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Officials: SWAT Team Found Shooting Suspect Dead on Mountainside; Big, Beautiful Bill Proceeds to Votes. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired June 30, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
M.J. LEE, CNN ANCHOR: -- to stop. Luckily, the singer stayed strapped into the safety harness and was lowered to the ground. Her teams says no one was hurt, and the show went on.
[06:00:11]
Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm M.J. Lee in Washington. CNN THIS MORNING starts now.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It is Monday, June 30. And here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB NORRIS, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF: We do believe that it was an ambush. And it was intentional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Firefighters ambushed by a sniper while trying to put out a brush fire. This morning, the suspect is dead. Why officials believe he may have planned the attack.
Plus, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): That doesn't sound at all conservative to me. And that's why I'm a no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: The Senate gets ready to vote on the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill, except there are still two holdouts. Can Republicans get to that magic number?
And jury deliberations begin in the trial against Sean Combs. Have prosecutors done enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?
It's 6:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here is a live look at the Capitol, because senators are getting ready for a busy day.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me. And we begin with breaking news this morning. A wildfire call Sunday
afternoon at a popular hiking trail in Northern Idaho quickly turned into an active shooter situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need law enforcement to get up here. We can possibly get two -- the two wounded out. I'm pinned down behind Battalion One's rig. It's clear to me that this fire was intentionally to draw us in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: You can hear those desperate calls from first responders who were met with gunfire. Two firefighters were killed. Another was wounded.
It happened in Coeur d'Alene. That's just about 30 minutes from Spokane, Washington.
After an hours-long manhunt, SWAT teams eventually found the suspect dead with a gun nearby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORRIS: Based on the preliminary information, we believe that is the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time. So, there is no threat to the community at that -- at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, the local sheriff says the shelter-in-place order, it's now lifted. Firefighters are still working to get the wildfire itself under control.
Joining me now to talk about this is Shawn Turner. He's a former communications director at U.S. national intelligence. Shawn, thanks for being here.
SHAWN TURNER, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AT U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Good morning. Audie. It's good to be with you.
CORNISH: So, this is probably going to be a complex situation, right? I mean, there's an active wildfire going on while you're trying to investigate. Can you talk about some of the factors at play here?
TURNER: Yes. First of all, I think it's really great that law enforcement was able to bring this situation to a close so rapidly. But now, as you indicated, this turns to the investigation. And I really think they'll be looking at this on two different levels.
First of all, you know, they'll look at this individual. Right now behind the scenes, there's a lot of work going on to really understand who this individual is and what motivated them to carry out this attack. Those two levels will be, first, looking at whether or not there was
some sort of tension, some sort of strife, conflict between local law enforcement and this individual, that had a history that may have caused this individual to -- to act out in such a horrific way. So, that will be the first thing they look at.
But then, they'll take a step back and open the aperture a little bit and look at whether or not this individual is someone who had a broader sort of anti-law enforcement or anti-government worldview, and that that may have driven him to -- to launch what really looks like it's -- at this point looks like a fairly complex attack, where he intended to harm more people than he did.
CORNISH: I also want to play for you something the sheriff was talking about: the conditions for those first responders, right? What they were dealing with as they realized what was happening here. Here's that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORRIS: When you have a -- an environment where you don't know where the bullets are coming from because of the -- the trees and the shrubbery and what have you, it's -- it is daunting for police officers, let alone firefighters who are there just to -- to put out the fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Shawn, we also heard that audio, firefighters earlier who sounded like they were pinned down or something.
TURNER: Yes.
CORNISH: Can you talk about how complex this was, given as you said, they were able to kind of end that standoff?
[06:05:08]
TURNER: Yes. You know, as I was listening to that -- you know, I spent a long time, spent 21 years in the Marine Corps, and I -- and I listened to that. And I -- I could hear in their voices the kind of tension that I would hear under very stressful situations in the military.
I mean, look, as he said, they -- they had no idea where the bullets were coming from, how many shooters they -- they were. They knew that this was a sniper.
And -- and on top of that, you create the complexity of having someone who, it appears, set this fire in order to, you know, have some cover as they were firing against these firefighters.
So, you -- in this situation, you really do have to work very hard to stay calm and to try to understand the environment, to set up a perimeter, to contain this individual. But at the same time, not knowing the direction the bullets are coming from, not knowing how many shooters are creates an extremely complex situation that I will tell you that, based on everything I've seen, these law enforcement officers were able to deal with fairly well under very stressful situations.
