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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump Made More Than $1b from Crypto in 2025; Trump Takes First Flight on New Qatari-Gifted Air Force One; Trump Visits North Dakota for America 250 Events; Democratic Socialist Ousts Incumbent in Colorado; Desperate Search in Venezuela; Anthropic Restores Access to Its Latest A.I. Models; NATO to Commit to Long-Term Assistance for Kyiv; USA to Face Bosnia-Herzegovina. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 01, 2026 - 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, "THE BRIEF": 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, new disclosures show President Trump made billions in his first year in office. Billions. Much of it came from his crypto
business. The progressive wave surges in Colorado Democratic primaries. We're going to discuss what it means for Democrats in November's general
elections. And we're just two hours away from the U.S. taking on Bosnia- Herzegovina in the World Cup. We're going to be live from outside the stadium in California. It's a big match.
Well, U.S. President Donald Trump is shrugging off allegations he is profiting from his position. Financial disclosures show he made more than a
billion dollars from cryptocurrency businesses alone last year. Around half that amount came from World Liberty Financial, a firm managed in part by
his two sons, two of his sons. The president also continues to lend his name to a range of products and ventures. All this on top of income that
Trump generates from properties such as Mar-a-Lago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, your financial disclosures show that you had a very lucrative year, last year. What message does this send to
average Americans, especially those who may be struggling right now financially?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, you know, I don't get involved in my personal. We have funds that run my money.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To critics who say you're profiting off the presidency, Mr. --
TRUMP: Well, you know why I'm profiting? Because the stock market's going up. Everybody's profiting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Kristen Holmes joins me now. And he knows, or he should know, it's not true that everybody's profiting, but most Americans don't have
significant holdings in the stock market. And as you well know, income is flat for many, many Americans.
Is there any genuine concern inside that building behind you that this is problematic, given how prominent affordability is for voters in the midterm
elections?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jim, there's not. And there's a reason for that, which is President Trump has always sold
himself as a businessman who was richer than everybody else, saying that because he's been in these rooms, that's why he can best represent the
American people. And there are a lot of people in his base who will believe what it is he is saying, that because he already had money and the market
was doing well, that he's doing well at the same time. And that has been kind of the brand that he has sold to his voters.
Now, part of the larger issue when it comes to affordability is what he is saying just about the cost of living in general, talking about fuel prices
going down, saying that everybody is doing well. That is actually more of a concern for the White House and the messaging.
We actually know that they're bringing back on a former campaign adviser and presidential adviser from the first term, Jason Miller, who's going to
help with some of this messaging, trying to sell what Donald Trump has done in his first term, much of which was completely derailed by the war in
Iran. But they do want to get back on message ahead of those midterms. And that's really where the concern is.
And I do want to note one other thing. Yes, most people aren't even close to having involvement in the stock market or crypto, for that matter. But
we've looked into the value of the Trump coin that he made millions and millions of dollars on. And now, it is 98 percent down from where it was at
the all-time high, which is when President Trump made his money.
So, essentially saying that the other people who even invested in this are not doing as well as President Trump is. And that is the market.
SCIUTTO: And those numbers don't lie. Kristen Holmes, thanks so much. Well, joining me now is Richard Painter. He's a former White House ethics
lawyer. Richard, good to have you back.
RICHARD PAINTER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS LAWYER AND CO-AUTHOR, "AMERICAN NERO": Well, thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, first of all, historically, is there any precedent that gets even close for a U.S. president making this much money personally while in
office?
PAINTER: None ever. We've never seen this much money made by U.S. president. We've never seen substantial conflicts of interest for any U.S.
president since the Civil War. Financial conflicts of interest. Every other president has voluntarily divested themselves of conflicts of interest with
the presidency, except for Donald Trump.
[18:05:00]
In his first term, it was real estate holdings and hotels and golf courses. But now he's expanded into cryptocurrency. He's going into nuclear fusion.
He, of course, has social media and many, many other ventures.
Just looking at the crypto investments, there are two reasons to be very, very concerned. Cryptocurrency is an unregulated market. And Donald Trump
himself five years ago said that Bitcoin was a scam. Cryptocurrency was a scam. And now, he's in it and he's made a billion dollars in cryptocurrency
in his first year in office.
In his second term, he issued executive orders that were intended to reinforce the cryptocurrency markets and strengthen the markets. We could
very well have an asset bubble with some of these cryptocurrencies.
