Return to Transcripts main page

The Brief with Jim Sciutto

Trump Accuses Obama of Treason; U.S. House Summer Recess Starts Early Avoid Vote on Epstein Files; U.S.-Philippines Trade Deal; Deadly Hunger in Gaza; 1,054 Civilians Killed by Israeli Military While Seeking Food Aid; Afghans Suffer in Wake of U.S. Aid Cuts; Taiwan Military Drills; Ozzy Osbourne Dies Age 76. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 22, 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 Washington. And you're watching

"The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, Former President Barack Obama's office calls Donald Trump's accusations of treason, bizarre and ridiculous. President Trump

says he has reached a trade deal with the Philippines. And the heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76, just weeks after

giving a farewell performance.

First, though, just extraordinary accusations coming from the Oval Office today with President Donald Trump baselessly claiming his predecessor,

Barack Obama, committed treason. President Trump accused Obama of being the ringleader of an alleged conspiracy to interfere in the 2016 election.

Just last week, the Director of National Intelligence released documents claiming that Obama administration officials manufactured the notion that

Russia was seeking to influence those election results. The president's lengthy tirade deflecting a question from a journalist about what, well,

the Epstein files.

This past weekend, the White House shared this image with the text, I was hunted. Now, I'm the hunter. And today, the president promising to, quote,

"go after people."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: This is like proof, irrefutable proof that Obama was seditious, that Obama led -- was trying to lead a coup, and it

was with Hillary Clinton with all these other people. But Obama headed it up. And you know, I get a kick when I hear everyone talks about people I

never even heard of. It was this one.

No, no. It was Obama. He headed it up. And it says so right in the papers. We got everything. Got everything. This is the biggest scandal in the

history of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: You know, the evidence does not back up that accusation. President Obama's office reacted itself saying, quote, "These bizarre allegations are

ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction."

Kristen Holmes is at the White House. I wonder when you press White House officials, because the fact is the assessment that Russia interfered in the

2016 election was a bipartisan one. And in fact, it was supported at the time by folks as the Obama office noted here, Marco Rubio led the

Intelligence Committee when they filed their own report in 2020. How does it defend making such an extreme claim without at least publicly showing

evidence of it?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a couple of things to note here. As you mentioned, you saw the Barack Obama response

there. Clearly, there's a reason that he mentioned Marco Rubio, that was intentional. Now, Rubio is a rising star in Trump's administration and one

of his right-hand men. So, it was a clear dig at the situation.

And now, just to be clear, this is based on something that came from Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, on Friday when she put out

what she said were these findings, unclassified information that essentially said that the Obama administration and people within the Obama

administration had manufactured the idea or the notion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.

As you noted, we have talked to a number of sources. We know that the own committee came to the same conclusion that this really conflates a lot of

this intelligence, but I am told it's not going to stop here in terms of what they're putting out surrounding this. I was told that this is just the

beginning and that Gabbard is going to continue putting out more information that she says is -- or I was told, is a, quote/unquote,

"smoking gun."

Now, all of this to say, Jim, this is really a distraction from the story that President Trump himself doesn't want to talk about, which is what's

going on with the Jeffrey Epstein files, with the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. He is done having this conversation. He has done talking

about it, but everyone around him is not, and a lot of his own base and a lot of Republicans on the Hill they still have a lot of questions and

they're inching towards being a little bit more transparent in terms of the Department of Justice and the White House.

[18:05:00]

But what this actually looks like remains to be seen. One of the things we saw was President Trump essentially ordering Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury

testimony from Ghislaine Maxwell in the Epstein case. But that's not really up to Pam Bondi to do so. She petitioned to court. The court said it had

more questions. And yet, they've kicked the can down the road.

So, the big question is, do Republicans keep pushing on this story that President Trump doesn't want to talk about? And one of the things we saw

that was so fascinating today was the speaker of the house effectively cancel votes on Thursday and send everyone to August recess early because

they're trying to avoid a vote on the Epstein files and releasing more information when it comes to the Epstein case. They're doing a lot here to

avoid putting out more information.

And the White House is playing defense. They have not been able to really come up with a narrative that gets people off of the Epstein case. And in

fact, people by the day seemed to be more and more interested in releasing more information and being more transparent.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, they're certainly trying a few different narratives, right, to get up -- get the attention off the Epstein case. Kristen Holmes

at the White House, thank you.

