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One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Hits Iran After Helicopter Downed, Tehran Hits Back; Taliban Accuses Pakistan of Killing 11 Children in Strikes; Anti-immigration Violence Erupts in Belfast, Other Cities; Jermaine Johnson Wins South Carolina Governor Democratic Primary; Platner Calls Out Senator Collins' History of Voting with Trump; Trump Signs $70 Billion Bill Funding Immigration Enforcement. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 10, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: President Trump's new warning to Iran. Now they will have to pay the price. "One World" starts right now.
Trump's warning comes on the heels of new retaliatory strikes by both the U.S. and Iran. We'll have the latest from the White House and Tehran.
Plus, Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates is facing some tough questions today on Capitol Hill about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And we're just one day
away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And we'll take you live to Mexico City for all of the excitement on and off the pitch.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". A sharp turnabout. Donald Trump now
saying that the military may target power plants and bridges in Iran, despite saying this week that a deal was just days away.
Earlier, the U.S. President posted on social media that Tehran has taken too long to negotiate and will have to pay the price. This as the two
nations conduct tit for tat strikes overnight, Iran says that it launched drone and missile strikes on U.S. targets in the Middle East, including the
U.S.'s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Video geolocated by CNN shows a flash near a U.S. base in Manama. Jordan and Kuwait also report intercepting strikes. The U.S. military struck Iran
in retaliation for Monday's downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter. Iran state media says some of those strikes hit reservoirs, cutting off supplies of
drinking water to 20,000 people.
Let's bring in Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak. So, quite a change of tone there from the president just a little over 24 hours ago,
suggesting that a deal was days away now, saying that Iran should be facing perhaps even more strikes, given the downing of that Apache and their
reluctance, I guess, to come to an agreement now.
Just walk us through what you can about what you're hearing from sources of where his mindset is now.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And it is somewhat confusing, just given the optimism that we've been hearing from the
president, not only in the last 24 hours, but really going back, you know, three or four weeks. We counted it up, and the president had seemed
optimistic about a deal 38 times, suggesting a deal was imminent 38 times.
Now he has taken a complete 180 saying that Iran has taken too long and suggesting he might be more willing to restart this war again in earnest.
And in fact, he spoke to Fox News earlier today, suggesting that now he was getting closer to going after some of those civilian targets inside Iran
that he was threatening before the ceasefire went into place in April.
You know, the bridges, the power plants, all of the sites he had been suggesting he was going to take out in order to pressure them to reach some
kind of a deal. And so, the question now, I think, is, is the president trying to apply some last-minute bluster, some last-minute pressure,
because in fact he believes a deal is imminent, and he thinks that this is what it would take to get it across the finish line.
Or is he in fact newly willing to restart the war again after ordering those retaliatory strikes because of the downing of that Apache helicopter?
Did he essentially break the seal? And now thinks that this is the time to go after Iran more earnestly than he has been for the last month or so.
It was interesting, you know, those remarks that he delivered, you know, less than 48 hours ago. He really did sound more reluctant than he had ever
been to restarting the conflict, saying that one, it would kill a lot of people, and he didn't want to do that, but also that it would cause the
Strait of Hormuz to remain closed for months.
And clearly that's something that the president, I think, will want to avoid. You know, we just got inflation numbers in the United States this
morning showing an uptick in prices over the last month, that clearly a reflection of the economic toll that this war is having.
And the president coming under more and more pressure from Republicans in Washington to get this over with. And so why the president thinks now is
the time to restart that conflict. We just don't know. Perhaps we'll hear more from the president. We're expecting to hear from him this hour, give a
little more insight into his thinking here.
[11:05:00]
But at this point it's not really clear what has caused him to have this --
GOLODRYGA: All right, Kevin Liptak, live at the White House for us. Thank you. Let's get the view from Iran. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran with
more on the unfolding situation. And, as always, we must note CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but maintains full
editorial control of its reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps say that they launched powerful retaliatory
strikes at U.S. military bases in the Middle Eastern region. The Iranians say that they launched aerial attacks against bases in Jordan, Kuwait, as
well as the headquarters of the fifth fleet in Bahrain, using drones, but also powerful ballistic missiles.
All this comes after the United States struck areas in the Persian Gulf, the Iranians are saying that that is a violation of their sovereignty, and
they are also saying that it is a pretext that the U.S. is using. All this, of course, comes after U.S. chopper was downed near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States saying that it was hit by an Iranian drone, and that it holds Iran responsible for that. In the overnight hours, there were
explosions that could be heard, according to sources, in places like Bandar Abbas, but also on an island near the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. saying that it struck radar installations and surface to air missile batteries, but the Iranians are saying that a water desalination
plant was also struck knocking out drinking water in parts of that region. Of course, all of this comes as the situation in the Persian Gulf, and
specifically in the Strait of Hormuz, remains extremely volatile, with the U.S. and Iran trading blows in that area over the past couple of days.
