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Details Emerge Of Secret U.S. Efforts To Restart Iran Talks; CNN Talks To Families Caught In The Middle Of Funding Debate; Trump's Agenda faces Setbacks After Key Ruling In The Senate; Final day Of Supreme Court Term Brings High-Stakes Decisions. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired June 27, 2025 - 6:30   ET

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

[6:30:00]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: The prosecution ending their argument yesterday by saying Diddy he was able to commit, quote, crime after crime because of his, quote, money, power and influence. He's charged with racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking.

And Senate lawmakers have received a briefing about the state of Iran's nuclear program following the U.S. strikes on the nuclear facilities. Lawmakers seem split down party lines about how much damage was actually done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): It still appears that we have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months.

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AK): We've caused catastrophic damage to Iran's nuclear program.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Based on what I've heard is Iran continues to be a threat.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Obliterated is a good word for me to use.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: And just a few hours, members of the House will receive their classified briefing about the attack in Iran.

Following the strikes, CNN has learned the Trump administration is opening the door to restarting nuclear negotiations. Talks of easing sanctions and developing a multi-billion dollar civilian nuclear non- enrichment program all being discussed to get Iran back to the negotiating table.

Iran's foreign minister says there aren't any immediate plans to resume talks given Washington's history of betraying negotiations.

All that as Iran's Supreme Leader and his first televised address since the Israel-Iran ceasefire promised to retaliate if the U.S. strikes again. Joining me now is CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier. Kim, good morning.

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Good morning.

CORNISH: So, we've been hearing about back channels potentially opening up. We've heard also this rhetoric though out of Iran. So, what would it even mean? What would those back channels be? Who would help facilitate that?

DOZIER: Well, the Trump administration has been in contact with Iran through intermediaries the day before the Saturday strikes and since.

What they've been trying to do all along is pressure Iran into accepting a stepped down civilian nuclear program where Iran would not enrich uranium but allow other countries to enrich it and then ship it in. Even though Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the U.S. argument goes that because it had taken so many steps towards weaponization that it's lost its enrichment privileges, should give them up and agree to this sort of supervised civilian nuclear program. And so far, Iran hasn't agreed to that.

CORNISH: One thing I'm hearing you say just want to underscore the idea that enriched uranium would come from outside the country and be brought in.

Can you talk about the other things that might be on the table?

DOZIER: Well, Iran is facing a snapback of European sanctions come this fall when that original Obama era Iran nuclear deal expires.

While the Trump administration pulled out of it, European nations stayed in and those sanctions could be pretty crippling to Iran on top of lots of existing sanctions from the U.S.

So, there is this carrot and stick opportunity where the U.S. works with these European nations and says to Iran, if you say yes to the supervision, we will help you rebuild some of the sites that we helped destroy. We will give you all sorts of other reconstruction aid.

The problem is in Iran right now, the attitude is you just proved yourselves untrustworthy. Why should we negotiate with you?

CORNISH: You know, it -- it seems that Trump does want another nuclear deal, right, that there's some plan. We actually heard former Secretary of State John Kerry slam the administration for pulling out of that Obama era deal, of course.

I want you to listen to what he shared with our colleague, Christiane Amanpour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, FORMER STATE SECRETARY: I know this. You cannot bomb away the memory of how to make a bomb. You can't bomb away the knowledge that they have developed. You can't bomb away, you know, the -- the broad array of technicians who have been working on this for years who will go back to work if that's the mission they're given by the leadership of the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Is there a version of a deal that has more teeth than the one that was signed before that meets the higher bar that I'm sure Israel would want as well?

DOZIER: Well, in a sense, Israel has changed the game because it's crossed the Rubicon of striking Iran and will surely strike Iran again the moment it sees anything that looks like a weaponization program. And so that serves as something that's in the background hovering as a threat over everything.

[6:35:03]

But I have to emphasize that within Iran, there'd always been this debate. And the Supreme Leader had ruled against it to build a weapon to protect itself.

Now, the hardliners in the regime who've been arguing with the Supreme Leader to say, we've got to build at least one bomb so no one does this again. They're going to be empowered and that's going to weigh heavily against any voices that say, hey, let's say yes to a deal with the Americans who just struck us and the Europeans who were power -- powerless to stop Israel or the United States.

CORNISH: Kimberly Dozier is CNN's global affairs analyst.

