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July 4 Celebrated Amid Dangerous Heat Wave on East Coast; Divided America Prepares to Celebrate Nation's 250th Birthday; Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Expected to Get Married Today. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired July 03, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: But here's the famous Ferris wheel, just heads up for the step below you. This heat though, Pamela is going to go down in the records books, and it's not just here in D.C. I mean, look at Philadelphia, where they canceled the parade. They are delaying start times for certain events, and it is all because of this intense heat.

We'll be broadcasting live all day here, but again, we've already seen people carted away because of heat exhaustion. Pam.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And it's not even reached the highest temps. All right. Derek Van Dam, thanks so much.

And you can still get in on the celebrations. If you want to stay cool, the fun starts tonight at 8:00 Eastern on CNN as Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen host "Independence Day Eve." And then Anderson is back tomorrow for our coverage of "The Fourth in America." I'll be there with him in Boston. So, our coverage starts at noon Eastern, and then I'll be with Anderson kicking off our coverage in Boston at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. I really hope you'll join us. And we'll be right back.

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[11:35:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Senator Mitch McConnell is still in the hospital, two weeks after he was admitted. His office says he's continuing his recovery but isn't saying what the ailment is. A paramedic who responded to McConnell's D.C. home on June 14th was heard saying CPR in progress in an audio recording.

And a new kind of rescue mission for NASA. Right now, one of its space telescopes is in danger of falling out of orbit and burning up in the atmosphere. A rocket launch today will carry a robot to the telescope and use its thrusters to try to push it back into place.

BROWN: And, Wolf, as you know, this weekend will mark one year since the flash flooding killed more than 130 people in Central Texas. Among them, 25 young girls and two counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River. CNN did extensive reporting from Texas in the aftermath and I've spoken to a number of grieving families still looking for answers and accountability. Several are suing the camp for not protecting the girls. And just last week, Camp Mystic filed for bankruptcy, saying it's more than $10 million in debt. Our thoughts and hearts go out to those families still grieving.

And happening now, many Americans are entering this July 4th weekend with the traditional celebrations. You have parades, cookouts, and fireworks. And tomorrow, President Trump headlines an Independence Day celebration on the National Mall in Washington. Critics say he's turning the nation's milestone birthday into a political rally.

Also sharing the spotlight tomorrow, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the iconic and now unsightly reflecting pool. The president tried to update it with an American flag blue lining, but the sealant has peeled and the water turned green. The president blames vandals. But critics and some experts say it was a poorly done job that was rushed for the festivities. It's another example of a country deeply divided.

Dennis Rasmussen is a political science professor at Syracuse University and author of "Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders." Thank you so much for coming on, Dennis.

You know, maybe this is a message we all need to hear. Were our founders also confronting similar doubts about this great political experiment called America?

DENNIS RASMUSSEN, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: Absolutely, especially later in their lives, all of them were deeply disillusioned with what they brought.

When we focus on the founders, we tend to focus on them during the -- you know, the heroic period, 1776, 1787, when they're founding the country. But of course, they kept living, they kept thinking, and their later thought, right, they were able to see what they had wrought and their later views are in some ways informed by more real- world experience. And as I say, they were deeply disillusioned with the constitutional order they created.

BROWN: So, they didn't even necessarily believe we'd get to this point of 250 years of America?

RASMUSSEN: Correct. Many of them didn't. There's some fun anecdotes of John Adams at one point when he's vice president, the first vice president, he writes to Abigail back in Boston and says, Abigail, you have to come with me to New York. We have to think of this as our home for the next four years, assuming that the government lasts that long, right? So, they're not even sure that the new government formed by the Constitution is going to last four years, much less 230, whatever it's been.

BROWN: And what was driving that concern? I mean, I imagine it varied among the founders, why they didn't think it would survive.

RASMUSSEN: Yes, it did vary. So, my book focuses on four of the biggest names, Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and Jefferson, and each one has a different worry that was associated with them.

So, Washington was disillusioned above all because of the rise of parties and partisanship. Hamilton, because he thought that the national government wasn't energetic enough or vigorous enough. Adams, because he thought that the American people just lacked the requisite civic virtue to sustain a Republican government. And Jefferson, above all, because of the sectional divide that was laid bare by the expansion of slavery.

BROWN: And you have many Americans right now on both sides of the political spectrum that would say this is the most polarized they have ever seen this country. And they might look at some of the things you listed. Some say it's even more divided now than during the battles over the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. Historically speaking, how would you describe America's divisions today?

RASMUSSEN: I mean, they're quite bad. It's very unseemly to watch the news or read the news on a daily basis. But, you know, things weren't all rosy in the founding. We tend to think of the founding as a time of, you know, we've got these heroic patriots and they come together for the best interests of the country. They fought each other with a vigor that, you know, would make today's partisans blush sometimes.

