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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Trump Warns Iran Over Death Of U.S. Troops; FED Building Attacked; Tate Brothers Appear in Federal Court; Andy Burnham Becomes Seventh British Prime Minister In A Decade; Rep. John Rose (R-TN) Is Interviewed About Trump Putting SAVE Act At The Center Of Funding Fight; Report: AOC Channels Obama's "Hope & Change" As She Mulls WH Run; Trump Imposes 50 Percent Tariff On Certain Canadian Goods. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 20, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

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KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: All right, thanks so much to my panel. Really appreciate you all for being here today. Thanks to all of you at home for watching as well. Don't forget, you can now stream "The Arena" live. You can catch up whenever you want on the CNN app. Just scan that Q.R. code below. You can also catch up by listening to "The Arena" podcast. You can also follow us on X and Instagram or @thearenacnn. Don't go anywhere. Phil Mattingly is standing by for "The Lead." Hi, Phil.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: Hey, Kasie. Thanks so much. We will look for more tomorrow in "The Arena."

HUNT: See you tomorrow.

MATTINGLY: President Trump says Iran will pay many times over for killing U.S. troops. "The Lead" starts right now. A new warning from the president after the first U.S. deaths since the early days of the Iran war. Tonight, what could come next as the U.S. pumps more American ships into a combat zone? Plus, the terrifying moments today in New York City.

Authorities say a man armed with a hammer, machete, axes and knives ignited an incendiary device in a federal building attack. What we know about the Army veteran now in custody. And what's really the source of Cyclospora? A one FDA update is causing so much confusion about the parasite causing explosive diarrhea.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is "CNN Breaking News."

MATTINGLY: Welcome to "The Lead." I'm Phil Mattingly. Jake Tapper is on assignment. We start with breaking news in our "World Lead," the intensifying war with Iran. CENTCOM announcing just moments ago that a new round of U.S. strikes on Iran is underway. We've also learned the U.S. is sending additional fighter jets to the Middle East as President Trump vows revenge following the death of three U.S. service members over the weekend. He posted on Truth Social this afternoon -- quote -- "Every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over."

Now, we are learning more about the fallen, the first U.S. casualties since March. Nineteen-year-old Private Isabella Gonzalez and 25-year- old First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan were killed in an Iranian missile attack on an air base in Jordan. Another death was just announced yesterday.

Pentagon says a U.S. service member was killed during a -- quote -- "controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in northern Iraq." The White House says the president plans to attend the killed U.S. service member's dignified transfer ceremony when remains are brought back to the United States.

Meanwhile, the war also seems to be intensifying at sea. Last night, two ships were attacked in the Persian Gulf close to the already choked Strait of Hormuz. That is according to British shipping monitor. Back here in the U.S., the uncertainty and disrupted shipping channels are spiking gas prices once again, now averaging $4 a gallon.

Still, some diplomacy continues. Sources tell CNN mediators between the U.S. and Iran have floated the idea of a 10-day ceasefire to maybe get to more significant negotiations. The sources add this short ceasefire could include lifting restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

There is a lot going on. Joining us now to talk about all of it, Congressman -- Republican congressman from Florida, Carlos Gimenez. He's on the Armed Services Committee. Sir, really appreciate your time. Just to start with, do you believe right now that the kind of path that this conflict is on is one that will work out the way the president wants it to?

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I think that the path that we're on has -- there's only one end to this path, is that -- which was the original intent, was to make sure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. And if we get anything less than that, then it has not been a successful endeavor.

And so, I would anticipate that at the end, whenever that end happens, that Iran will not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon because that's what we're fighting for right now because we know that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, they will continue to terrorize their neighbors and continue to sponsor terrorism around the world and actually have a bigger stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. And so that's something that just can't happen.

MATTINGLY: What is your threshold for ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon? Does the nuclear material have to be removed from the country? I think there's some ambiguity right now about what that would actually mean in practice. What is yours?

GIMENEZ: Mine is that, yes, you remove the nuclear material and that there is a rigorous inspection routine, an enforceable inspection, that we can go wherever we want, whenever we want, how we want to, wherever it is in Iran that we think that they're doing something bad, which we know that they're going to try to do something, you know, all the time because that's who they are. But as long as we have those rights, that's a possibility.

