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Vance, Caine Raised Concerns About Escalating War With Iran; Dem Divide Looming Over Key Battleground Race; Wildfires Raging Across Spain And France; Terrorist Attacked Pride Event; Russia Attacks Kyiv; Measles Cases In U.S. Hit Record Rate Again. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 26, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

BUD DENKER, CHAIRMAN, FREEDOM250 GRAND PRIX: It has come year by year and nonpartisan in admission from day one.

ISABELLE KHURSHUDYAN, CNN SENIOR ENTERPRISE REPORTER AND WRITER: So, this is the show car. Tell me about it.

DENKER: Yes. This is probably designed to show the spirit of what the race is going to look like here. Is that crazy?

KHURSHUDYAN: Yes, I think so.

DENKER: Can you imagine doing that for two and a half hours, three hours?

KHURSHUDYAN: Yes. Now, I won.

KHURSHUDYAN (voice-over): Isabelle Khurshudyan, CNN, Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Go, Isabelle. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for being with me this weekend. The "CNN Newsroom" continues with Erica Hill right now.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Erica Hill in Washington. Thanks for joining us here in the "CNN Newsroom."

New tonight, the Trump administration signaling a pause in the ongoing war with Iran, suggesting this pause could actually give some room for diplomatic talks. Regional allies have also not reported any new Iranian attacks in the past two days. As President Trump weighed the possibility of escalating strikes, we're learning that two key voices were pushing back. Sources telling CNN Vice President J.D. Vance and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, raised concerns in a White House meeting on Friday, that General Caine specifically mentioned the U.S. munitions stockpile.

CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein joining us now with more on that reporting on the Trump administration. Are they weighing in at all today on that reporting, Betsy? BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Erica, it might have been a very consequential meeting here at the White House on Friday. President Trump huddling with top advisers and members of his cabinet to discuss the possibility of an escalation in this war with Iran and how to go about that.

But for the last two nights, there has been an apparent halt in that fighting after 13 consecutive nights of strikes on Iran. One U.S. source telling us that there are military operations on a hold as they give these diplomatic talks some room to move forward. We heard earlier today from U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, addressing that pause. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: I've spoken with Secretary Hegseth. What the president is doing right now, as we've seen all along, is giving some talks some space. Talks are ongoing. They're happening at every level from the more technical aspect of it all the way to the highest levels, of course, within both the Iranian government and the U.S. government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, two sources telling CNN that in that Friday meeting, Vice President J.D. Vance and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, both raised concerns about a potential escalation.

Trump, of course, has threatened massive attacks on Iran in recent weeks, attacks on things like critical infrastructure, roads, bridges as well as Kharg Island, that key oil hub. Some have warned that that could constitute a war crime, but he has yet to execute on those threats. Now, Caine specifically in that meeting raised concerns about depleting U.S. munitions stockpiles.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responding to that reporting in a statement. He says -- quote -- "We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests."

Now, also in that Friday meeting, sources say that other concerns were raised to the president, including the possibility of massive civilian casualties across Iran, the possibility of a refugee crisis as well as concerns that this conflict could spill into a broader war across the Middle East. But as the president weighs a path forward now, there are few in his inner circle who believe that any of these options for escalation that he has been presented with would yield the results that he is seeking, Erica.

HILL: Yes. Important to know. Betsy, really appreciate it. Thank you.

CNN's Nic Robertson also joining us from Jerusalem with a closer look at how this apparent pause in the strikes could, in fact, impact the peace talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It gives them an opportunity. We heard from the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman today saying that there was progress, that the talks were constructive, that they continue at a political and technical level.

But it's key to understanding the details. We just don't have them. The talks were all about the Strait of Hormuz, of course. And the key point here is, do the Iranians finally agree that they give up control of the Strait of Hormuz and allow traffic to pass through, marine traffic, and not try to get any tolls and not tell them which passages and pathways to go down through the Strait of Hormuz? There's no indication that's about to happen.

