>>> paula reid is back with us. also, former assistant watergate prosecutor nick ackerman. ula, you're following the play by play of this. we're a few minutes in since we last heard from you. updates? >> this is federal court, so there are no cameras in the courtroom. we are relying on our colleagues who are inside, giving us minute by minute updates. a few notable things. one is there was a 30-minute delay to the start of this case today. that's notable because this is federal court. usually, it starts on time. trump only sat down at the defense table a few minutes ago. there were questions, where is he? is he preparing for mpossible testimony? also, two jurors are socially distancing, right, very 2020, in the jury box. earlier this week on monday, court was adjourned because one of the jurors was sick. we don't know what that individual had. today, two jurors socially distancing. a judge didn't say anything beyond that. now, e. jean carroll's lawyers getting under way with their first witness of the day, roberta meyers, carroll's editor at "elle." she'll be speaking to pot

paula reid was with me watching this in real time. let's talk about the legal inaccuracies so they can jump into the political discussion. >> he's alleging a conspiracy between the state attorney general and the white house. we know the new york state attorney general letitia james has attended meetings at the white house and they have said that's to get trump. he's talked about not being allowed to not participate in closing arguments. he's characterizing this as a refusal from the judge. cnn has obtained documents and the judge was open to allowing him to preparing in closing arguments, but the judge wanted some guardrails, some restrictions. there's good reason for that. during the proceedings trump has attacked the judge, the district attorney, members of the court staff. the judge said, i would let you participate in closing arguments, but we have some restrictions. you have to stick to the facts and not attack your accusers. his lawyer said it was not tenable and the judge closed the door on this possibility. i expect this will

oregon, that decision is pending, and it could come at any moment, and joan biskupic is here, and paula reid is here as well, and paula, standby, and joan, lay out what the justices are doing, and what we are expecting to hear from them, and maybe when. >> sure. i was just up there at 10:00 when they all took the bench, all nine of them for the first session together since the start of the year and since all of the trump controversies broke. they handled scores of routine bar admissions, and that process took ten minutes, and they left the bench, and starting to shed the robes, and they are meeting in a private conference, just the nine of them, and looking at the cases pending on recent weeks, and they will decide which ones to take up, and when to schedule them, and among those are the trump disputes. now, it is not an easy question, john, of just take a single case with a single question, because there are several questions baked into the appeals landing on their doorstep, and as a strong measure is if this is too political for the justices to handle, and if it is beyond the domain for th

i'm down here at the courthouse with paula reid. maybe not as contentious as we've seen before. >> this has been more orderly than some of the other days. closing arguments are an opportunity for lawyers, usually not the folks who are under investigation, but lawyers to summarize their theory of the case before the judge. that's what chris kise is doing right now. he put it in a political context. now he's going through his theory of the case. he's insisting, that, my client had no motivation to lie. he's describing his client as an expert in commercial real estate, which the judge took issue with saying he wasn't certified as an expert. he said he didn't believe deutch bank was only going to look at his financial fitness when deciding when to lend him money. it's pretty dry. no real fireworks. this is what closing arguments are supposed to be. >> it's the legal side of all this right now. his attorney is making a legal case. i'm making that distinction because a lot of what's been taking place here isn't legal at all. >> 100%. we'v

chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid is joining us. what happened? donald trump is there. he is not in new hampshire. what's going on in court? >> i'm reading live updates from our colleague inside the courtroom. they say that the judge sent home a juror who felt sick on their way to court this morning. so court is going to be adjourned for the day. now the judge also said that alena hoba, trump's lawyer, tested negative for covid, but she tested because she said she had dinner with her parents three days ago and now they have covid. she ls said she has a fever is and isn't feeling well, but so far, she's not tested positive. our report inside the court says she does not appear to be wearing a mask and is also sitting right next to her client. the judge did give them an option to proceed just eight jurors, but e. jean carroll's lawyers said that would be fine, but trump wanted an an adjournment for the day. there will be no testimony today. they are sending the jury home. the big anticipation today was will former president trump take the stand. this is a damages trial. it

back with me is legal affairs correspondent paula reid, and joining us is former legal prosecutor paula roger. now what we have seen in this courtroom already was a tense exchange between the trump attorney elena haba and the judge. >> she has a dual role. she is trump's attorney, and sheed is going to try the case on his behalf and she was in the new york civil case that we saw last week, and she is his spokesperson and she is working in both of the cases by once again engaging the judge on whether or not the case should move altogether or be off for one day, because trump's mother-in-law has passed away and there is a funeral thursday. they had previously asked for the whole case to be pushed back because of the funeral and denied. it was a little bit of a surprise when she brought it up today, because when the federal judges give you an answer, that is it, and bring it to the court of appeals, but she modified the request asking if they could not have court thursday for the funeral, and the judge said no. he does not have a need to be there everyday and he does not have a role, and i

