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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump Says "I Love The Inflation" After It Hits Three-Year High; CENTCOM: U.S. Has Finished Latest Round Of Strikes In Iran; Trump Attacks Graham Platner, Calls Him A "Thug" And "Pig." Aired 9- 10p ET
Aired June 10, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: --they have, just in the last week, put out their preliminary finding, saying that it does not pose any risk to air travel, given the fact that it's so high and so close to the airport. But they did recommend adding, the administration, adding red obstruction lights. That is not their final report. They will release another one.
But multiple sources also point out, and it's revealed in these documents, Anderson, that not only are you having the Arch, 250 feet, but now you're adding cranes to build it during that time of construction. So, many more questions about the height of the Arch, and certainly the duration of this construction project.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Yes.
Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much.
That's it for us. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you tomorrow.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight. Marjorie Taylor Greene is here. As the United States has resumed strikes on multiple targets across Iran this evening.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
And as we come on the air tonight, the United States has unleashed a major attack that's lasting several hours on Iran. The Pentagon says American forces are striking multiple targets, in response to, quote, Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression.
Iranian media has been reporting explosions at several locations along the Persian Gulf, while sharing images of what they say is a reservoir of drinking water that they argue was destroyed by a U.S. missile. When you look at this picture, experts tell CNN, that the munitions fragments at that scene, that you see here, do appear to be from a U.S.-made bomb.
Now, President Trump is arguing that this new round of strikes is in retaliation for Iran downing a U.S. helicopter that had two service members on board, in recent days. Both of them were rescued.
And initially, the President told The Wall Street Journal that, quote, it wasn't a big deal. Now, he's saying this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to be attacking them, and attacking them very hard.
REPORTER: You're resuming bombing?
TRUMP: Yes, well, we are. Based on the helicopter. I guess we have the right to do that.
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Central Command will be busy tonight because, President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard, and we will be. Because Iran has a chance to make a good deal, a great deal, to codify what they said they've been willing to do, and they haven't been willing to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now today, the President also argued about Iran, quote, "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price."
It's a sentiment that he echoed tonight during a phone call with a Fox News reporter, from the White House Situation Room.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TREY YINGST, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: President Trump told me that Iran called him tonight. Top Iranian officials and President Trump spoke directly, according to the Commander-in-Chief tonight, as the President was sitting in the Situation Room, and he told me that the Iranians asked them to stop bombing.
And the President said to me, The bombing will stop shortly.
I asked him, What will happen if the Iranians do not sign an agreement that was put forward by American negotiators?
President Trump said, quote, We'll bomb the S out of them tomorrow night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So, the President is saying, that's why the bombing is happening. And yet, U.S. Central Command is describing tonight's attacks as self-defense strikes.
If you listen to the Defense Secretary, though, the strikes sure sound like offensive strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HEGSETH: You can see when someone is trying to tap, tap, tap on a deal. Instead, they're going to have tap, tap, tap, bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the United States of America.
If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs, and we're very good at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, as for what this means for the ceasefire that the administration has been arguing is still holding, despite the fire, certainly not ceasing. The President said this tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YINGST: I asked the President if the ceasefire is over. He told me, this was the most violated ceasefire in the history of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And I'm joined now by former Republican congresswoman from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
And thank you for being back here on THE SOURCE.
When it comes to what's happening in Iran. The President has been going back and forth between predicting peace and also bombing Iran, again, as they're doing tonight. Does it appear to you that the President has fully thought through what he is doing with this war?
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, (R-GA) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: No, and this war shouldn't be happening. This was a major campaign promise, in 2024, to end foreign wars, to not be involved in them. This is something that President has promised for many years. He's on video. He's on record. He can't change any of his statements. He said, no more foreign wars. So, it shouldn't even be happening.
[21:05:00]
But it is hard to take the so-called peace talks serious, when every single time he claims they're close to making a deal, which I think at this point has been close to 40 times, Israel starts bombing Lebanon again, and then the bombs start firing in both directions. So no, it's really hard to take the -- take it serious, and it doesn't seem that the President wants the war to end. And like he said today, he doesn't even care that inflation is high.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, and on inflation, obviously, we've seen where that is right now. But you mentioned the campaign promises. And you campaigned with the President when he was running, obviously not just in 2024--
TAYLOR GREENE: Yes.
COLLINS: --but in his previous elections.
He was asked recently about that key promise that he made to voters, and he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN WELKER, MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS," NBC NEWS: One of your consistent campaign promises was no new wars, going all the way back to 2015. Did you break that promise to the American--
TRUMP: No.