I testified in front of the Senate Banking Committee about that last July. And some of the prices have softened since then. But Donald Trump is the
winner, even if other investors are the losers. Second, we have foreign governments that may be involved. And that's a big concern. The United Arab
Emirates has put money into Liberty Financial.
SCIUTTO: That was going to be one of my questions, is that foreign governments, really anybody, by buying the coin, the Trump coin, before he
sells it, can quite directly inflate the price, which quite directly inflates the president's wealth. Beyond the concerns about conflict of
interest, what is the degree of concern that this gives foreign governments a way to financially influence the president?
PAINTER: You're exactly right. This is a grave concern. And the founders of our country have the exact same concern you do, and that's why. In the
Constitution of the United States is the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits any person holding a position of trust with the United States
government from receiving any emoluments.
It's defined in Dr. Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary. An emolument is a profit or advantage, profit or benefit, from a foreign government without
the consent of Congress. And if the United Arab Emirates puts this money into Liberty Financial, sovereign wealth fund money, and then some of those
profits go to the president, that's a violation of the Constitution.
And I'm going to emphasize why the founders felt so strongly about it. They were afraid that foreign governments would pay off U.S. government
officials with emoluments, profits and benefits, in order to form alliances in our country to drag us into foreign wars. And I know in their day it was
the British and the French and the Spanish and the French and all that.
Well, nowadays it's the Middle East. And guess what? We're in a foreign war. And the United Arab Emirates, they are egging this on. And so, is
Qatar, which gave President Trump this 747 worth a couple hundred million dollars. That's an emolument. That's unconstitutional as well.
So, we are seeing right now the founders' fears come true when foreign governments are allowed to give emoluments, profits and benefits to the
president or any other high-ranking official. And dragging us into foreign wars is exactly what the founders were afraid of. And the rest of us
Americans, we get stuck with the $5 gas.
SCIUTTO: So, I remember the Emoluments Clause discussion of it going back to the first term. A problem is, right, that all the laws, the regulations,
the ethics standards that are supposed to at least restrict this kind of thing or even prevent it just don't seem to have any teeth, right? Because,
you know, the president's doing it before people's eyes. There are also genuine concerns about buying stocks just before decisions, or whether they
be decisions that might move the price of those stocks or U.S. government contracts that might improve the fortunes of those stocks.
None of the laws or regulations seem to have any teeth. I mean, can Americans expect any accountability here?
PAINTER: Well, this is exactly the problem. You put your finger on it. We have no way of enforcing the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the
Constitution, the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. We have no way of preventing conflicts of interest for the president because Congress
won't act.
In 2021, after Donald Trump's first term, I urge that Congress pass a law prohibiting financial conflicts of interest for the president, the vice
president, and the members of Congress, and get the members of Congress out of stock-jobbing while they are passing bills that affect the value of
their stocks. And nobody would support, well, very few supported that.
In both parties, the leadership refused to take action. The Republicans didn't want to undermine President Trump in case he came back, which, of
course, he did.
[18:10:00]
Nancy Pelosi didn't want to support a bill that would prohibit stock trading. Her husband was trading stocks.
We had an opportunity after the first Trump administration to beef up ethics laws in this country. And I'm old enough to remember when, after
Nixon left office, when we actually did improve the ethics laws with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and an independent counsel law, too. So,
the Justice Department would actually be able to investigate a sitting president. And we'd thrown all that by the wayside, and we're back where we
were with Nixon, only it's worse.
And meanwhile, we have the vice president saying that Nixon wasn't that corrupt after all. And I don't know where he learned his history.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Vance said it wouldn't have lasted a 12-hour news cycle, Watergate, today. Perhaps that gives us a vision of their impression of all
these rules and regulations. Richard Painter, always good to have you on.
PAINTER: Thank you. Thank you very much.
SCIUTTO: Well, President Trump is on his way back to Washington after attending the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in
North Dakota. He is aboard that new Air Force One that Mr. Painter just mentioned, a $400 million luxury jet gifted by Qatar. It's making its
inaugural trip. The library dedication is part of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations ongoing. Trump will headline a rally on the
National Mall on July 4th, of course, Independence Day.
Sources tell CNN there is growing anxiety in the White House that the crowds will be sparse. More now from Jeff Zeleny in North Dakota.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Jim, some extraordinary visuals here in North Dakota as President Trump made his way
to the Badlands to deliver a speech at the opening of Teddy Roosevelt's library here. He has never had a presidential library, of course, because
that was not in fashion during his time in office.
