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Growing Concerns of Terror Attacks in U.S.; Chris Christie Announces 2016 White House Run; Donald Trump Gets Support from Ted Cruz; Obama's Poll Numbers Rise; Deadline Extended for Iran Nuclear Deal; Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 30, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:32:05] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: There are growing concerns of a terror attack ahead of the July 4th holiday. Intelligence officials are warning local law enforcement agencies across the United States of possible domestic attacks on the holiday weekend. This comes after recent terror attacks in Tunisia, France and Kuwait. Some 30 Americans have been arrested so far this year on charges of trying to support ISIS or similar terror charges. And the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee says to expect the number of arrests to increase.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL, (R), TEXAS & CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY: We just arrested an ISIS follower yesterday that was planning to build an explosive device to hit a landmark. We had another individual last week to blow up the George Washington Bridge. I anticipate you'll see more and more arrests as we lead up to the Fourth of July holiday and that's to get these people off the streets so they can't conduct a terrorist attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The advisories from authorities don't point to any active plot against the U.S. homeland but they do say the Islamist terrorist threat is the highest it's been in years. How well prepared is the U.S. for a possible terrorist attack in the coming days?

With us, here is Phil Mudd, the CNN terrorism analyst, former CIA counterterrorism official; also joining us, Jonathan Gilliam from New York, a former FBI special agent, police officer and air marshal.

Phil Mudd, how concerned should we be about this latest advisory from the department of homeland security and the FBI?

PHIL MUDD, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Back when I was at the FBI, we'd meet everyday to talk about threats. If I were sitting at that threat table today, I would be nervous. And the reason is straightforward. Back through the first decade of this century, after 9/11, we had a target, that is al Qaeda, that we could use intelligence capabilities against. Intercepted e-mails, for example. If you look at the call for from ISIS now, you step back and say who are we supposed to target? Some kid who's never travelled? Some kid who is not talking about extremism? Some kid who just wants to shoot up a shopping mall or something. So you say if one out 330 million Americans wants to heed that ISIS call over the weekend, we have a problem.

BLITZER: And given the availability of weapons in the United States, Jonathan, and soft targets that are so plentiful this causes enormous fear, especially this notion of a single individual striking out.

JONATHAN GILLIAM, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT, POLICE OFFICER & AIR MARSHAL: Well, Wolf, I'd like to see people back up from fear a little bit and increase their awareness. As Phil will tell you, that's the way we find these people, either through sources, intelligence or our own awareness as agents that are out there searching for these individuals. And right now -- you know, let's look at the Boston bombing, for instance. That bag, one of the bags that was set down sat there for two and a half minutes and one of the individuals that had his legs blown off told law enforcement when he woke up, I know the guy who did it, I saw him put it down there, and I stared at that bag for two and a half minutes. He didn't do anything. That's the biggest thing I think right here besides what the authorities are doing is that people need to increase their awareness of what is normal and what is not. That will be the biggest thing that saved them.

[13:35:13] BLITZER: That's a good point. If you see something suspicious, tell somebody, don't just stand there.

And, Phil, that's the advice we're getting from Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, James Comey, they're saying the same thing. Go have your fireworks, barbecue, celebrate, but just watch a little bit more carefully.

MUDD: I think the message from Jonathan is significant. When you are looking at the al Qaeda target, it was the federal government who would go to locals and say, hey, we're looking at a cell in Pakistan that might have reached back to the United States. We wouldn't expect a local government, a local police department, a state police department or the sheriff to call the feds and say, "We see something." Now with this disorganized threat that game has reversed. As Jonathan says, you have to look at a family member or friend, somebody in the street to be vigilant because you won't pick these up from federal security services. They're not up on e-mail or on the phone.

BLITZER: We'll watch it closely. Hopefully, it will be a wonderful, happy, joyous Fourth of July for all of our viewers out there.

Guys, thanks very much.

