Return to Transcripts main page
The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Trump Claims "We Ended The War With Iran Today"; Trump Picks Former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton As National Intelligence Director; Long-Awaited Tournament Finally Begins In North America; Thai King's Eldest Daughter Dies, Aged 47, After Long Illness; Protests Grow Over Trump Family-Linked Resort In Albania; Preparation Underway For UFC fights At White House; Preparations Underway for UFC Fight at White House; USPS May Refuse Some Mail Ballots Under Trump Directive; SpaceX to Make History with Record-Breaking $75 Billion IPO; Spielberg Film Sparks Debate on Aliens, Government, Cover-ups. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired June 12, 2026 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: -- West Africa. Pope Leo going to the port of Arguineguin, which is known as the Port of Shame because in 2020 migrants were found sleeping and living there in squalor. Pope Leo speaking to immigrants and those organizations helping them, saying that human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border. Immigration for Leo, like his predecessor Pope Francis, is a major priority.
Pope Leo also listening to the harrowing testimonies of those coming to the Canary Islands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Our thanks, Christopher Lamb for that. Taylor Swift can now add hall of famer to her long list of credits. The pop superstar inducted in the Songwriters hall of Fame in New York on Thursday. Look at those flashbulbs.
She received the honor alongside fellow inductees including Alanis Morissette and Kiss co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Swift is the youngest female songwriter ever inducted into the hall of fame.
Thanks for watching the first hour The Story Is. The next hour starts right now.
The story is still no deal to end the war. Iran throwing cold water at President Trump's optimistic outlook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They've taken a pounding like very few people could take and they want to make the deal a lot more than I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The story is the World Cup. CNN's Coy Wire are speaking with Team USA at their training facility just hours before their first match.
And the story is "Disclosure Day," Steven Spielberg's newest blockbuster about aliens hitting the big screen, how it was inspired by actual government disclosures.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: Thanks for watching The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaelson. We begin with a bold declaration from the president of the United States on the war with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today and they have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon.
We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran and we're going to be subject to finalization of documents which should get done over the next few days. Probably have a signing maybe in Europe and it's a great thing. The documents are in pretty final shape. So we'll see. We'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The president even suggested that Iran's new supreme leader supports the deal, which would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. He says Iran agreed to the deal because they've taken a pounding from the U.S. military.
But a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry told state run media that reports of a finalized agreement are merely speculation. CNN's Paula Hancocks is following developments from Abu Dhabi.
Paula, CNN is tracking this and this is the 39th time that President Trump has either said we've got a deal or we're close to a deal. That deal is about to happen. But right now, no deal, right?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At this point, it doesn't appear so, although it has been announced by the U.S. president. I mean, people here in the region, in the Gulf as well, quite often have to go to bed thinking there is going to be increased bombing overnight. And then they wake up in the morning and there's been a declaration of peace. This is definitely not the first time that we have seen this.
But the U.S. president is adamant this time. He's optimistic. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They will not have a nuclear weapon. They've agreed to that. There will be no, which is the whole reason, which is a big part of the reason. They will not only not have, they will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: Now, he has suggested that there could be a signing ceremony. He's floated Europe. He suggested that the vice president, JD Vance, could be attending. But what we have heard as well from one U.S. official is that they do believe that some of the sticking points between the U.S. and Iran were rectified when a Qatari delegation was in Tehran. They just left Thursday morning just after the, the US Bombing that had taken place.
And that was sticking points. For example, how to unfreeze some of these billions of dollars of Iranian money that Tehran is insisting on, what sort of framework any future nuclear would have.
So it appears as though progress has been made. But when it comes to whether a deal is already there, Tehran says there is no confirmation of that. We've heard from the Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying it's, quote, merely speculation.
[01:05:02]
We've just heard as well from a top Iranian lawmaker saying that, that they believe that this is deception by President Trump. Remember, they've been in talks twice already, and both of those times the U.S. has bombed Iran during those negotiations. So that the level of trust is really zero.
