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Erin Burnett Outfront
Now: U.S. Unleashes New Round Of Strikes In Iran; At Any Moment: Platner Speaks To Staff, Could Exit Race Tonight; Report: Trump Raking In Millions In Mideast Licensing Deals. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired July 08, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:21]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, the United States launching new strikes against Iran, as Trump says the ceasefire is over and threatens a ground invasion of Kharg Island. We're live on the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea with our team, also live in Tehran.
Plus, the Islamic Republic of Japan? Trump, stumbling at a press conference today with a number of headline grabbers, including confusing Zelenskyy and Putin. So, what happened?
And a conflict of interest? Trump's foreign licensing business growing 900 percent since he returned to the White House, according to "Forbes". Where is that money coming from and why?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, new explosions rocking Iran tonight as President Trump ordered U.S. forces to strike Iranian targets along the Strait of Hormuz. We've got new video of a massive explosion in one coastal city.
President Trump posting several other images and videos of explosions like this one. And it's unclear where and when. Most of these are from. But take a look at this specific image, which Trump posted.
He included this caption with it. So, you look at the image there, he wrote, "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse."
Well, this is confusing, right? Because he says that this image is in retribution for yesterday. But we can tell you that that image is actually an altered image from what appears to be an Israeli strike in June of last year. So, there's a lot of confusion about what's being posted and the accuracy.
But in a moment, we're going to take you to the ground, live to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Oman, vital to the strikes. And you can see our Pamela Brown there. She is reporting there live.
And as the U.S. waits for Iran to retaliate for these strikes, the U.N. secretary general is speaking out, warning that the world is now teetering on the brink of catastrophe after Trump has once again threatened a ground military invasion of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Maybe we'll take over at Kharg Island. We may take over Kharg Island. There's not a thing they can do about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Tonight, strikes follow a series of insults leveled at Iran by the president today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum.
They're sick people. They're led by sick people. And they're vicious, violent people.
I think they're a little loco. They're a little crazy. I have to make sure of one thing that we don't have lunatics having control over nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So today, he said they're scum and they're vicious and violent. The reason that that is jarring is that this is what he said just a few days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people. I think actually they're smarter than the first and second group, but they're not radicalized and they're -- you know, looking to help their country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So those swings, when it comes to Trump's rhetoric and what he's saying about Iran, do raise important questions.
Just listen to this exchange between Trump and a European journalist today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: The Iran war seems to be a strategic dead end for you. Why are you apparently unable to end the Iran war? TRUMP: So, I think we're doing just the opposite. The Iran war has
been a tremendous military success. And, you know, I can only answer the question by saying they're not going to have a nuclear weapon.
Their air force is gone. As I said, their ships are gone, 159 ships are gone. They're at the bottom of the sea. Their radars gone. Everything's gone.
So, when you say not a success, it's a tremendous success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, among other things, we do know from Seth Jones, CSIS, OUTFRONT analyst, that Iran still has about 70 percent of its pre-war missile stockpile and about 70 percent of its launchers.
As for Trump's claims about Iran's nuclear weapons, it is completely unclear what has actually been accomplished on that front.
And as the strikes continue tonight, the president is now flying home back to the United States from the NATO summit in Turkey.
Why do I mention that? Because he is not flying on his new presidential jet from Qatar, right? That's the one that he flew. And he was talking about.
No, he actually is not on that. He is on the old Air Force One. How come?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's flying to Europe to one of the big bases -- two or three of the big bases where we can show it to the people and we'll be going home by normal methods.
[19:05:03]
But we -- we have it going to Europe to a couple of bases, actually one in particular, but it's going to go to a couple of bases stop so the soldiers can see it because it's truly magnificent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, he says he's taking the old one so that the new magnificent one can be seen by soldiers. Well, one source familiar with the matter is privately raising concerns about the aircraft's capabilities in international settings, which is an interesting thing to raise at this point, simply because it is very clear that security is on Trump's mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm number one on the kill list for Iran. They're lovely people. I'm number one.
I may be gone, too, because I'm their number one target. It's out all over the place. I'm their number one because they're scum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. As I said, Pamela Brown is the first American journalist reporting live from one of the key U.S. ships near Iran aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier that's in the Gulf of Oman.
So, you can see it on the map there. And you can see Pam.
