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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
CNN Projects Raman, Not Pratt, Will Face Bass In L.A. Mayor's Race; House Speaker Joins Trump, Sows Doubt About California Elections; Voters Weigh Platner's Controversies With Hours To Go Until Maine Primary; Axios: Pres. Trump Warned Netanyahu Further Strikes Could Isolate Him In Conflict With Iran; Israel & Iran Halt Strikes Against Each Other After New Attacks; Trump Told NBC That He Never Promised Not To Start A New War. He Did, Repeatedly; Lawsuit Aims To Stop UFC Fight At The White House; Trump Formally Nominates Todd Blanche To Serve As Attorney General; Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner's Private Island Project Sparks Protests; Deadly 7.8 Magnitude Quake Hits Southern Philippines. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired June 08, 2026 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS: To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on, and be able to see our fans, see finals basketball, after all, this time is going to be really, really special.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: And all I can say Erin is, let's go Knicks, I'm ready. The crowd is ready. This place is going to be jam packed any minute, and we're about 30 minutes away from tip off but it's really exciting time here.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: All right, I guess this one is totally legit as a reporter would say where you stand. Go Knicks, right.
PROKUPECZ: Yes, look at my nails. Come on, let's go.
BURNETT: All right, Shimon, thank you and its time now for AC360.
[20:00:41]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": Good evening, from the Newsroom. Topping our CNN Global coverage tonight with the updated results just in, the President's meltdown over California's primary claims yet again, with no evidence presented of rigged elections.
Now, keeping them honest, there is certainly plenty to take issue with. Here are the numbers in the L.A. Mayor's race, and CNN can now project that Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman will go on to the runoff in November, defeating Trump backed former reality show star Spencer Pratt.
But it took six days to get there. That's because California allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they're postmarked by Election Day and arrive by tomorrow. That's why this took so long and is taking so long for other races. No one disputes that. Plenty of people don't like it. Some even
believe it invites mistrust in elections. But what the President is doing, and he has done in the past without evidence, is actively sowing distrust.
Here he is today on social media: "Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. Third world nation rigged elections."
And here he is on NBC's "Meet the Press" over the weekend, talking first about the 2020 election, and then now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The election was rigged. It was a dirty election, and it's happening again right now in California. It's happening right now in California.
KRISTEN WELKER, NBC'S "MEET THE PRESS" HOST AND MODERATOR: Mr. President, you've never presented evidence that the 2020 election was rigged.
TRUMP: Right now, it's looking, look at what's happening in California.
WELKER: Where's the evidence to that?
TRUMP: It's four days in California.
WELKER: The Republicans are doing well in California.
TRUMP: No, they're no they're dropping fast because it's a rigged election. Let me tell you. It's four days and they aren't even close to coming up with --
WELKER: That's how they count the votes in California.
TRUMP: You know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election.
WELKER: Do you have evidence to support that?
TRUMP: All I have to do is look.
WELKER: That's not evidence.
TRUMP: All I have to do is look. And I listen, and I listen to people, and let's see what happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, keeping them honest. There is no evidence, no evidence of widespread or even sporadic voter fraud and none of election rigging in California. No matter how many times the President of the United States screams at reporters and everyone else about rigged elections, the most powerful man in the world has no proof. In fact, according to the Conservative Heritage Foundations election
fraud tracking database, there have been just 71 instances of people convicted for voter fraud in California dating back to 1993, seventy- one cases over 33 years in a state of 40 million people.
As for the 2020 election, the President lost more than 60 court challenges to his 2020 defeat. He was shrieking at Kristen Welker that he listened to people well, let him listen to this. His own attorney general at the time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I had three discussions with the President that I can recall. One was on November 23rd, one was on December 1st and one was on December 14th and I've been through sort of the give and take of those discussions. And in that context, I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff, which I told the President was bullshit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, it doesn't matter how much the President polishes that turd, it still stinks. He did not stop making claims without evidence in 2020 or since, and does not like being asked to back up his claims now, here's how his interview with Kristen Welker ended.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WELKER: Do you have evidence to support that?
TRUMP: All I have to do is look, all I have to do is look.
WELKER: But that's not evidence.
TRUMP: And I listen, and I listen to people and let's see what happens.
WELKER: But sir, that's not evidence.
TRUMP: Do you think it's appropriate that they --
WELKER: That's how they count the votes in California.
TRUMP: Do you think it's appropriate that they have an election? And five days later, they're nowhere close to picking the win.
WELKER: State and local officials acknowledge they are slow. They're urging --
TRUMP: No, they're crooked, they're crooked.
WELKER: They're urging the votes to be counted quickly. That's how they vote in California.