MICHAELSON: Yes, I mean, that word deception is a pretty strong word there. I mean, is there any indications that we actually are close to any sort of deal? It sounds like Iran is saying the complete opposite message.
HANCOCKS: We have been hearing sounds behind the scenes that there was progress. Certainly we didn't have a timing on when it could be announced, but we did hear from one source with knowledge that they acknowledged there had been a real breakthrough. And they were caught cautiously optimistic. They were talking about the latest discussions again held by that Qatari delegation.
But of course, this is to secure the memorandum of understanding. This is so that there will be this certain amount of cease fire. 90 days has been floated. 60 days, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened. And then they will start the very difficult job of trying to secure this peace deal and to bring Iran's nuclear program into a place where both the U.S. and Iran are happy with it. That is the difficult part.
And of course, when it comes to Israel, we understand from a source there that, that Prime Minister Netanyahu didn't even know about this announcement. He was in a security meeting when the Truth Social Post dropped. Elex.
MICHAELSON: So the deal would be a deal to talk about getting an actual deal, and even that deal hasn't happened quite yet. Paula Hancocks. This stuff is messy and complicated, as we're seeing live for us from Abu Dhabi. Thanks, Paula.
President Trump, though, has named his next pick to become the Director of National Intelligence who may work on these issues. Jay Clayton, the head of the Security and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term. He's now a federal prosecutor in New York. Trump says he plans to still make Bill Pulte the acting intelligence chief, despite bipartisan pushback on his lack of experience. Pulte has also come under criticism for bringing criminal referrals against a number of the president's perceived political enemies.
A group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors are now speaking out against President Trump's nominee for attorney general. The group of 19 women say that Todd Blanche does not deserve the role after he participated in secret White House meetings on how to contain the political fallout from the Epstein files. They're responding to New York Times reporting.
They say that they are deeply disturbed that the administration was focused on its reputation instead of seeking justice for the survivors. Here's what one of them told CNN's Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ STEIN, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: It's really concerning to us because at the end of the day -- at the end of the day, we're victims of a crime, right? And what is the message that we are sending to Americans in this country about how victims of crime should be treated? This is an issue that has been laden with a ton of political emotion. But if we can't count on our government to prosecute crimes, then we're in big trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The story is the weather. A tornado watch has been issued for nearly 7 million people in eastern Illinois, northern Indiana and parts of Michigan. Thunderstorms in the area are capable of producing strong tornadoes, hail and possible wind gusts up to 75 miles an hour. In total, nearly 20 million people across seven states are under tornado watches.
In the Midwest, at least one person was killed after he was struck by a fallen tree in Iowa, severe storms already produced multiple tornadoes in northern Illinois on Thursday.
About 80 miles southwest of Chicago, look at this drone video, which shows the extent of the damage after a tornado ripped through the area and destroyed several homes. Wow.
People in parts of Pakistan are enduring a brutal heat wave. Temperatures there soaring past 51 degrees Celsius, which is nearly 124 degrees Fahrenheit, in several districts of Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Thursday. The country's meteorological department forecasts extreme heat this week, warning temperatures could climb 4 to 6 degrees above normal in many areas.
The North American World Cup is now underway and co-host Mexico off to a strong start.
[01:10:00]
Look at that. That massive crowd in Mexico City erupting as their hometown heroes scored in the tournament's opening match. The Mexicans went on to dominate in terms of possession, shots on goal and big chances created, defeating South Africa 2 nil. The victory puts Mexico at the top of Group A.
Many Mexico fans here in L.A. were saying salud or cheers with those beers at the fan fest. So much excitement, even if not all the young fans knew exactly what was going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were originally going to go to Mexico, but I had school, so we came here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you like it so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you like about it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who are you rooting for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Dodgers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Well, I mean, smart kid, right? I mean, there's a reason to root for the Dodgers and there's plenty of people at Dodgers Stadium, by the way, rooting for Mexico. Mexico's shutout, by the way, was not the only match of the day. About an hour ago, South Korea overcame the Czech Republic in Guadalajara two to one, which was a big win for Sonny, who's big with the Dodgers, who plays for LAFC.
