Return to Transcripts main page
Erin Burnett Outfront
Vance Downplays War With Iran After Largest Escalation In Weeks; Warning From ICE Whistleblower; GOP Mayor Defies Trump. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired September 03, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:27]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Split on Iran. Trump undercutting Vance, who says he wouldn't call it a war. The vice president also defending Hegseth's decision to purge senior military leaders in the United States.
Plus, quote, "grave national security risks". That is the warning tonight from an ICE whistleblower who says the agency is failing to properly vet new recruits. His lawyer telling OUTFRONT he's now being threatened with criminal charges.
And a Republican bucks Trump. The mayor of a Republican stronghold says they're not about to rename Lake Ontario despite what Trump wants. Why? Well, he's our guest.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, a new warning from Iran threatening a multilayered and asymmetrical response to the United States. The country's vice president warning, and I quote the post, "Americans should start thinking about stockpiling gasoline and fuel, dark months lie ahead for the U.S. economy."
It comes as America's president and vice president aren't even on the same page over the most basic thing there is, whether this is a war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now we have a war with Iran. You know, we just hit him again last night.
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't -- I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You know, those comments aired at nearly the exact same time, which is pretty stunning. And Vance, as you heard, says there's no active shooting taking place.
Keep in mind Iran has targeted a number of U.S. bases just over the past 72 hours. I mean, these are bases in Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Iraq, all targeted. Missiles -- I mean, Jordan says it's intercepted at least 18 ballistic missiles. you know, in just these past few days. So obviously, that's an active shooting situation, not a flare-up, which Vance went on to later refer to the situation as.
Vance also sought to downplay Iran's capabilities to cause havoc in the United States with cyber attacks. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: If you look at the Iranian ability to disrupt the normal lives of Americans, I think it's quite limited. It's not zero, but it's quite limited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, of course, the question was about cyberattacks, but the downplaying of the impact -- downplaying of the impact on Americans is obviously significant.
I mean, the war with Iran is driving up gas prices. They now average more than $4 a gallon. Before the war, it was just below $3. The average price of diesel hitting a new record today.
Borrowing costs have spiked, some of the highest level in years because of a selloff in the bond market. I mean, just look at the 10- year Treasury from the day one of the war until now. It's not a slope anybody wants to be looking at.
Mortgage rates hitting a new high, closing in on 7 percent this year. That is disruptive. And it is important to remember what lies days ahead here. I mean, the midterms.
Trump was asked if this is a problem before the crucial vote that'll determine who controls Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEV TURNER, GB NEWS: There's a communications problem, though, isn't there, in terms of going into the midterms and making sure that the American voters understand the objective.
TRUMP: We have to explain to the American people. You know, it's interesting. When people say, are you glad you did? I said, absolutely, because I stopped them from having a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Remember, Trump claims that the United States did that back in 2025 during Operation Midnight Hammer. I mean, remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.
It was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And then, of course, the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified after those strikes that Iran had made no efforts to rebuild its nuclear program. This all comes as Vance came to Hegseth's defense after concerns that the defense secretary's purge of top generals and military officials is leaving the Army without leadership. The latest to resign because of Hegseth, of course, is Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Do you share any of the concerns of Secretary Driscoll and several Republican lawmakers about the current state of the Army, specifically about the departure of so many generals and other top officials?
VANCE; Dan is obviously a very good friend of mine. I think he was a great secretary of the Army. Pete is also a very good friend of mine, and I think he's an amazing secretary of war. There are a lot of issues where I agree with Pete on. The issue where I'm in the most strident agreement with Pete is that we needed to have a culture shift at the Department of War. People didn't want to join a woke military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Hegseth has talked a lot about a woke military. In fact, it's core to pretty much every single thing he says.
[19:05:01]
He's been trying to remake it to fit his ideals and his perception of masculinity, the warrior ethos that he says again and again. In fact, that now explicitly includes testosterone screenings for some U.S. troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best. It's about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Well, those guidelines which just came out also included asking female service members if they have any symptoms of hormonal dysregulation.
Now, no sooner had these guidelines gone up, though, than they were taken down, all in one day. They noticed they were up. All of a sudden, they were taken down. The Defense Department says they were rescinded to allow for updates, and we're waiting to see what happens there. Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT live outside the White House.
