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Quest Means Business
Ex-Lawyer For Stormy Daniels And Karen McDougal Testifying; Judge Finds Trump In Contempt For Violating Gag Order; Classes At UNC-Chapel Hill Canceled Due To Protests; Trump Hush Money Trial Adjourned For The Day; Protesters Occupy Academic Building At Columbia University; Netanyahu Insists Israel To Enter Rafah With Or Without Deal; Amazon Announces Latest Earnings; Paris Pushes For More Social Housing To Keep Costs Down. Aired 4- 5p ET
Aired April 30, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:39]
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: High drama at Donald Trump's hush money trial today. The judge threatening the former president with jail if
he continues to defy his gag order. I'm Omar Jimenez outside the Manhattan Criminal Court.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: I am Paula Newton in New York. We will follow the escalating tensions on college campuses right across the
United States later this hour.
JIMENEZ: That's right, Paula.
We're going to start though with an extremely busy day in Donald Trump's hush money trial. Four witnesses have taken the stand so far. The latest, a
former lawyer for both for both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, two women who claimed to have had an affair with Trump.
Now, Keith Davidson negotiated deals for them to sell their stories. He says interest in Daniels' story reached a crescendo in October 2016 after
those Access Hollywood tapes, that story broke. Prosecutors then showed an e-mail from Davidson to Trump's fixer, former attorney, Michael Cohen,
discussing a $130,000.00 settlement sum.
As for Karen McDougal, Davidson says she was more interested in selling her story than telling him. He brokered a $150,000.00 catch and kill deal with
the publisher of the "National Enquirer."
Now the day began with the judge ruling on a separate, but related matter that Trump had violated his gag order nine times in posts on social media
and his campaign website.
Trump was ordered to remove the post in question, which went against the order because it attacked witnesses and jurors. The former president has
also been ordered for to pay a thousand dollars per violation.
Now, obviously, $9,000.00 is not a lot of money to Trump, but the judge warned that future violations could land him in jail.
Now, I want to direct you to the left side of your screen, while we are having this conversation and talking about the latest in court here, on the
left side of your screen there, you're going to be able to see key updates from the trial. CNN, we have reporters inside the courtroom keeping us up
to the minute on what is going on since cameras aren't allowed inside.
Everything they see and hear will appear on that side panel, so you'll be able to follow along in real time.
Katelyn Polantz is live in Washington for us, who has also been following everything here.
Katelyn, just get us up to speed on what we have learned so far, and I mean, how much longer are we expecting testimony to go here with Davidson?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE SENIOR REPORTER: Well, court every day is wrapping a little bit after four o'clock. So it shouldn't be too
much longer that we are getting testimony from Keith Davidson, though he certainly isn't finished testifying today.
What his role is, is he is a very key person in this chain of people between the women who had stories to tell about Donald Trump alleging
affairs, Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump himself. He is the person who has testified he had to deal with Michael Cohen.
Michael Cohen was very hard to deal with in 2016 and really trying to keep these women quiet in different ways, and so Keith Davidson was the lawyer
who was representing both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal at different points negotiating with Michael Cohen and also working to solidify these
catch and kill deals, either with the "National Enquirer" for Karen McDougal for $150,000.00 or ultimately $130,000.00 to keep the Stormy
Daniels story quiet before the 2016 election.
Omar, if you step back a second and look at the big picture of what we've learned today we are seeing the pieces being put together by the
prosecutors of exactly how these transactions came to be, and how it was important that Donald Trump was behind these as alleged and some people
like Keith Davidson were quite aware what this meant for Trump to keep these stories quiet, it would help him in the 2016 campaign, and also that
they were very aware that Michael Cohen was doing all its business for Donald Trump.
JIMENEZ: Yes, there was an interesting moment over the course of testimony where it became clear to Keith Davidson that at least from Keith's point of
view that Michael Cohen didn't have the authority to process this payment. So, it will be interesting to see how that plays into the prosecution's
case here.
Katelyn Polantz really appreciate the time. Thank you for that reporting.
Duncan Levin is a defense attorney who is managing partner at Levin & Associates. He is also a former federal prosecutor as well.
[16:05:10]
So from prosecuting standpoint, that point I just mentioned, obviously when you hear from a witness that Michael Cohen, someone who Trump and his team
have tried to place blame on at different points, he has also pleaded guilty to his own set of related charges -- did not have the authority to
process some of the payments in question. What does that say to you from a strategic point of view?
DUNCAN LEVIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think that plays right into the prosecution's hands in a lot of ways because what you're trying to
establish here is that Michael Cohen wasn't just a player on his own.