And so those are the things that -- the least that I want to see is an enforceable, very rigorous inspection routine to make sure that Iran is not doing what it's not supposed to be doing.

MATTINGLY: Do you think the agreement on the memorandum of understanding, which now seems to kind of be a little bit in tatters, given this back and forth, was that a mistake, to sign off on that?

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GIMENEZ: Yes. Absolutely. I think any agreement that right now gives you a ceasefire is a mistake. We can sit down and we can negotiate all you want, but we're still going to have a blockade, we're still going to be, you know, trying to dismantle your military capability, your ability to create these weapons, and degrade you as much as possible while we're talking. Anything now -- you know, anything that says, oh, we want a 10-day ceasefire, I think I've been there before, I've read that book, I've seen that movie.

And you know what? You just can't trust the Iranians. All they want to do is stall, stall, stall. This has to stop. There is no more stalling. You come to the table, you're serious, but while you're still talking to us, we're going to do what we're going to do, and we're going to put a chokehold on you economically through the blockade, and we're going to continue to pound you militarily.

And, by the way, we may take some of your assets, maybe Kharg Island, maybe something else that's of value to them so that at the end, you know, when they come to the table, they're actually serious because we have something that they covet, and that's what we need to do. And so, yes, I'm a little bit more aggressive with the Iranians.

Look, I've seen this for 47 years. We know who they are. We know what they do. I'm frankly surprised that the president actually gave them a 60-day, you know, ceasefire. You know, how many times are they going to do this until we stop saying, OK, enough, enough? We got to do what we got to do, and then come to the table. If you want to come to the table, fine, but we're going to continue to do what we're going to do.

MATTINGLY: Are you surprised by the capabilities, particularly on the targeting side of things, that the Iranians have been able to demonstrate over the course of these last several days of attacks that have led to the deaths of U.S. service members?

GIMENEZ: Am I surprised by it? No. I think, you know, they have -- they're gaining capabilities. They have allies in Russia and certainly China that I'm sure is helping them with some of these targeting capabilities.

We have to destroy the way -- you know, the mechanism that they have for producing these weapons, and we have to, you know, really impose some sanctions on those that are giving them technology that may be helping them to target our military personnel. So, you know, I would expect that our intelligence sources will tell us exactly how they're getting this technology, how they got this technology, and then those that gave them the technology should suffer the consequences of U.S. sanctions.

Look, this is an all-of-the-above kind of approach to this problem. We should be helping any of the insurgents inside of Iran that want to see regime change, and then at the same time, military pressure, economic pressure, and then maybe what will bring them to the table is, finally, if we take some of their territory and say, well, that's no longer Iran, maybe that will bring them to the table. But you just continue to ramp up the pressure until they come to the table and continue that pressure until we get an agreement.

MATTINGLY: "The New York Times" reports Iran carried out three other strikes against U.S. forces in Jordan in recent days, injuring dozens of service members, damaging several helicopters. But the -- quote -- "Pentagon did not disclose the earlier strikes, nor the casualties and damage they inflicted."

The Pentagon spokesperson insists the department is not hiding the numbers, but the Pentagon hasn't held a briefing in two and a half months. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has not explained the military strategy behind the current renewed strikes. Do you feel like the American people have enough information at this point?

GIMENEZ: Look, I think that the American people do have enough information. I certainly in Congress do not feel that, you know, I need any further information. I've been told what I -- you know, I need to know. But, you know, if he hasn't had a news conference in two and a half months, it would probably be a good idea to have one so that he can clarify these issues, if in fact they are true. And, you know what? In the end, the truth always comes out, so you might as well tell the people what's happening.

I believe that, you know, Iran is launching as many missiles as they can, and some of them are going to go through. That's why these missiles, that's why these drones are so dangerous. And you know what? We have about 300 of them down about 90 miles away from my hometown in Miami. In Cuba, apparently, they have about 300 Iranian drones. That's why Cuba has a national security threat, too. And so, we've got all these adversaries all over the place.

This asymmetrical warfare is defeating. In some instances, our, you know, elite and exquisite systems, we're developing other systems in order to combat this, but this is the nature of warfare in the 21st century.

