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U.N. Watchdog: Israeli Strike Damaged Buildings at Iran Nuclear Facility; Legal Wrangling in Court Over President Trump's Move to Federalize California National Guard; Trump to Decide on Potential U.S. Strikes on Iran "In Two Weeks"; Pope Leo Warns Tech Executives About AI Threats At Vatican Conference; Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Score 400% Pay Raise. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 20, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

DAVID ALBRIGHT, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: Well, the -- the program that's most worrisome is their enrichment program. And it's kind of symbolized by their rush in the last six months to make as much 60% enriched uranium as possible, which is just a hair breath away from having weapon-grade uranium. So, they could convert it and just start having significant quantities of weapon-grade uranium in days.

And so, but the workhorse of that enrichment program is Natanz underground enrichment site, which apparently has been pretty badly damaged. It's hard to do a damage assessment because Israel obviously can't get in and there's no inspectors.

Fordo was actually a part of the old nuclear weapons program of the early 2000s. That's where it was started. It was called the Al-Ghadir Project. And after Iran kind of shut down its crash nuclear weapons program and segued into more of a more covert kind of preparatory program, the Fordo construction continued and it was exposed in 2009. So, it's always -- it's always -- in Iran's mind, it's always been part of a nuclear weapons effort and more than a civil program. And so, it's fortified, it's deeply buried, it's small.

It has just maybe one-fifth to one-sixth of the centrifuges that the underground site at Natanz had. And so it, but it is because of its nature, it is a natural place for Iran to try to make weapon-grade uranium. And so it's high on the target list of -- of Israel.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: How at this point in time does the IAEA and others know exactly how close Iran is or was to making a nuclear weapon without having inspections?

ALBRIGHT: Well, it's never been the job to make that assessment. And in fact, there was a quote that was attributed to Secretary, or Director General Grossi. It was wildly, taken wildly out of context. The IAEA is not in the business of telling us about secret nuclear weapons programs that are, in a sense, hidden from the IAEA. They can only do what they can and they've done a lot. They uncovered Iran having undeclared nuclear material that it should have declared -- it has undeclared activities that should have been. And so, it was able to prove very clearly that Iran violated its

obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. And that's what played out in Vienna a couple of weeks ago. And so, but they're not in the business, like an intelligence agency, to assess how close is Iran to a bomb. Does it, what's the status of that program? They could only do it if the country cooperates. They did it in South Africa, for example, because the country cooperated.

So, here, if you ask the question, how close, there's the pre-attack and there's post-attack. Pre-attack, we at my institute would have assessed that they would have needed about six months or a little bit less to be able to build what we would call a non-missile deliverable nuclear weapon. And the time would have to be spent on making the nuclear weapon itself. They can make the weapon-grade uranium extremely quickly.

Now, it's post-attack. Things have changed behind Iran. The Israel's been really going after the sites and people and activities associated with making the nuclear weapon itself. And so our assessment, preliminary, because we don't -- we're still collecting, is that Israel's extended the time Iran needs to build a nuclear weapon by several months. Again, independent of the weapon-grade uranium. So, I think Israel is setting back their program and it's -- and I would argue they need more time.

SIDNER: All right, David Albright, it is wonderful to speak to you. Your insights are really incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us this morning.

All right, this morning, the Trump administration denies that ICE agents targeted the L.A. Dodgers Stadium. The team, however, insisting they did. In this latest battle over the president's immigration crackdown, where does the American public stand? Our Harry Enten back in the studio in just a bit. Nope, that's not him, but he can do that, by the way. America's Sweetheart's getting a big pay raise. How a Netflix show helped the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders get a 400% raise.

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[08:39:10]

SIDNER: Right now, the reigning World Series champs at odds with the Trump administration after they say federal agents showed up at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers say ICE agents showed up asking to use their parking lots, but the Dodgers turned them away, concerned that they were going to do a raid. But the Department of Homeland Security says those agents were not from ICE. And they say this wasn't related to the immigration crackdown that's roiled Los Angeles and sparked protests since earlier this month.

So, how do Americans feel about this back and forth over the administration's immigration policies? CNN's Harry Enten, our data guru, is running the numbers for us this morning. Where are we?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Where are we? Well, I think we can say that Donald Trump has lost the political battle when it comes to what has happened out in Los Angeles. Donald Trump's net approval rating on the Los Angeles process. Look at this. Overall, way, way, way underwater at minus 15 points.

