pump. And so far, they're not happy with the changes. If anything, prices have risen and prices were supposed to fall on day one,
according to candidate Trump. So that matters to the public enormously. But a lot of other things matter, too. The image of chaos is not one that
encourages confidence in a president, and that could hurt Trump more than anything else.
HILL: Larry Sabato, always great to have you here with your expertise. Thank you.
SABATO: Thank you, Erica.
HILL: And as we take a closer look at how all of this is playing out, we have seen as Valeria Leon joining us from Mexico City. Kevin Liptak is at
the White House.
Kevin, I want to begin with you. So the White House feeling pretty good about things this morning. What else are we hearing from the president and
from the administration as we move into these tariffs now delayed, of course, for about a week?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the word that you keep hearing from White House officials today is leverage. They're
saying that these tariffs have demonstrated that president's ability to kind of wield this tool to the United States's benefit both securing the
trade deals that are already in place with places like the E.U., Japan, South Korea, but also continuing to hold out these new higher tariff rates
that were announced yesterday in a bid to secure new trade deals.
And so they are fairly bullish. The president clearly feeling vindicated that his approach here is now finally taking effect. We should note that
the delay in the effective date of these was something of a surprise. We thought that they would go into effect last midnight, but the president
essentially offering a grace period that, one, allows U.S. Customs officials to sort of get used to these new rates and prepare for them, but
also allows a seven-day period for countries to try and get to the president to initiate a deal that would cause their rates to come down.
[10:10:06]
And we do understand that there are continuing discussions to try and secure these new deals that we may, you know, potentially be hearing about
in the coming hours or days. And so that's the one aspect of it. The president, I think, also very intent on making sure that this doesn't
affect the broader economy. And obviously, today's jobs numbers are weaker than we've been seeing is just the latest indication that the economy is
feeling a squeeze.
The White House and the president will almost certainly be on the lookout for higher prices as a result of these tariffs, which is something that so
many economists have been warning about. One aspect of this delay could potentially stave off those higher prices until later this year or early
next year. All goods that are on ships loaded onto the ships before that August 7th deadline and arrive in the U.S. before October 5th will not be
affected by these newer, higher rates.
And so it could potentially be months down the line before these higher prices set in. But you have heard from plenty of companies, including
Procter and Gamble, which makes obviously toothpaste, household goods, who have said that prices will go up as a result of these tariffs. So far,
Americans have not necessarily felt the brunt of these higher prices, in part because companies have sort of waited to see what would happen.
Now that these tariffs have gone into effect or will go into effect, the president clearly very intent on carrying this out, that could change and
these higher prices could come and that will obviously have an effect on the president's standing and his approval and on how Americans are viewing
all of this. So in a lot of ways, this is the culmination of the president's attempts to get these in place. But in another aspect, it's
just the start of how it will really affect the way countries trade with each other.
HILL: Absolutely. The warnings that we've been hearing for so long, and now it's sort of we wait to see how long it takes for this to actually be felt
as we watch all of that.
As we mentioned at the top of the hour, a very different reaction when it comes to the United States's two closest, geographically closest trading
partners when we look at Canada and Mexico.
Valeria Leon is joining us from Mexico City now.
A far different story when we look at what is playing out between President Trump and President Sheinbaum today.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Totally, Erica. And this is in part because of Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum playing this cool headed
strategy to negotiate with Donald Trump. Though this recent announcement didn't necessarily come as a surprise, given that the Trump White House has
turned to them on a nearly monthly basis since taking office, to put an example, Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard was sent back to
Washington to convince the White House that imposing tariffs would mean the U.S. would be shooting itself in the foot if they were actually put in
place.
But with this temporary pause reached by both governments, the 30 percent tariff is no longer on the table for the upcoming negotiations for a new
definitive trade deal to replace the current one that expires this year. So, Erica, the talks from this week can be seen as a preliminary round for
the drafting of the new trade expected before the end of the year. Nevertheless, this 25 percent tariff on cars, which has put into effect in
May, has taken a toll, with several plants in Mexico closing their doors or cutting back production.
But other Mexican industries with major exports to the U.S. are also at risk. And authorities here in Mexico have warned that tariffs could cause a
spike in unemployment on their side of the border and likely increase the flow of migration to the U.S. in response to a shrinking economy in Mexico.
And since the beginning of 2025, Mexico has faced escalating pressure under Trump's aggressive tariff campaign.
