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Texas Democratic Caucus Chair Says, This is a Racist Gerrymandered Map; Search Intensifies for Man Accused of Killing Four in Bar Shooting; Official Says, Red Cross Would Need Ceasefire to Deliver Aid to Hostages. Aired 7-7:30a ET
Aired August 04, 2025 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Breaking this morning, the governor of Texas threatens to strip Democrats of their state house cease after they fled the state. this over a Trump backed battle to control the next Congress.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And President Trump is promising to reveal in days the replacement for the data chief he fired after Friday's week jobs report.
And a manhunt in Montana, police say a man accused of killing four people in a bar is armed and extremely dangerous.
I'm Omar Jimenez with John Berman. Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner are out. This is CNN News Central.
BERMAN: Developing this morning, the bitter showdown in the Lone Star State, the Republican governor of Texas giving Democrats who have left the state a warning show up at the Capitol by this afternoon, or face removal from office.
So, aboard that plane you're looking at right there, dozens of Democrats from the state legislature flying out of Texas to block the Republican-led effort backed by President Trump to redraw the Texas Congressional map. This is a fight that could have nationwide consequences when it comes to who controls the U.S. House of Representatives. The plan could potentially eliminate five Democratic seats in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Many of those Texas Democrats have traveled to Illinois denying the state house the minimum number of members needed to advance the redistricting plan. Others have gone to New York, some to Massachusetts. This is what Texas Democrats said after arriving in Chicago late last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STATE REP. GENE WU (D-TX): The tool they're using is a racist gerrymandered map, a map that seeks to use racial lines to divide hardworking communities who have spent decades building up their power and strengthening their voices. And Governor Abbott is doing this in submission to Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Governor Abbott says, if those Democrats are not backed by 3:00 P.M. Central Time today, he will vacate their offices. But the authority he's claiming to do that comes from a non-binding legal opinion issued by the state attorney general Ken Paxton. After the last time Democrats did something like this in 2021, Paxton who was running for Senate has called for the Democrats who have left to be arrested.
A lot of politics at play here at many levels, let's get right to CNN's Ed Lavandera in Austin this morning. Fewer people working behind you this morning because a lot of them have gone to Illinois, in New York, in Boston.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And a lot of people with bags of popcorn waiting to see how this day is going to unfold. And, John, the thing you can absolutely expect is for the nastiness of the politics of this situation to continue ratcheting up. Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas reacted to Governor Abbott's threat to have these Democratic lawmakers removed from office, and described him as drunk with power. Democrats, a large group of them, as you mentioned, John, are in Chicago, another smaller group in Albany, New York, where they're expected to hold events with the governor and other officials there in that state as well.
And Democrats here know they do not have the votes to stop this redistricting bill. This is coming in the middle of a special legislative session, which lasts about 30 days. There are about two weeks left in this. But the governor of Texas can continue calling special session after special session until this bill is passed.
But what the governor is saying is that he is threatening these lawmakers to be removed from office if they do not show up here when the house reconvenes later today at 3:00 Central Time. A number of other Republicans are describing the Democrats as cowards for fleeing the state, and several of them have suggested they should be arrested. The speaker of the house here in Texas can issue civil arrest warrants to have them brought back. But with Democratic lawmakers in Democrat friendly states, any kind of ability to impose that seems very unlikely.
So, all of this continues and Democrats believe they are standing up for what is morally correct.
[07:05:02]
BERMAN: Expect a lot of action inside courtrooms, a lot of press conferences in the coming days and weeks. Ed Lavandera, I think you'll be busy for the coming days. Great to have you down there, thank you very much. Omar?
JIMENEZ: Well, John, this morning the manhunt is intensifying in Montana for a man accused of opening fire at a small town bar and killing four people. Authorities said the suspect, Michael Paul Brown, went to that bar called The Owl regularly. They warned though the Army veteran is armed and extremely dangerous.
Now, the Montana Department of Justice released this security camera image of him leaving the bar Friday morning just after the shooting, wearing only dark shorts, as you can see here. Authorities are using ground crews and helicopters to scour the mountains of a national forest southwest of the shooting scene. But they warn the suspect could return back to the area.
