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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Colombia Hit with Devastating Earthquake; Trump Promotes Debunked Theory Linking Vaccines to Autism; Minnesota and Wisconsin to Hold Primaries Tuesday; Rapper Tupac Shakur's Killing Goes to Trial After 30 Years; Trump Boarded Secret Flight in Turkey Amid Iran Threat; Trump Escalates Attacks on Democrats. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 11, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: And thank you all for watching. "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" is next.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles.

Coming up, THE STORY IS in Colombia where search and rescue operations are happening right now after a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake devastated part of the country. We'll talk live with a survivor on the ground.

THE STORY IS in the Midwest, where voters are heading to the polls in the coming hours in critical races that could leave a Democratic socialist as the Democratic nominee in a key swing state.

And THE STORY IS in Las Vegas. 30 years after Tupac Shakur's death, jury selection is underway in a trial that could answer one of music's biggest unsolved mysteries.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.

MICHAELSON: The top story is the devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia. Watch this.

(VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Looks like a scene out of a disaster movie. At least 132 people have been killed after the quake toppled buildings, damaged hospitals and shut down airports in several cities. The country's geological service says the quake is the strongest to hit Colombia this century. The epicenter was located in the Choco region near Colombia's Pacific Coast.

Local officials are urging people to evacuate buildings showing signs of structural damage. This video here shows parts of a church crumbling to the ground as people cling to one another to try to stay on their feet. Colombia's new president, who just took office on Friday, has declared a state of national disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are confident that with God's help and the support of the new government, we will be able to overcome this terrible ordeal that today has plunged all of Colombia. And of course, the people of Choco into mourning. Let this be an opportunity to tell the country that Choco will never again be the forgotten land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Colombia says it is sending extra resources to the hardest hit areas. Some people are stuck beneath the rubble in Cali, which is the country's third largest city. Volunteers joining rescue crews there to help clear debris and look for survivors. Several health institutions in Cali have reportedly been closed and evacuated due to all the damage, but some patients are trapped under a partially collapsed university hospital according to the regional governor.

Joining us now from Medellin, Colombia is Laura Alvarez. She witnessed Monday's quake and captured the shaking on her cell phone. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA ALVAREZ, EYEWITNESS TO COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE: Oh, my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) god. Oh, my god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: It's amazing to see all of that, that you captured all of that. What did that feel like? Walk us through that experience.

ALVAREZ: It felt terrifying, if I'm going to be honest with you. I've only been through one earthquake before in this apartment, but it was really, really mild. And today I thought that was what was happening. I thought it was just going to be something that was going to be 10 seconds long. And as soon as it started to last longer and longer, I started to feel like scared for my life, to be very honest with you.

I also just felt very helpless. My instinct was then to call, you know, whatever the 911 equivalent is here, and I don't even know that number. And I just thought, you know what? Like everyone is going to be in this situation. Like no one can come and get me. And I was really just sort of stunned and in shock because I was woken up by the movement. I wasn't already awake. I, you know, if you see in the video of like sleep marks on me. So I was just in a bit of a state of shock and just very terrified.

MICHAELSON: And that's the thing about earthquakes. For people who have not experienced earthquakes in other parts of the world, there is no warning. There's a warning for a hurricane, a warning for a tornado. An earthquake comes out of nowhere, as do aftershocks.

[00:05:03]

Have you been feeling aftershocks as well?

ALVAREZ: Yes. Thankfully, no. That's one thing that my entire -- my entire family is Colombian and has experienced earthquakes before. And so when I called them, they told me like, OK, one thing you have to be really careful about is all of the aftershocks that can happen. Didn't feel any of that. But I also felt extremely unprepared, just like you said, like you don't really know what to do in that situation.

And what I learned is that one of the most dangerous things you can do is to run outside immediately, that you should actually find cover under like a sturdy table in case like debris falls on your head or something. But I felt very, yes, just out of my element. I've never experienced something like that before and just felt extremely vulnerable.