Although many goods remain shielded by the USMCA, there's about 83 percent of U.S. imports from Mexico were tariff free in May, but the Trump
administration has openly used the tariffs to give the U.S. leverage to pressure its southern neighbor to reduce illegal migrant crossings and also
fentanyl traffic into the U.S. from Mexico.
And Mexico, Erica, has complied with Trump administration demands on border security, drug trafficking, including the historic extradition of 29
alleged drug kingpins on the U.S.'s most wanted list for which Mexico expects at least some tariff concessions -- Erica.
HILL: Yes. And we will be watching to see how that plays out.
Valeria, Kevin. Appreciate it. Thank you both.
Still to come here on CONNECT THE WORLD, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East visiting an aid distribution site in Gaza today. Why a new
report is blasting the controversial U.S. backed program that runs the site.
[10:15:07]
Plus, Donald Trump eager to stop attacks like this one in Ukraine. We are live in Kyiv, where officials say this is actually the worst attack in the
capital they've seen in a year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East visiting Gaza today during a week where the world has seen an increasing
number of horrific, disturbing images of children starving in the enclave. Steve Witkoff and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, toured an
aid distribution site run by the controversial U.S. backed private foundation, the GHF.
Hamas is dismissing Witkoff's tour as a staged personal visit. Human Rights Watch blasting the controversial aid program today, saying a flawed
militarized system has turned those food distributions into regular bloodbaths.
Salma Abdelaziz has a look now at the frantic and sometimes deadly efforts by Palestinians to get food in what, by all accounts, is a very different
reality than what Witkoff and Huckabee observed today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're watching an aid convoy as it enters the Gaza Strip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kids. It's children.
ABDELAZIZ: Israeli troops firing warning shots just inches away, according to the U.N.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, now, don't do this. Don't do this. No, no, no.
ABDELAZIZ: This aid convoy was held at an Israeli checkpoint for nearly two and a half hours. So by the time it is allowed to pass, thousands of people
are ready to descend. Each face here is etched with fear and desperation. Nothing makes it to the United Nations' warehouses.
On the other side of the enclave lies another aid entry point, Zikim. Gazans call it a place of death. For most, there is an arduous journey to
get here, and then a long wait, often crouched and afraid that death may strike. Suddenly, people start running towards danger. Food has arrived.
Our cameraman hangs back for his safety. As people returned so do the accounts of horror at the crossing. This injured man says he's lucky he
made it out alive.
"You go out to get a bag of flour for your family," he says, "but you're the one that returns in a body bag."
Amid global outrage, Israel says it is implementing tactical pauses for 10 hours a day in limited parts of Gaza to allow more aid into the Strip. But
even during these so-called pauses, fathers are risking their lives to feed their children.
"Three hours under fire and tanks beside us just to get this bag," he says. "We want the aid delivered to our children safely, peacefully. Please end
this siege on us and on our children."
[10:20:02]
On this day, at least, 60 people were killed trying to get food aid, according to Palestinian health officials. But the dangers don't end here.
Criminal gangs may try to rob them on the way home. Some have armed themselves with household objects just in case. If they make it back, their
families will eat tonight. A luxury here where a third of people go one or more days without food.
Everyone here is afraid, even the aid workers. CNN spoke to a local clansman who sent us this video. He says it shows his men providing
security to an NGO. Loaded trucks speed down the road as the clansmen fired dozens of warning shots. This is seemingly the only way to ensure that
cargo reaches its destination intact.
Law and order has broken down here. That's why Israel says it is now allowing airdrops. But the U.N. warns these are inefficient, costly and
dangerous.
You can see why here. The goods land amid gunfire only the strong or armed will grab a box. "I got nothing," this woman says. The man behind her adds,
"The criminals take it and sell it on the black market. This is not a solution."
These chaotic, limited and deadly sites are now the only way most can get food, children are left fighting over scraps. Many will go to bed with
empty bellies tonight.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: We've also learned that Steve Witkoff has another major trip on the horizon. President Trump says he will send Witkoff to Russia in the coming
days. Mr. Trump growing increasingly impatient and in his words, disgusted with the Russian president over the increase in attacks on Ukraine. That
announcement coming just after a brutal pre-dawn attack on Kyiv Thursday, which left at least 31 people dead. Most of the casualties from that attack
coming in a single apartment block.
Nick Paton Walsh is there and joins us now live.
