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Biden Says Recession Not Inevitable Despite Economists' Warnings; Philadelphia Firefighter Dead after Building Collapse; COVID Shot for Kids; January 6 Committee Calls Ginni Thomas to Testify; Georgia Election Chief to Testify on Trump's Pressure Campaign; Some Anti-Trump Republicans Face Uphill Re-Election Battles; Golf Star Phil Mickelson Out of Contention.. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 18, 2022 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:35]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Wall Street just wrapped up another rocky week, sparking fears of recession is near.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Higher prices are plaguing President Biden.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm using every lever available to me to bring down prices for the American people.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: A massive heat dome bakes parts of the U.S. while in the West, they are seeing the worst drought in 1,200 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scary to think that we may not be able to do this because we don't have the water to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's this assumption that it's always going to be there until it's not there.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These two American fighters may well have been captured by the very Russians that they've been fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We suspect they were not dealt by either the T-72 tank shooting at them or the blast of the mine.

JOY BLACK, FIANCE OF ANDY HUYNH: He really had this gnawing at his heart and this big burden on him to go and serve the people however he can. I just want to see him back safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: I'm Jessica Dean in Washington. Pamela Brown has tonight off and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin this hour with your wallet and the beating it has taken in recent days, weeks, and months. The S&P 500 just ended its worst week since March of 2020. Of course, that's when the pandemic hit. And for a second straight day, the Dow closed below 30,000.

Americans are feeling the worst inflation now since 1981. Consumer prices shot up by 8.6 percent for the year ending in May. Record gas prices and skyrocketing airline tickets are battering summer travel plans. And just a few days ago, the Federal Reserve raised the target rate for bank borrowing in hopes of controlling inflation and that has pushed mortgage rates to their highest since 2008. The average for a 30-year mortgage now sits at 5.78 percent.

For reference back in December, it was 3.1 percent, and new data shows even the cost of a backyard cookout is up more than 20 percent from a year ago. The blanc Political Calculations compared data from the Farm Bureau one year ago to this year. So here are some of the items they featured: Two pounds of ground beef costs 11 percent more than a year ago eight hamburger buns, up 55 percent; two pounds of chicken breasts, up 40 percent; a half gallon of vanilla ice cream, costing 58 percent more; but the price of a 13 ounce bag of potato chips is down three percent.

But here's the total of all of that. Last year the Farm Bureau's cookout would have cost you $59.00. This year, Political Calculations says the same or similar items would cost nearly $72.00. That's almost 21 percent more.

CNN White House correspondent, Arlette Saenz is traveling with the President in Delaware this weekend. Arlette, how is the President trying to reassure nervous Americans?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jess, the President is keenly aware of the economic anxiety that so many Americans are feeling right now as they see these skyrocketing prices on everything from gas to the food that they're purchasing at the grocery store. And over the course of the past few weeks, the President has really leaned into his economic messaging trying to assure Americans that he is trying to get a handle on inflation.

Take a listen to what he had to say on this topic yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: In the United States, I'm using every lever available to me to bring down prices for the American people, and our nations are working together to stabilize global energy markets, including coordinating the largest release from the global reserve -- from global oil reserves in history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: But even as President Biden is saying he is trying to use every lever possible to try to lower some of these prices here in the country, he has also said that there is little he can do to try to change these prices in the short term when it comes to gas and also food.

Now the White House has insisted that they are looking at every option on the table. One option that was being discussed was the possibility of sending out gas rebate cards to Americans to pay for gas as they head to the gas pump each week. But ultimately a White House official said that that is unlikely to happen because such a program would be difficult to administer and it would also be difficult to track whether Americans were actually using that money for gas versus other items.

[18:05:03]

SAENZ: Additionally, Biden was speaking to reporters a bit earlier today here in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, he said he is still in the process of determining whether he will lift those Trump era tariffs on China. The White House is trying to evaluate whether that would lower prices in any capacity. But if it would, it likely would be just a very short-term issue.

But the President at the same time is trying to assure Americans that he does not believe a recession is inevitable, even as some economists are predicting that one is looming. But the President has also said that he understands the weariness that Americans are feeling especially when it comes to the issues related to the economy, which could prove to be a very real political liability for him heading into the November midterm elections.

DEAN: Yes. A lot of anxious Americans out there. Arlette Saenz, thanks so much.

