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One World with Zain Asher
Trump's Fellow Republicans Give Mixed Reactions on the Indictment; Miami Federal Courthouse Guarded by Heavy Security; Russia and Ukraine Both Report Intense Frontline Fighting; Biden to Host a Meeting with Stoltenberg at the White House; British Police Investigate an Attack on the Streets of Nottingham, England; Italy Bids Farewell to Silvio Berlusconi; K-Pop Band BTS Celebrates its 10th Anniversary; Search Continues for Wilson, the Belgian Shepherd; Guinness World Records Confirms Nigerian Chef Hilda Bassey as Record-Holder for the Longest Cooking Marathon. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired June 13, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Zain Asher in New York, and this is ONE WORLD. Donald Trump has achieved many firsts in his career,
and in a few hours, he'll have one more, the first former president to face federal charges. He'll step into a Miami courthouse where he'll be placed
under arrest and lightly fingerprinted. Mr. Trump will then hear the 37 charges against him. He's expected to plead not guilty. The charges stem
from his handling of classified documents after he left office.
Outside the courthouse, security will of course be tight. Miami police, the FBI and the Homeland Security will be keeping an eye on things in addition
to Mr. Trump's CIFRA service detail. We probably won't see the former president until Tuesday evening when he makes a public statement from his
New Jersey golf club.
Members of Donald Trump's own party seem split on his indictment. While several Republican politicians like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have
slammed the proceedings, not everyone is in Mr. Trump's corner. Here's what two Republican senators told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: I'm angry. The country's gonna go through tumult as a result of one thing, President Trump didn't turn over
military documents when he was asked to do so. All he had to do was hand them in.
JOHN THUNE, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: They're very serious acts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's bring in Ryan Young, who is outside the federal courthouse in Miami. So, Ryan, Donald Trump has been encouraging his supporters to show
up. He posted a message on Truth Social basically saying, see you guys in Miami on Tuesday. Just walk us through what is happening behind you right
now.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): I can tell you right now, maybe more protesters will arrive at some point. But what I can show
you right now is that there are small groups of protesters. In fact, the media outnumbers protesters at this point. So, we've seen maybe about a
hundred to 200 protesters. They're swelling through the area. They're making sure they go over to each media tent to get their voices heard.
But when you talk about the federal courthouse, you can see all the Homeland Security vehicles that have been placed in front. They created a
barrier with these cars to make sure people can't get through and this whole plaza has been dedicated to making sure no one can come out in and
out easily.
I'm talking about the media. Take a look this way. You can see tents are basically streaming down the sidewalk here and coming all the way through
this corridor. This is a small group of Trump supporters that have shown up. Several of them give their speeches to say what they feel about what's
going on. Some of them are saying this amounts to communism.
There are people who are happy that Trump's also being indicted, and so far, they're allowed to intermingle. So, we've seen some confrontations
with people who are making their voices heard but so far, no sort of physical confrontation.
Now, come back out to the street. There's been a lot of conversation just about what should happen, whether or not there should be some barricades
up. It seems what the police department has been able to do is they've been able to make sure they've been limiting people coming in and out of this
area in small groups. In fact, they're making it hard basically go down several different streets throughout Miami.
Now, massive road closures will probably start within the next hour and a half or so. And I've been talking to people within the police department
who said they feel like the layers of security added, something that you don't see have been going very well so far. We actually saw some of the
security personnel doing an outer perimeter walk, talking to people, trying to figure out exactly what's going on. So far, in terms of the security
apparatus and things that are seen, it's been running pretty smoothly. Zain.
ASHER: And Ryan, obviously a few months ago, Donald Trump was indicted in New York. He also called out to his supporters to come there, to support
him there. Again, similar to what we're seeing behind you in Miami, not as many protesters or supporters of Donald Trump showed up in New York when he
was indicted. Just explain to us the differences here, how different the atmosphere and the energy is this time.
YOUNG: Well, you know, that's a good question because there's a lot of people talking about busloads of people being brought here, maybe from the
Orlando area that hasn't happened yet. We know that arraignment is probably gonna pick up in terms of people showing up around the 3 o'clock hour.
What we have seen is like people driving by with jeeps and modified trucks with signs supporting the former president, and they've been doing that as
they come through the street. They haven't shut down all the roads right now, but you can tell very easily if the Miami Police Department or
Homeland Security wanted to shut down access to this area, that's exactly what they're going to do.