They have to pierce through many layers of intermediaries to get to the criminal defendant here on trial who is Donald Trump. So what they have to
do is show that Michael Cohen was acting as a conduit for Trump and that all of this was going back and forth.
Another piece of interesting evidence that came out today was that Joshua Steinglass got the witness to acknowledge that the e-mails went to Michael
Cohen's e-mail address at the Trump Organization, again, showing he is not an outside lawyer, he is part of the Trump Organization. He is not acting
on his own and he has a pivotal role during this negotiation directly with Donald Trump himself.
JIMENEZ: I am curious for you, too. What do you make of the gag order ruling today? Obviously, you know, it only amounts to a few thousand
dollars in penalty, but part of the contempt ruling from the judge here was that the court, if it had the authority to levy penalties that are
appropriate for someone based on their wealth level that they would here, but they just don't have that discretion, do you see jail time as a real
possibility if Trump actually violates this gag order?
LEVIN: I think now only is it possibility, I think it is a probability if he breaks it again. Now, don't forget. There is another hearing coming up
on Thursday, which will be the third set of alleged gag order violations. I don't think anyone anticipates that happening on Thursday because that is
for violations that predate his order of today.
But I do think if you see more of them, you will see jail time because frankly, what the judge was saying today is that he really is restricted by
this criminal contempt statute at a thousand dollars per find or 30 days in incarceration, up to 30 days incarceration.
So I think if he is finding that these very small fines aren't doing what he wants them to do, I think he will have no option, but to impose jail
time, but also, let me just mention that this is the first time in history that a former president of the United States has been found to be held in
criminal contempt for willful disobedience of a courts mandate.
But he has been attacking the witnesses and the jurors and I think the judge really has no option, but to put him in jail if he continues this
behavior at this point.
JIMENEZ: It will be interesting to see how that unfolds and for folks watching, Trump already has posted on social media again this afternoon
claiming that the judge has taken away his constitutional right to free speech.
As a reminder, he still is able to speak. It is just he is barred her from making statements about witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, and
family members.
Duncan Levin, I've got to leave it there, but really appreciate your time and perspective.
LEVIN: Thanks. Appreciate it.
JIMENEZ: We are going to continue to follow what is going on in court. They are side barring right now before testimony continues, but we are also
following a number of other stories across the world right now.
Still to come, pro-Palestinian protesters takeover a building at Columbia University. We are going to take you live to the scene next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:11:37]
NEWTON: The University of North Carolina canceled classes today after protesters and police clashed on campus. Now, tensions appeared to spike
when police tried to raise an American flag at a pole surrounded by protesters.
Police had tried to clear that area that was early this morning, detaining about 30 people. Now, school officials say the protesters included
activists from outside the university.
Watching all of this for us has been Dianne Gallagher. She is at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You've been there for quite
some time. You witnessed all of this happen.
So kind of rewind for us a bit and let us know because from your early reports, it seemed that things were peaceful for a while.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that was during the day. Obviously, this morning they had this encampment here where I am standing
at Pope Place. For about 90 hours, at 5:37 AM, the university sent a letter, a warning, if you will to those campers telling them that they had
until 6:00 AM to basically leave or bring down their tents, get their property off of this area.
Most of the students tell me that they were asleep at that time and knew for about ten minutes before 6:00 AM when some faculty came out and
informed them that this letter had come out.
There were 30 people, as you said, who were detained. I spoke with the district attorney. He told me it is a mix of those who were cited as well
as arrested in this situation, and then they were released. A few hours later, there were even more protesters back here at Pope Place for a site
vigil and protest for Palestine, hundreds of people out here, and it wants by enlarge, as I reported, very peaceful.
There was dancing, there was chanting, and then they went to that flagpole and I am actually going to spin Wes around for a minute and let him see
what we are talking about. This empty flagpole here, there was an American flag on it.
The protesters took that down, they raised a Palestinian flag and that is when the chancellor began sort of having this press conference, and we
started to see them bringing this flag down -- the American flag back down across this here. We are going to spin around one more time, Paula, back to
where you can see the police began running sort of across the lawn there to those protesters who were joined arm in arm around the flagpole. That's
when it became extremely violent.
Police pushing those protesters down. We saw, there was definitely at least the deployment of an irritant at one point. The protesters began throwing
water bottles at the police. It was an extremely tense and violent few minutes on campus.
And then the Palestinian flag came down. They put the American flag back up as soon as the police and the interim chancellor left. They took the
American flag or tried to back down, that's when some counter protesters came, sort of held the American flag. Many of those people are standing
back there on these steps of this area right here as well, still right now.
