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The Situation Room

Overcoming Digital Distractions; Lawsuit Targets White House UFC Fight; Israel Continues Strikes in Lebanon. Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired June 09, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And next hour, NASA is expected to announce the Artemis III crew for the next test mission to the moon.

And Prada has helped create a cooling garment for astronauts with ventilation tubes knitted right into the fabric. This is for NASA's Artemis IV crew set to land on the moon in 2028 -- Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Very stylish, indeed.

BROWN: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Very stylish.

BROWN: You know your fashion, Wolf.

BLITZER: I know.

Happening now: President Trump says once again that the end of the war with Iran is imminent. He adds that ending the fighting between Iran and Israel is key to finalizing the agreement.

While Israel and Iran have attacked each other once again today, Israel is also continuing its assault on Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon. Both President Trump and Iran have warned Israel against ongoing attacks in Lebanon.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us live from Tel Aviv right now.

Jeremy, what's Israel saying about these new strikes on various Hezbollah targets in Lebanon?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Israeli military conducted multiple additional strikes today in Southern Lebanon just one day after Iran warns that, should Israel continue to carry out attacks either against Iran or against Southern Lebanon, that that would result in additional Iranian strikes against Israel.

But, despite that, the Israeli military has continued with these strikes, with top Israeli officials in fact vowing to intensify the fight against Hezbollah.

Today, we saw Israeli strikes in the Southern Lebanese city of Tyre, where the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. At least nine people were killed and multiple other people were wounded in those strikes, according to Lebanon's national news agency.

Yesterday, there were also Israeli strikes that killed at least five people, according to that same source. These strikes took place after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for that city of Tyre that this time included the Christian quarter of that ancient city on the Lebanese coast, which is a rare step that we have not seen before, as Israel accused Hezbollah fighters of being ensconced in that Christian neighborhood of the city of Tyre.

We heard today from the Israeli military chief of staff, who spoke after these strikes took place. He said that he is rejecting Iran's attempt to dictate new rules and that its new reality that it is trying to impose will fail, he said. He also vowed to -- quote -- "deepen the damage to Hezbollah."

Israeli troops remain in Southern Lebanon as well. Hezbollah, for its part, has rejected the cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese state, saying that it only requires Hezbollah to withdraw its forces and requires no steps of Israel.

But we have been saying over the last 24 hours that Lebanon could ultimately be the key to whether or not this broader peace deal between the United States and Iran can be achieved or whether we see an escalation of this broader conflict, because, again, Lebanon -- Iran has sought to link what is happening in Lebanon to what happens across the region -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very quickly, Jeremy, are Iranian rockets and missiles still coming towards Israel? And what about the Houthis from Yemen or Hezbollah from Lebanon?

DIAMOND: No, Wolf, it's been more than 24 hours now since we have seen any Iranian attacks against Israel. Same goes for any Israeli attacks against Iran.

We did, however, early this morning see the Houthis fired a drone, according to the Israeli military, targeting Israel's southern city of Eilat. That drone does appear to have been intercepted, however. And, again, the fighting is continuing in Southern Lebanon Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jeremy Diamond on the scene for us in Tel Aviv, thank you very, very much.

I want to continue this conversation right now. CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier is here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Kim, the president has said now, going back to original cease-fire, maybe more than three dozen times, that a deal to close all of this was imminent. What are the consequences of making this kind of claim time after time after time?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Eventually, it's going to be an emperor has no clothes situation. People aren't going to believe him. And we're already hearing through interviews with Iranian officials

that Fred Pleitgen has done on the ground. They're saying, we don't trust what the president says. We also see certain things coming out of the negotiations that the president then tries to advance through public statements.

That just makes it harder on the negotiators. And, eventually, the markets have to respond to this. But, right now, they seem to keep believing him. And that is keeping oil prices at a somewhat reasonable level.

But by the end of the summer, as this drags on, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, we are still in for a potential global energy shock.

BLITZER: At this point, is Iran trying to slow-walk all of these talks because they see the U.S. negotiating position potentially continuing to weaken?

[10:35:01]

DOZIER: Well, you could see this -- all this violence happening between Lebanon and Israel as Israel trying to slow-walk the talks, because Israel doesn't like the idea of a U.S.-Iran deal that allows Iran, for instance, to go back to some sort of nuclear program in 20 years, or that allows Iran to keep that nuclear enriched material that is buried somewhere underground in Iran.

