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Senate Expected To Start Voting On Trump Megabill Saturday; Republican Senators Threaten To Vote Against Trump's Bill; Supreme Court Sides With Trump, Limits Lower Courts' Power. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired June 28, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Erica Hill picks up CNN's live coverage right now.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Erica Hill.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, big, beautiful and unfinished, President Trump's budget bill facing a first vote in the Senate this weekend. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court limiting the power of lower courts to block policies nationwide. Just ahead, why the Trump Administration is hailing the decision as a victory. And a peace accord between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but without a signature from the entry through rebels, can a ceasefire really be enacted?

President Trump is celebrating big legal and economic wins, hoping to keep that momentum going into the weekend. U.S. senators are expected to start voting on the President's massive tax and spending bill Saturday afternoon. On Friday, the President praised what he called a giant win from the Supreme Court. A majority of the justices, ruling six to three, ruled to limit the power of lower courts to block his policies on a nationwide basis. President Trump says the ruling was a, quote, "victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law".

As for the markets, well, they were soaring on Friday, as you can see, a whole lot of green there, the S&P 500, the NASDAQ, both hitting all- time highs. The Dow finished up one percent but still below the record high it hit in December. And President Trump now putting Congress to pass his so-called big, beautiful bill, and he wants that done by the Fourth of July.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, look, it's a great bill. It's a massive tax cut. If it's not approved, your taxes will go by 68 percent, think of that, 68 percent, a record, the highest in the history. The Democrats won't approve it only because, politically, it's so good for the Republicans. The Democrats aren't approving it. But, think of what they're not approving. They're not approving border security. We've done a great job at the border, but we have to add some wall. We have to do various things. We have no money for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Important to note, not all Senate Republicans are on board at

this point.

CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju has more now from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are pressing hard to get his massive agenda through the Senate by the end of this weekend, and Saturday is a critical day. That's when we expect the first procedural vote to open up debate on this bill.

But, they can only afford to lose three Republican senators because all Democrats are going to vote no. Can they actually only keep the three defections? That is the big question at this moment, because already two are threatening to vote against it. That's Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He is concerned about the impact that this bill would have on the national deficit. In fact, it's expected to add trillions of dollars to the deficit over the next decade, but he is also concerned about the $5 trillion increase that this plan calls for to the national debt limit.

And then there is Senator Thom Tillis, who is concerned about the cuts to Medicaid and the impacts that this bill would have on his constituents. He told reporters on Friday night that he is a no, period, saying that the fundamentals of the bill need to change. We'll see if that ultimately wins his vote, if there are changes made to win him over.

Several other more moderate senators have concerns; Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Susan Collins, a more conservative Senator Josh Hawley. They all say -- raise concerns about the Medicaid cuts. All of them want to see the details of this plan before they commit on how to vote. And some of the members want deeper spending cuts. Senator Ron Johnson, a more conservative member, wants deeper spending cuts, would not say how he would vote on Friday evening. This is what Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who suggested that he, Lee, Johnson, and Senator Rick Scott potentially could all vote as one bloc on the vote on Saturday. So, that will be something to watch.

But, if this bill goes down today, that would be a huge and embarrassing setback for President Trump, who is putting the pressure on these members to vote yes by his self-imposed July 4th deadline, and if that fails, they have to retool the package, potentially push it back to later this month. If it is approved, then the Senate will descend into what's known as a vote-a-rama. That means a marathon series of amendment votes that will take place all through the day, Saturday, Saturday night, into Sunday. Potentially, that could go on for many, many hours, ultimately, before the bill heads to its final vote and final passage.

Then it would come back to the United States House, and that's where so many House Republicans are threatening to vote against this measure because of their concerns about some of the changes the Senate made. Then it will be up to Speaker Mike Johnson as well as Donald Trump to cajole members and the House GOP to fall in line to get it onto his desk by July 4th.

So, a lot of work cut out from in this major bill that deals with a multi-trillion dollar overhaul of the United States tax code.

