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One World with Zain Asher
AXIOS: U.S. Deploys B-1 Bomber as Attacks on Iran Intensify; Spain Endures Second Largest Wildfires in Recorded History; Seatle's Famous the Raccoon Honored with Bobblehead; White House Holds Briefing as the War with Iran Escalates; Leavitt Comments on Lindsey Graham's Legacy; OpenAI Test Model Escapes, Hacks Real Company's Servers. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 23, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Fears of a wider escalation in
the Middle East are increasing as the war of words between the U.S. and Iran intensifies. And a new front of regional violence opens up in the Red
Sea.
And a short time ago, Donald Trump turned up the temperature yet again in a social media post. The president announced he will hold Iran responsible
for future attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels. This after the Iranian- backed militants claim to have targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a second vital choke point on global energy supplies.
It all comes as the U.S. and Iran continue trading reciprocal strikes in a dangerous escalation over the past two weeks. But despite the rising
hostilities on both sides, America's top diplomat insists that Iran is quote begging for a deal every day, and earlier he had this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think I saw you know guys I saw Araghchi, their foreign minister, who the other day say or something about
their policies, an eye for an eye. The president's policy is a head for an eye. I mean, honestly, that's what it's going to be. I mean, they will pay
a very heavy price for the things they're doing. They're already paying a very heavy price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live now from Jerusalem. So, just in terms of what Donald Trump is saying, saying that the U.S. is going to be
holding Iran responsible for future Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on shipping.
Just in terms what we know behind the scenes, is there any sense, Nic, that the escalating military pressure that the U.S. is putting on Iran is having
any sort of attended effects behind the scenes of bringing Iran back to the negotiation table? Just walk us through that.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the very fact that the MOU is broken down, and Iran is not able to export and make money
from its oil products, which was something it was able to do for the first couple of weeks after that was agreed back in June.
It does mean that the tangible effects of this war on Iran is that it's hurting the economy, and the inflation and food, food costs are going up,
and there's the nightly concerns about the bombing runs. But I think if you listen to the rhetoric of both sides, you just had Secretary of State Marco
Rubio there saying President Trump's plan is a head for an eye.
He quoted the Foreign Minister of Iran Araghchi saying an eye for an eye, and I think that's what's playing out on the ground. We've had a very real
and visible demonstration of exactly that in the early hours of today and in the early afternoon. The United States hit an Iranian border crossing
post on the border with Iraq.
Well, just and that killed two people. Just a few hours later, 30 miles away, Iran hit a Kuwaiti border post with a drone, closing that border
post. This is what the Kuwaiti military said, a border post on the border with Iraq. So, this sort of eye for an eye, a border post for a border
post, a bridge for a bridge. This is sort of being taken, you know, militarily literally it appears.
And that in of itself is unusual. So, I think it just shows the position both sides are in. So, I think when President Trump says, if the Houthis
strike again on shipping in the Red Sea, then the U.S. will respond not just on Iran, which he threatens, but on the Houthis as well. You know,
both sides are sort of doing what they're saying at the moment in terms of military strikes, and that's the track we seem to be on.
ASHER: Nic Robertson live for us there. Thank you so much. All right; we're now learning about what could be a significant escalation in America's war
with Iran. "AXIOS" is reporting the U.S. has deployed a powerful bomber to the region that can fly faster than the speed of sound.
The B-1 bomber is known for being able to carry the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory. And
according to the report, the U.S. officials say it was used in an Iranian strike on Tuesday. Speaking to CNN earlier, the reporter who wrote that
story indicated that deployment may signal what comes next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARAK RAVID, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, AXIOS: The U.S. and the president is very close.
[11:05:00]
And I think this might be something that people don't appreciate enough how close the president is to giving an order for return to major combat
operations in Iran, basically to go on Operation Epic Fury too. I think people are not aware how close we are to such a thing. It could happen
within days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Barak Ravid, there. All right; crude oil prices have hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May. Let's take a look and see where Brent
Crude is. You see it there. That's where it's trading at the moment, over $100 a barrel. You've got WTI Crude trading at $91 a barrel. Supply fears
are growing after Houthi rebels started targeting ships in the Red Sea, a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Not surprising, the investors were spooked, causing the DOW to tumble more than 400 points earlier. Right now, U.S. markets are red across the board,
all down more than 1 percent particularly the NASDAQ, that's down slightly more than 2.5 percent. Anna Stewart is watching the markets, joining us
live now from London.
So, Anna, this marks the first time that ship attacks essentially are spreading beyond the Strait of Hormuz. If this continues, if we continue to
see Houthi rebels attacking vessels in the Red Sea in addition to the Strait of Hormuz being closed, what will that mean for oil prices going
forward, Anna?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, when we spoke yesterday, Zain, I was telling you that analysts were warning that if there was a complete
blockade of the Red Sea with Houthi militants, you know, putting in a complete blockade of the Bab-el-Mandeb, which is what they're threatening
to do, then we would see oil prices above $100 a barrel.
