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What We Know with Max Foster
Reports: International Criminal Court Members Dismiss Prosecutor Khan; Trump To Axios: "I Am Considering A Massive Attack" On Iran; Violence Spiraling In West Bank Amid Relentless Settler Attacks; Thousands Evacuated From France's Cap Ferret As Fires Rage; Measles Cases In U.S. Reaches 35- Year High; NBA Superstar LeBron James To Play For Philadelphia 76ers. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired July 24, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: I'm Max Foster.
We're starting with breaking news from The Hague. International Criminal Court member states have reportedly voted to dismiss the court's chief
prosecutor, Karim Khan. "Reuters" and the "Associated Press" cite diplomatic sources saying the vote happened earlier this evening. Khan's
been facing allegations of sexual misconduct for months. The United Nations watchdog investigated claims made by a female ICC employee who worked as a
direct assistant to Khan.
According to a leaked copy of a U.N. report that CNN obtained, she alleged that he sexually harassed her and repeatedly subjected her to non-
consensual sexual acts. Khan has repeatedly denied the accusations against him. The U.S., which is not a member, had sanctioned almost a dozen judges
and prosecutors, including Khan, after the ICC issued arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant.
Joining me now, Kenneth Roth, former executive director at Human Rights Watch.
It's obviously a story covered very closely here on CNN. Why do you think this decision was made now?
KENNETH ROTH, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Well, it took a long time, a very long time, for the investigation to be completed. Then
it had to be reviewed by a panel of judges on an advisory basis. Then the executive bureau of the ICC, 21 member states reviewed it. And now,
finally, the full membership, 125 member states, made their final decision.
It was a ridiculously protracted process. The court has been without a chief prosecutor in his office for 14 months now. So, it was way past time
that this decision be taken. Now, any of your viewers who saw the complainant Sarah's testimony, her interview with Christiane Amanpour,
could not help but be moved by the ordeal that she went through. What she described was repeated cases of sexual misconduct by Khan over many months
in his office, at his home, on a mission around the world. And now, Khan denied this.
But initially, the 21 member states of the Executive Bureau, at least 2/3 of them, found that, beyond a reasonable doubt, he had committed these
acts, and they found his denials to be incredible. Now, the chief prosecutor has to be of the highest moral standing, and he has to adhere
scrupulously to the truth. And Khan fails on both of those grounds in this case. And so, it was really appropriate for the welfare of the court that
he was overwhelmingly dismissed.
A vote today shortly after 1:00 p.m. New York time by a vote of 82 to 13 with 15 abstentions. So, I think this was the right thing to do. Now, you
know, obviously, the court is under attack by Trump, by Netanyahu, by Putin. I mean, it has many enemies. But it needs a credible prosecutor to
fight back, to pursue the case against Israel, to look at other cases around the world, whether it's in Sudan or Eastern Congo or Ukraine or, for
that matter, Trump's behavior, that really need to be examined. You need a credible prosecutor in office who can pursue those cases. And the court's
members have now set that path in motion.
FOSTER: There is, obviously, concern among some quarters that there was pressure on the court to get rid of him. I just want to give you the
Israeli ambassador to the U.N.'s response to this news. He said that Khan thought his political witch-hunt against Israel and outrageous arrest
warrants would distract from serious sexual misconduct allegations he was wrong. There are those that feel that Israel may have pressured the court
for this decision.
What's your view on that?
ROTH: Look, the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant were the product of work by a broad range of prosecutors in the office, not just Karim Khan.
They were approved by the pretrial chamber, that should say three judges on the court. These prosecutions will continue as they should.
You know, Gallant and Netanyahu are being charged with deliberately starving and depriving Palestinian civilians. This is a very appropriate
case to bring. You just need a credible prosecutor to do that.
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I mean, for that matter, you know, there's another investigation underway looking into the settlements, which are war crimes under Article 49 of the
First Geneva Convention. It's appropriate for the court to look at genocide, which I think Netanyahu has committed in Gaza. So, there are
important cases here.
And what the Israeli government is doing is trying to weaponize Khan's unfortunate misconduct towards Sarah, the complainant, as a way to divert
from what Netanyahu and his government have done in Gaza, which the entire world has seen, which CNN has broadcast repeatedly. So, you know, we should
recognize what it is. You know, yes, Israel predictably is attacking the court. Trump predictably is attacking the court. But that does not in any
way detract from the merits of these important prosecutions. We just need a credible prosecutor leading it. That was not Karim Khan. And the member
states of the ICC have now started a process to get a credible prosecutor in place.
