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One World with Zain Asher
SpaceX Makes History with Record-breaking $75 Billion IPO; Trump Slams Iran, Says Country Being Dishonest About Proposal; Trump Blasts Iran, Accusing It of Leaking Details of Proposals; Backlash Grows Over Project Backed by Trump Family Members. Aired 11-11:30a ET
Aired June 12, 2026 - 11:00 ET
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ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Right, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher, Bianna Golodryga is off today. You are watching "One
World". It is certainly a big day on Wall Street with SpaceX's record- breaking IPO. There you have SpaceX's executives ringing the bell from the Nasdaq's market site in New York.
Meantime, CEO Elon Musk ran the bell from SpaceX was headquarters in Texas, the first dual opening in Nasdaq history. Here's where the markets stand
right now. Let's take a look. The NASDAQ is up ever so slightly, just a third of 1 percent. The DOW is up by 1 percent.
The S&P 500 up by slightly more than half a percent. SpaceX is driving today's trading. The company's IPO is set to raise $75 billion. And it is
also expected, by the way, to make Elon Musk the world's first ever trillionaire. SpaceX has set its initial share price at $135 that would
value the company at almost $1.8 trillion.
CNN's Hadas Gold is live for us in New York, with more on this. So Hadas, I think the big question is, will SpaceX live up to the hype here, Hadas?
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean we're still waiting for SpaceX, SPCX to actually start trading, because this is typical for IPOs.
Well, they will ring the bell, they'll be there. We saw Gwynne Shotwell, the President of SpaceX, Elon Musk, was at Starbase in Texas, but we are
still waiting for the actual SpaceX shares to begin training.
And then we'll get an idea of what the hype is actually like, and how the market is actually reacting. We are actually getting some early indications
that there is a lot of excitement. There are some early indications that some of the initial share -- initial trading price to speed, something like
$170 per share, quite a bit up from that $135 per share that it was debuted at.
There was some reporting that this IPO was oversubscribed by four times. Obviously, a lot of excitement. Biggest IPO in history, valuing SpaceX at
one of the top 10 most valuable companies in the world. So, a lot of excitement over this, but also questions about, of course, the business
model, whether there is overhyping for this.
But as Gwynne Shotwell, the President of SpaceX, has said, if you are buying into SpaceX, if you're buying a share of SpaceX, it's because you
are buying into SpaceX, and Elon Musk specifically, vision for the future, vision for humans going to Mars, for a lunar colony, for data centers in
space.
There are some people out there who say this is actually a really smart business model, because it is one of the only fully vertically integrated
AI companies, everything from the models with Grok to, you know, the spaceships to get the data centers into space, to the satellites that will
be able to communicate all of that data back from those data centers into space and back down to earth.
We are still, of course, waiting to see what that actual share price will be, and how much of a trillionaire Elon Musk will be in the next -- should
be in the next few minutes possible.
ASHER: We shall see. Hadas Gold live for us there. Thank you. Thank you for that. Appreciate it. Right now, to growing confusion over a possible
agreement between Washington and Tehran. At this hour, the U.S. President is lashing out at Iran in a new social media post, Donald Trump says that
Tehran leaked details of the proposal that he says quote, bear no relation to the truth.
On Thursday, the president touted the agreement, calling it a very strong memorandum of understanding. A source says the interim proposal will extend
the current ceasefire, reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, and pave the way for talks on Iran's nuclear program. So far, there's no confirmation from
the government in Tehran.
Let's bring in Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak. So, the White House is accusing Tehran of essentially misrepresenting the terms of a
deal. Just walk us through what we know so far, and what the president has been saying?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And it's interesting, the Vice President, JD Vance, has just posted on social media, also pushing
back about some of the reports that have appeared in Iranian state media about the contours of this deal.
And so taken together, I think you get a sense of the frustration perhaps inside the White House this morning that the deal is being framed around
this Iranian perception of what might be included in that, and just to take through what some of the Iranian state media has said is included in here.
[11:05:00]
And you understand, I think, why the president is frustrated by what he's seeing. One, when it comes to the financial relief that Iran would receive
as part of the deal, the Iranians claiming that they would see $24 billion of frozen assets unfrozen, including half of that up front.
The vice president saying just now that in fact the Iranians would not receive any cash as part of this deal just for quote, simply signing a deal
or attending a meeting. So very forceful pushback on that. The other area that I think you're going to see them push back on is this idea that the
Iranians would maintain management of this Strait of Hormuz.
That's something that the administration has been saying for quite some time is necessary to reopen as part of this deal, but the Iranians claiming
that they would retain the ability essentially to close it off, and that's not something that I think the president would be willing to accede to.