But we're already there. We're already there, and that's despite yesterday there being 43 transits through that narrow Strait, the Bab-el-Mandeb
Strait, 15 transits through the Strait of Hormuz, which is only a 10th really of what we would have seen before the war in Iran. But this led --
sort of leads me to the question of how high could oil prices go if this continues.
So far, two vessels struck. There were more U-turns yesterday from vessels trying to pass through the Red Sea. There were 11 U-turns in total, and
only 4 U-turns the day before. So, this situation, this sort of second choke point, if you will, on oil is really escalating. It's getting worse
significantly by the day, and the rhetoric is getting worse.
President Trump taking to Truth Social, essentially saying that the U.S. would hold Iran directly responsible for further Houthi attacks on vessels
transiting through the Red Sea and through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This conflict is just getting wider at this point.
Of course, with oil prices above $100 a barrel for Brent, with Iran unable at this point to export from their hubs through the Strait of Hormuz. You
have to question whether that sort of pressure may enable talks, but currently the rhetoric just simply doesn't look like it's heading in that
direction.
ASHER: Yeah, absolutely not. All right, Anna Stewart, live for us there. Thank you. Donald Trump is placing a new condition on his administration's
controversial nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. A short time ago, he posted on social media saying Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords to
normalize relations with Israel in order to finalize that deal.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed the nuclear deal on Wednesday, sparking a lot of criticism from Israeli officials. Trump says there will be no
enrichment, even though the deal could lead to the Kingdom enriching its own fuel for civilian reactors.
CNN's Betsy Klein is joining us live now from the White House. So, this new condition, the idea that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords for
this deal to go forward, is obviously not going to go over well with Saudi Arabia because they have their own preconditions, just in terms of
Palestinian statehood, to say the least, for joining the Abraham Accords. Walk us through what prompted this new sort of precondition by the U.S.
President?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I think it's first of all worth noting that we have not yet received the text of this agreement,
but this was signed just yesterday. The ink not even dry by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart.
And what this does is really provide Saudi Arabia with a major win from the Trump Administration. President Trump had formally personally signed off on
this agreement that would allow Saudi Arabia to have a civilian nuclear program, and this could lead to the Kingdom enriching its own fuel for
civilian reactors.
But this deal was expected to last 30 years. It was expected to provide tens of billions of dollars in value to U.S. companies that were expected
to go in and provide technology and other expertise. And the president is now saying that the country cannot have access to this program until they
have met this key condition.
He says in this post to social media, the civil nuclear deal being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which
pertains only to non-military use, such as the ones that Iran and UAE and others already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi
Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.
[11:10:00]
The United States is not opposed to civil, non-enriched nuclear facilities. Now, Saudi Arabia, as you mentioned, has previously and historically been
resistant to efforts to join the Abraham Accords, which of course is that agreement unveiled during the president's first term and bolstered during
his second, that has Middle Eastern countries normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.
They have long said that they will not sign on to the Abraham Accords until Israel recognizes a Palestinian State, so that is a very high bar for them
to clear to get this to move forward. And we've asked the White House what this actually means in practice for this agreement?
Does it mean that it is on pause until it can move -- until there's a resolution here, or is it going to move forward? But criticism from Israel
came right after this agreement was announced yesterday. Now we are hearing from Prime Minister Netanyahu that the president's post to social media
means that it could be what he says is a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.
There are also widespread bipartisan concerns on Capitol Hill. This has to go to Congress for a review could be subject to a disapproval resolution
that could block it from going into effect in the first place. So, a lot of questions here on this path forward for this nuclear deal.
ASHER: All right Betsy Klein, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, firefighters in Central Spain have been battling a historic blaze. 34
villages in Guadalajara, just north of Madrid, have been evacuated after more than 32,000 hectares burnt in Spain's second largest fire on record.
More than 200 firefighters were sent to the area. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.
The blaze comes as Europe grapples with a scorching heat wave, sparking wildfires across the continent. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
expressed alarm at the scale of the destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER: More than 100,000 hectares have been burned as a result of the wildfire or wildfires across Spain. To put that
into perspective, that is the annual average that Spain experienced over the past decade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Pau Mosquera joins us from Madrid with the very latest. And I think the really scary thing about all of this is that there's a risk of
more blazes breaking out in the coming days, walk us through that, Pau.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's it, Zain. Because most experts agree that climate change is one of the main drivers for this kind of
forest fires, and with the climate change, we know that also is making more common the presence of heat waves.
We have already reported that on over the last weeks, and the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity. Then also the vegetation starts to dry
out, and it becomes fuel for that kind of fires. And this is why the authorities are really worried about the high risk of wildfires all over
this summer.
But let me tell you, Zain, as we speak, hundreds of emergency workers are right now actively working on extinguish the many different fires across
Europe. In the case of Spain, authorities' concern is focused into this fire burning in the surroundings of Morelia Town, which is in Guadalajara,
Central Spain.
