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Trump Defends AG Bondi Amid MAGA Split Over Epstein Files; Records: FEMA Removed Camp Mystic Buildings From 100-Year Flood Map Before Expansion At Camps Request; Judge Blocks Indiscriminate Immigration Stops In SoCal; Russia Launches Second Largest Aerial Assault On Ukraine; Swiatek Dominates Wimbledon, Final 6-0, 6-0; David Gergen, Presidential Adviser And CNN Analyst, Dies At 83. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired July 12, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:11]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

And tonight, President Trump is defending his attorney general as a major clash unfolds inside his administration over the handling of the Epstein files. Multiple sources telling CNN FBI deputy director Dan Bongino is considering resigning after a tense confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Well, just a short time ago, Bongino's boss, FBI Director Kash Patel, posted on social media he plans to stick around. He then downplayed -- downplayed, quote, conspiracy theories despite once peddling rumors himself along with Trump and other MAGA members.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yeah. I'd be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it.

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. That is an important thing.

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are.

DAN BONGINO, DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR: I'm not ever going to let this story go because of what I heard from a source about Bill Clinton on a plane with Jeffrey Epstein. I'm not letting it go ever, ever.

ALINA HABBA, U.S. ATTORNEY: We have flight logs. We have information, names that will come out.

PAM BONDI, ATTORNEY GENERAL: President Trump has given a very strong directive, and that's going to be followed.

INTERVIEWER: Wow. Okay. So --

BONDI: A lot of documents. INTERVIEWER: Yeah. Okay. All right. So people can expect actual

movement on this. It's not just empty promises.

BONDI: Oh, Donald Trump doesn't make empty promises.

INTERVIEWER: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Betsy Klein is joining us live.

Betsy, the president now weighing in on all of this. What is he saying?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. Jessica, there has been a lot of friction in MAGA world from some of the president's closest allies and loyalists over the release of a memo on Jeffrey Epstein, which concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that there was no so-called client list. Now, as you just laid out, that had been a conspiracy theory, pushed even by some top administration officials, including Attorney General Pamela Bondi. And there is a lot of frustration that is really reverberated across MAGA world and frustration with Bondi's handling of these so-called Epstein files that infighting between the Department of Justice and the FBI came to a head on Wednesday at an explosive meeting where deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel were confronted about whether they were behind a story that said the FBI wanted more information released, but was ultimately stymied by the Department of Justice.

Now, after that, Bongino told people he was considering resigning and he did not go to work on Friday. Now, Bongino has publicly expressed unhappiness with this role in the past. He said he gave up everything for this job. And, Patel, for his part, has said he will continue to serve in the Trump administration in a post to social media earlier today.

But President Trump, clearly trying to rein in all this infighting and offering a full throated endorsement of Bondi. He writes, quote, what's going on with my boys and in some cases, gals? They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a fantastic job. We're on one team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening.

The president also issued a directive to Kash Patel, who he says, quote, must be focused on investigating voter fraud, political corruption, ActBlue, the rigged and stolen election of 2020, and arresting thugs and criminals instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same radical left inspired documents on Jeffrey Epstein. He went on to say, "Let Pam Bondi do her job. She's great."

Now we are also learning, according to reporting from our colleague Kristen Holmes, that the president is privately doubling down on Bondi, his advisers have called on some of her most vocal critics, including Laura Loomer, essentially asking them, Jessica to cool it.

DEAN: Very interesting. All right, Betsy Klein, thank you so much for the latest there.

And joining us to talk more about this former U.S. representative from Pennsylvania, Charlie Dent. He's also the executive director of the Aspen Institute Program.

Charlie, good to have you on on a Saturday night. Thanks for being here.

It is interesting to me that President Trump is being so vocal, one in his full throated support of Pam Bondi, leaving no questions about where he stands with her. And two, that this is going against a lot of what that MAGA base that is very online but nonetheless very supportive typically of the president wants him to do here.

CHARLIE DENT, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, this is one of those situations where it seems that some in the Trump world are getting hoisted on their own petard. Too many -- too many people in the Trump administration have been playing footsie with conspiracy theorists. Some of the people, Bongino and others, you could argue, are conspiracy theorists themselves. And now they are in positions of authority.