And, Kristen, Vance standing squarely behind Hegseth today, even though, of course, Driscoll, we understand, is very close with Vance, and that's a friendship. Does anyone in this administration at this point put any blame on Hegseth for where the war is right now and some of the issues facing the military.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Erin, it seems as though anyone who blames Hegseth or even is skeptical or has questions about what Hegseth is doing has been either fired or resigned. And that's what made this so interesting in terms of Vance's answer.
Dan Driscoll is not just any old friend. He was a classmate of Vance. Vance was critical in getting him put into that position. I've talked to a number of people who say that he remains in his inner circle, but he did squarely back Hegseth, essentially keeping focus multiple times on this idea of a culture shift.
Now that's at the same time that we're hearing from these military officials in the Pentagon who say that that very culture shift, that focus of that Hegseth has on this woke military is part of what is harming the U.S. military because he's not focused on what they believe should be the priorities of the U.S. military.
Now it comes also as President Trump was in the Rose Garden praising Hegseth saying that during the strikes the evening before, he had been on the phone with Hegseth saying wasn't that great, talking about Pete and praising him to lawmakers. So, clearly, right now, the administration is fully behind the secretary of defense.
Now at the exact same time we see Vance kind of trying to distance himself and distance the administration from this war, saying it's not even a war. But yet he couldn't give basic answers on what any sort of timeline would look like, not just about the war, but also about how it's impacting Americans. You asked specifically about the price at the pump, not being able to give a timeline on when Americans might be able to see those gas prices going down.
Now it does seem as though this administration is keenly aware of how unpopular this war is, and they are trying to separate, at least give some space between what's happening in Iran, what we are seeing with our own eyes, and the administration's involvement as we head into those midterm elections.
BURNETT: All right, Kristen, thank you very much at the White House tonight.
I want to go OUTFRONT now to the Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss. He's also a Marine Corps veteran.
And I appreciate your time.
So, you know, when you hear Vice President Vance stands behind Defense Secretary Hegseth, and, you know, there's absolutely no indication, no wavering. You obviously served in the U.S. military.
So, what do you make of Hegseth's leadership of the Department of Defense, or as they call it, the Department of War right now?
REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): It's abysmal and dangerous. He needs to be fired. And if he's not fired, Democrats, when we take back the House and Senate, need to impeach him.
Erin, it's important, I think, to underscore for our viewers the difference between Vance and Hegseth. Vance talks a lot, but actually, as vice president, has no power. Hegseth, on the other hand, is the deputy commander-in-chief. Pete Hegseth alone, other than the president of the United States himself, can order troops to move between unified combatant commands. And that's critically important because right now the United States is operating in a world more dangerous than it has been in my lifetime.
You've got China with gray zone threats against Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan. You've got Russia with a hot war against Ukraine and gray zone threats against NATO. And obviously you have a hot war in the Middle East that is spiraling out of control.
Only the deputy -- the secretary of defense, excuse me, can move troops and resources between those combatant commands. And he is too incompetent to do that and to plan for contingencies, and therefore America is more vulnerable right now than it has been in my lifetime.
BURNETT: So when you then juxtapose that with the statement out of Iran's vice president today, the quote, Americans should start thinking about stockpiling gasoline and fuel, dark months lie ahead for the U.S. economy.
You sit on House Energy and Commerce Committee, right? So, when there's a comment like that, stockpiling gasoline and fuel, that's the area that you oversee.
[19:10:03]
So, do you take that seriously? Is there a risk? And, you know, I mean, look, we look at situations, even the SPR, things like that, that are dramatically depleted. Should Americans be stockpiling gas and fuel?
AUCHINCLOSS: I mean, half my constituents can't afford to stockpile. Gasoline. Gasoline's gone up by about 40 percent and that's not calculating even diesel and fertilizer as inputs to food, which is why groceries are going up as well.
I absolutely take seriously the detrimental impacts on my constituents from this catastrophic failed war. It's not just expensive, it's also alienating for the United States. We are more alone and more weak than we have been this century, and our adversaries see it.
What they see is purges at the Department of Defense. What they see is a president who talks tough and then backs down repeatedly. What they see is munitions at dangerously low levels. What they see is the United States unable to project military strength as it formerly did. And they are seizing that opportunity.
BURNETT: Yeah.
So, President Trump today posts, Congressman, on social media a defense of the U.S. weapons stockpile situation. In fact, he writes, and I quote, "We have virtually unlimited amounts of mid- to high- grade ammunition, far more than we could ever use for this or for any other war." He said anyone not saying that is, quote, "treasonous," all caps, "scum."
