Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Senate Panel Grills Trump's Attorney General Pick Todd Blanche; Fatal ICE Shootings Spark Calls For Independent Investigation; Argentina And England Fans Ready For Semifinal Showdown; U.K. Set For New Prime Minister In Coming Days; Iran War Has Become A Battle For The Strait Of Hormuz; China Is Trying To Break Up Young A.I. Love; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 15, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:38]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
It's a very busy day on Capitol Hill where two high-profile confirmation hearings are underway that could have a significant impact on key federal
agencies.
ASHER: Yes. President Donald Trump's former defense attorney is testifying before Senate panel to become America's top law enforcement officer.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is facing a wide range of questions at this point (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) his role in the president's retribution
campaign in the past. Blanche has been accused of acting as Trump's personal lawyer instead of an independent government official.
Today, he was asked about his relationship with the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): Are you and President Trump friends?
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm his lawyer, was his lawyer. And now, I'm the deputy attorney general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: At his hearing, Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton wouldn't say whether voter fraud is a problem in the U.S. And he
sidestepped questions about the subpoenas he signed last week targeting "New York Times" journalists.
CNN's Evan Perez joins us now live on Capitol Hill.
So, Evan, as it relates to Todd Blanche, once again showing fierce loyalty to President Trump. He himself had been, prior to acting attorney general,
the personal defense attorney for the president, but also well-known in DOJ circles as well, having been a federal prosecutor.
What stood out to you in the line of questioning in particular from Republican senators as well, specifically John Cornyn?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, I think that slip of the tongue that you saw in -- in a pretty friendly
question there from Senator Kennedy of Louisiana, really encapsulates what the issue is for Todd Blanche.
The question of whether he is his own man, whether he is a yes man to Donald Trump, is what is looming large over this hearing.
And one of the most -- one of the -- the -- the senators we're -- we're keeping a close eye on is John Cornyn of Texas. He is retiring at the end
of his term. And he has raised concerns as to whether he is going to vote for Blanche in part of -- because of these concerns about this $1.8 billion
anti-weaponization fund, which Blanche insists is dead.
But Cornyn, in his questioning, really kind of points to the biggest issue, which is the president of the United States, since lawyers have not
actually signed any papers to say that it is dead indeed, they have not conceded that the agreement that Todd Blanche entered into that he signed
is actually no -- no longer valid.
And Cornyn was homing in on one part of this. You know, keep aside the -- the $1.8 billion fund, which was -- you know, the big concern was that it
was going to benefit people who attacked the U.S. Capitol.
There was another part of this, which basically gives immunity to the president of the United States, to his sons, to his family, to his
companies, for audits from the IRS, for potentially any crimes that even the government of the United States right now does not know about.
And so Cornyn really was homing in on -- on the question of whether the language that Todd Blanche signed onto, whether that is still in effect.
And so in the end, Todd Blanche had to concede that if President Trump wants to, he can still try to seek to enforce that agreement that he --
that Todd Blanche signed.
And so again, the big question is, is Todd Blanche sufficiently independent from the president of the United States, his -- his former client, his
former, you know, who he represented in these criminal cases?
Now that he is going to run the Justice Department, that is the big concern from Cornyn, from a couple of other members of -- of the -- on the
Republican side, who we're watching very closely as to whether or not they will support this nomination.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Evan Perez, you'll be watching it for us. Thank you.
CNN senior legal analyst, Elie Honig, joins us. I mean, Elie, I've heard you talk about Todd Blanche, your relationship with him, how -- how you've
known him your days going back many, many years ago. Just tell us about the man you knew then, and what you are seeing from him today.
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, there's a big difference, Bianna, and those two things. I knew Todd Blanche 20 years ago, when he
started at the Southern District of New York in 2006. I had been there maybe a year or so at that point.
[12:05:10]
And Todd Blanche has a very similar prosecutorial background and upbringing that I have, where we were taught things like, you have to keep prosecution
absolutely separate from politics. You have to be absolutely candid at all times, even if it's a problem for your case.
You have to be respectful of the massive power that you're given as a prosecutor to take away someone's individual liberty. That's the lawyer and
the person Todd Blanche was up until he joined this administration.
And I should say, I even defended Todd Blanche publicly when he was defending Donald Trump in the criminal cases back in 2023 and '24. I said,
he has every right to do this. It's good that we want good lawyers representing criminal defendants, whatever we may think of those people.
And this is a good thing.
However, since Blanche has been the deputy A.G. and now the acting A.G., I think he has really surrendered a lot of those prosecutorial principles for
most what Evan was just talking about the sense of independence.
