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Lindsey Graham 1955-2026; US War On Iran; Pub Fire In Bangkok. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired July 13, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:28]

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and in the US. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's get into the headlines.

New details about the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham as President Trump and fellow lawmakers reflect on his passing. And the US and Tehran trading strikes for a second straight night amid a disagreement over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open to traffic.

Plus, a deadly inferno erupts at a bar in Thailand. We're going to have a live report with the latest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Salma Abdelaziz.

ABDELAZIZ: Politicians in the US and around the world are paying tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham as we learn more about his death. According to Graham's communications director, a preliminary finding from the medical examiner showed the 71-year-old suffered an aortic dissection. Now, the longtime South Carolina Republican died Saturday night, that was shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine.

In Washington, where the Senate will be back in session today, flags are being flown at half staff in Graham's honor, including at the White House. US President Donald Trump is calling Graham's death a terrible loss as he reflects on their relationship and Graham's time in the Senate. The President spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. President, thank you so much for joining us. Obviously quite a shock, the senator was a close ally of yours. He referred to himself as your North Star, the Trump guy in the Senate. What are your thoughts about Lindsey Graham this morning?

DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: Well, it's devastating. I thought he was fine. He called me last night. He just got back from Ukraine and he had a great trip. He was telling me about the trip.

He was pushing very, very hard. You probably know he wanted to do the SAVE America Act that he was talking about that. He was full of vim and vigor. He was tired. He said I'm tired because it's a long trip.

But other than that he was, he was fine. And he called me, I guess, just moments before because he called me like at 6:30 or something. And the medical people got there a little bit later right after that. What a terrible loss it is.

He's a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them. He was a natural politician, got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was very tough. You know, he's a tough cookie, too, but he got along with everybody.

TAPPER: Yes. He had some harsh words about you ten years ago when you were running against each other.

TRUMP: Well, he ran against me, and he was, you know, formidable. He was tough cookie. He was tough and smart, and that's why I got to know him on the campaign. I didn't know him before then. And I spoke to him maybe once in my life before then, but I got to know him.

He was one of the 17 people that ran against me, and he was a smart guy. And it was a nasty campaign. He was tough and nasty, but I was nasty, too. And it worked out fine. And I got to know him by little drips and drabs. And then we became friendly, and there was no better advocate.

He was a fantastic advocate in the Senate, and he could do things that other people -- he was able to -- if I had a really big problem with a certain Democrat, he could work it out. That's something most Republicans can't do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: CNN's Jeff Zeleny has been gathering reaction from Washington.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF US NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Senate returns to Washington on Monday morning. One of its own, the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who died overnight Saturday into Sunday of what his office called a brief and sudden illness. Now, this was a shocking development to all of Washington and indeed to the White House. He was one of the most loyal allies of the President.

But Senator Graham's office on Sunday gave a little more information about what led to this untimely and sudden death. They said the preliminary findings from the medical examiner said that it was related to aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease. The senator's office went on to say, "the death certificate will be pending until all toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized. And at that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death."

So many senators now are just beginning to take stock of what this will mean going forward. There was no one, really, who embodied the transformation of the Republican Party from the Bush era to the Trump era more than Lindsey Graham. Of course, HE was a fierce critic, but then became a loyal defender of the President. [04:05:10]

He's also the chairman of the Budget Committee and there are very -- there's a very slim majority in the Senate, of course. So this week was also scheduled to be the confirmation hearing for the attorney general, Todd Blanche. Of course, Senator Lindsey Graham is a top supporter of him. Now, Republicans will be looking for to hold all the ranks there. They cannot lose a single vote on that, as well as defense spending measures as well.

So even as the Senate is grieving Senator Lindsey Graham, some senators are calling on the Senate to pass sanctions again to Russia in his name, in his honor. Of course, he was traveling in Ukraine, then returned to Washington when this happened. That remains an open question.

But from the White House to Capitol Hill, certainly to South Carolina, the grieving for Senator Lindsey Graham continues even as South Carolina officials are looking ahead and likely having a special election to fill his primary seat in just three weeks. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

ABDELAZIZ: Joining me now from London is CNN's Nic Robertson. Good morning to you, Nic.

