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Rubio Visits Middle East to Sell Peace Agreement to Gulf Allies; Trump Meets With NATO Chief, Mark Rutte, at White House; Rubio Pushes to Separate Israel-Lebanon From Iran Talks; Europe Swelters Under Record High Temperatures; Heat Alerts Issued for 23 Countries Across Europe Today; Gates Said Epstein Tried to Pressure Him Using Personal Information; Lesley Groff Denies Any Knowledge of Epstein's Wrongdoing,; Trump Refuses to Sign Housing Bill, Cites Stalled Voting Measure; Team USA Prepares for Final Match in Group Play Against Turkey. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 24, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": -- story. Jennifer, what is Rubio's message to these allies?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Brianna, Rubio is billing this as much more of a listening tour rather than one that they are speaking to the allies, delivering any sort of concrete message other than that they want them to be strongly aligned when it comes to these Iran negotiations. Now, the Secretary of State said he also was there to thank these allies for their support during the course of that conflict.

Now, he just spoke to reporters a little while ago in Kuwait, wrapping up the second of his stops in the region, and I want you to take a listen to what he described as his messaging.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: We want them to know and we want to reiterate and begin to talk to them and engage them on conversations about every decision that's made with regards to this negotiation. We're not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies, our long-standing allies in the region. That's what we're here to do, to get their input.

They're our partners. I'm not here to tell them, I'm here to hear as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANSLER: Now, Rubio said he did not sense any skepticism about the U.S. commitment to security in the region. He said, you know, the U.S. has assets and troops that are stationed in each of these countries. Now despite the fact that he is saying they are soliciting input on the negotiations, the U.S. has made clear already that they are going to be looking to the region, to the Gulf in particular, to help implement a lot of the portions of this MOU, particularly when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.

This is something that Vice President, J.D. Vance, and other U.S. officials have said will be a key asset for the Gulf allies to reach an agreement with Iran to make sure that there is free passage through that critical waterway. The other issue that is expected to fall on the Gulf allies is the issue of Iran's missile and proxy programs. This is something that was not spelled out explicitly in the U.S.-Iran MOU, and it is something that is of utmost importance to the region, more so than the Iranian nuclear program because it is such a near- term threat for all of these countries, many of which, as you said, have been hit by Iranian missiles and drones throughout the course of that war.

Now Rubio said that would also be a topic of conversation during his visits, how to address that proxy and missile issue. Brianna?

KEILAR: Jennifer Hansler, live for us from the State Department. Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": In just a couple of hours, President Trump is set to meet with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at the White House, a face-to-face meeting that comes at a critical time. President Trump has been lashing out at the alliance over what he says has been a lack of support for the Iran War. Here is Rutte responding to that during an interview with Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I know there is disappointment, but let's also see these are isolated cases because there is something more to say about this. Country after country, ally after ally after ally have made their bases available for Epic Fury, and therefore Europe being this, yeah, let's say platform of power projection for the United States.

So there's more to this than the isolated cases, and sometimes that gets a bit lost now, I think, in the discussion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss with Mark Esper. He served as Defense Secretary in the first Trump administration. He's also a Partner at Red Cell Venture Capital.

Secretary, thanks so much for being with us. So the Secretary General is here weeks before this important summit in Turkey, trying to ease tensions with Trump. How should he go about doing that?

MARK ESPER, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, good afternoon, Boris. It's good to be with you. Yes, this summit in Turkey is going to be an important summit. It'll be one where the allies will be present. They'll have to confront a number of issues. The longstanding concern with regard to support for Ukraine against the war in Ukraine, but the most recent one, as was teed up, was the issue of allied support for Operation Epic Fury. And then there are other matters that need to be discussed, such as the repositioning of U.S. forces in Europe or the withdrawal of them. We also have a new dynamic. Hungary will know Viktor Orban's government will not be there, which is a positive. So there will be a number of issues at stake. And I think what's important will be to see that we come out of this unified, more unified than we are right now.

SANCHEZ: Is there a role for the NATO alliance in negotiating a deal with Iran, whether to keep the Strait of Hormuz open or to allow for inspections of nuclear facilities, et cetera?

ESPER: I think there's certainly a role for NATO allies. And when I say that, I mean not the institution of NATO, but the European capitals, particularly those who have either a capability or a role. So we have some countries, such as the U.K. and Germany, that have minesweepers. Those would be very important to have right now in the Strait of Hormuz, clearing out the main pathway, the main artery into and out of the Gulf.

