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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Trump Campaigns For Darline Graham In South Carolina After Debate Fumble; Natalie Harp Travels With Trump To South Carolina; Supreme Court Allows Construction Of White House Ballroom To Continue For Now; Source: Polymarket Referred Dozens Of Possible Military Insider Trading Cases To DOJ; Navy Weighs Naming Carrier After Trump, Not Black WWII Hero; Grand Pix Racing Takes D.C. Streets For America's 20th; Pastor Builds Digital Twin To Counsel People, Offer Faith Around The Clock; Prince Harry, Elton John And Other Celebrities Hit With Initial $13 Million Bill After Losing Case Against U.K. Tabloid; Meghan Markle Eyes Acting Return After Move Back To The U.K. Aired 8- 9p ET
Aired August 21, 2026 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MAJ. JASON WATSON, U.S. AIRMAN ARRESTED AT CAPITOL AFTER CALLING FOR TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT: He has failed us and not only is he a failure as President, he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption and is killing Americans,
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Again, no charges have yet been filed. Thanks so much for joining us on this Friday night. AC360 begins right now.
[20:00:32]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": Good evening, we begin tonight with the latest test the President's political clout. He is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, campaigning for Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who is trying to turn her caretaker role in his former seat into a full-time job.
Senator Graham faces a primary runoff next Tuesday. Today, fourth place finisher and former state Governor Mark Sanford endorsed her opponent, Ralph Norman. That's just the latest setback for her campaign in a week that included this moment on the debate stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our Taiwan in the South China Sea, national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?
SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm just going to be honest here. I'm not on National Security, that, I'm not that informed on National Security, so. But I do support the military. I'm not a polished politician up here, National Security is not my thing, not my area of expertise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So, she addressed that episode tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM: The critics say I shouldn t run for the Senate. They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say, guilty as charged. And by the way, President Trump had never served in an elected office before. And I think he's done a damn good job. I'm a volleyball mom, and I love watching my daughter play. She's sitting right over there and I know boys do not have any place in girls' sports, certainly not in the locker room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: It's part of what the President's endorsement is aimed at overcoming, her statement during that debate. At the same time, it appears his power persuasion may be declining somewhat, along with his job approval numbers. Ten of his candidates for statewide office or Congress have been rejected by primary voters so far, including three earlier this week.
We'll find out Tuesday if Darline Graham reverses that trend. First, here's some what the President said just moments ago in Myrtle Beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I asked her to do this. I said, Darline, you got to do it because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her. Ive known her, through Lindsay, I've known her for long, I think Lindsay respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me. That does not make me happy. I'm not, I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Starting us off is CNN senior White House reporter, Betsy Klein, who is traveling with the President tonight in South Carolina. So, what did the President, what else did he have to say tonight?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Anderson, the President has actually been remarkably on message tonight. The folks I have talked to have been very clear eyed that this is going to be a very tight race for Darline Graham, and it's all going to come out to turnout on Tuesday.
So, President Trump doing his job, he offered graham some praise. He got into some of the nuts-and-bolts logistics of when the polls are open on Tuesday. And at one point he told his supporters to pretend that he is on the ballot and turn out to vote, then this abrupt transition, the President saying he's in a very good mood. And that is because the Supreme Court voted for now that he can continue the construction on his ballroom project.
He also touched on the war with Iran, which he characterized as a slight detour. He touted the economy, blamed inflation on the Democrats. He took aim at Democratic Socialists as well as some old rivals, including former President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. But he kept bringing it back to Darline Graham, talking about how important this race is -- Anderson. COOPER: Have you heard of any internal second guessing of the President's endorsement after Darline Graham that that widely criticized answer in the debate last week, which seemed to show no knowledge of what Taiwan is?
KLEIN: Well, this race has prompted a lot of internal divisions within South Carolina. Republicans and some of the President's own allies. But President Trump remains all in on Darline Graham behind the scenes.
His team is clearly aware that there is a lot on the line here, particularly after some of the candidates that he has endorsed have failed to win their primaries in recent weeks. But the President has been making the case for Graham, both publicly and privately.
We know that he made calls after that primary, including to Russell Fry, the Congressman, encouraging him to endorse Graham and also, publicly, the President asked about her debate gaff earlier this week. He really brushed it off, said that she was being honest.
[20:05:26]
COOPER: Betsy Kein, appreciate it very much. I want to get perspective now from former South Carolina GOP Chair Katon Dawson. Caine has not endorsed either candidate in Tuesday's upcoming election. Also, Executive Committee Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee, Christine Quinn and former adviser to George W. Bush and Mitt Romney's Presidential campaigns, Kevin Madden.
