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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Threatens More Countries With Tariffs Up To 30 Percent; Flash Flooding Submerges Streets In North Carolina; MAGA Outraged As DOJ Review Of "Epstein Files" Comes Up Empty. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired July 10, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

MEGAN MESSERLY, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, POLITICO: The biggest thing I think to think about here is how the president really views tariffs as leverage and how he views them as one, related to trade and protecting domestic industry but he also views it as a cudgel to get his way with foreign governments.

If you remember, this whole reciprocal tariff battle started because of his longstanding belief that the U.S. has been ripped off by other countries. Those are the words he's used, right, for decades. And so I think that's exactly what we're seeing here.

But at the same time you're seeing efforts as well to really go after copper like you mentioned. Go after pharmaceutical imports, auto tariffs, right? There's these sectoral based tariffs as well that are a little bit more industry focused. And then as you just mentioned, you know, the new tariffs on Brazil really aimed at exacting a political outcome in a foreign country.

And so we're really seeing it here as this unprecedented leverage on a foreign government for the president to get his way.

MJ LEE, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, definitely unprecedented.

And this new August 1 deadline -- I mean, are you seeing that as a soft deadline? Are you expecting any big surprises leading up to that date?

MESSERLY: So White House officials maintain that's a firm deadline. That's what the president himself has said as well. And I'll tell you, talking to industry leaders, talking to foreign officials, talking to Trump allies outside the White House -- you know, they all are pretty convinced that is a firm or fairly firm deadline for a couple of reasons.

One, the president has again already extended this deadline once. These tariffs were supposed to take effect shortly after liberation day in April. They were bumped out 90 days. Now they've been bumped out this extra three weeks. A lot of folks see that as he's already pushed it out once. If you do it again no one will really believe the tariffs will mean anything, so that's part of it. But two, there are some of these deals with other countries that appear to be on the horizon -- at least some sort of mini deal seems possible in the coming weeks. You think of countries like India and trading partners like the EU. It may not be sort of this fully fledged "trade deal" the way you would normally think about it.

But a lot of folks think it's going to be possible to get something on paper with these countries in the coming weeks and that the president is -- you know, his patience is kind of wearing thin, right? He doesn't want these negotiations to drag on forever. He wants some wins.

And so I think the prevailing view that I'm hearing right now in the folks I'm talking to is that this is a fairly hard deadline, which is how the president himself has referred to it, right? He said it's firm. Maybe not 100 percent firm but pretty firm.

LEE: And pivoting to something else that's been a source of growing frustration for President Trump and that is the war in Ukraine. You know, he wants it to be over. He clearly doesn't think that Vladimir Putin is serious enough about getting there. And now there's a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill in the Senate that may have Trump's support.

Is it your sense that the president is maybe turning a corner on this issue?

MESSERLY: You know, it really does feel that way. I mean, talking to folks inside the White House, the president really has been increasingly frustrated with Russia. I mean, that's been very clear, right, in his -- in his public rhetoric. And I think he's sort of butting up against the reality that he's not able to get his way that he wants with the Russian president.

And so I think what we're seeing now is the -- you know, this legislation that's pending in Congress and then the president's overall outward attitude -- even this back-and-forth we've seen over the flow of weapons to Ukraine really I think reflects this sort of increased tension between the U.S. and Russia and really just represents such a stark shift from where we were just a couple of months ago when it was President Trump clashing with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. I just think of how far we've come. But he certainly is in a much more antagonistic position toward Russia at the current moment.

LEE: And Megan, I want to get your reaction to something Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told Jake Tapper about the passage of the so-called big, beautiful bill. Here is what Tillis, who obviously opposed that legislation, says he told Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I told the president if we don't get this right then he's probably going to have two of the most miserable years of his life if the Democrats take the gavels in the House, and I'm trying to avoid that. I told the president that I really do believe it could be his Obamacare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: So what is the level of concern inside the White House about how much this bill could cost Republicans politically in the midterms?

[05:35:00]

MESSERLY: I will say White House officials are pretty bullish right now. For whatever concerns they may have over Medicaid they seem pretty confident in the messaging strategy they have around it -- around this idea that they're going to frame these Medicaid cuts as waste, fraud and abuse. And so I'm not hearing a lot of concern at this point. On the other hand, the White House knows that this is an extremely challenging and difficult midterm.

If anything though I think the White House is actually feeling optimistic about the timeline under which the so-called big, beautiful bill was passed because of -- you know, because of the tax cuts contained in it. Because of the fact that, for instance, the cuts -- the no taxes on tips and no taxes on Social Security -- those provisions will take effect before the midterm elections. People will actually go to file their taxes and be able to sort of see those numbers in their tax forms when they file next April, and that was a really important provision for the White House.

