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Assistant D.A. to Continue Interviewing Maxwell about Epstein; Wrestling Superstar Hulk Hogan Dies at 71. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired July 25, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:00:17]
M.J. LEE, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much for joining me here on EARLY START. Have a great day. I'm M.J. Lee in Washington, D.C. And CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: A rare interview with long-time Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. Is it the breakthrough President Trump needs?
CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MARKUS, GHISLAINE MAXWELL'S ATTORNEY: Miss Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped.
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HILL: The pressure back on today as those calls for transparency continue to grow.
And a new push from Republican senators to unseal all Epstein-related court documents. But will it work?
Historic decision. With mass starvation in Gaza, a world power moves to officially recognize Palestinian statehood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: So, the 2.7 is now 3.1. And --
JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: I'm not aware of that.
TRUMP: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: A public spar over the Fed, when it comes to those building renovation costs. Why Trump claims the price tag is up.
The Coldplay kiss-cam drama. Yes, it's still going on. The latest resignation this morning after those two company execs were caught on camera. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Already gave them what they wanted. The win. This is just his egomaniac self out there now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Hulk Hogan dead at the age of 71. How the WWE Hall of Famer is being remembered.
And a very good Friday morning to you. Look at that beautiful sky in New York City. Hopefully, you're waking up to a beautiful sky, as well.
I'm Erica Hill, joining you from Washington this morning. It's Friday, July 25th, sitting in here for Audie Cornish. Thanks for joining us on CNN THIS MORNING.
It is day two now of questioning for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and convicted sex trafficker, Ghislaine Maxwell. The two met Thursday at the U.S. attorney's office in Tallahassee, Florida, as President Trump tries to tamp down the backlash over the Jeffrey Epstein case.
So, what did Maxwell have to say? Well, short answer on that one: stay tuned.
Blanche posting, "The Department of Justice will share additional information" about what was learned at the, quote, "appropriate time."
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MARKUS: Miss Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped. She never invoked a privilege. She never declined to answer. She answered all the questions truthfully, honestly, and to the best of her ability.
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HILL: All -- as all of that was playing out, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin was introducing a nonbinding resolution calling on the federal courts and state courts to unseal all evidence related to Jeffrey Epstein. Many fellow Republicans are on board.
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SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): I think they ought to release them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Release the damn files.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Release the -- I want to protect victims but be as transparent as you can with Epstein.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm kind of a rip the Band-Aid off sort of guy myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to know what's on those files.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: There is also new reporting from "The New York Times" confirming Donald Trump's name appeared on a contributor list for a book to celebrate Epstein's 50th birthday.
The president has denied signing a sexually suggestive note and drawing for Epstein that was reportedly in the book.
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing, it's important to note, in concerning his relationship with Epstein.
Joining me this morning in the group chat, Rachael Bade, Capitol Hill bureau chief, senior Washington columnist for "Politico"; Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of "The Daily Signal"; and Antjuan Seawright, Democratic strategist.
It's nice to have all of you here.
So, as we look at where things stand this morning in Epstein, day 432, the DOJ noting -- the DOJ noted in its sentencing memo she has lied in the past. Right? So, there are questions about the credibility there.
There are also questions about her motivation. Epstein's former attorney, Alan Dershowitz, had said, calling her the, quote, "Rosetta stone," saying she knows everything, which she would reveal with immunity.
Rob, when we talk about that, does immunity, you think, actually get us to this full transparency that so many are calling for?
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": I hope so, and I thought it was encouraging to hear what Todd Blanche said yesterday, and hopefully, he'll get more information today.
I think you have a groundswell, obviously, in Washington, D.C., here and among Republicans and Democrats across the country. They would like to get to the bottom of this, and I hope, move on to more important matters before our country.
This has been a distraction, obviously, from some of the big things that President Trump is trying to do over the course of the past month. And the more that his administration can put pressure on the courts and the Department of Justice to clear up any questions that the American people have, I think is a good thing.
RACHAEL BADE, CAPITOL HILL BUREAU CHIEF, SENIOR WASHINGTON COLUMNIST, "POLITICO": There's big reason to be skeptical here. I mean, obviously.