But President Trump spent considerable time inside the library saying he was drawing inspiration from his famous speech urging people to get in the
arena and not criticized from the outside. But President Trump arrived here in North Dakota as he never has before on a temporarily new Air Force One
funded and furnished by the Qatari government. It was formerly the Qatari Royal Families Airline. And now, for at least a short period of time, it
will be President Trump's.
He was basking in that, talking very little about the newfound disclosures of his wealth. Some $2.2 billion his family has made since he returned to
office. But instead, President Trump talked about America at 250. He also talked about himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: On July 4th, it's going to be approximately 107 degrees out. And I'm going to go and I'm going to make a really long speech. Just to show
that I can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So, Jim, President Trump drawing many comparisons to President Roosevelt. Of course, history limits most of them. President Roosevelt was
a conservationist. He was pro-regulation. The two are both Republicans, yes. But in today's era, Teddy Roosevelt would likely not belong in this
Republican Party.
But one thing is clear, President Trump is drawing inspiration as he is heading into the celebration of America at 250 on Saturday in Washington,
D.C., spending a lot of the time making most of this about himself. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Thanks so much to Jeff Zeleny there. Well, anti-establishment candidates are notching up more wins. This time, in Colorado's Democratic
primary, 29-year-old Melat Kiros, a Democratic Socialist, self-described, defeated 15-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette on Tuesday. Kiros was not even
born when DeGette first took office.
The expanding reach of the Democratic left-wing comes as new polls indicate that control of the U.S. Senate, now in Republicans' hands, of course, is
increasingly in play this November.
Larry Sabato, veteran of watching a few elections through the years and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Larry,
always good to have you.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Thank you, Jim. Nice to be here.
SCIUTTO: So, I'm going to ask you a question I've been asking some Democratic lawmakers in recent days, that given how the Democratic Party's
leftward shift in recent years drove many voters to the Republican Party, even some Democratic lawmakers and leaders have said that, does this move
to the left? We saw it in New York. We see it in Colorado. Does that have the potential, even the likelihood, of doing the same, perhaps dampen
Democratic hopes in the general election in the fall?
SABATO: It could very well. I would bet against it today, Jim, but I think it's a real threat. You know, I lived through McGovern and Walter Mondale
and Mike Dukakis. You know, they were all fine people. And together, I don't think they got enough electoral votes to even come close to one
Republican.
[18:15:00]
So, Democrats need to review their history. Of course, nobody knows history anymore, but it would be very helpful if someone would look at it.
SCIUTTO: I want to look at the Senate for a moment, because I know you've been watching it quite closely. I mean, the betting is that Democrats,
based on the elections we've seen so far, have a very good chance, maybe even a likelihood, of taking the House. Senate is much different.
But this latest New York Times/Siena poll, it showed tighter margins for Dems than some recent polls. It does put a lot of those deciding races in
play, but not with as big leads in a state like North Carolina as we saw before, and with, well, behind in Alaska, as you see there, behind in Iowa,
behind in Ohio.
What does that tell you? I mean, are you seeing the shift elsewhere that perhaps it's becoming more likely Republicans hold onto the Senate?
SABATO: I don't think it's more likely, because I've never felt that it was likely the Democrats were going to take over. But I do think it's very
possible the Democrats can take over. They've worked themselves into that. Remember, a year ago, nobody thought the Democrats had a shot to take over
the Senate.
Now, keep one thing in mind with the New York Times/Siena polls, they just changed their methodology. Now, they did publish an article about it, so
they weren't hiding it, but they have made the waiting more favorable to Trump and the Republicans, because they underestimated Trump's vote at
least two of the three times that Trump was on the ballot. I think it's a good thing they did that, but you're going to see closer races from them
than you might from others. I think this is actually useful for the Democrats, Jim.
You know, the late Alan Greenspan, who just passed on at age 100, was famous for a term, irrational exuberance. And Democrats have fallen into
that trap of irrational exuberance. They were certain to win the Senate probably by four or five votes, and everybody was going to win, and the
House was going to be a landslide. No, it isn't. No, it really isn't.
If they manage to take over, it will be by a close margin in both Houses, or one of the two Houses. And you're right, it would be the House rather
than the Senate.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I'd say that rule holds equally for politics and perhaps World Cup football as well. We've seen that a lot of matches, you know. You
wrote recently that the key voters, deciding voters perhaps in this cycle, are those who somewhat disapprove of President Trump, but might still vote
Republican for the Senate. Tell us why, in your view, those voters are so important.