Now, I don't know, Congressman, what word games are being played here. Are we talking about ammunition as in literally bullets? And so -- or is he actually referring to the reality, right, which is what's happened to the U.S. military stockpiles of weapons that are used in an actual hot war, which would include the fact that the U.S. has burned through nearly four-fifths of its THAAD missile inventory, half of its Global Tomahawk inventory, according to Reuters.
Are you concerned about stockpiles?
AUCHINCLOSS: Yes, we're already seeing leading edge impacts in Ukraine. Increasingly, they are unable to defend their airspace against Russian attacks just when Ukraine had the momentum against Russia because of our depletion of munitions.
Now, when the president makes that statement, I don't know if he is lying or if he just is being misled by his secretary of defense. Both are scary, though in different ways.
My prediction for what's going to happen after these elections, though, is that the vice president, is going to try to bust toss Pete Hegseth because the vice president wants to be president. The vice president already negotiated a catastrophically bad memorandum of understanding with Iran. The vice president is trying to outrun how unpopular this war is, and he is going to throw Pete Hegseth under the bus.
And when that happens, Democrats need to be ready to conduct oversight and investigations of Pete Hegseth such that he squeals on the rest of the administration, because he's a squealer, Erin, you can tell with some people. This guy is going to be pointing fingers, and we are going to be able to unravel through investigations all of the mess and morass of the Department of Defense.
BURNETT: Congressman Auchincloss, I appreciate your time, and thank you very much for being with us tonight.
I want to go straight to Seth Jones now.
And Seth, we have spoken so many times. about weapons stockpiles, because your team has done so much of the key research here that we are citing. And obviously, we know that key missile systems and defense systems have been depleted, which puts U.S. assets, bases, troops at risk.
This week, though, Seth, you testified before Congress about another potential threat to the United States from Iran to the U.S. homeland, OK? A threat. So, in reference to J.D. Vance talking about cyber not being really a risk and downplaying risks altogether.
You were talking about drones, and you think we are very much at risk.
SETH JONES, FORMER ADVISER TO COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. SPECIAL OPS FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN: Yeah, Erin, you know what? What surprised me to some degree is how much unanimity there is. And there is this week in the House, including on the House Intelligence Committee from both Republicans and Democrats on the vulnerabilities we have in the U.S. homeland to drone attacks. We have virtually no defenses at a range of military bases or if we have defenses, actually can't use them.
And then concert venues, sports stadiums. and other locations where we have virtually no defenses against drones. And I would just highlight briefly that what Ukraine pulled off within the last year in Russia, getting drones inside of Russia and then targeting deep strikes against Russian bombers thousands of miles inside of Russia, that highlights the ease with which countries now can get those kinds of systems inside of their adversaries. U.S. is highly vulnerable to this.
BURNETT: And as I mentioned, Vance downplayed Iranian cyberattacks today. But you are specifically worried, in context of your testimony to Congress, you are very much worried about attacks and from China.
JONES: Yeah, Erin, I think it's certainly worth being concerned about the Iranian attacks, cyberattacks against water systems.
[19:15:00]
The impact has been pretty limited so far. I think the real concern is what the Chinese have done with some of their operations like Volt Typhoon, getting inside of critical infrastructure, putting in cyber capabilities that can take down in a conflict U.S. critical infrastructure, financial systems, electricity grids, that is a serious challenge. That should have been mentioned, because I think even more than Iran, that's the big one that the U.S. faces.
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah, and to know that, well, if you strike or try to do something to defend, say, Taiwan, that you could be dealt such a blow, right, puts the United States in a very different position than perhaps many of us realize.
Thank you so much, Seth Jones.
And next, OUTFRONT obtaining A whistleblower's complaint. And this complaint alleges that ICE pushed through dangerous and unqualified applicants. That whistleblower is now being punished, according to his attorney.
Plus, tensions flare in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. Clancy's attorney dropping a bombshell, claiming one juror refuses to listen to the law.
And Republicans want Trump to show them the money. According to new reporting from "The Washington Post", they are worried that Trump is going to spend the money that he's raised on himself and not their races. And wait until you hear about what they think he's going to spend the money on himself.
The reporter who wrote the story will be OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:20:26]
BURNETT: Breaking news, OUTFRONT obtaining an ICE whistleblower complaint, warning of dangerously lax vetting standards used to rush through new recruits. Now, the whistleblower claiming ICE recruits were offered jobs before they passed basic background checks, which, in his words, posed, quote, "grave national security risks".
