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Trump Celebrates America's 250th Ahead Of Key NATO Summit; FIFA Clears Balogun To Play Against Belgium After One-Game Ban; Manhunt Underway After Eight People Shot At July 4th Barbecue; Death Toll Rises To Nearly 3,000 In Venezuela Earthquakes; New York's Brooklyn Bridge Catches Fire During Fireworks Display; Trump Accounts For Children Now Available; Former Olympian Hearn Faces Up To 10 Years In Prison If Convicted. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 05, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:00:27]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, breaking news. Folarin Balogun, one of the stars of Team U.S.A. in this World Cup, who received a controversial red card in last Wednesdays game has just been cleared to play in tomorrow's match against Belgium.
Plus, video shows flames and smoke rising from multiple fires scattered across the Brooklyn Bridge as the Fourth of July fireworks display comes to a close.
And major changes to student loans are now in -- now in effect. What borrowers need to know about monthly payments and new loan limits.
Hello, everyone. And thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
All right. President Trump celebrates America ahead of a critical trip on the world stage. Just days from now, he is set to be face to face with NATO leaders in Turkey as tensions right now simmer within the alliance over Iran and Ukraine.
Late last night, the president delivering a Fourth of July speech with a clear message on his vision of America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world, all over the world.
Tonight, our country is stronger, freer, richer, safer and prouder than ever before.
We may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started because the best is yet to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Julia Benbrook leads us off today. Julia, big speech ahead of a big trip. What more can you share?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And it was a long day leading up to that speech, Fred. President Donald Trump, we weren't sure what time he would be able to deliver this speech. There were weather-related concerns which led to an evacuation on the National Mall, as well as delays.
But he did take to social media, and he said that he was going to give that speech no matter what. He didn't care if it was 2:00 in the morning. He wanted to make sure that he gave this speech honoring the 250th birthday of America.
And he did take the stage a little after 11:00. It wasn't quite as late as he thought it could be, but he took the stage a little bit after 11:00.
He spoke for roughly 40 minutes. And during that speech he overall struck a patriotic tone. He spoke about the nation's founding, what he believes makes America great. He also used moments to tout what he considers his biggest accomplishments in office so far. And touched on where he believes the United States stands on the world stage right now.
He went on to pledge that he would take our country to new levels. I want to play you part of his remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Our rise to being the world's strongest and most powerful nation was no accident of history. We rebuilt our military in my first term. We used it a little bit in our -- actually I should say third term. But I won't do that because I don't want any controversy. But we used it and we've had tremendous success.
You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran, we wiped it out, wiped out their military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENBROOK: And then, as you mentioned, this speech comes just days before he will meet with a number of world leaders at the NATO summit taking place in Turkey.
And several things will really loom over these discussions, including the conflict in Iran, which he mentioned there, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
WHITFIELD: Of course. And, you know, Julia, we know that Ukraine will be a key issue discussed this week. And Moscow is now saying Trump actually spoke with Putin this weekend. What do we know about that call?
BENBROOK: Russia's foreign ministry says that Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for roughly 90 minutes over the weekend. They called the call businesslike and highly constructive.
Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with Trump on the phone. And he said that that was a very good call as well.
We're also learning that Trump and Zelenskyy plan to meet on the sidelines of that upcoming NATO summit. So they will be having talks in the coming days.
[14:04:41]
BENBROOK: And a senior U.S. official says that they are hopeful that they can take steps to bring this conflict to an end, and that Trump has a real sense of urgency right now to make some of those advancements, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook at the White House, thanks so much.
As President Trump gets ready to head to the NATO summit, he is also preparing for a potential meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An Israeli source says Netanyahu is expected to head to Washington as early as next week. It would be the first time the two have met face to face since the start of the war with Iran.
CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem. Oren, this is a relationship that has appeared rather strained, especially in, you know, recent times. What could come, potentially from this meeting?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Fredricka, this will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's seventh trip to the U.S. to meet President Donald Trump since Trump's second term here. But this, perhaps the most critical of those meetings, partially because of the timing here.
Netanyahu hasn't been to visit Trump in the U.S. since before the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes in the opening wave of the Iran war. Since then, we have seen divisions grow between the two on how to handle Iran and how to deal with the Middle East.
