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Inflation Climbs in June; Bongino is Staying for Now; Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is Interviewed about Epstein Files and DOJ Firings; Flash Floods Slam Northeast; Texas Flooding Tragedy; Trump Disappointed with Putin. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired July 15, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Die down. But has MAGA world gotten that memo today.

And extreme weather slams the northeast. Torrential rains bringing flash flooding and needing water rescues. Where that severe weather heads today.

And a group of neighbors in Florida jump into action to save a pilot, his wife and young daughters after their plane crashed.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the breaking news. U.S. inflation is rebounding in June, up 0.3 percent on a monthly basis. This is the highest level in four months as higher prices, including those from tariffs, seem to make a difference here.

Zain Asher is here with us again.

Break this down for us.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And I'm back.

SIDNER: And she's back.

Break this down for us. What does this mean? I know Donald Trump has been complaining, complaining, complaining about Powell. Partly because --

ASHER: Right.

SIDNER: Worrying about inflation going up.

ASHER: Right.

SIDNER: What's happened?

ASHER: So, you look at the month over month number. It is exactly in line with expectations as you laid out, 0.3 percent.

I think what's interesting about this is that, yes, it is technically a high compared to where we've been since January, but it is only a slight increase. I mean it's -- it's a -- it's a very small amount just in terms of price rises.

The big question is, why aren't we seeing these sort of dramatic effects from these tariffs that a lot of people had been anticipating? Jerome Powell has said a number of times that the June CPI data, June inflation, the summer readings for inflation would be critical this time around because that would really help guide the FOMC in terms of what the right monetary policy was going forward.

When you have the sort of lukewarm data, the big question is, what are they going to do with these sorts of numbers? I'm interested in sort of why. Why aren't we seeing the effect just yet? Part of the reason could be front loading, this idea, when people knew that the liberation day was coming, that tariffs were going to come into effect April 2nd, a lot of people bought their products, the products that they would need, the appliances they would need for the summer earlier in the year. Another thing is that we've seen, I was saying this to John just a few minutes ago, we've seen so many stops. I mean, Sara, it is hard for me to keep track, OK.

SIDNER: Yes. Yes. Stops and starts. Flips and flops. Y es.

ASHER: We've seen so many stops and starts and some of the worst tariffs that were going to come into effect. Perhaps they did come into effect only temporarily. And then they were paused.

Also, it is clear that businesses might just think, listen because of the sort of TACO trade effect, this idea that "Trump always chickens out" and the label that he's gotten from that, some businesses might just say, look, you know, let's absorb the costs temporarily until we see where we are when it comes to tariffs.

The markets today are going to be interested in, what does this mean for the Fed cutting interest rates. That September rate cut everyone's been talking about, there's probably about a 50 percent chance of some kind of rate cut we're going to see in September. I'm not entirely sure with just one data point, and it's only a slight increase. I'm not entirely sure how the Fed is going to interpret it. They're going to want more data. And we know that there's an August 1st deadline, so more tariffs are coming.

SIDNER: That's right. That's right. And people are wondering whether that's going to happen or not. So, there is a lot of, I guess, uncertainty.

Zain Asher, as usual --

ASHER: That is the word of the year.

SIDNER: Uncertainty.

Zain Asher, really thank you. Appreciate it.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we have new CNN reporting this morning. President Trump is urging his top aides to let the drama and backlash surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case die down. This as many supporters, key supporters, are still unsatisfied with the Department of Justice basically saying there is nothing more coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): It's just a red line that it crosses for many people. Jeffrey Epstein is literally the most well- known convicted pedophile in modern day history.

This is something that's been talked about by many people serving in the administration, myself and -- and many others on the right and the left of -- of there needing to be transparency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, this morning, there are questions about the future of FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino after his fallout with the attorney general, Pam Bondi, over the handling of the Epstein files. After speculation about whether or not he would resign or be ousted, Bongino showed up to work yesterday. Now, he didn't on Friday. But sources say his relationship with the White House is now basically untenable.

Let's get right to CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid for the very latest on this.