SABATO: Sure, it's about 6 percent, and people say, oh, that's nothing. No, that's going to be the margin of defeat or victory for one party or the
other in both Houses of Congress. The reason they matter is because these Republicans don't like President Trump, but they don't necessarily draw a
straight line between Trump and the candidates of their party for Senate and even House.
And so, they wouldn't support Trump again, but Trump's not on the ballot. They're looking at Republicans who may be closer to their views, may be
closer to the old Reagan Republican Party. That will be the difference between victory and defeat.
Am I just pulling this out of the air? No. It happened in 2022 on the other side. You had about the same percentage of voters who mildly disapproved or
somewhat disapproved of Joe Biden who ended up voting Democratic in the congressional races, and that is how the Democrats did as well as they did
in Biden's first midterm election and only midterm election.
SCIUTTO: We are still months from Election Day, but do you see a emerging tight group of potential Democrats, strong Democrats for 2028? I hate to
have you look that far ahead. We got a lot of time between now and then, but are you seeing the folks you're starting to put your money on?
SABATO: I'm seeing a few of them. I'm of the old school. I think when you repeat nominees, you're asking for trouble. You remember, I know you're so
old as I am, you remember Adlai Stevenson, who lost by a bigger landslide in 1956 to Dwight Eisenhower than he did in 1952. It's not wise to do that.
Kamala Harris, take note. But there are others. Gavin Newsom obviously took the frontrunner seat to begin with because he's governor of the nation
state of California.
But, you know, keep your eye on other people like Andy Beshear, the governor of Kentucky, or John Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, or
Senator Kelly, Mark Kelly, the former astronaut to Senator from Arizona. What do they have in common? Well, two of the three states are swing
states, and it's not impossible that if Kentucky had a governor on the ticket, they might actually vote Democratic.
You know, eventually Democrats have to start winning electoral votes where they're not winning them, or they're guaranteed to lose.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Yes. The math should teach them that lesson. Larry Sabato, always great to have you.
SABATO: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Just ahead, one week after Venezuela's deadly twin earthquakes, rescuers and family members are still clinging to hope of finding more
survivors. We're going to have the latest from one of the hardest hit areas.
And I'll speak to former New York Governor George Pataki on his remarkable sports initiative empowering children in Ukraine. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: The Venezuelan government is declaring seven days of national mourning for the victims of the deadly twin earthquakes that hit the
country a week ago today. The death toll from the disaster now is nearing 2,300 people. Rescue workers and loved ones still hold out hope that
survivors might be pulled out of the wreckage alive. But time is running out. Isa Soares reports from La Guaira, one of the hardest hits area.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With nothing more than borrowed tools, Delvis Ramos digs through the rubble. The twin mattresses
of his two little girls are within sight, and he anchors his strength in knowing that soon he will hold them close, even if it's a final goodbye.
DELVIS RAMOS, FAMILY MISSING AFTER EARTHQUAKE (through translator): I can't think about crying right now. I can't bear the thought of it. It
tears my soul apart because tears won't move a stone.
SOARES (voice-over): While we hear rescue team from North Carolina arrive looking for signs of life or death.
JACK THORPE, U.S. VOLUNTEER, RESOURCE RESCUE INTERNATIONAL: I know that we have still been finding people alive in these -- in these buildings, so I'm
not ready to give up yet.
SOARES (voice-over): Almost a week since those fateful back-to-back earthquakes, hope of finding survivors is fading fast.
But in the midst of unimaginable grief, a moment of compassion and humanity between an American rescuer and a grieving Venezuelan father. The scene
here in La Guaira is apocalyptic, with countless buildings pancaked by the ferocity of the quakes, and while families wait for answers, heavy
machinery sits idle.
SOARES (through translator): Sir, why is the machine not on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I don't have fuel.
SOARES: He doesn't have petrol. He doesn't have fuel. I mean, tell that to the families.
SOARES (voice-over): A sorry sight for one of the world's largest oil reserves. Hassell Mendoza has seen this firsthand. She traveled from Tampa,
Florida, to search for her loved ones.
[18:25:00]
HASSELL MENDOZA, FAMILY MISSING AFTER EARTHQUAKE: This guy, you know, work with their nails.
SOARES: Their hands.
MENDOZA: Yes, their hands, they try to do everything without nothing. They don't have, you know, shoes, they don't have machine-like drills, big
drills that you need. They don't have sensors, they don't have anything.
SOARES (voice-over): We walk from building to building, the scale of destruction stretches for blocks, around every corner, a house of horrors.
