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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Trump Promises Retribution; U.S. and Saudi Arabia Strike Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq; CNN Poll: Trump's Approval Rating Hits a New Low; U.S. Senate Votes to Advance Russia Sanctions Package; Dow Suffers Worst Day in More Than a Year; Fauci Pleads the Fifth at Senate Hearing. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 29, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, President Donald Trump's new threat to Iran after the U.S. says it intercepted ballistic missiles fired at U.S. forces in the

Middle East. Preparing for the worst, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warns of a massive Russian strike tonight. I will speak this

hour to the Deputy Mayor of Kyiv. And the Dow plunges more than 1,100 points, its worst day in more than a year.

It's our turn. President Trump promises retribution after the U.S. military said it had intercepted a surprise attack by Iran on U.S. forces in the

Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're going to be hitting them very hard, because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming. They're asking us

not to do it. But, you know, they tried shooting it last night. So, we had five rockets shot going 8,500 miles an hour, and all five rockets were

knocked down to the ground. But they nevertheless took a shot. So, it's our turn. And we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point, but

we're going to hit them very hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: The president added an expletive-laden warning to Iran about new strikes in an interview with Fox News. The U.S. military says it is teaming

up with Saudi Arabia to target an Iran-allied group called the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. The PMF says the joint attack killed at least

20 people. An Iranian official says that four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard were killed there.

A new CNN poll finds that a whopping 73 percent of Americans say President Trump has not paid enough attention to the country's most important issues.

Only 28 percent say they believe he has a clear plan for ending the war with Iran. That's down from 40 percent when it started.

Kevin Liptak is at the White House. And, Kevin, those numbers, not good for the president. They've been bad for some time. These are getting worse,

particularly on the Iran war. And yet the president is promising more action tonight. Is your understanding that this will be a one-off, acts of

retribution, but not a further expansion of the war?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the way the president described it as our turn to strike Iran suggests that he views it as simple

retaliation, as a continuation of these night-by-night tit-for-tat attacks that you saw over the course of the previous week but had seemed to die

down as the president was trying to pursue that diplomacy.

You know, the numbers are striking, I think, for the White House. The reality is that Iran can read those numbers as well as anyone, and they

recognize that the president is in a political bind here. And as they plot their own strategy forward, they realize that they have this degree of

leverage over the president, these midterm elections that are coming in three months, the increasingly sour mood among Americans about how exactly

this war is going.

And so, when you saw yesterday the Iranians really for the first time preemptively strike, you know, not following the pattern of retaliating

against American strikes but going first, essentially, I think it shows a willingness on their part to restart the hostilities and really throws into

question the president's own claims that they are begging him to get back to the negotiating table.

And so, it is a predicament, and it's an expanding predicament as well. You see multiple fronts opening just in the last 24 hours in Iraq, the U.S. and

Saudi Arabia, going after those Iran-backed militias that the Saudis say have been firing on their oil facilities. You also see a tanker targeted at

an Egyptian port. And so, you see all of these multiple fronts starting to open up, really decreasing the avenues in some ways for the president to

try and end all of this diplomatically. And so, it is a conundrum for him.

You know, when you talk about that poll number that says most Americans don't think that the president is focused on what they're focused on, I

think the Iran war just sort of encapsulates all of that.

[18:05:00]

This is not a conflict that many Americans were focused on before the president began it. It's not an issue that they raised in polls. And now,

as the president sort of deals with the economic fallout of it, it's an area that he, I think, is going to have to find a way to resolve if

Republicans are going to salvage their chances in the elections.

But if you were looking for the president to sort of demonstrate that he is on the same page as where Americans are, you know, his only public event

today was this event talking about renovating Dulles Airport. You know, he had a laser pointer pointing to the parking garages and where exactly he

wanted them placed.

And so, even as, I think, a lot of the president's aides want him to turn his focus to the economy, to the pocketbook issues that so many Americans

say they're focused on, his attention is clearly somewhere else.