CORNISH: Yes, and just to update people, that manhunt is over. Shelter-in-place is lifted. We're probably moving now into the investigative part of this.
And, Shawn Turner, you've given us a lot to think about. Thank you.
TURNER: Thanks, Audie. Good to be with you.
CORNISH: Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, how far did the U.S. really set back Iran's nuclear program? A new report shows maybe not as far as the White House had hoped.
Plus, saving TikTok? There could be a buyer for the threatened app.
And the late night for lawmakers as they debate the president's agenda bill. Will the GOP have enough votes?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I went to the people of North Carolina to withhold my affirmative vote until it's demonstrated to me that we've done our homework.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:11:30]
CORNISH: All right, while some of you were sleeping, the Senate was debating President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill. Everyone agrees it's big. The beautiful part? Not so much.
The Senate is in recess for a few hours, but this morning, they will transition to the vote-a-rama stage of the process. That's when senators are allowed to offer changes or amendments, and the goal is to get it all done before a vote on final passage. Then the measure goes back to the House.
The president's bill made it this far in the Senate, despite "no" votes from two Republicans: Senators Rand Paul and Thom Tillis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Even using the formulas that the supporters of the bill like, the deficit will grow by $270 billion next year. This -- that's just not good, if you profess to be fiscally conservative.
TILLIS: Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: So, after refusing to support the bill, Tillis actually said that he wouldn't be running again.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, Trump's tax and spending law would add nearly $3.3 trillion to the deficit. That would be over the next ten years.
Joining me now in the group chat, Stephen Collinson, CNN politics senior reporter; Zolan Kanno-Youngs, White House correspondent for "The New York Times," and Noel King, co-host and editorial director of "Today, Explained" podcast. Thank you so much for being here, guys.
NOEL KING, CO-HOST/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "TODAY, EXPLAINED": Good morning.
CORNISH: OK. I'm going to go to you first, Stephen, because you write that the -- that Trump's bill blends tax cuts and reductions in social safety net spending. And you talk about it having far-reaching implications for his legacy and also the party.
Which is the point? No? I mean this is their attempt to --
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Right.
CORNISH: -- rewrite things after the Biden era.
COLLINSON: Yes. And this is one of those really strange Washington moments when you have a bill which is massively unpopular with the public. Yet, everyone who is on the Republican side is desperate to pass it, because it's key to the prestige of the president.
Republicans were elected to come to Washington to, as you say, reverse the Biden era. They're under pressure from their own constituents to do that. So, they're doing it.
And this is all playing into this political momentum we've seen from the president in recent days following the Iran war, other power plays. And it's part of his attempt to put -- to codify, if you like, MAGA thinking, not just through executive action, which he's been doing a lot, but into law.
So, it's going to -- it's going to have massive reverberations for the present. And who knows how this is going to play out, given its unpopularity, in the midterm elections next year?
CORNISH: Yes. In terms of popularity, in a minute, I'm going to play some clips from actual people. But let's talk about Josh Hawley of Missouri, because while we heard Tillis and Rand Paul talking about costs, Hawley has been leading the charge around the issue of Medicaid cuts, which has really signaled a kind of shift in the conversation.
Let's see if we have him from Saturday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): We can't -- we can't be cutting health care for working people and for poor people in order to constantly give special tax treatment to corporations and other entities.
And if we're going to be the working-class party, we've got to protect working people. And I think the Medicaid stuff in here, I think is bad. And I think we've -- we've delayed the worst of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I thought this was pretty fascinating in a rare sort of moment of candor here. It provides a glimpse into how at least some Republicans are seeing this debate as a moment to also wrestle with the party's identity moving forward.
[06:15:11]
You had, after the last election, Republicans at least claim that they were going to move forward with policies that benefit the working class.
Here, Hawley says, Look, if we're pursuing a bill that has substantial cuts to Medicaid, as the CBO score indicated it would this weekend, in order to essentially give tax credits to corporations, that undermines that claim that you're actually a party for the working class here.
Also, just we haven't even seen this bill passed yet. And already, moments like this are providing fodder for the midterms.
I saw, definitely ,prominent Democrats, former Biden administration officials reposting those comments from Hawley, basically saying this is going to make it into Democratic ads, come the midterms.