But also, as Iran and the United States are still trying to find a way to reach a memorandum of understanding that would end the hostilities between
the two countries, and then pave the way for broader peace negotiations. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: For more analysis on this latest escalation and its implications, let's bring in CNN Political and Global Affairs Analyst Barak
Ravid. Barak, you're the perfect person to have on. I don't know any other reporter that has spent more time talking to the president throughout this
war.
And the president, though, yesterday, while speaking to "The Wall Street Journal", just moments before this strike was approved, the retaliatory
strike for bringing down this aircraft, the Apache aircraft. Trump said that wasn't a big deal. And then after that, subsequently, we know that
three waves of strikes occurred.
And reportedly that came after briefings from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine briefed
him. From what you're hearing, what does that tell us about the president's mindset, and how committed, or how much he is desperate for a deal at this
point, that he was willing to say this wasn't a big deal, the Apache downing?
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I think that in order to understand what happened over the last 24 hours, we need to go 12
days back to the Situation Room meeting on May 29th when President Trump reviewed the latest draft of the U.S.-Iran framework agreement and decided
to ask for two amendments.
And those two amendments were sent to the Iranians, and the Iranians said, no problem, give us four or five days to get this through our system, we'll
get back to you. And as of now, the Iranians still haven't got back to the U.S. It's been almost two weeks. And I think that during those almost two
weeks, Trump became more and more frustrated, because on the one hand he was saying a deal is closed, because he was hoping to get the response from
the Iranians.
On the other hand, he got a lot of criticism in the U.S. On the one hand for promising a deal and not delivering, and on the other hand for not
being tough enough, of the Iranians were dragging their feet. And I think that while the strike yesterday was the trigger was the downing of the
helicopter.
I think in the background was a much deeper frustration by the president and an attempt to also use this strike not only to retaliate for the
downing of the helicopter, but to somewhat rock the boat and try and get more leverage in the negotiations with Iran. And I think that the
president's post this morning and his threats to, you know, go on more strikes and resume the war.
I think at the moment, it is still part of the negotiation with Iran, and I'm not saying this couldn't happen. I'm just saying that at the moment
those threats are still in the realm of the negotiations with Iran.
[11:10:00]
GOLODRYGA: So, from what you're gathering, then the MOU is still in play. And these latest comments from the president, in addition to the
retaliatory strikes, shouldn't be read at this point as a sign of the MOU collapsing.
RAVID: I don't -- as far as what I hear from -- I heard this from two U.S. officials and two regional sources that are involved in the mediation, and
all told me this morning that the negotiation over the MOU is still ongoing. In fact, there's been an interesting back and forth over the last
48 hours.
The Iranians sent a senior diplomat to Doha to for talks with the Qatari mediators. A day later, the U.S. sent representative to Doha to discuss
with the Qataris. The Qataris tried to hold a trilateral meeting. This did not materialize, so they decided to go today to Tehran.
Their Chief Negotiator Ali Thawadi is in Tehran to negotiate with the Iranians to try and get this moving. So, I think there's still an effort by
both the U.S., the mediators, and the Iranians to keep this memorandum of understanding going, and you know, the U.S. strikes yesterday were
meaningful.
20 targets were hit, but it was mostly, not mostly, it was all military targets, and no Iranian soldiers have been killed. And this is something
that the Trump Administration made clear to the Iranians, that if it wanted, it could have killed many Iranian soldiers, and it did not.
The Iranians, on the other hand, their response was also calibrated and sort of limited. They fired four ballistic missiles, and I think six
drones. They could have retaliated much stronger. So, I think both sides still want to keep the door open for negotiations.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it's interesting. I go back to the president's comments in the Oval Office. I think last week when asked about how a ceasefire could
still be in place when there's still so much active firing going on, and he said that that's what happens in the region, even under a ceasefire, and I
guess that this is a perfect example of that.
Barak, while I have you, because we haven't spoken on air, we've spoken off air, just about the moment, the historic moment last week with you in an
interview on Lebanese media. Lebanese broadcaster put you, an Israeli on air while Israel was actively bombing that country.
And that country has a law in place that bans contact with Israelis. So, if Israelis notable to see their journalist interviewing you, getting your
perspective on all of your reporting about the war. And I'm wondering, what does that tell you about the state of not only the political temperature
inside Lebanon right now, but any potential movement forward, even as this war is ongoing, about some sort of agreement, ceasefire, or normalization
with Israel.