They held flag for about half an hour, maybe a little bit more than they eventually just took it off. The Students for Justice in Palestine, some of
the organizers began on their megaphones telling people, look, let's disperse. This event is over. Let's leave.
That happened about 20 minutes after the university sent out what they have as a Carolina Alert to everybody's phone telling them that classes for the
rest of the day were canceled.
This is the last day of classes here at the University of North Carolina, as well as any sort of extra-curricular activity that people may have had
afterward that was sponsored by the university.
[16:15:06]
Look, I talked to students about that encampment sweep that happened this morning. In addition to them saying that the arrest themselves were
violent, they also said that their frustration and the reason why they put the tents back up, Paula, was because they have had these lists of demands,
of divest and disclose for about seven months with the university leadership, and they say that there has been zero engagement from the
university with them to have honest negotiations.
Some of what we have seen at other universities, they say that it was pretty much limited to the school saying, take your tents down, they would
do so and then they got no real discourse with the university, which is why they put them back up.
You know, they said they were very disappointed to see it devolve to what it did today and we don't know what is going to happen for the rest of
today or even this week. Finals week begins tomorrow here, and they have graduation, I believe it is on the 11th here.
The university said it is paramount to them to preserve graduation because those who graduate in 2024 were often students who lost their ability to
sort of have that in-person graduation in 2020 because of COVID. But the students that I spoke with, and the majority of the students, the people
who were detained were in fact students, maybe not at the University of North Carolina, but at NC State University, at Duke University, at
Meredith, at local universities here in the triangle area.
They have been calling it the triangle encampment, and they had sort of had this solidarity camp together. So the university may be accurate in saying
they weren't UNC students, but there was the majority of them at this encampment where either students, faculty, or staff from either the
University of North Carolina or neighboring universities in the triangle area.
NEWTON: Yes, and that has been important context because it is a point of controversy as to whether or not these are students or outside protestors.
Dianne Gallagher, I know you will stay there, not just today, but in the coming days just to see what transpires there. Appreciate your reporting.
Now, the White House says people occupying campus buildings are taking the wrong approach in protesting the war in Gaza. National Security Council
spokesperson, John Kirby says a small percentage of students shouldn't be able to disrupt study for the rest of the student body.
Now, Columbia University says the protests have created a threatening environment for Jewish students. There have been reports of a sharp rise in
the number of antisemitic incidents since the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.
There have also been Jewish students participating in protests against the war in Gaza. It is a key point.
Now, Greg Steinberger is the CEO and president of the University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation, and he joins me now. Your campus has had its
share of protests. Can you describe what is going on at the University of Wisconsin? And as you've noted, and I am quoting you here. No students
right to be safe to pursue their education and to be proud of their Jewish and Israeli identity should ever be compromised.
So where has the line been drawn at the University of Wisconsin?
GREG STEINBERGER, CEO AND PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HILLEL FOUNDATION: Well, I think the first place of the line and thank you for
asking is around how do we engage in civic education? How does students show their right to free protest at a protest in an appropriate manner? So
protest is one thing and it is a great cause and we support and have participated in all sorts of protests, but the line has changed with the
creation of an encampment and with tension and heightened energy that is creating for an unhealthy climate for Jewish students.
We are seeing sort of downstream of that bad behavior in classrooms, on whiteboards, in social media locations. Actually, just this morning
somebody reported standing on the corner and somebody coming over and making an antisemitic joke to them. So downstream of what is happening in
the Library Mall is sort of a floodgate of sort of despicable behavior.
NEWTON: Yes, now what we are trying to get to is obviously to understand that those Jewish students feel threatened and that is genuine concern for
their safety, but also, they are being traumatized. At the same time, can you help us get to the nuance of this? Because we have heard from Jewish
students themselves that have been joining the pro-Palestinian protesters.
STEINBERGER: Sure. I think, look, the idea of protesting and speaking up around the terrible events of October 7th, the terror that took place
there, and the ongoing war and the innocent victims of the war is a reasonable thing.
I think Jewish students and many people want a ceasefire and they want the hostages released and I think all of us want a lasting peace.
[16:20:02]
What is happening in the protest is more complicated than that. It often is turning into something where there are chants that are antisemitic that try
to split Jews from their various forms of their identity -- Jewish identity, their Zionist identity. their Israeli heritage if they are from
Israel.
There are chants to call for one solution, an Intifada Revolution that is a threatening thing to Jewish students.
