Shownotes Transcript
It is Friday, May 9th, and here's what's happening right now on CNN This Morning. I hope that he's able to bring the gifts of the United States into the Vatican. The Catholic Church has a new pope, and for the very first time in America, he gave his first homily today with a message for Christians around the world. Plus this. As an Augustinian pope, he's going to really foreground community, friendship.
And what's in a name? If you're the Pope, everything. The clues Pope Leo is dropping about the kind of leader he wants to be with his name choice. Also this, a dangerous border. People living along Kashmir's border in the line of fire as India and Pakistan's conflict continues overnight. And later, he broke with President Trump. Then one day later, he was fired. What the acting FEMA chief said, that could have cost him his job.
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast, but here's a live look at Vatican City. Right now, Leo XIV is celebrating his first Mass as Pope. Good morning, everybody. I'm Adi Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me. And we're going to begin this hour at the Sistine Chapel. Right now, Robert Prevost has been celebrating his first Mass as Pope Leo XIV.
And CNN's Erin Burnett has been watching it all unfold this morning in St. Peter's Square. And she joins us now. Erin, good morning. Tell us what you heard in his first homily.
Good morning, Adi. And history, of course, made here in Rome and it is still sinking in, I think, is the way to summarize all of it. And this morning, Pope Leo XIV processing into the Sistine Chapel his first mass as pope and addressing his cardinals. And he started, Adi, in something that we have never seen before from any pope.
and certainly not in the Sistine Chapel. That is, he began his homily in English. It was not anticipated that he would do so. It was expected, in fact, you know, the transcript that they gave was that it would be fully in Italian. But at the beginning, he began in English, and in a very American sort of English, Adi, putting his arms out,
welcoming the cardinals. It felt like something you could see from a priest at any mass in any church in the United States. So history again made there. He spoke in his homily, Audie, about something that would be very familiar
to many American Catholics, calculus across in Europe as well, talking about how to him Jesus is often reduced to being a charismatic leader or Superman, sort of implying an influencer, saying that many Christians and Catholics live in a state of practical atheism. He talked about technology, a homily that would be heard and understood
by anybody listening to it, not just targeted at the leaders of the Catholic Church who are in that room as it is just a mass for the Cardinals. Also important as this mass is concluding and Pope Leo XIV and the Cardinals will be having lunch together, other choices that were made by the Pope in this mass
need to be highlighted, and that is that the readings, there were three of them, the first two were given by women. And there was a profound power in the image that the Vatican released of the mass. You saw the sea of cardinals in red with their white hats, and then in the front, a nun in her simple black habit reading that first reading. Women reading those two readings are crucial. It's hard to read too much into it,
but certainly can be seen given the significance of the moment, the Pope's choice to let that happen as a statement about the role of women, which is
seen by so many as perhaps the single most important issue facing the church and its future. So, seeming to imply that Pope Leo is continuing with some of the push and reforms of Pope Francis. We'll see how he truly fills that name, Leo XIV, how he defines that. But those images and the homily that we have just heard have continued to send that signal loud and clear as history is made. And that mass raps, Audie, they will go to lunch.
and Pope Leo XIV will continue to show the world what it actually will mean to have the first American pope. It was a moving homily. Erin Burnett, thanks so much. I've been enjoying your coverage out of the Vatican. Thanks, Audie. So obviously there's been a lot of excitement around the world, but especially in the U.S. with this historic choice. The new leader of the world's Catholics is Cardinal Robert Prevost. He grew up in Chicago.
Leaving US Catholics full of pride and overcome with excitement. He's the first pope to hail from America. I'm feeling great, feeling really good because he's a good man and I predicted him. I was really excited, you know, like having the leader of the Catholic Church be from the same country as I am just felt like I just felt very proud.
USA! USA! I would have never expected an American to become Pope in a million years. The new Pope addressed the faithful in St. Peter's Square with this message yesterday. Peace be with you all.
