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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Counting Down To America's 250th Birthday; Star-Studded Wedding Bells At Madison Square Garden; Combat Vet On His Sweet 16 On July 14th; Sources: U.S. Tried To Warn Iran That Israel Would Kill Leaders. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 03, 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]

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Abby Phillip, in for Jake Tapper today.

This hour, from Arizona to South Dakota, New York, and D.C., CNN is going big counting down to July 4th. We're live where the extreme heat is causing problems, and other hot spots where the party is going strong.

Plus, why a combat veteran is calling this holiday weekend his Sweet 16. What he told Jake Tapper about his incredible athletic achievement after surviving an IED attack in Afghanistan.

Also, what sources tell CNN about the U.S. warning to Iran about a plot to kill its top negotiators, what if it actually played out? We'll have the new reporting and get into the implications.

Plus, the star-studded wedding going down right now at Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, drawing in glammed-up guests, including Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Selena Gomez, and many, many more

The Lead tonight, America 250 feels like 250 degrees. The scorching triple-digit heat wave has now turned deadly. We are learning that a 68-year-old man in Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, has died as a result of heat exhaustion after trimming bushes yesterday. The heat continues to endanger millions of Americans right now, most especially those celebrating Independence Day events outdoors.

Earlier this afternoon in D.C., President Trump's Great American State Fair shut down as temperatures reached the triple digits, and the heat index soared well above that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will reopen at 5:00 P.M. Please refer to Freedom 250 social media for updates. Please proceed to the nearest exit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Philadelphia's Independence Day parade was also canceled. The heat is breaking records from D.C. to Boston, straining electric grids as people try to cool off inside air conditioning. And the worst is not over. It will persist through tomorrow, July 4th.

We've got a team covering all of this across the United States. CNN's Brian Todd is on the National Mall in Washington, and CNN's Jeff Zeleny is over at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where President Trump will speak later tonight.

Brian, starting with you, the Great American Fair just reopened not that long ago in the last hour. But are people there or are they avoiding the heat and the sun and the area?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Abby, they just opened this back up to people about an hour ago, and there were a lot of people who came back kind of surprisingly. There was a huge line of people from this checkpoint extending all this way. And despite this pounding, oppressive heat, they came back at about 5:00 Eastern Time to get back into the fair.

They were trying to get onto that Ferris wheel. Now, that Ferris wheel, I can see it moving now. It just started to get back in operation. But for a long time, there was a long line of people there for the Ferris wheel, and they weren't getting on because there weren't any workers. Now, it's in motion. But we got to point out, those Ferris wheel cars are not air conditioned. It is punishing heat inside there.

This is, you know, where people are using any means possible just to try to get a break from it. This is a unit of the D.C. Fire Department called Fan Team One, and this is -- basically this is what they're doing. This is a large fan surrounded by about 10 nozzles of water, and people are just standing under this just getting sprayed and doused. When this line was extending all down here, it was a real relief for these people as they were standing in line to get back in. But people have been streaming back in.

D.C. and law enforcement officials, White House officials telling us they are really concerned about the heat tomorrow. One official said, no amount of water is going to fix this, and they do expect a lot of heat-related calls.

I got some information a short time ago from D.C. Fire and EMS. They said they had 44 patient contacts inside the state fair there before it shut down at about 1:00 P.M. Eastern Time. 44 patient contacts with DC Fire and EMS, they did not have a breakdown as to how many of those were heat-related, but 44 contacts. They had 11 people transported. Of those 11 people transported, 7 of them had to have advanced life support. So, that's some of the numbers you're getting about. You can imagine that most of those had to be probably heat-related.

Here is also what we can show you, the security component here. There are National Guardsmen, U.S. Marshals, outside deputized law enforcement personnel here. A CNN source is telling us that drones are going to be operational tomorrow. Snipers are going to be on the roofs of some of these buildings. There will be anti-drone technology at play, even nuclear-detecting devices.

As far as the protection of the president is concerned, when he speaks, there are going to be structures that will block the view of the president from certain buildings here. There will be bullet-proof glass surrounding the president when he speaks. So, all sorts of precautions are being taken here security-wise and heat-wise.

[18:05:00]

But, again, they are expecting a lot of heat-related calls tomorrow.

A key question, Abby, how many people are going to venture out on the mall. 4th of July is usually a day when people come out all day long. Tomorrow, that's a dangerous idea.