MICHAELSON: Medellin is not the epicenter of this, but the quake was so big that you felt it that strongly where you are. We've been looking at some of these images from around Colombia, including some areas that are closer to the epicenter. What are you seeing? What are you -- on the ground? What are you hearing from other people in the country in terms of the greatest need? And how are you processing some of these images that you've been seeing?

ALVAREZ: Yes. The processing has been very difficult. Like throughout the day, it's just been a lot of like mixed emotions. And I even -- I'm glad that you brought up of like what areas deserve more attention because it's not Medellin. To my knowledge that there has not been a big amount of structural damage, like in some of these images that we're seeing.

But in the epicenter, you know, especially in the coffee region, you know, in Choco, especially, these are the areas that need the most help and need the most attention, especially in an area like Choco, which is already really known as being one of the most impoverished areas of Colombia in general, even before the earthquake.

So I know that there's been, you know, as you already reported, like 130 deaths, but I expect that to just keep climbing because a lot of people can't even communicate with their loved ones. And a lot of the cell phone service is out. So I expect that number to just keep growing over the next couple of days. And my heart really goes out to Choco, and especially there's a lot of indigenous communities in those areas that don't have access to quick response, you know, as the major cities do. And that's where I think a lot of the attention needs to be focused on.

MICHAELSON: And unfortunately, one thing we've seen so often is that in these impoverished areas, sometimes there are not the same building codes. And because of that, the buildings often collapse in a big earthquake where they might not in a wealthier, more urban area. So we are thinking about it and praying for all the folks in Colombia who are dealing with this.

Laura Alvarez, thank you so much for sharing your experience. We appreciate it.

ALVAREZ: Thank you for having me. Have a good day.

MICHAELSON: Thank you. In the United States, scientists, doctors denouncing President Trump's

latest executive order targeting childhood vaccines. Some of its goals are to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for very young children and to divide the mumps, measles and rubella vaccines into three separate shots. The wide-range -- or separate shots, I should say.

The wide-ranging changes go against broad scientific consensus. But they follow President Trump's own opinion on vaccines, which are not backed by science or evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Very simply, large amounts of vaccine, large amounts of like vats of vaccine are currently pumped into your child's body. And we're doing 20 percent of that at each visit. And we'll let time elapse between visits so the body can handle this massive amount of fluid being pumped in. I think it's going to make a big difference. You know, there are some groups that have virtually no problem with autism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Almost all doctors say that there is no evidence that children are getting more vaccines than they can handle. An extensive studies of vaccines have shown zero evidence of a connection to autism. But President Trump has been pushing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to seek confirmation of those debunked theories.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who is himself a doctor who cast the deciding vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is now speaking out after allowing this to go forward, writing on X, quote, "I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The president does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines do not cause autism. Parents should listen to their children's pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order. This is so wrong."

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Supporters of the Justice Department applauding Todd Blanche's confirmation as the new United States attorney general. Blanche sworn in by Justice Emil Bove at the White House on Monday. Blanche and Bove had worked together as President Trump's personal defense lawyers and were quickly appointed as senior positions in the Justice Department, and both Blanche and Bove have faced criticism for using their government positions to target and prosecute the president's perceived enemies.

The battle for the future of the Democratic Party is spreading through the upper Midwest, as progressives and moderates face off in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Key primaries for the U.S. Senate and governor are set to be decided in the coming hours. The Wisconsin governor's primary getting a lot of attention. It will once again attest the momentum of the Democratic socialists. Francesca Hong, a far-left member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, is

the frontrunner. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley leads a divided field of moderates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCESCA HONG, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR: Folks are working harder and harder, and it's still not enough. And we need the types of bold, transformative policies that we're talking about.

DAVID CROWLEY, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR: We need a governor who will build an economy where every community, urban, suburban, and rural, has the opportunity to succeed. That's the Wisconsin I'm fighting for, y'all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Let's bring in our panel. Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa is the former mayor of Los Angeles, speaker of the California assembly. Earlier this year, he ran for governor of California. And Steven Olikara ran for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. He's a senior fellow for political reform at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.

