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Trump Gives Speech on Election Security; Spain v. Argentina: World Cup Final This Weekend. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired July 17, 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: Filming in the rain when they saw it was stranded in the water and quickly paddled over to help.

[06:00:07]

Tucker said that he scooped the raccoon up with his paddle and took him to safety. Good work there.

And on the big island of Hawaii, the lava fountains have returned after three weeks, gushing hundreds of feet into the air. There, some of those visuals from Kilauea.

That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Today in the group chat, President Trump's big promise of revelations about election integrity. But did that primetime address deliver?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: China engaged in other election related activities to undermine my first administration and our 2020 campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Also, sources say the man who rolls the teleprompter at the White House, now under investigation. Did he place bets on the president's speeches?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): If the Democratic Party becomes official anti-Israel, then that's when I would -- force me out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Senator John Fetterman draws a line in the sand. Is he laying the groundwork to become a Republican?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm announcing the immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence, revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, the president, using a primetime White House speech to sound the alarm over U.S. elections. Are the claims smoke and mirrors?

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. We're going to talk about that speech. The president promoted Thursday night's address as a groundbreaking speech on the shortfalls in our election system. It ran 27 minutes, hit on several topics.

He alleged that China carried out an influence campaign in the 2020 election. He claims vulnerabilities with U.S. voting machines and says more non-citizens are on voter rolls than previously known.

And he said all that can be backed up by newly declassified documents.

So, here at CNN, we took a look at this. According to CNN analysis, the new documents usually show previously known intelligence, much of it already included in intelligence assessments from five years ago.

Now, none of the declassified material supports the claim that any previous election results, including the 2020 election that Trump lost, were manipulated in a way that would have changed the outcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN GINSBERG, REPUBLICAN ELECTION LAWYER: What stood out to me is that there's still no evidence of a result of any election being incorrect.

SUE GORDON, FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I think this was a dangerous speech about an incredibly important topic, with some really questionable remedies in mind.

Our elections are the bedrock of our democracy. If we can't trust them, it is bad. But this doesn't prove it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right. Joining me now in the group chat, we've got Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and a former federal prosecutor; Elizabeth Mitchell, White House correspondent for "The Daily Signal"; and Luke Thomas, political analyst and host of "The Morning Combat" podcast.

So, just to set things up for people, I want to play for you, the Joe Rogan podcast from this week, because J.D. Vance was on it. And this came up. And the reason why I want to play this is for you is because you may be wondering, who is this for? Why would Trump be talking about this? Here's an example.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE ROGAN, PODCASTER: This idea that elections can't be stolen. I always say to people, OK, do you think that the amount of election fraud is 0 percent? No one thinks that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ROGAN: No one thinks it's zero. There's always some overzealous person that works somewhere that's doing something. There's always crazy people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

ROGAN: They're like, blue, no matter who. We've got to win. Or red no matter what. There's always people right and left that are going to try to rig the election, because they think it's imperative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. So, Luke, our fellow podcaster and combat sport brotherhood.

LUKE THOMAS, POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.

CORNISH: There's clearly a voter.

THOMAS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), yes.

CORNISH: You do. So, there's clearly a voter out there that is only too happy to talk about this. And would they be appeased, happy, pleased by what Trump was saying last night?

THOMAS: I don't think they're paying too much attention. This speech, to me, felt like a big dud. It felt like a big miss. It was 27 minutes. He had a very -- what do you want to call it? -- sleepy affect in the way he delivered it.

And more to the point that you raise, there's nothing in the speech at all that says any of the voter tallies, any of the ways in which the vote was counted, any of the elections need to be overturned. There's just a lot of innuendo, a lot of insinuation.

If you actually look at the documents that he puts out, such that people will, it actually shows that they were going to help Trump get elected in 2020 by going after Biden in the end, such that you want to believe what the documents say.

[06:05:08]

So, like over and over again, it's this kind of attempt. Listen, here's the reality. The country did not fully prosecute the crimes of January 6th, and we are still living with the aftermath of that today. This is an example of it.

CORNISH: Let me let people jump in there. Just for your example. When we talk about voting machines, he brought up the Smartmatic voting -- voting machines, which has come up time and time again.

