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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Vance No Longer Traveling To Switzerland For Talks; Knicks Celebrate First NBA Championship In 53 Years; Key Republican Senators Criticize Trump's Iran Agreement. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired June 18, 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]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: --you can listen to the full episode of my podcast, wherever you get your podcast, or you can watch it at CNN.com/AllThereIs. And I hope you join me there at that site, CNN.com/AllThereIs in 15 minutes for "All There Is Live," my companion show, my streaming show about grief and loss. It's a really special episode. Hope to see you there, 15 minutes from now.
The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight. Two starkly different visions from two U.S. presidents, as former President Obama returns to the stage, and President Trump is making clear how he sees the limits of his power.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
And we do start the hour with some breaking news tonight, as the Vice President's trip to Switzerland has now been canceled.
He was set to go and sign that agreement to end the Iran war, this MOU that we've been talking about, as this arrangement has been going back and forth. And the Vice President was expected to go there, participate in this ceremonial signing in Switzerland, so much so that the reporters were already at the airport waiting to board Air Force Two with the Vice President. He was scheduled to leave several hours ago.
And tonight, the White House has put out a statement explaining why JD Vance is not going. Part of that statement says that, As the Vice President said at his press conference -- earlier today at the White House -- the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity. But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about the next steps.
We'll obviously continue following that closely to see what this means for the future of this preliminary agreement with Iran.
And tonight, this comes as the President himself has been facing backlash from members of his own party over this very agreement. But despite that, we've seen a defiant President Trump also embracing a comparison to some of the most ruthless tyrants in recorded history.
Earlier today, he posted a document that says he is -- that he says, is from a presidential historian, and it argues that he's more powerful than the likes of Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler. Trump commenting, quote, "Sounds good to me" at the top of this document.
Now, some backstory here. In their new book, "Regime Change," New York Times reporters, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write, that the President actually specifically asked an aide to show them this same document that he posted on Truth Social today, when they were interviewing him, back in March, about his place in history. Those reporters found out that the historian that the President was referencing here is actually a Hall of Fame golfer's caddy who wrote this document.
Which all of that leads us to this new interview with the President, by Marc Caputo of Axios tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC CAPUTO, AXIOS: What have you learned about, not just the exercise of power, but the limits on your power as a result of the conflict?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: There are no limits.
CAPUTO: No limits?
TRUMP: No, none. I haven't learned that lesson yet. I know there are. But you know, there are no limits. We defeated them totally militarily.
CAPUTO: Beginning of the conflict, you had talked about, you only wanted unconditional surrender. And--
TRUMP: Well--
CAPUTO: --the MOU doesn't look like unconditional surrender.
TRUMP: Well, it really probably is unconditional surrender.
CAPUTO: It is?
TRUMP: I think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: The President's legacy has clearly been on his mind a lot lately, including when comparing his page-and-a-half agreement that he has struck with Iran and signed last night, at Versailles, with President Obama's Iran deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: We didn't pay for it like Obama did.
Barack Hussein Obama sold out Israel for Iran.
Obama was on the side of Iran, not Israel.
Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama wouldn't do it.
Barack Hussein Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama.
So, I say it, the Obama deal was a road to a nuclear weapon.
With Obama, they were able to enrich very quickly.
The Obama deal was one of the dumbest deals I've ever seen.
I terminated the JCPOA, that's Barack Hussein Obama's horrible deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: Today, at the opening of his Presidential Center and Library, we heard from President Obama, as he offered his own contrast with every other living president, Republican and Democrat, in attendance for that speech.
Now, President Trump's absence was not surprising, but it was notable, and it was certainly felt, as the Obamas offered a competing vision of presidential power.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: A belief in the intrinsic dignity and worth of all people, and that no one is above the law or beneath its protection. A belief in checks and balances in our government, and an accountability that comes with an independent judiciary, and a robust free press.
(APPLAUSE)
B. OBAMA: A belief that our military and law enforcement owe allegiance not to any president or political party, but to the people and our Constitution.
(APPLAUSE)
B. OBAMA: A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections.
When we encourage cooperation between nations, instead of trying to dominate and bully and squeeze every advantage just because we can. MICHELLE OBAMA, ATTORNEY AND FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: The lies about your birthright, your faith, your patriotism, the outrage when you stated the biological fact that if you'd had a son that he too would be Black.
Yet you were unflappable at every turn.