I think that moment where Todd Blanche sort of slipped and said, I am the president's lawyer, I was the president's lawyer, is sort of telling. And
that's the major concern. Is Todd Blanche going to run DOJ as any kind of independent prosecutorial entity? Or is he going to simply allow it to be
used as Donald Trump's enforcement mechanism?
ASHER: So, Elie, what -- what specifically changed for Todd Blanche do you think?
HONIG: Well, I can't -- I can't get into the psychoanalysis of it. But I will tell you that Blanche had a sense that Donald Trump was wronged by the
criminal justice system.
And to some extent, I agree with that. I mean, I was certainly critical of some of the prosecutions of Donald Trump. I was critical of some of the
tactics used by Jack Smith, for example.
But where I think we part ways is that Blanche thinks that that justifies and necessitates and even more over-the-top abuse of DOJ's powers.
And, of course, I -- I'm more of a subscriber to the old maxim of two -- two wrongs don't make a right.
You know, Blanche is now on the doorstep of that golden ring of gaining the permanent position as the top law enforcement official, the top lawyer in
the United States. And I think he's shown us over the last year and a half that he's willing to bend his principles and do what's necessary to get
that nomination. And now today, from his perspective, hopefully the confirmation.
GOLODRYGA: Elie, a federal judge on Monday, earlier this week, said the IRS settlement that really absolved the -- the president and his family, giving
them immunity from future tax claims, was an improper purpose accused the parties, including the DOJ, of attempting to manipulate the judicial
process.
Todd Blanche, his signature is on that initial settlement. Is -- is that alone, in your view, disqualifying?
HONIG: Well, it's a scalding ruling from the federal district court judge in Florida who finds essentially that this was not an actual lawsuit. This
was not actually A versus B in what we would call an adverse scenario, but in fact, it was Donald Trump on both sides of that case, Donald Trump and
his personal capacity, suing Donald Trump's owned IRS and owned government.
And the judge does make some really damaging findings about Todd Blanche that he did not offer sufficient explanations and that he allowed this
illegitimate lawsuit to proceed.
I think it's a major issue. It's a brand-new ruling. It's two days old. They do have a right to appeal. There is a chance that they win, that
Blanche and his side win on appeal. So, I wouldn't call it disqualifying as of now. I do think they -- they have the right to appeal.
And there is an argument that that judge overstepped in what she did and how she did it. But I think it's a major issue he certainly has had to
grapple with. And I think we'll have to continue to grapple with during this afternoon's process.
ASHER: Elie, talk to us about the importance of this exercise. Because if he is not confirmed, and obviously there is a likelihood that he will be,
but if he is not confirmed, he still does remain acting attorney general.
HONIG: Yes, but only for a limited time. Federal law typically limits the time anyone can serve in an acting position to something like 210 days. I'm
not sure. He's -- he's part of the way into that, but he's not all the way.
But this is going to be close. This is a close call. If you look at the Senate Judiciary Committee with the recent passing of Senator Lindsey
Graham, a Republican, it's now 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
So, if one Republican flips over and votes with all the Democrats, who presumably will all vote no, then he won't get out of the committee.
And if you look at the full Senate, I guess it's back to 53-47 now, as Lindsey Graham's sister has been appointed to replace him, but even that is
not a huge margin. If he lo -- if Blanche fails to gain the support of four Republicans, then he's not going to get the nomination.
So, a lot of times when you go through these hearings, you kind of know what the ultimate outcome is going to be.
[12:10:00]
But I think given that some Republicans, including some on the committee, have voiced doubts about Blanche, I think the outcome is still very much in
question.
GOLODRYGA: Elie Honig, you'll be following these hearings for us. Thank you.
HONIG: Thanks, guys.
GOLODRYGA: Good to see you.
HONIG: Appreciate it.
ASHER: All right. A White House official says that President Trump has overturned the temporary pause on stops conducted by ICE.
The move comes less than 24 hours after the pause was put in place, following the shooting deaths of two immigrant men in both Maine and Texas.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, had this to say about the pause when he was pressed by our Kaitlan Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: I think what they're doing is taking a pause and make sure that, number one, the ICE officers have everything they
need to stay safe, because vehicle attacks were up 3,400 percent.
And they're going to make sure, is it training sufficient? Did anything go wrong?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: But DHS doesn't say he was trying to hit him with their vehicle and this. They said that he was
fleeing the scene and they feared for public safety. They didn't say that he was trying to use the vehicle to attack the officer.