This fire that was declared a week ago has already scorched around 32,000 hectares of forests, and around 200 firefighters are right now working on
the perimeters of the fire, as try to contain it as quickly as possible, but this is no easy task.
And actually, the authorities are saying that this is one of the largest wildfires ever recorded in the country. And this is happening just few days
after one of the deadliest wildfires that have been registered in the country. You may remember the one that burned in Los Gayer, Southeastern
Spain, and that claimed the life of 13 people.
But this situation, Zain, is no strange to our neighbors because, for example, in France, authorities were forced to evacuate more than 10,000
people overnight because of another wildfire that is burning in the commune of Saumos. It has already scorched around 3,000 hectares of land, and also
the firefighters are doing everything that is on their hands to try to extinguish the flames as soon as possible, Zain.
[11:15:00]
ASHER: Pau Mosquera, thank you for that. All right, search and rescue efforts are still under way in West Virginia following historic flooding.
Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties of the state following a night of rising flood waters and damaging winds.
No injuries or deaths have yet been reported. Crews have conducted more than 100 rescues with more than a dozen helicopters on standby to assist.
While the worst of the storm has passed, the ground remains saturated with no place for the water to go.
All right, still ahead, a new call to prosecute the prosecutor. The Justice Department is being asked to criminally charge Jack Smith man (ph)
investigated President Trump. Details ahead on that. Plus, satellites that break down or run out of fuel in space are usually sent to the junkyard
until now. Coming up, meet the robot mechanic.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, now to a new push for criminal charges against the prosecutor who famously investigated President Trump. Former Special
Counsel Jack Smith is being accused of misleading lawmakers during last year's closed-door testimony about his team's investigation into the
president and the 2020 election.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is referring Smith to the Justice Department for possible criminal charges. President Trump weighed in
earlier today, posting justice at last. CNN's Holmes Lybrand joins us live now from Washington DC.
So, of course, Democrats will of course say that this is politically motivated and that this is part of Trump's campaign to pursue people who
once obviously investigated President Trump. Just walk us through what Jim Jordan is arguing here specifically.
HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN REPORTER: That's right. So, the big complaints from Republican lawmakers comes from two subpoenas that Jack Smith's team had
conducted during his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Now, one of those was for the toll records of several members of Congress, but that information only included calls that were made, who those calls
were made to, and not details about what the calls discussed or anything like that.
Now, there's also a separate subpoena that was issued for White House staffer at the -- staffers at the time and their messages, and that
included messages that those staffers had with members of Congress.
Now, during that December deposition, which Jim Jordan's letter focuses on with Smith on the Hill, Smith was asked if he had issued a subpoena
searching for messages from members of Congress. He said, no, I don't recall that. And then they respond, OK, is it just the toll records? And
then they discuss those toll records more.
So, Smith's response through his attorneys is that this is really based on issues that Smith did not proactively disclose information because it
wasn't a part of those questions.
[11:20:00]
Those questions were about if he subpoenaed specifically messages from members of Congress, not if he had gotten them through other mess --
through other subpoenas with messages from the White House staffers.
So again, it's a bit complicated, and that's also why Jordan, in his letter, is kind of saying that you know Smith seems to be misleading, or he
gave the impression of this. So again, a lot of nuances here.
And Attorney Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, he was actually asked on the Hill last week if he would investigate Smith, to which he did not. He
did not confirm that he would investigate Smith, but did say that the Justice Department takes these accusations seriously.
ASHER: All right, Holmes Lybrand, thank you so much for that. All right; the Secret Service confirms that it's conducting an internal review and
potential criminal inquiry into one of its agents assigned to the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Also say that the agent has been put on
administrative leave, suspected of leaking information used in a news report that included details about Vance's personal travel.
At this hour, the Former CEO of Barclays is facing questions from U.S. lawmakers, not about banking, but about Jeffrey Epstein. Jes Staley's ties
to the late convicted sex offender began in the 2000s when Epstein was one of Stanley's clients at J.P. Morgan.
The hearing is part of the House Oversight Committee's probe into Epstein's crimes. Stanley was banned from the British banking industry for
misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein.
The European Union has signed off on Paramount's merger with Warner Brothers Discovery, a parent company of CNN. Regulators say Paramount made
several concessions, including an agreement to abandon a film distribution deal with Universal in Europe.
Here, in the U.S. though, 12 states' attorney general are challenging the buyout, claiming it would stifle competition. Paramount says that the
opposite is in fact true. A federal judge has put the deal on hold for now to consider the antitrust lawsuit.
All right, if your car needs repair, you probably head to your local mechanic. But what happens when a satellite breaks down in space? Well, you
send a robotic repair man. CNN's Ashley Strickland has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 3, 2, 1, ignition and lift off. Go Falcon, go MRV, and go MEP.
