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Isa Soares Tonight

Ukraine Is Left Reeling After One Of Russia's Deadliest Offensives In Months; U.S. Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Testifies Before Congress On The Cost Of U.S.-Iran War; CNN's Clarissa Ward Reports On The Devastation Of The Ebola Epidemic From The Democratic Republic Of Congo; CNN Visits Hospital Grappling With Rare Strain Of Deadly Virus; Pulte Named Acting U.S. Intel Chief; White House Correspondents' Dinner Rescheduled July 24; Key Primaries Happening In Several U.S. States Today. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 02, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Ukraine is left reeling after one of

Russia's deadliest offensives in months. We'll have the very latest for you on those strikes.

Then, for the first time since the U.S. war with Iran began, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before Congress. We are live for you on

Capitol Hill. Plus, CNN takes you inside a hospital at the epicenter of the Ebola crisis. That report from our Clarissa Ward and much more ahead this

hour.

But first, tonight, all hell broke loose. That's how one survivor describes a massive wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine, the deadliest, by the way, in

months. Russia launched more than 650 drones and dozens of missiles targeting the largest cities in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities say at least 22 people, including children, were killed, more than 100 others were injured. Emergency crews fear the death

toll will rise as they search through those mountains of rubble. Moscow says the strikes targeted defense, military and fuel facilities.

Payback for what it says was, quote, "terrorist acts by Kyiv". Meantime, war-weary Ukrainians are once again left to try to pick up the pieces

following another devastating attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's just unbelievable. We got home and went to bed 15 minutes before the explosions. The dog ran out into

the hallway and then all hell broke loose. Windows were blown out and the whole flat was shaking.

Thank God we managed to find shelter between two walls and sat down with all the animals. I haven't slept for two days now. My hands are shaking and

I can't seem to stop it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Absolutely terrifying. I'm happy to welcome in former CNN Moscow Bureau chief Jill Dougherty. She's currently an affiliated scholar at

Georgetown University. Jill, great to see you. Great to have you back on the show.

I was looking at some of the notes from, you know, that you sent to our team. And it was just really interesting that you said you call this a

terror campaign, right? This latest lethal barrage of these attacks on Ukraine, a terror campaign you said, designed to psychologically overwhelm

Ukrainians. Just explain to our viewers what you mean by that, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, if you look at that comment that you just heard from the people, the woman --

SOARES: Yes --

DOUGHERTY: In Ukraine, this is when you have hundreds like 700 or more drones, and then, you know, ballistic missiles coming in. It is an

onslaught. And people often go into bomb shelters. And then when they come out in the morning, they're hit again.

So, this is meant to wear them down psychologically and physically. But I think, you know, there's a deeper message here. If you look at the problems

that Vladimir Putin is facing right now, you have increasingly effective drone strikes, long-range drone strikes from the Ukrainians going into

Russia hitting their infrastructure, especially oil, gas infrastructure, which is hurting Putin.

And then you referred, you know, President Putin has talked about that, what he would call a terrorist attack on a school in --

SOARES: Yes --

DOUGHERTY: Occupied Ukraine. Now, that is an embarrassment for not only, you know, what he would say, a tragedy, but he -- which was -- but it's an

embarrassment for President Putin, who is now looking as if he cannot protect his own people.

And that's happening back home, you know, in Russia. Then you have the Russian casualties. There are more Russians being killed or injured right

now than Putin can replace on the frontlines. And that raises an issue, you know, political dynamite of should he have mobilization throughout the

entire country?

And then we can talk about this in more detail. But I think he senses that any help that he was getting from President Donald Trump is not there

anymore, and may not be in the future. So, there's a certain -- I would call it frantic rhetoric, and actually actions coming out of Moscow right

now.

[14:05:00]

SOARES: Yes, and we have seen and we've been reporting on this on the show, Jill. You know, just how effective some may say the Ukrainian military has

been, right? And causing some real damage inside Russia and on Russia's war machine.

Are we growing, though, when you're talking about Russia? Are we seeing anything? Are you seeing anything or hearing any kind of growing public

dissatisfaction over the war in Russia? Because I asked this, because I saw a recent analysis published in one of Russia's basically top foreign policy

journals that basically stated that Putin's war goals were now unachievable. Are we seeing -- are we starting to see dissent at home,

Jill?