SCIUTTO: President is property developer. Kevin Liptak at the White House, thanks so much. For more, Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley joins me now

as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for taking the time.

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Thank you. Good to be back.

SCIUTTO: So, from where you sit and from your positions on committees like the Intelligence Committee, you're watching the Iran war very closely. Do

you believe that a retaliatory strike by the U.S. tonight, if it goes forward, would change the stalemate in any way with Iran, measurably move

the war in the direction of the U.S.?

QUIGLEY: Look, the regime has a resolve here. As evil as they are, what this conflict has done is emboldened them. I think what people don't

understand about Iran and their regime is the last thing they want is rapprochement with the rest of the world.

You know, beyond their few allies like China, their regime succeeds as sort of us against the rest of the world. So, the conflict has probably

emboldened them. It's weakened them temporarily militarily, but it's, you know, this is a, this is an army of 1.5 million people that can be

restocked, restored, especially if they get help from others.

And at this point in time, an escalation is probably not in their best interest, but it's certainly not one in which they're going to back down

and say, oh, please, can we go to the bargaining table? That hasn't been borne out in all the months of this conflict.

SCIUTTO: There have been so many stop and start votes regarding limiting the president's war powers here. Of course, they're going nowhere. I just

wonder, in your view, do you believe that congressional oversight of the president's war powers, whether this president or any president, is

effectively broken? And would a Democratic majority Congress, if you're to win the House, perhaps the Senate, propose new legislation to correct that?

QUIGLEY: In the final analysis, when the Democrats do get back to the House and hopefully the Senate, they'll have control of the appropriations,

and that will be the, you know, at least break that allows Congress to reassert its authority.

But for way too long, Congress hasn't asserted their constitutional authority. Presidents have routinely violated. This president has taken it

to an extreme. Unfortunately, there's just a handful of Republicans willing to stand up to the president.

At what point do they change their minds? Perhaps as the midterms get closer, they can read polls just as well as anyone, and the fact that,

what, two-thirds, three-quarters of the American people disagree with this, and they realize that this war is costing, just costing the tragedy of

American lives.

$70 billion appropriated already by Republicans for this war, and they see everything costing more because of it, because so many things come through

this trade, and the energy costs go through this economy over and over again.

SCIUTTO: Iran is now saying that if the Strait of Hormuz were to return to normal operations, Iran would not have achieved its war aims. Does that

communicate quite clearly that Iran intends to maintain influence over the Strait and believes it has the leverage to do so?

QUIGLEY: Yes. And perhaps tragically, we may have taught them that, that they have that leverage, and as we've seen, it doesn't take a large navy

for them to do that, right? This can simply be as we have witnessed drone attacks.

So, for de minimis costs, the Iranians can at least make shipping very, very difficult and costly, and as a result, have an extraordinary effect on

the economy. And as Americans need to appreciate the fact and remind themselves, when the conflict started, the Strait was open.

[18:10:00]

What we've lost in billions, tens of billions in cost in human life and a traumatic cost to the economy will be a negative, a net loss to the United

States. The original purposes as stated and often change, regime change, simply unfortunately not going to happen. This is about obliterating the

nuclear program or making them decide to go to the table to cease it. That's not working either. So, in the end, we've got to ask ourselves, what

are we doing this for?

SCIUTTO: Yes. Big picture question here. In terms of weapons shortages, particularly magazine depth, as they call it in air interceptors, but also

weapons like Tomahawk missiles, et cetera. Has the Iran war left the U.S. strategically vulnerable in Asia and elsewhere around the world?

QUIGLEY: I think the best way that I can state it is that this is becoming an area of concern. And obviously, conflicts can inflate areas of concern,

conflate how the U.S. reacts in one theater impacts how the rest of the world looks at that.

