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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Federal Agent Shoots Man After "Ambush" In Minneapolis; Noem: ICE May Ask Citizens To "Validate Their Identity"; GOP Rep. Bacon: Seizing Greenland Would Be "End Of His Presidency"; Machado Says She Presented Her Nobel Peace Prize Medal To Trump; New Film Spotlights Trauma & Recovery For A Combat Veteran. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired January 15, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: All right, thank you guys so much for joining me. Really fun to be in New York with all of you. Thanks to you at home for watching as well. Don't forget, you can stream The Arena live. Catch up whenever you want in the CNN app.

Scan that QR code below. You can also listen to our podcast. You can follow the show on X and Instagram. But don't go anywhere because Jake Tapper is standing by for "The Lead." Hi, Jake. JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Oh, Kasie, thinks she's all fancy in New York.

All right, I understand. We'll look for you in "The Arena" tomorrow.

[17:00:39]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: President Trump is threatening to use the Insurrection Act to put military troops on the streets of Minnesota. The Lead starts right now.

How far will President Trump go in his immigration crackdown as it leads to more violence in Minneapolis? A man shot in the leg after ambushing a federal agency -- a federal agent, according to the Homeland Security Department. We're live with the situation on the ground. Plus, breaking news from Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, saying she did indeed present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump today. What else she's revealing about their face to face. And a college basketball scandal, nearly 30 people, including some players, charged in a scheme to rig games in exchange for cash.

But this case has international ties and we'll tell you about that.

Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

The lead tonight, tensions continue to run high in Minneapolis after a second shooting by a federal law enforcement agent, this time of an undocumented immigrant who officials say ambushed officers. This attack sparking fiery clashes between the anti-ICE protesters and law enforcement overnight. CNN crews captured video of ransacked and vandalized vehicles while law enforcement deployed tear gas and flashbangs to disperse the crowds. The Department of Homeland Security says the man shot was a Venezuelan national who attacked the immigration officer who then fired defensive shots. The man was shot in the leg.

This morning, President Trump warned on social media that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law signed into law in 1807 that allows a president to deploy troops inside the U.S. without congressional approval in circum (ph) situations -- certain situations. We should note the president did not invoke the Insurrection Act during the actual insurrection in January 2021. This morning, President Trump said he would use the Insurrection Act if Minnesota's politicians don't, quote, "stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt today reinforced the message that the state's Democratic lawmakers are the ones who are responsible for the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Look at this vehicle. Look at what it says. It says, f ICE. You have these individuals who are putting their middle finger proudly so at the camera. Another ICE individual -- vehicle that was vandalized last night by these left wing agitators. People don't do this without encouragement from people in power who make them feel like it's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: A couple things there. First, it does feel worth a reminder that this headline, quote, "Trump flipped off an autoworker at a Ford plant. The White House says it's appropriate," unquote. That headline's a day old in terms of giving the finger. To say nothing of the notion of this White House offended by protesters, encouraged by people in power to do things that are violent and objectionable.

Really? This White House is offended by that?

OK, but we digress back today's news. One source familiar with immigration enforcement wondered if President Trump invoking the Insurrection Act or just talking about it, was an attempt to refocus attention away from the tactics of ICE and put the attention onto the more violent elements of the protesters in the streets of Minneapolis. Either way, in the hours since President Trump's Truth Social Post, Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz made a direct appeal to him on social media saying, quote, "Let's turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are."

The governor also encouraged Minnesotans to speak out peacefully. The Minneapolis City Council today is demanding more support from Governor Walz. One member spoke to CNN, Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WONSLEY, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL: Strongly worded letters to the administration is just simply not sufficient. We need an eviction moratorium right now, today. And Governor Waltz needs to declare that as one of the first measures we can do to protect our residents here.

Residents are demonstrating a huge amount of courage right now, and it's not being matched by our elected officials to do everything we can to get ICE out of our community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:05:02]

TAPPER: Let's get to CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, who's on the ground in Minneapolis.

