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One Killed in ICE-Involved Shooting in Maine; Congress Prepares to Return to Capitol After Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) Death; U.S. Says It Hit Dozens of Military Targets in Iran. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 13, 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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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Lindsey Graham's legacy. New details about what caused the late senator's unexpected death, and the shockwaves it's sending through Washington and the Republican Party.

Plus, intensifying attacks, new video showing overnight attacks on Iranian targets as U.S. allies come under fire from Tehran.

And my special report onboard the Navy destroyer closest to Iran, guarding 20,000 sailors at sea.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And cartoon controversy. One of America's oldest veteran advocacy groups getting major backlash right now after depicting veterans facing a firing squad.

Also, unanswered questions. What we still do not know about the circumstances surrounding Nolan Wells' death, the latest on the investigation.

Plus, parasite problem, an outbreak threatening much of the country, thousands of people already sick. What you need to know this morning.

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.

BROWN: And we begin with that breaking news right now. Maine State Police are at the scene of another ICE-involved deadly shooting. Right here, these are live pictures from the scene south of Portland. According to a statement from the state speaker of the house, one person was killed. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

And this incident is happening days after a federal immigration officer shot and killed a Mexican immigrant during a traffic stop in Houston. That incident sparked mass protests for transparency and accountability. We'll, of course, continue to monitor the situation and bring you updates as they come in. Wolf?

BLITZER: Also happening now, members of Congress are preparing to return to the U.S. Capitol today following the shocking death of one of their own. The longtime Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, unexpectedly died this weekend at 71 years old from what his office says were complications from cardiovascular disease.

BROWN: His passing provoking grief for colleagues on both sides of the aisle. And Graham's death also has implications for November's midterm elections and legislative business in the Senate, where the GOP's slim majority is already under stress due to the health-related absence of Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

BLITZER: Joining us now here in the situation room is CNN's chief political correspondent and the anchor of Inside Politics and State of the Union, Dana Bash.

I know, Dana, you were on the campaign trail. You covered Congress for a while. You got to know Lindsey Graham well. What do you think his legacy is going to be the legacy he leaves behind?

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the biggest I think is on the world stage. How many United States senators do you know who would have the kind of reaction in their passing that Senator Graham has had globally? From Israel to Ukraine and to other far-flung areas of the world, and it's because he really learned at the sort of the feet at and at the side of John McCain that you can't govern the United States without actually going on the -- it's kind of like reporting. You can't really know what's happening until, unless, and until you're actually there.

And Senator Graham did that every single place that he wanted to make an impact, most recently in Ukraine. His birthday was on Thursday. I was texting with him. And he was saying, I'm in Poland, and I'm going, getting ready to go to Ukraine, and I can't wait to tell you about all the things we're working on. And that was so typical of the kind of thing that he did.

He was also willing to work with anybody to achieve whatever goal he was working on, and that meant some -- maybe some not so savory characters globally and some people he really didn't agree with politically here in the United States, whether at the White House over time, Democrat, Republicans he didn't agree with, or in the United States Senate.

So, he was a unique figure, grew into that very much, certainly in the last decade or so. And, you know, it's going to be a very difficult thing to imagine him not in the U.S. Senate.

[10:05:04]

BROWN: Truly. And, as we know, he became one of President Trump's biggest allies in Congress. But their relationship wasn't always so friendly. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Trump and I we've had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way.

Count me out. Enough is enough.

I think President Trump is the most consequential Republican in the country. He's the leader of the party.

If you now make Trump and Cruz, I think you get the same outcome. You know, whether it's death by being shot or poisoning, does it really matter?

The good news for the Republican Party, there are many talented people for years to come, but there is only one Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is the most unelectable Republican I've seen in my lifetime.

Mr. President, you're not a far buying guy, but we're going to start with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, talk to us a little bit more, Dana, about how their relationship evolved over the years.

BASH: He started out running for president against Donald Trump in the 2016 cycle. And one of the reasons why he said he wanted to be in the race first and foremost was because he was an unabashed hawk militarily, which, as the years went on, had put him not in the center of the Republican Party, but a little bit more off to the side.

Regardless, as that campaign went on, he -- I mean, we heard, he looked at and saw Donald Trump as a threat, not just to the Republican Party, but to the country, did not think he should be elected.

And so the question at the time was, what could he do to stop him? The answer was nothing. He couldn't do anything to stop him. And so that is why, in the end, he sort of came around to figuring out that if he's not going to beat him, he's got to join him.

And, look, Lindsey Graham grew up literally in a bar. He grew up trying to understand how to read people and how to figure out what they want. That's the kind of politics that he practiced. And once he determined that it was Donald Trump's party, not his hero and good friend, John McCain's, then he decided, well, if I'm going to make an impact, I've got to -- and I'm going to stay relevant, which is a word he used with me and others, I've got to be in the room.

And so he developed a friendship with Donald Trump. First of all, he was a very good golfer, which Donald Trump loves. He's extremely funny, and so he would crack up the president and use that humor to get in there on some of the policy that he really pushed.