The fact that we have not helped Ukraine in the manner in which we should have, we have been tentative, sends Beijing a message. And the fact that we

are depleted is an advantage to our adversary and a great concern, not just cost. The fact that President Zelenskyy was in town asking for more help,

and that was almost, I'm not in the meeting, but I'm almost certain it was about air defense.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

QUEST: So, in an illegal war with very little purpose at this point in time, we're making ourselves less safe across the world and hurting our

allies, principally in the most important conflict in Europe since the Second World War, Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: To that point, we were meant to speak to the deputy mayor of Kyiv, but we just were told that he has to seek shelter. As expected, as

the Ukrainian president had warned, Russia appears to be attacking the Ukrainian capital once again here. Where is Ukraine left, right? If -- even

if President Trump wanted to give or delivered on promises to give additional air defenses, not clear that the U.S. has enough in reserve to

do so.

And it's going to take some time for Ukraine to manufacture its own, even with U.S. licenses. Where does that leave them in the meantime? Are they

effectively sitting ducks, right, to these Russian attacks?

QUIGLEY: To an extent, they're in far greater peril than they were. I mean, the damage was done in the early months of the Trump second

administration, when he didn't do another supplemental, when he criticized Zelenskyy, when he, in a sense, made it sound like there was a moral

equivalency in this conflict. He's still never chosen who he wants to win.

And if the president, besides meeting with Zelenskyy and a fair-weather friend saying that they're doing better, a big difference from 17 months

ago, what he said, you know, he would have seized Russian assets in the U.S. and used those to help build defenses for Ukraine. He would have

signed on to sanctions that have real teeth. There's a bill that's going to be before him very soon to do that very same thing.

But again, Putin understands strength. That is it. He doesn't see it in Trump, when especially when it comes to this conflict. If he would have

helped sooner, this would have helped. Ukrainians can still win this, and certainly not let Russia win. But the extraordinary damage that's taking

place was unnecessary.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Mike Quigley, thanks so much for joining.

QUIGLEY: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, the Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelenskyy, as we said, has warned a high, there is a high probability of a massive attack tonight

by Russian forces. And he posted on X, formerly Twitter, that a shortage of air defense missiles will endanger lives, saying, it is important that our

partners fully understand what is happening and that the protection of lives directly depends on their readiness, or lack thereof, to help us with

air defense missiles.

And this is what a city without such defenses looks like. A barrage of Russian missiles and drones lit up the night sky over Kyiv, this three

weeks ago. At least seven people died on that particular night. Apartment blocks were among Russia's deliberate targets. And this, 10 days ago, this

is the aftermath of a ballistic missile attack as well.

Yesterday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy appealed to President Trump for those air defenses at the White House.

[18:15:00]

And this, 10 days ago, this is the aftermath of a ballistic missile attack as well. Yesterday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy appealed to President

Trump for those air defenses at the White House and called for a new diplomatic push to end the war. Reuters reports that U.S. envoy Steve

Witkoff and Jared Kushner are planning to visit Ukraine for the first time, mind you, to attempt to kick-start that process.

So, joining me now, live from Kyiv, is the city's Deputy Mayor, Konstantin Usov. Thanks so much for taking the time. I know it's not an easy night for

you there.

KONSTANTIN USOV, DEPUTY MAYOR OF KYIV: Good night -- afternoon. Good afternoon, Jim. It's night in Kyiv. It's 1:15 a.m. And the rocket strike

has already begun.

SCIUTTO: Tell me how Ukraine, how Kyiv specifically, manages to defend itself when those crucial interceptor missiles are in such short supply.

USOV: People often think of air defense as a military equipment. For the government of Kyiv, the Patriot interceptors have become a part of our

critical infrastructure. It's basically impossible to effectively run a livable city if you cannot defend your school, your kindergarten, your

hospital, your daily operations.

When we are short on supplies, the impact is heavy and lives are lost, casualties, people die, and the disruption is terrible. The biggest

misconception about Kyiv and many Ukrainian cities now is that people think that those are the cities frozen by war, which is not true. People show up

for work, kids go to school, the livability of the city is measured by whether we can ensure the continuous process, if whether the surgery can

still take place when there is a complete shutdown because the energy grid was targeted.