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AUSTIN KNUDSEN, MONTANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: We can confirm that it was a rifle. At this point, I'm not going to give out a bunch of more information about that. We do know the individual had access to firearms. We believe he was probably still armed and dangerous.
From what I have gathered, it sounds like he was a regular at this establishment. He literally lived next door. I think likely that he knew the bartender in these patrons, which makes us even more heinous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Police have released the identities of the four people who were killed at the bar. You can see them on your screen there. They include a bartender and three customers. Police said they are all local residents.
Joining me now to talk about this is CNN Senior National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem. So, Juliette, there a number of things here, armed and extremely dangerous, that's what we're hearing from law enforcement right now in regards to the suspect that they're still searching for. How does that characterization cha characterization change the nature of the search as opposed to someone with maybe a lesser threat assessment?
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes. Well, I mean, he has killed four people in cold blood, so he is on the run and knows that he's being chased. So, that's dangerous for law enforcement or any civilian who encounters him.
Look, this is a community of 7,500 people. He lives next door to the bar. There is reporting about his mental illness, maybe potentially some PTSD. He is an Army -- or he is a military veteran. So, he will have some training not just in weaponry but probably in an ability to escape. I will say the one thing in favor of law enforcement is he does not seem to be someone who knows much of the world outside of Anaconda, the area that he's in, which may mean -- which will probably mean that he stayed close to home.
JIMENEZ: And two other things that I think about here is this manhunt is now stretching into multiple days. Every day, of course, the hunt becomes much more difficult. So, I guess the question is what dynamics change with each passing day, but also how has that search affected when we heard from law enforcement too that they warned the suspect could return to the area. I just wonder how is law enforcement assessing the range of priorities at this stage. KAYYEM: Well, time is in, not in law enforcement's favor or the community's favor. You know, look, the people go on with their lives. However traumatic this is, things have to open up. They've closed part of the national park area in the hope that the search would find him. The longer this stretches they're going to have to reopen the park area that makes his escape easier. It also makes campers, hunters, whoever else, more vulnerable.
It also means that the -- not the immediate community, but the community surrounding the area may lose focus on this hunt. It's clearly was the focus of this area for the last four days making his escape or his ability to hide easier.
Look, there is a third scenario, in which he's taken his own life, sort of aware of what he's done. There seems to be no evidence that there was fighting going on, that he was mad at anyone at the bar. So, it may be that he was -- that he could have taken his own life. We've seen this in other manhunts. And this is also just a matter of finding or retrieving his body.
JIMENEZ: A lot of questions that people are still looking to answers to, especially as this manhunt continues to stretch into the -- already stretched days, could stretch even further.
Juliette Kayyem, I really appreciate it. John?
BERMAN: All Right. The Wall Street Journal calls it the Bureau of Labor Denial. After the president fired the data analyst behind a gloomy jobs report, the Journal adds the reality of slower job growth is clear to anyone paying attention.
New overnight, the horrifying propaganda video showing emaciated Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Why the International Red Cross says it cannot get them aid now.
[07:10:02]
And new CNN reporting, the far right activist gaining influence as the president's loyalty enforcer.
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BERMAN: Breaking overnight, House Speaker Mike Johnson is in Israel. He and other Republican lawmakers met earlier with Israel's foreign minister.
The International Red Cross tells CNN it would need a ceasefire to deliver aid to Israeli hostages in Gaza.
[07:15:01]
Israel asked the Red Cross to bring the hostages food and medical care after the release of disturbing propaganda video showing two emaciated Israeli captives.
Let's get to CNN's Ben Wedeman for the very latest on this. Good morning, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, John. Yes, these are -- this is video, one released by Islamic Jihad, the other by Hamas, of two Israeli hostages who are clearly suffering from a lack of food.
Now, Prime Minister Netanyahu has called upon the Red Cross to deliver food to them, but given the situation in Gaza, the Red Cross says it's simply not possible unless there is a ceasefire and there hasn't been a ceasefire since March of this year, and therefore the situation continues to deteriorate.
We understand that yesterday, as many as 30 Palestinians were killed trying to get aid either at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites, or at other areas where there is simply chaos as they were rushing to trucks that are getting in.
