Transcripts For CNNW Erin 20240703

Just physically move people physically, remove them and take them to the transport vehicle. Chief ramsey, i appreciate your time. Nick watt as well the news continues right here on cnn outfront, next pecker in the hot seat a man who covered him for years is my guess why he says he will not hold back tomorrow. This is trump dares the judge to put them in jail. Plus propalestinian protests grow across the United States. I was on the campus of Columbia University today hey, i spoke with the embattled speaker of the house who was there. His message to the president of Columbia University as his job is on the line and move over moscow marjorie, because russia has a new favorite republican and we will unveil it for you tonight. Lets go out front good evening. Im Erin Burnett Outfront tonight. Not holding back. The man who covered david pecker is every move is boss of the National Enquirer tells out front the pecker is going to tell all tomorrow when hes back on the stand keith kelly, who covered pecker for decades for the New York Post says pecker will not be holding back. Hes my guest tonight, has a whole lot more to say about peckers testimony, and that testimony is going to include all the details about the Hush Money Payment to Stormy Daniels. Pecker will be asked about it in detail when hes back in Court Tomorrow morning remember pecker was the one who helped broker the deal between Michael Cohen, trumps fixer, and former attorney and Stormy Daniels. And this whole deal was about keeping daniels quiet about an alleged affair with trump here is the secret audio tape between Michael Cohen and trump himself i need to open up a company for the transfer of walter back info regarding our friend david so im going to do that right away. Ive actually come up. I spoke to me and ive spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up with so what we are funding. Yes and its all the stuff i mean, trump on tape. So what do we got to pay for this one 50 and our friend david, that theyre referring to is david pecker and tomorrow that friend because now i put that in quotes. Apparently theyre not speaking will be just feet away from trump speaking about daniels and all of these details. Meanwhile, daniels close friend told us exclusively that daniels is scared she said that the threats have been increasing and getting scarier just since the trial began, she told me so just in these past its few days, but she told me that Stormy Daniels is ready to testify if Call A Brinkmann Grass begins our Coverage Outfront live here in new york and brin, what more you learning about what we can expect here and just hours when court is back in session yeah, aaron, listen, you hit it right on the head. There. Were talking about david pecker. Amanda has been friends with Donald Trumps since the 80s, sitting right across from him in in this dan, just feet away from the former president as he stares him down, giving these dirty details about this catch and kill scheme in full detail. That is what we are expecting more for up tomorrow. And that all started of course, as weve learned from the testimony in august 20 when they made that deal between trump, Michael Cohen, and david pecker about being eyes and the ears of a campaign and how they were going to find the stories that were negative about trump are salacious about trump, bury them and promote stories that were positive ahead of that campaign. They went into detail about that Trump Tower Doorman who had a story about a woman who claimed that she fathered a child or he fathered a child of her and then before court wrapped up and david pecker was done for the day they got into the details of but another playboy playmate, Karen Mcdougal, who of course alleged affair a width down, donald trump going to the National Enquirer with her story in june of 20 16s. And really worrying trump according to a peckers testimony, so much so that Michael Cohen was badgering him for more information about exactly what Karen Mcdougal had on Donald Trumps. So thats where it left off. Off a very tense moment in the testimony by the prosecution that is where we are going to pick up and then likely very likely get into those details that you just talked about. Out with what happened with the Stormy Daniels incident. Now its very important to put this all into context, right . David pecker is a huge witness for this prosecution because again, trump has 34 charges of falsifying business records, right . Thats a misdemeanor. They need to connect the dots for jurors as to why this is a felony to cover up another their crime. David pecker is one of those witnesses. Hes also going to help corroborate another major witness. Of course, Michael Cohen. So theres a lot to get to you when court resumes tomorrow, in addition to that, were still of course, waiting to hear how the judge is going to rule on that gag order. We still dont know with that if theyre willing is going to come tomorrow or where but certainly a lot of details there tara, that were waiting for air. All right. Brand absolutely and of course that ruling could come at any time and our experts are all here with me, keith kelly, so no reporter covered david pecker longer than you have have covered him, former New York Post media columnist. So you know, this and you know him. He is set to take the stand again tomorrow and hes been granted immunity in exchange for this test. Some one, right . It wasnt that he wanted to be here necessarily, but hes gotten immunity. And you think that he wont hold back. All right. I think he will he will not hold back at all. He has nothing to lose now his Immunity Deal is basically he has to testify and Tell The Truth if he doesnt Tell The Truth, the deals off. So hes under the gun and its probably smiling inwardly that he is not in the same seat that found trump is in, or that Michael Cohen is in his testimony, he turned rat on then Michael Cohen and thats why Michael Cohen went to jail so it could have been just as easily them sweating pecker and he could have gone to jail. So so Everything Everything will come out i think everything he has nothing to hold back. Hes probably relieved that he can actually honestly Tell The Truth so jeremy, youve been inside the courtroom, right . So youve seen trump as pecker started the start testimony. Weve seen a bit up. Youve seen trump watching pecker, pecker watching trump, each of them watching the other one watch. I mean, youre really getting the dynamics and the Body Language here. So what is your sense about how they feel about each other guys have known each other for decades, were friends . Yeah. As much of a sense of the word is probably either one of them have friends. And now far from it the one there was really only one light moment in Court On Tuesday and that was when the prosecutor just steinglass, he asked david pecker two it basically identified donald trump, who is donald trump in the courtroom . Can you point at what what does