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Erin Burnett Outfront

Newsom Closer To Undercutting Trump In High Stakes Election Fight; Russia Strikes U.S.-Owned Company In One Of Largest Attacks On Ukraine; Satellite Images Reveal Secret Missile Base In North Korea. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired August 21, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:26]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:

The breaking news, fighting fire with fire. Governor Gavin Newsom of California, you see there live, taking on Trump. The state now on track to add more Democratic seats, just as Texas is about to do for the GOP.

Plus, more breaking news. New satellite images reveal a secret North Korean missile base that has the potential to hit cities across the United States. So how much help is Kim getting from Putin on this?

And an OUTFRONT investigation tonight. One brave doctor's rant against insurance companies goes viral. And now wait until you see the blowback.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, payback. Governor Gavin Newsom of California taking on Trump. The governor is about to speak any moment after California just paved the way for Democrats to add five congressional seats. That magic number five, right, lawmakers just passing a proposal to change the map in California.

Gavin Newsom saying he is, quote, fighting fire with fire, as Texas, of course, is moments away from passing a GOP plan to add five GOP seats.

And this is why the stakes could not be higher. And for Newsom and Democrats across the country, this fight is not just about California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: It's all at stake. It's happening in real time. People need to wake up, need to open their eyes. He's rigging the '26 election before one vote is even cast. He's going after redistricting, not just mid-decade, but he's also talking about who should be included in the next census across the spectrum. These are acts of authoritarianism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: All right. Now, speaking bluntly like that has made Newsom a hero among many in his own party. He's even flat out mocking Trump, using his own social media strategy, writing in all caps, well, wow. My best. The best maps ever made will soon pass in the greatest legislature anywhere in the world. Not just America. These are perfect, beautiful maps, better than Columbus, better than Google maps, better than Apple maps. Sorry, Tim, no gold bar for me, but I still love you. The golden era begins in the Golden State, all because of me. Signed GCN. Of course. His initials, just like Trump.

And that's not all. Newsom also posting, today, we will make the maps great again. And when you see it, it may sound funny. Maybe you think it sounds funny, maybe you don't like it. But just like many of Trump's posts, it is no laughing matter. You laugh and then you say, wait a minute, this is real.

Trump and his supporters believe that he is starting a movement across the country to gain Republican seats, redrawing maps in every single state that they can.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TODD STARNES, HOST OF "TODD STARNES SHOW": Now we understand Missouri may be looking at doing the same thing.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And, and Indiana and Florida, maybe. I think Ron DeSantis is going to do it, too.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BURNETT: So, for Newsom, he's taking a different strategy than other Democrats. When the Republicans go the way they go, if they're going to go low, well, so what? It's best to let Newsom speak for himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWSOM: We're fighting fire with fire. We're going to punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Well, Steve Contorno is OUTFRONT live in Sacramento, California. Of course, we are waiting Governor Newsom to speak live any moment from now, Steve.

So, this is a crucial moment. California state senator speaking. Now, this bill has passed there in the Senate so that that would if this all plays out through voters, five additional Democratic seats would be added in the state of California. What is the latest right now?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, state lawmakers right now making very clear that they didn't start this fight, but they are happy to get into the fight. And they passed these new maps. And Governor Newsom is expected to sign them at any moment. But let's be clear, this is the beginning of a very long fight in California. That is because we still need voters to approve these maps, and they will have the chance to do so on November 4th. Newsom and Democrats are on one side asking them to give them the power to override the constitutionally mandated Independent Redistricting Commission and let them draw these Democratic favoring maps themselves.

Republicans will be joined by the former governor of the state, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others who say two wrongs do not make a right and voters should reject this amendment. We expect this to be an incredibly expensive battle. In fact, talking to both sides, they think when it's all said and done, more money will be spent in California on this question for voters than in any political contest across the country.

[19:05:05]

In fact, just moments ago, Newsom's political team telling me that they have raised $6.2 million in just the last week alone from more than 200,000 donations, showing there's a lot of energy for this fight.

BURNETT: That's pretty incredible, $6.2 million in just these days.

All right, Steve, thank you very much.

And I said that the governor of California will be speaking momentarily as he signs this. Let's listen in to Gavin Newsom here.

NEWSOM: Japanese were interned and bused in Little Tokyo last week in Los Angeles were sent right there in front of the Democracy Center, as we kicked off this effort. That's a preview of things to come all across the United States of America. Mark my word.