RAVID: So, I think there's a big shift in Lebanese public opinion, the Lebanese society, in the Lebanese politics, and more openness than ever for
a change in the relationship with Israel, and more willingness to go towards some sort of a peace agreement with Israel, even if it's not the
first step, even if it's like the end of a road map.
And I think that what led to this interview on LBC channel in Lebanon was an interview I had with Ali Hamdan, who's the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor
to Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, one of the most powerful politicians in Lebanon. And I think that opened the way for that interview, because I
think people saw that we're in a different time where you cannot really stay disengaged and have no dialog on the other side, because then you'll
just never going to understand what the other side wants.
And I just hope that this will open the way for far more such engagements, not because people need to agree, OK, but because people need to know,
first, need to know what people on the other side think, even only to educate themselves as part of this process. And I just hope that there will
be more such interviews in the future.
[11:15:00]
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, we hope for the same, and it speaks to your gravitas and the work that you're conducting, that they reached out to you, despite the
potential consequences and backlash that could have ensued. It was a fascinating conversation. I encourage people to go back and watch it. Barak
Ravid, thank you so much.
RAVID: Thank you, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Well, an alarming new escalation of violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Taliban is accusing the Pakistani military of killing
at least 11 children in strikes on civilian areas. This video, being shared on social media, appears to show the aftermath.
The Taliban says a total of at least 13 civilians were killed. These images appear to show the covered bodies of children. Pakistani authorities say
they targeted hideouts used by militant groups. Well violent protests erupted in Northern Ireland after video of a stabbing in Belfast went viral
earlier this week.
Officials say an anti-immigrant -- says anti-immigrant protesters, many of them masked, set fire to homes and vehicles, in particular targeting the
homes of people from ethnic minorities. The suspect in the stabbing, a Sudanese man was in court today, charged with attempted murder.
Let's go to Nada Bashir in London for more. And this attempted murder was caught on camera. It was rather grisly and extremely disturbing to watch.
And in its immediate aftermath, there was concern of just this, the consequences that we could potentially see, and in terms of violence, in
terms of protests, and sadly, that, that is exactly what is playing out. Nada, give us the latest.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Overnight, we have seen protests taking place, violent protests taking place across Belfast, as
well as other cities across the United Kingdom, although limited in other areas, and this is exactly what police in Northern Ireland had been warning
about.
We had heard calls on social media, including from quite notable individuals, calling for demonstrators to take to the streets following
that horrific attack that we saw on Monday evening in Belfast. As you mentioned, that distressing and disturbing video filmed by a bystander and
eyewitness during that attack was shared quite rapidly on social media.
And of course, drove outcry not only in the United Kingdom but internationally, given the severity of the crime committed, and as we
understand it, according to police officials, as you mentioned, a 30-year- old Sudanese man has now been charged with attempted murder.
The victim of this attack, a man believed to be in his 40s, is in hospital in a serious condition. It's understood that he has lost his left eye as a
result of that attack and is still recovering, but as you can imagine, this has really riled up the community, but what it has also done is really
added fuel to growing anti-immigration sentiments, both in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom.
And we have heard calls now from leaders in the UK, including the First Minister of Northern Ireland, for this attack not to be exploited. Take a
listen to this statement today from the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: People are rightly sickened by the horrific attack on Monday night in North Belfast. As you
have just said, the man arrested has been in court in Belfast this morning and charged. But let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, the acts of violence and
arson that followed are totally unjustified.
This morning I spoke with the first minister, the deputy first minister and the chief constable. And the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is
meeting leaders in Belfast today. We are united in calling for calm and determined to restore order, support the police and all those on the front
line and ensure that justice is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Now that call for calm has been echoed, of course, by police officials as there continue to be concerns around protests developing
further, potentially developing into riots. The scenes we saw overnight were certainly reflective of that. We saw homes and cars, barricades being
set, alight families forced from their homes as a result.
Public transportation suspended. So, this is a city on high alert for any further potential developments and escalation, and of course, as I
mentioned, the First Minister of Northern Ireland has been very clear that, while the attack on Monday was horrific, it was clear in condemning that
attack.
She has gone on to say that racism, intimidation, and violence are wrong wherever they occur, and has called for these protests not to continue in
the violent way that we have seen.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Nada Bashir reporting live from London for us. Thank you. A controversial candidate is celebrating victory in a U.S. primary
election. Just ahead, what Graham Platner's win in Maine could mean for Democrats hopes to take control of the Senate.
[11:20:00]
Plus, a closed-door interview with lawmakers puts Bill Gates in the spotlight of the Epstein investigation. We'll bring you the latest from
Capitol Hill, ahead.