And in the coming day, the other two World Cup co-hosts will take the pitch. Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegonia in Toronto. And Team USA will tangle with Paraguay here in Los Angeles.
CNN's Coy Wire is here in Southern California ahead of the big showdown and I spoke to him earlier this afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Coy, great to see you. You're in Irvine where Team USA is practicing and your background could not be more Southern California right now.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. How did I get this tough assignment to come join us in Southern sunny California.
MICHAELSON: Yes. So let's talk about this idea of the home field advantage and the fact that Team USA gets to do this on their home court. Home field.
WIRE: Yes. I was just here, you know, at practice a bit ago and talking with some of the players. They are chomping at the bit, Elex, These heightened expectations, some of them telling me they're nervous and they're not afraid to say it. They know this is a very different America than the one the World Cup last visited when it was hosted here in '94.
U.S. soccer back then had to actually pay players so they could train together. There was no MLS, no soccer specific stadiums, no generation of kids growing up watching American stars compete at some of Europe's most storied clubs like we have today.
So now the crowds are bigger, passion of fans is more palpable, and those kids, grew up with a World Cup dream, are now living and playing in one right here on home soil. We asked them about it. Listen to this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. And thankfully I've already played in the World Cup, but this is going to one up it for me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all play when we're younger, acting like we're in a World Cup in our backyard. So to actually living that dream, I think is especially, you know, it hasn't sunk in yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the biggest stage on home soil. And the opportunity just to be able to grow the game here in America, based on the performances and what we do here, I think it's a dream come true.
WIRE: Now, Elex, 32 years ago, when the World Cup was hosted here, the tournament planted a seed in American soil. Now, in front of the world, we are about to see just how big that tree has grown.
MICHAELSON: As we know though, during that entire time, Team USA has not won a World Cup. What are we thinking in terms of expectations of how they'll actually perform?
WIRE: Yes, they haven't come close, right, Elex? They haven't reached the World cup quarterfinal since 2002. But this group, they believe that not only do they have the talent necessary to make a huge run, they are fully aware that this tournament won't just be a soccer event, it will be this moment that can change how their country sees the game and how the rest of the world sees them. We asked some of the guys more about their goals and their dreams for this World Cup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, we already believe we can win and we're a hungry, competitive group of guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you string together enough wins and good performances, you know, the stars are the limit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe collectively that we can do something really special to change soccer and this country forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking forward to going out there and making the nation proud.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think on the outside people maybe would doubt us in a sense. But why not us.
WIRE: Elex, spending some time around this team, you quickly learn that they don't exactly lack confidence or personality. And they have that look in their eye, kind of like that Rocky Balboa getting ready to go in that ring and take on the world.
MICHAELSON: Well, this concept, why not us? And I'm sure they're also got to be excited about this idea that the home crowd is going to be behind them.
WIRE: Yes, and history does show us that host nations can find another gear. South Korea found it in 2002. They went from never having won a knockout game to becoming the first ever Asian nation to reach the semis.
[01:15:04]
Russia found that same thing in 2018. They went from ranked 70th in the world to reaching the quarterfinals. The question this summer, starting tomorrow, can the United States find that magic? A former NFL teammate of mine, Alex Todd McClure, used to say there's no mentum like momentum. So getting off to a great start has to be the key for the U.S. the home crowds can lift you. They can also magnify the pressure. Right.
Their World Cup journey begins against Paraguay right here in LA. They'll go to Seattle, Australia after that, then it's back here to LA for Turkey. If you come in first or second in your group, you advance. So we'll see just how well these Americans can get off to their start.
MICHAELSON: And you will be there for the match tomorrow night. And then joining us right afterwards live here on The Story Is. What are you most looking forward to?
WIRE: Just joining you mostly. I'll get through the game and all that boring stuff before I come and break it down with you. But I am excited. You know, I've covered six Olympics. I've covered Super Bowls, all the biggest events. I've covered a women's World Cup. This is my first men's World Cup. So I'm excited to see how America is going to bring it. We know they showed out in Mexico City. We'll see how they do here in the US.