So, it will be the output of that meeting, what the Omanis pass on to the U.S. diplomats, what the White House gets back from those talks is going to determine the next moves.

[17:04:58]

Clearly, the implication we've heard from Ambassador Waltz, from the Pentagon, from the indications from the White House is this is a sort of unannounced temporary ceasefire-type deal to make the space for diplomacy, but it's not clear just because you're talking that there's actually going to be an outcome that's good enough for the White House.

I think on the Houthi front in the Red Sea and trying to stop the Saudi oil getting out to world markets, it's having a chilling effect. But as far as we know today, the Houthis haven't fired any additional missiles at Saudi infrastructure. So, perhaps, you know, they're aligned with Iran. So, perhaps, they're taking a beat on all of this at the moment as well.

And then, of course, tomorrow, Prime Minister Netanyahu will leave Israel. He'll head to the United States for the funeral of Lindsey Graham, but it also has meeting at the White House with President Trump on Tuesday. We can expect the Israeli prime minister to thank the president for announcing that Saudi Arabia has to normalize with Israel before it can have this civilian nuclear deal.

But also, the key thing there will be what intelligence does Prime Minister Netanyahu share with President Trump about Iranian nuclear assets, where are they. Of course, it was the Israelis that had a lot of information about leading towards the Pickaxe Mountain as being a storage facility for some of the highly-enriched uranium and other nuclear storage sites that the Iranians have. So, what else is Prime Minister Netanyahu going to put on President Trump's desk that then may influence where this war goes next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: We'll be watching. Nic Robertson, appreciate it. Thank you.

Also joining me now, CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen. He's also vice president for global studies and fellows at New America. Peter, good to talk to you as always. So, I mentioned this reporting that CNN has, that the military operations, of course, are on pause to give some space, right? Is space really what is needed in this moment?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, strong, maybe. You know, as Nic mentioned, obviously, the Omanis and the Iranians are talking. The Omanis do have some leverage with the Iranians because they have the southern Strait of Hormuz and the Iranians have the north and there is some community of interest there.

But, you know, I think the idea that we're going to get the Iranians to sort of magically say we're not going to impose any tolls and just open up the strait is crazy because, I mean, you know, the real nuclear weapon now is the strait and they're not just going to give that away without major concessions from the United States that I doubt the United States is willing to make.

So, you know, we're now many, many months into this. We could be many, many months to go, Erica. I mean, one factor for the president, at least his party, Senator Thune and Speaker Johnson, is the midterms. I mean, they are three months away. If everything remains stable right now with the situation now with a hundred million -- sorry, with a hundred-dollar barrels for oil and $4 and eleven for gas and, you know, those numbers can go up. So, you know, there is going to be some pressure, I think, from his party to try and settle this in some shape or form.

HILL: It would be interesting to see how effective that pressure could be on the president. I was struck by something that former State Department Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller said on CNN yesterday, talking about, you know, this sort of pause that we're at this point, both sides taking a little time, a little space. He said both sides really believe they have the power to escalate here and that they can manage this, they can tolerate the pain that's being inflicted. Essentially, they both feel like, in some ways, they have the upper hand. And as you just noted, unclear that Iran is going to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz, which the U.S. would like, unclear that the U.S. has anything to give up.

So, when we look at this impasse, where do you see, is it going to be, to your point, the Omanis or perhaps another regional partner who are the ones who are able to maybe move something forward? I mean, is that really what it may take?

BERGEN: Well, ultimately, it's the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard who is going to have to agree to anything. It doesn't really matter who's negotiating with whom.

HILL: I mean, who can get more of a push, I guess. Yes.