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But I cannot stress more, the fact that right now, the media and the cameras outnumber the amount of protesters that are in this area. So, for
all the conversation about thousands of protesters crushing into this area, we haven't seen that yet. And there are several ways to get here. You can
take a Brightline train. You can take a metro rail here. You can take a people-movie here. There are several different ways for people not to have
to park in the area.
Now just trying to find a park within a mile of this location is very difficult right now because of all the cars in this area. And you
understand, federal law enforcement is also moving through this area and undercover nature. So, you can feel the presence of the security, but right
now you do not see all the protesters that have been called for. But again, it's early so we could see more over the next few hours. Zain.
ASHER: Of course, the president is expected to arrive roughly around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, local time. Just explain to us what's set to
happen today, because obviously we're not really going to catch a glimpse of the former president. He's expected to enter and exit through an
underground garage and take a freight elevator, as well. So, despite the supporters showing up there in Miami, they may not even catch a glimpse of
him at all. Just walk us through how the next few hours are expected to unfold, Ryan.
YOUNG: Well, they probably won't, but you know the former president likes a little flair, so if he could, he'd probably want to wave to his crowd. But
let me show you something right here. This is the new federal building. So, this was built with the whole idea of security, and that underground
passage that you talked about will be very interesting for them to be able to move that car below and not have to worry about the massive crowds that
are in this area.
So, you understand that's a security plus for everyone who's involved in this situation. But we will know that motorcade's coming. You know that
people, in general, would love to see the former president, especially the who showed up here to support him. And that is a cross-section of people
from all over.
Again, maybe in the next hour or so, we'll see those busloads of people showing up. We believe this won't take very long, so he'll be in and out.
We know there will be no mugshot taken. So, when you put all that together, in terms of these people showing up, they may not even have the chance to
show their appreciation for the former president.
ASHER: But as you point out right now, there's a lot more media than there are protesters and supporters. Ryan Young, live for us there. Thank you so
much. And we will dig more into the legal questions surrounding the charges in about 20 minutes from now with a former federal prosecutor.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy admits fighting is fierce along the southern and eastern frontlines but he says Ukrainian troops are making progress in the
opening stages of the counteroffensive. Kyiv claims its army has recaptured seven villages from enemy forces in the past week, making slow but steady
gains. Moscow, meantime, said it's repelling attacks in the Donetsk region.
And the Russian Defense Ministry released this video of what it claims are captured western-made tanks and armored vehicles. In the central city of
Kryvyi Rhi, a day of mourning is set to take place on Wednesday after a massive missile strike killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens more.
Local officials say that Russian forces targeted civilian areas, including a residential building. CNN's Sam Kiley joins us live now from Kyiv. So,
Sam, what more can you tell us about these overnight attacks?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, Zain, I think what is very clear indeed from this and confirmed really by the
Ukrainian authorities is that there was a significant wave of cruise missile attacks last night, one of which at least got through and hit a
residential building in Kryvyi Rhi in the center of the country. This is an important industrial center, it is a very long city strung out along a
river and -- but with a lot of potential military targets, not civilian targets.
This is a guided missile, Zain, so therefore, it was clearly targeting the residential building that it hit, killing 11 people, wounding some two
dozen, in what the Ukrainians have now got used to as a systematic targeting both of civilian infrastructure and of civilians themselves.
In the recent past, a lot of the focus of these attacks has been here on Kyiv, the capital, but elsewhere in the country has not been spared and
clearly with the use of a cruise missile. Russia is once again trying to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people as they have been since day one of
this war with the systematic attacks on civilians, both using missiles and much more personal means immediately north of the city here in Kyiv in the
beginning of this war.
But this is all coming, as you point out in the introduction, Zain, as the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian gets underway with much more intense
fighting now in the south on the southern front, what we call in the Zaporizhzhia frontline, but also significant gains being made by the
Ukrainians continuing their momentum southeast of Bakhmut.
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And there's every possibility that that tactical success for the Ukrainians may become part of the more -- wider strategic operation as this
counteroffensive gets away in earnest. We're still at the early stages, I think. The Ukrainians have a lot more to throw into this battle, but they
are conscious that the more they throw at this battle, the more casualties inevitably they're going to suffer.
