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CNN Live Event/Special

Biden Speaks On Rise In Antisemitism At Holocaust Remembrance Event; Biden: There Is No Place In America For Antisemitism; Biden: Antisemitic Acts Are "Despicable" And "Must Stop"; Stormy Daniels Testifying In Trump Hush Money Trial; Stormy Daniels Testifies About Meeting Karen McDougal; Stormy Daniels Testifies About Alleged Sexual Encounter With Trump. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired May 07, 2024 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We know hate never goes away, it only hides. Given little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks. We also know what stops hate. One thing, all of us the. The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time.

Together, we cannot continue to let that happen. We have to remember our basic principle as a nation. we have an obligation. We have an obligation to learn the lessons of history. So don't surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate, no safe harbor against anyone, anyone. The very founding -- our very founding Jewish Americans represented only about 2 percent of the U.S. population, have held the cause of freedom for everyone on our nation.

From that experience, we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy. So, moments like this have to put these principles are we talking about into action. I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world.

In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate, disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard. I understand, that's America. But there is no place on any campus in America or any place in America for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind.

Whether against Jews or anyone else, violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It's against the law. And we're not a lawless country. We're a civil society. We uphold the rule of law. And no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves.

To the Jewish community and they want you to know, I see your fear, your hurt and your pain. Let me reassure you as your president, you're not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will. And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages. Just we have free hostages already and we'll not rest until we bring them all home. My administration with our second gentleman's leadership has launched our nation's first national security strategy to counter antisemitism. That's mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish community.

But we know it's not the work of government alone, or Jews alone. That's why I'm calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms. My dear friend and he became a friend, the late Elie Wiesel said, quote, one person of integrity can make a difference. You have to remember that now more than ever.

Here in the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol, among the towering statues of history is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg. Born in Sweden, as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War II, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City panelists but determined to turn his pain into purpose. Along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor. He became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very capital on the status of the first term Senator.

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That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos. And that Senator was me. Tom and his wife and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survive ever elected to Congress for became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world. Tom never met Raoul who was taken prisoner by the soviets never to be heard from again.

But through Tom's efforts, Raoul busters here in the Capitol. He was also given honor of U.S. citizenship, only the second person ever after Winston Churchill. The Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located in a row -- in Raoul's name. The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate and this ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution, to find hope, purpose and meaning in life. We try to live and share with one another.

That store endures. Let me close with this. I know these days of remembrance fall on difficult times. We all do well to remember these days but also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage. A heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life. Today, great American, great Jewish American named Tom Lantos used the phrase, the veneer of civilization is paper thin.

We are its guardians, and we can never rest. My fellow Americans, we must, we must be those guardians. We must never rest. Let's rise against hate, made across the divide. See our common humanity. And God bless the victims and survivors who show would. And the resilient hearts, the courageous spirit and eternal flame of faith to the Jewish people forever shine their light on America and around the world. Pray God. Thank you all.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: President Biden on Capitol Hill, giving an address about the unacceptability of antisemitism on college campuses and throughout the United States. He said that people already seem to be forgetting what happened on October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked and killed more than 1200 Israelis and kidnapped 200 plus more.

He said Hamas unleashed this terror and they continue to hold hostages. He decried the ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world, talking about how the propaganda against Jews has caused many to hide who they are hiding their Jewish stars, hiding the Yom Hashoah were under baseball hats.

He said there was no place for scapegoating and demonizing of any minority in America for hate speech or violence of any kind. And then he told a personal anecdote about a Holocaust survivor who went on to work on his staff and then become a Congressman, I believe from the state of California, Tom Lantos -- Congressman Tom Lantos.

And this is the second time that he has addressed antisemitism on college campuses in the last week, Dana Bash. Although to be honest, we've seen it since October 7th or 8th this unleashing of antisemitism on college campuses and around the world.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST & CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And this was specifically to mark the -- what is known as Yom Hashoah, the day of remembrance about the Holocaust, which was officially yesterday. And it was really striking the way that the president did not shy away leaned into lessons from the Holocaust, connecting to the rise in antisemitism that he is seeing in the country that he is president of right now. He said, quote, the Holocaust was not inevitable. He said that hate hides. And if you give it oxygen it continues. But we will stop it.

