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Trump Influence Over FIFA Under Scrutiny; Trump Attacks Communists During July 4th Speech; Trump And Netanyahu Meeting Soon At The White House; Millions Turn Out For Funeral Of Slain Iranian Leader; The Battle For November For Control Of U.S. Senate; Searching For A Miracle In The Rubble After Deadly Quakes In Venezuela; Live Aboard The U.S. Coast Guard Eagle; The Founding Fathers That Americans Revere the Most. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 05, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: Julia Benbrook is joining us now from the White House.

And, Julia, what are we hearing about Trump's intervention here?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brian, this is one of those topics you don't expect to dive into in detail at the White House. But President Donald Trump's role in FIFA's stunning decision to allow striker Folarin Balogun to play in the upcoming game on Monday is under a microscope here. And according to sources that spoke with CNN, Trump spoke on the phone with FIFA president Gianni Infantino last week, following that controversial red card that you mentioned and asked him to review it.

And then today we get this social media post from Trump where he says, "Thank you to FIFA for doing what is right and reversing a great injustice." And around that same time, soccer's governing body announced that it was using an obscure rule to suspend Balogun's automatic one-match ban for one year, allowing the striker to play in the upcoming Round of 16.

And there will be a lot of scrutiny on this decision, specifically a host city is involved here and the relationship between Trump and the FIFA president will no doubt be under that microscope as well. They do have a close relationship and it was last year that FIFA presented Trump with a peace prize in what appeared to be an attempt to really get into Trump's favor. That was around the time that he had made it very clear that he was disappointed he had not received the Nobel Peace Prize.

So watching this closely, but Balogun is expected to play on Monday, at least will be eligible to.

ABEL: All right. Julia Benbrook, for us at the White House. Julia, thank you.

And we are now joined by CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan.

Christine, thank you for jumping on. So your reaction to this developing situation.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Brian, this is quite a story. And it does go back to currying favor with Trump, with Gianni Infantino, and receiving, as we know, a peace prize from FIFA, and of course not long after that, the war with Iran was started.

The fact that we are reporting and other news organizations as well, Brian, are reporting that Donald Trump made a phone call to Gianni Infantino on Wednesday. And of course, now today, the ruling was overturned and this the American star, Balogun, can play tomorrow, is a -- an incredible headline. It is a huge story.

There are so many questions. We don't have those answers yet. I wish we did. I've covered the Olympic world and international sports since the mid-1980s and Gianni Infantino is a member of the International Olympic Committee, and there have been many stories and many things I've covered over the years where there have been shenanigans or funny business or decisions made and no one has any idea how that decision has been made.

For example, softball being kicked out of the Olympics when they wanted to kick baseball out of the Olympics. That's the International Olympic Committee. The international sports world is a journalist's dream or nightmare in the sense of the storylines that you can follow. And here the question is, did Donald Trump force FIFA to make an athletic decision, a decision about the playing field?

If so, that is a doozy, and either way, we're going to ask those questions because it goes to the heart of the -- can you trust the competition? Can you believe what you're seeing on the field? And even for many people who are angry with the call and the red card, there were many, and it was a very controversial decision, it looked like a bad decision to me, even then, this step and this news as it's breaking changes the storyline completely and does create, well, as I said, an incredible storyline over the next few days.

ABEL: Well, Christine, you just brought up this question of, did President Trump pressure successfully the FIFA committee to make this decision? You've been in this world long enough. Do you think we will get enough details to find the answer to that question?

BRENNAN: I hope so. I hope so, Brian, for all those fans, obviously millions around the world, hundreds of millions, billions, whatever, that care about this event and care about the decision-making process, I hope so. You know, certainly those of us who report on these things will do our darndest to get that answer. And, you know, it's certainly, I think many Americans watching us and others are thrilled, right? Because the decision has been overturned.

But what's the process? How did this happen? Again, I mentioned shenanigans and funny business. It is sport. There are moments where we can smile and laugh, but it is also a real question moving forward. So I hope we do get that answer. And certainly many of us will be trying to get that exact answer for the fans who really -- and obviously the integrity of the game, but for the fans who really deserve that answer. [18:05:05]

ABEL: Well, and one of the first things that came to my mind is, is there a precedent for this? Because they are referencing an article, so they are using something that's at their disposal. At least that's what it seems to me. Is there a precedent for something like this?

