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Suspect in Colorado Flamethrower Attack Due in Court Today; Delegations from Russia and Ukraine Hold Peace Talks in Istanbul; Today, Congress Returns as Senate Takes Up Tax and Spending Bill. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 02, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, fear and outrage in Boulder, Colorado, a man used a flamethrower to set people on fire at a Jewish community event. What we're learning about the suspect just hours before his first court appearance.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Fragile peace talks, Russian and Ukrainian delegations are meeting in Turkey, but the discussions are clouded by uncertainty.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin this hour with the aftermath of a truly horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado. Police say a man shouting, free Palestine, used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire at an event held in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The victims include four women and four men ranging in age from 52 to 88, including a Holocaust survivor. We're also seeing new video showing one of the victims being treated at the scene by first responders. The suspect is due in court later today.

Let's go live right now to CNN Law Enforcement Correspondent Whitney Wild, who's in Boulder. Whitney, you have some new reporting about the suspect's immigration status. What are you learning?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the Department of Homeland Security says 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman yelled, free Palestine, during the attack, and they are providing much more detail on his immigration status.

According to the Department of Homeland Security's chief spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, he entered the US in August, 2022 on a non- immigrant visitor visa, a B-2 visa. He filed for asylum in September of 2022. He was granted a work authorization in March of 2023, but that authorization expired in March of 2025.

The White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, has said that he was in the country illegally. That is squarely the White House's position. It is also the position of the Department of Homeland Security, Wolf. Sources have told CNN's John Miller that he had applied for asylum in the United States as early as 2005. So, there are many questions about what happened between 2005 and today, how he was able, after his work authorization expired, to fly under the radar, you know, basically undetected.

This, Wolf, was a horrific attack that erupted as a complete surprise because Boulder is a very peaceful community. It's an -- I worked in Denver for three years, Wolf. This is, you know, the definition of a community. And so as this horrific attack unfolded there was shock, there was horror. Here are some of those moments captured over dispatch audio as police tried to figure out what had happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been bombarded with lots of 911s. I know that there was at least one party rolling around in flames.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the nature?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suffering multiple burns, potential terror attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Wolf, as you said, he is due in court at 1:30 today. There are many questions as we move forward, Wolf. Hopefully, we hear more answers this afternoon. Back to you.

BLITZER: I suspect we will. All right, Whitney Wild in Boulder, Colorado, for us. Whitney, thank you very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf. Let's continue this conversation. With us now is CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Jonathan Wackrow. He's a former Secret Service agent. Hi, Jonathan.

So, we just heard Whitney Wild explain there the suspect, according to the White House, what it is saying, appears to have been in the U.S. illegally. How is that going to play into the investigation?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, good morning. You know, what we do know is that the suspect was a lone actor in this event, but the act, even though it was singular, what investigators are doing right now is they're really looking at the influence that led to this attack. And that can be very broad.

And what we just heard is that we are starting to get a picture of who this individual is, but there's a lot that we don't know really stemming from his reentry in '22. How was he supporting himself and was he associated with any type of groups? And that's what really investigators are really trying to focus on right now.

And they're rapidly seeking answers to these questions. And the way that they're doing that is like they do all the time.

[10:05:00] They're going to start looking at this individual's digital footprint. They're going to start interviewing friends and known associates. And that's going to be in combination with, you know, multiple executions of search warrants, of known locations really looking for items of evidentiary value that will really, you know solidified what the motivation was and where did that motivation stem forward to launch such a horrible attack.

BLITZER: You know, Jonathan, I assume the investigators are trying to learn as much as possible about this suspect's background. He's originally from Egypt and I would assume the US government, the U.S. embassy in Cairo is trying to get information about him from Egyptian government officials.

WACKROW: Yes, Wolf, absolutely. So, you know, this is where the FBI and the U.S. intelligence agencies are going to work in conjunction with local law enforcement to really reach out to their partners globally to understand, you know, if there was a connection. Again, this was a singular attack, but it can be influenced by a broad spectrum of, you know, ideological forces that are out there in groups.

So, this is where, you know, making that outreach is critically important, but actually the digital forensic evidence of, you know, the influence or, in worst case scenarios, the direction of, you know, foreign terror groups, you know, to this individual and launching this attack really is important because that is actually going to help the prosecution, you know, make that linkage to terror and, you know, bring it to a successful prosecution.