Joining me now in the group chat, Jerusalem Demps' staff writer with The Atlantic, Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of The Daily Signal, and Lulu Garcia Navarro, New York Times journalist and podcast host. So you guys, thank you so much for being here. There was at least one person in the entire world who says he predicted this.
And he happened to be there. Everybody else was surprised. Many a good headline and tweets out of it. One of them I liked was deep dish Eucharist. There's a lot of Chicago vibes. A lot of Chicago stuff. OK, yeah. I don't want to ruin it with American politics, but it's coming just by virtue of the choice. Can you talk about what you've seen in the reactions?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's been interesting. Obviously, the minute that he was announced, everyone started looking at his social media feed because that's what happens. Even if you're the pontiff, even if you're the infallible now head of the Catholic Church, you actually get your tweets.
Lo and behold, there were tweets there that, you know, criticize some of the policies of Donald Trump in the first administration and J.D. Vance's comments, who he is a converted Catholic, to do with immigration. And that, I have to say, is pretty typical of where the Catholic Church has stood under Francis and beyond that. The Catholic Church is very involved in immigration.
But the way that it's being interpreted inside of this country, because of its polarized politics, is that then you've seen a lot of the MAGA crowd, including Lara Loomer and others, really just go after this pontiff, calling him the woke pope.
And so already this is being filtered through our very, very distorted and disturbing politics. Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. And so it remains to be seen how actively he takes a role in this. Well, I agree with you, particularly on the point of immigration. I mean, as somebody who is an Episcopalian who's in the process of converting to Catholicism. You are? I am, yes. You're the Gen Z conversion guy that we've been talking about.
- I'm talking about this week. No man, maybe it's moisturizer, go on. - No, I think the one other issues, traditional issues like the issue of life, I mean obviously he's made statements that are opposed to abortion and also against the death penalty. And so I think that there will be traditional stands where he aligns with conservatives in this country as Francis did and there will be other issues where they differ.
- And I think it's interesting though because this is kind of how Catholics are. It's, you know, they're conservative on abortion, they're conservative on LGBTQ rights, and they are open to immigration and they take that role very seriously. And so I think it's funny for everyone to try to read into, you know, not on this panel, but everyone on social media constantly going, "Woke pope, not woke pope?"
It's like, that's just kind of how all Catholics are. - Yeah, but also not relevant. This is not a party leader in the United States. This is not like a lobby group in the United States. And I do think with this choice, there's a sense that the Cardinals were sending a bit of a message because this guy's an expert in canon law.
Like, you can't have one of your little arguments as a new convert about like, well, actually. You can't but actually the new pope, is what I'm saying. What's interesting is that, you know, Pope Francis did engage in political conversations and intervene in ways that were important, not just in the United States, but all over the world. And that's, popes do that. Yes. I mean, the pope's political...
news breaking. Absolutely, it's ahead of state. We remember that the late Pope Francis met with Vice President J.D. Vance right before he died. And Francis had also called the Trump administration's immigration crackdown a disgrace. As recently as February, he's still sick now, right? And he is sending a letter to U.S. bishops that said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty or persecution damages the dignity of
of many men and women and places them in a state of particular vulnerability. So I think it's not a total shock. - It's not a total shock, and remember there's a dispute right now between the Trump administration and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in part because Catholic Charities has been in the past
used as a vehicle to resettle illegal immigrants in this country all over the place. And so the Trump administration, when they cut that funding, they, I think, butted heads with the USCCB. And I don't know how you resolve that. - Yeah, I mean, the Catholic Church has always, not just in this country, but all over the world,
really centered the plight of migrants people who move uh... because of war because of political turmoil as part of their mission i mean to be a catholic is to welcome the stranger and so
That is really part of what Catholicism teaches. And yes, at times it will put you at odds with any government. Which I encourage people to listen to the homily. He does actually talk about that friction. You know, I want to end this by saying that ironically, we can't even confirm that these tweets are his. CNN has not done that yet.