TRUMP: Yes, crooked. Just like you're crooked, your press is crooked, and "Meet the Press" is crooked.
WELKER: To be fair, I'm not crooked. But let's --
TRUMP: Really? Well, you play right into their hands then.
WELKER: Let's continue.
TRUMP: You're either crooked or you're stupid. You play right into their hands with this crap. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they're rigged. You know that, I won an election in a landslide, and I got 94 percent bad press. You know why I got that? Because you have no credibility.
WELKER: But, Mr. President, you've never presented evidence that was rigged. Let's keep talking but I want to talk about top points.
TRUMP: You have more evidence; there's more evidence than ever presented.
WELKER: Let's talk about --
TRUMP: Your elections in this country, we're like a third world country. Your elections are crooked and you're crooked and "Meet the Press" is crooked, and so is ABC and CBS and CNN.
WELKER: But, Mr. President --
TRUMP: You're one-sided, crooked networks. All right, let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you darling, have a good night.
WELKER: Mr. President, let's please. I traveled all the way to Wisconsin. I traveled all --
TRUMP: I've sat in the rain with you.
WELKER: I know. I traveled all the way to Wisconsin.
TRUMP: I've sat the rain with you for an hour. On and off in rain, and I've given you enough time. You want to straighten out your press because you know what? Our country can never be great with the dishonest press. Come on let's go.
WELKER: Listen, we traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[20:05:30]
COOPER: Thank you, darling.
When the President is confronted on his lies, he doesn't have the evidence to back them up. So, he talks louder and then he leaves, all without ever offering evidence to back up his allegations.
Attorney General Bill Barr is long gone. Mr. Trump now has far more sycophantic people around him. His recent personal defense attorney is now his acting attorney general, and he wants him to be permanent.
And here's what House Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked by our Manu Raju about the President's allegations of election fraud in California.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I think California is playing around with this.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But what evidence is there to prove that there was this raid?
JOHNSON: Look, I don't -- some of these efforts are so diabolical and so far-upstream, it is impossible to prove. But I think everybody knows instinctively something is wrong here. And that's a concern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The man is second in line to the presidency, and he's claiming something in California so diabolical it's just impossible to prove so far upstream.
Two days ago, the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office said that it had opened multiple election fraud investigations. However, as "The Washington Post" reported at the time, the official in charge, "... did not elaborate on the nature of the investigations he said he launched and did not refer to any evidence suggesting that fraud had occurred."
Elex Michaelson is following the latest vote totals from Los Angeles. So, Elex, I mentioned CNN's projection in the mayor's race. Spencer Pratt not moving forward. However, California officials reacting to President Trump's allegations of a rigged election and what do the numbers show?
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR, "THIS STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON": Well, the numbers showed, as you just said, that Nithya Raman has really been dominating the late incoming vote. These are mostly votes that were dropped off in ballot drop boxes in the last few days of the campaign.
Traditionally in Los Angeles, those have broken very Democratic and very progressive. We saw that today and that is why that breaking news is that Nithya Raman is moving on and will face off against Karen Bass, Spencer Pratt is out.
Let's look at the new numbers that we just got and in this new dump, we see that Raman really excelled today. She gained 18,000 votes on Pratt just today alone. She's now ahead of him by about 22,000 votes.
On Election Day, she was behind by 40,000 votes. Yesterday, she took the lead today, we see her gaining some ground. It's enough ground that the folks at CNN feel comfortable that she is going to take that spot. It was a similar projection in the last few minutes from the
associated press and "The L.A. Times" joining CNN in projecting that Nithya Raman is moving on.
This is a dramatic, dramatic moment especially for Spencer Pratt, who got so much attention around the country for his race, especially in the right-wing media ecosystem and just galvanized that attention. But the question always was, could you convert all of that attention, especially on the right, into actual votes in Los Angeles, one of the bluest cities in the country, where just 13 percent of people are Republicans.
And based off of the vote totals, it appears that he could not. So, Spencer Pratt, although he won the battle for most clicks, did not win the battle for most votes. And it will be a very interesting battle, Anderson, going forward between Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor, and this Democratic socialist City Council Member, Democrat on Democrat.
Polls going into this, Anderson showed that Karen Bass has a good chance of losing to Nithya Raman, but showed her beating Spencer Pratt in a big way in a one-on-one matchup.
COOPER: What's the latest in the Governor's race?
MICHAELSON: The latest in the governor's race is that Steve Hilton remains in second place, and there's still quite a gap there. Tom Steyer is not getting so far the kinds of numbers that he needs to make a big move. So, it's looking increasingly likely like it's going to be Democrat Xavier Becerra versus Republican Steve Hilton, but not enough numbers in terms of us making a projection just quite yet.