So, Kein, I know you consider both candidates to be close friends. Do you think the President's endorsement of Darline Graham and this joint campaign appearance tonight will be enough to get her over the finish line Tuesday?
KATON DAWSON, FORMER CHAIRMAN, SOUTH CAROLINA REPUPLICAN PARTY: Well, Anderson, you know, the beauty of you is you have been in the gymnasium in South Carolina. So has Kevin, you've been on the street corners, you've been in the cafes, and you understand the independence of this state and endorsements normally don't matter in South Carolina.
We have so many elected Republicans, but this President is different, very popular, very popular. They love him in South Carolina. They gave him the nomination. But at the end of the day, he really isn't on the ballot, Anderson. And you've been here before and watched these people vote.
Right now, the race is extremely tight. You've got Ralph Norman, Congressman, well known in the party. Darline, we know her and we love her. She's been in all the meat. Weve seen her in the back of the rooms. But was she ready for prime time to be a U.S. Senator, and the interesting part that I think our other two panels will take a 34-day race. Anderson, we had to bury Lindsey Graham, that took six days.
So, really, you know, 14 days of campaigning, 14 days of a runoff. That's a tight window to give somebody six years in the most exclusive club in the world called the United States Senate.
COOPER: Christine, I mean, the President was obviously very close to Lindsey Graham or as close as he is to anybody. That said, do you think he should have gotten involved?
CHRISTINE QUINN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR, NY STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE: Well, you know, from a probably purely political or strategic perspective, endorsing somebody. So unprepared, unknown, having no real experience, didn't really make sense. That said, I think it's very on Trump brand. It would have been odd for him, I think, not to have endorsed her because he was so close to her brother. She wanted it and I think it would have seemed like something disloyal to him, almost disloyal to her brother.
So, although I think politically and strategically, it made no sense, it's very much on kind of the, you know, I do whatever I want to do, the consultants be damned, Trump M.O.
COOPER: Kevin, how do you see this? I mean, how big a factor do you think the last name Graham is in this race?
KEVIN MADDEN, SENIOR PARTNER, PENTA GROUP: Well, it's of course important. It provides you I mean, the candidates work for years and don't ever achieve a name I.D. So, to have that name I.D. starting is very helpful. You also have a sort of ready-made network of supporters from former Senator Graham donors, activists, people that can make a ready-made campaign, so, it was an advantage.
But, you know, endorsements and even sort of legacy name I.D., that's really only a small part of campaigns. And particularly as Katon had talked about in such a small compressed time frame, it really does matter that you have candidate with a retail ability and an ability to really make a strong, effective, persuadable case to the, to the voters that they're, you have an ability to earn their vote and represent their state.
And it's been quite a challenge, I think, in that small compressed time timeline for somebody who's very new to this, hasn't done it before, to perform at the type of high level that's needed to win.
COOPER: Katon, do you think there are a lot of minds that have not -- Do you think a lot of people have not made up their minds at this stage in South Carolina? Because the President made it clear tonight he's not concerned about Darline Graham's answer on that debate. He said he said, she's going to do what the military wants and really what the President wants.
DAWSON: Well, let me tell you what I've seen, the dynamic here that I know Kevin will really appreciate. And you too, Anderson, the dynamic right now is social media. That spot that Darline showed that she probably wasn't ready for the United States Senate. I've never seen anything go as viral, even though some of the money is pushing it as that spot all over cable news. Not broadcast, but very powerful.
I watch people change their minds. They still love Darline, but they went with the experience of Ralph Norman. Then you throw in Mark Sanford, who got 55,000 votes as a homegrown former governor. And then you got Donald Trump. So, this thing is up for grabs it -- for a little while there, I thought it was Darline's to take, and now its Darline's to lose.
I think what Donald Trump's looking for, Anderson, is the 10,000 or 12,000 people that haven't even voted in any of the primaries. He's looking for people that voted for him when he was here, and that's hard to get them to the ballot. Anderson.
[20:10:23]
COOPER: Yes, which is why, to your point, Kaden, which is why he said tonight at this event, you know, go to the polls as if my name is on the ballot very directly.
Christine, I mean, obviously, her answer was striking, considering Lindsey Graham's foreign policy, you know, interest in foreign policy involvement over his entire career in the Senate, it did seem to indicate I mean, if anybody knows anything about Taiwan, even if you, you know, just know where it's located and that it's an ally of the U.S., you could say, of course, yes, it's a National Security issue and leave it at that.
