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National Guard Troops Now in D.C. After Trump Takeover of City's Police; Next Hour, Trump and Zelenskyy Hold Virtual Talks Ahead of Putin Summit; Officials Say, Gunman Fired Nearly 500 Rounds During Attack on CDC. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired August 13, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, Washington, D.C., waking up to a new reality. National Guards troops and Border Patrol agents on the on their streets, as President Trump's federal takeover of law enforcement there begins rolling out. D.C.'s mayor now urging residents to, quote, protect our autonomy.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's the culture War is now targeting the Smithsonian. The new White House plan to make museum exhibits fit his views as critics accuse the president of trying to whitewash and rewind history.

And heavy rain drenches Tennessee causing flashfloods that shut down part of a highway, leaving cars there stranded.

I'm Jessica Dean with Kate Baldwin. Sara and John are out today, and this is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: This morning, there are new images of President Trump's police takeover rolling out in the nation's capital. FBI and DEA agents, some wearing masks, bulletproof vests, seen patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood, and that Trump move is coming all really into clearer focus. Just as it is becoming into clear focus, it's also raising new questions of which city is next.

So, first, to D.C., the National Guard were seen at the Washington Monument as well we've also seen law enforcement personnel with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshal Service taking part in traffic stops, and U.S. Border Agents on patrol at D.C.'s Union Station, the major hub for train travel there. All of this part of the President's crime crackdown, he says in that city, a city he's portrayed, tried to portray as being overrun by criminals despite, again, the statistics and what the math and numbers say, which is the city has seen a 26 percent drop in violent crime from this time last year.

With hundreds of federal law enforcement now on the streets of D.C., the FBI says, 23 arrests were made overnight. And according to the FBI director, FBI agents were involved in nearly half of those arrests.

CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House for us this morning, and a very different day it is this morning. What are you hearing today?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. I mean, as you mentioned, Kate, we have now really seen this ramped up presence of federal law enforcement in the streets and really at these high trafficked tourist spots. That is what we're hearing from our conversations with people here at the White House where they want these federal law enforcement agents to be focused.

So, you mentioned, we saw the National Guard. We actually saw five armored personal carriers near the Washington Monument on Tuesday evening. This comes out to the National Guard had came in on Tuesday. But then, of course, you show those images of people in the streets in Georgetown and all of these areas that we know where there's a lot of traffic. Not necessarily though the areas we know where crime is the highest places, like Anacostia and others, and we've heard some criticism of that approach.

So, we're going to just have to see really how this all continues over the next 30 days, because that is another key question, of course, is how long are we actually going to see this and how effective is this going to be, this entire federal takeover. We know that the president has until mid-September. After that point, the White House has said that they are going to reevaluate what this process looks like. And, of course, after that as well, he would need Congressional approval to move forward.

But a key thing that they're going to be analyzing as well throughout that time period, again, is how successful is this, because the key question is whether or not this is actually going to end up being a model for some of these other cities. We know that the president has mentioned places like Baltimore, where we did hear the governor of Maryland say that he believes that this move is not necessarily -- you know, it's dangerous and it could lead to problems, but also cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, all of that's still unclear as we watch how this ends up playing out over the next couple of weeks.

BOLDUAN: Yes. I mean, Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, not mincing words on what he thinks about but also having served himself.

D.C.'s mayor, she has been watched very closely on how this is rolled out. She's in a different position than other mayors are given D.C.'s status. A lot of talk about how diplomatic and careful she had been in talking about this move by the president and the administration seems to be shifting a bit though.

[07:05:00]

TREENE: I think that's exactly right. She's been treading very carefully. She's been very careful with her rhetoric. We've really seen that over the last week. I mean, when the president first announced that he had plans to do some of this, or even just wanting to bring in some federal law enforcement in the first place, it took her five days initially before she actually spoke out about it.

And then even after he had made this announcement on Monday saying that he was going to be using the D.C. Home Rule Act to really have this takeover with federal agents, she still tried to argue that perhaps, you know, it might be good to see people in the streets while also noting that this move was unprecedented.

But then yesterday she did change her tone a bit. Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D-WASHINGTON, D.C.): We all need to. To do what we can in our space, in our lane to protect our city and get to the other side of this guy and make sure we elect the Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So you heard her saying, have a backstop to this authoritarian push, which she's arguing that the president has been doing here, and also saying that they need to have a change in Congress to make sure that this could potentially be prevented in the future, all to say, very different language than we've heard in recent days. Kate?

BOLDUAN: A marked shift, that's for sure. All right, Alayna, great to see you. Thanks for starting us off. Jessica?

DEAN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is finally getting an invite to a critical meeting about the fate and future of his country. It's just maybe not the centerpiece sit down he'd hoped he'd be brought in on. Today, President Trump will meet virtually with Zelenskyy and European leaders as Zelenskyy visits Berlin.

