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Trump Says He Trusts China and Russia Aren't Arming Iran; U.S. and Iranian Officials Deny Report that Iran Rejected Ceasefire Deal; LeBron James Says He Will Play for the Philadelphia 76ers; Wisconsin Officials Warn Voters Against Election Betting. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 24, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Soon the president will appear at an event in the Oval Office. He's expected to make an announcement about America's nuclear innovation, and we're watching to see if he says something about the war with Iran, as he usually does. The U.S. military has struck Iran now for 13 days in a row, and today Iran targeted U.S. assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.

A short time ago, President Trump posted on social media that he trusted that China and Russia were not arming Iran, despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling a Senate hearing that both countries were at different levels of enabling the Iranian war effort. We're joined now by the president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, Ian Bremmer. Ian, what does the president gain from publicly absolving China and Iran of their involvement in the war against Iran?

IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, EURASIA GROUP AND GZERO MEDIA: From publicly absolving their involvement in which? I didn't catch that.

KEILAR: Well, he's basically saying that he trusts -- let me just go back to exactly what the president has said here. He says that he trusted China and Russia were not arming Iran, but then Hegseth is saying that to different degrees they are enabling this Iranian war effort.

[14:35:00]

BREMMER: Yes, a lack of coordination between the two. Clearly not the first time we've seen that level of inconsistency with the president. What we know is that unlike with Iran, President Trump does really understand that the Chinese have a lot of leverage over the United States and over the U.S. economy. He saw that when the Americans put an effective blockade on Chinese goods, and the Chinese hit back hard.

Ever since then, President Trump has done everything in his power to ensure that the U.S.-China relationship is de-risked and more stable. We've seen it in his comments and his engagement on Taiwan. We've seen it in the way that he's hit back against the Japanese when they got in trouble with the Chinese.

And he's seen it in his direct engagement with Xi Jinping in person, and in calls. So I mean, the idea that President Trump is going to call the Chinese government out on the mat for what they may well be doing to support the Iranians would be inconsistent with a place where he feels vulnerable, and he doesn't want to take any risk. It's very consistent in terms of Trump's own behavior.

But the fact that he's at cross purposes with his Secretary of Defense, obviously, is not attractive in how policy is being made.

KEILAR: Yes, and a week after he gave a primetime address talking about China when it comes to elections, only to then basically say he wasn't going to do anything about it. There are various, I think, mixed messages on China, for sure.

U.S. and Iraqi officials are disputing reporting that Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal from Trump conveyed to Tehran by Iraq's Prime Minister. And Iran also called the report completely diversionary and misleading. How are you reading all of that pushback?

BREMMER: I think that President Trump is incredibly frustrated that he is not getting a better outcome out of the war with Iran. This is a president who has won two elections in part on the commitment not to start any new wars. And he has now been maximally distracted by this war of choice for nearly the last six months.

And his popularity is taking a hit as a consequence, the U.S. economy and the global economy is taking a hit. He would like an off ramp. He has talked a lot about escalation.

But in reality, what we've seen from Trump is a surprising amount of restraint, even in terms of the decision to hit Iranian infrastructure. And yes, he did hit a desalination plant. He did hit a couple of Iranian bridges after the 10th warning against Iran that he was going to blow up their infrastructure, the 10th.

But what's more notable is how he has not engaged in strikes against Pickaxe Mountain and the nuclear facilities, how he has not gone after broader infrastructure, including energy infrastructure. He's not taking on any more strikes at Iranian leadership, for example, decapitation strikes, he certainly knows where a lot of those people are. He's not using ground troops that have been in position for months now, nor is he taking the oil or Kharg Island as he's spoken on many times.

So I mean, overwhelmingly, what the president has been showing the American people and the Iranian leadership is that he is extremely reluctant to escalate this war. And if you're Iran, if you're the mullahs, or more importantly, the IRGC, the military running that country, you believe that you can continue to engage in strikes against ships and disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, and that the Americans aren't going to do very much against you, because they don't want the consequences of all that war.

KEILAR: Ian, I want to turn to Ukraine, because something really interesting has happened there. President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. But he also recently sat down with a key Trump ally, and far right activist Laura Loomer.

I mean, I don't know who had this on their bingo card, but they sat down, and she has actually completely flipped on being anti-Ukraine after visiting the country. It's quite stunning. She actually said on social media that she felt like an a-hole -- her words -- for minimizing the struggles of Ukrainians, and that she fell for Russian propaganda. Trump posted in support of her kind of mea culpa.

Could this affect U.S. public opinion on the right for Ukraine, do you think?

BREMMER: Laura Loomer? I mean, she's not the most coherent on the global stage.