WELKER: --people?
TRUMP: No. I had to stop a country, very powerful, very dangerous country, from having a nuclear weapon because they'd use it.
WELKER: What changed? Because you insisted, No new wars.
TRUMP: Look, look -- first of all, I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world? I built our military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I mean, when you hear that at the end that he didn't guarantee no new -- no war. I mean, how do you hear that?
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, I hear it the way that he's said it so many times in the past.
You know, I don't think the President's comms team is doing him any favors. After that interview came out, and he's on record claiming he never said that he wouldn't go to war, no more foreign wars. You know, people rolled out video after video, of him saying, on the campaign trail, just like I heard him say personally, so many times, as I campaigned with him, where he said, No more foreign wars, I will end war, I will bring world peace. He said that over and over again, and there was video montage after video montage.
And shame on his team for not showing him, those videos, of what he said and what he promised to the American people. Because it's making him look like a fool.
COLLINS: I mean, do you think he remembers making that promise? Or do you think he didn't mean it when he made it? Or what's your read of it?
TAYLOR GREENE: I don't -- I'm not really sure. But I think that his team, his staff, who is supposed to help the President, advise the President, and make sure that he is truthful and honest and transparent with the American people, they should be showing him his previous videos.
Because, the internet is -- does not forgive, and the internet is making sure that his previous statements of no more foreign worlds -- no more foreign wars, bringing world peace, those are everywhere. And so, I think his team needs to make sure he knows what his previous statements are. COLLINS: You mentioned inflation. And today, it came out that it's at the highest pace that it's been in three years, fueled because of the war in Iran.
And the President was asked about how he responded to that number today, and this is what he told reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Are you concerned, Mr. President, about the latest inflation number, which came out this morning? Could that be a--
TRUMP: No, I love it. The numbers were great.
REPORTER: --for Republicans--
TRUMP: You know what I really love? I love the inflation, you know why? Because as soon as this war is over -- you know, I can say it now, something you didn't know. Do you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it. You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Were you surprised to hear him say that he loves inflation?
TAYLOR GREENE: Yes, I found that shocking.
You know, I remember during the Biden administration, that was the biggest -- one of the biggest issues that MAGA, all of us would scream at the top of our lungs about, and we called it Biden inflation. And the President campaigned against Joe Biden because of the inflation that happened, while the Democrats were in control, back in 2022, 2023.
But hearing the President say today that he loves inflation is absolutely outrageous, and that's a punch in the gut to every single American that is struggling to pay their bills, struggling to pay grocery prices, and struggling to basically keep up while their credit card debt is mounting and mounting.
You know, it's pretty hard to take from a billionaire president when he says he loves inflation, brought on the American people because of a war that he decided to pursue. And that one's going to come back and bite him. He basically just handed the Democrats a great, big campaign ad for the 2026 midterms.
[21:10:00]
COLLINS: There's also a new report out today, an extensive report that's in The New York Times, and it's based on Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's upcoming new book, that's about to be published, called "Regime Change."
And they write, in this new report today, about how the release of the Epstein files, debating over how to handle Jeffrey Epstein, basically paralyzed the White House, and there were meetings in the Situation Room, even where, obviously, you know, of the utmost national security concern, meetings pertaining to that happen.
When you read that, and you hear that the President's team, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, everyone's meeting inside the Sit Room about Jeffrey Epstein. What does it tell you about how they viewed that story?
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, unfortunately, that's not new news to me.
Unfortunately, that was something that I lived through. I watched the Speaker of the House shut down the government for, and keep the House completely out of session, for eight weeks, in the fall of 2025, simply because he was under orders of the President, and his team, not to do anything in the House of Representatives because, they were doing everything they could do to stop that resolution from passing the House, the same resolution that I signed, the discharge petition, to force to a vote on the floor.
I'm not surprised by this news, Kaitlan. Because, I also had a very uncomfortable phone call with the President before the release of the Epstein files, where he told me that his friends would get hurt if the files were released, and I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget the text message he sent me, when I told him that my son's life was being threatened because he was calling me a traitor because, I fought to release the Epstein files, where he told me that I deserved it.
And so, this doesn't shock me that his team was paralyzed. But I'll tell you what it is. It's absolutely ridiculous and unforgivable. We're talking about pedophiles and rapists of the elite class of people that never get held accountable for anything. So, if they were paralyzed and scared and didn't know what to do about releasing the Epstein files? These people are absolutely absurd. They don't deserve the American people's trust.