And they don't have unlimited manpower, unlike, it seems, the Russians. Certainly judging by Russian tactics in the recent past, they've been
prepared to take much higher casualties and throw far more people into the maelstrom, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Sam Kiley, live for us there. Thank you so much. Ukraine's northern neighbor is reportedly making a move that's sure to be watched
closely by Kyiv and its western allies. According to state media, the president of Belarus says Russia will send tactical nuclear weapons to his
country in quote, a few days. Aleksandr Lukashenko was quoted as saying he would not hesitate to use them if required.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets the U.S. President at the White House in the coming hour. The meeting was delayed by a day as Joe
Biden dealt with a dental issue, an unplanned root canal in fact. They'll talk about the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania and the war in Ukraine, as
well as a personal issue. Who will replace the NATO Chief when he steps down after his term ends in October?
Earlier, Stoltenberg met U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken in Washington. CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us live now from the White House with
the very latest. Arlette.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, Zain, President Biden, in just about an hour will host NATO Secretary General
Stoltenberg here at the White House where Ukraine is expected to be at the top of the two men's agenda. Now, Stoltenberg was over at the State
Department a short while ago meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken where he said that --where Stoltenberg said that the Ukrainian offensive is
being conducted at this time and said that he believes that Ukraine has been making grounds in their fighting against Russia.
One thing that Stoltenberg was stressing and something that you will continue to hear President Biden likely stressed today in their meeting in
the Oval Office is that the aid that both the United States and NATO allies have provided to Ukraine have been pivotal in their fight against Russia.
Now, heading into that NATO summit in July, it is expected that the countries will come together to provide additional assistance to Ukraine as
they continue to wage this war.
But something else that President Biden will be discussing likely in this meeting with Stoltenberg is the fact that they need to find a replacement,
a success for him as Stoltenberg's term is expected to come to an end this fall. There is a chance that it could be extended once again. It's been
extended several times in the past but the President has been getting some lobbying about who should replace Stoltenberg as the chief NATO leader.
Last week, the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was here at the White House, really pitched the President on Defense Minister of the U.K. Ben
Wallace, also here at the White House last week was the Danish Prime Minister who is considered to be a contender for that position.
But for the next NATO chief, they will need to have a consensus candidate, as all NATO countries will need to have some buy-in. But the U.S. does have
considerable weight in the selection of this NATO chief. So, those are just some of the items that are expected to come up in this meeting with
President Biden.
I will note that the White House at this moment is really trying to engage in this business-as-usual strategy as the former president is facing
indictment down in Miami a bit later today. The White House is trying to just proceed with their regularly scheduled programming and trying to go
about their normal business as they're trying to present this contrast with the former president. And up first this afternoon will be that meeting with
the NATO secretary general.
ASHER: Yeah, but given that it is literally the biggest story in the world, I'm sure it's very hard for folks at the White House to ignore. As you
point out, President Biden has a lot of say in terms of who becomes the next head of NATO because the U.S. contributes so much money in the
defense, on -- in the alliance rather, on defense.
Just explain to us in terms of what the two men are gonna be talking about today. Obviously, they will be talking about Ukraine, of course, but the
summit, the NATO summit that's gonna be happening in Lithuania in the next month or so is obviously top of the agenda and also the potential for
Sweden to become a member of NATO, as well.
SAENZ: Yeah, and that's something that Secretary of State Antony Blinken actually addressed a bit earlier today, saying that this upcoming summit in
July would be a perfect time for Sweden to join NATO. You'll remember that both Finland and Sweden had made their applications to enter NATO last
year.
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The President had the leaders here at the White House. And Finland actually had already been accepted, but currently, Sweden's application status is
still pending. The big reason is because Turkey, a significant member of NATO has yet to give the green light for Sweden to join NATO.
One of the issues that Turkey has repeatedly raised is the fact that Sweden allows these members of Kurdish terror groups to operate in their country.
That is a frustration that Turkey has voiced. There is expected to be a meeting between Turkey and Sweden this week.
But so far there haven't been any signs that Turkey is ready to give that clearance for Sweden to join NATO. So, that is certainly something that
could be discussed in the meeting today, as well.
ASHER: All right, Arlette Saenz, live for us. Thank you so much.
SAENZ: Thank you.
