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State of the Union

Interview With President Donald Trump; Lindsey Graham Dies; Interview With U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker; Interview With Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT). Aired 9-10a ET

Aired July 12, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST (voice-over): Goodbye. Senator Lindsey Graham has died after a sudden illness, a foreign policy giant who went from President Trump's biggest critic to one of his most stout defenders.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm going to be the Trump guy in the United States Senate.

TAPPER: How will Graham be remembered? His fellow South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is next.

And target, new strikes between Iran and the U.S. as Iran's supreme leader vows revenge. And President Trump says he's a target.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm number one on the kill list for Iran.

TAPPER: Can the president navigate an end to this war?

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker and Intelligence Committee Ranking Democrat Jim Himes are ahead.

Plus: the Maine issue. Democrats scramble to save their Senate hopes after devastating allegations of rape.

JENNY RACICOT, GRAHAM PLATNER ACCUSER: Nothing that happened that night was OK or consensual.

TAPPER: The warning signs were there. Why did most Democrats overlook them? Our panel is coming up.

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TAPPER: Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, has died at age 71 after what's being described as a brief and sudden illness. The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee was one of the most

powerful and best known senators, a former Trump critic turned fervent ally, a foreign policy hawk, an interventionalist who frequently met with the leaders of Israel and Ukraine, where he was just visiting.

Overnight, President Trump called Senator Graham -- quote -- "one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known" -- unquote. And it was Graham's relationship with the president that dominated the later part of his life, the last decade.

A former protege of the late Senator John McCain, Lindsey Graham ran for president against Trump in 2016, called Trump -- quote -- "unfit for office" and much more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: But after Trump's election, Graham affixed himself to the president, becoming a frequent golf partner and confidant. He referred to himself as the president's North Star. He hoped to influence the president on the issues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: Mr. President, I'm going to be your strongest ally in the United States Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: One area, of course, where that didn't work is the January 6 riot. In the aftermath, Graham famously said he was done with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: From my point of view, he's been a consequential president, but, today, first thing you'll see. All I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: He and the president later reconciled, Graham explaining his actions as a desire to continue to be relevant and to influence policy and the country.

Before Trump, Graham and his dear friend John McCain were known as Senate Mavericks. Graham bucked his party to vote for comprehensive immigration reform, climate change legislation and two of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees, but that was all before 2016.

Graham had been a JAG attorney in the Air Force before he ran for office and continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves even as a senator. The Senator never married. He had a difficult time as a young adult, his parents dying within about 15 months when Graham was in college. He then helped to raise his 13-year-old sister, Darline. He later adopted her.

CNN is learning that, around 8:30 p.m. last night, dispatchers reported a 911 call about chest pains linked to Graham's residence. Emergency crew members had to initiate a forced entry into the home, and a dispatcher later said the crew was performing CPR.

We are expecting that President Trump will call in to the show later in the hour.

But let's start right now with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

And joining me now is Lindsey Graham's former Senate colleague South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Senator Scott, you obviously served with Senator Graham. You were the two senators from South Carolina, two conservative Republicans. You were just on the campaign trail with him to help him get reelected. How are you doing this morning? What do you want people to remember and know about Senator Graham that maybe they don't know?

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Well, Jake, gosh, America's lost a true statesman. We don't have many left, but he was a true statesman.

[09:05:00]

But I've lost a friend. It is a morning of mourning for me. It's a powerful reminder that life is fleeting, that we are not here very long. If I were to tell stories about Lindsey Graham, one of the most important stories about Lindsey Graham is that, when I was a new senator, he welcomed me in.

He knew that my path was different. He understood the power of change in South Carolina and how much our state had changed. But he was one of the first folks in the Senate to welcome me in with open arms. And I will say that I do a South Carolina prayer breakfast there every year in D.C.

And I called Lindsey the first time. And Lindsey says: "Tim, if this thing starts before 10:00 a.m., I'm not coming, because I'm not going even if Jesus comes back before 10:00 a.m."

And I just laughed out loud, and, of course, it started at 8:30. And he walked in the door at 8:31? Lindsey Graham. He was just the kind of committed person that you don't really appreciate how much -- how committed he was to America.

