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One World with Zain Asher
Hunter Biden Offers To Change Plea To Avoid A Trial In Tax Case; Trump Lawyers Plead Not Guilty To Revised Jan. 6. Indictment; Trump Outlines Economic Agenda In New York Address; Blinken Visits Haiti As It Battles Surge In Gang Violence; Ugandan Olympic Runner Dies After Attack By Boyfriend; Kamala Harris' Deep Bond With Her Younger Sister Maya; Olympic Rings To Be Permanent Fixture On The Eiffel Tower; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 05, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:41]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching ONE WORLD.
A key hearing to hash out the next steps in the election interference case against former U.S. President Donald Trump has just adjourned.
ASHER: Yes. As candidate Trump gives up to hit the campaign trail, his lawyers argued on his behalf at a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C.
It is the first hearing since Special Counsel Jack Smith revised his indictment after the U.S. Supreme Court's historic ruling that he has broad
immunity for official acts that he took as president.
GOLODRYGA: D.C. District Judge, Tanya Chutkan, concluded the hearing without setting a trial date.
And this breaking news just into CNN moments ago, Hunter Biden is now offering a plea to avoid a trial in his federal tax evasion case in
California.
ASHER: Yes. It came just moments before jury selection in Los Angeles Court was set to get underway. Biden's lawyer says that he will maintain his
innocence but will accept his punishment. The president's son is facing felony and misdemeanor charges on tax-related charges.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's justice correspondent, Jessica Schneider, is live for us in Washington. And let's begin with the Hunter Biden news there.
Are you surprised by this last minute deal?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, our team had actually reported that plea talks were in the works. I mean, remember, it was just
back in June that Hunter Biden was convicted on three counts stemming from his failure to properly fill out forms when he was buying guns.
So now Hunter Biden, the current president's son, was facing this other trial where he was accused of nine tax crimes in California. So presumably,
he didn't want to go through another trial again.
What's interesting is we're just getting information in from our colleagues in the court in Los Angeles. They are saying that prosecutors are telling
the judge that they would object to this plea deal.
Now, this would be a plea deal called an Alford plea where Hunter Biden would maintain his innocence, but he would say to the judge, I'm
maintaining my innocence, but let's get this wrapped up and I'll accept whatever sentence or punishment you impose.
So defense attorneys for Hunter Biden had put this forward to the judge just moments ago. And now prosecutors are saying we were not aware of this.
There's no agreements. And it's not clear what the judge will do, whether or not he will accept this plea agreement.
So the court, we understand, is adjourned for two hours until 2:00 P.M. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific. And it's unclear if this plea deal is actually
going to go through as Hunter Biden's attorneys expected it would.
Again, Hunter Biden is accused of nine tax crimes, basically not properly filing and not paying about $2 million in taxes all around the time that he
was suffering from his addiction.
You know, his attorneys have wanted to put into the record that Hunter Biden did eventually repay $2 million. The judge won't let them put that
into the record, saying that, you know, the legal precedent, it doesn't matter if you later repay it. The charges are that you didn't initially pay
it.
So it's going to be interesting, guys, to see what happens once court resumes in just about two hours.
Whether or not the district judge, the federal judge here is going to approve this plea deal, because as we're seeing, prosecutors say that they
will object and that they really weren't privy to this and that there's been no agreement. So we'll see.
ASHER: And, Jessica, let's just talk about another legal case that we've been watching closely. Obviously, the Trump election interference case,
what we saw today is the first court hearing wrap up. This is the first court hearing since the Supreme Court had that monumental ruling that
Donald Trump, at least, had partial immunity because of obviously his position as president. What more can you tell us?
SCHNEIDER: Yes. This was actually the first hearing in this case since last October. So it's been a while since these parties have been in court on
this particular case.
The takeaway is after about an hour and a half or so hearing, there is still a lot up in the air upon the conclusion of what was quite a
contentious hearing.
So a few things happened. Many things didn't. But first off, Donald Trump was not in the courtroom. He wasn't required to be there. So his lawyers
actually entered the not guilty plea on his behalf because remember the special counsel filed that new indictment just about a year ago on -- or
sorry, a week ago.