And so when Pam Bondi says there is no Jeffrey Epstein file, MAGA world is going crazy. I have to say, I'm experiencing a little bit of schadenfreude a moment here. I'm glad they're miserable about this because they have basically -- many people in the administration have raised expectations about Jeffrey Epstein.

[19:05:08]

You know, a lot of people question whether he was committed suicide. And, of course, they're talking about the prominent people who may be on these -- these lists. And now, apparently there aren't any.

And so, the people who are peddling conspiracy theories are now saying there's -- there's nothing -- there's no "there" there.

And so, that's where we are. And what's even more bizarre is that MAGA world thought that the guy who's going to get to the bottom of this is Donald Trump. And how many times have we seen that video of Donald Trump, you know, hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein down at some beach party in all these, you know, beautiful young women in bathing suits and Trump's there in a suit? Who wears a suit, by the way, to a beach party? But he's going to get to the bottom of this.

So, they put themselves in this terrible predicament. And, you know, and what's even more bizarre is Bongino is out there advocating for the firing of his boss, Attorney General Bondi. So, this is beyond bizarre. And this is a -- this is a kerfuffle that, obviously, that the Trump administration does not need. But they helped create it.

DEAN: Yeah. And just to note, Donald Trump has strongly denounced Jeffrey Epstein, multiple times.

I do want to ask you, though, about how he politically threads the needle here between what he's -- what the -- you know, standing by Pam Bondi and then you have people like Megyn Kelly who says her days are numbered or should be numbered. Laura Loomer, who's certainly been pushing for her ouster as well. These are people, again that really spearhead and influence so many people, both in President Trump's circle, but also a lot of his supporters.

DENT: Well, again, the -- I think many in the administration have themselves to blame. They have raised expectations on this Jeffrey Epstein matter, and now they have dashed the hopes of many of these people, these influencers and conspiracy theorists out there who are expecting a bombshell.

And apparently there isn't one. And so, if you're in a position of authority, as Bondi is, and Bongino is, and Patel is, as they all are, well guess what? They can't be just spitting out things that are untrue to the public. And I accept their explanation that there isn't a -- is not a file.

But good luck trying to explain that to the supporters of the president. You know, who have been peddling conspiracy theories for a very long time. Not sure how they're going to get out from under this, but I suspect at the end of the day, or when this process unfolds further, that MAGA world will still stay with Donald Trump.

But for the moment, they're very unhappy.

DEAN: Yeah, they certainly are. And so, do you think this -- it was -- it obviously got to enough of a boil. It boiled over enough that the president felt like he needed to comment on it and to give Pam Bondi his support. He also said that Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, needs to be focusing, and he listed a number of things that he wants him focused on.

Do you think this is enough to get people to move beyond this?

DENT: Well, I -- it's hard to say at this point. And I find it awfully rich, too, by the way, that, you know, the president's concerned about looking back at the Epstein issue, which is, you know, several years old, but so was the January 6th, and so was so was the 2016, the 2020 election.

You know, we -- he talks about those things all the time as if they -- as if they're relevant at this very moment. But when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, boy, that's an old story. Why we even bother?

So again, they put themselves in this terrible predicament by pandering to many conspiracy theorists who had expectations that there was something that was going to be revealed. And in fact, there's nothing there. No "there" there. And they don't know how to handle it.

And this is going to probably be hanging around the news cycle for a few more days. We'll see. We'll see. You know, you hear others in that in the influencer world say, oh, the whole MAGA base is going to run away from Trump. That's not true. That Trump has that that base the influencers have some influence.

But Trump at the end of the day, determines what they're going to focus on.

DEAN: All right. Charlie Dent, thanks for joining us. We really appreciate it.

DENT: Thank you. Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Yeah. You, too.

Ahead on this hour on CNN NEWSROOM. New reporting from Texas as an "AP" review finds FEMA repeatedly approved Camp Mystic request to remove dozens of its buildings from some flood from FEMA flood maps. Plus, new questions about FEMAs response after documents reveal one day after the flooding, as many as 84 percent of calls from survivors went unanswered by the agency.