So, I think still a lot of questions about what exactly the word of this deal actually is. What we haven't seen so far is the actual text of it.
Neither side is putting out what exactly they claim is being finalized, but evidently, you know, the president and the vice president, I think, still
optimistic that eventually this plan will be agreed to.
You know, we heard from President Trump yesterday that it would be potentially signed over the weekend. He said it would occur in Europe. We
heard from our sources this morning that that would likely be in Geneva, the G7 due to take place near Geneva, in Evian-les-Bains, in France next
week, that the vice president would potentially be there to sign off on it.
Those plans still appear to be moving forward, even as you see these contradictory assessments of what is actually going to be signed coming
from both sides. And so, I think it is clear that there is going to need to be some massaging from both Tehran and Washington to their domestic
populations about what they have agreed to as part of this, but no evidence yet that this is collapsing, you know, Zain.
And I think it's evident that the president very much wants this deal to be done. He wants the war to be over. He wants the street to reopen. So, I
think, you know, just in talking to officials, it will take a lot for him to be put off of this deal, but this morning I think frustrated that it's
not being characterized in a way that he can quite agree with.
ASHER: Right, Kevin Liptak, live for us. Thank you. Right, more protests are expected in Albania in the coming hours, just as the country's prime
minister plans to hold a party rally in the capital. Protesters are furious over plans to build a luxury resort that is backed by President Trump's
daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner.
And as Isa Soares reports, the protesters' message is that their country is not for sale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of people once again packing the streets of Tirana outside the office of the country's Prime
Minister Edi Rama. The message loud and clear. Their anger isn't going away. Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury
resort linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
That will transform uninhabited coastal land and protected wildlife areas into hotels, apartments, and villas.
ARDIT CAMI, PROTESTER: No Albanian is going to afford one 2000 euros a night. It doesn't make any sense. We also have no idea how this is supposed
to benefit us.
SOARES (voice-over): It's a movement that has grown in size and scope. That began with concerns about the environmental impact of the project and has
steamrolled into widespread anticorruption protests with protesters demanding Rama's resignation. They say the government is selling the
country to the highest bidder, and has passed laws to fast-track projects like this one and bypass environmental protections.
ANISA IBRAJ, PROTESTER: The project lacks transparency, and we're all here for transparency. Until it's clear to us what kind of investment this is,
we will continue to protest.
SOARES (voice-over): The protest so far not deterring Prime Minister Rama, who says the project will go ahead and be a big boost for tourism in the
country. He says it will create jobs as the country continues its negotiations to join the European Union, but the European Commission is
warning that Albania's luxury tourism goals could derail its biggest aspirations if its ecological policies don't align with the EU's.
Rama's more immediate problem is the thousands of protesters gathering daily in Tirana, who say they won't back down until he is gone. A movement
that began with preserving flamingos now taking flight into something much broader.
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GREISI MANI, PROTESTER: We are fed with the corruption here. We are supposed to be a new candidate country, but we lack basic services.
Everybody has its own reasons. It has to come to an end quite frankly.
SOARES (voice-over): Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, let's take a look at some live pictures here. Today is actually the deadline for the Kennedy Center to remove Donald Trump's name
from the side of the building, but the Performing Arts Center has launched a last-minute bid to keep it there. The Trump Administration is appealing a
judge's ruling that the center's board violated the law when it added Trump's name.
The center wants the judge to freeze his order while that appeal moves forward. President Trump has named his pick to become the next Director of
National Intelligence. He taps New York Federal Prosecutor Jay Clayton for the role. Clayton was the head of Securities and Exchange Commission during
Trump's first term.
The Senate Intel Committee has already set his confirmation hearing for next week. They appear to be rushing his confirmation amid Trump's plans to
make housing official Bill Pulte, the Acting Intelligence Chief. There is a bipartisan pushback over his lack of experience.
And a group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors is speaking out against the president's latest pick for America's top law enforcement officer. In a new
statement obtained by CNN, more than a dozen women respond to the nomination of Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General.
They say that they are deeply disturbed by "The New York Times" report, that senior administration officials, including Blanche, participated in
secret White House meetings on how to manage political fallout from the Epstein files. Annie Grayer is following the story for us.
So, a lot of the survivors are saying that administration officials, including Todd Blanche, were much more interested in protecting
reputations, political reputations, and less interested in their well-being and injustice.
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: That's right. This is a pretty scathing statement from the survivors who are questioning Todd Blanche's ability to
serve as the U.S. top law enforcement officer, given his key role in these strategy sessions that were reported first by "The New York Times", because
they say that Blanche's strategy seemed to be more on protecting President Trump than getting the truth out for the survivors.