[06:05:02]
I mean, she wants to be free. And she's going to sing whatever song she thinks President Donald Trump wants her to sing. Right? I have already heard from people close to the White House on the
outside who are completely speculating on this, of course, but they're like, oh, she's going to name a bunch of Democrats. She's not going to say anything about Trump. This is going to work to our advantage, and the story is going to move on and focus on Democrats.
So, I think there's a lot of reason, obviously, to be skeptical with her.
HILL: There's also -- what's interesting, too, as you point out with the House Oversight Committee now, subpoena, right, with the subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as the Clintons and others. Here's a little bit more from Chairman James Comer.
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JAMES COMER, CHAIRMAN, HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: We're going to move quickly on that. All the names that -- that were mentioned or names that have been mentioned in the past with respect to the Epstein saga.
So, I'm surprised that the Democrats went along with subpoenaing Bill and Hillary Clinton and others that have been involved in that.
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HILL: Antjuan, it says Democrats. I mean, are they sort of willing to sacrifice here, or is this -- What do you make of that moment?
ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, be very clear. This story has been very much so a nutritional value add for the Democrats, because we've seen cracks in the Republican base for the first time.
You've seen the MAGA movement be scattered and confused and not necessarily embracing Trumpism or Donald Trump.
Donald Trump promised to drain the swamp. He promised to run against the swamp, the swamp system. He's become one of the biggest alligators in the swamp, just quite frankly, because of this matter.
And so, there are rare moments in Washington where you see Democrats and Republicans on the same page, singing the same note. And so, more than anything, I hope that this will open up the door for further bipartisan cooperation.
But I hope we can continue to put this matter to rest, because I think that's what the American people want.
HILL: It's interesting when you mention -- you mentioned the cracks. What's remarkable is, frankly, the staying power of this story, despite efforts from the administration, right, to turn the page; how it has moved beyond, right, the support from the base.
I just want to play a moment from Charlamagne tha God that kind of gets at what you're talking about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, HOST, "THE BREAKFAST CLUB': Trump got beef with Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, all these people who really helped put him in power. They don't seem to be rocking with him anymore. And I don't know if Trump realizes it. And I could be completely wrong.
But if Trump is definitively named in the Epstein files in a damning way -- credible allegations not just association -- I believe this is the perfect excuse for Republican elites to stage a political coup and push him out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: So, that's a big "if," right?
BADE: It's not going to happen.
HILL: If there are credible allegations. There's no indication that there would be. But it does speak to the issue of is there a crack here? Right? Even in just the way that this has been handled and the president hasn't been able to turn the page.
SEAWRIGHT: Well, it is, because he promised that he was going to do this on the campaign trail. This is one of the reasons why people voted for him.
And most of his top lieutenants and his disciples around him, from FBI director to vice president and others, promised also that they are for releasing these files.
And so, it feeds into another layer of hypocrisy from this administration. Make a promise. Do not deliver.
BLUEY: I'd say that I read Rachael's column this week, and you obviously have Hakeem Jeffries leaning all into this, and I thought it was interesting.
Last night, Axios reported that not all Democrats in the House are necessarily wanting to go along with this and talk exclusively about Epstein over the August recess.
So, the cracks are not necessarily just on the Republican side. I think some Democrats are questioning the strategy, as well.
BADE: I disagree with that. Look, I've talked to a lot of Democrats. I think that the strategy is not to exclusively talk about Epstein. Right?
It's to -- to -- to sort of use this as a way to poke at Republicans. And I mean, it's smart, right? It exposes the rift. They effectively shut down the House and stopped Republicans from passing GOP bills. They take them off their messaging.
They should be going home and talking about the Big, Beautiful Bill and selling that, because let's all be honest, the polling shows they do need to sell that bill. It's not doing well in terms of polling.
And yet, they're going to be asked over and over again, are you with Trump on this or are you going to release the files?
So, this is a perfect opportunity for Democrats. It's exactly what they should be doing. And no, they shouldn't be just talking about this in terms of politics. But I have heard people say that they can try to -- they think they can sort of tie these two narratives. Right? Epstein.
And then bringing it back to this sort of argument that they're going to have in 2026: that Republicans and Donald Trump, they're out there to protect the wealthy and sort of the rich and powerful at the expense of, you know, everyday Joes or, in this case, children.