But because we -- and let me say that, you know, my condolences go out to the families of our servicemen and women that are killed, that have been killed in Iran. That's the nature of warfare. We will have some casualties. We've had an extraordinarily low number of casualties for the amount of fighting that has been going on. The Iranians have suffered much, much worse than us.

[17:10:01]

That's not a consequence. I'm sure that's not a condolence to the Gold Star families of these, you know, young Americans who lost their life. But it is war. We are waging war, and we're waging it for a reason, so that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.

MATTINGLY: Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez, always appreciate your time, sir. Thank you.

GIMENEZ: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, coming up, the federal court appearance today for the Tate brothers after the dramatic weekend arrest of the social media influencers well-known in the so-called manosphere. But first, the Army veteran authorities call an extremist accused of bringing a hammer, knives, a machete, and more as he threw an incendiary device at a federal building. What investigators are revealing, next.

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MATTINGLY: In our "Law and Justice Lead," New York City authorities say an anti-government extremist attacked the federal building that houses offices for immigration and customs enforcement this morning. They say he set fire and took several shots with a pellet gun. Several people suffered minor injuries.

I want to bring in CNN's Brynn Gingras who has been following all of these. Brynn, tell us more about what happened here.

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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, anti-government and anti- American extremist is what a federal authority described Andrew Arrabaca, 43 years old. They say, Phil, the entire incident caught on camera. That all part of the ongoing investigation as he is currently in custody and at one point, at least, answering the questions from authorities.

But what they saw in that video, we have incredible video to show you as well, is showing Arrabaca allegedly coming to this building, 26 Federal Plaza, which houses the FBI New York headquarters, ICE, other government agency offices, and firing that pellet shot, that pellet gun, several times at the building before then taking a canister of gasoline and dousing the front steps, employee entrance, of this building, and then lighting it on fire.

He was quickly put under arrest. He had a cart with him, according to authorities, that was filled, like you told your viewers, with a hammer, a machete, a number of knives, another air pellet rifle. So, certainly, authorities say he came here to do some damage. In fact, they say that he said in the interviews that he wanted and was willing to hurt anybody inside the building and outside the building as well. I want you to hear more from federal authorities on this case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES BARNACLE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE, FBI NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE: Mr. Arrabaca came to arms with bad intention. Mr. Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people. He had two axes, a hammer, a machete, and three knives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: An Army veteran, Phil, serving from 2001 to 2005. No charges yet, but we certainly expect them in the near future. Important to also note that he made some comments that were anti-ICE, that also part of the investigation, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Extraordinary video. Great reporting. Brynn Gingras for us in New York City, thanks so much. With our "Law and Justice Lead," a pair of notorious brothers arrested in Miami on Saturday were in court this afternoon. The Tate brothers are known for their social media influence and support of President Trump, but face allegations involving sex trafficking and rape. Our CNN's Randi Kaye explains they're fighting a new attempt to send them overseas for trial.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the heart of Miami, Andrew and Tristan Tate in federal court after a dramatic weekend arrest, booked on new charges including rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and possessing indecent images of a child. The brothers are influencers with dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship. They are known for their misogynistic content online.

ANDREW TATE, ARRESTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING AND RAPE ALLEGATIONS: I will state right now that I am absolutely sexist and I'm absolutely a misogynist.

KAYE (voice-over): U.S. Marshals took them into custody Saturday outside a bare-knuckle boxing event. The arrest coming after U.K. investigators say four new victims came forward. The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service and Bedfordshire Police say the Tate brothers now face a total of 59 charges between them. The brothers are well-known and in some areas of the internet celebrated for suggesting men own women.

TATE: I believe the woman is given to the man. I believe she's given away by the father. I believe she belongs to the man. I believe she belongs to the man in marriage.

KAYE (voice-over): The brothers have been arrested in Romania in 2022 where they are facing charges of human trafficking and forming an organized criminal group to sexually exploit women. They have denied all charges. So, what were they doing in Miami? Last year, after Romanian authorities lifted the travel restriction on the pair, they hopped on a private jet to Florida.

TATE: We live in a democratic society where it's innocent until proven guilty.

KAYE (voice-over): Despite all the controversy, their support online continues to grow. Young men and boys often follow them for their content, promoting female submission and male dominance. Andrew Tate once argued women should bear responsibility for being sexually assaulted.

TATE: It's about the fact that she belongs to him and the intimate parts of her body belong to him.

