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U.S. Strikes on Iran Enters Ninth Straight Night; Andy Burnham Set to Become Seventh British Prime Minister in a Decade; Spain Dethrones Defending Champion Argentina and Crowned as FIFA World Cup Champions. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 20, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hey, everybody. It's so great to be back with you. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and this is CNN Newsroom.

A ninth straight night of U.S. strikes on Iran, as another American service member is reported killed. We'll go live to the Gulf amid the escalating conflict.

And the U.K., about to officially have a new Prime Minister. Again, we're live at Downing Street as Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer.

Plus, celebrations across Spain and really around the world. We'll be wrapping up what has been a whirlwind of a World Cup.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Hi, welcome everybody.

U.S. Central Command says that it has concluded a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran. Explosions were heard in cities across the Northwest and coastal areas, Iranian state media reporting that its military also launched missiles toward enemy targets. Kuwait's army says that air defenses are responding to drone threats, and in Bahrain, saying that their air raid sirens have been activated.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military is reporting the death of another American service member who was killed in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. Here's what President Trump had to say about the recent strikes and these troop fatalities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, we feel very badly, but you know, those great people, those great patriots are out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Iran has been very badly damaged. They've lost everything almost militarily.

They've got very little left, they've got some missiles, they've got some drones, they've got some manufacturing ability, not much. We control the Strait, they don't control anything. So we'll see what happens, but we hit them very hard again tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Let's go to CNN's Leila Gharagozlou live from Abu Dhabi as she continues to cover this. So Leila, give us a sense of where some of these strikes have actually been focused.

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, so as you said, it is the ninth consecutive day of strikes between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. said that it hit a number of Iranian military targets Sunday night into today, Monday morning.

Now, Iranian state media said that there were explosions heard across the southern region of Iran, as well as in the northwestern region of Iran, close to the city of Tabriz. Now, that would be the first time in these nine days that we're hearing any sort of explosions in that area.

Earlier on in this war, in the early months, much of the U.S. and Israeli strikes were focused on the more inland cities like Tehran, Esfahan and Tabriz. This time around in these nine days, these strikes have been really focused on the southern region.

Now, the southern region is considered to be Iran's defensive arch. These cities like Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, and also these islands like Qeshm Island and Kharg Island really are part of the way that Iran is able to control the Strait of Hormuz. Now, that's why we're seeing the U.S. really focus its strikes in the southern region.

Now, when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz and who controls it, the IRGC says that the Iranians still control it and that they've closed it. The U.K. Maritime Authority said that it got a report of a vessel on fire. And the Revolutionary Guards said that they had two tankers that they found to be non-compliant and therefore targeted, so really asserting their control over the Strait.

Now, we're in a very fragile situation between the U.S. and Iran, and there's some serious concern among analysts that I've spoken to about this escalating and expanding if no off-ramp is found.

So we're going to have to see what happens over the next week. Polo?

SANDOVAL: All right, Leila Gharagozlou, thank you so much for all that reporting. As always, I appreciate your time.

Let's go now to Negah Angha joining me now, she's a visiting fellow with King's College London, and she was a senior advisor at the U.S. State Department and National Security Council. Thank you so much for joining us, Negah. Great to see you again.

NEGAH ANGHA, VISITING FELLOW, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON, AND FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: Good morning. So after the U.S. and Iran, they traded strikes for a ninth straight night, as you just heard in Leila's report. Do you see any potential off-ramps right now? I mean, a question that so many are asking, what would de-escalation actually look like?

[03:05:10]

ANGHA: That's a great question. I mean, look, I think we have to be very realistic. We can't look for some sort of grand political agreement, not even anything close to what the Memorandum of Understanding looked like just a week or so ago.

What we need to sort of look for is some sort of emergency operating arrangement for the Hormuz. And I think that's where you're going to have sort of those back-channel diplomatic conversations to try to find a solution to essentially the Strait of Hormuz, how it's going to operate, the recognized sort of shipping lanes, you know, who monitors, who clears it, all of those technical details, and essentially kind of like a freeze-for-freeze sort of approach, so that we move away from, you know, essentially what looks like punishment becoming a strategy.

So I do think there is, you know, a small window, and there is that diplomatic off-ramp there. The only sort of disconcerting factor is, you know, there is so much direct military friction right now that this could, you know, this could be a slippery slope into something much larger.

