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Two U.S. Servicemember Killed In Iran-U.S. War; Fans Are Glued To TV Screens; Venezuela Needs More Aid; U.K. Welcomes Its New Prime Minister; President Trump's Lowest Poll Recorded; NASA Looks For Volunteers To Live In Space. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 19, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome to the CNN Newsroom, everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York.

Across the globe, the world is focused on the stadium just outside New York City, the site of the World Cup final between Spain and defending champions Argentina. More than a billion people are expected to tune in.

On the left, you've got Madrid. People watching, of course, waiting for any change in the match. And then Buenos Aires as well on the right. Those are live looks. And then we also want to show you what it's looking like in Central Park in New York City, one of the many places where fans are gathering to watch the match.

We are going to be watching for the end of it. When it comes, we will have all the reaction. And we'll get you back to the Big Apple live in just a few minutes.

But, of course, there is still a lot of news going on throughout the world, news that we want to keep you updated on, including the United States military saying another U.S. servicemember was killed this weekend in northern Iraq. And this comes as the United States and Iran keep up fresh strikes against each other amid fears of a wider war rising in the region. The United States launching a new wave of attacks on Iran after two U.S. servicemembers were killed by an Iranian strike in Jordan on Friday.

And Iran is intensifying its attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf region. Kuwait, for example, says Iran hit one of its power and water plants for the second time in two days. These are the kind of plants that are critical for providing fresh water to parts of the region. And defenses also intercepted strikes in Jordan and Bahrain.

So, joining me now is CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson in Jerusalem. And CNN's Julia Benbrook is traveling with the president as well.

So, Julia, I just want to start with you. What is the latest we are hearing from the Trump administration?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just a day after U.S. Central Command announced that two American servicemembers had been killed during an attack in Jordan, CENTCOM now says that another American servicemember has been killed in action, this time in northern Iraq. I want to pull up this statement for you now.

They did provide a few more details, saying a U.S. servicemember in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18th during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second servicemember was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury. This brings the total of deaths of U.S. servicemembers during this now nearly five-month-long conflict to 17.

And as I mentioned before, that happened just the day after two American servicemembers were killed during an attack in Jordan. They also said that one other servicemember had been categorized as missing in action. They provided a bit more of an update there as well, saying that remains were found in that area, but the examination process, the verification process is still ongoing.

CENTCOM is still withholding some information here as they are working to make sure the next of kin is notified. But all of this happening as there are fears that this could turn into a much wider conflict. The U.S. has launched eight consecutive nights of strikes, and then there have been waves of Iranian drones and missiles fired at a widening number of targets in countries with U.S. bases. Omar.

JIMENEZ: And Nic, what has the reaction in the region been like to these latest strikes?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, we're hearing about some levels of diplomacy, the Saudis, others, talking about how this current sort of spate of conflict can avoid an escalation. If we go back to what was happening at the end of March, in the early part of April, in the very beginning of the sort of ceasefire back then, these Gulf countries got very worried when it appeared that the United States was about to step up military actions again as it was trying to sort of force open the Strait of Hormuz.

And what they didn't understand back then was precisely what the United States was planning. And you get a sense that some of that's permeating the region again. Bahrain today intercepting missiles fired at it. Kuwait, as you mentioned, intercepting missiles fired at it. Again, they've really been caught in some of the most direct and intense barrages coming from Iran so far.

But really, I think it is Israel and Jordan where we've seen this possibility of a real increase in the scale and potential scope of the current hostilities. And that's quite simply because Iran today targeted the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba. And just a couple of hours before that, the U.S. embassy in Jordan had warned Americans, don't go to Aqaba International Airport, don't go to Aqaba seaport there because there is credible information about the possibility of attack.

[17:05:04] Now, Jordanian officials said they weren't aware of that. But within a couple of hours, four missiles came from Iran. Three were intercepted. One fell in a deserted area.

But during this, because Aqaba is right next to Eilat, Israel's port city at the top of the Red Sea, they're both sitting there at the top of the Red Sea side by side. Israel activated its air defense systems. And indeed, the IDF say that they were involved in helping bring down the attack on southern Jordan.

