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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Israel Says, At Least 24 Killed, 590 Injured By Iranian Strikes; U.S Attorney Says, Minnesota Suspect Stalked Victims Like Prey; President's Sons Announce New Trump Mobile Cell Service; How Energy Independent Cabins Are Redefining Off-The-Grid Living; Court Docs: Doctor Accused Of Giving Ketamine To Matthew Perry Agrees To Plead Guilty. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 16, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Phil Mattingly in for Jake Tapper.

This hour, President Trump is meeting with key allies as the United States moves more shifts to the Middle East and Israel, Iran launched new strikes. Is there an end to the conflict in sight? President weighs in on potential negotiations and US involvement.

Plus, the suspect accused of shooting two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses making his first court appearance this afternoon, what we're learning about his arrest and what he allegedly texted his family after the attacks, the clues investigators are revealing as they search for a motive.

[18:00:05]

Also, first came the Trump Bible and then the Trump sneakers, and now you can sign up for the gold Trump phone with a Trump mobile phone service. What we're learning about this new project by Don Jr. and Eric, as we learned just how much money the president has made from his business ventures.

And a terrifying video shows flash flooding, overtaking homes in West Virginia, pouring through windows and swamping cars. The danger isn't over yet as the East Coast braces for even more rain and the potential of life-threatening storms.

The Lead Tonight, moments ago, Israeli citizens got an all clear after siren, sounded over several parts of Israel, an indication of an incoming Iranian attack. As the United States builds up its military presence in the Middle East and U.S. Navy strike group heading towards Israel to help shoot down incoming Iranian missiles.

Earlier today, Israel says it down to Iranian fighter jets and attacked a state-run T.V. studio Israel says was being used for military purposes. All this as President Trump publicly urges a diplomatic solution, but so far refuses to sign a key document urging Israel and Iran to deescalate at the conference of world leaders known as the G7.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins is traveling with the president at the G7 in Canada. And, Kaitlan, just to start off, do we have any sense why from your sources they would not want to sign on to that joint statement?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Phil, as you know, the president is not a fan of joint statements, certainly not at these summits. He doesn't often believe that they're that effective. Famously at the summit here in Canada in 2018, he refused to sign the joint statement that is typically issued at the end of a G7 summit with all the other world leaders.

And so on this one in particular though we've talked to White House officials about why the president is reluctant to put his name on that same piece of paper, essentially saying that Israel has a right to exist and Iran should not be able to access a nuclear weapon or have a nuclear weapon, and that's because the president believes that he is already in the middle of attempting to mediate what has happened, and as he told reporters just a few moments ago, as he was going to sit down with the British prime minister, the president was arguing that he believes Iran is effectively, in his word, at the negotiating table right now, and that they are prepared to make some kind of diplomatic deal on a nuclear agreement as soon as he is prepared to leave this summit.

Now, that's a far cry from what we've been hearing from Israeli officials. Certainly, Prime Minister Netanyahu does not seem to think that's the case. We've continued to see fighting happening back and forth with missiles being lobbed back and forth between Iran and Israel. But that is the position of the U.S. president, who was trying to make a deal all along with Iran, before Israel struck late last week though he has come out and supported these strikes and said that Israel is doing very well.

His ultimate goal here, Phil, is to not let Iran get a nuclear weapon. Whether that happens through any agreement that they signed with the United States or whether that happens as a result of what Israel has been doing remains to be seen. But that is the position that he's held so far. And, of course, the key question is whether or not the United States starts to play more of a role in helping stop that from happening from a military perspective.

MATTINGLY: Kaitlan, there has been, I think, a lot of different views on where the president actually is behind the scenes on this. Everybody agrees the red line is Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, but whether he supports things or opposes things or is asking for certain things not to happen. What's your sense of where he stands right now as it relates to Israel and the prime minister?

COLLINS: I think it's quite notable what Trump has not said publicly, which is ruling out any military action in Iran by the U.S. That is something he's been asked about repeatedly, whether that was when he was leaving the White House to head here to Canada yesterday or today in front of reporters, as he was meeting with these world leaders in several different meetings.

He has repeatedly said, I don't want to talk about that right now, which I think says a lot and also just speaks to how fluid this is as we've continued to see what's happening on the ground in Israel change, as, of course, this has continued to go on, this wider conflict is here. It is happening right now.