So, Pam, Trump threatening more strikes. What are you learning?
PAM BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I spoke to a U.S. official tonight with knowledge of these military strikes. And I'm told that it's a very dynamic situation, Erin, that there could be more strikes. Right now, the military is in a wait and see mode. But you see here behind me, there's a lot of activity on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
It is two in the morning here. And you see maintenance workers on top of this helicopter working hard. They've been at it for hours. Over here, you have an F-18, they've been doing maintenance on this fighter jet as well.
And of course, all of this getting these planes ready to go, these aircraft ready to go. It's taking on new meaning given this environment we've been in, with the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the concern of more strikes.
I'm told by this U.S. official I spoke to tonight that the second round of strikes included more targets in Iran with ballistic missiles, as well as drones and things around the Strait of Hormuz that was threatening shipping.
But of course, Iran still has capabilities. And here on the USS Abraham Lincoln, we are expecting flight operations tomorrow. Now, right now, I'm told they're defensive in nature, but that could quickly change to offensive in nature.
It could just change within the minute, Erin. That's how dynamic things here are on the ship.
BURNETT: All right. So, Pam, when Trump mentioned the USS Abraham Lincoln, right, where you're standing, he mentioned that it's been attacked multiple times, okay? What are sailors on board telling you about that?
BROWN: Well, I can confirm in talking to sailors on board as well as the captain of the ship, there have been multiple targets -- threats from Iran to this ship since the beginning of this war. And that includes ballistic missiles. That includes drones. At one point, there was a swarm of drones, around a dozen that they took down.
And of course, as you know, Erin, part of the war strategy from Iran is this sort of budget mismatch to use drones that are only thousands of dollars, maybe $30,000 against multimillion dollar weapons that are used to take these drones down. So that has been part of the strategy. (AUDIO GAP) I'm told that Iran has around dozen of reaching the USS Abraham Lincoln. They have forced the military to use its own weapons against them.
I asked the captain of this ship about the threats here, and this is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The president today said that there have been many attacks against the Abraham Lincoln. I wonder what you can tell us about the attacks you have fended off, what you've seen.
CAPT. DANIEL KEELER, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN COMMANDING OFFICER: Yes. Since we've gotten here. Clearly, during Epic Fury, they -- you know, the Iranians were looking for opportunities to attack this ship. I think we're very well-defended. They don't get close.
BROWN: So, when the president says either this will happen or we finish the job, what does he mean do you think by "finish the job"?
KEELER: You'd have to ask him.
BROWN: Okay.
KEELER: There's clearly still targets that are out there that we could go after. And it's just a matter of if he orders us to do it or not. How far that goes that political leaders, but as a commanding -- my orders and execute the ones that I'm giving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And I've been asking sailors here on board what they think about this. They've already been at sea since this past November. It's the longest appointment in terms of consecutive days at sea on record, they tell me.
And they say, look, it is exhausting. It is tiring. But at this point, they basically feel numb. There's been so much change and pivoting.
They're ready to go. They're unfazed by these latest turn of events. And if they need to go into a more aggressive posture with offensive strikes, they're ready, Erin.
[19:10:02]
BURNETT: All right. Pam, thank you very much. As I said, Pamela right now in the Gulf of Oman on that carrier.
Thank you so much, Pam.
And now let's go to Tehran. Fred Pleitgen, as you know, is there. And I will note, as I always do, so we could be very transparent here, CNN does operate in Iran with the permission of the government, but we maintain full editorial control. So, Fred, what is the latest that is happening on the ground there as
we're hearing these, not just new strikes, but also another about-face in the rhetoric from the U.S. president with Trump calling the Iranian leader scum.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that certainly didn't go down very well here in Iran, Erin. One of the things that we've heard from Iran's foreign minister, he called that language vulgar when a senior Iranian official that I spoke to called the language disgusting, used by the U.S. president.
But, of course, the Iranians are saying language is one thing, but the actions of the United States are very much another thing. And that's something where I think Pamela used the word dynamic. And that certainly seems to be what's going on there, especially in the coastal areas in the south of Iran.