Julia, tell us what you're seeing.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, for the past few hours, we've seen a flare up between protesters and federal agents here at the Henry Whipple Federal Building. I mean, this is what we've been seeing for a while now. There is a flare up. We see agents going in. These are federal agents.

They're hiding their faces. Every single car that goes by gets heckled by these protesters who are seem to be outraged. Some of them said they've been here all day standing in the cold. They believe this is an important reason to be protesting, the shooting of these two people within the same week here in Minneapolis. But just moments ago, we saw agents coming out of this building in formation and try to clear protesters off of the street for the cars to be able to move through.

Standing in that kind of confrontational, but still just pushing protesters out onto the sidewalk. And soon after, some kind of projectile looked to me like a water bottle was thrown at these agents. And then all of us, including our crew here, our CNN crew, got hit with some projectiles with pepper spray. So that's what we've been seeing, the flare ups. They come and they go, and the mood is mostly peaceful.

And I have also seen, Jake, people walking up and down. There's one man with an American flag has been walking up and down reminding people to heed the warnings, to listen to those state and local officials who have been asking for these protesters to stay civil, to stay peaceful. The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, saying that not doing so would only be playing to the hand of the administration, in his words.

And so, of course, we know from day to night things change. Very often they do these kinds of protests change. So far, this has been the atmosphere. But we know, Jake, that things can get more volatile as the day goes on.

TAPPER: All right, Julia Vargas Jones of Minneapolis, thank you. Stay safe, please.

Joining us now to discuss Sheriff Chris Swanson from Genesee County, Michigan. He's a Democratic governor -- Democratic candidate for governor. Thanks so much for joining us, Sheriff. Let's start with last night's shooting. Homeland Security says that this occurred during a targeted traffic stop when a Venezuelan national resisted arrest. Two other people came out of an apartment and attacked the officer with a shovel and a broom. DHS says the officer fired defensive shots, hitting the man in the leg. So far, we don't have any video or witness account that backs up the DHS version of events. But based on what we know, does it sound as though the officer acted appropriately?

SHERIFF CHRIS SWANSON, GENESSEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN: Well, you're right. We don't have all the details, but what's biggest is a concern to me is the fact that an officer was attacked. Why? And it goes back to what we just watched just a minute ago is the country is uneasy. They are not at peace.

There's a better way to do all of this, and that's not happening. And we continue to have these conflicts. This is not going to be the end of it.

TAPPER: So one of the things that DHS says is the reason that things are so out of control in Minneapolis. I'm paraphrasing them, OK, but they say the reason this is happening is because Minnesota, Minneapolis, do not cooperate. They're a sanctuary city, not a sanctuary state, but a sanctuary city, and they won't partner with ICE. So ICE has to go in on their own and grab people off the streets, go into the communities, and that's why there is these -- there are these confrontations. What do you think about that?

SWANSON: So I asked the question, how, for decades has law enforcement worked with FBI, Secret Service, ATF, DEA? We've -- we arrested and did joint operations and have never seen anything like this. The problem, Jake, is the delivery and the messaging of what's happening is not the effective way to do what they want to do. And so you have these protests, and it's not just Minneapolis, the whole country is watching this. There's agents and there's people around in every big city that are creating a fear, they're creating a distrust with law enforcement.

And unfortunately, because it's law enforcement, whether it's federal, state, county, local, it removes that public trust and faith in law enforcement. So the answer to the question is it's got to be retooled. The whole blueprint needs to go back to the basics, because this and what we're seeing is not sustainable.

TAPPER: Today a reporter asked the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, why agents are asking Minnesota residents to show proof of citizenship and whether Americans now need to carry with them proof of citizenship. Here's how she responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they're there and having them validate their identity. That's what we've always done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Is it standard protocol to ask people surrounding the target of a law enforcement operation to ID themselves, show their papers, as it were, regardless of whether or not they're a target themselves?