BRENNAN: Back in 1962, Brian, before there were actually red cards, but FIFA did overturn a Brazilian suspension and allowed him to play in the World Cup. You also have Cristiano Ronaldo, who was allowed to play in the first game of this World Cup, even though he was on a suspension from last season. So it has happened a couple of times. I don't know that, frankly, I mean, obviously every facet of this story is going to be examined and we should talk about every piece of it for the integrity of the game, for trust and the process and the president's involvement in this huge sporting event, you know, as we look forward and look into it.

But the fact that something is overturned is one part of that conversation. And it is incredibly rare, in 1962 was the only other time in the World Cup. But then how and why it was overturned. That takes it to me as a journalist who's covered the international sports world, as I said, for a long time, that takes it to an entirely different level. And with Infantino giving the peace prize, quote- unquote, "peace prize," to Trump last year, made it up and gave it to him.

What did that mean to Trump -- to the president? And did that help this decision get made this way? Again, questions at this point. I wish we had answers, but questions that any journalist, frankly, on earth should be asking as we move forward, at least any journalist who would be covering this particular topic, the president and also FIFA and the World Cup.

ABEL: Yes. Certainly anybody that's even remotely touched this decision will be getting some questions about how it came to be. So how does this change the odds for tomorrow's game? Because traditionally the U.S. has had some problems defeating Belgium right?

BRENNAN: Well, yes. And this U.S. team is playing great, but is now reaching, obviously, the European part of the draw and the tough, strong European teams. You know, Balogun of course is able to play. And so that's a huge advantage for the U.S. as you know, obviously. The flip side of this, the Belgian Soccer Committee, their football association, is furious and they say they are going to look -- they, you know, they're trying to check out what happened and see if they have any recourse.

That's what they've put on social media. So this game was going to be big anyway athletically. But now the stakes are so huge. I imagine people who were never going to tune in or didn't particularly care about soccer will now be watching this because of the stakes and because of now the fraught feelings between, of course, the two countries, the two teams, the two federations.

And, yes, so the U.S. again will have its work cut out for them, I think, either way. But it certainly helps the U.S. cause to move on if they have their star player, obviously, in the game.

ABEL: Certainly additional layers now and it seems like this story gets messier by the hour.

Christine Brennan, we'll probably have to keep you on standby because of it. Thank you.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Brian.

ABEL: Well, still ahead, President Trump's message to America during his July 4th speech, plus Netanyahu planning a trip to Washington. What we are learning about a potential meeting with Trump.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:13:22]

ABEL: Across the country, Americans celebrated the nation's 250th birthday with parades, barbecues and fireworks. And Washington, D.C. marked the holiday with a massive fireworks display that lasted 40 minutes. The show may have even set a new Guinness World Record for the largest firework display in history. And President Donald Trump addressing a crowd on the National Mall after a weather delay, and during his speech, he praised American heroes and ideals, promoted his controversial voting reform legislation, and slammed communism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America will never be a communist country. Won't happen. Communism is a loser, and it always will be. The communist system is the opposite of the American system, and the communist system has never worked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Let's talk about this more with pollster and communications strategist Frank Luntz.

And Frank, we've seen a series of primary wins now from Democratic socialists this election cycle, which President Trump has used now to go after Democrats more broadly. And we heard him attack so-called communists last night.

What's the significance of this? And is this an effective strategy?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST: If he's not as effective as a way to differentiate the Democrats from the Republicans on the Fourth of July this holiday season, I don't think it's necessarily American to be dividing. I wish that we were uniting. I wish we were focused on what we are for rather than what we are against. Now, make no mistake, the president is correct from a polling standpoint.

[18:15:02] Close to 90 percent of Americans believe that this is not and will never be a communist type system. But it is an effective strategy. And I'm just hoping that we can, at least for one more day, focus on what we are for rather than what we are against.

ABEL: Frank, do you think voters understand the differences between communism and Democratic socialism?

LUNTZ: I think that they do to a greater extent now than they have in the past. But again, we're not a socialist country either, that we believe in economic freedom, that we believe in personal responsibility, that we believe in leadership with character. And that's one of the reasons why I'm so focused on promoting those things that are positive about the country, positive about the last 250 years, rather than things that tear us apart.