Another example would be, as we talked about, the use of air bases. I was very disappointed when countries such as Italy and Spain denied Americans' forces the use of air bases as part of Epic Fury. We weren't asking them to join in. I understand why they wouldn't want to.

[13:35:00]

But denying us the use of bases was a really bad call, and I was quite disappointed in the allies there. So I think the more we can get some of that behind us and get focused on the way ahead, not just again with Ukraine, but also with Iran. I mean, Iran is a threat to the region, but also to Europe with its long-range missiles. And of course, we know their proxies, their terrorists, their cells are located not only United States, but in Europe as well.

SANCHEZ: I do want to get into some of the policy surrounding Gulf countries and the details in the memorandum of understanding in relation to threats that they face. I wonder with the secretary of state visiting some Gulf allies, they largely oppose the Obama nuclear deal because it didn't address many of their concerns. Do you think this framework goes further in doing that?

ESPER: Well, you're right. They did oppose the JCPOA when it was signed, and then they cheered it when President Trump ripped it up in 2018. And so I think at this point in time, they're very skeptical or if not disappointed in the progress of the war and not happy from what I can read and hear with regard to the MOU. But we need to see, going forward, how this evolves now that we're in the framework phase of negotiations.

As I look at it, the MOU, the 14 points, from their perspective, there would be at least three things that I'm concerned about. I assume that they're sharing these concerns with Secretary Rubio. One, of course, would be control of the Strait of Hormuz. We know that one of the paragraphs in there says that it will be toll free, but the Iranians have inserted language that after the 60 days, they may impose fees for environmental issues, for security, for safety matters.

That would be issue number one, because if Iran is allowed to control the Strait, that would have a very big impact on the maritime traffic and commercial trade of the Arab states. The second one would be, of course, the $300 billion reconstruction fund. What are they expected to put up for that at a time when they're going to need, in many cases, to rebuild their own refineries, production sites, repair cities, et cetera.

And then the third item, Boris, I want to mention, which has not been discussed, but which, of course, concerns me, is paragraph four, which speaks to the U.S. military. And it says that the U.S. military blockade will end within 30 days of the MOU being signed.

And we're, of course, in that period now. But more importantly, it says that within 30 days of the final deal, U.S. forces will withdraw from the proximity of Iran. I don't know what that means. The proximity of Iran includes, in my view, U.S. bases up and down the Gulf Coast and U.S. forces in every single one of those countries. That's not very well defined. That's a major question for me and for the Gulf Arab states, who see U.S. as a security provider. I'm sure they have a lot of questions about that paragraph also.

SANCHEZ: That is a really important point. Another subject that you mentioned previously that the MOU doesn't specifically address is on proxies. And the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel do not really appear to be going well, given that what happens with Hezbollah may be the crux of these negotiations. Iran has insisted that those talks are linked to any long-term deal. Secretary Rubio, through many statements that he's made, appears to be trying to pull the two apart. How do you see it?

ESPER: Do you mean with regard to Lebanon and Israel?

SANCHEZ: Yeah. How big a factor is that in a final deal? Is it possible that Iran may relent? Does the U.S. need to exert more force with Israel to move out of southern Lebanon? Should Tehran put more work toward getting Hezbollah to stop targeting Israel? How do you see the whole conflict?

ESPER: Sure. Yeah, well, look, the last couple of years, Israel has had Hezbollah on the ropes in Lebanon. And, of course, Syria had transitioned the government, which also hurt both Hezbollah and Iran. And so Hezbollah has been the longest standing and most capable partner of Iran. So Iran is going to do everything it can to keep Hezbollah alive. And on the other hand, Israel sees Hezbollah as part of the existential threat with regard to its country.

I mean, currently, we have thousands and thousands of Israelis that can't return to their homes in northern Israel because of the continued threat of Hezbollah attacks against them. So I think that will continue to be a factor. Iran will continue to push to include them as part of the deal.

The U.S., at least Israel, will push to not include them. And I think that issue will continue to be a spoiler, Boris. In fact, today, within the last few hours, there have been an Israeli attack into southern Lebanon. So this will go on and on at any point in time. It could disrupt the talks, suspend the talks. It'll cause heated rhetoric. But it'll be an issue that's not going away.