You were doing the people's work, rescuing our economy, expanding health care, ending a war, ordering the bin Laden raid, saving an auto industry, winning a Peace Prize.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: As that was happening in Chicago. At the White House, President Trump was awarding the Medal of Honor, joking about how much he also would like one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Congressional Medal of Honor, I wanted to give it to myself, but I was informed I couldn't do it, and I couldn't find anything where I was actually worthy. So, here we are. You understand that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: Now, the comparisons between two presidents continued on Capitol Hill, with a significant bloc of Republican senators who have been sharply questioning in terms -- the terms of the President's Iran negotiations.
We also notably heard from the Republican Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who argued that the $300 billion reconstruction fund, in his view, quote, "Would make Iran's payoff under President Obama's 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison." Surprising criticism there for Roger Wicker.
As today, the Vice President came to the briefing room and tried to answer those critics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I've seen skeptics of the deal. People say, the Iranians will never change their behavior. Well, maybe that's true, and if so they don't get any of the benefits of the bargain. But isn't it worth trying? Isn't it worth seeing whether this incredibly weakened position that the President of the United States has put the Iranians under, whether that motivates them to change their behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: And my lead source tonight is Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio. And thank you, Senator, for being here.
I want to talk to you about Iran because, I know that you're in favor of this agreement. But first, can I get your thoughts on the President elevating and, I guess, embracing this comparison of himself to Stalin, to Mao, to Hitler, to these other tyrant leaders.
SEN. BERNIE MORENO (R-OH): Well, I don't think that's what he's doing at all. What he's saying is that he's been a very effective president, and he's actually rescued this country.
Let's be clear. If President Trump hadn't gotten elected, Kamala Harris, heaven forbid, had been President of the United States, this country would be done. This country was on the verge of collapse, President Trump's brought it back. That's why you see our stock market roaring, you have more foreign investment coming into America than at any point in history.
He saved Washington, D.C. I mean, I've been here for a year and a half, and the difference in this town, from where it was when I got here, to now, is absolutely transformational. He's bringing back manufacturing. He's raising up America. He's absolutely freed the Western Hemisphere from the scourge of socialism. So, yes, he's done a lot of great things, and he's exactly right in taking credit for that.
K. COLLINS: OK. So, you don't have any issues with him embracing that?
MORENO: Well, look, I know that you guys like to be the cat, and President Trump's the laser pointer, and chase every angle here.
K. COLLINS: I mean--
MORENO: But look, well what the American people care about is that he's bringing safety and prosperity to this country. We have zero illegal border encounters at the southern border. We're dropping homicides dramatically. We have real wages that are growing.
Now because of this Iran deal, gas prices are crashing. I see you don't have the monitor up anymore that shows gas prices. So, just so your viewers know, it's below $4 a gallon, oil is at $75 a barrel and crashing. These are the things that Americans really care about.
K. COLLINS: Yes, but I mean, gas prices were high because of this war.
And obviously, this new agreement that the President has brokered with Iran, you're praising it. The Vice President says tonight -- he was supposed to go to this ceremonial signing of it. That just got scrapped, a few moments before we came on air tonight.
Does it concern you about the reliability of that agreement, if the Vice President is no longer traveling to Switzerland to participate in this signing with the Iranians?
[21:10:00]
MORENO: Well, just to be clear, the MOU is the beginning of a process to get to a situation, where we have peace with Iran. It's not the end of the process. And it's going to be very, very difficult. Been at it for 47 years, nobody has been able to solve this problem.
But let's recap what we've done. We obliterated their nuclear program last year. We've destroyed their navy, their air force, their ballistic missile capability, most of their industrial base to regain that. So, we've set back their nuclear program for generations. Now, it's about how do we get to a point of peace.
And you're right, Kaitlan, it may not work. And if it doesn't work, we know exactly what we need to do. And, quite frankly, more importantly, the Iranians know what we're going to do. But we have to give peace an opportunity.
And the American people supported this. This deal is very popular with the American people. Almost 70 percent of Americans support this. Because they don't want endless wars. They want their president to focus--
K. COLLINS: Well--
MORENO: --on solving their problems.
K. COLLINS: Right. I mean, Americans were against the war in large numbers.
But on this agreement, which I mean, you correctly note, it's the first step to what the White House hopes is something bigger. In 60 days, we'll see.
A lot of your colleagues, though, do not share that view. And I'm not just talking about Democrats who are criticizing this. There are Republicans who typically are pretty big allies of President Trump's. Here's just what a few of them have said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): History demonstrates that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is an exceptionally bad idea. And I think, unfortunately the President is receiving some really bad advice on this deal.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): It's tough to say that the agreement is one that puts -- leaves Iran in a worse place and the United States in a better place.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Everything I've heard about it causes me concern.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): I certainly wouldn't want to give Iran money.
