Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

International Parade Of Sail Is Now Underway; Heat Wave Disrupts Fourth Of July Events Across US; Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Tie The Knot At Star-Studded Ceremony In New York. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 04, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:01:30]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, the 4th of July. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's take a live look right now at New York as the parade of tall ships has just gotten underway. It happened about 30 minutes ago. Some of the tallest ships from across the world are sailing through New York harbor right now. Celebrating this 250th birthday of the United States will get you. Also see the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flying overhead.

And then also part of all the festivities there in the New York Harbor, Vice President JD Vance will be there to watch, and he will also be speaking. And another person who's there, CNN's Erica Hill. She's got the best perch of anyone because she's right there on a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. So what's it like to be.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You're also part of the parade. Shall we say?

HILL: We are leading the parade, Fred. This is the spot to have. You're right. We did score the best assignment here. We're on board the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle. This is the tall ship leading the parade. Led the parade in '76, led the parade in 1964. This is the only tall ship that the Coast Guard has.

And it's incredibly important, not just for events like this, although it is used all around the world to represent the United States. But because this is also a teaching ship, every cadet who goes to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will spend six weeks on board the Eagle. There is a class of cadets on board now. They just finished their first year at the academy, so they'll be going into their second year after this summer.

They're in the middle of that six-week training. I'm joined by cadets who have already been through that once, and they are now back to help some of these younger cadets. You're literally showing them the ropes. Although I'm told we don't call them ropes. They're lines on board the Eagle, right? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Correct.

HILL: Ella and Haley, you are. Yes. You're not seeing devil. You guys are twins. You're in the same class at the Coast Guard Academy. What is it like for you to be back on board the Eagle for America's 250th?

ELLA CARRITORE, 3RD CLASS CADET: It's pretty incredible. Very lucky to have this experience, especially being on it together. We didn't realize how special this opportunity was until we were lucky enough to have our family come on board and go for a tour. And it just really enlightened the whole experience. So it's pretty cool.

HILL: What is it about the Eagle that is so special, both the training that you do, the chance to come back, what is it about the Eagle and what it says to the rest of the world?

HAILEY CARRITORE, 3RD CLASS CADET: I think it's just the history. Knowing that it's been. We've had it for so long and knowing that so many cadets and officers have come through with different training and knowing that we're all getting the same training and learning from especially Captain, learning his leadership style and learning how we can take that into the fleet just from this ship alone. It's awesome.

HILL: It's a big deal to decide that you want to serve, to apply to a service academy to be accepted. What made you decide that this was the place for you?

E. CARRITORE: So we had a friend in high school that we were really close with, and she had family in the Coast Guard, and we really -- she showed us a lot about how, like, her family has been involved. And so we decided to apply to the academy and we got in. Actually, we got a year of prep school first. So basically the Coast Guard will send you to a year of additional schooling just to really set you up for success. And then last year went through soft summer, and now we're here.

HILL: I was talking to somebody earlier who was saying, you know, I think Americans need to learn a little bit more about the Coast Guard and just how widespread your duties are since your time at the academy. Is there anything that has surprised you about what is your future?

H. CARRITORE: I think just seeing how much the enlisted actually are the backbone of the Coast Guard.

[10:05:00]

We hear a lot about officers, but not the enlisted. Like we had the opportunity to go to a station this summer and seeing how much effort and how much the enlisted really like do all the work. Like not all the work, but they do a lot. They really support the officer side. And it's awesome.

HILL: I'm told so much. Not just your education at the academy, but so much of your time on board this ship. Especially when they do that for you. Do the first initial six week training. It's also about teamwork and helping you all see how important that is for you as a leader. What do you think you got out of that initial six weeks on this ship?

E. CARRITORE: Yes, so we're only halfway through, but we have little divisions of about like seven or eight people and you're really -- you're stuck with them the entire time. And so we learn a lot about like meeting new people. Most of the people in my division I've never met before. So working with new people, you're learning their leadership and how they work. It really shows you how that is very applicable in the fleet and the fact that we're only halfway through. Like, I'm really excited to get to know them more for the back half.