Just as we let folks know what was going to happen in other cities, what is happening in Washington, D.C.? We said two months ago, Los Angeles is a preview of things to come with the federalization of the National Guard with the militarization of the streets of America. And I'll remind you, Donald Trump never sent the military, active duty military in his first term. Or now, even in his second term, anywhere overseas. He sent them to a United States City. They remain federalized National Guard.

Interestingly, through election day, $175 billion in the bill that was just signed to reinforce the ranks of ICE homeland security for what is increasingly becoming self-evident to anyone with eyes wide open and any level of objectivity. A private army for Donald Trump. Owing an oath only to him, not the Constitution of the United States.

You just heard from the speaker that vote in mail ballots are being threatened by the president of United States, 80 percent of Californians, no coincidence, 80 percent submitted their ballots in the last election, 86 percent in 2022, 88 in 2020.

He's trying to rig the election. He's trying to set up the conditions where he can claim that the elections were not won fair and square. Open your eyes to what is going on in the United States of America in 2025. That's what this is about. We're responding what occurred in Texas, we're neutralizing what

occurred, and we're giving the American people a fair chance because when all things are equal, we're all playing by the same set of rules. There's no question that the Republican Party will be the minority party in the House of Representatives next year.

We'll be transitioning, and I'll close from this process that has unfolded over the course of the last few weeks to the campaign. After I signed these two pieces of legislation establishing a special session and --

BURNETT: Listening to the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, very clear, saying that what they just did in California, a signing to get those five additional Democratic seats on map, redistricting is neutralizing what happened in Texas. But perhaps the strongest words were referring to what President Trump is doing now in Washington, D.C., and of course, we were on the ground in L.A. when the national guard was there. He is referring to that as a private army now of Donald Trump.

Jamal Simmons is here with me, along with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Mimi -- Mimi Rocah is also with us. Sorry, Mimi, former district attorney for Westchester County in New York.

And I appreciate all of you.

Jamal, hearing Gavin Newsom, you know, right there, we were talking about how he's using -- he's calling it like he sees it in his words, in his view, if you keep your -- if you open your eyes, you will see this. And saying that this is I thought the words they're a private army were very strong. But taking on, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who says to he's signing the bill right now, signing the bill here.

So, we'll watch that as you're talking. Two, two wrongs don't make a right, says Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, by the way, is one of the biggest and fiercest Trump critics around.

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's right.

BURNETT: But Newsom says, yes, they do. This is about neutralizing.

SIMMONS: It is. What's happening right now, Erin, is that Democrats are fighting back in a way that a lot of Democratic voters want them to.

You know, you see these national polls that say, even though Democrats don't like the idea of political redistricting, they know we have to do something. The Democratic governors have to do something to push back in the fight for it.

You know, a lot of Democrats have been reforming themselves into this corner because we tried to get politics out of redistricting. And so now you've got these extra hurdles that Democratic governors have to jump in order to get this back on the ballot and get this done in Republican states. That's not true, because the Republicans didn't really go through independent redistricting commissions in the same way Democrats did.

[19:10:07]

BURNETT: So, Governor Pawlenty, when you hear Gavin Newsom speak there -- he is. And I think this is interesting because he was the guy doing a podcast talking to Steve Bannon and saying, the solution here is to talk to the other side. And he did that. And maybe some agree with him on that. He didn't feel it was working. And so, he said, you know what, I'm going to try something different. And so, he is.

And so, you heard how he spoke a private army of Donald Trump, that he is signing this because you got to open your eyes and see what's happening in this country. It's about rigging the next election.

Earlier today, he said a couple of things, I think that are worth playing in that vein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWSOM: If you're going up against an opponent that is not playing by the rules, that's cheating. It's malpractice not to do something about that. This guy doesn't play by any rules, Donald Trump. It's the rule of Don, not the rule of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Will this work, Governor?

TIM PAWLENTY (R), FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: Well, on the -- on the political and legal side, Erin, of course, there was a 2019 Supreme Court decision which said its legal to redistrict for political means and political objectives. So that's going to be litigated. And the other side of that argument is going to be these districts were drawn with some sort of racial discriminatory intention or impact.

But beyond the legalities of it, this is going to work in Texas. They are going to pass this bill, already have. And same in California.

And just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. I wish they weren't doing it, but they are. And you're going to see more of it in other states. It's unfortunate, but unfortunately, we are just in a bare knuckle political environment. And Gavin Newsom has picked up the gloves.