Well, as Kristen said there, the Epstein effect is essentially shutting down Congress. The house speaker, Mike Johnson, a Republican. adjourned

Congress a day earlier than planned, hoping that he can quiet growing calls from even within his own party for releasing more information about

Epstein. This comes after the House Rules Committee adjourned rather than face a potentially embarrassing vote on Epstein. Without a functioning

Rules Committee, no new legislation can be voted on in the House.

One of Epstein's closest confidents, Ghislaine Maxwell, will oppose the unsealing of grand jury materials related to her and Jeffrey Epstein, this

according to a person close to her. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in federal prison for her role in this.

For more, I'm joined by Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. Thanks so much for joining.

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL), MEMBER, U.S. HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: Thank you so much, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, the Republican house speaker essentially sent everybody home despite the fact that there was a bipartisan vote, right, to move forward

or at least move forward a debate to release more of these Epstein materials here. What does this mean for Congress' role in all this? Has it

been effectively shuttered?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I don't think so. I don't -- I think there's tremendous infighting within the Republican conference and there's a lot of voices

calling for the full release of the Epstein files. Democrats, of course, are united and calling for full transparency and a lot of Republicans are,

so much so that even the chair of the Oversight Committee, on which I sit, and one of the members, Tim Burchett, today move to subpoena Ghislaine

Maxwell to come before the Oversight Committee, which is an extraordinary move obviously.

SCIUTTO: The thing is though, you and I have seen temporary moments like this when a small number of house Republicans have disagreed with the

president, say, for instance, on adding to the budget deficit with the big beautiful bill or now, in this instance, but then that opposition to the

president or debate or difference disappears. In other words, the president either scares them or pressures them into giving in. Do you see any

different outcome here?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: It seems like this is slightly different. Remember, for years, Donald Trump and others within the party basically ginned up this

particular issue and ran on it. Multiple people, even in the administration at the highest levels, ran on this particular issue. And of course,

numerous members of Congress did.

And so, there's a base, especially within the MAGA movement, that is clamoring for these files and believe that those files reveal the identity

of numerous pedophiles. And so, when Donald Trump is sitting there saying, the files existed, and now he's saying they don't exist, that appears to be

a tremendous betrayal.

And by the way, I have to say this is bleeding into other issues, I believe. I believe that it's getting more people to question the health of

the economy. You see that in the 60 percent disapproval rating with regard to this handling of the economy. It's getting people to question what's

going on with the tariff chaos.

I have small business people in my own district I know who voted for Trump and they are beside themselves about what's happening with their businesses

because of his economic policies, and I think everything is kind of working together, the Epstein files and everything else to erode his credibility

and get people just questioning his leadership.

SCIUTTO: There is evidence of that in the numbers, but what you're not seeing is a great migration to the Democratic Party here, because a lot of

the polling shows that while Republicans rate low, Democrats rate lower. Are you concerned as we -- well, we're a little over a year to midterm

elections that Democrats have not shown exactly what alternate way, what alternate path they would lead the country?

[18:10:00]

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think that's the challenge right now. We need to make sure that we are addressing the economic concerns that beset people,

whether they're working poor, middle class, growing a business, even at the same time that we call for accountability with regard to the president,

full transparency with regard to the Epstein files and making sure there are checks and balances with regard to the executive branch.

We have to kind of walk and chew gum at the same time and offer a pathway forward for working families and businesses to realize their economic

potential, even at the same time that we're, you know, doing everything we can to resist the worst excesses of this administration.

SCIUTTO: Looking ahead to the midterms, you now have two red states, two Republican states, Texas and Missouri, where the state legislatures, quite

unusually, not at the turn of the decade when they're responding to new census data, but just before an election, it seems to seek political

advantage, redrawing or attempting to redraw congressional maps to, in effect, right Democratic House districts out of existence. What should the

Democratic Party's response be to that in blue states?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think everything should be on the table. At the same time, what I know talking to voters is they are just beside themselves

right now about their economic circumstances, Jim. So, going back to your previous point, we absolutely have to do whatever we need to do to defend

our position in Congress and the maps and so forth. But we've got to tackle those economic issues, those pain points that people feel, especially now

with the tariff chaos that is kind of beveling them at this point.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Krishnamoorthi, thanks so much for joining.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you so much, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Well, President Trump is touting a new trade deal with the Philippines following the Philippine president's visit to the White House.

