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U.S. National Debt Hits Staggering $40 Trillion Milestone; One Dead, Two Injured After State Police Helicopter and Small Plane Collide; Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) Accuser Told House Ethics Committee He Sexually Assaulted Her, Attorneys Say. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired August 20, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, sooner than expected, the U.S. is now $40 trillion in debt. And while America hits this grim financial milestone, President Trump is showing off his pricey White House projects. But what does he plan to do about the country's borrowing binge?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Royal intrigue, after leaving the land of kings and queens and dukes and earls six years ago, Harry and Meghan announce they are moving back to England. So, where are they going? Why are they going? When are they going? Also, what are they going to do?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Trapped in chest-deep sand and sinking. The race against time and the elements to save a teenager when a day at the beach took a horrible turn.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman and Sara Sidner, this is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: We begin this morning with a number. The number, $40 trillion, 4 followed by 13 zeros. Yes, that's the grim record the national debt just hit, roughly doubling in less than ten years. It could mean you'll pay more for a mortgage, a car loan, or credit cards. And as the U.S. hit this staggering milestone, here's what President Trump was focused on, showing off the new driveway and helipad he's installing at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm fixing the country, we're fixing the White House, too.

We got rid of the asphalt here and this is granite.

It's called a flawless granite. It's -- we get the best stuff.

This was all black asphalt that was in terrible shape.

The grass was in terrible shape.

This has all been redone. It's all been topsoiled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: The Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million on White House construction projects, according to The Washington Post, and that doesn't include the problem-plagued Lincoln Reflecting Pool renovation or the huge arch that Trump wants to build.

CNN's Betsy Klein is live this morning at the White House. How does this all add up when you look at this big number that has just struck us all, you know, making us gasp, and the president signing some granite that is going to be a part of his I think helipad there?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Sara, I think it makes very clear that for President Trump, this is his priority. We have reported that the president has been increasingly thinking about his legacy during his second term, and he views these construction projects as the foundation of that.

So, he gathered reporters yesterday for an impromptu tour where he unveiled a new project, which is swapping out the asphalt on the White House South Lawn driveway for brand-new granite. He also provided an explanation for why we had watched as the workers disassembled that helipad project. The president said that he thought that the slope was too steep and made them start over. He also highlighted a paint job on the facade, new grass, as well as defending his ballroom project, which he is now casting as a ballroom/military complex.

But it all underscores the personal investment for the president and his meticulous attention to detail that some would argue is far below his pay grade, things like stanchions and potholes. But I want you to take a look at a little bit of what he said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: One of the things we're doing, and this was always asphalt, which is very basic, not appropriate for a great house and a great place like the White House, which is to be now again one of the most beautiful buildings anywhere in the world.

The other thing we could do, if you notice, we took it up and redid some, one aspect because we had a lot of slope on it, and I felt it was too much slope. It's a slope for the rain, but I felt it was too much slope.

If you're grass, you're very happy. And this grass will look so beautiful.

One thing I know how to do is build.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, while all of that was happening, the U.S. hit that very bleak milestone, a $40 trillion national debt. Also, President Trump's war with Iran is about to hit its six-month mark. The president has halted talks with no clear strategy for how he is going to move forward there, as we are reporting on very challenging conditions for our service members aboard the USS Lincoln with food shortages, as well as a struggle with morale because of the uncertainty of that mission.

[07:05:05]

Gas prices here at home at $4.10 a gallon. The cost of living is going up, and voters are skeptical about this. A CNN poll found that 58 percent of Americans are dissatisfied or angry with President Trump's focus on those construction projects. Sara?

SIDNER: I mean, the words that could be used for Americans struggling every day is tone deaf from the White House, but we will see what happens next.

Betsy Klein, great reporting from you for that impromptu move by the president yesterday and his announcements about all those construction projects. John?

BERMAN: All right. Breaking overnight, a pilot is dead and two state troopers injured after a small plane collided with a police helicopter in Pennsylvania. The collision at a small airport happened just feet off the ground. The state troopers were initially trapped inside the helicopter. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro spoke to them at the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): Tonight could have been much worse. Tonight could have been much more tragic for our state police family. Thank God that it wasn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Let's go to the scene as Pete Muntean for the latest on what happened here. Pete, what are you learning?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot for National Transportation Safety Board investigators to dig into here, John, even though it seems that the Pennsylvania State Police maintains its pilots were not at fault.