And why this causes concern, as far as we know, there are no U.S. military bases around Aqaba. Aqaba is very busy for tourists at this time of year. Jordan has really been caught in Iran's crosshairs a lot over recent days, not just the killing of several U.S. service members there over the past few days, but multiple different bases U.S. Air Force operates out of in Jordan the Iranians claim to have attacked.

So, this appears to be an escalation and easy to see how the spillover can happen. And Israel's defense minister today said clearly if Iran attacks, Israel will respond automatically. That's the sort of escalation everyone in this region wants to avoid.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Nic Robertson, Julia Benbrook, really appreciate the reporting on both fronts.

I want to talk about this more with CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. And look, we are seeing more U.S. troops killed. And this war does seem to be intensifying.

If it continues to escalate, what might that actually look like in terms of the next step here?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Omar, that really depends on if the strategies stay the same. But the basic idea would be that there would be an expansion of more raids on the southern part of Iran. And those raids could then be expanded to other parts of Iran.

I could see, for example, that CENTCOM would probably target installations in and around Tehran. And that would, of course, be going after headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military elements, the security services, and frankly, the leadership. So those are the kinds of things that could happen if this were to expand.

And there might be several catalysts involved in that kind of an expansion, such as further attacks on U.S. personnel and U.S. bases, attacks on the infrastructure, continued attacks on the infrastructure of the Arab Gulf nations. So, these are all things where we're basically sitting on a tinderbox here, and that tinderbox could go off at any point in time. And that would then result in further expansion that could include more strategic assets than what we're seeing right now.

JIMENEZ: You mentioned the infrastructure of the Gulf states. We, of course, have seen it targeted. But specifically, those water desalination plants. Why is that significant? LEIGHTON: Well, let's take the case of Kuwait, for example. Kuwait has

had desalination plants for decades, more than half a century. And those plants provide 90 percent of Kuwait's fresh drinking water. So, without those desalination plants, you really can't have life as it exists at the standard that it exists in those Gulf Arab states. And Kuwait is just one example of that. But similar plants exist in Bahrain, in Qatar, in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and even Oman.

So each of these plants plays a vital role not only in the infrastructure of the country, but really in the life of the people there. The economies that those Gulf Arab nations have right now would not be possible without those desalination plants and that kind of effort to basically take the salt out of the seawater that is right there.

JIMENEZ: You know, when you talk about the potential of escalation, I mean, it does seem we are on a path to that point. How does the U.S. continue pressuring Iran while also keeping its allies in the region safe? Because it does seem that Iran just lashes out or attacks an ally in response largely to whatever the U.S. sends Iran's way.

LEIGHTON: Yes, and it's a really difficult problem set. But one aspect of this, Omar, is that we would have to continue to attack Iranian missile emplacements and drone launching facilities and, of course, also the industrial base where those drones and missiles are manufactured.

So that is definitely on the target list that CENTCOM has. Those kinds of attacks would have to continue on the other side of that because we know that they're still going to be producing drones and missiles.

[17:09:51]

The other thing that has to happen is that the air and missile defense mechanisms have to be really, really solid in these countries. They are very good, but all it takes, as we've seen with the attack on the air base in Jordan, is for one missile to get through and for tragic consequences to ensue as a result of that.

JIMENEZ: Yes, without a doubt. Colonel Cedric Leighton, really appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for being here.

LEIGHTON: You bet. You bet, Omar. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Now, I mentioned this at the start of the show. Look, we've got the World Cup final. Fans have been descending on the New York area for the single biggest sporting event on the planet.

I want to show you some live pictures of Central Park where one of the watch parties has been taking place for fans not able to get inside the stadium just across the Hudson River to see Spain play Argentina. You got to cough up a lot of money for that.

But CNN's Gloria Pazmino joins us from New York City. Is it as electrifying as it looks? I feel like it's tense right now. GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Extremely tense where in the last

few minutes of this game, the score is tied. Neither team has scored and they're about to go into overtime if neither team scores in the next four minutes. So, it is tense here, Omar. And if it looks like I'm sitting in a living room, it's because I kind of am.