And record gas prices aren't the only sticker shock for American drivers. If you are shopping for a car, you're facing a perfect storm of factors that are pushing prices up.

CNN's Camila Bernal is in Los Angeles with a closer look at this and the average monthly car payment has just hit a record $712.00 a month. What are the factors behind this?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, supply is low and demand is high. And that goes for affordable vehicles, luxury vehicles and really anything in between.

Right now, the average nationally for a new car is at $47,000.00. If you're going to buy a used car, then you're going to have to have at least $28,000.00. That's the average and experts say they don't expect those numbers to go down.

So those that I talked to told me, look, even if you're a good negotiator, you're likely not going to get a discount.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROLAND PAHUD, CAR BUYER: This here is the Wrangler four-wheel drive.

BERNAL (voice over): This is Roland Pahud's new Jeep, it was a necessity he says and a quick decision.

PAHUD: I had another car. There was a lot of mileage and I needed a bigger one. BERNAL (voice over): The jeep was about $50,000.00, leaving his

monthly payment at about $800.00, higher than the most recent Kelley Blue Book monthly payment average at $712.00.

MATT DEGEN, SENIOR EDITOR, KELLEY BLUE BOOK: This is a new record for that monthly payment. This is a new record. And then the car -- the new car prices are actually near records.

BERNAL (voice over): In the last year, new car prices have gone up 12.6 percent, used cars up 16.1 percent; food 10.1 percent, and gas up 48.7 percent.

But gas prices not necessarily deterring potential buyers at this Southern California car dealership.

RAED MALAEB, AUTO DEALERSHIP GENERAL MANAGER: Demand is high supplies the low and we're still in sharp shortage era.

BERNAL (voice over): This paired with the high interest rates making it difficult for buyers.

DEGEN: We don't see prices decreasing much, and even if they do just keep in mind that interest rates are rising, so the cost of borrowing money is going up. So that just means you're still going to be paying as much or nearly as much as you weren't even if those prices go down.

BERNAL (voice over): Car, home, and student loans all higher. Interest rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage have jumped from 2.93 to 5.78 percent in the last year.

PAHUD: This is how it looks.

BERNAL (voice over): Pahud wishes his interest would have been lower, but says it was his need and want that motivated his new car purchase.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERNAL (on camera): And a lot of people are turning to electric vehicles. Prices for those are also higher and even though it is cheaper to charge a car, electricity is up by 12 percent in comparison to last year -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Camila Bernal in Los Angeles for us, thanks so much.

And low gas prices in 2020, plus the exploding pandemic made many Americans restless and hungry for new adventures and so some of them hit the road, living essentially in a home on wheels and embracing a nomadic lifestyle that's come to be known as Van Life.

But these people are now facing a new reality hundreds of dollars to fuel up their van, their bus, their RV's.

Alex and Frankie McCullough are van lifers. They're living on the road and sharing their experiences and expertise on YouTube and social media. Great to see both of you from inside of your van, it looks like there. Let's first share a clip from your YouTube channel. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX MCCULLOUGH, VAN LIFER BLOGGER (voice over): Fuel is one of the most expensive parts of Van Life, so with the price is rising, is van life over?

A. MCCULLOUGH (on camera): Pros and cons of coming to the cheapest gas station in town.

A. MCCULLOUGH (voice over): We're sharing our tips to save money and asking fellow van lifers. What are you going to do now that the price of gas is so high?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: It's a good question. Alex, first off, what advice are you sharing with fellow or prospective van lifers?

[18:10:00]

A. MCCULLOUGH: So definitely one of the most important things to consider if you're just buying a van is how many miles per gallon you get. If you're looking at getting a giant 30-foot school bus, you're really going to feel it at the pumps. But if you pick something a little bit smaller, a little bit sportier, still home-sized, you'll definitely make out better at the pumps.

DEAN: Sure. And Frankie how -- tell me a little bit about how the record high gas prices have impacted you all's life.

FRANKIE MCCULLOUGH, VAN LIFER BLOGGER: So I think that we've traveled just a little bit slower now. We try to stay at places and really just make sure that we know exactly where we're going to go on our route. That way we could calculate exactly how much money we need for fuel.

DEAN: Yes, and it really has -- I mean, you know, if you started in 2020, the gas prices, Camila Bernal just going over, some 40 percent higher. That has to be such an impact, such a change for you guys.