The other thing that I think that is -- many things that he said were really noteworthy. Remember why he said he ran for president because of what he saw in Charlottesville. When you heard the people and watch the people with tiki torches saying, the Jews will not replace us. That comes from the replacement theory. It is a conspiracy theory. It's hate that comes from the right.

What he clearly was addressing today was something that is coming from the progressive left in his party as part of -- that is popping up inside these protests. And when he said the Jewish committee, I want you to know, I see your fear, your hurt and your pain, you're not alone. That will go a long way.

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TAPPER: So, the trial of course of Donald Trump is continuing, and we're going to continue to talk about the speech the President Biden gave. But because the trial is continuing, we are going to continue to bring you updates from the trial right here in this box on your screen. And we will go back to coverage of the trial in just a second.

Kasie Hunt, one of the things that has been so surprising. You went to American or G.W.?

KASIE HUNT, CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST.: George Washington.

TAPPER: You went to G.W. So, on your campus, G.W. has been the site where there have been so many protests and so many outsiders joining the protests that the president of G.W. has asked for help. That's one of the things that happens. I think there are very few people in this country who would say that college students don't have a right to protest. And if they see injustice in Gaza, they're certainly not alone.

But one of the questions is, how are people protesting? Are they protesting in such a way, so as to create a climate of fear or hatred on their own campus against a different group in the name of social justice?

HUNT: Yes. And you know, I will say, there are quite a few. There's a sizable Jewish population at George Washington University, for example, where I attended. And I remember it was a very -- I'm not Jewish, but it was a very enriching part of my experience at G.W. And so it made it particularly stunning to see in particular a photo that came off the campus that had, you know, someone was carrying that said, final solution on it, which was obviously alluding to the Holocaust.

And to what -- some people are calling for today that President Biden clearly was stepping out and trying to say, you know, no, this is not acceptable. Now, there was someone who appeared to be closer to the age of most of the students at G.W. than the person who's carrying that photo and he wasn't holding his sign up. It said something along the lines of, you know, Jewish students for peace, right.

There are certainly elements on these college campuses that are, you know, protesting and trying to advocate for children in Gaza in an entirely appropriate way.

TAPPER: Probably, most of them.

HUNT: Most of the students I don't doubt that. But I think what you heard from the president today, I am actually interested to see -- you know, we spoke with Congressman Jake Auchincloss on my show this morning. And he had a pretty strong message for the president. He said, don't try to both sides this, call out what is going on the left. And I think that that's kind of what you saw clearly from President Biden today. I am interested to see how it's -- how it is received in the party.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's critical that he didn't both sides it, also because big picture 30,000 feet. This has a political cost for him with the left of his party, with people who might support him. You've had Congresswoman Debbie Dingell from Michigan. I think on both of your shows. There is a real concern that in battleground states. This could make a difference for Joe Biden coming in November.

HUNT: I mean, I'm not sure calling out antisemitism has a political cost. I don't think it's sure.

GANGEL: I'm saying weighing in any way on this issue.

TAPPER: Yeah. So, let's toss it back to Anderson. Obviously, a trial of a former president is also huge news. Anderson?

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Stormy Daniels is continuing her testimony. Dana says that Trump asked her if she had planned that night. This is another time that they met at an event that Donald Trump had invited her too. She said -- she said she lied and said she and her friends were flying out on a girls trip that night.

What she is testifying about is basically a continued effort. She says on her part in interest to potentially beyond the apprentice, something that she said its own Trump kind of dangled in front of her at -- in that hotel room before they had sex.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. She's laying out why she continued that relationship after this encounter that she describes. Now at this point, this is January 2007. And Daniels said --

COOPER: Daniels said, she was in --

REID: Yeah. She was in New York City for something else at the time and she didn't fly to New York just to meet Trump. And she explains that she continued meeting Trump because there was that possibility of being on The Apprentice.

Now she says, she invited Trump to come to a show where she was performing. It was a public place. Lots of witnesses. And she repeatedly emphasizes how the subsequent meetings with Trump were all in public places. And the defense team does not like that.

They continue to object -- there you go Necheles' objective. The judge sustained it to any insinuation that she was in any way pressured into the sexual encounter or in -- she was in any way unsafe.

