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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Colombia Earthquake Aftermath; Colombian President Declares State of National Disaster; Trump's Secret Departure; Six U.S. States Holding Primary Elections Today; Lawmakers Consider A.I. "Kill Switch" Bill; Trump Admin. Asks for $1.5 Trillion in Military Funding; New Zealand Prime Minister to Face Lawmakers. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 11, 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]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton in New York. You are
watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, devastation and hope in Colombia. Where we're witnessing -- what we're witnessing on the ground following Monday's deadly
earthquake, including an incredible rescue. We're learning more about President Trump's secret departure from Turkey last month following worries
over security threats from Iran and U.S. lawmakers are pushing for a built- in kill switch that could stop A.I. models before they cause harm.
Now, these are critical hours ahead as rescuers and volunteers dig through rubble to find survivors. And we do begin in Colombia where many are
working around the clock after the devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
These images filmed by CNN show the frantic efforts to reach people still trapped under the rubble. Among the desperation, moments of hope. You're
looking at a baby being pulled out from under the rubble of an apartment building.
Now, a video emerging on social media is giving us a glimpse of Monday's horrific scenes. More than 200 people are reported dead, hundreds more are
injured, and an unknown number are missing.
David Culver is on the scene for us in Pereira, Colombia, one of the city's hardest hits. He has more now on how the rescue operations are unfolding.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A rush of first responders from here in Pereira trying to figure out how much closer they
can get. And they were moving a lot of the vehicles off to the side and positioning themselves to be able to pull out anyone who potentially is
stuck within that rubble. And you can see this is just one of the ambulances just behind us here that's backed in and they're ready with
stretchers closer towards the rubble to try to bring folks up.
And you can see also this has been a line that has just been extended. I mean, all of these folks are volunteers. And when we got here a couple of
hours ago, this didn't exist at all. You had a drug store, you had a restaurant. And we're told, at least by a couple of the locals here, that
they believe that there's a young girl that's still trapped inside, an older woman that was described by one business owner just at the corner
here.
Others have said, no, there's more people in there. And that's a totally exposed apartment. You can see bedding and a family's kitchen. And all of
that, of course, has crumbled down onto the street. A lot of that has landed on vehicles. So, it's quite widespread within this city.
One of the reasons that they decided to bring in even more first responders is to say, we're hearing yelling at one point. That yelling, at least from
where we stand, is no longer audible. I mean, the damage is just extensive.
If you're looking at this one right here, where you can look inside at someone or multiple people's apartments, you see a bathroom, living room,
bedroom, personal belongings. And then I think somebody's shower curtain is right here on the ground.
She says, as of last night, they had pulled out seven bodies. And five survivors from this collapse right here. This was a hotel and there were
small little factories and little bars too. She says, given how much of a disaster this is, there are not sufficient enough machinery that they have.
And I said, this is known as the city without doors. And she smiled and laughed because it's known for being such a friendly and open community.
[18:05:00]
We've noticed a lot of folks are just sitting out in the shade and not going inside any of the structures. And that's because some of them may
just be questionable as far as their stability. And others may not have running water and electricity still. And so, they really have nowhere else
to go in some cases. Look down here. I mean, just street after street of destruction.
He's thanking for the attention. Again, he's asking, they need the machinery to be able to move this. They just don't have sufficient
equipment to do it.
It's rare that you walk into a disaster zone like that and just they're trying to welcome you to their space. And yet, they're also expressing
their frustration and the need to have more resources, heavy duty equipment to move this stuff. And you can see here some personal belongings of folks
that just end up in the street. Oh, this is a little child's hat and some shoes.
I mean, it is street after street in the center of this city, a city, mind you, that's roughly half a million in population. So, that's for folks in
the U.S. like Minneapolis or Raleigh, North Carolina. So, it's sizable and the impact is significant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to the cover there who's on the ground now. The U.N. warns food distribution is going to be critical in the coming days in
Colombia. The Red Cross is coordinating the relief effort. They're looking at volunteers organizing donations at a Red Cross warehouse in the
Colombian capital of Bogota.
We want to focus on that massive humanitarian challenge that Colombia now faces. Loyce Pace is regional director for the Americas at the
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. And she joins us now from Panama.
So, humbling to see David there speak to that rescuer, the volunteer, to thank him for bringing attention to this. You know, we are now between
we're about 36 hours out from this disaster and we're hearing that some communities still haven't received any aid at all. No one's reached them.
That includes an indigenous reserve in Choco that can only be reached in a five-hour boat journey.