A. MCCULLOUGH: Yeah, when we first left, we were paying about $2.00 and change per gallon. And now, you know, we were just traveling in California where prices were almost at $00. . It definitely hurts.

It's funny, because we'll go back and watch some of our old videos where we were complaining about prices over $3.00, and now we're jumping for joy if we see that.

DEAN: Right, a lot of perspective there. Frankie, by most accounts, the gas prices are likely to go higher. Do you think that's going to shrink the number of people choosing to live the van life?

F. MCCULLOUGH: I don't think it's going to shrink the number, and the reason why that is, is because when you get into van life or with this lifestyle, we are saving a lot of money on rent. So, we are not paying the amount of money that a normal person would pay for rent, which then that could be your budget for fuel.

DEAN: Yes, and do you think it's still going to be a lifestyle 20 to 30 years from now even five or 10 years from now? Or do you think this was kind of a reaction to this extraordinary moment in time?

A. MCCULLOUGH: Well, I think it was a lifestyle before COVID hit. We were definitely already on the road when that happened and everybody that we've talked to loves the lifestyle. Obviously, there's going to be people that come into it and out of it as a season in their lives.

But I think it's definitely something here to say, especially with the connectivity we have now with the internet, and the introduction of programs like Starlink, where you can get internet anywhere. You could literally work a full-time corporate job from a van in the middle of a forest, it really opens up so many doors.

DEAN: Yes. So that's what I was going to ask you about. I think a lot of people are probably watching and thinking, "Wow, that would be -- that could be a great adventure." But what do you do for money? How do you keep a job?

I know Alex, on your website, you and Frankie offer expertise consultations for $100.00, so you're able to make some money that way. How are people doing this, and also making sure that they have the money to live?

F. MCCULLOUGH: Well, if you actually go through our podcast as well, you could hear all different types of examples of jobs on the road, there are traveling nurses, there are people who do content creation, like ourselves. We work with sponsorships and brand deals while on the road, which makes it to where we can have a very affordable lifestyle, and be able to put money in the bank as well.

A. MCCULLOUGH: But we know people who are teachers that on the road, they do graphic design, any kind of job that you can do digitally. We know people who are accountants and website builders, and literally from A to Z. We've seen the gamut of jobs on the road.

And like Frankie said before, the cost of living once you're actually in the vehicle, I know you were just talking about how the prices of vehicles have skyrocketed. So once you're actually in the van, your life on the road is very inexpensive.

DEAN: And so what would you to both say was the one thing you wish you'd known before you hit the road?

F. MCCULLOUGH: Well, one thing I wish I knew is the fact that life could be so inexpensive and not to be scared. There's a lot of people out here in the world that are actually super friendly and we have been prone to finding those people and we're so thankful for everybody who's helped us along our journey.

A. MCCULLOUGH: Yes. And we're just glad that we made the leap when we did because since we've gotten on the road, we've met so many amazing people. And I think there are so many resources out there now. When we first got on the road, it was hard to find, you know how-to's

and guides about how to live the lifestyle. But now, there's literally books, A to Z on how to do it. So we're so glad that there's so much out there for anybody who is interested in the lifestyle.

DEAN: Yes, and you guys are leading the way.

Alex and Frankie McCullough, thanks so much for joining us and safe travels.

F. MCCULLOUGH: Thanks for having us.

A. MCCULLOUGH: Thank you so much.

DEAN: And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM, coming up, the CDC recommending COVID-19 shots for children as young as six months. That's clearing the way for vaccinations to start very soon.

Also ahead, a fallen firefighter hailed a hero after a building collapses in Philadelphia.

And the January 6 Committee setting its sights on the pressure campaign to overturn Biden's election win.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:19:05]

DEAN: A Philadelphia firefighter was killed overnight after a building collapsed that happened just after a fire in the building was put out. Officials say four other firefighters and a city worker were rescued from that rubble. The Fire Commissioner saying the firefighter who died had been with the department for 27 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM K. THIEL, PHILADELPHIA FIRE COMMISSIONER: People are just starting to decompress because we just finished up pulling our brother out of this place and -- our brothers out of his place. And you know, it's going to be a rough few weeks coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: The cause of the building collapse remains under investigation.

And turning now to the major development in the fight against COVID- 19. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed off on both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under the age of five.

CNN's Miguel Marquez has the latest on that.