I can't think, Jake, of a more committed public servant to this country. His family was his sister that he adopted when he was 19 and she was 13 because their parents died within 15 months and America. He spent every single day, every weekend going somewhere, trying to make America a safer country.

And I will say this, Jake. Because of the pain of his past, his father dying of a massive heart attack at I think it was 69 years old, his mother dying of cancer, Lindsey Graham had a passion for so many of the important issues around cancer research and around taking care of people.

He didn't want anyone to feel invisible in his presence. And he used levity and wit to help people go through really hard times. And I got to tell you, it's just a devastating loss for our state of South Carolina, and, frankly, for me as an individual.

TAPPER: Senator Graham died shortly after returning from his 10th trip to Ukraine, his 10th.

SCOTT: Yes.

TAPPER: He was a strong force in the Senate for an interventionist foreign policy, a strong America abroad, a fierce advocate for military intervention in Iran.

Talk about the role he played in contributing to America's national security and the way that the U.S. is seen around the world.

SCOTT: The philosophy, Jake, of peace through strength can -- really is what Lindsey Graham embodied.

I know that we talk a lot about his ability and his willingness to go anywhere in the world to cut a deal, frankly, to make Americans safer when they travel abroad and here at home. But the one thing we have to realize about him is that that peace through strength motto is exactly what he tried to lift.

He embodied this notion that, when necessary, be strong, but on the path to peace. And it's one of the reasons why he was so dedicated to this Ukraine conflict. He wanted to save as many lives as humanly possible, and he did everything in his power.

And this is one of the reasons, Jake, you're hearing from world leaders today that Lindsey Graham was always on the campaign trail, not for his reelection, frankly. Sometimes, he talked so much about foreign policy that it could have hurt his reelection. But it was just who he was.

He couldn't help but try to look for another way to make the world safer, to make America safer, and to do the thing that he thought was necessary, even if it was unpopular. He was literally one of the most -- one of the edgiest guys as it relates to foreign policy you would ever meet.

But it was never because he was a warmonger. It was because he wanted to see peace in every place possible. And, if necessary, peace becomes a part of what happens if you need to use our kinetic response tools.

TAPPER: President Trump called Lindsey Graham a true American patriot. It's one of the most interesting relationships in Washington today because Senator Graham, of course, 10 years ago was very critical of President Trump, when they were both running for president in 2016. After his election, though, he became a vocal, stalwart ally of

President Trump, called himself President Trump's North Star...

SCOTT: Right.

TAPPER: ... the Trump guy in the Senate. Talk about that, if you would, this transformation.

SCOTT: Yes, Jake, there's no doubt.

If you rewind more than a decade, you will find Lindsey Graham is a strong guy running for president, trying to make his case to the American people, and he was as aggressive against Donald J. Trump at the time as he could possibly be. He wanted to win. He had a strong desire to win.

And over time, however, Lindsey Graham's clarity and transparency caught the attention of President Trump. And as a result, they spent more time together. They did not always agree, but they always agreed to disagree without being disagreeable.

Now, if you were in the room, as I have been on a couple of occasions, you might not think that. But the truth of the matter is that they figured out how to have a friendship.

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And, Jake, a lot of times, friendships happen not at a kitchen table, not, frankly, in the Oval Office, but, for them, it happened on the golf course. And these two guys loved golf. I think Lindsey would say, the president wins more than I do, but he played pretty aggressively against the president.

And I think it was that competitive spirit that they both loved and admired about each other. And Lindsey was super smart and witty. He had the ability to make you laugh, but he was making a point in the midst of it.

And President Trump really understood that, and their relationship over the next 10 years, so to speak, from the time they were running against each other, became something that Lindsey could count on, and President Trump could count on too.

I can tell you, they played golf together more than any two other folks in public office at any time of, I think, in history.

TAPPER: So the Senate reconvenes tomorrow. Senator Graham was taken to the same hospital where Senator Mitch McConnell is currently recovering from his health issues. It's a tough time for Senate Republicans right now.

SCOTT: Well, it's a time for prayer for those folks who are ailing. There's no doubt about it that Senator McConnell deserves our prayers. He served our country valiantly and continues to be in good spirits, from all that I have heard. I texted him over the weekend. I will simply say that we have a lot of

work to get done and we will get our work done. But we certainly will miss Lindsey Graham. And as we focus on the next few weeks in the Senate, we will take a step back and remember that we're all human. In fact, we all have families.

