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Connect the World
Trump Meets with Starmer after Royal Pageantry at Windsor; Protests Sweep France; Proposed Budget Cuts Spark Nationwide Unrest in France; British Army's Red Devils put on Parachute Display; Trump to Designate "Antifa" a Terrorist Organization; Trump and Starmer to Hold News Conference. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired September 18, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, after a royal banquet, it is down to business. The U.S. President and the British Prime Minister
will hold a joint press conference this hour. And we will get you that as and when it happens. It is 02:00 p.m. in Great Britain, it is 05:00 p.m.
here in Abu Dhabi.
I'm Becky Anderson, you're watching "Connect the World". Also coming up, first Colbert now Kimmel, President Trump is celebrating the fall of
another U.S. late night host. What's the post war future of Gaza? Well Israeli Minister suggests it could be a real estate bonanza.
The stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now, folks. And the arrows are all pointing higher after Wednesday's fed decision to cut
interest rates. That more coming up. Well, this hour, we are expecting that news conference by U.S. President Donald Trump and the British Prime
Minister.
We'll bring that to you as of course we get it. Meantime, the pair have been sitting down at the Prime Minister's country home Chequers for private
talks, likely focused on trade negotiations and what are thorny geopolitics those meetings following the grandeur of Mr. Trump's royal treatment at
Windsor.
One of the biggest shows of foreign pageantry that we've seen for the president. Take a look at this moment from the banquet thrown in his honor
last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: Mr. President, Mrs. Trump, it is with great pleasure that my wife and I welcome you to Windsor Castle on
this your second state visit to the United Kingdom. This unique and important occasion reflects the enduring bond between our two great
nations. The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways we are now the closest of kin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was King Charles. CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is live at Chequers as we await news conference today. Nic, a bit
more focused on business as we understand it. What are you expecting to hear from the prime minister and the U.S. President today?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, we got a good sense of where they've had a meeting of minds and a meeting of pockets, if
you will, the economy, the tech sector, this massive deal that they signed in a briefing with senior leaders from the tech and AI industry.
President Trump talked about $350 billion worth of deals. The British government released a press release earlier in the day saying $205 billion
worth of tech deals, quantum AI. British Prime Minister making the point that the British quantum AI, high tech industry is the biggest, a trillion
dollars' worth, the biggest in the west, outside of the United States.
And President Trump, for his part, was really strong in his praise of the UK, calling it an unbreakable bond and a priceless deal, and singling out
how the United States will get access to the British aerospace supply chain, something he said that was valuable. So, a lot of deals done there.
But the takeaway for me watching the pair of them speak was a how closely they sat together, but the sort of bonhomie and the smiles at their, each
other are looking each other in the eye. If there is any, has been, is any? Was any bad blood between these two men? Not on display, and they certainly
both talking up the gains of this particular deal.
Of course, thorny issues like the British position on Gaza and the willingness and preparedness soon to recognize Palestinian state and
President Trump being against that the UK. And we heard this from the king just yesterday, really implying that Russia is the enemy, and allies stand
together and push back.
And Starmer will have tried to get the sort of political end of that. And talk to Trump about doing more to support Ukraine and try to win him over
on that. But if there was an after-party glow from that sumptuous, gilded state banquet last night, I think some of it was on show in the body
language today, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's fascinating, isn't it? Nic, thank you for that. So Nic, is at Chequers that is in Buckinghamshire in England.
[09:05:00]
Our Senior Political Reporter Stephen Collinson writes, and I quote, Trump's royal welcome was also a jarring fairytale. The way nations present
themselves on such occasions can present an unflattering state of their health. And Stephen joins us now, live from Washington. Can you just
explain your thinking, as you wrote that? And what you believe this tells us?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, well, nations use whatever they have in diplomacy, and the British obviously are very good at
the pomp and the ceremony, and that happens to be something that Donald Trump really likes, and he enjoys the adulation.
But at some point, treating Trump as the king, he often pretends to be could end up being a little problematic. Behind all the pageantry yesterday
is the fact that Britain really needs the United States and is in a fairly weak position militarily and economically and needs the help of the Trump
Administration.