[00:05:00]

There is deep spending cuts, new work requirements on Social Safety net programs, hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for defense programs, for national security programs, for border security measures, all of which raises this question, can Donald Trump get it over the finish line and win these members over? It's uncertain at this moment, as the Republican leaders and the President have a lot of arm twisting to do to get a major victory on President Trump's desk.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Also joining me, Mychael Schnell, Congressional Reporter for The Hill, joining us from Washington. Mychael, good to see you. So, when we look at this, as Manu laid out, there is a bit of an uphill climb that will be kicking off on Saturday here. What are the chances this bill does not actually pass the Senate, that, in fact, a number of Republicans do defect?

MYCHAEL SCHNELL, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Yeah. Look, Erica, that's obviously the key question right now, as we're looking forward to the moment where this process could get kicked off. But, it's always a murky one and a tricky one to answer. At this moment, as Manu mentioned, there are a number, a handful of Republican senators who have deep concerns with this bill.

And the interesting thing is, it's not just one area of concern that this group has. It's very, Medicaid cuts, green energy tax credits, the debt limit, spending cuts, a very diverse group of qualms. Now, that raises questions and raises the threat of this not passing through the Senate.

But, the other side of that equation is the immense pressure that these Republicans are under by their leadership, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, but more importantly, by President Trump and the White House. We have seen him time and time again urge Republicans to get behind this bill, mentioning how important it is, the impacts of it, and also going back to his self-imposed deadline, July 4th.

He wants it done by then. So, the main question and equation that these Republican senators are going to be considering in the coming hours is, they have these concerns, but are they willing to cross the President and potentially be the target of his wrath? That's the question and the dilemma that these Republican senators are grappling with right now.

HILL: Yeah, and you talk about which is so important. There are -- it's not just one issue, right, behind which those who have questions and concerns are united. There are multiple issues and multiple concerns about this bill. A number of those also coming up with the Senate parliamentarian, as they were going through it. I mean, it's interesting to know the President is staying in Washington this weekend, those efforts to really work on the arm twisting, make sure this can get done. At the same time, you have Senator Thune calling a midday Saturday vote, quote, "aspirational." In terms of the details, you still need the text.

SCHNELL: Yeah, that's right, and that's one of the biggest things, is that we have these Republican senators who have specific concerns with specific parts of the text. And I will note, there are also plenty of concerns on the House side as well. But, of course, the Senate is the first hurdle that needs to be cleared in this process.

There are a lot of concerns, and a number of senators said earlier today that they don't know how they're going to vote yet on that first procedural vote, because they don't know what they're voting on. There are such critical parts of this bill that are being reworked and rewritten because of rulings made by the parliamentarian. So, these senators haven't even parsed through the specifics to understand where they fall and how they're ultimately going to vote.

And as you mentioned, Senator Thune had initially said that he wanted to hold this first procedural vote at noon tomorrow, or, I guess, technically, today now, calling that goal "aspirational." Well, it's already been pushed back a little bit. The Senate is not scheduled to convene until 02:00 p.m., which means that the earliest, this first procedural vote, could come is shortly after 02:00 p.m.

So, very quickly, we're already moving things back. And again, we still don't have the full text and all of the revised details of this bill. So, it's absolutely an uphill battle to get this thing done. But, oftentimes on Capitol Hill, I will note, things move quickly once all the puzzle pieces are in place, but those pieces are not yet nearly in place at this moment.

HILL: Yeah, and that is the key. You also noted that the President, of course, wants this done July 4th. There was a moment where it seemed that he was perhaps open to pushing that date a little bit, saying it's important. It's not the end all in terms of the deadline, and then a little bit later, said, this has to be ready to send to my desk by July 4th. Why is that date so key, because it has been on the calendar for some time?

SCHNELL: Look, a lot of the times in the Capitol we see leaders set deadlines, because oftentimes, things don't actually move and happen until members are right in front of that deadline. In a lot of ways, in most ways, really, it's a self-imposed deadline. If Republican senators and House members need more time to work on this bill, they certainly have it. But, the President has said, and Speaker Johnson and other Republican leaders have said that they want to have a celebration on July 4th of formally signing this bill and enacting it into law. So, there could be the messaging portion of it.

But, the other side of it is that, while this is a self-imposed deadline and really not set in stone, the real deadline is creeping up.