SANDOVAL: So if, in fact, there are some of those back-channel conversations that you referenced, I'm just curious, who do you think are some of those parties? In addition to the U.S. and Iran, do you think that some of the Gulf nations would be potentially involved?

ANGHA: Absolutely. The mediators need to continue to stay involved. They have, obviously, a lot of, you know, domestic and personal interests in making sure that the fighting halts, but it's going to require quite a bit of that shuttle diplomacy. They're going to have to be going back and forth between both capitals to try to convince them that they need to come to the table to discuss.

The issue is the idea of trying to convince both parties that you are losing this window of opportunity. Once this window closes, it's going to be very hard to find a diplomatic off-ramp. An off-ramp is always possible.

It's just, you know, how do you not lose face in front of your domestic audience? And that window is quite small, both for the United States but also for Iran, who is under a lot of economic constraints right now.

So, again, the mediators are going to have to be involved. Mediators can range from, you know, obviously, Pakistan, Qatar and all the other regional countries who are being directly impacted by these volleying attacks taking place over the last week or so. SANDOVAL: Let's talk a little bit more about this clear widening of

this conflict. Negah, we already know that a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant was struck by Iran for the second time, actually, and the U.S. striking Iranian sites like bridges and power stations. So, does this targeting of that kind of infrastructure, do you think that it increases the risk for civilians in the region? Is that something that we should now be seriously worried about?

ANGHA: We definitely should be. Again, I think the objectives in some ways have been quite clear, right?

On the United States side, the immediate objectives were clear, you know, punish attacks on U.S. personnel, protect commercial shipping, reduce Iran's coastal capacity to control or threaten the strait. So, you know, it's very clear why they have these very specific targeted attacks.

A lot of times they see them as, you know, military infrastructure, you know, that are important key sites. For Iran's behavior, it's very clear that they're basically saying that we're being reactive. We are showing the same kind of, you know, proportional attacks against the United States that it's causing to us. So, we see sort of both sides and what they're trying to do.

The issue is that each side is ramping up their attacks, hoping that that will convince the other side to change their course in the negotiations and come to the table.

Obviously, again, when you have these direct military frictions, there are going to be, you know, a slippage. It will move past certain red lines. This is where civilians will be impacted.

[03:09:56]

And at this point in time, we're talking about civilians in third countries, in, you know, the Gulf countries and around Iran and not necessarily, you know, there's obviously direct U.S. personnel, but not necessarily on the U.S. homeland.

And so, this is going to be a huge concern because there is no guarantee when you have this kind of tit-for-tat that it's going to push each of the adversaries back towards the negotiating table. Again, I think this is why we're going to be seeing a lot of these countries who are directly impacted, you know, working with phones, having the various conversations because they need to ensure the security and safety of their own citizens.

SANDOVAL: Yes, I know that clearly raising the stakes now for people in the entire region. Negah Angha, as always, thank you so much for your critical analysis. I really appreciate your time.

ANGHA: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: Of course.

Well, oil markets, they are reacting to the new strikes in the Middle East.

In fact, we want to give you this quick look at Brent crude, which is the international benchmark. You also see West Texas to the U.S. benchmark. You see Brent crude now about $90 a barrel with WTI numbers shortly below that at about closing in on $85.

Obviously, those renewed strikes, but also the disruptions, tanker disruptions on the Strait of Hormuz certainly heightening some supply concerns and fueling some of these numbers. So, we'll keep checking back on them.

Well Russia has launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine since the war started more than four years ago. Ukraine's air force saying that the main target of Sunday's assault was the capital city of Kyiv, which faced a variety of missile and attack drones.

Authorities are saying that at least 16 people were killed and that 17 others were injured across Ukraine, mainly in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. A large-scale attack prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to issue a plea for allies to expedite deliveries of previously promised air defense packages.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The danger remains even now and this must be taken into account. Russia is placing its bets on ballistic missiles and it is because of them that Putin still believes in his war. It is very important that our partners understand what is happening and that we need air defense missiles to protect lives literally every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And in just a few hours, Andy Burnham will be officially the new British Prime Minister. He'll be the latest in a line of quick successions in the office. The seventh Prime Minister in a decade.

Burnham, succeeding Keir Starmer, who won the position in a landslide victory just two years ago, but leaves the role after months of controversy. Burnham has to hit the ground running and reveal his positions on some of the pressing issues that are currently moving through Parliament.