[12:05:07]
On top of that, Trump's legal team really sparred with prosecutors over just how this case should even proceed. So Trump's lawyers are saying the
whole case against Trump, at this point, should be dismissed. They're saying prosecutors did not properly proceed when presenting evidence to
this latest grand jury. They basically said the grand jury was presented evidence that should have been shielded from them because in Trump's team's
view, they were official acts by Trump.
Prosecutors, on the other side, are saying, can we proceed with this in the normal course? Can we file arguments on paper laying out why everything
we've presented in this indictment is in line with the Supreme Court's immunity decision?
So really, guys, it was a lot of technical legal wrangling here. And the next thing we'll see from Judge Tanya Chutkan is some sort of decision on
how to move forward what the timeline will be. Notably though she didn't set a trial date. She said that was just way too premature at this point
and she's also allowing Trump's team to file arguments about their contention that special counsel Jack Smith isn't even lawfully in his
position.
This is something that Judge Chutkan has said. She doesn't agree with it, but she's willing to hear Trump's team argue their case.
Because remember, Trump's team was actually successful in getting that classified documents case against him in Florida dismissed because of that
exact same argument that Judge Aileen Cannon agreed with.
It's a very controversial ruling because other courts have said that special counsels are lawfully appointed. So anyway that's a whole other
legal issue.
ASHER: Yes.
SCHNEIDER: There were a lot of legal issues dealt with. No clear indication though about how we're going to move forward. But I will tell you this,
we're not going to see much before Election Day in just about two months.
GOLODRYGA: Well and that is the significance of so many issues being brought forward, especially from Donald Trump's defense team because that
only prolongs this trial and a trial date to begin.
And their whole goal, at least for now, is to delay as much as possible. And they seem to be succeeding on that front as well.
SCHNEIDER: They've been quite successful on that front. Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Jessica Schneider, thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. Let's dig a little deeper now on the legal implications of this case. Gene Rossi is a former federal prosecutor and was assistant
U.S. attorney in the eastern district of Virginia. Gene, thank you so much for being with us.
So as Jessica was just talking about, we've concluded this hearing, we know that both parties have to work out their discovery issues. Just walk us
through what happens next, right? What happens next in court? What more can you tell us because it was quite a contentious hearing.
GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Oh, and it should be. And I think the cards are stacked a little bit in the favor of the Trump.
What's going to happen next? First, we're not going to have a trial in 2024. It's probably likely that we won't have a trial in 2025 because of
appeals probably to the Supreme Court, but let's just start ab initio.
Judge Aileen Cannon said, the special counsel is impure, if you will, doesn't have a legal basis to bring charges. So that issue is still out
there, and that's going to go to the Supreme Court. That's Aileen Cannon's issue and they'll bring it up before Judge Chutkan. So that's one. That's
one hurdle for the prosecutors. They'll probably get over that hurdle but it may take time.
The second hurdle is this, judges at the trial level have broad discretion to set hearings, set deadlines and set the trial.
So Judge Chutkan is going to take out her calendar and set hearing dates and filing dates for various motions.
One of the big emotions that will be filed by the Trump team, if I were representing Mr. Trump, and I'm not, is a motion to dismiss the indictment
because it is poisoned, if you will. It contains information that has been prohibited by the Supreme Court's decision on absolute and presumptive
immunity.
So ab initio, that indictment is poisoned. It has fatal flaws. So that'll be a hearing and a motion in filings. Then you get to, if they get over
that the prosecutors, and they possibly will get over that.
Then you get to, what can be the allegations presented at trial? And what you have to do is think of a bush or a tree in your gardener in our home in
your backyard. The judge has to prune from the bush or the tree those branches of the tree or bush that are prohibited by the Supreme Court's
ruling. That could take another hearing.
Then you have another hurdle. What kind of evidence can they present at the trial, in a Supreme Court's case they prohibited certain evidence from
being presented? So the punch line for me being a blunt Italian, it's a hot mess. And it may not -- it may not be decided after all these hurdles until
the end of 2025 if then.
[12:10:07]
GOLODRYGA: OK. So we're at the end of 2025 where we may remain or may not get an ultimate decision.
But let's start with where it appears all sides agreed, starting from the judge on down. Tanya Chutkan said that it would be prudent for her to
decide the immunity issue first. The defense and the prosecution agreed on that point. Where do you see that ending up?
ROSSI: OK. First off, that is not the first issue she should decide. She should address the special counsel's authority. That's an easy one the
prosecutors are going to -- are going to prevail.
