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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Concerns Grow Over 2026 Midterm Elections Amid New Trump Attacks on Mail-In Voting, Election Fraud Probes; CENTCOM Says, New U.S. Strikes on Iran Have Begun; Screw Worm Spreads in Texas as State and Federal Officials Clash Over Response. Trump: Stephen A. Smith Is An "Arrogant Fool", "Dumb As A Rock"; Tonight: Knicks Look To Bounce Back In Game 4 Versus Spurs. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 10, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

This hour, we're following some breaking news as the U.S. military is carrying out a new round of strikes in Iran for the second day in a row. The president previewing the strikes saying earlier today the U.S. would hit Iran hard, those details in moments.

Plus, it could soon become much harder for some Americans to vote by mail as President Trump tries to exert more control over state elections. We're going to explain the new proposal where states will be forced to hand over voter information to the Trump administration if they want the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots.

Also, today President Trump called him an arrogant fool, a low I.Q. individual, dumb as a rock, a loudmouth huckster. Stephen A. Smith is here to respond to the president's latest attacks. And, of course, we'll also talk to him about the NBA Finals. Game four is about to tip off here in New York City.

And a growing feud between the Trump administration and Texas officials on how to best stop the spread of screwworm. It's a flesh- eating parasite that can impact cattle. With ranchers already grappling with the smallest cattle herd in decades, there are also concerns this could further impact grocery prices. The Texas agriculture commissioner will join us for an update ahead.

Plus, the World Cup officially kicks off tomorrow with a star-filled opening ceremony in Mexico City. Taking the stage, the legendary Andrea Bocelli, one of the singers of this year's official World Cup anthem, and Bocelli will be here on The Lead to give you a preview of what you can expect.

The Lead tonight, yet another questionable action from the Trump administration when it comes to the 2026 election. CNN reporting today that new proposed rules from the U.S. Postal Service would deny delivery of mail-in ballots for any state that doesn't comply with an executive order that President Trump signed seeking to crack down on vote by mail. It's a move that would give the postal service an unprecedented role in the midterm elections, not only delivering ballots, but now policing who gets one.

The Trump administration is demanding that states hand over lists of all voters set to receive mail-in ballots in the midterms. The order has already cleared one initial legal hurdle after a D.C. federal judge declined to block Trump's executive order, allowing the postal service to begin implementing it. 23 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to stop these new rules. They're warning that voters across the country could and will be disenfranchised if the proposal is enacted.

In a statement, the White House says the administration will, quote, continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact, which includes the safety and security of American elections, unquote.

The order, we should note, is one of several recent moves President Trump has made to exert federal control over elections in states and restrict mail-in voting, which over the years he has repeatedly cast as a tool for cheating, despite no evidence of any widespread voter fraud. And there are a number of these moves that, taken together, have many experts wondering just what the Trump administration might be planning for the fall, for the midterm elections.

Now, let me explain. This month, the Justice Department hired an election denier who tried to help Trump overturn his 2020 election loss. His name is Kurt Olsen. He's now working in the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida. He was a first appointed as a special government employee back in October of last year, serving as the presidentially appointed director of election security and integrity, which is, you might note, a curious role for someone whom in the days leading up to the January 6th, 2021, allegedly drafted an executive order that would have directed the Justice Department to, quote, take voter action, and who held multiple private phone calls with Trump on January 6th, according to the House committee that investigated the riot.

In March of last year, we should also note a federal appeals court affirmed an order for Olsen and another attorney to pay more than $120,000 in legal fees for what a judge called a false and misleading lawsuit, claiming that the Arizona voting machines had been subject to manipulation. You might remember in January, the FBI raided the Fulton County Election Center in Atlanta, during which we also saw then- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, on site for some reason.

Now, it turns out the person who referred that warrant to the FBI is none other than Kurt Olsen. Here's the affidavit used in the search warrant. It shows that Olsen is the one who made the referral.