Now, the meeting serves as an opportunity for Ukraine and its European partners to urge the president to respect Kyiv's interest before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Friday. Zelenskyy not expected to be at that summit. Just hours ago, Zelenskyy issuing this statement saying, quote, pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a fair peace. We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception on the part of Russia.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is live in Kyiv. Nick, obviously, Ukrainians have so much at stake as these talks begin. What are you hearing from people there on the ground?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, I think there's certainly some sense of hope that this meeting in Berlin, virtual as it be for most of the European leaders and President Trump, will serve as a moment to gain, reinforce what surely President Trump has been hearing from his European allies privately over the past week-plus about their concerns about Ukraine not being at this Alaska meeting.

It had been potentially floated as trilateral. Zelenskyy, they mulled an invitation. That's not happening. Instead, his physical presence in Berlin, I think, is designed to reinforce the idea of how close the Europeans wants to keep Kyiv's interest to their negotiations here. Look, there's been real concerns I've been hearing over the past days about how U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff presented, recalled, understood the initial proposal from the Kremlin when he visited Moscow last week. And there were days in which European officials were trying to properly understand what Putin was suggesting. One European diplomat called Wiktoff's performance in this amateurish on a matter of utmost importance, saying that it's left European allies uncomfortable and uneasy.

Now, of course, the White House continues to express confidence in Steve Witkoff, and I'm sure they wouldn't agree with that assessment. But it shows how high stakes this is for European officials and how important it will be for them directly. So many of these European allies are friendly with Trump, on good relations, he speaks about that himself, how important it'll be for them to get a chance next to Zelenskyy, to hammer home, again, the important things they need a ceasefire first. No negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine, Ukraine deciding its own future, and the current frontline being the starting point for negotiations. That's always been their tone over the last week.

But that current frontline, a matter of real concern for many Ukrainians right now. There has been significant advances, it seems, by Russian troops in the very area of the Donetsk that's potentially being talked about as what President Trump describes as a territory swap. Russian forces surging forward a significant amount near the town of Dobropillya.

Now, Ukraine has pushed back on some of those reports, saying, look, this is infiltration by small groups. It's not permanent, and they've sent as well as denials from Kyiv reinforcements too to try and prevent that from spreading.

But Russia increasingly confident and indeed Ukraine saying they've got over a hundred thousand troops near Pokrovsk, a key focus of their advances right now. And so the ground potentially changing in the days ahead. It's not by plan, I don't think. It's purely that Russia's to have successful advances as we near Alaska that potentially change the nature of the frontline even being negotiated.

But the real fear here is that the relationship between Trump and Putin pretty impenetrable and nobody really knows what could suddenly emerge from that Alaska meeting, whether it's Trump agreeing to Putin's biggest demands or pushing back.

[07:10:10]

He said himself he doesn't necessarily think Russia has given up in its demands of all of Ukraine. Back to you.

DEAN: You can certainly understand Ukrainian's feelings of anxiety. Nick Paton Walsh there on the ground for us, thank you so much for that.

President Trump wants to say in what should and should not be displayed at Smithsonian Museums, the White House now conducting a comprehensive review of exhibits there. So, what does it mean going forward for the institution and other museums like it? We're going to dig into that.

Also new details this morning about the gunman who fired more than 500 rounds at the CDC, what parents -- what police found in his parents' home, and why they say this was all motivated by his distrust of vaccines.

And we have some good news for a teenage pilot who has been stuck on a remote island in Antarctica for over a month. The deal he reached with the Chilean government to now go free after being detained for a so- called illegal flight.

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[07:15:00]

DEAN: This morning, investigators are sharing new details about the, quote, targeted and deliberate attack on the CDC in Atlanta that left one police officer dead. They have released this photo of the gunman. He is named as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White. Investigators said White fired more than 500 shots during that attack before turning the gun on himself. Nearly 200 of those rounds hit six buildings at the CDC. And investigators say the gunman left behind writings expressing his discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine and that he said he wanted the world to know about it.

Let's bring in CNN's Ryan Young, who's joining us now. That kind of sets the scene of what we know. Ryan. What else are you learning as this investigation continues?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica. They found those notebooks inside his home. And let's not also forget that the shooters showed up to the CDC with shooting earmuffs as well, so he could protect his ears as he was firing those 500 shots, over 200 rounds hitting six different buildings at the CDC. And then you think about all the other gunfire in the area, you're talking about shooting that lasted more than ten minutes. And then you had an officer arrive and then was shot at as that officer started to get there. That was Officer David Rose.

There have been so many questions about this in terms of how this all played out. From what we were told, when the GBI got to the house of the shooter, his father said that the shooter broke into a gun cabinet and stole the guns to take this shooting. There were five weapons, also a couple backpacks full of ammunition.