Let's go live now to London where our Anna Stewart is joining me with the latest developments as we wait. So Anna, he'll be stepping into a job with a very high turnover rate. What can we expect?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly is a high turnover. Seventh Prime Minister in 10 years, which means we're all getting pretty used to transitions like this here on Downing Street. What is especially interesting about this transition though with Andy Burnham, there has been no leadership contest within the party or of course, a general election. On the one hand, that means Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister

with the party largely, at least on the surface, united behind him, which is a big difference we've had in the past, particularly with some of the Conservative Prime Ministers.

On the other hand, that does mean he hasn't really been publicly grilled in terms of what he thinks about various policies, especially in an area like foreign policy. We really don't know a huge amount about where Andy Burnham stands.

There's been a few leaks over the weekend in terms of policies we might be able to expect, perhaps more drilling in the North Sea, for instance. That will be to come perhaps in his speech. We might get a few pointers there.

What's particularly interesting in the U.K., this is a parliamentary system. So Andy Burnham will have a constitutional mandate to lead. The largest party in Parliament elected in 2024 has appointed him.

However, that does rather tie him to the 2024 Labor Party manifesto. If he sort of travels too far from that, critics may suggest he doesn't have a political mandate. So he's in a very tricky position, Andy Burnham.

Everyone wants to see change. He has promised the most significant change in politics for 40 years. But at the same time, he is rather tied to the promises of his predecessor, Keir Starmer from 2024, who, as you say, was largely unpopular despite a landslide victory.

What we expect from today in terms of the two things, the comings and the goings, we're going to have Keir Starmer give a speech here in Downing Street, his final farewell before he heads to see the King.

That's where he formally tenders his resignation. And then we almost have the opposite from Andy Burnham. He will see the King before coming to Downing Street and giving his first speech here.

[03:15:08]

Things to watch, things that people get very excited about. Firstly, when the podium will come out on Downing Street in front of the door, it gets brought out by a sound engineer who has gone rather viral on social media. Hashtag Hot Podium Guy.

And of course, Larry the Cat, Polo, who, if he is still there, let me just check, is very hidden outside the doors of No. 10 Downing Street. He's currently on top of a sort of heat vent, keeping warm because it's a slightly chilly start to a summer's day.

All that to come.

SANDOVAL: Yes, and we are certainly seeing some of those preparations underway. Anna Stewart, thank you so much for that live report from Downing Street, the so-called Hot Podium Guy and the Cat likely to steal the show. Thank you so much, we'll check it back with you. And still a lot more to get to here on "CNN Newsroom," including Spain

writing itself a new chapter in the history books with its World Cup history. More on the celebrations that are probably still going on.

And a little later, President Trump's approval ratings. They are near all-time lows with the midterm elections only a few months away. We'll be breaking down the very latest numbers and see how they compare to the previous administrations.

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[03:20:09]

SANDOVAL: Hi, welcome back.

Celebrations, they have been ringing out across Spain all night after the country's 1-0 World Cup victory over Argentina. This was Spain's second ever World Cup victory and their first since 2010.

Fans, they are now waiting to welcome their champions as they left New Jersey on Sunday, expected to land in only a few hours back in Spain. And Sunday's match, it showed off that country's impressive command of the ball.

The team fended off Argentina's advances for nearly two straight hours, with Ferran Torres scoring the game-winning goal in extra time, and U.S. President Donald Trump on hand joining FIFA President Gianni Infantino handing Spain its trophy and awarding medals to all of the players. And later, he boasted about the U.S. performance as World Cup co-host.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So we're very proud of our country.

We're very proud of the job that was done by everybody. We congratulate Gianni Infantino and all of his staff and the incredible job they did. But this was one of the greatest events of any kind ever held.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Of course, the U.S. co-hosting along with Canada and Mexico, CNN's Amanda Davies walks us through the biggest moments of the match.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: A who's who of film, music, and sporting royalty, a new star-studded halftime show, and that presidential trophy presentation. But none of it will overshadow Spain's moment.

The best footballing team at this tournament have won. They fought the fighters and took victory, took on the defending champions, and stole their crown. Spain are the 2026 World Cup winners. Spanish boss Luis de la Fuente had channeled a bit of Julius Caesar earlier in the tournament, saying you have to suffer to be successful. And boy, did his side do that all the way through to 120 minutes. After a gladiatorial effort the Roman emperor would have been proud of, and despite the weight of the crowd behind Argentina, the right team won.

