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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: U.S. Faces Sixth Day of Protests; U.S. and China Agree to a Trade Framework; Kharkiv Under Attack; Gaza Death Toll Climbs; Trump Tells Netanyahu to End War in Gaza; Middle East Security Concerns; Trump and the Kennedy Center; Remembering Brian Wilson. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 11, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in New York. And you're watching "The

Brief."

Just ahead this hour, cities across the U.S. face a sixth day of protests as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says, the National Guard could be sent to

other states if needed. This official say non-essential personnel are being relocated from missions across the Middle East. And remembering Brian

Wilson, the creative force behind the Beach Boys who has passed away at the age of 82. All that and more coming up.

We begin in Los Angeles where another curfew is set to begin tonight in downtown, the city gearing up for what could be a new night of protests

over President Donald Trump's expanding immigration raids. And more anti- ICE demonstrations are now spreading to cities across the U.S. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was joined by 30 regional mayors earlier. Their

communities are facing the deployment of National Guard troops and possibly even. U.S. Marines. Legally, those troops can protect federal property and

personnel. However, they are limited in how they handle people. Can they detain people? That could change if President Trump invokes what's known as

the Insurrection Act. It would be an historic step. State and city officials did not ask for these troops, and the L.A. mayor accuses the

president of provoking chaos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN BASS, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: We started off by hearing the administration wanted to go after violent felons, gang members, drug

dealers, but when you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our

streets, you're not trying to keep anyone safe. You're trying to cause fear and panic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Mayor Bass questions whether the White House is using her city as a laboratory and experiment in taking law enforcement power from local

authorities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tells the following to lawmakers earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Part of it is getting ahead of a problem. So, that if in other places, if there are other riots and places

where law enforcement officers are threatened, we would have the capability to surge National Guard there if necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Kyung Lah has been on this story, the protests since the beginning and she joins me now. You've been watching these over the last

several days, we've had the opportunity to speak. Can you describe the nature of the protests and the vast majority of the protestors. The

government describes violence, it describes chaos. What do you see?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, today is quite a different day, at least in tone, feel, and size compared to everything

we've seen in days previous. So, beginning with the guard itself, they're - - you can see they look -- even though they are, you know, suited up, they're quite more relaxed than we've seen in previous days.

I'm going to have my cameraman, Jerry, take a look through the crowd here. There's almost as much press as there are people who've come here to

protest. So, things are beginning to shift here on the ground. And what we have seen that is quite effective as far as crowd control so far, is that

this curfew yesterday was extremely effective in getting people to go home.

The on-ramps and off-ramps to the biggest freeway going through downtown right near here, those are shut down. And the feel of it is very different

today than it has been, as I was saying, Jim, almost every single day. You know, you pull some of the protestors aside and you try to talk to them,

and they tell you that they feel very impassioned that they want to be here. They want to get a message out. But at the same time, you can -- you

know, things have a cadence and a feel to them, and it is starting to become evident that at least some of what the city is doing has become

effective. It is sending a message saying, people let out some steam. You get your message out and then go home. Avoid property damage and you will

be prosecuted if you engage in anything like that. That message appears to be going through.

[18:05:00]

It is much calmer today than it has in the past. I haven't seen any confrontations, Jim, between the guard, law enforcement, and I don't see

very much LAPD here at all. Jim.

SCIUTTO: Kyung, have you or other CNN teams witnessed National Guardsmen arresting or detaining any protestors?

LAH: I haven't personally. What we have seen -- since Sunday, what I've seen is some engagement between the National Guard using their shields to

push protesters back, to put them to the ground. I haven't seen them go out and make direct arrests. That has been the job of the LAPD, and that is the

way it's designed to work here in this city. As far as, you know, these officers here, no, I haven't seen any of that at all.

SCIUTTO: Kyung Lah, good to have you on the ground. Please keep yourself and your team safe. Joining me now is Margaret Talev. She's a senior

contributor at Axios. Margaret, good to have you here.

MARGARET TALEV, SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR, AXIOS AND DIRECTOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY, JOURNALISM AND CITIZENSHIP: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: The administration. Is going out to detain more people. And when you speak -- for instance, I spoke to the former acting director of ICE and

he's not alone in this analysis, that this is about meeting quotas to arrest and then deport, because they've been lagging, at least based on the

administration's ambitious goals. Is this a fight that the administration wants, in effect? Does it want to see protestors getting in the way of

those expanded detentions?

