Trump And The Constitution, Gaza Food Aid Plan, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Begins

Summary

Up First from NPR – May 5, 2025

NPR's "Up First" delivers the top three stories of the day with in-depth reporting and analysis. In this episode, host Steve Inskeep, along with co-hosts Michelle Martin, Michel Martin, and A Martinez, delve into President Donald Trump's latest executive actions, Israel's controversial Gaza food aid plan, and the commencement of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' high-profile trial.

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1. President Trump and the Constitution

Executive Order Targeting NPR: Michelle Martin opens the program by addressing President Trump's recent executive order aimed at blocking all federal funding to NPR. She emphasizes NPR’s unwavering commitment to unbiased reporting despite increasing paywalls in the media landscape. Martin urges listeners to support NPR through donations, highlighting the crucial role of community support in maintaining free access to quality journalism.

"President Trump took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution... NPR's commitment to reporting the news without fear or favor will never change."
— Michelle Martin [00:00]

Trump's Remarks on Meet the Press: Steve Inskeep transitions to Donald Trump's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," focusing on the President’s ambiguous stance regarding his obligation to uphold the Constitution. During the interview, Trump responds with uncertainty when questioned about his constitutional duties, particularly in the context of immigration and tariffs.

"I don't know when asked if he needs to uphold the Constitution."
— Michelle Martin [03:16]

NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid provides context, explaining that Trump linked his immigration policies to constitutional mandates, arguing that enforcing due process for millions of undocumented immigrants would be impractical. She also notes Trump's recent declaration to reopen and rebuild Alcatraz prison, positioning it as a response to what he perceives as "radical judges" hindering his policies.

"President Trump believes he has a mandate... if you talk about due process for people who are not in the country legally, you'd have to deal with millions of trials."
— Asma Khalid [04:07]

Economic Implications of Tariffs: As the discussion progresses, Khalid highlights Trump's statements about making tariffs permanent, despite economic data suggesting that consumer sentiment does not align with his optimistic projections.

"He also suggests that this broad tariff dynamic is not an actual negotiation... tariffs are key to the president's economic vision."
— Asma Khalid [05:21]

The segment concludes with the anticipation of a high-stakes meeting between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, especially in light of Trump's threats regarding tariffs and potential annexation plans.

"Tariffs are key to the president's economic vision... Given Trump's threats of tariffs and, of course, annexation toward the United States' northern neighbor."
— Asma Khalid [06:00]

2. Israel's Gaza Food Aid Plan

Israel's Restrictive Aid Proposal: Michelle Martin introduces the second major story: Israel's approval of a plan to overhaul food aid distribution in Gaza. The proposal aims to shut down hundreds of United Nations-run community kitchens and consolidate aid to a mere four to ten designated centers. Israel asserts that this strategy is intended to prevent Hamas from accessing critical supplies.

"Israel's cabinet approved it last night and it completely changes how the 2 million people of Gaza would get their food and their basic supplies."
— Daniel Estrin [07:25]

Operational Details and International Response: Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv, detailing that the new aid centers would be managed by an American security contractor in collaboration with a new Swiss-based foundation. These centers would utilize facial recognition technology to screen and register Palestinians, aiming to isolate aid from militant groups. However, major aid organizations and the United Nations have condemned the plan, calling it a veiled military strategy rather than genuine humanitarian assistance.

"They put out a statement together and they say basically this is not an acceptable aid plan. It's a military plan."
— Daniel Estrin [08:56]

Impact on Gaza's Population: Estrin highlights the dire consequences of the blockade, now the longest in history, resulting in widespread hunger and the closure of essential food establishments. The restrictive aid plan is seen as an attempt to force Palestinian civilians into smaller areas, facilitating Israel's military expansion within Gaza.

"Hunger is widespread... Israel has been banning food and supplies, everything for more than two months into Gaza."
— Daniel Estrin [09:37]

Regional Tensions and International Involvement: The report also touches on regional tensions, including an incident where Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launched a missile at Israel, leading to heightened security measures and disrupted air travel.

"The Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen fired a missile at Israel... More than a dozen airlines have canceled flights."
— Daniel Estrin [10:17]

3. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Trial Begins

Overview of the Trial: Steve Inskeep discusses the commencement of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial in New York, where the rapper and businessman faces serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Combs, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in September, has pleaded not guilty to all allegations.