SEAWRIGHT: But it's also -- it's also a hypocrisy argument because, again, Donald Trump on day one promised to do all these things.
This is one of those pages in the catalog of things he promised to do. And now he's not fulfilling those promises, and to the base. And that's why you see the level of "pistivity" (ph) being raised among the base, and you haven't seen before.
BLUEY: Why didn't Joe Biden or Merrick Garland release these? I mean, that's the question nobody seems to be able to answer.
BADE: Well, it's a good -- it's a fair question.
SEAWRIGHT: Well, we -- Democrats didn't campaign on that.
BADE: But here's the thing. It's getting drowned out completely in the noise right now. I mean, you talk about staying power, right?
I mean, Speaker Johnson, he sent Republicans home, hoping that they wouldn't have to vote on this and that, when they come back in September, all will be quiet on this front. That is not going to happen.
HILL: No, it's just going to be the conversation until September.
BADE: Beyond, I think.
HILL: Yes.
BADE: It's been three weeks. I mean, we've got these votes that are going to be forced in the Congress. That's going to bring it all to life. All these conversations with the DOJ. It's just not going anywhere.
[06:10:08]
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: It's not going anywhere. But we do have to go somewhere.
BADE: Right.
HILL: Because we have to pay some bills. So, we're going to take a little break. But don't worry: there will be much more group chat ahead. Of course, a little bit more Epstein.
Also ahead, though, on CNN THIS MORNING, the very important news coming out of Gaza. The incredibly distressing images as starvation takes hold. People in the enclave being described as walking corpses, with Israel and Hamas blaming one another. So can anything be done?
Plus, he was the mastermind behind the college admissions cheating scandal, and now he's back advising students on their college choices.
Plus, "South Park" returning for its new season with a familiar target: President Trump.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, are you on the list or not? It's weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not telling everyone to relax. Relax, guy.
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[06:15:27]
HILL: Almost 15 minutes past the hour. Now here's your morning roundup.
The so-called "Doomsday Mom" is set to be sentenced today. Lori Vallow Daybell was convicted on two counts of murder conspiracy in the death of her ex-husband and an attempt to kill her niece's ex-husband.
Each conviction carries a potential life sentence. She's already serving life sentences for the killings of her two children and her new husband's ex-wife in Idaho.
Vallow Daybell was part of a doomsday religious cult.
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ANNA BURRELL, FORMER CO-HOST, FOOD NETWORK'S "WORST CHEFS OF AMERICA": Oh my gosh, what's that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!
BURRELL: What is that?
Joel? What is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Orange chicken.
BURRELL: Orange chicken? You don't say.
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HILL: Celebrity chef and Food Network star Anne Burrell's death now ruled a suicide.
The chief medical examiner confirming to CNN her cause of death was acute intoxication with a combination of medications and alcohol. She was 55 years old.
If you or anyone you know may be suffering with thoughts of suicide, help is available at 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.
The mastermind behind the nationwide college admissions scandal, back to advising families as a college consultant. In 2019, Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering and money laundering conspiracy, among other charges, and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
The caveat for this new business: Singer must disclose the charges and also his guilty plea to clients.
Grammy-nominated rapper Glorilla, charged with drug possession after police found large amounts of marijuana at her home. But they were at her home, actually, responding to burglary reports.
The rapper, who was not home at the time, posting to social media, quote, "Long story short, my house gets home-invaded, and I'm the only one that gets arrested."
The robbery suspects have not been found.
Still ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, in just a few hours, the president heads to Scotland. On the agenda, opening a new golf course and settling a little unfinished trade business.
Plus, remembering one of the biggest stars in wrestling. Tributes pouring in for Hulk Hogan.
And a good morning on this Friday to our friends in Boston. The Sox returning to Fenway tonight, although they may be without concession workers. The union and its workers have a noon deadline to come to a deal.
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[06:21:48]
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HULK HOGAN, FORMER WRESTLING STAR: There'll never, ever be a bigger star in the wrestling business than Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
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HILL: He was larger than life, both in and out of the ring. This morning, friends and fans around the world remembering Hulk Hogan, the man who transformed pro wrestling into a multi-billion-dollar pop culture phenomenon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing what this guy is really made of, why he is the greatest professional athlete in the world today. Look at this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: When Hogan body-slammed the 520-pound Andrew the Giant in front of 80,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, he really launched wrestling into a new stratosphere.