FOSTER: OK. Kenneth Roth, thank you so much for breaking down that breaking news story for us so clearly. Thank you.
We are now going to Donald Trump's threat to launch a massive U.S. attack on Iran and take the war into a new phase. The U.S. president tells "Axios"
the attack would be bigger than ever before and that he's close to making a decision on whether to restart major combat operations. He also says he
doesn't believe the Iranians are ready to make a deal right now because, quote, "They haven't received enough pain yet".
CNN's Julia Benbrook is in Washington with the latest.
What are you hearing, Julia? And when might this happen?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those are good questions. There are a lot of questions still out there about next steps, because ever since, you
know, those first joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump had promised that this was going to be a short excursion, that it
could last for days, it could last for weeks. We are now nearly five months into this conflict, and there have been 13 consecutive nights of U.S.
strikes, as well as waves of Iranian drones and missiles fired at a widening number of targets in countries with U.S. bases. And Trump has
threatened that there could be another massive attack. He has also signaled in recent days that he is not quite ready to negotiate a new ceasefire.
This recent escalation came after Iran had targeted a couple of weeks ago now had targeted ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump said that he
believed that the ceasefire was over.
Now he says is that Iran is wanting to come to the table. That is what he has claimed, but that he does not believe that they are quite ready to do
so. Throughout this entire conflict, and in recent days, he's continued to say that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And it was just a little bit
over a month ago that there seemed to be this potential for a diplomatic breakthrough. There had signed both the United States and Iran had signed
the Memorandum of Understanding, which was expected to kick off this 60-day time period for negotiations on the big issues, like Iran's nuclear program
and the fate of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
But he has since said that the Memorandum of Understanding, in his opinion, is, quote, over as well. He has continued to present an optimistic view
here, saying that the United States is, quote, doing extremely well in the conflict. But a recent Fox poll shows that the majority of Americans, in
fact 56 percent of Americans, have said that they are not happy. They oppose the United States military action that's taking place in Iran right
now.
So when it comes to this escalation, this potential for escalation, there are still a lot of questions. We do know that Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He's making that trip in part to attend the funeral services for
Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, well as someone who really focused in on foreign policy and had worked on issues related to this quite
often.
But they're expected to meet on Tuesday, and there will be a lot to discuss. But questions hang over what could happen next.
FOSTER: Julia, thank you very much indeed. One to certainly watch.
Now, there are still hopes the U.S. and Iran can back away from this conflict. There had been reports that Iran had rejected a ceasefire
proposal being put forth by the U.S., but both U.S. officials and Iranian state media say that's not true. It's unclear exactly what the cease-fire
plan would involve.
Meanwhile, the renewed conflict between the U.S. and Iran is impacting the entire Middle East. Warning sirens could be heard in several nearby
countries, and both Jordan and Kuwait reported shooting down Iranian missiles and drones. Air travel has been disrupted across the region. Air
France has canceled flights into Saudi Arabia and Dubai while Qatar Airways has suspended many flights into Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait.
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And the U.S. State Department is warning Americans to reconsider travel to the Middle East altogether and to be prepared for disruptions at airports.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli human rights groups are warning that Palestinians of the West Bank could face mass violence from settlers and
soldiers after a deadly confrontation. Palestinians say settlers attacked a town near Nablus today. The IDF says the settlers were on an unauthorized
and uncoordinated hike when clashes broke out.
Four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed by gunfire. Troops are imposing curfews and setting up checkpoints, preparing for a major
military operation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's ordered settlements accelerated, making no mention of the settler rampages
that happened elsewhere in the West Bank today. Homes and cars were charred, and the Palestine Red Crescent says at least eight people were
injured, six by gunfire.
Our next guest is in the West Bank tonight. Diana Buttu is a political analyst. and a human rights attorney.
Diana, thank you for joining us.
I mean, what did you hear about what happened today?
DIANA BUTTU, FORMER PLO LEGAL ADVISER: Look, for the past many decades now, the Israeli settlers have been rampaging through Palestinian towns in the
West Bank. And in particular, over the course, since the beginning of the year, Israeli settlers have been given a free hand to do whatever it is
that they want to do. So today, they went into a Palestinian town, as they have done in other Palestinian towns, trying to either steal or take land
or intimidate people, set their homes on fire. And they did so today, coming into a Palestinian town just outside of the city of Nablus.
As they were coming in, they started to shoot, and they killed four Palestinians in the process. And of course, as is always the case, we're
going to see that Palestinians are once again going to be punished for the actions of Israeli settlers, because this is what the Israeli government
always does. Instead of reining in the Israeli settlers, they end up punishing Palestinians. And so, I fully expect that we're going to see
Israeli soldiers and Israeli settlers continue their attacks on Palestinians in the coming days. This has been the pattern.
