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CNN This Morning

Tall Ships Parade Begins Around This 9:30 This Morning; Extreme Heat Impacting Celebrations For America's 250th Birthday; Pope Leo Visits Lampedusa, Migrant Hotspot, On July 4; Iran Begins Public Mourning For Ayatollah Killed In February; Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Married In Ceremony At MSG; Medicare Now Covers Some Weight Loss Drugs In Pilot Program; George Washington Speaks One-On-One With CNN; Argentina Escape Cape Verde Shock And Survives World Cup Thriller. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired July 04, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:30]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Welcome to CNN This Morning. I know you're not used to seeing me at this hour, but here I am doing my buddy a favor. So here's what's new. Happy Fourth of July. CNN takes you aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle, one of dozens of tall ships parading through New York harbor this morning.

Plus, the just married era, the dress, the guests, the party, new details on the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and quite a showing from tiny Cape Verde as they go toe to toe with powerhouse Argentina. The World cup Round of 16 begins today.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: and we have a strong line of showers and thunderstorms expected later on today, but also the heat. We'll take a look at where some cities are going to top out in just a few minutes.

WHITFIELD: And good morning. Thank you so much for joining us. It is Saturday, the 4th of July. I'm Fredericka Whitfield in for Victor Blackwell.

All right. A maritime event that'll be the largest of its kind begins in just hours. You're taking a live look right now at Earth Cam over New York harbor where dozens of the world's tall ships will set sail to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. The U.S. Coast Guard's Cutter Eagle will lead the parade with ships from more than a dozen other countries following.

And Later, Vice President JD Vance will be there for the events. CNN's Erica Hill joins me right now from New York harbor aboard the cutter Eagle. Ahoy, mate. What are we going to see today?

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ahoy. Good morning, Fred. We were pretty sure that our team has the best assignment today. So we are on board the Eagle. As you mentioned, this is the tall ship that is going to be leading that parade of ships up the Hudson River. We're going to go by the Statue of Liberty. We're going to go by the vice president who course will be there to review all of the shifts. We have a flyover that's happening during the day. We'll make our way all the way up to the George Washington Bridge.

It is going to be an event not just because we're on the boat that is leading it, which is such an important part of the Coast Guard and its mission, but also because that parade is going to include ships from, frankly, all around the world who are here to support the United States, friends and allies. I'm joined right now by Captain Kris Ensley, who's the commander.

You're leading this ship. You are currently a year into your tour career, but you started part of your career with the Coast Guard on board the ship, as do the cadets. This is actually a teaching ship?

KRISTOPHER R. ENSLEY, COMMANDING OFFICER, USCGC BARQUE EAGLE: Yes, ma'am. It is our training ship, and we use it to build the officers and the leaders we need in the United States Coast Guard. We teach them leadership and teamwork with this big, giant sailing rig and 23 sails. We teach technical skills like seamanship and navigation. And then we get them salty. We teach them what life means at sea on a Coast Guard cutter.

HILL: Clearly, that got to you because you are still here, right?

ENSLEY: 26 years later.

HILL: What is it about being the Coast Guard? Right. What made you want to serve in that respect? Because you have been all over the world.

ENSLEY: Yes. Frankly, I joined the Coast Guard because I watched too much Star Trek. I wanted to be a ship captain. But along the way, our Coast Guard missions are so vital to the American people. Right. Saving lives, securing our border and enforcing our lives, facilitating the flow of commerce and responding to crises, contingencies, hurricanes, whatnot, right.

That is what the value proposition of the Coast Guard is. That is what we do for America. And having been a part of all those operations and led them for so many years, and then now to be able to take 150 young people who are just starting on their journey of service and teach them how to lead in a way that will help bridge that divide, and they'll lead those operations in the future. That's awesome.

HILL: So there are 150 cadets. Every cadet is going to do this, typically between their freshman and sophomore year --

ENSLEY: Yes, ma'am.

HILL: -- at the Coast Guard Academy. But this ship, you were telling me two people may think tall ship. Why do they have to learn how to do this? This is also really important. There are ships here supporting the United States today, but the Eagle will go and do the same around the world. How is it used in that capacity? ENSLEY: Yes, the Eagle is a tool of national soft power. It is a vessel of goodwill. And so we frequently, working with our partners in the State Department, the Department of War, Department of Homeland Security, we work through where we could use this ship to best leverage those that relationship building, whether it's in Europe with our Arctic partners, whether it's in the Pacific.