He wasn't always successful, but that was the way in which he tried to make a difference and make an impact on Donald Trump's policies and his plans. And he did so at the behest of a lot of people in the United States Senate and also world leaders because they knew that because of the relationship and what they formed, that Lindsey Graham was kind of the best shot at getting that connection.

BLITZER: And like you, Dana, I interviewed Lindsey Graham many times over the years, including with his closest friend the late Senator John McCain and Joe Lieberman. They called them the Three Amigos. And I remember back in 2012 during the Obama administration, I had this exchange. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, from your perspective, what does that mean, Senator Graham, that the country, the United States, is now going over the fiscal cliff?

GRAHAM: I just think it shows the dysfunction of the political system. And back to the president's performance today, that was pretty unusual to have a kind of a pep rally in the middle of negotiations.

What John said about defense cuts going into effect, shooting the military in the head, according to Secretary Panetta, is real and true. I want to cut the government, I just don't want to destroy the Defense Department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Share a little bit about that unique friendship between these men.

BASH: I mean, unique is exactly the right word for it. Senator Graham's -- both of his parents died young. And --

BLITZER: He was 19 years old.

BASH: He was 19 years old when his father died of what they thought was a sudden heart attack, and then his mother died of cancer just about a year later.

And --

BLITZER: And his younger sister was only 13, and he basically raised her.

BASH: He adopted her so that he could give her his military benefits.

But he admitted this in some way, shape or form, that he looked at Senator McCain, who was, you know, several years older, maybe a decade, even a decade-and-a-half older than he, as a father figure, as a big brother and also as his best, best friend in the world. And he learned a lot from Senator McCain.

And the two of them had kind of a raw, sometimes crude sense of humor but they also had the same worldview, which is to be hawkish, to be in the game, to fight, whether it was Russia at the time, and then eventually Iran.

[10:10:12]

They did have some problems at the end when Senator McCain got sick with a brain tumor, and President Trump was vicious towards McCain. That started during the campaign, and then it continued even on as Senator McCain got sick. And Senator Graham was trying to find that balance between being there and being supportive of his own -- of his friend, but also continuing to be relevant and trying to make the impact that he thought that Senator McCain would want him to have. It was complicated at the end.

BLITZER: And I want to play a little clip from an interview you had with them, what, was it in 2013 or something like that?

BASH: I believe so.

BLITZER: Yes, 2013. All right, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: I also want America to understand there's a lesson from this week. It's not about who came and who said what at the funeral. Military service is appreciated. Everybody loved the fact that John was willing to die for his country.

If you're thinking about public service, here's the formula, work hard, know what you're talking about, and people will listen to you. Pick a cause worthy of a good fight. Fight hard and be willing to forgive and ask for forgiveness. And above all else, when you make a mistake, admit it. Repeat, repeat until you die. And the next thing you know, the nation will hold you up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: They came on together right after Senator McCain's funeral. The two of them, Senator Lieberman, Senator Graham and John McCain, they called themselves the Three Amigos because they were so close. It started on the -- I think, mostly on the campaign trail for John McCain in 2000, but mostly in 2008 when he was running for president and became the Republican nominee.

And the fact that they wanted to come on together to talk about McCain's legacy because he meant so much to both of them, but especially Senator Graham, was really telling. And it's kind of hard to imagine that now they're all gone.

BLITZER: Very sad. And you got to speak with all of them together. And, you know, one of thing that really I remember well, and you probably remember this well, as well, Senator Lieberman was a very religious Orthodox Jew. And he on Friday nights, he would always practice, get ready for the Sabbath, light the Sabbath candles. And Lindsey Graham always knew when sundown was because he knew that his friend, Lieberman, had to go home with his family and get ready for the Sabbath.

BASH: Yes. And it's -- I don't know. I don't know what you would call it, but the fact that Senator Graham died suddenly just at the end of Sabbath at the -- on Saturday night is -- given that history and his knowledge, is really something.

BLITZER: Yes, very, very sad indeed. Dana, thank you very much. And be sure to tune in later this morning, 12:00 noon Eastern, for much more news with Dana on Inside Politics. She'll speak with a top Republican in the U.S. Senate, Majority Leader John Thune. Minority Leader John Thune, right?

BASH: Majority Leader.

BLITZER: Majority Leader John Thune, that's right. And go ahead.

BROWN: And we also have more. Well, we want to understand the medical side of things, so let's bring in CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's a professor of medicine and the director of cardiac catheterization laboratories at George Washington University. I want to make sure I pronounce that right. He also previously served as a cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney.

So, Dr. Reiner, a preliminary finding from the Washington, D.C. medical examiner says that Senator Graham died following an aortic dissection. What exactly does that mean?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So, that's a catastrophic injury involving the huge blood vessel that takes blood out of the heart. I actually have a prop here. So, the aorta arises right from the aortic valve, and it's an enormous blood vessel. It's about twice the diameter of a garden hose, and it's highly pressurized. It contains what is effectively your blood pressure.