[08:40:02]

How about among independents or those who don't identify with either major party? Way even lower. Look at that, minus 24 points on the net approval rating. And, of course, this is happening on what should be one of Donald Trump's, in fact, the best issue for Donald Trump, immigration. And yet when it comes to these Los Angeles protests, 15 points underwater overall and 24 points underwater among independents. No good.

SIDNER: What is the broader view of how Trump is acting and what he's doing when it comes to these arrests of immigrants?

ENTEN: Right. So, you know, you see these numbers with concern to the Los Angeles protests. But let's widen it out a little bit. And I think this sort of paints a picture for you in understanding why Donald Trump's net approval rating on the Los Angeles protests are as low as they are.

Take a look. Trump and immigrant arrests. He's gone too far. That's the winner here, 49 %, not too far, only 40%. So, you've got a nine- point lead here. And again, among those independents or other categories, you see 51% of them say Trump's gone too far. And what's so important to note is that this poll was taken after, after the Los Angeles protests started. So, this takes into account everything that's gone on in Los Angeles.

At this particular point, if the protesters idea was to focus the attention on Donald Trump and bring attention to his immigration policies and bring attention to the arrests that have been occurring of immigrants, it seems to me that those protests have been successful because you see here 49% say Trump's gone too far when it comes to the immigrant arrests compared to just 40% who say he's not gone too far. You don't have to be a mathematical genius to know 49% is larger than 40%.

SIDNER: By quite a bit. All right. How are people feeling, Americans in general, about ICE in general as they're seeing what has been happening across the country, but specifically in Los Angeles?

ENTEN: Yeah. OK, so let's take a look here, right. More ICE raids at workplaces. These workplaces where immigrants perhaps are here illegally are working. Look, 45% approve. But again, what's the winner here? 54%, 54% disapprove of the idea of more ICE arrests. And this, again, goes to what these protests were all about in the first place. These ICE arrests at work. And it does seem, again, that the American people are with the protesters on this.

You see here the majority saying that they disapprove of more ICE raids at workplaces. And I think it's so important. ICE has historically actually been rated fairly favorably, but their favorable ratings have been going down as these raids have been going up. SIDNER: And this is one of the biggest issues that Donald Trump it was like the second most important issue that Donald Trump won the election on.

ENTEN: That's right. This is his core issue. And he's losing on his core issue at this point. Again, he is losing in these protests.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much, Harry Enten for all those numbers and getting us through them, as you always do.

ENTEN: Thank you.

SIDNER: Over to you, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. The breaking news this morning, conversations, negotiations that could hold huge implications taking place right now in Switzerland between Iranian and European officials. This says President Trump said he will hold off on U.S. military action for up to two weeks to give diplomacy a chance.

With us now is Democratic Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, who I think is part of a delegation heading to Europe for the NATO meetings next week, which was obviously now cast in a whole new light. What did you think when you heard President Trump say he's going to wait up to two weeks to make a decision on U.S. military action?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, frankly, John, I'm encouraged that President Trump is not racing ahead to approve strikes using U.S. military hardware, the massive ordnance penetrator that could strike Fordo, which is the deeply buried Iranian enrichment site, and is instead going to leave open a window for negotiation. The French, the British, the Germans are sitting down today with the Iranian Foreign Minister with an agenda to negotiate an end to Iran's enrichment program.

They'll also be talking about Iran's ballistic missile program and support for proxies. That's the sort of broad negotiating agenda that should be seriously considered.

I also yesterday led a letter with a group of senior Democratic senators, Senators Reed and Murray, Schumer and Warner, demanding that President Trump take this time to consult with Congress, to come to Congress with classified updates on what he's planning to do to protect the 50,000 American troops in the Middle East should he go ahead with any strike on Iran, and what his intelligence community, our intelligence community, assesses as the costs, the risks, and what would be the plan for the day after.

Look, over the last 30 years, we don't have a great record of regime change or adventurism in the Middle East, and it's unclear what Israel's goal ultimately is, whether it's just ending Iran's nuclear enrichment program, something I would support if done through negotiations, or if it's regime change, something which could have unforeseen and very dangerous and disruptive consequences.