paula reid, thank you so much.ria borger, and carrie cordillera -- still one day after a surprise visit on capitol hill, hunter biden is in california now set to appear in federal court on charges of tax evasion. we're going to take you there live. >> plus house speaker mike johnson facing a hard right revolt over the spending deal with senate democrats. i would be once again barreling towards a government shutdown? we're going to speak to a government -- supports a shut down unless they're major changes to water policy. >> and -- bill belichick parting ways with the patriots, and nick saban retiring from alabama. what comes next for these two legends of the game? we have that coming up, on cnn news central. here in just a few hours, hunter biden is expected to return to the courtroom on tax evasion charges. the president son is facing nine counts of what prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to avoid paying more than 1 million dollars and taxes. >> yesterday, hunter biden briefly sat in on a house committee heari

for this campaign stop, paula reid, thank you very much. donald trump right here, right now in new york in federal court. let's go back to new hampshire, and kate bolduan is there. kate? >> it's the perfect framing, john, about how the courtroom is the campaign is talking about it that way. it really is perfect. let's also talk about the political reality that all the candidates are waking up to, facing it as they hit the trail once again. here with me is jeff zeleny, and jeff duncan, and the former white house spokesperson for george bush, and most importantly a son of indiana, the most important part of your bio, pete. jeff, let's talk about nikki haley and this statement she and the campaign put out this morning suggesting she's no longer interested in debating ron desantis at all. her next debate is either going to be against donald trump or joe biden is what she says. she's really trying to make this a two-person race. >> she definitely is, and she said that last night in her speech in iowa. sounded like she was kgiving th same speech

as a matter of fact, we have breaking news to cnn and paula reid has a details from court. are we anticipating an imminent appearance from donald trump on the witness stand? >> that could be because of course, there are no cameras in federal court, but we are relying on updates, minute by minute updates, from our colleagues inside the courtroom. so, i'm looking at those right now. trump's lawyer, alina habba, just said that she only has one witness left and that is former president trump. now, it might take a couple minutes before any possible testimony starts. it is unclear what the judge is going to do here, if he's going to try to rehash some of the rules that he's already laid out for the former president, if he could also potentially ask trump to proffer before this goes in front of the jury. but yes, at any moment now, we might see former president trump take the stand. court is just adjourned after a short lunch break. the defense called one other witness and then former president trump would be their last witness. his lawyer is indicating that he is intending to tak

paula reid, stay close. thanks, guys. sara. >> quite a power panel you have assembled there, kate. >> power emanating. i'm the one detracting from the power, but everyone else. >> not true at all. >>> just hours from now, a controversial, new execution method that has never been used in the united states. some say it could lead to excessive pain or torture, now set to be used on an alabama inmate. the inmate again asking the supreme court to intervene to stop it. emotional testimony also from a teacher wounded in that michigan school shooting. the historic trial that could see the shooter's mother punished for what her son did if she is convicted. >>> and the popular over the counter cough syrup robitussin issuing a recall. the reason and the products you need to check, coming up. >>> happening now, you're looking at live pictures from a michigan courtroom. this is a trial that really could set precedent there. at issue, can parents be criminally convicted if their child commits a mass shooting? jennifer crumbley and her

with us now is cnn chief legal affairs correspondent, paula reid. paula, what are you learning about when this could come? >> this could come at anytime. we are watching the supreme court especially closely today because, of course, they are meeting behind closed doors. it is possible we won't hear anything about whether they are going to take up this question of former president trump's ballot eligibility. let's look at the stakes here. this is the biggest test of chief justice john roberts career. this issue arrives at a core that have been battered by scandals and recent controversial decisions, like overturning roe v. wade. i'm sure the chief justice would happily avoid controversial issues or politically fraud questions related to trump. here he may not be able to do that. not only are we looking for whether the justices will consider this issue, we will also look of the next weeks and months at how exactly they will consider this issue. which questions are they going to take out? there are several different questions in front of them. one, obvi

paula reid, cnn, new york. >>> hunter biden pleaded not guilty in a federal court on thursday. prosecutors say tax years 2016 through 2019, hunter biden spent his money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels, ek on the exotic cars and basically everything but taxes. >> his attorney says it is a political hit job. republicans have accused president biden of benefiting financially from his son's business dealings with ukrainian and chinese companies. these claims remain unproven. the judge has set hunter biden's trial date for june 20. >>> and after a short break, the u.s. and uk launching air and sea based strikes against iran-backed houthi targets in yemen. >>> and also ahead, israel is facing accusations of genocide in gaza. details on this historic hearing coming up. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart, efficient, savvy. making the most of every opportunity. that's why comcast business is introducing the small business bonus. for a limited time you can get up to $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet. yup, $1000. so switch to business

paula reid, cnn, new york. >> more on breaking news out of yemen when we come back. stay with us. >>> latest on the military strikes by the u.s. and britain in yemen, here this video shows smoke near a major part of the country. a resident give us the footage is reporting no explosions there. we are still waiting for an official confirmation that the area was struck again. that comes hours after the u.s. hit 60 other targets belong to houthi rebels were allowed to iran. those targets concluded it radar, john, and missile strikes. no military response followed -- on international shipping in the red sea, one of the key commercial waterways. it seems boeing's problems with it 737 max nine jets are far from over. a class action lawsuit has been filed in the state of washington against the aerospace giant on behalf of passengers over last friday's alaska airlines flight 12 82. the passengers were physically injured -- after a piece of the, plane the or plane flew off in mid air. the u.s. federal aviation administration says it is opening an investigation into bogus quali

