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Fauci Faces Senate Panel; Iran Launches Surprise Attack; New Details About Newsom's Past Affair. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 29, 2026 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

MARIA CURI, AXIOS TECH POLICY REPORTER: Seen that the most alarming use cases have been from the closed source models. And so, when you have a lot of these companies lobbying the administration, not necessarily to get rid of open source but to be more strict on it, it begs the question, what is the strategy there if safety is the end goal?

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, also in terms of the strategy if safety is the end goal, I mean there's a certain amount of, you read this letter, right? And just -- a few other parts in this letter. So, it's signed by lead scientists at Google, Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, a number of companies. Among the greatest hits, if you will, A.I. could help create a dramatically better future, but that outcome isn't guaranteed. We start off that way and go on to say, "we need to build a way for us all to slow down." Safety teams at A.I. companies have to sprint to prevent new risks to society every few months. Developing a technology shouldn't require a leap of faith for our continued survival." And perhaps my favorite, "if a rogue superintelligence is created, the game won't be chess."

I mean it feels like the people who created this are all admitting now they can't control it. So, they want government -- and, by the way, you're going to rely on government that doesn't even understand the technology -- to put in place the guardrails. It just feels -- it feels a little icky.

CURI: That doesn't understand the technology and that is not investing financially or with the technical expertise in the agencies that would understand the technology. And in terms of this rhetoric that we've been hearing for years now from these top A.I. CEOs. You know, the other side of that, the flip side of that is, a lot of skepticism. If they're speaking this way about the technology in order to do a sort of regulatory capture where they continue to benefit from dominating the market --

HILL: Yes.

CURI: And they close out smaller players that can't adhere to these government rules and regulations.

HILL: That's part of it, too. But then you also, you know, from the outsider perspective, you have these companies saying, hey, we've created this technology. We're not actually capable of reining it in. And they're still going to keep developing it. But we're saying you should be the ones to fix it. It feels a little disingenuous.

CURI: On top of that, the promise of A.I., the, why are we doing all of this in the first place when it's being communicated to the average American is very pie in the sky right now. You know, it's going to cure cancer. It's going to solve climate change. But all Americans are feeling in the short term is actually an impact on their wallets, whether it's electricity, whether it's chips being more expensive, which means our phones and our computers are more expensive.

HILL: Yes.

CURI: I just saw, you know, CNN recently reported nearly $400 increase per household directly related to all of the trillions of dollars that are being poured into artificial intelligence.

HILL: Right. And there are concerns about the data centers, the resources that they're taking up, right? The short-term benefit of perhaps some jobs to the long-term concerns, jobs being taken. There's a lot in here.

The good news, this is keeping you employed --

CURI: Yes.

HILL: Because you're going to have plenty to talk about and explain to the rest of us. Really good to see you this morning. Thank you.

CURI: You as well. Thanks.

HILL: Straight ahead this morning, it is a scene out of "Mean Girls." Sort of burn book-esque, but in this case it's the diary dropped just before Dr. Anthony Fauci returns to The Hill. So, what are the actual revelations amidst the pettiness?

Plus, a close call at takeoff. Two Delta jets directed to turn around -- to turn in front of each other.

And fires burning with the intensity of, get this, several atomic bombs. How the extreme heat is further complicating efforts to contain those massive blazes in France and Spain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:38:06]

HILL: Good morning, everyone. Thirty-seven minutes past the hour here on CNN THIS MORNING. Here's a look at what's happening right now.

Rescue workers searching through the rubble of a mall in Japan after that 6.8 magnitude quake hit yesterday. At least three people were found dead in that structure. A number of others, though, remain unaccounted for. The mall itself partially collapsed after an explosion, which was sparked by the quake. At least 13 people are confirmed dead in the region in connection with the earthquake.

A close call between two Delta planes in Atlanta after they were directed to turn in front of each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATC: 1568 clear to land.

DL 1568: Somebody on the runway?

ATC: He's exiting now.

DEL 1568: Delta 1568, going around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So, one plane was attempting to land while the other was taking off. The second plane decided to circle the runway. That, though, put the jet directly in front of the plane leaving the runway. Anti- collision alarms did blare in both planes. The air traffic controller then safely directed the two aircrafts away from one another.

Acting Attorney General Tom Blanche heading to Capitol Hill today where he's expected to meet with Senator John Cornyn after the Texas Republican said he may not support Blanche's nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Would you recommend that it be postponed if it's going this way?

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): That's being discussed. That's being discussed. But hopefully it won't be necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Cornyn's issue, the DOJ's anti-weaponization fund. He is demanding the Justice Department provide a written proposal on how it plans to kill it once and for all.

