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Fighting Returns After U.S. Reports Surprise Attack by Iran; State Department Report Accuses Cuba of Waging Campaign to Undermine U.S. from Within; Discussions Rise on Postpartum Disorders. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 29, 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]

DR. DEB HOURY, FORMER CDC CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: When and what to trust. So go to your local health department, your state health department, medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatricians. They've been putting out really good evidence-based guidance.

I really wish that we would get away from ideology and focus on data and science, realizing people are human, that things can change, and really just being upfront about that. But we have to follow what the data and science shows us, and not just an agenda that we have set.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Dr. Deb Houry, thank you so much for being with us today. We appreciate it.

HOURY: My pleasure.

KEILAR: Still to come, an expletive-filled threat against Iran as President Trump vows to respond to Tehran strikes targeting U.S. forces. We have an update from the White House next.

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SANCHEZ: Now, to the U.S. war with Iran. Four days after President Trump said there was a pause in strikes, he's now saying that Iran is, quote, going to get a beating after a new missile strike on U.S. forces.

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Central Command is reporting that Iran's military launched a surprise attack in the Middle East as military officials in Jordan say they intercepted and brought down five Iranian missiles launched earlier today. CENTCOM is also reporting that yesterday, Saudi Arabia joined U.S. strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. And now we're learning that a coalition of Iranian linked militias are making new threats against the U.S. and the Saudis. Let's go now live to the White House to get the latest from CNN's Kevin Liptak. So, Kevin, tell us more about how the president is responding to this surprise attack.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, he does seem to be setting the stage for new escalation. He was in a phone interview with Fox News this morning, and he went on sort of an expletive-laden rant against Iran. He said that the U.S. would strike back. He said, 'We are going to beat the effing shit out of them. He said, we'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating."

And he also said that these attacks came as a surprise and that the American forces on the ground there only had a few moments to prepare themselves to respond to them. And it is sort of a striking change in pattern in these strikes. Iran, this time sort of preempting the U.S., they were not firing in response to an American attack.

And they do seem to be choosing to restart this fight themselves, which I think does lead to fears that this could be escalating after many days of quiet.

Now, there is another front in the war that also seems to be opening up in Iraq. And you mentioned those joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iran- backed militias in Iraq. The Saudis had been accusing them of repeated strikes on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. What the U.S. says is that this was retaliation for more than 30 drone attacks by those militias. And what's interesting here is it's actually the first time that Saudi Arabia has come out and said in real time that they participated in offensive strikes related to this conflict.

And so a lot of questions about how this moves forward. And I think it just underscores how difficult it will be for President Trump to wind down this conflict.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, no doubt. Kevin Liptak, live for us at the White House. Thanks so much for the update.

Coming up, the State Department accusing Cuba of fueling political unrest inside the United States. We're going to talk to a department spokesperson about the new report alleging a decades-long subversion campaign and also bring you the reaction from Havana. Stay with us.

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SANCHEZ: A State Department report released last week accuses Cuba of waging a decades-long campaign to undermine the United States from within, fueling political unrest and hosting adversaries like China. Critics are calling this report overblown as Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel calls the Trump administration's increased pressure campaign on the island a genocide. We sat down with State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott to ask about the report and where talks stand between the two nations.

Here's part of our conversation.

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SANCHEZ: Tommy, thank you so much for being with us. How would you describe any discussions between the United States and Cuba right now? Are you negotiating? And if so, with whom? TOMMY PIGOTT, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Well, look, as the Secretary has described, there is a degree of engagement. But what we need to see and what we haven't seen is a regime that's willing to make the changes that are necessary. We see a regime, as the Secretary said, that views any sort of economic changes.

They're worried they'll lose control. And so we're not seeing what we need to see. And we remain dedicated to seeing a Cuba that can be -- Cuban people be free, happy and prosperous.

That's what our goal is. That's what it remains.

SANCHEZ: I do want to ask you about this recent aid that was sent over. But first, I want to nail down, would the administration be open to a transition leadership led by Raul Castro's grandson, Raul Guillermo?

PIGOTT: Well, look, right now we're focused on addressing the humanitarian crisis on the island, which is a result of the regime's own making, the regime's own incompetence. The fact that they have a model that doesn't work and a regime that's intent on keeping power for itself. So we're focused on helping the Cuban people with those humanitarian assistance flights, also addressing the many national security threats that we have from Cuba.

Part of the report that was just issued outlining some of those.

SANCHEZ: Understood. The U.S. recently sent the first part of this new $100 million humanitarian assistance package to Cuba. My understanding is that the aid that was sent over most recently could help up to 700 families.

The need, of course, is much greater. Is the administration prepared to send more?

PIGOTT: Well, we want to send up to $100 million in addition to the aid that we saw in response to Hurricane Melissa. So this is building on top of that.

Unfortunately, for the longest time, we saw roadblocks put up by the regime because we're not going to have a situation where we have assistance that goes to Cuba but then doesn't go to people that need it. So we're going to work with third parties, such as the Catholic Church, directly with local parishes to make sure that aid can reach the people that need it.

