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Israeli Strikes Target Iran News Agency?; Interview With Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder; Canada Hosts G7 Summit; Trump Targets Democratic Cities For ICE Raids. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired June 16, 2025 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

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[11:30:12]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: In an extensive post on TRUTH Social, President Trump announced that ICE will be targeting what he called the Democratic power center for more immigration raids, the president saying that: "We must expand efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens in America's largest cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, where millions upon millions of illegal aliens reside."

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is here with us in this situation.

Priscilla, what can you tell us about these expanded raids and these deportation efforts?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, this really doesn't come as a surprise, because this is something that the president and senior Trump officials have said that they plan to double down on, that being enforcement actions in Democratic-led cities.

And I have spoken with sources who have said that there has actually been an ongoing operation around two dozen Democratic-led cities across the country. That is where they are sending federal agents and fanning them out to do these enforcement actions.

And, in some cases, it's an affront to the cities themselves because they may have policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities. And others, it is because of simmering tensions there between some of these officials and the Trump administration.

And we have also seen them file lawsuits against some of these Democratic officials. So, certainly, this is part of a broader effort and already an operation has been under way in these cities, so the president is in some ways flicking out what is already happening, while also noting that he wants to do more of it and expand there.

But we have also been digging into the data of who exactly is getting booked into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. And what we have learned by some data that I obtained is that since -- well, in fiscal year 2025, so, since October, a few of the Biden administration months, 185,000 migrants have come into custody; 75 percent of them had no criminal conviction other than an immigration or traffic- related charge.

Less than 10 percent were convicted of serious crimes like murder, assault, rape, robbery. So the administration will highlight oftentimes those with serious criminal records. And they do arrest them and detain them and in some cases also deport them.

But what we are also learning through this data is that a lot of others are also getting caught up in these enforcement actions. And, again, White House border czar Tom Homan had said that was likely to happen. If they go somewhere targeting one person and find others, they will probably take everyone into custody.

But it is also telling of how the administration, as it ramps up numbers, will also detain those who may not have very serious convictions or charges. And we will also note that Republican lawmakers are also starting to ask questions, because of the limited resources, of who exactly the Trump administration is going after.

So this is some data that gives us a preview of that, but, certainly, there will be more to come as they try to meet these White House and post quotas.

BROWN: All right, Priscilla, thank you so much.

BLITZER: Very good report. Thank you very, very much.

And just ahead: On the world stage, President Trump is in Canada right now for the critical G7 summit. The former U.S. ambassador to the NATO is standing by. He will join us when we come back.

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[11:35:08]

BROWN: All right, President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada are meeting at the G7.

Let's listen in.

MARK CARNEY, INCOMING CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We good to go? All right, thank you.

Mr. President, welcome to Canada.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.

CARNEY: It's a great honor. Happy birthday, a few days short.

TRUMP: A little bit.

CARNEY: A few days short, but didn't have a chance to see you on the day. Happy birthday to the U.S. military as well, 250th.

And this is the 50th birthday, if you will, of the G7. This marks the 50th birthday of the G7. And the G7 is nothing without U.S. leadership and so -- and your personal leadership, the leadership of the United States, many issues, geopolitics...

TRUMP: Right.

CARNEY: ... economic, technology, and working hand in hand with the United States -- Canada and the United States, and the other G7 partners with your leadership.

I'm very much looking forward to the meeting them. Grateful to have you.

TRUMP: Well, thank you very much, Mark. I appreciate it.

And we have developed a very good relationship, and we're going to be talking about trade and many other things. And we have a whole group of people, some traders and some other people.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: I see my top economy people. But we have a very talented group of people, and you do too. And I know they work together very well. I look forward to that. The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in.

And I would say that that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in. And you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago. But it didn't work out that way.

But it used to be the 68, and now it's, I guess, what's that, nine years ago, eight years ago, it switched over.

CARNEY: Yes.

TRUMP: They threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake, even though I wasn't in politics. And I was very loud about it. It was a mistake, in that you spend so much time talking about Russia, and he's no longer at the table. So it makes life more complicated.

