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Jill Dougherty is Interviewed about Russia; Tomato Prices Could go Up; FEMA Delay in Texas; Fentrice Driskell is Interviewed about Alligator Alcatraz; Conservative Media Takes Aim at Bondi. Aired 6:30- 7a ET

Aired July 14, 2025 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Said he would impose 30 percent tariffs on the U.S. and Mexico. That's supposed to start August 1st.

And this morning, a slow-moving storm system causing rivers to rise in central Texas. And more thunderstorms are actually expected today. Several counties under evacuation orders. And all that rain hampering the search for the missing from last week's flooding. Operations are now paused.

And President Trump expected to make a major announcement about Russia today. It could include the sale of weapons to NATO for direct shipment to Ukraine, as well as a green light for a tough, new Senate sanctions bill. And to put it plainly, President Trump appears to be fed up with his Russian counterpart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he'll talk so beautifully, and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Putin's response, well, overnight, Russian drone attacks killed a 53-year-old man in Ukraine's Sumy region and left parts of the city without power.

Senators Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin have crafted a tough new bipartisan sanctions bill that is ready for the president to approve. And that could happen within hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): A turning point regarding Russia invasion of Ukraine is coming.

Dick and I have got 85 co-sponsors in the United States Senate for congressional sanctions with a sledge hammer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: I want to talk about all this with CNN's former Moscow bureau chief, Jill Dougherty. She's now adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

Good morning. Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hey, Audie.

CORNISH: So, we've sort of seen this cycle of Trump saying, I've heard flattering things from Putin, but now I don't really believe it. What do you see in this moment when Trump is approving weapons, real material support?

DOUGHERTY: Yes, I -- I think it could definitely be a turning point because, you're right, we've heard a lot of this before, but the tone and actually, you know, technically what he is saying, he is really frustrated. He doesn't trust Putin, he says, and not so long ago he said he did.

So, I think, getting the decision about the patriot missiles, which are protecting, could protect Ukraine, and giving the green light for that is very important. It is a turning point for President Trump, certainly.

And then you get into the economic part of it, and we can talk about that. But there's some major changes.

And, you know, you look at the allies, you look at the United States, they are now more united than they ever have been. You have the secretary general of NATO in town here in D.C. today. You have the German defense minister. There's -- there's a lot going on to get this together.

CORNISH: Can we talk about the leverage that the U.S. has? I was listening to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal talking about sanctions that target countries that even do business with Russia. Here's how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): That it is powerful, scorching, bone- crushing sanctions on China and India for buying Russian oil and fueling Russia's war machine. And those sanctions should be applied.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Can you help us understand all this sanctions talk? Because some people will be talking about sanctions about Russia, and some people will be talking about things like this, kind of going after any support.

DOUGHERTY: Yes. You know, up until now, the sanctions essentially have been, as, you're right, kind of a different format. Sanctions on Russia. And so now kind of the innovation is to give President Trump the ability to impose sanctions on countries that are buying Russian oil and petroleum products. And the figure of that, you know, no more 25 percent. This is -- it could be up to 500 percent. That's huge. And it could be, as the senator mentioned, China, India and also Brazil. These are the big countries that buy oil from Russia. So, the idea is, punish them for what the senator and others would argue is supporting the war machine.

Now, I think the caveat that we have to look at today is, what does President Trump actually decide to do? Because this bill puts it all in his hands. So, he can decide, you know, it could be zero percent, it could be 50, it could be 500. It's all in his hands. So, that's what we have to see what he's going to do.

CORNISH: Jill Dougherty, adjunct professor at Georgetown University, thank you for being with us this morning.

DOUGHERTY: Sure. Thank you.

CORNISH: OK, it's tomato time and now they're going to cost you more. That's because, you guessed it, tariffs.

[06:35:03]

Today, a nearly three-decade old U.S.-Mexico trade agreement may give way to 20.9 percent tariffs on Mexican tomatoes. The U.S. Commerce Department announced in April that it was terminating the agreement. In May the average cost of a tomato was $1.70 per pound. Experts say that could rise 10 percent. The CEO of NatureSweet, the largest distributor of tomatoes in the U.S., telling "Bloomberg," "there's no scenario where I can absorb those tariffs. The margins are not high enough."

The group chat is back.

Every week I'm talking about some new tariffs and -- but every once in a while, like the ones on coffee with Brazil or this with tomatoes, I kind of wonder if this is the thing people will notice.

SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: This is the thing that people notice quickly, Audie. So, you talk about things like auto tariffs. The amount of population that's buying a new car every year is a slim portion compared to the amount of people that need to buy groceries every single week. So, these tariffs get felt fast.

And when we've talked about Trump's trade policies, we've often talked about the lag, right? He can implement a trade policy or he can implement some sort of tariffs, but you're not going to feel it for a few months. You hear the CEO of those tomato -- that tomato company saying that this is going to be detrimental. He can't hit margins. We will see that in grocery stores they -- I think they said as soon as potentially today. People are going to feel that very fast.

CORNISH: I want you guys to listen to the National Economic Council Director, Kevin Hassett, because he's kind of talking about how these negotiations are going to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEVIN HASSETT, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR: I think that a lot of people, when I'm talking to negotiators from other countries, at some point they'll say, what did we do wrong? And what I'm trying to get -- the message we're all trying to get across is, this is about America getting itself ready for the golden age by getting our house in order, by getting our tariff and trade policy and tax policy exactly where it needs to be for a golden age.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: I hadn't heard that yet. Just them saying other countries are like, what the heck? This feels punitive.

ZACHARY WOLF, CNN SENIOR POLITICS WRITER: Well, you know, and I think that it also brings us back to the other key issue, which is immigration here, because, I mean, we hear the White House talking about, you know, how -- how do we find a way to, you know, a path to, not amnesty, but for farm workers, here we have the farming issue. You know, we bring crops in or we grow them here. You got to get them there to the grocery store somehow. So, this issue specifically brings those two things together, and it's a problem.

ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And, honestly, the comments there, I -- I've heard that before. I was reporting in Mexico earlier this year. You know, there are government officials in Mexico, as well as, you know, Americas' neighbor in Canada, who have repeatedly questioned, what did we do, you know, to get this economic penalty here? You especially talk about in the context of countries that have emerged as top trading partners for the U.S., including Mexico in this case. This is one of the results of that. You start to see that that is going to impact necessary goods, vital goods, such as your food, what you eat.

CORNISH: Yes. You guys, I want to talk about something else because the controversy over the response or even the preventative measures or lack thereof in central Texas is still going. You have the search and rescue continuing, although obviously there's been some weather adjustments today, but now people are telling CNN that FEMA basically failed to deploy some resources for days. So, three of the search teams were not dispatched until Tuesday of last week. That was four days after the Guadalupe River overflowed its banks. And no victims have been found alive since.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked about FEMA's response. She denied there were any delays.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We had Border Patrol down there with their tactical teams, and FEMA was there just within a few hours as well.

So, those claims are false. They're from people who won't put their name behind those claims.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: So, the reason why I wanted to bring this up is because "The Post" is reporting that right now Secretary Noem has to approve every purchase FEMA is making over $100,000. Multiple sources at DHS telling CNN that the rule basically hampered relief efforts in Texas. And I get they've been trying to reduce costs, go after waste, fraud and abuse. What do you think of something like this coming out?

FISCHER: For emergency messaging, whenever there are lives at stake, you never get defensive. The number one thing that you should always do is apologize, say we're here, we're working with you, we're looking into it. But to come out and say that this is a baseless claim, this is fake news, people aren't putting their names behind it, yes, because people are too busy recovering their loved ones who have been lost in these floods. It's just a weird type of messaging tactic for me.

I also think you have another weird messaging thing, which is, if you talk to people on the ground, CNN has a lot of reporters there. The thing that everyone's talking about is the -- there was no warning. Like, where do we get the FEMA messaging system coming into play? Afterwards, we didn't know where to shelter. We didn't know where to get goods.

[06:40:01]

That is a direct, for a lot of people, they're looking at this. And even if the -- even if what the secretary says, that budget cuts aren't true, people are looking for someone to blame.

CORNISH: Yes. And I think whenever there's a disaster, that's the point of FEMA, is to turn and say, we need more help than the state can provide.

: Particularly when the president, earlier this year, has mused over shutting down this agency as well. That's all --

CORNISH: Oh, hold on, he softened his stance, it says in my notes. Hold on. We have a clip of him about how he's been talking now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away.

FEMA has deployed multiple emergency response units, and FEMA has been really headed by some very good people. We have some good people running FEMA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: I feel like America has a love-hate relationship with FEMA. I covered Hurricane Katrina. It was -- people were not exactly praising it then. What are you listening for?