They were the ones trying to play, controlling possession, creating chances, trying to score goals, while Argentina did their best to stop them. Enzo Fernandez seeing red turned the tide, and ultimately it was Barcelona's Ferran Torres who scored the 106th minute winner to see Spain replicate history, like their predecessors in 2010, becoming world champions at the same time as being European champions.

It was a comeback too far for Argentina, and this time wasn't to be for Messi. Emotional scenes after the final whistle as the 39-year- old's dreams of lifting the World Cup for the second straight time fell short. He cemented his legacy as the GOAT with his performances over the last few weeks, and after 20 years we wait to see whether or not he feels he's got any more to give.

There's no doubt about that with this new generation of Spanish talent, the likes of Rodri and Lamine Yamal, setting a new benchmark as the sun sets on a World Cup unlike any other.

Amanda Davies, CNN, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(VIDEO PLAYING)

SANDOVAL: And in Madrid, fans erupted in pure joy the moment that Spain won the World Cup. More than 25,000 people, they filled the plaza in the heart of the city, all of them there to watch the snail biting match. But after nearly two hours of anxiety, you heard Amanda point out 106 game minutes, a massive party broke out.

As CNN's Pau Mosquera shows us, they even did their own version of the Viking Vow, made famous by the Norwegians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN: This is incredible. This is the best part of my life, the best moment of my life.

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was very tense, and actually the anxiety and the nervousness was very palpable all through the match. And I can tell that many of them are going to get back home with no fingernails left after biting all of them because it has really been a lot of suffering through all these 120 minutes of the match. But I bet that it has been worth it.

Where are you now heading to? How are you going to celebrate this?

UNKNOWN: I don't know. With a lot of joy. In every street, everywhere.

UNKNOWN: With our friends, everything.

[03:25:06]

UNKNOWN: This is incredible. This is the best part of my life, the best moment of my life. Now the second star, the second star today, the second star.

UNKNOWN (translated): Let's go. This is a historic moment.

In 100 years we will remember this. It's like painting the (expletive) Mona Lisa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: That was CNN's Paul Mosqueda, who you can barely hear through the Spanish cheers.

Well, still a lot to get to, including arrested social media influencers, the Tate Brothers. They are due to appear in court later today. We'll be bringing you all the details of the charges that they face, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and these are today's top stories.

The U.S. Central Command says that it has concluded the ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran. Now the U.S. military is saying that its forces, quote, further diminished Iran's ability to attack vessels and civilians transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Well, the strikes, they come as another U.S. service member was killed in the Middle East over the weekend.

Spain, World Cup champions for the second time after beating Argentina 1-0 an extra time in Sunday's final. Spain dominated the pitch but didn't break through until substitute Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th game minute. Well, they're now the first team to win the Cup after giving up just one goal the entire tournament.

In the coming hours, Andy Burnham is set to become the next British Prime Minister. The new Labor Party leader will be the U.K.'s seventh Prime Minister in a decade.

[03:30:02]

Burnham spent nine years as the mayor of Greater Manchester and has promised the U.K., quote, "a new era of possibility."

For more on all of this, let's bring in Tim Bale. He's a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. Good morning to you, thank you so much for joining me.

TIM BALE, PROFESSOR OF POLITICS, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: Good morning.

SANDOVAL: So let's get right into it. Do you think that Andy Burnham can break this cycle of his predecessor's political instability?

BALE: I think he has to, as far as the Labor Party is concerned. He really is their last chance. I think Labor M.P.s have looked at the turnover of prime ministers under the previous Conservative government and thought to themselves, we really don't want to go there.

They've had to replace Keir Starmer because he is so unpopular and failed to provide a sense of hope, a sense of purpose, a sense of direction. But I think this is the last roll of the dice as far as Labor M.P.s are concerned. So this really has to work.

SANDOVAL: What are some of the more urgent issues that he will have to tackle? I mean, there is certainly the unemployment crisis, the current economy, not to mention further entanglement and conflicts abroad. So how much does he have to do? And I'm sure he's got to do it quick. The list is long.

BALE: The list is long, but essentially his entry, as it were, is the same as Keir Starmer's. He really does need to do something about increasing the rate of growth in the economy, something Keir Starmer promised to do but hasn't really been able to realize. That, I think, is going to depend partly perhaps on making some tax cuts, although that will be difficult given the state of the public finances.

So the economy is crucial.