HOMAN: I can't -- I can't speak on what DHS says. I'll say what I've always said is that we're going to let the investigation play out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The lack of body cameras is raising questions as neither officer was wearing one. Officials from Texas and Maine tell CNN that they want
answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WHITMIRE, MAYOR OF HOUSTON, TEXAS: Body cameras change behavior. I know it as a fact. So, if we had a body camera, we could hold everyone
accountable. All the parties are accountable.
LIAM LAFOUNTAIN, MAYOR OF BIDDEFORD, MAINE: There's no excuse for the federal government and an agency like ICE that's interacting and using
these tactics that they're not with body cameras. Unacceptable, period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: We have correspondents in both Texas and Maine. Let's start a bit of a Maine with CNN's Maria Santana.
So, Maria, just to reiterate, the president basically still supports ICE making these traffic stops even despite the deaths of two people in recent
weeks. His words were, ending these stops, and the president's view, would play right into criminal hands.
Give us the reaction to the president's statement there in Maine.
MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's definitely outrage and anger growing in this community. Many questions
about the shooting death of Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old from Colombia remain unanswered.
And people have been gathering at this park near the scene where it all happened. They've been leaving anti-ICE messages. They've been expressing
messages of support for his family, his wife, and three-year-old daughter that are now left behind.
You know, they want answers and they want more transparency. And this, you know, back and forth with the Trump administration, with officials within
the Trump administration, their mixed messages, it isn't helping community members.
You know, they say that they want an independent investigation. They want to know what happened in those seconds before the ICE agent began shooting.
It is very unclear at this point what happened.
And part of the reason is exactly because of what you said, the agents were not wearing body cams. So, we do not have those videos.
And all of the videos from witnesses and surveillance from businesses that we have been able to obtain, you know, they don't clearly show what led
this officer to believe that he or the public was in danger.
What we do know is that this, you know, young man Duran Guerrero was a very beloved member of this community. Everyone we have spoken to said, you
know, he was hardworking and completely dedicated to his young family.
I did speak to someone who said she was a friend of the family and this is what she had to say about him and how they are doing today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISABEL PAREDES, BIDDEFORD RESIDENT: He was a hard worker. He dedicated himself to working and taking care of his wife and his daughter. He was
very proud of her, of his -- of his family and just all the hard work, you know.
And he just wanted to be here to make a better future for his family.
SANTANA: How's his family now?
PAREDES: They are too scared to talk to anyone. Many social groups are trying to reach out to them and assist them, providing food, money, legal
assistance, anything like that. And they're scared, rightly so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANTANA: And Homan also announced that -- that in the next six months, ICE is going to try to expand the body camera program. And he said that going
forward, at least one agent in each enforcement operation will be wearing one. That's a very little comfort, obviously, to people here, you know,
especially for this father and husband who was so well liked.
You know, CNN verified his Facebook page, and most of his posts were about his wife and his daughter gushing about how much he loved them and how
proud he was to have them in his life.
And we also have seen social media posts completely heartbreaking from his wife, where she basically says she doesn't know how she's going to go on
and endure this pain and begging him to continue to look over her and not leave her alone. Bianna, Zain.
[12:15:01]
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And his wife and three-year-old daughter there at the scene as well can only imagine how traumatizing all of this has been for them and
continues to be.
Maria Santana, thank you.
SANTANA: Absolutely.
GOLODRYGA: Let's go to CNN's Carolina Peguero, who's joining us now from Houston, Texas.
And, Carolina, so many similarities here, including the fact that this victim, as well, appears not to have been the subject of this
investigation. Enforcement says that that was the same in May, that they killed the man, the wrong man, not the suspect who they were going after.
Talk about how the community is doing there in Houston. I know funeral arrangements are set for Friday. Where does this investigation stand now?
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's lots of information that came out yesterday and in the last hours, of course, at a local state and
now federal level.
And we, here in the community of Houston, continues to just be heartbroken. They're seeking answers, seeking justice. And people that just -- are
standing here, no matter if it's raining or not, they have came here to pay respect at the memorial site here in Magnolia Park in Houston, where
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52 years old, a Mexican National, was shot by an ICE agent during an ICE operation, that he then, we later find out, was not
the target for this operation.
We don't know the names of the agents that are involved. However, we were informed by elected officials that they have been removed from the city. We
don't know, though, if they have continued their functions.
Now, yesterday, there was a public hearing, a city council meeting including council members and the Houston mayor, John Whitmire, who heard
the frustrations, the declarations of a lot of -- of the similar frustrations of residents. And one of them was an ex-council member, his
name is Robert Gallegos.
And I want you guys to hear what he had to say at the podium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GALLEGOS, FORMER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: It's so important that we speak up as a community. And what is very sad is that our governor,
Abbott, and the GOP leaders in our state have not even mentioned the shooting.