BERGEN: Yes. I mean, yes, they could. I mean, they can push it. But they can't really, like, you know, produce a magic solution. The Qataris can't produce a magic solution. The Pakistanis can't produce a magic solution. It has to be something that the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard will agree to. And right now, they're in a pretty hard line stance. You know, there's a whole academic literature about why people make peace, and it's kind of usually a mutual recognition of a mutually hurting stalemate. Now, in some ways, we're at that point. But the question is, you know, who's going to take the pain longer? And the people who are in charge in Iran now fought an eight-year war with Iraq in which almost a million people died. Those guys actually fought in that war themselves. So, I'm not saying they're irrational, but I am saying that they, you know, it's their country.

[17:09:58]

At the end of the day, they look at American polling data, they know this is the most unpopular American war since polling has started on this question. That was really right when the war began. So, those numbers have remained very stable. Sixty percent of Americans are opposed to the war.

So, I don't think, you know, we're really in this sort of stasis without, I think -- I agree with Aaron David Miller. There doesn't seem to be a lot of, you know, movement on either side. And you go back to last week, President Trump said a bunch of things all over the place about negotiations, bombings, et cetera. And so, it's very hard to tell where his head is at.

And, by the way, I think CNN's reporting about Chairman Caine and munitions kind of drying up. It's not just that doesn't position as well for future conflicts, it's also that it really means that American servicemen are more -- service members are more at risk. I mean, if we don't have the interceptors to kind of intercept Iranian ballistic missiles or drones, it's inevitable that American soldiers in the region are going to continue dying. We just had the dignified transfer earlier this week of three American service members from Jordan who were killed.

So, I think that is in everybody's mind. Those numbers, you know, you can't -- you can't magically produce a bunch of Patriot missiles overnight. That just doesn't happen.

HILL: It doesn't, which raises some real questions, too, about U.S. military preparedness moving forward. Peter, always appreciate your insight. Thank you.

BERGEN: Thank you, Erica.

HILL: Still to come here, German officials declaring a terrorist attack after a woman is killed, dozens injured, in the deadly ramming and stabbing attack outside one of Europe's largest pride events. The new details we're learning about the suspect tonight.

Plus, a contagious race that could be key in the battle to control Congress. We're taking a closer look at the Senate race in Michigan. This is yet another race adding to that growing divide within the Democratic Party. So, what does it mean for the party's chances come November? Stay with us. You're in the "CNN Newsroom." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

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HILL: Governor Gretchen Whitmer is now throwing her support behind Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Michigan's highly-contested Democratic Senate primary on Friday. Whitmer praised Stevens as someone who can -- quote -- "get things done," saying the state needs her now more than ever. Stevens is facing off against progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The race itself revealing yet another deep split within the party about its future. Democrats are trying to hold on to the seat, of course, currently held by retiring senator, Gary Peters. Whoever wins this primary will face the presumptive Republican nominee, Mike Rogers, in the November general election.

Joining me now, Emily Lawler, politics editor for the Detroit Free Press. Good to have you with us. So, we're just over a week out here. Can you set the stage for us who are not there in the states, set the stage for us about a race getting so much national attention? How is it playing, though, in Michigan where the choice is actually going to be made?

EMILY LAWLER, POLITICS EDITOR, DETROIT FREE PRESS: Well, if you are here in Michigan, I think the first thing you'd notice is that the airwaves are absolutely thrilled by the attention this race is getting. We see a lot of pro Haley Stevens ads, some from her, some from groups connected to APAC, some from outside spending. That's a little bit murkier. And then I will say that is really blanketing the internet. You can't scroll your Instagram feed or go on Facebook without getting some positive advertisements from him as well.

HILL: I would imagine that also comes from, you know, having grown up with family in New Hampshire. It also must come with the we cannot wait for this to be over element of it as well. Thanks to all of those ads.

When we look at the endorsements, so, I mentioned Governor Whitmer. Of course, El-Sayed is really racking up a number of key endorsements from progressive. You've got Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. For Congresswoman Stevens, it's not just the governor, it's, you know, Chuck Schumer, Gary Peters. Do any of these endorsements, though, really tend to move Michigan voters?