he wearing . Any pointed to trump and he said, hes wearing a blue suit and that was the only time where we saw the present former president. He stood up, he sat up in his chair and he gave us smirk literally the only smile i saw him flash the entire day of that described a smirk i would say it was this mark. It was one of the faces he likes to give he was he trump was paying attention. I think, especially when david pecker took the stand on monday, trump was very focused on his testimony, i think on tuesday as its settled in and we listened him speak for hours. Trumps sort of dial back. He leaned back in his chair. He shuffled through his papers and i think he was a little less focus on every word that he was saying. Well, thats gonna be i mean, tomorrow is going to be a crucial de, what more do prosecutors need from david pecker right now, right. So hes done a tremendous job for them. The opening presentation and already in some Sense Corroborating what Michael Cohen will say down the line. But i think there are a couple of other pieces because of evidence that we know are probably coming. David pecker nose from a december conversation directly with donald trump and Michael Cohen. What the financial arrangement was because Michael Cohen wasnt being paid at the time and s picker to intervene and prevail upon the president elect at the time to pay him. So he knows about their conversation. And then theres a Big One Summer 2017, the president of the United States invites david pecker to his, to the white house to thank him for helping him on the campaign. Thats an important nexus because the entire theory of the cases that all of this hushmoney payments schemes were related to trying to win the election and theres the president from the meeting. Thank him for successfully doing what he is alleged to have done. Nothing like a meeting where you thank somebody for doing something. Else youve done. So joey. Okay. Now, you are looking at this from the defense side of things, given all of that then hes going to pecker is going to go under crossexamination by trumps team. So what are they going to do . They have to do a lot. Aaron. And heres why he gives them pecker. Does the conspiracy in the coverup thats the theory. The case speaking about the issues of the meeting and what was arranged at the meeting. And so you gotta go after him. The first thing youre going to do is to start with this nonprosecution agreement. So youre here sar because you have a deal. Is that correct . And that deal . Means that youre not going to be prosecuted and youre saying to Tell The Truth whose truth is that objection, but heres the reality. The reality is is that you have to hit them hard. He gave you and lets start here. He talks about how trump is so meticulous, how he monitors everything. What does that mean . It means that the defense saying he didnt know anything about ledgers, he didnt know anything about but in right through pecker. It shows he knows everything. You arent in those meetings. You dont know how he runs his organization, you dont know what he does with those ledge. You have to get them away from having knowledge in the organization in addition to that, you werent in meetings with Michael Cohen and mr. Trump, you dont know what trump said to him if anything, that is Michael Cohen with respect the conversations with you, whether he is acting on the loyalty fealty, et cetera, you have to go out them a bit. They may have been friends before, but now im not so sure they need to be friends now, im just looking here at our quote, when trump and cohen and theyre talking about it and trump says to cohen, so what do we got to pay for this one 50 i mean, there is the reality that you have lord i hope there are tapes. Jim comey okay so jerry george worked for the National Enquirer for nearly 30 years as the la bureau chief, he came on the show a few years ago. He has since passed away, but i want to play something he told us this is about trump and packer in their relationship. And he told us this all the way back in 2018, curious david pecker knows where the bodies are buried. David pecker knows all of the trumps stories that were, that were killed. All the story leads he, he pretty much, you knows the worst of president trumps personal life the implication there being that what the American Public knows is not anywhere near the worst and the context here, keith, if your name is Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels, trumps gone after you aggressively david, pecker is very curious that he has not attacked him and my theory is that he knows that pecker knows a lot more than hes disclosed. Right now. Hes disclosing Financial Transactions which he thinks he can explain away, but theres probably a lot more and thats gotta be the only reason trump would not attack them because he scared. He doesnt want to stir them up any further than he is. He thinks as long as he sticks to the basic numbers, facts his lawyers can dissuade. Hopefully in trumps view, the jury. But if he starts going in with much more salacious stuff which he may know and trump will know he knows that could be a lot worse picture for trump will put as an even more unsavory character if if he knows, what he feels, he knows that could could come out. I mean, that would certainly change both tenor of the situation jeremy interesting, trump hasnt gone after david pecker. There had been he had as part of this process, been critical of a juror or two, but the jurors in that room right now, he has not been. What is his demeanor like when the jurys in the room . You know it really is. I think different from what weve seen in past cases and even during some portions of this case and one of the things im going to watch for tomorrow is we could get the judges decision saying that he has violated that gag order. We dont know for sure the judge didnt give a timeline, but that could be what we get first thing in the morning and it will be very interesting to see if trump is as stoic as he was during that hearing is his lawyer was getting attack with some very difficult questions from the judge and that if that does come in the morning, thats going to set the day where we then go straight from him. Presumably losing on the gag order to then going into testimony about Karen Mcdougal and Stormy Daniels. And i think to this point, the first two days of this trial, he is not really reacted to win the jury is is there well see if that changes as the trial moves forward. Is there a risk for trump that david pecker does in any of these questionings come out and reveal new information about trumps personal life that would be very damaging i think its more that david pecker could reveal that to the public and trump is running a president ial campaign. I think he would have patrick probably told the prosecutors at this point, everything he knows for them to now come up with new information. Dont see that happening in the trial context, but he might know so much