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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Refuses to Sign Housing Legislation, Pushes Election Bill; Senior U.S. Army General Retires Amid Hegseth's New Europe Approach; Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep New York City Congressional Primaries. Quarantine Ends For Americans Held For Weeks In Nebraska. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired June 24, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.
And we are following breaking news tonight as a meeting between President Trump and Republican senators turned into something of a screaming match on Capitol Hill. The confrontation's about the Iran war as the president expressed his exasperation that any Republicans would vote for the War Powers Act. Here's how Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana described his dispute with President Trump.
[18:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): The president didn't want to hear my question, interrupted me. I didn't care to be interrupted. I felt like I was trying to get answers for the American people, and I'm not going to be bullied when I'm trying to get answers for the American people.
And so it escalated from there. At some point it deescalated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: The questions were about how long the war with Iran was going to last Cassidy said.
Today's meeting with Republican senators came after President Trump had already been feeling blindsided by his own party this morning. He announced at the last minute that he would not sign a bipartisan deal to make housing more affordable. Instead, he's demanding a vote on election legislation, election security legislation.
That legislation, what President Trump calls the Save America Act, simply does not have the votes in the Senate to pass. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott, a strong supporter of the president, told CNN that he bluntly relayed that to the president today, quote, I said, this is where we are today. I'm a business guy. You have to live in reality. They don't have the votes.
Senator Scott is going to join us live in moments just to share more about today's developments, but we're going to start today with CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House. Kaitlan, tell us more.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, I think a lot of those Republican senators thought that the president was coming in there today to give them an earful about the Save America Act, which obviously he has been pushing on. That is why he said earlier that he would cancel the signing of that housing bill.
But, actually, according to a senator that I spoke with who was inside the room for that lunch, once they were all in there, the president was much angrier about the War Powers vote that passed last night. And even though the White House last night, to us, was downplaying the resolution, saying that it's not binding, that it's not enforceable, it's not really going to change the president's actual war plans when it comes to what's happening in Iran, the president was perturbed by the fact that Republicans had crossed the aisle more in number as those votes had continued, led by Senator Tim Kaine and rebuked him essentially by voting for that.
And so he spent the majority of that lunch, according to this Republican that I spoke with, focusing on the War Powers vote, getting into that shouting match with Senator Cassidy about this, obviously, as he noted there, and as Manu has reported as well with our Hill team. And so that was really the focus of his anger, which I think surprised a lot of the Republicans who were there in the room.
But, Jake, when it comes to the SAVE Act, the president does also obviously want that passed, even though it literally does not have the votes right now to get passed, and the Republicans have made that clear to him. But just to drive home for you how much he's still focused on this, he was meeting with the NATO Secretary General in the Oval Office just a few moments ago, and this is what he said about whether or not he's going to sign that housing bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I said I'm not signing the housing bill. I want to see what happens with SAVE -- look, the housing bill is -- housing -- I made billions of dollars with housing. I know housing better than anybody maybe anywhere. It's all about the interest rate. Lower the interest rates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The president there was talking about really the key to more affordable housing is lowering interest rates. Obviously, he's got his new pick in at the Federal Reserve, but seeming to dismiss this housing bill that, Jake, 24 hours ago, the White House official accounts were championing that bill and setting up this high-profile ceremony that the president scuttled today.
TAPPER: And, Kaitlan, not long ago, the president called the legislation minor legislation, and Punchbowl is reporting that earlier this week, President Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson, quote, no one gives a shit about housing, unquote. That's not true, obviously. Affordability and housing affordability are big, big issues for voters.
Is the president not aware that the midterm elections are coming up?
COLLINS: You know, Jake, this has happened more and more in our interactions with the president where we've asked him about polling on a certain issue or where voters stand on the Iran war, on things like affordable housing and affordability, in general, and he's really dismissed those numbers. I mean, just today he was claiming he has the highest poll numbers that he's ever had. And we've actually seen Republicans who are not happy and disconcerted with the president's war.
And, obviously, on affordable housing, this seemed like the easiest win in the world for the White House, which is why they worked so hard to get this bill passed. It was highly bipartisan, which is something, as you know, Jake, we rarely see in Washington these days. They set up this high-profile signing that was going to happen on Capitol Hill. They wanted the president to get credit for helping with affordability, an election midterm message, obviously, that he could run on. And the president himself was so angry about the War Powers vote and about not getting the Save America Act passed that he said he's not signing it. And right now, Jake, it's not clear if he actually intends to ever have that signing ceremony.