And so the question is, does it stay contained to Israel and Iran, or does the president feel the need to step in? Because, obviously, what we've talked about is the nuclear part of their program that is deep underground could only likely be hurt by B-52 bombers, by the United States taking that step and getting involved and the capabilities that Israel just doesn't have.

Trump himself has not ruled that out publicly, which I think says a lot about where he is behind the scenes after seeing how successful Israel was in that initial strike late last week.

MATTINGLY: That is a very astute observation. Kaitlya Collins in Alberta, thanks so much.

And, of course, don't miss Kaitlan on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins. That's tonight live from Calgary at 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

Let's go now straight to CNN's Clarissa Ward, who's in Tel Aviv. Clarissa, you are right outside a hospital. What are you hearing right now about casualties?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was just about 15 or 20 minutes ago, Phil, maybe half an hour, that we heard an alert that sirens went off.

[18:05:06]

Everybody was cleared out of this area, and they actually go inside the hospital. They have like a metal door that they shut close, and then they stand and wait by that door for casualties to potentially arrive.

Now, in this instance, despite the fact that Iran has said that it is sending waves and waves of missiles and drones over, we did not hear any intercepts and certainly not any impacts, but they have been seeing casualties coming in steadily over the course of the last three nights. So far, 24, excuse me, dead in Israel.

And what they did the first night that Israel began this operation against Iran was to move all the patients from this huge hospital. This is the main hospital in Central Tel Aviv. They move them down to a car park two storeys underground. The car park was full of cars and motorcycles. Within seven hours, Phil, they were able to move all the vehicles out and move some 600 patients down into that car park area. They have been there now for several days, and they will remain there until such a time as this conflict comes to an end.

And as Kaitlan just said, and as we have seen, it does not appear that is going to happen anytime soon with both sides seemingly committed to continuing the attacks and counterattacks and no real off-ramp in sight, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Clarissa, when you talk to people on the ground, the kind of no necessarily in game, readily apparent uncertainty about something that people have long been concerned about that is now very happening in the moment. But what are folks on the ground saying to you?

WARD: Well, I think there's a sense of -- in the beginning it was a sense of profound anxiety because the impact of these ballistic missiles, the damage you're seeing, entire residential buildings pancaked, multiple casualties, that's something that most people here are not used to, that they haven't seen for many, many decades. So, there was a sense of anxiety.

Now, I would say there's also a sense of exhaustion. And the question of is this going to turn into a war of attrition? Are we talking about weeks and weeks or possibly even months of this? Because every night, like clockwork around this time and going right through until 5:00, 6:00 in the morning, Phil, you have these waves of alerts, alarms, sirens, then intercepts, often impacts as well. And so clearly that has an effect.

However, most people here believe that this is an existential issue. This is how it has been marketed to them by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. And so I would say that a lot of people subscribe to the idea that they're not really interested in ending this diplomatically until the objectives of this operation have been achieved.

Now, the question is what are Prime Minister Netanyahu's actual objectives? Is it to decimate completely Iran's nuclear program? Is it to debilitate it, to slow it down? We heard him earlier on saying that there had been major setbacks. Or is it potentially regime change, as many people are speculating now. So, it remains to be seen, Phil, but people here and around the region bracing for a long night ahead.

MATTINGLY: Clarissa Ward in Tel Aviv, thanks so much.

Well, joining us now, CNN Political and Global Affairs Analyst Barak Ravid. Barak, always appreciate your expertise and insight on these things.

I actually want to start where Clarissa left off in terms of when you talk to your sources in the Israeli government, what is their endgame? The prime minister is laid out make sure there is no nuclear program or nuclear capability, but also that the ballistic missile program is eliminated. Is that the explicit red lines here?

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the cabinet decision that approved going to war only mentioned those two goals removing the nuclear threat and removing the ballistic missile threat.

But over the last 24 hours, Benjamin Netanyahu started flirting publicly with the notion of regime changing in Iran. He said it in numerous interviews including in a press conference he had with Israeli reporters today. He went on an Iranian opposition television channel and gave an interview on a show that is called Regime Change in Iran. That's literally the name of the show.