The second thing I think he is going to have to do is to ensure that progress which has been made in terms of improving public services, and in particular the National Health Service, has accelerated. There is some change in that sense.

We've had waiting lists come down, we've had waiting times in accident and emergency come down. But that needs to go much faster.

And then thirdly, and we shouldn't forget about this, even if it's something that perhaps Labor supporters are less concerned about, he has to show that he's getting a grip on the small boats crisis, people coming across the Channel in dinghies, claiming asylum and then being put up at great expense in hotels. That's something that really bothers a lot of voters. So it's something that he has to show he is improving the management of, even if he can't actually stop that happening completely.

SANDOVAL: I'm glad you mentioned the immigration angle too, Tim. I think that's something that's often sort of overlooked, given just the political turmoil that we've seen previous Prime Ministers having to overcome. Overall though, how do you think that he can avoid being undermined by members of his own party?

BALE: That is going to be difficult. I mean, obviously, there's been a lot of backbiting, a lot of briefing, which has resulted in the coup effectively against Keir Starmer, albeit a democratic one within the Labor Party. I think, actually, in terms of the way that Labor M.P.s behave, that really depends on whether Andy Burnham can sell a story to the electorate. One of the reasons that there has been so many internal problems in the Labor Party is simply because the Labor government has been so unpopular.

If he can turn that around, if he can clearly get a lead over Reform U.K., this populist radical right party that lasts more than a few months, if the economy seems to be heading in the right direction, if we get improvements in the NHS, and if he does show some sign of being able to get a grip on the small boats crisis, then I think his M.P.s will come in behind him. It is going to be difficult for him, but I think, to be honest, the way he handles his party is dependent on whether he can successfully impress the electorate, and he hasn't got much time to do that.

I mean, traditionally, you don't get really a second chance to make a first impression, so everything he does in this first week is going to be absolutely crucial.

SANDOVAL: How do you think he'll handle U.S. President Donald Trump? It's safe to say that the man who he replaces had a complicated relationship with the U.S. President, and that's certainly an understatement, so how do you think this next Prime Minister will be able to deal with Donald Trump?

BALE: Well, I mean, I think it will be more of the same, to be honest. It will just be an attempt to calm and charm the President in as much as that's possible. I don't think we're going to see what some people refer to here as a love-actually moment.

[03:35:02]

We're not going to see Andy Burnham come out and say something very controversial about the President. He's going to continue, really, Keir Starmer's effort to conciliate as much as possible without, in the view of the British electorate anyway, humiliating himself, and that is a difficult trick to pull off.

SANDOVAL: Andy Burnham certainly setting expectations high, and the clock will be ticking for him as we wait for developments out of London. Thank you so much for joining me, Tim Bale, as always. I appreciate your perspective.

All right, so there has been at least one constant at 10 Downing Street to help ease the transitions of power there. You heard us talk about him just a little while ago.

Meet Larry the Cat, also known by his official title of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. He's now preparing to serve under this seventh Prime Minister. Larry, a celebrity in his own right, and has lived at the political headquarters since 2011.

We will certainly have to wait, though, to see how he welcomes his new team.

And with the U.S. midterm elections getting closer, President Trump's approval ratings, they remain at or near all-time lows. In fact, his net approval rating, it is now lower than any other 21st century president. CNN's Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten, breaking down the numbers for you. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: A lot has been happening, both domestically and internationally, over the past few months. Obviously, last month we had a good inflation report for the month of June, but is any of this moving President Trump's approval ratings at all? And the short answer is not really, no.

President Trump remains at or near record lows when we look at two polls that have come out over the past few days, both the "Washington Post" poll and the CNBC poll. What are we talking about here? Well, why don't we just take a look really simply at this.

Okay, Trump's net approval rating.

In April, according to "Washington Post," he was 25 points underwater, that is approval minus disapproval. Now, basically the exact same spot. He's 24 points underwater, according to the "Washington Post," that's his second worst net approval rating all time in any "Washington Post" poll.

Now, you look at the CNBC numbers, and they tell the exact same story, even if they're slightly different numbers.

In April, look at that. Trump was 18 points below water. Look at where he is now, Trump is 19 points below water.

That is the worst ever net approval rating Donald Trump has ever had in CNBC polling. And when you combine the two of them, we can just say that Trump is underwater.

You know what? I'll use one of my favorite phrases, like the little mermaid. Now, I want to put these numbers into some historical perspective for you, not just within Trump, but other presidents as well this century.