Now, after that raid, a Reuters investigation revealed that Tulsi Gabbard, then the director of National Intelligence, also led an investigation into Puerto Rico's voting machines, looking into claims that Venezuela hacked voting machines in Puerto Rico. It's a probe that did not produce any clear evidence of Venezuelan interference at all, sources told Reuters. Reuters also reported that Olsen pushed a U.S. intelligence contractor, Mojave Research, to search for evidence of vulnerabilities in the machines. The Office of National Intelligence claimed to find extremely concerning cybersecurity and operational practices, but that's a claim for which they have yet to provide any detailed evidence.

Also after that FBI Fulton County raid in Atlanta, the CIA confirmed that President Trump has ordered intelligence agencies to cooperate with Kurt Olsen's investigation into the 2020 election and voting machines.

Why exactly would the president want claims of election fraud to be an intelligence matter? Why? Well, consider this. One, Kurt Olsen's new role within the Justice Department, two, this attack on mail-in voting, three, the appointment as acting director of National Intelligence, a man with no intelligence or national security experience, a guy named Bill Pulte, best known for weaponizing mortgage information against the president's perceived enemies from his perch at Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac.

All of this raising very serious questions among experts in the intelligence community about whether something larger is being planned for the midterms, something involving voting machines, vote by mail, intelligence of questionable veracity from Kurt Olsen or Bill Pulte, or, as a senior member of the intelligence community told me, quote, there is a very real concern among experts that the Trump administration is under-resourcing our defense against foreign threats to the elections while focusing its attention almost exclusively on matters of domestic politics, including potentially interfering in the 2026 midterms.

Now, I say all this advisedly. If President Trump and his allies had not made attempts to undo the 2020 election leading up to the disgrace of January 6th, 2021, maybe one could think these are all unconnected data points. But, honestly, making any such assumption today would be horribly naive and irresponsible. We are going to continue to cover this issue.

We have with us in studio John Avlon and Margaret Hoover. And, John, let me start with you. The secretary of state of Oregon, one of the states suing to stop this order about mail, the U.S. Postal Service says this would deny eligible people the right to vote, full stop. How do you see it?

JOHN AVLON, AUTHOR, LINCOLN AND THE FIGHT FOR PEACE: It's not of how I see it, it's where the facts are, and the facts are it would. Oregon has vote by mail, has for a long time. This is not legal. It's not constitutional.

TAPPER: This order?

AVLON: This order, it's not -- this executive order's not legal, it's not constitutional. States run elections in the United States of America. And for the president and his administration to say it's legal, to give the Orwellian name to the guy working in, who had tried to overturn the last election now is overseeing election integrity just underscores how cynical and sinister this is. And that's an objective characterization of what's happening.

If a Democratic president were doing this exact same thing, Republicans would be absolutely up in arms, and they'd be right. But that's the dynamic we see over and over. They are trying to interfere with free elections and violating the law and Constitution to do it, and everyone needs to be wide awake, and thank you for covering it in the detail you just did.

TAPPER: So, Margaret, a White House spokesperson says, quote, the administration remains confident that the executive order will be implemented by the November election, which was always the intent when it was signed. President Trump again, of course, was vehemently against mail-in ballots in the 2020 election during the COVID epidemic. He lost that race.

We should note he also voted by mail in 2020. That's -- and at least at one other time in March.

MARGARET HOOVER, HOST, PBS FIRING LINE: We should also note that if he had embraced mail-in voting, he might have won.

TAPPER: Right.

HOOVER: Right? So, I think it's misplaced. Look, what we know about mail-in voting, and there are four states that do 100 percent mail-in voting --

TAPPER: Like Utah.

HOOVER: -- Oregon, Utah, which is a deep red state.

TAPPER: Nobody ever complains about Utah.

HOOVER: No one ever complains about Utah. And I have gone out to Utah to examine actually the drop boxes and to talk to the election administrators in Utah for a documentary I did for PBS on election integrity last year. We have the safest, the fairest, the most transparent systems, by the way, in 10,000 jurisdictions across this country of any country in the world. We don't have an election day. We have 10,000 election days on the same day in America, and it's extraordinary that it works as well as it does.