Gentlemen, welcome. Mr. Mayor, good to have you on the panel for the first time.

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, FORMER MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES: Good to be here.

MICHAELSON: Stephen, though, let's start with you as the Wisconsin guy on the panel who's run in Wisconsin and knows Francesca Hong for a long time.

STEVEN OLIKARA, FORMER DEMOCRATIC U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE FOR WISCONSIN: Yes.

MICHAELSON: There's been a lot made of her. What's she really like?

OLIKARA: Well, I know Francesca Hong and her leading opponent, David Crowley, both very well since the early days of their political careers. Francesca Hong came onto the scene in Wisconsin in 2020. So two years after AOC was first elected, and she channeled some of that AOC energy in Wisconsin. She's a nontraditional type of political leader, a Democratic socialist, and represents the bluest assembly district in Madison, Wisconsin.

So this is a district largely of state government workers, of University of Wisconsin, my alma mater, staff members. And she has really channeled this energy for change. Her core message being permanent affordability. And you've, of course, seen that message echoed among progressive candidates across the country. And so now in this race, she has led a movement that is on the verge of likely creating a massive upset victory tomorrow, leading on issues like A.I. data centers. She's been a crusader against that, an issue that folks across the aisle can relate to.

MICHAELSON: And she would be the first Democratic socialist to be a Democratic nominee for governor of a major swing state. And she's had positions like defunding police, tax increases for the rich, abolishing ICE. And then "The New York Times" put out this headline. "Will Voters Think That Francesca Hong is Too Radical?" Here's where what she thinks, and I want to pull out one section in particular where she apparently is not into holidays. This is a section from "New York Times."

"'I do not enjoy fireworks,' she wrote several days before the Fourth of July in 2019. Halloween, she said in 2025, is 'not my thing.' Thanksgiving is a 'colonizer holiday' that people should not gather to honor, she posted in 2020. Valentine's Day, she wrote in 2022, brings out the 'worst of humanity' on a day capitalism tells you to show love."

Mayor Villaraigosa, I'm not a political strategist. You have worked as one. Is being anti-fireworks and anti-love on Valentine's Day and anti-turkey on Thanksgiving a good political position to be in. She says, by the way, these were some old tweets and she's had some bad takes but --

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, you said it. She's had some bad takes. Look, I mean, she feels like a -- sounds like a caricature of what many describe people on the left. My issue is if they're focused on things like that and not the economy and affordability, I don't expect that she's going to do very well. If she has left, you know, that kind of thinking and now does associates herself with that and focuses more on what people care about that they can't afford the cost of gas and groceries, that their electricity rates are too high, you know, she's got a shot.

[00:15:07]

MICHAELSON: But doesn't that seem like an unnecessary distraction?

VILLARAIGOSA: Without question.

MICHAELSON: I mean, if voters get a choice between one who's pro- turkey on Thanksgiving and one who isn't, or at least wasn't in the past, now says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday with a smile? I mean --

VILLARAIGOSA: Steve knows her better, and from what I understand, she's kind of moved away from some of those positions. But, yes, she sounds like a caricature of what people describe the left.

MICHAELSON: Yet why is she -- why is she connecting? Clearly, I mean, Mandela Barnes, who was a competitive candidate, dropped out because she was doing so well, thought he couldn't beat her. What is going on with her that people in the rest of the country maybe aren't seeing?

OLIKARA: People want a lot of change right now. And I think voters in the Democratic primary are saying the moderate candidates doesn't represent enough change. And she's speaking to the basic idea that we want, whether you're a police officer or teacher, to be able to afford a home right now. And that's something that I think clearly has traction. But here's the thing, and this is what the mayor is picking up on, I

think people want change, but not weird. And I think that's what we're tapping into with this Thanksgiving issue. And by the way, it should be mentioned, these aren't necessarily silly tweets from when she's in college. These were all statements she put out after getting elected and after being in public life. So it is all fair game.