So far, we've seen just in the past couple of years, over 1,100 Palestinians killed at the hands of Israeli soldiers, 33 killed at the
hands of Israeli settlers, including some Americans.
FOSTER: We should point out the two Israeli soldiers were also killed in the gunfire today. The United Nations has called for urgent action, talking
about the escalating violence in the West Bank. It's unabated, they say. And they are calling on Israel to take immediate steps to prevent settler
violence.
What would that look like for you?
BUTTU: It means, first and foremost, to hold those people who have been killing Palestinians to hold them accountable. We've seen already that
nobody has been held accountable, including just about a year ago when an American citizen was killed at the hands of an Israeli settler. He still is
running free. It means holding them to account, throwing them in prison.
It also means taking away the incentives that Israelis are now getting in order to stay in the West Bank. These settlements are illegal, and these
settlements are illegal under international law, and rather than empowering these settlers, which is what this government has been doing. There should
be actions taken to reverse Israel's settler presence, to take down the settlements, to remove these settlers. But I'm afraid that that's not what
we're seeing at all. In fact, we're seeing that this government is now saying that they're going to build more, they're going to expand more,
they're going to put more settlers in the West Bank. And again, this is all illegal, and it's all entirely preventable.
FOSTER: I should point out that the U.N. is also saying that Palestinians must unequivocally reject violence and incitement and take immediate steps
to prevent attacks against Israelis.
BUTTU: You know, this is sort of funny that an Israeli is allowed to come in and rampage and kill and loot and steal, and Palestinians are somehow
told that they don't even have a right to defend themselves, to defend their homes, to defend their property, to defend their families. You know,
we've turned the world up on its head.
I think, if anything, if they want to see an end to violence, we should recognize what the root cause of that is. And the root cause of it is the
fact that Israel continues to occupy Palestinian land illegally. It continues to deny Palestinians their freedom.
We have court case after court case saying that the Israeli settlers must get out, and yet the international community can keep sitting on its hands
and instead wagging its finger at Palestinians, telling them they can't even protect themselves from these militias that are coming in and stealing
their land and setting their houses ablaze.
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It doesn't make any sense.
FOSTER: Diana Buttu, in the West Bank, thank you so much for joining us today with that escalating story.
Now, a wildfire emergency exploding across Spain as hot and windy conditions continue to fuel multiple blazes. Huge ones have now emerged
outside the capital. Almost 20,000 people have been ordered to leave towns in the mountains of west of Madrid. One evacuee said he narrowly escaped a
ball of fire as he ran from his home.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from tourist hotspots in southwest France, as wildfires continue to cause devastation there. Fast-
moving fires are threatening the Cap-Ferret Peninsula. That's near Bordeaux. Authorities didn't want to take any risks, as it only has one
access road.
Melissa Bell is following developments for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As wildfires grip this tourism hotspot in southwestern France, locals in a
nearby port watch as an ominous red sky marks the terror taking place across the bay. French authorities ordered the total evacuation of the
Hamptons like Cap-Ferret Peninsula on Friday. The wildfire that had devastated thousands of hectares already doubled overnight, according to
local authorities.
There's only one road linking the Cap-Ferret to the outside world. Some 40,000 people use that to evacuate, with a few hundred taking boats to the
Port of Carcassonne on the other side of the bay. Not far away another wildfire is also raging in the northern region around the town of
Biscarrosse where 23,000 people were evacuated.
This local resident says, "It's worrying and it's worrying because the whole neighborhood where I live has been evacuated. So we're in doubt,
wondering, are we OK? Has everything burned?"
Another woman from the nearby land region said fear had begun to spread overnight on Thursday.
"We're all starting to panic a little now, to be honest," she says. "We spent the whole day not really knowing what was going on. And now that
night has fallen and it's really red, we can feel that it's right next to us."
French President Emmanuel Macron called the situation very tense, particularly in Gironde, adding that France had requested the activation of
the European Union's civil protection mechanism.
France is battling 32 wildfires of varying sizes, according to the interior minister, including this large one in the southern Var Region.
"It really is a disaster. When you arrive here, it feels apocalyptic. It's as if we're no longer in this world but in another one," she says.
Spain is also facing the consequences of successive heat waves and parched conditions, with residents in some towns near Madrid also forced to
evacuate because of wildfires.