[18:20:00]

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, this decision by the CDC advisory panel gets us sort of one step closer to helping protect all Americans and maybe getting closer to smothering out this pandemic. This will cover some nearly 20 million Americans, the youngest most vulnerable Americans, those under five.

The CDC Advisory Panel met for several hours. They had a presentation then they took about an hour and a half of questions and statements. A couple of the things that they centered on, were that vaccinations are effective against severe illness in children. That's something that we've seen in other cohorts as well that vaccination is better than previous infections. Some parents saying, oh, my child was previously infected, I think that they'll be fine.

They found that because of the way the virus has changed with the various variants, and that there may be more variants to come that getting vaccinated is much more effective than relying on previous infection.

But the side effects are there just like they were for me or for you or for whoever got vaccinated, but they are manageable. And then they discussed a lot about the practicality of both delivering and distributing and administering these vaccines to these young people because it is a different dose, it is a different way of doing it.

These are two separate vaccines that they approved today, Moderna and Pfizer with two different regimes. The Moderna is a two-shot regimen given over several weeks and the Pfizer is three shots, also given over several weeks.

Many states have already ordered these shots up. Many of these doses are already being delivered in cities like New York. They expect to start putting them into young arms next week.

Back to you.

DEAN: All right, Miguel Marquez for us. Thanks so much for that update.

Georgia's Secretary of State is scheduled to appear before the January 6 Committee on Tuesday.

Coming up, a look ahead with CNN senior legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:26:30]

DEAN: The January 6 Committee is gearing up for more public hearings in the week ahead. Among those scheduled to testify, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Then President Trump pressured him, you'll remember to, quote, "Find enough votes to win the 2020 election." But Trump's plan went beyond Georgia. We're now learning that Arizona's Republican House Speaker will also testify about the pressure campaign. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is wasting no time lashing out at the panel.

He called the committee quote "con artists" as it prepares for a fourth hearing.

CNN's Jessica Schneider has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I never called Mike Pence a wimp. I never called him a wimp. Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be frankly, historic.

But just like Bill Barr and the rest of these weak people, Mike -- and I say it sadly because I like him -- but Mike did not have the courage to act.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Former President Trump using his platform at a conservative political conference to deny the evidence against him and blast the January 6 Committee.

TRUMP: They are con people. They are con artists.

SCHNEIDER (voice over): Trump's attacks come as the Committee is gearing up for several more hearings. CNN has learned, Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger will be at Tuesday's hearing with his Deputy.

TRUMP (via phone): All I want to do is this, I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have.

SCHNEIDER (voice over): They'll testify about Trump's efforts to pressure them to change the election results.

The Committee also wants to talk to Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas about her communications with Trump attorney, John Eastman.

Eastman devised the scheme to pressure then Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of Biden's 2020 electoral win.

MIKE PENCE, THEN VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That it was verified, appears to be regular in form and authentic.

SCHNEIDER (voice over): Something Pence ultimately refused to do.

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): We have sent Miss Thomas a letter asking her to come and talk to the Committee.

We look forward to her coming.

SCHNEIDER (voice over): Ginni Thomas issued a short response to the Committee via the conservative publication, "Daily Caller" saying she can't wait to clear up misconceptions. "I look forward to talking to them." Eastman denying he ever discussed election litigation that might come

before the Supreme Court with Ginni Thomas or with Justice Clarence Thomas. Eastman writing: "We have never engaged in such discussions, would not engage in such discussions and did not do so in December 2020 or anytime else."

While the committee has requested cooperation from outstanding witnesses, it has so far refused to share full transcripts of all of its interviews with the Justice Department, but the Committee says it will not be an obstacle to Justice Department prosecutions.

THOMPSON: We are not going to stop what we're doing to share the information that we've gotten so far with the Department of Justice. We have to do our work.

SCHNEIDER (voice over): CNN has learned the panel is running into problems securing witnesses for an upcoming hearing about Trump's efforts to pressure the Justice Department to support and promote his false election fraud claims.

While Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue, the top two officials at DOJ in the final weeks of the Trump administration are expected to appear, the Committee is so far striking out with Pat Cipollone. Cipollone is the former White House lawyer credited with talking some sense into Trump by threatening to resign. Sources say Cipollone is not expected to join the hearing in person despite already talking to the Committee privately.

[18:30:11]

SCHNEIDER (on camera): And The New York Times is also reporting that the Committee could start sharing transcripts of those witness interviews with the Justice Department as soon as next month. Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Jessica, thank you. And former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is joining me now. Preet, it's lovely to see you. Thanks for being with us on a Saturday night.