[00:10:00]

There is the debt limit provision in this bill, a $5 trillion increase to the debt limit. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the debt limit has to be dealt with by mid-July, or else the U.S. risks having an economy-shattering default, which we've never defaulted before. It would be cataclysmic for the economy. That's what experts say. So, the real deadline really is mid-July.

But, Republican leaders are very well aware of the dynamic of sometimes when you let things fester and packages sit open and up for debate, members find more things that they had issue with, and they become more invasive in their language. It can sort of open up more problems. So, leaders are really trying, and President Trump is really trying to keep the trains on the track for this July 4th deadline.

But, the truth of the matter is, if they need a couple more days, there is nothing that's going to harm that.

HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. Mid-July is really only two weeks away, which is kind of crazy, when you think about it.

Mychael, appreciate it. Thanks so much.

SCHNELL: Thanks.

HILL: A little bit more now on that major decision that we mentioned at the top of the show by the U.S. Supreme Court. With that six to three ruling, the justices giving the Trump Administration and future presidents, frankly, a big win, limiting the power of lower courts to block the President's policies nationwide, policies enacted by executive orders and actions.

CNN's Paula Reid explains now the potential of far-reaching consequences of this decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Friday's case is incredibly significant for the Trump Administration, because the President loves to govern through executive action. He has issued a record number of them, and before Friday's opinion, any federal judge, anywhere in the country, could respond to a legal challenge against one of these actions by blocking it for the entire country, the so- called nationwide injunctions.

This is not a Trump phenomenon. This is something that every modern President, Bush, Obama, Biden, they have all faced these. But, Trump faces them in record numbers because he so voluminously uses these executive actions. So, now, after this opinion, the Supreme Court's conservative super majority has limited the power that judges have to block policies for the whole country.

Now, this is going to be a little bit messy, but going forward, it appears that Trump will be able to sign an executive order, and it will go into effect, at least in parts of the country and impact some people while it continues to face legal challenges and questions about whether that policy is constitutional. Now, when you talk about something like mass firings or birthright citizenship, allowing those policies to go into effect, even for a time, even for only part of the country, that impacts the lives of hundreds, thousands, even potentially millions of Americans, depending on what the policy is that we're talking about.

But, these still will likely face constitutional questions, and I think we're going to see birthright citizenship over the next year or so. But, the justices have to look at whether Trump actually has the constitutional authority to do that, to limit that right where, if you're born here, you are a U.S. citizen, if you can do that through executive action. It's not clear if they'll be successful.

But, what is clear is this is a victory for the President. His lawyers told me, as soon as he was inaugurated, that he was going to issue executive orders with a very broad view, expansive view of executive power. And they knew they would face challenges. They knew they would lose at the lower courts. They kept telling me, if they could just get to the Supreme Court, that that court would agree with them and affirm their view of executive power.

And that's why, after Friday's decision, President Trump does have more power and authority than he did the day before.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: In her sole dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote, quote, "Eventually, executive power will become completely uncontainable, and our beloved constitutional Republic will be no more." Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejecting that argument. In writing for the majority, she said, quote, "We observe only this: Justice Jackson decries an imperial Executive while embracing an imperial Judiciary."

Well, the President, on Friday, abruptly announcing he is ending months-long trade talks with Canada and said he'll soon announce a new tariff rate for the country. The reason, according to President Trump, it's a tax on digital services that was passed by Canada's parliament over a year ago, but was set to go into effect on Monday. Mr. Trump has taken issue with those taxes in negotiations with similar taxes, in negotiations with several other countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They were foolish to do it. So, I said, we're going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now until they straighten out their act. We have all the cards. We do a lot of business with Canada, but relatively little. They do most of their businesses with us. And when you have that circumstance, you treat people better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:15:00] HILL: Canada's imports from the U.S. totaled $349 billion last year, with $413 billion in exports to the U.S. Canada's Prime Minister said his government is considering its response to the move, but will continue to engage with the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Look, we'll continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians, this negotiation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Well, meantime, the U.S. Treasury Secretary said the so-called reciprocal tariffs could soon resume for more than a dozen countries. Scott Bessent telling CNBC on Friday, they are also nearing, he added, deals with 10 nations. When the tariffs were paused in April, Mr. Trump's new deal deadline was, of course, July 9th, which is just now over a week away. Also on Friday, though, Bessent told Fox News, negotiations could be wrapped up by Labor Day. Labor Day is September 1st. That, of course, would be pushing the original framework further out once again.