And Israeli officials I talked to say this was never a decision to go for that. But talking about this thing more and more publicly is mostly aimed at the moment for increasing the pressure on Iranians to agree to dismantle their nuclear program. Whether this will turn into, you know, an official policy, I would not rule that out at all.

[18:10:02]

MATTINGLY: President Trump says Iran needs to enter talks immediately. Iran signaled its ready on some level, but Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu says Iran's intentions are, quote, fake. You've got new reporting on this. Do you think a swift diplomatic into this is truly possible at this point?

RAVID: I think it is. I think there are a lot of efforts. I think Donald Trump at the moment, and the emphasis here is on at the moment, is still not interested in joining this war, okay? He still wants to try and get a deal. I think there's a lot of pressure on the Iranians to move forward towards some sort of a, you know, diplomatic process, which at least until now they said they're not willing to. The message from the Iranians was, we will reengage after we finish retaliating and after the Israelis will stop attacking us. I think, there's an effort to get them to change this position.

But if the Iranians will say no, I think Donald Trump is getting closer and closer to the moment that he will favorably consider entering this war in a much, much more serious way in order to take out what's left of the Iranian nuclear program. And this is, first and foremost, the nuclear facility in Fordo, the underground fortified bunker. And I think Trump is getting closer by the day to making that decision.

MATTINGLY: I want to ask you about something the Prime Minister said on ABC earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So are you going to target the supreme leader?

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Look, we're doing what we need to do. I'm not going to get into the details, but we've targeted their top nuclear scientists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Netanyahu also suggested targeting Ayatollah Khamenei would not escalate the war. What's actually going on here? There's a lot of different reporting that's out there right now. Where is this currently?

RAVID: I think Netanyahu is considering assassinating Khamenei. I think that if Israel will have the operational opportunity, I think there's a good chance that it will happen. Netanyahu used to say that Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, which is, well, assassinated in September, that he was the axis of the axis, meaning he was the main leader in the region that led the fight against Israel. And I think Netanyahu is now saying that there's somebody even higher than Nasrallah, and this is Khamenei. And I think if Netanyahu has the chance, then the IDF has the operational opportunity to take out Khamenei, I think there's a very high probability that this will happen.

MATTINGLY: Barak Ravid, excellent reporting as always, my friend. Thanks so much.

RAVID: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, investigators are revealing new details today about the man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. What they're saying about a potential motive, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

MATTINGLY: In our National Lead, the U.S. Capitol Police Force today announced it will enhance security for members of Congress who were, quote, impacted by the shootings in Minnesota over the weekend. Officials say the suspect in the shootings of two Democratic Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses also had a hit list, naming more than 40 other federal and state lawmakers. This as we're learning terrifying new details and what officials say was an elaborately planned political assassination.

CNN's Whitney Wild Reports now from Minnesota.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE THOMPSON, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY: It is the stuff of nightmares.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The photo captures the end of the largest manhunt in Minnesota history. Police say 57-year-old Vance Boelter started his rampage that killed one Democratic lawmaker and her husband and critically injured a state senator and his wife around 2:00 A.M. Saturday.

THOMPSON: Boelter went to the homes of four Minnesota State politicians with the intent to kill them. He had a list of other elected officials, their home addresses.

Boelter stalked his victims like prey.

WILD: The U.S. attorney says the terrifying plot began much earlier detailing the planning, surveillance, and internet searches Boelter allegedly made to organize his attacks. He says the key to Boelter's plan was dressing in uniform to imitate a police officer.

THOMPSON: He arrived in a black SUV with emergency lights turned on and with a license plate that read, police. He carried a flashlight and a Berretta nine millimeter handgun. He also wore a hyper-realistic silicon mask. WILD: Authorities say Boelter began his shooting spree at the home of State Senator John Hoffman, banging on the door and shouting, this is the police, then opened fire. The two survived and are still hospitalized. After the attack, police went to perform a wellness check on several lawmakers, including the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman. When police arrived, they say Boelter was standing outside, then gunfire erupted.

THOMPSON: He drew his weapon and began firing. He rushed into the house through the front door firing into it. He repeatedly fired into the house. And when he entered, he murdered Representative Hortman and her husband, Mark.