Now, an attorney for the whistleblower tells OUTFRONT exclusively, and I quote, "Upon raising these concerns, our client was met with immediate retaliation by DHS. He was interrogated, unjustifiably threatened with criminal charges, and placed on leave for over 10 months. The attorney describes the whistleblower as a 17-year ICE veteran and two-time Trump voter who served as a unit chief that oversaw more than 100 ICE employees who were evaluating thousands of would-be ICE applicants."
Now, the context here is four people have been killed by federal agents during immigration enforcement crackdowns this year.
OUTFRONT now, Ryan Schwank. He is a former ICE attorney who worked at the agency's training center. He also became a whistleblower over his concerns with ICE training standards.
And, Ryan, I appreciate your time, and I'm going through, you know, what this whistleblower, this latest whistleblower is alleging. So, when you hear these concerns, right, talking about exactly what they're saying, grave national security risks, and this whistleblower, they say a two-time Trump voter who was a unit chief, is what the allegations are here consistent with what you saw when you were at ICE?
RYAN SCHWANK, FORMER ICE INSTRUCTOR: Yes, it's very consistent with what I saw when I was at the academy. We talked at the academy about exactly the scenario cadets coming through that weren't vetted and cadets coming through with dangerous backgrounds, either psychological profiles or personal backgrounds in criminal history that would make them a danger where they were put in the field.
BURNETT: So the whistleblower warned that all of this exposes ICE to, quote, "infiltration by individuals with divided loyalties". I guess, let me just ask you, what you hear when you hear that, and do you feel that threat is real?
SCHWANK: Yes, that threat is very real. And what I hear when I hear that is that ICE is creating an avenue for foreign exploitation, both by criminal organizations and by foreign political actors, foreign countries, to enter into the American law enforcement system through essentially its underbelly, through its SOP side.
Because these agents aren't being vetted properly, we don't know what their backgrounds are before they're actually deployed in the field. We don't know what their backgrounds are before they're given access to our training and our methodologies.
And it goes beyond ICE. If you think about this, it goes past ICE because many ICE officers are deployed into joint task force with other agencies, the DEA, the FBI. And they get access to a lot of the same information those agencies do. So, this potential threat goes beyond just immigration enforcement and can potentially enter into of numerous areas, including counterterrorism, drug interdiction, and other operations of the federal government.
BURNETT: So, obviously, all of that is incredibly worrisome and significant. I just want to give you one of the examples here of what happened.
In July, a Colombian man was shot and killed in Maine by a federal agent. This happened, Ryan, as you know, during a traffic stop. And shortly after it happened,
I spoke to the ex-wife of an ICE agent connected to this shooting, okay? She told me that her ex-husband called her after the shooting. He said he shot the man. He told her that.
And she told me that when they were married, he inflicted physical blame, just serious domestic abuse, emotional abuse, mental abuse on her. I mean, the details are horrific that she shared.
So I asked her about, you know, what do you think about the fact that your ex is an armed ICE agent? And I wanted to play for you, Ryan, part of what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY BROUILLETTE, EX-WIFE OF ICE OFFICER AT SCENE OF FATAL SHOOTING: I don't believe that he's anyone that should be obtaining a job that requires any kind of weapon. He has always displayed violent behavior, very angry person, and I've said for years that it's only a matter of time before he hurts anybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Are you surprised to hear that an armed ICE agent is being described that way by his ex-wife who, you know, got the call from him after the shooting where he said he did it?
SCHWANK: Two years ago, I would have been surprised by that call. Today, I am not. The difference is that that sort of background information should have been caught in a normal background check.
Normal background checks for law enforcement go beyond just do you have a criminal record. It goes into conversations with family members, friends, people who know you to get a sense of what your psychological profile was like, what you are like. And this is the sort of thing that's supposed to get caught before they're ever issued a badge and a gun.
[19:25:06]
BURNETT: So an ICE spokesperson responded to the latest whistleblower allegations, Ryan. He tells us in part that the agency, quote, "diligently applies the proper personnel vetting regulations, including guidelines for national security, and evaluates all available information for every applicant based on these factors."
Is that just a pile of words?
SCHWANK: It is just a pile of words. Unfortunately, the agency's track record is that when something goes wrong, they deny. And when they get caught denying something that went wrong, they just dig in and keep adding to it.
The same thing happened with my own testimony. I reported the training violations and they said there were none, and then all of a sudden, they're in all the hours that they said they never cut.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Ryan, I appreciate your time. A lot here to think about and a lot of it pretty disturbing, but I appreciate your taking the time, being willing to continue to speak out on this. Thank you.
