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Trump On U.S. Star's Red Card: "All I Did Was Ask For A Review"; FIFA Denies Belgium's Red Card Appeal, USA Star To Play Tonight; Trump Prepares To Depart For Critical NATO Summit; Roof Partially Collapses At Store In New Jersey; Suspect In Charlie Kirk's Killing In Court As Evidence Presented; Trump Accounts Are Live; Here's What You Need to Know. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 06, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: You may have seen this remarkable video. Seaplane made a hard landing in New York's East River.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: I -- I couldn't tell if that was beeping from expletives or -- or beeping from some kind of an alarm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

SCIUTTO: Other footage also appears to show the plane skipping across the surface of the water three times. Eight people on board had to be rescued. Two had minor injuries. The FAA is now investigating. They are largely lucky to be okay. A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

Seeing Reds, European soccer fans furious over FIFA's decision to allow Team USA's star striker to play tonight, a decision that came after a call from President Trump. Kickoff now just five hours away.

Plus, Vladimir Putin stepping up his attacks on Kyiv as President Trump prepares to head to Turkey for a high-stakes NATO summit. The war between Ukraine and Russia expected, of course, to be one of the top priorities at that meeting.

Plus, eat more fruit, veggies and whole grains. A new study finds an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce your risk of dementia.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We start with breaking news on the drama off the pitch today surrounding Team USA's big World Cup showdown with Belgium tonight in Seattle. The Americans will hit the field with their star striker, Folarin Balogun, after a reversal of his red card suspension.

Earlier today, President Trump celebrated FIFA's decision in the Oval Office and said this about why he got involved by calling FIFA's president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All I did, I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul. And, you know, again, I'm good at this stuff. If they wouldn't allow, you know, a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best players on the team to play, I think it would have had a big stain. And I related just that feeling. I didn't tell him what to do. I can't tell him what to do. But -- and I don't believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: A quick recap. Balogun's red card was issued on Wednesday after a controversial replay. President Trump says he called Gianni Infantino on Thursday. And then just over 24 hours ago, surprising news from FIFA that Balogun could play. Now, Belgium appealed that decision this morning. FIFA rejected that appeal. And now the game kicks off at eight o'clock Eastern with Team USA at full strength.

Let's discuss with retired FIFA and MLS referee Ted Unkel.

Ted, thank you so much for being with us. First, let's start with the decision to give Balogun a red card to begin with. Was that appropriate?

TED UNKEL, RETIRED FIFA & MLS REFEREE: Yes, I don't think it was appropriate, but it's easy to get caught up into what exactly happens. We as a as an official on the field, we're looking for certain clues. One of those clues would be the turning of the ankle. That's an endangering the safety of the opponent. And when we're -- we're stuck behind a TV camera in the VAR booth to get isolated on one particular thing in slow motion or -- or frame by frame, if you get caught in the results and back into a decision, it's -- at least for these - these gray areas and I think that's what happened here.

There's no context to the decision. If you look at Balogun, he's a little bit off balance and we all have to put our foot down somewhere, Boris. And I think that's the - the case here. It's unfortunate that it happened the way it happened, but I don't think he should have (INAUDIBLE) ...

SANCHEZ: I wonder how you read President Trump questioning Raphael Claus, that referee that made the call. He encouraged reporters to -- to check into the referee's past. Is there anything suspicious about Claus? Is he at all controversial?

UNKEL: No, you should see the - the integrity that we have as officials in the process that we go through over the course of years. There is no dog in the fight here. There is no bias anyway. We are trying to do the best job that we can. The game moves fast. He's presented with information. He made that decision based on the -- on the best information that he had.

But I don't -- I don't fault President Trump as I wouldn't fault a parent to their kid. We want to advocate for -- for those that we're looking out for. And - and that phone call probably is that, you know, we have a big game tonight as a -- as a country. You would want everybody to be playing there. So, to ask the question, no fault in that.

SANCHEZ: So, you ...

UNKEL: Don't go -- don't go against the referee integrity.

SANCHEZ: Sure. You don't think that the U.S. is getting any special treatment the way that some critics have painted this situation? Do you think that the U.S. is seeing Balogun return to the field because of favoritism toward Trump?

