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Trump To Sign Megabill Into Law At Major July 4th Ceremony; Raids Send Undocumented Workers Into Hiding In Los Angeles; New Netflix Doc "SHARK WHISPERER" Challenges Fear Of Sharks. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 04, 2025 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER (via Webex by Cisco): People can start claiming their retirement benefits in their early 60s. So yes, a step in the direction -- but no, no tax on Social Security, period, as the president keeps saying is just not there.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: There was also -- when the president was talking about his Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he made I think what most people think a pretty shocking claim when it comes to autism. I want to play that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a statistic on autism that's the worst I've ever seen. It used to be 20 years ago you just didn't have it and now it's numbers that are unbelievable, unbelievable where the numbers are so bad it's got to be artificially induced, and we're going to find out what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So to be clear, autism did exist 20 years ago and there has been a significant amount of research as to what causes it.

Walk us through this fact-check.

DALE: Yeah. There was autism in 2005. Many viewers may have known someone with autism in 2005.

The CDC publishes autism prevalence data. You can go look. It shows that in 2004 -- so about 21 years ago -- the known prevalence of autism among children was about one in 125 in 2006. So about 19 years ago it was up to about one in 110. Now it is true that both of those numbers are significantly lower rates than today's known prevalence of about in 100 -- 131 in 2022.

But it is not the case that something has come to artificially induce this increase in autism. Most scientists will tell you that the increase is largely attributable to improvements and expansions in diagnosis and screening for autism, as well as an increase in awareness of autism symptoms leading people to seek treatment. There's also known genetic factors. And there are some environmental factors thought to be at play here. Things like pesticides, air pollution. Even the increasingly advanced age of many parents is thought to be contributing in part.

So this is a complicated story. Not a single factor. But the idea that it did not exist 20 years ago and has now risen to these huge levels is just not the case.

HILL: Yeah. Important to continue fact-checking that.

Daniel, appreciate it. Thank you.

Joining us now on this Fourth, Republican strategist Melik Abdul, and Democratic strategist Matt Bennett. Nice to see you both. Happy Fourth of July, gentlemen.

MELIK ABDUL, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you.

HILL: Let's tackle --

MATT BENNETT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND CO-FOUNDER, THIRD WAY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT CLINTON (via Webex by Cisco): Good morning.

HILL: Thank you.

Let's tackle, shall we, a little bit of the big, beautiful bill, which has occupied so much, understandably, of this past week. The president set to sign it into law later today.

Matt, one of the things -- you know, I've certainly had this conversation over the last couple of days with folks -- is that Republicans learned a lot from Donald Trump's first time in office in terms of the way this bill is structured.

And the reality is a lot of the benefits that will impact a fair amount of Americans -- those are going to kick in first. What Democrats are warning about cuts to social service nets, right, and cuts to Medicaid. Those may not -- those don't kick in until after the midterms.

How are Democrats dealing with that reality?

BENNETT: Yeah. Look, if we can't figure out a way to take this bill, which I have to say is the worst piece of legislation to pass Congress in my professional life, which is getting to be 40 years, if we can't make this work for us politically then shame on us.

This bill is cruel. It is stupid. It is self-defeating. It's cruel because it takes away health care from almost 16 million people, most of them poor. It snatches food out of the mouths of children. Three million poor people and kids will lose lunch help and SNAP aid. And it does it to give an enormous tax break almost entirely to rich people. And as you say, the benefits start soon but they're delaying the Medicaid cuts and the other things until later. I think that sometimes the work in Washington is complicated and people don't really get it, and sometimes it's very simple. And this is very simple. Four trillion dollars added to the debt. People thrown off their health care. Food aid taken away. Clean energy tax cuts eliminated. And four more -- $4 trillion more to give rich people tax breaks they don't need.

HILL: So I'm hearing from you the messaging is going to stay pretty consistent to what we've heard when we talk about the deficit.

Melik, look, this is without question a major win for Donald Trump in terms of his agenda and what he wants to get done. He gets that win. He gets that victory lap.

There's also the reality here that the math is going to math. The deficit is going to deficit. And no matter how creative the math has become in terms of the deficit, there are a number of conservatives who are worried about what is coming in terms of that ballooning number.

Does the deficit not matter anymore, broadly, to Republicans?

ABDUL: Well, it depends on who you're talking to. Obviously, a lot of the fiscal -- the deficit hawks -- they have -- they've always had concerns with the rising deficit. But believe it or not, when I'm talking to people around the country who are either emailing or calling about things that are happening in the country, they're not as concerned about the deficit as they are to making sure that they're being able to benefit from the programs.