information about trumps life over multiple years. That is not necessarily related to this particular scheme or the 2016 election, but much more broadly, but that would be objectionable, right . Obviously new things start to be revealed that a damaging to trump that are not onpoint are relevant to the case. So defense is going to jump out of their chair for that. Right. And so but i do think you have to keep its really is interesting how dropped the tags everybody else, but the packers sort of not to this point, been assailed. If his testimony gets any more damaging than it is. Because he lays the entire foundation of the case. Maybe thatll change two. All right. Well, thank you very much. And these hours before court goes back into session, we do have some more Breaking News here. We have just learned that an Arizona Grand Jury has just indicted more than a dozen of trumps allies who are accused of trying to overturn the election in arizona. This is Significant Development and we have the breaking details on this. Were going to have that free with just as this is coming in for this break. Plus propalestinian protests growing across the United States on college campuses, students have been clashing with police on several today. I was at the campus Columbia University and i was there with the speaker of the house, mike johnson, who came to new york with a very specific message tonight. And the nikki haley factor so trumps got a hold on the gop nomination, right . Shes been off the ballot for what i mean once but guess what . 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Did not feeding when a jinx came out, i thought, oh, my god bob has a friend, expects Blind Loyalty turns out, when you have a whole lot of money people are willing to do things for you what do you do when your best friend and kills your other best friend rabbis reprises and surprises The Jin My Name Is Oluseyi and some of my favorite moments throughout my life are watching sports with my dad. Now, i work at comcast as part of the team that created our ai highlights technology, which uses ai to detect the major plays in a sports game. Giving millions of fans, like my dad and me, new ways of catching up on their favorite sport. Preferred better science, better results and we have Breaking News. Arizonas Attorney General has Just Announced multiple charges in connection to the 2020 Fake Electors scheme to try to help donald trump overturn the election in the crucial so state of arizona, which was of course, one by just over 10,000 votes among those charged the 11, eight alleged Fake Electors for trump. And heres the full the full indictment the theres others that we know here as they are serving these individuals. Some of these names are redacted, but we can figure out who some of them are are several others also indicted . They are, as i said, some of these names gonna be redacted until they have been served, but we can tell you because we are learning that Rudy Giuliani, mark meadows are among them, as well as other crucial names in the inner circle of trumps. So lets go straight to zachary cohn outside the Maricopa County Superior Courthouse breaking this. So zach just going through this. Look, im just going through the number of pages here 58 pages. Youve been able to go through this here literally as this is breaking, what else can you tell us about who is being charged and with what . Yeah. Like you said, look, the 11 Fake Electors from arizona that trump Fake Electors, they were all indicted. That includes kelly ward, who was the former hey, There Bogan Party here in arizona, along with her husband, michael ward. But more importantly, these names that are redacted were wondering more about who those people are. They include, as you mentioned, rudy the former personal attorney of donald trump, that includes former chief of staff, mark meadows, in it includes Boris Epshteyn, who is still a very close adviser, to donald trump. And in fact, sorts so told us and people close to trump told us that the reason bores epshteyn hasnt been seen with trump in new york, but he started his criminal trial. There is because of concerns of this looming indictment that come into fruition. Today. And so some of these defendants and some of these that youre naming boris obviously, Rudy Giuliani, mark meadows, their names are redacted in the version that we have now because i understand theres still actually in the process of serving them. So when i say this is breaking, its breaking to that level. Is there anything else you can tell us about some of these redacted names, which by the way are written. Some of them in the context of Unindicted Coconspirator. Number one was unwilling to accept that he lost the election, right . That unindicted Unindicted Coconspirator number one, obviously then is donald j. Trump . Right . Absolutely. And look, these are all individuals from the trump world, from the trump universe, the three weve identified so far are obviously very close to trump or worse were very close to trump at a certain time, especially when he was trying to overturn the 2020 election. And well learn more about these other redacted names. Probably about in the next few minutes here, but we are told that theyre all from that inner circle, from those people that were working in trumps orbit to help them overturn the 2020 election and look, this investigation here in arizona, its obviously coming years after those efforts were first exposed. But we always thought that it was really focused on the Fake Electors themselves, myself and Marshall Cohen have reported though in the last few months that the probe did seem to be expanding did seem to be looking into people who were connected to the Trump Campaign on a national level. And now we know that some of these names and this indictment are in that really that inner circle of orbits so well bring you more when we have it. But for now, we do know that some of these really close advisers to donald trump are included in this indictment. Zach, thank you very much. So as you get more and you go through this, please, were going to bring you back into this conversation because as i said, this 58 a Page Document were having a chance here to go through through it as we speak. So zach, well continue with that. Ryan goodman, joey jackson are back with me and were also now joined by former Trump White House lawyer ty cobb here with us in new york. All right, so were all just getting a chance to look through this here ryan, im just going through quickly nine Felony Counts but can we just just hone in here on this . Obviously, the Fake Electors in the state of arizona charged. Can we just hone in on this inner circle of trump page 20 . Im just gonna hold up for everyone to see all these black marks are redacted names but some of these names are include mark meadows, Rudy Giuliani, bosch, epstein, and what else can you tell . So i think whats incredible here is that donald trump is Unindicted Coconspirator number