LAWLER: You know, I think it's an open question. Some endorsements certainly come with a lot of political capital. I would say Gretchen Whitmer is a prime example of that. Definitely a nice feather to have in your hat. I don't know if it was strategic to keep it for this point in the cycle, but I think it was, you know, a time when it's helpful to have some momentum.

And then, you know, people like Bernie Sanders can mobilize, you know, a national movement behind you. I really think that the nation is sort of focusing on this race as that sort of tension between the more established and the more progressive candidates.

HILL: So, when we look at that tension, right, the message from Democrats has been, hey, we have to hold on to this Senate seat. When you have that kind of tension, is it your sense that it's -- there is that much of a divide among voters in the state or is it simply that these candidates are showcasing a divide that perhaps isn't as widespread among voters?

LAWLER: I do think that there's a divide among voters here. You know, obviously, Michigan was a Democratic state in 2020 and went back to the Trump column in 2024. I think that a lot of Democrats were really upset about that. And the party really didn't walk back through, you know, what went wrong, what could have gone differently, what kind of candidates might have appealed here.

You know, I think there was just sort of some forensic analysis that at least didn't get aired publicly. I'm not sure if there's more work behind the scenes on that privately. But I think we saw that play out a little bit at the endorsement convention for the Democrats here this year to pick our attorney general and secretary of state candidates.

[17:20:04]

There really this sort of progressive swell of support and people who showed up and decided, you know, this is something they want to be engaged in and got some wins, I think, for progressives within the Democratic Party. So, I think it's a tension that definitely does exist. You feel it a little bit on the ground here, too.

HILL: Yes. Mike Rogers, sarcastically, endorsing both candidates on social media, saying he's going to defeat either one. I would imagine that behind the scenes, right, there is certainly a candidate that perhaps Rogers would prefer going up against. Who is his team hoping to face in November?

LAWLER: Well, according to CNN, it seems like perhaps El-Sayed would be the pick there. But, you know, realistically, I think that Michigan is one of only a couple of states that are a true toss up when we're looking at the map of Senate races this year. I think Republicans are going to pour a ton of money and time and resources into our state. I think that Democrats are going to do the same. I think regardless of whether it's Abdul El-Sayed or Haley Stevens facing Mike Rogers, this is a race that's going to get a lot of time, money, and national attention.

HILL: Yes, it's already getting that. Really quickly before I let you go because we -- because I'm sitting here right in Washington looking at this through a national lens. But you're there on the ground. I mean, this is what you do. Is there something you think we miss in the national conversation about Michigan and about this race?

LAWLER: You know, I guess I would remind people that Michigan is sort of the home of the uncommitted movement from 2024. I think there's a lot of sort of leftover energy here around that idea. I think that Abdul El-Sayed has tapped into some of that.

And then, you know, I think that the question here is whether if Abdul El-Sayed is poised for victory, whether he has coattails because there are a couple of progressive candidates running in our congressional seats, the 13th primary, which is based here in Detroit, also the 7th congressional district, which is a toss-up represented by Republican Tom Barrett right now in the Lansing area. Those seats both have progressive candidates that are sort of fighting this on a smaller scale.

HILL: Yes. Emily, great to have you. Thank you.

LAWLER: Hey, thanks for having me.

HILL: Ahead here, an apocalyptic scene playing out across Europe. We are going to take you live to Spain and France where firefighters are working around the clock to contain dozens of rapidly spreading wildfires. It is quite a scene there.

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[17:25:00]

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HILL: Tonight, firefighters across Europe are working to contain these growing wildfires. Hundreds of tourists and swimmers were actually rescued by the Coast Guard from a fire in Apulia on Italy's southeast coast.

Take a look at this. So, this is a video that the Coast Guard posted of the rescue operation. You see people fleeing from the flames. There were actually a number of private vessels who were deployed to help in those evacuations.

