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CNN Live Event/Special

Manhunt After Minnesota State Representative Assassinated, State Senator Shot; No Kings Protests Underway In Cities Across The U.S.; Interview With Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN); Manhunt After MN State Rep. Assassinated, State Senator Shot; Israel, Iran Exchange More Drone And Missile Attacks; Millions Of Protesters At "No Kings" Rallies Nationwide As Trump's Military Parade Takes Place On His 79th Birthday; Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) Discusses About The 250 Military Parade And President's Birthday Celebration; Military Parade In D.C. As Protesters Continue Across U.S. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 14, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:29]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We are following multiple breaking news stories. I'm Brianna Keilar alongside Boris Sanchez here in our nation's capital, and right now, there is a manhunt underway in Minnesota for the suspect in what officials say was a politically motivated attack on two State lawmakers and their spouses inside their own homes early this morning.

The top Democrat in the State House, Melissa Hortman has been assassinated along with her husband. Also targeted, Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. They are both hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

Tonight, Governor Tim Walz condemning the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): This was an act of. Targeted political violence. Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We are following, the latest in this urgent manhunt. And also today, millions across the country are protesting the Trump administration's policies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROTESTERS chanting "Hey, ho, ho. Donald Trump has got to go."

PROTESTERS "Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The American people are against the authoritarian power grab.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have kings. We don't have thrones. The power belongs to the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The so-called No Kings rallies taking place in major U.S. cities. Today's demonstrations rounding out an already chaotic week of protests and just minutes from now, a show of force in the nation's capital celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the United States Army, a parade of thousands of soldiers, tanks and military vehicles set to make its way through the streets of Washington, DC.

And meantime, overseas, fears of an all-out war growing in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(Explosions)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Israel and Iran exchanging a new round of strikes tonight, both sides reporting multiple injuries, all this, after Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites early on Friday.

We are going to get you a live report from Tel Aviv in just moments. But first, let's get back to this manhunt in Minnesota. CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, John Miller joins us now.

John, what more are you hearing from sources?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, the manhunt is on for Vance Luther Boelter, 57 years old. This is an individual who is suspected of being behind the shootings and murders this morning. He is also an individual who we believe runs a security company in the area, but he also claims to have a Doctorate in Leadership Education and a Master's of Science in Management and is a motivational speaker and is a preacher in multiple churches.

So you have this suspect emerging who is a religious Christian, who is out in public, who is speaking and running this company, who suddenly allegedly turns into this hitman.

Now, if you look at the FBI wanted poster, the picture on the far left is his driver's license photo, the next picture is from the website of Pretorian Security, his security company, where he has himself listed as the Director of Patrol, but then you see this picture where an individual who appears to have a shaved head is at the door.

Now, this picture was actually taken in the pre-dawn hours this morning as the suspect approached one of the homes where he intended to open fire on the elected officials and their families inside. And we are told by investigators now that they believe that that is a mask. This was first noticed by Danny Freeman, one of our correspondents here, who said, look closely. You can see there's just black holes where the eyes are and you can see the seam around the back of the collar.

So we believe he wore that so that any video or RING doorbell cameras wouldn't capture what he actually looked like. Next to that, you see the picture with the cowboy hat where he is captured on a security camera inside a commercial location, not in Brooklyn Park, not in Champlain, but 11 miles away after the shootings in Minneapolis.

So when he was confronted by police and had that gun battle leaving his car, the one that was made up to look like a police car in the driveway, he fled through the backyard and somehow found his way 11 miles away.

[18:05:10]

He could have taken a cab, he could have taken another car, he could have taken the bus, but he ended up in Minneapolis, where part of this manhunt is now focused.

KEILAR: And John, knowing at least what he claims on his security company website that he has extensive security training, including from military officials, he says he has some experience, even in the Gaza strip, how does this complicate the search for law enforcement officials?

MILLER: Well, it could if he actually has that experience. But, you know, when you do the deep dive into that website, it appears that, you know, he is the Director of Patrol. His wife is the strategic person. And there is a third individual who is supposed to be part of their training staff, but it doesn't seem like there is much of a company behind the website.