TALEV: You know, I think it's a really important question that you're asking on a couple of different levels. One is a policy question. It is,

does the president feel that he has a better chance of getting controversial policy through if there is a visual specter that Americans

around the country can see of what looks like violence and unrest in the streets? And that is one issue. But the other issue really is a question of

the politics of militarization, the idea of bringing the, you know, military in to a domestic kind of situation.

I mean, this is really, really not beyond the norms of the United States. And so, you see these two things proceeding at the same time. We have seen

like -- look, when you look at polling, and the polling is pretty inconclusive because this is so new. OK? But if you look at the polling,

you see President Trump's favorability over his handling of the economy dipping. People really concerned about tariffs. Many people have said about

Elon Musk. This changes the conversation to a topic that he's actually polling quite well on.

There are so many Americans, not just the MAGA base, but sort of centrist or swing voter Americans, even some Democrats, who were really concerned

about undocumented migration. They say something has to be done, they even support deportations. And the question is, how far will they go? What do

they really support? Do they support this kind of raids against nonviolent people? Do they support, you know, taking over a National Guard against the

governor's wishes, bringing in the Marines to bear, and to some extent fomenting the desire to protest in the streets?

SCIUTTO: Well, there's also concern among mayors, right, that this is a test case for other cities around the country. And by the way, as you know,

this wouldn't be the first time that this administration has tried to -- Trump, excuse the word, local authority in ways that it can. If you're

talking about National Guard on the streets of multiple American cities, what is the intention there? Is that purely just about security or is that

about political control?

TALEV: I mean, it's so totally speculative. We don't know how far he is willing to go, what his plans are, if there are plans, all of the above.

But I will say that I think California is -- probably to the president feels like a pretty safe test case. You didn't see this unfolding in Texas,

where there are also major immigration concerns or in Florida where there are also major immigration concerns. You see it happening in California.

And two things are true. I know from my, not just polling, but our focus groups that we're deeply involved in. And one is that California is kind of

easy to -- otherwise if you ask someone who lives on the East Coast or middle America, especially if they're conservative or don't like the, you

know, liberals, you ask them what they think about California and you would think that the entire state is engulfed in flames at all times.

But the other is that there is -- Americans just, as a whole, do not have the same sort of sympathy or concern about civil rights to undocumented

migrants who living in the United States -- you know, who shouldn't -- who don't have sort of the legal standing to be here.

[18:10:00]

They don't see that right now the same way as an American citizen's civil rights. Now, that may change depending on what happens next, but right now,

you have the combination of California, which many Americans on the other side of the country, you know, say, that state's not for me. And also, the

idea of the conversation being around undocumented immigrants and people saying, I'm concerned about, you know, maybe he's going too far, but these

people shouldn't be here.

SCIUTTO: Right. Although, we should not --

TALEV: And when you have that combination --

SCIUTTO: We should note that some of the arrests are -- some of the arrests when you talk about protesters are not of undocumented.

TALEV: Absolutely.

SCIUTTO: People that -- they're people who are citizens of this country who are demonstrating. Although, of course, acts of violence are a

different category. Margaret Talev, thanks so much as always.

TALEV: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: You might call a case of deja vu all over again, in the U.S.- China trade relationship. The world's two largest economies say the tariff truce that they hammered out last month is now back on track after the

conclusion of high-level talks in London. Details of what was agreed to are scarce. President Trump says tariffs on Chinese imports remain steady at 55

percent. Tariffs on U.S. imports will hold at 10 percent. The Wall Street Journal reports that China agreed to ease rare earth export licenses, but

only for six months, suggesting Beijing wants leverage in case those tensions flare up again. Beijing stance on rare earths and magnets was a

big reason why the trade truce initially broke down. Big concern for U.S. companies, particularly high-tech companies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congress he has high hopes for what was agreed to in London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: China has a singular opportunity to stabilize its economy by shifting away from excess production towards

greater consumption. But the country needs to be a reliable partner in trade negotiations. If China will course correct by upholding its end of

the initial trade agreement we outlined in Geneva, and I believe after our talks in London they will, then the rebalancing of the world's largest --

two largest economies is possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: U.S. stocks initially rose on the news, but they ended of the day mostly lower flat on the Dow Jones. The U.S. also released a better-than-

expected inflation report showing prices little change last month.