And so I think they are feeling a lot of optimism right now. Of course, things are only going to escalate and get more challenging from here on out, but I think in some, they're feeling pretty optimistic about the chances of the bill helping them in the midterm elections.

LEE: Megan Messerly, good to see you. Thank you.

And just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM (sic) we'll have the latest on the deadly flooding in Texas.

(COMMERCIAL)

LEE: And let's go to Rome now where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: -- important meeting for Ukraine, for Ukrainians (INAUDIBLE), Antonio, Friedrich, Peter, Donald, Eddie, Pedro and Dick Rosen. Christen, Kiagos, Miloko (PH) -- all the leaders and all the participants of the conference, and all who stand with Ukraine today. Thank you so much.

(Applause)

Thank you all for your attention to Ukraine. To the needs of our people, first of all, and to our shared responsibility to do everything necessary to protect life.

Russia has also prepared for this meeting. Just last night they launched another missile attack on Ukraine, mainly targeting our capital Kyiv. The attack involved Russian, Iranian, and Shahid drones. These drones have been heavily upgraded to cause more destruction and to be harder to shoot down.

Ukrainians now face attacks by hundreds of these drones every single night and this is pure terrorism. The night before last they launched over 700 drones and missiles. Last night, nearly 400. And they try to do this as often as possible. And this is exactly what Putin wants -- for our people to suffer. To flee Ukraine. And for homes, schools, and for life itself to be destroyed everywhere, not just near the front lines.

[05:40:00]

Remember just a year go many people thought Russia wanted real peace, real talks, and a ceasefire. Moscow was sending those signals. And it was all part of their propaganda trying to say that Ukraine didn't want peace. But we said back then there must be pressure on Russia because it was not preparing for peace. And now everyone sees that Putin has rejected every peace proposal and is escalating the violence.

Just last night in Kyiv alone sadly two people were killed and 16 were injured. A medical lab was completely destroyed. Residential buildings, a shopping center, a veterinary clinic, and basic city infrastructure were all damaged. And that was with many, many of the drones and missiles being shot down. Still, some made it through.

And this is what we must focus on first. We must stop Russian drones and missiles. And this means more air defense supplies and more investments in interceptor drones, air defense systems, and, of course, missiles.

And I urge all our partners, increase your investments. When Russia increases its attacks, we cannot have a shortage of funding for drone production. More than 30 countries and hundreds of companies are represented at the conference today and we must reach a point where Ukraine's air defense and drone sector is supported by over 30 countries and backed by hundreds of companies not only from Ukraine but also from Europe, the United States, and beyond.

Please, speak to our team for details.

Ukraine has some of the world's most advanced drone technologies for both offensive and defensive, and we are ready to share this expertise and these technologies with our partners. Ukraine needs investment. You need skills. You need technology. And everything we are building now to protect Ukraine will also help protect you.

Secondly, I'm grateful to all countries that are part of the coalition supporting Ukraine's defense. We've created effective -- really effective coalitions -- effective drone coalitions. And you can see how drones help us hold the line. Hold the front line and strike Russian military infrastructure deep inside Russia.

And we also have a strong aviation coalition. Thank you to all its members. Ukraine has received and is building up modern combat aviation. This is a huge, huge help. Thank you. Thank you, partners.

(Applause)

And we have done it in record time. No other country has switched --

LEE: We've been listening to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking at the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. We'll continue to monitor that meeting throughout the morning.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:47:55]

LEE: Welcome back. I'm MJ Lee. Here are some of the stories we are watching today.

FEMA officials tell CNN their efforts to deploy rescue teams to Texas were hampered by new department protocols. Those crews were not approved until more than three days after the flooding began. At least 120 deaths have been reported since last weekend and more than 160 people are reported missing.

World leaders are gathering in Rome today for the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference focused on a whole of society approach to helping Ukraine with governments, international groups, businesses, and civil society working together. It comes as the leaders of the UK and France are also hosting a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in London.

And President Trump says America will once again build a dominant copper industry. He announced a 50 percent tariff on copper imports to the U.S. on Wednesday. Copper is a key component in defense equipment, semiconductors, and batteries.

And the search for survivors continues in Texas days after deadly flooding devastated parts of the state. At least 120 people have been killed in the disaster. More than 160 are still missing in the Kerr County area alone. But officials say no one has been found alive since Friday.

Among the missing, five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, which was located on the banks of the Guadalupe River.

NASA says it has deployed two aircraft to assist in the recovery operations. The high-altitude crafts will be helpful in assessing damage and supporting coordination of recovery efforts on the ground.

North Carolina is grappling with heavy rain and flash flooding in some parts of the state. On Wednesday, streets in the city of Durham were seen underwater with drains bubbling up struggling to control the downpour. There have been reports of several cars stranded and a handful of water rescues in the area as well, according to Raleigh's National Weather Service. Another round of severe storms overnight put parts of the state under a flash flood warning.

