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Interview with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): Trump: Iran's Taken Too Long to Negotiate a Deal, Will Pay the Price; Graham Platner Wins Primary in Maine, Setting Up Key Senate Fight; Today Bill Gates Testifies Before Oversight Committee on Epstein Ties; Air Canada Pilot Accused of Flying for Years Without Proper License. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired June 10, 2026 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A horrifying attack did spread across social media quite rapidly. It was very graphic, very distressing, and was filmed by an eyewitness as bystanders attempted to intervene. But this has really turned into now protests against this attack, linking it to anti-immigration sentiments.

Now, we have heard from Northern Ireland's first minister who has, of course, condemned Monday night's attack, but has also said in a statement that these protests are a dangerous attempt, in her words, to exploit and target and attack innocent families, people who are simply trying to live, work, and raise their families here. Racism, intimidation, and violence are wrong wherever they occur. And those sentiments have been echoed by the U.K. Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, as well.

But this has really raised concern as police continue to call for calm over the potential for this to further fuel anti-immigration and even xenophobic sentiments across the United Kingdom -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, huge protests there. Some of these pictures are extraordinary. Nada Bashir, thanks for covering this for us. Appreciate it.

A brand new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now they will have to pay the price. That is the new message coming from President Trump this morning, saying that Iran has taken too long to negotiate. This also is after Iran and the United States have been trading strikes, launching new rounds of strikes in the Middle East overnight.

And minutes from now, critical new data on the economy, with a new report on inflation, where it stands right now. We're going to bring that to you.

And an alleged drunk driver evading officers, plowing through barricades, and then driving straight into the path of an Iron Man race.

Sara is out today. I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BERMAN: All right, in the breaking news this morning, just a short time ago, a new threat from President Trump to Iran. He says Iran has taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them. Now they will have to pay the price. He didn't say what price.

Overnight, Iran says it launched strikes on U.S. targets in the Middle East, including a base in Jordan. Iran also targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. CNN has geolocated video appearing to show a flash in the area of a U.S. naval facility. It's circled in red right there. Both Bahrain and Kuwait say they intercepted a number of Iranian strikes.

The U.S. military now says it has completed its own strikes against Iran in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter. According to Iran's state media, some of those strikes hit two reservoirs, cutting off drinking water access to about 20,000 people. A lot's happened in the last day.

We have a map here that sort of shows you just how many strikes there have been. The black dots are reported U.S. strikes. The red dots are Iranian strikes.

And now this morning, Iran says it is reviewing negotiations with the United States after all this.

With us now, Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware. Senator, good to see you this morning. So it was just a few minutes ago that the President Trump issued this threat on Iran. Now they will have to pay the price. What do you think that means?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, I have no idea what that means, John. And many of our allies and adversaries are puzzled by President Trump's on again, off again, blustering threats, attempts at negotiation. What we all know is that Americans are paying the price, the price at the pump, the price at farms that are paying too much for fertilizer, the price in the lives of American service members.

And I want to start by saying how grateful I am that the crew of the Apache that was shot down off the coast of Oman was safely rescued and that we have not lost more service members. But more than 100 days into this war, it's unclear exactly what President Trump's goals are. They've shifted month after month.

Yesterday, we had a classified update from the CENTCOM commander, Admiral Cooper. He gave us an update on military objectives and successes and challenges. But the political challenge is that President Trump has alternatively said this is a war of regime change.

This is a war to prevent a nuclear weapons program. This is a war to destroy their ballistic missiles. What it seems to have been so far as a war that has successfully demonstrated Iran gets real leverage when they shut the Strait of Hormuz.

About half of Iran's ballistic missiles still obviously exist and are capable of being launched at our bases and facilities. They're still trading shots back and forth, U.S. forces and Iranian forces throughout the region.

[08:05:00]

So this is a war that's far from over, despite President Trump repeatedly having said the war's over.

BERMAN: Just a few minutes ago, Senator, the New York Times released excerpts of a new book for Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan called "Regime Change." The excerpts they released focus on the Epstein files and the frenzy last summer when, at first, the administration put out only limited amounts and then ultimately was forced to say they were going to release more.

It talks about meetings, frantic meetings inside the Situation Room among survivors. And this color, it says that the J.D. Vance floated to colleagues an extraordinary PR gambit that the White House enlisted Tucker Carlson to interview Epstein's longtime girlfriend and co- conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell in prison. It might help the president if Maxwell was willing to state that Trump had not been part of any wrongdoing with Epstein.

So that's what's coming out in this book. To you, I guess I want to look forward a little bit. You're going to have confirmation hearings for Todd Blanche to be the full-time attorney general.

What do you think of his qualifications and what questions do the release of the Epstein files raise to you for him as a possible attorney general?