Nick, again, the deadliest attack in a year in Kyiv here. I know you've been speaking to a number of people looking at the destruction, the
devastation there. Just walk us through what we know.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Erica, let me just describe a bit the scene behind me here. So night before
last, the missile, I think, must have presumably landed quite close to ground seeing the destruction here. But rescue workers have had to, first
of all, piece through the rubble of this building where the floors collapsed on each other to find the survivors.
And during that process, the death toll appears to have almost trebled frankly to now 28. Now the heavy machinery has come in and started to clear
the rubble away. You can see some Ukrainian workers up there pushing away anything that's loose because further down the building people are going
still to try have to live their ordinary lives. And we've seen neighbors going up the stairwell salvaging what they possibly can and getting out of
here.
But you could just see quite how many lives are lost during this by the force of the building collapsing in on itself. Television still up in a
bedroom and a makeshift memorial just behind this excavator here. And this incident, horrific, has reminded so many Ukrainians of the nightly
lethality of the attacks we're seeing from Russia.
And the details of the dead have been emerging. One name particularly sticking out, Matvei Marchenko, aged six, a huge fan of the martial art
karate along with his older brothers, killed in here. A teacher with her two daughters. A coffee specialist, Arina, with her children, Nastia and
Alena. A neurologist, an I.T. expert, a policewoman as well. That memorial, showing some of their faces, too, and also still a remarkable story of
survival.
From the ninth floor up here, our cameraman can just tilt up, show you how high that is. A woman called Veronika, aged 23, was pushed out of the
building by the force of the blast and somehow survived landing on the ground here with a broken leg and a missing tooth. Horrifically, her
parents were killed in the explosion, but this a incident in which a missile clearly overwhelmed the capital's air defenses.
A growing concern owing to the urgent need for Patriot interceptor missiles and the way in which, particularly on that night, Moscow seems to try to
saturate drones and missiles in the city to get through its air defenses. The target here, though, I mean, it's hard to understand often when you see
these blasts quite how it came to be. Nothing military in sight and a horrific loss of civilian life, children here as well -- Erica.
[10:25:09]
HILL: It absolutely is. This news that Steve Witkoff will be returning to Russia. This on the heels of those comments from President Trump earlier
this week talking about how he's very disappointed. He's disgusted. There is, of course, this new deadline that Trump has thrown out. Is there a
sense that this visit and even that these attacks will have any impact, not just on President Trump, but frankly, on whether President Putin decides to
play ball with Trump?
PATON WALSH: I mean, ultimately, we've seen no public change from President Putin since that deadline was drastically shortened. He's got a week now to
make peace, essentially, or face some kind of secondary sanctions. Secretary of State Rubio saying there might be banking, sectoral sanctions,
saying they have plenty of mechanisms, the most of detailed still we've had is what we might be looking at.
But ultimately, Witkoff's visit to the Kremlin a very different tone around that, too. Is there a link between the harshening of Trump's rhetoric and
assaults like this? I have to say, I somewhat doubt it. They appear to be more aimed about breaking Ukrainian morale, imposing as much horror nightly
on cities as indeed is possible. And we see normally a 10-day gap between large attacks like this. Oddly, though, not a record number of drones used
here, 300 during that particular night, and it was just one missile that indeed got through.
But it's exactly attacks like this, as you say, Erica, that Trump called disgusting that appear to have changed his sentiment towards Putin on his
broker, who can be made a deal with. But Putin himself today said the frontlines they are seeing success. They are continuing with their summer
offensive and pushing forwards, presenting maximalist goals.
Remember the Kremlin at their most maximalist want the demilitarization and de-Nazification in their terms, a false narrative suggesting that far-right
extremists in this country, that is essentially asking for Ukrainians to surrender. So I think it's going to be very complex for the White House to
find a way between the very impactful sanctions they've been talking about and their being pressured to adopt and the very maximalist goals, the
Kremlin is still sticking to.
And throughout all of this, we've just come back from the eastern front line, seeing there significant progress, possibly the most potent for
months or years. Russia's incremental gains becoming something strategically relevant and changing the character of the fight there --
Erica.
HILL: Yes. And important to note in these past visits, of course, with Witkoff, there does not seem to have come out of that much of a change in
where Russia stands in this moment.
Nick Paton Walsh, appreciate it as always. Thank you.
Just ahead here on CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN looks into a potential gap exposed in U.S. anti-missile defenses following the recent conflict between
Israel and Iran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:29]
HILL: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill. Here are your headlines.