MICHAELSON: Coy, have fun. We'll see you this time tomorrow night.
WIRE: All right, brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Looking forward to that. But let's take you live right now to Washington, DC. The lights still on as they prepare for UFC over the weekend. White House set to host fights on the South Lawn. So to come, we break down how much the UFC is spending on that event.
Plus, pushback against a project backed by Trump family members. It's causing outrage in Albania.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:21:10]
MICHAELSON: A Thai princess is dead after spending nearly four years in a coma. Princess Pa, as she was known, was the eldest child of Thailand's king. The 47-year-old had been in hospital since December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness due to a heart condition. She had multiple health conditions. She'll be remembered for her charity efforts to improve the lives of female prisoners and her diplomatic career.
More protests are expected in Albania on Friday. Look at this. All this just as the country's prime minister plans to hold a party rally in the capital. Protesters are furious over a plan to build a new luxury resort backed by President Donald Trump's family members. And as Isa Soares reports, the protesters message is that their country is not for sale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of people once again packing the streets of Tirana outside the office of the country's prime minister, Edi Rama. The message loud and clear. Their anger isn't going away.
Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort to linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and son in law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner that would transform uninhabited coastal land and protected wildlife areas into hotels, apartments and villas.
ARDIT CAMI, PROTESTER: No Albanian is going to afford 1,200 euros a night. It doesn't make any sense. We also have no idea how this is supposed to benefit us.
SOARES (voice-over): It's a movement that has grown in size and scope that began with concerns about the environmental impact of the project and has steamrolled into widespread anti-corruption protests with protesters demanding Rama's resignation. They say the government is selling the country to the highest bidder and has passed laws to fast track projects like this one and bypass environmental protections.
ANISA IBRAJ: (through translator): The project lacks transparency and we're all here for transparency. Until it's clear to us what kind of investment this is, we will continue to protest.
SOARES (voice-over): The protests so far, not deterring Prime Minister Rama, who says the project will go ahead and be a big boost for tourism in the country. He says it will create jobs as the country continues its negotiations to join the European Union. But the European Commission is warning that Albania's luxury tourism goals could derail its biggest aspirations if its ecological policies don't align with the EU's. The Rama's more immediate problem is the thousands of protesters
gathering daily in Tirana who say they won't back down until he is gone. A movement that began with preserving flamingos now taking flight into something much broader.
GREISI MANI, PROTESTER: We are fed with the corruption here. We are supposed to be a new candidate country, but we lack basic services. Everybody has its own reasons. It has to come to an end, quite frankly.
SOARES (voice-over): Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: The U.S. Postal Service may soon start refusing some mail- in ballots. The move is tied to an executive order signed by President Trump, essentially saying we're not taking the ballots for states that don't do what we want. Our panel here to break it down. Fiery debate next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[1:28:57]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to The Story Is. I'm Elex Michaels. And let's take a look at today's top stories. President Trump has canceled planned military strikes on Iran. He claims a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be signed as soon as this weekend. A spokesperson for Iran's foreign Ministry says negotiations have produced progress, but there's no final decision on any agreement.
Pope Leo heads back to the Vatican in the coming hours. The pope focused on the migrant crisis in the Canary Islands during the final leg of his trip to Spain. He called on leaders to treat all people with dignity. The Canary Islands are a major entry point for migrants from parts of West Africa.
U.S. authorities are investigating giant grass markings of the numbers 86, 47 on the National Mall. Critics have used the numbers to signal opposition to President Trump, but his administration has interpreted them as a death threat. U.S. park police say they have collected samples for testing.
Preparations are underway in Washington for this Sunday's Ultimate Fighting Championship fight hosted on the White House grounds.