We rely on three things, on defense, on people that constantly show resilience. It's their choice to remain resilient and they manifest

resilience through action. And it's, of course, the decisions of the local and central government. The war is the time when leadership is not a word,

it's an action, it's a practice, and we try to represent that in the best way.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this because, of course, Zelenskyy came here to the U.S. and met with Trump in the White House. Principally, it seemed to

ask for more U.S. help. And while President Trump appeared to say supportive things, do you believe Zelenskyy left the U.S. with any new

concrete U.S. support, particularly for its air defenses?

USOV: Thank you, Jim. Ukraine measures its diplomatic success by practical outcomes. Every government, the U.S. government, the U.S. government has

its own politics. Your domestic politics is complicated enough. We respect that.

What matters to us is whether there is a reliable and predictable partnership that allows us to build up our capabilities, that protects

civilians, and strengthens the prospect of just peace -- of just and lasting peace. And we'll see.

SCIUTTO: You'll see. In effect, you're saying you don't know yet whether Ukraine will get any more help?

USOV: We appreciate the relationship with American people. We rely on the strong connection between Ukrainian nation and American nation,

irrespectively of administration that currently holds this or that branch of power. But, of course, we rely on American cooperation and support

heavily. We see U.S. our strategic partner. And we would love to have more capabilities on time so that not only we are doing our part of the job, but

we also rely on our friends to help us.

[18:20:00]

Not to do anything instead of us. This is not our request.

SCIUTTO: As you know, the U.S. is going to allow Ukraine now, via licensing, to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles. But that, as I

understand it, will take years. Do you have any hard sense of how long before Ukraine can produce its own? And then, what does it do in the

meantime?

USOV: There is no confirmed timeline as to when we can ramp up our own production. For a while, it's important for us to understand that rocket

alerts and rocket strikes are being prepared by Russia almost daily.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

USOV: Of course, on the nights like this one, it takes a week or 10 days for them to amass a huge amount of rockets for a simultaneous strike. These

days are the hardest. So, before we actually are able to produce the Patriot interceptors on our own, there is a need for us to have something

to defend ourselves with daily.

I believe that everyone understands that. This defensive part of Ukrainian resilience is just one component of what we are doing. On the front lines,

we are brave, courageous. We are standing our ground. But it's also important to be able to actually protect your children, your grandparents,

your infrastructure, to then be effective on the front lines, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, what does your night look like for you, given that another Russian attack is underway? Where do you go, and how long do you

have to be there?

USOV: Just like millions of Ukrainian families, there are 4 million people living in Kyiv. It's a big city. My kids and my wife are now down in the

basement of our multifamily apartment building. I'm here with you to deliver the message and to enjoy this chance to be on your show.

And this is a daily routine for Ukrainian families. They put their kids to bed earlier so that there is at least some sleep, because Russians tend to

strike at night or early in the morning. Then you survive. Then you make your cup of coffee. Then you make sure that your children go to school and

continue their learning, because learning is a manifest to the future.

And, you know, showing up is what Ukrainians do daily. This is a resilience in action. This is optimism in its best form. This is defying what Russia

is trying to do to us. I've never thought that being able to just show up for another day and do what you need to be doing is such an act of bravery.

And I'm so proud of Ukrainian people. I'm just trying to do my part.

SCIUTTO: Well, I hope you and your family remain safe tonight and in many nights to come. Konstantin Usov, thanks so much for joining.

USOV: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, still ahead, a sharp sell-off on Wall Street after Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady again. Big tech firms also out with

earnings. We'll bring you the latest from the markets, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks finished sharply lower amid a fresh spike in oil prices and new concern that the Fed

is falling behind in the fight against inflation. The U.S. Central Bank kept rates steady at its latest policy meeting, but three out of nine

policymakers voted for a rate hike. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh also talked tough on inflation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN WARSH, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: Inflation remains elevated relative to the committee's 2 percent goal. The committee remains resolute.