[15:05:04]

UNKEL: I can't speak to that. I know that this decision is unprecedented. We have a situation in the buildup in the qualifiers with Cristiano Ronaldo got a red card against Ireland, and he had a three-game suspension. The one game was put against him in the qualifier, and the two that would have impacted him in the tournament, that was suspended over time. But this is an unprecedented thing in tournament.

I think people want transparency. We live off expectation. We're comfortable with expectation. And there are rules to competition here. Every game means so much.

There's only -- if you play in every one, there's only eight. So, the weight of every game is huge.

SANCHEZ: Yes, no doubt. And that's why it -- it attracts the audience that it does. In your mind, if the U.S. were to defeat Belgium tonight and move forward in the tournament, is this victory at all tainted?

UNKEL: No, it's not. They have no say in the matter either. It's funny that FIFA's response today that Belgium couldn't appeal is because they weren't a party to what's going on. That would be Balogun and - and the United States. And it would be odd for them to appeal something that -- that plays to their favor.

But there are -- we're -- sport is an amazing thing. We're all playing to, you know, to be the best that we possibly can be and to get -- get victory. And the U.S. probably isn't even thinking about this. But Balogun is -- is happy that he gets a chance to play. I hope he's in the -- in the lineup. I -- I'm a fan. I want to see all the best out there.

But I don't think this taints it either way. There's nobody in there that has made a decision there. They just -- their job is to go out and play the best football they can play tonight. And that's on Belgium's side as well. '

SANCHEZ: Ted Unkel, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective.

UNKEL: Appreciate it, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

So, President Trump will soon turn his attention to a high-stakes NATO summit in Turkey. NATO leaders gathering as the war between Russia and Ukraine has intensified in recent days. Overnight, Russia launching a series of major strikes in and around Kyiv, killing at least 19, according to Ukrainian officials.

SCIUTTO: A few hours later, Ukrainian drones damaged Russia's largest oil refinery deep inside Russian territory. CNN's Alayna Treene is live at -- at the White House.

Alayna, we know President Trump spoke with Putin and Zelenskyy over the weekend. When I speak to European officials, they see Russia expanding this war, not serious about negotiations. Does the White House see evidence otherwise that - that there's a -- a real, credible path towards negotiations?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's certainly at least what they are hoping for. I'd say this, there's no question, Boris and Jim, that the president remains frustrated that this is not something that has been settled. Remember, even before he took office for his second term, he argued that this was something that he would be able to resolve pretty early, in some instances arguing he could resolve it on day one.

Obviously, that has not happened. His mind has really been distracted in recent months, of course, with the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. But this is something that not only is still very much important to people here at the White House, but also to a lot of these NATO members that he's about to meet with on the ground in Turkey once he lands tomorrow. And so, a lot of questions here.

Now, as for whether or not there's a path forward that's viable, Trump personally, I'm told, does believe there still is. That's part of why he got on the phone with both Zelenskyy and Putin over the weekend. And I also think, from my conversations with administration officials, they recognize what Russia was doing with those overnight strikes trying to hammer Kyiv.

That is meant to build pressure at this moment when he knows -- when -- when Putin knows that Trump is going to be meeting with a lot of NATO members who really want to strengthen the alliance on behalf of Ukraine. And so, that's really, I think, going to be one of the key things that hangs over this broader summit, which is also expected to be a very short summit.

The President doesn't land in Turkey until tomorrow afternoon, and then he departs Turkey Wednesday evening. So, there's a lot to get through. And it's not just trying to settle out and hammer a hopeful, you know, path forward on how to continue to try and end this war between Russia and Ukraine. There's other issues as well. Iran and really what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz, the security around the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be a key topic of discussion, a U.S. official told CNN.

We know, of course, the president's still hanging on to a lot of anger, I would argue, toward these different NATO members because he believes they did not intervene on behalf of the United States as it relates to the Strait. So, that's something, of course, to watch for.

And then the other big thing, and I continue to hear this, if you actually look at some of the White House officials who have been posting about this NATO summit online, a lot of them bringing up the fact that the President still believes that NATO countries are disproportionately spending enough for defense. The President had pushed them to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. That is going to be a huge thing. We'll have to see whether or not the President almost tries to argue at some point whether or not there could be penalties for countries that do not meet that threshold.

[15:10:06]

That's going to be a hard -- a huge part of this conversation as well.

So, a lot to get through in a short amount of time.

SANCHEZ: Alayna Treene, a lot to keep an eye on. Thank you so much for breaking that down for us.