But this is the age we're living in, in social media, where the engine has roared to life, right, as people start to bicker about stuff, and the truth is not yet clear. Group chat, stay with me. We've got more to talk about. We're going to learn more details about this pope. Also coming up on CNN this morning, will the U.S. help de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan? Well, honestly, it doesn't look like it. Why, the vice president says it's, quote, none of our business.
Plus a convicted killer sentenced. The key testimony at the hearing from the man he killed, how that happened. I'll tell you more. And former President Joe Biden weighs in on the 2024 election, his VP's loss, and if he thinks he could have won. Do you take any responsibility for Trump's reelection? Yes, I do because look, I was in charge and he won. So, you know, I take responsibility.
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Former President Joe Biden and his wife Jill sat down on The View. Let's just say they came ready to play. They discussed everything from his age on the campaign trail to President Trump's return to the White House. So why do you think the vice president lost and were you surprised? I've never seen quite as successful and a consistent campaign
undercutting the notion that a woman couldn't lead the country and a woman of mixed race. Do you take any responsibility for Trump's reelection? Yes, I do, because look, I was in charge and he won. So, you know, I take responsibility. OK, group chat is back for a bit of a lightning round. What do you make of him coming out now and specifically the things he is addressing, Jerusalem?
In that interview, I mean, there's so much that could be said, I'll keep it short, but his decision to blame sexism and racism for Harris' loss, I think is such a disservice to both women politicians who, again, we've seen all over the world women being able to become prime ministers, presidents in this country. Women actually often have an election premium in many races, in senatorial races, in legislative races. Obviously that glass ceiling hasn't been broken yet.
people differed with Biden and Harris on policy and on the betrayal they felt from the president when they saw him on the debate stage. - Yeah, I'll say, I agree with that. And I also will say that I think it confirmed why Democrats wanted to move on from Biden. I mean, he gave rambling answers. At one point, Jill Biden had to step in and kind of save him at the end when Alyssa Farah asked a question.
Frankly, probably the fewer interviews he does these days, the better. I think there's a rehab of his image going on very clearly, what he wants his legacy to be. Yeah, there's a rehab. He's fighting for his legacy. Lots of reporting to come on this. Books coming out, which he's trying to get in front of. But what I will say is that I do think Republicans have overstepped the mark.
They have like keep on saying that he was gaga, being spoon fed in the Oval Office, et cetera, et cetera. I mean, come on. He he clearly is an elderly man. There's a lot more to uncover, but he is not. Each one of these performances you think could counter. Yeah, I mean, I think it counters what is, I think, an extreme position that's been taken on the far right.
And one other thing I want to add, the former first lady being asked directly about his supposed cognitive decline and her basically saying, look, the people who wrote these books, they weren't in the White House with us. They didn't see him every day. But also saying, like, I wasn't hiding him in a room somewhere. And to your point, you think it's getting ahead of something? Well, it's getting ahead of her role because if you will remember, a lot of people have blamed her for protecting him and insulating him.
And so she is trying to also protect her own legacy here. - All right, guys, stick around. We've got a lot more to talk about in the news today. Still ahead on CNN this morning, the leader of FEMA is now out of a job. Why his comments defending the agency might've got him fired. Plus how the new pontiff's past could influence his future as Pope Leo XIV. His first mass is wrapping up now and he actually delivered part of his homily in English. We're gonna bring that to you in a moment.
Catholics have a new Pope, but what do we know about the man known as Leo XIV? Well, he was born Robert Prevost in Chicago. His most recent job was at a Vatican office that appoints bishops, a role he was personally given by late Pope Francis. Last year, he said it was his time in Peru that shaped him more than anything else. I just can only say how gifted I feel because of what I gained from my years working in Peru.
I hope that every priest can say that about wherever he works because I'm so convinced that if we open our lives and our hearts to serve others, we indeed, like the Gospel says, receive a hundredfold in this life.