As deadly airstrikes continue in Gaza, the U.S. President says a ceasefire is coming soon. More on that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Donald Trump says he thinks there will be a ceasefire in Gaza soon.

[00:20:00]

The fighting, however, still goes on. Several people were killed and buried under the sand when an Israeli airstrike hit tents sheltering people. First responders rushing in to recover victims. They also had to put out fires after an Israeli airstrike hit a school building in northern Gaza. Gaza's Civil Defense says it was housing individuals who had been displaced. This is what President Trump had to say about stopping the carnage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think it's close. I just spoke with some of the people involved. That's a terrible situation that's going, Gaza he is asking about, and we think within the next week, we're going to get a ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Meantime, there are disturbing accusations in an article from the daily newspaper Haaretz, alleging that Israeli soldiers in Gaza have been instructed by commanders to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites even when it was clear they posed no threat. Israel's military says it rejects the report.

CNN's Nic Robertson has more now from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, these are incredibly serious allegations, and the period of these allegations over the past month times out with a significant uptick in the number of Palestinians being killed, as they go to get aid from the new aid distribution point set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a humanitarian body established by the United States and Israel. According to Palestinian health officials, over that period, since late May, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed either on their way to these aid collection points, near the aid collection points, waiting to get aid from trucks.

We're also hearing from "Medecins Sans Frontieres" (Doctors Without Borders), who say that over the past month, they've noticed what they describe as a stark increase in the number of gunshot injuries from people that have gone to collect food from these humanitarian distribution points.

What the Haaretz article alleges is that soldiers, that Haaretz says it's talked to, IDF soldiers, say that they were ordered by a commanding officer to fire at the people, unarmed people, waiting at the aid distribution points, waiting to get aid. According to one of the soldiers, Haaretz says they interviewed, he described it as a killing field. Now, the IDF rejects these allegations. The Prime Minister, the defense minister, called them blood libels, that it's an effort to tarnish the image and undermine the IDF.

But, according to Haaretz, the IDF's Military Advocate General has tasked the military body to investigate whether the laws of war were broken, to see, in essence, if war crimes were committed. That's what Haaretz says is happening. If this were, if these allegations that Haaretz has uncovered here, were proven to be true, this would be a huge blow for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid effort. It would be a huge blow for the IDF and the Israeli government. But, at the moment, it is being completely rejected top down. Haaretz is standing by their reporting.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THIERY RWEMA, RWANDAN CITIZEN (Interpreted): Constant conflict between neighboring countries is not ideal at all. Therefore, the signing of these agreements will resolve many issues, especially for people involved in cross-border trade.

ALPHONSE TWAGIRAMUNGU, RWANDAN CITIZEN (Interpreted): When Rwanda and Congo maintain good relations, the benefit is that trade cooperation and sharing can continue, as they did before.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Rwandan citizens reacting, as their country in the Democratic

Republic of Congo signed a peace deal in Washington, D.C. on Friday. That deal aimed at ending the devastating conflict in the eastern DRC. The U.S. and Qatar brokered the deal, which President Trump touted as a, quote, "wonderful treaty". Not everyone, though, is convinced that it can actually end the conflict.

CNN's Larry Madowo explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump taking a victory lap after this major peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. He has previously said he thinks he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for helping make this happen. He called it a dangerous part of the world, and praised his senior advisor on Africa, Massad Boulos, for getting it across the line. Massad Boulos is also the father-in-law to his daughter Tiffany Trump. Je hosted the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, their foreign ministers. He said they were very honored to be at the White House.

The parties have agreed to a raft of things. The key part of it is, the text here is important, includes the provisions on the respect for territorial integrity and the prohibition of hostilities, the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of ground state-armed groups, and they will also establish a joint security coordination mechanism, which will be important to implement this, because there have been previous peace deals that have failed between the DRC and Rwanda.