KAYE (voice-over): The Tates are outspoken supporters of President Donald Trump and hold plenty of sway in the manosphere. Just two weeks before they were allowed to leave Romania, Andrew Tate posted this: "The Tates will be free. Trump is the president. The good old days are back."

The White House said the U.S. government played no direct role in bringing them to Florida. Romania's foreign minister also said he wasn't pressured. The Tates have repeatedly praised Trump and urged voters to support him.

And some members of Trump's family have shown support for the Tates. In 2023, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted about Andrew Tate's house arrest in Romania, calling it absolute insanity. Their defense lawyer reiterating his client's innocence, saying this is a case of free speech.

JOSEPH MCBRIDE, ATTORNEY FOR ANDREW AND TRISTAN TATE: When you drag somebody's name through the media, when you slander them, when you defame them, when you accuse them of heinous and terrible allegations, the process becomes the punishment until you can clear your name.

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KAYE (on camera): And Phil, the court hearing today lasted just seven minutes. No cameras allowed because it is federal court. The Tate brothers will remain in custody, at least until their lawyers meet again on Monday.

[17:20:00]

Their lawyer says that they've already spent days in solitary confinement. Now, the extradition process itself can take months, depending on what challenges are brought, so we'll have to see how long that lasts.

It's also worth noting, Phil, that two sources familiar with all of this are telling CNN that as of now, President Trump is not expected to get involved with the Tate brothers' extradition case. Phil?

MATTINGLY: Randi Kaye, great report. Thanks so much. Well, in "World Lead" today, a vibe shift, if you will, at 10 Downing Street as Andy Burnham took over as U.K.'s new prime minister. His first order of business plus the mystery houseguest he may be bringing along with him.

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MATTINGLY: Our "World Lead" makes a pretty great trivia question. How many British prime ministers have there been in just the last decade? The answer, as of today, is seven, now that King Charles has asked Labour Party leader Andy Burnham to form a new government.

Let's go to CNN's Max Foster. Max, bit by bit, we're learning more about the plans here. What do we know?

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Phil, just over a month ago, Andy Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester in northern England. Then, as Keir Starmer's premiership collapsed, he was rushed into a parliamentary seat. And today, he became British prime minister. An extraordinary turn of events.

But he wasn't elected. We don't know anything about his international policy, let alone his domestic policy. And when he came into Downing Street to take on this new role today, he really showed the big advantage he does have. He has this ability to speak to people. He's an everyman.

He did away with the lectern, which is traditionally spoken in front of by a prime minister as he walks into Downing Street. And he spoke without script. And he spoke about the chaos, really, of recent British political history, where we've gone through something like seven prime ministers in about a decade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh prime minister since 2016 making this a moment for reflection. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Watching all this unfold from the sidelines here in Downing Street is Larry, the Downing Street cat. He has seen it all before, of course. What he might not know, though, is that Andy Burnham is a dog owner. So, we'll wait to see how that relationship develops and, indeed, if this dog comes here to Downing Street.

Once Andy Burnham went into Downing Street as prime minister for the very first time, we do know that one of his first acts was having a call with U.S. President Donald Trump, which does show some of his foreign

policy, putting the U.S. right at the top of that foreign partner agenda. We know they discussed the World Cup and the success of that. We know that Andy Burnham reached out, suggesting that President Trump might want to visit Manchester. They talked about the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for traffic.

We do know about the appointments that Andy Burnham has made so far, Phil. There is an indication that he might increase defense spending which, of course, is something that the president would like to hear. Phil?

MATTINGLY: Max Foster for us in London. Thanks so much. Well, here in D.C., dare I say, there is talk of a possible government shutdown over the so-called Save America Act the president so desperately wants. A Republican on board with this strict voter I.D. bill will join me next.

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[17:32:12]

MATTINGLY: In our Politics Lead, President Trump is urging Senate Republicans to pass his election reform bill despite strong opposition, including from some Senate Republicans. The bill would require Americans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and voter I.D. in all elections.

Here now is Republican congressman and candidate for Tennessee Governor, John Rose. Congressman, really appreciate your time. Look, you unequivocally support SAVE America Act. But one of the questions that I've always had is the Republicans in the Senate side that have problems with this are not necessarily being subtle about it, including Senator Thom Tillis. Take a listen to what he said.

