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One World with Zain Asher
Vehicle Carrying Family Members Of Hamas Political Bureau Leader Ismail Haniyeh Targeted In Northwest Of Gaza City; Bodies Exhumed From Mass Graves Around The Al-Shifa Hospital, Northern Gaza; Mississippi's So-Called Goon Squad Will Spend The Next Few Decades In Prison; Renee Zellweger Set To Return In "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy". Aired 12-1p ET
Aired April 10, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:34]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: All right, good day to everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". And we are keeping an eye right now on two major developments
-- major breaking news at this hour. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are going to be holding a joint news
conference any moment now. There you see live pictures of the White House. Of course, we will bring you that press conference -- that news conference
rather, as and when it happens.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, a really significant state visit there from the Japanese Prime Minister. Also, there is breaking news from the Israel-Hamas war,
which could have major implications. We're learning that a vehicle carrying several members of the family of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas'
political bureau, was reportedly targeted northwest of Gaza City. Haniyeh has told Al Jazeera that he's aware of reports that three of his sons have
been killed in an airstrike.
So, let's bring in International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson, who's live in Jerusalem for us. Nic, this is someone that you have interviewed
and you know from your interviews with him. Talk about the significance of this reported strike and what implications, if any, it will have on
negotiations over a ceasefire.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, him and his predecessor, they're saying that it's not going to have any impact at all.
They're saying they're going to stay steadfast in their positions. According to the interview with Al Jazeera, Ismail Haniyeh said that the
Israelis are wrong if they think that this is going to cause us to change our positions. He said it's an honor that his three sons and some
grandchildren were killed. He said his sons had stayed in Gaza. They hadn't left.
Of course, he is outside of Gaza. He lives in Qatar, that's where they run the political operation, if you will, outside of Gaza, that's where it's
run from in Doha and Qatar. So, his position is it's an honor to have shed this blood. He said so many families in Gaza have shed this blood.
I think it's worth noting as well that this obviously is not just any targeting. This is the leader of the political bureau of Hamas. But it's
not just that any time either. This is Eid when families would be getting together, when they would be meeting and celebrating with the children,
with the whole families together. How the three sons came to be in a vehicle at the same time, which Hamas would know would potentially put them
collectively in harm's way, isn't clear.
Today, Eid would be a day where you might find them together, because typically this is how families are celebrating Eid as best they can in Gaza
at the moment, but the message, very clear from Hamas. This will not change our negotiating position. It's hard to imagine, though, it won't make them
dig in and hold fast.
ASHER: And Nic, I just want to talk to you about some other news we got earlier, which is just the fact that Hamas is saying that it simply does
not have it, does not have the 40 hostages needed to hand over to Israel to advance the negotiations just in terms of getting closer to a ceasefire.
You think about what that means for the family members to hear that, whether that means that they're simply unable to locate the hostages. They
don't know where they are in the Gaza Strip or whether that means the hostages are simply no longer alive. What does that mean in terms of
advancing negotiations, a temporary ceasefire and also for Netanyahu's next move, as well?
ROBERTSON: Certainly for Israeli officials, they're saying that this could be a big stumbling block for them. They don't know whether this is Hamas
being intentionally obstinate or quite literally unable to find the 40 people.
Now, what we understood, the original sort of outline of what a hostage and ceasefire negotiation would look like, it was going to take place in three
different phases, each phase six weeks apart. And in the first phase, which is what we're talking about now, 40 hostages would be released and it would
be the children. It would be the women and it would be the elderly men and the sick, as well. Now, by CNN's calculation, there are two children, the
Bibas brothers, they're Ariel and Kfir.
[12:05:00]
There are 13 women, 18 to 39 years old, and there are 11 men, 65 to 85 years old. We don't know, of course, who may be sick, who may not be sick
and the other hostages that Hamas has. So, this, at the moment, could be a really big stumbling block. But Hamas may be correct that they don't
actually physically have 40 people who fit into that category as originally designated.
The number 40, I think, for the Israelis stands and they would be expecting Hamas to release perhaps some younger males. The predominant number of
hostages they still have are younger males, either in the IDF or in military service age. And that's why they were by -- by the accordance of
this tentative deal, they were going to be the last to be released.
