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Small Aircraft Crashes into Beijing's Tallest Skyscraper; Bolton to Plead Guilty to Retaining National Security Info; Venezuela Quake Death Toll Rises as Rescuers Race to Find Survivors. Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired June 26, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today. You're in The Situation Room.

We're following several breaking stories this morning, and right now, President Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, is in court, expected to plead guilty to a charge that he kept sensitive classified national security information.

And up on Capitol Hill, the billionaire investor, Leon Black, is being questioned by the Oversight Committee about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He's been accused of rape allegations he denies.

And at any moment, the Texas Board of Education, yes, the Texas Board of Education will vote on requiring more than 5 million students in Texas to learn Bible verses and stories as part of their public school education.

And soon, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk will appear virtually in court as the judge weighs whether he could face the death penalty.

Let's begin this hour with the breaking news out of China right now. Look at this. A small aircraft has crashed into Beijing's CITIC Tower.

That's the tallest building in the city. This incredible video appears to show the aircraft falling to the ground. Let's go live right now to CNN Correspondent Mike Valerio, who's in Beijing for us, not far away from that building. What are you learning, Mike?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's certainly a stunning sight as we look up, as we look at this bank of lights that is still on in one of the highest sections of the building. On the other side of the CITIC Tower, the Zhongguancun, as it's called here in China, that's where it appears a --

BLITZER: I think we just lost Mike Valerio. We're going to continue to monitor what's going on, but look at that video right there. I think Mike is back with us. Mike, go ahead.

Oh. Sure. Sorry about the signal. So, we're coming straight from the financial district in Beijing, and I can tell you, Wolf, that the section of the financial area of Beijing where we're coming to you from now has been totally sealed off. Police here in Beijing are telling people not to take photos of this scene.

So, this building, Wolf, is 109 stories tall, and in the upper reaches of the building, just around 7:00 P.M., right around sunset, that's when social media started to light up China's heavily controlled social media with reports of a small aircraft crashing into the upper reaches of that building. And ever since we've looked at Xiaohongshu Chinese social media, we've been able to see the tail number, which registers to a domestic general aviation company here in the outskirts of Beijing.

And one more point before we go, Wolf. We should note that drones, aircraft are not allowed anywhere near this part of Beijing. You can imagine this similar to Washington, D.C., where drones and aircraft not allowed anywhere near the Capitol or the White House, seemingly inconceivable that this could happen in this fortress of a city, and we're trying to find out why, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes. All right, if you get more information, let us know. That video is so powerful, so dramatic and so awful.

Mike Valerio on the scene for us in Beijing.

And there's other breaking news we're following. At any moment now, President Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, will enter a guilty plea. This is Bolton just a little while ago arriving at federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bolton admits to mishandling sensitive classified national security information. He served in President Trump's first term and turned into an outspoken critic of the president.

I want to bring in CNN Legal Analyst and former Federal Prosecutor Elliot Williams. Elliot, thanks for joining us.

So, Bolton was indicted originally on 18 criminal counts back in October. Tell us about the case against him and how this has all unfolded. He's now pleading guilty to one count.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right. So, Wolf, to pull back a little bit, certainly most criminal defendants in the federal system, look, either get convicted or plead guilty, and therefore, it's not that big a shock that we're seeing a guilty plea here, particularly given what I would call the quantum of evidence against John Bolton.

He was charged with mishandling, appropriating, and holding onto classified documents upwards of 1,000 different pages of them and sharing them with family members.

[10:05:04] This is an individual who had top secret clearances for much of his career, and according to the charges, certainly knew that he should not have been sharing these materials outside of the rules of government.

It's really, at its core, a national security and government document safety case. And the evidence, at least as far as we saw out in the public, was quite clear.

BLITZER: Normally, when a defendant pleads guilty, there's usually some sort of deal with the prosecution. You plead guilty, you get a reduced sentence. Do we know if there's some sort of deal that encouraged him to go ahead and plead guilty to this one charge?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I don't know if anything encouraged him to plead guilty other than the fact that, number one, there's a lot of evidence against him. And, number two, were he to have gone to trial, he would certainly have faced a much higher sentence than the one he will be getting here.

Now, the one charge that he is pleading guilty to, it carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. I can assure you, he is not going to get that time. Most people who are convicted of offenses do not get what's called the statutory maximum, the maximum the law allows. He could even avoid jail time potentially. That's a decision that will be up to the judge a little bit down the road.

And so, yes, it was certainly a deal here only, you know, to not convict him of the 17 other charges that he was charged with and just this one.