These climate change-driven wildfires are scorching parts of France and Spain. More than 300,000 people across the region have now been displaced in Spain. The wildfires also turning deadly. Authorities confirming at least one person has been killed. Spain's prime minister is warning of the difficult hours ahead. Firefighters still work to contain the blaze.

Meantime, in southwest France, the fires leaving behind them, as you see here, just a tale of destruction and devastation. France's interior minister saying thousands of firefighters, officials, and volunteers have been mobilized to help fight the flames and describe these wildfires as extremely virulent and unpredictable.

We have our teams there on the ground. Paul Mosquera is joining us from Madrid. Melissa Bell is in Bordeaux. Melissa, just walk us through what you're seeing there on the ground. I mean, these pictures are just -- they're heart-wrenching.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heart-wrenching because you're talking about houses that have now been burned. You're talking about 220,000 people who have been driven from their homes and who don't know what's going to happen to them. And they've been told tonight, Erica, that they will not be allowed to return home until this fire has been contained.

We watched it today, we went today to the parts of this part of the world where it had begun, and you can see, even now, four days on, the fire is restarting. And all of these volunteers, civilians out there with their trucks, their tractors, their jerrycans, their hoses, try and bring the flames under control, even as the 205,000 firefighters try and battle the parts where the blaze is still raging really strongly.

And it has been spreading. They haven't been helped by the winds. They've been pushing it to the southeast so that the area that this fire is now raging in is huge.

Now, we've been seeing tonight some of the places where these people are being sheltered, places like here in Bordeaux, the main exhibition center. People are now looking to house them temporarily, which gives you an idea of the fact that they don't expect this fire to be contained any time soon. It has just been too hot and too dry, and it is now over such a large area that for the time being, it is nowhere near being contained, Erica. HILL: Which really gives you something to think about, the fact that it will be some days before it can be contained. As I mentioned, Paul Mosquera is also with us, joining us now from Spain. Walk us through what you're seeing there, Paul. PAUL MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, here in Madrid, it's going to be another long night for emergency workers. We are actually in Navas del Rey. This is a town located 60 kilometers west from Madrid. We are really close to ground zero to where the wildfires are still burning. And, as you can see behind me, there are some lights from police cars on because we cannot get any closer from here.

[17:29:58]

They have blocked all the roads that led to the different towns where the fires are right now burning. But over the afternoon, Erica, we have been driving around, seeing a little bit how does it look, this area. Well, the image was really dramatic. You could see how the ground was already smoldering. Some roots of the pine trees around the area still had some fire. There was some fire on the branches of the different trees.

So, emergency workers, firefighters are still moving all around the area, trying to contain the fire. But this is quite a difficult task above all because of the wind, that it keeps changing the direction.

They are also telling us that situation may not be difficult -- may be difficult from Monday on because temperatures will rise again. The higher the temperatures, the lower the humidity, the higher the risk for wildfires to continue burning more area. This is why they will be deployed all around the area to try to contain it and control it as quickly as possible, Erica.

HILL: Yes, certainly not the conditions that they were hoping for. Paul, Melissa, appreciate it. Thank you both.

The suspect in the deadly ramming and stabbing attack at Berlin's largest pride event is dead, shot and killed in a police operation earlier today. That suspect has been identified by authorities as Abdul B. And we're told the suspect was wanted in connection with Saturday's attack. So, that attack, of course, a van which rammed into a crowd of people, killing one person, injuring 29. Authorities say the driver later attacked people with what appeared to be a machete.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more for us now from Berlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Berlin police is saying that around 6 p.m. local time, that they did police action in the west of Berlin, in a suburb called Spandau. They're in a garden shed. They say that they found the suspect in this ramming attack. They say that the suspect apparently then approached the police officers carrying a knife. There were shots that were fired. They say, in the end, the suspect was killed by those police officers after those shots were fired. Now, obviously, the investigation here is still very much going on.