I know we keep describing, of course, the late senator as someone who is known for his interventionist stance on foreign policy, but perhaps nothing illustrates that more than the very fact that just the day before he passed, he was in Kyiv meeting with President Zelenskyy. What legacy does he leave behind there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR. Yes, you're absolutely right. Interventionalist (ph) to Trump's isolationist, or at least President Trump's MAGA base isolationist position. And for that reason, it made him a very sort of valuable friend to European leaders. We've heard the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutter, say that he was, you know, strongly supportive of the NATO alliance.

We've heard the same thing from Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, from Yvette Cooper, the British foreign secretary. So his value there to Europe as a person who could speak to President Trump about sort of a -- on foreign policy and particularly defense policy as well, that was valuable. And it was really embodied through the position he took because he saw Ukraine as a vital and important ally and a powerful friend against Russia's aggression.

And that's why we, you know, he was -- would have been in Kyiv just at the end of last week. He visited their very important SkyFall drone factory, which is making the most advanced drones, which is one of the reasons that sort of turning the tables of the conflict on Russia to a degree. He was an advocate for stronger US support of Ukraine.

And he was trying to push forward a plan to put more economic restrictions on sanctions on President Putin. And that he hoped would sort of lead to a path to peace, because it would begin to sort of put the conflict in a place where President Putin had to resort to conversation rather than conflict, although that really to most people seems a long way away.

But President Zelenskyy was very strong in his comments about Lindsey Graham, telling -- saying that he was really, you know, stood for the freedom, was staunch in that regard. But some of the other things he said about Lindsey Graham I thought were particularly powerful. Saying that he particularly valued Lindsey Graham's 10 visits to Ukraine, that his language describing his admiration for the courage of the Ukrainians through the difficulty of the war.

We're remembering here that the Ukrainians were going through terrible winters under Russian bombardment, freezing conditions. And so, it would have been hugely important to President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people to understand that they had that support coming from Lindsey Graham. And just to circle back to the European perspective, when President Zelenskyy fell out early last year with President Trump, it was Lindsey Graham who the Europeans, in their sort of new position because of President Trump's antipathy towards Zelenskyy, that they formed this coalition of the willing.

It was Lindsey Graham who was one of the key figures, sort of allowed on those virtual conversations that were being had at that time early last year. So absolutely, on the European stage, specifically in Ukraine, he was very valuable to those who needed to channel information and views to President Trump in the White House.

ABDELAZIZ: So perhaps more than 10 visits to Ukraine, but I imagine he had many more visits to Israel. He was a staunch supporter, of course, of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him one of Israel's greatest friends upon his passing. Why did a native son of South Carolina make support of Israel, one of the cornerstones of his legacy, Nic?

[04:10:10]

ROBERTSON: Yes. This perhaps comes back to his sort of old school Republican interventionist foreign policy attitudes. I mean, he was staunchly against Iran since about 2010, really strongly coming out against Iran, which, which instinctively makes him an ally and friend of Israel. And he believed that Israel was an important ally to the United States in the Middle East. And for that reason, he threw his fulsome support with many visits to Israel, something that was appreciated by many Israeli political figures yesterday.

The President, leaders in the opposition as well, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, really a very powerful tribute. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: He was a wonderful, wonderful friend, a great American patriot and a great champion of the Israel American alliance. And I'll miss him personally a lot, a lot. I really, really thought the world of him.

And I think the world has lost a great human being. America has lost a great senator, and we have lost a great friend. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So, whatever leader it is, whether it's Netanyahu or Zelenskyy, or the NATO secretary general, they all wanted a conversation with President Trump and they couldn't always have it, but they could get a message to him through Lindsey Graham. And that's, you know, that's his enduring, you know, gift to those leaders, if you will, and gift to those countries. And that's why it is being so favorably reflected and remembered.

ABDELAZIZ: Nic Robertson there on the legacy of Lindsey Graham, late Senator Lindsey Graham abroad, where he made his name in foreign policy. Thank you so much.