[07:05:10]

We once went to Australia. That was pretty cool. But being able to go out and visit our allies and our partners and strengthen those relationships in a positive way through an Eagle visit, it's something that's pretty awesome.

HILL: We are basically out of time. But what are you most looking forward to as we sail up the Hudson today?

ENSLEY: Hey, I'm looking forward to not hitting anything, first of all. And second of all, you know, we're going to get up there, we're going to sail past the Statue of Liberty and we're going to represent what the United States is and what it's been for the last 250 years.

HILL: Thanks for letting us join you here on the Fourth. Happy for you.

ENSLEY: We're so glad you're here, Erica. Happy Fourth.

HILL: All right, Fred, I'm going to send it back to you.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's going to be a beautiful sight. Thank you so much, Erica. All right.

President Trump will headline the Salute to America festivities in Washington, D.C. today. It's all happening on the National Mall with the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial serving as backdrops. There will be military flyovers, performers, a speech from the president and a 35-minute fireworks show that will feature more than 850,000 pyrotechnic effects.

Last night at Mount Rushmore, a spectacular fireworks display engulfed the iconic monument in red, white and blue, kicking off the festivities there. And earlier, the President called on Americans to protect the nation's freedoms, but also delivered this warning as a midterm campaign message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yet as we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack. A generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of communism, there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success. These are not mere political disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations. Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Vice President JD Vance will spend the Fourth of July in New York City. He'll deliver remarks and attend the Sail4th 250 International Parade of Tall Ships in New York Harbor. The New York Air National Guard will also participate in a 150 plane aerial review.

All right, now to the dangerous and deadly heat wave that is gripping the east coast on America's 250th birthday. Right now, more than 73 million Americans are under extreme heat alert. The brutal conditions are forcing officials to make some incredibly tough calls to shut down some of the country's biggest traditions.

In the nation's capital, the highly anticipated July 4th parade that was scheduled to begin this morning was canceled entirely due to the extreme heat. And it was a similar story in Philadelphia. The city had to cancel Friday's Independence Day parade, an event that was expected to be one of the largest in the country this holiday weekend. CNN's Allison Chinchar is joining us right now. I mean, these temperatures continue to soar. It is sweltering and dangerous.

CHINCHAR: Yes, and those are big events. But we also have a lot of smaller events that are going across the country that have either been shortened or maybe canceled or just trying to make changes, even maybe adding water breaks or water stations, things like that, to kind of help people combat with the heat because it's not just a few people.

Again, all of these areas you see highlighted in these colors, these are the areas under those extreme heat alerts because those temperatures are expected to get to record level levels. In fact, every single one of these dots you see here on the map has the potential to break or tie a record today. Keep in mind, some of these areas broke records yesterday and the day before. So this could be day three of record breaking heat.

Here's a look at those high temperatures. This is not the heat index, so we do not count the humidity in these numbers. This is simply going to be the air temperature expected later today, 100 in D.C., 96 in New York, 101 in Raleigh, even 93 for both Atlanta and Nashville. The other thing to contend with, storms, and some of them could be strong to severe.

Here's a look this afternoon you can already start to see a lot of them firing up around 4 to 6 p.m. then we continue through the evening hours when a lot of those fireworks are expected to go off in many cities. You've got some scattered showers around Boston, New York, Philadelphia, even stretching back into areas of the Midwest, too, where there's also the potential.

This is the best area for all of those strong to severe thunderstorms today. So you can see it's quite a few people that are impacted.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right. We'll check back with you, Allison. Thank you.

All right. The first American Pope is spending the 4th of July in the epicenter of Europe's immigration debate. He's on the small Sicilian island of Lampedusa to pray at a migrant cemetery and celebrate mass for the area's newest arrivals. The Pope wants to honor the tens of thousands of people who have died trying to reach Europe to find freedom. He was invited by the Trump administration to attend the festivities in the U.S. but turn down the offer.

[07:10:00]

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb is joining us live now from Lampedusa. Christopher, tell us what's happening and, and why this was such a pivotal, important decision for the Pope.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VACTICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredericka, Pope Leo is definitely sending a message by coming to Lampedusa on the 4th of July. The first American Pope wanting to highlight the plight of migrants here in what is really the kind of front lines of the Mediterranean migrants crisis. You know, the route from Africa into Europe here in Lampedusa is one of the most deadly in the world.