ASHER: British police are investigating an attack on the streets of Nottingham, England. They are calling it a major incident. Three people are
dead and three others are in hospital after a man driving a van appears to have intentionally run over several pedestrians. The driver of the van has
been taken into custody on suspicion of murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNN HUGGART, EYEWITNESS: So, a police car behind him. He then quickened up, there's two people turning the corner, he went straight in to these two
people. The woman went on the curb, the man went up in the air, it was such a bang. I wish I never saw it, because it's really shaken me up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Harrowing. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking this story for us from London. Nada, what more do we know?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (on-camera): While the police are still carrying out their investigations, forensic teams have been deployed to those three
scenes. As he mentioned, these were three separate incidences which Nottinghamshire police have said they believe were linked. There was the
first initial incident just after 4AM this morning. Police being called to reports of two individuals found dead on a street in central Nottingham.
But they were shortly called afterwards to another incident of that van attempting to ram into pedestrians, injuring three individuals.
Now, at this stage, police have said that two of those individuals involved in that car attack had sustained minor injuries after being treated in
hospital, but one of those involved in that incident is in a critical condition receiving care at a hospital in Nottingham. And then, of course,
there was a third incident, another man found dead in the street in Nottingham, excuse me.
This is three killed at this stage. We are still waiting for more details around the victims. But there has been a statement from the University of
Nottingham confirming that two of their students were involved and confirmed dead following this major incident.
Now, at this stage, police have reprimanded a 31-year-old man who was in custody, arrested on suspicion of murder. This investigation is still very
much ongoing. We don't have any details just yet around a potential motive behind this attack.
Police say they are keeping an open mind as they continue their investigation. But they are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the
incidents, anyone who may footage to come forward. And we've recently seen a statement from the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who has said that he has
been kept updated on the developments as police continue to investigate this incident and that he's expressing his condolences to all those who
lost their lives and to their loved ones, as well, but has asked for the police to be given the time to undertake their work. Zain.
ASHER: Nada Bashir, live for us. Thank you. And we have this news just coming in to CNN. A riverboat has capsized in north central Nigeria.
Hundreds of people are feared dead. The accident happened on the Niger River in the state of Kwara. Up to 300 people were believed to be on board,
part of a wedding party. We'll bring you more on this story as and when we get more information.
All right, still to come, Italians say farewell to one of the most colorful and controversial public figures in decades, Silvio Berlusconi. We'll go
live to Rome. Plus, mass evacuations are now underway in parts of India and Pakistan as a cyclone threatens to make landfall in the coming days. A
closer look at the projected track of the storm, next.
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ASHER: Italy is bidding farewell to a former prime minister who dominated the nation's political landscape for decades. Supporters of Silvio
Berlusconi are gathering outside his villa near Milan, leaving flowers, cards and flags. The state funeral for the billionaire and media tycoon
will be held in Milan's cathedral tomorrow and flags are being flown at half-mast on institutional buildings across the country. Mr. Berlusconi
died in the hospital on Monday at the age of 86.
Ben Wedeman is joining us live now from Rome with more. So, the longest- serving prime minister in post-war Italy, certainly a controversial figure, but one who nonetheless reshaped the course of Italian politics. Just walk
us through how Italians are planning to say goodbye to such a significant figure.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the fact that he's having a state funeral at the Duomo, Cathedral of Milan, is quite
significant, that it's going to be an official day of mourning tomorrow, that they are expecting thousands of people to attend the funeral,
including Sergio Mattarella, the President of Italy.
We understand that Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, is coming. It's not quite clear what other guests are coming from outside of Italy,
but this is going to be very large event for, in a sense, a larger-than- life man, Zain. This is a man who was highly controversial, very flamboyant, a politician, or rather a businessman-turned-politician who
really changed the entire tone of Italian politics.
One newspaper here headlined him as the first populist, and certainly he was a precursor to what we've seen, for instance, with Donald Trump in the
U.S. United States with Boris Johnson in the U.K., somebody who appealed to the common man. But in the case of Silvio Berlusconi, he was somebody who
came into office saying, I'm a successful businessman. I will be a successful prime minister.
Well, the fact of the matter is, he wasn't. The Italian economy, when Berlusconi finally left office, had shrunk during his time in power.
Italy's debt had skyrocketed, and the country, in a sense, is still recovering from that period of Berlusconi's rule.
Now, as far as how the Italian press is reacting, here we see in "Messaggero", this is a Rome newspaper, is Sonio Italiano, the Italian
dream. And of course, for many Italians, he was. He was a man from modest means who became, at one point in his career, the richest man in Italy.
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But also a man who kept his lawyers very busy trying to stay one step ahead of the law and also the taxman. He was convicted of tax evasion in 2013,
but because of his advanced age, his four-year sentence was committed to four weeks of community service, treating those or helping those with
dementia.