And today has been a week. They haven't even given the condolences to the family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEGUERO: And also, we were able to speak to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo sons, Ronaldo and Lorenzo Jr., on how they feel a week after this tragedy and
tragic loss. They express they want justice, but they also don't want these -- these type of incidents and cases to continue happening in the country.
I want you guys to also hear what they told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALDO SALGADO, FATHER SHOT AND KILLED BY ICE: We also ultimately want to see, like, our end goal. We want to see the people, you know, that grew up
like us.
For everyone to be able to live life without fear, people -- to be able to go out without fear. People to be able to drive without fear.
Living in fear is no way to live. And unfortunately, that's how many people in immigrant communities live. And one day, I want to live in an America
where we don't have to look over our shoulder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEGUERO: They're seeking also an independent investigation, hoping that they can get answers as well as they've expressed just the gratitude that
they have felt in the last week by community members and at a state and national level of just supporting them.
They -- they express that their mother also is inviting the community to the public viewing of their father that will be tomorrow afternoon and then
they will have a private funeral service as a family on Friday. Zain.
GOLODRYGA: Carolina Peguero for us live in Houston. Thank you.
Still to come for us. The U.S. carries out another round of strikes on Iran, as tensions flare over the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Also ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: That day has come for me. This is the end of my political journey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says farewell to the House of Commons, as he prepares to leave Downing Street in the coming days.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Here we go. From Buenos Aires to Atlanta. The passion is the same. Fans are ready for the second World Cup semi-final. We'll show you
the unique game day ritual for Argentine fans. That's live from Buenos Aires.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:41]
ASHER: We are just two and a half hours from the World Cup showdown between England and Argentina. Who's counting time, right?
GOLODRYGA: Yes, yes. Well, who's -- who's dressing for -- for the -- for the game? They're playing the semi-final game in Atlanta. And these teams
have a storied and contentious history on the World Cup stage. And it's their first World Cup meeting since 2002 when David Beckham led England to
a victory in penalties.
ASHER: Yes. England flags up draped outside of Downing Street and hung from Pub's London on Tuesday.
And in Argentina, an interesting ritual, fans froze stickers of England players.
Stefano Pozzebon is in Buenos Aires for us.
Stefano, freezing stickers of English players. That is a creative game day ritual. But I -- I wonder whether or not it's going to work here.
Just walk us through what the atmosphere is like because this is a real sort of historic rivalry that goes back decades.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, yes, Zain. I mean, this is a match that the Argentinian coach, Lionel Scaloni, said earlier this week that
this is just a football match.
Of course, many people here in Buenos Aires will beg to differ. This is clearly not just a football match for geopolitical and, of course, sports
history reasons.
It's 40 years ago that Diego Armando Maradona beat England with the Hand of God goal at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. That was the semi-final in
1986. Here we go again and make me sure that in a couple of hours here, this place will be buzzing.
We are in the center of Buenos Aires where the local city hall has set up a massive giant screen for fans to cheer for their beloved Seleccion de
Albiceleste who is fighting for the fourth star. The second World Cup victory in a row after that triumph in 2022.
And I think you probably remember the last time I was here in 2022 when the party clearly went up to wilder.
But you mentioned someone dressing up for this match, Zain, Bianna. Here's my new friend here in Argentina, an alien.
Why are you dressed up as an alien to support the Argentina national football team?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm dressing in an alien form because Messi is an alien too. It's our alien. And for that, I -- I have this support for him.
[12:25:03]
POZZEBON: You were saying that this is a Kabbalah (ph), like a ritual to support the selection, the -- the national team. What does that mean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Qatar, we hear all the -- all the -- all the matches. In this -- in this time, it's the same. Kabbalah here is this repeat the
same -- the same team on the support of the team.
POZZEBON: So, you were dressing in 2022 too?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
POZZEBON: OK. There you go. The Kabbalah, means supporting the same rituals, to continue the same rituals from 2022, to support the national
football team this time as well.
And for example, I'm wearing the same shirt as when Argentina won here in 2022 in the final against France with those extra time and then the
penalties. We were up in the obelisk in the center of Buenos Aires.
Here, many other people are keeping the same. For example, we know of groups of friends meeting and sitting on the same spots on the sofa, for
example. Another one is that many private companies have given the day off to the workers, just so that people can come here, can support, and in some
way, show some strength and some support to Messi and company.
This is clearly no match like any other. It's a semi-final and it's against England. And Argentina is ready to support. Zain.
ASHER: Stefano, I'm -- I'm curious what you're going to be wearing on Sunday when it's England versus Spain, not Argentina.