Do you think voters, I mean, do you think that is really going to be held against her?
QUINN: I do think it's going to be held against her because no one is necessarily looking for her or anyone on the debate stage to go into some deep dive about Taiwan and China, they want to just know that you have general command of the issues, and particularly, you know, big parts of the world are on fire right now.
You know, we're at war. The war in Ukraine still rages on. So, I think to be able to not just say, I don't know about that issue, but to say I don't know about foreign policy at all, when really all you had to say was, yes, really, really is striking. And it would be, I think, close to disqualifying for any Senate candidate.
But when you compare it to the prior senator, her brother, who was one of the most leading senators, and really the history of the United States Senate as it relates to foreign policy, it really is just a glaring contrast that I think it's going to make people, as was said, switch their vote, make undecided people not go for her. And I think it's hard to create the energy for non-voters to turn out, which is a very hard thing to do in a campaign when that hangs over her head in addition to saying South Carolina had 50 million polled in.
COOPER: Kevin, as we mentioned so far this primary cycle, ten of the President's chosen candidates for statewide office or Congress lost their races. I mean, is that a sign of his grip on the Republican Party slipping, or is it just choices he made about these individuals and voters just didn't like these individuals?
MADDEN: It's not look, he has a, I think he has a very firm grip on the party, the party activists, the party apparatus. He has an ability to create momentum around, around candidates. Now, I think if you look at his record broadly, he's been very successful. Yes, he's had some, some struggles with some candidates. But ultimately a Presidential endorsement, even from Donald Trump, is only part of the game.
Candidates still have to run really good campaigns. And if you look at a lot of the candidates that have struggled, they've either had their own scandals or they've had their own inability to, you know, get out the vote, send a clear, drive, a clear message, raise the amount of money that they needed.
So, you can't rely 100 percent on Donald Trump's endorsement. It will get you some momentum. It will get you a lot of eyeballs and it will get you a lot of attention. But it really is up to these candidates to carry their candidacy over the finish line.
COOPER: Kevin Madden, Katon Dawson, Christine Quinn, appreciate it all, Thank you.
Coming up next, what we are learning from two letters. The President's special assistant, Natalie Harp, reportedly sent him in 2023 and the light they shed on both her role as a remarkably influential aide and it appears his biggest fan.
Later in the program, will this be another chapter in a story we have long been reporting the administration whitewashing history? The Navy considering taking the name of a decorated Black World War II hero off one off the Navy's upcoming new supercarriers, and possibly replacing it with the President's.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:18:31]
COOPER: That is the President's famously devoted assistant, Natalie Harp, boarding Marine One for today's campaign trip to South Carolina. She has certainly been in the headlines a lot lately, first, for being one of the very few people who went with the President on that secret flight out of turkey after the NATO Summit, while the secretaries of state and treasury stayed behind on the decoy plane.
And second, as the focus of Georgia Senator John Ossoff's campaign attack on the President for wanting to, "build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar."
That has certainly gotten the attention of the White House and this may as well, a pair of letters she reportedly sent him in 2023, now published in full for the first time in "The Daily Beast", "The New York Times," Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have already written about them in their book "Regime Change," and reported the secret service was alarmed by some of their content, but this is the first time seeing two of these letters in full.
According to the daily beast, they were written either during or after she accompanied him on a trip to Scotland and Ireland. CNN has not independently confirmed either that she wrote them or sent them. Trump biographer Michael Wolff says he received the letters while he was writing a book about the 2024 campaign, and that they came from a campaign source who worried about how close she was getting to Trump.
One, appears to read like an apology, quoting from it now, "I never want to bring you anything but joy. I'm sorry I lost my focus. You are all that matters to me. I don't want to ever let you down. Thank you for being my guardian and protector in this life."
Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer today, Maggie Haberman explains why Natalie Harp's proximity to the Commander in Chief matters beyond gossip.
[20:20:20]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: She is a channel by which outsiders can bypass existing systems to get to him, and vice versa, where he can reach out to other people. That does include, in some cases, foreign leaders. That's the role she serves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: She also mentioned Harp's other role, which she describes as the Presidents binky or comfort blanket. Her duties, as you know, also include posting on social media for the President, gathering flattering memes for him to read, sometimes even printing them out for him on the golf course.
As CNN recently reported, her devotion is such that she also once wrote in a vehicles trunk to accompany him to a 2023 court appearance. There wasn't room for her in the vehicle, apparently, but Harp insisted that Trump had personally asked her to attend and was determined not to be left behind.