This living room happens to be right in the middle of Times Square because even though we're surrounded by giant screens here, they are not showing the game. And that means that hundreds of people have created their own impromptu watch parties. And I want you to just take a look what's happening behind me.

Everyone is gathered around this tiny laptop, taking in this game, making sure that they don't miss anything at all. Check out this crowd. There's easily more than 100 people here just training their eyes on this laptop as the game comes to an end.

So this is a really tense time. Everyone is locked in. And like I said, we are in the middle of Times Square, one of the most crowded places in New York City. Again, the game not being shown in these giant screens. But I think this gives you a feel for what this World Cup has been all about, which is people coming together, community, all the celebration of these different cultures culminating in this last final game. Certainly, a place like New York City comes alive.

You know, we have communities from all over the world here in this city. And this is a perfect moment to experience that beauty of the city. So, all these folks, even though they haven't been able to be in the stadium or watch on a big screen, they are getting into it.

And I'm going to show you something, Omar, because I know it feels like the right place to be is the stadium. But here we've been doing the wave. Are we ready? We're ready for the wave. All right, here we go. One, two. One more time. One, two. That's what this is all about, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

PAZMINO: So we have the last few minutes here and we'll see where it goes. I think we're going to have a much bigger party in the next few minutes here in Times Square.

JIMENEZ: Hey, forget about ticket price. That experience is priceless. The range of things in Times Square that Times Square sees. Unbelievable.

Gloria Pazmino, good luck out there. We'll check in with you shortly. We'll have a lot more on the World Cup later this hour, too.

But again, as I've been talking about, we are also covering a lot of news going on across the world, including the people of Venezuela still recovering from that pair of powerful earthquakes that devastated the country nearly a month ago. We're going to talk to someone who was just there helping the survivors. We're going to talk about the extent of the damage just ahead. Plus, a major shakeup in Britain as the U.K. readies for a new leader. How the new prime minister could reshape not just the politics over the pond, but also here at home. You're in the CNN Newsroom.

[17:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: People are just trying to survive in Venezuela as the country recovers from those powerful earthquakes in June. Crews are trying to make sure people have enough food and shelter while also clearing debris and unfortunately finding remains.

Local authorities in Venezuela say more than 5,000 people died in the quakes and more than 16,000 were hurt. Initial estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey said that tens of thousands of people likely died.

I want to bring in Winston Parrish, senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, who joins us now. And Pastor Parrish just got back from visiting Venezuela.

And how would you describe the scale of what you saw there?

WINSTON PARRISH, SENIOR PASTOR, TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH: Good afternoon, Omar. Thank you for the opportunity to come on and to share. I think the one word that keeps coming to my head is obliterated. Street after street, mile after mile of residential family dwellings that are pancaked on top of each other, that have fallen into each other.

And I've been responding to disasters all around the world for 20 years. And I'm not sure that I've ever seen a humanitarian crisis to the level of what we're seeing in Venezuela. It's breathtaking, to say the least.

JIMENEZ: So tell me about that. I mean, like you said, you've responded to so many crises like these. Why does this one stand out to you in your mind?

PARRISH: I think a lot of it has to do with the area that was hit. La Guaira is a heavily residential area. It's where a lot of the workers that live in Caracas, they live in La Guaira but work in Caracas.

[17:20:02]

It's a lot of day laborers and folks that work blue collar jobs there in Venezuela. And those families have been utterly decimated. The physical destruction is staggering. And I think the only thing that I've ever seen in my tenure in ministry are maybe the earthquakes in Turkey in 2023 that hit Turkey and Syria.

But to the level of devastation and the difficulty of getting aid and supplies to these folks that need it, I've never met such a challenge. And I've never seen such a staggering amount of people who need everything. They've lost everything they have. And most of them have lost a family member, a relative, someone in their home. And it's overwhelming, to say the least. And we know now that it's no longer just a rescue operation. We're almost a month removed. But the real crisis now are the people who are sleeping in the streets. As you mentioned in the intro, thousands upon thousands of people who are homeless.