PHILLIP: Yes, it's going to be punishingly hot both today and tomorrow.

And, Jeff, you know, as Brian just said, the question of how many people will venture out is one that we know President Trump is concerned about. He's planning not one, but two big speeches, one today where you are, and another one tomorrow.

So, what are you hearing from the White House about what he's expected to say tonight and then also tomorrow? Does he plan to adjust any to the reality of the really punishing weather that's pounding the East Coast right now?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Abby, at this hour the White House has given no indication that there are any changes to the president's plans tomorrow evening. He has just left the White House, and he'll be making his way here to Mount Rushmore for his speech tonight on the eve of the 4th of July.

But, of course, the speech tomorrow on the National Mall is the culmination of his celebration of American 250. He has talked about this since the day he came back into office. He has talked about this moment in American history. That is exactly why he wanted to return here to this magnificent backdrop of President Washington and Jefferson and Roosevelt and Lincoln.

Of course, President Trump wants to cast himself in that same sort of moment of history. But he also has a more urgent task ahead of him and that is successfully completing this America 250 celebration, which he has made, in some respects largely about him. This has become a presidential vanity project of the highest order. So, we will see exactly what he says this evening.

I am told that he wants to talk about American exceptionalism.

PHILLIP: And we're looking at live pictures, Jeff, as you're talking of the president stepping into Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. And I should note, this is the new Air Force One that he first took out on the road earlier this week, a gift from the government of Qatar. But the president on his way to where you are, Jeff. Sorry to interrupt you. You can continue.

ZELENY: Right. And, Abby, he is going to fly that new Air Force One with that red stripe, that gold stripe, directly here over Mount Rushmore. We are told that the thousands of people here are going to get a flyover from the president before he lands at Ellis Air Force Base and makes his way here to deliver a speech.

And in addition to giving a speech, he is also going to be watching a fireworks show here. So, clearly, he loves every moment of the trappings of this. But a bigger question, again there is concern and worry inside the White House about how the events tomorrow will go. It could always be blamed on the heat, and that is a very valid excuse if there is a smaller crowd. But for now at least, we know the president likes the show to go on. That starts here tonight at dusk. Abby?

PHILLIP: All right. Jeff and Brian, thank you both very much.

Let's bring in Tim Naftali, CNN presidential historian and former director of the Nixon Presidential Library. Tim, there's a viral tweet going around that says, this can't be the same heat George Washington was wearing a wig in. So, in that spirit, can you set the scene for us? How were George Washington and the Founding Fathers feeling 250 years ago today, on July 3rd, on the eve of a really momentous occasion the day before the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, 250 years ago in Philadelphia, they were editing. They cut the first -- they cut Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence by a quarter on July 3rd. By the way, on July 2nd, the day that John Adams always felt should be celebrated as our Independence Day, the Continental Congress had voted for a resolution of independence. But, of course, the declaration itself took a couple of days of editing and wouldn't be formally approved until tomorrow, 250 years ago.

George Washington, however, had a very different July the 3rd. George Washington was here in New York City, and George Washington was overseeing the defense of New York City. On July 2nd, 9,000 or so troops, British troops, had arrived from Halifax. They landed on Staten Island. And George Washington had intelligence that the British were also sending thousands of troops from across the Atlantic.

So, on this day, 250 years ago, George Washington was thinking about defending that independence that the Continental Congress was just about to declare.

PHILLIP: So, take us back again now to 1976.

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This was when America turned 200 years old. Gerald Ford was the president. He was in the White House. What was that celebration like? What was the message that he gave to the American people, and what do you expect from President Trump tomorrow?

NAFTALI: Well, Gerald Ford was a great healer. America was very fortunate that Gerald R. Ford was the president at the time we were healing after Watergate and Vietnam. He was an institutionalist. He loved this country deeply. He was a veteran. He had served this country well in World War II. And he focused America's celebration on all of us, on communities.

Indeed, the Bicentennial Commission had really promoted the idea that Americans should celebrate their freedom in their homes, in their towns, in their cities. This was a national evocation, a national celebration, but, in many ways, it was a community and local celebration. Gerald Ford made it about us, not about himself.