[07:35:08]

And I think that a lot of the things -- and this is what Donald Trump has to continue to do is to talk about the things that are beneficial to Americans in the actual bill. A lot of these things -- and we talked about the first term and the lessons learned in the first term -- Donald Trump -- the plan this time around is to capitalize on the things that he did in the first term.

So those tax rates -- those individual tax rates are no longer going to go up now. They're permanent. A lot of the things that he's doing around whether that's childcare, the child tax credit. Obviously, there's going to be things in the bill for people on both sides to have a problem with, but at the end of the day what Donald Trump did in this very extraordinary week within six months of his administration, he actually did something extraordinary, and I think that he is going to be rewarded with that next year and probably on into 2028. An extraordinary week for the president.

HILL: So just to -- but the deficit then not a concern. You're saying it's not a concern.

ABDUL: No. I --

HILL: When we --

ABDUL: Right.

HILL: When we look at where things stand and what we saw from the minority leader Hakeem Jeffries yesterday giving, Matt, the longest speech in modern House history as part of his magic minute, right, in process of this bill, the Democrats say it was going to pass anyway.

Practically speaking, in a moment like that -- Democrats rallying behind the leader -- does that help Americans though who are concerned about losing coverage? How does that moment help constituents?

BENNETT: Well look --

ABDUL: So I think that --

BENNETT: -- nobody thinks a speech on the floor of the House is going to necessarily help constituents. What it's intended to do is clarify for people exactly what is happening. And -- because as we just heard reported, Trump is out there lying about the bill already as he always does.

And Republicans are going to say oh, we just avoided your taxes going up. Well, it depends on who you are. If you are very wealthy then yes, you get enormous benefits from this tax bill.

HILL: I just -- oh, yeah.

BENNETT: But as leader Jeffries and other Democrats have been clear, this bill hurts you if you are poor, and it barely does a thing for you if you're middle class. And what it definitely does for all of us is increase the debt by $4.4 trillion. And eventually that debt is going to make it harder to get a home loan or a car loan. It's -- because the bond market is going to be affected and it's going to hurt all of us. So it's important for people like Jeffries to make that point over and over and over.

HILL: Melik, we know this is going to be a major focus from both parties moving into the midterms. The president, yesterday, saying he wants to use the fact that not a single Democrat voted for this. For Republicans, as they move into the midterms. And then he followed up by saying he thinks the Democrats hate Americans and he hates Democrats.

When you hear rhetoric like that from the President of the United States, which in 2025 may not be surprising on the one hand -- but as this is coming in the wake of Democratic lawmakers being targeted on a list of 70 people being killed along with their spouses, do you have any concerns about that rhetoric in this moment?

ABDUL: Well, I'm not for hot rhetoric, whether it's on either side. And we've seen it over the years from 2016 when Donald Trump first ran for office and many of the things that people ignored when it came to these type of violent images with Donald Trump. So I don't think that it's appropriate for Donald Trump. I don't think that it's appropriate for Democrats.

But I do believe that there is a tendency now and we see in many of the things -- and this is just unfortunately where we are in our toxic culture -- that the Democrats don't support things that Republicans do. Republicans don't support anything that Democrats do.

But I think the important thing for the Trump administration is to talk about a lot of the things because it will resonate with voters some of these concerns around Medicaid. These closing of, like, rural hospitals.

HILL: Rural hospitals.

ABDUL: The Trump administration has to talk about it, and they have to continue to talk about those things and point out how they benefit. Push back on -- against a lot of the criticism.

But I also think what the Trump administration really should do, aside from the messaging -- and it really will help him moving forward -- is the fact that Elon Musk will no longer, hopefully, be in the White House because I do believe that he caused him a lot of problems early on in the administration.

And so this is an opportunity for the Trump administration to now reset because he has a lot of wins under his belt not just on the domestic front but also when it comes to our foreign policy as well.

HILL: We will see what happens with that.

Nice to have you both here this morning. Thank you.

In Southern California ICE raids are putting communities on edge, sending a number of undocumented immigrants into hiding.

CNN's Veronica Miracle reports now on how some Los Angeles neighborhoods have become ghost towns -- shops shuttered, empty streets -- workers say they can't hide though, or their bills will go unpaid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): If President Trump's hardline immigration policies aim to scare people, here in Southern California they're working.

[07:40:05]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your name?

MIRACLE (voiceover): In recent weeks, businesses have shuttered as ICE raids and arrests have sent many undocumented people into hiding, except 63-year-old taco stand owner Urbano. For 43 years he's lived in the United States undocumented, but this past month when he's been able to push through the fear of being deported and open his stand, he's had hardly any customers.