[01:30:05]
That's a live picture from Washington. You can see the lights mostly out inside the White House, but not outside the White House, where they are still getting ready for that giant ring that has been constructed. Events are scheduled all weekend.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty previews what we can all expect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: The Octagon built, chairs in place and fight bell ready to be rung. The South Lawn of the White House now transformed into a massive UFC fighting arena.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This will be the greatest show on Earth.
SERFATY: The live televised event coinciding with Trump's 80th birthday on Sunday has drawn an unprecedented effort to make it happen, just steps away from the People's House.
Court documents submitted as part of a lawsuit attempting to delay the event revealing eye-popping details, how the logistics, size, scope and price tag have all swelled, including the help of now seven federal agencies, A cost of more than $60 million paid for by the UFC, including the grandiose over 100-foot arched lighting grid dubbed "The Claw", a substantial volume of perishable food and 494 port-a-potties brought in for the crowd.
Hundreds of staff and more than 700 subcontractors and roughly 4,000 people coming to the lawn with more than 125,000 guests overall -- much larger than the president originally predicted.
TRUMP: We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land.
SERFATY: UFC front man Dana White --
TRUMP: The great Dana White, he's building a -- literally a stadium, a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.
SERFATY: -- has been a close ally and friend to President Trump for over 25 years.
DANA WHITE, UFC PRESIDEN AND CEO: This guy has been a really good friend to me. And that's the bottom line. Donald Trump and I, who happens to be the president of the United States, is one of my very good friends.
SERFATY: Appearing at the last three GOP conventions to help Trump target young male voters.
WHITE: My fellow Americans, it is my honor to introduce the 45th and soon to be 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
SERFATY: White getting a high profile and laudatory audience today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth. No one thought that was possible and we did it.
We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do. And at some level that's what this whole company, what UFC has been.
SERFATY: Amid scrutiny of his unprecedented access to some of the nation's most sacred landmarks.
REP. JIM MCGOVERN (D-MA): Let's get back to work to actually helping hardworking people in this country.
SERFATY: And the UFC's private game.
SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): There's no pushback by the Republican majority. They have nothing to say about a UFC ring being built on the lawn of the White House? Really?
SERFATY: After a series of hostile greetings at sporting events, including the NBA finals in New York this week -- it may be the one sport left where President Trump receives a welcome audience.
JOE ROGAN, HOST, "THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE": We should stick to the UFC.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
ROGAN: They're going to boo him everywhere else.
SERFATY: Sunlen Serfaty, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Joe Rogan, of course, will be there as part of all of this. He's so connected to the UFC.
Let's bring back our political panel.
Areva Martin, civil rights attorney and legal affairs commentator, and Jennifer Horn, host of "The Morning Answer" on AM 870 here in L.A.
Jennifer, excited for the show?
JENNIFER HORN, HOST, "THE MORNING ANSWER" AM 870: Absolutely. Do you know where I could get some tickets, Elex? Come on.
MICHAELSON: I do not. No.
HORN: Look, there's one thing you can say about Trump, whether you love him, you hate him, he knows how to have a good time. And this is all -- I think it's cool.
Look, it's Americas 250th -- it's 250th birthday of the country. The president's got the UFC coming. We've got -- we're going to have a race through the streets of Washington, D.C. We have a world's fair of sorts coming to Washington, D.C.
I think it's just celebratory. Let's have a good time. It's not the end of the world. I know a lot of people are upset about it.
AREVA MARTIN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: This is not about the 250th anniversary of this country. This is about Donald Trump and his need to gather people that can praise him and clap for him, unlike what happened to him at that Knicks and Spurs game where he was being booed. And we later learned that he was falling asleep.
So he disrupted that whole city, that whole game, to sit there and fall asleep.
Look, if the man wants to have a party, just be honest about it and follow the rules. That lawsuit says that he has not followed the environmental rules. The rules for permitting to use the space outside the White House, and the way that he's doing it.
(CROSSTALKING)
MARTIN: You just follow the rules.
This is a guy that can't follow the rules. If you want to have a big party and have some second-rate celebrities show up --
[01:34:47]
HORN: It's the UFC, Areva.