50 years later the president of the United States is going to commune with great big statues of his predecessors. And one can only hope that he takes the opportunity to remind Americans, all of us, that this is not a celebration of one person's birthday. It's not a celebration of a government. It's a celebration of a big idea, of a series of big ideas that led to a project that continues to make us as free, as democratic as possible. That's what we celebrate.

And 50 years ago, we celebrated it in local spaces. And tomorrow, keep cool. Try to celebrate in local spaces with your friends and your family and your community.

PHILLIP: Speaking of hot July 4th celebrations, President Zachary Taylor knew about that all too well. In 1850, he attended festivities at the newly dedicated grounds where the Washington Monument would be erected, and it was sweltering that day. He reportedly ate cherries and iced milk, and then he ended up dying five days later.

That's not exactly the analogy that we want on this day, but it is a moment in our history, is it not?

NAFTALI: Abby, it's a reminder that you should be careful how you hydrate tomorrow. By the way, people disagree over exactly what killed Zachary Taylor. We know that he didn't die of poisoning, which was one of the theories, but he may have died of cholera. In any case, he got very sick after a very hot July the 4th, and a few days later was dead. So, be careful tomorrow.

PHILLIP: Yes, I mean, that's a very real message for so many people. I'm chuckling only because, you know, we want to keep things on a positive note, but we also want people to be safe. So, stay cool, stay hydrated.

Tim Naftali, thank you very much for that history lesson. We appreciate it.

NAFTALI: Happy 4th. Thank you.

PHILLIP: The big buzz tonight, the wedding going down right now at Madison Square Garden between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. We've been watching a slew of stars arrive at the venue, but we're learning about what's happening inside of Madison Square Garden. The new reporting is coming up next.

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[18:15:00]

PHILLIP: In our Pop Lead, it's a love story, and last hour was when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly said yes at a white veil occasion that's being kept tightly under wraps inside of Madison Square Garden.

I want to bring in CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. Elizabeth, this is your Super Bowl. Everything has changed now that Taylor and Travis have tied the knot, right?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I see what you did there, Abby. And look, it is a cool summer for those of us outside because it's over 100 degrees. But I have to tell you, behind me in Madison Square Garden, the blank space of the arena has definitely been transformed. Okay, that's enough puns. I swear I will stop now.

But the wedding, according to our reporting, is underway. Just about an hour ago is when we saw all the black SUVs coming in behind me. As you see, 7th Avenue is completely shut down. Taylor Swift might be the only person in the world who could get streets to shut down for her private wedding.

Now, we have seen stars from Benson Boone, who opened for her Eras Tour, to Hugh Grant coming in. I don't know if you can hear behind me, but there're some Swifties here who are chanting Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, and before they were singing Love Story.

So, for everyone who was skeptical and said, this cannot happen at Madison Square Garden. How could the world's biggest romantic get married there? Our reporting was right. I had heard from the beginning from a source that was invited to the wedding that this was happening July 3rd in New York City, and we now see that this is really happening. After all of her lyrics of heartache and heartbreak and ups and downs that the Swifties have stuck by her side, Taylor has finally had her fairy tale ending. And right behind us right now, she could literally be walking down the aisle. Abby?

PHILLIP: It's pretty extraordinary. I mean, the middle of New York City, but perhaps having one of the most private events that one could have that money can buy, let's put it that way.

Elizabeth Wagmeister outside of Madison Square Garden, thank you very much.

Joining me now is Dominic Patten. He's the executive editor of Deadline. So, Dominic as we've been discussing, I mean, everybody has been speculating and talking about this and asking what on earth could be happening in Madison Square Garden for, you know, the woman who created this idea of a fairy tale wedding, what are the details that you are actually the most curious about?

[18:20:00]

Is it the decor? Is it the guest list? Is it the musical performances?

DOMINIC PATTEN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, DEADLINE: I think it's a combination of everything, Abby. I mean, I think one of the things about this is there is some historical precedent for this. The great Sly Stone got married on stage in Madison Square Garden. Randy Savage, the wrestler, got married in Madison Square Garden. I'm not quite sure that's the appropriate one here. But I do think this plays a lot into it.

And let's be honest, what fascinates me more than anything is the cultural aspect of this. This is American royalty. Certainly on the anniversary of the birth of this nation, the 250th anniversary, where we threw off the chains of royalty and monarchy, this is what our monarchy looks like.