Still to come, a closely watched hearing underway right now. The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk is in court. Prosecutors laying out some of their evidence in this preliminary hearing.

Plus, President Trump launching Trump Accounts. We'll tell you how the new federal investment option for kids works.

SCIUTTO: And later, the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet. Why scientists now believes it also helps reduce the risk of dementia. That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:15:06]

SCIUTTO: This just in to CNN, this remarkable video from Ocean Township, New Jersey. Goodness gracious, emergency teams on the scene of a roof collapse at a BJ's Wholesale Club. They responded to an emergency call at about 11 A.M. this morning.

Goodness, I hope that man there is safe. The Monmouth County Sheriff said, quote, "This incident is another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions." We're going to bring you details, including on any possible injuries, as we get them.

Well, a critical court hearing is now underway for the man accused of gunning down conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors are laying out evidence against the suspect, Tyler Robinson. He -- you can see there on the far right side of your screen -- today's proceedings are part of a multi-day hearing that will determine if the case goes on to trial.

Robinson is facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder for the shooting last September at Utah Valley University. Kirk's widow, Erika, his parents and his close friend, the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., they were inside that courtroom for the hearing.

For legal expertise and advice, CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson, a criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor, joins us now.

Joey, it's -- it's good to have you. This is, of course, only a preliminary hearing. They don't have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. But what is the threshold then to move on to a trial?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, an important distinction to make, Jim. There's not the same thing as a trial, where there's 12 members of a jury that are in panel to hear proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, it's before a judge, and the judge just has to hear legally sufficient evidence of probable cause. What does it mean?

Is there reason to believe that these crimes were committed and that the person who committed it was Charlie Kirk? And as a result of this process in the preliminary hearing, prosecutors are not going to lay out their whole case. It's a mini trial of sorts in which they will lay out legally sufficient evidence to sustain all of the charges that you just looked at, right? Aggravated murder, the felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, the tampering with a witness and the fact that he certainly endangered people under 18.

So, that's what prosecutors will do primarily, Jim, through four witnesses who are the detectives or case agents who were involved in the investigation of this case.

SCIUTTO: Looking ahead, the prosecution is expected to rely heavily on -- on roommate's testimony as well as alleged text messages in which prosecutors claim Robinson appears to confess to -- to his partner. How powerful is that evidence alone?

JACKSON: So, it's very powerful. I think that you're going to hear through the case agents who testify again, those law enforcement authorities who've been investigating what kind of evidence you have. And certainly they will hear evidence relating to all types of things like ballistic evidence, which links him. That is Mr. Tyler Robinson, the defendant in the case to the shooting, like DNA evidence that may link him, like the link that he has that is Tyler Robinson to his roommate, where there is this alleged confession, the text messages where he's saying, don't talk to the police or concealing certain information. Information in terms of his concealing of the rifle.

So, all will that -- all of that will come out. Again, no jury here, simply the defense attorneys and the prosecutor and the job of the prosecution is to show just enough to the judge. And in the event they do that to meet the threshold of, hey, there's probable cause to believe he did it. It'll then get sent to trial where jury will make the determination, Jim, as to guilt or innocence.

SCIUTTO: So, from the defense side, it is highlighting a federal ballistics report, which could not conclusively match the bullet fragments recovered from Kirk to the rifle that investigators recovered. I wonder how significant could that be to the defense?

JACKSON: So, I think it's very significant. And that's why the defense, I believe, is focused on that, because remember, if we're talking about probable cause, sufficient evidence to believe that he likely did it, let's let a jury decide and judge because we've met that standard. The prosecution will say, bring it over to trial.

Now, if you talk about the ballistic evidence and you establish that there's not a link to his gun, then that throws a lot into question. So, then you're going to say, if you're a defense attorney, judge, is this legally sufficient in the event that we have a number of other DNA indications on that weapon that were not my client? Is that sufficient in the event the ballistics are not as they should be? Is that sufficient?

So, it goes to the very core of whether the evidence is enough and reliable enough for an actual jury to make the determination that he was a shooter. So, expect a -- a fierce cross-examination as it relates to information about ballistics and DNA.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, just before we go, because you have this remarkable moment, right, of the accused killer there in the same room.

[15:20:07]

And as Nick Watt was describing, it's not a big room, not a big hearing room, with Charlie Kirk's widow, with his parents, with the President's son. I mean, I have to imagine, and you've been in a lot of courtrooms, I imagine, in some similar circumstances, that has to be a highly emotionally charged environment.