And I would question perhaps whether, for all the good feeling that's on display now, whether in three months' time, Trump is going to start
conditioning his policy towards the United Kingdom and other countries, just because he got a great reception at Windsor Castle, for example, on
the Ukraine issue you were just talking to Nic about.
And you know, it was very clear that Trump was very comfortable in the royal court as the focus of all that regal attention yesterday, but he
spent the overnight hours in Windsor Castle issuing diktats about suppressing free speech in the United States from the very castle that used
to be a favorite residence of King George.
The monarch against which the United States rebelled 250 years ago and enshrined those principles of free speech in its constitution and its first
amendment that Trump now often seems to be trying to infringe. So, I think there's some great historic irony behind all of the ceremony yesterday.
ANDERSON: Look, I mean, they've just signed a new technology partnership deal between the UK and the U.S. I mean, it's clear, you know, whatever
happens next. And you rightly pointed out. I mean, UK needs this relationship with the U.S. at this point, and particularly the kind of
business on an AI and sort of advanced tech nuclear file that these deals bring to the UK.
I mean, there are a lot of jobs at stake here, which would be terrific for the UK economy. What do you expect to hear from these two leaders? And
perhaps more to the point, we have to wonder what sort of questions they will take from the gathered press corps, today.
COLLINSON: Yeah, well, I think certainly when a U.S. President goes abroad, it often frustrates foreign audiences that they get questions that the U.S.
media back here wants to answer. I think a big question will be the suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel talk show last night.
The Trump Administration is using executive power to intimidate the corporate heads of U.S. media firms, to suppress speech that it doesn't
like. That's going to be I would imagine the first question from the U.S. side. I wouldn't be surprised if a member of the British press brings up
the whole Jeffrey Epstein scandal, because that, of course, is an issue that both Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have some dicey ground on Trump
because of his past relationship with the disgraced financier.
And Starmer, of course, just had to can U.S. -- the British Ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, because of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
So, a lot of the good feeling that has been engendered between these two administrations. I think there will be a few journalists trying to put a
spanner in the works there, when we get that press conference.
ANDERSON: Yeah, a lot of the legwork, of course, on these deals will have been done by the UK Ambassador, Lord Mandelson, who was canned, of course,
just days before the Trumps flew to the UK. It's good to have you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
ANDERSON: We will keep an eye out for that press conference and get it to our viewers just as soon as it starts. Thank you, Stephen. Well, on Jimmy
Kimmel, let's get to that developing story about the increasing influence of the Trump Administration on the U.S. media industry.
The ABC network is pulling the late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off the air indefinitely, following pressure from the Trump Administration and TV
station owners.
[09:10:00]
Now that decision was made over the comedian's remarks on Monday about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, " JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who
murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN Chief Media Analyst, Brian Stelter, joining us now. And Brian, firstly, what do we know about ABC pulling Kimmel off the air?
What's been said, and what sort of reaction are you getting there?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Very little has been said. ABC's statement amounts to just seven words, and three of those words are the
title of Jimmy Kimmel's show. Technically, ABC has not even admitted that this is related to Kimmel's monolog for Monday night, or the pressure from
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, or the local stations that were backing out of air in the show.
But it is very clear what has happened here. There was a very rapid domino effect on Wednesday afternoon. Once there were some conservative websites
and pro Trump TV shows that were crying foul over Kimmel's comments about the Kirk suspected killer.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appeared on a right-wing podcast where he denounced Kimmel, urged ABC to punish Kimmel, and talked about the power of
the FCC to regulate station licenses. Now, historically, station licenses have not been challenged like this in the United States.
If you're a station owner, if you have a license to broadcast on the airwaves, you pretty much automatically get renewed every eight years, but
President Trump and his FCC Chairman Brendan Carr have threatened to change that. They have tried to use their power over stations in order to change
the content, and that's exactly what's happened in this case.
Within a few hours of Brendan Carr speaking out against Kimmel, some big station owners said they were going to pull Kimmel's show off the airwaves.