GOLODRYGA: And this would be the worst possible news, obviously, for these hostages, their families. We know that there are about 130 hostages that
remain currently in Gaza per our latest reporting. Also, that perhaps given Israel's reporting that 30 were dead. But with this new news from Hamas, as
you said, it could be a tactical ploy on their part or it could be the sad, horrific reality. We'll continue to follow this. Nic Robertson, thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, bodies are being exhumed from mass graves around the Al-Shifa Hospital. And a warning, some of the images
you're about to see are graphic. Officials say the remains of nearly 400 people have now been recovered from the vicinity of the complex since
Israeli forces withdrew on April 1st after a two week siege.
ASHER: Yeah, worth noting that other hospitals in Gaza are also really struggling to keep patients alive at this point, even just keep the lights
on. CNN's Paula Hancock reports on the ongoing suffering that they are experiencing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A nine-year-old girl cries out, "It hurts, it hurts." The doctor holds her hand as she lies on the
floor and tells her it's going to be okay. There's no pain medication for her burns and shrapnel wounds. He tells her to pray."
Nearby, another doctor tries to save one of his own, performing CPR on a paramedic who was injured by Israeli artillery fire. His heart eventually
restarts, one life saved amid so much loss. His longer term chances of survival in a decimated medical system are unclear. These doctors are
American, volunteers on a World Health Organization coordinated mission to the north of Gaza, desperate to help in an ever more helpless crisis.
UNKNOWN: The situation here is intense, it's catastrophic. I realize words are hard to describe what we're seeing. I mean, you're talking about mass
casualty events where people are coming in with limited staff, limited overworked staff, hungry staff, all working, who've been displaced from
homes and they're sitting here in the E.R. trying to do the best they can.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): This is Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, one of the few hospitals still open, although barely functional.
SAMER ATTAR, ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON: This morning we woke up and found out that four patients died in the ICU. One of them was about 10 years old and the
mom just refused to leave the child's bedside, refused to believe that the child was dead, refused to let the staff cover her up. The child died of
malnutrition and dehydration.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Patients here lie on the floor in their own blood. Electricity relies on solar panels. The fuel ran out some time ago. The
hospital's director says volunteer specialists traveling into Gaza are a massive help amid a shrinking medical staff.
Close to 500 medical personnel have been killed since October 7th. Nearly 300 others have been detained by the Israeli military, according to Gaza
health authorities. A U.N.-backed report had warned famine could hit northern Gaza any time between now and May.
Under U.S. pressure, the Israeli government announced last week it would reopen the Erez crossing to allow humanitarian goods to reach the area.
Those plans have since been delayed, according to an Israeli official, shattering what was a small but needed glimmer of hope.
ATTAR: These people, they just need help. They just want this to stop. Nobody talks, nobody discusses politics here. They just talk about food and
water and shelter and they just want the war to end.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): As the war enters its seventh month, the injured must be wondering if anyone is hearing their cries for help. Paula
Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[12:10:00]
ASHER: All right, in a matter of minutes, Joe Biden is going to do something he hasn't done all year. He is going to face the White House
press corps and answer their questions. It's the very first time since December that he's actually held a news conference.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, today's event is part of a full day of activities with the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. President Biden welcomed Mr. Kishida
to the White House using words like timeless, monumental and indestructible, as he described the close relationship between the U.S. and
Japan.
Right now, the two leaders are discussing ways of forging closer economic and military ties as they seek to counter the growing influence of China in
Asia and worldwide. We're expecting them to walk out and hold that news conference at any moment. Of course, we'll bring it to you live when it
happens.
ASHER: CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from the White House. So, Kevin, this is really about countering China's growing influence. It's also
about sending a strong message to North Korea, as well. We expect quite significant announcements when it comes to defense and security. What more
can you tell us?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, this is really all about China. That is kind of the backdrop against which these two men are
meeting in the Oval Office right now. And when you talk to American officials, they really do see this visit as a critical sort of turning
point in this long alliance between the U.S. and Japan.
And when you look at the list of so-called deliverables that will come out of this meeting, it's more than 70 items long and people say that that's
the longest list they can remember for this kind of state visit. And that does give you a sense of the importance that the White House is placing on
this relationship. It is really kind of the linchpin of President Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy.
And when you see the things that they're planning to announce, whether it's this joint defense council trying to increase the interoperability of their
two militaries, trying to boost Japan's defense exports, these are all items that they hope can help counter a rising China.
And when you think about it in the broader context of Biden's Asia strategy, he's trying to do similar things with countries like South Korea,
like Australia, like the Philippines, with whom he'll meet tomorrow alongside Japan. And this is all sort of an attempt to show China that the
U.S. is serious about countering its rise in Asia.