DOUGHERTY: You're seeing some of that. And that article was very interesting --

SOARES: Yes --

DOUGHERTY: I think, you know, you're beginning to have a little bit of -- let's call it public expression of doubt in what Putin is doing. But

overall, he maintains a lot of control because of the violence and control that he has over the -- over the country right now.

But -- and that is why when you look at the rhetoric, the other side of it, the people like, let's say, the former President Dmitry Medvedev, who has

been issuing literally bloodcurdling comments about what they are going to do to Europe.

So, this is -- I think this is really an important moment. Nobody knows quite where it's going. And we have to, of course, add the economy. The

Russian economy is having real difficulties. Inflation --

SOARES: Yes --

DOUGHERTY: Budget cuts, et cetera. And this is hurting Russians. But the problem is, if they begin as public to really speak out, it's -- it can be

very bad for them. They can be arrested, et cetera.

SOARES: Let me -- you bring -- you brought up Medvedev; the former president, of course, Dmitry Medvedev's comment. I want to bring it up. I

think we've got it. Let's bring it up on X because he says "citizens of EU countries, you should realize your authorities have unilaterally entered

into a war with Russia."

So, be vigilant and don't be surprised by anything. This peaceful sleep is over. So, we're seeing -- I mean, like you said, it is a threat. And I

think it caught many -- caused a lot of anger and concern across Europe, right, after that Russian drone --

DOUGHERTY: Yes --

SOARES: Crash into an apartment in Romania. But giving these pressures that you're talking about, Jill, be it economic, be it on the frontline, being

the pressures militarily. Will this, you think, force him in any sort of way to the negotiating table? Because that's hit a pause.

DOUGHERTY: At this moment, I don't see that. I think it would be the reality of his situation in Ukraine, and his understanding, and again,

President Trump, it is important point here that up until now, Putin thought that he could use President Trump to put pressure on Ukraine to

basically cave in to some type of a peace agreement, or at least a ceasefire.

But if you look at -- and the Russians will talk about this openly, the distraction that President Trump has right now with Iran --

SOARES: Yes --

DOUGHERTY: The administration has basically stopped paying attention to any negotiations with Ukraine. So, I think Putin -- and we should mention he

watches American elections, and he knows that Midterms are coming up.

And there are certain warning signs for President Trump. I think he senses that this is the moment to do something. Whatever he's going to do, but

that he doesn't -- that President Trump does not have his back anymore and will not do what Mr. Putin wants him to do. That's a problem.

SOARES: Yes, President Trump has certainly a lot on his plate. Jill, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed. Jill Dougherty there. And one of

the things, of course, that President Trump is overseeing, one of the other foreign policies is war with Iran.

Israel may have held, as you saw, held off on launching new attacks on Beirut for now after U.S. President Donald Trump. You saw yesterday -- this

time yesterday, in fact, stepped in. But it is bombing towns in southern Lebanon today, even as that new ceasefire talks get underway in Washington.

I want to show you this new video that really shows the destruction left by Israeli strikes near a hospital in Tyre. On Monday, Lebanon's state news

agency says the attack killed four people and injured 127 others, including dozens of hospital workers.

Mr. Netanyahu is facing pressure at home to escalate the war with Hezbollah after repeated attacks on northern Israel. But in a heated phone call,

President Trump urged him to scale back while efforts are underway for a broader peace deal with Iran.

Mr. Trump says he stopped Israel from carrying out a major raid on Beirut. Iran is demanding a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of any wider deal.

[14:10:00]

But after a series of contradictory reports, it's frankly difficult to say exactly where those on again, off again peace talks actually stand. So,

we're joined now by CNN's Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond, and our politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson.

Jeremy, let me start with you, because this time roughly yesterday, President Trump was taken to social media to say that the shooting will

stop, that Israel will not attack them and they will not attack Israel -- speaking about Hezbollah. Just bring up up-to-date on the very latest. Has

the shooting stopped?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there certainly is no complete ceasefire in Lebanon at the moment, just as there has not been for

much of the existence of that very same ceasefire. What has changed in the last 24 hours are that the Israeli military and the Israeli government was,

it seems, forced to shelve plans to escalate its attacks in Lebanon, and in particular, in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Just last night, we were seeing the Israeli military issuing these evacuation orders for the southern suburbs of Beirut, and then came

President Trump's phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister, and that's when it all changed.