Dozens of countries reacting to increased tariffs on their trade with the United States, announced by President Trump on Thursday. His promise,
though, to implement those new tariffs from today, that's actually been pushed back to next Thursday because U.S. Customs officials need more time.
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff visiting an aid distribution site in Gaza today, where he was joined by Mike Huckabee, the
U.S. ambassador to Israel, who praised the controversial U.S. backed foundation that runs the program. Human Rights Watch says hundreds of
Palestinians have been killed trying to get aid from those heavily guarded sites.
The death toll rising now from Russia's aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Thursday. Authorities in the Ukrainian capital say at least 31 people are
known to have died in the early morning strikes. More than 150 were injured. Most of those casualties coming from a strike -- single strike on
an apartment block.
The U.S. putting a major dent in the stockpile of its key anti-missile defenses during the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. Sources say
Washington used about a quarter of its -- that interceptors in just 12 days, using those to strike Iran and to protect Israel.
As Tamara Qiblawi reports, that could leave a big gap in the U.S. Military posture overseas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SR. INVESTIGATIONS WRITER (voice-over): Each of these bright lights come from a sophisticated U.S. intercept missile system known
as THAAD, being used for the first time in a war to defend Israel as Iranian ballistic missiles rain down.
A CNN investigation found that the U.S. Military cut deeply into its stockpile of THAAD missiles, launching more than $1.2 billion worth of the
interceptors in just 12 days, and burning through these crucial defense weapons much faster than they're able to make them.
When Israel went to war with Iran, it came under the most sustained attack of ballistic missiles in its history. Unless intercepted, those Iranian
projectiles can take out entire apartment blocks. Israel shot most of these down, and the U.S. Military stepped in to help with the THAAD.
As Iran launched its missiles towards Israel, THAAD, along with Israel's Arrow-3 and the U.S. Navy's own SM-3 interceptors, sprang into action.
Where other systems faltered, American troops on the ground launched THAAD, destroying the incoming missiles just outside the earth's atmosphere.
We know from sources that more than 100 THAAD interceptors, as many as 150, were used during the war. But only 11 THAAD missiles were commissioned by
the U.S. government last year, according to official budget numbers. 12 are being built this year. And in 2026, production is expected to ramp up to
37, meaning it could potentially take years to replenish the stockpile used against Iran in less than two weeks.
And it's not just hard to replace, it's expensive. THAAD launches cost around $12.7 million a pop. A THAAD interceptor missile is over 20 feet
long and weighs around 1,500 pounds. Each system takes more than 95 U.S. Army specialists to operate, making it one of the most complex weapons in
the U.S. arsenal.
We spoke to several former defense officials who say that the war has only deepened a problem that the Pentagon has faced for years.
"Stockpiles are dropping, we need more. We need them faster than they're being built. There's not enough systems, there's not enough interceptors,
and there's not enough production. And there are not enough people working on it."
Analysts say the stockpile depletion could impact U.S. air defenses where they may be critical, in the Asia-Pacific region.
SIDHARTH KAUSHAL, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, RUSI: The idea is that China can erect an anti-access area denial bubble to keep the U.S. Navy at arm's
length in the event that it wished to intervene in, for example, Taiwan. From a narrowly military standpoint, the Chinese are absolutely the winners
here.
QIBLAWI: Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the U.S. Military is, quote, "the strongest it has been and has everything it needs to
conduct any mission anywhere, anytime, all around the world."
[10:35:04]
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Joining me now, Sabrina Singh, CNN global affairs commentator and former deputy Pentagon press secretary.
Sabrina, it's good to have you with us. Tamara reports that there are a number of former Defense officials, as we just heard, who are concerned
about this stockpile. They have been for years, frankly. But you have the Pentagon telling her there that the U.S. Military has everything it needs
to conduct any mission, anywhere, anytime. So who's right?
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes. And that was an incredible reporting that you saw. And I think very holistic and also
really outlined the complexities of systems like the THAAD. I think both things can be true. I think our military is incredibly lethal and capable
and able to conduct its missions around the world. But it is also stretched incredibly thin.
And the war, particularly that 12-day war, where the United States was helping Israel bolster its air defenses really did expand so many of those
THAAD missiles that take, you know, so long, many years to produce. And that's part of the issue with the defense industrial base. So I do think
that while the military does remain strong, there are these concerns that, frankly, when it comes to, you know, the priority theater, the Indo-
Pacific, if China were to ever, you know, launch some sort of incursion around Taiwan and draw the United States into that conflict, the United
States might not have what it needs right now.
