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Incendiary Device Thrown at NYC Fed. Building; Person in Custody; Trump Suggests Canada Should Pay for Wildfire Smoke; Spanish National Team Arrives Home After World Cup Win. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired July 20, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: -- put out a statement saying that the FDA apologized to us over this idea of a false positive sample for cyclospora. They say, to be clear at this moment FDA has not indicated a single positive product test result for cyclospora. So, folks are taking that to mean wheat. It's not cyclospora tied to Taylor Farms lettuce and that is not what the FDA is saying here in this update.

This is what the FDA said about that and essentially it says that FDA and state partners are continuing to collect and analyze product samples. They are still working with Taylor Farms with the firm to ensure product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market. So, this outbreak and this recall tied to this outbreak is still ongoing.

These are the brands right now that have been implicated in it. Taco Bell of course the primary one where folks who have reported to have this illness reported eating. So, there's been recalls from Taco Bell, also from Jack in the Box, although they say there haven't been any illnesses associated with that. Walmart also said that one brand, Market Side brand, they've pulled some off their shelves as a precaution as well as these other brands.

So, what should consumers know? Well, this is the only retail products that we know of right now, this Market Side brand from Walmart.

And we should note that the Best Buy dates go out to August 3rd. So, check your fridges for any iceberg lettuce particularly from this brand purchased from Walmart. This is what that brand looks like.

So, Wolf, this recall is still ongoing. This is still cyclospora thought to be tied to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms and they have recalled all of their iceberg lettuce to the U.S. from Central Mexico at this point.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A CNN investigation Meg has shown that President Trump's funding cuts created what one source is now calling a, quote, "perfect storm" that slowed the federal government's response to this outbreak. What more can you tell us about this?

TIRRELL: Yes. There's been a lot of criticism from people in the public health world about just how long it's taken sort of the federal side of this to get involved here. And so, a timeline is that in mid- May the first illnesses started. Then we heard from Michigan where really this is centered on July 1st that they warned of this outbreak. And then two weeks later the CDC issued its health alert. And that is something that is being criticized as taking a long time.

And so, our investigative team along with my colleague on the health team, Brenda Goodman, have this great story I recommend you check out on cnn.com right now. But essentially detailing how some of these cuts may have affected the CDC in particular's ability to respond to outbreaks like this.

They talked to the former director of a lab that helps with identifying parasitic outbreaks who resigned from that position in September after that lab had been cut from 11 employees to three last fall through essentially hiring freezes and cuts through all of last year. They also suffered from some USAID funding that was lost that essentially had contributed to some shared resources as well as an overall 25 percent reduction in the CDC workforce.

What we heard from sources is that they lost the specialized experts but then also the ability for people more broadly to jump into the response here. Of course, the White House is disputing that this had any impact on this and says, quote, "The Trump administration's top priority is ensuring the health and safety of the American people." Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Meg Tirrell reporting for us. Thanks, Meg, very much. Just ahead, the Pentagon is now scrambling to deliver more money to pay for the Iran war. New CNN reporting on why it may not get it and what that potentially could mean for the conflict.

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[11:30:00]

BLITZER: Breaking news, we have some new video showing a person being taken into custody after an incendiary device was thrown at a federal building in New York City. CNN's Brynn Gingras is at the scene for us. Brynn, what more are you learning?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, that person's still in custody. Our understanding is law enforcement is now checking into his criminal background. Does he have any sort of contact with police in the past? Does anything involve any possible mental illness? That's what sources are telling our John Miller.

Let me get out of the way because he's also learning more about what happened here this morning before that arrest took place here on the street in front of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, which is a federal building that houses not only the FBI New York headquarters, but immigration and other government agencies. We're learning that this suspect came up this street holding some sort of cart, and inside that cart, sources are telling our John Miller that there were two rifles in addition to fireworks before we saw on video him launching allegedly some sort of incendiary device, inflammable liquid, possibly fireworks. They're still looking into exactly what was thrown at the building, creating that plume of smoke, which you saw people coming out of that smoke, investigators, and grabbing him and making that arrest.

As far as we know, there are three injuries to be reported, all minor, so that's all good news. And there are civilians that were injured, including the person that is under arrest right now. So, getting a lot more details of what unfolded here this morning, investigation well underway. We know the Joint Terrorism Task Force, in addition to the bomb squad, are all part of this investigation. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brynn Gingras on the scene for us, thank you very, very much.