And Pope Leo, whilst on the island went to a migrants cemetery, sorry, a cemetery where migrants are buried, including a six month old boy who died in a shipwreck. He saw firsthand for himself the tragedy of, of people losing their lives at sea, seeking a better life.

And Leo, whilst he was in Lampedusa also released a letter to the United states on this 250th anniversary saying that America has of course, a history of welcoming immigrants and a duty to continue to welcome and protect them and that new arrivals to a country can contribute a huge amount.

So, really quite significant that Leo decided to come to Lampedusa on the 4th of July and to spend this incredibly important U.S. Independence Day to highlight the plight of migrants. That is also something that he has been at odds with the Trump administration over. He has criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

But Leo coming to Lampedusa to highlight the plight of migrants on July 4th. Frederica.

WHITFIELD: Yes, very intentional decision there on many levels. Christopher Lamb, thank you so much.

All right, next after the break, a days long funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader is underway. What's next for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran during this time of mourning?

Plus, new plans to repair and maintain the troubled reflecting pool on the National Mall will explain the next round of renovations.

And Taylor and Travis now husband and wife. What we know about their star studded wedding at New York's Madison Square Garden.

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[07:17:08]

WHITFIELD: All right. Massive crowds of mourners filled the streets of Tehran this morning as the country began a multiday funeral for its late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader's coffin was displayed beneath a glass case at the Grand Masala along with the coffins of several family members.

Video show some people wiping away tears as they wave Iranian flags and hold banners with the late Supreme Leader's image.

In this country a tragedy in Wisconsin. Three children are dead after a boat capsized in Lake Geneva. Authorities say the boat sank after a sudden severe storm on Friday. Crews first rescued six adults and a child from the water, then eventually found the other three children. But despite life saving measures, the three children were later pronounced dead. Authorities told CNN affiliate TMJ4 that multiple other injuries were reported in the wake of the storm.

And would you do this? United Airlines is offering a new option for those of you checking bags at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. It's called Twilight Baggage Drop. It allows passengers to drop their checked bags off curbside between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. the night before their trip. The program is for travelers with flights between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and allows them to skip morning check in lines and head straight through security to their gates.

All right. It's the moment their fans have been waiting for and talking about for what feels like forever. After weeks of speculation and secrecy, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have officially tied the knot. The wedding is already the talk of social media with fans trying to piece together how it all came together. And now we're starting to learn a little bit more about their big day and night, which went on into the morning.

Joining me right now is CNN's Gloria Pazmino who is there to now witness the breaking down of an incredible buildup of an event.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. And as you know, here in New York City, things happen so quickly. You know, they set them up overnight and by morning they're already gone. I saw just a handful of trucks go in a little while ago. You can tell that the breakdown of the event is officially starting.

But we can finally say that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are now officially in their husband and wife era. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce celebrating their wedding inside Madison Square Garden last night during a secrecy shrouded ceremony and a star studded guest list.

And Fred, I want to show you how we mere mortals out here found out about the news yesterday. The screens outside of Madison Square Garden announcing that the couple was officially married as they celebrated their vows.

Now it was a studded -- a star studded affair. And here's what we know.

[07:20:02] The bride and groom wore custom Christian Dior. The couple's friend Adam Sandler served as their officiant. And they opted against a traditional wedding party with Swift's brother Austin serving as her man of honor and Travis Kelce's brother Jason as his best man. And of course there was the entertainment. We are told reportedly that Stevie Nicks was the performer, one of the performers of last night.

And then there's of course what we do not know. We know that there was a lot of shrubbery and flowers that were brought in. We know that they transformed the inside of Madison Square Garden, but we have not seen it just yet. And of course the big one, the dress. Right. We have not gotten images of that yet.

But Taylor Swift fans -- that Taylor Swift fans know that she doesn't usually keep them in the dark. So perhaps today, or perhaps soon we will get a little bit of a clue about what else went on inside during Taylor Swift's and Travis Kelsey's wedding.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Delicate details on the way soon. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much. For more on Taylor and Travis's wedding nuptials, here's my conversation with Page Six reporter Carlos Greer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLOS GREER, PAGE SIX REPORTER: This was the wedding of an era, pun intended. I was out there yesterday with Elizabeth and the scene at Madison Square Garden was out of control. You spoke about fans piecing together the wedding last night on social media. Well, the CEO of AMC Theaters, Adam Aaron, he posted every detail and then quickly deleted it.