[08:45:03] So, we've got a very consequential couple of days ahead, John. Next week in the Senate, a big vote on the Republican tax bill. Several of us going to the NATO summit for the first two days of next week, and today's consequential brief window here for negotiations with Iran.

BERMAN: Just to be clear, do you support the idea of pushing regime change in Iran?

COONS: No, I do not.

BERMAN: And is there a red line for you in these negotiations? Is there any -- in other words, if Iran -- what guarantees does Iran need to make for you to feel confident that they really are moving away from their nuclear program?

COONS: Well, look, frankly, they've insisted for years that they have a right to enrich, and I think it's time for us to call an end to that and to say that the inspections would be broader, deeper, more continuous, and that they would abandon all of their nuclear enrichment program. And that would require them opening up all of their sites to continuous monitoring and, frankly, actions to decommission what's left of their nuclear program.

They've shown over recent years as they've raced to enrich to 60%, which is close to bomb grade, hundreds of kilograms of uranium. This is not a peaceful civilian program. They are preparing for and very close to the capacity to have the fissile material for a dozen bombs.

Every nation, every -- all of the G7, the seven largest economies in the world, all of our European partners and allies have recently restated a core principle. Iran should not have a nuclear weapon, and their nuclear program poses a threat not just to Israel but to many of the nations of the world.

BERMAN: But it sounds like you're going further than what the Europeans were just saying. You're saying no enrichment at all, which sounds closer to where President Trump is on this. I mean, how much in general would you trust the Iranians here?

COONS: Well, look, I don't trust the Iranians at all. They support terrorism. They support proxies. Iranian missiles and agents have killed Americans throughout the region. But if we can achieve an end to their nuclear enrichment program through negotiations, that's far preferable to the risk and the cost both to Americans and to the region of a military action against their enrichment program.

BERMAN: OK, and then there's the issue, which you alluded to before, that you're writing a letter saying that the president needs to consult with Congress. There are, as you well know, members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, who think he needs to do more than that. He thinks that Congress needs to authorize such action.

Senator Tim Kaine, this is something he's talked about for years and years. But Senator Chuck Schumer, obviously the Democratic leader, was asked about this directly. Let me read you a quote from "NBC News." "Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn't directly answer a question from NBC about whether he supports the Kaine war powers resolution saying on Tuesday, 'I believe Congress and Senate Democrats, if necessary, will not hesitate to exercise our authority."

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who is part of this measure to push a War Powers vote, he wasn't satisfied with what Senator Schumer said. Listen to what Ro Khanna had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): He could have said, yes, I am, which is where I think the Democratic Party should be. Instead, he gave this gobbledygook answer, which no one other than Washington don't like consultants understand. Part of my problem is he didn't take a clear stand. That's exactly what people hate about the Democratic Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Do you need a War Powers vote, Senator?

COONS: We're going to have one next week. And I voted for a similar but not identical War Powers Resolution when Senator Kaine brought it before the Senate a number of years ago. So, we will have that vote this coming week, and that will make it clear that President Trump should not go ahead with a risky and potentially dangerous strike on Iran without the approval of Congress.

As I've been saying all along, there is time now for diplomacy and for consultation with Congress and for our central role to be respected by President Trump. And I think we need to be a part of this debate and conversation.

BERMAN: Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, safe travels as you are headed to Europe for these very important meetings. Appreciate your time this morning.

Sara?

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John. This morning, Pope Leo is warning about AI's impact on humanity and, in particular, children. Some of the world's largest tech companies are at the Vatican for a conference on the dangers of AI.

Pope Leo is calling for executives to draft ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence, saying, in this statement today, all of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development. Our youth must be helped and not hindered in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility.

[08:50:08]

Let's bring in CNN Tech Writer Clare Duffy. Clare, what else did he say? I mean, this is remarkable when you step back from this to see a pope who is looking at the future and looking at particularly AI and saying, we need you to do something about this and sort of giving a demand.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yeah, it is really interesting. And Pope Leo here is signaling that he is going to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in having the Vatican take a really active role in trying to shape AI policy. This is the second annual gathering of Silicon Valley tech executives at the Vatican, along with academics, Vatican officials, to discuss the social and ethical implications of AI.