The agreement calls for a 19 percent tariff on goods coming to the U.S. from the Philippines while American-made goods shipped there will be

charged nothing.

Joining me now as a former U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, John Negroponte. Ambassador. Thanks so much for joining today.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE PHILIPPINES: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: The Philippines and the U.S., of course, longtime allies, their treaty allies, mutual defense commitment. And now, there's a trade

agreement where U.S. goods get no tariffs, Filipino goods get tariffs coming to the U.S. Is that a fair relationship, particularly given that

these are two allies?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I mean, given the quantities of trade in each direction, I think it may in fact be fair. And we're meeting certain of their

important economic needs, especially in the area of food security, which they've agreed to take on quite a few purchases of U.S. grains and so

forth.

That mutual assistance -- mutual defense treaty you mentioned is now coming on to its 75th birthday, which speaks to the strong security relationship

that exists between us. And I would rate this trip overall as a success, success on the economic front, agreements on trade and investment, energy

issues, for example and so forth. Success in reaffirming the treaty and of course, of the ASEAN, of the Southeast Asian countries.

President Marcos was the first leader to be in -- to the Oval Office to see President Trump during his second term in office. So, I think it's an

overall plus for the U.S.-Philippine relationship. It speaks to the great history behind it, the strong friendship historically between our two

countries and the good relationship that these two leaders have managed to forge between each other.

SCIUTTO: What's the signal to other U.S. allies in the region, including treaty allies such as South Korea and Japan, who still have to negotiate

their trade agreements? And by the way, of course, the trade volume between Japan and the U.S. and South Korea and the U.S. is far greater. The

Japanese auto industry depends a great deal on the U.S. market. Will they have to expect to have a similar imbalance, in effect, between tariff

rates?

[18:15:00]

NEGROPONTE: Well, I -- you know, I don't know for sure. And I think that the issues may not be comparable given the fact that the volumes of trade

between Korea and the United States, and between Japan and the United States are so much greater than what occurs between the Philippines. So, I

would think the Philippine case somewhat unique in this regard.

But I think the key point is that some doubt has been removed in the economic relationship, there's a stability that is introduced by reaching

agreement on these things. And now, people can press forward and think about the opportunities that face them in the economic sphere, and there

will be opportunities for both sides.

SCIUTTO: As you know, China has been venturing into Filipino waters, using a strategy that's used in South China Sea and elsewhere to, well, attempt

to take territory, right? And I wonder, have the U.S. and the Philippines struck on the right response to that? Are they sufficiently pushing back

against those territorial pushes, in effect, that China is making?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I think reaffirming the Mutual Defense Treaty, which commits us to coming -- come to each other's defense in certain

circumstances, the training and equipping that has been going on, the different steps that we have taken to support the Philippines in their law

of the sea position, I think all of these things combine to create a deterrent effect. I think that's our main intent here is to strengthen the

deterrent effect of the defense treaty relationship. And I think we're sec succeeding in doing that. And I think the Chinese are certainly getting the

message that if something incident arises that requires the U.S. and the Philippines to respond with the use of force, that we will do that.

SCIUTTO: Do you believe the U.S. would abide by that? I mean there have been. Questions raised in South Korea and Japan about whether the U.S.

would indeed come to their defense despite the mutual defense commitment. Is that defense solid, rock solid?

NEGROPONTE: Yes. Well, and that's what we call it. We call it rock solid. And our whole alliance system is based on the premise that we mean what we

say when we make these commitments to -- reciprocal commitments to each other's defense. And I think it would be foolhardy on the part of the

Chinese or any other potential aggressor party to try and test that proposition. I think they would think very carefully before doing that.

SCIUTTO: Ambassador John Negroponte, thanks so much for joining the show.

NEGROPONTE: Jim, thank you.

SCIUTTO: Ahead on the show, hunger turns deadly once again in Gaza. We're going to speak with the co-founder of the Gaza Soup Kitchen. What inspired

its mission and how they're trying to help now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: A hospital chief in Gaza tell CNN we are heading toward terrifying death tolls. The Gaza Health Ministry says 15 people have died of

starvation in the past 24 hours alone. Four of them were children.

