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Erin Burnett Outfront

House GOP Scrambles For Votes On Trump's Bill Amid Opposition; Partial Verdict In Diddy Trial; Trump & Musk Feud Again. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired July 01, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:30]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:

Breaking news, major backlash over Trump's bill. More House Republicans turning against the president's so-called Big, Beautiful Bill after it narrowly passed the Senate. Some calling for changes. But the White House tonight wants the bill as is.

Plus, breaking news, the jury in the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial informing the court they've reached a verdict on all but one of the five counts.

And Trump's feud with Elon Musk boiling over again. The president now talking about deporting his former top ally. How is Musk responding?

Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening. I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, a Republican revolt as we could be just hours from the House voting on Trump's massive marquee bill, a bill that just narrowly passed the senate this morning.

And tonight, House Speaker Mike Johnson has his work cut out for him. He can only afford to lose three Republicans, and it appears there are a lot more than that sitting on the fence tonight.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I can't imagine they have the votes. There's no way that Johnson has the votes in the House for this. So, this whole thing is -- I don't know what to call it. It's a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) show.

REP. ANDY BIGGS (R-AZ): It's hard for me to conceive that it will pass as is. There's some -- there's some amazingly bad stuff in here.

REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC): I think the founders and the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence would be astounded. They were adding debt to our children who -- and grandchildren who are defenseless. Debt is a -- is a curse.

(END AUDIO CLIP) KEILAR: Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee calling the bill a dud that guts key Trump provisions. And remember two House Republicans already voted against the house version of this bill, including Kentucky's Thomas Massie, who is slamming the $3.3 trillion. The Senate version of the bill adds to the deficit.

Other Republicans are also uncomfortable with the senate bills deep Medicaid cuts, cuts that could leave nearly 12 million more Americans uninsured, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Now, the White House wants the House to pass the bill as is. But even Senate Republicans acknowledge that could be a challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Do they have the votes to pass exactly what we did? I don't know.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: We'll see. I mean, you know how hard it was to pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who was the last holdout before deciding to vote for Trump's sprawling bill, even acknowledging the bill has issues and should be sent back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we're not there yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Of course, Democrats are pouncing after Murkowski's remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM MCGOVERN (D-MA): I mean, my question to her is, if you really believe that, then why the hell did you vote for this bill?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And tonight, Trump seeming to acknowledge this bill could ultimately be sent back to the Senate, which, according to Majority Leader Steve Scalise in the House, could collapse the entire thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, are they going to ask for certain changes? Probably. I don't know. I mean, I guess what would happen if that happens, you then have to run it fast past the Senate. So, you know, it never ends. I don't know if that's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Lauren Fox is OUTFRONT live on Capitol Hill.

Lauren, what's the latest that you're learning tonight about where this is all headed?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean you hear it there from every corner of the Republican Party right now. There are issues with this bill. You have moderates who don't like the steep Medicaid cuts. Representative David Valadao over the weekend making clear that the cuts in the Senate bill are even more severe than those in the House bill, and could force him to vote against it.

Meanwhile, leadership is trying to make the case to their members that they need to keep their powder dry. They need to get back to Washington, and they need to work through exactly what they are going to do next.

Obviously, the preference of leadership would be to not change this bill in order to meet Trump's 4th of July deadline that they have been talking about for the last several months, but that may not be possible given all of the potential defections that they have right now.

Just to walk you through the process, house rules committee is meeting tonight. That is the first stop for this piece of legislation. There are two members on that committee who have concerns about the bill. That wouldn't be enough to stop it from passing out of that committee.

[19:05:02]

Once it gets through that hurdle, then it goes to the floor for a vote.

The entire House of Representatives would vote on that. That could be leadership's first big challenge. That usually is an early indication that you don't have the numbers that you need if you can't pass the rule.

That is a procedural vote, it may not sound that consequential, but if you are a Republican leader, the coal mine signaling that you may not be where you need to be.

Now, they expect members to be back in Washington tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. That timeline, of course, could always slide if they start to feel like they don't have the votes. You can expect that there's probably going to be a whole lot more meetings, a whole lot more gatherings in Speaker Johnson's office, as he tries to hold a very carefully crafted coalition together in order to get this across the finish line over the next 48 hours.