We all are just there trying to serve the greatest country on the planet, and we will get the work done. But in the next 48 hours and probably beyond, we will spend time celebrating the life of Lindsey Graham, mourning the loss of Lindsey Graham, but understanding why he was so important to America, and hopefully doubling down on keeping Americans safe here at home and anywhere we travel.

TAPPER: Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

SCOTT: Yes, sir, Jake.

TAPPER: And our deepest condolences on the loss of your friend.

SCOTT: Thank you very much.

TAPPER: Much more on our breaking news. We're expecting President Trump to call in shortly to talk about Lindsey Graham and maybe some other topics.

Plus: The U.S. strikes Iran, and Iran's leader vows revenge over the war. Stay with us.

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TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION.

Tensions rising sharply this weekend in the Middle East. The U.S. struck Iran overnight after Iran fired at a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, all as the president's relationship with Iranian leaders seems to be souring.

And joining me now from Brussels is the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, who was with President Trump earlier this week.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks so much for taking them the time.

I do want to start by getting a moment -- taking a moment to get your reflections on Senator Lindsey Graham, who I know you worked with over the years. He had just returned from Ukraine, his 10th trip, shortly before he died.

What do you remember most about how Senator Graham contributed to American foreign policy and the standing of the United States in the world?

MATTHEW WHITAKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, good morning, Jake. And, obviously, I was shocked and saddened with the news that I

learned today. And I would run into and spend time with Senator Graham all over the world, especially here in Europe. And he is certainly an American patriot and was always very interested in America's place in the world and making sure that we were coming from a position of strength.

I think he obviously leaves a big hole in the Senate, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with this shocking news.

TAPPER: Let's turn to Iran because Iran and the U.S. appear to be locked in this cycle of attacks. After Iran's navy attacked a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, the U.S. hit 140 Iranian military targets in response, the Pentagon says.

Iran declared that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Are we at war again with Iran? Is the Strait of Hormuz closed?

WHITAKER: Well, the United States of America's position is, the state of -- the Strait of Hormuz will remain open.

Obviously, the memorandum of understanding with Iran was always performance-based, and one of the conditions was that Iran cannot terrorize commercial vessels transiting the strait. And so President Trump is responding to these attacks, whether it's when three ships were attacked, we hit 90 military targets.

Now another ship was attacked, and so we hit 140 or more targets, and that's what they should expect. But President Trump's a peacemaker, Jake, and he wants a deal with Iran. He wants to make sure that they never have a nuclear weapon, that they join the world as a contributor in a normalized country.

But, right now, it's -- as President Trump has said, and Marco Rubio has also stated, this country is controlled by a bunch of crazy people. And, ultimately, they're going to have to understand the United States is very serious about this and will continue to be clear-eyed on the threats.

TAPPER: One of those people that you just referred to, Iran's supreme leader, has vowed to avenge his father's death, his father, the former supreme leader, killed earlier in the war, February 28, I believe.

You were with President Trump in Turkey when the government of Israel shared intelligence that pointed to an Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump. He said, the president, that he was number one on the kill list for Iran.

[09:20:06]

How high is the threat level against the president right now?

WHITAKER: He's already had two assassination attempts, one where he was actually wounded slightly. And he -- there is also someone that was prosecuted in March that had ties to the IRGC and was operating on their behalf and was convicted this year. So I mean, these threats are real. They're significant. But, at the

same time, President Trump is going to continue doing his job. I heard him say that -- at the press conference at the NATO summit that president of the United States is very dangerous job, with about a 5 percent chance of losing your life. I mean, that's a big risk.

And President Trump takes that risk every day because he believes in the American people. I saw it up close with him as I campaigned with him not only this last election, but also in 2020 and 2016. And he's going to continue to do his job and be fearless, because he knows that these -- oftentimes, these things are out of his control.

But we're going to have to protect him with not only Secret Service, but also the military and all of the assets we have, just like we would protect our leader at all times.

TAPPER: Three assassination attempts, if you include the one earlier this year at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

WHITAKER: True. Good point.