Again, that's very common in the system to only convict someone or have them plead to just one or two or a small number of charges, or even lesser ones.

BLITZER: And might wind up with a reduced sentence. He's also, what, going to be fined, what, $2 million? Is that right?

WILLIAMS: Yes. You know, he is being paid a fine, a significant amount of money. That also the statute allows for that. And that's something that prosecutors and the person who's charged with the crime can agree to. Either how much does he have to pay back to victims, if there were a victim of a particular crime, you know, a human victim, or just simply to pay fines. So, he'll be paying a lot of money here as well.

BLITZER: All right. Elliot Williams helping us, thank you very, very much. I appreciate it.

And other important news we're following, it's a race against time right now in Venezuela. Rescuers are working against the clock to find survivors in the rubble as the death toll from the twin earthquakes reaches more than 500 people.

Before and after satellite images show the scale of the destruction. The before images were taken just days before the earthquakes, and we're getting new video right now from inside a plane as the ground started shaking.

Watch this.

The panicked passengers were on the tarmac at Simon Bolivar International Airport, and you can also see part of the terminal actually collapsed.

Meanwhile, countries from all around the world are sending aid. The U.S. is deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance, along with $150 million in aid.

But the sheer scale of the devastation in Venezuela is still coming to light as families are left with just the clothes on their backs. Here's how one earthquake survivor described the situation on the ground to our own Kate Bolduan.

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NORIS SOTO, JOURNALIST AND EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: There is a shadow, a ghost city, practically. You can only see people affected families on the streets of the highways camping because they lost their homes, or they are unable to get back to their homes because they were severely affected.

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BLITZER: I want to go right now to CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzebon. Stefano, he he's following all the latest developments, Stefano is in nearby Bogota, Colombia. What's the latest information you're getting?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The latest we're hearing, Wolf, from Caracas is that, like you said, unfortunately the death toll has been increased to 589 Venezuelans killed, Venezuelans and other foreign nationals, of course, but killed in this dramatic double earthquake that hit the country on Wednesday afternoon. And, unfortunately, we do have to say that number is believed to -- that will increase in the coming hours as rescue operators make their way through the rubbles and the debris to try bring as many people to safety as possible.

The Venezuelan interior minister late last night said that more than 100 buildings in the state of La Guaira had collapsed. And there are structural damages that make this operation, this rescue operation much more complicated than in other situation. One of the structural damages, the fact that being these old very high-rise buildings, responding to the quakes and the tremors from the earthquake, the floors would get stuck one on top of each other.

[10:10:05]

This is what is called a pancake collapse. It's a sentence that we are hearing a lot from both officials in Venezuela and earthquake experts that we're speaking with. And that means that you need to have a lot of heavy equipment in order to remove the debris from the ground.

Overnight, the Venezuelan acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, has ordered the mobilization of up to 100 heavy machinery and excavators exactly to address these challenges, but, of course, aid -- mobilize all of this aid and logistical resources, it's hard. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota, thank you very much for that update.

And to our viewers, for more information about how you can help Venezuela earthquake victims, go to cnn.com/impact.

And still ahead, the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, joins me live in The Situation Room. We'll talk about the future of the Democratic Party and what can be learned from the New York primaries.

Lots going on here in The Situation Room.

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BLITZER: Happening now, tensions are clearly growing once again between the U.S. and Iran, despite some recent progress in peace talks. Iran today is lambasting a joint statement from the United States and its Gulf Arab allies that criticized Tehran's actions in the region, labeling it, quote, irresponsible and provocative. This after a U.S. official says Iran struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz just yesterday, forcing a pause on evacuations of stranded seafarers and demonstrating Tehran's ability to restrict this critical waterway.

Joining us now is the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us.

There's a lot I want to talk to you about, but this vessel strike marks the first reported since the U.S. and Iran agreed last week to work toward a peace deal. Have you been briefed on this attack, and, more broadly, where do the Iran talks stand right now?

REP.HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Good morning, Wolf, great to be with you. Unfortunately, Trump administration has explicitly declined to brief members of Congress about the situation over in the Middle East, perhaps because they understand it's not under control. In fact, it's been a disaster for the American people. Donald Trump and Republicans launched a reckless and costly war of choice that has left America in a weaker position relative to Iran than we were in prior to this war being launched.

And, of course, gas prices remain incredibly high in an environment where the American people are already suffocating from the failed Trump economy, and the fact that costs haven't gone down, as Republicans promised would happen on day one, costs have gone up.