On the immunity issue, I think the superseding indictment, the amended indictment, if you will, my understanding it was presented to a new grand
jury, so they prune that bush or that tree, if you will, and they cut out allegations and conspirators that may have been protected by absolute or
presumptive of immunity.
So I think Jack Smith has done enough pruning of that indictment that it will get over that hurdle that I call the immunity hurdle. So that could
take time in terms of filings, oral argument, and a decision by Judge Chutkan. And she will issue a written opinion. It's probably going to be 40
pages long when she rules, I think, in favor of the prosecutors on the immunity issue.
ASHER: And just sort of explain to our audience, just in terms of details.
ROSSI: Sure.
ASHER: What sort of allegations and evidence in terms of what took place on January 6 might actually qualify for exceptions, might actually qualify as
a prosecutable as private acts taken by candidate Trump as opposed to President Trump?
ROSSI: Well, the easy one, a low hanging fruit, if you will, to stay with these analogies, the easy one is if President Trump is consulting with
officials at the Department of Justice.
Even if he's off base, even if he has no foundation legally for his requests in his conversations with DOJ officials, Jeffrey Clark's one of
them, that would be under the rubric of absolute immunity, because that's part of his core constitutional duties to work with his Justice Department,
even if subjectively he has an unreasonable position.
So any allegation regarding communications with DOJ officials or with Mr. Meadows, that could be --
ASHER: All right, Gene. Gene, I'm so sorry to interrupt because it looks like Donald Trump is speaking and he's laying out his economic policy. So
we're going to listen into that. I'm sorry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Robert (INAUDIBLE) terrific person. Former secretary Wilbur Ross. Former treasury secretary Steve
Mnuchin. Former SEC chairman, Jay Clayton. Ambassador Woody Johnson. Senior advisor Stephen Miller.
My friends and respected business leaders all. John Paulson, Jamie Dimon, Steve Witkoff, Steve Schwarzman, Scott Bessent, Jeff Sprecher, Richard
Kurtz, former head of the World Bank, David Malpass, and the two co-chairs of my presidential transition team that are being inundated with phone
calls and requests, Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick. Thank you. Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
As we gather today, we have an economic disaster on our hands. We have an economy in crisis, a failing nation, a nation in serious decline, under the
radical policies of my former opponent, Joe Biden, and my new opponent, Kamala Harris. 1.3 million workers have become unemployed in the past 12
months. I don't know if anybody knows that.
The typical American family has lost over $28,000 due to rampant and record-setting inflation. Credit card debt has reached the highest in
history with more than one in three Americans reporting. They have maxed out their credit cards. They've maxed out.
Families now need to earn an estimated $110,000 a year to afford a typical home, meaning 65 percent of households are locked out of buying, just an
ordinary house.
Gasoline prices, grocery prices, electricity prices, mortgage rates, and virtually everything else are up. 30 to 100 percent since I left office,
8.4 million Americans are now working second jobs, the highest in more than 30 years.
[12:15:15]
The real wages of African-American workers are down by over 6 percent short period of time. The real incomes from Hispanic men are down 6.6 percent or
$3,600 per year.
And on top of that, African-Americans and Hispanic-American jobs are under massive threat from the invasion taking place at our border. They're taking
the jobs of Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, and nobody talks about it. But I won't let it happen.
Yet after presiding over the border, the worst in history for any country, there's never been a border like this, 21 million people we project.
This total economic catastrophe, the border czar, Kamala Harris, has now been slotted in by the Democrats to be reelected. She wants four more years
to enforce a radical left agenda that poses a fundamental threat to the prosperity of every American family. And America itself, and we're talking
about America itself.
She wants to defund the police, have totally open borders, ban fracking in Pennsylvania and everywhere else, take away your private health insurance,
and perhaps most pertinent to the very brilliant people in this room. Raise your business and corporate taxes. And unbelievably, she will seek a tax on
unrealized capital gains. Most people don't even know what that means.
What does it mean? She has been after all of this for years. And as everyone knows, she is a Marxist who destroyed almost single-handedly San
Francisco.
And when she was the AG, California itself, not the same place, people are leaving, they're fleeing like they are in New York. She'll seek out. And
she will try and get those things if she's elected. And she may very well succeed in getting them.
