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Graham Platner Wins in Maine Despite Scrutiny Over Past Conduct; Trump Says Iranian Drone Didn't Explode, Pilots Got Very Lucky; Trump Threatens to Resume Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure, Unclear if That Would Violate International Law; Trial Begins for Man Accused of Sparking Deadly California Fire; Somali World Cup Referee Barred From U.S. Gets Hero's Welcome at Home. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 10, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:32:31]

ALEX SEITZ-WALD, DEPUTY EDITOR, "MIDCOAST VILLAGER," NEWSPAPER IN MAINE: -- talked to a lot of Democratic primary voters who are very uncomfortable with Graham Platner, especially women who don't like these stories about him. They believe them. They find them very credible, yet they completely understand the stakes. They understand that this is a race that could tip the balance of power in the Senate and all the stakes that go with that for legislation, for executive appointments, and of course, Supreme Court and abortion rights. So as one concerned Democratic primary voter told us, I feel sickened that I have to vote for him in November.

So even a lot of people who, you know, might have voted for Janet Mills, our governor yesterday, even though she was not really running, a lot of them will ultimately come around and vote for Graham Platner in November. The challenge for him and the opportunity for Susan Collins, who has this unique proven ability to win crossover voters, win Democrats, it wouldn't take that many Democrats or independents to break from Platner because of these scandals, because of any concerns they have, to put things back in her column.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Yeah, a huge race to watch come November. Alex Seitz-Wald, thanks so much for walking us through that.

SEITZ-WALD: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Of course. So we are days away from a deal, right, but hours away from new strikes. President Trump says an agreement with Iran has been fully negotiated and Tehran is just waiting to sign it. He's also promising to launch new strikes on the country tonight.

We'll discuss after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:49]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": An apparent drone malfunction looks like it gave two U.S. military pilots a chance to survive an Iranian attack on their Apache helicopter. Earlier today, President Trump reportedly told Fox that the Shahed drone that hit the aircraft actually lodged itself between the two pilots but did not detonate.

And last hour, he said there were more -- many more dramatic new details that he revealed about the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: At first, they said they didn't do it. Then they admitted they did it. Sort of easy because we have the bomb. We actually have the bomb. We got very lucky that bomb didn't explode.

That bomb was lodged in the helicopter. It didn't explode. It was on fire, but it didn't explode. Those two guys, they knew how to fly, but they got very lucky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: We have CNN Military Analyst, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton here with us now. That's a wild story to hear.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It is.

KEILAR: I mean, what do you think about what we just heard about this Shahed drone?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think one of the things about this, Brianna, is that when you look at the actual Apache, so if you look at the graphic here, this area is where the pilots sit right here, and then you get an internal view right here. So when the drone actually came through, it would have gone in about at this level right here between the two pilots. So with that, that becomes a really critical component.

And to me, what that tells me is that this is a deliberate act. The Iranians were steering the drone in a way that they knew exactly where they would be going after the pilots, what particular point of the aircraft of the Apache helicopter to hit, and then they were looking at it to inflict basically maximum damage, and it could have been a fatal crash.

KEILAR: Certainly. I mean, it's amazing that it wasn't. How big is this drone about?

LEIGHTON: So this drone, let's pull up a graphic right here. So what we're talking about here is, you know, about -- there are different varieties. This particular one is about 15 feet long, and, you know, so they are discernible. I mean, you can see them, you know, when they fly over, and, you know, we know them from Ukraine, of course. You see them fly in different, you know, different parts of Kyiv, for example, when Kyiv's being attacked.

And these are -- there are different types of propulsion systems depending on the type of Shahed drone that you're looking at. Some of them also have different control systems. So some of them are just basically using inertial navigation or GPS where they program the coordinates into the drone and it attacks something on the ground.

What's different about this, though, is this was basically an air-to- air attack by a Shahed drone. That's not what Shaheds started out being. They started out being an air-to-ground munition, and they were supposed to detonate on impact.

So the idea, as the president was talking about here, was for the drone to hit right by the cockpit and do something that would have basically, upon impact, exploded and that would then have, of course, resulted in a catastrophic failure for the aircraft.

KEILAR: You're painting a picture of an intentional attack by Iran that sort of, by the grace of God, right, did not detonate, just sort of accidentally didn't happen, but would have had an incredible impact if it had killed these two pilots, sent a message about this sort of air superiority or supremacy that the U.S. is claimed to have here. The president said the U.S. is going to hit Iran hard today after these strikes that were exchanged yesterday between the U.S. and Iran.

What is there to be accomplished with further strikes, and what should we expect this might look like?

