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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Blanche Meets with Cornyn and Tillis with AG Nomination in Peril; Interview with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA); U.S.-Iran War Widens as Egypt Targeted for the First Time; Dems Call For Ethics Investigation Into Abuse Claims GOP Rep. Max Miller Denies; CNN Poll: Voters Favor Democrats By An 8-Point Margin Heading Into The Midterms; Kohberger Seeks To Withdraw Guilty Plea In Idaho Murders; Father Of Murder Victim On Kohberger Seeking Guilty Plea Withdrawal. Aired: 8-9p ET

Aired July 30, 2026 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR, "THIS STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" (on camera): ... the one, you're doing Coachella?

MELARIE SHATNER GRETSCH, ACTOR, CO-HOST "NO TIME BUT NOW" PODCAST: Coachella.

MICHAELSON (on camera): You're going to do Coachella? Doing heavy metal, you're saying?

GRETSCH: My God, it was like -- that's Coachella.

WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR, CO-HOST "NO TIME BUT NOW" PODCAST: It's frightening, it's frightening.

MICHAELSON (on camera): Is that the secret, though, to be excited about the future?

SHATNER: You got to be.

MICHEALSON (voice over): Elex Michaelson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Okay, who is not awed and inspired by both of them? Wow, what a story. Thanks so much to Elex and all of you for joining us. AC360 starts now.

[20:00:35]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT AND HOST: They wanted it in writing and today the President seemed to show why. Good evening, Jim Sciutto here in again for Anderson.

Tonight, two Republican Senators holding up Todd Blanche's confirmation as full-fledged attorney general are still at it, even after a late day meeting with him aimed at settling their differences. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis say they will not vote to move the acting attorney general's nomination from the Judiciary Committee to the floor until he puts his promise to kill parts of the deal, settling the Presidents lawsuit against the IRS down on paper. At issue items shielding the President and his family from tax liability and establishing a so-called anti weaponization fund, which had been open to January 6th convicts.

Something Todd Blanche at his confirmation hearing, told them no longer mattered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is a moot issue meaning there is no weaponization fund, the weaponization fund is dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, Senators Cornyn and Tillis wanted that in writing, and some wondered why, given how unpopular the settlement was on both sides of the aisle. Yet today, the President seemed to confirm that necessity, signaling that he'd rather pull the nomination than formally close the door on his deal. Quoting him now, "I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd's name if they do not do the right thing and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office."

The pair met with Blanche this afternoon, two sources tell CNN, but it is unclear what came of it. Here's what they said just a few hours later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Who do you think is behind this holdup? Do you think it's the President?

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I am suspicious but I don't think it's Mr. Blanche I don't know.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think it's the President's --

CORNYN: I don't know.

REPORTER: Do you think it's his family? They're plaintiffs in this case.

CORNYN: I don't know. My reaction is the President's getting bad advice. Whoever that person is getting the President bad advice. The only reason why we wouldn't move forward with this language is because that same adviser wants to bring it back to life at some point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: You'll remember that Senators Cornyn and Tillis are both leaving the Senate. Cornyn, after the President primaried him, he did the same to Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy, who said this about the nomination fight today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Todd Blanche cannot give commitments that Cornyn and Tillis want. And by the way, I'm very concerned about the weaponization of the Justice Department.

REPORTER: If the vote happened today, would you support him?

CASSIDY: I'm not going to answer that because I'm still in the information gathering stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, joining us now with where the latest on all this stands, CNN chief White House correspondent and anchor of "The Source," Kaitlan Collins.

Kaitlan, you know, it strikes me reading the President's Truth Social post that the key word was temporarily withdraw his nomination. What is the President's thinking now? Is that a temporary move, or is he trying to game the Vacancy Reform Act, or might he just give up?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN'S CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND THE ANCHOR OF "THE SOURCE": It's really a threat from the President at this moment. And it's something that his aides and the President have been talking about as they were coming to reality, with the fact that John Cornyn had not moved his position enough on Todd Blanche, as they thought might happen even 24 hours ago or so. And so, one option that they had put out there for the President was to pull Todd Blanche's nomination and simply renominate him later, once John Cornyn is no longer in the U.S. Senate, which is going to happen in January.

