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A.I. Agents Fake Identities, Target Real People in New Incident; Safety Incident Involving President's Marine One Helicopter; Abdul El-Sayed Narrowly Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary; Max Miller Denies Abuse Claims, Won't Drop Re-election Bid; FIFA President Holds Emergency Meeting Amid World Cup Controversy. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired August 05, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

HADAS GOLD, CNN A.I. CORRESPONDENT: -- reviewer into adding malicious code, creating fake Identities to try and convince the human reviewer to approve that code.

As part of that same effort, they even tried to contact other real people directly, sending messages and files to try to persuade them to run this malicious code. Now, according to the U.K. Security Institute -- A.I. Security Institute, they say this is the first time that they have seen deception of this severity that was targeted at a real person unprompted in the real world.

It is very notable, but thankfully, Omar, they were unsuccessful and there was no real-world harm discovered as a result.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": What are Anthropic and OpenAI saying about this?

GOLD: Yeah, so this is an important moment. And again, like you said, we saw A.I. agents going rogue. It is different, though, than those other incidences where the A.I. agents were escaping their testing environment and hacking into real systems.

This was, in some ways, it's not as severe. It's not as concerning, according to the experts I've been speaking to. So Anthropic, for their part, they say that these models were tested under deliberately permissive conditions that are not representative of any of our production models and noting, again, that there was no evidence here of an escape from a secure environment.

OpenAI, for their part, say that they are committed to working across the industry to strengthen shared practices for conducting high-risk evaluations safely. So one of many and one of, I'm sure, will be many more incidents of A.I. going rogue, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Hadas Gold, appreciate the reporting.

New Hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Progressives prevail, creating a Democratic dilemma. Wins by left-wing candidates in Tuesday's primary could put the party in a tough spot ahead of the midterm election.

And a campaign in crisis, a Congressman, Max Miller, being pushed to quit Congress over allegations of domestic abuse. He spoke to CNN to defend his name while refusing to step aside.

And an unexplained failure to communicate, the FAA now investigating an air safety incident involving the president's Marine One helicopter. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

We begin this hour with the photo finish in Michigan. CNN projecting Abdul El-Sayed will be the state's Democratic nominee for a critical Senate seat this November. The progressive candidate securing about 15,000 more votes than moderate Haley Stevens. And this race was not only one of the closest this primary season, it was also one of the loudest in terms of exposing deep divisions within the Democratic Party.

Just moments ago, former Vice President Kamala Harris, who endorsed neither candidate, sent out a fundraising email in support of El- Sayed, saying in part, this was a hard-fought Democratic primary and Michiganders were lucky to have such inspiring leaders step up in this moment.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is live for us in Detroit, where just a short time ago, we heard from El-Sayed. What's he saying, Arlette?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, Abdul El-Sayed really quickly celebrated the progress of the progressive movement within this campaign, but he also quickly turned to talking about the need for the Democratic Party to unite after he officially became the nominee this morning.

This has been one of the Democratic Party's most contentious primaries this cycle, with very personal attacks flung from both sides, from the two candidates, as well as their supporters. But now, El-Sayed has said that he needs the Democratic Party to unite in order to be successful in November. But this has been an incredibly close contest.

If you take the votes that are continuing to come in, this is a race that's about a one-percentage-point difference. And I asked El-Sayed whether he is worried at all that that very close margin will make it more difficult for the Democratic Party to unite. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: You heard about the historic turnout. Sometimes, you know, intra-family squabbles are the biggest ones. But we all know that when we walk out the House, we stand united. And sometimes we got to have it out about the conversation about who we are and we want to be.

And I think I'll tell you that the things that unite us are so much bigger than the things that divide us. If anything, when you've got 500,000 more voters who came out to be a part of a process to pick a nominee, that means that their voices have been heard. And we're going to build a movement that reaches out to everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, in one side of unity, El-Sayed did speak earlier today with his opponent, the more moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who very quickly told her supporters that she was getting behind El-Sayed with the united goal of trying to defeat the Republican Senate nominee in November, former Congressman Mike Rogers.

So, that is one of the tasks that El-Sayed will have going forward, trying to get the Democratic Party united, but then also trying to convince voters that a progressive can win in a battleground state like Michigan.

[14:05:00]

This will be one of the closely watched Senate races this cycle. We have already seen both sides beginning to preview their attacks. The Republican side and the Republican candidate, Mike Rogers, have already been trying to paint El-Sayed as extreme and too radical for the state, while he has tried to argue that his focus is on the policies here and ensuring Rogers does not go back to Washington, D.C.