Also happening on The Hill today, just about two hours from now, Dr. Anthony Fauci will head to Capitol Hill, where he's set to face a grilling by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. That committee is led by Senator Rand Paul, who has butted heads with Fauci in past hearings over his role leading the nation's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the days leading up to this hearing, later this morning, the committee published 1,100 pages from Fauci's personal diary, detailing everything from high level White House pandemic meetings, to his newfound fame and press attention.

[06:40:07]

Fauci is not appearing voluntarily after Senator Paul previously called for the doctor to be thrown in jail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): I would just suggest that he tell the truth. And if he tells the truth, he has no liability. But I would suggest that he testify because -- because he is protected by the pardon, there's no real constitutional reason for him not to testify.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The group chat is back with us.

I will note, there is a lot in here. As I noted, there are more than 1,100 pages. It's a little choose your own adventure, if you will, depending on what you are looking for in the diaries of Dr. Fauci.

Here is one thing that he wrote about a meeting in March of 2020, writing, quote, "we met with POTUS in the living quarters, not the Oval, for about an hour. I led the discussion since the POTUS kept referring to me. It was a disturbingly rambling discussion. He kept talking about TV ratings and HC and influenza and virtually everything else as I was trying to keep him on track with the help of the VP. We finally got him to agree to a travel advisory, not a quarantine."

As I noted, there is a little bit of something in here for everybody. We know it's going to be contentious with Rand Paul. But how are Democrats, do you think, going to approach this hearing today, Antjuan?

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: First of all, you had Trump's former surgeon general, I think as late as this morning, come out and praise Dr. Fauci and called him basically a trusted and good public servant.

But I think what's frustrating and what burns my biscuits the most is you have this political theater that will happen in the United States Senate today with Senator Rand Paul, but there's no interest in the fact that you have the screw worm sending everyone on the run. The fact that you see recall after recall in foods that basic, everyday Americans are afraid to even deal with, and all of the challenges that came along -- that come along with this current administration. And there's no sense of accountability in that regard.

I think that is what the American people are focused on, not in retrospect, but they're focused on right now in front of them. And right now in front of them are the challenges because of the people who are in charge of our government, but yet there's no accountability from a legislative standpoint. And so the theater is just going to be political theater for today. And I think the American people are -- have grown numb to some of that.

HILL: And then you think people move on. Rob does not feel that way.

ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": Yes. No, I -- you can probably tell that I don't. I mean, I think that there will be fireworks today. I agree with you on that point. But it's the role of Congress, in this case Senator Rand Paul, to have oversight and hold this government employee, former government employee who was paid $400,000 a year with our tax dollars and who lied to the American people repeatedly about the origin of Covid. I mean he talked about --

SEAWRIGHT: How -- but, Rob -- but, Rob -- but, Rob, respectfully, how do you know that? And I -- we -- we --

BLUEY: Because it's in the diary.

SEAWRIGHT: Well, here's what we agree on. We agree that the legislative branch is supposed to have oversight and accountability to the executive branch. We agree with that. So, where's the accountability for the screw worm? Where's the accountability for all these recalls we see every single day and the lack thereof from the current leaders of our government. And you do not see that, but you want to focus on someone who's no longer in the government?

BLUEY: Oh, I'm a big champion of the Article One authority of Congress. So, don't -- we can go down that path. I think Congress should exert more authority when it comes to oversight, whether it's a Republican or a Democrat.

But I think what is important today, and the reason that it's relevant, is, this might not be the last time that the United States finds itself in a situation where we have a global pandemic. And holding that person accountable, getting answers, holding the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, accountable for what its role was. And then think about all of the losses that our country experienced, not only in terms of jobs, but the schooling. I mean, I have kids. It affected my family's life profoundly.

SEAWRIGHT: Can someone remind me who was in charge when we were going through the Covid-19 pandemic? Because I think sometimes that gets lost in the conversation. Who was the president?

BLUEY: Apparently, Anthony Fauci thought he was.

SEAWRIGHT: Well, who was in charge and who was the president?

HILL: I want to bring -- so I want to -- because I know you two could go on all day, and I do enjoy it. Don't get me wrong.

But, Eleanor, when we look at this, right, people, to Rob's point, people do have questions, right? To Antjuan's point, people are also questioning certain things that are happening right now.

When we look at what has come out in advance, there is no love lost between Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci, as we know.

ELEANOR MUELLER, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMY POLICY REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Yes.

HILL: What does this -- what does this actually achieve, right, to put all this out ahead of time? And it is really, you can pick and choose who you want. It's certainly not all flattering to Dr. Fauci --

MUELLER: No.

HILL: But it doesn't all either prove what Rand Paul, I think, is hoping to prove.

So, what do we, as the American people, get from this moment? MUELLER: So, for Americans, particularly on the right, who were

frustrated with lockdowns, who thought that guidance on vaccines was misplaced, Anthony Fauci was the place that they directed all of those frustrations into. And so, while there is nothing, to your point, in these 1,100 pages that RFK found on government servers and gave to Rand Paul that would incriminate Fauci, it does stoke those political tensions right as this fifth hearing that Rand Paul has called where he can interrogate Fauci is going to happen.