Those station owners have a lot of government business before the Trump Administration. They need the Trump Administration's approval for pending
deals.
So, there was a very clear domino effect here and now, of course, free speech groups, free expression groups, are speaking out, denouncing ABC,
calling this state censorship, saying ABC News parent, Disney is caving and capitulating to the president. But so far, we have not heard from Kimmel,
and that's my big question now.
What's he going to say and when, and is there any pathway for him to return to ABC, or has this show effectively been canceled?
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's fascinating, isn't it? I'm keeping one eye on his social platforms. A week ago, right after the shooting, Kimmel posted this
on his Instagram, quote, instead of all the finger pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human
being?
On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence. And you
have to ask yourself whether that sentiment in all of this has been sort of dismissed or sort of conveniently forgotten.
STELTER: And now there's a little bit of a Rorschach test going on about his Monday night monolog. You know, his comments on Monday night were
pretty straightforward. He was not claiming that the suspect is actually a pro Trump Republican. What he was saying was that MAGA figures were trying
to ensure that nobody tried to say that.
They were trying to push that idea away and out of the public domain. Kimmel was making a straightforward observation, but his words have been
twisted by many pro Trump figures, by conservative websites, by right winning TV networks, in order to make him out to be some sort of evil doer
in this scenario.
And that's not happening in a vacuum. It's happening because Kimmel has been a scathing critic of Trump for years. It's happening because Trump
himself has been pressuring ABC to cancel Kimball's show for weeks, for months. So, this is very much about a pressure campaign coming from the
right, using the power of the White House and the administration to try to silence dissent and critical voices.
And in some cases, that has failed in recent months. But in this case, with Disney, Trump has prevailed. He is winning in this war, and it raises a
question about what other media companies might do next.
ANDERSON: Brian, good to have you. Thank you very much. Brian Stelter, in the house. And you are watching "Connect the World" with us from our Middle
East Broadcasting headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. Still ahead, what Israel's Finance Minister is saying about land distribution in
a post war Gaza, as Palestinians continue to flee, Gaza City. Plus, France is in crisis mode again, with nationwide protests threatening to paralyze
the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:15:00]
ANDERSON: Well, a real estate bonanza. Those are the words of Israel's Far- right Finance Minister that he's used to describe a post war future for Gaza. Bezalel Smotrich says that he has started negotiations with the
United States on how to divide Gaza. And that a business plan is sitting on President Donald Trump's desk.
Now his comments coming as Israeli tanks still appear to be stationed on the outskirts of Gaza City, two days after Israel's military announced the
start of its ground incursion into the city. And tens of thousands of Palestinians continue to flee in what the U.N. Children's Fund UNICEF calls
an inhumane evacuation.
Well, Jeremy Diamond is with us now. And Bezalel Smotrich's comments on this business plan, quote, for dividing up Gaza real estate will certainly
add fuel to what has been intense international criticism faced by Israel over what is this now prolonged, protracted and deadly war.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, without a doubt about it. And you know, you really can't decouple. You know, what is happening on
the ground in Gaza in terms of the Israeli military's latest offensive in Gaza City, with these comments from Bezalel Smotrich, who we know is an
extraordinarily influential member of this current Israeli government.
And has in fact, pushed Prime Minister Netanyahu further away from ceasefire negotiations and further towards long term occupation of Gaza.
And indeed, these comments from Bezalel Smotrich are certainly not surprising. They are very much in line with what he has said before, but
they are quite shocking nonetheless, in their kind of crude nature, as he described Gaza as a potential real estate, quote, Bonanza claims he was
talking to the United States about how to divide up Gaza in kind of the post war era.
The finance minister also talked about the destruction that has already happened in Gaza, describing it as kind of demolition work, and saying that
the next phase would be rebuilding it. And then that is when he brought up this idea of the U.S. and Israel dividing up shares of the land that they
will be effectively selling to real estate investors.