He talks about his travels through Africa, his time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but it doesn't appear that in a lot of those places he was actually doing security work. So it is hard to say how much of this is bluster and how much of this is real experience. But this is for sure, he showed up armed, wearing a bulletproof vest in basically a fake police car armed with a pistol, a taser, a flashlight, and pretending to be law enforcement.

And when law enforcement, real law enforcement showed up, he engaged them in a gun battle and escaped. So whatever his level of training or sophistication is, his level of dangerousness having committed now multiple murders and shot it out with police is something that is not up for debate.

SANCHEZ: Important to keep in mind as he remains on the loose.

John Miller, thank you so much for that update.

Right now, a celebration is kicking off in the nation's capital commemorating the U.S. Continental Army, which formed 250 years ago to fight for freedom against the British monarchy.

KEILAR: CNN's Kristen Holmes is joining us now live with more. And, Kristen, this is really an unprecedented parade that we are seeing today.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I mean, we haven't really seen anything like this in our country ever. There was something kind of similar back in 1991 when George H.W. Bush was the president, but other than that, the level here and the scope and magnitude now we are in kind of a rush against the clock because this is actually starting 30 minutes early because the weather is so bad. There is so much that they want to happen during this parade, and it just does not -- it is not clear its going to, given how quickly the weather is moving in.

But what we are talking about is millions of pounds of military hardware that are going to be going down the street right behind me. And you can see right now, they are welcoming the President of the United States, again, 30 minutes early here, they're going to have a Golden Knights parachute demonstration right after that.

We are going to see 6,700 soldiers marching. We are going to see B-52 bombers from World War Two, 50 helicopters, and then a number of aerial flights. Unclear how that's going to work, because as I said, the weather is moving very quickly. We can also hear they seem to have fireworks going right now.

One of the things to pay attention to here is the idea of a military parade. One, we are celebrating the Army. It is the 250th birthday, but this is something that also Donald Trump has wanted to do since his first term, since 2017, when he was in France and he watched a Bastille Day Parade and saw this military parade. He asked his advisers then to do it.

This cycle, he is back in office and there was an occasion to do it. Now there was already a plan in place to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday, but this parade of this scale and magnitude is one that, again, we haven't seen, and one that Donald Trump himself wanted. You can hear the chanting here of "USA."

The other thing were going to expect to see is a real celebration of the arc of the army from the Revolutionary War through modern day. These are people, uniforms, people dressed as the soldiers from that time period, the weaponry of all that.

And of course, we have asked if this was Donald Trump's pushing. They have said that this is all about the Army today, despite the fact that he, of course, wanted a parade like this and he is going to be behind me, we are told staying the entire time to watch the military parade as they all march right behind me.

SANCHEZ: Kristen, the celebration notably falls on the President's 79th birthday. He said earlier that he anticipated getting some heat for that. How is the White House framing the two coinciding days?

HOLMES: I mean, just that, Boris. It is coinciding. They have pushed back on me on every which way that this is a celebration because they have said that they understand how this looks. I mean, I had one source telling me, hey, Macron was never called a dictator for having a parade. Well, of course, that parade in France was not on Macron's birthday, which is what we heard some of the pushback back from the critics of Donald Trump saying that he wanted this kind of big, spectacular parade.

[18:10:10]

But again, this still is the 250th birthday. We know that there was a plan in place to celebrate the Army, whether it was this kind of spectacle. No, that is not what it was, but they say this was already happening anyway, it happens to fall on the President's 79th birthday.

KEILAR: Sure did. Kristen Holmes, thank you very much.

And we do have a lot, as you can see, going on right now and our team of experts is with us now. So much indeed happening with all of these stories that we are covering here.

Jeff, let's take a look first at the parade, which is sort of the backdrop, of course, for the protests. And then also we have this big geopolitical event. It is an incredibly busy news day.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Without question. And President Trump is at the center of most of it. And before he left the White House, just a few moments ago, he did talk briefly about the shooting in Minnesota. He called it a terrible tragedy. Vice President Vance has reached out to Governor Tim Walz, so the White House has been very focused on this and offering federal help as well.

But the spectacle of the parade that's going on, I was actually out on the mall earlier today for a few hours, and this was a celebration of the Army. There is no question about it. President Trump had very little to do with that. This was about the Army.