The road to the White House getting increasingly crowded. Today, it grew more with Chris Christie jumping in. You'll hear why he thinks Americans should put him in the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:23] BLITZER: At the high school where he served as class president some three decades ago, the New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today launched his long-awaited presidential campaign. He enters a crowded field of Republican candidates. He's number 14 who's made the official announcement. Once a political favorite, Christie's popularity has recently taken a hit over the Bridgegate scandal in New Jersey and questions over New Jersey's finances. That doesn't seem to faze Chris Christie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am not running for president of the United States as a surrogate for being elected prom king of America.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm not looking to be the most popular guy who looks in your eyes every day and tries to figure out what you want to hear, say it and turn around and do something else.

When I stand up on a stage like this in front of all of you, there is one thing you will know for sure. I mean what I say and I say what I mean and that's what America needs right now.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: His slogan is "Telling it like it is." As you heard, that seems to be what he's trying to do right now.

Let's bring in our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger; and our CNN political director, David Chalian.

Gloria, how did he do?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I thought it was great for him. It's his brand, I'm the truth teller, I won't fool around with you, we have to talk about the problems we've got. It's not easy to do that for a half hour talking to an audience extemporaneously. This has been his brand for his entire public career and he's sticking to it. It took a detour during the bridge gate scandal and he's trying to get it back on track right now.

BLITZER: I want to play a few more clips of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: So listen, you want to have the conversation later I'm happy to have it buddy. But until that time, sit down and shut up.

Did I say "on topic?" Are you stupid? On topic, on topic. Next question. Good, thank you. Thank you all very much and I'm sorry for the idiot over there. Take care.

If you decide what you want to do is put on a show today, let me tell you something, I can go back and forth with you as much as you want.

(APPLAUSE)

CHRISTIE: And let me tell you something, after you graduate from law school, if you conduct yourself like that in a courtroom, your rear end will get in jail, Idiot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That's not what he said today --

(LAUGHTER)

-- but over the years. He's obviously very blunt. He talks in a tough way like that from time to time. Will that play going forward?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think we just saw, Wolf, Chris Christie greatest hits, volume one and two. It's the greatest hits of what he's been doing in the New Hampshire town halls and around his state in New Jersey. As Gloria was saying like getting his brand out there and telling it like it is. Then you see volume two and it's like these are his greatest hits also, which cuts both ways. Some people find that refreshing then he crosses a line and people are turned off and concerned, like do we want someone that brash? Is that presidential? I think you'll see him turn that more to his advantage than disadvantage because I think people have gotten used to Christie's brash. I think it's harder for him to surprise.

BLITZER: Gloria, you spoke to his wife, Mary Pat, and she spoke about how that Bridgegate scandal impacted both of them.

BORGER: She did. It's a very tough time for their family. Here's the truth teller accused of somehow being behind this plot to close the George Washington Bridge and I asked her whether the family kind of felt like they had been abandoned by their friends. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORGER: People abandoned you?

MARY PAT CHRISTIE, WIFE OF CHRIS CHRISTIE: I think you felt like people were against you and you wanted to shout what the truth was. When you here in those situations, you know you can trust your family. And so we leaned on one another. In a strange way, I think it was healthy. I wouldn't recommend it but it was healthy in some ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: She obviously is a very, very active part in their family and in his life. She got very personal in this interview.

BORGER: She did. She's quit her job on Wall Street, which was quite lucrative. He loves to talk about how she's the breadwinner. Now she will be campaigning full time.

I also asked her about this sit down and shut up, kind of Chris Christie kind of person, and she said, you know, sometimes when people are rude that's what he's going do back. So she was very defensive about that behavior as well.

[13:45:10] BLITZER: We'll have much more of this interview later on your special report in "The Situation Room" later tonight.

BORGER: Thank you.

BLITZER: David, he did wait a little bit long, though. He's number 14 among the Republicans. Is it too late? I guess the broader question is he had a real shot maybe four years ago, maybe a better shot then than he has now.

CHALIAN: Big question, did he miss his moment? The waiting was in large part due to the New Jersey budget, which is just wrapping up now in New Jersey, so he wanted to wait for that portion of his day job to be done. So I don't think it's too late in the season now, but the bigger question, Wolf, is did he miss his moment? He's had about middle to low single digits 4, percent nationally or so. He's going to try to town hall his way through New Hampshire and to try to catch that magic. Make lightning strike for him again, similar to what John McCain in 2007 and 2008. I don't rule out that that could happen but it's a narrow path.