Smartmatic has actually sued over these allegations. And the president revived that particular set of allegations. Why revive stuff that's, like, literally still in the courts and not have anything that's going to disprove it? ELIZABETH MITCHELL, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "THE DAILY SIGNAL":

That's a good question. I think that his point in giving this speech was less to show that the 2020 election, as he said, is stolen. I think his point was more so to push the SAVE Act.

I think he was trying to demonstrate. He said 278,000 people are illegally registered to vote in the United States. I don't think he had a specific proof that they have voted.

CORNISH: But several states came out to say, where are you getting those numbers? We don't have those numbers. We'd like to see the evidence. The White House has not provided any yet.

MITCHELL: And hopefully in coming weeks, we'll see more of that evidence. But I think his point was to show that, if this is not true, there should be no issue passing the SAVE America Act, because if people aren't illegally registered to vote, then what's the harm in checking out those voter rolls and requiring voter I.D.?

CORNISH: The kind of people who would be happy about this kind of speech would be, like, a Steve Bannon, right? When people asked him about this, he has been saying, "We need a National Security Emergency about the midterm elections immediately." And "this is a powerful predicate for that." Steve Bannon, he wrote this in a text message to CNN.

I wanted to ask you about that word "predicate," which sounds a little bit legal, frankly.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Look at that. Look at that.

CORNISH: And would be relevant to an administration that has made a lot of cuts and changes to the structures that actually are supposed to protect elections.

WILLIAMS: Right.

CORNISH: So, they disbanded the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force, literally. The Foreign Influence Task Force.

The State Department got rid of their Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Office. All of those words together sound like something we would need, given that speech.

And then, the DNI slashed the intel office budget by more than 700 million annually. What does the word "predicate" say to you?

WILLIAMS: Well, predicate suggests that there's an intentional effort to undermine confidence in, certainly, the 2026 and maybe even the 2028 election. Certainly --

CORNISH: You're saying Bannon is saying that, or you're saying the use of the word "predicate" is saying --

WILLIAMS: The use of the word "predicate" seems to suggest.

CORNISH: -- we need -- there needs to be a reason.

WILLIAMS: A basis, yes, for -- There needs to be a basis for these actions in the future.

CORNISH: So, he knows there needs to be a basis?

WILLIAMS: Yes, I guess. Here's the -- regardless, you know, of that, Audie. You know, I think any good will the president or the people around him, like Steve Bannon, might have had on this issue, they've undermined with, now, six years, eight years of statements that just went far beyond, you know, talking about reality. I think --

CORNISH: But what they're trying to do is say to the Senate --

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: -- hey, guys, there's plenty here to work with. You have reasons. You have support when it comes to voter I.D. Like, this is fundamentally about the elections of '26 and '28, right? Like not --

WILLIAMS: Yes. And -- and even if there were a legal basis for passing legislation to correct some of these issues, I think the president sort of burned that goodwill in the way he's talked about, certainly 20 -- 2016 and 2020 elections.

CORNISH: But there was just a raid on an Ohio voting ballot group --

WILLIAMS: Right, right.

CORNISH: -- by the FBI. I mean, do these kinds of conversations create the predicate to go out and say what we need to send people to take boxes and send people to take cell phones of, probably, Democratic leaning groups, right?

WILLIAMS: Right. They are trying to set that predicate. I just think the evidence hasn't materialized that would actually support the kinds of claims that the president is making. That's sort of the point that I keep getting back to.

It's sort of yes, there might -- you know, there might be some measures of fraud happening in any system. I think, Steve, I think it was Joe Rogan who made that point.

CORNISH: Yes.

WILLIAMS: There's fraud in everything. There's fraud in -- probably at the local 7-Eleven, right?

Now, the question is, how do you address that specific fraud without going beyond and saying that everybody who works at a 7-Eleven is a homicidal maniac who has a bomb in his pocket? That's just not -- you know, the rhetoric has to match the actual thing that you're trying to fix.

CORNISH: Yes.

WILLIAMS: And I think the president has just gone too far, and we know that.