As a matter of fact, we should consider them as -- they should be considered traitors. They are traitors, the ones that refuse to release Epstein files, want to cover up for pedophiles and rapists, and all sorts of disgusting things in these files, those are the traitors to the American people, and they should be ashamed of themselves.
COLLINS: I mean, this report basically says it was the President who didn't want anything released. Are you saying that that applies to the President himself?
TAYLOR GREENE: I'm saying exactly that. He told me on the phone that his friends would get hurt, and that's why he's against releasing the Epstein files. And I think we've seen a lot of that dribble out. So, yes, it all matches. It completely adds up, from the phone call that I had with the President, to this report that is coming out. It totally, it all lines up.
COLLINS: I mean, it's pretty remarkable to hear you say that, that you think the President is a traitor. TAYLOR GREENE: What is remarkable to me is that this administration, people that we voted for, demanding transparency, the man that campaigned all over the country, claiming that he would be the one to drain the swamp, is the very man that fought to keep the Epstein files from being released. And then he, in turn, called me the traitor because, I fought to release the Epstein files.
Many people have, have turned and said, Oh, she's a Democrat now.
I'm not a Democrat. Nothing changed about my views. I'm unapologetically America First. As a matter of fact, I've taken off the Team Party jerseys. I don't want anything to do with any of them. I'm straight down the line, strictly for the American people.
But it's really, it's been shocking to people, many people that voted for Donald Trump, many people that voted Republican, that they would actually follow through to try to cover up the Epstein files, and that's the part that everyone just can't even understand.
COLLINS: And when you read this report, it says that the Vice President suggested having Tucker Carlson interview Ghislaine Maxwell, to have her clear the President's name publicly.
Do you think that would have been helpful, had that gone forth?
[21:15:00]
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, Tucker didn't interview Ghislaine Maxwell, did he? So yes, the fact that that didn't happen should speak volumes for Tucker Carlson, and it also shows the lengths they were willing to go to, to try to find someone trustworthy to the American people, to try to extend this cover-up. And the American people just aren't buying it.
This has been the top issue, ever since it started. It should have never been a fight. It should have been the easiest thing to happen.
And I'll point something else out. No one has been held accountable for the Epstein files. Nobody. In other countries, there's people that have been arrested, people that have been forced to step down. Here in America, we haven't seen any justice for the victims, and that's because look who's in charge. They're not being prosecuted, they're not being held accountable, and I think that comes from the top.
COLLINS: I mean, it ended up being Todd Blanche, who interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell. She was subsequently moved to a lesser-security prison, lower-security prison. He's now been named as the Attorney General. If you were in the Senate, would you vote to confirm him, based on this?
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, he's the acting Attorney General.
And the fact that she was moved, Ghislaine Maxwell, just to be specific, was moved to a minimum or a lesser secure prison, a more comfortable prison, that was something that I remember the Epstein victims saying upset them greatly because, they said that she was responsible for a lot of the crimes committed against them. So, they were appalled by that.
But I'm not in the Senate. I don't get to make that vote.
COLLINS: You mentioned the discharge petition, the reason that these Epstein files did get released, and it's only because of the efforts of a few of you on Capitol Hill who initially led this.
Last night, Nancy Mace lost her race. She was running for governor in South Carolina in the Republican primary.
But because of that, that means that the four House Republicans who backed this, you, Nancy Mace, and Thomas Massie -- only Lauren Boebert is going to be in Congress for the Republicans after this term. What do you think the impact of that is?
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, let's also make it very clear, Lauren Boebert -- the President, also put out a Truth Social saying, who could he support and primary her. So, she's not out of the crosshairs either.
I think what MAGA needs to realize and wake up and see very clearly is President Trump hasn't brought any accountability against any of the Democrats that he campaigned and went so hard against.
None of the -- none of the Democrats on the January 6 committee have been held accountable. No one has been prosecuted for the stolen election of 2020. No one has been held accountable for all the crimes against humanity for COVID. No one has been held accountable for all of these issues.
But he has targeted four Republicans harder than he has ever come against any Democrat. And that's myself, Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert. Why? Because we fought to release the Epstein files. And I think that is the story that people need to pay attention to because, that tells more truth about Donald Trump than it will ever tell you on Truth Social.
COLLINS: When you left Congress, you said you would continue to fight for what you've described as the America First agenda.
You've released a new trailer for a show that is titled "Life with MTG."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR GREENE: The people of this country are what matters.
I won't stop living, I won't stop speaking, and I won't stop fighting, and neither should you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What do you have planned?