And we're going to average the "Washington Post" and the CNBC poll, and why don't we do it right here?

Okay, net approval rating for 21st century presidents in term two, at this point in term two, and we're going to take the CNBC and "Washington Post" poll and average them.

Where do we see Trump at? Well, he's 22 points below water. Where was Barack Obama at this point in term number two? He was only eight points below water.

How about George W. Bush? We were in the middle of the Iraq War at this point. That Iraq War, of course, would help lead to Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate back in 2006. Bush was 20 points below water.

So what we can conclude here is, at least according to a CNBC, "Washington Post" poll average, President Trump is in the worst position of any 21st century president at this point in term number two. Now, what is driving these low numbers for President Trump? Well,

simply put, it is independents.

Independents are the name of the game, you win the center of the electorate, you usually win the elections. And these are why these numbers are so troubling for President Trump and for Republicans.

Take a look here. Worst net approval ratings ever with independents at this point in term two. Look who is worst on the list.

Who ranks number one on the list? You definitely don't want to be ranking number one on, and that is President Trump. 45 points underwater according to the "Washington Post" poll. Look at that.

That is worse.

That is worse than Richard Milhous Nixon at this point. Just before he was forced to leave office because of Watergate, he was 37 points below water. And the aforementioned George W. Bush in the middle of the Iraq War, he was 31 points underwater.

When you put it all together, this is quite the troubling set of numbers for President Trump. Despite the improving inflation rate at least in June, it really didn't do much to help President Trump. He's still at historic lows, especially among independents.

And of course, with the rise in gas prices, I'm not expecting these numbers to get any better anytime soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Harry Enten for that.

Well, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says that he won't support Donald Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence. Senator Mark Warner says he's not happy with what he heard from Jay Clayton when the nominee appeared before his committee.

[03:40:10]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK ARNER (D-VA): I've known Jay for a long time. I like him. But after his performance before my committee, his inability to answer the question about who won the 2020 election or commenting on Gabbard's, the previous DNI's effort to interfere in the Fulton County elections, I am not going to vote for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And you'll recognize Warner as a vocal critic of the acting director Bill Pulte. He says choosing between Pulte and Clayton is like being caught between a rock and a hard place. Warner did say that he thinks Clayton will ultimately be confirmed.

Well, the brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are expected to appear in a Miami federal court on Monday following their arrest by U.S. Marshals. The social media influencers are facing extradition to the United Kingdom where they face rape and sex trafficking charges. Just the latest accusations against the two.

Here's Rafael Romo with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The arrest of both Tate brothers stem from a case focusing on alleged sexual abuse of women in the east of England region just north of London between 2010 and 2017.

U.S. Marshals arrested both brothers in Miami on Saturday on an extradition request from the United Kingdom. Andrew Tate, seen here on the left, is a 39-year-old U.S.-born professional fighter turned media personality known for his rants about male dominance, female submission and wealth.

A controversial personality that has earned him billions of views online. He was initially arrested in Bucharest in December 2022 together with his younger brother Tristan Tate and Romanian prosecutors have accused them of trafficking and exploiting women. The brothers have repeatedly rejected the allegations made against them in that case and they were allowed to leave Romania after authorities in the eastern European country lifted travel restrictions on them arriving in Florida in February 2025.

Authorities say the brothers who have dual American and British citizenship face dozens of new charges added onto previous charges brought by the Crown Prosecution Service after evidence was submitted by Bedfordshire Police.

According to the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service and Bedfordshire Police Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, faces 42 charges including rape, human trafficking, indecent images of a child and assault. According to the same officials, his brother Tristan Tate faces 17 charges including sexual assault, rape and trafficking.

In a statement Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Special Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service in the U.K., said the following, "We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offenses including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offenses relating to indecent images of a child. These charging decisions followed a receipt of a further file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police and bring the total number of alleged victims in this case to seven."

An attorney for the brothers said they are innocent and criticized the U.K.'s move to seek extradition. "There is a long-standing agreement between the U.K. and Romanian governments that the U.K. would not seek extradition while the Romanian proceedings are pending." Attorney Joseph McBride said, "Those proceedings are ongoing right now. That agreement exists because no nation gets to trample the judicial sovereignty of another for political convenience."