The problem with that, obviously, and something that is a huge risk for the White House is. It's not clear what the makeup of the Senate is going to look like come January, and whether or not it will be potentially friendlier or not to the President after the November midterm elections. And so, that's a gamble in and of itself.

But it might be one that the White House is in the position of taking if they can't come to an agreement with Thom Tillis and John Cornyn over these issues that they are having. And, you know, they've been sending proposals and counter proposals back and forth. Todd Blanche went and met with the two Republican holdouts earlier today off away from Capitol Hill.

So, it could be a private meeting between the three of them and several staff members that were there. But it's still an open question, even for the White House tonight, of where this is going to end up and how this is going to finish, and if they are going to come to a resolution here.

Twenty-four hours ago in the Oval Office, the President was saying that he didn't believe there were any issues with Todd Blanche's nomination. And then it led to today, him saying that he might have to pull his nomination for this, leaving him there in that acting capacity that he's been serving in for several months. And right now, this is still a really big question mark for the White House.

SCIUTTO: Yes, no question, of course, he could continue to serve in an acting capacity or even as deputy attorney general. We'll see where it ends up. Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much. And of course, we'll see you at the top of the next hour.

Joining us now, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, who sits on the Judiciary Committee and questioned Todd Blanche during his confirmation hearing earlier this month.

Senator, good to have you on tonight.

SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Thank you for having me, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So let me ask you a very basic question here about motivation. Why do you believe the President is so dug in on not putting in writing that the anti-weaponization weaponization fund and the IRS settlement are dead as Blanche is promising.

[20:05:43]

PADILLA: Well, let me say a couple of things. First of all, it couldn't be any more clear. Clearly, Donald Trump would rather not have a confirmed attorney general overseeing the Department of Justice of the United States of America than to have to put to bed this anti- weaponization fund. I can't see it any other way. By the way, the anti-weaponization fund is just one fund should it be created or not, of course, it shouldn't. But I'm also worried about other mechanisms for the Department of Justice under Todd Blanche's leadership to give payments to January 6ers and others.

I asked him that point blank during the confirmation hearing and he refused to answer. Which brings me back to my biggest point of all. Todd Blanche has been and continues to be Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

When asked about the independence of the Department of Justice, or can he lead as attorney general, not under the political pressures or carrying out the political agenda of Donald Trump. He refused to say that, he says no. He's Donald Trump's lawyer. He said that in the committee, hearing. A far cry from the professional independent attorney generals we've had in the past.

SCIUTTO: Yes, he had that awkward moment when he sort of said he was, and then he wasn't. I wonder, is there a reason to believe that the votes are going to be there for the President after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office? Because, of course, margins could be different after the midterms.

PADILLA: Well, as you said earlier, it's a big gamble on the White House's part. We know that the race to succeed Thom Tillis in North Carolina is a very competitive one. We know that the race to succeed John Cornyn in Texas is a competitive one. So, I can see two Democrats taking their place, and I don't see those Democrats falling in line to confirm, Todd Blanche. SCIUTTO: I wonder when you speak to Republican colleagues, are there any of them who, at least privately, are happy about the public stand that Cornyn and Tillis are taking?

PADILLA: Look, I've been these behind closed doors versus what they're willing to say or how they're willing to vote in public conversations going back 18 months now on a number of issues, the mass detention, deportation agenda of Donald Trump, his tariff wars that have made no sense, and he doesn't have the power to.

This is just the latest issue that Republicans know the President is wrong on. But whether there's a political will to stand up to the President is a different question. So, yes, I do think some are looking at Cornyn, Tillis, Cassidy, possibly, hopefully others to take that stand so that they may not have to worry about a tough vote for themselves politically.

Bottom line, if they can replay the tape on the confirmation hearing Todd Blanche is not qualified. He puts his loyalty to Trump over the Constitution of the United States, plain and simple.

SCIUTTO: Blanche, as you know, is already the acting attorney general, and there are a whole host of ways where he can maintain effective control over the Justice Department, even if he is not Senate confirmed as the attorney general. Is there a true substantive difference if he is not confirmed?

SEN. PADILLA: Right, well, that's certainly the question here. If he's already acting, he's been in the number two position under Attorney General Bondi for a year-and-a-half. So, why this rush to try to get him confirmed before the August recess?