Amid the unrelenting need and violence, the European Union's top diplomat tells Israel's foreign minister that his country must stop killing people

seeking aid. The U.N. says more than a thousand Palestinians have been shot and killed since late May as they were trying to get food assistance. Even

journalists are now trying to leave due to lack of food. AFP is working to evacuate its remaining freelance staff and their families. Societe Des

Journalistes warns those journalists are starving and too weak to work.

Here with me now is someone who has made it his personal mission to help his loved ones in Gaza, not go to bed hungry, and others there. Hani

Almadhoun, co-founder of the Gaza Soup Kitchen. Thanks so much for joining.

HANI ALMADHOUN, CO-FOUNDER, GAZA SOUP KITCHEN: Thank you for having me, Jim.

SCIUTTO: I spoke with the president of MedGlobal yesterday who said that given the small number of aid sites in Gaza now under the new distribution

program, only four that, you know, you're really risking your life to go to one of these aid stations. You knew people who died in the aid attack on

Sunday night. Can you tell us what your understanding of the circumstances is?

ALMADHOUN: Yes, Jim, thanks for having me. I know you keep -- we keep talking about this and it doesn't get any easier, or we're not getting any

peace or any better news. Unfortunately, I woke up Sunday to a text message from my nephew showing me a picture of my dead friend, Amjed (ph), and

that's the first thing I saw around 6:30 in the morning. And that's one. There is my friend Amun (ph). He was one of the lucky ones. He returned

with a hand injury. They were shot by Israeli fire.

I was -- I felt insulted when Israeli -- the IDF were saying these are A.I. images when these, in fact, my friends and people I know and I have

memories with. In fact, my friend Amjed (ph) is sad because he wanted to get break for his family and he was shot in the back, mind you. And we

continue to see this heartbreak. Is it the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? It's a lot of these questions that are disturbing.

You know, I support UNRWA's work in Gaza and I would like to see that continue to do because they're not the ones who are carrying guns.

SCIUTTO: I understand -- you understand, I'm sure, that the IDF, Israeli officials will regularly blame Hamas for this. They say that Hamas is

trying to steal the aid, Hamas weaponizes the aid, that Hamas eats well while the average people of Gaza do not. What's your response to that

explanation?

ALMADHOUN: I think there is a lot of misinformation and talking points as the Israelis keep recycling. We are 20 months of war, complete war, and

nightmare in Gaza. If you are still blaming Hamas for things, what have you been doing in Gaza for the last 21 months? It's just unbelievable the level

of brutality, the suffering in Gaza that we see, whether it's that the aid sites, the videos that show death, and these Palestinian men don't deserve

to die. So, many of them are killed at those aid sites, none of them is militant.

Amjed (ph) has nothing to do with anything in his life. He's a never was a militant, doesn't even probably read or have a Facebook account. And

unfortunately, he's one of those victims' lives being claimed. Meanwhile, the Israelis are -- work hard and overtime to convince you people who work

for the World Central Kitchen or for the World Food Programme or for UNICEF, are the bad guys. But these mercenaries, they fly into the -- into

Gaza with guns and masks and tear gas, they want you to believe these are the good guys.

[18:25:00]

And it's unfortunate you, CNN's own investigation showed that the U.S. government had many questions about giving fund to the Gaza Humanitarian

Foundation. And they did give him $30 million despite these concerns, but we have a thousand dead Palestinians. I wonder if they gave them more

money, would they have killed more Palestinians?

SCIUTTO: The two criticisms I've heard of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is, one, reducing the number of aid distribution sites down to four so that

more people are concentrated around these sites, but also that the -- that Israeli. Forces provide security for those sites. So, it puts Palestinians,

as they're seeking aid, in close proximity to Israeli forces. Do you agree with those criticisms? Are those the key --

ALMADHOUN: A hundred percent. Yes. Because they're in the south of Gaza. The majority of the people of Gaza are in the north. If you are not given

the aid where the people are, where is the dignity? You know, this is an intelligence gathering operation where there is drones and planes and

quadcopters filming Palestinians and shooting people. Sometimes they train them, sometimes because they have interest in those folks. Unfortunately,

people don't have many options.

You know, people are either go starved or go get shot at those one of these aid sites. And by the way, don't work every day. They work every other day.

And even when they're closed, Palestinians end up being dead at those sites. And the Israelis have some rules that they just open -- shoot first

and ask questions later. And we continue to see -- this is not an accident. You do not kill a thousand people by accident.