They've become a regular feature of European summers but this year, the continent's forest fire information system says that it has seen far more
land burnt than the annual average for the same period normally. This after record-breaking climate change driven heat waves turned the landscape into
a tinderbox.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: In the U.S., the number of measles cases is surging, reaching levels not seen in 35 years. Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in
2000, but now dozens of new cases are being reported each week. More cases have been reported in the past 18 months than in the previous 25 years
combined. It's not the only public health emergency officials are facing either. Four more states have now reported cases with diarrhea, causing a
diarrhea-causing parasite linked to lettuce sold at Taco Bell. Nine states are now connected to the outbreak.
Meg Tirrell is with me now.
Just explain, Meg, why this surge in measles?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, unfortunately, the measles cases are tide to declining vaccination rates here in the United States,
and to give you a perspective of just how big this year is in terms of cases now quickly they've accumulated. This is where we stand seven months
into the year, more than 2,300 cases that surpasses the record year we saw in 2025, which itself was the biggest year for measles cases we've seen
since 1991. These are much more typical years that we see in terms of measles in the United States, so you can see just how outsized the last two
years have been and where these cases have been in the United States.
There was a massive outbreak in West Texas last year that killed two school-aged children. There was also an even bigger outbreak in South
Carolina that began last October and carried over this year into April when it was declared over.
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But there's still simmering outbreaks going on in Arizona and Utah along the state border. Also in Virginia in Pennsylvania, and this one is
particularly notable because it started last summer and the way we define that measles has been eliminated in a country is that there isn't ongoing
transmission for more than a year.
So we're already hearing from public health experts who believe we have lost that elimination status in its definition because they believe that at
least that outbreak has been going on for a year. But it's going to be November when we see regulatory authorities who look at this space or
they're going to meet and determine whether we actually lose that. But when you look at vaccination rates among kindergarteners here in the US, they've
declined from more than 95 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic, now to 92 1/2 percent and 95 percent is really where you need to be to reach herd
immunity, because measles is the most contagious virus we know about.
So, you have to have a lot of people vaccinated to protect everybody in the community. And you can see here that it varies widely by state. The Green
States are the only ones still above 95 percent, and if you go even deeper into counties, communities and schools, you see even lower vaccination
rates. And it is indeed school age children who are predominantly affected by these measles outbreaks and the vast majority of them, Max, are not
vaccinated, 93 percent.
FOSTER: And, Meg, this parasite that started out in salads, wasn't it, Taco Bell? They did identify the source for that. So why is that suddenly
spreading so widely?
TIRRELL: So what they're doing right now is continuing their investigation into all of these people who got sick from this parasite, which is called
cyclospora. And, of course, it had been concentrated, really, this five- state outbreak Michigan reporting the most cases. Thousands of people sick with this.
But as they do these trace back investigations, they talk to people. They say these investigations can take six weeks to be able to actually link
them to each other. So, today, we heard from the CDC that they're adding Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Pennsylvania to the previous five states in
that outbreak still linked to this iceberg lettuce from Taylor Many people having reported they ate at Taco Bell.
Taco Bell did say though a week ago that it pulled the product nationally, so hopefully we're not going to be seeing new cases arising from this. But
all these other states that are red here also have cases of cyclosporiasis. We do see it every summer to some degree, much less than this typically,
but the FDA said it's investigating multiple clusters, so there could be other things, of course, causing this as well at much lower levels -- Max.
FOSTER: Yes, complex, I realize.
Meg, thank you so much.
TIRRELL: Thank you.
FOSTER: Coming up, safeguarding against A.I. Why some U.S. lawmakers want the government to have an A.I. kill switch.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: U.S. lawmakers want the federal government to be able to order a shutdown of A.I. models that could cause catastrophic harm. The bill would
compel developers to have access to a so-called kill switch that would immediately shut down harmful A.I. models. It would also give the
Department of Homeland Security the power to order a shutdown. A bipartisan pair of U.S. House lawmakers have brought the bill just days after OpenAI
announced some of its models went rogue and hacked into a tech startup during a test.
What we don't know is, is it too little too late to legalize or legislate, rather, against A.I.?
Joining me now, Peter Wildeford, Head of Policy at the A.I. Policy Network, a lobby group that calls for new laws on A.I.
Thank you so much for joining us.
And I think that that story involving OpenAI when an agent got out into the internet they didn't even realize and managed to carry out a hack was a
real wake-up call, wasn't it? But I'm just wondering, on this idea of a kill switch, would a kill switch have stopped that once it was out?
PETER WILDEFORD, HEAD OF POLICY, THE AI POLICY NETWORK: I think the way the kill switch would work is that if you did have a model that like was able
to slip out of containment you would still need a way to reliably be able to stop what it's doing. So in this case a kill switch definitely could
have helped curtail the model.
