Up First from NPR - Trump Reacts to Conviction, Another Peace Plan for Gaza, Mexico's Elections

Episode Date: June 1, 2024

Donald Trump claims his trial was "rigged," but does not give any evidence. President Biden says it's time to end the war in Gaza now. The top two candidates in Mexico's presidential elections Sunday are both women, meaning the country's likely to make history.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Donald Trump attacks the trial that led to his conviction this week. He blames the judge, the prosecutor, the witnesses, but without any evidence to support the claims. I'm Ayesha Roscoe. And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. President Biden isn't buying it. It's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict. Coming up, how Trump is using his conviction to boost support for his candidacy. Plus a new peace proposal to end the Israel-Gaza war.

But is it any different from the ones that have failed? And Mexico's presidential election will likely be historic no matter who wins. That's because the top two candidates are women. Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. Now, Our Change will honor 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force and their dedicated service to communities at home and abroad. From the skies to Our Change, this $2 commemorative circulation coin marks their storied past and promising future. Find the limited edition Royal Canadian Air Force $2 coin today. A day after becoming the nation's first ever convicted former president, Donald Trump gave a news conference. And he made a lot of unsupported allegations that his trial was rigged. He called the judge in the case a devil and a witness, quote, a sleazebag.

NPR's Ron Elving joins us now. Ron, thanks for being with us. Good to be with you, Scott. What stood out to you about the verdict? First, that the jury came back so quickly. We had expected the jury to struggle, but they came back on the second day. They were decisive. They were unanimous. It only takes one holdout for a hung jury, so the speed and the clarity were striking. And we need to remember this was the least serious of Trump's four criminal cases. It could send him to jail, but that seems highly unlikely given past sentencing patterns for this class of felony by a first-time offender. It's up to the judge. Still, it was the first criminal case to come

to trial and produce a conviction. And even if the other trials are still delayed, this may have been the dawning of a day of reckoning for Trump. As you say, it's up to the judge, Juan Merchan. How do you read Donald Trump criticizing him so sharply? Oh, it does seem curious to antagonize the one person with power to put you in prison. Trump has a long history, though, of attacking judges in his civil cases. He said a Spanish-surnamed judge was biased against him because he wanted to build a wall on the border,

and he has played that card with Merchan as well. There is a school of thought that says Trump wants to be put in jail, whether for a conviction or for contempt of court, that he wants it to fuel his martyrdom defense. He's raised tens of millions of dollars with his legal troubles. He did it with his mugshot down in Georgia, and he did it again this week. Donald Trump says it was a rigged trial, just as he said 2020 was a rigged election, which is not true. What are the implications of a major party candidate for president

urging the American people to disregard both the electoral system and now the judicial system? Well, in fairness to Donald Trump, he's not asking people to disregard elections or courts all the time, just when he loses. He's all for the rule of law, so long as it rules in his favor. The question he wants posed here is ultimately not about American systems, electoral or judicial. It's just about one man, Donald Trump. Donald Trump called America a fascist state. I almost have to take a breath after that, as I have covered events in genuinely despotic states. Should Americans worry about the possibility of violence in the coming months? I have to take a breath just hearing you ask that question, Scott. But perhaps we should worry, at least more than in any other election year since World War II and maybe in the last century and a half. Obviously, the election of 1860 triggered the Civil War.

But since then, we have prided ourselves on the peaceful transfer of power, even after elections that were disputed or difficult to resolve. Or I should say that was the case until January 6th, 2021. And let me ask about the political implications of Donald Trump's conviction. Does the fact that I even have to ask what are the political implications, is that a boost to President Biden's campaign? The answer is far from clear. Some polling in the past has indicated a criminal conviction for Trump would bother some voters. But would that then include this conviction on these charges after this trial?

We may soon see some polls that show Trump is actually getting a boost, even if only temporarily in some parts of the electorate. And it distracts from Biden talking about what he's done as president. And right now, the real task for Joe Biden is he needs to get people to feel better about those four years and about another four years of Joe Biden. And Piers Ron Elving, very good to talk to you this week. Thanks so much. Thank you, Scott. President Biden has endorsed a new ceasefire proposal from Israel. He says it will lead to the release of all hostages and what he calls an enduring ceasefire.

But Hamas is not yet behind it, and maybe not even all Israeli officials. And Bear White House correspondent Asma Khalid joins us. Asma, thanks for being with us. Sure, happy to do it. What's in this plan? Well, there are three phases to the plan. Phase one would be six weeks long, and it would be a complete ceasefire, and also include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza. It's worth keeping in mind, Scott, that this comes just this week after Israeli forces were pushing deeper into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This first phase also includes the release of a number of hostages, including all remaining Americans, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Citizens in Gaza could return home, we're told, and that more aid would also be moved into the region. Biden said from there they would move into phase two, which he described as a permanent end to hostilities, and then eventually phase three of the plan, which would be the start

of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza. But none of this is agreed to, and there's still a lot of details to negotiate the move even from phase one to phase two. Asma, what do you make of the fact that this was an Israeli offer, but the U.S. president announced the details? Yeah, I mean, Scott, I thought that was very interesting and very key for us to observe. I mean, the U.S. has played an integral part in this conflict. And of course, this administration did help negotiate a prior temporary ceasefire last year.