ABEL: Sure. I'm curious your thoughts on the staying power of this Democratic socialist movement, and I'm thinking of the Democratic side of the Michigan Senate race, where just today one of the candidates, Mallory McMorrow, dropped out, leaving Representative Haley Stevens and Democratic socialist Abdul El-Sayed.

Do you think the momentum of the movement impacted McMorrow's decision? And could this race be a bellwether for its staying power, potentially into the 2028 presidential election?

LUNTZ: Absolutely. The Democratic Party has changed. The Republican Party is now the party of Donald Trump. The Democratic Party is rapidly becoming the party of Democratic socialists. I see this. We are changing as a country. But I'm going to say this one more time. We should be focused on what we are for, not what we are against. We should be focused on the successes of the American people and the country over the last 250 years, and probably most importantly, it's about the future, not the past.

ABEL: I want to focus on your work here for a minute. Earlier this year, you spoke to a group of West Point cadets about army values and the honor code. Here's part of that conversation. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUNTZ: Why should the American people approve of the honor code? Why should they see West Point as being exceptional and extraordinary because of the honor code?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that the American people sometimes underestimate the weight of responsibility that goes on a 22-year- old's shoulder. I know I didn't come from a military background whatsoever, and being introduced to the idea of having millions of dollars' worth of equipment and 40 people's lives, not just whether they live or die, but the actual process of their living is now your responsibility, is incredibly intimidating, but it's also incredibly inspiring.

And it gives a fuel to which only the honor code can lead you to the right place because if you're not, if you're lying, cheating, if you're tolerating the people who are going to do that, you put all of that investment, all of those lives at stake. And the American people and my peers and everyone here deserves more than that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd say the honor code, it's the foundation of trust. And that's what every person, every man, every woman is looking for. It's critical in society. I mean, who doesn't want to be able to look at their neighbor and trust that they're watching out for them the same way you were watching out for them as well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The honor code is the guiding principle. You can't, in any organization, have accountability without trusting in the people next to you and in knowing that the people to my left and my right are living by the honor code, I can know that they're going to have my back when I'm going to need it the most.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: So a variety of answers there, Frank. What stood out to you from this focus group?

LUNTZ: Leadership of character, personal responsibility, selfless service, a commitment to the country. Everything that we should be talking about on July 5th, 2026 is what you just saw right there. These are the best human beings. Now they come in to West Point very special. It's very hard to get admission. By the way, that's the superintendent right there. But to stay at West Point, you have to tell the truth. You cannot steal. You cannot behave badly.

And they teach this in every course, in every practice and every training that it's not just doing the right thing, it's doing the right thing for the right reasons and the right purpose at the right time. These men and women that you see before you are the best of America. And we should be proud that we are being protected by them. And we should be proud that this military academy at West Point is serving -- servicing this country so well.

ABEL: All right, Frank Luntz, appreciate you taking the time to join us. Thank you.

LUNTZ: Thank you. Thank you.

[18:20:00]

ABEL: And CNN is inside Iran as huge crowds turn out to honor their former supreme leader.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: An Israeli source tells CNN Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to travel to Washington as soon as next Monday to meet with President Trump. The two leaders are expected to discuss Iran, which has been the source of some tension, and a new security agreement.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more now from Jerusalem. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: This upcoming visit will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's seventh to the United States to meet President Donald Trump. And it comes at a critical time. Crucially, Netanyahu hasn't been to the U.S. since before the U.S. and Israel launched the joint opening strikes of the Iran War.

[18:25:06]

And we have seen divisions grow between the two world leaders, especially when it comes to how to handle Iran. President Donald Trump has pushed for negotiations. We saw him sign that memorandum of understanding that gives 60 days for negotiations towards a ceasefire agreement, with even some suggestion that it could be extended beyond that, if there is no final deal at the end of that.

Now, meanwhile, Netanyahu has pushed for strikes against Iran, as he wants to see this war continue and has been -- long been skeptical of Iran's intentions behind these negotiations. We have also seen differences on Lebanon. Trump has effectively drawn a border and a boundary around what Israel is allowed to do when it comes to going after Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as Netanyahu is under domestic pressure to go after Hezbollah and to widen the strikes there.

So there, again, you see a rift between the two. Nevertheless, in an interview earlier on Sunday on FOX News, Netanyahu downplayed the divisions between the men.