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Iran's left stronger. We are left weaker. Our allies are left weaker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: I mean, those are Republicans. Are you saying that they're wrong?
MORENO: Yes, look, at the end of the day, we all have different opinions. My point of view is that we have to give peace a chance to get done.
We have absolutely not made Iran stronger. We've killed almost 80 of their top leaders. We've destroyed their army, their navy, their ballistic missile program, like I said. They are absolutely in a dramatically worse position as a result of President Trump's actions, and he prevented them from actually using a nuclear weapon that they could have cobbled together. So, look, objectively, the military piece of it was a success, and let's hope the peace process is a success.
K. COLLINS: But on the economic part of this, I mean, the concerns that Ted Cruz and others have voiced is that this deal lets them have waivers. They can start selling oil tonight.
MORENO: Yes.
K. COLLINS: Eventually, it will potentially unfreeze billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen assets.
I mean, Iran is still a state sponsor of terrorism, according to the United States. Do you have an issue with the United States doing things that allows them to have money, to potentially rebuild all of those things that you just mentioned?
MORENO: Well, let's unpack a lot of what you said.
The first part is, yes, let's absolutely start having them sell oil. That's fantastic. It crashes the oil markets, which helps Americans. Let's put America first. We also get the benefit of having China finally pay actual market price for oil. That's very, very good news.
In terms of the second piece, what happens next only happens if they behave. If they don't behave, they know exactly what's coming.
And on the third piece, in terms of well, what are we going to watch them do. We know when they go to the bathroom. We're watching every single corner of Iran. We know exactly what they're doing. They misbehave? They know what we're going to do. We know what we're going to do.
It's a very, very good deal. You know what you don't hear from any of the critics, especially on the Democrat side? What's the alternative, Kaitlan? What would you want the President to do? Allow them to have built a nuclear weapon and use it?
K. COLLINS: Well, I mean, that's a question for some Republicans too, it sounds like.
But on the, on -- you think them being able to sell oil is a good thing, you're saying because, obviously China was buying it--
MORENO: Not all of them (ph). K. COLLINS: --when it was sanctioned at very low prices. That means Iran actually will make more money though because, they're selling it at competitive market prices because, they can sell it to buyers with more attractive currencies.
But in April, you said that Iran, the money they have from selling their resources doesn't go to the people, it goes to a corrupt leadership. I mean, aren't you worried that corrupt leadership is now going to get tens of billions of dollars from these sales?
MORENO: Yes, but we'll be watching exactly what they do with the money. We make -- we'll have absolutely--
K. COLLINS: But the President pledged not to get involved in their domestic affairs in the MOU that he signed.
MORENO: Well, look, MOU, by the way, is signed, which -- by the way, the JCPOA was not signed. You never report about that, which is insane. Supposedly, this great deal that Barack Obama signed, negotiated, was never signed by anyone.
K. COLLINS: No, I'm asking you about the President signing this deal--
MORENO: No, I got -- I got you.
K. COLLINS: --which says he won't get involved in Iran's domestic affairs.
And you're saying he's going to be watching the money they're making and how they're spending it.
MORENO: Yes, we're going to--
[21:15:00]
K. COLLINS: He's saying he's not going to get involved.
MORENO: We're going to make certain that they behave, and they do exactly what they need to do.
And hopefully, by the way, they get to a point where they can join the community of nations, and I think that's a good thing. I don't want my kids and my grandkids growing up in a world where Iran is a threat. And by the way, it may not work, and the President is more clear-eyed about this than anybody else. And if it doesn't work, we're going to knock them in the head again. But look, at the end of the day, Americans don't want endless wars. They want this to be settled. They want low energy prices. And we're winning on all counts.
And by the way, just to push back on something. Had Kamala Harris gotten elected, we'd have $10 a gallon gas. She was destroying our energy sector. Actually, Joe Biden, while riding a car that gets nine miles per gallon, bragged about the fact that he had basically ended the fossil fuel industry in America. So, let's be clear. If it wasn't for President Trump--
K. COLLINS: OK--
MORENO: --gas prices would be dramatically higher.
K. COLLINS: But gas prices went up under President Trump because of the war.
MORENO: From his historical low levels. But if you look at the four years of Biden, gas was trading well over $80 a barrel. It's now $75. President Trump had it down to $55 almost -- in that $55, $60 range.
K. COLLINS: Yes.
MORENO: And I'm confident we'll get back there by Labor Day.
K. COLLINS: You know, the President said something at his press conference that we were at, at the G7, that he thinks Iran should be able to have ballistic missiles. Do you agree with that?