Still, Venezuelans did with rickety tools, shovels, and buckets.
SOARES (voice-over): As we depart La Guaira, an arresting scene of casket after casket, and of overwhelming loss.
Isa Soares, CNN, La Guaira, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Let's hope those people see relief soon. Well, still ahead, one of Anthropic's most powerful A.I. models is coming back online now, after
an about-face from the White House. The industry fears more U.S. regulatory uncertainty is to come, however.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
President Trump boarded his new luxury jet donated by Qatar today, saying the United States couldn't build a plane like this. He took an inaugural
flight on the new Air Force One to North Dakota. Critics have raised legal, ethical and national security concerns about the plane worth an estimated
$400 million.
Much of North America is sweltering under a major heat wave. Conditions will stay dangerously hot and humid right through the Fourth of July. More
than 100 daily record highs could be tied or broken. Cities are announcing extreme heat alerts and deploying cooling centers in a bid to keep people
safe.
While England are advancing to the round of 16 in the Men's World Cup, Captain Harry Kane scored two late goals against the Democratic Republic of
Congo, who had spent much of the match in the lead.
[18:30:00]
Well, in today's Business Breakout, a weak start to the new month and new quarter on Wall Street. The S&P and NASDAQ closed lower. The Dow finished
flat after hitting record highs earlier in the session. Meta was an exception. Shares of the parent company, Facebook and Instagram, rose
almost 9 percent, as you see there, on reports it will sell excess A.I. computing power to outside customers.
Also, today, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh warned that U.S. inflation remains too high. During a panel discussion with other central bankers in Portugal, he
said anyone expecting loose U.S. monetary policy under his leadership will be disappointed. Interesting. That's what the president had said he
expected. He also had this to say about investments in the A.I. sector.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN WARSH, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: The A.I. boom is showing itself first and very prominently in the United States. I'd certainly rather have
this problem where we have massive capital expenditures instead of thinking years back where we had financial engineering, where we had companies that
weren't able to deliver profits, so they would do shareholder buybacks.
Well, right now, they're investing in the future because their expectation is the supply side of the economy will expand. And if it does, that has
huge implications for monetary policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Well, speaking of artificial intelligence, Anthropic says it has now restored access to its latest models, now that the U.S. government is
allowing foreign nationals to use those models. The move to lift export controls is a positive development for the industry more broadly. However,
concerns remain over the administration's overall A.I. goals and the consistency of its A.I. policy. Hadas Gold has more.
HADAS GOLD, CNN AL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, for more than two weeks, Anthropic's most advanced A.I. models were completely off the market after
the U.S. government issued an export control ban on these new models because of what they said was a jailbreak or a way to get around the
model's guardrails.
Now, Anthropic has what is largely considered one of the most advanced models, especially when it comes to cybersecurity abilities. It's called
Mythos. And a few weeks ago, Anthropic released a public version of Mythos called Fable for All to Use, because Mythos was so advanced, Anthropic
said, that it was only released to a select group of partners.
But Fable is a version that anybody can use. But just a few days after Fable was released, the U.S. government got in touch with Anthropic and
told them that some researchers, which CNN has learned were from Amazon, actually notified the government of a jailbreak or a way to get around some
of those guardrails around Fable.
Now, while Anthropic disagreed with the severity of this jailbreak, and they say that many public models out there can have the same
vulnerabilities, the U.S. government issued an export control ban on Anthropic's latest model, saying no foreign national, even Anthropic's own
employees, can touch these models.
And so, in order to comply, Anthropic pulled both of these models off the shelf, meaning that they were not available for anybody to use. That led to
a few frenzied weeks of constant talks between Anthropic and the White House over these security concerns.
Last week, we heard from the Commerce Department that Anthropic was allowed to release Mythos, its highest level, to a very small select group of
partners once again. And then, this week, on Tuesday, we got word that, finally, the U.S. government had worked with Anthropic to address their
security concerns, and Fable is now back on the market for all to be able to use.
But these last few weeks of really chaos for Anthropic, OpenAI also experienced something similar, where the U.S. government limited their
latest model to a select group of approved partners that were approved by the government. It's only highlighted the sort of very chaotic regulatory
environment these A.I. companies are working in. It's really a wild west when it comes to what the government is doing and how they're regulating
AI.
President Trump has signed an executive order that wants to have A.I. companies but very clearly voluntarily give the government time to review
their latest models. But there's still not a very clear framework around what and how and what's the process for when the government has these
security concerns and what they will do to potentially stop these A.I. models from coming out because of those security concerns.