But I think the other sort of subtext to this meeting today is Donald Trump and the prospect that Trump could potentially return to the White House in
January. American officials that we've been talking to are pretty candid that this is a source of anxiety in Tokyo and other capitals around the
world.
And part of what President Biden is doing with Prime Minister Kishida today is trying to make some of these items permanent, essentially trying to
future-proof them so that if President Trump returns to the White House, if he brings with him a more isolationist approach to foreign policy, that
some of these items will be permanent and that they will sort of outlast the shifting political winds in Washington.
And so, that is sort of a big topic for them to discuss today. And it was interesting, earlier, we were out on the South Lawn watching this very
ceremonial arrival. We saw Kishida come up and speak, President Biden speak.
And one thing that they both sort of mentioned is the cherry blossoms in Washington. And you'll remember these were a gift from Japan to the United
States about a hundred years ago. The National Park Service says some of them have to be chopped down, and Japan is announcing that it is donating
250 new cherry trees to Washington.
And they both sort of tried to emphasize that as a symbol of the permanence of this long-standing alliance, of the importance, the steadfastness of
this alliance. And certainly that is the message that they're trying to impart, both in the United States and to countries in Asia, as they
continue this visit.
ASHER: All right, Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: We do love those cherry blossoms -- a great gift from Japan. Well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is making a fresh plea to
allies for more weapons as his country resists Russia's invasion. President Zelensky also told an audience in Greece that if the West sends more
weapons to Ukraine, then he will, quote, "break Vladimir Putin's backbone."
ASHER: Yeah, he also urged his audience to be realistic, not pessimistic, about Ukraine's chances of driving Russia back.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Greece. And Fred, this is the week where Speaker Johnson was reportedly set to cast a vote to send
that $60 billion in crucial aid to Ukraine. We're still waiting for that to come to fruition. But this isn't the first time President Zelensky has made
this plea for weapons. He's been doing this essentially since the war began. What, if anything, did you sense that was a bit different in his
tone today?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I certainly think that the urgency has become a lot more pressing for the
Ukrainians, especially over the last couple of days and the last couple of weeks since the Russians have been pressing on the front lines. The
Russians have expanded their missile campaigns against Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian critical infrastructure, as well. And also, the Russian Air Force
has become somewhat more effective at bombing Ukrainian front-line positions.
[12:15:00]
So, essentially what Volodymy Zelensky told me today, Bianna, is he said that the Ukrainians desperately need more ammunition, obviously, for their
artillery and other ground-based weapons, but they also need a lot more surface-to-air missile systems. But he did say that he was very hopeful
that if the Ukrainians did get that aid, especially the aid from the United States, quickly, that they would be able to turn the tides. Let's listen
in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I understand that this is not easy and everybody is thinking about oneself and we are
grateful to all our partners. But what we have now is not sufficient. If we want to truly prevail over Putin, if nobody wants Putin to drag the world
into Third World War.
PLEITGEN: Thank you, Mr. President. As you know, there was a report out this week that allegedly, if, and it's still a very big if, Donald Trump is
elected President of the United States in November, that he would essentially force Ukraine into a, call it a peace deal with Russia, that
would force Ukraine to cede territory, like, for instance, giving up on getting back Crimea and also ceding the Donbas region. Would you ever be
willing to give up Ukrainian territory for peace?
ZELENSKY (through translator): First and foremost, those signals were on certain media platforms. I haven't heard that directly from Trump. His
ideas in detail, I did not have an opportunity to discuss them with him and to discuss his ideas on how to end the war. If I have such opportunity, I
will, with pleasure, listen to them and then we can discuss the topic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (on-camera): So, as you can see there, Bianna, the Ukrainian President, somewhat careful when discussing some of the things that Donald
Trump may or may not be planning. If indeed he is elected president in November, which of course is very far from a certainty. One of the things I
think that stood out to me as I spoke to him today was that he did seem very combative.
He did say that he was, that the Ukrainians were in a position, he believed at some point, to bounce back, that they were going to collect their
strength, that they did plan a counteroffensive against the Russians, even though right now we do see that the Russians certainly are pressing in many
areas of the front lines, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: It was really interesting to see how hesitant he was in terms of addressing your question with regards to the possibility of Trump returning
to office. He may have been a political novice when he first came into the presidency there, but clearly he knows the reality on the ground here and
the likelihood perhaps that he could be faced once again in dealing with President Biden here two and a half years into this war. Fred Pleitgen,
thank you.
