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Connect the World

Iran Widens Attacks as U.S. Conducts Sixth Night of Strikes; Iran Targets 7 Middle East Nations in Retaliation Against U.S.; Trump Claims New Intel Reveals Vulnerabilities in U.S. Elections; WH Teleprompter Operator Investigated for Insider Trading; Trump Aide Put on Leave Over Insider Trading Investigation. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired July 17, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: A live look at the White House as the U.S. expands its strikes on Iran, targeting bridges and power lines

in key coastal cities. It's 09:00 a.m. in Washington. It is 05:00 p.m. in region here in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. I'm Becky Anderson.

You're watching "Connect the World". Also coming up, Iran widening its scope of attacks, targeting infrastructure in the region, including a

desalination plant in Kuwait. At least two people have been killed after flash floods in Texas. And we'll take a closer look at what Andy Burnham's

premiership means for the British economy.

Well, the stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now. It is the last day of the trading week, and futures suggesting a weaker start,

quite significantly so on the NASDAQ there. A sell-off in tech stocks is part of the problem here, and also a sense that, frankly, investors are

weary as these geopolitical risks mount.

Got oil prices higher again today. And we're going to get back to this story. And back to those oil prices as we move through the next couple of

hours, because vital resources are coming under fire in Kuwait today. Iran struck a power and desalination plant there, prompting urgent public

warnings from the government.

Those warnings were to conserve water and electricity, even as temperatures soar into the mid-40s on the Celsius scale. Iran also says it targeted U.S.

assets in Oman, Jordan, and elsewhere, and it is threatening the ports of its Gulf neighbors. This all coming after an escalation in U.S. attacks,

including strikes on bridges in the south of Iran in what was a sixth straight night of bombing.

CNN's Nic Robertson joining us today from Jerusalem. And Nic, 30 days after the, you know, very what felt like historic signing of that MOU, it does

seem as if things have escalated in a way that makes it feel very uncomfortable in region. What do you make of these developments and where

we are at?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think obviously we're on an escalatory military cycle, I think that because neither side has said

we're outrightly scrapping the MOU. The MOU sort of remains marginalized completely on the sidelines of these military operations.

But it's still a document that's intact, and one can possibly see a time where either side can recommend going back to that, having decided that

through the military means at the moment they're not getting where they want to. So, I think on the diplomatic front, that document, although it's

no use to anyone at the moment, can be again useful in the future because it is the blueprint for the way out of the current situation.

But if you just look at the range of these strikes that are going on and break it down very, very simply here, both sides have a reason for hitting

the targets that they hit. Iran says it hits U.S. military bases and assets in the region. Clearly, last night it hit a civilian facility in Kuwait

that is a huge vulnerability for all Gulf countries.

The desalination and power plants that go with them that provide the AC, that provide the clean water that people drink, for most of the Gulf

countries, these are absolutely essential and indispensable. So, there are massive pressure points, so Iran's ratcheted up to that level.

If you look at what the United States is doing and understand how militaries work, they won't just be throwing their munitions around. We'll

put some here, we'll put some there. They'll be thinking of what are we planning on doing next week? Where do we think we might be in a week's time

or two weeks' time.

So, we'll have operations that shape us towards that. Number one, making sure that the Strait of Hormuz is going to be safe for the travel of

vessels, which means taking out infrastructure, port facilities along the Strait of Hormuz. But it's going beyond that.

[09:05:00]

It's trying to get to the infrastructure that links those areas around the Strait of Hormuz, particularly Bandar Abbas and some of the other ports

along there, to deeper inside of Iran, as well as denying other ports, as well as targeting Bushehr, where there is an Iranian military air base,

which is about less than one minute's fighter jet flight from Kharg Island, which again has been floated in the deep past as a possible target. That's

where we seem to be.

ANDERSON: Yeah, and Tehran issuing threats over the Gulf's oil lifeline at this point. It does seem as if it is though widening its target list,

Syria, Iraq, Jordan. We already know that it's targeted Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, of course, and Oman. But I wonder what the message is here, do you

think from Iran in widening that lens, widening the scope of these targets outside of the Gulf?

ROBERTSON: Yeah, it's what's often called the escalatory ladder, isn't it? You know, you target just a couple of Gulf countries in the beginning. It's

been Kuwait, it was Bahrain. Now it's up to Former U.S. base Al-Tanf inside of Syria that hadn't been struck before.