WOLF: Well, I mean, it's -- FEMA is coming in in not a good time in somebody's life. So, it's -- it's obviously going to be, you know, a difficult situation. On the other hand, these stories will have a tendency to feed on each other. Right now we're talking about FEMA. You know, we'll be talking about Social Security call lines, you know, in the future or, you know, any number of things. Government touches people's lives. And if you suddenly cut government, it's going to affect people. And it might not happen, you know, immediately, but we -- we're starting to see it.

CORNISH: Do you think there's going to start to be a shift in how the administration is talking about FEMA? At first it was, this just maybe needs -- we need to wean states off of it. And, in fairness, Texas tried to do that. Texas built up its FEMA resources.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Yes.

CORNISH: Here it is, still making the call.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Yes, we are -- I mean we are seeing a shift, at least rhetorically, when it comes to the administration's stance on FEMA. Early on, it was, you know, talking about shutting it down, phasing it out, or putting more of the onus on the states to respond to these disasters, which, by the way, historically, FEMA already is backing up the states when it comes to disaster relief.

CORNISH: Yes.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Now you're seeing the administration, Russell Vought, last week, talk more about, you know, reforming the agency as well and improving it. That's a shift. That's a shift already. But it comes after the administration, again, has made some systemic changes to how these -- the money goes out from FEMA.

CORNISH: Right.

KANNO-YOUNGS: The grants, the contracts as well.

CORNISH: And changes they'd have to claim, right? You can't say, well, the Biden administration really messed this up if everybody's waiting for your signature just to get things out the door.

FISCHER: Yes, and I also think, just going back to the secretary's comments. If there are cuts that are being made and you're not going to own up to which ones, that's where you have a messaging error, because right there she was just denying what people were saying, but she wasn't offering a lot of examples as to actually, where are these cuts being deployed, where are the impacts being felt? I think if they just offered a little bit more details, it would be a better and clearer message. But there's just a vagueness all around.

CORNISH: Yes. And they don't like to give ground, especially on something like this where they've been defending their position.

You guys, I want to talk more about some other topics. Please stay with us. We've got a lot to talk about.

Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, safe and secure. That's how Florida's governor describes his states new immigration detention center. But one lawmaker who got inside says we're not hearing the truth about "Alligator Alcatraz."

Plus, the two best players in the world pushing each other to the limit at Wimbledon.

More from the group chat after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:47:45]

CORNISH: It's now 47 minutes past the hour, and here is your morning roundup.

A fast moving wildfire destroys a historic lodge and 80 other structures in the Grand Canyon. It's the only hotel inside the park at the north rim. There are now serious questions about the fire, which has been burning since July 4th. Arizona's governor is calling for an investigation into why fire crews decided to contain it and not just extinguish the flames, which have now grown out of control.

And Andrew Cuomo not backing down. The former New York governor has no plans to leave the race for New York City's mayor. Two sources close to the campaign say he's expected to make an announcement this week that he's staying in the race as an independent. This after losing the Democratic primary last month.

And Italy's Jannik Sinner capturing his first Wimbledon title, defeating two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. Four sets. The win was especially satisfying for Sinner after losing an epic match earlier in the French Open final last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANNIK SINNER, WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: We tried to accept the loss and -- and just kept working and -- and this is for sure one of the reasons why I hold this trophy here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: This is his fourth career grand slam title. Alcaraz won their past five head-to-head matches.

Turning back now to the Trump administration's new immigration detention facility, which is called "Alligator Alcatraz." Over the weekend, several Democratic lawmakers took a tour of the facility and say they witnessed inhumane conditions from the sweltering heat, to bug infestations, poorly prepared meals. One Republican who was on the tour says, look, that's not the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAISE INGOGLIA (R), FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: The idea that the -- the detainees are in there and they're in squalid conditions is just not accurate. I will tell you, I was in one of the -- one of the areas where I actually laid down in a bed. The bed was actually probably more comfortable than my bed at home. I'm not -- I'm not kidding. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, who's telling the truth about what's really happening inside?

For more on this, I'm joined by Florida State Representative and Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell. Leader Driskell, thanks so much for being with us.

[06:50:01]

STATE REP. FENTRICE DRISKELL (D-FL): Thank you.

CORNISH: So, as reporters, we're kind of stuck here because lawmakers weren't allowed to speak to detainees or take photos. And we heard one lawmaker there saying he actually got to lay down on a bed. Can you talk about what you saw?