But now, we are turning the page to the parade. And I was just listening to Kristen there. I was in Paris that day eight years ago, and President Trump loved that parade and he has been talking about it ever since.

So yes, we are going to see that, but we can do more than one thing at a time, I think. So, yes, the Army is being celebrated. And yes, the President is also being celebrated here. But look, he is of the era that did not serve, that is also part of the long history here. He has also been protested all day long because of his immigration policies and a few other things. So yes, it is one of the busy days in the Trump administration and tomorrow, he flies to Canada to meet with world leaders, so we will go on.

But for today, at least at this moment, let's celebrate the Army.

SANCHEZ: General James "Spider" Marks, I am curious to get your perspective on this, in part because, as Jeff alluded to, the root of this, according to our reporting, is a parade that he went to in France a few years ago, and the reporting is that he told Emmanuel Macron, watch out, we're going to top this.

I wonder what your reaction to this -- what we are seeing right now. MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I don't want to do a comparison between -- look, the French have great skills when it comes to parades, we are not the French. Well, we will do a pretty good job today.

But as Jeff indicated, look, this really is a celebration. This is our Army, I mean, this -- we pay for this. This is your Army. It really is a wonderful day, 250 years uninterrupted service, tremendous sacrifices across the board.

But I look at this through a filter as a soldier. Soldiers don't necessarily like parades. This is not something you long for. And in fact, you don't want to -- you don't want to stick your chest out too far and say, look at this. What you want to be able to do is say, look at the record book. We show up. We are there when we are asked; when we are needed we are there. We don't need to parade down Constitution Avenue.

However, we are going to do that and it will be exceptionally well done. It will be disciplined. It will be marvelous. Everybody in this room and everybody watching will feel good about being an American citizen and watch recruitment go up. I guarantee you, we will see that.

KEILAR: That's the thing, it requires holding two things to be true, which I've talked to a lot of Trump critics who are having a really difficult time doing this, right? They see -- we know this parade, there were already going to be celebrations, Jamie. But it got a lot bigger once President Trump ended up back in the presidency and that's just the fact of it.

At the same time, the founding, the survival of this union is because of this Army. And so that requires people and they are struggling to do so to hold these two things to be true at once.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: So, as we like to say on T.V., two things can be true at the same time and there is no question President Trump loves pomp and circumstance. It may be coincidental that this is his birthday, but I am sure he is very happy that it falls on his birthday.

I spoke to -- as Spider said, look, I spoke to a number of former very senior military officials, Army General, and what they said is the parade made them uncomfortable, even though they're very happy to celebrate the Army, not because they don't want to honor the Army, but because of exactly what you said, Spider, they don't like a parade.

They said, we honor soldiers, the troops. We are not about honoring the weapons, you know the hardware.

[18:15:03]

I think the other thing that's very important to point out, though, is the protests today had nothing to do with the U.S. Army and that celebration. That was about President Trump and his policies. And by and large, everything we've seen has been very peaceful. SANCHEZ: Donell, from a security perspective, it has got to be tough to organize something like this, not only given the protests, which Jamie alluded to, but also the fact that there is a war happening in the Middle East right now, and there is an elevated concern about terror.

DONELL HARVIN, FORMER D.C. CHIEF OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE: Absolutely. So the first thing is that, D.C. knows how to handle these type of events. This has been designated as a National Security Special Event, an NSSE. They started planning this several months ago. They do this at least once a year with the State of the Union. This happens in New York City with the United Nations General Assembly, and obviously every four years with the Inauguration.

I drove around the city before I got here. This is the safest city in the world right now. Law enforcement, traffic control -- it is very, very peaceful, clearly, but the planning is monumental, especially with the backdrop of the international and domestic threat that we face.

And so, they are not taking any chances. I've spoken to officials throughout the week, with security, and I think you'll see that on display today.

SANCHEZ: Great to get that perspective as we watch the parade continue down Constitution Avenue. President Trump there watching on alongside First Lady Melania Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. We are going to keep an eye on all of this and bring you the very latest as we get it from the nation's capital.

We are also tracking breaking news across the country as protests against the Trump administration have drawn thousands of people. CNN's Michael Yoshida is live in Los Angeles right now.