one, unindicted, yet his to alter egos, mark meadows, who was his chief of staff, and Rudy Giuliani, his personal attorney are indicted so how is It Explicative will that that donald trump is not indicted . I think thats the key question just to take a page from the federal indictment which identifies Rudy Giuliani running with donald trump in arizona to overturn the popular vote. Puppet of the federal indictment says giuliani trump quote, made knowingly false claims of Election Fraud aimed at interfering with the ascertainment and voting by arizonas electors, end quote, when theyre on the call with rusty bowers, the republican head of the Arizona Legislature. Rudy giuliani, as a coconspirator of donald trump. But here in the arizona indictment donald trump is left out. Thats a huge question. Hi, what do you make of that . I mean, its very clear here, page 21, Unindicted Coconspirator number one, right can i just read the description here . A former president of the United States who spread false claims of Election Fraud following the 2020 election. Theres a jeopardy question, right sorry yeah. Who is Unindicted Coconspirator number one, what do you make of that so i think the distinction may be having not had sufficient time to be certain to this, but i think the distinction may be people who actually acted in arizona. I think as i review it, it appears that giuliani was active in organizing the Fake Electors, worked with kelly ward. I think the same thing is true of the other people who were indicted in conversations meadows. And juliana and trump. So eastman is Unindicted Coconspirator number four as that seems to be, there are there are five Unindicted Coconspirators youre saying for you think is clearly eastern. I think four is clearly usemin. And but those are people who didnt conduct the electric scheme on the ground or organize it in a way actively in arizona, they were people who were above the above that phrase, giuliani, was there actually taking action . Same thing with meadows in terms of coordination. So i think thats this is the distinction. All right. So joey, im just going through this nine Felony Counts, as i said, and this is just to give the Summary Conspiracy fraudulent schemes, fraudulent schemes, forgery, forgery, forgery, forgery, forgery forgery problematic. Let me be prosecuted before im defense right now, the issue from the prosecutions of perspective and people at home is saying, look, whether you acted on the ground or not, if you were a mastermind of an enterprise, it doesnt matter where you are. The issue is to what extent were you involved . To what extent did you aid abet or do any activity that might further the interests of forgery. Forgery, et cetera. As you say, yeah, i think people are wondering, well, why isnt everyone accountable prosecutor, prosecutors have a great deal of discretion, right . And so prosecutors going to do what they feel is in the best interests to secure the indictment. They secure, but its a fair question as to why these unindicted people are not actually indicted. Now now, from a defense perspective, you know, aaron and you have to get into the realm of politics, even in law, because its become so political, you know, what trumps gonna say who is the Attorney General, democrat or republican, democrat . Why did it take so long to do this . Shes going to say because i came after a person who was in office for two germs who did nothing thanks. But you can look to this to be attack on political grounds as the basis for which its moving forward. I guarantee you thats what all the news reports are going to be. It was because of this democratic Attorney General at lacks evidence at lacks information, et cetera. The proof will be in the specific details of and i know we are literally trying to as were talking, sort of skim through this but what im noticing already, ryan just going through it here, that there are a lot of Text Messages and other corroborating data, just even going through this in terms of some of the allegations . Yes. What one would call proof . Absolutely. In some of it actually spilled out into the New York Times earlier. So they actually had a lot of the written communications in which some of the arizona players referred to the alternative electors as Fake Electors. And then they citrix or there maybe thats not the best term that we should use for. Theyre also going to try to hide the information about the false electors until january 6 and then spring bring it on congress, which is not the way you go about submitting your electors slate to congress if it was legitimate operation so that internal documentation is damning. When now were getting into a prosecution setting. And i think thats gonna be very important. It actually does set aside arizonas different than other states because i think the evidence is just much stronger here. For the prosecutor. I mean, it is it is very, very laid out. So tie when you go through nine Felony Counts, the allegations, can you just lay out a significance of that . What what actually what does that mean in terms of what these people would, these people who are being charged, what would be repercussions of conviction be the repercussion is a conviction i think are very sir. Is i think that thats highly likely that jail time is on the table for some of these people i think particularly those who were at the head of the table in terms of Organizing This getting the scheme off um, could could be subjected to jail time. I do think the nine counts actually as a former prosecutor, i view that as good prosecuting. I mean, i think you see these 34 count indictment like we havent youre saying you see nine is narrow . Yeah, i see nine is focused. I mean, its keep in mind this is a 14 month investigation and the Arizona Attorney general, who is going to get criticized for this course. But shes a serious lawyer and this is as far as i can tell if having gone through, this looks pretty well organized and approval. Proof will be in actual trial. But the way the indictment is laid out, its its carefully crafted and seems to be very serious document. And aaron, just in terms of ties point, which is a very good one, of course, as it relates to what prosecutors do. They charge these multiple indictments, right. And the issue with that is any one ill do if you get one conviction as it relates to a multiple indicted case youre a winner and really the offense, it really depends upon what youve been convicted of, but some of these sentences, are quite significant. And so when you have a multi count indictment, it really enhances the exposure of the individuals who were indicted. All right, so now lets just talk about, i guess first take a step back. Unindicted coconspirator number one, donald ill j. Trump, former president of the United States. What happens when you get a conviction to Unindicted Coconspirator number one, when it is legally nothing legally nothing yeah, legal. And the only other point maybe make here