MIRACLE: So he says that business is really slow. You can see a lot of businesses in the area have closed.

Can you tell me, have you been in hiding at all or have you been out every day working?

URBANO, UNDOCUMENTED WORKER (through translator) We have to go out to work because if not, who is going to pay our rent? Who is going to pay our taxes like I'm paying taxes? Can you imagine?

MIRACLE (voiceover): Urbano's story is one of many. In fact, one in five California immigrant workers is undocumented. That's according to a study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

So to see the largescale impact of the ICE raids we went to L.A. Fashion District.

MIRACLE: Can you show me down Santee Alley?

ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO, L.A. FASHION DISTRICT BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT: Absolutely.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Anthony Rodriguez is the Business Improvement District president and CEO.

RODRIGUEZ: Probably 90 percent of these businesses are immigrant- owned.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Rodriguez says there are roughly 100 shops along this alley alone. A majority of shop owners are too scared to operate, he says.

RODRIGUEZ: Unfortunately, even when it isn't -- there isn't actual activity the fear of people -- you know, someone thinks they hear something and that alone will shut down the entire area.

MIRACLE: On a typical weekend day I'm told that this is packed shoulder-to-shoulder. You could hardly move through Santee Alley. But since the ICE raids happened -- starting, what, three weeks ago -- there has been a 45 percent drop in foot traffic.

What's going on, on Santee Alley?

CHRISTOPHER PEREZ, VENDOR, L.A. FASHION DISTRICT: Well, a lot of people are scared to come out.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Christopher Perez says he hasn't seen his neighboring vendors open for weeks.

PEREZ: It's sad seeing my own people get arrested and harassed by the ICE agents, but it's pretty much -- I hope it all ends soon.

MIRACLE (voiceover): And just a few miles away from Santee Alley we found a similar situation.

MIRACLE: We're on Olvera Street, one of the oldest streets in all of Los Angeles and this is actually considered the birthplace of this city. And yet, you take a look around at this cultural landmark and all of these businesses -- these vendors -- they've shuttered their doors.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Those that are open are struggling to make ends meet.

VILMA MEDINA, OLVERA STREET VENDOR, BUSINESS OWNER: There will be days that are like I've sold, like, $10.00 the whole day. It's bad. All of us are trying to, like, hold on and we're just trying to do the best we can.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Leaders and business owners all tell us the long- term economic impact of these raids is not clear. But if the nearly 2.3 million undocumented immigrants in California were all deported, researchers at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute estimate the state's GDP would decline by over $278 billion.

ABBY RAISZ, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, BAY AREA COUNCIL ECONOMIC INSTITUTE: That's nine percent of our GDP. That GDP value is larger than the entire state of Nevada, than the entire state of Oregon. These are not small outputs.

MIRACLE: Do you have any message to President Trump?

URBANO (through translator): Mr. President -- well, let us work because we came to work. We didn't come to steal; we came to build in this country. We came to make the country better.

MIRACLE (voiceover): Veronica Miracle, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: This morning, as Sean "Diddy" Combs remains behind bars awaiting his sentencing, we are hearing for the first time from one of the jurors in the case. Combs, of course, was found guilty of two prostitution-related charges but acquitted on the most serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

Well now, a member of the jury is talking about where he believes the government's case fell short. He spoke with CNN's chief legal analyst Laura Coates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA COATES, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Can I ask you one more question?

GEORGE, ALTERNATE JUROR: Sure.

COATES: And it's about the video from the Intercontinental Hotel that you saw --

GEORGE: Yes.

COATES: -- a lot.

GEORGE: Yeah. It was --

COATES: Was it a -- did you see --

GEORGE: Because they did it -- sometimes they did it like frame by frame by frame.

COATES: What do you think of that? Did you see it enough, too much, too little, what?

GEORGE: We -- it was -- I mean, it was -- it was a very bad video and I think they showed it -- I think they showed it enough. I mean, they tried to show it both sides. And --

COATES: Did it make a difference to you and the actual charges that you would have had to deliberate over because he wasn't charged with violence alone?

GEORGE: He wasn't charged with domestic violence, no. And --

COATES: Did that surprise you?

GEORGE: No, because I don't think -- because I don't think domestic violence is a federal -- is a federal crime. So --

COATES: Did it cloud the way you saw the rest of the charges by seeing that video?

GEORGE: No. I think we -- again, we looked at just what we were supposed to be -- what the -- what the judge had said we were supposed to look at, and then based off of the evidence that was presented to us they ruled in that -- in that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:45:10]

HILL: Still to come here, the woman known as the "Shark Whisperer" on what it's like to free dive with great whites.