But you wouldn't have had the war. And other than that, I think we're going to accomplish a lot, and I expect to. And I think our primary focus will be trade and trade with Canada. And I'm sure we can work something out.

CARNEY: Yes, very good.

TRUMP: Thank you very much.

CARNEY: Yes, so much. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Say it?

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: What is holding up a deal with Canada, from your perspective?

TRUMP: It's not so much holding up. I think we have different concepts. I have a tariff concept. Mark has a different concept, which is something that some people like.

But we're going to see if we can get to the bottom of it today. I'm a tariff person. I have always been a tariff -- it's simple. It's easy. It's precise. And it just goes very quickly. And I think Mark has a more complex idea, but also very good. So we're going to look at both, and we're going to see what -- we're going to come out with something hopefully.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Do you think deal is achievable within days, within weeks? Is there that kind of runway?

TRUMP: Yes, it's achievable. Both parties have to agree. Yes, sure.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Have you seen -- have you heard any signal or seen any messages from intermediaries that Iran wishes to de-escalate the conflict?

TRUMP: Yes.

QUESTION: What have you heard? What have you heard from the Iranians?

TRUMP: They'd like to talk, but they should have done that before. I had 60 days, and they had 60 days. And on the 61st day, I said, we don't have a deal. They have to make a deal.

And it's painful for both parties, but I'd say Iran is not winning this war. And they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late.

QUESTION: And what would you say? In your opinion, what would it take for the U.S. to get involved in this conflict militarily?

TRUMP: I don't want to talk about that. We will see.

QUESTION: And you mentioned Putin. Do you think that he should have a seat at the G7 today, that it should be the G8?

TRUMP: I'm not saying he should at this point, because too much water's gone over the dam maybe.

But it was a big mistake. Obama didn't want him. And the head of your country, the proud head of your country, didn't want him. This was a big mistake. You wouldn't have that war. You have your enemy at the table. Even -- I don't even consider him -- he wasn't really an enemy at that time. There was no concept.

If I were president, this war would have never happened. But likewise, if he were a member of what was called the G8 at that time -- it was always the G8 -- you wouldn't have a war right now.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: What material support and what intelligence support are you providing Israel?

TRUMP: We have always supported Israel. We have, for a long period of time, strongly. And Israel is doing very well right now.

QUESTION: Why not have China as the G8? Why not have China here, the biggest economy in the world after the United States?

TRUMP: Well, it's not a bad idea. I don't mind that. If somebody wants to suggest China coming in, I think we suggest.

[11:40:04]

But you want to have people that you can talk to. They don't talk. Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else. He doesn't want to talk, because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8, as I would be, as you would be, as anybody would be. He was very insulted.

And, I mean, he was thrown out by Trudeau, who convinced one or two people, along with Obama. He was thrown out. And he's not a happy person about it. I can tell you that. He didn't...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: He basically doesn't even speak to the people that threw him out. And I agree with him.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Go ahead.

QUESTION: Also, on immigration, why are you ordering ICE to target Democratic inner cities? What's behind that?

TRUMP: I don't know what you're saying.

QUESTION: You did a post last night where you said you want ICE to really target Democratic...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Yes, I want them to focus on the cities. Because the cities are where you really have what's called sanctuary cities. And that's where the people are.

I look at New York. I look at Chicago. I mean, you have got a really bad governor in Chicago and a bad mayor. But the governor is probably the worst in the country, Pritzker. But I look at how that city has been overrun by criminals, and New York and L.A. Look at L.A.

L.A., those people weren't from L.A. They weren't from California, most of those people, many of those people. And, yes, that's a focus. Biden allowed 21 million people to come into our country. Of that, vast numbers of those people were murderers, killers, people from gangs, people from jails. They empty their jails out into the U.S.

Most of those people are in the cities, all blue cities, all Democrat- run cities. And they think they're going to use them to vote. It's not going to happen.