SCHWANK: Thank you for having me.
BURNETT: And next, the triple murder trial of Lindsay Clancy taking a dramatic term. The defense demanding a juror who is said to be the single holdout be kicked off the panel and replaced.
Plus, new reporting from "The Washington Post". Republicans growing more concerned that the money Trump's raising isn't going to help them win in November. No. They think he's saving it for himself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:30:35]
BURNETT: Breaking news, a dramatic day just wrapping up in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. The jury has been deliberating for 36 and 1/2 hours and is still deadlocked over whether or not Clancy should be convicted of murdering her children.
Just before the jury was sent home for the day, Clancy's lawyer singled out one juror, leading to this wild exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN REDDINGTON, LINDSAY CLANCY'S DEFENSE LAWYER: There's one juror who refuses to listen to the law that you've given him or her on reasonable doubt. My motion is to remove this juror that refuses to listen to your instruction on a reasonable doubt.
JUDGE WILLIAM F. SULLIVAN: I don't feel that it is proper for me to side with one side or the other of the deliberations. I don't feel it's appropriate for me to say I agree with one juror or the 11. At this point, I've asked if they are able to follow my instructions according -- they swore earlier that they could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I want to go to Jean Casarez. She's outside the courthouse.
And, Jean, obviously you've been following every second of this trial. So just how stunning was what happened today?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely unbelievable. So late afternoon, there's a note from the jury. Okay, there's been several notes, and mainly the notes, the two notes have been that they cannot reach a unanimous verdict. So, we think, okay, it's going to be a mistrial. Is there actually a verdict?
Go in the courtroom. CNN was in that courtroom. The camera did not show this, but the attorneys go up to sidebar.
Reddington, the defense attorney, has his papers. He slams him down on the judge's bench. He starts arguing with the judge. The judge argues back. There's pointing. Reddington is pointing at the defendant in the courtroom.
All of a sudden, Reddington turns around. He walks over to Lindsay Clancy. He wheels her wheelchair up there while he's arguing with the judge. And because of the white noise, you can't really hear what he's saying.
But Lindsay's hair gets caught on either the wheelchair or on his suit. And while he's arguing with the judge, he's trying to get her hair untangled.
The prosecutor the whole time is agreeing with the judge, very quietly agreeing. Finally, one juror after the other, they're all individual. They come into the courtroom. The judge swears them to an oath and he asked him something and they respond.
And your sound, Erin, right there showed the judge said that they said they could follow the law. So that's the question they were asked. So, the juries come in. He reads the beyond a reasonable doubt instruction. He walked the jury walks out. They continue deliberating.
Reddington was not finished, though he and open court said it all, just as you showed. But here's the thing. We don't know exactly what that note said. The judge never read the note.
We are listening to Mr. Reddington. The defense attorney is telling us what that note said. Now after court, he said that tomorrow, that juror -- there's going to be an inquiry by the judge in open court of that juror. Well, we'll have to see what happens.
But, Erin, this juror, whoever they are, he or she, we don't know, but they have been in that courtroom for four weeks listening to every single bit of the trial. They've had their notebook. All the jurors are writing copious notes. So, it would be extraordinary at this point if a juror would actually be dismissed.
All right, Jean, thank you very much. And I want to go to Mark O'Mara, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. He's OUTFRONT.
Obviously, Mark, as defense and prosecution, you have, you know, seen the arguments that are being made here.
Can I just ask you, how rare is it that the conversation that Jean is describing, this one-on-one that is expected to happen tomorrow between the judge and juror, where they're going to talk about the rules and the law, how rare is such a thing?
MARK O'MARA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Except for inquiry regarding bad acts, like he did research or she did research on her own or she did something. Other than that, and I'm not exaggerating, I've never seen it before because once that jury is sworn and begins their deliberations, they are no longer individuals. The whole point is they are a jury and they are to act as one.
[19:35:00]
And what's happening here -- you know, I first called Reddington's act, asked for dismissal of the juror, somewhat reckless, almost or arrogant. But now I realize why he's acting the way he did. There's no question, though it is my supposition, that that note said we are 11 to one for acquittal. And we can't get there because of this one juror.
Reddington saw that. And so red and realized he was on the cusp of an acquittal. But this one is getting in the way, which is why he said kick him off or kick whoever it is off. Go with 11, bring in the alternative. There's an enormous amount of background going on.