It's interesting that Saudi Arabia hasn't been struck so far in this round, and Saudi Arabia normally considers itself at the top of that escalatory

ladder. But Iran threatening to hit ports in the region, threatening the sort of highest value, most prized asset that's mostly been outside of the

war in Saudi Arabia, Yanbu port there, where their oil exports go through, exports to the Red Sea.

And imports, frankly, as well, come into the country, come into the region, as well as Jebel Ali, a principal port in the Emirates, where you are. That

would be a huge blow for the Emirates if Iran was to continue to go after that Hamad port in Qatar, just a number of ports in the region.

And I think if we think back to those days at the beginning of April, just before the ceasefire came into play, I think it was eighth or ninth of

April, what Iran did on the last night of strikes was to strike sort of the deepest and send significant messages of what it was still capable of.

So, it sent the warning then, and now it's saying, you know, we can do this. We're putting it on the table. So yes, we're in a cycle of

escalation.

ANDERSON: And we're going to get a lot more analysis on this coming up. I'm going to speak to Vali Nasr, who is, of course, a Middle East Expert. Very

specifically, has an awful lot of knowledge about Iran. Who believes that increased military pressure from the U.S. will not work, and that Tehran is

not even close to backing down.

That is on the next hour of "Connect the World", an important discussion coming up. Thank you, Nic. Well, President Donald Trump used a prime-time

address Thursday to focus on what he called the need for free and fair elections in the United States. He announced the declassification of

documents he says reveal quote, vulnerabilities in the U.S. election system, including hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference.

Trump claimed China, in particular, has attempted to influence U.S. elections, an allegation Beijing denies. A lot more on that in a moment.

First up, though, I do want to turn to CNN's Betsy Klein, who is joining us from the White House, and this was a prime-time address to the nation.

What were some of the top takeaways from that speech, and what's been the reaction to his address?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the president is already taking a victory lap, saying he's getting great reviews for this

speech. That is really a rare opportunity for the president to speak directly to the American people in prime time.

The president has long been fixated on this issue of election integrity and used this address to raise alarms about potential vulnerabilities for

future U.S. elections and also make a push for a sweeping voter ID and election overhaul bill that is currently stalled in the U.S. Congress.

But to do all of that, the president making hyperbolic and unfounded claims. And also pointing to declassified intelligence and an assessment

from the intelligence community that is about five years old. The White House did post hundreds of pages of newly declassified documents to its

website, but I want to take you through some of the president's claims.

First, he really takes aim squarely at China, who he says has obtained 220 million U.S. voter data files, and working also, he says, to undermine both

his administration and the 2020 election that he lost.

[09:10:00]

Now, this intelligence report from 2021 says that China considered trying to influence the outcome of that election, but ultimately chose not to. He

also claimed that 278,000 non-citizens are on state voter rolls. He cited data that has long been known to inflate those kinds of numbers.

He also went after members of the so-called deep state, who he says have actively suppressed information about China's election meddling, both to

him and to the American people. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yet those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and

hidden. They did not disclose to me as president or to anyone else, and to the best of our knowledge, they did not inform Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: We should note that none of this declassified information supports the claim that any U.S. election results were manipulated in a way that

would have influenced the outcome, but election law experts now sounding lots of concerns about the possibility that this speech has already sown

doubt about the integrity of the upcoming November midterm elections, Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you. Well China denying President Trump's claims made during that address. This new exchange comes at what is a

delicate time, of course, as Washington and Beijing have been trying to stabilize that relationship after months of trade tension. Steven Jiang is

in Beijing for CNN with more.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Before this speech, they're having chatter of Chinese officials going to Washington to discuss with their

American counterparts about the expected Xi Jinping's visit to the White House in September, and that of course is something Trump himself has said

repeatedly, he's looking forward to.

When Trump came here in May, his high-stakes talks with Xi have indeed ushered in a period of relative calm between the two countries. And

officials from both sides have long said this kind of leadership summit provides the strongest guardrails to prevent this often-rocky relationship

from deteriorating.