COOPER: All right, Elex Michaelson, appreciate it. Joining me now, former senior adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod, Executive Committee Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee, Christine Quinn and former RNC communications director, Doug Heye.
David, I mean, obviously the not surprising that the President is making baseless claims about voter fraud rigged elections. What do you think this signals for the midterms?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, listen, I think this is the important question. It's not we've heard this now for years and years and years. So, it isn't surprising. The question is, why? Why is he saying it?
First of all, let's say it's absurd to suggest that this was rigged in order to kick out the Republicans. The front runners, both in the governor and the mayor, the mayor and the governor's race would love to run against the Republicans.
It is a very Democratic state. It's an even more Democratic city, as Elex was saying, and their chances are much greater running against the Republicans, party, because they're endorsed by Donald Trump, who is so unpopular in California.
But I think we have to pay really close attention, not just to what he's saying here, but the appointment of Bill Pulte as DNI where the President said expressly he's going to look into some of this rigged election stuff. He's got election deniers and the Justice Department and the key position there.
[20:10:40]
They created a position in the Department of Homeland Security for election security and assistant director for election security, and that went to a notorious election denier. We've got Kash Patel over at the FBI and we've got Pete Hegseth at the Department of Defense. He has no one like Bill Barr, who's going to say no. He's got no one who's going to say, this isn't true or the Constitution doesn't permit this. There are no guardrails.
And as he becomes more and more imperiled, as the Republican Party becomes more and more imperiled in November, and right now they are headed for a real lashing at the polls, I think he's going to become more and more venturesome.
So, I think we ought to pay a lot of attention to what the President is saying.
COOPER: And on top of that, Christine Quinn, I mean, he was just trying to get a one nearly $1.8 billion fund. What Democrats and even some Republicans in Capitol Hill, were calling a slush fund that would give, that would enable him to give money or a committee to give money to anybody who the President essentially wanted.
CHRISTINE QUINN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR OF THE NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE: Right, it would be a wide-open slush fund. Anyone he wanted, even the folks from January 6th, many of whom it's been proven after that, after he pardoned them, had gone on and committed other serious crimes.
So, these are individuals who attacked the Capitol, attack the police, and proved to be career criminals. And he wants to give them taxpayer money at a time when we've seen the same administration do things like make cuts in food stamps.
There wasn't a time during the government shutdown enough money to give people the food stamps that they needed, but yet we have $1.8 billion we can give away to people who have proven to be criminals.
It's no surprise that the President's popularity level is so incredibly low. And if you look at the facts in the mayor's race, Pratt is coming in just about where his polling is. To me, it isn't surprising that he didn't win. It's surprising that, quite frankly, he did as well as he did in a county that's bluer than the incredibly Blue State of California.
It's surprising he did that well.
COOPER: Doug, I know you worked with the California Congressional Delegation for six years. What's your perspective on what is happening there? Is this just how the system works? What do you make of the President's claims on voter fraud? DOUG HEYE, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes, Anderson, I've
been in campaigns throughout California. I've been to more polling places in that state than even in my home State of North Carolina, where I've worked. And look, I've seen all sorts of shenanigans. But all shenanigans of a lack of competence, not anything that would suggest stolen or rigged elections. Clearly, the President wants to talk about this because he knows that the Republicans are in bad shape coming up in this election, and they're in bad shape because of his personal approval rating.
I think the challenge, though, if you're a Republican on the ballot, you'd be much better served whether one of the California members who has a tough race this time or anybody else in the country, if you're a Republican, you want the President telling voters, here's what I'm doing about prices. Here's how I'm bringing prices down. And every minute that Donald Trump spends on this sort of nonsense, he misses an opportunity to ultimately help keep Congress in Republican hands, whether that's the House or the Senate.
COOPER: David, how concerning is it that you have Speaker Mike Johnson essentially fanning the flames of rigged elections?
AXELROD: Well, it's appalling, but it's not at all surprising. This is the role that he's played from the beginning. He was, in fact, a propagator of the lies about the election back in 2020. He is there because he is a apparatchik for Donald Trump. He does not see himself as an independent player here, just as the attorney general.
All the others I mentioned are apparatchiks of the President. So is the speaker and the concerning thing about that is ultimately the speaker has a great deal of power to help adjudicate if there are disputed election claims when the elections are over. So, this is not just about interference in the election, but it's about what happens after the election. And the speaker has a great deal of sway there.
So, he is going to finish out his tenure as speaker as it began, as a lapdog for the President, not as a leader of the of one branch of Congress.
[20:15:00]
COOPER: Christine, go ahead.
