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U.S. & Iran Stand Down 'For Now' After Strikes; Reflecting Pool Problems a Reflection of Government?; Team USA Prepares for Knockout Round Match Against Bosnia. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired June 29, 2026 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: In Nevada, the Air Force performed a flyover to kick off their Fourth of July celebration.
[06:00:10]
The iconic Thunderbirds flew over famous landmarks including Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and red rock landmarks including Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.
All right. Quite the sight to see there. That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Iran and the U.S. trade strikes. President Trump threatens Tehran will, quote, "no longer exist." Is this ceasefire collapsing?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Violence will be met with violence.
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CORNISH: And miracles in the rubble. Babies buried under piles of debris found alive, days after dual mass earthquakes in Venezuela.
And fires turn deadly in Utah. Now, scorching heat is about to make things a little harder for firefighters.
And everyone loves an underdog. Does the U.S. have a shot at winning the World Cup?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been playing good. Like, at first, I was even skeptical.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do support the U.S. Team. I think there's no chance.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. ROGER MARSHALL (R-KS): The major war is over. And think of this as almost just a mop-up operation. We have to press them. If they strike us, we have to strike them back by ten.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, a fragile ceasefire back on after a fresh outburst of strikes between the U.S. and Iran. Could the truce be on the verge of crumbling?
Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. We're going to start with the commitment to stand down for now.
Both the U.S. and Iran agreeing to meet in Qatar tomorrow after exchanging fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran targeted U.S. allies in Bahrain and Kuwait, but a U.S. official says no Iranian drones or missiles hit their intended targets, saying, quote, "To be clear, Iran failed."
President Trump threatened that, if Iran continued violating the ceasefire, it, quote, "will no longer exist."
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MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: If the Iranian regime thinks for a second that President Trump is going to sit -- sit by, stand by while Iran continues to attack international shipping without a response or our bases without a response, they're sadly mistaken.
And they saw that loud and clear over the last few nights, where we'll continue to militarily, if needed, take down their infrastructure that they're trying to use to illegally control an international waterway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: All right. To help us figure this all out today in the group chat, Igor Bobic, congressional reporter with "NOTUS"; Becca Wasser, defense lead at Bloomberg Economics; Michael Scherer, staff writer at "The Atlantic"; and Alex Thompson, CNN political analyst and national political correspondent with Axios.
Good morning, everybody. Thank you guys for being here.
So, Becca, before I bring in the group, let's talk about this kind of back and forth, because there's a lot of question of when is a ceasefire not a ceasefire? At the same time, I feel like the U.S. and Iran behave similarly in some ways in terms of threats versus rhetoric.
BECCA WASSER, DEFENSE LEAD, BLOOMBERG ECONOMICS: I think both Tehran and Washington have decided that the ceasefire is more fire than cease. They are OK with the level of violence and these skirmishes, these exchange of attacks, as they try and set their red lines and try and shape negotiations, frankly, via these attacks.
And so, I think we're going to see these for the foreseeable future. And right now, there is a commitment to continue talking at the same time that they're going to continue shooting.
CORNISH: Yes. Like, the technical talks are still going.
WASSER: Yes.
CORNISH: And I'm under the impression this is the part that really gets into the nitty gritty of what happens to enriched uranium. Where does it go? So, they are still sort of -- it's like parallel tracks, I think.
WASSER: It's parallel tracks, but at the same time, you see Iran trying to exert its control over the Strait of Hormuz by saying that ships taking this Southern route, this U.S.-approved route via Oman, is unacceptable to them, because it is not the one that is being coordinated by Iran.
So, Iran is trying to retain leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, its major lever that it has had during this war, without --
CORNISH: Let me follow up on you saying that, because Jake Sullivan, the former national security adviser under Biden, was on FAREED ZAKARIA this weekend. He was asked this question about whether or not Iran, through this process, is actually getting concessions. Here was his read of the situation.
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JAKE SULLIVAN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN: The Iranians are leaning forward to exercise control over the strait to remind the world that they control that waterway. Then, leaning back when the Trump administration objects vigorously enough, because the Iranians want to keep getting the windfall that they've gotten out of this MOU.
And then when it comes to the nuclear file, I think they will dribble out very small concessions bit by bit, then pull them back, then put them forward, then pull them back to keep the United States at the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:05:08]
CORNISH: OK, so the U.S. wants to be at the table, but they're asking for supplemental war funding of Congress to do it to the tune of 87.6 billion. Igor, you follow Congress. As the Senate has nudged towards going against war powers, what is the mood on the Hill for paying this bill?