ASHLEY STRICKLAND, CNN SPACE AND SCIENCE WRITER (voice-over): SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this week,
carrying a spacecraft designed to repair satellites and keep them running longer.
Until now, satellites that are running low on fuel or are in need of repair are usually deemed out of service and sent to a graveyard orbit far from
Earth or deorbited. To solve this common issue, aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman developed an MRV, a Mission Robotic Vehicle
equipped with robotic arms and three mission extension pods.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stage separation confirmed.
STRICKLAND (voice-over): After launch, the robot detached from the rocket and began its year-long climb into geosynchronous Earth orbit. Once there,
the MRV will use its 10-foot arms to install the pods onto aging satellites. The pods carry their own fresh supplies of fuel, which can
prolong the life of a spacecraft for up to eight years.
Northrop Grumman says the robot can also relocate, inspect, and repair spacecraft while in orbit. The MRV will be the United States' first multi-
mission robotic servicer, and the three pods were the first of their kind to ever launch. The company says the spacecraft is expected to be
operational for about 10 years. Ashley Strickland, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, Bad Bunny wrapped up the final stop of his tour in Brussels, drawing fans from around the world to Belgium's largest stadium.
The Puerto Rican Superstar skipped the U.S. leg entirely, saying he was worried I.C.E. agents could show up at the venues.
Even so, Billboard Boxscore, which charts musk industry finances, said the tour pushed his career earnings past $1 billion. He is the first Latin
artist to hit that milestone without performing in English.
All right; Seattle's most famous raccoon could be sitting on your desk by Christmas. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum just unveiled
this officially licensed limited edition Bobblehead of Jimothy.
You'll recall that Jimothy went viral after people started catching him on video with his weird little round body running around Seattle. Vets think
he has a congenital spinal deformity similar to short spine syndrome. All right, let's go straight now to the White House, where Pres Secretary
Karoline Leavitt is holding a press briefing. Let's listen in.
[11:25:00]
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I encourage everyone watching tomorrow night to tune in for what promises to be a very
entertaining and memorable evening. Looking ahead to next week, on Monday President Trump will travel to Michigan to deliver remarks on the economy.
On Tuesday afternoon, the president will deliver a tribute honoring the life and legacy of his dear friend Senator Lindsey Graham at the National
Cathedral. And next Friday the president will host the 13th Cabinet Meeting of this term at Camp David, which will be a lot of fun and something
different for the cabinet to experience together.
Turning now to the economy, a little more than a year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law. This historic legislation
continues to deliver on its promise, unleashing a genuine boom for American workers, families, and small businesses. The numbers speak for themselves.
This was the biggest tax refund season in American history, with the average refund exceeding $3,400, an 11 percent increase over the last year.
American families and workers claimed $82 billion in direct tax relief, and 97 percent of filers received a tax cut. More than 29 million workers
claimed no tax on overtime.
More than 35 million seniors claimed no tax on Social Security, and nearly 8 million workers claimed no tax on tips. Thanks to the other pro-growth
provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, like making the 20 percent small business tax deduction permanent and delivering 100 percent expensing
for new factories, equipment, and research the Trump Administration is setting up American manufacturers and workers to thrive like never before.
Just this week, the National Association of Manufacturers, which is the largest manufacturing association in the country, released a detailed
report showing exactly how these tax cuts are driving investment, job creation, innovation, and long-term growth in all 50 states.
In fact, I'd like to take a moment to highlight just a few of the real American businesses that this law is helping. Pivot Manufacturing in
Arizona made the largest equipment purchase in company history after the Trump tax cuts gave them the long-term certainty to invest with confidence.
Winton Machine Company in Georgia is on pace for the best year in its history. Catchy Inc in North Carolina was able to purchase new machinery
and expand its workforce by 25 percent, and Jergens in Ohio expanded its brand-new facility to increase production. And they're also paying their
workers even more thanks to the no tax on overtime provision.
These are not just great statistics. These are American businesses with the confidence to grow, hire, and invest right here at home, rather than
offshoring their jobs. And a business opening or expanding in this country means more opportunity and higher wages for American workers.
It means a chance for the American dream for young families, and it means restoring the belief that we can make and build things right here at home.
This is what President Trump promised, and it's exactly what he is delivering with the help of Republicans in Congress.
Democrats throw around the word affordability a lot, but when they had the chance to vote for the largest middle-class tax cuts in history, they
refused. If Democrats got their way, it would have meant the largest tax increase in history, $4 trillion.
90 percent of Americans would have seen their taxes go up, and it would have been a complete disaster for our economy. That's the Democrat solution
to quote affordability. It is raising your taxes.
So, I hope the press will cover more of the massive success stories resulting from the Working Families' Tax Cuts, and point out that every
single Democrat on Capitol Hill voted against every single common-sense provision that put more money back into the pockets of the American people.