And I'll tell you what he said happened last night. So there were blown up pictures at Madison Square Garden of Taylor and Travis from childhood. It did not look like a hockey game was played there or a basketball game. Adam Sandler, as Elizabeth mentioned, he officiated the wedding and it was fun. Their love was on full display. He described it as, you know, he literally found their soulmates. And of course it was star studded violinists, cellos, anything that you would expect from a billionaire pop star's wedding.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. So I'm envisioning, just from your words, I'm envisioning flowers like everywhere. I mean, you know, just erased whatever smells that might come with NHL or Knicks games, et cetera. And then it was aromatic and romantic. I mean, that's the picture that you're painting for me.

I mean, ultimate secrecy. But at the same time, this whole event was out in the open. So when do you think we're actually going to see some kind of pictures, video besides like the outside Stuff that we're looking at right now. I mean, she is masterful in her marketing. Surely she is going to, like, you know, drop a few photos here and there. But, you know, she'll be -- she'll be, you know, orchestrating the timing. Of course.

GREER: Of course. You know, Fredericka, she really has a strong connection to her fans. WHITFIELD: Yes.

GREER: So I don't know when we'll see pictures, but I predict she'll release some kind of photo, at least in her wedding dress, she wore Christian Dior. Both of them did. And custom Christian Louboutin shoes. And, you know, I think Taylor, she wants to share this moment with her fans. You know, I was surprised last night that they actually -- they put it on a billboard that they were just married at Madison Square Garden.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GREER: So this is something that really wants to share. And if you were there yesterday, a lot of people flew here just to see them drive through Madison Square Garden. She couldn't even see her -- wanted to see the cars. So I'm sure she's going to want to share this moment with her fans. She's very connected to them.

WHITFIELD: She really is. And she has been from the very beginning, it seems, you know, and we know there were NDAs signed. We know that there was the banning of cell phones in the venue. So these guests are loyal to her, too. Clearly, they're not going to, you know, spill the beans until she says it's OK.

But explain to me a little bit more about why you say these Swiftie fans are really okay with this secrecy, this secrecy, but then they still feel like she is sharing this moment with them. Help me understand that.

GREER: Well, it's all in the music, you know, it really is. It's all in the music. People care about Taylor Swift because, you know, they've been invested in her since, you know, she was a young, folksy pop star, and she's grown into this savvy businesswoman, and she's so vulnerable in her music, and people are invested in her relationships. She writes about the ups and downs of all of her relationships, and now --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GREER: -- she's finally found her perfect man. And people want to see that. People want to root for her and root for her love. That's how she's built this connection with her, with her audience.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, the really -- the evolution of Taylor, right? I mean, it was the folksy country, you know, star before she became a pop star before. Now she's just global and everywhere, and everyone admire -- admires her and loves her. And so it's very cool. We're happy for them both. Carlos Greer, you brought all the dish. Appreciate it. Good to see you. Happy fourth.

GREER: Thanks. Happy fourth.

WHITFIELD: All right. Take care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:25:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Despite the dangerous heat, most 4th of July events on the east coast will go on as planned. But the preparation begins before you even walk outside. What you can do to keep yourself safe in all of this heat next. And join CNN for America's 250th birthday with the biggest fireworks and stars CNN's 4th In America Celebrating 250. Our coverage begins today at noon eastern right here on CNN and stream it on the CNN app.

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WHITFIELD: All right.

[07:30:00]

The extreme heat and humidity sweeping the U.S. is fueling thunderstorms in parts of the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Here's a live earth cam picture of Philadelphia. I mean, it looks hot, doesn't it?

Even though it's a beautiful sunrise, shot some of the storms, could be severe and actually bring damaging winds and could also disrupt firework displays in a lot of areas. CNN's Allison Chinchar is back with us now. Allison, what can you tell us about these storms?

CHINCHAR: Yes, they're not expected to be widespread. Which is the good news. The unfortunate part as we all know, it just takes a couple of bolts of lightning, and then everything shuts down for 20 to 30 minutes until they can resume.

The other concern is still going to be the heat. Again, you take a look at all of these areas that are under those heat alerts. It doesn't mean other areas aren't going to be hot. It's just that this is where the most extreme measurements of that heat are going to take place.

And every single one of these dots you see on the map, that is an area that has a potential to break a record temperature today. Keep in mind some of these, this would be day three of the record-breaking temperatures.