IGOR BOBIC, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, "NOTUS": Not very good at all right now. Democrats are obviously very opposed to this to begin with, but I think the fraying of this ceasefire -- or not ceasefire or whatever you want to call it right now -- is just going to intensify questions in Congress about this huge amount of money they want.
CORNISH: But it's hard to picture them yanking money while people are in the field of battle. So, is it just to make noise, make them -- the Trump folks' life harder? Like, I don't get it.
BOBIC: Absolutely, absolutely. Democrats see blood in the water, and they're going to make them pay in November for this war that's unpopular across both parties. Gas prices are up. People are paying a lot of money here. It's not popular.
CORNISH: Although gas prices are down a tiny bit, which I think is what the president wanted. Right. But certainly, by July 4th, I think they're clocking in at around -- Oh, there we go -- $3.86.
In this new book, "Regime Change," they -- Maggie Haberman, coauthor, was talking about sort of who wanted to be involved in this war, who didn't want to be involved in this war, in the administration. Here's how she described it.
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MAGGIE HABERMAN, CO-AUTHOR, "REGIME CHANGE": In our reporting -- and we write about this in the book -- none of Trump's senior advisors, none of his cabinet, really thought this was a good idea.
But Vance was the only one who really vocally took issue with this, with Trump. And it irritated Trump. It cost Vance with Trump. But he was the only person who was really sort of rattling the cages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: What do you see in what's happening now in light of what she's saying about what happened when this all started?
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think you're seeing a larger I mean, what she is talking about is a larger dynamic in this White House, is that people do not want to give Trump bad news.
And so sometimes, he is making decisions based on the good news people are trying to share with him.
CORNISH: And if you give him the bad news, you end up holding the bag, it seems, because Vance apparently --
THOMPSON: I mean -- I mean exactly, like -- and it's -- and part of the reporting of this book is that Vance, his relationship with Trump was hurt by doing this.
And you're seeing Trump having -- trotting -- trotting out Vance and being like, Well, now you fix it. You didn't even want to go in, but now it's your responsibility to fix this thing.
MICHAEL SCHERER, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": There's also a shift that's happened. You know, if we think back just three months ago, President Trump believed he had the hottest hand in history.
CORNISH: Yes.
SCHERER: He was --
CORNISH: He had all the cards, as he likes to say.
SCHERER: All the cards. He'd come out of Venezuela. He'd -- he'd remade the federal government. And -- and all the facts were on the table. He was presented with the reality of what it meant to go to Iran. But he just believed this was sort of his destiny.
I think we're at a different stage of the presidency right now. It's very clear that this has humbled him, and he doesn't have the power, the sort of all-achieving power that he thought he had a few months ago.
And so, I -- you know, there are personality conflicts all the time in the White House.
CORNISH: Yes. But we'll talk about this more, because we've got SCOTUS rulings today.
SCHERER: Sure.
CORNISH: Which are also going to ring fence his power. Maybe, maybe not. And then we've got the midterms.
Becca, I do want to get one more word from you. It's one thing for Iran and the U.S. to -- to be going back and forth. There's somebody at the helm of a ship who has to decide to go forward or not.
Are they? Are they afraid? Do they believe that they can sail through a ceasefire?
WASSER: Iran can believe that they control the strait. The U.S. can believe that the strait is open. But who actually decides? It's those commercial shippers? It's the people at the helm of the ship.
And some are willing to actually take a chance. And some are perhaps a little bit reticent. And that is why --
CORNISH: Yes. We're seeing some say there's different routes they can use.
WASSER: Yes.
CORNISH: But is it safe?
WASSER: Is it safe? There may still be mines in the water. And the U.S. is still providing armed overwatch. It's still trying to get ships out.
And I think we might actually end up seeing an uptick in U.S. military activity, trying to protect the ships that are trying to make it in and out of the waterway, because of President Trump's desire to make sure that oil is flowing in and out, as needed.
CORNISH: OK. Becca Wasser, always love having you here. Appreciate your insight.
Coming up on CNN, we're going to talk about what we mentioned earlier: the Supreme Court getting ready with their major decisions that could affect this White House. That's coming out this morning.
Plus, the renovator in chief. President Trump's next project in his mission to make over D.C.
And Haiti has a "do not travel" advisory, but the Trump administration is defending its decision to send some Haitians back home.
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MARKWAYNE MULLIN, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: So, that isn't -- that -- that advisory is to American citizens traveling to Haiti, not Haitians going back home.