[17:10:01]

SWANSON: Only probable cause. I mean, that's our whole system of trust. And the fact that law enforcement has to uphold the state and the United States Constitution. I can't go to somebody unless I believe there's reasonable suspicion that they have or are or will commit a crime, that they have a weapon. That is the stop and frisk.

And so just to go to somebody who has nothing to do with the crime, nothing to do with the incident, and ask them for their ID, there is no legal obligation if they have nothing to do. They could be observers, they could be witnesses. It goes back to your question of what is causing all this. What's causing all this is the system and the rollout of what they're doing is not effective.

And to just go up to people and say, let me ask you who you are and are you an American citizen? Show me your identity. That is not who we are. And unless you believe that there's a reasonable suspicion or probable cause to ask that question, you can't do that.

TAPPER: So we saw law enforcement last night using tear gas and flashbangs to disperse the crowd, disperse the protesters. What kind of de-escalation techniques are law enforcement officers taught to rely upon intense situations such as what's happening in Minneapolis, especially at night when the -- when the confrontations get pretty intense?

SWANSON: Well, you're talking to somebody who speaks from experience. In 2020, during the George Floyd protest, we separated protesters from rioters and agitators. You cannot attack law enforcement, no matter what your method is. Whatever what your concern is, do not attack law enforcement. But that's not the majority of people who are frustrated.

Those that attack, or I've heard, you know, paid attackers or agitators, you need to those folks out because they're doing nothing but causing up a stir that could lead to violence. In 2020, we were on expressways and were on exits, and were fighting people through social media, investigative means that they came there just to agitate the crowd. Again, that's not everybody who's protesting.

The United States is looking at this and the average person is thinking, we didn't sign up for this. Now, those are the people whose voices need to be heard, and those are the ones that we need to listen to to say, what is the better way to do it? How do we go back to the basics? Law enforcement can work together as well as the community. We work so hard to build public trust.

But the average person who is protesting, those are the voices that we must listen to and figure out what's the average way, what is the best way to do this. We arrest thousands of people a year. And if I had community members following us around and protesting the way we do it, we may still be doing our job. But I would bring my command staff in and say, what are we doing wrong? People know law enforcement enforces laws and maintains order.

That's not what we're seeing in the country. And my concern, and I say it over and over, tragic and predictable. We were here talking just a few days ago and now we're back at it. Unless it starts from the top, unless it says we're going to have a new blueprint, a new way of doing our operations, we're not going to go after people that have not committed a crime against a human being. We're going to target those that did.

And we're going to do this in a way that is fair and equitable and humane. But what they're doing is they're wrapping everybody up under the same umbrella. What about the millions and millions of people who have not committed a crime? They may be undocumented, I get it. But they've been in the process.

Why is the focus not on those getting their citizenship?

TAPPER: Sheriff Chris Swanson, thank you so much, sir. Appreciate your time.

SWANSON: Thank you for having me again.

TAPPER: ICE agents are federal officials, but they're not police and they're not military. So when can they use force in these confrontations with crowds? We're going to take a closer look at where that line is. And did President Trump finally get the medal he always wanted, the Nobel Peace Prize? What Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado revealed moments ago about presenting her Nobel Peace Prize at the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:17:39]

TAPPER: We're back with the national lead. Smashing car windows, physical force, face masks, all tactics that ICE agents utilize while carrying out the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown. The videos out of Minneapolis and other cities are raising the question, how far can ICE agents go when crowds confront them? CNN's Josh Campbell filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amid growing controversy over the tactics being used by immigration agents, a stamp of approval coming from the top.