MICHAEL YOSHIDA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, thousands taking part in a protest here in Downtown Los Angeles. You can see a sea of signs, flags as people make their voices heard.

Coming up, we are live as thousands exercise their right to free speech.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:21:41]

SANCHEZ: Millions of Americans across the country have taken to the streets today protesting the Trump administration's policies. In the meantime, in the nation's capital, we see what appear to be paratroopers.

KEILAR: Yes, these are the Golden Knights Parachute Team from the Army, we believe. They were on the schedule, which we should say is doing something that rarely happens in Washington, running ahead of time.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Very much so. KEILAR: In an effort to beat the weather that is coming into the D.C. area, Boris.

SANCHEZ: This was actually supposed to be the culmination of the parade, right? These Golden Knights come down and hand a flag to the President, but it appears that they are on the way down now, in part because of, as you put it, the very dangerous weather conditions that might envelop the parade later tonight.

We saw a lot of rain yesterday. You imagine the ground is probably somewhat saturated. It is going to get worse as the evening goes on, and we are watching these soldiers make their way down Constitution.

We should note back to what we said at the top, the backdrop of this is unrest across the country. And CNN's Michael Yoshida joins us now live from Los Angeles, Shimon Prokupecz is live in New York, where protests are underway in both cities.

Michael, first to you. What are you seeing there?

It appears that we are having some issue with Michael's signal. Oh, he is going.

YOSHIDA: Live in Los Angeles as s the protest continue here outside of City Hall, you can see a sea of people, a sea of signs, a sea of flags. This all started several hours ago. People gathered here in front of City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

They then marched through the streets, estimates of maybe 20,000 or more making their way through the streets of Downtown L.A., voicing their opinions, their thoughts. This is a No Kings parade, one of the many taking part across the country. Throughout the entire time we've been out here, people chanting, singing, dancing, remaining peaceful as they make their thoughts known, their voices heard on the Trump administration, on the Trump administration's policies regarding immigration, immigration enforcement.

Obviously, so much attention on Los Angeles over the last week following those ICE raids, following the sights we've seen play out outside of the federal buildings here, outside of the detention facilities.

At this point, you can see people just gathered once again in front of City Hall. As we look back through Grand Park, another area of focus, you can see people now have created a circle. We have dancing, we have singing, we have some people now just relaxing. Those we've had a chance to speak with, some traveling as far from Tennessee; others moved here when they were younger. They are the children of immigrants and saying that they wanted to be here to make their voices heard peacefully and to exercise their right to peaceful protest and let their opinions be known.

KEILAR: All right, let's turn now, Michael, thank you so much for that report. Let's turn now to Shimon Prokupecz, who is in New York.

Shimon, tell us what you're seeing. SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: So we are in Madison Square Park. This is where the end of the big march took place. This is where it ended.

It started at Bryant Park, which is about 20 to 25 blocks from here, and these are the folks that have remained here. And it sort of has grown organically.

[18:25:10]

There are some speakers that are speaking. There are other protests going on across the city, but I want to just show you guys, if I can, something, just to kind of give you a sense of some of what happened here today. And, you know, everyone here is gathered, it seems, under for one issue, and that is the immigration issue and ICE.

And so many of the signs that people were walking with and carrying through the streets of Manhattan are here. They've left many of these signs, and it is so striking to see all of these signs here in one place. And if you look all around here, you'll see signs all across this park that many of the people who were marching have left behind.

Many marched with their children, families, young, and the number one issue, the number one issue here today is immigration. Many concerned over the policies of Donald Trump and what has been happening all across this country with how they have been detaining people, how they've been arresting people. That is the number one issue that we keep hearing from people today.

So far, there have been no incidents here. Things tend to change, certainly as the evening goes on. There is another protest that's just now gathering at Foley Square, which is in Lower Manhattan, where I was a couple of days earlier this week, where there have been some flash -- there have been some flashpoints there between the police, because that is where the ICE offices are here in New York City. That is where the detention center and that is where almost on a nightly basis, a number of protesters have been gathering and clashing with police.

So we are going to head down there for later tonight. But for now here, this sort of just some folks lingering, staying here, speaking, voicing their concerns and we will see how this goes the rest of the night.