WILD: Police officers say they began shooting at the gunman, but he escaped. He left behind his car where police say they found multiple weapons, including semi-automatic weapons and ammunition, passports, and about $10,000 in cash. He was captured Sunday night without incident and is charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including stalking and murder.

THOMPSON: This was a political assassination, which is not a word we use very often.

[18:20:00]

It's a chilling attack on our democracy, on our way of life.

WILD: Boelter allegedly texted his family shortly after the shootings, according to a federal complaint, saying, Dad went to war last night. I don't want to say more because I don't want to implicate anybody. Officials say there is still no clear motive for the attacks.

THOMPSON: I've seen nothing like a Unabomber-style manifesto in his writings.

And, obviously, his primary motive was to go out and murder people. Now they were all elected officials they were all Democrats.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILD (on camera): Phil. There was a remarkable detail in the federal complaint, and it was in between that first shooting and when Representative Melissa Hortman was murdered, that there was an officer, a local officer in New Hope, Minnesota, who actually encountered Boelter.

She drove by him as she was on her way to check on one of those multiple lawmakers that law enforcement had been concerned about. She drove by his vehicle. She believed it was a real law enforcement vehicle. She tried to talk to him, but he stared straight ahead. He did not answer and then she continued on to where she had been directed to go, Phil.

So, really a remarkable detail in the federal complaint. Right now, he is in federal custody. He had his first appearance today. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 27th. Phil? MATTINGLY: It's chilling details. Whitney Wild in St. Paul, Minnesota, thanks so much.

I want to bring in Abou Amara. He knew Melissa Hortman for more than 15 years, worked closely with her during his time with the Minnesota legislature. I'm so sorry for the loss of someone you considered a mentor and friend. What went through your mind when you heard about this, when you heard what actually happened here?

ABOU AMARA, LONGTIME FRIEND OF MELISSA HORTMAN: Well, I woke up Saturday morning like everybody else to a nightmare. Someone who I've known for 15 years, you just never think this is going to happen where you are. And this news has just been shocking to the body politic of Minnesota and across the country.

MATTINGLY: I often find, when I'm talking to my friends about lawmakers, it's difficult to convince them that they're people, right? They're not just politicians. They're not just their party. What do you want people to know about Melissa as a person?

AMARA: Melissa was one of the kindest, smart, funny, caring people who got into politics to make a difference. She didn't get into politics to be somebody. She really wanted to make a difference in her community and was committed to doing it for over the course of two decades. She ran for office a couple of times and lost, who was committed to making a difference. And her rise ultimately to become speaker is evidence of her love of her community and other state (ph).

MATTINGLY: Politics at the federal or state level is often a pretty small community on some level.

The conversations you've been having with friends, with colleagues with people you've worked on campaigns with or in the legislature with, what have they been like over the course of the last couple of days?

AMARA: Yes, they've been just really mundane, but powerful stories about sitting at Melissa's table for a door-knock or walking down the street, handing out literature or in a parade with Melissa, those memories that at the time felt so small, but now in this moment when we're trying to grab onto every single experience we had with her, they're just -- they hold us in this moment of great pain.

MATTINGLY: We've heard from some federal lawmakers, but also state lawmakers that were on the list that officials appointed to 45 different state and federal officials. Have you spoken to those who are on it? What's the reaction to and how are they preparing for maybe the days and weeks ahead?

AMARA: Yes. So, I've been texting with a few, and obviously it is a shock, particularly those who the assailant, as we understand it, actually tried to go to their house that evening. And so as you can imagine, thinking, you know, one different decision here or there, your life may be gone. It's just extremely traumatic and is a reminder of how fleeting life can be.

MATTINGLY: You worked in Minnesota politics for nearly two decades. What's different about this moment? What do you think needs to change?

AMARA: Yes. I'll tell you in Minnesota, we take great pride in our politics. In fact, Melissa was engaging and inclusive of everybody. But I do think the national climate is starting to impact us here in Minnesota. You know, it starts at the top, but we've always taken pride in our politics.

And for the first time that I can recall, there's genuine concern around safety. There's genuine concern about the ability to disagree with one another without some type of retribution. And I think it's something we as a state, but also we as a country, are going to have to grapple with if we want to move forward together.

MATTINGLY: Abou Amara, I really appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

AMARA: Phil, thanks for having me.