NOEM: They are doing everything correctly. Every single action that our ICE officers take is according to the law and following protocols have used for years.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): On Wednesday in Minneapolis, an agent shot and injured a man Homeland Security officials say was assaulting law enforcement. Protests erupting in the street over the use of force. CAMPBELL: Many have asked when federal agents can use force. They're arresting a suspect, they can only use the amount of force necessary to get that person to comply. If the person poses a threat, that can escalate. But when we're talking about demonstrators, federal agents can only lay a hand on someone if they're actively interfering with that immigration operation.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Many activists are also sounding the alarm over immigration agents demanding random people prove their citizenship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were you born? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I citizen. I citizen, man.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Like this woman filming agents who stopped her in Minneapolis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Do you have some ID then, please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't need -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If not, we're going to put you in the vehicle and

ID you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am U.S. citizen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, can we see an ID please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am U.S. citizen. CAMPBELL (voice-over): CNN reached out to Homeland Security for

comment on the incident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're doing an immigration check. We're doing a citizen check.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is -- this is -- this is where --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're asking you where you born.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The DHS secretary defending the questioning of bystanders in certain situations.

NOEM: If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and having them validate their identity. That's what we've always done in asking people who they are so that we know who's in those surroundings.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): According to legal experts, questioning can't be indiscriminate.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's illegal, and it's unconstitutional to require people to show their citizenship papers without some other basis to make a stopped. CAMPBELL (voice-over): Meanwhile, Minnesota is on alert as Trump

threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act, a move that local officials say would only inflame the situation further.

[17:20:04]

LATRISHA VETAW, (D) MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL: You know, I -- I'm just speechless from hearing about this, but I really hope that the president does not do that. Our city needs a plan for how government can work together to make sure that ICE can do their business and the citizens of Minnesota and Minneapolis are safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMPBELL (on camera): And Jake, all eyes on Minneapolis tonight. As that incident yesterday evening showed, it just takes one use of force incident to cause these unruly crowds to begin to form. Of course, the president says he's weighing the Insurrection Act. Local officials are imploring local residents there to remain peaceful. In their words, don't take the bait.

TAPPER: Josh Campbell, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Coming up, that college basketball scandal. Prosecutors alleging rigged games in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars. The dozens of people, including current players, swept up in the charges. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:19]

TAPPER: In our sports lead, yet another sports betting scandal. This one involves both NCAA basketball games and a professional league in China. More than a dozen college basketball players are accused of rigging games as recently as last season, and they are among those facing federal charges. CNN's Don Riddell has more on the newly unsealed federal indictment.

Don, how did this all unfold?

DON RIDDELL, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Jake, another day, another sports betting scandal. This one involving professional basketball games in China and college games in the U.S. More than a dozen college players have been charged with fixing games. In total, 26 people are in trouble with the feds who say they've uncover a scheme that involved players being lured with a promise of payment in exchange for underperforming during games. And there was a pretty big incentive to do so. The bribe payments to those players, ranging from 10 all the way up to $30,000.

According to the indictment, the fixers would then bet against those players teams defrauding sportsbooks and other bettors. Among the defendants, 15 of them played for D1 NCAA schools during the 2024, '25 season, several of them this year, and in fact, four of them have played just in the last few days.

According to prosecutors, the fixers began targeting Chinese games in 2023, and after successfully manipulating results there, they brought the scheme to the college game here. The charges, which have been filed in Philadelphia, include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. And as I mentioned, this is just the latest betting scandal to have rocked the sports world. Sports gambling has been legalized in many states over the last few. And through the first three quarters of last year, it was an industry worth more than $11 billion.