But the kind of planning that went into 100 percent mail-in voting in Colorado and Utah and Oregon and Washington State takes an enormous amount of time to plan for with the U.S. Postal Service as an agency that doesn't have a lot of funding, that doesn't have a lot of time to plan for the kind of mobilization effort it would take.

One other thing, it almost doesn't matter what the president is saying about stolen elections or the shenanigans in the upcoming 2026 elections.

[18:10:07] The fact that he continues through this executive order and all of his rhetoric to impugn the integrity of American elections in whatever form actually has contributed, if you look at polling state by state, especially in the close states which have the best election systems, not like California, which is, you know, a deep blue state and is actually bad at administering elections, but in those states that are excellent at administering elections, even the confidence that individuals in those states have has started to backslide.

TAPPER: Two data points on this election issue, let me ask you about, John. One, Trump storming out of the interview with Kristen Welker on NBC when she just asked him to provide evidence of any of the claims he was making about the election. And, two, look, Spencer Pratt ran a good race in L.A. He is a Republican in one of the bluest cities, and has no experience running anything in politics. He got roughly, at least as of now, he got roughly the same percentage that Donald Trump got when he ran for president in Los Angeles. And this is being portrayed as like a big scandal and evidence that there is shenanigans.

And it's not just Trump saying this, right? Speaker of the House Johnson was asked about it, and he said -- and somebody said, where's the evidence? He goes, oh, it's all so far upstream. There is no evidence.

AVLON: Yes.

TAPPER: This time, you know, I've never thought that I'd stand up for the integrity of Kevin McCarthy, but this time --

HOOVER: Who is useless right now.

TAPPER: I know. But this time Mike Johnson -- I mean, it does seem like there's just like a much more compliant group of people and no guardrails

AVLON: This is a spineless speaker who has outsourced his constitutional office to act as an adjunct to the president. And so, unfortunately, that's part of a pattern. But I want you to return to something that you raised a quote you had from a senior member of the intelligence agencies. The fact that that man is saying that the agencies are concerned about the president of the United States and the administration underfunding actual defenses against foreign interference --

TAPPER: Russia, Iran, North Korea.

AVLON: Correct. At the same time where they're trying to say, the quid pro quo for getting your mail-in ballots in is to hand over your election database to the federal government, is absolutely insane and objectively sinister.

TAPPER: And also, just Margaret, as the conservative at the table, there's nothing conservative about any of this.

HOOVER: I mean, it's -- you know, it's sort of a moving target, the label conservative, isn't it?

TAPPER: Well, you know what I mean, like --

HOOVER: Against the backdrop of, you know, mid-century -- mid-20th century anyway. But I don't think conservatives would own this.

TAPPER: When Democrats were pushing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and a lot of Republicans were saying, this is a state issue, you can't tell us what to do, where are they?

HOOVER: Well, because the Republican Party seems to have been completely co-opted into Trump Inc. I mean, that's not news here. That's not news to anybody who watches this program. The real damage, though, is that after 2020, when you asked, and I participated in polling and I participated in focus groups with self-identified Republican voters in the states that were very close, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, in those states, the self-identified Republicans, MAGA Republicans said, oh, sure, there's cheating in our elections, but not here in Arizona. Like they like the way they do their elections, but they think those other guys in Pennsylvania are getting it all wrong.

AVLON: Right.

HOOVER: Now, what you're seeing is actually very concerning in the polling in each of these states because the self-identified Republicans in their states now are not even trusting their own state election administration, and that is a real backsliding of confidence in the integrity of our elections.

TAPPER: John?

AVLON: Just stay wide awake in America right now because these sorts of patterns that you're pointing out, citizens need to pay attention to. Because we have a first president in our history who actively tries to divide the American people, not unite them. And it goes to the heart of what makes us a democracy, and it's in danger.

TAPPER: We're going to keep paying attention, Pulte, Olsen, et cetera. We're watching. Margaret Hoover and John Avlon, thank you so much.