Joining me now, Myron Brilliant. He's the former executive vice president and head of International Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Myron,

good to have you back.

MYRON BRILLIANT, FORMER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Good to see you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first, let's begin on what we know, and we don't know a lot about this deal. Trump says, China's given up on rare earths. We got all we

need, rare earth and magnets. Bessent says there was no quid pro quo. I'm curious here. Trump mentioned allowing China's -- Chinese students to study

in the U.S. Neither of them mentioned relaxation of U.S. export controls on technology, semiconductors, et cetera. Do you believe China would make a

deal if the U.S. did not relax those restrictions?

BRILLIANT: So, first off, this is not -- you know, we've gone from DEFCON back to DEFCON 2, right? We are ratcheting down the tensions. We're getting

back to Geneva, as you said at the outset, we're back to square one. What we don't know is what was discussed in the room that isn't yet part of this

latest round of negotiations, meaning, what was said on export controls, right?

There are things we know are in the pipeline that the Commerce Department is talking about doing. Did the administration talk about future actions?

Did they talk about past export controls? Did they agree to freeze certain measures around tools and other things that had limitations since the

middle of May since the Geneva talk? So, we still need those details, right?

And even on the issue of rare earths and magnets, look, that gives comfort to the automakers and manufacturers and some of the military providers in

our country, right? Ford can now, for six months, have a little bit more comfort, hopefully. But six months we'll go quickly, right? It will go in a

blink of an eye. So, we don't know what the two sides really agreed to do next, right? Where is this heading? What's the bottom line? Where are these

negotiations leading us to, right?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BRILLIANT: We ratchet up, we escalate, and then we deescalate. So, bottom line is, I don't think we know yet what the commerce secretary got orders

to do and what this President Trump sign off on. Because certainly, the Chinese want something on export controls. That's clear.

SCIUTTO: There's some history here. Because if you look back to trade agreements from the first Trump administration with China for -- you'll

remember, all those promises to buy U.S. soybeans that didn't come to be.

BRILLIANT: Absolutely.

SCIUTTO: And trade deals between the U.S. and China and really the U.S. and any country require weeks and months of negotiation and agreement and

lots of paperwork and fine print. Should we treat this more like a handshake truce for now as opposed to a formal lasting trade agreement?

[18:15:00]

BRILLIANT: This isn't a trade agreement. This is a step in the process to get them back on track to have future negotiations. We thought the scope of

topics would be broader and perhaps behind the scenes it was. But what comes out of this is really just an ability to get back on track to what

the framework was in Geneva in the middle of May. So, you know, we don't have any reduction of tariffs, right. That's clear. The president's made

that clear. We don't see any purchases. In fact, news out of Beijing as they're talking about doing something for Airbus. You know, where's the

Boeing deal coming?

So, we still have a lot of mystery in what ultimately will be on the plate, on the table for sub negotiations, right? Scott Bessent talks about a

longer timeframe now, right? So, one thing we're hearing is a noise that perhaps not just with China, but with other trading partners, there'll be a

longer extended trade talks. I think it will take time. China's got a hand they want to play. The United States has things they want to get done. It

wasn't resolved in London in two days of negotiation.

But it's better than the alternative. It ratchets down tensions. It brings some short-term stability, not long-term, right? You're not going to get

comfort out of London's talks, but you get back on track and that's progress.

SCIUTTO: Listen, I mean, it's sort of a common quality with a lot of these negotiations, right? There's a lot of punting down the field. And we'll see

how long that lasts. Myron Brilliant, thanks so much for joining.

BRILLIANT: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: New CNN reporting shows that U.S. lawmakers were trading stocks heavily during one of the most tumultuous times in the Trump trade war. Our

analysis shows a spike of activity back in April, right before President Trump reversed course and announced his 90-day tariff pause, which you'll

remember sent stocks soaring. Lawmakers tell CNN that the trades were largely carried out by third-party financial advisors. But the timing

raises new ethical concerns over exactly how lawmakers invest their money and what rules they follow.