Good morning, Paula.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

It's interesting you mentioned Dan Bongino's status with the White House, because I remember a source telling me shortly before he arrived at the FBI that they had concerns about how he would do operating within the confines of the FBI, because when you're in one of those top jobs there, you can't opine on ongoing investigations. So, you often find yourself at the center of political firestorms. And you can't just walk off the job. And there were concerns that someone who made his name on a podcast embracing controversy, especially things like the Epstein files, that this could be a challenge for him. And we're seeing that -- that sort of play out.

[09:05:00]

So, his future is unclear.

But what is clear is that this controversy is different than other ones that President Trump has faced. He is the master of sort of playing through and waiting out these controversies. But this is different, in part because the blowback is coming from his own supporters. It's also a crisis of their own making. The attorney general raised the possibility that she was going to release more evidence from this investigation, and then she didn't do that.

And then this is not something that's new, though. I want to point that out. If you look at pretty much everything she has tweeted about drug interdiction or really anything she's worked on, if you look at the replies to those tweets, I mean, for -- for six months now, all anyone has -- has really replied about has been the Epstein files. This has been something that has followed them. So, even though the White House would like to see this die down, it's not clear it's going to happen anytime soon.

Now, the president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, she has suggested that they might release more information. It's not what DOJ said, but it's a possibility.

Another option on the table is something that's been floated by a right-wing influencer, and that is to appoint a special counsel. Now, the Justice Department would not likely use a traditional special counsel. Instead, they could tap a U.S. attorney to take another look. But that would just kick the can down the road a year or so and all this would resurface, potentially in time to damage them for the midterms.

So, this is a real problem for the administration, and unlike anything else that we've seen. One thing that is clear, though, is the president is standing by his attorney general. I'm told she's in a good head space. Her relationship with the president has never been better. But the fact that he's endorsing her handling of the Epstein files means he owns this just as much as she does.

BERMAN: Yes, probably buying her some time, at least for now.

All right, Paula Reid, great to see you. Thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, joining us now is Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts.

All right, so your fellow congressperson, your colleague in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, says when it comes to Epstein, either Trump and some of his most prominent supporters, including Pam Bondi and Vice President Vance, intentionally lied to the American people for years or they are covering something up. He wants the files to be released. Do you want the files to be released as well?

SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA): Yes, the files should be released. Donald Trump himself, last year, said the files should be released. Donald Trump Jr. said last year the files should be released.

So, this is a Frankenstein monster created by Donald Trump, which is now turning on Donald Trump. His MAGA base believed Donald Trump when he said that the files should be released. And again, it's all part of this larger conspiracy environment that Donald Trump thrives in, whether it be birtherism or it be this elite group of people who are always trying to keep information from the public.

Well, now the Frankenstein monster has returned to his front door and they are saying to Donald Trump, release the files. And as recently as yesterday, Republicans in the House of Representatives blocked Congressman Ro Khanna from even having an amendment to be debated on the House floor, saying that those files should be released.

So, that's where we are right now. And Donald Trump is now caught in a crisis of his own making.

SIDNER: Do you think a special counsel should be put in place?

MARKEY: I think we should be releasing the files right now. Donald Trump is reaping what he sowed, and we should have a debate in Congress on this issue and have these files released now. We don't need to wait any longer. We need to get the information right now.

His MAGA base is demanding a release of all of this information, and Democrats agree with Donald Trump's MAGA base. He's alone in a corner right now blocking the release of this information.

SIDNER: It is a special moment where the MAGA base and Democrats are agreeing on something.

All right, the head of the Ethics Department at the DOJ says he has been fired without cause. What does this mean for the DOJ, seeing all of these firings from top to bottom?

MARKEY: Well, again, this has been the pattern that Donald Trump has engaged in since January 20th, letting -- letting go all of the inspectors general in every single federal agency, ensuring that there is no cop on the beat, ensuring that there is no independent voice that is able to question authority inside of any of these agencies. So, this is just a continuation of that very same pattern which he started on January 20th, which is essentially to say that he is a king, that he is beyond question, that there will be no accountability for Donald Trump.

[09:10:06]

And that is why it is so imperative that the United States Congress step up and play its role, and that the people all across our country continue to stand up, to resist this imperial presidency that seeks to escape any accountability for any of its actions.

SIDNER: I want to talk to you about NOAA. We're -- we're seeing these flash floods now in several states now that, of course, in Texas, that caused devastating amount of death. At the same time, the Trump administration is pushing for Congress to make more cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which provides that critical data for forecasting and severe storm warnings. What happens, in your mind, if Congress approves the new proposed cuts to NOAA?