So we want to send more. We're prepared to send more. We saw the first flight of this $100 million in addition to the Hurricane Melissa assistance that went. So we're prepared to do more for sure.

SANCHEZ: Since the U.S. increased pressure, we've seen increased blackouts on the island, the cessation of public services. People are starving. And the leadership, as you know, is largely insulated from much of that suffering.

They don't suffer like the Cuban people do. A population that is unarmed and can't vote or take steps to change their leadership effectively. Ultimately isn't the pressure that the Trump administration putting on further harming a people that is already oppressed.

PIGOTT: Well, look, two things on this. First, we saw some sanctions recently announced from the Trump administration designed directly to go after those that are helping to line the pocket of the regime and insiders, including GAESA, and additional sanctions targeting those that were helping to evade the original set of sanctions as well. So we're seeing sanctions actions here to target directly the Cuban regime, the finances of that and their insiders.

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We've also seen as part of this embargo, there's always the ability to provide food and medicine to the Cuban people. And we are prepared based off the humanitarian crisis we're seeing to get that assistance directly to the Cuban people. When it comes to blackouts, the Cuban people have suffered from blackouts for decades because what the Cuban regime was doing previously was getting oil for free. But instead of sending that oil to the Cuban people, they were reselling up to 60 percent of it and pocketing for cash.

So the blackout element here is directly the result of the Cuban regime. And we are prepared to target with sanctions those efforts that are financing the regime and insiders, but also to add that assistance to directly help the Cuban people.

SANCHEZ: I want to ask you about the new report from the State Department outlining what you describe as this decades-long campaign of subversion by Cuba against the United States. It argues that everything from the George Floyd protests and Antifa and campus activism can all be linked to Cuban influence in, I'm quoting, some way, shape, or form. How strong is that link?

Did Havana direct any of it, or is it simply that these movements are ideologically linked in their politics?

PIGOTT: Well, this takes many different forms. Part of it is direct links, and part of these organizations are proud of those links. They talk about those links report. Many of the citations in the report itself actually talks about --

SANCHEZ: Direct links in terms of funding organizations or guiding what steps actors in the United States do with, for example, social justice protests?

PIGOTT: Well, and I think an example of this is the National Network on Cuba, which released what they called a rapid response plan calling for agitation and resistance with the locations of U.S. military bases and ICE installations. The primary way we've seen Havana act in this is as the nexus and node of this far-left extremism by bringing tens of thousands of far-left activists to Havana to act as that nexus and node. And part of what we've seen, even with espionage, for example, is that many of the people that partake in this are quote-unquote true believers. The spread of an insidious ideology from Havana that they've actively worked to spread by bringing people to Havana through revolutionary tourism.

SANCHEZ: If the influence is ideological, is that evidence of a crime? Don't Americans have the right to champion whatever causes or politics appeal to them?

PIGOTT: Well, the focus of this report is on the effect of the Cuban regime's actions. That's the focus. And the reason why we're discussing the actions in the United States is to show the breadth of what we're examining here.

So it includes the espionage actions. It includes networks that are linked to the Cuban regime and calling for agitation and resistance. So the entire report is well-cited and it's about transparently telling the story.

So that's what the focus is here. There's been bits and pieces reported over many decades, but this is the first time it has, in one document, been told in its full breadth, its full width. And we believe the American people deserve to know.

SANCHEZ: If the goal is exposing and cracking down on what you've described as a dangerous ideology, as communism and the communist influence inside the United States, China is the largest communist nation on earth. They've reportedly attempted to interfere in U.S. elections. The report also indicates that they've run at least three signals intelligence sites in Cuba.

They've tripled their personnel there since 2023. What have you sanctioned Beijing for?

PIGOTT: Well, look, part of the report actually outlines that in Cuba, you are seeing other nations using Cuba as a way to spread instability within our hemisphere. That's part of what the report itself outlines. That's part of why this report was released.

We've been very clear-eyed in our relationship with China. The president from the beginning has spoken about it. This report is focused on what's a very real threat from the Cuban regime. And also is in the context of the ministerial we put forward, which the surge of far-left terrorism we're seeing in the United States, but also around the world.

In Europe, for example, we're seeing far-left terror attacks on par in terms of number with jihadi terror attacks. So addressing this blind spot, describing what we're seeing in terms of influence and espionage is an important part of addressing this threat.

SANCHEZ: Yet the administration isn't seeking regime change in China. The president has talked about doing trade deals with them. It seems pretty clear that the U.S. is seeking political change, regime change in Cuba.

PIGOTT: Well, look, the report that we're releasing is clearly outlining the espionage and influence campaign we're seeing. That's part of describing to the American people the threats that we face. That's what the report is doing.

And fundamentally, again, when it comes to Cuba, we are seeing that humanitarian crisis on the island, and we're seeing a regime that for decades has fomented unrest and an insidious ideology throughout our hemisphere, and that directly affects the American people.