Despite the backlash, President Trump still will not back down over his appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of National Intelligence. What Democrats plan to do about it, next.

Plus, we're following breaking news out of the Middle East, where the U.S. military says it is carrying out new strikes on Iran, those details in moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

TAPPER: Breaking news in our World Lead, the U.S. military says it started conducting strikes against multiple targets in Iran for the second straight day.

Let's go to CNN's Zach Cohen. Zach, what is the U.S. military saying about these strikes?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Jake, as you mentioned, the second consecutive day that the U.S. military is conducting strikes against Iran framing them once again as defensive in nature and in response to Iran's, quote, unwarranted and continued aggression.

U.S. Central Command releasing a statement on X just a few minutes ago saying, quote, U.S. Central Command forces began launching additional self defense strikes today at 5:15 P.M. Eastern Time against multiple targets in Iran at the commander-in-chief's direction.

Again, this is something we've heard the president himself talking about earlier today, saying that U.S. Central Command would be conducting additional military strikes against Iran. We heard Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also saying earlier that U.S. Central Command would be, quote, very busy tonight, and it does seem like that activity has started.

Last night, we did see that initial wave of attacks which we've learned in the time since really focused on military sites around the Strait of Hormuz. Now, these were things like air defense systems and radar. It remains to be seen what the targets specifically were this evening and whether they represent any sort of an escalation in this ongoing ceasefire of sorts.

We have been waiting to see whether or not President Donald Trump would ultimately order some sort of an additional military action in an attempt to pressure the Iranians into agreeing to the terms that he has very clearly stated he thinks should be signed. But, again, the Iranians have not indicated that they are willing to be pushed back to the negotiating table or pushed into agreeing to terms that they are not ready to agree to.

So, we'll bring you more reporting when we have it on the additional strikes this evening, but there is U.S. military activity again underway for the second straight day.

[18:20:00]

TAPPER: Zach Cohen, thanks so much.

Let's turn to our Politics Lead now, President Trump refusing to back down over his appointment of Bill Pulte as the acting director of National Intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Smart people are smart people. I always say I'd rather have smart than experienced, but experience is good, too. I would say this, he's going to be there for a short while, while we pick somebody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: It's actually in the law that the person that gets the director of National Intelligence position has to have experience.

Anyway, Trump's up against Democrats who are threatening to withhold support of the key section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act extension because of Pulte's lack of any experience in intelligence or national security.

Today, Trump posted this social media post, quote, I'm asking Congress to send me a short-term extension of FISA to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent head of the agency.

Let's go to CNN's Manu Raju on Capitol Hill. Manu, Section 702 of FISA, it's key for intelligence officials say and it's going to expire Friday unless Congress renews it. What are Democrats saying about Trump's offer?

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're saying no, Jake. In fact, they're saying that they absolutely will not support an extension of this critical surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act unless Bill Pulte is pulled as acting director of National Intelligence all together. And as Trump is doubling down, the Democrats are saying they won't give the support in the House tomorrow, where Speaker Mike Johnson plans to put a short- term extension until July 2nd on the floor of the House. It would require two-thirds of the House to support it, meaning many Democrats. But the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, told me he's a hard no.

In the Senate it would require 60 votes, meaning at least seven Democrats in the Senate would have to say yes, and many of those Democrats are telling me tonight that they absolutely will not back it with Pulte in the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): The cat's kind of out of the bag, and the question for Democrats is, why on earth would we extend any of these capacities if they are going to be used by somebody, Pulte or someone else, to try to declassify classified records to hurt the president's political opponents?

SEN. PETER WELCH (D-VT): There's got to be some trust here. Pulte has no experience, and his qualification is that he's got blind loyalty to Trump. So, that's a problem.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): I am a no, hell no, on a short-term extension while Bill Pulte is in the job of DNI.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And, Jake, the debate over this law long has been focused on a fight over protecting national security and protecting civil liberties, ever since 9/11 and ever since this law was enacted. And Democrats and Republicans thought that they had a deal for a three- year reauthorization that included some new safeguards. They thought this was going to sail through Congress. And then when Bill Pulte's appointment came, it blew up this deal all together, frustrating Republican leaders in particular that thought they had a deal, which is why they've been scrambling.