And it's very specific. When you talk about, as Elizabeth did going in, some of the guests we're seeing there, et cetera, et cetera, this is that elite. There's some also corporate ones, former head of Disney, head of AMC Cinemas, and various others there. You know, so I think in many ways the most interesting thing now for me and for us at Deadline is what happens next?

You know, there's lots of talk that the Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, who, of course, was the title of Taylor's first big hit many, many years ago, will they be performing? They're going to be there. Will other people be performing? There is a stage set up, we know that, among the foliage. I was told by one source that in fact a lot of what it looked like inside was what the engagement photos the couple put out over a year ago look like and when they're in that kind of magical garden. So, maybe we're kind of working on a theme here.

Then, again, Taylor being Taylor, I wouldn't be surprised if she's already written a double album about how hard it is to plan a wedding when your boyfriend's watching the World Cup, but we'll see. We do know, as we reported on Deadline earlier today, that Prince William and Princess Kate did not show up, though they had talked about it. But then, again, Prince William showed up on the Kelce brothers' podcast today. So, you know, everybody's joining into this party, royalty around the world.

PHILLIP: Yes. I mean, it is interesting that they were on the podcast but not there at the wedding. But, you know, you mentioned some of the names of the folks that we've seen, but we've also seen people like Hugh Grant and others, Jason Sudeikis, Abby Wambach, Roger Goodell. So, actually, I've been amazed by the scope of the guest list. I mean, it has spanned beyond pop culture to sports to business to entertainment, you name it.

Meanwhile as you saw with Elizabeth, it's 100 degrees in New York and thousands of New Yorkers have experienced power outages. Millions are being asked to conserve energy. Now, this is all happening while this extravagant, multi-million dollar celebrity wedding is taking place in the middle of Manhattan. Streets are being shut down. Do you think that that affects the kind of press and P.R. around an event like this? And does it potentially take away from this moment for Taylor and Travis?

PATTEN: Oh, I would say actually completely the opposite, Abby. I would say as a former New York resident, I would say New Yorkers shrug and go. We do this stuff every day. You know, we did it when Gaddafi came in the '80s. We did it then. We did it now. We had Iranian presidents here when we were going to go to war with them. You know, New York does this all the time. In fact, you know, as one law enforcement source said to me, because the NYPD have been working off a memo they organized about a week ago off this, you know, there is talk of there's hundreds of NYPD officers around there. Remember, there were thousands around the Knicks being there.

And I might point out, too, several members of the NBA champions, go Knicks, were at the wedding, as are several members of the Kansas City Chiefs, which, of course, Travis is the tight end for, the multi Super Bowl winners. So, I think on that level, New Yorkers I think have an attitude of this is what it is to be in New York. This is both the griping about it, but also being proud that if they decided to get anywhere, to get married anywhere, they got married in New York and not, say, on Taylor's estate in Rhode Island, which had been whispered about.

But I also think, too, it's very telling of the time. You know, we are looking at the great American fair down in Washington, D.C. We are looking at the political polarization. When you had Tim on before, I was thinking about, like, well, I remember as a kid, the only real time I spent not going to visit my family in England was the summer of 1976 when my father took me down to the river and we saw the big ships. We saw Gerald Ford's helicopter fly in. You know, this is kind of missing.

So, in a sense, I think for many people, this wedding has become synonymous now with an all-American celebration. And I think that's kind of what -- remember, Taylor Swift is a magnificent songwriter, but she's a master marketer, and she knows exactly the way that this is connecting. I don't think there's going to be a lot of blowback. And if there was, the donations to various charities around the world and around America, including one by Dolly Parton and food banks in L.A. and others, of $26 million, which, do a little fun math, is 13, Taylor Swift's favorite number, times two, that I think really cut a lot of good cloth with people.

They're aware of what's going on, and they're aware of how to play the angles, and they're also aware that this is, and no disrespect to the John F. Kennedy Jr. miniseries a little while ago, but this is an all- American love story.

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PHILLIP: It certainly is. Dominic Patten, thank you very much.

And as for the stars party into the night, join CNN for another celebration, a midnight countdown to The New York Times dropping the ball eight times for every U.S. time zone. Andy Cohen is going to be joined by Anderson Cooper for that celebration. Coverage is coming up at 8:00 P.M. Eastern right here on CNN.

But, first, President Trump posting a brand-new mockup of the $100 bill, this time without his face. But did it include another signature look? That's next.

