Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

NBA Security Update from New York City Officials; Bomani Jones is Interviewed about Trump Attending NBA Finals; Political Pressure at EPA; Dems Split on Planter. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 08, 2026 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, this two-month truce between Iran and Israel, it was breaking down. Then Iran announces it's halting offensive operations for now against Israel. What are you hearing about this moment?

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: What I think we saw what President Trump said earlier today that both sides have basically agreed to hold their fire. Shortly after, the Iranians said that they are ready to stop. And Trump also had a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu to double down on his request that Israel stops its fire. There's been no official confirmation from the Israeli side that they're indeed going to do that. But in -- over the last few hours, we haven't seen any Israeli strikes in Iran.

BOLDUAN: Alex, what do you see here? What does this -- what does the warfront in Lebanon mean for efforts to end the U.S. war with Iran?

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I mean, we saw a number of meetings that took place between Israeli and Lebanese officials trying to work out a ceasefire at the governmental level. Hezbollah made it clear that they were not going to abide by it, continued to fire projectiles into Israel. And so, the Israeli prime minister ordered strikes in the Beirut suburbs, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

And so, I see this as a tacit admission by the Iranians that Hezbollah is, in fact, a proxy, despite the fact that they've denied having proxies across the region for years. Kind of a thinly veiled secret, obviously.

And I think the targets were important here. The Israelis could have escalated. They could have decided to conduct decapitation strikes or go after oil and gas infrastructure. But they largely targeted IRGC bases and missile infrastructure and some associated industrial base, which represents the, you know, what was launched at them. So, this was largely proportional. And the Israelis were successful in their strikes, whereas the Iranians failed despite the propaganda, because the missiles were intercepted

BOLDUAN: Barak, talk to me more about your reporting on this phone call between Trump and Netanyahu on Sunday, and how far President Trump went to try to restrain or rein Netanyahu in here because Israel launched attacks after that call. And then you have Trump telling the FT in an interview, it's I who call the shots. He doesn't call the shots. I mean, there's a lot of public posturing going on. I'm curious what you're hearing about what actually is happening in these phone calls between these leaders now.

RAVID: Well, what I heard about the call last night was that Trump told Netanyahu to stand down. He said that this cycle needs to end, that he doesn't want him to take another retaliatory strike, and that he wants him to give another few days for negotiations. Some U.S. officials who were on the call felt that Netanyahu was going to allow another few days. Others felt he is not going to. At the end of the day, he decided, he went back to meet with his security chiefs and decided to go forward with those strikes in Iran that at least at the beginning were quite limited. But after the Iranians retaliated with missiles on Tel Aviv, Israel took another two rounds of strikes that were much more significant and much broader.

BOLDUAN: Alex, President Trump also was asked in an interview with NBC about -- just in terms of the state of the war, there was a lot of -- kind of vague talk that the president has continued to have around the state of negotiations and when the war, he believes, will end. But he was also asked about the number of U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East over this conflict. And if, since he continues to say that the war is almost over and that Iran's military has been decimated, if the president would be -- begin bringing some U.S. troops home, or at least moving them out of the Middle East region.

Let me play what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It costs us very little to keep them there. I don't consider them in danger. We have the best defense anyone's ever seen. We have the best offense anyone's ever seen. So, I don't consider it danger. I would say it would be foolhardy to do that because maybe we may use them. It's unlikely, but I think we'll keep them there until such time as we have a completion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: What do you think of that, Alex?

PLITSAS: Well, I think the Iranians have made clear through the negotiations they were looking for the U.S. to begin withdrawing some of the forces, withdrawing some of the naval forces from the blockade as part of the negotiations. So, if the president began moving those forces, one, it would seem, you know, from an op-ex perspective, it could be sort of giving in to that a little bit without getting anything in return. But from a more practical perspective, without having the forces there necessary to conduct any offensive action, should the president choose to, it's a practical matter at that point. That's how we got into this in the first place when, you know, help was on the way, when the protests were ongoing, and, you know, tens of thousands of Iranians were alleged to be slaughtered in the streets, the national security strategy reprioritized the western hemisphere and the Pacific, and we didn't have a carrier battle group for a sustained period of time in the region for the first time in nearly half a century. And so it was a clear, you know, problem in not being able to back up those words.

[08:35:04]

The president's not going to allow that situation to happen again should he need to take action.