KEILAR: Yeah, we'll be watching them whip some votes there.

Lauren Fox, thank you.

OUTFRONT now, Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, she is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Congresswoman, you're hearing your colleagues across the aisle, their reservations about this. Are you holding out hope that this bill may not pass the House, given that we're also hearing from the Senate Majority Leader John Thune, his assessment, it may be a challenge, and Lindsey Graham saying he isn't sure the votes will be there?

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Good to be with you, Brianna. And yes, of course I hold out hope that Republican members of the house will do their job and recognize that there is no reason to cast a vote for this bill. I wanted to show it to you, and I have literally one question. Why would anybody vote for this bill? This is what I've been saying all week long, all weekend long. How could anybody, Democrat or Republican, vote for this bill? By the way, this is only half of the bill. We printed it out.

The biggest pieces in it are taking away health care for 17 million Americans, taking 42 million Americans food literally off their tables, out of children's mouths, blowing up the deficit. I thought the Republicans were all about reducing the deficit. I want to reduce the deficit.

This blows up the deficit. All in service of tax breaks for the very, very wealthiest. Also, it will cost jobs. I'm from Pennsylvania. This is going to cost tens of thousands of jobs, productivity, economic growth right in Pennsylvania.

So, I asked this question, why would anyone vote for this big, bad, ugly bill?

KEILAR: You just got out of a caucus meeting with your fellow Democrats, assuming, though, that this does make it through the House, this bill, what are you all going to do to capitalize on a political vulnerability that the polls do reveal? Did you talk about that?

DEAN: Well, let me let you know. Mother nature has a funny way of dealing with all of us in a very nonpartisan way. You're going to see that an awful lot of the Democrats and Republicans are still in transit. Different kinds of weather problems getting people here, whether it's by airports or trains and the rest.

So, the caucus meeting is still ongoing. The rules meeting is still ongoing. The ranking members have completed their work in front of rules. They're now down at the caucus briefing.

So, we're going to fight and were going to message. Democrats aren't always known for a clear message, but this one is mighty clear. This is a bill that will hurt every single district. It will hurt every single constituent or constituency within these districts.

I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. I think about it in terms of my own district. The hundreds or tens of thousands of folks who use Medicare because they are seniors, they are disabled. They are children.

There are people who need these things. People will lose their health care. This administration has proven itself to be incompetent, corrupt and cruel. This big, bad, ugly bill is full of all of that incompetence, corruption and cruelty. And I guess cruelty is the point with this group.

I hope and I pray and I beg my Republican members in the House to stand up, to have a spine, to look us in the eye and say, of course I can't do this to my constituents. Taking health care away from them, taking food away from them, closing rural hospitals, all at the service of the very wealthy and making sure those tax cuts continue.

I ask them to please vote their conscience, because when they do, their vote will be no.

KEILAR: Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, the crucial 50th vote on this bill. But after she said it isn't a perfect bill by any stretch, she said, we're not there yet. Here's an exchange she had with NBC's Ryan Nobles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN NOBLES, NBC NEWS: Senator Paul said that this was -- that your vote was a bailout for Alaska at the expense of the rest of the country.

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): Oh, my God!

NOBLES: That's what Senator Paul said.

[19:10:00]

I didn't say it, ma'am. I'm just asking for your response.

MURKOWSKI: My response is, I have an obligation to the people of the state of Alaska. Do I like this bill? No, because I tried to take care of Alaska's interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I am curious what you think of some of the significant carve- outs that she's secured for Alaska to get that essential vote on board, including an exemption for states with high error rates on paying out food assistance benefits.

DEAN: Honest to God, Brianna, I can't tell you how disappointed I am. You saw how close this vote was. They had to pull in J.D. Vance because it was a tie vote.

What I would ask Senator Murkowski and every senator, do your job. You saw that, she said shortly after that that she hopes the House will fix it or do better and send it back. Do your job at the Senate level, please, Republican members of the Senate. Don't send us a flawed bill because you cut yourself some sort of a deal.

I did not see that the workings of her deal or what she was able to protect for Alaska. But how do you do it? Where's the John McCain of the day, who says, no, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to just serve myself or my state. I'm going to make sure we do the right thing by the entire country, when they tried to have him vote to undo the Affordable Care Act, taking health care away from millions.