So, just sketch it out for us. How serious is the problem and what are you hearing from some of the more remote areas that haven't had help yet?
LOYCE PACE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES: No, I really appreciate your team shining a light
on this. And I think that's the right question. You know, how are we getting to the farthest fun places to provide that support that we can
offer?
First off, I'll say the earthquake was felt in a very wide area. So, I think your person on the ground is in one of those areas, but it crossed a
dozen states. And so, that's and given the population of Colombia, that's really affecting millions of people, including in Choco, which is an area
that does struggle with access and resources at baseline.
We at the Red Cross have been responding in Choco over the past couple of years to a number of emergencies. So, we're familiar with the area, but it
does take time to reach these areas. And that's what we're facing now on the ground through the Colombia Red Cross is they're trying to reach
everywhere and everyone they can in the immediate hours.
What's good news is that the Colombia Red Cross has 20,000 volunteers. And so, they're able to mobilize quite well in the wake of an emergency. And I
think they have about five or 600 who are already deployed for search and rescue efforts like those your reporter described, which are so critical in
these early hours.
NEWTON: Yes, it is certainly a bright spot. And so, many of these disasters that I've covered as well, the communities really come together
and know what they need to do and are able and willing. My question for you is how difficult is it to get the supplies in the country right now? Is it
difficult given your extensive experience you just highlighted you have experience in these areas?
PACE: Yes. No, I appreciate that question. Well, the good news is that we do have some supplies already pre-positioned in Colombia for these types of
disasters. And unfortunately, we were facing something like El Nino, which isn't the same, I recognize, but whether it's floods or landslides, these
are issues some of these communities were facing already.
And so, we already had some of these personal hygiene kits, shelter kits, and other needs on the ground. We're absolutely needing to ship more. And
so, it's helpful to be coordinated with authorities and agencies in Colombia to allow these goods to enter the country. It's my understanding
the government also is obviously coordinating through its disaster response agency with the diplomatic corps.
And so, there are conversations happening about how to get more supplies into the country and how we can reach people with those supplies. But those
supplies are nothing without the volunteers that you mentioned. And I really appreciate your reporter really shining a light on the people who
are lining up to help each other, you know, these people who will actually ensure that these products really reach the people most in need, especially
with schools and homes and health facilities all damaged, if not completely collapsed by this tragedy.
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NEWTON: Yes. and it's an important point to highlight, right? It is also the primary care clinics, the hospitals that are also affected through
this.
You know, we've seen the U.S. already stepping up, committing $15 million in funding. The E.U. is also mobilizing some aid, and that includes
satellite service to try and strengthen those response operations. I mean, where are the gaps here? Like, let us know, what do you feel more could be
done? Again, and to reiterate, we're reaching a very critical point here in terms of trying to find survivors.
PACE: Yes, we are. And it's a hard question to answer because I think -- I mean, it's really incredible the number of people who are paying attention
to this issue, particularly in the wake of Venezuela, right? Unfortunately, this is our second earthquake tragedy in the region in just a couple of
months. And so, folks are sensitized, which is quite helpful, focused on search and rescue. Honestly, that's really what we're trying to do.
We also, through the Columbia Red Cross, have set up a restoring family links line. So, people who are just looking for loved ones, who can't get a
hold of people, and I know there are a lot of folks in the diaspora, it's important to reach out through those hotlines to ensure that people know
who they're looking for. With regards to folks who might want to send donations, that's not yet needed. But the government has expressed a need
for food, medical supplies, and other needs, again, in coordinating with other governments.
And so, what will be important is that in the coming days, if not weeks, we are ensuring that we get those critical supplies to people. But right now,
we have to find the people where they are. You know, you've seen the numbers where we've only, unfortunately, there have been a couple of
hundred people who, you know, have lost their lives or close to that number, but there are more missing and there are many more affected.
And so, we want to ensure that we can find those people where we can, and then surely get them the health, including psychosocial support, the
shelter and food and water that they require.
NEWTON: Yes. The isolation of some of these communities that was very close to the epicenter at this hour still remains a very real concern.
Loyce Pace, we thank you so much, and good luck to all your efforts in the coming days.
PACE: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
NEWTON: Now, in what one prominent U.S. senator calls unprecedented and surreal, a U.S. official says after the NATO summit last month, President
Donald Trump secretly slipped out of Turkey by swapping planes. While he was seen boarding an older Air Force One, the president was actually flown
out on an alternate military plane because of a security threat from Iran. According to a story first reported by The Washington Post, Mr. Trump snuck
into a catering truck, which moved to a different plane. This, while some staff and media flew on the original plane.
