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CNN This Morning
Today: Trump to Meet with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu; Crews Race to Contain Flames in France & Spain. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired July 28, 2026 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- new home.
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BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: I might equip (ph). Not going to lie.
And let's take you to Seattle. That's where the Internet's favorite raccoon, Jimothy, was honored in his city.
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ALEXIS MERCEDES RINCK, SEATTLE COUNCIL MEMBER: Council members Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dan Strauss proclaim summer of 2026 to be Jimothy Summer.
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SMITH: Hot Jimothy Summer rolls on. Hundreds of people gathered Sunday to honor the beloved critter.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Today in the group chat, the war in Iran putting a strain on one of the world's closest alliances. So, will today's meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, just what will it reveal?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What have you said to Prime Minister Netanyahu about Iran, and how long to hold off on strikes?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: That's fine. He'll do whatever I want him to do.
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HILL: President Trump also set to meet with President Zelenskyy today. Could the White House be changing its approach to the war in Ukraine?
Europe's wildfire crisis getting worse. Crews now scrambling just to contain the flames. Can they actually get ahead of any?
And a new picture and a doctor's note from Senator McConnell's office. But does this do anything to settle the demand for real answers about his health?
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is Mitch not talking on a video? Why y'all won't let the man talk? If he is fit to sit on Congress, he should be able to talk.
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HILL: Today, two high-stakes meetings and one key question. Just how will President Trump balance Zelenskyy's push for peace with Netanyahu's push for war?
Good morning, everyone, on this Tuesday. I'm Erica Hill, in for Audie Cornish. Nice to have you with us.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Zelenskyy are in town this morning for the funeral of their key ally, Senator Lindsey Graham. But it's not the only thing on their agendas. Zelenskyy is hoping to secure anti- ballistic defense and strategic cooperation in the war with Russia, as well as new Russian sanctions that were backed by the late Senator Graham.
Now, for Netanyahu, this is actually the first time he'll be meeting with Trump face-to-face since the war with Iran began. And it comes as Trump is at a crossroads. Does he escalate the war, as Netanyahu wants, or talk things out?
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, foremost among them Iran. Of course, our goal is to safeguard our security while also expanding the circle of peace around us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you on the same page on Iran, you and Prime Minister Netanyahu?
TRUMP: Pretty close. Yes. Pretty close. We have a little difference, but pretty close. Yes.
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HILL: Today in the group chat, Adam Harris, co-host of "Radio Atlantic"; Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist and former senior advisor for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns; and T.W. Arrighi, former senior communications aide to Lindsey Graham.
Gentlemen, it's nice to have all of you at the table today. We were joking. It was all ladies yesterday. Today it is all the men joining here at the table. This is a -- a big day. There is no getting around that. When we look
at the leaders who are going -- going to be meeting with President Trump. And it's certainly an interesting time for both of them when it comes to.
Let's start off with Prime Minister Netanyahu. It does seem that there's been a little bit of a strain on this relationship. The president calling him "'F'-ing" crazy over strikes in Lebanon, certainly not seeing eye-to-eye on the relationship with Turkey.
I'm curious: when they do finally meet face-to-face today, how do you expect this to play out?
ADAM HARRIS, CO-HOST, "RADIO ATLANTIC": You know, it will be -- it will be interesting, right? I think what we've seen over the last month has been that sort of increasingly strained relationship from those strikes in Lebanon that functionally ended the ceasefire agreement, that -- that had only been established for -- for a little while.
I think that what we -- what we've really -- are going to look for is whether or not, after 14 days of -- of bombing in Iran has resumed, and President Trump has sort of backed away from it, whether the president and Prime Minister Netanyahu really sort of decide whether or not, you know, this -- this is something that they're going to continue, right?
Whether they actually do want to be and sort of have that muscular attack in Iran, or if they want a more diplomatic solution to this, which has been, to this point, elusive.
HILL: And there have been questions from the beginning, right, about different -- not only different strategies, but obviously different aims for each of these two leaders when it comes to the war.
All of this playing out, as well, as we have, of course, the Ukraine issue on the table. President Zelenskyy coming in. How different do you think these meetings will be?
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEIGST: I think there's an anxiety at the White House and abroad over a couple of things. And let's talk about and build off of what Adam said about what's the tension.
The tension with Netanyahu is he wants to continue to blow things up in Iran as much as possible. I'm putting that in redneck terms this morning.
But the president wants it to end as quickly as possible. He may not say that, but I will promise you, him, and especially Republicans in Congress, with gas at $4.11 a gallon, they want the war to be over; so gas prices can come down, and they can concentrate on the midterms, and have some a good-faith effort to try to fight the Democrats at midterms without talking about this war that is so unpopular with Democrats and Republicans.