PREET BHARARA, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Sure.

DEAN: We know this next hearing is going to include the tape of former President Trump pressuring Brad Raffensperger in Georgia. What else are you going to be listening for on Tuesday?

BHARARA: Well, it's a very important piece of testimony that we're going to get from that Secretary of State from Georgia. We've all heard the tape. It's been around for a long time. What we don't have is testimony from him, at least, that I'm aware of talking about other communications, whether other people at the White House with their subsequent communications done through intermediaries or directly from Donald Trump and others, what kind of action did he take, what was his state of mind when he had that conversation with Donald Trump. And so all the details are not filled in yet and so I think it'd be pretty important.

DEAN: And we know the Committee said this week that "it won't be an obstacle for the Department of Justice prosecution surrounding the events of January 6", and the Justice Department had raised some concerns the Committee was not sharing those transcripts with them. There's a lot of talk about this relationship between the DOJ, what they're trying to do with this investigation and what the Committee is trying to do. What do you make of their relationship?

BHARARA: Well, it's hard to tell. The important thing to remember as a foundational matter is that the Justice Department has a different role and a different goal from what the Committee role is. They're in different branches of government. The Committee is trying to be transparent and try to make a record of what happened with the final purpose of issuing a report that lays out in detail all the events that led up to January 6 and its aftermath, and what proposals would be necessary for Congress to prevent that from ever happening again.

And the Justice Department is not issuing a report. If it plays in this area, on this field, its purpose is to find out who, if anyone, other than the people who have already been arrested and charged and prosecuted is criminally liable for the events of January 6th, so there's a lot of overlap, even though they have different missions in different in different goals. And the overlap is in evidence gathering.

The Justice Department, according to some, has been too late to the game in figuring out who it wants to interview. At the same time, there are people at the Justice Department who are criticizing the Committee, as you mentioned, for not turning over those transcripts. I think both sides are trying to get something. The Committee obviously has been disappointed that only two of the four people are recommended for contempt of Congress charges or actually charged by the Justice Department.

I ultimately think it's not a big deal. It's not really a fight. The Committee has made clear that it wants to be transparent and wants to release these transcripts, not just to the Justice Department, but to the general public. The question will be what the timing is and how quickly it can be resolved, but I don't think it's a big deal.

DEAN: And amid all of this, the former president is still out there, repeating the same lies that the Committee is now detailing and talking people through. Let's listen to him yesterday, once again, going after former Vice President Mike Pence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I never called Mike Pence a wimp. I never called him a wimp. Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be frankly historic. But just like Bill Barr and the rest of these weak people, Mike and I say it sadly because I liked him, but Mike did not have the courage to act.

(END VIDEO CLIP) DEAN: And of course, we now know that the Vice President's life was

in danger. What is your reaction to former President Trump's comments there?

BHARARA: My reaction is dismissive and there's a lot of things that Donald Trump says and has said. Number one, Donald Trump is a proven liar. Number two, whether or not he called him a wimp, he did call him weak, even in that sound bite. He said he didn't have courage and there is some testimony forthcoming, I believe, that he called Mike Pence something that I can't repeat on television, a word much worse than a wimp.

What's important is not what he called him. What's important is the pressure he put to bear on the Vice President of the United States and how even when he saw the violence taking place, and he understood that Mike Pence's life was potentially in danger and people were chanting hang Mike Pence and there was a gallows constructed outside, he didn't seem to be upset about it and the testimony, I believe, is that he said maybe the people have a point.

So I don't really understand the significance of whether he called him a wimp or not. He called him worse and he did much worse.

DEAN: And the Committee has also released this surveillance video of a man who marched on the Capitol and threatened Democratic lawmakers, showing he was on a tour with GOP Congressman Barry Loudermilk of Georgia the day before the riots.

[18:35:02]

Loudermilk and the Capitol Police Chief say the tour was innocent, but Loudermilk had also previously said it never happened in the first place. What's your take on that?

BHARARA: I think that the Representative should come and make the case clear. He should give testimony. He should explain what his prior statements were about why they changed and just answer forthrightly all the questions.