TAPPER: Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much. And don't miss Kaitlan on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Her guests tonight include Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren from the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That's tonight at 9:00 P.M. Eastern on CNN.
Joining us now for a bipartisan interview, Republican Senator from Florida Rick Scott, Democratic Senator from New Hampshire Maggie Hassan.
I know you two want to talk about legislation you're working on, and I will get there, I promise, but I do want to ask you, Senator Scott, you told CNN, you told Trump the votes aren't there for the SAVE Act.
[18:05:00]
You added, quote, I'm a business guy. You have to live in reality. It doesn't sound like President Trump is living in reality from your description.
SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): That's not exactly what I said. What I told him, here's the path. There's basically three paths that get the Save America Act passed. Right now, there's not enough Republican senators that want to get rid of the filibuster, so that's not going to happen.
What we can do -- the filibuster is to stop debate. What we can do is put the bill on the floor, have debate, finish debate, and vote. At that point, it's a 51-vote threshold. We can also break it up into different pieces. We can also see what we can do through the reconciliation process. So, there's different paths to secure election.
We've got to secure election. I think we all want to have secure elections. Look at California. They're still counting ballots from the June 2nd mayor's race. In contrast, in the country of Colombia, they had a presidential race, and they called the election and counted all the ballots within three hours. So, there's a way to do it right, and there's a way not to do it.
TAPPER: Is this what you want President Trump to be focused on this close to a midterm election? Doesn't it -- isn't it bad for your party that he is not signing this housing affordability bill and instead talking about this election bill and his anger about the War Powers Act vote?
SCOTT: Well, I've been up here seven years. Probably the most popular bill I've ever heard about is the Save America Act. Republicans, Democrats, independents all across the country want it. So -- and I agree with the president. I didn't support the housing bill because I didn't see how it was going to reduce the cost of starter homes.
We need to do what the president said, reduce interest rates, which is, the only way you do that is balance the budget. Then our local governments need to work on driving down the cost for starter homes.
TAPPER: Senator Hassan, the postmaster general, David Steiner, testified in front of the Senate Homeland Security Committee today. He seemed to defend this Trump plan that requires states to provide the federal government with lists of voters who receive mail-in ballots. Steiner said he would enforce the rule unless a court ruled he shouldn't.
You said that the rule is un-American. Why do you think that?
SEN. MAGGIE HASSAN (D-NH): Look, what we saw today is President Trump saying that he doesn't really think housing is a problem and he doesn't want to reduce costs for Americans, but he does want to take away their right to vote.
Look, this is an unconstitutional power grab, this plan to use the post office to do something that the Constitution doesn't say it should do. It says states and local state governments should run the time and manner of elections. And our state of New Hampshire does that really well. States across the country do that really well.
We know in New Hampshire that things like the SAVE Act really make it much harder for certain groups of people to vote, like women. And, look, what the postmaster general was saying is that he would allow the president to use the post office to coerce states that have state laws that say they can't share voter rolls or that information about voters with the federal government, that he wants to use the postal service to coerce that.
That's not right. That's un-American. We have safe and secure elections. We all can work on those together. But the SAVE Act really rolls us back and takes away the right to vote for a lot of people.
TAPPER: All right. Let's talk now about what you guys are working together on. You have this new legislation. Senator Scott, you're chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, and you and Senator Hassan introduced legislation to create a central hub so that people can report call and text scams, something that is a real nuisance and hazard for everybody, but especially seniors, upon whom a lot of these scammers prey.
Why not punish the phone companies for allowing these scammers to prey on vulnerable Americans? I thought that these kind of scam calls aren't allowed anyway, right?
SCOTT: Well, first off, there's 13 federal agencies that deal with this. So, what we're doing is having a centralized platform so somebody actually knows where to report something. You go to reportscams.gov is what we're working on. And that's, you know, there's all these scams, especially for people over 60, voice scams, grandparent scams, romance scams, investment scams, it's over $5 billion a year.
So, what we're trying to do is -- there are a lot of laws, and what we need to do is have a place where people can report them, and then all these federal agencies that have authority to do these things, then they have the information to go after them.
HASSAN: Yes. I'd just add, Jake, look, our email inboxes, our phone text chains, our phone calls are filled with scams. Scams now are costing the global economy, illicit scams run by transnational criminal organizations, more than the illicit drug trade does. And when you talk to victims, they tell you that sometimes they don't report just because it's just very confusing about where to report.