But then it's also notable that the defendant here Trump, he has been actively involved in this direct examination. Daniels says, when she arrived at Trump Tower, she met with Rhona -- Rhona Graff, of course testified. And that she and her assistant were brought into Trump's office.

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Trump though, he has been directing his lawyers to make objections, really like tapping or whacking one of his attorneys Susan Necheles interrupt. He's been far more involved in this direct examination than any other witness.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: There were a lot of objections during the actual description of the sexual encounter.

COOPER: I also want to bring in Ronan Farrow, contributing writer to The New Yorker and author of the book Catch and Kill. And Ronan, as you no doubt know. I may be interrupting with updates from the court. The meeting was ready fast.

She said Trump told her again. I'm still working on The Apprentice thing. I got some pushback -- I pushed back. She recalls. Later he will call her and tell her according to her prior interviews that he says, it's a no-go Daniels and resistance of self in his office when he left the room. At one point, he said, what do you make of Stormy Daniels testimony thus far?

RONAN FARROW, CONTRIBUTING WRITER, THE NEW YORKER & AUTHOR, "CATCH AND KILL: Well, it's important to note that she really can't make or break the case in terms of the underlying charges. She doesn't have any knowledge of the cover up that happened with Michael Cohen. And the salacious details we're hearing today that prosecutors no doubt are very happy to get in. Don't really go to the core of what the case is about.

Now what she can establish for prosecutors is the context of when the payments that were allegedly covered up happened. Donald Trump through Michael Cohen seem to not want to pay her initially before the election. There was a series of delays. And then finally, her lawyer, who I also interviewed for Catch and Kill actually objected and threatened that she was going to go public.

And then in haste, Michael Cohen sets up this shell company and Pacer. So, getting that piece of context that this all happened in an electoral charged environment. And with an intent that was related to getting him in office without this knows -- this news opening up wide. That's going to help prosecutors.

COOPER: Daniels, while you were talking about and testified that Trump had left tickets for her, it will call at a pageant event. She's also just saying now that she met again with Trump in the summer of 2007 in Los Angeles, which if my memory serves me, correct. And she says was meeting in a hotel room, where they ended up watching television, I believe it was Shark Week that the Donald Trump was watching. And I think that's what she's about to testify to.

How hard -- I mean, just running -- you're not just a journalist, you're also an -- you're a lawyer as well. If you were the defense here, how would you approach Stormy Daniels because clearly, their client is very eager for them to be objecting over the last 10 or 15 minutes.

FARROW: And I think they're struggling with that very question, Anderson. Actually, before the trial commenced today, Trump posted on Truth Social an outrage statement saying, he had just learned who the witness today was going to be. And his legal team didn't have time to prepare. And this was terribly unfair.

So, I think this does go to a potential appeals process where Trump and his attorneys claim that the trial and the approach to it by prosecutors was prejudicial. I doubt they'll have much prospect of success in that. Stormy Daniels is at the heart of this case. She can speak to the intent of these transactions. She can speak to the electoral timing. She is also someone, you know, who has a history of engaging in these kinds of deals, right? She signed on to this NDA initially before -- later challenging it. And I think that her general professional background and those facts about what she was willing to do in the context of this deal that might be thrown at her. I think that there's going to be an effort almost certainly to impeach her credibility here.

COOPER: In future as you know -- what a possible extortionist in future because she did sign documents saying that there was no hush money paid.

FARROW: She signed these documents before later challenging that in court. She was someone who was actively trying to sell this story. So, all of the things that actually somewhat impeach Donald Trump's credibility on this matter that he was orchestrating this deal behind the scenes can also potentially be thrown at her.

COOPER: She's now saying at this meeting, that he kept trying to make sexual advances, putting his hand on my legs, scooting closer, giving me compliments. Daniels said, adding that she told Trump, I was on my period, end quote.

You know, there had been some question of whether Karen McDougal would be called in to testify. Daniels went to be trumpet, his bungalow, the hotel while her boyfriend waited outside. She said clearly, it seems like they are now past bringing Karen McDougal.