But you could also see this as Iran using its ally Hezbollah to create friction between the U.S. and Israel, to create friction between the two enemies that are arrayed against it, because, every time Hezbollah attacks Israel, Netanyahu has to respond. He's facing an election. He's not doing well in some of the polls.

And his people are under fire, but President Trump wants him to hold fire. That's a really tough situation that Iran has managed to put them in.

BLITZER: Yes, if rockets are coming in, Israel's going to respond. Given Israel's history, we know that, to be sure. And, politically, it would be very tough on Netanyahu not to respond in the face of that kind of an assault.

Iran's foreign minister complained that inconsistent demands and messaging from the U.S. are slowing down these talks, but the U.S. has also said it isn't completely clear who they are negotiating with on the Iranian side. How do negotiators make their way through all of this?

DOZIER: You know, that's the really tough thing, when you're going through different sets of negotiators between two warring parties.

And that's another seam that Iran can exploit and that Israel can exploit to slow this down until each side is happy with whatever deal comes out of it. Iran is facing economic friction, and the U.S. is facing the midterms. So we're stuck in a staring contest that is likely to stretch all summer.

BLITZER: Yes, it looks like it's going to continue and continue.

Israel again today was attacking various Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as you know, despite President Trump saying that he wants to see the fighting in Lebanon end. But he has apparently indicated he seems to be OK with targeted Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

What do you make of this?

DOZIER: So, reporting from inside Israel indicates that Netanyahu was ready for a major strike against Iran, but he pulled back at Trump's urging and just did the targeted strike.

He is probably betting that Trump's patience will eventually run out as Iran does what Iran prides itself in doing, drawing out negotiations, drawing out talks. Eventually, Netanyahu probably thinks that Trump will want to go back to a full-scale war and finish -- quote, unquote -- "finish the job."

BLITZER: Kim Dozier, as usual, thank you very, very much -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Wolf, coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM: forced to respond.

A federal judge says the Trump administration must answer a lawsuit looking to stop the UFC fight planned outside the White House. We're going to speak to an attorney on this case next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:42:25]

BROWN: Happening now: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to respond by tonight to a lawsuit seeking to stop the UFC fight at the White House.

The suit argues the structure erected on the White House grounds is not authorized without congressional approval or environmental review. And the White House, for its part, calls the case obstructionist and baseless and said the event is -- quote -- "no different" than various other White House-related events on the South Lawn.

With us now is former federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project, which filed this lawsuit on behalf of a Vietnam War veteran and a civic activist.

Good morning to you, Brendan.

So your group filed this case. What is a legal basis for it?

BRENDAN BALLOU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: The fundamental problem here in what's motivating the lawsuit is the corruption of this event.

This is a deal that is going to enrich the president and his allies, whether you're talking about the UFC selling $1 million or $1.5 million sponsorship packages to individuals, to the fact that the exclusive streaming rights are going to go to a company allied to the president, that advertisements for companies like Crypto.com might run at the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, and the fact that Donald Trump has stock specifically in the UFC's parent company, means that this is very different from any other kind of event that happens at the White House or the Lincoln Memorial.

It is the monetization and the personal profiteering of our national monuments. And that's what motivates this lawsuit.

BROWN: And the White House has responded to this saying that the president's -- everything is in a trust that is run by his own kids. And so they say, look, this isn't something he's profiting off of.

And Dana White and TKO Holdings, which is the parent company of UFC, says that it's actually going to lose money on this event, that it's spending tens of millions of dollars for the production of this. So what do you say to that?

BALLOU: Dana White only has to sell 40 tickets at $1.5 million a pop to make a profit, even at his own estimates. And then when you add on the allegation -- the assertions that this is a blind trust, Donald Trump bought stock in TKO, the parent company of UFC, within days or weeks of promoting this event.

So, absolutely, this is a man, the president, who stands to profit from this. And I will just add, I think, at a basic level, I think most people would agree that we don't want ads for companies like Crypto.com running at the White House and at the Lincoln Memorial, some of our most sacred national monuments.

I think most people would agree we don't want private profiteering with our monuments like that.

[10:45:01]

BROWN: The White House has hosted concerts, Easter egg rolls, and other large public events.

And, as I noted, Dana White, the UFC CEO, has repeatedly said that his organization is footing the bill here. So what is your argument for what makes this event legally different?

BALLOU: It's that these private companies who are allied to the president stand to make an enormous amount of money.

The fundamental difference between this and the Easter egg roll at the White House or any of the, like, sort of benefit concerts that presidents, Republican and Democrats, have had at the White House before is the private profiteering.