BURNETT: Right? I mean, you know, yes, there's Arnold Schwarzenegger saying two wrongs don't make a right. And then there's, well, if somebody is going to do something, what are you going to do about it?

Mimi, I mean, I guess the question for Democrats is whether the Democratic seats in California will actually happen in hold. I mean, first of all, this is essentially signed and sealed, because of the way the California electorate breaks out. But it does have to be approved by voters in November. And then there's just the legality itself.

So, is this a done deal? Five more seats in California for Democrats? MIMI ROCAH, FORMER WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well, I mean, I think as, everyone has said here, you know, the Supreme Court basically took itself out of this, right? They washed their hands of this, said, this is up to each state. And in California, there is an additional hurdle, whether as a political matter, they can get this passed now by the voters. As you said, there'll be an expensive campaign to do so.

But, you know, we're going to see this in state after state, and that all goes back to, once again, the Supreme Court saying we're taking federal limits out of this. You can't really litigate this anymore. The limits of redistricting in the federal court, unless they're sort of racial bias can be shown.

And so, you know, I think, I think as everyone has said, I mean, this is going to be a state by state fight now for better or worse.

BURNETT: Well, I guess you see the ugly side. You see the ugly side of everybody in it, Jamal.

But Trump and Newsom, it has really become about two people now fighting on this. I mean, right, when we talk about Texas, it wasn't Governor Abbott that became the face of it, even though obviously he's instrumental in Texas adding five GOP seats.

Trump saying Gavin Newsom is way down the polls. He's viewed as the man who is destroying the once great state of California. I will save California, President DJT. That's why Newsom signs GCN. Newsom's office responded with snowflake emojis.

And then, a bit ago, in Trump style all caps, Today, we will make the maps great again.

And you're laughing.

SIMMONS: And I'm laughing.

BURNETT: I mean, I would hope people can laugh except for then you say, wait a minute, this is real.

SIMMONS: Yeah.

BURNETT: These are people who really have these jobs, who really have this power, and this is what they're doing.

SIMMONS: Erin, 100 years from now, none of us are going to be proud of this, right? This is a moment in American history that I think we're all going to look back at and say, what were they thinking when the world was having all these major tectonic shifts at the same time?

And here you have the president, United States, the governor of one of the largest states in the country, both tweeting at each other like a bunch of middle schoolers. I think what Democrats like about Gavin Newsom, he's capturing their hearts and minds is because he's fighting back. And Democrats felt like they were on the mat for a long time. BURNETT: With his -- with his exclamation points and his DJT. And

thank you for attention to this matter. He's going to post it whether someone responds or not. So, in that sense, all Newsom is doing is saying, okay, fine.

SIMMONS: And what Gavin is showing is that he won't be embarrassed, right? Like you can't embarrass him every time Trump attacks him, he just returns the attack in some other way. And that's one of the tricks in this era, in this big MMA reality TV on TikTok fight that were having in politics is you can't be embarrassed. You got to get in the fight, get in the fray.

And if you look at Newsom and you look at what happened with the Democratic candidate in New York, Mamdani, they're not -- they're not shying away from the fight and they're being very plain in how they communicate.

BURNETT: They're not shying away, and they're not afraid of taking the fire.

SIMMONS: That's right.

BURNETT: I mean, Governor Pawlenty, that that is an interesting thing here. Not that that success is measured by social media, but it is a measure for Trump, right? Certainly.

The governor press office account for Newsom has seen an increase of more than a quarter million followers. There's been more than a quarter billion views or impressions, a quarter billion views or impressions. Okay. And maybe Trump's clicked on it several times, but, you know, it doesn't add up to that.

Could Newsom have hit a vein here? No matter how embarrassed people may be of this moment, governor, in this moment, could he have hit a real vein in social media?

PAWLENTY: Yes. In fact, you know, I don't agree with Governor Newsom's policies, but I have to acknowledge he is a very gifted and energetic communicator. And this is a feeling of void, because the Democratic Party as Jamal just mentioned, was looking for a more singular voice, somebody who could stand above the chatter and take on Donald Trump.

And Gavin Newsom has picked up that mantle, and he's also gifted, or his team is on social media and he's got a next generation feel to him. So, this gives him relative advantage in the early months of what's going to be a presidential campaign for him in most people's eyes.

BURNETT: Mimi, there's something else breaking right now that I want to get your opinion on. This is important. A federal judge just ruling that Trump's former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, people may know her. I'll put her face up in case you don't, Alina Habba is not legally serving as the acting U.S. attorney for the state of New Jersey.