is just to remind everybody this is a State Prosecution of state crimes. If donald trump is elected president , he cant do anything about it. He can pardon these people because thats only about federal crimes. He cannot quash the investigation because thats only about the justice department, not about state Law Enforcement authorities. So hes just left out there as Unindicted Coconspirator. And then these folks might be left holding the bag i would say theres theres an interesting nuance point here too, because you get the forgery, forgery, forgery. Keep in mind that in the 15, 12 see discussion before the Supreme Court, the issue is evidentiary interference as opposed to just any obstruction. So the forgery is actually highlight the strength of jack smiths case because that is evidenced those forgeries are evidence and interference are obstruction in that manner is will be actionable no matter what the Supreme Court decides. All right. So theres also the i guess thats just compare this now because when you bring up that trump would be able to pardon, et cetera, right. And the other case that were talking about is georgia, right. Which i know is perceived as a strong case and has had a lot of challenges just to maybe in terms of Public Perception because of the whole embroiled with fani willis how does this stand up to that . Obviously trump is not in this one in the same way. But how would you compare the cases . I think this is this is a laser and not a kitchen sink. And that ones more, that ones much broader. No one sprawling that one includes like pressure being placed on Election Officials and trying to get them to change the racketeering aspect of this absolutely goodly, the racketeering And Racketeering Law In Georgia is even broader than federal racketeering launcher. Thats own terms is very broad and so theres so many aspects to the georgia one and its also got many more defendants operating at the national and state level. The fact that it included donald trump also did gum up the works and litigation to some extent because then hes being hes able to make arguments like president ial immunity or or supremacy clause type claims. There are special to the president. And so thats why that case is it very difficult case to move forward . This case is built for speed and i agree laserfocused, but having said that, i think there is something to be said for charging the racketeering which was charged in georgia, if theres an enterprise and that enterprise is significant with respect to its goal and purpose to commit criminality. Thats the right call. And as a prosecutor, i think you have to be committed to the notion of justice, right . Some do it more efficiently so and much bigger. Flareups a given charged the former president chose solute lay, right for what . Deborah, they discretionary reasons is a prosecutor. They have some do things differently. The end result will be what itll be. Everyones presumed innocent until proven guilty. But i think the racketeering nature of the georgia case, whether you agree or disagree, i think was the right call based on their theory in georgia, as we the spring jeff zeleny into this conversation obviously its been covering covering this from the beginning and jeff zeleny, what have you been learning here is we just go through this 58 Page Indictment coming out of the state of arizona, where and one thing is clear, arizona like georgia. Another key battleground state. I mean, joe biden, only one arizona by about 10,000 votes. So arizona has always going to be great around zero of this reelection. Certainly the abortion measured by the Supreme Court has added to that. And now this latest round of indictments well add to it as well. Both campaigns are assessing this, talking to someone in the Biden Campaign just a few moments ago, really reading this page of indictments as well Trump Campaign also assessing this. So the reality is, we do not know the political fallout or impact from any of these cases, just like the case in new york or georgia, we do not know what this will enhance former President Donald Trump or will impede him politically. These are operating on two very different tracks. Weve seen him enhanced over the last year, donald trump by these criminal charges, some of his supporters believe people are piling on, if you will, these various prosecutors. But as the information comes in from all these separate indictments, this is definitely something that Trump Campaign obviously does not welcome or want so then republicans do not welcome more once. So as we sort of digest this, keep in mind arizona is so important to the pieces of the puzzle here that go into the battleground states. And this new piece of evidence always reminds us. We dont know what elections are going to be about. This is a dynamic process for six months to come certainly impacts it as well. And we certainly dont know. I mean, Everyone Points to pull goals of what people say they will do or how they will react. And it conviction and you know what i mean i you know, i know we talked about polls. Theyre all weve got, but i dont think we have any idea until something actually happens. And you see what people think i know you were going through what you thought maybe the distinction between who is actually charged and whos an Unindicted Coconspirator. But what do you think . And obviously you cant get the head decision to charge here, but they could have obviously charged donald j. Trump in this right as front and center and all that. I mean, even just going through it now, as quickly as i can Unindicted Coconspirator number one, its right, left, and center all the way through this. What do you think that thinking may have been as to why not to charge him here when they certainly was a precedent to do so in georgia. Sure. I think joey is right. I mean, in the sense of pointing out that prosecutors have a great deal of discretion and if you look at this through the prosecutorial lins, Donald Trumps indicted twice federally once in connection with this whole scheme and that he had benefited from the playing the martyr. And as the cases pile up, i think you know, i think i can see the prosecutors thinking theres really no reason for us to do this. Its being done we owe the taxpayer some some some loyalty to and why take on that burden . At the same time, youre sure they could have. But i dont think its necessary, particularly when youve already got this serious federal federal indictment and youve got the indictment of georgia. So i can see why they would have done it also, i think it makes the case a little bit easier for him and i think they they will be focused largely on people in the state and people who have actual, have had actual interactions with those fake elector. So these 58 Page Document comes out right now. Were hours away from the Supreme Court hearing. The Immunity Case on whether donald trump is immune from actions that he did while president United States, as he says, that