BOLDUAN: Barak, Alex, thank you both. Appreciate your time.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, just moments ago, New York City police and city officials held a press conference, this in advance of the NBA finals game three at Madison Square Garden tonight. The president is expected to be there.

Let's listen to what they said.

OK, we don't apparently have that press conference.

OK, let's play it.

JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: Starting tonight. And if you are coming to the area, do not drive. Use mass transit. Give yourself extra time and follow the direction of NYPD officers and security personnel on the ground. For access to public transportation, including Amtrak, LIRR, New Jersey Transit, and the subway, your best bet in the area will be to use the entrances to Moynihan Station on the west side of Eighth Avenue on 31st and 33rd streets, which will be outside of the secure area. We do not anticipate any service changes or disruptions as a result of the security plan.

When the game ends, fans leaving Madison Square Garden will exit onto Seventh Avenue or Eighth Avenue. From there, they will be directed north or south toward West 29th Street or West 36th Street. East-west egress will only be possible south of 30th Street or north of 35th Street. So, if you are planning to take an Uber, a taxi or another ride after the game, you should plan to do that from West 29th Street or West 36th Street, not directly outside of The Garden.

For game four, we do expect watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden to resume. Those watch parties will be managed with pens and screening, and we do anticipate the same security perimeter for safety purposes. We will have more to say about those plans in the days ahead, but the plan will be modeled after Times Square, New Years Eve, one of the most joyous nights of the year.

So, the message is simple, celebrate the Knicks, but avoid the MSG area tonight if you do not have tickets for the game or some other valid reason to be there tonight.

Thank you and go Knicks.

I am now going to introduce Matt McCool from the Secret Service. MATT MCCOOL, SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Thank you,

Commissioner Tisch.

Good morning. I'm Matt McCool, and I am proud to lead the Secret Service New York field office.

This is an historic moment for New York City and for basketball fans across the world. As a fan, I share in the excitement and anticipation surrounding this game. We all know what tonight means to New Yorkers who have been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this.

The Secret Service's focus is straightforward, to ensure everyone attending the game can enjoy the game and have a safe experience while we carry out our responsibility to protect the president of the United States. To support that mission, there will be enhanced law enforcement and security presence in and around Madison Square Garden. All attendees will pass through TSA-style magnetometer screening before entering the arena.

I strongly encourage fans to arrive at MSG at least two hours before tipoff. There is a strict no bag policy in place, and there will be no storage for prohibited items outside the venue.

We do not want you to miss tip off. So, please leave backpacks, purses, handbags, briefcases and other containers at home. Arriving early will help ensure a smooth screening process and allow you to enjoy the full game experience.

The Secret Service, the NYPD and our public safety partners have worked closely together to develop a multi-layered security plan. You will see Secret Service, police and special agents, transportation security officers, federal air marshals and the NYPD -- and NYPD officers throughout the area. These visible security measures are designed to provide both protection and reassurance to everyone attending the NBA finals.

In addition to personnel, our security posture combines drones as well as advanced counter-drone technology, protective intelligence, specialized tactical teams, and operational resources that allow us to identify and address potential threats while maintaining a welcoming environment for fans.

From the ground to the sky, the Secret Service and our partners have it covered. This security plan will not impact rail service at Penn Station, and we highly encourage the public to use mass transit.

We ask the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement or event personnel. As always, if you see something, say something.

I am very confident that ticketed attendees who follow these recommendations, plan ahead, arrive early and come prepared will be able to enjoy this historic moment in New York City.

Thank you.

[08:40:02]

TISCH: All right. We can take any questions that you have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Questions. Miles.

REPORTER: Not working. OK. Was the issue that it's just -- there's no real way to mitigate crowds and rowdiness and all of that kind of stuff with the president being inside the sort of physical footprint. You know, there are a lot of you guys, like the --

TISCH: I'm not going to -- we're not going to get into the specifics of it, but the NYPD, in coordination with the Secret Service, made the decision for game three, where we have a presidential visit, that we could not support watch parties right outside of The Garden. We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for game four, as I mentioned.

But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas. And that's what you're going to see tonight at The Garden.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mark, with CNN.