So I think it's a good thing that, you know, the military is sounding the alarm and invigorating that defense industrial base to meet its needs.
HILL: You mentioned the U.S. stretching itself thin. Do you think it's actually stretching itself too thin?
SINGH: Well, I mean, our military is incredibly capable. And the war in Ukraine certainly was an alarm bell. I mean, we were sending things off of
our shelves in order to get to Ukraine when I served in the previous administration. But we saw that the defense industrial base just cannot
meet the needs of the military and backfill things when we need them. I mean, a perfect example is the one 55 millimeter rounds that are being used
in Ukraine to -- as they continue to push back against Russia.
That takes time. And those are things that are expended at incredible rates. And so whether it be the THAAD battery, the Patriot, 155 millimeter
rounds, yes, the military does have what it needs right now. Is it being stretched too thin? I think there is an argument to be made there with
Ukraine, Israel, and of course, keeping an eye on China, yes, we are spreading our forces quite thin.
HILL: I want to talk about both Ukraine and Israel. Let's start with Ukraine, if we could. So I'm not sure if you were -- if you were with us.
But earlier in the hour, speaking with my colleague Nick Paton Walsh, who's on the ground there, just walking us through this deadly attack on Kyiv,
targeting, you know, these deaths coming in a single apartment block.
The fact that we now know Steve Witkoff is going back to Russia, I wonder, based on what we've seen in the past, do you believe this most recent visit
with Witkoff will actually change anything?
SINGH: Based on what we've seen in the past, I don't think so. Vladimir Putin has made it pretty clear that he has no intention of reaching a
ceasefire. Every time the Trump administration has laid out a plan for a ceasefire, even put together, you know, a 10-day ceasefire, Ukraine has
been a good faith partner and agreed to that. Russia has not. And you're continuing to see these very complex aerial attacks that are becoming more
deadly, including, you know, children that were killed in these strikes.
So Vladimir Putin is not stopping this war. And as much as it, you know, as much as it is that Steve Witkoff is going there to try and reengage,
ultimately the person that holds the power in that is Vladimir Putin.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. I mean, you talk about people being spread thin, right? Steve Witkoff certainly has a lot on his plate. So not only dealing
with Russia and Ukraine, but he is also, of course, he was in Gaza today visiting one of these controversial aid sites.
The fact that the U.S. is operating in so many different theaters in this moment, and specifically when we -- when we turn the focus now to Israel to
what is happening in Gaza. This visit is important. There has been a lot of pushback, as I know you know, certainly reaction from Hamas, but also from
other world humanitarian organizations questioning what was actually shown to Witkoff and Huckabee today.
Do you sense a shift at all, even based on some of the comments we heard from President Trump earlier this week about the pictures that don't lie
when we're talking about starvation in Gaza? Is there enough of a shift that you're seeing that you believe it is adding to real pressure on Israel
to allow more aid in?
SINGH: I think there's certainly a shift. And you saw that last week when France took that initial first step and said it would acknowledge a
Palestinian state, and then soon after, the U.K. and Canada also acknowledged that, you know, if Israel doesn't change its actions and allow
more humanitarian aid in, then they too would acknowledge a Palestinian state.
[10:40:08]
So there is international pressure growing on Israel. But I think what's important here is that this administration and with Steve Witkoff
particularly going to visit Gaza, I mean, of course, he was in a very controlled setting, the imagery doesn't lie, and food is not getting to
hungry, starving children, innocent men and women who want nothing to do with Hamas, who do not want to be governed by Hamas, who just want to eat.
And so international pressure, U.S. pressure is building on Israel. At the end of the day, the only way humanitarian aid is going to get to the people
that need it most is if those land routes open up. And we're seeing some more trucks get in. But it's not nearly enough to feed that population.
HILL: Yes, certainly not. Sabrina, always good to have your insight. Thank you.
SINGH: Thank you.
HILL: France, meantime, has halted all evacuations from Gaza over alleged antisemitic social media posts from a Palestinian student in northern
France. So the repost sparking outrage. France's Interior minister says the content in those posts amounts to Hamas propaganda. The Foreign minister
says the now expelled university student will leave France.
Here's CNN's Saskya Vandoorne with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this case has really sparked a major political firestorm here in France. And now the government says it's
halting all evacuations from Gaza. Now, at the center of it all is a Palestinian student who was brought to France on academic merit back in
early July. But now she's been expelled from the very prestigious Sciences Po Lille after authorities allege that she reposted antisemitic content
online.