Finally, on the energy front, after this briefing, President Trump will participate in a historic ratepayer protection pledge event at the EPA
Headquarters down the street. The president will expand the ratepayer protection pledge to governors, state legislatures, developers, and power
providers to ensure that everyone involved in building and powering data centers pays their own way instead of passing those costs on to hardworking
families.
The president will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and several governors who have already signed on
to this pledge, and it has already proven to be remarkably successful. Nearly 200 additional stakeholders have signed on since it was first
announced, including utilities, data center developers, public power authorities, co-ops, and state governors.
As a result, the pledge now covers 80 percent of all the power delivered to American homes and businesses. President Trump's bold leadership is turning
data centers from a source of concern into engines of growth and opportunity for communities across this country. All while cementing
America's dominance over China in the global AI race.
[11:30:00]
The president is ensuring the American people are never left footing the bill, so private companies can benefit. Instead, President Trump is
leveraging the data center boom to deliver real, tangible benefits for working families and small businesses. So, we have a busy day here. Rest
assured, I'll take some questions.
And here in our new media seat, we have Cam (ph) from Town Hall. Cam, thank you for being here. Why don't you kick us off today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Two quick questions. One on Congress. First off, Speaker Mike Johnson passed a continuing resolution earlier this week.
John Thune has said he wants to have a work with Democrats to find a way to fund the government. What is the White House's stance and the best way to
keep the government funded?
LEAVITT: Well, the White House's stance is that the government needs to be funded. This president and Republicans on Capitol Hill from both chambers,
as you just mentioned, the House and the Senate Republicans want to keep the government open.
We want to work together to find ways to do that, and the White House will be continuing -- will continue to have discussions with Senate leadership
on the best path forward, I don't want to get ahead of those conversations.
But the most important thing for the American people to know is that this president in this White House wants the government to remain open, unlike
the Democrats in this town who have been acting as obstructionists.
We've seen time and time again they have chosen to block this administration, to block Republicans in Congress from keeping our
government open, which does not help anyone, and it especially hurts the American people who depend on our government remaining open so they can
access the critical services that our government provides to so many Americans across the country. So, these conversations are continuing, but I
think I just made the president's position quite clear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. And then on the Saudi Arabian nuclear deal. What steps is the U.S. taking to get Saudi Arabia to sign the Abraham
Accords?
LEAVITT: Sure. Well, the president himself has spoken on these many times. His Truth Social post this morning, and I will read it for those at home
who missed it. The civil nuclear deal, there will be no enrichment of material. An important point being made between the Department of Energy
and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use, will be approved.
But is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to civil
nuclear facilities, as we all know. Look, this is a condition that the president has spoken about many times with our Gulf and Arab allies.
He wants to see these countries sign the Abraham Accord. It was one of the most historic accomplishments of his first term, and it continues to be a
long-term goal of his to expand those accords to ultimately come to a place where the Middle East can be a peaceful and stable region.
And yes, this deal with Saudi Arabia, the energy deal, is contingent on this condition as far as the president is concerned. So, we'll continue to
talk with our Saudi counterparts to get the deal finalized and hopefully see them joining Abraham Accords very soon. Thank you, Gabe (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Karoline, thank you. With regards to the Saudi nuclear deal, why was that condition not mentioned yesterday when the energy
secretary announced it?
LEAVITT: Well, look, the president is always the final deal maker, as you know, and this is something that he has mentioned on numerous occasions
going back, I can provide you with those statements. And he has said if they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off. So, we'll continue to
have those conversations with our Saudi counterparts moving forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, the deal is dead if Saudi Arabia doesn't join?
LEAVITT: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And have you any indication that Saudi Arabia is even considering this?
LEAVITT: No. Again, we've -- the president has spoken directly with the Saudis about this in numerous conversations in the past, and the
administration will continue to engage in those conversations. Alexandra (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The exempt from international inspections as part of this deal if it moves forward?
LEAVITT: I don't want to comment on the specifics of the deal, as we're still, again, as I just said, talking especially about this very important
condition that the president raised this morning. Alexandra?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's good to see you.
LEAVITT: You too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, Treasury Secretary Bessant voiced concern this week on China potentially distilling or stealing AI technology from the
United States, kind of manipulating it as their own. Anthropic said that the largest distilling attack happened last month. Do you think this will
come up when the president meets with President Xi in September?
LEAVITT: Well, I have had the honor of being part of some of the meetings and discussions between President Trump and President Xi. And I can tell
you there is always a wide range of topics that come up.
I would imagine this would be something that's of high importance to the president and of this administration to obviously ensure that America
remains dominant in the AI race, and we're obviously tracking the particular situation that you mentioned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have one more if you don't mind.
LEAVITT: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This week, we've seen some major players in Democrat politics voicing or alerting, really, on how much influence socialism,
communism has had now on kind of mainstream Democrat politics. Is there any chance that the president would be interested or is considering working
with left of center Democrats to push back on this?