And if there is an injury to it, such as an aortic dissection, blood gets into the wall of the artery. The artery has multiple layers. And the innermost layer is relatively thin. And if there is a weakness in the artery and then some sort of trigger that tears the inner lining, blood gets actually into the wall of the vessel. And that can do two things. It can actually narrow the channel, sometimes close the channel, preventing blood from getting out of the heart and providing blood to the brain and spinal cord and organs, or even more catastrophically, it can fully break through and blood can pour into the right chest and rapidly lead to death.

[10:15:03]

So, it's an absolute cardiac emergency. Left untreated, you know, within three days, about half the folks with it will die. It's typically treated with emergency surgery if someone can survive to get to the hospital for such a major operation. And the clock is ticking. Every hour of delay in getting someone into the operating room increases the mortality rate by about 2 percent.

Even with surgery, you know, more than a quarter of the folks who present with an aortic dissection will die. It's -- if you remember about ten years ago, more than ten years ago now, State Department Envoy Richard Holbrooke died of basically exactly the same disorder.

BROWN: So, for our viewers who may deal with cardiovascular disease or have a family history of it, what can and should they do to make sure they're not at risk for something like this? REINER: So, one of the most important risk factors for an aortic dissection is a family history of that. So, if there's a family member who has -- was treated for a known aortic dissection or who had an unknown sudden cardiac death, perhaps Senator Graham's dad actually had an aortic dissection at a very similar age, that's something that you should get checked, and that can be checked either with an echocardiogram or a C.T. scan.

Other risk factors for aortic dissection include atherosclerosis in cholesterol deposits. So, if you have high cholesterol, get that treated, as well as a high blood pressure, so untreated hypertension can be a trigger of the actual fatal event.

So, basically, there are a lot of things that we can assess and we can treat. You know, see your healthcare provider, make sure your blood pressure is under good control, that your cholesterol is under good control and keep an eye on this.

BLITZER: Good advice, as usual, Dr. Jonathan Reiner. We are grateful to you. Thank you very, very much.

And we're going to have much more on Senator Lindsey Graham's legacy here in The Situation Room. He was a frequent guest on our program, and we always had very spirited conversations.

And to Senator Graham's family, his friends, and staff, may he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing.

BROWN: And still ahead here in The Situation Room, my special report from a Navy destroyer which has traveled the Strait of Hormuz, the threatening exchanges with Iran as ships try to traverse the dangerous waterway.

BROWN: And the ceasefire between the United States and Iran crumbling right now after a fresh wave of attacks. Betsy Klein has the latest from the White House.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, there are no signs of de-escalation from President Trump with Iran. The latest on this conflict when we come back.

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BROWN: Happening now, the U.S. military says it struck dozens of targets in Iran overnight in this latest escalation between the countries. Iran state media says it is responding by targeting U.S. military bases in the region. Jordan says it intercepted four Iranian missiles overnight. Kuwait and Bahrain are also reporting aerial attacks. Iran says it wants to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is undermining those efforts. Meantime, President Trump is saying that the U.S. is overseeing the Strait of Hormuz.

So, a lot of activity there in the region, I want to go to our Betsy Klein at the White House. Betsy, we're hearing from the president this morning. What more did he have to say?

KLEIN: Well, Pamela, there are no signs of de-escalation in this conflict from President Trump as the ceasefire has very clearly fallen apart, and the future of diplomatic talks is very uncertain.

Now, the Strait of Hormuz, that critical oil thoroughfare, has been at the root of this disagreement. Before this conflict started, no one had clear authority over the strait, but it has become a key point of leverage for Iran throughout the course of this conflict. The U.S. position, according to CENTCOM, is that Iran does not control the strait, and that it is an international waterway.

But on Friday, U.S. officials had said that they expected Iran to put forth a public statement declaring the strait open. They expected that statement to say that commercial vehicle vessels that wanted to cross the Strait of Hormuz would not be attacked. But that did not happen, Iran attacking one such commercial vessel over the weekend, prompting the U.S. to launch multiple new rounds of strikes.

President Trump laying out his view. He says that the U.S. will continue to escalate. He also just announced that the U.S. is reinstating a blockade on Iranian ships. We'll have to see how Iran responds to that. Pamela?

BROWN: We will see. Betsy Klein, thanks so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, there's more news coming up. Senator Mitch McConnell breaking his silence after weeks of speculation about his hospitalization, what he now says landed him in the hospital. That's next.

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[10:25:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, one person is dead this morning after an ICE- involved shooting in Biddeford, Maine, just southwest of Portland, that according to the state's House speaker. Officials are on the scene right now gathering details. CNN has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. We'll keep you updated as we learn more.

And Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell finally revealing what put him in the hospital after weeks of silence. The 84-year-old says a recent fall left him briefly unconscious. While he escaped bone fractures or a concussion, McConnell says he was also fighting off a mild case of pneumonia. McConnell is finally out of the hospital and is now at a rehab center trying to regain his strength.

And Iran state media now says U.S. strikes on the country have killed at least two people and continued into the afternoon local time. CNN has geo-located this video from Southwest Iran showing strike damage at an airport.

The U.S. says it struck dozens of targets aimed at protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. [10:30:03]