So a lot to watch in the coming months as this race develops, but especially about what it will mean for the progressive movement going forward as he hopes to wage a successful campaign against Rogers. Question is whether he'll be able to do that in November.

KEILAR: Yeah, it's a big question. All right, Arlette, thank you so much. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Well, meanwhile, uncertainty for Republicans on Capitol Hill as Congressman Max Miller faces growing calls for his resignation after disturbing allegations of abuse by multiple women, including his ex-wife. Now, the House Ethics Committee is now reviewing the accusations, which also include illegal drug use among the accusations.

Miller is defying calls to end his re-election bid, even as three women make claims against him. President Trump recently called Miller, and Speaker Mike Johnson was just asked to weigh in. Here's what he told Politico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DASHA BURNS, HOST OF "THE CONVERSATION," POLITICO: I mean, the president called him. Max Miller said this, that the president called him and told him, you know, things aren't looking good for you.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON, (R-LA) HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, I mean, they don't look good right now, of course. But again, like, what should a Speaker do in this case? I mean, I call out alarming behavior. I try to work every day on decorum and on the, you know, ethics of the House.

We have a very active and engaged Ethics Committee. They've done more work than they need to. I wish it wasn't necessary, but there's been a lot in this Congress on both sides of the aisle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: CNN's Kevin Liptak is in Las Vegas, where President Trump is set to speak this afternoon. So Kevin, what is the president saying about all this?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, he really does seem to be trying to keep all of this at arm's length. That's despite, you know, his own allies trying to press the White House to encourage Miller to drop out.

They have gotten phone calls from House Republicans trying to get the president to say more definitively that Miller should step aside and get out of the race. But President Trump seems so far to be unwilling to do that.

You know, the two have a long history. Miller actually worked in the White House in President Trump's first term. President Trump encouraged him to run for Congress back in 2020. And so this is, I think, a conundrum for him.

And it was interesting when he was asked about this when he was heading here to Las Vegas last night. He had actually ended his gaggle on the tarmac, but he heard a question about Miller and he turned around and he answered it. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you (inaudible) about Rep. Miller?

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I hope he's able to work it out. I feel bad for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, Miller is doing anything but dropping out. In that interview with Jake Tapper last night, he actually said that President Trump was his inspiration for staying in, hearkening back to the 2016 campaign when President Trump was facing accusations that he had groped women. He actually bragged about it on tape, but the president defied calls to drop out.

And of course, he stayed in and he won that election. The real concern, I think, for Republicans is that the deadlines are swiftly coming for Miller to drop out. One has already passed. He would have had to drop out by yesterday to trigger a special primary election. The next deadline comes on Friday. That would be the time when he would be able to drop out and state party chairs would select a new candidate to appear on the ballot.

But Republicans very much in a bind here. Yes, this is a solidly Republican district in Ohio, but it's by no means a lock. And at a moment when there's this anti-Trump sentiment kind of coursing through the country, they really cannot afford to lose any seats. And so it remains to be seen whether, in the days between now and Friday, President Trump decides to say more definitively that Miller should no longer be in the race. He has alluded to that. He has suggested that his re-election prospects are not good.

But that doesn't seem to be breaking through to the candidate. And so we'll see if President Trump decides to say more forcefully that he needs to drop out. But at least for now, I think he's really trying to stay out of it in a lot of ways.

JIMENEZ: Kevin Liptak, appreciate the reporting from Las Vegas for us.

Still to come, a close call between a passenger jet and a helicopter, but not just any chopper. We are talking about Marine One with President Trump on board. We're going to explain what happened. We'll have the latest there.

Plus, Reflecting Pool fallout, we'll tell you what we're learning about a tense White House meeting with U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro.

And then FIFA's president holds an emergency meeting as he faces growing calls to resign. That and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

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[14:14:37]

KEILAR: The FAA is investigating how a commercial passenger jet got too close to Marine One when President Trump was on board this week. It's important to note, the FAA says the president was never in danger. You can see in this image how the military helicopter, which is circled in red, we will show you that image here in a moment, was in the air at the same time as the American Airlines flight.

[14:15:00]

Commercial traffic heavily managed when Marine One takes off with the president on board, of course. And military aircraft have been under heavy restrictions since last year's deadly crash at Reagan National Airport between a military aircraft and a jet. CNN Aviation Correspondent, Pete Muntean is here with all of the details on this. What happened here?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly something went wrong because there's been this major crackdown on military helicopters and commercial flights coexisting in D.C. airspace ever since that tragic midair collision involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed 67 people.