It really does make you wonder. But I can promise you this. When we regain the majority in November, you better believe that the level of oversight being conducted by the Senate and Congress as a whole is going to be a lot more and a lot better than what we've seen these last 18 months, because Republicans have refused to live up to their constitutional responsibility of oversight and holding this administration accountable, beginning with this weaponized Department of Justice.

SCIUTTO: Well, we'll see where it goes. A lot of close races to be decided in November. Senator Alex Padilla, thank you so much for joining us this evening.

PADILLA: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: All right perspective now from two former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent and Joe Walsh. Joe has since changed his party affiliation and is now a Democrat. Gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us tonight.

[20:10:11]

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks, Jim, great to be with you. SCIUTTO: So, Congressman Dent, to begin with you, President says he's fine with temporarily pulling Blanche's nomination until after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office. Do you think that's a wise strategy, a smart political bet?

DENT: Of course not. But back down here on planet earth, where people live, people can see what's happening that, you know, Republicans are likely to have a diminished majority in the Senate, or perhaps they could lose the majority. So, you know, the numbers are going to get harder if the President chooses to wait until after the election, when the new Congress is seated. So, I don't understand the thinking on this.

And by the way, Senators Cornyn and Tillis are doing their Republican colleagues an enormous service by holding up this this nomination over the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS audit immunity scheme for the President's family. I mean, these are politically indefensible proposals out there and basically these guys aren't running for office, but they're helping their colleagues who are running for office. So, they're doing them a real big favor.

And by the way, where I come from, nobody's supposed to be above the law. And certainly, no one's supposed to be above the tax law. You know, every American wants that deal that they can have immunity from IRS audits for their family, for life, or whatever the deal is. I mean, come on, it's just beyond -- it's inexplicable.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Walsh, Given the President's flagging approval numbers, why are there still so few Republicans and, of course, two Republicans who happen to be leaving, willing to make this stand. Is the fear level still where it was even when the President's poll numbers were riding higher?

JOE WALSH (R), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Oh, Jim, the fear level is as high as it's ever been. Look, from the very beginning, none of my former Republican colleagues in the House and the Senate have been afraid of Trump. They've been afraid of Trump's hold on the base of the party, period.

Donald Trump still has that hold on the base. And that's not going to go away and these guys know it. And even look at -- look, Thom Tillis and John Cornyn deserve zero applause, zero applause.

If John Cornyn were the Republican nominee to get reelected down in Texas right now, he'd be leading the charge for Todd Blanche. Listen to what Thom Tillis, Jim, said earlier. Thom Tillis said the President must be getting bad advice. Huh? Bad advice? No, this is on Trump.

You said it, Jim. Trump doesn't want that agreement in writing that the weaponization fund will go away. That's not his advisors. Trump doesn't want that in writing.

SCIUTTO: Yes, listen, I mean, I was surprised by that comment as well, given that it is the President driving so many policies from this to the Iran war. Congressman Dent, do you believe there are other Republicans who are actually cheering Cornyn and Tillis on? I know they're afraid of the base, but the anti-weaponization fund does not poll particularly well. Are they happy to see someone sticking their neck out?

DENT: I am sure that virtually every Republican running for office this year in the midterm wants Tillis and Cornyn and Senators Cornyn and Tillis to be successful in this effort. This is a politically it's a horrible issue. I mean, getting immunity from IRS audits for the President's family. You can't explain that on the campaign trail. You cannot explain an anti-weaponization fund that could potentially benefit people who assault the police officers on January 6th, and all sort of other, you know, bad actors out there.

Theres just no explanation for it. So, yes, I think every Republican running for office and anything remotely close to a competitive district is cheering these guys on, and they want them to be successful. And I'm glad these two senators are doing it.

SCIUTTO: I suppose, sadly, that cheering happens in private more than in public, as we've seen for so long. Congressman Walsh, Senate Republicans, they are also pushing back on what the President describes as his real prize, the Voter I.D. Bill. Do you believe more members of his own party will break with him as we get closer to the midterms? And as it becomes if the polling continues in this direction, of course it could change. But if it continues in this direction, it becomes clear to them that he's not helping them win these tight races.

WALSH: Jim, I don't think so. Look, you're right, and Charlie is right. The weaponization fund, the blanket immunity from the IRS doesn't poll well with the American population at large. But you know what? Most Republican voters don't give a damn.