And, of course, we don't need to tell anyone that this is a fraught time for AI. There are concerns about it taking jobs, concerns about it enhancing weapons. And Pope Leo really wants for these tech companies to create an ethical framework by which they will develop and apply AI technology in order to protect human dignity, human work, and in particular, as you said, their children.

One of the parts of his statement that really stood out to me today, he says, no generation has ever had such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI. But again, access to data, however extensive, must not be confused with intelligence.

And at issue here really is AI governance. How do these companies balance the need to make a profit, the need to provide for their shareholders, with the need to not create harm in the world with this technology? That is really what Pope Leo wants them to focus on here.

SIDNER: Yeah. And, you know, Pope Leo is focused on children, but you can see adults misusing it already and hurting one another. So, there is a lot to talk about.

Also, those that make AI say, look, it has some great potential to help us, especially in terms of medically. So, we'll see how this goes. But it's fascinating to see the Pope weigh in like this.

DUFFY: Absolutely. It's going to be a defining issue for him, I think.

SIDNER: Absolutely. Clare Duffy, thank you so much. And don't forget about her great podcast. It's called "Terms of Service" on CNN. Check it out. It's cool.

John.

BERMAN: All right. This morning, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have earned a major pay raise. Controversy surrounding their pay was sparked when Netflix released a series called America's Sweethearts, which documented the lives of cheerleaders who often have to work multiple jobs before lengthy practices in games to make ends meet. They reportedly were getting about $400 a game. They only have about 10 home games or so.

So, now that they've officially received a 400% raise, they're calling that life changing. Veteran cheerleaders are celebrating the news after years of fighting for better pay, long overdue.

This morning, the Minnesota lawmaker who survived being shot nine times in an assassination attempt is speaking out for the first time, sharing new details about the attack. And Border Patrol agents have found a, quote, "sophisticated underground tunnel" that was acting as a secret drug route between Mexico and the U.S.

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[08:57:25]

BERMAN: For the first time, Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette are sharing details of the harrowing attack on them. They say the suspect knocked on their door before dawn last Saturday. He was wearing a silicone mask and told them he was a police officer. Then he opened fire. Hoffman was shot nine times. His wife was hit eight times as she pushed the gunman out.

Their daughter managed to lock the door and call 911. In their statement, the couple says, "We are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you."

U.S. Border Patrol uncovered a large high-tech drug smuggling tunnel linking Tijuana to San Diego. They say it was a drug smuggling tunnel. Agents discovered the unfinished tunnel in April. It stretches more than 1,000 feet into the U.S. The entrance was hidden beneath fresh tile inside a home in Tijuana. Border Patrol plans to fill the tunnel with concrete to keep it from being used. More than 95 tunnels have been shut down in the area since 1993.

Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Many of us here on the East Coast are already feeling the heat. But a dangerous heat dome is expected to blanket the central U.S. starting today. Temperature is expecting to rise above 100 degrees. And the sweltering heat is expected to last past this weekend. CNN Meteorologist Tyler Maudlin is tracking all of this for us. And our camera is trying to find him. And it did. There he is. Thank you so much. What's happening?

TYLER MAUDLIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Here I am. And here comes the heat, Sara. Today is the first day of summer. The summer solstice will begin later this evening. And it is coming in with a vengeance with this dangerous heat wave. Over my shoulder is Detroit, Michigan. Detroit, Michigan. Beautiful shot here. However, the temperature right now is 67 degrees. That's going to soon change as we get later on into today and then tomorrow.

We're going to see this heat wave come through. And what we're seeing here across the central portion of the U.S. where temperatures could hit the century mark, this is all going to be moving eastbound. So, Chicago, you're going to be more like the heat city today with the fuels light temperature getting up to above 100. Millions of us, about 100 million Americans are under some sort of heat alert at this time. This is just going to continue because this big area of high pressure, that heat dome, if you will, is pushing eastbound. And everyone across the eastern two-thirds of the country will feel it.

Chicago, I mentioned today, you're going to be above the 100-degree mark when you factor in that humidity. It's going to feel like that for the next several days. And all of that pushes east. So, Washington, D.C., New York City, you're going to be in the mix once we get into later this weekend and early next week.

[09:00:07]

Records, absolutely, we're going to shatter some records.