SANCHEZ: Shimon Prokupecz is live for us in New York, thank you so much for that, Shimon.

We are also tracking breaking news tonight. A manhunt is underway in Minnesota. Officials there searching for the gunman behind the assassination of a State Representative and the attempted assassination of a State Senator.

President Trump spoke about it moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Absolutely terrible. Absolutely terrible. But they are looking for that particular man right now. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Joining us now to discuss is Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.

Congresswoman, thank you so much for being with us. I understand that you actually knew Representative Hortman and I just want to say we are so sorry for your loss.

I do wonder, given what's happened in your state, to your colleagues and their spouses and with your name also apparently on the suspect's alleged Manifesto, how are you doing right now?

REP. KELLY MORRISON (D-MN): Thank you. I appreciate that.

You know, we are really in shock and grieving here in Minnesota. We lost a giant of the Minnesota Legislature and Melissa Hortman was the Speaker of the House. And I think, probably will go down in history as one of the most consequential Speakers of the Minnesota House.

She was a remarkable public servant. A good friend of mine, a colleague, a mentor to many and she will be missed greatly, and we are devastated by the assassination, as you put it. That is the word. It was an act of political violence that took her and her husband, Mark and we are praying right now for the recovery of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were shot by this same assassin who is still on the loose.

SANCHEZ: And to that point, Congresswoman, investigators say that he may have been impersonating a police officer. Do you believe that Minnesota public officials are safe right now? Would you like to see security enhanced so that they can get the support that they need?

MORRISON: You know, local law enforcement here in Minnesota has been incredible. They have gone above and beyond to protect elected officials and our communities today. They are all working overtime. And I think it is worth calling out the Brooklyn Park Police Department, specifically. Their timely action, I am certain, saved lives.

But I do think that in these heightened times where rhetoric is way overheated, we do need to consider more security for our elected officials. It is a dangerous time, unfortunately.

SANCHEZ: It is a dangerous time and we have seen the political violence escalating in this country over the last decade. What do you think needs to be done to address extremism?

MORRISON: Well, I think it starts with each of us individually. I've been talking about a kindness revolution. Honestly, we need to slow it down, turn down the heat and get back to talking to each other and listening to each other. Simple acts of kindness and taking care of each other, serving each other. That is our way through and out of this time.

I believe in our country. I know we can get through this dark time and I am praying for better days ahead. But right now we are just grieving the loss of our beloved Melissa Hortman.

SANCHEZ: Have you given thought, Congresswoman, as to what this shooter may have been attempting to achieve?

MORRISON: That's a great question. You know, it is an ongoing investigation, and I don't have the answer to that question yet, but I hope that we do learn.

[18:30:24]

SANCHEZ: Yes. You spoke about a revolution in kindness, and I know that Minnesota's entire congressional delegation put out this bipartisan statement condemning the attacks. What have you heard from some of your Republican colleagues about this?

MORRISON: You know, I think that it's really important for both sides of the aisle to speak out against political violence right now, and for everyone to think before they speak, and to not use heightened rhetoric. You know, I am a lifelong Democrat, but I grew up in a Republican family, so I know that good ideas come from both sides of the aisle, and I also know that we have way more in common than we don't, and we have to get back to remembering that, and respecting each other, and taking care of each other.

SANCHEZ: And before we go, Congresswoman, I wonder what you're going to remember most about State Representative Melissa Hortman, not just as a lawmaker, but as a friend. What are you going to remember most?

MORRISON: You know, she was a salt-of-the-earth person, but also the smartest person in the room, but she never led with that. She could not have been more down-to-earth and kind. She was gritty, and tough, and a great negotiator. She knew how to build coalitions. She had a great sense of humor. She will be so missed here in Minnesota.

SANCHEZ: Again, Congresswoman, we're so sorry for your loss. Our hearts go out to her loved ones.

Congresswoman Kelly Morrison, thank you so much for sharing your evening with us.

MORRISON: Thank you for having me.

SANCHEZ: We're continuing to track breaking news from the Middle East. Israel and Iran exchanging fresh missile attacks tonight as Israel fights to cripple Tehran.