Most Republican voters support it. Most Republican voters want the SAVE Act passed. Trump is only speaking to Republican voters and his base. And look, they don't want to have to defend the war, these Republican. Let's be clear, they're cowards. These Republicans in private who cheer on Cornyn and Tillis. But in public, they don't say a damn thing, they're cowards. They don't want to have to talk about the war. They don't want to defend his tariffs. They don't want to have to defend anything he does. But, Jim, they do defend him.

It's like they're tied to him, Jim. They're going to go down with him in November. They know that.

[20:15:42]

SCIUTTO: Yes, I mean even on things that they voted for, if you think of like for instance, support for Ukraine, right? Large bipartisan majorities, but not so public when the President changes his mind. Charlie Dent, Joe Walsh, thanks to both of you.

DENT: Thanks, Jim.

WALSH: Thanks, Jim. SCIUTTO: Coming up next, speaking of the war, new signs tonight that the Iran war is widening.

Later, what happens now that the admitted killer of four University of Idaho students wants to reverse his guilty plea and face trial? That and what one of the victim's parents wants to see now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:20:40]

SCIUTTO: Well, tonight has so far yet to bring a repeat of last night's U.S. Airstrikes on Iran, but the last 24 hours have seen the war widen, this time to Egypt, where a drone hit the Port of Damietta, sending two ships there on fire. It's the first time that country has been targeted in the war. No one has claimed responsibility. And today, Iran's foreign ministry urged vigilance against what it called false flag operations, designed to undermine regional peace.

The foreign minister also warned Cyprus and Bulgaria against allowing the U.S. to use their bases to launch attacks on Iran.

In another sign of expanding hostilities, Saudi Arabia, for the first time in this war, joined the U.S. in a strike against Iranian backed militias inside Iraq.

Joining us now retired army Lieutenant General Karen Gibson, she's the former director of intelligence for U.S. Central Command and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns.

Good to have you both on tonight. General Gibson, if I could begin with you. If the President orders further strikes, even if they were to escalate in some sort of broader ten-to-two-week plan series of strikes against Iran, is there any evidence that you have seen that continuing such strikes will change the dynamic on the battlefield and bring the U.S. closer either to getting Iran to the table or achieving its broader goals in this war?

LT. GEN. KAREN GIBSON, FORMER DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Well, that's a great question, Jim. it's really the question of the day. And I think the strikes, while they've been very effective tactically in degrading and destroying much of Iran's military capability. There is not any evidence, as you suggest, that they've moved the needle on Iran's intent or their strategic calculus.

I think all along, Iran's strategy has been to survive, to avoid capitulation and to make the war so politically and economically untenable for us that we call it quits, ease up on our demands or less demanding of Iran. And they think that time is on their side. They don't have to defeat us militarily. They just have to absorb our strikes. And one more point, Jim, I would just say that each time we signal some sense of urgency for wrapping this up quickly, they know there are concerns about gas prices, about inflation, about midterms.

And when we express that urgency, it just fans the flames for them and makes them feel even more confident that they can wait us out, that we are too impatient to see it through, and that if they just sit tight, we will eventually back off.

SCIUTTO: So, Ambassador Burns, it sounds like Americas credibility in the region is weakening, right? And that, if allies, well, if adversaries believe that, I wonder if allies believe that as well. So how, in your view, should the U.S. be talking to its allies to win that credibility back?

NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Jim, I think this is a full-blown crisis for the United States. If you think about what's happened just over the last week, you have the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to normal shipping. You have a real question about the Red Sea. And the Bab el-Mandeb can be an outlet for the oil and gas that needs to come out of the Middle East. And now you have the Suez Canal in play with the drone attack on Egypt yesterday.

So, this is a profound crisis for the energy producers of the Middle East. But think of the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Indians have to import their energy from the Middle East. So, the President's credibility and the U.S. credibility is in question. And I think what he has to do right now is prepare the country for a long, drawn-out conflict.

I don't see this ending this month, this coming month of August. I think it goes into the autumn and probably aspects of this crisis into 2027. So, prepare the country. This isn't going to end soon. And we can't just walk away.

Secondly, what the President could do is what he might be uncomfortable doing, and that's asking for help. If you have those aged allies that need the Strait to be open, you have Europe partially dependent on Middle East Oil. You have all the Gulf states at play here, as well as Israel, a major coalition to do two things to pressure the Iranians diplomatically, with one full throated voice, but also to exact economic sanctions on the Iranians, because we know their pressure point.