(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 worth pointing out that on Saturday, Trump told Axios that Netanyahu, quote, "knows who the boss is." So Trump once again asserting his power over Netanyahu and frankly his ability to make decisions that bind Netanyahu.

An Israeli source said there will be a couple of other issues on the agenda. Iran, of course, is at the top of that list, but so is the security agreement between the U.S. and Israel. The memorandum of understanding that gives Israel $3.8 billion a year from the United States. That's set to expire in 2028. And that has been a major topic for Netanyahu and it will be over the next couple of years here.

Another topic on the agenda, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This is something Trump has pushed for, but Saudi has made it clear they won't consider normalizing with Israel unless there's a viable path to a Palestinian state, something Netanyahu has outright rejected.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Oren, thank you.

Also new tonight, millions turn out in Tehran for the second day of the public funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was killed in the early days of the U.S.-Iran war.

And CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran. And to note, CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government but maintains full editorial control of its reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A huge prayer service at the crack of dawn. The Mosalla Religious Complex in Tehran packed, including high ranking Iranian officials and three of the late supreme leader's sons. A solemn service but also calls for revenge against the U.S. and Israel.

"Why don't we kill the one who killed my imam?" This poet says. "It would be a shame if we don't kill your killer."

Even the illusive head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps in the crowd. Ahmad Vahidi is one of the top commanders in charge of Iran's war effort. The number of people even larger on the second day of the funeral ceremonies for Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by a U.S.-Israeli airstrike along with several family members on February 28th.

The crowds keep swelling here in Tehran as scores of people are coming out braving the mid-summer's heat, and the government here wants to make this a show of force and of defiance, saying the Islamic Republic has withstood a massive attack from two of the most powerful militaries in the world.

(Voice-over): Some of those in the streets even boasting of an Iranian victory.

"Yes, it shows that we won," this woman says. "From now on into the ears of our children, we will say, death to America, death to Israel."

""This is by itself revenge," she says. "You can see that all together they should understand that the unity of our people is one type of revenge."

And this woman says, "We have not come to say goodbye. We have come to meet our great leader again. We hope Trump and his family will all die, and we promise that he will not have a good night's sleep."

The calls for revenge all around, on signs, posters and in the slogans by many paying their final respects to Iran's longtime supreme leader.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Fred, thank you.

Control of the Senate is up for grabs as we inch closer to the midterms. Still ahead, we take a look at the top races that could decide which party will have control.

A quiet English town is thrust into a harsh spotlight by a mysterious poisoning and a deadly international conspiracy.

[18:30:02]

"THE SALISBURY POISONINGS: A SPY NEXT DOOR" premieres next Sunday night only on CNN. 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.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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: 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 FEMALE: 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)

[18:36:01]

ABEL: New tonight, Democrat Mallory McMorrow has dropped out of the Michigan Senate primary race. It's a must-win seat for Democrats that has drawn some high profile endorsements and criticism. With McMorrow out of the race, it narrows to establishment favorite Congresswoman Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed. McMorrow was trying to find a middle path. Now, she says, she'll support whoever wins the August primary.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has a look at the top races that could determine control of the Senate in November.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The battle for control of the U.S. Senate is set to play out over nine states between now and November, and for the first time, CNN is ranking the list of states most likely to flip in this midterm election.

Now, Democrats need to flip four Republican held seats and defend all of their own if they want to win the majority in November. And topping the list that we have is North Carolina, which is currently held by a Republican senator who is retiring. But the Democratic candidate, former governor Roy Cooper is giving the Democratic Party one of their best chances at flipping a Senate seat in November.

He is facing off against Republican candidate Michael Whatley, a close ally of President Donald Trump. And if you take a look at polling, Cooper is currently leading Whatley by seven points in a state where a Democratic senator has not won since 2008.

Now, coming in at number two, we move up north to Maine, a seat currently held by Republican senator Susan Collins, who is running for her sixth term in office. She is facing off against the progressive Democratic candidate, Graham Platner, in a race where his campaign has been embroiled in a lot of controversies in recent months. But if you take a look at polling, this race is very competitive and there is no clear leader in the contest at this point in the race. So that will be one to certainly watch heading into November.

Coming in at number three is the state of Michigan, which is currently held by a Democrat, retiring Senator Gary Peters, and the Democratic primary has been very competitive and contentious. This primary really captures a lot of the debates playing out within the Democratic Party at this moment in time as we have seen -- in recent elections success from some progressive candidates.