The Israelis say that they are still retaining effectively the threat of strikes on Beirut should Hezbollah not uphold its end of the bargain, which

is ceasing its attacks against Israeli population centers in northern Israel.

What certainly is still happening right now, though, are intense Israeli attacks in the southern part of Lebanon. We saw them issue additional

evacuation orders for cities in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah attacks are also continuing apace against Israeli troops there as well as against the

kind of border communities in northern Israel.

What we haven't seen are Hezbollah attacks against some of northern Israel's largest cities, which had begun to take place over the course of

the last week. So, again, kind of back to the situation that we were about a week ago, that is giving space for the diplomacy that took place today,

once again, between Israel and Lebanon in Washington.

And it's also critically allowing for the diplomacy between the United States and Iran to move forward after Iranian threats of pulling out of

those talks effectively amid Israel's plans to escalate its attacks in Lebanon.

SOARES: Yes, stay with us, Jeremy. Let me go to Stephen. And Stephen, how much do you think that Trump's intervention that we saw in just the last 24

hours keep alive those exact negotiations that Jeremy was talking about with Iran?

Because we did hear Secretary Rubio today on the Hill say, basically, we are talking to Iran, giving us a clearer idea of the conversations being

had. Not easy at all, because it's via intermediaries. But where are we diplomatically on this?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, I think the President's intervention may well have stopped it all falling apart

yesterday. But of course, if you listen to the administration, we've been on the cusp of a deal with Iran for many --

SOARES: Yes --

COLLINSON: Weeks. So, it's difficult to parse exactly what's going on. We have CNN reporting that suggests that the two sides are continuing to talk.

I thought the Rubio hearing was quite interesting today, because although, he took a very rough ride from Democrats and even some Republicans who are

very concerned about the cost of the war, he did lay out what I think is the clearest sign yet of what the U.S. is trying to do in these talks.

He said that the regime must open the Strait of Hormuz. It would have to commit to nuclear talks before it could expect any sanctions relief or the

end of the blockade. Now, the question is, of course, whether that would be acceptable to Iran.

It probably wouldn't do. But you get to a point in a lot of these high- level talks when it all becomes a question of sequencing, the steps that will be taken by each side, and which they will then be able to turn around

and say to their own people and interests and constituencies, we haven't given up.

We've got something from the other side. So, from that extent, I think there perhaps is some optimism that this is still going on. But of course,

what it also shows is that Iran got this great leverage by taking and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz early in this conflict.

And the United States is having to negotiate for something which Iran has already got out of this war. And I think, although Rubio denied it, it does

raise the prospect that Iran could get some sanctions relief just for showing up to nuclear talks, which would be another, I think, perceived

victory for the Islamic Republic.

SOARES: Without a doubt. Jeremy, let me go to you and get really the take from inside the country, because we've seen Prime Minister Netanyahu coming

under fire in the last 24 hours, not just from allies, but also from President Trump, who reportedly lashed out at him.

And then we've seen also members of his far-right coalition. I want to bring up what the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X, if

we have it. Because he said, "you said that a strong Prime Minister tells the President of the United States, yes, when possible and 'no' when

necessary.

[14:15:00]

This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump, no." I mean, how is this playing out domestically?

DIAMOND: Yes, today has been a kind of politically-disastrous for the Israeli Prime Minister. And that's because the Prime Minister is finding

one of his kind of key assets in Israeli politics being undermined, and that is his ability to successfully maneuver a relationship with the United

States, his supposed closeness with President Trump.

And then also because, you know, most of the Israeli public does want to see the war in Lebanon continue. They do believe that Hezbollah represents

a serious threat, and they were not happy to see a ceasefire announced there.

And almost, every single member of Prime Minister Netanyahu's kind of most credible opposition, in addition to those inside his coalition like Ben-

Gvir, who are criticizing him, most of those credible members of the opposition are also basically, you know, using this against the Israeli

Prime Minister.

And the context of this is that we're just over four months away from the next elections here in Israel, and this is opening up a major potential

vulnerability for the Israeli Prime Minister. He has -- you know, he was about to take this gambit of, you know, very openly saying that Israel was

going to carry out strikes in Beirut.