LEAVITT: Well, unfortunately, we don't seem to have too many of those left in the Democrat Party. We have literal self-proclaimed communists who are
winning elections and who are claiming to be the new leadership of the Democrat Party.
[11:35:00]
I think the vast majority of Americans understand the dangers of communism. Just look at countries all over this world as an example. Cuba right now is
a country that is about to be a failed state because of the communist policies of the past several decades.
Communism should never be allowed to lead this country, and the president obviously is strictly opposed to it and all the dangers that it reaps.
We've seen it happen across the world. Meredith?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just to continue on the Saudi nuclear deal, do the Saudis agree with this interpretation since it wasn't part of the initial
agreement, and has the president talked to MBS since this new condition?
LEAVITT: As you know, the president just put out this statement a few hours ago. I don't believe he's had a call with MBS in the hours since. However,
this is something that he has raised in previous conversations and has also said many times in the past. John, in the back, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks a lot, Karoline. In regards to this deal, in the past, the Saudi government has said they will not consider entering into
the Abraham Accords unless and until there's a Palestinian State. What makes you think that they're going to change their minds on their position
regarding that?
LEAVITT: Again, I won't get ahead of the president's conversations, but this is something that he feels very strongly about and has spoken about it
in the past and will continue to uphold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I ask you one other question?
LEAVITT: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just playing devil's advocate why does Saudi Arabia get a civilian nuclear deal, but Iran doesn't get a civilian nuclear deal?
LEAVITT: Well, again, this agreement is still being worked out. It will eventually, hopefully, be finalized with the condition that the president
spoke about this morning. But this agreement, in particular, as it's been discussed thus far, does give priority access for American companies in the
Saudi nuclear energy program, which will ultimately benefit American industry workers and supply chains.
So, the deal that has been discussed thus far and will continue to be discussed absolutely puts America first, and that's obviously very
important to this president. Ed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Karoline. So, Friday, the Section 122, the 10 percent global tariff, goes away. Is the president going to ask Congress
for an extension, or what's next?
LEAVITT: Well, I know the USTR, our great Jamieson Greer, Trade Representative, will be having an announcement on that very soon later
today. I don't want to get ahead of him, so I would just tell you to stay tuned for more details.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then one more on the president's going to have some big utility companies at this event later on today. We're now a year and a
half, so speak into his energy -- pro energy policies. Is he going to pressure those executives to lower energy prices, not just maintain the
prices?
LEAVITT: Well, look as I mentioned earlier, the ratepayer protection pledge is a novel idea drawn up by this president, his team, to ensure that data
centers and communities where those communities want data centers, that these big CEOs and energy companies are picking up the tab for the energy
costs in these communities so the American taxpayer not being fronted with those bills.
And the pledge today is being expanded to acknowledge all elements involved in building and operating data center. The governors who appoint the state
regulators who set the power prices, the utilities and the co-ops that sell the power, and in addition to the tech companies that have already signed
the pledge.
So, you'll continue to hear more about that from the president in a few hours at 02:30 when he goes over to the EPA. Sophia?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you spoken to the president about what he wants to do about Chinese AI models if they are found to have stolen American IP?
Does he want to sanction them? Or what actions can be taken without undermining broader U.S.-China trade talks or cutting off American startups
that are increasingly reliant on them?
LEAVITT: Sure. Well, I won't get ahead of the president on any potential actions, but obviously these conversations are taking place, and again,
they're of the utmost importance, not just for our national security, but to ensure America remains dominant in this space. Stephen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Karolina. Two questions, has President Trump spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about his interest in
nominating him for UN Secretary General. Can you explain his interest there? And secondly, just a minor point of clarification on the Saudi
nuclear deal. Did Prime Minister Netanyahu request this provision?
LEAVITT: Not to my knowledge, no. Again, as I told you, this was an idea the president has long had. It was the president and his team in the first
term that began and signed the Abraham Accords with several countries in the region between those countries and Israel. And the president obviously
wants to expand on that historic accomplishment from his first term.
To your first question about Gianni Infantino, I don't know if he and the president have discussed that, I haven't been present for all their
conversations. I know they speak quite frequently, and the president has a lot of respect for Gianni and what he has done with FIFA.
As we all just saw, the World Cup was a tremendous success here at home. It not only was hugely beneficial to our businesses and our local economies
across the country. But I think it showed that America is the greatest country on earth, and the president is grateful to Gianni for all of the
efforts that he had to make that dream a reality here in the United States. Danny (ph)?
[11:40:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Karoline. President Trump or the administration do they have any plans to intervene in the extradition process for the Tate
Brothers?
LEAVITT: No, we've already answered that question. Elizabeth?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline. Secretary of Homeland said that election officials that knowingly allowed non-citizens to vote could be
prosecuted and fined. Is this option being considered in New Jersey after the governor revealed that thousands of non-citizens were registered to
vote there?
