Return to Transcripts main page

Inside Politics

Trump On Iran: "We're Not Finished At All"; Trump: Midterms "Don't Have An Impact" On My Iran Decision; Biggs Invokes McCain's Name In Arizona GOP Governor's Race; Election Denialism On Ballot In Arizona Secretary Of State Race; Arizona Voters Pick Nominees In Critical Statewide Races; Graham Platner's Likely Replacement Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Volatile Behavior. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired July 21, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: Welcome to Inside Politics. I'm Dana Bash, and we are following some new developments on the war in Iran.

President Trump is warning U.S. strikes against the Iranian regime are going to intensify, claiming that Iran hasn't seen anything yet. He just spoke in the White House in the Oval Office, to be precise, alongside the Lebanese president. He was confronted with the question, and everybody really is asking, how does this war end?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So, if we left right now, it would take Iran 20, 25 years to rebuild, OK, and we're not finished at all. But if we left right now, it would take them a long time, years, years to rebuild, but we're not leaving right now. If we left today, it would take them decades to rebuild, and I don't believe they could ever rebuild. And honestly, they haven't seen anything yet. We've been nice. We've been nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Later today, President Trump's defense secretary and top general will be on Capitol Hill to ask Congress for more money to fight Trump's war in Iran. Even some Republicans are wary about writing the administration a blank check.

I'm joined by a terrific group of reporters here. Andrew, I'm going to start with you. You just came from Capitol Hill. I know you're going to be going back there after this. What's the mood among Republicans first and foremost about that? Especially given what I'm sure that they just heard from the president in the Oval Office that this isn't going to end anytime soon.

ANDREW DESIDERIO, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Well, there's the sort of the defense funding end of this, and then there's the political side, right? On the defense funding, Republicans have been largely united on this behind President Trump's unprecedented $1.5 trillion budget request for defense funding for next year. They're going to have to get at least some of that done through the party line process known as reconciliation.

The problem is the sort of prospects for that right now are not as viable in the Senate as they are in the House. The House is voting on a budget resolution this week that includes 60 plus billion dollars in funding. But again, they have to use a party line process because Democrats don't want to do anything that's seen as validating this war.

On the political side, obviously they are very wary that gas prices are going to go back up, fertilizer prices are going to go back up, and that's going to hurt them in the midterms, of course. And they've already been concerned about getting clobbered in the midterms.

BASH: And speaking of the midterms, the president was asked about the impact of the Iran war on the midterms. Here was his answer. Oh, we don't have the -- we don't have the sound bit, so I have it here and I'll read it to you. What he said was, they won't have any impact on me. I'm just going to do the right thing. I don't view it as you g, having an election in a period of time. You know, everyone says, oh, I'm doing something before the election. I can't think about that. I can't think about having to do with this.

JASMINE WRIGHT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, NOTUS: So, I've heard this type of response put two ways. By the president's allies, they say, of course, he has to say something like this. Specifically, when we're talking about that bite he said about the economy a few weeks back, of course, he has to say something like this because he doesn't want to show Iran that he is concerned about the domestic issues and that those domestic issues can weigh on the decisions that he makes when it comes to the war.

But from concerned Republicans, including some of his own allies that I've heard from, this is kind of their worst nightmare. They want the president to feel concerned about the midterms. They want the president to go out there and be talking about affordability, talking about issues that Americans every day are staying top of mind, and they don't want him necessarily to be so focused on Iran.

I think that they found it a reprieve when they hit that MOU, and now that it's gone, there's a real question about how long this lasts and how much further this could hurt the Republicans' chances in the midterms and whether the president is concerned about it at all.

[12:05:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: I think Jaz makes a really important point, which is when the president says. What he was saying today, and what he said several times before, it is a negotiation -- negotiating strategy. He is trying to make very clear. U.S. officials are very cognizant of the fact that the Iranians know and believe that their leverage point, their kind of best card that they have to play is the domestic politics of gas prices, of affordability, of the fact midterms are upcoming. The difficulty right now that this White House has faced, not just in the last couple of days, but really over the course of the last several months, is to Andrew's really great point. Republicans are behind the White House and behind the president on the attacks on Iran, on this conflict with Iran. Republicans are very, very concerned and very uneasy with the fact that the president doesn't seem to care, not just with the Iran conflict.