ASHER: All right, let's talk about the economy, the U.S. economy specifically, because new inflation data shows that your dollar is not
going as far as it did last year. Ask inflation.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, the government -- yes, inflation just won't go away. The government reports Consumer Price Index, which tracks inflation, rose three
and a half percent in March from a year earlier. Now, that is a big jump from February when inflation was three point two percent. Economists mostly
blame rising gas prices and housing costs.
ASHER: Yeah, let's bring in CNN's Matt Egan for a closer look at the numbers. So, what does this mean for the Federal Reserve's plans? Hey were
-- we were hoping, I guess, that they would be cutting interest rates at least three times this year. What is -- this obviously throws a wrench into
that, doesn't it?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Zain, it does. This has got to be a disappointment for a lot of officials in Washington, of course in the White House, but
also in the Federal Reserve, because inflation does seem to have sort of stalled out here.
You know, 2022 and 2023 was spreading like a wildfire. That's not the case anymore. But the progress here has stalled. So, consumer prices up three
and a half percent year over year. As you mentioned, that's hotter than last month, hotter than expected, point four percent month over month.
Again, that was hotter than expected. And core inflation, which excludes food and energy, that was expected to cool off, and it didn't.
So, what are the big drivers here? Well, you mentioned two of them -- shelter and we have seen gas prices, of course, go up. Another one is car
insurance, up almost three percent just between February and March. Over the last 12 months, we've seen car insurance up by more than 20 percent.
And so, when you look at where inflation has gone in the last few years, again, you can see that there has been a lot of progress, and yet inflation
kind of seems stuck in that three to four percent range. And that is a problem.
[12:20:00]
These numbers were greeted not well by folks on "Wall Street". We saw stock futures plunge, bond yields spike. At last look, the Dow was down around
500 points, about one point two percent on the day. Steeper losses, as you can see, the S and P 500 and the Nasdaq down by more than one percent.
And the big question is, what is the Fed going to do? Because a lot of people had hoped that the Fed would cut interest rates in June, but it
would be hard to make that case right now when you have inflation coming in hotter than expected and you have the jobs market that looks like it's on
fire.
In just the last few minutes, Goldman Sachs put out a report saying that they no longer expect the Fed to cut in June. They're now pushing it back
to July. Goldman Sachs had previously thought there'd be three rate cuts this year. Now, they only see two. And you are hearing some talk that maybe
the Fed has to start thinking about raising interest rates again.
Former Obama economist Jason Furman said on social media that maybe the next move for the Fed is not the rate cut that so many people expected.
Maybe they're going to have to actually increase interest rates. Of course, that would be a major disappointment.
ASHER: Yeah, Jeremy Diamond also echoing that. Bad news for a lot of consumers in the U.S., also bad news for Joe Biden because voters have
consistently given him low marks in terms of handling of the economy. Matt Egan, live for us there. Thank you.
EGAN: Thanks, Zain.
ASHER: All right, still to come for us, the fallout has begun over an Arizona Supreme Court decision on abortion. We'll look at how that ruling
could affect the U.S. presidential race.
ASHER: And they call themselves the Goon Squad. Now they'll be called prisoners. Details of the six police officers convicted of torturing two
black men. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, Mississippi's so-called Goon Squad will spend the next few decades in prison. The six former law enforcement officers pleaded
guilty to torturing two black men in January of last year.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, just gut-wrenching reports and details of the crimes they committed. In Mississippi State Court earlier today, they were each given
prison sentences between 15 and 45 years. Now, the former officers handcuffed, kicked, waterboarded and used tasers on two of the victims and
shot one of them. The six were already sentenced last month in federal court where they received sentences of between 10 to 40 years.
ASHER: Donald Trump's former chief financial officer will spend the next five months in prison for perjury.
[12:25:00]
Allen Weisselberg was sentenced earlier today as part of a plea deal. He admitted he falsely testified in a 2020 deposition in Trump's civil fraud
case. That meant that he was essentially lying about what he knew about the overvaluation of Donald Trump's triplex apartment.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, that means he'll be spending five months in Rikers Island, as well. This is Weisselberg's second prison sentence. In 2022, he pleaded
guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud and served about four months in prison. Well, Donald Trump himself is getting heat for a court decision that has
shocked many Americans.