Also new this morning, President Trump suggesting our neighbor to the north should pay for the smoky skies across the U.S. caused by Canadian wildfires. President Trump said he spoke with the Prime Minister of Canada about it at the World Cup last night. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Our air has been poisoned. I have a good relationship with Mark Carney, but, you know, we got to stop the fires up there. If we can help them, we'll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs. But it was terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, responded just a short time ago. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, ONTARIO PREMIER: Rather than criticize and threaten Canada, your closest friends, maybe one day you're going to need our help like you did last year and we deployed the people. I get frustrated just listening to these, that bunch of rubbish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:40:00]

BLITZER: And Premier Doug Ford of Ontario is with us right now. Premier, thank you so much for joining us. It sounds like you're feeling frustrated with this situation right now, specifically after what the President said.

FORD: Well, I'm never frustrated with the American people and I always differentiate between the American people, which I love, and the president.

You know, this is beyond politics, our relationship, Wolf. And I know when neighbors need help, you go and support them, just like we did in Hurricane Helena. We sent over 50 utility linemen down there, trucks, I should say, over 100 utility linemen to support the people in the Carolinas and Georgia. We had our water bombers ready out west to support the California fires.

Right now, I understand that there's -- and I had to triple check this figure, over 40,560 fires since January 1st of this year in the U.S. and burnt 3.9 million acres. And I just find it very frustrating that President Trump wouldn't say, here, we have assets, we'll bring them up there.

Because I can reassure the American people, when you have any natural disasters, we will be there within seconds of a phone call. And we love our American neighbors, we're going to be there to support them. But it's unfortunate, you know, the president has to politicize it.

And maybe what the president should do is get rid of the tariffs on the softwood lumber, because 33 percent of all the lumber the U.S. uses comes from Canada. And when you put tariffs on it, there's a reason why housing construction costs are going through the roof in the U.S. and not making it affordable because of these tariffs. I want to work with our great friends and allies, and I emphasize great, because again, I love the American people, I know they love Canadians, but not one asset, not one offer from the president has come through to the prime minister or myself. We need support, we need help right now.

BLITZER: So, do you think you would reconsider sending help for U.S. wildfires in the future?

FORD: Not for a second. I will send whatever it takes, when we have the resources, down to our friends. And they are our friends, our closest friends and allies. We will do anything, no matter if it's hurricanes or wildfires or tornadoes. Anytime you need help, we will send the Ontario Corps down, we'll send our firefighters, we'll send our utility linemen down, which we have in the past. But not one single offer has come the other way.

BLITZER: You held an update just a little while ago on the wildfires in Canada. What can you tell us about how the fight is going right now?

FORD: We have over 100 active water bombers and helicopters. We have 155 crews, over -- well over 700 to 800 wildland firefighters, which are different than regular firefighters. We're training up our regular city firefighters to be able to go up to the north to support. We're throwing every resource we possibly can at these wildfires. We're getting support from other provinces --

BLITZER: I think we just lost our audio, unfortunately. Premier Doug Ford of Ontario, as usual, thank you very much, and we'll continue this conversation down the road. I don't know if you can hear me. Can you hear me, Premier?

FORD: Yes, I can hear you. Yes.

BLITZER: The connection is -- the technical connection is not very good. Finish your thought, what you wanted to say.

FORD: Well, I just want to say that we would accept any help. We're in desperate need of support, and I would do the exact same thing, which we have in the past. I will always support our closest friends and allies. I love the American people. I love the U.S. I will do whatever it takes in the future to support them, which we have in the past.

BLITZER: And I love the Canadian people, too. I grew up, as you know, on the border with Ontario and beautiful Buffalo, New York. Let me ask you a quick question about trade while I have you, Premier. The president and President Trump's tariffs were struck down by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but the Trump administration appears intent on getting tariffs back to previous levels. How much of a concern is that for you and for your Ontario province?

FORD: Well, it's very concerning, considering we're just Ontario alone. Nine million Americans wake up to produce a product, a widget, or a service for Ontario.

[11:45:00]

Ontario alone would be your third largest trading partner in the world. Canada is your number one customer -- and what tariffs do, just like Ronald Reagan said -- and people end up losing their jobs. So, they lose their jobs, and we need to be there to support them.