QUINN: Sorry, and some have said that the length of time it takes to certify things in California breeds mistrust in the election process. What breeds mistrust in the election process is the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House saying that there has been rampant fraud when there is zero evidence.
AXELROD: Let me just say this, Donald Trump thinks he can build monuments and put his name on things and that somehow will memorialize him. The legacy that he is going to leave is a much darker one.
The election system in the United States isn't among the most corrupt in the world. It is a model for the world. It is -- we have the most scrutinized election ever in 2020, and no appreciable fraud was found. That should be a source of pride.
And for him to run down the system and implant this notion in his followers that somehow if you lose that the system must be rigged is a sin on the 250th year of our Declaration of Independence, that is a sin on our country.
COOPER: Doug, how do you think of that?
HEYE: Look, I agree this is a part of the President's rhetoric. That is very damaging. And we know he only thinks that these elections are rigged when he loses them.
So the 2022 midterms, California Republicans did pretty well. We still had this abysmal reporting of ballots and the slow process that I do believe builds some mistrust, especially if you live and work in California. But ultimately, the President is trying to take care of his priorities politically and it always starts and ends with two words, and those words are Donald Trump.
COOPER: Yes. We are going to take a quick break.
Next tomorrow's likely Maine Democratic Senate primary winner, Graham Platner, and whether voters will look past his multiple controversies this November. The answer could decide who controls the Senate.
And later, with just days to go before the President plays host to the UFC fight on the South Lawn of The White House, the 11th hour court challenge to it. Details on that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:21:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are your Graham league, Graham, and we've got your back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Maine Democratic Senate hopeful, Graham Platner last night facing a friendly crowd at his last town hall before tomorrow's primary, in which he is effectively unopposed. They seem willing to look beyond his recent scandals, whether that will be the case, though, with voters in November against the sitting Republican, Susan Collins, is another story, one that could determine who controls the Senate.
Now, Platner, as you know, has already had to explain the Nazi death's head tattoo on his chest. He says he didn't know what it meant when he got it. A former girlfriend has suggested he did, he disputes that.
He also had to explain revelations he sexted with multiple women who were not his wife. Most recently, several ex-girlfriends came forward to talk to "The New York Times" about relationships. Some described using words like volatile, toxic, and at times, "emotionally wrenching."
As for how much any of this will matter in November, it certainly complicates his chances. Perhaps especially so if the electorate is 59 percent female, as it was the last time Susan Collins defended her seat.
On the other hand, the President is deeply unpopular, and Senator Collins is tied to him, leaving some Maine voters, like the woman who told CNN today, "I'd id vote for a doorknob over her" and others simply torn over the choice.
Back now with the panel. Joining us as well is Alex Seitz-Wald, editor of the Maine paper, "The Midcoast Villager."
Alex, let's start with you. What have you been hearing from Maine voters about the decision on Platner?
ALEX SEITZ-WALD, EDITOR, "THE MIDCOAST VILLAGER": Yes, Anderson, from Maine Democrats, I've been hearing a lot of concern, a lot of disappointment. One supporter used the word heartbreaking to describe Graham Platner's behavior and I am hearing that especially from women.
But we are also hearing a lot of support for him. We've had comments at "The Midcoast Villager" and letters to the editor from people saying they are going to cancel their "New York Times" subscription over this, perceiving it as a sort of attack from the establishment.
We even heard from the owner of a yard sign that was photographed in that "New York Times" story saying that. But what I am not hearing so far is anyone saying that they will actually switch their vote to Susan Collins in November.
Just a few minutes before I came on air with you, I was talking to a neighbor about exactly this, and she said, as she put it, that she is really not feeling Graham Platner. She voted early for Janet Mills in the primary, but when I asked what she would do in November, she didn't hesitate. Oh, of course she would support him.
Maine Democrats know Susan Collins. They've been trying to oust her for years. They understand the stakes for control of the Senate, for the Supreme Court and like that voter you spoke to, they will vote for the D regardless of the name next to it. But I think they also understand that Susan Collins is very tough to beat, and no one should bet against her. She wins by getting people to split their tickets, which is almost unheard of in this day and age.
And anything that helps keep those ticket splitters in her column like these scandals could prove really important in November.
COOPER: Have you heard from any Democrats who have talked about just sitting it out, sitting out the general election that, you know, I guess that would be the concern that concerns about Platner would lead some to kind of just decide not to vote at all.
SEITZ-WALD: Yes, I have heard a little bit of that. People saying they'll think about it or they'll write in -- or something as a protest. And I've definitely heard from a lot of -- I've also heard from a lot of people who are voting for Mills to kind of cast a protest vote on Tuesday, even though they don't think she is actually going to be the nominee.