LEIGHTON: Yeah, first of all, I think what we will see is activity and we've already seen it, actually, in the Strait of Hormuz. So you're talking about targets like on Qeshm Island and the area of Bandar Abbas and some of the other Iranian installations in these areas right around here. So that's kind of what we're looking at, you know, just as far as the Strait of Hormuz is concerned.

However, when you look at the broader region, what could potentially happen is, the president talked about infrastructure targets in Iran.

[13:40:00]

So he's talking about things like power plants and things like that. Right now, the area that we hit is this area right here, and that was supposed to be the proportional response to what the Iranians were doing, but there are potentially other targets in this area, and that could, and beyond that, so basically we're looking at possible targets all throughout Western and Central Iran, and don't forget Tehran, of course, would be a critical area.

One other thing to point out is the Iranians talk about other areas that they've hit, and one of the things that they were trying to strike, they haven't hit it, but what they were trying to strike was the air base that is used by the U.S. in Jordan. So what you're looking at here is targets on infrastructure in Iran that the U.S. plans to hit, according to what the president has said, and the Iranians probably going in and trying to strike targets in places as far afield as Jordan, but certainly in the Gulf states, on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf.

KEILAR: So these, what do we call them, alleged strikes on reservoirs that we're looking at?

LEIGHTON: Yes.

KEILAR: So the president has not ruled out striking civilian infrastructure today, and he told Fox earlier that he's getting close to ordering some new strikes against Iranian power plants. So, what would determine whether those strikes actually complied with or violated the laws of armed conflict when you're talking about things that civilians rely on?

LEIGHTON: Yes, so one of the key things about that, Brianna, is, you know, is the facility a dual-use facility? So you can make an argument, for example, that a water reservoir or a water plant, a desalination plant, is a dual-use facility because military personnel also use those facilities, but most people would say that that's primarily a civilian target, especially nowadays.

Now, when you're looking at bridges and railroads and, you know, things like that, and airports, it becomes, you know, a little bit more of an infrastructure situation. So, you know, for example, if you're looking at, let's say, the road network, you know, the main roads that go through Iran, you know, kind of like this, those roads, you know, especially where they have bridges, and we've already struck some bridges, would be areas where the Iranians could potentially suffer a lot of damage, and it could have an impact on their ability to resupply their drone factories, their missile factories, things like that, which, by the way, they've rebuilt to a considerable extent --

KEILAR: Yeah.

LEIGHTON: -- since the ceasefire started in early April.

KEILAR: Yeah, they've been using that time to reconstitute, for sure. Colonel Leighton, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Brianna.

KEILAR: The trial is now underway for the man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire, but prosecutors will have to prove their case without some key evidence. We're live outside the courthouse next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:25]

KEILAR: The trial is now underway for the man accused of igniting one of the most devastating fires in Los Angeles history. Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged in last year's deadly Palisades Fire. The inferno killed 12 people and wiped out entire neighborhoods. Many residents who lost everything are still trying to recover.

Prosecutors say Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty, was obsessed with fire. He faces up to 45 years in federal prison, if convicted. CNN's Nick Watt is outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

Nick, what's happening inside? NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Opening statements, Brianna. So, in the court, we've got a lot of local and national media. We've got some local politicians I saw in there. We've got the 12 jurors. We've got Rinderknecht sitting there, dark suit, slight figure. Next to him, his rather more ebullient defense attorney, fancy gold-rimmed glasses, hair slicked back.

We first heard from the government. They, in their demeanor, a little more circumspect and conservative. They say that Rinderknecht is a guy who was pissed off at the world. He had broken up from an ex. He was living in a smaller apartment. He was angry at the rich. He was obsessed with Luigi Mangione.

And he started this fire, they say, shortly after New Year, after the New Year kicked in. He started this fire with a green BIC lighter that he'd had in the glove compartment of his car. They say they have some security camera video of him going up to that spot above the Palisades where the fire started. They don't have images of him actually starting a fire, but they say he's the only person they see in the area and they have ruled out everything else.

They even, like, took leaves from the Pacific Palisades, shipped them to their lab and tried to see if they could start a fire in those leaves with a cigarette under the same weather conditions that they say failed. Now, the wrinkle here, Rinderknecht is accused of starting a fire January 1st in the early hours.

Now, firefighters came, thought they'd put that out. A week later, when the winds picked up, apparently it blew up again. It had been smouldering in tree roots all that time. So then, Rinderknecht's lawyer gets up and says, listen, the burden of proof for all of this is on you guys. We could sit here and say nothing during this whole trial and we could still win this because you've got to prove that he lit this fire, and nobody saw him do that. And you've got to prove that that January 1st fire really is the fire that reignited January 7th and caused all of this devastation. Billions of dollars of damage, 12 people dead.