HILL: What are you most excited about today? I mean, this is pretty cool to be on board the ship that is leading the tall parade. You're in it for the 250th birthday for America. I mean anything you're hoping to see. Fireworks. The flyover. We've got the Blue Angels.

H. CARRITORE: I was going to say the Blue Angels. So I'm so excited for the flyover. I think it's just awesome seeing all the aircraft that are going to be here. Especially from I've heard out of country aircraft are going to be coming as well. So I'm so stoked for that. It's going to be awesome.

HILL: Have you -- so if anybody is here in the area, and they're also, I should point out, there are other areas too where you can come on board the Eagle, see what it's all about. But some of the other ships as well. Have you had the opportunity to visit any of the international ships? Because there are dozens, more than 30 that are part of this.

E. CARRITORE: Yes. So our last port call, we were in Baltimore and we went on a few of our sister ships and it was incredible. Like there was a lot of resemblances with the layout of the boat. So that was really neat to see that even though they're sister ships from like different countries, they're all like, very similar.

HILL: So the next time I talk to you guys, you could be on board this ship for the 300th, then maybe one of you is the captain. It could happen.

E. CARRITORE: That'd be crazy.

HILL: Ella and Hailey, it's great to have you. Thanks for taking the time to join us and thanks for your service. It's great to know that the future is in good hands.

E. CARRITORE: Thank you.

HILL: We are clearly having a terrible time today, Fred, on board the Eagle. Everybody has been so warm, so welcoming, and it's been really great to learn not just more about this ship, which does have a really remarkable history, but also everything that the Coast Guard does in the United States and abroad.

WHITFIELD: Oh, you and they are the envy of all of us. We really admire your vantage point there and these wonderful conversations and really the enthusiasm that is, you know, being exuded by everyone you've talked to, including your south this morning. Erica, thanks so much. We'll check back with you there aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle.

All right. Let's talk more about this incredible Sail4th 250, and the parade of these incredible tall ships. Joining us right now to discuss, Lincoln Paine, a maritime historian and president of the North American Society for Oceanic History. Also with us, retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain Aaron Davenport and Tim Naftali, CNN presidential historian. Good morning to all of you. And Happy 4th.

LINCOLN PAINE, MARITIME HISTORIAN AND PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR OCEANIC HISTORY: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: Well, wonderful. So, Lincoln, let's begin with you. I mean, we've been looking at these beautiful live shots. You see these tugboats that are kind of, you know, spewing for a lack of a better word or spouting, you know, red, white and blue, you know, tainted water there on the Hudson. You've got these ships representing more than 20 nations around the world.

So, Lincoln, give us an idea of the role of some of these tall ships and what kind of role they might have played in American history or perhaps even in the countries that they hail from. How is it that they were selected and are representative of an incredible display during this parade?

PAINE: Well, interestingly, the United States is one of the few major countries that doesn't have a naval tall ship. And the only sort of national tall ship we have really is the Eagle. But in the case of, say, Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Romania, Germany, all of those tall ships are under the purview of the navies.

And they're used as training vessels to acclimate the sailors to the natural environment of the sea in ways that you don't get sailing on a big steel ship, many of which no longer even really have decks. This one being an obvious exception.

A lot of the ships built today are really sort of enclosed, and that's not the case for the Coast Guard. If I had to go to sea, I've never been in the Coast Guard or the Navy, but if I had to go to sea with a naval sailor or a Coast Guard sailor, I would choose Coast Guard sailor every time because they do have this incredible preparation and they spend a lot of time really on the water and facing the elements one to one.

[10:10:12]

WHITFIELD: And then Lincoln, as we're talking, we're looking at live pictures right now of Vice President JD Vance. He'll be speaking during today's celebration of the Sail4th 250 is, you know, high fiving and handshaking with what appear to be U.S. navy men. Perhaps, there is other representation there too on this platform which kind of looks like an aircraft carrier, but I'm not really sure actually on the USS Kearsarge right now ahead of his speech delivery.

And I wonder, you know, as we look at these pictures here and how important it is for the representation of the Vice President there, I wonder, Lincoln, you know, if you could tell us a little bit more about these tall ships. I mean, are they all literally tall ships as they are described? And you know, what's the distinction that makes one a tall ship?