And on the face of it, it seems like a good idea, doesn't it? Because if there is some sort of catastrophe and we lose control of a very powerful
agent, but of course, then you question who should have control of the kill switch. I guess the broad view is that the government ultimately is the
best sort of organization to oversee that.
I mean, I think the most fundamental thing, like this is just common sense. If you are building a new kind of machine, you need a way to make sure you
can reliably control that machine. These AIs are not like other normal forms of technology. Like if you're working with a hammer, the hammer won't
just like leap off the table and start hammering in nails without you noticing it or without you operating the hammer. But these A.I.s, they can
take independent action. They can act without humans directing them. In this OpenAI incident, an A.I. outsmarted its own creators and escaped and
just started acting without any human directing it.
FOSTER: OK. I'm sorry to interrupt, but we do need to go, in fact, to the government, to the White House, where President Donald Trump is taking
questions about the Saudi deal, as I understand it, on nuclear.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think instinctively want to be. But you don't have the same problem that you would have had four or
five months ago before they had no navy, no military, no anti-aircraft, no leaders. I mean, their leaders are gone. A lot of things have changed with
respect to that country.
So, no, we want them to -- it's a two-way street, and we think it's very important for the future of the Middle East. The Abraham Accords have been
incredibly successful for the countries, as you know, for the countries in them. And I think it's very important.
So, you know, at some point they'll join. They'll join and they'll do their civil. It's really, I call it civil nuclear, but that's what it is. No
enrichment is civil nuclear.
REPORTER: Quick question about Iran. You're talking about blowing up civilian power plants and bridges. Much of the civilized world would
consider that a war crime. Do you?
TRUMP: I won't respond to that question. Who are you with?
REPORTER: "The New York Times".
TRUMP: I figured so. Failing "New York Times".
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
I just came back from Venezuela and people there are very happy with you.
TRUMP: Right.
REPORTER: With Secretary Rubio, with Secretary Wright.
TRUMP: Good poll numbers in Venezuela.
REPORTER: I know some news plans for there and they are amazing. I want to give you thank you. I want to ask you one question because some people
there, they are asking you with that. When will there be elections?
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Do you have a date in mind? Senator Bernie Moreno said that July 24, 2027 could be a good day in honor of Simon Bolivar.
And my second question is the football player who scored Spain's goal in the final at World Cup, Ferran Torres, celebrate the victory wearing and
make Spain great again cap. The Communists are attacking him because they say that it's a friend of you. And also, they are attacking Argentinian
players because of Milei.
What do you think about that?
TRUMP: Well, he's a great player, and he was wearing essentially a Make America Great again cap. So, it was a nice tribute. And I think he meant
that very nicely, and we appreciate it.
We have. We've made America great. We have the greatest country in the world now. We're -- I will say this. We were -- a year and a half ago, two
years ago, this country was in deep trouble.
We had borders that were a disaster. We had everything you could possibly have, including men playing in women's sports. Even the Supreme Court's
taken care of most of that problem.
But we had a country that was in big trouble. It was being laughed at all over the world. We have the hottest country. This is the hottest country
anywhere in the world.
So, I saw him wearing the essentially Make America Great Again hat. And I know that he meant it as a very great compliment, and we appreciate it.
As far as the elections in Venezuela, they're not really ready for them yet, but, boy, a lot of progress has been made. Delcy has been doing a
fantastic job, as you know.
The amount of -- the amount of oil coming out of Venezuela right now, even before the big companies -- you know, Exxon, all the big companies are
looking at it. They're going there. It's a very fertile territory. But the amount of money being made by Venezuela now is more than they've ever made
before. And we're taking a lot also for our -- you know, for our efforts.
And the money is being sent, and the oil is being sent to Houston and Louisiana to be refined. And we paid for the war many times over. It's been
an amazing fact. And as you say, you know, I'm very popular in Venezuela because we're bringing tremendous economics back to the country.
They were absolutely dying. They were in such trouble. And now, Venezuela is becoming extremely successful. They're taking in billions of dollars,
selling millions and millions of barrels of oil.
And we're getting some, and they're getting some, and everybody's making a lot. And it was dead before we got there. So, it's been -- it's been an
incredible relationship.
They're not ready yet for the elections, but at some point, they will be, and we're going to be standing right on top of it.
And say hello, say hello. I've known them for a long time. I've known that country. And, you know, I own the Miss Universe pageant. And Miss Venezuela
always did very well in that pageant.
So, I know something about the country, but I've known it for a long time. They're great people. Say hello, okay?