SCIUTTO: The U.S. officials involved in the negotiations over a ceasefire and a hostage release deal have said that Israel has now agreed to the

outlines of this deal. They're waiting for Hamas' answer. What do you see standing in the way of an agreement for a ceasefire?

ALMADHOUN: Well, I'm hoping we're really close. I wake up every morning to Israeli officials saying, we're really close to this deal. Six months I've

be reading the same thing. But those talks are not permanent. Death is happening in Gaza and thus starvation are permanent. And that's

unfortunate.

I'm hopeful. People tell me, people who know this negotiation tell me the only chance we have of a deal if the Israeli Knesset gets dissolved. And

that's dark. There is 84 percent of the people of Israel who want a deal and they want a ceasefire, and they want rightfully their people back. None

-- no one is going to bring my two brothers back.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ALMADHOUN: And this is the hardest part where you wear a hat, try to get people food, but also you're a human being with emotions. In my way here, a

rabbi called me from a group called Jews for Food Aid for people in Gaza wanted to give me more money so I can cook for people. A rabbi. And this is

not just one case. This is a case where the pope is calling for this. They've -- you've seen the church be attacked. And I know my own loved ones

are being starved.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

ALMADHOUN: And this is real. This is not A.I. We see it. We can't even find food in the market. Our kitchens used to cook six different big pots. Now,

we are lucky, the ones we operate has three pots. And the lines and the desperate and -- it's not just danger imposed by Israel, but also the

desperate conditions brings the worst in people.

SCIUTTO: The images have been difficult to watch. Hani Almadhoun, we appreciate the work that Gaza Soup Kitchen is doing in Gaza. Thanks so much

for joining.

ALMADHOUN: Thanks, Jim, for having me.

SCIUTTO: Still to come tonight, the U.S. State Department claims no one has died as a result of cuts to USAID around the world. So, here's what CNN saw

firsthand inside Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

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

A spokesperson for former U.S. President Barack Obama is calling President Trump's accusations of treason bizarre and ridiculous. Trump made the claim

while sitting alongside the Philippine president in the Oval Office. Trump also renewed his attacks against Harvard University, falsely claimed the

2020 election was rigged and called Jeffrey Epstein, the controversy, a witch hunt.

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has approved amendments reducing the autonomy of two of the country's anti-corruption bureaus. This places them under the

purview now of a presidentially appointed prosecutor. This comes after Ukrainian authorities raided one of the agencies yesterday. Police also

arrested two employees on suspicion of working for Russian Special Forces or for having alleged business ties to Russia. Protestors have gathered in

multiple cities to denounce that move.

The legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76. The Prince of Darkness, as he was called for a time, was known for his outrageous antics

on stage, as well as his struggles with substance abuse. He found a second career though, starring with his family in the reality TV show "The

Osbournes" that showed a softer side of him as a father. His death comes just a few weeks after he played a final show alongside his band mates from

Black Sabbath.

Well, Donald Trump will again pull the plug, pull the U.S. out of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. A

White House spokesperson says that is because UNESCO supports causes that are, quote, "totally out of step" with the common-sense policies that

Americans voted for in November.

U.S. cuts to aid internationally are hitting home for many in Afghanistan. The Trump administration dismantled USAID earlier this year, canceling $1.7

billion in contracts for services in the country now run by the Taliban, of which 500 million had yet to be dispersed. Other countries such as Germany,

France, and the U.K. have also reduced aid.

President Trump recently said no one in Afghanistan has died due to aid cuts. So, CNN's Isobel Yeung and her team traveled to investigate a warning

that some of the images are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're in the Taliban's Afghanistan, a nation now dealing with huge foreign aid cuts.

YEUNG: The clinic we're actually heading towards was, until just a few months ago, funded by the U.S. government. Now, the Trump administration

has pulled the funding, a lot of people in this area are left with not even basic healthcare facilities.

YEUNG (voice-over): The U.N. estimates that an Afghan woman dies every two hours from pregnancy or childbirth. This clinic has now closed.

YEUNG: So, this is where women were giving birth?

SAMIRA SAYED RAHMAN, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, SAVE THE CHILDREN AFGHANISTAN: Yes. You know, this is the only clinic in this area, and now it's gone.

YEUNG: Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, right? What happens to these women now that the delivery room is

gone?