. >> more now from chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid. >> former president trump headed to new hampshire late wednesday after a long day in court for e. jean carroll testified for the first time with trump in the room. she did testify at her trial last spring where a jury found trump the sexually abused her and defamed her and awarded her $a 5 million, trump it not attend that trial. it's significant he was there in the room and she recounted the impact all of this has had on her. but trump and his lawyeren gauged in contentious exchanges with the judge over the rules of the court. trump was disruptive during the testimony, which prompted pushback from the judge and his attorney did not follow the rules of evidence when trying to introduce certain pieces of evidence. this prompted contentious exchanges with the judge. it all appeared to be manufacturered courtroom drama to help amplify trump's message that he's the victim of an unfair judicial system. paula reid, cnn, new york. >>> trump could still testify in the case, although the judge made it clear he cannot dispute the

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> the biden administration is turning the u.s.rt in its latest dispute with texas over border policy. the state installed razor wire at the border and the federal government now wants the high court to allow the border patrol to remove it. it has been tied up in lower courts since last year. texas argues that cutting the wire amounts to destroying property and that it reduces security by helping migrants illegally enter the u.s. >> a group of republican lawmakers will get a close look at that border today. a visit to eagle pass. and ed lavendera reports. >> reporter: which is a group of republican lawmakers including mike johnson will tour the border here in eagle pass and get a briefing from state authorities. of course eagle pass has really become the flash point of the border migration crisis we've seen unfold for months now. lawmakers here will be visiting from the house side. this has senate lawmakers are trying to come to terms on framework and possible deal in a border security bill. senator chris murphy says that it is not

and now joining me is chief legal correspondent paula reid, already a warning and kara said that whenling it is the end of the discussion and not the beginning. >> yes, and one of my law professors used to say, i will not debate this, and this is the decision and final and this is showing how the judge has a much stronger command of the courtroom which is common in federal courts because they are very orderly and discipline and this is what former president trump is going to see this morning because he did not participate in this case last year. >> so he is there as a campaign stop. this is the first stop after winning the iowa caucuses, and if he wants to make a spectacle of himself somehow, and yes, he can do a press conference after, but what could he try to pull off in the courtroom and what could the judge do? >> the possibilities are endless, but there is no role for him today, and there is jury selection and so there is no role. is he is going to stand up and cause a disturbance, no. but his lawyers said that he might want to testify, and this is where he could get into some tr

cnn's paula reid reports. >> this is the biggest ele election-related case for the supreme court since bush v. gore. the justices have accepted a petition from trump's lawyers to review whether the colorado supreme court made a mistake when they removed trump from the ballot. it's unclear which questions or issues the court will decide, but the big question in this case that's been litigated is whether section 3 of the 14th amendment of of the constitution applies to presidents. this is a question that has divided even judges within one state of colorado. this is so-called insurrectionist ban, and this section of the 14th amendment prohibits anyone who engages in insurrection from holding future office. but it does not say how it applies to the president, and that's one of the issues that the justices will likely have to weigh in on. the other big issue is how this is enforced. is it up to the states? is there a role for congress? right now they are not making clear the justices exactly which questions they intend to answer. lawyers are framing this case as a returnrn canandidates toto

. >> we have more now from chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid. >> reporter: former president trump traveled to washington tuesday to wash arguments in a federal appeals court hearing over whether he should be shielded from criminal prosecution. >> i feel that as a the president, you have to have immunity. >> reporter: trump was not required to be in attendance, but he was in court to website the three-judge panel express skepticism of his legal team's claim he cannot be prosecuted for his actions unless he's first impeached and convicted by congress. >> that's an official act in order to seal team 6. >> he would have to be and would speededly be impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution. >> i asked a yes or no question. >> there's a political process that would have to occur under our constitution, which would require pooemt and conviction by the senate. >> trump's lawyers argue when trying to overturn the 2020 election, trump was acting in official capacity. >> to authorize the prosecution of a president for his official acts would open a pan do are's box for w