But with new tariffs or with whatever he's talking about on supposed campaign trail events about the fact that they do have reelections that they're running, that they are facing political headwinds right now. And I think balancing that was always going to be hard in a conflict like this that doesn't seem to have any end, but it gets more complicated by the day because no one seems to have any concept of what an off-ramp would be at this point.

BASH: And then also complicating this is the concern and frustration, even among Republicans. Never mind the public and the press, who's supposed to inform the public about the information that is slowly coming out of the Pentagon on exactly what is happening, on what -- very much is a battlefield to U.S. troops.

I'm going to read some of the CNN reporting on this. The Pentagon has been slow to disclose injuries to U.S. troops during the ongoing war with Iran, avoiding publicly confirming the fallout from Iranian attacks and mostly reserving totals to a military website that lags events by several days or even weeks, dozens of unrecorded injuries remain, according to the Pentagon's top spokesperson Sean Parnell, who said in a post on X that nearly one hundred service members have been injured since July 7.

And just to give an important reminder here, the press corps was kicked out of the Pentagon, and so this is not something that normally we in the press corps who have reporters there would be able to walk the halls and knock on doors and say what's really going on. It's a lot harder. I mean, we certainly have our phones and emails and everything else, but it is a lot harder, and this is a consequence of the way that they are treating the press corps, never mind that very Congress that wants answers that the Pentagon, the Trump administration wants more money from.

DESIDERIO: Exactly, and we'll get more information on that hopefully this afternoon when Hegseth and General Caine testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee. But I think that's a really important point to underscore because on the funding side of things, we're talking basic information like how much money has this war cost us so far, right?

That's the type of basic information in terms of an actually accurate number that Congress just can't get, and that has to inform Republicans as they draft this reconciliation proposal and try to get it through because they're talking about $60 billion in defense funding. I talk to Senate Republicans who say, if we're going to go through the pain of another reconciliation bill, the political pain, why are we only doing 60 billion, right? Let's go bigger. And so, there's really a concern about lack of information, but also on the politics of it and the strategy -- the legislative strategy.

BASH: Let me just read a little bit of reporting from our colleague Lauren Fox on that. One Republican member who spent Tuesday night at the Pentagon argued that even after a nearly four-hour meeting at the defense headquarters, they still weren't convinced. To me, they didn't make any compelling argument. The microphones didn't even work. The member said, they're asking for a $1.5 trillion and they had chips and dip.

MATTINGLY: What kind of dip? I think it's obvious. I think that is reflective of something that people really need to understand when it comes to what's going on underneath the hood here. Republican lawmakers have leverage points when it comes to this administration, and it is in the funding. And despite how many ways this administration has gone around Republicans or Republicans have acceded to whatever this administration wants.

On these issues there are Republicans on really critical committees who are allies of this administration and have done everything the president has wanted. Who are saying we need more information, and it's not just because we want to have it to make decisions. It's because it makes their process easier with other members in the conference but also explaining their votes or why they're pushing forward on this to people in the country.

The dearth of information, which has been the case since the very beginning, when no one actually took the time to explain why they wanted to do this has been by far the biggest problem with this entire conflict. And I think this is the moment where -- if you're on Capitol Hill right now and they need money, and a supplemental is not an option right now, and there are no Democrats who are going to support anything. The least that the administration could do is give adequate information to lawmakers.

[12:10:00]

BASH: All right. We're going to take a quick break. Coming up, it is primary day in Arizona. Why is the pro-MAGA congressman running for governor talking so much about Trump nemesis John McCain? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

BASH: It is primary day in Arizona. President Trump won the state by more than five percentage points back in 2024, feeding Republicans hopes of flipping multiple statewide seats. As Steve Contorno reports, though, the Trump endorsement is only part of the calculation for Republicans today. Recent MAGA losses have some candidates, like Andy Biggs, who wants to be the party nominee for governor, amending their pitch. Steve is in Phoenix at a polling place and joins me now. So, Steve, what is the sense of the race inside the Republican field for the Republican nominee for governor?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Dana, by all accounts, Representative Biggs is the heavy favorite to walk away tonight with the party's nomination for governor and go up against Katie Hobbs, who is one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the country. But it'll be interesting to see if a lot of Republicans here show up and use their vote to voice their frustration with some of the candidates that the base has been elevating in these recent elections.