MATTINGLY: Well, President Trump's two eldest sons announcing a new project today, including not just a gold Trump phone, but a Trump wireless service as well.

[18:2503]

We'll have those details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: In our Money Lead, from sneakers to watches, even Bibles, the Trump Organization has been cashing in on President Trump's popularity. Today, the Trump organization says it's now getting into telecommunications and offering Trump Mobile, a new wireless service. The plan, it starts at $47.45 a month. A nod of course, to Trump's two terms is the 45th and 47th President.

CNN's Hadas Gold has more on the latest business venture by the Trump family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: My new Trump watches.

[18:30:00]

HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Trump fans can already wear a Trump branded watch and sneakers. Soon they'll also be able to have a Trump phone in their pocket. Eric and Donald Trump Jr. announcing Trump Mobile, cell phone plans that will use other wireless carriers networks and eventually sell their own gold-colored phones.

Plans are set a symbolic monthly price of $47.45, a nod to Trump's presidencies, but they'll also bundle in telemedicine and roadside assistance.

DONALD TRUMP JR., PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SON: A big part of what we've done right now in the world has been focused on technology for people who have been underserved, whether that's been in crypto or anything else. But one of the places where we felt there was lackluster performance was in the mobile industry.

GOLD: The Trump sons claim their mobile phone will be entirely made in America, taking on device giants like Apple and Samsung, which President Trump has threatened with high tariffs if they don't start building their phones in America.

TRUMP: If they're going to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the United States.

GOLD: But manufacturing high quality phones in the U.S. would be logistically impractical and much more expensive. Trump Mobile says their phones will be $499, which experts say means it probably won't be like an iPhone.

DIPANJAN CHATTERJEE, V.P. AND PRINCIPAL ANALYST, FORRESTER: There is a version of a phone that will be good enough for many people and particularly for people who are already bought into the Trump value proposition. As long as you make a phone that's good enough for them, and if it comes in at a reasonable price point, hey, maybe that is the magic solution.

GOLD: Trump mobile is just the latest moneymaking venture for President Trump's family as they capitalize on his presidency in unprecedented ways. Many of those businesses have benefited the president himself, who made more than $600 million last year, according to financial disclosure forms and Reuters. Much of that is from recent ventures like Trump Media and his Trump crypto coin. He's also made money last year from Trump watches, Trump sneakers, Trump fragrances, Trump guitars, and even Trump Bibles.

Though Trump has ceded control of the Trump Organization to his children, experts have called out the many conflicts of interest as a federal government regulates many of the industries he's making money from, including wireless phones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLD (on camera): And, Phil, I've been speaking to people who actually make cell phones. They say the claim that this phone will be made in America is pretty dubious. That's because there are certain chips and even a GPS crystal that you can literally only find in Asia. And Eric Trump seemed to allude to this in an interview. He did say later, eventually, all the Trump phones will be built in the United States. So, we'll see how much of this phone is actually made in America when it comes out later this year. Phil?

MATTINGLY: Ah, yes. Economics and supply chain, some wild cards there. Hadas Gold --

GOLD: And it will be tariffed.

MATTINGLY: Yes, exactly. Thanks so much, Hadas.

Let's bring in former Trump White House Communications Director and CNN Political Commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin. Alyssa, it's not so much the business ventures from the family members so much as it's they're just so overt and completely unconcerned with how people might be concerned about conflicts of interest or where this might cross some lines here. What's your sense on the phone stuff?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, listen, if you're a MAGA parent and you've been trying to kick your kid off of your cell phone plan, now is the time. Tell him to buy Trump Mobile. But, listen, it is overt in the second term, and I think it speaks to how empowered Donald Trump feels. He feels, you know, he won the popular vote. He is at the most powerful position he is probably ever been in within the Republican Party. So, he knows he can kind of just get away with these things that would be much more heavily scrutinized in a first term.

We heard a lot of talk about the emoluments clause and about different concerns in the first term. Was he profiting off of his hotel? Could that, you know, lead to concerns over espionage or over misdealing with people who may be seeking to bribe him?