So, the problem of starvation, of famine in Gaza continues despite the fact that over the last few days, John, we've seen a variety of airdrops that have been allowed by Israel, conducted by Belgium, the U.K., Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, and others. But the U.N. says that, really, this is the most inefficient and ineffective way to deliver food to Gaza, that it costs 100 times more to airdrop than to simply truck in the food. According to the U.N., there are as many as 6,000 trucks waiting to get in, fully loaded with food, but Israel will not allow those trucks inside.
And what we know is that according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, in the last 24 hours, at least five people have died from either hunger or malnutrition. John?
BERMAN: And this as negotiation seems to have reached an impasse. Ben Weedman, thank you for your reporting this morning.
New this morning, a strike at Boeing, 3,000 workers hit the picket lines.
And evacuation orders underway after a new wildfire in California explodes in size.
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[07:20:00]
JIMENEZ: This morning, the U.S. Women's Swim Team is celebrating after ending a tough run at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore with a splash setting a brand new world record.
CNN's Coy Wire is here with that and more on sports. We're not setting world records this morning, but it is still good to see you.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: You look good though, Omar. Good to see you.
The world championships were awesome. U.S. GOAT Katie Ledecky won her seventh straight world title and 800 meter free longest streak by any swimmer ever in the event. We saw Yu Zidi of China become the youngest medalist ever at 12 years old. And yesterday, the team of Regan Smith, Kate Douglas, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske clocking in 3:49.34 seconds, shattering their own world record in the 4 by 100 medley that was set at the Olympic Games in Paris, Australia, second, China, third. Team USA swimming finished the eight-day world championships, a top the medal table with 9 gold, 29 overall.
U.S. track and field championships reigning Olympic 100 meter champ Noah Lyles chasing down Kenny Bednarek and staring him down as he won the 200 meter final in 19.63 seconds. Then Kung Fu Kenny shoves him. That didn't go over well. Kenny said afterwards, it doesn't matter what he said, it's what he did, unsportsmanlike bleep. He said he was fresh and I beat him last time. I'll beat him again.
An emotional comeback for Trinity Rodman missing four months due to back injury, but scoring the game winning goal in her first match back as her Washington Spirit edged the Portland Thorn 2-1 in D.C. Rodman brought to tears afterwards as teammates ran to celebrate with her. Check out how much this meant to her.
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TRINITY RODMAN, WASHINGTON SPIRIT FORWARD: That was just the hardest thing I've had to go through with injury and everything. So, being back, being with especially at the home stadium, with the crowd behind me scoring a goal like that, you saw I buried it. I was not going to miss it. So, yes, I'm just really happy to be back. I miss the team. I miss doing what I love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right. Something you have to see, MLB was set for the Braves and Reds to set an all time attendance record on Saturday at NASCAR's iconic Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. Mother Nature had other plans, raining cats and dogs, game suspended until yesterday, and that's when the Braves Eli White hit not one but two home runs, and that got the engines revving.
Check out the home run car speeding around the track. Atlanta taking the checkered flag over since he ported two. White gets a big old trophy and the Speedway Classic with 91,032 fans setting a new MLB record for a regular season game.
Omar, it didn't go without some hiccups. Some fans there were talking about how they ran out of hotdog buns at one point because there were so many fans. And the nachos, they ran out of cheese. And I don't know what you do if you run out of cheese on your nachos at the ball game, man.
JIMENEZ: Yes, you're not going to have a good time. I'm still obsessed with that home run car running around. I mean, you don't see that. I think you got a truck on the screen right now, but that home run car, I love it. Love it.
Coy Wire --
WIRE: I can get used to that. Good to see you, man.
JIMENEZ: Yes, exactly. Good to see you. Good to see you.
[07:25:00]
Following some more news this morning ahead, Texas Democratic lawmakers are leaving their state. Their goal stopping a new redistricting effort. But the question is, will it work or is it all for show?
And far right activist Laura Loomer calls herself the Trump loyalty enforcer, the next department in her sights, we will talk about it.
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BERMAN: All right. New this morning, what The Wall Street Journal calls the Bureau of Labor Denial. The president said he will name a new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the next three or four days. He fired the old one after a jobs report showed a far weaker economy than the president likes to claim.
[07:30:03]
Without a shred of evidence, the president accused Dr. Erika McEntarfer of manipulating.