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[06:14:24]
CORNISH: All right. It's almost 15 minutes past the hour. This is your morning roundup.
Three firefighters confirmed dead, two injured as fires spread along the Colorado-Utah border. Utah's governor announcing firework restrictions ahead of July 4th, citing firefighters' strained resources.
The National Weather Service issued the highest possible fire weather risk. Today, temperatures are expected to rise in the area.
And from New York to Seattle, millions took to the streets Sunday for the annual Pride parades, marking the anniversary of the historic Stonewall uprising.
The celebrations this year carried a distinct weight: joy mixed with defiance as marchers gathered against the backdrop of a widening political battle. The Trump administration actively moving to roll back transgender rights, in particular.
And tennis star Serena Williams will compete at the Wimbledon tomorrow in London. Williams will be facing 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round of the competition.
And Williams will also compete alongside her sister, Venus Williams, in the doubles matches at Wimbledon.
And the Reflecting Pool, now blocked off by security fences ahead of the July 4th holiday as the attempts to clean it up from algae blooms continue.
Security cameras have also been installed as the Trump administration alleges people have been vandalizing the pool following a multimillion-dollar project.
The president also seems to be eyeing a new project: building a golf course on the Potomac River. He spent Sunday afternoon touring the East Potomac golf links and later said on social media the course would be shut down for renovations, which, weirdly, is in the group chat.
Because, Michael, you were writing about this. I feel like the Reflecting Pool, golf things, they sound minor. But what do they tell us about, like, how the administration is operating?
SCHERER: It's about him. He's obsessed with this stuff. I mean, he spent all day -- all day yesterday --
CORNISH: Well, developer's going to develop. Like --
SCHERER: Yes, this is what he likes to do.
You know, you mentioned earlier the -- the supplemental request for the Iran War. There's $500 million in there for the park service to rebuild the seawall around the golf course, because that golf course floods every year. Whenever --
CORNISH: Just to be clear, the war funding bill --
SCHERER: Yes.
CORNISH: -- has a clause for the golf course?
SCHERER: Yes. And that's after he tried to get in that immigration supplemental this summer. He tried to get $1 billion for the East Wing modernization, they call it. The ballroom.
THOMPSON: Ballroom.
SCHERER: The ballroom construction.
CORNISH: So, is that in or out?
BOBIC: That's -- that's out. But they're not done.
SCHERER: That was out.
No. And on top of that, when he put out his budget earlier this year, there was $10 billion for D.C. beautification, which Congress has not done anything with. So, he keeps asking for more and more money for his projects. So far, even Republicans are, like, what are you talking about?
CORNISH: But sneaking them into these, like, pieces of must-pass legislation, basically.
SCHERER: Yes.
CORNISH: It's weird, because the Reflecting Pool is supposed to reflect Washington and where Washington is. And right now, this reflection is actually pretty accurate, right? Which is, like, high fences, surveillance, and some contracts that didn't turn out quite the way the administration wanted.
SCHERER: Yes.
CORNISH: Not my usual editorializing, but it's pretty obvious.
THOMPSON: They're bulldozing through red tape with all these no-bid contracts that some of whom are Trump's friends, in order to do all these things.
CORNISH: Yes.
THOMPSON: And then sometimes you've got shoddy contractors doing -- doing work.
CORNISH: But on July 4th, to see it like this, it's grim.
SCHERER: They're also taking away from the rest of the country. I mean, the -- a lot of the park, even the modernization of the Reflecting Pool, that's being paid for from national fees that otherwise would have gone to parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite.
When you pay a ticket to go into one of those parks, 20 percent of the fee goes to a national pot, and he's basically drained that pot for D.C. projects.
CORNISH: OK, we're going to come back to, I don't know, something else, because that was kind of depressing.
But I want to talk about what's happening in Venezuela. Give you the update there. There are rescue crews who are continuing to pull people out alive.
Then, in the meantime, I'm going to turn to the World Cup. We want to know if the U.S. men's team actually has a shot this year.
And good morning to Miami, because that's where their next World Cup game will be: Friday morning between Argentina, the reigning champs, and Cape Verde. This year's Cinderella story.
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[06:22:46]
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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Do you give the U.S. any chance of winning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. Sorry, guys.
SCHOLES: Why can't they win?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because France (ph) are better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm confident that they will -- they will go to the final with all support that the people give to them. Yes.
SCHOLES: But they won't win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry. Real sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not the sport for -- for the -- for any U.S. team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: All right. International visitors talking smack about the U.S. Men's Team.