. >> let's bring in paula reid who was at trump's news conference. paula, your takeaway from what you heard. it was billed that he was going to take questions. he didn't take any questions. >> reporter: yeah, jake, i was going to take issue with the description of this as a press conference. it was a statement to cameras before he heads up to new hampshire. look, the return on investment for him for showing up in new york, he goes into court, he and his lawyers refuse to abide to the rules of evidence or the rules of decorum, not being disruptive when there's a witness and he comes before the cameras and argues the system is unfair. this is the political message he wants to send. he could be in new hampshire or on the campaign trail. instead coming to new york to amplify the argument he's a victim of an unfair judicial system. he and his lawyers refuse to follow the rules anyone else is told to abide by in court. >> did he say anything else that's worth fact checking? mr. trump said something about e. jean carroll destroying evidence. is that true? is

well now cnn chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid, and senior legal analyst, elie honig, what'sere, paula, and is the trial going to start again tomorrow? >> unclear, we're getting these day by day extensions, went into court on monday, there was a sick juror, so they had to adjourn court for the day, and it was expected that they would come back on tuesday, trump's lawyer, though, alina hobba asked for an adjournment on tuesday as well because trump was in new hampshire. the judge was not terribly happy about this request, it was clear, but he said to her, cryptically, you may get your wish based on sort of the larger circumstances. we have not been told specifically why they continued to extend this. all we know is there was a sick juror and so far we have had two different extensions of this adjournment and it's unclear if we will be back in court tomorrow or if they will extend the pause another day. >> elie honig, a sick juror, the flu, covid, something that clears up quickly. what if it doesn't? >> if there's issues with health with a juror, you can wait it out. depends on

paula reid cnn new york. >>> president biden's son hunter pleaded not guilty to tax related charges in federal court in california on thursday, prosecutors say for taxes 2016 through 2019 hunter biden spent his money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends. luxury hotels, exotic cars and on basically everything but his taxes. his attorney argues that the charges are part of a political hit job. republicans of accuse president biden of benefiting financially from his son's business dealings with ukrainian and chinese companies, but his claims have not been proven. the judge has said hunter biden's trial date for june 20. >>> u.s. military has not properly tracked more than a billion dollars worth of weapons for ukraine, that's according to new report by the pentagon expected general. the weapons belong to a category that requires enhanced monitoring after their exports, things like javelin missiles in night vision equipment, the watchdog says it is outside the scope of the investigation to find out what happened to them, the pentagon suggests there's no reason to believe foul play was involve

paula reid is tracking this in new york. walk us through this courtroom class. >> reporter: this is pretty contrived courtroom drama. this is whatcame for. we saw last week and this week trump attends legal proceedings where there are rules you cannot enter a federal courtroom and make a ruckus when someone is testifying, those rules apply to everyone. the judge gave trump one warning and said i want you to be mindful whatever you're saying during the testimony cannot be heard by the jury. it appears that his reactions have escalated. this is a pattern we are seeing him he does not have to be in court, he is voluntarily attending this damages trial, although he did not show up to a single moment to the trial that were facts in this case. he has volunteered to be here. he was told standard rules to follow. he refuses to play by the rules and the judge has to admonish him as he did here. reminding him while he has a right to be present, that right can be forfeited if he is disruptive, -- i want to make sure i read this right,

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> gold bars and grand prix tickets. those are just some of the gifts u.s. senator bob menendez is accused of receiving from qatar and an alleged co-conspirator as part of a years' long corruption scheme. the allegations are part of a superseding indictment made public on tuesday. this makes qatar the second foreign country following egypt that the new jersey democrat is accused of helping while in office. menendez sits on the senate foreign relations committee. he has vigorously denied any wrongdoing, and his attorney says the senator acted entirely appropriately at all times. >>> well, coming up, ukraine says russia's latest attacks are a case for more western support and more military aid. we'll show you what they're up against. that's next. >>> russia has been pounding ukraine with missiles as the war drags on nearly two years after a full-scale invasion. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy says russia launched at least 500 missiles and drones at ukrainian territory in the past five days. including a massive bomb

>> paula reid, i always get so excited when you say you're exactly right. you very much for being with us, as always. >>> let's continue the conversation with us now is former assistant prosecutor and former assistant u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york nick akerman. good morning. what do you make of trump's main filing? >> his main filing, he's trying to throw as much ketchup on the wall as he possibly can and hopes nobody washes it off. none of these arguments really carry any weight. the 14th amendment is really straightforward. it says that if you have previously taken an oath of office to defend the constitution and engage in an insurrection thereafter, you are no longer qualified to be president. >> is that going to be the issue if the supreme court takes it up? are they going to weigh into that? because that seems to be the issue that legal observers say they're not going to want to get into the politics of this and they'll perhaps choose a more procedural route. >> there's no procedural route here. you have to be 35 years old to be p

paula reid, thank you very much for that.keep us posted when you hear the next step. >> she did that in 15 seconds or less. we have had had so much breaking news for you today. much of it will likely come up, though, in tonight's back to back cnn town halls with ron desantis and nikki haley, the two of them are the only ones that qualified. they will be taking questions directly from iowa voters. kaitlan collins is moderating the conversation with desantis at 9:00 p.m. and then erin burnett at 10:00 p.m. with nikki haley. >> thank you all for joining u on this s busy mornining. thisis is "cnn n news centraral" "insnside polititics" is up p n.