RAHMAN: It means that these communities don't have access. It means that women are going to be giving birth at home, meaning more and more children

are going to die during childbirth.

[13:35:00]

YEUNG: We were just talking to the community leaders who were telling us that seven people have died since this clinic closed. And just a couple

days ago, a woman died in childbirth because there was nowhere for her to give birth.

YEUNG (voice-over): When we followed up, the woman's neighbors and family told us that if the clinic had still been open and she'd had the support of

a midwife she would've survived. Across Afghanistan, over 400 clinics of closed because of U.S. aid cuts. Millions of people were reliant on these

clinics for healthcare. Now, their only option is to travel hours, sometimes days to public hospitals like this where there's an influx of new

patients.

The U.S. was funding doctors, nurses, and essential drugs here, but now that's also gone.

YEUNG: Salam. How are you?

DR. ANIDULLAH SAMIM, NANGARHAR REGIONAL HOSPITAL: This has the capacity for just one baby. And we have under ours three babies here.

YEUNG: Yes, it's crowded.

DR. SAMIM: Yes. Yes. Crowded. Yes.

YEUNG: Is this normal?

DR. SAMIM: Normal? Not normal. When they cut the aid here, our mortality rate, about 3 or 4 percent.

YEUNG: So, 3 to 4 percent more --

DR. SAMIM: Rise --

YEUNG: -- babies are dying since the U.S. --

DR. SAMIM: Yes, yes.

YEUNG: Wow.

YEUNG (voice-over): Malnutrition has soared here. 9.5 million people are severely food insecure. Several NGOs previously funded by the U.S. are now

turning away many people in desperate need of food.

Mohamed Omar (ph) has severe malnutrition and meningitis. The family are poor, and were only recently able to bring him the long distance to this

hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When did he become like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Early in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You said it was diarrhea at first and then it got worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Yes, it started with diarrhea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Since when has he not been able to eat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It has been a long time since he could eat on his own.

YEUNG: Hi. I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Can I ask what your name is?

NAZOGUL (through translator): My name is Nazogul. He's my grandson.

YEUNG: How old is he?

NAZOGUL (through translator): He just turned one.

YEUNG: What is his situation? What is the doctor said?

NAZOGUL (through translator): Doctors say that a microbe has infected his brain. He's unconscious now. You can see that the child's condition is very

bad.

YEUNG (voice-over): In the middle of speaking, we looked over and realized the child had stopped breathing.

YEUNG: Is he breathing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry.

YEUNG: Is he breathing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He needs to go.

YEUNG: He needs to go. So, I move. Move, move.

He died?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

YEUNG: Oh, my God.

YEUNG (voice-over): Mohamed's (ph) mother returns to the room and the most devastating news.

This is just one family of so many thousands of families that are having to live through this, and it's utterly heart wrenchingly devastating.

YEUNG (voice-over): It's impossible to definitively blame one single factor for Mohamed's (ph) death. He was suffering from a range of serious

illnesses. But aid cuts have dealt a devastating blow here.

Counseling aid to Afghanistan has long been a goal for Congressman Tim Burchett.

REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): 5 billion in cash.

YEUNG (voice-over): Claiming $5 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars have gone directly to the ruling Taliban, a designated terrorist group. But the U.S.

government's own watchdog says it's more like 11 million. The vast majority of money goes to those it's intended for.

YEUNG: Are you intentionally misleading the American public when it comes to inflating these figures so that you can get what you want?

BURCHETT: No, ma'am. I'm not. As a matter of fact, $11 million is still a whole lot of money to the average American. If it's one penny going to the

Taliban, they'll hate us for free.

YEUNG: What would you say to -- I mean, there are millions of Afghans who are going to be affected by this.

BURCHETT: I would say, you're going to have to make it on your own.

YEUNG: Hundreds of clinics across the country have now closed down. I literally watched a baby die from malnutrition. What would you say to these

families who are living through desperate circumstances devastated by the results of your actions?

BURCHETT: I think it's horrific, but it's not due to my actions, ma'am. We don't have any more money. We're borrowing that money. And again --

YEUNG: But it is due to your actions. I mean, you have been advocating for this for the last couple of years.