In addition to these new charges and the case pending in Romania, Andrew Tate is also facing a civil suit in the U.K. which is being brought by four women who accused the social media influencer of rape. A spokesperson for Tate previously told CNN that their client categorically denies what he called unproven and untested allegations.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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SANDOVAL: Well gas prices they are still rising in the United States after the break. We'll have a breakdown on the latest costs and also what could be behind this increase of prices at the pump.

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[03:45:00]

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SANDOVAL: All right, welcome back. This is your Business Breakout and here's where the U.S. futures stand ahead of the opening bell.

On Wall Street on Monday you can see stock futures there showing some fairly steady gains across the board. Of course this amid the escalating war with Iran and increased tensions with the persistent tit-for-tat strikes that we've seen between the U.S. and Iran.

And here are the rest of your business headlines.

Gas prices they are still rising in the U.S. as the war with Iran ramps up. According to AAA the cost of gas is hovering right below four dollars per gallon and that's up 34 percent since the war started due to a dip in oil shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

And as summer temperatures heat up the price of ice cream is cooling down. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saying that the average price of a half gallon of ice cream fell below $6 last month. Selective breeding and high tech dairy production have increased the supply of butterfat which is the most expensive ingredient in your ice cream and that's what seems to be driving some of the wholesale prices down.

Thank goodness.

New data is now showing that the number of charging stations for electric vehicles it has outpaced their sales in most of the European Union. Advocacy group Transport and Environment reporting that all but one E.U. member state already meet requirements for the amount of charging stations. They say the data challenges arguments from some lawmakers that the shifts to electric vehicles should actually be slowed down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: No one could stand between me and hope. Not even the gods.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: Christopher Nolan's so-called masterpiece. His latest work is proving that all roads lead to the box office. His adaptation of "The Odyssey" sailed to a massive $264 million opening weekend.

The movie based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer, it stars Matt Damon as the Greek hero Odysseus and follows his journey home after the Trojan War. Universal Pictures says the younger audiences especially turned out in full force with IMAX theaters even adding late night and early morning screenings to meet demand. The film is Nolan's first since releasing "Oppenheimer" in 2023 and is among his biggest opening weekends.

Well so close but so far. We'll check in on how Argentina fans are coping with the loss to Spain and what probably was Leo Messi's latest chance to bring home the World Cup glory.

[03:50:10]

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SANDOVAL: Well the second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season seems to be taking shape. You can see it there in the Gulf.

Forecasters expecting it to strengthen into tropical storm Bertha in the coming hours and the system is expected to bring some heavy rain, tropical storm force winds, and some flooding to parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. A tropical storm watch currently in effect for areas along the Florida panhandle.

Well despite Argentina's World Cup loss, soccer fans flocked to Buenos Aires's Plaza de la Republica to celebrate their team's incredible journey waving flags, chanting, and dancing well into the night. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon reports on how Argentina fans are handling this loss.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Sadly it wasn't to be after a commanding performance in the World Cup final. Spain beat Argentina 1- 0 and here in Buenos Aires it feels like the end of an era. It could have been the last match of Lionel Messi's international career.

[03:55:08]

A few fans are sticking around here in the Buenos Aires Fan Fest just to appreciate the images of the awarding ceremony but really it's just a bittersweet tears for a nation that really supported the run of their national team. One of many is Guillermo.

Guillermo it felt like the end of an era. It could be the last match from Lionel Messi. How do you feel about it?

GUILLERMO, ARGENTINA FAN: Indeed very sad, an illusion that fades away. Spain was superior. The team gave it all and we are very proud to feel this passion when we play and proud of the team and proud of the families that support the team and support the coaches. POZZEBON: And Guillermo I've seen a lot of people clapping at the

Spaniards when they won. There is a lot of football respect between these two nations.

GUILLERMO: Yes, I think that's something that Scaloni always taught us and said in the press conference. This is sport and sport unites the world. Fair play above all.

POZZEBON: Thank you so much.

Scaloni being of course the Argentinian coach Lionel Scaloni. The question is whether he will stick around with the team but yes this is the prevailing sentiment here in Buenos Aires. Awarding the worthy winner and celebrating a run from the Argentinian team that surprised many because it was not a commanding run as well as in 2022. Tomorrow Monday they will come back to Buenos Aires, they will be cheered, then welcome home as heroes but tonight is for Spain.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Buenos Aires.

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SANDOVAL: Ah, what a World Cup that was. Thank you so much for watching this hour, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll be right back with you in a moment with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."

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