The funny thing about all these people who don't want to testify and we should mention, again, that most people are agreeing to testify, but the ones who aren't claim in television sound bites and other podiums that are outside of the purview of the Committee, that they did nothing wrong and everything was above board, and everything was clean. If that's so, then I don't understand the fear and coming before the Committee and under oath in front of the microphone explaining exactly what happened and the American people can decide if the person is telling the truth and being forthcoming or not.

DEAN: All right. We will hear more from the Committee in the next few days during their next hearing. Preet Bharara, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

BHARARA: Thanks for that.

DEAN: While primary season rolls on and more Republicans are finding out that the road can get rockier if they push back on former President Donald Trump. Harry Enten is running the numbers for us, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:52]

DEAN: There's more proof this weekend that going against former President Donald Trump can be very bad for some Republican politicians. CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten joins us now to run the numbers. Hi, Harry. Great to have you with us. Tell us about this historic loss this week.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPOERTER: Yes. So Tom Rice, who voted to impeach Donald Trump was running for reelection in the Republican primary down in South Carolina's seventh congressional district. And he only got 24.7 percent of the vote.

And I was on NEW DAY with John Berman and I said, this is like really rare, but I wasn't quite sure how rare it actually was. And then I went back and I looked at this. And it turns out that that 24.7 percent of the vote that Tom Rice got was the worst House incumbent primary performance this entire century or at least appears to be. It might even go back to the 20th century. But the fact is, it's much harder to calculate the numbers from back then.

But I think this just gives you an indication of what a rough road politicians face within the Republican Party when they go against Trump, especially on impeachment, because you just never see comments doing this bad. I think the closest to this was a performance by William Jefferson down in Louisiana back in 2008, where he got a little bit more than 25 percent of the vote and he was basically facing a potential felony conviction.

So when you get 24.7 percent of the vote, you've done something seriously wrong as far as the voters are concerned.

DEAN: In the eyes of the voters, right? And let's go to Alabama now where Trump endorsed one candidate then switched his endorsement to another. What's the state of play there?

ENTEN: Yes. So he initially endorsed Mo Brooks and then essentially saw Mo Brooks doing bad in the polls and he's like, you know what, I'm going to pull out and I'm going to say give some bizarre reason why I'm no longer endorsing Mo Brooks that nobody really buys. And then they have the actual primary. And Mo Brooks actually advanced that - in that primary to the runoff against Katie Britt.

And then all of a sudden, Katie Britt was doing fairly well in the polls. So he said, you know what, I want to be with the winner, so I'm going to endorse Katie Britt.

And what we can see here is these are essentially the betting odds, the chance of winning. Before Trump endorsed Britt, Britt was the clear favorite. She had an 85 percent chance of winning according to the betting markets. After Trump endorsed Britt, you can see it on your screen right now, Katie Britt has a 98 percent chance of winning just a 2 percent chance for Mo Brooks, which you know, 2 percent things happen but they don't happen very frequently.

So I think Donald Trump is going to get a win this week, sort of I mean, depending on how you define win with Katie Britt probably winning. But I just think this kind of gets to the psychological state of Donald Trump when it comes to endorsing candidates. He goes away from candidates when they're losing, goes towards them when they're winning.

So I'm not sure the win-loss record necessarily tells the state of anything other than Donald Trump wanting to be a winner, and he wants to jump on the train with Katie Britt and I think he will get a win here. But I just think the whole thing is truthfully hilarious when it comes to Donald Trump's endorsements.

DEAN: And following the numbers there and, of course, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, another Republican who not only voted to impeach Donald Trump, she's, of course, one of the leaders on the January 6 Committee. How is she doing in her home state of Wyoming a very, very conservative state?

ENTEN: It is a very conservative state. I mean, Republican performances in Wyoming. My favorite thing is I always run the numbers in a place like West Virginia, and I go, wait a minute, there's a more Republican state than West Virginia? Yeah, it's Wyoming.

And what we see here is essentially before Liz Cheney voted to impeach Donald Trump, she was fairly popular right, you can see that her disapproval rating in Wyoming it was 26 percent. That's fairly low. That's pretty good for a politician, especially statewide in Wyoming because they only have one congressional district.

But then after voting to impeach Donald Trump, look at her disapproval rating now, 72 percent, it went up by 46 points. Again, this just kind of jives with what we saw down in South Carolina seventh district this week. When you went to go impeach Donald Trump as a Republican, Republicans do not like that. They hate that.

And so when you see an incumbent all of a sudden see their disapproval rating jumped by 46 points, you know they've done something horribly wrong in the minds of the voters.