We had a hearing in the Joint Economic Committee on this with multiple federal agencies in front of us. They couldn't even define their jurisdictions well. We need a centralized place. And then one of the other things our bill does, it says that if you're a victim, you report into that centralized webpage, then you get information that allows you to follow up on your own case, you know, which agency is investigating it.
[18:10:13]
And it gives agency cross-agency visibility into scam patterns that will allow our law enforcement to shut them down more quickly.
I will add that the Joint Economic Committee continues to investigate and work with various platforms, telecoms, other kinds of, you know, social media platforms to get their work -- to get them working better to prevent these scams. And we're pushing them really hard to come up with mechanisms to do that, as well as to follow laws that are already in place.
TAPPER: So, let me just follow that up, Senator Hassan, because somebody tried to scam me like a week ago, and, I mean, I knew it was a scam and, you know, all that. I didn't do anything about it. I didn't report it to the phone company. I didn't report it to the government because I just -- I'm sorry, but I don't think anybody's going to do anything about it, and I'm sure that my skepticism is not -- I'm not alone.
What do you want accountability to look like?
HASSAN: Well, look, let's be clear, you recognized a scam and it would be good for you to report it so we could see the pattern of the scam. I have constituents who lose tens of thousands of dollars in these scams. They need the money back. They need accountability.
So, that's where reporting to law enforcement, sometimes, you know, some people go to local or state law enforcement, but reporting it to a centralized location then gives our law enforcement at the federal level the information they need to go after the scammers and hopefully recover damages, recover money for the person who was scammed, shut down the scams, and prosecute. And that's what we need to be able to do, and that's what a centralized location will move us towards.
TAPPER: Well, I hope it works. Senator Maggie Hassan and Senator Rick Scott, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time today.
SCOTT: Thank you, Jake.
HASSAN: Thank you, Jake.
TAPPER: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took on the Democratic establishment and won. What message should the Democratic Party take from that as Democrats try to flip the House and Senate in November? I'm going to ask Maryland Governor Wes Moore ahead.
Plus, a top U.S. general in Europe set to retire. How much of a role did Secretary Hegseth play in kicking him out the door? Those new details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:15:00]
TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, sources tell CNN that a top U.S. general responsible for commanding soldiers in Europe is retiring from his post after some tensions between his command and the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's office. Four-Star Army General Christopher Donahue has long been rumored to be a choice for Army chief of staff, the top uniformed position for the U.S. Army.
CNN Senior National Security Reporter Haley Britzky has the details. Haley, what are your sources telling you about this big retirement?
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Jake. So, General Donahue is relinquishing his command, stepping down from command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. It's something that sources said he's been considering for the last couple of months and has decided to do that on July 2nd.
They said that he submitted for retirement to leave the Army officially, but that the Army has not officially accepted that retirement. So, they say there's still a chance that he might be nominated for another four-star position elsewhere in the military, but it's very unclear at this point where that could be. But, ultimately, I mean, this is an officer who has extreme respect from other general officers, from rank and file troops. As someone who covered the Army and went down to Bragg when he was at 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps, I mean, this is someone who certainly commanded a room and had the respect of the troops around him. And so a lot of sources saying this would just be a real shame to let an officer like this leave.
TAPPER: It does seem as though there are a lot of officers, like Donahue, who have been pushed out the door or retired early or left, not been promoted, et cetera, et cetera, under Hegseth's leadership. Is that fair?
BRITZKY: Yes, I think that is fair. I mean, there's been at least two dozen senior officers removed with little to no explanation as to why. We've seen several in his tenure of the last year and a half, kind of forced to retire. Obviously, most notably we saw Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, who was forced to retire early. And then --
TAPPER: Also widely respected.
BRITZKY: Exactly, yes. And General Chris LaNeve, who was Secretary Hegseth's senior military assistant, sort of moved into that position.
And as you mentioned, I mean, General Donahue was sort of believed to become the next Army chief of staff. A lot of people saw him on that track to become the most senior officer in the Army. And so there's a lot of frustration, I think, and confusion among those who've supported him as to why he isn't in that position.
So, there still is a chance, sources say. It could still happen, but it's still very unclear at this point.
TAPPER: It does seem like they're trying to make the flag officer level loyalists as opposed to independent thinkers, but that's just one man's impression.