On the other hand, Zain, this newspaper, "Il Fatto Quotidiano", is saying, banana republic. That's what Berlusconi, in their opinion, left Italy as.
And therefore, yes, he was a man who was dominating Italian politics for well over two decades, but whose legacy is still one that many people are
discussing and many have not passed a fairly kind judgment on. Zain.
ASHER: Yeah, a devisive figure, nonetheless. Ben Wedeman, live for us there, thank you so much. Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall
along the Pakistan-India border on Thursday. Mass evacuations are now underway as the threat of heavy rain, damaging winds and coastal storm
surge are expected across the region. Meteorologist Jennifer Gray is following the cyclone from CNN's weather center in Atlanta.
So, when you just sort of think about the devastating floods that we witnessed in Pakistan just last year, I mean, this is obviously the last
thing that the country needs. Explain to us what we can expect when this cyclone makes landfall, Jennifer.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN MEWTEOROLOGIST: Yeah, this one's going to have big impacts across Pakistan as well as India. It has winds of 165 kilometers
per hour, gusts of 205 moving to the northwest at six kilometers per hour at the moment. But this storm is going to push northeast and impact
portions of Pakistan, India.
Tropical storm force winds will be imminent, should be experiencing those any moment now but the stronger winds, the cyclone force winds, those are
going to be felt as early as Thursday morning. So, the wee hours of the morning, this is expected to make landfall within the next 36 to 48 hours,
and you can see 130 kilometer per hour winds, potentially just after landfall and on the latest forecast track, it takes it well inland and
still tropical storm by the time we -- the storm is well inland. So, this is going to produce a very heavy rain. The potential for catastrophic
flooding across portions of Pakistan, as well as India.
So, you can see, Thursday, by 9PM, this storm is making landfall and you can see very heavy rain, especially across that southern southeastern side.
So, Wednesday going forward in time, and then we get into Thursday. You can just see the progression of this storm pulling on shore. So, not only are
we going to have the very heavy rain, the flooding aspect with this storm, we're also going to have the gusty winds, very, very strong winds, as well
as storm surge.
So, it's going to be a rough go for this part of the world for the next 36 to 48 hours and beyond as the storm continues to make landfall and have
impacts that are far reaching once it does so. So, here's the wind forecast and you can see Wednesday night into Thursday morning, that's going to be
when the worst of it is experienced. We could have winds topping 130, maybe 140 kilometers per hour as it's making landfall, Zain. And so, we're gonna
be watching this closely over the next two days or so, but I would say that rainfall threat is definitely the biggest threat with the storm.
ASHER: All right, Jennifer Gray, live for us. We'll be watching closely. Appreciate it.
GRAY: Thanks.
ASHER: All right, coming up with just hours to go until Donald Trump's arraignment, I'll be talking to a former federal prosecutor about what to
expect from today's courtroom action. Stay with us.
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ASHER: Hello and welcome back to ONE WORLD. Let's catch up on the headlines. U.S. lawmakers are asking the White House to punish South
Africa, saying intelligence suggests it may have provided weapons to Russia, a charge that South Africa denies.
In a letter obtained by "The New York Times", a bipartisan group in Congress is asking the Biden administration to respond by moving a major
trade conference out of South Africa in an act of economic retaliation.
A judge in Central England has sentenced a British woman to 28 months in prison for using medication to induce an abortion after the country's
legally allowed limit. The medication is allowed at home for a pregnancy up to 10 weeks, but the woman was at least 32 weeks along. The case has
sparked a growing debate over reproductive rights in the U.K. during calls for reform.
And what should have been a celebratory night in Denver, Colorado after the Nuggets won their first NBA championship on Monday night instead became yet
another reminder of America's rash of gun violence. A mass shooting near the stadium left at least nine people wounded and three in critical
condition.
As we await Donald Trump's arrest and arraignment in just a few hours there are things about it that may seem familiar and others that of course won't
be. While it is expected, the former president will be fingerprinted, it is unlikely that he will be handcuffed or placed in a cell. It is likely that
today's arraignment will mostly be filled with predictable things, for example, a reading of the charges followed by Mr. Trump saying the words,
not guilty.