GOLODRYGA: Ouch. She went there. I'm with you. I'm in the -- I'm in the Argentina blue too. He's going to call his alien friend over to come and
talk to you in a minute.
ASHER: And I agree with your alien friend because that is out of the world.
POZZEBON: I'll send you -- I'll send you selfies. I'll send you -- I'll send you ladies selfies from Buenos Aires. I'll be drinking matte, eating
(INAUDIBLE) and the cheering up for the World Cup. Don't worry.
GOLODRYGA: All right.
ASHER: Matte. OK. Well, thank you. We'll see what happens, right? We've got two and a half hours.
Thank you, Stefano Pozzebon, live for us in Buenos Aires.
And later on this hour, we're going to be live in the fan zone for you too in Atlanta.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World," finding love online is nothing new. But China wants to make sure that it's really a person you're
falling in love with.
Coming up, why it doesn't want A.I. to stand for artificial intimacy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:26]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
Iran says it has no plans for negotiations as President Trump threatens to strike Iran's power plants and bridges next, unless Tehran returns to
negotiations.
GOLODRYGA: This as the U.S. launches another round of strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: This video, geolocated by CNN, appears to show strikes on a maritime control tower in an Iranian port city.
ASHER: Yes. The strikes began overnight, then continued into the day. Iran says that seven of its military personnel were killed and that more than 30
civilians have died in recent U.S. strikes.
President Trump says the attacks will continue. And here's what he said when he was asked about the possibility of a ground campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you really now at a ground campaign in a limited capacity?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I don't -- I don't want to say that either, but I would say no if I -- if I thought it was
appropriate.
I'd say, sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. also re-imposed its naval blockade on ships going to and from Iranian ports. In return, Iran is threatening to halt more energy
export routes in the region.
ASHER: All right. Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was given a standing ovation in the House of Commons today as he bids farewell to
lawmakers.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Starmer is due to leave office in the coming days and face his final prime minister's questions today. He is standing down as leader
after poor popularity ratings led to his own M.P.s calling for his resignation. But Starmer left the House with a positive message about his
premiership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STARMER: To all those in the gallery whose lives have been changed or improved by this Labour government and all across the country who struggle
to be seen or heard, you're the reason I came into politics.
To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Newly elected Labour MP Andy Burnham is set to take over from Starmer's prime minister as soon as Monday.
Time now for The Exchange. We're joined live now by Martin Farr, he's senior lecturer in contemporary British history at Newcastle University and
joins us live now from Scotland. Martin, thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, say what you want about Keir Starmer. At the end of the day, he still brought Labour into power after 14 years in opposition.
And, you know, maybe some people might argue that was because people wanted to get rid of conservatives. Maybe that's the case. But at the end of the
day, he made Labour electable. Even though there were a lot of controversies surrounding his ability to actually govern whether or not he
was charismatic. What do you think his legacy is going to be?
MARTIN FARR, SENIOR LECTURER IN CONTEMPORARY BRITISH HISTORY, NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY: Well, I think as you -- as you alluded, it was partly an anti-
conservative vote. I think the most popular party in Britain at the moment is the anti-insurgent -- the anti-incumbent party. Anyone who's not in
power is -- is appealing because they -- they can't be blamed for what's going wrong.
And there have been 13 years of conservative government, the 10 Brexit years in particular, where the countries seem to have ground to a halt and
Parliament too.
But I think to most casual observers, and most people are casual observers of the political scene, they won't seem much different in the last two
years as in the 10 years preceding it. And that's partly because of those don't want a (INAUDIBLE) majority. And he did make his party sellable.
He was not the person he succeeded that was Jeremy Corbyn, who was a very left-wing figure and who was accused of anti-Semitism by many people.
Something Starmer referred to several times today in his farewell Prime Minister's Question time.
But beyond that, he wasn't really able to construct a narrative that convinced people. It was very striking in the May general -- in May local
elections in Scotland and Wales. Every campaigner has reported back essentially how unpopular he was, which is very curious because he's --
he's not a divisive person. He's not an incompetent person, a malevolent dishonest person.
It's really interesting how much the level of hostility to him isn't actually borne out by him as being a particularly strong personality, like,
for example, Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson, for instance.
And I think the reason for that is that there is so much public discontent with the political system and the political class more generally. And he's
suffering from that.
Now, Burnham has many attributes that he doesn't have. And we'll see whether Burnham can -- can neutralize or overcome this profound skepticism
bordering on cynicism that many in the public seem to have towards their leaders.
[12:35:07]
GOLODRYGA: And Burnham enters this prime -- prime ministership as soon as Monday, as Zain noted after a month entering parliament here. There's been
no general election, no real contested leadership vote at all.