he has i saw that he says he cant be charged in maralago, cant be charged in january 6 what what could that ruling mean . Four cases like this in arizona and cases in georgia . Thats a great question i mean, i do think that in a certain sense theoretically if the president is immune from federal prosecution for all x well and office, then as we say in the law for sure, even more so he is immune or she used to be immune for prosecution by state and local officials even more so, yeah. Because if theres federal immunity for Something Like that because of federal law, then he would be even more protected against state and local prosecutors in trying to intrude on the president s powers. That would be an mathema in that vision of the world. But that vision is going to die tomorrow before the Supreme Court. The Absolutist Idea that the Trump Lawyers are putting forward will not survive Supreme Court scrutiny. They will find that he does not have that kind of immunity. Person whos in the office can commit crimes and thats been the understanding nixon was there was a Drafting Diamond for nixon independent investigator for clinton was thinking of indicting him. Thats just the general understanding. So i think you could imagine a world in which the state prosecutors in arizona say, wait, this way to see how the Supreme Court goes. And then we can move forward. All right. Ill stay with me. Lets go back to zach cohen. I know zack, youve got some more breaking details here. What do you view . Just learned yeah. And looking at this indictment, it looks like theres nine counts total and including multiple felony, isnt one of those valleys is conspiracy again, that goes back back to what we were talking about earlier about how this investigation really did seem to initially be just focused on the electors weve seen in michigan, for example, just the electors were charged there, but the conspiracy, cathy does underscore how this investigation did expand, did widen to include some of those people in trumps inner orbits. And theres people that were working on his National Campaign i have to put hes Fake Electors forward to have them sign those fraudulent documents. Ive its really more reminiscent of the indictment we saw in georgia, the rico charges in georgia than it is of some of the other big electric charges weve seen im also really interesting, as you mentioned previously, that donald trump is an Unindicted Coconspirator in his case we learned it as well that he isnt Unindicted Coconspirator in michigan, so hes now being named in two different criminal investigations at the state level. We know hes charged in Georgia Making that a third case so really interesting that he is included in this charging document, albeit as an get a coconspirator, i want to look at Boris Epshteyn has big indicted in this case two, because 15 is somebody who, like i said, has remained really close to the former president. He was there in court and hatton back when donald trump was arraigned in the new york hush money case, but were told by sources, kristen holmes, are gregg colleague has told that the reason Bores Epstein has been kept distance recently from donald trump is because of concerns that this indictment was coming. They thought that he was going to be implicated in that indictment and we know now that he was so a lot of big bulge face names in this indictment including one that were identified now as christina bob, the former oil an anchor. Shes somebody who weve previously reported was working with Rudy Giuliani to help organize these Fake Electors in multiple states, including arizona. Shes on multiple Planning Calls with different representative from the Trump Campaign from these various states too. So really a bigger swing that maybe we were expecting first, but arizona with that conspiracy charges, multiple felonies and potentially pretty serious consequences. And tie interesting, the point is, he said took a bigger swing than some might have expected. You have christina, bob, who is an anchor for the farright network, right on there as well yes. So i think thats true and i think in both michigan and arizona, shes shes an endodontic coconspirator. I think i believe and and again, that goes to my point of i can see them fashioning this in a way that tries to scope in all the people who actually contacted Fake Electors, organized Fake Electors, helped policywise in terms of how they were going to do this, which would include epstein so i think thats that seems to be the distinction that they use in identifying the people that they were going to mention any indictment, either as Unindicted Coconspirators or actual defendants. I do think that epstein is fascinating as a defendant in this case. As you know, from your conversations with Tim Parlatore jim trusty, theyre not going to lose nice sleepover. Borse is faith tonight. And know hes been with trump a lot. Everybody was going down for the maralago indictment, appearances, emmys hes of all these people still so in his inner circle, right . Were very much in his inner circle. And very protective of the former president and protective to the point that giuliani reached when he arguably sold his soul to protect the president under circumstances that were improper. All right. All stay with me. I do want to bring in rusty bowers central to this entire indictment. Rusty is the former republican speaker of the House Of Representatives in arizona famously, rusty, you testified before the january 6 committee about how trump and giuliani pressure you to overturn the 2020 Election Results in arizona. I know you and ive had a chance to speak many times, but now here we are. Rusty. Weve got 58 Page Indictment in your state whats your reaction from what you know so far . Well, from what i know is what you just told me if thats the case that im a witness and i i hesitate in talking about its ten length other than what i publicly have said previously rusty, i am, you literally we are breaking this on the air, so i will admit here im reading as were covering it but im just looking at page 31 is one of the places where you are introduced. Heres how they introduced you. They say russell, rusty bowers served in the Arizona Legislature from 20 to the beginning of 2023 lay out who you are and then they talk about the extensive pressure that you spoke about being under two to overturn the election in the state house that you said you were getting hundreds of emails demanding that i do my constitutional duty and name electors that will vote for trump that you then said you were quote, getting very strange and unsettling phone calls telling me to do my duty and vote to elect vote or electors who will vote for trump . Rusty, how intense was this pressure well, there was pressure and it was intense and it was its now going on almost three years, but its it, was intense. But for some that might have been real troubling i dont know how i feel about it now at the time it was it was certainly demanding