First of all, here in Tehran, everything is quiet. So, it seems as those kinetic operations, those U.S. strikes, really confined once again to the south of Iran. But there, it really seems to be broader than we have seen, for instance, yesterday when we saw those strikes. Yesterday, of course, most of that was confined to the Strait of Hormuz. But now, for instance, explosions are being reported around the town of Bushehr, where there is a nuclear power plant, but apparently that has not been hit. There are also some military bases there, all the way to the southern area, the eastern area of Iran, near the border with Pakistan.
So even well outside the Strait of Hormuz, it seems as though there are explosions that are happening and possibly strikes taking place, so they certainly seem to be broader than what we have seen yesterday and what we've also seen in these past skirmishes over the past couple of weeks. One of the things that the Iranians also are zeroing in on, and it's really interesting, Erin, that you mentioned this before, was the president talking about a possible ground operation to take Kharg Island.
Kharg Island, of course, also off the Persian Gulf Coast, and it is Iran's most important oil export facility. The Iranians are saying, several high-level Iranian politicians coming out and saying they are ready and would be a bloody endeavor if the U.S. tries to take that island -- Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah. All right, Fred, thank you very much. On the ground, as you can see, in Tehran, 2:42 a.m.
I want to go now to Robert Kagan, top foreign policy expert. He's written extensively on Iran, contributing writer at "The Atlantic".
All right, Robert, I'm really glad to be speaking with you again tonight. So, U.S. striking Iran. The ceasefire, such that it even was, is obviously not a thing. Trump is again threatening a ground invasion and Iranian leaders. He's posted a few videos which appear to show damage from strikes, but as I indicated, we can't independently verify those videos. So how much worse do you think Trump is willing to make this right
now, Robert? I mean, how much of this is bluster? How much of it's real?
ROBERT KAGAN, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Well, I mean, for the last four months, it's all been bluster. So I suppose that, you know, this time it could be real, but I think that the same factors that have been preventing Trump from escalating this war are still operative. One is there's no certainty that merely bombing Iran a few more times is going to make any difference to their calculations. After all, we bombed them for 37 days of nonstop strikes, and that did not prevent them from seizing the Strait of Hormuz and surviving.
So, I don't know what these tit-for-tat strikes are going to do. And, you know, if he wants to invade Kharg Island, military experts are very clear that that will lead to American casualties. And so, the question is, does he want American casualties? He balked at it before, and as we, you know, we're a few weeks closer to the election. We're a few weeks potentially closer to an economic calamity if this continues.
So, I just don't know why anything has really changed. We lost this war four months ago, and we're just seeing that play out right now, as far as I'm concerned.
BURNETT: So, in terms of what Trump is saying about the Iranian leadership, okay, there's whiplash here. I want to play again, Robert, some of what he said about the Iranian -- current Iranian regime leadership today compared to what he said about the same people three weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people. And they're vicious, violent people.
They were nice to deal with. There was strong people, smart people. I think actually they're smarter than the first and second group, but they're not radicalized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, obviously, three weeks ago, Robert, people knew full well that Iran's new regime was more hardline than the regime it replaced, right?
[19:15:07]
And that was known.
So, what do you attribute Trump's sudden swing and rhetoric to?
KAGAN: The man just says whatever he needs to say to get through the day or even to get through the minute. So when everybody was criticizing him for making a deal with this Iranian regime, which is a very hardline regime run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, you know, he says, "No, no, no, they're good to work with. And then, when they make it clear that they're still insisting on holding the Strait of Hormuz and not making any concessions on nuclear weapons, then all of a sudden, they're scum.
Tomorrow, they could be wonderful guys again if we go back to the table. So, I just find it very hard to take anything Trump says very seriously. There's not a lot of actually honest, you know, assessment going on here. He's just getting through the day.
BURNETT: Robert Kagan, thank you very much. I always appreciate speaking with you.
And next, we do have breaking news. Democrats are furious because Graham Platner, guess what? He is still in the race. He's not officially announced he's out. Now, sources say he could make an announcement as early as tonight.
Maine Secretary of State, she's seriously considering entering the race to replace Platner. She is our guest next.
And President Trump making a number of gaffes while on the world stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Do you have a question for President Putin, please?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And an update tonight on Ivanka Trump's controversial plans to build a billion-dollar luxury resort on pristine land. It's been the focus of massive protests. "The New York Times" has new images of the project's effect so far.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:20:56]
BURNETT: Breaking news, Graham Platner expected to speak with his campaign staff tonight, likely addressing the fate of his campaign. Democrats are furious as Platner has not yet said he's dropping out of the Maine Senate race 48 hours after being accused of rape, an allegation which he denies.
