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Maine Democrats Hold Nominating Convention; Progressive Change Campaign Committee Co-Founder Adam Green is Interviewed about Replacing Platner; Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) is Interviewed about Iran; Ex-Olympian Arraigned today for Reflecting Pool Damage. Aired 9- 9:30a ET

Aired July 09, 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]

GHONHEE LEE, CEO, KATALYST SPACE TECHNOLOGIES: Process will take about 30 days to get there within close proximity. Once we dock on, we'll be able to fire our thrusters for about 60 days to boost it back up to that 600 kilometer orbit that we're shooting for. And at that point, it will be a really great feat of accomplishment. It already is to be even at this point. But Swift, the telescope, is valued at $500 million. It's a national asset that's just doing incredible science for NASA and for our understanding of the cosmos. And NASA was incredibly forward thinking in terms of, how do they lean into the innovative capability of a technology startup and put together a mission for $30 million to launch less than 12 months out from that. That's a 16 to one ratio, $500 million to $30 million, to be able to save this telescope in just unprecedented time. It's really amazing to be able to see something like this come together.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's great to see it all -- I mean it's like all technologies, all advancements kind of working, not only to be able to have Swift up there, but to now be able to have Katalyst and LINK getting up there to save it and try to extend this mission even further to the benefit of truly all of humanity if we continue to be able to study these images.

Ghonhee, thank you so much for coming in. Congrats on the success so far. We'll be tracking this closely.

JOHN Berman, CNN ANCHOR: The new race for the suddenly open Democratic nomination for Senate in Maine. The latest we are hearing about how Democrats will choose a replacement for Graham Platner.

Then breaking moments ago, Iranian state media reporting new U.S. strikes. This is a very active situation unfolding. We're on board a U.S. aircraft carrier in the region.

And a suspect now in custody after throwing a Molotov cocktail at a man in a wheelchair.

Sara is out today. I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. BOLDUAN: So, who is next? That is a question both Democrats and Republicans are asking right now after Graham Platner dropped out of the Maine Senate race. Democrats now forced to figure this out really in real time and launch a nominating process to replace him as they are up against a tight deadline in a contest that could decide control of the Senate. Platner's campaign weathered several controversies and scandals for months. But when a former girlfriend accused him of rape, an allegation he denies, his support cratered and he decided to end it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM PLATNER (D), FORMER MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: We believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be me. And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, Maine Democrats have until July 27th to name a new nominee to take on Republican Senator Susan Collins. Plans are in the works for a convention on short notice. Several candidates are being floated. At least three have already jumped in.

Let's get to CNN's Arlette Saenz. She's got all the reporting for us from Maine.

What's the latest?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, Maine Democrats now have just 18 days to select a new Democratic nominee for Senate, really setting up this massive scramble as they try to course correct in this campaign for the midterm elections.

Now, the Maine Democratic Party yesterday did approve a plan to hold a nominating convention to select that replacement for Graham Platner after he bowed out of the race. We are still waiting to learn more details about how exactly that will play out and when that convention will take place.

But it really throws a lot of this Senate race up in the air at this moment. And it comes as we have heard a number of Maine Democrats already express interest or enter this race. Nirav Shah, this morning, became the latest Democratic candidate to enter the Senate race. He is someone who ran back in the governor's race in June. He actually came in first in the first vote tallies, but then came in second once ranked choice voting came into play.

There are two other Maine Democrats who also ran for governor to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. That includes Troy Jackson, someone who has already announced his candidacy. He is backed by Our Revolution, a group that is aligned with Bernie Sanders.

And then there is the state secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, who ran against Susan Collins in the past and lost. She potentially could enter this race as well. There is Dan Kleban, who owns a local brewery, who yesterday said that

he is entering this race.

[09:05:00]

And another person to keep an eye on is State Representative Valli Geiger. She actually spoke with Graham Platner this week, and he encouraged her to consider running if he steps aside.

But really, we've talked to so many Maine voters over the course of the past two days who have been very disappointed with how this entire situation has played out. Talk to people who are frustrated that there wasn't more vetting done of Graham Platner before he entered this race.

And there is some underlying anxiety among Democrats here in Maine about how this replacement process will play out. We've spoken to many who are concerned, pointing back to what happened in 2024 when Joe Biden dropped out of this race and rallied immediately behind Vice President Kamala Harris, ultimately proving to be unsuccessful in the campaign.

