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Iran Says It's Closing Hormuz Strait After Israeli Attacks In Lebanon; Ukraine's New Mid-Range Drones Breaking Russian Supply Lines; DHS Drops Plans To Turn Warehouse In Mega ICE Facility In Georgia; New York Mayor Mamdani Responds To White House Threat To Send ICE Agents; GOP Targets Areas Near U.S.-Mexico Border To Retain House Majority; Team USA Reaches Knockout Round At World Cup; Merlin The Duck, Mexico's Official World Cup Ambassador. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired June 20, 2026 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There aren't very many records of the laborers along the canal. I think a lot of their names have been lost to time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We know the first shovels went in the ground in 1817. I just don't think you could have comprehended the scale. It must have seemed like they'd gone to the end of the world. Must have seemed like they'd gone to the absolute wilderness, and it was incredibly dangerous work. There would be overwhelming illness and significant numbers of deaths.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Be sure to tune in tomorrow night at 9:00 right here on CNN and Monday on the CNN app.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

All right, everyone, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York.

We're following breaking news out of the Middle East, where Iran says it's closing the Strait of Hormuz just days after the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement. The reason, Tehran says Israel violated a ceasefire by attacking in Lebanon. But the U.S. claims the strait is not closed, but says it's monitoring the situation.

And just a few hours ago, Vice President J.D. Vance departed Washington for Switzerland, where further talks with Iran are set to take place. Iranian state media is reporting Iran's delegation has landed in Zurich ahead of those negotiations.

I want to bring in CNN's Julia Benbrook, who joins us now from the White House, where, Julia, we just heard from Vice President Vance a short while ago before departing for Europe. What is he saying ahead of these talks with Iran?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He did give some brief remarks, and he is now on his way to Switzerland. And his travel had kind of been in question because those plans had changed during the week. We thought at one point he might travel a couple of days ago, and he said those plans were still in flux even this morning when he spoke on FOX News. He said that the next steps would be planned after the arrival of the principals for the Iranian government, as well as the Qatari and Pakistani government.

But he said as he left that it was his understanding that the Iranian delegation was now there on the ground for these talks. Vance says that these talks will take place for a couple of days. They're going to be happening at a very high level when he's there, and then technical teams would then remain to work through some of the details. But he was asked what would make this successful while he's there, what is he going to be looking for?

I want to play you part of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can only be there for a day or two. I think we're hopefully making progress on the nuclear issue, making progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on. I'm sure the Iranians are going to have issues they'd like to discuss as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, prior to Vance's arrival, we do know that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been there on the ground, dealing with some of the technical aspects of negotiations. And the administration says that that so far has been going well.

But I do want to point out that that memorandum of understanding, what has been signed already, is the starting point here. It then leads to a 60-day period for negotiations to work on some of the bigger details, which includes addressing some of Iran's nuclear capabilities, like its highly enriched uranium, and exactly where that will go, how that will be handled.

One piece that was addressed in that memorandum was the Strait of Hormuz. But as you pointed out, Iran has said that it has once again closed access to that critical waterway. The U.S. military is pressing back on that, saying that it will make sure that the passage of vessels continues -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: All right, Julia Benbrook, appreciate the reporting.

For more on what's happening in the Middle East ahead of these talks, I want to go to CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It does seem from the sources I'm talking to in the region there, that there is, if you will, a certain amount of fighting that's allowed for. What it seems that the Iranians are looking for, obviously, is a complete ceasefire in Lebanon. But on the ground in Lebanon, the ceasefire there is being interpreted, it appears, as if that border zone close to Israel's northern border where Hezbollah operate, the IDF have forces there.

Now that that is still a conflict zone, the sort of backwards and forwards yellow line there, so to speak, but in terms of sort of big strikes at Hezbollah targets in and around Beirut and other parts of the country, that seems to be what is understood as being off, you know, being off limits. And I understand from my sources there that the U.S. has been very heavily involved in trying to get that drill down and push through.

And of course, today in Tehran, you have had the Pakistani, one of their key mediators there, the interior minister, meet with the foreign minister, who's one of the main negotiators on the Iranian side, Ghalibaf, the speaker of the parliament, their top negotiator, also met with the president of Iran today.

[19:05:07]

So that really -- that mission there was entirely focused on Lebanon, on the Lebanon issue, on trying to persuade the Iranians to come to the talks, which seems to be happening. They seem to be on the way for that. And the reason to persuade them was to convince them that President Trump, having signed the memorandum of understanding, can -- which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, can bring enough pressure to bear.