CORNISH: OK, we're going to talk more about this speech. But coming up, that late night run to Taco Bell, it's coming with a warning. The shredded lettuce they use now at the center of that parasite outbreak.

Plus, you may be able to smell it. Smoke from Canada's relentless wildfires drifting South. Now, the air quality in some parts of the U.S. is dangerous.

And the White House teleprompter operator accused of insider trading.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL KOSTA, COMEDY CENTRAL'S "THE DAILY SHOW": Now using a teleprompter to win bets is a recipe for trouble. I mean, I read from a prompter, and I know our operator would never purple bananas, purple bananas, purple bananas. (EXPLETIVE DELETED), Christina!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:14:55]

CORNISH: It's now 15 minutes past the hour. This is your morning roundup.

Flash flooding in Texas left two people dead. Those floods are drenching the Southern part of the state. Hundreds of people have been rescued, however.

Now, it's all happening in the same region struck by deadly floods this time last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are still reeling from what happened a year ago. Those are not easily forgotten memories. And to have this happen again so suddenly is literally quite devastating for a lot of us.

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CORNISH: And officials say about a year's worth of rain has already fallen in the area. Storms are expected to ease up today.

Now, health officials talking about shredded lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations may be behind the cyclospora outbreak. Taylor Farms, the supplier of that lettuce.

The outbreak has been centered mostly in the Midwest. At this point, nearly 7,000 cases and more than 140 hospitalizations have been reported since May.

And acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, did meet with Epstein survivors yesterday afternoon. Senator Thom Tillis said the meeting needed to happen before he would vote in favor of Blanche's nomination.

One of the survivors who was in the meeting spoke to CNN last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARINA LACERDA, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: It wasn't a productive meeting, but however, we do have, now, contact to the FBI to possibly start, you know, some new investigations, and I'm looking forward to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Blanche also admitted that it was, quote, "wasn't all cordial, because there's something that they want that I don't think I can give them, which is some form of justice."

And sources tell CNN President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator now under investigation for insider trading. He allegedly bet on words Trump would say during speeches using the prediction site Kalshi.

And a source tells U.S. [SIC] -- tells us that he raked in more than $90,000.

Now, Kalshi is saying those profits are now frozen. And he has been placed on leave.

Want to disclose that CNN does have a partnership with Kalshi.

And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, Senator John Fetterman draws a line over Israel. Is he warning Democrats or just eyeing a transition to a new party?

Plus, the World Cup champion will be crowned this weekend. It appears one of them is all about the vibes.

And a live look in uptown New York, where you can see that smoky haze from the wildfires in Canada.

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[06:21:50]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love this team. We love Messi. It was just solidified. He's already the greatest of all time, but you could never argue it again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we win, like on Sunday, it would just, like, actually blow my mind. Like, I don't have a voice right now. So, imagine on Sunday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Forty-six teams earned their way into the World Cup. Two remain, and it's going to be a clash of powerhouses when reigning world champion Argentina looks to pull off the impossible: a repeat. And reigning European champion Spain looks to add a second star to its jersey.

This all goes down Sunday at New Jersey stadium. And if you're looking to get in, you may need to take out a loan. This is the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history: average purchase price of $11,000 per ticket.

Roger Bennett joins us now. He's the co-host of the "Men in Blazers" podcast. I hope you saved up. I don't know. That ticket price is outrageous, but I guess --

ROGER BENNETT, CO-HOST, "MEN IN BLAZERS": I thought you were treating me, Audie.

CORNISH: No, really?

BENNETT: I thought you were treating me.

CORNISH: Yes. Just coins falling out of my pocket.

So, let's just talk about, in the end, despite all of these teams competing and Cinderella stories, we have two. The two powerhouses. What makes them different from each other in their style of play?

BENNETT: Good lord, everything. You know, Spain are ordered. They have an idea of football. It's deeply ingrained. They've barely conceded. They play deeply tactical, rigorous, robust, smothering wonder.

And Argentina are a hot mess. They're running on vibes and madness. They're inexplicable. They lose. It's like, what? It's like watching three Red Sox, love to be 3-nil down to the Yankees before they come alive.