We want to go straight to the White House and CNN's Alayna Treene, who's been digging into all of this to try and give us more information. I mean,
the White House perhaps unsurprisingly has not said anything much at all. I am wondering, though, what's salient here, right? And that is, what was
this extraordinary threat from Iran?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's a great question, Paula, and one that we still don't have specific answers to. I can tell
you, initially, the White House had actually argued that there wasn't a specific threat from Iran. I would note that it was unusual from the
beginning that the president was going to be switching planes at all.
During this time, you know, the president was in Turkey, in Ankara for the NATO summit. He was going to be taking a plane from Turkey to the U.K. to
refuel, then carry on back to Washington. But what happened was, rather than initially taking that, the new jet that he's been given, the new Air
Force One, which of course was a plane donated from Qatar last year, the White House did disclose that they were going to be switching the planes,
and that press and staff and the president would be loaded on to an older version of Air Force One, one of the older planes going back to the '90s.
And they said that was because that it wasn't because of a threat, that it was because they wanted service members to be able to take a tour of the
interior of the new jet. Of course, that's not what happened. We had reported weeks ago that, in reality, there was a threat from Iran. However,
they had never disclosed the specifics of that.
I will also say we have reporting that Israel did brief members of the president's team about this threat, but again, not sharing the nature of
it. And that is one of, I think, the key questions here, as you point out, Paula. One, of course, the degree to which the president's team went, this
real degree of subterfuge, really, this kind of shell campaign that the White House had put on was extraordinary.
[18:15:00]
And it's not just about the degrees they went to protect the president and his life from that threat, but I think it raises a lot of questions as well
about the capabilities that Iran might have to be able to target and seriously threaten the most secure plane in the entire world. And, of
course, that is Air Force One, specifically, the older version of Air Force One, which had all of, you know, the bells and whistles and all the secure
things that, you know, we are learning in recent weeks that this new Qatari jet still needs some advancing on.
I also think it's important to note, you know, even though, of course, at the time, this was something that was hidden from the press who were flying
on that plane, there were some suspicious signs, you know, on board the Air Force One plane. Staffers were telling reporters to close their windows,
something that is not typical at all on these types of trips.
We also know that once that plane did land in the United Kingdom for that refueling stop, it did take an unusually long amount of time for them to
allow the press to leave and then to see the president leave. Of course, we know now that the president re-boarded Air Force One once they landed back
in the U.K. and then departed, and there were shots of that.
So, truly an extraordinary story from The Washington Post. CNN has since confirmed it. To your point, Paula, we have not heard a confirmation or a
denial from the White House on this.
NEWTON: Yes. And I'm not sure we're going to hear anything more on this story for now. Alayne Treene, thanks so much for bringing it down for us.
Appreciate it.
Now, six U.S. states are holding primary elections today. They include a contest to fill the late Senator Lindsey Graham's seat in South Carolina
and key races in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Connecticut. Now, in Wisconsin's race for governor, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong faces the Democratic
Party's more moderate alternative, David Crowley.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in Madison, Wisconsin for us. You know, interesting, this is a governor's race. It has had more controversy and national
attention than any kind of governor's race would normally in Wisconsin. But are people in the Democratic Party there seeing it as a bit of a bellwether
for how these races are going to go nationally?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Paula, they are, I mean, because Wisconsin is a classic battleground state here in the
U.S. It is a 50-50 state. Donald Trump won it twice. Barack Obama won it twice. Joe Biden won it once. And I'm in between there.
But look, it is a classic swing state. But it is really also showing what we've seen all year long in state after state after state, this demand for
change inside the Democratic Party. Democrats are as fed up as at any point that I can recall, not just at Republicans, of course, but at their own
party leadership, for not going bolder and bigger.
So, that's what this race largely has become between Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist, a young lawmaker here, 37 years old, running against
the Milwaukee County executive, of course, Milwaukee, the biggest county in Wisconsin. He's much more of an establishment candidate here, urging a more
centrist approach.
Well, as we've been talking with voters at polling places like this all- around Madison earlier today, they've been giving us a sense of this contentious debate inside the Democratic Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: How did you come down in the governor's race?