BROWN: You know, Jonathan, you mentioned this is a singular attack, but it comes just two weeks after two staffers from the Israeli embassy were gunned down. Also, you had the Jewish Pennsylvania governor's mansion was set on fire after they had just celebrated Passover. Today, we should note, is a Jewish holiday and officials in some big city said they're ramping up security at religious sites. Do you think that should be done more widely given this moment we're in of just violent anti-Semitism?

WACKROW: Well, this is a really great point, and there continues to be this significant rise in calls for targeted violence directed towards the Jewish community. And we've seen this, you know, on the rise for years. But these threats continue to gain traction online. And for me, most worrisome is this digital dehumanization of the Jewish communities that's happening online and the normalization of violent acts. And what the outcome of both of those things combined is that these narratives really desensitize individuals and create this permissive environment for real world attacks.

And, unfortunately, we are seeing this come to fruition right now with these attacks and others. And, you know, this is where law enforcement has to get ahead of these narratives and start, you know, breaking up these groups online to, you know, not allow this desensitized narrative to continue because it's just fostering more attacks time and time again. BLITZER: Yes, it's very, very disturbing. Jonathan, let me get your reaction to something the Boulder Police chief, Stephen Redfearn, said about this attack. Listen to this,

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN REDFEARN, BOULD, COLORADO POLICE: Boulder is not immune to tragedy, sadly, and I know a lot of people are scared right now. A lot of people are upset and questioning how this happened and why. All I know is Boulder has recovered before from acts of violence and we will again recover. I urge the community in this time to come together. Now is not the time to be divisive. And we will continue to ensure the community safety along with all of our partners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: How important, Jonathan, is it for the police and the community, for that matter, to come together right now to deal with the aftermath of this?

WACKROW: It's really important, Wolf, and here's why. You have to think about how this attack materialized. Fire as a weapon is really used to incite fear and it sends this symbolic message beyond just harming physically, but it's used to intimidate an entire community. So, here, we have the Jewish community and the community at large of Boulder both being affected equally.

And when you start targeting peaceful demonstrations like this, this type of attack is really the hallmark of deeply rooted ideological extremism. Law enforcement knows that. So, bringing the community together, starting that healing, is really important to you know, you know, start solving for this problem and assuaging any concerns that are out there for any type of future attacks.

BLITZER: Yes, enormous concerns out there. Jonathan Wackrow, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Thank you. And new this morning, Russia and Ukraine are giving peace talks another go. Last hour, delegates from both nations wrapped up the second round of direct negotiations in Istanbul, but neither side is optimistic. The meeting will bring any immediate solution to end the war. And it comes just a day after Ukraine launched a large scale drone attack targeting air bases deep inside Russia.

Let's go live now to London and CNN with Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh.

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Nick, how did the meeting go?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, at this stage it, it appears for relatively limited results. We're still getting some of the readouts of exactly what happened during this second key meeting in Istanbul. A similar cast list, certainly, but Ukraine's demands a little clearer. Frankly, they wanted deceased fire that Trump administration has demanded unconditionally for 30 days and no real restraints on their military or potential sovereignty going forwards. The Russians much clearer they wanted to see demilitarization in Ukraine, clear sovereignty over the areas that they've occupied. But I don't think from what we're seeing in the initial signals any major progress at this particular time.

But as you say, it comes on the back of this extraordinary sophisticated drone attack by Ukraine across some of the most what should be best kept military secrets indeed that Russia has, one of the airfields struck deep inside Irkutsk. That's almost halfway across Siberia. I mean, there, you feel like you are in China, frankly, hit by a series of attack drones, 117, Ukraine, say, hidden inside the roof cavities, it seems, from images is released by the Ukrainian Security Service of mobile wooden homes. These were then moved closer to the air bases, and then, remarkably, the roofs just came off, allowing, you can see in one video, the drones to emerge.

And then in a separate video released by the Ukrainians, to move along this air base where these exceptionally valuable, long-range strategic bombers were hit one by one, propeller driven aircraft, Tupolev-95s, behind a lot of the nightly terror inflicted on Ukrainian civilians by Russia, but still startling damage to occur, quite so widespread and so deep inside Russia ingenuity and the sign that Ukraine is able to tip the scales against a larger opponent like Russia. And that may give the Kremlin pause for thought about slow rolling peace talks. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thanks so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: Also this morning, Pamela, we're learning more about chaos erupting at an aid distribution site in Gaza as gunshots ring out. I want to warn our viewers, the video we're about to show is graphic.