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GOLODRYGA: A man who nearly dropped out of the South Carolina Governor's race has won the state's Democratic primary. Earlier this year, Jermaine
Johnson said that he drafted a statement alluding to concerns that the state isn't ready for a black governor. But he stayed in the race and
celebrated his primary victory Tuesday night.
His Republican challenger will be decided in a run-off later this month, and Democrat Graham Platner will face Republican Susan Collins in
November's Maine Senate election. In his victory speech Tuesday night, Platner briefly addressed the controversies over his past behavior.
He told the crowd that he plans to earn their trust, faith, and support through the rest of the campaign. Platner criticized Collins, saying she
serves Donald Trump and the quote, Epstein class. Chief U.S. National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny joins us live from Washington with more.
Jeff, all eyes really were on Maine last night, not a real big surprise that he won the Democratic primary, but now that the test really is whether
or not he can beat Susan Collins, she is, as many would note, at one of her weakest moments politically, but even Democrats would acknowledge that
Platner was not the ideal opponent to take her on.
So, what can we expect to see in the weeks to come ahead of the midterms there?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, we know that Maine is going to remain one of the focal points of the
midterm elections, and here is why. If Democrats are hoping to win control of the U.S. Senate, they must pick up four Republican seats, as well as
hold all their own races.
And Maine is simply one of the easiest, at least in theory, on the map, because Susan Collins is the only Republican U.S. Senator who is from a
state that voted for Kamala Harris that went Democratic back in 2024 that sort of explains why Maine is so important here, but Graham Platner
certainly has just a string of controversies behind it.
But you could hear him last evening in his victory speech trying to change the conversation and make this a referendum on Senator Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM PLATNER, MAINE DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE: If you reflect Maine's values, why are you funding masked agents who are ripping our neighbors off
the streets, driving them off in unmarked vans? That is not the freedom that I serve for Torres defending.
[11:25:00]
You, if you are an independent voice, why do you vote with Donald Trump 95 percent of the time? If you're so bipartisan, why were you the deciding
vote to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So, this certainly lays the groundwork for what is going to be an extraordinarily interesting campaign, but we have seen really coursing
through American politics this outsider interest running against the establishment outside the establishment of both parties, and Maine is going
to be Exhibit A of that.
Graham Platner, he's a military veteran, of course. He's never been elected or served in a public office, and he has a string of controversies behind
him. Like I said, however, Susan Collins has a long record behind her, and this midterm election is going to be the first time that she will face
voters after Roe versus Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.
So, again, Maine is going to be so interesting in this fall campaign. We will see how this plays out, but the economic headwinds that are facing
Republican candidates are certainly interesting and severe. A Republican leadership official I spoke with this morning said that Republicans should
not assume that Platner is too damaged to win, that he certainly is not.
As well as other races, we are also keeping our eye on South Carolina, the governor's race last night, as you were mentioning, there, President
Trump's endorsed candidate did not clear the runoff, but that is something that she will face on June 23rd there. Pamela is the lieutenant governor,
Nancy Mace, perhaps a more familiar face member of Congress in South Carolina.
She got fifth place out of five candidates, so certainly that was interesting as well. So many more elections to come in this summer of
primaries, but again, all eyes on Maine for November, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, an interesting turn of events in California as well.
ZELENY: Right.
GOLODRYGA: The president's pick there for Governor, Steve Hilton, will be also facing a Democratic challenger come the midterms. Jeff Zeleny, thank
you so much for breaking it all down for us.
ZELENY: My pleasure,
GOLODRYGA: And still to come, Bill Gates in the hot seat, answering questions about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
We'll bring you the latest on the Epstein probe ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here are some headlines we're watching today. President Trump says the U.S.
military may resume attacks on critical infrastructure in Iran after Tehran and Washington launched a new wave of strikes against each other.
Donald Trump says Tehran is taking too long to negotiate a deal. The U.S. strikes came in response to the downing of an American Apache helicopter.
Anti-immigration protests and violence flared in Northern Ireland after a video of a stabbing attack in Belfast went viral.
The suspect, a Sudanese man, has been charged with attempted murder. Officials say crowds of masked protesters set fires to property targeting
the homes of people from ethnic minorities. More than 40,000 people packed into Barcelona's Olympic Stadium to attend a vigil led by Pope Leo on
Tuesday.
The event combined prayer, music, and personal testimonies from young people. The Vatican tells us while in Madrid, the pontiff met Music
Superstar Bad Bunny. No photos of their meeting have been released. Police in South Africa say attackers who carried out a mass shooting that killed
12 people are heartless and barbaric.
Investigators say more than 10 shooters rampaged through an informal settlement near Johannesburg. No arrests have been made. Police say the
motive for the shooting is not clear. Today on Capitol Hill, Bill Gates is testifying behind closed doors as lawmakers continue digging into the
Jeffrey Epstein files.