LEAVITT: Well, for any prosecutions, obviously, I would always defer you to the Department of Justice. But what I will say on New Jersey and this
governor, the fact that she just all of a sudden decided to put out a press release saying President Trump and Republicans have been right about non-
citizens on our voting rolls is not a coincidence.
I think this governor is saying this because she realizes this administration is serious about getting to the bottom of illegal aliens
voting and being on our voting -- voter rolls in our country. The Secretary of Homeland Security, as you know, sent a letter to several states,
including New Jersey, requesting that non-citizens that are on their voter rolls need to be reported to DHS and need to be removed from those voter
rolls.
So that's why all of a sudden, she is speaking truth about the fact that this does take place in states across the country. It is completely
unacceptable to have non-citizens on American voter rolls voting in U.S. elections. And she says it's 6,600. We suspect it's a heck of a lot more,
not just in New Jersey but in states across the country.
The president is hell bent on getting to the bottom of this. And it's also why we need to pass the Save America Act to ensure that only U.S. citizens
are voting in U.S. elections. And I understand the House had a great accomplishment yesterday with passing the budget resolution, which has as
much of the Save America Act as possible.
And we encourage the Senate to move forward with passing that resolution into law, so the president can sign it into law by the August recess. It's
of the utmost importance to this president, but also to the American people who support this bill overwhelmingly. Mary in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Two questions. One on Sophie Cunningham and then on self-driving cars.
LEAVITT: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sophie Cunningham and the WNBA has been attacked as a MAGA Barbie for saying it's common sense for men to not be in women's
sports in locker rooms. Is the president following this story, and has he reached out to her?
LEAVITT: I don't believe he has reached out to her. I know he is following the story. As you know, this is something the president feels strongly
about as well, and the American people do too. That men should not be playing in women's sports. It's completely ludicrous that anyone could
support that.
It's even more ludicrous that you do have Sophie Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and
speaking that truth that men should play in women's sports. We want to protect women and girls, and the backlash she is receiving from Democrats
and left-wing fingers across the country is astonishing.
They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which again is an 80-20 issue, it's common sense. It's rooted in basic
biological fact that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).
LEAVITT: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's legislation right now to ban China's self- driving car technology from U.S. roads. Does the White House have a position on this? And broadly, how does the president feel about self-
driving cars himself?
LEAVITT: Well, you know, the president did have a red Tesla here at the White House for quite some time, so he's a supporter of them. I know he's
purchased some self-driving cars for his family members, his grandchildren. So, I think he supports them and Americans who want to drive them.
But with that said, I don't know about the specific legislation. I will check in with our legislative affairs office, and we'll get you a statement
on that. Reagan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One question for you on Boone, and then one on Darline Graham. The president seemed yesterday frustrated with Leader Thune when he
was speaking in Georgia. Is his patience running out with Leader Thune?
And then the president recently endorsed Darline Graham right after her appointment to Senate. What caused him to endorse her so quickly?
LEAVITT: The president met with Darline and thought she will be a great representative for the great people of South Carolina and will carry on her
brother's legacy of public service in that beautiful state. So, the president is fully supportive of Darline in her honorable decision to run,
and again to continue her brother's legacy. With respect to your first question, on remind me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) patience is running out.
LEAVITT: Yes, look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday. His patience is running out. He wants to see as much of the Save America passed
as possible by the August recess. He knows that's what the American people want to see passed.
He was just traveling on the road yesterday, spoke about this, and there was a very loud applause from the people in the audience, the everyday
Americans, because voter ID is common sense. They want proof of citizenship in our election. And the president feels very strongly about that.
[11:45:00]
And I would just add, you know, the American people elected overwhelmingly Republicans to lead not just this White House, but also the House and the
Senate. The House did its job. The Senate needs to do its job too. I know it's a brief briefing today, but you're going to hear from the president
directly twice today at 02:30 and also at 04:30 and we will see you all tomorrow night at the Correspondence Center. Thanks, guys.
ASHER: All right, you've just been listening to a White House press briefing from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Probably the main question
that she was asked about was really about the U.S. and Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear deal that was signed, this 30-year deal that was signed,
supposedly for peaceful purposes, but there have been a lot of questions about what it would mean in terms of nuclear proliferation in the Middle
East?
And this new precondition that the U.S. President added that in order for this deal to go ahead, despite the fact that it was signed yesterday, in
order for this deal to go ahead, according to Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia must be part of the Abraham Accords, essentially normalizing relations with
Israel.
Saudi Arabia has previously said that, for its part, the only way that it would sign onto the Abraham Accords would be if there was a viable path for
Palestinian statehood. Essentially, intimating that is a non-starter. CNN's Betsy Klein and Nic Robertson have been listening to this briefing.
Betsy, let me start with you because one of the things that Karoline Leavitt said is that the president has always been the sort of final deal
maker. She was asked, you know, where this sort of precondition came from? Was it the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to President Trump because
obviously Israel had its concerns about that. She said not to her knowledge.