But this kind of summits also require the right atmosphere to take place. And the rather overwhelming and ominous allegations Trump just made

obviously not conducive to that. That's why the Chinese response has come very quickly. With a spokesman in their embassy in D.C. telling us, quote,

China has all along adhered to the principle of non-interference, and he goes on to say, China has never and will never interfere in the

presidential elections of the U.S.

A foreign ministry spokesperson here reiterated that position, and going a bit further, painting all these latest allegations as part of a smear

campaign against China, even turning the table on Washington, accusing the U.S. being the one that often interferes in others' internal affairs.

ANDERSON: Steven Jiang reporting for you. President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator under investigation for potential insider trading,

according to two sources. White House employee Gabriel Perez allegedly made more than $90,000 in profits on the prediction site Kalshi.

His trades were on one of known mention markets, meaning bets on which words or phrases public figures, including Trump, say at speeches or at

events. Marshall Cohen across the latest from Washington, Marshall.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Hey Becky, this is the first known instance so far of potential insider trading emanating from the Trump White

House, a lot of the outside experts in this space and ethics experts have been warning that this day would come, and it looks like it's finally here.

So, as you mentioned, President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez, according to the sources I spoke with, is under

investigation by the top federal regulator that oversees prediction markets for his potential insider activity on these so-called mention markets.

Now these are available on Kalshi and Poly Market and other sites. This activity apparently happened on Kalshi, and sources tell me that that

company uncovered this. They flagged it as suspicious and referred the matter to the CFTC, which is the federal agency that regulates these

markets.

Now, what are mentioned markets? You can actually, believe it or not, bet on what people will say. You can bet on what the broadcasters for the World

Cup final are going to say which terms they're going to use, what a CEO is going to say on an earnings call, and you can bet on which phrases

President Trump will say at his press conferences.

And traders, kind of love that because you never know what Trump is going to say unless, of course, you're the teleprompter guy and that is what has

just raised so many red flags about this situation.

[09:15:00]

Now, to be clear, we reached out to Perez, he did not respond. We reached out to the White House, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

spoke out yesterday. She said that the president was outraged. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON: I'm aware of the report. The president is too. I spoke with him about it. He believes it's deeply

unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace. And the individual that was cited in that report is complying with the CFTC. This individual will no longer be

here.

He'll be on paid administrative leave. I'm sorry, without pay. The administrative leave is unpaid. To be very clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Becky, two important final notes. Number one, as Leavitt just said, there, Perez, the teleprompter operator, is cooperating with the CFTC

investigation. That's an important point. We will see where that investigation goes. And finally, Becky, for full disclosure, CNN has a

partnership with Kalshi.

We use its data to cover major events, but CNN journalists like you and me, for obvious reasons, are not permitted to use prediction markets, Becky.

ANDERSON: Copy that. Thank you. Coming up, deadly flooding raging through parts of Texas. We're going to get you to Kerr County, one of the hardest

hit areas. Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And smoke from Canadian wildfires making it very

hard to breathe in parts of Canada and the United States. The air quality in a number of major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto, well

above what is known as the hazardous level.

China making a bid to be at the helm of global AI. Chinese Leader Xi Jinping promised to be responsible in an address to tech leaders. It comes

as U.S. President Trump accuses China of exploiting election data, including acquiring millions of voter files, which it's a claim which China

denies.

SpaceX scrubbed its planned test flight of the company Starship on Thursday. The launch was halted as the rocket's engines ignited. SpaceX

says it's not clear how soon they can recycle the rocket for another attempt. Well, in Texas, the threat of flash flooding is looming.

It has mostly eased in hard-hit areas, but there is a new warning about flooding. The Guadalupe River surged more than seven meters in a single

hour on Thursday morning, prompting evacuations and more than 230 rescues, according to the Texas governor, at least two people have died in the

floods.

Let's get you to CNN's National Correspondent Ed Lavandera, who's joining us from Kerr County in Texas, and tell us what you're seeing there today,

Ed.

[09:20:00]

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the good news this morning here, Becky, is that there has been a let up in the rain, so

that respite is giving these massive rivers and tributaries and creeks a chance for those flood waters to recede.

This is the Guadalupe River. This was the river that just over a year ago flooded, and in such dramatic and horrific ways that nearly 140 people lost

their lives. 24 hours ago, from that far bank that you see over there, all the way over here was completely under water. And residents here tell us

within an hour, in some places a half hour, these flood waters rose dramatically.