Where I am right now is only about a hundred yards away from where this ramming attack took place. This is right in the middle of a very central park in the center of Berlin, the Tiergarten. That's also right at the edge of the route of that -- of that procession that took place, of that pride parade that took place on the sidelines of which that attack took place. Now, the police here and the German authorities are saying now that 29 in total were injured in that ramming attack. One person was, of course, killed, was confirmed dead. They also say that the suspect fled the scene after crashing into the tree and apparently injured several people using a machete or a knife.

As you can imagine, this manhunt was going on throughout the better part of the day. And here in Berlin, we heard helicopters overhead in many places for an extended period of time. We ourselves also saw buildings that were put on lockdown. Police officers outside those buildings searching some of those premises. They also went into the subject -- into the subway here in Berlin looking for the suspect.

Now, they say that in a garden shed in the west of Berlin, in that area of Spandau is where they found Abdul B., who had been named as a suspect and even was being looked for with a photo. And then in the end, after that police action took place, he was then killed on the scene. They said they tried to revive him, that there were medics on hand, but that every help came too late for the suspect in all of this.

Obviously, as you can imagine, there is still going to be a big investigation going on. I can tell you, from the days leading up to this parade, that there were a lot of barriers that were being put up, there was a big security concept for this parade. And so, the authorities here are saying that they are obviously going to have an after-action report to find out exactly how a major vehicle managed to get into this park and, again, wound several people in the end, leaving one dead as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: All right. Appreciate that from Fred Pleitgen in Berlin. Still ahead here, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is set to meet with President Trump at the White House this week. Will he be able to convince Trump of helping Ukraine as the U.S. fights its own war, of course, in the Middle East? The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine joins us next.

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[17:35:00]

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HILL: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Kyiv coming under attack this weekend as Ukraine says Russia launched ballistic missiles at the capital city in addition to other strikes across the country. Now, to defend against those attacks, Ukraine has asked the U.S. to authorize licensed production of Patriot missiles.

Joining me now, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor. He's also a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council. Ambassador Taylor, always good to talk to you. Earlier today, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said that the aid that the U.S. had provided to Ukraine had depleted a lot of the U.S. munitions stockpile. What do you hear in that statement, him specifically talking about the impact of Ukraine?

WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, the real impact on the stockpiles has been the war in Iran, the incredible number of Patriot missiles and Tomahawk missiles fired in Iran. That is what has really drawn down the stocks. That's where the problem was.

HILL: When we talk about the Patriot missiles, as, you know, I just mentioned, they had asked the U.S. to authorize the license, the licensed production of Patriot missiles.

[17:40:03]

We had the NATO summit earlier this month. Of course, you have President Trump saying, and I'm quoting him here, a little birdie told me, we'll give them the right to make Patriots. It was a little bit vague when the president said that, took a few people by surprise, especially because the reporting was he hadn't really discussed that yet with the companies who manufacture the Patriots. But what does that tell you about where things could move for Ukraine?

TAYLOR: Well, they're moving in the right direction, Erica. That's very clear. The Ukrainians are on the front foot. The Russians are on the back foot. The support from the United States has not been coming in terms of weapons. But this license to manufacture Patriots is a good signal. It's not going to solve the problem right away. But it's a very good signal of support for Ukraine from the United States. Ukraine is getting great support from the Europeans. And if the Americans will support that, that will help as well.

HILL: When we talk about support, there was certainly, I would say, surprise, to put it mildly, among a lot of people when Laura Loomer, of course, went to Ukraine, had this sit down.

The impact that that has had back in the United States also leading to some speculation about whether this is a bit of a shift when it comes to Ukraine's messaging strategy, if you will, recognizing that perhaps in the United States for support and specifically the support of this administration and the president, that Ukraine may need to look to alternate sources to help get that message out.

Do you see this as an effective messaging move for the Ukrainians moving forward?

TAYLOR: So, Erica, I don't think this is a messaging change. I think what is -- what we're seeing is a change on the battlefield, and that's allowing the Ukrainians to demonstrate that they are actually winning on the battlefield. They're taking the war to the Russians deep into Russia.