And now she has the risk of getting the worst of both worlds where she is too far for the general election, too far-left for the general election electorate, but also seen as out of the norm with basic cultural issues. And that's why the prediction markets of this race have completely flipped. Democrats were favored to win the general election. Now it's flipped towards the Republicans.

MICHAELSON: Well, and it sort of raises this bigger question of this battle for the soul of the Democratic Party. Fareed Zakaria this weekend on CNN got to this battle. Here's some of what he said on his show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: The left has the passion, but the middle still has the votes the Democrats need to win in general elections. The progressive answer is that Democrats can solve this by becoming more economically populist, attacking billionaires, expanding benefits, and thus appealing to the working class. But these ideas don't appeal to the actual working class.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: You just ran. You've won. You've lost. Where do you -- where do you see things right now on that front, in terms of where Democrats should go and where the electorate actually is?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, if you are going to be a Democratic socialist, focus on the economy in the way that Sayed did in the Michigan primary.

MICHAELSON: Who's not a Democratic socialist.

VILLARAIGOSA: Well -- but --

MICHAELSON: Yes, yes.

VILLARAIGOSA: Espouse their views.

MICHAELSON: Sure.

VILLARAIGOSA: Focus on the economy. When you focus on some of the cultural issues, no turkey, no fireworks, you know, a lot of what Democrats focus on, I think we're going to lose the election. People do want change. There's no question about that. We have an economy that's not working for enough people, across -- not just here in California, but across the country. And so what happens is, you know, people are falling off the flat earth on one side or stuck with their heads in the clouds on the other side, looking for pie in the sky. If you focus on the economy, you can win back working class people that we've lost in so many ways.

MICHAELSON: Do you think the Democrats are doing a good enough job of governing blue cities?

VILLARAIGOSA: No, I don't.

MICHAELSON: They're not.

VILLARAIGOSA: Absolutely not.

MICHAELSON: And so what is the message that's being sent by the way that blue cities are being governed and how that's impacting the way the party is perceived?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, they're looking at blue cities that -- where people are leaving in droves to, you know, red states, to the Midwest, to other places. They're seeing, you know, whether it's crime or cities that just aren't working, you know, for the economy and people are leaving. And so I think what we have to do is reclaim competence and common sense.

Now, you just mentioned that I just got out of election. Obviously it didn't do that well, but at the end of the day, my sense is if we're focused on an economy that's not working for enough people and have solutions for fixing that, we can win. We have to be a big tent party. You know, that brings in all of us. But when you lose the middle, you got to look in the mirror.

MICHAELSON: We're out of time so like one sentence.

OLIKARA: Yes. Well, and that's why I think Democrats need to become the working class party. Look at the results tomorrow. Does Fran win not just Madison but also Milwaukee, which is much more of a working class city?

MICHAELSON: And part of what Fareed says is to be the working class party is to not be weird on the cultural issues to turn off people on gut issues that they understand.

OLIKARA: We're all pro-turkey here.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

[00:20:01]

MICHAELSON: Mr. Mayor, Steven, thank you. You guys are going to be back with us in the next hour to talk about what's happening with President Trump, which is going to be interesting and where the Republican Party is in.

And be sure to join us tomorrow night for our special election coverage of all of those primaries. Katie Porter, Ron Brownstein, Matt Klink will all be here. It's going to be interesting and exciting night as we get results and speeches live during THE STORY IS. Still to come, nearly 30 years after the killing of rapper Tupac

Shakur, jury selection is now underway for the first and only person to ever stand trial for his death. Plus, a new report from the "Washington Post" reveals the extraordinary measures taken to protect President Trump from an Iranian assassination attempt, and it involves the president hiding in a beverage cart.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:15]

MICHAELSON: The murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy continued Monday with new testimony about the mental health treatment that she received in the months leading up to the killing of her three young kids. Clancy's attorney pressed her psychiatrist, questioning her experience, the medication she had prescribed, and her use of short 25-minute online appointments to guide Lindsay's treatment.