You've heard this before, but we will deliver price stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: With U.S. inflation at 3.5 percent, a big question at today's news conference was why the Fed chose not to act just yet. U.S. Treasury

yields rose sharply amid those ongoing inflation concerns.

Clare Duffy joins me now. And, Claire, it seemed that markets were relieved at first that the Fed didn't raise rates, but then they sold off, before

you knew it, down a thousand points. What's the big concern? Are they just expecting rates to have to go up eventually?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes, Jim, I think that there is concern here around whether the Fed is acting quickly enough to address inflation.

As you said, we did see stocks go up slightly as Kevin Warsh was talking after this decision today and then sliding into the end of the day. The Dow

had its worst day April 2025, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq is also on the brink of a correction.

And so, I think you're seeing concerns, especially given the fact that while Kevin Warsh did sort of talk tough on inflation, as you said there,

he doesn't give a ton of forward-looking guidance in the way that we've seen from other central bank leaders. And that may be a tough pill for

markets to swallow at a time when there is so much uncertainty around things like the Iran war and the impact of A.I. infrastructure spending by

big tech on inflation going forward. And so, I think that uncertainty is really driving the volatility that you're seeing today.

SCIUTTO: Tell me about Meta's announcement, because big news for the market today was it's saying it's keeping its CapEx spending near the high

end of estimates, of course, at a time when the cash flow is shrinking and there are broader market concerns about spending just like that. What's the

risk here?

DUFFY: Yes, Jim, going into tonight's earnings print from both Meta and Microsoft, there were big questions from investors about that massive A.I.

infrastructure spending by both companies and when investors would start to see a return on that. And you really get the tail of two earnings reports

here.

On the one hand, you've got Microsoft posting better-than-expected sales and profits. And in its key Azure cloud spending division, the company saw

43 percent year-on-year growth, better-than-expected. Investors are liking that as a sign that Microsoft is seeing a return on those A.I. investments.

But Meta, on the other hand, as you said, keeping its guidance for CapEx high for the year. At the same time, revenue slowed year-on-year from the

previous quarter. It posted lower-than-expected profits. And you've got that slim free cash flow, highlighting the fact that Meta may be having a

harder time generating returns from its massive A.I. infrastructure spending compared to what investors would like to see, Jim.

SCIUTTO: A lot of money getting thrown around. Clare Duffy, thanks so much.

[18:30:00]

Well, checking some of today's other business headlines now. The A.I. security leak, which triggered global alarm last week, was more extensive

than previously known. OpenAI now says its models that escaped a virtual testing lab, a sandbox as it's called, did not just break into one company,

it says they also hacked into a number of other publicly available services and accounts. Reuters identified one of the newly disclosed targets as a

customer at a New York-based tech firm, Modal Labs.

Staffers from one of the world's leading A.I. firms have written an open letter to the U.S. government, urging it to slow the pace of A.I.

development. More than 1,000 employees from firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, say a more cautious approach is necessary so that

safety measures can catch up with technology. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, agrees with them. He appeared on a podcast and shared many of those very

same concerns.

Well, the Trump administration is now banning the sale of new Chinese humanoid robots here in the U.S. It says the move is needed to protect the

U.S. A.I. buildout from national security threats and curb U.S. reliance on overseas technology. The ban does not affect robots already in use. Beijing

calls the move another example of the U.S. using national security concerns to suppress Chinese businesses.

Coming up next, a remarkable hearing on Capitol Hill, not because of what was said, but because of what was not said. Dr. Anthony Fauci facing hard

questions and attacks about the origins of COVID-19.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed it conducted strikes alongside the U.S. in the ongoing war on Iran, raising fears of a broader conflict. The joint strikes

targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq. At least 20 people were reportedly killed.

[18:35:00]

President Donald Trump is threatening a "beating," quote/unquote, for Iran after its surprise attack on U.S. bases in the region. Iran says it

targeted U.S. military sites in Jordan.