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SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Whether it's the SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, the new SAVE legislation that's being proposed in the House, SAVE goes to Hollywood, SAVE goes to Hawaii, whatever the sequels are, all of them are fundamentally flawed and impossible to implement by this election. The only thing that will occur is an undermining of the election integrity, the integrity of our elections right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: And Congressman, what's your response to your Republican colleague on the other side of the Capitol?

REP. JOHN ROSE (R-TN): Well, Phil, thanks for having me on The Lead tonight. My response to him is that he's the one that's out of touch with Americans. Over 83 percent of Americans support the SAVE America Act. Senator Tillis, I think, is headed on his way out the door.

And it's a good thing because he's out of step with Republicans. He's out of step with Democrats. Over 70 percent of Democrats across the country support the SAVE America Act. And so he can make light of it if he wants to. But he's mocking Americans who want secure elections. The President is right. I know that that disturbs Senator Tillis a lot. But he should do the right thing and vote as his constituents in North Carolina would have him to vote.

And he should get the rest of the senators, the Republicans and Democrats alike on board to do what the American people want, which is to make sure that when you register to vote, that you can prove you're a United States citizen. And when you show up to vote, that you show an idea to prove that you are who you say you are.

MATTINGLY: This is clearly the President's top priority. He's made that clear over and over again. There are a number of different bills that you guys are considering, resolutions as well you guys are considering in the House this week. Do you think this is the type of thing that should be attached to the continuing resolution? Basically, pass this, both chambers, including 60 votes in the Senate, or government shuts down? Do you think that's the vehicle? ROSE: Well, I don't know about that. I think it would be better if the Senate would just do its job, if they would come back to Washington, roll up their sleeves, demand that their leadership bring this vote to the floor, put aside the filibuster and get the will of the American people fulfilled.

But if we can't do that, then we in the House are committed to doing whatever we can to get this to success, because I think it's what the American people expect. It's what they want. And it's the only way at the end of the day to assure free and fair elections in the United States.

[17:35:10]

MATTINGLY: Very high stakes. Budget resolution will be considered this week as well. I do want to ask you, though, you have been on the campaign trail. Early voting for Tennessee primaries started on Friday. You're calling on your Republican opponent for governor, Senator Marsha Blackburn, to release documents related to an ethics probe first reported by CNN affiliate WTVF.

The probe focused on allegations involving the use of taxpayer dollars for the senator's political campaigns. We asked Senator Blackburn's office for comment. Spokesperson told WTVF, "No one takes compliance with Senate ethics rules more seriously than Senator Blackburn. And the Senate Ethics Committee completed its review and resolved this matter with our office's full cooperation." Why do you think Tennessee voters should see those documents?

ROSE: Well, if the senator has nothing to hide, then she should hide nothing. If the Ethics Committee rendered that these accusations were not valid, then Senator Blackburn should have no trouble sending all of the correspondence to the people of Tennessee so that they can judge that for themselves. I think she does have something to hide, and I think that's what she's doing. And it's shameful, particularly when she's calling on the people of Tennessee to entrust her with the job of being governor of Tennessee.

People deserve to know if Senator Blackburn has nothing to hide, then she should disclose all of the correspondence relating to these accusations. Let the people of Tennessee make that judgment.

MATTINGLY: Closing weeks in that primary. I know you've been on the trail for many months now. Republican Congressman John Rose, appreciate your time, sir. Thank you. And we should note, we did reach out to Senator Blackburn's office for an interview and comment, but have not yet heard back.

Now, to the breaking news in the Sports Lead, just look at this huge crowds in Madrid tonight, celebrating Spain, the World Cup champions. It's pushing midnight there, and the parade that started all of this kicked off hours ago. Much of the excitement ahead.

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[17:41:23] MATTINGLY: In our Politics Lead is Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez weighs a White House run in 2028. She's torn the line of staying true to her progressive roots and appealing to Big Ten, the moderates in her party. And while she does the latter, she's taken a little bit of heat from the far left. "Politico" asked her about that in a new interview, in which she responded, "My vote record speaks for itself."

She's also channeling the party's former leader. "Axios" is reporting she's trying to resurrect the, "hope and change." And that former President Barack Obama has been, "impressed with her abilities as a communicator. They've had a few positive engagements behind the scenes."