MORENO: Look, I don't know the context of that, as you know because, you cover the President very well. He has longer conversations. I don't know, I haven't seen that clip. At the end of the day, look, the--
K. COLLINS: But do you agree with that sentiment?
MORENO: --the President is the one who knocked them in the head. Name one single time that Obama or Biden ever took actions that actually knocked them down. We destroyed their entire navy, Kaitlan. Their entire navy is at the bottom of the ocean. They have no air force, no air defense systems. President Trump did that. He's not going to let them do anything that harms America or Americans, and I think we should trust him.
By the way, we should cheerlead for peace. That should be a bipartisan desire, that we get to a peaceful settlement in the Middle East. It's been long enough, 47 years. Let's end this thing. Let's hope. And maybe it doesn't, like I said, maybe it does not happen, but we're not going to not try and just declare failure right up front.
And to the people who say, Well, finish the job. I want to know exactly what they mean by that. Be extremely specific. What does finish the job mean?
K. COLLINS: Yes, I mean, it's Republicans saying that.
MORENO: Well, I -- no, I'm on the--
K. COLLINS: But on--
MORENO: I'm on the floor a lot, Kaitlan. I have to preside, which means I have to listen to the entirety of my colleagues' speeches.
K. COLLINS: Yes, yes.
MORENO: They all say, We have to finish the job.
What does that mean?
K. COLLINS: I mean, it's a good question of the people who disagree with this, what they want it to be.
But on the question itself that I asked, do you believe that Iran should be able to have ballistic missiles?
MORENO: Personally, I absolutely do not believe that they should have ballistic missiles. They have not shown that they can -- that they can be a civil society. But you never know what the future brings. Look at Venezuela. I would have said the same thing about Venezuela, a year ago. But today, the country is on a path to a totally different place. You're going to see that happen in Cuba.
You know, there was a lot of angst, on your show and others here, about what we did in Venezuela. We saved Latin America. Latin America is a whole different region because of the actions that President Trump took. Yet on January 3rd, 4th, and 5th, after Maduro had been taken out, all the Democrats, all freaked out, they put out resolutions and--
(CROSSTALK)
K. COLLINS: Yes, but on Iran, sir--
MORENO: It's the same thing is what I'm trying to say.
K. COLLINS: I think--
MORENO: His instincts are right.
K. COLLINS: It's not the same thing. Iran and Venezuela, you can't really compare the two of them.
MORENO: No -- no, what I'm saying is they're analogous in the sense that there was action taken. There was a lot of so-called experts that said it wasn't going to work, and it's -- and it worked. Now, I don't know if it's going to work in Iran. Nobody does. Not even President Trump.
K. COLLINS: But what about -- can I ask you, Senator? What about the Iranian people? Because one, Trump said on day one, he did want to raze their missile industry. Now he's saying that they should be able to have ballistic missiles. He also told the Iranian people that this was their generational chance to rise up and take back their government. Their government is being run by the former leader's son. Do you think that they have been left hung out to dry here?
MORENO: Well, 40,000 have been killed, just this year, for rising up and speaking up.
Look, I don't know what's going to happen there. Again, we don't know. Do I hope that the Iranian people try to get their country back? Yes. I think there's many, many people in Iran that are great people.
They have absolutely horrific, psychotic leaders. We took out 80 of them. Let's just point that out. It's the -- President Trump who killed the Ayatollah and 78 other leaders. These current people that are there, they either behave or they end up in the same fate. They know that, and that's why they came to the table, and I think that's why we're going to get a deal done. But if it doesn't happen, then they know exactly what's coming.
K. COLLINS: Yes, well, we will see what happens there.
MORENO: Senator Bernie Moreno, thank you for joining us tonight.
K. COLLINS: Thank you.
MORENO: Up next here for us on THE SOURCE. There is some new reporting from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's upcoming book on the Trump White House, including a moment where the White House press secretary walked in on the President super gluing in the Oval Office.
And also, today New York City turned orange and blue as the city is celebrating the NBA champs. We have highlights from the parade with someone who was not only there, he was on one of the floats. Ben Stiller is our source tonight.
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(MUSIC)
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[21:20:00]
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K. COLLINS: Tonight, there's new reporting that reveals just how invested President Trump is in gilding the Oval Office during his second term.
In their upcoming book, "Regime Change," by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan of The New York Times, that's out next week -- and everyone should read it -- part of it recounts how the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, once walked into the Oval Office, only to find the President, quote, Clutching a tube of super glue and attempting to affix gold decorations to the marble fireplace mantle.