They're trying to figure out some sort of short-term resolution, trying to get Democrats on board. But what you heard there, Jake, Democrats saying no way given Pulte's reputation in the past as someone who has been a sort of political knife fighter of sorts for President Trump, saying he should not have access to the entire U.S. intelligence community's apparatus, and saying that they will not go along, which means this critical surveillance authority could expire at the end of the day on Friday.

TAPPER: All right. Manu Raju on Capitol Hill, thanks so much.

Ahead of tonight's game four of the NBA finals, we're going to talk to Stephen A. Smith, who's going to join The Lead to discuss the matchup, not to mention his feud with President Trump. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, Congress is taking on the NFL and other major sports leagues. Today, the House Judiciary Committee took a hard look at a 1961 law that lets leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL sell T.V. rights together without violating antitrust laws. But now, as more games move beyond, behind pricey streaming paywalls, lawmakers, along with Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez, say it might be time to revisit that rule.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA GOMEZ, FCC COMMISSIONER: Americans who may agree on little else will be gathered tonight to watch the NBA finals.

For a family trying to follow their team through a full season, the cost of piecing together across multiple platforms adds up quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Joining us now is that lone Democrat on the FCC, Anna Gomez. Commissioner Gomez, you stated that any meaningful update to the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, or SBA, requires an act of Congress. Did today's hearing give you any sense that's likely to happen?

GOMEZ: Thanks, Jake. Today, I got the impression that it was mostly a fact-gathering exercise. And most of the questions that we got were, of course, about the costs to fans. Because today, because of the prevalence of alternative distribution media, fans can get access to games throughout the country, which is great, but because of the number of alternative distribution media, it also can be very costly to follow the teams that -- their favorite teams. So, for example, if you're in New York and you're a Philly fan, finding your games may require you to have multiple streaming services. And that's what they're trying to figure out is, is there an issue here?

And for the FCC, which is primarily concerned with the health of the broadcast media, it's a significant issue because the local broadcasters rely on the revenue that these sports games bring to them, and we want to make sure that they get that revenue so that they keep healthy so that they can fund journalism and local content that serve their local communities.

TAPPER: You were in today's hearing today, so you already know this, but Congressman Raskin asked a witness about the Department of Justice's investigation into the NFL.

[18:30:00]

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): So, the NFL has said they've received no outreach from the DOJ about an investigation that was supposedly opened months ago into the NFL. Does that suggest the DOJ is actually doing their job for consumers, or is all of this just sort of performance art and posturing for Mr. Murdoch?

CLAY TRAVIS, PRESIDENT, OUTKICK MEDIA: I would hope personally that the Department of Justice is actually looking into this.

On the foundational idea across the political spectrum of sports fans should get good value and not a degraded experience that they're currently receiving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: That's Clay Travis from Outkick. Do you know where that investigation stands, and do you think this is all just performance art for media mogul Rupert Murdoch?

GOMEZ: Yes. I don't know where that stands, and we didn't hear that today at the hearing. You know, I am concerned because this administration has not taken any actions that are to the benefits of consumers, but rather that they are motivated by their billionaire buddies. And so there's been reporting that there was one major news network that actually asked for the administration to intercede because they are worried about their revenues. And that is what motivated the inquiry and apparently what the hearing that we had today.

Let me ask you about another issue that the FCC has been in the headlines for what's going on right now at CBS and CBS News specifically. After he was fired from CBS and 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley, the former 60 Minutes correspondent, said that he had been blindsided. FCC chairman Brendan Carr, your colleague, responded on X saying that Pelley's surprise firing showed many legacy journalists are completely out of touch. Carr had said on my show that the behavior that Pelley showed in that private meeting, that, you know, the audio of which leaked he would've been fired at any business. I guess the question I have for you is, how much do you look at the churn and drama and controversy of what's going on in CBS News right now and think that Carr and his leadership and the broader direction he's taking the FCC are part of what's going on there?