And Vladimir Putin undeterred. Moscow unleashing one of its most powerful attacks against Ukraine as President Trump teases major action on Russia. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: New tonight, an "Associated Press" review finds that over the last decade, FEMA repeatedly agreed to remove dozens of buildings at Camp Mystic from the most dangerous zones on its 100-year flood map. These changes came at Camp Mystic request, and they resulted in looser federal oversight as the camp operated and expanded in one of the country's deadliest flood plains. The July 4th floods ravaged the all- girls summer camp, leaving 27 young girls and counselors dead. Across multiple counties, at least 129 people were killed. More than 150 remain missing.

Julia Vargas Jones joins us now from Kerrville, Texas.

Julia, tell us more about the changes at the camp.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these changes, Jessica, they date back to 2013. We're looking at a map that's called the special flood hazard area map. But stay with me here.

That red zone that you see there, that's a regulatory floodway. Okay. Those are zones that would have required basically -- are the first ones to flood in the most dangerous one.

So, these are the ones where you're required to have flood insurance. And there's really tight regulations that go around building in these areas.

Now that other part of this map, the yellow part, that's about where you see a 1 percent annual chance of flood hazard. Now, some of the camps cabins we're in that 1 percent zone. Those in the red area. And then some of the camps cabins were in the yellow zone.

Now in 2011, we're looking at the same map. In 2011. This comes out in 2013. The camp requests an exemption for 15 of its buildings to that flood zone. And that is granted basically removing all of those requirements from those 15 different buildings that are owned by Camp Mystic.

Now, we know that this goes all the way back, you know, 100 years. So, these are basically historic buildings that are in that area. But then the camp did it again in 2019 for 15 other cabins. In another part of the property that's closer to a lake. Now, this is a part of Texas that is basically known for -- for flood zones and for flooding. Thats like the nickname of this area, specifically Jessica.

But it is worth noting that people were so aware of this, that the camp owner had requested and worked with local authorities for decades to get some sort of alarm system installed. However, it is mystifying that at the same time, a camp would do all of that with the awareness of the floods and also work with FEMA to take some of those buildings out of the flood zones.

And at the same time, these local authorities that were working with the camp, in theory, were also submitting reports to FEMA, where they explained the risk of flooding of this magnitude, just last ctober, in a report that was filed in warned of what could happen, including also requesting that same kind of alarm system be installed here. And of course, Jessica, that never happened.

DEAN: All right. Julia Vargas Jones in Kerrville, thank you so much for that.

We're also following new reporting from "The New York Times", the paper saying that in the days following the disaster, FEMA failed to answer the majority of calls from flood survivors after firing hundreds of contractors at its call centers, on one day, as many as 85 percent of calls went unanswered. "The Times" does note that FEMA faced challenges under President Biden after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the south in 2024. It says data shows the agency missed nearly half of the more than 500,000 calls that came in over the course of a week.

I did speak with the former head of FEMA under President Biden earlier today. This is how she explained it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNE CRISWELL, FORMER FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Calls come in. They surge, and the very first few days after declaration is the peak. We did see delays during Hurricane Helene in the call center, but we also had a much larger population of people that were impacted. We had six states that were affected by Hurricane Helene and not, you know, not to diminish the fact that there's less people there and they need to have their calls answered. But FEMA doesn't have the ability to surge their staffing the way that they have in the past, and they're going to have continued delays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And joining us now is Ken Cuccinelli. He's the former deputy secretary of homeland security under President Trump during his first term in office.

Thank you so much for being here with us as we kind of walk through now, some of this information that we're getting in.

I just want to get your kind of assessment of the response. So far, there have been cuts across that agency that we did do some reporting on these this new rule at DHS that requires the secretary to personally sign off on every contract and grant over $100,000 before any funds can be released.

I'm curious if you think any of these changes have altered the way that FEMA has been able to respond.

KEN CUCCINELLI, FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY UNDER PRES. TRUMP: No, I don't think so. I am not privy to every single change, so it is possible. But not in general.

Look, FEMA is not well-positioned to respond quickly, period. This is one of the reasons why I think it's worth questioning FEMA's role overall.