The authors add that, quote, "As he was known to prefer his own aesthetic handiwork to anyone else's, the sight of the President squeezing glue onto gilded appliques and mounting them on the wall himself surprised no one in his inner circle."
[21:25:00]
On that front tonight, my political sources are:
S.E. Cupp, who is the podcast host of "Off the Cupp."
And Karen Finney, who was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 camp.
I mean, S.E., I just -- it's really not that actually hard to picture the President doing this.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, PODCAST HOST, "OFF THE CUPP": Well it's -- it is, and it isn't. It is unfathomable to imagine a U.S. president super gluing anything in the Oval Office. That's wacko. But it's easier to imagine this president doing it, and it's kind of a perfect metaphor, as so many things are, from the Reflecting Pool to the ballroom.
Like, Trump came up in business by putting his name on buildings, right? He didn't have to own them. Superficially, he was looking to look powerful and important. It's why he used a penname, when he'd call reporters to pretend to be someone else. Like, I think the artifice to him is often more important than what's underneath than the substance of things. So, actually, this, I mean, this makes perfect sense.
K. COLLINS: Yes, I mean, as I was watching the Obama library stuff today, they showed the -- they have a recreation of the Oval, when obviously he was in office. And looking at it, compared to how it looks now, reminds you just how much has changed and how much the President has put his own stamp on this.
CUPP: Yes.
K. COLLINS: Karen, can I also ask you, though? I mean, speaking of the Oval. In this book, Maggie and Jonathan also write about how the President's response to that infamous day in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy, where there's this huge shouting match between the Vice President and Zelenskyy. Trump actually thought it was great, according to this book, "Regime Change."
KAREN FINNEY, SR. ADVISER TO HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 CAMPAIGN, FORMER DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right.
K. COLLINS: He told an adviser it was quote, Better than The Apprentice.
I wonder what that tells you about, I mean speaking, as S.E. was talking about, you know--
FINNEY: Right.
K. COLLINS: --Trump's previous life before presidency, how he's viewing it.
FINNEY: Well no -- I appreciate S.E.'s perspective on that, although I saw it a little differently. To me, the idea -- was not surprising that the man would have super glue because, it is frankly a metaphor for the fact that he has literally and figuratively no respect for the Office of the Presidency.
And the idea, I mean, he has this whole idea of what is almost this sort of faux masculinity. I mean, we just had a cage match on the South Lawn of the White House, for God's sakes, where we have welcomed leaders from around the world, I mean, it's iconic. And his idea is, Oh, let's tear it all up and have this wrestling match.
So, the Zelenskyy incident, of course, based on what we know about Trump and what he thinks about this sort of, to what S.E. was saying, this sort of faux show of power, to be -- and it was clearly orchestrated to come off that way, it was meant to be a -- I mean, it was probably directed, right? It was orchestrated to be a moment for television, where it looked like here he is, yelling at Zelenskyy, a show of power.
And I think what he has learned, frankly, maybe he hasn't learned, but what we've just seen in terms of what has happened with this Iran deal is he's not as smart as he thinks he is, and there are other world leaders who have figured out how to sort of get the better of him and -- because he is so easily drawn into these kinds of back and forth, and this fake masculinity.
K. COLLINS: Well, I mean, speaking of the changes to Washington, D.C. The Reflecting Pool has been a big one. And the White House touted it, they talked about how it looked before, said it could have used some work. I think people in D.C. would probably agree with that.
CUPP: Yes.
K. COLLINS: Intern at CNN, one of our excellent interns, shot this video today. The blue material that they talk about, the Reflecting Pool Blue--
CUPP: Sick.
K. COLLINS: --is peeling off the bottom of it. I mean, just that image alone, that's $14 million--
CUPP: Yes.
K. COLLINS: --to remind people, that was spent to renovate the Reflecting Pool, S.E.
CUPP: Again, this feels like almost too on the nose, as a metaphor, right? Like, this is a guy, again, that spent his life putting his name on buildings, right, with money that largely wasn't his. Again, here he is fixing a thing with money that isn't his, a problem that might have been real, but this isn't solving real Americans' problems, and distracting everyone at the same time, and he didn't even do it well.
I think, again, this is sort of a metaphor for his presidency. He's all over the place doing things that aren't actually addressing real Americans' problems. And the sad irony is he got elected because he was laser-focused on the things that Americans were saying really bothered them, and he seems to have--
K. COLLINS: Yes.
CUPP: --forgotten all of it. K. COLLINS: Well, I mean -- well, and the statement, Karen, from the Interior Department said, The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear, and our National Park Service team is now vacuuming up the dead algae resting on the bottom of some parts of the Reflecting Pool -- just like the destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the bottom of the Persian Gulf.
