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Senate Grills Hegseth, Caine as U.S. Ramps Up Attacks in Iran; Pentagon Pushes for Extra Funding Amid Escalating War With Iran; Trump Downplays Threat of Houthi Blockade in the Red Sea; Singer D4vd in Court, Accused of Killing and Dismembering Girl; Lindsey Graham to Be Memorialized in Special Ceremony at U.S. Capitol Next Week; Five Drown in Attempt to Help Struggling Swimmer. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired July 21, 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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[13:33:34]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": We are standing by in Washington where in just about an hour from now, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, will testify to the Senate Appropriations Committee. They're attempting to get approval for the Trump administration's $87 billion supplemental spending request, the bulk of which is for the U.S. war with Iran.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": And this is actually the first time that lawmakers will get to ask these top defense officials questions since the U.S. ramped up attacks in Iran earlier this month and since four American service members were killed over the weekend. President Trump was asked about the war earlier in the Oval Office, and here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are no signs that Iran is ready to stop fighting. So, what is the plan? Is the plan to just keep bombing until they give up?

(CROSSTALK)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, how do you know that there are no signs? Well, do you know something that I don't know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, they continue to attack our allies.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: You don't know what the dialog is behind the scenes, that they want to meet desperately to try and end it because they're getting decimated.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: We're joined now by former State Department Representative on the Trump administration's Iran Negotiating Team, Nate Swanson. He's now the director of the Iran Strategy Project at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. We're also joined by Hagar Chemali. She's a former Director for Syria and Lebanon at the White House National Security Council. She's now the President of the Lebanon-Israel Peace Alliance.

Hagar, some Republicans are telling CNN that they do not have a grasp on what the U.S. military's remaining capacity is at this point, five months -- about five months into this war.

[13:35:00]

And yet, you have Pete Hegseth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, coming to the Hill, asking for tens of billions of dollars. How unusual is that?

HAGAR CHEMALI, FORMER DIRECTOR FOR SYRIA & LEBANON, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Yeah, it's super unusual. I mean, I can tell you, usually the Department of Defense, Department of War, is very good at contingency planning, at planning ahead. This is what they do. They have throngs of people to do this kind of work.

And the unfortunate part is that, for something that could be planned out, they can plan, this is what the military does, they can plan how to threaten the Iranian regime further. They can plan, they understand Kharg Island, they understand the Strait of Hormuz. They understand these things, and they also understand what it means to have combat readiness within the United States. That's something that is always -- something that shouldn't be broached.

But the fact is that, for a lot of reasons, you see the administration kind of holding its cards close on the next steps. At the end of the day, I think that you're going to see this go up and down, because both sides, both the Iranians and the United States, are trying to kick the can down the road a little bit.

SANCHEZ: Nate, what would you ask the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Defense Secretary?

NATE SWANSON, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IRAN NEGOTIATING TEAM: Yeah, to what end do you want additional funds for? What are you trying to achieve? I don't think we have a clear idea of what the objective is now, even six months into the war.

Is it to better strengthen your hand in negotiations, or is it something else? I don't think we know the answer to this.

KEILAR: Do you think, I mean, they've been on the Hill before, they've had to answer questions before. Are they just going to get a lot of the same questions that they still may not have answers to?

CHEMALI: Yeah, I mean, I think so. You know, it's interesting what Nate is mentioning here, because the goal at the beginning was regime change. That was very clear. And now the goalposts have moved. And the goals are probably more domestic in nature, low gas prices, Straits stay open, everybody vote Republican in November. We don't want that affected.

And that's what I mean when I say, you know, kicking the can down the road. And on the regime side, they just want to survive and hopefully survive until a new president in the United States, maybe one that's more lenient. You're allowed to move goalposts, by the way, in a military operation or in a war. That's normal for the United States government.

But being clear about it is critical when you're asking for additional funds, especially at a time as critical as this.

SANCHEZ: The backdrop of this hearing, Nate, is that mediators have floated a 10-day ceasefire that would allow for more traffic through the Straits, something that the White House is downplaying. How serious is that an effort as an off-ramp?

SWANSON: I mean, I think the administration is facing an inflection point, right? I think what we've seen in the conflict over the past nine days, ten days, is that it's actually getting more severe, right? The U.S. is taking out civilian infrastructure. Iran is kind of doing the same in the Gulf and Kuwait. And, you know, it's killed four Americans, tragically. So, you know, the stakes are going up.

So we're at this inflection point where we either need to take a peace off-ramp or escalate. And so this 10-day ceasefire will almost exclusively focus on the Strait of Hormuz and it doesn't answer the big questions, but it's a choice in the road for the administration.

SANCHEZ: And Nate, you also have the Houthis now threatening their own blockade. How much pressure does that put on the situation? What could that look like if it plays out?

SWANSON: I mean, this is definitely good from an Iranian perspective that this is an additional pressure on the U.S. But I do think it's important to remember the Houthis have their own set of goals and objectives that are independent of Iran. So I think a lot of this has to do with just the Houthis' own relationship with the Saudis and trying to leverage the Saudis. But, unfortunately, it's to Iran's benefit in the short term.