DRISKELL: Absolutely. So, I also laid down on a bed. I'll tell you that this isn't Alligator Alcatraz. It's gator grift. We're talking about $450 million, used to build a facility, and what I saw with my own eyes is, effectively, this is a collection of tents and fences. They have cages where 30 to 32 men are supposed to stay in a pod, eight pods to a facility. They're looking to build out their capacity up to 4,000 detainees.

And, you know, the Trump administration, the president said that this would house the worst of the worst criminals. But what we're hearing is that they're also rounding up American citizens, that they're also rounding up DACA recipients. They're putting nonviolent offenders next to supposedly violent criminals. It just doesn't make any sense to me why the state is spending $450 million on this other than I think there are contractors who are likely supporters of the governor who are receiving sweetheart deals, and I think it's a waste of taxpayer money.

CORNISH: Can you tell me more about what you're seeing here with contractors? Because, obviously, the administration is getting a ton of money to build new detention centers, and it looks like Florida's going to be a part of that effort.

DRISKELL: Well, what was interesting is that within the last two weeks, the Department of Justice actually filed a lawsuit saying that, financially, it has nothing to do and wants nothing to do with this facility. And so that would leave Florida's taxpayers holding the bill for $450 million for this. So, it's a bit unclear because, on the one hand, it seems like the Trump administration wants to take credit for this, on the other hand, they seem like they're distancing themselves.

With respect to contractors, as we toured facility, whether it was in the culinary portion of, you know, the folks who prepare the food or whether it was security, most of that is being run by contractors. And when you ask them, okay, so what company do you work for, they wouldn't tell us. They would tell us that we had to get that information in public records requests. But there's now been enough reporting on this by local news sources that we know that these are contractors with close ties to the DeSantis administration.

I think people would argue what we're seeing is ugly, maybe that it is secure. What about it is inhumane to you? What are you seeing that is making you draw that conclusion?

DRISKELL: Well, the heat, it's sweltering heat. We've also heard that there -- it floods. Anytime that there is a rain or heavy rain, I'll tell you, even in the parking lots, where we were supposed to leave our vehicles, there was flooding in the parking lot.

I think it's inhumane to put 30 to 32 men in a cage, in a singular pod. I didn't see any real spaces for them to engage in recreational activities or to stretch out or to be able to walk around freely. You've got three toilets to a pod. Each one is also connected to the sink that they would use for, you know, for cleaning themselves and sanitation purposes. I believe that these detainees are shackled. We were shown where they're shackled when they're brought in for medical screening.

And so, look, I think it's inhumane to round up, frankly, criminals -- or, excuse me, to round up detainees who don't have criminal histories. We're being told that some of the detainees don't. We're being told that some of them can't get access to their attorneys. And I think that all of that is inhumane. And I think it's inhumane to the people of Florida to spend $450 million on such a facility when there are other detention facilities that could be used when Floridians are facing an affordability crisis, when we're ripping children from families, taking pastors and teachers out of communities, all of this inhumane.

CORNISH: There's a great deal of support for Donald Trump in Florida. Can you talk to me what you're hearing from constituents and what you say to supporters who say, look, this is effective? There has been a reduction in illegal border crosses. This is doing what the president said it would.

DRISKELL: But I don't know if there's a direct correlation between a facility in the Everglades that, by the way, is disruptive of tribal lands, particularly with the Miccosukee Tribe. I don't know if there's a connection to that in border crossings. And based on my research, Donald Trump's immigration policies are becoming less popular.

Even when speaking with some Republicans on the tour, although I doubt that they would say this publicly or say this to you this morning, they were explaining to me that this is not what they were expecting. This is not what they were calling for. They expected violent criminals to be rounded up. They didn't expect for innocent folks to get caught up in this dragnet, and, in fact, they don't understand why we're splitting families and detaining people who have no criminal past.

So, I don't know that this is going to go the way that Trump supporters have wanted it to go.

[06:55:01]

And, in fact, I think this is a boon topic (ph) for the people of Florida.

CORNISH: Fentrice Driskell is a Florida House Democratic leader. Thank you for being with us.

DRISKELL: Thank you.

CORNISH: OK, we're going to turn to another issue, because the president is having to stand by his attorney general because this outrage continues within the MAGA base over the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Over the weekend, Trump posted a lengthy defense of Pam Bondi, asking, "what's going on with my boys and gals going after Bondi," adding, "I don't like what is happening."