And later today on CNN, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog is in the Situation Room to discuss what his agency is learning about the state of Iran's nuclear facilities now following those U.S. strikes. You can watch that today at 11:00 A.M.

And Republicans in the Senate are scrambling because they were hoping to pass the president spending in tax bill by this weekend and they've hit a roadblock.

The Senate parliamentarian struck down a key Medicaid change because it violated the chamber's strict budget rules.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): So, they're going to have to redraft all of it. But this would be a chance to -- to fix it. I mean, this would be a chance for leadership to -- to fix it and actually do something right here that's not going to hurt rural hospital.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, some lawmakers are now considering resurrecting the House's version of cuts to Medicaid. The nonpartisan congressional budget offices have said that if the bill passes more than 10.9 million, more people would not have healthcare.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny takes a look at the real world implications of Medicaid cuts to Americans across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COURTNEY LEADER, DAUGHTER RELIEFS ON MEDICAID: I know that they're saying that they're not planning to cut Medicaid, right? I reached out, concerned that, if any changes are made, there will be this trickle-down effect that will impact families like mine.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The frontlines of the Medicaid debate are right here in Courtney Leader's kitchen.

ZELENY: What is the face of Medicaid do you think? And it is -- is it different than you think some people may assume?

LEADER: I mean, we are the face of Medicaid.

ZELENY (voice-over): The Missouri mother of five wrote her Republican senator, Josh Hawley, to explain how slashing benefits would be devastating to her 9-year-old daughter, Serena, who lives with brain damage and cerebral palsy.

LEADER: Our private insurance won't cover the formula. It doesn't cover the feeding tube pump.

The hit on our budget, it would be over $1,500 a month just for the formula, just for the pump rental. And those are things that we have to have to keep my daughter alive.

Oh, there's my beautiful smile.

ZELENY (voice-over): We came along for the ride, sitting behind Serena's nurse, who's funded by Medicaid, as they drove to weekly therapy sessions, also paid by Medicaid, which more than one in five Missourians rely on for health coverage.

LEADER: We cannot let people like my daughter lose her benefits. And if anybody tells you that, oh, she's -- she's covered, she's protected, I would really encourage you to say how. What provisions have you made to make sure that those who meet eligibility requirements are covered?

ZELENY (voice-over): We visited Ozarks Food Harvest, which distributes food across one third of Missouri.

ZELENY: What is the demand like for food?

BART BROWN, CEO, OZARKS FOOD HARVEST: Unfortunately, Jeff, right now the demand for food is quite a bit higher than it was even at the height of the COVID crisis.

ZELENY (voice-over): Congress is weighing billions in cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, once known as Food Stamps. That will increase demand at already crowded food pantries like this.

ZELENY: How important is this food to you? JUNE OWENS, MARSHFIELD, MISSOURI, RESIDENT: Well, it really helps us get through the month, and they have a good variety of things.

ZELENY: Your husband got hurt in an accident?

OWENS: Yes, he fell between 10 and 11 feet, landing on top of his head, but it kind of changed everything. We were in the process of getting all our ducks in a row, so to speak, for retirement. And then he got hurt really bad. And it just upside-downed everything.

And so, food pantries do that -- have helped us through the situation.

ZELENY (voice-over): Another hotly contested piece of the spending bill is deep cuts to rural hospitals. Inside a maternity ward in Clinton, Missouri, Dr. Jennifer Blair worries for her patients.

DR. JENNIFER BLAIR, GOLDEN VALLEY MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE: Missouri has the fourth largest number of maternity care deserts. We actually are surrounded by several maternity care deserts. That's defined as a county that has no or very limited access to obstetric services for their patients.

If we were to lose that access, the birthing center here at Golden Valley, our patients would have to travel more than 60 miles.

CRAIG THOMPSON, CEO, GOLDEN VALLEY MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE: Four out of five babies that are delivered in our hospital are covered by Medicaid. And that's not unique to us.

ZELENY (voice-over): Craig Thompson is CEO of Golden Valley Memorial. He said many rural hospitals in Missouri and across the country are at high risk for closure.

[6:40:01]

ZELENY: Is your hope for what happens over the next couple of weeks in Washington in this debate?

THOMPSON: Well, I think the thing that, again, would be beneficial is for better understanding of who Medicaid serves and what the real Medicaid face looks like. Because, again, I think that's been lost somewhere along the way.