And, of course, we continue to watch live pictures out of Washington, D.C. The parade celebrating 250 years of Army history continues. We're going to continue to bring you key moments as they happen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:36:39]

KEILAR: Tonight, there is no sign of de-escalation between Israel and Iran as the two countries exchange more aerial attacks. A short time ago missiles seen here streaking across the sky over Jerusalem. And this is video just in to CNN showing an oil depot on fire near Tehran. Iranian state media saying that it was hit by Israeli strikes.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Clarissa Ward is live for us in Tel Aviv. Clarissa, what are you seeing and hearing where you are?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been quiet for the last couple of hours. But earlier there was a lot of activity as a number of Iranian missiles were basically raining down in the north of the country, near Haifa in the Galilee area. And particularly on a town called Tamra. We are now learning from Israeli emergency services that two women were killed as a result of at least one of those missiles making landfall, not being intercepted.

One of the two women, according to those emergency services, was in her 20s. And a number of people have been taken to nearby hospitals. We don't have any updates as of yet as to whether there might be more casualties as a result of those strikes. We know there were a number of fires that were going on and rescue workers were at the scenes.

Since then, it has been a bit quieter here. We know that earlier in the evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his National Security Council. But we haven't really heard anything specific from officials here in the last few hours that might give a clue, essentially, as to where this conflict is going next. You mentioned a number of strikes being carried out inside Iran by the Israeli military. The Israeli military announcing earlier that effectively they are now able to move around the airspace above Tehran without any issues using manned and unmanned aircraft to do that.

And so really, as has been the case since Israel first began this escalation with these unprecedented attacks on Iran, the whole region really on a knife edge here, waiting and watching to see what the coming hours and days will bring. There had been some small hope that potentially those talks in Oman would go ahead between the U.S. and Iran tomorrow.

Though, earlier on this evening, we found out categorically that those talks have been canceled. So, no off-ramp in sight for either side in this conflict and a very real fear that things are only going to get worse.

SANCHEZ: Clarissa Ward live for us in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much.

We have our team of experts joining us now to discuss. CNN Global Affairs Analyst Brett McGurk served as an advisor to four presidents. We also have CNN Military Analyst, retired Major General James "Spider" Marks, along with CNN's Jamie Gangel and Jeff Zeleny.

Brett, first to you, if Israel's goal here is to dismantle the capacity for Iran to generate a nuclear weapon, don't they need U.S. involvement to accomplish that? [18:40:00]

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's a big - look, I think this situation is so unprecedented. So, anyone tells you they know exactly where this is going, they don't know what they're talking about. But every hour that goes by, every day that goes by, Israel is strengthening its position strategically. It has complete air dominance over Iran. That is hugely significant. It can hover over Iran. It can strike what it wants.

All Iran can do is do these missile salvos. Now, that's obviously very serious. You heard the tragic news. That's an Arab town in Israel where we have two casualties. But Iran will eventually run out of missiles. I look at the missile math. I used to do this not long ago. You want to make sure you have interceptors in place, defenses in place. But the key question, the nuclear program.

So, the deeply buried underground facility called Fordo, that's where Iran has very advanced machines. That is a facility that the United States military, we've trained on it, we would know what to do.

But look, Israel now can hover over it. They can do a lot to that facility. But the key question here is where does this go? If you do not dismantle the nuclear program, this is not a successful operation. So, one is a military dismantlement. But number two, you know, Iran could actually end this tomorrow if Abbas Araghchi, he is the Foreign Minister of Iran, called Steve Witkoff who was President Trump's envoy and said, you know what, I actually accept the deal you put on the table a month ago.

Because Steve put down an offer, Iran basically rejected it. They escalated their nuclear program. That was a fateful mistake. And now Iran is in deep, deep trouble. And every day that goes by they get in worse trouble. But that's the off ramp. And the President has actually put it on the table, either take the deal or this is going to get worse and worse for you.

KEILAR: General, what are you watching as we see these unprecedented scenes unfolding?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You know, as Brett just described, Iran has an off ramp, so does Israel. So, what is the threshold for Israel to determine we've done enough toward dismantling or degrading its capacity. There are ways that they can do that and it's not necessary - it's a thing called effects-based operations. You have bomb damage assessment.