One of the big questions at this point will be what is Trump's defense? His lawyers are already raising questions about the prosecutor in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BYRON DONALDS, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: An indictment is a one-handed account from the prosecutor. If you look at the history of Jack Smith, he did a
railroad job on Bob McDonald, the former governor of Virginia that was overturned by the Supreme Court. He did the same thing in another case,
high profile, overturned. So, I'm reading his account of what's happened and looking at his track record, it's dubious to begin with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Time now for the exchange, where we are going to take a deep dive into the prosecution and of course, the defense strategies in this case.
Joining me live now is Shan Wu. He's a former federal prosecutor and also a defense attorney, as well.
Shan, thank you so much for being with us. Let's just start by talking about Donald Trump, of course, shaking up his legal team at the 11th hour,
obviously getting rid of two attorneys last week, and just yesterday, searching desperately for a seasoned Florida attorney. Just how much does
that last minute shake-up? How much does that complicate things for him, do you think?
[12:35:00]
SHAN WU, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It's very difficult for his legal team. He may not be really aware of how difficult he makes it for his
lawyers, I mean, judging from public reporting. I mean, I know a couple of very well-known attorneys in Florida criminal defense counsel who all said
thanks but no thanks on it.
You know, it's not only this difficult client which he is, but the history of problems for his lawyers has been as they try to zealously defend him
due to apparently misinformation they get from a client, they end up putting themselves at risk. So, that makes it a very precarious situation
for lawyers. And here, the day you're being arraigned for the team not to be in place yet, that's problematic in terms of putting together a good
defense.
ASHER: And speaking of lawyers, I mean, I find the whole Evan Corcoran aspect of this fascinating. Because we are not supposed to be privy to
attorney-client conversations. I mean, that is supposed to be very private. The fact that obviously that plays a massive role in this case. And just
this idea of Evan Corcoran switching from lawyer to now becoming a potential witness, I understand that you know Evan Corcoran. Just give us
your thoughts on that aspect of it.
WU: Yeah, Evan and I were both prosecutors together at the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. And I have a lot of respect for Evan. I think he's really
been caught between the rock and the hard place. Frankly, I've been a little bit puzzled. He didn't just resign altogether. He's still part of
the team.
You know, it's so unusual, Zain, for an attorney-client privilege to be pierced this way under what they call the crime-fraud exception. And
frankly, knowing Evan, I'm thankful he didn't become a target himself here. The judge seemed to think that he was misled and therefore, Trump's
attorney-client privilege is his, not the lawyers, was allowed to be pierced.
Having his impressions of the conversation so contemporaneous, so detailed, is really very, very damaging. And I do expect that the current Trump legal
defense team is probably going to try to revisit that legal ruling, asking perhaps the current judge to not allow that evidence in. But that would
certainly lead to some more litigation.
ASHER: Let's talk about the lightly defense strategy here. I mean, there are so many different ways in which they may approach this. I think that
one of the ways that I've sort of been hearing about a lot is this idea of selective enforcement, this idea that we know Hillary Clinton handled
classified information and her case was treated very, very differently. She wasn't indicted.
Obviously, what happened with Hillary Clinton is extremely different. I mean, yes, there are some superficial resemblances, but Hillary Clinton,
simply, I shouldn't say simply, but she basically discussed classified information over a private email and server. There was no sort of
obstruction of justice, for example. Donald Trump didn't merely just hand over the information when he was asked to. That makes it a lot more
complicated for him in this case. Just explain to us how the selective enforcement argument would hold up here.
WU: Yeah, the selective enforcement argument is not usually very successful in defending against criminal charges. It's more of a, well, obviously
political and public relations strategy. As applied to a jury, it's what we would call jury nullification, meaning if you can manage to work in this
idea that he's being treated simply unfairly. Don't worry about the evidence, it's just not fair. It could potentially have the effect of
swaying, you know, maybe one or two jurors and that's all you really need from a criminal defense standpoint.
As a legal matter, it's very unlikely to succeed, because not only do you have the fact that there's a judge, for example, who okayed the search
warrant. Now, there's also a grand jury. Citizens actually review the evidence to bring the charges. It's not as though the prosecutor just gets
to, at his whim, decide to bring the charges. So as a defense, that's very difficult to win on that, but as an optics issue, maybe, during
nullification, it might go some place.
ASHER: Right, it might persuade jurors. And so just finally, in terms of, you know, what the likely defense strategy will be here, I mean, they could
go the legal route. I mean, you mentioned that selective enforcement isn't a valid legal argument.