He claimed that there was already a plan sitting on President Trump's desk. We've reached out to the White House for comment on that, but have yet to
actually hear back. Now, it is important to caveat all of this by noting that these are the finance minister's own words, that this is a plan that
he is proposing. It is certainly not something that has been approved or put into action yet.
[09:20:00]
But it is important to keep in mind as we watch the Israeli military forcing Gaza's population into a smaller and smaller share of land, raising
cities to the ground, as we have very much seen in Rafah, and as we could very well soon see in Gaza City. And increasingly, we are watching that
even as the Israeli Prime Minister has kind of denied intentions of long- term occupation of Gaza or of establishing Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
We have watched the Israeli military's plans and this Israeli government's intentions go closer and closer to this kind of right-wing vision of
occupying and settling the Gaza Strip. So even if they're not there yet, these kinds of comments do perhaps provide a road map, certainly, of where
the right wing wants to take Israel in the future as it relates to Gaza, and potentially where the Israeli Prime Minister will ultimately decide to
go again.
That is just based off of the pattern that we have watched over the course of this nearly two-year war now.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's good to have you. Jeremy, thank you. Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv. For dozens of entertainment stars appeared together in a video
ahead of a fundraising concert for Gaza in London. Together for Palestine aims to raise millions of dollars to help Palestinian led groups in Gaza.
The video features Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, Grammy winner Billie Eilish and others calling for a ceasefire. Photographer and Activist Nan Goldin,
says in it, it's been the artist's role in society to risk speaking truth to power. Well, in France, some protesters are clashing with police after
thousands across the nation took to the streets protesting the government's proposed budget cuts.
Major unions, including teachers, train drivers and hospital staff, are now calling for more spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy
and a stop to planned pension reform. Just over a week ago, of course, the French government collapsed after the prime minister lost a confidence
vote.
The newly appointed prime minister now faces that same pressure over the country's massive deficit. CNN's Melissa Bell joining us now from Paris.
And Melissa, this is not your first rodeo when it comes to protests, of course, in Paris. How is this different from what we saw last week across
France? What's your sense here?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The big difference this week compared to last week when we spoke. You'll remember that 175,000
people have come out across France to try and block the country. This time, the trade unions are taking part.
And that's very different Becky, because this is what it looks like when the trade unions take part in these marches. They're very well organized.
You can see the balloons, the banners. They come out with their drinks, their marching bands. And what's impressive about this turnout today, and
the French authorities are expecting not 175,000 but 900,000 out on the streets of the country today.
What's impressive is the coordination of these trade unions. The last time we saw anything this big, excuse me, or anything this well coordinated, was
the pension reform of 2023, because you're quite right. These kinds of protests are a regular feature here in France, but it had been a little
while.
So, you're right. At the moment, this is a crowd that is extremely worried about the social welfare system here in France. They know that the last
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou had threatened to slash 44 billion from next year's 2026 budget. And although the new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu
has come in making a lot of moves essentially to placate announcing.
For instance, that former prime ministers will no longer have the benefits that they had, announcing that he was doing a U-turn on the planned
scrapping of two public holidays. Still, there are concerns that next year's budget will necessarily be an austerity budget, one way or another,
simply because of the need to tackle France's looming debt crisis.
And so, most of these people out here today, and I don't just mean the trade unions. I mean many ordinary people who have come out to protest, are
worried that the benefits, the welfare net that they built over decades, is now under threat. And I think underlying all this, Becky, it's important to
note Emmanuel Macron was elected back in 2017.
Now, eight years on, there is a great deal of dissatisfaction about the kind of reforms that he's carried on, the way he's led the country, the way
he's run it, and that is what underpins a lot of the slogans and the size out there today. There are other people here in France that believe it's
time for him to go. He said he's going to serve out his term.
ANDERSON: Right.
BELL: But that really is at the heart of the lot of the discount you're going to see across the country.
[09:25:00]
ANDERSON: Well, sticking with the president and switching gears just slightly the Macrons, of course, are also pushing a defamation case at
present against the right-wing influencer Candace Owens. Briefly, what's the latest on that, Melissa?