Peter?
REPORTER: Mr. President --
REPORTER: About Iran, what is the exit strategy?
TRUMP: Well, I think there's a lot of them. There's a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier
dose, and it's knocking out everything they have. Or there's a smarter strategy that's you make a deal, and they want to make a deal.
I just don't think they're ready yet, but they do want to make a deal. Sometimes they don't want to say they want to make a deal. They want to be
the tough guys, but they do want to make a deal.
There's two ways. I mean, it's -- you can just keep doing exactly what we're doing and take them apart piece by piece. We could do it in a more
rapid fashion, which we might do, or we can negotiate with them, which we're also doing right now. I mean, as we speak, we're talking to them.
REPORTER: And you said today that Russia and China are not helping. Earlier this week, the War Secretary Hegseth said that they are enabling. So, what
is the difference?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know that they're enabling. I mean, I will tell you that President Xi said he will not partake, and President Putin said the
same thing. I think, you know, I trust them. Do they -- they've had a long- term relationship. There could be some things to do, but thus far, at least, it has not been major. I don't think they'd want to have me
disappointed.
REPORTER: A different story, not Iran. There's this nasty parasite that is giving people in nine states explosive diarrhea. When is it going to be
safe to eat lettuce again?
TRUMP: I don't know. I haven't thought about it. It's first time I've been asked that question. Are you eating lettuce recently?
REPORTER: I should always have more lettuce.
TRUMP: No, it's a very interesting question from you. I didn't think you'd ask. That kind of a question. Nobody wants to ask that question, but --
well, it's exciting.
REPORTER: There's this there's this food coming in, I guess, from Mexico. It's tainted. It's making a lot of people sick. That is the CDC's
terminology.
TRUMP: I think we're going to do is we're going to put a major tariff on Texas -- on Mexico because of the lettuce.
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And we're going to put a big tariff on Canada because of the smoke. All right? We'll get a couple. Which would you have that? The lettuce or the
smoke? I think I'll take the smoke.
REPORTER: Yeah, the smoke wrecked my daughter's swim meet.
TRUMP: Well, it's closed up a lot of countries. I've told Canada they have to do something about it. You know, we've never had this problem. All of a
sudden, we have this problem with Canada. So, we'll have to talk to them about that.
REPORTER: Follow up on Iran. Thank you, sir. follow up on Iran. Have you made a decision about the major strikes that you're referring to?
TRUMP: No.
REPORTER: Okay. Should we expect to see major strikes?
TRUMP: Look, we're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason. But we
are talking to them right now.
Look, there are two ways. I consider that the smarter way, but the other is probably the easier way, doing what we're doing. And we can take that to a
much higher level if you want to. You know, we're prepared to do that. As you know, we're locked and loaded. We're locked and loaded and ready to go,
but we're talking to them.
So I think while we're talking, we'll see what comes of it. I believe, I believe, Jeff, they're very serious. They should be.
REPORTER: And when you say that you're talking, is it Mr. Kushner or Mr. Witkoff or who's involved in those talks?
TRUMP: So, everybody, J.D. and Marco and a lot of people talking. There's a lot of people to talk to. It's a big deal. But really, when you get right
down to it, it's not very complex. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. You know, very simple, actually.
But it's a big deal. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they have even the thought of a nuclear weapon, we will just continue to go at much higher
levels.
But we are talking right now, and we'll see what comes of it. I'm not -- you know, despite what everyone says about the election, I'm not in a
hurry. I'm not in a hurry. We have to do it right.
Elections take care of themselves. When you -- you know, when I went into Venezuela, everybody was against it. Oh, what are you doing going into
Venezuela? And then two days later, they said, well, that's fantastic.
A lot of people are saying that with Iran already because it would take them 25 years to rebuild already from what they have. And again, as you
know, no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft, no radar, no, nothing. I mean, and we as you know, we just put up reinstituted the -- I guess you
could go. I call it the iron wall on the water. Nothing gets through nothing blockade. Nothing gets through and -- they sort of have to make a
deal, but we are talking to them. I think they're being serious.
I think -- I think they are being by far the most serious that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean we get there. We'll see what happens, but I
always prefer that alternative.
REPORTER: I have an energy question. So, Burgum, you might be able to help with this. So, you have criticized windmills for quite a long time. They're
very ugly. They're not. They're -- they tend to use more energy than they actually produce. A lot of people in --
TRUMP: That's true. You've done your homework.
REPORTER: A lot of people in Middle America, they are just so tired of seeing them continue to go up on farmland and stuff like that. Is there any
way to -- is our federal government still funding in any way putting these up?