TAPPER: Obviously, the president's security is paramount.

Four officials told CNN that one of the reasons the president didn't fly out of Turkey, the NATO conference, on his brand-new Air Force One that was a gift of from Qatar was in part because of security concerns and the plane not having defenses that it needs.

Is the president's new plane outfitted with the defense capabilities that it needs in order for the president of the United States to be safe?

WHITAKER: Jake, as you can expect, I'm the U.S. ambassador to NATO, and the president's protection is outside of my purview, no matter how I'd like to expand my role in this government.

So I'm -- I don't have anything to add to these unsubstantiated reports.

TAPPER: You were the acting attorney general in the first Trump administration, and the Justice Department is subpoenaing four "New York Times" journalists after they wrote a story about the new plane's defensive capabilities.

The Justice Department says -- quote -- "To be clear, reporters are not the targets. Those leaking classified information are. We're not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it's OK to leak classified information impacting national security."

Isn't that a confirmation that Air Force One had inadequate security, given that they're going after "The New York Times" for publishing that?

WHITAKER: I think the biggest challenge we face oftentimes is protecting our national security. And I know, when I was acting attorney general, we took those issues

with leakers and those that were sharing our most important secrets that should not be out in the public, we took that seriously, and we enforced the law.

But I -- one of the nice things about being ambassador to NATO is I don't have to think about what the Department of Justice is doing. I know that Todd Blanche and team have it under good control. And I -- obviously, you're going to have to talk to them as to subpoenas and grand jury proceedings.

TAPPER: So let's turn to NATO, because President Trump said he's considering selling the F-35 fighter jet to one of the NATO members, Turkey.

Congress did pass a law six years ago barring Turkey from the F-35 program as long as they continue to rely on Russia's air defense technology, because it could collect sensitive data about the F-35 and send it back to Moscow.

Is the president willing to risk compromising our most advanced fighter aircraft and engaging in another showdown with Congress, which opposes this sale on national security grounds?

WHITAKER: Jake, the F-35 is an unprecedented platform. It's more than a fighter jet. It can do really some amazing things.

And we're going to have over six hundred ultimately here in Europe in control of our allies. Turkey wants to be part of the F-35 program. The S-400 air defense system is a conditioned precedent, as you point out, under U.S. law. I think what President Trump is doing is negotiating the deal with President Erdogan because that's the right thing to do, is to accomplish the goal of that law.

But take -- what we saw in Turkey and what my tours through Turkey have shown me is that they are a very capable ally, that they are integrated with the West, that they, again, want to be a key ally, especially in that region. They have been very helpful in other conflicts in that region. And I think we should lean into that relationship with Turkey.

But, obviously, we have red lines, and President Trump is going to make sure that the right deal is cut. And my good friend Tom Barrack, our ambassador to Turkey, is also going to make sure that that deal is in the best interest of the American people.

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TAPPER: So you're standing by -- before the NATO summit, you said Turkey would have to scrap the Russian missile defense system before the F-35 fighter jets could be sold to Turkey. You're standing by that that's going to happen, they're going to scrap the defense system if the F-35 sales are going to happen?

WHITAKER: Jake, I think it's very clear what American law requires. And you would expect that the United States of America doesn't want our most sophisticated fighter jet to be tested against Russia's air defense system.

And so that's, I think, a deal that can happen. I think it will happen. And this is -- F-35s, even if Turkey was allowed back in the program and met all the conditions under law, these planes would not be delivered tomorrow.

I mean, this is obviously the -- I saw in Fort Worth these planes rolling off the lines, and they're already assigned to other countries, including the United States. So I think it's going to be a long-term process, but we need to make sure that the deal is in the people -- American people's interest.

TAPPER: U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker joining us live from Brussels, thank you so much, sir.

Appreciate your time today.

WHITAKER: All right, thanks, Jake. Good to see you again.

TAPPER: The White House says that President Trump's going to call in, in a few minutes. We're going to have much more in our breaking news.

We will be right back.

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TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION.

The world reeling from the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Joining us now on the phone is President Trump to talk about his friend and ally.

Mr. President, thank you so much for joining us.

Obviously, quite a shock. The senator was a close ally of yours. He referred to himself as your North Star, the Trump guy in the Senate. What are your thoughts about Lindsey Graham this morning?