I mean, think of it if I could use an analogy, if you had one fire department in your county -- I live in a county -- and where would you put it? One. And two -- and all its equipment and all its logistical support.

[19:20:02]

And as the prior administrator there said, the calls, of course, come in most immediately after. FEMA does not have a great ability to surge employees that would have to be done via contract, because the hiring process at FEMA is so slow.

But really the thing to do is to better have better prepared states. And FEMA really should just be a backup on specialty roles that perhaps make more sense for the federal government to centrally maintain. But they -- they just don't have the capacity, and they're not going to have the capacity to quickly respond to a situation like we see in Texas, and as you were speaking with the prior administrator there, about Helene is another example. We can go back through the examples. But --

DEAN: Yeah.

CUCCINELLI: And I also just want to make one last comment. And that is this, this flood in Texas is a terrible tragedy. And we should start there in the sense that tragedies are always going to happen. If anybody watching you and I talk has the notion that something could have been done with FEMA or any other agency to avoid tragedies, that's not realistic.

What we really need to be talking about is, as your question suggests, how can we be better positioned to respond when these tragedies happen? I also think your inquiries dating back to 2011 and 2013 and the 2019 changes, with respect to the flood map itself are curious. Those are definitely very curious, particularly the initial ones, because then they become the precedents for later changes or acceptance of waivers to those safety regulations, and they're there for a reason. DEAN: Uh-huh. And when I was speaking with Deanne Criswell, she did

kind of say to your point, she said, look, FEMA is not and I'm paraphrasing here, these are not her exact quotes, but her point was essentially that it's not about responding immediately in that moment. It's about the recovery effort that FEMA is coming in and helping people recover.

And to that end, that brings in the questions about these call centers that, you know, they had cut those contracts. That's why they weren't able to keep up with them. Again, that also happened, to be fair, as you noted, during the hurricanes under the Biden administration. But then they were able to surge those back.

But it's things like that, I think, where people want somebody in the government to help them through what is the worst day of their life, but also they have no idea who to turn to. And so I guess, what do you think FEMA should be? What role should they be in that situation?

CUCCINELLI: So I think you used useful words that I'm going to paraphrase a little bit when, when an urgent and especially sudden disaster happens -- and I would characterize the Texas flood as a very sudden disaster. There have been some discussion about forecasting and, and the relating of information. But if you do the math on the rain and the topography, this was an astonishingly fast disaster, and with tragic consequences.

The 911 response is always going to be those who are close, state and local. And so, you use the word recovery for FEMA, I think that's a very appropriate choice of word. FEMA can come in after the fact and can help pick up the pieces, can help with long-term sheltering and some other steps like that, largely with money and planning based on our experience in other parts of the country, that expertise, and money can be brought to bear by FEMA. That is their highest valued application. It's their highest valued use.

The call centers really the best way for FEMA to get information out is to set up standardized information drawers. If people have the power in this day and age to reach a call center, they're typically doing it via phone where cell towers are working, or mesh networks have been set up, and so they can reach the internet as well. And so, you can be more complete in your available information.

So, FEMA plays catch up on those calls that come in. Yes. They are not answered live frequently. You mentioned 85 percent were not. I can't say that I'm altogether surprised by that. FEMA will play catch up with those calls that came in I would also note one of the problems overall across multiple disasters is that when you set up a response team for this disaster -- just to use it because its recent -- you do want to cut it off at a certain point in time, meaning you want to finish all your work associated with this and close up so those resources are available for later disasters that occur.

FEMA is not good at closing off the back-end, and recapturing those resources for redeployment to other problems in other parts of the country. They're just not very flexible about that. Nobody wants to be -- to end something early when there's still appropriate need to be addressed. Yet, you have to bring it to an end.

Government's form of accountability is, frankly, you all. It's the press. It's having somebody come in behind you and say, oh, look, they left so early. And that was terrible. And so, they don't leave early and instead they linger and they on the way too far on the side of over providing well after the disaster.

And those resources are finite. They can and should be redeployed to help other Americans who are suffering from other disasters. And that doesn't happen either.