PAINE: Well, a tall ship is really any sort of, generally speaking, multi-masted vessel usually reserved for square rigged vessels. That's the ships like the Eagle, whose mainsails are set perpendicular to the center line of the ship. But schooners also qualify and other large vessels. And the term goes back at least to Shakespeare, if not earlier.

There are some maritime purists or so called purists who say you shouldn't use the term tall ship because it was sort of corrupted by Masefield in his poem about all I need is a tall ship and a star to sail her by. But it's a fairly -- it's a completely legitimate term and they do make an incredible site and have I was involved. I really started my career as a maritime historian as a volunteer for Opsail '76. And that was just an astonishing event.

And the New York Daily news headline was 6 million people come to watch Operation Sail. It was a momentous event.

WHITFIELD: Incredible. Captain Davenport, I mean, you have had the pleasure of being on this U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle that is leading this parade. You were a crew member. Can you kind of help describe for us what makes this cutter so special? We heard one of the other Coast Guard members telling our Erica Hill that it is America's tallest ship. What can you tell us about it? Would you remember about it?

CAPT. AARON DAVENPORT, U.S. COAST GUARD (RET.): Well, of course, I remember a great deal. It is like no other vessel and it really prepares or starts the preparation for cadets to become officers. So they have to learn teamwork. It's an old ship and a lot of it's manual. And so it's your first introduction to the sea and the maritime life and sea duty.

WHITFIELD: Tim, I mean, this is a, you know, representation of the globe -- of the U.S. and its allies with this parade of tall ships. I mean, what's the significance in your view here, what is this parade truly represent?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, these flags, these ships are all ambassadors of their countries. And I wanted to ask the historian and Captain Davenport, I understand that three of the ships are sister ships, at least I believe three of them. Our Eagle was built at the same time as the Portuguese ship and I believe is the Romanian Mircea. They were all built in the 1930s actually in Germany.

Two of them were trophies of war. I believe that's true. So there are three ships, one of which is ours, which will look -- would look quite similar. And they're gorgeous and beautiful and they're nearly 100 years old.

So these are ambassadors of their countries. These ships carry an enormous amount of history. And as Captain Davenport mentioned, they actually serve a purpose today by training future sailors and members of the Coast Guard, by showing them, basically, they learn the ropes or the sheets or the line.

WHITFIELD: Hey, everyone, stay with us if you will, please. And you -- you're going to see a live picture, too. The Vice President is seemingly poised to soon deliver his address.

[10:15:00]

We're going to take a short break for now and resume our conversation about this incredible parade of tall ships. And of course a gentle reminder, everyone join CNN for America's 250th birthday celebration with the biggest fireworks and stars. CNN's Fourth in America celebrating 250 -- 250 beginning at noon Eastern right here on CNN and stream it on the CNN app.

And still to come here on this Fourth of July, the warnings about today's dangerous heat just going to get and where some beloved holiday traditions are now canceled as a result.

And later, the marriage era has begun for Taylor Swift and her new beau, her new husband. Details on her star studded wedding to Travis Kelce.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:40]

WHITFIELD: Well, that's a spectacular display. And what a happy Fourth of July celebration to kick as we celebrate one of the big events of the day. You saw the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flyover in New York there.

More than 73 million Americans along the East Coast on this Fourth of July are by the way under extreme heat alerts today. And that is causing delays or outright cancellations of several Fourth of July events. Independence Day parades in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have actually been scrapped. Temperatures just too dangerously high.

The Great American State Fair in D.C. will reopen today two hours later than planned. It was temporarily closed yesterday. And all outdoor Battle of Gettysburg events will be moved inside. And firework shows in Colorado and Utah have been scrubbed because of wildfires. And for more on just how intense this heat will get today and what's on the Horizon, CNN's Allison Chinchar is with us now. I mean, it is intense, very dangerous heat.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. And for many people, this isn't a surprise. They've been dealing with this heat for the last few days.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CHINCHAR: Really, it's just a very prolonged event. We look at some of the current temperatures. These are air temperatures. This is not mixed in with the humidity. It is 94 degrees in Washington, DC. Now if you were to add in the humidity, that number is going to go up. Same for Boston, which is currently sitting at 88. Same thing for Raleigh. It is 82 in Atlanta with a little bit of extra cloud cover there.