The House Oversight Committee requested to talk to the billionaire after the documents revealed detailed interactions between Gates and the late
convicted sex offender. In his opening remarks, Gates told Congress that he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Gates' testimony comes as "The New York Times" publishes reporting that was done for a new book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The article
focuses on the Trump Administration's scramble to deal with the Epstein files and talk of a potential pardon of longtime Epstein accomplice
Ghislaine Maxwell.
At one point, Vice President JD Vance even reportedly floating enlisting Tucker Carlson to interview Maxwell. CNN's Annie Grayer joins us from
Washington with more about this hearing. And Annie, it was interesting because prior to going in for the hearing, Bill Gates made a statement to
reporters. What did he say?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: That's right, Bianna. And I've covered a lot of these, and usually witnesses don't make statements going into these
closed-door interviews, but Bill Gates walked right up to the camera and said that he was happy to be there voluntarily, and that he hopes he can
provide information for the committee, and he wants to see justice for the victims.
And now that this closed door interview is underway, we've received his opening statement that he gave to lawmakers, and we're told that in this
statement Gates says that he never witnessed anything illegal by Epstein, never had any knowledge of anything, and even claimed that Epstein tried to
manipulate him because Epstein had knowledge of his affairs on his then wife, and was trying to use that to kind of create a closeness with Jeffrey
Epstein.
I'm going to read for you some excerpts from Bill Gates' opening statement that we obtained, where he says, quote, at the outset, I want to state very
clearly, I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his
Florida home.
I've never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that, and never reciprocated. I
learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage.
These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family. Now, Gates is currently under questioning by
both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, who have a lot of questions for Gates, because he appears in the Epstein files hundreds of times in emails,
in phone calendar -- phone conversations, calendar invites.
But there are two draft emails that have specific allegations in them that are completely unverified, and they're drafts of emails that Jeffrey
Epstein was allegedly going to send himself, but never did, where he claims that he helped set Gates up with women, and he also helped Gates get
medication to hide a sexually transmitted disease from his wife.
[11:35:00]
Now, Gates has vehemently denied those claims, say they're completely false, but also said that he regrets ever having interacted with Epstein,
who he said his opening statement that he met in 2011 and only was trying to interact with Epstein to discuss philanthropy, but that those funding
streams never panned out.
He was trying to get funding from Epstein for his causes in philanthropy, and said that he never was able to successfully procure that. He wishes
that he never had any interactions with Epstein. So, all of that is unfolding behind closed doors today, and we'll keep you posted as we learn
more developments of what Bill Gates is testifying.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and this hearing could go on for hours. Annie Grayer, thank you. Let's continue the conversation with Former State and Federal
Prosecutor David Weinstein. David, good to see you. So, as Annie has noted, Bill Gates has not been accused of any crime.
He's testifying voluntarily, cooperating. There was no subpoena forcing him to do this. So, from a lawyer's perspective, what do you think is the
single biggest risk he faces having walked into that room?
DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, Bianna, the only risk he faces is not being truthful. He has to keep in mind verified
emails that he has sent, not drafts that Epstein created to use somehow, but actual conversations that are verified, actual emails that are
verified, other witnesses who have testified, who put forward specific facts.
As long as he tells the truth, he really has nothing to fear. Again, he's done this voluntarily. He's not under a subpoena, but he's still obligated
to tell the truth. Based on the opening statement that we heard snippets from, his lawyers have done a very good job of preparing him and putting
forward what his version of the events are and isolating himself from any wrongdoing that's been associated with Epstein. So, good work on the part
of his lawyers.
GOLODRYGA: You mentioned his lawyers and advisers. "The New York Times" is reporting that Gates retained the Oversight Committee's own former top
investigative counsel to prep him for this tactically. What does that actually gain him going into this hearing?
WEINSTEIN: That gains him a lot. He is talking with someone who has no conflict because he's been allowed to continue to represent him, who knows
exactly what this committee is looking for, the kinds of questions they're going to ask, what they're going to focus on? And that gives him some
insight on what the questions are going to be, so he's not going in there blind.
I think that was a good move on his part to get someone who's familiar not only with the process but of what's been going on? So again, that gives him
a leg up and it allows him to put forward his factual version of what took place, and again to distance himself from any wrongdoing that Epstein had
been involved in.
GOLODRYGA: And we know, as we heard from Annie, among the most explosive material is that pair of drafted emails that Epstein appears to have
written himself but had not sent. Does that ever, in your professional opinion, does that ever reach the litmus for actually providing a legal
reason for perhaps Bill Gates to feel that he may be facing some questions here from a legal standpoint?