Maybe not so much as their military, it's their economy that has to happen. But, Jim, I think ultimately, as General Gibson says, this is going to be a war of attrition. We're going to have to grind down their military, but they're not going to give in anytime soon.

SCIUTTO: Well, ambassador, there's another credibility question, too, because deals with this President. I think one can reasonably say, don't always hold up. Ask the Saudis about the nuclear deal. Ask for President seems to be raising questions about his promise to allow Ukraine to build interceptors under license. Ask any U.S. trading partner about trade deals negotiated in the last months and several years. Why would Iran calculate rationally that if it negotiates with this President, that any deal will hold?

BURNS: Well, I think General Gibson is right. The Iranians are going to wait us out. They think they're tougher and more resilient than we are. And they don't have midterm elections and public opinion to contend with.

So, I think that's a factor here. That's why I think, Jim, your question is a good one. I don't think the Iranians are going to trust commitments made by Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner or President Trump himself. It's why you need to internationalize this conflict a bit to get other countries that the Iranians do care about to come in with economic sanctions. The Saudis have this idea just floated today, of a coalition to try to secure shipping channels in the red sea. The British and French have been talking for, well, more than a year about a coalition of countries that would come in to the Strait of Hormuz eventually, if there is a permanent ceasefire or a durable one to escort ships through the Strait.

So, the U.S. simply cannot succeed on its own. It needs help from the allies that the President has spent a lot of time demeaning recently.

SCIUTTO: General, last night, as you know, Russia unleashed just a massive missile and drone attack once again on Ukrainian cities, once again targeting civilians and civilians suffer -- children. But at the same time, one of those missiles landed deep inside Poland. Of course, a NATO ally and we're seeing a reaction that we've seen when this has happened before with drones, et cetera. Question is as to whether, well, you know, was it accidental? Was it deliberate? Has NATO been tough enough in the face of these times multiple times now, when the war has seeped into NATO territory?

GIBSON: Well, I think obviously there's a reluctance on the part of NATO to take on Russia a wholesale. You Know, certainly their support for Ukraine and to provide them with all kinds of military or financial incentives and support to help them hold the line against Russia. But I think, you know, there are certainly times when, whether it's a drone or in this case, a missile, Russia is probably testing NATO and seeing how they respond and where their red lines are.

But I wouldn't assume that every time a missile or a drone enters NATO territory, that it was necessarily intentional.

What I would like to point out, Jim, on this massive barrage last night that Russia launched against Ukraine, they're doing it as a substitute for their inability to make progress on the ground. They hope to degrade Ukraine's economy, to erode their civilian will, to damage their military industrial complex. But I can't help but link the two conflicts Iran and Russia, Ukraine, in that Russia is now aware that there are depleting -- there's a depleting supply of these very special interceptors, and the ones that Ukraine uses are the same ones drawing on the same industrial base that we are using in the middle east.

And so certainly, perhaps taking advantage of or even exacerbating that critical shortage.

SCIUTTO: That is certainly what the Ukrainians believe. They believe they're taking advantage of those shortages. And, of course, the people suffer. General Gibson, Ambassador Burns, good to have you both on, thank you.

Coming up next, the chilling allegations against Ohio Congressman Max Miller, what his ex-wife is saying that he did to her and how he's responding. The House investigation -- some of his fellow lawmakers are asking for and the impact it is already having on what was expected to be one of the safest Republican seats.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:34:15]

SCIUTTO: There are calls tonight on Capitol Hill for the House Ethics Committee to open an investigation into Ohio Republican Congressman Max Miller over allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife. That's what the Democratic Women's Caucus is calling for. Congressman Miller is a former Trump adviser and up for re-election this fall.

For months now, his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, has made a series of allegations against him, among them that he shoved her into a wall and held a gun to her head while she was changing their infant daughter's diaper. She talked about that in a February police interview recently obtained by CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So when does the gun come into play?

EMILY MORENO, EX-WIFE OF MAX MILLER: When I'm changing (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what does he do?

E. MORENO: Holds it on me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holds it on you? OK, can you show me where he held it to you?