ASHER: On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a law originating in the 1860s which makes abortions illegal in the state in pretty much
almost all circumstances. That's why there's such strong reaction we're seeing. The White House was quick to blame Trump and his Supreme Court
appointments for the ruling as did local lawmakers, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT GRESS, ARIZONA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I categorically reject rolling back the clock to a time when slavery was still legal and where we could
lock up women and doctors because of an abortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look at the decision.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE HOBBS (D) ARIZONA GOVERNOR: It is a dark day in Arizona.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Arizona's Supreme Court ruling that the state must enforce a near total ban on all abortions. The
controversial law which dates back to the Civil War before Arizona even became a state. The court saying, quote, "Physicians are now on notice that
all abortions except those necessary to save a woman's life are illegal." Abortion providers could face a prison sentence of two to five years.
HOBBS: The near total Civil War era ban that continues to hang over our heads only serves to create more chaos for women and doctors in our state.
TODD (voice-over): The Arizona law is on hold for two weeks while a lower court hears arguments on its constitutionality. And Arizona's Attorney
General Chris Mays, a Democrat, says that at least while she's in office no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this law by the state. President
Biden calls the new ban cruel and Vice President Kamala Harris said this on X.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: To stop bans like this, we need a United States Congress that will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade.
And when they do, President Joe Biden will sign it into law. And let's always remember it does not have to be this way.
TODD (voice-over): Opponents of abortion are applauding the Arizona ruling. The group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America in a statement saying, quote,
"We celebrate this enormous victory for unborn children and their mothers," and claiming the ruling, quote, "will protect more than 11,000 babies
annually."
This comes just one day after former President Donald Trump announced his campaign position on abortion, declining to support a federal nationwide
ban on abortions, saying it should be left up to states.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people.
TODD (voice-over): And it all comes on the heels of a controversial ruling in Florida's Supreme Court last week that allowed a ban on abortions after
six weeks of pregnancy to take effect next month. Florida's high court did allow a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish the right to
an abortion to go on the ballot this November to the delight of abortion rights activists who pushed for that.
LAUREN BRENZEL, DIRECTOR, YES ON 4: What it does is remove politicians' ability to interfere with her private medical decisions.
TODD (voice-over): Florida's one of several states where abortion will or may be on the ballot in November when voters will decide whether to
guarantee the right to an abortion in their state's constitutions.
AYESHA RASCOE, "NPR" HOST, "WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY" AND "UP FIRST" PODCAST": You're seeing all of this turmoil where people don't know from
day to day what is going to be the law in their state, what happens if they get pregnant and they want to terminate the pregnancy.
TODD: Many abortion rights activists still have their sights set on a longer term strategy to restore federally approved access to abortion. But
even they realize it won't happen soon. One leader of Planned Parenthood saying it could take decades. So, for now, their strategy is focused on
going state by state to protect and maybe even expand in some cases access to abortion. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, we're joined live now by Mara Gillespie, founder of Blue Stack Strategies and former advisor to House Speaker John Boehner. Mara,
thank you so much for being with us. This decision is really significant because it could effectively completely shutter abortion clinics in the
state.
The thing is, though, and the problem for Republicans is this is not a winning issue for Republicans. So, if you are a Republican and you are up
for re-election this year, what is your strategy to ensure that this does not cost you?
MAURA GILLESPIE, FOUNDER, BLUESTACK, STRATEGIES: You really need to distance yourself from this decision by Arizona, this archaic law that
they've brought back to life here. It's really disappointing. And Republicans have long struggled to really, you know, articulate what their
stance on women's health is because the conversation has been so much polarizing between pro-choice and pro-life as opposed to the conversation
on women's health and freedom of, you know, your medical freedom for half the population.
[12:30:00]
So, we've struggled in that regards. And Republicans down ballot will be impacted by this for sure because you do have the president, the former
president out there touting his role in overturning Roe v. Wade and giving it back to the states. And then this happens.
So, I think Republicans are going to need to really delineate themselves from this decision. But as far as the party and how we message not just to
women, but to -- to this issue, conversations about what are you doing to support women?
What are you doing to support that child? You know, we have to take it a step further and talk about the whole -- holistic approach here about, you
know, supporting women because it's expensive to have children. Like this is a burden in so many ways. And so they really need a message better for
sure.
GOLODRYGA: And clearly, so many Republicans think no matter where people stand on the issue, it's a decision they should make on their own with
their families, with their doctors. And you can't overstate, Mara, the significance of the Supreme Court's decision in overturning Roe v. Wade.