(CROSSTALK)

CARNEY: If you don't mind, just I'm going to exercise my role, if you will, as G7 chair, since we have a few more minutes with the president and his team. And then we actually have to start the meeting to address some of these big issues.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it. That's it. Thank you very much. Out. OK, guys, out. Thank you.

BROWN: Looked like he might say something else there, President Trump, there meeting with...

BLITZER: Yes, awkward moment, another awkward moment, the fact that the Canadian prime minister wanted to end the Q&A with reporters. It was beginning to feel uncomfortable, clearly, for him.

BROWN: It certainly was. You saw there -- them standing right there in sort of an awkward fashion, Kristen Holmes, who is live in Calgary, as the president talked about a range of issues, particularly the escalation between Iran and Israel, saying that Iran, in his view, is not winning this war, Kristen.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.

And I think this is the biggest news out of what we just heard, was all of what Donald Trump said about Iran, the war. He also said that his administration has heard from Iranian intermediaries that say they want to de-escalate. That is something that we had been hearing, that they want to come to the table. He said that they should have done this already, they should make a deal. He said that they aren't winning the war.

He obviously said again that he supports Israel. Now, he wouldn't answer a question for what it would take for the United States to ramp up their involvement. He has been incredibly wary about getting involved in this. We know that the United States is involved in deflecting and protecting Israel from missiles right now.

But, beyond that, what would it take to get the United States involved? He would not answer that question. Now, I do just want to point out one thing that we all just took away from that, was that the prime minister learned his lesson from the last time he had this kind of interaction with Donald Trump, where it went completely off the rails.

The longer that Donald Trump took questions, the more aggressive it got, the more tense that Carney got in that meeting in the Oval Office. Here, he set the boundaries, he set the timeline, and you saw the president there. He would have continued to take questions.

Carney stepping in to say, we're moving forward now. We need to finish our conversations, the behind the scenes. Remember, one of the things we have seen with Donald Trump in these meetings with world leaders is his ability to really put this front and center.

Usually, and historically, with a White House meeting with any other head of state, you have something like this, where you have these pleasantries exchanged, a couple questions, and then it's over. Donald Trump has been opening up these meetings to the public with the cameras, and you can tell Carney here wanted to shut that off.

And just one thing I just have to quickly note. He used so much of his time during this Q&A talking about Russia and how Russia should be part of a G8, saying Putin wasn't over that, saying that, if he had been in the G8, he would have never brought the war.

I mean, he spent an enormous amount of time focused on why Russia should still be part of the G8. Obviously, it's not, G7 now. But that was just kind of interesting, given the fact that the two of them were sitting there talking about all these other things, trade, the war, Iran, all of that.

BROWN: Yes, and it was notable too, because he said that the war wouldn't be going on with Russia and Ukraine had they been kicked out, in his view.

[11:45:02]

But, of course, the reason Russia was kicked out of the then G8, now G7, was because of its invasion of Crimea.

Kristen Holmes, thank you very much.

BLITZER: We're going to continue to watch the G7 summit.

But joining us right now is the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder.

Ivo, thanks so much for joining us.

First of all, what did you make of President Trump's comments that we just heard?

IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, I was flabbergasted, frankly, that he would start off his comments, not about trade, not about the Middle East, but about Russia and the G8.

As you just noted, Russia was thrown out of the G8 after they started a war against Ukraine and annexed Crimea. That's why Russia is not part of the G8. The G8 was for a while an organization that had Russia in it, but for 50 years it has been an organization of the advanced democratic industrial states. Russia is not advanced, it's not democratic, and it's, frankly, industrial only in a way that is focused on making war, rather than helping the people of the country.

So I'm really astonished that the president would spend any time going back over this old period and sort of defending his friend Vladimir Putin against the leaders of the G8 -- the G7, and focus on the issues that are there today, as opposed to what was there 10 years ago.

BLITZER: Yes, good point.

We're learning that President Trump has yet to sign off on a draft statement calling on Iran and Israel to de-escalate the current conflict, something European leaders had hoped to reach a consensus on. What does this tell you about the dynamics already at play at this G7 summit?