Officials say firefighters in Spain and France are starting to gain the upper hand on some of the biggest wildfires there. Authorities report

favorable conditions and some evacuees returning home. But a heat wave and strong winds could threaten certain areas in the coming days. There is also

concern the wildfires could break out in Greece, Central Europe and Italy over the next several weeks.

Millions of people across the northeastern U.S. are under flood watches. A slow-moving and powerful storm is bringing heavy rainfall, leading to some

water rescues in New Jersey. Thousands of flights have been canceled at airports across the U.S., this according to FlightAware.

He was, of course, the leading voice in the U.S. response to COVID-19. But today, Dr. Anthony Fauci was tight-lipped in what was at times a dramatic

hearing on Capitol Hill. Fauci, who was the U.S. government's top infectious diseases expert, refused to testify before a Senate committee

investigating the origins of the virus, this on the advice of his lawyers, to avoid possible allegations of perjury.

Republican Senator Rand Paul says there will be a vote next week on holding Fauci in contempt of Congress, this after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment

rights more than 100 times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Can you explain to the committee why you chose to fund this dangerous research in China?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, FORMER DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to

answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.

PAUL: In the red folder on your table is a copy of Section 192 of Title II of the U.S. Code. Your counsel has been provided a copy as well. That

section makes it a crime for a witness appearing under subpoena to refuse to answer any questions pertinent to the question under inquiry. Do you

have that in front of you?

FAUCI: On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, you saw that same answer multiple times over the course of the hearing. Joining me now, former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi. Gene,

good to have you.

GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA: Good to be back.

SCIUTTO: So, in your view, did Fauci have the right to invoke his Fifth Amendment? Senator Rand Paul, along with some Republicans, he says that

because he was pardoned by President Biden, he can no longer invoke the Fifth Amendment because that pardon protects him from criminal exposure, at

least during his time that he served as the country's top infectious diseases expert. Do you agree with that view?

ROSSI: No, I don't agree with it. And with all due respect to Senators Paul, Josh Hawley, and Senator Moreno of Ohio, I disagree. And here's why.

The pardon by President Biden does not protect Mr. Fauci, Dr. Fauci, from state crimes. So, that's a reason to invoke the Fifth, because there could

be a prosecution under state law, regardless of whether his answers are true or false.

Number two, the pardon only covers conduct from 2014 to right after President Biden left office or near there. And the third reason is this.

Rand Paul has already said that his goal is to put Dr. Fauci in jail. So, he has already said, when you come before my committee, I'm going to look

at you with a keen eye.

So, there's a basis for a Fifth Amendment, because even if there are questions, Jim, not about for which he has pardoned, been pardoned, if

there are other questions that may not be covered by a pardon, he will be prosecuted for perjury.

Here's my suggestion to Senator Rand Paul. If you really want Fauci to testify, just give him immunity. And the only limitation, if he lies under

oath, is what happened with Oliver North. They gave Oliver North immunity. And then they had a special counsel, independent counsel, that indicted him

anyway. And what happened was his immunized testimony tainted the indictment. So, if they really want to have Dr. Fauci testify and answer

questions, just give him immunity.

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: Right. Right. That seems to be what his lawyer's advice was to Fauci, and we should note that his lawyer was forcibly removed from the

hearing because Senator Paul said he wasn't invited, in fact. But his lawyer's advice seemed to be that, you know, Paul or others might accuse

him of saying something inaccurate or untruthful in this current testimony.

ROSSI: Right. I want to say this, Dr. Fauci has two phenomenal attorneys. They're friends of mine. Dave Schertler, Danny Onorato. Danny Onorato was

the one who was sitting behind Dr. Fauci when they escorted Dave Schertler out of the room, which should not have been done. They should have let Mr.

Schertler either sit with Dr. Fauci or make a brief statement. They should not have done that.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I've seen a lot of lawyers next to folks in congressional testimony before. How about contempt? I mean, is there a case here for Paul

and the committee holding Fauci in contempt potentially for not answering those questions or rather invoking his Fifth Amendment?