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PHILLIP: In our Politics Lead, President Trump is now in the air headed to Mount Rushmore as part of the celebrations marking the nation's 250th anniversary.

[18:30:00]

But get this, he is not expected back in D.C. until around 4:00 A.M. tomorrow.

CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House right now. Alayna, before he left Washington, the president seemed to be teasing the country on Truth Social about some new currency. Tell us about that.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and you can now see this image on your -- everyone's screens, Abby. The president posted an image of a $100 bill donning his signature. Now, of course, this comes months after we heard from the Treasury Department that they were planning to print commemorative, you know, different treasury notes, different monetary notes that would bear the president's signature in honor of America's -- you know, this very seminal 250th birthday.

Now, look, what's not clear yet is whether or not this is actually something people are going to be seeing on their actual cash dollars. You know, anyone who's been taking out money, you haven't yet seen the president's signature. I haven't yet ran to the bank, Abby, to see if it's all of a sudden started to show up. But this is something that they've been talking about for a while.

And it's really interesting, because you mentioned he's going to Mount Rushmore. I mean, it's similar. We've heard the president, and I know Bessent even address some of this, talk about wanting his own likeness, his own image to be shown on different $100 bills, regular dollar bills in the future as well to mark this occasion.

So, not something that has actually happened, even though some in Congress have tried to push for it, but definitely something Trump sees as a fun way to mark the occasion.

PHILLIP: Yes, and it's a piece of other things that he wants and has done, including putting his face on a U.S. passport, which, as far as we know, has not ever been done before by a U.S. president, a living one at least.

Alayna, tomorrow he's going to be b- back here in Washington. Tonight, he is at Mount Rushmore. Speaking of things he wants to put his face on, Mount Rushmore is another one of those things. But the two speeches, first of all, why the two speeches? And what is going to be tonight's message versus tomorrow's message as far as you've been able to gather from your sources?

TREENE: Yes. I've been speaking with some senior White House officials, Abby, and they say essentially the speech is meant to be a moment to mark this historic occasion. And he wants to talk about the founding of the United States. He wants to talk about American exceptionalism. He'll tout some of his own policies.

Of course, we have to see if he actually does that, because he often veers off script, so who really knows what he's actually going to say? But that is what it has been designed so far to be. It'll be very similar actually to the speech you're expected to hear from him on the National Mall tomorrow as well.

But, of course, one thing I'm watching for is whether he makes any mention of wanting to add his face to Mount Rushmore, to be the fifth president featured there. He's joked about it in the past, and he has been sharing images of his likeness, kind of juxtaposed next to those presidents. So, stay tuned in case he mentions that as well, Abby.

PHILLIP: All right. Alayna Treene, thank you very much.

Next for us, why a combat veteran is calling this holiday weekend his Sweet 16. Jake Tapper is back with his inspiring story. That's next.

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[18:35:00]

PHILLIP: In our National Lead, as Americans gather for the holiday weekend, this year's 4th of July will also mark the Alive Day Sweet 16 anniversary for one American hero, Navy Veteran Thomas Henderson, who survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan on that day in 2010. Jake Tapper spoke to Thomas earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much for joining us right before your Alive Day. What is it like marking this day every year, especially on the 4th of July?

THOMAS HENDERSON (RET.), U.S. NAVY: Thanks for having me. And it's a weird one, honestly. It's a great day. You know, I love America. I love that I served. I wouldn't change anything that happened. I'm just not a fan of, you know, fireworks and random explosions anymore.

TAPPER: I know a lot of veterans who feel that way. They don't like the 4th of July. They don't like the explosions. It brings back some bad memories. And yet there is something beautiful and symbolic about the fact that your alive day is on the birthday of our nation, because it's only through the efforts of men and women like you, who put it all on the line to preserve our nation, to keep our nation, to fight for our freedoms, that we've made it to 250 years. I don't know if that's how you see it, but that's how I see it.

HENDERSON: It is. I've have a long lineage of military service in my family, so it's always been a special -- it's always been a special day. It's always going to be a special day, you know, even no matter what my reservations are about it.

TAPPER: People don't know this about you probably, people watching, but you've powered through your wounds, and you've developed quite an athletic career through hand cycling. Did you ever think that you'd be able to compete in marathons at this point in your life?