BELL: Well, you're quite right. It's quite an extraordinary story that they have decided to take on this suit, to take on Candace Owens. They say,
Becky, because the people around them kept bringing it up. And I think what's remarkable about this is that this sense, this sort of influencer
who has come up with this claim can make so much noise that a presidential couple is obliged to take them on through the courts.
And I think that is something that is fairly new, and something that also for this crowd, at least, is a distraction. This is a French President who
spent many of the last few months while this discontent was going on, tackling international issues, trying to end wars, being a big player on
the global stage, taking on cases like this one.
And that's fed into a lot of the commentary I've heard heating up today. There are people who are very upset that he hasn't been doing more to
tackle the issues in France that these people feel are much more important than those, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Melissa. Thank you so much. Melissa Bell is on the street to Paris for you. Still ahead, markets are reacting to,
what is this fresh rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Those markets in New York open about four minutes from now.
And we will get you the open and a sense of what these cuts mean for jobs, the U.S. and indeed, the global economy, that's up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching "Connect the World" from our Middle East programming headquarters here in
Abu Dhabi. These are your headlines. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that he has started negotiations with the United States on
how to divide Gaza when the war there ends.
He suggests it could lead to a post war real estate Bonanza, and the plans are on U.S. President Donald Trump's desk. The American media company ABC
is pulling the late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off the air, and that is indefinitely after pressure from the Trump Administration.
It comes after remarks the comedian made on his show on Monday saying MAGA groups were trying to score political points over the assassination of
Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk. Court documents in the U.S. show that an immigration judge ordered pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil be
deported to Algeria or Syria over claims that he omitted information from his green card application to the United States.
[09:30:00]
Khalil's lawyers said they intend to appeal the deportation order. Well ringing the bell on Wall Street today Water Bridge infrastructure that is a
Texas based water management company making its market debut. And if the futures were anything to go by, it is not a bad day to be ringing in those
U.S. markets.
Futures were pointing higher, and looks as if the big board -- may have just taken a little dip. Certainly, the indications were that investors
were sort of perfectly sanguine about what had happened as far as the fed cut, fed interest rate cuts are concerned. But there you go.
We're really in a very mixed open they are, of course, responding to that latest interest rate cut by the U.S. Central Bank. On Wednesday, the fed
lowered its benchmark lending rate by a quarter percentage point to support the jobs market. It says that's one of its responsibilities.
It's the first rate cut of Donald Trump's second term. CNN's Matt Egan joins us now from New York with more. And as you and I speak, I am just
watching these markets settle out a minute or so into the trading day, and it is a pretty mixed start. It has to be said. Matt, what do you see as the
fed's decision signaling? What about the broader economy?
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Becky, the fed still faces this two- front war, right? It's got stubborn inflation on one hand and it's got a weakening job market on the other, but they've decided what's the bigger
danger, and that is the risk of growing unemployment.
And so that's why they delivered this quarter point cut the first since December, the first of the second Trump Administration. And they're
signaling that they're probably not done yet, right? Fed officials are penciling in a total of three cuts this year, yesterday's and two more.
That's up from June when fed officials were pricing in penciling in a total of just two cuts. And investors are betting that there's going to be more,
right? The market's pricing in about a 90 percent chance of an interest rate cut at the next meeting in October, and 99 percent chance of a cut at
the meeting after that, the one in December.
Powell, he talked about this as a risk management type move, taking out some insurance to try to prevent further trouble in the job market. And
Goldman Sachs notes that risk management type cuts. They usually come in packages, right? So, this would mean a decline in rates, but not
necessarily a dramatic one.
Now, during the press conference, I had a chance to ask Fed Chair Powell about something that I've been reporting on this week, which is that more
and more Americans are falling behind on their bills and that credit scores are falling. Take a listen to what Powell said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: Default rates have been kind of ticking up, and we do watch that they're not at a level. I don't believe
they're at a level or overall. They are, you know, terribly concerning, but it is something that we watch. You know, lower rates should support
economic activity.