What does history say about governments and how governments born of coronation rather than a contest? How do they tend to fare?
FARR: The last prime ministers come in and leave with a general election was Edward Heath in 1974. So, it's not uncommon for leaders to change in
between elections. There's no constitutional or historical precedent for an election to be called. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't,
sometimes it works, sometimes, it doesn't.
To see Andy Burnham yesterday, give his first speech in the chamber over the Hillsborough Law, which was, he was very instrumental in passing, which
was to require members of the security services and public servants to be honest in the face of inquiries into a -- a tragedy such as the
Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
To watch him speak was remarkable because everybody knows he's going to be prime minister on Monday. And yet, there's been no election, as you say,
either in the country or in his party. He's been elected in a by-election, which another M.P.s stood down to facilitate for him to become prime
minister.
This -- this never happened before. Everyone sitting there knowing that, for the last three weeks, he's been preparing a government, which no one
knows about in order to succeed Keir Starmer.
So, although it's not uncommon to change horses midstream, as it were, it is really remarkable and unprecedented for it to happen in this order.
And I think the reason for that is that Burnham has a unique opportunity. I was -- I was present at Labour Party Conference last year in the room where
he spoke. And he came crashing to ground because his timing was wrong in seeking to unseat Starmer.
What happened since is the Madison scandal and the local elections and the profound weakening of the prime minister. These were not survivable
situations.
And now, Burnham has seen as being the only person able to unite the various wings of the Labour Party and to present a human face of politics
to the public. It was surprising today in House of Commons. It was a very moving session, actually, lots of laughs, lots of tears.
And Starmer was very witty. And it's often said that prime ministers, when they're leaving, if only they were like that as they were prime minister
one could see more of them as an individual, but it was too late.
And so we have someone readymade to be -- to have emotional intelligence and to be humorous and so on, but who will face the same challenges that
the outgoing prime minister has had to deal with.
ASHER: Yes. I mean, that -- and that was going to be my next question. I mean, obviously, Andy Burnham gets an A for authenticity. But the fact that
Britain has had, what, seven prime ministers in -- in about a decade tells you that the problems are bigger than -- than one person. I mean, there's
no political savior that's coming to rescue the country.
And I -- and I worry about Andy Burnham, especially because sometimes when you are too popular going into the job, you're -- you're already so popular
before anyone has really gotten to know what you're like on the world stage.
It can be -- it can be very difficult to live up to the hype because as prime minister, you are going to make unpopular decisions. It's impossible
to please everyone. And you're going to disappoint the people that -- that voted for you. So -- so give us your take on that.
FARR: I think the fastest way for a popular politician to become unpopular is become prime minister. And the way things are at the moment, you'll be
the most unpopular prime minister in history within about six months. So, he has to be prepared for that.
And I think one of the problems he will have as a human being is that he's known to be a very nice person who likes being nice to people. And that's
really isn't the best role for you in that case.
And so he will be facing with second people with denying people roles. There will be overnight, a number of his parliamentary colleagues who will
be resentful and not having been given a job or having been moved from their job.
And what will be the barometer will really be how the party fares in polling. I mean, this was a really an almost existential decision by the
Labour Party.
The view was that unless they change the prime minister as soon as possible, the prospect of Nigel Farage as prime minister was all the more
real. And a reform government is to a Labour person much, much infinitely worse than the Conservative government. And they're going to allow that to
happen.
Now, curiously, ironically, in the way the politics often runs, Nigel Farage has somewhat come back to earth in the intervening period. So, it
may have been thought not necessary to change at all, but certainly, Starmer's unpopularity was too deeply embedded with the public to be
overturned.
Labour could have won in Scotland, for example, had the election been a year before and had the different leader than Starmer's. So, a material
effect already on Labour electorally. And many Labour M.P.s, with this vast parliamentary majority, but a very small popular vote are already
effectively one term M.P.s.
He hopes to save more seats than he will lose by being the prime minister and by being able to be a very different personality in charge of politics.
And he also, he's not merely the person in charge. He wants to do politics in a different way. And so we have Burnhamism, Manchesterism, Devolution,
less whipping in the Commons, for example, a kinder, gentler field.
[12:40:07]
Now, every prime minister comes into office with a new agenda and seeks to be different. Burnham is offering radical change, and that of course makes
it easier for him to be deemed to fail.
ASHER: Right. And as you mentioned, the quickest way to become unpopular as a politician is to actually become prime minister. I think that -- that --
that is so apt because you're absolutely right, especially in this climate that we're seeing in the U.K.