Now, that just kind of seems like a thing of the past because the party that controls both chambers just doesn't seem concerned with it. But a subtext of this, which Hadas alluded to, is Donald Trump's extremely frustrated with Apple, that they're not willing to onshore more of their production to the United States. And it's a pure business decision. It'd be far more expensive in this moment to produce iPhones here. So, I think he's wanting to prove, look, I can do it cheaper and better here in the United States.

But the key word in the interview -- one of the interviews Eric Trump gave today was to say it will be eventually made in the United States, meaning these are not going to immediately be able to be produced wholly in the United States.

MATTINGLY: I want to ask you about some specific kind of line items from the president's income in his last financial disclosure forms. He reported $2.8 million from Trump watches, $2.5 million from Trump sneakers and fragrances, $1.3 million from Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA Bible, and more than a million dollars from a 45 guitar.

Like I'm not knocking the hustle here, but I am kind of knocking like the president having a hustle here. It's just like I'm -- it's confounding to me, given the ethics lawyers and the ethics rules and the intensity, as you were noting, of the first term's concerns about this, why no one seems to care anymore.

GRIFFIN: It is kind of remarkable. Like nobody wants to think of the West Wing as sort of a merch stand for people who like the 47th president. And in many ways it, it feels that way in this moment.

[18:35:00]

But I think that there's kind of a bigger issue here, which is, listen, is he entitled to sort of profit off of his name and likeness? Yes. But I worry a lot more about potentially taking advantage of his followers, who he's got diehard loyalists, millions of them around this country. And the one that stands out the most of all these business ventures is the meme coin. Things that -- something that people have paid a lot of money into

that they're very likely not going to see that same return on. So, there's also just that this sort of grifting sense to it that I think is very uneasy for those of us who just expect a little bit more of the presidency than potentially taking advantage of his followers.

MATTINGLY: Yes. The meme coin thing is the one that's sticking out to me has been driving me kind of crazy over the course of the last six months. People should look into that before they actually spend any money.

I want to ask you about the parade over the course of the weekend. It was Saturday night to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which just coincidentally was Trump's 79th birthday. I think it was fair to say it was overshadowed in some sense by what's happening in the Middle East. There are obvious protests around the country. But what do you think Trump made of the event?

GRIFFIN: It's hard to say. Because, to be honest, in watching the coverage, it felt far more focused on the anniversary of the 250th anniversary of the Army than it did on the president. I think there was a lot of kind of speculation beforehand that this would all be sort of a tribute to Donald Trump.

Now, that may have been his intent in it, but I think that the Department of Defense was actually very circumspect in how they carried this out. It was much more honoring sort of the historic nature of the U.S. military or the U.S. Army, what they've accomplished.

I had friends who attended and no Trump fans themselves, who I think it was much more in their view, something that was celebrating the military rather than him. But I can't imagine that he loved that there were much bigger crowds all around the country, about 5 million people turned out for the No Kings protests, and, of course, overshadowed by the conflict in the Middle East.

But if he was looking for crowd size, it was not a win. But if he was looking to celebrate the U.S. Army, which I think we all should, it was a win in that sense.

MATTINGLY: Yes. I'm glad you said that. I'm biased because I'm an Army brat, but I actually very much enjoyed the parade and the history behind it. And you worked at the Pentagon, it definitely felt like a Pentagon-type event where they were running ops, and I think there's some value to that despite some of the atmospheric around it.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, I always appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

GRIFFIN: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, up next, our Business Leader series takes us to Nebraska, where the owner of a grilling tools brand says tariffs have been burning his business. Are those costs about to be passed on to shoppers? We're going to find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

MATTINGLY: It is time for our Business Leader series where we talk to small business owners from coast-to-coast about President Trump's tariffs. Some feeling just fine about the impacts others are struggling to get by.

We're heading to Omaha, Nebraska, today to hear from Grill Sergeant, a brand of premium grilling and smoking tools launched by entrepreneurs, Scott Moller. Scott's joining us now.

Scott, I really appreciate your time. You run a few different businesses, but for your grill tools specifically, you source in China or from China. How have the tariffs impacted the brand over the last few months?

SCOTT MOLLER, OWNER GRILL SERGEANT: Yes. First, thanks for having me and a happy belated Father's Day to you. Hopefully, your family took care of you yesterday. Obviously, we're a military-based brand, right? It's a military themed brand. We wanted to produce our stuff in the States. First of all, it was too expensive to do that, so we had to go overseas. And in China, you know, this is a second Christmas for us. Yesterday was that day.