And all of the A.I. companies and all of the experts out there tell me that we are desperate for some sort of very clear regulatory framework or else
the U.S. risks falling behind adversaries like China because we are still being all caught up in figuring out how exactly do we regulate this
industry in a way that makes sure that the A.I. is safe but also gets the best tech out there as soon as possible. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines now, the Trump administration has announced Wednesday that it will not renew the USMCA
trade agreement as it's known with Mexico and Canada.
[18:35:00]
The decision which was expected means the trilateral deal could remain in effect for another 10 years as long as no one pulls out. But it will now
face yearly reviews. The White House blames the USMCA for worsening the U.S. trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. Of course, it was Trump himself
who negotiated that deal.
Global automakers are out with mixed U.S. sales results for the second quarter. Hyundai reported sales gains due to the popularity of hybrid
vehicles thanks to the higher price of gasoline. General Motors, however, saw 4 percent sales declines. Stellantis sales increased 6 percent due to
sales -- strong sales of the Ram trucks.
New numbers show private sector employers in the U.S. added fewer jobs than expected last month. The ADP report shows private sector employment rising
by 98,000 in June. Analysts were expecting growth of more than 100,000. ADP says it is seeing a slowdown in jobs creation. It says it's taking longer
for people to find work as well.
Coming up next, Harry Kane triumphant for the Three Lions of the U.K. of England. The England captain staves off a historic upset by the Democratic
Republic of Congo in a World Cup throwback.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: NATO is promising more assistance for Ukraine. Secretary General Mark Rutte says a summit in Turkey next week will see the alliance commit
to providing long-term security assistance for Kyiv. Rutte spoke in Berlin at a news conference with the German Chancellor. CNN producer, Sebastian
Shukla, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: The NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, came and attended a German cabinet meeting in a room here known as the
submarine at the German Defense Ministry. It's a sort of relic of the Cold War act, I think, for the times facing the continent more broadly.
But the message that is supposed to be being delivered by all of the European alliance members of NATO is that they have heard the message
coming from the White House and from Donald Trump about increasing defense spending, reducing reliance on Washington for their support and investing
in their own defensive capabilities.
For weeks now, we've seen a swathe of different political events from the chancellor here to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Macron in Paris trying
to appease Donald Trump for their spending, and that they have heard what he has wanted them to do, and they have acquiesced.
[18:40:00]
I pushed Mark Rutte on the question, though, about the defense spending commitments of the European allies, and that given that the Americans are
taking a step back in NATO across the board, does that mean that the reliance and that the defense of Ukraine rests solely on the Europeans?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Well, when it comes to the defense of Ukraine, the U.S. is still indispensable. The flow of key support from the
United States into Ukraine continues, paid for by Canadians and Europeans, and I think that's only fair. This is the famous Pearl program.
And these are, for example, the interceptors for the Patriot systems protecting the critical infrastructure in Ukraine, energy infrastructure in
the cities, and only the U.S. can do this at scale, and it's still doing that, and helping in so many other ways, not always to be disclosed in a
press conference.
So, it is end-to-end. Europe is massively supporting Ukraine in money and in support and in defense industrial output. Look at Germany, when it comes
to what Germany is doing bilaterally, but also through the Czech ammunition initiative and other initiatives, and also investing in defense industrial
base in Ukraine. So, that's Europe, but also the U.S., and we need both. It is really end-to-end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUKLA: And that is the same message that followed immediately after that by the German chancellor, who said and reminded me that we should look at
what happened in Evian, where President Trump remained on the same page as the European partners, and that they believe now that all of those G7
members believe that the president is fully behind them and supporting and pledged his support not only to the European nations and NATO, but also to
Ukraine.
But we have to wait to see whether the summit in Ankara next week goes exactly to plan. The Europeans have been trying so hard to make sure that
it doesn't get derailed at all by Donald Trump and the crosshairs that the alliance has been in for some time, and so that the main topic of the
alliance and one of the themes that they can focus on entirely is ending the war in Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Our Sebastian Shukla there. A thrilling comeback for England in their World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. For a
while, it was looking as though the Three Lions were on their way home after the DRC scored a goal in the seventh minute. England then struggled
well into the second half until Captain Harry Kane came to the rescue, scoring twice.
Right now, another thriller, Belgium and Senegal level at 2-2, with Belgium scoring back-to-back goals in the final minutes to get into extra time. Of
course, soon we're going to see that U.S.-Bosnia-Herzegovina match in California.