And he was basically forced to retreat within hours of that announcement by a very angry phone call from President Trump. And so, this is problematic

for the Israeli Prime Minister from a purely political perspective here in Israel, especially at a time when this kind of, you know, broad gambit

against Iran of carrying out these massive strikes that brought about, you know, fierce retaliatory strikes from Iran, casualties here in Israel.

And a lot of Israelis right now are wondering for what? Because of the fact that we're seeing that Iran has not lost all of its missile capabilities,

they've been able to dig many of those out. The nuclear question seems like it's going to be punted to further negotiations.

Iran is emerging, you know, certainly weaker militarily overall, but certainly not strategically in the region as it still has this kind of

stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, could get billions of dollars in frozen assets released to it.

And so, a lot of Israelis are wondering, you know, what the Israeli Prime Minister actually accomplished with this war against Iran. And so, you add

Lebanon to that equation as well, and it puts the Israeli Prime Minister, who kind of uses security as an argument for re-election and his

relationship with the Americans. It puts him in a very vulnerable position.

SOARES: Indeed. Jeremy Diamond and Stephen Collinson, thank you to you both. Thank you. Well, for the first time since the Iran war began, U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we just heard there from Stephen Collinson, testified before Congress.

Right now, he's talking money with the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Rubio is defending the cost of the war, which was estimated at $29 billion,

if you remember, on May 12th. But sources have told CNN, the bill is now closer to $40 billion to $50 billion.

And the Trump administration has reportedly asked Congress for more than $200 billion in supplemental funding. Secretary Rubio started the day

speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he touted U.S. military achievements, but acknowledged Iran still has a lot of drones.

He told lawmakers he believes Iran's new supreme leader is alive and increasingly engaging. Those were his words, a non-negotiation involving

Iran's nuclear program. Well, this is what he said. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: They have to commit to very specific negotiations on highly enriched -- the disposition of the highly-

enriched uranium that still is buried deep in a mountain somewhere.

They have to -- they have to -- they have to agree on negotiating severe if -- and long-term limitations and/or cancellation of enrichment and activity

in their country --

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): In the second -- in the second -- in the second phase of negotiations.

RUBIO: Well, that -- obviously these are highly technical matters. So, I don't think you could work those out in five days. You'd -- that would

require a team of experts to meet over a 30, 60, 90-day period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, let's bring in our senior national security reporter Jennifer Hansler live from Washington. Jen, great to see you. So, a busy day for

Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We are monitoring what he says, but I do want to pick up what we heard from him earlier, because it was supposed to

be about, as we talked about a lot about the budget.

But it focused more than anything on foreign policy, in particular on Iran. Just talk us through what stood out to you today from what we heard from

him?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Isa, that's exactly right. There was, essentially, no questions about the budget in

this hearing, because this was the first-time lawmakers were able to press the Secretary of State publicly on the war in Iran.

And one thing that was incredibly notable is, that clip you just played in the introduction that is laying out a timeline for these potentially-

complicated negotiations on Iran's nuclear program that could extend up to three months, according to Secretary of State Rubio.

[14:20:00]

This is, of course, beyond this framework that the two sides are negotiating on right now. Rubio said that this would be involving experts

to work out the details of how Iran's nuclear commitments would actually take shape. For example, the disposition of their highly-enriched uranium.

The other interesting thing he said on this point was that this would all be predicated on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He said that this

would also involve Iran making a public declaration that the Strait was open, that they would not target ships within the Strait, and that they

would help to clear what he described as a large expanse of mines that had been laid in this key waterway.

Now, of course, the snarling of that Strait has been a key issue throughout the course of the war. We have seen the U.S. put that reciprocal blockade

in place, and he indicated that the U.S. would be willing to lift that blockade once Iran does, in fact, lift its own restrictions on the

waterway.

However, he did say that the U.S. was not offering sanctions relief in response to any sort of reopening of the Strait. He said that the sanctions

relief would be conditions based. He also noted that it is not just unilateral U.S. sanctions that are in place here, that there are additional

international sanctions as well as to those mandated by Congress.

Another interesting thing he pointed out, Isa, is that Congress will have a role in gauging the acceptability of any sort of deal if it is reached with

Iran. This is sort of a nod to the legislative role in this that we have not really heard from others in the administration as they are working on

this deal.

There has been some pushback, even from Trump's Republican allies, on a deal that they claim could be too weak and giving too much to Tehran. So,

it was notable to hear Rubio say that, that legislative body would have some sort of say in these negotiations. Of course, whether or not Trump

would listen to that is another question.