COONS: Well, look, John, President Trump keeps nominating people whose sole qualification is their loyalty to him and their willingness to shield him from any effective oversight or to carry out his campaigns of retribution. Look at Bill Pulte, who he's just put in position to be the acting director of national intelligence with no security clearance, no intelligence experience. Todd Blanche, who, as you just mentioned, has been nominated to be the next attorney general.

President Trump, I'll remind our viewers, ran for president on lowering your costs, making America healthy again, no new stupid foreign wars and releasing the Epstein files. And he's failing on all of those. And Todd Blanche was principally responsible for slow walking the release of the Epstein files.

And from the primary outcomes last night in South Carolina, Nancy Mace, a true MAGA Republican, one of the most loyal advocates for President Trump, like Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia, both of them challenged him on releasing the Epstein files. Both of them, their political careers are now over. Trump continues a campaign of revenge against anyone who would suggest that there is evidence in these files connecting him to Epstein.

BERMAN: So you mentioned the primaries. There were primaries in South Carolina last night, also primaries in Maine, where Graham Platner secured the nomination, the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Senator Susan Collins. Graham Platner just did an interview this morning. And one of the

questions he has faced and faced again this morning was, is there more coming with everything that's been released? Is there more coming that could be equally as damaging to your reputation in the candidacy? Listen to how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM PLATNER, (D) MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: I just want to make this clear. There's nothing out there that's actually concerning. People make everything seem very concerning because that's what people do in politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He said there's nothing out there that's actually concerning. My question to you is, is his definition of concerning the same as yours? He had a tattoo, which is a Nazi tattoo. A Totenkopf there has definite Nazi symbolism. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported there was physically violent toward an ex-girlfriend. There were all the posts he made.

He says that's not concerning. Is that the same view of concerning that you have?

COONS: Well, John, that's a judgment the voters of Maine will ultimately make. But of course, I have concerns about his tattoo and the story about whether he knew what it meant or not and when, and concerns about the allegations. Democrats have held our candidates and our colleagues to high standards, particularly when it comes to any allegations of sexual assault.

But I also respect the fact that the voters of Maine, like most states, did not like national party leaders coming in and anointing one candidate over another. Janet Mills, the former governor of Maine, the governor of Maine is someone who has a long and distinguished record, has stood up and fought against Donald Trump. But the primary voters chose Platner over her because of his fight, his progressive policies, his willingness to talk bluntly and directly and challenge Susan Collins' voting record.

That's, at the end of the day, what elections are about. Folks get to decide whether these concerning attributes or stories are a private matter that won't impact his public service or whether they disqualify him. And I respect the fact that voters all over the country are making those same decisions.

In Texas, you've now got a clear campaign between James Talarico, a pastor, and Ken Paxton, a crook, someone who's been charged repeatedly with violations of law and with a broken marriage by his wife.

[08:10:00]

So at a time when we have a president who cheated on his first wife with his second, on his second with his third, and then paid off a porn star to cover up his affairs with her while his third wife was pregnant.

We seem to have changed the standards for private conduct and its relevance to public life. I still expect my colleagues to conduct themselves in ways that I can be proud of and proud to associate myself with them. And I'm hoping after this election, part of that will mean we will have a new crop of senators.

I recently held an event for Roy Cooper, someone who I am proud to support. And John, I think as someone who is looking forward to this midterm, a core question is whether we will have a Senate that will hold President Trump accountable and constrain some of his worst actions. Later today, we're going to find out whether inflation has gone up for the third month in the row.

And as I said, he promised to lower your costs. He's not. He promised no new stupid foreign wars.

We're in one. And I think most voters are more focused on those issues.

BERMAN: Covered a lot of ground there in that answer. Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, appreciate you being with us this morning. Thank you -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Any minute now, Bill Gates is expected to arrive on Capitol Hill as we're getting new reporting from The New York Times, as John was talking about on the chaos inside the White House over the Epstein files.

Plus a former pilot arrested and accused of flying almost 17 years with a fake license.

And there's also a new video in this morning of a suspect on the run from police jumping into a swamp and then coming face to face with an alligator.

[08:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: So we're standing by for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to arrive on Capitol Hill. He is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of their Jeffrey Epstein investigation. This morning there was also the new reporting about the fallout the Epstein investigation kind of caused, the scramble that it caused with inside the White House around the president and everything around it.

The New York Times is publishing an excerpt from a new book written by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, focusing on the Epstein files and talk of a potential pardon of longtime Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

The book saying this quote, "Warrington, the White House counsel, responded by laying out the available choices without advocating any of them. Maxwell could be given a pardon, he said, or she could have her sentence reduced. At that, several around the table spoke up to register their strong disapproval, pardoning Maxwell, a trafficker of young girls, would create a huge PR problem, Cheung said." That's Steven Cheung. "He predicted that in the wake of a pardon, the Epstein accusers would be fanning out on TV, telling their stories, and ripping the administration to shreds."