And there are so many different tests that he has to face, whether it's, you know, dealing with Trump, for example. You know, he obviously has
spoken out about his views on -- on Israel and Gaza, and obviously, there's controversy around that, but we'll -- we'll see, right? We'll see what
happens, starting possibly as soon as next week.
Martin Farr, always good to you. You're our go-to person on this. We -- we love having you on the show.
GOLODRYGA: Make us smarter.
ASHER: Yes.
FARR: Oh, it's a pleasure.
ASHER: Thank you. Thank you so much, Martin.
We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Let's take a quick look and see how the markets are doing right now. We are read pretty much across the board. The -- all three
indices here in the U.S. are down. This is your business breakout.
GOLODRYGA: Oil prices have risen after the U.S. reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports and continued a fourth consecutive night of strikes there.
Ship crossings on the Strait of Hormuz have slowed again in recent days as well.
ASHER: China's economy grew at a slower than expected pace in the second quarter. A first is the COVID pandemic, just 4.3 percent. It's a rare
admission from the country that's previously propped up industrial activity with infrastructure, investment, and exports. It's also a sign that China
is not immune from the U.S. war in Iran.
GOLODRYGA: This next story quite controversial. The U.S. House passed a bill enacting year round daylight saving time across the country. That now
goes to the Senate for a vote. Proponents say it prevents disruption to schedules, particularly for children. But critics say it will have
financial consequences, especially for farmers.
ASHER: All right. Back to the U.S. war with Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps threatening to halt more energy export routes in the Middle
East in response to the U.S. military re-imposing a naval blockade of ships going to and from its ports.
GOLODRYGA: The repercussions of controlling the Strait of Hormuz extend far beyond the waterway. David Goldman joins us now to explain.
We know that 20 percent of all the world's oil passes through there. We've been covering the ceasefire being off and on, the Strait being closed and
open. But just talk about what this means for energy markets and whether or not this is going to be a permanent albatross.
[12:45:15]
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. It's serious news for energy markets and probably permanent. We'll take a look at that.
What are we looking at right here? This is the Iranian signup sheet, basically. If you are a ship and you want to pass through the Strait of
Hormuz, they want you to register. This is, you know, what's the name of your vessel and what type of vessel? And, you know, what's your flag? All
of this is important information for Iran to collect.
Now, why does Iran want to collect this? Because it wants to charge tolls. It actually has been charging tolls around $1 to $2 per barrel. It had been
doing that until that memorandum of understanding was -- was basically signed. And it was charging around $2 million per tanker.
President Trump said, you know what? That's not a terrible idea. Why doesn't the U.S. do that as well? We'll charge 20 percent of cargo. What
would that mean? It would mean around $27 million per tanker.
And so, you know, the Gulf nation said, that's a non-starter. This is not actually going to happen. And Trump very quickly pulled back on that.
What is this all about? Well, Iran wants you to go in a very specific way when you travel through the Strait of Hormuz. It wants you to go around its
coast.
Now, there is an alternate route. You can get out around the coast of Oman, but Iran can't track you there. And so, they have been bombarding ships
that are going around that way to prevent them from going that way and going around Iran's coast where you need to register with them.
And they said that they've been pretty successful at this, 200 ships, they say, in three weeks. Now, we haven't confirmed this, but they say 200 ships
in three weeks have registered with Iran for the future charging of tolls. And these tolls, as I mentioned, are $2 million.
Now, how can they charge those tolls? Well, there's some disputed language in that memorandum of understanding. For the safe passage is the key line
there. What does that mean exactly?
Well, the United States said free to travel, but Iran said no, no, no, only around our coast for the eventual charging of tolls. That's what this
dispute is all about.
Iran needs this because 50 percent of the regime's revenue comes from oil. This isn't going away anytime soon to answer your question, Bianna.
ASHER: All right. David Goldman, live for us there. Thank you.
GOLDMAN: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, China is worried about young people forming intimate relationships with A.I. chatbots. The country is banning these virtual
relationships for minors and restricting emotionally dependent chatbot services.
As Kristie Lu Stout shows us, it's a reflection of China's growing unease over A.I. intimacy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chatbots have become more common companions in friendship or even love, as seen across Chinese social media,
but this kind of intimacy may be no more.
Now, driven by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the measures tightened oversight on human-like A.I. services. They ban firms from
providing virtual companion services to minors. And companies, they must also avoid, quote, inducing emotional dependence or addiction in adults.
Now, legal experts, they're pointing out that this is not an outright ban on A.I. chatbots. Platforms that don't provide emotional interaction, like
customer service or work assistance, they're not affected.