And I don't see, frankly, Israel withdrawing from Lebanon anytime soon. Over 70 percent of Israelis support continued military operations against Hezbollah. That comes at a time when Bibi Netanyahu has a very important election coming up in the fall.

[13:40:00]

So politically, he can't afford to back down either.

SANCHEZ: One of the very complicated facets of an entirely complicated process to get to a deal. Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, thanks so much for joining us.

ESPER: Thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Still ahead, an extreme heatwave across Europe has sent people scrambling for relief and new research shows this may just be the start of summer scorchers every year for the continent. We'll explain when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:00]

KEILAR: The World Health Organization is urging leaders to prioritize climate action as Europe deals with record-breaking heat. The WHO's chief posting on X, the heatwave is closing schools and putting people's health at risk. As scorching temperatures grip Europe, young people are drowning in rivers and lakes, and experts warn it's only going to get worse. Officials say at least 42 people drowned in France in the last week, many of them teenagers who are swimming in unsupervised areas.

CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir, is with us now. That is a staggering number. Tell us what experts are forecasting here, Bill.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, in the short term, a lot more heat, just for this week. We're talking about temperatures 112 degrees in France, 113 degrees in southern Spain, and these are countries without air conditioning. About 20 to 25 percent of the homes in France have air conditioning. It's seen as wasteful and extravagant. It's seen as American, frankly. But these days, it is the meaning, it's the difference between life and death, especially for the vulnerable, the elderly, in these houses that were built for a different Earth, a much cooler one, right now, and obviously with energy policy around the world being what it is, this isn't changing anytime soon.

So this is very much a week of adaptation, as the watchword, of waking people up to the reality that this is what summer is going to look like in Europe as the jet stream, thanks to climate change, breaks down. Instead of holding cold air at the top and warm air below it, it is now creating these big lobes of either hot or cold air, depending on the season. The one now is sort of shaped like the Greek omega symbol and just sits there for an extended period of time. Overnight temperatures are off the charts as well.

In France, I think the second highest ever, so no relief overnight. And as that extends, it just becomes much more deadly for the vulnerable. Last year at this time, there was a five-week heatwave in Europe that took about 2,300 lives, so this one could actually be worse.

KEILAR: What is the fallout?

WEIR: The humidity is worse this time around.

KEILAR: Yeah, I mean, it's incredible here, and we're looking at all these people just trying to cool themselves off as they go about their daily lives. What's the fallout from temperatures like this persisting in places that aren't prepared for it?

WEIR: Yeah, I mean, it just takes a toll on health and lives lost. You hope the political fallout is more awareness, more climate action to paying attention to this. Obviously, Europe is much more in tune with climate science and the warnings that are surrounding it there, unlike the United States, where President Trump has sort of declared war on climate science. But we have a big heat dome coming our way, forecasters say, in the next few weeks.

We also have a super El Nino in the Pacific, which takes average temperatures and makes them much worse. When you take the climate change and add on top of that, this could be a really, really brutal summer in North America as well as Europe.

KEILAR: All right, Bill, thank you so much for this. Need to pay attention to it. Boris?

SANCHEZ: In the newly released transcript of what billionaire Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, the Microsoft co-founder acknowledged that he may have been in the presence of Jeffrey Epstein during this three-year relationship with a convicted sex offender. Gates testified behind closed doors and said he never witnessed or anticipated or participated in any sexual misconduct. CNN Senior Reporter Annie Grayer is on Capitol Hill for us.

Annie, what more did Gates say?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Boris, Gates was adamant that he didn't witness or participate in anything illegal, but he walked investigators through what he felt was Epstein blackmailing him through the course of their relationship from 2011 to 2014. Now, Gates said that he was connected with Epstein for business purposes. He said that he thought that Epstein could help him get billions of dollars for his philanthropic efforts.

But Gates said that all he ultimately got out of that relationship was Epstein holding over him that he knew about two of Gates' extramarital affairs. And investigators tried to ask Gates about other affairs that he may have had, but Gates' legal team pushed back and said that they were only there to talk about those potential connections to Epstein.

And at the time of 2011, Gates said that he was aware of Epstein's previous conviction and that it was sort of sexual in nature, but didn't really know the specifics, and said that he really regrets that he maybe looked past that in order to pursue what he thought was a business and philanthropic relationship.

And one thing that Gates was adamant about in this closed-door interview that he appeared for voluntarily, by the way, was that he was never in the presence of any of Epstein's victims.