[18:40:00]

BURCHETT: These are people -- no, ma'am. No ma'am. It's not our response. We have Americans in the same position. We have Americans that are having

trouble with childbirth. We have Americans going hungry. And you want us to borrow money and send it overseas?

YEUNG (voice-over): With the U.S. turning away, the fate of Afghans is now left in the hands of their own government, the Taliban, who say they're

capable of running the country without foreign aid. They denied our requests for an interview.

But it's the country's most vulnerable, women and children who stand to lose the most, now facing an isolated future without the support of those

who once came to their aid.

Isobel Yeung, CNN, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: We should note, the U.S. State Department did not respond to CNN's request for comment for that story.

When we return, Taiwan holds defense exercises called unprecedented. We're going to tell you why they're so different after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: For the first time, Taiwan has combined two major civil defense exercises. The drills lasted 10 days and included urban combat, mass

casualty simulations, and cyber defense that could be put into action if China were to invade. CNN's Will Ripley was there and gives this closer

look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Welcome to Taiwan in 2025, where military police hold midnight drills on the subway as

folks watch from the soybean milk shop next door.

Armed convoys get a friendly welcome from kids leaving the pool. U.S.- supplied military hardware showing up in places civilians never expected.

JASON LIAO, TAIPEI RESIDENT: And I just bump into the missile.

RIPLEY: The Patriot missile battery.

LIAO: Yes. And at first, it's quite shocking. It's also a really great reminder that war is really close.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Ten days of war games all over this island democracy imagining how a Chinese invasion might unfold.

Taiwan holds military drills every year. But this year, they're twice as long, largely unscripted, and for the first time in a long time, happening

in crowded, everyday spaces.

[18:45:00]

Not just remote areas like 10 years ago when Lin Jing-da was a full-time soldier. He says military drills then were out of sight and heavily

scripted.

RIPLEY: Do you think the government by putting the drills so close to everyday people is trying to prepare Taiwanese for the possibility of a war

with China soon?

We need to let the citizens know about the possibility of war and prepare them for it, he says.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Because China is getting ready too. These are believed to be PLA landing barges designed to rapidly offload tanks, soldiers and

equipment onto a hostile beach. Analysts say they're built for one job, taking Taiwan.

Top U.S. officials now say Chinese leader Xi Jinping told PLA leaders be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.

This is the island's dress rehearsal for war.

RIPLEY: We just got this presidential alert that says, missile attack. Seek immediate shelter.

RIPLEY (voice-over): When the sirens go off, everyone takes cover.

RIPLEY: This busy street in the middle of a workday totally empty except for the police making sure that people are not out on the sidewalks.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Even the local supermarket joins in, guiding shoppers to a basement bomb shelter.

I think people would feel nervous when they're down there, she says.

Taiwanese leaders say that's the point.

LIN FEI-FAN, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL, TAIWAN NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: I think we need to be more prepared In any kind of situation.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Taiwan is proudly displaying its U.S.-made arsenal HIMARs, Avengers, Hesco Barriers, billions of dollars spent on full

display, a message aimed far beyond Taipei.

TRUMP: Taiwan took our chip business way.

RIPLEY (voice-over): But not everyone believes the U.S. will come to Taiwan's aid.

RIPLEY: What do you think President Trump would do if Taiwan were attacked?

LIAO: Me personally, I think that Trump will only do things that will benefit himself. Once he got a deal with China that is more appealing then

he might just abandon us.

RIPLEY: You think he could abandon Taiwan?

LIAO: Yes.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Taiwan's leaders say they cannot afford to wait for help. They're making war feel real because it could be. And they want the

world and their own people to be ready.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Nervous times there. Coming up, remembering heavy metal legend, Ozzy Osbourne. We're going to take a look back at his career, his family,

his impact on music.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: The world is mourning one of the all-time greats of heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne's family announced his death Tuesday at the age of 76. Ozzy

fronted the groundbreaking band Black Sabbath. He also had a successful solo career. And later, in the 2000s, a reality TV program. Osbourne leaves

behind his wife Sharon and five children. Stephanie Elam looks back at the life of a true heavy metal legend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was called the Prince of Darkness. And for half a century, British musician Ozzy Osbourne rocked

heavy metal fans worldwide. As front man for Black Sabbath, Osbourne's charisma and wildness on and off the stage --

OZZY OSBOURNE, ENGLISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Had I known it was a real bat, I would never have bitten into it.