TRUMP: Well, it's devastating.

I thought he was fine. He called me last night. He just got back from Ukraine. And he had a great trip. He was telling me about the trip. He was pushing very, very hard. You probably know he wanted to do the SAVE America Act. And he was talking about that.

He was full of vim and vigor. He was tired. He said "I'm tired" because it's a long trip. But, other than that, he was he was fine. And he called me, I guess just moments before, because he called me like at 6:30 or something. And the medical people got there a little bit later, right after that.

What a terrible loss it is. He was a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them. He was a natural politician, got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was very tough. He was a tough cookie too, but he got -- got along with everybody.

TAPPER: Yes. He had some harsh words about you 10 years ago, when you were running against each other.

TRUMP: No, he did.

TAPPER: And...

TRUMP: well, he ran against me, and he was, you know, formidable. He was a tough cookie. He was tough and smart. And that's where I got to know him, on the campaign. I didn't know him before then.

And I spoke to him maybe once in my life before then. But I got to know him. He was one of the 17 people that ran against me. And he was a smart guy. And it was a nasty campaign. He was tough and nasty. But I was nasty too. And it worked out fine.

And I got to know him by little drips and drabs, and then we became friendly. And there was no better advocate. He was a fantastic advocate in the Senate. And he could do things that other people -- he was able to -- if I had a really big problem with a certain Democrat, he could work it out. That's something most Republicans can't do.

TAPPER: As you just mentioned, he died right after returning to Washington, D.C., from a trip to Ukraine. It was his 10th trip there. He was -- a strong belief in interventionism...

TRUMP: Right.

TAPPER: ... a staunch defender of Israel, a staunch advocate for Zelenskyy.

How influential was he with you when it came to foreign policy?

TRUMP: Well, we disagreed a little bit, but, overall, I'm a big Israel person. He was certainly that.

I was -- I wanted to see the war with Ukraine end very quickly. I think he was more into keeping it going, frankly. He was -- he was very, very militant having to do with that. But I was -- I was -- from the standpoint of 25,000 people dying every month, I didn't like that.

And he was very much -- he was a very strong military person. So am I. But I think we used it a little bit differently. We probably had a little bit of a different attitude. But we got along on it. Essentially, we agreed. And, essentially, we agreed on almost everything.

Where he was really becoming strong was the SAVE America Act. That was -- he was really -- and I think he was going to be there very, very strongly on the filibuster. He was against terminating the filibuster. And I think he was doing that, because he said, we have a budget coming up and we have debt ceiling coming up.

And the Democrats will -- they have -- they're deranged in many ways, and they're not going to be able to do it. So he was -- he was coming aboard, I think, for the filibuster, terminating the filibuster. But we -- before we did that, he was going to -- he was a strong advocate for SAVE America.

And that's what he called me about last night. I mean, think of it. I spoke to him just -- he had already landed. He was probably at his place. I don't know where he was. But I spoke to him. And then I got a call a few hours later saying -- late in the evening, at 2:00 in the morning, actually.

But they found out about it, I think, about 8:00, about his problem. But -- so it had to be something very quick, because he was fine. When I spoke -- other than being tired, he was fine.

TAPPER: He obviously was very supportive of the strikes against Iran. The U.S. and Iran have been engaging back and forth in strikes over the last few days and overnight.

[09:35:00]

Are we back at war? And who controls the Strait of Hormuz?

TRUMP: Well, I don't want to -- out of respect for Lindsey, I'm not talking about that.

We hit them very hard last night. So I don't want to talk about it, but I will say, we hit him very hard last night. We had a deal with them yesterday. They were giving up everything. And then, all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people, there's something wrong with them.

But I'm talking about a man who had nothing wrong with him. And that's Lindsey Graham.

TAPPER: Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. Is that true, Mr. President?

TRUMP: It's open as far as we're concerned. Don't talk about it. Talk about the reason that you asked me to speak.

TAPPER: OK.

We appreciate your time, sir.

TRUMP: But it's open.

TAPPER: Before I let you go, is there any other final word that you want the American people to know about Lindsey Graham? What was it about...

TRUMP: No.