And some estimates from partners there on the ground, in one camp, in one makeshift camp in Caracas, 17,000 people just living with whatever they can find. And so, our heart is to go and to help. And from what we've seen, there will be years and years of help ahead. It will not just be in the next month or two months, but this is decades of work and effort there in Venezuela.

JIMENEZ: As you've been talking, we've been showing just some of the recent video from La Guaira, but also some of your pictures as well from when you and others were responding there.

How would you say is needed most in the region? I mean, you can see the devastation, but what did you get the sense of that maybe people from the outside weren't understanding about what is actually needed there?

PARRISH: I think the fear now is where do these people go? Where do we house that many people? And obviously food and water, the essentials, hygiene kits, things like that. There is a great influx of that product that has arrived to Venezuela. In six or eight months, there may be more of a need for those items. But for right now, the real crisis is sheltering.

Where do people go? Where do we put families of four and five? How do we safely rest them and have a place for them to go? And so that's the effort that we're joining in. That's what we've been asked to do. And we've been given a piece of property there in La Guaira, one of the last pieces of property that's free of rubble.

And that's what we're going to do. We're going to establish a safe place for families, for men, women and children to come and to rest and to find shelter and food and medicine and even a contact with the government. If they're getting assistance from their government, we plan to take a 46,000 square foot tent.

The same model that we did in Turkey, that our church and ministry did in Turkey and Hatay in 2023, and create a place where they can come and sleep and eat and rest and begin to rebuild their lives. But that is the critical need right now. And we're trying our best.

We're just a local church in Western North Carolina, trying our best to raise funds to pay for air cargo and all of the things that take place. But we have the tent, we have the team, and we plan to be back on the ground as soon as possible, helping these folks with a safe place.

JIMENEZ: It's a reminder that even as some of these stories fade from the immediate headlines, there's still so much work to be done. So much that, I mean, as you talked about, it's going to be years before a lot of these folks or a lot of these areas get back to some semblance of normal.

I got to leave the conversation there. But Pastor Winston Parrish, really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks for being here.

PARRISH: Thank you for the coverage. And I appreciate the time. Really do.

JIMENEZ: Of course. And for you all watching, if you want more information about what you can do to help the people affected in Venezuela, you can go to CNN.com/impact or text quake to 707070.

All right. I want to bring you an update on another story. The U.K. is about to swear in another prime minister.

So, what challenges will former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham face? We'll talk about it here in the CNN Newsroom.

[17:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Tomorrow, Britain will officially get a new prime minister. Andy Burnham set to become the country's seventh in a decade marked by political instability.

And Burnham succeeds Keir Starmer as Labour leader, which is Britain's governing left leaning party. In his acceptance speech, Burnham pledged to give people hope back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, UK LABOUR PARTY LEADER: I will work to build a new politics. The country is crying out for it. We might enjoy the point scoring against others. The public don't.

How can politicians point fingers when living standards are falling and politics as a whole isn't working for them? It infuriates them and makes them switch off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Let's discuss now with Politico's London playbook author Sam Francis.

So, Sam, let's talk about this moment, because Burnham is stepping into this role at a time when the U.S. war with Iran is escalating, driving energy prices higher, Russia's war with Ukraine dragging on.

What do we know about his worldview and his ability to step into what is going to be a mess of international relations here?

SAM FRANCIS, LONDON PLAYBOOK AUTHOR, POLITICO: It's a very good question. I mean, honestly, not a huge amount. What he's been doing for the last 10 or so years is he's been a very successful mayor of Greater Manchester, which is probably akin to something between being senator and the mayor of a large town like Chicago. [17:30:07]

So he's not really had any foreign policy facing experience. He's been very much a domestic focused politician for a long time. So that's one of the big questions we'll be finding out in the next days and weeks is how will he handle these big, big international problems coming his way?

JIMENEZ: And one of one of those, I don't know if you want to call it a problem or at the very least, a point of discussion is do we have a sense of how Burnham plans to navigate the relationship with the Trump administration?