Sadly, this kind of corruption now just seems to be a byproduct of gambling in sports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID METCALF, U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA: When criminals pollute the purity of sports by manipulating competition, it doesn't just imperil the integrity of sports betting markets, it imperils the integrity of sport itself and everything that sports represent to us. You know, hard work, determination, and fairness. And when that happens, the Department of Justice will step in to protect what is a sacred institution of American life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: And that is such an important point. Many of us love watching sport just for the thrill of it. But if we can't believe that what we're seeing is fair and legitimate, then sport as entertainment pretty quickly loses its value. Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Don Riddell, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

A brand new CNN poll shows Americans are overwhelmingly against President Trump's plan to, however he does it, take over Greenland. A Republican lawmaker also claiming such a takeover could end Trump's presidency. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:38]

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, as European troops arrive in Greenland today, in the wake of President Trump's threat to potentially take the Ireland nation by force, a new CNN poll finds that most Americans are broadly against the U.S. taking control of Greenland in any way. Only 25 percent say they favor the idea. An overwhelming majority, 75 percent, say they oppose it.

Here now to discuss the panel. Hello, Karen. Hello, Shermichael. When you look at those who favor the U.S. taking -- attempting to take control of Greenland by party, 52 percent of Republicans say they support it, 18 percent of Democrats -- I'm sorry, 18 percent of Independents, 8 percent of Democrats.

So, I mean, that's not overwhelming support by Republicans. It's majority, but not overwhelming support for Repub -- by Republicans for this idea.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure. Well, I think the question becomes when you say take over, like, what does that actually physically mean? Do you mean military force or do you mean through some type of a diplomatic process? Now, I have to remind our audience that we do have a treaty, a defense agreement, 1951, that we made with Greenland and Denmark.

And that is where the United States of America has a significant amount of space to operate pretty much freely. We can increase the number of troops we want, decrease whenever we want, build additional military bases if we see fit. And so I think there is a legitimate argument to make about making sure that China and Russia do not have significant control in that area and region, not only for the United States, but also our Western allies.

But I would try to go the diplomatic route in order to achieve the President's aims. I just don't think there would be an appetite, even within our own party, for some type of a military transgression against Greenland.

TAPPER: So, Karen, on the Greenland threats, Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, he told his hometown paper, the "Omaha World Herald," many Republicans are mad about this from Trump and, "If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency." He's talking about trying to take over Greenland militarily. Asked if he would support impeachment efforts if such a thing happened, Congressman Bacon said, "I don't want to give you a definite yes or no, but I would lean that way."

Not a concrete answer, but it's notable because impeachment chat --

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

TAPPER: -- doesn't chatter, doesn't usually come from members of the President's own party. And Don Bacon, he's willing to be critical of President Trump.

FINNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: But he did not support any of the impeachments of them.

FINNEY: What's clearly on the brain is the president talked about. Look, here's the bottom line. Everything between now and Election Day is about who deserves to have power. Do Republicans deserve to have more power? Should they be -- should they win in the midterm elections? Going into Greenland is not an argument that you can make on the campaign trail about why I should be returned to Congress.

[17:35:12]

And I -- you know, Don Bacon, like so many understand, you can't talk about, you know, taking it by force. And this, particularly when we're seeing what's going on in Minneapolis and think about how, you know, Mr. Miller was on your show making it sound like might makes right. Americans don't want that. And they surely don't want that when their own costs are still too high. Because think about how much is that going to cost us. So, I mean, that's the other piece.

TAPPER: So speaking of Republican critics of the president, Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, he posted on social media today. "Psst, Denmark, tell this administration that the Epstein files are in Greenland. They'll lose all interest and will never be able to find it." Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor warning that the President is threatening to incinerate the NATO alliance. He also said this about the political implications should Trump follow through on taking Greenland by force. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Would be more disastrous for the president's legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was his predecessor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: We'll talk about Senator McConnell, how he sounded in that clip in one second, but on the substance of what he said, do you agree that the taking Greenland by force would be more disastrous for the President's legacy than Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan?

SINGLETON: Well, one of the advantages that Trump had the first time and even this most recent election was that he was viewed by the general public, even those who didn't like him as sort of the anti-war president, the guy who would prioritize the interests of Americans first on the economy and also vis-a-vis immigration, and that he was very skeptical of the United States getting involved in protracted, costly, expensive conflicts with no end.