She recently said her values have not changed. And these have really been her values for her entire career. Her values haven't changed. That's what
she wants. So she told the truth. We're not going to let this happen.
Communism is the past. Freedom is the future. And it is time to send comrade Kamala Harris back home to California where crime is rampant and
fleeing is the number one occupation.
I'm here today to lay out my plan to rescue our country from this nightmare and to bring back to its citizens the American dream bigger, better, and
stronger than ever before.
Eight years ago, I came before you as a candidate for president and shared my vision to end the stagnation and return to rapid growth. That's what we
did.
As President, I am very proud to say that we accomplished something that nobody thought that was even possible.
Before the pandemic, real median household income rose by $7,684. And even after the pandemic, annual incomes were up $6,400. The average American
household saw $197,000 increase in real net worth in 48 months.
For the bottom 50 percent of households, average wealth more than doubled, increasing by 121 percent. Lowest income people benefited the most.
After 12 years of decline, we added nearly seven million new homeowners. Never happened before. And in three years, we created seven million new
jobs, 260 percent more than projected when I took office.
When I took office, they said you couldn't hit those projections. And we were 260 percent higher than what we said we could do.
From the day I won to the day I left, the S&P 500 increased by 80 percent. And we did it all with virtually no inflation. We had virtually no
inflation. Think of that. Who could believe that?
[12:20:02]
I delivered the largest tax cuts in reform in American history, by far, slashing rates for working families and cutting the business tax from the
highest in the world. We had the highest in the world, 35 percent.
And actually, when you add local and state numbers that were close -- getting close to 50, but much, much higher, nobody's ever seen. We brought
it all the way down to 21 percent, which everybody said was impossible to do.
And I heard it from everyone. They said, you'll never be able to do that. And I got it down to 21 percent. I cut a record number of job billing
regulations.
In four years, we cut more regulation than any president in the history of our country, by far. I'm proud to be the only president in modern history
to achieve a net regulatory reduction during my term. And it was a substantial reduction. And for every regulation we added, we cut more than
5.5 regulations.
We unleashed American energy. And within three years, we had increased domestic oil production by 47 percent, and we were just getting started.
The price of gasoline was $1.87 a gallon. Doesn't that sound good right now?
We negotiated and renegotiated more than 50 trade agreements with other countries that were taking advantage of us, as they all do, to protect the
American worker and to open foreign markets. So we did a great job.
I ended NAFTA. The worst trade you'll ever made in the history of our country and replaced it with the USMCA, perhaps the best trade deal ever
made in history. That's Mexico and Canada.
I stood up to China like no one else before me. No one came even close. And I saved the US auto industry from obliteration with a 27.5 percent tariff
on all Chinese cars that remains in place to this day. They want to take it off, but they can't because number one, it's too much money.
And number two, we would be invaded by Chinese cars on top of the other invasions that are taking place.
Without it, our auto industry would be dead. And now I am going further. We will bring our auto-making industry to the record levels of 37 years ago.
And we'll be able to do it very quickly through tariffs and other smart use of certain things that we have that other countries don't.
For four straight years, I fought for American workers like I would fight for my own family. I took care of our economy like I would take care of my
own company.
In every decision I asked, will I create jobs here? Or will I be sending jobs overseas? Will it make America richer and stronger, or will it make
our country weaker and poorer? I always put America first every single time.
And when our country was hit by the China virus, we saved the economy. We rescued tens of millions of jobs.
And after COVID, I handed Kamala and Joe the fastest and strongest recovery ever recorded, nothing even close, with 1.4 percent inflation. The 30-year
mortgage rate was at 2.4 percent. And the highest stock market in history, this is despite the pandemic, to date, I handed them back the highest stock
market to date after having just suffered with the rest of the world, a pandemic, the likes of which nobody had ever seen before.
We did an incredible job. And remember, far more people died of COVID under Biden-Harris than under President Trump. Many, many more people.
We delivered an economic miracle, which Kamala and Joe turned into an economic disaster. Just like they turned the border, and indeed, the whole
world into a catastrophic surrender.
Starting on day one, Kamala launched a war on American energy and orchestrated a nation-wrecking border invasion with illegal aliens pouring
in from countries all over the world. They came in from countries that nobody ever heard the name of that country.