We still have at least one, sometimes a few cases of two more days of the heat before we finally start to see things dropping back off. Washington D.C., for example, 100 today, 96 Sunday, then finally dropping back down into the 80s Monday and Tuesday.

Raleigh, Atlanta, Nashville, also similarly going to see some of those temperatures drop, but really not until next week. That feels like temperature when you factor in the humidity along with it. Still several areas looking at those triple-digit numbers, we talked about the rain.

A lot of it is really going to fire up later on this afternoon across the Great Lakes area, the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic. So, say about 6 o'clock tonight, you've got some in the D.C. Metro area, you've got some up around Buffalo, around Pittsburgh area, too. Then by late tonight, now you start seeing it spread more into Philadelphia, into New York, into Boston. So, a lot of these areas still have the potential to have those storms.

WHITFIELD: All right, Allison Chinchar, thank you so much. All right, don't forget, CNN's new weather app has all the insight that you need on this 4th of July to help you plan your day and your entire weekend. You can get it right now in the Apple app store.

All right, let's continue this conversation about heat and the effects on your body. With me right now is Dr. Saju Matthew, he's a primary care physician and public health specialist. Good to see you. OK, it's hot in a lot of --

SAJU MATTHEW, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: Yes, hot --

WHITFIELD: -- places, but when is it too hot to go outside, and we want to be outside for the 4th holiday weekend.

MATTHEW: Yes, Fred, it's hot right now.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MATTHEW: In my car this morning, driving to the studio, 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MATTHEW: And I think, you know, when I think about heat-related illnesses, it's two categories, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It's almost like that car engine light that appears when you're driving. That gives you a warning. That's more heat exhaustion. You can pull the car to the side. You can call roadside assistance, but when the engine fails, that's heat stroke.

WHITFIELD: Oh.

MATTHEW: Thirty percent of people can die from heat stroke.

WHITFIELD: So, help break down. What are the symptoms? What am I looking for to find out whether my body is succumbing to heat exhaustion? Because, you know, I step outside, it's hot. I might be sweating a lot more. People have different, you know, sensory experiences to heat.

But then when do I know that heat exhaustion is kind of my warning signal? What do I need to be looking for in my body?

MATTHEW: Yes, that's probably the most important question, Fred, because, you know, I tell my patients the way to prevent a heat stroke is to not get there in the first place. The second treatment is actually to recognize the symptoms.

And right there on the screen, heat exhaustion and the heavy sweating, nausea, headache, you feel tired. We've all been there. You're in the car, it's 85 degrees, you feel really hot. Your body is responding -- WHITFIELD: But your -- kind of excruciating because you're like, OK, it's hot, so, I'm going to move a little slower.

MATTHEW: That's right.

WHITFIELD: And you might think that's OK, when is it not OK?

MATTHEW: When you start having neurological symptoms, confusion, seizures, headache, you don't want to get there.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

MATTHEW: Don't be a hero. If somebody has symptoms of heat exhaustion, you want to call 911 and then proceed to help the person, take their clothing off, put them in a cool environment, ice packs. Once you get to those neurological symptoms of heat stroke, unfortunately, that engine has failed. You know, our body is like an air condition --

WHITFIELD: That's ER material, yes.

MATTHEW: ER material, 100 percent.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MATTHEW: That's why, you know, I tell people, don't play the hero. If you find out someone is laying there, you know, at a cookout or something, you -- before you proceed to help them get somebody to call help, that way, this person may end up actually going to the emergency room needing IV fluids.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.

MATTHEW: And other measures.

WHITFIELD: This is all really important. So, say, you know, with the heat exhaustion, you're feeling a little bit, you're going inside, cool. I mean, anything like a, you know, a cool washcloth. I mean, what additional things might you do to stave off, you know, taking your body to another level?

MATTHEW: Yes, so hydration, of course, rest, you know, maybe shut the blinds down so that the heat is not coming in and find a cool environment, ice packs, whatever you can do to get that temperature down expeditiously.

WHITFIELD: OK, now, let us switch topics for a moment. You know, also top of mind for a lot of folks, millions of people who are on Medicare will now get coverage for some GLP-1 drugs.

[07:35:00]

Under this temporary program, recipients will pay just $50 a month for treatment instead of sometimes it runs people like a $1,000. I mean, why is this kind of trial-run potentially important in your view?