Now, her 120-day term expired about a month ago, and judges replaced her with a veteran prosecutor. Then the DOJ came in, fired her replacement. They put Habba back in, said no, she is the one. She is the U.S. attorney for the state of New Jersey.

How significant is this ruling? She is obviously somebody that has been front and center, literally next to Trump.

ROCAH: Yeah, I think it's very significant because it goes into a small but important group of court rulings that show the limits of this. We can do anything we can type of government, that the Trump administration is trying to run, whether you agree with their politics, whether you like Habba or not, thinks she's qualified to be U.S. attorney. They didn't follow the law.

There's a statute that says that district court judges, after a certain amount of time, get to decide if there's not a Senate confirmed U.S. attorney. And they did, and they picked a nonpartisan career person. And the Trump administration just said, no, were going to do what we want anyway. And we see the limits. There will be an appeal, but we see the limits of them trying to do that.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much. Governor, Jamal, Mimi, appreciate you.

And next, Putin hitting a U.S. company in a massive strike. And you're thinking, did I just misspeak? No, I didn't, a U.S. company in a massive strike, as Trump compares himself to a former president who stood up to Russia.

Plus, breaking news, new satellite images just in revealing something incredible that North Korea has built a top secret missile base, larger than JFK, the airport in New York City, which has the potential to strike American cities across the country.

And then this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The biggest thing Republicans can do is get rid of mail-in ballots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Is Trump aware of how much those ballots helped him and Republicans win? Well, Harry Enten is aware and he'll tell us something that Trump doesn't know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:23:08]

BURNETT: Tonight, Putin mocking Trump, striking a U.S. company in Ukraine. The attack was part of one of Russia's largest on Ukraine since the start of the war. Here we were supposed to be days away from some sort of a trilateral peace deal.

The American company that was hit with Russian weapons was an electronics manufacturer called Flex. That company is headquartered in Austin, Texas. All in, 570 drones and 40 missiles were fired by Russia overnight. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy saying today that this is what he says. The true message of the attack by Putin is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Right now, the signals from Russia are frankly obscene. They're trying to wriggle out of the need to hold a meeting. They do not want to end this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Perhaps Trump is now realizing that Putin isn't listening to him, because right now, Trump is trying to save face, posting on social media these two photos. The first Trump, pointing a finger at Putin and then the second, then Vice President Richard Nixon pointing his finger at then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Now, just to put this in context, we know what Nixon was saying to the Soviet leader. Then the two had publicly sparred, repeatedly, had sparred about one of the most core things to what America is about, authoritarianism and communism versus democracy and capitalism. And you see them in that image surrounded by reporters and others in that photo.

Now, Trump has never sparred with Putin publicly. Theres been no record of that in any way. He's never referred to anything privately, and there is no press in their photo. The only other person present there is Putin's translator, that you can see. And, well, if you want to judge anything by the smirk on Putin's face, who knows if you can. But he certainly doesn't look intimidated.

And judging by the video put out by the Kremlin of the same three men the same day, around the same time, it all looked pretty friendly, right? It all looked pretty friendly in that moment.

[19:25:02]

And it is not just Putin's attack again on an American company headquartered in Austin, Texas. That is what was hit overnight. Just to think about that. Okay. An American company was hit by Putin.

It's not just that. It's not just his refusal to sit down with Zelenskyy. Thus far, despite Trump saying Putin had agreed to do so, Putin seems to be mocking all of this in another way, too.

After Trump threatened India with a 50 percent tariff for buying Russian oil, those crucial so-called secondary tariffs today. What happened? Did India cower? Well, no. Russia and India met and agreed to strengthen ties.

The top Russian diplomat in India saying, quote, if the Indian goods are facing difficulty entering U.S. markets, the Russian market will welcome Indian imports. And to top it off, Russia's foreign minister today also announcing

plans for Putin to meet with the Indian Prime Minister Modi, before the end of the year.

Well, which side is India taking?

Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT at the White House tonight.

And, Kristen, Trump trying to ramp up the rhetoric against Russia on social media today. Again, the context of one of the largest attacks on Ukraine since the war began, including on a U.S. company that's based in western Ukraine that was hit.

What's actually going on here?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erin, I mean, just to point out what he said on truth social, it's still very vague when it comes to the message that he's giving Russia. It is a veiled threat. He says essentially, Ukraine hasn't been able to hit back. That means that they can't really fight.