And so this is sort of the antithesis of that initial premise and framing of his argument. So I would certainly advise the President stick with the promises that we made to the American people. I agree that we have to make sure that Russia, principally China, doesn't have any advantages there. But there is a diplomatic approach to accomplishing this. And again, there is a 51 defense agreement that we have where we can put as many U.S. troops as we want to secure that part.

FINNEY: Yes, I mean, look, I think the Danes have already said, actually, there's no been China -- activity by China there for over a decade. So I think that's off the table.

TAPPER: Specifically on Greenland, not in the region.

FINNEY: Correct.

SINGLETON: In the region.

TAPPER: Yes, yes, yes.

FINNEY: But no, I mean, look, I think what McConnell is speaking to is something bigger, right. This is about literally breaking the world order as it has been for the most part since World War II, right? That there was NATO. There are certain agreements that are in place. There's a way -- there's the good guys. There's the bad guys. I'm not saying we've always been doing everything right. But the point being, he's talking about literally just, you know, breaking that to pieces. And that is not in our national interest. That is not our national security interest. And frankly, it would be a disaster for our economy.

So I agree with him. I mean, in addition to all the things that Democrats will are going to hang around his neck when he's out of office. This would be a disaster.

TAPPER: I just want to take a note to talk about how Senator McConnell sounded in that clip. He's 83 years old. He's had a number of public stumbles and health related episodes in recent years. He's not running for reelection. But as somebody who defended President Biden, who had his moments as well. What was your reaction to that delivery?

FINNEY: It was distressing. I haven't seen him speak in quite some time. And it was very noticeable that we know he's had a couple of strokes. It's pretty noticeable. But, you know, I guess he's going to finish out his term and we'll see who wins his seat. Look, I, you know, I kind of defended President Biden. I also was, you know, I did, as you may remember, question at times, you know, what's going on and what are we being told.

Look, but the most important thing is, can he still do the job? And according to what he just said, he made a very important cogent point, despite the fact that he it is noticeable that he doesn't sound well.

SINGLETON: I recently saw the former majority leader a couple of weeks ago before the end of the year at a private dinner with our Scott Jennings and had a wonderful conversation with him about politics, about the future of the party. And he seemed to be fine. Of course, he's aging. That's a part of life. That clock is constantly ticking. None of us can get away from it. But I'm happy to see that he's still involved in the things he cares about.

TAPPER: Shermichael Singleton, Karen Finney, thanks for being here. Appreciate it.

[17:39:35]

Coming up, that Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, revealing that she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump. Might she be rewarded for this act of kindness? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: We have some breaking news for you in our World Lead, Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Machado, revealed that she did present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump at the White House today. She also called her meeting with the President historic, and she said that Venezuela has a president-elect, referring to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who won election in 2024, but Nicolas Maduro's regime would not let him take office. And we should note that Nicolas Maduro's regime is largely intact, except for Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

In another foreign policy front, there is Iran and its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. One day after President Trump claimed that the killing in Iran had stopped, the White House issued this warning. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The President and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that kill -- if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:45:00]

TAPPER: A source telling CNN that the U.S. is moving a Navy carrier strike group to the Middle East region as tensions continue to simmer with Iran. Joining us to discuss things Iran and Venezuela, former National Security Council and State Department official, Brett Bruen, and former New York Times journalist based in Tehran, Nazila Fathi.

Brett, first to you on Venezuela and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Do you think her presenting the Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump was predictable? Do you think anything will happen because of that?

BRETT BRUEN, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL UNDER PRES. OBAMA: It was because Trump made clear that that was the price that she and that her movement were going to have to pay in order to get entry back into this political process. It's shameful, Jake. It is an embarrassment for the U.S. You know, you can imagine Nelson Mandela having to come to the White House and present his Nobel Peace Prize to George H.W. Bush. It would have been unthinkable. It would have been unacceptable. And yet here we are.