KEILAR: But she has Trump's ear. Do you think that could affect anything with Trump?

[14:40:00]

BREMMER: Not really. I think that what we're seeing is more following the fact that Trump himself is flipping. Trump is the one that is going to see Zelenskyy, his last --invited him -- his last meeting with Zelenskyy in Ankara at the NATO summit a couple weeks ago was probably the best meeting between these two men in history. And they've met on a number of occasions, certainly dramatically different than a year ago, April, when Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House without lunch and then suspended intelligence cooperation with the Ukrainians.

The big difference here, of course, first, that despite American entreaties, President Putin in Russia has given Trump exactly zero, despite Trump saying he was going to end this war in 24 hours. He's found Putin extremely intransigent on front on that front. The Ukrainians have been overwhelmingly willing to accept President Trump's demands, whether it is you have to allow for a ceasefire without preconditions, you've got to give us a strategic critical minerals deal.

Zelenskyy has done all these things. But more importantly, Zelenskyy is starting to look like a winner who actually has some cards. They're getting a lot more support from the Europeans, the American taxpayers aren't paying $1 for the wins that Zelenskyy has right now.

And Trump sees that this is better for him to bet on. So the fact that people like Laura Loomer, Tim Pool, others that have been in the pocket of the Kremlin in the way that they have talked about Russia, Ukraine relations for the last year, the fact that they're flipping, I think that that reflects more on the fact that their hero, the President is shifting, and they want to make sure that they're aligned with him, then them leading him by the nose.

KEILAR: Yes, very interesting point. Ian Bremmer, thank you so much for being with us.

BREMMER: Always good to see you.

KEILAR: A stunning announcement from LeBron James as he reveals the new team that he plans to play for next. We'll have details coming up.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: The biggest guessing game in the NBA now over. One of its greatest players ever, arguably, LeBron James, announcing he will, maybe not arguably, he will end his remarkable career with the Philadelphia 76ers. James, who is 41 years old, is going to play a record 24th season.

CNN has confirmed he's signing a two-year $8 million contract. James explained in multiple posts why he picked the Sixers.

KEILAR: He said on X, quote, "I still truly love this game and I have more to give. This is my last decision. I'm not going for money.

I'm not going for family. I still want to sacrifice. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team, and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.

Thank you, LA, Miami, I'll forever love, and Northeast Ohio will always be home."

Let's talk about this with Bomani Jones, the host of "The Right Time with Bhamani Jones" podcast. Bomani, what is your reaction to this?

BOMANI JONES, PODCAST HOST, THE RIGHT TIME WITH BOMANI JONES: I did not expect this. I think one thing that we've all learned with LeBron over the years is the only person that knows what he's going to do is him, right? He does an amazing job of not letting everybody in on what he's ultimately going to do.

I can see the argument for making this decision. I think it's a bit of a risky decision. Mike Sielski is a writer in Philadelphia.

He makes the point that if this doesn't go well, this is a fan base that's going to be highly disappointed. I do think that there's some risk involved in this for LeBron, but I also don't think he's ever been afraid of making bold choices in terms of where he wants to play.

ABEL: Well, Bomani, he said that this is his last decision. Why not potentially end in Cleveland, or could that still happen, maybe like they, you know, re-sign him for a day so he could retire there after this contract's up?

JONES: I think that he sees this as the best basketball option for him. Like, when you think about it, who the top five guys are going to be on that team once he gets there, there aren't going to be any teams that I can think of off the top of my head who have a better top five if everything goes right. The issue is LeBron is 41 years old.

Don't everything go right when you're 41 years old. Well, and B's body's a bit broken down. Nothing ever goes all the way right for him.

So if he's in it because he wants to win another championship, I see the argument for going to Philadelphia.

KEILAR: OK, so there's a range of legacies here, right? You pointed out the risk. You pointed out the possible reward.

I also think, though, I just, I wonder, I think maybe when you're at this point in your career for him, how often do you get to do something where you're kind of challenging yourself or taking a risk, right?

JONES: Yes, I think his legacy is set in stone, right? Like Willie Mays was not good for the 1973 Mets, but it doesn't change the way we view Willie Mays' career, for example. So I don't think legacy-wise there's an issue.

I personally have a respect for people who are unafraid of what might go wrong. And I think that this is a decision that indicates a lack of fear of what could possibly go wrong. Now, I also think that this could ultimately prove to just be really annoying for him.

Like, I don't know how this goes. I don't know what the hierarchy is going to be in terms of who gets the ball and how they distribute it. I don't know how much the Sixers are going to be inclined to listen to somebody that they're only paying $4 million a year.