But again, these temperatures are just going to keep going up. That's why you have all of these areas here. You're under those extreme heat alerts. If you're not under an alert, it doesn't mean it's not going to be hot. You're just not reaching those extreme record breaking levels like some of the other areas are.

Every single one of these black dots you see on the map here has the potential to break a record or tie a record at some point today. Keep in mind many of these locations broke one yesterday and the day before. So this is a multiday event and that is what's leading to a lot of the heat concerns in these areas is that prolonged nature that has impacts on your body. Especially when some locations this morning never dropped below 880 degrees for their low temperature. It doesn't allow your body a chance to cool off before it rebounds to temperatures that look like this.

This is the high temperature forecast for today. 102 In Raleigh, 100 in D.C., 96 in New York. Keeping in mind the feels like temperature is going to be higher than that when you factor in the humidity and we have a lot of humidity in the air. And that is also going to fuel some showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity.

It's not going to be widespread, but you are going to have some of those scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially places like New York, Philadelphia, D.C. even through the evening hours, Fred. And that's the concern there because those are the times when people are out, they want to go check out fireworks. They want to go out, especially at night when it's supposed to be a little bit cooler --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CHINCHAR: -- and then you may have some storms to contend with.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, folks had to pay attention, right? Take heed. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate. All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

All right. We continue to celebrate America's 250th anniversary on this Fourth of July. More of that magnificent tall ship's parade happening right now in New York's harbor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:28:39]

WHITFIELD: All right. One of the must see events of this Fourth of July celebration is this right here, the parade of tall ships across the New York harbor, ships representing more than 20 nations being led by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle. Our Erica Hill has been lucky enough to be right on that ship talking to a number of Coast Guard members about the significance and the importance of being part of this parade and leading it. We're going to check in with her momentarily. But back with me right now, let's talk about the historical significance of this, what it all symbolizes. Back with us is Lincoln Paine, a maritime historian and president of the North American Society for Oceanic History, retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain Aaron Davenport. And also with us, Tim Naftali, CNN's presidential historian.

Help us navigate, gentlemen, this incredible celebration and this display of incredible tall ships. I mean, Lincoln, you first. We had the U.S. Navy flyover taking place of the Blue Angels. That was spectacular with the red, white and blue exhaust over, you know, the harbor there. And now we're getting a live shot here of one of the tall ships.

I mean, what are you looking forward to and what do you find thus far impressive?

[10:30:00]

PAINE: Well, these events are always impressive because the ships are amazing, and the amount of manpower and woman power literally required to sail the ships is really extraordinary. And it harkens back to a time not that long ago, historically, when there was no other mode of power for long distance shipping other than sails.

And so it's a really important thing for sailors because it keeps them in contact with the natural world in ways that we, most of us, don't have an opportunity to have. And so that's very important, and that's something that binds people across the world. You know, there are international regulations that if a ship sinks and you're in distress, that if you're nearby, you will go pick that person up or try to -- try to help render aid. So there is a camaraderie of the sea that you don't find in other pursuits.

WHITFIELD: Lincoln and gentlemen, let's take a moment now because I think we have a signal with Erica Hill, who's on that USS cutter Eagle. We got to take the opportunity while we have it. All right, what's going.

HILL: We are actually -- we're watching what's happening in the skies above us because, as you know, we're part of this tall ship's parade. But given that we are now having the flyover, it's just been really cool to see everything that's coming. I'm standing here with Rear Admiral Greg Rothrock, who is also very helpful to have as your right hand man in this moment, because he'll look up and say, oh, those are some of ours. And he'll tell us exactly who is flying overhead.

You are the superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. What does it mean for you today to be on board the Eagle, to be leading this parade on America's 250th birthday?