ROSSI: I will say this, when they were asking Dr. Fauci, what color is your tie, what color is the rug, do you have -- I don't know, do you have

water in your glass, if you had a glass there. OK. That's not covered by the -- that's not a Fifth Amendment a right to not answer that -- those

questions. So, technically, what is the color of your tie, he didn't answer that.

OK. Let's get to contempt. Eric Holder was found in contempt by the House of Representatives I think in 2012 or thereabouts, and it was a substantial

vote in the House of Representatives to hold it in contempt. What happened was he wasn't producing documents from the ATF, the FBI regarding an

operation Fast and Furious, regarding the guns that were let out into the streets. What happened? That contempt resolution by the House went to the

Department of Justice and it died a slow death.

Here we have the opposite. If the committee votes to hold him in contempt it won't pass the Senate because I think it's subject to filibuster, it

could go to the House. But if it goes to Department of Justice, guess what, Dr. Fauci is going to be charged either civil or criminally in a New York

Minute because the acting attorney general or maybe the confirmed attorney general, Todd Blanche, is going to do what President Trump wants. And both

Fauci -- or both President Trump and Rand Paul want Fauci in jail.

SCIUTTO: Yes. They've said so publicly, as you noted. Gene Rossi, appreciate you joining.

ROSSI: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still to come on "The Brief," they're sometimes called the world's forgotten Christians. CNN visits the Holy Land to see how

Palestinian Christians are increasingly under siege while much of the world stays silent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:00]

SCIUTTO: Christian communities in the Holy Land are facing a surge in intimidation and violence from Israeli extremist groups. In a special

report, CNN's Clarissa Ward travels from Jerusalem to the occupied West Bank to explore how these attacks threatened the survival of some ancient

communities there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 2,000 years, Christians have been in the Holy Land. That presence now under

mounting pressure as attacks on Christians rise.

In Jerusalem, spitting at clergy, vandalizing holy sites, harassment and intimidation are almost daily occurrences. While in the occupied West Bank,

Israeli settler violence and economic pressure are pushing Palestinian Christians out.

April 2026, a nun is thrown to the pavement by an Israeli extremist just outside the site of the Last Supper. The Israeli government strongly

condemns the attack and the suspect is arrested.

ANTHONY GIAMBRONE, ECOLE BIBLIQUE ET ARCHEDOGIQUE FRANCAISE DE JERUSALEM: This is where two of the corridors meet, Christian and Jewish. And so, it's

always been a friction point.

WARD (voice-over): Father Anthony Giambrone teaches at the same school as the nun who was attacked. He has lived in Jerusalem for 10 years.

WARD: Does anyone have any sense of what the motivation was here? I've heard some speculation that maybe he was a disturbed individual or --

GIAMBRONE: He could be disturbed. But he's filled with an ideology as well that I think doesn't want to accept her presence here.

WARD: Help us understand that a little bit better.

GIAMBRONE: Yes. Well, I mean, it's obviously a long history. It's very important to say that's, you know, that's an extreme view. I think there's

increasing concern that it's an extreme view that's getting mainstream. It's a fundamentalist understanding of the possession of the land. The land

was given to the Jews and that needs to mean all of it.

WARD (voice-over): According to the Religious Freedom Data Center, from April to June of this year, reports of incidents against Christians in

Jerusalem rose by 70 percent, compared to the three months before October 7th, though the spike may partly reflect more people coming forward to

report.

The fallout has embarrassed the Israeli government internationally. In April, it appointed Arab-Israeli Christian diplomat George Deek as special

envoy to the Christian world, the first such position in Israel's history.

GEORGE DEEK, ISRAEL SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE CHRISTIAN WORLD: Attacks on Christians, on Jews, on Muslims or anyone based on their faith or their

ethnicity is immoral, illegal and unacceptable. We should, however, be able to distinguish between serious incidents that require serious action and

the false narrative that this is somehow representative of the Israeli state, Israeli society or Christian life in Israel.

The reality in Israel is that Israel remains the only place in the region where the numbers, the Christian community in Israel, is actually growing.