The latest from the state police commissioner is this collision happened just a few feet above the runway. And at the scene, you can see the tail boom of that Bell 407 helicopter sheared off completely. Not much visible at the scene of the other aircraft, a Cessna 150. The flight tracking shows it was coming into land, and the state police say it hit the helicopter from behind.

This crash took place at the airport in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Neighbors who rushed to the scene said they could regularly see this helicopter on training flights there, and the flight tracking data shows that the helicopter left the state police hangar at Capital City Airport near Harrisburg to the east about 20 minutes before this crash. It made what's called a straight-in approach to the runway in Carlisle, a practice that's been shown to create a risk of a midair collision. No control tower at the airport, as it's not busy enough, that also means no early air traffic control audio. So, it's a little unclear right now if the pilots were communicating with each other over the radio.

I want you to listen now to how the Pennsylvania State Police commissioner described this crash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEORGE BEVINS, ACTING COMMISSIONER, PENNSYLVANIA POLICE: The pilots would not have been able to even see that airplane approaching them. It hit the rear tail rotor and went into the main rotor of the helicopter resulting in a very violent crash.

Both pilots were initially, from the helicopter, were initially trapped inside the helicopter. The corporal was in a position to push out a window and assist the trooper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Of course, investigators will want to know if the Cessna and the helicopter were broadcasting anti-collision data called ADS-B. So far, that's a little unclear.

State police have not released the name of the pilot of that plane. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the crash tragic, said it could've been much, much worse. John?

BERMAN: Yes. It's a really startling image when you see just that helicopter completely on its side right there on the ground.

Pete Muntean, thank you so much for sharing your reporting on this. I expect we could learn more over the coming days. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. So, we are, and you should, keep an eye on oil today. Oil prices, they are up, and they have jumped now -- jumped 2 percent early this morning, reaching nearly $94 a barrel there, after President Trump threatened economic warfare against Iran. This is a space to watch today.

Plus, big news in the fight against skin cancer, and the long-sought search for a cancer vaccine.

And a grandmother vanished during a trip to Las Vegas, and now her family is getting scam calls and messages from someone pretending to be her and demanding money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're talking to Alisa, Alisa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. Where you at right now? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm home doing nothing. I need them some money now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: There is new information out now about Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who's facing a House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct. Gomez has acknowledged having made past mistakes that caused his family pain, but says that he has not violated the law or any House ethics rules.

Let's get to CNN's Allison Gordon, who's part of the team that's been breaking news on this. Alison, what are you learning here?

ALLISON GORDON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Kate, I think something that's important to begin with is just the statement from this anonymous woman's attorneys, because it's quite forceful.

So, they said, quote, we represent one of the women who was interviewed by the House Committee on Ethics about her experience of sexual harassment and assault by Representative Jimmy Gomez. His actions were not consensual in nature with respect to our client. We fully expect that the House Committee on Ethics will come to the same conclusion in its investigation. So, this forceful statement is coming after the Ethics Committee announced its formal investigation into Gomez on Monday.

Now, when we first began looking into this over the summer, we had learned from sources that the inquiry began after a New York Post article came out alleging that Gomez had kissed a staffer from a different office, and this is something that he denied at the time. But a source told me that while the committee was initially looking into that situation, they soon learned of other allegations against the congressman.

BOLDUAN: What has Gomez been saying about this, Allison?

GORDON: Yes. So, through her attorneys, this woman is alleging that the Congressman sexually harassed and assaulted her. Those are very serious claims, and that's very different than what the congressman has acknowledged in the past, which is that he caused pain to his family and regrets that, but that he never broke the law or House Ethics rules.

Now, Gomez did not reply to my questions about this latest reporting yesterday, but I should note that on Monday, he reiterated that assertion, and he's made it clear that any relationship he had, he says, was consensual.

[07:15:06]

BOLDUAN: And so then what is the latest update that you can have, because a lot of it is kept quiet on the House Ethics investigation?

GORDON: Yes. As you said, Kate, the Ethics Committee does, you know, like to keep things close to the vest, and they chose not to comment when I reached out yesterday. But I did hear from Democratic House leadership last night, who said in a statement that the allegations of misconduct are serious and disturbing. We encourage the committee to conduct a thorough and swift investigation.