The defense argued that Clancy was overmedicated, suffering from postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder, and had reported symptoms as well as side effects from the medication she was prescribed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever suggest to her that maybe you ought to come in to see you, rather than talk on the computer?

DR. JENNIFER TUFTS, LINDSAY CLANCY'S PSYCHIATRIST: Discussing talking with her over the video did not seem like an issue. It didn't seem like there was anything that I was missing, or that there was any need to see her in person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Psychiatrist also testified that Clancy never told her she was hearing voices or experiencing manic episodes, and that she had never reported thoughts of harming her children.

Jury selection will continue on Tuesday in the murder trial of Duane Davis, the man accused of killing rapper Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago. Davis is the first and only person ever charged in the rapper's fatal shooting. He's pleaded not guilty. Tupac's killing has remained one of the most high profile unsolved mysteries for decades. But prosecutors say Davis's own words may be just the evidence they need to prove him guilty.

CNN's Nick Watt has a preview of the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Keffe, Metro Police. Come over here.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Keffe D was arrested three years ago. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what they got you for, man?

DUANE DAVIS, SUSPECT IN TUPAC SHAKUR'S MURDER: Biggest case in Las Vegas history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes?

WATT (voice-over): The shooting, the killing of Tupac Shakur at a stoplight in Vegas late one night after a Mike Tyson fight nearly 30 years ago.

Here's what prosecutors will argue detailed by a homicide detective just after Duane Davis, Keffe D's arrest.

LT. JASON JOHANSSON, LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: As we all know, Tupac Shakur was a artist who was signed with Death Row Records and that Death Row Records and its CEO, Marion "Suge" Knight, were closely affiliated with the Mob Piru criminal street gangs, and that they had an ongoing feud with the South Side Compton Crips. Duane Davis was the leader and shot caller of the South Side Compton Crips.

WATT (voice-over): Members of both gangs were, say police, at the Tyson fight in the MGM Grand that night and afterwards in the lobby, Tupac, Knight and others spotted Keffe D's nephew, Orlando Anderson, and beat him up.

JOHANSSON: Duane Davis began to devise a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate against Suge Knight and Mr. Shakur.

WATT (voice-over): Anderson, his uncle Keffe D and two other men allegedly got into a white Cadillac and followed Knight and Tupac, who were in a black BMW en route to a club. Unclear exactly who pulled the trigger, some have said it was Anderson. Keffe D is the only man who was in that white Cadillac who is still alive. He's now 63. He was, they say, the shot caller. And under Nevada law, he can still be charged with murder.

JOHANSSON: Within the first few months of the investigation. Our detectives knew most of the information. I just briefed you on. However, we never had the necessary evidence to bring this case forward.

WATT (voice-over): His own words, say investigators, were Keffe D's undoing.

JOHANSSON: Specifically, Duane Davis's own admissions to his involvement in this homicide investigation that he provided to numerous different media outlets.

WATT (voice-over): "Them jumping on my nephew gave us the ultimate green light to do something to their (EXPLETIVE DELETED)." And in the documentary "Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders," Keffe D describes the moment he says he handed Anderson, whom he calls Lane, a gun, while riding in that Cadillac.

DAVIS: I gave it to Dre. And Dre was like, no, no. And Lane was like, dude, popped the dudes.

WATT (voice-over): But in July, Keffe D denied being involved in the killing, telling a Las Vegas news station he wasn't even in Nevada when Tupac was shot.

DAVIS: I ain't worried, though. I didn't do (EXPLETIVE DELETED). So.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, that's what courts for, right?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT (on-camera): Elex, latest we heard from court, they have seated seven jurors, seven of 12. They also need to have four alternates. That process could take a couple of days. The trial itself, we are told, will take four or five weeks.