You think about the tremendous loss in this community, we talked to CDC workers yesterday who were still baffled that no one inside the building was hit, but listened to the tremendous pain in the voice of the interim police chief here in DeKalb County.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY PADRICK, INTERIM POLICE CHIEF, DEKALB COUNTY: There's no doubt in my mind that his actions that day saved countless lives. We will always remember and honor his leadership, his legacy, and his ultimate sacrifice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Jessica, I want to point out that we were outside the memorial for Officer David Rose yesterday, and a lot of people in this community understand the tremendous sacrifice that he's made. He was a father of two. His wife is actually expecting another child. And then all these people were showing up yesterday, hundreds to sign cards to pave remembrance to this officer who, as he arrived, was met with that tremendous amount of gunfire.

We know the shooter tried to run at one point. There was another officer from the Emory University Police Department that was firing toward him. We know those bullets did not hit the shooter. He then got to the second floor of a CVS and the doors were locked. So, he tried to shoot his way out that door that didn't work. He went upstairs to the second floor and he turned the gun on himself.

There have been so many questions about had police had any interaction with him before. What we do know is he's never been arrested before. There are so many questions about this, but a lot of pain in this community, especially for what could have happened with all those bullets being put on a very busy road here in Atlanta, Georgia.

DEAN: Absolutely. And that officer giving his life to save others, truly a hero.

Ryan, thank you so much for that.

Still ahead this morning, President Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics raising bipartisan concerns this morning after he floated the idea of suspending the monthly jobs report. CNN now learning he's backing off that idea.

And have you ever heard of a glacier outburst. Well, it is happening right now in Alaska, it could send a wave of water toward the state capitol. More on that when we come back.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: You know it's going to be good when you get that music. The Mets turned around their losing streak last, like apparently hitting so many home runs, they ran out of fireworks. Andy Scholes, is this true?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: This is true, Kate, you know? And now we know that the Mets only have enough fireworks each game for six home runs. Any more than that, no more fireworks there at Citi Field.

But coming into last night, the Mets had lost 11-12, but they broke out of that skin in a big way. Third inning, Pete Alonzo, the two-run home run off Spencer Strider, that was his 253rd home run, moving him past Darryl Strawberry for the most all time in a Mets uniform.

And the polar bear wasn't done. He homered again in the sixth for his 28th of the season. Then after the team's sixth home run of the game Citi Field. Putting this message on the video board, it said, due to too many Mets home runs, we have run out of fireworks. Sorry for the Inconvenience. Mets fans though not worried about it as they're just happy to get a win, 13-5 over the Braves.

All right, Shohei Ohtani meanwhile was backing his old stomping grounds, taking on the Angels last night. Top of the sixth, two on, no outs for Ohtani, he's going to line this ball up the middle. And Zach Neto in perfect position, makes the grab, steps on second fires at the first for the triple play. Neto said that was the first triple play he's ever been a part of ever.

Ohtani, he was back up in the ninth with the game tied, and look what he did hit a missile, 43rd home run of this season. That gave the Dodgers the lead. But the Angels would rally end up winning on a walk- off single in the bottom of the tenth, final 7-6, Angels now 5-0 in the Freeway Series this season.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee Brewers just keep on winning. They were going up against Pirates' ace, Paul Skenes last night. And Skenes had only allowed four runs in his previous five starts and hadn't lost since July 11th. But the Brew Crew, just red hot, they got the schemes for four runs in the first four innings, and then they just tore the Pirates' pit apart.

Brewers end up winning 14-0. They're the first team to 75 wins this season.

[07:25:00]

They've now won 11 straight for the second time this year.

All right, and, finally, a few weeks ago, the Ravens made a video saying many members of the team couldn't swim. And they asked Raven super fan Michael Phelps for help. Well, yesterday, Phelps on-hand at training camp and then he took a bunch of the players to the pool to give them some instruction. You see Phelps there helping Travis Jones with some pointers. Then Raven's all pro Linebacker Roquan Smith, he's on his back there learning some moves. He said he felt more confident in the water after the lesson.

And then some of the players who already knew how to swim held a diving board competition.

BOLDUAN: But don't know how to flip.

SCHOLES: Yes, a little. You know, nothing beats a belly flop competition, right, Kate? But nice team bonding there and nice to have Michael Phelps as someone you can go to, right, to help learn how to swim.

BOLDUAN: Yes. I mean, that's not too shabby, but also seeing like. I'm just going to guess his weight and he won't be offended, like a 300 pound man with a pool noodle is maybe one of my favorite images of the day.

SCHOLES: They might have had to refill that deep end after that competition too, some big guys jumping off those boards.

BOLDUAN: Also great, important for all of them to learn how to swim, on a serious note. But, I mean, I could watch -- I could actually watch this video for quite a long time. Heyo, and that was pretty good.

All right, thanks buddy.

SCHOLES: All right.

BOLDUAN: Ahead for us, the White House is taking on the Smithsonian now, ordering a full review of iconic museums and exhibits to ensure that they line up with President Trump's view on American culture and his public disdain of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

And an American social media influencer has been stuck in a remote Antarctic island for weeks. He's accused of landing there without getting permission first. Well, now he may finally have secured his release, but it will cost him.

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