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Senate Dems Call Epstein Victim to Testify Against Blanche; Trump Overturns Suspension of ICE Traffic Stops Amid Criticism. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired July 16, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Democrats and Republicans are testifying at Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing for attorney general of the United States. Democrats have invited Dani Bensky, one of many victims of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, who are pushing to stop Blanche from being confirmed.

Let's discuss this and more with Jennifer Freeman. She's the attorney who represents several Epstein survivors. Jennifer, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for all you're doing. Before we start, I want to play a bit of what Todd Blanche said yesterday about the Epstein files during his hearing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: This administration, when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, has been more transparent than any past administration. We will never, never not talk to victims. We will never not do everything we can to prosecute anybody that committed any crimes against any of these women. If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month, that there's an individual that we can investigate, indict, and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe that we will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What do you make of Todd Blanche's testimony?

JENNIFER FREEMAN, ATTORNEY FOR EPSTEIN ACCUSER MARIA FARMER AND EPSTEIN SURVIVORS' ADVOCATE: Well, thank you for having me. What I make of Todd Blanche's testimony is that this has been an ongoing what I call fake transparency. From the beginning, Todd Blanche and others did not want to produce the Epstein files. They fought it for months.

And while they are in their own situation room, Todd Blanche and others met and discussed with the Trump administration how they were not going to produce the Epstein files and what they were going to do instead. Instead, they were going to ask the courts to issue grand jury secret testimony, which they knew Todd Blanche knew and acknowledged would never happen.

This is what's been going on from the very beginning. The only reason they produced at all was because the law ordered them, directed them to do it. So, for him to say that he's being the most transparent is laughable.

BLITZER: Jennifer, one of the victims you represent is Maria Farmer. She says Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sexually assaulted her when she was in her early 20s. She also says she saw President Trump at Epstein's office back in 1995, something the White House denies. Do you trust Todd Blanche to act independently of the Trump administration?

FREEMAN: Unfortunately, I do not. He's demonstrated his dependence over and over, whether it's regarding the Epstein files or many of the other issues that were talked about yesterday. And you saw Dani Bensky, survivor Dani Bensky, speak today and talk about some of the things that have been the failures of the Justice Department and the lack of independence, whether it's the failures to comply with the law on the details, such as failure to redact victim identifications to identifying information, or the over reduction of alleged perpetrators or co-conspirator names over and over, including meeting with people like Dani Bensky.

Although there's this big show as if they're sure my door is open. But yesterday when he was asked to meet with 10 survivors that were in the room, he's kind of shuffled around and said, well, talk to my assistant, my staffer, and she'll try to book something for you. He refused to commit to meet with them.

BLITZER: Republican Senator Thom Tillis says Todd Blanche needs to meet with Epstein victims before winning his support for confirmation. Is that something your clients would be open to doing? Because Todd Blanche says he'll meet with these victims, these survivors, only if they show up without lawyers.

FREEMAN: Well, it's very unclear what Todd Blanche is willing to do. Sometimes he says that in the past, he says my door is open. But we my clients and I are willing to meet with Todd Blanche whenever he is available. We will make every effort to accommodate him, to meet him whenever whatever is good for him. So, we're here. Meet with us.

BLITZER: Well, will your client meet with him without you being present?

FREEMAN: I don't think that's what Todd Blanche wants, but if that's what's necessary, I believe they will.

BLITZER: Interesting. The vice president, J.D. Vance, is making some very candid remarks about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We say this with all candor, like we absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files like we just did. But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: What's your reaction to the vice president conceding that the White House botched what are described as the communications operations around these files?

FREEMAN: Well, certainly that's welcome to hear. It's good to hear that they at least acknowledge that. But it's kind of like saying after, you know, you stab someone in the heart with a knife and then you don't say I'm sorry for stabbing you to say I'm sorry I got blood on your shirt.

[11:35:00]

So, it's just really inadequate kind of an apology. But certainly, it's good that they're doing something. They're taking some responsibility for it. And let's continue to go forward. Let's see more files. There's still over half the files have not been produced, including files that we believe are very going to be very important.