This is something that many of these Republicans have wished for, for a very long time. Cruelty, harm to their very constituents. You asked me and I failed to answer you. Will we use this in future campaigns? You better believe it.

These people are going to own these votes. And I'm thinking of the Pennsylvania Republicans. I'm watching to see how they vote on this big, ugly bill that will hurt health care, that will hurt our children, that will hurt our seniors, that will blow up our deficit for generations to come.

KEILAR: Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, thank you for taking the time for us tonight.

DEAN: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Everyone is with me now.

Gretchen, to you.

The president wants this passed and fast. He's also making it clear that he'll punish Republicans who vote against it. Here's what he said on Air Force One this afternoon about Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who opposed the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, he's going to have an opponent. He's got -- he's going to have a big opponent, a good opponent who's going to win. He's going to be history. I think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Should Massie and other Republicans unhappy with this bill be thinking twice about voting for it? Should they worry about that threat, do you think?

GRETCHEN CARLSON, JOURNALIST: I actually have a lot of respect for Republicans who have their own individual soul and who may speak their actual truth? I mean, I think that's true for all politicians. And I think most Americans would agree with the fact that that's what they don't like about politics is that people aren't true to themselves.

And so, I look at somebody like Thomas Massie and I say, hey, if you're against this, credit to you for standing up to somebody as powerful as Donald Trump. He doesn't have a great track record, meaning Trump, in primarying some people, he has not chosen the best of candidates. And by the way, Elon Musk has said that he's going to support Thomas Massie's campaign with money and he may start his own party called America, which would definitely splinter the Republican Party.

So it's not just Thomas Massie. We should be clear that there's Don Bacon. There's Chip Roy, there's Andy Harris, there's David Valadao. I mean, it only takes three Republicans to have this, not pass the House.

KEILAR: Jamal, what is -- assuming this does end up passing the House, what is the Democratic strategy to counter this bill? And are they doing enough right now?

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The Democrats have turned this bill into the bitterest of pills, right? Each one of these Republicans who votes for this is in a marginal district, a competitive district has had to swallow something they did not know that was going to be as hard to get down as this bill. Look -- look at what Hakeem Jeffries has been doing. He started this off with that sit-in on the House. Steps 12 12 hours or plus on the sit in. Then he had a speech.

Then he's been doing content creators. The Democrats have been driving this message about tax cuts for the rich, taking corporate taxes down to 21 percent from 35 percent, and then cutting Medicaid for average, average, everyday Americans. The Democrats are the ones who made that argument.

So, I think the Democrats have done what it is their job is now and then. You know, you saw in the Senate they extended this out. But I got to tell you, Lisa Murkowski, what a anti-profile in courage, right? For someone to say I voted for this but I wanted to fail out loud, she said that out loud on national television that she wanted she wants the House to stop it.

I think we are looking for Republicans who can stand up looking for all politicians who can stand up and then say, here's what I believe. I didn't think it was a good bill. I could have gotten something out of it, but I didn't do it because it wasn't what was right for the country.

[19:15:03]

She didn't do that. I just have no stomach at all for the way she's handling this.

KEILAR: I think she wants the House to change it and send it back. But I hear your point there.

Gretchen, I want to listen to something else that Senator Murkowski said after casting her vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURKOWSKI: We were operating under a timeline that was that was basically an artificial timeline. And I think rather than taking the deliberative approach to good legislating, we rushed to get a product out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And, Gretchen, I'll note that you've worked with her to get legislation passed. Full disclosure there. But Murkowski could have stopped that artificial timeline, that lack of deliberation, that rush product with her vote, should she have?

CARLSON: Yeah. I mean, look, she was on the fence, and I think this will open up a huge debate about whether or not you should serve only the interests of the state that you represent or the entire nation. Look, she got a lot of concessions for people in Alaska that you mentioned at the top of the show, but is that necessarily good for somebody in Kentucky or somebody in Connecticut? I think she's trying to play both sides of the fence here.

I also would add, though, that I don't think all the pressure should be on people who are moderates, like Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins, because there's a ton of other people, Republicans in the Senate who didn't have the courage at all to say anything back to Donald Trump.