There are letters supporting claims of genocide, but the conversation isn't one around validity, it is not kind, it is often hostile and it is clearly
full of these sort of this hidden trope that is targeting Jewish students.
We are seeing it just left and right, people coming out to question a person's experience if they said something was antisemitic and they felt
hurt or scared or they have anxiety around it, someone is questioning they possibly could, that just couldn't happen.
So it is a mix of these two things.
NEWTON: Yes, and that fear is obviously genuine and palpable, but I do also want to ask you that we have heard from others that have said, look, just
because I am Israeli and studying in the United States, perhaps, I am Israeli-American studying in the United States, does not mean that I agree
with Israeli policy.
Have you seen that where just because you're Jewish, it is as if you support everything the Israeli government does.
STEINBERGER: Well, I think that just because you're Jewish, you have every right to decide what you believe. I mean, Jews come in all sorts of
flavors. They may see themselves as Zionists. They may see themselves as not so participatory in the state, just as Americans decide that they vote
in an election and who they vote for and what they speak for. That is to reduce Jewish identity to only one sense of what it means to be Jewish or
Israeli is a terrible thing.
A healthy democracy or a healthy people have a collection of attitudes. What is happening in these protests is often, not always, is sort of an
unleashing of an idea that we are monolithic and that of course, because of who we are, that must mean we support what is happening at every step of
the way, right?
That this is a complicated, difficult war between a nation state and a terrorist organization and plenty of people are caught in the middle and
what is happening in the protest movement is a reduction to a very simplistic level of conversation and that is splitting a community, not
just a Jewish community, it is splitting the campus community along the lines of identity and along very simplistic sense of what is happening.
NEWTON: Yes. Absolutely. And what is supposed to be years of academic exploration and congeniality is really devolving here on so many campuses,
which is incredibly difficult to see.
Greg Steinberger, thank you so much for your perspective there. Really appreciate it.
STEINBERGER: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, the Biden administration is moving to loosen federal regulations on marijuana. That is according to a source familiar with the
matter. The plan would reverse a 50-year precedent and reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, which means it has low or moderate potential for
dependence.
It is currently a Schedule I drug. Now, remember that is the same category of substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Jeff Zeleny is in Washington, DC and has been following this for us. And Jeff, if you can just put this in context for us in terms of what this
reclassification means, because we are talking about this in kind of technical terms, but it is to use two words, a big deal.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It is a very big deal, Paula, there is no doubt about it. I mean, the Attorney General
Merrick Garland is going to be presenting this rule to the government, basically the Office of Management and Budget to prevent a time for open
comments.
So there is a long time before this is going to go into effect, but with the attorney general signing off on this, it is really a historic step and
here is why. For 50 years, as you said, marijuana has been a Schedule I drug. That means, it has no medical use and it is in a much higher
classification.
It has already been legalized in 38 states here in the US and the District of Columbia, so there has long been at odds with the federal law and the
state law. This is largely designed to bring those two together, but it has been a campaign promise of President Biden when he was running the first
time.
He talked about this in the State of the Union Address just a couple of once ago. He said that he would expunge convictions. He said you shouldn't
go to jail simply for using.
So what this is going to be is really a monumental shift should all this get approved. Now there is no saying that this will be done by Election Day
because again, this is the federal government at work, so there has to be a months' long approval process, getting public comment.
But Paula, this is one of the rare things in Washington and government that crosses party lines in many states, including red states.
[16:25:10]
Conservative states here in the US, there have been legalization. So this is really long overdue in the eyes of many, but it is also opening the door
to a huge business that cannabis has become here in Washington, and of course, all across the country.
NEWTON: Yes, definitely had some of the stocks -- the rise and some of the cannabis stocks, we had it up earlier, a really tremendous growth there. We
are seeing Canopy up by 78 percent.
I don't have a lot of time left, but I know you're all about the political calculus on this. You just told us it was a campaign promise.
Do you think it might help with the younger segment of voters that Biden needs?
ZELENY: Look, I think there is no doubt that younger voters will like this, but also, again, across the board, many older users, older voters also use
medical marijuana.
So largely this is something that the Biden administration believes is past due, and of course, they believe it will have a political benefit as well.
They say that is not why it is being done. If it was being done for that reason, it would have been done long ago. One of those things that takes
some time here.
More interestingly, Paula, I want to see what Donald Trump has to say about this because he has been a little squishy on this. And again, some
Republicans support this as well.
NEWTON: Okay, we will watch out for that. Jeff Zeleny for us in Washington. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
And speaking of Donald Trump, his hush money trial is set to adjourn for the day.