COOPER: Interesting. David, I mean, how do you see this race and the importance of it?
AXELROD: Well, look, I think that Susan Collins is a 30-year incumbent and I think this is not a time to be a 30-year Republican incumbent in a swing state, and not just because of Donald Trump. But there is a sense in that state and you hear it, someone sent me a transcript of a focus group and someone said, I may have said this the other night, that Susan Collins is bipartisan when it doesn't count.
[20:25:12]
In other words, she casts performative bipartisan votes. But when it counts on a Kavanaugh appointment, for example, on the Supreme Court, she gives the vote to Trump, to the leaders. And that is what is working against her.
They are accustomed to this, and Graham Platner, you know, most of the country now knows Graham Platner only by his controversies, which are disturbing. And I think his handling of this has been poor in the last few days, lashing out instead of taking responsibility to the degree he should.
But he is also -- these people who are showing up here, he is relating to them and their lives. He has done 80 town hall meetings around the state, and he has touched something. There is an anti-establishment mood in Maine, as there is in this country.
People feel like the system has let them down, that the system has not worked for them. They don't want to vote for people who are exemplars of the system. And I think that has worked -- that works in his favor.
COOPER: Christine, you're a Democrat. Do you think Democrats look hypocritical on this?
QUINN: Well, look, I think the revelations that have come out, particularly that they've come out in this drip, drip, drip are deeply disturbing. There is no question about that at all, particularly women coming forward and saying what they've said about their relationship with him.
That said, I think the disdain toward President Trump, the fear about the future of the economy, the anger about the war is going to cause many Maine voters to, as I've heard them say, hold their nose and vote against Susan Collins and against Donald Trump, more so even than voting for Platner.
COOPER: Doug, do you think Democrats are being hypocritical on this?
HEYE: I do, because the rhetoric that I've heard from Democrats, whether its Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders sounds exactly what like what I heard the day after the "Access Hollywood" tape came out, when Republicans were criticized for saying, I don't like what Donald Trump said on that tape, but the larger issues are so much more important. Of course, I still support my candidate.
Republicans were just mocked mercilessly every time there has been a bad revelation about Donald Trump, and they stand by him. Democrats are making that same mistake right now. And I think it comes at a hell of a risk politically. And I say that, Anderson, because as David knows very well, the Senate campaign trail has been littered with Republican disaster candidates who just cannot win, cost us races in Georgia, in Missouri, in Indiana, Nevada, Delaware, on and on, we've thrown away seats by just terrible, terrible nominees.
And ultimately, you have to have a whole lot of confidence that come tomorrow, come next week, that there is not going to be more revelations on Graham Platner. I wouldn't have that faith in him.
COOPER: Alex, I understand one Platner supporter told you they now understand how Trump voters feel. Can you just talk about what that person meant by that?
SEITZ-WALD: Yes, Anderson, I thought that was a fascinating thing to hear. And I've picked up similar sentiment from a lot of people. This is a campaign and if you ask his supporters, a movement that has been written off from day one, and as, as they see it attacked, maligned, denigrated online, they feel misunderstood by the national press and the kind of larger conversation.
And this voter said to me, I kind of get where Donald Trump voters are coming from now and the resentment that they feel. And I think Platner has been able to use that to his advantage to kind of leverage this very deep rooted sentiment in Maine that there is Mainers, and then there are people from away, and that all of this stuff is from away, people trying to come here and tell us what to do, and we don't allow them to do that.
And when that voter was saying that to me, that's exactly the kind of passion that that this kind of rhetoric can, uncover. Because remember, this is a candidate who has been through so much already and that kind of fused his bond with his voters going through the Reddit stuff, the tattoo stuff, they're emotionally invested in him now. And a lot of them are going to see him all the way through.
COOPER: Alex Seitz-Wald, David Axelrod, Christine Quinn, Doug Heye, thanks very much.
Ahead tonight, thousands of protesters in the streets of Albania, why Ivanka and Jared Kushner and their real estate plans are at the center of it.
Also, after trading shots in all directions, can another shaky truce take hold? We have new reporting tonight from inside Iran and a fact check on this claim from the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: First, I didn't guarantee no war. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:34:02]
COOPER: We have more breaking news. Israel and Tehran have agreed to stop firing each other after a tense morning and weekend. The President shared that news tonight during a tele-rally with South Carolina voters about the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're negotiating now and they want to make a very good deal. They're willing to give us everything. They're willing to give us no nuclear weapon. And I think we are winning that battle. But you're really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory. It'll be a total victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: As for Israel's recent airstrikes, the President told Axios today that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he'd be -- he'd, quote, "better be careful," end quote, or he'll be soon on his own if he keeps hitting Iran. That new reporting from Axios Reporter and CNN Contributor Barak Ravid.