Putin is on his back foot, as I say. He's got problems on the battlefield. He's got problems economically. He's got a big political problem coming up if he institutes a draft, which he's threatening to do after his election in September.

So, no, I don't think it's a messaging change. I think it's a substantive change that the Ukrainians are actually winning at this point.

HILL: And that is an important message to bring to President Trump, right?

TAYLOR: And President Zelenskyy will have that top of mind. President Zelenskyy is not asking for things right now. He is demonstrating that the Ukrainians have things to offer. We have -- the Ukrainians are offering to the United States drones and drone technology. So, the Ukrainians are demonstrating that they are actually a net provider of security.

HILL: President Zelenskyy did say this weekend Ukraine has solid reports that Putin is preparing now an expanded mobilization in the fall, saying that this actually includes Russia receiving some 30,000 military personnel, several ballistic missile launchers from North Korea. This comes on the heels of some really devastating casualty reports a few weeks ago, highlighting significant Russian losses.

What does this tell you? I mean, you talk about, you know, how well Ukraine is doing in this moment. But when you see this warning from President Zelenskyy about what Putin may be planning, how would you assess the military position of Russia in this moment?

TAYLOR: Clearly, the military position for Russia in this moment is dire. They are having great difficulties. One of those reports, Erica, that you mentioned, suggested -- analyzed that the ratio of Russian soldiers killed to Ukrainian soldiers killed is eight to one, eight to one Russians killed versus one Ukrainian. The numbers are coming out in various things.

So, yes, you mentioned this possible mobilization, this draft. This could be Putin's undoing, political undoing. He's got big problems. He's not sure where to go. HILL: You, obviously, former ambassador to Ukraine, but you've also been to Ukraine a number of times since the war began, I think most recently just two months ago. Can you just tell us what you heard when you were there? How are Ukrainians feeling? We're now, what, four and a half years into this war? I mean, how are they handling things in this moment?

TAYLOR: Erica, it's grim. It is grim. The Ukrainians are tired. They want this war to end. They're encouraged by the -- by the shift in fortunes that the -- that their military is inflicting. Their military is on the front foot, as I say. It has the initiative. The Ukrainians are upbeat about that. But they are -- they are getting pummeled by these long-range weapons that the -- that the Russians fire in and that the Ukrainians have very limited ability to shoot down.

So, they want this war to end. They are not going to give in to the Russians. They know what it's like to live under the Russians. They don't want to do that, they're determined not to, but they want this war to end.

HILL: Yes. Ambassador William Taylor, always good to talk to you. Thank you.

TAYLOR: Thank you, Erica.

HILL: Still ahead here, a grim milestone that doctors hoped, frankly, this country would never see again, and yet here we are. Record- breaking measles cases taking over the U.S., setting a new record for the second year in a row.

[17:45:05]

We're going to speak with an expert next.

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HILL: Measles cases in the U.S. are now at a 35-year high amid a growing drop in vaccinations. Remember, this highly-contagious disease had actually been eliminated in this country as recently as the year 2000.

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The Centers for Disease Control has now documented more than 2,300 confirmed cases of measles so far this year, and it's logging dozens of new cases each. And get this, more than 70 percent of the confirmed cases have been in children, according to the CDC. And overall, more than 80 kids have been hospitalized for complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling.

Dr. Saju Mathew is joining us now. Nice to have you back with us today. So, when we look at where things stand here, the head of the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling to say -- quote -- "public health failure." Do you anticipate these numbers will get worse?

DR. SAJU MATHEW, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: Yeah, I thin k, Erica, that these numbers will get worse before they start to go down. You know, we shouldn't be relearning how to treat measles. We already know how to prevent this. We have two effective vaccines. If you get one shot, you're already at 95 percent. If you get two shots, you're at 97 percent.