Like, this is going to be different than anything that he has ever done, different than any situation that he's ever walked into. So I mean, when it's all said and done, we'll see how he feels about it. But I don't think anybody can say with much confidence that they know how this is going to go.

[14:50:00]

ABEL: Certainly some built-in intrigue. OK, so let's talk about the rest of the NBA now. Which team is the biggest loser in missing out on the LeBron sweepstakes?

JONES: I think given the level of excitement that it built up in the last few days, Miami is probably there just because they thought that this was going to happen. But I would say I don't think that LeBron is the caliber of player anymore, where his presence by itself shifts the dynamics of the league. Like, Minnesota would have been a good place for him to go, but he doesn't go there.

OK, now they go figure out something else. Like, I don't think anybody's going to be as crushed about him not coming except for maybe Golden State because they don't seem to do anything right anymore after having such a long stretch where they did nothing wrong.

KEILAR: I just have to say one thing to you, Bomani, which is he really has to do well because or else the headline is going to be something like, you know, the 76ers, they never did like the king, right? That's not what the 70, that was the whole point. They didn't like the king, right?

So they declared their independence.

JONES: Oh, oh --

KEILAR: You get me?

JONES: Across the pond with the Brits.

KEILAR: Yes.

JONES: I see.

ABEL: They need to hold on to their namesake.

KEILAR: That's right. So he, so listen, he's got to, he's got to make it work. He's got to make it work, Bomani, or that headline is going to write itself.

JONES: He's got to show up on day one and throw a bunch of tea in the water. That's how, that's how we're going to get this started. I guess that happened in Boston, but it's the same.

KEILAR: Same thing. I think they feel it exactly the same way.

ABEL: You're giving Philly a whole bunch of ideas. Bomani Jones, appreciate your insight. Thank you.

Still to come, Wisconsin is warning voters not to make bets on the election if they plan on voting in it. We'll explain the decades old law that could result in felony charges.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Now, some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour. Emergency evacuations underway across Western Europe as wildfires rage there. Authorities say some 40,000 people are being evacuated from a popular coastal destination in Southwestern France. The fires are being fueled by record-breaking heat and dozens of homes have been destroyed.

And in Spain, the country is under a national emergency. Three separate fires merged together to become the worst fire in the history of the Madrid region. Over 19,000 people have been evacuated.

Also, the moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Bertha fueling a flood threat in the Eastern U.S. More than 7 million people are under flood watches from North Carolina to Alabama. Parts of the coastal Carolinas are under a level three of four flood risk.

And just a terrifying scene for drivers in Texas. An 18-wheeler left dangling over an Interstate 10 overpass after a crash near Houston on Thursday. The accident shut down lanes of the highway for hours as crews worked to safely clear that truck.

Authorities say two people were taken to the hospital, but with only minor injuries. Police are still investigating what led to the crash -- Brian. ABEL: As online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket gain popularity, Wisconsin officials are warning voters about a state law that bans people from betting in an election in which they also cast a ballot. They say doing so is not only a felony but could cost someone their vote.

Let's bring in CNN senior reporter Marshall Cohen. Now, Marshall, this is not well known. What exactly does it say?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Brian, you don't see this every day. And this is a war of words now between Kalshi and election officials. And it really highlights how the rapid expansion of these prediction markets is scrambling the midterms.

So let me break down what happened here. Earlier this week, the bipartisan Wisconsin Election Commission warned voters about that state law that you mentioned from the 1800s, which prohibits residents who bet on an election from casting a ballot in that same race. The press release, which you see right here, said quote, "If you bet on an election, it could cost you your vote."

It said voters could face post-election challenges to their qualifications and have proven their ballots could be tossed and offenders might even be prosecuted. Now, the officials did make clear that they aren't policing prediction markets. They just wanted everybody to be aware about this before anybody goes on social media later and brags about their winnings.

But this all caught the attention of Kalshi, the biggest prediction market in the country right now. Company leaders from Kalshi went on the attack against Wisconsin election officials.

Here's what one Kalshi employee posted, quote, "This is insane. The commission is implying that they will literally disenfranchise voters. Not only is the commission statement illegal and dishonest, it's active voter suppression." That was the statement from one of the Kalshi employees.

Now, it's absurd for them to claim that this was an illegal press release. And I don't even know what that means. But on the underlying law, the experts that I spoke to said that there are real questions about whether this old 1800s law is even enforceable.

And it's never a good look when you're threatening to possibly throw out someone's vote. Brian, for full disclosure, CNN has a partnership with Kalshi. We use its data to cover major events.

But CNN editorial employees are not allowed to use prediction markets -- Brian.

ABEL: All right, Marshall Cohen for us. Marshall, thank you.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

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