The clock, though, is ticking. He's got to get out by Monday if he's getting out, and then that would give whoever's picked fewer than 100 days to try to top Senator Susan Collins. This is a must-win election for Democrats to take back control of the Senate.
Maine's Democratic Party blasting Platner's campaign tonight, saying it, quote, "remains focused on distracting from the job of defeating Susan Collins" and accusing Platner's campaign of continued efforts to manipulate the process of choosing his own replacement.
Arlette Saenz is OUTFRONT live in Maine tonight.
So, Arlette, what is the holdup here?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, Graham Platner and a small team of advisers have been trying to navigate his exit strategy from this campaign, while also trying to argue that his supporters should have a say in how the next process would play out if he were to drop out and Democrats need to find a replacement.
Now Platner is expected to join a campaign call with staff at some point this evening. We don't have an exact time, and it's expected that he could release a video detailing the future of this campaign. Potentially tonight, though, that timing could shift, but it all comes as many Democrats are basically playing this waiting game as they do anticipate Platner to bow out. At some point, we have the Maine Democratic Party working behind the scenes trying to determine what a potential nominating replacement process would look like for Platner.
And I spoke with some Maine voters who today who said they'd have some anxiety about the way that this is playing out so late in the process in the election. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM BARNETT, MAINE VOTER: Part of what's tough about it is the narrowness of the time frame and how quickly we need to kind of make that decision. And that narrowness, I think, argues in favor of him stepping down.
KYLE CRAWFORD, MAINE VOTER: He's been running a grassroots campaign for a long time to find somebody who's going to be able to deliver that same sort of a result, I guess. I mean, I'm hopeful, but also it doesn't feel realistic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, if Platner steps aside, the Maine Democratic Party would have less than three weeks to put together a process and nominate a candidate to replace him, really highlighting the time crunch that Democrats in the state are facing as this Senate race has completely become scrambled after these allegations against Platner.
But now, we are all in this wait and see period to see if Platner, in fact, will unveil the path and future of the state of his campaign in the wake of these allegations -- Erin.
BURNETT: Arlette, thank you very much, in Maine.
And I want to go now to Shenna Bellows, Maine secretary of state, who says she's seriously considering entering the race to replace Platner.
So, Secretary Bellows, I appreciate your time.
OK, why do you -- what do you think is happening here? What is the holdup for Graham Platner?
SHENNA BELLOWS (D), MAINE SECRETARY OF STATE: This is all moved very quickly. I'm confident, given the nature of these serious allegations, that Graham Platner will withdraw. And I'm confident that the Maine Democratic Party will unite behind a candidate who can bring the movement to the next level and beat Susan Collins, because the stakes are so high.
It's about whether Donald Trump controls the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Senate continues to bow down to everything that he's trying to do, or whether we have a real movement for change to stand up to the billionaires and the massive corporations who are ruining this country and protect our democracy. I think we can do that.
BURNETT: Okay, so the Maine Democratic Party has accused Platner's campaign basically of stalling here over these past days to influence the process, right, to influence the pick of who's going to replace him. Here they are.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEVON MURPHY-ANDERSON, MAINE DEMOCRATIC PARTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Unfortunately, Graham Platner's team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:25:08]
BURNETT: I'm curious, Secretary, how you see this. I mean, Graham Platner ran. There were a lot of allegations, serious allegations, about him before the actual primary.
He won the primary. His name is the one on the ballot. There's not even the talk about having a whole other primary again. That can't happen. So, whatever happens in these next few weeks is not that. So, does that mean he should have any say in who replaces him?
BELLOWS: So I think we need to take a beat and remember that this is about Jenny Racicot and these serious allegations of sexual assault. Survivors of sexual assault need to be heard and respected. And that is why Graham Platner must withdraw. And I think he will.
But he also ignited a powerful movement. He had thousands of volunteers who were really excited about seeing change in Washington, who were sick of a weak Senate, not standing up to Trump, not fighting for working class people.
And I think it's really important that that movement be carried forward. We need a candidate with backbone who can unite that party together and Maine voters. And I think I'm the best person to beat Susan Collins in November.