ELAM (voice-over): -- transcended music and made him a cultural phenomenon.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Ozzy Osbourne.

ELAM (voice-over): Born in Birmingham, England in 1948, John "Ozzy" Osbourne left school at 15 and found inspiration after hearing "The

Beatles" on the radio.

OSBOURNE: Well, I can remember, the first time I heard "She Loves You". That changed my life because I thought that's what I want to do.

ELAM (voice-over): Osbourne became lead vocalists of the band that would become "Black Sabbath" in 1968 and pioneered a daring genre- defining new

sound. The heavy guitar and riff based albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid captivated audiences in 1970. As Black Sabbath's fame exploded, so did

Osbourne's hell-raising behavior. He was fired from "Black Sabbath" for drug and alcohol abuse in 1979. Those same issues broke up Osbourne's first

marriage and followed him for decades.

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN ANCHOR AND HOST: Have you been tempted to go back to the drug usage?

OSBOURNE: All the time. I mean when you are a drug addict, you don't stop being a drug addict because you stop taking them.

ELAM (voice-over): But Sharon Arden, the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager, helped get him back on his feet and encouraged him to go solo.

Osbourne's debut single "Crazy Train," got the singer back on the rails. Ozzy and Sharon married in 1982, and Sharon managed his career for the rest

of his life. Their love was on full display to an entirely new audience. In the 2002 MTV reality series, "The Osbournes." Ozzy's dry, at times,

unintelligible humor and relatable parenting challenges endeared him to millions and the fly on the wall look at the Osbourne's expletive-laden

daily life shot the family to fame.

After years of speculation about his health, Osbourne revealed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in an interview with "Good Morning America"

in 2020. But Osbourne was committed to making more music. And three years later, he won two Grammys for his album "Patient Number 9," bringing his

Grammy total to five.

Osbourne reunited with his bandmates over the years to record their last album, "13" and for Black Sabbath's final the end concert tour in 2016.

Osbourne made over 20 albums and is among the elite group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. From prince of darkness to Reality TV

Show Dad, Ozzy Osbourne was a man, a myth, and a legend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Stephanie Elam. I should say, he had six children, not five, as we said on the way in. Joining us now, Michael Musto,

entertainment journalist. Michael, good to have you. You know, strike me that one of the last lines from Stephanie's piece there is that, you know,

he had this hard edge, right, wild man of the '70s. And I remember as a kid, like he scared me, right? You know, as a kid you're like, you look at

those images and the bat story, all that kind of stuff. You're scared. And then he rolls out in "The Osbournes" and he is this kind of slightly goofy

dad, right, at home, ad old father. And it was the two sides of him that -- what was the dominant side of Ozzy Osbourne?

MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: It's so true. He was a very complicated person. Both sides were equally dominant. I interviewed him at

the height of his fame, and I expected this wild man who was biting the heads off different animals, remember all that?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MUSTO: But he turned out to be a very articulate, a grounded and articulate almost boringly normal person. I was disappointed. I wanted my money back.

But I realized he needed that side to stay alive and to survive. The reality show indeed was hilarious because it showed this middle-aged rocker

who used to be wild and is now trying to fit in. It was almost like the Adams family or the Munsters were trying to be Ozzy and Harriet. And that

was the humor of it. It was just beyond priceless.

SCIUTTO: I mean, his musical legacy is enormous. I mean, groundbreaking when he was together with Black Sabbath, but also, highly accomplished solo

artists to the point he was admitted to Hall of Fame twice.

MUSTO: And, you know, he is a reminder of the time when rock and roll was truly subversive. It was in your face. It didn't make you feel comfortable.

Though he could also do a sweet and tender battle. He had that capability as well.

[18:55:00]

But that combined with his personality and his personal peccadillos made him really one of the most fascinating people in the music business.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, the health struggles, I mean, certainly with drug abuse, which he overcame, and then Parkinson's towards the end of his life,

it was difficult for him and his family.

MUSTO: It was. But you know what, Sharon was a constant force for him. They had their problems. Believe me it was a very rocky marriage for years. But

I really think they sustained each other. And she was not only his manager in his career, but sometimes in his personal life as well.

SCIUTTO: Yes. That came across in the show at times. Well, Michael Musto, thanks so much for joining us and helping us remember Ozzy Osbourne.

And thanks so much all of you for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

END