Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Interview with Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL): Deadly Russian Strikes on Kyiv Ahead of Trump Trip to NATO Summit; Controversy as FIFA Reinstates U.S. Player Despite Red Card; Suspect in Charlie Kirk's Killing Appears in Court in Utah; Millions Face Dangerous Flash Flood Risk Across Northeast. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired July 06, 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]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, it had to be hilarious. I cannot wait. I hope there's some video that we get to see.

I do want to just quickly ask you, if you were going to pick one place where you think they might honeymoon, where would that be?

OLIVIA LEVIN, CREATOR, @SWIFTIESFORETERNITY: I would have to guess probably somewhere in Europe. During the Eros tour, they loved Italy. So maybe somewhere around there.

But I will say, I really appreciated that. I think all of the Swifties loved that she shared in real time on the billboards in New York City that she got married at the time that she did. And that further shows how close her connection is with the Swifties, which is what I talk about in my book, "The Story of Us," and why we've been rooting for her for so many years.

SIDNER: They were billboards literally in neighborhoods. I have a picture of one that just said TNT, married, and of course, on Madison Square Garden. But it was literally all over New York and these electronic billboards.

So really fun. Fans are really excited. And I know you were too. Olivia Levin, thank you so much. And great book, by the way.

New Hour, CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are standing by to see if there will be a reversal of the reversal. A once suspended star U.S. player allowed on the field tonight after intervention from the president. So the deadline just passed for Belgium to appeal what was one of the most controversial decisions in World Cup history.

We're trying to figure out what's happening now.

Russia launches a wave of deadly attacks on Kyiv just before the president heads to meet with NATO leaders.

And then police smashing a window to save a four-month-old left behind in a hot car with the doors locked and windows up.

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

SIDNER: Time is up to try to get a reversal of the reversal. Right now, the deadline, it appears to have expired to appeal one of the most controversial decisions in World Cup history. The Athletic reported that Belgium had until eight this morning, eastern time, right now, to contest FIFA's stunning decision to clear USA striker Folarin Balogun.

Now, he is supposed to now be able to play in tonight's round of 16 match. It's unclear at this moment whether Belgium did, in fact, submit that appeal. We will wait and we will find out and give it to you before the end of this hour.

But Balogun was supposed to be suspended because he received a red card. A lot of people thought it was unfair, but that's what happened. And you've got to go with what the refs say.

He would not have been able to play. That's the rule. But a source says President Trump ended up speaking with the head of FIFA and asked him to review the call.

The initial call was hotly debated, and many critics thought it might have gone too far. But the ruling on his ban has sparked global backlash. Nothing like it has been reversed in a World Cup.

Nothing like this has happened in more than 60 years. Believe me, there's going to be some fighting over this -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, much. And so we're keeping a very close eye on that. We're also watching this breaking news this morning.

Russia launching a deadly new wave of strikes on Kyiv. Officials say at least 18 people have been killed in the region from this. And this is the second round of attacks on Kyiv in really just the past, I don't know, four days.

It comes on the eve, of course, of President Trump heading to Turkey for the huge meeting of NATO allies this week. And the White House says that President Trump is actually planning to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy while he is there.

Joining me right now is Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider of Illinois. He sits in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Thank you for being here, Congressman.

This latest round of Russian attacks, we're just looking at the numbers, 68 missiles, 350 drones, Ukraine saying that they did not fend off any of the ballistic missiles launched because of an insufficient supply of interceptor missiles, which really puts the focus on where does this war head now?

What does this moment mean for NATO? REP. BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL), FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Well, the conference in Ankara that starts today and we'll go over the next couple of days is covering three things, defense cooperation and investment by NATO members, the ability to produce the necessary weapons by NATO members and Ukraine. So two out of the three key issues of this conference is about what we're seeing in Ukraine right now. The fact that supplies have been diminished, if not in some cases depleted, and Russia continues its illegal attack against a sovereign nation.