TAYLOR GREENE: Well, I'm very excited to roll out this series. It's going to show everything from how I live my life, I'm very transparent about that, and it's going to be all types of things. But I'm also going to continue to speak openly, truthfully, and passionately about the issues that matter most to Americans.
And this is the direction that our country needs to go in. We have a future ahead of us, and the older generations do not need to be in charge of it. Because the way they have voted, they have voted for foreign wars, they have put all of us, the younger generations, in debt to nearly $40 trillion. They have destroyed Social Security so much that none of us will get a check, Kaitlan, me and you, we won't see a Social Security check because, it's going to be bankrupt by 2032.
And so, I care very much about my children's generation, they're in their 20s. I care very much about the future of our country, and I care very much about our country's standing in the entire world. And right now, our relationships are being destroyed and ruined with many countries across the world. So, we have a future ahead of us.
[21:20:00]
But those in their 80s, and those moving up very late in age that are clinging to power in Washington, D.C., those are the ones that need to stop being in charge. And it's the younger generation. We need to lead the way, and that starts by being very open and honest about what that looks like in the future.
COLLINS: Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, thank you for joining us tonight.
TAYLOR GREENE: Thank you.
COLLINS: Up next. My next source is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. That's Senator Mark Warner. He'll join me on tonight's breaking news, after the U.S. is now striking Iran again.
As also tonight, President Trump is unleashing on Graham Platner, just hours after that Democrat won his party's Senate primary in Maine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He's just an outright pig. He's like a pig.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:25:00]
COLLINS: We have some breaking news just into CNN tonight. As CENTCOM now says the United States strikes on Iran are over for tonight.
U.S. forces had completed what CENTCOM is describing as these, quote, Additional self-defense strikes, against multiple targets in Iran, at the direction of President Trump, who today accused Iran of slow- walking a deal, and warned that these strikes were coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today.
We're really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers.
Iran, very simply, cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't, and they've agreed to that. All they have to do is they have to start signing a paper. It's fully negotiated. We have a fully negotiated, but they're tapping and tapping, and I say, All right, let's give them a couple of more days, they're tapping. Because it's a meaningful paper.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So, the bombings are over tonight. But tonight, in a phone call, with a Fox News reporter, the President warned that it could continue tomorrow if Iran doesn't agree to a deal.
My source tonight is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner.
And thank you, Senator, for being here.
Because you're hearing, what the President is saying there. Also, the administration calling these strikes defensive, also making clear they want Iran to come -- to use this to pressure Iran to come to the table for a deal. Is it clear to you if a new wave of airstrikes is actually going to get Iran to do so?
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I don't think there's any imminent deal. Remember, 30 times, the President, in the last few weeks, has said this war is over. Clearly, it's not over. We said that we destroyed all of Iran's missile capability. Clearly, that's not the case.
When you start a war of choice and you don't plan -- you know, literally, we have been using missiles that cost about $2.5 million apiece to shoot down Iranian drones that cost $50,000, their anti- ballistic missiles are a little tougher. But remember, the Ukrainians offered us their anti-drone technology, months ago, and we didn't take them up -- take them up on that.
So, I do worry that on a -- you know, dragging out war of attrition, it's not like we've got all -- we've got all the cards. And then on top of that, the idea that the Strait of Hormuz and we're rapidly depleting not just our but world energy supplies, will see a big spike in prices. And our Navy does have the capacity to reopen the Strait. But boy it would -- Kaitlan, it would be a lot easier, if we'd actually had allies with it, so it was a multinational effort not just Americans.
So, I don't know how we -- the President will declare victory at some point. But I'm not sure how America or our allies -- allies will be better-suited after this war of choice.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, speaking of the Strait of Hormuz. The President seemingly announced today, as he put it, that he had approved what he described as a secret mission to get oil out of Iran. He later posted that he was talking about the U.S. escorting vessels through the Strait.
First off, given it was reported in The New York Times, do you believe that was secret? And when the President says that it resulted in a 100 million barrels of oil getting through, do you know if that's accurate?
WARNER: I'm part of what's called the Gang of Eight that's supposed to receive the most classified information, as Chair, now Vice Chair of the Intelligence Committee. I've had no reports on that.
And again, we've seen, unfortunately, fabrication of facts, oftentimes by the President, right before the stock markets opened, to try to pump that up. And the worldwide damage of this war on our energy supplies, long-term, not just short-term, not just oil, but natural gas, fertilizer costs, other things will be with us long after this war is over.