Coming up next, Omar will discuss the day's events and what "The New York Times" says about the tension between Trump and his lead attorney, that's
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:13]
NEWTON: Hello, I'm Paula Newton in New York.
More on Trump's hush money trial coming up. Now court has just adjourned for the day, but first we have the headlines for you.
Tense moments in Tbilisi, Georgia this hour as large groups of protesters face off against police outside parliament. Opposition protesters are angry
over the so-called foreign agents bill, which is getting a second reading in parliament. Now the bill would require organizations receiving more than
20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents under foreign influence. Critics say that would hurt Georgia's bid to join the European
Union.
The former CEO of Binance has been sentenced to four months in prison for breaking U.S. money laundering laws. Changpeng Zhao founded the world's
largest cryptocurrency exchange and ran it until last November. Prosecutors say the company was a wild west that welcomed criminals and failed to
report suspicious transactions.
U.S. House Democrats have announced they will help stop any efforts to remove Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson from his position. This comes
amid threats from Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene to force a vote on the speaker's future. She and other hardliners are angry that he pushed to pass
a major foreign aid package.
Britain's King Charles has returned to public duties. He and Queen Camilla met with patients and staff at a cancer treatment center in London. It's
the king's first public engagements since announcing his own cancer diagnosis in February.
Australia's budget airline Banza has unexpectedly suspended services leaving its customers stranded. Now, its CEO says discussions are underway
about the viability of the business. The airline flies to smaller destinations in Australia, making it a challenge for people booked on its
flights to even find a way home.
JIMENEZ: All right, everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York. Returning now to Donald Trump's hush money he trial here. Court is now adjourned after a
busy day of testimony. The judge saying he will see the jury again on Thursday and about a half hour before court starts we are expecting a gag
order hearing.
These are live pictures of Donald Trump. The former president has just left the courtroom. There is also a report of tension between Trump and his lead
attorney, Todd Blanche. "The New York Times" says Trump wants him to be more aggressive with witnesses, the judge and the jury. Trump's own
combativeness has landed him in trouble over his comments over those same groups of people. The judge ruled that nine of his online posts have
violated his gag order. The former president was ordered to pay a $9,000 fine and then he deleted the post. The judge though warned that future
violations could lead to jail time.
Cynthia Godsoe is a law school professor at Brooklyn Law School. She was also on the Manhattan D.A.'s transition team, and she says Trump is a
problematic client for his lawyers.
But I don't want to put too many words in your mouth here. You called him problematic client. Why do you believe so?
CYNTHIA GODSOE, PROFESSOR, BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL: Thank you. Well, first of all, I mean, I guess two reasons. One is that he's very volatile, right? So
he's, you know, emotional, like expressing different opinions at any one moment. And then the second, and they're, you know, obviously connected is
that he doesn't seem to listen to, right. Over the years we've seen, you know, whether it was in official president or in other kinds of legal
matters related to either his business or personal life, that he just doesn't listen to attorneys around him.
I mean, even today, by saying that someone should be more aggressive or wherever that might not be -- that's not really taking advantage of their
expertise. And so he's a risk that he will say something either like untrue that can be proven lead to a perjury charge if he does testify or that he
will say something that could otherwise damage his case.
JIMENEZ: You know, one of the things that was interesting in the gag order ruling today, the contempt of court ruling, was Judge Merchan talking about
how he essentially was limited by statute to the penalties that were given. You know, $1,000 per gag order violation, but that for someone like Donald
Trump, it doesn't necessarily hit the mark of penalty that it might for a typical defendant that's coming into a courtroom.
But as part of that, he said that jail time could be considered here. So I guess a two-part question for you. How likely do you think that actually is
and how difficult is it for the judge here to manage his courtroom given the defendant we're dealing with and given the attention on this trial?
[16:35:01]
GODSOE: Yes, great questions. I mean, well, first of all, I'll just take the second question first. I think it's very difficult to manage. I mean,
it's incredibly high profile. It has this very impetuous person at the center of it as we've discussed and, you know, definitely tons of rumors
and everything flying around. And there's also been near the prior trial from the A.G.'s office, you know, with the finding of fraud against Donald
Trump, in which, you know, there were really a lot of threats and actions taken against the judge there, the judge's clerk and other people.
So it's not like these are unbelievable possibilities. So I think it's a very, very tough. I mean, look, jailing people for civil contempt by courts
happens, you know, not infrequently, and definitely also usually happens for far less than this, right? So sometimes people are jailed for not --
even young people, but for practical purposes stopped thankfully, but people who are minors for not obeying a court order to, you know, show up
in court, even though they may not have sort of been totally aware of what they're supposed to do.