[00:25:00]

Crucially, the M23 rebel group are not a party to this. They are the group that the DRC accuses Rwanda of arming and supporting. Rwanda wants the DRC to disarm and stop supporting the FDLR, which they accuse of planning to overthrow the government of President Kagame. But, President Trump also said something that raised a lot of eyebrows in Kinshasa, across the region, and in the continent.

TRUMP: We're getting, for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of the deal. They're so honored to be here. They never thought they'd be coming to -- look, this is a very tough part of the world. They never thought -- they were just telling me, they never thought they'd ever be coming to the White House, and they're so honored.

MADOWO: The Democratic Republic of Congo has the world's largest reserves of cobalt, which powers everything from mobile phones to electric cars. And the question here is, how did the DRC put those minerals as part of this agreement?

It didn't come up in the official signing that was led by Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, and the two foreign ministers, but suddenly, the text will be scrutinized to see exactly what they gave up there. There is a lot of criticisms of Western countries aiming and vying for African minerals, and this suddenly fits that description that's often criticized here.

Whether this deal does work, still remains to be seen, and the question of how was this signed in Washington, not in an African capital? Previous mediation efforts here in Nairobi and in the Angolan capital Rwanda did not bear fruit.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Erica Hill. For our international viewers, Inside Africa is up next. For those of you joining from the United States, I have more news after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Half past the hour now, thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Erica Hill. Let's take a look at some of the top stories.

U.S. senators are expected to begin voting on President Trump's massive tax and spending bill Saturday afternoon. The President, of course, has said he wants it on his desk by July 4th. There are still a number of hurdles, though, among Republicans when it comes to spending levels and cuts, specifically to Medicaid.

The U.S. Supreme Court curbing the power of federal judges to block President Trump's executive orders. In that six to three decision, the ruling would limit the ability of lower-level courts to issue nationwide injunctions. The President praised the ruling, saying a whole list of his administration's policies can now move forward.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Friday striking school buildings in the north and to the west of Gaza City. First responders say displaced people were being housed in those areas. Meantime, President Trump said he is expecting a ceasefire to be implemented in Gaza within a week.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN says the country is open to transferring its stockpiles of enriched uranium to other countries under certain conditions. Iran would consider the move, provided there is a deal with the U.S. The ambassador telling a Middle East news site AL- Monitor that it would also be contingent upon, in return, receiving so-called yellow cake that's crucial for the nuclear fuel cycle.

Meantime, Iran's foreign minister said if President Trump wants a nuclear deal, he should, quote, "put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone toward Iran's Supreme Leader", a warning that came after President Trump had urged Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to, quote, "tell the truth about the conflict with Israel".

Meantime, on Friday, Mr. Trump did not rule out further military action against Iran, should the country pursue nuclear weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the intelligence reports conclude that Iran can enrich uranium to a level that concerns you, would you consider bombing the country --

TRUMP: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- again?

TRUMP: Without question. Absolutely. It has to be unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The Trump Administration telling members of the U.S. House on Friday, they are working to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. One senior Republican says, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them, he wants to meet one-on-one with Iranian leadership, and not through third-party negotiators.

Iran is set to hold public funerals for senior military commanders and nuclear scientists who were killed in the Israeli strikes. Live images here from Tehran. Officials expect 60 coffins carrying the bodies of those top officials and other key figures, including the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Reports say at least four women and four children will also be buried. Israel claims it killed 11 Iranian nuclear scientists and 30 senior security officials, including three top commanders. The Iranian health ministry has said 627 people were killed in Iran by Israeli military action.

Joining me now, Behnam Ben Taleblu, He is the Senior Director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joining us this hour from Washington. It's so good to have you here this hour. When we look at where things stand, and certainly some of the comments that have been sort of flying back and forth between President Trump and the Ayatollah in Iran, where do you believe this stands, especially after we hear the Secretary of State saying he wants to have one-on-one talks with leadership? How feasible do you think that is?