And we need to stand with Ukraine and make sure that they're able to protect their independence and sovereignty.

BOLDUAN: But again, but it begs the question is, since you have Vladimir Putin and President Trump speaking ahead of this summit, where does President Trump's focus lie right now in terms of offering more assistance to Ukraine?

[08:05:00]

SCHNEIDER: 100 percent. That question has been asked time and time again, because every time there seems to be a critical issue, President Trump turns to Putin rather than focusing on the needs of Zelenskyy.

And it's incredibly unfortunate. Russia attacked Ukraine, Ukraine is an ally, Ukraine is fighting for its independence. And there's no question that Russia would continue past Ukraine if they were successful.

So that's why Europe is standing so strong with Ukraine in the United States needs to stand strongly with Ukraine. And the question about where President Trump stands is something that's always hovering over every single discussion.

BOLDUAN: Another relationship among foreign leaders that I'm curious about, Netanyahu just did an interview, and he was downplaying kind of any break or division with President Trump. The way Netanyahu put it is, "In any family, in any close friendship, there are sometimes differences of opinions. And we discussed them openly."

But what Netanyahu is responding to really is the Axios reporting from this weekend that President Trump said to Axios, that Netanyahu, quote unquote, "knows who the boss is," meaning Trump in the United States. Is that how you see it?

SCHNEIDER: Well, I think that's how President Trump sees it. And he sees himself as all powerful and all knowing. And if you just look at this MOU with Iran, that puts Israel's interests in there -- not even in the backseat, it's in the trunk, and empowers Iran, will make sure Iran has billions of dollars from selling oil as well as taking sanctions off the assets that have been frozen for a number of years.

Iran comes out of this war far stronger than anyone expected them to be. And Israel is facing an enemy that's been dedicated to its destruction for 47 years, now having access to the money and the continued ability to support terrorists around the region.

BOLDUAN: And an issue that is front and center in the Michigan race right now is the issue of U.S. support of Israel. Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow, she just dropped out, dropped her Senate bid yesterday. And so this is now a two-way race that kind of epitomizes the struggle within the Democratic Party, framed as like the established broader Democratic Party versus an insurgent left wing.

The left wing candidate, El-Sayed, has said that the Israeli government is as evil as Hamas in an interview with CNN. As the chair of the New Democrat coalition, which is, which the point is, is you say you're working to bridge partisan divides. Is he the candidate to help Democrats do that?

SCHNEIDER: Well, look, Haley Stevens is a member of the New Dems. She's a dear friend. I think she'll be a tremendous senator.

And we've seen in this campaign in Michigan where El-Sayed has attacked Haley, has accused her of not even being able to string two sentences together, things that if anyone said about anyone else would be a disqualifying issue. What New Dems are focused on, and this is in Michigan and Illinois and across the country, is trying to make life better for the American people. And you see it with this administration that has continued, promised to bring down prices and only seen prices go up, promised to make life easier, has seen life get harder.

The big, bad, terrible bill that they passed a year ago and are now celebrating has taken health insurance away from more than 8 million people. And it's expected that that number will continue to grow. New Dems are focused on clearing away obstacles, setting down guardrails and making the American dream a reality.

That's why we released our American promise back in May.

BOLDUAN: President Trump called the FIFA president and asked him to review that red card ban on the American player. Then FIFA makes this unprecedented move to throw out the ban, if you will, clearing Balogun to play in the game tonight. I saw that you're a pretty big soccer fan yourself, Congressman.

You see this and you say what?

SCHNEIDER: Well, I'm excited for Team USA. I'm a big Team USA fan, and it's great to see them in the round of 16 and moving forward. Look, the red card was a questionable call.

It was a call that was determined by video review. I think it's only fair to have a review of the review in slow motion. It might look terrible, but if you watch it in real speed, he wasn't trying to hurt anybody.