And survivors have been upset with Blanche for some time because he oversaw the Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files, which has been
botched and marred in controversy for months, because millions of documents still have not been released.
A lot of the documents that were released are still heavily redacted, and the department inadvertently released some personal information of
survivors that was supposed to be protected. So, take a listen to one of the survivors who signed on to this statement, who spoke to our Jake Tapper
yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ STEIN, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: It's really concerning to us, because at the end of the day, the end of the day, we're victims of a crime, right? And
what is the message that we are sending to Americans in this country about how victims of crime should be treated? This is an issue that has been
laden with a ton of political emotion, but if we can't count on our government to prosecute crimes, then we're in big trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAYER: Now, we're also told that survivors met earlier this week with House Oversight Chair James Comer, who's the Republican leading the
congressional investigation into the Epstein matter. And Comer wants to eventually hold a hearing with these survivors, so they have another
opportunity to share their stories.
And Comer said earlier this week that he wants Todd Blanche to come and answer questions from his committee about the release of the Department of
Justice Epstein files after Blanche's Former Boss, Pam Bondi, testified to the committee earlier, or, sorry, last month that Blanche was the one who
was in charge of this matter.
And Comer made this statement prior to this "The New York Times" reporting. So now there are even more questions that lawmakers will have for Blanche
if he does come in and answer their questions.
ASHER: Annie Grayer, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, a giant 8647 has appeared on the grass at the National Mall. The numbers are
viewed as a protest against President Trump. 86 is a code used in the restaurant industry to mean removal, and 47 could refer to the 47th U.S.
President, aka Donald Trump.
The White House interprets the phrase as a threat to harm, Trump -- police are said to be investigating the grass discoloration. You'll recall that
earlier this year, Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for an old social media post showing a seashell formation that read 8647.
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All right, an unprecedented event on the White House South Lawn this weekend, the official residence and workplace of the U.S. President play
host to the UFC Fight Night on Sunday, which is also Donald Trump's birthday. Will talk about that ahead.
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ASHER: The White House is making final preparations to host the first ever UFC Fight Night, Sunday, on the South Lawn, the event billed as a
celebration of America's 250th anniversary, coincides with Donald Trump's 80th birthday. But a recent Reuters poll finds the event is not popular
with Americans, with only 16 percent saying it's appropriate to hold it. Here's our Sunlen Serfaty with more.
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SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The octagon-built chairs in place and fight bell ready to be rung. The South Lawn of the White House
now transformed into a massive UFC fighting arena.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This will be the greatest show on earth.
SERFATY (voice-over): The live televised event, coinciding with Trump's 80th birthday on Sunday, has drawn an unprecedented effort to make it
happen, just steps away from the people's house. Court documents submitted as part of a lawsuit attempting to delay the event, revealing eye-popping
details.
How the logistics, size, scope, and price tag have all swelled, including the help of now seven federal agencies, a cost of more than $60 million
paid for by the UFC, including the grandiose over 100-foot arched lighting grid, dubbed the claw, a substantial volume of perishable food, and 494
porta potties brought in for the crowd.
Hundreds of staff and more than 700 subcontractors and roughly 4000 people coming to the lawn with more than 125,000 guests overall, much larger than
the president originally predicted.
TRUMP: We're going to have a UFC fight. Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land.
SERFATY (voice-over): UFC front man Dana White.
TRUMP: The great Dana White, he's building a literally a stadium, a 5000- seat arena, right outside the front door of the White House.
SERFATY (voice-over): Has been a close ally and friend to President Trump for over 25 years.
DANA WHITE, UFC PRESIDENT AND CEO: This guy has been a really good friend to me, and that's the bottom line. Donald Trump and I, who happens to be
the President of United States, is one of my very good friends.
SERFATY (voice-over): Appearing at the last three GOP conventions to help Trump target young male voters.
WHITE: My fellow Americans, it is my honor to introduce the 45th and soon to be 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
SERFATY (voice-over): White, getting a high-profile and laudatory audience today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth. No
one thought that was possible, and we did it. We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do, and at some level, that's what this
whole company, what UFC has been.
SERFATY (voice-over): Amid scrutiny of his unprecedented access to some of the nation's most sacred landmarks.
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REP. JIM MCGOVERN(D-MA): Let's get back to work to actually help. Hard working people in this country.
SERFATY (voice-over): And the UFC's private gain.
SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): There's no push back by the Republican majority.
They have nothing to say about a UFC ring being built on the lawn of the White House, really.
SERFATY (voice-over): After a series of hostile greetings at sporting events, including the NBA finals in New York this week. It may be the one
sport left where President Trump receives a welcome audience.