MARTIN: -- have at it. Have at it.
HORN: I mean, I know it's not World Wrestling Federation, World Wrestling Entertainment. I'm more of a WWE girl myself. But you know, these are big name people.
MICHAELSON: I mean, but there is nothing sort of more masculine than the UFC.
HORN: You better believe it.
MICHAELSON: This is -- this is the way he has connected with a lot of male voters. I mean, do you think there's --
HORN: Yes. Actually, you know, it's interesting that you brought that up. I was talking to somebody about that.
The Democrats have been really struggling to find their way with men. You saw them trying to get the male vote with Tim Walz. That like worked like a lead balloon. And now Graham Platner in Maine, also another huge lead balloon.
President Trump knows how to reach male voters because he's just a guy's guy. He loves sports. And I think that's where Democrats struggle.
I don't know if a UFC fight will help them get voters back, but it is true. People look at President Trump and go, you know what? I kind of like that.
MARTIN: President Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president in modern day history. So this notion that people love President Trump, President Trump is just not true, Jennifer.
HORN: I don't know what approval ratings you're looking at --
MARTIN: I am more concerned about affordability --
(CROSSTALKING)
HORN: He's pretty good with Republicans.
MARTIN: -- about gas prices, about jobs, about health care. And he's throwing a big $60 million cage fight.
HORN: He's a multitasker.
MARTIN: He's not. He's -- he's a --
HORN: He is.
MARTIN: He's not a multitasker.
MICHAELSON: Well, he clearly -- he clearly --
MARTIN: He's a tired, sleepy old man.
MICHAELSON: He clearly is struggling with Independent voters and Democrats, but he clearly has a hold over Republican voters.
HORN: Absolutely.
MICHAELSON: And the way that he's controlling Republican primaries and basically excommunicating everybody he disagrees with from the party is quite something.
MARTIN: Well, this country is made up of more than Republicans.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes.
MARTIN: And he is not the president just for Republicans. He is the president -- he should be the president for all Americans. And he doesn't act like he is.
MICHAELSON: Well, and to that point, he's trying to do something with the Post Office, which we've never seen before.
We know President Trump does not like mail-in ballots, even though he --
HORN: Neither do I.
MICHAELSON: -- even though he uses mail in ballots in Florida himself.
MARTIN: Thank you. Thank you. Hypocrisy.
MICHAELSON: But there is -- we want to put up this headline from CNN up onto the screen. "Postal service will not deliver mail ballots for states that don't hand over voter lists under plan for Trump directives."
This is an executive order put out by President Trump. He wants states, including California, to hand over the voting rolls. They say, we don't want to do that. And this is basically saying,
well, if you don't do that, you can't use the Post Office to deliver ballots to people. And this now -- a lawsuit is underway on this.
MARTIN: Of course. And it should be a lawsuit because this is not about states saying, we don't want to do it. This is about the Constitution.
The president does not control voting. That is the province of states. And just like he won't follow the rules with this fight, he will not follow the Constitution when it comes to voting.
He's holding states or trying to hold states hostage, saying, if you don't give us your voting rolls, we won't mail ballots. Which is, again, another way that Republicans have been trying to undercut our voting rights.
We see it happening at the Supreme Court. And now this is another attempt to do so. And it's all predicated on this lie that there's massive fraud in our voting system, and its proven to be just that one big, fat, giant lie.
And states are pushing back. This lawsuit is the beginning of that. And I am confident that we are not going to see the president, who has no authority over voting, enter into voting and take over voting in the way that he's trying to do.
MICHAELSON: As a state's rights enthusiast, Jennifer, doesn't this concern you?
HORN: No, actually. Let me go through this because I'm concerned about the state of California that I live in, not turning over our voter rolls because they are bloated.
They contain names of illegal immigrants in the tens of thousands. We know this. The county of Los Angeles took a million voters off of their voter rolls and then put them back on after they were ordered to by a court.
So just to lay it out, I know it might seem like states have control of their elections and they do. That is true. But President Trump, the federal government -- let's take Trump out of this -- the federal government in the executive branch have control over the United States Postal Service.
