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Massive Crowds Protest In Tehran Against Trump Policies; Now: Top European Officials Meeting With Iranian FM In Geneva; Appeals Court Says Trump Can Keep Control Of National Guard In L.A.; MN Lawmaker Who Survived Shooting Shares New Details Of Attack; Growing Fears On Capitol Hill As Threats On Politicians Soar. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired June 20, 2025 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:32:37]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Welcome back to Inside Politics. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is the first Western journalist to enter Iran since this latest conflict with Israel began. He's there with our Claudia Otto.

He attended a massive protest in Tehran where protesters chanted Death to America, Death to Israel. Fred has more from Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Massive crowds have turned out here in central Tehran to protest against Israel's strikes against Iran but also against the policies of the Trump administration as well. Many of them were chanting Death to America, were chanting Death to Israel. We saw them burn American flags and burn Israeli flags.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): We will punch the United States and Israel in the mouth, he says.

Trump, you are threatening my leader, this woman says. Don't you know my nation believes death is sweeter than honey?

What do you have, Israel, he says. You have nothing. You are occupiers, unreligious. You're killing people, killing women. You kill everyone. You're terrorists.

PLEITGEN: So you can see that anger here being voiced by many of the folks who are walking here in this protest, whereas the Iranian government has said that as long as the Israelis continue their bombing campaign of sites here in Iran, there will be Iranian missiles flying towards Israeli territory. They're calling on President Trump to try and end this direct confrontation.

Otherwise, they say, there could be a direct military confrontation between Iran and the United States. The Iranians say it's not something they want, but they also say it's something that they're ready for. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COOPER: Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis joins me now. Admiral, first of all, what do you make of a protest like that in Iran? Obviously, the government wants to -- the Iranian government wants to see people out on the streets protesting, sending a message, certainly to folks in the United States and perhaps in Israel.

You had Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking directly to Iranians several days ago, encouraging them to rise up. That seems difficult, obviously, even though we know there are deep divisions within Iran during the bombing campaign. Not clear a lot of people are going to be rising up against the government. I'm wondering how important for Iran is a demonstration like that.

[12:35:09]

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: It's important for the government, which I think you're correct, is increasingly brittle, simply because of all the economic pressure, the country's been under for much of a decade, as well as, obviously, the bombing campaign right now. But I think the West and the Israelis would be wise to look at the reaction, for example, of the Ukrainians.

When the bombs start dropping, nations tend to pull together. Look at the Brits during World War II. So I think there's probably a thread of sincerity that runs through those demonstrations as that population reacts in defiance to the bombing of Israel.

COOPER: We're seeing diplomatic efforts going underway in Europe between European foreign ministers and Iran. Do you put much stock in that? Do you think those are important?

STAVRIDIS: I think they are. Certainly, the three primary actors in the drama at the moment are Iran, Israel, and the United States. But there are two other nexus (ph) of power that I think are important to keep in mind. One is Europe and the Europeans, hence the importance of these talks in Geneva.

Let's face it, Europe, the second largest economy in the world after the United States collectively stands to lose an awful lot economically. They're within range of Iranian missiles. They have a real stake in what's unfolding here. And I think they could nudge the United States toward a diplomatic solution.

The other pair that we don't talk about much are Russia and China, both of whom regard Iran as an important client state, and both have tools they can use to try and push toward a diplomatic solution. So let's hope all of that pressure collectively somehow moves this toward a diplomatic solution, although at the moment it looks more like military action ahead to me.

COOPER: I've talked to some Israelis who are supportive of what the government here is doing, and they're concerned about losing momentum. They feel like there has been successful strikes by Israel against Iran. Israel has said that they kind of have freedom of movement in the skies, though not complete because obviously we saw missiles being launched into Israel today as well as yesterday. But from a military standpoint, is momentum something that might be lost with this pause by the Trump administration?

STAVRIDIS: I don't think so. Given the fact that it's only two weeks maximum, don't forget President Trump said within the next two weeks I'll make a decision. He didn't say I'm pausing for two weeks, then I'll announce a decision. I think more action could frankly come at any time.

And two weeks is not a long time. In fact, I think it actually improves the chances of success in the mission because the U.S. is putting even more forces in the region to conduct a strike successfully if the U.S. decides to go ahead and do it. So I don't see this two-week interregnum as a momentum breaker. I'd look at it hopefully, I suppose, as one last opportunity, kind of last exit before the tunnel for diplomacy to have a chance.

COOPER: If the U.S.'s role, if there is going to be one, a military role in offensive operations is to target and use their -- the weapons only they have against this Fordow facility, does that actually meet the military objectives of Israel, the elimination of Iran's nuclear facilities? Because there's obviously concern that over what we may not know, where enriched plutonium may have been moved to, these things are moved around with some regularity.

There could be sites that we are unaware of, that Israel is unaware of as well. Without actually having forces on the ground inspecting these sites, can you really be sure Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed?

STAVRIDIS: You cannot be. And this is what you and I are old enough to remember Don Rumsfeld, he used to talk about known unknowns, and that's what you're describing.

COOPER: Yes.

STAVRIDIS: Iran's a huge country, two and a half times the size of Texas, mountainous. It has a population of 90 million. There's an awful lot of space that Iran could use, and they have a lot of resources in terms of population. So at the end of the day, a single bunker-busting bomb would be a feel-good moment. I think it would be a successful mission.

[12:40:05]

But those known unknowns of, are there other programs? What would the response be of Iran lashing back? Would they try to close the Strait of Hormuz? Would they attack U.S. forces in the region? There are many known unknowns that ought to mitigate against this strike at least until we've given diplomacy further opportunity.