I think his finest moment was his defense of Brett Kavanaugh, who is a terrific guy and was treated very, very unfairly by the Democrats, very unfairly. I have never seen anything like it, maybe the worst I have ever seen anyone treated. That includes me. Well, maybe not me. But it includes just about everybody. He was treated so unfairly. And Lindsey, as you remember, had that

moment. And I will tell you, Jake, I think it was a top 10, maybe a top five moment in the history of the Senate. It was an incredible display. And he did it from the heart. He felt strongly about Brett.

And he did it from the heart. And it turned that whole thing around. He was really amazing. That was a -- that was one they should replay.

TAPPER: Well, I know you don't want to talk about any other issues out of respect for Lindsey Graham, but we would love to have you back some time, because I do have a lot of other questions for you, sir.

TRUMP: Sure. We will do that. We will do that.

TAPPER: Thank you for calling in.

TRUMP: We're trying to...

TAPPER: Yes?

TRUMP: ... have CNN go on a normal path. And we will do that.

TAPPER: Well, I'm on a normal path right here, sir, and I appreciate your time.

TRUMP: Good. You are.

TAPPER: And thank you for calling in.

TRUMP: OK. Thanks a lot.

TAPPER: Thanks so much.

We will be right back after this quick break.

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[09:41:38]

TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION.

With tensions rising again in the Middle East, is the United States locked in a grinding low-grade war with Iran?

Joining us now is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Jim Himes.

Congressman, thanks for bearing with us during that sudden interview with President Trump.

Let me ask you about the Trump administration's subpoena of journalists from "The New York Times" after they reported about security concerns in the government about President Trump's new Qatari-gifted jet that's serving as Air Force One. What do you think of these subpoenas? REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Well, it's the same old story, right, Jake.

It's going to be to use the tools of the government -- and whether that's going after Adam Schiff over mortgage fraud or trying to get the phone records of "Washington Post" reporters because of their stories, it's using the tools of the government to attack one of the fundamental cornerstones of our democracy.

This has come up before, right? Legally and technically, the judiciary or a prosecutor can subpoena a reporter's records, but they don't. They don't because 99.9 percent of American leaders recognize that that is a cornerstone of our democracy.

So again, same old, same old, using the tools of the federal government to go after somebody who has written a story or is doing something that Donald Trump doesn't like.

TAPPER: President Trump did not fly that new Air Force One, the one that was a gift from Qatar, out of Turkey. Is it safe for President Trump to fly on his new plane, as far as you understand it?

HIMES: Well, Jake, I'm not steeped in the details of -- the technical details of Air Force One. But I will tell you this.

The actual Air Force One, not the Qatari version, is -- really, it looks like a plane, but it's got some capabilities that you wouldn't believe, for one, in-air refueling. In-air refueling is one of those remarkable, remarkable things that is really critical for the president's plane, because, if something happens, ranging from nuclear war to an airfield not being accessible or whatever, that plane needs to be refueled.

This is not changing the seats in the first-class section, right? That is a fundamental overhaul of the airplane, not to mention -- and, here, I suspect people get a little fiddly because they don't like to discuss security details.

But, yes, I'm sure that the real Air Force One, in contrast to the commercial civilian version, probably doesn't have all of the missile defenses that the official Air Force One has. So, yes, of course it's a security risk for the president to be flying this thing around.

TAPPER: On Iran, CNN obtained some exclusive satellite imagery. We also analyzed it.

It suggests Iran may be attempting to rebuild its suspected nuclear facilities. How do you assess the state of Iran's nuclear program right now? Have they been trying to rebuild their nuclear program during this cease-fire?

HIMES: Well, I think there's two things to say about that, Jake. The first is sort of the more tactical thing, which I can't be terribly specific about, but all of the nuclear materials are still there.

They're just buried behind a bunch of rubble. And, as you might imagine, the Iranians are interested in that not being the case. And so, as a consequence, I think they have been doing work to try to figure out, how can we recover the materials that are still there?

By the way, it's not dust. The president keeps talking about nuclear dust. It's not dust. This stuff is down there and recoverable. The more -- the more concerning question, Jake, is, the regime survived what the president promised us would be a regime-ending attack on them.