WEINSTEIN: Well, let's break down the question in two different ways. He is going to face these very hard questions. The fact that they're draft emails
that they have not been sent, tells us that this is something Epstein was considering. Was he keeping it in his back pocket to use against Gates as
leverage doesn't mean they're true.
Gates is admitted to the conduct with his bad decisions about women he associated with at a time where he was married. That much is true. The rest
of it we don't know if it's true. We've seen a lot of these draft emails before. in terms of putting the bullseye back on him, the bullseye is
really not on him, even if those emails were sent, because that would indicate perhaps some leverage.
And then that's going to raise more questions about, well, why did you continue to associate with him? Why didn't you verify more of what was
going on? He's denied having any close association, as we heard in the snippets from his opening statement with his residences, that's Epstein's
in Florida, traveling anywhere necessarily with him, when these unlawful acts were taking place.
We've heard other witnesses testify to this as well, that he did not see, was not aware of any of these unlawful acts. So, the fact that those emails
are out there makes him cautious about what he's going to answer, and again he needs to simply tell the truth, and nothing bad is going to happen to
him.
GOLODRYGA: He is the committee's 15th interview. It is closed door, but the chairman said that nothing is off the table, and the transcripts from these
sessions could be released later, and notably selectively.
[11:40:00]
So, what's a trap for a witness, especially someone as high profile as Bill Gates, that a public hearing wouldn't carry, given that this could be
released piecemeal?
WEINSTEIN: Well, if it's released piecemeal, that means that the people who ask the questions get to pick and choose what answers they're going to
give. And so, if it's in public, you'll get the entire context all at once by releasing it piecemeal, they're going to pick the best answers and
release those first.
Now, they'll have to give the context later on, but by releasing what potentially could be a bad answer, and that being one that puts him in a
bad light first, the damage is already done, and he's going to have to scramble to say, but no, wait, you need to see what the rest of the answers
were, but the fact is those bad answers came out first. But again, if he tells the truth, there aren't going to be any bad answers.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and I guess that's what he weighed when he was questioning with his counsel whether or not there would be more reputational damage, at
the very least by agreeing to this, or by declining to, and it seems like he was advised that there would be more damage if he declined. David
Weinstein, thank you.
WEINSTEIN: You're welcome, Bianna. Have a good day.
GOLODRYGA: You too. Coming up next, millions of fans all chasing one dream, and it's right around the corner. We are just one day, 24 hours away from
the FIFA World Cup.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: More than 100 matches, 48 teams, and just one day until it all kicks off. The Men's Football World Cup is almost here on Thursday. Co-host
Mexico will face South Africa after the opening ceremony in Mexico City. Then South Korea takes on the Czech Republic in Guadalajara.
Valeria Leon is with the fans in Mexico City as excitement reaches fever pitch. Valeria, give us a sense of what you're hearing. It's actually here.
Tomorrow is the big day.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, tomorrow is a big day. Mexico is about to make history as the first country to host the World Cup for a
third time, and that will happen tomorrow when the opening match kicks off in Mexico City, 01:00 p.m. local time.
But many of the fans here are complaining that it's way too expensive to get a ticket to see a match in person.
[11:45:00]
And that's why the fan fest that's being set up just here, a few meters away from the Mexico City's Main Square, the Zocalo, it's being set there.
But the situation is getting a bit complicated, because as you can see here, there are these metal barriers that have been installed by the
Mexican government, and also police have been deployed in this point.
This is one of the main entrances to the Zocalo, and we're going to the other side because these barriers have been installed, because on the other
side -- so this is the only door that they are using for people to get in and for us to get. OK. So, as you can see, many tourists, residents, fans
are going to use this same door to get through the fan fest.
The fan fest has a capacity of over 50,000 people, and there they're going to view the 104 World Cup matches. OK, so let's try to go to the other
side, so I can show you why they have installed these metal barriers. So, there are striking teachers that have been set up this camp surrounding
this area, the Mexico City's Main Square, and there are hundreds of these tents.
They are demanding higher salaries and also changes to the pension system. And just this morning, we spoke with one American tourist that's here from
the opening match, and this is part of what he told us.
DIEGO TOLEDO, AMERICAN TOURIST: It's just crazy, just like seeing everybody just out here, there's border, there's like barriers on the gates just to
get over there, just crazy.
LEON: Yeah, and how complicated has been for you and your dad just to cross every day to go to different parts of Mexico City?
TOLEDO: Just, well, I guess not really too complicated, just it's long lines just to get in, and there's one line, and there's just like -- just
lines to get in, that's it.
LEON: For more than a week now, these teachers have been occupying the streets and also blocking the major intersections around the Zocalo, where
the Fem Fest is going to open tomorrow. And Mexico's President Claudia Schiemann has said that some of these protesters are using their
demonstrations around of this international event to gain leverage over the government.