WARD: There is a sense that these types of incidents and this type of bigotry and this ideology has been allowed to continue with relative

impunity.

DEEK: I acknowledge the fact that there is a rise in extremism in Israel, just like we see a rise in extremism I think across the world. We can do

more and we should do more. And it is my task to make sure that we will do more.

WARD (voice-over): But just 20 miles away, the government is enabling Israeli settler extremism.

WARD: So, we're driving now to a town called Taybeh in the occupied West Bank and it's been coming under attack from settlers for some years now.

But those attacks have really intensified in recent months.

WARD (voice-over): Palestinians of all faiths are struggling but Christian Palestinians are leaving faster than most.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is no work, no money. My children want to buy something for 20 shekels and I don't have any to give

them.

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WARD (voice-over): It doesn't take long for us to come across Roland Bassir. His cement factory has come under attack this morning by settlers,

as it does most days.

ROLAND BASSIR, CHRISTIAN PALESTINE (through translator): Look here they are running after me.

WARD (voice-over): He shows us videos he has compiled over months of settler extremists chasing him out of his factory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Can't you understand, this is our place.

WARD (through translator): Do you have any idea why they are doing this?

BASSIR (through translator): I don't know. They want to take over everything. Yesterday I told him I'm from Taybeh. He said, this settlement

is mine. Taybeh is mine. If I have the opportunity to leave, I would leave and not stay in this town because there is no future for me or my children.

WARD (voice-over): Down at the damaged factory, the Israeli police and army finally arrive 4.5 hours after Bassir says he first called them. But

minutes later, without even getting out of their vehicles, they turn around and start to leave.

BASSIR: See you later. Bye-bye.

WARD: So, they came, they ...

BASSIR (through translator): And you saw it.

WARD: -- seem now to be leaving.

WARD (voice-over): As we drive out of Taybeh, we see a young settler grazing his sheep in the town's olive groves.

WARD: Hi. Hi, excuse me. My name is Clarissa Ward. I work for CNN. Can I ask you some questions? Do you speak any English?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Hello. Do you speak English?

WARD (voice-over): He ignores our attempts to speak with him in Hebrew and begins to film us.

WARD: This is a Palestinian town, Taybeh. It's a Christian Palestinian town. I'm just wondering if you can explain why you're here or what you're

doing here. This is not your land. So, you can see he took a video of the whole thing, did not say a single word to us. And we're right here, right

outside of Taybeh.

WARD (voice-over): Reverend Munther Isaac says that, since October 7th, the situation has become untenable.

MUNTHER ISAAC, EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH: Christians are part of the Palestinian people. Whatever happened to all Palestinians happens to us.

The issue with Christians is that, because our numbers are small, we became a very vulnerable community. So, every family that leaves, we feel its

impact.

WARD: Do you feel that the church is doing enough to protect Christians here?

ISAAC: Churches around the world are saying many good things. What we need is action to put pressure on Israel to stop the settlement activities and

to reach a settlement with the Palestinians.

WARD (voice-over): For now, that seems a distant prospect. Without decisive action, the erosion of Christian life in the Holy Land will

continue. The question is whether there is political will to change it.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Jerusalem.

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SCIUTTO: "The Brief" continues right after a short break.

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[18:55:00]

SCIUTTO: The K-pop supergroup, BTS, says it will not be submitting any of its music for Grammy Award consideration. For 2027, the Academy added a new

category called Asian Pop Music Performance. BTS says its music should not be divided by region or language. The band's latest Korean language album

debuted in March at number one on the Billboard chart.

One of the Beatles' most important albums is getting a new treatment. A special edition of "Rubber Soul" is set to be released on October 2nd. It

will feature new mixes of the 1965 album done by Giles Martin, son of original Beatles producer, George Martin. "Rubber Soul" is a landmark album

in the Fab Four's catalog. It marked the transition from commercial pop group to mature musicians with unbridled creativity and the freedom to

express it. It's a great album.

Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

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