Team USA is gearing up to take on Bosnia Wednesday in California. This is fresh off winning their group stage, and the players say they're feeling the support, at least from the local crowds.
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SERGINO DEST, U.S. DEFENDER: I feel like there is pressure in a -- in a healthy type of way, because we all have belief and we -- we know that we can do it. So, you know, we want to do it, but like, pressure in a negative way, we don't really feel.
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CORNISH: All right. Joining me now to discuss, Roger Bennett. He's the co-host of "Men in Blazers."
Good morning. And I feel like there's all manner of sports idiom. Pressure makes diamonds, something, something. How much should American fans believe right now?
ROGER BENNETT, CO-HOST, "MEN IN BLAZERS": Oh, they should believe absolutely deeply. What is football if it is not delusion and belief and hope and joy and wonder?
Audie, this is an amazing time to be alive. The World Cup is on home turf.
CORNISH: Yes.
BENNETT: This team, look, if they're half as good as the women, we'd be utterly elated. They're about to play for the first time ever in a World Cup in the United States in prime time against, well, two teams, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are very beatable.
They're a very good team. They have their own strengths. They're going to drag us into a world of hurt.
This is really about this team not so much winning the trophy, but winning our hearts. If they can get into the round of 16, be amongst the 16 best teams in the nation [SIC] --
CORNISH: Yes.
BENNETT: -- they can write themselves into the epic lore of this journey, which is all we can ask for.
CORNISH: So, you're making it sound poetic. And what I'm hearing. though, is the journey is the destination, meaning maybe this is a reflection of how far the men's program and the effort to build up, you know, soccer infrastructure in the U.S. has finally come, compared to the women's team.
[06:25:00]
BENNETT: Yes. I mean, the women's team had Title IX as one of the great built-in advantages, which has delivered them to become the gold standard.
On the men's side, they're playing against nations where football, soccer has been a national obsession for centuries. We've been very much playing catch-up.
America loves a dream team. This U.S. team has really been a "dream on" team for so long.
But we have the most talented group of individuals we've ever been able to call upon. We've got home turf advantage.
I was in Seattle to watch that game. It was utterly ecstatic, marching to the match with 15,000 fans. I was with Marshawn Lynch. We led the march there. That gives them an incredible advantage and they've played swaggy, buccaneering, joyous football. So, there's so much to believe in.
CORNISH: All right. I want to talk about victorious football. I want to talk about Lionel Messi, because, like, legendary performance right now.
For you, how big a deal is this? Because to me, it's like he's great. And we knew he was going to be great, but it feels like maybe this is on a different level.
BENNETT: I couldn't agree more. The man is 39 years of age. People thought the last World Cup, which he finally won amidst tears and wonder and a sense of great culmination, would be his last. But he's come back.
He looks tiny, like he's just walked out of your local Supercuts. But when the ball comes to his feet, he walks for most of the game. He suddenly is a man transformed. No one is more alive in this planet than Lionel Messi when he's within 30 feet of the goal.
And what he does then is humanly transcendent. I don't like to be hyperbolic already, but he is, like -- it's like watching. And I think we all share this. There's a sense of global connection when he takes the ball and does what he does.
And I think we all know at this point, he's just scored in his seventh straight game. His Argentina look absolutely delirious. It's like watching Mozart compose in real time. It's like watching Michelangelo sculpt in real time. You get the sense, Audie, you're watching one of the greats, like Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM, human being who we'll all know in --
CORNISH: What's that about not liking hyperbole?
BENNETT: -- three centuries' time. In three centuries' time, we'll all be -- we'll all be talking about what we're watching at this World Cup with him at the lead.
CORNISH: We probably will. Can I ask, what's your big U.S. keepsake? Like, do you have a Waffle House jersey? Did you go to anywhere in particular where you saw good or funny U.S. culture merch?
BENNETT: Oh, well, you know, I'm a New York City boy. I know I sound like I'm from England, but I love America like Kenny Powers loves America.
I'm in Atlanta right now, because England are about to come and play one of the darlings of this tournament, Democratic Republic of Congo. I'm currently half a block away from a Waffle House. And as soon as we finish, I'm going to go and get smothered and covered.
CORNISH: That's correct. Correct response. Roger Bennett, thank you so much. We're going to talk again soon. I appreciate it.
BENNETT: Big, big love. Courage.
CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to check in on the weather in Kentucky. People are dealing with incredible rain and flooding. There's now some cleanup underway.
Then we're going to talk about whether there is a A.I. takeover in the future for airlines. And the question of the fine line between modernizing and safety.
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