SANCHEZ: Hagar, we had the Lebanese president and President Trump in the Oval Office today and I imagine you saw some of their interactions. Talk to us about where talks between Lebanon and Israel stand right now and, obviously, how that fits into the broader process given that Hezbollah is a proxy of Iran.

CHEMALI: Yeah, things are going well. And in fact, I would say it's the only peace process working right now. You had talks last week in Rome that happened without much fanfare. And that is a sign of how well they're going because both sides rolled their sleeves up and got to work on executing the trilateral framework agreement that they signed a few weeks ago. So both sides are in it to try and reach an agreement, and that's why it's working out because you've got a legitimate government and military on one side in Lebanon and, you know, obviously in Israel. And both sides want this to work out. So now they're trying to get to those details.

And the meeting today between President Trump and President Aoun, which went very well, is -- a lot of that we'll be talking further about how the United States can support the Lebanese Armed Forces further in this mission, you know, that the United States and Israel are asking them to carry out.

KEILAR: Are you surprised, Nate, that we are where we are on Lebanon considering as the MOU is being negotiated? It seemed that that was actually the really difficult part of this, is there a way to stop fighting there in southern Lebanon, and here, you actually have the IDF leaving, turning over villages to the Lebanese military.

SWANSON: Yeah, I mean, I think your views on the peace process probably depend on where you sit, right? So I think from a Lebanon- Israel perspective maybe it's going well. I don't think Iran is thrilled with the status quo and, you know, Hezbollah, of course, is rejecting it. So that does create long-term problems and this is a potential stumbling block for U.S.-Iran relationships.

[13:40:00]

But they're secondary to the bigger concerns, if they close the Strait.

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: You don't know that it will hold, is your point?

SWANSON: Yeah, and it seems like the Vance process he set up, you know, in Switzerland is separate from this, right? There's these two separate processes that seem to contradict each other, but you know, I welcome progress in the one channel.

SANCHEZ: Do you think we'll see a meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu?

CHEMALI: I do when this framework agreement is implemented. You know, Aoun's been very clear about that. He wants peace. He would like to sign peace. He knows that the framework agreement, that the end goal is a comprehensive peace deal, and the Trump administration seems to be aware that there's a lot of promise and potential in this process, which is the good part about it.

Of course, the Iranian regime and Hezbollah are never going to be supportive, but Hezbollah is really weak right now in Lebanon. They called for protests after the framework agreement, and a dozen people showed up. So, you know, now is the time to seize that opportunity and that's the only way you're going to undermine these nefarious actors.

KEILAR: Hagar and Nate, thank you so much to both of you. It's a critical time. We appreciate you being here to talk about it.

SWANSON: Thank you.

KEILAR: Next to Los Angeles, where Singer D4vd is in court. A judge will soon decide whether there's enough evidence to move forward with a trial after the remains of a 14-year-old girl were found in the trunk of the singer's car.

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[13:46:01]

KEILAR: Happening now, the singer known as D4vd is in a Los Angeles courtroom for a critical hearing in his murder case. A judge is viewing evidence against the musician, whose real name is David Burke, to see if there is enough to proceed to trial. Los Angeles police arrested Burke in April.

He's accused of killing and dismembering a 14-year-old runaway, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, to stop her from going public about their relationship. The 21-year-old has pleaded not guilty. CNN Senior Investigative Correspondent, Kyung Lah is with us now with the latest here.

Kyung, what's happened at this hearing so far?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, I want to lay out one thing that is important for our viewers to know, is that we're not allowed to report what's happening in the courtroom right now due to the rules of the court until there's a break, and cameras are not allowed in court. But I can tell you that it is underway, and David Anthony Burke, who's known as D4vd to his fans, is present in the courtroom.

This is, as you explained, a preliminary hearing. It's expected to take several days. This is a first-degree murder case with special circumstances. So what does that mean? Those special circumstances are involving continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and mutilating human remains. I want to touch on the victim here. She's just a kid. She's 14-years-old, Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

And prosecutors say D4vd first made contact with her when she was just 11-years-old. Prosecutors say a sexual relationship began when she was 13. She was reported missing three times by her family during this time, and CNN recovered photographic and video evidence of the pair together multiple times.

Prosecutors say all of this came to a head, this relationship. She threatened to expose their relationship according to court documents and that they allege that was a possible motive. Her body was found in a Tesla registered to D4vd, and he was arrested last April.

D4vd, Brianna, has pled not guilty to these charges.

KEILAR: And if this does, Kyung, move forward, will California prosecutors seek the death penalty in the case? Do we have a sense of that?

LAH: Well, they have said that they intend, and this does qualify as a death penalty case. But here's something important to note here. California currently has a statewide moratorium on the death penalty. So even if they are successful, if a jury does find that he is guilty and should face a death penalty, that ultimate step may not actually happen. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, very important to note about California. Kyung, thank you so much. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Senate Majority Leader, John Thune says the late Senator Lindsey Graham will be honored with a special ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 28th, a week from today.