And that is just something that just continues to be a kind of a staggering thing to comprehend when you talk about this kind of flood waters, but the

good news also, Becky, is that the rain that is falling in the Texas area today has moved a little bit north of this area as well.

So that is giving folks here a chance to kind of assess the damage, begin the cleanup process. Some of the bridges and roads have already been

cleared off. Others need to be checked structurally because what happens is these massive trees come barreling down the rivers and they collide with

all of these structures.

So, you know some of them have been compromised. The real questions about you know all of that stuff kind of needs to be checked out. But the other

dramatic thing that was very different from last year, everyone has been telling us the sirens, the phone warning systems, alerting people to the

floods that were coming, the intense rainfall that was falling, that, that made a difference.

You know, nearly 140 people died last year. The death toll, as tragic as it is, is two. So many of the residents have been telling us that people not

only heard those warnings, but more importantly, they took them seriously and got away from these lower lying areas, campgrounds that were along the

river here.

This is a popular place to camp in the summertime months here in Texas. So, all of that made a difference, but it is still devastating and widespread.

The state not quite out of this just yet, but since the rain has moved to other parts of the state, perhaps that's going to give these areas that

have been so hard hit over the last 36 hours a chance to kind of settle down and get back to normal, Becky.

ANDERSON: How are residents bearing up at this point? And you talk a little there about the rescue response. You know, what are the authorities telling

you?

LAVANDERA Well, there have been, you know, there were in the initial hours as these flood waters were going up, still requiring a massive amount of

rescue operations, not just here in the City of Kerrville and along the banks of the Guadalupe River, but in other areas as well. This is very

widespread.

You know, you drive about an hour north of where we are. There's another big river up there that was flooding. Many people, you know, had flooded

out homes about an hour south of where we are in in the City of Uvalde, which many people have come to know for tragic reasons as well.

But this is an area that the flooding was just appears to have been so much more widespread than what we saw last summer, and so that is you know

complicates things. But for the most part, I think you know the cleanup is beginning, and people starting to get a handle as just how just the extent

of the damage that they're going to have to be dealing with.

It's going to take weeks, if not months, to clean up much of this mess.

ANDERSON: Got it. Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. U.S. health officials linking at least part of a multi-state outbreak of intestinal

illness that has sickened thousands of people to shredded iceberg lettuce. The CDC says the produce was sold by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell

locations in five midwestern states.

Taco Bell says it will pull the lettuce from stores and replace it with another product within 24 hours. Taylor Farms did not respond to a request

for comment. CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard has more.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: We are hearing that shredded lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and sold at some Taco Bell locations has

been identified as the source of this ongoing outbreak, and the states where some of these Taco Bell restaurant locations are include Michigan,

Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

So that's what we know so far. But of course, this lettuce may have been sent to other places too, so this is an ongoing investigation. But really,

this outbreak it is centered in the Midwest, with Michigan really reporting the most cases so far. Nationally, we do know that some other states have

reported increases in Cyclosporiasis cases.

So, health officials are still taking a look at whether some of those cases may be linked back to the Midwest outbreak or whether they may be

individual separate incidents. Nationally, nearly 7,000 cases have been reported so far.

[09:25:00]

And among those cases, again, Michigan has the largest cluster reporting more than 4,000 cases, and with this outbreak, the reason why it has taken

some time for health officials to really identify the source is because with Cyclosporiasis illnesses. It can take anywhere from two days to up to

two weeks for symptoms to develop.

That's why it's difficult to really pinpoint what may have been the source of these illnesses, and those symptoms include primarily watery diarrhea.

In some cases, it's described as explosive diarrhea, and other intestinal, gastrointestinal symptoms. And we do know that dozens of these cases have

been hospitalized.

That's because these symptoms can lead to dehydration, and dehydration has resulted in hospitalization for some people who've gotten sick. Now, again,

this is an ongoing outbreak, an ongoing investigation. So, health officials say they are still bracing themselves for more possible cases to emerge.

Back to you.

ANDERSON: Right, Andy Burnham, now the Leader of the UK's Labor Party. He is due therefore to become Britain's Prime Minister on Monday ahead. What

Burnham's leadership could mean for the British economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. Time here just before half past five, which puts us at just

before half past nine in New York. Your headlines for you. Iran has expanded its regional bombing campaign in response to U.S. attacks.