My panel joins me now. Kareem, President Obama left the White House on a pretty high note. I think 60 percent approval rating. Is there any downside to kind of drafting off that, getting advice from that counsel, from, you know, the guy who won two terms?

CARINE HAJJAR, MEMBER, WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD: I mean, absolutely not. And he's still a highly esteemed figure on the left, even as Democrats are trying to figure out where the soul of the party is right now. So going back to a time when there was some type of central message or there was some type of, it seems central direction makes a lot of sense. Now it's going to be really challenging, I think for AOC, because she stands for some pretty radical policies, policies that we know don't quite work, that veer towards socialism. We know that these things don't work.

And so is she going to be able to make, this might resonate in urban parts of New York. This might resonate in cities where you have a large blue voting contingency, but is it going to resonate in a general election? I certainly hope not.

MATTINGLY: To that point, like that's always wild, like reading the "Politico" story today, where there's like folks on the far left attacking her. I don't understand, like I'm not saying she has like a super far left, crazy voting record, but like she's a progressive. She has not diverged from that. She has become a member of the House that is a workhorse, not just a show horse, which I think, I would think if you're a progressive, you would say like, that's great. We have somebody in the room who's actually trying to do things.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, I agree. And I think that those that are criticizing her are probably part of the far, far left. And I don't think that that will actually resonate. I think she's very impressive. I agree with President Obama. She is an incredible communicator.

She always has been. And I don't think that's going to change. Is she going to run in 2028? We don't know, but she's smart enough to keep us guessing. She's also smart enough to already start communicating that she does want to include everybody.

It's a smart thing to do, regardless of what you're going to run for, even as a member of Congress, if she wants to run for your, for reelection, if she wants to go for the Senate, or if she wants to ultimately run for president, you don't want to exclude any voting bloc right now. So I think it's incredibly smart, the way that she's handling this.

MATTINGLY: You flicking at a Schumer challenge there? Is that what I picked up?

CARDONA: Oh, I said Senate, Phil.

MATTINGLY: OK. We were talking about this during the break. Michigan is like the center of the universe now, apparently for the Democratic Party. Just short of Maine, that was also the center of the universe. You get what I'm saying. Big endorsement today from Senator Elizabeth Warren. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Michiganders deserve a senator who will fight for you, not for special interests running millions of dollars in T.V. ads to buy this seat. And make no mistake, Abdul is the only candidate in this race who can build the grassroots movement needed to win in November, for money in your pocket, to get money out of politics, and deliver Medicare for all. Michigan, let's get this done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Obviously, Warren endorsing Abdul El-Sayed, who's running against Haley Stevens, the Congresswoman. This is a very heated race and a very like future of the Democratic Party, let's just throw haymakers kind of race. How much does that endorsement carry do you think?

[17:45:03]

HAJJAR: I don't think it carries as much as she'd like it to. I think Senator Warren really undercut her credibility in the Graham Platner endorsement. I think she stuck with Graham Platner for far too long. There were red flags starting in October about Platner being a liability to Democratic voters.

And Democrats chose to ignore them for too long and now Maine voters are in this situation where Dems are scrambling for somebody to replace them, it looks like Troy Jackson, but Maine, Michigan, these are going to be really key races and, you know, Senator Warren's trying to figure out where she fits in this new iteration of the Democratic Party and I do think that that Maine endorsement really, you know, waters down her influence.

MATTINGLY: The endorsement picture here is like fascinating, like you could put up the two, like the split screen of the faces behind, and it is, like, establishment Democrats, yes, Clyburn and Pelosi and Chris Coons, but also, like, not flaming moderates, if you're talking about Nancy Pelosi and Joe Clyburn, and then El-Sayed has, you know, every progressive you can think of, and obviously Bernie Sanders as well. What does this mean for the bigger picture for the party? Are we reading too much into trying to figure out the tea leaves here? CARDONA: I do, and I think we're reading too much into it because we're putting way too much weight on the endorsements. Let's remember that at the end of the day, voters care about what the candidate is going to do for them. I don't think they care about who endorses and who doesn't.