And just more generally in the country at large, every single political event seemed to provoke some group or another to threaten to secede from the Union. There was real political violence. Members of the House of Representatives beating each other with canes and fire pokers on the floor of the House of Representatives. You get massive uprisings like the Whiskey Rebellion.

[11:35:00]

At one point during the Quasi-War with France, President Adams smuggled arms into the Executive Mansion as a precautionary measure. You have these mobs roaming the streets of Philadelphia. So, things were quite contentious during the founding era as well.

BROWN: And yet, the founders came together to sign on to the Declaration of Independence, right? The Constitution. You have to wonder if political leadership in America today would be able to come to a consensus like that, you know?

RASMUSSEN: You do have to wonder. It does seem doubtful to me as well. I mean, this is why we admire the founding as much as we do, right? For all of their differences and all of their struggles. They did accomplish something great that it is hard to imagine happening the same way today.

BROWN: Dennis Rasmussen, thank you so much and a happy 4th of July to you.

RASMUSSEN: You as well. Thank you.

BROWN: Wolf.

BLITZER: And coming up, the story that's melting hearts in the heat wave. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly celebrating their marriage tonight in what some are calling an American royal wedding. And now, the final preparations we are told are underway. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

BROWN: Well, less than a year after announcing their engagement on Instagram with the caption, your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly just hours away now from tying the knot officially.

BLITZER: The event is said to be happening this evening at Madison Square Garden in New York. Security is obviously very tight. Vendors have been seen bringing materials in all morning. Privacy screens and tents have been put up around Madison Square Garden, offering little chance fans can see much of what's to come. But still, the Swifties seem overjoyed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the Taylor Swift -- all the Swifties out here rooting her on. Come on. She going to be a bride. It's the best.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like the American royal wedding. We've all seen her love stories over the years and really rooted for some over others. And we're really happy that that she found her forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister is in New York City covering all of this for us. Elizabeth, what more do we know about what's happening today?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: So, our sources tell us that today is a giant wedding celebration. It is set to begin around 4:00 p.m. and there are expected to be around 1,000 guests for this giant wedding event, which will likely be a huge party.

Now, I am about to go to MSG right after I'm done talking with both of you. But I was there all last night for what we were told was their rehearsal dinner event. And I have to tell you, security was tight last night. But when I was talking to some NYPD officers on the scene yesterday, they told me that it would be tight and much more for today. And that's exactly what our team on the scene at MSG is seeing right now. There have been privacy screens put up, as you said, Wolf, and also a really interesting way to get these high profile guests in and out of the venue without anyone seeing them.

Yesterday, when I was outside, I saw a white tent being constructed. This tent is where vehicles, the black SUVs are actually pulling in underneath the tent so that no one can see them. And this morning, that tent was built even bigger. So, more cars. We're expecting around 500 cars to be coming to this wedding.

And some fun little tidbits as things are being unloaded. Our team this morning spotted some fans. You know, it's over 100 degrees in New York City. They've got to keep it cool for all celebrities. And also, they have seen some boxes of food, specifically flour and pizza sauce. So, maybe she's going to have like a pizza station at her wedding. I'm sure there will be a lot of good food there.

BROWN: That's a good question. We're all anxious to know. They're keeping it cloaked in secrecy, but we're getting those little tips.

All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much. And she'll be back in an hour to break down all the details from right outside Madison Square Garden. It's a special CNN All Access event. "Love Story: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce" airs at 1:00 pm on cnn.com/watch or in the CNN app.

And Segun Oduolowu is an Emmy award-winning journalist and he joins us now from L.A. Segun, what more can you tell us about the events today?

SEGUN ODUOLOWU, EMMY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST: Well, Pamela, thank you for having me. First, let me push back a little on the fan outside of MSG who said this is America's royal wedding. We already had one. Her name was Meghan Markle and she actually married a prince. So, that was our royal wedding.

But the whole idea of MSG, when you look at it, it's a fortress. And so, there are underground tunnels that can get guests in and out. And as Elizabeth clearly said, they're building tents to keep secret the worst kept secret, which is they're getting married today. MSG was lit up pink. We know stars like Gigi Hadid and you know, Camila Cabello and all of -- you know, friends of Taylor's and also friends of Travis' have been there. Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid. They've been tracking Travis's mom like her plane was on Doppler radar. When Donna Kelce landed, they were right on top of it. So, this is the wedding of the year. And a pop princess marrying an NFL Super Bowl, multiple Super Bowl winner is a big deal.

[11:50:00]

But the thing that I'm really pushing for is we're going to eventually see this wedding. Having it at Madison Square Garden, there's going to be some type of theatrical release, whether it's streamed or it's in theaters. Look, Taylor Swift is too good of a marketer. She's too brilliant of a businesswoman for this not to find its way to our eyes, all of the different set pieces.

I think that $26 million charity donation was a kind of subterfuge. It kind of look at the shiny thing over here so that when they stream this and we share in this big-time concert event, we'll not think that they've cheapened love by marketing it.

