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Trump Approves Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia; Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) is Interviewed about a Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia; Severe Storms Cause Flooding and Tornadoes; Maduro Appears in Court; Model Recruiter Linked to Epstein Found Dead. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired July 22, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Important to that group of human beings.

ANDREA FLORES, FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE IMMIGRATION POLICY ADVISER: Absolutely. I served as a policy advisor on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. And I remember when President Trump became the nominee, and you could see he was running on immigration. And then there wasn't really a clear answer on what Secretary Clinton would offer in comparison. And for the last ten years, that's where we've been. President Trump has been clear about what he's offering. And Democrats have become less clear over time. And they've dropped the most popular part of their policy agenda, which is fighting for legalization, which a majority of Latino voters support, including Republican voters. And it's also the opposite of mass deportation, because we're going through what mass deportation looks like. And there have been three Latino men wrongfully killed by federal agents. And there will be more deaths because we have the largest undocumented population in the world. And Congress has not moved forward with legalization, and the majority of those people are Latino.

So, I am trying to warn people about the outcome and the consequences, and trying to help Democrats develop a real response that are political -- that is politically popular, and it's really asking them to go back to what they previously promised.

SIDNER: And we should be clear that Latinos don't all vote the same way. They are not a monolithic group of people.

Andrea Flores, as you know quite well, thank you so much. Interesting piece there. Thank you.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, new this morning, giving nuclear capability to a major country in the Middle East. The new deal that could be announced any minute and what it might mean for a potential nuclear arms race.

Breaking just moments ago, a person who recruited models and introduced young women to Jeffrey Epstein for more than a decade is found dead in his home.

And historic and dangerous flooding. New reports of tornadoes. The new forecast for where this storm system is headed next.

I'm John Berman, with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SIDNER: All right, we've got breaking news for you this morning. A historic agreement. CNN is learning the U.S. has cut a major nuclear deal that could send shock waves through the Middle East. But it's not, of course, with Iran. It's with Saudi Arabia. A U.S. official says President Trump has approved the 30 year deal, which could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich its own nuclear fuel for civilian reactors. But it could also set off a fierce fight in Congress over nuclear proliferation in the region.

CNN's Betsy Klein is live this morning at the White House for us.

This is a -- this is a big deal. And it's -- and it's a shift and a move towards more nukes. What are you learning about this and kind of the reaction as well?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Sara, Saudi Arabia securing what could be a major win from the Trump administration that could be announced as soon as today. President Trump formally signing off, according to three sources, on an agreement that would provide Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program.

Now, this could allow Saudi Arabia to make the material necessary to build a nuclear weapon. This deal would last 30 years and is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars. U.S. companies would be responsible for helping Saudi Arabia to provide that technology and expertise. And the agreement, according to sources, includes limits on what inspections might be carried out in the Saudi program.

Now, before uranium enrichment could begin, a team of U.S. and Saudi officials would explore whether it is warranted and whether its commercially viable. Then the Americans would build the facility without transferring that sensitive technology directly to the Saudis.

Now, "The New York Times" described these concessions made to the Saudis as significant compared to other similar agreements. And this is expected to be controversial, both in the Middle East region, as well as here in Washington. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expected to raise major questions. This agreement has to be sent to Congress for a review. It's possible that it could face a disapproval resolution that could stop it from going into effect, but that would require a veto proof majority.

Experts have raised questions about the oversight for this agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressing that. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I'm not going to opine directly on that agreement. We're going to put out a -- even when the moment is appropriate, we'll put out that in writing. We have to do it with Congress anyways. So, we'll certainly do it publicly. But suffice it to say, the U.S. is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:05:00]

KLEIN: Now, this deal would bolster U.S.-Saudi relations after some strain due to President Trump's war with Iran. It really shows how the Trump administration has taken steps to shore up that alliance.

Israel, meanwhile, has been wary of Saudi Arabia getting a nuclear technology. And while Prime Minister Netanyahu has yet to weigh in on this, some of his political rivals have been sharply critical, warning it carries a dangerous risk, Sara, of proliferation.