[05:50:00]

Some counties are still recovering from floods caused on Sunday by tropical depression Chantal.

The threat of more flooding remains across parts of the Eastern Seaboard. Here is a look at some of the alerts in place at this hour.

So what is behind the recent flash flood events across the U.S.? CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam takes a look.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: So many unimaginable flash flood events have unfolded across the country recently from the Texas Hill Country where a summer's worth of rain fell from the sky in a matter of hours to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where up to 10 inches of rain fell, equating to roughly a one in 1,000-year rainfall event. And then there's Ruidoso, New Mexico where record river levels prompted flash flood emergencies across the region.

So why are we seeing this increase in flash flood events across the country? Well, it's thanks in part to our atmosphere being juiced up by this Bermuda high driving in deep tropical moisture from the south. You're looking at precipitable water. Think of this as the amount of fuel in your car's gas tank. The more fuel you have the further you can drive. The more precipitable water that the atmosphere has to work with the more ability it has to produce these heavy rainfall events.

And when it falls on a parched, very dry, drought-stricken landscape, just like what's unfolded here recently across the Texas Hill Country and New Mexico, that's a recipe for disaster. We call that "weather whiplash" -- going from flood to drought or drought to flood.

So we have had just since the Fourth of July over 225 reports of flash flooding across 20 separate states. That really puts it into context. This is, by the way, the wettest time of the year. The atmosphere typically -- climatologically speaking has the most moisture to work with between the months of April to September. So we anticipate these flash flooding events to occur.

But, of course, we've got a warming world to work with, and we have seen a marked increase in not only the intensity but also the frequency of these heavy rain events, something we can expect to continue into the future.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: For months, the Trump administration has suggested it was ready to blow the so-called Epstein files wide open, but now it's saying there's nothing to see here -- and many MAGA supporters are not happy. More on that next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:56:52] LEE: Some supporters of President Trump are outraged after the Justice Department said the alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein actually didn't keep a much-speculated about list of his clients. The announcement came months after Trump's attorney general suggested she was poised to release details about the Epstein case that had previously been kept hidden.

CNN's Tom Foreman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Some conspiracy theorists have long believed that the accused late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein kept a list of powerful friends allegedly tied to his alleged sorted activities. And just months ago Attorney General Pam Bondi was building up anticipation that list would soon be public.

JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: The DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients? Will that really happen?

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump.

FOREMAN (voiceover): But with the Justice Department memo now saying there is no list Bondi is backing up fast, saying there will be no release.

BONDI: I was asked a question about the client list and my response was, "It's sitting on my desk to be reviewed," meaning the file.

FOREMAN (voiceover): The apparent about-face has enraged some in the MAGA movement who have long accused the Justice Department of throwing a shroud of secrecy around the case.

This is Kash Patel in 2023.

KASH PATEL, CURRENT FBI DIRECTION: Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are. We have an election coming up and we need to adjudicate this matter at the polls.

FOREMAN (voiceover): Patel is now the FBI director. Dan Bongino, now his deputy, said this in 2019.

DAN BONGINO, CURRENT DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR: What the hell are they hiding with Jeffrey Epstein?

FOREMAN (voiceover): Bondi released a stack of folders months ago which was largely panned as old material, but she has repeatedly suggested all the dirty details should come out.

BONDI: There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn. And there are hundreds of victims.

FOREMAN (voiceover): And back when Donald Trump was fighting to retake the White House and railing against the Justice Department for the cases it brought against him, he also called for more light on the troublesome case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you declassify the Epstein files?

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yeah, yeah, I would. I guess I would.

FOREMAN (voiceover): But it was President Joe Biden's Justice Department then. Now it is President Trump's, and he wants the pressure off his attorney general.

TRUMP: Are people still talking about this guy -- this creep? That is unbelievable.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER TRUMP ADVISER: This is supposed to be about the most transparent administration ever.

FOREMAN (voiceover): Still, a slew of White House watchers are deeply unhappy.

TOM FITTON, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ACCOUNTABILITY FOUNDATION: The Justice Department and the FBI are irredeemably compromised and corrupted.

FOREMAN (voiceover): And reliable backers like comedian Roseanne Barr are bristling. "Mr. President, yes, we still care about Epstein. Is there a time to not care about child sex trafficking? Read the damn room."

[06:00:00]

FOREMAN: It's easy to see why Trump wanted to grab onto all the energy of these folks when he was campaigning, but now he is finding this issue is a lot like and electrical wire -- it's easy to pick up but hard to put down, and you can get burned badly along the way.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm MJ Lee in Washington, D.C. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.