JACKSON: It always is, Jim. I mean, at the -- the end of this is there's a victim here, and that victim, you know, Charlie Kirk, is dead, and his widow and family and other people are there. And then you have the person who stands accused, and their family is there wanting what's best for him, which is saving him from the death penalty.

But I think law enforcement does a very good job, the court officers there at separating the families. I think the families understand the rules of engagement. I think the families, while certainly emotional and having their own interest in this case, understand that, you know, this is a justice system, and the facts and evidence will bear as they do, and they'll be respected ultimately by all parties concerned. But it is not easy at all.

SCIUTTO: No, I can't -- I can't imagine how you -- you would hold back emotion, right, as -- as a member of the victim's family. I know the defense fought unsuccessfully, of course, to keep cameras out of the courtroom, arguing this could become a reality TV show. Given the extent of publicity about the case, a legitimate argument?

JACKSON: I think it's a legitimate argument, but I think the other argument, Jim, is that there has to be a transparency perspective. I mean, look, the courtrooms are where things happen, and that which is done in the dark comes out in the light. Public has a vested interest in knowing what occurred, particularly in light of all the conspiracy theories.

And so there is, you know, for the most part, there are cameras in the courtroom. In most states in this country, the federal government doesn't allow it, I know. But I think the widow, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, had a lot to do with saying, hey, let's let this out there in the public. People have a right to know. And we'll be able to evaluate for ourselves, Jim, as the evidence comes out, what actually happened here. And it -- that's the way it should be.

SCIUTTO: Joey Jackson, thanks so much, as always.

JACKSON: Always. Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, President Trump rings the opening bell from the Oval Office to mark the first day of trading for Trump Accounts, a new investment option for children and their parents. We're going to tell you who exactly is eligible and how these accounts differ from other savings plans, including those for education expenses, right after a quick break.

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[15:27:01]

Eric Bedell President Trump opened Wall Street this morning, ringing the bell from the Oval Office to mark the first day of trading for Trump Accounts.

SCIUTTO: The savings and investment accounts join a list of others intended to help families plan for their children's futures, such as Custodial Roth IRAs and 529s for education. So, how do these Trump Accounts differ? How do you open one? Who's eligible? CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman here to answer all of that.

So, David, tell us the group of babies because it's not all of them that are eligible to open these up.

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: That's right. It's not every baby, but you might have one that is eligible, so stay tuned because this is a thousand dollars that the government is putting in these accounts. That's serious money. And I think a lot of people want to know how to get it.

So, who is eligible? Well, it's anyone that was born since 2025. Now, currently it only lasts through 28, but, you know, this could get extended if it's popular. You do need to be a U.S. citizen. You do need a Social Security number. And that last one is key because now you can apply for one of these Trump Accounts as you are applying for your child's Social Security numbers. So, if you check all these boxes, you can get a Trump account.

SANCHEZ: So, why would someone invest in this instead of a Roth IRA or a 529?

GOLDMAN: Yes, there are some key differences here. So, the thing that you need to understand is that if you don't put any money in at all, it's just a thousand dollars and you will get that money out when you become eligible. But you can put five thousand dollars of tax deferred money into these accounts. And there are certain accounts that you can -- you can put the money in, but only certain accounts are They're pretty vanilla, you know, like S&P 500 broad index funds. You cannot take this out until you turn 18.

Now, if you are 18 and you want to withdraw it, then you can only use it for certain things like college or your first home, or you can just keep it in that account. And when you become 60, you can withdraw that money as a retirement account. But if you do anything else, you get that 10 percent penalty.

So, those are some of the key differences and some of the advantages.

SCIUTTO: So, it obviously depends how much you put in every year over the course of many years. But -- but given those differences, how much could parents conceivably expect to have if they were to start investing today?

GOLDMAN: Quite a bit of money. So, if you just put a thousand dollars and you didn't touch it now, let's assume a 10 percent return. That's pretty conservative. Over the last 10 years, you would get about fifty five hundred dollars. And if the market doesn't perform as well, you'd still get about thirty three hundred. But let's say you did max out your contributions. You're looking at a quarter million dollars for your child by the time they turn 18 years old.

[15:30:01]

And that's why so many people want to sign up for this. We've already had 6 million people do that.