But it does seem that the Iranians want a diplomatic stick in their hand. And this appears to be why the IRGC has closed, said they're closing the Strait of Hormuz again. So they're coming into the table here to talk and they want the ceasefire in Lebanon. But they're coming in, having taken something off the table that they'd agreed to, opening the Strait of Hormuz. That's powerful geo-economic, geo- diplomatic leverage, a big diplomatic stick they're bringing to the table now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: All right, Nic Robertson, appreciate the reporting.

Iran and the United States not the only conflict we are following. Ukraine's new generation of mid-range drones are helping to break Russian military supply lines. A recent string of Ukrainian drone strikes, for example, have destroyed bridges, ports, trains and fuel trucks along the southern front, foiling Russia's plans for a summer offensive at least so far. The attacks have made some routes from Russia to occupied parts of Ukraine too dangerous for Russian troops to even use.

I want to bring in retired Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton.

So, Colonel, just how different is this phase of the war, particularly with this drone usage from what we've seen previously? COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Omar, it's different, at

least in terms of the degree to which we're seeing these kinds of drones. So there's this Ukrainian company called Fire Point, and it's a company that is building a lot of these drones that we're seeing, especially the long and mid-range drones that you mentioned. There are some other companies out there as well.

And basically what the Ukrainians are doing is they're cutting off all the different supply lines. So what's different about this particular situation is that the supply lines in and out of Crimea are actually being hit. The Ukrainians had previously gone after some elements of the Russian oil and gas industry.

Now they're really hitting it hard. And one of the things that they've done is they've been able to use the drones and the ability that they've had to weaponize these drones to really great effect, to basically limit the effectiveness of Russia's ability to not only supply its own troops, but also to supply its own citizens. There are long gas lines in Crimea right now and in other parts of Russia. In fact, there's gas rationing in Russia right now because of these drone attacks.

JIMENEZ: You know, so far, Russian air defenses seem largely incapable of dealing with the threat from these drones. We've also seen Ukrainians have to make different defense mechanisms as well, netting included from drones that have come from the Russian side as well. But I wonder, do you see Ukraine as holding the advantage here in terms of drone and if you do, why?

LEIGHTON: Well, at the moment I think that is the case. So part of it has to do with the types of technologies that both sides are employing. And in fact, the Russians are potentially threatening the northern parts of Ukraine with drones and missiles. And President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has basically said that if the Russians do this, they are basically going -- the Ukrainians are basically going to go after guidance systems that the Russians use, which happens to be in Belarus.

So the Ukrainians not only have a technical advantage, but they also seem to have an intelligence advantage to some extent. So it's basically a kind of a 60-40 proposition advantage Ukraine at the moment. But the Ukrainians have to be careful because the Russians are certainly developing drones and drone countermeasures at a very fast pace. But the Ukrainians so far are ahead in that regard.

JIMENEZ: Russia seems to be losing ground in the south. But what about the rest of Ukraine?

LEIGHTON: Yes. So this is very interesting because when you look at some of the areas in the eastern part of the country, like the Huliaipole Region, which is part of the Donbas Region, that area is actually seeing advances by Ukrainian troops right now. There are other areas where there are some minor advances by Russian troops, but they're very minimal. And for the most part, what we're seeing is Ukrainian advances both on the ground and in the air, specifically with drones. Now, in the rest of the front, basically, the area that curves around

to the northeast, we're basically seeing a static front at the moment.

[19:10:01]

So in essence, it's still a war of attrition. But the Ukrainians are not only holding their own but gaining at least certain localized advantages at the moment.

JIMENEZ: You know, this war has been going on for years now to this point. Do you see it ending with a military victory for either side, or will it have to come down to some form of diplomacy based on where things are right now?

LEIGHTON: Well, most of these kinds of wars will end with some form of diplomacy at some point. But Russia is definitely unwilling to engage in that kind of diplomacy, that kind of meaningful diplomacy at the moment. So that's going to be a significant impediment to any peace talks, although Ukraine has offered on several occasions, even recently, to engage in peace talks with people as high as Russian President Putin.

But what will probably happen is Ukraine will maintain its sovereignty. Russia will be thwarted in its designs to take over Ukraine as a constituent part of the Russian Federation, which is basically Putin's goal. As long as Russia, you know, is foiled in that area and Ukraine maintains its sovereignty, it's basically a Ukrainian victory, although it will come at a very, very heavy price.