As we mentioned, all this reporting on her has drawn the ire of the White House spokesman, David Ingle, called Senator Ossoff a, "cringe worthy" feminine theater kid. More recently, he praised Natalie Harp as, "one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team."
Joining us now is Kara Swisher, CNN contributor and podcast host of Pivot and On Kara Swisher. So, I'm wondering what your reaction was to reading these letters, purportedly from Natalie Harp.
KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, Maggie had reported them with John in the book also that they were taking place in the war and Secret Service as a whole. They seem strange, I would think. I mean, he has a lot of fans, right?
He has these super fans and they I wouldn't say love letters, but they're definitely fan letters that you might get. You know, you'd imagine writing it to a celebrity or a singer or something like that.
They're definitely odd in the in altogether, especially given what her job is, which is essentially one of the top aides to the President. And that's how we should look at her. She's an adult woman who has a job that's paid for by taxpayers at $150,000.00 salary. So, we shouldn't maybe treat this like, you know, a girl crush or something, but it's definitely a strange letter. I found it strange.
COOPER: Well, also the, you know, the issue that Maggie Haberman raised that she is a conduit to the President for others who may not be able to get to him through other channels.
SWISHER: Yes. He likes to go around things, making people pick up the phone. Remember, people have his cell phone number and things like that so they can reach him at all times. But this is a great way. If he doesn't want the staff around him. I mean, the President is surrounded by staff at all times.
And so, this is someone who is loyal only to him and not to anything else, some agenda, just whatever he wants and therefore is like, like Maggie said, is a human binkie, which makes him feel safe all the time and someone he trusts, obviously.
We mentioned "The Daily Beast," said that biographer Michael Wolff obtained the letters while he was writing a book about Trumps 2024 campaign. Wolf said the images were in circulation among the campaign staff. You said, I heard you say that you think this was likely leaked by someone inside the White House, "at the very top of the food chain" Why do you why do you think that?
SWISHER: Oh, I just you know, I've been a beat reporter for years. These things, you don't get your hands on these things unless someone wants something out about it. And someone obviously, either through worries or rivalries or anything else. I mean, the White House, like any other workplace, is probably super-sized version of politics in the workplace. And so, someone inside had to have access or were worried about her or feel like she has too much power or they go around her and would start leaking it.
You know, there's other people in that White House who, you know, display a lot of fealty. Stephen Miller comes to mind. You know, a lot of them go on and on in these cabinet meetings. So, this is not an unusual behavior by Natalie Harp. She's just where it ends, right? Where it gets the most. But I think it's to me, it's some sort of rumble at the White House for power in the as they move towards the midterms. And as people start to either leave or they want to consolidate power and she's at the center of it because she's she is very she has an approximate, you know, where you are physically in the White House is how what your power is, as you know, from those offices that they have there.
COOPER: It's weird to me, though, that given I mean, it seems like people know the President likes to have her around. Why is she always having to like, hitch rides and run after golf carts and jump in the, I mean, it seems odd, like, why don't they just give her like permanent, you know.
SWISHER: She has to be with him, you know, she's his assistant. I don't know that it seems so strange.
COOPER: But it seems like others are trying to keep them apart. Like you would think he could just say, I want her around me at all times and she would be there. SWISHER: Sit right next to me. I would guess that. I would imagine that, the jogging one today. You know, this is going to happen. This is a really interesting story about this relationship, whatever it may be and I think Maggie does characterize this as someone who's a go between and someone who makes him feel comforted, but there's going to be picture after picture and story after story and the security story is disturbing if she's that close to the President, obviously, then whether she had a security clearance.
But it is strange, like running, there's going to be, you're going to see so many of these. And on top of it online, everybody's having a ball with the memes, like the A.I. movies. And you know, it is, it is a real cycle. And the white house really made this go out of control after Ossoff made what -- it was an offhand remark like he likes to do, but they certainly took the ball and ran with it.
[20:25:36]
COOPER: Yes, Kara Swisher, appreciate it. Thanks, Kara.
SWISHER: Thanks.
COOPER: Coming up next, with the ballroom going up faster than the minute Waltz, the Supreme Court weighs in what the chief justice had to say about it when we come back.
Also, the Navy considering options for taking the name of a decorated Black World War II hero off one of its upcoming supercarriers and perhaps replacing it with the President's name.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:30:34]
COOPER: We learned today work will continue on President Trump's controversial White House ballroom. Today, Chief Justice John Roberts allowed construction to continue at least temporarily when or if the full court will weigh in on the merits of the project remains to be seen. An appeals court ruling that would have required work to stop was set to take effect just hours from now at midnight.