Annie Grayer joins me now from Capitol Hill. Annie, in a different time, one might imagine a House Ethics panel investigating these trades, or even

perhaps the DOJ and there have been members of Congress prosecuted for insider trading. Is there any such investigation or look at this that's

going to take place or is taking place on the hill?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: Well, nothing like that, Jim, but what these trades and the activity around them is doing is creating a renewed push to

ban the practice altogether. What I did for this story was look at all of lawmakers' filings that they -- for trades they made, their spouses or for

a third-party to see what they were doing, and there was real spike going on.

So, from March 31st, which is two days before the tariffs went into effect through April 9th, the day of the pause, as you mentioned, 35 lawmakers

were making trades. And this was a bipartisan group. It's not one party or another. Now, lawmakers only have to file ranges for their trades, but they

-- this group was buying somewhere between $8 and $27 million in the stock market and selling somewhere between $5 and $22 million. That's a really

big range.

And this -- what this has done is put a renewed spotlight on this practice that has leaving a lot of people questioning whether lawmakers can buy into

this stock market, financially enrich themselves without there being this question of what information they may know.

Now, everyone who I spoke to for this story said that they were not involved in their stock trades, but the legal and ethics experts who I

spoke to said that there are real concerns here. So, there's a lot of questions with the way the current laws are written, the loopholes of

enforcement here, and what all of this has led to is an unlikely group pushing for this practice to be banned.

So, we have President Trump House, Speaker Johnson, and the top Democrat in the house, three lawmakers who don't normally get along all saying that

this practice needs to be banned.

SCIUTTO: We'll see if they take those steps. Annie Grayer, great reporting. So, important. Thanks so much.

Well, coming up, Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, is reeling from a massive Russian drone attack. This as President Trump's apparent two-week

deadline for Vladimir Putin has run out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: Ukraine is reeling from yet another massive drone attack on its second largest city officials say Russian drone strikes hit apartment

blocks in Kyiv overnight. 17 explosions in just nine minutes. Three people killed 59 others injured.

President Donald Trump, his two-week Ukraine deadline for the Kremlin expires today. He had said he was going to give Putin two weeks to discuss

peace. He promised to have an answer on Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war and perhaps the U.S. imposing new penalties on

Russia. It hasn't happened.

Joining us now, Chris Kirchhoff. He was the director of strategic planning for the National Security Council under Barack Obama. He's co-author of

"Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War." Chris, good to have you on.

CHRIS KIRCHHOFF, CO-AUTHOR, "UNIT X": Thank you.

SCIUTTO: First, I want to start on the impact of drones and just how we've seen drone warfare advance in Ukraine. You mentioned quite a notable

example of this, that, of the 31 U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks that the U.S. sent to Ukraine, which at the time, as you remember they were going to change

the war for the Ukrainians. That all 31 of them have been destroyed by Russian kamikaze drones. And we've seen Ukraine, as I understand it, caused

the majority of Russian battle deaths and losses on the field due to drone warfare.

What is that impact for other weapon systems? Does that mean it's the end of the tank? Does it mean it's the end of artillery warfare? How broad do

these effects go?

KIRCHHOFF: Well, we're seeing war transform right before our eyes. And if you look at the third-year of the Ukraine conflict, right now, 80 percent

of the casualties on both sides are caused by drones. The Ukrainian military actually now launches more drones than they do artillery shells.

So, we're seeing a shift to just an extraordinary amount of lethality that are being caused by drones.

And you know, not only are drones becoming more widespread on both sides, but the third year of Ukraine war is actually more deadly than the first

and the second year combined.

SCIUTTO: You helped create the Defense Innovation Unit at the Pentagon, the DIU, and the mission, as I understand it, is to basically speed up

America's adoption of new technologies in war and try to leverage some of the expertise and the technologies from the private sector more quickly. Is

it your sense that the U.S. is making adjustments to this new style of warfare quickly enough because, as you know better than me, Pentagon has a

long history of staying wedded to big, older legacy weapons systems that they kind of have trouble giving up.

[18:25:00]

KIRCHHOFF: Yes. You know, militaries are conservative for a bunch of good reasons. You know, trying out new things in war can be incredibly risky,

but also, you don't want to bring to -- you know, a new war weapons platforms that were built for an earlier war.

So, what we're seeing right now is part of a historic shift that actually begins at the end of the Cold War. You know, it used to be that the U.S.

government had an absolute monopoly on advanced technology. DARPA, you know, other defense labs were inventing things like global positioning

systems and stealth technology. But today, the defense labs are actually quite small in comparison to the commercial technology market.