REPORTER: Hi. The area in front -- within that area of Madison Square Garden. If the president leaves, will that be taken down? If he leaves during the middle of the game, for instance, will that be opened up again or that's --

TISCH: That is going to be managed as a secure area for the duration of the night. There's -- there is not going to be a watch party in front of Madison Square Garden tonight. That has been done as part of a security plan put in place for the presidential visit. And we are very much looking forward to bringing back watch parties at The Garden for game four on Wednesday night.

REPORTER: And also about policing. Once the game is over, when everybody comes out onto Seventh Avenue, I know there's been a lot of rowdiness, how will policing happen with those crowds? Will they be shuffled out immediately? Will it be a large -- like a (INAUDIBLE)?

TISCH: As I mentioned -- yes, as I mentioned in my remarks, there will be -- you will -- you will not be able to -- if you're exiting The Garden after the game, you will not be able to go east-west until you get up to 35th Street.

BERMAN: All right, you've been watching a news conference with New York City Police Commissioner Tish James (ph) and the aptly named Matt McCool, the Secret Service agent in charge of presidential security tonight at NBA finals game three.

To our viewers outside New York City, I am sure you're delighted to know the mass transit schedule in and out of the city around game time. For those fans here in New York expecting to attend a watch party outside Madison Square Garden, you can't know. No watch party outside Madison Square Garden tonight because the president will be there. Watch parties will resume for game four. Obviously, all kinds of security concerns and necessities given that

the president, native New Yorker, does intend to attend game three tonight.

With us now, sports commentator Bomani Jones. He's the host of "The Right Time with Bomani Jones" podcast.

Good to see you this morning.

How do you think fans feel about this, having to arrive two hours before the game to get in, because the president's going to be there?

BOMANI JONES, HOST, "THE RIGHT TIME WITH BOMANI JONES" PODCAST: Well, I think that's the part that will probably cause people more problems, regardless of who the person is, regardless of what the reason is, right? Like, you're going to need to get there early.

On the bright side, I think that people who had tickets to this game would want to be there early. This is the most anticipated basketball game in this city in literally 56 years. So, I mean, people were going to be there probably as early as they could. It's just going to be an increased hassle and inconvenience.

BERMAN: Yes, you bring up a good point. Tickets are so expensive, you might as well get your money's worth. You might as well be in the stadium as long as you possibly can for the $6,000 or whatever it is that you're paying for those seats and hope that something comes along with those seats. Maybe the beer won't be $30, but I -- but I fear it will be.

Just the significance of this game because you touched on that, Bomani, I am not a native New Yorker. I'm from Boston. So, this makes me a little bit crazy. But I do recognize how much this means to New Yorkers having not been in the finals since 1999.

JONES: I mean, I think the thing you have to remember is that the Nets moved into the city as an NBA team I guess about 15 years ago. But for the duration of that time, basically, the city has had two of everything when it comes to sports, except for the basketball team. Like, the basketball team is the one thing that everybody here shares. And this is absolutely a basketball town.

Now keep this part in mind. The Knicks have only won two championships ever, and it's been 53 years since the last time they won one. When the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, the big deal was that they hadn't won one since 1940. Well, that was 54 years. Like, I think we actually undersell how long it's been since these fans, who are loyal in a way that I honestly cannot relate to, have been waiting for something like this. The level of happiness that you see in the streets of New York City right now, I don't think anything but the Knicks could generate that.

BERMAN: You're right. I mean, you're right. Just full stop. I mean, I was -- I was in Connecticut, northern Connecticut yesterday out on the streets and people were yelling, "go Knicks!"

[08:45:05]

Like, out of nowhere. Like, out of context they were concerned about that. It's a huge, huge deal around here, Bomani. I will say, though, that given how important this is to people, there are mixed feelings about the president being there and throwing that political element into it.

I did speak to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about this. He is a native New Yorker. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): I'm not sure it's going to be a good reception for him, but why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing? Like literally, the Knicks haven't been in the NBA finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We've embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself. I mean, come on, seriously, give us a break. Why doesn't this guy just focus on trying to improve the quality of life of the American people because the Trump economy has been a disaster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, what about the mixture or the injection, as he says, of politics into sports, Bomani?

JONES: No, this isn't about the injection of politics into sports. This is about the injection of Trump into sports. If this were just about any other president, I don't think it would go over the way that it would. This is specifically about this man, whose relationship with his hometown is fraught, I think would be a fair thing to point out.