And that is something that the former president has touted, has taken credit for.
And look at the real-life impact -- if we can put up a graphic of the U.S., right now, 21 states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in the
pregnancy than the standards set by Roe v. Wade. Fourteen states have full bans in almost all circumstances. Two have bans after six weeks.
And looking at the polling just conducted by "The Wall Street Journal" across the seven battleground states, we're talking Nevada, Pennsylvania,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina and now Arizona, abortion is the only issue in which Biden has a clear advantage over the former
president. This is a big issue for not only the country, but for the Republican Party. How much is dependent on where Donald Trump ultimately
stands? Because it wasn't clear from where he stood on Monday.
GILLESPIE: And that was by design. I believe that, you know, taking a kind of a wishy-washy approach to it was his plan, hoping not to ruffle feathers
on either side of the debate. But he's going to have to come out more forcefully and make, you know, an actual message on this issue, because,
again, Biden will win this issue hands down.
You know, I think that there are a lot of women in the Republican Party who maybe aren't outspoken on this, do care deeply about it. You know, two
things can be true at once. You can be pro-life and pro-choice. You can believe in the sanctity of life, but also believe in the fact that, you
know, half the population should have medical freedom and a decision over what's best for their health and what's best for their bodies.
So, I do think that Trump is going to have to really articulate better a message that can win him a general, because at this point and what is
currently being displayed here across different states that he needs to win, it's not going to be a success for him.
ASHER: So, is there an actual message? Is there anything specifically that Donald Trump can say in terms of his stance on this issue that isn't going
to cost him on either side of the aisle? Because as you point out right now, this wishy-washy approach, this sort of free-for-all approach is not
good for him in either category of voters.
Because you've got independent women obviously blaming him for stacking the Supreme Court, and you've got conservative women who are anti-abortion
saying that, look, this sort of free-for-all just simply does not cut it. So, what would be the strategy that would be the winning strategy in the
run-up to November?
GILLESPIE: I can't speak to what I think Trump would do or needs to do as far as what the best message is on whether it's a matter of weeks or
whatever the conversation is.
ASHER: But it's a hard one, right? It's a hard one.
GILLESPIE: It is.
ASHER: He is between a rock and a hard place.
GILLESPIE: I don't think it -- right. It comes down to that, personally, I'm speaking on behalf of myself. I'm a conservative because I believe in a
smaller, more accountable government. There is nothing that says more like big government to me than being told as half the population, as a woman,
that I am nothing more than a body part. I think that that's an archaic message to send out to women, and it's certainly not going to help
Republicans who are constantly, you know, wanting a smaller government.
They don't want big government coming in and telling them what they can and can't do. Well, then they need to really reframe how they message this. And
again, I would go back to things like, you know, what are we doing to support women who are being forced to have these children? There's no set
up in place for them, no programs in place to the cost, you know, the physical burden, the cost of going to doctor's appointments.
Having a child is very expensive. And I think that we are only looking at it through one lens, and it's a religious lens, as opposed to taking a step
back, taking your personal feelings out of it and recognizing that each individual, man or woman, should have their own personal freedom to decide
what's best for their medical and mental and all encompassing health.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it's really not a great message to send, regardless of which party you're in, to have to defend a draconian law that was written
by a judge, literaly --
[12:35:00]
GILLESPIE: 1864.
GOLODRYGA: -- who was appointed by Abraham Lincoln. Maura Gillespie, that's where we are. Thank you so much for joining us.
GILLESPIE: Thanks for having me.
ASHER: We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Joe Biden will soon take questions from the White House Press Corps for the first time in 2024. Yeah, that's
right. He's going to be holding a formal news conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The leaders of the two economic superpowers
have been discussing everything from A.I., artificial intelligence, to China, to cherry blossoms inside the White House for the past couple of
hours.
GOLODRYGA: Especially those cherry blossoms. Let's bring in CNN Politics Senior Writer Stephen Collinson. Stephen, always great to see you. So, as
we await this press conference here, it is noteworthy that out of the five state visits and official visits that President Biden has conducted, three
of them are with allies from the Indo-Pacific. Talk about the significance of that and what it implies regarding the president and what he's hoping to
lock in, regardless of who succeeds him, and the U.S.' commitment in that region.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think it tells us about one big country, and that's China. clearly what the administration has
tried to do since taking over from the Trump administration is to build in some ways on advances that Trump's team made with Asian allies, especially
India, in order to basically build this ring of alliances around China as part of the U.S. attempt to counter China's rise.