Israel, you know, in recent months has become increasingly isolated in the international community because how it is conducting the war and the large number of civilian casualties. And so the White House is very key to brokering any sort of deal. The Biden administration says the Israelis have signed off on it. But a key question is if the Israelis are indeed really OK with all of the terms. And just this week, the Israeli national security adviser had said the war would last another seven months. I will say if you listen to Biden's remarks yesterday, it's clear he was speaking to multiple audiences, including those in the region who might be

skeptical. Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and let the leaders know they should take this deal, work to make it real, make it lasting, and forge a better future out of the tragic terror attack and war. And Biden made the case that Hamas no longer has the ability to commit a terrorist attack against Israel like October 7th. And he warned that this notion of a total victory would not actually give Israel lasting security. Is the president sending a strong signal to Israel that he'd like them to accept the deal? That's right. But I think he's also putting a lot of pressure on Hamas to accept this deal. Israel's made their proposal. Hamas says it wants to cease fire.

This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it. Hamas needs to take the deal. And yesterday after Biden's remarks, the Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a number of calls to his counterparts in the region, also urging them to put pressure on Hamas to accept this deal. Hamas issued a statement saying it welcomed Biden's call for a permanent ceasefire, but it has not committed to the proposal. You know, I will say this is not just a foreign policy issue for Biden. It has become a domestic crisis in an election year. And there are competing pressures on Biden from within his own party. Some Democratic lawmakers have called for conditioning aid to Israel. Other lawmakers have called for unequivocal support for Israel. And Israel is and does remain a key ally of the United States.

After the president's remarks on Friday, congressional leaders issued a formal invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to give a joint address to Congress. And so we're going to see when that happens. The date has not yet been announced. And Pierre Zazmichalid, thanks so much for being with us. Good to talk to you. Tomorrow is Election Day in Mexico. And for the first time in the Republic's 200-year history, it is likely that a woman will win the top spot.

NPR's Ada Peralta joins us now from Mexico City. Hi, Ada. Hey, Aisha. So let's start with whatta joins us now from Mexico City. Hi, Ada. Hey, Aisha. So let's start with what you've been hearing from women there as this moment approaches. So, you know, the conversation here is really philosophical. And it's basically women here in Mexico balancing the emotion of watching the highest of glass ceilings being shattered and the reality that they see on the ground every day, which is that Mexico is a toxic place for women. This country has one of the highest rates of murder against women. And I spoke to a mother and daughter this week in downtown Mexico City. They're part of a feminist collective of street vendors. It's women who band together to protect

each other on the streets of a really aggressive city, and they sell clothes and books and art. And I started by asking the mom, Gloria Guerrero Juarez, who is 60, if she ever imagined that there would be a woman president. No, but we have so much corruption that the country has been forced into electing a woman. So, you know, kind of a cynical view. But then I asked her if she thought a woman could change Mexico. It will change because the little bit of order we have is because of women. Because men are the rebels today, I think women are a little bit more aligned with harmony and peace.

So she's optimistic. You mentioned this is a mother-daughter team here. So did the daughter think differently? Yeah, Jenny Oldin was more circumspect. Just like her mother, she doesn't trust politicians. And she quoted one of her teachers. He said a tiger will never become a vegetarian. They can change the president a thousand times, but if people don't change, things will stay the same. If we don't row together, having a woman president will mean nothing. And the context of what she's saying is important. Here in Mexico City, street vendors are extorted.

They have to pay bribes to keep their businesses running. And these groups of women across the city have banded together. And what they're saying is we will not pay bribes. And they've faced violent attacks and repression. Yet they have stayed on the streets in part to make a living, in part as a standing protest against corruption. And that's the kind of working together that she's talking about. Okay, so I mean, that's really courageous. Election Day is Sunday. Give us a brief overview of what we should expect. So the two women to watch are Claudia Sheinbaum,

who is the ruling party candidate, and Xochitl Galvez, the opposition leader. So the two women to watch are Claudia Sheinbaum, who is the ruling party candidate, and Xochitl Galvez, the opposition leader. And these two women were at some point political outsiders. Sheinbaum was an academic, an environmental engineer, and she was part of a team studying climate change that won the Nobel Peace Prize. And Xochitl Galvez has a rags to riches story. She used to sell jello in a tiny town and she rose up to become an engineer, an entrepreneur, and later a senator here in Mexico. And now she's a presidential candidate.

All of the polls give Shainbaum a sizable lead. And we should know which way this election has gone by Sunday evening. That's NPR's Ada Peralta reporting from Mexico City. Ada, thank you so much. Thank you, Aisha. And that's a first for Saturday, June 1, 2024.

I'm Scott Simon. And I'm Aisha Roscoe. Michael Radcliffe produced today's episode with help from Hiba Ahmad, Fernando Naro-Roman, and Gabe O'Connor, our director, Andrew Craig. It was edited by Melissa Gray, Dana Farrington, Tara Neal, and Matthew Sherman. Our technical director is Hana Glovna with engineering support from Carly Strange, Nisha Hines, and Stacey Abbott. Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Kane is our deputy managing editor. Tomorrow on the Sunday Story podcast, 15 people await trial in India for allegedly plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They say they've been framed. You can listen to more news, interviews, sports, all weekend long on your NPR station. Even some game shows since, you know, it is the weekend after all. So to find your station, go to stations.npr.org. Don't delay.