I don't know that one rate cut will have, you know, a visible effect on that, but over time, you know, a strong economy with a strong labor market
is what we're aiming for, and stable prices. So that should help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EGAN: Know, I think the key there is that Powell is acknowledging that a quarter point cut, it's not going to be a game changer. It's not a silver
bullet for this economy. Now, there were a few surprises from this fed decision. First, how the votes landed. We were bracing for dissent,
possibly historic levels of dissent, but we didn't get that.
This was a nearly unanimous 11 to 1 decision in favor of the quarter point cut. The 1 dissenter, perhaps not shockingly, is the fed's newest member
Stephen Miran who --
ANDERSON: All right. Can I just jump in, Matt? Because we are going to take our viewers to Buckinghamshire in England, where we are seeing another
display for the U.S. President. He is alongside the British Prime Minister and his wife. The Trumps there. We've seen a lot of pomp, ceremony and
military displays.
It was a long-standing relationship between the U.S. and the UK military. The Army's Red Devils parachute display team now performing an air display.
This was always going to be weather dependent. The weather has held out. I'm just going to let you watch these for a moment. It's a lovely display.
[09:35:00]
The Army's Red Devils parachute display team then performing an air display and landing comfortably, as you would expect from a military man in the
garden of Chequers, and that is the country residence of the UK Prime Minister. He is there with his wife and with the Trumps.
And this towards the end of what is this state visit, second state visit, of course, we're expecting to see two RAF Pipers performing for the Trumps
at Chequers. And the state visit will conclude with performances by the Duchess of Edinburgh's String Orchestra and the band of the Welsh Guards
that will be later at Lancaster house.
So, a display there by the Red Devils. And if you're a Brit as I am, you've grown up watching these sorts of displays are always very exciting as kids,
and I'm sure the Trumps are enjoying those immensely. But after this, of course, more business to be done. And we are expecting to get a news
conference, press conference with Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister and the U.S. President later today.
A number of key UK-U.S. trade deals have been inked. We expect to hear more on those. Much of those deals have been inked around the AI advanced tech
industries, also the nuclear sector, opportunities for U.S. companies in the UK, across those sectors, creating jobs in the UK, which will be
welcome for the UK Prime Minister, who himself is under some pressure at present.
He's lost two or three key allies in his administration of late, not least the U.S., the UK Ambassador to the U.S. who was sacked just a few days
before this trip. Right. They're going inside. We should see them again when they hold this press conference, scheduled to be later today.
We'll get that for you as soon as it starts. Nvidia is buying into Intel. The AI chip maker says it will take a $5 billion stake, giving it nearly 4
percent of Intel. That move comes after the U.S. government's multibillion dollar investment last month. This is all part of efforts to boost U.S.
chip making.
So that's a big deal. And just to be clear, Jensen Huang, who is the CEO of Nvidia, was at the state banquet last night with Donald Trump, alongside a
number of other key U.S. business leaders. A little bit like when we saw Donald Trump here in region, in Riyadh and Doha and in Abu Dhabi.
He was accompanied by a significant delegation then of tech and banking leaders. And so, we see a similar story there in the UK. Let's see Nvidia's
share price up 2.5 percent today. Well, a golden statue of President Trump holding a Bitcoin was put on display in Washington on Wednesday.
The 12-foot temporary statue was unveiled hours before the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates. Trump has pledged to make the
U.S., the crypto capital of the planet, and his own wealth is increasingly dependent on cryptocurrency. Meta is continuing to innovate using AI, this
time introducing a new set of smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban.
The model named display are a bid to -- is a bid to ditch the smartphone and push users to interact more with their surroundings. CNN's Clare Duffy
was one of the first to try the specs out. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Ah, whoa -- It's crazy.
DUFFY (voice-over): These are the new Meta Ray-Ban display glasses, the next generation of AI powered wearables. Meta is making a bet that with
these glasses, users won't need to spend so much time looking down at their phone. Unlike previous versions, which you could only interact with via
voice and audio.
These feature a tiny display inside the lens, and they come with what's called a neural wristband, so you can navigate simply with hand and finger
gestures.