Our Coy Wire is in Santa Clara. I mean, Coy, there's not a boring game in this tournament, right? I mean, England was down. They came back. Of
course, it was Harry Kane came to the rescue. You had Senegal, it looks like they had the game in the bag. And then Belgium comes back in the final
minutes. Then, of course, we got this big U.S. match tonight. I mean, it's hard to pick a boring match in this tournament.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, I haven't seen one yet, Jim, and I don't see any signs of it slowing down. Right now, where we are here in the Bay
Area, you can almost hear the heartbeat of American footy pounding through the entire Bay Area.
This isn't just a win or go home match, it's a chance for the U.S. to kick down another door in this new chapter of American footy history. The U.S.
hasn't reached a World Cup quarterfinal since 2002. This squad is ranked 15th in the world with a chance to deliver the country's biggest World Cup
moment in nearly a quarter century.
Now, standing in the way is 61st-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dangerous underdog with nothing to lose. The U.S. players keep telling me they've
been feeding, though, off of this electric crowd they've been given. And you can see it. Fast starts. They have three goals in the opening 15
minutes of this tournament, more than any other team. The fans are bringing the juice. Coach Mauricio Pochettino is bringing the belief. And together,
they've got this team thinking, why not us? Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIAN PULISIC, USA FORWARD: For sure, the energy in the stadium helps us a lot. Being here in America, just the energy within the team. I think
we've done a good job of starting strong and it helps us a lot. So, yes, we want to keep that mentality.
CHRIS RICHARDS, USA DEFENDER: I think we're a country full of believers in ultimately every game, every tournament we go into, we want to win. So, I
mean, that mentality has stuck with us ever since he said it. I think a lot of us believed it, but I think it was good to hear him say it. So,
ultimately, no, it's the same mentality throughout the rest of this tournament. It's one game at a time. But again, no, why not us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right. Let's talk about that match that you mentioned a bit ago, Jim. England escaping what would have been one of the shocks of the
tournament. The fourth-ranked Three Lions trailing to 41st-ranked DR Congo at halftime before Captain Harry Kane turned into Hurricane Harry. Two
second-half goals giving him five this World Cup, 13 in his World Cup career. That's tied for sixth all-time.
[18:45:00]
Right now, he is scoring more often than your phone probably buzzes in group chat. Here is Harry, the hero, after the win. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY KANE, ENGLAND CAPTAIN: The keeper made some incredible saves, to be fair to him. And you start to think, maybe, is it just one of those days?
But that's where I'm most proud of the boys and myself as well, just to keep the belief, keep getting the ball into the right areas. And, you know,
one of us will have our hero moment. And thankfully for me, it was today.\
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: So, England survives now. Heavyweight showdown with Mexico on Sunday in Mexico City, Jim. And look out here. The stage is set. These stars are
laced up. The crowd is cranked up to an 11. And now, it's time to find out if this American dream has another chapter or if Bosnia and Herzegovina is
about to become the author of the biggest upset yet. Let's go.
SCIUTTO: Yes. As my daughter sort of jokes, she's like, we have to play both Bosnia and Herzegovina? You know, doesn't seem fair in the mind of a
10-year-old. Do you worry at all? You've been covering this closely, about a little bit of American overconfidence here, right? I felt that a little
bit going into the Turkey game, and I know they played their subs, but let's be frank. They expected to win that game, right? Is there any concern
that they're going in, heads might be a little too big?
WIRE: Well, I do have a concern for overconfidence, but it's for the fans. These fans, they have them winning this World Cup already. Now, the
players, having talked to them, being around them, they have that look in their eye, Jim. They have that humble and hungry attitude and demeanor,
despite all of the hype, despite all of the fandom and the love they're getting, and that's all coming from their head coach.
He has taught them to believe in themselves, yet remain grounded as they go through this super pressure cooker experience that many of them are
experiencing for the first time. So, yes, I think this team is absolutely ready to get the job done here tonight. Now, it's just a matter of doing
it.
SCIUTTO: Yes, I don't know what I'm talking about, but I will say this. It'd be important to score that first goal. That's my thinking. You don't
want to be down. One, it'll change the kind of head space and the rhythm of the game, but we know you'll be watching. Let's talk tomorrow. Coy Wire,
thanks so much.
WIRE: All right. Jim, thanks.
