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Voters in Four States Head to Polls in Key Primaries; Crew Safely Rescued After Army Helicopter Crashed Off Oman; Longtime Jeffrey Epstein Aide Heads to Capitol Hill. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 09, 2026 - 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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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, primary day in four states. We are live in Maine as Democrat Grant Platner gets a major test after months of controversies.

And going public, OpenAI is set to make the most highly anticipated market debut in recent history. What this could mean for you.

And Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson joins us to talk about her new book with her husband on the importance of commitment.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And happening now, officials investigate why a U.S. military Apache helicopter went down off the coast of Oman just as President Trump hints that a deal with Iran could be signed within days.

Plus, Ontario Premier Doug Ford joins us in The Situation Room to discuss U.S. relations with Canada and the growing questions about a key trade deal.

And the Spurs spoil the Garden Party, the wild ending over at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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.

Happening now, primary day in four states. Voters in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada, and North Dakota go to the polls today. These elections potentially could reveal how much tolerance voters have for candidates embroiled in controversy and test President Trump's influence in a very crowded Republican field.

In Maine, for example, Democrat Graham Platner is vowing to take to Republican Senator Susan Collins, in November. He's facing a slew of controversies, including serious questions about his past treatment of women and about a tattoo tied to Nazi symbolism.

CNN Correspondent Arlette Saenz is in Portland, Maine for us right now. Arlette, what are voters telling you this morning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, for Democrat candidate Graham Platner, this primary will be an early test of whether he can consolidate Democratic support despite the controversies that have been surrounding his campaign. Many of the Democratic primary voters that we've spoken with this morning said that they are sticking behind Platner despite those scandals because they are trying to keep their focus on defeating Senator Susan Collins in November. These voters said they believe Platner still presents the best chance of doing this.

But this is certainly a challenging issue for Platner going forward, not just in this primary, but also in the expected general election matchup against Collins in November. But take a listen to two voters, a Democrat and Republican, who we spoke with about these controversies.

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REPORTER: When you heard about those challenges, the controversies, what were your first thoughts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no, unfortunate. But was -- you know, I think his apologies are heartfelt and sincere from what I've seen. So, that matters to Maine voters, I think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't believe that the Democrats are going to support someone who had a Nazi tattoo and who -- he's just a real extremist to me. I just am not interested in him at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now Republicans believe that these controversies will not sit well with Maine voters in November, and they are already planning for a barrage of attacks against Platner to try to raise these controversies to raise the awareness of them for voters' minds.

We saw a little bit of this play out in earlier in the Democratic primary when Maine Governor Janet Mills had run some ads highlighting some of his past controversial posts about sexual assault in the military, but the level of Republican ammunition that they will have in this or that they are planning to use in this November fight is expected to be much, much on a bigger scale.

So, this will be a very big, challenging time for Platner going forward as he's seeking to overcome these controversies and asking voters to move past that as they are looking against that November fight against Susan Collins in November.

[10:05:02]

BLITZER: All right, Arlette Saenz in Portland, Maine for us. Arlette, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf. New this morning the military confirms that two U.S. crew members were rescued after their Army Apache helicopter went down right off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. The cause of that crash is under investigation. And meanwhile, President Trump says the U.S. and Iran could finalize a peace deal within days. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They were going back and forth, and now they both agreed, through me, to stop, and we're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons, et cetera. And the strait will open up right away. It'll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days.

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BROWN: CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House for us. So, Alayna, the president, as we all know, has made similar claims about an imminent deal dozens of times. Is this any different?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think what he is hoping, Pamela and Wolf, is essentially that at some point this is going to be true. I think your point is entirely correct, Pamela. I mean, we have now heard the president repeatedly in the months since the ceasefire was first brokered say that a deal was close. CNN's count actually says that he has made similar claims at least 37 times since the start of the ceasefire in April. So, we'll see.

I mean, I think clearly after the very tense few days we've seen with the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, he is trying to project confidence here. But it does not seem -- I mean, it was not immediately clear whether the Iranians agree with this. We have not heard a response from them. But definitely, of course, this is something they are still working toward.