No, hey, it's OK. That's fine. That's fine. Like I said, I -- that's a hard thing to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[20:35:21]

SCIUTTO: Goodness, what a difficult thing to hear. It is important to say that Congressman Miller denies all allegations against him and that he is suing his ex-wife for defamation. Here's what he told CNN's Lauren Fox earlier this month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MAX MILLER (R), OHIO: I don't have a weapon that's even easily accessible in my home like that. What we're dealing with, unfortunately, is something that many families go through, Lauren, which is a very nasty divorce. And in the process, allegations get made that are completely fabricated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Lauren Fox joins us now. So Lauren, you've been covering this closely. What is the latest on Congressman Miller? It's, of course, not the first time he's been then accused of something like this going back a number of years. And how is it impacting his campaign?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, this is supposed to be a safe Republican seat. Trump won it by 11 points in the last election. But Democrats are growing increasingly bullish that they can make this race competitive, given that these allegations are still in the media against Miller.

Now, his opponent, Brian Poindexter, told me in a statement, quote, "These are serious allegations and they deserve the full attention of law enforcement. If all the allegations against Congress Miller proved to be true, Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress."

Now, Miller has again denied these allegations and is confident he can win reelection. In a statement from his campaign spokeswoman, Abigail Angelos, she said, quote, "The facts speak for themselves. The court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child. If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case. Congressman Miller will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations designed to inflame public opinion rather than reflect reality. This narrative has gone on too long."

Jim?

SCIUTTO: OK, so given the Miller investigation, there are other Republicans running for reelection facing ethics investigations. Can you give us the details of those?

FOX: Yes, Jim, there are two GOP members right now running for reelection. And again, safe Republican seats who are being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Representative Chuck Edwards, which CNN reported in April, is being investigated for sexual harassment. Now, he's denied any wrongdoing. And he did tell me earlier this summer that he expects to be cleared by ethics when the investigation concludes.

But again, Democrats on the ground there are telling me this race is not as safe for Republicans as it might have once been. And they point to Edwards' lackluster fundraising and they say that this issue continues to gain traction for Democrats in this race.

Now, Florida Representative Cory Mills is also the target of an ethics investigation. And in May, in a rare statement, that committee had announced it had authorized 20 subpoenas, collected thousands of documents and contacted dozens of witnesses as it sought to review the allegations that Mills, quote, "may have violated various rules, laws or other standards of conduct."

Now, the committee said in its -- that its review included an incident from February 2025 when D.C. Metro police responded to a report that Mills had assaulted a woman he had a relationship with. Now, no charges were filed, and Mills has denied any wrongdoing. But Mills' opponent, Bale Dalton, told me today in an interview that he isn't shying away from highlighting this ethics investigation on the trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALE DALTON (D), FLORIDA HOUSE CANDIDATE: Constituents are talking about it throughout the district. And it doesn't matter whether I'm on the doors or on the phones or at, you know, meetings throughout the district. You know, folks are really concerned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: And Lauren, of course, Republicans are not the only ones currently facing ethics issues.

FOX: Yes. We also should bring up that Representative Jimmy Gomez in California is under an ethics investigation. CNN reported in June that his investigation is over allegations of sexual misconduct. Now, Gomez told CNN in a statement at the time that he had made, quote, "personal mistakes outside my marriage." But he also told CNN his actions were, quote, "consensual in nature" and that he never broke the House ethics rules or the law.

Now, Jim, because of California election rules, he will actually be facing off against a Democrat in November. So, if he loses, this doesn't have the same impact for Democrats in their quest to win the majority. Jim?

SCIUTTO: And, of course, the House Ethics Committee, by nature, by design, is a bipartisan committee. So they can investigate both parties.

Lauren Fox, thanks so much.

Joining us now for more on this, Former White House Spokesman for President George W. Bush, Pete Seat, and Former Biden White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield. Good to have you both on tonight. Thanks so much.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi.

[20:40:04]

SCIUTTO: Pete, if I could begin with you. You just heard Lauren Fox's report. Republicans continue to stand by Congressman Miller. No one in the party is calling for him to step aside at this point, or even for any kind of ethics investigation. We should note that in Miller's case, this is not the first time, because Stephanie Grisham accused him of misconduct going back a number of years. Should there at least be an investigation, and should Republicans be calling for such an investigation?