NATSUKO SUZUKI, WISCONSIN VOTER: I think Francesca Hong -- so, I voted for Francesca Hong, and I think that she's someone who can inspire the
Democratic Party. And I think that -- the discourse I've seen is that it's very much like let's pacify the rest of the state. And I feel like instead
we need to take a stronger stand and actually vote for things we believe in instead of things that we think other people will like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So, that's a very interesting assessment there, you know, supporting what you believe in rather than kind of believing this
electability argument. And a lot of establishment Democrats have been trying to make that electability argument who can win in November.
So, all eyes, of course, are on Wisconsin for kind of the closing chapter of this ongoing debate between establishment and progressive Democrats that
we've seen play out in one state after another. But again, for a governor's race, as you pointed out, Paul, getting a lot of attention largely because
of it's part of this ongoing storyline that we've been watching with such interest here in the U.S. all year.
NEWTON: And we will cover it in the coming hours. Another election night for CNN. Jeff Zeleny, really good to have you there on the ground in
Wisconsin. Appreciate it.
Now, still ahead for us, it sounds like something out of a dystopian science fiction film. We'll hear from the co-author of a new U.S. bill
demanding a kill switch for out-of-control A.I.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, across the board losses on Wall Street stocks are pressured by rising oil prices with Brent
crude nearing $90 a barrel again. Tech was the biggest loser down by more than half a percent.
Now, alarming reports of A.I. models escaping testing environments and hacking into outside computer systems are raising new A.I. safety fears.
They've also led to the introduction of a new piece of bipartisan U.S. legislation. We don't hear that often called the Kill Switch Act. The bill
if passed would force A.I. companies to build safety features into their A.I. systems allowing authorities to shut down throttle or suspend models
deemed harmful. Sponsors of the bill insist that they're not trying to slow down development of A.I. but they say the technology needs more built-in
control features.
Joining me now is U.S. Representative Nathaniel Moran. He is the Republican co-sponsor of this bill and I really want to welcome you to the program.
Thanks so much for being here.
REP. NATHANIEL MORAN (R-TX): Thanks Paula. Great to be here. And you're right. Today -- in today's political world the term bipartisan is not used
very often but artificial intelligence I think is truly a bipartisan issue that has to have bipartisan solutions.
NEWTON: You know, and your perspective is interesting, right? You're saying, look, we're not slowing down A.I. We're not saying we're going to
capitulate to China. You're saying it's about making sure that humans stay in control.
You know, what you say seems so common sense and yet there doesn't seem to be any movement on this. I mean, do you think your legislation has a chance
of actually becoming law and forcing these companies to do the kill switch? And we'll get into the argument about whether or not it's necessary in a
moment.
MORAN: Yes. I think so because -- and here's why I think it has a pathway to actually becoming law, because the folks that are at the leading edge of
this industry, those that are developing these frontier models, they understand quite clearly that they need a kill switch. Some of them inside
the industry, many of them are calling for this type of legislation.
Ted Lieu who's my Democratic counterpart on the other side has seen this issue coming as well. He knows it's important for us to put these
guardrails in place just like I do without stifling innovation. We can do that. We can maintain control of these systems as we develop them and to
the extent that we need to so that we can protect humans from the technology that we are in fact incentivizing, and that's what we want to
see happen.
[18:25:00]
We need the private sector to play a real role in this. They're the ones that are going to have to develop the kill switches. Although under this
legislation we would mandate that they're there for certain level models and certainly have the ability to provide emergency orders to turn those
kill switches on when we have bad loss of control instances.
NEWTON: Now, I know that many have been in the Oval Office talking -- not the White House, talking about this. Have you gotten any indications from
the president himself or from, you know, his staff that this is something that they want, that they would approve of?
MORAN: Well, certainly we've heard in the -- both -- from the administration, the private sector and across on both sides of the aisle
the growing call for the need to have these safety measures in place. But this summer has really been a summer of revelation, I think, for Congress
where we have seen more and more of these models begin to escape their sandbox and to have outcomes that were not intended, that were outside of
human control, and only because we've got some companies that are willing to be good corporate -- responsibility citizens only because we had them
come out and say, oh, we need to throttle that back or we want to notify you of this, are we able to know about these instances and realize that
going forward we probably need to have some legislation in place that would mandate that response by everybody else as they develop these A.I. models.
NEWTON: Congressman Moran, while I have you I do want to talk to you about -- not specifically about what happened with the switching of the planes on
the ground in Turkey, but it certainly does highlight the potential threat that Iran poses even though we are now in the seventh month of this
conflict.