And by the way, this isn't just about Donald Trump. The idea that this bill is even named "big" flies in the face of what Republicans believe in. And this is increasing, this version, the national debt by an additional $1 trillion. This is not a Republican speak.

So I don't believe all the pressure should just be on Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins all the time who might decide to cross the aisle. There should be other Republicans in the senate that would have the courage to say what Republican mandates have been for a very long time, which is reducing the deficit and reduce spending.

KEILAR: Jamal, what do you think?

SIMMONS: Oh, I think again, listen, I worked for United States senator a couple decades ago who had to take a really tough war vote and didn't like it at all. But he didn't go around saying, oh, I took the vote and maybe I didn't like it. I mean, later you can say that.

You took the vote. You got to take the good part with the bad part of the bill. You don't get to have it both ways.

That is the problem with what Lisa Murkowski is up to. And I just think, I can't imagine there's going to be a lot of people in Alaska who have a lot of respect for someone who says, I did it for you, but I didn't want it. I voted yes, but I hope no.

KEILAR: Jamal Simmons, Gretchen Carlson, thank you so much to both of you. Really appreciate it.

And OUTFRONT next, the breaking news, a cliffhanger in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, the jury reaching a partial verdict. We have some new details just coming in from the courthouse.

Plus, Trump touring tonight, what he calls "Alligator Alcatraz".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: With the Alligator Alcatraz, the idea that if some illegal immigrant escapes, they just get eaten by an alligator or a snake or something?

TRUMP: I guess that's the concept. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And Elon Musk's robotaxis finally hitting the streets in one city. But you can't hail one. That is, unless you're an Elon Musk superfan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:22:53]

KEILAR: We have breaking news. The jury in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial reaching a partial verdict. But the judge telling jurors they must return tomorrow to keep deliberating on the final count, the jury saying it could not agree on count one against the hip hop mogul racketeering. But it said it did reach a unanimous verdict on the other four counts, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Let's go right to Elizabeth Wagmeister, who is OUTFRONT at the courthouse.

Elizabeth, what are you learning?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Look, the jury seems to be stuck on what is the most serious charge that racketeering conspiracy. Why is it the most serious? Because Sean Combs is facing life in prison if convicted on that count.

So, as you said, the judge has instructed the jury to come back and continue deliberating at this stage, the judge is not going to accept the jury being deadlocked on this count. Now, both sides, the prosecution and the defense were in agreement with this. They both wanted the jury to go back to continue deliberating. But I want to talk about some of the other charges. They have reached a verdict on four counts. Counts two, three, four and five.

Of course, we do not know what those verdicts are, but these are all serious charges. Counts two and three are sex trafficking. Each of those carries a minimum of 15 years if convicted.

So, for Sean Combs, a long night ahead of him, remember he is in custody. He has been in the MDC since he was arrested last September, so he has been behind bars as he awaited his trial through this trial, and now he knows his fate is in the hands of 12 strangers.

That is quite a realization for one of the most powerful, wealthy and famous men who is used to calling the shots. This is the one case where he can't. So tomorrow will be a huge day, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yeah, we'll be watching for that. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you.

OUTFRONT now, criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson.

Right now, Joey, would you rather be the defense or the prosecution? JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. So, both sides, Brianna,

certainly are having much stress and anxiety, but I think that the note was telling, and I think it really would be suggestive of a prosecution verdict.

[19:25:01]

This is why I say that. Remember the note on the racketeering charge which Elizabeth just indicated they were having trouble with, said that people were really entrenched on both sides, meaning there were people who were thinking he was guilty, that his Diddy of the of the RICO, the racketeering. And there were those entrenched saying he's not.

So is it likely that those who believe he was running a criminal enterprise in furtherance of all of these illicit activities, whether it be drugs, whether it be arson, whether it be sex trafficking, would say, hey, we believe he's with RICO, but we don't believe anything about sex trafficking. We don't believe anything about anything relating to transportation for prostitution. That would be unlikely.

Now, it could possibly be, but it would seem to me that if you're entrenched with respect to believing he was racketeering, that is, using a criminal enterprise in furtherance of criminality, would you then believe he's not guilty as to anything else? And so that's the rationale that I use.