SOARES: Yes --

HANSLER: Now, this also went into details not only on Iran, there were questions about western hemisphere, those deadly boat strikes that were

allegedly targeting drug cartels, that was brought up as well.

Rubio claimed that they have been presented with some targets that they ultimately do not conduct military strikes on. However, there have been

more than 200 people killed in these ongoing military strikes throughout the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

He was also pressed on some of the aid cuts we saw during the dismantling of USAID and the effects on the response to Ebola. He claimed that all of

this money that was important to those global health priorities have been reorganized and re-put into different parts of the State Department. Isa?

SOARES: Jen, really appreciate for breaking it all down for us. Thank you very much indeed. And speaking of Ebola, just after this short break, we'll

take you to the frontlines of the Ebola crisis. CNN goes inside one of the hospitals near the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic

Republic of Congo. That report from our Clarissa Ward coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:00]

SOARES: The head of the World Health Organization is calling for stronger healthcare in Ebola-hit areas after visiting the Democratic Republic of

Congo and then briefing the President on the disease. The outbreak is already the third largest on record.

It is thought that the virus spread for weeks undetected. Health officials say they are now behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control.

Our Clarissa Ward gained extraordinary access to a red zone at a hospital treating Ebola patients in the DRC.

She shares the heart-wrenching mix of grief, fear and courage among those facing the disease. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a surreal but now all too familiar ritual. Healthcare workers painstakingly

disinfect the coffin of the latest suspected victim of the Ebola virus at Bunia's General Hospital.

As family members look on in anguish, unable to get close to their loved one torn apart by grief and consumed by fear. "Oh, my father, why, God?"

This woman cries. "Oh God, this is my only father." As the dead are carried out, new potential cases are arriving. At the entrance to the hospital,

everyone's temperature must be taken.

(On camera): So, this is the room where they take people who are found to have a fever. There is a woman in there now, obviously, they don't know if

she has Ebola or not, but they're going to keep her here until they do more tests and get a better sense of what's going on.

(Voice-over): At a makeshift coordination center inside the hospital, Dr. Richard Kojan and his team are working round the clock to keep up with an

outbreak they say is out of control. They agree to show me and photojournalist Alex Platt what they're up against.

(On camera): We are now getting ready to go into the so-called red zone of this hospital. That is the area where all suspected Ebola patients are put.

And there is a lot of protective gear unsurprisingly, that one needs to wear to go inside.

(Voice-over): Bundibugyo is a strain of the virus that few were expecting. There is no vaccine and no cure. The doctors write our names on our backs

so they can recognize us, and then it's time to go in. At the moment, patients are treated in hastily-constructed tents.

Thirty-year-old Gloria is a lab technician, one of dozens of healthcare workers believed to be infected.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says it's difficult to breathe.

WARD: Earlier, we met her sister waiting outside for news.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: Do not be afraid, she says. But it's impossible not to be scared. Some of the patients here are in very bad shape.

(On camera): How do you stay strong when you're seeing this?

RICHARD KOJAN, EMERGENCY ICU DOCTOR, ALIMA: For me, it's all humanity, you know.

WARD: Yes, humanity.

KOJAN: Yes, it's all humanity. When people are suffering like this, like that, you know, I feel it. I feel it. So is in coma.

WARD: Yes.

KOJAN: Ebola confirmed --

WARD (voice-over): Ten-year-old Meshack(ph) is still very weak. His mouth ravaged with blisters from the virus. He asked the doctors for a banana, an

encouraging sign. Slowly, Dr. Kojan warns them. His condition is improving, but he has a long way to go.

KOJAN: Lay down, yes --

WARD (on camera): He wants to lay down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: Let's help him lay down then.

WARD (Voice-over): They lay him down in the corridor while his room is disinfected. Nothing about this situation is OK. But these doctors are

doing everything they possibly can.

[14:30:14]

As we walked to another ward, a familiar sound in the distance.

WARD: You can hear the cries of a family who are claiming the body of their loved one. This is a scene that's playing out here multiple times every

single day.

WARD (voice-over): This is a temporary ward for suspected cases. Patients lie waiting for test results that are taking up to a week to process.