And now we place our reorder. This is when you're really going to start to see what's happening. What we just sold, we had already bought, you know, in January. So, the tariffs weren't affecting that. This reorder getting ready for Christmas, I've got a decision to make. I'm either going to increase my cost or I'm going to absorb it. And I didn't plan for that profit hit when we set our year or earlier this year. So --

MATTINGLY: What -- in terms of that decision-making process, where are you leaning at this point?

MOLLER: Well, obviously, I don't want to have to raise my prices. You know, there's nothing but good times that happen around the grill. And I want someone to have a Grill Sergeant item that's lifetime guarantee that's going to be with them, not something that's cheap. And you don't want to hurt the consumer in a situation like this.

The big boys, you know, the Walmarts of the world, I hate to tell you this, but their cash reserves are a little bit bigger than Grill Sergeant's, so I can only do so much. And I'm willing to absorb a little bit, but there's no way around it. I'm either going to cut profit or I'm going to raise my prices. I can't avoid either one of those.

MATTINGLY: You made a really important point about, look, you love to have everything made in the U.S. There's a reason it's not. And the goal of tariffs, you know, the idea of moving manufacturing back to the United States, with your brand and with some of the smaller brands that you work with, how feasible do you think that is in the current marketplace? MOLLER: It's not even part of the conversation. You know, I can't stand up here and say Grill Sergeant's ready to make a $20 billion investment in manufacturing in the United States. It's not even part of the conversation. It's as simple as that.

MATTINGLY: When you were -- I think you were in Washington recently, I believe, to speak to lawmakers about the issue. Do you get a sense that you have a receptive audience, that people understand what you're saying and want to try and help?

MOLLER: No question. It depends on who you're talking with. Maybe publicly, they can't say certain things, the politics that get involved for them. But, privately, you know, I had five -- in the last visit, I had five meetings. Three of them were as solid as you could have, one-on-one with our lawmakers. And the message is that I'm trying to get to them is we need a backstop here.

You know, when you had COVID, government came in.

[18:45:00]

I was forced to shut my business down a few years ago, obviously. And they came in and said, hey, look, we're going to provide resources to you to get through it. I'm still paying those loans off, but there are resources to help us through it.

Right now, that's what I'm asking for. You know, we're talking aggressively with our lawmakers to say, look, you can be a hero. You can come together. This is not a partisan issue. I've got clients and you've got Democrats and Republicans involved in this.

Everyone's affected. Every small businesses in some capacity, even as a ripple effect is affected by this. So, we're saying, look, give us resources available to us. You shoved me out of a plane, you know, 20,000 feet without a parachute. What's my landing going to be?

I can solve the problems. I can do that. Ive been doing it for 20-plus years. But what's that landing going to look like? And for a lot of small businesses, it's going to mean closing your business. And we want to try to avoid that clearly.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. No question is a critical message for people to understand.

Scott Moller of Grill Sergeant, thanks so much for your time. I appreciate it.

MOLLER: Thank you very much for doing this.

Well, up next in our earth matters series, CNN's Bill Weir is in Maine learning how families are redefining off the grid living. And yes, they say you can keep all the comforts you're used to.

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[18:50:11] MATTINGLY: In our earth matters lead, going off the grid in 2025 doesn't have to mean a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere with no heat, running water or electricity. Apparently, as one couple in Maine will tell you, you can keep all the modern amenities and be entirely energy independent as well.

CNN's Bill Weir stopped by their house to see just how it's done.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Colin Goodson bought a wooded lot in Maine with dreams of building a home off the grid, his bride, Katie, was lukewarm at best.

KATIE GOODSON, MAINE RESIDENT: I thought, no way. I thought, this is crazy. I mean, I like to curl my hair. I like to watch TV. I like to bake. And all these things. And I'm thinking, how is this going to be possible?

WEIR: But then he showed her.

COLIN GOODSON, MAINE RESIDENT: This is our utility room and a real sense, this is our utility. We're totally off the grid.

WEIR: He proved how these days, a well-built house can run. On sunlight with comfort to spare, even way up in Maine.

C. GOODSON: So even on today's kind of crappy weather day, we're making 1,500 watts and the battery is 80 percent charged.