TAPPER: And Brett, the White House says Venezuela's interim government and the acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, you know, Maduro's former vice president, they say they're being extremely cooperative. As Trump and Machado met, Rodriguez addressed Venezuela and urged lawmakers there to wage a diplomatic battle with the United States. What do you make of that?

BRUEN: Well, this is the problem with Trump's approach to Venezuela. The ideology of Chavismo has not changed. Their alignment even with Russia, Iran, China, that hasn't changed either. And, Jake, you know, something that's really important to pay attention to both in Venezuela and in Iran is Trump is doing this sort of superficial strategy. And underneath that, the repression still takes place. We talked about it in Venezuela.

I think we will see that play out in Iran as well. If, you know, Trump is not getting beyond that superficial level, there's going to be a lot, unfortunately, of human rights abuses and other repression taking place.

TAPPER: Let's turn to Iran, because, Nazila, the Trump administration, in terms of new actions, they have issued some new sanction on members of the Iranian regime and its entities. But the other day, President Trump told Iranians to keep protesting and help is on the way. Are these sanctions the help that Iranians need or do they need more? NAZILA FATHI, FORMER NEW YORK TIMES JOURNALIST BASED IN TEHRAN: Well, I'm not a big fan of economic sanctions. They have an expiry date. And after a while, they don't work. And it is the people on the ground who suffer the most. Yes, President Trump has put himself in quite a complicated situation.

Iranians named a street after him, basically pleading for help and protection. And he promised that he's going to help them. And now, if he doesn't do anything, that will be viewed as abandonment. But he has already said too much to sort of back down now. On the other hand, if there is military intervention, I don't know exactly what that will accomplish, especially if there are lots of civilian casualties.

TAPPER: Yes.

FATHI: But he has other tools. There are other apparatus that he can use at this moment. One of them is targeting Iran's repression apparatus, which is the only system that has been working like a very well-greased machine. The President can address that. We saw today that Iranian foreign minister appeared on "Fox News." This is this is interesting because he knows the president watches "Fox News" and he used that platform. So basically, that means some of the President's threats have worked and has got their attention.

TAPPER: So the New York Times is reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Trump to -- ask President Trump to postpone any military attack on Iran. "The Times" says the two spoke yesterday. Today, the White House confirmed that they did speak, but they wouldn't say whether Netanyahu encouraged Trump to not strike or at least to postpone a strike against Iran. What do you make of that and other reported de-escalation efforts that we're hearing other Arab states made to President Trump urging restraint?

FATHI: So it is not clear exactly what they want to achieve at this moment with a military strike. The attack in June was defined. It had a specific goal. It was a surgical attack. It is not clear exactly where they want to attack and how they want to target Iran's sort of revolutionary guards headquarters. There are a lot of soldiers at these headquarters who are just ordinary young men who have to serve their military service.

So I think they don't have a very clear plan on how to help Iranians through a military intervention. So that makes sense that they are postponing it.

TAPPER: Yes. I mean, look, if it was easy, it would have been done by now, right? Just quickly, you have family in Iran. Have you talked to them?

[17:50:01]

FATHI: I have talked to them. They are fine. They're not -- they're too old. So they're not on the streets. But the situation in Iran is worrisome because the number of people who have been killed, just even passerbys, is extremely high. The violence this time is not comparable to any other previous crackdowns. TAPPER: Yes. It's a shame we don't have people protesting in the streets about this. All right. Bret Bruen and Nazila Fathi, thank you so much for both of you being here. Appreciate it.

Coming up, how a man's ride with a tow truck driver inspired his compelling new movie about U.S. veterans and some of their darkest moments after they come home.

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TAPPER: Our Pop Culture Lead now. "Sheepdog" is a new movie hitting theaters this weekend. It tells the story of Calvin Cole, a decorated U.S. Army veteran navigating the physical and psychological trauma of combat. Through the support of a V.A. trauma therapist and his father- in-law, who's a retired Vietnam veteran, Calvin is forced to face his past and start his journey toward healing, recovery, and redemption.