BURNETT: OK, so that's very clear. You answered of my questions, which is, are you leaning towards it? You just did, okay? So that is very loud and clear. You want to be that candidate.
President Trump was just asked, Secretary, a couple moments ago about Platner, and he commented. I just wanted to play for you what he said, in light of what you just said about the women who are accusing him of assault. Here's the president.
(BEGN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's very interesting. When a Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed him. When this woman came out, everybody believed him, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, Secretary, the earlier allegation was about an arm twisting and leaving mark, so it wasn't the exact same charge. It was, however, disturbing. It was unsettling, as it was described. But what do you say to the president about what he's saying, which is that the woman who's accusing him now of actual rape does believe in Graham Platner's politics, is a Democrat, and that is the allegation which appears to have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
BELLOWS: This president, who's been engaged in assault on a woman and found guilty in court, has no right to weigh in on this race, and we will defeat him in November.
BURNETT: And one final question to you. You've said you want to run and that you're the one to beat Susan Collins. Do you have confidence in the process? I mean, I've heard discussion among Democratic leaders in Washington that, you know, maybe there would be a local, state, Maine, delegates, sort of a conference, you know, a convention where they would get together and make a choice. Do you feel that you have a fair shot, that whatever this process is, is going to be fair?
BELLOWS: So, I want to be clear that I'm seriously considering it, but I think what is important is winning in November. And I think that the party is going to unite around the person who is best prepared to take the movement forward to fight for working-class people.
Now, I grew up in Downeast Maine, the daughter of a carpenter. I'm from the working class. I've won a state Senate district that voted for Trump and voted for me. And as Secretary of State, I've been standing up to Trump, protecting democracy and fighting to protect our elections.
So, I believe I have the experience to do that, and I do think that this process will be open and transparent and fair. And I think that we will be united in winning in November.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Secretary, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. And I do just want to clarify, President Trump was found guilty of sexual abuse. And thank you very much.
Next, President Trump was just asked why reporters had to shut their window shades on Air Force One when taking off. His response, it's a dangerous flight. What's going on?
Plus, President Trump's foreign licensing business pulling in more than $60 million last year, according to Forbes. So, where is that money coming from?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:33:13]
BURNETT: Tonight, a gaffe-filled -- a series of press comments. Those are the words being used to describe what President Trump said today at the NATO summit in Turkey, including a press conference where Trump appeared to confuse the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was sitting next to him, with Vladimir Putin.
(BERGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Do you have a question for President Putin, please? Do you have a question for President Putin? Not -- President Putin. What would you like to ask him? Because I'm going to ask him that question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Trump is also being called out for this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So I was saying, we have an aircraft carrier, which is one of the most beautiful in the world. It's one of the biggest, the Abraham Lincoln. And two months ago, we had a hundred -- I told this story yesterday -- we had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan. They were shot at the aircraft carrier over a period of about one hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So just what you heard there was, he said, the Islamic Republic of Japan. And then Trump more than once today mixed up the social media platform TikTok with the breath mints.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And the numbers came out yesterday. You know who's number one on TikTok? I am. I'm number one on TikTok. And all I talk about is how bad communism is, right?
When they say Social Democrats, we're Social Democrats, it sounds so nice. It's not nice. It's a very dangerous term.
So I do talk about it, and I talk about it on TikTok, and I talk about it everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, quote, President Trump delivered a marathon, high-energy performance at the NATO summit, holding four separate press availabilities, plus a solo press conference, and taking unscripted questions from reporters on a wide range of topics.
Former Senator Barbara Boxer and Paul Rykoff are both OUTFRONT. So, Senator, it's true, there was a lot of press availability. It's
true, time changes are brutal, the travel schedule is brutal. Does all that add up to making those stumbles, word confusions normal?
BARBARA BOXER (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: No, something is very wrong with this situation. He's tired, he falls asleep at meetings, he calls people by the wrong name, he doesn't seem to know where he is, people have to escort him around.
This is problematic. And, you know, Karoline Leavitt just-- she would defend him if she caught him with a knife and someone bleeding on the floor and blood all over his hands. She'd come up with something that he was, you know, saving a person from a heart attack.
You know, you can't believe any of this. It's very distressing. And he's got his finger on the button, on the nuclear button, and we've got to check and balance this man come November.