paula reid, thank you so much. meanwhile, prison time for another former trump advisor who defied a congressional subpoena. first it was steve bannon and now today peter navarro who was sentenced to four months in prison for defying the subpoena from the house select committee investigating january 6th. joining us now cnn senior crime and justice reporter kaitlyn polanz and former prosecutor and cnn legal analyst. kaitlyn, to you first, what did the judge say when he handed down this four-month sentence to peter gnaw vnavarro? >> he said frankly you should have known better. the same amount of jail time for defying the subpoena, not turning over documents, not sitting for testimony before the house select committee. and the judge over at the federal court in d.c., he said, you know, peter navarro you were happy to talk about what you were doing after the 2020 election publicly, you were writing about it in your book and though you're a good guy, and he brought his lawyer shoes when he needed them, and he was helpin

first are cnn's chief legal affairs correspondent, paula reid. what is trump's team arguing, and what happens next? >> reporter: now it's up to the main maine courts. the trump team is asking the court to overturn the decision by maine's secretary of state of c maine, shenthat bellows. she opted to remove trump from the ballot. if you don't like what the secretary of state says about your ballot eligibility, you can appeal that to the court system, which is what they've done here, asking them to overturn her decision. trump's team arguing, "the secretary was a biased decisionmaker who should have recused herself and had no local authority, making multiple errors of law and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner." her decision was based on section 3 of the 14th amendment of the u.s. constitution, which bars insurrectionists from holding public office. but this section of the constitution has now been litigated by multiple states across the country with varying outcomes. maine and colorado have opted to remove trump from the ballot under the s

cnn's chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid is working the story for us. ula, what can you tell us? >> nathan wade is the special prosecutor appointed to oversee the sprawling election interference case down in georgia. the former president trump and two of his co-defendants in that case have accused wade of having an inappropriate relationship with the district attorney, fani willis. her office is the one that has brought this case, she appointed wade, and they have also alleged that wade used his own money to take willis on lavish vacations. wade and willis have not publicly responded to these allegations, and much of the evidence to support these allegations has surfaced during his divorce proceedings. and tomorrow he was scheduled to have a hearing in that divorce where he was expected to take the stand and possibly be asked about these allegations. but he and his estranged wife have come to a settlement to resolve the issues between them and not have to have this hearing. so he will not take the stand tomorrow. he will not have to face the questions ab

cnn's paula reid broke this story. she joins us now live with more. la, what more do we know about this investigation? >> well boris, this is the latest round of outrage from the health ethics committee. they reached out to several witnesses, including that woman who was still 17 when she allegedly had sex with a congressman. they also reached out to the justice department, seeking materials from its years long criminal investigation into the congressman. now, that investigation began in late 2020, under trump appointed attorney general bill barr. it started with allegations about sex with a minor, but then expanded to look into potential sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and -- relations. i want to emphasize, congressman has always denied any wrongdoing and he was never charged by the justice department. that case was closed last year with no charges brought against gaetz, however, his longtime friend and associate, joel greenberg, he did plead guilty to several crimes, including soliciting and having sex with a minor. in response to our new re

we have cnn's paula reid tracking all of this in new york. e kristen holmes on the trail in new hampshire. paula, tell us where things stand from inside the courtroom. >> well, a jury has been seated. they will remain anonymous throughout this process because, as we've seen another trump related cases, when they are not anonymous, some of these jurors have faced pretty serious threats. now, in a short time. we expect that they will get underway with opening statements and the judge apparently came to move it's along once to wrap those up today. but as you noted, trump is clearly bringing the campaign to new york again today. instead of spending the whole day in new hampshire or another key state. and as you said, this is a choice. he does not have to be in court today. he did not have to attend any of the court proceedings that he has sat in on in the last ten days. but he and his legal team, they appear to be making this choice as part of a way to amplify this larger narrative that he's somehow the victim of an unfair system. and at the begin

. >> joining us now, cnn senior supreme court analyst joan biskupic and paula reid. paula, what more can you tell us about the court's decision. >> anderson, it doesn't get any bigger than this. this issue arrives at a court that has been battered by scandals and controversial decisions, like overturning roe v. wade. this is likely going to be the biggest test for chief justice john roberts, the biggest test of his career. he's going to be under enormous pressure to try to build consensus behind the scenes after oral arguments to craft a decision that does not appear partisan. because again there have been a lot of questions about partisanship in and around the court. this is an enormous challenge for him, not only to decipher the constitutional questions that are in front of them but also to broadcast to the country and to the world that this is an organization that makes decisions based on the facts in the law. >> joan, what is the timing of how all this will play out? >> you know, it's going to be very swift. the date for everyone to keep in mind is february 8th. t