[09:45:02]

They are realizing that they have got one hell of a strategic lever in the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz. And I heard what the president just said. When the Iranians decide they're not letting ships through there, they're not going to let ships through there, right?

And so what really concerns me about that nuclear material is, they're going to look at North Korea, they're going to look at Pakistan, they're going to look at India, and say, hey, those countries aren't getting attacked the way we just did twice. Why? And the answer is because they have nuclear weapons.

So my concern is that, on the backside of this war, Iran is going to be more motivated than they were a year ago to actually produce the weapon that they know will forever take off the table an attack on their country.

TAPPER: Congressman Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it, sir.

HIMES: Thanks, Jake.

TAPPER: Coming up next, my panel weighs in on a very eventful political week.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:32]

TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION.

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, has died at age 71.

Our panel is with us now.

And David Urban, you knew the senator. Tell us...

(CROSSTALK)

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

Jake, your faith has a great expression, may his memory be a blessing, right? TAPPER: Yes.

URBAN: And I say that there in this, in all due respect to people who disagreed with him, but Senator Graham was a survivor.

I first met Senator Graham in 1998 during the Clinton -- he was a House manager in the Clinton impeachment, right? And so think about his evolution from that, surviving so many just political challenges. And you talked to the president earlier about him fighting with the president, becoming an ally.

But, throughout that all, he remained a gentleman in the Senate who could still get things done. He still would cross the aisle to work with people in a bipartisan fashion, something we don't see much anymore in Washington. Lindsey Graham could still cut deals. And I'm afraid that if we replace senators like Lindsey Graham with new senators, that we're going to lose that skill set, right...

TAPPER: Right.

URBAN: ... that comity, I-T-Y, in this institution, in this town is going away, and that we need more people who are willing to cross the aisle, like Lindsey Graham was.

Listen, he was a conservative, he believed in what he believed in, but he was still not afraid to vote with his colleagues on the other side of the aisle and get things done. Remember the three amigos. It was Lieberman, right, back in the day.

TAPPER: Lieberman and McCain. Now they're all gone.

URBAN: So they're all gone.

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And the issue area where I think he was most known for sort of holding firm, even as the ground of the Republican Party seemed to shift underneath him, was foreign policy, an enormous advocate for support for Ukraine, a big advocate for Israel in the Middle East, really trying to stand up for this idea that America is safer when it projects power around the world.

That is not an idea that is as much in vogue these days. We are a long ways away from the Republican Party of 20, 30 years ago in terms of what voters think on some of those issues. But Lindsey Graham was unwavering in his belief that if the United States was vocal and powerful around the world, that that would make a difference.

TAPPER: We're also lucky to have with us on our panel Brian Tyler Cohen, who has a brand-new book popping on Tuesday. It's called "The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World."

Let's turn this topic of the conversation, if we can, to events in Maine this last week, where a very populist anti-establishment Democrat stepped out of the race after some credible accusations of sexual assault and even rape in his past. Where do you see the Graham Platner race in the framing of your book?

Because you talk about it's not good enough to applaud the establishment candidates who promise that everything can go back to normal. When you vote in the primaries, you will need to select candidates who understand the urgency of the moment.

You probably -- and I don't want to put words in your -- you probably thought Platner was a guy like that. Where do you see that in terms of your framing of your book?

BRIAN TYLER COHEN, AUTHOR, "THE DAY AFTER: HOW TO WIELD POWER IN A POST-TRUMP WORLD": Yes, in large part, he was a great representation of I think what a new Democratic Party needed to look like in terms of the aggressiveness, the willingness to actually fight.

We have seen Republicans abuse power for so long. And, meanwhile, Democrats feel like the party of strongly worded letters. And so Graham Platner, I'm very sympathetic to his stance on all of the issues. Obviously, what he did was disgusting.

And I think that the left more broadly did a good job, was effective at making sure that there was no -- proving that there was no room in the Democratic Party moving forward for people like that.

You look at Eric Swalwell, same deal, pushed out of the race because there was a zero tolerance policy. You compare that with what we see on the right, where not only is it not disqualifying. I mean, Matt Gaetz was -- dealt with his own legal issues as it relates to being accused of sex trafficking of minors, was almost elevated to be attorney general of the United States.