Seven countries across the Middle East were targeted in the latest round of strikes by Tehran, including for the first time Syria. Well, that comes

after the sixth consecutive night of U.S. attacks on Iran. President Trump used a prime-time address Thursday to allege vulnerabilities in the U.S.

electoral system, including hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference.

Many of the issues raised in his speech have been known and addressed by election officials for years. At least two people in Texas have died after

two rivers surged on Thursday, prompting massive rescue efforts. The floods, similar to last July's flash flooding in the same area that killed

more than 130 people back then, including dozens of girls and councilors, of course, at a summer camp.

Right, ringing in the opening bell on Wall Street on what is the final trading day of the week is technology company Standard Nuclear.

[09:30:00]

Let's just listen in. Right, we are out of the gate on what is expected to be a pretty weak start to this Friday trading session. But the Dow Jones

Industrial Average up for you off about 1 percent. Do keep an eye on the tech stocks in what is the tech laden NASDAQ and S&P.

Those markets were looking decidedly weak in the futures markets, and the NASDAQ down nearly 2 percent, the S&P off more than 1 percent.

In the last few hours, the UK's Labor Party has announced a new leader, Former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who is already setting the

tone for what his leadership will look like? Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, LEADER OF UK LABOR PARTY: We are united, and we put the power that comes from that unity at the service of people and places who have

been waiting too long for politics to let them hope again. That's what we're going to do, everybody. We're going to give them hope back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, he is succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation as prime minister last month. But Burnham won't officially be

taking the mantle of PM until Monday. In recent years, he has become one of the country's most popular politicians. CNN's Clare Sebastian has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BURNHAM: Better not put that one on the camera.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's Incoming Prime Minister belongs to a new generation of politicians, one that understands

the power of social media. From campaign trail highlights to football skills to a viral roasting of the British opposition leader who called him

--

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's dark blue, actually.

SEBASTIAN: That video racked up over 5 million views on X. The strategy, especially with these signature selfie-style videos, is really part of an

effort by Burnham to present himself as an outsider here in Westminster, a regular guy, despite, of course, his many years spent in Parliament

previously.

His style is true to Andy, and that isn't going to change. A source close to his campaign told me he's not trying to land a point with every post.

JAMES LYONS, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR KEIR STARMER: He feels comfortable. He feels relaxed. And to be honest with you, it reminds me of

that famous phrase that Margaret Thatcher had about Ronald Reagan. He's engaged in the great cause of cheering us all up.

BURNHAM: We're doing it to change Labor. Better, to make it work for you. That's what we're all about.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And yet, optimism and hope don't always get the clicks.

EMMA CONNOLLY, FELLOW IN UCL DIGITAL SPEECH LAB: He has got a harder job in terms of you know, his content compared to someone like Trump or like

Farage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you come to the UK illegally, you will be detained and deported.

CONNOLLY: We know that social media algorithms prioritize or amplify emotionally charged, polemic, kind of controversial content in any way. But

I would look to someone like Mamdani, for example, who has managed to navigate that.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm freezing. You're --

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is emerging as a template for progressive politicians on social media, and the parallels

with Burnham aren't hard to find. Using social to amplify grassroots campaigning, light-hearted ways to discuss major policies.

MAMDANI: Start spreading --

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Even singing.

BURNHAM: I left the north again. I traveled south again.

ANDREW BARD EPSTEIN, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR MAMDANI CAMPAIGN: I like when people take risks and try things out and aren't afraid of cringe.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): But says Mamdani's Former Communications Director, Burnham's desire to unify may have come at the expense of clarity.

EPSTEIN: The agenda and the message, is a bit more muddled than Zohran's was, and the risk that Burnham runs in being, you know, sort of being all

things to all people, or not being totally clear on where he falls on particular issues or ideological debates, I think can risk reading to

people as just being another politician.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And that's exactly what Burnham is trying to avoid.

BURNHAM: I am going to do things differently.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): He's used social media to make himself accessible to regular people, facing criticism on the way for neglecting traditional

media, something he denies. No questions allowed from journalists at this recent big policy speech. Instead, a few days later --

BURNHAM: Send your questions in.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): He took to Reddit for a public, "Ask Me Anything" session that was so popular the site crashed midway through, the source

told CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right behind you thanks a lot cheers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right better hit the road, Lads.