They're the ultimate fourth quarter team, throwing up the fours constantly behind. They look out.

And then Lionel Messi. This 39-year-old, he's a quasi- kind of mystical figure at this point, just comes alive and turns from a tiny little slumbering Ewok. It's like he just suddenly sticks a knife between his teeth and becomes a man possessed, a berserker and with force of will.

It's almost hard to understand how he does it; drags this team, drags this nation back into the game.

So, it's really an unbelievable football team, the best in the world, going against some kind of inexplicable magic.

CORNISH: As much as I want you to write either a sorcerer spell or a novel about Messi, given that description, he's 39. He's a testament to athleticism and a testament to this age of athleticism where, whether you're Serena Williams or whoever, people, like, they're eking out some years here on the field.

Is there -- is -- what do you see in him and how his play has shifted getting to this point?

BENNETT: Audie, I am merely human. So, for me to comment on what Lionel Messi does is -- I am way out of my depth.

Let me tell you this. I'm not sure it is athleticism we're watching. It's why he has been able to not just keep going, age 39, but actually get better and better and better. There's something about the mind.

[06:25:05]

"The Athletic" discovered that Lionel Messi -- stay with me here -- he walks 63 percent of the game. He stands still a further 25 percent of the game. He does things that maybe you or I could do on a football field.

But it's the other 12 percent of that game where it's mental more than anything.

CORNISH: Yes.

BENNETT: He sees things mere humans don't see. He understands things. He understands space and time, and he can just destroy all comers.

It's as if his personality completely changes. And if he does this on Sunday, goes back-to-back, which would be the first time since 1962 any team has retained the World Cup. We will be able to watch together, Audie, a human being at the final whistle, cease being merely human and become immortal.

It's like Michelangelo or Mozart. People will be talking about this man for centuries. And we're going to be able to watch him live together.

CORNISH: Well, for now, they're looking at this photo of him from many years ago, where he's literally giving a little bath to Lamine Yamal for a campaign. I think it was, like, UNICEF or something.

BENNETT: Yes.

CORNISH: And, like, now that person is playing on the same field.

BENNETT: Not just playing. But that person is a 19-year-old superstar. That person is the 19-year-old kid who is expected by everybody to replace Messi as the greatest in the game.

It's as if you unearthed the photograph of Peyton Manning in his off time in like 2000, deciding, you know what? I'm going to give baby Patrick Mahomes a bath.

This is just incredible. And it's -- it's almost inexplicable. This is -- it almost seems a -- I mean, it seems the A.I.-est thing that ever A.I. is.

CORNISH: It is.

BENNETT: It is real.

CORNISH: But it has been verified.

BENNETT: And these two humans will be face-to-face leading their nation's teams. This is -- this is why the World Cup is magic.

CORNISH: Roger, I want to ask who you think is going to win, but I know who you think is going to win.

BENNETT: Yes.

CORNISH: So, before I let you go, who do you think, outside of the game, has won? In the end, this World Cup has been, like, pretty fascinating to watch; how it has, in fact, captured international attention and American attention.

What do you think is going to be the legacy from this play after all?

BENNETT: It's such a beautiful question. You know, ultimately, the World Cup is the world's biggest circus, and like any circus, it packs up and it leaves town. And we'll feel quite bereft for a moment.

But what no one can take away from us is the memories. And that the most important memories, I think, are of America welcoming the world, by and large, with open heart.

You think of the Lawrence, Kansas, opening its heart to the Algerian team and creating memories that they'll have forever.

But also, global football falling in love with America, one Buc-ee's, one Waffle House, one In-N-Out Burger at a time. We needed to be loved in this moment. It's so beautiful to be loved, isn't it, Audie?

And so, those two memories side by side, I hope, are the legacy of this World Cup.

CORNISH: OK. Roger Bennett, a person I hope to be my personal football commentator from now on. Thank you so much for being here.

BENNETT: Audie, you are hearing (ph). Big, big love. Courage.

CORNISH: And straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, Britain gets ready to crown a new leader. The final step before Andy Burnham officially becomes prime minister.

Plus, some Republican senators aren't going quietly. Could President Trump's toughest resistance come from members of his own party?

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