[12:40:00]
What they're trying to do is not necessarily a defensive formal alliance, but to try and build a pro-U.S., pro-Western front that stops China peeling
away various U.S. allies and pressuring them on issues like the territorial claims in the South China Sea, allies like the Philippines, for example.
A lot of what this visit is about with the Japanese Prime Minister is about modernizing the U.S.-Japan defense alliance. We've seen some interesting
developments in terms of Japan taking a more proactive role in defense, you know, a role that it's been reluctant to take in many cases since the end
of the Second World War. A lot of that is to do with the rising power of China.
So, the administration, while it's being distracted by foreign policy crises in the Middle East and in Ukraine, the long-term track of American
foreign policy is this building tussle with China geopolitically in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere, and that's the undercurrent of a lot of the
foreign policy that we're seeing the administration trying to pursue.
And just sort of drilling down on this idea of a lot of foreign leaders being on edge about the potential for Donald Trump coming back into the
White House. I mean, how is that going to be approached in the discussions today, if at all?
COLLINSON: I think there is a sense in which a lot of leaders now are trying to lock in a few things with Biden in the event that he's not around
as president next year. We're not just seeing that in Asia. We're seeing it in Europe, for example. This talk of a massive fund to ensure that Ukraine
gets the money and the ammunition it's going to need going forward, even if Trump gets back into the White House and tries to cut off USAID to Ukraine.
So, you're seeing it around there. What world leaders really want is not necessarily one side or the other winning a U.S. presidential election.
They want certainty. They want predictability. And those are the things -- the exact things that Donald Trump doesn't bring. For decades, the United
States has been a force of stability internationally through its alliances in Europe, its alliances in Asia.
Trump's raison d'etre is unpredictability. We saw that through his first term, and I think he would be even more volatile internationally in his
second term because there would be fewer constraints on him in the White House. He's going to bring in foreign policy professionals, even generals
in the Pentagon, who are going to do less to try and constrain him.
So that's what world leaders are looking at right now. I'll never forget in the early days of the Trump term, reading that South Korean officials had
actually put together a unit whose sole focus was to decipher Trump's tweets and make sense of that.
So, clearly there's already anticipation and concern perhaps about what a second Trump term, and perhaps now Truth Social posts, will look like. But
Stephen, I was also struck by a statement that the Japanese Prime Minister gave to "The Economist" magazine earlier this week, where he said if
Russia's allowed to prevail in Ukraine, it will send the wrong signal to Asia.
So, to your very point, there is a lot of focus on the war in Ukraine and what that could possibly mean vis-a-vis their own region, and as you said,
China.
COLLINSON: Well, a lot of American allies in Asia are looking at what their relationship and their alliance with the United States actually means.
Ukraine obviously is not a member of NATO, but the whole frame of the conflict is about the United States standing up for its friends in Europe,
standing up for a democracy that has been invaded illegally by a massive foreign power.
This idea that big powers can dictate the sovereignty of small powers. This resonates very clearly all around the Southeast Asian alliances that the
United States has in East Asia, but particularly with reference to Taiwan. A lot of strategists believe that if the United States walks away from
Ukraine and stops funding its war to repel Russia, that will send a message to Xi Jinping in China that the United States will not defend Taiwan in the
event that China launches an invasion of Taiwan.
These are geopolitical messages that are sent across the globe. That is one reason why Donald Trump's equivocation in foreign policy, unwillingness to
say perhaps that he would defend a NATO ally, doesn't just resonate in the United States and in Europe.
[12:45:00]
It goes across the world and talks to U.S. credibility and how the United States would respond to a crisis in another part of the world that's
involving one of its allies.
ASHER: All right, Stephen Collinson, live for us there. Always good to see you. Thank you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
ASHER: All right, still to come, we take you inside Africa to showcase an organization aiming to unlock the potential of Benin's youth. We'll have
that story for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: An organization located in Benin's financial capital is working to kickstart the country's economy through education, innovation and
technology. This week, we're taking a closer look at how Seme City is helping to unlock the full potential of young people in the country. Take a
look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLAUDE BORNA, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, SEME CITY: STEM is the core of what we do.
UNKNOWN: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, is central to Benin's education plans as it looks to modernize and diversify
its economy.
BORNA: We're looking at it to be accessible to maybe people who may have been left out of traditionally what we call innovation.