Now, having said that, Brianna, as we look at the charges there, there's certainly room for jury potentially believing that he was at his Mr. Combs guilty as to Ms. Ventura, not guilty as to Jane, both counts involving sex trafficking. Certainly, it's plausible he's not guilty as to both.

But with respect to your question as to what seemingly would be who would be sleeping better, no one, but certainly the prosecution would appear to have the upper hand in that regard.

KEILAR: How much longer do you expect the jury to deliberate, and how much longer do you think they could deliberate before the judge might accept that they can't reach a verdict on the racketeering count?

JACKSON: You know, so that's going to be the function of the jury itself. And let me tell you what I mean. Today, there was the indication that they were having the trouble. The judge did not give them a final instruction that we call the dynamite charge, which I'll explain momentarily, right, which says, hey, just go and, you know, do your job and do it to the best of your ability. You don't have to alter your positions, but there's no juror that would be better than you in doing that.

He didn't do that. What he said was, hey, continue to deliberate.

Now, tomorrow the jury will come back with cooler heads. Presumably, it's always looks better after a good night's sleep. And maybe some will alter their positions, maybe some won't. And then we'll hear from the jury. I suspect sometime in the morning, maybe early afternoon, they may come out and say, hey, we can't do this anymore judge.

At that time, a judge would certainly be within their discretion to give them that Allen charge, saying, look, there's no juror that would be more well equipped than you. Youve spent seven weeks, you spent a lot of time. We appreciate your efforts. I'm not asking you to change your position. I'm asking you to listen and go back.

The jury would then go back. If they come out again and say, judge, well, hopeless. It's at that point that a judge says, okay, it's over. And a mistrial will be declared. But again, that's going to be a function of the activity of that jury tomorrow.

KEILAR: All right. Joey Jackson, thank you so much.

OUTFRONT next, the war between Trump and Musk escalating tonight. Trump now threatening to defund his former top ally. Will that make Musk back down?

Plus, Trump visits Alligator Alcatraz and claims it's the gators that will be policing migrants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to teach them how to run away from an alligator. Okay?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:32:50]

KEILAR: Tonight, defund and deport. Those are two things President Trump say may happen to his former ally, Elon Musk, after Musk, the richest person in the world, threatened to fund primary campaigns against any member of Congress who votes for Trump's so-called Big, Beautiful Bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Are you going to deport Elon Musk?

TRUMP: I don't know, we'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Trump, referring to the billions in federal contracts that benefit Musk's companies.

OUTFRONT now, Katie Drummond, global editorial director at "Wired", and Ryan Mac, a "New York Times" reporter who covers Musk extensively. He also co-wrote the book "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter". And, Ryan, Musk posted on X, "So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now."

What do you think? Is he going to escalate?

RYAN MAC, REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: You know, Elon has Twitter fingers or X fingers now and he tends to kind of say whatever he wants. So even though he's talking about restraint and refraining from speaking out, you know, I think in time, you know, he'll probably lash out again. He'll probably tweet, he'll probably say something that's going to anger the president.

And, you know, we've gone through this cycle multiple times now. You know, this is the only the latest iteration.

So, you know, I think -- I think we're going to see more for sure.

KEILAR: Katie, who needs who more here? Does Musk need the federal government more or does the federal government need Musk more?

KATIE DRUMMOND, GLOBAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, WIRED: Well, look, as much as Elon Musk might hate to hear this, his companies, namely SpaceX and Tesla, rely on the largesse of the federal government on contracts, on subsidies, on tax credits, not to mention federal regulation, right? When we're talking about Tesla and its ability to roll out autonomous vehicles in different cities, Elon Musk relies on how regulators decide to treat autonomous vehicles moving forward for that company and that initiative to be able to expand.

[19:35:03]

So there's no question here that when it comes to the richest man in the world or the president of the United States, the president of the United States has a leg up here. He has the leverage.

KEILAR: Yeah. I mean, and, Ryan, to be clear, though, SpaceX is the primary ride to the International Space Station. Starlink is critical to the U.S. military and the U.S. government.

Usually when you have mutually assured destruction, it stops people from walking up to the line. But these two personalities can't really seem to help it go there.