Trump has very clearly pushed diplomacy. He wants to see the 60-day memorandum of understanding turn into a broader cease fire agreement with Iran, whereas Netanyahu has long been skeptical of Iran's intentions behind those negotiations and has urged (INAUDIBLE) in favor of resuming the strikes on Iran.
There have also been differences of opinion on Lebanon. Trump has held Israel's forces back in Lebanon in terms of what they're allowed to do in trying to go after Hezbollah. Netanyahu is under domestic pressure to do more.
So that's where you see another one of these divisions.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu, in an interview with Fox News earlier today, tried to downplay any rifts between them. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: He does what's good for America. I'm the leader of Israel, the one and only Jewish state. I do what's good for Israel.
99 percent of the time we see eye to eye. But as any -- in any family, in any close friendship, there are sometimes differences of opinion, and we discuss them openly, I can tell you in a free spirit, and usually we resolve them too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: It's also worth pointing out that just yesterday, Trump told Axios that Netanyahu, quote, "knows who the boss is". So Trump, again asserting there his power and his ability to effectively make decisions for Netanyahu. So that will be a key issue we're watching there.
And don't forget, Netanyahu has an election coming up. According to an Israeli source, Iran is the main issue on the agenda for this potential meeting.
But it's not the only one. Netanyahu also wants to discuss the Israel- U.S. security arrangement that gives Israel $3.8 billion a year from the United States. That's set to expire in 2028.
What will that look like? That's a key discussion point. As well as, interestingly enough, Saudi Arabia.
Trump has pushed normalization between Israel and Saudi. That's something Netanyahu has also pushed for, has also said he'd like to see. But the Saudis have made clear that isn't happening without a viable path to a Palestinian state. And Netanyahu has expressly rejected that, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: A lot at stake. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much.
All right, let's talk World Cup sports now. I mean, this is big, right? Just moments ago, a stunning twist in the World Cup. Just a day before Team U.S.A. is set to face Belgium in the Round of 16, the FIFA disciplinary committee confirmed that U.S. striker Folarin Balogun is cleared to play tomorrow in Seattle.
CNN's Patrick Snell is here with details. Oh my gosh, what happened?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: This is a huge development --
WHITFIELD: Huge.
SNELL: -- Fred. It's a massive, massive -- just imagine the Team U.S.A. preparing for this huge game against the Belgians in Seattle on Monday evening, have been given.
I mean, Mauricio Pochettino, their head coach, is going to have to rethink the plans because of what had just happened. There's all this talk about who's going to replace him. This is a
highly-talented 25-year-old player who's really been clutch for Team U.S.A. at this World Cup.
He scored three goals in four matches for them. And he thought basically he wasn't playing against the Belgians, right. cause he gets the automatic red card in that match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was harsh in my opinion. It was accidental. There was contact on the Bosnian defender. His foot came down on the Bosnian defenders ankle.
And the referee in that match actually interestingly, did not -- did not give a straight red. The VAR told him to go and check it. They checked it on the video. They slow-moed it.
Of course everything -- When you slow-mo everything, it just looks worse -- much worse than it actually was. Unintentional. It was a harsh decision in my book, and I'm glad that reason has seen through here.
Because under Article 27 of the FIFA code, FIFA can suspend punishment for a probationary period. In this case, one year. They're not overturning the decision, they're just delaying the punishment, so to speak, for 12 months.
WHITFIELD: So they're on the practice field right now. They're in Seattle. These are live pictures --
SNELL: Right. Live.
[14:09:46]
WHITFIELD: -- of Team U.S.A. practicing. So I mean this has to be -- I mean just really kind of shaking things up for them, but inspiring them to -- I mean, maybe even as you mentioned, the whole lineup game of play is probably changing, but so is their practice now.
SNELL: Yes this is just a --
(CROSSTALKING)
WHITFIELD: They need practice for this.
SNELL: -- huge boost to morale.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
SNELL: And look, it didn't need -- Team U.S.A. didn't need much boosting to their morale. But we did see the outpouring of emotion basically after the red card. And everyone thought that he was going to be absolutely unavailable for the match against Belgium.
So a massive breakthrough for Team U.S.A. and let's see how he responds on the field of play. Can he add to more goals? This 25-year- old who plays his club football in Europe in Liga for Monaco. I do want to get to a great story as well around the fans --
WHITFIELD: Another great story.