of my staff, my assistance they had to put up with thousands, not hundreds, thousands of emails and calls. So their troopers and her can you hear me . Yes, i can hear you, rusty, i know youre on the phone and we were dealing with that connection, but i got you loud and clear we were just going through here a lot of these names rusty are redacted because theyre still in the process of serving some of the individuals being charged. So you have the false elector slate in your state of arizona and you also have others who are close to trump and were very much a part of this. Rudy giuliani, mark meadows for shapp steen. Do any of those et christina, bob a news anchor for the farright network, oa. And i believe do any of those names surprise you, rusty . No, it doesnt surprise me no. Not at all. I mean, i did i did get calls from some of them not bob. I never talked to hurt others, yes and tim of those people were famously mr. Stayed involved did videos of themselves and other things rusty its sad to see it come to this that we make well vary my comment other than say yeah, they did kill me they did. Well the other person in here, Unindicted Coconspirator number one, i just want to read you how hes described Unindicted Coconspirator number one, rusty, on page 21, a former president of the United States who spread false claims of Election Fraud following the 2020 election rusty, are you surprised that donald trump is Unindicted Coconspirator well im not that prosecutor. Im not im not an advocate. Im just a witness. I only talked about things that happened to me and i can, you know, i could i mean, from your perspective as a witness, does that does that surprise you . I mean, you lived this in a way that everyone watching didnt write your, you know, more than anybody else part of it more than anybody else. What actually happened. So does it surprise you given what you dealt with that that he is not indicted i do remember the phone call. I do remember his involvement i do remember how he couched his beach and his terms and in some ways, im not surprised. Im not surprised. In the arizona case is that as far as im concerned, i mean, the fact that he was the president , he called me yeah, thats thats impressive all that testimony is going to have to come out in court and and it looks like if theyve indicted them, it looks like im going to be involved and i theyre not give my feelings about it too deeply. All right. Well, russian, i hope you understand. No, i do understand that. I do understand that. I do want to be clear that he is Unindicted Coconspirator. Number one rusty, thank you so much for taking the time and being with us thank you so much for the call. All right. Good to talk to you, rusty. Were going to take a break. Were going to be back at a conversation with the speaker of the house, mike johnson today about the campus protests raging around the country is decision to leave washington and come make a call now for our major resignation at Columbia University. His message to America Tonight Next what is it about the titanic . Why are we so obsessed with this ship every piece of evidence tells a story 100 years later. Its still leading people to her death the special to our titanic premier how would really happen sunday had not cnn. Okay, yeah, we got orders come starting and business is never easy, but starting at eight months pregnant thats a different story. I couldnt slow down. We were starting a business from the ground up. 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What will your next success p when i first learned about my duper trims contracture, my physician referred me to a Hand Specialist and im glad he did because when i took the tabletop test, i couldnt lay my hand flattening the firstHand Specialist i saw one they offered surgery, so i went to a secondHand Specialists to also offered nonsurgical options which felt more right for me. So what id say to other people with do patreons contracture chris, this dont write find a Hand Specialist trained and nonsurgical options today. I found mine at find a Hand Specialist. Com. We surround your lawn with scotts Turf Builders or if an action it gets, frees up is done at once, the number one most loved, thanking by more than liebermann at the pentagon. And this cnn raking news. There are propalestinian protests across the United States spreading violent clashes today between police and students at usc and ut austin one more than 20 people were arrested. As follows. Protests at nyu brown university, and Columbia University where an encampment has taken over part of the center of campus. More than 100 had been arrested inperson classes have been canceled after eight Straight Days of demonstrations i was on that campus earlier today to interview the House Speaker mike johnson. This is what i saw and heard. Johnson walked out there were hundreds of people on the steps where he and other gop representatives that he had brought along with him in his honor, terrazzo spoke they were going to show you here this is my Cell Phone Video chanting free palestine, heckling, booing when johnson called for the president of the school so resign. They were not friendly. They couldnt actually hear the speaker, which i can tell you is a good thing because much of what he said would have incensed that crowd. An after the problem thats conference, the Speakers Team moved us inside and the into the Columbia Library with the speaker. Did interviews. They put that entire space under lockdown because of that large crowd. So heres our conversation right after that. Hundreds of people outside when we moved, rushed inside, inside the library, moments after that test, tense press, press conference speaker johnson, you know, thanks for your time. Obviously, theres a lot going on in congress right now. Youve chosen to travel to new york and as you were just out on those steps calling for the resignation of the president of here of columbia there was heckling, there was shouting. I was not a warm reception enjoy your free speech. Well, you surprised at all by what happened. Well, there was a sea of students who apparently have been involved then the protest here and im not surprised that they didnt welcome our visit because were calling out their activities. What the point we tried to make today is that this is not who we are as americans. This is not an expression of the First Amendment. This is not an exchange of ideas. This is, this is threats and intimidation of violence against jewish students for who they are, for their faith and thats a terrible trend thats going on in the country right now. We have these similar types of activities and what are becoming violent protests on campuses around the country. And members of congress chris, i believe have an obligation, responsibility to speak about this and to demand that it come to an end because its not good for us the main thing they were chanting was free palestine how is that antisemitic . Well, whats antisemitic . Is