BURNETT: Paul, you know, when President Biden dozed off at these summits or stumbled and fumbled on going up to Air Force One, right, these were all stories. They got heavy coverage. Do these sort of gaffes send any kind of signal or not?
PAUL RIECKHOFF, HOST OF THE INDEPENDENT AMERICANS PODCAST: I think they do. And I think both situations are bad. And both situations are embarrassing. and dangerous and deeply concerning. I mean, the senator's right.
I mean, this is the man who's the commander-in-chief. He's commanding our armed forces who are right now actively in combat. He can't be screwing up the names of countries. And if he's having some kind of health issues that are impeding his ability to do the job, that is a legitimate question for Americans to put forward and to ask him and to ask the White House.
I mean, this is, of course, a stressful job. We know the demands are high. But this is what's required. He's got to be up to the task. And if he's not, that's putting all Americans at risk.
BURNETT: Senator, so right now, the president's on his way home from the NATO summit. And as I mentioned earlier in the show, he's taking the old Air Force One back instead of the new one that he, you know, the magnificent one, as he calls it, the one donated by Qatar that was renovated and he's now started to use.
Now, he said he's not aware of any security reasons for this switch. So obviously, the switch doesn't make any sense. No real reason's been given except for this exchange with reporters on the plane.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
REPORTER: Do you know why they had us close our window blinds? That was not usual.
TRUMP: Well, yeah, because you're, you know, probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with. REPORTER: Do you think that Iran was possibly thinking?
TRUMP: Yeah. Well, I mean, if they asked you to close your windows, probably they'd feel that way. They didn't ask me to close mine, but if they did, I would have done it.
These are sick people. So, I could see something like that. I didn't know they did that, but I could see something like that.
REPORTER: Were you aware of any credible threat by Iran against Air Force One?
TRUMP: Well, I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list before you. But if I go, you go.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, Senator, what do you think's going on here? You're the first reporters say it's unusual, why this doesn't happen, that they're asked to put the blinds down. You know, we've all been in war zones where that happens.
This is Air Force One, right? Then they're not in a war zone. But the president said that he wasn't asked to put his shade down. What do you think is going on here?
BOXER: Well, first of all, I've been in a war zone when the plane had to go from side to side to side when we're going to Iraq to try to avoid getting shot down. It's a terrifying thing, and he's joking, supposedly, with that reporter is so inappropriate, but let's not go there.
I think the biggest issue here is the plane his gift from Qatar. And the bottom line is, everybody said -- not me, I'm not an expert on this -- but the experts on security said, what are you doing? We have to have these planes made in America. Every person working on Air Force One or any government plane is checked out, made sure, you know, they're loyal to the country.
So, he goes, because he's -- all he was is, you know, gold, gold, and gold. He goes with this. And now the taxpayers are on the hook again for, I think it's $400 million -- please correct me if I'm wrong -- to renovate this plane that has now gone to visit some military people.
Now, that's all they need to do now, is go admire a plane. They've got other work to do. So, this is a mess. It's a dodge. And, you know, I'm very concerned.
And, of course, the president's a target. That's why we're so careful with aircraft and the way the aircraft's put together.
BURNETT: Yeah. Right, absolutely. And of course, the United States and Israel did take out the supreme leader and many of the leaders of Iran.
[19:40:03] So, that's where we are right now.
Paul, Trump said that Qatari-gifted new plane went to this Air Force Base in the United Kingdom. British Air Force Base, as senator just referenced. And he said so that service members could see the plane, which he described as magnificent. He said it was at the base's request.
Do you think that could be true?
RIECKHOFF: Anything could be true, but what's true is we can't believe Trump, and that's a constant problem. We can't believe the Iranian regime either, but we also can't believe our own commander-in- chief.
When it comes to the blinds, it could be a lot of things. Often you close the blinds because you want to make it less of a target, but they can also close the blinds because they don't want reporters taking pictures out the windows regarding operational security for weapons systems and tactics and aircraft that could be outside. That could be in play here.
BURNETT: Yeah.
RIECKHOFF: But the bigger issue is the national security one. In addition to the corruption element of receiving a plane. I mean, there were days when American politicians wouldn't be caught dead driving in a car that wasn't made in America. So, a president riding in this kind of plane, I think, is deeply troubling.