[00:30:04]

Interesting to see during this jury selection, the defense leaning heavily on the fact that there weren't cell phone cameras back in those days, there weren't surveillance cameras, trying to paint this as a pretty uphill battle for the prosecution to prove that Keffe D was involved, to finally convict somebody of the murder of Tupac Shakur around 30 years after it happened -- Elex.

MICHAELSON: Nick Watt, think how different this would be if there was cell phone video, how many cameras would be on that particular story. Thank you for that reporting.

Turning now to a stunning revelation on how President Trump hid in a catering cart to board a secret flight due to an Iranian assassination threat. This is a real story. "The Washington Post" reports it happened when he was leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month. President Trump was seen boarding Air Force One. Remember, this was the old Air Force One because he couldn't get on the new Air Force One.

But minutes later, he and several aides secretly exited that plane via an airport catering truck. The truck, which we're about to show you, circled on screen, there it is, then transported them to a smaller military aircraft. Meanwhile, the big Air Force One there took off with journalists and White House staff on board serving as a decoy. The media thought the president was there. Once both planes arrived in England, President Trump was secretly transported back onto Air Force One and then was seen disembarking as he normally would.

Here's what the "Washington Post" reporter who broke this story told CNN's Kaitlan Collins about the incident on "THE SOURCE" earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LAMOTHE, NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: For weeks now, the American public talking about the two Air Force One jets, the newer one from Qatar and the older one from the last couple decades of operations. And in reality, the president was on either plane. You had the newer jet from Qatar that landed with a relatively nondescript call sign a couple hours in advance in Britain. The C-32 simply did not show up in flight tracker data at all, at least in the publicly available information we had.

And the Air Force One jet landed with the Air Force One call sign despite the president not being aboard. That was a serious shell game of sorts that occurred there, you know, to keep the president safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Technically, any plane that the president is on is supposed to be called Air Force One.

Robert McDonald is a retired Secret Service agent. He joins us live now to discuss.

Thanks for being with us. Welcome to THE STORY IS.

ROBERT MCDONALD, RETIRED SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Thank you. Great to be with you.

MICHAELSON: Do you know of any other incident in American history where the president was secretly flying on an alternative plane and told the press he was on their plane?

MCDONALD: I don't know of any specific situation like that, but I do know of a couple of incidents where some deception was done in order to protect our president. One was in 2000 with President Clinton departing India and going to Pakistan. And the second one was President Bush going to Afghanistan in 2004. I happen to be assigned to the Protective Operations Office during that time. And that secret was kept very tight within only a few number of people within the Secret Service.

I found out about it by watching television just before Thanksgiving dinner. So the secrecy aspect here of this shell game that was played is obviously in response with some creativity and making sure that the Secret Service is not complacent with respect to the very high threat level that's out there now, both domestically and internationally.

MICHAELSON: We know for years that Iran has talked about the idea of killing the American president. We know that America just killed the Iranian leader. What kind of threat would prompt something like this? And talk about how a decision like this is made. Who makes the call to do this?

MCDONALD: Well, I think obviously some information was gleaned while the president was in Turkey for that summit. And then the meeting of the minds takes place between the White House staff, the military office assigned to the White House and the Secret Service. All three of those entities work in concert with each other anytime the president moves anywhere, whether it's in D.C., domestically or internationally. All of those entities work on logistics, security, transportation, communication.

[00:35:04] It's a traveling road show wherever the president goes. And all three of those entities would have been involved with respect to that decision to go into this shell game decision here, to get the president to England, and then subsequently back to the United States.

MICHAELSON: So right after that flight, President Trump got on the new Air Force One and was flying with the media, did a gaggle, talking with them, and they were asked about why they weren't flying on the new plane from Qatar earlier. Here's what he said at the time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You're saying there wasn't a security concern?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, no. Why would there be?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you know why they had us close our window blinds? That was not usual.

TRUMP: Well, yes, because, you're, you know, probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: They think that Iran was possibly thinking of --

TRUMP: Well, I mean, if they asked you to close your windows, probably they feel that way. They didn't ask me to close mine. But if they did, I would have done it.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Were you aware of any credible threat by Iran against Air Force One?