So here we have a very, very, you know, wealthy, privileged, with lots of experienced lawyers representing, who was deliberately over and over in
writing violating a court order. I mean, many other people would have been I think jailed before. Now it's certainly possible to do. I do understand
there's the calculation of not wanting to make someone a martyr and create, you know, further problems. And so that to me seems like the most difficult
decision for the judge.
JIMENEZ: And just for context for our viewers, that is the former president speaking outside of court. He typically, when court adjourns, comes out and
says many things that aren't necessarily relevant to the proceedings of the actual day, as we're going through some of those comments now. But I want
to keep the conversation with the professor here.
Last question for you is that, obviously, look, you've been following along this trial along with many of us. I am not a lawyer. You are. I believe you
see things differently than I do as far as how you're processing what's happened so far. How do you believe the prosecution has done so far?
Obviously, we've gotten through about five witnesses now.
GODSOE: Yes. Well, I think, you know, it's a very solid case, but first of all the first witness David Pecker, you know, really put the lie to -- OK,
do you want me to keep going?
JIMENEZ: Yes. Sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead.
GODSOE: OK. Sorry. Yes. So David Pecker really put the lie to the Trump defense that it was for the family and he very clearly said like that they
were covering up the stories with family. There has been said this was an ongoing theme. Like, you know, lots of conversations and that it was to,
you know, (INAUDIBLE), and their coverup, you know, bad things that might be harmful to the election.
I will also say, though, I mean, there's been a lot of talk about like, oh, look, this one witness says, Michael Cohen, (INAUDIBLE), really knows
(INAUDIBLE) the document, right? There was a credible documentary evidence, and by documents I'm also including text messages. Right. So those are a
lot harder to deal with. You can't really call into, you know, question necessarily the credibility of that.
You have a ton of evidence of this scheme going on for a period of months. And then, you know, the testimony today from the woman's lawyer and so on,
just all indicates that like you're not going to have all these people lying and making this up for no reason. I think it's a pretty strong case
so far.
JIMENEZ: Yes. And we did see a few witnesses today. There were a lot more procedural in nature. The executive director of C-SPAN Archives, who purely
came up to essentially enter videos from featuring Trump into evidence. And so we do get the sense that the prosecution is trying to lay out some of
those basics of their cases that continue to call witnesses up.
Professor Cynthia Godsoe, I got to leave it there. I really appreciate you taking the time.
GODSOE: Thanks so much.
JIMENEZ: And for everyone else -- of course. Now for everyone else, as I mentioned, court is out for the day. The judge is expecting to see the jury
back at 10:00 a.m. local time in New York on Thursday, with another gag order hearing scheduled to take place 30 minutes before that. So we'll of
course bring you all of that when it happens.
We're also, though, following a lot of headlines around the world. For one pro-Palestinian protests escalating at colleges around the U.S. today.
We're going to talk about the campus crackdowns that have led to clashes like these that you're seeing on your screen between students and police.
Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:42:10]
NEWTON: Pro-Palestinian protesters have barricaded themselves inside a building at Columbia University. Now they broke windows, blocked doors, and
chanted "Free Palestine." You're seeing some of that video right there. Administrators are advising people still to stay away from its main campus.
This after dozens of people were arrested at the University of Texas at Austin and at Virginia Tech after refusing to disperse.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is at Columbia University.
Julia, you are both a CNN reporter and a student at Columbia. Can you bring us up to speed? Because viewers, you know, just saw again that very violent
video from this morning where those students still remain in that building.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Paula, so I want to tell you this is the building right here. This is the building where
students are still hold up today as I've learned from other students that are outside protesting in support for those students that are barricading
inside the building. A few dozen students and protesters in there, now we don't know. We know that some of them are members of the Columbia
community. We don't know if all the people inside are or not.
Right here behind me is a rally that was called for 2:00 p.m. in support of the protesters. That is happening, Paula, because the university has said
that the people that are inside will face expulsion. Now first there were some measures being floated as what would happen to this, first staging
that encampment that was at Columbia for the past two weeks, and then that got moved into this building, Hamilton Hall.
Now, of course, the question is, will the university bring again the New York Police Department as they did a couple of weeks ago to help to remove
these students from this private property, right? This is a private university. They have every right to get people to leave their property.
Want to show you, I am a Columbia student. I have my I.D. here. There's a line that you have to go through if you want to get in. Not everyone can
get in. You can only get in to campus now if you live on campus or if you are an essential staff member. So it's really just a few people coming out.