Do you believe that the negotiation should continue as is? I mean, the president's quotes are that we're taking this kind of slowly. Where do you
think this should go now? Because I don't -- you know, I remind you some Americans believe that strategically the United States has already lost
this war.
MORAN: Well, I would certainly disagree with that last point because the military impact we had on Iran from the outset to decimate their nuclear
development capabilities was absolutely needed and has been needed for some time now. I give President Trump lots of kudos for exercising strength on
the military stage to take that imminent risk of that imminent threat off the board.
But there is a continuing threat. We can't trust Iran. We know what their intentions are. Their intentions are bad intentions as it relates to the
United States and our allies and partners in the Middle East that want peace. The Iranian regime presently does not want peace and stability.
NEWTON: Congressman Moran, I don't have a lot of time left. But what do you hear from your constituents about this? I can't imagine that they're
happy about this right now.
MORAN: Well, affordability certainly is the trickle-down issue. We want a free flow of oil and gas but we don't want it at the expense of national
security. And so, I applaud President Trump to end this conflict with strength. That's what he wants. He wants to wind this down. He wants peace
and stability but you got to do it with strength. You cannot do it by giving in to the Iranians.
NEWTON: Congressman Moran, thank you very much. We're going to keep an eye on this bipartisan legislation. And please come back and let us know kind
of the issues that you guys are dealing with and what it's going to take to get it to cross the line.
MORAN: Thanks Paul. Appreciate it. Have a great day.
NEWTON: Thanks. Now, checking some of today's other business headlines. NVIDIA says it's come up with a new model to help companies pay for A.I.
infrastructure. The chip giant is joining with financial heavyweights like Goldman Sachs and Apollo to raise some $500 billion for its customers A.I.
buildouts. NVIDIA calling the plan a major milestone for the industry.
Trump media says it has signed up more than 10 customers ready to pay for early access to President Trump's social media posts. Most of the
agreements have been signed with the high frequency trading firms. The product which costs as much as $100,000 a month gives firms access to
market moving Truth Social posts split seconds before the rest of the public. That's key there. Raising numerous legal concerns.
A new survey shows more U.S. households are having trouble keeping up with their mortgage and car loan payments. The survey from the New York Federal
Reserve says the number of people at least 30 days late on mortgage payments are at the highest level since 2015. And more people are 90 days
or more late on their car payments than at any time since 2010.
OK. Coming up for us, hopes of a breakthrough between the U.S. and Iran appear increasingly distant as both sides make new demands.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paul Newton. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
More than 200 people are reported dead from Monday's earthquake in Colombia. This is professional rescue teams and volunteers do everything
they can to find survivors in the City of Cali. New video, you see it there, shows a baby being saved from the rubble of a collapsed apartment.
Incredible.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling for a congressional investigation into President Trump's elaborate plane switch in Turkey last
month over a security threat from Iran. In the incident, the president was seen boarding Air Force One, but then left the plane hidden inside a
catering truck and was secretly flown out on a separate military airplane.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles in an early warning attack on Zaporizhzhia. Seven people
were killed and 24 were wounded. In Kyiv, a missile hit the grounds of a children's hospital. The strike left two craters, shattering windows and
rupturing a gas pipeline. The children and hospital staff were moved to a shelter before the attack. No injuries were reported there.
Now, the U.S. and Iran have set tough conditions on each other for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump is demanding
compensation from Tehran for, quote, "all of the people that have been killed." His announcement comes after Iran demanded war reparations from
Washington.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is now pushing Congress for a sharp increase in the Pentagon's 2027 budget. The request is for $1.5
trillion, up from the $800 billion that was approved for this year.
Michael O'Hanlon is the director of foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution and the author of "To Dare Mighty Things: U.S.
Defense Strategy Since the Revolution." Gosh, that's quite a price tag, and we will get to that in a moment. I do want to get to the conflict in Iran.
Do you see anything that can break this stalemate?
[18:35:00]
We just talked about the fact that we seem to take a couple of straits towards moving to have some kind of ceasefire, at least in the Strait, if
not elsewhere. And yet, do you think we're farther from a deal than we were even two months ago?
MICHAEL O'HANION, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH IN FOREIGN POLICY, BROOKINGS, SENIOR FELLOW IN FOREIGN POLICY, BROOKINGS AND AUTHOR, "TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS":
Greetings. I don't know how to evaluate that. I don't think we were that close two months ago, either. You know, it looked like we were because we
signed a memorandum, but it turned out to be a little bit of a sloppy piece of homework on the Trump administration's part. They basically conceded
most of what Iran wanted without getting any specifics on curtailment of the Iranian nuclear enrichment future. And so, they had to walk that back.