DEAN: Right. I do -- and before I let you go, I do want to ask you again as the former deputy secretary of homeland security, on a different issue with the immigration and the ICE raids in Los Angeles and around in southern California, this ruling that we got from that, that judge there, that they were saying that the judge ruled that that that they were no longer allowed to do this without probable cause.

Do you think that was the appropriate ruling? Again, it's limited to that judge's jurisdiction.

CUCCINELLI: Yeah. No, and I don't think that that will hold up. Immigration enforcement is a close mix. It's typically civil enforcement tools. But there is a criminal element to it.

If people are being charged with crimes other than immigration offenses, then that requirement might be appropriate. But I think that you'll see that that will be overturned, probably just at the Ninth Circuit. But before it goes very far.

So no, not an appropriate ruling from the judge. Rather unusual in the immigration context. And I think it won't last very long.

DEAN: All right. Ken Cuccinelli, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.

CUCCINELLI: Good to be with you. You have a good night.

DEAN: Thank you. You, too.

As President Trump teases major action on Russia, President Vladimir Putin launches one of his largest attacks yet on Ukraine. Is he thumbing his nose at the White House? We're going to discuss next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:32:23]

DEAN: Russia overnight, launching its second largest aerial assault on Ukraine since Moscow's full scale invasion. That's according to Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the attack killed at least two people and included 26 cruise missiles and nearly 600 drones. Ukraine has been in enduring nearly nightly attacks in recent weeks as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks. Joining us now, CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel Leighton, good to see you on this Saturday evening.

We have seen Russia launch a record number of drones this week, and we have seen this increase as President Trump, frankly, has been starting to push back on Russia, on Putin openly. What does this tell you about Moscow's strategy at this point in the war?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Jessica, this is going to be a really interesting phase of the war, because what we're looking at here is basically a strategy that has two components to it. One of them is the volume of attacks. So, you pointed out the number of cruise missiles and the number of drones just over the last 24 hour period. And you add that together with, you know, the last several days. And so, you have basically somewhere around 3.000 drones going after targets in Ukraine. That's one component of it. So, they're trying to overwhelm the air defense systems of Ukraine with the sheer number of drones and missiles that they're using to attack.

But the other thing that they're doing is they're employing tactics where they are having drones fly from various directions, attacking targets from unexpected areas. So, instead of coming in from the north or from the northeast or the east, the drones are coming in from the west or from the south. So, they're basically overflying or surrounding these various targets. And they're doing this not only to overwhelm, but to confuse Ukraine's air defense assets so that in a tactical sense, is what they're doing. So, they're basically employing this strategy to confuse and overwhelm the Ukrainian air defense system.

DEAN: And what will Ukraine need in terms of resources to effectively respond to this? Can they respond to this?

LEIGHTON: They can respond to it in part. So, there are several components to what they need. One of them, of course, is a more robust air defense system. The right kind of missiles and air defense missiles. Basically, the patriot batteries for some components that they're looking at. But the other thing they need to be able to do is they need to be able to strike deeply into Russian territory, to basically go at the point of origin where these missiles and drones are coming from, kind of like you saw with Operation Spider Web.

That would be the kind of thing that they would need to do on a on a larger scale, just as large or even larger than what they did just a few weeks ago.

DEAN: Yes and President Trump has reportedly made this deal with NATO for the U.S. to send weapons to Ukraine through the alliance. What kind of impact might that have for Ukraine right now?

[19:35:19]

LEIGHTON: So, one possible component of this, Jessica, is that they might be able to get the weapons quicker. There are several patriot batteries in Western Europe right now. The Germans have one, and there are several other countries that have other patriot batteries. Those could then be moved to Ukraine very quickly. So, in essence, speed might be on the side of the Ukrainians in this particular case.

The, you know, the other aspects of this possible, you know, way of having NATO, in essence, you know, foot the bill, if you will, for the Ukrainian weapons, is that it, you know, kind of puts a middleman in that process that wasn't there before. So, it could also slow down some munitions. It could speed up the patriots, it could slow down some of the other munitions. So, it could be, in essence, a mixed strategy as far as the Ukrainians are concerned but it will, I think, give them at least a path forward for some of the weapons systems that they need.

DEAN: Yes, all right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, always good to see you, thanks so much.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Jessica.