paula reid, cnn, washington. >> former state and federal prosecutor, and cnn senior legal analyst elieonig weighed in on the u.s. supreme court's decision to hear the colorado case. take a listen. >> i do not expect the supreme court to address the issue of insurrection, whether donald trump did or did not engage in insurrection. that's not the kind of thing that the u.s. supreme court normally does, they're not a fact-finding body. i expect them to deal with the procedural and constitutional questions. two in particular. first of all, is it up to congress to pass laws telling us how the 14th amendment works, or is it up to the states to figure it out on their own? if the supreme court decides this is only up to congress, that will end the colorado challenge, put trump back on the ballot in colorado, and effectively end all the challenges we've seen all across the country. and i think the second issue is, does the 14th amendment apply to the president as a, quote, officer of the united states, again, if they answer that, no, it does not apply to the president, that ends the colorado ca

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> gaza is under a near total communications blackout that's been goingfor more than a week now. it's happening as israel presses ahead with its military offensive there. most phone and data connections with down by aid workers say makes it near impossible to do their job. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu is again pushing back on u.s. calls for the creation of an independent palestinian state once the war against hamas is over. a plan which netanyahu has long opposed. during a news conference thursday he argued palestinian sovereignty would pose a serious risk to israel's security. >> translator: any agreement with or without agreement the state of israel must control security between the jordan river to the sea, and the clashes at the sovereignty idea i'm telling our american friends i stop at a reality which would have hurt the security of israel. the prime minister of israel should have the ability to say no, even to our greatest friend, when he has to. >> but the u.s. state department is arguing the exact opposite, saying a palestinian state

for more, let's bring in paula reid who is outside the courthouse in washington, d.c. and this is not something that donald trump has to attend. he is choosing to attend this. so what do we expect to see when donald trump arrives at that courthouse behind you? >> reporter: it is a rainy windy day here in washington. and this is a federal courthouse and hard to see much at all. he will likely go into a garage where we won't see him. and the proceedings are not televised. we'll get some audio, but we won't be able to see what is going on in the court. there will be a sketch artist. so really at the end of the day really all we see is a single sketch from the skrech etch a c making not to show up today. one lawyer will get up at a time before the three judge panel, pretty much they are person ed peppered from the questions. there is nothing for jump to do today in the courtroom. but we'll be listening to the judges. s unclear what donald trump wants to accomplish. it is unusual to attend an p appellate oral argument. but really in addition to the larger constitutional que

i want to start with cnn's chief polite correspondent, paula reid. a, how significant is it and how will it unfold? >> wolf, it is the most significant election-related case before the court since bush v. gore. they've accepted a request from trump legal team to determine if the colorado supreme court improperly removed trump from the ballot. now, the biggest question here is whether section 3 of the 14th amendment of the u.s. constitution, the so-called insurrectionist ban that bars those who engage in insurrection from holding public office, if that applies to presidents. that is a question that has divided judges even within the same state of colorado. another issue they may have to weigh in on is, well, how is that executed? is that something the states should handle or is there a rule for congress? now, the way the trump team has framed this case, they're arguing this is a request to return the choice of candidate to voters, but the challengers are arguing that the so-called insurrectionist ban applies to trump and he should be barred from holdin

first, cnn's paula reid with more of this consequential day in court. >> president trump traveled to washington tuesday, to watch arguments in a federal appeals court hearing, over whether he should be shielded from criminal prosecution. >> i feel that as a president, you have to have immunity, very simple. >> trump was not required to be in attendance, but was in court to witness the three judge panel expressed skepticism of his legal team's claim that he could not be prosecuted for his actions, unless he is first impeached and convicted by congress. >> can a president order seal team six to assassinate a political rival, and that's an official act in order to -- >> he would have to be, -- you know impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution. >> but i asked you a yes or no question. >> there is a political process that would have to occur under the structure of the constitution, which would require impeachment and conviction by the senate. and in these exceptional cases -- >> trump's lawyers argue that when trying to overturn the 2020 election, trump was acting in his of

but first, the main case, cnn's paula reid starts us off. >> so what more do we know about the former presidents appeal? >> tonight, they are attacking the secretary of state of maine, shana bellis. she is a delicate, but the process in maine is that the first stop for any questions about whether someone is on the ballot, going to the secretary of state. now in their appeal tonight, they argue that she was quote, a biased decision-maker, who should've recused herself, had no legal authority, made multiple errors of law, and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner. and anderson, her decision was based on section three of the 14th amendment of the united states constitution. now that is part of the constitution, and who should enforce it. while these questions have been litigated now across multiple states. in colorado and maine, they offered to remove trump from the ballot, but the other states, largely on procedural grounds, without getting into the merits, have kept him on the ballot. but they've also left open the possibility that this could be litigated through the general elec