But also, you want to neutralize that capacity. So, you neutralize it by getting rid of research and development capacity. Get rid of nuclear scientists. You go after all the distribution networks that are necessary. You go after the missiles and the transporter erector launchers, those things that can respond.

So, if you get rid of all of that but you haven't completely dismantled or destroyed where that enrichment is taking place in a very deeply buried target, you've achieved at least an opportunity to trade space for time. You've achieved some time where you then can go back and say, let's have a discussion about this, exactly as Brett laid it out, there may be a good opportunity for Iran to say, okay, I think we're there and Israel to say I think you need to take the deal now, because you know what we can do.

SANCHEZ: Jamie, safe to say we wouldn't be here without the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. At times a contentious one, but nevertheless.

GANGEL: No question. I mean, one of the things we've been trying to figure out is, you know, the messaging from President Trump. The day before he said, you know, the indication was we didn't know this was happening, we had nothing to do with it. The next day that messaging evolved and, you know, was more supportive.

I just want to mention one thing. I spoke to a very senior former Israeli government official who took note - and Brett, this is something in your world that over the last two days, they've really only been - Iran has really only responded with about 200 of these ballistic missiles plus the drones. And their capacity seems to be about 3,000 and I'm told the Israelis were a little surprised by the number - the low number. They expected the first night really to be inundated.

And the question that they're asking is, is that about capability, were - you know, did they succeed in degrading the capability? Could it be about loss of leadership, confusion in the moment or behind door number three. Does Iran have a plan where every night they keep going? They hold on to the stockpile and over a long period of time, it's a hundred, it's 200, it's 300, which the Israelis say would be very, very difficult for Israel to deal with.

The whole point of it is when they get back to negotiating, which everyone hopes they will, who has the upper hand that they're each playing. And Brett, you understand this better than I do, but, you know, does one have an advantage when they get back to the table?

MCGURK: Yes, as I said here, I think as I'm looking at this very closely, the Israelis clearly have an advantage because they have - so, let me go back a little bit.

[18:45:00]

In April of last year, Iran launched 120 ballistic missiles at Israel together with about 200 drones, about 30 cruise missiles. In October of last year last year, Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at the same time. We had 200 ballistic missiles in the air at the same time, almost unprecedented. The defenses were very effective but some got through. Last night it seems like we had about 150 or so and today it seems to be a little smaller.

Iran only has so many missiles that can actually reach Israel. So, I mentioned the missile math at the beginning. Look, if I was in the White House now, you want to look at what are the Iranian capabilities, what's left and remember, the Israelis have been inside Iran with Mossad operatives, they've been very public about this, taking out missile facilities, they've been doing air strikes against facilities and they have killed the main general, Hajizadeh. He's the father of Iran's missile programs. There's just massive disarray inside Iran.

So, I think right now Israel has the upper hand. But you're right, I mean, look, this can go on. We have to make sure as the United States we're doing all we can to help defend Israel. That means moving missile destroyers, destroyer ships in the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Remember the October attack with 200 ballistic missiles, we had almost seven missile destroyers in the region, so I'll be looking at that. Making sure we're replenishing interceptors.

This is a big effort. But over time, as the days go by, the Israelis really have the upper hand. That's my assessment of it right now.

ZELENY: And the context of what we're all talking about as we're keeping an eye on the military parade is so extraordinary. This was President Trump who was elected - really his rise over the last decade or so was because at least politically speaking in opposition to endless wars. And now he has a foreign policy plate of challenges that is much fuller than he ever would have anticipated. He overstated his ability to end the Ukraine war, the Gaza war. Now, this is what he's - so as he's sitting in the reviewing stand tonight, the challenges quite frankly are mounting here. And there is a deep divide in his coalition of Make America Great Again. In that movement, there is a deep, deep divide.

So, this is his biggest challenge, I believe, that he has faced in a foreign policy context in either term.

KEILAR: You guys stand by for us. Thank you so much for that.

We are looking right now at this parade again taking place in Washington, D.C. The President saluting as it is underway. We'll continue to keep an eye on this and we'll be back after a quick break.

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[18:51:56]

KEILAR: Right now, we are watching two very different scenes unfold here in Washington, D.C. All of the pomp and circumstance of a huge parade honoring the service and sacrifice of the U.S. Army over the course of its 250 years in existence. Right now, they are on the Gulf War section as they move through the different conflicts in which the Army has fought. President Trump watching it from a staging area as he also celebrates his own birthday today.