[13:50:00]

Now, how long is this going to take? Well, one juror said she's going on vacation June 30th during selection and the judge didn't see a problem with that, so probably a couple of weeks. Back to you.

KEILAR: All right, Nick Watt, thank you for the latest there. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Professional wrestler turned actor, Tyler Mane revealed that he has breast cancer and is starting chemotherapy. The 59-year-old "X-Men" star described his condition as super rare, saying that only one percent of breast cancers are in men. He writes, quote, "My first reaction was to keep it secret. I mean it's kind of embarrassing, but then I found out that men are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages because it's not talked about and not looked for." He is urging others to take symptoms more seriously. Also, a new study finds that nearly one in three middle-aged people do not understand how to dose their own medication. The report in the Journal of Internal Medicine surveyed about 950 people, the average age being 52, and found many struggled with recalling information from a doctor's visit, reading standard health guidance and also properly measuring out their meds. The study authors say the findings show the need for more uniformity in pill instructions and to improve communications between doctors and patients.

And a hero's welcome in Somalia for the World Cup referee who was denied entry into the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Control says that vetting concerns for Omar Abdulkadir Artan prevented him from being allowed in after he arrived in the United States in Miami. Artan was supposed to be the first Somali to ever officiate at the World Cup. He was named Africa's top male referee in 2025.

Somalia, of course, one of the 39 nations impacted by the Trump administration's travel ban. The World Cup officially kicks off tomorrow. Brianna?

KEILAR: On today's Home Front, honoring heroes. More than two dozen World War II veterans traveled to France over the weekend to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. It was on June 6th, the 1944, when thousands of Allied troops landed on the beach at Normandy to begin invading areas held by the Nazis. Approximately 73,000 American servicemen were part of that invasion and more than 2,500 of them died.

During the attack, speakers included -- or they died during the attack -- and speakers included the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth. Also on hand was 107-year-old Art Rose, a Navy veteran and engineering officer at Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion.

Still ahead, President Trump will not be at tonight's game for the NBA Finals in New York, but the same strict security measures around the Garden will be. We'll have more on the fan backlash next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:42]

SANCHEZ: We've got a series. Game 4 offers the San Antonio Spurs a chance to even up the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. And while fans are excited, officials at Madison Square Garden are apparently furious. They say security precautions are stifling fan parties, even calling the city's leaders 'party poopers.' That's a quote. CNN's Omar Jimenez has more. And Omar, what is it like outside Madison Square Garden right now?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, right now, it's about normal. But when you talk about sort of the expectations for ahead of the game, people are noticing it. They thought that these extra precautions, Madison Square Garden behind me, they thought some of these extra precautions were because of the president being here, which there were added security measures. But these barricades, there are others up right now.

Once we get into later in the afternoon, the NYPD essentially is going to create a secure zone, the two block radius or more out around the perimeter of MSG. And as you mentioned, MSG leadership is not happy with it because they believe that the watch parties here, while they will be ticketed and go forward, should be happening like normal with no restrictions on the fans. You do talk about the fans themselves. There's a little bit of a robot fan and they're right now that has been, you know, all right, that's a classic chant you hear here in New York City.

Hey, it's -- we're live. We're alive. You know, you never know what happens among Knicks fans. And among the people that was a little bit upset about it, I was talking to Stephen earlier. Stephen, you were upset a little bit that the barricades were still up for this game, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was more confused.

JIMENEZ: Yeah. Why? Tell me about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because there's no clarity on like when tickets are going to be available. I haven't seen anything.

JIMENEZ: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

JIMENEZ: Yeah, yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. And that's a lot of what we're hearing from fans at this point, trying to figure out what they actually need to do, how early they need to get to the game, things like that.

SANCHEZ: So, Omar, I know you to be an Atlanta Hawks fan. You are going to the game tonight. You're not going to be cheering on the Knicks, are you?

JIMENEZ: Look, I don't hate the Knicks. I have no problem with the Knicks and I have no problem with the Spurs either. If you had asked me at the start of the playoffs, which -- what my preferred finals would have been, it would have been the Hawks and the Spurs.

But you know what? I'll take the Knicks. I live in New York City. I interviewed Victor Wembanyama on draft night. I'm trying to see some good basketball and honestly, I have not been disappointed. I can't wait for more tonight.

SANCHEZ: Spike --