SIDNER: This is going to be a battle, but it is fascinating and it is big news this morning.

Betsy Klein, thank you. Good to see you this morning.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, joining us right now is Democratic Congressman John Garamendi of California, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Thanks for being here, Congressman.

On this nuclear deal that CNN now hears from a U.S. official that the president has approved of a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, and as was just discussed, it would come to Congress for approval. What do you know of this? And what do you think of it?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Well, the outline that we just heard is, no, we should never, ever do this. Why would we ever set up a situation in which there would be the likelihood of nuclear proliferation? We've already got around with a -- an ability to enrich uranium to the point of being able to make a bomb. And we're going to turn that over to Saudi Arabia? No, we're not. This is just terrible, terrible policy. We ought to be going in the other direction.

And presumably, that's why Trump was attacking Iran in the first place, was to stop them from being able to develop a nuclear weapon. Now we're going to go, on the other hand, go the other side of the Persian Gulf and have Saudi Arabia with the power to enrich uranium? Enriched uranium can be made into a nuclear weapon. This is really, really bad, bad policy.

Now, if you want to do a -- an energy issue, that's another matter.

BOLDUAN: The U.S. had been looking at a Saudi civilian nuclear agreement for years --

GARAMENDI: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Including under the Biden administration. Kind of as part of, seen in the broader context of the normalization pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia. You don't like this now -- you don't like this ever or you don't like this now if Donald Trump would be negotiating it?

GARAMENDI: Well, the issue about civilian use of nuclear power is certainly on the table. And there has to be serious safeguards if that is to happen. That that cannot be the step towards enriching uranium and/or building a nuclear bomb. We cannot put a situation into the Persian Gulf, in addition to Iran, that would create another country with the ability to enrich uranium and put them on the road to developing a nuclear weapon. This is just really a bad, bad step.

Now, civilian nuclear is another matter, but there you have to have very, very tight controls. And we've done that in other countries. We would provide the fuel and we would be taking the spent fuel out of that area. We don't have that detail, but what we know now, from at least reporting, is that Saudi Arabia would be able to enrich uranium.

No, that is a terrible public policy. It's a terrible policy for the Middle East. It's a terrible policy for America.

BOLDUAN: All right, much more to come on this.

Also just in, the president has been -- just posted on Truth Social about his latest position on the Iran War. I want to read this to you with all of us for the first time. "From this point forward," the president just wrote, "any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by missile, rocket, drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, including those located next to or in the capital city of Tehran."

This gets me to the big question around the emergency funding request for the Iran War, because it very much, clearly, is not over. Did the Joint Chiefs chairman, or the defense secretary, make any headway in convincing you that the Defense Department needs more money -- it needs this emergency funding to continue with this war?

GARAMENDI: No, they did not. They've not been forthcoming with the information. They simply put up a number, new numbers, what, $37 billion, without any detail about why they need that, how they have spent the money.

We do know that that is an incomplete number. We do know that that does not include any of the rebuilding and repair of the military bases in that region.

We also know that there's another, what, $70 billion, almost $80 billion. We don't know what that's going to be spent for. This administration has been stonewalling the Congress in providing the necessary information for us to make a judgment, a thoughtful, knowledgeable judgment about what money needs to be spent.

[09:10:02]

Simultaneously, let me make this very clear, on the floor of the House today will be the defense appropriation bill, which is $1,150,000,000,000 direct spending. And then, in the days ahead, there'll be another $300 billion of money for the Department of Defense. And it's not clear where and how that money will be spent.

This administration is just spending money left, right and center, or asking for money to be spent without justifying where and how that is -- that will be spent, and why it is necessary. We should be -- we should be using our power to hold this administration to account, not only for the Iran War, for which they never came to Congress for authority, which is not in line with the Constitution. This administration wants to do it all by themselves. And if we were to move forward with the $37 billion -- or the $79 billion that they have requested, they would simply have another blank check to spend the money anywhere they want to spend it. That is terrible policy. And the Congress of the United States should never give any administration, and particularly this administration, the ability to spend money and move it around wherever they may want to move it.