JIMENEZ: Something to watch for, especially, I mean, it's been years to this point, but drone warfare seems to be dominating the battlefield at this point.

Colonel Cedric Leighton, really appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for being here.

LEIGHTON: You bet. Omar, thank you so much.

JIMENEZ: All right. A Georgia warehouse was set to become a massive immigration detention center. But that plan is now changing. We'll explain, coming up.

Plus two games, two wins. The U.S. is moving on in the World Cup. But the road ahead might be very unexpected. We'll talk about it.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:16:30]

JIMENEZ: The Trump administration is no longer turning a Georgia warehouse into a massive immigration detention center. The federal government bought the property for more than $128 million, and then the Department of Homeland Security planned to use it to hold up to 10,000 detainees, which would have nearly doubled the population of the small city of Social Circle, which drew quick and fierce pushback from residents and local leaders.

CNN's Rafael Romo is in Social Circle right now.

So, Rafael, you've been speaking with city officials. What are they sharing with you?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, let me put it to you this way, Omar, after almost six months of uncertainty, folks here in Social Circle, population fewer than 6,000, can finally relax, knowing that for the time being, their town will keep its charm, character, and peace. And that's because a plan by the Trump administration that called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to open a detention center in a local one million-square-foot warehouse to hold as many as 10,000 migrants, nearly tripling the population, is no longer happening.

And that was without counting 2,000 to 2500 employees. The plan drew fierce opposition in Walton County, where President Donald Trump won more than 72 percent of the vote in 2020. Social Circle leaders said their main concern was the potential impact to their water and sewer infrastructure, which lacked capacity, a concern they say they tried to convey multiple times to federal officials.

Omar, unexpectedly, the city of Social Circle learned only two days ago the Trump administration is now backing away from its plans, and they learned that not from DHS officials, they say, but from Congressman Mike Collins. And apparently, this is not happening only here in Georgia. "The New York Times" citing documents it has obtained reports that DHS is scrapping plans for conversion of a total of seven of 11 recently purchased warehouses into detention facilities from Roxbury, New Jersey, to Salt Lake City, Utah.

What changed, you may ask? This is what Social Circle City Manager Eric Taylor told me earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC TAYLOR, SOCIAL CIRCLE CITY MANAGER: I just have to believe that they came to the same conclusion that what we've been trying to tell them all along that Social Circle is not the right place for this type of facility. And, you know, they went in and looked at it with a fresh eye, and the new administration and came to the same conclusion.

GLENDA BROWN, SOCIAL CIRCLE RESIDENT: Relief, relief, pure relief. Because we love our town just like it is.

ROMO: What was your main concern?

BROWN: The water mainly in the bathrooms. If you don't have maybe 5,000 people, how can you accommodate 10,000 more?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Omar, DHS told CNN in a statement that it is still focused on removing what it calls, quote, "the worst, the worst criminal, illegal aliens." "These heinous criminals once arrested," the statement says, "should

be removed at lightning speed, not housed on American soil at taxpayers' expense. DHS is moving swiftly to utilize existing detention space with our state and county partners."

Several crucial questions remain. The deed shows that the federal government paid more than $128.5 million for the Social Circle property, more than four times the $29.4 million it sold for in 2023. The city manager told me that one possibility is that the federal government will use the warehouse it already bought to be used by other agencies.

[19:20:02]

But he said they would rather have a business acquire something that would benefit their tax base.

Omar, now back to you.

JIMENEZ: All right. Rafael Romo, really appreciate the reporting for us down there in Georgia.

Meanwhile, here in New York City, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he's prepared for a potential surge of ICE agents to enter the city following threats from the White House.

I sat down with the mayor this week. Here's what he had to say on that front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: So I want to talk about Knicks in a second. Just want to ask you a few things up top. Ahead of the parade last week, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that you and him don't get along. White House border czar Tom Homan has threatened to send ICE agents to the city of New York. Is New York City preparing in any way for a surge of ICE agents?

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK: We are always prepared because what we've seen from this federal administration are regular threats to send immigration enforcement into the city at a scale that we haven't seen before. And we've also made it clear in response that our values, our laws, they are not bargaining chips. We are not ashamed of the fact that we are a sanctuary city. We are proud of it.