WARD: So, this is the situation that health care workers really want to avoid and are racing to put a stop to. You have five patients in the same

room, all of them suspected of having Ebola. But doctors can't be sure. They can't rule out the possibility that one person in here may not have

Ebola. And then, of course, there's a strong chance they could contract it.

WARD (voice-over): Every exit from the red zone is as careful as the entry. Protective equipment must be sprayed down with chlorine and methodically

removed.

WARD: We were in there for maybe half an hour, and I could barely stand up by the end. It's incredibly tiring, really hot. You're sweating so much.

You're thirsty. I just like help us understand the kind of stamina that you need as a doctor to be going in and out of that red zone multiple times

every single day.

DR. RICHARD KOJAN, EMERGENCY ICU DOCTOR, ALIMA: It's really hard. We have to stand strong for those patients. And otherwise, you know, the situation

will be really very, very bad.

WARD: That 10-year-old boy. That's hard to see.

DR. KOJAN: The first day, you know, he was really bleeding. A lot of diarrhea and shock, you know. So, you have to get a way to give IV fluid.

It's not really easy. So, for me, you know, like an ICU doctor, when you have a situation like this, it's very hard to just say, I have to stop

because I'm tired.

WARD (voice-over): On the outskirts of the city, the family we met earlier is burying their father, 72-year-old farmer Papa Babona Bodwan (ph). The

burial team forms a cordon around his grave. The mourners forced to grieve at a distance. The final cruelty of this vicious virus.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Bunya, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And our thanks to Clarissa and the team for that powerful report. And still to come tonight, an inexperienced housing official is named

acting chief of U.S. National Intelligence. We'll have details on Trump's controversial new appointment. That is next.

Plus, it's primary day in several U.S. states. We'll take a look at some of the races and the influence President Trump's endorsement may have. Both

those stories after a very short break. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:00]

SOARES: Welcome back. U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to oversee the CIA, FBI, and NSA has zero formal experience in intelligence, national

security, or the military. Bill Pulte has been tapped to take over from Tulsi Gabbard as acting national intelligence director. He currently heads

the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

In that role, he's pushed the Justice Department to pursue cases against Democrats, including New York Attorney General Remember Letitia James and

Atlanta Area District Attorney Fani Willis. Prior to joining the government, Pulte worked in his family's real estate business and founded

his own investment firm.

So, let's get more on all of this. Our Kristen Holmes joins us live from Washington. But first, I want to go to our chief law enforcement and

intelligence analyst, John Miller. John, great to see you. So, as I was just saying there, he's serving as the director of the Federal House

Finance Agency. Just explain to our viewers whether he has any at all intelligence experience and kind of what concerns you're hearing from those

in the Intelligence Community about this about this hiring.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, he doesn't have any intelligence experience, not as a collector, not as an

analyst, not even really as a consumer of intelligence, given his government position in the housing and finance world. But he does come as

an appointment out of an administration that has made it clear that they often put loyalty ahead of experience or even competence in some cases. And

he does have a reputation as one of the president's top attack dogs in terms of targeting through his position in the housing department,

targeting political opponents and critics.

So, one of the things that worries people in the Intelligence Community is how does that translate to his new role? Is his job to be in charge of

intelligence agencies that have vast collection abilities in terms of what they can find out and how they can find it out when that can be applied

against opponents inside and outside the country?

SOARES: Yes, especially with midterms as well around the corner, some will have those concerns. Let me let me get the view from Kristen. Kristen

Holmes is with us. Yes, she is. Kristen, I was looking at some of the reaction on Capitol Hill and differing voices, of course, on both sides of

the aisle. Let me just play some of the sound that we've been hearing. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA), VICE CHAIRMAN, U.S. SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I didn't think I could still be surprised by this administration. You could

not have picked a worse choice. You know, we created the Office of DNI years ago to say you've got to have an intelligence professional. You know,

there is nothing in this guy's background that gives any indication of an intelligence background.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know of any national security experience he has. So, I'll be looking at that first and foremost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Manu Raju has certainly been busy. So, just what do you understand? What are you hearing, Kristen, as to what was behind the president's

decision then with this appointment?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of it stems from what we just heard John Miller talking about, which is this

willingness to be loyal, this idea of having an attack dog in this position.

I was told by several sources close to President Trump, close to Bill Pulte, that this decision was made last night, that Pulte had gone to the

president over the last couple of months specifically since he had directed these various investigations to the Department of Justice, saying that he

would like a more high-profile role, that he would be happy if he got a Cabinet position so he could continue putting forth President Trump's

agenda.