FRANCIS: Well, so far, what he said is he's going to deal with it, how he deals with a lot of things. He thinks Trump is a straight shooter. He likes people with personality. Andy Burnham thinks he's got a bit of personality himself. So he's just going to go into it and take it as it comes, I think. He's not really set out much of a vision other than his domestic focus so far.

JIMENEZ: You know, as we talked about in the intro to this segment as well, Burnham is going to be the seventh prime minister in 10 years. And for American viewers, I mean, for others, it seems like this incredible turnover here. We have just some of the previous prime ministers and their tenures there on screen.

How would you characterize what the past decade has been there in U.K. politics and why we have seen such volatility in the leadership there?

FRANCIS: Well, to be fair, there's been a lot happening in the last 10 years. I mean, to kick it off, we had Brexit. We've had Covid. There's war in Europe again. The Russian invasion of Ukraine. And as you say, more recently, the Iran war. So, there's been quite a lot of, let's say, instability within the political system.

Added to that, we've had this is the era of social media where politicians often have less time, less of a honeymoon period to set out their stall. And kind of before people start demanding change and the appetite for radical change is really upped in this era. But to kind of pour petrol on that, on all of that, we have to kind of go back to Brexit, which was probably the defining era, defining issue of our era, which kind of split lots of the party loyalties that have existed for a very long time in the U.K.

So across the Tory party, you saw people who'd been part of a broad- church kind of turning on each other within Labour. That's true to a certain extent as well, but it was less pronounced. So, after Brexit, those old party loyalties have kind of fractured.

And we're now in this five or six-party politics with our political system, which is first past the post. So in each area, whoever has the most votes kind of wins. So often parties with very small majorities in these small areas can win big majorities.

But what you have then, which Keir Starmer had now, is lots and lots of MPs in very, very unstable constituencies who have probably more panic, less tolerance for things not going well. And what he saw with Starmer over the last few years was his popularity kind of nosedived pretty rapidly from when he was first elected.

So our parliamentary system probably lends itself a bit more towards people being prime ministers being deposed because once you're in, the people you're actually beholden to are your MPs. And if you don't do a good job with keeping them on side, which arguably some didn't, you can quite easily be taken out.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Yes. Sam Francis, appreciate the perspective. Thanks for being here. We're out of time.

I didn't even get to ask you about Nigel Farage and Count Binface, but we'll save that for the next conversation. Best of luck.

FRANCIS: I could talk about Binface all day, so thank you.

JIMENEZ: Yes, we'll save it for next time. Good to see you.

All right. Meanwhile, 48 teams completed competed for the World Cup. We will get down to one winner tonight and we are following it all. We got the looks in Madrid, the looks in Buenos Aires as well.

We'll have more coming up in the CNN Newsroom very, very soon.

[17:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Fans from around the world have had their eyes on New York, New Jersey Stadium for the heart thumping World Cup championship final. You are seeing live looks at Central Park where fans have been watching the biggest sporting event on the planet. But we also showed you live pictures from Madrid, Buenos Aires, as well as Spain and Argentina are duking it out in this final.

Stefano Pozzebon is in Buenos Aires for us, where fans have been looking for a second straight title. And Pau Mosquera is in Madrid, where fans have been on razor's edge for hours, playing pretty dominant so far. But all it takes is one shot.

[17:40:04]

So, Stefano, what has the mood been in Buenos Aires right now?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, man, I cannot take my eyes off the screen. It's been a relentless Spanish siege to the Argentinean defense line. And so that's why we are at the fan zone in the neighborhood of Palermo, in a big park with a giant screen just in front of my head, in front of me, behind the cameraman's back.

And everyone surrounding me has been, I mean, nobody's sitting here, clearly. We're all just standing on our toes and looking as if we could jump into the screen to try to give a hint to Messi and the other guys. Because literally the last 15 minutes, which is the first half of the extra time, have been a complete Spanish masterclass, outclassing the Argentines with possession probably was more than 80 percent. The Argentinians could not get their foot on the ball. However, the Argentinian defense line stays strong.