And as we celebrate not only this historic Knicks championship, we're also celebrating the World Cup. And it's a moment where New Yorkers from across the world are seeing the world's eyes on and across our five boroughs, and we are proud of the fact that of the eight and a half million people who call the city home, more than three million are immigrants, and I'm proud to be one of them.

JIMENEZ: Well, to your knowledge, what was DHS Secretary Mullin saying or meaning when he said that you and him don't get along? Have you spoken to him lately? MAMDANI: I think it's more a reflection that we have very different

views of the world and of our country. I believe that ICE is a cruel agency who has very little interest, if any at all, in public safety. And I believe it's a rogue agency that should be abolished. What you see from the federal administration is a seeming joy in the cruelty of the work that they do, and I will never be accepting of practices that are tearing families apart, that are making hard-working New Yorkers fear for their ability to live their day-to-day lives because of the result of where they were born.

JIMENEZ: Is that something you've raised with President Trump?

MAMDANI: I've been direct with the president as well as said so in public. My views of ICE, my belief that we have the NYPD here in New York City, they are the ones that we trust to deliver on that public safety and any attempts to do so beyond that is one that actually threatens that public safety.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Now, on Thursday, Mayor Mamdani joined forces with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in his, quote, "Our Team, Our Year," end quote, rally. At the rally, Mamdani sharply criticized the Democratic Party and supported a slate of progressive congressional candidates in Tuesday's Democratic primaries. Mamdani saying that the race for 2028 begins now.

Mandani has been outspoken on his support of more progressive Democratic candidates and has advocated for change in the Democratic Party as a whole ahead of that big primary in New York on Tuesday. Here's what he said in our interview this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: There's a lot of debate about where the Democratic Party is, where it's going to go. And just for you, where do you believe it should go? Where do you think answers the needs of people most in terms of the party?

MAMDANI: I think we have to go in a direction that actually meets the needs of working class people across the country. For too long, it's felt as if we have to look at a history book to understand a Democratic vision for the working person. When I think about FDR, when I think about what used to be at the core of our party, so much of that has been lost. And we have to ask ourselves the harder question not just, are we ready to oppose a federal administration that is looking to trample on many of the rights of people that we hold dear?

But what will we fight for? What does the future hold beyond this administration? And it must be a vision that puts the struggle of the working person at the heart of it. That's why we ran a campaign and why we govern with the cost of living crisis as our compass because when you ask a working person what they care about, it is often, can they afford their rent? Can they afford their groceries? Can they afford their child care? We have to be a party that answers those questions and doesn't just do

so by putting all the onus on the working person, but by saying that government has a responsibility to make life easier for working people.

JIMENEZ: And you believe for Democrats, that's cost of living at the top, across the board?

MAMDANI: Absolutely. And a willingness to also do something about the cost of living, because too often we are satisfied with simply telling the truth. We have to then change the struggle that people are living through. And here in our city, when we're looking at the cost of rent, we're saying we're going to build more housing, more affordable housing than the city has seen in generations. We're going to actually make it easier for tenants to remain in their homes.

When it comes to groceries, we're going to have city-run grocery stores where affordability is not a hoped for thing, but a guarantee. And when it comes to childcare that we're delivering free childcare for 2-year-olds for the first time in New York City history, taking what would have been $20,000 a year as an expense for a working family and making it zero.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[19:25:03]

JIMENEZ: And these upcoming primaries will be a big test on how some of his vision plays out based on the candidates he's endorsed. We will see.

Coming up, Republicans have a tough road ahead if they want to hold on to the House. We'll tell you why the U.S.-Mexico border could be the key.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Republicans are facing an uphill battle to save their House majority in the upcoming 2026 midterms, despite an unpopular president and concerns over cost of living amid the war with Iran. Republicans are seeing glimmers of hope in districts along the U.S.-Mexico border. What happens in as many as six competitive border districts could help decide who controls the House for Trump's last two years in office.

[19:30:07]

I want to bring in CNN reporter Patrick Svitek, who joins us now. So, Patrick, can you just tell us more about these districts up for grabs in the upcoming midterms?

PATRICK SVITEK, CNN REPORTER: Yes. So, Republicans are targeting, they're trying to flip three Democratic held seats along the U.S.- Mexico border. Two of those are in Texas. One of those is in New Mexico. And then they're also trying to defend at least two seats that they currently hold along the border. And I think the phrase that you use, it's really important here at the top of this, is glimmers of hope. I mean, we all know that Republicans are in a really tough political environment right now, especially when it comes to holding on to their already very narrow house majority.