[14:40:00]

And of course, we know that this position did open up with Tulsi Gabbard resigning. And I'm told that President Trump doesn't really care that he

doesn't have any intelligence background, because it's not what it's about for President Trump. It's about loyalty. It's about getting what he wants

done and getting it done quickly. And one of the big things that Pulte is expected to focus on is going to be election integrity.

We saw this with Tulsi Gabbard, where she was carving out her own lane at the DNI. She was down in Fulton County there when the FBI seized ballot

boxes. And this is something that is expected to now fall under the DNI umbrella, which is interesting, given that it really is not generally

concerned with these domestic issues like this, but it's something that we know is a pet project of President Trump.

So, that's something we expect to see from Pulte. We also expect that he'll be unsealing or unclassifying -- declassifying various documents

surrounding the election and other issues as well. You know, I was told that there was a lot of people making cases to President Trump as to who

the next DNI should be.

And the case that he found the most compelling was this idea of choosing someone not with experience, not with the same necessary viewpoint on Iran,

but instead choosing somebody who was going to be loyal and was going to, quote/unquote, "clean out the deep state," which, if you talk to anyone

very close to President Trump, they believe all kind of centers around the Intelligence Community. And that's something that, again, Pulte has shown

that he is willing to do for President Trump.

SOARES: Loyalty seems above everything else. Kristen, appreciate it. And, John, as well. Thank you to you both.

Well, the White House Correspondents' Association announced just a short time ago that a second correspondence dinner will happen on Friday, July

24th. The dinner had to be rescheduled after April's event, if you remember, which was interrupted by a shooting incident. You may remember

President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other members of the Cabinet being escorted from the Washington Hilton's ballroom before

updating journalists from the White House.

While primary elections are happening in several U.S. states today, we'll look at the key contests on top of the Los Angeles mayoral race, where a

former reality star is just one of the candidates taking on the incumbent. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: It is election day in several states across the U.S. primary races are being held in New Jersey, Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and

California.

[14:45:00]

Control of the Senate is at stake, notably with Iowa, where Republican Senator Joni Ernst is retiring. It will be another test of President Donald

Trump's endorsement influence that we've been seeing, though some of the most high-profile races are in California. 61 candidates are hoping to

become the state's next governor, the top two advancing to November's election.

And in Los Angeles, the mayoral race pits, among others, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt against embattled incumbent Karen Bass. Pratt has

criticized Bass for handling of last year's devastating wildfires and the increase in homelessness across the city. There's a lot happening.

And we're going to go to CNN's Kyung Lah us in Los Angeles. So, Kyung, just set the scene for us. Busy day for you. I know that potentially the most

closely watched race is this battle to replace Gavin Newsom, right, as governor of California. Talk us through the options and more importantly,

what you've been hearing from voters today.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm going to walk you through the polling place, Isa, as I talk to you about that, because

it's really interesting to see what voters are going through. You check in here. This is a community college in Los Angeles, and you can see how open

it is. You basically in California, you have it's a very long ballot. You mentioned the 61 candidates for governor. A lot of people are filling out

those ballots at home and then they go here. They drop them off. You can see this gentleman right here just dropping it off in that particular box.

And then over here, if you want to vote in person, you just check in. And I want you to take a look at this army of poll workers here. A lot of them

are students. It's really wonderful to see democracy being engaged by these young poll workers. And then once you have fully checked in, you can go to

one of these booths that are yellow and select who you believe should be the next governor of California in this primary election. It's important to

note that what is happening today is a primary. The top two vote getters, if no one wins outright, 51 percent, then they advance to the November

ballot. And right now, it is wide open.

Back to that 61 number, there is no clear winner. So, it's going to be very interesting to see who advances Isa.

SOARES: And then meantime, then, Kyung, at the mayoral level, just talk us through the dynamics, because as I was mentioning that we have a former

reality star, Spencer Bratt, right, a Republican political outsider in a very tight contest with Karen Bass. How is he resonating? Explain to our

viewers around the world how Pratt is resonating in a blue leaning city.