[06:05:04] HILL: OK. But you didn't answer my question about the difference in the meetings.
ROCHA: I was leaving that for T.W. He's a foreign expert.
T.W. ARRIGHI, FORMER SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS AIDE TO LINDSEY GRAHAM: I don't know about that.
I think, broadly speaking, that is correct. In -- in Iran and Israel. Let's start there with Benjamin Netanyahu.
Benjamin Netanyahu's worldview is that Israel is surrounded, and the Jewish people are surrounded on all sides by people who want their destruction. So, his battle will not end until those threats cease.
Donald Trump looks at it as a singular threat. Iran, who has the blood of thousands of Americans on their hands, who has been a terror to the world, who has disrupted trade for -- for many years and decades, including right now, obviously.
But the fact of the matter is for Iran, that situation will not change unless the regime itself thinks that threat, that its demise is imminent. Right now, they don't feel that way.
Where it goes from here is an open question. Obviously, Netanyahu would like a step up. People running for office would like a step down. That's an open question.
With Zelenskyy, the Russian people have suffered over a million casualties in that -- in that conflict. Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have held up admirably.
But more importantly, as we're looking at these global conflicts in Iran, potential things brewing in Asia, I also want to look at the technologies and the battlefield technologies that have come out of Ukraine.
So, look for President Trump to look for cooperation with Zelenskyy on those new technologies, going in both directions, to better --
HILL: Which Zelenskyy has offered. Right?
ARRIGHI: -- solidify us.
HILL: Especially since the start --
ARRIGHI: Yes, of course.
HILL: Especially since -- the drones, since the start of the Iran War.
ARRIGHI: Of course.
ROCHA: Right.
HILL: It's also fascinating, when we look at Zelenskyy, I was spoken [SIC] with -- speaking with former ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor over the weekend. He said to me, too, what he sees is working in Zelenskyy's favor right now is Ukraine can point to some wins.
Donald Trump likes a winner, so that could be helpful.
There's also the question, the Laura Loomer of it all, right? The fact that Laura Loomer was in Ukraine; the fact that this may be changing, perhaps, some perspective within the MAGAverse, within more right- leaning members.
How critical do you think that is to Zelenskyy's argument and to what he's bringing into this meeting?
HARRIS: I think that that transition, right, of a lot of people in that MAGA universe sort of moving towards saying, you know, we should be supporting Ukraine, right? Russia is the aggressor here.
And that functional -- what Laura Loomer called sort of a woke right, right? She -- she referred to Tucker Carlson as a sort of woke right.
And -- and President Trump sort of approvingly sort of thumbs-upping her interview with Zelenskyy.
I think that you're right in that the recent wins that Zelenskyy has had, alongside the -- the bombing of the Iranian ship more recently, I think that -- that he is seeing it as this is someone who is projecting strength, right, in the way that that the president likes to see strength projected.
I think what will be interesting is that the fact that Russia has had this large barrage on -- on Iran [SIC], right? And on -- on Ukraine. And Ukraine is looking for these anti-ballistic missiles, right? They're looking for the -- the Patriot missiles so that they can -- they can sort of deter some of those strikes.
And so, it will be -- this is a really crucial moment for Zelenskyy and for President Trump.
HILL: What is missing now, of course, in this moment -- and T.W. this is for you for obvious reasons -- is Senator Graham, right, who was not only a very close ally. Right? And very big supporter of -- of these leaders, these -- these causes in this moment.
But he was -- I mean, he was the Trump whisperer, right? So, just before he passed, he had just come back from Kyiv; was talking about the support that he had earned, I think, finally, from the president when it came to the sanctions bill.
Without Lindsey Graham around to get in the president's ear, what does it change?
ARRIGHI: A lot. There is no natural successor to the level of influence Lindsey Graham had on the world stage, their close relationship he had with these world leaders.
The fact that they're both coming to Washington to honor him, along with a number of Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle, says everything you need to know. So, yes, it is -- it is a huge deal. And I really hope, and I believe
fully, that his sister, who's doing a tremendous job trying to fill his shoes, will help get across -- get across the finish line those Russia sanctions that are so desperately needed.
Because like you said, Donald Trump, right when he came back from Kyiv and announced that we had an agreement, Donald Trump went along with it.
So, that's a massive, massive step forward in Ukraine. And I hope that today is a -- and today we lay him to rest and celebrate his life over the next two days is a galvanizing event to get that finished in his memory.
But make no mistake about it: his impact will be felt, the loss of it, all over the world.
HILL: All right. Much more ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, including a major decision in the murder case against singer D4vd.
Plus, "Today Show" anchor Savannah Guthrie with a new plea for her missing mother.
And a troubling revelation about a very popular jetliner. This is widely used across the United States. The seats, the FAA says, have been installed all wrong. So, just how concerned should you be?