(COMMERCIAL)

HILL: A bit of mixed bag across the country for your Fourth. There's plenty of sunshine and high temperatures but also a little tropical storm to worry about.

CNN's Derek Van Dam joining us now. Ok, so give us the big picture here. I feel like where I am it might be OK, selfishly. Not the case for everyone.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Ha, ha, ha, ha. Yeah, you won the Fourth of July lottery, didn't you, Erica? And so did we here in Atlanta. But there are places around the Southeast coast that have got a completely different kind of Fourth of July weekend playing out. I'll explain in just a minute.

[07:50:00]

But let's talk about what's happening here in beautiful, sunny, and humid Atlanta. Of course, we've got the Peachtree Road Race, one of the largest road races in America and 10Ks over six miles. It's hot, it's humid, it's sticky for the runners. But overall, we've got a dry forecast for the particular location.

But the same cannot be said for the coastal areas of Georgia, the Carolinas, and into Florida watching some tropical mischief.

But I want to paint a different picture across the Hill Country of Texas. We're talking San Angelo into the Kerrville region. This is an area we're going to watch for the potential -- actually, ongoing flash flooding that is taking place across the region. Look at the radar. Very, very active throughout Central Texas.

It's a real serious situation and this is definitely going to impact plans this weekend. Look at the heavy rain that has fallen. Some locations receiving over half a foot with more rain to come. There are flash flood emergencies in place for several thousands of people. So this is going to be an impactful system for the area through this Fourth of July weekend.

But just talking about other locations throughout the country, we want to talk about what's happening over the Southeastern U.S. because there is the potential of a tropical system. And if it does form that circulation, the next named storm will be Chantal.

D.C., though, you're not impacted by that storm. You've got a dry fireworks forecast for you tonight. So maybe check out that live broadcast here on CNN later this evening because it will stay dry.

But Tampa, because of this tropical system meandering near the Florida coastline on the Atlantic side -- we could see some of those heavier rain showers move through impacting places like Jacksonville, Orlando for those Fourth of July fireworks and parades.

Sixty percent chance of development according to the National Hurricane Center. You see that little orange blob here right off the coastal areas of Charleston? That is the region we're watching for that thunderstorm development. And if it does start to get that circulation, Erica, we could have some sort of tropical entity off the coast on a busy holiday weekend where over 70 million people are traveling -- Erica.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely.

All right, Derek -- appreciate it. Happy Fourth, my friend.

This morning fire investigators in Los Angeles are working to determine the cause of a fire that ultimately spread to at least four homes. More than 130 firefighters responding to the blaze just after 9:00 p.m. local time. Officials said the fireworks could actually be seen exploding from at least one of the homes.

Two women were injured. One of them we're told is in critical condition. A dog was also hurt.

Officials do say a gas leak was found at one of the homes. That investigation still underway.

President Trump signing a new executive order to increase the entrance fees at national parks for non-U.S. residents. The president said this is all about putting Americans first and says that money will go to funding improvements across the park system. The order also revoked a memorandum from the Obama administration which had promoted diversity and inclusion at the parks.

Mexican boxer Julio Chavez -- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is facing deportation after being arrested by ICE agents on Wednesday. This was just days after losing in a main event fight against influence Jake Paul. Officials say they believe Chavez Jr. has ties to drug cartels and also said the boxer had overstayed his tourist visa. CNN has reached out to his representative for comment.

You may have heard of Ocean Ramsey, a shark conservationist and also the subject of "SHARK WHISPERER." Videos of her close encounters with sharks have gone viral sparking both praise and concern.

Kate Bolduan recently sat down with Ramsey to talk about her passion for changing the way humans view sharks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: From the Oscar-winning director of "My Octopus Teacher" comes a new documentary that takes us back into the ocean and wants you to question essentially everything you might think about sharks.

"SHARK WHISPERER," out now on Netflix, follows marine biologist and shark conservationist Ocean Ramsey on her quest to protect these apex predators from extinction, finding herself a viral and controversial influencer along that journey.

Here's a preview.

OCEAN RAMSEY, MARINE BIOLOGIST, SHARK CONSERVATIONIST, FREEDIVER: When I'm around them I feel most alive. And it's not an adrenaline rush; it's a feeling of connection where I feel the most myself. There's something so magnetic for me about sharks and I feel like that's because that's what my life was meant for. It's my point and purpose.