Me now to discuss is Katie McGrady, CNN's Vatican analyst and host on the Catholic Channel on Sirius XM. He gave his first homily today and I think some of the first words out of his mouth were in English, which I didn't think was so remarkable, but turns out it is. I think it's notable that he can speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and can read German and Latin, which means he truly can communicate with the world
And there's just something about the Pope speaking the language that you know. I was sitting in the makeup room and everybody kind of gasped. We were so excited to hear his voice speaking to us. So I think it's, he's speaking in such a way to where we have to listen. - Interesting. And also you were noting that he's an expert in church canon.
We've looked at different parts of his credentials, but this one struck you. Why? It did. He got his mathematics degree from Villanova, and then he studied at the Catholic Theological Union, and then he got to go to Rome to study canon law. And so that means he's very attuned with the particulars of the church, the canon laws of the church,
people can rattle them off with a study that most of us don't know the ins and outs we know annulments but he studied it got a doctorate was a missionary while writing his dissertation I was joking that you can't but actually this church no this poll you can't absolutely not know the answer and that clarity it's notable that the two times you've seen him speak he's used his notes he's gonna be a very personable you can tell already there's a video circulating of him signing a little girl's autograph book
but I think he's gonna speak with clarity and the canon law elements of his education show that too. What should we be looking for in the days ahead? I think he's actually gonna be speaking to media today? Monday I think, and who knows, we might see a Pope do a press scrum. I wouldn't be surprised. It's not like he couldn't
answer everybody's questions. I'm going to be interested to see where he visits first and a first apostolic trip. Maybe he'll pop over to St. Mary Major. And I'm also going to be interested to see in the coming days how he signals to the world, this is what I'm working on, this is what I'm thinking about, this is how I'm going to engage the moment. Yeah, we know what he cares about, but we don't know where he's going to engage as a head of state. Okay, Katie, as always, lovely to have you. Thanks so much for your work this week.
All right, you guys on CNN this morning. Next, we're going to be talking about more changes in the Trump administration. First, it was Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy. Now President Trump taps another Fox News host for a job in D.C. Plus, the Menendez brothers trying to convince a judge to remove the entire prosecution team from their resentencing case. She's made up her mind. They're pretty smart.
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The new pontiff chose the name Pope Leo XIV in honor of Saint Leonardo of Caprio, who famously decreed, Pope of the World!
Okay, having some fun there with the election of a new Pope today, his first full day on the job as the leader of the Catholic Church. Good morning, everybody. I'm Adi Cornish. I want to thank you for joining me on CNN this morning. It's half past the hour, and here's what's happening right now. Pope Leo XIV has been leading his first Mass as pontiff in the Sistine Chapel. Moments ago, he delivered his homily. He was elected yesterday to succeed the late Pope Francis, who died last month.
And in the case of the Menendez brothers, a judge will consider their request to remove the L.A. District Attorney's Office from their upcoming resentencing hearing. Their lawyer has accused the D.A. of being biased against them. The brothers are now serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989.
and Russian President Vladimir Putin hosting China's president at a Victory Day parade in Moscow. The two leaders signed a pact to deepen their partnership while vowing to stand together against what Putin called global uncertainty.
We're also going to turn now to new developments in the conflict between India and Pakistan. A Pakistani source says India launched another drone attack overnight. India has accused Pakistan of attacking it with drones. Major damage this morning near their disputed border in Kashmir. Listen to how Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. described the recent violence between the two nations.
started by India, escalated by India. It's the third night Pakistan has exercised its right to self-defense. But basically, this is not the kind of simplified version of the security situation in the region that I think the world wants to see. We're going to go live now to New Delhi, India, and bring in CNN's Matthew Chance. Matthew, can you give us the details of what's happening this morning?