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HILL: Fourteen minutes past the hour here. We've got your morning roundup for you.
The case against singer D4vd will go to trial. A judge ruling there is, in fact, enough evidence to move forward.
He's accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and will be held without bail until an arraignment on August 31st.
Savannah Guthrie, making a new plea to bring her missing mother home.
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SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": I'm asking you, begging you to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her.
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HILL: It has been nearly six months since Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Arizona home.
A masked man was seen tinkering with the 84-year-old's doorbell camera the morning she disappeared. No suspects, though, have been identified in the case. Oregon's governor is now calling for state and federal investigations.
State and federal investigations have actually been opened in Oregon after reports of armed men impersonating ICE officers.
A victim was allegedly assaulted last week after the suspects pulled them over on the highway, showed fake badges. They were also wearing vests that said "Police" on them; told the person they were being arrested, searched the car, held the victim for at least 15 minutes, but then let them go.
The FAA is warning that seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets were incorrectly installed, and the FAA says if not fixed, those seats could cause serious injury in the case of an emergency landing.
The 737 MAX is widely used by U.S. airlines. This notice from the FAA impacts more than 450 which are currently registered across the country.
The FAA did not say how quickly airlines would need to fix that issue.
After the break here on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to take you live to Spain, where the wildfires are raging.
Plus, questions about Senator McConnell's health not going away. Why this new photo is raising even more concerns.
And a live look at St. Louis. Good morning to our friends out there. An extreme heat warning, of course, remains in effect. The real temperatures, real-feel temperatures for you guys today, around 111.
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HILL: We are following breaking news at this hour out of Japan. So, this is new video just coming into us here in the wake of a 7.1- magnitude earthquake in the Southern part of the country. You see that bridge collapsed there? A shrine, part of that has toppled.
And we also have images for you that show a moat; a wall and a moat outside of a famous castle. I think we may have that, as well, which has crumbled.
We do know power has been knocked out to thousands of homes. Experts right now are warning residents about aftershocks and landslides.
At this hour, we know at least 50 people have been injured. We're going to continue to monitor that situation for you out of Japan.
The air in Bordeaux, France, raising serious concerns this morning as pollution levels are now six times above safety levels as wildfires burn with no end in sight.
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EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): We must understand that we are facing a completely unprecedented wildfire. The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War.
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HILL: Officials say firefighters are battling flames so intense the flames themselves are actually creating what's known as fire clouds. It's a phenomenon that has actually never been seen in France before.
And of course, we have this heat wave we've been talking about that's moving in. That could further fuel the flames.
The situation not much better in Spain, where officials say the country is now facing the largest fire in the nation's history. CNN international correspondent Pau Mosquera, joining us now with more from Spain.
Where do things stand? We can see that scorched earth around you right now. Paul.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Erica. Because what you can see around me is the result of the biggest wildfire ever registered in Spain.
This is the Bourgogne (ph) wildfire that started last week and has already scorched more than 50,000 hectares of land.
Just have a look to the landscape. I mean, the ground looks completely black, charred, and there's no sign of plant life. Also, you can see that most of the trees have been reduced to ashes, and some of them are still standing, but the trunks have been completely burned.
And actually, if you look behind me, you can see how the fires are still very much active. Because what you can see that seems to be a layer of haze is actually the smoke rising from the areas where there are active fire fronts, which is South and West from where we are.
And this is also the reason, Erica, why we are wearing and using these face masks, just in case the air quality keeps deteriorating any further.
Now, it is important to say that, despite this situation that we are showing you, authorities showed today a little bit of cautious optimism. Because they say that overnight, the 400 firefighters that have been working to contain this wildfire actually got to prevent the flames from spreading any further. But the fires are still out of control.
And actually, it's important, because the next few hours are going to be crucial. Because tomorrow, Wednesday, the weather conditions are expected to worsen as the fourth heat wave of the summer is going to impact the Iberian Peninsula.
And, you know, the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity, the greater the risk for new wildfires -- Erica.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. And the more difficult, of course, it is for those crews that are battling the wildfires already there.
Pau, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Still to come here on CNN THIS MORNING, the family of Kansas City Chiefs Coach Eric Bieniemy rocked by gun violence. His son now behind bars.
Plus, President Trump taking his fight over mail-in voting to the high court.
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HILL: Good morning. Thanks for starting your day with us here on CNN THIS MORNING. Just about half past the hour now. Here's a look at what's happening right now.
Later this morning, the funeral for Senator Lindsey Graham will be held. Services set to be held inside the Capitol Rotunda and at the National Cathedral. President Trump is expected to deliver the eulogy.
Graham's casket will be transferred to South Carolina tomorrow for a private service.
The son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is being held without bond this morning after.
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