SNELL: -- Cape Verde. This is the fans Cape Verde and what a story they have been. The Cinderella story of Cape Verde.
This is the team that really won so many hearts, Fred. They got to the round of 32. They played in my book against world champions Argentina, the match of the tournament.
Only narrowly losing --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
SNELL: -- three-two against Lionel Messi and the Albiceleste. They won the hearts of many. They were so impressive in that game, they could easily have forced a penalty shoot-out in the end.
So that's the hero's return for them --
WHITFIELD: That's nice.
SNELL: -- in their homeland in their first ever World Cup. Just great for the team.
And how about France? France's Les Bleus are looking to try and get to a third consecutive World Cup final. This would be incredible for their fans in Paris over the weekend, absolutely.
They've come to expect high success from Kylian Mbappe and co. Speaking of Mbappe.
WHITFIELD: -- Mbappe, he's (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALKING)
SNELL: Yes. He grabbed the winner yesterday against South American opponents Paraguay. They have Morocco next in what should be a great game in Boston.
How many times have I said we're expecting a great game. These are fascinating story lines --
WHITFIELD: The whole thing has been fire.
SNELL: -- but just one story, Fred, dominating at this hour.
WHITFIELD: Ok.
SNELL: Folarin Balogun, and that big news that we broke today. We only learned about half an hour ago.
WHITFIELD: I know, so you're going to be back, right? To talk more about it because I want to hear about the whole --
SNELL: Whenever you call us up --
WHITFIELD: Yes. I want to hear about this whole suspension thing. So, ok, not necessarily rescinding it, but delaying it --
SNELL: Right. Right.
WHITFIELD: Ok.
SNELL: All right. We'll stay on top of it all.
WHITFIELD: More to talk about, Patrick Snell. Thank you.
All right. Coming up, a mass shooting at a Fourth of July barbecue injures eight people, half of them children. A live report as the search for the shooter continues.
Plus, a frightening moment for passengers on a Delta flight into Chicago. The crew says fireworks hit the aircraft while landing. You'll hear audio from the plane's cockpit.
And millions of Americans with federal student loans are facing some big changes. New repayment rules are now in effect, and many borrowers will have some important decisions to make. We'll break down what you need to know.
[14:12:36]
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WHITFIELD: All right. Happening now, police in New York are searching for a gunman after eight people were shot at a July 4th family barbecue. Four of the victims are children.
Police say the gunman, dressed in all black and wearing a black ski mask, walked up to the gathering and fired multiple rounds before fleeing on foot.
Earlier today, New York City officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, addressed the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it, and we will fight it with every SINGLE tool at our disposal.
COMMISSIONER JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: The police department has more work to do. We all have more work to do when we see four children shot in one incident celebrating the July 4th holiday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is joining me now with more on this, Gloria. GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. And, you know,
I think it's worth mentioning that this happened yesterday in the later hours of the evening, on a day where hundreds of thousands of people gathered all around the city to take in the July 4th celebrations.
It's also happening during a record low crime rate here in New York City.
But unfortunately, shots did ring out late last night in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, according to police, where a family and friends were gathered in a building courtyard for a barbecue.
Something that we might have seen literally anywhere else across the country.
As you mentioned, many of the victims young people, including children, the youngest, a six-year-old who was shot in the abdomen. Everyone, except for a 21-year-old woman, is in stable condition. The 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition, according to police officials.
Now, we are told that there is no belief that there was any sort of interaction or prior relationship or argument between this gunman and the group of people that he shot at.
[14:19:43]
PAZMINO: But police are investigating because a week ago there was a gang-related homicide that took place on the same block where the shooting happened last night.
Police saying that they are investigating whether or not there is a possible connection. A gun was recovered at the scene last night. And as you mentioned at the beginning, Fred, police are still searching for the suspect.
So, this was a particularly violent incident in what I said was, you know, a relatively safe day across the entire city, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Terrible.
All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.
All right. Still ahead, anguish in Venezuela and growing criticism over the response to those deadly earthquakes as the death toll climbs to almost 3,000. Our team is on the ground.
[14:20:32]
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WHITFIELD: All right. New today, the death toll from the Venezuelan earthquakes is now nearly 3,000. More than 16,000 people were also injured when two catastrophic earthquakes hit 11 days ago. The U.S. Geological Survey has warned The final death toll could surpass 10,000.