LAH: You would think that somebody like that just simply wouldn't have a chance, especially when you consider who the president of the United States

is right now and that this is such a blue city. But throw in the affordability issue, the fact that there's huge swaths of the city still

trying to rebuild, still the rebuilding not happening, and then the high challenge of homelessness. And so, all of these issues are really

colliding. And then what you have here is an unconventional candidate.

So, yes, he is seeing support. Yes, the polls are showing no clear winner between the incumbent, between this challenger, also a challenger to Mayor

Karen Bass' left. But then you're also hearing this. I want you to listen to this voter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want Pratt in. So, for me, it was really -- I wanted Rahman. But I didn't know if voting for her might take away votes

from Bass and then Pratt would get in. So, it was kind of a mixed thing voting for the person I wanted, but also trying to keep somebody else out.

Because in my opinion, our country is not being run well right now. And I think he would just duplicate that.

You have to figure out it's not only who you want in that you think can make the changes, but if you're voting for them is going to cause someone

that you think will not be good in the office. And I think you have to kind of change your vote based on that, which is unfortunate, but I think it's

what we have to do nowadays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: So, a very strategic vote there, Isa. And you didn't hear her say his name, but certainly everything that she was saying, Donald Trump's shadow

was looming over it. Isa.

SOARES: Yes, very strategic thinking through every little step. Kyung, really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Well, here in the U.K., police are facing backlash over the stabbing death of an 18-year-old student. And a warning to viewers, this video contains

disturbing images. Henry Nowak was killed with a knife by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man.

When the police arrived, Digwa falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack. That led to Nowak lying on the street in handcuffs. When he

told police he'd been stabbed and couldn't breathe, one officer responded, I don't think you have, mate. Digwa was sentenced to life in prison on

Monday. Nowak's father spoke following the sentencing. Have a listen.

[14:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK NOWAK, FATHER OF HENRY NOWAK: Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone

believed him. Let me be absolutely clear. We hold Vickrum Digwa solely and 100 percent responsible for the brutal murder of our son. But Henry should

not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody. The way he was treated was inhumane and degrading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Nowak's father added that his son's death should not be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We're going to take a short

break. We'll see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, there are just nine days until the World Cup kicks off when co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa. And the excitement is building right

around the world. Colombia beat Costa Rica in a pre-tournament friendly. Stefano Pozzebon spoke to fans before the game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The FIFA World Cup is less than 10 days away. And what are they doing here in Colombia? Well, they're printing

their names and the sponsors on the t-shirts of their beloved national football team. You can see the crowd coming here for the final game of the

warm-up before Colombia heads to the World Cup on June the 4th.

Tonight, we are here in Bogota because Colombia is playing against Costa Rica. Not really many people around here believe, like, care too much about

the results. I think that -- Colombia is going to win tonight, they believe.

How is Colombia going to do in the World Cup?

The best, they really hope. It's the first time that Colombia is back at the World Cup since 2018. They missed 2022 in Qatar. And here, Colombia has

made history, actually, because the Colombia-Puerto Galo match on June the 27th is believed to be the most expensive World Cup match of the pool

stage.

Julian here is one of lucky Colombians who is able to travel to Miami on June 27th to see Colombia against Cristiano Ronaldo.

[14:55:00]

The tickets were more than $2,000. What made you believe that it was worth playing that much to go to see Colombia?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I don't think I'm going to see a better match in the history of football. I'm going to see James, Lucho, Cristiano, Bernardo

Silva. So, I think it's the best match I'm going to see in my life.

POZZEBON: How do you think Colombia will do at this World Cup, Julian?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're going to be champions. Yes, final. Champions.

POZZEBON: 19 years old, first World Cup coming to the United States, to believe that Colombia can be pushed all the way to the final. Yes, it is

expensive. Yes, of course, there are issues at play, especially with migration and entering the United States. But for these people, they say

this is the best chance they are seeing for their loved ones to triumph.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: It's going to be a tense moment in my house, that's for sure, Colombia and Portugal. And finally, tonight, Taylor Swift is back in her

film soundtrack era. The Grammy award winner has been dropping hints with a series of billboards across the globe featuring the letters T and S with 13

clouds in the classic Toy Story design style. And as all Swifties will know, 13 is Swift's signature number. And now, she's confirmed to fans her

new song, "I Knew It, I Knew You," will be on the "Toy Story 5" soundtrack. And her song is out on Friday.

That does it for tonight. Thank you very much for your company. "What We Know" of Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END