BLITZER: Very quickly. Suddenly, Donald Trump getting backing from another Republican presidential candidate for his controversial remarks about Mexicans and immigration.

CHALIAN: Ted Cruz says he likes the brashness in the Donald. And Ted Cruz was out there this morning sort of giving Donald a shot in the arm. Donald Trump tweeted back a big thank you to Ted Cruz. I have think that also shows you which wing they're both running in the conservative race inside the Republican nominating race. I'll be more surprised if we see Jeb Bush.

BLITZER: David and Gloria --

BORGER: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

BLITZER: -- stay with me for a moment.

I want to turn to President Obama right now. He's obviously coming off a banner week. The U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a key provision of Obamacare, the court affirming same-sex marriage, the passage of trade legislation. And at a news conference just a little while ago with Brazil's visiting president, our own senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, asked the president if last week was his best week ever and what he'll do going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My best week? My best week, I will tell you, was marrying Michelle. That was a really good week. Malia and Sasha being born, excellent weeks. In many ways last week was simply a culmination of what I've been working with.

How am I going to spend whatever political capital I've built up? The list is long and my instructions to my team and my instructions to myself have always been that we are going to squeeze every last ounce of progress that we can make when I have the privilege of -- as long as I have the privilege of holding this office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: For the first time in more than two years, half of the country right now approves of the job the president is doing. In our brand new CNN/ORC poll, his job approval rating is at 50 percent.

Gloria, this is a good bump for the president going right now. What do you make of this bump? Why is he suddenly at 50 percent? It's the highest he's had in quite a while.

BORGER: You know the old saying nothing succeeds like success? This is a president who's had a lot of success in the past week. And those people, in one week, joining of the party, the more progressive wing of the party, who might have been down on him, suddenly, might be more up on him. The popularity of Obamacare is growing. And also I think people are beginning to feel a little bit better about their own economic future. And you can't discount that at all. It's what drives American public opinion.

BLITZER: Our new poll also shows, David, that Americans agree basically with those Supreme Court decisions. For example, 63 percent support the high court's views. 34 percent are opposed. Those numbers have an impact on his legacy.

CHALIAN: No doubt, because that is support for the Obamacare ruling and this is his legacy. That's why that ruling was so consequential when it came down that John Roberts, of all people, the chief justice, would be the person twice now to secure the Obama legacy. I can't think of another accomplishment from his two terms in office thus far, the second up with not complete, that is going to be more prominent in his presidential library or in historic discussions about the Obama presidency than Obamacare.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Yeah, and it might be the Iranian nuclear deal if that should occur.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: We'll see if that happens.

BORGER: Right.

BLITZER: The poll also shows there's strong support for the court's decision on same-sex marriage, allowing same-sex marriage. You see it right there, 59 percent support the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage. 39 percent oppose. Presumably, that will impact his job approval as well.

BORGER: It will impact his job approval. It's also going to impact how the Republican Party tries to navigate this social issue because, in the primaries, while they can run to the right on same-sex marriage, and they've been doing it, some of them talking about a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which would never go anywhere, American public opinion, including young Republicans, has evolved over the last five or six years dramatically, and Republicans are going to have to position themselves to take that into account in a general election.

[13:50:14] BLITZER: There is another poll number that we have, not necessarily all that encouraging for the president. Americans have serious doubts about these nuclear negotiations under way with Iran. The final day is right now. How is President Obama handling the U.S. relationship with Iran? Only 38 percent approve, 58 percent disapprove. That's a potential source of serious concern for the president.

CHALIAN: Without a doubt, Wolf. As Gloria was just saying, the president has said, "This will be on me." If we -- if the United States somehow gets a deal with Iran and it falls apart and that region of the world gets more unstable, President Obama knows that is going to be part of his legacy as well. He says he's ready to accept that responsibility. But that's a warning sign.