The lower court ruled that the ballroom was unlawful because Congress had not approved it. According to a filing from the Trump administration to the Supreme Court, construction has been nearly non- stop with a 250-person crew working 20-hour days, 7 days per week. When the project was initially announced, the White House estimated it would cost $200 million, all from donations.
The President later amended that to say it would be up to $400 million for the ballroom and underground bunker, still all from donations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have no taxes. This is taxpayer-free. We have no taxpayer putting up $0.10.
We did this at no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever.
And I'm paying for it. I'm paying for it. The country is not --
We're donating a $400 million ballroom. Myself and donors are giving them free of charge for nothing.
It's being paid for 100 percent by me and some friends of mine, donors.
Rich people and people are putting up good money. Zero taxpayer dollars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, the Washington Post recently reported, however, that in March, when the President was still claiming it would all be paid for by donations, that the contractor had already informed the White House it would cost some $600 million, with more than half coming from tax dollars.
Since then, the White House has increasingly sought to frame the project in national security terms, pointing to state-of-the-art upgrades for an emergency bunker underneath the ballroom as the reason for that hefty infusion of taxpayer cash.
Joining me now, Former Federal Prosecutor Ankush Khardori. Ankush, appreciate you being with us. First off, the Supreme Court didn't actually weigh in on the legality of the ballroom, right? What does this decision mean?
ANKUSH KHARDORI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, I think as a practical matter, what I'm hoping it means is that Justice Roberts simply wanted to maintain what is currently the status quo until the entire court has the opportunity to weigh in and review the papers. The responsive papers were just filed by the trust on Tuesday, and it is August.
And the Supreme Court's justices, like members of Congress, are quite militant about their vacations, so they may be scattered, not able to move as quickly as usual. I think it's going to be very important to see what happens next week, to see if there is action from the full court, and if they decide to hear this case, how quickly the briefing might occur.
So I think for now we can consider a stopgap. I understand why people regard this as a bad sign. I get that. But it's not over just yet.
COOPER: It is -- the administration says it's 65 percent complete. They're also increasingly, you know, saying it's for national security. Do you think the level of completion and the security element is something the justices will take into consideration when they make the final decision?
KHARDORI: Yes, you know, I mean, I think these are very aggressive claims that the administration has made about this. And I think it is certainly the intention of the administration for them to take these claims very seriously. And I do actually think there's sort of a coercive, almost blackmail-like component to the argument that this is essential for the President's security, staff security.
Now, this is an entirely new argument. It's not the argument that they made in the district court. But it is --
COOPER: Right.
KHARDORI: -- the suggestion is sort of like, you know, the Supreme Court, if you don't give me what I want, you may be responsible for something terrible happening. And, by the way, you can't stop us. We're almost done. If you stop us now, it's just going to make matters worse.
You know, so I do expect the Republican appointees, at least, to take some of those claims seriously. I do not think they should carry the day simply because I think they have been spun up. I mean, this is the only project I've ever heard of where we have people working 20 hours a day on behalf of the federal government. And it seems to be because Trump is very obsessed with building this ballroom.
COOPER: I do quickly want to turn to another legal story. Senior company official at Polymarket, the prediction site, tells CNN that his company has referred dozens of accounts that showed signs of potential military insider trading to the Justice Department for investigation. This is obviously a site where users can wager on the outcome of nearly any event, from politics, war, sports.
How much of a challenge do you think the Department of Justice would have investigating and policing this kind of activity?
KHARDORI: You know, because this appears to concern military operations, it actually could be a relatively straightforward. My understanding is it's in the dozens of accounts. And to bring an insider trading case like this, you want to establish that the person traded of the -- on the basis of material, nonpublic information, that they had a duty to maintain.
[20:35:08]
And in this case, almost by definition, military plans are material, nonpublic information, right? So you start there. There's going to be plenty of, you know, documents that the member -- military members have signed indicating that they understand this.
And then the question is, well, can you demonstrate that the trading was done on the basis of that information? And that could be done by highly unusual trading activity, right? If this is the first time these people have traded in instruments like this. If the wager was very aggressive.
If they weren't making trades in other kinds of markets where they were losing. If they've made efforts, for instance, to try to sort of move the cash around or conceal their identity. These are sort of the standard tools that prosecutors use in insider trading cases.
And, you know, the instrument is different. The market is different. But the fundamentals are essentially the same.