It was this is part of the game and the refs shouldn't determine the game, whether it is in FIFA World Cup or Major League Baseball or any other sport. We should be using this to the video enhancement should be making the game better, not taking players off the field.

BOLDUAN: And you're OK if President Trump got involved to make that reversal happen?

SCHNEIDER: I'm rooting for Team USA tonight.

BOLDUAN: OK, Congressman, thanks so much. Appreciate your time -- John.

BERMAN: Kind of a notable answer there, right?

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: I mean, not wanting to weigh in too much to it, but happy that Balogun is playing tonight.

All right, this morning, the man accused of shooting and killing Charlie Kirk is due in court as prosecutors get ready to present evidence, including testimony from a star witness.

Officers rushing to rescue a four month old baby left trapped inside a hot car.

And who do you call when a renovation goes wrong? Well, if you're the U.S. government, the same company that did the renovation the first time.

[08:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Just hours from now, a crucial court hearing is getting underway in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to determine whether the case can proceed to trial. This is a normal course of action. Utah prosecutors say they have a, quote, mountain of evidence against Kirk's accused killer.

[08:15:00]

Twenty-three-year-old Tyler Robinson is set to appear in court as prosecutors lay out much of that evidence, including a videotaped statement by his former roommate. Robinson could face the death penalty if he is tried and convicted.

CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson is with me now. So I guess the start of this, this is a pretrial hearing.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.

SIDNER: And when they're laying these things out, what happens in court? I mean, how is this? Does a judge actually look at this evidence? Is it presented to the court as if it's a tiny little trial without a jury?

JACKSON: Yes. As to all. Good morning to you, Sara.

So this is a preliminary hearing. And, you know, it's interesting because many states don't do this. What do I mean?

They'll take a case before grand jury body of usually 23 people. They're not deciding guilt or innocence. They're determining whether there's reason to believe a crime was committed and you committed it.

A simple majority vote. You've heard it before, right?

So you get 12 people that say, yes, I think he did it. Then it goes to trial. Utah, not so much.

Utah is not a state that relies upon the grand jury process. They rely upon this process. Preliminary hearing.

What's the distinction? Well, the distinction is you're going to have a judge who's evaluating this evidence. You're going to have the defense who's not in the grand jury.

They're going to be at the preliminary hearing asking questions and cross-examination. But more importantly, you're going to hear and see the prosecution present evidence. Yes, to your question.

It is a bit of a mini trial that you don't have to establish proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. There's not a jury there. You have to determine whether or not this probable cause to believe, right, that Mr. Robinson was involved. And in fact, right, he's guilty or he did it.

Now, you're not deciding guilt or innocence, just the fact that he was probably the person who committed these offenses. And based upon that, the judge is going to evaluate all types of evidence. And based upon that evaluation over several days, we'll make a determination as to whether it's bounded for trial, meaning it's OK. It can go to trial.

It's simply a protective measure that is used in courts. It's used very much so in Utah.

SIDNER: I am curious, will the public get to see this as it goes forward? Are they going to see this pretrial hearing?

JACKSON: And you know what, Sara, they actually will? And, you know, kudos to Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, was very instrumental when the defense was trying to block. This for obvious reasons, right? You don't want to prejudice your client.

So as a result of that, the defense was really saying, hey, look, this can't go into the public. It's too it's too salacious. There'll be too many details revealed. And the widow stood up with others and said, no, no, no, no.

This should be transparent. People need to see, they need to hear. And I think we'll see it here quite a bit.

So I think we're going to hear a lot of evidence again, not to establish guilt, but there's reason to believe, right, that he was the person responsible. That's the standard probable cause. And so I think we'll look at some DNA. I think we'll see ballistic evidence. I think we'll see eyewitness testimony. You know, those things are going to be critical for a judge to say, OK, there's enough.

Now you could -- the other quick thing not to get too inside baseball. We always hear about this hearsay objection here. Say what's hearsay.

It's an out of court statement, right? Sara told me that, well, what do you mean? Sara should be here saying what Sara said.