Democrats are now operating with a very short window. We talked to a lot of voters who said that they feel that whoever does replace Platner should have the same type of ability to tap into some energy within the state, as that -- he did, was very popular in the Democratic primary here.

But there's still a lot up in the air around this race and whether Democrats have enough time to mount a viable candidate to take on Susan Collins in November.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Arlette, thanks so much for your reporting.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political action committee that initially backed Platner but has since pulled its support.

Nice to see you this morning, Adam.

How do you feel about this convention of some 600 people that's going to select a new Senate candidate in the next 18 days?

ADAM GREEN, CO-FOUNDER, PROGRESSIVE CHANGE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE: Well, the stakes are high. And if we want to have a candidate who can defeat Susan Collins by making clear that she was the deciding vote for Brett Kavanaugh and has been a lockstep soldier for Donald Trump, we need the best person possible as a candidate, and we need a really pumped up Democratic Party that is unified.

And that's why these questions around, how will the candidate get selected are so critical. And there's really two things I would kind of put on your radar. The first is, just as your reporter said, will there be ranked choice voting in the convention itself? As was said, Nirav Shah got the most votes on the first round in the recent primary, but he didn't have the most support across the Democratic Party. That was progressive Hannah Pingree. And now she's the nominee.

Similarly, we can have a 600 person convention with six candidates where five of them support taxing billionaires, five of them support Medicare for all and shaking up the system, one of them is backed by A.I. and crypto and AIPAC and other corporate interests, and that person skirts by with 130 votes if we don't have ranked choice voting. So, that is a must. We would not be on a course to defeat Susan Collins if that were true.

And the second is, how are local counties going to nominate their people? And it needs to be a really wide, open process where people feel like, you know, not just party hacks, but regular people have gone to the convention itself.

BERMAN: Look, this is complicated, right? I mean, I don't think there's a state that's been through anything like this. Certainly Maine has. And it has to do it all very, very quickly.

Part of going forward, though, I think, is coming to terms with what happened and why. And I want to play for you Graham Platner's explanation for what happened.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM PLATNER (D), FORMER MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: It's not the false allegations, though, that have brought us to where we are. It's the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us.

We live in a political system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish. That if they begin to succeed, they can be crushed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Is this the political establishment's fault that he's dropping out, or is it because a woman came forward on television and said that he raped her?

GREEN: It's the latter. That video really made no one proud except for probably Graham Platner. It was quite unfortunate. I don't think his campaign team even supported him putting that type of video out.

You know, I would be the first to acknowledge that there is a battle for the soul of the party going on within the Democratic Party. I'm from the economic populist wing, wanting to fight corporate power for the little guy. But even one of our heroes, Elizabeth Warren, made clear to Graham Platner about a month ago, when he came to talk to her and other senators. You know, people have marriage problems, but can you assure us that there is nothing related to consent or violence about to come? And he gave her that assurance. That was the line in the sand. And that is a good line in the sand for Democrats to have. And he violated that line. And now we have to move on and we have to do, you know, with what just happened in mind, choose a candidate.

And, you know, maybe in this case, in this race, we don't go with an untested candidate. Maybe less the beer manufacturer guy who nobody knows anything about, and maybe more someone like Shenna Bellows or Troy Jackson.

[09:10:03]

We'll see.

But, yes, that was a tragic video.

BERMAN: Interesting.

(CROSS TALK)

BERMAN: You know, how much damage do you think -- how much damage do you think has been done to the progressive cause for people who say we need outsiders?

GREEN: This was certainly a setback, but I don't -- you know, it would be tragic to think that this means that we just need party hacks in Washington. You know, I would point out that in 2018 everyone from Katie Porter, to Elissa Slotkin, to many others who won that year were first time candidates. Right now, Abdul El-Sayed is running an insurgent economic populist campaign in Michigan, and he's winning. Dan Osborne is an economic populist, independent running in Nebraska. You know, he's neck and neck in a 20-point red state with a Republican senator.

So, I think the point, you know, Will Lawrence is a great candidate running in a swing congressional district and is the front runner, a former Sunrise co-founder, taking on corporate power.

So, the point is being proven across the country that bold, economic populists can win. But certainly this was a black eye. And it's very good that he got out of the race.

BERMAN: Adam Green, frank conversation this morning. We appreciate you joining us and going through these things. And I should note that Graham Platner continues to deny the allegations against him.

Thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: We're following -- we are following breaking news out of the Middle East. Jordan just intercepted Iranian missiles over their airspace, over its airspace, and Iranian state media is reporting a wave of daylight strikes from the United States in Iran. The perimeter of a nuclear power plant in Iran was reportedly targeted within just the last few hours. This appears to be the most activity seen on the ground in Iran in weeks, since just after President Trump issued new threats and warnings to Iran after it targeted ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Last hour John spoke with our colleague Pamela Brown, who's aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: What I can tell you is that the stakes are raised. They have been in this conflict and engaged in some way for five and a half months now, or been ready to jump back in to go to war. I can tell you, today, given the fact that there were overnight strikes on Iran, just these last (INAUDIBLE) are taking on a new meaning. I asked the admiral, who oversees the ship, as well as the destroyers, if there is a heightened threat alert. He said, look, you know, we are always looking for threats.

And he didn't necessarily say that there was a heightened threat alert, but I do think it is notable that you have the destroyer here coming close to the ship in this moment of high intensity, right? You had the ceasefire. Things had calmed down. There was a funeral in Iran where there was a pause in the negotiations. And these last few days have really changed the calculus.

And so, John, we'll have to wait and see if there will be more strikes. We know that the two aircraft carriers are capable of that, as well as these destroyers that we know have been used since the beginning of the war with those Tomahawk missiles targeting land targets in Iran.

But also that destroyer right there, among several others, it has intercepted ballistic missiles and drones that were directly targeting the Abraham Lincoln. This ship I'm on right now is considered a high value target. And that destroyer right there (INAUDIBLE) very loud. That destroyer right there has intercepted multiple threats from Iran with Iran trying to hit this ship.

Now, also, John, it's worth noting that part of Iran's military strategy has been this sort of cost imbalance with these cheap drones and the military using more expensive ballistic missiles and other ways of taking it down. I'm told that they're trying to evolve and use cheaper weapons. But it's a very active, dynamic environment out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Our Pamela Brown aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Joining us right now to talk about where things stand with this war is Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York. He's the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, what is your understanding, because it does seem unclear if there is a ceasefire or that ceasefire itself has ceased. Where is this war right now?

REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY): Well, you know, the president flip flops back and forth on what he's saying, which is also causing the confusion that I think -- and no real plan in reference to where we are, where we're going, especially after a very poorly drawn MOU. When you had something that was drafted not by individual diplomats who understand how to have a -- to draft the MOU so that there is clear understanding on both sides and a dispute resolution, if there is questions, on the document itself.

So, most of the GCC countries, for example, that I spoke with in the past and currently, thought that the MOU and the ceasefire would not stand because of the ambiguities that are contained therein, that I've asked several questions.

[09:15:10]

The one time that I had an opportunity to ask questions of the administration as to what did certain paragraphs mean and how it would be interpreted. All of those things were left open, poorly drafted MOU. The president seems to say different things, which does not help. One day we -- the Strait is good. The Iranian people are -- and the leadership is there. Another one, they're poor. So, that does not help with diplomacy. And I think that our allies, the GCC countries particularly, they need and they're ask -- they're saying they know they're pissed off at Iran, clearly, because Iran is targeting them, and then the -- and trying to strike them because of our bases that are there, et cetera. So, they want diplomacy and dialog to come because they don't believe, and I don't believe, that you're going to be able to bomb your way out of this.

BOLDUAN: There was some other big news that came out of the NATO Summit, including that President Trump has said that NATO -- at NATO that the U.S. is going to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors. This is something that Zelenskyy's long sought permission for to get these defensive weapons. What is this going to mean for Ukraine? Do you applaud this?

MEEKS: Yes, look, I have been, for a long time, I think that we should have been with Ukraine and helping them. Then maybe Putin would have stopped his aggression. We would have saved some lives, et cetera. That we've got to stand with our European allies who have done everything that have been asked of them. They have stepped up in a very big way in supporting Ukraine and giving Ukraine what it needs so that it can continue to fight the aggression and the viciousness and the -- and the war that Putin has put on them. And so, we need to stand with our ally because we know that Russia will not stop there. And it will also go into other NATO countries because they're trying to revive the Soviet Union. And so, it is important that we stand with Ukraine and NATO. That is what has brought us peace for over 75 years.

BOLDUAN: Graham Platner is out of that Senate race in Maine. It has a big impact on everyone in the Democratic Party. Ending that Senate bid -- as he's ending the Senate bid, he took a parting shot at the -- well, blaming the political establishment for forcing him out. Do you think -- do you think that's what it was? What do you think of him?