COOPER: Ankush, I really appreciate you being with us. Thanks so much.
KHARDORI: Thank you.
COOPER: Ankush Khardori.
The Navy is considering renaming an aircraft carrier that was supposed to honor a sailor named Doris Miller who showed remarkable bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Miller earned the Navy Cross, the first black sailor to receive one. The carrier is currently under construction.
While it's unclear what the Navy plans to call the ship, two sources tell CNN there have been internal conversations about renaming it after the President. Not the President when Pearl Harbor was head, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President now, Donald J. Trump.
Miller was a mess attendant, one of the only jobs open to black men in the Navy during World War II. He was aboard the USS West Virginia when the Japanese struck on December 7, 1941. And as the bombs began to fall, he rushed to the deck of the ship and found his commanding officer wounded. Miller carried him to safety.
Then, despite having no training on it, he took command of an anti- aircraft gun, opening fire on incoming Japanese planes. When the ammunition ran out, Miller helped evacuate other sailors from the ship and was one of the last three men to leave the vessel as it sank.
He was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 film, "Pearl Harbor."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Joining me now is former NAACP President, Cornell William Brooks. Professor Brooks, I'm wondering what you make of this potential move from the Navy.
CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS, FORMER PRESIDENT & CEO, NAACP: Well, first of all, thank you for having me, Anderson. I think that it is a tragic. So when we think about when Dorie Miller was initially recognized, a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was identified as a -- essentially a brave, quote, "unnamed Negro."
So we go from an unnamed Negro, 1941, to a de-named hero in 2026. This is not American progress. And so certainly not American racial progress. And so the fact that this honor was reserved for the first black American, in terms of being named on the aircraft carrier, but also the first enlisted personnel who's being recognized for service provided when they served as an enlisted member of the military.
So in other words, ranking those, as you say, honoring those who are lower ranked, certainly high serving, certainly courageously serving in the Navy. So to take this honor away dishonors the legacy of Doris "Dorie" Miller, but it also in many ways dishonors the service of many enlisted personnel who represent the bulk of those serving in the military.
And so this is really a matter that is, I would argue, for this commander-in-chief, the President, it is a conduct unbecoming, right? So when we think about this, President Trump, if he gets this honor, taking it away from Dorie Miller, this would be akin to, say, President Dwight Eisenhower, right? Five star general, commander-in- chief, taking the stripes from an enlisted personnel.
He's commander-in-chief. He has many honors. Why not honor this American hero and allow that honor to stand? Because there are many people who argue that not only did he deserve the Navy Cross, but he deserves the Medal of Honor. And so I think it's shameful that this would even be considered. And I'm hoping that it is not yet a decision. And certainly, if it is a decision, that it will be reversed.
COOPER: It would seem to be taking the kind of war on DEI, which Secretary Hegseth has railed against repeatedly since assuming his position. I mean, this isn't DEI -- I mean, this was complete segregation. I mean, this was -- it's not even, you know, I mean, it's kind of a remarkable that the Navy is, say -- according to one source that spoke to CNN, the Navy may be looking to rename another warship after Miller and is recommending him for the Medal of Honor, which is the highest decoration for military valor. Would that make up, you think, for taking his name off this aircraft carrier?
[20:40:28]
BROOKS: Well, we don't need to make up a much delayed honor. The fact of the matter is that Dorie Miller served his country well. Not only did he take over an anti-aircraft gun on the opening day of World War II for Americans, he died on a ship that was struck by a torpedo.
So in other words, he's given blood. He's given sacrifice. He gave his life to his country. We have a ship that is set to be had his name on it and for him to be honored and to have this kind of after the fact dishonoring of Dorie Miller is in fact shameful.
And we need to be clear here that this was a moment in American history where one point 2 million black people served in World War II. And everyone had to fight for the right, to fight and die for their country. So this is not by DEI.
This is about courage. It's about bravery. It's about a commitment to this country and a patriotism, right? A patriotism that is literally dipped in blood, right? So, in other words, we can't have the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Hegseth, or anybody else engage in this kind of postmortem, retroactive decision or effort to literally take away this honor and trade it for something else.
The fact of the matter is he does deserves a medal of honor and he deserves to have his name on the side of a ship, which was promised. And, in fact, as we understand it, his family was not made aware of this change of heart or changing of heart. So there's no need to reverse course here.
COOPER: Yes. Cornell William Brooks, I appreciate you being on. Thank you.