REAR ADMIRAL GREGORY ROTHROCK, SUPERINDENDENT, U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY: It is an absolute privilege to be on board Eagle, America's tall ship, with our cadets to sail Eagle in and bring Eagle into New York harbor for our nation's 250th birthday. It is just -- it is -- as you can see, Erica, you've been covering it all day. This is an amazing venue, and it's just a real privilege to be able to highlight the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

HILL: We were talking earlier today. There is so much history on board this ship, but so much history as well at the Coast Guard Academy. And to think that you have all of these cadets on board, some of them 18, 19 years old, 20 years old, who are now leaning into that history. They are creating the history for the next 250 years of this country.

ROTHROCK: I'm so glad you asked about that, because you just interviewed two twins from Erie, Pennsylvania, who make us incredibly proud. The Corritore sisters. One of the things that we're celebrating this summer is our 150th year, right? So in the nation's 250th, the Coast Guard Academy starts to celebrate its 150th year, starting in 1876 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. And so we just couldn't be more proud to bring that story to a national stage. And so thank you for helping us do that.

HILL: We are happy to. For folks, we've talked a little bit about this today, but if you're just joining us, it's not just, you know, lucky Erica and crew who get to be on board the Eagle. What's really fantastic is over the next couple of days, people who are in New York City and other places around the country, they can actually come visit the Eagle, too, learn a little bit more about this ship and the other ships that have come from all over to support and celebrate the United States.

ROTHROCK: They can. And I think that's one of the greatest things that our cadets, I would say, differentiates our cadets from the rest of the military service academies. They are phenomenal ambassadors to the United States public and around the world. And so they're going to be able to give tours of the ship. And so the public is welcome to come down for tours. They have just done that down in Norfolk and in Baltimore. And so they were working their way up the east Coast and next stop is Boston.

HILL: This is -- we were talking earlier when we were speaking with the cadets with Hailey and Ella about how every cadet spends six weeks training on this ship. You did that, too?

ROTHROCK: I did. I did. Back in the summer of 1992, I had the privilege of parading in a tall ship parade as well into New York harbor. So this is a full circle moment for me.

HILL: What was that moment that as we crossed under the Verrazano Bridge, were you thinking back to '92?

ROTHROCK: I was. I mean, it's just so many memories of what it is like to be part of an amazing international contingent of sail to celebrate the United States of America on the fourth of July. It just couldn't be more exciting.

HILL: Once this ship docks later on today. How else will you be celebrating a fourth?

ROTHROCK: Well, there's going to be a reception on board this evening. The cadets, of course, are always a highlight of the reception, and we will be watching the fireworks this evening as only we should.

HILL: Do you get to watch them on board the Eagle?

ROTHROCK: I believe I do.

HILL: Not a bad gig.

ROTHROCK: No, not a bad gig. I mean, it is a true privilege to be the superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy, one of five federal service academies where people with the drive and determination to serve can come to put service before self.

[10:35:09]

And we just couldn't be more proud of that. Right now, you've got about 125 cadets on board who are rising sophomores, and they've just spent a year learning a lot about how to lead themselves. And this tour, for them, these six weeks is all about how do they work within an assigned team. As you heard the Corritore sisters talk about perform assigned missions. And they may be as simple as hauling on a line or as complicated as performing damage control drills. And so this -- this ship is critical to our training program, and we're proud to bring it to the American public.

HILL: Before I let you go real quick, you just welcomed a new class of cadets. I think it was just last week at the Coast Guard Academy.

ROTHROCK: It was just Monday. Yes, it was. It was just on Monday. We welcomed 285 members to the Class of 2030, which brings our core strength back to 1,090 cadets. And so, for anyone out there who is interested in applying to the United States Coast Guard Academy, we'd be excited to consider your applications for the class of 2031.

HILL: Rear Admiral Rothrock. There you go. You can just drop his name. It's fine. He says no problem whatsoever. Right. Really appreciate your time.

ROTHROCK: Thank you so much, Erica.

HILL: Thank you. It's great to have you with us. And thanks for welcoming us on board. Fred, I'll throw it back to you. Oh, wait, before I do.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HILL: We saw some red and white planes. Were you -- do you know what those were?