Now earlier this morning on social media, President Trump posted this urgent message, quote, "Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting." CNN's Fred Pleitgen was in Tehran as the missile attacks were happening. CNN is operating in that country with permission of the Iranian government. Our team's movements are monitored, but we maintain full editorial control over what we report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[20:35:10]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): With supporters cheering on, Iran launched several ballistic missiles towards Israel overnight. This direct fire, the first since the full-on war between the U.S.-Israel and Iran earlier this year. Tehran said their missiles were a reaction to Israel's bombardment of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, earlier that day.
EBRAHIM ZOLFAGHARI, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS' SPOKESPERSON (through translation): We had previously warned that if the crime in the suburbs of Beirut expands, we will attack targets in the occupied territories.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Israel hit back in the early morning, targeting Tehran and several other major cities, as well as a petrochemical plant in southern Iran. The Israel Defense Forces also released this video claiming to show their jets bombing Iranian anti-aircraft batteries. And Iran's proxies in Yemen fired missiles at Israel and threatened the maritime traffic in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The renewed violence straining the already delicate ceasefire between Tehran and the Trump administration. President Trump responded on social media saying, quote, "Israel and Iran must stop shooting."
In response, Iran and Israel finally agreed to halt the strikes against one another, even as both warn violence could flare up again fast.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translation): At the moment, we are holding our fire because after we struck the terror regime in Tehran, it ceased attacking us. In the event that the terror regime in Iran makes the mistake of resuming attacks on us, we will respond with overwhelming force.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Iranian officials were quick to capitalize on seeming cracks between President Trump and Israel's prime minister.
EBRAHIM AZIZI, HEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY, FOREIGN POLICY COMMITTEE AT IRAN PARLIAMENT (through translation): I do not think that the President of the United States has the power to restrain the Zionist prime minister. We do. We do. We will restrain him.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The U.S. hopes the halt in violence will allow negotiations with Tehran to progress towards a peace agreement. But those talks are difficult, some Iranian officials saying they remain in a deadlock.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (on-camera): And Anderson, tonight, the situation here in Iran remains extremely tense. Iran's military saying they could go back to combat any time. And even the country's chief negotiator with the U.S. says that he believes Iran needs to prepare for both diplomacy and military operations. Anderson?
COOPER: Fred Pleitgen, thanks very much.
During the President's Meet the Press interview this weekend, anchor Kristen Welker oppressed him on whether he broke a promise of no new wars. Here's what he told her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: First of all, I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world? I built our military. I inherited a terrible military. We had no equipment. We had nothing. I built a tremendous military.
When you say I promised, I didn't promise anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, keeping them honest. In the first weeks of his second term and months earlier during his reelection campaign, he often mentioned no new wars. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: And I was the first president in decades who started no new wars.
We are going to make sure there's no wars. We don't want to have wars. I call them endless wars.
I had no new wars. I had no wars.
With our victory in November, the years of war, weakness and chaos will be over. I don't have wars. I had no wars.
And we had no wars under the Trump administration. And that's a great thing. And we won't have wars again.
Make sure that Trump gets reelected president and you're not going to have any more wars. No more wars. No more disruptions.
They said he will start a war. I'm not going to start a war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Joining us now is Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, as we said, according to an interview President Trump gave to Axios, he told Netanyahu, quote, "Bibi, you better be careful or you'll be on your very -- on your own very soon." Is it surprising to you to hear an American President speak like that to or Trump speak to Netanyahu like that?
REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA), RANKING MEMBER, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Well, I mean, I think we need to start talking with Israel and we need to start working towards greater diplomacy. I mean, Israel continues to press and expand the war in Lebanon. I think that's incredibly dangerous. There is an opportunity to work with the Lebanese government that they ought to be seizing.
So to the extent that the President is trying to legitimately constrain Israel and get them to see that they need partners for peace, not just enemies to attack, I think that would be a positive. But it's hard to know exactly what message Trump is sending. And certainly it's harder to know how Netanyahu is responding to it.
It does seem like the President continually cites a timeline of, you know, this weekend we're close, a couple of days we're close, next week, now it's two weeks. Does it make sense to you that he continues to put a clock on this?
[20:40:09]
SMITH: Well, look, Anderson, the President of the United States, in the middle of an incredibly dangerous situation. As the war is expanding, you see the Houthis are now involved and engaged. You've got the war in Lebanon. You've got Iran shooting back. And the President of the United States continues to babble nonsense, OK?