[18:45:08]

And I'm not sure to be perfectly honest, there is a less popular incumbent in Congress than Liz Cheney is at this particular point. And it all goes back to the fact that she voted to impeach Donald Trump and the Republicans in the very Republican State of Wyoming don't like that.

DEAN: Yes. Those numbers certainly show that the former president still has a very stronghold in the Republican Party, especially in primaries. Harry Enten. Thanks so much for being with us. It's always a pleasure to see you. I always learn something.

And be sure to check out Harry's podcast Margins of Error. It's on your favorite podcast app, you can also go to cnn.com/audio.

And you, of course, are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Some of the world's best golfers are at the US Open this weekend, but a growing split inside the sport could change golf forever. Our Don Riddell is at the U.S. Open outside Boston with more, just ahead.

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[18:50:48]

DEAN: The third round of the U.S. Open is winding down tonight in Massachusetts but overshadowing the action on the course is the star we know won't win, Phil Mickelson. CNN's Don Riddell is joining me now from Brookline. Don, why isn't Mickelson competing this weekend?

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Well, he was competing and he's not competing this weekend, Jessica, because he wasn't good enough to make the cut. This has been a monumentally important week for Phil Mickelson. You may remember, he took four months off golf. It was kind of a self-imposed sabbatical following his ill-advised and frankly very insensitive comments that he made about the Saudis and the breakaway golf series that they are funding with a blank check. And he has since decided that he is going to go with that toll, which is highly controversial for so many reasons.

It has fractured the world of professional golf. He and many others have subsequently left to go and try and set up a new thing. This was the first time that we've seen the breakaway golfers and those who are staying with the PGA Tour competing in the same field. I have to say that most of those rebel golfers failed to make the card along with Mickelson and you can see I guess why he is attracted to this new series because there's only 54 holes. There's no cut, and it's guaranteed prize money.

But this I think was the week that Mickelson realized there was no going back. The fans still love him. That is clear. But he faced a very, very hostile press on Monday and he does seem very uncomfortable in that environment.

DEAN: And once play got underway today, would you say his absence was noticed or everyone just kind of pushed ahead?

RIDDELL: Yes. I don't think anybody really noticed to be honest. I mean, he is hugely popular despite everything as I said, but the fans here want to see great golf and Mickelson right now is not a great golfer. This, some of our viewers may know, Brookline the country club here is one of the most historic golf courses in the country. It staged some incredible drama before. This is where Francis Ouimet won as an amateur in 1913. It's where the American

Ryder Cup team came back from four points back to win against the Europeans in 1999.

And today, the conditions have been brutal, really, really high winds. It's dried out the fairways and the greens has made competition very tough. And we've seen some of the world's best golfers struggling. The guy right now that is setting the pace is an amazing story, 25-year- old Will Zalatoris from Dallas on a day where many of the golfers would just have been happy to maintain their position on the leader board. He's actually made serious progress.

He was three under for the day four of the tournament. He's the co- leader at the moment. This is a guy, despite his young age, who has contended in so many major tournaments recently and he's hoping that all that experience can finally push him over the line tomorrow.

Certainly, he's played very well today and is in a fantastic position going into the final round tomorrow, Jessica.

DEAN: All right. A lot of golf fans keeping their eyes out. Don Riddell, thank you so much.

From one coast to the other, a massive heat dome is making parts of the country simply feel like an oven and it's happening while some Americans endured the worst drought conditions in 1,200 years.

Sunday on CNN join - also Sunday on CNN, you can join some of the biggest stars as they lift their voices for Juneteenth, a global celebration for freedom. You can see it live tomorrow night at eight only on CNN.

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[18:59:09]

DEAN: We're back now with some very sad news for our family here at CNN. Former CNN host and beloved political commentator Mark Shields has died. Shields was a moderator and panelist for a weekly CNN talk show called the Capital Gang for 17 years. He was also a staple on PBS NewsHour for 33 years.

Judy Woodruff, the anchor and managing editor of NewsHour remembered Shields for his knowledge of politics, his sense of humor and his heart.

Rick Davis, Shields' executive producer here at CNN wrote that he was the same person to the most powerful politicians as he was the youngest staffer on the team. Shields died of kidney failure at his home in Maryland. He was 85 years old.

[19:00:00]

Good evening to you. I'm Jessica Dean in Washington. Pamela Brown is back tomorrow.