Haley Britzky, thanks so much.
A new analysis finds more than 700,000 kids are no longer getting food stamps after Trump's changes and cuts to food stamps. The founder of No Kid Hungry, Billy Shore, and the group's national spokesperson, Actor Jeff Bridges, are going to join us live next to explain the real world impact of these cuts to food stamps.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
TAPPER: In our National Lead, when Congress passed President Trump's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as H.R.1 last summer, Republicans repeatedly claimed that the most vulnerable would not be impacted by the legislation's revisions to the federal food assistance program, SNAP, also called food stamps.
But nearly a year after President Trump signed that measure into law, analyses from ProPublica and from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that more than 700,000 children are no longer receiving SNAP benefits. This decline comes as millions of kids who rely on free and reduced-price school lunches face what's called the summer hunger gap, and it's a need often filled by SNAP benefits.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told CNN, quote, the number of individuals receiving benefits is constantly changing. For example, multiple states have seen declines far before the enactment of H.R.1.
They went on to say, quote, Demanding that work-capable individuals fulfill a 20-hour-per-week requirement, which can include employment, career and technical education, or volunteering, is not punishment. States should encourage financial independence and contribution to community. Recipients of any welfare program are not victims. They are capable people who at times need a helping hand, not a government or leftist organization telling them to stay idle and disengaged, unquote. Of course, please keep in mind, our question was about 700,000 children.
Here to discuss is actor and founder of the End Hunger Network, Jeff Bridges. Also with us, founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, Billy Shore.
Jeff, let me start with you. So according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the states with the biggest decline in children receiving SNAP benefits are primarily states led by Republican lawmakers who supported the Trump administration's SNAP policy changes. Nonprofits in states like Arizona, which is a purple state, and Louisiana, a very red state, they say demand for food is rising.
[18:25:05]
ProPublica reports that Arizona's largest food camp has seen a 15 percent increase in need this year for about 300,000 more visits for people looking for food. What are you hearing from your perch?
JEFF BRIDGES, ACTOR: Yes. You know, it's really not about what political party you belong to. I think we can all agree that our kids, in one of the most wealthy countries in the world, shouldn't be struggling with hunger this way, that parents, you know, shouldn't have to choose between paying rent and putting groceries in the refrigerator or on the table. You know, it doesn't make any sense.
Yes, last summer with these SNAP cuts, this program that really prevents kids from going hungry, like they're going to be doing this summer, I mean, this summer kids are really heading for a summer where there's going to be a lot of hunger, it doesn't have to be that way, you know?
Fortunately, Congress is negotiating the farm bill right now, and there's an opportunity to reverse some of these cuts or delay them anyway. And I'm hoping that everybody that's listening can urge their senators to restore the SNAP benefits for our kids and for our families and for our communities across the country. TAPPER: And, Billy, in October, the state share of SNAP administrative costs are going to rise from 50 to 75 percent, just as many agencies are scrambling to meet these new requirements put in place by the Trump administration. In Massachusetts, the share of applicants who couldn't reach a worker jumped from 61 percent in November to nearly 81 percent in just four months.
Do you think states are so focused on revisions to the program that access to the programs are suffering?
BILL SHORE, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIR, SHARE OUR STRENGTH: I think access to the programs are suffering quite a bit, and it comes at the worst possible time. You know, there's almost a triple threat right now, Jake. You know, the SNAP benefits have been cut, as you've described. 4 million Americans pushed off of SNAP, 700,000 of them children.
At the same time, the Department of Agriculture today issued error rates, which is a formula for deciding how much the states are going to have to pay back to the federal government instead of using their money for SNAP. And prices, as we know, grocery prices, and affordability issues are at a record high. So, this comes at the worst possible time. And to take 700,000 children, who are the most vulnerable, the least responsible for the situation that they're in, to take them off of food assistance is -- honestly, it's just kind of madness.
But Jeff made a great point. This is a solvable problem. We have food in this country. We have food assistance programs, and we're hoping that Congress will act to defer some of these cuts, just at least until the states can get their act together, be responsive, figure out their budget issues, and maybe be able to mitigate some of this.
TAPPER: And, Jeff, one of the realities here is that some families are kicked off SNAP, and then they reapply, and they're told months later that their applications are still pending, and they have to keep waiting. For those families waiting on federal assistance, what other resources are available right now? What NGOs or other charitable organizations exist?