When he says, oh, in about a couple weeks, Iran's ready, they're going to give us everything, blah, blah, blah, that is literal nonsense. It's not based on anything whatsoever. He's been saying it for, what? Over two months now?
I'd like the President to get serious about the situation that we're actually in instead of the one that he thinks in his own fantasy he has created. We're in a situation where Iran has effectively called our bluff. They've been able to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, massively disrupt the Middle East.
They've been able to survive our attack. It is time to negotiate based on that reality, not on the fantasy that's in President Trump's head that somehow Iran is going to give us everything tomorrow, or a week from now, or two weeks from now.
COOPER: What do you make of his denial that he promised no new wars?
SMITH: Look, I mean, President Trump does not live in the factual world. Never has. But part of his, you know, appeal when he ran was he has no qualms about promising everything. Greatest economy in the world. Everything's going to be great. We're going to have peace here, peace there. Everything's going to be great.
And he presents it as if you don't have to understand it. I'm just so incredible that it's magically going to happen when I'm president. So, and I think to some extent, he seems to believe that when he says it. But, yes, he absolutely promised no wars.
And he believed that because of his strength, everyone would basically bow before him. That's not the way the world actually works. And certainly Iran is proving that. But clearly, yes, the President promised that if he was President, he promised specifically no war with Iran. And he has broken that promise. There's no doubt about it.
COOPER: Where do you see this going? I mean, how -- do you have any sense of how long or how this may end up?
SMITH: There's no end in sight right now, like I said, unless Netanyahu and Trump change their basic premise here. Their basic premise is if we apply enough force, our enemies will collapse. That is not going to happen. That is very apparent.
Now, Israel fighting back against Hamas, against Hezbollah, us fighting back against the Houthis and Iran definitely backed them off and put them in a weaker position. That was the time before starting this war. Shouldn't have started the war at all. That was the time to negotiate.
But they went for everything. They said we can force basically complete surrender. And that was never going to be possible given the asymmetric advantages that Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas and these other groups had. They need to actively seek out partners for peace -- Palestinians, Lebanese, others in the region. They're still fantasizing that if they apply enough force, they can bend everyone to their will. And I see no end to that right now. And I think we have to ramp up the pressure massively to get both the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu to change that approach.
COOPER: Yes. Congressman Adam Smith, thanks for your time.
SMITH: Thanks, Anderson.
COOPER: Up next, President Trump's planned UFC cage match at the White House now potentially threatened by a lawsuit filed on behalf of a Vietnam War veteran. Well, details on that ahead.
And later, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's plans for a luxury resort on a private island in Albania have set off protests there.
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IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: I'm working on an incredible project with my husband in the Mediterranean. It's massive in scale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[20:47:55]
COOPER: We are just six days away from the UFC cage match planned on the South Lawn of the White House, which is a sentence I never thought I would utter, but here we are. Now, however, a lawsuit filed on behalf of a Vietnam War veteran and a civic activist could potentially stop the fight from moving forward.
White House says the event scheduled to take place on Flag Day, which is also President Trump's 80th birthday, falls under the authorization from Congress for events to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The lawsuit pushes back on that, saying, quote, "It is instead a celebration of the UFC's brand and the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump's birthday," end quote.
A judge has given the Trump administration until tomorrow evening to respond.
Former Federal Prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin joins me now with more. So would this lawsuit actually stop this fight?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: You know, the President has lost a lot of cases recently. This is one he's going to win. I -- first of all, I don't think these plaintiffs have standing at all.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) is my next question.
TOOBIN: That they don't have the kind of legal injury that would allow them to sue at all. But also, you know, I was in Washington last week and I saw the claw, as they call it, and it really is enormous, but it's temporary. I mean, it's it's going to go away. So this is not the same issue as the ballroom, which is an attempted, you know, permanent transformation of the White House, where I do think there's a serious legal issue here.
Big as it is, it's going to go away. So I don't think the same law applies. And I just don't think this lawsuit has any any likelihood of success at all.
COOPER: What do you think the chances are that Todd Blanche will be the permanent attorney general?
TOOBIN: I think Presidents almost always get their way when it comes to a cabinet appointment. But this is going to be a real fight. And there are some votes in play. I mean, the opponents of Blanche need four votes. You know, you have Lisa Murkowski. You have the two Republican senators who just lost their race, Cassidy and Tillis, who's not running. And you have maybe maybe Cornyn, although it's hard for me to imagine Cornyn wouldn't vote against him.
You have John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat, who's, you know, frequently switching sides. But when push comes to shove, the Trump has won almost always in the Senate, and I have to believe he's going to win this term (ph).
