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Sexting Scandal in Maine Race; Arrests Outside Newark ICE Facility; Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) is Interviewed about Protests Outside an ICE Facility; U.S. Military Intercepted Iranian Missiles. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired June 01, 2026 - 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: I'll -- just to your point, I'll leave everyone with what one scientist -- as one scientist put it, "meteors are time capsules that carry information. So, when we find pieces of them, each one is a treasure trove of information about the solar system."

I just love that. And I love an opportunity to have you back on and speak with you, Adam. Thank you so much. He's such a joy.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: A sexting scandal rocking a race crucial to Democrats' plan to retake the Senate. Will this development crush their hopes?

Plus, we're looking at key races in six states ahead of their primary elections which start early morning tomorrow.

New clashes and arrests overnight outside a controversial ICE detention facility in New Jersey as protesters allege inhumane conditions inside.

Also, six legs are better than two. Pets and their humans race to the finish line in a wonderfully different kind of marathon.

I'm Sara Sidner, with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, a big day of primaries across the country tomorrow. Six states casting votes. But this morning, a lot of focus is on a state that votes next week. Maine. "The New York Times" first reported the presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, Graham Platner, sent sexually explicit messages to several women a few years ago. "The Wall Street Journal" reported this also. And these messages were sent after he was married. Platner is looking to unseat longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Now, one twist here is it was Platner's own wife who disclosed these messages to his own campaign as a potential political liability. She has since released a statement saying she is deeply hurt that those messages became public and is accusing a former campaign official of betraying her trust.

With us now, senior congressional reporter for "Punchbowl News," Andrew Desiderio, who has been in Maine recently covering this, and chief Washington correspondent at "Puck," Leigh Ann Caldwell. As always, I like to bring "Puck" and "Punchbowl" together. I call it a puck bowl panel.

Thank you both for being with us.

Andrew. I just want to start with you because you have been up there and kind of shift this from just a discussion about Maine to the larger question facing Democrats nationwide as elected Democrats are being asked about this. They're being forced to consider whether or not they are going to find something like this, what scandal should be disqualifying? How are Democrats approaching this

ANDREW DESIDERIO, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, "PUNCHBOWL NEWS": Well, were going to find out a lot about Democrats' level of tolerance for these types of scandals. Obviously, there's been a lot that's already come out about Graham Platner. But it seems to be, you know, even five months out from the election that this is going to continue to be sort of a drip, drip of opposition research and other information coming out about him.

But look, Maine is a critical state for Democrats. I mean if they have any hope of taking back the Senate majority, they need to win in Maine. And so, Democrats right now are putting all their effort behind sort of making sure they're unified behind Graham Platner because he is their best, and really at this point now their only shot at defeating Senator Susan Collins. Someone who Democrats have not been able to defeat for election after election after election. And it's really frustrated them. And it's especially frustrated, by the way, Senate majority -- Senate Minority Leader, excuse me, Chuck Schumer.

So, this is going to be a key race to watch. And it's going to be interesting to see how Democrats continue to react to what I think is going to continue to be this drip, drip of information coming out about Graham Platner's past.

BERMAN: And one of the questions, Leigh Ann, is to what extent in 2026, what's a scandal in '26? How much is too much? And to what extent has President Trump changed the parameters of what is disqualifying in an election?

LEIGH ANN CALDWELL, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "PUCK": Yes, John, he's absolutely changed it. I've talked to Democrats who are, you know, Democratic voters and a couple Democratic aides who say that Trump has absolutely changed the dynamic. They say, well, what about Donald Trump? He was elected again after being convicted for sexual harassment or sexual assault. And then they point to Ken Paxton, who Republicans just elected to be their nominee in the Texas Senate primary last week. He has a long, scandalous past.

And so, you know, that is one argument that some Democrats are making, that there seems to be a double standard between Republican candidates and Democratic candidates. But the fact is, is it matters in what specific race everyone is running in. As Andrew said, Maine has been a state that has been able to beat Democrats repeatedly ever since Chuck Schumer was the SEC (ph) chair several cycle -- or several -- Susan Collins terms ago since I think it was 2014 and he hasn't been able to beat Susan Collins yet.

[09:05:17]

And with a political environment, this was looking like it was the best opportunity to do that. And now they have an extremely flawed candidate. And ultimately, it's those independent voters in Maine who are going to decide, especially those older, female voters who really decide elections in that state.