BRIDGES: Billy, that's probably a question you can answer better than me.
TAPPER: Go ahead, Billy.
SHORE: Well, sure, Jeff. So you know we work with a lot of other organizations that do a great job. Feeding America is a national organization of food banks. Almost every community in this country has food banks and food pantries that are very effective. School lunch and school breakfast are still, in many cases, going on unimpeded.
And one of the most important things, I think, to realize Jake, is you talked about, you know, Republican lawmakers supporting these cuts, that is true. But at the state and local level, we see much more bipartisanship, and we see a lot of Republican governors and Republican mayors who are doing everything they can to help reinstate these benefits.
So, this administration is out of touch with a lot of its own party at the state and local level. There's a lot of bipartisanship there.
TAPPER: And I know you guys have done a lot of work on that. And, Jeff, just a final thought for you about the fact that 700,000 kids don't have access to these SNAP funds as we're in the summer.
BRIDGES: Yes, and it's our 250th birthday of our wonderful nation here. And, you know, it reminds us about, you know, what does freedom mean to us? You know, for our kids, freedom to learn and to grow, that depends on being free from hunger.
[18:30:01]
This is something we need to make sure that our kids are free from.
We don't need our kids to be hungry like this. We can prevent it. Let's do everything we can to keep the SNAP programs in place.
TAPPER: All right, let's hope the lawmakers hear what you're saying.
Jeff Bridges, Billy Shore, thanks to both of you, as always.
BRIDGES: Thanks a lot, Jake. Nice hanging with you, Billy.
TAPPER: Maryland Governor Wes Moore is live in studio next, fresh off his election victory last night. What should Democrats take away from the election results, especially when Democratic socialists won so big in New York City? We'll ask him next.
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TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, a hat trick for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. All three of the House candidates backed by the Democratic socialist won their Congressional primaries, taking down two incumbent establishment Republican -- I'm sorry Democratic members of Congress in the process, and signaling the growing influence of the far left in Democratic politics.
Joining us now, fresh off his own primary win last night, Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore. Thanks so much for joining us.
So, as you know, Mayor Mamdani says his candidates are writing a new chapter in the Democratic Party's history.
[18:35:02]
He said voters are hungry for a new kind of politics. Republicans are pointing to these three candidates in New York, two of whom are Democratic socialists, and saying the Democratic Party is careening to the hard left. What do you think? How do you see it?
GOV. WES MOORE (D-MD): Well, I mean, I'd say I'd look at the success that we had and the wild success that we had of the candidates that we endorsed. The thing that we all -- TAPPER: In Maryland?
MOORE: In Maryland.
TAPPER: Yes.
MOORE: Right. I mean, and the thing that we all had in common was that not one of us were supporting or lifting up the status quo or party bosses, is that we're actually up here to end the status quo. And whether that was the progressive legislator in Montgomery County or whether it was the prosecutor in Baltimore County, they don't share an ideology, but what they share is a focus and understanding that the status quo is not working for people.
And so we were really zeroing in on saying, who is going to make sure they're addressing costs? Who actually has the political wills and the political chops to be able to make sure that we could address energy prices and all the other damages that we're seeing from the federal administration, but to know that we have to stop being a party of no and slow and start being a party of yes and now?
TAPPER: So, you're the governor of Maryland. I mean, aren't you kind of the status quo, or at least the Democratic establishment that you say people are voting against?
MOORE: No, because, I mean, listen, I think people in my state know that when I first ran for office -- I mean, I'd never run for political office before in my life. I ran for governor because I came from a family that was used to suffering the consequences of policies, not from a family that's used to making the policies. And so I was elected as an outsider, and now I have governed the exact same way.
And when I thought about who were the people that I wanted next to me, the people who I endorsed yesterday, they did not come from a specific wing of the political party. They did not come with an ideology as their operating function. They came as just simply saying, what are we going to do to disrupt the status quo and actually get things done for the people of Maryland? And I think that's why we had wild success last night.
TAPPER: Speaking of disrupting the status quo, what's the latest on redistricting in Maryland? As you know, Republicans right now in these redistricting wars are ahead. They've gained somewhere from 8 to 15 seats depending on how you count it.
MOORE: Yes.
TAPPER: What's the status in Maryland?
MOORE: Well, the status in Maryland is that we are going to have a special session.
TAPPER: You are going to do it?
MOORE: We are going to do it. I'm going to call a special session.