Does Musk see the logic or the lack of logic in thumbing his nose at someone who can affect the contracts and subsidies of his companies, and has the upper hand, as Katie explains there? Or is he motivated just more by emotion?

MAC: I think emotion plays a large part in it, for sure. And, you know, I think people have talked to him about the logic of, you know, going against the most powerful person in the world and going head-to- head with him.

At the same time, you know, I do agree with Katie. I think Trump does have most of the cards here, but Elon does have cards as well. He understands that the U.S. government relies on SpaceX to get things into space. You know, $3.8 billion worth of contracts last year alone with NASA. You know, Tesla is a major manufacturer of electric vehicles and employer in the United States as well.

So, he has cards there that he's willing to play and put forth and challenge Trump. And I think it's going to be a matter of who blinks first.

KEILAR: Katie, if you look at Donald Trump as he is a businessman, before he was president, as the president, he's a spender. He's very comfortable with buying things on credit. Did Musk get snowed into thinking that this was a person who was serious about tackling deficit spending, when all the data points, a lot of the data points show the opposite?

DRUMMOND: You know, it's not totally clear. According to President Trump, you know, he's been very clear with Musk this entire time about his intentions, particularly his intentions around electric vehicles and EV subsidies. You know, it certainly seems like Elon Musk got into bed, so to speak, with the wrong person. And whatever understanding they may have had several months ago, obviously has not worked out in his favor.

KEILAR: Ryan, do you think that Musk will do this primary scheme?

MAC: I mean, it'd be a lot of people to primary for sure, you know? I mean, the whole Republican Party, essentially.

So, you know, he talks a big game. You know, he's talked about fighting Mark Zuckerberg in a cage once and never followed through. He's talked about also, but he's also at the same time talked about buying Twitter, which he did follow through with.

And so, I think with him, it's a matter of trying to assess what's real and what's not. And yeah, as reporters, we just got to keep following and understanding what he says and reporting it out.

KEILAR: Well, thank you so much for sharing your analysis and your reporting. Katie Drummond, Ryan Mac, we appreciate it.

And OUTFRONT next, Trump traveling to Florida to tour a new immigration detention center surrounded by alligators.

Plus, Elon Musk betting big on his new driverless robotaxis. And while they finally hit the streets in one city, they're not exactly what Musk has promised.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:42:51]

KEILAR: Tonight, President Trump touring a new migrant detention center in Florida, nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz and saying the goal is to make the prisoners afraid of trying to escape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REPORTER: With the Alligator Alcatraz, the idea that if some illegal immigrant escapes, they just get eaten by an alligator or a snake or something?

TRUMP: I guess that's the concept. This is not a nice business. I guess that's the concept.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Trump also making it no secret he hopes to see more centers surrounded by alligators across the country.

Isabel Rosales is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: We're going to teach them how to run away from an alligator. Okay, if they escape prison, how to run away? Don't run in a straight line. Run like this. And you know what? Your chances go up about 1 percent.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump attending the official opening of Florida's new immigration detention camp, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

This isolated airstrip transformed into a makeshift detention center deep in the heart of the Florida Everglades. Born in part from a partnership. Between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Trump administration.

Governor DeSantis claims its unique security comes cheap.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: If a criminal alien were to escape from here somehow, and I don't think they will, you've got nowhere to go. I mean, where are you going to do? Trudge through the swamp and dodge alligators on the way back to 50, 60 miles just to get to civilization? Not going to happen.

ROSALES: The governor stressed the facility is both temporary and necessary to alleviate jails overburdened by an influx of migrants, detained amid Trump's immigration crackdowns.

Our camera toured the site showing bunk beds and cages under heavy duty tents and repurposed FEMA trailers marking the new holding cells, built to hold 3,000 people with room for more, making it the largest detention center in the U.S. It's outfitted with 28,000 feet of barbed wire, more than 200 surveillance cameras, and staffed by over 400 security personnel.

The annual price tag to run the facility, $450 million, according to one DHS official.

TRUMP: In total, the average illegal alien costs American taxpayers an estimated $70,000.

[19:45:05] That's each, $70,000. I think that number is even lower. If you care about balancing the budget, the single most impactful step we can take is to fully reverse the Biden migration invasion.

ROSALES: Critics call it a humanitarian and environmental disaster in the making.