DAALDER: Well, in some ways, this G7 really is a G6 plus one. The six other countries have a particular view about economic relations, security relations, what is happening in Ukraine, what is happening in the Middle East.

It's a view that the United States for a very long time not only shared, but actually exemplified. But, under Donald Trump, we have a different foreign policy. We have a different engagement with the world. We have different sense of views.

He set that, President Trump set that with regard to trade, where he says, I'm a tariff man, and Prime Minister Carney has a different view. Yes, he's in favor of trade, free trade, in fact, which is what America used to be.

So I'm not surprised there's a disagreement on the Middle East. There's, frankly, a disagreement on Ukraine. There's a disagreement on trade. There's a disagreement even on political ideology, with many in the Trump administration arguing that what is happening in Europe is a threat to Western civilization, even at the same time that the United States deploys troops on the street to deal with peaceful and constitutionally protected free speech and free assembly.

BLITZER: Ambassador Ivo Daalder, thanks very much for joining us.

DAALDER: My pleasure.

BROWN: And coming up, shocking new video from Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

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BROWN: Wow. Iran state news agency says the country's national broadcaster was hit in an Israeli strike -- the latest next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:52:42]

BLITZER: All right, breaking news: Iran's state news agency says Israel is striking the country's national broadcaster. Watch and listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Wow, that must be terrifying.

Let's go live now to CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh.

That's incredible video. Tell us more about Israel's strategy here, Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, extraordinary to see those live images, newscaster mid broadcast interrupted there by what clearly seems to be some kind of explosion in the building where they are.

And it comes just a matter, minutes almost, after -- hours after Israel's IDF put out in Farsi, the Iranian language, a warning for people to leave District 3 in the capital, Tehran, where we believe that particular building of IRINN, the Iranian state broadcaster, is located.

After that come these images in which we see clearly what is an explosion, other images emerging suggesting damage on the exterior of the building as well. We don't know anything more about what may have caused that blast. I think it's likely to presume here that it did come under attack from the Israeli air force, whose prime minister said in the last hours that they had control of the skies over much of Tehran.

But we also heard from Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, particularly outspoken in the past days, saying earlier that the Iranian propaganda and incitement mouthpiece is on its way to disappearing. Unclear indeed if he's referring to the state broadcaster you just saw there and its journalists or whether it's something else, but certainly a significant coincidence there.

He went on to say that the evacuation of nearby residents has begun, possibly also to an order, an evacuation order that the IDF gave earlier something he's referencing there as well. Those who remember Israel's campaign against Hezbollah in Southern Beirut in Lebanon last summer will be reminded of the evacuation orders given to parts of Dahiyeh, the southern suburbs of Beirut, when Israel was targeting Hezbollah, civilian casualties then. Potentially -- we don't know the exact consequence or indeed the precise progeny of what caused this explosion, although it's fair to surmise it's probably related to the Israeli air force's activities in the region, but indeed now growing panic, I think it's fair to say, we had described from residents of District 3, as a result of this evacuation order.

[11:55:16]

Does it mark the beginning of a series of evacuation orders? Remember, there were multiple ones given in Beirut last summer. Are we going to see more like that to get the population of that vast capital city moving around in fear of its life?

There are already images of traffic jams trying to get out of the capital, but remarkable images to see, given how little it is possible to see of the damage done to Iran by Israeli strikes, partially because of Iran making it quite hard to function in that area -- Wolf, Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

BLITZER: Clearly, it's heating up, this battle between Israel and Iran right now.

And I thought it was interesting that President Trump just a few minutes ago in Canada said, Iran is not winning this war. They could have had negotiations, he said. He gave them 60 days to make a deal. They refused to make a deal. And, as a result, Iran is not winning this war, direct quote from Trump.

That's it for us right now. Thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can certainly keep up with us on social media @WolfBlitzer and @PamelaBrownCNN. We will see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

BROWN: "INSIDE POLITICS WITH DANA BASH" is next after a short break.