Up next, a preview of this weekend's IndyCar race on the streets of Washington, including right past the Capitol. And later, what you get when you send a chatbot to Divinity School. See what happens when CNN's Nick Watt is introduced to an A.I. pastor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm feeling a little lonely today.
REV. JUSTIN R. LESTER, FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: It's not good for a man to be alone. That's scripture. That's truth. And it applies to you right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:47:20]
COOPER: As part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States, Washington, D.C., is hosting an IndyCar race this weekend. CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look at what had to happen to transform the streets of the nation's capital into a racetrack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They've done some practice runs, lined up the tires, prepped the pit lane. They've even paraded an IndyCar on an underground metro rail train for promotion. In sum, the nation's capital has been transformed like never before for the first ever IndyCar open-wheel street race in the city's history.
BUD DENKER, CHAIRMAN, FREEDOM 250 GRAND PIX: We're going to be breaking some rules also when we come here with our driver driving 180 miles an hour down Pennsylvania Avenue legally.
TODD (voice-over): The Freedom 250 Grand Prix, celebrating the nation's 250th birthday, is the brainchild of Penske Corporation President Bud Denker, who designed a tight course spanning almost 1.7 miles with seven turns that the drivers will take 147 laps around.
TODD: The course is just so extraordinary with some of the most iconic monuments and buildings in the world in view of the racers and of the fans. You've got the Washington Monument right there, the National Gallery of Art right here, and the Capitol.
Now, the chairman of this race, Bud Denker, originally wanted to have the course on the Capitol grounds, but he ran into so much partisanship and bureaucracy that he scrapped it and brought it all back down here. TODD: Twenty-five of the most elite drivers in the IndyCar series will be here, including this year's Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, racing royalty like Graham Rahal, and young Mexican star Pato O'Ward, who promises this to first-time D.C. racegoers.
PATO O'WARD, DRIVER, NUMBER 5 CHEVROLET FOR ARROW MCLAREN: And, you know, it's an IndyCar street fight. I feel like, you know, after they watch this weekend, I think they might be hooked for a lifetime.
TODD (voice-over): We walked the course and surveyed the tight turns, the straightaways, grandstands, and other special accommodations. Denker says 49 manholes in the city had to be reshaped and smoothed over so the high-speed cars don't suck the covers off their moorings.
TODD: One thing that really strikes out at you about this course is how tight the turns are. Check this out. This is the first turn left from 3rd Street onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Now, the drivers are going to be reaching their top speeds of 175 to 185 miles an hour down Pennsylvania Avenue, and the organizers say Pennsylvania Avenue had to be included as part of this course because it's wide enough to serve as a pit lane.
TODD (voice-over): At least one museum along the route conducted a vibration study ahead of the race. Not everyone in D.C. is happy. Street closures and construction will have disrupted D.C. traffic for close to two months by the time it's all clear.
LODEWIJCK FOORTHUIS, D.C. RESIDENT: They usually are quite expensive. So, I mean, as you can see, it's a big hassle for the district.
[20:50:04]
TODD (voice-over): But for race fan Josh David, who's been to three Indy 500 races and traveled here just for this event, there's nothing quite like this.
TODD: How is it different for a fan from, like, the Indy 500?
JOSH DAVID, ATTENDING FREEDOM 250 GRAN PRIX: It's going to be a lot more action, a lot more tight turns, a lot more incidents and stuff like that.
TODD: You anticipate you're going to see some crashes?
DAVID: Yes, definitely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (on-camera): Race organizers expect crowds of about 100,000 on each of the two days of this event. Just about all of those tickets are free and are already sold out. But there are also nearly 80 suites, each costing about $200,000 to $250,000 apiece. And we're told they are sold out as well. Anderson?
COOPER: Brian Todd, thanks very much. Now to a new way artificial intelligence may be impacting how some Americans practice their faith. A San Francisco Bay Area pastor has launched an AI version of his ministry, available to his parishioners in the comfort of their own homes, day or night, whenever they may need it. As he says, this may be just the beginning.
Here's CNN's Nick Watt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LESTER: You forgot who you're talking to. You forgot who my daddy was. You forgot who I came from. You forgot Father Justin. I have got special possession.
WATT (voice-over): Passion, emotion, love. Black Americans are world leaders at making worship very, very human.
WATT: If my church when I was a kid was like this, I might still be religious.
WATT (voice-over): Now, Pastor Justin Lester is pioneering the inhuman. He's cloned his mind, birthed an AI digital doppelganger, which ministers to his flock when the real man cannot.
STEVE SMEDLEY, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: I can make an appointment with the pastor, but I can ask this question right now.