I mean, if you look at companies like Apple or Microsoft or Amazon, they are larger, each of them, than the entire defense industry combined. And

so, that tells someone like me that the locus of innovation has shifted. And if the U.S. military wants to remain competitive in buying innovative

technology, it's going to have to move beyond the traditional defense primes that have supplied so many of our large weapon systems.

SCIUTTO: Specific to the Ukraine War, of course, a lot of attention paid to. What will Ukraine do if the U.S. stops supporting it in terms of weapon

systems? Has Ukraine developed enough of a domestic weapons production industry, specifically -- in particular, I should say, with drones and not

just air drones, but sea drones, et cetera, to compensate for that? In other words, can Ukraine do it alone, right, if the U.S. were to walk away

because of this technology?

KIRCHHOFF: Well, you know, the Ukrainians have proved themselves to be incredibly adept innovators. Today in Ukraine there are now about 300

companies that are making systems, whether offensive or defensive, to aid the military effort. We have to remember, the Ukrainian population has a

very high number of highly educated engineers and computer programmers. And so, they are adept at actually creating technology. And in fact, a lot of

western technology this has brought over to the battlefield has not proven to be successful because it's designed for an environment that the Russian

electronic warfare systems, you know, are very effective at jamming. So, in many cases, actually the Ukrainian technology is better.

But it is also true that the U.S. provides really essential technology for drone defense, radars, patriot missiles, and rockets that are used in

combination with a lot of Ukrainian systems to defend against the very kind of drone attacks that we saw overnight in Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Listen, they're deadly. Chris Kirchhoff, fascinating. It won't be the last time we talk about this. Again, the title of your book,

"Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War." And it's happening very quickly.

Coming up, grim new numbers out of Gaza as the death toll continues to rise. We also have new details on what President Trump recently told the

Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a telephone call.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. Here are more international headlines we're watching today. Another curfew is set to

begin tonight in Los Angeles. The city gearing up for what could be a new night of protests over President Donald Trump's expanding immigration

raids. This as anti-ICE demonstration spread to other cities in the U.S.

The military says some 700 active-duty U.S. Marines deployed to L.A. are still training before they enter the heart of the city. L.A. police said

they arrested more than 200 people overnight for failure to disperse.

Austria is in mourning as police search for answers in one of the country's deadliest mass shootings. The nation observed a minute of silence today

after Tuesday's deadly shooting at a school in the City of Graz. Nine students and a teacher were killed when a gunman opened fire. Authorities

say the suspect is a 21-year-old Austrian man who attended the school but did not graduate. He took his own life at the scene.

The retrial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will end with a split verdict. He has been convicted of the top charge forcibly subjugating his

victim to a criminal sex act. He was acquitted of a second sex act charge against a different woman. Jurors are still deliberating a third charge.

Weinstein maintains his innocence. His original trial was a landmark in the MeToo movement.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 55,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the war began. It says more than

17,000 children are among the dead. We should note the ministry's figures do not distinguish between civilians and militants. This as the U.S.

ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee says, a two-state solution is no longer a goal of U.S. policy. The State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, was

asked about those comments on CNN earlier. She declined to say whether Huckabee's views are the administration position.

A source tells CNN, President Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza and to stop threats to attack Iran's nuclear

facilities. Iran's defense minister has warned that if nuclear talks were to fail and conflict breaks out, the U.S. would be forced to leave the

region.

Joining me now is Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. Also, the author of

"Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians from Balfour to Trump." Khaled, thanks so much for joining.

KHALED ELGINDY, CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARAB STUDIES, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, VISITING SCHOLAR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY AND AUTHOR, "BLIND

SPOT": Yes. Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: First, let me begin with Ambassador Huckabee's statement regarding the two-state solution. Do you believe that is now U.S. policy

that the U.S. is no longer invested in the two-state solution?

ELGINDY: I think whether it's spoken or not, I think it is effectively the Trump administration's policy to do away with the two-state solution. We

saw signs of that certainly in the first Trump term. The Trump peace plan that was put forward talked about a Palestinian State, but not one that had

any real sovereignty. It would've been completely surrounded and controlled by Israel.

So, we're not really talking about two-states. I think what Mike Huckabee has done is sort of done away with the pretense that the Trump

administration is at all interested in Palestinian self-determination.