GONMEZ: Well, this administration from day one has been on a campaign to control how the media reports on this administration, and it's done so in many ways, one of those being utilizing the FCC's levers in order to get at media.

And we saw the progression of what happened with CBS and its parent company Paramount when Paramount settled a lawsuit from the president that was a baseless lawsuit in order to get its transaction approved so that Skydance could buy Paramount at -- approved at the FCC, but made concessions to the FCC, basically saying that they will alter their editorial practices. They would put an ombudsperson in charge of fielding complaints about the content of the network, and it would eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

And so what we have seen then is the results of another billionaire buddy of the administration getting a transaction approved because of these commitments that it made and now the dismantling of an institution that is 60 Minutes.

TAPPER: All right. Anna Gomez, thank you so much. I appreciate your time.

GOMEZ: Thank you.

TAPPER: Are health officials doing enough to get cases of screwworm under control in the South? Do we truly know how many cattle have been infected, and how could this all impact your beef prices? I'm going to ask the Texas agriculture commissioner next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

TAPPER: In our Health Lead, for the first time in decades, New World screw worm has reemerged in the United States with five confirmed cases in Texas livestock and one case in a dog in New Mexico.

Now, the larvae of this parasitic fly feed exclusively on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. And while this is not a food safety issue, a full-blown outbreak could make the price of your steak rise even higher, and it could disrupt food production.

A March 2025 story by the industry news site, Agri-Pulse, was headlined, quote, bird flu, screw worm monitoring among foreign aid programs killed by Trump. The story reported that the 5,300 grants and programs killed in the Trump administration's cuts to the U.S. Agency of International Development, this is because of the DOGE cuts, include U.S.-funded animal disease monitoring projects operated by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, including some under its global health security program dedicated to monitoring and containing New World screw worm in Central America. Now, that reporting leaves some to question if that might have played a role in what we are seeing now in Central America, Texas, and New Mexico. As federal and state leaders are working to stop the spread of screw worm, a growing rift is emerging between Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. It's complicated the state's response.

Here to discuss is the Texas agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller. Commissioner Miller, thank you so much for joining us.

So, federal officials say rapid reporting is key to stopping screw worm. You've pushed back, even saying you'd be reluctant to report a screw worm infestation on your own property. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was asked about that comment. Here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ROLLINS, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: That is a very unserious comment from a perhaps unserious ag commissioner with just a few months left. It is also a very dangerous suggestion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What's your response, sir?

SID MILLER, TEXAS AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER: Well, I'm the most serious person when it comes to screw worms. That's absolutely a fact. I'm the one working harder than anybody to stop this pest.

[18:40:02]

What they did is that they told ranchers, look, if you have a suspected case, send it to us. If it comes back positive, we'll quarantine your ranch. Well -- and they left it at that. They've walked that back since and said, you know, if we find a screw worm on your ranch, you're not -- we're not going to shut you down. We just need you to get a health inspection before you move your cattle. Well, that's not a quarantine. That's -- you know, they put them in a -- I'd call it a hotspot, but a quarantine is a total lockdown. And so I'm glad that they backed off of that. Ranchers will probably cooperate.

Now, I would send a sample in for sure, and I would encourage everybody to send samples in, because we need to know where this culprit is.

TAPPER: So, I feel like you are not saying that people shouldn't report cases, but you're saying that --

MILLER: Oh, no, they should. They should report them.

TAPPER: Yes.

MILLER: Yes.

TAPPER: But you're saying like that the -- MILLER: Absolutely report them, because they're not going to quarantine you. They're not going to shut you down.

TAPPER: Yes. So -- but you're saying --

MILLER: They've misspoken.

TAPPER: You're saying the realistic just suggestion that, like people on the ground, if you tell them, report it, and then if it's positive, we'll just like end your business, then that's going to be -- that's going to dissuade people. What do you think the response should look like then?

MILLER: That's the message they're --

TAPPER: We're having some audio problems with you, sir. Hold on one second. Using a cell phone there?