BEHNAM BEN TALEBLU, SR. DIRECTOR, IRAN PROGRAM, FOUNDATION OF DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Great to be with you, Erica. It's an excellent question, because while many may have seen military action or even a widening conflict as a potential way to wind down the threat and wind down the challenge, the Islamic Republic of Iran, lest we forget, is a very resolute actor, a very ideological actor, and as the U.S. is increasing the stakes, given the increasing leverage it has, given the successful military operation it's engaged in, this does not at all, in my view, look like the end. This really just is, I would say, the end of the beginning.

HILL: There is also the messaging, right, and what can be read from the messaging. How does, for example, the messaging differ inside Iran, that domestic message to Iranians versus what Iran is putting out there on the global stage? TALEBLU: Well, usually you're right to pick up on the difference

between what many regime elites and officials would say in Persian versus what they would say in English. But, broadly, this regime is still trying to take a victory lap in both languages, given both audiences, be they Western or domestic Iranian.

[00:35:00]

In particular, you have the Supreme Leader of Iran give a speech, not too long ago, touting three distinct victories against America, Israel and on behalf of the Iranian people for unity, when in reality there was no unity. There was no nationalist rally, and the regime was soundingly defeated, at least on the conventional battlefield by the Israelis and by the Americans. So, here, the hyperbole the Islamic Republic is engaging in, for both status reasons as well as security reasons, is equal.

HILL: What are you going to be watching in the coming days? So, these -- I mean, these funerals today, obviously, very important. There is a lot of focus on that. A number of people coming out. What signs, though, will you be looking for in the coming days that will give us a sense of which direction potential talks could even be moving in?

TALEBLU: Well, I'll tell you honestly, one thing I'm looking at, and as Iranian American and someone who cares about what's going on in the street in that country, is the increasing crackdown under the cover of securitization that the regime is engaging in against the population. You've already had mass arrests. You've already had several executions.

The regime traditionally does execute political opponents and others, often under the cover at espionage. The regime, during the course of this entire 12-day war, has talked about enhanced judicial authorities given to really go after anyone who is even posting anything moderately anti-regime are moderately pro-Israel in Iranian cyberspace.

So, I am looking at an increased crackdown that unfortunately may be the beginnings of a post-1991 Saddam-like situation inside the country and abroad. With respect to Washington and the Trump Administration, I'm looking at, well, how eager is the President for a deal, and how able is the U.S. diplomatic team to turn a military win into a political win. As you know, the Middle East is littered with examples of military wins that have not been able to be turned into political wins.

HILL: Was there too much discussion to that point exactly? Do you think there was too much discussion about a win and not win early on?

TALEBLU: Well, in general, I think the government of the Islamic Republic understands that every administration following Bush II that has come into power in Washington is trying to do less in Middle East, not more, whether you look at their rhetoric or whether you look at the changing footprint in the Middle East, that is objectively a reality, and that is something that unfortunately plays to the advantage of our adversaries, like the Islamic Republic. But, here, I think you did have a significant amount of military

muscle finally, for example, marry or match, that rhetoric. I think the real question for the regime is, will they be able to play this hard-nosed game of poker against Washington over time, especially as the administration is threatening to bomb again if the regime reconstitutes?

HILL: Yeah. It's such a great point, but I really appreciate your insight, your expertise. Thank you.

TALEBLU: Thank you.

HILL: Some residents of a California community have a truly unique perspective when it comes to the fighting, and as we look at what is unfolding between Israel and Iran.

CNN's Nick Watt recently spent time in the neighborhood known as "Tehrangeles" to find out why it's been so difficult to watch this conflict unfold far away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RABBI TARLAN RABIZADEH, AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY: Now that all of my countries are involved in this war, all of them, Israel, Iran and now the USA, it is just all consuming and terrifying. I want to say that first and foremost. People dying is the last thing that I want.

NICK WATT, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh is among the 20,000 or so Persian Jews living here in LA, so is the mayor of Beverly Hills.

SHARONA NAZARIAN, BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA MAYOR: There are a lot of people that are very concerned. They have family members in Iran. They have family members in Israel, and they are all being impacted by this.

WATT (voice-over): News from the old country plays in a grocery store in a neighborhood known as "Tehrangeles".

RABIZADEH: We care about Israel surviving because it's our homeland, but so is Iran, and I wish people would understand that.