ROTHROCK: No, we don't know.

HILL: OK. We'll look into that for you.

WHITFIELD: OK. Hey. Well, I think people are inspired, whether it's the next round of Coast Guard cadets, based on your conversation, seeing the cutter there lead the parade. If anything, they're also very much inspired by these multiple flyovers we're experiencing on this great 4th of July. Thanks so much, Erica. Appreciate it. All right, we'll check back with you right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:28]

WHITFIELD: This has been fun. All morning long we've been watching these incredible ships in New York's harbor. This is part of the Sail4th 250th and it's taking place being led by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter called Eagle, celebrating America's 250th birthday.

Another spectacular event that's getting a whole lot of attention from the Big Apple this holiday weekend. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce officially entering their marriage era. The couple tied the knot last night at Madison Square Garden in a ceremony officiated by their friend Adam Sandler. And of course, the nuptials were attended by a thousand guests.

And this now ends weeks of speculation and secrecy surrounding the details of what was going to happen at MSG and how did it happen and how in the world did they pull this off? Well, they did. There were long lines of dark SUVs dropping off wedding guests behind the shrouded tents as fans gathered outside the venue to celebrate Travis and Taylor's love story. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in New York, not far from a Madison Square Garden where they're continuing to break things down. Right.

What are you learning about how things happened?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. You know, it would make sense that Ms. Americana herself would get married on the eve of July 4th. And such a momentous birthday for the nation, the nation's 250th birthday. And we're getting little more details this morning, this time directly from a handful of guests who were in the room themselves.

We heard this morning from Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos, who was discussing the event with his two co-anchors, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan. They said that the ceremony was moving. They said it was deeply loving and funny. And they talked about how it felt intimate despite the scale of this venue and the star power that was inside of it.

They said that it was like a garden inside the garden. We knew that was one of the clues going in that they were creating some sort of garden party atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden.

Now my invitation probably got lost in the mail. So for all of us that were out here as the wedding was happening inside, I want to show you how we found out that it had officially happened. The screens around Madison Square Garden flashed when the wedding was underway and when the couple was taking their vows yesterday.

And I want to tell you a little bit more about what we do know about the wedding. We know that the bride and groom were custom Christian Dior, the couple's friend Adam Sandler served as their officiant. They did -- they went ahead and did not have a traditional wedding party, but they had Swift's brother Austin as her man of honor and Kelce's brother Jason as his best man.

And of course, there was entertainment. Reportedly, Stevie Nicks was one of the performers last night. And of course, the big giant question mark that remains this morning is pictures. The dress, what did it look like? But if we know Taylor Swift, she doesn't usually keep her fans in the dark for very long. So perhaps we'll be learning what it all looked like sometime soon. Fred.

[10:45:00]

WHITFIELD: I guess I don't know why I was expecting and I just came up with myself like 9:00 a.m. Eastern time that we'd see drop of the first picture or something. I'm like, come on now, it's 10:44. I want to see a picture too.

PAZMINO: I know.

WHITFIELD: It's taking so long. It's digital after all. They're not like developing the photos anyway. That's just me. All right, Gloria, let me know when you know. Thank you.

All right. Joining me also right now to talk about what has been dubbed America's Royal Wedding, New York Times style reporter Madison Malone Kircher. Madison, great to see you.

MADISON MALONE KIRCHER, STYLE REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: Great to see you.

WHITFIELD: OK, so we know, and Gloria confirmed, we know that the couple, the bride and groom, were wearing Christian Dior. Do you know anything else about their designs or when we might get a glimpse of this beautiful couple? High fashion couple.

KIRCHER: We don't know much. They both wore Christian Dior designed by Jonathan Anderson. The most famous Dior look Taylor Swift has ever worn is a bright yellow punky plaid two piece that looks nothing like a wedding dress. So not a lot of inspiration there. And she wore jewelry by Cartier. But this was a wedding kept very much under wraps to the very end. And as with many things in Swift orbit, we will have to wait until she decides to tell us more.

WHITFIELD: I'm not surprised about the Cartier. We've seen her wear it before and she also makes reference to it in at least one song. But the Christian Dior, even though you said one other dress, why do you suppose she leaned, you know, toward Christian Dior and them as a couple?