[06:45:06]

And so whether or not Fauci does do what Paul wants and says something today that does incriminate himself remains to be seen. I don't know that there's proof in these diaries that he does think that it came from a lab.

SEAWRIGHT: Exactly.

MUELLER: He made one comment that maybe alluded to the possibility of the lab being somehow related, but didn't explicitly say something that contradicted himself in the past. And so, it's really more of a bad look, I think, to have him leaning into all of this fame.

SEAWRIGHT: And remember --

HILL: Here's -- I'm going to leave it there because we have more to get to.

SEAWRIGHT: Trump was in charge of Covid.

HILL: But we have more to get to. But it will certainly -- I mean there will be, I think we can all guarantee, no shortage of fireworks this morning or moments that people would like to have go viral. So, we'll be watching all of it for you.

Still ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, Gavin Newsom's affair with a then staffer reemerging two decades later. How the scandal could impact a potential presidential run.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): America stands with Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: A win for Ukraine. The U.S. Senate passing a Russian sanctions bill. Can Ukraine's leader now turn this momentum into Patriot missiles?

And the lifeguard who dove into a pounding surf to rescue a boy set to receive a high civilian honor as President Trump offers an invite to the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:50:41]

HILL: Breaking news overnight, an escalation in the war with Iran. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia joining forces to target Iranian backed militias in Iraq after Iran attempted to launch a surprise missile attack on U.S. bases in the region. Those missiles were intercepted. Iran making its move, of course, while Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was in Washington, as well as Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both visiting Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy also in Washington making his way later in the day to The Hill to watch the U.S. advance -- the Senate advance a sanctions bill for Russia and Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE: It's not only about money, how Russia -- how to stop to finance this war, but it's also a big signal to Europe, a big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Joining me now, David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for "The New York Times."

David, good morning.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Erica.

HILL: I mean, a lot happening in the last -- in the last 24 hours I think is putting it mildly when we look at what is happening on both fronts with Iran and Ukraine.

Let's start, though, if we could, with these attacks overnight and what we saw. The timing cannot be ignored, obviously, but also what has come out of that. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia joining forces now. Can you put this in perspective for us?

SANGER: Sure. So, you know, last time that we discussed this, Erica, we talked about how the president was increasingly trapped by his inability to get out of this war. And I think in the past 24 hours, we've seen why. He stood down over the weekend from what he had threatened would be a massive attack. It looked like we had some peace in the region for a bit. And then, four days into this, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which we believe is really running Iran these days, or is the most influential force there, launches this not very large attack, it was four or fewer missiles, that were at Jordan.

Meanwhile, the Saudis, tired of being attacked by the Houthis and some Iran-backed militias, did some airstrikes in Iraq. And so, you see that this is beginning to spread, or is continuing to spread throughout the region. And the more countries that get involved, the more difficult it gets to unwind this whole thing. So, the whole question right now for the president is, could he even

get the Iranians back to the position they were in a little more than a month ago when he signed that 14-point vaguely written plan that was supposed to launch a bigger negotiation.

HILL: All of this happening, of course, when Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington. There is clearly a disconnect between the president and the prime minister when it comes to where this war goes, right, and what they each would like to see.

What is your takeaway from that meeting, what it says about this relationship right now, as the two are still involved in this war together?

SANGER: We don't know very much about what happened in the meeting yet. I'm sure more of that will begin to seep out. But we do know this. This was the first time the two of them had met since Prime Minister Netanyahu was in Washington prior to the war. And that was the time when he basically convinced President Trump that if they joined together in an attack on Iran, it would be swift, it would overthrow the government, that Iran was so weak that it would crack, and this would be a couple of weeks' operation.

Well, clearly, that turned out to be wrong. And I think the president is now rightly suspicious a bit of Prime Minister Netanyahu's predictions.

HILL: I also want to ask you about President Zelenskyy. So, of course, I noted he was there for, you know, in the Senate yesterday, but also meeting with the president, bringing some wins with him in this moment. You noted, he may actually have those cards now that the president gave him such a hard time about in that infamous Oval Office meeting. Does he have a lot more leverage in this moment?

SANGER: He sure does. And, you know, it really shows you what, you know, a year and a half of change, technological development and just grit will do here.

[06:55:06]

When he came in February of last year, he didn't have that many cards to play. He was, you know, at best static and maybe losing on the battlefield. They've now developed drones that obviously reach well into Russia, have done significant damage to the Russian oil and gas industry, hit a lot of their refineries, can reach Moscow. And suddenly it was President Zelenskyy who was getting a bit of a warmer reception than Prime Minister Netanyahu. How's that for a reversal of fortunes here?