Those countries, from their prisons and jails, there is a difference from mental institutions and insane asylums, as well as record numbers of
terrorists, human traffickers, and sex traffickers. Numbers that we've never seen before taking place over the last three and a half years.
[12:25:15]
Then Kamala cast the deciding votes on trillions of dollars in wasteful spending, which together with their terrible energy policies gave us the
worst inflation, perhaps in the history of our country.
Nearly two-thirds of the jobs created under the Harris-Biden administration were bounce-back jobs, bounce-back. They were bounce-back jobs that I
handed them from before the pandemic. This happens with pandemics. You have bounce-back jobs. The pandemic comes and it goes, and those people go back
to their jobs.
And just last week, Joe Biden admitted that on social media, I don't know if he knew what he admitted, but that's what it said. I wonder who drew it.
Perhaps that person is no longer employed by the Democrats.
But right now, it's even worse than that. Under Kamala Harris' policies, three million workers are now missing from the job force compared to 20, 23
million workers. It's a lot.
Over half a million fewer people have full-time jobs today than just one year ago. And 100 percent of the net job creation in the past year has gone
to illegal migrants. Think of that. One hundred percent of the jobs created under this administration has gone to illegal migrants that came into our
country.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris formed the worst presidency and vice presidency by far. In the history of our country, this election will decide whether we
reward Kamala Harris with reelection and four more years of crime, economic calamity, and international humiliation, or whether we change that
direction and once again build the greatest economy in the history of the world, which we had during the Trump administration.
Kamala Harris is the first major part --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right. You've just been listening to a live economic address by former President Donald Trump at the Economic Club of New York.
I want to go straight now to our Richard Quest.
So, Richard, obviously, somewhat of a gloomy assessment of the U.S. economy by former President Trump. Your thoughts, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Well, I think, first of all, we have to say, at least from what we've heard so far, sorry, I'm looking a bit
disheveled. I apologize. And I was too busy concentrating on this.
ASHER: You look great. You look great, Richard.
QUEST: No. I was too busy concentrating on what Mr. Trump was saying.
And we've never actually heard so far what he's going to do. There's a lot of talk about how bad the situation is and the issues that he left Biden,
Harris. But he hasn't actually got to his policies yet. So we're waiting for that.
You know, he talked about the people in the audience Steve Schwarzman, Howard Lutnick, Jamie Dimon, all of whom -- Howard Lutnick is part of his
transition team.
I'm not sure they would recognize his description of the U.S. economy at the moment as a failed nation, a failing economy, a crisis and an economic
disaster. Because whatever problems the U.S. economy has at the moment, I mean, it certainly doesn't have those. It's certainly not an economic
disaster.
Now, inflation, we can -- you and I can pass backwards and forwards how much of it was him, how much of it was the pandemic, how much of it was
Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, how much was his stimulus. It doesn't really matter.
We're just trying to understand, at the moment, what he's going to do when he comes back.
And all we know is, number one, tariffs, number two, lower taxes, number three, probably do something with capital gains, but not quite sure what.
And he hasn't said how he's going to pay for it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: Yes. He's expected to lay out the trillions of dollars worth of tax cuts and sweeping tariffs on about $3 trillion worth of imports into the
United States. And a lot of economists have been really concerned about the sorts of impact that would have on the U.S. economy.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And introducing what's expected to be a commission to go after what he thinks and some of his advisors, and it appears Elon Musk is
one of them, is an overly regulated federal government.
QUEST: Yes, well.
GOLODRYGA: So none of this, as you mentioned, has been laid out here to the frustration of many on Trump's re-election team campaign team because they
do think that this is the one area, not only that's of significance to voters, but also where he appears in some polls to be leading Kamala Harris
as well.
[12:30:10]
Richard, we'll let you get shevelled (ph) up again even though we think you looked fine.
ASHER: You look fine.
GOLODRYGA: You look great. And you'll be paying close attention to whatever Trump may --
QUEST: Oh, yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- eventually say --
QUEST: I will just say --
GOLODRYGA: -- about his specific policies.
QUEST: I will just say, by the way, that Kamala Harris is also looking to put tariffs on as well. So nobody comes to the tariff table with clean
hands.
ASHER: Good point. Richard Quest live for us there.
GOLODRYGA: That's on a bumper sticker.
ASHER: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Still to come for us. We'll look at how the death of an Olympic athlete is -- this is such a sad story, putting more light on violence
against women.