Now, I should note that the university did not specify which posts resulted in her expulsion. The French foreign minister said Friday that the woman
has to leave France, though he didn't say whether she'd actually be deported back to Gaza. He called her posts, and I quote, "antisemitic and
unacceptable," and said the joint French-Israeli vetting process missed them, which has understandably raised questions about how the screening
process really works.
Meanwhile, the Interior minister tweeted, saying, her comments amount to Hamas propaganda, and made it clear that in his view, students who spread
hate or glorify terrorism don't belong in France.
Now, the university said her posts went directly against its core values. For now, the government says evacuations from Gaza are on hold, while an
official inquiry plays out. France has evacuated hundreds from Gaza since October 7th, and it was just a few weeks ago that the foreign minister said
he was doing everything to get French starving journalists out of Gaza, and it's unclear what this will mean for them.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Still ahead here on CONNECT THE WORLD, testimony reveals chilling new details about the fatal mid-air collision near Washington that killed 67
people in January.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:17]
HILL: We are hearing some truly terrifying stories from passengers aboard a Delta flight that hit severe turbulence on Wednesday. Those passengers say
unbelted passengers and loose objects were hitting the ceiling thrown around the cabin. The flight made an emergency landing in Minnesota. 25
people were taken to the hospital.
Reporter Jason Rantala spoke with two passengers who say they feel lucky to be alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESLIE WOODS, PASSENGER: To be honest with you, I really thought we were going to die.
JASON RANTALA, REPORTER: That's Delta Flight 56 making an emergency landing at MSP Wednesday after a truly traumatic experience for the nearly 300
passengers and crew on board.
WOODS: I was pretty sure we were crashing. It went down that hard and that fast. I'm like, wow, this is it.
RANTALA: Leslie Woods lives in the Salt Lake area. She was heading to Amsterdam to visit some friends. Woods was about to drift off when the
plane dropped.
WOODS: There's a little girl across the aisle from me that was just terrified. She screamed, we're going to die, we're going to die. So I was
trying to keep her calm.
JOSEPH CARBONE, PASSENGER: And it was so violent and it came in waves.
RANTALA: Joseph Carbone was on the plane with his wife.
CARBONE: One lady toward the back, she went up, came down, landed on other people. My understanding is she broke several ribs.
WOODS: One girl got hit in the face and the -- there was a stewardess laying on the ground and they said her ribs were broken. And then I heard
there was a lady up further up that I think her leg got broken.
RANTALA: Woods says drink cart items went airborne and a bottle of wine nearly hit her head. The mess of it all captured in these images.
WOODS: When we were flying, getting ready to land, we could see like at least 20 ambulances with their lights on. Everybody was clapping, yay,
we're on the ground, you know?
RANTALA: Woods says she suffered whiplash but feels she's just lucky to be alive. Delta is providing a special connecting flight from MSP to
Amsterdam. These two travelers say they'll carry on on their cross- continental trip.
CARBONE: I've learned a lesson, when I'm not up going to the bathroom or doing something, I'm going to sit down and keep my seatbelt on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Right now a federal hearing is underway as officials in the United States investigate the fatal midair collision between a commercial flight
and a military helicopter. This happened, you may recall, in January. The National Transportation Safety Board has been listening to testimony over
the past few days about that disaster. 67 people were killed. A federal official confirmed on Thursday the air traffic control tower did not warn
the pilots of that passenger plane about the approaching army helicopter.
CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins us now from Washington.
Pete, you have been following this testimony. What more are we hearing today on the heels of what's come out?
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Bombshell after bombshell here, Erica. The focus today, the collision alerting systems on board the
helicopter which is key because we know that system that provided better position information to air traffic control was turned off. Done frequently
by the Army's 12th Aviation Battalion that was operating that Blackhawk helicopter. They did that often, citing security.
So far, we've heard about problems really at all levels here. Problems with equipment. The NTSB uncovered that altimeters in the Blackhawks from the
same unit of the Army read 80 to 130 feet low, meaning the crew could have been flying higher where there were really narrow altitude margins with
planes approaching into the runway there at Reagan National Airport.