Clearly, they're trying to send a signal, but it is just that. It is just a signal and just a reminder here, we believed from the White House and from various leaders that by the end of this week, there was likely to be a trilateral meeting that included President Trump, President Putin and Zelenskyy. Then they changed it to the bilateral. And no one really knows where the planning in that stance.

Now, I am told that behind the scenes, the U.S. is still talking to the Russian government, to the Ukrainian government. And one of the things we've heard at length from the Russian government is, oh, these things take time. Well, of course, the White House is keeping in mind how little time it took for Putin to arrange a meeting with President Trump. In fact, it was about a week and a half once Putin sent that message through Witkoff that they could actually get on the ground in Alaska. And that was with increased security.

So, this idea that it has to take some kind of long, drawn out amount of time, it doesn't really seem realistic given what we've seen. But the truth is that the president, the administration is in somewhat of a hard place because they've taken Trump out of the trilateral and moved to this bilateral, which the Kremlin won't even say if Putin will do.

BURNETT: Yeah, yeah. And certainly has indicated that he doesn't want to. I mean. We'll see here. Kristen, thank you very much.

And now the Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal joins me. He sits on the armed services committee and here with me in New York tonight. It's great to see you in person, Senator.

So, can we just start with this? And I'm sorry I woke up in the middle of the night last night, and I was looking, and I saw that an American company had been hit by a Russian -- by -- in the Russian attack. I mean, it's stunning. This is an electronics manufacturer headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Get hits by Russia. And what? What's even happening? How should the U.S. respond?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): You know, it is absolutely mind boggling that Donald Trump continues to be played and American company hit and Vladimir Putin has to know where his missiles and drones are going. And in fact, the highest rate of hitting 600 drones and 40 missiles, killing Ukrainians every night.

So, for all the bluster and banter, all the finger pointing and rhetoric, Russia's position has barely budged. No ceasefire, no security guarantee, no one on meeting with Zelenskyy.

BURNETT: Yeah.

BLUMENTHAL: And I think it's time for a reckoning. A reality check for Donald Trump.

BURNETT: So, do you think Trump made any inroads with Putin at that summit?

BLUMENTHAL: The reality is no, because just look at what he does, not what he says. He is indeed continuing to play for time. He's prolonging the fighting. He's closing in on in Pokrovsk, Donetsk, in Russia. But he's also continuing to keep those kidnaped 20,000 children.

And I think it's time to hold him accountable as a terrorist state for those children. But Donald Trump ought to listen to the first lady when she said to him, well, you just had another nice conversation and he's just hit another city in Ukraine. I think that more arms aid and the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill imposing --

BURNETT: Bipartisan.

BLUMENTHAL: --which is 85 co-sponsors, bipartisan. It would pass by more than 90 votes if it were given a vote on the floor tomorrow.

BURNETT: More than 90 votes. And it's just a waiting still the president.

[19:30:01]

BLUMENTHAL: It's awaiting the president to give the green light to Majority Leader Thune. It's that simple.

BURNETT: And he has. He has. I just want to be clear, this has been months here that he has withheld that. And it has been an overwhelming GOP support for this bill as well as Democratic.

I want to play something that J.D. Vance said about Zelenskyy in the context of Zelenskyy coming in for this meeting this week, flanked by European leaders, right? The last time he was in the oval office was that, you know, just a shameful moment that we all had to witness.

And J.D. Vance was at the heart of that when he said, you haven't even said thank you. Here's what J.D. Vance just said about Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Zelenskyy walked into the oval office. I was chatting with him, with the president, with some of the senior Ukrainian delegation. I said, Mr. President, so long as you behave, I won't say anything. And he just chuckled a little bit. It was a good little icebreaker.

(END VIDEO CLI)

BURNETT: Look, a little icebreaker.

BLUMENTHAL: You know, this is really more about the realities on the ground for Ukraine. People are bleeding and dying making jokes about icebreakers really is so deeply offensive because Donald Trump is relying on his personality, on vanity. He's being flattered into thinking that he's making progress. And J.D. Vance talking about --

BURNETT: He said -- he was on the hot mic moment, saying that he thought that Putin wanted -- as crazy as it sounds, Putin would want to make a deal for him, for Trump.

BLUMENTHAL: And I think that's part of the delusion. It is really now time for a reality check. Not about personalities, but about seeing what Putin's plan is to re-instate the Soviet Empire that existed before and conquer Ukraine.