So, for the Fan Fest, this can be complicated, and many fans that are coming tomorrow to watch the opening game would have to face this
situation.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Valeria Leon walking us through all of the complexities there in Mexico City, 24 hours away until FIFA 2026 officially
kicks off. Thank you. And with one day to go until that big kickoff, Lionel Messi looks to be back just in time. We are going to take you to the White
House now.
Not Lionel Messi. The president is taking questions on Iran right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- sort of easy, because we have the -- we had the bomb, we actually have the bomb, got very
lucky that bomb didn't explode, that bomb was lodged in a helicopter, didn't explode, it was on fire, but it didn't explode.
It was those two guys, they knew how to fly, but they got very lucky, and then we had the unmanned boat going very, very fast at speeds that you
wouldn't want to go. That's why it's unmanned, I guess, because nobody can go in there. But they rescued, so the both people are fortunately the
pilots are OK.
Now look, I've been working with Iran for a number of months, and they should sign their deal. It's a good deal. It doesn't give them the right to
have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weapon. And it was just tap, tap, tap. I don't know what they're
doing.
So, they then shot out -- a shot at our helicopter, very expensive helicopter, by the way, but much more importantly, the two men,
fortunately, they're OK, but an amazing rescue, if you ever get a clip, you won't believe the rescue, how cool it was, the equipment we have.
Look, we have the strongest military in the world, and I gave them a break at the request of Pakistan. The Field Marshal and the Prime Minister of
Pakistan are great. We stopped them from going to war with India. You would have had a nuclear war if it wasn't for me, but they became friendly to me,
very friendly, and they did close to Iran, and they worked.
[11:50:00]
And they still are working on trying them to do what's right, but we want to deal this meaningful, we want to deal that works. We don't want to just
have a Barack Hussein Obama deal, JCPOA, the worst deal that was a path to a nuclear. It's the exact opposite, you know, I like on television, they
say, oh, they should have kept that.
First of all, it was over, was a short-term deal, but that deal was a path to a nuclear weapon. This is a path against a nuclear. You can't have a
nuclear weapon. His was a path to a nuclear weapon. They were developing during his administration nuclear weapon. If they had a nuclear weapon,
there'd be no Israel, there'd be no Middle East, and they would have absolutely shot at us.
So, we'll see what happens, but we hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today, in case you miss it, in case you don't turn
on your television set, and we'll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing
us for suckers, because you know what, they dealt with some very stupid presidents.
I have to say that I'm embarrassed to say some very stupid people were sitting here. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, you mentioned the Senate race in Maine. Are you all in in supporting Susan Collins? Does she have your full support
and endorsement --
TRUMP: She does, because she's a sane woman. She's not my best friend at all. These guys are, I get along, but I have some, but she's a sane person,
and she's a person that never missed a vote in many years. I mean, she's like, had 10,000 votes, 10,000 votes, she never missed a vote,
unfortunately, because sometimes she voted against me --
She's a sane woman, and she's a respected person, maybe a little different ideology than me, but this guy is a thug, he's a fake, he's a fake thug,
he's a phony, I made a lot of money picking out phonies. He's a real phony. He's bad. He's a bad person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, are you going to go back to attack? Are you thinking of attacking Iranian power parts and bridges --
TRUMP: Well, I'm not going to say that to you, but I could do that. Look, I could knock out, we have the most powerful. I built the military with these
people approving it, approved numbers that nobody would have ever thought - - we built it gave a lot to Ukraine through --
He gave a lot of money, a lot, but we're in great shape. We have a lot of storage capacity, but he gave a lot. And if you look at what's happened
when I left our cupboards were full. He gave it. Now I sell it to the European Union, and they give it to Ukraine for the most part.
But we have the strongest military anywhere in the world, and sometimes you'll have to use it, and we have to remember, and when people hear this,
Iran very simply cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't, and they've agreed to that. All they have to do is they have to start signing a paper.
It's fully negotiated. We have a fully negotiated, but they're tapping and tapping, and I say, all right, let's give them a couple of more days.
They're tapping because it's a meaningful paper. They know when they sign that paper, it's meaningful. The Obama deal, JCPOA, one of the worst, one
of the dumbest documents I've ever seen. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- when are you meeting with tech executives about the government taking stake in AI companies, and what could this partnership
look like?
TRUMP: About AI?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, sir.
TRUMP: Well, I can say this, we're having a meeting with them. It's an amazing industry. It's bigger than any industry anyone's ever seen. We are
leading China by a lot, and you know whoever leads that is going to really lead the world to a large extent, that's how big it is.