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FARROW: It does seem to be that they've moved on from the important foundational context of the scheme with AMI and the intent to have a series of stories caught and killed and suppress during the election. And now they're going into the heart of the matter, which is much more related to these payments to Stormy, and whether they were covered up.

I do think Karen's story remains at the heart of this. And the pieces of evidence about that that have been led in. Remember, the lawyer that represented both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that has already testified in this case. So, all of those facts about Karen's role in this remain pretty salient.

And in terms of the wider context, these pieces of information that are somewhat salacious about how Donald Trump behaves with women in these contexts that are being led in and that Trump's team is clearly unhappy with clearly finds prejudicial to the jury. There is a commonality there too.

I mean, the prosecutors are incidentally to their main case, going out of their way to paint a picture of Donald Trump as someone who verges on the coercive in these interactions with women, you know, and their testimony just now. Stormy Daniels talked about emerging from a bathroom and being sort of shocked to find Donald Trump on the bed. You know, and not being sort of wholehearted and wanting to go all the way through with the sexual encounter, but then doing it anyway. And then it being brief and sort of unsatisfactory.

These are all details that line up with Karen McDougal's account of her affair with Donald Trump. And it is salacious stuff and it's not totally relevant to the charges, and doubtless his attorneys are going to push back on that basis. But this is all character information that the jury is absorbing, and it does paint a cohesive picture.

COOPER: Ronan Farrow, good to talk to you. Thank you so much. Daniels has been talking -- saying that -- Daniels said, Trump (inaudible) should be mad that Jenna Jameson and other adult film actress had been on The Apprentice. Daniels says, I didn't care.

She said that -- basically she had the meeting of the bungalow that Trump had made advancers to her there. She declined. She still was interested in being on The Apprentice. And eventually she says that he called him and said that NBC wouldn't allow it. That was the last time she spoke to Trump when Trump called her out Jenna Jameson.

Prosecutor has also gotten Daniels to say that -- to point out that many of these encounters, there were other people that hearing on speakerphone. There were other people present. And it didn't seem like Trump was trying to keep this secret. Daniels describes her life from then on and it's awesome and said, she had horses and bought a house in -- bought a house. Daniels was talking about becoming a nationally ranked equestrian rider from attorney objected. But Judge Merchan said that he would allow this.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: You know, it is interesting by getting the testimony about the fact that Trump never seemed to want to keep it a secret back in 2007 and the years after. It seems to be establishing a predicate for all of a sudden in 2016, he cared a lot about keeping it a secret. It gets the idea that was the election at the base of it.

REID: Yeah. That's a really great point. And here this is the end of Act One. We learned about the encounter, the extent of their relationship, and then it ends. Now it is likely that the half hour they have before the lunch break, prosecutors are going to start to ask her about what happened in the next eight years from 2008, where she says she ended any contact with Trump. Her life was awesome. Two, when they get this hush money.

Now she's describing how she ended up doing an interview in touch. Notably, Trump is apparently yawning. She was supposed to be paid, she said $15,000 for this article.

COOPER: And publicly what has been said before is that in touch contacted the Trump Organization and trying to get some sort of a comment. And Michael Cohen had threatened the in touch with a lawsuit and that article is going to republish. We'll see exactly how she testifies to this on the stand in touch and ever ran the story in 2011.

BERMAN: A lot of what we've seen over the last half hour where President Biden was speaking, and other things were going on is the defense objecting to different things in touch never ran the story in 2011. The defense has been objecting to moments where Stormy Daniels seems to suggest, oh, she felt safe in certain situations with Donald Trump because other people around.

The defense objective mostly getting sustained in that case. The jury has heard a lot of it, which might just play to some of their sensitivities about how -- sometimes women deal with men in powerful positions right there. But there have been objections, objections that had been sustained.

There have also been some touch points that have been in part of the testimony. This has to do Keith Schiller, for instance, to be able to see the photograph of her iPhone contact for Keith Schiller. To be reminded that chronograph Donald Trump's assistance has a Stormy Daniels contact in her contact list. These are pieces that are now in evidence and the prosecution seems to be trying to bring Stormy Daniels back to these concrete facts that have already been submitted.