And the idea that a security guarantee would include the Russians putting the bank robber, in effect, in charge of the security at the bank --

BURNETT: Yeah.

BLUMENTHAL: -- taking that kind of guarantee as possibly the basis for peace is absolutely absurd. And I think that the president has around him people who simply are taking at face value the kind of delusion that the president and they are suffering.

BURNETT: Maybe Sergey Lavrov wearing his USSR T-shirt, actually said it all. I actually did not think I had to go check that three times. I didn't even want to mention it on air because I thought it had to be A.I.

I thought that an act of such silliness and such disrespect and such giving the middle finger wouldn't be real. But it was.

BLUMENTHAL: What we're seeing is a lot of magical thinking, equivalent to artificial intelligence. And we need real intelligence facing reality.

BURNETT: It's really unbelievable that that was real. All right. Thank you so much, Senator Blumenthal.

And next, new satellite images showing a top secret North Korean missile base that poses a nuclear threat to the U.S. cities. So how did Kim Jong Un pull this off? We have a special report.

Plus, an OUTFRONT investigation. A doctor who took on the insurance industry in a video that's gone viral, now says she is being punished for speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because if I have the skills and I have the place, why can't I? What's in the way? And lately, it's insurance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:37:24]

BURNETT: Breaking news, alarming new satellite images of a secret missile base in North Korea, larger than JFK airport in New York, and a potential nuclear threat to cities across America.

CNN's Will Ripley is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Buried deep in the mountains of North Korea, hidden in a secret location near the Chinese border, an arsenal of nuclear capable long- range missiles potentially capable of striking any American city.

This new report from the center for strategic and international studies in Washington, analyzing these satellite images, also obtained by CNN. The report says construction began two decades ago.

Today, the Shin Pun Dong base sprawls larger than JFK Airport, tucked into a mountain valley. Many of its entrances and facilities, camouflaged under trees.

Experts say during a crisis, launchers could roll out fire and disappear. An elusive nuclear threat, extremely difficult to effectively counter, even with advanced warning, experts say.

And while Kim Jong Un is busy building an arsenal, the North Korean leader is also building something else. His succession plan. This is the first time the world saw the young girl, believed to be Kim Ju Ae. Her father, introducing her beside a weapon meant to strike fear in his enemies.

Within a year, North Korea's top brass were kneeling before her, the kind of deference reserved for the supreme leader himself. Now, at middle school age, she's no longer the shy child, appearing in tailored suits styled like a head of state, seated ahead of her own mother and even her powerful aunt, Kim Yo-jong.

It's a striking reversal. For years, Kim's younger sister was seen as his likely heir. Now it's his daughter taking her place at the table and perhaps someday holding the keys to a growing nuclear arsenal, hidden power that defines North Korea's future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): And tonight, we have more breaking news out of North Korea. They are now openly acknowledging, Erin, that their own troops died in Russia's war in Ukraine. State media broadcasting images from a ceremony where 100 soldiers were honored, Kim Jong Un calling them heroes who brought glory to the nation.

Notably, neither Kim nor state media made any direct mention of Ukraine, Erin. Instead, they described the fighters as part of an overseas operations unit of the Korean People's Army.

BURNETT: Yeah, of course, as we know, those deaths in Ukraine.

Thank you so much, Will Ripley.

And I want to go now to Seth Jones of CSIS, which, as will just said, broke the news of this secret missile base with your and your team's work, Seth.

[19:40:03]

So, as you were reporting, construction reportedly began two decades ago. I mean, how surprised are you that the North Koreans accomplished this? Such a base with such capability and that they seemingly pulled it off in relative secrecy?

SETH JONES, PRESIDENT, DEFENSE & SECURITY DEPARTMENT, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, Erin, it is amazing. The North Koreans have taken great pains to hide a range of these facilities. They're much you know, there's a -- there's a strong rationale to do that so that the U.S. couldn't strike it, for example, preemptively.

But there has been no public indication that North Korea actually had a base that could be used to launch mobile missiles with reach of the United States. So, it is a stunning development and a real kudos to some of my colleagues at CSIS, Victor Cha, and others.

BURNETT: I mean, as you say, its stunning and its stunning that they were able to do it with no one realizing it. And to have a mobile launcher that could come out and, and, and have a missile to strike American cities, I guess in the context of what we've just said about those Ukrainian, the North Korean soldiers who died in Ukraine, right, helping Putin in his war. I know that you believe that Russia is helping the North Koreans big time behind the scenes, even on things like this base.