BLITZER: The House speaker, Mike Johnson, and President Trump, they met for, what, more than three hours at the White House yesterday, after which, the speaker said he would send the bipartisan housing bill that passed overwhelmingly to the president's desk, to be signed or become law after ten days. Do you have any insight at all, Leader, into where that legislation currently stands? As I said, it was passed overwhelmingly in the House and the Senate, and is now awaiting the president's signature to sign it into law.

JEFFRIES: Well, the cost of living in the United States of America are out of control, and Congress took a bipartisan step forward, led by Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Senator Elizabeth Warren, as well as French Hill, the Republican chair of the Financial Services Committee, to get something meaningful done so we could actually build housing in America that everyday Americans can afford.

But Donald Trump, once again, threw a temper tantrum, unfortunately, and decided that rather than actually deal with the affordability crisis, which is not a hoax in the United States of America, notwithstanding what Donald Trump has said, it's actually very real, that he wants to try to jam his voter suppression legislation down the throats of the American people.

We, of course, will continue to reject that effort, but at the same period of time, come together around common sense bills, like this affordability bill connected to the housing crisis to try to improve the lives of the American people. Hopefully, what we'll now see over the next few days is that either the bill will be signed into law or after ten days will automatically become law.

BLITZER: What do you think will happen?

JEFFRIES: Listen, I think one way or the other, this bill is going to become law, and we've made that clear from the very beginning. We're not bending, we're not breaking, we're not changing our position as it relates to our opposition to Donald Trump's voter suppression bill. And at the end of the day, as often is the case, once the temper tantrum ends, Donald Trump backs down.

BLITZER: The -- I want to also get to the recent elections in your home state of New York. Two incumbent Democrats, two Democrats you know well, and you supported them, lost their primaries to progressive challengers endorsed by the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Here's how one swing state Democrat responded to all that. I'm going to get your reaction, but listen to this.

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SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): We have literally found ourselves in a situation where we just don't have people who understand the moment and understand what leadership means.

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STEPHEN A. SMITH, HOST, STRAIGHT SHOOTER WITH STEPHEN A.: When you talk about new leadership, well, Hakeem Jeffries is the Democratic leader in the House, and Chuck Schumer is the Democratic leader in the Senate, when you talk about new leadership, that would mean they're out in favor of somebody else. Is that what you're saying?

SLOTKIN: I'm saying if people can't understand that the game has changed -- I mean, this is you, this is -- You're the sports guy. If people can't understand that the game has fundamentally changed and they can't adapt, then they need to let others lead.

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BLITZER: So what do you say to Slotkin about that? Are you the right person to continue to lead the Democrats in the House? And if, in fact, the Democrats become the majority in the House, are you ready? Do you think you're likely to be elected speaker?

JEFFRIES: Well, listen, what's in front of us right now is we got to do everything to take back control of the House of Representatives. That's actually the moment that we're in. And House Democrats have been very clear that we are going to continue to relentlessly focus on making our case to the American people, drive down the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system, and clean up corruption.

I have no idea what Elissa Slotkin was talking about there. Of course, any Democratic leader is going to continue to stand with their colleagues. And I'm proud of the effort that was put in by both Congressman Adriano Espaillat, as well as Congressman Dan Goldman, two members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

At the same period of time, I think that what happens in a handful of primaries in one of the bluest cities in the country is not, in any way, indicative of what needs to happen in November, where we need to reelect every single frontline member, common sense Democrats authentically committed to making life better for the American people, opposing these extreme Republicans who have been nothing but a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump's agenda, and at the same period of time, make sure that we flip red seats blue, including in New York 17, where we have a combat veteran, incredibly patriotic American, Kate Conley, who came out of a primary on Tuesday as well, and is an incredibly strong candidate. She will defeat Mike Lawler in New York in November.

BLITZER: I want you to listen and watch, I don't know if you saw it, what Republican Congressman James Comer said about this topic just a few moments ago. Listen to this.

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REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): I think Democrats had a very bad week. I believe that when you're Hakeem Jeffries and you're trying to be the next speaker of the House, and you lose three elections in your hometown, that's a pretty big slap in the face.

And I always come from Kentucky, and I always adhere to the attitude that you look at a candidate by how well they do in their hometown and by their friends and neighbors. And I think Hakeem Jeffries' friends and neighbors gave him a big middle finger.

And, look, that's the direction of the Democrat Party. They are going further and further to the left to the point to where they are full- blown, card-carrying socialists, and I don't think the American people want to elect that. And I'll tell you, I am more confident than ever that the House will remain Republican.