And so, they are looking for any corner of the country for reasons for optimism. And here they do believe that they have a good case to make. Number one, Donald Trump made further inroads with Hispanic voters in the 2024 Presidential election, including at the district level in these particular districts. They also believe that they have recruited their strongest candidates yet. And some of these seats, and they believe they have a good story to tell about how Trump has secured the border.

Now, of course, Democrats will push back on that. And I think the two points that they would make is that, you know, in the past, people have confused Trump's strength with Hispanic voters when he's on the ballot with the ability for other Republicans to pick up that support and off year elections. And then, number two, they'll say that, yes, maybe Trump has done a good job of securing the border. But these aggressive tactics that we've seen from immigration and customs enforcement have only alienated Hispanic voters. And we have seen polling since the last Presidential election that Trump's standing with Hispanic voters has gone down significantly.

JIMENEZ: Now, obviously, Democrats are also vying for some of the congressional districts on the border as well. Where do you see their prospects? What hurdles might they face in these efforts?

SVITEK: Sure, they're putting their hopes in candidates like Bobby Pulido, who is a Tejano music star who's running in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. And they believe he's a really authentic candidate, someone who's really connected with his community. But even Bobby Pulido has spoken on the campaign trail about how the Democratic party needs a better message on the economy.

He's talked about how where he's from in Texas, there are a lot of first-generation Hispanic families who he has said, you know, "come from nothing." And they want to hear more of an aspirational message from the Democratic Party and other Democrats I spoke to, you know, have said more broadly that going into these midterms, it's important that they put forward a positive case for voters and are not just focused on opposition to Donald Trump.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, typically we do see just on trend generally that the party in power loses seats in the midterm elections. But are there added factors that that some of these Republicans and Democrats are either trying to take advantage of or stave off heading into this midterms cycle, in particular?

SVITEK: Yes, I think what Republicans would tell you is that these border districts always tend to be kind of, they tend to have their own unique environment. I wouldn't say they necessarily buck national trends, but they don't always follow the national trends that we see on the map writ large. And so, you know, when you talk to Republican strategists about these districts, they say that, you know, border security, immigration issues are always a priority for these voters, even as it's fallen off as a priority for voters in other districts across the country.

You know, and even talking to Democratic incumbents in these districts, we spoke to, Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar for this story. They acknowledge that, yes, these districts are kind of unique in terms of the issue set, in terms of what voters are looking for.

And so, you know, I think that both parties acknowledge that there are some unique factors in these districts. Again, whether it's the issue set, what people are prioritizing or just the kind of quality of candidate and the importance of candidate quality in these districts, for example, you know, in Henry Cuellar's district, Republicans really like their candidate there. He is, the Webb County Judge, Tano Turina, and he's a former Democrat.

And of course, Republicans would love to tell the story of a former Democrat in this area who kind of, in their view, saw the light and became a Republican under Donald Trump along the border.

JIMENEZ: Patrick Svitek, laying out why every district will be important in these midterms, some razor-thin majorities in Congress. Appreciate the reporting, thanks for being here.

SVITEK: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: World Cup Wonders, team USA already off to a superb start but the question is can it last. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:39:26]

JIMENEZ: It's still a little surprising, but after just two games, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team finds themselves locked into the knockout round of the world cup. The men's team is firing on all cylinders right now after yesterday's shutout against Australia and last week's four-one win over Paraguay.

The men have this rare opportunity to actually rest some players if they want to, against Turkey in the final group stage game next week. CNN's sports analyst Christine Brennan joins me now. Going into yesterday's match against Australia, Christian Pulisic's injury loomed over team USA's chances. There were a lot of questions over how they would actually come out and play. They still looked pretty dominant. What type of confidence does that give the team going into the knockout rounds?

[19:40:10]

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Omar, it's huge. It's huge for the team to not have your star player, Captain America, as he's known to not have him in the game and you still just dominate scoring early. That's what the U.S. has done, as you well know, in both of its games. And that's just a great confidence boost. Obviously, momentum you know sports well, I know sports pretty well. The idea of just taking hold of a game quickly.