BLITZER: Premier Ford, thanks. Good luck to all the people in Canada. Good luck to the people in Ontario. And thanks very much for joining us. We'll fix those technical problems the next time we meet.

Coming up, Spain edges out Argentina for its second World Cup, the epic ending to a truly historic tournament. That's next.

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[11:50:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, World Cup champions, the Spanish national team, arriving back home this morning with some new hardware. Spain defeated Argentina 1 to 0, shutting them out in extra time in the World Cup final.

Joining us now, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan. She's also a sports columnist for USA Today. Christine, it was a truly exhilarating game. I watched the whole thing. Spain's first World Cup since back in 2010. No goals until extra time in the game yesterday. Spain shut out Argentina and its legendary player. What did you make of the game?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST AND SPORTS COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: You know, Wolf, Spain was so dominant in this tournament and really many people thought that they had the most complete team, offense and defense. We certainly saw that. Argentina, the famed Argentinians, had no shots on goal yesterday. Through all that play, through the extra time, no shots on goal. That's an incredible thing to be able to say. And Spain's side, they played eight games, of course, in this World Cup and they only gave up one goal throughout the entire time.

So, you know, the right team won. The team that was the best won. But it was, of course, soccer, so it was 0-0. And you almost felt like Argentina might try, and Messi, of course, the great Lionel Messi, 39 years old, might somehow have one more trick up his sleeve with all those last-second victories they've had in this World Cup. Not this time. They were a man down. And so, Spain really had the advantage. And it just seemed to be only a matter of time before Spain finally, as you said, in the 106th minute, of course, Spain scored that goal and, of course, won the World Cup.

BLITZER: It was truly amazing. And it was, of course, as all of us were watching, a clear disappointment for Lionel Messi, arguably one of the best soccer players in the world, one of the best soccer players, perhaps, of all times. What do you think this loss means for his future?

BRENNAN: I think people were really surprised, Wolf, how well he played. I remember four years ago in that World Cup, won by Argentina, there was a thought that that might have been the last great hurrah for Lionel Messi. At that point, he was 35 years old.

But comeback, the way he has played, the way he has dominated, one comeback victory after another, last-second victories, the Egypt game in particular, where Argentina was scoring goals at the last second in a way that no-one thought was possible. I think it certainly enhances his overall reputation.

Losing, clearly, was such a disappointment to him. There were some fights and things going on at the end that were not a good look for Argentina. But Messi, overall, for sure, coming out of this as the -- if he's not seen as the best player of all time, as you said, and there certainly will always be arguments about that, he is one of the best. And this only enhanced that title and his reputation overall, for sure.

BLITZER: And as you know, Christine, there were several, many notable figures in attendance for the game, including, of course, President Trump. He was down on the field to help the president of FIFA present the trophy to Spain. What did you make of the president appearing to remain on the podium as Spain raised the trophy?

BRENNAN: That's quite a story in Europe and in Spain today. And, in fact, the Spanish social media account actually just got rid of Trump and deleted him from the picture, edited, cropped out Donald Trump from the picture. He was standing very close there at that key moment. That's when, of course, the captain raises the trophy and the entire team, of course, leaps and is as joyous as any team could be.

Donald Trump should -- was -- the plan was not to have him there that close. You know, he'd walk off the stage. You could see one of the Spanish players kind of starting to usher him off with his hand on his back. But still, the president stood right there. Gianni Infantino, of course, the FIFA president, comes running across the stage, you can see that, hurriedly coming across the stage to then take Donald Trump and move him a little bit. And even then, that wasn't quite successful. Trump stood there for a while, and then finally they got him away from that. This exact same thing happened a year ago at the FIFA Club Championship, also in the same stadium in New Jersey. And again, Donald Trump stayed in the picture then, too. So, you know, Infantino knew it was coming and tried to do his best to get Trump out of the way. But this is Donald Trump. He loves to be around sporting events, and he loves to be in the mix, in something like this, with the picture being taken at the end.

BLITZER: All right. Christine Brennan, as usual, thank you very much. We always appreciate your analysis.

[11:55:00]

And to our viewers, thanks very much for joining me this morning. You can always keep up with us on social media, @wolfblitzer and @pamelabrowncnn. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning, for two hours, 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right after a quick break.

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