Yeah, absolutely, Aldi. Well, you join me in a very hot market in the middle of New Delhi, the Indian capital, where I've been speaking to people about what they think of this increasingly dangerous standoff between India and neighbouring Pakistan. And, you know, the general sense you get here is that people are backing the Indian government. They think that the Indian attacks on Pakistan were entirely justified. And that's something that's reflected
by Indian officials that have been speaking to as well because they're saying that they carried out the airstrikes on Pakistan because of the terror attack that they blame Pakistan for that took place in the Indian administered area of Kashmir last month. Now there's security measures in place already the Indians have
cancelled schools, suspended schools in Jammu and Kashmir. They suspended schools elsewhere in Punjab province as well, which is close to Pakistan. They've also cancelled all the leave.
that civil servants are meant to have in this country in preparation, they say, for a possible emergency response. So they are expecting, they say, attacks by Pakistan in the future, in the coming days potentially. And I think it's fair to say the country is on a state of alert. So very dangerous situation, particularly when you consider, of course, Aude, that both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons. We're a long way from a nuclear confrontation.
but in an issue that is as tense and as emotional as this, it is a danger that really everybody is having at the back of their minds. CNN's chief global affairs correspondent, Matthew Chance, speaking to us from India. Now, we're going to go back to the Vatican because the world's 1.4 billion Catholics are waking up with a new pope this morning.
Pope Leo XIV stepping out onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, setting off a massive celebration Thursday. Just moments ago, he used his first mass as pope to acknowledge those who put their trust in him. So let's talk more about who he is. Here's what his brother is saying.
He had a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to. And he had a very strong feeling. And I think in that way, he will be a second Pope Francis. I think he'll follow right in his footsteps, working for the underprivileged. Joining me now to talk about this new pope is Father Robert Hagen, somebody who has known Pope Leo XIV for more than 25 years. Father Rob, thanks for joining us this morning.
Morning, Audie. My pleasure. So we heard from his brother, I know you're also his brother, but we heard from his brother that this is something that has always been with him, sort of this position. Can you talk about that idea of him being a kind of Pope Francis? What does it mean in terms of his contribution to that legacy?
Well, certainly his love of the poor. If you look back to Leo XIII's life, he was very much about the plight of the worker, of the laborer. The 10 years that Leo spent in Peru, really with the poorest of the poor, with those who don't have a lot of resources.
who really depend on each other and on God for strength and patience and perseverance. I think that's really forged his vocation. It's left an indelible mark on who he is. Also, Audie, the fact that he's an Augustinian.
Much of his training and his formative years in religious life would come from the charism and the inspiration of St. Augustine, Augustine himself, known as the doctor of grace, to understand that none of us has all the strength by his or herself.
And then it's good to lean on God and to lean on one another so that we're all kind of called to help each other through life. And it's not an independent exercise. And so this is the spirit and the approach that I think Leo will have much like Francis had in his life. You're calling him Leo, but obviously you knew him as Bob. Is there any moment you can recall where you realize this guy's pretty special?
I can tell you, Audie, he was a good 10 years ahead of me in the seminary. So when you join, you go through a lot of steps as a rookie, a lot of firsts, and it can be nerve-wracking and you can be unsure of yourself as you kind of get immersed into religious life. And so I spent that first year in my Augustinian training in Racine, Wisconsin, which would have been in the province of the Midwest, our mother of good counsel,
where then Father Bob served. And I just have to tell you how welcoming he was to me, how reassuring, introducing me to other brothers, people that I didn't know, encouraging me in my vocation, you know, to kind of hang in there and stay with it. And so I felt, I saw in a man very early on that gift of friendship. He's a very, very accomplished person, speaking multiple languages, incredibly bright,
but at the same time, not condescending, warm, approachable, with kind of a twinkle in his eye. He's a people person. What's your group chats like? Are people just completely so excited? Exactly. I mean, it was as if a family member had stepped up on that balcony.
And you're just flabbergasted to see the person that you know in that position. And yet at the same time, seeing a kind of serenity within him. And you can see that he really is full of the Holy Spirit. You know, much is made of the conclave and the cardinals that voted. But as people of faith, we really believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding this process. That, in fact, this is the will of God.
And so that God has picked him for this incredible responsibility and opportunity that we have really for the whole world. Well, Father Rob Hagan, thank you so much for joining us this morning. My pleasure. Thank you.