CNN's Stefano Pozzebon is in La Guaira, where some families are still hoping to find loved ones alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Zoe Santander (ph) has not seen her son in ten days. They were separated in the twin quakes that shook Venezuela on June 24th. But her nine-year-old Xavier was trapped under the rubble.
Four days later, she saw a video of a child being rescued at night. She believes it was her son. But in the chaos that followed, she hasn't been able to find him. She's not going to rest. But from here, there is little she can do.
This used to be a golf course. La Guaira was a tourist hot spot by the Caribbean Sea. And so here is where tourists will come and play golf and relax.
Now, of course, it's a tent city for hundreds of displaced, many of whom actually used to live there in those blocks. And every day they wake up and they see their homes and flats broken down by the brutality of the earthquakes.
Sheyna Ceballos (ph) is also looking for a loved one. She's lost hope of finding her mother alive, but will not leave the golf course until she recovers her remains.
SHEYNA CEBALLOS, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): if I had the money, I'd dig her out. But I have none.
POZZEBON: This is what's left of Sheyna's home, an entire life shattered in an instant.
Now, like her, thousands of Venezuelans are only beginning to grasp the magnitude of this catastrophe.
Before this tragedy, Venezuela was already in a deep humanitarian crisis, facing chronic shortages of food and medicines.
World Central Kitchen has been operating here since 2019. In response to the earthquake, they have stepped up with free meals for survivors and volunteers.
Can you describe a moment that Venezuela is right now, when it's been ten days since the earthquake?
MIGUEL TORTOSA, COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSE MANAGER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: The numbers keep increasing and we are still in the first phase of the operation.
I would say this is still the emergency phase. And our teams are still like finding the exact numbers so we can get the amount of meals needed to cover all the needs. POZZEBON: Survivors and relatives of the victims have criticized the
government's response as inadequate and delayed. Many point to the armed forces, who they say showed up too late or didn't do enough.
DELCY RODRIGUEZ, ACTING PRESIDENT, VENEZUELA: Our officials were deployed immediately. You can count the hours between the quakes and when we signed the emergency decree. There were 4,000 officials out in the first 24 hours; 10,000 officials the following day.
POZZEBON: The government also laying out credit agreements with the International Monetary Fund and plans to begin the reconstruction. But at the golf course in La Guaira, the present is too dark to look ahead.
CEBALLOS: Now I just want to find her remains. To think about the future makes no sense.
POZZEBON: Stefano Pozzebon, CNN -- La Guaira, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Stefano, thank you so much.
And well have more on the desperate conditions when the CEO of aid group, World Central Kitchen, joins us from Venezuela next hour.
And for more information about how you can help Venezuela earthquake victims, go to CNN.com/impact.
Coming up, millions of children in the U.S. Are now eligible for a new federally-backed investment called Trump Accounts. We'll explain how it works. And the fine print you should know before opening one.
[14:28:49]
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[14:33:22]
WHITFIELD: Well, this is not supposed to happen, but it did. New York's Brooklyn Bridge briefly catching on fire during Macy's July 4th fireworks display. Flames can actually be seen right there erupting on the bridge, along with the sound of explosions being heard.
It's not clear what sparked the fires, and police are not saying whether the fireworks have actually caused that fire and smoke.
The spreading flames set off a plume of smoke that firefighters extinguished shortly before 10:00 p.m., and New York officials say no injuries were reported. The bridge had been closed during the show.
And some frightening moments on board a Delta flight while landing in Chicago on the Fourth of July. The plane arriving from Atlanta appears to have been struck by fireworks while approaching the runway at Midway International Airport.
Listen to what the pilot told air traffic control
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PILOT: And we're just hoping it was just a mortar that went off underneath, but definitely felt a big bang.
ATC: There have been multiple reports, as you can imagine. The city is aware. They said they would notify the Chicago police. But, you know, I don't know what they'll do.
ATC: Southwest 223, just for your information, the preceding Airbus said they were struck by a firework approximately 200 AGL.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Phew.
Well, Delta says the aircraft landed safely and is now being inspected. Authorities are looking into how fireworks may have gotten that close to planes at that airport.