BLITZER: We have more poll numbers coming up as well.

Guys, thanks very much. Significant numbers to assess.

Coming up, nuclear negotiations with Iran are going into overtime again. We're going to get an update on where things stand.

And President Obama tells Iran, deal or no deal. He says, the ball is in your court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:55:30] BLITZER: This was supposed to be the deadline for reaching the nuclear deadline with Iran but negotiators extended the talks to July 7th. President Obama says the ball is in Iran's court. He says the Iranian government must agree to terms reached during talks in Switzerland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: There's a lot of other talks on the other side from the Iranian negotiators about whether, in fact, they can abide by some of the terms that came up. If they cannot, that's going to be a problem. Because I've said from the start, I will walk away from the negotiations if, in fact, it's a bad deal. If we can't provide assurances that the pathways for Iran obtaining nuclear weapons are closed, and we can't verify that, if the inspection regime is inadequate, then we're not going to get a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So where do the nuclear talks stand right now? Where do the U.S. and the other negotiators go from here?

Aaron David Miller is the vice president at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

Deal or no deal? What do you think?

DAVID AARON MILLER, VICE PRESIDENT, WOODROW WILSON CENTER: Nobody ever lost money betting on this, but I'd say a deal, yeah. Both sides have too much invested. It's the end game. A lot to lose. The president was right, though. He's confident, he's empowered, and made it very clear that the Iranians have to stick to the terms of the agreement. But he did say some of the --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: He said they have to agree to what they agreed to at Luzon, which was a couple of months ago.

MILLER: Right. And I think --

BLITZER: And the ayatollah, Khomeini, said -- and he's the supreme leader of Iran -- the U.S. and other partners, the IAEA, they won't have full inspections, they can't go to military facilities, they are not going to get the history of what Iran did in its nuclear program. He's laying out a public line that if, in fact, the Iranians back away from that, he will look silly, the ayatollah.

MILLER: He may look silly but he's still is he supreme leader and he will set the tone. In the end, Wolf, I suspect he can legitimatize whatever deal they sign. So I still bet, even at this late hour, with all of the problems and complications, the red lines, the president's tough statement, we're probably heading to are a deal. And, in large part, I think it's a good deal, a really good deal. Think about it from Tehran's perspective. They give up or put constraints on a weapon they have not yet made a decision to develop and may not choose to develop it, in return for billions of dollars of sanctions relief and legitimacy and a way to expand their influence in the region and they still maintain the capacity to weaponize, if they decide to do that. From their point of view, it's a good deal. It will manage their public. There's a lot of support on the streets for a deal. And it will kick the can down the road.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: The president was asked specifically why not link the release of those four Americans, including a "Washington Post" reporter, a U.S. Marine, why not release them, he says -- he was asked, as part of this deal. The Iranians are going to get $100 billion in sanctions relief, at least free these four Americans. The president is not making a direct linkage between these four Americans and this deal.

MILLER: That's right. They have compartmentalized Iran's repressive behavior at home, it's expansionist designs in the region, from the nuclear issue. That is the problem. And I think the real problem is not the nuclear issue. The real problem, ultimately, is Iran's behavior in the region. Frankly, unless Iran transforms, we're going to feed their aspirations through sanctions relief by hanging an "open for business" sign -- (CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: What you're saying is the billions of dollars that they are about to get, they are going to use that money not necessarily to build a bomb but to foment, what, terrorism elsewhere in the region?

MILLER: Well, I mean, DNI Clapper said that he believes Iran is still the primary -- one of the major sponsors of terrorism in the world today. Look, unless you're talking about a transformed regime, you're talking about a transaction, a deal that serves the narrow interests of each side but is not going to resolve in any tempering down of Iran's regional aspirations.

BLITZER: We have a lot more on this story coming up in the next several days.

Thank you very much, Aaron David Miller.

MILLER: Pleasure.

BLITZER: Thank you for joining us.

That's it for me. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

Our coverage continues with "Newsroom" and Brooke Baldwin and that starts right now.

[14:00:06] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much.

Hello, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin. This is CNN.