Trump himself has more than a dozen credible accusations of sexual assault. So it almost doesn't even feel disqualifying, but a prerequisite for a lot of these people.

TAPPER: Karen Finney, as the more establishment Democrat at the table, if -- can I call you that?

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: No?

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, the black girl at the table, the establishment. I wish. I'd like to make some establishment money. How about that?

TAPPER: Well, anyway, how do you view it all?

FINNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: Before I turn to you on that, though, let me just play a little clip. This is an interview that we did. Obviously, full disclosure. We did two of the interviews that caused the Platner situation to happen, his resignation.

One of them was with Jenny Racicot, who dated him from 2019 to 2021, accused him of rape. The other one was with a woman, a conservative named Lyndsey Fifield, who dated him in 2013-2014. And she came forward with her accusations more than a month ago, and Democrats basically said she's a Republican operative.

[09:55:10]

Here -- we talked to her, not you.

FINNEY: Not everybody.

TAPPER: Not you, but others.

FINNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: Anyway, here is a little bit of our interview with Lyndsey Fifield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDSEY FIFIELD, GRAHAM PLATNER ACCUSER: That is something that I feel people need to understand is, it was almost looking at a pit bull, where they just -- there's -- it's nothing, but not just nothing, but a capacity for violence.

And you see it, and you know it's there, and it's terrifying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: There are Democrats who say, why weren't her allegations in "The New York Times" in early June enough?

FINNEY: Well, and some also, for them, it was the tattoo that was enough.

TAPPER: The Totenkopf?

FINNEY: The Totenkopf tattoo.

I mean, look, there was some disagreement within the party from the beginning. And I think one of the things that my party has to learn how to reckon with is, we always should be trying to evolve and be the party of big ideas and have bring in new voices and faces.

But that doesn't mean you don't -- and what I -- the slight disagreement I have with you is the recklessness with which he looked good on paper, but nobody actually did the job of...

TAPPER: Vetting?

FINNEY: Vetting and looking at the self-vet.

I mean, we're talking about some of this information was self-vetting. It wasn't even like a Republican operative came up with it, right, on the outside. And so I think we have to do both. I think you have to vet these candidates. We need to -- yes, we need people who are going to be fighters. And I think one of the things in Maine they're going to have to do as they go through this process is, who will Mainers believe is going to take forward those ideas? People are angry about corruption in Washington. They're angry that they don't hear enough about solving their problems. They're angry about the war. They're angry about money in politics in ways that I haven't seen in -- for about 10 years it became this high of an issue.

URBAN: Jake, I was going to say, taking up Brian, -- the challenge I think for both Republicans and Democrats in a post-Trump world is, who's going to control that coalition that Trump put together, right?

I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It was Democrats, but they all voted for Reagan. They all started voting Republican. And those Democrats have now become Republicans. And how do Democrats get those Democrats back? White working-class people, how do they get those back? And I think that's the challenge.

TAPPER: How do you get them back, Brian?

COHEN: I mean, in large part, it's actually -- I mean, you can learn a lot from what Donald Trump himself promised on the campaign trail.

We know now, in retrospect, that he had no intention on delivering any of those things, any lower costs, any prevention of war, foreign interventionism. Now we're in a position where we can see that all of the things he promised are not coming to fruition.

But I think that Democrats need to, can and need to pick up that mantle of actually delivering. And, in large part, we view the institutions of government as enough of a barrier to not do those things. We see norms and traditions and the filibuster and the parliamentarian, that's always enough to block Democrats.

Trump has shown that those things aren't so sacrosanct, but he's doing it for self-enrichment. We have to be able to do it for virtuous reasons.

SOLTIS ANDERSON: Right now, the Democrats are going through a little bit of what Republicans, frankly, went through 10, 15 years ago, which is really being interested in candidates who say they're going to fight, but have no track record because they're outsiders.

There's this interest and hunger, and I want someone completely from the outside who says they're going to fight, while more -- quote, unquote -- "establishment candidates" may have actually put points on the board for their own side, but that is not valued if you can go out and really sort of throw verbal punches, rather than have a track record.

TAPPER: The book, again, Brian Tyler Cohen's "The Day After."

Thanks for spending your Sunday morning with us.

"FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" starts next.