BERMAN: Yes. And of course, it's independent voters across the country who have turned so radically against Donald Trump. So, it just is unclear how those two forces might battle each other. And, of course, Donald Trump was found liable for sexual abuse in the case of E. Jean Carroll. He was convicted of the separate state crimes in New York.

Be that as it may, Andrew, both you and Leigh Ann --

CALDWELL: Thank you.

BERMAN: Oh, no problem.

Both of you guys wrote in the last 12 hours about the situation in the U.S. Senate, right? And as Leigh Ann put it, the lame duck-itis of President Trump.

And, Andrew, as you have put it, just these challenges to get his agenda through this week. And how much greater of a challenge it is today than it might have been a few weeks ago. Without getting too much into the weeds of the bills here, just talk to me about that, Andrew.

DESIDERIO: Yes, look, this is immigration enforcement funding. This is something that unites Republicans. It's a key agenda item of the president. He was on a glide path until, of course, this quote/unquote anti-weaponization fund was created as a result of that settlement from the president's lawsuit against the IRS for the unauthorized leak of his tax returns.

And Republicans are at a -- at a moment right now where they're dealing with not only an unpopular president, but an unpopular president who continues to knock off some of their own colleagues. I'm referring, of course, to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas.

And in the case of Senator Cornyn, you know, leaving Republicans with a flawed candidate in Ken Paxton, and having to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more in November just to keep a red seat red.

BERMAN: Yes.

DESIDERIO: So, what Republicans are frustrated at, especially in the Senate, is that the president appears to be doing things that are directly against his own interests, not only stalling his own legislative agenda, but making it harder for Republicans to keep control of the Senate, which was supposed to be the sort of -- the, quote/unquote, safe chamber in these midterm -- in this midterm year.

BERMAN: Yes. And, Leigh Ann, what are you hearing on this front?

CALDWELL: Yes, same. So, they're coming back from their Memorial Day break. And usually when members go home, things cool off and they come back and they're in better moods.

That is not the case this time. They are extremely frustrated with this White House, especially since while they were gone their friend and their colleague, John Cornyn, was defeated by Ken Paxton. And it just really poured more salt in these wounds.

And so, you know, they're having a moment where they're having to figure out how they work with or sometimes against a president to preserve their own political interests, because they finally realized, after all of these years, that perhaps the president does not have their best interests in heart.

What's notable is they're past most of these most competitive primaries. And so now they're able to act with a little bit more independence, which could, they think, prove more beneficial in a general election. But it's going to be a really difficult time for these Senate Republicans right now as they try to navigate a heavy- handed president.

BERMAN: Yes, an awkward few weeks in Washington. Stay tuned.

Andrew Desiderio, Leigh Ann Caldwell, great to see both of you. Thank you so much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Some of the breaking news overnight, several protesters and demonstrators outside that controversial ICE detention facility in New Jersey arrested after clashes with police and federal officials, as officials are now accusing them of breaking the city-imposed curfew.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Police also saying that a group did -- came to the protest armed with, the way they put it, helmets, shields and gas masks and deliberately refused to comply with repeated orders to leave the area. That curfew that's been in place has now been lifted this morning, but the tension surrounding this site still very much there.

CNN's Brynn Gingras tracking all of this for us. A lot happened this weekend. Where do things stand this morning?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, and that curfew is going to go back in place at 9 p.m. tonight. That was put in place because they were hoping that the tensions would just go down a bit.

BOLDUAN: Yes. GINGRAS: But as you're seeing, there were several arrests, as you mentioned. They're saying, authorities, that, you know, they were helmets, they had gas masks, you know, they came for a fight.

New Jersey's governor, Mikie Sherrill, saying, listen, there's outside agitators coming into the state of New Jersey, just really bringing up the temperature.

[09:10:03]

She called for people to bring down the temperature and really get back to the core mission of what these protests were for. And this is going against those inhumane, alleged inhumane conditions inside that ICE detention facility.

I do want you to hear from Andy Kim. He was on the Sunday political talk show circuit talking about what's going on here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): A lot of people are angry. A lot of people are frustrated, feeling like they're seeing and hearing about things happening on our soil with our taxpayer dollars that is not in -- not in line with our values as a nation. I feel it too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And, of course, what he's referencing there is inside those facilities we're hearing about a lack of medical care, food having worms in it. And, actually, Hakeem Jeffries went to the facility with a bunch of other politicians yesterday, said he talked to about two dozen of the detainees to kind of get an idea of what is going on, and he said it's not getting any better. You know, they're not able to see family. Family visitations are now going to go back in place. But he said he talked to an 18-year-old dreamer who was taken into custody just right before her high school graduation. There are business owners inside. And just not being treated that they -- the way they should be treated.