BLITZER: Jennifer Freeman, thanks. Thanks very much for joining us.

FREEMAN: Good to be with you.

BLITZER: And coming up, just days after ICE involved shootings in Texas and Maine, the Department of Homeland Security is ramping up training for ICE officers. But a pause on traffic stops has been overturned by the president. Maine's House speaker standing by to join us live. That's next. We'll discuss.

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[11:40:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, a quick reversal. Just a day after CNN reported that ICE agents had been directed to largely suspend vehicle stops, President Trump overturned that guidance according to a White House official. Two sources tell CNN the president was furious over the pause, as prominent MAGA voices suggested the administration was weakening its immigration enforcement. The agency's move instructing ICE agents to pause vehicle stops came after two people were fatally shot by ICE agents this month in separate instances.

To discuss this and more, I want to bring in Maine's Speaker of the House, Ryan Fecteau. Mr. Speaker, thanks so much for joining us. Let me get your reaction, first of all, to this news that the President has reversed ICE's guidance to pause vehicle stops.

RYAN FECTEAU (D), MAINE STATE HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, thanks for having me, Wolf. I mean, I think it felt like a half measure anyway. There was some light in the directive, which was, you know, they were going to stop most vehicle stops, which, you know, left a lot of questions in and of itself.

The reality is vehicle stops are not the only problem that exists within this agency. It is highly unprofessional. These folks are clearly not trained well. And we need full reform if this agency is going to continue to exist. And if it's not, it's very clear to me and many others that they are unable to execute their jobs without putting the lives of people who aren't even the target in danger.

And in this case, here in my own community, the person who lost their life, Mr. Guerrero, he lost his life despite not being the target of ICE.

BLITZER: Has the federal government, Mr. Speaker, been in communication with local officials in Maine about ICE's presence in your state? And have you had any additional communication since this shooting happened?

FECTEAU: We've been very fortunate that our federal delegation has been in contact with the secretary, and he's been communicative about what they know and have been cooperating with local investigators, which we want to continue. Cooperation is important here. We want to make sure that we get all of the facts and all of the details surrounding why lethal force was used and why Mr. Guerrero's life was taken.

We also are maintaining a commitment to the family and making sure that they get all of the resources that they need. His wife and his daughter, who no longer has a husband, no longer has a father. It is incredibly sad to see a young family and a young man taken from them.

BLITZER: And do you trust that a thorough investigation, full cooperation between the federal government and state and local authorities will take place?

FECTEAU: I mean, that's our hope. We hope that we will continue to see this cooperation to ensure that all the details are gathered so we know exactly what happened here. But we also know that this is happening too often across the country, that ICE is resorting to lethal force against those who they are targeting, or in this case, not targeting, and people are getting caught in the middle of their operations.

It is deeply, deeply troubling that we are seeing people lose their lives at the hands of ICE officers who continue to show that they do not have the proper training, the proper ability to show any regard for human life. And that's my concern, and that's the concern of Americans across the country.

BLITZER: And I take it those ICE officers were not wearing body cameras, right?

FECTEAU: That's our understanding. I think those details still need to be confirmed, but there's been many reports that they were not wearing body cameras, body cameras that were allocated for in the federal budget. Senator Collins was someone who led the effort on that, and clearly ICE is not following through on what was directed by Congress, including the funding that was put in the budget for training.

I mean, these are two things that were supposedly major reforms for ICE that Senator Collins took a great deal of credit for, and yet they're not being done. I think that begs the question, when will Congress step in here? When will the U.S. Senate, when will our senior senator, who has the control of the Appropriations Committee, step in and demand answers and demand accountability?

[11:45:00]

BLITZER: How important is it, Mr. Speaker, to learn the identity of the ICE officer who opened fire, and how important is it that you learn his name?