[13:50:00]

But the top Democrat in the committee, Robert Garcia, pointed out to Gates that through the course of this committee's investigation, they've uncovered that some of Epstein's people -- some of the people who worked for Epstein in his inner circle actually were some of Epstein's victims. So Gates sort of amended his statement there and said, you know, that's a very good point and added, quote, "I may have been in the presence of victims." And what you're seeing is the full statement that Gates made sort of amending his remarks there.

And it just speaks to how this investigation continues to reveal new details, not only about Epstein's inner orbit, but how the men closest to -- how the men that interacted with Epstein, what they really have to say about it. We're learning so much about that. And beyond just the release of Gates' transcript, the Oversight Committee also released the transcript of Lesley Groff, who was one of Epstein's closest assistants, who basically scheduled everything that had to do with Epstein, knew all the details about his life and including scheduling massages for women.

And Groff has been a very controversial figure in Epstein's orbit. She described Epstein as a master manipulator and said she didn't know what the massages that she was scheduling for. She thought that she was scheduling for contractors, didn't think that she would ever be aiding Epstein in potential -- in potential of his crimes.

And we know that Epstein used massages as a way to lure and even victimize women and young girls. So this investigation is ongoing. They have done at least 15 interviews so far, and the Oversight Committee is continuing to plow ahead with its work.

SANCHEZ: Annie Grayer, thank you so much for the latest on that. We are keeping a close eye on Capitol Hill for another reason as well. President Trump holding a potentially tense meeting with Senate Republicans after he refuses to sign a landmark bipartisan Housing Bill.

We'll have details as soon as we get them. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:00] SANCHEZ: Whoa, Canada. Soon, Canada is going to be kicking off what could be the most important game in the team's history at the World Cup. A win or a draw against Switzerland guarantees Canada the top spot in Group B. Don Riddell joins us now live from the fan zone in Atlanta.

Don, Canada can punch a ticket here to the elimination stage.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is an absolutely huge game for Canada and their fans. As you just said, a win or a draw against Switzerland means they will win their group.

And that is absolutely crucial because it means they'll get to play the next two rounds of knockout games, assuming they stay in them, in Vancouver in Canada. So a huge home advantage that the Canadians would want to protect. As you can see, their fans are marching to that game, which is going to be kicking off in just over an hour's time.

They're having a wonderful World Cup so far. They've already picked up their first point, and then that big 6-0 win against Qatar was their first ever World Cup win. They want to keep this going, and it will certainly help if they can play at home until the quarterfinal stage.

SANCHEZ: Don, Brazil also in action today, but they are facing what you might call an army.

RIDDELL: Yeah, Brazil against Scotland. I was born in Edinburgh. I'm very much a Scottish fan, and for the Scots, this is an old enemy. This is going to be the fifth time these two sides have ever played in the World Cup. Scotland have never beaten Brazil ever.

Huge game for Brazil. I think their fans are a little bit concerned that they haven't really hit their stride yet, but they do have four points in their group. A lot of excitement about the return of Neymar. He was a surprise to some that he was recalled into the squad, given that he's been dealing with a lot of injuries lately, and he hasn't played for his country in some two-and-a-half years, but he is expected to play today.

And I think a lot of neutrals will hope that whatever happens, Scotland can stay in this tournament for a little bit longer, because the Americans seem to have really fallen in love with their fans, the Tartan Army, who are just bringing the party everywhere they go. Scotland will be hoping for a result against Brazil today.

It may be that even a slender defeat will be enough to keep them in the tournament, but they won't know if they end up as a third-place team until all the group stages are complete on Saturday night, who's going to progress and who ultimately will be going home.

SANCHEZ: And Don, quickly, the U.S. plays Turkey tomorrow. U.S. already locked into the knockout rounds, but still we could see some important action in that game.

RIDDELL: Yeah, it's an important game. It's an opportunity for the coach, Mauricio Pochettino, to play some of his players who haven't seen much action yet. There is hope that Christian Pulisic, Captain America, can return to the lineup.

Remember, he was taken off injured in the first game. He's spoken to reporters today saying that he's ready to play. We don't know if he will, but he certainly is optimistic that he can get some minutes. But this is a game of zero consequence. The USA have already won the group. They are already looking ahead to the knockout stage.

SANCHEZ: Don Riddell in Atlanta, thank you so much for that update. A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.