So, unclear when these clashes outside are really going to start kind of, you know, being relieved. But inside is what really everyone's trying to focus on is getting those conditions better.

BOLDUAN: What sparked all of this is not changing despite whatever, you know, despite what we see in the dramatic scenes outside.

GINGRAS: Absolutely. Right.

BOLDUAN: Many people with arrests being made and clashes continuing.

GINGRAS: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much, Brynn. We'll continue to follow this.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you so much, Kate.

Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey. She is a member of the House Budget Committee, as well as the House Appropriations Committee.

Look, let's start, obviously, with your state, New Jersey. The mayor of Newark has implemented a curfew to try to calm things down. Do you think that's the right thing to do?

REP. BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (D-NJ): You know, I think that both the mayor and the governor are concerned with the safety and security of the people on the outside as well as the conditions on the inside. And in so doing, they're trying to employ as much as they possibly can to ensure that there is safety in -- with regard to the protests which are taking place, which are legally able to happen in this country, which are important to happen in this country.

But, you know, we don't know what's happening at that moment when things get out of hand. You don't know everyone that's involved. And you know that there is a tremendous pressure on the police to balance both the peace keeping aspects of what they're doing and the law enforcement aspects that they're required to do in response to any possible threatening behavior.

SIDNER: Can you give me a sense of what you know about the conditions inside this ICE facility? We heard from Hakeem Jeffries saying that he talked to a couple of dozen detainees and that conditions, according to them, were not improving.

COLEMAN: So, let me say that, from the time that we visited -- or I visited way back a year ago to now, we've heard nothing -- nothing has improved there. When we first went there last May, the facility was just sort of gearing up. And so, you know, you knew everything wasn't in place. But since that time you've only heard of the deterioration in the facility, both in terms of cleanliness, in terms of access to clean, decent food to eat, water to drink and access to medical attention that should be there. So, I'm really concerned about the devolving of standards at the facility, knowing that there's a $1 billion contract to run this facility. GEO, the biggest and one of the first supporters of Donald Trump's re-election is the owner of this facility. It has a $1 billion contract. And if it were not so concerned about the bottom line, putting money in the pockets of their employees and their leaders and their investors, they would be investing in a kind of services and protections of the individuals inside.

So, you know, I'm really concerned on two levels. Number one is that my colleagues and I, we're the eyes and the ears and the voice for those who are inside. But outside, it's the protesters and the press that I'm concerned about. And I'm particularly concerned that the press is being moved out of the way to actually report on what's happening.

[09:15:02]

The people in this country need to see it for themselves. And that's why we have a free press.

SIDNER: Congresswoman, look, many of us have been to many of these kinds of protests and been moved out and, you know, but usually, eventually, we get to see the scenes there because we won't stop. But I do want to ask you, what can be done if conditions, as you say, are truly deteriorating inside since the last you visited and you're hearing the same thing from those who are inside, who are going to finally be able to have visitation, we understand, that they're going to finally let their family members in to visit them. Then what must be done and what can you and Congress do about it?

COLEMAN: So, let me just say that there have been some improvements. I mean my understanding that, you know, as -- because of all the attention that's being shown upon Delaney Hall and what's happening, pregnant women have been released and there have been some release. So, there's some movement.

But this is an issue for the people in this country. You know, we the people, the -- for whom this government was formed, got to stand up and say, enough. This is -- this is not American. This is not representative of our values. And it must stop. Congress needs to find its spine and hold the president accountable for both the standards there and the money that he's trying to spend there. We, as members of Congress, need to take on the -- dissolving, and I say that intentionally, of ICE and reformatting whatever kind of protections to be in existence. We need to reform our immigration system. And we need to hold the Department of Homeland Security accountable for its training and its allowance of ICE agents and what they're doing.

But in addition, we have a private contractor. And so, some of the things that are happening on the inside are not just ICE. They're in collaboration with the GEO employees. We need to ensure that there are standards and due process, which exists on behalf of these detainees and that the people who are being detained should be detained. But the innocent people that should be -- not to be there, should not be there.

But this is a money-making proposition that we have to understand. And it's a collaboration between Donald Trump, most corrupt president that we've ever had, and his donors, GEO and the folks of that ilk.