The question is whether that can also translate to a presidential battleground state. Whoever wins that primary on August 4th will face off against the Republican former congressman, Mike Rogers.

Now coming in at four, five and six are three states that are in deep red territory. There is Ohio, then Alaska, and then Iowa. Iowa, if you take a look at recent polling, there's no clear leader in that contest between Congresswoman Ashley Hinson and the Democratic candidate, Josh Turek. The president's economic policies like tariffs and the fallout from the war with Iran is something that could play heavily in that contest.

Now, coming in at number seven is the state of Georgia. This is a battleground state that is currently held by Senator Jon Ossoff, the only Democratic senator running in a state where President Donald Trump won back in 2024. But Ossoff has proven to be a very strong fundraiser. He has this ability to have clips of his speeches go viral, and he's giving a lot of Democrats hope that they will be able to hold on to this state.

If you take a look at recent polling, he was up over his opponent, GOP opponent, Congressman Mike Collins, by 13 points, fueling some of the Democratic hopes in that state.

Coming in at number eight is the state of New Hampshire, which is currently in Democratic control. And at the bottom of our list at number nine is the state of Texas. This is a contest that's going to dominate a lot of the conversation heading into November, as Democrats do see some hope in James Talarico, who is facing off against Republican State Attorney General Ken Paxton, someone who has endured a lot of scandals in his state but he is also survived those in his past political campaigns.

[18:40:14]

There's a lot of questions about whether Texas will actually come into play, and we will keep an eye on that as this race progresses. But right now, this list really serves as a snapshot of this moment in time where these races currently stand. And it could shift between now and November, as there are still four months to go in a very contentious and spirited fight for control of the U.S. Senate.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Arlette, thank you.

Still ahead for us, more than 10 days after the powerful twin earthquakes in Venezuela, officials there are facing new criticism over the response.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:31]

ABEL: The Venezuelan government says at least 3300 people are confirmed dead now after last month's devastating twin earthquakes. Rescue crews and volunteers are still combing through the rubble, desperately hoping to find somebody alive amidst the wreckage despite the staggering odds. They say a lack of heavy machinery has made the recovery efforts extremely difficult, and in some places, families of the missing are doing the digging themselves as they look for a miracle in the devastation.

Our Stefano Pozzebon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Zo Santander (PH) has not seen her son in 10 days. They were separated in the twin quakes that shook Venezuela on June 24th, but her 9-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.

These 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.

(Voice-over): Sheyna Ceballos 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.

(Voice-over): 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 10 days since the earthquake?

MIGUEL TORTOSA, 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 (voice-over): 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, VENEZUELA'S ACTING PRESIDENT (through translator): 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 (voice-over): 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 (through translator): Now I just want to find her remains. To think about the future makes no sense.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, La Guaira, Venezuela.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: And our thanks to Stefano for that report.

The pilot said they suddenly felt a big bang. Still ahead, a Delta flight is seemingly hit by fireworks while trying to land near Chicago on the Fourth of July.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:53:53]

ABEL: New York Harbor welcomed an armada of tall ships from around the world as part of its celebration for America's 250th birthday. Among them was the U.S. Coast Guard's Eagle, known as America's tall ship. The Eagle, it sails from port to port, sharing the nation's maritime history. It also serves as a training ground for Coast Guard cadets, who quickly learned that living on a tall ship comes with its own unique set of challenges.

Our Leigh Waldman went aboard to learn more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From swabbing the deck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go ahead and set some sails and be ready for when the wind come.

WALDMAN (voice-over): To hoisting the sails. Life on the Eagle is hard work. The 150 cadets and 60 crew members wake up every day to reveille, an announcement signaling the start of day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good day, shipmates.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Captain Chris Ainslie hosts a morning workout, this time led by a cadet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two, one, burpees.

WALDMAN (voice-over): From dawn until dusk these cadets are busy with daywork, cleaning and engineering work. They're expected to sand and varnish the railing, apply tar to the riggings and maintain the six miles' worth of line on board.

[18:55:04] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a lot of hard work, but I'm really like happy.

WALDMAN (voice-over): All of that work and a lot of hungry mouths to feed.