COOPER: Yes. And, of course, the unknown, is one bunker-buster bomb enough? Would it take multiple? Would that even work? These have not been used in a situation like this.

Admiral, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Back to you, Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Anderson, thank you.

And coming up for us, what might have been? Which billionaire entrepreneur did Kamala Harris want to put on her VP shortlist?

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[12:45:25]

RAJU: Tapping our political radar, Vice President Vance on his way to Los Angeles to meet with federal officials amid the administration's clampdown on anti-ICE protests. That as the administration celebrates some good legal news out of a California appeals court. A three-judge panel says President Trump can keep control of the National Guard to respond to the protests for now.

The court said it agreed with the Justice Department that presidential decisions like these deserve deference. It rejected the argument that such decisions cannot be reviewed by the courts at all.

Andrew Cuomo is hoping Jim Clyburn can do for him what he did for Joe Biden. The South Carolina congressman endorsed Cuomo for New York City mayor, which Cuomo hopes will help him with the city's African- American community. Now, Clyburn's endorsement in 2020 is credited for helping Biden's come from behind primary win.

The race in New York is tightening with just a few days before the Democratic primary. Cuomo is still clinging to a small lead over Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani. Election day is Tuesday.

And Vice President Cuban, or the billionaire Mark Cuban, says Kamala Harris asked him to submit vetting materials to be considered as her running mate last year. Cuban told the Bulwark he said no because, quote, "I'm not very good as a number two person, and she would have fired me within six days."

Coming up, the Minnesota state senator who survived a shooting at his home last weekend is sharing new details of that attack.

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[12:51:20]

RAJU: The Minnesota lawmaker and his wife, who was shot in their home last weekend, are sharing new details of that harrowing attack. In a joint statement, Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette write, "When the door was opened, all three of us were in the entryway. John initially lunged at the gunman as the weapon was pointed directly at him, getting struck nine times. As John fell, Yvette reached out to push the man and shut the door, succeeding before she was also hit eight times by gunfire." Now, it comes as politicians of all stripes now seem to regularly confront episodes of attempted violence. Just yesterday, Republican Congressman Max Miller shared details of being run off the road by a driver saying, quote, "That to Israel, that to me."

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

REP. MAX MILLER (R), OHIO: If you have an issue with a legislator, your city councilman, your mayor, anyone like that, the appropriate thing to do is to reach out to them for a phone call to set up a meeting at one of our district offices. What is not OK is to assault anyone, whether you're a member of Congress or anybody else within our district, while you are driving to work.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

RAJU: A man in Ohio has been arrested and charged after allegedly threatening Miller.

My panel is back. I mean, this is something that has seen, we've seen this uptick in men in the recent years. Just look at the Capitol Hill Police threat assessment cases against members of Congress, families and staff from 2017 until now, going up from 3,900 threats, which is still a significant amount, until through 2024, 9,400. This is the state of our politics.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's the state of our politics. It reminds me of Susan Collins in 2022. She essentially said she wouldn't be surprised if a member of the House or Senate was killed. We, of course, have seen that happen with these Minnesota lawmakers and her husband.

And it doesn't seem like there is any end in sight. I mean, I think one of the terrible side effects of this or something that we've seen develop is some lawmakers themselves don't seem to take it seriously. You think about Senator Mike Lee's reaction to what happened in Minnesota.

It was sort of a joke to him. And apparently he was confronted about it. But listen --

RAJU: Deleted those posts eventually.

HENDERSON: Yes, and deleted the posts. But the fact that he felt like he could do that, he should do that. There is, I think, an environment of callousness that exists now that, you know, makes this even worse.

RAJU: How concerning -- look at some of the members telling us the last couple of days. Congressman Tim Burchett said, "I don't want to go to one of my colleagues' funerals because I didn't speak up." Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin said, "If the United States House of Representatives cannot protect my family, I will. Period." There's real fear.

JOHN BRESNAHAN, CO-FOUNDER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: We have a long history of political violence in this country, sadly. I remember in 1998, there was a shooting in Capitol. I've seen them talk samurai swords out of people's hands at the Capitol. I've seen everything. I mean, but what you see now is rank-and-file members.

It used to be leaders, presidents, of course, and national leaders. They attracted this attention. Now you have rank-and-file Members of Congress. Max Miller driving down the road.

I was talking to Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington. Our man came to her house. She had to move.

RAJU: Right.

BRESNAHAN: She moved. I mean, like, what's happening is -- and what's the answer? Do we secure members, every 535 members of Congress, with high-level security and wall them off further from the American public? But did the pandemic did this?

RAJU: Yes.

BRESNAHAN: January 6th did this?

RAJU: OK.

BRESNAHAN: I mean, it's getting worse and worse and worse. Yes.

RAJU: And it's really tricky to do that. I mean --

BRESNAHAN: Yes.

RAJU: -- just yesterday, a Memphis man was charged with attempting kidnapping after allegedly trespassing at the mayor's home.

[12:55:03]

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And we've also seen it with Supreme Court justices.

BRESNAHAN: Supreme Court justices, coming to their homes.

HOLMES: Well, I mean, (INAUDIBLE) did not know what Supreme Court justices look like. And now they are, you know, kind of given the same treatment that, as you said, these members of the House who were not recognizable either. I mean, I think we just exist in an incredibly politically toxic time. And now we're really seeing so much of that playing out in a aggressive way that's beyond rhetoric.

RAJU: Yes, yes. It's obviously a very, very difficult time. And we'll see if there's -- this can turn the tide. Something could turn the tide. They say lower the temperature. That hasn't happened as much in recent years.

All right, thanks for joining Inside Politics. I'll see you more for Inside Politics Sunday. That's at 8:00 a.m. Eastern and 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

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