WEIR: Wow. Yeah. So how long could you go without any sunshine?

C. GOODSON: Without any sunshine? About 24 to 36 hours.

WEIR: Okay.

C. GOODSON: But we have a diesel generator as a backup, and that charges in about an hour.

WEIR: They've now spent over a year living in a new definition of energy independence, which is a bit ironic.

What do you do for a living?

C. GOODSON: I work on a drill ship that drills for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.

WEIR: How about that?

C. GOODSON: I'm an engineer, so yeah, that's quite a far stretch from where we are here, but that's okay.

WEIR: In the beginning, he considered a hybrid system with propane as a backup.

C. GOODSON: Now, looking back, you don't really need it. Yeah. And the studies they're doing now on these indoor air quality with gas stoves and gas -- this is not looking good. So, I think I guess this is the future.

WEIR: That's interesting coming from a guy who works on a drilling ship.

C. GOODSON: Yeah, yeah.

WEIR: Is this kind of thing talked about in your industry?

C. GOODSON: All the guys at work think I'm crazy.

WEIR: They did? Yeah.

C. GOODSON: Yeah, they think I'm nuts. And they think I'm living in a shack out in the woods somewhere. And I go outside to use the toilet.

But that's clearly not the case here.

WEIR: Thanks to his little wood stove, he says they burn just 30 gallons of diesel. Last winter, while his neighbors need around 20 times that much to stay warm. One big reason the Goodson home was built in this New Hampshire factory by a company called Bensonwood, which uses the efficiency of an assembly line to keep materials dry and improve the quality of windows and walls.

ALISON KEAY, UNITY HOMES SALES TEAM LEAD, BENSONWOOD: It has the numbers on it. So, they know exactly where in the house this single piece of wood goes.

WEIR: A century ago, you could pick out a house in a Sears catalog, send in about 2,000 bucks, and it would arrive in a boxcar with instructions. That idea died around the postwar construction boom, but these days, having a house that arrives like a giant puzzle makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.

C. GOODSON: So they showed up on a Monday, and by Friday we had the House dried in windows, doors, everything. You know, obviously not finished inside, but a dried n shell in a week, five days.

WEIR: This method could provide the speed needed to fix a housing and construction labor crisis. And the same design that cuts energy waste also cuts down noise, making the house so quiet they couldn't hear the neighbor's chainsaw after a storm knocked down power lines.

K. GOODSON: The perception is very interesting, actually. When I tell neighbors or anyone that we live off grid and then they see the house or see photos, they always like, whoa, this isn't what I was expecting. No. Never go back. I'd highly recommend.

My brothers building and he wants to do exactly what we've done.

WEIR: And that is how energy revolution spread. One pleasantly surprised neighbor at a time.

Bill Weir, CNN, near Portland, Maine. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Bill Weir, thanks for that report.

Well, the National Guard has been mobilized in parts of West Virginia as flooding devastates neighborhoods. And the risk is not over yet, that's next.

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[18:58:34]

MATTINGLY: Our last lead starts with an update on the 2023 overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. One of the doctors accused of providing Perry ketamine has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Dr. Salvador Plasencia is one of five people charged he would be the fourth to plead guilty. Prosecutors say an underground network was responsible for distributing the ketamine that killed the "Friends" star.

Well, in our national lead, take a look at this shocking video of flash floods tearing through an apartment in video in West Virginia this weekend. Officials say all residents of the building are accounted for across the state. The death toll has now risen to six people, and two people are still missing. The governor has mobilized the state's national guard as recovery efforts begin.

Well, our sports lead, all star Shohei Ohtani, is set to return to the pitchers mound tonight for the first time in almost two years after surgeries on his elbow and shoulder, Ohtani, clearly slacking off, will finally be back on the hill after MVP seasons and a World Series the last two years. Got to watch that.

And speaking of sporting returns, 16-time hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut has announced his return to the Nathan's 4th of July hot dog eating contest. It's one of those days. Chestnut's one year hiatus came after a dispute over a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant based hot dogs. Chestnut announced his return saying, quote, it's a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture and a huge part of my life -- all of our lives, Joey.

You can follow the show on X at thelead.com or @leadCNN, and if you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.