So, the opponent, which is of course a road game for them, obviously in the United States that they never have a chance. They never can get into that game. And so, Pulisic obviously, the key question moving forward is, as you know now with one more game that's completely meaningless in terms of the result, Turkey is already out, they're going home after the third game and the U.S. is moving on. What do you do? And there are two schools of thought here because Pulisic, if he doesn't play, if you rest him, which is the logical thought, right. You know, the calf injury it's bothering him. You don't need him. Why risk any more injury?

But the flip side of that, Omar, is that, there will be 19 days between the first game, in other words, the game he played in and the round of 32. If the U.S. rests him for the Turkey game, 19 days is a long time to develop some rust, to be a little bit out of sync. And so, the idea is you play him a little, but then you hold your breath so he doesn't get injured any further or you just absolutely rest him, but knowing he will have missed then almost three weeks before he plays in his next game.

JIMENEZ: You know, just that dynamic of trying to manage rhythms in sports is so crucial to your point. You know, you give too much time. You bring him in on a bigger stage cold as opposed to sort of ramping him up. Really interesting dynamic.

Alex Freeman had the goal of the day yesterday with that header. Freeman is on such a roll right now. Just tell us a little bit about the dynamics of this particular team outside of Captain America as he's known and what advantages they will have or what they've been exploiting really in their wins so far.

BRENNAN: They're a young team, Omar, and they're fast. it's the speed. They are causing trouble for their opponents right away because they're so fast. And it they've had own goals that they have benefited from in both of those games. I think that's the first time that's ever happened in the World Cup, two for two on own goals. But they're forcing mistakes, right? So, speed is such -- you can't coach speed as we know, in any sport. And the fact is the U.S. has it.

This is a generation that that American soccer fans, of course, the men's team for sure has been waiting for basically forever. And you know, Freeman, his father, of course, played in the NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman. You know, you've got these young men who have grown up and they've played soccer their whole lives and now it's trickling up. You know those youth games now it's trickling up. And some of our really best male athletes are staying, sticking with soccer as opposed to going to other sports.

So, you're seeing that that energy, the enthusiasm, and these are the young men too, who gave up money to make sure the U.S. Women's Team would have equal pay. They're sharing their World Cup money with the U.S. Women. We would never see that from any other country. I don't think in terms of these are title nine males who are so respectful that they again, gave up some of their own money so the U.S. Women a few years ago could have that equal pay and that huge story that was obviously ongoing for a while.

So again, they seem to be really good guys off the field as well as, of course, terrific players on it.

JIMENEZ: Yes, you bring up the Women's U.S. Team. I mean, they've been good for years for a long time. It is the expectation for the women that they get either to the final or somewhere close. The men getting a small taste of that right now. Do you agree with the Women's National Team, head coach Emma Hayes, when she says she sees a future when soccer is America's number one sport?

BRENNAN: I think it's going to be a while. I love her optimism and she's a terrific coach, as we know, and brought the Olympic gold medal back home to the U.S. two years ago in Paris and ride at some of the ships there.

You know, I think it's going to be a while. You know, you and I both love sports. There're so many other sports for American boys to play and girls too. But the groundwork and the cornerstone was set with title nine, which is basically almost 54 years old right now, it's 54th anniversary, which then allowed the floodgates to open for girls and women to play sports in this country 54 years ago onward.

The man, obviously, all those other choices and teams and pro leagues that were so alluring and so interesting as part of the American sports culture. I think this, I think that if this team can make it to the quarterfinals, and that would be the first time since 2002 that happens. If they do, I think that will be seen as a victory. Knowing these great European teams that are potentially waiting for them, you know, just the behemoths of the sport.

So, I do think you can take the victory and take the win and run. Even if you don't win. And yes, it will be a boon for men's soccer, for sure. Into the next ten, 15, 20 years.

JIMENEZ: And I don't want to speak too soon. But there is a path in where the U.S. could make it to the quarterfinals. Even semifinals facing teams like Bosnia and Herzegovina. And then in the round of 16 teams like potentially New Zealand, Czechia, bottom line teams that are, in theory beatable for the U.S. but a lot has to go right. A lot of games to win before you get to that point. Christine Brennan, appreciate the time, good to see you.

BRENNAN: You too, Omar, thank you.

[19:45:34]

JIMENEZ: And coming up tomorrow night on CNN, we'll take a look at how the beautiful game has grown in America. The 2026 FIFA World Cup underway. But check out CNN's new FlashDoc "Chasing Soccer Glory". It airs tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

Still to come for us, he's a star of the World Cup and he isn't even on the pitch. He's pretty cute, too. It's a story that could be the plot to "Mighty Ducks Four" quite literally. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:50:46]

JIMENEZ: A pet duck named "Merlin" has waddled his way into the hearts of soccer fans around the globe, becoming an official ambassador for Mexico, not kidding, this is "Merlin" here, official ambassador for Mexico at this year's FIFA World Cup.