Now, the president can be a little bit fickle on these things. And, of course, he likes sticking with winners. But it does raise the question of whether the U.S. and the Congress will end up doing more to back the Ukrainians as Lindsey Graham was advocating until his death.

HILL: Yes. It will certainly interesting to watch, as always.

David, always good to talk to you. Thank you.

SANGER: Great to be with you, Erica.

HILL: A former staffer to Gavin Newsom is offering new details of their affair from 20 years ago. Newsom, who at the time was the mayor of San Francisco, admitted to that affair in 2007. An affair with Ruby Rippey. But his rise as a potential 2028 presidential contender is putting this chapter in his life back in the spotlight. He also wrote about it in his book recently. And then in an essay published in "Vanity Fair" yesterday, Rippey says, "for my former boss, it is a footnote in a larger arc of ascent. For me, it is the fracture that split my life into before and after."

The group chat is back.

I will say, she writes in this this "Vanity Fair" piece, it's not written from a victim perspective, right, it's more of a, hey, I'm just letting you all know what happened in this moment. A spokesperson for Newsom put this message out in response, saying the governor had apologized for what had happened and noted that he was, you know, sort of done talking about it. He apologized for it. He's going to move on. He calls it in his memoir, "the briefest of affairs," and recounted how he claimed -- came clean to Rippey's husband, who also worked for Newsom at the time, and was a friend of the mayors. She points out, that's not actually what happened.

How much could this impact Newsom moving forward?

MUELLER: That's the question, right? I mean, 2028 is a long way away, but it's not that far away. And I think this writ large makes Newsom, who is already struggling with somewhat of a likability problem, potentially more unlikable. I mean, this was his campaign manager's wife, who he was supposedly close with. And so even though he was divorced, again, of course, she was a subordinate. So, it's just -- it's not a -- it's not a great look. But how that plays moving forward, I mean, remains to be seen.

HILL: We -- I heard you start to say something over here.

SEAWRIGHT: Well, I was just going to say, all of these potential presidential candidates are going to get their hood checked and their tires kicked extensively by the American people between now and the 2028 primaries, where South Carolina will kick off on the political season for us.

But I will say, if you think about it, on the whole, remember, Donald Trump is the president of the United States. So, some of this stuff that was once mainstream priority and would have been an automatic disqualifier, I don't think the environment is reflective of that in this moment. And I think that's important to note. Otherwise, Trump would never be president.

HILL: Is it -- oh, go ahead, Rob.

BLUEY: Well, the -- I was going to say, the only problem with that is that Democrats, as you saw both during the Me Too movement and then, as Antjuan said, you know, in contrast with President Trump, they tried to make this one of the issues, that they are different. And so, I think not only in a Democratic primary you could have a contrast that some candidates try to make with Gavin Newsom.

But I also think that ultimately, and I think Eleanor's right on this, people are going to examine his record as governor of California, which has been disastrous. I mean, people are fleeing that state because of the high taxes, because of the homelessness problem, the drug problem. And you can go down the list, the wildfires. I mean, it has been a disaster from the point that he took office up until today. And that's probably going to be ultimately what does him in, I would think. And the more he talks, quite frankly, it seems that he keeps dropping precipitously in the polls.

HILL: We have like a minute left, so we barely have time for the group chat. Can you all share the time?

MUELLER: Yes.

HILL: You can.

Eleanor, you're first.

MUELLER: My group chat was actually Rob's original group chat.

HILL: I know, you guys, but you can share.

MUELLER: Which was the amazing news we got yesterday that maybe the Dulles people movers are no more. If you don't live in D.C., they are these building like busses that take you from your gate to the baggage claim. They take forever. They are bulky and annoying and infamously hated and potentially --

HILL: I -- yes, I haven't experienced them. But I have to say, in looking at them, I'm happy for you all.

MUELLER: Thank you so much.

HILL: I mean, as someone who's based in New York, obviously, I don't use that airport much. When I come here I use DCA. But I am happy for you.

BLUEY: Get rid of them. Yes. Well, I -- so I pivoted and Aaron Rodgers, the 42-year-old quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers announced in training camp yesterday that this would be his final season.

[07:00:02]

I'm headed to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, next week to see the Steelers. So, I can't wait.

HILL: Oh.

SEAWRIGHT: Max Miller, the son-in-law of Bernie Moreno, senator from Ohio, is on record in court filings for putting a gun to his wife's head, fracturing her collarbone, scalding her with hot water. But yet the party of family values and the Republicans have said or done nothing about it. In my group chat.

HILL: We have to end on that group chat because we have five seconds left. But on a happier note, have a great day. Thank you, guys. Appreciate you bringing it, as always.

Thanks to all of you for joining us. I'm Erica Hill. The headlines are next.