Palestinian health officials say at least 31 people were killed, dozens more injured. Witnesses say the Israeli military is responsible, but the Israel Defense Forces called the reports, and I'm quoting now, false.

Let's go live right now to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who's joining us live from Tel Aviv. Jeremy, what are you learning?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you said, a half dozen eyewitnesses on the ground, doctors at various hospitals, as well as the organization, Doctors Without Borders, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, they all say that it was Israeli gunfire that killed dozens of people near this Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution site in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military, for its part, says that it did not fire its civilians who were, quote, near or within the aid site. However, an Israeli military source is acknowledging to CNN that what they described as warning shots were indeed fired about a kilometer away from this aid distribution site. And, in fact, the video that we have in which you can hear the gunfire in the background, we've geolocated that video to an area known as the al-Amal roundabout, which is just about one kilometer away from that distribution site.

And so while the Israeli military is denying that it carried out an attack at that distribution site or near it, they also seem to be acknowledging that shots were indeed fired at the same distance as where this shooting did indeed take place.

And we have heard grisly accounts from eyewitnesses who described bullets flying around them, people who stood up and were struck in the head or in the chest by some of these bullets. The Red Cross has said that this is the, quote, highest number of weapon wounded in a single incident since they established this field hospital in the southern part of the Gaza Strip last year and humanitarian aid organizations are once again sounding the alarm about this U.S. and Israeli-backed aid delivery mechanism, which they say is making conditions more dangerous for Palestinians on the ground. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for us, Jeremy, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Still ahead, right here in The Situation Room, it is a target of the MAHA movement, but one group says HHS can't protect people from chemicals in our food while making substantial cuts that provide food safeguards. We're going to take a closer look.

BLITZER: And up next, Congress is out back in session, as President Trump's agenda bill is now in the hands of U.S. Senators. The chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, Congresswoman Lisa McClain, standing by to join us live. We'll discuss that and more.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

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BLITZER: Today up on Capitol Hill, Congress is back in session as President Trump's agenda clearly hangs in the balance. His so-called big, beautiful bill heads to the U.S. Senate this week, where it's already facing major pushback even from some Republicans.

BROWN: And House Speaker Mike Johnson says, Republicans are eager and ready to formalize the White House's so-called DOGE cuts. Sources say that package is expected to weigh in at more than $9 billion.

And joining us now for more on all of this, Michigan Congresswoman and Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference Lisa McClain. She also serves on the committees involving financial services and education and workforce.

Congresswoman, you're a busy lady. What can you tell us, first of all about this plan to enact these so-called DOGE cuts?

REP. LISA MCCLAIN (R-MI): Well, we're rating from the rescission for the rescission package from the White House.

[10:20:03] Then when we get that, we are eager and ready to go and put it on the floor to begin to codify the legislation or the executive orders that the president had signed into law.

BROWN: And just for our audience members who may not know, rescission means taking back federal spending, spending that has already been allocated.

MCCLAIN: Correct.

BROWN: So, speaking of DOGE and some of these cuts that you all are eager to make happen, Elon Musk has said that he is disappointed with the bill that's passed in the House because he says, you know, it would add to the deficit and undermine DOGE's work. As you know, the Congressional Budget Office puts that estimate at $3.8 trillion. Speaker Johnson, for his part, has cast doubt on that.

Can you say for certain, this bill will not add to the deficit?

MCCLAIN: What I can say for certain is we need to do better with the American taxpayers' dollars. And it's the bottom line that counts provided you know how to count. So, when the CBO score comes in, it doesn't count, for example, the amount of people that are going to get back into the workforces.

So, if you have more people working, you have more people paying taxes, which is what we saw in 2017 when the revenue numbers from the IRS actually went up. Those numbers aren't counted in that CBO score. So, I'm actually excited.

Do I wish it went and saved more money? Yes, I do. But we have to take what we can get right now, and that's exactly what we're doing. My hope is all of these little wins that we get add up to big savings for the American taxpayer.

BROWN: But I just want to note, the CBO is not alone. I mean, you have both right and left leaning organizations that have come to this conclusion about adding to the deficit, the Tax Foundation, the Manhattan Institute, the Penn Wharton budget model, and the Center for American Progress. Are they all wrong about adding trillions to the deficit?