We don't have an objective -- objection to having events at the White House. It is, after all, the people's house. The problem is when the people's house is misused for the private benefit of a handful of companies that are allied with the president. BROWN: That stock was bought by the president a while back. This

event has been out there. It's been on the books for a while now. And it's only a few days away, yet you just filed this suit. So why did you wait so long if you have such a strong case?

BALLOU: Absolutely.

So, ultimately, this is a case about corruption. It was revelations from reporting confirmed by the White House on June 4 that this event is going to be wholly organized by a private organization and the federal government will be functionally uninvolved in the entire thing, which is what motivates the lawsuit, which is what gives it the legal hook.

And so that revelation came out on June 4. The day before, on June 3, Donald Trump said that he might keep the claw, the big structure that's getting built for the fight, permanently on the White House lawn.

So, after those June 3 and June 4 revelations, we filed our lawsuit within 48 hours.

BROWN: And one of the arguments you make concerns no environmental review taking place before construction and no congressional approval. If the structures are temporary and removed shortly afterward, because you point out that they may not be, but, if they are, if it's just a temporary thing, would that assuage your concerns at all here?

BALLOU: I think the challenge that you have here is, if, in fact, you have, as may happen, a face-off and press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, permanent changes to the White House lawn, and ads for these companies running at these structures, I think the pictures of these events by themselves are going to go into every AP history textbook showing the fundamental private profiteering of our current moment.

I don't think that there would be a stronger symbol, and I think it will fundamentally change how we see and how we remember these national monuments.

BROWN: All right, Brendan Ballou, thank you so much for coming on. Appreciate it.

BALLOU: Thank you.

BROWN: Wolf.

BLITZER: And here's what's coming up all new right at the top of the hour: Guardrails and extreme restrictions restricting as the midterms heat up, that's the goal of a new bipartisan effort in the House. We will speak to the Democrat and the Republican behind it.

Plus, looking for a presidential pardon, the new push from a disgraced crypto CEO.

And an unexpected guest visits a horse stable in Texas. How this eight-foot gator was finally wrangled. That's all new in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:53:01]

BLITZER: New this morning, what does it take to stick with something in today's world full of options and digital distractions?

Our next guests hope to answer that question and reveal the joy that comes with all-in commitment.

BROWN: Join us now are Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East and former NFL player Andrew East. As husband and wife, they co-host the podcast "Couple Things" And are also the authors of "The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something."

So, Congratulations. I know that this has been a labor of love for you both.

Tell us more, if you would, Shawn, about what inspired you to write this book together.

SHAWN JOHNSON EAST, CO-AUTHOR, "THE COURAGE TO COMMIT: EMBRACE THE RADICAL POWER OF STICKING WITH SOMETHING": Yes. Well, thank you. It's an exciting day. This has been four years in the making. We have poured our heart and soul into it.

And the why behind it, we live in such an anxious generation. You see statistics showing that people are more anxious and depressed than ever. People -- there's so much noise, especially with social media. People are living an inch deep but a mile wide, and they're not really diving into anything and finding depth and purpose and joy.

And we try to give the rebuttal to that, why you should choose something and work at it and stick to it and find a lot of fulfillment through it.

BLITZER: Andrew, what did you learn about commitment and why it matters?

ANDREW EAST, CO-AUTHOR, "THE COURAGE TO COMMIT: EMBRACE THE RADICAL POWER OF STICKING WITH SOMETHING": Yes, well as previous athletes, I feel like we have been conditioned to commit to things pretty intensely.

And so I played football for a long time. Shawn was a gymnast. And there was always this process of, OK, this is where we need to be to achieve this goal of making it in college football or professional football or be an Olympic gymnast. And then what's that process like to become who I need to be?

And it's really this humbling process. It's a formative process. And I feel like, when you commit to something, you are extending an invitation to that thing to form your habits, your character and ultimately your life. And so it's a responsibility worth thinking about. And it was a fun topic to explore in the book.

BROWN: I want to dive a little bit more into that, because, Shawn, sometimes, it can be difficult for athletes to leave the arena, right, I mean, because their commitment has always been, I'm going to be the best athlete I can be, right?

[10:55:07]

And then they leave and they have to figure out their purpose outside of that and what their new commitment will be. Obviously, you two have been married. I think you just celebrated your 10th wedding anniversary.

So I'm wondering how you have applied these commitment lessons to your personal ambitions.