that hamas endorsed this protest today with within the last two hours, they should an Endorsement Statement and harold the students here instead, this is the next generation of leadership in america if youre getting endorsed by hamas, thats not a good look. Its not a good sign. Some of these students, the parents we are unaware of the atrocities of october 7 or theyre denying it. They deny that women and children are brutally raped and murdered that infants were placed into ovens and cooked a lot hi the things that happen there unspeakable. And yet theyre out there waving flags for the very people who committed those atrocities. This, this is not who we are. Speaker and those are really days that reason some of the caboose and you could smell the death and the bodies. It was horrific and yet whats happened since has been horrific two when theres a student here at peachy student at columbia, i wanted to quote him. He is jewish he has written a testimonial about whats going on here right now. His experience on campus, and he says, ill read it to you. The most pressing threats to our safety he is jewish students do not come from tents on campus. We should be focusing on the material reality of war, the munitions our government is sending to israel, which killed palestinians by the thousands the americans participating in the violence do you think that protesting the humanitarian catastrophe in gaza, protesting the Tens Of Thousands of innocent people who have died hey, there is antisemitic in and of itself. I think theres always a place for debate in the Free Exchange of ideas. But lets not equivocated on whats happening in hamas with tomas and gaza. This is a battle is netanyahu said Prime Minister netanyahu said between good versus evil, light versus darkness, civilization versus barbarism. This isnt a close call. We have terrorist who preyed upon an viciously and killed many innocent israelis. And the idea that there would be out here in support of that hamas is using civilians as shields for themselves. They put their operations under hospitals and schools. They are using civilians in a Theater Theater of war. And so its difficult. Why would someone blamed israel for trying to stamp out the very terrorist threats there right there on the doorstep. We should not be dictating to israel their Military Strategy we should be supporting our ally, which is the only stable democracies. Is there anything israel could do that would be over the line for you because when you talk about stamping it out, i mean, many innocent children have died and are dying at israel hands and the idf they have, there have been civilians murdered, but that is not the fault of israel is the fault the terrorists, the hamas operators and soldiers, the terrorist who have used these people and put them into harms way. Israel, im convinced since is doing its very best to prevent civilian casualties. But this is a war and theyre fighting for their very existence. And they are not the aggressors. It is the sayyed, some of the people here seem not to understand that. And i think thats a real problem we can debate the merits of all these things, but what theyre doing here is intimidating jewish students. Thats the thing that is so problematic all right, so let me ask you about that because when it comes to that, the nypd, at least as of monday, said theyve not received a single call from Columbia University of reports of any physical harm well, no physical harm. Right. But you have to speak to these jewish students who were in fear of their lives. So were cowering in their apartments right now who are not coming to class in fact, the ministration recognize the threat was so great they canceled classes. Now theyve come out with this hybrid idea. Well, if youre jewish, maybe you do want to stay at home. Maybe itd be better off for you, but its so discriminatory, its so wrong in every way. The responsibility of a University Administrator is to keep peace on campus and ensure the safety of students. Job number one, if theyre and capable of doing that, they need different leadership. I think this is time for a really strong hand. Im trying to understand why a speaker of the house, this is an issue you would want to get involved with its a private university three, its an issue happening here. Why is this something that you are choosing to get involved and in calling for the removal of the president of a private university. Well, they they receive federal funding as well. Congress is looking at all of these aspects to determine how theyre using those funds. Is that appropriate . If they cant fulfill their basic obligations . I dont think the american town next i want to be funding this kind of thing. We know that professors are engaging in this as well. Some of the professors, some have been supportive of the jewish students, but i believe its a small subset, one ive told theyve allowed this to go on and it is not okay with the american people. This isnt a partisan issue. This is about right and wrong, and weve got to call it for what it is and so when, when people talk about genocide and say that israels engaging in genocide, do you think that that is a legitimate conversation that they should be allowed to have as part of First Amendment rights. Here are of course, look, i was a First Amendment lawyer for 20 years. I went to the courts and defendant are First Amendment freedom of religious expression, the right of free speech on campus because i litigated those cases of course, the university is supposed to be the free marketplace of ideas. But when you shout down and physically threatened with intimidation and threats violence, the other side, that is not a peaceful expression as fifa is Peaceful Exchange of ideas. Thats something very different and thats what were saying they need to get control of when they camp out around the campus and they prevent students from exercising their rights. Thats the problem. Before you go. Obviously, were here in new york, is there has been threats to your Speakership Back in washington what does it say about your standing as speaker that you are here i Columbia University dealing with this issue right now, the speaker of the house is very important constitutional responsibility. Its, its an officer listed in the constitution. The speaker speaks for the House Of Representatives and i felt it was very important, important over that voice to be heard, not just about what happens at columbia, but about what is happening right now around the country. And we have to stand unequivocally for the right and the good. And im calling on all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this. Not to not to endorse it, not to caudal these people, but to say this has stop, we have to treat every Single Person with dignity and respect and thats not happening here. And its an atrocity. Speaker, johnson, thanks very much for your time. Thank you thanks for joining us. 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