DEAN: A more than 100-year record waiting to be broken. And today at Wimbledon, it was this historic moment. Next, here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:14]

DEAN: Iga Swiatek beat American Amanda Anisimova at the women's Wimbledon final. It was a dominating six love, six love win, and it marks the first time in the open era that a women's player has won the final without losing a game. And the first time overall since 1911.

Let's bring in CNN's sports analyst Christine Brennan, whose new book on her game, "Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," is out this week. We are going to talk about that, Christine but first, I do want to talk about the women's sports revolution on center court today at Wimbledon. This is Swiatek's first Wimbledon title. She's no stranger to major championships, but what is her win say about her game today?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN, SPORTS ANALYST: Jessica, it really solidifies her as the top player in women's tennis once again. She is now six and zero in grand slam finals, perfect. That's really difficult to do, especially it's so competitive throughout women's tennis and the fact that she has come back, she had a doping violation. She had a one month suspension, lots of questions about what happened and tainted supplement, what have you.

And she's kind of had to build herself back up over the last few months, 24 years old, as we said, already had won five Grand Slam events but never had won Wimbledon. Of course, the Crown Jewel until today, dominating performance. It just was one of those masterpieces and as you said, it's been 114 years since someone went 6-0, 6-0 at Wimbledon. That's how significant this victory is.

DEAN: Yes, that's crazy. I also want to talk about Amanda Anisimova. Obviously, a very tough loss for her. She had this historic win to reach the final. She's 23, the youngest American player in Wimbledon's women's final since Serena Williams in 2004. What do you think was the difference for her today?

BRENNAN: You know, nerves definitely. I mean, this was her first time in a in a Grand Slam final. And, you know, she -- that's not easy. And then you're playing someone who's on the top of their game, right, so that's -- you put those two things together. The nerves, the pressure and what was going right at her backhand, which is her best shot, basically proving saying, hey, I can beat you. And once that -- once the nerves hit all the unforced errors, well over 25, you just not going to be able to win much of anything.

And in this case, she couldn't win literally nothing. When you are playing poorly. And what a shame because she had such a great tournament as you mentioned. And to have it end that way, let's hope that her takeaway is not that final, but her incredible run to the final.

DEAN: Yes, for certain. And she is the latest high profile athlete to share publicly. She needed to -- in her words, take a beat, take care of her mental health. Look we are seeing more and more of these athletes being able to say publicly.

BRENNAN: They are and that was in 2023. The pressure on these young athletes. I've covered a lot of tennis players, figure skaters, gymnasts when they're so young and they're rising so quickly. Jessica, it can be absolutely brutal and that's what we saw with her taking that break in 2023. And really that door was opened by Naomi Osaka at the French Open several years ago.

Obviously, other sports have talked about Michael Phelps has talked quite a bit, Simone Biles, but it was tennis, it was Naomi Osaka who said, hey, I've got to take a break. So, that that precedent was set.

In other words, there is a role model for her to look up to and say, hey, I can do this too. I can be strong enough to say, I need to take some time away.

DEAN: Yes and before we let you go, I do want to talk about your new book that's out this week. It's called "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports." I remember when we talked when you announced you were writing this book. So, first of all, congratulations on getting through all of that. That is no small thing to get that completed. But tell us a little bit about this book that's out this week.

[19:45:05]

BRENNAN: You know, Jessica, it was quick and we wanted to capture the moment, you know, the magic of Caitlin Clark everything about her Title IX, 23 years old, all the games at Iowa. I retell those stories and how the nation has fallen in love with what we've created with our -- the girl next door or the girl you see in the kitchen every morning with the with the soccer uniform on or volleyball gear in her bag, ready to go and practice or play. And we've fallen in love with that over the millions and millions of girls and women playing sports. And you know, now here she is, America. You know, Caitlin Clark selling out all those arenas, all of those great T.V. ratings and I wanted to tell that story and really see the sweep of American history, cultural history, with women's sports and the coming of age of Title IX embodied in this one person who, you know, she hits those logo threes. She's really -- she's a basketball player, yes. But she's really an entertainer. And that's what separates her -- the high wire act. People cannot get enough of watching her play those passes and I tell that entire story in "On Her Game."