TRUMP: Well, I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list. Before you. But if I go, you go. Right?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But was there a specific threat today?

TRUMP: So, perhaps, perhaps someday you want to change professions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Of course he was not on that plane when he was the number one threat. So "if I go, you go" was not necessarily a thing. We know that President Trump does not like to show weakness. What do you make of this coming out, this idea of him sort of going in a beverage cart and hiding and the reaction to that, and sort of where we go from here after this becoming public?

MCDONALD: Well, respectfully, I don't think I would say that he was hiding in the beverage cart. I think that he would -- they were using that vehicle to transport him in a clandestine fashion so as to not let this cat out of the bag, if you will, for the protective mission that was going to be done.

Look, the Secret Service has to be creative. We've had two, almost two and a half years now since Butler. We've had a lot of attempts. Secret Service is doing a good job every day, but they've had some issues that they've had to deal with. The optics of some of the things that they've been doing, the complacency that they've been accused of.

So, look, this, quite frankly, was very creative. It worked. Now there's going to be questions now with respect to what security was provided for each of the other two 747s, where people were still flying on that plane representing the United States press, White House staff. I'll leave that to you and your colleagues to continue asking those hard questions of the White House and the president to see what more we can find out with respect to that area.

But the main thing here is that the president got home safe. It may not have looked pretty. It may have been a little bit ugly and a little bit nontransparent. But the president got home safe, especially in this very high threat environment, which we're seeing right now.

MICHAELSON: And that, of course, is the number one job of the Secret Service. And we're glad that everybody else involved got home safe as well.

Robert McDonald, thank you for staying up late for us. Thank you for your service to our country to make sure that the president got home safe while you were on the watch as well.

MCDONALD: Thank you, sir. We'll see you next time.

MICHAELSON: Still to come, President Trump tries a new line of attack against Democratic candidates. What he and Republicans are now saying about Abdul El-Sayed's politics and race. Stay with us.

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[00:43:14]

MICHAELSON: President Trump is turning up the heat on Democrats, specifically Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed who just won the state's Democratic Senate primary. The president no stranger to claiming a candidate may be a communist or socialist. But now his attacks are escalating even further to invoke fear based on a candidate's race.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Less than a week since Abdul El-Sayed victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, the race is getting ugly, with President Donald Trump turning to inflammatory and to personal attacks.

In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump featured this photo of El-Sayed with his wife and the caption, "Two very different Americas." El-Sayed pushed back on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION."

ABDUL EL-SAYED, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE: Yes, he's right. One in which your overlords are two people who don't like each other, but joint in the interest of making billions of dollars off of you, or two people who genuinely love each other, enjoyed some pancakes together, want to come together to build the kind of America where they can raise a family and know that that family is going to have the good things.

So, yes, you've got two different visions of America. Donald Trump's vision is the one you're living in right now. Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries?

SAENZ (voice-over): Just today, the president said this in the Oval Office.

TRUMP: But one thing is we have jihadists being elected all over the place. We have this -- whether it's communism, jihadism, it's -- a lot of friend of mine called up, he said, you know, really, you should use the word jihadist because that's what's happening.

SAENZ (voice-over): Though he didn't say El-Sayed by name, the president's comments come as he's railed against the Michigan Democrat.

TRUMP: When I watch Abdul, he's full of (EXPLETIVE DELETED). He's a man of hate.

[00:45:04]

SAENZ (voice-over): With the GOP's Senate majority on the line.

TRUMP: They want to skip socialism. They want to go right down to the bottom of the barrel. That's communism.

SAENZ (voice-over): El-Sayed does not identify as a socialist or communist, but hails from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He's advocated for Medicare for All and opposes U.S. military aid to Israel. His mission now, uniting Democrats after a divisive primary.