[18:35:00]

SCIUTTO: Let me ask about an even more controversial statement by the administration. He suggested that Muslim countries should give up their

land to create a future Palestinian State. As you know, President Trump has discussed turning Gaza into a -- well, a Las Vegas or something. And there

have been open suggestions from some Israeli leaders and some in this country of moving the people of Gaza out of Gaza. Sometimes it said

temporarily, sometimes it's not so clear. Do you believe that it is becoming U.S. policy, forcible displacement of the people of Gaza, and

perhaps even the West Bank?

ELGINDY: Yes, I think anytime the president of the United States articulates a position, that is effectively the U.S. policy. And President

Trump has not backed down from his call for removing the population of Gaza. And I think Ambassador Huckabee's remarks are also alarming in that

he's talking about the Palestinian people as a whole, no matter where they are. Effectively saying that they should be removed in order for a

Palestinian State to be created. In someone else's country as opposed to their actual homeland.

And I think we have to kind of take a step back and fully appreciate the level of dehumanization and frankly, racism that has permeated the entire

political discourse on Israel and specifically with regard to the Palestinians when a country like the United States is advocating for what

is essentially ethnic cleansing, that is I think a really remarkable thing, particularly since this same administration is cracking down on anyone who

is criticizing Israel, whether they're on college campuses or writing op- eds, they're being smeared as anti-Semites while also advocating for what is a crime against humanity.

And, you know, obviously a violation of the most basic tenants of international law. I think this is --

SCIUTTO: We should note too that the ambassador, Huckabee, has even talked about Palestinians leaving the West Bank, which gets to your point about

perhaps, well, at least broader ambitions. What stands in the way of this, is my question. Because you have a far-right Israeli government with

members who openly speak of exactly these things that you're talking about. And if you have a U.S. administration that's not willing to pull them back,

it's certainly not clear. There's very little evidence that the Israeli government will listen to protest from, for instance, European allies or

from the International Criminal Court or the U.N. What would stop it? I mean, if Israel were to announce tomorrow and the U.S. would give either

tacit or explicit support for it of attempting to force the Palestinian people out of the country?

ELGINDY: Yes. I mean, right now there, there is nothing to stop it. I mean, I suppose theoretically we're, it -- were Israel to actually initiate

a forced expulsion of Palestinians from anywhere in the occupied territories, well, they would have to push them into somewhere, either

Egypt most likely, or Jordan, you know, bordering the West Bank and Gaza.

And that's not something either the Egyptian or the Jordanian authorities is going to accept. And so, it's not clear how logistically or politically

that would work. So, one thing that is standing in the way of this kind of greater Israel and the removal of Palestinians is the fact that where else

would they go? No country has agreed to be part -- a party to, as I said, what is essentially ethnic cleansing. And so, that is a real problem.

But having said that, though, the fact that Israel has now imposed a starvation siege on Gaza, that it has destroyed the institutions that

sustain life in Gaza, the basic infrastructure of Gaza, most of everything has been destroyed in Gaza, it's reasonable to assume that over time people

will leave because there's simply nothing there. The health system has been systematically destroyed. And so, there's a risk of it being quietly ethnic

-- ethnically cleansed, if not, you know, in one fell swoop.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Self-fulfilling prophecy in effect. Khaled Elgindy, thanks so much for joining.

ELGINDY: Yes, thank you.

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: A Defense Department official says the Pentagon has now authorized military dependences to leave U.S. posts in the Middle East. A

U.S. official says the State Department is preparing to order non-essential personnel to leave embassies in Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait and Iraqi

government officials says there are no securities threats in that country that would warrant such a move.

Joining me now is Kylie Atwood. And I wonder, Kylie, how the State Department explains these decisions here. Have they been specific about

what particular threat that they're preparing for?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No, we don't know the particulars of this threat, but I've talked to U.S. officials who said

there is a heightened security concern in the region. U.S. Central Command significantly said that they're monitoring developing tensions in the

Middle East.

And, Jim, we know that as both the U.S. and -- as both the State Department and the Pentagon are moving to draw down their non-essential footprint in

the region there has been this tension between Israel and Iran that we have been, of course, reporting on. The embassies that are going to be impacted

here, as you said, include the U.S. diplomatic posts in Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain. So, we'll watch to see what those movements look like.