CNN's Annie Grayer has the very latest from Capitol Hill. Annie, let's turn now back to the Bill Gates testimony that's going to be getting underway very, very soon about his relationship to Jeffrey Epstein and what he is now has faced in light of it, though denying any wrongdoing. What's expected today?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Kate, Bill Gates is all over the Epstein files. He's mentioned hundreds of times in e-mails, in calendar invites, in phone call requests, but most explosive are these two draft e-mails that Epstein allegedly was sending to himself. They were never actually sent, and these are unverified claims, but in these two draft e-mails, Epstein claims that he helped set Gates up with women, and he also helped Gates get medication to hide a sexually-transmitted disease from his then-wife Melinda.

Now, Gates vehemently denies these allegations, says they are completely false, but also says that he regrets ever having any sort of interactions with Epstein. And I spoke with the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, ahead of this interview today about what he's looking to ask Gates about. He said that he, while Gates is presumed innocent, he does have a lot of questions to answer for about what he knew about Epstein and when, so take a listen to a portion of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): ... with Mr. Epstein, we just want to ask what he knew and if he saw certain things, so basically what we've asked every other witness that we've had, he seems like he's, according to his attorneys, he's, I wouldn't say eager to testify, but he's willing to testify and he hasn't fought it, and I appreciate that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: Now, today marks the Oversight Committee's 15th interview as part of their investigation into Epstein and his inner circle. This interview is going to be happening behind closed doors where both Democrats and Republicans are going to get the opportunity to ask Gates questions. While it won't be testimony that we can see live, we will see a transcript at some point, and lawmakers have a lot of questions about how Gates interacted with Epstein over the years and what information they could potentially share to further their investigation -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, let's see what comes from this one. Annie, thank you very much, I appreciate it.

So he flew thousands of passengers all over the world, and now police say that he didn't have the right credentials to be doing that at all, and now a former Air Canada pilot is facing criminal charges. Plus, we're minutes away from a new inflation report this morning. We're going to bring you those numbers as soon as we get them in. And we'll be right back.

[08:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New this morning, a former Air Canada pilot is under arrest after authorities say he flew hundreds of passenger flights over more than a decade without holding the proper certifications required to fly a plane. CNN's Pete Muntean, who has all kinds of certifications, is with us this morning. Pete, if there's one thing I want when I'm flying, it's for my pilot to be certified here.

So what happened?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Damn straight. You know, it sounds like it was ripped from Hollywood, but this is not totally unheard of. There have been airline pilots, even airline mechanics, who have forged their credentials and were not caught for years simply because they were doing their jobs well. In this case, police say 59- year-old Jeffrey Wall was flying as an airline captain without the key license known as an ATP, or Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.

Air Canada says it made the discovery during a routine records check last year and then contacted Transport Canada, which is their equivalent of the FAA.

[08:25:00]

Police say between 2009 and 2025, Wall flew more than 900 flights as a captain of Boeing 767, 777s, and 787s. Now he's since retired from the airline, and the big thing that Air Canada is stressing is that Wall was not necessarily untrained and kept going to and passing recurrent training held by the airline, which is exactly why Air Canada insists its passengers were never in any real danger, but even still, police in the jurisdiction that oversees Toronto Pearson International Airport say this constitutes a major fraud. And here is what they said during a press conference held on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF NICK MILINOVICH, PEEL REGIONAL POLICE: This is very similar to a doctor that is licensed to practice family medicine but is doing brain surgery in their office. There's additional requirements and regulations to professional designations that exist for a reason. When we breach those, not only when we breach them but when we misrepresent the qualifications that we have, to me that's a safety issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Wall has been fined an undisclosed amount. Remember, he was making a pretty penny for this work, earned about $2.9 million Canadian, about $2 million in U.S. dollars. He's facing a total of seven different charges.

In Canada, forging a document can carry up to 10 years of prison time. It's not clear if Wall has an attorney, he's expected to make his first court appearance at the end of this month. A lot of talk on this show about new excerpts from books that are coming out, John.

An enterprising reporter should probably go to that court appearance because this one does sound like it could be a Hollywood screenplay.

BERMAN: Yes, it's like "Catch Me If You Can," the Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio movie there, except this guy actually flew the plane, although he apparently knew how to do it. Pete Muntean, thank you very much, appreciate it.

So when your decisions get worse and worse, a man runs from police at a traffic stop right into a swamp with alligators.

And we're standing by for extremely important economic data out in just three and a half minutes. New inflation numbers, fears it could be at its highest level in years.

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