But he's not the only feathered figure on social media because "Don," the Scottish duck, has entered the chat, leading the Tartan Army on a march ahead of Friday's match against Morocco. With all the unexpected fame, CNN's Valeria Leon met with the OG duck, Merlin's proud owners and his adoring flock of fans in Mexico City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Wearing this perfectly fit jersey, this is Merlin the duck. He's became so famous in the last two weeks, and he was waddling through the streets during the celebrations in the opening match in Mexico City.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We were just working at the time. We never imagined it would go so viral. We were walking down Reforma Avenue when a young woman filmed us, and that's when everything took off.

LEON (on camera): And were here with Christian, his owner.

(VALERIA LEON speaking in foreign language.)

CHRISTIAN, OWNER OF MERLIN (through translator): I gave it that name because it's magical to me.

LEON (on camera): You need to hold it like, here, okay. Oh, he's so cute.

LEON (voice over): But long before social media discovered him, Merlin, was already a familiar face here in Mexico City's historic center.

OMAR TELLEZ, MEXICO CITY RESIDENT (through translator): It's surreal, it really represents the lifestyle of Mexico City. Mexicans always find creative ways to keep everyone happy and bring people together.

LEON (voice over): Now he has millions of views and fans counted in the thousands.

LEON (on camera): He draws smiles everywhere he goes. You can see surrounded by fans from all over the world.

RICHARD GOLDSCHMIDT, GERMAN TOURIST: We have seen the duck in the city. Yesterday it was. Yes, we have seen the duck, yes.

LEON (on camera): And what do you think about that?

GOLDSCHMIDT: I mean, when the duck has fun, it's okay.

LEON (on camera): This unofficial mascot is going to become the ambassador named by FIFA today.

REBECA ARCOS, SPOKESPERSON, FIFA FAN FEST MEXICO CITY (through translator): Merlin is now Mexico City's official FIFA host city ambassador.

LEON (voice over): Merlin may not know much about football, but the timing couldn't be better for this duck.

LEON (on camera): Once his video went viral, this duck became one of the most visible faces of the World Cup, proving that the biggest stars of the tournament sometimes aren't on the beach at all.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Valeria Leon, good to see you, thank you so much.

All right, this story is brought to you by the letter "R" for regret, because it appears our friend Elmo over at Sesame Street is hoping to clear the air after his little hiccup with Knicks fans. If you don't remember, he tweeted, "Elmo hopes both teams have fun." I was going to do the voice, but I decided not to.

During the NBA Finals, that's when he tweeted it. Drawing outrage from Knicks fans. He then tweeted again, saying, "Elmo didn't mean to Spur you on." Knicks fans responded by calling him a traitor.

Now that the World Cup is underway, Elmo appears to have learned his lesson and posted this new message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELMO, MUPPET: Just to be clear, Elmo wants Team USA to win, okay, but Elmo loves everybody. Just to be clear, don't make this a thing. Thank you. Elmo loves you, and Elmo loves you, and Elmo loves you and Team USA and everybody who's playing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I love that this is where we are. Thank you, Elmo.

Next, we're going to have to bring on his friend Zoe's pet rock, Rocco, for some detailed analysis. Can't wait to hear those thoughts. Very, very detailed, always with, Rocco. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM, stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:59:28]

JIMENEZ: It's a live look at the Statue of Liberty on a nice Saturday night in New York City. Still standing after Knicks fans celebration, some of them joking that they were going to steal the Statue of Liberty. But this is confirmation, she's still there, looking great on a great day in New York City.

All right, coming up in just a few moments before I'll tell you, the last thing here is tonight on CNN, "Craig Ferguson" explores the concept of the rugged American. But instead of the old days out on the frontier, this is in modern times in the Florida Everglades. A new episode of "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose" airs tonight at 9:00 P.M. Eastern on CNN and tomorrow on the CNN App.

And thank you all for joining me this evening. We went through a lot of news, a lot going on. I'm going to see you back here tomorrow starting at 5:00 P.M. Eastern. I'm Omar Jimenez, "Real Time with Bill Maher" is up next.