Typically, the president's helicopter taking off or landing near the White House halts all flights at nearby Reagan National Airport for at least a few minutes. But that did not happen on Tuesday. In a new statement, the FAA says it's now reviewing the incident when planes continued taking off from the airport as Marine One took off from near the White House.

The FAA says there was a "momentary loss of separation" between Marine One and commercial flights, but says President Trump was never in danger. Here is the video from independent journalist, Dave Statter, where you see a jetliner climbing out of DCA and then Marine One coming into frame.

The Air Traffic Control audio also brings up some big questions. And in it, the controllers on the Reagan National Airport tower had a hard time communicating with Marine One. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARINE ONE: Tower, just want to make sure you copy. Marine one three minutes to lift.

Tower, do you copy? Marine One three minutes to lift.

TOWER: Last calling, broken and unreadable.

Marine One, you said you are proceeding as briefed?

MARINE ONE: National Tower, that's Marine One, proceeding as briefed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Right now, there's a bit of a mystery as to how this occurred. It would not be the first communications breakdown since last year's midair collision. Last spring, there was a flyover of Arlington Cemetery, where four Air Force trainer jets got too close to flights that were taking off from Reagan National. And then there was also the case of a helicopter landing at the Pentagon nearby that lost communications with the Reagan National Tower.

Members of Congress were concerned about those two incidents, and National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, just said in a rare statement just last week, that not near enough has been done by Congress to overhaul air safety since that horrible accident.

KEILAR: It's very important to keep an eye on. Pete, thank you so much for the report.

MUNTEAN: Anytime.

KEILAR: So coming up, a mother desperately looking for answers after her son dies while in ICE custody. CNN spoke to her, and we'll bring you that emotional interview next.

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[14:22:09]

JIMENEZ: The pressure is mounting on FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, after scrapping a hugely controversial plan to sell private stakes in World Cup tournaments. Today, Infantino is holding an emergency meeting with top FIFA officials as he faces calls to step down.

Now, the latest criticism coming from Portuguese soccer legend and former FIFA World Player of the Year, Luis Figo, who wrote an op-ed first published in "The Daily Mail" and obtained by CNN, calling on Infantino to resign, describing his conduct as, quote, "The lowest, most deceitful, and cravenly self-interested behavior I have ever witnessed."

CNN World Sports Anchor, Don Riddell joins us now. So, Don, I mean, some harsh words for Infantino there, but do we know more about what's happening at this meeting, how Infantino plans to actually respond to these mounting calls to resign?

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: You know, Omar, it is just such an extraordinary situation. When you think that just a couple of weeks ago, Gianni Infantino was leading Donald Trump off the stage at the World Cup trophy presentation in New York, New Jersey, and now, Infantino himself finds himself, I would argue, in grave danger of being pushed off the stage himself.

And who would have thought that would be possible? Because going into the World Cup tournament, he was pretty much a lock to win a fourth consecutive term as FIFA president, having already served for 11 years. That election is coming up in March. So much has changed in the last couple of weeks because of this kind of scandal that has erupted.

And now the question is, can he even hang on until the election in seven months' time? That is what is being discussed in Morocco today. Infantino and FIFA calling a crisis meeting to try and put out some of these fires because so many people, so many influential people and organizations within the game have really turned on Infantino. We don't know how that meeting is going. We don't know if it's been completed.

In any case, there has been nothing said from anybody who's been at that meeting. But absolutely crucial for Infantino that he tries to win back some support because, otherwise, his tenure as the president of football's most powerful governing body is in jeopardy.

And the hits just keep on coming. I mean, you've just touched upon what Luis Figo said. He's a former Ballon d'Or winner, hugely influential in the game. Absolutely scathing comments made in that op- ed. He also referred to Infantino as a relic of the past. He said, I could have written 10,000 words about Infantino, but I'll leave you with just three, "Infantino must go."

We've also heard from the former FIFA vice-president, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who is in charge of the Jordanian national team, who recently just made their World Cup debut this summer.

[14:25:00]

His team made it to the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in December and he says they are still owed $4.2 million in prize money, but he's accused Infantino of blackmailing him, basically saying if you support me, it will be good for FIFA and Infantino. There's no support from him or his country and they're still waiting for their $4.2 million.

JIMENEZ: As you point out, a remarkable change in tune to the name of Infantino as compared to the end of the World Cup, which a few weeks ago or not too long ago, feels like a lifetime at this point.

Don Riddell, appreciate the reporting as always.

Still ahead, President Trump weighs in on the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, calling it great news for Republicans. We're going to have more on that and other takeaways from election night.

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