[14:35:01]
All right. Well, there was more to this Fourth of July than fireworks and cookouts. Some major changes are now in effect that could impact your finances. First, there was the launch of Trump accounts. That's the brand -- the brand-new savings and investing mechanism for U.S. kids under the age of 18.
Every eligible child who is a U.S. citizen born between January 2025 and December 2028 can receive a one-time $1,000 federal deposit placed directly into their account. If opened, once the child reaches the age of 18, they have complete control of the account.
Michelle Singletary joins us now to help understand how the Trump Accounts work, along with the changes to federal student loans. We'll talk about that on the back end. But first, let's talk about these Trump Accounts.
Also. Michelle Singletary, I mean, she has quite the resume. She's also the author of what to do with your money when crisis hits a survival guide. And she is a syndicated personal finance columnist with "The Washington Post".
So, Michelle, good to see you and happy post-Fourth, shall I say, or Fourth weekend?
MICHELLE SINGLETARY, AUTHOR, "WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY WHEN CIRISS HITS: A SURVIVAL GUIDE": Yeah. Happy Fourth weekend to you, too, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's go with that.
All right. So, let's talk about these Trump accounts. I mean, how might they be used. Do you see it as beneficial
SINGLETARY: Well, you know how I am. WHITFIELD: I don't know, tell me.
SINGLETARY: Well, you know, they can't hurt you know?
WHITFIELD: Okay.
SINGLETARY: It's a government handout to get people started investing for their children. Nothing wrong with that. But, you know, all this sort of fanfare about is going to, you know, legacy-changing. I'm not sure that is true.
If you put in $1,000, let it sit there till the kid is 18. It could, you know, with -- how the market performs -- about $6,000 to $8,000. So that's a lot of money, but it's not, you know, a game changer.
What would be a game changer if people could automatically be signed up for it? Because people have to proactively do something after that $1,000. And really, my, my issue is that its going to end up benefiting wealthier families, those families who can put in that maximum allowed every year, which is $5,000.
WHITFIELD: I see.
SINGLETARY: And so, that's my issue. You know, let's not make this more than it is, okay, because you are.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, you are a big advocate of saving. And you've talked over the years about, you know, child savings and. 529s and all kinds taking advantage of all that's available out there to help your children. And, you know, the importance of, I guess, starting or being motivated about the idea of, you know, generational wealth. And sometimes it starts with an account.
So, let's break down this one. So, you just mentioned, you know, most families and, you know, statistically it has already said that I guess on average, American families that would stand to benefit from this on average have a household income of about $200,000. But if you are in a position where you can afford, you know, to put in $5,000 a year with the federal government gifting you $1,000 over time, do you see this as beneficial? Is this how people need to be looking at it over time?
Your child is 18 and you know, suddenly has a nice little, I guess, nest egg to do something with it?
SINGLETARY: Yeah. I mean, I think like you said, it doesn't hurt. I wouldn't do it necessarily. I favor 529 plans, if you want your kid to go to college. It has many more benefits for you if you live in a state where you can get a state tax deduction, it's earmarked for college because here's the other thing. That money becomes that teenager's money when they turn 18.
I've got young adults and they lived under my roof, so they're good money managers, but I'm not so sure they would have used the money the way they should have. You know, they're teenagers, they're kids.
And so, I think the better thing is 529 plans. If you can encourage them to open up like a Roth, if they've got earned income. And then if they're starting at work putting into their 401(k) at their workplace. So, it's -- it's, you know, it's a way for me for this type of account.
WHITFIELD: Okay. You're unenthusiastic about that, but not unenthusiastic about the idea of saving money because that's your big deal.
Okay. So now let's talk about -- yes, let's now talk about changes, you know, for the nearly 43 million people who have federal student loans, major changes went into effect as of July 1st. I mean, what does this mean to borrowers or people who currently, you know, are trying to repay those loans?
SINGLETARY: I think the biggest change is going to be for two groups of people, people who could borrow just really unlimited amounts of money to go to graduate school. Huge shock because they're now caps on how much you can borrow. There's also caps for parent-plus loans.
And so graduate students, you know, if you have the graphic $20,500 annually or $100,000 total.
[14:40:02]
That's a lot of money. And we're not talking about people necessarily going to law school or medical school, professional students. There's a higher cap, but there's still a cap. And so that's going to limit a lot of people.