[09:35:00]

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The challenge now to strike a balance between running on TikTok and running a country. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the revolving doors of British politics not affecting the British pound, sterling pretty much unchanged. Andy Burnham says it's time

to focus on policy, not politics, for the people of Britain. We want to examine how Burnham's leadership then might affect the UK population and

its economy.

Wes Ball was an Adviser to Gordon Brown, and Brown served as prime minister. He joins us now from London. So, Andy Burnham, no surprise,

elected by the Labor Party as leader and therefore will become prime minister on Monday. He's going to do things differently, he says, promising

policy, not politics.

For example, promising good growth in every British postcode. He's, you know, talking about leveling up. But Wes, there is no decent growth

anywhere in the UK at this point. So how is he going to fix that?

WES BALL, FORMER LABOR SPECIAL ADVISER TO GORDON BROWN: Good afternoon, Becky. I think that's his great challenge, is that he wants to do politics

differently. He says, and truly and very authentically, he believes that power has been centralized in Westminster and taken away from people, and

he wants to push that away.

And he thinks that economic power has been privatized, and he wants to bring public control of the key economic levers back into government and

into the hands of the people. But how that drives growth is his big challenge, because part of the reason people feel so disenchanted in the

UK, and this has been going on for a long time, is because real wages are so low at the moment and have not been rising for many, many years.

ANDERSON: He's promised transformative change, whilst also pledging to stick to the current likely to change Chancellor Rachel Reeves' fiscal

rules. I just wonder, can he realistically do both?

BALL: Well, I think we will see a very different government. People say people have speculated that he's all things to all people. I think actually

that's not true. Andy has, you know, he's been a politician since 2001, he had three cabinet posts in the last Labor government.

He spent time 10 years out of Westminster as Mayor of Manchester. I think he's truly found his authentic self. So, the Andy Burnham that you saw

speaking today, very passionately committed to handing power back to people and away from Westminster and away from sort of the central state is truly

him.

Whether that will bring about the change he wants to bring about quickly is a real question. I think you know Andy Burnham is very clear that this is

the last chance for Labor, and it's the last chance for kind of the mainstream parties because he is very clear in his own mind that if it's

not him.

ANDERSON: Yeah.

BALL: And if his government doesn't succeed, then Nigel Farage and reform will be the next government, and that for him is, you know, is not just the

swing of the pendulum. I mean, it's a complete transformation in the UK.

ANDERSON: Wes, is his team going to look more like the team that was around Tony Blair, 1997 through, you know, the period of time when you were in on

Gordon Brown's team? Or is this going to look more like a sort of you know very left wing social democratic sort of more Mandani than Blair, as it

were?

BALL: Well, look, your piece a moment ago talked about Andy is a very effective communicator and a social media politician. More, that's

definitely more Mamdani than Blair, isn't it? I mean, on an economic position, I think it will be. He says he's pro-business and he genuinely

understands the importance of driving economic growth, focusing on the UK's strengths, which include our service industry in London, which include

getting closer to Europe, and which also includes the strength of our advantages on frontier industries.

Now, it's not going to feel like a Blair government. You know they are going to renationalize our railways, which are a key piece of our public

infrastructure. They are going to make economic interventions to bring down the cost of living. They are going to look at the structure of the water

industry and probably bring some of that back into public ownership.

So that won't feel like a Blair government, but the hope is that it will bring down the cost of living, and people will feel that the system is

working for them at the moment.

ANDERSON: Got it.

BALL: Andy's analysis is the system is not working for people.

ANDERSON: Well, we'll see. Good to have you, Wes. Thank you very much indeed.

BALL: Pleasure.

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Well, if you want to attend Sunday's World Cup final, you'll have to pay a record amount for a sporting event. You know, will you to even be

able to get a ticket at this point? And then, if you do, hopefully the haze from the Canadian wildfires will have cleared over the stadium. We will

discuss that up next.

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ANDERSON: Well, it is hard to believe that we are just two days from the FIFA World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and European

champions Spain. You're going to see Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, and the rest of the stars. But if you want to be there in person, you have to pay

an historic price.

"World Sport" with more on that. And there's more "Connect the World", next --

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[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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