So, I don't think that really was close. We've never really been close.
But I think what you're seeing now is sort of competing demands, setting up the long-term parameters for a negotiation that neither side, and certainly
not the Iranians at least, are in any hurry to start. I think the Iranians want to play this out. They've got a regime built on an ideology of hatred,
hostility, and violence. They're willing to pay a price and have their people pay a price for that. They certainly are feeling vengeful towards
the United States and Israel. And I think they believe they can hurt President Trump vis-a-vis the midterm elections and the American economy.
So, they don't seem to be in any mood to compromise.
But I also think both sides are conducting a fair amount of trash talk. They're just maximizing their demands to set up, you know, sort of the
parameters. And then when they want to start to come together, they can find ways to use different words, different ideas. For example, on this
reparations business, you could imagine creating a reconstruction fund for the region that everybody pays into and everybody gets something out of.
And then we call that reparations if we need to.
So, there are ways you can -- if you really want a deal, there are ways you can get there. But nobody wants it that badly just yet. Certainly not the
Iranians.
NEWTON: Now, not unrelated in the fact that we are seven months again into this conflict, the defense budget. Proposal is roughly $1.5 trillion for
next year. It's making its way through Congress. You argue that the problem is not necessarily the amount, which I'm shocked already at that point.
But you're saying that Congress is getting it wrong by simply giving the Pentagon money this way. What would you like to see happen? And are you OK
with that figure? Do you think $1.5 trillion is necessary?
O'HANION: No, it's too much for any one year. And, you know, you quoted my book. Secretary Hegseth certainly is daring mighty things with this budget
request, which would, I believe, even after adjusting for inflation, exceed the peak of World War II and therefore be the greatest in U.S. history. And
I think it would be much more prudent to sort of gradually step up in increments of a few tens of billions a year, a few percent, rather than to
do this all-in-one big chunk.
What the administration wants, they want -- and this is where I was critical, they want this $350 billion pot of gold, that's what I call it,
inside that $1.5 trillion. Normally, Congress appropriates money each year for the Pentagon with a careful oversight process. This year, what
Secretary Hegseth is asking is give me $1.15 trillion in that regular process and another $350 billion pot of gold that I can sort of do with as
I choose on the time horizon I prefer. And that takes Congress out of the picture.
People who hold Congress in poor regard might say, so what? But I actually think Congress is a pretty good steward of the taxpayers' money compared to
a Pentagon that makes every decision by itself. And so, I would rather have that $350 billion appropriated, let's say, over the next three to five
years, including by the successor to the Trump administration, and gradually step up the amount we're spending on the military instead of
giving the Pentagon, you know, sort of unencumbered access to this huge amount of money.
NEWTON: Well, the taxpayers are footing the bill, and to your point, that is likely why Congress is the one that is supposed to be doing this. But
the Defense Department -- the Trump administration have sidestepped Congress before. I am wondering, do you believe the threat assessments,
whether it is Russia, whether it is China, whether it is Iran, does it warrant, though, a much larger spending bill for defense? And I wonder, who
is being straight with Americans about that, if that's the case?
O'HANION: Well, I think more money is appropriate, but not at this massive increase in one year. So, I would support something in the ballpark of that
$1.15 trillion that is making its way more easily through Congress. That's sort of, in a way, the base budget, the normal budget, the so-called
discretionary budget, the annual appropriation. And then I would say about that $350 billion, let's weave that back into the annual normal budget
process, maybe give a little bit next year, a little bit the year after, and gradually ramp up.
So, defense increases slightly faster than inflation. To keep up with Russia, China, A.I., satellite challenges, there are a lot of big
technological demands.
[18:40:00]
And let me say one thing about the Trump Pentagon, even though I'm not the biggest supporter of Secretary Hegseth, there are some very good people
below him who are trying to do innovative things with how they're planning to use some of that money. So, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's
just too much all at once.
NEWTON: And this discussion also goes to capacity, right? We've heard so much that America is now debilitated because their munitions, their
ordnance have depleted to such an alarming rate, to be honest. Do you buy that, to use a term? And do you believe more money needs to be dedicated so
that the stockpiles in the next few years, because it will take years, are much higher than they are now?
O'HANION: Yes, I think that the demand is correct. The aspiration to replenish these stockpiles and to expand our production capacity and our
surge capacity all these are good ideas. And in fact, some of the money in that $350 billion is for munitions. And that part, maybe I would support
even for fiscal year '27, approving that.