ZELENY (voice-over): Courtney Leader shares that hope, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good girl. Oh, my goodness.

LEADER: I do not have my daughter enrolled on Medicaid so that we can have fancy things. I have my daughter enrolled in Medicaid so that we can keep her alive.

ZELENY: What do you worry about the most?

LEADER: I'm worried that the red tape is going to affect our Medicaid because of just the oversight burdens, and that as a result, I'm going to lose my daughter. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CORNISH: CNN's Jeff Zeleny, thank you.

Now, the Senate, of course, hope to pass their bill by this Saturday and have it on the president's desk by July 4th. But with this new development, it could be back to the drawing board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Everything is challenging, but they're all speed bumps. And we will -- we have contingency plans, plan B (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The "Group Chat" is back.

Rob, I just want to start with you because that piece out of Missouri, out of the state of the Republican who's kind of raising the loudest ruckus about this. And it's -- can you mark the moment where you have this many Republicans basically defending a safety net program?

ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, THE DAILY SIGNAL: Sure. And I think you -- those are the key words, this -- a safety net program, Audie. And I think that we need to get to a point where hopefully those -- those individuals are -- are prospering and successful and -- and have the economic means not to necessarily rely on -- on Medicaid as -- as their means of getting healthcare.

There is concern among Republicans, as you said, because they recognize that those are our voters. Increasingly, those are individuals who've left the Democrat Party and gone to the Republican Party.

And so there is a reason why you see this debate playing out the way it is. And the frustration is now with the Senate parliamentarian and an unelected bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. And there's a move afoot by people like Senators Roger Marshall, Tommy Tuberville and Marsha Blackburn to impose a term limit or fire that person because they've made other changes to Medicaid specifically as it relates to illegal immigrants in this country and whether or not they can access those.

CORNISH: Let me add to your point, just because Senator Markwayne Mullin also raising concerns about the Senate parliamentarian along those lines. Here was their take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): It seems politically motivated and I have a problem with that. The parliamentarian is not supposed to be in politics. And I'm not accusing her that. I haven't heard her explanation of it. I want to see it before I just take this decision. I want to see how she got to the decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: When you're blaming the parliamentarian. Rob says term limits and throw the bugs out.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I -- I mean -- I've also heard blaming the congressional budget office. I mean, Washington is filled with unelected bureaucrats here making decisions. This is just a decision that Republicans don't like.

And before -- this July 4th deadline is something that the president has constructed. It's not real. He just wants it done.

The Senate is slow and this is why the Senate is slow. They work on the details. They -- they talk a lot. And things get hammered out and this -- the parliamentarian didn't make up these rules. Here's the Senate rules. And she's just requiring that they follow them --

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's by law.

KUCINICH: Right. And so --

BLUEY: Yes.

KUCINICH: That -- that -- that's what's going on here. When you're attacking the process, it -- it's because you kind of run out of other arguments, no offense, Rob.

CARDONA: Yes. I think I think what's really important here, Audie, is the piece that we just saw that -- that Jeff did and -- and talking to Serena and her mother. That is the face of the people who need Medicaid.

It's not the undocumented immigrants that are getting Medicaid. It's not people who are, you know, abusing it or who are involved in -- in fraud. It is Serena and her family.

And so I love that we are putting a face to this because sometimes our arguments here can become so esoteric. Millions of people, like Serena, are going to lose that healthcare if this bill passes. And that's why you have three-fourths of the American people hate this bill.

So, the politics of this, all around, from coast to coast and up and down in this country, including in red states, as we have seen with Senator Hawley, are awful and Republicans know it.

CORNISH: Well, let's step back from the -- the polling as you reference. And I just want to read something as we close out from Stephen Collinson. Our -- our columnist here at CNN.

And he talks about the bill being barely recognizable from the one that the House passed. And that's trouble for speaker Mike Johnson, who's under great pressure to get whatever the Senate produces back through the House. And that is the question going forward. The House has done its work. And now this thing is taking a very different form. We're going to talk more about this "Group Chat." Stick around. [6:45:04]

After the break on "CNN This Morning," the final day of the term for the Supreme Court, multiple opinions will be delivered today, the consequential cases still pending.

Plus, the New York City democratic primary still making waves days later. It has Democrats nationwide wondering if this can be a new blueprint. More from the chat after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CORNISH: It's the final day of the Supreme Court's term. We're watching closely as the justices prepare to release a flurry of rulings. Decisions on birthright citizenship, LGBTQ books and schools and how to keep minors from accessing porn websites. All that's on the table.