And again, I go back to where we started. This was a war of choice. There was no imminent threat. The Iranian regime is awful. Let me acknowledge that. They have spread violence in the region, they've -- they've been dreadful toward their people. But if you're going to start a war of choice, have a plan.
And unfortunately, we're seeing, now over a 100 days into this war, with no imminent end in sight. We are -- we don't know where this is going to end. But clearly, the energy crisis, which has been called by independent experts, the worst in modern history, will be with us for many, many months to come.
COLLINS: There's another big issue on Capitol Hill tonight, which is over FISA, which, for people who don't know, it allows the intelligence community to spy on non-Americans outside the United States without a warrant. And congressional leaders always tout the importance they believe of this.
[21:30:00]
But Democrats are saying they're not going to vote to reauthorize it until the President reverses course, on making a Housing official who doesn't have any national security experience that we know of, Bill Pulte, as the head of the intelligence community.
When you look at that, and the President is not backing off of Bill Pulte right now, what concerns you more? Is it FISA lapping, or Bill Pulte being in charge as the acting Director of National Intelligence?
WARNER: Fair question.
The remarkable thing is, I have a lot of critiques from my Republican partners. This is not a place where I can criticize them. Tom Cotton, Leader Thune, we worked on a compromise that would be a three-year extension, that added additional reforms, and that is a critically important tool that we have.
The President literally, about 10 days ago, threw a live hand grenade into this process, completely screwed it up, by appointing someone that frankly is counter to the letter of the law.
We created the Director of National Intelligence, so that we wouldn't put a political hack in. It had to have somebody that was -- this was right after 9/11 -- that had national security experience. Bill Pulte has zero. If anything, his only claim to fame was as head of the mortgage agencies, he was able to disclose confidential information to go after President Trump's enemies.
Now, if there is a break, and Tulsi Gabbard is leaving, the law is quite clear. If the DNI leaves, it moves down to the number two, who is also a Trump-appointed Senate-confirmed person. So, if they want to do a short-term extension, keep Mr. Lukas, who is the number two, Trump-confirmed, who is an intelligence professional, for a short-term extension.
But the idea that we're going to turn the keys of our 18 intelligence agencies over to a man who's shown we don't believe in has -- a security clearance, to have access to our most classified information? That is dangerous. It is a national security threat. And quite honestly, Kaitlan, even all of my Republican colleagues are not pushing back on that.
And we had an option before the President, literally in the last 24 hours, that I think many senior members of the administration, that would have given us a way out of this. The President, I believe, threw kind of a tantrum, and said no, he wants this guy. And if he wants a short-term extension, follow the law, and let the number two, who's already been confirmed, take this for a short-term time.
I hope and pray we'll work this out. But it's interesting on this. This was not a typical Republican, Democrat. This was the--
COLLINS: Yes.
WARNER: --the President himself messing this up.
COLLINS: Well, it seems unlikely he's backing down, but we'll see what happens.
Senator Mark Warner, thank you for joining us tonight.
WARNER: Thank you, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Up next here. The President is also weighing in on Maine's Senate race, criticizing Graham Platner as a quote, thug. Democrats in Washington, how are they responding to that? My political panel joins me, right after this.
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, President Trump is going after Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, after he won his primary last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I watched that thug that's up in Maine. He's a thug. And they're trying to make excuses for him. I mean, he's worse than any human being that's ever run for office, probably.
Because he's just an outright pig. He's like a pig. I watched him a couple of times. He's like a pig.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Despite being plagued by several controversies, Graham Platner did clinch his spot on the ballot, which means he's going to be facing off against the incumbent Republican senator, that's Susan Collins, in the November midterm elections.
And when asked if he would support Collins in this race, the President said he would stick by her. But he added this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She's a sane woman. She's not my best friend at all. These guys are, I get along well. But I have some -- but she's a sane person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Basically an endorsement, coming from him.
My political sources are here tonight, including Karen Finney and Scott Jennings.
And Karen, obviously some Democrats are struggling here in Washington with how to feel about the Graham Platner win last night. I want you to just listen to what we heard from two senators today on him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): We hold folks to the higher standards here in the Democratic Party. And I have not supported him nor given money to him. He has to account for his own actions.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Graham Platner has taken responsibility for his past. He's indicated he is not proud of who he was. And he has asked the people of Maine to judge him based on the work he has done since then and who -- he has done now, and I think that's what last night's results show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, SENIOR ADVISER, HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 CAMPAIGN, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, DNC: Yes.