Bondi is facing growing pressure over her call to keep Epstein files sealed after promising to release more. Now, listen to how she's being talked about at the conservative Turning Points conference in Tampa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGYN KELLY, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think he realizes how much she's humiliated the administration. This is a self-inflicted wound. She caused it. Again, I have nothing against Pam Bondi, but if you want to look for the villain in this story, we have found her. It -- I mean she is the person who's either -- she's either lying now or she was lying then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, the cracks are growing in the MAGA base. Also hitting the leaders of the FBI. You have Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly threatening to resign over Bondi's handling of the case. And Trump, meanwhile, says, look, there's nothing to see here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, I think so. I did, I spoke to him today. Dan Bongino, very good guy. I've known him a long time. I've done his show many, many times. And he sounded terrific, actually. No, I think he's in good shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Group chat is back.

Over the weekend I was watching the kind of meltdown on X, which is very much the heart of the Epstein conspiracy amplification machine. I just made that up. But it's where you're going to see the people talking about it who care about it. What did you think, though, of seeing such a direct explanation? It is her fault.

FISCHER: Yes, so, Donald Trump might not be taking sides, but the MAGA universe is totally taking Dan Bongino's side here. You see a lot of heat coming up against Pam Bondi. And one of the reasons is because she gave an interview where she said, I have the files on my desk. I've looked through them. I've seen them with my own eyes. We're going to make this a priority.

So, when you say that, you are implying that there is something there and you're going to release it. And then when they -- and they actually did end up releasing some stuff to reporters. It was redacted.

CORNISH: They did. And she always said, I'm going to review it, right?

FISCHER: Yes.

CORNISH: She -- and I think that -- I'm parsing her language here, but it just feels like she's really taking the heat here. Kash Patel, Dan Bongino are kind of not as much.

FISCHER: Well, OK, just on the review it language, like, the way she made it sound in that statement was that, I'm going to get to the accountability here. Even if she didn't explicitly say, OK, there's something in these documents that you needed to see, she sort of implied it. And so, I think that's why you have the whole MAGA universe coming after her for this.

KANNO-YOUNGS: It is interesting that Bongino, though, seems to not be taking as much heat when, you know, yes, they've been pointing to those comments by Pam Bondi, but in many ways Pam Bondi is trying to contain a political sort of firestorm that Bongino also ignited through his podcast, talking about the Epstein files as well during the campaign as well. And now you have him in actually a law enforcement position, in government, now seeing the result of fanning the flames of a conspiracy. Now you have the backlash that comes with trying to assert reality to this base.

CORNISH: Let me just play, really quickly, our Donie O'Sullivan was in Tampa and he started, like, asking around. And here's what people told him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA BRITT, TRUMP SUPPORTER: And I don't think people are going to be quiet about it until they really do it, but who knows if we'll ever know the true story.

TAYLOR SHARP, TURNING POINT ATTENDEE: Well, I think that if they don't release his -- the Epstein files, whatever J.D. Vance says then is irrelevant because it's like, everybody's going to take it as like a lie.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Really (ph)?

SHARP: Because of what Donald Trump did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: And you also had General Mike Flynn tweeting out, "please understand the Epstein affair is not going away."

WOLF: Look, if your entire movement is based on telling people that the government is lying to them about just about everything, you're never going to be able to convince them that suddenly the government is telling the truth. You know, we've kind of gone behind the curtain here where, you know, if you now run things, it becomes difficult to say, you know what, believe us. Oops.

CORNISH: Is this a test for the president? Meaning, most of the time he can say, like, with the Iran strikes, no, OK, this is what I say it is. Is that going to happen here?

FISCHER: No, the groundswell is too big. People really want accountability here. And the reason being, this idea that there's a deep state, right, that there's government coordinating with billionaires to cover things up, that has been a huge part of the MAGA base's messaging and beliefs for so many years predating this term. I don't think Donald Trump is just going to be able to sweep this under the rug.

I do think eventually it will pass and we'll move on to some other conspiracy. But in the meantime, this is what's hot in MAGA-verse right now and it's very bad for Pam Bondi.

CORNISH: Is there other red meat that they can be thrown? Meaning, do you think there's going to be another controversy that will appear this week?

WOLF: Well, I think it will be interesting to see, does it ever, like, you know, metastasize past her and move to Trump because he gets very angry when the word Epstein is spoken now.

[07:00:04]

CORNISH: Yes.

WOLF: Does it -- does it -- does it move?

CORNISH: And you heard that person even saying, well, even if J.D. Vance says x and y, just kind of sending that signal that, like, there's no emissary you can send here that's going to make us feel like this is over.

You guys, thank you so much for being with us. We talked about a lot today. And thank you for waking up with us. I'm Audie Cornish, and "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.