And then, at the same time in cities across the country, mass protests over the policies of the Trump administration and what demonstrators see as a threat to democracy.

With us now is Democratic Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado. He is a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient. He's also a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. You are, of course, a proud combat veteran. The Army has a lot to celebrate today on its 250th anniversary. How are you seeing this parade?

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): Well, the Army does have a lot to celebrate. And I am celebrating the 250th anniversary of my home branch, as you pointed out. You know, I was proud to serve in the Army. It's one of the things that changed the course of my life. It actually really defines my service in so many ways. But listen, there's a right way to do this and there's a wrong way to do this.

You know, to spend $50 million of taxpayer money to take 6,000 soldiers away from their home posts, away from their families, away from their training, a military that's already stretched thin. At a moment where we have barracks literally falling apart, the Secretary of the Navy just announced a review of Navy barracks around the world because he said the conditions were unacceptable and devastating. And here we have $50 million being spent on Trump's vanity parade.

And call me old school, but, you know, when I was a soldier, what made us tough, what made us strong is our fitness, our ability to shoot, our ability to maneuver, our ability to fight. You know, the basic combat skills. No soldier actually liked parade duty. That's not what we all wanted to do. So, let's just be honest. This is about Donald Trump.

KEILAR: Well, so recognizing the Army's birthday while opposing the parade, I've spoken with a lot of people, a lot of Trump critics, who find it difficult to hold both of those sentiments as you do. What do you say to them?

CROW: I would say what I just said, I don't find it difficult at all, right? We can honor the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, a branch of service that actually precedes the birth of this country, right? The Continental Congress created six rifle companies that served in a - that served as the core of what is now the United States Army, 250 years ago today. That's a remarkable thing, and the Army has served our country very well, and there's a lot of people who feel very proud about that service, as I do, around the country here today.

But to have Donald Trump, on his birthday, no less, and make no mistake, he's made it very clear this is about his birthday and about what he wants to do, not what's good for the military.

[18:55:06]

The Army didn't ask for this. The Department of Defense didn't ask for this. This is not how they wanted to celebrate this event. Donald Trump asked for this.

KEILAR: You and other colleagues, Democratic colleagues, including veterans, sent a letter to the Secretary of the Army asking if any of the parade units are preparing for or are recently back from deployments, and what measures are being taken to ensure the parade does not disrupt training schedules, pre-deployment certification or force availability. Do you have reason to believe that the parade is impacting force readiness?

CROW: Yes, I do. I wouldn't have sent that letter had I not had reason to believe that. You know, our men and women in uniform, as you know, Brianna, do remarkable things. The operational tempo is very, very high. I did three combat tours during my almost four years in military service. We were either deploying all the time, coming back from deployment or getting ready to deploy. So, we were constantly training.

And when we weren't training, we wanted to spend time with our families, because military life is hard and nobody sacrifices more than the military family does. So, to pull these folks away, you know, for a week or so, a week plus, actually, and to have them sleeping on the floor of abandoned apartment buildings in D.C., you know, eating rations, just so Donald Trump can have tanks, and military vehicles, and soldiers marching in front of him, is really just gross. It's just gross and - but, you know, why would we expect anything less for Donald Trump?

This is a man who has called veterans suckers and losers. This is a man who wouldn't go visit a U.S. military ceremony in Europe because it happened to be raining. This is a man who disparaged John McCain, an American hero, because he was captured. The man is incapable of understanding what service about self means, because he views the world simply as a series of business transactions. And that's just something that, when you're in the military, it's just not about.

KEILAR: Congressman Jason Crow, thank you so much for your service on this big day for the Army. We appreciate you taking some time for us.

CROW: Thank you.

KEILAR: And we are watching again military hardware rolling down Constitution Avenue in Washington. It's really an extraordinary sight. This is not something that you see every day here in Washington. The President himself set to speak here in about an hour.

And also, we're following breaking news in Minnesota, where a manhunt is still ongoing for this man, a suspect in the assassination and attempted assassination of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. We'll have the latest from Minneapolis next.

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