NAZARIAN: Iranian Jews have lived in Iran for 2,500 years since the time of Queen Esther.

WATT (voice-over): The biblical Jewish queen of a Persian king.

RABIZADEH: The country was originally Zoroastrian. People were forced to convert to Islam, and Jews thrived there.

WATT (voice-over): Religions had co-existed for maybe 2,000 years. Then most Jews fled around the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Mayor Nazarian was just a little kid.

WATT (on camera): Have you ever been back?

NAZARIAN: No. We were persecuted for our religion that we were exiled.

WATT (voice-over): This week, Persian Americans in LA demonstrated their desire for the end of the Ayatollah's regime.

WATT (on camera): I mean, you are, in some senses, the Ayatollah's worst nightmare.

RABIZADEH: Maybe. I don't have enough followers for that, but yes.

WATT (on camera): You would like an Iran free of the current regime.

RABIZADEH: Absolutely, and I would say that the majority of the Iranian people would feel the same way.

[00:40:00]

And I am not going to apologize that I would love to be able to go back to a free Iran and see where my ancestors came from.

NAZARIAN: My community is very hopeful that they're going to be able to see peace in their time and be able to visit.

RABIZADEH: I remember when we invaded Iraq, and my family kept shaking their heads at the television and saying, wrong country, man. We wasted a lot of lives there, though, and Americans are really scared about putting our soldiers at risk again, and I don't blame them.

NAZARIAN: This is going to be something that is going to have to happen at the hands of the Iranian people themselves, with their own courage, their own strength, to be able to see freedom.

WATT (voice-over): Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: California's Democratic governor is now suing Fox News, Gavin Newsom accusing Fox of defamation over its coverage of a phone call between him and Donald Trump during the President's immigration raids.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAVIN NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: I just filed a lawsuit against Fox News for lies, for deceit, for misrepresentation. Enough of their lies. We will see them in court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Newsom alleges Fox aired deceptively edited videos and made false statements claiming that he, Newsom, had lied about the timing of the phone call from the White House. He is seeking $787 million in damages. Fox has rejected his claims and calls the suit a, quote, "transparent publicity stunt".

The President of the University of Virginia resigning amid pressure by the U.S. Justice Department to dismantle that school's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. (VIDEO PLAYING)

HILL: So, what you're hearing there are students cheering in support of outgoing President Jim Ryan. He said he is resigning with a heavy heart, writing, "I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job." And adding, "That would appear selfish to employees who would lose jobs.

Researchers who would lose funding, and students whose visas could be withheld." Ryan's departure comes as the Trump Administration is taking aggressive aim at federal funding for higher education institutions over DEI issues. UVA had repeatedly asked for extensions when justice officials asked whether they were complying with a ban on affirmative action.

We are officially moving into a new phase in the Sean Diddy Combs trial starting Monday. Coming up, what the jury heard in closing arguments on Friday.

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[00:45:00]

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HILL: Well, the jury is about to get the criminal case against Sean Diddy Combs after two marathon days of closing arguments. Jury deliberations are set to begin on Monday.

Here is CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The case is almost in the jury's hands in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. Closing arguments coming to an end on Friday with the defense saying this is a tale of two trials, the trial of the evidence and the trial that the prosecution is presenting. They say that the trial of the prosecution is one that is, quote, "badly exaggerated", but they say that the evidence, while what it shows is a lifestyle of choosing and that lifestyle includes being swingers or having threesomes. But, even though, if that may be a peculiar choice, it is not criminal.

Now, Combs' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo really taking aim at Cassie Ventura, the star witness of this trial. She, of course, is Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend of 11 years, who -- she claims that she endured a decade plus of abuse by Sean Combs. Well, he said that she is no victim, that she is not naive.

She is a strong woman, and that is actually why Combs fell in love with her. He actually said that Cassie Ventura is the winner of this trial. Why? Because of money. The federal investigation into Combs, all began with Cassie Ventura's civil lawsuit that she filed back in November of 2023. Well, that bombshell lawsuit was settled in 24 hours between Cassie and Combs. So, today, during closing arguments, here is what his attorney had to

say to the jury. He said, quote, "Cassie is nobody's fool. Cassie is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million. Combs is in jail. Cassie won." Now, the prosecutors have got the final word, of course, with their rebuttal, and they said that the defense's closing argument to call these women liars was nothing but victim blaming.