Graham's sister, Senator Darline Graham, says her brother's remains will be carried to the Capitol by an armed forces body-bearer team. Later in the day, there will be a formal funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. And the following day, honors will continue at the South Carolina State House, which will be followed by a funeral procession, a flyover, and a service in Columbia.

The announcement comes as Darline Graham revealed she will run for her brother's seat this November. She was, of course, appointed last week to serve out the remainder of his term. A special primary election will take place on August 11th.

Plus, a tragedy near Columbus, Ohio after an attempt to save a struggling swimmer ends with five people dead. Officials say it appears the group was fishing in a river. One went to swim, and then four others jumped into the water to help.

When that person started to struggle, all five of them, two women, three men, didn't make it. The sheriff's office says a child with the group ran to the road and flagged down a driver for help. That child and another are now in the care of Family Services.

[13:50:00]

And a bus driver in London makes a surprising discovery in a laundry bag. Look at this, a caged monkey. It's thought to have been dumped by its owner. This marmoset, which has since been nicknamed Oyster, is said to be healthy and is now settling into a sanctuary for primates. Officials say Oyster's apparent abandonment likely will be the first of many following some recent legislation.

New rules that mean that all primates in England must be kept in zoo level conditions effectively amounting to them being banned as pets. It's estimated that 5,000 primates in the U.K. are currently being kept as pets.

So we're just minutes away from critical testimony on the Iran War, five months into what the White House originally labeled as a weeks- long excursion. The nation's top military leaders are asking for $87 billion in additional funding. We'll bring you that hearing live in just a few minutes.

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[13:55:49]

SANCHEZ: CNN has learned that the Trump administration is quietly moving to rewrite historic preservation rules. If passed, the changes would help pave the way for constructing the president's pet projects such as what you see on your screen, the Triumphal Arch. At least one critic has called these proposed changes really shocking.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joins us now. Sunlen, walk us through these proposed changes and what makes them shocking.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, this is really quite significant. We're talking about regulations that have been in place for over 50 years. To get a little bit in the weeds here, this all involves Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, that is -- basically instructs, mandates agencies to look at the impact of projects on historical properties.

So this is in essence what the Trump administration has been running up against and really at the heart of much of the legal challenges over things like the Arch, the Reflecting Pool, the East Potomac Golf Course, the Kennedy Center, for example. So according to a draft of these changes that we obtained, It's numerous. But pulling out just to one, currently the rules state that if the project is going to create adverse effects, the agency in charge is required to consider alternatives. And this is their language, to avoid minimize or mitigate adverse effects

But the new changes, slight word change, but a significant difference. It says now that the change in the language goes to reasonable mitigation measures, so it really takes a little bit of the onus on the people who are calling for this property to address the adverse effects. Also, it does not mandate, it just suggests a public comment period, but critics really are all over this.

Preservationists, historians, they tell me that this gives the Trump administration much more leeway here to get their projects through. Rebecca Miller, the Executive Director of the D.C. Preservation League tells me, quote, "Moving forward, it would give them, as in the administration, free reign to do whatever they wanted to do. It's not even a small tweak, it's a complete gutting of the Section 106 process."

Now, there will be a vote later this week at the agency that's in charge of this, Boris. Then it would potentially go over to OMB, so a little more steps to have to happen. But potentially, in the next few months, we could see these regulations updated, could mean an easier path for some of President Trump's projects.

SANCHEZ: It's notable that the public comment period would only be suggested in part because some of what we've seen in public pushback to some of these projects has been really notable, right? SERFATY: That's right. And in every one of these steps, they have a public comment period. It's mandated that the commissioners bring it up.

SANCHEZ: Right.

SERFATY: 99.9 percent likely --

(LAUGH)

SERFATY: -- that there has been a negative and they've had to make note of it. It will basically fast-track it, no longer mandate that, significant.

SANCHEZ: Sunlen Serfaty, we'll keep an eye on the story. Thank you so much for that reporting.

And a new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

KEILAR: Hegseth on the Hill. The Defense Secretary set to face lawmakers in minutes. We're going to see what he has to say about the administration's strategy following renewed hostilities with Iran and these recent deaths of four U.S. service members.

Plus, search for the source. The FDA says Taylor Farms remains the focus of its cyclospora investigation despite a false positive test. We'll break down what this means for your next trip to the grocery store.

And Maine's likely Democratic candidate for Senate is facing new scrutiny over his temperament, the accusations against Troy Jackson that have resurfaced. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

SANCHEZ: We start this hour with major questions about the war with Iran because, just moments from now, we may get some answers. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Dan Caine, are preparing to testify to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Trump administration is trying to secure an additional $87 billion in funding, most of which would support the war effort. U.S. strikes have pummeled Iran for the last 10 straight days and earlier today, President Trump vowed to not let up. --