JONES: Yeah. Erin, I think the real concerning development, when you put this breaking news into context is not only are there a range of missile bases that are have been undisclosed, where North Korea has weapons systems that it could launch at the United States, at the continental United States, across the country, but also that it is improving its capabilities. Russia is providing missile technology to the North Koreans, and North Korea is now gaining battlefield experience. Up to 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers fighting in Russia and Ukraine with what I'm being told is a potential for another 25,000 to 30,000 more North Koreans fighting in Russia.

So, this is a country that is -- that has some battlefield experience and expanding missile capabilities. It's certainly concerning.

BURNETT: Yeah. Absolutely incredible. A stunning revelation and stunning reporting from you and Victor Cha and the team.

So, thank you very much, Seth, for sharing it with us.

And next, a doctor's rant against insurance companies going viral. But now what happened after that happened is payback. Major blowback. This is an OUTFRONT investigation, next.

And Trump doubling down on ending mail in voting. But how much would that hurt him? Harry Enten tells us something we and apparently Trump don't know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:46:57]

BURNETT: Tonight, states across the country are sounding alarms about double digit increases in insurance premiums as everyone from all political stripes from Mark Cuban to Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, rail against insurance companies calling their policy scams and rip offs. It comes as one doctor whose rant against insurance companies went viral now says her business is facing blowback, and Meena Duerson is back, tonight.

She has this OUTFRONT investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the surgical center that Dr. Elisabeth Potter started a year and a half ago in Austin, Texas, where she does reconstructive surgery for women with breast cancer.

DR. ELISABETH POTTER, SURGEON: The fact that we have this is so powerful. I have the skills. And when I have an operating room like I can really offer them to people.

You see a 390.

Because if I have the skills and I have the place, why can't I? What's in the way? And lately, it's insurance.

DUERSON: In January, Dr. Potter went viral with a video detailing her frustration over an experience with UnitedHealthcare.

POTTER: It's 2025 and insurance just keeps getting worse.

DUERSON: Now, she says she's being punished for speaking out and it's pushing her practice to the brink. POTTER: I'm scared. I spoke out against health insurance, and the

insurance company decided that my facility can't be a network, and I built an entire business plan and invested almost $5 million in in being able to be in network with insurance. I feel like crying sometimes.

DUERSON: Potter herself has long been in network with the major insurance companies as a physician, and believed it would be easy to get her center in network, too.

POTTER: I am going to pop in and see room three.

I heard insurance companies saying, hey, we want to move these really expensive cases out of the hospital and into ambulatory surgery centers. It saved the health care system money. I assumed that they would let me do this.

Hi, how are you?

DUERSON: But nearly eight months after her video got millions of views, she says several big insurers have not yet contracted with her, including UnitedHealthcare.

POTTER: After I posted that, they just went radio silent.

DUERSON: When you found out that they were not going to let you into the network, what impression did that leave you with?

POTTER: It makes me feel like the only way to succeed, or the only way to have safety as a doctor, is to play nice.

DUERSON: Is there a culture of not speaking out about insurance?

POTTER: Oh, gosh. Yes. Theres a huge problem where you're not allowed to say negative things about insurance companies, or you'll get penalized.

DUERSON: A spokesperson for United says the company told Dr. Potter in October of 2024, quote, well before she posted any videos that it was not accepting new surgery centers like hers into its network.

POTTER: Okay, we'll be in contact soon. Thank you.

DUERSON: But industry experts we spoke with said that isn't usually the end of the conversation.

So, when you enter these negotiations with an insurance company, is it fairly common to hear no, this network is closed?

ARMANDO CARDOSO, CEO, PAYR HEALTH: Absolutely. The insurance company will say no often. That's just the start of a negotiation.

DUERSON: As the CEO of Payr Health, Armando Cardoso's job is helping doctors like Potter negotiate these contracts. Though he declined to speak to the specifics of her case. His company has been handling her conversations with insurers, including United. [19:50:07]

How much of an impact does it have, you know, if someone is able to get in or out of a network?

CARDOSO: It's a huge impact. It's a big chunk of your business that you're not going to be able to access.

DUERSON: United told CNN that after its initial decision, there were no ongoing negotiations with Dr. Potter and said, we aren't penalizing her for anything.

The insurance company added it has 33 in-network ambulatory surgical centers in her county, noting clearly in the Austin area, there are sufficient options for our members.

In July, Dr. Potter began to face the financial reality of what it would mean for her facility to not be allowed in network.