But this is also coming as the Trump administration has been trying, over the course of the last few months, to clinch an Iran nuclear deal. Just

last time that they met with the Iranians, the U.S. put a proposal on the table for a nuclear deal. The Iranians have not yet given a formal response

as far as we know. The expectation being that they would give that when they're planning to meet for their six-round of talks this weekend.

But we also heard earlier today in an interview that was released with President Trump, him saying that he is less and less confident that a deal

is within reach and he is growing concerned, frustrated that Iran might be trying to delay any deal from coming to fruition.

SCIUTTO: Yes, it's quite similar to his comments about Putin and any deal or peace agreement or even ceasefire regarding Ukraine. Kylie Atwood,

thanks so much.

Still ahead, President Trump steal the spotlight at the Kennedy Center as "Les Miserables" opens, but performers are bowing out. We'll explain why.

That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. President Donald Trump has arrived at the Kennedy Center where he'll be sitting down to watch a production of the musical

"Les Miserables." It's the first time he's caught a show at the center since essentially making himself the chair.

[18:45:00]

Since then, ticket and subscription sales are down markedly. It's not just the audience. It seems that some of the performers are refusing to be there

as well.

Last month, CNN reported some 10 to 12 cast members had planned to boycott the performance. Joining me now is Kristen Holmes. Good to have you on.

First of all, how much of a backlash are -- is the administration finding within the -- not -- well, just the performers, ticket buyers, others in

the Kennedy Center Organization. Is this a broad phenomenon they're seeing?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they would say no. They say that the timing is different than last year, that they put

ticket sales on at a different time. We heard that from the acting director, Rick Grenell. He also just addressed to the performers saying

those were old reports that we'll see what happens tonight.

Now, I can tell you one thing, there is no one who is closer or a bigger supporter of Donald Trump than Rick Grenell. And there is not a likelihood

that he's going to allow a situation in which Donald Trump is embarrassed. So, what does that look like? Does that mean that the people aren't going

to boycott? No, but it could mean that they just looks as though they don't show -- like they're going to show up on stage. It'll just be understudies

instead of the original cast.

The other thing I was asking questions about to people at the Kennedy Center, because I saw there were public tickets on sale, was if they were

worried that people were going to come and boo Donald Trump. Obviously, we saw a few months ago J. D. Vance and his wife went to the Kennedy Center,

they got booed.

And now, I was told that there -- the administration had bought tickets, that there was lots of tickets that went to Trump's supporters and people

who backed the president. So, they weren't necessarily afraid of any booing just because they believed the number of people who are pro-Trump would

outweigh the number of people who might be potential booers or protesters there.

The other thing to keep in mind is this is a fundraiser for the Kennedy Center. Donald Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center Board, essentially,

he knocked out everybody, fired everyone from the board, installed his loyalists, and then they voted him to be the head of the board. And one of

his big undertakings has been that he wants to rebuild and rebrand the Kennedy Center.

He's trying to get $250 million into that Senate -- that budget bill that's currently in front of the Senate. And part of this is a fundraiser for the

Kennedy Center. So, they were asking people for $2 million. And if you spent $2 million, give a $2 million donation, you get to sit in the box

next to the president and also be part of a cocktail hour. There were also million-dollar tickets. There were a hundred thousand dollars tickets.

So, unclear how much money they actually raised from this and what this actually looks like. Because as I said, we also know there were seats

available that were just going to staffers and administration officials that are going to be in the audience there tonight supporting the

president. So, we'll see how this plays out. Of course, it'll be interesting if it is an actual boycott from those cast members.

SCIUTTO: Now, if I remember the show correctly, this is about people rising up against the French king, power of the people. I understand some

people who oppose the president have found that choice notable.

HOLMES: They have. I mean, obviously we've seen the fact that we have seen protests already for the military parade saying that Donald Trump is a

king. The press secretary was asked about that just today, if Donald Trump views himself as a king. So, whether or not this choice had anything to do

with it or it was just the schedule, I can't answer that, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Kristen Holmes, thanks so much.

HOLMES: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, sad story we're covering today, the music world mourning the loss of one of the most celebrated and gifted figures in modern pop

music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Brian Wilson, the creative force behind the Beach Boys has died at the age of 82. He wrote some of the most beloved and successful pop

songs of the 20th century, including, as you heard there, "Good Vibrations," "California Girls," "God Only Knows." He was an enormous

talent through the years. Wilson was the co-founder of the Beach Boys, which rose to fame in the early 1960s. The group attained its greatest

critical success with the album "Pet Sounds," one of the most celebrated pop out albums of all time.