But the national security risk is always the most important thing to consider. And we don't know why he's not taking that plane, but we do know that accepting that plane increased the national security risk, not just for him, but also for everyone around him, cabinet members, the press, anybody below the plane.
I mean, it's another example of how he's putting himself ahead of our national security, and it's deeply troubling.
BURNETT: Paul, Senator, thank you very much, both of you.
And next, Trump's international licensing business, it is really taking off after his return to the White House, along with so many other things in his family finances. The administration says that this case is not a conflict of interest. So, what did Forbes find in an investigation?
Plus, Ivanka Trump's plans to build a billion-dollar luxury resort. "The New York Times" has new images of the controversial project, and they'll detail what they show.
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[19:46:00]
BURNETT: Tonight, Trump's 900 percent increase, President Trump's foreign licensing business, where developers pay to use the Trump name on buildings and golf courses overseas, has exploded since Trump returned to the White House. And a new Forbes investigation has gone through the numbers founding Trump made $61 million in 2025. That's according to a financial disclosure report that they went through that was just released.
Now, that is up about 30 percent from 2024 and 900 percent from 2023, before Trump was back in office. And, obviously, those are just the licensing deals. It's an infinitesimal sliver of Trump's business. The findings mark a dramatic reversal from Trump's first term when he publicly pledged not to pursue new foreign business deals while he served as president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I have no deals. I have no loans. And I have no dealings. We could make deals in Russia very easily if we wanted to. I just don't want to because I think that would be a conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And if there was any doubt, here's Trump's lawyer back in 2017.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERI DILLON, DONALD TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: No new foreign deals will be made whatsoever during the duration of President Trump's presidency. New domestic deals will be allowed, but they will go through a vigorous vetting process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Well, it's a whole new world now.
Dan Alexander is senior editor at "Forbes". He's OUTFRONT.
So, Dan, can you walk us through, obviously, it's a complete and total about face here from now versus then, but where is this money coming from?
DAN ALEXANDER, SENIOR EDITOR, FORBES: Most of it is coming from the Middle East. So, of the $61 million, $23 million came from the United Arab Emirates, $9 million from Saudi Arabia, $5 million from Qatar.
India has also become an important country to the Trump Organization. They had some business there before. They have new partners now. And then there are some other countries -- Vietnam, $5 million. Romania, $5 million. So, it's really starting to spread all over the world. But the principal base is the Middle East.
BURNETT: And you actually connect some of what you're seeing here, Dan, with the president's current overseas business expansion to something that Donald Trump Jr. said back in 2018. I'll play his clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, JR., SON OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: It's sort of a shame because we put on these impositions on ourselves, but essentially got no credit for actually doing that and for doing the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's interesting there. There's a lot of things you could take away from that, but maybe one of them is the admission that doing the right thing would be to not do the deals. But he said they didn't get credit for that.
So, I guess, is that why we're here now?
ALEXANDER: It sure looks that way. The Trump family seems to have come away with regret about the first term, not regret that they faced all this scrutiny or did so much business, but regret that they didn't do even more business, that they didn't take full advantage of what they could have. And what we're seeing now, that enormous growth, is because they've decided another course for the second term, and you see tons of money pouring in.
BURNETT: So, the White House deputy press secretary this time around, Anna Kelly, told you that there are no conflicts of interest. But you have found, you say, that there are.
ALEXANDER: Well, look, there are a lot of different examples that you can look at, but I think maybe the clearest way to see this is to look at the first major trip that Donald Trump took overseas in his second term. He didn't go to a traditional U.S. ally like Great Britain. He flew first to Saudi Arabia, and then he flew to Qatar, and then he flew to the United Arab Emirates.
In each of those places, he met with government leaders, but he also met with people who touched the very business deals that we're talking about right now. And so, if you look at that, it's hard to say that there's no connection here or that there's nothing to worry about. Even if Donald Trump himself hadn't made clear in his first term that there were some concerns about foreign entanglements.
[19:50:04]
BURNETT: All right. Dan Alexander, as always, incredible reporting and so important to get into this detail. Thank you.
And I do want to note, we've reached out to the Trump Organization. They have not responded to our inquiry.