JOHNSON EAST: We have worked so hard in this area. And it's only because we failed in this area, and we write about that as well.

After my performance and my athletic career, I retired and kind of wandered aimlessly through life. I didn't commit to anything. And, because of that, I had a really hard time transitioning out of my sport. And it wasn't until I went back to the ideas of what I learned and said how about I really rebuild the foundation in something, and it was our marriage and it was our family, that I started to feel fulfilled again.

And so, with our marriage and our business and our kids, we apply all the same principles that our coaches taught us back in the day, which is to, like, persevere, and, when you face a challenge or a hardship, to really look at it from every angle and see, how can I get through this?

Because, once you do, you find so much more joy and satisfaction and success on the other side.

BLITZER: I have a question to both of you.

I know you both open up about going through life's challenges with a partner on your podcast that's called "Couple Things." How has that influenced your commitment to each other by opening up in this way?

EAST: Oh, it's been so helpful to have a community of people online that has participated in these conversations that we get to have. We have three young children, 6, 4, and 2-year-old. And so there's not a lot of quiet, focused conversation around the house. So the podcast has been...

BROWN: I get that.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: Yes. Yes.

EAST: Yes. It's been a really fun excuse to just sit down and learn together and grow together and really just kind of work on our relationship in a way.

And what we realized is, as athletes, you have to put in thousands of reps. And you're trying to constantly improve and iterate and tweak this and that. And that's not so different than putting out a podcast and improving that and just, like, continuing to show up day after day, which is not so different than a marriage.

And it's like, OK, sweetie, we have had this argument 1,000 times and let me see what I can tweak and improve to approach this conversation different and better this time, as opposed to last time.

BROWN: Yes. And I think that's such a good point, because I have also learned it's not like you get to this point of enlightenment where, all right, we're down, we figured it out, right?

JOHNSON EAST: Yes.

BROWN: It's constantly evolving. You're constantly up against challenges and navigating through that.

EAST: Yes.

BROWN: And one of the big challenges you have had to navigate through, Shawn, is your postpartum struggles after your third child was born.

You have been open about, that you had this sort of out-of-body experience, you didn't know how to ask for help. Tell us more of what that was like for you and how you were able to get support. I think this is such an important topic.

JOHNSON EAST: Yes, it was really interesting to me, because going into your third kid, you kind of feel like, similar to marriage, like you have it all figured out and you know exactly what's going to happen.

And I went into this little guy, he is such a blessing and he's so wonderful, but I kind of lost myself. I remember thinking I had this out-of-body experience where my mind was just in an odd place and our little guy had some issues that we had to figure out. He was a colicky baby and he had a hard time feeding.

And, for me, I just remember thinking, I need help, but as a mom I don't know how to ask for it. And it helped -- it caused me to kind of spiral a little and get to a place where I felt a little desperate.

And we have such a wonderful marriage, where I got to a point where I said, you know what, we finally figured out our little man and helped him, but now it's time that I think I need help. And so we went back to counseling and I found a therapist and I asked for help.

But it was a really eye-opening experience that you can go through something so drastically different, even though you have already done it three times.

BROWN: Yes. JOHNSON EAST: And Andrew was incredible. Our therapist was incredible and just kind of slowly rebuilt my mind and my health and my body and got to a point where I felt like I could be a good mom again.

EAST: You're my hero.

BROWN: Well, I'm sure you were always a great mom. And I understand that.

Every postpartum period I had with the three kids was different. I had -- I'd developed postpartum OCD with one. I developed depression with one of them briefly. And I think it's a really important message, but you can get through it and you realize it's not you, right? There's so much shame, but it's your hormones and it's all kinds of things going on.

But, of course, the lessons of commitment that you write about in your book can help everyone, no matter what they're going through in life.

Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East, thank you so much for coming on and, again, congrats.

EAST: Thank you.

JOHNSON EAST: Thank you guys so much. So great to see you.

BROWN: You too.

BLITZER: A beautiful couple, indeed.

BROWN: Yes.

BLITZER: Very interesting.

And the next hour THE SITUATION ROOM starts right now.

BROWN: And happening now: Apache helicopter crew rescued. What we are learning about why an Army aircraft went down off the coast of Oman.

BLITZER: And, later, one-on-one with Doug Ford.

The Ontario premier will be here with us in THE SITUATION ROOM for his first interview since landing here in Washington, D.C., and why he's leading a major push right now to try to review the key economic agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

[11:00:00]