PETE SEAT, FORMER WH SPOKESMAN, GEORGE W. BUSH ADMIN.: There should be an investigation, and there hopefully will be an investigation. But I will quibble with the premise there, Jim, because Republicans are not publicly defending Max Miller, which is very different than the Graham Platner scenario up in Maine, where Democrats were vocally and forcefully defending him right up until the very end. There is no Republican that I know of that is defending Miller, which tells me that a group, a coalition of level-headed Republicans and Republicans who are concerned about losing this seat that has moved from solid Republican to likely Republican are working behind the scenes to convince him to withdraw before the August 5th deadline to replace him on the ballot to give Republicans a better chance of winning.

SCIUTTO: Kate, do you see a parallel there with the Platner case?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, I see it a little differently because there were Republicans who were gleefully and aggressively pushing Democrats to try to force Platner out of the race, which ultimately, by the way, they did. And what you've seen from Republicans in this instance is, in fact, a silence that I think speaks -- it speaks volumes.

And so I think, you know, Pete may be right that there may be an effort behind the scenes, but I think at a time when frustration with Congress across the board is incredibly high, Republicans need to be showing their constituents that this isn't the kind of behavior they'll accept.

And when you're silent about something, these kinds of allegations that are so horrific, and of course they are allegations, but they are so horrific, and to hear that silence when you had Republicans, again, pressuring, cajoling Democrats to say something about Platner, that's just rank hypocrisy. And I think it's not good politics for them either.

SCIUTTO: OK, let's look at the bigger political picture, if we can, for a moment, because CNN released new polling earlier today. It shows among registered voters, Democrats lead Republicans on the generic ballot by eight points.

Pete, you're also aware of where the President's approval rating stands right now. How big of a red flag should that be for Republicans? And do you believe they could narrow that gap between now and November?

SEAT: Well, I'm not going to sugarcoat this, Jim. History tells us that it should be a bad election cycle for Republicans, because a Republican is in the White House. The same would hold true for Democrats if Kamala Harris had been successful.

So I would tell my fellow Republicans, run like you're 15 or 20 points behind in the generic ballot, not just eight points behind. So there are things that aren't going well for us right now, but we have a lot going for us also. We have smart policy. The border has been secured. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was extended.

Those are things that Republicans can run on. But this election will not be based on what Republicans have done. It will be based on what Republicans are doing and what they plan to do. And I think that's where the party and the President is struggling right now.

President Trump is incredibly good at driving a message. And for whatever reason, he seems to be preoccupied, uninterested, or perhaps just biding his time until we get closer to November. Hopefully, everyone will be rowing in the same direction come that time, and we can close that gap and be successful.

SCIUTTO: And, of course, there's the continuing war in Iran.

Kate, to be fair, voters don't love the Democratic Party right now, at least in terms of favorability ratings. And 51 percent of registered voters think Congress would be better off if most members were replaced. I just wonder, how confident are you, actually, that Democrats have more than a message in the fall than they are not Donald Trump?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, I think you see Democratic candidates all across the country who are putting forth ideas that are exciting voters. I mean, we're seeing really robust primaries between people who represent the far left of the party, people who represent a kind of more centrist slice of the party, and you're seeing a lot of energy.

So I don't think there's no question to my mind that Democrats are putting forward an agenda. Now, I definitely don't disagree, though, that Democrats have a lot of work to do and that they -- there's a lot in this poll -- even though those top lines are very, very good for the Democrats, there is a lot in that poll that is foreboding looking even beyond 2026.

Now, the thing that I think under the hood that's encouraging for Democrats is, as you mentioned, a majority of voters say that the -- majority of Congress being unseated would be a good thing. And they view Democrats right now --

SCIUTTO: Right.

BEDINGFIELD: -- as the party of change rather than the party of -- rather than the Republicans.

[20:45:16]

SCIUTTO: All right. Won't be the last time we talk about it.

Pete Seat, Kate Bedingfield, thanks so much to both of you.

I mentioned toward the top of the segment, Congressman Max Miller also had domestic abuse allegations from Stephanie Griffin. We should note he denies those allegations as well.

Coming up next, what the father of one of the Idaho College murder victims has to say about the convicted killer now wanting to pull his own guilty plea and face trial.

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[20:50:21]

SCIUTTO: Convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty last year to killing four University of Idaho students, now wants to take back his guilty plea and face trial. Last year, Kohberger accepted a plea deal allowing him to bypass a trial and a death penalty for the murders of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle in their Moscow, Idaho home.