This is the only entrance. This the only entrance and now you're seeing blocked by a protest.
I'm not sure what things look like on the outside. But definitely a difficult situation. Anyone who wants to come in, I believe that
(INAUDIBLE) in solidarity with these protesters. But it has also been difficult to have people, you know, who can't come in (INAUDIBLE). And
these students understand that, Paula. They can't (INAUDIBLE) how this moving forward without getting (INAUDIBLE).
[16:45:05]
NEWTON: Right. Exactly. As you said, you also have commencement that is supposed to happen in just a few weeks there.
Julia, really good to have you on the ground as we continue to follow the developments there at Columbia University. Appreciate it.
Now, all of this, of course, connected to what's going on in the Middle East, and the U.S. secretary of state is in Tel Aviv at this hour. Antony
Blinken is touring the region to promote a proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But the threat of a major Israeli operation in southern
Gaza hangs over all of the diplomacy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will enter Rafah, quote, "with or without a deal."
Here's CNN's Jeremy Diamond with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Israeli officials are awaiting Hamas' response to the latest ceasefire and hostage deal proposal. But as
they are doing that, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing that Israeli forces will enter Rafah one way or the other. He says
with or without a deal, Israeli forces will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there.
Now he is the Israeli prime minister, his words should certainly be taken with the seriousness that they require, but they should also be taken with
a grain of salt and viewed through the lens in which they were delivered. And that is certainly a political lens, one that is -- words that are
intended for a domestic political audience as the Israeli prime minister tries to ensure that his right flank in his current government sticks with
him.
But there's no question that this is bluster in part and that's because in speaking privately with Israeli officials, it's very clear that a hostage
deal would indeed a prevent or at least delay a significant Israeli ground operation in Rafah. If there is a hostage deal, that means that there will
be a ceasefire on the ground and that means that Israeli forces will not for at least some time enter Rafah. And there's no question that the
possibility of that Rafah offensive is weighing very heavily on these negotiations, weighing very heavily on this latest Egyptian framework,
which could see some 20 to 33 Israeli hostages released over several weeks, weeks of pause in the fighting and potentially even a longer-term ceasefire
for at least one year.
But now the question is, what will Hamas' response be? Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has received this proposal over the course of the last
few days, and he's been reviewing it and his response could come as early as today, perhaps tomorrow, but there's no question that that response will
be critical to determining whether or not a hostage deal, a ceasefire, will be possible in the coming weeks, or whether instead Israeli forces will
begin evacuating civilians from Rafah and then moving troops in.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Amazon's first quarter earnings are out. Its CEO says the company had, quote, "a good start to the year." We will break down all the numbers
for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:50:38]
NEWTON: So we continue to follow the turmoil in Tbilisi, Georgia this hour. Those are live pictures right now. We have seen large groups of protesters
face off against police outside parliament. And we have also seen police use water cannons and Reuters reports they used tear gas to try and
disperse the crowds.
You're seeing the video there from earlier. Opposition protesters are angry over the so-called foreign agents bill, which is getting a second reading
in parliament now. Critics say the bill would hurt Georgia's bid to join the European Union. There have been repeated protests over the draft
legislation. And we will continue to follow that story for you.
Now Amazon released its first quarter earnings just minutes ago after the closing bell on Wall Street. It reported a 13 percent jump in sales
compared to the same period last year. Its shares are up more than 2 percent in after-hours trading after closing lower.
In fact, Nathaniel Meyersohn has been following all of this.
I actually had a look at the earnings and I thought that's what was really impressive here. What more did you see in the numbers?
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, so Amazon certainly is not just an online retailer anymore, but it's showing really
strong growth in its Cloud business and also the advertising business. That's what investors are really focused on, not just the retail sales, but
the growth in advertising, about 24 percent growth in advertising. So Amazon are just -- is in all of these different places in our lives,
everything from shopping to streaming.
We're going to be seeing more moves from Amazon in streaming and entertainment. So investors are going to be looking at that closely. Also,
Amazon has been trying to increase the speed of delivery. So you're seeing more one-day delivery. So all these different factors are leading to this
rise in Amazon stock prize. And it's a positive sign both for the economy and also the tech sector after kind of a difficult couple of years here.
NEWTON: Yes, we'll certainly wait to see what the guidance they give us on their AI investments because that's been tripping up as some companies as
well.
Nathaniel, I want to ask you about McDonald's. They reported it was a miss, but also their guidance was kind of spotty.