HENDERSON: That's -- no, I never -- I had even, not even known what a handcycle was before 2019 when I was introduced to them through the Semper Fi and America's Fund through their Runners Battalion program. They were gracious enough to send me a handcycle and all the information, and they hooked me with a coach and an athletic trainer and someone to do meal planning with. And they got me in marathon shape in a single season, and I did my first marathon in 2020.

[18:40:00]

TAPPER: That's amazing. That's just amazing.

It's America's 250th birthday, and I just wonder, beyond your service, what your message to America is on the 4th of July

HENDERSON: My message to America is, you know, just keep moving forward. It's always okay to ask for help. You know, that's something that in the military they teach us, push through it, work through it on your own. You know, don't -- asking for help is a sign of weakness, but I've learned in the past 16 years that it's really not. It takes a stronger person to admit that they need assistance than, you know, to try and trudge through it on your own.

TAPPER: 100 percent.

HENDERSON: You know, especially dealing with traumatic brain injury and PTSD, all, sometimes you need help. There's not everything that you can do, and it's okay to ask. It's okay to reach out.

TAPPER: The strongest people I know reach out for help, admit mistake, apologize. Those are the strongest people I know. I should note before I bid you farewell, that you're going to have another exciting milestone in just a few days. You're going to get married. Tell me about what you're looking forward to the most in your next chapter. You're holding up the photo. What a beauty. You guys look great together. What are you looking forward to most?

HENDERSON: I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with someone who truly supports me and, you know, pushes me to get out of my comfort zone, who, you know, loves my children as much as I do, and is there 100 percent behind all of our backs and beside us.

TAPPER: Thomas Henderson, happy Alive Day. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for what you did for our country. And best wishes on this Independence Day.

HENDERSON: Thank you, sir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIP: Ahead for us, what sources tell CNN about the U.S. warning to Iran about a plot to kill its top negotiators. The new reporting is coming up next.

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[18:46:05]

PHILLIP: In our world lead, sources tell CNN, the U.S. tried to warn Iran of fears that Israel would kill mediators during negotiations a few months ago. "The New York Times" first reported on those warnings, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called fake news.

Let's discuss with "Axios" global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid. Also with us, David Sanger, "The New York Times'" White House and national security correspondent.

David, there were no immediate indications that the U.S. intelligence had knowledge of a specific plot that would prompt a warning like this, but they were clearly concerned. What do you make of this?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, here's what I make of it, Abby. We have seen increasingly that since the opening days of the war, when Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump were on the same page, did the attack on Iran jointly, their interests have increasingly diverged.

And this is really sort of the final point of this, right? That President Trump wanted a way out, and that meant negotiating what became the 14-point plan. It's not going terribly well, but he negotiated it. And to do that, he needed interlocutors in Iran, and that was the foreign minister, who's Abbas Araghchi, and it was the speaker of their parliament.

And then the intelligence community comes in and says we're fearful that the Israelis will try to go kill these two, which would, of course, completely undercut the negotiation effort.

PHILLIP: And, Barak, Netanyahu called this report fake news, but it's worth noting, you know, President Trump has said the Iranian negotiators now are great people. I think clearly, Israel doesn't share that view.

What is your reporting saying about -- about this idea that those negotiators could be at risk?

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: So, I don't say this a lot and definitely not -- not since this war started, but in this case, Netanyahu is right. I don't think this report -- I don't think this -- this ever happened.

As far as I know from both senior Israeli officials and senior U.S. officials who were deeply involved in the operational side of things and had full access to all the intelligence, to the most top-secret intelligence, there was no Israeli intention to, at the time, in the first days of April, last days of March, to kill either Araghchi or Ghalibaf.

Actually, it was the opposite. The U.S. and Israel got some sort of an agreement that, you know, those people are, you know, because they're negotiating, those people are, you know, are sort of, you know, have sort of immunity.

And I remember at the time, in real time, that the Israelis, what I heard from sources in real time is that the Israelis told the U.S., well, why would we even target Araghchi? He's meaningless for us. He has no, we have no interest in him whatsoever.

So, to be honest, I, you know, I don't think the story is true.

PHILLIP: David, right now, Iran is holding a massive week-long funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about four months after his death. By doing so, is Iran sending President Trump a message of defiance?