Now, I do want to also briefly touch on the news about the Army Apache helicopter that was down because this marks the first time an Apache was actually lost since the start of this war. I'd remind you and our viewers that these types of helicopters have previously been used for some precision strikes on small boats as part of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

So, a significant thing that we are still trying to get answers from CENTCOM and the Pentagon about what necessarily happened here. They said an investigation is underway, but definitely trying to get more answers. Luckily, though, they said that the two crew members were rescued after approximately two hours. So, good news there, at least on that front, Pamela and Wolf.

BROWN: Definitely good news on that front. I want to ask you about something else. The president has officially nominated his acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, to take over the position full time at DOJ. Blanche needs a simple majority of the Senate to win confirmation. How much pushback is he facing?

TREENE: Look, I think this is going to be a very tense time. I think with any kind of moves now that when you need unanimous support from Republicans to move forward, that's a difficult task at a time when, you know, the president has recently made enemies out of Republicans that this White House was used to relying on, people like Senator John Cornyn and Senator Bill Cassidy, both people whom President Trump kind of worked to push aside by promoting their primary opponents in their recent primary races.

And this is something in my conversations with people at the White House, Pam, they acknowledge. And I'll say this, they argue that they are confident that Blanche will get confirmed. They believe particularly because he was able to get confirmed, he's been through this process before when he became deputy attorney general.

They believe they'll be able to be successful here. But I think there's no question that things are going to be harder as we look ahead to November because of, like I said, some of these Republicans who feel liberated. That was actually a word that Cornyn has used to push back against the administration more, but also at a time when a lot of Republicans are worried about their political viability come November. So, we'll have to see, but they're going to be working hard, I think, to prop Blanche up in the weeks to come as he undergoes this process.

BROWN: All right. Alayna Treene, thanks so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: And coming up, happening now, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime executive assistant on Capitol Hill behind closed doors. We're live with the latest developments.

BROWN: And a not so warm welcome home for President Trump at Madison Square Garden.

His response just ahead.

You're in The Situation Room, and we'll be right back

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BROWN: Happening now on Capitol Hill, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime executive assistant is being interviewed behind closed doors. Lesley Groff is appearing before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers review federal investigations of the late sex offender. And minutes ago, we heard from Oversight Chair James Comer. Let's listen.

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REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): The government did not do a good job investigating Epstein and Maxwell and their crimes. We are trying to make up for lost time. I think the interviews that we've done have been very productive. We're bringing in the most important people in the whole Epstein criminal enterprise that are still alive.

And hopefully we'll get the truth to the American people. And if there's an opportunity for accountability, we sure want to see that happen.

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BROWN: CNN Senior Reporter Annie Grayer is on Capitol Hill. So, what more did Chairman Comer say? ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, he framed Lesley Groff as a very important witness for this investigation because she worked for Epstein for over 20 years. She was sort of his conduit to the outside world. She booked all of his appointments, all of his travel, and women have told the FBI that Groff was actually the individual they would schedule massages for Epstein with.

[10:15:08]

Now, Groff told FBI in 2021 that she thought massages were just part of the regular routine, that she booked them regularly, and that she never witnessed or participated in anything illegal. But she was also listed back in 2008 as part of that non -- that part of that controversial non -- part of that non-controversial agreement that she was a potential co-conspirator. But she has not committed -- she's not been charged with any crimes, and she's just the latest individual that this committee is bringing in.

The committee also interviewed one of Epstein's former assistants, Sarah Kellen, who not only alleged abuse of Epstein, but two other men who had not been previously disclosed, and the committee has referred those allegations to the Justice Department. So, this committee is really firing on all cylinders, and this closed-door interview with Groff is expected to go for many hours today.

BROWN: All right. Annie Grayer, I know you'll keep us posted on that. Thank you so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: And coming up, the A.I. race takes off. Another artificial intelligence giant is going public. Why it could mean a massive payday for early investors.

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[10:20:00]

BROWN: Well, it was one of the most highly anticipated NBA games in recent memory. The finals returned to New York City for the first time in 27 years, and the Spurs spoiled the Garden Party. They beat the Knicks by four points.