DUFFY: So, what I'm seeing right now on this little display, it looks like, you know, the homepage of Spotify for whatever song that you're currently
listening to. So, you've got the play button, the forward and backward button you can shuffle. Yeah, and then when I do the volume, I see the
little volume button open up, cool.
DUFFY (voice-over): They're a bit bulkier than previous versions of the Meta Ray-Bans. They still look and feel more or less like regular glasses,
just slightly thicker and heavier. People around you won't be able to see what you're seeing on the glasses display. That's by design, so your
messages or photos remain private.
It's probably going to take some getting used to for most people to interact with the world around you while seeing a little display in front
of your eye. But I was surprised by how high quality the display was.
[09:40:00]
You're going to have to take my word for it on this one, because you can only see it if you're wearing them. And I liked that you can turn the
display on and off, so if you're doing focused work or walking around outside, you won't be distracted. And I did find the neural wristband
gestures intuitive to learn.
You can capture and view photos and videos. There is live captioning, navigation, video calling. You can ask AI about your surroundings and also
view and respond to messages, all of which I tried in a mostly successful, brief demo. You may remember when Google tried to do this back in 2013 with
Google glass, but that product flopped because it was expensive, unfashionable and had limited functionality.
This is another way for meta to get its AI technology to be a bigger part of our daily lives, and it'll test how ready the world is for more advanced
wearables.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Clare Duffy. We're still waiting for that press conference. UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and the U.S. President at
Chequers, that is the country residence of the British Prime Minister. And we will get you that just as soon as it starts. We'll take a very quick
break at this point, back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, well, I'm going to keep you honest. We are expecting a news conference on the U.S. President Donald Trump and the British Prime
Minister Keir Starmer any moment now. And as we get that, we will get it to you. The pair sat down at the prime minister's country home Chequers after
the U.S. President bid farewell to Windsor a few hours ago, where flattery and splendor were on full display.
U.S. President Trump, meantime, has been busy. While he's been at Windsor Castle, he has said that he will designate a loose political movement of
anti-fascist protesters known as Antifa. He's going to designate those as a major terrorist organization. Ironically, it's the same movement the MAGA
faithful tried to suggest was involved in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January the sixth, disguised as Trump supporters.
Well, a White House official told CNN, this is just one of many actions that the president plans to take, to address what he describes as left-wing
agitators who he says fuel political violence.
[09:45:00]
Well to Washington is CNN's Annie Grayer, she joins me now on all of this. Annie, firstly, we have to ask, is this move directly connected with the
murder of the Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, certainly we've seen a number of actions being taken as a result of the outrage on the right and from those
who were close to Charlie Kirk and his assassination. And we are seeing the president leading this effort to investigate the left-wing movement.
It's a very, sort of broad, nebulous idea right now, but it is taking hold on Capitol Hill, where more than 30 Republican lawmakers are pressuring
House Speaker Mike Johnson to form a committee that would investigate left wing groups, like Black Lives Matter, like Antifa, all sorts of nonprofits.
They want to look at the finances of these groups. They want to have subpoena power. But the speaker knows that not all Republicans are
supportive of this effort. There are a number of Republicans who have spoken to in reporting this out who say that going down this road of
targeting the left wing in response to the tragedy of Charlie Kirk is only going to add fuel to the fire here.
And is not necessarily going to help tone down the temperature, which all leaders on both sides of the aisle are calling for.
ANDERSON: Yeah, Annie, it is a new -- you've made this point, but it's worth sort of re noting, as it were, that Antifa is -- it's a loose term
for a so-called group with no leader or structure. So that does beg the question, who is Trump banning at this point? And how does the Trump White
House actually plan to target them?
GRAYER: There's not a clear answer for that, because there is no official leader. It is not an official group. It's sort of very spread out. But
it's, what you can really just see is that this is a response to the rage that the president and so many of his closest allies are feeling in
response to Kirk's assassination.