FINNEY: Well no--
(LAUGHTER)
K. COLLINS: That really is their statement.
FINNEY: I mean, I had to read it twice, but yes, it really was their statement. Because guess what, this really is our country right now.
[21:30:00]
And I have to say, the split-screen between all of that, and then what we saw today, happening on the south side of Chicago, which was all about public service and vision and service to the country, and how do you give back to a community that gave so much to Barack and Michelle Obama, a park for children, a library, a basketball court. And Donald Trump is like, Oh yes, my pool guy going to fix this set, you know. What's happening in America? But as S.E. says, this is the metaphor for where we are right now.
K. COLLINS: Karen Finney. S.E. Cupp. We'll have to leave it there. Thank you both for joining us here tonight.
Up next. On an exciting note, it has been 53 years in the making, but New York is now finally basking in a championship, won by the New York Knicks.
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K. COLLINS: Ben Stiller is up next.
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[21:35:00]
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K. COLLINS: That is thousands of pounds of orange and blue confetti that rained down on the New York Knicks, and the millions of people who came out to celebrate them, after the team brought home its first championship title in 53 years.
This was the scene at City Hall in Lower Manhattan today, the final stop on the Knicks' first ever ticker-tape parade, and it's where the New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, presented them with the keys to the city.
Now, even by New York standards, the crowd was insane. Police estimate that 2 million people had lined the parade route in nearby streets, lot of them had been out there since 01:00 a.m., for a chance to see the world champions themselves, and to celebrate a win that the city has been waiting decades for.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't seen anything ever like this before. I got here at about 05:50 a.m. Streets were already packed, it was so hard to get around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York's felt cursed since COVID, and I think now the curse is broken. We can say, Go New York Go New York Go.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: How excited are you guys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're really excited.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really excited.
PROKUPECZ: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been 53 years. All these people just waited for this to happen, and they won.
PROKUPECZ: Is there anyone in particular you want to see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, Cap, you got -- you always got to -- you always got to respect Cap, but I mean the whole team, I mean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jose Alvarado, I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you, Jose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jalen, Jose Alvarado -- it's exciting, feel like a real New Yorker.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: Jalen Brunson made his way through the crowds of chants of MVP, as he showed off the championship trophy that many said he could never win. Brunson himself delivered a message to those people today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALEN BRUNSON, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There's a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
BRUNSON: --you really don't have to -- you don't have to say (bleep) to them.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: I love that.
Celebrity Row was in full force today. A lot of superfans were there. Spike Lee. Mariska Hargitay. Timothee Chalamet. And also Ben Stiller, who is my next source tonight, the award-winning director, actor, and producer, with big news on his next project, a Knicks documentary now in the making, coming to HBO.
I want to talk to you about the documentary in a moment. I'm so glad you're here. Because you were 7-years-old when the Knicks won their last championship. I mean, what was it like today to not only go to the parade, but to be part of the parade for them.
BEN STILLER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR & PRODUCER, KNICKS SUPERFAN: Honestly, the last few days have been like a dream, like a blur. It's crazy. I honestly didn't think it was going to be this intense, but there's so much emotion, so much excitement, so much happiness. I feel so much happiness.
I feel like so connected with the people in the city. You walk down the street, you see another Knicks fan, and you just look at them, and you go, Knicks in 5, and they get it, they understand, and it's a connection that's like, yes, we were always going to do this, we knew we could do this, you know, took 53 years, OK, but come on. I mean, it's just like this amazing energy, and this -- and this connection in the city. It's great.
K. COLLINS: I mean, your dad, obviously legendary, Jerry Stiller, he passed down his love of the Knicks to you. I think he took you to your first game, back in the 70s. I mean, what would he have thought of this moment now happening?
STILLER: He would have gotten a kick out of it. He loved going to games. He loved, you know, he loved -- he always got a kick out of people actually even like recognizing him, or if a player recognized him, he always thought that was great. Because, he was just like a kid from, you know, the Lower East Side, who grew up really poor and realized his dream. So, like, going to Madison Square Garden, watching basketball games, was such a -- I think, you know, we enjoyed it together, and I know he always, always had a ball, and would have loved this. He would have loved this.
K. COLLINS: I mean, what's it like for you, to have been someone who's at all these games, watching these players?
I mean, I loved what Jalen Brunson said today. Because he is someone who was so doubted. And now having this moment feels just so well- deserved, to watch him have this.