MEEKS: No. Clearly it was his past indiscretions, and as well as someone coming on air and saying that he raped her. That's clearly what took place. So, he should look at himself in that regard with all the questions around him. And I think that the people of Maine, no outside groups, nobody from, you know -- we have a lot of different organizations, et cetera, but let the people of Maine make a determination of what process they want to put in now so that they can determine who would be the appropriate person to win that Senate seat so we can beat Susan Collins and make sure that we take back the Senate.

Also, let the people of Maine, whether it's 600 people, they have the opportunity to determine that. And it should not be someone that's pressuring them from any, you know, outside groups. The people of Maine decide. We all then come together. We will unite to be a united Democratic Party.

BOLDUAN: Real quick --

MEEKS: I know who we are and I know what we've done in the past. So, let the people of Maine make that determination.

BOLDUAN: Do you think -- Congressman, do you think that the push to beat Susan Collins is more challenging this morning?

MEEKS: No, I think that the people will come up and make a decision. And we all will unite behind whoever that is. Whoever the people of Maine select.

Look, that's how we've been -- the Democratic Party that we are. We're the Democratic Party that brought Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security, the Democratic Party that brought civil rights and voting rights, the Democratic Party that reduced budgets, that works with small business, labor unions, and worker's rights, immigrant rights. We will all come together to make sure we understand that we've got to stop some of the -- Donald Trump, but bring back affordability to the people of the United States. And we can only do that if, in fact, we have a Democrat -- Democrats in both the House and the Senate.

BOLDUAN: Well, we will see that coming together, what that's going to look like in the -- maybe the messy road to that in Maine in the next 18 days.

It's good to see you, Congressman. Thanks for your time.

John.

BERMAN: All right, we are standing by to see a former Olympian due in court after being indicted for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. How he intends to handle those charges, as three more people have now been charged.

New video evidence expected to be presented today in a hearing for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk.

[09:20:03]

But a key piece of that video will not be shown.

And a wild police chase across a golf course ends with the arrest of an attempted murder suspect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right, just moments ago, lawyers for a former U.S. Olympic canoeist -- those aren't the lawyers, those are the fans greeting him there at the courthouse.

[09:25:06]

They arrived for a hearing today at this Washington, D.C. court, because this canoeist has been charged with damaging the Reflecting Pool, just past the Lincoln Memorial.

Let's get right to CNN's Katelyn Polantz for the latest on all this.

Katelyn, tell us about the case and what we expect today.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, a former Olympic slalom canoeist, David Hearn, he is going to be in court for the very first time. He's facing an indictment for a felony for allegedly touching and peeling up some of that paint or sealant on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.

Now, this is the sort of thing that has caused at least three other people at this point to be charged with much lesser versions of this charge. This was the sort of thing that came about when U.S. Park Police were all around the Reflecting Pool. There were widespread reports of the paint or the blue sealant on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool after the Trump administration had done repairs there of it peeling up.

Hearn, though, he's the one that has gotten hit with a much serious -- much more serious type of charge from the D.C., U.S. attorney's office. He's facing that now. He had been indicted in -- by a grand jury.

John, the difference between what Hearn is facing and what the others, the three others that we know of who are also in court recently for peeling up paint, the difference is that Hearn is alleged to have damaged the Reflecting Pool in a way that resulted in more than $1,000 worth of damage. The other charges, the lesser charges, therefore, damage that may have resulted in $1,000 or less. And those people, they were found to have pieces of the Reflecting Pool, one person in their hand, one woman had a piece of it in her purse whenever the Park Police confronted her.

But now we see David Hearn at court. We see this situation where the Justice Department is going very aggressively against this former Olympic canoeist. There is a lot of question of how much this case will be able to survive. Is he being made an example because of this other failure of the Trump administration to properly repair the Reflecting Pool? Is he just becoming a scapegoat for a larger issue? Those are the questions that people like those supporters outside of the D.C. Superior Court this morning are asking.

So, John, not a huge amount of things to happen in this hearing today because it's going to be an arraignment, but we may get some sort of signal from the court if there could be, for either Hearn himself or for the Justice Department, any rough waters ahead.

John.

BERMAN: I see what you did there. Rough waters.

Katelyn Polantz for us in Washington this morning. Thank you very much for your report.

We will stay tuned to what happens inside that court.

All right, Americans told to shelter. Air raid sirens in the Middle East. The renewed war between the United States and Iran.

Getting or renewing a passport could soon get a lot easier. The changes that might allow you to take your passport photo from your own home.

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