But making the Pentagon come up with a longer-term plan for most of the other areas. We are depleted. I don't think Xi Jinping is going to wake up
tomorrow and say, oh, the Americans are down 50 percent in their Patriot interceptors. I think I'll attack Taiwan. I don't think that's how he's
going to make that decision. I think he's got a lot of things to weigh and he'd be very reluctant to just decide we have one little vulnerability that
he can exploit when he can see how incredibly powerful our military is across the board.
So, I'm not as worried as some people, but it does complicate Ukraine's situation right now, since we can't provide them as many interceptors. It
does complicate our Gulf allies if the Iran war resumes at a higher level of intensity. And so, in that sense, it's hurting us. And yes, we have to
get after it ASAP.
NEWTON: Yes. Michael O'Hanion, we'll have to leave it there. But so many things to discuss this, especially given this consumes so much again of the
American taxpayer bill and obviously safety security of America and beyond. Michael O'Hanion for us. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
O'HANION: Thank you kindly.
NEWTON: New Zealand's prime minister calling an urgent meeting with lawmakers. Ahead on the show, could this meeting spell the end of his time
in office?
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NEWTON: So, New Zealand is just months away from holding its general election and the country's current prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has
called a meeting with lawmakers to address speculation that he's been -- that has been swirling around his leadership for weeks now. Critics say the
former CEO of Air New Zealand has made a series of public missteps since taking office.
[18:45:00]
Joining me now with more on this is one of New Zealand's top political journalists with RNZ Midday Report, Guyon Espiner. Thanks so much for
joining us. And we're trying to figure out what all of this is about. And do you really think it'll come to that, that this prime minister is going
to be forced to step down?
GUYON ESPINER, RNZ NATIONAL PRESENTER, MIDDAY REPORT: Well, he may well be. And his fate is right now, as we speak, being determined by 49 MPs or
lawmakers, as you might describe them, from the National Party, which is the leading partner in the center-right coalition that is led by
Christopher Luxon.
Now, he is in his first term of government. We have three-year terms in New Zealand. And as you suggested in your intro, we're just 87 days out from an
election. But his party has been polling pretty poorly, around about 30 percent. And he's made a number of missteps or gaps or mistakes. And his
fellow colleagues have been unhappy with his performance. And there's been speculation from them about whether or not he might be removed from that
role.
So, what he has done yesterday is gone, OK, well, I'll see whether I can call your bluff. And he's called this emergency meeting. So, right now, at
New Zealand's Parliament, those MPs or lawmakers from that party are now determining whether he can keep his job. And the New Zealand system, if
they decide to replace someone else as leader of that party, he would -- or she, and there's a chance that it may be a woman, would be the leader of
that national party and become prime minister. So, in a couple of hours, I think we'll know either way.
NEWTON: Yes, it's interesting that you could have that change of leadership. But I am wondering what voters are thinking about this, no
matter which political party they support. Some of the problems in New Zealand are, like many of us are experiencing, the affordability crisis,
lots of worries about things like inflation. Do they believe this political turmoil will actually lead to a better government in the end, or do they
just want to get to the polls in a few months?
ESPINER: Yes. I think that in New Zealand, for the dominant party in a coalition, and remember, this is a coalition government, so he has to work
with two other smaller parties for his government. But for them to be polling so poorly at around 30 percent has really worried his colleagues.
And they're thinking, could someone else give us a better chance of actually scoring more highly and actually having a more dominant position
in that election, which is coming up?
You're right, cost of living, inflation issues, concerns about A.I., the geopolitical turmoil we are seeing, they are the same issues that we are
seeing in New Zealand. As you referenced in your introduction, he was the CEO there in New Zealand. He was a very senior executive at Unilever, which
is obviously a multinational company.
So, his business credentials were seen as something that was going to be resonant with voters, but it just really hasn't transpired that way.
There's been a lot of disappointment with his performance. Interestingly, in April, he did something kind of similar to what we're seeing today. He
tried to call the bluff of his -- the tractors in his caucus and say, well, I'll put it to the vote. And he won that, and he thought he'd put it to
bed, but that dissension has continued. And here we are again today with a potential vote on his leadership.
NEWTON: Yes. A restive party for sure, especially given everything that's at stake in an election in a few months. Guyon, thanks so much for breaking
it down for us. Appreciate it. And we'll learn what happens in the next few hours.
ESPINER: Absolutely. Thank you.