ZAC COSNER, PROTESTING ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: This is a environmentally destructive and spiritually poisonous prison camp that they want to construct on sacred land in sensitive habitat that cannot be allowed to stand.

RACHEL BASS, PROTESTING ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: It's going to be hard on the environment, and it's going to be hard on the people that are caged here.

ROSALES: Migrant advocates call the conditions inhumane.

THOMAS KENNEDY, SPOKESPERSON, FL IMMIGRANT COALITION: The fact that were going to have 3,000 people detained in tents in the everglades, in the middle of the hot Florida summer, during hurricane season, right? I mean, this is a bad idea all around that needs to be opposed and stopped.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES (on camera): President Trump says that Alligator Alcatraz constructed in just eight days, will house some of what he calls, quote, the most menacing migrants.

But here's the thing -- CNN reported last month using ICE data that less than 10 percent of migrants booked into ICE custody since October were convicted of serious crimes, things like murder, assault, rape or robbery. Over 75 percent of these migrants were there for things like immigration or traffic related offenses -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yeah, not the worst of the worst.

Isabel Rosales, thank you so much for that report.

OUTFRONT now, Florida State Representative Angie Nixon. She is a Democrat.

Representative Nixon, thanks for being with us. And just tell us your reaction to what you saw and heard today from President Trump's visit to your state.

ANGIE NIXON (D), FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Yeah. So, this isn't about safety. This is actually about Donald Trump building modern day concentration camps in an effort to disappear people from our communities. Donald Trump's blueprint for America has now become barbed wire and broken families.

You don't make America great again by doing these types of things. All he simply doing is returning our country to the worst chapters of our history. KEILAR: He suggested as well, that American citizens who have

committed violent crimes, murder and other crimes will be the next group of people that he tries to get out of the country.

NIXON: Yeah.

KEILAR: Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Many of them were born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell out of here, too. You want to know the truth? So maybe they'll be the next job that well work on together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, Representative, that's not a sympathetic group, but they are Americans. So how do you respond to that? And do so in a way that is also, I guess, politically acceptable?

NIXON: So, first of all, what Donald Trump is talking about doing is definitely unconstitutional. And he should know him not having been put in jail for some of the atrocities that he's committed. But these folks are U.S. citizens, and they should be handled as such.

They should be -- they should receive due process. They should be, you know, sent to a court of -- be sent to a court of law where a jury can judge where whether or not, whether or not they should be, sentenced. And so, this this is just ridiculous.

KEILAR: There's been a lot of cooperation with the state of Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis on this particular detention center. And DeSantis said today he predicted that Alligator Alcatraz would force many undocumented immigrants to self-deport.

Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESANTIS: Why would you want to come through Alligator Alcatraz if you can just go home on your own? I think a lot of people are going to make that decision. So you're going to have a lot of deportations that are going to be done by the administration. But I think you're going to have a lot of voluntary as well. So, this is a force multiplier for the president's efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I know you disagree with him, but do you think that he has a point that there are people who will look at whether it's this detention center or other Trump policies, and it will make it less appealing to try to come to the U.S.?

NIXON: The problem that I have with the statement that DeSantis has made and what Donald Trump are pushing, is the fact that they want to take $450 million of our taxpayer money, and instead of ensuring that we don't have cuts to Medicaid, instead of ensuring that were addressing issues like the rising cost of property insurance, instead of ensuring that we have quality schools for our children to go to, they want to blow racist dog whistles and push xenophobia instead of handling the things that Floridians and Americans care about.

[19:50:04]

This is costing us millions and millions of dollars. And again, they're simply just trying to make modern day concentration camps, which is not what the American people asked for. They are being very inhumane. And again, they are blowing racist dog whistles, and it just has to stop.

KEILAR: State Representative Angie Nixon, thank you so much for being with us.

NIXON: Thank you.

KEILAR: OUTFRONT next, Elon Musk touting his new driverless robotaxis now on the road in one city. But the launch not without a few speed bumps. We'll have a special report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:55:21]

KEILAR: Tonight, all eyes on Tesla, the electric car company expected to release its quarterly sales report tomorrow, and analysts are estimating a punishing 11 percent drop from last year. The plunge in deliveries coming after Musk had tied himself to Trump. But now, Musk focusing his efforts on the launch of his driverless robotaxis.