SCIUTTO: World Cup joint host, Mexico, are finally through to the round of 16. They beat Ecuador 2-nil after decades of heartbreak in the men's
knockout stage. The streets of the capital were filled with jubilant fans who celebrated what was really a dominant win. Our Valeria Leon was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (through translator): This is the celebration of Mexico's victory over Ecuador. Thousands of far are
screaming "long live Mexico," after this 2-0 game. In the fourth game of the World Cup in the Mexico City stadium. We heard, "Yes, we did it." And
the foam fight. And if -- yes, this is how they celebrate.
And it's also -- the solidarity of the people here on the streets. They're helping with the very famous "Qulere Volar." That's a typo of celebration
this World Cup. In Mexico City, there are more than 500,000 people here surrounding the Angel of Independence. It's become -- The World Cup
celebration. This is how it's lived here in Mexico City. Love live Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: I want that assignment next time. Looks like a lot of fun. Congratulations to Mexico.
Coming up next, we count down to a different kind of event, the wedding of the year, and look at big security issues as well as Taylor Swift is
expected to tie the knot with Travis Kelce.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: Security beefed up around Madison Square Garden in New York ahead of an expected wedding celebration this week for, well, not your average
bride and groom, but Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Crews have been buzzing, as you see there around the venue, and a law enforcement official
says that extra police will be operating in the area. The security plan calls for heavy weapons teams, canine units as well. Sources say there will
be a rehearsal Thursday for about 100 guests.
Brynn Gingras joins me now from New York. So, wait. All of this for a wedding for 100 people?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, no, no. That's just a rehearsal, Jim. That's just the first event that's expected to take place
here tomorrow. The big event is expected to happen on Friday, beginning at about 6:00 -- or actually before 6:00 p.m. is what we're learning from
sources.
The wedding ceremony, we've just learned from a source, is going to begin at 5:30 on the venue floor of Madison Square Garden, the arena floor,
rather, and that is going to go, or expected to go, until about 2:00 on July 4th morning. So, it's going to be a pretty exciting event, and about
1,000 people are expected to attend that one. So, those are the preliminary sort of timelines that we are hearing about this expected two-day affair to
see Mr. and Mrs. future Travis Kelce.
But, yes, like you said, there's going to be a number of police officers that are going to be deployed to this area, making sure it just stays safe.
We are learning about the secrecy that's also going into this. Obviously, part of that is why, it seems at least, why they chose MSG to be where they
got married -- or where they plan to get married, I should say, and we're learning that maybe 500 cars are going to be brought into the, you know,
into the driveways of Madison Square Garden, just to be completely undetected from anybody to get those paparazzi shots.
Now, look, I did talk to some Swifties, Jim, who are very much on board with all these plans. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so excited because she's so special in our lives. Like, she shares so much of her life, and makes it fun to be a girl or a
woman, and shares things that are so nice to feel recognized openly, and I feel like it's just happy that she gets to have found what she's been
singing about for years, and celebrate it with such a seemingly, I mean, we haven't met them, but wonderful person, and just happy for her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRAS: I'd actually like to talk to them tomorrow when we're hearing that the streets might be shut down in order to avoid any pedestrian
traffic, again, to have a bit of secrecy here. So, let's see if they are still really in favor of all of this.
But, Jim, it's going to be quite the celebration. We've been seeing a flurry of activity here at Madison Square Garden, with stuff going in and
out for this expected event. We're hearing it's going to be a garden party, and quite a spectacular event, and we'll be here for it. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Brynn Gingras, hope you get an invitation as well. Thanks for joining.
Dramatic scenes at one of the world's most iconic landmarks. Two people arrested after they climbed, as you see there, to the very top of the spire
atop New York's Empire State Building. The masked couple appeared to get engaged after reaching the top of the antenna, unfurling a banner then with
a message about the power of love.
[18:55:00]
These are pictures from what is believed to be one of the climbers' Instagram pages. Promoting a Netflix documentary on the couple, which
describes them as daredevil influencers. It's not known exactly how they made it up to the top of the tower. That's one dangerous way to ask someone
to marry you.
Victor Willis, lead singer of the Village People, has died at age 74. His family says that he passed away at the age of 74. He's been in the hospital
since then. He passed away after a short illness. Willis' iconic disco group shot to fame in the '70s, known for their elaborate outfits. Willis
usually played a police officer, sometimes an admiral. He co-wrote hits like "YMCA," "In the Navy," and "Macho Man," the songs embraced by the gay
community. Decades later, President Trump embraced them for his rally. Still does. Willis said in 2024 he was thankful Trump played "YMCA" because
it introduced his music to new fans. He denied the song was a gay anthem.
Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
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