I also don't think they care much for ideological labels, and that's where I like to tell my party, look, if you are an incumbent and you want to get reelected, you need to make the case to your voters that you will fight for them, that you will be the fierce fighter that will stand up to the special interests, to Donald Trump, to all of the pieces of the status quo that have not worked for them, even if they have been part of the status quo before.

Offer new ideas, be creative, offer solutions outside of the box. That's what voters are looking for. They don't care whether you call yourself a Democratic Socialist of America or a moderate or establishment. They want to know what you're going to do for them and their family because they are hurting. They don't have time to understand what all these ideological labels mean, what we love to discuss right here at the table. They want to know how you're going to help them make ends meet.

MATTINGLY: It's a really good point. Like, when you're out, and you were just out in the field, I've been out a bunch over the course of the last couple months, that's what you hear. They don't -- they literally don't give a you know what anymore.

CARDONA: That's right.

MATTINGLY: They just want somebody to, like, listen to them and try and help them.

HAJJAR: Right.

MATTINGLY: The one thing that's, really is the kind of big picture interesting about the Michigan race is, like, the AIPAC issue and the Israel issue is, it's not a proxy battle there, it is an all-out kind of fist fight as it currently stands. What -- I'm trying to figure out is, kind of the same as the big picture question, what does this mean for the party going forward?

And obviously for context, I'll say it has made very clear his opposition to kind of the current state of any type of funding for Israel. Stevens has gotten a ton of money from AIPAC, has made clear she supports the two-state solution. I'm sure you saw some of this up in Maine as well when you were talking to Democrats. It's become a really, really prevalent issue.

HAJJAR: Yes, but let's zoom out and think about the issues that voters really have right now is the economy, it's affordability. And frankly, I don't see Democrats offering any compelling solutions to those issues. And these are issues that predate Israel becoming, like, the big issue for the Democratic Party. So, they haven't figured out how to crack the code there. So, Israel seems to be becoming this litmus test for people running in the party to organize around. I just think it's an indication that Democrats still don't know what they really stand for, they still don't know what lane they occupy, and so they're trying to grasp onto anything that can rile up, you know, parts of the base.

CARDONA: I think that the economy is absolutely still the number one issue. And I do think Democrats are speaking to it because that's why you're seeing Donald Trump so desperate in his attempt to steal the election. His poll numbers are in the toilet. Republicans have been unable to stand up to him to distance themselves from the horrific policies that he has put in place that has put the economy in the toilet. And I think that the issue of Israel is a very poignant one for very key pieces of the electorate within the Democratic Party on both sides.

And so you are going to have to -- you're going to see these candidates have to sort of walk that fine line, walk the tightrope, if you will. And I don't think that this is going to be a big issue in the midterms because I do think it's going to be on the economy. I think it probably is going to be a bigger issue in the 2028 elections.

And our candidates are going to have to figure out how to sort of square that circle. I think it might be easier if Netanyahu is out of the picture. And this is where I think Democrats have started to square that circle because I don't think that it is hard to be for humanitarian help in Gaza, for protection of those innocents in Gaza, as well as to be for the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself. And for a two-state solution.

[17:50:05]

MATTINGLY: All right, both of you, stick around. We're going to do this again because of this.

I want you to standby, as we watch these incredible images of crowds celebrating Spain's World Cup win, see how FIFA handled the moment when President Trump had to be escorted away from the winner's podium. Stick with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: We're back with breaking news on our Politics Lead. President Trump just invoked a 1930 trade law so he can impose a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian goods including electric equipment. The tariffs are set to take effect in 30 days and threaten to broaden a trade war with America's second top trading partner in the midst of, you know, USMCA renegotiations as well, no small thing.

My panel is back with me now. Carine, we were trying to figure this out. You gave us some clarity. This is not about the smoke. We don't think.

[17:55:04]

HAJJAR: I don't think it's about the smoke. I did see a statement that was something to the effect of these ones aren't about the smoke which makes me worried that there could be other ones about the smoke. But look, tariffs are attacks on the consumer.

So if they're saying that Canadian trade practices are discriminating against American consumers, well, these tariffs are discriminating against American consumers. And I'm not sure what the market is for Canadian wine and cement but for those in that very niche market it's not a great day.

MATTINGLY: And does feel. It's wine, it's cement, hockey sticks, that feels punitive.

HAJJAR: Yes.