Ed Lavandera is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Finding a Waymo driverless car in Austin is easy. Finding a Tesla with a driver, even easier. But finding the driverless Tesla robotaxi requires a little effort.

I don't think there was one.

So these Tesla robotaxis are allowed to operate in a very kind of fixed area of south Austin. So, we're going to go out, travel the streets and see if we come across one.

Tesla has launched 10 to 20 robotaxis onto Astin streets.

There's the robotaxi.

So, this is where the story might feel a little strange. We can't get in a robotaxi, so we followed it.

The robotaxi isn't fully driverless yet. There's a Tesla employee in the passenger seat. We watched the car navigate through traffic and make proper stops and turns.

Seems to be moving around quite smoothly, zigzagging through various parts of south Austin. But what is interesting is we actually haven't seen anyone get in it.

And there's a reason for that.

So not just anybody can jump into one of these Tesla robotaxis. In fact, the way the company rolled the taxis out was by inviting a group of social media influencers to town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the very first robotaxi ride on the way to us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to keep you covered today on the Tesla robotaxi launch.

LAVANDERA: These are content creators that basically specialize in making Tesla videos, so their enthusiasts about what the company is doing and given special access to the app to be able to ride around in these robotaxis.

And this is Chris, he asked that we not use his last name. He posts videos under the handle "Dirty Tesla".

CHRIS: So, let's hop in.

LAVANDERA: How do you think robotaxi did?

CHRIS: It did great. The car didn't do anything crazy, so I think they could probably start expanding pretty quick.

LAVANDERA: Chris says he took about 50 rides in three days and was impressed by a few moments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It pulled over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It pulled over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The robotaxi just pulled over for the ambulance.

LAVANDERA: The robotaxi also navigated a construction zone.

CHRIS: We actually have to drive on the opposite side of the road.

LAVANDERA: There were a few weird moments, as Chris described it, like when he tried to end a ride early.

CHRIS: And right now, the vehicle will pull over to the nearest safe location. Heck, yeah, let's do it!

LAVANDERA: The robotaxi stopped in the middle of the road. Chris says a remote operator had to correct the issue. The Tesla then moved to a safer drop-off location.

CHRIS: If the car is doing something wrong, then you need to talk about it and show it. But I think at the end of the day, Tesla, even if it's a minor issue or it's a major issue, people are going to talk about it.

LAVANDERA: Dan O'Dowd founded a watchdog group called "The Dawn Project" to make technology safer for humans. The group argues that Tesla's full self-driving software, which has been available for several years, is not safe enough.

DAN O'DOWD, FOUNDER, "THE DAWN PROJECT": We have over a thousand videos of these fails, and we've got them all categorized by running red lights, running stop signs, excessive speeding, slamming the brakes on for no reason.

LAVANDERA: O'Dowd's group simulated a child crossing the street by a school bus eight times. The Dawn Project used a Tesla with what the company calls full self-driving, not a robotaxi, but the cars would use similar software technology. That Tesla didn't stop in time on every single test.

Tesla did not respond to any of our questions for this story. We should point out that the company does make continuous software improvements. But for O'Dowd, the Tesla driverless technology puts lives at risk.

O'DOWD: They need to be off the road. Why would you allow it on the road? While there are known severe bugs in the software.

LAVANDERA: The evolution of technology continues marching down the road with no driver behind the wheel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And Ed joins me now from Texas.

So, Ed, when do we expect to see these rolled out to the general public?

LAVANDERA: Well, it's not exactly clear when that's going to happen. And the roll up to all of this, Elon Musk had been tweeting that they were very concerned about safety, that that was paramount of concern at this moment. So, it's not exactly clear when the general public will be able to use it. But we do know that since last week, there have been more people who have received the invitation to sign up for the app and ride around in the robotaxi.

So, it seems like it's growing little by little, but it's not exactly clear when anybody, just anybody, can use it -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. I guess they'll do a little more troubleshooting so that early-ended rides don't stop in the middle of the road like that one did there.

Ed Lavandera, thank you so much. Live for us from Texas.

Thank you so much for joining us.

"AC360" starts now.