Problems also with the culture among the Army pilot corps. We know from new testimony that they would regularly fly below flights, descending into land
at DCA. You can hear the problem sort of brewing there and then problems with air traffic control procedures that the controller in the tower at
Reagan National Airport did not issue a traffic alert to the arriving passenger jet operated by PSA Airlines when he should have.
Here is the exchange between NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy and a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration, which controls the
U.S. air traffic control system. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER HOMENDY, U.S. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD CHAIRWOMAN: So were any traffic advisories or safety alerts issued?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No safety alerts.
HOMENDY: Should the local controller have let the PSA crew know that there was a helicopter there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: So this is a huge revelation here. And it really all adds up to something that was so preventable. This hearing has been of incredible
scope. We're talking three days long, 10 hours or more a day. We may go into 10 hours again today. Pretty unprecedented here. We are essentially at
the six-month mark of this crash, Erica, and the NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy says she intends to put out a final report on the one-year
anniversary of this crash next January -- Erica.
[10:50:14]
HILL: There's -- as you mentioned, it's been bombshell after bombshell, Pete, right, and the concerns that have been raised by the head of the NTSB
include those concerns with the safety culture for both Army aviation and for the air traffic organization of the FAA. So in terms of potential
changes, I mean, is anything in the works at this point?
MUNTEAN: Here is the big thing. Helicopters have essentially been banned from flying near Reagan National Airport since the day after that crash.
The real question is, will there be any major substantive change here when it comes to the culture at air traffic control and the culture at the Army?
We have heard from controllers who have testified that they essentially had a just get it done mentality there inside the tower, that it was push,
push, push all the time to try and get planes in and out, which may explain why the controller in the tower at the time, which was controlling not only
airplanes, but also the helicopters that transition the airspace nearby, used something called a push maneuver, of putting the airplane that was on
the final approach to the main runway there at Reagan National Airport, having it sidestep to an alternate runway there, sort of an auxiliary
runway.
So there's so many questions here. And even the Army was asked, will they accept the changes recommended by the NTSB at the end of this
investigation? The Army essentially said they may or may not.
HILL: Wow. Pete, really appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
Still ahead here, young Catholics flocking to Rome this week to kick off the Youth Jubilee, celebrating faith and young people. We're live in Rome
just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: It is a jubilee year in the Catholic faith. A special time to focus on reconciliation and spirituality. This week, the church is focused on
young people. Thousands of young Catholics have been visiting the Vatican for the Youth Jubilee. The Pope himself reminding them they hold the hope
for the future. Today they're lining up the Circus Maximus in Rome for a day of penance.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb joins us now live.
So, Christopher, a lot of young people descending on Rome this week.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Erica. Young people have really taken over the eternal city these last few days.
Everywhere you look, you can see them with their flags. There's a huge kind of celebratory atmosphere here. It's like a kind of Catholic Woodstock.
There's been music, big events across the city, and of course, the star act is Pope Leo, the first American Pope. Still less than 100 days in office,
he made a surprise appearance to the young people on Tuesday. And they're going to see him over the weekend.
I'm here today at the Circus Maximus, as you mentioned, and here young people are being offered the chance to go to confession, receive the
sacrament of reconciliation. You can see there are white tents either side of me, and priests are situated in each of the tents, and they are
receiving people who want to go to confession, and each of them individually are going into those tents.
It's very hot here in Rome. You can see there are fans in each of those tent-like cubicles.
[10:55:05]
And I also caught up with some younger pilgrims who are here to talk to about their experience. They are from the U.S. and this is what they had to
say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's been so cool. It's such a cool experience to like connect with people your age from different places all over the
world that are living through the same thing and want to experience the same things. Because especially at our age, like religion is such a like,
like weird thing. Like some people think it's weird to be religious. And I think meeting people that don't think that is so like refreshing and like
nice to like, see that you're not the only one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's honestly amazing, especially because he's the first American Pope. I think it like brings like so much, especially
with everything going on in America. It like it's so like refreshing to see that it's an American. And he's like literally so strong in his faith. Like
he's the Pope. Like it's honestly makes me so happy. Like I remember the day and it was just like, it was so exciting to, like, watch it and be
like, wow. Like he's just like a few states away. Like he's like just like us. So yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAMB: So, Erica, there's a very joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere here, particularly for Pope Leo. Of course, the big events with him are happening
over the weekend and we'll be covering those very closely -- Erica.
HILL: Absolutely. Christopher Lamb appreciate it. Thank you.
And thanks to all of you for joining us here on CONNECT THE WORLD. Be sure to stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