[6:50:05]

Just yesterday, the court issued a decision banning the use of federal Medicaid funds to support Planned Parenthood.

Joining us now is CNN Chief Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic. Good morning, Joan. Thanks for coming in.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Sure.

CORNISH: So, one of the things I found interesting about the ruling yesterday was there's this little kind of battle in the comments, so to speak, where you had Ketanji Brown Jackson kind of talking with Justice Thomas. They were going back and forth over an issue that, at first, I didn't think was actually related to Medicaid.

Can you explain?

BISKUPIC: OK. First of all, there has been so much drama in the writing between those two justices and Justice Jackson and others that I'm going to be watching to see how much it burst forth in actually the room orally today.

But let me just explain what upset Justice Jackson, who just sent it yesterday when the majority with Clarence Thomas signing on said, respectively endorsed the fact that South Carolina had pulled Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood because it does abortions.

And the question was, could recipients of Medicaid and Planned Parenthood sue South Carolina for being denied recipients ability to have the physician of their choice? And they wanted to sue under a -- under civil rights law.

And Justice Jackson dissent said, if they are -- you are undercutting this law not to let it be available for these women and Planned Parenthood to have a private right to sue. That was the actual issue, to sue.

CORNISH: Yes.

BISKUPIC: But Justice Jackson stepped back and said, you know, historically, look at how this law has been used, look at how important it has been to for -- to vindicate civil rights claims, and you're denying it.

And both Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion and Clarence Thomas took issue with that dissent, both saying, you know, you're -- you're overreacting. This is not what's happening here.

CORNISH: Why are you bringing this up? Yes.

BISKUPIC: And -- but this is exactly where the heat on this court has been joined, is that for Justice Jackson and her fellow liberals, this is not business as usual. It should not be business as usual.

And I think, Audie, we're going to -- we've seen that play out in other cases. She has been especially vocal. You'll remember she came on in 2022 succeeding Stephen Breyer.

CORNISH: It has not been a shy freshman.

BISKUPIC: No, not at all. And she's -- some of her -- Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor have actually separated themselves from her at times. But Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined all of it yesterday.

And I think what we're going to see with these remaining cases that you've mentioned is, where -- where will they find compromise, if at all? And will these liberals dig in more, essentially, motivated by Justice Jackson saying, let's call it out.

You know, we've -- we've tried to compromise. There is no middle really anymore.

CORNISH: Yes.

BISKUPIC: Let's call it out.

CORNISH: What's one case everybody's going to be talking about, and what -- but what's one case you know as an expert is going to be interesting to -- to hear?

BISKUPIC: OK. So, everybody's interested in this showdown with Donald Trump over his effort to lift birthright citizenship.

CORNISH: Right.

BISKUPIC: That is the fact that children of anyone born here automatically become citizens. And he doesn't think non-citizens or people here on temporary visas should be able to entitle their children that way.

(CROSSTALK)

BISKUPIC: Yes. But the real issue there is the power of an individual federal court judge at any place in the country to block parts of Donald Trump's agenda for nationwide. And that's happened not just on birthright citizenship but many other programs.

So, what these justices are faced with is not just a question that is -- has the backdrop of birthright citizenship, but the power of lower court judges to be a check on the Trump administration.

You know, you've heard all these complaints about the fact that he's issued so many executive orders and that they've been -- they've been blocked. That's like the first line of defense. But the first line of support for the Trump administration has essentially been in the Supreme Court and will they now empower the Trump administration to mount these district court injunctions. So I'll be watching for that.

And then one that's a really human case is one from -- from this area, Montgomery County, Maryland --

CORNISH: Oh, yes.

BISKUPIC: -- where parents have want -- parents, for religious reasons, would like their elementary aged children to not have to have instructional materials that have LGBTQ themes. And they're asking for an opt out from that based on their religious rights and the school district has said no.

So, that's one that, you know, again, has that a real social policy backdrop too.

CORNISH: It is. It is.

BISKUPIC: But as I said, what I'll be watching for is not just when individual justices read their majority opinions, but who dissents from the bench and what kind of fireworks we see in the chamber.

CORNISH: OK. Fireworks. Joan Biskupic, CNN chief Supreme Court analyst, thanks so much.