TAPPER: And what do you want to happen?
MOORE: Well, what I want to happen is for the -- our House of Delegates, which has already actually voted on this and voted approval, to then get together with the Senate, who was stalling and not moving on it, to get together and say, we need to be able to get something done on this issue.
We are watching these elections being robbed in broad daylight, where we literally just had to sue the president of the United States because he was trying to get redacted -- you know, unredacted access to our voter logs. We are watching how he is telling Republican states to redistrict and Democratic states to sit on their hands. We're watching how he's trying to cancel mail-in balloting and how he's talking about nationalizing elections. This is a president who is stopping at nothing to be able to adjust not just 2026, but elections after it.
And so our House and our Senate will get together. They will come up with a resolution and bring it to my desk, but the core criteria that I have laid out is doing nothing is not an option. So, we'll have a special session.
TAPPER: You're talking about to ha- make new federal Congressional maps is what you're talking about?
MOORE: Correct.
TAPPER: So, right now, Maryland is -- unless I'm wrong, it's seven to one Democrat. There's only one Republican, right?
MOORE: Correct.
TAPPER: So, you're just talking about getting rid of that one Republican seat?
MOORE: No. What we're talking about is making sure that there's maps that actually reflects our values and reflect the will of the people. I think the people's will is important in this. It's the reason that I called for a governor's redistricting advisory commission, where we heard from Marylanders for weeks across the board on this.
And what I know is that this map that we have around the country is already so deeply gerrymandered, where less than 10 percent of all Congressional seats are actually fair or competitive right now. And so what I think what we need to be doing inside of the state of Maryland, we need to have national redistricting reform. I believe in that, and I think it needs to happen.
But until we get that done, we cannot let the president of the United States dictate what our democracy is supposed to look like. Marylanders should determine what Maryland's democracy looks like.
TAPPER: Yes, but doesn't -- you're not talking about -- I mean, I hear you saying two different things, and they're contradictory. Kind of one is that we should have more competitive seats, and then it sounds like you're also saying, but until -- nationally, we have more competitive seats, Democrats need to fight fire with fire, and we need to have eight House seats that are, that lean Democratic. Am I wrong?
MOORE: I actually don't think it's contradictory because do you know essentially the most gerrymandered seat that we have in the state of Maryland is the First Congressional District, Andy Harris' district. It's the most gerrymandered seat that we have within our state.
TAPPER: But you think an 8-0 state map would be more fair?
MOORE: I think having competitive having competitive maps would be more fair, and maps that actually reflect the values of our state, I do think that would be more fair.
TAPPER: I want to get your reaction to something Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman said last night after losing his primary to Brad Lander, who was endorsed by Mamdani. He has a record, Congressman Goldman, of supporting Israel.
[18:40:00]
He's Jewish. Lander is too. It was a big issue in his race. Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DAN GOLDMAN (D-NY): Jews have given back so much to this country. As history has taught us, anti-Semitic tropes and stereotypes, some of which I heard personally on this campaign, will ultimately be the undoing of our democracy if we all don't lean in and speak out, even if it's not politically expedient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Do you think that your party is doing enough to speak out against the anti-Semitic wing or the voice -- anti-Semitic voices that are in the Democratic Party?
MOORE: I can tell you, in our state, I've been very clear that hate will find no oxygen in the state of Maryland, that we have now invested over $10 million into hardening homes of worship, that that we have been very clear that anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, just hate rhetoric will not only be not tolerated, but we've actually increased penalties for it, that, you know, I've had a chance to pray with families in my office, both who lost loved ones and had loved ones kidnapped on October 7th, and I've had the chance to pray with Palestinian students inside of my office.
I think we all have a moral obligation to snuff this out wherever we see it. We have a moral obligation to make sure that it does not taint our politics. And we have a moral obligation to make sure that our people are safe in their own communities, in their own homes, in their own skin, and also in their homes of worship.
TAPPER: When are you going to make a decision about whether or not you're going to run for president in 2028?
MOORE: Oh, I've made the decision. I'm very clear. I'm focused on November. I think we have a great story to tell, and I'm looking forward to our people not just not just hopefully reelecting me, but also us sending a message.
TAPPER: You've made your decision that you're never going to run for president or you made your decision you're not going to run in 2028?
MOORE: I've made my decision that I'm focused on November.
TAPPER: That's not --
MOORE: And I need to -- you know, we're going to make sure we win in November.