MEYERSOHN: Yes, Paula. So a bit of a different picture for McDonald's than Amazon. McDonald's really targeting middle income and lower income
customers, particularly in the United States. And that's the customers that are feeling the squeeze from inflation and higher prices we've seen in the
past few years. And McDonald's has been hammered, as you and I have talked about, on social media for some of the higher prices that we've seen for
Big Macs and fries.
You know, these viral videos have really dented McDonald's reputation for low prices. So if you listen to the analyst call today, the CEO basically
was talking about trying to provide value for customers. One analyst's funny tweet said, all he was basically talking about was value, value,
value, and bigger burgers. And so that's how McDonald's is trying to lure back customers. More promotions, more deals, and maybe some bigger Big
Macs. But certainly a challenging environment for McDonald's right now.
NEWTON: Yes. I mean, look, sticker shock, right? Some people went out with an $80 bill to take -- a family of four out to dinner. That is not what my
generation expects from McDonald's.
Nathaniel, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
Now people in Paris are struggling with higher rent and a tight housing market. The city is trying to address the problem with more rent controlled
and government owned housing.
Melissa Bell takes a look from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The view is second to none, the location as central as they get. But this rent-
controlled apartment is now Catherine's for just $800 a month.
CATHERINE CORTINOVIS, LA SAMARITAINE RESIDENT (through text translation): Welcome. The first time I saw it, I was so emotional that I burst into
tears.
BELL: And this is the building she was able to move into. Reopened amid great pomp in 2021 after some 16 years of renovation, the Samaritaine is
one of the French capital's most iconic spots for luxury shopping and dining, not to mention its five-star hotel. But the Samaritaine was also
obliged, as part of its reconstruction, to include 96 apartments for the city of Paris to let at modest rates.
[16:55:01]
JACQUES BAUDRIER, DEPUTY MAYOR OF PARIS IN CHARGE OF HOUSING: If we will let the market act, we will have only empty houses, second homes for
foreigners or rich French people. If you want Paris to stay a living city with people inhabiting in the city, you must develop a lot of social
holdings.
BELL: Across Europe, there's a danger of cities turning to museums and ordinary people being pushed out. But here in Paris, there's the added
particularity that this was a city entirely redesigned in the mid-19th century. And that's exactly what gives it its beauty, but also what makes
it difficult for the city to adapt to the needs of the 21st century.
(Voice-over): All the more so that in the 20th century, social housing was built on the outskirts, in the so-called banlieue, where occasionally top
architects were hired to design vast social housing and sometimes grand projects, like the Espaces d'Abraxas estate that was built in the early
1980s. But for all their occasional grandeur, estates like these were kept at arm's length of the chic streets of central Paris, which meant long
commutes for those who lived there.
Then, in 2001, Paris's town hall was won by the left.
IAN BROSSAT, COMMUNIST PARTY SENATOR (through text translation): Our objective is social mixing and avoiding making ghettos. Avoiding ghettos
for poor people, avoiding ghettos for rich people. And therefore prioritizing social housing where there is not enough.
BELL: Private Parisian owners, wary of lowering house values, were, says Ian Brossat, just one of the hurdles that Paris's town hall had to
overcome. In fact, the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Paris has more than doubled these last 20 years and nearly tripled in some areas
for two-bedroom homes, which, in turn, has made centrally located social housing all the more important. Already, it is one in nine Parisians that
benefits.
People like Zina, whose place in the Samaritaine development allows her to live close to the central Paris hospital where she works.
ZINA HADJAB, LA SAMARITAINE RESIDENT (through text translation): As they say, it's an open-air museum, it's pleasant. It's really a good place to
live.
BELL: An open-air museum that is now seeking to help those who keep its schools and hospitals running to be able to benefit from them, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: That for more, Melissa Bell.
Now cannabis stocks jumped this afternoon after reports the Biden administration was planning to ease federal marijuana restrictions.
AdvisorShares' pure U.S. cannabis shot up 25 percent. Look at that. However, U.S. stocks snap to five-month win streak. Markets slid across the
board. This comes as hotter-than-expected labor data raises new concerns about rate cuts.
I also want to remind you that we do have a Fed meeting coming up this week and that is also giving the market some jitters.
That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Paula Newton in New York. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: -- 90 years, the United States, not Biden. Leading this hour a bombshell interview from former president Donald Trump just
dropped in "TIME" magazine's cover story called, "If He Wins." It features a wide-ranging interview where Donald Trump tells the reporter and us in
his own words what a second term could look like should he win his bid to retake the White House. In just a moment, the editor behind the interview
joins THE LEAD.
END