BURNETT: Okay, can I ask you something else? Because you're supposed to find out when a jury makes a verdict. So, for the note from the jury to come out and say what you're suggesting it said, which makes complete sense, right, because the defense attorney is saying there's this one jury kicked them off, that the note would have said what the rest of them felt, right, that there would have been an acquittal.
How unusual is such a thing, that a note would come from the jury saying this is how the vote is, this is how it all is, and that the prosecution and the defense would see that ahead of a verdict?
O'MARA: Well, it is very, very unusual because what really should have happened in my opinion and the reason why the judge gets it first is the judge is supposed to filter it. Take out that which cannot be decided with conversations with the defense attorney and the prosecutor. I really think that one mistake was he should have crossed out if it was capable of doing so, crossed out the bit where they talk about what vote they're in and just say we can't get there.
I think he's trying to do his best in a very bad situation, which is why he brought him out one by one. But let's face it, we all know that the 11 knows that they wanted the judge to talk to the one. The one knows that the judge was talking to him or her directly, and we're just infecting this jury verdict with so many unique and therefore appellate remedies that if it's not an acquittal, this is going to get retried because of the appellate courts and how they handle this possibly anyway.
BURNETT: Wow. All right, Mark O'Mara, thank you very much. And we will see, obviously, as that unprecedented conversation takes place tomorrow when those jurors are back in the courtroom, that one-on-one with the juror and the judge. Thank you, Mark.
And next, Trump's war chest. Republicans reportedly growing concerned that he's raised all this money and the intent of it is not to help Republicans win election. The intent is to use it for himself. On what? New reporting tonight from "The Washington Post".
Plus, I'll speak to a Republican mayor who's pushing back against Trump's order to rename Lake Ontario, Lake America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:42:15]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump asking the Supreme Court to okay his crackdown on voting by mail. The emergency appeal comes a day before the first state, North Carolina, starts to mail out ballots.
Now, Trump wants to give sweeping powers to the Postal Service, including not delivering ballots to some voters. Trump's focus on mail voting comes as some Republicans are worried that he is not doing enough to actually help them win key congressional races. His super PAC, okay, has more than $400 million. That's a huge amount of money, almost half a billion dollars. They're worried he's not spending that money on helping other candidates.
OUTFRONT now, Isaac Arnsdorf, the reporter who broke this story for "The Washington Post".
And, Isaac, this is obviously really important reporting. Can we just start with what you're learning that has Republicans convinced that Trump has his $400 million and he's not going to be putting it into races to help Republicans win?
ISAAC ARNSDORF, WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yeah, I mean, one of the few bright spots that the Republicans have for them with this cycle when they're running with an unpopular president and the midterms when, you know, the odds look stacked against them is that they've had a big cash advantage. And most of that is because of the money sitting in this super PAC. But now, it's almost Labor Day, which historically is the kickoff for the peak campaign season, and they still haven't seen that money.
And not only is the money not being deployed, but Trump's advisors haven't communicated what the plan is use it, and not just like telling CNN or telling "The Washington Post", but telling their fellow Republicans so they know what to expect and can plan around. It hasn't happened. BURNETT: Okay, that's obviously got to be incredibly concerning for them, because he's the president and is, you know, not allowed to run again, and so that money was expected to go to help other people win. Where do Republicans think he's going to spend the money instead?
ARNSDORF: Well, Trump hasn't said, his team hasn't said, because officially, they're still saying, you know, the money is coming, just hang on, it'll be here for the midterms, they're going to spend big. But there are very few rules on what he could actually use that super PAC money for. One obvious thing is that he could hold it back for the next cycle and use that to protect his kingmaker status. You know, he's a lame duck president, and as attention shifts to the 2028 presidential election, he's going to start to lose some of that juice.
But if he keeps the money, that helps him keep his position in the party, his power to choose his successor, pass that big pot of money on. The other thing that people have pointed to is you saw how Joe Biden has struggled to raise money for his library. Trump wants to build a presidential library that's like a skyscraper that's going to cost a billion dollars, and it might be harder for him to raise money in the future as he becomes a lame duck or even isn't president anymore.
[19:45:04]
So that's another thing that this money could help with, and not to mention legal fees, which his super PACs and other groups have been covering for many years.
BURNETT: Yeah. I guess you look at $400 million and $1 billion price tag for the skyscraper, which, of course, will probably be a lot more than that when all is said and done, that's a lot towards that.