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BLITZER: How do you respond to Comer, Leader?

JEFFRIES: Well, I understand that Republicans are going to try to distract and change the subject. This is the same group of people, they promised to lower costs on day one. Costs haven't gone down because of the Trump tariffs. Costs have gone up, increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year.

They promised to love and cherish Medicaid, and then turned around and enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, ripping healthcare away from millions of Americans, and hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are closing because of the Republicans' one big, ugly bill in places like Kentucky.

At the same period of time, it was Donald Trump and Republicans who promised not to start wars in the Middle East, but to stop them, and then turned around and got us involved in this reckless and costly war of choice.

At the end of the day, Republican policies have been a disaster. And even though I understand that Comer and others want to try to distract the American people, what you have right now is that Donald Trump, the president, is fighting with Senate Republicans. Literally, it was a cage match in the United States Senate when he met with them. Senate Republicans are fighting with House Republicans, and House Republicans are fighting with each other, which is why they couldn't move any meaningful legislation on the floor this week, canceled votes, and got out of town yesterday before sundown.

BLITZER: You had a chance to speak with New York City Mayor Mamdani on Wednesday, is that right?

JEFFRIES: Yes, Mayor Mamdani and I had a very good conversation. It was forward-looking.

[10:25:00]

You know, it was authentic, it was candid, and I think we both have taken the position that there are going to be times where we may, as a Congressional delegation, agree to strongly disagree with each other on endorsements, but at the same period of time, at all times be committed to actually making life better and more affordable for the people in New York City and beyond.

And in this moment of great extremism, it's an all-hands-on-deck approach. And so we've got to come together, city, state, and federal government officials in order to continue to do our best to get the job done, and that's sort of a commitment that I believe we all share as we move forward at this time.

BLITZER: Are you confident Leader Jeffries, that your vision with Mamdani, your visions for the Democratic Party going forward, do they align, or do you worry that he could push out more of your own Democratic Party members?

JEFFRIES: Well, it's important to remember that primaries are a way of life in the House of Representatives. We stand for election every two years. We have a two-year employment contract. You got to go back, appropriately so, to your voters, make your case. And in a handful of instances, voters will decide to go in a different direction.

But at the end of the day, there are about 215 of us, 215 in the House Democratic Caucus representing districts of all types throughout the United States of America. But we're committed to making sure that we actually address the things that matter to the American people, so when folks work hard and play by the rules, they can live an affordable life, a good life, and a middle-class comfortable life, as opposed to being suffocated right now with this failed economy.

BLITZER: All right. The House minority leader, the Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, thanks so much for spending a few moments with us. We really appreciate it.

JEFFRIES: Thank you much, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. There's more breaking news just coming into the Situation Room right now. John Bolton has pleaded guilty to retaining sensitive national security information.

CNN Crime and Justice Correspondent Katelyn Polantz is just outside the federal court -- the courthouse. You were just inside. Katelyn tell us what happened.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a really incredible 90 minutes of a court hearing to see the former ambassador, the former national security adviser in the first Trump White House pleading guilty to this felony count, a significant one, one that carries a potential ten-year sentence. It sounds like there's a possibility the Justice Department is going to ask for some prison time for John Bolton. That won't be for a few months.

But in this hearing today, when the judge asked John Bolton if he committed the allegations, the crime here of illegally retaining national security information in an unsecured way that put the United States at risk, he said, I did, Your Honor. When asked if he was guilty, he said, I am, Your Honor. I'm sorry for it.

Right now, we're seeing the prosecutors exiting as well as the U.S. attorney, Kelly Hayes. We're going to be quiet so we can listen to her for a second.

KELLY HAYES, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND: And national defense information apply equally to everyone, regardless of position and regardless of how long you have served with the United States government.

This morning, just moments ago, John Robert Bolton II pled guilty in federal court to the unlawful retention of national defense information. According to the terms of the plea agreement, Mr. Bolton faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, followed by a term of up to three years of supervised release. He will also pay a fine of $2.25 million and will forfeit his pension under the HISS Act.

As national security adviser to the president of the United States, Mr. Bolton had access to and was responsible for safeguarding the most sensitive national defense information, including classified material. Mr. Bolton knew how to handle classified information, where it should be stored, how it should be stored, and with whom he could share that information. He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information.

Nevertheless, as Mr. Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law. Our system of classified information is designed to protect sensitive information that would jeopardize national security if mishandled, and the national defense information at issue in this case was classified at the highest classification levels.

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