MADISON BENTLEY, U.S. COAST GUARD PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS: We get up at 4:30 in the morning, and we usually finish preps around 4:00 in the evening. Yes. And then we host the flag cabin meal in the back. So we're 17-hour day every.

WALDMAN (voice-over): In the fridge, culinary specialist Madison Bentley takes us through how food is stored below.

BENTLEY: So the next three days are all prepped out right here.

WALDMAN: OK.

BENTLEY: It's 100 pounds of meat per meal.

WALDMAN (voice-over): On top of cooking, the galley crew also serves every meal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want broccoli?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, please.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Awesome. What about roll? Chicken or salad?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything. Perfect.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The cadets eat in shifts down in the mess hall while officers, guests and other high ranking officials are served in the wardroom. The sleeping arrangements are also split. More privacy for some. Meanwhile, the cadets are used to close quarters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first class female cadet berthing. It houses about 12 cadets at a time.

WALDMAN (voice-over): In the belly of the Eagle there's a doctor's office and a barber shop. Everything they need for weeks at sea.

Aboard the Eagle, I'm Leigh Waldman.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: To Leigh and producer Joel Williams for that report.

As our country celebrates 250 years, a new poll reveals which founding fathers Americans seem to love the most.

CNN's Harry Enten runs the numbers for us.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey there, Brian. Happy Sunday to you. I don't know about you, my dear friend, but I am absolutely wiped out

from celebrating our country's 250th birthday yesterday. And although the birthday is here and gone, the spirit of '76 does in fact live on. And that's why I thought it'd be good to wrap up the weekend before we head back to work tomorrow, talking about our founders, because in a year and an era and a time in which we are so divided, divided, the founding fathers bring us together.

What am I talking about? Well, why don't we just take a look at the net favorability rating of some of our founding fathers? These are some of the most popular. And, you know, I was expecting George Washington to be at the top of this list. But in fact, it's Benjamin Franklin. It's Benjamin Franklin, the inventor, at plus 75 points on the net favorability scale. That is 75 percent more of the electorate has a favorable than unfavorable rating of Benjamin Franklin to this very day.

George Washington, though, of course, still a very popular guy, you know, plus 68 points. And then rounding out the top three, at least on this screen, is Tommy Jefferson. He comes in at plus 60 points. Now, one of the reasons that I find Tommy Jefferson so interesting is because, well, you know, I have an addiction. I have an addiction. I'm not quite sure it's going to come across on the screen, but I have an addiction to $2 bills.

I have an addiction to $2 bills. Hopefully you can see it. If not, you know, I got the $2 bill right there. I hand them out. I'm like Steve Wozniak, I believe, who also hands them out. I guess it's just a weird little quirk of mine. And of course, on the back of the $2 bill again, not sure you can see it, but it's a beautiful picture. It is a beautiful picture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence all the way back in 1776. Now, of course, 250 years ago.

Now, if we like Tommy Jefferson, we like George Washington, we like Ben Franklin, there's one figure from that era that we absolutely despise. Who am I talking about? Well, it's the traitor of all traitors. It's Benedict Arnold. It's Benedict Arnold.

We do not like traitors in this country, Brian. We don't like traitors. Benedict Arnold, his net favorability rating. Look at this. Right now in the very day and age we live in, negative 38 points, 38 points underwater, way underwater down there at the bottom of the Hudson River. As I said, we don't like traitors. He was the least popular figure polled by the Marquette University Law School poll. Absolutely despised Benedict Arnold.

But you know, Brian, I'm a positive guy. I'm a positive guy. And as we head into the work week, I want to end with positive vibrations. Of course, the reason that we are celebrating 250 years of America is the signing of a document that we all know, the Declaration of Independence, and to this very day, in deeply divided times, it's still popular on both sides of the aisle because look at this, OK, being an American means believing in the Declaration of Independence.

You get 90 percent, 90 percent of Democrats agreeing and 96, 96 percent of Republicans agree, a rare case in which 90 percent plus agree on something, and they both agree on being an American means believing in the Declaration of Independence.

I know, I sure do, Brian, and I'll tell you one other thing I believe in. I believe in you, my dear friend. Back to you. And you know what? Happy 250 to America.

ABEL: Thank you, Harry.

All right. A new hour of NEWSROOM starts right now.

And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

Tonight a stunning move by FIFA has rattled the World Cup.