And there was almost a Super Bowl-type vibe to this game with the security, the hype, the ticket prices, and the famous faces at Madison Square Garden, among them, President Trump.

So, that was the reception he got when he popped up on the jumbotron during the national anthem, and here's what he said about it afterward.

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TRUMP: It was certainly amazing. It was I think mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: All right. Let's go to CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes. Andy, the stakes for this game were just as high as the security measures, which were so intense.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. I mean, Wolf and Pam, at last night's game three at Madison Square Garden, it really was one of the most unique sporting events of all time. I mean, the get in ticket price was over $6,000 at tip-off, so it was one of the most expensive sports tickets ever. And for the first time ever, a sitting president was in attendance.

And as you showed a little bit there, you know, all the stars were out for this first finals game at the Garden since 1999. You had all the regulars, plus some New York sports royalty. Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, they were court side. And this was a super physical game.

First quarter, Victor Wembanyama just smacks Jalen Brunson right here in the head. There was no foul even called on that play. Now, the Knicks, they got red hot in the second quarter. They scored 42 points. They take a seven-point lead into halftime. MSG was just rocking, but the Spurs would respond. Fourth quarter now, Stephon Castle, the alley-oop to Wemby, he finished with 32 points. San Antonio was up by three at that point. Under a minute to go, Knicks down six. Brunson hits the three, but De'Aaron Fox comes right back, comes through in the clutch. This jumper really iced the game. Spurs hold on to win 115-111. And for just the second time in NBA history, the road team has won the first three games of the finals.

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VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, SAN ANTONIO SPURS FORWARD: We're all the time confident, did what we were supposed to do, but our job is absolutely not done. We're not even halfway. The hardest is still to come.

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SCHOLES: All right. So, the Spurs are trying to become the first team ever to win the finals after losing the first two games at home.

Now, this morning, Knicks fans and Coach Mike Brown not very pleased with the officiating in game three. The Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half compared to the Knicks' 8, and Brown said that's unacceptable.

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MIKE BROWN, NEW YORK KNICKS HEAD COACH: I never thought I'd be in the NBA finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team's 8. And maybe we were fouling, maybe we were fouling, but they fouled, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Game four of the finals is tomorrow.

Serena Williams, meanwhile, is scheduled to make her return to the court today in London at the HSBC Championships. This is going to be her first match since losing in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. Serena's now 44 years old. She's going to be competing in doubles.

Her match is scheduled for 12:30 Eastern. There was some rain in the forecast, but it's looking okay right now, so it's looking like her match is going to happen.

And, you know, guys, I'm all for Serena coming back, right? I loved it when Jordan came back on the Wizards. You know, when we get to see an all-time great perform once again, you got to relish it, and I can't wait to see her on the court again. And who knows? Who knows, if she plays really well, maybe it's the first of more matches to come.

BROWN: Yes, we shall see. And I love that she said she wanted to come back on the court so her kids could watch her play.

BLITZER: Yes. It makes me happy to hear that kind of stuff and see that kind of stuff. I'm totally with you, Andy.

Thank you very, very much, Andy Scholes, reporting for us.

BROWN: And just ahead here in The Situation Room, high fashion meets high function, the luxury label that will be part of NASA's mission to the moon.

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[10:25:00]

BROWN: Happening now, OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has filed for an initial public offering. It sets the stage for what could become one of the largest and most closely watched stock market debuts in recent history. OpenAI said it has not decided on timing yet. The company was last valued at $852 billion.

And in Los Angeles, Nithya Raman will advance to the November election in the mayoral race. She overtook Spencer Pratt for second place as more votes were counted. She will now face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

And big advances coming to Apple, the company is giving Siri a major A.I. upgrade to compete with popular A.I. chatbots. Apple will also integrate A.I. into other existing apps, and parental controls are expanding. They include time restrictions and requests to view new websites.

And next hour, NASA is expected to announce the Artemis III crew for the next test mission to the moon.

[10:30:03]

And Prada has helped create a cooling garment for astronauts with ventilation tubes.