SANCHEZ: But we reported extensively on our show about political prisoners being held in Cuba, including an American citizen, Alina Lopez-Miyares. She's been held somewhere on the island since 2017. Her family, her son, which I've spoken to many times, has difficulty reaching her. Do you know of any efforts that are being made right now to bring her home?

PIGOTT: Well, for privacy considerations, I can't get into specific cases. But what I will stress is that we continue to call for the release of the more than 700 unjustly detained political prisoners.

We saw a recent release just last week. We're continuing to call for the more than 700 unjustly political prisoners to be released.

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[14:50:00]

SANCHEZ (on camera): Regarding that State Department report, the Cuban government rejects its findings, saying that it is, quote, a mediocre propaganda pamphlet, which they say aims to manufacture consensus for eventual military aggression. We also asked Tommy Pigott about Secretary Rubio's role in ongoing talks with Tehran over the war with Iran and how soon he expects democratic elections in Venezuela.

You can find the rest of our conversation at cnn.com.

Still to come, postpartum psychosis at the center of a murder trial involving a mother and her three kids. But what is psychosis in this case? And how is it different from postpartum depression?

We'll speak with an expert in just moments.

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KEILAR: The triple murder trial of Lindsay Clancy is sparking discussions about the mental health struggles that many women go through after having a baby. The Massachusetts mother has pleaded not guilty to killing her three children. Her defense team argues she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

You've probably heard of postpartum depression, but postpartum psychosis is different. It's considered a psychiatric emergency and it affects one to two out of 1,000 women. Dr. Sheila Shanmugan joins us now. She's a reproductive psychiatrist and the director of research at the Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness. Thank you so much for being with us. Just can you start off by telling us what postpartum psychosis is and how it's different from postpartum depression?

DR. SHEILA SHANMUGAN, REPRODUCTIVE PSYCHIATRIST, PENN MEDICINE: Yes, so thanks so much for having me. Zooming out for one second, perinatal mental health conditions broadly are mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy or the postpartum. Both postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis fall into that broad category.

But postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are pretty different. So postpartum depression, most people have heard of, it's very common. It impacts up to one in five women, can include symptoms like low mood, anxiety, irritability, difficulty feeling connected with baby, feeling guilty, thoughts of wanting to hurt yourself.

Postpartum psychosis is very different. So postpartum psychosis is a rare psychiatric emergency that occurs within two days to a few weeks after delivery. Generally, these symptoms look pretty different.

So the first symptoms that you usually see are difficulty sleeping, like a severe persistent insomnia. And you might think, what new mom is able to sleep? And yes, that's totally common to not have time to sleep, needing to take care of baby, all of that.

But the difference with postpartum psychosis is that the severe persistent insomnia isn't related to taking care of baby. And also, she doesn't usually feel tired. And so when a new mom comes in and says she can't sleep, the questions we usually ask are, can you sleep when the baby is sleeping?

And do you feel tired? And if the answer to both of those is no, that can be a really early sign that something could be going wrong.

KEILAR: Yes, do you feel tired?

SHANMUGAN: Some others early signs that you might.

KEILAR: That's going to really be, what are the other early signs?

SHANMUGAN: So not sleeping, and then also having a lot more energy than usual can be a common one. Bizarre behavior, also having strange beliefs that aren't really grounded in reality or being kind of confused, disorganized, not really knowing where you are, what's going on. Some people can see things or hear things that other people might not see or hear.

One really important thing to know about this condition is that a lot of these symptoms, like the confusion and the disorientation, they wax and wane. And so what I mean by that is that you have these periods of fluctuating symptoms. And so you have these periods of confusion, but then you also have these periods of clear anger. You seem a lot better.

And so that's part of what makes postpartum psychosis so hard to recognize.

KEILAR: Yes, that's really interesting. And listen, this case, I mean, this court is going to decide what happens here, right? We've heard throughout Patrick Clancy's testimony about the struggles of his then wife.

He says that she told him she was having thoughts of suicide and harming their kids, but then he would see her taking care of the kids and she seemed to be OK. The court is going to have to decide what happened here. But I think the whole point is that this is a case that is raising a lot of awareness and questions for people about what postpartum psychosis is.

And as the case gets a lot of attention, the big question, the biggest question I think that could help some people in this would be, at what point is someone with postpartum psychosis a danger to themselves or to other people, including their children?

SHANMUGAN: So someone who has active postpartum psychosis, they should get to the hospital. If you're concerned that someone has postpartum psychosis, we consider that a medical emergency. So we want to get to the emergency room or call 911 right away.

If there's any sort of delay, like you can't get there right away, someone has to go home and take care of things before you can get to the emergency room, you have to call 911. Because it has these periods of clearing, that's part of what makes it so confusing and dangerous because we can't really tell where you are in that fluctuation. And so I would say that if someone currently has postpartum psychosis and is untreated, that that is psychiatric emergency, you should be in the hospital.

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