COLLINS: What do you think Democrats should be doing?
FINNEY: I think Democrats should be doing exactly that. If you don't support him, say you don't support him. If you don't support the behavior, or you don't believe or don't agree with what he has said was -- you know, he's talked -- he's come forward and said, Look, I had PTSD, I've been to therapy. I'm trying to be a better person.
I will say, I think voters, in general, appreciate when someone has a level of introspection.
[21:40:00]
Now, voters of Maine in the primary decided that they -- that's who they wanted. They had a chance to vote for Janet Mills. They had a chance to write in someone else. But we'll see. He's going to have to prove himself all throughout this primary.
It's ironic, though, particularly given this massive story today from The New York Times, and you know, Trump is smart enough to know, you better -- you know, that's what he does. He counter punch -- he punches before you can counter-punch.
I mean, the guy who has been accused by 30 women of various forms of sexual assault or improprieties, the guy who's a, you know, a felon, a convicted felon who has been elected to the presidency, has -- the question I think we should be asking is, has that lowered the bar for when we're talking about character and we're talking about whether or not it should matter? I think it should matter, and that's why I didn't vote for Donald Trump, and it's why I probably wouldn't have supported Graham Platner.
COLLINS: Scott?
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO MITCH MCCONNELL, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, HOST, "THE SCOTT JENNINGS RADIO SHOW" ON SRN: But you worked for the Clintons, right?
FINNEY: I did.
JENNINGS: I mean that--
FINNEY: And I've actually had conversations--
JENNINGS: I mean--
FINNEY: --with my former President about that.
JENNINGS: I mean. So--
FINNEY: As a matter of fact.
JENNINGS: But here's what I -- here's--
FINNEY: Have you? Have you talked to Donald Trump about having dinner--
JENNINGS: Here's--
FINNEY: --with Nazi sympathizers, or white supremacists, or white nationalists?
JENNINGS: The Democrat -- you're talking about the Democrat Nick Fuentes? No, I haven't talked to him about that. Here's what I think--
FINNEY: Oh, so you think it's OK.
JENNINGS: Here's what I think. I hear Elizabeth Warren saying he's taken responsibility or shown some accountability. I've heard the word, redemption, thrown around. I've heard Ro Khanna say he's showing some accountability. What they're saying doesn't match what Platner is saying. Platner denies all these--
FINNEY: That's actually not true.
JENNINGS: He denies--
FINNEY: Did you see his interview this morning?
JENNINGS: Platner has--
FINNEY: His interview -- yesterday?
JENNINGS: He has -- he has denied what the women have said. He said on MSNBC this morning that nothing that's come out is problematic. It's not -- he said and he said it's--
FINNEY: That's not quite what he said.
JENNINGS: --he said it's not a big deal.
FINNEY: That's not what he said.
JENNINGS: So what the surrogates are saying, I know that's what they want him to do.
FINNEY: That's not what he said, Scott.
JENNINGS: But it is. Has he apologized--
FINNEY: He didn't--
JENNINGS: Has he apologized to any of his girlfriends?
FINNEY: Yes. He said--
JENNINGS: No.
FINNEY: Yes, he has talked -- look, I'm not here to defend him.
JENNINGS: The internet is going to hurt you on this one. It's not going to be good.
FINNEY: I'm not here to defend him.
JENNINGS: He has taken no accountability for any of it.
FINNEY: But if you want to have a conversation about character? Let's have it.
COLLINS: I actually have that sound bite of Graham Platner from this morning--
FINNEY: Yes.
JENNINGS: Take a listen.
COLLINS: --where he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKA BRZEZINSKI, CO-HOST OF MSNBC'S "MORNING JOE," MSNBC: How many concerning pictures and/or text messages are in the possession of other people that could be used against you? And I'd like to know if there are pictures, concerning pictures.
GRAHAM PLATNER, (D) MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: Let me just make this clear. There's nothing out there that's actually concerning. People will make everything seem very concerning because, that's what people do in politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JENNINGS: So, to him, nothing is concerning, nothing that's out there is concerning. So, it makes me wonder, what would Graham Platner actually have to do to look in the mirror and say, Whoa, buddy, let's rein it in, maybe.
Because, everything that's come out is concerning, his narrative being a total farce is concerning.
FINNEY: I don't agree with any of what--
JENNINGS: His--
FINNEY: I don't disagree with that.
JENNINGS: His tattoo, Nazi tattoo, which he's lied about repeatedly, is concerning. What his girlfriends have said, twisting their arm, locking them in a room, extremely concerning.