Still ahead on CNN This Morning, a man brought back to life by AI in a courtroom. The message he delivered directly to his convicted killer. And a throwback to the 90s with a new honor for the virtual pet just about everybody had.
All right, we've heard about AI doing all kinds of things, but this frankly is the wildest one yet. Giving a man his voice back after he was killed in a road rage incident. That's what happened in a courtroom in Arizona when the man convicted and his death actually heard directly from the victim. To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends.
I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have, and I still do. Joined now by CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Elliott Williams, who helps me make sense of all things legal happening around the country. At what point...
Is this an ethical issue? I was kind of shocked to see this image, and I wondered if this is a trend I should be aware of. It is a trend you should be aware of, and humanity should be aware of, because AI is coming and affecting every area of our lives. Now, in terms of an ethical issue, there really isn't a huge one here, believe it or not. Like, I feel guilty showing this right now, even though, obviously, his family... Yeah, and it's important that you have the banner, AI-generated content.
It's important that judges note when something's coming into court where this item came from. Now, because this was sentencing, basically anything goes. Anything that can help inform the judge, make a decision as to mercy or justice or vengeance or whatever else. And even an animated speaking defendant at at
at sentencing is fine. Now, in a trial, this would be an absolute no-no just under the Constitution. It's Sixth Amendment. You have to be able to confront people who are testifying against you. You can't confront a dead man as much as many of us would like to try. So the key here is sentencing. Sentencing. Okay. I want to shift gears to the Diddy trial because obviously the jury
is being seeded or selection. So tell me where are we and when will there be opening statements? - Well, should be Monday if all things are according to plan. That's this Monday, three days from now.
Finding a jury is really this exercise in pop psychology where both sides have to suss out, can someone, do we think they'll rule in our favor or at least be receptive to us? Now, this case, the tricky thing is it deals with two things people care deeply about. One, famous people, and two, sexual assault. Jurors come in with their own biases and views, and so it's really hard to get people who really can step back and look at this case fairly.
Okay, we are going to get into one last story. This is a little bit like the AI one where I'm like, what? This is weird. There was this health worker whose co-workers compared them to Darth Vader. They got really upset.
and actually I think quit their job at one point. And then they actually won some kind of settlement, $40,000. How did this even become a case? Oh, well. And then I got lots of coworkers I need to call. But just, I don't understand name-calling being a problem.
Well, in the United Kingdom where this all originated, there actually is a law of detriment making someone's workplace life work. Kind of like how the planets like Coruscant or Tatooine or Alderaan might have different laws, England has a slightly different workplace standards. What? Okay, go on.
more Elliot Williams. Genuine laugh, I love it. Here in the United States, workplace harassment, you must create what's called conditions that are so severe or pervasive as to alter someone's employment. That would be before you could sue, kind of like the force that surrounds a galaxy, binds us all together. That's how pervasive the harassment must be in the United States. As a Star Trek person, I feel attacked.
but continue. There's room for all of us in God's great galaxy. And so because they took a Myers-Briggs test, sent her out of the room and said, you know what? You came back as Darth Vader. A court found that that was a detriment to her. Now, I really think that couldn't happen in the United States. It really couldn't. But also because people love Darth Vader so much. Right. People like Elliot Williams. I don't know. You're mocking me. I'm not. I'm not. What I'm trying to do
- Oh. - Let folks know that you got children involved in this. - Yeah, well, look, you know, the force is strong in that one. - It is. - My child. - It is. - That's my son on the day that "The Rise of Skywalker" came out. Now, I wanna be clear.
this does not show any bias on my part. I can fairly assess a matter involving the great Sith Lord, Darth Vader. But your mockery of me, as he would say, Audie, I find your lack of faith disturbing. - I just wanna say you using legal voice on me, like weaponizing legal voice in this context is appreciated, I stand. - It's my weapon. I can't force choke someone, so the least I can do
is throw out a little bit. Elliot, with the legal roundup, a very professional lawyer that we bring on to CNN. I know, what have we done? Elliot, thanks so much. It's now 10 minutes to the top of the hour. Here is your morning roundup.