ASHER: Also ahead. We'll introduce you to Maya Harris. She's the one who knows Vice President Kamala Harris. That's only a sister cat. That story is
next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYA HARRIS, KAMALA HARRIS' SISTER: That when she's president of the United States, I will call her Miss President. But until then, you're just Kamala.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. Secretary of State has arrived in Haiti, as the Caribbean nation battles violent gangs that have been taken over much of
the capital and other areas.
Antony Blinken is the highest ranking American official to travel to the island in nearly a decade. He plans to meet the acting prime minister and
press for elections in the nation.
ASHER: Blinken arrives two months after Kenya sent police officers as part of a multinational security support mission to restore order.
GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange. Let's bring in Dan Foote. He is a former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti and joins us now from Buffalo, New
York. Dan, thank you so much for joining us.
Obviously, we are talking about the Kenyan forces that have come to Haiti now and been there for a few months. Initially, we had expected some 2,500
forces. There are about 400 there now.
And yesterday, Brian Nichols, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Affairs, told reporters that despite the smaller number
of Kenyan police on the ground there, Haiti is, quote, far more stable than it was several months ago. Would you agree with that assessment?
[12:35:16]
DAN FOOTE, FORMER U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HAITI: Absolutely not. It's a lie. They're touting the reopening of the airport as a major step while the
airport was open before this have been started.
So Mr. Nichols and Mr. Blinken have fallen back into the same U.S. playbook which creates the same cycle in Haiti where they anoint a Haitian council
or person to run the country. That person then becomes corrupt because they don't answer to the Haitians.
There's already been reports of corruption on that presidential transition council in Haiti. They are to hold elections which fail because Haitians
don't trust the current U.S. appointed government led by Garry Conille.
They will not turn out for elections and they won't trust the results. Haiti will get worse. The U.S. will ignore it until we go through the same
cycle again.
And with the Kenyans, the U.S. are now starting to look at a U.N. peacekeeping operation again in Haiti. And Haitians don't agree on an awful
lot, but they agree on one thing and they all detest the U.N. and do not want another U.N. peacekeeping mission because of atrocities, massacres,
sexual exploitation, and other bad things that they've done in Haiti in the past. And like the reintroduction of cholera.
ASHER: Yes. I mean listen, you're absolutely right just in terms of the really complicated results and the complicated nature of past
interventions, past foreign interventions in Haiti by the U.S.
But that begs the question then, given the cycle of violence, of poverty, of lack of food, of gangs, you know, gangs sort of overrunning police
stations, breaking out of the prisons. What is the best way for the U.S. to intervene?
I mean, is it just as a sort of support role for the Kenyan forces that are on the ground? Or can the U.S. be doing more do you think?
FOOTE: The U.S. has done nothing in the three years or one month since Jovenel Moise Haiti's last president was assassinated. I have a unique
idea.
Let's let the Haitians tell us how to support them for once. Instead of the international community choosing a compliant leader who becomes corrupt,
doesn't answer to the Haitian people. And as a result, they don't trust them. Don't trust elections. Don't trust the state.
The -- prior to the assassination in July of '21, Haitian civil society came together and started a conversation, a national dialogue. By early
'22, they had brought on most of the civil society in the country opposition political leaders and had a political agreement on which the
U.S. could support and Haitians might actually trust the process and the elections.
The U.S. ignored that, has continued to ignore the possibility of a Haitian national dialogue. And personally, I don't think that without one Haiti
will improve at all.
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. has committed a little over $300 million in investment there. I think we can all agree. That's probably just a drop in the bucket,
though it's fair to say that other nations obviously should be playing a role here as well, including the Haitians, people themselves, as you know.
Dan Foote, former U.S. Special Envoy --
FOOTE: Absolutely.
GOLODRYGA: -- for Haiti. Thank you so much.
ASHER: We'll be right back with more after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:40:44]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I am Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: All right. We are hearing calls for justice today for Rebecca Cheptegei, the Ugandan long distance runner died earlier today, four days
after a shocking attack in which she was set on fire by her boyfriend. She was just 33 years old.
Just last month in a career highlight, she ran in a marathon at the Paris Olympics.
GOLODRYGA: Uganda Athletic Federation is paying tribute to her, saying that she tragically fell victim to domestic violence. It added, as a federation,
we condemn such acts and call for justice.