TAPPER: Okay, that's -- okay. Well, we'll check back with you after the election when we talk about a different decision and you can't give that dodge anymore.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, thank you so much for being here.
MOORE: Good to see you.
TAPPER: Good to see you, sir.
Today, the Trump administration officially wrapped up its public health response to the Hantavirus outbreak linked to that cruise ship, and the Americans who quarantined for 42 days, well, they're officially home. And one of those travelers, who documented his quarantine on social media, is going to join us live next to share what life has been like since his release.
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JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: In our health lead today, the Department of Health and Human Services officially announced the end of its public health response to the hantavirus outbreak. HHS says no Americans developed hantavirus, no one remains under monitoring. That also means the American cruise ship passengers exposed to the virus are finally free after spending 42 days in federal quarantine.
And Jake Rosmarin is with me, he documented his time in quarantine on social media.
Jake, thanks for joining us. So you're back home now. Has there been a moment during your first day back that felt surprisingly emotional or overwhelming? Tell us about the experience.
JAKE ROSMARIN, PASSENGER FROM HANTAVIRUS CRUISE SHIP: It's been kind of crazy just going back into normal society. I mean, I went to a store for the first time today, and it was a little weird, but just getting home and being with my family has been amazing.
TAPPER: And you had a regimented routine. What habits from quarantine do you think you might keep? And what habits will take -- will be the ones you throw out the window as quickly as possible? ROSMARIN: I think I'll definitely be continuing a workout routine. I'm not much of a reader, so I don't know if I'll pick up a book anytime soon again, but it may happen.
TAPPER: What was your workout routine?
ROSMARIN: I would usually go on the bike in the beginning, but then they were able to bring me a treadmill. So I was going on the treadmill a lot, and sometimes I would go in between both of them.
TAPPER: As a travel creator, who's used to -- you're used to constantly moving, did being forced to stay in one place change your perspective in any way on how you look at the world in travel?
ROSMARIN: I think I'm surprised with how well I was able to manage being in a room. I think after the experience, it's going to be hard for me to travel again, but I love traveling, so I want to get back out there. Just generally, I appreciate the little things a little more now. You know, getting to go out in the rain the other day was amazing.
TAPPER: Oh, that's fun. If you could go back and talk to yourself on day one of quarantine, what would you say to yourself?
ROSMARIN: You're going to make it through this.
TAPPER: Did you worry about that at the beginning? Did you think, Oh my God, how am I going to do this?
ROSMARIN: I think I was a little worried. I think I was worried about being exposed to an extremely deadly virus.
TAPPER: Yeah.
ROSMARIN: And I figured that I needed to just be in a good place over six weeks, and I made that happen.
TAPPER: What was your day-to-day like in quarantine? What was the experience like? Did you start the day on the bike or the treadmill? Did you have like a schedule from twelve o'clock to two o'clock, I'm going to watch a movie, like, did it work like that?
ROSMARIN: I think the schedule differed, but on a general basis, I would do the same things. So a lot of times I would work out in the morning, but if I didn't in the morning, maybe I would do it in the afternoon. I always tried to do one or two craft activities during the day, and then obviously we had our daily temperature checks, which were in the morning and the evenings.
TAPPER: What do you want to say to your family, your friends, the support staff, anyone who helped you get through the 42 days of quarantine?
ROSMARIN: Just a huge thank you to them. I mean, especially the staff at the NQU. They were just unbelievable. And the people of Omaha, Nebraska, were just so welcoming and so kind and so generous. TAPPER: Jake Rosmarin, thank you so much. Congrats, man. Glad you're out.
ROSMARIN: Thanks, Jake. Appreciate it.
TAPPER: Coming up next, I'm going to be joined by two of the best in Hollywood at what they do. Scott Eastwood, the actor, Rod Lurie, the director, are here as their new war thriller, "Lucky Strike", hits theater.
Stick with us.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ramirez!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready when you are, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, sir, let me go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. I need you to finish this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll let you know when we're clear. Ready? Moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got you covered, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move, move, move, move!
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TAPPER: A scene there from a brand new World War II epic inspired by a true story. It's called "Lucky Strike". It drops audiences into the Battle of the Bulge, one of World War II's most brutal turning points.
In the movie, Scott Eastwood plays John Castle, a wounded American soldier stranded behind enemy lines, armed only with an SCR 300 radio. He must outwit advancing SS Panzer forces and fight his way back to survival.