Okay, so the acting administrator for FEMA, he's now out of a job. Cameron Hamilton, he was fired one day after breaking from the administration and telling Congress he does not support dismantling the agency. President Trump has said he wants to eliminate FEMA.
A federal court in Alabama, a federal court says Alabama purposely engaged in intentional discrimination when it refused to draw a congressional plan with a second black majority district. The court is now considering whether the state should be required to get federal approval of its congressional maps going forward.
And new numbers out this morning showing the impact of President Trump's tariffs on China. That country's exports to the U.S. falling by 21% compared to this time last year, and it's having a ripple effect at ports across the U.S. Some ships are arriving half empty. A trucker who last week was hauling about four or five containers a day, this week will likely haul just two or three.
This weekend, President Trump's top trade officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the tariffs. And this next story is a blast from the past. Do you remember Tamagotchis? The egg-shaped digital pet that I killed in middle school but took over the toy aisle in the 90s? Well, it was just inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. This is how people talked about the toys when they were first introduced.
He just sits there and keeps talking about it. Oh no, he's not eating! He's gonna get sick, I'm worried! If you don't take care of it, it'll start beeping at you and giving you all kinds of heck. Also making up the class of 2025, Defender, Goldeneye007 and Quake.
President Trump replacing a controversial choice for U.S. Attorney in Washington, his new candidate, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. He pointed to her legal background when making the announcement. The confirmation for the previous candidate, Ed Martin, fell apart this week when key Republican senators said they wouldn't support him.
Now it will be Pirro's turn to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for D.C. She comes into the job as a fierce defender of the president. Her Fox News show was also cited several times in a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems over the 2020 election for repeatedly making unfounded claims about fraud.
It is one huge, huge criminal conspiracy that should be investigated by military intelligence for its national security implications.
Yes, and hopefully the Department of Justice, but who knows anymore. The president's lawyers alleging a company called Dominion, which they say started in Venezuela with Cuban money and with the assistance of Smartmatic software, a backdoor is capable of flipping votes.
uh... again we're playing those because those clips are in the claims are true and they were the subject of the lawsuit that they lost uh... that another claims from different fox news host eventually led to a massive settlement the group chat is back uh... i
In a way, not surprised Ed Martin did not survive this process because Republican senators started to speak out. What do you make of the choice? Well, this is, first of all, on the point about Ed Martin, this is the difference between Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats. When Senate Democrats were confronted with the situation with Rachel Rollins, who was a George Soros-backed prosecutor from Boston,
appointed by Joe Biden for U.S. Attorney in Boston. Democrats stood united. It took the tie-breaking vote of Kamala Harris to get her across the finish line. Here, Republicans fold and don't give Trump the nominee. What does Trump do? He says, fine, I'll one-up it. I'll give you Judge Jeanine Pirro. And plus, I'm going to put Ed Martin at the Department of Justice. And so, you know, it's classic Trump. So Ed Martin isn't even going away. No.
And to be clear, there were other issues. They raised concerns about sort of him complimenting a Nazi sympathizer. Like, there were some specific things that I think made it untenable. I was about to say, I don't think those two people are the same. What I do think it shows is the following. This is a defeat for Donald Trump, even if he's putting Jeanine Pirro there. This is the first time, the second time that Senate Democrats have actually pushed back on a nominee. I mean, Senate Republicans have pushed back on a nominee.
nominee. It remains to be seen whether this is part of a trend where Senate Republicans are really trying to claw back some of their power, which they've ceded. But Jeanine Pirro, the other question is, is this actually legal? Because already Ed Martin was there as interim. Interim means 120 days. Does that mean that he can appoint another person for another 120 days? This is a big question. Or will she have to be confirmed? And so can she be confirmed? There's a lot of questions still around this that aren't clear.