SIDNER: All right, well, we know the facility and the -- and DHS -- or, sorry, ICE has said that basically things are fine in there. Obviously none of us have been able to get in to see it.

COLEMAN: But we know that's not true.

SIDNER: But some -- but some of you have. Yes, yes, some of you have.

COLEMAN: Yes.

SIDNER: So, we'll see what happens at the end -- at the end of all this.

COLEMAN: You know, the interesting thing -- yes. Yes --

SIDNER: Congresswoman --

COLEMAN: So, the interesting thing, I just want to leave you with --

SIDNER: Sure.

COLEMAN: Is that we see what we see. They can say and lie all they want, but our eyes are not lying to us. The complaints that are coming from the families, they're not lies. We're in contact with families who have detainees there who are talking about terrible conditions. So, we, as a United States of America, need to ensure that our values are upheld.

SIDNER: Congresswoman, thank you so much. I do appreciate your time this morning, there live for us from Newark, New Jersey.

John.

BERMAN: All right, the U.S. and Iran exchange a new round of strikes overnight as President Trump pushes for changes to a proposed deal.

After a day's long manhunt, authorities arrest a man accused of shooting and killing a Virginia deputy. What we are learning about the suspect.

And the creator of a popular animated series slams her ex-boss for teaming up with Amazon to create an A.I. version of her show.

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[09:23:41]

BOLDUAN: Just in, the U.S. military now says overnight it intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces in Kuwait, adding though that no American personnel were harmed in this. This comes as the U.S. says that it hit Iranian military sites overnight in defensive attacks.

Also, there was new video put out by Iranian state media that purports to show missiles being launched but CNN cannot confirm or verify when or where this video is from.

Now, as the two countries exchange new strikes, President Trump was up late last night posting that everyone should calm down, saying on social media, "just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end."

CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House.

Alayna, what's the very latest that you're hearing from there this morning on, you know, the kind of -- are we in any new place when it comes to these ongoing kind of slogging it out talks to even reach a framework?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, I think what we have seen over the last couple of days, Kate, just shows where we've been all along really throughout this entire ceasefire. There's been so much uncertainty. There's been so much back and forth of officials, particularly on the U.S. side, publicly and privately arguing, there's a ton of optimism, just to have a fresh round of attacks, like we saw, as you explained yesterday, or comments from each country really threaten to upend this very fragile place these negotiations are in.

[09:25:10]

All of it, I think, only further adding to the one clear thing through all of this, there's a deep lack of trust on both sides. Washington toward Tehran and Iran toward the U.S. on how they are going to move forward here.

But I will give you what I'm hearing on the sense from my conversations with administration officials, which is essentially that they are committed, and the president remains committed, to wanting this to end in some sort of deal. He wants diplomacy to prevail, even as we're seeing these threats to the ceasefire, they maintain that they do not want to revert to all-out war.

That also comes, of course, as we know that Israel is making moves toward Lebanon and in Beirut, also threatening to upend things. And you also have people on the other side who are arguing, you know, take the time you need, Mr. President, to make sure this is the right deal.

And you could hear that in the post that you referenced early, early this morning or late last night, the president posting, quote, "it is much tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate when political hacks keep negatively chirping at levels never seen before, over and over again that I should move faster or move slower, or go to war, or not to go to war, whatever." Then he went on to say, you know, sit back and relax. I think that just reflects the amount of pressure on the president.

The latest update, though, Kate, that we have, is that the president did send back proposed changes to that framework deal. The memorandum of understanding, as the White House has been calling it, to Iran, essentially, that short term deal to make a longer deal. We are told that he has insisted on tougher language surrounding Iran's nuclear commitments and its pledge to reopen the Strait. We're going to have to see how Iran takes these, what kind of response they'll have. But things are in a very fragile place right now. It's unclear where this is going to lead, but at least on the U.S. side we know they want it to end in some sort of framework agreement.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Alayna, thank you so much for the very latest on that from the White House.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, Kate.

Coming up, the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season is today, but a new CNN investigation provides a stunning look at how FEMA is racing to pick up the pieces before a storm strikes, following a year of complete chaos and dysfunction at that agency.

And we're just minutes away from the opening bell on Wall Street. Take a look at where markets are beginning this morning. Looks like stock futures are slightly lower this morning. Yep, they're all down. Major averages rally, though, at the end of the month to hit all-time record highs. Watching oil prices, of course, as Americans continue to feel the pain at the pump with national average gas prices remaining well above $4 a gallon.

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