David Schweikert, the representative from Arizona, who is Biggs' main competition, asked during the recent Republican debate here, quote, are you tired of losing. And that is certainly one of the frustrations Republicans have had coming out of these primaries with these Trump endorsed candidates.

Now, by all accounts, I said Biggs is expected to win tonight, and he is already somewhat pivoting to a general election. In fact, I was at his campaign event on Friday, where he spoke glowingly about working with House or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and even the late Senator John McCain.

Now that would be unremarkable, except for the fact that Kari Lake, the last Republican nominee for governor, told McCain Republicans they could, quote, get the hell out of her campaign event. Now Democrats are eager to demonstrate Bigg's conservative voting record to the general election, including his past efforts to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election.

At an event yesterday, Governor Katie Hobbs saying, quote, if Andy Biggs becomes the governor, Arizona will be the first swing state with an election denier in charge. And the time to stop that is not 2028, it is right now. Dana?

BASH: I mean, if you would have told me that Andy Biggs would be talking about his relationship with Hakeem Jeffries, I would have told you that pigs were flying. But I guess they're flying. I do want to ask about another race there, which is also related to this question of election denials and that is the secretary of state race. Because the question of which Republican is going to be the nominee there is very much about election denialism, and the position of secretary of state matters a lot.

CONTORNO: It does, Dana, and they will be overseeing the very important 2028 election. Whoever wins this race in the fall and the nominees for the Republican side does touch on some of those elements. You have State Representative Alexander Kolodin. He is an election attorney who has been very much at the center of some of these election fights here in Arizona.

But then you also have former state GOP Chair Gina Swoboda. She actually has Trump's endorsement, and she is a former election administrator, and she has been less interested in relitigating the past. Trump, like I said, has endorsed Swoboda, but Turning Point USA, which is that group founded by Charlie Kirk, has endorsed Kolodin.

And so, we don't necessarily have a read on how that race is going to go and it's so important. We're here in Maricopa County, Arizona, which was the heart of a lot of the controversies over the 2020 election and subsequent elections. You can see behind me. This is where they will be counting the votes later tonight, and certainly with some of that recent controversy in mind, the results here will be closely watched.

BASH: They sure will. I'm having flashbacks of our colleague (inaudible) for days and days and days, standing probably not far from where you are, while the votes were counted and recounted, and then there was a whole other team brought in.

CONTORNO: Little quieter here today, though that --

BASH: It was a massive and it looks a lot different now. Thank goodness. Steve, thank you so much for that great reporting. I just -- before we have other stories that I want to talk about political stories. And I do want to ask first, Phil, about Arizona because we have been covering this battleground and various races in this battleground for so many years. And the fact that Andy Biggs, who we have covered a lot as a member of the House is sort of changing -- not changing his position, changing his tune as he tries to appeal to voters in this purple state to get rid of the incumbent Democrat. Wow.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. To contextualize the flying of the pig that you referenced for those who maybe weren't super familiar with Andy Biggs in the House. It is completely insane to think of Andy Biggs at any point in his career prior to now, trying to be the pragmatic middle ground seeking McCain supporter trying to incentivize that just wasn't his way. It wasn't how he operated on Capitol Hill from a policy perspective, from a political perspective, from a personal perspective in a lot of ways.

[12:20:00]

And I think it underscores what -- and I wanted to actually defer quickly because he has a great story from talking to Kari Lake in the last time around. But they've lost, and they've lost in a state where President Trump won.

BASH: Exactly.

MATTINGLY: He won handily in 2024.