BOLDUAN: Congressman, thanks for coming in this morning. You guys have some big questions ahead of you right now.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, officials are beginning to assess the damage left behind by severe storms that swept through the mid- Atlantic and northeast. West Virginia hit hard with historic flooding that shattered previous records. In one county, more than five inches of rain fell in just six hours. At least three other states, that storm system caused tornadoes.

Let's get right to meteorologist Chris Warren for the latest on what we're seeing today.

Chris.

CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, John, nine reported tornadoes. And now the threat for more strong storms exists.

And new at this hour also, the level up just one notch here in northern Maine with the potential for some of the stronger storms, which will include damaging winds, possibly a tornado or two throughout parts of the East Coast. But it is going to be the rain. A lot of the worst of it that we saw in the northeast last night, now moving offshore. But this zone right here, the front that caused all the mess throughout the northeast and into the Virginias, into West Virginia, that front is just going to kind of hang out for a while.

So, with that, the flood threat remains. Flood watches posted here in North Carolina, Virginia, parts of Tennessee. Also the Delmarva.

Here's that front. It's just going to hang out. And then Bertha, as it moves into Texas eventually, along the way its moisture will be drawn into this area where the front is. And the front is the focus for the rain and storms that potentially could lead to some more flooding right into the weekend, as this front just sort of hangs out.

And as it hangs out, the orange and red that shows up on the map here, these are the heavier rain showers, possibly thunderstorms that will have the better chance for some -- providing some very heavy flooding rains.

So, John, that threat does continue over the next few days for some very heavy rain that could lead to flooding.

BERMAN: Looks like southern Virginia and North Carolina have an interesting few days ahead of them.

Chris Warren, thank you very much for that.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Also some breaking news coming in. A man who recruited models and introduced them to Jeffrey Epstein has now been found dead. Paris police are now investigating.

And also soon the family of the teenager who died after a July 4th boating trip with friends is set to release the results of an independent autopsy. That could happen any minute now, and we could learn more about this ongoing investigation into the death of Nolan Wells.

And the long journey to relocate beluga whales from a closed theme park. That long journey nearly now over. Where they're finding a new home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:35]

BOLDUAN: Today, Venezuela's -- well ex and captured leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife will be back in a New York courtroom. They face drug trafficking, narco terrorism and weapons charges, which they have denied. But a lot going on here.

Let's get to CNN's Evan Perez. He's outside the court for us.

Evan, what could happen today?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kate, one of the interesting things about this case is that it has been moving so slowly. The judge overseeing this, Alvin Hellerstein, has not set a trial date, which is surprising at this point. So, the government and the lawyers for the Maduros have now agreed that they are going to ask for a trial date. They're asking for this case to go on trial in June of 2027. And they've laid out a very -- a very, you know, extensive timeline for a number of different procedural steps between now and then, including, of course, the discovery, the turning over of evidence as required by law. And, of course, there is going to be classified evidence that the government is going to have to turn over to the Maduro lawyers before this case gets there.

So, we'll see whether Judge Hellerstein agrees to that trial date. But that is what we are expected to have go on today in court.

The Maduros, of course, you'll remember, were captured back in January in that extraordinary U.S. military raid. They're facing charges related to, according to the government, running essentially a cartel, helping to use the resources of the Venezuelan government to assist Colombian drug cartels and Venezuelan military -- paramilitary groups to essentially traffic tons of cocaine into the United States over 20, 25 years.

[09:20:20]

That's -- those are the charges that they're facing. They deny those charges. We anticipate that this hearing is going to go pretty quickly, again, if Judge Hellerstein agrees to this timeline as laid out by the -- by the -- by the lawyers on both sides of this case.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: That's going to be speeding up pretty quick.

Evan, it's great to see you. Thanks so much.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is CNN's senior legal analyst, former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Elie Honig.

Elie, your former colleagues go to court today. What -- if you are one of these federal prosecutors, what do you want out of this? And how do you feel it's been going other than very slowly?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: So, I'd be very frustrated about the pace of this. Two things I want to get out of this. First of all, the first order of business today will very likely be to set the pretrial motions briefing schedule. I want -- first of all, I want to push for a short schedule. Sometimes motions can drag six, seven, eight months. I do not want that here.