[21:40:00]
STILLER: Yes. Yes, I mean, you know, we love our Captain in New York City because, he's the guy who's fought the odds his whole career, but has always won, has never really gotten the respect that he deserves, and he's used that to fuel him.
But I think every working person in New York, or every person who's ever been rejected, or any person who's not that tall, you know, you look at Jalen Brunson and go, This guy, he doesn't care, and he has this look in his eyes, he's going to win. And what he's done with this team, in a way as he's become a leader, has been so much fun to watch him grow, even here in New York, over the last four years, to see, just his level of ownership of who he is as a leader, and the confidence building each year.
And now -- like, he was a cool guy when he first came here, but now he's like really cool, like, there's like a cool, like, he's a cool, like, intimidatingly cool, as he keeps -- and now he's like, you know, he's stamped his legacy in New York basketball history, and he brought a championship to New York City, along with Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, and this team is just, just incredible, and with a deep bench too, and it's been great to see them come together. It's every basketball fan's dream, you know, what happened in this playoff run.
K. COLLINS: Yes, it's so special to watch them celebrating.
And for you, looking back on this season, and just this moment. You're always seen at the games. You've been seen at a lot of them, shooting videos from your phone, and many people noted, in landscape mode. And now you've confirmed that you are working on this multi-part documentary, not just about this championship, which obviously now has happened is going to be part of it, but the team overall. And I wonder, how looking at it with this moment influences that project.
STILLER: Yes, totally does it. You know, this whole thing sort of came together just before the end of the season.
It had been an idea that had been around, but Mr. Dolan had never given permission for anybody to do a documentary about the Knicks, and we started talking about it. And it was going to focus on the history of the Knicks, really, you know, obviously the 70s championship teams, and then the 90s teams that, you know, '94, '99 that got close, and then maybe with a bookend of this team.
But this team, what they've done, it just -- it really changed the whole perspective, I think, of the story because, you know, you have a team now that did something historic, and when you look at it as a bookend to the '99 series, or even when you look at this team in relation to the '73 Championship Series -- Champion Series. You know, it's just, it's -- there's a lot of layers to it, and this team is, you know, it's, they've kind of given us an amazing ending.
What I'm guessing is, by the time we're finished making the documentary, next year, they're going to screw it up because they'll win it again, and then we'll have to go back and re-edit it.
K. COLLINS: I mean, this must be a dream project for you to get to do this.
STILLER: Oh, yes. I mean, I always like film at the games anyway, just for fun, and I do landscape mode just because I'm old, and I like that better. But it's like, you know, that's just always been fun for me. And then it just sort of evolved into -- as the doc became a reality, it's like, Oh, I could use some of this footage, and then -- you know, but we're going to be using footage from obviously other sources too, and you know.
And there's so many Knick fans, I mean, this documentary also is for the fans, and it's about -- it's going to be about the fans too because that's the connection I was talking to you about, that's so deep. And for older fans like me, or for fans who grew up in the 90s and the 2000s who never saw it, it's a common bond, but it's -- it kind of links everybody together, and as you -- as you can see, it's a unifying thing for the city, and it's been -- it's been beautiful.
K. COLLINS: Yes. I mean, it's -- just to walk the streets of New York right now is amazing. Everyone is wearing Knicks gear. And you're right, it is awesome.
STILLER: Yes.
K. COLLINS: Ben Stiller, you're awesome. Thank you for joining us here tonight to talk about the new doc, and I can't wait to watch it.
STILLER: Thanks, Kaitlan.
K. COLLINS: Up next here on THE SOURCE. Back in Washington, we are hearing about those growing concerns, not just from Republicans, over that new agreement with Iran. Now that the Vice President's trip to Switzerland has been scrapped. What's the future of this deal? We'll talk to a Democratic senator, next.
[21:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
K. COLLINS: Tonight, sources say there is a, quote, High level of dismay among Senate Republicans, over President Trump's agreement with Iran. One of them, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who happens to be one of the most vulnerable Republican senators who is seeking re- election, however, is not sure how she feels about it yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Was it successful in your opinion?
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): That is -- I have not reviewed the MOU yet.
RAJU: You haven't reviewed the MOU yet?
REPORTER: Do you think this is a good deal for the United States?
S. COLLINS: So, I have not yet had a chance to review the MOU.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: My next source tonight is Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who sits on the Armed Services Committee.
I mean, it's only a page and a half. What do you make of that? Do you think that's because she doesn't want to touch it yet or weigh in?
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Kaitlan, you wouldn't sell your house with a contract that is a page and a half, fraught with these kinds of contradictions, this fuzzy and vague.