I shouldn't be saying what's that. Well, the preliminary hearing, you can use that just to expedite just for efficiency purposes. But the judge has to be satisfied on balance that the information is necessary and accurate enough to say that this person's responsible.

The jury will make that determination. And let's not forget this is a death penalty case.

SIDNER: Right. This is this is the most serious charge that you can possibly get with the most serious consequence. And one of the reasons I think that Erika Kirk wants this in the public as well as just being transparent is there are a lot of crazy conspiracy theories going on out there.

And I think she wants everyone to be able to see what really happened to her husband. Understandable. Joey Jackson --

JACKSON: Absolutely.

SIDNER: -- it is a pleasure to see you. Thank you for breaking that all down for us. Appreciate you -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: A state of emergency has been declared in West Virginia after a massive fire breaks out inside of a warehouse. Just look at this video. And there are now growing concerns over air quality this morning. We have a report on that.

And stranded vehicles and water rescues after severe storms brought flash floods to parts of the Northeast. And right now, 60 million people are under the threat of more flooding today. We'll be back.

[08:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right, happening now. Dangerous heat and severe storms threatening millions of Americans as they return home from a stormy holiday weekend. Today 61 million people are under a flood risk, including many across the Northeast.

Let's get right to seeing a meteorologist, Derek Van Dam. Derek, my phone's been going off the last couple of days, warning of just this torrential rain. What are we going to see?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. And here it comes, right? So when we need a break the most, right? Coming off of a weekend of very active weather across the Northeast,

now we've got to deal with the heavy rain threat that could lead to flash flooding. Lady Liberty, she's had a weekend, hasn't she? So let's talk about what is threatening us here across the Northeast, including Long Island, New York and into Hartfield area.

This is the region where we have a level three or four. That's a moderate risk of excessive rain could lead to flash flooding, rapid rises in streams and rivers, localized urban flooding. That's an issue.

Of course, some of our greatest population density right here along the I-95 corridor. But it stretches further west, even towards portions of Ohio. Kelly's Island.

That's one of the islands in Lake Erie. They reported 15 inches of rain in five and a half hours last night. So this is all thanks to a stationary boundary that stretches across southern New England.

[08:25:00]

And that means that it's not moving very quickly. So we're going to get rounds of rain, repeated rounds of rain that fall over the same locations. That is why we have this flash flood threat. There's already flash flood warnings kind of popping up throughout portions of New England and into the mid Atlantic. That's into Maryland.

We'll likely see more of those pop up throughout the course of the day. And here's the 60 million Americans that are currently under our flood alerts stretching from New York City westward towards Cleveland as that stationary boundary kind of rings out all the available moisture. We've got a juiced up atmosphere, very summertime weather pattern.

We know it too, right? Anybody who's been here this weekend for the Fourth of July festivities knows that thunderstorms pop up at a moment's notice. That is because there's just so much atmospheric moisture to work with.

This is the rainfall totals we're expecting, widespread three inches or more, potentially up to a half a foot of rainfall before this is all said and done. And that is why we have our flash flood risk. We're going to keep a very close eye on it, but there were already reports of swift water rescues in and around the Philadelphia region last night.

Remember, there was rapid rainfall rates last night. And then with additional rainfall today, that could cause some concerns -- John.

BERMAN: This is one we need to pay attention to for the several hours and even days. Derek Van Dam, thank you very much for that -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John.

We're standing by this morning to see if Belgium will actually appeal FIFA's controversial reversal of a red card issued against a U.S. star player ahead of tonight's game. Their deadline has passed, but we have not yet heard and we may hear in the next few minutes as to whether they are trying to get this reversal reversed. We will see what happens.

And of course, Donald Trump is in the middle of all this.

Plus, a story of survival. A pet rescued from the rubble of Venezuela's deadly earthquake after more than a week under the rubble -- the stones.

Those stories and more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)