REV. STEPHANY BAKER, SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: It's amazing. You have to try it sometime.
WATT: I will. I will.
WATT (voice-over): I did.
WATT: I'm feeling a little lonely today.
LESTER: It's not good for man to be alone. That's scripture. That's truth. And it applies to you right now. Loneliness isn't weakness. It's a signal that you were made for connection.
So here's what I want you to do today. Reach out to one person.
BREANAH DRAKE, EVERT COORDINATOR, FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: I like to use it when, one, he's away, or two, there's a question I'm too embarrassed to ask him because I feel like I should know the answer to it.
SMEDLEY: Some things you may be hesitant to say out loud.
WATT: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
WATT (voice-over): So how does it work?
LESTER: I connected on YouTube, my TikTok, my Instagram, and everything I've ever written. So all the way back to -- WATT: OK.
LESTER: -- every sermon I've ever preached. Books, all of that are in there.
WATT: Do you obviously evolve as a human --
LESTER: Yes.
WATT: -- and as a preacher and a pastor? Does it evolve with you?
LESTER: Every single day it updates.
WATT: You said in your sermon Sunday to give other people credit. What did you mean?
LESTER: Nick, I appreciate you pressing me on that. Let me be real with you. I was talking about giving credit to the people around you.
It creeps me out because, like, somebody's literally talked to it before and was like, I literally thought you had a conversation with me. So I don't have the video part on --
WATT: OK.
LESTER: -- because that was weird. But --
WATT: OK, so if the tech there catches up, will you do so I can look at you?
LESTER: Absolutely, I'll do it because I'm curious about it. I'm an innovator.
DRAKE: I'm not going to lie. I would live for that. I live for that.
WATT (voice-over): He's already launched Pastor GPT, which helps other pastors write sermons and his little church offers coding classes and uses AI to handle the earthly and mundane.
LESTER: Like I went to school to preach the gospel, to teach the gospel, care for God's people. I did not go to school to email.
WATT: So AI is giving you more time to be human.
LESTER: Yes. Absolutely. AI, man, gives me more time to be a better father, be a better husband, to be a better pastor. Hospital visits don't have to be five minutes, they can be 20.
WATT (voice-over): But can AI do this?
LESTER: (INAUDIBLE)
WATT: And when I watch you preach, you know, I see and I feel humanity. I see --
LESTER: Yes. WATT: -- the frailty.
LESTER: Yes.
WATT: I feel all these human things.
LESTER: Absolutely.
WATT: Can you really bottle that into an algorithm?
LESTER: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. So AI cannot feel.
WATT: You're also not, like, creating something that's going to replace you.
LESTER: No, no, I think I'm pretty cool, and so no.
WATT: We're not going to be replacing the pastor.
BAKER: No.
WATT: We're not going to be having weird virtual churches --
BAKER: No.
WATT: -- with known humans.
BAKER: No, not at all. No, I think what we see is an expansion of the church happening.
WATT: OK.
BAKER: An expansion of love, an expansion of humanity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATT: So, Anderson, if you try to get the AI twin to talk about something random or ridiculous, someone tried Swedish politics, it will not engage. It will only talk about stuff that the real man himself knows about. Also, if you raise something serious, suicide, homicide, violence, abuse, the bot will say, that's too much for me. Call the pastor.
As the poetic pastor himself says, rivers are great because of the banks. AI is great with guardrails. Maybe that's a lesson we can take to the wider world. Anderson?
COOPER: Nick Watt, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Coming up, a new zip code may not be the only upcoming change for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A source telling CNN, Meghan Markle may be trying to return to acting. What we have heard, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:59:19] COOPER: Prince Harry and six other high-profile people, including Elton John, have been ordered to pay the publisher of the Daily Mail $13 million after losing a high-stakes case against them last month. The group alleged the paper engaged in unlawful information gathering for stories. The court's ruling stated the payment is only an initial sum, not the full total the group will eventually pay. How much is still to be determined.
CNN is also learning that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, may be trying to make an acting comeback. The Duchess is in talks to possibly join the third season of Guy Ritchie's "The Gentleman," which shoots in the United Kingdom, according to a person familiar with the discussions. While talks are ongoing, there's no deal in place, and the show hasn't officially been renewed for a third season.
This comes, of course, on the heels of the couple's announcement this week that they would be moving their family back to the U.K. after six years of living in California. They're expected to live just outside London, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are reportedly already enrolled in British schools for the coming term.
That's it for us. I hope you have a great weekend. The news continues. The Source starts now.
I'll see you Monday.