But she also reiterated that this is something that the president has talked about several times in the past. This idea that Saudi Arabia must
join the Abraham Accords if this nuclear deal was to go into effect. Just walk us through what we know on that front in terms of what the president
has previously said about this?
KLEIN: Well, it is true that President Trump has repeatedly called on Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to join on to the Abraham
Accords. Of course, that is the agreement established during his first term and then expanded in his second, having Middle Eastern countries normalize
relations with Israel.
But this was not discussed as part of this deal that was unveiled yesterday, signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and formally agreed to
by the president to enable Saudi Arabia to have the civilian nuclear program.
Karoline Leavitt fielded multiple questions on this. Some of them she answered more clearly than others. But the state of affairs as of now is
that this agreement is essentially dead-on arrival until something major changes with respect to Saudi Arabia's foreign policy or the president's
stance on this.
She said that this is a condition the president has spoken to allies about many times. She said he wants to see this is his long-term goal. And yes,
she said this deal is contingent on this condition as far as the president is concerned. She was unable to say whether the Saudis have given any
indication that they are considering this.
Of course, it's very important to note, as you said, that a Saudi key condition of joining the Abraham Accords is an Israeli recognition of a
Palestinian State. So again, a very high bar for them to clear here.
She also said that he, to her knowledge, has not spoken about this with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who she did say he has raised this with
multiple times in the past, but not since he posted that post to social media earlier this morning.
Saudi Arabia has previously been historically resistant to these efforts. It's unclear what, if anything, can change here to move this process
forward. But certainly, a lot of cold water being poured on this deal right now by the press secretary's comments just there.
ASHER: All right, Betsy Klein, standby. Nic Robertson, let me bring you in because there's so much, we don't know necessarily about what's in this
text in terms of this deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia? Not least whether or not Saudi Arabia would be allowed to enrich its own
nuclear material, or whether it would rely on imported fuel?
President Trump has said one thing, but officials have intimated something completely different. And you know, we don't necessarily have, to my
understanding, any reaction yet from the Kingdom, from the Crown Prince, as to President Trump's new stipulation that Saudi Arabia would have to sign
on to the Abraham Accords for the deal to go into effect.
Just walk us through what we know about the Kingdom's reaction or their likely reaction, given what we know about their stance on the Abraham
Accords, Nic?
ROBERTSON: Yeah, I think there were a couple of things here. One is the sort of apparent abrupt addition of this condition for Saudi to join the
Abraham Accords. That wasn't in the public domain yesterday.
[11:50:00]
So, we don't know if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was already aware that President Trump was going to say that. But I think at that very simple
level, that the Saudis thought they were going to get a deal, and then suddenly something gets thrown into the mix, which is really just going to
put it off the table for now until the situation changes.
I think at that level there's going to be shock, surprise, and dismay. But I don't think we're going to see the Crown Prince come out and publicly
criticize President Trump. There have been plenty of things that you know the Saudis haven't been happy with what the United States has done.
We could go back and look at just at the beginning of April when the war with Iran seemed to be winding down, and then President Trump wanted to
push ships through and had that initiative to try to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudis were really shocked by that, but they didn't
go public with it.
So, I don't think they're going to go public with any disappointment right now. It may creep out in diplomatic briefings later. But the conversations
I've had with Saudi diplomats over the recent years on this, this is a very clear line for Saudi Arabia.
Absolutely, Israel needs to recognize or give a pathway, irreversible pathway for the recognition of a Palestinian State. Every indication I've
been given, they're not going to change that. They don't believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a prime minister who's willing to do that. In fact,
he's said essentially that he isn't.
So, at a diplomatic level in Saudi Arabia, if you want to sort of really stretch this out and stretch the imagination going forward, what the
understanding there would be that after this war with Iran, that there can be a new sort of potential for all countries in the region to sit around
together and talk about their security?
And if that table included Israel, and if the Palestinians were at that table too, then the Saudis would be there as well. It has to involve the
Palestinians, and that table, you know, the discussions I've heard could involve the Iranians. So, we're really looking a long way into the future.
So that would be where a long way into the future, this civil and nuclear program could come into existence on these terms.
ASHER: All right, Betsy Klein, Nic Robertson, thank you both so much. We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Now to a new cyberattack carried out by artificial intelligence. Chat GPT
maker OpenAI says that some of its experimental models escaped a test environment and hacked into another company's servers.
This is one of the first times we've seen something like this happen after repeated warnings from experts. OpenAI released a statement calling the
breach of fellow tech firm Hugging Face an unprecedented cyber incident. Both companies say they're now working to resolve the security flaws the
model exploited.
Finally, before we go, Russian officials say a cat was caught trying to smuggle drugs into a Russian prison. The Per (ph) the traitor was fitted
with two homemade collars stuffed with banned substances meant for inmates. Guards removed the collar and let the courier go, probably to take a nap
and a bath. All right, everyone, stay with CNN. I'll have much more "One World" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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