But in this time, in this moment, with this guy, ain't nobody really trying to hear this. Like, what was the most surprising thing about it to me is that Trump normally turns up at like college football games. Places that for him are home games. This is not a home game no matter where he's from. This is an away game. I am surprised that this is something that he wants to do, because he typically thrives on positive affirmation. And he ain't going to get none of that in Madison Square Garden. Like not a bit.

BERMAN: That's an interesting take, this is not a home game for the president, despite being from New York.

Bomani Jones, great to see you. Thanks for sticking around. Appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: A CNN exclusive for you this morning, scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, say that they are facing pressure to alter safety reviews of chemicals commonly found in consumer products and to downplay potential risks to human health and the environment. This reporting and concern coming out of the agency, just as the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental regulations. CNN's Rene Marsh has this reporting. She's joining us now.

Rene, tell us more of what you've learned.

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, good morning.

Many people, you know, don't realize that a lot of the products we use every day to get ready in the morning, to clean our houses, to make our laundry smell good, they contain chemicals that have never fully been reviewed by the EPA for their impact on human health and the environment. And now some longtime EPA employees tell me that they're being pushed by supervisors to downplay the potential risk of some of these chemicals that are in products on store shelves right now. One employee tells me, when EPA scientists are assessing these chemicals to determine potential harm to human health, if putting two hands in a chemical, for example, shows risk, a supervisor might ask, what if you dip one hand? What if you dip one finger? Essentially in search of the smallest amount of contact needed to call the chemical safe. That's according to this employee.

Now, the EPA pushed back on all this, saying that it is, and I'm quoting, "implementing the president's executive order on restoring gold standard science across its risk evaluations," and that it is, quote, "using realistic exposure scenarios rather than defaulting to compounded worst case assumptions.

And you may be wondering, well, why are products on store shelves? Why do they contain, you know, chemicals that most people assume that these products are safe? And why is it that there are chemicals in these products that the EPA has not fully reviewed for human health impact? Well, the answer to that is, when the nation's first chemical safety law was passed back in 1976, there were some 62,000 chemicals already in production or on the market that were grandfathered in with no requirement for the EPA to do a health risk review. And that law has since been updated. And now the agency is mandated to review those chemicals. And that's the work that's happening now that scientists say is under this political pressure. And they say former chemical industry lobbyists at the Trump administration appointed to run key offices to regulate these chemicals in consumer goods, they are the ones, they say, driving the change in this process.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right. Thanks so much for the reporting, Rene Marsh. I really appreciate it.

MARSH: Sure.

BOLDUAN: So, the moment a suspect hijacks a police cruiser with an officer inside. What happened here and how this all came to an end.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:53:40] BERMAN: So, in Dallas, a suspect who had been handcuffed in the back of a patrol car somehow slipped one hand free, then tried to escape. And when officers restrained him or tried to, the suspect climbed into the driver's seat and drove off, with one officer still in the back. Now, the chase ended when the suspect jumped from the moving vehicle. Both the officer and the suspect were hospitalized.

In Florida, a Hillsborough County deputy found a woman unconscious in the car with no pulse after a crash. You can see it all right there. Went in with a second deputy right now. They tried to pull her out. They did pull her out. They applied CPR (ph) and other rescue techniques. The woman is now in stable condition.

So, a Texas homeowner got a big surprise when he came face to face with an alligator on his front porch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was going to go on my walk this morning. And all the lights were off. And I banged into him with the screen door. And I go, I thought it was an Amazon package.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a weird looking at Amazon package.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: I do not think you can order that from Amazon. Police were able to safely remove the small alligator from the porch, and they released it in a nearby pond so it can be delivered safely somewhere else, Kate.

[08:55:03]

BOLDUAN: Yes, I -- you can order anything.

BERMAN: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: I bet you, I bet you, you can order it from Amazon. And I am not saying anyone should.

OK, here we go. Maine is heading to the polls tomorrow. Graham Platner, who is still hoping to win the Democratic nomination and face Republican Senator Susan Collins come November, appeared to grow emotional during a town hall with supporters yesterday. This is after the latest controversy that he is facing. Several women coming forward to say he was volatile and toxic in relationships with them. At least one woman accusing Platner of physically threatening behavior, which Platner disputes. And while Platner was welcomed by an enthusiastic and supportive crowd yesterday, Democrats continue to grapple with how to respond to this.