They said, it is ridiculous. It is non-sensible. It is preposterous. They said that Sean Combs has committed crimes and gotten away with it because of his inner circle, that enterprise, for 20 years. They ended it by saying that Sean Combs believed that he was a god among men, but he is not a god. In this courtroom, there are no gods. There are only people, and they implored the jury to find him guilty.

Now, on Monday, the jury will return. They will get their instructions, and then deliberations will begin.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And Elizabeth, thank you for that.

Well, authorities in New Orleans say they have now captured yet another inmate who has been on the run now for more than a month. Antoine Massey and nine others escaped from a New Orleans jail on May 16th. Investigators say they took advantage of bad locks, stolen bedding and a hungry jail employee to escape. A tip led to Massey's arrest in a neighborhood just miles from the prison. There is still one escapee who remains at large.

Still to come here, how Jeff Bezos' lavish wedding in Venice is boosting the city's tourism industry.

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[00:50:00]

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HILL: Denmark says it has a plan to fight deepfakes by giving its citizens property rights over their likeness and voice. It's a response to hyperrealistic bogus images and videos created by artificial intelligence that target everyone, from politicians who are portrayed inaccurately, to ordinary people whose faces may be used in phony porn.

Well, the Danish legislation would give people the right to ask platforms to take down a fake content. The culture minister, though, warns that the deepfakes at this point are so widespread, technology has far outpaced the legislation. He does expect the measure to become law this fall, and says the next step would include fines on companies that don't comply.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos is now married to former reporter Lauren Sanchez. Of course, it happened, you may have heard, in Venice on Friday. The lavish, star-studded wedding weekend reportedly cost as much as $55 million. Venice, for its part, could rake in more than a billion dollars in tourism. Guests of the A-list, the -- sorry, dozens of A-list guests, rather, were in attendance, as were protesters who tried to disrupt the festivities around the city.

Here is CNN's Melissa Bell with more from Venice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is day two of the three-day extravaganza. That is the Jeff Bezos and Lawrence Sanchez wedding here in Venice, held in the scorching heat.

We first caught a glimpse of the bride and former journalist today as she exited her hotel in style on a water taxi with two huge diamond rings and a bracelet with the initials "LB". She was soon followed by the Amazon founder and a sea of photographers, as they headed over there to the private San Giorgio Maggiore island here in Venice, where they tied the knot in front of 200 guests, a barrage of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Usher and Tom Brady, and we know that a performance by Matteo Bocelli is happening there tonight. He is the son of the legendary Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli, and here is the now Lauren Sanchez Bezos on the cover of Vogue in her Dolce & Gabbana wedding gown finally revealed after much anticipation.

[00:55:00]

Italy's tourism minister said, Venice can expect to reap as much as $1.1 billion as a result of the billionaire's wedding. But, we have been kept almost entirely in the dark throughout the three days about exactly when and where the ceremonies will be taking place, not just so that they could keep the press and the paparazzi at a distance, but also, of course, the protesters who are threatening to disrupt proceedings. And so, it is from afar that if we have watched the happy couple tie the knot and dance the night away.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Venice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Well, the wedding had a number of tourists and locals in Venice doing double takes, and here is why. This is a Jeff Bezos look-alike. He is from Germany. He has been walking around Venice, surprising people, taking pictures with them. The look-alike says he took a water taxi to a luxury hotel, and the people there thought he actually was Jeff Bezos.

The New York Times has completed its list of the top 100 movies of the past quarter century. The newspaper's number one pick "Parasite", the South Korean drama that won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2020. At number two, "Mulholland Drive" from director David Lynch, who died earlier this year.

Also in the top 10, "There Will Be Blood", "Moonlight", "The Social Network", and two other Asian films, "In the Mood for Love" from Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, and the Japanese animated feature "Spirited Away". Hopefully, you've seen a few of those, and if not, there you go. You've got something to do this weekend, a whole list you can catch up on.

Thanks so much for joining me for this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Erica Hill in New York. I'll be back with much more after this short break.

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