JOE ROGAN, HOST OF "THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE": We should stick to the UFC, and that's going to boo him everywhere.
SERFATY (voice-over): Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Right, the World Cup has certainly gotten off to a thrilling start, and the excitement has only just begun. The first World Cup matches in the
U.S. and Canada get underway in the coming hours. You've got Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, then Team USA take on Paraguay in L.A.
And a roaring start for Mexico fans after the national team beat South Africa two-nil in Thursday's opening game, as well. Coy Wire is at Los
Angeles Stadium as the U.S. men's national team gear up for their big debut. Such an exciting moment here in the U.S.
You've got USA playing Paraguay later on. I understand that you've got opening ceremonies with Katy Perry. Marco Rubio is going to be the audience
as well. Such a big moment for Team USA, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, and a big moment for me. I totally forgot about Katy Perry. I have that to look forward to, as we all do. Listen,
it's a big moment.
ASHER: Yeah.
WIRE: After years of anticipation, countless dreams, and enough height to fill every stadium in this tournament, the day has finally arrived for the
United States to begin its World Cup journey. For these players, this is a moment they've been chasing since they were little kids, juggling the ball
in the backyard, imagining a packed stadium chanting their name.
We asked the star, Christian Pulisic, for the U.S. team, and some of the other guys about what they'll be feeling in the moment. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIAN PULISIC, UNITED STATES FORWARD: Probably be looking up at my family and friends in the stands who have supported me throughout all this,
so there'll be a lot of emotions. It'll be a proud moment, representing the U.S. home soil in a World Cup. I mean, very special.
SEBASTIAN BERHALTER, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: Very happy motion, and you know, tears come, tears come. But yeah, I'm -- I can't wait for that
moment.
WESTON MCKENNIE, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: Full circle moment, because you know, as the kid dreaming about being in that position, wearing the crest,
and being able to hear the national anthem, I think it's something that, yeah, it makes dreams come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Now, tonight, Zain, feels bigger than 90 minutes. It's another chapter in this story of how soccer grew from this niche sport in America
to one capable of stopping an entire nation in this track. And standing in their way will be Paraguay. In the first match, a team known for its grit,
its toughness.
The players told me yesterday they are in for a physical, feisty match, and they can't let that get them off track. We asked some of the guys about
their expectations heading in. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT FREESE, UNITED STATES GOALKEEPER: We already believe we can win, and we're a hungry, competitive group of guys.
MCKENNIE: If you string together enough wins and good performances, you know, the start of the --
GIO REYNA, UNITED STATES MIDFIELDER: We believe collectively that we can do something really special to change soccer in this country forever.
FOLARIN BALOGUN, UNITED STATES FORWARD: We're looking forward to going out there and making the nation proud.
AUSTON TRUSTY, UNITED STATES DEFENDER: Think on the outside, people maybe would doubt us in a sense, but why not us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Paraguay in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. They reached the quarter finals in 2010 something the U.S. hasn't done since
2002. So, don't expect anything easy for the Americas tonight. What -- that's what makes the World Cup special, though, right? The pressure, the
passion, the possibility.
World Cups do not create legends, Zain. They reveal them. And tonight, America's got its next chapter beginning.
ASHER: All right, Coy Wire, live for us. Thank you so much excitement. We'll see if the Americans can pull off what the Mexicans did during their
debut match. Coy, thank you so much for that. All right, Taylor Swift can now add Hall of Famer to her long list of credits.
The pop superstar was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York on Thursday. She received the honor alongside fellow inductees,
including Alanis Morissette and KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Swift is the second youngest songwriter ever inducted into the
Hall of Fame.
Stevie Wonder was actually the youngest, at age 32. Right, a Thai princess is dead after spending nearly four years in a coma. Princess Pa, as she was
known, was the eldest child of Thailand's king.
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The 47-year-old had been in hospital since December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness because of a heart condition. She had a lot of health
conditions. Princess Pa studied law at Cornell University in the U.S. and worked as a lawyer. She'll be remembered for her charity efforts to improve
the lives of female prisoners and her diplomatic career as well.
Finally, tributes to a man who turned everyday moments into works of art. The British artist David Hockney has died at the age of 88. A key figure in
the pop art movement, Hockney went on to become one of the highest selling artists in the world. He broke ground by exploring themes around gay
relationships at a time when homosexuality was illegal in the UK.
The British Prime Minister says that Hockney has influenced generations of artists with his legacy. Right, stay with CNN. There is much more "One
World" in about 30 minutes from now. But first, "CNN Creators" is up next.
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