DESIDERIO: Yeah. I remember when I, you know, two years ago I interviewed Kari Lake out in Arizona, and I asked her how are you going to reassemble that McCain coalition of Republican voters, which you're going to need in order to win a general election. She dismissed the whole concept out of hand, and she said she was insulted by the question, and then of course, she ended up losing to Ruben Gallego, even though Donald Trump won Arizona, right?

So, it just goes to show you. I think it's a recognition on the part of Andy Biggs that, you know, he has to correct the mistakes of people like Kari Lake and not, you know, dismiss out of hand that McCain coalition of Republican voters, which is very important in Arizona and has in recent elections deferred to the Democrats.

BASH: Let's talk about South Carolina. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, officially said that she is not just going to be a placeholder until the end of his term, but she will run for a full term in -- at least she wants to be the nominee to run for a full term in the fall. Listen to what she said on Fox.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM (R-SC): I'd be like, Lindsey. Are you just talking about national security all the time? And I understand that's important, protecting our borders, national security, absolutely. I said, but you know, talk about also what matters to the average person, you know, the price of groceries, the price of gas, healthcare, insurance, those kind of things. That's what I'm worried about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Jasmine?

WRIGHT: I mean, I think that answer is a benefit of why, when normal people run for Congress. Their demeanor and their attitude and their tone changes in a way that you perhaps don't get from people who have been in Congress for 10, 20 years. That is what the American public is asking for now. Obviously, the question is going to be who is Darline Graham? What can she do in the Senate in these, you know, hundred plus days before the midterm elections? And then who is she when she runs? How closely is she tied to Lindsey Graham? How close is she tied to Donald Trump, who is advocating for her to run in the first place?

Those are all going to be questions that she has to answer within a hundred plus days. But that type of answer, when I talk to folks on C- SPAN, when I talk to people out on the campaign trail, that is what they're asking for. Why aren't our lawmakers talking about affordability? Why aren't our lawmakers talking about healthcare? And there she's picking it up because up until, you know, ten days ago, she was living amongst people, really having those type of conversations.

BASH: Right. And I do think I totally agree with you. I thought that was a fascinating answer. She did say that she wants to, for her brother's legacy, push that Russia sanctions bill that he was working on just up until the day he died. She doesn't have it sewn up. There are other Republicans who are going to run against her. They announced Congressman Russell Fry, Congressman Ralph Norman, and a businessman and an attorney. But given the legacy of Lindsey Graham, given the endorsement by the president, what do you think?

MATTINGLY: I'd be surprised if those individuals not named with the last name of Graham are still in this race in a couple of weeks' time.

BASH: Which is going to be the primary is next month. So, we'll see what happens. All right, coming up. Desk pounding, shouting matches, a thrown water bottle. We have new CNN reporting on the likely replacement for Graham Platner in Maine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Maine Democrats quickly coalesced around Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner on the ballot against Republican Susan Collins. We're learning more about their likely candidate, specifically long festering questions about Troy Jackson's temper.

CNN investigative reporter Allison Gordon joins the panel now. Allison, this is some great reporting. What have you learned?

ALLISON GORDON, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Thank you so much for having me, Dana. So, my colleague Sarah Ferris and I have been speaking with many folks in the Democratic Party in Maine over the last week. And it seems that there is real concern about Troy Jackson's temper, or as some said, a fiery personality. Of course, culminating in the oft-cited water bottle incident from some five years ago, where in a closed-door meeting with other lawmakers in the state house, Jackson, in a state of frustration and anger, threw a plastic water bottle.

Now, we spoke with five sources who were briefed immediately after this incident occurred, and they said that it appeared that the water bottle was aimed at a female lawmaker. Jackson's campaign does not dispute that he threw the water bottle, but they're saying it was not at her or anyone else for that matter. Now, three of those sources described to us that this woman was very distraught and rattled after this happened, and in part it contributed to why she did not seek reelection.

It's important to note here, though, that all of the folks we spoke with, including the most ardent Jackson critics, were quick to say that this is not a Graham Platner situation. You know, they are not worried about allegations of any kind of physical abuse or criminal wrongdoing. They're just concerned about his temper.

BASH: Yeah. And what else is the campaign saying about the Troy Jackson campaign?

[12:30:00]