NEWTON: Ahead here for us, millions across parts of Europe and northern Russia are going to see a rare sight Wednesday. More on this week's total
solar eclipse.
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[18:50:00]
NEWTON: And finally, for us, millions of people will see a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, and even feel its effects. A total solar eclipse is
when the moon completely blocks the sun from parts of the earth. This week's eclipse may even alter weather patterns. Parts of Iceland and
Greenland will see it in the afternoon, depending on cloud cover, and totality in Portugal and Spain will happen shortly before sunset. Northern
Russia may also be able to see it.
Joining me now is senior adviser to the Planetary Society, Mat Kaplan. There is a lot of excitement about this. Obviously, in places where you're
going to be able to see it. So, I mean, in terms of the totality experience, where is this likely to happen?
MAT KAPLAN, SENIOR ADVISER, THE PLANETARY SOCIETY: Well, sadly, we're going to miss out here in North America this time, although a lot of the
Northeast will see a partial solar eclipse. But as you said, probably the best place to be is going to be in Iceland, the eastern shore of Iceland,
like Reykjavik, where they will be in what's called the path of totality, where the sun will be completely obscured by the moon, and down into Spain
and Portugal, although there will happen in the early evening. So, the sun will be very late in the sky, but it'll still look pretty cool if there are
clear skies.
NEWTON: I have seen one myself. I can confirm it is pretty cool. And so, for the viewers who are preparing for viewing, what are some of the safety
precautions that people need to protect their vision? And obviously, it's a better way to see it, right? When you are protecting, you have those
glasses on.
KAPLAN: Absolutely. And there may still be time to find some certified glasses. This is probably the most important thing that we could talk about
this evening, is to protect your eyes. Don't buy into the influencers and websites that say, oh, you can hold up, believe it or not, a potato chip
bag or one of those emergency blankets that are silvered. That stuff's not going to protect your eyes. You need certified solar eclipse viewing
glasses. And those are certified by a group that -- unfortunately, that certification gets counterfeited sometimes.
The best thing to do is to go to the website of the American Astronomical Society, and they have a guide to the glasses that work well. But, you
know, if you can't get glasses, if you can't get them in time, you could take a kitchen colander outside. You know what I'm talking about, right?
Those bowls with lots of holes.
NEWTON: Absolutely.
KAPLAN: And -- yes. And just get the shadow of that on a white surface, like concrete, or maybe bring a bed sheet outside if somebody doesn't mind.
And instead of seeing a lot of little circles on the ground, you'll see little crescents during the partial eclipse. And it's really a pretty cool
thing to do, even if you have the good solar eclipse glasses.
NEWTON: A good little science experiment there. Mat, I'm going to assume you have seen a total solar eclipse in your lifetime, yes?
KAPLAN: I have been lucky enough to see two.
NEWTON: Two.
KAPLAN: In 2017, I was the host on stage at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. 16,000 thrilled eclipse chasers in the football
stadium with us. Then in 2024, we did our own event from the Planetary Society in Texas. And it was thrilling. In North America, U.S., we were
very lucky to have two total eclipses just seven years apart. I mean, typically, a spot-on Earth may have to wait 350 to 400 years before they
get to witness a total solar eclipse without leaving home.
[18:55:00]
NEWTON: Can you describe for me -- I saw the one in 2024, kind of the feeling that you get? Because I think for some people who are going out
there to try and see it, who's never had the experience, what is it that takes over when -- especially if you're in that, you know, zone of
totality?
KAPLAN: Yes. I'm sure you felt it too. It's that sense of awe and wonder that just takes over. And, you know, partial eclipses are great. But if you
can get into a total solar eclipse in that path of totality, it's a completely different experience. Because when the moon finally obscures
that last little fringe of the sun, suddenly everything is dark. Night falls, birds stop singing because they think it's nighttime. You can look
around you 360 degrees and it's light. It's as if the sun were rising in a circle around you because that's outside the zone.
But probably the coolest thing is to be able to see the corona of the sun, the atmosphere of the sun that normally can't be seen. The sun's too bright
and it is just gorgeous and it's different every time.
NEWTON: I have to confirm you feel it from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes. It is quite an experience. Good luck to everyone
trying to experience it. Mat Kaplan, thanks so much for filling us in. Really appreciate it.
Now, CNN's complete coverage of the total solar eclipse gets underway Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. in London, Thursday at 1:00 a.m.
Beijing time.
And that's it for "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton in New York. I'll see you - - stay with CNN for more news.
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[19:00:00]
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