I just saw it. It's really exciting. It's really riveting.
Let's bring in Scott Eastwood, the star, and director Rod Lurie.
Thanks so much for being here.
And I have to say, in the best possible way, Rod, this reminds me of those great war movies from like the '60s. And like, it's just. good guy stuck behind enemy lines, has to get to safety, and really compelling. Congratulations.
ROD LURIE, FILM DIRECTOR: Thank you very much. Well, here, the thing is that war films are basically not meant for entertainment, except for World War II films. Because the bad guys are so obvious, and the good guys are so obvious. And there's no ambiguity whatsoever. And so you can make "The Guns of Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare" and just be entertained and go to the movies. And also, you know, in this case, also learn a little bit about the history of World War Two, Battle of the Bulge, the last actual huge battle of the of the Second World War on the European side.
TAPPER: And you just mentioned "Where Eagles Dare", which is obviously of your dad's World War II movies or your dad's war movies, this is the most like that.
LURIE: Sure.
TAPPER: Did you take your inspiration from previous films from the '60s, '70s? Did you take your inspiration from the true story? How did you get into the character?
SCOTT EASTWOOD, ACTOR: Well, you know, I've been lucky enough to do a few World War II films now. The Pacific, I got to do my tour in Europe twice now, thanks to Rod. It's sort of an amalgamation of all that time spending with veterans, learning about that time period, talking to people, getting to work on --
TAPPER: On "The Outpost".
EASTWOOD: On "The Outpost".
TAPPER: We should -- yeah, we should, for full disclosure, you made my book about Afghanistan, "The Outpost," into an amazing, amazing film, starring you as the amazing Clint Romesha. And I saw a lot of other guys from "The Outpost" film. Did that film inspire this one at all? Just was that was the first time you filmed war stuff, right?
LURIE: Yeah, that first time I did a movie called "The Last Castle", which was about soldiers with Robert Redford. But, you know, making "The Outpost" was sort of a glorious experience, and we really made it very much for the vets of the Afghanistan war and the Iraq war, the international war on terror.
But this one was more for history.
TAPPER: Yeah.
LURIE: But also, as we just said, it's more a piece of entertainment, I would think, than The Outpost.
TAPPER: Yeah, that was sad, a sad movie. And this is a much more inspiring movie.
Scott, I want to play another moment from the great film Lucky Strike. Take a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry. I should have come out faster.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You kicked out for protection, okay? And don't tell anybody about that. No court-martial way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So that's a really sad part of the movie, where your character has taken refuge in the house of a French family and the SS comes. Knowing that this was inspired by a true story, did you feel an added sense of responsibility?
EASTWOOD: Always. You know, anytime you do a movie about veterans, people who have you know, sacrifice them in war. It's always comes with a heavy weight that you have to carry and you have to do the project justice by, you know, doing the best you can do.
TAPPER: And tell me about the origin of the story. Your co-writer, your co-screenplay writer, he heard this story?
LURIE: Well, when he was, Mark Friedman, when he was 16 years old in his high school in France, they invited veterans for the Battle of the Bulge and other, I guess, other battles to be interviewed by the students. And when Mark heard this story, I think he said, this, he comes from a film family. He says, yeah, he said, this is going to be, this will make a great film. And he carried it around. It was 50 years ago.
EASTWOOD: Fifty years ago, yeah.
LURIE: Wow. But he's carried it around. He brought me his screenplay. I added a few scenes. And lo and behold, we had "Lucky Strike".
His parents, his father, was protected when -- he was Jewish by a French family. And that family that you see there, they inspired those characters.
TAPPER: And for both of you. As America, I'll start with you, Scott, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, what do you think films like this can teach us?
EASTWOOD: That we can come together. You know, we can come together as a nation and believe in our values, in the values of this country, which make it the best country in the world.
TAPPER: What do you think, Rod?
LURIE: I think that what I want people to walk away from with this is that the one thing that has been consistent, no matter what you say about our military back then and now, the American soldier has always been great.
TAPPER: Yeah. Amen to that.
Scott Eastwood, Rod Lurie, the film is "Lucky Strike" -- thank you so much. Appreciate it.
LURIE: Thank you, Jake.
TAPPER: You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, threads, Bluesky, X, and on the TikTok @JakeTapper.
And you can follow the show on X and Instagram at @TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can watch the show on the CNN app or listen to THE LEAD podcast.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.