And I actually think that that's a good thing. I work with a program at my church. It's called Prosperity Partners Ministry. And we have so many people who come through who have an amazing amount of graduate student loan debt that they just can't pay. It's overwhelming.
They heard that they were supposed to get a graduate degree. They got one. Sometimes in case two, they've got $100,000, $200,000 and they're not making enough money to service that debt.
And then parents -- and I get it. I have three kids. My husband and I put them to school. I know you want the best for them, but they borrowed too much for these children. And so, the caps of $20,000 --
WHITFIELD: The tuition is so high.
SINGLETARY: It is high. But listen, you all do not leave that decision up to children, teenagers. And so, parents are saying, oh, you go wherever you want. Here's the blank check because we can borrow for you to go.
And so, these limits will pull that back tremendously. And I think that's a good thing. If it doesn't push them into the private student loan market. Now, that is my concern.
So, they can't borrow from the federal if they're, you know, better interest rates and fixed payments and the loans are fixed and, you know, got benefits for if you go into the private sector, that's just going to be a recipe for disaster, financial disaster for a lot of families.
But the limit will make parents say, okay, if I have to borrow, I can only borrow this much. So baby, you can't -- you can't go to Harvard or Yale. We don't have Harvard or Yale money.
We have University of Maryland. If you live in my state, Maryland, money and it's going to force important conversations that maybe weren't happening. You should not leave this up to a teenager to decide. Perhaps they could start a community college and go two years and then transfer to the four-year university.
WHITFIELD: I got you. You're big -- you've been big on that for a very long time as well. I hear you on that.
All right. Michelle Singletary, always great to have you. Thank you so much.
SINGLETARY: Thank you for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right.
All right. A deadly mystery is the subject of a brand-new CNN film documentary, a quiet English town is thrust into the global spotlight when a mysterious illness reveals an international conspiracy. "THE SALISBURY POISONINGS: A SPY NEXT DOOR" premieres next Sunday night at 8:00 p.m.
Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Salisbury is a small city. What happened doesn't sound like it's something that happens in your town.
Two people were having a medical episode.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Immediately, this didn't look right. They had very unusual symptoms. Somebody said, you're not going to believe what I've just found out. Something has poisoned these people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It turns out that he was a Russian spy. We were told that a nerve agent had been used.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did it get into the country and where was it now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Salisbury has taken a serious turn for the worst. Now it's murder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was enough poison in that bottle to kill 10,000 people. There is no playbook for this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia had been responsible for this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were people who thought we should treat this attack as an act of war. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The poisoning was just the beginning. This is
bigger than we thought. There comes a point where you have to tell the world what you found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ugliness of the world was suddenly on our doorstep.
ANNOUNCER: "THE SALISBURY POISONINGS: A SPY NEXT DOOR" premieres July 12th on CNN and next day on the CNN app.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:48:26]
WHITFIELD: All right. Now that the Fourth of July fireworks have ended, those fences along the troubled Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital, the reflecting pool there will soon come down.
Today, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum telling CNN the pool will soon be partially drained for more renovations following weeks of algae bloom and problems with the pool lining. He also says the company that previously received a no bid contract to repair the reflecting pool, will carry out work on the newest needed renovations.
CNN previously reported after reviewing public documents, the government was soliciting bids to hire a contractor for the pool's long-term maintenance.
Burgum is also defending the federal charges against a former Olympic canoeist indicted for allegedly damaging the reflecting pool. On Thursday, David Hearn was charged with one count of destruction of property. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG BURGUM, INTERIOR SECRETARY: The courts will decide, but I think the law stands. That is a law that exists, and it should be. Again, if people are, you know, damaging federal government property, if people are defaming our monuments, they should face the consequences of that. So, the courts will decide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The indictment marks a significant escalation of the Trump administrations efforts to blame the peeling bottom layer and algae growth in the reflecting pool on vandalism. D.C.'s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is defending their case against Hearn.
[14:50:01]
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JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR D.C.: Our evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Hearn denies damaging the pool, he told CNN that police arrested him after he touched a flap of blue material that partially detached from the bottom of the pool.
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DAVID HEARN, FORMER U.S. OLYMPIAN: I took my left hand glove off and reached down into the water and sort of felt the end and bent it around a little bit.