So, Trump's super PAC did just spend some money on ads that came out. And by the way, to the point that you're making about maybe spending on his own library as a potential avenue, the ads do not focus on other Republicans. They focus on Trump. Here's a look at one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA WHITE, MMA CEO: He is the toughest, most resilient person that I've ever met, and nothing that's going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.
TRUMP: We will be prosperous. We will be proud. We will be strong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, Isaac, I guess in a sense that's proving what Republicans are worried about, right? That adds about Trump. That's not about electing Republicans to Congress.
ARNSDORF: Yeah, Republicans look at that ad, Republican strategists, and say that is not an ad that is designed to persuade any voters. That is an ad that is designed for one person, Donald Trump, to make him happy, because he told his aides that he wants ads to be about him.
He thinks that the Democrats are trying to make this election about him, and so they should take that on. They should promote his record, which, from his perspective, he doesn't get enough credit for.
BURNETT: All right. Isaac, thank you very much for sharing your reporting with us tonight.
And also this hour, Republican mayors rejecting Trump's order renaming Lake Ontario Lake America. That includes in Oswego, New York, which is on the shores of the lake.
Mayor Robert Corradino, who has voted for Trump in the past, says, quote, "There is no practical, historical, or cultural need to change it. Preserving the name of Lake Ontario is part of preserving who we are."
And his constituents agree, including even one who supports Trump now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been on his side all the way, right from day one. But I think he's losing it here. I just assume that remain Lake Ontario.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Mayor Robert Corradino is OUTFRONT now.
Mayor, I appreciate your time. This is an issue that has captured people's attention, much more so perhaps even than the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of America dispute.
So, can you tell me more about how you came to the decision to say this name is Lake Ontario, and it will remain so?
MAYOR ROBERT CORRADINO (R), OSWEGO, NY: Well, thanks for having me.
Yeah, this has become a big issue. I didn't realize that it was going to be such a big issue, but it really hits to the heart of our residents here in Oswego. I mean, the lake is our identity, and Lake Ontario is a name that has been around for 300, 400 years.
So, the people who live here now certainly identify with that and it means a lot to them. We have a lot of names that are associated. We have Fort Ontario. We have the Ontario Convention Center. It just goes on and on and it is our identity.
BURNETT: So, the president's defended his decision. He's saying that this is because Canada, in his words, is ripping off America. Now, I just -- I want to ask you, because you're on the lake, you're talking about it as part of your identity.
What are the effects that you're seeing around your region, which obviously overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2024, right? So, it was Trump country. But now you are all experiencing outsized impacts because of the president's fight with Canada, right?
CORRADINO: Oh, absolutely. In the last two years, we've seen a drastic reduction in visitors from Canada. You have to remember, the Canadian border by car is about an hour and a half from Oswego and probably an hour by boat. But we've seen a big decline in tourism from Canada.
In addition to that, we have a working commercial port here that imports Canadian aluminum, potash. There's grain that goes back and forth, so we're being hit on several fronts, especially in the jobs. I mean the tourism industry is down and that means less people working in restaurants and in stores.
BURNETT: So those are obviously hugely significant. I mean, I spoke yesterday to the top executive at MapQuest, which I'm sure, Mayor, you're aware got a lot of coverage because they became the number one free downloaded app in the past few days because they said, we're going to keep it Lake Ontario on our maps. Google and Apple, of course, decided to change the name.
And the CEO of MapQuest says he was completely shocked by the overwhelming response because they didn't get this response, like I said, back when it was Gulf of Mexico, Gulf in America.
So, here's what he said to me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG BERGER, GENERAL MANAGER, MAPQUEST: We were absolutely blown away. It was not intended to be a political stance. It was intended to be, you know, give people the name of lakes and gulfs that they're familiar with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:50:08]
BURNETT: And I know you have been getting an overwhelming response, calls, emails since the president's order and your decision. Why do you think this particular name change is striking such a nerve with people?
CORRADINO: Well, as you said, we've been getting a lot of calls at City Hall and emails and really it's people are passionate about this. I mean, when you change the name of a lake and many people who come to visit our community when they look out at the lake, many people say, is that a lake or is that an ocean? Canada is about 55 miles across and you can't see the other side. So, in a lot of ways this is an ocean to us.
So again, it's part of our identity. It's part of who we are and it really does strike a chord. I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, independent. This means a lot to the residents of Oswego and Oswego County, and I'm sure most of the communities along the lake feel the same way. BURNETT: Well, I appreciate your speaking out about it because it is one of those moments, a cultural moment, an identity moment that somehow has broken through in a new way. And I appreciate your taking the time to talk about it, Mayor Corradino. Thank you.