Second of all, sometimes you can sound out what the defense motions might be. The judge often turns to the defense and says, what types of motions do you have? You can get a little intel from the prosecutor's side. The second and more important thing I want to walk out of today with -- out of the courtroom with today is a trial date. It sounds like the parties have agreed. That's good. But I was frenetic about not letting trials drag on and on, because delay is bad for prosecutors.

And remember, the charge conduct here goes back to the 1990s. So, 30 years in some instances. Witness memories fade. Witnesses die. Documents disappear. Things get deleted. And so, the longer a case dragged out before a trial would always put me on edge. I'd always be pushing for as quick a trial as possible.

BERMAN: And one more factor here, and I'm not saying this to be disparaging in any way, the judge is not a young man.

HONIG: The judge is 92 years old. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. I tried three cases all the way through with him. I think it's a struggle for him to keep up with this case. He has not moved it along efficiently. We're six and a half months out at this point. We don't even have a pre-trial motions date. There were public reports that in his previous trial he fell asleep at times on the bench. I think that's a real challenge.

He could have reassigned the case. He's a senior judge. He could have sent it to any of the other 40 to 50 judges in the courthouse. He's opted to keep it for himself. He's not showing me that he's up to the task at this point.

BERMAN: And talk to me about how the defense will approach this, other than, like, kitchen sink, I imagine, from the smallest local things, to the biggest international law notions.

HONIG: For sure. And the flipside of it is, you can sometimes get a read on how the judge may feel about your defense motion. So, if you say, judge, we are going to challenge this under international law, which they surely do, sometimes the judge may show some interest. May go, oh, interesting, tell me, what's your motion going to be. Sometimes the judge may go, whatever, move on. So, you can get a sense from the defense side.

And look, Donald Trump did not invent the tactic of delay, delay, delay, right? Virtually every defendant does that to some extent. I'm actually a little surprised that the defense reportedly has agreed to a trial date. If I'm the defense here, I am trying to drag this out as long as humanly possible. It can only help the defense.

BERMAN: So, there's a lot to watch here in terms of what's agreed to and some of the nuance here for the behavior of the various parties involved here. We will be watching closely.

HONIG: Sure.

BERMAN: Counsel, great to see you. Thank you.

HONIG: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: Sara.

SIDNER: All right, ahead, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff is up for re- election, as you should well know by now this year, but a growing number of voters are looking at him for something else. The big job, the White House, for 2028. Coming up, his growing national profile and the possibility of a presidential run.

Also, a really disturbing story. OpenAI says two of its artificial intelligence models went rogue and hacked into another A.I. company. What we're learning about how this happened and the big concerns that they are going to have to deal with now.

Those stories and more ahead.

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[09:28:34] BOLDUAN: So, there's a developing story coming out of Paris. A French modeling recruiter linked to Jeffrey Epstein is now dead. Daniel Siad's body was found outside -- inside, rather, his home in a suburb near Paris Monday. Prosecutors say that Siad, over the years, had helped arrange meetings between models and Jeffrey Epstein. He denied any knowledge of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier. But now, obviously, big questions.

CNN's Melissa Bell is tracking this one for us from Paris.

Melissa, what are you hearing about this? And what is, I don't know, the belief of what happened around this man's death?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the time being, authorities being very tight lipped. The police investigation has just begun, Kate. We know that his body was found in this -- his suburban home. And that has been confirmed to us by a prosecutor. We don't know anything about the circumstances yet of his death.

As you mentioned, this is a man who continued to protest his innocence despite the fact that, according to our affiliate here in France, BFM, Daniel Siad's name was cited no fewer than 2,000 times in the Epstein files. The Epstein files also suggest that Jeffrey Epstein had paid him tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the years. This was a model recruiter here in Paris who, for about a decade, facilitated meetings between Jeffrey Eepstein and young aspiring models here in Paris.

[09:30:00]

Now, recently, CNN's own investigative correspondent, Katie Polglase, had a chance to interview Daniel Siad, and she pressed him about the fact that