KIRCHER: It's an exciting time for Christian Dior. Jonathan Anderson is also a relatively new head of that French house, and they're turning out some really beautiful gowns. It was an exciting moment both for the designer and for the stars. I'm sure they had their pick of designers and this was what they went with. Can't wait to see it.

WHITFIELD: I know. And what are you most excited about in terms of, I mean, peeling back the layers of the mystery? We got the big picture now. It was like a garden kind of atmosphere inside the Garden. But what more are you very anxious to hear and learn about, to kind of share with the public?

KIRCHER: I would like those videos of Stevie Nicks singing immediately. That would be a great Fourth of July for all of us. In my reporting yesterday, I spent a lot of time around Madison Square Garden and we reported that Stevie Nicks was scheduled to perform, according to sources familiar. And I, for one, can't wait to see that. They have a long history. They performed at the Grammys together in 2010. Be great to see.

WHITFIELD: Right. And remember her shirt, Taylor's shirt that she was wearing, you know, courtsided NBA game. I mean Stevie Nicks. Get it. So it's all coming together again. Part of the whole, you know, Easter egg dropping and all that. All right, Madison Malone Kircher.

KIRCHER: Not tonight.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. Good talking to you. I can't wait to hear more when you learn more. Thank you.

Straight ahead, we'll take you to Washington, D.C. for a live look ahead at the full day plan to celebrate America250. Will President Trump have a large crowd for his speech tonight?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:52:32]

WHITFIELD: Oh, New York is getting a big treat. Look at the flyover. The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels right now over the New York Harbor. All of this while America celebrates 250th birthday. The United States and of course all the festivities including the flyovers there. Also the parade of tall ships there in the New York Harbor. We've been talking about it all morning long and we still want to know more. So we brought back our incredible panel right now, experts on maritime history, et cetera.

Let's look at these ships one more time. And you know, Captain Davenport, I want to bring you in first up, and I wonder if you can, you know, kind of help underscore why this parade of tall ships is so important, especially at a time when perhaps people need reminding of the significance, the importance, the role that these ships have played, whether it be in American history or, you know, the countries of more than 30 being represented here. Why is this so important in your view?

DAVENPORT: Well, I think what's important here is that all these nations that have these ships are maritime nations, and this is a celebration of our rich history. What is remarkable about these ships is many of them are very, very old and take a lot of effort to maintain. As the Admiral was saying about the Eagle, it's 90 years old. One of my jobs earlier when I was in the Coast Guard on active duty was to make sure that the Eagle is maintained.

And actually, the Eagle needs to go in the shipyard twice a year. And most of the equipment that you see on these ships is not readily commercially available. So they have to find craftsmen and put a lot of effort towards maintaining these ships.

WHITFIELD: And Lincoln Paine, we learned today that the Coast Guard cutter Eagle is also used as a training ground for, you know, cadets. And I wonder, as we look at these ships represented -- representing more than 20 nations, is that how most of these ships are utilized, too, as kind of youth or, you know, young cadet training sites?

[10:55:00]

Or how are they usually utilized when not on a parade in the New York harbor?

PAINE: Well, the, the naval ships obviously are used for sail training and a lot of the smaller ships are also used as sail training vessels. I think there are now about 200 sail training programs in the United States nationwide on the east coast, the west coast, the Great Lakes, the Gulf coast, all over the country.

And a lot of people go up -- go to sail training programs partly because they want to go to sea and they like sailing. Some of them also do it for team building. In England, I sailed on a ship over there that's part of the Sail Training Association and they specialized in working with kids from troubled backgrounds who were on remand as a way to sort of give them an alternative to punishment and to give them a sense of team building. Because when you're working the lines and working together to set the sails or change their setting, it requires teamwork and a lot of people don't that opportunity in normal life.

WHITFIELD: That's incredible. The purpose all the more fascinating as we continue to look at yet another fly over all of it. So great to see. Thank you gentlemen. Lincoln Paine, Captain Aaron Davenport and Tim Naftali, thank you so much more. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)