And the states are also subject to following federal laws, which is making sure that their voter rolls are maintained.
The state of California, 23 other Democrat states are not cooperating with the federal lawsuit. And I'm not the only one saying this.
There is a judge that has already signed off that will not block this ruling, this executive order by President Trump. Now, these 23 states are trying to appeal it. But the judge says that right now, the federal government is within their rights.
MICHAELSON: Last 10 seconds.
MARTIN: Jennifer, the U.S. Post Office has no control over voting. You know that that's not true. That's blatantly false.
MICHAELSON: We have to leave it there. We will continue to follow this lawsuit and have both of you back on soon.
Areva, Jennifer -- great to see you. Thanks for being with us tonight.
MARTIN: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: SpaceX set to make history. Still to come, how much money the company is expected to raise with its debut on the stock market. And get ready for the world's first ever trillionaire.
[01:39:34]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: SpaceX is set to make history with the largest IPO ever in its Wall Street debut. On Thursday, it set its opening price at $135 a share.
The space technology company said in its filing that it plans to sell 556 million shares of common stock, generating $75 billion.
CNN's Paula Newton has more on what all this means.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flight directors, go for launch.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From ground-rattling rocket launches to a record-shattering NASDAQ IPO, investors are suiting up for SpaceX under ticker symbol SPCX. Space industry investors call it a transformative event.
CHAD ANDERSON, FOUNDER, SPACE CAPITAL: I don't think that there is a comparable company to benchmark SpaceX against.
I think you have to go back to the 1900s and the vertically integrated industrial giants like Standard Oil, Ford, to sort of understand the magnitude of what's happening here.
ELON MUSK, CEO, SPACEX: Welcome to SpaceX.
NEWTON): It's been a supersonic ride from SpaceX's early days to this IPO.
MUSK: That's my office over there.
[01:44:37]
NEWTON: Elon Musk founded the company back in 2002. 24 years later, SpaceX generates billions in revenues from its satellite Internet service Starlink, and its rocket contracts with the U.S. government, one of its largest clients.
It is, however, currently unprofitable, with 2025 losses of some $5 billion. Some Wall Street watchers fear turbulent times for the stock.
WILLIAM COHAN, FINANCIAL JOURNALIST AND FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK: I would personally stay away from it because it's too risky. It's too highly valued already compared to the underlying business.
The good business in here is Starlink. But will it grow sufficiently to justify which probably by then will be a $2.5 trillion valuation, $3 trillion valuation? Possibly. I doubt it.
NEWTON: SpaceX, however, believes the sky's the limit. Its IPO perspective sees a head spinning $28.5 trillion in potential revenues. It's looking to build a network of artificial intelligence data centers in space, and it will work to perfect its next generation Starship rocket.
GARRETT REISMAN, FORMER DIRECTOR OF SPACE OPERATIONS, SPACEX: I don't think it's possible to understate how important Starship is. A whole economy is waiting for this vehicle to be able to do all kinds of new things in space.
People are designing large satellites right now that need Starship to get there.
NEWTON: Elon Musk himself is a true Starship believer.
MUSK: This is a spaceship that is designed to make life multiplanetary, to carry millions of people across the heavens to another planet.
NEWTON: Musk has a lot of money riding on SpaceX's IPO as it rockets him to trillionaire territory. His biggest corporate payout, however, comes later when and if SpaceX establishes, get this, a permanent human colony on Mars with 1 million inhabitants.
Sky high, perhaps, high in the sky ambitions for a company that has caught the attention of global investors hoping for heavenly returns.
Paula Newton, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: And Musk has been talking about that for more than a decade.
Steven Spielberg, by the way, his newest movie is a sci-fi thriller about aliens here on earth. Up next, we'll discuss "Disclosure Day" and the burning questions about life in outer space with our film critic Grae Drake. She joins me live next.