On Thursday morning, police in Clearwater, Florida, say Hogan was in cardiac arrest when fire and rescue crews arrived at his home and could not be revived.
Joining me now to discuss, combat sports reporter Marc Raimondi. He's the author of "Say Hello to the Bad Guys."
Marc, it's good to have you here this morning.
I mean, first, just look, there is a clear -- there is a -- a clear feeling, I think, that you're seeing from so many people this morning about this loss. It's a complicated legacy. What was your first reaction? I mean, just walk us through what Hulk Hogan ultimately meant to American pop culture.
MARC RAIMONDI, COMBAT SPORTS REPORTER: Yes, yes, quite a bit. I mean, in the 1980s, he was one of the heroes of -- of America. He was -- he was not an action star in movies, but he was an action star in wrestling in the ilk of a -- of a Stallone or a Schwarzenegger. He was right there, right there with those guys, as far as popularity in the 1980s.
Before '85, which was when WrestleMania 1 happened -- he was the headliner -- wrestling was splintered into multiple regional promotions across the country. It was only until Hogan, the WWF centralized it and made it a national mainstream cable product that it really became the wrestling that we know as today.
And then he did it all over again in the 1990s as a bad guy. So, he had to run as the hero for almost a decade, and then he became a bad guy. And that was a cataclysmic shift in wrestling. And the bad guys became the protagonists, much on the back of Hulk Hogan.
HILL: It's -- it's remarkable just how widespread his -- his reach was, really. And -- and he resonated with so many people. Senator Markwayne Mullin also weighing in, a former MMA fighter. Here's what he had to say.
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SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): It hurt me. I grew up with the guy, right? I mean, I had his little action figures. And I was never a Hulkster, but I might have tore my shirt a few times, pretended to be him. I might have threw a couple of friends over their head, and I might have got thrown a few times, all of us pretending to be Hulk growing up. So, it's kind of hard to see a dynasty like that leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: There was that certain appeal. It was certainly a cultural moment, as you point out, the '80s moving into the '90s, what he represented.
And then more recently, moving into the political sphere. What did that -- how did that land with his fans?
RAIMONDI: Not -- not all that great. And to dial it even back a little bit, Erica, he had that controversy, of course, in the 2010s, where he had -- the leaked tape came out where he was saying some -- some pretty vile things and calling himself, you know -- referring to himself as a racist.
HILL: Yes.
RAIMONDI: And that really upset a lot of people. And it really tarnished the legacy of a guy that, again, led wrestling to the place where it is now as a $1 billion industry.
[06:25:04]
That certainly -- that hurts his legacy. And, you know, they say kind of separate the art from the artist. And, you know, certainly, maybe Terry Bollea, his real name, and then Hulk Hogan, the character were different figures.
But that's going to be something that's going to be remembered, unfortunately, as part of that complicated, you know, combination of a human being and a character.
HILL: And part of that, you know, the complication of the separating of the two, which -- which happens a lot, right, when someone famous passes is -- is reconciling that. They can't always be -- be separated.
RAIMONDI: Yes, they can, and rightfully so. I mean, it's hard to separate those things. You can kind of look at them. You can kind of compartmentalize, right, Erica.
But the fact is he said those things. It was on tape. He called himself a racist. He used the "N" word. And -- and he has a history of other, you know, unfortunate things, as well.
So, it's -- did a lot for the wrestling industry, for sure. But maybe he was not the greatest human being in real life.
HILL: Yes, the complicated legacy that, you know -- sometimes people are a little complicated, aren't they?
Marc, really appreciate it. Thanks for being here.
Still to come here on CNN THIS MORNING, President Trump is "Fed" up, you may have heard, with the chair of the Federal Reserve. Their feud, though, now spilling out in front of the cameras.
The president stopping short of saying, though, he would fire Jerome Powell.
Plus, the North Carolina Senate race over a year away, already, though, heating up.
And we remember jazz legend Chuck Mangione, who passed away at the age of 84.
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