[20:50:10]
COOPER: What would that potentially look like for the Department of Justice to be run by Todd Blanche formally?
TOOBIN: Well, I mean, there has -- you know, there -- Robert Kennedy was John Kennedy's brother, who was the attorney general. So the idea that the attorney general has to be some independent figure is really kind of a myth. But when you look at how Blanch as a former personal attorney seems to be acting the same way, whether it comes from his efforts in the Epstein case, the prosecution of Trump's enemies, all of these looks like someone who is still acting as the President's attorney. But this is what the President wants and the Senate is likely to give it to him.
COOPER: You know, there have been large layoffs and, you know, firings of DOJ attorneys, you know, longtime federal prosecutors in Washington offices around the country, also FBI agents long serving who are just -- whose only crime was being involved in the investigations. How permanent an impact is this? I mean, if there is a change in administrations, you know.
TOOBIN: This is so astonishing to me as a former assistant U.S. attorney, where I was so fortunate to get that job. Those jobs were fought over. Those jobs, people, they were like getting Supreme Court clerkships. They were so hard to get. Now they are begging people to apply for them.
My friend, Andy Luger, used to be the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, when he left in -- at the end of the Biden administration, there are fewer than half as many assistant U.S. attorneys and -- because so many have quit. It's not just the firings, is people quit rather than do this kind of work. COOPER: Wow. Jeff Toobin, appreciate it. Thanks very much.
President Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner are involved in a project to develop a private Mediterranean island off Albania and beachfront in Albania. The future luxury resort includes a protected natural area, which sent thousands into the streets of the nation's capital to protest, chanting Albania is not for sale.
CNN's Randi Kaye has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
I. TRUMP: I'm working on an incredible project with my husband in the Mediterranean. It's massive in scale.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ivanka Trump dishing about a bold new business deal she's planning with her husband, Jared Kushner. She described to podcaster David Senra how it all started.
I. TRUMP: We were on a friend's boat and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that's how we found it. We swam to the islands. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top and we were just captivated. And it stayed with us ever since.
KAYE (voice-over): According to the interview, the island has no power and the project will be built from scratch.
I. TRUMP: It's an unbelievable, beautiful 1,400 hectare private island in the middle of the Mediterranean. The land is so beautiful that really the architecture has to be fully integrated into it, almost rise from it.
KAYE (voice-over): Developing the Sazan Island is just part of the plan.
I. TRUMP: Not only the island, but we have five miles of beachfront directly across from the island, this beautiful peninsula with a lagoon on one side, the ocean on the other, beautiful white sand beaches.
KAYE (voice-over): Not everyone in Albania is OK with this. The project has sparked protests in Albania's capital.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, I'm totally against it. Why would I want somebody, a foreigner, to come and buy my island? The land -- we've been here 2,500 years. So how can somebody, you know, claim that she found an island all of a sudden?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that the investments are a good thing in Albania, but they should be thoughtful about the nature.
KAYE (voice-over): The area is home to several endangered species, including flamingos and pelicans, monk seals and nesting sea turtles. Demonstrators say their habitat is threatened. KAYE: A change to Albania's nature laws in 2024 is helping pave the way for this. It permits construction of luxury resorts within environmentally protected areas.
KAYE (voice-over): In March 2024, Jared Kushner posted this on social media, noting he was excited about a development project in Albania. His involvement only amplifies concerns about whether Kushner's private business dealings present a conflict of interest, given that he serves as a special envoy for the Trump administration.
Despite bulldozers seen at the site, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told CNN, "There is not a project yet and the environmental impact is being worked on."
EDI RAMA, ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER: There is not such a thing like the family of the American President taking over protected areas where flamingos will be killed.
[20:55:07]
I. TRUMP: You can't just impose yourself upon a country or culture. You have to understand it first to do it in a beautiful and delicate and meaningful way.
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: CNN reached out to Jared Kushner's private equity fund for a reaction to Randi's story. We were redirected to the development company for the project, which released a statement that reads, in part, "We respect the ongoing public and institutional processes, and we stand ready to move forward as they unfold."
Up next, details from the Philippines and the powerful and deadly earthquake that has hit the country.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SCREAMING)
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COOPER: Children at an elementary school in the Philippines this morning as a powerful as 7.8 earthquake hit the southern part of the country. Also caught on video, the collapse of this building where a restaurant was located. At least 35 people have been killed and more than 200 others injured throughout the quake zone.
According to the Associated Press, the quake also triggered tsunami warnings. That threat, thankfully, is over. Authorities are warning residents to be alert for aftershocks.
That's it for us. The news continues. I'll see you tomorrow. The Source with Kaitlan Collins starts now.