MILLER: You're breaking up on me.

TAPPER: Okay. Talk to me again. What do you think the reporting should look like?

I think we're having some problems with -- we're having some problems with the commissioner. Well, we thank him and we hope he calls back in. Thanks again.

After President Trump unleashed a string of attacks against him this morning, including calling him an arrogant fool and dumb as a rock, broadcaster Stephen A. Smith is here to respond with his own words. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:57]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Sports lead now, just hours before tip-off for game four of the NBA Finals. Madison Square Garden has canceled its watch party after venue officials blasted the city over its strict security. Inside MSG, though, it's where the New York Knicks are hoping to bounce back from Monday's loss to the Spurs and extend their series lead against their rivals.

And let's bring in Stephen A. Smith. He's the host of "Straight Shooter with Stephen A." on YouTube and Sirius XM's POTUS channel, 124.

Stephen, before we get into tonight's big game at the Garden, I want to ask you about the constant comments coming about you from President Trump in the last day or so. Both of you, you've been offering criticism of him, and he has been attacking you, especially since he attended game three of the finals, as this has really heated up.

Earlier today on social media, Trump as is his want, escalated his rhetoric against you. He called you a, quote, "arrogant fool, dumb as a rock, totally unqualified -- STEPHEN A. SMITH, HOST, STRAIGHT SHOOTER WITH STEPHEN A.: Yeah.

TAPPER: -- never think of running for high political office. And then you'd get a -- he said you'd get annihilated into debate by the most incompetent politicians. Joe Biden's now fabled performance would look great. By comparison to anything that this loudmouth huckster has to offer, which isn't much, within a few weeks they laughed him out of politics," unquote.

Sure has a lot of time to say these things about you while in the middle of running the country and a war. What's your response?

SMITH: You know what? Listen, I'm not offended. The reality is, is that that that's his default position. Anybody that challenges him doesn't agree with him, tries to hold him accountable, they're dumb as a rock. They don't know anything.

I'm in good. I'm in pretty damn good company when you consider the multitude of people, both black and white, that he has said that about. That's his right. He's under attack all the time, no matter what he does, and of things he does wrong, make no mistake about it.

But no matter what he does, he's the president of the United States and he takes a lot of heat. So, him dishing it out is something that any of us should be able to take. I certainly can take it and he knows it because he's known me for many, many years. We haven't spoken but once, since he's been president since 2016.

But he knows good and damn well who I am because he was synonymous with the world of sports. He was at a lot of Knicks games. He had a lot of sporting events at Trump casinos and stuff like that back in the day with boxing and stuff.

Obviously, he tried to own football teams that didn't come to fruition, but he was always at the Knicks game and he's a lifelong Knicks fan. So he knows me well enough and he was on the record last year saying that I should run. So, suddenly, I'm dumb as a bag of bricks and I'm not that intelligent and I have a low I.Q., but he knows better.

And if he really, really felt that way about it, trust me, he would have said it a long time ago. He just doesn't like what I'm saying about him right now because I'm holding him accountable for the selfishness that he displayed and the narcissistic behaviors that he's exuded.

Yet again, he had no business at game three of the NBA Finals, first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals. It's not because it's the NBA Finals. It's because it was the congestion that existed in New York City. It wasn't about politics. It wasn't about policy. It was about him willing to disregard 6,000 to 7,000 fans for a watch party and all the traffic and all the congestion and the inconvenience it caused to New York City because of his arrival.

That's what I was addressing. I stand by that and it is what it is. He can say what he wants. My focus is simple. New York Knicks better not lose these damn NBA finals.

They won games one and two. They had all the momentum in the world. When he arrived, it was derailed and they lost. It's that simple. He can try to make it about something else all he wants to. I'm talking about the New York Knicks. I wasn't talking about anything else as it pertained to him.

TAPPER: On tonight's game, I know you blame Trump for the loss in game three. He won't be there tonight. So are the Knicks going to bounce back here?