CORRADINO: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, OUTFRONT, fans of the U.S. Open fed up with influencers who are continuing to make a scene just to get views for themselves.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:07]
BURNETT: Tonight, influencers invading the U.S. Open. Impromptu photo shoots interrupting the tennis tournament, even forcing an ump to pause a match featuring a former world number one player.
Jason Carroll is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Antics off the court, temporarily stopping play at the U.S. Open, this after a group of influencers were so disruptive while taking selfies in the stands, a chair umpire paused play during Naomi Osaka's match on Monday and told him to take their seats. Some tennis fans are frankly fed up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take it over everywhere, the influencers. Why shouldn't they take over this?
WENDAY MARKS, TENNIS FAN: You should have the courtesy to the people who are competing and their families and guests.
CARROLL (voice-over): Point taken, says this content creator, who is offering up her humble apology.
MRIGANKA CHAWLA, SOCIAL INFLUENCER: And I had the influencer light on me. I was the perfect stereotypical influencer, so I get it.
CARROLL (voice-over): Mriganka Chawla says all she wanted to do was have her picture taken during the Osaka match.
CHAWLA: This lovely usher or God, I don't know what they're called and she was like she took the photo. I thought I was OK and then I woke up to a storm, a well-deserved storm, but a storm regardless.
CARROLL (voice-over): Her moment went viral, landing her in newspapers and on the receiving end of some hate.
CHAWLA: Listen, I deserve. What do you want me to say? I deserve to get called out for what I did. I messed up. Can't do -- are you caught me on in 4K?
CARROLL (voice-over): It turns out not all tennis fans here think influencers like her are out of bounds.
IVAN ABRAMS, TENNIS FAN: I think it's great.
CARROLL: Oh, you do?
ABRAMS: Oh, total.
CARROLL: Tell me why.
ABRAMS: Just because it gives more publicity to the event.
ELLEN CALLAMARI, TENNIS FAN: I find it tiresome.
ABRAMS: We're married.
CALLAMARI: For me, it's part of the problem because you can't quite get away from it.
CARROLL: So you'll have to agree to disagree. It sounds like --
CALLAMARI: We do. Like a lot of things in our marriage.
(LAUGHTER)
CARROLL (voice-over): Jokes aside, former pro player Patrick McEnroe says folks are being just a little too hard on all these influencers.
PATRICK MCENROE, TENNIS COMMENTATOR: I consider myself a tennis purist. Okay? So I love tennis. I love the competition.
But let's be serious here. We're supposed to be upset that the U.S. Open and tennis is getting bigger, getting more popular?
I say it's much ado about nothing. Of course, the influencers got to learn turn off their lights if they're on the stadium court, if it's during the match.
CARROLL (voice-over): A point echoed by the former number one player in the world, Andy Roddick.
ANDY RODDICK, FORMER TENNIS PLAYER: Stop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) ring lights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just stop the ring lights.
RODDICK: Stop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) ring lights.
CARROLL (voice-over): Certainly, critics of content creators worry the selfie culture has gone too far that it may be cluttering artistic spaces as well.
So, here's this advice from a self-described sports influencer.
ALIYAH FUNSCHELLE, PODCAST HOST, "THE MATCH UP WITH ALIYAH ON IHEARTRADIO": I think the biggest piece of advice would be to learn the culture of the sport that you're getting to go to, whether it's the U.S. Open or the World Cup.
CARROLL (voice-over): And while a picture may be worth a thousand words, this influencer says it should also be kept in perspective.
CHAWLA: I hope people are like I'm like -- they see that I messed up by taking a photo, but like I didn't kill their cat. You know, like I'm still a person -- like I'm sorry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: So interesting with that influencer and her saying she was sorry in a sense. But also, that one person who was attending saying you've got to learn the culture of the sport. Maybe that's one of the interesting things. Tennis player talking about watch the ring lights. You're so up close there.
And people clap at the U.S. Open no matter who won the point, right? There's sort of a respect and a politeness that is different than other sports, right? It is knowing the culture of the sport.
All right, well, thanks so much, Jason Carroll, and thanks to all of you for joining us.
You can check us out on X, @OutFrontCNN. Also, we're on Instagram and TikTok, @ErinBurnettOutFront, so you can find us there. We've got extras there and key moments you may have missed from the show or you want to see again.
And always, you can e-mail your questions to us outfront@cnn.com. We hope you'll do that.
We'll see you back here tomorrow.
"AC360" begins right now.