MARKEY: Look, this is what you get when you have a climate denier in chief in the Oval Office. Just ten days ago, he had House and Senate Republicans vote to slash wind and solar, all electric vehicles, battery storage technologies. The solution to the warming of the planet. Now he wants to cut NOAA, the weather service. The warning system, in other words. The radar, which gives people some idea as to when this problem is going to emerge in their own community. And he wants the Republicans to slash that money as well.

And on top of that, he has been proposing kind of an elimination of FEMA, the actual emergency team that has to come in when you -- when the problem is so bad and it has not been identified early enough to act in a preventative way, that now the emergency crews -- and we've seen all of the evidence with regard to Kristi Noem not responding quick enough. She should resign.

What she did in response to the Texas floods is an absolute disgrace. She did not get the relief there fast enough. She did not have the -- the phone answering capacity in place quick enough to hear people be able to call in with all of their problems. Only 16 percent of the calls were being answered by FEMA three days after that flood began.

They -- they have an absolute crisis on their hands right now. It's very reminiscent of George W. Bush and Katrina, where he said to his FEMA director, "great job, Brownie." That's what Trump is now saying to Kristi Noem. And it's not a great job. And everyone in America can see it as the lead story on their televisions every single night.

It is still a crisis in Texas, and this administration has completely and totally failed those people. And NOAA, of all things, should not be cut because that's the warning system that these storms are coming.

SIDNER: And, Senator, you know this well, there is -- the country watching what's happening there. Kristi Noem, of course, saying this had nothing to do with her. And this -- they did everything that they needed to do in time. We will see what the American public thinks about it.

Senator Ed Markey, I do thank you so much for coming on this morning.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: President Trump is sending new weapons to Ukraine and laying down an ultimatum -- a new ultimatum to Russia. Is it enough to end this war in the next 50 days? We'll soon find out.

And Kerr County, Texas, facing a new flood watch today, as CNN learns new details about the timeline of weather events to the leaders of Camp Mystic, when they received the warnings and when young campers were told to evacuate.

And opening statements are set to begin in the trial of the dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her protein shakes. The unusual defense strategy emerging.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:02]

BOLDUAN: Massive flooding hit much of the northeast as big summer storms caused treacherous conditions across multiple states yesterday, with potentially more now on the horizon today. The flooding led to some really terrifying moments in New Jersey when a stalled car from flooding -- the car stalled from flooding and then erupted in flames on the highway. No injuries were, thankfully, reported.

New York City got two inches of rain in one hour. The second single wettest hour in history. That meant subway stations, subway cars, flooding right during the evening commute. And right now, millions still remain under a flood threat.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is live from the Weather Center with much more on this.

Where and what are you watching most closely right now, Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, the amount of rain that fell from the sky yesterday was astounding, Kate. In fact, there were numerous locations that saw their rainiest July 14th on record, including New York City, Baltimore and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

But first, I want to take you to Somerset County, where cars were submerged, pushed around like toy vehicles. This is the fire station in the county that was also taking on water. You can see some of the boats going out to attempt to do some of the swift water rescues that were underway across portions of central New Jersey. Now, the amount of rain that fell that evening was incredible because, look at the radar recap, all the flash flood warnings throughout this region. There were over three dozen at a period of time, covering over a dozen states. There were over 200 reports of flash flooding that occurred from this heavy rain event. Luckily, most of it has moved off shore just now, but more summertime, slow moving thunderstorms will pile up here across the mid-Atlantic. So, we're concerned about additional flash flooding today across this region.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. All right, Derek, thank you so much for that update.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, and we have new details this morning about the critical minutes leading up to the historic and deadly flooding in central Texas.

[09:20:02]

The family of Camp Mystic's co-owner telling CNN they believe he received an alert on his phone of life threatening flash flooding at 1:14 a.m., but it wasn't until about an hour later that he began moving young campers.

Richard Eastland, who ran Camp Mystic for decades, along with his wife, died while trying to rescue some of the children. Twenty-seven campers and staff died in those floods.

CNN's Ivan Rodriguez is in Kerrville, Texas, for us, where even more rain has been falling.

What have you learned about all this?

IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sara, good morning.

We're getting a better picture of those hours leading up to the catastrophic flooding at Camp Mystic. As you mentioned, co-director of Camp Mystic, Richard Eastland, received that alert on his phone at 1:14 in the morning, but it did not include an evacuation order. And according to his family, he started to assess the area immediately. Even contacted family by walkie talkie.

Now, the relocation of campers to a recreation hall began around 2:00, 2:30 in the morning. But at that time, a family spokesperson tells CNN, quote, "there was no information available concerning the magnitude of what was coming." And then it wasn't until 4:30, when the National Weather Service issued a more dire alert, this one asking people to seek higher ground.

Now, Eastland, as you mentioned, died while trying to save some of the campers who were staying at a cabin a little closer to the Guadalupe River. That cabin housed some of the camp's youngest girls.

Now, when it comes to the search and recovery efforts, the Kerr County sheriff tells us he expects them to keep going strong for the next month, two months, maybe even up to six months.

This morning we're seeing volunteers checking in here at a local stadium. And in Kerrville, that's news because since Sunday volunteers have been asked to not assess (ph) because of those weather concerns. But, Sara, crews here have been facing a very challenging terrain still. A lot of debris, a lot of gravel still on the base of the Guadalupe River. The United Cajun Navy even posting a picture of what appeared to be a vehicle buried underground. It gives us a sense of what crews are dealing with. The United Cajun Navy also says that they had divers over the weekend searching parts that were very dark along the Guadalupe River. And because of that rain and increase in river water, they have to now go through those areas again. And that search begins in practically a whole different landscape now, Sara.

SIDNER: Yes. We should remind people that this was a screen-free camp. So, it wasn't as if you could just call the campers to let them know and have them start evacuating on their own.

Ivan Rodriguez, thank you so much for your reporting there.

John.

BERMAN: All right, President Trump says he is disappointed, but not done with Russia's Vladimir Putin. How Russia is responding this morning.

And see if you can follow this. A former Major League Baseball player convicted in the murder of his father in law. The testimony from his nanny turned lover and why his wife says she still supports him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:27:28]

BERMAN: And new this morning, President Trump is expressing frustration with Vladimir Putin after years of praising the Russian leader. This is what he just told the BBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you done with him? I mean, I know that sounds a simplistic thing.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I'm not done, but I'm disappointed in him. But I'm not done with him, but I'm disappointed in him. I thought we had a deal done four times, and then you go home and you see he just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TRUMP: I said, what the hell was that all about?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you trust him?

TRUMP: I trust almost nobody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: This morning, Russia is responding after the president announced a new plan to send weapons to Ukraine through NATO and also threatened severe tariffs on Russia if peace is not reached in 50 days. A senior Russian official wrote, quote, "Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Russia didn't care.

Let's get right to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

Wondering, Nick, how you think the dynamic has shifted this morning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think, ultimately we are still trying to work out exactly whether this is a permanent change in Trump's assessment of Russia or yet him setting another deadline and delaying sanctions that he's essentially been saying for months now would come if Russia didn't accept -- sign the ceasefire deal.

There's certainly something new in the Trump administration essentially removing the restrictions they'd put in place after the Biden administration for more U.S. weapons getting to Ukraine. Now, patriots can continue to flow, and the Europeans will pay for them.

We've heard the Europeans welcome this particular move, saying how they certainly need to address Russia from a position of strength. Although one foreign minister from the Netherlands has suggested indeed that the 50 day deadline laid out is quite a long time. And, look, remember, it is an exceptionally long time in the course of this war given how the Trump administration's policy has vacillated somewhat, just in just the last 50 days.

But I think also too these secondary sanctions you referred to, which might kick in, in 50 days, they're not really going to touch Russia that has minimal trade with the United States. It's more about China, a huge customer, a vitally dependent customer, frankly, on Russian energy. Their foreign ministry has said that coercion won't fix these problems. They need negotiation. It's a sign of reaction, certainly. But is China going to suddenly decouple themselves from Moscow energy wise in the next 50 days? Unlikely. I think they might more likely bet on Trump changing his mind again.

[09:29:59]

But more often, if you just read the mood music around how Trump addresses an issue, you get a better idea, frankly, about the course we might be traveling in. And be in, no doubt, John, we've seen a stark change