FECTEAU: I don't know the extent to what the importance of that. I mean, I think the importance of learning these details will be part of the investigation. I think it's important that, as the president of the United States, as state and federal officials determine the facts of what happened here, it's going to be obviously critical that if there was a misdoing on the part of ICE officers in this instance, they should be held accountable, and the public ought to know who those people were and why they discharged their weapon and fired multiple shots at Mr. Guerrero.

What I'm concerned about is people knowing the name of the young man whose life was lost on Monday morning, that people know his family, his wife and his daughter, that they know the kind of person that I've been hearing stories about. Mr. Guerrero, my understanding, was a DoorDash driver, and I've seen restaurant workers here in my community post tributes to him, and remembering someone who always had a smile on his face was a positive presence when he walked through the door in a restaurant to pick up food for delivery. And I think that's the kind of person that we want in our community.

Someone who came here to make a positive contribution, was working, and had his life taken far too soon. And I'm just outraged, like many of us, and confused, and just tormented over the fact that we were not there to keep him safe.

BLITZER: Main speaker Ryan Fecteau, thanks very much for joining us. And we'll have more news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

BLITZER: "Ransom" is the newest novel. There you see it from the best-selling author, Daniel Silva. He's a good friend. It's the 26th in a series featuring art restorer and spy Gabriel Alon, who is called to investigate when a glamorous socialite vanishes, leaving behind a web of very dangerous secrets.

We're joined now by Daniel Silva, who, by the way, is the husband of CNN special correspondent, Jamie Gangel, good friend of ours. Daniel, first of all, tell us a little bit, very briefly, about this new book. It's so powerful, so riveting.

DANIEL SILVA, NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND AUTHOR, "RANSOM": Well, as you pointed out in the introduction there, Gabriel does get sort of reluctantly drawn into trying to track down this beautiful, dazzling and quite missing British socialite. And he just sort of soon finds himself dragged back into the life he thought he had left behind. It's a fast-paced summer read. It's part kidnap drama, part global thriller, very entertaining, but it does deal with one of the most important issues facing the world today.

We all know that Russia is waging a war of conquest in Ukraine right now, but it is simultaneously engaged in a campaign of sabotage and subversion and election interference against the countries of Western Europe. And one of the most effective weapons in Russia's arsenal right now are drones.

BLITZER: Part of the book focuses in on the activities of a clandestine and very real Russian intelligence group known as Unit 29155. Tell us about that plot.

SILVA: Right. You know that the unit only came to light, you know, the Western intelligence services weren't able to even identify it until 2019. And they came to the realization, you know, this is before the war in Ukraine, that Russia was actively, not to put too fine a point on it, but is at war with them. It's a shadow war, but it's a real war. It's Russian hybrid war.

They identified this unit and that war really kicked into high gear after the war in Ukraine began. Unit 29155, you know, quadrupled the number of attacks and, you know, sabotage incidents that it's carried out. And it seems that the worse that it goes for Russia on the battlefield, the more that Unit 29155 is doing in Western Europe.

BLITZER: Everything great about your books, and "Ransom" is a great book, you always learn a lot of specific details because you're a very precise writer. In "Ransom," Russian drones shut down European airports, targeted Western leaders, and carried out assassinations on crowded city streets. And that seems frighteningly plausible right now.

What did your extensive research reveal about the possibility of all this kind of stuff happening in modern, current warfare?

SILVA: I think, you know -- overused, but actually -- Pandora's box -- drones, you know.

BLITZER: I think we've lost your audio, Daniel. So, we're going to continue this conversation down the road.

[11:55:00]

But let me show our viewers once again the cover. This is "Ransom," the brand-new book. I'm sure it's going to be another New York Times bestseller. All of his books are. You'll want to read this. You'll learn a lot in the process. You'll also enjoy his riveting, riveting narrative. It's a really important, excellent book. He's an old friend who used to work with us here at CNN as well.

And to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can always keep up with us on social media, @wolf blitzer and @pamelabrowncnn. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague, Dana Bash, starts after a very quick break.

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