And I'm going to have meetings with the top 12 or 15 executives very shortly, and we're talking about giving back something to the public, and
if we do that, the public will become very rich, the people in our country, because that's the kind of money we're talking about, and I think they'll
do that, and I think it'll make it very popular.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have two questions. First of all, Turkish President Erdogan keeps threatening Israel. Do you think there's a chance of a
conflict between Israel and Turkey, and will you sell after 35 to --
TRUMP: Well, as you know, he's a very good friend of mine, and we've worked very well together. I like him a lot. I'm not supposed to say that, because
the press will say, oh, he likes Erdogan. No, he's a hell of a leader and a strong person, very strong person. I haven't heard that at all.
[11:55:00]
If I did call him, and I think I'd make sure that things were fine. I don't think that will happen with Turkey, not as long as I'm president, because
he respects me and I respect him. But beyond that, we have a good friendship. So, you know --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- that's my second question. Beside peace in the Middle East, why do you wish yourself for your birthday --
TRUMP: For my birthday. Well, I'll go a step bigger. Peace for the world -- peace for the world, Middle East. Yes, peace for the whole world. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President -- there is a New Jersey Democratic congressional nominee over in the 12th district. His name is Adam Hamawy.
He has a connection to the blind shape.
TRUMP: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I was wondering, you have --
TRUMP: -- terrible. OK. I think it's terrible I've seen it. I mean, he was more, you know, now he's trying to sort of say, yeah, I sort of knew him.
He didn't know him, they were very good friends. And you look at the -- you go back and look at what happened during that period of time.
He was a witness at the trial for him. He was a positive witness for him. He said the most lowing things again, knocked down the World Trade Center.
Admitted that he knocked down the World Trade Center. I think it's another one. If you look, I actually think the one in Maine is worse, because he's
just an outright pig.
He's like a pig. I watched him a couple of times. He's like a pig, that's what he reminds me of. You know, I come up with good names for people? I
don't want to stick in with that one, although I think pigs would be very upset about it. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President -- how confident are you that you'll be able to renew the USMCA, and what more do you expect from Canada at this
point?
TRUMP: Well, I'm not looking to renew it, I don't, you know, I mean, I made the deal, and the primary reason I made the deal is that NAFTA was the
worst trade deal I've ever seen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
TRUMP: And I made it better, but I had the right to terminate, and you know, with NAFTA, we didn't have the right to terminate. I had to get these
senators to approve that deal, that was a tough thing, Congressman too. NAFTA had no termination, so I mean, I've never said this before, but I'll
tell you what my thinking was.
NAFTA was a disaster for our country, the worst trade deal ever made by far. You know, they had typos in, OK? And they were supposed to correct
them, and they never corrected them when they were signed. They knew they were typos, and there's a process for that, you state your claim, and you
get a change.
They had typos on percentages, or maybe somebody wrote, and that was for years. They never ran. They had horrible all against us, so probably wasn't
typos. NAFTA was the worst trade deal we ever had. USMCA did one thing that I loved. After six years, it comes up for renewal.
I don't know that I'm going to renew it, because to be honest with you, United States does much better. We don't need anything that Canada has, we
don't need anything that Mexico has, but they need everything that we have, and they have to treat us better, you know with Mexico and Canada, we have
trade deficits.
We should have surpluses with them. We don't need their cars, we don't need their lumber, we don't need their energy, we don't need anything that they
have. So, the primary thing that I got, it was a much better deal than after, much, much better. It was sort of a good deal, but it was a great
deal for one reason.
It gave the right to terminate, and who would have thought that I was, you know, they just didn't want to have it during the four-year period when I
was president. So now it made it so that I wouldn't be president, and because they rigged the election, the second election, as you probably
hear, and probably know, most of you know that happened, and now it's been proven, and it will be proven as time goes by, even more so.
We have things that you won't believe when we release the full files. You're not going to believe how crooked the second 2020 election was, but
who would have thought that it comes due in my term? I mean, this was -- thank you very much. So, it was very important that we be able to do that.
So, we're talking to them, we'll see if we do something --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- before we came in here, and you posted about Bill Pulte, and that he'd be starting a job early. You said he downsizing the
DNI. Can you talk about --
TRUMP: -- people who have wanted that downsize for a long time, but many people don't want it at all. A lot of people thought it was a duplication.
Yeah, a lot of people thought it was a duplication. He's done a great job at Fannie Mae, and you know, you take Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the value of
that has increased so much since I've been in charge.
You know, I had the right to sell that, and in my first term, a group came to see me wanting to buy it, and they offered me exactly 10 percent of what
it's worth today, and I didn't want to do it because I didn't want to look foolish when they flipped it.
END