>>> let's get some perspective now with cnn chief legal correspondent paula reid and national securityadley moss. he is a partner at the law office of -- let's start with you, paula. the judges and special counsel pointed out that trump's legal argument today evolved. is that a good sign? >> [laughter] look, it can be a good idea to switch up your argument depending on what you are seeing in other courts. the judges you were advocating before, go with your strongest argument, but what happened here is they have backed themselves into an unusual place. here they are arguing the former president does not enjoy absolute immunity, but instead he can only be prosecuted if he is impeached and convicted in a political process. the judges came armed with some pretty spicy hypotheticals including this one about seal team six, where they got to a place where they are effectively saying, yes the president can assassinate a political rival as long as congress is cool with it. i mean that is not really a winning legal argument. so, yes, they have changed up what they are arguing. where they ended u

paula reid is set to speak. paula, it is not only trump being combative, it is also his lawyer, right? >> reporter: jake, this is a lot of contrived courtroom drama on the part of donald trump and his attorneys. when you walk into a federal courthouse, there are rules. not being disruptive when a witnesses testifying is something that applies to everyone. it is unclear why trump does not think he needs to abide by this rule. a few moments ago, one of his lawyers tried to introduce evidence that the judge was not aware of. and he had to remind him, this is his courtroom. that is standard. there is a whole class in law school about evidence and how it is introduced. clearly, [ crying ] is aware. trump voluntarily attends legal proceedings that he does not have to be present for but then spars with the judge, throws his hands up, and says look, i am a victim of an unfair system. they are litigating very legitimate constitutional questions. what we have seen in the courtroom today appears to be political theater. >>

let's get the latest from paula reid. paula, what are you watching right now? >> i am watching for former president trump to file his appeal to the supreme court. it has been two weeks since the colorado supreme court removed him from the ballot. we have seen him file a challenge in maine to the state court, but really, we need the supreme court to weigh in here and offer clarity to the states and candidates about this question of ballot eligibility under the 14th amendment of the constitution. the republican party in colorado has already filed its appeal, so the impact of that is twofold. one, it put that decision on hold. he is expected, unless the supreme court acts, to appear on the primary ballot, but it also means the supreme court could take up that appeal if trump doesn't ultimately end up filing his own, but i'm told by multiple sources he does expect to file an appeal. look, time is of the essence. they really need to clarify this question ahead of the general election. >> as this plays out, what is next, in terms of the immunity bid by the former pre

cnn's chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid wraps up today's proceedings. >> former presidentmp getting the last word in at closing arguments, usually closing arguments are an opportunity for lawyers to summarize their theory of the case, and the day kicked off with trump's lawyer -- laying out their theory that this is a political persecution, and his client trump had no intention of defrauding, banks and they were never harmed. but after he wrapped his remarks, he then asked if his client could have addressed the court, and the judge granted it -- and a judge previously said a -- you can participate in closing arguments, you can't give a campaign speech, and that is exactly what trump did, attacking the judge, attacking the attorney generals office, and insisting he is a, quote innocent man. now trump addressed the public on his way into court, on his way out of court, those remarks in court and then had a press conference. here is where he got a real return on investment here in terms of amplifying his argument. he is being targeted because of he desire by his political opp

. >> cnn chief legal affairs correspondent, paula reid, here with us for this. more are you learning about the file? >> the trump team is not happy the jack smith had his staff working through the holidays, making filings. this is the federal election subversion case. it is officially on hold. the judge, judge tanya chutkan, has paused all substantive proceedings. the trump team now has responded to this by filing their own motion, asking for the prosecutors to be, quote, substantially sanctioned here. jack smith? fully aware of what he's doing. he even said in his filings, look, i know this is on hold, but i want to bring this case to trial before the 2024 election. right now it's on pause while these larger constitutional questions about possible immunity are being litigated. he hopes that will eventually be resolved in his favor and then, if he has all his ducks in a row, maybe they can push forward with the trial sooner. that is not the way that the trump team sees it. he is arguing that he's trying to score cheap political points for these continued filings.

paula reid, cnn, new york. >>> illinois is the latest u.s.er whether donald trump should be on the ballot in this year's presidential race. the board of elections will meet in the day ahead to stop the process. no decision is expected until after a hearing officer finishes an investigation. an advocacy group claims trump's role in the january 6th insurinside insurrection disqualifies him. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear an appeal of trump's ballot ban in colorado. >>> well, campaign memorabilia is nothing new, of course, nor is merchandise bearing donald trump's name. but in one small virginia town, those two things have come together in an all consuming way. cnn's elle reeve visited an old church that has now become t trp townwn usa, a store mixing popolitics andnd the profafane. >>>> rep . >> t the mug shohot was realall. and ththis stuff lasts p probab about t two months, it s stays rereally hot. but ththe first weweek that the shotot came out,t, we sold l li 2,000 t-t-shirts. >> what's that? >> that's s trump's baballs. >> o oka