FINNEY: It's--
JENNINGS: All of this is concerning. But he doesn't think that.
So, my question is, you've got Warren and the surrogates saying, Oh, he's taken responsibility for this. And you've got Platner saying, None of this is bothersome to me.
FINNEY: But Scott, 70--
JENNINGS: So, what's the truth?
FINNEY: 77 million Americans voted for a man who is a convicted felon.
JENNINGS: You're not going to but-Trump your way out of this. I'm sorry, you're just not. FINNEY: No, I'm not but-Trumping. I'm suggesting that I think the question we should be asking is, are we in a situation where people are willing to make -- I mean, clearly, people held their nose and voted for Donald Trump. Clearly, people decided they were OK with certain things in his background and voted for him.
I'm not defending Graham Platner. But clearly, the people of Maine, in the primary, it was their choice, and they made their choice.
And if you're talking about who should be apologizing, why then shouldn't Donald Trump be apologizing for saying things like I don't -- you know, I think this, the -- you know, inflation is great, and I don't care about people's finances, and I need a ballroom, and I need a slush fund for January 6ers. I mean--
COLLINS: Scott, on that note, do you--
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: Somewhere, by the way, somewhere--
COLLINS: Do you agree though, with Trump this morning saying he loves inflation?
JENNINGS: That was very inartful. I mean, I understand what he was -- I think he was saying--
FINNEY: Please. What was he saying?
JENNINGS: Well I think he feels--
FINNEY: He feels good for the country, or good for the people who are struggling?
(CROSSTALK)
JENNINGS: --the numbers are better today than they were under Biden.
FINNEY: That's--
JENNINGS: But it was an inartful statement.
FINNEY: --absolutely not true.
COLLINS: But they're--
JENNINGS: But Congress--
COLLINS: But they're as bad as today as they were since 2023.
FINNEY: Yes.
JENNINGS: You're arguing that inflation today, or during Trump's term, is as bad as it was during Biden's term?
COLLINS: I'm saying here that Trump-- JENNINGS: Surely you're not arguing that.
COLLINS: No, I'm saying that--
JENNINGS: Surely nobody would argue that.
COLLINS: No. I'm saying that Trump said he was going to come into office and lower inflation. And it's higher today than it was when he took office.
FINNEY: Right.
JENNINGS: Well, the rate of inflation today is certainly lower than the rate of inflation during Biden's term.
FINNEY: It's not--
COLLINS: But not when Trump took office.
JENNINGS: The rate of inflation today--
FINNEY: And he's actually contributed too.
JENNINGS: --is lower than the rate of inflation--
COLLINS: It's the highest rates it's been--
JENNINGS: Democrats--
COLLINS: --since 2023.
JENNINGS: Democrats took -- I'm not -- I'm not arguing the numbers. I saw the report. And by the way, it is a political issue. I mean, if inflation continues to trend up, if gas prices don't come down, you can't deny that.
COLLINS: Yes.
JENNINGS: But--
FINNEY: Do you think he'll apologize to the American people for tanking the economy and making them broke?
JENNINGS: And he -- we've had three straight months of massive job growth. We have manufacturing reaches all over--
[21:45:00]
FINNEY: Then why are people losing their healthcare? Why are gas prices over $6 now? Why are groceries--
JENNINGS: People -- what do you mean losing their health care?
COLLINS: Scott Jennings. Karen Finney. We got to--
JENNINGS: Somewhere, Karen, Eric Swalwell and Al Franken, are exchanging WTFs on text messages. The way Democrats, like you, are handling Platner right now, I can't believe you threw those guys out. Unbelievable.
COLLINS: All right, we'll leave it there. Karen and Scott.
FINNEY: You voted for a guy who--
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Up next. We're staying on top of the breaking news that is coming out of Iran tonight. My top national security source will join me on what these new strikes mean for the future of this war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:50:00]
COLLINS: Back to our breaking news. As moments ago, U.S. Central Command said that they have completed that second round of strikes on Iran for now. The latest round that is coming after the President aired his frustration today that Iran, he said, was taking too long to come to a deal.
CENTCOM also posted a fact-check, contradicting something Iran said tonight, arguing that, quote, "No U.S. warships have been struck," and also saying that, Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said the Strait had been closed.
Joining me now is Brett McGurk, who was the former Middle East and North Africa Coordinator at the National Security Council.
This feels like deja vu because, we were just talking about these strikes last night.
BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, FORMER MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA COORDINATOR, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Yes. That's right.