And this is a team that has confidence in pulling off a miracle in the last minutes of a match. They've won several matches at the very last minute or in the extra time. 15 goals scored in the last 15 minutes. It's never over until it's over. Omar?

JIMENEZ: No truer words, especially when you're talking about Argentina and Lionel Messi here.

And Pau Mosquera is in Madrid for us, where the Spanish team has had a pretty dominant performance, but have not been able to get it done just yet. What are fans feeling there in Madrid, Pau?

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's it, Omar. Just moments ago here, the fans were celebrating. Their Nico Williams seemed to score the first goal. I even got drenched in beer, but then the referee disallowed this goal. So, so far, it seems like the history is repeating itself. Just like 16 years ago, the World Cup final went to the extra time.

But are the fans, the thousands of them here in Madrid, tired after more than 100 minutes of match. Not at all, Omar. But I bet that most of them are going to get back home with no fingernails left, as they are going to bite all of them because they are suffering a lot. They are so stressed and they are anxiously awaiting for the goal that makes Spain claim the victory, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Pau Mosquera, Stefano Pozzebon in Madrid and Buenos Aires. We will see. We will see who is celebrating and who is crying in the end. We will check in with you very soon.

Meanwhile, President Trump is at the World Cup final with the honor of presenting the winners with the World Cup trophy. And as we approach the midterms, though, Trump's approval ratings remain at or near all- time lows.

CNN's Chief Data Analyst runs the numbers.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey there, Omar. Happy Sunday to you.

A lot has been happening both domestically and internationally over the past few months. Obviously, last month we had a good inflation report for the month of June. But is any of this moving President Trump's approval ratings at all? And the short answer is not really, no.

President Trump remains at or near record lows when we look at two polls that have come out over the past few days, both the Washington Post poll and the CNBC poll. What are we talking about here? Well, why don't we just take a look really simply at this. OK, Trump's net approval rating.

In April, according to Washington Post, he was 25 points underwater. That is approval minus disapproval. Now, basically the exact same spot. He's 24 points underwater, according to the Washington Post. That's his second worst net approval rating all time in any Washington Post poll. Now, you look at the CNBC numbers and they tell the exact same story, even if they're slightly different numbers.

In April, look at that. Trump was 18 points below water. Look at where he is now. Trump is 19 points below water. That is the worst ever net approval rating Donald Trump has ever had in CNBC polling. And when you combine the two of them, we can just say that Trump is underwater.

You know what? I'll use one of my favorite phrases, like the Little Mermaid. Now, I want to put these numbers into some historical perspective for you, not just within Trump, but other presidents as well this century. And we're going to average the Washington Post and the CNBC poll. And why don't we do it right here?

OK, net approval rating for 21st century presidents in term two, at this point in term two. And we're going to take the CNBC and Washington Post poll and average them. Where do we see Trump at? Well, he's 22 points below water. Where was Barack Obama at this point in term two? He was only eight points below water.

How about George W. Bush? We were in the middle of the Iraq war at this point. That Iraq war, of course, would help lead to a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate back in 2006. Bush was 20 points below water.

[17:45:04]

So, what we can conclude here is, at least according to a CNBC- Washington Post poll average, President Trump is in the worst position of any 21st century president at this point in term two.

Now, what is driving these low numbers for President Trump? Well, simply put, it is independents. Independents are the name of the game. You win the Senate or the electorate, you usually win the elections. And these are why these numbers are so troubling for President Trump and for Republicans.

Take a look here. Worst net approval ratings ever with independents at this point in term two. Look who is worst on the list. Who ranks number one on the list? You definitely don't want to be ranking number one on. And that is President Trump, 45 points underwater, according to the Washington Post poll.

Look at that. That is worse. That is worse than Richard Milhous Nixon. At this point, just before he was forced to leave office because of Watergate, he was 37 points below water. And the aforementioned George W. Bush in the middle of the Iraq War, he was 31 points underwater.

When you put it all together, my dear friend Omar, this is quite the troubling set of numbers for President Trump. Despite the improving inflation rate, at least in June, it really didn't do much to help President Trump. He's still at historic lows, especially among independents. And, of course, with the rising gas prices, I'm not expecting these numbers to get any better anytime soon.