POTTER: This is all happening because of a doctor speaking out.

That week was really hard. We were running out of money really bad. You know, we'd emptied our savings. My husband cashed in his 401(k) so we could make payroll.

DUERSON: She took to social media.

POTTER: I am checking in today asking for help.

DUERSON: Her fans rallied around her, raising over $700,000.

POTTER: People are sending me $20 bills just people. Just random from Oregon. Just I believe in you. Like, no, it's crazy.

The other night I woke up and I had an email from -- I'm going to cry. Okay. The other night I had an email from a dad whose son has cancer, and he said, thank you for doing what you're doing. And I want you to know that I have to explain to my son why the grownups have decided that the medicine that was working so well for him were not going to do that one anymore. And I lie to my son, and I tell him this new medicine is better. And I know that the old medicine was better, but his insurance company has decided he can't have it anymore, so keep fighting, please.

DUERSON: She's still pursuing conversations with other major insurers. Donations have helped buy her a few extra months, but she says it costs $100,000 a month to stay open.

POTTER: I just can't let them win. I'm here for whatever needs to happen, but I'm not going down behind insurance.

DUERSON: Meena Duerson, CNN, Austin, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: Wow, what an incredible report that was. Well, next, Trump says he wants to end mail-in voting, but find out

why that would actually hurt him and the GOP.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:08]

BURNETT: Tonight, biting the hand that feeds him. President Trump, seemingly unaware that he has benefited massively from mail-in voting, but he is doubling down on getting rid of it altogether. Posting on his own social media website, quote, end mail-in voting and go to paper ballots, 100 additional seats will go to Republicans.

Okay, okay. Well, anyway, it didn't stop there.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our elections are extremely corrupt. The mail in ballots, the system is so corrupt. The biggest thing Republicans can do is get rid of mail in ballots. I have states where I won by massive amounts, but they still cheat. Everybody cheats with mail in ballots.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BURNETT: All right. Harry Enten is OUTFRONT to tell us something we don't know.

Okay, so let's start with something Trump himself appears to not know, which is, when he. How much has Trump himself benefited from mail-in voting?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah, bro. What are you doing? What are you doing? The reason he won in 2024 was because he massively outperformed his 2020 performance with mail in voting.

The Pew Research Center validated survey. What are we talking about? His margin was nine points better in 2024 versus 2020 among mail-in votes. He actually did worse -- he did worse with in-person votes. If we only had kept everything steady in terms of the mail-in voting, he would have lost in 2024.

But instead, because he massively outperformed his 2020 baseline, he won.

BURNETT: So is he saying that he cheated? I mean, I'm just getting confused here.

ENTEN: I don't know --

BURNETT: He says cheating if they win with mail. Okay.

So, he won with mail-in voting. He would have lost without it. So that's something that he apparently seems to not know.

So, do other Republicans know this? Do Republicans agree with him that mail-in voting is corrupt and horrible? ENTEN: No, no, no, no. In fact, one of the key things to point out is

compare the 2024 election again after the 2020 election. What do we see in terms of Republicans who believe that the vote by mail count is accurate. In 2024, look at that rise. Look at that rise from 2020 was just 19 percent. You jump ahead to 2024. It was 72 percent.

And of course, a key component of the 2024 victory was Republicans actually went out and tried to cultivate a mail-in vote, and it paid off for them with a Donald Trump victory and a Republican Congress.

BURNETT: I guess you think it's all fair and square when you win. Maybe that's a little bit of that, too.

Okay.

ENTEN: Yeah.

BURNETT: Tell me. I did not know that margin on the mail-in voting about Trump, because you've already told me something I don't know. Can I get a bonus, something.

ENTEN: You can get a bonus, something that you don't know. And also tell President Trump something that he didn't know as well. And that is go back to the 2000 election. Remember Florida, Florida, Florida.

And why did George W. Bush win in Florida? He won because of his massive margin among mail-in votes. He was able to win that by about 125,000, barely overcoming Al Gore's margin in in-person voting of about 124,000.

BURNETT: Wow.

ENTEN: So, historically speaking, mail-in votes actually benefited Republicans until Donald Trump, of course, came along and bashed it.

BURNETT: Even though they helped him win it.

ENTEN: Even though they helped him win it.

BURNETT: It's amazing.

ENTEN: Unbelievable.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you so much, Harry.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BURNETT: And thanks so much to all of you, as always.

Anderson starts now.