"Sean Combs is at risk of spending the rest of his life in prison. He's accused of abusing both women and men and using his power over them to keep them silent."
— Steve Inskeep [01:27]

Details of the Charges: Isabella Gomez Sarmiento provides an in-depth look at the charges, explaining that prosecutors allege Combs exploited his influence to coerce individuals into commercial sex acts and concealed these activities through his business operations.

"Prosecutors are basically alleging that Combs used his significant power and his business empire to protect himself from the repercussions of those actions."
— Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [11:26]

Legal Perspectives: Aya Gruber, a criminal law professor, discusses the broad interpretation of "commercial sex" in recent high-profile cases, noting that Combs' actions could fall under this definition due to the exchange of any value, not just monetary.

"The legal definition of commercial sex is quite broad... Promising to help someone's career could potentially be considered something of value in some instances."
— Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [11:59]

Jury Selection Challenges: Gomez Sarmiento also addresses the complexities of jury selection in high-profile cases, where potential jurors may have pre-existing opinions about the defendant, potentially impacting the trial's fairness.

"Combs is from New York City and he's a huge star. So there's really a high chance that potential jurors here will already have some opinions about this case."
— Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [13:33]

Potential Consequences: If convicted, Combs faces life imprisonment, underscoring the gravity of the charges against him.

"If he's found guilty of all of these charges, he could be spending the remainder of his life behind bars."
— Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [14:19]

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NPR's "Up First" continues to provide comprehensive coverage of the day's most pressing issues, ensuring listeners are informed and engaged with accurate and timely news.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

A note before we start today's program. You may have heard that President Trump has issued an executive order seeking to block all federal funding to npr. This is the latest in a series of threats to media organizations across the country. Whatever changes this action brings, NPR's commitment to reporting the news without fear or favor will never change. Even as paywalls rise elsewhere, we offer this vital resource to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. This is a pivotal moment. It's more important than ever that every supporter who can contribute comes together to pitch in as much as they are able. Support the news and programming you and millions rely on by visiting donate.NPR.org and if you already support us via NPR or other means, thank you. Your support means so much. Now more than ever, you help make NPR shows freely available to everyone. We're proud to do this work for you and with you. President Trump took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.

[Steve Inskeep]

Asked if he needs to uphold the Constitution, his answer began, I don't know. We'll listen to the context of a remark about immigration.

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. Israel approved a plan to manage all food aid entering Gaza. The proposal is to shut down hundreds of community kitchens run by the United Nations. Israelis instead want to allow just a few food centers. They say they want to do this to deny access to Hamas. How would the plan feed people, and how would it affect the war?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, Sean Diddy Combs is at risk of spending the rest of his life in prison. He's accused of abusing both women and men and using his power over them to keep them silent. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

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[Steve Inskeep]

Not for the first time, President Trump made remarks that left people wondering what he really meant.

[Michelle Martin]

This time it was an interview on NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. The president celebrated the tariffs that he regularly changes. He said they could permanent, although he's claiming the power to impose them by saying there's an emergency. He also said, I don't know when asked if he needs to uphold the Constitution.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid was listening. Good morning.

[Asma Khalid]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so what exactly did the president say about the Constitution on NBC?

[Asma Khalid]

Well, the context for this was a series of questions about whether non citizens in the US Deserve due process. The president believes, frankly, he has a mandate. He thinks on immigration and said if you talk about due process for people who are not in the country legally, you'd have to deal with millions of trials. And he was pressed on this by the show's moderator, Kristen Welker. Even given those numbers that you're talking about, don't you need to uphold the.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Constitution of the United States as president?

[Steve Inskeep]

I don't know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.

[Asma Khalid]

The backdrop to this is the high profile case of a man who was sent from Maryland to El Salvador despite a court order saying he should specifically not be deported there. The Supreme Court has called on the US Government to facilitate his return, but thus far, he remains in El Salvador. And one last related point, Steve, here is that last night Trump said he's ordering the federal government to reopen and rebuild one of America's most notorious prisons, Alcatraz. He told reporters he wants to do this because of radical judges who've been insisting on due process for people in the country illegally that we should remind folks this prison Alcatraz is now a tourist attraction. It actually hasn't operated as a prison in decades.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, it had to be closed because it was falling apart. Did the president make any news on the economy?