OUTFRONT next, "The New York Times" with new details about Ivanka Trump's billion-dollar luxury project that's been the focus of massive protests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: We were on a friend's boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that's how we found it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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BURNETT: Breaking news, a "New York Times" investigation showing preparations for full-scale construction have begun on a controversial luxury resort linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The billion- dollar project has for months been the focus of massive protests across Albania. Just weeks of non-stop protesting, all because the resort would transform Albania's prized and pristine coastline.
[19:55:03]
Some of that effect already seen here in before and after pictures. OUTFRONT now is Riley Mellen of "The New York Times", one of the reporters leading this investigation who got these images is going to explain what they mean.
So, Riley, you know, this has obviously been protests going on for weeks. And the Albanian government and their development partners said that they were not going to start construction until an environmental impact assessment was completed.
So, what do your images show?
RILEY MELLEN, VISUAL INVESTIGATION REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: That's right, Erin.
So, our images show that while full-scale construction hasn't exactly started yet, there has been some preparatory work at the site. We're talking here about a couple of specific things. For one, land clearance. So, these images show that about 20 acres of land were cleared in the northern part of this area as well as a gravel track, kind of a primitive road, was upgraded and rebuilt and then a bridge was also built over one of the small channels leading between the lagoon on one side to the Adriatic Sea on the other.
BURNETT: And obviously, all of that is meaningful when you're talking about an environment like that.
Ivanka Trump has obviously publicly advocated for the project, Riley, as you know. Here's part of what she said recently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I. TRUMP: I'm working on an incredible project with my husband. the Mediterranean. It's massive in scale. We were on a friend's boat, and we stopped for a swim.
Effectively, that's how we found it. We swam to the islands. We went on a hike barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated. And it stayed with us ever since.
And over the course of many years, we developed the opportunity to help realize its potential and transform it, but with a lot of restraint and care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, she referred to it, Riley, as massive in scale. And I know you've had a chance to review preliminary planning documents for the development. So, can you explain the scope of it?
MELLEN: Certainly. So, there are actually two sites that we're talking about. Ivanka Trump was talking primarily about the Sazan Island site, which is off the coast of Albania a few miles. And there really hasn't been too much work, really any work, in fact, going on there so far.
However, on the on the mainland a few miles east, the satellite images that we reviewed showed that there had in fact been some preparatory development work there. The development docs that we reviewed show that, you know, while these are pretty preliminary and things could obviously change, the plans call for pretty significant development of the Albanian coastline.
You know, we're talking about several miles worth of coast at least developed along with some pretty high-end, you know, development sites and amenities there. You know, we're talking water parks, casinos, multiple hotels, potentially yacht clubs and marinas and things like that.
So, like I said, while these may change, it does suggest a fairly large development.
BURNETT: It certainly does. And when you say casinos, right? I mean, that obviously implies it is massive in scale.
So, the protests have been dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution", in part, you know, that caught on. because of the flamingos that live on what is protected land, right? So, when you talk about the part on the coastline and the gravel track and the acres that have already been cleared in preparation, how big of an effect has this already had on the environment?
MELLEN: Yeah, so the experts I spoke to said that given the kind of protected nature of the protected and sensitive nature of the environment in the area, really any development risks harming the habitat there. So, this is home to flamingos. It's one of the last nesting sites in the region for loggerhead turtles, avocets and other birds, you know, also find the area quite, quite important for, you know, their nesting and development life cycles.
The other thing that is important to mention too is that bridge that I mentioned a few moments ago. To build it, the Albanian government actually had to, or I should say, excuse me, the development company actually had to briefly dam up the channel that the bridge runs over. And the experts that I spoke to said this is really important because the lagoon relies on the inflow and outflow of water with the tides.
And even if you dam that up, if you dam that flow of water up just for a few days, which appears to be the case here you risk causing pretty significant damage to the -- to the lagoon itself. Now, I should say it's still -- still early days and you know we will be keeping a close eye on the site but this is one of the risks that the environmentalist mentioned.
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah, and of course, all the protests coming amidst the questions right as to why it is their company that would get the green light to this to begin with.
Riley, thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
And I do want to mention the development company told "The New York Times" in part, "The project remains in the planning and design phase, with our team continuing to refine scope, approach, and vision through a deliberate process that prioritizes environmental stewardship and showcases the country's natural beauty." That is their statement.
And thanks so much for joining us.
"AC360" starts now.