He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. But now he claims his plea was entered involuntarily and induced by threats from his own attorneys. Just before airtime, I spoke with Kaylee Goncalves' father, Steve Goncalves, who said he would welcome a trial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: What was your first reaction when you heard that Kohberger wanted to withdraw his guilty plea and take this back to trial?

STEVE GONCALVES, FATHER OF KAYLEE GONCALVES: It might seem petty, but I thought I told you so. I knew this was going to happen. Somebody that's this self-centered and had the history that I looked up, there was really no question that he was going to try to put himself back in the spotlight again.

SCIUTTO: You think that's what's behind this, that he just wants to draw the spotlight on himself again?

GONCALVES: I think it is. I truly think he underestimated how bad prison would be. And because he's got a big mouth and he's not as smart as he thinks he is, he went and ratted people out and he's put himself in a position where he's on 24/7 lockdown. So he's kind of in the death row, like I thought I wanted him to be.

And he really doesn't like it. He thought he was going to be able to go to legal libraries and was able to finish his PhD and work on his education and do all the things that he probably would have normally done in a college environment. And that hasn't been the case. And I'm glad.

SCIUTTO: He claims he was misled by his attorneys and that he did not enter his plea voluntarily because it was, quote, "induced by unkept promises." I wonder what your response is to that.

GONCALVES: My response there is, hey, I'm going to give Hitler (ph) some credit there. He went through that exact question where, you know, were you -- anybody make you any promises? Were you told to lie? All those things were addressed and it's tight.

So he's done. He's not going to get this. It's just all the famous had to go through it again. You know, I had some people --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GONCALVES: -- calling me up and they're really upset. And I worked to kind of calm them down a little bit. And, you know, almost a year ago, I said, you know, well, he's kind of knew that this would come back. It's not going to be a big deal. We'll know if there's some meat to it after he gets his new counsel and they can write up probably something that people can actually read that doesn't look like a kindergartener wrote it up. Then we'll see if there's any teeth to it. SCIUTTO: If he were to get another trial, and I know that from a legal perspective, that seems like it's unlikely, would you be confident that he'd be convicted and would get the death penalty? Because that's, of course, the deal here, you know, under the plea agreement, that was taken off the table. If there is a new trial, that would be back on the table.

GONCALVES: I would love for it to backfire on him and we could just sit there and laugh at him, just point at him and have the whole world see what a fool he is for, you know, doing this, running the table and then getting death row. That'd be glorious.

But it is been hard on my community. It's been very expensive. So I don't want to be greedy and selfish, but oh, sure, I would love to. That's like a fantasy to be able to just put this guy down.

SCIUTTO: You know, every time we talk through several years of this now, I always like to ask you just how you're holding up, how your family is holding up through this, particularly as this is all dredged up again. How do you manage?

GONCALVES: We're actually doing really good now because for four years, we were just victims of being dragged around to courtroom and from, you know, hearings, home sealed, so we've got real direction now. We've always been a strong family. So now we've got control back again.

We're working on our nonprofit. We have Murder Has a Name and that gives my whole family purpose to help other families, you know, get their cases some spotlight and provide some lab services, some DNA lab services. So we have purpose and there's positivity. When you're in this, there's not much positivity. Every single day, you're -- like my daughter said, you're re-victimized. And it's nice to get away from that.

[20:55:06]

SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, whenever I see the smiling picture of your daughter there, it makes me -- well, my heart goes out to you.

Steve Goncalves, we appreciate you joining. And as always, I wish you and your family the very best.

GONCALVES: You too. Thank you. You've been with me and barring your audience and reaching out. I really appreciate it. You guys are total professionals.

SCIUTTO: Well, still coming up, a diver attacked by a shark while spearfishing off the coast of Fiji. We caught it all on camera.

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SCIUTTO: Just a terrifying moment off the coast of Fiji. A gray reef shark caught on camera attacking a diver who is spearfishing. The victim, Henry Gibbs, a social media influencer, says the shark tore into his leg. To give you a better look, we've slowed down his video. You see it here. Gibbs says two other divers with him quickly got him out of the water and to a hospital. He says he is on the mend after four surgeries and feels incredibly lucky to still have his leg.

Well, the news continues. The Source with Kaitlan Collins starts now.