UNKNOWN: Tinima is a community center situated in Agblangadon, close to the Nigerian border. Seme City is running a robotics workshop here, with the
children competing in the FIRST LEGO League program.
HABY SOW, EDUCATOR, SEME CITY (through translator): FIRST LEGO League is a large organization and global competition that hosts a range of activities
around robotics, specifically through the use of STEM and at raising awareness among children. Through this program, our goal is to popularize
the concept of robotics among children. By fully immersing them in experiences today, we aim to ensure that they're fully acquainted with the
technology tomorrow.
UNKNOWN: The objectives are to instill in them the fundamentals of robotics, encompassing learning, building and programming. Through this
workshop, participants will cultivate teamwork skills and foster a sharper critical thinking mindset. It's not just robotics workshops. Seme City is
also offering opportunities for children in areas ranging from filmmaking to climate programs, as it looks to unlock the potential in Benin's youth.
[12:50:00]
BORNA: What we're aiming to do with those programs is ensuring that the young ones maybe discover passion or a talent or a skill that they didn't
even know they had.
UNKNOWN: (through translator): Take myself as an example. I've always aspired to explore robotics, yet to specialize in the field, I would have
to seek opportunities overseas. However, if the government recognizes a growing interest in robotics fostered by these workshops, perhaps it will
consider establishing specialized schools within the country so I can stay and study here. This is my hope for the future.
BORNA: And really, at the end of these workshops, someone discovers that, hey, you know, I can become a filmmaker, or I can become a doctor, a
technician, or I can start doing a business in recycling when I'm older, then we would have achieved our goals.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: And we'll have the next installment from Seme City on Friday.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Also, we want to bring you this news that's just into CNN. In the last few minutes, Donald Trump said that if he were re-elected, he
would not sign legislation banning abortion across the country.
ASHER: All right, Trump is in Atlanta on a campaign stop and was asked by a reporter about the potential of a national abortion ban if he won the
presidency earlier this week. Worth noting that the former president said abortion rights should be left up to the states, but he is taking credit
for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago.
Meantime, in Taiwan, a playful Labrador retriever who flunked out of the police academy has captured the hearts of people struggling in the
aftermath of last week's earthquake.
GOLODRYGA: Roger was, I guess, too friendly and playful to become a drug- sniffing dog, how cute he is. But his intelligence and personality made him a great fit as a rescue dog. He has played a crucial role in the quake's
recovery efforts, already helping to locate the body of at least one quake victim.
And this isn't Roger's first quake mission. He's worked on seven operations since 2018. But the eight-year-old retriever may be retiring soon, as most
rescue dogs are sent to a suitable home when they turn nine.
GOLODRYGA: We need to continue covering Roger on this show, if you agree, Zain.
ASHER: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: All right, something else to put a smile to our face. Fans will get a chance to lose --
[12:55:00]
ASHER: I love this movie.
GOLODRYGA: -- themselves once again in the trials and tribulations of Bridget Jones.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIDGET JONES: Maybe this was the mysterious Mr. Right I'd been waiting my whole life to meet.
UNKNOWN: Do you remember Bridget?
BRIDGET JONES: Maybe not.
UNKNOWN: She used to run around your lawn with no clothes on, remember?
UNKNOWN: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Can I just say, she has the best British accent.
GOLODRYGA: I just -- I was going to ask you that.
ASHER: Oh, my God. Oh my goodness.
GOLODRYGA: And your thoughts on that.
ASHER: No, because it is perfect.
GOLODRYGA: To me, to my American English ear, it sounds perfect. Okay.
ASHER: Yes, she did a fantastic job. And that's -- I always think that every time I watch the movie. Renee Zellweger is set to return in the title
role in "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy." It is the fourth installment of the film franchise and picks up 14 years after Bridget landed Mark Darcy,
played, of course, by Colin Firth.
Hugh Grant is going to be reprising his role as Daniel Cleaver, her former boss. "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is going to be hitting theaters
internationally and on Peacock in the U.S. on Valentine's Day next year.
GOLODRYGA: Renee Zellweger and Bianna Golodryga, two women who grew up in Texas, one who can barely speak American English.
ASHER: She's from Texas?
GOLODRYGA: Yes, she's from Texas.
ASHER: Oh, I didn't know that.
GOLODRYGA: But one so talented, has a wonderful British accent, as well.
ASHER: That does it for this hour. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. Amanpour is next.
END