[Asma Khalid]

Asmaa, you know, there were a couple of things that caught my ear, particularly when the moderator asked the president if tariffs are here to stay for the long run. You're not taking the possibility that these tariffs could be permanent off the table, Some of them?

[Steve Inskeep]

Oh, I wouldn't do that because if somebody thought they were going to come off the table, why would they build in the United States?

[Asma Khalid]

At one point, Trump also seemed to say that he'd be okay with a short term recession because he believes the economy will be fantastic in the long run. But his optimism does not match economic data or consumer sentiment.

[Steve Inskeep]

At this point, we're getting to the contradiction of the entire tariff policy, aside from the legality of whether it's even legal, what the president is claiming to do on a permanent basis. Now, he likes tariffs. He wants permanent tariffs. He also talks about negotiating away the tariffs in exchange for other benefits. Is the administration trying to make deals?

[Asma Khalid]

I mean, the president told reporters on Air Force One yesterday that there could be some trade deals this week. But at the same time, Steve, he also suggested that this broad tariff dynamic is not an actual negotiation. He said at the end of the day he will set the terms of these tariff deals because he sets the deals other countries do not. You know, tariffs are key to the president's economic vision. In fact, just last night on social media, he announced plans for yet another tariff, this time 100% tariff rate on movies produced outside of the United States. You know, one last thing to note, Steve, is that this week Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is coming to Washington. It is a high stakes meeting to watch given Trump's threats of tariffs and, of course, annexation toward the United states northern neighbor.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Asma Khalid with reporting and analysis made right here in the United States. Esma, thanks so much.

[Asma Khalid]

Good to speak with you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Israel is planning to limit the way that food and supplies are distributed in Gaza.

[Michelle Martin]

Israel says it is the only way it will allow any food back into Gaza where people are going hungry. An Israeli official says it's part of a plan to take over more territory and expand the war. The main aid groups in Gaza, including the United nations, are refusing to take part.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Daniel Estrin is covering this story in Tel Aviv. Daniel, welcome.

[Daniel Estrin]

Thank you, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

What exactly is the plan?

[Daniel Estrin]

Israel's cabinet approved it last night and it completely changes how the 2 million people of Gaza would get their food and their basic supplies. I got details from five people, including officials with knowledge of this plan. Each one of them spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not been officially released, and it's very sensitive. But it's a plan to shut down hundreds of community kitchens and food distribution points across Gaza. And instead, Israel would allow for just around four to ten designated aid centers in southern Gaza.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, limited number of aid centers. Who would run them?

[Daniel Estrin]

Well, the centers are supposed to be run by an American security contractor in coordination with a new foundation recently established in Switzerland that we know very little about. Israeli soldiers would not run them, but they would guard the periphery of this zone. And Palestinians would be coming to these places registered and screened through facial recognition technology. They'd pick up parcels for their families. Israel says this whole operation is an attempt to isolate aid from Hamas and to weaken the group. And an Israeli official tells us it's actually part of a bigger strategy to get Palestinian civilians to move en masse to a smaller, more consolidated area of Gaza so that the military can expand the territory that it's taking over in Gaza. And the army is already starting to call up more soldiers.

[Steve Inskeep]

Thanks for that bit of reporting. What are aid groups and the United nations saying as they reject this plan?

[Daniel Estrin]

They put out a statement together and they say basically this is not an acceptable aid plan. It's a military plan. They say you cannot use life saving supplies to achieve military goals. They also say that large groups of people will simply struggle to reach these new aid centers. So think pregnant women or the elderly. So what we're seeing is this serious standoff over the very basic necessities of life. And it's happening at a time of extreme desperation in Gaza. Israel has been banning food and supplies, everything for more than two months into Gaza. This is the longest full blockade it has ever imposed. So bakeries are closed, food kitchens are closed. Hunger is widespread.

[Steve Inskeep]

Daniel, you said something about an American contractor being part of this. Is the United States on board?

[Daniel Estrin]

Very good question. The Trump administration has not commented specifically on this plan. But President Trump has said that food needs to get into Gaza. He is coming to the region next week. I should note that a former U.S. official told me that Israel actually tried to implement a version of this aid plan under the Biden administration's tenure. But the Biden administration said no, according to the international laws of war, it said that anyone who needs aid must get aid. You cannot vet. You cannot fight a war through manipulating humanitarian aid. That's what the Biden administration said. But Trump has not made the same demands on Israel.