We were just showing the number of media personalities that are now in this White House. But, you know, I think it gets to the fact that Trump cares a lot about message, staying on message, delivering that message in an interesting and charismatic way that the audience can understand, right? It is a performance. What do you make of this choice? I mean, you know,
It's very interesting. I mean, from a messaging perspective, it's very clear he wants someone who's going to defend his interests, who's going to be willing, clearly with the comments you just played about the Dominion lawsuit, willing to really push even the legal edge here. But I think what's interesting about the fall of Ed Martin is that Tom Tillis' decision here was... And this is the senator from North Carolina. Senator from North Carolina who, you know...
won his seat after his Democratic opponent was caught, you know, sexting or something. And, you know, it's not one of those cases where he's really conscious of the potential for him to lose his seat in the Senate, and he's playing that very, very carefully. And so the question is, can Jeanine get past Tom Till?
I mean, this is a guy who's not just going to fold Donald Trump. He realized he has a competitive election in North Carolina. It's not a shoo-in. Now he'll face a Republican primary opponent even before the general election. Charlie Kirk was very upset about his decision. Oh, really? What was the take? Charlie Kirk was upset. He was saying, you know, we've been waiting for Tom Tellis to go full MAGA here. Give us a reason to believe that you would be a MAGA candidate.
And this is in Charlie Kirk's telling. This is the thing that you're seeing playing out over and over again. It's the pressure on the elections of these people who really makes them decide what they're going to do when they have to face a vote like that in the Senate. And the cabinet, of course, serves at the leisure of the president. But to your point earlier, like the head of FEMA reportedly may be out because he was like, I don't think
we should get rid of FEMA and like next thing you know they have another choice. I want to talk to you guys about what you're keeping an eye on. We're heading into the weekend. What are the things you are thinking about Jerusalem? Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on India and Pakistan right now. India strikes and Pakistan were
deeper into the territory than has happened in decades of the conflict. More than 20 people died. I feel like you are keeping an eye on this. J.D. Vance is not. J.D. Vance is not keeping an eye on it. He has said that it's not something that I guess the U.S. has an interest in. I think when nuclear powers are potentially going to be in a fight,
Everyone in the world has an interest in that. But it's possible there's going to be an off ramp here. There are back channel conversations happening between India and Pakistan, and I'm hoping that that resolves. Let's watch that. OK, Robert. We started the group chat talking about Pope Leo, so I'll be keeping an eye on who he meets with in his early days. I know he has a briefing with the press coming up.
We're looking for clues. There was a lot made of his name, the fact that he follows Leo XIII, and then also the dress that he wore, more traditional than, say, what Pope Francis would have done. Yeah, Lulu. Mine's also about the Pope, and the most important thing that I can say about the Pope is the New York Times interviewed his brother, and it turns out he is not a Cubs fan. He likes the White Sox. Breaking, breaking. Say that again. Yeah, he is a White Sox fan. He is not a Cubs fan. The Cubs...
put out a tweet, said he's a fan of ours, and they totally got that wrong. And that was something that his brother really wanted to make clear to everyone in Chicago. So this has been, you've done the reporting. This is actually the biggest news of the day. This is the biggest news of the day. So everyone who was like celebrating this man was a Cubs fan. Sorry. Oh,
So sorry, not true. I'm just happy for Chicago. I think I'm also going to be paying attention to this pope over the next handful of days. One of our guests was saying earlier, where does he go first? Does he do a press scrum? Which just means when we stand all around them, pointing our microphones at them. It's like in my mind, I like to think that a pope is above certain kind of
American political atmospheres. - Yeah. - I mean, with a Catholic vice president who's made that a very core part of what he talks about, it's hard to imagine that the Pope isn't gonna be a big part of our own political conversation. I mean, the tweets that we reference-- - Or at least ready to answer. - Yes. - He can't avoid it, and he might embrace it. - Ooh, interesting. Okay, you guys, thank you so much. We talked about so much today. And thank you to the group chat. Thank you to you for waking up with us. I'm Adi Cornish, and CNN News Central starts right now.
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