Wilson also recorded a number of albums as a solo artist. He was inducted into the rock and Roll and songwriters Halls of Fame. His family announced

his passing on his website. Brian Wilson dead at 82. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: The U.S. Open, the third men's golf major of the season is set to tee off in Pennsylvania tomorrow. World number one Scottie Scheffler is the

strong favorite. And this year a dentist has qualified to play. Patrick Snell is standing by.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there, Jim. Yes, Matt Vogt. Remember the name. What a story. 34 years of age. He actually grew up here at

Oakmont. He would caddy as a youngster for six years. He now lives not in this region, but in Indiana. But I tell you what, it's really special for

him on so many levels coming home, as it were, full-time dentist, and now playing as an amateur in the U.S. Open. He really is a shining example of

perseverance, whichever way you look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT VOGT, 34-YEAR-OLD DENTIST MAKING U.S. OPEN DEBUT: I hope to inspire others to let them know that it's never too late or there's no reason you

can't pursue your dreams at any point in your life or try to do something that other people might think is foolish or a waste of your time. If you

want to do something and it's important to you, you can do it. Like you, you honestly can.

Thank you. Have it there. You're welcome.

I've always been a math and science geek. So, even in high school I said, well, let's just go major in biology and let's try to be a dentist. And

I've had a little bit more time to do things like this and try to pursue maybe my regrets of not giving golf a full try in the past. I'll obviously

still be an amateur and still be seeing patients that week after for the open, no matter what happens. But when you're working in dentistry, like

some days are hard, some days you've got to figure out how to work through problems or, you know, how to take a patient who's anxious or not able to -

- you know, it's difficult for them. Like your problem solving constantly.

There is a bit -- a little bit of a comparison to being out here. Like you hit it in this rough and the pins are right there, like, OK, what's the

next step, you know? And then there's good days and bad days in the office and on the golf course for sure.

From end of high school to like college, then maybe a little bit into grad school it's just, you know, I drive through and park down there on the

other side of the range and walk up to the caddy shack right here, and then walk up to the porch. It was incredible. I -- obviously, there's a bunch of

incredible members here. You're at, you know, one of the best golf courses in the world, and there's just a lot of -- the caddies -- you know, I felt

very supported here as a caddy. I hope to represent a lot of different groups of people this week. You know, Pittsburgh, Oakmont, the dentist of

the world, make my patients proud. I feel honored to be carrying that torch this week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: It really is very, very inspiring indeed and what will be absolutely super cool for him on Thursday day one is he'll actually get to

take and hit the very first shot of this 2025 U.S. Open. It's the 125th U.S. Open as well. So, really, really special moment for him as well.

And I will say, Jim, that he's coming into this tournament with a very heavy heart as well, because it was just a few short weeks ago that his

much beloved father, Jim, passed away. Jim, it was a huge mentor, a real champion of his game. His number one fan really on so many levels. So, it's

with a very heavy heart that he's playing here. And of course, this Sunday in the United States is going to be Father's Day. So, that's certainly not

lost on Matt Vogt as well. Himself now a proud father of a 15-month-old daughter as well.

[18:55:00]

Very, very special story lines. And really special as well normally because we all talk about the superstars, don't we? You know, but let's now

remember and pay tribute to this wonderful, wonderful guy, Matt Vogt, who really is a very special talent indeed, no question. Hopefully, he'll make

the cut. He'll have two good rounds and he'll make the cut and he will be around for the weekend. We'll see.

SCIUTTO: Yes, someone to root for. Patrick Snell, thanks so much.

In today's Good Brief, you might've seen one, you might even have one. If so, you know the elf-like creatures known as Labubus are taking the world

by storm. A first-generation figure just sold for more than $150,000 at a toy auction in Beijing. 150 grand. That's right. Labubus have a bunny-like

body and elf-like face, pointy ears, and a mischievous grin with some sharp teeth. The toy is one of the trendiest on the planet even causing brawls

between shoppers who want to get their hands on one. Kind of scary.

Thanks so much for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in New York. You've been watching "The Brief." Do stay with CNN.

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