[Steve Inskeep]

One bit of news from the weekend. There was a big bomb crater that I saw outside Israel's airport.

[Daniel Estrin]

What happened yesterday? The Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen fired a missile at Israel. Israel failed to intercept it and it landed around Israel's international airport near Tel Aviv. More than a dozen airlines have canceled flights and the Houthis in Yemen say that they will continue to target Israel because Israel is expanding its offensive in Gaza. The Houthis say that the US Struck targets in Yemen overnight and Israel is vowing to strike back, too.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Daniel Estrin is in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much.

[Daniel Estrin]

You're welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

All right. The trial of Sean Diddy Combs begins in New York today.

[Michelle Martin]

The record executive, rapper and businessman has been in federal custody since his arrest last September. He faces charges that include sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He's pleaded not guilty.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento is covering the trial for NPR in New York. And this report lasts about three minutes. Good morning.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Many people have followed this blow by blow, but what exactly is Combs on trial for?

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Yeah, I mean, he's on trial for a number of alleged activities that center on the abuse of women and others around him. So prosecutors are basically alleging that Combs used his significant power and his business empire to protect himself from the repercussions of those actions. So for one, he faces charges of sex trafficking. That means forcing or coercing someone to engage in commercial sex acts. Aya Gruber is a criminal law professor at the University of Southern California, and she says that especially after the trials of Harvey Weinstein and the Nixxiom Colt case, the legal definition of commercial sex is quite broad.

[Asma Khalid]

Courts are willing to define commercial sex.

[Carrie Kahn]

As an exchange of sex not just.

[Asma Khalid]

For money, but but for anything of value.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

So, for example, promising to help someone's career could potentially be considered something of value in some instances. Combs also faces charges for transporting people across state lines to participate in commercial sex. And the third charge, racketeering conspiracy, is what ties all of this together. Prosecutors allege that Combs directed his employees to organize and conceal these sex crimes for over a decade, and Combs has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges.

[Steve Inskeep]

How do these criminal charges relate to the civil sexual assault lawsuits that Combs also faces?

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

You know, the civil law and the criminal law are two completely different systems, but there is a lot of overlap in the behavior described here. So you're absolutely right. Combs faces dozens of civil lawsuits. Some listeners might be familiar with the R and B singer Cassi Ventura, who filed the first pro prominent civil lawsuit against him, but that's not necessarily what this trial is about. He's really only on trial for the criminal charges in the indictment that we just discussed. However, there is a chance that some of the alleged victims who filed civil suits have also been cooperating with this criminal investigation. So even though there are two different legal roads when it comes to Sean Combs, there could be some intersecting here.

[Steve Inskeep]

And we have this question now that comes up whenever somebody who's extremely famous is put on trial. How do you select a jury for a case like this where so many people have probably heard something about it?

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Yeah, I mean, Combs is from New York City and he's a huge star. So there's really a high chance that potential jurors here will already have some opinions about this case. Both the prosecution and the defense submitted proposed questionnaires for what they'd like the jury to be asked. Combs team included questions about how jurors feel about wealthy celebrities, what kind of music they listen to, and how they might respond to evidence that, you know, describes people engaging in sexual relations with multiple partners. On the prosecution side, several of their key witnesses are alleged victims who will be testifying against Combs under pseudonyms. So the prosecution also proposed asking whether jurors would be more or less likely to believe a witness who testifies under a different name.

[Steve Inskeep]

Really interesting. So if he is convicted, how long could he go to prison?

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

So Sean Combs has been in custody since he was arrested in September. He's been denied bail multiple times. And if he's found guilty of all of these charges, he could be spending the remainder of his life behind bars.

[Steve Inskeep]

Man in his mid-50s. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, thanks so much.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

And that's up for us for this Monday, May 5th. I'm Steve Inske.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michele Martin. There's an easy way to stay connected to news and podcasts from the NPR network. That's the NPR app. Hear community coverage from your local station, stories from around the world and podcast suggestions based on what you like. Download the NPR app in your App Store.

[Steve Inskeep]

Today's up first was edited by Krishnadev Kalamer, Carrie Kahn, Jacob Ganz, Janaya Williams and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Katie Klein, Neo Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. And our technical director is Zach Coleman. Join us again tomorrow.

[Krishnadev Kalamer]

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[Carrie Kahn]

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