This document is not an agreement, it is a wish list. And the breaking news that CNN has reported that there are gentlemen's agreements, side deals, some written, some not, I think is a very bad signal for where this administration is going in the next 60 days.
[21:50:00]
K. COLLINS: Well, and the Vice President confirmed that to my colleague, Kristen Holmes today, in the briefing about there being these other parts of it that are not explicitly laid out. I mean, does it concern you that in those parts, Iran might not feel the need to live up to that?
BLUMENTHAL: This agreement is classic Trump. Over-promise, under- deliver, change the subject.
And in fact Iran has gotten an upper hand on many of these topics. Because no commitment on stopping enrichment of nuclear material, even during the 60 days, or disposing of it by, in effect, sending it out of the country. There's nothing to prevent tolls on the Strait of Hormuz. There's no mention of missile capacity, which is extraordinarily important to the Gulf states, as well as Israel. And the entire document is contradicted by a lot of what Iran is saying about it.
So, I am not surprised, in a way, that the Vice President is not going to Geneva to sign a document that is still so amorphous and contradictory.
K. COLLINS: Yes, why do you think he's not going? I mean, he was scheduled to go earlier tonight. They sent out word, just before we came on air that, like, essentially saying the logistics are too tough. Earlier, he had been talking about the Iranians getting out of Iran, being difficult to navigate.
Do you think it's just logistics, or do you think it says something deeper about this agreement?
BLUMENTHAL: Well, it's definitely not logistics. If the Vice President wanted to go to Geneva, he'd be in the air right now, on Air Force Two. I think it betrays a lack of definiteness in the agreement itself, a feeling that they've deluded themselves into thinking there really is some meeting of the minds here, when so many key aspects are contradicted.
And most important, they're failing to tell the truth to the American people, about the agreement, about the costs of this war. They still have not come clean to Congress. Even in classified settings, we demanded information about the costs, militarily.
And there have been tremendous costs financially, in terms of higher prices for everything, from gas, to groceries, to medical devices, but also the costs in lives, 13 servicemen killed, more than 400 injured, and thousands of Iranians losing their lives.
K. COLLINS: We started the hour with your colleague, on the Republican side, Bernie Moreno. And Senator Moreno argued, For everyone who is criticizing this agreement, what's your alternative?
What is your alternative?
BLUMENTHAL: Well, I think that's a legitimate question. And one alternative was never to start this war of impulse that has been so costly. We should be glad that the war is ending without even more damage to the United States' standing in the world, as well the cost in lives.
But now, the administration has an obligation to insist on explicit, definite terms to end the war, on nuclear material, on missiles, on all of the other issues at stake, and to tell the truth to the American people, and resist the impulse. And there will be pressure, make no mistake, to restart this war.
K. COLLINS: Well, Israel doesn't like this deal.
And the Vice President today, during the briefing, was asked about criticism from Israeli officials over this agreement, and he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world's superpower. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
K. COLLINS: Do you agree with JD Vance?
BLUMENTHAL: What's really important, Kaitlan, is not what Israel thinks of this agreement. It's what the American people think of it, and what Congress thinks about it.
And this administration has yet to come to Congress, even to brief us, not to mention seek our approval, which he must do. They failed to seek approval for the war, which makes it illegal.
They are making no commitment to seek approval for this agreement, which amounts to a treaty, which also would undermine its legitimacy. And I think they need to insist, first and foremost, on verification. That was the real sticking point in the JCPOA. How do we make sure that the IAEA knows what is happening to all that nuclear material, and that it is in fact destroyed, and they stop the enrichment?
K. COLLINS: Yes, it's a good question.
Senator Richard Blumenthal. Thank you, as always, for joining us tonight.
BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.
K. COLLINS: Much appreciated.
Up next. We have something new here on THE SOURCE. How well do you know what's happening in the news? We're going to put your knowledge to the test with what we're calling Source Code. We'll give you the number. Can you guess the story? Tonight's Source Code is 160. And we'll be back in a moment with that answer.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
K. COLLINS: Tonight's Source Code is 160. The New York Times reports, that's the approximate number of troops hit by the flu at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The outbreak spread quickly through the basic training wing, less than two months after the Defense Secretary had announced that the flu vaccine is now optional in order to restore religious freedom and freedom of choice, he says, for U.S. forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:00:00]
K. COLLINS: Echoing his boss' message from that April announcement. The Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, told The New York Times that the changes were, quote, "Based upon thorough risk assessments" to maximize readiness.
The Times reports that after this new outbreak started, the Air Force is now requiring all the recruits at the base to get flu shots.
Thanks so much for joining us here on THE SOURCE.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