KING: Yes, the party seems torn between people who realize who voted for Donald Trump, right? A lot of people who voted for Donald Trump are working-class people who do not make enough money, and therefore, they're reliant on Medicaid.
I think Hawley has been a realist about this in a way that some other Republicans don't seem to be acknowledging: Our constituency has changed, and therefore, perhaps the way we vote has changed.
I think many Americans who voted for Donald Trump did not vote for increased debt, and they did not vote to have their health care taken away or cut.
CORNISH: Yes.
KING: It's going to be a problem.
CORNISH: I want to play for you just a little bit of sound of some people who are -- live with these programs, are dealing with these programs, and how they're seeing what these changes could bring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COURTNEY LEADER, DAUGHTER RELIES ON MEDICAID: If any changes are made, there will be this trickle-down effect that will impact families like mine. It's not a luxury. This is not a luxury thing. Like, I am not -- 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Stephen, I'm going to end with you. Fundamental shift I see is the idea that Medicaid, this healthcare for poor people and children, et cetera, is somehow an entitlement; that people who don't want to work are using.
That kind of for a long time was the conservative sort of idea that, like, you don't have to worry about those folks, because they should be working.
COLLINSON: That's true. And of course, the president pledged not to touch programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security during his campaign.
That is a very valuable reminder that, you know, we're not just talking about the midterms here. We're talking about people's lives.
And I think this bill shows the power of populism in the Republican Party but also its limits. A lot of things that Trump's put in there, like no tax on tips, they are part of this transformation he's wrought, as you were saying, towards the working class and the party.
But massive tax cuts, trying to cut down on social programs. That's the classic conservative fiscal Republican argument that's still quite strong in the party. And it's interesting that Hawley, for example, is making his political bet, on his political future --
CORNISH: He is.
COLLINSON: -- on the populism side.
CORNISH: Very much so. I'm sure we're going to be talking about that more.
Group chats, stay with us. We've got a lot to talk about today.
Ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, let Bibi go. President Trump is sticking up for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Why Trump is calling the prime minister's corruption trial a witch hunt.
And Houston, we have a problem. What got Beyonce stuck in midair at her hometown concert?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:22:45]
CORNISH: OK, it's now 22 minutes past the hour. Here is your morning roundup. The United Nations' chief nuclear watchdog says that Iran could
restart uranium enrichment in a matter of months. And that contradicts President Trump's claims of setting Iran's nuclear program back decades.
Iran's ambassador to the U.N. says the country's uranium enrichment will, quote, "never stop."
And the president teasing a potential buyer for TikTok. The announcement could come very soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Very, very wealthy people. It's a group of very wealthy people. I think I'll need, probably, China approval. I think President Xi will probably do it. You know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who's the buyer?
TRUMP: I'll tell you in about two weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Remember, Trump signed three executive orders to delay the TikTok ban in the U.S. The new deadline for the app's parent company to hand over control of TikTok's U.S. operations is now September 17.
And the show must go on. A scary moment for Queen B in Houston over the weekend. A technical mishap led to Beyonce's flying car prop to tilt during her Cowboy Carter Tour.
She didn't miss a beat, of course. She was lowered down and then finished the show.
And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, Republican Senator Thom Tillis stands up to his own party. And now he's feeling the consequences.
Plus, firefighters ambushed. As the investigation begins, the questions officials hope to answer soon.
And good morning to Baltimore. You've got a beautiful sunrise over the city.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:24:05]
CORNISH: Good morning, everyone. I'm Audie Cornish, and thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING. It's about half past the hour here on the East Coast. Here's what's happening right now.
So, the Senate will begin a marathon voting session on the president's Big, Beautiful Bill in just a few hours. During the so-called vote-a- rama, senators will be able to offer up as many amendments as they want before the final vote. If it passes, then it will need to go back to the House before heading
to President Trump's desk.
Today, jurors will begin deliberations in the case against Sean Combs after seven weeks of intense testimony. Diddy is charged with racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison.
And two firefighters are dead, another in the hospital after an apparent ambush in Idaho. Investigators say a man started a brush fire and then began shooting at responding officers. The suspect was found dead more than five hours later.
And it all began when the sheriff's office received a call about a brush fire on Canfield Mountain. They now believe that --