BOLDUAN: And joining us right now is Ocean Ramsey. It's good to have you here. Thank you so much for being here.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: The imagery just from even that one clip -- I mean, it is awe-inspiring to see how you interact with these animals. And it has become your mission and quest to kind of change the conversation around sharks.

[07:55:00]

What is the biggest misconception, you would say, that you're trying to dispel when it comes to these animals? RAMSEY: Yeah. Most people just think that if a shark swims past them that it's going to bite them or attack them. And the reality is that they swim past surfers, swimmers, and divers all day, every day, and there's fewer than 10 human fatalities every year due to a mistaken identity bite or territorial brink of starvation. In contrast, there's over 100 million sharks that are being killed.

And that's why I do what I do is really to show people we can co- exist, but we need to allow them to exist, and they are really important for the health of marine ecosystems.

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about just what you do and what people are going to see that you do in this documentary. I mean, you -- saying you're up close with sharks is an understatement. I mean, you are swimming alongside them. It almost looks like you're dancing with them at times when I was watching this.

Why do you do what you do? Where did this come from -- this fascination, this passion, this mission that got you to this?

RAMSEY: I have to give my parents credit for sure. Growing up and being in the ocean -- I obviously love the ocean -- and getting to see sharks for what they really are. And that's what I hope this documentary will help people to understand that they have complex social lives. They're individuals. They're incredible.

And we know scientifically that they're very important and we know that they can't survive the type of fishing pressure that they're under right now. So we need to change the tide.

And that's why I do what I do because I've seen the suffering of individuals, like tiger shark Roxy, you'll see in the film and what she's gone through. And for most people, that's out of sight and out of mind. And for most people they just think of sharks as monsters.

So I really -- I want to help this upcoming future generation to still be able to have the experiences that I've been so lucky to grow up and have and to find that understanding of sharks and that appreciation for sharks for what they are.

BOLDUAN: And you have a lot of work ahead of you on that. I mean, you wouldn't be doing it if you -- if you didn't have a challenge ahead of you. I mean, even in the beginning of the trailer you say I'm not a crazy person.

I mean, is that something that you feel like you're answering to a lot when people approach you and talk to you about your work?

RAMSEY: But the reality is I think it's crazy to kill a shark just for two percent of its body just for its fins or to kill a shark for just for sport fishing when they're already so slow to reproduce. I think it's crazy to cull sharks to just wipe out their populations when we have scientific evidence of how important they are.

It's crazy that you would use shark liver oil in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals when you have a more sustainable plant-based alternative. Or to kill them just for their jaws or teeth for the souvenir trade. To me, that's what's crazy.

BOLDUAN: Ocean, speak to some of the criticism. The -- I mean, the documentary features some of the criticism of your -- that you have faced -- and you've faced head-on candidly, and people will see it -- that the way you go about ocean -- marine conservation, it's all a show.

That it's more for personal fame than it is backed by science or in the -- in the -- in the -- in the furtherance of science. That it sends the wrong message how you interact with sharks -- it sends the wrong message to how humans should interact with sharks and puts people in danger.

I mean, what do you say to it?

RAMSEY: Oh, so many points there.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

RAMSEY: But what I would say is that I know what I'm doing is for a good cause. It's for future generations. Conservation is important and I welcome a diversity of approaches to that. And I think that regardless of your background that people should get involved and should speak up for marine life, especially sharks, because they can't reproduce quickly.

And then to the effect of do I encourage people to get in the water with sharks but it's always under the guidance of an experienced, trained professional. And I think that people shouldn't waste time picking on another's approach.

BOLDUAN: For someone who is scratching their head thinking I can't imagine having a peaceful experience encountering any kind of shark -- I mean, are you ever afraid down there? Are you immune to, I don't know, testing fate when you're out and about doing this? Like, what -- do you ever feel the fear?

RAMSEY: That's -- I think when someone fears something that they should seek knowledge and that fear can be replaced with understanding. And so that's what I'm trying to do. And so I have more fascination; not fear. But I am afraid for them because they are being wiped out. And it's heartbreaking to, like, grow up going to all these beautiful places around the world and see sharks. And now it's fewer sharks --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

RAMSEY: -- fewer fish, more and more plastic and marine debris. And so I'm fearful for the future generations.

There are dangerous situations with people who don't know what they're doing. But to be honest with you, I'm in New York right now so I had to Google is it safe to run in Central Park at 5:00 a.m., and I'm more nervous about being around humans.

BOLDUAN: You're more nervous around humans -- more afraid of humans than you are of sharks?

RAMSEY: Yeah. I'm sure there's people out there that probably Google, like, am I safe to go in the ocean?