[18:50:03]

SANGER: You know, the funeral has been long planned and you had to assume that for somebody like Ayatollah Khamenei who had led the country for so many years, there was going to be a major funeral.

I think there are two things that are notable about it. First is a fairly sparse number of foreign leaders came to this funeral, which tells you how alone Iran is in its operations right now. The second, which I think is even more notable is that his successor and son, Moqtada, did not show that we've known that he is. badly injured. He's obviously the new Ayatollah Khamenei.

And he has not been seen since he was given that post. And I think what everybody will be remembering this for is that he was not present for whatever reason.

PHILLIP: And Barack, give us an update on where the negotiations stand right now between the U.S. and Iran. They're expected to pick up once this funeral is over.

RAVID: So, I think, actually, those two things are very much connected, because in some strange way, there was a mutual interest to the U.S. and Iran to keep the next few days quiet. For the U.S., obviously, 250th Independence Day.

For the Iranians, this funeral. And before Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff went to Qatar for talks earlier this week, they reached an understanding with the Iranians that for the next week or so, week to 10 days, no one's going to shoot at the other side if there are some issues in the state of Hormuz, in the Strait of Hormuz, because both sides wanted to keep things quiet for a few days.

After the funeral, I think there are two question marks. First, if after the funeral and after the 4th of July, the Iranians will start shooting at ships in the Strait of Hormuz again, because, allegedly, there is some new arrangement of some sort of a hotline between the U.S. and Iran to deconflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

I have a lot of question marks whether this will actually happen, whether this hotline will actually be affected. So, number one, whether the Iranians will resume the shooting, and second, There are a lot of people who are, especially the mediators in this negotiation, the Pakistanis and the Qataris, who think that after the funeral, it will be some sort of a turning of a page for the Iranian regime, for the supreme leader, for other leaders, and that this will somehow enable more movement in the negotiations. I have big question marks about that, too. PHILLIP: As do we all.

David Sanger and Barak Ravid, thank you both very much.

We have new video just coming in to CNN, the same silver SUV that reportedly took Taylor Swift home from rehearsal events last night, then seen leaving her home this morning. It was just spotted at Madison Square Garden, where wedding festivities are underway. An exciting moment for fans of the two.

We're back with another party happening tonight, coming up.

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[18:57:45]

PHILLIP: America is counting down to its 250th anniversary with celebrations happening from coast to coast. CNN's Bill Weir is in Prescott, Arizona at the world's oldest rodeo.

Bill, what is going on over there? How are the celebrations kicking off?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Abby, first of all, it's Prescott. Arizona.

PHILLIP: Prescott, I stand corrected.

WEIR: And it is the world's oldest rodeo, because when Trivial Pursuit came out in the '80s, and Prescott was the answer to the world's oldest rodeo question, you had a town in Texas say, No, Pecos, Texas say, No, we're the world's oldest rodeo.

And so Trivial Pursuit actually investigated. I didn't know they had a team, and they determined that this thing has been going pretty consistently since 1888, and if you love horses, it's a great place to be.

But tonight, Andy and Anderson hosting this baby, sort of our midsummer New Year's Eve party, celebrating 250, slices of Americana from all over this beautiful land of ours, Sea to Shining Sea. I hope you'll join us.

There may be mutton busting, Abby, which involves children and sheep. I know you're intrigued.

PHILLIP: Okay. I don't know what that means, but I am intrigued. Can't wait to hear more of Bill Weir. Thank you very much.

So the pre-party, it kicks off in about an hour right here on CNN. Independence Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. The coverage begins in an hour on CNN and on the CNN app.

And then tomorrow, another big show for you. Anderson Cooper is back hosting CNN's "Fourth in America", celebrating 250. Watch it all live on CNN or you can stream it on the CNN app. And you can catch me weeknights at 10 p.m. and tomorrow morning at

10:00 a.m. for a fun and patriotic edition of "TABLE FOR FIVE".

Plus, we now have a streaming show on the CNN app. It's called "Confessions and Obsessions". I sit down with a group of familiar faces as they reveal some things that they want to get off their chest and some things they can't stop thinking about. Check it out at cnn.com/confessionsandobsessions or on the CNN app.

We're going to keep the holiday theme going on Sunday morning on "STATE OF THE UNION". The guests are Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. That is Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern on CNN.

You can follow me on Instagram @abbydphillip, follow the show on X, @TheLeadCNN.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.