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WHITFIELD: He had been biking, so that's why he had the gloves on the biking gloves.
I'm joined now by Michael Zeldin. He is a former federal prosecutor.
Michael, great to see you.
MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: So, what's the legal road ahead for Hearn versus the federal government here?
ZELDIN: So, he's been charged with one count of malicious destruction of government property. The government has to prove that he did this maliciously, intentionally, not negligently or by accident. He can face a maximum of 10 years in prison, and he's going to have to defend himself. In this case, he's got two lawyers, and the case is going to proceed.
It's interesting, though, because this case, I think, will come down to the videotape. It's the old Warner Wolf. Let's go to the videotape, because this is a very heavily surveilled area. Hearn says he stuck one hand in and just touched it. They said he put two hands all the way down to the bottom, and we'll see what the videotape shows.
WHITFIELD: Right. And Pirro says there were eyewitness accounts as well. I mean, she says that on June 19th. You know, Hearn damaged about two square feet of the sealant or liner, you know, at the bottom of the pool. She even accused him of being belligerent.
So, the videotape or eyewitness account need to be consistent with that.
ZELDIN: Exactly. And what's interesting to me is Hearn is about five foot eight. The pool on the perimeter is about 18 to 24in deep. For him to have reached down to the bottom and tear the bottom of the liner off, he literally would have had to lie on his stomach and stick both hands into the pool to grab it. Now there's a videotape by Elizabeth Miller. I think her name is a
freelance journalist who shows him just after he's moving away from the pool. He's putting one glove back on his hand, consistent with what he said, took his left glove off, touched the water and his arms are completely dry, and his shirt sleeves, which come down to his elbows, essentially are completely dry.
So, either there was a miraculous drying of his arms and jersey or Pirro's account is not accurate.
WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting.
And then there's this. I mean, Secretary Burgum was on CNN earlier today talking to our dana bash, and he actually defended photos of the presidents motorcade driving on the reflecting pool after it was first drained. Burgum says, you know, that couldn't have caused any damage. Of course, you know, it wasn't in June 19th or 9th, as Pirro was saying, those dates are important.
But how might this Olympian and his legal team kind of use this in his defense, potentially?
ZELDIN: Well, I think they're going to want to have a complete timeline of when the pool started being renovated to the moment of his arrest, because I think what that will show is that there was extensive damage in the pool, whether it was caused by vandals at another time or a different set of vandals, we don't know but that there was complete damage in that pool. The liner was coming loose and floating, and if Trump's motorcade participated in that, creating those events, I don't know.
But if you see this stuff floating there, and here's this fellow who says he just touched it, and the miller videotape is consistent with that. I think they have a hard case to prove. Not to mention, of course, malicious intentional destruction versus negligent, inadvertent touching.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. And there now are the photographs of the motorcade that were on the reflecting pool when it didn't have any water in there.
So, you know, you mentioned there is, you know, some video the U.S. attorney says there is evidence that stands behind their accusations of Hearn. So, I wonder, would some of that evidence already have been revealed to the grand jury, or is it all, you know, predicated on discovery in this phase of, you know, pursuing these charges?
ZELDIN: It's a great question. I wondered to myself when they got this one count indictment, what did they present to the grand jury who testified and what did they say and how did they support it? Because the indictment is literally four sentences, which says he damaged the pool.
[14:55:04]
Doesn't say, and here's witness one or here's witness two or here's video tape evidence to support it. It's just a barebones indictment. And so I'm expecting that they put a bare bones presentation before the grand jury. Discovery is going to bring out all of the relevant information to determine whether he's guilty or innocent.
WHITFIELD: All right. All fascinating. We'll be watching. I know you'll be, too.
So, you know, come back when you know more. Michael Zeldin, thank you
ZELDIN: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Great to see you.
All right. Coming up, all new in the next hour, the fight for the U.S. Senate is heating up from North Carolina to Texas. The key races that could decide control of the chamber.
And for the first time in generations, Parisians and tourists diving into the Seine. Ahead, how a river once two polluted to swim in, became one of the city's newest summer destinations. Would you take a dive in and a dip in?
And he's one of football's most successful coaches. But there's much more to Andy Reid that than what happens on the field. He'll join us live to talk football, faith, and of course, his experience at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding.
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