Authorities say they're investigating the killing, which is shining more light on violence against women.
ASHER: I'm going straight now to CNN's Larry Madowo, who is in East Africa for us.
So, Larry, I mean, you know, this is -- this is beyond tragic, right? It is heartbreaking to see this kind of domestic violence. Just the fact that she
was, A, murdered by her boyfriend, but to be murdered obviously in such a horrific way.
Obviously, a lot of people are talking about this. Just explain to us what more we know and who Rebecca Cheptegei actually was.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've heard from both the police and her family. And what we know is that on Sunday, Rebecca Cheptegei was doused
with petrol by her boyfriend and then set on fire.
She suffered such severe burns that when she went to hospital, she had 75 percent third degree burns. The doctors say they did everything they could
to try and save her, but it led to multi-organ failure, and she passed on early Thursday morning in Eldoret. This is the Rift Valley area. She's
Ugandan, but it's been training in Kenya, the Rift Valley where most of the world's greatest athletes train. And her boyfriend was Kenyan, is also
suffered some burns.
Her parents are blaming Kenyan police for not having done enough. They say they complained to the police. They went specifically to the investigators
and said, we think this man is problematic. He's been following her to Uganda, and we think you should take action, and they did nothing.
But, unfortunately, Rebecca Cheptegei is not even the only female athletes who have died in Kenya, where the suspect is either a boyfriend or a
husband. Femicide cases in athletics in Kenya have reached an all-time high.
Three different female athletes in the last three years have died in a similar manner. Listen to one activists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NJERI MIGWI, FOUNDER USIKIMYE: And if you look at the intentionality of the -- of the manners between all these athletes who have been murdered by
their husbands, boyfriends, or partners, if you look at it, there is a thread of financial, finances. The fact that these women have been able to
be on the prime of their life, been able to amass wealth, and this wealth unfortunately has led to their death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: And what she says, Rebecca Cheptegei just competed at the Paris Olympics. Before that, in October -- in 2021, Agnes Tirop was found stabbed
in her own house. The suspect was her husband.
Six months later, Damaris Mutua was found to have been strangled and suffocated in her home. And the suspect there was a boyfriend.
So this issue of femicide is coming up again in Kenya. And now Amnesty International Kenya calling for the government to criminalize the femicide
and create a specific unit within the police to investigate these cases in Kenya.
[12:45:08]
ASHER: What do you even say? This is one of those stories that is just so horrific, Larry, that it just -- really does stay with you.
I think my hope and my prayer is that her death is not in vain. Just speaking about Rebecca Cheptegei here, that there will be changes. As you
point out domestic violence, especially among athletes. I mean, who knew, right?
Domestic violence among athletes in certain parts of East Africa is on the rise or the numbers are staggering high as you point out. And let's hope
that something changes now that, you know, we're helping shine the light on what happened to Rebecca.
Larry Madowo, live for us there. Thank you so much. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, Kamala Harris calls their bond unbreakable. Vice President's younger sister, Maya, they've always been close.
ASHER: Yes, they have. Like her sister, Maya, is also a lawyer and has been very politically active.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty takes a closer look at the vice president's confidant as she runs for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. HARRIS: When she was elected Attorney General, she actually said, you realize you're going to have to start calling me General Harris.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are sisters.
M. HARRIS: That when she's president of the United States.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, stop it. Stop.
M. HARRIS: I will call her Miss President. But until then, you're just Kamala.
SERFATY: With a deep lifelong bond.
K. HARRIS: I'm big sister. Big sister General.
SERFATY: Maya, like her sister, is a lawyer with deep roots in political activism.
M. HARRIS: Today is the day we have been working for.
SERFATY: Working for the ACLU and foundations centered on democracy and justice.
M. HARRIS: Everyone deserves justice in the courtroom.
SERFATY: In 2016, she was a senior advisor to Hillary Clinton, advising her on domestic policy. Hillary really trusted Maya's instincts. Clinton's
campaign chairman later said Maya would cut through the BS, brief her quickly and give her something to think about.
After having a brief stint as a political analyst --
M. HARRIS: What he said was outrageous.
SERFATY: -- Maya became chair of her sister's failed 2020 presidential bid.
K. HARRIS: My sister Maya is here.
SERFATY: A campaign marked by messaging woes and staff infighting.