DEAN: Yes, it's such a what an amazing story and -- just to watch her and her rise and to take us behind the scenes in that way, it's going to be really cool. All right, Christine Brennan, thanks so much.

BRENNAN: Thank you. Jessica.

DEAN: It has been 40 years since the biggest rockers in the world came together for a landmark event to raise money for famine relief in Africa. And now, CNN's Original Series is taking a look back at how that legendary concert came together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIDGE URE, ULTRAVOX: If we wrote a song and donated the song royalties, hopefully raising 100,000 pounds, that was realistic.

BOB GELDOF, CO-FOUNDER, BAND AID TRUST: So, the business side of Bob, thought, okay, so we write a Christmas song, get it out before Christmas. That's where money gets made in record sales.

I lived in Chelsea, and as I walked up the Kings Road, I saw Gary Kemp, who was the main writer and lead guitarist in Spandau Ballet, spending his first flush of pop star money, I guess and I banged on the window.

GARY KEMP, ENGLISH SONGWRITER AND MUSICIAN: He comes running in and, you know, and he -- his presence is huge. He takes over. He sort of banged his head on a chandelier or something and then he said this report was, you know, in Ethiopia the famine is huge and it's out-of- control and it broke my heart and it broke Paula's heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: "Live Aid: When Rock 'N' Roll Took On The World" premieres Sunday night at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific only here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[19:52:30]

DEAN: Tonight, we are remembering a political legend who is near and dear to the CNN family. Former CNN analyst and presidential adviser, David Gergen, has passed away from a progressive brain disorder, Lewy body dementia, he was 83.

CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look back on David's life and his contribution to American politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID GERGEN, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER AND CNN ANALYST: All right, listen, I can assure you that there are lots and lots of people out there who are better equipped to do it than I was.

ROBERT COSTA, CBS NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But there aren't a lot of people going between R&D.

GERGEN: There are not a lot of people and if you want to see the results, I can show you the scars on my back.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the explosive world of Washington politics, former presidential adviser David Gergen was an island of calm for decades, respected by Republicans and Democrats alike, even as the chiasm between them grew.

GERGEN: I mean, this started long before Trump and it's curious to me about what held us together before and why we're not holding together now.

FOREMAN (voice over): Born in North Carolina, deeply educated at Harvard, Yale and beyond, Gergen began his national political life as a speechwriter for Richard Nixon, long after the scandal that took Nixon down, Gergen admitted regrets in his political career but --

GERGEN: I didn't feel that so much about Watergate. I really felt most of us did not understand until pretty close to the end and once we understood it was over.

FOREMAN (voice over): With Gerald Ford, Gergen found a fresh start.

GERGEN: Ford was honest, and he felt that transparency and trust were the glue that held the system together and he tried to practice that.

FOREMAN (voice over): When Ronald Reagan was trying to unseat Jimmy Carter, Gergen crafted one of the most immortal lines in modern campaigning.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Are you better off than you were four years ago?

FOREMAN (voice over): He went on to serve Democrat, Bill Clinton.

GERGEN: Clinton had not a deep mind but a fast mind. He was not the best strategist, he was the best tactician.

FOREMAN (voice over): And Gergen advised so many others posing in photo after photo as a trusted ally on both sides of the aisle.

GERGEN: So, the only thing was that it looks like I've been wearing the same tie for 20 years.

FOREMAN (voice over): Gergen laughed easily, and as he shifted more to media, writing books and teaching, he spoke fearlessly. GERGEN: I don't think anybody comes out of this looking good. Frankly, it's a national embarrassment.

FOREMAN (voice over): Whether talking about federal budgets or presidential behavior, he said what he believed.

GERGEN: I think in the end of the day, the president is going to have to answer questions under oath. How they get there? I do not know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (on camera): And for all of us here at CNN, David was part of the family. He will be missed deeply -- Jessica.

[19:55:25]

DEAN: He certainly will. David Gergen was 83. Thanks so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. I'm going to see you again tomorrow night, right back here starting at 5:00 P.M. Eastern. Stay with CNN. AC360 is up after a short break.

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