MCCLAIN: I don't think they're wrong. I just think, like I said earlier, it's the bottom line that counts provided you know how to count, and you got to take all factors into consideration, which they don't. The other thing I might add is if we didn't pass this one big beautiful bill, the average Michigander would see their taxes increased by $2,400 a year. 700,000 just Michigan small businesses would see their tax rates increase to 43 percent, and over a million Michigan families would see their child tax credits get cut in half. We can't have an increase on the American taxpayer right now.

BLITZER: And then indeed, some of your colleagues in the Senate, and including Republicans, are expressing a lot of concern over the potential deficit. Here's what Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said yesterday. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): What the agreement is on the rest of the bill, and it doesn't have to be perfect to my liking, but I can't be -- if I vote for the $5 trillion debt, who's left in Washington that cares about the debt? We will have lost. The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Can this bill pass the U.S. Senate?

MCCLAIN: I think it can, and I'm hopeful that it will. Listen, I would not want to be the person that stood in the way of President Trump's agenda. And I think you're going to see a lot of bickering and family squabbles behind the scenes play out no different than you saw in the House. But at the end of the day, I think the Senate is going to pass the bill.

BROWN: I want to ask you about this new CNN poll that shows while your party still holds an advantage when it comes to the economy, public trust on that issue appears to be on decline. Should that be a warning sign of how the president's agenda could impact your party heading into the midterm elections, particularly with all the uncertainty around the tariffs?

MCCLAIN: Yes. Listen, the midterms, elections are extremely important, and especially in my state of Michigan. The economy is what people, you know, what people care a whole lot about. And what President Trump is trying to do is level the playing field.

So, I think we still have a window of opportunity to do that. And I think if you look at all the investments that are coming back, I think over time you will begin to get that certainty that the American people are looking for.

BROWN: When you talk to your constituents in Michigan, I mean, do they feel like they're delivering -- that he's delivering on his campaign promise? Is there any uneasiness concern? Tell me.

MCCLAIN: Absolutely. And the people in my community see it from the lens of job creation. Look, Michigan ranks number three behind California in New York in terms of manufacturing jobs lost. That's not a good sign. So, he sees the -- my constituents see the tariffs as a positive thing, view it through a positive lens in the terms of job creations and bringing more jobs back to our state.

BLITZER: President Trump, as you know, Congresswoman, is warning that there could be very dire economic ramifications for the country if the courts strike down his proposed tariffs. As you know, a lot of economists, though, have a different point of view.

[10:25:01]

They say that these Trump tariffs could actually wind up harming the U.S. economy. Do you share those concerns? MCCLAIN: I don't. I side with the president on this. The tariffs are a tool in the tool belt to level the playing field for Americans and American businesses. That's what we need to do. For far too long, we've been taking advantage of.

So, I think it's kind of like working out, right? When you first start working out, you're a little sore and your muscles hurt a little bit, but the long-term health from working out is going to be beneficial. And that's exactly what the tariffs are doing, is we are going to have some short-term discomfort to reset and re-level the playing field. And that's what we're doing right now is resetting that playing field.

BLITZER: Just talking -- going back to the bill. As you know, and I imagine you've heard from some constituents, there is concern about what the changes to Medicaid will mean for people, right? And there was a town hall from Senator -- Republican Joni Ernst, where some of that concern was expressed. She received some criticism as well after that town hall for her comments and then her ensuing apology. I want to play some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): People are not -- well, we all are going to die.

I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth. So, I apologize and I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: What did you think about a sitting U.S. senator responding that way to her constituents' concerns?

MCCLAIN: Listen, I think she was trying to do a play on words, actually is -- listen, the fear mongering has got to stop, right? We are cutting -- we are not cutting Medicaid. We're actually trying to shore Medicaid up so it's there for the people that need it most. But these town halls have gotten a little bit out of hand with the fear mongering and just, quite frankly, the flat out lies. Let's have an open and honest --

BROWN: These were her constituents. I mean, you know, these are constituents who are expressing concern.

MCCLAIN: Well, there's a right way and a wrong way to express the concern. Do it in a respectful fashion and let's have a conversation, right? Disagreement isn't disloyalty. We can actually have an adult conversation to alleviate some of those fears that the American people have. And that's our job, is to alleviate those fears. And that's what I think the town halls should be designed to do, is to have honest conversation and alleviate fears, not to, you know, scream and holler. Let's have an honest conversation.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Lisa McClain, thanks as usual for joining us. MCCLAIN: Thank you.

BROWN: Thank you. Have a great day.

BLITZER: We'll be right back.

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