Obviously, the political route is also probably appealing to them, as well, in terms of saying, listen, the Justice Department has weaponized the law.
They're pursuing Donald Trump for political reasons. He's being persecuted. What do you think will be likely a strategy be in terms of rock solid
defense here.
WU: It's not very apparent what the rock solid defense with these, Zain, because the evidence seems pretty overwhelming.
ASHER: Yeah, overwhelming, exactly.
WU: I certainly expect we're gonna hear this issue about classification again, even though these charges don't depend on classification. Their best
route here is to really get into the details.
[12:40:00]
Try to really take the government's case apart piece by piece, talking about whether Trump knew about these documents, questioned the fact of
whether he really was involved in reviewing and packing them and then treat the obstruction issue as really just Trump trying to react, trying to maybe
negotiate with the government rather than trying to actually cover up something. That's really kind of their best path forward.
ASHER: All right, well, we'll see what happens in the next two and a half hours. Shan Wu, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.
All right, meantime, one of Trump's contenders for the Republican nomination for president is openly rebuking him. At a CNN town hall, former
Trump ally and ex-governor of New Jersey Chris Christie slammed Trump's conduct in the mishandling of those classified documents and offered a host
of other criticisms. CNN's Omar Jimenez has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CHRISTIE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've known him for 22 years. The only thing he understands is force. The only thing he
understands is coming right at him and making your case.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Chris Christie didn't disappoint on his vow to take on Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. In a 90-minute
CNN town hall, Christie took aim at the former president for his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
CHRISTIE: It is a very tight, very detailed, evidence-laden indictment. And the conduct in there is awful. Whether you like Donald Trump or you don't
like Donald Trump. This conduct is inexcusable, in my opinion, for somebody who wants to be president of the United States. Christie not pulling any
punches. Did someone remind him he's not the president anymore? You don't need these things anymore. This is vanity run amok, Anderson. Run amok. Ego
run amok. And he is now going to put this country through this when we didn't have to go through it.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): The former New Jersey governor slamming many of his other GOP rivals for not criticizing Trump.
CHRISTIE: They're playing political games with you. Because they think if you kind of like Trump a little bit, and I don't see anything bad about
Trump, and then Trump kind of implodes and goes away, then you're more likely to vote for me.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Christie urging Republicans to think twice about the country. Christie issued this warning to voters.
CHRISTIE: I am convinced that if he goes back to the White House, that the next four years will all be about him just settling scores. And he has
shown himself, and I think most particularly in his post-presidency, to be completely self-centered, completely self-consumed, and doesn't give a damn
about the American people in my view.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): On policy, Christie took on the question over access to abortion.
CHRISTIE: Leave it to the states. Let's leave it to the states. And if a consensus emerges, we'll know it. And if the federal government feels they
need to step in then, I'd certainly consider that.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, Mr. President.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): He also leveled plenty of criticism against President Biden.
CHRISTIE: The reason we're struggling to make ends meet is because government spending under Joe Biden has gone completely out of control.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): And then took a dig at both Biden and Trump for their age.
CHRISTIE: If those two people are the nominees, they are going to be a combined 160 years old on election day. I'm sorry, guys. Nobody beats
father time. Nobody does. T
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Thanks to CNN's Omar Jimenez for that report. All right, still to come. New details about the four children who survived a plane crash after
more than a month stranded in the Amazon. That story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: It's the 10th anniversary of the K-pop band BTS. And though the group is on a temporary break right now, week-long celebrations have kicked
off in Seoul. The landmark Namsan Tower was lit up in purple and the band's signature color. And many of their fans from around the world are in South
Korea. Paula Hancocks reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the first the world saw of BTS. "No More Dream" released 10 years ago this
week. Alongside backstage footage of seven young men who could sing and dance, but few could have imagined the global stardom that would follow.
From being the first K-pop group to debut at number one on the Billboard album chart, to securing the most weeks at the top spot of any artist,
beating out Taylor Swift with 46 weeks at number one.
International fans have been arriving in Seoul over recent weeks for 10th anniversary BTS tours, visiting anywhere the band has made famous.
UNKNOWN: We waited for this moment for years and now it's finally happening. Yay.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): A group of fans from the United States are flying in from different states for their pilgrimage, a trip seven months in the
planning.