But you know what? You're always good anytime, Omar. Back to you.

JIMENEZ: Harry Enten approval ratings through the roof. Good to see you, as always.

All right, coming up, if you've ever wanted to know what it's like living on the moon, now is your chance. The new NASA program currently looking for volunteers. We'll talk about it next.

[17:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: If you've ever dreamed of leaving Earth and all its problems behind and heading to the moon or Mars, well, NASA says this could be your chance. It's looking for four volunteers to spend a whole year in a simulation that mimics the challenges of deep space travel and life on another world.

Participants will live alone in close quarters, growing food, conducting astronaut style tasks and even adapting to a Martian schedule, all without ever leaving Texas.

Former NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander Leroy Chiao joins us now. He also wrote the book "Dinner with an Astronaut."

Look, NASA has run Mars simulations before, but this feels unique. What are the most important lessons researchers still need to learn before sending astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars?

LEROY CHIAO, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Sure, and it's not just NASA that's run these simulations. Other space agencies and organizations have done it. The Russians ran a big blockbuster 500 plus day study some years ago with an international crew.

But this is the first time it's being done, a yearlong study at the Johnson Space Center here in Houston. And it's unique in that the crew is going to have two compartments here in Houston. One will simulate the spacecraft that takes them to and from the Red Planet.

The other one simulates a base that they will stay in when they're there. But, you know, the criticism of these kinds of analogs, if you will, is that the crews don't necessarily behave like astronauts would write. They're not astronauts.

But on the other hand, there's a lot to be learned, mostly crew interactions, sociology. What happens to crews when they're cooped up together for long periods of time? Some crew members might get depressed. Some might get lose motivation. Others step up to the challenge. And we study not only these chamber analogs, but we send crews to the Antarctic. We send them to the inside of the Arctic Circle. We send them to different places as a facility in Hawaii. So this is another study in a long series. And each one, we learn a

little bit more about crew interactions and what kind of a mix of people should we be sending on a mission like one to Mars that's going to be well over a year long.

JIMENEZ: You know, many people think of spaceflight as a physical challenge because there is there. There are a lot of physical challenges to this. But how much of a yearlong mission is really a psychological one that will be tested here as well? Living in isolation, confined in a small space with the same small group every day.

CHIAO: Yes, it's not so much a physical challenge. It is in that, you know, you have to work out every day to keep your bones and muscles and heart in shape over that long period of microgravity or zero gravity. But it is mostly the psychosocial aspect of it.

And we've learned a lot from space station missions and the Russians when they've been flying long duration missions. First, in the 1970s, they learned it's very important to pick your combination of people to put together in a small space for a long period of time.

On at least two occasions over the years, they've had to end missions early because the crews literally were, you know, not getting along very well at all, maybe not even speaking to each other. And so, it's crucial that we understand this aspect of human behavior during these long flights.

Now, what differentiates space station missions from, say, a Mars mission space station? Well, we can always see the Earth and it's reassuring. It's comforting. We love taking pictures of the Earth. When you're on a Mars mission, you're going to watch the Earth get smaller and smaller and then turn into a star. Right. And that's going to be pretty weird psychologically. Right.

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But a lot of challenges and things we have to understand. There are other biomedical effects, physical effects that we also have to figure out. That's not going to be addressed as much on these kinds of studies, but they're all very important.

JIMENEZ: Yes. I mean, every bit of space research that you can get, no matter how you get it, contributing to a much larger mission here, especially in the years to come.

Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao, really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks for being here.

CHIAO: My pleasure. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Of course. And stay with CNN. Why? Because up next, we're going to have a CNN sports special on the World Cup final with Don Riddell. What you are seeing on your screen right there on the left side, you've got Madrid waiting in anticipation for the score to go final. And on the right side, you've got Buenos Aires hoping for a miracle from their legend and Lionel Messi. You'll have that special coming up very soon, including a new hour of CNN Newsroom at 7. That's where I will see you. See you then.

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