EL-SAYED: This is the opportunity right now to unite around what needs to be done, and that's holding the Trump administration accountable rather than sending a guy who's going to be a rubber stamp on everything that Trump wants to continue to do.

SAENZ (voice-over): The Republican attacks against El-Sayed are pointed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, the most radical Senate candidate in America.

EL-SAYED: Well, I'm pretty (EXPLETIVE DELETED) dangerous.

SAENZ (voice-over): The Michigan Democrat argues the GOP is engaging in familiar tactics.

EL-SAYED: Notice how they chose to use the -- my full name in echoes to exactly what they did against President Obama. They're going to try and paint me as a certain thing given my name, but I also think it's important for us to recognize that America has a long history of embracing. America is a lot bigger than very small people like Donald Trump or J.D. Vance or Mike Rogers.

SAENZ (voice-over): Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: The U.S. and Iran appear no closer to reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has responded to Tehran's latest list of demands to reopen the critical waterway. He said, in part, "I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran for all the people that they have killed and gravely wounded." He doubled down on that stance in the White House on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said this last round of talks was Iran's last chance before decapitation. So what now? What comes next?

TRUMP: You'll find out. You'll find out.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you still -- massive escalation, is that still on the table?

TRUMP: Well, we have that, certainly that ability, if we want to do that. Yes. You'll find out.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said you're low-keying it with them.

TRUMP: I think so.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You're semi-negotiating. What exactly does that mean?

TRUMP: Well, they asked for -- they asked for reparations, you might say, or they asked for money for the damage that we've done. I said, that's a good idea. Well, we're going to ask for money for the damage they've done over a 50-year period. If there's damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Parts of Europe are bracing for more high temperatures this week. In some places, it is the fifth heat wave they've seen this summer, and it's fueling more dangerous wildfires. We'll have the latest just ahead.

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[00:52:19]

MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

A massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake has left parts of western Colombia in ruins. The country has declared a state of national disaster, mobilizing resources and rescue operations across several hard hit cities. At least 132 people have been killed. Hundreds more are injured, according to local authorities.

A boat captain facing two federal counts in New York in the deaths of a young mother and her 5-month-old daughter. Manuel Hernandez charged with misconduct or neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. Authorities are investigating whether he was running an illegal charter on Saturday night when his boat capsized near the Statue of Liberty, sending 14 people overboard.

A beloved California bald eagle named Jackie has died after being treated for an illness. Her caretakers say she got sick several weeks ago and that their team is heartbroken. For more than a decade, Jackie was watched via an online video feed by people around the world. The live feed documented her success and failures each breeding season with her partner Shadow. RIP to Jackie.

Another heat wave and strong wind gusts fueling more blazes across Spain. Officials say a large fire is burning out of control in the southwest, and flying embers are setting off smaller fires. Nearly 50,000 acres have been scorched and 500 people have fled that area. Crews are also battling another fire in the eastern Castellon Region that has burned around 2,000 acres and forced 900 people to evacuate, but is close to being stabilized.

Meanwhile, in western Canada, 100 wildfires are still burning across British Columbia. Fierce flames have damaged a number of homes and properties, forcing thousands to flee. An 80-year-old woman reportedly died while trying to escape the fast-moving Bald Range Fire.

A new report says that July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States. That's according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose temperature records date back to 1895. NOAA found the average temperature in the lower 48 states last month was 3.3 degrees above the 20th century average. In total, more than 600 monthly records for highest maximum and minimum temperatures were set this year in July across the country.

Still to come, the Trump administration's latest step to reduce childhood vaccinations not going over well with doctors and scientists. Next hour, we'll speak with an expert about the controversial executive order.

[00:55:01]

How you should think about that, especially if you've got young kids or grandkids.

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MICHAELSON: Jeff Bezos may be close to buying a stake in one of Europe's most prominent football clubs. News agencies reported the Amazon founder is part of a consortium that wants to obtain about a third of Liverpool FC. The former Champions League and English Premier League champ are already one of the most lucrative sports entities in the world. This new investment could raise their.