I want to play for you Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who campaigned with Platner just on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): People in Maine knew that he had had two tours of duty in Iraq. He came back broken, in a dark place. That doesn't excuse his behavior, but they knew this.

MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: Are you confident all the damaging info is out?

KHANNA: That's what he says. My sense is, before the primary, a lot of this has come out. Obviously, look, if there was evidence of violence, I would not support him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Joining me right now kind of on the state of things, this race, politics and much more, joining me now is senior political and global affairs commentator Rahm Emanuel, former ambassador to Japan, former Chicago mayor, former chief of staff to President Obama.

It's good to see you.

RAHM EMANUEL, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Good to see you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks for being here.

EMANUEL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Let's start here with Graham Platner.

It is a seat that Democrats need to win if they want to take -- retake the majority in the Senate. He clearly has supporters still turning out for him at events despite the controversies he's facing. But you are seeing different responses from Democrats on how to handle. Some saying it's too much what he's facing. He's not a good candidate. He's not a good representation for the Democratic Party, and others saying he's been held accountable and taken accountability. What do you do with this?

EMANUEL: Yes, well, here's the thing. First, the Maine voters are going to decide.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

EMANUEL: Second, it's really ultimately -- it's not what national Democrats have to say. It's his veracity. And I think one of the things that's troubling, whether it's about this case or -- and I happen to think his private stuff is for him and his wife to figure out. That's not for anybody else to comment. But he said one thing about the Nazi tattoo on his chest, and it turned out that wasn't accurate. Other things about the past that aren't accurate. So, veracity, to me, is the big issue. And that's a big concern. And I think that's what's going to -- the Maine voters are going to have to decide that. They're pretty good at making a judge of character. But there's going to be an important, from a national perspective, and then that's where you separate from the local.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

EMANUEL: This is an essential race if you want to think about not just taking control of the Senate, but if there's a Supreme Court decision next up, you want to have a Democratic Senate.

BOLDUAN: But with -- Ro Khanna is a good example. Just -- he said -- he called the behavior misogynistic and shameful. And then believed he's taken accountability and clearly is still supporting him. But you do -- there is that question out there, of course, as, is there more?

EMANUEL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: And that then becomes, does the --

EMANUEL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Do you think he is a -- it's -- if you really want the seat, is this the candidate that you want?

EMANUEL: Yes. No, I would say two things on this. One is, if you look at this, his candidacy has become something like a Rorschach test for Democrats. If you're on one perspective, you're thinking this way. If on another, you want to project something else onto him, hoping it's a reflection of that.

The one thing I would say, a lot of the people that have been backing and recruiting his candidacy were the ones that, if you go back to the Pennsylvania primary, or against Conor Lamb, a more moderate candidate, and Fetterman has become a kind of a pig in a poke (ph). And so that's kind of what's leery here or what's lurking out on the periphery.

And so, this is going to be a test. The Maine voters are going to pick. And these are the candidates -- certain people in the party recruited him. I think -- I get back to one thing, it's his veracity.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

EMANUEL: It's not this story or that story. It's telling the truth on the front end, not having it discovered on the back end.

BOLDUAN: So, division in politics is something you've been talking a lot about. You just did a whole bike tour across New Hampshire.

EMANUEL: And I like proof that I'm still standing.

BOLDUAN: I was impressed that you were still here standing because of it. You just wrapped it. What did you hear? Why did you do this? And what did you hear?

EMANUEL: Yes, well, first of all, I love biking. I think it's a great way. You see people in the back yard, on the front porch, et cetera. Second is, to kind of hear exactly, like I ran into two examples. A young doctor. He says he spends 50 percent of his time arguing with the insurance companies about care that he wants to give. When my dad was a pediatrician, when he was alive, the second medical opinion asked was another health care professional, not an insurance executive. And that constantly reinforces a nurse in Iowa who said the same thing.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

EMANUEL: They're spending half their time because insurance companies know one word in the English language, no. I've never heard them say yes.

Then there was a young plumber, and a -- and his wife to be, and they get their health care through Obamacare. Now, it just went up $100. But we were talk -- he actually recognized and stuff and we were talking at a coffee shop about, he has his own business.

[09:00:05]

Another -- he just hired another plumber.