MATTHEW: Yes, I think this is going to be a game changer. I just don't like that they call it the pilot program. So, for the first time, Medicare is going to pay for obesity-related drugs. So, that would be drugs like Wegovy Zepbound. So, if you're 65 years and older, and you're obese, you are going to get these medications for $50, but only for 18 months, Fred. The question becomes what happens after --

WHITFIELD: All right.

MATTHEW: -- 18 months?

WHITFIELD: What just happened? I mean --

MATTHEW: Well --

WHITFIELD: Do -- generally, are you supposed to be on it for a long- term or is it -- I mean, originally, it was, you know, mostly prescribed for treating, you know, diabetes or staving off something like that. But you know, is 18 months going to be enough? Like if you're on this for, you know, your weight management. Is this fair?

MATTHEW: You know, hey, listen --

WHITFIELD: Or is it forever? How does it work?

MATTHEW: I'll take anything as a physician to get my patients at that stage in their life. They have not been able to lose weight on their own, $50 a month, I'll take it, 18 months is good enough of a time to see if the patient responds.

And remember, obesity is a chronic disease. It increases your risk for heart attacks for strokes, for diabetes. So, if we can get that weight down and then see what happens, I think Medicare is trying to see what will happen after 18 months? If there are a lot of benefits, then you're going to save money. If you take care of a patient's obesity now --

WHITFIELD: Of course.

MATTHEW: -- than a few years down the road.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. Saju Matthew, always great to see you.

MATTHEW: Happy 4th --

WHITFIELD: I always feel healthier and better.

MATTHEW: And stay cool.

WHITFIELD: We'll do. Thank you so much. All right, next, what would George Washington make of America at 250? We'll be asking the founding father himself sort of, kind of, yes, it's true right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:35]

WHITFIELD: All right, on this 4th of July, as the U.S. marks 250 years of independence, the pope is drawing attention to a very different story. Pope Leo is spending the holiday on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a key gateway for migrants crossing into Europe.

The island has become a symbol of the global migration crisis, with thousands arriving there each year. The visit underscores tensions between the Vatican and the Trump administration over immigration policy. The pope is calling for compassion and a renewed focus on human dignity.

And work begins again soon to clean up and hopefully create a sparkling blue reflecting pool again. The National Park Service says it will start draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the July 4th celebrations. It has been plagued with algae and a damaged liner for weeks now, after a multi-million-dollar restoration effort, and now the search is on for a new contractor.

Bids are due to the Department of Interior on Wednesday. The renovations call for daily debris removal, manual disinfection and monthly pressure washes. And the pool will be drained two weeks every year for cleaning and inspection.

The bid request notes issues with the bottom of the pool saying it is, quote, "slick and nasty", and is a combination of wet leaves, duck and bird droppings. The cost of the renovations is now pushing past $14 million, more than initial estimates.

And separately, the Trump administration has installed a $1.7 million high-tech system to purify the water by shooting oxygen into bubbles that break down algae and other contaminants.

All right, in Georgia, a sweet deal is drawing big crowds as families celebrate the 4th of July at a popular ice cream shop in Savannah. Kids under 12 can earn a free scoop just by reciting the pledge of allegiance from memory. The shop says it's all about celebrating patriotism in a fun and tasty way.

All right, celebrations are underway across the country to mark 250 years since America's founding. And who better to talk about the country's anniversary is -- oh, founding father and first American President, George Washington. There he is. He's joining us from Mount Rushmore, of course, South Dakota. You peeled yourself kind of off the monument to be with us. You look absolutely fantastic.

How are you doing and how are you feeling about the nation celebrating 250 years?

BRIAN HILTON, GEORGE WASHINGTON INTERPRETER: Well, thank you so much for having me this morning. Profoundest gratitude. And I am absolutely, unequivocally elated about the semi-quincentennial celebration. And I am just positively optimistic about the future of this country.

Having made it a quarter of a millennium, and I -- words are -- it's just with inexpressible satisfaction that I am here with you today to discuss this semi-quincentennial. WHITFIELD: Well, Mr. President, what makes you, you know, so thrilled about the 250 years? I mean, how do you assess the nation's progress over these many years? Is this what you envisioned where we are today?

[07:45:00]

HILTON: Well, I must say that based on my experiences as chief magistrate of the United States in the 1790s, there was cause for some pessimism. There was much in the way of party discord. One of the reasons I made a decision not to stand for re-election was the criticisms I was receiving.