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[17:55:14]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We came back, and they spat on us at the airport. No homecoming parade, no celebrations.

STEVEN GRAYHM, ACTOR, WRITER & DIRECTOR, "SHEEPDOG": You can't pretend like you have any idea what it's like to be in combat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, but what I do know is this field of work that I've dedicated my life to has helped a lot of people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you got back, something was different. It wasn't that you'd changed. You'd been replaced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: You've been replaced. What a haunting line of dialogue. The writer and director and star of "Sheepdog," Steven Grayhm, joins us now. Stephen, these are issues we cover a lot on the show in a nonfiction way, but we also like to shine a light on fictional portrayals of it. This film was 14 years in the making. Tell us about the journey and what sparked your interest in creating this film.

GRAYHM: Sure. First, I'd just like to thank you really quickly for having me on, Jake. I know with the current news cycle, this means everything. "Sheepdog," yes, was a 14-year journey to the screen. It began in 2011 when my car broke down three hours north of Los Angeles, and the local tow truck driver who had picked me up on that three-hour journey began to open up about some of the challenges he was facing in his life, his marital issues, being the father of three, and then he began to open up about the medications that he was on that were tethered to his multiple deployments overseas.

What struck me was that this man that was trying to hold it all together had served his country honorably and felt so disconnected from his family, his community, even his brothers and sisters he served with. When I got back to Los Angeles, I thanked him for getting me home safe, and it dawned on me that it was easier to confide in a stranger that would listen without prejudice than it would be to somebody in his direct circle. And so that lit the spark. That was the seminal moment, and it became greater than a curiosity, which eventually evolved into a responsibility. And that summer of 2011, I went out on the road, did a nationwide road trip, and that became the foundation for "Sheepdog."

TAPPER: So the film explores the very, very real struggles that you just alluded to associated with post-traumatic stress. It also focuses on something else. It's called post-traumatic growth, or PTG. Tell us about that.

GRAYHM: Sure. So, you know, the benefit of, yes, this being a 14-year journey was that the folks I met with, hundreds of folks, mental health workers, Gold Star family members, veterans, active duty, I got to see their journey over the last 10 years. And so to me, to see their growth, and post-traumatic growth being living on the other side of your trauma, and what "Sheepdog" aims to do is to take you to the dark corners and the quiet places of trauma and to show you what can be on the other side of that if you're able to commit to doing the work.

TAPPER: You founded a production company that specifically hires and trains veterans and members of military families to work in front of and behind the camera. And just in this film alone, we're told, you hired 17 veterans and five Gold Star family members for on-set and post-production roles.

GRAYHM: Yes, I mean, I had the good fortune to be able to provide that employment, you know, veterans show up early, they'll stay late. You know, filmmaking is very much, you know, a very working-class job. You're working with your hands, you're moving C-stands and sandbags and so on. So the camaraderie together is just amazing. And, you know, I thought tonally for the film to have Gold Star family members on set, some of which their children's legacy loosely inspired some of the events in the film that my character talks about. There's just no substitution for that. And, you know, it's been my great honor to be able to have them be a part of this journey.

TAPPER: And we should note that you guys are partnering with Vet Tix and First Tix to provide donated tickets to your movie to veterans and first responders and their families so they can go see "Sheepdog" in theaters. You can see "Sheepdog" in theaters this weekend. Steven Grayhm, thank you so much and congratulations.

GRAYHM: Thank you so much, Jake. Thank you for having me.

TAPPER: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, protests are flaring up again in Minneapolis today as President Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy U.S. troops to the streets of Minnesota. We're going to go live on the scene of the protest in moments. And I'm going to be joined by Homeland Security officials who worked under Trump and Biden to get their insights.

[17:59:55] Also, Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she gave President Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal when she visited the White House today. Just last week, CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked Trump if he would change his mind about her leading Venezuela if she --