Now, Kate, all of this is coming amid a real moment of reckoning on the Hill, as we've been covering here at CNN. The Ethics Committee is facing increased scrutiny given recent public resignations of Congressman Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, and then there was the recent completed investigation into Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, and there's active investigations right now into congressmen like Max Miller and Cory Mills. And we at CNN are going to continue to be watching that closely.

BOLDUAN: Yes. You absolutely are, and as you have been. Allison, you've been doing great reporting on this. Thank you very much for coming on. I really appreciate that. I appreciate the update. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate.

Are Harry and Meghan on the move? The royal plot twist that could have them moving back to the U.K. after years here in the U.S.

And an incredible rescue at Glaciers National Park, a tourist falling 120 feet off of a cliff. What happened here, how this person was rescued, and who helped them?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: New intrigue this morning surrounding the unexpected announcement that the Sussex family, otherwise known as Harry and Meghan, are heading back to England after six years living in the United States. The Telegraph reports they're moving their family to a private home outside London.

Let's get right to CNN's Max Foster near Buckingham Palace for the latest on all the details here. Max, what are you learning?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're not getting much more detail from what we got last night, but obviously everyone's woken up to this news, and they are very surprised. I mean, even the King wasn't informed about this until Sunday. It wasn't a discussion. Harry and Meghan have decided to move back to the U.K., enroll their kids in schools, and that's all the detail we have at this point, because even the Sussexes aren't saying anything officially on the record. What I do know is that they won't be returning to their royal roles, so it won't be in the same style of the Sussexes that we saw when they were in the U.K. They effectively carrying on with what they were doing in California, but here in the U.K. But many unanswered questions about where they'll live, how they've dealt with the security issue and also how Prince William, for example, is going to handle this, because it really does change the dynamic within the family.

BERMAN: Yes. He and his brother I don't think have made amends. I mean, we saw Harry visiting his father, the King, but no word or any contact with his brother?

FOSTER: No, I think their relationship is at an all-time low probably. But when you consider that Prince William had Prince Harry on the other side of America then there, you know, the, it didn't necessarily interfere with the monarchy.

But what you effectively will have in this case is Harry and Meghan, if you look at how they've been handling their engagements recently, they've been effectively handling them in the same way as a royal event or palace would handle them. They're now going to come to the U.K. and fulfill a similar type of role. So, they won't be part of the monarchy but they will be carrying out a monarchy-type role. So, we've effectively got two rival courts here, if you like, producing rival engagements. They could be clashing. So, the question is whether or not the palace will be coordinating with the Sussexes.

It could be very damaging if we get into a narrative where it becomes Sussexes versus Cambridges and undermining the monarchy to some extent. And also, you know, the Sussexes were not very popular when they left the U.K. They've got a lot to build up. That is possible. They're very talented at engagements, and just listen to a few words that we heard today about the divisiveness that exists here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not especially happy about it because they trashed the whole country numerous times, betrayed their family, betrayed his king, his father, went out to America, and now they're bored and now they want to come back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But maybe it's just truly British at the end of the day, and he just misses home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope they have a good time when they come back and the press leaves them alone

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: There you are. The press was a big issue, of course, here in the U.K. Maybe they've resolved that in their minds, or maybe they want the kids just to go to a British school. I'm not really sure yet, John.

BERMAN: Well, we'll see. Max, you already had a lot to do. I feel like your job just got a little bit busier over the coming weeks and months.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning. Keep us posted. Kate? BOLDUAN: So, there's new CNN reporting about the Republican running for governor in Georgia, why his company was accused of trafficking immigrant nurses. We have that coming up.

And a big moment possibly in the fight against cancer, a new vaccine that could stop skin cancer from returning.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

SIDNER: The national debt just hit a record high, 40 trillion, yes, with a T, dollars. The number, staggering, and it arrived sooner than predicted, the debt roughly doubling in less than ten years. So, what does all this mean to you?

CNN's Matt Egan is here to break it all down for us. I guess the big question is how is this going to impact Americans, and not just now, but potentially for the long run?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Sara. I mean, $40 trillion, this is another grim milestone. This number, it's so hard to even wrap your head around. It's just such a big number. Let's look at the live tracker of the national debt. You see just over $40 trillion.

Now, if you broke that down per person, per every single person in the United States, it's almost $120,000, just staggering. And when you look at the -- this is a look at how fast it's growing, almost $5 million per minute, Sara.

[07:30:00]

So, just since we started talking, we've added about $5 million to the national debt, $285 million per hour, and almost $7 billion.