And I think there's just a general desire on the right and among Republicans to see some sort of action, but this is a step that is unclear
what will come of it, and what kind of impact it will have. But the follow up from the White House is that this is just the first of many actions, and
with the tandem process happening on the Hill.
We are told to expect a lot more focus from the White House, from Republicans in Congress on the left wing.
ANDERSON: Annie, it's a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed. Well, an investigation is now underway after three officers were killed in a
shooting in rural Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon, two other officers remain in hospital today. Now, sources say the suspect appeared to be lying
in wait when officers arrived.
And that the suspect named as 24-year-old, Matthew James Ruth was shot dead by police. Court documents show that he was facing charges of stalking,
loitering and prowling at night time. Well, we are still waiting for the press conference. UK, U.S. Leaders are at Chequers. The room is ready for
them. We're going to take a very quick break. We will be back there after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, let's get you to Chequers, and I just bring up the images of the room there, which will be where we see the U.S. President Donald
Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Any moment now, they will be addressing the press gathered there, and we will get you that live as and
when it starts.
The pair set down at the prime minister's country home of Chequers after the U.S. president bid farewell to the king and queen at Windsor a few
hours ago, where, frankly, flattery and splendor were on full show. Well, President Trump has now said goodbye to the Britain, to Britain's Royal
Family, and he is set to depart the UK in the coming hours.
But one thing he hasn't seemed able to leave behind on this trip is the Epstein scandal. CNN's Nic Robertson explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The Epstein scandal following President Trump nearly 4000 miles away from the White House. Protesters going to creative
lengths to make sure that no one misses their message. Trump cannot hide from questions about Epstein, even in London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the exact reason we're bringing out here. So, he doesn't escape it. He wants you know, he tweets out stop talking about it.
So, if he tells you to stop talking about it, you know you should talk about it. He can't escape his past.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Brits coming out on the streets against Trump, using his association with the convicted pedophile to send him a message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have to keep the focus firmly on what Trump has been up to. And of course, the one thing he fears most is the Epstein
files, and they have to come out.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): And get a message about Trump to their own leaders too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are aware of who he is, despite our government laying out red carpets and gold coaches and whatever.
ROBERTSON: Are you angry the government is doing that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah. Disgusted, revolted, any other adjectives you'd like.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a leader of the free world that can talk about women the way he talks about women, they can consort with people like
Epstein. What's that saying to men? What's that saying to young men? And what does that mean for women like my children?
ROBERTSON: All of this in the center of London, dozens of miles where President Trump is out at Windsor with the royals enjoying the best of the
pomp and circumstance. Brits can lay on. But even out there, the specter of Epstein is haunting him.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein and the king's brother, Prince Andrew, projected onto the walls of Windsor Castle. The
police moving quickly to arrest four people on suspicion of malicious communications. A stinging reminder for Trump's host, the king, a member of
his own family, has become part of the Epstein scandal.
Andrew denied the allegations, but was removed from royal duties more than three years ago. UK PM Starmer too, struggling with Epstein related
scandal. Last week, he fired his ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, for reportedly telling Epstein, I think the world of you after his
conviction.
Last week, Mandelson saying he regretted the comments. In Windsor, anti- Trump protesters took more shots at getting the Trump Epstein image out, rolling out a massive photo of the pair and splashing it around town on a
mobile billboard. And one prankster inserting Trump Epstein mugs at the royals Windsor gift shop, posing as merch for the Trump visit.
Prior to this state visit, Trump has dismissed interest in Epstein as boring stuff, claiming it's a Democrat hoax.
ROBERTSON: It's not just because the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has touched the royal family and touched the Prime Minister. There seem to be quite a
number of people here in the UK who track, actively track what's happening in the United States, and they want to put it right back in President
Trump's face.
There's a clear message from them it seems. They don't want any part of it, and they don't want him here either. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right, "Connect the World" is back at the top of the hour for you. I'm just going to give you, leave you as we go to break here with some
images from Chequers. That is room where we expect to hear the UK Prime Minister and the U.S. President shortly.
[09:55:00]
We will get you there just as soon as that happens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