Ahead of the rules, Chinese tech giants reportedly stripped human-like A.I. features from their chatbots with ByteDance's, Doubao, as well as Alibaba's
Qwen, disabling features that let users build and chat with artificial friends.
The new rules reflect a growing anxiety in Beijing about the social harms of A.I., especially as falling birth and marriage rates unsettle the
Chinese Communist Party.
But it's not only China that's concerned here. Several U.S. states like New York and California have also passed laws targeting A.I. companions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:11]
ASHER: All right. Come one, come all. It's the last semi cup of the World Cup. Semi-final, not semi cup. Semi-final of the World Cup.
GOLODRYGA: Semi cup. I like the way that sounds.
ASHER: OK. We are a little more than two hours out from England versus Argentina.
Right now Atlanta, Georgia is the place to be, of course.
GOLODRYGA: I like semi cup. Semi cup's a good name.
Despite Lionel Messi's eight goals, Argentina have faced some really tough competitors in the knockout stage. If they want a shot at becoming back-to-
back champs, they'll first have to get past England's defensive structure.
Andy Scholes is close to the stadium with fans in Atlanta. I'm not going to ask you a loaded question, Andy, because I know you can barely hear us.
Just go. What are fans telling you?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I mean, Zain and Bianna, we're in a place called the Irish Exit right in Downtown Atlanta. A stone throw from
the stadium. England fans here have completely taken over this place. An excitement for this game.
You know, the last time Argentina played here in Atlanta was that crazy comeback against Egypt. It was 95 percent Egypt or Argentina fans at that
game. Not the case this time around. The England fans are here. They think the World Cup title is coming home for the first time since 1966.
Now, England and Argentina, you know, despite being separated by an ocean, this is actually a great rivalry. It goes all the way back decades.
And, you know, one of the most controversial goals in World Cup history was Diego Maradona's Hand of God in 1986, where he scolded goal scored a goal -
- scored a goal with his hand. Then he scored what's called the goal of the century moments later as Argentina knocked out England at that World Cup.
Then in '98, David Beckham sent off on a red card. That was another one where Argentina knocked England out of the World Cup.
Four years later, England did get a little revenge in that World Cup as they beat Argentina in the group stage. Argentina didn't even make it out
of that group.
But this rivalry, something always seems to happen when these two are on the pitch. And England manager Thomas Tuchel knows it's an extra spicy
match whenever they get together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS TUCHEL, ENGLAND MANAGER: I think you cannot just say it's just another football match. But as a coach, we do exactly that focus on -- on -
- focus on what we can influence.
We don't -- actually, me and my team between us, we don't speak about the - - the -- the historic events. We don't speak about the iconic moments. It's in itself iconic enough and -- and the tension is -- is -- is big enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: So, these England fans, they've just been chanting this whole time.
Stu, why is it finally coming home?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's our time. It's our turn. England versus Argentina. It's our turn to beat them.
SCHOLES: Messi's got eight goals. Are we worried about Messi today?
[12:55:01]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not worried about Messi. We have Kane. We have Bellingham. We're going to win it today.
SCHOLES: All right. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're sailing through the final.
SCHOLES: Good luck, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
SCHOLES: I'm wishing you luck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
SCHOLES: All right. Zain and Bianna, he has the feeling (INAUDIBLE) England fans. They fought like 1966 so long ago. A lot of them weren't even alive.
They think this is finally their time. We will see.
Argentina, of course, the defending champs trying to go back-to-back, trying to be the first one to do that since 1962.
Tell you what, we hopefully are in for one good match here in Downtown Atlanta.
ASHER: I want to hear you two Americans sing with me. It's coming home. It's coming home.
GOLODRYGA: I thought we were going to sing "Wonderwall" or her "Hey Jude."
ASHER: Now, sing it with me, guys. Come on, because it is finally coming home. I can -- I feel it, Andy. I feel it. It's our time.
GOLODRYGA: I -- I can't. I'm wearing -- I'm wearing a Messi blue. I'd like to see Messi one more time. I'll be happy with either team. I don't have
any skin the game.
ASHER: Well, Andy's wearing white, so he knows. He knows. And he can barely hear us.
GOLODRYGA: I'm not counting -- I'm not counting.
SCHOLES: I tell you what, guys, I can't really hear you. There's a lot of - - there's a lot of not-for-safe T.V. chants going on, so I'm just going to send it back to you.
GOLODRYGA: OK. Andy, you know what? Have fun. Have fun. It's going to be a great game.
ASHER: Great game. Oh, I'm so nervous.
SCHOLES: All right.
ASHER: But great -- great game.
GOLODRYGA: OK.
ASHER: That does it --
GOLODRYGA: Go get ready for the game.
ASHER: That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