And, you know, get this, Erica, measles is not just a rash in a young child. It can develop into pneumonia, a brain infection called encephalitis. And kids can also die. Twenty percent of children with measles are hospitalized.

HILL: You know, you point out -- I mean, we talk a lot about vaccines, right? The vaccines protect the person who is taking the vaccine, but especially with something like measles, which has been described as a heat-seeking missile, when it comes to finding patients who can't fight it, you know, you're also putting other people at risk, right? We're talking about babies who are too young to be vaccinated, older people, the immunocompromised. How did we go so quickly from having eliminated this virus in the United States 26 years ago to now setting new records two years in a row for infections?

MATHEW: It's jarring when physicians discuss the fact that we are at the verge, as you mentioned to the open, of losing the elimination status back in 2000. And it's really simple. The vaccination rates have dropped significantly.

You see, in a community, in order to protect each other, herd immunity, you have to have at least 95 percent of that community vaccinated. But what's happening is it's not that measles has become this untreatable disease, it's that we're letting measles do its own thing. It's penetrating communities that are under vaccinated or unvaccinated. One becomes 10. Ten infects a thousand. And before you know it, you have clusters of people with measles.

HILL: And now, here we are. I do want to also ask you about the growing cyclosporiasis outbreak, right? There are still actually a lot of unanswered questions, right, as it spreads to additional states, but still questions about the source, whether these cases are linked. When it comes to the information, do you feel you, as a physician, are getting enough information?

MATHEW: I feel like every day, we're adding more and more states. You know, Cyclospora or cyclosporiasis is actually a summer infection. So, it doesn't really surprise public health officials like me. People are outside. They're eating more vegetables. A lot of people actually get this infection, don't even know they have it.

The problem, as you mentioned, is these rising number of cases. I think this has been the worst outbreak. Ultimately, the key point with Cyclospora, Erica, is to find the source. That's what CDC is trying to do. Where exactly -- is this a cluster of small infections here and there or is this one large infection? I think that the source is not just lettuce. We have to look at other possible contaminated products as well.

HILL: Really quickly because I do have one other question. How soon do you think we'll know those answers? MATHEW: Yes. That's tough to tell. It really is tough to tell. But, in the meantime, what I'm talking to my patients every day at work is how to try to prevent this by making sure you wash the vegetables and the lettuce at least 30 seconds or more and also cook most vegetables. And do not take your mom's leftover antibiotics because there is a specific antibiotic that can treat this infection, but you have to go into the doctor and get evaluated.

HILL: Yes. I did also want to ask you about peptides which, of course, anybody who has been on any form of social media lately, I'm sure, is hearing about. They're certainly having a moment. And now, the FDA is set to relax restrictions on certain peptides, which are not FDA- approved. There are so many claims from influencers about what peptides can do. Can you set the record straight here? Again, as I noted, some of these restrictions are going to be a lot relaxed. What does the science actually say about peptides and their benefits?

MATHEW: You know, off the bat, I want to say that just when we talk about peptides, peptides are not bad things. Remember, the blockbuster weight loss medication, Ozempic, is a peptide. Manufactured insulin is a peptide. These are saving millions of lives in our country every single day. But just because a peptide is available doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe.

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The problem specifically with these peptides that we're talking about, I think there's seven of them, the problem is we don't have large, randomized control studies in humans. The studies that we have are small populations of human beings, but most of the data actually comes from animal data. So, when we start talking about peptides, injectable peptides to decrease aging, improve skin color, improve your metabolism, I absolutely take that with a grain of salt because we don't have these large clinical trials to make sure that they are safe.

And sometimes, you know, one last thing, Erica, sometimes, these side effects may not develop for five to 10 years. You may get the benefits now or see the benefits now, but what about in five to 10 years?

HILL: Yes.

MATHEW: So, let's put these drugs through the same evaluation that we put the other drugs that FDA approves.

HILL: Thanks, Dr. Mathew. Nice to see you. Thank you. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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