[6:55:02]

It's now 54 minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.

New this morning, China now signaling it will approve a deal to export rare earth minerals to the U.S. This comes just hours after the White House said the two sides reached an agreement. Rare earths have been the focus of the trade talks between the U.S. and China for weeks now. China controls around 90 percent of the globe's rare earth minerals.

The Trump administration plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a third country. Abrego Garcia is the Maryland father who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year. He's now being held in Tennessee and could be released to DHS custody as soon as today.

And wedding bells ringing in Venice today. Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, are expected to tie the knot. Details about the star-studded event being kept mostly under wraps due to protests in the city. The entire weekend of festivities is expected to cost up to $55 million.

And Democrats nationwide are wondering what the victory of the self- described democratic socialist in the New York City, mayoral primary means for their party.

Zohran Mamdani knocked off former governor Andrew Cuomo to clinch the nomination earlier this week. Mamdani says, he ran focusing on a local problem for New Yorkers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: This entire race was about the question of affordability. And ultimately, I have run a campaign that speaks about the tools that city government actually has to deliver that affordability in the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the world.

And it's time that we have a mayoral administration that follows through and actually delivers that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. For one of his major supporters, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, well, she believes his win is a wake-up call for her party nationwide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): We have a -- a choice to listen to that message that people are sending us or not.

This isn't just about Mr. Mamdani as an individual. This is about the message that the people of New York City are trying to send to our party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"Group Chat" is back.

Maria, I want to start with you because every time there's like a Democrat who wins somewhere in the country, like a consultant gets their wings, right? It's like, what -- guess what? This is --

CARDONA: Or many.

CORNISH: -- the roadmap.

But is this a New York story? Or is this a New York Democrat story? Like, is it applicable?

CARDONA: It is applicable in tactics. And it is applicable in how you present yourself to voters and then how you run a campaign. There is no question that Mamdani hit a nerve. He was incredibly authentic. He used social media like a pro. He talked to voters everywhere and anywhere.

He did not shy away from any kind of podcast interview, inter -- you know, conversation with voter, wherever it happened.

CORNISH: Or questioned.

CARDONA: Or questioned. He didn't shy away about the -- the difficult issues. He focused like a laser on affordability. And I think that was brilliant.

So, I think the takeaway for Democrats is look at the tactics that he used. Use them in your own campaign. It doesn't mean that you have to embrace his policy position on every single issue. You have to look at what your politics are in your district and in your state.

The way that a Democrat is going to run in Wisconsin is not going to be the same way policy-wise that he ran here. But they can adopt the tactics that they've used --

CORNISH: Yes. Let me --

CARDONA: -- to listen to their voters.

CORNISH: -- ask Rob something because a lot of Republicans online, or as the kids say, crashing out. And, you know, you actually have finally a Muslim socialist that you can complain about.

And so, how do you message against someone who is willing to do the Trump model? Go anywhere, take any question, be retail-oriented.

BLUEY: He's certainly charismatic. He carries a populist message which obviously resonated in New York. I will say at the same time, turnout was around 20 percent.

And, you know, if you look at his coalition, it was a highly educated white individuals. He didn't necessarily bring along the black community. So, I think he still has some -- some work --

CARDONA: He won the Latino vote. He won the Asian vote.

BLUEY: Still some work to do is my point.

CORNISH: Yes.

BLUEY: And as it comes to Republicans and conservatives, yes, they will point to him and they will point to the policies that he as a mayor would implement, because I think that that is a contrast that they would like to show the American people about where the Democrat Party is headed versus where they are.

CORNISH: Let me give you the last word, Jackie.

KUCINICH: I think we've seen -- we'll see a lot of the same things we saw when Bernie Sanders ran for president because the ideological, their fellow travelers. So, I think -- I don't think --

CORNISH: But AOC is saying listen.

KUCINICH: But I don't -- but I don't think this in terms of how Republicans will potentially use this. I don't think this stops in New York City. I think there -- this is going to be a nationwide conversation on particularly dependent, particularly if he wins.

CORNISH: All right. You guys, thank you so much for waking up with me. We talked about a lot today, fireballs, you know, diplomacy. You guys always managed to do it with a lot of joy. I appreciate it.

I want to thank you for joining us today. You can stick around for the news headlines. They're going to start right now with "CNN News Central." I'm Audie Cornish.