We're also learning more about the health of US senator, Republican Mitch McConnell. Speculation over his condition has increased in the past few weeks. That was after he was hospitalized on June 14th. His office has released a photo of the senator and his wife, former US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

McConnell says he was after he fell and briefly fell unconscious. He says he's now in a rehabilitation center to regain his strength after a mild case of pneumonia. Now, CNN did obtain video showing an ambulance at the senator's residence in June, but until now, no one knew what the emergency actually was.

The lawmaker says he did not break any bones or have a heart attack, or stroke. A doctor's note attached to his statement also referred to his injuries as minor. McConnell has a history of health issues. He is a childhood polio survivor and suffered a concussion from another fall just a few years ago.

I want to turn now to Iran, where the US and Iran have launched strikes threatening a fragile peace agreement. The US military says it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in a second night of strikes, while Tehran says its forces responded with a fresh wave of attacks towards US bases in the region.

US allies Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan all reported responding to aerial threats on Monday morning. And sirens could be heard ringing out in Bahrain while the military in Kuwait says it dealt with hostile aerial targets.

Joining me now from Abu Dhabi is our Paula Hancocks. The Gulf is yet again, Paula, waking up this morning to another round of attacks after Tehran said it was hitting back against American strikes. What took place overnight?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, there were residents in a number of the Gulf nations that were woken up by these emergency alerts. We heard in Bahrain, also in Kuwait, that they were dealing with incoming projectiles. Also, Jordan has said that they shot down and intercepted four missiles that were heading towards their territory.

Now, we've heard from Iran specifying exactly what they claim that they have targeted, saying that it was US military infrastructure in a number of different Gulf nations. They claim that they have achieved significant damage in both Bahrain and Kuwait. That's not what we've heard from the US side at this point, although we're waiting to hear what Central Command says about that.

We know also Oman was targeted, and that's interesting, of course, because only on Saturday, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was there to talk about the Strait of Hormuz. Both those countries, Iran and Oman, have coastlines along the Strait of Hormuz.

[04:15:00]

So we are seeing from the Iranian point of view that they seem to be expanding that their target list certainly over the past couple of weeks from what we have seen. They had been focusing on Bahrain and Kuwait, and we're seeing from the US side as well that the number of targets that they are going for is significant, 140 overnight Saturday into Sunday, dozens of targets Sunday into Monday.

We also hear from the US that they've used one way attack aerial drones for the first time, and they have been targeting what we have seen recently, the coastal areas, the drone and missile sites in those areas, air defense systems in those areas, but also a couple of targets further inland as well. Iran claiming that a water pumping station had been hit as well, saying that one person was killed and four wounded, according to state media. Salma?

ABDELAZIZ: Paula Hancocks there in Abu Dhabi after a second night of American strikes. Thank you so much.

Oil prices are reacting to the latest round of US Iran strikes. Brent Crude and US Crude prices are up following the weekend of attacks, which means that gas prices may also be impacted. You're seeing there the rise of just over 3 percent on Brent Crude oil rise as well there.

Palestinian officials say new Israeli attacks killed at least six people in Gaza on Sunday, including a nine-year-old girl killed in a refugee camp. Now, Israel's military claims it is not aware of the camp incident, but it says it did strike Hamas militants operating inside what it says was a weapons production facility in Gaza. That attack reportedly killed four people.

The October ceasefire stopped major fighting in Gaza, but it has not halted Israel attacks which are blamed for the deaths of more than a thousand Palestinians since the ceasefire began.

Kyiv's targeted campaign against Russian oil reportedly has intensified in recent days. Ukraine's drone forces commander says 14 Russian vessels were struck this weekend, including 10 tankers. He also claims some 90 Russian vessels have been hit over the past seven days.

This comes as Ukraine's military is taking credit for a drone attack on an oil refinery in Russia's Samara region. Eyewitness video appears to show large plumes of black smoke rising from the facility. In the US extreme heat is sweeping across parts of the country. Temperatures are expected to jump above 10 to 15 degrees above the average. We'll have the latest weather report after the break.

And a fire at a bar in Bangkok has left over two dozen dead and many more injured. Still ahead, the latest on the investigation, all here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:21:51]

ABDELAZIZ: A massive heat dome is shifting eastward to the upper Midwest. Now temperatures are expected to soar 10 to 20 degrees above average, and some locations may even see triple digits. CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord has the weather report for us.

MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Extreme heat warnings on the map for the Upper Midwest as we see this expansive heat dome pushing east. Sunday there were all time hottest temperatures in jeopardy. Billings, Montana Salt Lake City, Utah as well.

Well, that extreme heat is migrating eastward. So now places in the Upper Midwest, Minneapolis International Falls, Minnesota, even the Northern Plains are talking about temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above average. Monday itself, about a dozen high temperature records are in jeopardy. Those are daily high temperature records and it adds a lot of stress on your body as well when you're talking about multiple days in a row of the high heat across some of these areas.

So this is our heat risk map. Areas in the purple, that's the most extreme stress it's putting on your body. These are the days when you say, OK, maybe I'm going to wait until the late evening or early morning to do some of that outdoor yard work, the exercising, try to move some of those outdoor activities inside if you can.

You can see that heat risk staying in that extreme zone, especially through midweek for the Northern Plains and parts of the Upper Midwest as well. Billings, Montana, Sunday, it was flirting with that all time record high temperature for the city. Monday, we bring it down below 100 degrees. Then finally by Wednesday back closer to average.

Look at Minneapolis, three days in a row there with temperatures in the mid-90s.

ABDELAZIZ: Western Europe is now facing its third heat wave since May and it's fueling more wildfires across the continent. Hundreds of firefighters are working to contain one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record. It erupted earlier this week in a southern town and killed at least 12 people.

Another blaze broke out south of Paris. It shut down a major highway and spread into a nearby forest. Officials say there's a strong possibility the fire could continue to burn for several more days. No injuries have been reported so far. Widespread flooding in Bangladesh has left more than 1 million people stranded and at least 51 dead. Torrential monsoon rain has swollen rivers and flooded communities, forcing many people to flee their homes. Several deaths were caused by landslides and flash floods rushing down from higher ground. Volunteers are working to help deliver food and emergency supplies to residents as others begin to assess the damage.

A fire at a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, has killed at least 27 people and injured dozens more. Officials there say the fire was reported around midnight on Saturday, and the country's prime minister said many of the victims were found in the restrooms at the back of the pub.

I want to bring in now CNN's Mike Valerio live from Beijing. Mike, just how did this horrific fire break out and what are you learning now about those victims?

[04:55:01]

MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Salma, it seems as though it was a malfunction in an air conditioning unit that was attached to the ceiling. We're learning that most of the victims seem to be Thai citizens, not so much international tourists.

And some good news, since the last time we saw you last, 32 people have gone home. Fantastic news considering what you're about to see in the next couple seconds. But 25 people, Salma, are still in intensive care. So over the next minute and a half we're going to show you what exactly unfolded, the next few frames are incredibly distressing in terms of how quickly this fire spread. We'll talk about it as soon as this piece finishes on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO: A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens more. Witness' video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives. Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance, the fire engulfing the building in minutes.

Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene, taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then the damage was devastating.

CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translation): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet. Most of them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.

SUKANYA WONGWONGWAL, FRIEND OF MISSING PERSON: My friend who's a singer singing on stage said at first they noticed the smell of something burning. Then a little after they saw the ceiling was on fire. VALERIO: The blaze broke out around midnight at the Na Lat Phrao Brewery Restaurant, popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak District. Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture and blackened walls. Authorities are working to identify victims with many of their ID cards unable to be found.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the deadliest pub fires Bangkok has seen in recent years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO: And the wider picture here is that by some measures, Bangkok is the most visited city in the world. So in terms of making sure that all these pubs and venues are safe, this is a storyline, a version of which has repeated before. Back in 2009, 66 people were killed on New Year's Eve and back in 2022, 14 people were killed in a pub southeast of the city through flammable substances that allowed fire to spread quickly in these very cramped venues and fire regulations that were not followed to a tee.

So our reporting target over the next couple days is to see what, if anything, can be determined as this fire spread really quickly, how exactly did that happen, and does that lead to any wider changes across Thailand, Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: Mike Valerio there in Beijing, thank you for the latest reporting on that horrific fire that has claimed so many lives there. Remembering Lindsey Graham, ahead a look at the late senator's legacy in what comes next as Republicans will soon focus on who might fill that vacant seat.

[04:30:00]