This we're going to see eventually. Too many stars are coming. Too many set pieces at Madison Square Garden. We'll get a look in, just not today.

BLITZER: And, Segun, it's Wolf. Madison Square Garden, as all of us know, doesn't exactly spring to mind when you're thinking about romantic wedding venues. Taylor Swift and Kelce, they could have chosen pretty much anywhere on the planet to get married. Are you surprised they chose the garden?

ODUOLOWU: I'm not, Wolf. And it's not actually the first wedding of a musician to be held at Madison Square Garden. Sly and the family stone, Sly Stone got married at MSG back in 1974 and there were 20,000 people. So, it's been used as a wedding venue before.

But as I said, if you want secrecy, if you want a venue that has no windows where people can telescopic lens and paparazzi can get cameras into your venue, then the garden is the perfect place. Taylor is a big time Knicks fan. She has a house in Tribeca. This is her home away from home. She's played the garden numerous times when she's toured. So, it makes sense from that standpoint.

She was courtside as the Knicks, you know, made history. So, she's an adopted New Yorker. The garden is the perfect place and it's a garden theme. And you know, Taylor, she likes her things and she likes that synergy. It makes sense.

BROWN: So, you had mentioned the donations of $26 million in donations and charity that the couple made a couple of days ago, many of them in New York City. You said you think it's sort of subterfuge to say, look at this over here. But I mean, don't you also think it's a peace offering?

ODUOLOWU: It definitely is a peace offering. Look, Mayor Mamdani, as you all know, has been, you know, secretly tweeting or tweeting kind of cheekily that there might be a wedding happening. We've talked about the permits that are closing off the roads, Pam. And so, what we have now is a way of just appeasing the public.

Look, when Jeff Bezos shut down Venice, there was a lot of pushback to the inconvenience. This is a way of assuaging that inconvenience by, look, we know we're making it difficult to travel in New York. We know the hustle and bustle of the city is being rerouted. This is their way of saying we see it, we understand.

And that's the kind of people Travis and Taylor are. They're big- hearted people. They're known for their good works. This charity is a way of assuaging the city. But don't get it twisted. When we see this wedding on some streamer or in some theater, let's remember that Segun said it here.

BROWN: All right. Because you are -- I mean, you've got me kind of convinced now, Segun. I wasn't sure. But now listening to you and your argument, I'm like, maybe they will.

BLITZER: Yes, we'll see. As you know, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour documentary Segun is the highest grossing concert film of all time, grossing more than a quarter billion, with a B, billion dollars. Do you see a movie coming out of this celebration?

ODUOLOWU: Absolutely, Wolf. I keep hammering on this point. Nobody markets better than Taylor Swift. She is a force of nature when it comes to production and her set designs and the whole garden party aesthetic of how they even did their proposal with the pictures. And now, what we've seen being shipped and trucked into Madison Square Garden, I could see this being like just this just to keep her fans -- because I don't think she's going to go on tour anytime soon. I think the mommy era is coming from Taylor Swift. I think that this last wedding, this big production, we'll get a chance to see it and then Taylor will go dormant for a while as she and Travis start their family. So, get ready to see this coming to a theater near you. And if you're a streamer, what streamer wouldn't pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the rights to put this on air?

As you said, when Taylor does a theatrical release, when Taylor put something of her of her production for us to consume, she doesn't miss.

BLITZER: And when it's streaming, if it's streaming, I'll be watching it. Will you be watching it?

BROWN: Absolutely. And, you know, of course, she's a smart marketer, but she also, you know, loves her fans and tries to get back to them in every way she can, right? So, it would be a way to include them in this celebration if she did that.

[11:55:00]

ODUOLOWU: 100 percent include that. Look, I fear for the fans. I -- look, I like Taylor Swift. I know I'm typically not the demo but "Ready For It?" is my favorite Taylor Swift song She's found love that typically hurts a pop star's music catalog, right? Pain is what gives us good music. We want the pain and the heartbreak.

Everyone remembers Taylor Swift read when she broke up with Jake Gyllenhaal. There was pain there and she gave us great music. I don't know if happy Taylor is going to put out the same type of music her fans love. So, with this marriage, we'll see the show when they release it. And then maybe when she goes into mommy mode, she'll do songs about motherhood and then we'll get that Taylor Swift that we love.

But for right now, all of this marriage and love and happiness, I don't know. I feel the songs just won't hit the same.

BLITZER: I love her music and I consider myself, as you probably know a Swiftie.

BROWN: A Switfie.

BLITZER: Yes.

BROWN: You are.

BLITZER: I'm very proud of that.

BROWN: I can confirm that.

BLITZER: Segun, thanks very much for joining us.

BROWN: Thanks, Segun.

ODUOLOWU: (INAUDIBLE). BLITZER: Thank you and to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can always keep up with us on social media @wolfblitzer and @pamelabrowncnn.

BROWN: And we hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. We'll see you back here Monday morning and every weekday morning at 10:00 Eastern. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts after a quick break.

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