[01:47:13]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MICHAELSON: Are we alone in the universe or is there life in outer space? That is the question being asked in the new Steven Spielberg movie "Disclosure Day".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The film seems timely as the us government has declassified and released UFO files. And people around the world grapple with their beliefs about alien life.
Cbr.com film critic Grae Drake is here to help us answer some of the burning questions about the movie and aliens.
Welcome back to THE STORY IS, Grae. So what is this movie saying about life on another planet?
GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, CBR.COM: It's saying something that we already know, which is that it exists. It's hanging around. It's just a matter of us actually seeing it.
MICHAELSON: Well, not everybody buys that.
DRAKE; They're wrong. Come on. I think that this movie would have been infinitely more interesting had Spielberg made it 20 years ago --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: -- ok, when we really had a lot of conflicts, there really weren't any answers, and we certainly didn't have any government involvement in letting us know things whether it's true or not.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
DRAKE: So basically, Spielberg is saying that this movie is about us, and it's about how we feel about the aliens. It's not about that at all.
It's a summer movie season film where Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor are leaping onto trains at high speeds. That's all it is. And then just when it starts to get interesting, it ends.
MICHAELSON: So you didn't like this?
DRAKE: I am mad about it because I think there's a good movie in there somewhere but he cut it off.
MICHAELSON: He cut it off. So that -- its interesting, the timing of all of this. So we've had on the show a few times a director named Dan Farah, who is a documentary filmmaker who made the film "Age of Disclosure", which is on Amazon Prime, one of the bestselling documentaries of all time on that platform.
And there's a headline from "Entertainment Weekly" talking about this. And it says, Steven Spielberg credits the "Age of Disclosure" doc with raising awareness for new alien thriller "Disclosure Day".
Dan Farah told me earlier tonight that Steven Spielberg was his inspiration for getting into films in the first place.
DRAKE: Sure.
MICHAELSON: That "E.T." and "Close Encounters" were his favorite movies of all time. It's got him to start asking questions and got him into this space to make the real documentary about "Disclosure Day".
And Steven Spielberg says that he was filming this, you know, before some of this stuff came out. But in some ways, your argument is that the real-life stuff is more interesting than the film stuff.
DRAKE: All I've seen is the trailer for "The Age of Disclosure", and it is captivating. I can't wait to watch it.
And so what Spielberg's movie could have been is truly a fictional exploration of what people went through when they learned this stuff, when they came across it in person. It's not that.
[01:54:44]
DRAKE: And so I think as a result, Spielberg is going to have another soft opening for a film box office wise, just like the ones that he's had for the last six years.
MICHAELSON: So this is what Spielberg said about this concept of life on other planets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe I'm asking it, but I'm asking it seriously. Have aliens been here? And do you think they might still be here?
STEVEN SPIELBERG, FILMMAKER, "DISCLOSURE DAY": Based on the circumstantial evidence of everything that I've gathered throughout my whole life, everybody I've listened to, and every documentary I've ever watched, and all the testimonies in Congress that I've heard, I absolutely think that they have been here and they are here. And who knows, maybe they've always been here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Do you agree with that?
DRAKE: All right. Listen, he's a legend. I mean, I can't argue with the man himself.
MICHAELSON: Yes, but you wish that was more of what the film was about. DRAKE: Absolutely. I don't think that's the movie he ended up making
for one reason or another. And I will be checking out the documentary while everyone else definitely hits up the theaters and I hope enjoys it way more than I did.
MICHAELSON: Or maybe we could all watch "E.T." for a reminder of an interaction with an alien.
DRAKE: Oh gosh.
MICHAELSON: Because he did make that movie.
DRAKE; And "Close Encounters".
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes.
DRAKE; By the way, this is not a sequel to "Close Encounters". That is an insult to "Close Encounters".
MICHAELSON: All right. Grae, great to see you. We appreciate. You like that you keep it honest. That's what we like to do.
Here on THE STORY IS called Balls and Strikes. Tomorrow we will have our reporter live from Sofi Stadium right after the World Cup begins. We'll see you then.
[01:56:25]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