it we have cnn chief legal affairs correspondent, paula reid, on this forest. paula, it is a touchy issue. they don't say election, ray? they have been saying that, he hasn't said. i think we know that is sort of what they are getting at. there should be something the voters get to see before the election. >> absolutely. that is what they have said, indirectly. even folks on trump's legal team have conceded, yes, absolutely. we know the special counsel trying to bring this before the november 2024 election there are two big questions. okay, how will form or are you willing to start a trial? how far into the election cycle, right? historically the justice department has had a rule not to take any investigative steps in cases that are in any able to influence the election. but those are investigative steps. it doesn't necessarily apply to a trial. once again, it is a place we have never been before when it comes to a potential presidential candidate. that is what they are trying to get out with the attorney general. one, is there a cutoff for how that you would al

to the former trump white house attorney ty cobb but i want to break with the breaking news with paula reidoutfront" live in washington. paula, this appeal coming in the colorado case which was the crucial canary in the coal mine for this, right, perhaps led to then what happened in meat. what can you tell us from your reporting about the appeal and what happens from here? >> so the way the trump team has framed this, they are asking the supreme court to return to voters the ability to choose the candidate they want. they argue that the colorado supreme court's decision to remove trump from the ballot was the first time in this country's history that the judiciary has prevented voters from selecting a party's primary candidate. now then they go on to advocate for their interpretation of the constitution, specifically section 3 of the 14th amendment, the part that has been litigated now across multiple states and says if you engage in an insurrection you can not hold a future office. they insist that it doesn't apply to presidents because it doesn't explicitly say that it does. they argue to

. >> paula reid, is with me. what can you tell us? >> the court has been under enormous pressure to take this position. rationing whether donald trump is able to appear on the ballot, given section 3 of the 14th amendment. it bends insurrectionist from holding office. this is something that has been litigated across multiple states with differing outcomes. we saw the same course in colorado and the state of maine. they were removed from the ballot. even in colorado, there was disagreement among reports about whether this applies to presidents. other states have considered this an option to keep them on the ballot. states like michigan and minnesota, did not get into the merit or the big questions. they said they decided on procedural grounds. this is a constitutional question. clearly, it is going to demand some clarity from the high court. there has been increasing pressure on the court to take up this case. in the past 48 hours, more challenges are being filed in illinois and massachusetts. if the court in weigh in, they would conti

cnn's paula reid has details from washington. >> reporter: the trump legal team expanding its arguments about why trump cannot be removed from the ballot under section 3 of the 14th amendment of the constitution. the so-called insurrectionist ban. at a high level, the team is arguing that this would disenfranchise voters, particularly unleashing chaos if other states and state officials followed this pattern. now, i will note that chaos and bedlam are words that trump has used in the past that have in part incited violence. the trump legal team's constitutional arguments are extensive. they argue that this particular section of the constitution does not apply to presidents because it does not specifically say that it applies to presidents and the presidents are not officers of the united states. they also insist trump did not engage in an insurrection. that is interesting because it is highly unlikely the high court will want to take up that question of what trump did and around january 6th was an insurrection. instead, it is expected they are going to focus on constitutional interpreta

. >> and as justice kavanaugh's head explodes, paula reid, the u.s. supreme court, if they take up the case what do you think they will focus on? >> a menu of options by for president trump and the republican party of colorado. the gop presented three questions, the first is the section 3 apply to president, within the state of colorado, they were split on the question, if they take up the case they will likely have to clarify. the next question is, is itself executing or a rule for congress. the republican party in that state posed a question, the parties owes a first amendment right that should be factored in here, they pose more of a general question, was a mistake to remove them from the ballot, more of a choose your own adventure for the justices. there's going to be a lot of pressure to rule narrowly and to build a coalition and consensus so it doesn't look like it has a partisan tilt. >> i can't imagine that they are not going to weigh in on this, there is much confusion about this. i don't want to state that that will definitely happen but i t

let's start this hour with chief legal correspondent paula reid.as on the stand for just a few minutes testifying in his own defense. what did he have to say? >> reporter: well, his lawyer alina habba, and the judge spent more debating what trump could say on

paul reed paula reid joins us now. the jury selection wrapped up just before the court went to break, what are we expecting? >> reporter: live updates from our colleagues in the courtroom, it appears palmer president trump is leaving the court complex. his legal team is back in court for the opening statements. these are expected to wrap before the end of the day. earlier in the day, business at hand was whittling down dozens of possible jurors to a nine person jury. this jury will remain anonymous. that is significant because we have seen with judges, court staff, other ranchers who have worked on cases related to trump, they have faced threats. it is notable that they will remain anonymous. trump did not have to show up to jury selection. he is not required to attend, he does not have a role at this stage, this is a choice. we have seen him make this choice multiple times, he has attended oral arguments in federal court, he also attended a civil case and now he is back in federal court for this damages trial all volu