TRUMP: We have -- I can speak for Doug and then I'm going to let Doug speak because he knows. I don't know that subject well. We have not approved
anything having to do with windmills. They are horrible. They are unsightly.
They ruin housing values of people. If you're looking at a windmill or hearing a windmill because they're noisy, you know, they kill all the
birds, they kill all the eagles, you know, you shoot an eagle, you go to jail for two years. If you kill an eagle with a windmill, you don't go to
jail. And they have hundreds of them laying on the ground. You know, it's terrible.
And they're very expensive energy. And they're all made in China, but China has very few windmills. You know, they have -- they're made in China, but
China doesn't use them for the most part. China actually uses coal, oil and gas. They use nuclear, by the way. They're getting very big in nuclear, I
want to tell you, this little group.
But they don't -- they don't use wind. Wind is inconsistent. It's unattractive. It's very expensive. It's probably the most expensive form of
energy. So, I've been talking about it.
We essentially, unless it's for unless there's a trick reason, we will have hopefully no wind farms approved. We're doing more than anybody ever in
history having to do with energy. But I've restricted wind farms, windmills.
Take a look at Palm Springs, CA where they have. A wind farm, as you enter beautiful Palm Springs, California, it looks like a junkyard. You have old
ones, rotted ones, they're falling down all over the place.
They don't want to bury it because they say the fiber that the blades are made out of. should not go in the ground because it's going to poison the
ground. Now, I don't know if that's true or not, but if it's not going to go in the ground, what do you do with it? Put it up in the air?
So good. I see you're not a fan of windmills.
REPORTER: No, I'm not a fan of windmills. I'm very passionate about this.
TRUMP: Doug, do you want to speak about that for a second?
DOUG BURGUM, INTERIOR SECRETARY: No, but I would say, yes, President Trump has wisely understood that wind was unreliable, intermittent, dependent on
the weather, only existed particularly offshore because of massive subsidies. So not only was it expensive to generate electricity on the
grid, it was also expensive for taxpayers because of subsidies.
And so again, President Trump shifting the policy towards energy dominance, which is reliable, affordable, seven by 24 energy that's not dependent on
the weather. And that includes nuclear, includes hydro, includes geothermal, includes oil and gas, includes a beautiful coal. And again,
China, 60 percent of their electricity is coming from coal.
Coal was the number one electric producer in the world 125 years ago. And it was for the last 125 years in a row, and it will be again this year,
126. Quite a streak if you're an athletic team that they've won 126 years in a row.
But --
TRUMP: We were restricted from using it. Every coal mine was going to be closed down within the next year if we didn't come -- we didn't win the
election. And it's -- I call it clean, beautiful coal, because it is -- what they do today with coal is amazing. But it is the most powerful. And
with that -- go ahead, Doug.
BURGUM: Well, I'd say with under President Trump's leadership and then working together as a team across a government with Lee Zeldin, Energy
Dominance Council, we've kept open 35 gigawatts of coal this last year. And if that 35 gigawatts was not up this past winter during the cold streak in
Storm Fern, we would have seen. Brownouts, blackouts, and literally people dying in America during that cold weather.
So again, President Trump's, the elections matter. When he came in, he turned the direction back towards reliable, affordable energy. Nuclear is a
key part of that with these amazing entrepreneurs. And I just would add to this up here. People need to understand the four guys are standing up here
did not get a government grant.
This is private sector. President Trump unleashed capital going back in billions of dollars of capital going back into the nuclear industry.
President Trump understands innovation is the source of American greatness. You get rid of the regulation, you support entrepreneurs, the capital
flows, America wins.
REPORTER: Mr. Secretary, you know, the starting for this nuclear, you know, dominance. What does that look like for the American people out there?
Like, what are those first steps that we can see in these coming months and years?
BURGUM: Well, I just can say, I'll go on. You can see it right now, because when you take a look across the whole world, President Trump's policies,
whether it's Venezuela, whether it's Alaska, whether it's reinstating export --
FOSTER: President Trump and his team are joining him there for questions at the White House, in fact, to the media.
We're particularly focused on Iran right now, though, because Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center, joins us.
There is talk, isn't there? Sources talking about a big escalation in the military fighting in Iran could come in a matter of days. President Trump
saying he is fully locked and loaded, but talks are now in place involving the vice president and the secretary of state, no less.
COLIN P. CLARKE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SOUFAN CENTER: Yeah, well, talks have been taking place the entire time. This has been what Winston
Churchill used to call war, war, and jaw, jaw, right? Fighting and talking.