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COOPER: It's interesting. Obviously, the idea of her being paid $15,000 in 2011 for a story about having a liaison with Trump. The prosecutor is asking to approach, and attorneys are at the bench. Right now, Trump is speaking with Attorney Emil Bove. $15,000 a relatively low amount. It would ultimately be the $130,000 or 150,000 with from Michael Cohen.

REID: Yeah, 130. And it was always 150 for Karen McDougal. So, it's interesting. But I think that the judge is getting frustrated here, right. We're deep in the weeds on her, trying on a Super Bowl ring on where she met him. What she was doing, her horses. The judge has admonished them several times and ask them to move this along, so that they can continue to get through her story.

But I think she's come across as credible. unclear if the jury finds her as charming as I think she had hoped because she's laughing a lot. They're not laughing back. But her story, the details that prosecutors have gotten out of her through, they're questioning the narrative that she has put forth. It does come across as credible. If she hasn't given the jury any reason not to believe her story so far.

COOPER: It's going to be very interesting to hear from the reporters in the courtroom, just some of the atmospherics that can't really be portrayed, you know, in quick text messages to us on the outside. How the juror -- individual jurors were reacting or watching how engaged they felt. When you're in the courtroom, there is a lot -- I mean, you know, it's human beings in a small room interacting. And so there are things which you can't get over text.

REID: Yeah, absolutely. And when you're talking about such sensitive things, right, this woman being on her period, right. The objection to missionary position. Everyone in that box comes from a different walk of life, they're all going to have a different reaction. But what's important is that they're listening to the facts that she's putting forward, paying attention to the exhibits, and following along as prosecutors try to walk her, particularly through October 2016, and try to get this small building block for their case.

BERMAN: It is interesting. They are approaching part of the testimony now that is perhaps the legally -- most significant legally, which has to do with how she was paid by Michael Cohen. Also, some of the more problematic testimony for the prosecution. Why did you deny that this sexual encounter happened? Why did you sign these documents?

I'm beginning to feel a little bit like what the prosecution is trying to do is stretch, as we say, in the television business, stretch until the lunch break. Let's stay on this theme that we're at right now. We'll deal with the difficult stuff after lunch, so the jury can sit on this moment that we've established while they're eating.

REID: Yeah, hopefully. I'm sure they're hoping. I think we talked about this earlier. Tomorrow, there's no court. I'm sure they'd love to leave their narrative, their director of Stormy Daniels in the minds of the jurors throughout that off day and wait until Thursday to offer it up to the defendants.

COOPER: And I'm just worried again what Stormy Daniels told me back in 2018 about why she signed a release, saying that I'm not denying this affair because I was hitting hush money. I'm denying because it never happened. She said, she acknowledged that was untruthful. She said, she signed it because they made it sound like I had no choice. I said to her no one was putting a gun to your head. She said not physical violence, no.

I said you thought there would be some legal repercussions if you didn't sign it. Correct. The exact sentence she said, use was that they can make -- they can make their life hell in many different ways. She didn't specify exactly who was. I was asking did that implied Michael Cohen? And she said yes.

At the time, Karen Friedman Agnifilo was also been watching along. The prosecution is continuing. Karen, I'm wondering what you make of what we've heard over the last hour or so? Daniels says, she was approached in the parking lot of a shopping center. When she was with her infant. This is a -- she's -- a story she has told me in 2018. She claims she was threatened by somebody in this parking lot. Karen?

KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, this is really the effort for the prosecution to bring out all the details of their various encounters in the relationship. Trump has denied any relationship whatsoever. But this is a long term. They talk on the phone a lot. They would see each other a bunch of times. They only had sex one time. But there were a lot of detail. That's what struck me about her testimony. I also thought it was interesting that the defense is trying really hard to keep --

COOPER: By the way, Karen, Karen McDougal -- Stormy Daniels is saying that on the stand, somebody approached her in this parking lot. He approached me and threatened me not to tell the story about who the prosecutor asked about my encounter with Mr. Trump, Daniels says. Sorry, go ahead, Karen.

FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO: Yeah. So that's her explaining why it is that she was afraid and why she denied it. And she's told that story before. But the reason prosecutors are eliciting such level of detail about everything, including that encounter is to show that it's true. Things like, she remembers the furniture, she remembers what floor the hotel room was on, she remembers the location that something happened.