But above all, the intestine discord, the -- you know, it was -- it was actually heart-rending to see what was happening to the country during its infancy and what you might even call or refer to as its toddler stage.

And the fact that you all have been able to make it to posterity, has been able to achieve a quarter of a millennium is absolutely remarkable, is quite extraordinary. And so, my hope stems from the fact that the longevity of this republic thus far marks it as one that can stand beside the Greek city states, Republican Rome, the Italian city states, the Dutch, as well as what they were able to do in the 1600s and into the early 1700s. So, the fact that you have made it this far is cause for optimism.

WHITFIELD: OK, hey, I didn't want to bring it up, but you did with party discord and all. There is a lot of discord, you know, across the country. And I am wondering, are you seeing then in a way, is history repeating itself or is this, you know, how do you assess things today? How do we get past it?

HILTON: It is, and it's a wonderful interrogative. It is one that I pondered and considered often. I endeavored mightily to remain or to stay above party discord. As a matter of fact, I was -- I never lend my name really, during my time of public service to either party or the development of the federalist party, the Democratic-Republicans.

And I strove mightily to continue to be what I always -- I think, believe myself to have been, a unifier. It was first and foremost about the country. I believed, and I was considered to be old- fashioned, even in my day as others left me behind and believe that, you know, the checks and balances and the separation of powers embodied in our constitutional design were more than adequate to deal with the problems that were arising going forward.

And I was of the belief that it was -- you know, if one had one -- if one had one's country's best interests at heart, there would be no need or cause to form a party or be a member of one. Parties in my time were considered quite parochial with respect to their interests.

Circumscribed, it was -- they were also identified as being selfish entities that it was about advancing what the members of faction parties so desired. And it wasn't really about the country as a whole. And so, I believe that I thought that party and faction had been the bane of republics. And so, I -- the constitution makes no provision for parties, perhaps, but neither does it prohibit them. I was quite opposed to what was happening in the 1790s, and I resigned myself to the fact that the party and faction were becoming part and parcel of the republic. But again, my position was, I'm a unifier attempting or endeavoring to bring the country together.

WHITFIELD: Well --

HILTON: And if I could not do that, as I believe I could not, there was no third term for George Washington.

WHITFIELD: Well, wonderful, we so appreciate you, President George Washington, for helping to honor the history of America as we now celebrate the days and years to come. Happy 4th, happy 250th America, and thank you, President, Mr. President, for joining us. Back to your --

HILTON: Thanks --

WHITFIELD: -- business at Mount Rushmore.

HILTON: Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me.

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[07:53:55]

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk some World Cup. Lionel Messi and Argentina narrowly escaped a huge upset against Cape Verde. Carolyn Manno is with us now. Carolyn?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. This was an incredible match between David and Goliath. The defending champs Argentina, the tiny, but mighty island nation tournament debutants Cape Verde and what was expected to be a routine match for the reigning title holders, turned into this instant World Cup classic.

The underdogs fighting their way back from behind twice in this match. Who else, but Messi opened up the scoring in the 29th minute, marking his record, extending 20th career World Cup goals, scoring in an eighth consecutive tournament match.

And then the African nation of Cape Verde stunning the world champions, Deroy Duarte squeezing in this driven effort into the far corner past Emiliano Martinez to equalize here early in extra time. Lisandro Martinez would restore Argentina's lead. He had this brilliant curled finish into the top right corner, but the goal that everybody is talking about, the goal that took everyone's breath away.

[07:55:00]

One of the most brilliant strikes that you will ever see in the 103rd minute, Sydny Lopes Cabral unleashing this breathtaking long-range goal that left the entire stadium speechless, pulled the minnows level once again. There was a decisive breakthrough arriving deep into extra time, Cristian Romero rising highest to connect with the Messi corner deep into extra time to save Argentina. The header deflected off of a Cape Verde player.

This heartbreaking own goal, Argentina surviving an incredible scare in Miami, beating Cape Verde 3-2 to advance to face Egypt in the round of 16. The smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup, Fredricka in the knockout stage, earning the world's admiration. Though such an incredible effort, even though Cape Verde couldn't quite get it done, but Argentina breathing a big sigh of relief.

WHITFIELD: Oh, I mean, that was a killer match, but a killer run, yes, for Cape Verde. All right, Carolyn Manno, thanks so much. And don't forget to join CNN for America's 250th birthday and the biggest fireworks and stars. Our coverage begins today at noon Eastern right here on CNN, and on the CNN app.

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