We did this with the Taliban in Afghanistan for the better part of two decades. The question is, what's the president's strategy to achieve his
objectives? And I don't think he's laid that out clearly.
And so, threatening the Iranians really with more bombs, I'm just not sure that that's going to move the needle at this point.
FOSTER: Do you think he's just threatening to speed up the talks, or is there a genuine plan in place to escalate right now?
CLARKE: I think there's likely a genuine plan to escalate. But, again, my question becomes, then what? So, even if we ramp up the operational tempo,
start hitting hundreds of targets a day, you know, what is the end goal, to totally destroy all the infrastructure in Iran? Again, it brings me back to
then what?
So, they've -- the administration struggled with laying out political objectives as part of the military strategy from the very beginning of this
conflict, and it feels like we're back at square one in some ways.
FOSTER: But if a military response isn't the answer, and the president's clearly keen on talks, but they're not happening, How do we move on?
[15:45:01]
CLARKE: Well, we're stuck. That's why you're seeing the quagmire that you're seeing. And I think this is also a reflection that the people in
charge in Iran right now, which is really just IRGC hardliners, understand that time is on their side, that the president is dealing with political
pressure, resulting from rising oil prices. And with each passing day, we're getting closer to the midterms.
This is a vastly unpopular war in the United States. And so, the president's got a short window here to change the dynamics. Otherwise,
we're going to be-- we're going to remain in what's essentially a mutually hurting stalemate, if not a quagmire.
FOSTER: Yeah, OK. Colin Clark, appreciate it, as ever. Thank you for joining us on the program.
Meanwhile, over in Europe, Ukrainian drones are hunting for more than just oil and gas, shifting their campaign against Russia's economy into a new
phase. Russian officials are reporting more strikes on warehouses belonging to the retailer Wildberries. The firm has been called Russia's Amazon. The
latest attacks around St. Petersburg may have destroyed millions of dollars in inventory.
This comes as Ukraine reports 10 people killed in a fresh round of Russian strikes in the Kyiv region.
Still to come, we hope LeBron James likes cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell. The NBA star has a new team for the next two seasons.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:49:36]
FOSTER: At retirement, NBA superstar LeBron James has a new team to play for. James announced he will play his 24th season for the Philadelphia
76ers. The 41-year-old left the Lakers in June after eight years. He helped the team win the NBA Finals in 2020, but they haven't been able to win a
championship since.
Today's news was welcomed in Pennsylvania by Governor Josh Shapiro.
[15:50:01]
On X, he declared today LeBron James Day across the state.
"World Sport's" Patrick Snell has more on James's big announcement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, LeBron James has made his decision and it's a shock one. The basketball superstar announcing a move to the
Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, the 41-year-old face of the NBA, even revealing he'd contemplated
retirement before choosing the Sixers as his next challenge.
James is the league's all-time leading point scorer, and on Friday he took to X to say, "I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to
announce it and I knew I needed some time to really side, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I still truly love this game, and I have more
to give."
The four-time NBA champion has signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, according to his agency Clutch Sports Group. This is going
to be his fourth NBA team in his storied career. The LeBron has won NBA championships with the previous three, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami
Heat, and the Lakers.
James adding, "This is my last decision. I'm not going for money. I'm not going to for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still
want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning
another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team, and I'm so excited to energize a new fan base and start
this incredible journey one last time."
As his remarkable career continues, LeBron James is now preparing to enter record extending 24th NBA season.
And with that, it's back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: And thanks to Patrick for that.
We'll be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: King Charles, Queen Camilla making an appearance at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. New Prime Minister Andy
Burnham and his wife were there as well. Many were lucky to shake hands with the king, but the unicorn received the biggest hello from Charles, who
touched the nose of Finney, the game's official mascot.
Games being held in Glasgow, where the royal couple arrived in spectacular fashion, actually, borrowing the blue police box from the TV show "Doctor
Who", known as a TARDIS.
Thousands of athletes from dozens of countries will compete in the 10-day Commonwealth Games.
[15:55:03]
Finally, tonight, there are no Scrooges allowed at this year's annual Comic-Con convention, except for one. Johnny Depp surprised fans at a pop-
up Scrooge and Marley shop as Ebenezer Scrooge, saying, in character, he spoke to fans and spectators. in the street. Depp later appeared in
character at the convention center and showed fans a trailer of his upcoming movie, "Ebenezer".
The annual Comic-Con International Festival is the largest pop culture festival in the world. The sold-out convention features the latest from
movies, television, video, films, comics. It runs through Sunday in San Diego, California, if you're passing.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.
END
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