COLLINS: What do you make of, of what happened today?
MCGURK: Very telegraphed punch. I mean, it was discussed all day long, and then carried out another round of strikes tonight.
CENTCOM just put out the exact same statement that they put out last night, saying self-defense strike is now complete. They're trying to put a ceiling on it, see what Iran does in response. But no, there is no ceasefire.
If these strikes are designed to pressure Iran into doing a deal, I don't think that objective will be met. If this is CENTCOM shape -- what you would call, shaping the battlefield to help these ships, which are going through at night, which the President actually alluded to today, then I can see the military tactical merit in doing this. But otherwise, I think we are very far away from a deal.
I was walking in tonight, it's really hot outside, and I'm thinking we're in the first month of a very hot summer. I just think this is going to continue. The President has an interest to try to get as many ships through the Strait as possible to keep oil prices relatively stable, or some breakthrough on a deal.
I just, Kaitlan, I've been talking to you about this now for a couple months.
COLLINS: Yes.
MCGURK: I don't see the stars aligning for a deal along the lines that the President is talking about.
COLLINS: What did you make of the President telegraphing the strikes, as you mentioned. I mean, not only did he tell reporters in the Oval, there will be strikes tonight. Secretary Hegseth also said as much.
MCGURK: I think, look, Iran targeted one of our helicopters, and we have to respond to that, and I think we have to respond to it quite significantly.
At the same time, what I think they're trying to do is to manage that escalation ladder, to basically say to Iran, Hey, we're going to respond, this is coming, but this is not a restart of the campaign that, say, we started in February, the kind of all-intensive, very intent -- high-intensive military operations. That's what we're signaling to Iran.
I have to say, everything publicly coming from the Iranians, everything is escalatory from them. There's no sign in Iran state media. You know, I've done deals with the Iranians. And when they're getting close to maybe doing a deal with us, they start to kind of shape their public environment. I'm seeing nothing from the Iranians, right now, suggesting that they're on the verge of a deal.
COLLINS: You mean like they try to sell it to the Iranian people?
MCGURK: Yes. What I see Iran doing, right now -- I wrote a piece for CNN, saying this is like the ultimate hostage negotiation. Because the way -- the way the Iranians collapsed the power imbalance because, we're a more powerful country in every metric, they try to take possession of something we want. They've been doing it with human beings, hostages.
And when you do a hostage negotiation, you can be the more powerful party at the table. But they hold the hostage, and they set the price, and you kind of have to try to get -- meet their price in a way that you can live with.
They now have the Strait of Hormuz in their hands, and it's the Revolutionary Guard calling the shot, and they know we need it open, and they're setting the price. $24 billion, recognize their kind of new sovereign control over the Strait, a number of other things, and they're just going to sit until we meet their price. I really see them negotiating the same way that they negotiate these hostage deals.
COLLINS: I mean, the Vice President told Robert Costa of CBS News, the other day -- yesterday morning, when he asked, Would this be done by the midterm elections? He said, Absolutely.
I mean, is that a given?
MCGURK: A deal? Depends. Having said -- we have three options. You can concede, basically try to meet Iran's demands. You can endure, which is what we're doing now. Or you could escalate the military campaign, which also might not (ph) work. We're in a tough spot.
But again, I just -- I don't see the stars lining for a deal. I think what we saw tonight, you're going to kind of see that continue, from time to time, over the course of the coming weeks. Let's hope there is going to be a breakthrough.
COLLINS: Yes.
MCGURK: But, Kaitlan, again, I'm just not seeing it.
COLLINS: Brett McGurk, we might be here tomorrow night. We will see what happens.
MCGURK: Thank you.
COLLINS: Thank you so much for being here with us.
Up next. In the meantime, as we wait to see what happens between the United States and Iran. The President is planning his upcoming UFC fight here at the White House. You can see what's happening right now, as you see The Claw that looms over on the South Lawn of the White House. We have more in our new details on how much this is costing, ahead.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:00:00]
COLLINS: As you can see here, the UFC Claw is looming over the White House tonight, as we're learning more about the complex preparations that have been put in place to put the televised sporting event on this weekend on the South Lawn of the White House. That's because, court documents, that were submitted by the Trump administration, show that it's expected to cost more than $60 million. That includes food, the UFC's signature octagon cage, and as many as 494 port-a-potties that will be put in place.
As for the expected crowd size, about 4,000 people are expected at the White House alone, with more than a 120,000 watching on the big screens at The Ellipse.
Thanks so much for joining us here tonight on THE SOURCE.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