SMITH: I believe they will. I believe they will. And if they don't, then that's less on him. But if they win without him in attendance, maybe that should tell him you should stay away from the garden. That's really what it comes down to.

I'm anticipating that they will win tonight.

[18:50:01]

I think they have to. If they lose, they will have surrendered a 2-0 lead and allowed the San Antonio Spurs to regain leverage and home court advantage in this series. These are some young thoroughbreds that ain't scared of anything. Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, De'Aaron Fox and the rest of the crew. These guys are very, very talented and they're young and they're not scared of anything.

The last thing you want to do is give them life. That's what the New York Knicks did Monday. Hopefully they won't do it in game four tonight, but we shall see.

TAPPER: I thought that they were going to do what Moses Malone once said four, four, four, but it didn't happen. We'll see what happens tonight.

You can catch Stephen's POTUS Sirius show every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Stephen A. Smith, always a pleasure, sir. Thanks for coming on.

SMITH: Always a pleasure, Jake. Thank you. Take care.

TAPPER: Coming up next, the Maestro is here. We're going to be joined by Andrea Bocelli, ahead of his performance tomorrow, where he will sing the official anthem to kick off the World Cup.

Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:55:22]

TAPPER: The waiting is nearly over. Tomorrow, the FIFA World Cup 2026 officially kicks off, pun intended, and one of the voices leading the celebration -- well, it belongs to a musical icon. Andrea Bocelli is featured on DNA. That's the official FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem alongside David Guetta, Megan D Stallion and EJAE. He'll perform the song live at tomorrow's opening ceremony in Mexico City, marking the start of the World Cup.

Here's a preview of the track.

(MUSIC)

TAPPER: And Mr. Bocelli joins us now.

Thank you so much for joining us. So you're set to perform DNA during the opening ceremonies. What was your reaction when FIFA first approached you?

ANDREA BOCELLI, PERFORMING WORLD CUP ANTHEM: I've been very happy. because I love soccer since when I was a child, since when I heard the soccer match with the little radio on my ear. And to be here is a big experience. I like it.

TAPPER: And what was it like collaborating with David Guetta and Megan Thee Stallion and EJAE?

BOCELLI: Well, the song -- when I heard this song for the first time, I've been -- surprised because the song is very nice, very different from the things that I'm used to seeing, but very nice.

TAPPER: This year also marks your Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour. You're set to return to Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl this fall. After all these years, do you still feel the same kind of excitement before you step onto the stage?

BOCELLI: Oh, yeah. There are places where I performed many times and where I received the most incredible affection for the audience. And for me, to sing there is still a great emotion and satisfaction, especially in New York. In New York, I performed everywhere at the Madison, but also at the Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Metropolitan, and also Central Park.

So New York gave me really lots of big satisfactions.

TAPPER: What message do you have for the millions of people around the world who are going to be tuning in to watch the World Cup?

BOCELLI: Well, let me say in Italian because it's too complicated.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

TRANSLATOR: I am really happy for that to be happening. I think that when soccer is amazing, it's great, it's part of that beauty that's going to save the world, as Fyodor Dostoevsky used to say.

TAPPER: Grazie. Maestro Bocelli, really appreciate it.

BOCELLI: Thank you very much.

TAPPER: In the minute and a half we have left, let's head back to Madison Square Garden. I had a game four of the NBA Finals, and Omar Jimenez is on the floor -- Omar.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's up, Jake? Yeah, look, I mean, this is the game that I feel like everybody has been waiting for because while the chance were Knicks in four at one point, San Antonio found a way -- to squeeze one out and now it's 2-1 going in.

Warm-ups getting ready to go. Jalen Brunson on the floor right now. Mikal Bridges for the Knicks as well. There's been a whole lot of drama outside the arena about watch parties, but the enthusiasm in the city is going nowhere -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Omar Jimenez, thank you so much. And you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram and Threads and X and Bluesky and on the TikTok @JakeTapper. You can follow the show on X and Instagram @TheLeadCNN.

If you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can watch the show on the CNN app.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.

Take it away, Erin.