MATTINGLY: We're just a few months out from the midterms. You talk to Republicans, none of them are ever really thrilled for the most part about tariffs, no matter what the President says about them. This is an escalation, again, with the second largest trading partner. There could be more smoke-related tariffs. Not quite sure yet where that's going. From an economic perspective which is the most important issue of this midterm election, what should Republicans be doing right now?

CARDONA: Republicans should be trying to distance themselves as much as they can from Donald Trump. But they don't have the backbone to do that, Phil. And that's why they're in such trouble going into these midterm elections. And I still don't understand and I'm sure this is part of Republicans' frustration Donald Trump, either he doesn't get it or he doesn't give a S about the economy and about Americans who can't make ends meet and about Americans who can't buy the same things that they used to at the grocery store, can't buy health care, can't keep up with their mortgage.

And that is, again, we talked about this in the last segment, the number one issue for Americans. And what Donald Trump continues to do is everything except deal with issues of the economy. Whether it's these tariffs, which we know are horrendous for the economy, for people's bottom lines. Whether it's his deal with Truth Social that underscores the massive corruption that is at play in this administration. Or whether it's focusing on the Reflecting Pool.

Everything that he does has nothing to do with helping Americans with their bottom lines. And I think that is going to be the number one issue that is going to be hurting Republicans going into the midterm elections.

MATTINGLY: I want to move on to the World Cup because there's just some amazing pictures. But it also, I don't understand, like the generic ballot is like what, 48, 45 right now? That's close. That's tight.

CARDONA: You know what?

MATTINGLY: What do you think, real quick.

CARDONA: Yes, yes. I would rather it be that so that Democrats, you know, stay on their toes and stay diligent and continue to work this hard. MATTINGLY: OK. Now we turn to the World Cup. Because we had a bit of an awkward moment during the ceremony. President Trump climbed on stage to award the trophy to the team's captain and then lingered. The FIFA president tried to politely usher him to the side so the players could have their moment. Look, we've all been there. You know, like, what am I doing on this stage? I'm I supposed to -- you know, you MC an event. You know, you hand out an award. Am I supposed to still stay here? I get it. Your thoughts?

HAJJAR: Look, this is on brand. So, you know, no surprises here. Trump loves to be -- he loves showmanship. He loves to be at the middle of a show. You know, he overstayed his welcome for sure, but you know, perfectly on brand for our president.

MATTINGLY: Yes. Go ahead.

CARDONA: Six words. Just hold up four fingers. Three in Spanish. Three in English.

MATTINGLY: OK. Yes.

CARDONA: Entiende tu ambiente. Read the room.

MATTINGLY: Now, the President eventually stood to the side, posed alongside the Spanish national team. But when Spain posted their official photo of the championship team, it appears that --

CARDONA: Someone's missing.

MATTINGLY: You know, it's vertical. Sometimes you don't necessarily, you know, it wasn't 16 by 9. Is that --

CARDONA: That was the funniest thing that went around this morning on all of my chats and went through the internet. People didn't know whether they had cropped him out or whether they had erased him through A.I.

HAJJAR: Yes.

CARDONA: But what they did know is that they read the room. They understood who they wanted this picture to be for. And it certainly was not wanting Donald Trump in that picture.

HAJJAR: Yes.

MATTINGLY: Why would the President not let the winners of the biggest trophy in the world have the stage to themselves, Carine?

HAJJAR: Again, he loves to be in the middle of a show. The U.S. did host this, but at the end of the day, it was about Spain. And I have to say, I'm very glad that they won.

MATTINGLY: What I will say, the humor of that aside, that looks like a really great party, and we should all definitely be in Madrid instead of the studio in D.C. but I am grateful for both of your best time. Thank you so much. CARDONA: Viva Espana.

MATTINGLY: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Phil Mattingly. Jake Tapper is on assignment. This hour, a false positive test creates serious confusion, the investigation into cyclosporiasis as thousands of Americans fall sick with the illness. Lettuce shipped to 27 states has now been recalled and restaurants are removing it from their menus. We'll break down what you need to know with a former top U.S. health official.

[17:59:57]

Plus, the U.S. is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East after Iran killed three U.S. service members over the past few days. President Trump vowed retaliation. Mediators are proposing a temporary ceasefire.