K. HARRIS: And I am suspending our campaign today.
SERFATY: Unlike in 2020, Maya does not have an official title with the Harris campaign this time, but she remains a close confidant.
M. HARRIS: I so wish that mommy could be here tonight. I can just see her smiling saying how proud she is of Kamala.
[12:50:09]
And then without missing a beat, she said that's enough. You got work to do.
SERFATY: The two were raised by a single mother in Berkeley, California.
M. HARRIS: Growing up, having helped the poor kid who picked on me because my big sister would be there in a flash ready to have my back.
SERFATY: Maya becoming a young single mother herself at age 17.
M. HARRIS: Juggling work, juggling school, you know, wanting to be the math mom and drive on the, you know, field trip.
SERFATY: Leaning on the women in her family for support, something her daughter, Mina, spoke to at the DNC.
MEENA HARRIS, NIECE OF KAMALA HARRIS: My mom, my grandma, and my auntie, who showed me the meaning of service, helping her sister, a 17-year-old
single mom.
SERFATY: With Vice President Harris' great nieces, Maya's granddaughters, having their own moment.
AMARA AJAGU, KAMALA HARRIS' GREAT-NIECE: First you say Kama like a comma in a sentence.
LEELA AJAGU, KAMALA HARRIS' GREAT-NIECE: Then you say La like la-la-la-la.
KERRY WASHINGTON, AMERICAN ACTRESS: Put it together and it's one, two, three, Kamala.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: An Olympic breakdancer wants a break from all of the backlash she's getting for her performance at last month's games. Do you remember
this?
ASHER: I hope they don't forget. On Wednesday, Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun, sat down for an interview with the Australian show, The Project.
The 37-year-old went viral and was ridiculed for some of her unique dance moves during the competition.
Gunn apologized to the breaking community, for the controversy, but did not take responsibility for the reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHAEL GUNN, AUSTRALIAN BREAKDANCER: I got some mental health support pretty quickly. And I also went off social media. I went off the internet,
but it's pretty up and down, but it's also just hard to process it all honestly, like, it's just still pretty hard to process.
I am very sorry for, you know, the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can't control how people react.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Listen, you can question whether or not she presented enough talent for the competition, which is I think where some of that ridicule
came from, but to hear that she, you know, faced her own --
ASHER: Cyberbullying.
GOLODRYGA: -- struggles with it. Yes. It's sad and clearly so many people go through that as well. I bet that was cathartic for her to even talk
about it.
Well, in the interview Gunn called her dance style a different approach to the sport and said she knew people were not going to understand her style.
ASHER: All right. The Paris games may be over, but the logo will apparently live on as part of a Parisian landmark. Paris' mayor has decided to keep
the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower.
GOLODRYGA: But not everyone's happy with that decision.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER: This was the iconic symbol of the Olympics this summer, but why is it causing so much controversy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's an eyesore. It's something different, but the Eiffel Tower has been there for years and years. And I don't think it
needs to change.
VANDOORNE: These Olympic rings could soon be a permanent fixture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's OK for now, but not forever because it's a historical monument, you know, so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, the tower is amazing, you know, it's so beautiful. But with the ring, it looked a little bit different. So I think
it's not very aesthetic, you know.
[12:55:00]
VANDOORNE: The city of Paris owns the Eiffel Tower. And officials say the decision is up to them.
PIERRE RABADAN, PARIS DEPUTY MAYOR: This event was a massive success probably all around the world and it was changing Paris forever in a good
way.
Visually when you all be in Paris, remember that this moment was a key in the history of Paris. So that's why we choose that symbol.
VANDOORNE: For descendants of its creator Gustave Eiffel, they don't want his legacy to become an advertising platform.
SAVIN YEATMAN-EIFFEL, DESCENDANT OF GUSTAVE EIFFEL: So Gustave Eiffel is my great-great-great-grandfather. We were very happy to have the rings during
the Olympic Games. It was a great moment, but the (INAUDIBLE) permanent. The Eiffel Tower is never meant to be a billboard for any other company or
brand no matter how prestigious it may be.
VANDOORNE: If the plan does go ahead, it won't be these rings, but lighter ones designed to resist the harsh winter winds.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I am Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching.
I'll be right back in a few moments with "AMANPOUR."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