UNKNOWN: We want to just eat the food that they've eaten. They must have really good taste and just be in places where they've been, you know, music
video shooting, just to breathe the same air that they breathe.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Top of the tour list, a bus stop on the East Coast where the band shot its album cover, "You Never Walk Alone", a regular stop
for fans who refer to themselves as the "ARMY", as well as the band's old home that's turned into a cafe, and this building where the band's agency
used to be.
We caught up with two fans in Seoul who traveled all the way from Scotland, undergraduate students who consider this to be the first of many BTS
related trips to South Korea.
ROWAN JOSS, BTS FAN FROM SCOTLAND: It's emotional, it's very like, you're happy, but it's very like, oh my god, like this is real.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): They attribute the band's longevity to the serious messages they portray in their lyrics, topics they can relate to.
JOSS: Their mental health thought is like, is unique to them. Honestly, I know new bands are trying to do that, but BTS have done it in a way they
haven't before.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): With two of the seven members currently serving mandatory military service here in South Korea and the remainder to follow
soon, the group's record label "Big Hit" reportedly says they could reconvene by 2025. Every member has also had success with a solo career, so
far.
BTS is marking its 10 years with a new single, a new book and a festival by the river. Some fans are celebrating with a pilgrimage of anything their
idols visited or touched or even ate. Paula Hancock's CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: A final Beatles song will be released this year with a little help from artificial intelligence. Paul McCartney tells the BBC producers were
able to take the badly recorded demo tape by John Lennon and clean it up using artificial intelligence. In the 90s, the Beatles cleaned up Lennon
tapes to create two songs, but the technology has grown leaps and bounds since then. No word yet what song it will be, but BBC reports it's likely
to be a 1978 Lennon song called "Now and Then".
Big changes coming to the Golden Globes as the awards ceremony is under new ownership. Reports say that Eldred Industries and Dick Clark Productions
are taking over the rights and though the terms haven't been announced, the Globes will now be a for-profit venture. That also means the previous
owners, the much maligned Hollywood Foreign Press Association will now be dissolved.
[12:50:00]
The group has faced accusations of corruption, as well as persistent complaints over racism, sexism and a lack of diversity. We'll be right back
with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: We're learning more about that amazing story of survival in the Colombian Amazon and how four siblings kept themselves alive, more than a
month after a plane crash that killed their mother and two others.
Meantime, the search continues for the Belgian shepherd named Wilson, who played a crucial role in locating the children. The Colombian military says
finding him is a top priority. Stefano Pozzebon joins us live now from Bogota, Colombia. So, Stefano, finding Wilson is a major priority at this
point. What are we learning as well from the children's grandfather about what helped in their survival here?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, we learned yesterday from the children's grandfather, but one fresh news that we got out at CNN right now is that we
were able to film an interview with the father of two of the children. He's the father of two of the youngest children and the stepfather of the oldest
two. Mr. Ranocchi (ph) is the first international interview that he gives, and you'll see it very soon on our screens at CNN.
The father told me just about 20 minutes ago, he related how was it flying out of the jungle on a military helicopter, finally with his four children.
He said that as soon as they started to take off with a military flight, that the weather changes, started raining, and that there were lightnings
and thunderbolts. So, it really adds an even more element of the story of flying out of the jungle late in the afternoon under a storm.
But it was very interesting, one thing he told me, Zain, is that, he told me like this is an incredible story, this is stuff that you don't hear
anywhere. I've never experienced such an incredible story in my seven years reporting career and he told me, well, Stefano, this is not a story. This
is the reality. It really happened and we got them out fine. And I think that is when the moment I realized how proud he was of his four children.
[12:55:00]
He's the one who trained them. He's the man who gave them perhaps the skills to survive for 40 days in a Colombian jungle. Unfortunately,
however, Manuel didn't have words for Wilson, the dog, who is still missing in the middle of the jungle. We know that Colombian authorities are still
searching for him, but of course he had words of pride for his four children, Zain, and really something to look forward to on our screens at
CNN in the next few hours. Zain.
ASHER: Right, Stefano Pozzebon, live for us. Thank you so much. And we have an update to a fun story that we've been following here on ONE WORLD. You
may recall last month that Nigerian Chef Hilda Bassi cooked for 93 hours and 11 minutes straight. No sleeping, no stopping. Now, Guinness World
Records has confirmed Hilda's four day feat, making her the record-holder for the longest cooking marathon. Hilda says her aim was to put Nigerian
cuisine on the map and inspire young African women to chase their dreams.
All right, thank you so much for watching ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Amanpour is up next. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
